12 Days of Crafting for The Cats Pajama Blog!

Happy Thursday! Today, I am here with a card to share on day 7 of the 12 Days of Crafting! When I saw these sweet gingerbread men, I knew I had to use them to make a card... and look at that sentiment! HA! 

 

 

This card was pretty clean and simple. I printed out the digital images from the Whisk You a Merry Xmas set. I colored them using copic markers and fussy cut them out, along with the sentiment. I made some basic layering pieces with some patterned paper I had in my stash. I ink blended with a very light yellow ink onto the circle I cut out from an oval die I had. I glued layer after layer. I added some stickles to the white icing on the gingerbread cuties and I added some bling! Easy peazy! 

 

 

I hope you enjoy this basic card. Be on the lookout for the rest of the 12 Days of Crafting right here on the blog! 

 

Hoot Hoot Halloween!

 Hello friends! 

Corinna here, again! This time I am here with a sweet Halloween card. I don't know about you, but I like the cute stuff, not the scary stuff! And what is cuter than this trio of characters?

 

 

I started off creating this card by using bristol smooth paper to get a nice clean ink blend. I created a mask using a circle for the moon. I used a cloud stencil with wilted violet and picked raspberries distress oxides. I also sprayed some shimmery goodness on the sky and used a stencil with some lunar paste to add shiny stars. I did a lot with this background! When I removed the mask, I lightly blended some yellow ink on the moon and used a grey copic marker to add little shadows and dots.   For the hay-ish ground, I blended with scattered straw and fossilized amber distress oxides. I also splattered with it. I then cut out two layers of that with a grass stencil but I think it totally works as straw or hay to give a Fall and Halloween look!  I used the Hoot Hoot Halloween digital set and printed these sweet lil guys and the sentiment. I colored them in using copic markers. I fussy cut them out and popped them up using foam tape. 

 

 

I really hope you like this sweet Halloween card. It goes to show you this holiday does not have to be scary. Grab this sweet digital set, and many others here. I can't believe Halloween is just one month away. Have a good one kitties! I will see you next month!

A card for all of my fellow book worms

 Hello kitties!  I absolutely love reading, and of course a really good cup of coffee to go with! What better company!? I wanted to showcase this digital stamp set called Bliss that is in the digital store! How sweet is this....

 

This card came together very quickly. It is super simple. I printed out the digital image on xpress it cardstock, colored it up with my copics, and fussy cut it out. I then used a shaped nesting die for the sentiment that also comes in the digital file. I used a piece of patterned paper to adhere to the base of the card and glued the rest of the images. The image is glued flat and the sentiment is popped up on foam tape. I hope you love this image as much as I do. It's perfect for our book worm friends! 

 

 

Valentines Day Post for the Cats Pajamas

 Hello again kitties!  How darling is this image -- and oh my, the sentiment! I love it all. I created a very 'pink' lovey dovey cupidy card using the Feeling Cupidy digital images. 

 

 

 

I used some slimline frame dies, some grass border dies, and a cloud stencil I had in my stash. There is nothing I enjoy more than ink blending sky backgrounds!  I used worn lipstick distress oxide on the upper portion of the clouds, and saltwater taffy oxide ink on the bottom half of the clouds. I printed and colored the cupidy bunny image. I used copic markers to color the cutie patootie. I then fussy cut him out and used foam tape to adhere him to the card. I trimmed the sentiment down to fit on the card. 

 

 

I hope you love this snarky bunny as much as I do! You can find this digital image set in the digital store! 

 

Netgalley Review of The Drift by CJ Tudor

 

3 Stars

This review is a tough one to write because CJ Tudor is one of my favorite authors. I have rated all of her books on th high end. I will say, I am not sure how much of it was the fault of the author, as I am not really into this subject matter much. I also think there were quite a few perspectives and characters to follow, and I never felt connected to any of them. However, the pace was pretty good and there were a few thrilling scenes but I did not jive with this book overall. I am still giving it a three because I think 'it's me, not you', and I can definitely see others loving it. I did feel like there were redeemable qualities toward the end of the book. I don't want to say too much to avoid spoile

Winter is coming....

