Sites of the week

Happy ABC Friday! I have a couple of fun things to share with you today. First, it’s release day for all those cute new The Cat’s Pajamas stamps, which make up the new Kitty Kat Pack {save $12 if you buy all three sets}. This is one of my favorite projects from this release. I started out with a little flat birdhouse that I picked up at Hobby Lobby for $.70. Yep, 70cents! It was originally a dollar and I got it on a 30% sale. How’s that for a deal!?! I painted it with cream paint and then added the Honey Pie {Cosmo Cricket} paper.

As for the details, I added the fun shape that I cut out with my Slice machine {also embossed with the Swiss Dots embossing folder} and then added the image, buttons and sentiment. I used my Martha Stewart fern punch and a small flower punch for some added detail around the sentiment. The top has May Arts gingham ribbon that I double tied, a Prima flower and a Dew Drop, which also adorn the edge of the birdhouse.

Now for all you wild stamping chicks, I have a really fun item for you!! Check out what Debbie Daniels makes…

I first saw these at the Austin swap last year and I was in love. They are just so fun! I picked up several for friends around Christmas and I will have one up for grabs starting tomorrow {more deets to come!}. Have a great Friday! I am still nursing this cold…ugh! I am sure that it will all be better when Susan and I go shopping tomorrow! LOL!

Maybe it was the cold medicine, maybe my tired eyes, but it wasn’t my original intention to make these two styles, elegant and cutesy, collide. Someway, somehow, I *think* that I pulled it off…tell me if I’m crazy here! They say that life is all about balance, and I think that is what it was all about here, too.

I’m gonna break it down…

Elegant:
-Marrakech Paper by Basic Grey
-Oval {I never thought that a shape could be elegant, but just think of how different this card would be with a circle, square or bracket-y square…whatever that shape is called!}
-Satin Ribbon
-Straight Stitching {yes, I did it!!}

Cutesy:
-Bella ‘Bugg Image {I told you I LOVE this line!!}…BTW-she is paper pieced with the Marrakech paper.
-Swiss Dots Embossed Cardstock
-Scallops
-Flag-ended sentiment panel, topped with a Prima and button
-Linen thread
-Crazy stitching

Did I miss anything?

I just love that these two very different styles combined to create this card. I think a lot of it has to do with the color choices, as well. Blue and orange are complimentary colors on the color wheel, so it is “friendly” to the eye. Just so you know, that is probably the only complimentary color combo that I know…LOL!

At the beginning of the year, I made the resolution to continue to learn. Not only am I glad that I made this card, but I am glad that I was able to recognize the elements…and the collision of them! I think that this will help me think outside the box a little more…something I that I realize that I need to do from time to time!

I just love the sketches and twists that Amber has been coming up with for the Viva la Verve challenges. If you don’t know about these, each week there is a new sketch challenge on the Verve Forum on SCS. There is something different about these, though. Along with the sketch, there is a TWIST. What’s the twist? Well, it changes every week. In the past there has been a twist of bling, last week {the sketch the I worked with} there was a twist of monochromatic and this week the twist is to use acetate. The sentiment that I used for this card is from the Hundred Hearts set {currently on sale!}. As I mentioned, this is last week’s sketch…Viva la Verve Feb03 {SCS keyword: VLVFeb03}. No you are not time traveling, the “03″ is for the 3rd week in February.
As you may have noticed, I have been having a love affair with Kraft paper, so I started with that I used Chocolate Chip to compliment monochromatically {is that even a word!?!}. I embossed both the long rectangular panel and the heart with the Swiss Dots embossing folder for Cuttlebug {more love affair going on there!}.
I’m off to get a little r&r today, as I woke up with a little tickle in my throat. That’s usually the beginning of the end for me. I’m loading up on Zicam and h2o and hopefully I will tame it. Ugh!

Have you been seeing all the sneak peeks that are floating around? Every one I see seems to be better than the last and keeps me craving more…and I already have the stamps! LOL! Well, being that today is TCP Tuesday, I figured I better put fresh photo-polymer {just doesn’t have the same ring as “rubber,” huh?} to use. ***Be sure to scroll down past all the TCP Tuesday info more sneak peeks!***

Today’s Hipster Hostess with the Mostess is Carole and she has come up with a wonderful sketch!

Here’s my sample using the upcoming set, Beans & Bunnies & Peeps, Oh My!…

**More sneak peeks under the TCP Tuesday info**

So, wanna play along with the TCP Tuesday challenge?…EVERYONE can! Here’s what you are gonna want to know…
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 on the TCP Tuesday post on Carole’s 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. When uploading to SCS, please use the keyword TCPTUES47 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.
10. Oh yea…HAVE FUN!

I just can’t resist showing you a couple more TCP samples from the upcoming release…