2023 Cat Lovers Christmas Challenge

holiday hugs

Hey peeps, how are you today? I hope you had a great weekend and you’re looking forward to an awesome week coming up! I’ve popped in this morning with another card I created for the 2023 Cat Lovers Christmas Challenge in honor of our friend, Janis. I dug into some of my older papers, stamps and dies and made another triple point fun fold featuring a Paper Smooches kitty sitting in a Birch Tree Design wreath! It’s funny how a fun fold design that I was not crazy about initially has become one that I really like!

I cut the card base from Neenah Classic Crest 80# Solar White cardstock along with layering panels from coordinating prints in the American Crafts Christmas Print 6×6 cardstock pad. Next, I created the wreath using the Birch Tree Design Roundabout die set. I cut the layers from CutCardStock Bright Gold Foil, Habanero Red and Kale Green cardstock and assembled the wreath. Using a My Favorite Things Stitched Mini Scallop STAX, I cut a large circle from CutCardStock Mantis Green cardstock and adhered the wreath.

I stamped the kitty from the Paper Smooches Feline Friends stamp set in Catherine Pooler Sand Castle ink and cut it with the coordinating die. Next, I stamped a sentiment from the Paper Smooches Holiday Cheer stamp set in Memento Northern Pine ink and adhered the kitty beneath it on a foam strip. The final touch was adding a tiny heart punched from a Habanero Red cardstock scrap using the Stampin’ Up Cookie Cutter punch.

Using the My Favorite Things Stitched Mini Scallop STAX, I cut another large circle from Neenah Classic Crest 80# Solar White cardstock. I stamped a sentiment from the Paper Smooches Holiday Cheer stamp set in Memento Northern Pine ink and adhered the circle to the inside panel directly beneath the circle on the front panel.

Sharing in these additional challenges:
1. Classic Design Challenge: October #10 – Anything Goes
2. Cut It Up Challenges: 3289 – Add A Sentiment

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

Products used:
CARDSTOCK/PAPER: Neenah Classic Crest 80# Solar White cardstock; CutCardStock Bright Gold Foil, Habanero Red, Kale Green and Mantis Green cardstock; American Crafts Christmas Print 6×6 cardstock pad
STAMPS: Paper Smooches Feline Friends and Holiday Cheer stamp sets
INK: Catherine Pooler Sand Castle ink; Memento Northern Pine ink
DIES/PUNCHES: Birch Press Design Roundabout die set, Paper Smooches Feline Friends die set, My Favorite Things Stitched Mini Scallop Oval STAX, Stampin’ Up Cookie Cutter punch (tiny heart on kitty)
ACCESSORIES: Tonic Studios 12″ Guillotine Paper Trimmer, Gina K Designs Adhesive Dot Runner, Bearly Art precision craft glue, MISTI stamp tool, Big Shot, 1″ double-sided foam strip

I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing this project and will link up with us this time! Thanks so much for stopping by today – we’ll see you next time! ;)

Scrappy hugs,

A Perfect Christmas

Hi friends! I hope you are healthy and happy, and your weekend has started off nicely! I have a very cool triple Z-fold to share with you this morning that I created for the 2023 Cat Lovers Christmas Challenge honoring our dear friend, Janis. I’ve seen several versions of a triple Z-fold on Pinterest and since the basic Z-fold is one of the easiest to make, I figured adding the triple strips would be a breeze – and it was! I made this one in a standard A2 size and it folds flat for mailing. I have shared the instructions for this easy fun fold in the Freebies section of my blog, so be sure to check it out you’d like to learn how to make it. I totally love Tim’s Crazy Cat stamps and dies, and this is the second card I made using them for the cat lovers Christmas challenge. These cats never get old! And I couldn’t resist putting sunglasses on this guy, too! ;)

I cut the card base and strips from 80# Solar White cardstock along with layering panels from two coordinating prints in the Echo Park A Perfect Christmas Collection Kit. Using the Keep It Simple Stitched Ovals Nested Dies, I die cut ovals from Solar White cardstock and CutCardStock Scottish Highlands Green cardstock. I adhered them to the card front and added a sentiment sticker from the Echo Park collection. I stamped the cat from the Stampers Anonymous Crazy Cats stamp set on Solar White cardstock, colored him with alcohol markers and cut him with the coordinating Crazy Cats Framelits.

