crafty insomnia

TCP Holiday Hop...

Hm. Excuse me... did you happen to see Halloween go by? Or maybe the whole month of October for that matter? Because I seem to have either misplaced the month or someone is playing a cruel trick on me and putting holiday decor in the stores *way* too early! Sigh.  Sadly, it seems that it really *is* November and the holidays are 'just around the corner'.  I unfortunately did not get to enjoy Halloween to the fullest extent (ie. making Halloween cards).  BUT, I can make that up right now by getting ahead on the holiday happenings!  (Well, sort of.) 

Hopefully you have arrived here from the oh-so-talented Leigh O'brien's blog and are working your way through the TCP Holiday blog hop! If not, go back and start at Susan's blog so you don't miss any of the wonderful creations along the way!  Coinciding with this blog hop is our TCP Tuesday for the week hosted by Susan!   This week's Stamp Challenge is one that hopefully many of you can play along with, just use any December holiday stamp (New year's included!)  And hm... wouldnt' it be nice to have some fun, new holiday stamps to play with???

Oooooh, what a coincidence... I believe today is TCP release day for 5 (yes five!) new clear stamp sets!  So twist my arm, I've used the new 'Make Merry' set for my TCP Tuesday card.
   
 

 

Such a fun set for those special New Year's cards!  Along with Penguin Christmas, Give a Little, Shine Bright, and a Coolvetica alpha set (see below!), there is so much to choose from!  So head on over to The Cat's Pajamas to pick up the 'Kitty Kat Pack' or pick and choose your sets. (But you know, you simply must have them all right?)  And don't forget to upload your own TCP Tuesday creation over at Alma's blog post! 

Let's continue on a roll to your next 'hop stop' over at Meredith's blog to see what she's created with these lovelies! 
   

Gobble, gobble...

TCP Tuesday time! And today it's coinciding with our TCP blog hop, so hopefully you've arrived at my post from Susan's blog... If not, doh!  Why not start at the beginning of the hop which is Toni's blog (and most conveniently she's the hostess with the mostess for this week's TCP Tuesday!)   As per our usual rules, if you leave a comment at each blog in the hop, you'll be entered to win some fabulous prizes (yes, I'll let you know what they are in a bit!)    So, on to TCP Tues!

So here is what we have for this week's TCP Tuesday 'Inspiration challenge'!  Ohh... it's so 'Fall'!  I can't believe Fall is just around the corner (or actually, it's already here!)  Using this card as inspo, what did I come up with? hmm...

 

 

So the gray and orange colors went along a little better than I thought... and I had to throw in a pumpkin (made from 5 ovals, what a fun technique!) and fall leaf in there too.  That pretty grey background oval with the swirls on it is a really funny 're-use' effort on my part. Can you guess where I got it from?  Hee-hee...

If you play along with the blog hop, the two new fabulous sets being released today that I used in this card could be yours!  Gobble It Up and the fun Babydoll alphabet set will be given to one lucky blog hop participant on Friday and the winner will be announced on Alma's blog! So make sure to leave those comments along the hop!  We'd also love for you to play along in this week's TCP Tues, so get your creative juices flowing and upload a photo of *your* inspired creation on Alma's blog here (scroll to the bottom.) 

Thanks for visiting and now on to Jen's blog, your next fabulous 'hop stop!' 

I don't do bows...

I love ribbon... all different kinds... I own more than I'll ever use in my lifetime.  I'm not too good with color coordinating, but I try.  And most times the ribbon will be in a knot. (Note card above.)  Not a bow, a knot.  Why? Because I just don't do bows.  I mean, I can tie a bow and stick it on with a glue dot. No problem there.  But loop the ribbon around the card and then somehow into a lovely bow that looks good and sits just right? Um, not so much.  The loops come out wrong, the ends point the wrong way.  I dunno.  I often admire other bloggers cards as I surf websites, trying to 'analyze' the card, seeing if I can tell... 'Is that a separate piece of ribbon for that bow?' 'How did they make the ends go the right direction while keeping that perfect knot right in the center?'  I dunno.

Well, one of those wonderful bow-makers, my fellow TCP DT member Joanne has posted a great 'buttony-bow-tutorial' video showing how she does those 'oh-so-perfect' bows on all her great cards!  Yes, she says it's like tying a shoe, but really, my shoes don't get nice bows like that! ;)  So while I head off to attempt a good bow of my own, take a peek at her vid and become your own 'bow-master!'  If I can produce a good one, maybe it might who up here one day! (Don't hold your breath.) Oh and P.S. new TCP stamp sets used in my post today, coming out next Tuesday 10/20, so don't forget to join us for another fun blog hop next week! 

Spook-tacular Greetings....

Just a reminder for my upcoming A Muse class this Saturday 10/10 at Cranberry Hill Mercantile!  We'll be creating 5 spooky cards and 1 treat holder using the latest Halloween/Fall stamps from A Muse!  (Can you believe it's already October?)  Time is running out to get those Halloween cards finished.. eek!  Please give CHM a call if you'd like to join us for a 'wicked' good time!

Ready for the Haunted Hop...

