Sites of the week

It feels like I just did a TCP Tuesday post…wait a minute, I did! LOL! Those few days off last week was a much needed break, as I really was not feeling well. I am STILL trying to shake the cough and relying on strong meds to let me sleep without coughing. I am feeling quite a bit better, though. Thank you all for the well wishes via comments and email. Hugs to you all!

Well, it’s Tuesday and time for another TCP Tuesday challenge. If you haven’t jumped on board with these challenges yet, this is your chance! This week’s challenge is a color challenge… orange, pink and chocolate brown. YUM-O! The specific colors I chose to use are Pumpkin Pie, Pixie Pink and Chocolate Chip from Stampin’ Up! You do not have to use SU! colors, it just happens to be what I have most of. As for the super fun layout, you probably recognize it from Taylor’s Cupcake Challenge from this past Friday. I punched out some extra circles and gave them to Ellie. She’s been running around with them calling them her “olka-dots.” That may have to take over for “fufferly” because she actually says “butterfly” now {sniff, sniff!!} LOL!

The image and sentiment are from The Cat’s Pajamas {of course!}. I embossed the Pixie Pink panel and circle on the main panel with the Swiss Dots Cuttlebug embossing folder.

As for my finishing details on this card, I used the new SU! scallop edge punch on the Pixie Pink panel. I also added some brown brads to the corners. On the main panel, I used a paper piercer and template to create a border. The right side of the card has rounded corners to mimic all the rounded edges all over the rest of the card. Finally, I used my clear Spica glitter pen to glaze over the “icing.”

The deets on TCP Tues…

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.
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 TCPTUES17 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.

Happy Monday! If you have been keeping up with the Verve Stamps blog you may have noticed the Project Parade for this month is all about ATCs! I love doing ATCs because it is so much fun to see how much creativity you can pack into such a small space. When I started doing this ATC, I knew that I wanted to incorporate a lot of texture and depth. To accomplish this goal I used several different products. For the main panel, I cut and embossed a circle using Nestabilities dies. I then stamped the floral image twice and then colored and outlined it with Copic markers. The butterfly is mounted on dimensionals and is colored with Copic markers and topped with Niji Pearlesent Watercolors (very fun product). For the Kiwi Kiss panel, I embossed it with the Swiss Dots Cuttlebug embossing folder. I then used the SU! Ticket Corner Punch on the corners, so that I could add brads.

Wanna win $15 to spend on Verve Stamps?

All you have to do to play in this Vervalicious challenge is create your own Artist Trading Card! Leave a comment with a link to your project on this post by 12:00 pm (noon) Eastern Time on July 31st, and you will be entered for a chance to win! Using Verve stamps is not a requirement, although it doubles your chance of winning. We will have two winners, one randomly drawn from a pool of all entries, the other will be selected as our favorite from all the projects using Verve stamps. Both winners will receive $15 in Verve Bucks. We will announce the winners later that day. If you upload to Splitcoast, please use the keyword VVPP04 so we can all see your creations!

***SCS FAN CLUB MEMBERS…TODAY STARTS “DARE TO GET DIRTY ‘08″ ON SCS! HOPE YOU WILL PLAY ALONG WITH US!***

Greetings from Saginaw, TX! I know that a lot of people have been “rubbing it in” that they are in Chicago. So, if you were one of the ones that is still at home hungry for CHA updates, rest assured that you are not the only one. It’s probably a good thing that I am at home because I am STILL not feeling all that well {ugh!!!}. I went to the doc on Thursday and he loaded me up with a little of this and a little of that. So far I’m feeling better, but my cough is persistent and is persistently wearing me out! Not enough to keep me away from the zoo on Friday though! Ellie and I took a little morning trip to the Fort Worth Zoo and, boy, was that an experience!! I guess I assumed that all the carnivores ate before the doors opened. Well, you know what they say about assuming! We got really close view of one of the tigers with his breakfast…a white {and red} rabbit!! Ewww! We watched for a minute while he tossed it around {already dead, btw}, but I wasn’t quite in the mood to watch him rip it to shreds…especially with Ellie saying, “bunny, bunny bunny.” I’m pretty sure that would be a first class ticket to therapy for her later in life. I’m sure I’ll have plenty more chances for that!

Anywhooo…enough about seeing the food chain come to life. Let’s talk stampin’! Better yet, today’s SKETCH FOR YOU TO TRY!!

