Author: Catherine

I’ve gone a bit rogue and made a Christmas card from the Summer Collection papers from Kingston Crafts – because I could! They didn’t share the summer collection on the tv but I wanted to get this card shared now as part of my Festive Friday and prove again just because they are designed with one thing in mind – you can always change it up!

I took the star paper and then a piece of the solid colour paper and created the panel for the back. Then I cut individual stars out of the other side of the paper to include the larger stars and then cut scraps of glitter paper with a small star die.

I took another piece of the blue solid paper and die cut several of the large stars so I could stack the big star up and then added some ink with a blending tool. I then splattered the shimmer ink too.

I added the sentiment from the Peace and Joy set which has the two layers so I could do a sparkly layer too!

I made the card blank from the same solid blue which is a little weak for the base but I know with the insert it makes it a bit more sturdy.

I inked up the edge of the base so it had the contrast and added the top panel with some foam adhesive to raise the dimension.

Inside the card I added the panel of white cardstock and then a strip of the paper and some stars and another sentiment to keep the theme going.

Really love how this turned out – a really fun Christmas card and proof that I can always find something Christmassy to make!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Today’s colour combo led me to this card …

Yes pretty clean and simple for me!

Blended some ink with a post it note mask for the sky element and then a soft blend with the mask removed for the ground. I used sweet sugarplum ink for the blending but also went over it with my purple blending brush with whatever ink was left on that to make it more lavender. I did the same for a mat layer to keep the colours similar.

Then I stamped the tree using Starry Sky and watercoloured it with the same ink – I didn’t use watercolour card for this so the card I used reacted strangely to the water to make the ink hold more in some places than others but on such a small image I don’t think it matters.

I then stamped and embossed the little snowflake clusters with silver embossing and splattered the whole panel with silver acrylic paint. Love the effect of this!

I decided to stamp the sentiment in the same starry sky ink to coordinate.

I then edged the top panel with Night of Navy ink before layering it onto the mat and then the card blank is Night of Navy cardstock.

I then added gems around the sky for even more shine and called it done!

I love these Tracey Hey Alpaca Pals stamps so much – really can’t believe it took me this long to buy any Christmas themed ones from her!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Hi – this theme seems appropriate as we have actually had snow this week!

I went for a texture heavy card!

I inked some lilac cardstock and then ran it through the snowflake embossing folder. Then did lots of splatter – both the purple inks and silver acrylic paint.

Then I took lots of the snowflakes I had die cut from scraps a few weeks ago when I was have a mojo less just create session – and added those all over the panel – I adhered them only in the centre so they retained some dimension at the edges.

I fussy cut a printed sentiment banner from a magazine kit and added it to lilac cardstock to give it strength and then added it using foam adhesive to give more dimension.

I added the panel to a darker purple base and added a white panel inside. Then the finishing touch was to add some small purple gems scattered around the sentiment banner.

Love how this came out and glad the sun decided to shine when I took the photos! Helps show the shiny splatter and the texture!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Hello! Today I have another one of the projects I made for my design team contribution for Kingston Crafts. The main focus for this was the Spring Collection Slimline pack.

I decided to make a rainbow 🌈 themed card – because the paper is so flipping cute! I decided to die cut the letters of happy from the front panel and make a slimline card from the slimline paper!

I then cut the letters again from green cardstock to stack the letters so that they would sit with dimension when I added them in and then added the rainbow die cut letters onto the top.

I then cut the panel down using some slimline rectangle dies and then added a frame of green.

I decided to cut another panel of the slimline papers – this time the diagonal rainbow stripes and then cut another frame from one of the other papers that had a mix of the rainbow colours and stuck that down on the edge of the slimline card.

Next I worked on the rest of the sentiment. I knew that I wanted to use this old stamp I had but that would be too large for the front of this sized card but then I remembered the shrink plastic kit also has 2 plain sheets you can stamp onto and then of course you get a smaller sentiment when you shrink it!

I also chose to use three shrink plastic hearts from the spring kit and added those too!

Inside the card another frame (I am loving these slimline dies for easy layers) using that striped rainbow.

Loved this rainbow themed card and really should remember to die cut letters more for this raised pattern effect as it looks so cool!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

So I know the prompt was ugly sweater but I can’t do ugly – especially not with the cute polar bear!

I actually started by stencilling directly onto the card blank using new to me stencils – tartan from Sizzix (they were on sale in the local craft shop and I couldn’t resist!)

I decided to choose blues and greens and one colour per stencil layer.

When that was done I stamped the jumper for the bear and then masked it with a version I stamped on a post it note and then stamped the bear. I didn’t do it perfectly but could correct the line art with a black one so it was good enough! I then used my promarkers to colour in the jumper and add shading to the bear. Next I fussy cut him out.

I grabbed a scrap of cardstock and embossed it so he had a base to sit on. I then swiped over the exposed white core with the ink and this gave it a two tone look. Then I layered it up and kept everything flat for a change.

I used a sentiment from the stamp set and stamped it and mounted it onto the green to add a frame.

Then I finished off with the sequins in a colour I thought worked with the rest of the colour scheme.

So not ugly – but it is a bear in a lovely sweater!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Today I have a card for Martin’s challenge where the prompt is Wrapped In Wonder …

… I also decided to video so you could see the process!

