All images and designs on this blog are the sole property of Carole Burrage. This blog is for inspiration only. Please do not use these photographs or designs for contests or publications.
Thank You!
I'm back with another Teaser from the February release for My Favorite Things! Today, lots of MFT Designers are showing you the latest Pure Innocence sets -- here's a looky-loo at Pure Innocence - Believe In Magic...
Isn't she sweet in her little fairy outfit? As Jody would say, "Coo!"
I used the Flower Trio Die-namic (it appears to be sold out at the moment, but I'm sure it will be back in stock within the next week or so), and made this in MFT signature colors. Her skirt/tu-tu has been glittered up in Wisteria Extra Fine Translucent Art Glitter, and there's a black Tiny Twinkle gem in the center of her hair flower. There's also some stardust glitter pen on her wings and wand, but it's hard to see from the pic. The sketch is the current Card Positioning Systems sketch -- it's a long note (3.25" x 6"), which is always a fun, different size to use to get you out of the standard sized rut.
Here are the details about the upcoming release on February 1st at 10 PM EST:
The MFT release is on February 1st at 10 PM EST. You can attend the release party from 8-10 PM EST here in the forum for fun, games, and prizes! All the new sets and dies will be available on February 1st at 10 PM EST.
The guest designer contest is ON! Check out the forum for details on how YOU can win over $100 in stamp sets and play along with the DT for a month.
If you'd like to see all the teasers for today, please click on over to Kim's blog NOW! Be sure to leave comments as you go for a chance to win one of 2 stamp sets being given away daily, just for leaving a comment. :) Check Kim's blog every day for the winners.
Have a great weekend, peeps! We received a new family member today - she's the CUTEST!!! I'll be sure to show you some photos of our new gal on my next post.
Hi, everyone! Welcome to Day 2 of Teasers for My Favorite Things' February release! It should come as absolutely no surprise to you that some of my all-time-favorite MFT sets are the Twisted Sentiments. I LOVE LOVE LOVE 'em! Where else in the stamping world can you find such... apt phrases to say what's really on your mind?!
Luckily for me and you, MFT is bringing you the fourth in the series this month -- let's hear it for TWISTED FOURSOME!!! And here's a little something I created to give you a wee glimpse at what you have to look forward to with this fun new set o' sentiments...
Just a little somethin' somethin' to let a friend or loved one know where to find me should they ever be in need... I paired the sentiment with the Pure Innocence - Princess image and used this week's Wednesday Stamp Club sketch as my blueprint -- love 'em! The Princess was colored with Copics, and her hat and shoes were covered with Light Gold Opague Art Glitter by Barbara Trombley. I also used MFT's fabulous Decorative Doily Die-namic.
Here are the details about the upcoming release on February 1st at 10 PM EST:
The MFT release is on February 1st at 10 PM EST. You can attend the release party from 8-10 PM EST here in the forum for fun, games, and prizes! All the new sets and dies will be available on February 1st at 10 PM EST.
The guest designer contest is ON! Check out the forum for details on how YOU can win over $100 in stamp sets and play along with the DT for a month.
If you'd like to see all the teasers for today, please click on over to Kim's blog NOW! Be sure to leave comments as you go for a chance to win one of 2 stamp sets being given away daily, just for leaving a comment. :) Check Kim's blog every day for the winners.
Welcome to the Your Next Stamp CHA Release BLOG HOP! It's a very exciting time for this sweet company because Karen has taken YNS to CHA for the very first time!
That's right, as you're reading this Karen will be at Winter 2011 CHA at booth #4518! WOO-HOO!! So to celebrate this event, YNS is releasing some fab new YNS stamps just in time for CHA: 9 WORLD KIDS stamps plus a new Celebrate Collection from HR Designs and 7 new mini stamps. These new stamps are available to buy right now from the Your Next Stamp store along with all your YNS favorites.
If you would like to participate in the hop and you didn't arrive here fromSylvia's blog, please CLICK HERE to return to the start of the hop at Kerri's blog, as you don't want to miss these fab new releases!
When Karen asked me if I'd like to participate in today's hop, she didn't give me any hints about what sort of image I would be working with; she just gave me a list of countries and told me to choose one. When I saw that Scotland was among the countries listed, I automatically picked it. I'm Scottish on my mother's side (her maiden name is Cunningham), and have been fortunate enough to have visted the 'mother land' of my maternal clan twice.
Well, when I received the image in the mail -- Ainsley, a wee lass in a classic Scottish folk dancing pose -- I squealed with glee! I knew just what I wanted to do with her...
... dress her (and a couple of friends, created by masking the first girl off and then stamping another gal on each side) up in the Cunningham family tartan! I found a downloadable pdf of the Cunningham tartan and printed it out on Georgia Pacific cardstock for the background paper. Then I minimized it to about 1"x1" and copied that several times over to make the plaid small enough for the dance troupe's kilts and tams o' shanter. A little paper-piecing, coloring with Copics, and trimming out, and here are my own private Scottish dancers! So cute and so authentic! I'm absolutely in love with this stamp and can't wait to see the ones from all the other countries!
