Inkyfingeredcat

Hi there! Back with another design team project for Addicted to stamps and more where our theme for the next few weeks is Christmas!

So this card came about because I had some scraps on the desk and wanted to use the Snowcapped Holidays die set from spellbinders which at the time I had only played with once (to make my parents Christmas card) and so I decided to use the small scraps and die cut the birds and some foliage. I then popped them into a pouch as at the time I didn’t need to make a Christmas card (it was actually early December!)

I decided however to then take them straight out of the pouch and make a card in readiness for future design team projects like this! So this card was actually made on the 6th December last year and I drafted this post that night waiting for the perfect moment to share it with you! 😂

I know by now you have seen these birds quite a few times as the pouch stayed out till towards the end of my craft room pack up time! But as you will have seen by now I think they are the cutest birds to work with!

So let me talk you through it … the dies all came from that Snowcapped Holidays die set but I omitted the birdhouse and branch elements.

I used random selection of scrap cardstock that was on the desk – most of these pieces were only a few square inches and so it was good to make a project from tiny scraps.

I created a cluster from the elements which I think looked pretty and then set that to one side.

I then grabbed a Garden Green for the card base and background panel (very Martin Mayhem!) I inked up the panel with some mossy meadow to provide some depth and distinction between the layers.

I then decided to deboss the panel using the Merriest Moments embossing folder – but only the edge of it – so it went through the machine twice so I could emboss both sides of the panel. I don’t think I have ever used it like this before but it was effective and I really like how it looks!

It was also fun to use the deboss rather than emboss – I chose this as I wanted the pattern to be like it was further back and not part of the focal image – again I am pleased with how this worked.

I then adhered to everything together … I sandwiched some scrap card layers under the background panel to give it some dimension but less than foam adhesive would provide.

I then tied a waxed thread bow and added a foiled and die cut and stacked sentiment to add to the front. I did add this to the front with foam adhesive as it needed to sit above the thread bow.

Then I covered the birds faces and the sentiment with some scraps of paper and went in with a heavy splatter of the shimmer spritz in Magnolia which provides a lovely gold shimmery finish.

Seriously in love with this card and how it came out. Those birds are just so cute and love this colour scheme – which of course was fairly accidental in design as it was just based on what I had on the desk.

So now I am off to see what everyone else made for their contribution to this challenge! Bet they didn’t make theirs quite as long ago as I made this! 😂

Happy crafting!

Catherine

For this sample I decided to trim down the card as the 5×7 shape makes a perfect 5×5 card – and of course can save the off cut as something to use on another card!

I decided to add some gilding flakes to create a lovely base for the main element to sit on.

I then created the little bee die cut and then added this to a die cut vellum circle.

I then added the sentiment and some gems to finish off!

A super cute card – I think that polka dot base helps to make it bright and cheery!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Good morning! I am back to playing with the card blanks from Kingston Crafts to create a fun and pretty card as one of my samples.

This time I decided to combine two of the patterns – after all you get so many in a pack you feel you can sacrifice a few to become card toppers etc.

I used the tartan as the base but the pink I cut a panel an inch smaller than the base. This becomes the base for the die cut flowers and leaves which I cut from a mix of scraps of cardstock.

I added them in opposing corners and then added the foiled sentiment across the front.

I raised this panel up on the foam adhesive to give some dimension.

I added some wink of Stella onto the flower centres to just add a bit of shimmer.

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Today I am off to see my friends at our local crop – so hopefully will have a day of being creative (and chatting of course!) … so now I’m updating my blog to share another DT project.

I made another scrapbook page using the Kingston Crafts vellums – this time I mixed a few together to make a page about our trip to the Christmas lights display at Dunham Massey.

I thought the bright colours of the vellum and the cardstock strips I teamed them with worked well with the colourful lights.

I overlapped the strips to the left hand side of the page.

I then embellished with acetate stars and the strings of lights from the acetate and vellum holiday kit and lots of sequins!

Really enjoyed putting this together!

And now I need to grab stuff to take with me to play with as I’ve not organised anything yet!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

This card came about because I was going through photos on my phone and I had done a screen shot of a card made by Vicki Wizniuk for last years 30 days of Christmas challenge that I loved and wanted to have a go at!

And so here is my version!

I punched 30 circles out and then used a panel that was just smaller than the card front and added glue to the bottom two thirds and just started adhering the circles to it – but only the top part of the circle touches the glue and the rest overhangs the row underneath. Then I used a strip of red and then the panel of the patterned paper at the top.

I then trimmed down the side and top to be around 1cm smaller than the actual card base.

I ‘fluffed’ up the circles so they had a little ‘movement’ and then decided to wrap some thread and add a bow on the red strip at the top.

