Author: Catherine

A second blog post today because in between Christmas crafting I decided to try and make use of more of those indigo blu papers and so decided to make a tag for the Uk stampers forum with them.

I covered some scrap cardstock with one of the papers and then edged it with oxide ink and stamped onto it with the oxide and clear embossed – this added the shine and texture to the edge as well as that bit of text stamping at the top and bottom.

Then I cut some hexagons from the papers and inked the edge of them with faded jeans oxide before adhering them down to add to the background. I also added three slim rectangles too – again inking the edges first to add definition to the layer.

Next I stamped the image a few times onto different papers and some cream cardstock so I could paper piece.

Once I had paper pieced the image of the girl I cut out the butterflies and inked the edges of them. I did mount the large blue butterfly onto some scrap cardstock to give it some strength as I knew it would poke off the edges of the tag.

I added them all to the tag and then chose some of the printed words from the papers to cut out and ink and then adhere.

I then used my white gel pen to add a few little details to the elements. I think this helped bring the tag to life.

I used some dark green grosgrain ribbon for the top of the tag and decided that it was finished. So quite a patterned paper heavy tag for me this month but I think it worked well – especially to use that stamp image to paper piece.

Love it!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Today it is a colour combo prompt for Martin’s challenge and not my go to Christmas colours that’s for sure!

I didn’t quite keep to the colours as I went for darker reds and blues than suggested – but close enough!

It’s a patterned paper heavy card with papers from a magazine kit I bought just to get some fresh ideas.

I added the vellum panel which I embossed and the brads to keep it in place and then the sentiment die I added the glitter glue to give it some sparkle!

Actually really like how this turned out considering I was totally confused by the colours when I started!

I videoed the process if you want to see me put this together.

Happy crafting!

Catherine

As opposed to yesterday’s card that took ages – this took less than 25 mins start to finish!

The theme was sleigh ride and I decided to make a nice sky for Santa and his reindeer to have a sleigh ride through!

I did make it last night so the photos aren’t the best but if you want to see it come together check out my video.

Lots of distress inks and then some embossing for the image and lots of splattering!

I added a die cut sentiment to finish off and just kept it as a lovely flat card with a mat of white and a dark purple card blank.

I did add lots of spots of clear glitter glue all over the sky too so there is some shiny elements but know they don’t show up so well on the photos.

Love how it finished up!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

I decided last minute to join in with today’s challenge because I had seen so many lovely cards being shared on the group (please do check out the Facebook group!) … and I only had one idea with the prompt ‘gingerbread dream’ and that was to make the background from the little die cut gingerbread men! Didn’t think about how fiddly this would be when I started!

But look it turned out great!

I did video the process (don’t worry it’s in fast forward as it took ages to actually make the card!)

I added lots of splatters using gesso and then added the die cut frame, vellum circle and the Kraft circle for the sentiment – with a bit of dimension with the vellum raised up on adhesive foam.

The finishing touch was the little crumb cake hearts – and also a final gingerbread man inside the card (I forgot the photo of that!)

The sentiment die cut I think is exactly the right one for this card as this many gingerbread men would definitely bring me joy!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Two blog posts from me today!

Martin is doing his 30 day Christmas card challenge again and I’ve decided to join in – no promises of doing all 30 days but couldn’t resist at least making a start!please do go and checkout Martin and the Facebook group above as I know there will be loads of inspiration!

So starting off with day one Oh Christmas Tree I went for this very non traditional colour card…

I added in a strip of patterned paper left from the scrapbooking from a couple of weeks ago as the colours worked so well with the trees I cut from scraps.

If you want to see me put together this card head over to YouTube to see my process video.

I love all the textures in the card and the sparkle!

It was definitely nice to use up scraps to make this and fun to go with a non traditional colour scheme!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Hi – how is it November already? I think I blinked and missed most of October! Well as it’s the first of the month it’s time to play with patterned paper so I grabbed old magazine papers – in this case old Indigo Blu papers that came in one of those kit magazines. I decided to make two cards using mainly papers – although I did add in a little stamping, embossing and some splatter!

