Remembering Cleo

My friend recently lost her sweet older cat Cleo who had struggled for a while with poor health.  This is a picture of her on a camping trip with her family this summer.

I wanted to make my friend a sympathy card coloring the cat like Cleo. I found this sweet image Cat Under Covers from Impression Obsession in my cat stamps drawer.

I placed the stamp in my Misti and inked the face section with Distress Spiced Marmalade ink, wiped off any ink that got on the blanket part, and stamped it onto watercolor paper.   Then I inked the top blanket part of the stamp with Distress Broken China, wiping off any of the blue that went on the cats face and stamped it onto the paper.  There is a little bit that over lapped and turned green with the mix of colors but I thought it looked ok, sort of like a shadow.  

I added Cleo's name in die cut letters using alphanumeric Tiny Type from Tim Holtz/Sizzix and cut the panel with Pierced Feature Frame: Rectangles from PTI.  The outside piece of the frame is up on foam dots.

I'm linking my card to:

The Paper Players

Stamps:  Cat Under Covers - Impression Obsession

Paper:  water color paper - Canson Cold Press

Ink:   Spiced Marmalade and Broken China - Ranger Distress

Accessories:  Pierced Feature Frames: Rectangles - PTI, Alphanumeric Tiny Type Upper - Tim Holtz/Sizzix, foam dots.

CAS Christmas - Mid Month Reminder - Cats and/or Dogs

 Just a reminder that there is still time for you to join us at CAS Christmas Card Challenge this month!  The link is open through 2/24!

For today's card, I used another fun cat image from Technique Junkies - Christmas Carol Kitty.  

The sentiment is attached to the cat stamp along the bottom - so I blocked off and stamped each line of the sentiment piece on white and punched out each line.    

The letters stamp a bit close together -  so in case you can't make it out in the photo it says  "Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree"  and "Your ornaments are history."

I stamped the cat, masking the sentiment so it would fit on the die cut center panel, and colored her with Copics.  I added three red enamel dots.

I die cut the background with a Bold Borders: Polka Dots die from PTI (not currently available).  The cat and the sentiment strips are popped up on foam dots.

So please join us and get another Christmas card made!  You'll find the CAS Christmas Card Challenge and Mr. Linky here!

I'm also linking my card to:

NBUS Challenge

new cat stamp!

Stamps:  Christmas Card Kitty - Technique Junkies

Paper:  Bristol Smooth Surface, White - PTI

Ink:  Obsidian - Altenew

Accessories:  Bold Borders: Polka Dots Die - PTI, foam dots, SU punch, Copics R29, W2, RV32.

A Wedding and a Valentine

This month Eileen Hull's Design Teams are continuing to create with her new dies.  Today I have two cards to share using her beautiful Mandala Die.

First up, a Wedding card.

I die cut the Mandala out of Vintage Cream cardstock and layered it over a piece of white cardstock that I had cut with a crimped frame die.  The hearts were cut with Eileen's Journaling Cards: Hearts die and the LOVE is from her Journaling Words.  The wedding couple (unknown die) was cut out of white and layered over the Mandala with foam dots..  The card base is Vintage Cream.

Next up, a Valentine

For this card, I die cut the Mandala out of red glitter cardstock.  I cut up a paper heart doily and adhered the heart outline onto the mandala - fortunately, the dip in the top of the heart fit perfectly under the top circle and the point fit into the point on the bottom of the mandala!  I added the stamped die cut  ribbon label across the center with foam dots and adhered several tuxedo clay hearts.

My card ended up being 5x5 so instead of making it a folded card - I made it a special card that stands up on a die cut easel - which makes is so easy to display!

Helpful Tip:  Sometimes it is hard to get a clean die cut when using detailed dies even when you run it through your machine several times.  A year or so ago,  I purchased a  Sizzix Chrome Precision Base plate for Intricate Thinlits.  The photo below shows the back of the plate where it tells you the sandwich to use - it is shiny silver on the front part.

Here is the sandwich -   Multipurpose platform for the Big Shot, the Precision Base Plate (silver side up), the material to be cut - face up; the die, cut side down and then your regular cutting plate. 

