Inkyfingeredcat

One of the suggestions for including in Christmas in July made by a subscriber was for Christmas scenes – and so I thought this prompt would be a good one to share an idea for making scenes – albeit a few of these aren’t exactly ‘white Christmas’ themed!

So my starting point was the small circle gelli plate and using distress oxides to create little inky circles. I made six in total but decided to only use four for this set of cards.

I used a mix of ink colours and layered them up so the colours blended and layered.

Then when I was happy with them I grabbed a magazine stamp set that had some winter animals and some scenes/ tree stamps and stamped these in black Versafine. I used the stamping tool to be able to double stamp in case they needed more depth.

I then die cut them using the stitched circle die.

Then I added sentiments and moons and snowy elements with embossing powder. I also added some shading with alcohol markers to finish off!

Next I decided to finish each card slightly differently. Firstly a simple added with foam adhesive onto the plain card and finished with a splatter of shimmer spritz.

Next the same sized card but with a panel of green before adding the circle with shimmer spritz on top.

Next up I went with a smaller card and a layer of the white which I embossed for texture.

Finally a smaller card but adding straight onto the card base so probably the simplest!

Also probably the least white Christmas too but sometimes that’s just what happens!

Inside just added stamped sentiments and really kept them simple!

Hope you like the gelli plate little scenes!

I really love the technique of inky gelli prints and if I wasn’t doing Christmas in July I would have made loads more ready for future use as it really was so much fun. But as I’ve still got a while to go before the end of the month and more projects to make I will wait until this month is over before I revisit this! To me the unpredictable nature of these sorts of arty prints is the joy but I know those who like control struggle to enjoy this kind of thing so I know it won’t be for everyone! But if we all liked and were the same wouldn’t life be boring! 😀

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Ok so my choice of colours was based on the colours of our main tree and so I went with using baubles for my focal points …

… and I went to try out the new dies I bought and went with some speciality cardstocks – glitter and foiled – plus the angel hair paper.

I added thread for the baubles and then some sequins as finishing touches. I also added in the sentiment banners which are purple themed albeit a bit more pink!

Inside I went with a strip of purple I had cut off the front panel and the third large bauble.

I chose a vanilla coloured base as thought it worked better with the colour scheme.

Love this regal looking card and really pleased with these new bauble dies.

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Today’s design team card for Addicted to stamps and more is a Christmas card I made using some random pretty paper that I saved from my Christmas flower delivery. Random but it works!

I decided to create a fun fold card using three different panels of paper for the card.

I then used a couple of elements from Simple Stories to finish off – first that big poinsettia and then the cute light green star.

I know I don’t often make fun folds so this was nice to do and of course super simple!

I added the foiled sentiment to the front and a little bit of champagne stickles to the centre of the flower to make it extra sparkly!

I did add this panel for somewhere to write the message – I think most of it will be covered by the flower when it’s folded but then on display it will look fab on a mantle or shelf!

So this is my card for the latest challenge over at Addicted to stamps and more – hope you will come and join us! Of course a sensible person would have filmed the making of this for my Christmas in July… but I don’t think sensible is a word used to describe me! So nope I didn’t! So this is an extra Christmas card made in July!

🤣

Happy crafting!

Catherine

I really wasn’t sure of the colours I had chosen out for today’s Hang the Stockings project but love how the card came out.

Such a fun mix of two old products suites and I love the fresh blue with the little pop of green.

I hadn’t used the Merriest Moments die and embossing folder for ages and so it was really good to revisit it – so pretty!

And of course the stockings are pretty too!

Had a minor mishap with the recording of the video but fortunately only missed a bit of the process and hopefully my talk through finished it off ok for viewers.

I also love how I finished the inside of the card … simple but effective!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

I had popped the Painted Christmas stamps in the pouch for today’s prompt of Holly Jolly Christmas. I love these stamps and they are perfect for making my own paper design as the loose nature of the images makes them quite forgiving! So I challenged myself to make a full sheet of A4 and then use it to do a one sheet wonder! So yes today’s project is actually six cards in total!

And aren’t they fabulous?!?

I used a range of colours – tranquil tide, mossy meadow, Bermuda bay, lost lagoon, hello honey, most mustard and strawberry slush – and went to town with stamping all over the piece of cardstock.

Then I cut up the cardstock – I had made the template in advance – but then measured each piece after cutting and wrote down the sizes here to share and keep for future use!

I separated the pieces to put together the ones for each card and then inked the edge of the panels with a different colour for each of the cards so they look different but clearly similar!

Next I stamped lots of the holly leaves separately and fussy cut them, and then stamped sentiments too.

Card one has the biggest panel of the stamped paper ah fb the full panel and then the raised smaller one in the middle.

For each card I added a sentiment and some I added the extra holly leaves (this one I added five to it) and some I added some waxed thread.

Four of the cards I added an extra layer of the white card stock I made the bases from and embossed them with different folders.

I also added some elements with foam adhesive to give some additional dimension.

On card number four I didn’t add the extra panel, instead I stencilled some snowflakes lightly to add a different finish.

