HELLO THERE CAT.

 Hello!

Playing along with this Word Power challenge (ends 2/26), where the sentiment is to be the most prominent. 

UPDATE! 😊

 and this As You Like It challenge (ends 2/24?). where the question of the moment is Cute or Elegant (and why). I like most every style - a beautiful card is a beautiful card! These days I tend to make cute and colorful and CAS, because there is so much in the world that is hard and confusing and I enjoy the lightness and visual clarity I get while crafting these 😃

It’s hard to see in the photo, but the sentiment is a gradient, stamped with lighter purple a few times and then over stamped with darker ink on the bottom two thirds. (And of course I ended up with a piece of lint, or cat hair, on the hello stamp on the last impression 😂)

Sky and grass were stenciled, Critters were stamped in caramel colored Memento ink, colored in with alcohol markers, die cut, then elevated with very thin foam tape. I wanted to keep everything feeling very flat because of the sweet, goofy, one dimensional style of the cat and dragonflies, and I think the flat back googly eyes I gave the cat add to this vibe pretty well.

SUPPLIES

cat and dragonflies stamp & die set - Elizabeth Craft Designs Purr clear by Krista Schneider

word stamps - Ranger Letter It by Taylor Huizenga clear set

grass stencil - Taylored Expressions

cloud stencil - A Colorful Life

Thanks for stopping in today!

COOL CAT

 Hello!

Loving this fun challenge prompt at Addicted to CAS  I had to search high and low for a sweater stamp but finally found one in my Wintery stamps collection  

Border was hand-pierced using a metal guide and head and panel were backed with a thick cardstock layer for a bit of subtle dimension

SUPPLIES

sweater stamp - Stampin’ Up! Bundle Up set

cat stamp (head only inked) - brand unmarked 

words stamp - Altenew Illusion Diamonds set

dimensional eyeballs - Spellbinders Monster Eyes

enamel dots - Waffleflower

Thanks for stopping in today!

CAT AND MOUSE

 Hello :o)

Joining in at Just Add Ink for their current sketch challenge:

(Update: My card got a special mention!)

This cat and mouse stamp is so old but so sweet. I think the Hello! and phrase on the bottom helps to indicate that no one will be harmed today :o) I used some Prima watercolors on the image panel, and some faux watercolor Distress smooshing on the green and white piece.

SUPPLIES

cat and mouse stamp - eat cake graphics

"Stay" phrase - Stampin' Up! (1998) unknown set

"Hello" word bubble stamp - Altenew Speech Bubbles

Thanks for stopping in!

WARM & FUZZY DEEP DOWN

Hello!

These Tim Holtz cats are genius, and I just can't get enough!  I purchased this set and also a tree die over the holiday season - Merry Christmas to me  ;o) I'm so grateful to all the artists who contribute their images for humble little stampers like myself to play with - they bring such joy.   And while actually NOT cheaper than therapy, so much fun, which is also valuable. (My favorite crafting quote, and I'm so sorry I don't know who said it first AND I'm probably grossly paraphrasing, is: buying crafty supplies to save money on greeting cards is like buying a yacht to save money on fish for dinner *giggleSNORT ;o) Anyway, hope you enjoy today's cards as much as I enjoyed making them.

TECHNIQUES

stenciling (background sweater pattern)

die cutting (tree, stitched border)

fussy cutting (cat, sentiment)

flat back gems 

foam mounting (cat, panel)

SUPPLIES

cat and sentiment clear stamps - Stampers Anonymous set #THMM134

sweater pattern stencil - same set as above

tree die - Sizzix Thinlits #665583

stitched border die - My Favorite Things Dienamics Wonky Stitch Rectangles

inks - ColorBox Frost White pigment, Memento Tuxedo Black

alcohol markers - Copic

white gel pen - Sukura Gelly Roll

flat back gems - Park Lane

sparkle green paper and craft cs - leftover stash

I like to make a couple similar cards while I have the supplies out - any more than that and I go a little goofy :o)

 The other version, using up the rest of the trees, flat panel mounting with a smaller white border, silver stars instead of gold, and minus the stitched border.

TECHNIQUES

stenciling (background sweater pattern)

fussy cutting (cat, sentiment)

flat back gems 

foam mounting (cat)

SUPPLIES

cat and sentiment clear stamps - Stampers Anonymous set #THMM134

sweater pattern stencil - same set as above

tree die - Sizzix Thinlits #665583

inks - ColorBox Frost White pigment, Memento Tuxedo Black

alcohol markers - Copic

white gel pen - Sukura Gelly Roll

flat back gems - Park Lane

sparkle green paper and craft cs - leftover stash

Sharing these cards with the following challenges:

Alphabet Challenge.

T is for Trees  (ends 1/13).

Happy Little Stampers

Anything Goes with Dies  (ends 1/31)

Allsorts Challenge.

 Anything Goes w/Opt. Use Something New  (ends 1/14).

See you again here tomorrow for another card to warm your winter!

 

NAUGHTY OR NICE OR JUST PLAIN CUTE?!

   Welcome to this 29 day series of Christmas cards for the 2021 holiday season - so glad you're here with me! Hope you get lots of inspiration and entertainment right up to Christmas day...

Love love love this cute little man!

