TCP Tuesday 144

It's TCP Tuesday! She's BACKKK.

Yup. Leigh is back as the Hostess with the Mostess for the Sketch Challenge. Woot! Woot! And she has got an awesome sketch for you today. Check it out.

And while you are at it check out her card. Pretty awesome. I had a chance to see some of the other cards the Cat Pack has stamped using this sketch. And they take my breath away. So check out the members of the Cat Pack during the next couple of days and you'll see what I mean. I'm so excited about this sketch, I'm going to have to try it, too. You should play along.

Want to play in this week's challenge? 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, 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. You can post to the SCS Gallery, using the keyword TCPTUES144, but only designs posted to 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.

It's A Banner Class

Are you going to be in Cupertino this Saturday? Well you should be. This Saturday, at Memories Live On, I'll be teaching how to make this sweet banner. Customize your own banner with some of our cute images and dies. Making a banner is easy with our dies. Photographing? Not so much.



Want to sign up? Call Memories Live On to reserve your space. 408-446-9901

TCP Tuesday on Wednesday

Okay, okay, I know. It's Wednesday, and I'm late for TCP Tuesday. But that's okay. Sometimes life gets a little ahead of us. Anthony is in bed, sick. And as you know, he is the main order packer. So while he is getting better, I've taken over the order packing duties, and there hasn't been a lot of card making time.

But, I have been thinking about this card. You know how sometimes you have a card in your head and can't make it right away, but you can picture yourself making it? You can almost feel the squish of the ink and the movement of your fingers when you tie the ribbon? That was this card for me. I had 90% of the card made, before ink ever touched the paper.

I wanted to make a really classic, simple card with strong shapes. I use so much pattern and color, that I really wanted to see if I could make a card without patterned paper. We just got in the Neenah Natural White 110 lb cardstock and I wanted a chance to use it in a card. It's a really wonderful weight and really luxurious. And, I had some leftover hearts from the Hearts Trio that I had sewn earlier and I thought it would be perfect. Then I stamped up a simple banner using words from the "Love Letters" stamp set. (available on back order!)

I added some rhinestones where the piercing is on the hearts. I just love that those little holes are there, 'cause it makes placing those tiny sparklies so much easier.

TCP Tuesday 143

It's TCP Tuesday! And Susan is the Hostess with the Mostess this day. And she is the Queen of the Stamp Challenge.

This TCP Tuesday, she is challenging you to use any Cat's Pajamas stamp that has the word LOVE or Heart(s) in it. This should be pretty easy, right? Especially, if you got any of the stamps in our last release.

I have to play in this week's challenge. After some orders get packed. Orders first. Playtime next. Kinda like a Mullet. Business in the front. Party in the back. Yup. My days are like Mullets.

So come back in a few hours and see what I've come up with.

Want to play in this week's challenge? 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, 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. You can post to the SCS Gallery, using the keyword TCPTUES143, but only designs posted to 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.

TCP Tuesday and a Blog Hop

It's TCP Tuesday! But it's not just any TCP Tuesday. It's also a Release Day Tuesday. Even if you haven't been paying attention, with all the Sneaky Peeks this week, you might have guessed there were some NEW stamps and CutUps coming.

So, if you come hopping along from Toni's Blog, you have reached the end of the Hop. If you want to see some really awesome work, you better start at Sony's blog. She's the Hostess with the Mostess this week and her color challenge is a doozy. She wants you to use Red, Black, Kraft or White with YELLOW! Sheesh.


So I pulled out my current favorite, "Ewe Complete Me". If you were at the Pajama Party last night, you know there was talk of "splendor in the grass" when it came to these two sheep....I don't know if I'll ever look at these two the same way.

Then, I pulled out the old Liquid Applique and went to town. I even did the heart in the banner.

For the banner, I used my favorite trick of folding the paper and butting the fold against the cut line. When you run it through you have a fold at the top that connect two heart. I slipped my twine in the fold, and then secure the two hearts together. Easy Peasy. And no big holes in my heart. Really.

Want to play in this week's challenge? 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, 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.

Sneaky Peek #7

It's Day #7 of Sneaky Peek Week and the NEW Release is almost here. Woo! Hoo!

So many of you have been asking for Sprinkle, that I knew I had to have her here at the very first release of the year to start things off right.

I had been taking a little break from the little Kitty Cat, trying to figure out what trouble I can get her into, and wouldn't you know, she wants to come out and play. NOW! Granted, her version of play is the same as those feisty young penguins. And with a lot more spit and vinegar.


But this time, she assures me, she wants to Woo you. That's Woo. With a capital W. She's one Smitten Kitten and she wants you to be one too. So how could I resist. Here is her brand new set, coming Tuesday, January 18, "It Had To Be Mew"


Just check out this sweet little set. Can't you just picture her swaying to the music, yowling her little heart out? I love her Furever. Don't you? I know who else loves her, Toni, Sony and Carole, that's who. Go by their blogs and see what they've done with the 'ol gal.

