Crazy Cat Balloons Birthday Card

I am just in love with this sweet cat from the August Stamp of the Month. Isn't he sweet when paired with a bunch of balloons?

I paired the SOTM kitty cat with Happy for You. I was working with the new sketch over at Freshly Made Sketches. I couldn't resist adding some Calypso into the mix. I'm also linking up over at Seize the Birthday!

I had seen an adorable polka dot version of this cat bu Blythe Shupe on Instagram, so I knew I wanted to try paper piecing him. When I stamped out the guide for where I would place my pieces it was a big old mess. I crossed my fingers that I wasn't crazy and started gluing on the balloons.

I love how it turned out in the end...sometimes you just gotta keep on going until things come together! I can't believe that today is the last day to adopt this sweet little cat for your very own. Check out the Going Soon section of my website so you won't miss out! 

Have a Purrfect Birthday Card

Good morning, Stampin' Peeps! In our house we are down to the last week before school starts. Haircuts have been had, new shoes and sensory socks have been purchased, and this month's Stamp of the Month has finally been opened and used. I never meant for that last one to take so long, as this cat set is so cute, but that's how summer rolls to an end in our house.

Since it's not feeling quite like summer anymore, I grabbed a packet of (retired) Sarita papers to make my first kitty cat card. I started with the new sketch from Retro Sketches. I cut my base out of Pomegranate cardstock, and layered on some patterned paper before adding a doily that I spritzed with Heidi Swapp Color Shine in Mustard. Then I layered on the dot print and popped up the sentiment with foam tape. The sentiment is a combo of stamps from the SOTM and Sweet Birthday.  I glued a strip of yellow organza ribbon down as a base for my thick twine wrap, which I shredded at the ends. 

I've seen so many adorable cards with this cat all dressed up, but I wanted to start simply, so I just colored him using a few Shin Han Markers and a lot of blending pen. I popped on a couple sequins over the eyes, then filled those with my favorite tiny wiggly eyes. Then I tucked him in amid the ribbons, right where a cat would like to be, purrfectly content!

Party Hats Sweet Birthday Card

I've been making a lot of cards lately using Sweet Birthday, but I hadn't yet inked the cute birthday hat. I fixed that problem right up yesterday when I was making cards for card buffet all day long. 

I was using the CASE this Sketch Challenge as inspiration, so at first I kept trying to only fit in two rows of hats. Eventually I gave into three rows and I'm a much happier cardmaker. I colored the hats very simply with turquoise and yellow Shin Han Markers, and mounted them onto some (retired) Wings sweet leaf patterned paper, using the color palette from this week's Color Throwdown.

I popped up the hats with thin foam tape. All the yellow bits on the hats got a layer of sparkly glitter gel, as did the sequins along the bottom of the sentiment. I used a journaling pen to outline the card and add a bit of zig zag detail to the sentiment banner. 

I managed to make six cards yesterday and cut sixty for the card buffet in September, all while my sweet hubby played with the boys and caught up our laundry pile. Now I'm ready to face the last week before school starts! Did you make anything this weekend? 

Monthly Memories Calypso Scrapbooking Kit

Can you believe there are only FIVE days left to order your kit for next month's scrapbooking workshop! Five days until these adorable kits are no longer available...sniffle...

In September we are doing a double kit month at Monthly Memories. You have the choice of either Magical or this sweet, beachy Calypso kit. Both kits come complete with all the paper, cardstock, and embellishments to complete 6 pages and 9 card fronts! You can complete your kits at home, at a crop, or if you are local you can come to our Monthly Club meeting where we create our kits together.

I absolutely LOVE the cute pineapple and flamingo washi tapes that come in this kit. There are lots of fun little vellum diecuts and stickers, too. 

I've again altered the instructions that come with the CTMH Workshops Your Way kit to better fit my scrapping style. I kept the original cuts intact so you can chose which of the 12 page designs you want to create.

You can download the CTMH instructions HERE for free! Or you can place your kit order here and I will email you my full color instructions complete with cutting guides, lots of pictures, and step by step instructions. If you are local to me, your kit purchase scores you that invite to our monthly crop night, where we create our kits together. Dinner is included, just bring your kit and favorite adhesive, and join in the fun!

I want to be sure to have enough space and dinner for all...

So PLEASE RSVP to reserve your spot!

September 9th Monthly Memories Bring List:

CALYPSO I WANT IT ALL KIT (everything you'll need to complete as shown):

G1109 Calypso WYW Kit

Includes, Calypso Papers, Complements, 

4 sheets of cardstock (3 White Daisy, 1 Canary), 

Calypso Washi Tape and Magical Sequins

CALYPSO BASIC KIT (about $15, but you'll have to add cardstock, very basic pages so feel free to bring your own embellishments):  

X7210B Calypso Paper Packet

X7210C Calypso Complements

You'll need to add 3 sheets of White Daisy and 1 Sheet of Canary Cardstock to complete the pages.
If you are attending in person, you can buy CS by the sheet from my Cash & Carry.

Summer's End Blog Hop

Welcome to the Summer's End Blog Hop! You might be arriving here from STEPHANIE'S BLOG. Let's Hop!

I've been wanting an excuse to put aside everything I'm working on and make something fun using my pile of new goodies from Convention. On this page I combined Sea Glass Cardstock and Glitter Paper, an Uptown Gold Foil Vellum dotted overlay, and some of the new Whimsy B and T. I added lots of bits and bobs from the You and Me Compliments, and a few cards from Hello Gorgeous. Plus lots and lots of hand stitching, since I was inspired by this sketch from Stuck Sketches.  

This summer one of our favorite special places to take our family and friends who visit from out of town is Kyra's Bake Shop in Lake Oswego. It's a 100% gluten free establishment that gluten lovers will still love because everything is so delicious! Kyra has won Cupcake Wars multiple times with her gluten free cupcakes, so that should give you a clue as to how amazing this place is. If you go, get the tomato soup. It's seriously the best tomato soup I've ever had, and even my veggie hating ten year old scarfs it right down. 

Next up on the hop is KATY'S BLOG. Happy hopping!