TCP Tuesday 186 and the Weekly Winner

It's TCP Tuesday and Jen is the Hostess with the Mostess for this week's TCP Tuesday Inspiration Challenge.

Jen always "works" the Inspiration Challenge and this time is no different. Take a peek at her Collage. It's all sorts of snowy goodness layered up with some texture and warm feelings.

What can I say, this challenge called to me so I had to play. I created a transparent card using our Heavy Acetate Sheets. If you haven't tried them, they are super heavy and perfect for card bases. I stamped up the acetate with Stazon Opaque White, and inserted a piece of blue cardstock inside.

Then, I folded white cardstock in half and stamped the bunny from Snow Day (releasing 11/29), colored him and cut him out of the two halves of paper at the same time. (The fold is at the bottom) Then I added adhesive and slipped the card into the fold of the white paper. That way all the adhesive is nicely covered.

A little embossing to the sentiment, tied up with a little silver thread, and I call it done.

How does this collage inspire you? Let's see. Don't forget to add your card to the inlinz button at the bottom of this post.

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WEEKLY WINNER

It's Weekly Winner Time! This week's Weekly Winner is Wendy. She played along with us on our TCP Tuesday Sketch Challenge.

Isn't her card funny? Those little bunnys in their little filmstrip just crack me up.

Wendy, please email me for your voucher code

Here are the Deets.

1. Each Tuesday we will give you a challenge.
2. You will have until the end of the month to complete the challenge.

3. Add your entry to the Inlinkz Gallery or upload to the SCS Gallery, using the keyword TCPTUES186 for this week's challenge.

4. TCP stamps are not required for this challenge, but highly recommended.
5. There will be one randomly chosen weekly winner, announced on Tuesdays who will win a Gift Voucher for use on The Cat's Pajamas website.
6. There will be one winner, The Swanky Stamper, announced the 1st of each month. They will win several sets from an upcoming release and get to play along with us at our Pajama Party and Blog Hop.

Day #1 
Snow Day

It's the very first day of Sneaky Peek Week. That means that a week from now is the first day you can get all the goodies in this collection on The Cat's Pajamas website.

Ready?! Snow Days features the ever popular Bunny, except this time instead of riding his bike, or flying his plane, he's taking advantage of a snow day and engaging in a little horseplay. Or should I say, bunnyplay?

Take a look at this soft and pretty card by Jackie Pedro. Who would've thought that a snowball fight could be so elegant? Did you notice the pretty little snowflakes? They all come from our NEW Snowflake Lace Paper CutUps die. It's our riff on the Doily Die. Not only does it cut a wonderful lacy doily, but it cuts out 3 different sizes of snowflakes, too. It's like getting four dies in one.

Now take a gander at this card by Susan Liles. I'm loving the color combo here. Very Sugarplum Fairy.
 
Want to see more? Then check out Leigh, Julie, Lori, Jen, Jenny, and Swanky Stampers, Kimberly Gajewski and Stephanie Herbert and see how they used "Snow Days". When you finish drooling over at their blogs, head on over to our Forum on SplitcoastStampers and leave a comment on our "In It To Win It!" Thread. You could win the "Snow Days" stamp set! Just by leaving a comment!

 Come back a little later to see who the weekly winner and what the TCP Tuesday Challenge is.

It's Black Friday!

Get Sketchy With It

 

When I went to "Art School" and they taught me about good design, they said that if you take a good design, you can turn it on its side, rotate it and if it still looks balanced, you have a good design. 

A good sketch is the same way, you can rotate it, flip it, turn it on its side and it still works as a good design to base your cards on. And a good sketch doesn't have to be literal. You saw how Leigh, our Hostess with the Mostess, flipped her own sketch to a horizontal layout and used the Cloud Border instead of the filmstrip in the sketch.

How about Amy? She changed out the filmstrip for knitting needles and made her main panels much larger.

Jackie had a Beary good time with this sketch. The gal is the queen of the tilted panel.