Then come by the Pajama Party at our forum on SplitcoastStampers. It's 7-9 pm EST, 4-6 pm PST. There'll be more samples and lots of fun will be had by all.

Sneaky Peek #6

It's Day #6 of Sneaky Peek Week and we have one more Sneaky Peek to go before the Pajama Release Party at SplitcoastStampers. We'll have some more wonderful projects The Cat Pack has been working on, some giveaways and some surprises that I know you'll want to hear about!

And, if you can't make it, join us for our New Release Blog Hop on TCP Tuesday. Sony will start the Hop off right, as the Hostess with the Mostess. So you know it will be great!



But first, a look at this darling bear. Remember him from the Project of the Month? He's another super cute design from Zlatoena Designs, aka Zlatina Gocheva. She's such a great designer, and this bear is so sweet, I can see him used all year 'round, for just about any occasion.


He's part of the set "Bear Hugs". Don't you just love the different fonts in this set? I have so much fun finding just the right font to go with the sayings, while still keeping that Cat's Pajamas look, and this set was no different. It's almost as fun as actually drawing a particular cat. (Who we might see tomorrow.) Want to see more of this sweet 'ol bear? Check out Julie, Sony,
Leigh and Jackie's different looks for this set.

In the meantime, I'll work on getting the site up and running for the new sets and dies and stuff. Oh yeah, and the little surprise I told you about.

Sneaky Peek #5

It's Day #5 of Sneaky Peek Week and I'm Sneaky Peeking a couple of items that were totally inspired by The Cat Pack. The first is this set called "Love Letters". It's kind of a "building block" sort of set. Jen told me that she noticed a certain look in typography that she liked. It was "Subway Style". Blocks of type that were turned sideways and rightways and all sorts of ways. It mixed different fonts and the type was kind of built into blocks. I took her idea and ran with it, and came up with this set.

It's so fun to stamp with. And Leigh came up with the cancellation mark. Brilliant, I think. Sprinkleville? LOVE! I just love this set, so I had to make something with it. If you didn't know already, Jen has one of the best sketch sites around, SFYTT. That's Sketch For You To Try for those of us who are initials challenged. This month, The Cat's Pajamas is the sponsor and if you play along, you could win some really awesome prizes.

Check out the deets, here. I used this month's sketch for this card. Not only did I use the "Love Letters" stamp set, but I used the two dies that are releasing this month, Stamp Trio, and Heart Trio. And this card uses Jen's TCP Tuesday Technique Challenge to use ribbon in a different way.

To make the hearts, I stitched two pieces of red cardstock together and lined up the center of the Heart Trio Die with the stitching and ran it through the die cut machine. The Heart Trio cuts 3 hearts at a time and pierces the scallops in the outside heart. The Heart Trio die was inspired by Amy. She did this awesome card last year and I knew, then, that we had to have an "outline" heart.


Then I trimmed the scalloped heart away and folded the inside two hearts in half and fluffed them up. I cut a pink, single sheet of cardstock and set it aside.


Then I used the Stamp Trio die to cut a piece a white card stock and placed the stencil/mask that comes with the die, over it, and used a stencil brush to give the center color. The stencil/mask keeps the edges white.


Leigh suggested the stencil/mask for this die and I really think that it adds a lot of versatility to this die. I used the rest of the "Love Letters" set to finish making the postage. Check out the piercing on the outer heart. Just love how delicate it looks. It doesn't need a special mat to get that piercing. It just pierces like that when it cuts the hearts.


Then I assembled everything on a black circle. I used black foam tape to help hide the adhesive. I first saw Tim Holtz use this tape, and I thought it was perfect if you adhere a lot of dark paper. I mean, who likes to see white tape in between dark layers? It's like wearing white shoes with black tights.


After I assembled the card layers I ran a strip of Scor-tape down the side and adhered the ribbon to the tape, like this. Folding it this way, three times and then three times the other way. Then I trimmed the ends.


I placed some rhinestones and a silver scalloped circle behind the black circle with the hearts and stamps. I just love how this looks.


When I was taking the picture, I kept telling Anthony not to look. I think this will be a perfect Valentine for my sweetie.


Here is the stamp set I used. "Love Letters". And here are the dies.

Want to see more? Check out Leigh, Carole and Amy. They've got some awesome cards, I must say.

Sneaky Peek #4

It's Day #4 of Sneaky Peek Week and today I'm Sneaky Peeking a brand new set featuring Mister Penguin that is releasing on January 18. It's called "Got Love."

I don't know if you all realize it, but there are actually four, yes FOUR penguins running around in my tiny little brain.


We almost always see the Three Amigos, Larry, Darryl and the other brother Darryl. But occasionally we see one lone penguin. The big brother, if you will, who actually doesn't like to be part of the crowd. He's an original, he is. An individual. A Pepper. He does things his own way. He likes his margaritas, and he likes to celebrate. He loves his brothers, but in this set, he wants you to know that he is special, too.


