Sunflower Studio

RAWR MEANS I LOVE YOU {sfytt}

We're off to the beach for Memorial Day weekend and I hope you'll all be doing something equally as fun!  This means that school's almost out and summer is right around the corner...yeah!

If you're not actually going somewhere this weekend, why don't you join us and create a card using this week's SKETCH FOR YOU TO TRY from JEN.  This was a tough one for me but I'm liking the finished product.  How can you not love this LITTLE LOVEOSAURUS set from MY FAVORITE THINGS.  I've been waiting to get him all inked up for a little bit now.  And I had thoroughly intended to use some old Basic Grey Skate Shoppe paper for this card but it just would not work for me today.  Weird how that happens sometimes.  So, he ended up being polka-dot Cosmo Cricket paper pieced and the other patterned papers are from a new PTI Beautiful Blooms pad.  I do like the black with the bright colors!

Someone once told me never to point out the flaws in a card but I had a big one on this card.  So disappointed that I could kick myself for making such a careless mistake.  Oh well...and I'm not gonna point it out either!

Okay, don't forget to check in on the other SFYTT girls this weekend to see what they've made of the sketch!  Here's the list to save you time...

Susan Liles
Amy Rohl
Amy Sheffer
Megan Lock
Amber Hight
Sony Christoph
Jodi Collins
Jenn Diercks
Kelly Lunceford

and Jen del Muro with special guest designer, Iwona Palamountain.  Jen's still looking for new Guest Designers so be sure and upload your card to her Slide Show!

Supplies:

MFT - Little Loveosaurus set, jumbo scallop die

PTI - flower patterned paper, buttons, Select White CS

SU! - cardstock, red twine

Other - Houndstooth ribbon from Michael's, red ribbon from Container Store, pattern tracing wheel

WOOD-N'T YOU LIKE TO BIRTHDAY BLOG HOP?! {TCPTUES111}

This week all the cool CAT'S are hopping around to celebrate the fun, fabulous, and swanky birthday of our friend ALMA DE LA ROSA of THE CAT'S PAJAMAS!  It's a surprise...hee hee....HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ALMA!  Alma's actual birthday is on May 30th but we're starting a little early and hope you'll join us by following along AND participating in this week's TCP TUESDAY challenge.  What's the challenge, you ask?  USE WOOD on your card.  So that can be actual wood, a wood image stamp, paper that looks like wood...use your imagination!

My little card uses a really thin wood sheet from SU! of all places.  I cut the big ole scalloped edge using my new jumbo scallop die from MY FAVORITE THINGS.  How awesome, right?!  PJ (from the HAPPY CAMPER set) has a nice yummy cupcake (from the YOU SAY IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY set) to present to Alma.  The birthday sentiment is in the A BEARY GOOD YEAR set.  These delish papers are from My Mind's Eye...I'm lovin' this Kiwi/Chartreuse color...can ya tell? 

If you "hopped" here from KARRIE BAKER'S BLOG then I'm so glad that you did.  And next you should visit KIM VAN DER SANDEN'S BLOG to check out her woodsy well wishes for Alma's big day.  Of course, if you didn't start at the very beginning, you definitely need to go back to AMY'S BLOG - she's our Hipster Hostess with the Mostess this week.  Don't forget to end up at ALMA'S BLOG to wish her a happy, happy day.

AND...if all this wasn't enough, you should absolutely play along for this week's challenge.  We've changed things just a bit so I'll post the new details...

Play along with us and add your own design to your Splitcoast Gallery using keywords TCPTUES111 or to your blog and then use the Inlink button at the bottom of ALMA'S BLOG POST to add your design. You could be eligible to be the next SWANKY STAMPER of the MONTH and win 25 smackeroos, that's $25 in Cat's Cash.

1. Each a week one of The Cat Pack will host a challenge.

2. The challenges will vary {stamp, sketch, inspiration, supply, color, and so forth}

3. You will have until the end of the month to complete the challenge.

4. Post your design using the Inlink Button at the bottom of this post. Your design must be linked and visible to ALMA'S BLOG post to be considered.

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. Only designs posted to this blog post will be considered for the Swanky Stamper.

8. 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.

BABY YOURSELF {sfytt}

I know it's just shocking...I used another PURE INNOCENCE set for my SFYTT card this week.  Can't help it...I can't resist these little people.  I think I have them all now...and that's a good thing!  (I just spent the last hour cleaning out old SU! sets for a yard sale this weekend.  Some of them hadn't ever even been put together and so many were un-inked!  Oh the shame of it all.  Here's to hoping and making sure that that doesn't happen with all of my PI kids.)

