The Craft's Meow FAREWELL Blog Hop

The Craft's Meow store is closing its doors at the end of December. All stamp sets have been marked down by as much as 75%! Stock is limited... once it's gone, it's gone for good, so please shop early for the best selection. All orders of $25 or more will receive a free gift with purchase. Flat rate shipping is $3.00 for all US orders and $12 for all International orders. Please see the store blog for details, or click over to The Craft's Meow store to start shopping!

Farewell Blog Hop Order:

The Craft's Meow Store Blog

Karen Baker

Sharri Seffens

Amy Wanford

Debbie Pamment

Alice Wertz

Mabelle Ramirez-Ortiz

Amy Crockett

Lindsay Amrhein

Nina Brackett

Larissa Heskett

Julie Ranae Murray

Gayatri Murali

Jen Cuthbertson

Jessica Fick

Lin Brandyberry

Angelica Suarez

Iwona Palamountain

Jennie Harper

Michelle Bertuzzi

Jinny Newlin

Deborah Nolan

Elizabeta Kushner

Clare Buswell

Amy Tsuruta

Sarah Martina Parker

Stacey Schafer - That's me!

I used the adorable stamp set, Under the Tree, from The Craft's Meow!

Freshly Made Sketches #114, The Shabby Tea Room #194 and Friday Mashup #137 were the inspiration for my card!

I inked up the pile of presents with black ink, stamped onto some patterned paper and fussy cut to display as a focal point.  The papers were layered and placed with just enough room in the lower right corner for the sweet sentiment!

Thanks so much for stopping by the stage!  Head on over to The Craft's Meow for some fabulous savings!

Stamps:  Under the Tree (The Craft's Meow)
Ink:  Black Tuxedo Luxe (Momento)
Paper:  White (PTI), Nordic Pines (Bazzill Basics)
Other:  Postage Label Die (Simon Says Stamp), Leafy Flourish (My Favorite Things), Sparkle Embossing Powder (Hero Arts), Heat Tool (SU), Twine (Hemptique), Sequins (Pretty Pink Posh), Wink of Stella, Sewing Machine, Thread

Perfect Paper Crafting/The Craft's Meow Blog Hop

 Good morning, folks!  Welcome to your last stop on the Perfect Paper Crafting/The Craft's Meow Blog Hop!  You should've arrived here by way of the sweet and talented Larissa Heskett!

As you have read, there are TWO $50 Gift Certificates to be won... one from Perfect Paper Crafting and one from The Craft's Meow.  All you have to do is comment along the hop from now until Friday at midnight PST!  Winners will be randomly selected by each of the stores from all comments left on hop.  

The Craft's Meow is currently having a HUGE SALE on retiring stamp sets!   Perfect Paper Crafting is offering a 5% discount on their tools for our blog hoppers, too. The code to enter at checkout is meow5%. 

On my card today, I used one of The Craft's Meow stamp sets that's on sale right now...Speaking of Fall!   LOVE this set!  If you love it, better grab it before it's sold out!  I also used one of the fabulous Perfect Layers Border Tools...check out the wonderful tutorial videos that show you these tools in action!

There's a new COLOR CHALLENGE over at The Pink Elephant today, too!  Grab your ORANGE, BROWN, and CREAM and join us for a "fall finale!"  This will most likely be my last fall-themed card of the season...time to hit the Christmas crafting at full speed!  

Here are a couple of other challenges that suited my fancy for this THANKFUL card...Cupcake Inspirations Challenge #237 and the Deconstructed Sketch #127!

I used the Perfect Layers Border Tool #2 to cut the panel of my card front as well as the 1/4" and 5/8" strips to create my "stick/spindle" tree background!  This tool is really cool and I love having a handy straight edge nearby for trimming such slender paper slivers!

Thanks so much for stopping by the stage!

Stamps:  Speaking of Fall (The Craft's Meow)
Ink:  Espresso Truffle (Momento), Spiced Marmalade, Rusty Hinge Distress (Ranger)
Paper:  Kraft (Neena), Into the Woods Petite (Lawn Fawn), Vellum (SU)
Other:  Tag Dies, Stitched Leaves Dies, Into the Woods Sequins (Lawn Fawn), Twine (Hemptique)

Blessings - The Craft's Meow

Hey, peeps!  I'm up on The Craft's Meow Blog today sharing a little Christmas inspiration using one of their new stamp sets!  This set, Christmas Blessings, is loaded with beautiful and faith-filled sentiments and three gorgeous distressed silhouette images.   

The retrosketches #89 inspired the layout of my card!

After choosing the Crate Paper Sleigh Ride papers, I die cut a stitched circle and doily for some layering.  I heat embossed both the angel and star images with white embossing powder, then sponged around them with Ranger Antique Linen Distress ink to make them more visible...but, still keeping the subtle look that they have.  The sentiment tag was inked up in gray and sewn down onto the front panel of the card.  Finally, a few sequins were sprinkled and some baker's twine was added to finish this card off! 

 Thanks so much for stopping by the stage!

