Kool Kitty Musings

DCM - Keep Your Cool

Well, what a scorcher of a week it has become!

This week's challenge over on the Daring Cardmakers blog is definitely a timely one, as Kathy wants you to feature something on your card that will help you keep your cool. :)

What better than a yummy ice cream?

Papers and sticker: Simple Stories - Sunshine & Happiness (r)
Stamp: The Stamp Market - Gift Giving Greetings
Dies: Hero Arts - Infinity Nesting Rectangles, The Greetery - Crimped Frame

I knew I had a summer collection from Simple Stories in my stash with an ice lolly print, but I really lucked out when I also found the ice cream sticker too.

I layered up a few papers from the collection with various dies and simply added the stamped sentiment from The Stamp Market and a sprinkle of sequins to complete the look. :)

Make sure you check out the wonderfully cool creations from the rest of the design team here, and play along if you can!

Happy crafting!

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The Stamp Market - Gift Giving Greetings stamps Shop at: MISC	Hero Arts - Infinity Nesting Rectangles dies Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC (UK)	The Greetery - Crimped Frame dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ (UK) | EH | SBC
Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: EH | MISC	Ranger - Glossy Accents Shop at: AZ (UK) | EH | SBC	Marvy Jewel Picker Shop at: AZ (UK)	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC (UK)
MISTI stamping tool Shop at: EH | SBC	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Thermoweb iCraft - Purple tape for die-cutting - 1 1/2" Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ (UK) | EH | SBC
Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ (UK) | EH | SBC

DCM - August Elemental Inspiration

Morning and welcome to a brand new Elemental Inspiration challenge over on the Daring Cardmakers blog.

It was my turn to choose the image for this month, and here it is:

 

For my 3+ elements, I went with the blue/green/white/yellow colour palette, woodgrain texture, stripes, and a frame inspired by the rings.

Paper and sticker: Maggie Holmes - Garden Party
Stamp: The Greetery - Sentiment Suite: Birthday
Dies: The Greetery - Sentiment Suite Basics, Hero Arts - Wood Frame Infinity

In typical fashion, I had so many ideas buzzing around in my head when I picked the image, but when it came down to sit at my desk and make something, I just couldn't get everything I'd been contemplating to work.

So it was back to the drawing board and I knew I wanted to feature the Garden Party collection somehow as I had these great layered flower stickers waiting to be used.

That then led me down the road of thinking of using the flowers as the subject of a picture frame on a wall with striped "wallpaper". I simply added some floral paper below the dado rail and the background was done.

I used a Hero Arts Wood Frame die to cut the frame from brown cardstock (twice) and layered it up before adding a subtle blueprint of paper as the backdrop of the flower stem.

Then I attached the frame to my card with some string to hang it from an enamel dot.

I found the perfect teeny sentiment to fit inside the frame, and that'll work for namedays as well as birthdays and other occasions. I will just add the appropriate text inside when I need to send it. :)

So, all in all, very simple, but it fit the bill!

Make sure you check out the wonderful projects from the rest of the design team here, and play along if you can!

Happy crafting!

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The Greetery - Sentiment Suite: Birthday stamps Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Greetery - Sentiment Suite Basics dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	Hero Arts - Wood Frame Infinity dies Shop at: AZ (UK) | EH | SBC | SHC (UK)	Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ (UK) | EH | SBC
Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: EH | MISC	Maggie Holmes - Garden Party - Taking Notes paper Shop at: SBC	Maggie Holmes - Garden Party - Wildflower paper Shop at: SBC	Maggie Holmes Garden Party - Layered paper stickers Shop at: SBC
Tonic Studios Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive Shop at: AZ (UK) | EH | SBC	Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC (UK)	Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Sizzix - Sidekick machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC
Thermoweb iCraft - Purple tape for die-cutting - 1 1/2" Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ (UK) | EH | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ (UK) | EH | SBC

2022 Card Challenge - August Prompt

Morning,

I'm sharing the prompt for August a little early.

As you can see from the image, the focus colour this month is: Peach

{Pinterest pin}

There are lots of elements in the image that could work on a card, here are some ideas to get you started:

