Sunflower Studio

TCP TUESDAY #374 - TAG IT!

Our November TCP Tuesday challenge is to create a tag or to use a tag on your card or creation. Tags have always been a favorite for me so this is a no-brainer. AND, with Tuesday being Election Day, here's a little reminder to get out there and cast your ballot. My mom always told us that we are so lucky to live in a democratic society and that it's our right and our duty to vote! I think it's the least we can do. If you don't cast your vote, you can't complain about the outcome either way.

I used Bunny and the Freedom sentiment from the AIM HIGH set along with the BIG LITTLE ALPHABET dies. The tag die is in the WISH TAG DUO set. Echo Park patterned papers, Distress Oxide inks and blending brushes, Divine Twine (love that stuff!), a Spellbinders scalloped rectangle, tiny wooden stars, and some rhinestone rocket blast finish it all off.

Play along with us for this month's challenge. You could win a $50 gift voucher to spend with THE CAT'S PAJAMAS. Wow! Here are the challenge details:

• Each month a new challenge will be posted on The Cat’s Pajamas blog and our Facebook page.

• If you want to play along you just upload your design to The Cat’s Pajamas blog page using the InLinkz button provided.

• You are not required to use a Cat’s Pajamas stamp or die but if you have them we would love to see them.

• On the day of the next challenge the winner will be chosen from the previous challenge and will receive a Cat Cash Voucher for $50.

SUNFLOWER STUDIO SEED MIX 01 - COLOR

I've been on a bit of a buying spree. I really should stop spending time perusing Facebook and Instagram. It's a never ending feed of inspiration AND temptation! ACK! 

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A couple of weeks ago I came across this photo (above middle) on Instagram and the colors just spoke to me. I gathered some cardstock (above left) and decided to make it a little color challenge thing. Soooo, it all had to have a name and I came up with the Sunflower Studio Seed Mix...get it? Like "seed your creativity"! This one is a color challenge but it could be a sketch or an inspiration challenge too. I'd love to see what others do with the same combo. If you wanna play along and post on FB or IG, please use the keyword S3M01. My card for the October TCP Tuesday challenge #373 also used this combo (above right).

I also made these two cards last week. There are so many great cards right now featuring this juxtaposition of positive and negative space of a die. AND these rainbow stripes and big, big, big.  This is my take on that using this great Hi die set from The Stamp Market. I love the graphic quality of these words!

Today I worked on another card using the color combo and new stamps from Waffle Flower in the Home Sweet Home set. I couldn't resist the giant acorn and sweet squirrels. I have zero aptitude for the no line coloring technique...this is what I discovered for sure today. BUT, if you start out with the light ink and then watercolor your image and THEN go back and stamp the image again in black over the watercoloring, it pulls the image together again but you still get that watercolor feel. I'm probably late to the party on this but I do like the results.

I hope you'll try the combo. Definitely let me know so I can ooh and ahh over your creation! Keyword:  S3M01

TCP TUESDAY #373 - AUTUMN

It was a fantastic weekend here in Maryland.  (If it was like this every day I would NEVER go to work!) FALL is here and it's one of my favorite times of year...cool and crisp, beautiful full moon, windows open, Football!, cozy but not heavy clothes.

The October TCP Tuesday challenge #373 is AUTUMN. Leaves and pumpkins and spookiness of all kinds abound. My card features the little bear and teepee from the new FOLLOW YOUR ARROW set, the  sentiment from the new THE WORLD IS YOURS set, and leaves from the STITCHED TREE dies that were just released last week.  This little guy is just the sweetest.

I watercolored him and the teepee with stamping inks.  The background is Distress Oxide inks splattered with white paint. Fun patterned paper from Basic Grey ground the scene.

Play along with us for this month's challenge. You could win a $50 gift voucher to spend with THE CAT'S PAJAMAS. Wow! Here are the challenge details:

• Each month a new challenge will be posted on The Cat’s Pajamas blog and our Facebook page.

• If you want to play along you just upload your design to The Cat’s Pajamas blog page using the InLinkz button provided.

• You are not required to use a Cat’s Pajamas stamp or die but if you have them we would love to see them.

• On the day of the next challenge the winner will be chosen from the previous challenge and will receive a Cat Cash Voucher for $50.

TCP NEW RELEASE BLOG HOP TOO!

Still hopping? Someone posted on FB recently asking if anyone was still using colored pencils and Gamsol.  Of course, I still have this stuff too. (I never get rid of ANYTHING! Oh dear.) I decided to give it a try. I'm no expert, that's for sure, but I'm happy with the adorable critters from the FOLLOW YOUR ARROW set.  I'm not really good at realistic coloring so mediums that are more forgiving (pencils or watercolors) work better for me on this type of image.

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Here's the blog hop list...make sure to visit them all for more new release inspiration!

Julee
Cristena
Nancy
Christine

Wendy
Melissa
Brenda
Kerry

Deborah
ME!
and Alma

TCP NEW RELEASE BLOG HOP!

Today is the day! We've revealed all of amazing goodies from the September 2020 New Release and everything is available now.  If you've waited this long, you can purchase the Poochie Pack (all of the stamps) or the Kitty Kat Pack (all of the stamps and dies) and get these items at a discount.  I'm all about a good discount!

