Inkyfingeredcat

Once again I’m joining in with the UK stampers forum decorated tag swap – and like last month I’m also using up papers from the magazine collection I have although this time I went for full on background with more of the mandala papers.

Sorry this first photo is a bit of whiteout but it is partly due to all the shine on the tag! Once I covered the tag (which I made from recycled packaging) I added some stripes of adhesive tape and then the gilding flakes. I love the fun shine and glamour this provides – and it’s so easy!

Just don’t sneeze or cough near the flakes!

Next I heat embossed in gold the Beautiful Flowers image from Simon Says Stamp – a favourite of mine (thanks for Amy from Prairie Paper and Ink) – I did this directly onto another panel of the mandala paper (yes that’s another piece used!) and cut it out. I then glued that direct to the background – so there is the shiny embossing over the background covered with gilding flakes too! No wonder I’m struggling to photograph this tag!

Then I added two of the individual flowers which I heat embossed onto white cardstock and cut out – these are at least a little easier to distinguish! I did add some scraps of white cardstock underneath to give some subtle dimension.

Then I embossed the main sentiment from an Altenew set onto some rust coloured cardstock leftover from the cards I made for the beginning of the month.

I also added a sub sentiment just stamped in black onto the white cardstock.

I added some doodles using a brown pen to the sub sentiment and the edge of the background elements on the tag. I also added some spotty dark brown card candi for embellishment.

I finished the tag off with a few bits of string and the sequined ribbon and a brown wax melt heart image which was on the desk from playing with the wax melt kit from Kingston Crafts!

A fun and shiny tag! Those flowers are just gorgeous and love how the mandala paper became an interesting mix of the colours on the images.

Happy crafting!!

Catherine

It’s a two blog post day because in addition to first of the month it’s a Saturday and so time to share some scrapping! It’s also been a very busy two weeks in my new job so I am grateful for the weekend and getting some crafting time today (full disclosure this page wasn’t made today but I am trying to get ahead a little on the blog posts to allow for the busy working weeks where there isn’t energy or time for crafting!)

Stash busting is the name of the game with this layout and I had fun making it!

I videoed the process so you can check that out.

I used some random papers from the stash and then lots of the 49th & Market spice kit bits and pieces. I also added the distress oxides in the background and some rub ons (again 49th & market).

As much as I love how this came out I think it is time to put the rest of the 49th & market stash to one side and try and play with something else!

But it is difficult when the artwork is so pretty!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Back to that pouch of patterned papers from old magazine kits and this time only managed to make use of two pieces – but those mandala papers are just so beautiful!

This time I went cover plate mad for the cards to add some different interest and texture to the backgrounds. I used a rust coloured cardstock and cut out the two Altenew cover plates – I did have to make a little adjustment to one to make it fit the 5×7 card blank with a snip down the middle which the patterned paper element covered up!

Both cards I chose some very old Lily of the Valley digital stamps that I must have coloured several years ago (I’m guessing around 8 years ago) and they’ve been sitting in the stash waiting for their moment to shine!

I fussy cut them out and the colors of the peach and creams were perfect for the patterned paper element.

For this one I chose an anniversary sentiment with the die cut from Crafters Companion. Again I’ve owned this for many years and occasionally I grab it to play with as it makes a lovely fancy element for the sentiment!

I did raise the sentiment up a little with some strips of scrap cardstock behind them and then inlay the anniversary with white so it stood out on the patterned paper.

The second card I thought made a nice thank you card. I used a pre stamped and die cut Waffleflower sentiment.

I really love the mandala papers but they aren’t the easiest to use as they are such a focal feature in themselves but I think with the addition of that rust coloured cardstock it helped to tone them down a bit more.

For both cards I embellished with some sequins – cream for one card and peach for the other.

Really happy with these beautiful and very cute cards.

Next month going to have to use more than two pieces of the papers in the pouch as they really won’t get used up quickly if I only use two per month!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Hello! It is time for another Christmas card for my Festive Friday challenge.

I went with a large Polkadoodles image from the stash of already printed digital stamps.

Once I coloured the image with my promarkers I added some texture and shine using both glitter glue and enamel accents.

I decided to use the papers from the magazine kit I got last autumn to give myself some new bits to play with.

I added the layers together with some bright pink cardstock elements.

I then added the little die cut snowflakes that I had in the stash.

Happy crafting!

Catherine

This year I’ve set myself the challenge to make a masculine card every month! This is definitely a challenge given that I don’t really like creating things that aren’t really ‘pretty’ – but I do have to give cards to the men in my life so it’s a good plan to get some done!

I have decided this will also be a series on my YouTube channel so please go check out the process video I made!

I made a fun distress ink background with stencils and the indigo blu stamps. Then I created the two panels for the slimline cards.

I then heat embossed the lightbulbs for the focal points in detail white and the same in the background using the baked texture Seth apter powder.

