{TCP Sneaky Peek} Aye Aye, Captain

I am so excited about this next set The Cat's Pajamas is releasing!!! It's called Aye Aye, Captain and it is sooooo cute! A bunny in a boat...for reals? could anything be sweeter!?

 You like my waves? I used the new PomPom Cutup die and instead of rolling it up to make a flower, I left it in a strip, fluffing up various loops to get some dimension! I love the way it came out:)
I also borrowed Sprinkles rubber ducky from Bubble Therapy (previewed yesterday) and have him towing behind the boat with Beige linen thread....It goes so great with the senitment I used 'You're a Lifesaver'...LOVE! TCP has the BEST sentiments!!! At least 99% of them crack me right up!

My lifesaver button was cut using the Button Cutup die (an oldie, but a goodie;). I simply cut out a cream button (and a larger black one) and stamped the life preserver on the button and coloured with copics. I threaded it with a double linen thread bow and unravelled the edges a bit for a rope-look.

Here is the laying down view, where you can see the little popped up ducky, linen thread rope and the waves....

Don't forget about our In It To Win It thread!! All you have to do is chat to have a chance to win!

Sketch: The Deconstructed Sketch #47

{TCP- Sneaky Peek Week} Bubble Therapy

Onto Day 3 of TCP's Sneaky Peek week, and today we are showcasing our trademark Divine feline. Sprinkes, as she enjoys one of the perks of being a purrr-fectly swanky pussycat! The Bubble Bath!! Coincidently, one of my most treasured indulgences! I just spent an hour and a half in the tub the other night, finishing The Hunger Games, I was a wee bit prunish;).....1 1/2 hr bath + hubby locked out with kids= me getting the stink-eye!

I decided to go with a bit of a non-traditional colour scheme (or so I think;)...I think it has the look of a trendy spa! I stamped Sprinkles in versafine, coloured in her eyes, hairbow and nose with copics, adding clear spica and glaze. The clawfoot tub (come on- would anything else have sufficed with this princess?? I think not) was paper-pieced and the bubbles were stamped again and popped up on dimensionals. I added some groundwork with cool grey copics. I used one of our new Cutup dies Heart Border for the black border, as well as a luxerious ribbon treatment using TCP seam binding in Tinsel. To get the crinkly look, simply spritz with water, crumple up into a ball and let dry!! Once it's rolled out, it will have this fun texture!

If you would like to win Bubble Therapy, then don't forget to join the chatter on SCS on our In It To Win It thread! Easy peasy!

Sketch: The Deconstructed Sketch 41

{TCP-Sneaky Peek Week} Bloom

Hi there! Welcome to Day 2 of The Cat's Pajamas Sneaky Peek Week! Today the Catpackers and special Guesties are bringing out the bunnies! Our first new set of the week featuring everyones favorite floppy earred friend:) This adorbable set is called Bloom.....

I went for a shabby kind of look, with loads of inking and distressing...not my intent, but sometimes thats the way the cookie crumbles;) Just go with it, right?? haha! Bun Bun was coloured up with copics (E40-44), as well as the flowers & paper packaging and then the bow was paper-pieced and popped up for dimension. I added TE tiny twinkles to the centres of the flowers and a larger one to the centre of the bow. I stamped the sentiment (isn't it just the cutest?) in bermuda bay ink and fashioned a little flag tab. A very simple layout with not much jazz to keep the focus on the wonderful TCP image:)

Here is a closeup:

And if you want to enter the world's easiest contest for your chance to win Bloom, all you have to do is comment (seriously- could it get any easier than that??) on our In It To Win It thread on SCS!! There's a prize to be had every day!
Okay, now go see what the other girlies are up to! Alma has links to all the peekers on the Dancing in PJ's blog:)

{iSSC11} Thanks a Latte

It's time for another iSpy Sketch Challenge Friday! This week we were inspired by this lovely card from Julia Stainton!
Here is Kim's sketch based on that card:

I've used the newly released Ellie Loves Lattes from Your Next Stamp. She is coloured up with copics. I popped her up in front of MFT's fence die (the cloud die was used as well). I threaded a wood button with some cranberry baker's twine (SU!) and added that to a TCP flower button cutup and circle punch embellie. The dotted ribbon is also SU, as well as the CS. The designer paper is Simple Stories.

Here is a view of the card laying flat, so you can see the dimension:

And a close-up of Elli, where you have a birds-eye-view of some colouring mess-ups, as well as the knit texture on the sweater/tights. Her latte and hands were stamped twice and popped up on dimensionals for effect:)

Go on over to the iSpy blog to see what the other Special Agents created with this weeks sketch, as well as the linky tool to enter your card to hopefully be featured as one of our Top 2 Picks!

