{Avery Elle} Late Father's Day

Hey there! I know this is coming a few days late, but I really lost my stamping mojo last week and did nothing and it was a little hard to get back in the groove, KWIM?

But I have been wanting to use this stamp set, The Man, by Avery Elle for, like, a YEAR or so!! LOL! I saw my friend Sarah (here's her card) use it once and I thought, OMG I need that! And it took me awhile to order it, and then it was out of stock for a bit, yada yada. Anyway, I did receive it a few months ago and looked at it quite a bit, admiring the new glassy clear polymer in it's perfect packaging (what? no one else does that?). Finally I cracked the seal and opened that baby up!!! Now, I think I drink more beer than my husband, but what can I say? He still enjoys it and I thought this would be a perfect stamp to use on a card for him!

So here are some deets. I used a sketch from Viva La Verve (I think this is from MAy) for the layout. I am kind of a scaredy cat with CAS cards and honestly, colouring line art images are more my comfort zone, so I cannot push the envelope when I'm dealing with these graphic stamps…I must not overdo it, you see ;) Stick with one thing I know, and that's a lot of layers and embellies. Junk it up, if you will. 
The dies are all from MFT. I fussy cut the bottles and popped one up on foam. The sentiment was stamped on vellum. Memento Luxe is good for that, and I used Expresso Truffle. I added in some gold enamel dots (not the same gold as the star die cuts, but I think the variation is nice). I see that they are no longer available at I{heart}papers at the moment. I used the last of my MFT twine (GASP!) on this card….and I did some distressing and machine stitching….It was a fun one to make! 

Okay, here's the inside, using another sentiment that comes with the set, again stamped in Memento Luxe in Espresso Truffle. I added more of those gold enamel dots as well.

Here's that sketch for ya! It's a gooder to keep in the archives!

{TSG172} Let Them Eat Cake!

This week our challenge is brought to us by our Trendsetter of the week, Jessica! She is challenging YOU to make a card or project using something sweet: candy, cookies, ice cream…CAKE!! As a special treat, for our birthday celebration, the random winner of this challenge will receive a $15GC as a prize!!

 

I used some of the sweets from the set Perk Up , colouring them with copics and adding spica glitter pens in clear, buttermilk, fuschia, chocolate and light pink. I wanted to stamp the whole sentiment 'Hi Sweets!', but am a horrible planner in life and stamping, and ended up with only a small amount of room:( So, I did like my friend Melissa (bad influence that she is) and CUT my sentiment appart! That's right. I used my little paper snips and chopped it in half! Seemed easier at the time, than masking off parts;) I think just the 'sweets!' bit looks okay too;) lol!

I cut the banner flags with an MFT dienamic and used the layout from Viva la Verve sketch challenge for this week:) The paper is BoBunny, and the CS is a mix of SU and Bazzill cardshoppe.

 

 To be eligible for the giveaway, create a card or project using this week’s challenge(something sweet) and then come back to the TSG Blog to add your name and a link to your project in the InLinkz that is located at the bottom of this challenge post. This challenge is open until the winner has been announced on the following Monday (August 17th). The winner will get a $15 gift certificate to use in the TSG Web store!

By participating in this challenge, you may also find yourself in the Trendsetting Spotlight that shines on the TSG Blog every Thursday. We will be on the lookout to find challenge cards that stand out and show Trendsetting qualities. TSG stamps are not required to participate in the challenges but are appreciated :)

 

You do not need to have a blog to be able to participate in the TSG Challenges! You can simply add the URL link from your project after it has been uploaded to your online craft gallery. If you upload your card to an online craft gallery, please use the keyword TSG172 so we can check out your beautiful work!

Need some inspiration to help you get started? Check out the TSG blog to see what the other Trendsetters have been up to!

{RCC54} Miss You Like Crazy

This week our fabulous Crewmate Andrea Ewen

is challenging us to make some flowers out of ribbon, fabric, felt, or burlap! (Or you can just add pretty flowers to your project!)

We would love for you to play along with us! Up for grabs is a $5 gift certificate to the Ribbon Carousel Store!