This shows my original paper heart doily and how I cut out the center of it.  It also shows my ribbon banner die (old Spellbinders).

And this shows how the doily heart fit perfectly on the Mandala!

I'm linking my Valentine card to:

Just Us Girls

Please check out Eileen's blog every Wednesday this month, where she will feature all the designs her Inspiration Team has created using her Mandala, Folio Page Pocket and Flowers, and Folio Journal newly released dies!

Wishing you a Happy Valentines Day this Sunday!

Wedding Card
Paper: White, Vintage Cream, True Black - Papertrey Ink
Accessories: Mandala Thinlit Die, Journaling Words Thinlit Dies, Journaling Cards: Hearts dies - Eileen Hull/Sizzix, Crimped Frames Die - The Greetery, Bride and Groom Die - no brand, foam dots.

Valentine's Day Card
Stamp: unknown red rubber stamp
Paper: White, True Black - PTI, red glitter cardstock - Michaels.
Ink: Obsidian - Altenew
Accessories: Mandala Thinlit Die - Eileen Hull/Sizzix, Ribbon Banner Die - Spellbinders, Small Easel Bigz Die - Sizzix, Ultra Bond Adhesive - iCraft, Heart Paper Doily - JoAnns, Chrome Precision Base Plate for Intricate Thinlits - Sizzix, Tuxedo Clay hearts - Honey Bee Stamps.

February CAS Christmas Card Challenge - Cats and/or Dogs

February already!  When our minds turn to Valentines -  the CAS Christmas Card team is also thinking Christmas!  Susan is our creative hostess this month and she wants to see dogs and/or cats on our cards this month!

I love, and have had, both cats and dogs but presently Kent and I have a sweet older kitty, so I used a newly purchased cat stamp for my card.  It's called Christmas Mug Shot  from Technique Junkies - funny right?  Luckily, none of the 3 cats I have had has ever knocked down our tree, although our present kitty, Scout, does like to hit the ornaments near the bottom with her paw! 

I stamped the image on watercolor paper, colored it with Copics and adhered the panel to a card base cut with Noted: Scalloped Square from PTI.  The card measures 3 3/4" x 3 3/4".

So we hope you will get out your cat/dog images and make a Christmas card so you won't be so rushed at the end of the year!   Check out all of the inspiration from the DT, as well as our lovely Guest Designer this month Jane ( Onions and Paper), over at the CAS Christmas Card Challenge Blog. 

I'm also linking my card to:

Christmas Crafts All Year Long

Something that Starts with C and/or D

CAT

Holly and Ivy Challenge

Anything Christmas Goes 

Merry Little Christmas Challenge

Anything Christmas Goes

 

NBUS Challenge

My jailed cat is a new stamp!

Stamps:  Christmas Mug Shot - Technique Junkies

Paper:  Watercolor paper - Canson Cold Press

Ink:  Obsidian - Altenew

Accessories:  Copics Y17, YG03, N2, E04, Noted: Scalloped Square die - Papertrey Ink.

Eileen Hull Chapter 1 New Sizzix Dies Blog Hop

Today members of Eileen Hull's Inspiration and Education Teams are participating in a blog hop showcasing her new Chapter 1 Sizzix Dies.  

Folio Page Pocket and Flowers Thinlits

Mandala Thinlit

Folio Journal Bigz Die

I made a Valentine using several of the  dies from her new Folio Page Pocket and Flowers set.  

The flower pieces layer together beautifully with such dimension. This is a 4 1/4" square card.

I used her beautiful new Mandala Thinlits die front and center on my wedding card below-  die cutting it out of a piece of glitter cardstock so it's quite sparkly IRL!  

The die cut LOVE is from her Journaling Words Thinlit die set.

Look at the beautiful detail on this die cut!  

The background was made smooshing watercolor paper into Distress Inks (Candied Apple and Frayed Burlap) rubbed on my craft mat and spritzed with water.

And finally, here is the Folio Journal I made.   

I will have a full tutorial for this  Nature Folio Journal on my blog in March.

Labeled bags tucked in here to put pretty things found on the trail and tags to write notes on.