I think I saved the best for last and hopefully you'll hop along with us today to see everyone's piece de resistance.

I'm a little bit obsessed with these felt ornaments.  It's not like this stuff is new as I have ALL of the supplies in the craft room but I got the urge to dig it out and use it which is the amazing part.  I used all of the oh-so-sweet new animal dies - STITCHED FOX, STITCHED OWL, and STITCHED BEAR - plus the limb and a mushroom from the STITCHED TREE die set, some foliage from the OH CHRISTMAS TREE set, and the TREE die to created three fun ornaments.  AND I have a card to match.  So great that these dies can be used on paper and, just as easily, cut felt too.

If you didn't start at the beginning, hop over to Julee's blog and hop along in order.  These ladies have really gone above and beyond!

 

Julee
Cristena
Nancy
Christine

Wendy
Melissa
Brenda
Kerry

Deborah
ME!
and Alma

TCP SNEAKY PEEK WEEK - DAY 7

Must have dies...STITCHED FOX, STITCHED BEAR, AND STITCHED TREE dies are featured for day seven of TCP Sneaky Peeks. I'm saving my stitched animals for the release day BLOG HOP so let's take a look at the STITCHED TREE die..

This die has soooo many parts...leaves and flowers and mushrooms with a framed tree. Many, many possibilities for this one! I created a set of four seasonal cards. I used Distress Oxide inks for the leaves to give them a variegated look. Each season's clouds were created with the GREAT OUTDOORS STENCILZ and various Distress Oxide Inks. The Hello sentiment is a portion of one included in the THE WORLD IS YOURS set. I masked off the word "Fall" and just stamped the "Hello" part. The ground in each card was created with the new SLIMLINE DIES. Matchy matchy patterned papers and hemp twine finish them off.

 

Tomorrow's the big release day and we'll have a blog hop to share the whole kit & kaboodle. But if you just can't wait, these stamps, dies, and stencils are all available now at THE CAT'S PAJAMAS.

TCP SNEAKY PEEK WEEK - DAY 6

Day six of TCP Sneaky Peeks brings us an adorable STITCHED OWL CUTUPS die set and the CLOCK STENCILZ. I'm featuring the Clock Stencilz on this card highlighting one of Alma's favorite things...Alice In Wonderland.

I stamped, cut out, and colored Alice, the teacups, and the Cheshire Cat images from the new ALICE BUNDLE. For the background I used three different colors of Distress Oxide inks blended together. I then used a gray Distress Oxide ink on top of the clock stencil to create this cosmic & trippy background. I flecked it with white acrylic paint and black ink for texture.  

I have to admit that I don't really know anything about Alice In Wonderland. I'm sure I must have watched it at some point in my life but it's lost in my old memory. What comes to mind for me is Jefferson Airplane's "White Rabbit." MAN - I AM OLD! Hopefully, I've done the images and stencil justice.

You can find these images and the Stencilz Clock right now in the store at THE CAT'S PAJAMAS or you can wait until Tuesday, September 29th and pick up one of the combo packs to get things at a discount.

TCP SNEAKY PEEK WEEK - DAY 5

Have you jumped on the SLIMLINE card bandwagon yet? They're all the rage right now in our stamping world.  It's all about the ease of mailing, I think, since a slimline card fits into a standard #10 sized envelope. Easy peazy.

So, in keeping with the trend, Alma has treated us to two new sets of dies that are long enough to cut images for a slimline card - SLIMLINE BASICS and SLIMLINE SUBURBS. Between them, these sets contain all of the basics - clouds, grass, a dotted edge hill, a fence, houses & trees, and a stitched curve.

I created a little village of fairy mushroom houses with the new SIMPLY BLESSED set. I dug out an old October Afternoon patterned paper pack. I love that with a pad they've already done the matching for you - bokeh dots, weathered wood, and green diamonds were all in the same pack.  I added a white picket fence, of course, and a hill of dark gray grass, and polka-dotty clouds in the back - or they could be a forest as well. It all makes for a cute, imaginary fairy village.

These dies and stamps are all available today at THE CAT'S PAJAMAS or you can pick up the package deal on our release date, September 29th.

TCP SNEAKY PEEK WEEK - DAY 4

Our day four TCP Sneaky Peek set is THE WORLD IS YOURS. These adorable characters sit atop a grassy hill and contemplate the universe.  The way you decide to color this image can really set the mood.

I decided to watercolor with inks again. I like the soft, wispy image. I stamped the main image repeatedly on the background paper to give it a toile image look.  I painted the main image and then cut it out with a round Spellbinders die and the coordinating petite scallop die to back it.

This set contains some leaves and a Fall sentiment so you could really change it up and your card could be totally Fall ready!

You can purchase this set today at THE CAT'S PAJAMAS or wait until the September 29th release date to get the combo packs at a discount.

TCP SNEAKY PEEK WEEK - DAY 2

Welcome to day two of our Cat's Pajamas Sneaky Peeks! Today's set is called FOLLOW YOUR ARROW. These sweet forest animals are sure to win your heart. 

I stamped the images onto watercolor paper and used stamping inks to watercolor them in.  Gingham and woodgrain patterned papers set the mood. I love the little peek under the corner effect.

 

This set is available now but if you wait until release day, September 29th, you can pick up the special combos for a discounted price at THE CAT'S PAJAMAS.