Inkyfingeredcat

When I say this set is cute I am underselling it – it makes the cutest little houses with all the accessories and I ADORE it!

For years I made my daughter a new advent calendar each year until I decorated a wooden one. More recently we reverted back to chocolate ones that are bought from the shop as I lost enthusiasm for making them – and obviously she isn’t a small child anymore! But this has made me want to make one again – I’m actually thinking I might make one for me for in the craft room as I can’t think of a more fun project to do and have in my craft room on the shelves!

Anyways – let me show you the samples I made first!

I started with the actual house die.

I decided to cut mine out of green cardstock and then the roof from a Kraft colour. I die cut the house first, then chose where to add windows. Then I cut a door and a window in the door.

I then added vellum to the inside of the windows (you could just cut the frame and add it to the solid side but I went with frosty windows!

Then I cut the tiny wreath and cut it in half to make garlands at the windows … and added the red berries and then a bow on the door.

Seriously so much fun adding details. The roof shingles I inked before sticking them down and then added a wet glue onto the roof and added fun flock for the snow.

I absolutely could have then added the number for the advent calendar as the die set includes them – but I decided to leave my sample as a single house – and instead I turned it into a hanging ornament. I sealed the base of the house rather than leaving it on the folding mechanism that it cuts so that it didn’t come open when swinging on a tree branch!

Just the cutest little house! Imagine it in Kraft and decorated as if gingerbread – so many options. I’m thinking rainbow for my craft room – or at least a few pink ones! A whole village of coloured houses! Adorable!

Can you tell I LOVE this product?

And look how tiny it is compared to the middle sized Moravian star I made (I made them both on the same day!)

Ok next samples … I decided to use the dies to make an element for the front of a card.

Cut off the other parts to make it 3d but this time incorporated the opening door element – yes there is a door with a hinge type flap so you can make the door an open one!

I added the wreath around the door window frame (our neighbour did used to have one this large on his door so it made me giggle making this and thinking of his oversized wreath!)

After putting together the house I then stencilled a piece of card with a star shape to add the house to, stamped the Noel from the stamp set below and glued the house on.

Then splattered both grey ink and the perfect pearls for shimmery snow!

A few layers of cardstock beneath the panel and my card was made!

Next I made this card using the gingerbread decorating style of stamps by white heat embossing onto craft but this time just kept it to the flat card.

I added a bit of colour to the houses but otherwise kept it pretty simple.

I added the little scrap of green and then the round scalloped circle with a sentiment stamped.

Just gorgeous – can you imagine this stamped on the die cut? How cute would that be?

Ok onto the next sample…

This time I stepped away from the house and went with the tree – again this looks a little like the decorated cookie type of design but I stamped and die cut mine from green but kept to white embossing.

Then I created two small notecards and partially embossed the card, added the scrap strip of green and then a panel I had distressed and inked to ground the tree element.

Then a simple stamped and edged sentiment using green ink.

Finally added the gems for a bit of sparkle.

And then the last sample was using the stamps that are small little elements to make a fun card using just the stamps, a couple of the dies and then a bit of scrap ribbon from the stash!

I used a mix of the stamps in different pink, blue and purple colours to build the clusters and then edged the panel with a light grey just to frame the panel.

The little bobbly blue bits behind the sentiment scalloped circle are actually the roof shingles dies but thought this was a fun way to use them differently.

I also added lots of splatter and then the gems to finish off!

So all in all I think I can safely say I LOVE this stamp and die set and can’t wait to play with it more! In fact I am wondering if it might come out to play for this months Christmas in November challenge of Winter Home?

I am still not 100% back to my normal self but hoping to be back at work tomorrow and then will hopefully be able to spend more time crafting too. I did manage a little yesterday but my energy levels remain low – so expect it will be a while before I am back to normal! Whatever that is?!? 🤣

Happy crafting!

Catherine

I really wanted to add some shine to this scrapbook page and the adhesive foil is perfect for quickly adding shine!

Whilst the foiled cardstock is perfect for die cutting (my circles were die cut) I also wanted to add in some more solid panels for the strips behind the photos – and with the larger Marquise sized pieces this is easy! Just cut and stick!

I actually followed a sketch for this page (1 sketch: 3 ways) which my friend Jackie designed and it was fun to add the foiled elements in to this page about our trip to Bonifacio, Corsica.

I did add a tiny bit of stencilling to the background too using the stone wall stencil from the Christmas windows kit (odd how a Christmas set came out to play for this summery page – bust it seemed right to use it given all the fabulous stone walls in the town) – but otherwise kept the page pretty simple and very similar to the sketch.

A nice change to my sample making too being able to get a page scrapped!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

I went back to the leftovers from the Christmas in October card I made for last week and made a second card … so saved that for today’s Festive Friday.

