Sites of the week

I have been a busy little bee buzzing around my studio with new stuff. Some of which I can show you, some of which is still yet to be seen. If you find me M.I.A. from time to time over the next couple weeks, it’s just because I am stamping stuff I can’t show you yet…and I have A LOT of it right now! Anywaaaays…I took Ellie to school this morning and then came back home and made my card for this week’s TCP Tuesday challenge: use any TCP cupcake image. It probably would have been a little smarter of me to make a more masculine card because Tony’s birthday is this Friday, but I am apparently not that smart and brought out pink, brown and green {a favorite combo of mine!}.

The pink notebook paper is from Dream Street Papers {LOVE THEM!}. I dug into my pile of Kiwi Kiss cardstock and ribbon and decided it was time to quit hoarding it! As you can see, I did some more crazy stitching as I have decided that stitching a straight line should be left to people with more patience than me. LOL! I will {attempt to} straight stitch again, but this moment I am liking the crazy stitch.

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 THIS post on Karrie’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 TCPTUES46 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!

Happy Valentine’s Day! Here is a random Valentine’s Day fact for you…

In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who their valentines would be. They would wear these names on their sleeves for one week. To wear your heart on your sleeve now means that it is easy for other people to know how you are feeling.

Being that it is Saturday, that means I have another SKETCH FOR YOU TO TRY! By the way, if you want the badge below CLICK HERE.

Here’s the sketch for this week…

My sample, using stamps from Stamp A Sweet Impression by Taylored Expressions…

Here is February’s Guest Designer, Jody Morrow’s sample… {GET BETTER JODY!!}

Want more samples? Check out the SFYTT Sisters…
Amy Rohl
Amy Sheffer
Susan Liles
Carole Burrage
Kelly Lunceford

When you upload to SCS, use the keyword SFYTT so we can see them all in one place. There are no rules to these sketches, just use your creativity and HAVE FUN!

Looks like you all are fans of Mr. Linky, so here he is again!…

Happy Friday! I am SO FLIPPIN’ EXCITED about the stuff that I get to share with you today! CAUTION: Tooting my own horn up ahead!
A while ago I told you about a book that I working on contributions for. The book is all about coloring and I contributed info and projects that used Copic markers. One of my projects even has a pic of Ellie on it! That book debuted at CHA, even being passed out in the Tim Holtz class. It was killing me knowing that all these people had a copy and I had yet to see it. Fortunately, I have wonderful friends that never complained about getting a few pics to me…and even a copy sent to me {Thanks, Marti!}. Here is the cover of that book {taken from the Design Originals site}…

I am thinking about selling the book on my site {$10}, but I am looking to see what kind of interest there is first. So, if you are one of the people that actually reads blog post *wink* and you are interested, you will please say so in a comment?

Then, the other day I got my comp issue of Take Ten in the mail. I am the Guest Designer for the Spring 2009 and 3 of my cards {MFT, Bella and TCP} grace the front cover! YAY!…my first cover! Note that I say first, because that is one of my creative goals…create more work that is cover worthy. Here is a pic of the cover and a portion of the Guest Designer article {taken from the Stampington site}…

This issue of Take Ten will be available in stores March 1.

Yesterday I showed you Ellie’s Valentine’s, but I didn’t show you what I attached to all the girls’ Valentines. I attached handmade hair bows! I found the directions in the latest issue of Handmade. For that reason, I will not be posting a step by step tutorial at this time; however, I have included directions {which are my modified instructions, because the instructions in Handmade made bows WAY to big for a 2 year old’s head}.

Group shot of all the bows…

Here is my how to…

You will need:
-Four to six pieces of ribbon 7″ in length
-Four to six pieces of ribbon 6″ in length
{Note: add more ribbon for fuller bows}
-Needle
-Thread
-Alligator Clips {found a box of 100 at Sally Beauty Supply for $3.99}
Hot Glue or E6000 {I was wary if the hot glue would work attaching the bows to the metal clips and so far I have not had a problem. I am sure if you pulled hard enough, the bow would detach, but until then I am sticking with the hot glue}.
-Button or other embellishments for the top of the bow

Directions:
1. Thread the ribbon through the center {3.5″} of the 7″ lengths of ribbon.
2. Fan out in desired “pattern” {this really only matters if you have 2 or more printed ribbons}.
3. Pull the edges to the center and thread through needle.
4. Repeat steps1-3 for 6″ lengths of ribbon.
5. Make a couple stitches through all of the ribbon so that they stay in place.
6. Attach button or other embellishment {Primas work great, too!} to top of bow using hot glue.
7. Adhere to alligator clip using hot glue {or other strong glue}.

Today is Ellie’s Valentine’s Day party at her school and I just **had** to make her Valentines to exchange. She fell in love with some princess mass production ones at the store. I got those for her, too, but she has just been coloring on them. Here is what I came up with…

I started with a Pure Poppy {Papertrey} scalloped heart {Nestabilities} and topped it with a straight edge heart {again with the Nestabilities} cut from Kraft cardstock that I embossed with the Swiss Dots Cuttlebug embossing folder. As you can see, my stitching leaves much to be desired…no surprise there, but I am getting a little better! I stamped the flower print heart in Pure Poppy ink on Stamper’s Select white and cut it out with scissors…no punch! I backed it with a sentiment flag and popped it on top of the Kraft heart using dimensional glue dots.

The reverse side is stamped with the XOXO stamp from the PTI set and I “signed” her name in white gel pen with a heart for the dot on the “i.” Tomorrow I will be showing you what I attached to these Valentines.

I have been guilty of getting PTI sets and not using them, but I have been more selective in my choices and I have found that I am using my choices more. Case in point, Heart Prints and Fresh Alphabet. I used both to create this card…

This layout is the result of tossing and turning because my brain can’t stop even when I desire sleep. I took several elements that I love to use and put them together on this card. I love the way that it turned out!

I have lots to show tomorrow…see ya then!!

As I begin to write this on Tuesday night, the rain is coming down, lightning is flashing, thunder is booming and they have the poor news guy reporting from OUTSIDE! The Saginaw Fire Dept. sent out a mass message to our phones telling us to cease all outdoor activity and to take cover if we hear the severe weather sirens. Gotta love {very early} spring in North Texas!! I have to admit that I am completely FASCINATED by weather and while this kind of stuff completely freaks me out, I am intrigued.

Knowing that this was headed this way, I pulled out my bright and sunny stamps and made this cheery card…

All images are from Stamp A Sweet Impression by Taylored Expressions, and the flowered paper is from the latest Key Ingredients Kit. Although it’s not a traditional Valentine’s card, I think this would be a darling card for a friend for Valentine’s Day. As for my details, I stitched around the edges of the patterned paper…that may even be a straight stitch {WHOA!!}. The felt flower is from Creative Cafe by Creative Imaginations, and I topped it off with Pure Poppy satin ribbon from Papertrey. In the corners and to the right side of the sentiment, I used my 3/8″ circle punch to mat silver brads.

Tomorrow I will show you the Valentine’s that I made for Ellie and her class.

As I finish this post, the storm has passed our area and we are safe.

Have a great day!