{YNS New Release Hop} You're Fabulous!

It's release day at Your Next Stamp! All of the fun stamps that you have seen the DT and guests previewing over the past few days are now available at the YNS store! But before you get to shopping, why not hop along with us and have your cup runneth over with inspiration (we can hope, right? lol)
You should have arrived here via the lovely Peggy's blog....and if you are just now tuning in and would like to start at the top, then head over to Jen d's blog (you'll find a complete list of hoppers there as well)
I used the new Dress Up Ellie set and did her up to the nines!! She is one blinged out little girl...I used SU rhinstones on her crown and earrings and SU pink and white chunky glitter on her boa!
The dies are all MFT (scallop, fancy little tabs and flourish, and rolled roses). She is coloured with copics and her little skirt is paper-pieced. Both her tiara and part of her boa were stamped twice and popped up using dimensionals. The sentiment comes with the set.

I added more rhinestones to the flower centres.

Up next on the hop is the very talented Kerri!

Don't forget to comment to win some great YNS prizes....$20 YNS Gift Certificate PLUS 2 secret bloggers for the YNS ScrapFest stamps - Shopper Fhiona and Cropper Fhiona!

To qualify for the grand prize people must leave comments on all the DT Blogs

Karen will post the winners on the YNS blog on April 16th!

Hop Specials – I’ll have some awesome bundle deals available plus be sure to mention the fabulous YNS Bargain Bin once again. It's getting pretty low but I still have a few of everything remaining so I'll leave it up on the YNS until the moving sale announcement. ScrapFest Fhiona stamps will be available for $5!

Blog Hop Starts: Wednesday, April 11 at 6 am (EST)
Blog Hop Ends: Sunday, April 15th at midnight (EST)

{YNS/Ribbon Carousel} CHEERS!

Welcome to a special Your Next Stamp preview day..today we are not only showing you some 'sneak peeks' of new YNS stamps that will available for purchase tomorrow in the YNS store...we are also combining YNS rubber goodness with a fabulous company that I am a huge fan of- The Ribbon Carousel! YNS is sponsoring the RC's Challenge this week and the Ribbon Carousel is giving away a $25 GC this week!

I am showing off one of the yummy cocktails from the fun new set Cheers, as well as the matching die. I used the funky martini glass and matching die and paired it up with some olive satin scalloped edge ribbon and rustic red jute twine. Looking at this card, I think it might make a good Christmas card, but that was not the intent!! I am quite sick of snow and cold and ready for the summer months;)
 Can you even believe how CAS (clean and simple) this card is?! Must be the heavy dose of Tylenol Cold & Flu that I am on (Yes, I got the dreaded spring cold)...brought out another personality in me!

Here is a close-up shot and some of the details. I stamped the crumb cake panel with the glass using the matching ink, leaving a strip bare at the bottom where I stamped my sentiment (this comes with the set) in black ink. The popped up martini's were stamped onto cream CS and coloured with copics. I then placed the die stencil I made with scrap paper where I wanted it and marked my stamped image with a paper-piercer, then removed the stencil. Using the easy to line up holes, I placed the steal die over my image and ran it through my Bigshot. I added red stickles (SU) and used a paintbrush to push around the glitter so that it would be less in places and heavier in others. I then coated the glasses in a thick layer of Crystal Effects (SU). They were popped up using dimensionals over the olive ribbon strip and hotglued the olive bow, and threaded twine button over top of the stems:)

Here is the prize up for grabs today, The cute new Ellie Loves Lattes. Just leave comments and you will have a chance at winning this new cutie patootie!

And Your Next Stamp is also offering a special disount to those participating in the Ribbon Carousel Challenge this week!

{iSSC10/TCPTUES204} Easter Greetings

Today I have another double-duty card for you! It's time for a new weekly sketch installment with iSSC, as well as fellow Catpacker Susan's TCP Easter stamp challenge: use any Easter-themed stamp and one or all of the following Cutups- Grass, Clouds and Eggs in A Basket. Fun, right?
This weeks sketch was inspired by Debbie Olson, and you can see her card here.
Here is your sketch:

I made a pretty simple, kind of shabby-country looking card. I've used a few Cutups: Grass border, Queen of Hearts border, and Eggs in A Basket.
The only stamping that I did on this card is the sentiment!! It is from the set Spring Fling.
I've also used some lucious seam binding from the TCP store in Cream.

The paper (woodgrain and yellow panel) is some new MME 6x6...not sure which one. The eggs are the same, and the grass and text-sky are from the scrap bin.

If you would like to play along in these challenges, simply link up your cards to TCP's Dancing in Pajamas blog or the iSpy Sketch Challenge blog!