For God So Loved the World

I have one more card for 2024. Due to design team obligations as well as the Thanksgiving/Christmas holidays I had to pause my bible verse based cardmaking for Grace Klein, a local faith based charity. I am hoping to get back on track in 2025.

After using the The Greetery Leaves All Around Stencil, I blended on grasshopper, dove and wildberry inks then cut out with the matching Leaves All Around die. I struggled with this a bit so you need to just embrace the imperfections! I printed the verse provided for the current Word Art Wednesday Anything Goes - Weeks #679-680 challenge onto white linen cardstock, then cut out with a stitched edge die. I backed the stenciled piece with a plain layer of cardstock and attached around the opening for the sentiment. 

Products: The Greetery Stencil and Die, Neenah cs, MFT dieC and Simon Says Die, Concord & 9th inks, Copic Markers

Copics: C00, C1, C3

 Have a happy and safe New Year! I hope to see you back here in 2025. 

A Walk Down The Cat's Pajamas Memory Lane

I am sad to say that this is my last design team post for The Cat's Pajamas. I was aware of the closing down of TCP before it was officially announced,  yet when it happened, I still wasn't fully prepared. I have spent so much time in the TCP world (14 years) that I am not sure how to do without it. I started out in 2010 as a fan by participating in the challenges. Alma asked me to join the design team in 2011 then I transitioned to design team leader later. Mostly I will miss Alma as she is one of the most creative, fun, generous and caring women I have ever known. I have never met her in person but we became fast friends over many late night conversations on messenger over a glass (or two) of wine.

My very first TCP purchase was the Whale of a Time stamp along with the Wave CutUps both of which have been long retired.  I had created this card back in the day but then Alma retired the image before I could share it so it's been in my unposted folder for a long time. As you can tell I am feeling very nostalgic.

My way to say goodbye is to share a few of my very favorite TCP projects created over the years.

Original post here

Original post here

Original post here

Original post here

Original post here

Original post here

Original post here

Original post here

Original post here

Original post here

Original post here

Original post here

Original post here

Original post here

Original post here

Original post here

There are more favorites but I had to stop somewhere! Thank you sweet Alma for the many, many years of fun and creativity. It's been a joy to work for you, if you can even call it work!

As a reminder, you have just a few more days to take advantage of the 30% off sale. 

Christmas Blessings

The images from the Hero Arts Floral Nativity stamp and die set have been colored over a year but just never made it onto a card. I did record the colors then in a draft post otherwise I would just be guessing. I assume it is a retired set as I only find it on Amazon and Ebay. 

Since the images were already completed, I just needed a background. I decided on the Craft Consortium Ink Drop-Midnight papers which provided a quick and easy, rich alcohol ink background look without all the mess.  I cut it with the PTI Love to Layer: Soft Ridges die, stamped the sentiment using Versamark ink and gold heat embossed. After adhering the images to the piece, I attached it to a dark indigo stitched edge cardstock panel. The sentiment doesn't show up that well in the photo but looks better in real life. 

Products: Hero Arts stamps and dies, Craft Consortium dp, PTI cs, PTI die, Altenew and Versamark ink, Copic Markers

Baby Jesus-E00, E01, E21, E25, W00, E81; Mary-E000, E01, E02, E21, E25, G20, G24, R83,W00,E81, BG10,BG11, BG23, Y21, Y23; Joseph-E00, E01, E02, E11, G20, G24, W00, E81, B91, B93, Y21, Y23, Y26; Manger-E30,E31,E33,W1, YR30,YR31; Stable-C1,C3,W00,W1

Have a blessed Christmas! 

These are a Few of my Favorite {TCP} Things

As we near closing of the TCP doors, I am feeling very nostalgic for some of my favorite characters and dies. Both the physical and the digital products.

Alma has a talent with fonts and her word dies were always so pretty and perfect as the center piece of a card as well as an accent. Luckily she created some of these word dies in the form of digital products. For this card I used the Peace Love Joy from the Holiday Sayings Digi/SVG set and flora pieces from the Oh Christmas Tree Digi/SVG set to create the sentiment and collage of winter/Christmas foliage. The Digi/SVG sets are a hybrid and can be used as a digital stamp or can be cut out with a cutting machine such as Cricut or Silhouette. I placed everything on a background that I used a physical TCP product Dots which was a cut plate but I used it to emboss on the white cardstock background instead. A few sprinkles of green parakeet ink and a trio of sequins finished it up.

Products: The Cat's Pajamas digital stamps and cutables, PTI linen and The Stamp Market cs, Doodlebug sequins, PTI ink

Next up is one of the favorite characters of many TCP fans,  me included, commonly known as the big eared bunny, the bun, the bun bun, the most interesting bunny in the world (due to the many adventures), etc. Illustrated by Zlatoena Designs, this bun has been around the world and back. Freezin' Season has been used by me every Christmas/Winter since it was first released in physical form in 2011. It is hands down my favorite bun image. I placed the image onto a snow bank with a background of patterned paper that came from my old scrapbook stash. I went back to my physical products for this Snowflake which continues to be one of my all time favorite snowflake dies for its retro style. I stamped the sentiment from a retired physical set using hibiscus burst ink and added a couple of smaller diecut snowflakes anchored by enamel dots. 

