Mother's Little Helper

Bi-Partisan Stamping

You'll recall that during last week's Your Next Stamp blog hop, I posted a flagrantly political card featuring an elephant.  I mentioned during that post that I would be discussing how that particular card came to be in my next CAROLE'S CREATIVE COMMOTION post on the YNS blog.  That post is now LIVE, so head on over and read my explanation.  Please!  Leave a comment and make me seem popular.  You could win free stamps, you know. 

In the meantime, I must give equal time or the FCC will shut down my blog:

Phew! That's more like it... ;) Donkey stamps are hard to come by, but you can find this little guy - the So Sorry Donkey - on the YNS Website.  I used this week's Sweet Sunday Sketch (#150) as my blueprint.  Now go to my CCC post, where I ignore the good advice that one should never discuss sex, religion or politics.  It's your duty as a citizen, you know.

Sneaky Peek Week Continues!

Have you been keeping up with all of the Sneaky Peeks thus far for The Cat's Pajamas latest release?  Check in daily at ALMA's blog to see a loverly graphic and for direct links to creations using that day's preview from members of The Cat Pack and our most recent Swanky Stampers.  Also, you can get Sneaky Peeks in your mailbox daily during Sneaky Peek Week by signing up for the best little Mewsletter in all of stamping, TCP's very own CAT'S CHAT (go to the TCP homepage, and in the bottom left-hand corner, you'll find a button that says 'Sign Up For Our Newsletter'; hit the 'GO' button beneath that to submit your email address.  Easy-peasy!).

I'm a little late in showing you this particular Sneaky Peek, but better late than never, right?  I incorporated this week's COLOR THROWDOWN challenge, as well, which is hosted by everyone's favorite Hammer (besides M.C.), Tammy Hershberger.  Here's what Tammy's throwing down this week...

And here's what I made with it using the adorable new BEARING GIFTS set...

Q: Isn't she a cutie full of charm?

A: Yes, yes she is. :)

Check out the brand new CIRCUS BORDER along the side and dressed up with a bit o' bling.  Fun stuff!  Here's a close-up of Missy Bear, taken in direct sunlight so that you can kinda see the shimmer on her bow...

For direct links to more wonderful look-sees created with this darling new set, see this post on Alma's blog.  For instructions of how to play along with this fun color combo challenge, head over to the Color Throwdown Blog.  You'll see a veritable SMORGASBORD of eyecandy - we've added FIVE amazing new members to the Color Throwdown design team so that you're always guaranteed lots of inspiration.  I know our new girls would be thrilled with your congratulations, and our 'old' girls would be happy for a pat on the back, too.  Who doesn't like/need an 'Atta girl!' every so often to keep the pump primed?

• Barbara Anders
• Broni Holcomb
• Danielle Kennedy
• Joan Ervin
• Keva Brown
• Kristin Eberline
• Laura Pryor
• Lori Tecler
• Lynn Put
• Tammy Hershberger
• Wanda Cullen
• and October's OMG-she's-so-fab Guestie, Amy 'Pickler' Sheffer!

And I would be remiss if I didn't mention one more thing before I go: RIP, Steve Jobs.  Thank you for making the world a better, more beautiful place.

TEXT Me!

Man, oh man!  Am I ever glad today is Saturday and this past week is OVER!  It was a roughy, for sure.  It's the end of May, which means the legislative session is drawing to a close.  DH is gone even more than usual, and by this time of year, I'm always frayed from four long months of holding down the fort on mostly my own.  Throw into that a heaping helping of adolescent angst, chaperoning kindergarteners on a field trip to the zoo, and having to sit in on your beloved baby's intelligence testing (after having a class on that very subject this semester, which means you have just enough knowledge about it to be dangerous) and not intervene or bely emotion?  As Anne Lamott would say, it's enough to make Jesus want to drink gin straight out of the cat dish.

Maybe Mandy has the right idea?  Who's Mandy, you ask?  Well, she's one of the new Sporty Girls from Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps.  I used her to complete this week's KKS Challenge.  Tara is our hostess, and here's her challenge to us: TEXT Me! Include text in some way on your card.

I've always wanted to practice yoga; I'd love to be flexible and centered and have one of those long, lean yoga bodies and look fabulous in stretchy clothes made from bamboo and other organic materials.  I'd have a whole wardrobe from the Gaiam and Athleta catalogs, and serenely bow and say "Namaste" to all I meet... 

Mandy was colored with Copic markers onto Copic's X-Press Blending paper, then trimmed out and adhered to the text paper which had been stamped with her image and had the grass and fuzzy blue outline colored and blended with Prismacolor pencils and Sansodor.  I used Karen Giron's Sweet Sunday Sketch from last weekend (SSSC #117) and made the card long note sized (3.5"x6").  The sentiment was stamped out on to a banner cut using The Cat's Pajamas' Easy Rosette CutUps die. 