Here’s the sketch…

My sample using MFT stamps and Amy Butler paper from K&Co. …

Guest Designer, Jessie Knight’s sample…

This sketch “challenge” is open to everyone to try, and I hope that you will play along. Be sure to link your projects to this post and if you upload to SCS, please use the keyword SFYTT.

Be sure to check out samples from my buds… Amy R., Amy S., Carole {??not sure if she is playing bc she is at CHA}, Susan and Shannan.

I’m going to go ahead and tell you now…this is going to be a long post. A fun one, but a long one.

Let’s start things off with TCP Tuesday…

I am your {Guest} Hipster Hostess With The Mostess this week. Carole’s off living the dirty girl life, and asked if I would take over for the inspiration challenge this week. Not only is it just plain fun, but she’s a good bud, so there was no way that I would say “no.” Your inspiration for this challenge is a swatch of Michael Miller fabric…

I chose this piece of inspiration because there is so much to play off of…colors, the geometry, the florals, the repetition {I could go on}. The main focus that I used for my sample was geometry and color. Normally I print an inspiration piece out, but this time I didn’t. I felt a lot better about not constantly referring to it and just letting my creativity do the walking, ahem…stamping, cutting, embossing, etc…

Here’s my sample…

Detail shot…

Stamps: Sunburst Curtain, Big Thanks {The Cat’s Pajamas}
Paper: Chocolate Chip, Whisper White, Purely Pomegranate, Pink Pirouette, Baja Breeze {Stampin’ Up!}
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Baja Breeze {Stampin’ Up!}
Other: Sewing Machine, Ribbon, Cuttlebug Embossing Folder, Nestabilities Scallop Square Die, Flower Punch, Ticket Corner Punch

Stuff you should know about TCP Tuesday…

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 {ME, this week}. This week you will link your project HERE.
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 TCPTUES16 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.

**************

Onto fun family stuff…
Ellie’s birthday party was a blast. She has such a good time and it was so fun to see her get excited for the party. Thank goodness it’s over…if I hear “pink cupcakes” anytime soon, I might just have to be sick! Boy, was she THRILLED about those!! Here’s a picture of one of the cupcakes that my friend created for the party…

And what they look like when a 2 year old gets a hold of one…

PRESENTS!!!… {boy, did she get SPOILED!!}

Now for a little story that I just have to share…
Yesterday, Ellie came with me to the post office. Like 90% of the times that we go to the post office, it was packed. This time it was so busy that I had to park across the street. When we came out, it was just as crazy and instead of attempting to turn around right there I drove up the street to do a U-Turn…which ended up being more of a 3-point turn. In the middle of me turning around, a “little” voice from the back says, “Try Again!” LOL!!!

***I will be taking off Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from blogging. I have been under the weather and need to catch up on some stampin’ stuff as well as some much needed rest. Of course, I wouldn’t miss a Saturday and a SKETCH FOR YOU TO TRY. See ya then!!

YAY! It’s Saturday! Today is Ellie’s birthday party and I am finishing up the last minute details. I would love to tell you that I have cute handcrafted favors, but I don’t. I just can’t bring myself to put together something that I know will be literally torn into pieces in a matter of seconds. Maybe next year!

Of course, here on Saturdays, I have a SKETCH FOR YOU TO TRY. I actually should call it Sketch For US To Try this week, because I fell in love with the split circle idea that I saw on page 53 of the July ‘08 Cards Magazine. I normally use a sketch that I have created myself, although I do not claim that no one else has ever laid paper out that way. However, this week, I wanted to give this a shot and I put it out there for the team as well. Speaking of the team…we have grown. Nope, I’m not expecting! Amy Rohl {SCS: rohla} is joining us! YAY! I have “known” her through SCS for a couple years and she decided to pull a rohla…you’ll have to ask her about that one. Please give a very warm welcome to her and her tremendous talent.

Now, back to the sketch that I was speaking of…

Here is my sample using stamps from CHF and the Paisley background from SU!…

This is a sample from Jessie, the Guest Designer for July…

Don’t forget to check out my buds… Amy R, Amy S, Carole, Shannan and Susan. Tony will be here tomorrow. Maybe he will throw in some Ellie birthday pics. If not, I will be sharing a couple {or more} next week. Have a great weekend!