Next I added my topper. I chose the Christmas tree cut apart element and mounted it on green and then raised it above the thread on foam adhesive.

Next I stamped a sentiment from a magazine set and mounted that on the green.

But before I adhered it I added the liquid pearls to the star on the tree and added additional ornaments with the pearls. This gives some additional texture to the card topper.

After adding the sentiment I added a panel of the patterned paper inside with one more circle punched out.

Thanks so much for the inspiration Vicki – I loved making this … might have to give it another go but with different papers at some point! Of course using my faves the Christmas Tags and More dsp makes it easy to find a topper or focal point to go with the card!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Hi there – my design team post for Creative Knockouts today is ‘for the kids’ and we’ve been sponsored by Dr Digis for this challenge and I chose to use Trevor’s Tremendous Treehouse for my playful card!

I decided to print a larger image as I could see there was a lot of detail in the image and then used my pencils to colour in the image, taking a bit of care to blend the colours a little give depth to the image and some shading.

I am not the best colourist in the world but I like how I did this image… especially given I did this just after getting my craft room back into operational shape a couple of weeks ago and so had been very out of practice with crafting!

Because it was a larger image I then kept the card itself pretty simple … a couple of cardstock mats under the image and then I decided to use one of the Kingston Crafts 5×7 card blanks and then spotted the pouch of scrap strips panels I had made and decided to use a couple for both the front of the card and on the inside.

I added a foiled sentiment onto the green which I think makes it a bit special with that touch of the gold – but kept it fairly simple – no bling – because it’s clearly a card for a boy!

The bright colours of the cardstock strips and the fun background really help the image pop I think – a fun card for a boy!

… although I would have loved a treehouse like this growing up – just would have switched the sign and the flag! 🤣

Happy crafting!

Catherine

The fab hello sentiment vellum was crying out to be made into a bright and cheerful card.

I kept it quite simple with the layer of vellum onto the pink card blank. I adhered it carefully in areas where I knew I would be able to cover it with an element on the top!

I added a doily and then some circle die cuts across the card.

Then I added the butterfly chipboard shapes and sentiment.

I then added some colourful enamel dots from my stash to finish off!

Such a fun and bright card!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

I did manage to find some time to get a couple of the Hey Little Magpie challenges for the (inter)national scrapbooking weekend. And I managed to film this one!

This challenge was to use the sketch Kirei gave us …

And I used this for my page to share the pictures of my Mums birthday celebration.

Used papers that were from the pile I put aside for the #100patternedpaper challenge and also some embellishments from the stash – a mix of 49& market and some HLM bits and bobs.

Love how the page came out and good to be scrapping again at my new desk!

I love the stitching I also added in to add texture to the page.

Happy crafting!

Catherine

So Kingston Crafts have brought out another set of glitter glues – some colours are the same from last time (which fortunately included the clear as that’s the one I use the most of!) – but also some new colours – a black, silver and pink- so concentrated on those colours for this fun 3d piece of artwork!

I decided to show the fab coverage that these glitter glues have by adding to the wooden stars I had in my stash. then I let them dry and created a fun textural background from lots of bits in the stash and then added a good coat of gesso over the top of the background.

Next I took the KC shimmer sprays and sprayed with both the silvery colour and the bright pink.

Again I had to set that aside to dry before glueing all the stars in place onto the front.

Then I had to decide how to finish off. I went with a heat embossed wood veneer and some black acetate stars.

I really love how this looked and just needed to then finish off with some fun offcuts of trim and ribbon to the top of the hanger.

Really is such a fun and textural project – so much dimension and most importantly shine with all that sparkly glitter!

Love how this helps to show off the new colours of this fab glitter glue! And it did get to have a brief moment on tv too – so a lovely little ‘as seen on tv’ project!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Yesterdays plan for doing loads of scrapbook challenges for (inter)national scrapbooking day didn’t exactly work as ended up at the walk-in centre with my poorly Mum. Managed to obtain the medication she needed and she had her mind put at rest on some symptoms so it was worth the change in plan, but does mean I am sharing a DT project rather than the scrapbook pages I had intended!

So I decided that I really wanted to try embossing on the card blanks and this worked so well.

I stamped the large Swallowtail using versamark onto the blue coloured patterned blank. I then embossed it with white.

This was so lovely and bright against the background. I decided that it needed a little more ink to just help to ground it so blended the Salty ocean ink on to the card around the swallowtail.

I love the shadow effect it gives it!

I kept the card simple with then a finish of some enamel dots and the sentiment.

Simple but beautiful!

Love the graphic background of the cards and how the image works on top with the embossing!

Now the plan for today is to get some errands done and then I hope for some time crafting! Maybe today I will get to those pages I wanted to make?

Happy crafting!

Catherine