I chose this time the snowglobe and some foliage die cuts as the focal points.

I added in the frames like last time and also a heart chipboard. I did add in the foiled die cut from the stash and this time the white nuvo drops.

And then inside I added more scraps of the paper to finish off too!

Really love this kit and enjoyed making this.

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Time for another design team project for the Creative Knockouts blog where the theme is Time to be Merry and we are sponsored by Polkadoodles who regular visitors to my blog will know I love the artwork from Polkadoodles – it’s just so cute!

I chose to use the cutest snowmen couple!

I coloured them with alcohol markers and added some gel pen highlights. I mounted the image on navy cardstock and then chose some snowy and icy themed papers for the background.

I then added in the pink foiled star die cuts. So shiny!

I die cut a sentiment out of the pink foil and then added the sentiment from waffle flower which I embossed on to the navy and die cut it out and stacked it to give it a bit of depth.

A fun card.

Happy crafting!

Catherine

The adhesive foiled cardstock in the original colours is so vibrant and perfect for Christmas cards or adding a touch of luxury to projects.

For my samples I decided to start with the red, gold and green and create a shiny floral cluster on some patterned paper. I also mounted this onto the foil so it created a lovely frame.

Love how the foil steps up the pretty die cuts.

I kept with a similar theme for this one too but moved away from Christmas to create this congratulations card with the gold leafy sprigs and the pearlescent white flowers.

I also die cut the banner from the gold and then added the sentiment on top.

The centre of the little flowers I added some alcohol ink to so they had a variation in colour.

Then back to Christmas again – the poinsettia layered die cut works perfectly with the foiled cardstock but I decided to also try embossing with it – look how fab that panel with the sweater knit works!

I kept this card quite simple with a wood frame for the embossing and a linen thread bow. Using a coloured cardstock for the base also helps.

And the final card I decided to make a modern winter scene using the cooler colours of the foil.

I know the dies I used (from the Poinsettia set) aren’t trees – they are meant to be pine needles – but I think they make fun modern trees when upside down!

So lots of die cutting the two sizes later and I created my little forest scene. I decided to go with lilac as the card base and the background panel. I added a white foiled base for the frame.

I had lightly inked the edge and then a line across the panel as the grounding for the trees – it’s subtle but can be seen in real life.

Then I finished off with the die cut word and the banner piece which I raised above the trees.

Love this modern card and would happily make more of these as the adhesive foil makes it so easy to just stick the elements into place.

Fun projects – all elevated with the shiny foiled cardstock.

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Final cards from this magazine series – and I managed four panels from the scraps. and the final little bits of scraps went in the bin so officially finished with the magazine kit!

Obviously the stamps, dies, stencil and embossing folder can still be used but the papers now finished with!

All three panels were made in the same way with adhesive cardstock as the base and then added the scraps with a small space between.

Then I treated each one slightly differently – copper embossing for this one, pearlescent embossing powder for the third one and gilding flakes on the first one.

My favourite is definitely the gilding flakes but the embossing works well too!

I then stamped and embossed the flowers and coloured them with pink ink and water.

I fussy cut them out and then used the final three sentiments from the paper kit to finish off!

So there we go – 29 videos with many many cards made! Pleased I finally finished this off! Especially as I managed to do this whilst feeling so poorly!

Checkout the full playlist here!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

This time I went inky and modern with my card for Kingston Crafts showing off the fab chipboard shapes.

I started with one of the Everyday 5×7 card blanks and inked up the centre with a snowflake stencil and then blended some more ink on top.

I then splattered with two of the shimmer spritz’s to give it some shine and glitz!

When the shimmer spritz had dried I added a strip of the striped paper and cut it into a banner. Then I added three snowflake chipboards, the banner chipboard and the word Merry.

I did raise the Merry up on foam adhesive as I wanted it to sit over the other pieces.

Such a lovely funky card! And I know the feature is the chipboard shapes … but let’s just take a moment to enjoy that shimmer! 🤩

Love this and how easy it actually was to make because the colours coordinate so well across the Kingston Crafts products.

Happy crafting!

Catherine

So I attempted some crafting – and grabbed just the magazine kit to keep it simple.

There was one large panel of paper left and the hummingbird was already stamped and coloured ready to go!

I added a little panel of the glitter cardstock.

Then the sentiment I punched the edges of the panel and then added the nuvo drops in white to finish off.

Love this!

Admittedly one of the simplest cards I have ever made but all I had the energy to do!

I left all the scraps on the table ready to come back to so imagine I will be finishing this magazine kit soon – just need to get my energy up!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

On so the main theme of this kit is the dies to make the cocoa mug but I love the style of the artwork in the accompanying stamp set so have made a few samples for the design team using those and ignoring the actual main item! I did of course also do the mug but let’s start with these other projects first!