And he thinks you are special. Gorgeous, even. He knows you can make some awfully gorgeous things with him. Just check out Leigh, Toni, Susan and Jen to see what you can do with this set.

Or you might just get a Sneaky Peek at another set, "Tweet Hearts" on their blogs. It's another ca-yute set by OuOu Illustrations that we are just tweet on. (yes, that's a pun)

But, don't forget to come back tomorrow. Not only are we Sneaky Peeking another set, but one of our dies, too!

Sneaky Peek #3

It's Day #3 of Sneaky Peek Week and we are featuring our very own PJ the Bear in his very own set, "Honey Bear" coming on January 18. And why, Honey Bear? Check out the rest of the set.

Not only is this set perfect for Valentine's Day, but it's a great all around set, too. I can see it in a baby card, a card to a friend and a Just Because card.


Want to see more of this versatile set, check Julie, Leigh and Amy. Come back tomorrow to see another Sneaky Peek of the sets that we'll be releasing on January 18.

Sneaky Peek #2

It's Day Two of Sneaky Peek Week. And we've got this super cute image from OuOu Illustrations. That's Laurie Nadeau, to you and me. This new set is called "Spring Rain" and it's releasing on January 18.


I just love how happy this little gal looks, surrounded by her peeps. Literally. When I was creating the sentiments for this set, I was jamming to the tunes of The Bravery's "Hey Sunshiney Day" and I thought it caught the right feeling for this set. I even used their spelling of Sunshiney to keep with the fun.


Want to see more of this set? Check out Susan, Julie, Leigh and Carole work their magic. Then come back tomorrow to see more of what we are releasing on January 18.

Sneaky Peek #1

It's Tuesday, so it must be TCP Tuesday. And it's that time again! Our new release is coming on January 18th and today is the first day that you will get to peek at one of the sets being released.

Our Hostess with the Mostess this TCP Tuesday is Jen. And she has taken the Hostessing of the Supply Challenge over from Amy. This week Jen is challenging you to use Ribbon. But not any old ribbony way. She's challenging you to step outside the box and use ribbon in a new way. And NO BOWS! WOW. You chew on that while you take a look at the very first Sneaky Peek.

The first Sneaky Peek is a set we call, "Ewe Complete Me". Yup! The sheep are BAAAAaaAckkk!

And aren't they the sweeetesst? Just love them. Take a peek at the rest of the set. Don't you just love the sayings in this set? I know I do. Want to see what you can do with them?


Check out Amy, Jen and Jackie for their take on this set. AND check out the rest of The Cat Pack today. You might just get to see a couple of the other sets.

And don't forget to come back tomorrow for another Sneaky Peek.


Do you want to play along with us, this TCP Tuesday?
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, 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.

Project of the Month

Beary Sweet Hanging Heart Box

Cat Packer Carole Burrage inspired this Beary Sweet Hanging Heart Box featuring images from our new release. Download the template and instructions for FREE. Then make a bunch to hang on the doorknobs, bedposts and chairs of your sweeties.

The downloadable instructions are good, but I thought I'd go into more detail, since I know so many of you are more visual.

After you download the template from the website, you can either print it on the back of your paper, or transfer the image. Score on the dotted lines, and cut on the solid lines.

Use a scalloped heart Nestablities to cut a hole in one of the hearts of the box template. The template won't fit in my Big Kick, so I fold over the facing heart on one of the scorelines and ran it through. No problemo.




Paper is from the Making Memories "Mistletoe" Collection. It's a discontinued Christmas paper, but I just love the white polkadots on the black background. Place tape on the "good" side of the flaps and fold the "V" into the heart and secure each flap to the inside of the heart along the straight sides to form the sides of the box.

When you download the box template, there is also a cutting template for a heart. Cut one heart of red cardstock and one of acetate.



Sorry this picture is so bad. But you take the heart die that is a size smaller than the scalloped heart that you used before taking care to place it high up on the red heart as shown and run it through the die cut machine.


Attach the acetate to the back. Then place foam tape on the acetate. Place the tape at the far edge of the heart. If it is too close, it could show up in the next step.


Center the heart, with the acetate in the middle, behind the scalloped heart cutout of the box. So just a bit of the scalloped heart shows through. Pretty, no?

You have just enough time to admire your pretty box before....


...gathering one end of your ribbon and wedging it between the prongs of sparkly brad. Place the brad through the hole in the side of the box and open up the prongs. If you do it tightly enough, the ribbon can actually hold weight. Do the same on the other side.

Then you stamp and color the image that you want to go on the box. I chose this SAWWWWEETT little Bear and from our "Bear Hugs" set releasing January 18, drawn by Zlatoena Designs. I colored with Prismacolor Pencil and Gamsol and used lots of foam tape to bump out the heart and the paws.

Then I filled a bag with some conversation hearts, embellished with some Divine Twine and a matching brad.

This little project is soo easy to put together. Hope you make one, or a dozen.