Sites of the week

I’m gonna start this post by apologizing for the quality of pictures here. I have been playing around with the settings on my camera and I think I did something a little wonky, so I am having a tough time with editing them for color, brightness, etc. I think it’s about time that I Googled a little “how to” with my camera! It really is a cute card in person, but I don’t think that the pics do it too much justice.

I recently saw a layout with a bunch of color blocking and I thought that I would translate that concept into a stamped card. I selected 3 fun summery colors {that yellow is SU’s So Saffron, but it’s showing up kinda orange-y here} and then stamped flowers from the Verve set, Hope Blooms, in the same color…

I stamped the flowers first and then punched out 1 3/8″ circles. I arranged them on the card to see what arrangement I would like best and then stamped the sentiment on the circle on the bottom right…

I think that I am going to have to try doing something similar with red, white and blue!

Yep, it’s true…the new releases have gone live and are available now in The Cat’s Pajamas store. This was one of my favorite releases…I know, I know, I say that every time, but it really does keep getting better!! I would hope that you have come to love that about Alma and TCP! I think the winter/Christmas release may have been my favoritest, but this sure ranks right up there if not nudging it out of 1st place by a smidge. So much good stuff that won’t be leaving my desk for a long while…assuming I can squeeze in some more stamping time with all the sickness running in my house…UGH!!

As the title of this post suggests, this is a blog hop. It started HERE on Leigh’s blog and you should have hopped from Julie’s blog. If not, take a moment to rewind so you don’t miss a thing…including this week’s TCP Tuesday challenge hosted by Leigh {I’ll have my sample up later this week}.

For one of my projects for this release, I made a shadowbox {$5 shadowbox frame from IKEA} with the Rolled Nest CutUps die and the Nesting stamp set {and Nightie Alpha}…

This is was so fun and simple to make and will be the perfect housewarming or hostess gift! I already have someone in mind to be the recipient! The nest was cut from Kraft paper and then stamped with the branch from the Nesting set and crumpled/wrinkled before, finally, being shaped into the nest shown here. The “eggs” are wooden balls that I painted white and hot glued in the center.

You may have seen this card using the Away We Go set in the Cat’s Chat Newsletter this weekend, but in case you missed it…

Can you tell that I {heart} paper piecing? The blue stripe and dot paper is from Echo Park {swoon!}.

Here’s a little detail shot of the bunny…

This card also uses the new Exotic Mini Butterflies dies and Cloud Border CutUps, as well as the previously release Flower Buttons and Pinking Border. I think that my Big Shot got a work out with this one!!

Ok, I won’t keep you any longer. Hop, hop, hop along to Amy’s blog where I am sure that she has a lil’ somthin’ somethin’ to delight you!

Happy Monday! Believe me, it is HAPPY! After last week’s strep, etc. hell, I am glad that today is the beginning of a new week. I’m still on the mend, hacking away as if it’s the middle of winter, but getting better for sure.

Today is the first day of Ellie’s PRINCESS DANCE CAMP. Oh my goodness!…She could not be more excited {me too, me too!!}. Hopefully I will snap a few pics for here or Facebook…I’ll keep ya posted!

Today is also the last day of sneak peeks for all of The Cat’s Pajamas‘ new releases and the release party is TONIGHT on the TCP forum on SCS from 8-10 EST. All of the new releases {stamps, dies and seam binding ribbon} will be available just after the par-tay, too, including this set…KICK SOME GRASS!…

Detail…

In addition to the KICK SOME GRASS set, I used the {previously released} TCP CutUps Icing and Flower Buttons {love cutting this one with felt}!

I know you’re ready for all the new stuff! See ya tonight at the release party!!

***SECOND POST OF THE DAY! PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR FIRST POST***

Can you believe that the 4th of July in just 2 weeks {ok, a little more than that}? Weren’t we just battling snow and ice? Seems like this year is flying by…just like all the others!

After making the patriotic shadowbox the other day, I still had the Verve set, American Hero {currently ON SALE…a really good sale, too!}, sitting on my desk. Hmmm…what to do, what to do!?! Make a cute lil’ acetate tag is what you do…

I first cut the acetate tag with my Labels 19 Nestabilities die and then embossed half of it. The bottom portion is covered with pattern paper on both sides. The front side is stamped with the “4th of July” sentiment and I adorned the star with yet another {embellished} star…

The rosette was created with the Easy Rosette die and cut from some fabby Pink Paislee paper that has stars on it. I {heart} using pattern paper with simple designs to make these rosettes. I think it provided the “punch” for this project. The firecracker was a late addition, but I am glad that I decided to add it. It was just what this embellishment/sentiment needed…

I added a little bling bling to make it shine and then topped it off with some {very} thick hemp twine and linen thread. I was going to go with ribbon, but I needed/wanted something to complement the kraft cardstock on the tag. Subtle, yet effective.

Hope you all are finding fun inspiration for all your patriotic projects. I’m off to keep creating! Have a great weekend!

Hey everyone! Thanks for your well wishes for the kiddos. Yesterday did prove to be a turning point for Nicolas. Ellie, fortunately, never got too far down the sick path. However, I made a wrong turn and am feeling under weather still. Blah!!! Hopefully the doc will fix me right up! Something tells me that you probably didn’t come here for a health update. I guess it’s a little more for family checkin’ in here, so thanks for hearing me out.

TGIF! Or, should I say TGIANRT!…Thank Goodness It’s Almost New Release Time!! All of the new releases {stamps, dies and seam binding ribbon} from THE CAT’S PAJAMAS come out on JUNE 28th…just a few days away. Today we are showing off a cu-uuuute penguin set, Up, Up and Away…

What do you think of the new Cloud Border CutUps die? Love it? Me, too!

I cut up the border and used it as single clouds here…

A lil’ more detail…

Ok, I’m checkin’ out and going to bed {writing this on Thursday night}. Want more sneak peeks? See a full list of peekers HERE on Alma’s blog. And, don’t forget to check in with the In It To Win It thread HERE on our forum on Splitcoast.