Christmas Cats In Memory of Janis

 

Hello

At last, it's here .... the Cat Lovers Christmas Challenge, organised by Jo at the Christmas Kickstart Challenge. 

Each October for the past 8 years, our dear friend Janis Woolbright of Her Peaceful Garden blog, held a week-long Cat Lovers Hop. This week was always eagerly anticipated by kitty loving crafters world-wide and Janis made it a very special week of fun where new friendships were forged. Sadly, Janis passed away in January this year.

Jo consulted with Janis's son and they agreed upon this one -off challenge to honour and remember this truly remarkable lady.

The challenge is running until the last day of October. You can enter up to 6 cards. 

There's a whole host of generous sponsors. Winners will be chosen at random, but you have to be in it to win it, so link up your Christmas kitty cards, leave some comments or just display the above badge on your blog and other social media to be in with a chance of winning. Oh, and don't forget to sign up in the comments section of Day 1.

Jo has some helpers to showcase the companies sponsoring the challenge, so there will be plenty of eye candy and inspiration.

Head over to the Christmas Kickstart Challenge blog and take a look.

The link up page for Christmas Cat cards is here.

***

Today is my day to share some cards made with stamps from one of the sponsors - Inkylicious.

At last year's Cat Lovers Hop I was lucky to win a mini pack from Inkylicious, a family run stamp company in the UK. I used the stamp set, Christmas Cats on a Branch, that I won along with a few other Inkylicious stamps to makes some cards:

I use torn paper to make the horizon and the snow hills, inking lightly with grey inks and adding glitter pen at the end. The moon was created with the Moonscape Stamp and Stencil. The twiggy branches around the card comes from the branches in the Winter Birds stamp set. I also used Bare Branches and embossed in white:. You might just see some pine trees in the distance, for this I used an old, discontinued, twinchie pine tree stamp.

Here's a close up of the Christmas cats eagerly awaiting Santa Paws:

I'd like to play in the following challenges:

Crazy for Cats #12 AG 27/10

Most Magical Time of the Year #13 28/10

Aud Sentiments Challenge #306 Ink Blending 28/10

Christmas Kickstart Challenge #79 Christmas Cats 31/10

We Love Stamping Oct AG 01/11

***

This is a similar, but more simplistic card:

The Christmas Cats on a Branch are the focal point and Bare Branches was used as a filler stamp and embossed in white.

***

On this card I used the Santa and sleigh from Christmas Cats on a Branch

I used one of the Curious Cats and the tip of the Rye Grass stamp for scrub vegetation. I also used the Sun/Moon stencils on this one.

I'd like to play in the following challenges:

* The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge #149 AG 15/10

* Critter Crazy #79 Critter 24/10 DT Favourite

Crafty Animals #77 AG 26/10

SUYP #93 Furrything Goes 31/10 Winner

That's all for now.

Thanks for stopping by today.

xoxo

* Path of Positivity: CAS Floral Greetings

  Hello

Welcome to the November Path of Positivity Challenge.

Our challenge is always Anything Goes with an optional theme.

This month's option is to design a project that focuses on celebrating THE SIMPLE THINGS IN LIFE.

Honours and Prizes include:

• $6 worth of images from Scribbles Designs, for a person chosen in a random draw based on all qualifying entrants.
• A badge for the following honours: Top Pick, Voter's Choice, Most Inspirational, Random Winner, DT Delight.

I decided to make a trio of CAS cards as technically they are quite simple to make. However, in real life, I find them rather tricky (probably because I am a messy crafter) and am prone to get inky spots where there shouldn't be any.

It is no secret that I love all things to do with nature, so I chose simple grasses and wild flower stamps from Inkylicious along with simple, yet beautiful and bold sentiments.

The stamping was completed first and I used a stamp platform to make sure the silhouette stamps and words were crisp and black. Next I used torn paper as a mask on two sides of the base so that I could make a strip of colour. I used blending brushes and Distress Inks. The cards were matted onto black card then popped onto a white card base. 

We would love to see your creations! 
Just make sure that your entry is positive, inspirational, motivational or encouraging in some way!
The link up is here: Challenge #106 Path of Positivity.

 

That's all for today! 

Many thanks to Scribbles Designs for sponsoring the challenge.

I'll be back with a another Path of Positivity project in a couple of weeks time.

Thanks for stopping by today!

xoxo

                                                                                                                                            

I'd like to play along in these challenges:

* Krafty Chicks Challenge #636 Stamp Act 09/11

* Cupcake Inspirations #556 AG 12/11

* Pammies Inky Pinkies #2245 AG 13/11

* Creative Fingers Challenge #242 17/11

* Classic Design Challenge #11 AG 27/11

I read and appreciate all your comments. 

xoxo

* Cat Lovers Hop: Cats on a Branch

Hello

Welcome to the Cat Lovers Hop 2022.