I decided I wanted to use up some bits off the desk – the leftover sentiment from the colour prompt project from a few days ago and that die cut frame background. That was a leftover from another project I’ve not got around to sharing yet! So that gave me my colour scheme for my parcels.

I stamped lots and lots of the parcels in all four colours I chose and then added silver decorative elements to them with heat embossing.

Then I took another stamp set and added some leaves and flowers using the same ink colours to watercolour.

It was fiddly to do all of this because there was a lot of fussy cutting – but not difficult fussy cutting thanks to all those block shapes of the parcels.

I created my big pile of parcels on the die cut frame – then added the words and the leafy bits to finish the front.

Inside the card I added more parcels because I had some left over …

… but left plenty of space for the message to be written!

Loved how this came together!

Gems were added for the finishing touch!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Another of those projects I can claim ‘as featured on tv’ because Martin did a great job of showing it off on the show on the 9th November! I grabbed a little pic of the tv just to show you here (and to keep for my memories of course!).

I found a heart ornament in my stash and I figured it was a good way to showcase the super glittery nature of the glitter glue kit.

This was a stop and start type of project as it needed drying time – My hint to everyone trying something like this is to put it somewhere safe out of reach when drying so you don’t end up putting your finger in it mid drying! Please trust me when I say the urge to touch it is really really tempting! 🤪

I started with a base of the teal glitter – I spread it with my finger to get an even coat but when it had dried I thought it needed more – so a second coat was applied in the same way and I left it to dry overnight.

I decided to then dig around in my stash of paper flowers that I rarely use to decorate the hanging heart.

I chose 2 blue and one pink and a cheerful sentiment to finish off.

I then chose the teal ribbon to create a little hanger for the heart.

The sparkle in this glitter is amazing. It’s just so intense.

It coated the white heart so well and dried perfectly so it wasn’t shedding the glitter as it was adding the flowers and sentiment.

A sweet gift to brighten someone’s day I thought!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Another colour combo challenge today from Martin and I decided to join in!

I actually had a little bit of a change of mind half way through making the card so probably easier to see how it came together on my YouTube video.

Not 100% in love with the final card but I do think it is quite cute!

Just very busy! I certainly threw a lot at it!

Mainly used waffleflower stencils and dies which I adore – and I love the colour scheme for the background and the same for the words. Just think maybe all together it is a bit much!

Ah well – sometimes it’s not totally brilliant – but I liked it enough to continue and to share it so not saying it’s horrible – just a tad too busy!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

I did spot this card in a panning shot on the tv … it was cool to keep yelling out to the family (I made them all watch!) “I made that!”

It was featuring the fab Everyday cardstock kit.

I decided to make up a floral card which is my usual go to!

I started with just some strips of the pinks and purples and then decided on the pale grey base. I made up the front panel and then die cut the oval before putting it back in place and deciding to emboss the embossing for the full panel.

With the folder I chose it made it quite vintage and the added clear emboss worked well at enhancing the colour of the cardstock without too much of an obvious pattern.

I then stamped and white heat embossed flowers from the Altenew Smile more set straight onto the grey cardstock. I then used my distress oxides to watercolour the images.

This gave them a lovely finish and I was pleased with how well the cardstock coped with the bit of watercolouring. I die cut all the pieces out ready to assemble some floral clusters.

I decided that the oval needed to be smaller to have the grey poke through so I die cut it again and then adhered everything into place. I did raise the largest of flowers onto foam adhesive.

I added some clear gems around the sentiment that I also raised onto foam adhesive to give it some dimension.

Inside the card I added a panel of white and then used the oval frame I had left to cut in half and adhere to the inside to give it a little interest!

Love how this card came together and it was fun to stamp and colour images on grey rather than white for a change.

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Hi – back with another card for the #30dayschristmascardmakingchallenge that Martin hosts and todays prompt was Mistletoe Mischief.

So I went with a couple of stamps from a magazine kit! in fact there was mainly magazine kit stash used on this both new and old!

I started with the main image of the mistletoe and stamped it twice and coloured it with stampin write markers and then the same for the bow. I then cut them out, layered them up and adhered them into the little cluster. It was quick thick cardstock so it holds the loose shape well so there is some dimension to the cluster.

Next I grabbed a die cut circle that was in the ready die cut pouch – not sure how long I’ve had this ready made for but it’s been a while!

I used a stencil from another magazine kit to add some gentle colour and pattern behind the focal image – you can’t tell from this but it is a snowflake design.

I decided to add the mistletoe cluster to this and then added the main sentiment (Waffleflower) over the top with some foam at either side to protect the dimension of the cluster.

Then I grabbed the lighter green cardstock from my Everyday cardstock from Kingston Crafts. I created the card blank and a separate panel to raise up. The panel I used an old magazine kit embossing folder which has a poinsettia design and the merry Christmas message. I sanded back the embossed panel to expose the white core which is such a cool technique you can do with this cardstock.

Then I raised this panel above the base with foam adhesive and then added the circle to the front flat onto the textured surface.

Then it was time for finishing touches and I used both the clear and the lime glitter glue from Kingston Crafts. I added dots to the circle elements in the embossing folder and to the mistletoe berries and the centre of the bow using the clear – and then the berries in the embossing folder I added the lime. It is subtle but provides some lovely little elements of sparkle!

Really pleased with how the card came out and all the textures.

Sorry the final card is a little dark – not sure what happened – maybe there was an extra dark bit of cloud at that point in the sky!

Happy crafting!

Catherine