I used a few Verve sets (I know!! I am on a Verve roll!), Hope Blooms and Tag Time, as well as the Tagged Rectangle Die and Floral Circles A Cut Above Dies.
I used a Viva la Verve sketch.
I've used the Satin Scalloped Edge ribbon and Twinery bakers twine from the Ribbon Carousel store.

Your creation can be anything from cards, quilts, sewn items,paper crafts, paintings! *** Be sure to have ribbon, bakers twine, jute twine,lace, thread (basically anything that comes on a spool). ***

We'd love for you to join us this week! Here are the details:

• Make your NEW creation following the ribbon carousel challenge of the week. Any submissions made prior to the challenge date will be deleted. Be sure to include some type of ribbon, twine, hemp, lace....basically, anything that comes on a spool.

• Load your creation up onto your blog or a public viewing forum like Splitcoast Stampers, (use the keyword RCC54) with a direct link back to THIS post. Including the challenge graphic isn't a requirement, but sure is appreciated! (A participant of our very first challenge didn't link back or mention our challenge and couldn't be named Top Spool, so don't let that happen to you!)

• Link up your creation using the Inlinkz button at the bottom of this RC Blog post. Your image may take a little while to pop up, but don't worry, it will appear shortly.

• Come back the Friday after the challenge ends to see if YOU are a Top Spool!

{YNS Preview} The Sky's The Limit!

Today I have a fun new release peek from Your Next Stamp to show you. This is an exciting release because it features a new line of YNS stamps by Jenny Suchin Designs, and boy are they cute!!!

I've used some Jillibean soup DP (not sure what brand the woodgrain DP is), a swirly embossing folder, and a few copper brads...

Koala's basket and balloon were paper-pieced and he was coloured with copics (E30-34). Koala and the clouds- Eek!~Don't you just LOVE them!!- were popped up on dimensionals....

There you have it! Check the YNS blog for links to more peeks:) The new Jenny Suchin Designs stamps will be officially released this Wednesday, January 11, at the YNS store, where they will be available for purchase!

Sketch- VLVJan2012

{TCPTUES183} Cup of Cider

Hi there! Today we have a fun colour challenge brought to us by Catpacker Lori. And this gal knows a thing or two about throwing colours together! She is also a designer over at The Color Throwdown.....
This week, she has given us a really warm combo of Red, Chocolate and Marigold.

I used one of my well loved sets A Cuppa...you all must know by now what a PJ fan I am;)

My PJ Bear definately turned out darker than I intended, but I am having some trouble lately with some of my copics not blending nicely (E55.57 specifically- anyone else have that trouble??), so I went darker. I did add some pink cheeks and white dimples to brighten him/her up a bit. I used my copic multiliner to write in the wrod 'CIDER' on the mug, to keep with the apple themed paper (all paper is mixed Jillibean Soup collections, btw).
The Easy Rosette Cutups (currently out of stock, but check back soon!) die always makes for a really fun, homemade embellie! It is topped with a SU! corduroy brad.

Be sure to play along this week for your chance to win catcash, or better yet, the title of Swanky Stamper!! Link your card up to Alma's blog or SCS using the keyword TCPTUES183.

Sketch- verve

TSG Release- Friendbots & Autumn

***If you're looking for my YNS release post, please scroll down***

Friendbots is a 3x4 set that includes a total of 5 stamps and will sell for $7.

Autumn is a 3x4 set that includes a total of 13 stamps and will sell for $7.
Would you like to win the new Autumn / Friendbots mini stamp sets? Here is what you need to do- visit the Trendsetter’s blogs that are participating in each of the blog hop challenges below and comment on their creations as you go. One of the Trendsetter’s blogs (from each hop day) will be randomly chosen as the ‘it’ blog and a winner will be picked using a random number generator from the comments left on that Trendsetter’s Blog Hop Challenge post.

You will not know which blog has been chosen so the more you comment on the better your chances are of winning new stamps! The Blog Hop Challenges will be open until 5 PM Eastern Time Saturday October 29th with the winner being announced during the release party chat.

Check back tomorrow for another preview!!

