Sites of the week

Who can resist these Rachelle Anne Miller stamps? I just {heart} these images, so when this one came in the mail the other day I knew that I had to use it for today’s Sketch For You To Try. I just crossed over 600K yesterday {woot woot!}, so I am going to do another chance to win a goodie bag from me for all those that participate in this week’s SFYTT. Just be sure to provide a link to your project on this post by Thursday night. I will draw a random winner on Friday morning.

Before I get onto the sketch, I want to give a BIG cheer to Amy S. {Pickletree} who is the newest Dirty Girl on SCS. Congrats Amy!! Be sure to check out her sample for the sketch, along with those of Amy R., Carole, Shannan and Susan.

Ok, here we go…

Here’s my sample…

Detail shot {just pretend you don’t see that little bit of red on her chin!}…

Bonnie {this month’s Guest Designer!} did a wonderful job of interpreting this sketch! I love how her design is a little outside the box and oh so clever!!…

Have fun with this one!! The star is meant to represent any large embellishment/shape, so don’t feel limited by the star shape. When uploading to SCS, please use the keyword SFYTT. Have a wonderful weekend. I’m gonna take Monday off, but I will be back on Tuesday. See ya then

OMG…I have absolutely had the most fab time looking at everyone’s SFYTT creations. The winner of my “little something” is…

#34 Jenny Mick with THIS CARD.

—>Please email me with all your info, so I can get your goodie bag in the mail to you. Email link is under my pic.

I love Fridays here on my blog. Sounds like an inflated ego, huh? Nope, it’s just because I get to show you ABC…Anything But A Card. In order to show it to you, I have to make it. In order to make it, I have to think a little outside the box at times. Today’s actually came quite easy to me. This is the finished notebook from THIS POST where I showed you the very cool Carla Craft binding system.

What started out as this {which really originally was a stack of paper, thin chipboard, vellum and a binding coil}…

became this…

The stamped “sentiment” is one of the newly released Plain Janes from Verve Stamps. The paper and embellishments are frmo Making Memories. The Chocolate Chip tabs were created with the SU! Round Tab punch and adhered to the vellum pieces which act as dividers throughout the notebook. You may notice that I changed out the color of binding to better match my project. I know that some people are not fans of this coil binding, but I just love all the colors that are available! So much fun with so many options.

On another note, I want to thank you all for the birthday wishes! I had a wonderful day. I went and got my toes done and then I got my hair cut and colored {pics coming soon}. Then we went out for a very yummy dinner. I came home and ate a SCRUMPTIOUS piece of mini bundt cake that Susan surprised me with. Thanks SusSus {as Ellie calls her}. Here are a couple pics of the cake and supah cute labeling…

Here’s quick pic of a flower from the GORGEOUS bouquet that I got from Tony and Ellie…

Today’s the day I say good-bye to my twenties and say hello to the next thirty years. In a way, I have kind of dreaded this day, but when it comes down to it, all I can say is “Hooray!” I am so happy about where I am and who I am today and I am not going to let a number defeat that feeling. Today I am planning on getting my hair done {just cut} a pedicure, relaxing and then going to Texas Roadhouse for dinner {I LOVE their rolls!!…and their salads, and steak…}

Today is also the day that all the new Verve Stamps are available. They actually went up last night at midnight {EST}, so I hope there are some left! The release party was AWESOME and I love all the energy that everyone brought. We even got to meet MR. Verve!! Here are a couple more samples for these new sets…

YUM-O!…

Life Is Beautiful…an appropriate sentiment for today!…

Detail shot…

I have one more, but I’m holding out on you! Remember that binding system showed and journal that I did a couple weeks ago? I finally finished it and I think you might like it It will be here on Friday.

The last three post titles would probably have you believe that I am something that I am not, but at least it keeps things lively around here! LOL! Well, today is Tuesday and that means another installment of TCP Tuesday. If you haven’t yet heard, Carole has taken on a Design Team Position with Cornish Heritage Farms. CHF asks their designers to be exclusive to them, so Carole is no longer with the TCP team. Why am I even talking about this? Well, because she was the one that headed up the TCP Tuesday Inspiration Challenges. I have now stepped into her spot. So, here we are, me hosting the TCP Tuesday Inspiration Challenge. I figured I would start things off easy peasy. Your inspiration is BIRTHDAYS! Tomorrow is my 30th…EEEEEEEEEEEK!, so I figured it would be appropriate to use this “theme.” Make your project as simple or as wild as you would like, just don’t forget to link it to this post, k?!?

Here’s my sample…

Does this sketch look familiar? That’s because it’s part of the Anni-VERVE-sary sketches. Yesterday I went to Julee’s blog seeking a Mojo Monday sketch. I wasn’t out of luck tho, I used the Monday sketch from all the Anni-VERVE-sary sketches. Cute sketch, huh? I think so! The card measures 3.5×7″. I picked up that super fun patterned paper a few weeks ago went Susan and I trekked out to Mineral Wells’ scrapbook store. It’s from We R Memory Keepers. Very cute and I am thinking that I may have to hoard it!

Wanna play and have a chance at winning 25 buck-a-roos in Cat Cash? Listen up, here’s how…

1. Each a week one of the The Cat’s Pajamas DT Members will host a challenge.
2. The challenges will vary {stamp, color, theme/inspiration, sketch, etc.}
3. You will have until {this} Saturday night to complete the challenge.
4. Link your project on this week’s hostess’ challenge announcement. This week you will link your project HERE on this post.
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. When uploading to SCS, please use the keyword TCPTUES20 for this challenge.
8. Alma will post the entries from the week the following Monday on her blog.
9. 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.

Psst…one more thing:
Don’t forget to play along with this week’s SKETCH FOR YOU TO TRY! I’ll be drawing a random winner on Friday for “a little something” from me!

oh, wait…ONE more thing…
My Favorite Things is having a sale! Check it out HERE!

My VERVE on that is!
Over the past week and a half, Verve Stamps has been celebrating their Anni-VERVE-sary with sneak peeks of some of the new sets that are coming out. Over on SCS, and on the DT Members’ blogs, you have seen samples of the Beautiful You set. This is a set with a lot of heart in it. A few months back, Julee {grand pumba of Verve} asked us all to send her a quote to be included in an anniversary set. It has been truly heartwarming to see the quotes that people have chosen and why. Thank you Julee for this set! Over the past couple of days, you may have taken note of more sneak peeks on the Verve blog. Needless to say, we are all very excited about this release, and hope that you are, too.
I will have a few things to show you over the course of the week. Today, I am bringing you samples from the Artful Elegance set (paired with Thankful Elegance) and the Notes of Prayer set.

One day Chocolate Chip, Brocade Blue, Pumpkin Pie and Kiwi Kiss all lined themselves up {within the gigantic mess that is my desk} on my desk. It was the perfect starting point for this project. This is a set of four 3×3 cards that are packaged in a cello bag…

Single card shot…

All the cards…

The main panel of this card uses the Notes of Prayer set. The cross was stamped in Creamy Caramel, then VersaMark and then clear heat embossed. The cross uses the Artful Elegance set, also clear embossed.

Are you ready for the very first VERVE RELEASE PARTY? I am, that’s for sure! Catch all the buzz that’s already gotten started with fun sketches and previews on the Verve Forum on SCS. We’ll see you there on Tuesday night for a great release party that is sure to be fun for all! Don’t miss more peeks on the Verve Blog!