• On the slant - inspired by image 8, cut/place paper at a diagonal on your card, you can also use it as a guideline for placing your sentiment along a diagonal line or edge.
• Monogram - really personalise your card by featuring the recipient's monogram or monograms (in case of a wedding card).
• Tassels, charms or trim - if you jumped on the tassel trend in scrapbook collections, you may have one that needs using up. It would make a great finishing touch to your card, as would a dangly charm for a vintage style card or indeed fringed trim whether from thread or paper.
• Brushstrokes - the black spots in the background of image 7 look like brushstrokes, a popular pattern in scrapbook lines of late, but also something you could emulate with a stencil/background stamp or even recreate with a wash of paint and using Distress inks.
• Retro fun - those roller boots really take me back, I used to love my white ones with neon pink wheels. Any "retro" element would work well in their place. Or any element that reminds you of something fun.
• A face or person - think of those character stamps that are so popular, a silhouette portrait of someone, a famous face, even Father Christmas...
• No outline - some of the design elements in the image don't have an outline, why not use an image or stamp set without an outline?
• Big floral - big florals whether stamped or on pattern paper are always great fun.
• Busy and bold patterns - bold repeat patterns or geometrical backgrounds can be great for a simple card design as they do much of the work and all you need to do is add a sentiment.
• Owls and other feathered friends - owls were such a big trend back in the day, you may still have them in your stash, making them quite retro... Otherwise, any bird will do!
• Circular element - feature a circular element on your card like a frame, button, aperture, badge, the moon, the sun, etc.
• All caps - do you have a sentiment or font that is in all caps? If so, that'll tick the box of image 3.
• Just peachy - feature a phrase that contains the word peach.

Happy crafting!

DCM - Stencil it!

Morning!

Long time no card post!

Well, my little heat-related break from my craft desk is now over as the weather has returned to typical British summer temperatures.

And it's well-timed, as this week it was my turn to set the challenge over on the Daring Cardmakers blog!

This week's theme, is stencils... whether as part of a stamp and die combo (my fave!), stand-alone use with different media, or a DIY stencil created from a coverplate or other dies.

I am still very much loving my Print Shop stash from The Greetery, as this series uses stencils to lay down the main colours, then you go in with stamps to add details, and can also cut out the whole thing or elements with dies for extra pop.

Stamp and stencil combo: The Greetery - Print Shop: Garden Goodness
Stamps: The Greetery - Opposites Attract
Dies: The Greetery - Opposites Attract, The Greetery - Opposites Attract Script

The entire background is created with the Print Shop: Garden Goodness stamp and stencil set, for my colour inspiration I channelled the yellow focus colour of the July card challenge prompt here as well as the whimsical floral/leafy backgrounds patterns in that prompt.

I used a mix of inks from Altenew and The Stamp Market for my ink blending and stamping, plus the Dove ink cube from the Concord and 9th set for the grey stamped elements on the lighter leaves.

And of course for the Opposites Attract sentiments, I reached for my trusty Onyx Versafine pad that is now over 20 years old and still has never been reinked! One of the best investments ever made. ;)

To add a little dimension, I just used snippets of the waste cardstock from die-cutting the sentiments. I'm still trying to cut down on my use of foam tape and this has also meant less waste in my bin after a project too.

Every little helps!

Make sure you check out the wonderful projects from the rest of the design team here, and play along if you can!

Happy crafting!

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The Greetery - Opposites Attract stamps Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Greetery - Print Shop: Garden Goodness stamps and stencils Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Greetery - Opposites Attract dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG	The Greetery - Opposites Attract Script dies Shop at: SHC (UK) | TG
Altenew - Buttercream dye ink Shop at: MISC	Altenew - Industrial Diamond dye ink Shop at: MISC	Altenew - Mango Smoothie dye ink Shop at: MISC	Altenew - Morning Frost dye ink Shop at: MISC
Altenew - Silver Stone dye ink Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Golden ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Slate ink pad Shop at: MISC	The Stamp Market - Sunshine ink pad Shop at: MISC
Versafine - Onyx Black ink pad Shop at: AZ (UK) | EH | SBC	Altenew - Four Scoops ink cube set Shop at: MISC | SHC (UK)	Altenew - Rock Collection ink cube set Shop at: MISC | SHC (UK)	Altenew - Summer Afternoon ink cube set Shop at: MISC | SHC (UK)
Altenew - Warm Gray ink cube set Shop at: MISC | SHC (UK)	Concord & 9th - Ink cube set Shop at: EH | MISC | SHC (UK)	Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb smooth Solar White cardstock Shop at: EH | MISC	Tonic Studios Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive Shop at: AZ (UK) | EH | SBC
Lawn Fawn - Stamp shammy cleaner Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC (UK)	Craft blending brushes Shop at: AZ (UK)	Taylored Expressions - Blender Brushes Shop at: MISC	Waffle Flower - Mini Media Mat Shop at: EH | SBC | SHC (UK)
Sizzix - Big Shot machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Sizzix - Sidekick machine Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Thermoweb iCraft - Purple tape for die-cutting - 1 1/2" Shop at: AZ (UK) | SBC	Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (maxi) Shop at: AZ (UK) | EH | SBC
Tim Holtz - Tonic guillotine trimmer (small) Shop at: AZ (UK) | EH | SBC