A big hello to all my furry, feline-loving friends!

The Cat Lovers Hop, for those that don't know, is a fantastic annual event, hosted by the lovely Janis over on her blog, Her Peaceful Garden. 

This is its eighth year and an awful lot of work goes into its planning and preparation. The community of cat loving crafters is one of the best I have come across and I look forward to this event all year long.

If you like cats pop over and have a look at the fun games and awesome prizes that Janis has organised for the next few days. 

You'll find the link up and all the beautiful projects here. 

If you enter, make sure you sign up here to be eligible for prizes.

***

Inkylicious Stamps, a small family company in the north of England, is one of the many sponsors of the 2022 Cat Lovers Hop., and I am delighted to be guest designing for Janis at the Hop with this card:

For my card I used  3 sets of Inkylicious stamps:

The Cats on a Branch were stamped and heat embossed with clear powder and the background was coloured with Brusho pigments by sprinkling the powders onto card and lightly spritzing with water.

The moon mask was held in place and Faded Jeans Distress Oxide ink was blended around it, leaving the moon itself a paler colour.  The moon stamp was stamped using Antique Linen Oxide Ink. Chalk pastel pencils added some highlight to the moon and a silver sparkle gel pen adds a little shimmer around the edge of the moon.

The Bare Branches were added around the edges of the background and the edges were inked in black archival ink.

The sentiment is a sticker.

Cats on a Branch (Large)                  Bare Branches

   

Moonscape stamp and stencil

Many thanks to Inkylicious for sponsoring the Cat Lovers Hop.

Deby has made a special stamp set featuring the Cats on a Branch, but with Christmas hats and a sleigh (Christmas Cats on a Branch) as a prize for our hoppers and she is also generously giving away 3 mini packs of products. 

Thank you, Deby!

That's all for now.

Thanks for stopping by today.

xoxo

I'd like to play along in these challenges:

* Lost Coast #154 Cats &/or Dogs 31/10

* SUYP Challenge #82 AG Cats 31/10

* Just Add Ink Choose Two (Day/Silhouette) 02/11 WINNER

* Creative Fingers #241 AG 04/11 TOP 3

* Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #192 AG 05/11 TOP 5

* Crazy for Cats Challenges #1 AG Cats 25/11 2/5 WINNER

* Cat Lovers Hop: Winter Toby Cat

Hello

Welcome to the Cat Lovers Hop 2022.

A big hello to all my furry, feline-loving friends!

The Cat Lovers Hop, for those that don't know, is a fantastic annual event, hosted by the lovely Janis over on her blog, Her Peaceful Garden. 

This is its eighth year and an awful lot of work goes into its planning and preparation. The community of cat loving crafters is one of the best I have come across and I look forward to this event all year long.

If you like cats pop over and have a look at the fun games and awesome prizes that Janis has organised for the next few days. 

You'll find the link up and all the beautiful projects here. 

If you enter, make sure you sign up here to be eligible for prizes.

***

Inkylicious Stamps, a small family company in the north of England, is one of the many sponsors of the 2022 Cat Lovers Hop.

I used  2 sets of Inkylicious stamps to create this card: 

I used my favourite cat stamp, Toby Cat to make this winter card:

I stamped Toby Cat and made a mask to cover him up whilst I inked the background. I used a torn piece of paper to create the snowbank for Toby Cat to sit upon and I used Elements inks in Saharah and Della Blue to add colour to the background. I spattered a few water droplets over the inking to create a faux bleach effect. The snowbank has some shading with Graphite ink and some Icicle Stickles.

Next I used the circle mask to lightly pencil in the shape that I would follow with the foliage stamps. I used the Tumbling Vines stamps with Shady Lane and Pinecone Versafine ink to create the foliage arch. I added some small red dots with a ball tool and acrylic paint to represent holly berries. White spatters were applied and some Lime Stickles for sparkle.

Toby Cat                             Tumbling Vines

      

 Circle Stencil and Mask  

Many thanks to Inkylicious for sponsoring the Cat Lovers Hop.

That's all for now.

Thanks for stopping by today.

xoxo 

I'd like to play along in these challenges:

* Lost Coast #154 Cats &/or Dogs 31/10

* Pammies Inky Pinkies #2243 AG 30/10

* SUYP Challenge #82 AG Cats 31/10 TOP PICK

* Winter Wonderland Let it Snow 03/11

* Word Art Wednesday #567/568 AG 08/11

* Worldwide Open DT Challenge #10 AG 3/3 11/11

* Crazy for Cats Challenges #1 AG Cats 25/11 2/5  

* Path of Positivity: Welcoming Autumn

 Hello

Welcome to the October Path of Positivity Challenge.