Stamps:  Christmas Blessings (The Craft's Meow)
Ink:  Steel Gray (MFT), Versamark (SU), Antique Linen Distress (Ranger)
Paper:  White (PTI), Sleigh Ride (Crate Paper)
Other:  Doily die (PTI), Heat Tool, White Embossing Powder (SU), Baker's Twine (MFT), Sequins (Avery Elle), Sewing Machine, Thread

The Craft's Meow November Blog Hop & The Pink Elephant Sketch Challenge

Welcome to the The Craft's Meow November Blog Hop!  This month, the design team was inspired by a Christmas/Winter theme!  What a special time of the year...and this classically designed stamp set, Christmas Lantern designed by Clare Buswell, includes a gorgeous old-fashioned lantern, some holly leaves/berries and sentiments are perfect to create beautiful Christmas cards!

The Craft's Meow is having a BIG Sale from November 4th - 6th...All Fall stamp sets are 20% off for three days only!  Just enter Fall20 when checking out at PayPal!  And, don't forget...the Inside Christmas stamp set designed by Karen Baker is FREE with your $60 purchase!

The Craft's Meow is also offering a $15 gift certificate to one lucky TCM reader who comments on the store blog post by 8:00 PM Pacific on Wednesday, November 6th.  Head on over to The Craft's Meow Store Blog and comment for your chance to win!

Here is the official blog hop order:

Deborah Nolan

Jennie Harper

Jessica Fick

Jinny Newlin

Karen Baker

Larissa Heskett

Lin Brandyberry

Nina Brackett

Sharri Seffens

Stacey Schafer - That's me!

There's a new sketch challenge up and running over at The Pink Elephant that you won't want to miss...and the Dynamic Duos #77: Bold & Cheery worked perfectly for my festive Christmas card today!

 There are few holly leaves/berries stamped over the darker green paper, then I heat embossed the lantern image for the focal panel!  The lamp is gorgeous, I think, uncolored this way...such a vintage and classic feel to it!  A little ribbon, button and twine finish off the card...ready to mail out later in November!

Thanks so much for stopping by the stage!

Stamps:  Christmas Lantern (The Craft's Meow)
Ink:  Espresso Truffle Luxe (Momento), Barn Door Distress (Ranger)
Paper:  Rustic Cream (PTI), Natural (Authentique)
Other:  Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding, Spiral Punch, Clear Embossing Powder (SU), Brown Twine (Hemptique), Natural Button (MFT), Doily

The Craft's Meow October Release Blog Hop & BIG Bow Tutorial

Welcome to The Craft's Meow October Release Blog Hop!

After four days of peeks into the fabulous new Christmas stamp sets, you get to finally see the full sets over at The Craft's Meow store blog!  Aren't they absolutely BEAUTIFUL?! 

My card today features two of the new stamp sets, Holiday Poinsettia by Nina B Designs and Christmas Lantern by Clare Buswell!
Here they are!

 

...and here are the other sets being released!

One of the stamp sets being released, Inside Christmas by Karen Baker, is FREE this month with your $60 order...or you may also purchase it separately!

Here is the official blog hop order today!
You have a chance to win all five new stamp sets by leaving comments along the hop!  A winner will be chosen from a secret stop along the hop!  You have until Wednesday night to comment for your chance to win these FABULOUS stamps!

Amy Crockett

Clare Buswell

Deborah Nolan

Jennie Harper

Jessica Fick

Jinny Newlin

Karen Baker

Kimberly Crawford, Guest Designer

Larissa Heskett

Lin Brandyberry

Mindy Baxter

Nina Brackett

Sharri Seffens

Stacey Schafer - that's me!

BIG Bow Tutorial

A lot of my blog readers have asked me how I create these BIG bows, so I thought this would be a good time to put together a quick tutorial!  I really hope you're all NOT disappointed...because it's a total cheater bow...but, it's the easiest bow I've tried with great results!

First, cut two pieces of seam binding to desired length and tie each in a separate bow!  Yep, that's the secret...two separate bows!

Next, apply a glob of your favorite all-purpose glue where you'd like your bow to be positioned.

Then, adhere both bows over the glob of glue until they've adhered well to the paper.

That's it for the seam binding part of the bow!

Now, for the twine-tied button...

Thread twine through button holes.  Then wrap an extra piece of twine around fingers a couple of times.

Tie the second (wrapped) piece of twine to the button and knot it tight.  Yep, told you it was a cheater bow!

You'll need another glob of glue over the top of the seam binding bow.

Last, adhere the twine-tied button over the seam binding bow...and viola!  

A BIG (cheater) beautiful bow!

Let me know if you try this technique and leave me a link so I can see your results!

For my card, I used the gorgeous poinsettia image in red from Holiday Poinsettia and the postage stamp in kraft ink...the sentiment in dark brown and holly leaves in kraft from Christmas Lantern.

Thanks so much for stopping by the stage!

Stamps:  Holiday Poinsettia, Christmas Lantern (The Craft's Meow)
Ink:  Early Espresso Luxe (Momento), Wild Cherry (MFT), Antique Linen Distress (Ranger)
Paper:  Kraft (PTI), 25th and Pine (Basic Grey)
Other:  Stitched Rectangle and Tag Die (Lil' Inkers Designs), Leaf Flourish and Fishtail Flag Stax Die-namics, Wild Cherry Button (MFT), Very Vanilla Seam Binding (SU), Twine (Hemptique)