Finally the pink edged one … so cute!

I really should do stamped backgrounds like this more often – they are so much fun to make and a one sheet wonder really helps to make cards quickly – and the embossed panels worked out so well.

A lovely set of cards – of course I think the stamp set really helps with this as this is one of my favourite sets for this kind of project!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

So today’s card I decided I wanted to go with a fun fold – and remembered the card that Tricia had taught me how to make – so that was the starting point. I also wanted to use the speciality cardstock from Alex Syberia – such pretty pink and green colours – and so decided to make my base card dark grey to contrast.

I created the card base and then all the mats are the pink foiled cardstock – super shiny!

Next I created the strings of lights – I created three in total. I decided to create a panel for the lights to sit on – I lightly inked it with pink to just give a little contrast.

Then after sticking them down I then added that to the base. I then added the final string across the bottom.

I used the sentiment I had popped to go with the set over the top in the middle of the bottom string to help secure it more in place.

Absolutely love this card – just so pretty! Inside the card I added a panel of the white and three of the lightbulbs I had trimmed off the front panel.

What do you think? A fun fold and lots of pretty sparkly and shiny lights! Cute!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

For today’s project the idea I had noted was to use up scraps and so that is exactly what I did – I used scraps to die cut the little tree letters and some scraps of white for the base. And then I used some scraps of patterned paper too! and before I knew it I had made two cards and two tags!

Fun projects – and albeit the patterned paper one might be a tad ‘busy’ it’s still a fun one!

Patterned paper panels, some vellum and speciality cardstock for the letters! definitely a lot going on here!

The second card is far more simple!

Some inking and splattering and then the tree raised onto foam adhesive to give some dimension!

And those shiny letters are so lovely!

And that left two trees made up of… so I punched the hole in the top and strung some twine through – and perfect little tags made!

Definitely used some scraps and happy with how all the projects came out!

And it inspired me later that day to actually sort the massive pouches of scrap out to make projects like this so much easier in future!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Yes it is time for another sketch … here is this one!

I really enjoyed putting my version together and kept it simple!

Obviously coordinating papers really helps with this kind of thing and I chose not to mat most of the patterned paper panels, instead using a pen to edge them.

I used the Kingston Crafts papers from last years pad and then added the large snowflake embellishments from Hey Little Magpie kit.

I then mounted the acetate sentiment on to some white cardstock and then trimmed it down to then adhere across the square and the snowflakes.

Inside the card I added some of the off cuts of the patterned paper off the desk.

Cute! Well I think so anyway!

Lovely when a card comes together quickly and I find a sketch often helps with that as the decision making becomes easier as the layout is already designed.

Happy crafting!

Catherine

I decided when I was planning for this years Christmas in July to try and not buy new products – but I relented for today’s challenge and bought this decoupage kit.

When I sat down to make this card my intention was to only make one card but then once I had made this I then got inspired to see what would happen if I took the second sheet of decoupage and mixed it up a little to make two more cards!

So in total I ended up with three cards in total!

So the first one I layered up the decoupage with glue dots and included all layers …

I teamed the decoupage sheet with the Indigo Blu tartan paper and then some lovely red enamel gems.

I kept it fairly simple using the elements from the kit on the front and the inside.

The next card I used half of the decoupage layers – only using the alternate layers and again the glue dots for adhering.

This time I did a similar layout in terms of the tartan paper but made the decoupage layer smaller and also added some green cardstock behind the decoupage layer. Then I decided to corner round each layer, including the card base.

What a fun way to change up a card!

This is quite a flat card as the glue dots only add a little dimension.

Still decorated the inside with some of the other leftover bits and pieces!

The final card is probably my favourite with the inky background with lots of splatter!

I added the tartan strip as a banner and then the decoupage on top. This time the decoupage was the leftover layers but used foam adhesive so plenty of dimension.

I think the amount of layers you get in a kit means foam adhesive is too much for using with all the layers – but this half of a kit is perfect for foam adhesive!

Inside I added the tartan strip and the little sentiment from the set.

So as I said I think this is my favourite… what do you think?

And so whilst I didn’t manage to not buy new for this years challenge I am pleased with this kit – and if you can make two from the one page it makes it really good value!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

I had put some cardstock ready in the pouch for today’s colour combo theme along with the Winter birdies set from Waffleflower so that was a lovely set to revisit as don’t think I’ve used them since maybe November last year.

And of course as they aren’t that familiar I forgot to die cut before stencilling! So I had to do the stencilling twice as only when I’d finished and die cut did I realise you can’t see through the die to cut it accurately! Doh!

Ah well – just meant I got to stack the die cuts instead using the misaligned ones underneath the second version I made. And that is not a bad result!

I did add some inking and stencilling behind the birds on the teal layer and then the little garlands I die cut look so cute hanging from the branch.

I love all the layers of the cardstock too – especially with the pop of shine from the foiled cardstock.

Inside the card I added another bird and some strips of the foil – how cute is he?

Delighted with this card! And what a cute colour scheme – a little different from the normal Christmas colours but it works well I think!

Happy crafting!

Catherine