Altenew Pansy Cards.

(Catchupmageddon Post) Very pleased to have an Altenew layering flower stamp set to play with! This Pretty Pansies Stamp Set was one of the few I had my eye on, it's proving hard to find the ones at the top of my list.  I chose a couple of layouts and made a simple 7 card set using all the more successful colour combos I tried with the stamps.

Most of the time I used distress oxides or inks with versafine black outlines. I also printed out some photos of real pansies to get some inspo for which colour schemes to try out. Background made using a stencil and distress oxides.

I spot other people get to use their washi tapes on their cards so I had a go too! I used a Hero Arts "messages with flourish" sentiment stamp for most of the "happy birthday" banners.

Some geometric papers from a magazine with a folded corner detail. I like how staples look but I don't think I ever get them quite right, lol! 

Some funky papers I have been saving for something "special" but that time never arrived, decided I needed to use them before they became old fashioned! lol. Sentiment was a freebie set from Making Cards Magazine, it stamps up really nicely.

I think these two came out the best, I really liked the colour schemes. I had a go at making my own background paper using the leaf from the Pretty Pansies set but only used a small piece of it in the end.

Added stickles to the centres of the flowers to make them a bit more special.

And just because it made a colourful photo I thought I would share one of the wrapped up gifts that I added a pansy card too.

Happy Crafty Birthday

Made a few new naughty purchases recently because I wanted to make some cards for my fellow crafters with a suitably crafty theme! I also had in a commission for a birthday card for a paper crafter and wanted to find a design they would find fun and interesting too.

So I used two new stamp sets, one is called "Crafty Turnabout Stamp Set" from Concord & 9th and the other is called "Craftiness is Happiness" from Taylored Expressions. I also used a new die called "Script Words 2" from Altenew.

Really love the idea of the Turnabout stamps, I tried it in lots of different colour ways (as the photos show). They sell lots of extra gadgets to get the stamping perfect and there are lots of videos on how to do it using a Misti stamping press. Honestly though, I just used square card stock and a basic stamping press and think I got pretty good results! I also used distress oxides so wasn't really after a sharp result.

After die cutting out the "happy" in black card I mounted it on a band across the design made of vellum and a thin white strip. (The "Happy" got a bit lost just on the vellum, though I think it would have been fine on a paler colour scheme).

In the same distress oxides I stamped out some of the Taylored Expression stamps to match up with the colours and act as my embellishments on the banner. I also added some bling from the stash.

I used "Impact Label" font for the additional sentiment and just printed out strips from the computer, then taped it onto my card.

Shopping enabling. 

(Not sponsored but I've had excellent service from both of the following shops and happily recommend both.)

• I got my Script die from Dies to Die for but it no longer seems to be in stock. (It was £11.50) You can get it from Seven Hills Crafts though (it's a bit more expensive). 
• I got my Concord and 9th Turnabout Stamp from Seven Hills Crafts because I couldn't catch it in stock at Dies to Die for. (It was £18 at both shops.)
• I got my Taylored Expressions Craftiness is Happiness stamp set from Dies to Die for but it's now out of stock. (£12) I don't think Seven Hills sells it. They do sell a large selection of other craft related stamps though it you fancy a look? Here.

Celebrating off cuts!

Had a few nice brusho off-cuts that I didn't want to just chuck and thought it would be fun to make them into a quick birthday card. 

I also had some ye olde metallic word stickers that I have never managed to use (for years!) so thought I would combo some ancient stash items too. (They look black above but you can see they are gold below).

The bling (arrows) were another prehistoric craft items that I loved and thought would be really useful but have never found anything suitable to do with yet!

Baby Shower!

Love this super cute stamp set from Mama Elephant - Fly with me!

I was trying to make a pink and blue pastel baby shower card but all the colours came out much stronger than intended, lol!

I created a background with distress oxides and then made my own raindrop stencil and added texture with some glittery paste.

I coloured the stamps with copics and cut them out. I believe this stamp set has a matching set of dies tho, if you are tempted? I attached them to the card with 3D foam.

