Three kittens with mittens

Ah! Finally a card to post so I can join in on the Technique Junkies Holiday Blogstravaganza. Go see Pat's blog for links to more fun - giveaways, holiday card samples and links to other blogging TJ designers participating thru-out the month!!

(click photo for more detail)

This card features an image from my Rare Image 'Family Pets' rubber sheet (see sidebar). This little kitten is originally from a vintage childs' reader - so cute! The plaid background and snowflakes are Stampin' Up!, the Snow circular words stamp is by Hero Arts, faux stitching from the Paper Salon tailored tins 'Hemlines' set, and the Holiday Cheer word stamp is Anna Griffith, I think (the set is unlabeled but looks like her line).

I started with a piece of kraft cardstock and stamped the distressed plaid background in black having inked only the outer edges of the rubber randomly and not the center, and then I sponged more black on the edges of the cs. I overstamped the snowflakes from the Lace Snowflakes set with white pigment ink, then embossed with white. I used Distress Weathered Wood to stamp the circular words randomly.

*tip*

Always make sure previous ink is dry and use the anti-static bag to swipe over your cardstock before adding any images that need embossing.

For the main panel I chose three different sheets of blue cs and stamped the kitten twice on each one, trimming one of each into a rectangle as shown to do the TJ Warhol technique. On the remaining pieces I stamped the plaid in white and then trimmed out just the dresses. I glued these onto the panels as shown, and also adhered mittens stamped on white cs.

I colored all the kitten fur in with white pencil, and then colored over this with colored pencils, using some white gel pen on the eyes. I really wanted the kittens to stand out from the background so I went around all the edges with a dark gray marker.

Next I adhered the three panels to a scrap, evening up any uneven edges with a paper trimmer before I stamped and embossed some faux stitching in white along the seams. This panel was layered to a black panel, then mounted onto the background panel. For the snowflakes I just punched white scraps and then stamped the words onto them with the blue ink. I wanted a little finishing so I lightly edged each one with a Sakura Gelly Roll shimmer pen.

For the word panel I used a Cuttlebug die, cutting one oval tag from blue and one from white. I overstamped the blue tag with the words and the blue ink, then the small snowflakes (PSX) in white, and then the Holiday Cheer in black Staz-On. I punched some holes around the edges, backed the blue oval with the white one, and then sponged black ink around edges. I threaded black gingham ribbon over white grosgrain thru the end slots, and then affixed brushed silver brads to each side.

*tip*

When you're going to put brads thru ribbon, use an Exacto knife to pierce the fabric first and you won't end up with those annoying pinched marks in the ribbon.

Also, to trim ribbons like this just fold the end in half lengthwise and use sharp scissors to cut diagonally.

Stay tuned - next up is a holiday card with a penguin!