Throwback Thursday #8

Hello, everyone!  Before I go any further, I would like to extend a warm welcome to my newest follower - Violette - so happy you joined me!  By the way, Violette is having a giveaway on her blog. She is working towards 100 followers, so if you'd like to check it out, please tell her that Kitty sent you!

I've had a busy week and have not been crafting at all, so I am reviving a past card and blog post so I can join Bibiana's Throwback Thursday Challenge. See all the details here. Anyone can join, and there are still 11 days left to enter, according to the linky at Stamping with Bibiana.

There is an optional theme of Mother's Day but I chose this card instead.  I originally posted it on my blog in September 2013.  It did end up going to my Mom, not for Mother's Day, but "just because." My parents aren't getting any younger, so I often send them cards for no reason other than just to let them know I'm thinking about them. As I was browsing my old cards trying to decide which one to bring back to share, this one said "pick me, pick me" so I did!  I really like the colours I used!

You can read all the details about my card on my original blog post.  Below is the challenge badge but you can also find it on my left-hand sidebar.

Challenge #8

Thank you for looking at my card!  Wishing you a joyful day!

Glitter n Sparkle DT - Easel Cards

Hello, everyone!  It's Sunday, so that means we have a new challenge for you over at Glitter n Sparkle Challenge Blog! This week our challenge is Easel Cards.  I don't tend to make many easel cards but each time I do, I wonder why I don't make them more often - they are not difficult at all.  I hope you will join our challenge!

For my easel card, I chose the adorable Snowflake Butterfly from Digi Blessings at Stitchy Bear Digi Outlet. This digi comes with the image and sentiment that I used on the inside of my easel.  I coloured the cute image with Prismacolor pencils, die-cut into a circle, and added clear glitter and tiny gems to the snowflakes.

This is a Christmas card but I decided to go with non-traditional colours.  I was inspired by the colour challenge over at The 12 Months of Christmas Link-up (see below). I created a little scene to celebrate the excitement and joy of the first snowfall of the season. The DP is from Bobunny's Snow Day, and the treed landscape was made by die-cutting Lawn Fawn's Forest Border twice and staggering them. The sentiment on the front of the easel is from Daily Happy Quote and I hand-cut each into a fishtail banner shape.  

I added some other fun die cuts:  Memory Box Precious Mittens, Impression Obsession Snowflakes Small (snowflakes on mittens), and Impression Obsession Christmas Icons (snowman and ornament). You will notice I used inlaid die-cutting for the ornament. To finish off the front, I added two strips of gems and some individual gems.

Here's a close-up of the sentiment that comes with this digi.  The die cut along the bottom is Joy Craft's Ice Crystal Edge, and I added two tiny gems.

Here is the colour inspiration I mentioned earlier, and I believe I managed to use all but the yellow:

The 12 Months of Christmas Link-up

Please come over and join us at Glitter n Sparkle for our Easel Cards challenge. We have some fabulous prizes up for grabs again this week!

I would like to support the following fun challenges:

1. Christmas Cards All Year 'Round Ornaments UE
2. Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra April UE
3. Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper April UE
4. Digi Designs Fun/Fancy Folds 1/3
5. Holly Jolly Christmas Trees
6. Papertake Weekly Cute and/or Button 3/5
7. Rudolph Day April 1E C10
8. Stitchy Bear Stamps Facebook Group April AG UE
9. 12 Months of Christmas Link-up Christmas with Optional Colour Challenge 1/3 (Top 3 and Random Winner)
10. Winter Wonderland Sparkly and Bright (used gems and clear glitter) 1/3

Thank you for looking at my card!  Wishing you a joyful day!

Watercolour Kitty (Newton's Nook stamps)

Hello, everyone!  Today I tried watercolour - I say tried because it's harder than it looks!  I used an adorable stamp from Newton's Nook - Newton Dreams of Paris. The sentiment is from Newton's Nook - Newton's Birthday Bash.

I started with the background and created a cloudy sky with watercolour and then die-cut it with Simon Says Stamp's stitched rectangles.  I like how the background turned out!  Kitty and his hot air balloon were much trickier!  I heat-embossed the image as I thought it might help me stay inside the lines. I chose silver embossing for something different, and I heat-embossed the sentiment in silver as well. I fussy-cut the image and popped it up with foam tape.  I finished the card according to the Inky Paws sketch challenge over at Newton's Nook (shown below). The fish-tail banners are made from washi tape. Here are the stamp sets I used, along with the sketch.