I added some diecut clouds (from Joy, might be my most used die set?) and a piece of vellum with my text on. Font is Breamcatcher. I buy printable vellum especially for this, now I know it exists! I have been wondering why I can't print on normal vellum for years, doh! :D

A post from the udder side.

(A little break from Catchupmageddon.) Happy Friday Folks! Back with some Dr.Digi DT action and another Cuddly Critter - Cow!

Yes, I went Friesian! But doing black and white critters has got to be my hardest combo, it's so easy to drag the black back into the white and get weird lines of spots! 

Here is the digi when you download it:

And here is my version coloured in Polychromo pencils: 

I thought I would add her in a few croci-cups (could be a crocus, could be a buttercup, who knows!) to give her a touch of scenery.

Background paper from the stash, bling is Shimelle and font is Scooby Doo.

For info you can get a more instant Cow if you fancy it? This Cuddly Critter Cow also comes in an awesome pre-coloured version.  Also, she comes as part of an amazing money saving Critter Set too!

Thanks for joining me today, hope to see you in the Dr.Digi's facebook group soon!

Another Pop-up Commission.

(Catchupmageddon Post) Another commissioned pop-up box card using illustrations from 1950-60 Patrol Books published by The Boy Scouts Association.

I was asked to make an 80th for a Boy Scout Master and the customer said she would like it as a box pop-up card. I hoped, by including lots of the pictures from the books, which are well drawn and often funny, it would bring back some memories for him too.

Kept to a black and white theme to make it cohesive. Font is Breamcatcher.

Absent purpose.

(Catchupmaggedon Post) So because I had all my oriental papers out to make the Get Well Soon Panda card, I thought I might make something fun using stuff that took my fancy from the stash. 

A quick disclaimer, it's not quite finished, I left off any wording so I could alter it to fit the purpose it was needed for. I think it would make a nice wedding card but could be just as nice for a birthday etc.

One of my friends gifted me these beautiful paper-cut animals on the thinnest of tissue papers. I have wanted to include them in a project for a long time. I think the paper set I used to compliment them is from Dovecraft, not completely sure though, it's an old 8x8 pad from the stash.

I think this is called a "book fold" card - I bought some blanks along time ago for it. Apart from needing a lot of matting and layering I think it's a lovely fold to use. Especially if you have a pair of images to use on the panels in the centre. It folds very flat for posting too.

Included a picture so you can see a bit more of the mechanics. Now I just need someone to send it too! 

Invading Pandas

(Catchupmaggedon post again) On the theme of Pandas (see yesterdays post) I remembered I also used the Little Panda Agenda Stamps from Mama Elephant for a Get Well Soon Card.

I really enjoyed an excuse to finally use some of my oriental stash. I bought a lot of it when I first started to craft but I found only crafters really liked it as an aesthetic and no-one ever commissioned a card where it would be suitable to use it. I have tonnes of lovely origami papers, the dark background paper is one from my stash.

I've used this layout before with vastly different colours and a normal bunting die over the left corner. To replace the bunting element, I wanted to make a more lanternish look, with the little pandas inside. The pandas were coloured with copics.

On a second card I also tried a way of linking the panda bunting/lanterns with just hessian string because I wasn't sure how well the golden rope and bling worked on my first card. I preferred the second version.

The sentiment stamp is from Hero Arts called Messages with Flourish. Used some fancy edged scissors for the wobbly bits, lol.

If you're feeling a bit cruddy today, I hope you feel better soon too!

Bamboo!

(Yet Another Catchupmageddon Post) Hi again folks!  A quick post today sharing a couple of panda cards with you! I love all the Agenda Stamp Sets from Mama Elephant and I can never resist a panda! One of my fav sets from last year is the Little Panda Agenda set! 

I saw these bamboo straws in The Range and knew immediately I wanted to use them on a card! I have a really old die and stamp set from Sizzix & Hero Arts (which were a series called Framelits) and this stamp is from the Fern Set. I always think it looks pretty bamboo like!