And Jen, she stayed true to the sketch, but she used a panel of patterned paper and made the embellishment a heart. Sweet!

And newly crowned Dirty Dozen gal, Julie, she shows off some mad skillz with her pretty little card.

And last but not least, Susan, with her lovely pretty card, or pretty love card.

So have at it Stamper's! Let's see what you can do with our sketch this week. I want to see some mad skillz from you. And you could win a $10 voucher on our website. Word on the street? There's a SALE or two coming up AND a NEW Release on Nov 29. An extra $10 is nothing to sneeze at.

It's TCP Tuesday and Leigh is the Hostess with the Mostess for this week's TCP Tuesday Sketch Challenge.

Leigh always does such great sketches and this week it's no different. Check out this little ditty. This sketch, like so many of Leigh's sketches can be turned horizontally and flipped.

Take a gander at Leigh's own card here. See what I mean?

But if you want to see an example of the sketch as it's shown here, just take a look at Nancy's card. Instead of the filmstrip action that Leigh has, Nancy uses the Stamp Trio, and runs them separately up and down the side.


And Jenny didn't use a filmstrip, either. She put a nice wide ribbon in its place. So CUTE!

What will you do with this sketch? Don't forget to add your card to the inlinz button at the bottom of this post.

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WEEKLY WINNER

And NOW for the Weekly Winner! This week's Weekly Winner is Michelle @ elliotstamps! Michelle @ elliotstamps wins a voucher for $10 on The Cat's Pajamas website. She was randomly chosen from all the cards that were entered in last week's food fight challenge. LOVE how she layered up the scallops on just that one side. It really add to the food theme.

Michelle, please email me for your voucher code.

Here are the Deets.

1. Each Tuesday we will give you a challenge.
2. You will have until the end of the month to complete the challenge.

3. Add your entry to the Inlinkz Gallery or upload to the SCS Gallery, using the keyword TCPTUES185 for this week's challenge.

4. TCP stamps are not required for this challenge, but highly recommended.
5. There will be one randomly chosen weekly winner, announced on Tuesdays who will win a Gift Voucher for use on The Cat's Pajamas website.
6. There will be one winner, The Swanky Stamper, announced the 1st of each month. They will win several sets from an upcoming release and get to play along with us at our Pajama Party and Blog Hop.

Support

 

Support your local stamp and scrapbook store, or pretty soon they might not be around. 

I just wrote the above line and wanted to add a little more to what I think is a pretty strong statement.

My local stamp store is about 40 miles and a couple of toll bridges away. (Toll is about $10 total) My local scrapbook store is about 20 miles and a bridge away ($5 in toll). My local Michael's is 10 miles away. 

Truthfully, I must admit that my heart goes a little pitter patter when I see a Michael's coupon. 40% off one item. (Lots of restrictions apply) And yes, my local Michael's is much closer. 

But instead of jumping in my car to head over to Michael's I make lists. Lists of stuff that can't be purchased at Michael's, but can only be found at my LSS &S. By not heading over to Michael's once or twice a week, I feel I actually save money in gas and "extras".

And when I make my twice monthly trek over to my LSS&S, I get what is on my lists. Along with other things that can't be purchased at any big box stores or even online: Knowledge. Companionship. And the excitement that comes along when someone else shares the same bit of madness I do. ('Cause let's face it, where else can I get a full on encyclopedia's worth of knowledge about the differences in ink?) Not at the big box stores.

Where can I get ideas and new techniques that the gals at the stamp store have just "discovered"? Where can I get classes to get my creative juices going?

And these stores aren't run by a big corporation, they are run by families and friends. They ARE what the TV calls "the local economy". And unlike so many big corporations, they spend their money in the US, keeping jobs in the US, just when we need them most.

I am so lucky to have places that can do all these things that big box stores can't do. So I'll happily keep making my lists and making my twice monthly treks because they are worth so much more than that Michael's 40% off one item coupon.

