TCP Wednesday?

Don't you just love the week after Christmas? It's always a great time to reflex and spend time with the family. Just kick back time.

So this week, Toni, Our TCP Tuesday Hostess with the Mostess is doing a Laid Back TCP Tuesday Challenge. Make something that is something "new". Try a new color combo, and new technique. A new TCP stamp you haven't inked yet. What the heck, it's almost the New Year. The time for new things.

You know the drill, people.
Here are the deets.
1. Each a week one of The Cat’s Pajamas DT members will host a challenge.
2. The challenges will vary {stamp, techinque, color, theme, sketch, etc.}
3. You will have until the end of the month to complete the challenge.
4. Post your design to the guestbook on this blog by the end of the month. Winner is chosen from the guestbooks each month.
5. TCP stamps are not required, but of course, highly encouraged. {Unless it is a challenge calling for a specific stamp}
6. There will be one winner each month. They will be deemed that month’s Swankiest Stamper and get $25 in Cat’s Cash {money to spend on the TCP site!}.
7. Only designs posted to the guestbook will be considered for the Swanky Stamper.
8. The newly crowned Swanky Stamper will be announced on the First of the Month and have his/her winning entry posted on The Cat’s Pajamas website where he/she will reign for the entire month.

Well, I'm not sure how it happened, but all of a sudden it's just 3 days before Christmas. And me, with just 2 prezzies to get. I usually make my own gifts, but suddenly the clock has run out and it is too late. Can you feel me?

So instead of posting a TCP Tuesday challenge, I'd like to take this moment to wish you all the best this Holiday Season. And to tell you how much I appreciate YOU! I really do. Without out you there would be no blog and no me, getting to live pretty much how I want to live. You complete me.

I have lots of wishes this Holiday Season. Mostly for World Peace and the Brotherhood of Man. But I think I'll settle for people just getting along. And for a healthy and happy year for all of you and yours. For all those that we know and who we will get to know in the near future.

I wish for a year of creative growth and reflection. And one of discovery. Of sticky, gluey fingers and one full of glitter and sparkles. And one full of smiles and sighs and books and afternoon naps. One full of yummy cat stretches and cuddles on the couch. Of loud boisterous laughter and quiet walks on the beach. Of girls' nights out and the very best mystery marathon on TV.

I wish this for you.

TCP Tuesday

Welcome to the TCP Tuesday! Jen is the Hostess with the Mostess on this really brisk wintery Tuesday.

She's doing a sketch challenge this week so you know it has to be great! When you get a chance check out her card and check out the other members of The Cat Pack for their take on this cute sketch.

Play along with us and add your own design to the guestbook at the bottom of the post. You could be eligible to be the next Swanky Stamper of the Month and win 25 smackeroos, that $25 in Cat's Cash.

Here are the deets.
1. Each a week one of The Cat’s Pajamas DT members will host a challenge.
2. The challenges will vary {stamp, techinque, color, theme, sketch, etc.}
3. You will have until the end of the month to complete the challenge.
4. Post your design to the guestbook on this blog.
5. TCP stamps are not required, but of course, highly encouraged. {Unless it is a challenge calling for a specific stamp}
6. There will be one winner each month. They will be deemed that month’s Swankiest Stamper and get $25 in Cat’s Cash {money to spend on the TCP site!}.
7. Only designs posted to the guestbook will be considered for the Swanky Stamper.
8. The newly crowned Swanky Stamper will be announced on the First of the Month and have his/her winning entry posted on The Cat’s Pajamas website where he/she will reign for the entire month.

Button Wreath

I'm hard at work, filling orders and making Christmas cards, so I thought I'd give you something to look at. I've been seeing a lot of versions of these button wreaths, so I whipped up a couple to show you what you can do with our Vintage Holiday Buttons, some glue, ribbon, and a coaster.


I start out by carefully drawing a circle in the center of one of my round coasters. Lots of "research" was done in my neighborhood to find just the right shape coaster.


Then I cut the circle out with a craft knife and colored the coaster with the color of the darkest button. Don't forget to color the edges of the coaster. I used a heavy tacky glue that dries clear and ran a bead of it around the center, by the hole. Then I placed buttons in the glue, taking care to cover the edge of the hole.


Fill in with the rest of the buttons.


There may be gaps, but not to worry, you can cover the biggest, most annoying gaps with a top layer of buttons. Don't forget around the edges, too! When in doubt, add more buttons.