Sketch- viva la verve

Kraftin' Kimmie Previews- Cheryl Images

Hi there! I am so excited to be joining the Krafty Girls this month as a Guest DT! Part of the fun is getting to show off the new release stamps from Kraftin' Kimmie!
Today we are featuring stamps by the artist Cheryl Alger. She has such a unique style and you can 'pick a Cheryl image' from a mile away!
I used the sweet little snow-lady called 'A Cup of Cozy Wishes' on my card today...

Check out the Krafty Blog for a list of participating designers:) And I'll be back tomorrow with another preview!

{TCPTUES181} Rock & Roll, Baby!

I was all over this challenge our inspiration hostess, Jen. She gave us the FUNNEST challenge ever....Rock & Roll! I know, right!? Exciting! Well, when I was perusing my TCP collection, I came across Bear Hugs, and took one look at the sentiment and knew this was my stamp set of choice! I mean, it matches the title of a classic 70's rock duet (probably one of the best duets of all time) perfectly! And I know my card is leaning towards Madonna's fishnets and glitter, rather than Kiki Dee's polyester overalls....but I'm pretty sure Elton's been known to get a little glittery now and then;)
Here is Jen's inspiration photo collage:

And here is my card! I also used Home Tweet Home Cutup die to make the music note (one in SU's new silver paper and one for the black 'shadow')....Some black stitching and a strip of sequin trim, as well as the netting and little netted rhinestone bow I made for her hair (or fur, I guess;) add to the Rock-Glam look! The dp is an older FancyPants pack, Roadshow, and I used an embossing folder to add some interest to the plain dp at the top.

The inside features the new Circus Border Cutups topped with a strip of sequin trim as well as Heart Trio Cutups. I stamped another sentiment that comes with the set and made a bit of a skirt with the netting and score tape.

And I couldn't leave you without a taste of this awesome old song (I picked the 1976 or 77 version...as they sang so much clearer in their youth, plus I can't get enough of Elton's upper body wag near the beginning!!! Keep yours eyes pealed for that;) And you gotta love the glasses!



There's also a freaky version by Ol' Dirty Bastard that is a tad painful, but hey, whatever floats your boat!
If you would like to play along with us this week, link your Rock-inspired project up to Alma's blog and use the keyword TCPTUES181 on SCS.

sketch- viva la verve

{TCPTUES174} Fly With Me

Hey all! I have quite a long-winded post for you today. This weekend I had some time to stamp and managed to sneak in my card, just under the wire, for TCP Tuesday. Susan was our hostess with the mostess and she challenged us to use any stamps with WINGS....yep, that's right, the Cat Pack has been wingin' it all week!
I decided my wings would be on a plane and I used the sweet Take Off from our last release, as well as the most rockin'est die on the market Cloud Border Cutup (currently out of stock, because it's just that cool).

So, whatcha think? I was going for a vintage feel...tons of torn and crumpled paper, some 'imperfect' stitching and did you see that I cut both the cloud strip and my circle panel from tissue? That's actually old dress pattern paper from my Grandma's stash! Neat, huh?

The plane is paper pieced and the wing was only adhered at the top, and the tip is rolled up a bit for added dimension. My image was stamped on Crumb Cake (SU's new name for Kraft- why fix something that ain't broke??) and coloured with copics....the sentiment is stamped on a little Maya Road kraft tag and I set both the large, paper covered tag and the small kraft tag with a copper eyelet and looped through some red and natural hemp twine (both SU...red is retired, I think). The DP is Teresa Collins 'World Traveller' and is perfect for these kinds of themes and has lots of other non-travelling patterns with gorgeous, rich colours in the pack...LOVE it!

Here is a close-up of those delicate clouds, with some black stitching running right through it! If you check in on my blog regularly, you may have noticed that I like to sew with dark thread alot of the time...I am no schooled designer, so there is no real design-based explanation for anything I do...I just do what looks and feels right, and sometimes I think that dark thread helps to 'ground' things, draws your eye's attention, defines specific parts...I don't know!!!! But give it a try sometime!! You might just like it! Obviously you have to consider the theme/mood of the card...maybe not the best for a welcome baby card, although with the right paper, image, and recipient, I wouldn't rule that out either!