TECHNIQUES

stenciling (background in pink)

colored pencils (cat and hat)

fussy cutting and pop dotting (cat and hat)

SUPPLIES

words stamp - Inky Antics #G1-10458-F

hat stamp - PSX #E-1599

cat stamp - Stampers Anonymous set #THMM109

stencil - Stampers Anonymous set #THMM110

colored pencils

mica flakes - Stampin' Up! #124115

inks - Versafine black and Distress Dye "Barn Door"

Sharing this card with the following Challenge Blogs:

As You See It #264 Pets  (ends 12/7)!

Update:

We Love Stamping - December Anything Goes w/Optional CAS  (ends 12/29).

Show Us Your Pussycats #73  (ends 1/3)!

Update:

Thanks for visiting today and see you back here tomorrow!

 

BIRTHDAY CAT

Hello!

Stamps are by Stampers Anonymous #THMM109

Techniques are colored pencil, stenciling and foam mounting.

Playing along with the following Challenges:

Addicted to Stamps #409 (ends 7/19).

2 Crafty Critter Crazies  (ends 7/25).

A Place to Start  (ends 7/31)-

Daisy Chain   (ends 7/26).

 Hope your day is happy!

Temptation

Playing along with the following challenge:

Addicted to Stamps #368 Holiday

STAMPS:  cat - Coronado Island Stamps (#W001-H), word - Westwater Enterprises (94-02-11642), lights - Rubber Stampede (#A2606D), foliage - Stampin' Up! from "Watercolor Winter" set 

INKS: Memento Tuxedo Black, Stampin' Up! Gumball Green, Versamark

MARKERS: Copic

OTHER: circle punch, Ranger Glossy Accents, Recollections Snow embossing powder, Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen and sparkle pen, Judikins Color Duster

1.  Stamp lights on white card front, stamping again on Post-It note for a mask. 

2.  Trim bulbs from Post-It and place over stamped image on card.

3.  Overstamp foliage in green ink and use stipple brush to fill in around edges.

4.  Color bulbs with marker and apply Glossy Accents.  Allow to dry.

5.  Highlight bulbs with white gel pen and use sparkle pen around outside edges.

6.  Stamp cat on card front using black ink.

7.  Color and shadow cat with markers.

8.  Stamp word on black cardstock using embossing ink. Sprinkle with embossing powder and use heat tool to set.

9.  Punch word out with circle punch and pop-dot to card. 

Thanks for stopping by!

May you be blessed, and may you be a blessing... :o)

Stampotique 'Clean And Simple' Challenge

STAMPS:  cat - Rare Image Rubber Stamps, words - Smartworks, butterflies - (partial) DeNami Designs

TECHNIQUE:  Technique Junkies Paper Piecing

INKS:  Staz-On Jet Black, Stampin' Up! Mellow Moss

NOTES:  butterfly trails were hand-drawn using a Pigma Micron 3 pen, butterflies were put on in two layers with the second being glued just down the center of the bodies (with a Quickie Glue pen) and the wings bent upwards 

Thanks to Gerrie, Queen of Grunge, who brought this Stampotique challenge to my attention with her fabulous bee card posted to the TJ group, and on her blog!

Thanks for stopping by!

The Sweetest Pair

Oh how I love little kittens (and big cats LOL) Isn't this one of the sweetest images ever? She looks so proud and she's being so gentle with the little kitty. If you love animals too, don't forget the two links on my sidebar - you can play a daily trivia and contribute kibble to dog and cat shelters free to you whether you get the correct answer or not - it's a win-win!!

(Click on photo for detail)

Card measures 5 1/2" x 4 1/4"

STAMPS: I Brake For Stamps - Stampinbak line

INKS: Stampin' Up! So Saffron, More Mustard, Blush Blossom, Bravo Burgundy, Ruby Red, Close to Cocoa, Staz-On Timber Brown, Adirondack Slate, Versamark SUPPLIES: Dove blender pen, heat gun, Fiskars border punch, Cuttlebug, CB folder Tapestry, hardware - SU, ribbon - Michael's, Tim Holtz Distressing Tool, white gel pen, Post-It, stencil brush - tiny SPECIALTY PAPER: glossy TECHNIQUES: resist, TJ Torn Frames NOTES: okay, late last night when I was coloring the image with the blender pen and SU inks, the hair was actually dark brown and the dress was mustard but by the time I scanned it just now it had faded out to the colors shown - probably the only almost-grey three year old ever ROTFLMBO - that's artistic license for ya! ~ the bkgd behind the girl was made by stamping the scroll in Versamark on glossy, setting it with a heat gun, then sponging first yellow and then pinkish-red over the edges (got this color scheme from a beautiful card in one of the magazines currently out - sorry, I think it was the Catch Up issue, but I'm not positive... - but the designer was Barb H and the card has a geisha on it) ~ I got the idea for the gray surrounding the image from Ank de B on the IBFS Yahoo group. I don't do her form of artwork justice but I love the effect - makes the image come more alive. Oh, made this panel by stamping the girl in Staz-On, masking, then doing the above resist technique, which I was inspired to do by Kristy C, another fabulous contributing artist over at the IBFS group. Yikes, sounds like I don't have an original thought in my head today LOL but I get so little stamp time in the summer that I get inspiration wherever I can or my stamp gears would get totally rusty! ~ just a hint on the resist technique - my Versamark had a slight reaction where it touched the Staz-On so you may want to mask more thoroughly than I did... ~ bkgd paper was made more visually textural by lightly brayering both shades of yellow ink on white cs

Hope you enjoyed this card, and thanks for stopping in!