Wouldn't it be fun to make some sort of "It's a Small World" project with all of the new World Kids stamps? I've got my thinking cap/tam o' shanter on already...
Now that you've seen my project, you're probably anxious for all of the hop details and clues for where to go next, aren't you? I knew it! And would you like info about how you could win 3 World Kids stamps of your choosing? Then read on...
The hop starts today (28 January 2011 at 08:00 EST) and ends on 2 February 2011 at midnight EST. As always, Your Next Stamp, has a wonderful prize for you to win. One lucky winner will be drawn at random from the links in the linky list to receive their choice of 3 of the new World Kids stamps! You will see that every stop along the hop has a linky list - this is the SAME linky list posted on every blog, so that you can enter the prize draw from any stop (although we hope you will visit all the blogs on today's hop). The linky will update itself on everyone's blog when a link is entered - how cool is that?
Please remember to only enter your name ONCE into the linky list during the hop - you do NOT need to enter your name at every stop and multiple entries will be removed. It's not a requirement for you to comment at every stop along the hop to be eligible to be entered into the prize draw, but the DT would sure love to hear what you think of their new release creations! Karen is also running some special bundle promotions, so be sure to hop on over to the YNS store once you've finished the hop. If you order all 9 World Kids stamps in one bundle, you will save 15% over the cost of buying them individually!
Here is a complete blog hop list in hopping order:
So now it's time for you to hop on over to Wendy's blog as she is the next stop on our hop, but I'd love it if you left me a comment before you go! Thanks so much for hopping with us today! I hope you enjoy the new YNS release as much as I am!
FUN NEWS FLASH! I'm one of February's Guest Designers for Your Next Stamp! Check out the YNS blog for Karen's announcment. (And leave a comment to the effect that she has wonderful taste in guest designers. If you want to, that is. No pressure or anything. But it would be a concrete demonstration of your love and/or affection for me. Me and my fragile ego like that kind of stuff, you know.) Ordinarily, Karen would wait until Feb. 1 to make such an announcement, but she's having a big C-U-T-E release just in time for CHA1, so she wanted to get her guest hands on deck. Capice2?
I was super excited and flattered when Karen asked me to guest for Your Next Stamp as I think their images are so sweet and fun. My good buddy Jen works with YNS stamps quite a bit (methinks she might be a wee bit partial to their Ellie stamps... wonder why?! ;)) and I had the pleasure of doing so, too, during the November JiFFy Girl challenge. And this card by my dear friend Amy Rohl absolutely made me swoon when I first saw it.
Enough jabbering. Wanna see what I created for Karen's blog announcement? Okily dokily, here she is...
Now, be careful drinking hot beverages or eating ice cream immediately after you see this -- 4 out of 5 dentists conclude that an image this SWEET is bound to increase tooth sensitivity! I used Tea Time Fhiona and colored her with Copics. Then I masked her off and airbrushed the background. I added some Fruit Punch Stickles to her hair-flower and the hearts, and some Eucalyptus Stickles to each scallop in the white circle layer. I used the current MojoMonday sketch (#175). The patterned paper is by Crate Paper, and I used My Favorite Things' Flower Border Die-namic to create the flower strip. The rest is pretty self-explanatory.
Alrighty, peeps. I must go. I've got my first quiz of the semester tonight, and mucho pages to read in the meantime -- wish me luck! I'll be back soon with another YNS creation, using something from the brand new release. Wanna hint? Okay. Here it is: Lang may yer lum reek!
Footnotes:
1. CHA is the big Craft & Hobby Association show that occurs each winter and summer, where buyers for stores check out and order all the new stuff from craft and hobby manufacturers. It's being held this weekend, out in Los Angeles.
This sketch has lots and lots of possibilities. I took the snowflake embellishment pretty literally, but you don't have to. You could use any fun shape instead.
Ready to see what I came up with? Alrighty, then -- here's my little homage to winter weather (we're supposed to be getting some of the white stuff here in Oklahoma on Thursday):
I used the new Frosty Fun image, illustrated by Claire Keay (she's the same person who drew the adorable Loveosaurus set). Doesn't this little gal look like she's having fun, gliding on that Berrylicious background? Actually, that's probably some bumpy ice she's skating on due to the fact that I embossed it with Cuttlebug's Snowflake embossing folder. She doesn't seem to mind too much. Her outfit -- and the entire color scheme -- was dictated by the fact that I just got a box of MFT's fabulous 100 lb. cardstock in the mail and I was dying to use some of this yummy Grape Jelly. I love purple. Even my stamping room is purple. I know that surprises you...
Ready to see the inside?
I'm starting to get the hang of decorating the insides of my cards. Some folks decorate their interiors almost as much as the outsides of their cards, but I like to leave plenty of blank space to jot down a note. I tend to be kind of long-winded when I write. Really. It's true. No. I'm serious.
