Thursday, August 25, 2022

Warm and Cozy Winter Wishes

Hi, everyone!  Today I am sharing a Christmas card in non-traditional colours!  Both of these images are freebies from Scribbles Designs.  I coloured the Tangle image and snuggly Snow Couple with markers and then fussy-cut.  The background is embossed with Simon Says Stamp Filigree Snowflakes. I stamped a sentiment from Your Next Stamp and then adhered a few punched snowflakes to finish it off.


I would like to join the following 10 challenges:

ABC Christmas P for Pink UE
Rudolph Day August AG Christmas 1E C10
Scribbles Designs 9th Birthday Celebration Get Your Zen On 2/3
Word Art Wednesday 557-558 AG w Uplifting Sentiment wk1 2/5


Thank you for looking at my card!  Wishing you a day filled with joy and peace!

Saturday, August 20, 2022

Colourful Kitty Zentangle

Hello, everybody! I was excited to see that Scribbles Designs is celebrating their 9th Birthday this month!  Woot, woot!  Congratulations to Sandy and her team!  My blog is also nine years old this year so I definitely wanted to join the celebration!  

Their Challenge 111 is Get Your Zen On with a zentangle or mandala as the focus of your project.  I have been wanting to colour this Peek-a-Boo Kitty zentangle for awhile so I had fun and went a bit wild with my colours!  


I printed the image in grey tones and then die-cut with a cross-stitched rectangle (Memory Box Cross-Stitched Frame Borders).  I coloured the kitty with markers, adding some accents with a white paint pen and a black fineliner.  I inked around the image with Tumbled Glass Distress Ink and then stamped a fun birthday sentiment.  I mounted the rectangle on black and then teal cardstock, and then finished the card by adhering some black gems, including on the cat's eyes.  This card was fun to make!

The Scribbles Designs 9th Birthday Celebration will be going on until September 14 with puzzles and prizes so you still have lots of time to check it out!  Tell them that Kitty sent you!  There is also a free zentangle digital image available so you can have fun colouring and then join their challenge!  I'll be sharing a card made with that image soon so stay tuned!


I would also like to join the following 9 challenges, for a total of 10:
Crafty Calendar August AG 3/3
QKR Stampede 450 AG 1/3
Show Us Your Pussycats 80 Furrything Goes UE
Word Art Wednesday 557-558 AG w Uplifting Sentiment wk1 1/5

Thank you for looking at my card!  Wishing you a day filled with joy and peace!

Tuesday, August 9, 2022

Kitty with Butterfly - Treat Bag

Hi, everyone!  Today I'm sharing a treat bag that I made from a recycled cat calendar page.  I so enjoy making these!  They are great to give to crafty friends and can hold crafty treats like stamps, dies, stickers, or flat embellishments.  I save all of my old calendars and enjoy finding new ways to recycle the beautiful pages.  This treat bag measures 9" tall x 5.75" wide.  If you would like to see some previous projects I made from recycled calendar pages, click here, here, and here.  

When recycling thinner calendar pages like this one, I back them with patterned paper (see photo below) to add strength.  I learned this the hard way!  After adhering the patterned paper, I scored and folded the calendar page and assembled it into a flat-style bag.  Next I used pinking shears to create a decorative top.  To decorate the bag itself, I used several dies:  lace border (Cheery Lynn Sienna Double Edge Border), flower (InLoveArts Flower Leaf Combo), and butterfly (unknown, received from friend).  I added a self-made sentiment (Microsoft Word) and finished by adhering three gems on the butterfly's body.

Here's a photo of the inside of the gift bag (the hands belong to Brian):

My colour combo was inspired by Mrs. A's Butterfly Challenge #171 Spin the Butterfly Wheel with S for Spanner Card.  I didn't make a spanner card, but I was inspired to use three of the suggested colours (Sky Blue, Salmon, and Sand), and of course, a butterfly!



I was also inspired by the following 10 challenges:

Crafts Galore Encore August 3/3
Crafty Calendar August AG 2/3
Cut it Up 257 Treat Box or Bag 1E
Dies R Us 198 Summer (Cheery Lynn dies can be found here)
DL.ART August Linky AG UE
Lil Patch of Crafty Friends 187 AG 2/3
Show Us Your Pussycats 80 Furrything Goes UE
The Outlawz Saturday Paper a la Mode Every Summer has a Story - The story here is about an indoor cat who dreams to be outdoors with the flowers and butterflies.  This cat reminds me of our girl Snowie (RIP), an indoor cat who was formerly an outdoor cat, who would dash outside any chance she got.
Wednesday's Creative Inspirations August AG UE
Word Art Wednesday 555-556 AG w Uplifting Sentiment wk1 4/5

Thank you for looking at my treat bag!  Wishing you a wonderful day!