It's that time of year where we are all working hard on our holiday cards! Today, I wanted to share this card I made with you because everyone should have these adorable snowmen and gnome in their collection! I love that they are singing together. 

 

For this card, I wanted to use soft non-traditional holiday colors so I went with pinks and purples. I used the Winter Gnomes digital stamp set from The Cats Pajamas. I used copic markers to color the image and added a little snowbank and some patterned paper. I also used the sentiment that came in the same digital image set. I added a few embellishments and tada! You have a sweet winter/holiday card! I hope you like it. Get your digital images! There are so many available, but especially holiday cuties! 

 

Use this link to get the Winter Gnomes digital stamps!

 

Have a faboolous Halloween!

 We are days away from Halloween and I am here to share my last spooky card of the season. I used the Faboolous digital images, as well as the Hide and Eek digital images from the shop to create this fun but creepy card!

 

I created an easel card with this creepy lil' critter! I created a stopper on the front using some dies I had in my stash. I colored the images with copic markers. I used N2, 4, and 6 for the headstones and C0, 1, and 3, as well as, R24 for the creepy guy. I fussy cut him out and popped him up on dimensionals and glued the headstones directly to my die cut. 

 

 

 Make sure you check out all of digital images in the shop. 

 

 

Melt My Ice!

 Hello friends! Corinna here, with a sweet digital release for September from The Cats Pajamas! Look at these two being so sweet and cuddly! 

 

I started by using a background stamp with stars and I used white embossing powder. I then used distress oxide inks to blend the background. I used uncharted mariner, peacock feathers, and speckled egg. I printed the digital images  and used copic colors to color them in. I used warm greys. I fussy cut the image and the sentiment. I used some tree dies to add some interest to the background and then used foam tape to attach the digital image! I absolutely love this card and the color palette. 

 

 

Go check out the awesome September release. I love it! Have a great day kitties!

 

Reindeer Kisses - The Cats Pajamas

 Happy Tuesday Kitties! Corinna here, showing off this sweet digital stamp called Reindeer Wishes! It comes with images and sentiments and is too darling for the holiday season. While I am not ready to let Summer go, I am really excited about the upcoming holidays. They always give me such feels, even if I am not ready for the cold weather. Perhaps I need to move somewhere warm. Reindeer exist everywhere, right!? 

 

 

This card was super simple to make. I printed out the sentiment and images on X-press It cardstock and used my copics to color up the images. Here are the colors I used:

Reindeer: E23, E25, E29, R29, C1 (& Spectrum Noir Glitter pens: Golden Glow and Moonlit Silver, for the collar and bells)

Penguin: W1, W3, YR09, R27, R29 (& Spectrum Noir Glitter pens: Golden Glow and Moonlit Silver, for Christmas Light Bulb)

I fussy cut the images and outlined with a black marker. I then worked on my background. I used two different patterned papers and used a border die to cut my snowy hills. I popped that up on foam tape. I used foam tape and regular adhesive on my images. 

 

 

Find the digital stamps Reindeer Kisses for purchase here.

 

I hope for those who are in areas with seasons, you are enjoying your last bit of Summer. Winter will be here before we know it! 

Gnome Peaking! Christmas in July with The Cats Pajamas!

 Hello fellow kitties! It's Corinna here, and it's already that time of the year when us crazy crafters start thinking about the holiday season! We are beginning to create cards and projects for the winter holidays! Here is a darling card using the gnome peeking digital file.

 

I turned this card into a shaker card with only the middle circle having the shaker element. I colored the adorable little gnomes using Spectrum Noir Triblends and fussy cut the gnomes and have them 'peeking' through the circles. I added the sentiment to the middle circle/shaker element with green shimmer paper! I love how festive this card looks. 

 

 

Check out all of the holiday items in the digital store!

 

Life's a Beach

 Take me to the beach, and leave me there! It's that time of year when it's sunny and warm and the beach is calling my name! I made a card that represented how I feel during this time of year... a little silly, a little crazy, and A LOT OF FUN!  Life's A Beach Digi is perfect for summer! 