On the second panel I also added some patterned paper that I inked up too!

I also inked a panel for the inside with stencilling and stamping to link the front to the inside!

Love how these came out – and actually all things considered – I quite enjoyed making them which is a surprise given I don’t like making boy cards! 🤪

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Well I managed to do the February page of my calendar before January finished so I’ve got that to share with you today.

As with last months the idea is to use old stash – especially stamps – and give them a little bit of love… and love is the right word for this month as I went with hearts for theme (valentines and all that!) …

I actually started with the Tim Holtz collage paper which I’ve not used in forever so I grabbed some of that to put on the background of the card panel I had cut. Then I added gelatos to make the washy colour. I hadn’t used gelatos in a long time so it was fun to play with them a little.

I also stamped with a grey gelato too but it was just some random script text.

Next I added the white gesso stencilling through a Bramble Fox Club kit and also some splattering.

Once that was dry I added the Paperartsy stamping – the angular hearts and the spirals. I added those in black versafine.

Then I added the Paperartsy text heart stamp which I had stamped and cut out from another piece of card so it was bright white on the panel. I then inked the edge to frame it.

All the Paperartsy stamps were designed by my lovely friend Darcy and that text heart will always be one of my favourites.

Love how this looks and now February is all ready for in a few days time to turn over the page.

But for now I will keep enjoying the Swallowtail from last month…

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Hello! Time for another design team contribution for Addicted to stamps and more and I decided to dive into that pouch of digital stamps that have been printed for ages and just needed to wait their time before I got around to using them.

And this time it was this cute Lily of the Valley image!

I teamed it with some cute papers from the Spring Slimline papers from Kingston Crafts and then played with die cuts to make a cute card.

The die cut wreath from Natures Prints and then some pierced blooms flowers became the frame for the backdrop.

I then used the large birthday die for the sentiment with the shadow. I stacked the birthday twice to give it some dimension.

Then I found the Waffleflower die that cut the happy and stacked that twice too and added a peach layer underneath.

The image I coloured with promarkers and then fussy cut the image out.

I added a strip of tape to the horizontal panel and added some gilding flakes to it- to be honest it’s not that visible for the final card but I really wanted to make something shiny!

Love this textural card with those die cuts and love the gentle colours of this card!

Now off to see what everyone else did for the challenge of using stencils and/or die cuts.

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Shrink plastic is fun to play with and the summer kit certainly had my mojo going thinking of all the uses that I could put it to! When I saw the pineapple image I immediately thought of the aloha stamp set I have in the stash so grabbed that to play with too!

Of course I actually started with the shrink plastic!

I chose to colour it with my stampin write markers and cut round the image with my scissors before having fun with the heat tool and shrinking it! This gave me a cute topper for the card. NB if you use a water reactive ink it is likely to react to any wet products you use to adhere your little embellishment – so be careful! I actually chose to adhere this upside down so the matt side was up but that’s because I think I prefer the mat to the shiny on this one!

Then I grabbed a panel of white and stamped aloha randomly around the centre point using the different coloured greens that I had used on the pineapple.

Next I decided that the main sentiment would be hugs so I stamped that and die cut it, stacking a few layers to it has dimension too!

Then I had a pause and had to decide how to finish.

So I grabbed the curved stitched rectangle dies and cut the aloha panel and some scraps of green and white. I then embossed the aloha panel with a Tim Holtz sunshine style folder and lightly inked it with yellow ink.

At this point I decided to use paper from the summer collection pack for the card base. Now whilst it is paper it’s actually quite thick so I find when I’ve added a topper and an insert it is sturdy enough to be used as a card base.

I corner rounded the edges for the card blank I made and then the same on a piece of white for the inside panel.

I then layered everything up for the front. I grabbed some white thread to make a little bow element to add some softer texture and then the green gems from the stash to finish off!

Really love this cheerful card!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

I thought I would join in with Martin’s sketch challenge ( #sketchmayhem365 ) again – this time day 18. I also filmed the process so please check out my YouTube channel.

I went with some scraps of the yellow papers from the stash …

… and then die cut the square panel out. I then raised the front up on foam adhesive over the background with the floral paper behind. This added some dimension.

I stamped the floral element which is a magazine stamp and coloured in with my promarkers.

I added foam under the flowers that hung over the square but then just glued the rest so it laid flat but didn’t dip.

I added the sentiment and the bow like the sketch and then added the full panel to the kraft card blank.

I then added the square I die cut out and a second floral element on the inside with the white panel for writing on.

Love how this came together and how I used the sketch to inspire me.

Thanks Martin

Happy crafting!

Catherine

I made a few 8×8 pages using the Kingston Crafts Everyday stories kit – this time just for fun not for DT work.

Fun to put three pages together that were quick and easy to do!

Happy crafting!

Catherine