I used the larger of the Let It Snowflake Die-namic cut out on the outside of the card, and covered it in Stardust Stickles. I used the medium sized snowflake on the inside, and decorated it with a little bit o' bling. I tried to make the two decorative horizontal layers look like icicles by using the Fresh Cut Grass Die-namic.
Do you have a little winter weather headed your way? Then take advantage of it and get to stamping! First, though, you might want to head over to Kim's blog for a list of all the participating MFT Design and Challenge Team members who have created samples to get you inspired. Then, use the sketch as a springboard and let your creativity soar! When you upload to your Splitcoast gallery, be sure to use MFTWSC3 as one of your keywords to be eligible to win the weekly drawing for a $20 voucher to the MFT Boutique.
Thanks for stopping by to visit me today! Stay safe and warm, friends.
Supplies Used – Stamps: Frosty Fun by My Favorite Things; Ink: Marvy Matchables Black, Adirondack Brights Purple Twilight; Paper: Berrylicious and Grape Jelly from MFT, Solar White (Neenah), MiniDots from Karen Neuburger’s Hip Hip Hooray line; Accessories: Let It Snowflake and Fresh Cut Grass Die-namics from MFT; Copic markers, opague white pen, Frosted Lace and Stardust Stickles, Cuttlebug Snowflake embossing folder, bling, ribbon, Nestabilities Petite Ovals – Small, Doodlebug Sugar Coated brads.
Hi there! I hope you've come this way from the lovely Lisa's blog. If you didn't, you'll want to go back and start at the beginning at MFT Lady Kim's blog so you won't miss one beautiful stop in tonight's My Favorite Things VIP Blog Hop!
Come on, admit it. You want to be a VIP, don't you? Of course you do! There are lots of ways to go about becoming one, but with most of them, there's no guarantee. So let me let you in on one surefire method for being identified as a bona fide VIP: purchase the February VIP collection! Not only will you get that exclusive title you're after, but you'll also receive this fabulous assortment of products, including the brand new Who's That Girl? set -- My How You've Grown.
Isn't it delightful? I love every single thing about it! The VIP kit is available now, HERE, but you'd better be quick about it. VIP kits are offered for only one day and are a limited supply item. In other words, you've got through Wednesday night to purchase one, and when they're gone, they're gone. You don't want to miss out on the Sweet Beginnings mini set (a $9.00 value included for free, it's exclusive to the VIP kit and will never be released again).
Speaking of Sweet Beginnings, I used it in my project for tonight's hop. I wanted to create a gender neutral baby card that would be good for either a new mom or grandmother. Here's what I came up with:
And here's the interior:
I used MFT's Sour Apple and Fossil Cardstock, as well as a little tan vellum from my stash to create a soft layer using the Decorative Doily Die-Namic. I also used the Faux Crochet Border Die-namic to create some visual interest on both the front and interior of my card. Both the Decorative Doily and Faux Crochet Border Die-namics are back in stock (yippee!).
Also being released tonight are the two adorable new a là mode sets -- illustrated by MY NEICE, Amanda Baird -- Oh, Baby! and Something's Fishy.
Now it's time for you to head on over to your next stop on this SHOP HOP: the crazy-talented ARLENE!
Supplies used – Stamps: My How You’ve Grown WTG, Sweet Beginnings mini set by My Favorite Things; Ink: Marvy Matchables Black; Paper: Sour Apple & Fossil from MFT, Solar White (Neenah), patterned paper by Moxie – ‘Crazy Daze’ from the Easter Whimsy line, vellum from Creative Memories; Accessories: Decorative Doily and Faux Crochet Border Die-namics from MFT, Copic Markers, Kraft silk ribbon (SU!), white button brads by Paper Studio, Prismacolor colored pencil and odorless mineral spirits; sewing machine.
Heido-ho, people! So glad you're joining us for The Cat's Pajamas Blog Hop! We're coupling the blog hop with our weekly TCP TUESDAY challenge, and this week Sony is our Hipster Hostess With the Mostess, as well as the start of our hop. So, if you didn't start there and come here via the oh-so-fabulous Julie Masse, you'll definitely want to go back because you don't want to miss a thing! Sony's in charge of our color challenges, and here's what she's laid down for us:
Well, you know these bold colors are music to my ears, eyes, nose, fingertips, heart, and every other sense. Here's what I came up with, using the fabulous new Got Love set and featuring the cutest boys I know:
I took this photo on New Year's Day while we were in Jamaica. Aren't they a handsome pair?! For the frame, I used my *patented* patchwork Mod-Podging, cutting out 1" squares of various pattened paper, and edging them with black ink before adhering them to the frame (which I'd first painted black with craft acrylic paint). Then, I heat embossed Mr. Penguin with ultra-fine black embossing powder. Colored him in with Copic markers, trimmed him out, then gave his balloons a coat of glitter.