Here is the finished project. I looped a ribbon around the wreath and tied off a button with silver thread. This wreath is so much cuter in person. The glue dried after the sun set, so I wasn't able to get a great picture, but you get the idea.


Here is a cream and cranberry one. It was the first one I did. A little shabby chic. I used a felt word and added rhinestones. I just love these wreaths, and they are so easy to make. So festive, no?

TCP Tuesday

Welcome to the TCP Tuesday! Susan is the Hostess with the Mostess this Tuesday.

And she's doing the stamp challenge this week and it's so fun! This week she's challenging you to make a wintery card. You know, the kind that makes you shiver when you are done. That means snowflakes, penguins and snowy sentiments. And the added challenge...? ONLY The Cat's Pajamas stamps are allowed. When you get a chance check out her blog. She's got snow up the wazoo. Check out the other members of The Cat Pack for their take on this challeng.

Play along with us and add your own design to the guestbook at the bottom of the post. You could be eligible to be the next Swanky Stamper of the Month and win 25 smackeroos, that $25 in Cat's Cash.

Here are the deets.
1. Each a week one of The Cat’s Pajamas DT members will host a challenge.
2. The challenges will vary {stamp, techinque, color, theme, sketch, etc.}
3. You will have until the end of the month to complete the challenge.
4. Post your design to the guestbook on this blog.
5. TCP stamps are not required, but of course, highly encouraged. {Unless it is a challenge calling for a specific stamp}
6. There will be one winner each month. They will be deemed that month’s Swankiest Stamper and get $25 in Cat’s Cash {money to spend on the TCP site!}.
7. Only designs posted to the guestbook will be considered for the Swanky Stamper.
8. The newly crowned Swanky Stamper will be announced on the First of the Month and have his/her winning entry posted on The Cat’s Pajamas website where he/she will reign for the entire month.

Project of the Month

I don't know about you, but I am always looking for that small special gift that says "I am thinking about you" and "You are so special, you deserve something made from the heart", but I don't want to spend that much.

So when I saw this Sweetie Nugget Card Box, by Cat Packer, Jen del Muro I knew that this was that special something and that it had to be the Project of the Month for December.


On the outside, it is wonderfully packaged gift. Open it up, and it is a thoughtful card for that special one. But even better...


Open it up even further, and it's a thoughtful gift packed full of sweets or money or embellies or whatever you want. Jen's done it up real purty here with chocolate nuggets covered in handstamped labels. Yummo!


Want to make one? Well head on over to the Project of the Month and download and instruction sheet. If you want to make one, you can find the clear boxes on the site, too.

Swanky Stamper of the Month

Jenny Gropp — Swanky Stamper for December

I don't know about you, but this card makes me want to pull out my Best of Christmas Cocktails, and swivel my hips a bit. But, I'll control myself for now to tell you how much this card makes me smile.

This card is surprisingly simple, if you just look at the layout. What makes this card special is all the added "stuff" that in Jenny's hands just makes this card a standout. From her stitched detail around the edges, to the "sugar" around the rim of the glass to the way she used the Nestablities die as a mask, and outliner and cutting tool. (Did I mention this is a Matchbook card?)

Add, paper piecing, rhinestones, doodling, airbrushing, this card has technique all over the place. But, most importantly, it looks as if Jenny had fun making this card. And it is the reason Jenny Gropp is the Swanky Stamper of the Month.

TCP Tuesday

Welcome to the TCP Tuesday! Joanne is the Hostess with the Mostess this Tuesday.

She's doing a color challenge this week and it's making me hungry! She's challenging you to use light pink, kraft, and vanilla. Yup! Thems ice cream colors. Neapolitan, to be exact. This was my favorite ice cream growing up. Who could resist 3 different taste sensations in one bowl? YUMMO.

When you get a chance check out Joanne's card. It sure is purty! And check out the other members of The Cat Pack for their take on this color choice.

Play along with us and add your own design to the guestbook at the bottom of the post. You could be eligible to be the next Swanky Stamper of the Month and win 25 smackeroos, that $25 in Cat's Cash.

In the meantime, I'm going to be busily filling orders. I'm going as fast as I can, but someone insists on checking every order that goes out.


