Sunflower Studio

THINK LOVE {tcp tuesday 155 - sketch challenge}

Yay...my turn to host a challenge has come up again!  I'm the sketch gal for THE CAT'S PAJAMAS and this time I have a tall, skinny card for ya.  Well, you could also lay it over horizontally if that works for you.

I used a bunch of great sets and dies from THE CAT'S PJs for my card.  Let's see...

Stamp sets - BEAR HUGS, LOVE LETTERS, and BIG BEAR

CutUps dies - GRASS and STAMP TRIO

I really like it when I can make the various images work together.  Here, in my imaginary little story, the brown bear is is love with the big bear on the postage stamps.  Hee hee...aren't they so cute?!  I used a page from an old atlas for the background - more fun stuff from my Grandpa's house...my treasures, ya know.  And, I've seen this little banner shape lately and wanted to try that so I cut those by hand.  The airmail Divine Twine ties it all up!

Just in case you'd like to know some size information for my card, I'll provide that for you:

card base - 3-7/8 x 7-1/8

dp panels - starting at the top - 1 x 3-1/4, 2-1/5 x 3-1/4, 1 x 3-1/4, and 2 x 3-1/4

main image panel - 2-1/4 x 5-1/2

 

I'm a little backwards and I just start the card and let the sizes fall where they may.  That's why I've got all of these odd sizes.  If you wanted to stay close to my size you could make your base 4" x 7" and then keep the dp and main image panels as listed above.  I really hope you join in this week and give it a try!

I've recently made a couple of airbrushed cloud backgrounds and thought I'd try to make a little tutorial video to show you my process.  I'll include that here.  It's really my first one so I'm hoping to improve as I make more.  It's fun though!

Once again, the keyword for this week's challenge is TCPTUES155.  Please use that when you upload to Splitcoast so that we can see your work.  We scour those galleries daily looking for our choices for PICK OF THE LITTER and WEEKLY WINNER.  AND, you should also upload to ALMA'S BLOG to be included in the SWANKY STAMPER contest.

HE'S BAAAACK...

Did you know that Ronnie is my all time favorite character from THE CAT'S PAJAMAS?  Yup...I'm crazy about the little guy.  (Carole loves him too but she just won't own up to it in public!)  I decided to feature Ronnie on my version of JULIE MASSE'S MARCH PROJECT OF THE MONTH.  Julie's version is called the BEARY HAPPY BIRTHDAY BOX.  It's a little hard to see here but it's a gift card holder.  And the whole thing sits upright but it also folds down and can fit into an envelope.  Cool, right?!

The Ronnie and sentiment stamps are included in the HAVIN' A POW WOW and IT'S A WESTERN THING clear sets.  They're definite must-haves for your collection if you love TCP and Alma's classic characters - Western style!  FUN!  All of the patterned papers are from the Crate Paper Toy Box Collection 6x6 pad.  I managed to squeeze in a big ole EASY ROSETTE too to highlight the sentiment.  I love that die set...sigh!  Oh, and the TV stamp that I used is actually from Paper Smooches in the Boob Tubes set. I added some buttons and linen thread to cowboy it up but then added rhinestones too...Ronnie has always been a bit "confused".  And I just had to dig out some wire for the "rabbit ears" on the tv too.

 

HELLO THERE BABY! {tcptues154}

Guess what?!  We have a new little "kitty" in the litter!  {Hmm, we actually have two...read on!}  Our teammate, TRACY FALCO, had a brand new and wonderful baby boy this past week!  He is just THE cutest little thing and we've all decided to welcome him into the world with a spur of the moment BLOG HOP.  If you've reached me by way of JULIE then you're in the right direction.  If you've just happened upon this post, head back to the beginning with ALMA and check out all of our baby inspired projects from the start!

As I'm sure you've guessed, today's TCP TUESDAY #154 is to CREATE A BABY CARD OR PROJECT using stamps and/or supplies from THE CAT'S PAJAMAS.  ALMA is our hipster hostess with the mostess this week.

So, for my card, I chose to use the sweet bear stamp from the new CATCH MY DRIFT set.  Instead of baby coming via the stork, he's floated his way to momma dangling from seven colorful balloons!  I created the sky with a scalloped circle punch-out and the Copic airbrush - I love that technique!  All of the patterned paper is in the Fine & Dandy True Blue paper pad by My Mind's Eye.  I used the BIG SCALLOP CUTUPS DIE to shape a piece of vintage striped paper from a flip up phone book that my parents brought me back from OKC.  The COOLVETICA alphabet spells out who we're talking about on some small upside down banners with a little sparkly twinkle on each.  I also used Martha Stewart seam binding ribbon and my fave LINEN THREAD to wrap it up.