I gave Mr. P an extra balloon using the new Hearts Trio CutUps die. I outlined the scalloped layer with Liquid Pearls, then I oval punched some of my beloved Yo Yo Yellow (as opposed to the term my Cat Pack mate, Jackie, calls it -- Yuck Yuck Yellow. Pretty nervy for a New Kitty on the Block, don't you think?! ;) ). I heat embossed the sentiment, adhered it to the hearts with foam boosters, and added a balloon string o' black hemp. And there you have it!
Now it's time for you to go hop along to my oh-so-sweet friend Toni's blog and see what sort of red/black/yellow yumminess she's created for your enjoyment. Once you get done with the hop and ordering all of your new Cat's Pajamas goodies, come play along with us. You could very well win FAME and FORTUNE as our next Swanky Stamper! For all the details, visit Miss Alma's blog.
Thanks for coming by to see me today. Any comments you feel like leaving about how adorable my boys are will be greatly appreciated and result in the most positive vibes sent your way. Just sayin'. :)
It's Day 7 of Sneaky Peek Week for The Cat's Pajamas, and tonight's the big night! The Pajama/Release Party will be in our Member Company Forum from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. EST, and after that? The new stamp sets and CutUps dies will be available for purchase --AND-- the Cat Pack will be having a blog hop to celebrate. Isn't that exciting? Take a deep breath -- I don't want you to hyperventilate!
In fact, you probably just need to sit down. I've got exciting news for all you Sprinkle fans, and I don't want to feel guilty for any injuries you might sustain by fainting from all of this commotion. Ready? Okay -- Sprinkle's back, and she's starring in the new IT HAD TO BE MEW set! Take a look:
Doesn't that cat look nifty in her hat? Why, she looks like she should be in A Chorus Line, singing and dancing to "One." She is, after all, a singular sensation. Here's a little something I whipped up in her honor:
Have you notice I'm on a bit of a glittery heart roll? And there's even more where this came from (that's what we writers refer to as 'foreshadowing.' Subtle, huh?). But back to Sprinkle. Her image is heat embossed with extra fine black embossing powder to give her coat a glossy sheen. Her accessories were colored in with Copic Markers, and the silver bits were made sparkly via Abalone Ultrafine Opague Art Glitter. Her collar was blinged up with some hot pink Tiny Twinkles.
The heart background was created by stamping the small heart from the set repeatedly in Champagne Versamark Dazzle ink. It has a very faint shimmer to it. The sentiment was heat embossed on the new HEARTS TRIO CutUps panel, and I added a little squiggle of black ICING CutUps to break up the sheet music background. The patterned paper is "Love Song" from Echo Park's Be Mine line.
The backbone of this whole shebang is the January Sketch For You To Try, which just happens to be sponsored this month by The Cat's Pajamas. Such synergy! Click on the above link or the SFYTT sketch blog button on my sidebar to find out how you can play along. If you participate each month in 2011, you could be eligible for a HUGE prize drawing at the end of the year.
Be sure to visit my fellow Sneaky Peeking buddies, Toni and Sony, to see what thrilling combinations they've created with our feline friend. I hope to visit with you at the party tonight. And please come back and see me late this evening and/or tomorrow for The Cat's Pajamas blog hop because I have a project I'm itching to show you. It features a particular penguin and two very cute, spikey blonde-haired boys. I kinda likey it, if I do say so myself. :)
Thanks for checking in with me today, and I'll catch up with you a little later. Have a great Monday!
Ready for a looky-lou at one of The Cat's Pajamas nifty new sets headed your way next Tuesday? Okay, twist my arm... Whether or not you're a philatelist1, you're going to love LOVE LETTERS! There are sooo many possibilites with this set...
Here's what I came up with, for your Sneaky Peeking pleasure...
Don't you just love the graphic goodness of this? I sure do. Faux postage has always been one of my favorite techniques -- in fact, it was seeing a card made with the faux postage technique that made me first log on to Splitcoaststampers. With LOVE LETTERS and the new STAMP TRIO CutUps die, faux postage has never been easier -- be still my heart! Let me show you how...
The STAMP TRIO CutUp die comes with a plastic masking tool. Here's a nifty graphic, then I'll demonstrate.
So, I've got my die cut and I've stamped the red outline edge on it, then covered it with the mask, like so:
Not sure ifyou can tell, but I've taped down the edges so it stays in place. Next, I'm going to airbrush a light blue background using my Copic Airbrush system. You could also sponge a background color using a regular ink pad and sponge or dauber.
Simply remove the mask, and wa-la!
Then it was just a matter of stamping "LOVE" repeatedly and adding the postal fee. Easy and fun!
Speaking of repitition, I have to say, my very favorite kind of stamping is making patterns. Nothing makes me happier than drawing a few lines, getting out my Stamp-a-majig and laying down the same image over and over. Isn't that weird? But it's true. It soothes my soul. That's how I made the patterned background with heart-filled cancellation mark.