SEWING INFO

Another sewing tip, and I'm not even sure where I picked this one up...somewhere in blogland. I use Coates and Clark button thread. It is thick enough for paper (my regular fabric thread is so thin that I find the needle holes more noticeable than the stitching, not good). I buy mine at good ol' Walmart. It's cheap to. I also use a jean needle. It's also a bit thicker and makes it easier to go through multiple layers of paper. That is what my sewing machine repairman (remember to NOT put any kind of adhesive where you are planning to sew...or you will have your own replairman) told me to use. He is a master of all things sewing, and I listen to him like the Gospel....One last lesson. I always tape my loose strings to the backside of my card. Then they are secure and won't unravel on you. Well, except this card, where the feeling was 'tattered'. To do this, after you are done your row of stitching, cut the threads, leaving some slack (one thread will be poking out the front and the other out the back). You want them both at the back. GENTLY pull on the back thread. You will see a loop come out the back. Now hook that loop with your tweezers, piercer, whatev and gently pull on the loop. Voila! Both threads will now be at the back! Now secure them with a bit of score tape!

And the inside....I let the dp be the sentiment...lots of room for a personal message.



Come back tomorrow for another TCP challenge!

{VLVJUL2011} Welcome Baby Boy

Today I have a card that I initially made for the Get Your Diva On challenge for Verve Stamps, but I misread the deadline and didn't have it done in time. Luckily, I made it using the Viva La Verve sketch for July, week 3, so it still qualifies for something.
My mom asked me to make her a baby card for her friends daughter, who just had a little boy. The GYDO challenge was to use a gift card and make a fun project surrounding that. I LOVE BabyGap and have always had a soft spot for their little brown teddy, and I have been waiting for the right time to ink up To The Moon stamp set, so this was a match made in Heaven! lol
As I said, I used the VLV sketch for this one, making it a standard sized card with a spot on the inside to place the GC.

I used some old SU! dp and silver and shimmer white CS (the GC is sparkly white IRL). Floral Circles die set  flowers were cut from green and brown felt, and an SU! chocolate button threaded with hemp twine was attached. I used spellbinders tags to cut the sentiments in two different sizes and used them in place of the leaves on the sketch. The bear is coloured with copics (E25,27,29) and popped up on dimensionals to look like he is peeking out the window. A SU clip 'hangs' the frame.

I embossed the silver circle panel with a cuttlebug folder, matted it with Not Quite Navy CS and adhered the flower and tag embellie. Machine zig zag stitching with chocolate thread finishes it off.

Thanks for stopping by!

TCP Sneaky Peeks- DAY 4

Well I told you this would be the best TCP release yet, and I wasn't kidding people! I know there are a few fans of the boys in black and white out there, so this sets for you!
What could be cute than a penguin flying a kite I ask you? This new set is called Up, Up & Away and will be available for purchase June 27, right after the Pajama Party.

I stamped 'Larry' and coloured his kite with copics to match the MME Lime Twist DP, cut him out and mounted him on cloud dp matted with olive CS. The sun is made from the new Cutup Sunflower Rosette die (cutting only one, leaving it flat) and Divine Twine in lemon. I then punched a 1 1/4" circle from double sided sticky paper, attached one side to the die cut DP sunflower. Next I peeled off the tape to reveal the sticky side and starting on the inside of the circle, wound the twine around and around, making sure there were no gaps between the twine. You have to keep in mind how 'even' you are in regards to the amount of space left on the sticky circle....you don't want to have no tape left on one side of the circle and 1/4" on the other!

For the grass, I cut 3 squares from various green patterns in the 6x6 pad and adhered their centers to a strip of CS so that I would be able to sew them together using a zigzag machine stitch. I then cut the green strip using the Grass Cutup die, cutting a second in orange patterned dp. The gorgeous ribbon treatment is TCP's new Seam Binding and all I can say is 'Ahhhhhh'...this stuff is to die for! I have used seam binding from other companies and this is the BEST! It is really high-quality- not flimsy like others, more of a solid thread count (I know- thats for sheets but I don't know how else to describle it! lol!)...and soft! Feels like silk!! And super colours as well!