Products: The Cat's Pajamas stamps and dies, Ki Memories dp, PTI cs, Doodlebug enamel dots, PTI ink, Copic Markers

Copics: Bunny-E50, E51, E53, E81, E40, E41; Snowbunny-C00, C1, B32, RV00, R81, R83

PJ the bear was also a favorite character so of course I had to use him again also. I printed the Beary Christmas digi onto Neenah cardstock, then cut out with a circle die and matted with a very old Spellbinders die that has been in my stash forever. Using cardstock pieces from my scrap bag, I created a diagonal background and attached the image piece upon it. Lastly I added a holly and berry piece from the Oh Christmas Tree Digi/SVG set and the sentiment directly onto the card front. 

Products: The Cat's Pajamas digi stamps and dies, Spellbinders die, Altenew and PTI ink, Copic and Caliart Markers

Copics: Bear-E40, E41, E23, E25, R20, R27, BG01, BG02, BG05; Car-C00, C1, C3, R35; Tree-YG61, YG63, YG67; Gifts/Lights-R24, R27, BG01, BG02, YG01, YG23

Caliarts: Car-R105, R107

The images and SVG files I used on these cards are still available to purchase with a 30% discount until the end of the year. Get'em while you can. 

Sweet Holiday Wishes from Purple Onion Designs

It's the last day of the annual Purple Onion Designs Holiday sale. Take advantage of the discount before it's too late. 

After stamping Polar (bear), various images from the Candyland Treats set onto Copic friendly cardstock, I masked the bear and lollipops in order to blend on spun sugar and festive berries distress ink for the background leaving a snow bank at the bottom. I cut the panel out with a stitched edge die and colored the various images with Copic markers, covering the lollipops with crystal glaze for shine. The sentiment from the Santa's Sentiments set was stamped directly onto the panel using Versamark ink, then white heat embossed. Lastly I added a smattering of  'candy' clay pieces. 

Products: Purple Onion Designs, PTI cs, The Greetery clay pieces, Nuvo Crystal Glaze, MFT die, Altenew and Ranger Distress ink, Copic Markers

Copics: Bear-W00, E81, R20, C3, C5; Scarf/Hat-E40, W00, G000, G00, G02; Candy-R21, R32, R35, G000, G00, G02; Snow-C00, C1

Have a blessed Sunday!

{The Cat's Pajamas} A Candy Cane Christmas

As you have probably read by now, The Cat's Pajamas is closing its doors at the end of the year. Alma has been in business for 23 years. And a remarkable 23 years it has been beginning with physical product then moving on to digital only. I am sad to see it go but also happy for all the life changes for Alma personally. 

Now for my card. I started out by printing the candy cane food truck from the Tis the Season digital set onto a card base using Silhouette software. I did this so I could use it as a guide and also so I wouldn't need a mask in order to blend festive berries and spun sugar distress ink around the truck. I then printed the truck again and the candy cane penguin from the Baby It's Cold Outside set onto Copic X-Press It cardstock. After coloring the images with Copic markers I fussy cut both out. I splattered both images as well as the blending background with a combo of white acrylic paint and water using a fan brush to emulate snow. All images were attached using foam dimensionals but before adhering the truck, I added a piece of acetate for the "window". I trimmed half and inch off the right edge of the card base and attached a piece of patterned paper on the inside edge of the card. A trio of sequins added a bit of sparkle.

Products: The Cat's Pajamas digital stamps, The Stamp Market dp, Ranger Distress ink, Copic Markers

Copics: Van-W00, E40, Y000, Y15; Banner and Trim-R32, R35; Canopy-G00, G02, R32, R35; Big Candy Cane-R32, R35, W00, E40; Small Penguin-C00, C1, YR30, YR31, G00, G02, RV00, R81, R83; Standing Penguin-C00, C1, YR30, YR31, C3, C5, C7, G00, G02, R35

Take advantage of the 30% off all the digital images until December 31. 

O Holy Night

For the first day of Advent I am featuring a Nativity themed card. 

I actually created this card some time ago but just never posted it. Although I recorded the products I used and the Copic markers to color it, I don't really remember that much about it. I do know the background was ink blended then I used a stencil and some paper glaze to create the starry background. The stamps and dies are from the Sunny Studio Holy Night set. 

Products: Sunny Studio stamps and dies, Picket Fence studios Paper Glaze, Miss Ink Stencil,  Altenew, My Favorite Things and Ranger Distress ink, Copic Markers

Copics: Mary-E00,E01, E53, E55, W00,E81, B41, B32; Joseph-E00, E01, E21, E23, BG70, BG72, BG75, 341, E42; Manger/Baby Jesus-E00, E01, Y13, Y15, E81,YR30, Y21; E31, E33,Stable-E31, E33, E35, YR30, Y21, Y23, Y02, Y15; Lamb-W00,E81,T1, T3; Donkey-W00, W1, W2, W5

Enjoy this advent season.