Caveat: Wait until your ink dries before you start trying to erase your lines. To quote my buddy Susan2, "Don't ask me how I know this." I don't know if you can see from the picture, but written in teeny-tiny letters in the cancellation mark image it says "SPRINKLEVILLE, USA" -- hee! That made me giggle when I saw that -- a little TCP humor there from Miss Meowy, herself! :)
In addition to the Stamps Trio CutUp die, The Cat's Pajamas is also releasing the very swanky HEARTS TRIO CutUp. I used the interior heart to cut felt from the Seeing Red collection to make the side embellishments on my card. I built the color combo for the card around the fabby new AIR MAIL DIVINE TWINE -- so perfect for this set, not to mention 4th of July and patriotic stuff (for you Americans in the reading audience). The sketch I used is the current MojoMonday sketch, #173.
I've got to say, I'm just pinching myself -- ouch! -- about this release. I hope you like it as much as I do. Head over to Alma's blog for links to other members of The Cat Pack who have Sneaky Peeks of Love Letters today.
In non-stamping related news, I've got some Proud Mama bragging to do. Remember me telling you about a month or so ago that Truman was running for student council president of his junior high? Well, the election was yesterday and he won! He worked hard and ran a good race, and win or lose, it takes guts to put yourself out there. I would have been proud of him regardless of the outcome, of course. But winning is fun, no? Hail to the Chief!
So, what do you have going on this weekend? Sean is in Las Vegas on his annual MLK weekend "firm retreat." While the cat's away, this particular mouse is going to be doing some stamping! Well, right after she takes another mouse to the mall for some new shoes. She's also going to play with the NookColor she bought yesterday and will give you a review. Then she'll quit talking about herself in third person.
I'll be back on Monday with another Sneaky Peek, this one featuring the one, the only... SPRINKLE! Have a good one, friends, and thanks for coming to visit me today.
Footnotes
1. Philatelist: one who collects or studies postage stamps
2. My buddy Susan: that would be Susan Liles, otherwise known as Susiestampsalot
Happy Hump Day, beautiful people! For civilians, Wednesday merely declares that half the work week is over. For us papercrafters, Wednesday is far more meaningful: it's a celebration! It's time for My Favorite Things' Wednesday Stamp Club challenge! Wooo doggies!
As you know, MFT has made the Wednesday Stamp Club challenge a sketch challenge. This seems to suit everyone -- in addition to our amazing Challenge Team who faithfully participate in each weekly challenge, there are so many more of MFT's awesome Design Team members participating. And from the looks of last week's WSC challenge -- which had more than 110+ participants -- the stamping public likes the change in format, too. To the left, you'll find this week's sketch.
And here's what I made with it:
A little Valentine, featuring Pure Innocence - Love You With All My Heart (dang it! She's currently out of stock; I'm sure she'll be available soon). I added her socks with a fine line black marker (I like my PI's to wear socks -- they're too young for panty hose and I don't want their bare feet getting sweaty in their shoes. Plus, it's a little cold for bare feet right now, anyway...) colored her in with Copics, paper pieced her wee dress, and covered her heart in red Martha glitter. Don't you just love glitter? It makes me happy. Check out her little shoes. They have a coat of clear Glaze pen on them and are adorned with tiny Swarovski crystals. Cuteness!
Head on over to Kim's blog for links of all the other MFT designers participating in this week's challenge. Then, give the challenge a try yourself. You have nothing to lose, and potentially a $15 in gift vouchers to the MFT boutique to gain! Simply create a card or other project utilizing this week's sketch, then use MFTWSC2 as a keyword when you upload to your Splitcoast gallery. You'll be automatically entered into this week's drawing. For more details, visit this discussion in the MFT Member Company Forum on SCS.
Enjoy your Wednesday, and I'll be back soon with more Sneaky Peeks from The Cat's Pajamas. Thanks for stopping by to visit me today. :)
Happy Tuesday, everyone! It's been so long since I participated in a TCP Tuesday challenge that I think Sprinkle1 may be ever so slightly miffed at me. Yes, I do sing her praises constantly in the {mostly} weekly Cat's Chat2, but that's not really good enough for her. Like my children and Janet Jackson before them, Sprinkle's philosophy is "What have you done for me lately?"
Another reason I've been itching to break out my Cat's Pajamas stamps? I've got NEW ONES! Stuff y'all have never seen before. And it's always fun to show off the latest and the greatest, don't you think? In fact, you know what today is? The beginning of SNEAKY PEEK week! That's right! If you go to Alma's blog every day for the next week, you'll find a preview of the eight new images and two new CutUps dies, as well as daily links to Cat Pack design team members who are showing off the new sets. The new sets and CutUps will be released one week from today -- January 18th. As usual, every single thing is top notch and you're going to want it all. I'm not biased -- it's just THAT GOOD!
But let's get back to today's TCP Tuesday challenge. Jen is this week's Hostess With the Mostess, and she's put forth a supply/technique challenge to use ribbon in a non-traditional way. In other words? NO BOWS!