I wanted to use the Santa hat in the Stampers Anonymous Crazy Things stamp set but it was right-hand oriented, so I used the Neat & Tangled Backdrop stamp and Memento Tuxedo Black ink to reverse the image and make it left-hand oriented which ‘flowed’ better with the this particular cat. I darkened the outline just a tad with a Sakura black Pigma Micron 08 pen. I colored the image with alcohol markers, and fussy cut it, and added an Eyelet Outlet Sunglasses Brad.

I cut the back panel from Neenah Classic Solar White cardstock and embellished it with a leftover strip of patterned paper used on the front. I added a sentiment sticker from the Echo Park collection and layered the panel on Scottish Highlands Green cardstock.

Sharing in the following challenges:
1. Classic Design Challenge: October #10 – Anything Goes
2. Creative Creases Challenges: #68 – Anything Goes with a Fun Fold
3. Critter Crazy Challenge Blog: #79 – Anything Goes with a Featured Critter
4. Cut It Up Challenges: 3289 – Add A Sentiment

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

Products used:
CARDSTOCK/PAPER: Neenah Classic Crest 80# Solar White cardstock, CutCardStock Scottish Highlands Green cardstock, Echo Park A Perfect Christmas Collection Kit
STAMPS: Stampers Anonymous Crazy Cats and Crazy Things Stamps, Neat & Tangled Backdrop stamp
INK: Memento Tuxedo Black ink (pad and marker), Sakura black Pigma Micron 08 pen, Arteza alcohol markers- R21, YR19, CG08, BR84
DIES/PUNCHES: Keep It Simple Stitched Ovals Nested Dies, Stampers Anonymous Crazy Cats Framelits
ACCESSORIES: Tonic Studios 12″ Guillotine Paper Trimmer, Gina K Designs Adhesive Dot Runner, Bearly Art precision craft glue, MISTI stamp tool, Big Shot, Eyelet Outlet Sunglasses Brads

I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing this triple Z-fold! If you’re a cat lover, come on over and link up some cat-themed Christmas cards in the challenge! We’d love to see what you come up with! Thanks so much for stopping by today – we’ll see you next time! ;)

Scrappy hugs,

ho ho ho fun fold

10/21/23 Weekly Favorite at Splitcoast Stampers!

Happy Thursday, everybody! The weekend is almost here and I hope you have something fun planned this weekend! I’ve been busy creating cards for the 2023 Cat Lovers Christmas Challenge that has been organized to honor our friend, Janis. This front flap card is one of my most favorite fun folds because it’s so easy and really packs a punch. And I used a kraft and gold color scheme which I really love. It’s been a while since I pulled out the Stampers Anonymous Crazy Cats stamps and dies, so I made two cards while I had them out, with different cats, of course! And don’t you just love the sunglasses?! Bahahaha!

I cut the flat card base from CutCardStock Basis 110# Natural and the front flap from Basis 80# Natural cardstock. I cut layering panels from coordinating prints in the American Crafts Kraft & Gold Print 6×6 paper pad. I stamped the cat from the Stampers Anonymous Crazy Cats stamp set in Memento Tuxedo Black ink on 80# Basis Natural, colored him with alcohol markers, and cut him with the coordinating Crazy Cats Framelits.

I adhered the cat to a rectangle cut with the Keep It Simple Stitched Rectangles Nested Dies that I layered on a Basis 80# Natural panel. I stamped the sentiment from the Paper Smooches Holiday Cheer stamp set in Catherine Pooler Over Coffee ink on the back side of a scrap, fussy cut, and adhered it to the rectangle. I removed the prongs from an Eyelet Outlet Sunglasses Brad and adhered the sunglasses to the cat with Stampin’ Up Mini Dimensionals. The final touch was adding several pearls Kat Scrappiness Gold Pearl Mix.

