Inkyfingeredcat

I looked at the patterned paper in the pouch I had already set aside I wasn’t inspired to use it so instead decided to use the papers from the Indigo Blu magazine I bought as a second ‘use up a magazine kit’ challenge and combined the two challenges together – using the papers to make a Cards by Kendra set of cards using templates for #kcc23

I of course videoed the process … and just getting to these first five cards took a few sessions of crafting as I wasn’t very well at the time and could only sit for short periods.

But let’s get on with card 1…

This one I added the stencilling using the stencil in the magazine kit and of course the gorgeous sunflower stamp.

I had stamped a lot of the images from the kit on the scraps of cardstock left from the cutting of layers and this gave me lots of choice for the focal points.

Creating the focal points in bulk is really helpful when assembling as you can audition different elements easily.

Card 2 …

This set of templates included quite a few with fiddly strips and tiny pieces and as a result I enjoyed the cutting of this set much less than normal.

I think the designs of the final cards are still fun but probably this isn’t a set of templates I will revisit as the fiddly element puts me off! Not for example sure the position of these strips is quite right – but I do think the final card works well!

Ok card 3 …

Again another design with strips … and but what I loved about this was the combo of the coloured papers behind the focal point. Such pretty papers in this magazine kit.

I teamed it with a range of different coloured cardstocks for the layers from the stash. I used both pastels and that zingy green – and then pulled in white and black too.

Card 4 …

Having stamped a range of both sentiments and focal points on different colours of cardstock gave me a few options with colouring the images and styles of adding sentiments.

I used both inks and shimmer paints dependent on the images and the cardstock colour. I also did some as fussy cut images and others as straight panels. it was fun for this one to cut out the individual elements of the sentiments… I did the same on the next card too.

I also added ink to some of the other panels … this one I had also stamped and embossed the background although it’s not very evident from the final card as those green panels take up a lot of real estate!

And the final one – card 5 …

Whilst I hated cutting those semi circles during the cutting phase of the make (my punch was playing up!) – I love the finish this card has with the semi circles popping out at the bottom of the horizontal strip! So cute!

Really happy with how this came out – and really think these papers were perfect for the challenge as they both coordinate and offer lovely contrast.

And those focal elements – especially the sunflower – are so great and easy to use!

The remaining 10 cards are sitting in their envelopes ready to be made so they will be done for future posts.

Look forward to sharing them with you once I get them made! 🤣

Happy crafting!

Catherine

I decided I had been neglecting my scrapbooking including my 100 patterned paper challenge so decided to join in with the 30 days of sketches with Christy’s Beautiful Life ( #30dscbl22) for series 22 – now it’s highly unlikely I will do everyday – but I wanted to get at least a few done! And decided to do at least this one as a process video.

Started with day 1 and the sketch provided by Melissa Minor

And I scrapped photos from our Sardinian holiday where they did a Sardinia night at the hotel complete with traditional dancing which Vin joined in with! 🤣

Loved putting this cheerful page together and I think it just about worked with the sketch!

It was also great to get some of the die cuts and random embellishments used.

Thanks so much for the sketch … wonder how many other pages I will make this month?

Please do check out the playlist online for loads of inspiration – or the FB group!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Three blogs today! Madness! It’s like buses! 🤣here is the first one! Others to follow later on today!

Ok the design team project for this fortnight at Creative Knockouts is to make something full of sparkle and shine and using a digital stamp from Star Stampz.

I decided to make the image the main thing for the card … I watercoloured the image and then added both some shimmer with the gel pen for the snowflakes and some glitter glue for the tree and the snow.

I added it to a mount of glitter cardstock and then some patterned paper for the base.

So I think that covers the sparkle … but also added the shine with the puffy sticker sentiment!

Jobs a good’un!

Sweet card!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

I went back to revisit a theme I’ve already done for Make it Masculine but this time using some different stamps and a very different creation!

Again as I’ve been poorly I was on the last minute with this one but managed to get to my Make it Masculine card (with process video) just before the month ends!

Not going to lie – it’s a busy card! But I think it is also lots of fun!

An inky stencilled background (my nod to the use stencil theme at Just Us Girls) and then my music notes stamped made it already quite busy … and then I added the stamped, coloured and fussy cut instruments etc.

I also added some silver splatter and the silver around the sentiment panel.

The instruments I raised up a little on scrap cardstock strips and then the sentiment on foam adhesive.

I also raised the full background panel on foam too – so quite a dimensional card.

Inside I added the stencilling again and stamped music.

Finishing touch was the grey enamel dots – they finished it off nicely I think!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Entering in the challenge at Just Us Girls

I decided to go back to using those favourite dies of mine – Christmas Bouquet by Alex Syberia for this design team project for the latest challenge at Addicted to Stamps and More where our theme is Christmas!

I went with a totally non-traditional colour scheme with the aqua, pink and black … because … well why not?

My card base I added stamping to using the Altenew Poinsettia with the same colour stamping and then added a bit of watercolour – this just added a little bit of subtle pattern.

Then two layers of cardstock in the peachy pink and the black. This gave a nice base for the floral cluster to be added to.

I added glitter glue to the centre of the flowers and then shimmer spritz which I painted to the larger berry elements.

I had coloured the die cut elements with alcohol markers quite a while ago and put together the floral cluster at the time and then had these sitting in a pouch waiting to be used.

I used the die cut sentiment (again this was already done in a pouch) and then added the stamped elements using that same poinsettia stamp set from Altenew. I used that to also decorate the inside of the card with a subtle bit of stamping of the image and a sentiment.

Love how this card came out – a lovely modern take on a floral Christmas card.

Happy crafting!