For this card, I used Bristol Smooth and ink blended using Abandoned Coral, Saltwater Taffy, Scattered Straw, Twisted Citron, Salvaged Patina, and Antique Linen Distress Oxides. I also used my copic markers at the bottom of the background scene. I colored up the digi image with copics and used my spectrum noir glitter pen on the umbrella. And you know, I had to add the freckles to the sweet bunny's nose! - It's a simple card, but so colorful and bright for summer! 

The Cats Pajamas has so many wonderful products for summer! Check them out. 

Ship Happens!

 

I made this sweet card using May's digital release! Specifically the ship happens digital image.  I first printed the image and colored it with copic markers. I then fussy cut the image. I used a fun perforated wave die for the ocean and glued it to the card base. I used Bristol Smooth cardstock to ink blend clouds for the sky portion and glued that to the top of the card. I used foam tape on the digital image. I took the 'ship happens' sentiment that is also a part of the digital image and I cut that using my paper trimmer and colored the whole strip with a copic marker.

Here is a closer look:

I hope you check out the new digital release and get yourself some goodies!

 

 To celebrate the April release for The Cats Pajamas, I used these adorable digital images to create a scalloped circle shaped card that stands up on its own. How 'stinkin' cute are these sweeties!?

This was a quick and easy one. I folded a piece of 8.5 X 11 cardstock and used a scalloped circle die that I laid slightly on top of the fold and ran it through my die cutting machine. This way, it does not cut through the fold and you can create any shaped card! I used the same die and cut a patterned piece of paper and glued that on top of the folded card base. I printed out the Into The Woods digital images (don't forget the sentiment) and colored them in with copic markers. I used the following:

Skunk: W10, W7, and W1

Squirrel: E23, E35, and E29

I fussy cut out the imagines and used my paper trimmer to cut the sentiment. I die cut a heart out and popped it up with foam tape, and added stickles! I added everything to the card base and viola... The card is complete! :D Quick and easy, but super cute! And the sentiment are just darling. This card will definitely be given to my stinkin' fiance. :D

Here is a close up:

The digital set is so cute and comes with a variety of sentiments. Get yours on the website here:  https://thecatspajamasrs.com/TCP/shop-2/

[caption id="attachment_44907" align="alignnone" width="500"] Into the Woods Digistamps[/caption]

The Cat's Pajamas March Release! // New Design Team!

Hello my crafty friends! I have been lucky enough to be selected for the Cat's Pajamas Desin Team! I am so excited to work with many talented women, and some fabulous products. Here are my first two projects using their files!

Spring is on the way and I have been in the mood to get ready for that warm weather and the Easter holiday! I dont know about you, but I love that Spring represents growth and new beginnings! Today, I have two cards for you that I made with cutables from the March release. For both, I used Spring Animals and Grassy Patches cutting files.

The first card is bright and fun.

I ink blended the background and used a die that cut three different rectangular shapes. I used my cricut to cut out the SVGs of the little chick and bunny. I also ink blended the interior rectangles and I glued the adorable animals inside the first two rectangles. I used the interior rectangle from the top, stamped a sentiment on it, and glued it into the bottom space. I absolutely adore these lil guys, but especially the bunny with such great big ears! Don't you think it adds character? 

I had to use all of the cute lil spring animals so I made another card using the Spring Animals.

For this card, I used masking paper and die cut an oval I had in my stash. I removed the oval masking paper and left on the reverse. I ink blended using Distress Oxides in Blueprint Sketch, Wilted Violet, Abandoned Coral, Wild Honey, and Squeezed Lemonade. I used my Cricut  to cut the cute chickadee and lamb from the Spring Animals SVG cutting files, as well as the grassy border from the cutable file. Before I glued them onto the card, I put the masking tape of the oval back on the card and removed the outside area and used a stencil and stickles glitter gel in the color Nebula to add some shimmer and shine! I removed the masking tape, let it dry, and glued everything together. Lastly, I stamped my sentiment.