If you didn't see yesterday's post, here is a little reminder of something very special we have going on this Friday, and well, the rest of the Friday's in November.

We decided to start celebrating the start of the Holiday Season a little early. So start making your list, there are only 3 Fridays in November to shop.

Will you get the Good Friends set that Julie used for her TCP Tuesday Food Fight card?

Or maybe you need to get the Go Bananas set that Lori shows off to perfection. Whatever you're choice, 20% off your order is a pretty good reason to get them both.

Black Friday

I do love a SALE. And I've been told that you love them, too. Especially, around the Holidays.

So, I decided that we should have one. But, then The Cat Pack thought that a couple would be even better. And, I concurred.

So, this Friday, everything on the website, (except the KittyKat Pack and Poochie Pack) will be 20% OFF. And what the heck, every Friday in November, too.

Remember, the SALE is only on Fridays and limited to stock in hand, so start making your list now. And check it twice. Just like Santa.

FOOD FIGHT!

At least that's what the TCP Tuesday Challenge is for this week. Susan is the Hostess with the Mostess for this week's TCP Tuesday Stamp Challenge and she is gearing up for the holidays already and asking you to use any Cat's Pajamas Stamps that have food in them.

Well, you know I have a great affinity with food, so there are LOTs of our stamps with food in them. But, Susan thinks that might be too easy. So she's adding a twist to the challenge. She wants you to use the Icing CutUps die, too, if you've got it. I like the way the girl thinks.

Check out what I mean. Susan is using PJ from the Give A Little Clear Set and he's got a candy cane and a honey pot in hand.

Leigh knows my heart belongs to anything cake, so her card using A Girl And Her Cake hits the spot.

Nancy totally understands that during the holidays, Candy Canes are one of the basic food groups.

And Jenny uses one of my very favorite stamp sets, Gobble It Up. It's just how I feel come Thanksgiving.

Did you play along in last week's color challenge? Leigh and Amy did. I love that they used the same colors but came up with completely different looks.

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WEEKLY WINNER

And NOW for the Weekly Winner! This week's Weekly Winner is Karrie Baker! Karrie wins a voucher for $10 on The Cat's Pajamas website. She was randomly chosen from all the cards that were entered in last week's Color Challenge. She mixed it up a bit with stamps from Bearing Flowers and A Beary Good Year.

Karrie, please email me for your voucher code.

Here are the Deets.

1. Each Tuesday we will give you a challenge.
2. You will have until the end of the month to complete the challenge.

3. Add your entry to the Inlinkz Gallery or upload to the SCS Gallery, using the keyword TCPTUES184 for this week's challenge.

4. TCP stamps are not required for this challenge, but highly recommended.
5. There will be one randomly chosen weekly winner, announced on Tuesdays who will win a Gift Voucher for use on The Cat's Pajamas website.
6. There will be one winner, The Swanky Stamper, announced the 1st of each month. They will win several sets from an upcoming release and get to play along with us at our Pajama Party and Blog Hop.

Holiday Colors

It's the last day to play in our TCP Tuesday Color Challenge to be eligible to be this week's Weekly Winner and win a $10 gift voucher for shopping on our Website.

And, I hear from a good source (yes, that would be me) that there will be a release at the end of the month. So now is a good time to get started on WINNING a gift voucher. 'Cause I am serious when I say, it's awesome.

So here is one last bit of inspiration from Susan, just in time for Thanksgiving using Gobble It Up.

And Jackie, who is already chomping at the bit with her delightful card featuring Define Good. Who would've thought that these were Christmas colors? Jackie, that's who.

Now, what about you?

Color My World

 

I have been told many a time that the TCP Color Challenge is a favorite challenge.  Our Hostesses always come up with color combos that challenge you. Push you a little. And that is what a challenge is supposed to do.

This week, Lori, is our Hostess with the Mostess and her challenge is no different. She's challenging you to use Red, Marigold and Chocolate. DE-licious.