Catherine

So I always try to come up with some simple projects that can be mass produced but have touches of individuality to them when I think of my design team projects as I think people start to see value for money … so that was what these cards were about as they just needed white cardstock, and embossing folder and ink for blending and glue … and of course the chipboard pieces – and goodness me there are so many to choose from in this box of chipboard elements!

Now I did choose two different embossing folders and ran them through with a shim that is missing the centre circle to only emboss the outer parts… then I gently brushed some ink over to highlight the embossing and to create a shadow behind where the chipboard would sit.

This one I added the lantern to and then just dabbed a little glitter glue onto the foliage for shine.

Because the embossing folder gives the words I chose not to add a sentiment to it and kept it clean and simple.

This one I added three chipboard shapes to and lifted the Santa Claus Lane one onto foam adhesive above the other two … again I added some glitter glue but this time just to the trees in the truck.

Love these simple cards that could easily be mass produced but with different chipboards from the many in the pack!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Finally the Holly Jolly products from Kingston Crafts have been released on Hobbymaker. I’ve been waiting so long to share my makes for these with you. It was good to see so many samples on tv yesterday with Martin – plus Martin demo’ed some fab samples too – I will have to do a copy at some point in the future of what he made as they were so cute!

So the Holly Jolly range of products are clearly designed with Christmas in mind but they don’t have to just be about Christmas – and so I made this appreciation card to prove it – don’t worry there will be plenty of Christmassy makes too – but this was my usual ‘what else can I do’ type project!

I started with the diagonal stripe vellum as the background on this card and then a panel of white before I added the floral elements which were cut from both the printed vellum (for the leaves) and the slimline papers (for the flowers)

I absolutely love those patterned vellum leaves – so so pretty!

And I loved mixing the patterned slimline papers for the die cuts with solid layers.

I finished the card with some enamel dots and the foiled and die cut sentiment.

Such a pretty card and not Christmassy at all proving that it is a flexible range of products.

Happy crafting!

Catherine

I really wanted to use the balloon dies that were launched this week on Hobbymaker from My Diamond Press to create a title for another scrapbook page and went with an 8×8 page – I’ve been enjoying working in this size!

I decided to scrap this collage picture of some of the scenes I photographed when we visited Lyme Park.

And of course green and blue are the colours of the day as we had such great weather at the bank holiday weekend in May when we visited.

The base is a very soft grey blue and then added the panel of white. I sandwiched below and above this panel a scallop that I had cut from the sky blue adhesive cardstock. Then I cut the balloon alphas to spell out Lyme Park in alternate colours.

I decided to adhere them in vertical columns with the base of the letters raised on foam but the top part flat – it was fiddly but I think worth it in terms of the dimension and design.

The photo itself I had mat it with the light grey blue cardstock so it was in keeping with the base. I then added my journalling across the top and bottom of the page.

I love this – very different scrapbook page for me but I think it really works! Love these balloon letters for adding a bit of fun to your creations!

And this is my Scrappin Saturday for this week!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

I’ve unfortunately been poorly over the past few weeks so I needed to make something simple for this months Christmas in September where I chose the theme of Christmas Pudding!

And then I realised I had NO Christmas pudding based stash! Doh!

So I went to Polkadoodles and found the cutest Christmas pudding themed digi stamp and this became the main focal point for my card.

I went with alcohol markers for colouring and then die cut the circle.

I then grabbed some scraps of Christmas paper from my stash to make the background!

To finish off I used an acetate sentiment from Kingston Crafts, some card Candi. some wink of Stella and glaze for the nose of the cute little hedgehog!

Inside I added a leftover bit of the paper!

Simple ! And you can check out the video here!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Today the my Diamond Press Bitsy die cutting machine has been launched on Hobbymaker and I have been waiting so long to share the samples I made with the products that went on sale today! Let’s start with the everyday word border dies …

The everyday word border dies from My Dimond Press are going to be a go to set in my life … 12 different sentiments and perfectly sized for a range of card sizes. And all can be cut using the new Bitsy machine – no need to get a big heavy machine out!

Today’s blogpost is all about the samples I made but be prepared you will see these die cut border sentiments appearing a lot in future!

Started with patterned paper panels for this one …

Coordinating cardstock for both the mat layer and the sentiment and then pulling the same into the flower die – makes this into a lovely coordinated card – and I’m imagining you could repeat this design easily with different papers and focal elements.

Next up I went with layers of vellum and three sentiments!

I thought the sentiment borders were perfect for edging the panel in the middle – and then finished off with the sentiment cut from the adhesive glitter paper from My Dimond Press too!

I did slightly raise that central one just under the words too by die cutting a couloir of other but cutting them at the end of the words and stacking them. Simple but effective way of boosting the impact!

And of course that was a different size of card … but the sentiment border lines tucked nicely round the panel.

Next up a DL card and whilst the border isn’t as long as the full panel I still think it worked well.

This one I kept pretty simple – two layers of pattern onto the DL and then some layering butterflies which I had inked and then spritzed and added the glitter glue to the bodies!

Pretty but very effective!

Next up I went with standard C6 sized card and this time I turned the sentiment to go on an angle.

Hindsight is a great thing but I wish I had stacked the sentiment to give it more dimension so it would sit as high as the puffy stars but hey ho … still fun and good to have a longer sentiment that works at the angle!

And finally … this floral and bright hello card is again C6 sized and this time the sentiment tucked around the width of the landscape card is perfect!

I love the mix of fonts and the different ways the dies are designed – just so practical for lots of projects.

Really happy with all the cards I made and how well the sentiments worked … and as I said earlier be prepared to see them many more times as I know outside of the DT samples I will be grabbing these often! oh and guess what – there are similar designs for Christmas sentiments too! So yes you’ll be seeing those soon too! 😍

And once again I am happy to say some of these are ‘as seen on tv’!

Happy crafting!

Catherine