Have a Sweet Holiday Season - DS79

Hey there, happy Thursday! It's time for a new Deconstructed Sketch. 

Here's Sketch #79:  

Before I get to my card details, a special announcement:

This week we are searching for our next GUEST DESIGNER, will it be you?? All you need to do is use this week’s sketch, post it to your blog and link back HERE using InLinks by December 5, 2012 at 10 pm CST. The guest designer will be announced next Friday, December 7, 2012 and will design with us for DS81 and DS82 before we break for the Christmas holiday. Good Luck!

For my card, I started out with The Cat's Pajamas new Man CutUps die, and die-cut the little fella out of some brown felt. I glued on some rick rack and stitched on two buttons. The eyes are adhesive flat-back pearls, and the mouth was done with a Viva Decor pearl pen. I tied on a bit of fiber for a scarf. The papers are all from the Simple Stories Handmade Holiday 6x6 pad.  I tied on a sentiment tag with baker's twine and added a pair of rusted jingle bells. The sentiment is from TCP's Homemade for the Holidays. At least 3-4 more gingerbread man projects are in the works on my craft table, so it's a safe bet you'll be seeing this sweetie again and again.

I just realized I completely forgot to add the two circle elements in the bottom right of the sketch (which would be bottom left on my rotated version).

Visit the Deconstructed Sketch Girls for lots more sketch inspiration:

• Amber Hight (Amber is on break)
• Amy Sheffer 
• Arielle Gordon
• Cresta Woodruff, Guest Designer
• Donna Wardle
• Jen Shults
• Kadie Ensley
• Lori Boyd
• Sheri Gilson
• Tracey Pickersgill

Thanks for visiting!

Cat's Pajamas Blog Hop

The Cat's Pajamas Winter Release is officially available in the TCP store, and the Cat Pack and Swanky Stampers are celebrating with a blog hop. If you've been following the hop already, you should have arrived here by way of Tracy. If not, head over to Lori's blog to begin.

Since it's Tuesday, we also have a brand-new TCP Tuesday Challenge. Lori's challenge is to Go Vintage. I started with some vintage-style Parcel Tags from the City Sidewalks collection by Collage Press. The gingerbread man is TCP's new Man CutUps die. I cut him out of one of the City Sidewalks 8x8 papers, distressed him with some ink, and adorned him with some black vintage buttons. Behind him is a glittered chipboard frame from the depths of my chipboard stash, a cardboard circle, and a lace doily. At the top, I tied on some crinkled seam binding and crochet trim, then added two rusted jingle bells. The tag hanging from the gingerbread man is stamped with one of the sentiments from the new Homemade for the Holidays set. I'm soooo loving this die and set and have quite a few more gingerbread man projects in the works! This one looks so much better in real life. I wish you could see the sparkle on that chipboard!

Your next stop on the hop is one of our fabulously talented Swanky Stamper guests -- Cyndi Bundy. 

Enjoy!

TCP Sneaky Peek #6

Welcome to Day 6 of TCP's Sneaky Peek week. Today we're showing off a darling set called Tree-mendous. I can sure relate to this guy. Christmas trees always look smaller than they actually are -- until you're shoving them through the front door! 

For more peeks at Tree-mendous, visit the Winter Sneaky Peek #6 thread on SCS. And for your chance to win this set, go HERE.

For a change-up from my go-to Copics, this time I stamped in Versafine onto heavy watercolor paper (which works so much better with rubber*), then broke out the Tombows and a water brush. A few of the new CutUps make an appearance as well. The Star Rosette is the light blue piece behind the image; the green stars are done with the 3x3 Stars set, and the notebook edge is from the Toppers set.

I had a different color combo going, but my 9-year-old daughter talked me into this bright pink background. I love how cheery it is! The papers are all from Carta Bella's Merry & Bright 6x6 collection.

*This set, like all the sets in this release is a Limited Edition Cling Set. We are making only a limited number in Cling Rubber to celebrate our 10-year anniversary. We started The Cat's Pajamas 10 years ago making rubber stamps and this release is a nod to our roots. While we all love our clear stamps, there is nothing like real red rubber!