Jen, thinks it's a yummy challenge, too. She's used A Beary Good Year for her card and he's holding a very large cup of something warm and soothing. Take a peek.

And Julie take a whole different route by combining Admit One and a whole lot of our CutUps dies for a wonderful, sophisticated look. I think I'm really in love with how she ran the Big Ticket CutUps along the width of the card.

Nancy uses patterned papers in a different, and shall I say unusual way to incorporate her colors. This is one I'm definitely going to have to CASE.

Now, what can you do with these colors?

November Project of the Month

Two words. Adore. Muchly.

Okay. Maybe muchly isn't really a word. But it's how I feel about this is cutie.

Jen del Muro brings cute to a whole new level with her Cutie Cupcake Stand.

And it's not for just birthdays, either. Or for cupcakes, for that matter. Change out the sentiment and I can see them lined up along a table at a wedding. How about placecard at Thanksgiving topped with a little pumpkin and stamped with a lucky someone's name? Martha would be jealous.

Check it out. It's the Project of the Month.

C'mon, go ahead and make Martha jealous.

Note: I had this scheduled to post on Wednesday, but, new Google Blogger didn't do it. ;(
Sorry Jen.

November Swanky Stamper

Kimberly Gajewski — Swanky Stamper for November

One of the artists whose work I look forward to seeing play in our TCP Tuesday Challenges is Kimberly Gajewski. Her cards always make me smile with her inventive use of color and texture and pattern. Plus, the girl can color up an image like nobody's business.

Take the card on the left that she created for the TCP Tuesday Sketch Challenge. She uses the "in" side of corragated cardboard for her star and her tree paper mimics the pattern of the cardboard. And the way she colors Big Bear, sublime.

The card on the right, done for our Acetate Challenge is just a wonderful mix of layers and patterns. She uses acetate to create that circular window that gives us a peek into a living room of penguins in Round the Chimney.

TCP Tuesday and the Weekly Winner

It's TCP Tuesday and Lori is the Hostess with the Mostess for this week's TCP Tuesday Color Challenge.

It's Lori's first week as the Hostess and she's jumping in feet first and giving you an awesome color combo. Red, Marigold and Chocolate.

These are perfect anytime colors, but also wonderful Fall colors.

Head on over to Lori's blog and see what I mean.

Then click over to Lori's color partner in crime, Jenny to see what she's come up with. You can bet it's awesome.

________________

WEEKLY WINNER

 

And NOW for the Weekly Winner! This week's Weekly Winner is Linda Monroe! Linda wins a voucher for $10 on The Cat's Pajamas website. She was randomly chosen from all the cards that were entered in last week's Acetate Challenge. She made this wonderful shaker card using stamps from our Happy Camper stamp set.

Linda, please email me for your voucher code.

Here are the Deets.

1. Each Tuesday we will give you a challenge.
2. You will have until the end of the month to complete the challenge.

3. Add your entry to the Inlinkz Gallery or upload to the SCS Gallery, using the keyword TCPTUES183 for this week's challenge.

4. TCP stamps are not required for this challenge, but highly recommended.
5. There will be one randomly chosen weekly winner, announced on Tuesdays who will win a Gift Voucher for use on The Cat's Pajamas website.
6. There will be one winner, The Swanky Stamper, announced the 1st of each month. They will win several sets from an upcoming release and get to play along with us at our Pajama Party and Blog Hop.

Let me be clear

It's the last day of the month. So it's the very last day to get your entries for the TCP Tuesday Challenges in to be considered for Swanky Stamper.

So if you played along with us during our "Hype the Type" stamp challenge, our Sketch Challenge, Inspiration Challenge, or this week's Acetate Challenge, upload your card and you could be eligible to win a selection of our Winter Collection stamps and dies and play along with us at the Pajamas Party and Blog Hop. And, if you want, Sneaky Peek Week.