JEN's given us a very interesting sketch for this week.  Layers and circles and embellishments...oh my!  This set from MY FAVORITE THINGS is called LATHER, RINSE, REPEAT.  I used some fun Martha Stewart glitter on her mounds of bubbles for lots of sparkle.  All of the patterned papers here are from an Amy Butler pad from K&Co...did a little paper piecing for her tub and stripey shower cap.  I committed a cardinal sin and clipped the "baby yourself" stamp in the set in half so that I could use the words separately and on a curve.  Worked perfectly for the little ducky circle sentiment, right?  And I was tickled pink...uh, green...at thinking to blast a little Copic marker airbrush underneath the duck to give him a colorful background.  Oooh, I also gave this little girl some freckles across her nose...not my original idea (I think the idea came from Sony...yup, it's in this post right HERE!)...but isn't she soooo cute?!

I'm posting this extra early since I'll be busy pricing my treasures tonight and I have an early wake up call for the sale.  Here's the list for the other SFYTT gals...don't forget to check in on them to see how they've interpreted the sketch too!

Susan Liles
Amy Rohl
Amy Sheffer
Megan Lock
Amber Hight
Sony Christoph
Jodi Collins
Jenn Diercks
Kelly Lunceford

and Jen del Muro with special guest designer, Iwona Palamountain.

TCP TUESDAY #110 - Hola!

Hola TCP Tuesday-ers!  Um, yup it's Wednesday and I'm a little late but at least I got it done! It's an inspiration challenge week and Toni and Jen came up with this really great picture from Pottery Barn.  Definitely makes me want to head to the beach.  I'd like to have one of each of these umbrellas, please!

I love the bold black and white umbrella in the center and used that as my starting point.  I saw a ribbon rosette recently on one of the PTI DT blogs and wanted to give that a try.  This ribbon is TCP's wide striped grosgrain.  I folded it in half, ran a stitch line down the open edge and the gathered it into a circle.  Eazy peezy.  I used a strip of Basic Grey Marakesh striped paper to mimic the striped umbrella in the photo and went with the cork flowers to represent the sandy color.  I was, again, going for that random, scrappy look.  Why does it take hours for me?  Definitely not "random"...too funny!  The little "Hola!" sentiment and quirky line are from the HOLA TEQUILA set from THE CAT'S PAJAMAS.

DOGGIE THOUGHTS {sfytt}

Okay, so here's my SFYTT card for this week!  See THIS POST for the sketch and details. Glad to have gotten it done....

Recently, the sister of my neighbor had to put their dog down.  She was only four and a half years old but had cancer.  It was heartbreaking for them.  She was such a good, good dog.  We got to know her since she came to visit fairly often.  Hopefully this card will let them know that we're all thinking of them...and Sadie too.

Supplies:  Stamps - Dog from Anna Wight's Singing Cowboy set from Whipper Snapper Designs, sentiment from A Muse; Paper - patterned papers from Cosmo Cricket, SU! Kraft cardstock, PTI Vintage Cream; Ink - Tuxedo Black Memento Ink, Onyx Black Versafine; Other - Copic markers and airbrush, PTI ribbon and button, TCP linen twine, wool felt, craft wire, Sizzix cloud die, Spellbinders Lg. Mega Ovals die, vintage book page, Canson photo corners, SU! glitter

{STYTT} SATURDAY

Ack!  I have to admit that I completely spaced on the SFYTT sketch today.  What a dork!  I had every intention of getting a card made early this morning.  Then I got involved in cleaning since we're having company tonight and it suddenly hit me - between scrubbing the toilet and refilling the dish washing liquid - that I hadn't made a card yet.  So...for anyone that does stop on by here, I'll give you the sketch and the links to the girls who actually do what they're supposed to do.  Then I'll be back later - most likely tomorrow - to post a card.  It's a fabulous sketch and I already had in mind what I was going to make! 

What will you do with this one?  Don't forget to add your card to JEN'S SLIDE SHOW this week to be considered for a future guest designer spot!

Here's the list:

Susan Liles
Amy Rohl
Amy Sheffer
Megan Lock
Amber Hight
Sony Christoph
Jodi Collins
Jenn Diercks
Kelly Lunceford

and Jen del Muro with special guest designer, Iwona Palamountain.