So I printed out a topper that had the sentiment and the swirly line on. I then stamped onto that line three Pandas. I coloured the pandas with copics. I then stamped the "fern" in distress oxide and used the die in the set to cut it out and then added it to the topper. I trimmed the bamboo straws to match the topper height. I added some bling to the corner of the topper I rounded a corner on.

Thanks for joining me on another catch up!

Baking with Bears

(Catchupmageddon Post) A couple of cards I made using sets from Lawn Fawn and My Favourite Things. The blue card I made as a commission for someone who loves to bake.

In this card I used two Lawn Fawn sets, Bannerfic and Baked with love. I used a stencil from the stash for the back ground and used blue distress oxides. I then assembled the blue table cloth and the elements on top.

All the stamped elements were coloured with copics and some stickles. Spotted paper & sequins were from the stash. 

I also made another card in pinks! This time I included some little bears from the My Favourite Things Bitty Bears set. Also a stencil for the background, elements coloured with copics (and stickles) and paper and sequins from the stash.

I can't resist adding tiny bears to things, what is wrong with me? lol.

Thanks for joining me on yet another catch up post. Back to card making now, I need to make some fresh new cards!

Taylor!

(Catchupmageddon Post). Badge card for a Taylor Swift fan! I love making badge cards but I admit they take A LOT of work compared to other cards. It is very time consuming if I need to research the artist/band in depth before I know where to start.

I love a bit of TS but I didn't know nearly enough about her songs or lyrics to make this, so I went on a mad research-fest and began to find cool things I could include in a Reputation Tour themed card.

After creating it in Paint Shop Pro I printed my main background graphic onto glossy photo paper. I thought the glossy shine went with the black and white graphics. It looked a bit like an album cover before the badges went on.

All the badges included words or lyrics (or symbols) from the  Reputation Tour. I have a Bandai Badge Maker that I use to make the badges. I fasten them to the card but so they are easy to detach and then can be worn (like a mini-birthday present).

Frenchie Cactus!

(Catchupmageddon Post). A commissioned card for a frenchie lover! I was aiming for something clean and modern looking with this card.

I used two stamp sets - 

We love dogs from Apple Blossom Craft Collection (STOB0012)

Prickly Plants from For the Love of Stamps by Hunkydory (FTLS203)

I stamped them straight onto the card in this layout and coloured them with copic markers and white posca pen.

Font is All Hooked Up. Enamel bling from the stash.

Springtime Baby Bunny

(Catchupmageddon Post). I had in a commissioned card for a very special new baby! I have made a lot of cards for this family, including the wedding invitations of the now new Mum & Dad so I was very happy to be asked to make this very happy card!

 I have used the "Springtime" stamp  from Whimsy Stamps, artwork by Sylvia Zet. I actually have this as a physical stamp but I shall link here to the digital one.

The theme for the nursery was pink, grey and rabbits so I stuck to that for the card too. I don't often colour in pencils on white so this was an interesting challenge for me and took me a lot longer than it takes me on kraft card, I don't know why!

Once I had matt and layered it onto pink card I used papers from "Itsy Bitsy Baby Girl" from K& Co for the layout behind, which are luckily the same kind of colour scheme. It's an old 8x8 pad from my stash but I believe it's still available!

The main font is East Coast Stationery and the smaller font is Delinquente Alt 1 Demo.

In the corners I created some flower butterfly shapes with flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts, wired branches from the stash and some left over string from their wedding invitations. (I like to add an extra detail that only the recipient would recognise.)

To finished I added some stickles to the flowers and glossy accents to the eyes!

Splash!

Welcome to another Dr.Digi friyay! You may remember this little walrus from an earlier 3D felt episode? Here he is, Cuddly Critters Walrus, now in pencils!

Decided to pop the digi in a bit of a splashy scene, but just so you can see which bit is the digi, here he is in the shop:

Here is my version:

Remember he is also part of the super money-saving Cuddly Critter Set!

As normal he is coloured with polychromo pencils on kraft card. I added white posca pen highlights and some stickles to the water.

Background paper from Making Cards Magazine and the font is LA Headlights BTN.

Thanks for joining me on another Dr.Digi DT day. I hope your day goes with a splash too!