Tomorrow is our last day of peeks and our Pajama party (HERE in the TCP forum). Everything you've seen this past week will be available for purchase November 27.

Thanks for stopping by!

TCP Sneaky Peek #5

Happy Saturday, and welcome to TCP's Sneaky Peek #5. Today, we're taking a look at Happy Everything. Not just one bunny, but two bunnies, and plenty of holiday cheer for all! I just love their intertwined ears -- so sweet!

For my card, I stamped the bunnies, colored with Copics, and trimmed them out. Their backdrop is some snowflake-emobssed kraft card stock with some fluffy snow mounds that I made using one of the new Toppers CutUps dies. The turquoise background panel has a fun perforated notebook edge along the top, which I did with another of the Toppers CutUps dies. A simple banner for the sentiment, some Cherry Divine Twine, and a Big Scallop CutUps die-cut stitched to the bottom, provide the finishing touches.

Be sure to check out The Cat's Pajamas forum on SCS to keep up with peeks and giveaways.

• Check the Winter Sneaky Peek #5 thread throughout the day for more Happy Everything eye candy. 
• Visit the In It To Win It thread for your chance to win Happy Everything.

And don't miss TCP's awesome Black Friday Special, but hurry, it ends today!

Thanks for stopping by!

TCP Sneaky Peek #3

Before I get to today's TCP Sneaky Peek info, I wanted to wish a {late} Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Americans. I hope your day has been filled with blessings!

Peeks continue today over in The Cat's Pajamas forum on SCS. Here's the cutie we're featuring today:

OH yeah! How adorable is this one?!! For design team eye candy, visit the Winter Sneaky Peek #3 thread. Let us know what you think in the In It To Win It thread, and you just may find yourself a winner!

All seven new stamp sets and five new CutUps dies will be available in the TCP store Tuesday, November 27. Or, pick them up EARLY ...

Yep, that's right! A little Black Friday special just for you :)

TCP Sneaky Peek Week!

Hi friends, in case you haven't heard ... The Cat's Pajamas is gearing up for a new Limited Edition Release* next week. On November 27, 7 new sets and 5 new CutUps dies will be released. I'm so excited for you to see these awesome new stamps and dies! Sneaky peeks began yesterday and will continue every day until Monday. Take a look at the peeks so far:

Visit the Winter Sneaky Peek #1 thread on Splitcoast for awesome eye candy from the design team and our fabulous swanky stamper guests.

Visit the Winter Sneaky Peek #2 thread for eye candy featuring our favorite long-eared bunny and a sled full of presents.

Are you In It To Win It? Just for chatting with us over at SCS, you could win featured products from the new release! Click HERE to read all about it and to play along!

* So what is the Limited Edition Release all about? To celebrate TEN years in business (how amazing is that?!), this whole release will be done in Limited Edition Cling. I can't tell you how good it feels to be stamping with rubber again! Here's what Alma had to say:

I started making rubber stamps at my dining room table, hand cutting rubber and cushion and attaching them to wood blocks to sell to the local stamp stores where I was teaching 10 years ago. 

So much has happened to stamping in 10 years. But my love of stamping is still going strong. 

So this release, I am excited to celebrate the way The Cat's Pajamas started. With rubber stamps. Not just any rubber stamps. Cling Stamp sets for easy storage and positioning. Perfect for those who love rubber, but also love the convenience and ease of clear. Limited Edition because these stamps are extra special, lovingly assembled at my dining room table. Just like I did 10 years ago. So snap them up, because only a small number will be made. My table is only so big.

Before I go, I'll leave you with an invitation ...

Mark your calendars!

Peace on Earth

Hello, friends, I'm still waiting to get back into my craft room, but I did remember this card that I haven't shared here yet.  I made this for Verve's latest release, which is filled with holiday goodies. The stamp I used is from Peace on Earth. I went with a neutrals + green design, using papers from the Teresa Collins Christmas Cottage 6x6 collection. The trims are from Webster's Pages. Verve's Scroll Die makes an appearance as well. I used it for the music paper accent along the bottom of the vertical pennant element. I would normally think of the Scroll Die for sentiments, but topped with a button, it works as an embellishment too!

Have a great weekend!