Did someone say SALE?

I do declare, there's an after Christmas SALE that starts...after Christmas.

Cha-cha-changes! Part Deux

Two posts in one day? Well, I'm so excited to share who the newest member of The Cat Pack is. Do you see her picture over there on the side? Yup! THAT'S Jackie Pedro.

You've seen her around. Her work is so stunning, and unforgettable that the jaw drops and breath is taken away quite regularly, when I see something that she has created.

I was lucky enough to meet her and her sweet little gals a couple of weeks ago at Memories Live On and that sealed the deal. I knew that if a spot opened up on The Cat Pack, I would so be asking Jackie. So when it did, I did and she said "YES!"


So, Welcome to The Cat Pack, Jackie! Can't wait to see what else you come up with.

Cha-cha-changes!

With the end of the year looming before us, it's a time for me to reflect on the past and look toward the future. And this year is no exception, except I'm ending the year, by saying goodbye to one of The Cat Pack and hello to a new member.

Joanne Basile is not only a talented artist, a mother of 2 precious boys and a wife to just a really awesome guy, but she also wears many hats besides those most important ones. I've known her for years, and she is so much more than all those spectacular things I just mentioned. Joanne is a beautiful person. And a beautiful shining soul. Joanne is leaving the Pack, to devote more time to her family. And nothing is more important than that. I'll miss her.

So I'm leaving you with one of her last cards, that is so very, totally, Joanne. She is pretty awesome.

TCP Tuesday 139

It's Tuesday, so it must be TCP Tuesday.
This week, I'm the Hostess with the Mostess. And this week I've got the sketch challenge for you to have a little fun with.

It's the last challenge of the year for us here at The Cat's Pajamas, and I hope you have as much fun playing with this sketch as I did looking at all your wonderful cards.

I don't know about you, but I wait patiently all year long for the Holidays. Not for Christmas. No, no, no. For the time that I get to pull out the Liquid Applique and use it on coats, and snow scenes and here, on this Sheep from our "Sheepish" set. The saying is from the "You Suit Me" set. And I also used the "Icing" CutUps die for the edging.

Sometimes, it's a little hard to find Liquid Applique unless you go to your LSS. Tulip has a similar "Puffy" type product that is similar to Liquid Applique. You squeeze out the goop from the bottle and heat the goop with your heat gun. And, then like magic, it puffs. The Tulip "puffy" stuff has very limited colors, so if you are looking for a larger color palette try your LSS.

Don't forget you can turn the sketch any which way you want. Here I've turned it on its side and used the Bear from the "Big Bear" set and the "Big Scallop" CutUps die. And I've used the Liquid Applique again. This reminds me of Leigh's doggie's first adventures in the snow. I just love this big ol' bear.

I must say that when I was doing this last card, when I finally got a layout I liked, I realized that I had at least 6 patterns on this card. They all matched, but as I started pulling all the patterns off and replacing them with a couple of solids, it reminded me of my college friend, Elizabeth.

We were in our last semester of college in the eighties. I was over at her house for dinner, and talk turned to clothes. Specifically, interview clothes. I was going to be looking for a job after college in California and Elizabeth wanted a post in Paris. Paris, France. So she knew that she had to make an impression and she showed me her interview clothes.

A navy skirt suit with either white polka dots or white pinstripes. (Can't remember which)
A white blouse with navy polka dots.
A pair of white tights with navy polka dots.
White flats with navy polka dots.
A navy bow for her hair with white polka dots.
I think there was even a navy tie with white polka dots.

"And" she said " If I can look in the mirror without throwing up, I add these navy bows with white polka dots to my shoes" (Remember, it was the eighties)

So I realized when I was taking patterned paper after patterned paper off my card, that it really wasn't that I was afraid of throwing up. I was afraid of making you throw up. ;)

Want to thro.... er, play along with our challenge?? Here are the deets.

1. Each a week one of The Cat’s Pajamas DT members will host a challenge. <--It's me this week! 2. The challenges will vary {stamp, technique/supply, color, theme, sketch, etc.}
3. You will have until the end of the month to complete the challenge.
4. Link to your post using the Inlinkz button 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 this blog 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.

Uncomplicated Christmas

Susan's TCP Challenge this week was to use any of our Holiday Stamps. So I decided to pull a little goodie from out of the archives to show you a quick little giftie using "Give A Little". This sweet little candy box is based on one of our December Projects of the Month. And it's quick and easy to make. I used Chocolate Nuggets to fill the box and acetate for the sleeve to show off the stamped nuggets.


Here is what it looks like closed. This was pre-copic markers, so excuse the color job. Check out the project here, and download the instructions and template for FREE.

TCP Tuesday 138

It's Tuesday, so it must be TCP Tuesday.

This week, our Hostess with the Mostess is Susan. And she's got the Holiday fever. This week Susan is hosting the Stamp Challenge, and she is challenging you to use any of The Cat's Pajamas Holiday Stamps. I'm busy filling orders this week, before the heavy Holiday shopping begins, so here is one from the archives.


This one is by the Oh-So Awesome, Julee Tilman. Yuppers. The Verve Diva herself. She is using one of my favorite sets "Give A Little".

Want a little help? Check out this brand new section at The Cat's Pajamas.

