Inkyfingeredcat

Now July is over I’m back to the weekly challenge of a festive project once a week – rather than the mammoth effort of daily! Having said that it might be a challenge given that I might have Christmas burnout after all those festive projects – but I will give it a go! Starting easy with these ones…

Today I have two cards made using up inky/gelli print backgrounds and the rub ons I had in my stash for years and finally found a way I love using them … and now have no more but a real urge to buy more as they look so fab on the inky and gelli print backgrounds!

Let’s start with this one … the rub on element was done a while ago for both cards and then these just sat in the box of ready made backgrounds to play with in future. Well when I came across the little Darcy Paperartsy trees I stamped and set aside I decided they were perfect for these backgrounds when watercoloured with matching colours.

This one I did doing some stencilling on the background with the enamel accents (an idea I got from old craft stamper magazines and had never tried before !)

Then I mat the background and the stamped and coloured image with black.

On the snow on the stamped image I added a bit of glitter glue just to add a little extra sparkle. And I did raise up the stamped image a bit with some cardstock behind to give dimension.

This one I added two strips of sparkly glimmer paper on either side of where I had added the rub ons. Then I used some embroidery floss threads behind the trees and fussy cut them. This time a little strip of foam behind them gave them dimension and I added the panel to the dark green cardstock.

Just love how these came out … and I have so many premade inky and gelli print backgrounds I am really tempted to order more rub ons so I can do these kinds of projects again!

Hmmmm…. Temptation is not good when trying to be more frugal with my crafting spends!

Ah well two more cards made for my Festive Friday challenge!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Easing myself back into non-Christmas projects with the usual start of the month patterned paper and this time picked up my pouch of the Sheet Load of Cards templates from earlier in the year that were already cut …

I didn’t follow the actual sketches but certainly put together some fun cards with the items in the pouches. These sort of half made projects are the sorts of things I take to crops as then I can just get on with something if I’m not inspired to do a scrapbook page and indeed that had been the intention but I ended up scrapping at the last crop and so it’s sat there untouched for some time!

The two cards were easy to put together just grabbing the ready die cut elements and the ready stamped sentiments … I did have to die cut a few additional circles for the first one but that’s about it!

All the cardstock I used was already sitting these waiting to be used and although I glanced at the sketch I didn’t follow it after that point.

I also added in a few additional die cuts like those pierced leaves.

I used the glittery gems to embellish and then the sentiment from Altenew.

Totally disregarded the sketch for this and just created the cluster of strips with an inked circle behind the panel (could have done with this being slightly larger to show more but don’t mind it just peeping out the sides.

This time chose a Waffleflower sentiment and some pretty pink gems for the embellishment.

It was certainly nice to not do Christmas for this and remind myself of how pretty this Crafters Companion paper is that my friend gifted me. Glad I’ve still got more cards to make in this pouch for either future crops or when like today I just need something easy.

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Well I managed it! 31 days of festive projects for my Christmas in July challenge! Phew! It’s been hard work at times but it hasn’t dulled my love of making Christmas projects – but glad to not have to continue at this pace!

So the final card was a mixed bag of patterned papers I grabbed from the stash and made into a panel, with inking to add to the layers.

I then added the die cut elements from Wreath Builder dies to make the focal element.

I then added the sentiment using a mix of the waffle flower stamp and the die cut Bright from the Peace and Joy dies.

I added inking to the leaves on the wreath and then added the flowers and then pulled some die cuts from the stash to enhance the flower elements.

Inside the card I added the stamped elements from the Arrange a Wreath stamp set.

I really hope this series of cards helps with inspiring you to get your Christmas cards made throughout the year and please do check out my videos. I’ve been delighted to have so many visitors checking out my creations and of course welcome more to copy or use my ideas as starting points for their creations too!

So from tomorrow we go back to more varied creations and probably unlikely to keep up the daily posting – certainly not daily videos – as more than I can cope with on a continuous basis! But of course doing some of these festive makes has also made me think of other ideas for using similar techniques with other card types – so watch this space!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Nearly at the end of this mammoth run of festive projects – phew! Won’t lie it’s been tough at times to continue – pure stubbornness kept me going!

I grabbed the wreath builder template again but this time went more mixed media in my approach by using the painty background I grabbed from the stash of ready made stuff.

I then took Paperartsy stamps and stamped in black the larger of the snowflake motifs.

Then I stamped and embossed the smaller one in white but it got kind of messy.

So then I decided to die cut four small snowflakes and add those in the centre underneath the sentiment to cover up some of the mess.

The sentiment I stamped in black and then coloured in with a purple pen.