Please hop through the blogs and be inspired by the work of the talented Inspiration and Educator teams! 

Leave a comment for each designer and you could win a Folio Journal die (as soon as it arrives!)

Join Eileen and specials guests on Eileen's  Facebook Live on Wednesday, Feb. 3 at noon Eastern.

Comment on the Facebook Live and be eligible to win either the Mandela die or the Folio Pages, Pockets and Flowers die - two winners!

Winners will be announced on the Facebook Live show on February 9 at 6:00 pm  EST. 

Here is the blog hop list of the Inspiration and Education Team's participating today!

Eileen Hull Designs
Julia Aston
Madeline Arendt
Jennie Atkinson
Karen Bearse
Susie Bentz
Sarah Lizzie Dodd
Sue Eldred
Maggi Harding
Lisa Hoel
Jenny Marples
Elizabeth Robinson
Tonya Trantham
Betsy Skagen

Valentine Card

Stamps:  red rubber stamp no name on it.

Paper:  DP - Sweet as Sugar - Taylored Expressions, white - Papertrey Ink

Ink: Obsidian - Altenew

Accessories:  Folio Page Pocket and Flowers Thinlits dies - Eileen Hull/Sizzix, Sentiment Strips die - MFT, clay hearts - Honey Bee Stamps, foam dots.

Wedding Card

Stamps:  Keep it Simple: Wedding - Papertrey Ink

Paper:  watercolor - Canson Cold Press, white - Papertrey Ink, red glitter paper - Michaels.

Ink:  Ranger Distress ink Candied APple, Frayed Burlap, True Black - Papertrey Ink.

Accessories:  Mandala Thinlit Die, Journaling Words Thinlits - Eileen Hull/Sizzix, craft mat, water mister, Precision Base Plate used with Vagabond.

Nature Folio Journal

Paper:  White Little Sizzles Matboard - Sizzix, Kraft - Papertrey Ink, DP - Forest - Stamperia.

Accessories:  Folio Journal Bigz Die, Credit Card Sleeve and Tags Thinlits - Eileen Hull/Sizzix, Alphanumeric Tiny Type Upper thinlits - Tim Holtz/Sizzix, Stick It Adhesive Sheets, ScorTape, classine envelopes, small brown bags, bakers twine, leaf charm,  Clippings Stickers - Tim Holtz/Idea-ology, Elastic Cord - Cousin, Brother Label Maker.

January Card Chain Challenge Card Reveal

 Today is the reveal for the January Card Chain Challenge.    This month I sent a card to Suze in New Zealand and I received a card from GerJanne in the Netherlands!

Here is the card I sent to Suze.

Each month we are given several design options for the card we are creating - you can do one option, a few of the options or all of the options!

For this card I used several of the options:

The Colour Palette Option -  Kraft, Blossom, Gold

The Sketch Option:

One of the Theme Options - Flowers

One of the Technique options - stenciling

I die cut a panel of white card using Crimped Frame Die from The Greetery.  I partially stenciled the panel using a Knit Wits stencil  also from The Greetery, sponging kraft ink over the stencil.  I die cut the Botanicuts: Sunflowers again from the Greetery out of Hibiscus Burst and Raspberry Fizz card.  When I layered the pieces together to make each flower I alternated the two colors.  I die cut the centers out of Metallic Gold paper as well as the leaves.

I adhered the flowers to the panel following the sketch (sort of!) two flowers are up on foam dots.  I added a Small Talk Sticker for the sentiment and then splattered the panel with Bluish Gold water color paint using a watery paint brush and tapping it with my finger.

Please check out the Card Chain Challenge and see all the cards exchanged all over the world and join in!  All the details are on the challenge blog.

Paper: White, Hibiscus Burst, Raspberry Fizz, Kraft - Papertrey Ink, Kraft Stock Metallic Gold - Tim Holtz/Idea-ology.
Ink: Classic Kraft - Papertrey Ink
Accessories: Crimped Frames Die, BotaniCuts: Sunflower die, Knit Wits Stencil - The Greetery, Bluish Gold watercolor paint - Kuretake, brush, water, foam dots.