Monday, August 8, 2022

Retro Christmas Countdown 7

Hello, everyone!  Today I'm sharing a card in my series of retro Christmas countdown cards.  I explained what they're all about on this post.  To keep track of how many I have made (I need 25), and how many remaining, here's my list:  2345681012, 151618, and 24.  The previous cards have all been cat-themed so I may add a cat die-cut to this one, maybe.


The adorable reindeer image is the August freebie for the Gecko Galz Monthly Christmas Challenge.  It is so cute, I couldn't resist!  I die-cut the image with a circle and layered onto a red die-cut circle (Nellie's Multi-Frame Circles / Diemond Dies) and then added a cute red bow (Poppystamps).  For the countdown number I adhered a tiny tag (Winnie and Walter) with the number 7 and doodled some stitching around the tag with a red marker.  I stamped a sentiment (Avery Elle) in black at the top left.  The striped patterned paper is from Cosmo Cricket.


I would also like to join the following 6 challenges, for a total of 8:
Christmas Kickstart 65 Never in a Nativity 1/3 C8

Thank you for looking at my card!  Wishing you a fun, crafty day!

Sunday, August 7, 2022

Lighthouse Birthday

Hello, everyone!  I'm back with a second card today.  This time I'm sharing a lighthouse-themed birthday card that I made for a family member who adores lighthouses.

I used several dies to make this card:  Stitched Rope Nested Rectangle (Kat Scrappiness), anchor, crab, shell, starfish (Your Next Stamp Island Fun), birthday sentiment (Tattered Lace Everyday Sayings), and lighthouse ocean circle (no packaging, received from friend).  I die-cut the lighthouse three times so I could paper-piece the white and red over the blue. 

The background was a leftover that I retrieved from my waiting pile.  It was made months (years?) ago using Tumbled Glass Distress Oxide and ink smooshing.  It didn't work for the intended project at the time but I thought it worked well here.  I decided to add a darker colour to represent the sea so I ink-blended over the bottom portion of the background using Salty Ocean Distress Oxide. 

All of the red cardstock die-cuts were made from snippets; see photo below.  However, I am not ready to toss these snippets yet!  I will punch some smaller shapes, perhaps hearts or flowers before I discard them.  Waste not, want not!


I would like to join the following 10 challenges:
Allsorts 688/9 AG Optional Create Your Own Background 1/3
Crafts Galore Encore August 1/3
Crafty Calendar August AG 1/3
DL.ART August Linky AG UE
Double D Lighthouse 1/3
Pammie's Inky Pinkies 2231 AG 1/3 C10
Pixie's Snippet Playground 434 (Snippets are leftover background and red die-cuts as noted) 1E C10
Simon Says Stamp Monday Happy Birthday 1/5
Wednesday's Creative Inspirations August AG UE
Word Art Wednesday 555-556 AG w Uplifting Sentiment wk1 1/5

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

Guest Designer - Cheerful Sketches

Hello, everyone!  I'm happy to announce that I have been invited as a Guest Designer over at Cheerful Sketches for August!  Yay!  Our sketch for the month is shown below; I hope you will join us!  

Here is our sketch:


I made a fun birthday card!  


This adorable sloth is Lee Holland Art - Sloth Hanging with Hibiscus Flowers.  I coloured the image with markers, die-cut with a circle (Nellie's Multiframe Circles), and then inked around the circle with Scattered Straw Distress Oxide.  I layered the circle on a die-cut pinpoint circle (Memory Box).  The green background was embossed with Leafy Vines. I stamped a sentiment (Stampendous) on a white scrap and adhered with foam tape for dimension.  I completed the sketch by adding some die-cut leaves (Poppystamps Massa Leaf).

I finished the inside of the card with some leftover green strips, a stamped sentiment (Rosie's Studio), and punched leaf (Bira).


Thank you to Cheerful Sketches for having me as your Guest Designer this month - it was fun!  

I would like to join the following 10 challenges:
Passion for Markers 652 Dies and/or Punches (used 3 dies on front and leaf punch inside)
Simon Says Stamp Monday Happy Birthday 2/5
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Emboss It 1/5
Wednesday's Creative Inspirations August AG UE
Word Art Wednesday 555-556 AG w Uplifting Sentiment wk1 2/5

Thank you for looking at my card!  Wishing everyone a peaceful day.