For lots of text-y samples, head on over to the KKS Challenge Blog.  Want to play along and have the chance to win the new JANELLE stamp? Then be sure to post a link to your creation on the challenge blog.

Have a wonderful weekend, and I'll see you on Monday, bright and early, with the newest Mojo Monday sketch. 

  Namaste, peeps.

Supplies used:

Stamps: Mandy by Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps; Paper: Kraft & Ocean Tides (PTI), Copic X-Press Blending Paper, 'For the Record' 6"x6" pad by Echo Park; Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Marvy Matchables Black; Accessories: Copic markers, Prismacolor pencils, Sansodor, blending stumps, Nestabilities Petite Ovals and Petite Scallop Ovals, Easy Rosette CutUps banner die (The Cat's Pajamas), grosgrain ribbon (PTI), corner rounder (Creative Memories), scallop border punch (SU!), Jody Morrow's foam boosters.

MFT March Blog Hop & Shop!

At long last, all of the amazing new My Favorite Things' stamp sets and Die-namics that we've been previewing over the past five days are available!  So, of course, all of the gang on the MFT Design Team are celebrating with a Blog Hop.  Hopefully you've come to visit me via the Boss Lady Herself, Kim.  I know she's filled you in on all the good stuff you can look forward to.  I get the pleasure of showing off the newest of the iconic Who's That Girl series, WHO'S THAT MUSICAL GIRL...

What do you think she's playing?  I can't decide if it's 'Linus & Lucy' or Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2...  Either way, she's a fabulously talented new addition to the WTG line, and I'm just smitten with her round frame.  It goes perfectly with our new DIZZY DOILY DIE-NAMIC...

With Spring right around the corner, I had to adorn my card with a sunny felt flower using the new UPSY DAISY FLOWER BUILDER DIE-NAMIC...

Well, you've got lots of hopping and then some shopping to do, so I won't take up any more of your time.  Thanks for stopping by, and have fun looking at all the eye candy.  Next stop... my coffee-loving comrade and colorer extraordinare, Sherrie Siemens!

TCP Tuesday -- Friends Forever

Happy Tuesday, everybody!  Yep, it's the swankiest stamping day of the week, and I finally caught my breath for long enough to give my Cat's Pajamas stamps a little love.  Sony is our Color Challenge Hostess With the Mostess, and she's come up with a triple scoop of ice cream-y colors that are good enough to eat.  See what I mean?

I finally got the oh-so-sweet Tweet Hearts set inky for this one.  Take a look:

I have to say, considering how bright the colors are, this looks kind of subdued for me.  Do you think I'm getting tasteful or classy in my dotage?  Man, I hope not.  Nevertheless, I do love these wonderful illustrations from Laurie Nadeau's line with The Cat's Pajamas. 

I used Karen Giron's Sweet Sunday Sketch and patterned paper from My Mind's Eye's Fine and Dandy "Tickeled Pink" 6"x6" paper pad.  I created the felt embelly using my Buttons and Flower Buttons CutUps dies, tied off with some Cotton Candy Divine Twine.  By the way -- have you heard that you can now get Divine Twine from The Cat's Pajamas in much smaller quantities?  Initially, it was only sold by the spool in lengths of 240 yards for $15.00.  You can still buy it by the spool, but now Alma's also offering it in bundles of 15 yards for $3.00. And considering that I've seen it retail at several stores for around $1.00/yard, this is an awesome deal.  With the less bulky bundles, Alma's also able to ship Divine Twine internationally -- good news for all of my stamping buddies outside the U.S.!

Back to the card... everything else about it is pretty self-explanatory.  Colored with Copics, inked the edges of the papers to give it a shabby-chic feel, etc. 

For all of the details of how to play along with our TCP Tuesday Challenge, be sure to head on over to Alma's blog.  It's fun and easy, and if you do so, you just might be one of our Picks of the Litter and/or win FAME and FORTUNE as our next Swanky Stamper! 

What's that?  You don't know what a Pick of the Litter is?  Well, let me enlighten you.  See, The Cat's Pajamas has started a new weekday feature, spotlighting one fabulous customer card on TCP's Facebook page and in our Member Company Forum on Splitcoaststampers.  Pretty cool, huh?  Be sure to check it out.  Also worth checking out?  Alma's once again doing the TCP Tuesday participant slideshow on her blog.  I missed that while it was gone!  I don't know about you, but I enjoy watching those slideshows a lot.  It never fails to give me a little thrill when my card pops up.  Isn't that strange?  That little kid in us who can't wait for show 'n' tell never quite goes away, does she?  I guess blogs are our grown-up version of show 'n' tell, huh? 

Well, it's getting late (I'm writing this after class on Monday night to post Tuesday a.m.), so I'm going to quit telling and show my weary head the pillow.  Thanks for coming to visit me today!