I cut the inside panel from CutCardStock Basis 80# Natural cardstock and embellished it with a scrap of the plaid print used on the front. I stamped the sentiment (also from the Paper Smooches Holiday Cheer stamp set) in Catherine Pooler Over Coffee ink and layered it on the back side of a scrap.

Sharing in the following challenges:
1. Christmas Craft Creations: October Challenge – Monochromatic

2. Classic Design Challenge: October #10 – Anything Goes

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

Products used:
CARDSTOCK/PAPER: CutCardStock Basis 110# Natural and Basis 80# Natural cardstock, American Crafts Kraft & Gold Print 6×6 paper pad
STAMPS: Stampers Anonymous Crazy Cats Stamps, Paper Smooches Holiday Cheer stamp set
INK: Memento Tuxedo Black ink, Catherine Pooler Over Coffee ink, Arteza BR84 alcohol marker
DIES/PUNCHES: Stampers Anonymous Crazy Cats Framelits, Keep It Simple Stitched Rectangles Nested Dies
ACCESSORIES: Tonic Studios 12″ Guillotine Paper Trimmer, Gina K Designs Adhesive Dot Runner, Bearly Art precision craft glue, MISTI stamp tool, Big Shot, Eyelet Outlet Sunglasses Brads, Stampin’ Up Mini Dimensionals, Kat Scrappiness Gold Pearl Mix

I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing this project and will link up with us this time! Thanks so much for stopping by today – we’ll see you next time! ;)

Scrappy hugs,

Very Merry Christmas

Hey everybody! Wishing you all the happiest of weekends! Life is good… the weather has turned cool, Ed and I are both enjoying our hobbies, and we have no doctor appointments until the first week of November (lol)! I have another cat-themed Christmas card to share that I made for the 2023 Cat Lovers Christmas Challenge. This card is in non-traditional Christmas colors of pink and teal, and features the cats in The Cat’s Pajamas Good Meowning stamp set.

On a side note, I’m trying out some new backdrops for my card photos and I’ve gotten my light box back out which I haven’t used in ages. Even though I’ve gotten a lot of really nice compliments on the wood slice, lantern and eucalyptus that I’ve been using for staging, I feel like I need something different. I love change and I love trying new things – and you’ll be seeing some different colored backgrounds, too – so let me know what you think! Of course, you’ll still be seeing lots of photos with the old style of staging because I work ahead and the photos have already been taken.

I cut a standard A2 size side-folding card base from Neenah Classic Crest 110# Solar White cardstock along with a layering panel from CutCardStock Basis Teal cardstock. I cut a background panel from CutCardStock Raspberry Ice using the Kat Scrappiness Buffalo Plaid Background Die and layered it on the teal panel. I stamped the three cats from The Cat’s Pajamas Good Meowning stamp set in Memento Tuxedo Black ink on Solar White cardstock and colored two of them with alcohol markers. I cut them with the coordinating Good Meowning die set and adhered them to the card front, popping the white one (doing the thing that only cats do, lol) up on foam strips. I stamped a sentiment from The Cat’s Pajamas Christmas Seals stamp set in black ink, trimmed it, and adhered it to the card front. The finishing touch was adding some sparkle using iridescent gemstones.

I cut the inside panel from Solar White cardstock and embellished it with strips of Basis Teal and Raspberry Ice cardstock used on the front. I stamped a sentiment from the Hero Arts Christmas Messages stamp set and layered the panel on raspberry cardstock.

