Author: Catherine

I treated myself to the Colour Cubes last year to try and help me pick different colour schemes than normal so I mentioned it over on my YouTube to see if other people wanted to see my makes using the cubes, how I chose my materials to match etc and the response was favourable – so today my first video and project has been uploaded so time to share my make!

I used a random number generator and asked it to choose between 1 and 250 so I would get a card from cube 1. It gave me 144 which was this beautiful autumnal scene! Now I didn’t fancy making an autumn specific project in early January – so I chose to use the colours and with a Tim Holtz stencil created this card!

I chose to use Distress Ink Black Soot, Vintage Photo and Fired Brick and then Stampin Up Early Espresso and More Mustard inks.

The Fired brick wasn’t exactly a match but when I went over the red with the Vintage Photo it became a good enough match for me!

I also added shimmery splatter from a gold wink of Stella pen and then the die cut elements for the sentiment and the octagonal panel.

Inside the card I added two panels of the white but I inked the edge of the lower panel to match the colour of the outside.

I absolutely would never have chosen to use these colours normally for a project but really really love how it came out!

So the good news is that the cubes are doing their job in helping me keep my colour choices fresh!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

So when I had finished cutting the layers for the patterned paper cards I was left with a pile of strips – so put some to use to make this panel which I then turned into a card!

I chose to switch the direction of the strips and then wrapped some thread around at the join (it was a bit messy and needed something to cover a couple of gaps!)

I then added the stamped present element, a small bow, sentiment and some enamel dots – a fun card!

And a real bonus as it was made from scraps that I probably would have temporarily kept and then ended up throwing away as not much use for anything except stamping sentiments – and in some cases too slim for that!

I did video this one too – so please see the short YouTube video.

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Following on from last month – another project using up Making Cards magazine papers – but this one is for the Addicted to stamps and more blog challenge.

Loved that black doodled paper and the confetti paper – and that cute cycling boy was too darling not to use!

Kept the card itself simple – some layered panels. The die cut sentiment and some card candi!

A perfect birthday card for one of my great nephews I think!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

The final six cards using the patterned paper from the beginning of the month and the Cards by Kendra #kcc20 templates.

Here we go …

Card 10

Embossed the embossing and made a fun background for the patterned papers and the funky robots to sit on – really love the texture.

Card 11

Decided to add more colour with some light inking on the text patterned paper strips and also coloring in the postage stamp elements.

The background panel also full of texture with the knit design.

Card 12

Snuck in a Christmas card! When I was putting this one together I thought it would work well as a base for the polar bear who happened to be sitting on my desk (he was made from the extra bits I die cut when I made the table namecards for Christmas!)

So a slight deviation from the plan but a really cute addition!

Card 13

I chose the lightbulb image and then coloured all the elements with extra yellow ink to keep them in theme and also inked the panels for the mats with vintage photo – love this – it’s quite graphic and a bit grungy!

Card 14

Back to the teal and this time added more colour to the squiggly circles and also some white doodle lines on the black panel. Added quite a cluster of the elements but think it works well.

Card 15 – the final one!

This time I embossed and inked the background panel and instead of the die cut circles suggested on the card sketch I went with the chess piece postage stamp instead.

So that was all of the cards – here is the full batch from the three crafting sessions.

Don’t they look fab!

Really pleased with the full collection and loved that I snuck a Christmas card in too! 😂

As with the previous two sessions I did record the process so please check out my YouTube channel.

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Carrying on with the patterned paper challenge from the beginning of the month with another four cards using the templates from Card by Kendra using #kcc20

Again I videoed the process so please check out my YouTube channel.

Card 6:

This time I added some foiled cardstock layers to bring some shine and colour.

I also used the cute robots from a Lawn Fawn stamp and die set.

Card 7:

This card has the pop of colour from the teal I had paired it with to match the splatter in the Maggie Holmes paper. For the leaves, I went over the grey colouring with a dark Bermuda Bay alcohol marker which gave it a lovely teal colour.

I also added texture to the square panel using the Waffleflower cover die – I kept it flat though rather than popping up the leaves.

Card 8:

I kept this one simple – I added the postage stamps I made with the leaves and this added a fun touch.

I also grabbed card Candi for the embellishment. I love the drama of the black layers – so cool!

Card 9:

This final one just has the one panel of patterned paper which is quite unusual for the KCC templates but with the turned over corner it is so effective – and of course I went a little embossing mad!

I embossed the sentiment to the back panel of black and the edge of both panels.

My focal element I went with the Paperartsy present image.

I raised this onto foam to give dimension – and then also added the gold gems.

So these are the next four cards in the challenge – just six more to go!

Love how these came out.

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Today’s #ScrappinSaturday project is using the papers and stamps and stencil from the Crafters Companion magazine kit I’ve been using as a series on my YouTube trying to use it up on camera – this is project number 24 and the first time I thought to scrapbook with it!

The process of putting this page together was quite simple – embossed the stamped flowers with white on the patterned papers and fussy cut them.

Added a bit of stencilling in the background and lots of light shimmery splatter. Then adhered the flowers randomly along the diagonal.

I mounted the photo of craft projects on tv onto some peach cardstock and then layered some scrap white underneath to raise the image.