Now that you've visited with me, head on over to the blog of our newest CAT'S PAJAMAS DESIGN TEAM member....welcome JENNY PETERSON!  Jenny is so funny and a perfect fit for the CAT PACK.  You'll love what she's created for her first official challenge.

Definitely make sure to add your link over at ALMA'S BLOG. Use keyword TCPTUES154 when uploading to SPLITCOAST.  There's Cat's Cash to be had weekly, the Pick of the Litter title daily, and then the Swanky Stamper award as well.  Come on!  You've gotta join in!!

HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY NEW BABY, TRACY!

IN SYMPATHY

I'm working on completing a few non-DT cards from my to-do list today.  So, that means it's a free-for-all and I can choose whatever I want to work with.  Liberating - actually!  Sometimes you just need to go for it, right?  Well, can you believe this took all day?  What the heck!

I knew this beautiful Large Double Peony stamp from IMPRESS was in my drawer and I definitely wanted to use it.  After coloring it three different times and stamping in various inks I finally decided to stamp on patterned paper and cut it out.  (Sometimes things just don't work out like your brain thinks they should.)  I'm still happy with it...it's such a pretty stamp.  The sentiment is from the new SIMPLY SAID sentiment set from THE CAT'S PAJAMAS.  Ooh, and I tried this paper ruffle and I love how that turned out.  You can find directions HERE on the October Afternoon blog.

Supplies:

Stamps - flower by Impress, outside sentiment from Simply Said set from The Cat's Pajamas, inside sentiment from PSX

Paper - music by SU!, purple background and flower by PTI, purple polka-dot digital paper by Crystal Wilkerson

Other - leaf die and felt from PTI, pearl brads from K&Co.

YOU MAKE MY HEART SOAR

Here's one more for this week's TCP TUESDAY #153 color challenge.  You know, the paper was still out and it fit the bill perfectly!

I followed along with this week's VIVA LA VERVE sketch for the first week of April.  Love those sketches!  I used the new THE TWEETEST THINGS stamp set along with the HOME TWEET HOME CutUps die from THE CAT'S PAJAMAS.  Again, all of the patterned papers are from the Fine and Dandy - True Blue paper pad from My Mind's Eye.  I used turquoise GLITZY GLITTER and LEMON DIVINE TWINE, also from The Cat's Pajamas.  A die cut doily (PTI) and some buttons and Dew Drops complete the look.

SPRING DECOR {tcptues153}

Well, I think that Spring just might finally have reached us here on the East Coast.  I'm typing this up with the window open and the crickets churping outside.  Love that!

For this week's TCP TUESDAY CHALLENGE #153 sweet SONY has given us a fun color combo - Yellow, Orange, and Teal.  I immediately went for my Fine And Dandy - True Blue paper pad by MME.  (Wonder if this is what Sony had in mind when she made up the combo?  The whole pad fits perfectly!)  I also really wanted to highlight the HOME TWEET HOME dies and use some music patterned paper.  I wanted a vintage-y feel to whatever I made.  You know how great ETSY is for doing research on beautiful crafty projects and ideas, right?  Well, I found THIS and just knew I had to make one of these. 

I started with a small round paper mache box from JoAnn's.  I covered the box and top with paper using Modge Podge.  I added a Goldfinch from the florals section at Jo's as well.  I made a trip to the woods out back for a couple of twigs to hold my PENNANT banner with TWEET stamped using the COOLVETICA alphabet.  Plenty of Glitzy Glitter covers the bird, music note, and birdhouse from the HOME TWEET HOME die set.  I also used the new EASY ROSETTE in the large size and the banner from the same die.  Some newsprint tissue paper make up the nest and some paper Prima flowers finish it off.  I'm gonna place it on our foyer table for some fun Spring decor!

Don't forget to join in and play along this week.  Use keyword TCPTUES153 when uploading to Splitcoast or your blog and make sure that you add your link over on ALMA'S BLOG.  We are scouring these places daily to find our PICK OF THE LITTER cards/projects to highlight in the SCS forum and on our FACEBOOK page.  It can be you!  And then you'll also be entered to win our weekly contest for some Cat's Cash or the SWANKY STAMPER prize that's awarded each month to one lucky Cat!

Used in this project (click on the graphic to see more info):