Want to play along with our challenge?? Here are the deets.

1. Each a week one of The Cat’s Pajamas DT members will host a challenge. <--It's me this week! 2. The challenges will vary {stamp, technique/supply, color, theme, sketch, etc.}
3. You will have until the end of the month to complete the challenge.
4. Link to your post using the Inlinkz button 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 this blog 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.

Thank You, Mainely Stampin'

Thank you Mainely Stampin' and their stamping clients for making my time at their Annual Holiday Maine Event a fun one. I had over 50 people come and make the Hot Chocolate CarryAll that I designed especially for this event. And there would have been more, but you only have so much room at a table, dontcha know. If they ever ask me back, I'll have to sit in a different place, so that we can fit more people in. ;)

The Holiday Maine Event was wall to wall people, and there was yummy Minestrone soup to eat. The Maine Event is also the last trunk show of the year for The Cat's Pajamas, and will be there for another week. So if you need any Cat's Pajamas Holiday goodness, Mainely Stampin' in Fairfield, California is the place to go.

Project of the Month

Sorry I'm a little late in posting the Project of the Month, folks. But after I gotta load of Sony's Color Challenge, I wanted to try and incorporate it in with the Project. Her challenge was to use Ice Blue, Aqua and Lavender. What pretty colors for the Holidays.


Our Project of the Month is this Wraparound Trio Treat Box. That's right, you can put 3 sets of treats in this handy little box. We used the stamps from "Your Gift" in this project.


It's easy to make. Just print out the template found on the website on the back of 3 pieces of patterned cardstock, cut out and score.


Place a Scallop Oval die in the center of the biggest panel and a smaller one in the center panel. Since the piece is too big to fit through the diecut machine, just fold the small tabs over the dies and run through.

On the remaining two pieces, put the large scalloped die in the big panel, and the small one in the panel on the opposite side. Fold the tabs over and run through the die cut machine. Cut the large end tab off on one of the pieces. Place acetate over the openings and now you can assemble the boxes.


Fold the small side tab over, and line the fold up to the dotted line on the other side. Place tape on the bottom tabs and close up the bottom of the boxes. Line up the boxes so that the one that you cut the large tab off of is on the left side. Arrange as shown below and attach the the large tabs overlapping the boxes.


Use "Icing" CutUps Die to cut 3 white strips and weave them up and over more patterned paper. And cover the large tabs. Stamp the from "Your Gift" sentiment and then sign who the gift is for and from. Once you put the sentiment in, it's kinda hard to sign your name ;).


Punch two holes on the side of each of the end boxes and close with ribbon. Then decorate the front and fill with candy. Easy Peasy.

If you want to know how I decorated the front of the Wrap-Around Trio Treat Box and want more detailed info, you can get more detailed instructions and download the template for FREE on our website.

More Than Stamping @ Mainely Stampin'

If you are going to be ANYWHERE near Fairfield, California this Saturday you must, yes I said MUST, get yourself over to Mainely Stampin'. Their Holiday Maine Event will be going on from 10-6. Just $10 will get you in to make multiple Make and Takes. I was there last year and it was so much fun to kick back and just do make and takes at your own speed and chat with friends.

I'll be there too, teaching how to make my current favorite project, A Hot Chocolate CarryAll, complete with Hot Chocolate and Marshmallows, YUM! And speaking of Yum, if you happen to be there from 1-4, they'll even feed you. What a deal.

Swanky Stamper

We had so many great entries this month, I had a hard time choosing. I even had a hard time narrowing it down to just FOUR, since there were so many great entries. So I gave The Cat Pack a chance to give their two cents, and they also were flummoxed.

But, before I announce the Swanky Stamper for this month, I thought I would show you a couple of the cards that made it so difficult.



First, this super CUTE card from Jana Weaver that uses the sweet ole bear from our "Big Bear" set. Love the different textures, the ruffled bit behind him that looks like an iceberg and the snowflake treatment at the top. So glitzy and glam. But, I really like those paper pieced paws. The SWEEETEST.



Then there was Lisa Henke's card for Sony's Color Challenge. It was a tough one that challenged you to use Orange, Pink and Red. And Lisa rose to the occasion with this one. She used PJ from our "Give A Little" set. And she knows the way to my heart, food. This card is luscious with yummy peppermint candy red. I've always thought that candy canes and peppermints were the prettiest candy of the season, and Lisa proves that.



And, then there is Tammy Hershberger's wonderful card. She uses "Define Good" in this card and our "Icing" and "Snowflake" CutUps. And check out Tammy's coloring of that image! It made me gasp when I saw it. So wonderful.

See what I mean about picking a winner? Really tough. And now, the one I did pick.

Lisa Henke — Swanky Stamper for December

Lisa has created a lot of wonderful cards and designs in the past, but this one absolutely wowed me. Not only is the layout not traditional, but her use of paper, patterns and textures are just FAB.

Take the sentiment. The sentiment comes to you on our "Sheepish" Swanky Set on one line. Here, she places the sentiment on two lines (easy with clear stamps) and puts it smack dab in the center of a large felt snowflake. Seems like it just belongs.

She lets the paper do all the work in the card by choosing a simple layout, with only a few added elements. Truly a case of less is more.

Lisa Henke — Swanky Stamper for December