I then added my title, my journaling and a little extra doodling with the stencil and some black doodled dots.

Then finally added some embellishments of the little white flowers with brown beads to just finish off!

Really pleased with how this finished up – a fun page with texture and pattern but also (odd for me and the designs I usually end up with) lots of white space!

Happy that I thought to grab the magazine kit to make this page as it’s also made a good inroad into the papers 🤣 – I will find a way to finish off using them all!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Here we go – first Christmas card of 2026 and I started with my favourite purchase from 2025 – the Alex Syberia Christmas bouquet dies!

I just love these dies and these were all die cut from scraps and coloured with my alcohol markers and then adhered together into the ‘designed’ cluster.

I added glitter glue to the centres of the flowers and then set it aside. I actually made this element either in late November or early December when crafting with my daughter and just using up scraps!

When it came to assembling the card – I did stick the camera on – so you can check out the short video over on my YouTube channel.

I added the cluster to the embossed and inked panel and then added a mat of the black. I then used a black die cut foiled sentiment to bring that black in again.

I then added wink of Stella to the darker red berries to finish the front of the card which is the 5×7 size.

Next I added the panel inside the card using pink, black and white.

I added a few more of the die cut elements and the second foiled sentiment to tie it in – I then added some of the yellow glitter glue to the smallest die cuts and the wink of Stella to the berries – so inside the card is just as lovely as the outside!

Love this card and think it’s the perfect way to start off another year of #festivefriday

Will you be joining in on making cards throughout the year?

Wonder how many I will have made by Christmas 2026?

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Starting the new year with two blogposts – my patterned paper one was earlier today but now I have my design team contribution for Creative Knockouts where the theme is appropriately Celebrations!

I chose the image of Mabel with balloons from Polkadoodles and made this card …

I coloured the image using a mix of alcohol pens and tombow pens just to mix up my supplies a bit, and then cut her out with a white border.

Then I went through the scraps pouch to find colours of cardstock that went with my coloured image.

I decided to keep the actual design really simple – no patterned paper or texture or designs in the background – I wanted the focus to be on the image but then with some fun finishing touches.

I love the three bits of blue and green poking out the main topper panel – reminds me of a vision board where you put paint swatches with your fabrics type of thing!

I raised the image up on foam adhesive to give it some dimension and kept everything else flat.

I brought in the ribbon from the stash and all the sequins from a Hey Little Magpie embellishment kit and a foiled sentiment.

I love those iridescent sequins that pick up the different colours.

I also gave the balloons the bow and her hair decoration a coat of wink of Stella to bring some extra sparkle!

Love how this turned out – such a cute card and that starts my Design team contributions for the year off!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Happy New Year!

I’m carrying on with the challenge of using up my patterned paper as my first of the month project and this year I am thinking that I will try to do a Kendras card challenge each month. I’ve started with the #kcc20 for this month as the latest template has only gone live today and this was made in advance!

I started by just making the first of the five cards.

I did video the process so you can watch that on my YouTube challenge.

Card 1:

For all of these cards the patterned papers are random neutral coloured ones from the stash – some are Stampin Up, one papermania and one Maggie Holmes – a real mix!

For this one I chose to use chess based images for my focal points and mixed them up with a few fussy cut out and then the postage stamp image too!

Card 2:

This one I went with the lightbulb image stamped into the postage stamp shape. All these images I actually stamped and coloured a while ago – I think it was inspired by a postage themed card I made for the Christmas in July!

Making themed postage stamps are so much fun and so easy!

Card 3:

The focal points for this one is a bit different as it’s the scribble circles stamp from Indigo Blu. I added some white gel pen marks into this too over the top of the colouring using the promarkers.

I also added in the thread best below the sentiment banner.

Card 4:

This one I added twine both below the focal point panel and also as a bow. I loved this – almost a shame the focal point was so big!

I also love the wonky panels – more from necessity because of the fiddling I did placing them – I think they work well like this – and it’s a lot less pressure to ‘get them straight’ if you do them wonky on purpose!

Card 5:

This final card for crafting session one I went to town on … embossing and die cutting the black panel made the whole thing come to life!

I also added ink to the patterned papers too – this made them look like they went together better. The Waffleflower fall leaves set of dies and stamps and stencils worked so well for this card – and cute to see the Hugs die cut sentiment on the top!

Love these five cards – all of the toppers were mounted onto the Kraft 5×7 card blanks which gave a nice frame to the panels.

Quite a masculine set of cards but I think also suitable for females too!

I love the little pops of colour on the first and second one – and love the gold embossing on the final one!

Which is your favourite I wonder?

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Hello! Yes I managed another three cards! I kept two very similar – just turned over one of the papers to be the other side for a layer and then slightly changed the positioning of the flowers – but pretty much the same – and then the third one I revisited a technique for using up smaller scraps.

I love the white embossing on the patterned paper – it gives some lovely variation to the colouring of the leaves and petals.

The second one using the more patterned paper is quite busy but it still looks lovely!

This one using scraps and then adding gilding flakes to the cracks I love! Really fun technique. Also love the gold embossing for the double layered flower – so pretty!

So three more made – still some larger scraps and small puddle of smaller scraps left but I am getting there!

And of course the process for making these is up on my YouTube!

Happy crafting!

Catherine