Here are the deets.
1. Each a week one of The Cat’s Pajamas DT members will host a challenge.
2. The challenges will vary {stamp, techinque, color, theme, sketch, etc.}
3. You will have until the end of the month to complete the challenge.
4. Post your design to the guestbook on this blog.
5. TCP stamps are not required, but of course, highly encouraged. {Unless it is a challenge calling for a specific stamp}
6. There will be one winner each month. They will be deemed that month’s Swankiest Stamper and get $25 in Cat’s Cash {money to spend on the TCP site!}.
7. Only designs posted to the guestbook by the end of the month will be considered for the Swanky Stamper.
8. The newly crowned Swanky Stamper will be announced on the First of the Month and have his/her winning entry posted on The Cat’s Pajamas website where he/she will reign for the entire month.

It's almost here!

The Gobble It Up Sale! It's our last SALE of the year and it starts TOMORROW. 25% off our entire website, excluding our Kitty Kat Pack.

Woo! Hoo!

TCP Tuesday!

It's Tuesday, so it must be TCP Tuesday! Amy is the Hostess with the Mostess this Tuesday.

She's doing a technique challenge this week and just like Amy, it's fantastic! She's challenging you to use embossing. Thanks right, embossing. Dry embossing, embossing powder, you name it. When you get a chance check out her card. It's super cute. Check out the other members of The Cat Pack for their take on this color choice.

Play along with us and add your own design to the guestbook at the bottom of the post. You could be eligible to be the next Swanky Stamper of the Month and win 25 smackeroos, that's $25 in Cat's Cash.

Here are the deets.
1. Each a week one of The Cat’s Pajamas DT members will host a challenge.
2. The challenges will vary {stamp, techinque, color, theme, sketch, etc.}
3. You will have until the end of the month to complete the challenge.
4. Post your design to the guestbook on this blog.
5. TCP stamps are not required, but of course, highly encouraged. {Unless it is a challenge calling for a specific stamp}
6. There will be one winner each month. They will be deemed that month’s Swankiest Stamper and get $25 in Cat’s Cash {money to spend on the TCP site!}.
7. Only designs posted to the guestbook will be considered for the Swanky Stamper.
8. The newly crowned Swanky Stamper will be announced on the First of the Month and have his/her winning entry posted on The Cat’s Pajamas website where he/she will reign for the entire month.

TCP Tuesday

Welcome to the TCP Tuesday! Toni is the Hostess with the Mostess on this Tuesday. And not only is she the Hostess with the Mostness but the gal is a brand new graduate with a bright and shiny new degree. And it only took her 4 years, which is a super accomplishment to those of us who took much longer. ...ahem.

Anyways, she's doing an inspiration challenge this week and it will knock your socks off! Well, your hat off, anyway. When you get a chance check out her card and check out the other members of The Cat Pack for their take.

Play along with us and add your own design to the guestbook at the bottom of the post. You could be eligible to be the next Swanky Stamper of the Month and win 25 smackeroos, that's $25 in Cat's Cash.

And thank you everyone who ordered our new releases. We are STILL busily packing them up for delivery to you.

Here are the deets.
1. Each a week one of The Cat’s Pajamas DT members will host a challenge.
2. The challenges will vary {stamp, techinque, color, theme, sketch, etc.}
3. You will have until the end of the month to complete the challenge.
4. Post your design to the guestbook on this blog by the end of the month.
5. TCP stamps are not required, but of course, highly encouraged. {Unless it is a challenge calling for a specific stamp}
6. There will be one winner each month. They will be deemed that month’s Swankiest Stamper and get $25 in Cat’s Cash {money to spend on the TCP site!}.
7. Only designs posted to the guestbook will be considered for the Swanky Stamper.
8. The newly crowned Swanky Stamper will be announced on the First of the Month and have his/her winning entry posted on The Cat’s Pajamas website where he/she will reign for the entire month.

TCP Tuesday Holiday Hop

Welcome to the TCP Tuesday Holiday Hop! If you came from the oh-so fabu blog of Joanne then you have reached the end of the Holiday Hop.

If you haven't visited all the other "Hoppers", what are you waiting for?

Susan, is the Hostess with the Mostess this time around. And for this week and she has picked any December Holiday for this week's stamp challenge. Which fits in pretty well with our new release. We are releasing 5 brand new Swanky Sets with the Holidays in mind. With 2 Christmas sets, a New Year's set, a Chanukah Set and an alphabet set, we've got you covered until the rest of the year.

Play along with us and add your own design to the guestbook at the bottom of the post.

