TCPTUES33

This week's challenge for The Cat's Pajamas rubber stamps is hosted by Katie, who has challenged us to use Pacific Blue, Sky Blue, Chocolate and Caramel colors to make a card.

I like these colors. They are similar to ones I used on a Poochie card a few challenges back. I didn't have Stampin' Up's "Pacific Point" colored cardstock when I made that card. I planned to use the same ribbon for today's card that I had used in the Poochie card, since the colors are such a nice match, but my card changed direction as I worked on it. (The ribbon I didn't use is in the picture of today's card.)

The trim on Kitty's coat is flocked. I have wanted to use flocking with this stamp, and instead of using the standard white, it was fun to use tan. I put glitter in the center of the flocked flower on her hat, and put the same glitter on the swirls to add a bit more bling.

Supplies used:
Stamps: Skating Kitty and swirl from "Kitty Christmas" set from The Cat's Pajamas; sentiment from Rubber Cottage
Paper: Neenah Classic Crest Solar white; Stampin' Up: Creamy Caramel, Chocolate Chip, Pacific Point, Baja Breeze
Ink: Palette Noir, Versamark, Prismacolor Pencils, Cold Stone Prismacolor marker, SU Soft Sky, SU Chocolate Chip
Other: stitched ribbon from Oriental Trading Company, clear embossing powder for upper background swirls, D'vine swirl Cuttlebug embosssing folder, Stickles glitter glue (color: Waterfall), circle Nestabilities, tan flocking.

MiniKat asked what I do with the cards I make. When I make some of them, I have a person and an occasion in mind, for example, if it is my sister's birthday, I make a card for her using colors and a theme that I think she might like. For challenge cards, I usually don't have a recipient in mind, I let the card sit out for awhile, then I add the card to my stash of cards. Some of those cards in the stash do get given to someone at a later date.

TED

We took Da Boyz to see TED (The Evil Doctor) for their annual exam and shots yesterday.

Dr Kethler told us both cats appear to be doing well. Tigger is still too fat (18.6 pounds), and Pooh has lost some weight (16.4 pounds). Tigger's K/D food is high in calories, so it has been hard to get him to lose weight. Pooh has trimmed down, because he does not eat as fast as Tigger, so Tigger eats some of Pooh's share every meal.

Dr Kethler told me that she thinks that Pooh is a beautiful cat, and she likes his face. I do too! Sometimes I just look at him and I feel blessed. I love his gorgeous feline shape. He is certainly the handsome one! I wish I could get a good picture of him. He usually poses in places where there is not adequate light. I had to use the flash to take this picture this morning.

Tigger hates going to the vet, and after his exam, Ed took him out in the waiting area while Pooh was examined, since the waiting area seems to be less scary than the exam room. Our friend Kay was there with one of her cats (emergency ear problem) so Ed had a nice time catching up with Kay. Tigger's harness got twisted around, and while Ed was trying to readjust it, Tigger bit him. The only time we get bit is at the vet! Tigger was in a hissy mood last night, but today he and Pooh ate breakfast together with no harsh words directed at each other.

TCPTUES32

This week's TCP Tuesday challenge an inspiration challenge hosted by Jen. We were to be inspired by this image:



Poor, poor poochie! I wonder if my cats are thankful that I resist the urge to dress them, and dress dolls instead. (Look at older posts to see another picture of my doll Tommy, and his sister Katie.)

This challenge was fun. It was a good excuse to get out my new set, Arrgh, Piratey. I was inspired by the pirate theme, the stripes, the braids, and I used the color of the dog for my card base.





I used Gold Stickles glitter glue on the coins, and a silver marker on the swords to add a bit of bling. The boy was stamped twice, in black and again in red, so that I could paper-piece his shirt to make the stripes red. I used SplitCoastStampers' sketch challenge SC200 for the layout of the card. The stripes were made of thin strips of paper, and the 'braid' is made of yarn and hemp.

The part that took the longest time to do was the sentiment. I had picked out the sentiment, laid it down carefully on top of the stamps' carrier sheet, and shortly afterwards it disappeared. I was almost in tears after looking for it for an hour. When DH came home, he helped me look. I finally calmed down enough to look other places, and I found found it stuck to a laminated piece of cardstock that I had apparently laid down on the stamp before I picked it up and put away.