That's a toughie for me; virtually every card I make has ribbon tied in either a simple knot or bow. Ribbon is definitely my go-to, comfort-zone embellishment. But, in the spirit of TCP Tuesday, I've hurled myself out of my box, and here's what I put together:
I made a background panel by layering various ribbons in shades of my desired color scheme. Don't you love that *sweet* new image?! It's called Spring Rain and will be available with the rest of the new Cat's Pajamas releases next Tuesday, January 18th.
I submitted a few sentiment ideas to Alma for this release, and by far, this sentiment is my favorite: 'The Sun'll Come Out Tomorrow.' Y'all know I'm a HUGE fan of Broadway musicals, and the very first one I ever saw was 'Annie.' Like all girls of a certain generation, I wanted to BE Andrea McArdle3 and used to warble to the 'Annie' cast recording at the top of my lungs. I still sing 'Tomorrow' all the time to my boys, much to their chagrin. My 'Annie' affection renewed itself lately after catching a documentary on Netflix called 'Life After Tomorrow,' a whatever-happened-to about the girls (now women) who played the orphans in the Broadway and touring productions of the musical before it closed in 1983. If you're an 'Annie' or Broadway fan, you'll definitely want to check it out; it's available to watch instantly. (Yay! Love my instant Netflix queue!)
So, back to the card. My conception of it grew after I'd laid down the ribbon and started coloring the image. I decided to add a little pinch of pink so that the Yo-Yo Yellow and Tempting Turquoise wouldn't be quite so blinding. I rummaged through an old box of thread that used to belong to my mom and found this pink, so I decided to rethread my sewing machine. I think the pink thread adds a nice little *pop!*
I paper-pieced the Rainy Gal's umbrella, and colored her in with Copics. Her rain slicker and boots were given a coat of Glossy Accents to make them appear sufficiently waterproof. I kinda think this little gal looks like a Muppet, don't you? That's fine by me because I *LOVE* the Muppets. Good thing you aren't here in person with me, or at this very moment you'd be treated to my vocal interpretation of "The Rainbow Connection." Count your blessings!
I used Jen's January Sketch For You To Try. You can check out the sketch and a link to how you can participate on my sidebar. And, if you want to participate in this week's TCP Tuesday challenge and be eligible to win FAME4 and FORTUNE5 by becoming our next Swanky Stamper, then head over to Jen's blog for all of the details on how to play along.
As for me, I think I'm going to slip on my headphones and play my newly purchased CD of the 'Annie' original Broadway cast recording. (If you want one for yourself, you can find a link in my Amazon Associates widget on my sidebar.) I warn you in advance: I can't help but get a little choked up on 'Maybe'...
Maybe far away/Or maybe real nearby/He may be pouring her coffee/She may be straightening his tie...
Footnotes:
1. In the off-chance that you just stumbled onto this blog due to Googling "Master Cleanse" or "TCB" (I seem to get a decent number of hits from such searches), you may not be aware who Sprinkle is. So I will inform you: Sprinkle is the mascot of The Cat's Pajamas stamp company. See her beautiful feline face on the blog button to your left? That's her. Her image has been stamped hundreds of thousands of times by stampers the world over. She can be a bit of a diva, but I am and always will be her humble servant.
2. Cat's Chat is The Cat's Pajamas newsletter, for which I am the writer/editor. If you're a subscriber, you should have received a new issue this morning. If you're not, what's WRONG with you?! Email me, and I'll forward you the latest edition, then go to The Cat's Pajamas website and sign up for a FREE subscription.
3. Broadway's original Annie. Check her out as she sings 'Tomorrow' on this 'Annie' Christmas special that aired on NBC in December of 1977:
Find more videos like this on Annieorphans.com 4. Fame, in the form of the bitchin' title of "Swanky Stamper for February, 2011", a big ol' spread devoted to you on The Cat's Pajamas website, in an edition of Cat's Chat, and on Alma's blog. You will also receive an exclusive blog blinkie heralding your incredible achievement. Not bad, huh?
5. Fortune, in the form of $25 in Cat Cash you can spend on The Cat's Pajamas website.
Okay. This is getting a little strange... three posts from me in less than 48 hours?! I'm pretty sure that's some kind of record. DON'T GET SPOILED! You know you can't count on me to entertain you with this sort of consistency for long. So, as I tell my children: enjoy the moment, and let's let tomorrow worry about itself. This sort of behavior from me is like 60 degree weather in January in Oklahoma. It happens on occasion, but it ain't gonna last. Still, might as well shuck the jacket and put the top down while you can!
So, today is Wednesday, which means it's time for My Favorite Things'Wednesday Stamp Club challenge -- the first one of the new year! There's going to be a change in the WSC format from here on out. Here's the info from MFT to fill you in on the changes:
MFT is super excited to announce that Wednesday Stamp Club will now be centered around a weekly sketch. We know your stamping time is precious, and we want you to maintain as much creative freedom as possible. Sketches are the perfect starting point to a card. Use it as a blueprint, and create a card using the stamp set and supplies that strike your fancy. You can turn to the sketches time and again for creative inspiration.