I also went for a new technique I had been wanting to try that Jennifer McGuire had shown in a video where your focal point pops up but folds flat in the envelope – and it worked nicely for these focal image panels. You just score a panel big enough to go behind the thing you are popping up with two score lines on each side of the panel and then fold back and forth and this creates a hinge. Just need the score lines to be same distance apart – I did mine 1cm between each. You can see the mechanism in the side views of the cards here…

On the first card I added some inking in brown and then added some stamping which I embossed which gives some nice textural and shiny interest. I also splattered the card and elements with a gold paint.

The second card I inked with a teal around the edges to make it different and added just a little stamping in teal too.

Both cards I added paper to the inside of the cards – and a little element that I had fussy cut as embellishments on the front – I repeated on the inside too.

I added twine bows for a different texture to both cards and left them both without gems or pearls as I just didn’t think I needed to add them.

Love how these came out. Such fun to play with these papers. I have so many left though so I imagine I need to either be ruthless and get rid or have a real season of getting all shabby and grungy! For now they’ve gone back in the pouch and onto the shelf – but really need to find myself using them to justify keeping them in the stash!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Today’s blog post has an accompanying video too so please check that out on my YouTube channel. It’s my DT contribution for ATSM

For the theme of die cuts and stencils I created these four cards. I die cut some leftover scraps from gelli printing and then stencilled the backgrounds for them to sit in! Clean and simple!

Yes I went clean and simple for a change!

I chose four different stencils to create my backgrounds and two different colour schemes for the four cards.

I created my oval and circle shapes using scrap and dies so that only the shape was stencilled.

I stacked my die cuts up a couple of times as they are quite delicate and this helped to strengthen them and give a little dimension to my otherwise quite flat cards.

I chose a few different sentiments and edged each of them with black pen too avoid having to mat them.

I also added some black soot splatter because I felt it needed something to make it a little less clean!

This final one is my favourite – especially love the stencilling on this one.

I chose Blackberry Bliss for the card blanks to pick up the purples in the flower dies cuts – but this also meant I needed to create a panel for the inside – so I stencilled each of them lightly with the same patterns to bring the outside of the card to the inside.

Just love how they all turned out.

Which is your favourite I wonder?

Happy crafting!

Catherine

A while ago I made a few cards using the same stamp and some gelli print backgrounds – well I decided to do it again as it had been a scrapbook heavy week so it was definitely time to make some cards instead… this time added some sewing to just make them a little different from the previous set I made!

I made four cards in total but kept them all very similar with the same embossing powder and sentiment die cut but obviously the backgrounds and the sewing element (plus the bit of background stamping I did) make them a little different!

The first two were obviously cut from the same sheet of brayer wipe off …

This one I did a full frame of the sewing and kept it very simple.

This one I just did sewing on the corners but a mix of stitch types.

For each I used a stamped and die cut Altenew sentiment with a nest of the sewing thread underneath. Two of them I added little black banners underneath too.

I also added gems to each of the cards – sometimes the dark grey, sometimes the black. And then a thin mat of the black before mounting three of them on smoky slate and one onto white for the card bases.

All in all a lovely set of textural and fun patterned cards with that fabulous bird image embossed in the dark mahogany coloured powder.

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Last weekend I bought a couple of card magazines and one had some stamps and a layering stencil so I made a couple of simple cards with the stencils as the main feature.

The clever thing about the stencils is that they are two images in one – well strictly speaking three in one as one does a panel with the top and the bottom so you could create two cards from that one!

I chopped down the two panels and then added some layers of cardstock underneath including some satin cardstock.

I then used the sentiment stamps that came from the magazine kit to finish off the cards.

I also added some flat sequins to embellish!

Loved how these both came out.

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Well I couldn’t put it away and just had to get another page done (although no title for this!)

Fiddled around with the page as per the kit suggested but with different sized photos and two rather than the one that was suggested for this page.

I added in additional elements that were leftovers!

Really enjoyed this – still got some leftovers so you never know I may end up making another page with it that are totally random!

So sorry it’s been a very scrapbook heavy week but that’s what I went with after the crop at the weekend!

Happy crafting!

Catherine