So let's recap the challenges.

In our first challenge of the Month, Susan challenged you to "Hype the Type". She challenged you to use our Alphabet and Word stamps in a new way.

Then Leigh challenged you with a Star-Studded Sketch! This one was so fun, I had to play along, myself.

Then Jen rocked it out with this Rock n' Roll Inspiration Collage. A really challenging collage with lots of different ways to inspire you.

Our last TCP Tuesday Challenge for this month, is Julie's Supply/Technique Challenge! She's challenging you to use Acetate on your card or project. And there have been some really wonderful entries for this one.

Check out Jen's take on this challenge using Sheepish. I have a hard time cutting through regular sheet acetate with our more detailed CutUps, so inquiring minds want to know what kind of acetate she used. 'Cause I just may want to steal....er..um use this idea in the future. ;)

Then hop on over to Nancy's blog where she used one of my favorite stamp sets, Jingle Bells. And she used our Snowflake CutUps, too. Come on gals, tell me your secret.

Okay back to business. You have until midnight pst to upload a card into your Splitcoast gallery, with appropriate code, OR you can upload your cards on this blog under the appropriate challenge. I can't wait to see what you come up with. The suspense is killing me.

I can see clearly now

As some people like to say, "I'm in the throes of it". Right now, it being drawing the Winter Collection. I'm almost done, I just need to set a little type that is worthy of the sentiments that our very own Carole Burrage has written for this collection. And she has got some AWESOME ones!

In the meantime, I'll leave you with a couple of links to some abSOLutely delicious eye candy that The Cat Pack just whipped up for the TCP Tuesday Acetate challenge.

First. Leigh O'Brien. What can I say? The gal can stamp. She can take ANYthing and literally wave her hands around and create magic. Check her post out, you'll see what I mean.

Then, Lori Tecler adds acetate to her card in a really different way. You have to look carefully, though. I missed it on first glance.

Now what can you do with acetate?

TCP Tuesday 182, and the Weekly Winner!

It's TCP Tuesday and Julie is the Hostess with the Mostess for this week's TCP Tuesday Supply Challenge.

This week Julie is challenging you to use Acetate in your card or project.

"Huh?" You say? That plastic stuff? Yuppers. Acetate is just like paper, only clear. "DUH" you say? That means that anything you can do with paper, you can do with acetate, and more.

Check out Julie's card. She uses acetate in her shaker card so that you can really see all the glitz shimmer of the glitter. I love that she stamped on it, too. Take a peek.

Amy uses acetate as a base for her card. It's so classy and oh so special.

What can you do with acetate?

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WEEKLY WINNER

And NOW for the Weekly Winner! This week's Weekly Winner is Melissa Hubert! Melissa wins a voucher for $10 on The Cat's Pajamas website. She was randomly chosen from all the cards that were entered in last week's Inspiration Challenge. Love her take on the challenge. She was inspired by the colors in the Inspiration Collage. Just beautiful.

Melissa, please email me for your voucher code.

Here are the Deets.

1. Each Tuesday we will give you a challenge.
2. You will have until the end of the month to complete the challenge.

3. Add your entry to the Inlinkz Gallery or upload to the SCS Gallery, using the keyword TCPTUES182 for this week's challenge.

4. TCP stamps are not required for this challenge, but highly recommended.
5. There will be one randomly chosen weekly winner, announced on Tuesdays who will win a Gift Voucher for use on The Cat's Pajamas website.
6. There will be one winner, The Swanky Stamper, announced the 1st of each month. They will win several sets from an upcoming release and get to play along with us at our Pajama Party and Blog Hop.

Recovery

Have you been rocking and rolling this weekend? I know Lori has. And she has a different take on the Inspiration challenge. Her card does both. And with STYLE! (cue the harps)

I'm still recovering from yesterday's Rubber Stamp Convention in San Jose. I was working the American Art Stamp/Gourmet Rubber booth. And I brought our Fall Collection and our line of CutUps Dies. Of course, I forgot to bring the Big Top CutUps. So those of you who prepaid for your Big Top CutUps at the show, they are ready to be popped in the mail as we speak. So I'll make this post a short one.