A new sketch will be posted each Wednesday at midnight on the MFT blog. You'll also find the sketch in the MFT forum on SCS on Wednesday morning, as well as in the weekly newsletter. Our talented Challenge and Design Teams will be on hand to provide plenty of inspiration to get you started.
We encourage you all to play along, and to enter your card in the weekly draw for a $15 gift voucher to the MFT Boutique. Simply follow the sketch and create a card or other paper creation. You may use any stamps and supplies that you wish. Each week, a keyword is assigned to the sketch. All you need to do to enter, is upload your card to the gallery at SCS, and enter the given keyword in the keyword box, during the upload process. After the deadline, we randomly choose a winner from that week's entries and the winner will receive a $15 gift voucher. If the winning card uses MFT stamps, the participant will earn a $5 bonus, for a total of a $20 gift voucher! That is up to $100 per month in prizes, JUST for playing along. We hope you'll join us in 2011.
Cool, huh? I love sketch challenges -- they do the hard part and leave me with the fun choices of stamps, paper, and embellishments. Yay! So, here's the first WSC sketch of 2011:
And here's what I did with it, using the new Pure Innocence - Ladybug image that was just released last night:
You'll notice that my ladybug is a little... er... uh... more masculine than the rest of the ones you've been seeing on the MFT Design Team blogs. There's a story behind this. See, my son Carter received a Ladybug Pillow Pet (It's a Pillow! It's a Pet! It's a PILLOW PET! Surely you've seen that commercial dozens of times over the holidays) from his Grammy for Christmas. He and his cousin Jack were watching TV with her one day and told her which ones they wanted. Jack wanted the Dolphin, and Carter wanted the ... Ladybug.
When Carter opened his Ladybug, he was thrilled. Truman, however, was not.
"Why'd he get a ladybug?" Truman asked.
"Because he wanted one," I answered. "Who says Ladybugs are girls, anyway? Remember the one in A Bug's Life? And don't make me remind you of a certain little boy who used to prefer the Pink Power Ranger..."
To avoid further gender confusion, Carter has named his Pillow Pet "Dude" and we've decided Dude speaks with a deep rasp that's indicative of his 3 packs-a-day habit. To give the ladybug her/his makeover, I inked up the image then carefully took a few sharpened blending stumps dipped in stamp cleaner and 'erased' the girl's hair before stamping the image on paper. You can still kind of see a couples of wisps, but I'm going to pretend that's errant ear and facial hair. I added a little 5 o'clock shadow to him, too. His spitcurl and smirky eyebrows and mouth were patterned after Francis (the aforementioned male ladybug from A Bug's Life). A white undershirt, socks & sneakers... and wah-lah!
My Valentine for my little guy is done! Guess which DVD I'm going to pair this with for a little love offering on Feb. 14?
Don't forget to head over to Kim's blog for a link list of all the MFT designers participating in this week's challenge. You can also find lots of sample in the WSC sub-forum within MFT's member company forum on Splitcoast. We'd love for you to come and play with us this week!
Hey there! Glad you've stopped by for My Favorite Things' January Blog Hop and Shop! If you started at the beginning of the hop at MFT Lady Kim's blog, you should have mosied this way via the amazingly artistic Arlene. If so, you probably need a moment to catch your breath from swooning. If not, you'll definitely want to go back because you don't want to miss a single thing my fantastic design teammates have in store for you. And, if you're interested in winning a little blog hop candy, you'll want to leave comments as you go -- you never know which stop is home to the secret blog candy hostess!
As for me, I'm showing off the new Clearly Sentimental About Time set (which is also this month's Triple Scoop Set). Few things communicate better than a well-chosen word delivered at the right time, which is why I love this thoughtful, elegant line of stamps.
Isn't that such a profound statement? Wish I'd said it instead of ol' Theophrastus! (Don't know who he is? That's okay, neither did I. But according to Wikipedia, he was successor to Aristotle in the Peripatetic School. So there you go. Learn something new every day, don't you?) I used the Game Night Spinner Die-Namic to fashion a clock, with hot pink adhesive gems to mark where the numerals would ordinarily go (the gems were a Christmas surprise from my sweet friend and fellow MFT'er Michele, whom you will visit later in the hop. Thanks, M! I love 'em!).
I've had to step it up a notch now that I'm playing with the 'big girls' again -- they're kind of fancy and do a lot of inner card decoration, you know. I'm still new at this, so be gentle...
Ready for your next stop on the hop? Then get going to the bedazzling Barbara's blog for some big-time beauty!