I love the style of these poinsettia stamps – I’ve used them on other samples too as well as fussy cut embellishments. This time I embossed them on this background panel along with some of the sprinkles stars and dots. The gold embossing is so rich against the red cardstock. I did add inking the cardstock to deepen the edge too.

Next I die cut and embossed the wreath with some added ink into the leaves to add some depth and wink of Stella in the berries and bow for shimmer.

Such a simple card to make and could easily be replicated across different colour schemes too – although I love the traditional red and green with the more modern funky style of the art work.

I went with the wreath again for the next card and made a vintage feeling one.

Gorgeous brown tones for the background which I added some ink painted onto the leaves … and then added some shimmer into the berries.

I inked up the full panel but concentrated on the edge to give a vignette. Then loads of splatter!

Next I embossed and die cut the wreath again and this time just added ink into the bow to give it some depth and then added glitter glue for the berries.

I let this dry and then embossed a sentiment which I then fussy cut and adhered everything together.

For the next card a total change of pace – using the heart die cut which cuts multiple hearts at once and cut it several colours of the holiday adhesive cardstock.

Then I stuck them to a panel to form a sort of circle of hearts – so cute!

I then die cut the sweet sentiment with the stamped ‘You’re so’ stamped onto a piece of the yellow so the die cut can sit below.

So a real change of pace from the Christmas themed cards!

Ok now let’s get to the main feature of this set – the mug!

It’s just one die that you cut twice for the cup element, a die for the handle and then a die for the insert (if you choose to add that and not just use as a ‘basket’ and then the whipped cream is a really cute little die. So you can put it together so easily and then build up the elements and the decoration as you go.

Given 3D projects are not normally my go to I was nervous – but this was soooooooooo easy! I kept it simple for my first go with the aqua cardstock for the cup itself, some inked crumb cake for the insert and of course white for the cream topping.

Then I decorated with the bow and the hearts on both sides of the mug.

I then added shimmer splatter to the top – I’m thinking like those little sprinkles you get on a gingerbread latte – and decided this was a great little project!

I think I may batch make a few of these to give as gifts filled with hot chocolate sachets and marshmallows for my daughter’s friends for Christmas. The stamp set has some great little stamps – so thinking I could batch cut lots of white cups and decorate them with stamps individually to make them personal.

Isn’t it fun when your head comes up with six million ideas but you have no time! 🤣

Ok back to the samples and I went back to card making comfort zone! This time I die cut scraps of green cardstock to make the background elements – think these are like those lovely skandi cookies – although obviously I’m using them as texture rather than specific images!

Once I had adhered to the panel I inked the edge to enhance the texture and to give some depth.

Next I created a little tag with texture (Christmas embossing folder) and then added the stamped and die cut gingerbread man – so cute! He is designed to sit in the cocoa so he’s only the top half – but given I always eat the legs first I think it’s fine! 🤣 I added some white pen bits for the icing on his features.

I die cut the sweet word a few times to stack for dimension and then added the strip across the bottom – I added some ribbon and twine scraps for the top of the tag and then the sequins for shine.

So I suspect this set will be one of those I grab year after year for Christmas makes – especially those stamps – as I love the artwork so much. Good one MDP!

This set of stamps and dies were launched on Hobbymaker mid October so again this is a blogpost where I can say ‘as seen on tv’ … it was fun to see not just my samples on TV for this but those from the rest of the design team too!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

I am still feeling pretty rough but improving daily – so yesterday I wanted to see how well I would cope at sitting at the desk and decided to do some simple crafting – and so I chose to make a Christmas card and play along with Martin’s #30daychristmascardchallenhe day one.

Merry & Bright was the theme – well I ignored the actual bright element and went quite dark!

But I love the card I made. The foiled panel has been ready to use for ages – I added lots of black soot to it to darken the blue colour so it looked better with the stag die cut that I cut from black.

I die cut the label panel from shore and then stamped and embossed the sentiment.

What the photos don’t really show is the holographic nature of the foiling – it is so pretty in real life.

I love how this card finished up! I added a couple of gems to the flower centres on the dies and inside a strip of the offcut foiled panel.

So how did the test of sitting at the desk go? Well I took myself back to bed after this, recorded the voiceover for the video, uploaded the video to YouTube and fell asleep for 3 hours from the exhaustion. ☹️ didn’t even have the energy to write the blog post!

So it’s unlikely I will make a card for everyday of the challenge and so expect to see more DT sample posts – especially as there was another two hours on Hobbymaker showing my samples last night – so think I have quite a lot I can now share with you!

But for now I’m off to take paracetamol and then hopefully get myself some breakfast to help build the strength up! This virus really has knocked me for six! 😢

Happy crafting!

Catherine