At the show, I remembered what made going to rubber stamp conventions so exciting. Not only was it was a great place to meet up with friends who actually know what I'm talking about when I say "masking" or "distressing" (in a good way) or debate with me about the whole unmounted versus mounting thing.

But, I realized, it's all about the discovery. Discovering new stamps and stamp companies and discovering new techniques.

My friend Robert, the owner of American Art Stamp and Gourmet Rubber was actually working the demo table. It was only the third time he demoed in his life and he was having so much fun playing with the stamps and Smooch spritzers. And he was good. He was all about discovering how they worked and sharing with the stampers who gathered around his table what he was discovering while he played.

And as I was watching him I realized that our times for discovery at stamp conventions could be at an end. With so many stamp companies having to tighten their belts, it's hard to shell out the money for the booth fees and traveling costs, so the shows are getting smaller and smaller. It's so important to support these conventions when they come to your town, otherwise, not only is there a possibility the conventions might disappear, but the stamp companies, too. And our time with friends and our time for discovery.

So if there is a stamp convention coming to your town, go to it. It just may make to remember how fun it is to discover new things.

Meow!

Lots going on here at the Casa de Gatito. But, nothing I can share just yet. ;)

In the meantime, are you rocking out with our Inspiration Challenge? There is lots to be inspired by!

Take Amy's card, for example. She is spinning up some wonderful goodness with her card. And spinning is the right term, too, when you see the stamp she used.

Julie turns up the volume with her super fun card. I love all the detail she added with the wigs and all. Have I gotten your attention, yet? Yes, I said "wigs"

Now go and stamp!

PS. I'll be at the RUBBER STAMP convention this Sunday in San Jose, working the American Art Stamp/Gourmet Rubber booth. I'm bringing our NEW Release and our CutUps dies and I just might possibly be giving out FREE stuff with a purchase. Come by and say "Meow!" Support our rubber stamp conventions. There are so few of them left.

TCP Tuesday 181, and the Weekly Winner!

It's TCP Tuesday and Jen is the Hostess with the Mostess for this week's TCP Tuesday Inspiration Challenge. And check out her inspiration collage for this week!

Does the smell of hair spray get you excited? How about scarves? Got a whole drawer of them? Do you use your hairbrush for something more than brushing hair.

Then you get it. Jen is challenging you to put a little rock in your roll and CREATE!

Want to know what I mean? Then strut on over and take a look at Jen's card, and you'll see what I mean.

Jenny totally can relate. Check out her spin on this challenge.

Leigh took her inspiration from the colors in the Inspiration Collage. Such a striking card.

And striking up the band is this cutie from Nancy! It had me at "Hola!"

Now are YOU ready to Rock and ROLL!? I want to see what you come up with.

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WEEKLY WINNER

And NOW for the Weekly Winner! This week's Weekly Winner is Jen Carvajal! Jen wins a voucher for $10 on The Cat's Pajamas website. She was randomly chosen from all the cards that were entered in last week's Sketch Challenge. Such a fun card with all the different papers!

Jen, please email me for your voucher code.

Here are the Deets.

1. Each Tuesday we will give you a challenge.
2. You will have until the end of the month to complete the challenge.

3. Add your entry to the Inlinkz Gallery or upload to the SCS Gallery, using the keyword TCPTUES181 for this week's challenge.

4. TCP stamps are not required for this challenge, but highly recommended.
5. There will be one randomly chosen weekly winner, announced on Tuesdays who will win a Gift Voucher for use on The Cat's Pajamas website.
6. There will be one winner, The Swanky Stamper, announced the 1st of each month. They will win several sets from an upcoming release and get to play along with us at our Pajama Party and Blog Hop.