I would also like to support these fun challenges:  7 Kids College Fund AG UE (TOP 3); Brown Sugar AG 2/2; Crafting from the Heart AG 3/3; Creative Inspiration AG Option Sketch UE; Cute Card Thursday Clean and Simple UE; DL.ART April Linky AG UE 1/day; Fresh Brewed Blog So Cute 2/5; Inspiration Destination AG UE; Inspiration Journal Everything Goes UE;  Jo's Scrap Shack Bunny Ears, Whiskers, Puppy Dog's Tail 2/3; Little Scrap Pieces Show it Off Saturday 1E; Love to Scrap AG 2/3; My Craft Creations April AG UE; Not Just Cards AG UE; One Crazy Stamper  AG 5/5; Papertake Weekly Cute and/or Button 3/5; Penny Black and More Birthdays 1/3; Penny's Paper-Crafty Use Spooled Items (washi tape, twine) 2/3;  Quick Creations Furry Animals UE; Sentimental Sunday Animal Love 3/3; Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Clean and Simple 3/5; Sister Act (Cards Only) AG UE; Stamp and Create April AG 1/wk 4/4; The Outlawz CAS on Sunday Something Different (watercolour, silver embossed-image) 1E; Word Art Wednesday AG w Uplifting Sentiment 3/5

Thank you for looking at my card!  Wishing you a joyful day!

Precious Princess (High Hopes stamp)

Hello, everyone! I would like to welcome three lovely new followers - Jennifer Scull, Dottie Seubert, and Pamellia Johnson - so happy to have you here!

Today I have made a kitty card! My favourite type of card to make LOL!  I stamped the adorable Precious Princess from High Hopes Rubber Stamps, coloured her with Prismacolor pencils, and fussy cut.  I love playing in the High Hopes monthly challenge - their stamps are the cutest!

I made the background by smooshing Spun Sugar Distress Ink, spritzed with water, onto white cardstock.  I added strips of washi tape on a diagonal, and you will notice the washi tape features butterflies and lace - I wanted to play along in Mrs. A's Butterfly Challenge - the theme is L for Lace plus butterflies. I stamped a sentiment from My Favorite Things - I Knead You clear stamps, and mounted the white panel on hot-pink cardstock. To finish it off, I added a few sequins. 

Here are the stamps I used:

I would like to support these fun challenges:  Aud Sentiments Things with Wings plus Sentiment 1/5; Blessings Ink Amusing Challenges Feminine 1/2; Brown Sugar AG 1/2; Butterfly Challenge Butterflies + L for Lace 1/3; Come and Get It Things that Start with B (butterfly, bow on kitty) 2/3; Craft Your Passion AG 3/3; Crafting from the Heart AG 2/3; Creative Inspiration AG Option Sketch UE; Cute Card Thursday Clean and Simple UE; DL.ART April Linky AG UE 1/day; Fresh Brewed Blog So Cute 1/5;  High Hopes Stamps April AG 1/3; Inspiration Destination AG UE; Inspiration Journal Everything Goes UE;  Jo's Scrap Shack Bunny Ears, Whiskers, Puppy Dog's Tail 1/3; Kitty Bee Aloha Friday Girly 1/2; Love to Scrap AG 1/3; My Craft Creations April AG UE; Not Just Cards AG UE; One Crazy Stamper  AG 4/5; Papertake Weekly Cute and/or Button 1/5; Penny's Paper-Crafty Use Spooled Items (washi tape) 1/3;  Quick Creations Furry Animals UE; Sentimental Sunday Animal Love 2/3; Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Clean and Simple 2/5; Sister Act (Cards Only) AG UE; Stamping Sensations Pretty in Pink 2/3; The Crafter's Cafe Ribbon and/or Lace (lace washi tape) 1/3; The Outlawz Twisted Thursday Add a Sentiment 1/2; Unruly Paper Arts Animal Instinct 3/3; Word Art Wednesday AG w Uplifting Sentiment 2/5

Thank you for looking at my card!  Wishing you a joyful day!

April Showers Bring May Flowers

Hi, everyone!  Today I'm sharing a card featuring a little spring scene I made with dies.  I started with the Purrfect Day sentiment from Scribbles Designs, which I printed on white cardstock and then embossed with Darice Cloudy Sky.

I was inspired by Connie's card on facebook here, and I wanted to CASE it.  Here are the dies used: Poppystamps Brighton Border and Curious Cat, Memory Box Petite Umbrella, Lawn Fawn Grassy Border, and Impression Obsession Butterfly Set. I die cut Brighton Border in green, yellow, and pink so I could paper-piece the blooms.  I added pink gems to the butterflies.