Sharing in the following challenges:
1. A Perfect Time To Craft Open Challenge: October #10-2023 – Anything Goes
2. A Place To Start: October 2023 – Anything Goes
3. Critter Crazy Challenge Blog: #79 – Anything Goes with a Featured Critter

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 Raspberry Ice and Basis Teal cardstock
STAMPS: The Cat’s Pajamas Good Meowning stamp set, The Cat’s Pajamas Christmas Seals stamp set, Hero Arts Christmas Messages stamp set
INK: Memento Tuxedo Black ink; Arteza alcohol markers- R20, BR42, WG06/08
DIES/PUNCHES: Kat Scrappiness Buffalo Plaid Background Die, The Cat’s Pajamas Good Meowning die set
ACCESSORIES: Tonic Studios 12″ Guillotine Paper Trimmer, Tombow Mono Dots adhesive, Bearly Art precision craft glue, MISTI stamp tool, Big Shot, 1/2″ double-sided foam strips, iridescent gemstones

I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing this project and will link up with us in this fun Cat Lovers Christmas challenge honoring Janis! Thanks so much for stopping by today – we’ll see you next time! ;)

Scrappy hugs,

‘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,

Meowy Christmas

Hey everybody! It’s Hump Day and I hope your week is going great! It’s turning out to be a busy morning on my blog – I’ve posted a couple design team projects and now I’m back with another post just for fun! You all know that Ed and I are ‘crazy cat people’ and you may remember me participating in the last four Cat Lovers Hops organized by my friend, Janis Woolbright. Sadly, Janis passed away on January 6th of this year (which is also my dad’s birthday) and one of her friends is organizing the 2023 Cat Lovers Christmas Challenge in her honor! How cool is that?! I didn’t know about it until Jo commented on one of my projects several days ago. I’ve been busy with design team work but was able to squeeze in a cat-themed Christmas card to enter into the challenge. There is a limit of six projects over the entire month of October, so I think I’ll be able to make five more! I’m very touched to have been invited to participate! Janis was a wonderful person and is missed by many. <3

I cut a standard A2 size side-folding bi-level card base (front flap shorter than the back flap, either horizontally or vertically) from Neenah Classic Crest Solar White cardstock and ran the short flap through my Big Shot with a Paper Smooches Stitched Borders die. I grabbed my American Crafts Christmas Holiday Prints and Christmas Prints 6×6 paper pads and cut a side panel and several flags which I created with the Stampin’ Up Banner Triple Punch.

I adhered the flags to the card front along with a sparkly black cat die cut in my stash (I don’t remember where it came from) and an Eyelet Outlet Santa Hat Brad. I stamped the sentiment from the Simon Says Stamp Christmas Cats stamp set in Memento Tuxedo Black ink, and added several clear gemstones which completed the card front.

I stamped the inside sentiment from the same Simon Says Stamp stamp set, and the card was complete! Super easy design that would be really easy to mass produce for everybody on your Christmas list! And this particular card is in honor of our dear friend, Janis, so that makes it even more special!

Sharing in the following challenges:
1. 2023 Cat Lovers Christmas Challenge
2. A Perfect Time To Craft Open Challenge: October #10 – Anything Goes
3. ABC Christmas Challenge: U & V are for? (V for Vertical)

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

Products used:
CARDSTOCK/PAPER: Neenah Classic Crest 80# Solar White cardstock, American Crafts Christmas Holiday Prints and Christmas Prints 6×6 paper pads
STAMPS: Simon Says Stamp Christmas Cats stamp set
INK: Memento Tuxedo Black ink, Sakura Pigma Micron 088 black pen
DIES/PUNCHES: Paper Smooches Stitched Borders die, Stampin’ Up Banner Triple Punch
ACCESSORIES: Tonic Studios 12″ Guillotine Paper Trimmer, Scrapbook Adhesives E-Z Runner, Scrapbook Adhesives 3D Foam Squares Variety Pack (small white), Bearly Art precision craft glue, MISTI stamp tool, Big Shot, sparkly black cat die cut, Eyelet Outlet Santa Hat Brads, clear gemstones

I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing this project and will link up a cat-themed Christmas project with us! There is a lot of fun going on and lots of prizes to be won! Thanks so much for stopping by today – we’ll see you next time! ;)

Scrappy hugs,