Below are the cutable files I used for both cards.

 

Spring Animals 

 

Grassy Patches Cutable SVGs

I hope you liked my first two cards with the design team. I could not be more excited to design projects using these fantastic products and work with these terriffic kitties!

Happy New Year -- GOOD RIDDANCE 2020!

Review for An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks (& Sarah Pekkanen)

4.25 stars. This book kept me intrigued. You typical domestic psychological thriller, but I liked the way some of the chapters were written. It was similar to 'You'... as if you were reading the notes of a therapist, but written out in novel form, not mixed media. The plot twists weren't amazing, but it's hard to read something new when thriller is your favorite genre.

Review for Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier (Release Date - April 2020)

I have not updated my blog in quite awhile. But, after reading this book, I could not help but want to share my opinion with everyone. This book was a 5 star read!!!!!!!!!!! I don't know what it is about thrillers, even though they're my favorite genre, I rarely give them five stars. Maybe because it's often hard to love the characters. A lot of them tend to be unreliable. Maybe it's that everything has been done before. Maybe it's the writing and lack of substance? But, this Thriller was five stars for me. I can't even necessarily pinpoint why.

What I do know, is I was very invested in the story. I feel like I had to know what was coming even though it wasn't necessarily a fast-paced thriller. I think that the story was woven together very well. I did predict half of the twist, but it did not even bother me. The end was very satisfying. Even though most of the characters where bad people, they had very real thoughts. And the author described them in a way that a rational person could understand (with the exception of maybe one). I really loved the story. I already miss reading it and I'm still thinking about it. I am thrilled that I received this as an e-ARC. I'm going to go read everything that this author has written to date! I highly recommend getting your hands on this book as soon as you can! Published by Macmillan

Review for The Color of the Sun

I recently finished The Color of the Sun by David Almond. It's release date is set for September 2019.

(3.5 stars) While this book starts off on a dark note and does continue to have some dark and deep undertones, it's really a sweet story that involves a colorful and carefully woven tale. It takes place in one day while Davie wanders the town. He is grieving, as he recently lost his dad. Along the way, he goes on many little adventures, comes into contact with a vast amount of unique characters and it ends with an unexpected resolution, as it comes full circle. I thought this was a very clever story and full of color. It's a big quirky and a bit loving. It's a story full of imagination and wonder and I enjoyed it very much.

July Wrap Up - RECORD READING MONTH! ♥

Woohoo! I made a record for myself. I read 9 books this month! OMG - can it be!? I am up to par with my BookTube friends!? I can't even believe it. Hellooooo life out of Grad School!!!! :) I participated in two readathons this month which really helped (I will post a 'Reading Rush' blog entry soon).

Monthly Stats

Pages Read: 2,513                                                        Middle Grade: 3
Average Rating: 3.94*                                                  New Adult: 1
                                                                                      Adult: 3
                                                                                      YA: 2
Physical Books: 4 
           *Graphic Novel: 2                                             Thriller/Mystery: 2
E-Books: 1                                                                    Gen Fiction: 2 
Audio: 1                                                                        Fantasy: 4
Audio/Physical: 3                                                         Utopian: 1
                                                                                     
                                                                                     

Here are the books I read this July, when I read them, why, and my rating!

No Exit: June 10 - July 5, 2019 for The Book Junkie Trials Readathon ****



The Woman in Cabin 10: July 5 - July 14, 2019 for The Book Junkie Trials Readathon ****

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The Tea Dragon Society: July 19, 2019 for The Book Junkie Trials Readathon *****




Furthermore: July 14 - July 19, 2019 for The Book Junkie Trials Readathon ****



Stardust: July 20, 2019 for The Book Junkie Trials Readathon **



Saga: Volume 5: July 27, 2019 for The Reading Rush Readathon ****



Scythe: July 22 - July 28, 2019 for The Reading Rush Readathon *****




The Color of the Sun: July 23 - July 31, 2019 for The Reading Rush Readathon (also, a NetGalley read) ***.5



November 9: July 21 - July 31, 2019 for no reason (audio book mostly) ****