I would like to support these fun challenges: Artistic Inspirations AG with Twist of Spring UE; Craft Your Passion AG 2/3; Crafting from the Heart AG 1/3; Creative Corner For a Child 3/3; Creative Fingers AG 3/3; Creative Inspiration AG Option Sketch UE; Die Cut Diva's In the Garden UE;  Die Cuttin Divas Garden 1/3 (SHOWCASE PICK); Dies R Us April Showers Bring May Flowers 1/3;  DL.ART April Linky AG UE 1/day; Dragonfly Dreams/Laurelcraft Let's See Spring UE; Fussy and Fancy Springtime Flowers UE; Hiding in My Craft Room Freestyle 3/3; Inspiration Destination AG UE; Inspiration Journal Everything Goes UE;  Loves Rubberstamps Add Flowers UE; My Craft Creations April AG UE; Not Just Cards AG UE; One Sweet Challenge Spring has Sprung UE: Papertake Weekly Cute and/or Button 1/5; Pile It On April Showers Bring May Flowers UE; Pixie's Snippet Playground (all die cuts made from snippets) 3/3; Poppystamps Spring Fever UE; Scrapbook Blessings Club AG with Pink, Green, and White UE; Scrappy Moms Stamps Spring is in the Air UE; Scribbles Designs Spring has Sprung 2/3 (GOLD STAR HONOURABLE MENTION); Sentimental Sunday Animal Love 1/3; Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Clean and Simple 1/5; Sister Act (Cards Only) AG UE; Stamp and Create April AG 1/wk 3/4; Suzy Bee's Bloomin' AG using Die or Punch UE; The Corrosive Floral Fantasy 3/3; The Outlawz Twisted Thursday AG Twist Clean and Simple 2/2; The Paper Girls April Showers Bring May Flowers 1/3; Wags n Whiskers Flowers 2/2; Word Art Wednesday AG w Uplifting Sentiment 1/5

Thank you for looking at my card!  Wishing you a joyful day!

Swimming Mallard Masculine Birthday

Hello, everyone!  Today I am sharing a quick card I made with an image from Doodle Pantry.  It's been ages since I used one of Laurie's beautiful images, and I thought this Swimming Mallard would be perfect for a masculine birthday.

I printed the precoloured image onto white cardstock and stamped the birthday sentiment (The Old Island Stamp Company) in Ancient Page Chocolate.  I added a strip of leftover patterned paper and a thinner one of brown cardstock, along with some blue twine, tied in a bow.  

I would like to support these fun challenges:  Allsorts Quick and Easy 1/3; Come and Get It Things that Start with B (birthday, bird, bow, brown, blue) 1/3; Craft Your Passion AG 1/3; Creative Card Crew Sentiment 3/3; Creative Fingers AG 2/3; DL.ART April Linky AG UE 1/day; Doodle Pantry AG Digital Image 1E; Fresh Brewed Blog Birthdays 1/5; Hiding in My Craft Room Freestyle 2/3; Inspiration Destination AG UE; Inspiration Journal Everything Goes UE; My Craft Creations April AG UE; Not Just Cards AG UE; {PIN}spirational AG 5/5; Pixie's Snippet Playground (snippets of patterned paper and cardstock) 2/3; Scrap and Craft Use Ribbon or Twine 2/3; Sister Act (Cards Only) AG UE; The Outlawz Twisted Thursday AG Twist Clean and Simple 1/2; Word Art Wednesday AG w Uplifting Sentiment 4/5

Thank you for looking at my card!  Wishing you a joyful day!

Glitter n Sparkle DT - Anything but a Card

Hello, everyone!  It's Sunday, so that means we have a new challenge for you over at Glitter n Sparkle Challenge Blog! This week our challenge is Anything But a Card.  Well since I usually only make cards, this was a challenge for me!  I decided to make a shaker tag - first time I've made one of these!  I chose this adorable image called Kitty w Ornament from one of our generous sponsors, Limited Runs. I coloured it with Prismacolor pencils and fussy-cut.

I die cut two patterned papers from BoBunny's Rejoice Collection (leftover snippets) with MFT Die-Namics Stitched Traditional Tags.  I used Simon Says Stamps Stitched Rectangles to make the shaker frame.  Inside the shaker I added red and green sequins and tiny silver and gold star sequins. On the front I affixed the kitty image along with three red felt stars - I received these in a RAK from my lovely friend Monika - thank you, Monika!  I added a die-cut circle to the top of the tag (Nellie's Multiframe Circles) so I could tie some red ribbon and white eyelash ribbon.

My shaker tag was inspired by Scrap it with a Song's April challenge, where Taylor Swift's Shake it Off is the pop song.  I was inspired by the title!

Please come over and join us at Glitter n Sparkle for our Anything but a Card challenge. We have some fabulous prizes up for grabs again this week!