Welcome fellow 'hoppers!'  Hopefully you've arrived here via Jenny Gropp's blog "One Krafty Kat"... This is the third stop in today's 'Haunted Hop' hosted by The Cat's Pajamas, so you've got a ways to go yet!  If you missed the first two hops, head on over to the start, Susan Liles' blog, where she announced the theme of our hop and the TCP Tuesday Challenge of the week!   

So I couldn't stop thinking about this project by Carole Burrage... pixie stix!  I would always hope for those in my bag after a full night of trick-or-treating, but I never got that many.  Well, now that I'm an adult, I can buy my own bag all for myself! haha!  Okay, so maybe I'll share a few since all that sugar wouldn't be good for me...  So how's about some cute packaging to go along with it?  I saw this idea blogsurfing recently and it's perfect to play along with TCP Tuesday and use the latest TCP goodies to make these pixie stix holders. 

Really easy, for the main holder: 4.5"w x 5.5"h pattern cardstock.  Score at 2" and 4".  Fold and glue.  Use a 2.5" scallop circle punch piece folded in half to close off the bottom.  Use same scallop punch and corresponding plain circle punch for images using the 'Fright Night Clear Set'.  Add banner piece with phrase.  Embellish with Hocus Pocus buttons and glitter (yum).  Hopefully the recipients will take time to admire my work before consuming those pixie stix in a flash! SUGAR! LOL.

If you're already the lucky owner of the 'Fright Night Clear Set', won't you join us for TCP Tuesday this week?  Just work that crafty mojo and upload a photo of your creation on Alma's post here (scroll to the bottom).  We'd love to see what you've come up with!  Details again are on Susan's blog.

Before you go, I hope you leave a comment here on my blog (don't forget you need to leave a comment on each blog participating in the hop to qualify for the nifty prize!)  What's the prize you ask?  Only the most awesome 'Kitty Kat Pack' ever!  The winner of the blog hop will get the TCP Fright Night Clear Set, Hocus Pocus Buttons and Glitter, all to use for their own fabulousness! Winner will be drawn from all eligible participants on Friday, Oct. 2nd and posted on Alma's blog. Good luck!  If you don't win, but still would like to purchase the KKP, it will be available on The Cat's Pajamas website.  

So moving right along... I'll send you over to one of our past TCP Swanky Stampers of the month, Linda Beeson, who is the next stop in our Haunted Hop!  Happy hoppin'! 

Getting ready to hop....

oh yeah... it's hop time... and not just any hop.. a HAUNTED HOP! woohoo! Next Tuesday, The Cat's Pajamas will be hosting a fabulously frightening blog hop featuring some 'creepy creations' and 'scary surprises' from the TCP crew and from some of the esteemed TCP Swanky Stampers from past months.  It's like trick-or-treating blog-style!  (Oh yes, and there could be a big treat for that one lucky goblin!)  So be sure to check out Susan's blog next Tuesday for the TCP Tuesday challenge of the week and the start of the Haunted Hop!  Muaahahahahahahaa....

Frightful & Delightful....

  Just a reminder about my class this Saturday at Cranberry Hill Mercantile! We'll be making this cute treat container to the left plus 5 halloween themed cards using the latest images from A Muse.  Give the store a call and sign up for one of the remaining spots!   I'll also be holding a second Halloween card class on October 10th with 5 completely different cards and another treat container!  Samples will be posted shortly, so stay tuned...

Summertime blues...

 

Sigh... I blinked and it's over. Really? Hm. I don't recall summer going by so quickly.  Is it always that fast?  Maybe it's just me, but I think getting older has something to do with it... ;)  But before we go, how's about one last homage with this fun surfin' card!  Those Cat's Pajamas summer sets were a lot of fun and I'm sure they'll be seeing a lot of ink in the future! 

Well, as we move from Summer and into Fall, there has been no shortage of 'Fall-ness' all around... Coming up... my Halloween class featuring the latest release from A Muse!  A lot of fun goodness there and the A Muse gals have been posting away on all their blogs.  Hope you've had a chance to check out their web links at the amusenews blog.   I'll be posting some class samples up very shortly so come back soon to check them out! 

Mandy's World...

Thanks to all who came to my Amuseapalooza repeat class today!  I hope to hold another 'holiday' class as we get closer to December... In the meantime, the next class is coming right up in two weeks!  Hopefully you've seen these adorable new stamps by A Muse from the Mandy's World  line!  They are designed by Amanda Breeden and go great with a bunch of the existing A Muse stamps! My favorite has got to be the hula girl (right)... I cut her apart at the waist (eek!) and attached both top and bottom with a jump ring, so she does some 'shakin' when you swing the card back and forth! LOVE it! Details for the class are on the far right column, so give the store a call and reserve your spot!  Hope to see you there.

It's not over...

 Well, okay, technically Amuseapalooza *is* over, but I'm still teaching a repeat of last month's AP class this Saturday!  So for those of you who didn't get in on the fun with these new holiday images from A Muse, give Cranberry Hill a call and sign up!  I believe we have a few spots left.  We'll be making this cute little ditty to the left, along with 5 other holiday cards to start those creative holiday juices flowing.  (Really, I saw Christmas ribbon displays at Michael's today, so it's not too early!)  Hope to see you this weekend!  Next up: Mandy's World (8/29 class, Cranberry Hill)