So I've made a simple transparent card. With these clear cards less is more, for a more elegant look. And, it's one of the cards that I'll be making at Stamper's Ink this weekend with Kim from My Favorite Things. I'll be teaching a bunch of designs that the Cat Pack have come up with and a couple of my own. I'd love to see you if you are in Shawnee, Kansas. It's not too late to sign up.

Thank you for visiting and Thank You to The Cat Pack, and our Swanky Stamper, Meredith for making this Holiday Hop so fun.

Here are the deets.
1. Each a week one of The Cat’s Pajamas DT members will host a challenge.
2. The challenges will vary {stamp, techinque, color, theme, sketch, etc.}
3. You will have until the end of the month to complete the challenge.
4. Post your design to the guestbook on this blog.
5. TCP stamps are not required, but of course, highly encouraged. {Unless it is a challenge calling for a specific stamp}
6. There will be one winner each month. They will be deemed that month’s Swankiest Stamper and get $25 in Cat’s Cash {money to spend on the TCP site!}.
7. Only designs posted to the guestbook by the end of the month will be considered for the Swanky Stamper.
8. The newly crowned Swanky Stamper will be announced on the First of the Month and have his/her winning entry posted on The Cat’s Pajamas website where he/she will reign for the entire month.

State of the World

I was doing my daily visit of blogs that I love and I came across this one from Ginny Carter. Ginny is the former owner of Stamper's Anonymous and the Creative Block. And a wonderful artist. I always like reading about what she is doing and her point of view as an artist and a person.

She reminisced a bit about where stamping as it is today started, and a bit about where we are now. And, of course, it makes me think about how I started way back when.

I think, for me, it started how it starts for so many. I wanted to make a card. For Mother's Day. And I saw these cool little blocks that I could ink and reproduce the same image over and over. Of course, I could produce the same results with a computer, but after spending 8+ hours at a computer, I wanted to make something with my hands.

So I made that card for my Mother. And one for every Mother I knew.

Then I went to a Stamp Convention where I took a stamping class and I was hooked. The class was a discovery of the art form and breathed a hunger in me that could only be satisfied by stamping. I discovered Somerset Studio magazine and proceeded to purchase every back issue I could find. I memorized the names of the artists featured, as if they were rockstars.

I discovered there were a lot of stampers out there and I spent the hours not working, stamping away and learning how to "distress" things. How to properly sponge the edges of a card so that it looked vintage. I was a stamping, distressing and edging queen. As confused as many of my non-stamping friends and family were confused when they got brown cards and "art" pieces, I loved it. And, I resigned myself to keeping my creations to myself and amassed a huge pile of them that sat diligently under my bed.

Then 9/11 happened. And after the sadness and tragedy of it, I needed something that would pull me out of the constant state of depression I seemed to be in.

That's when my stamping saved me. And here is where I have to go back to Ginny's post about where stamping has gone. Some of us needed to make things that weren't so "heavy"...and "brown". We needed to lighten our hearts. We needed to smile again. We needed to use color in bright swathes across our pieces and return to a simpler way of design. A simpler life.

And that's why The Cat's Pajamas happened. To fulfill that need. Plus, I was running out of room under the bed. And I've had a smile on my face ever since.

TCP Tuesday

Welcome to the TCP Tuesday! Leigh is the Hostess with the Mostess on this wonderfully warm California Tuesday.

She's doing a sketch challenge this week and it's fun, fun, fun! When you get a chance check out her card and check out the other members of The Cat Pack for their take on this cute set. And you just may get a sneak peek at some of the new images that we will be releasing next week.

Play along with us and add your own design to the guestbook at the bottom of the post. You could be eligible to be the next Swanky Stamper of the Month and win 25 smackeroos, that $25 in Cat's Cash.

Here are the deets.
1. Each a week one of The Cat’s Pajamas DT members will host a challenge.
2. The challenges will vary {stamp, techinque, color, theme, sketch, etc.}
3. You will have until the end of the month to complete the challenge.
4. Post your design to the guestbook on this blog.
5. TCP stamps are not required, but of course, highly encouraged. {Unless it is a challenge calling for a specific stamp}
6. There will be one winner each month. They will be deemed that month’s Swankiest Stamper and get $25 in Cat’s Cash {money to spend on the TCP site!}.
7. Only designs posted to the guestbook will be considered for the Swanky Stamper.
8. The newly crowned Swanky Stamper will be announced on the First of the Month and have his/her winning entry posted on The Cat’s Pajamas website where he/she will reign for the entire month.