Author: Catherine

As soon as I saw the prompt Forest Friends I knew it was time to revisit the magazine kit from years ago that I hadn’t used in such a long time!

I couldn’t decide which little forest friend to use so decided to stamp the sheet as a whole by taping it as a sheet to the platform and then inking it all.

Not all of them stamped perfectly but that helped decide which ones I used. I grabbed my promarkers and decided to do some pastel colouring!

Then fussy cut out all the coloured images – and then couldn’t decide what to do with them all!

I decided to make my own patterned paper using lots of distress oxides and a few stamps from random sets that were to hand.

It was half an A4 size piece of card so decided to cut it into two panels for cards and make two cards up for the challenge.

So the panels I cut as a full and then on an angle. I mounted it on white and then decided to choose a purple card base and a navy card base as these were to hand.

For the both I added a little stencilling with white pigment ink through the snowflake stencil to add interest to the other half of the card where the angled panel wasn’t sitting. Then I added the panels.

For the purple card I die cut a panel from a scrap of lilac for the focal images to sit on. Then added some die cut trees, the deer and the gift images.

For the navy one I added other die cut trees image and then the wolf as the focal elements.

For both cards I embossed Noel onto the pink scrap and die cut it. The sentiment is from a new Pretty Pink Posh set I bought a few weeks ago so I had some new stamp and coordinating die sentiments to choose from. This is my first use of them so will have to go and do some mass stamping and die cutting from scraps to get myself a ready made stash ready to go!

I then added some sequins to finish off on both cards.

I have still got a panel of the distress oxide paper left and lots of animals but popped them into a pouch to use another time as ran out of time to make them into something now!

Was great to use these stamps again after all this time!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Hi – this is one of the first projects I made for Kingston Crafts using the Spring collection slimline pack.

I also added one of the spring shrink plastic embellishments to finish off the card but the main feature is that beautiful paper.

I used the cover panel die from Creative expressions and die cut three different papers. I’ve the frame leftover for other projects (one of which I used the other day for a Christmas project!) but instead of using the frame element I decided to create and interesting background with loads of dimension straight onto a card blank.

I die cut the frame from white a few times and so I stacked the little elements a couple of times in most cases – although sometimes I varied it and only did one layer – and using one frame for the template I then glued them into place before removing the frame once they were all glued down.

As I used all three different patterns in the same colour way this created a great background – and I’ve also got pieces leftover to do this again with a different variation!

I added a strip of a different colour from the paper set and this became the base for my focal feature – the beautiful shrink plastic butterfly. I love the look of this when it is on the Matt side of the plastic – it gives it a classy feel I think!

I then took a strip of the plain shrink plastic and stamped a sentiment on it before heating it. This shrunk the sentiment (obviously!) and also meant it tied in with the butterfly. I did mount it into white so you could read the sentiment.

I then added sequins to finish off the card.

Happy crafting!

Catherine

I loved working with the Spring Slimline Papers from Kingston Crafts – they are heavy weight so more card stock than paper in my opinion and I think are more than perfect for diecutting and scrapbooking – so I made an 8×8 page documenting the fab flamingos we saw on our trip to the zoo!

I chose three of the slimline papers that were a muted coral colour that went well with the photo and die cut a range of circle shapes. I made sure I die cut from both sides of the paper as the pattern on the reverse is the same but reduced in size so you get some variation. I then added them in the clusters across the page to go underneath the small picture I had printed out (think it’s around 3.5×2.5 inches in size).

After adhering the circles down in place I pierced some lines across the circles and decided to hand sew with black thread.

I love the contrast this gave with the sweet papers.

Another great thing about this pack of slimline papers is that you get some sheets that are solid colours so used the coordinating coral to mat the picture. I also added a few punched hearts from the same coral colour.

I raised the picture on foam adhesive and then added it to the page. I trimmed the page down slightly and then added it to the black 8×8 panel as the base which helps to secure the sewing too.

I decided to die cut letters from black everyday cardstock as it was easier than trying to find enough letter stickers for the title.

I decided that as a group of flamingos was a flamboyance this made for a fun title – especially as this flamingo was being rather flamboyant!

I added my journalling and then some stickers from Tim Holtz and some more punched hearts from black to keep that contrast going.

Love how this ended up – and a lovely page to document our trip to the zoo.

Really enjoyed this size too and it was good to start populating my new 8×8 scrapbook album.

Happy crafting!

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