I edged the panel and then did two mats to frame it.

I then added it to a lilac card blank I made that is 5×5. Inside the card I added the remaining painty piece onto a white piece.

To finish off the front I did add tiny purple circle die cuts as little ‘gems’ and added wink of Stella to add sparkle in a subtle way!

Again video of the process for you to watch on my YouTube channel.

Happy crafting!

Catherine

I decided to use up some distress oxide backgrounds for these cards and the lovely floral stamps I’ve had for years that came in a Creative Stamping magazine. I just love using these stamps with embossing and messy watercolour!

I actually made enough for three cards but not made the final one up yet and ran out of time when I made these so the bits have gone into a pouch ready to finish off another time.

For both these I videoed the process and you can check that out on YouTube.

I used sentiments from the Christmas to Remember set and die cut out the labels for them.

I then added the gold gems to embellish.

The background panels were mounted on white and then onto the Mossy Meadow cardstock.

There isn’t much dimension to the cards but I did stack the sentiment label and added a little scrap cardstock under the main floral element on this one.

Love how unique these are with the backgrounds and the watercolouring of the images using the distress oxides.

I did a panel of white inside the card and just stamped the little flower inside to finish off!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

I went back to patterned paper again for todays Christmas in July project with these four cards. I also got out the sewing machine to give a little extra whimsy to the backgrounds.

I chose the papers from the stash and ended up pretty much using it all with just a few scraps leftover.

I paper pieced the jumpers for the bears to match them and added a little shading and extra colour with the Stampin Blends.

I used the sentiments from Waffle flower and then the die cut banners and some leaves to create little clusters.

I used card Candi for the embellishment and then inside each card I also added some of the leftover paper cut into strips.

Each card has its own personality and I also love that some differences can come from the same supplies.

Of course don’t forget you can watch the process over on my YouTube channel.

Happy crafting!

Catherine

I finished the challenge and here are the final index cards I did for the last few days of the challenge. I know it’s not actually the end of July yet but I got a few days ahead so I thought I would share them here ahead of my instagram!

By this point I was just totally determined to get as many pieces used up as I could from the bits and bobs box and get rid of anything I would never use so these final cards were heavy on bits from the box and just trying to get something cohesive onto the card.

I also found some very old tub ons that I used just to add some pattern as they weren’t really great quality and so old they didn’t transfer brilliantly.

The final card I went overboard with the stamps as that had been the theme of the cards throughout the whole series.

Really pleased I made it through but won’t lie having this and Christmas in July going at the same time, plus trying to video everything was hard work! But overall great fun to do something creative for most days and to also use up bits I’ve been hoarding for years!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Went a little crazy and made five cards for today’s Christmas in July! I grabbed some gelli prints/ inky backgrounds and these stencils my friend designed and made some fun cards with them!

The black gesso makes the colours pop and those stencils are perfect for simple but effective cards!

Obviously the backgrounds all being made in advance and those die cut sentiments being cut and assembled in advance made this an easy job – and all five were put together in just over thirty minutes!

I videoed the process as per usual so check out my YouTube channel for that!

Having both the mask and the stencil element for the shapes meant it was easy to do both styles of card too.

Great fun to do and so easy to batch make some artsy cards!

Happy crafting!

Catherine

Went back to a design of card that I made last year inspired by Liane (@lilly7h on instagram) for todays Christmas in July project.

Loved how this came out using a different floral from last years card.

I embossed the back panel using the same stamp as the main floral and also the script stamp and some splats from Gorgeous Grunge. I then inked the edges with the Rich Razzleberry to give it a subtle difference in colour around the edges.

I then stamped and loosely water coloured the image in watercolour paper and then embossed over the top. I sandwiched some copper thread between the image and the background.

The sentiment is from a new set from Waffleflower and I die cut a few so I could stack them.

I finished the card with some gems on the outside and a panel stamped with the same image and then with some ink blending round the corner.

Loved how this came out – please pop over to YouTube to watch the process video.

Happy crafting!

Catherine

This card went a bit wrong so had to change up the design a little at the end. To see how it evolved please check out the video.

Used the clarity stamps stencil to create the background using the distress inks and pen for finishing. This creates a cute look with the bulbs that look like they glow and a hand doodled string.

Then used the Colorado crafts company for the sentiment.

I stacked the die cut word a few times for dinension and then added the little gems for embellishment.

Nearly there with my challenge and must admit each day gets more difficult but it is also pushing me to use supplies I haven’t in a while like this stencil. I really love it but have not used it in ages so it was good to get something made using it!

Happy crafting!

Catherine