Luv You

Well, it's challenge time girls!! Here are the deets:

LOVE My Pink Cat Stamps – DT Challenge
hosted by Janna Hull

Challenge Description:
Since Valentine's Day is coming up fast, I have a LOVE themed Challenge for you! But this isn't any old love themed challenge, this is a special one! My challenge for you is to create a card or project with at least four elements (you can have more if you would like), but four of your elements have to spell LOVE. For example, you can use Layers, Ovals, Violet, and Embellishments; see spells love. Or you could use Lily, Owls, Very pretty sequins and Emerald brads. Spells love. The possibilities are endless and yes, V can stand for very! Just remember that four of your elements must spell LOVE. Have Fun, can't wait to see what you come up with!

Date the challenge ends:
Tuesday February 10th, 5 pm EST

Requirements:
A Pink Cat Studio stamp must be used as the main stamp on the card or project. It is okay to use stamps from other companies as well. Your entry can be a card or any type of 3D project.To be eligible for the prize you must upload your card before the deadline to your PaperCraftPlanet gallery and include the tag PCSDTC1. You may enter only 1 project for this challenge. If you have questions about this challenge, please post them in the challenge discussion thread in the Pink Cat Studio group on Paper Craft Planet. Here is a link to the group: http://www.papercraftplanet.com/group/pinkcatstudiolilyandbillylovers

Prize:
On February 11th, a winner will be chosen by a random draw from all of the challenge participants. The winner will receive a grab bag of Pink Cat Studio stamps. The winner will be announced in the PCP challenge discussion thread and on the Pink Cat Studio blog. Some cards from the challenge will be displayed on the PCS blog and all entries will go into the PCP gallery.

SO! That was the challenge that was issued, and that card up there is my LOVE card. I used the "Luv You" stamp, and Old Olive Paper, on a Valentine's card, with a heat Embossed sentiment! Get it? I thought this would be a cute card for my little guys to give to Grandma for Valentine's day. :)

My card also fits in with this week's Belli Challenge, which was to "make a cake" in celebration of one year of Belli's. You can see more details on Chris's blog, but the jist of it was that we had to choose five ingredients that we would like in our cake, and then each ingredient would be assigned to a card element. My elements were brads, DP, ribbon, scalloped punch, and buttons. What? You don't see the button? It's behind the main image. I swear. *wink* In hindsight, I could have tossed a button up in that top corner, but I just didn't think of it at the time. Be sure to click over to the other Belli girl blogs in my sidebar to see what everyone else came up with!

Now, I have to ask you a question... This is muy importante (yes, I took Spanish, and yes, that's about all I remember). How do y'all organize your unmounted stamps? Because I need a system. I have been keeping all of mine in Sterlite drawers, but I am just getting too many now to keep track of all of them, and I find myself having to empty the drawer completely in order to find anything lately. And then there are my Pink Cat stamps that are on EZ Mount, that just sit in a pile on my desk. What do you do with your EZ Mounted stamps (btw - I LOVE EZ MOUNT!)? What do you cling them to? Help!!

Any thoughts or ideas would be most appreciated!

Wrapping Paper

Today is another Belli Challenge day, and the challenge is WRAPPING PAPER. You can use wrapping paper on your card, or make your own wrapping paper, or..... You decide! Just make sure it has something to do with wrapping paper.

Remember that card I made yesterday? And how I said I had something to show you today that coordinated? WELL... Here it is....



I actually used the remainder of that 12x12 sheet to wrap a small gift in. Have you ever used DP as wrapping paper? It turns out so cute! And check out how fun the coordinating gift and card look together:

The gift (and card) is for one of my girlfriends. It's someone I don't normally exchange Christmas gifts with, but I saw something that I thought she'd like, so I bought it for her. I would tell you what it is, but she cruises through here sometimes so I don't want to blow the surprise! Anyhow, I hope she likes it!

You can see the links to all of the other Belli Challenge Girls in my sidebar (*finally* got everyone loaded! Woot!). Be sure to click over and take a look at what everyone made. I'm thinking this is going to be a fun challenge, in terms of creativity! If you play along, be sure to link your card back to Chrissy's blog. :o)

Also, before I go, remember those Holiday Pretzel Rings I made and posted a few days ago? I've gotten a few comments and emails stating that some of you are having a hard time finding the rings. Well! Check this out! My blogger friend Sue made the same thing with square pretzels (she calls them "waffle" pretzels, but at my store they are called "snaps" and are by Snyders) and plain M&M's!

AND, I changed my banner AGAIN. I went back to the old one this time, with new photos of the boys in it. I just wasn't feelin' any of those wintery/Christmas ones I made. Hmph.

Triple Threat

First, I have to share a little deal...