BABY ON BOARD

Here's a fairly quick baby card.  A high school friend of mine had a brand new baby girl last week so I wanted to get a card made before she's one....now I just have to figure out a gift.  I'm a terrible gift giver.  I just can't figure out what the perfect gift would be and I agonize over that.  I always know what I want...not sure what the problem is...ha ha!

Anyway, I used one of the new Papertrey Ink sets, Enjoy The Ride, along with it's coordinating steel die.  Makes cuttin' out that car pretty easy, huh?  I do have to say that the PTI dies cut like a dream.  I also used their ric-rack border die and some of their felt.  The patterned papers here are from October Afternoon in their Ducks In A Row paper pad.  The buttons are also PTI and I used some Bazzill floss to tie their little bows.

TCP TUESDAY #109 - Sketch Challenge

Hi there!  Anybody around for TCP Tuesday?!  I hope you are.  It's my week so that means it's time for another sketch.  By the way, did you know that the TCP challenges have a repeating order?  If you didn't realize that, it goes like this:  Sketch (me), Inspiration (Toni), Supply (Amy), Color (Joanne), and Stamp (Susan).  Now you can keep track of when your favorite type of challenge will come around again from THE CAT'S PAJAMAS. 

I decided to make this week's sketch challenge a round card.  If you're not quite comfortable with that shape, feel free to add a square or rectangular card base to your card...that'll work too.  And Amy pointed out that those scalloped Spellbinders dies really do make like easier when you're making a card like this...for sure!  The bunny on the scooter and sentiment are in the new JOYRIDE set from TCP.  I used patterned papers from the Basic Grey Nook & Pantry 6x6 pad.  The rhinestone flourishes are from Michael's. 

A pretty simple card overall so why don't you give it a try!  Post your card for the week over on ALMA'S BLOG in the slide show so that you can be considered for this month's SWANKY STAMPER prize!  

HAPPY MAIL {sfytt} & A PRIZE TOO!

Hello Saturday Stampers!  Ready for more SFYTT goodness and a prize to boot?!  Well not only does JEN have a great sketch for us this week but the sketch is being sponsored by MY FAVORITE THINGS.  Play along with us by making a card using this sketch, post it to the slide show on JEN'S BLOG, and you'll be entered to win a $25 MFT Gift Certificate AND one of their new scalloped dies (a must have!). 

Many of us are using MFT stamp images in our cards this week too.  My card features another PURE INNOCENCE girlie.  The set is called HAPPY MAIL.  And you know I'm not a purple kinda girl but aren't these patterned papers so yummy?  They're all from a 6x6 Basic Grey KIOSHI pad...I used four different sheets here.  I love her little paper pieced lavender dress...she's just the sweetest thing.

I think most of the SFYTT gals are playing along this time so be sure to stop in for a visit at their blogs...

Susan Liles
Amy Rohl
Amy Sheffer
Kelly Lunceford
Megan Lock
Jenn Diercks
Amber Hight
Sony Christoph

Jodi Collins

and...Jen del Muro with this month's guest designer Iwona Palamountain.

TCP TUESDAY #108 - Stamp Challenge

It's SUSAN'S week to host our challenge and she's chosen the YOU SICK THING stamp set to focus on.  This is a classic set which includes all of the CAT'S PAJAMAS characters.  Thankfully, it's not all that often that I need to make a Get Well card but when I do I know that I have this fun set to fall back on.

I decided to spotlight the chicken soup bowl image so there's really very little stamping here.  It's all of the craziness going on around Mr. Chicken that colors it up.  The dotted paper is from a new PTI pad called Dotty Biscotti and I cut it with their medium scallops die.The paper has a "kraft" colored base so it works perfectly with SU! Kraft cardstock.  I saw this tone-on-tone color scheme somewhere recently so I decided to try it.  This big old dee-lish ribbon is from Paper Source.  JEN recently showed off a bunch of Etsy purchases.  One of them was felt from Janet at Felt On The Fly.  I couldn't resist all of the pretty colors so I bought a bunch of color groups.  {What will I do with all of this felt....hmmm?}  Of course, I didn't actually cut into my scrumptious felt yet - this orange flower was a little doodad that Janet tied onto each felt bundle.  Cute, huh?  The jumbo button is also from PTI.  I tied the button on with TCP Linen Twine...it really is one of my very favorite new things...works like a dream...no fuzzy fuzziness!  Ooh, and I wanted my chicken to be white-white so I painted it with some Frosty White All Purpose ink from Tsukineko and a little paint brush.

Don't forget to add your card using the YOU SICK THING set to ALMA'S BLOG to be included in this month's Swanky Stamper contest!