Supplies used -- Stamps:Clearly Sentimental About Time and Take Time à la mode by My Favorite Things; Paper: patterned paper from Crate Paper's 6"x6" Restoration Collection pad, Ivory (Neenah Classic Crest), Not Quite Navy (SU!); Ink: Not Quite Navy (SU!); Accessories:Game Night Spinner and Jumbo Scallop Die-Namics by My Favorite Things; hot pink adhesive gems by Queen & Co., brads by American Crafts; foam mounting tape; sewing machine; Mojo Monday 172 sketch.
Howdy, folks! Well, I'm back from Jamaica, and let me tell you, there's no place like H-O-M-E! Not that it isn't fun to get away with the extended family and take in the sunshine, but I have to confess, I spent a lot of time wishing I was at home in my stamp room, playing with all the new goodies being released this week by My Favorite Things!
At least I came home in time for MFT's Teaser Day 5 so I can show you a peek at the latest Who's That Girl? image, Let's Get Physical. One of my New Year's Resolutions from last year was to run a 5-K, and I actually kept it. Before last spring, I had never run a mile in my life. I overcame my inertia thanks to a local Couch-to-5K program, and by the end of October, I was logging up to 11 miles on my long runs, had participated in three 5-Ks, and had even ran a 15-K. Of course, that's when I suffered a stress fracture in my heel, so I've been cooling my jets ever since. Still, as soon as I get released by my doctor, I'm lacing up my shoes and getting started again (though this time I'm going to take it a little easier).
In the meantime, the new WTG set inspired me to create my own race bib folio. Check it out:
I've seen similarly sized bib folios (8"x8") sold on the web for around $40, but they aren't nearly this cute. Wouldn't this be a great gift for the runner in your life? All you need is some cardstock, this oh-so-appropriate image, and a couple of binder rings. Of course, it wouldn't hurt to have the Stacking Stars Die-namic, in case you want to create a similar starry wreath around your focal image.
I just love this sentiment:
Here's a view of the interior:
I included a motivational quote on the backside:
The quote is actually from an MFT gardening set -- I think perhaps an exclusive mini set from one of the VIP kits? (One more reason to become a VIP purchaser!) -- but it holds true for excercise, too. I used the brand new Layered Label Die-Namic to frame the sentiment out.
Today -- Jan. 4 -- is the big release day, you know, and here are all the details:
The MFT release is on January 4th at 10 PM EST. You can attend the release party from 8-10 PM EST herein the forum for fun, games, and prizes! All the new sets and dies will be available on January 4th at 10 PM EST.
The guest designer contest is ON! Check out the forumfor details on how YOU can win over $100 in stamp sets and play along with the DT for a month.
If you'd like to see all the teasers for today, please click on over to Kim's blog NOW! Be sure to leave comments as you go for a chance to win one of 2 stamp sets being given away daily, just for leaving a comment. :) Check Kim's blog every day for the winners.
I hope to "see" you at the release party tonight, and I'll be back later on today with more from this month's fabulous MFT release. In the meantime, I'd better RUN! :)
I hope you aren't too indisposed from last night's revelry to welcome the 2011 stamping-year in style! Me? I went to bed with my nose in a book around 10 p.m. Wild & crazy, am I not? We did go to a New Year's party earlier in the evening. But New Year's or not, this girl needs her beauty sleep. Of course, I'm now up at 2:30 a.m. writing a blog post, but like Emerson and I always say, "Foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds."
Today is not only January 1, it's also Saturday -- the first Saturday of the month. Which means it's time for a brand new SKETCH FOR YOU TO TRY! Now, Jen is doing things differently this year, so pay attention! New SFYTTs will be revealed on the first Saturday of the month. Participants in all 12 monthly SFYTTs will be eligible for a prize drawing worth more than $200 -- isn't that fabulous?!
This month's SFYTT is being sponsored by a company you know I love and is oh-so-dear to my heart: The Cat's Pajamas! I have a sample done and ready to show you, but I didn't get a chance to photograph it before leaving for Jamaica. Of course, that Jamaica's me crazy (hardee-har-har), but I will be sure to show it to you shortly after I return from this sun-drenched tropical island to the frozen tundra otherwise known as Oklahoma. In the meantime, I know that Sprinkle and the rest of the Cat's Pajamas' gang are being represented well by my SFYTT Sisters.
Ready for the sketch? Okily-dokily!
I know you can come up with a dozen different ways to make this one work for you. But of course, it's always good to get a little visual inspiration, so head on over to the sketchmaster herself's blog and see what Jen and January Guest Designer -- the amazing Kim Teasdale -- have put together to entertain you. Then, give a little New Year's love to these wonderful women:
(like me, Sony Christoph is on a holiday vacay and will be posting her version of the Jan. 2011 SFYTT throughout the month).
I'll be back home and in my stamp room in a couple of days, with lots of good stuff to show you. New releases from My Favorite Things and The Cat's Pajamas = mucho eye candy! In the meantime, I wish you a wonderful 2011. May it bring you peace, health, prosperity, joy, love and laughter.
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