Supplies used:
Stamps: All from The Cat's Pajamas: Arrgh! Piratey clear set, but all stamps are available in rubber: Skull & Swords, Pirate Booty, Errol, Swashbucklin' Day, Small Compass (background on red layer)
Paper: Neenah Classic Crest Classic Cream and Solar White, Stampin' UP Real Red and Basic Black
Ink: Palette Noir and L'Amour Red, Stampin Up Real Red , Prismacolor pencils, Cold stone prismacolor marker, silver marker
Other: Gold Stickles, black yarn, hemp twine

Halloween decor

I am not big on decorating the house for holidays, but I do like to decorate for the seasons by using different tablecloths on the table, and putting different flowers in the vase on the table. We use silk flowers instead of real flowers, since the cats like to nibble on plants and many flowers are poisonous. The cats nibble on the silk ones too.

I made the tablecloth yesterday. Mom bought the fabric for me ages ago, and I finally got around to hemming it. I am not usually drawn to autumn colors, but the fabric has eggplants in it! Purple!

TCPTUES31

The Cat's Pajamas Tuesday challenge this week is a sketch challenge, hosted by Leigh.

Leigh did not specify the dimensions on her blog, but other TCP design team members said it measured 4.5 x 7 inches.

I changed the proportions, since I wanted my card to be a standard size 5.5 x 4.25 inches.

Here is my card.



The white parts of the fairy's robe and her wings are shimmery, since I painted them with pearlescent paints. I put some shimmer on the holly berries in her hair too. The white layer is vellum, which I ran through an embossing folder. Brads are faux, and were punched from paper and glossed with Crystal Effects

Supplies used:

Stamps: Fairy Nick and holly images from "Fairy Christmas" by The Cat's Pajamas, sentiment from "Faux Ribbon by Papertrey. (The sentiments from the Fairy Christmas set were too large to fit in sentiment area.)
Paper: Neenah classic crest Solar white, Stampin Up: Certainly Celery, Real Red, Handsome Hunter, Vellum cardstock
Ink: Palette Noir, Prismacolor pencils and Gamsol, Cold Stone Prismacolor marker, Radiant Pearls.
Other: Ribbon from Michaels, Crystal Effects
Tools: Cuttlebug, "Tapestry" embossing folder, Long Rectangle Nestabilities, 3/16" paper punch, slot paper punch

Halloween kids

I had the day off, so I finished dressing the dolls I created from Fimo earlier this week.

TCPTUES30

The Cats Pajamas Tuesday challenge is hosted by Katie this week.

We were to challenge to make a card using any Poochie stamp. I chose to use Poochie on Crutches and make a get well card. I pulled the colors from the ribbon. When I saw this ribbon in a scrapbook store in Spokane earlier this month, I had to buy it since I thought it would go well with my stamps that Alma (owner of The Cat's Pajamas) calls "Quasars". Matching the ribbon to paper I have on hand was not easy. I think the blue would go great with the new blue from Stampin Up, but I don't have that color yet. (My demonstrator did give me samples of this years In Colors to go on my color swatch ring.) While working on this card, I realized that the Poochie image has parts of quasars in it. Poochie's crutch is shaped like a quasar ray, and his ears are quarter quasars! I clipped the corners of the Poochie Layers to mirror the quasar shape.

This card measures 6.5 x 3.25 inches, which fits in a regular envelope.



Supplies used:

Stamps all by The Cat's Pajamas: Poochie on Crutches, Solid Quasar, Quasar, Dogtor's Orders
Ink: Palette Noir, Colorbox Frost White, and Stamping Up: Tempting Turquoise, Creamy Caramel, Prismacolor pencils, Cold Stone Prismacolor marker
Paper: Classic Crest Solar White, Stampin Up: Chocolate Chip, Creamy Caramel, Tempting Turquoise
Accessories: ribbon (unknown maker), brads from Oriental Trading Company
Tools: 1/2" circle punch, 1/16" punch