I would like to support these fun challenges: Christmas Cards All Year 'Round Ornaments UE; CRAFT Christmas 1/5; Craft Your Passion AG 3/3; Craftin Desert Diva's Shakers UE; Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Something Beginning with F (fussy-cut image, festive) UE; Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra April UE; Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper April UE; Creative Corner For a Child 2/3; Creative Fingers AG 1/3; Creative Inspirations Seeing Stars UE; Cuttin' and Stampin' Cute Critters 3/3; DL.ART April Linky AG UE 1/day; Get Creative Must Include a Tag 1/3; Hiding in My Craft Room Freestyle 1/3; Inspiration Destination AG UE; Inspiration Journal Everything Goes UE; Little Scrap Pieces Show it Off Saturday 1E; Limited Runs Customer Gallery UE; My Craft Creations April AG UE; Natalie and Amy Frame It 3/3; Not Just Cards AG UE; {PIN}spirational AG 4/5; Pixie's Snippet Playground (snippets of patterned paper) 1/3; Scrap and Craft Use Ribbon or Twine 1/3; Scrap it with a Song (Shake it Off - shaker card inspired by the title) 1/3; Sweet Stampin' Anything but a Card 1/2; Suzy Bee's Bloomin' AG using Die or Punch UE; The Crafter's Cafe Animal Antics 3/3; The Glory of Christmas Use a Digi Stamp (TOP 3); The Ribbon Girl Use Colour from your National Flag (Canada - red and white) UE; The 12 Months of Christmas Link-up AG Christmas Optional Colours 1/3; Tuesday Throwdown All Clear (acetate for shaker window) 1/3; Whimsy Stamps Colour an Image 3/3; Winter Wonderland Stitching Real or Faux (stitched tag and aperture) 1/3

Thank you for looking at my card!  Wishing you a joyful day!

Happy Easter Kitty

Hello, everyone!  An Easter card all done and ready for next year!  I missed last month's challenge at Magenta so I definitely wanted to join this month for their Easter challenge.  I love playing at Magenta because it inspires me to use my Magenta stamps, which are some of the first stamps I bought when I started stamping - they bring back good memories!

I am having fun with my Distress Inks again, and today I made a double-layered stencilled background.  I used Magenta's Small Birch Forest stencil and Heidi Swapp's Doily Flower stencil, along with Milled Lavender, Dusty Concord, Tumbled Glass, and Broken China Distress Inks.  I was going for an ombre look. I stamped Magenta's Elderberry Branch in black along the bottom of the stencilled panel and added an Easter sentiment (Impression Obsession and Anita's).

I thought it would be fun to add Magenta's Cat in Spring Basket since it's an Easter card, and I coloured it with Prismacolor pencils.  The embossed panel is Couture Creations Washed Away, and I added three Impression Obsession die-cut butterflies, accented with gems.  My colour combo was inspired by Colette's Cosmic Colours challenge, and I've used 5 of the 6 colours (the green is on the leaves of the stamped image).

Here are the stamps, stencils, and Distress Inks I used:

Magenta products used

I would like to support these fun challenges: Artistic Inspirations AG with Twist of Spring UE; Blessings Ink Amusing Challenges Butterflies 2/2; Come and Get It Card for a Child 1/3; Cosmic Colours April UE (TOP 3); Craft Stamper Take a Technique: Colour 2/3; Craft Your Passion AG 2/3; Crafting from the Heart AG 3/3; Creative Card Crew Sentiment 2/3; Creative Corner For a Child 1/3; Cuttin' and Stampin' Cute Critters 2/3; Deep Ocean Things with Wings UE; Die Cut Diva's In the Garden UE; Digi Designs Include an Animal 3/3; DL.ART April Linky AG UE 1/day; Dragonfly Dreams/Laurelcraft Let's See Spring UE; Fussy and Fancy Springtime Flowers UE; Inspiration Destination AG UE; Inspiration Journal Everything Goes UE; Jo's Scrap Shack Florals and Butterflies 3/3; Just Inspirational April Easter 2/3; Magenta Easter 1E; Mema's AG using Die or Punch 3/3; Mod Squad Wheel in the Colour; My Craft Creations April AG UE; Natalie and Amy Frame It 2/3; Not Just Cards AG UE; One Crazy Stamper  AG 3/5; One Sweet Challenge Spring has Sprung UE: {PIN}spirational AG 3/5; Quick Creations Furry Animals UE; Quirky Crafts Many Flowers 3/3; Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Make Your own Background 3/5; Simon Says Stamp Work-It Wednesday Stamping 3/3; Sister Act (Cards Only) AG UE; Stamp and Create April AG 1/wk 2/4; Suzy Bee's Bloomin' Add Spring Flowers UE; The Crafter's Cafe Animal Antics 2/3; The Paper Girls Pastel Eggstravaganza 3/3; Unruly Paper Arts Animal Instinct 2/3; Wags n Whiskers Flowers 1/2; Whimsy Stamps Colour an Image 2/3;Word Art Wednesday AG w Uplifting Sentiment 4/5

Thank you for looking at my card!  Wishing you a joyful day!