‘Tis The Season To Be Jolly

10/15/23 Rising Star at A Place To Start!

Hi friends! I hope your week is winding down nicely and you’re having some great Fall weather! I have another fun cat-themed Christmas card to share today for the 2023 Cat Lovers Christmas Challenge to honor our dear friend, Janis Woolbright, who organized the Cat Lovers Hops for eight years. I employed the ‘floating strips’ technique for this adorable card featuring the Lost Coast Designs Happy Cat rubber stamp which was the prize I won in last year’s Cat Lovers Hop a couple months before Janis passed away in January. So, as you can imagine, this stamp is rather special to me.

To add to the fun, there’s an additional game I’m playing in with this card called Let’s Play Tic-Tac-Toe with Gail which involves a tic-tac-toe board that Gail made from some of her favorite cards Janis made over the years using various techniques. As with a typical tic-tac-toe board, the options are up, down, across and diagonal. I went up and down, and chose the third column of patterned papers, scraps and stamp. All six of the Christmas patterned papers I used were scraps and I paired them with the Happy Cat rubber stamp.

The floating strips technique is really simple and makes for some awesome detail on cards. I cut a standard A2 size top-folding card base from Neenah Classic Crest 110# Solar White cardstock along with six strips (of varying widths) from patterned paper scraps in the PhotoPlay Here Comes Santa Collection Pack. I adhered them to a piece of acetate with Scor-Tape, leaving about the same amount of space between each strip. I trimmed the panel, added foam strips to the back (being sure they couldn’t be seen through the acetate in the front), and adhered the panel to the card base.

I stamped the Happy Cat in Memento Tuxedo Black ink on Solar White cardstock, fussy cut him and set him aside. I wrapped some GKD gold cording around the panel (between the foam strips), made a couple loops, and added three Eyelet Outlet Holiday Light Brads (prongs removed) with foam squares. I added a sentiment sticker from the PhotoPlay collection and several red gemstones.

I cut the inside panel from Solar White cardstock and embellished it with strips of patterned paper and CutCardStock Basis Black cardstock. I added another sentiment sticker and layered the panel on black cardstock.

Sharing in the following challenges:
1. 2023 Cat Lovers Christmas Challenge
2. 2023 Cat Lovers Tic-Tac-Toe Challenge
3. A Perfect Time To Craft Open Challenge: October #10-2023 – Anything Goes
4. A Place To Start: October 2023 – Anything Goes
5. ABC Christmas Challenge: U & V are for? (U for use it up – scraps)

Affiliate links are used in this post at no cost to you – I really appreciate your support! 

Products used:
CARDSTOCK/PAPER: Neenah Classic Crest 110# and 80# Solar White cardstock, CutCardStock Basis Black cardstock, PhotoPlay Here Comes Santa Collection Pack
STAMPS: Lost Coast Designs Happy Cat rubber stamp
INK: Memento Tuxedo Black ink
ACCESSORIES: Tonic Studios 12″ Guillotine Paper Trimmer, Tombow Mono Dots adhesive, MISTI stamp tool, Grafix Crystal Clear Craft Plastic, 1/4″ Scor-Tape, Gina K Designs gold cording, Eyelet Outlet Holiday Light Brads, Thermoweb medium Zots, 1/4″ double-sided foam strips, Scrapbook Adhesives 3D Foam Squares Variety Pack (small white), red gemstones

I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing this project and if you’re so inclined, we’d love to see your cat-themed Christmas project using the tic-tac-toe board! Thanks so much for stopping by today – we’ll see you next time! ;)

Scrappy hugs,

Unknown's avatar

Author: LeslieT

Crazy cat lady and crafting junkie! We care for 15 feline rescues and just added a Forkie pup to the tribe (Frenchie + Yorkie)! I’m addicted to stamping and love making cards, ATCs, and 3-D projects (especially paper shoes, paper purses and mini albums). I also dabble in mixed media, art journaling, altered art and custom jewelry. If you’re looking for me, I’ll either be in my studio or getting some kitty or puppy lovins! ;)

12 thoughts on “‘Tis The Season To Be Jolly”

  2. Oh I love this so much! That kitty looks like he just swallowed the proverbial canary! A very satisfied-looking cat! Love the gorgeous paper you used, everything goes together purr-fectly! The added lights are adorable, and even the inside looks gorgeous! Thanks so much for joining us again at Christmas Kickstart’s Cat Lovers Christmas Challenge as well as Gail’s Tic-Tac-Toe! I hope you will be back again this month with some more adorable cards! Happy Friday, and have a great weekend!

    Liked by 1 person

  4. Gorgeous card Leslie (as usual!) It is a special stamp, I have a stamp set I won last year from Janis too, and as I looked through my stamps, I put it to the side thinking how special it was. I’m yet to use it, but will. Love, love the floating strips, very effective underneath kitty – a fabulous image! Also love the addition of the Christmas lights! Thanks for joining in on Cat Lovers and for remembering Janis xx

    Liked by 1 person

  5. This is a terrific stamp! You’ve paired it so well with your papers. Thank so much for joining in at the Cat Lovers Christmas Challenge. Helpful Hopper – Suzanne

    Liked by 1 person

  7. This is a wonderful card. Love all the pretty papers and the fabulous string of lights. But the cat stamp is definitely special; I get it! I have a birthday card Janis made for me that I display all year long because it was the last one she sent me. It has that special meaning that your stamp does. I miss her so much, but I know she’s here with us during this hop. <3

    Liked by 1 person

  9. What a great way to use up those scraps of paper and your kitty is so cute – I bet she/he would love to get tangled in those Christmas lights lol! Such a fun festive card.

    Thanks for sharing with us at ABC Christmas Challenges and I hope you will join us again soon.

    Liked by 1 person

  12. Gorgeous card, Leslie. I love the floating panel technique and plan to try this. Happy Cat looks so handsome resting atop the panel with the fairy lights. Beautiful creation!
    Thank you for joining the special Cat Lovers Christmas Challenge in memory of our dear friend, Janis Woolbright. x

    Liked by 1 person

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