Our challenge is always Anything Goes with an optional theme.

This month's option is to design a project that focuses on celebrating YOUR FAVOURITE SEASON.

Honours and Prizes include:

• $6 worth of images from Scribbles Designs, for a person chosen in a random draw based on all qualifying entrants.
• A badge for the following honours: Top Pick, Voter's Choice, Most Inspirational, Random Winner, DT Delight.

I chose to make my DT project about the arrival of autumn. Whilst I don't particularly like cold, wet and windy weather, I do love the colours in this season of change, especially when accompanied by bright, sunshine and clear blue skies :).

Here is the card I made:

I made a wreath using foliage stamps from Inkylicious and Lavinia and inked the background with Elements inks, adding some water droplets to the edges to give a faux bleach effect.

The lovely bird is a stamp called Merry Magpie from Rubber Dance. She was stamped onto white card and fussy cut, then adhered to the wreath.

I matted the background onto black card and popped all onto a card base. Here is a close up:

We would love to see your creations! 
Just make sure that your entry is positive, inspirational, motivational or encouraging in some way!
The link up is here: Challenge #105 Path of Positivity.

 

That's all for today! 

Many thanks to Scribbles Designs for sponsoring the challenge.

I'll be back with a another Path of Positivity project in a couple of weeks time.

Thanks for stopping by today!

xoxo

                                                                                                                                            

I'd like to play along in these challenges:

* MMM Challenge Autumn Flora/Fauna

* All Sorts Challenge #696 Gardner's Delights 08/10

* Outlawz Challenges - Sunday Song- & Rhyme 16/10

* Double Trouble Oct Fall Colours 16/10

* Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #191 AG 16/10

* Use Your Stuff #468 Autumn/Fall 16/10

* Corrosive Challenges #10 AG 31/10 Top 5

* 613 Avenue Create Oct AG 31/10 

*  We Love Stamping Oct Autumn Colours 02/11

I read and appreciate all your comments. 

xoxo

Winter Cottage

 Hello

I made a winter scene using some Inkylicious stamps and Distress Oxides. 

I blended Distress Oxides to create the winter sky, using a torn piece of paper to mask the ground. I splattered some water to bleach out some colour, then stamped the Tall Pine Trees.

The Winter Cabin was stamped and some snow mounds made, again using torn paper as a mask to create shadows for the snow banks. Extra trees were added around the cottage and some foreground wintery twigs (Bare Branches).

White paint splatters were added as falling snow and some silver glitter gel pen was used to highlight the snow on the cottage and trees.

 

That's all for now.

I'd like to play along in these challenges:

* PIP Challenges #2211 AG 20/03

Happy Little Stampers Christmas Challenge AG 31/03

* TTCRD AG 31/03

A Bit More Time to Craft AG 14/04

Merry Little Christmas Challenge AG 14/04

Thanks for stopping by today.

xoxo 

* Wild Hares in the Snow

Hello

A warm welcome to my newest follower, Grasiela Santos. Thank you for showing interest in my blog.

I had a little time today, so I decided to have a play with some ink and new stamps. 

Here is the card I made:

I masked off an area for the ground with a piece of torn paper and adhered a circle mask for the moon. Then I blended Distress Oxides to make a night sky. I coloured the moon and stamped the shadows using the Moonscape stamp and stencil set from Inkylicious.  With the ground mask still in place I stamped the trees (Fairy Fir Tree from Lavinia). Some snow banks were made by lightly inking along torn paper and the Lavinia Wild Hares were stamped. I framed the bottom part of the scene with Inkylicious Bare Branches . I added some white paint splatters and used a silver, glitter, gel pen to outline the moon, trees, bunnies and snow mounds.

That's all for now.

Thanks for stopping by today!

xoxo

                                                                

I'd like to play along in these challenges:

* Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday Something New 30/01 Top Pick

(The Lavinia stamps used here are new to me)

* Paper Funday Challenges #37 Winter Landscapes 30/01 Top 3

* Pammies Inky Pinkies #2204 AG 30/01

* MMM Challenge #166 Winter Wherever you are 30/01 Top 3

* Pennys Challenges #513 AG 01/02

* Simon Says Stamp AG 02/02

* Addicted to Stamps #421 Make Your Mark 02/02

* Crafty Gals Corner #227 Snow Much Fun 08/02

I'd really love some feedback :)      

I read and appreciate all your comments.