Here's the inside. I have been changing my inside sentiments up lately  and stamping them all over- I used to be pretty fussy about having them dead center, but I like this new look for me;)

That's all for me today folks! Be sure to check out Miss Meowy's blog for a complete list of Designers previewing today! And are you 'In It To Win It'? All you have to do is write a comment, any comment, on this thread for your chance to have this rascally little penguin arrive in your mailbox! That's right- Alma is so generous that she is giving away a stamp a day (2 yesterday!) to random commenters- so come on all you Chatty Cathys out there- if you are like me and have the gift to gab, then this contest was made for you!!

Supplies- TCP: Up, Up & Away set, Grass Cutups, Sunflower Rosette Cutups, lemon Divine Twine, Seam Binding
Other- DP (MME), CS (SU!), dimensionals (SU!), button- unknown, Rhinestones (SU!), bigshot, sewing machine, thread
Sketch- Viva La Verve

{TCPTUES159} Spring Flowers

This weeks challenge over at The Cat's Pajamas is brought to you by the legendary (at least I think so;) Susiestampalot....Susan Liles. A little background regarding my obsession with Susan. Way back last summer, around June/July...I stumbles upon the world of blogs. I know! I am a late-bloomer! And I only knew what a blog was from watching the movie Julie & Julia, where that woman decides to start a cooking blog...anywho- that was my intro to the world of blogging...remember, I live in hicktown, Alberta. We are people who farm/ranch/work the rigs..NOT blog! lol! So, I somehow found Susan and it was love at first sight! I really had no idea that people could make what she was making! Her absolute creative genius makes me dizzy and weak in the knees. Susie takes 'homemade' to a new level...I admit, she is a big stamping crush for me! Fastforward a few short months, and lil ol' me is on a REAL LIVE DESIGN TEAM with her???!!!! Ack! Still makes me shriek! Even though I am still a bench warmer and she is on the starting line-up, lol! If you are reading this Susan- please don't call the authorities. I do not want to wear your skin as a coat or dig through your trash, looking for hair..I am a just harmless admirer;) Trust me! Now that I've past the point of creepy cyber stalker, let us get on with the stampy business at hand.
Susan's challenge is MAY FLOWERS- use any TCP stamp with a flower on it! Doesn't sound too hard, but for some reason, I have to be in the 'mood' for floral and this really stumped me! Actually, this is my 2nd card..the first one came out hideous, so I ripped off the main circle image that i had stamped, chucked the old card in the garbage after salvaging embellies and such,  and built a whole new card:) It's still not my fav, but that'll do Donkey, that'll do. I went with a new size for me, inspired by fellow Cat packer Jen's note card size of 3.5x5...a really nice size for smaller images, such as Sprinkles the cat in her lovely spring bonnet.

If you know me at all, you'll know that I HATE heat embossing. I find it messy and annoying. It makes me cuss a blue streak everytime. I don't know why it grates on me like it does, but I have no love for it. But guess what? Once in awhile I try it again, and give it just one more chance, cuz that's the kind of forgiving gal I am. And it always dissappoints. Always. That explains why I didn't emboss the tag. Sprinkles gave me enough grief.

Once embossed, I coloured her flowers and bow with copics and added some clear spica for a bit of glitz (P.S. embossed ink bleeds with copics- you would think the 4000 degree heat would set it, but no- another reason to shun embossing). I daubed liquid pearls around the edge of the die, and matted with a scallop nestie. The multi-pattern rectangle panel was run through an embossing folder in my Bigshot (dry embossing is the way to go!;) The crinkly seam binding is SU and the bow is topped with a double Flower Button Cutup die, with a Divine Twine bow and itty bitty green button hot-glued on top.

I went for a similar layout on the inside, leaving a small circle for a personal message.

For your chance to win some weekly prize money and the title of Swanky Stamper of the Month, link up your card for this weeks challenge on Alma's blog here.

TCP Supplies: Spring Fling clear stamp set, Flower Buttons Cutup die, lemon Divine Twine

Other: DP- Jillibean Soup- Blossom Soup, CS- SU!, ribbon- SU!, Button- cratepaper, copics, spica pen, embossing powder-SU!, memento and versamark ink, heat gun, spellbinders, dimensional pearls-Ranger, embossing folder- SU!

Sketch- Verve