That's right, Kate is running a HUGE sale over at IHP in honor of our favorite shopping holiday! The sale includes a lower threshold for free shipping (down to $25 from $40), as well as a chance to earn $10 gift certificates for every $50 in merchandise purchased. Click HERE for all of the details!

Now, on to today's card... it is a triple threat in that it fits the bill for not one, not two, but THREE challenges that are currently running in stampland! Woot! I usually have all I can do to meet the requirements for ONE challenge, much less three in one card. How about that?!

It all started with this Mojo Monday sketch by Julee Tillman. Y'all know I love me some Mojo Mondays, and it has been awhile since I've played along so I thought I'd give it a whirl this week. I've been wanting to get some more ink on my new QT Hooty stamps, and while I was mulling the card over in my head I learned about a new Pink Cat Studio challenge that was issued in their group over at Paper Craft Planet. The challenge was a "1-2-3" challenge, requiring you to use one ribbon, two background papers, and three embellishments. Finally, today is a Belli Challenge day, and this week's challenge is to pick a favorite from past challenges and do it again. I didn't think I was going to play along this week (in fact, I told everyone I was out), but it just so happens that challenge #29 was scallops, so I'm covered! Woot! Or, should I say, Hoot! ;o)

SO! Here is the sketch for this week:


And here is my card:

Poor QT Hooty is feeling under the weather this week. And you'd better stand back, because he's looking a little green. ;o) lol! I was debating whether to color him brown or grey, and then got this bright idea to paper pierce him in green to match the scalloped paper. Cute, right? I thought it was.... hopefully you agree! And check out how I did the sentiment. You know, I read all of these fabulous blogs, and I see new ideas all the time and wonder why I wasn't smart enough to think of some of those things myself. Have you been there? Well, I can honestly say that I *believe* that wrapping a sentiment around DP on vellum is an ORIGINAL idea. Quite possibly my first original idea, but hey - we all have to start somewhere, right?!

Ugh. And don't even get me started about how long it takes ink to dry on vellum. *grumble*

So, what do you think? I hope QT Hooty is feeling better soon so he regains his natural color! :)

More Exciting News!

I am thrilled to share some more exciting news with you all! First, I am happy to announce that I have joined the Belli Challenge team, effective this week. Have you been to Chrissy's blog yet? She is the mastermind behind the belli challenges, and issues a new one every week for posting on Wednesdays. I haven't had a chance to update my sidebar with all of the blogs of the challenge team members, but I promise to do it soon!



This week's challenge was to create a table top decoration for the holidays - either Thanksgiving or Christmas. I decided to make some fun little napkin ring place cards. My extended family celebrates together on Christmas Eve at various locations, but I always have my immediate family over Christmas morning for breakfast, so I thought it would be fun to have these at each place setting:

The holly stamps is OLD. I can check it for the manufacturer if you'd like, but it's probably from the mid-90's. I colored it with my Copics, and cut it out. Then I mounted it on the white with dimensionals, and stamped the name with Karen Foster Snap Stamps.

The other Belli challenge girls who are participating this week are:

Shelly Koskinen
Jennifer Greco
Joan Ervin
Ceal Pritchett
Lorie Ames
Sarah Anderson
Danita Hollander
Chris Dickinson

Be sure to click over to their blogs and see what they created. I just saw the cutest Turkey on Chris's blog, and I'm sure everyone else's projects are amazing, too!

In part two of my exciting news, I'm THRILLED to tell you that I was accepted on the design team for Sweet n' Sassy Stamps! Woot! Seriously, there are not even enough words for me to explain how excited I am about this. :) My term starts in January, and I can't wait to get started!

Finally, I have to share a link to some amazing Christmas blog candy over on Suzanne Dean's blog. Be sure to check it out and tell her I sent you! :)

Whew! That's a whole lot of info for one post. In totally unrelated news, I'm happy to report that both of the boys slept like champs last night. What a nice feeling it is to have more than three hours of continuous sleep. Jack even surprised me with a three hour nap yesterday!

Last night we had a little election night gathering, waiting and watching as the polls closed across the country. I was sad to see that our candidate of choice did not win, as I'm sure many of you are as well, given discussions I've had with you over the past few months. Despite my concerns about Obama's vision and plan, I'm choosing to be cautiously optimistic about the future and hope that my fellow McCain/Palin supporters will be as well. We won't get anywhere if we harbor negative feelings and just focus on 2012 retribution. That doesn't help anyone today, and today is what we need to focus on.

Ok, no more politics from me. This is the first and last time you'll see it on this blog for a longggg time! :)

Have a good day, and hug a democrat. LMAO. Ok, sorry, that cracked me up. :)

P.S. Seriously, I'm still laughing. :) See. Sometimes you just have to smile!