CASE-ing the Catty #43 - Artistic Expression

 Oops, any of my frequent visitors might have noticed that my post went live without any content!!!  I had scheduled the post with plans to write up the content after work, but got invited out for drinks so didn't get home in time! At least I am not toooooo late : )

This week on CASE-ing the Catty we are taking inspiration from the Artistic Expressions section of the Annual Catalogue (pp 111-134).  Like last week this is a fairly large section of the catalogue with lots and lots of samples to take inspiration from.  I chose the pretty flower card at the top of page 119.

For my card I chose to use the pretty Birthday Blossoms stamp set along with Petite Petals, I just love CASE-ing a card with different products that gives a similar look.  I also liked the pretty floral side of the Neutrals DSP so used that instead of the diagonal stripes. 

Hop on over to Emma's blog to see her pretty creation. 

Happy Stamping
Monique

ESAD New Catalogue Blog Hop

To celebrate the start of a new Annual Catalogue a group of demonstrators from Extra Special Australasian Demonstrators are doing another blog hop. Whether you have hopped on over from Jackie's Blog or are starting here, just follow the link at the bottom of the page until you hop around to where you started.

I always love a new catalogue and this year is no exception, with new stamps and products to spark creativity. One of the things I love about this catalogue is the range of new products that coordinate with existing products, so have made that the theme of my post for the blog hop.  

Firstly there is the stunning Watercolor Wings stamp set and framelits that coordinate with Butterfly Basics.  This is a three step stamp set where you add layers of colours to the gorgeous butterfly then cut out using the matching framelits.  Additional new product on this page is the lovely Brick Wall embossing folder, the Tags & Labels Framelits used to cut out the sentiment, and the lovely delicate flowers stamped around the edges are from Birthday Blossoms.

Here you can see how I have actually stamped the butterfly twice, the second time cutting out with the new Butterfly Framelits to give some added depth and life to the card.

This next card uses the cute little flowers again, this time to add some detail to the base of the card. The cute strip across the card is new Boho Washi Tape; and the wreath of spring flowers the butterfly is sitting on is another new stamp set Circle of Spring, that coordinates with the Wonderful Wreath Framelits from previous catalogue.  This card is made using only In-Colours, don't the colours from last year and this year go so well together?

I have used the butterfly stamp from Butterfly Basics to stamp the bottom layer, then cut it with the new solid butterfly from Butterflies Thinlits, and layers of Blackberry Bliss and Vellum for the top layers of the butterfly.

My final card again uses the lovely Circle of Spring stamp set this time stamped in Versamark and embossed with Gold Embossing Powder.  I have added a layer of Gold Foil Sheet to help make it pop.  Photographing this was tricky to give a good idea of how rich it looks.  To add some highlights to the wreath I coloured some of the flowers with Blackberry Bliss Stampin' Write Marker.  The sentiment is from the Birthday Blossoms stamp set (the same one with the cute little flowers used on my previous two cards).  

Time to hop on over to see what Ria has created for you:

Many of you will have visited other ESAD Blog Hops, but if you haven't here is a bit about the group:

Happy Stamping
Monique

Late Mother's Day

Something many of you who follow my blog won't know about me is that I am terrible at posting letters.  Think of really bad, and times that by 100!  This year for example I made a lovely Easter card for my parents, but only sent it a couple of weeks ago, well after Mother's Day.  In my logic I couldn't make my mum a card for Mother's Day until I had posted Easter, so today I finally sat down to do just that (yes Mother's Day was second week in May, so I am running about 4 weeks behind).

The Stampin Royalty challenge "Anything but a card" took my interest and I decided to think outside the box for mum's card.  

I decided to use the Stampin' Up! Mini Treatbag Framelit and use the gorgeous Timeless Elegance DSP - that is one paper pack that is a must have from this year's catalogue.  I have all sorts of new goodies on this little bag, Birthday Blossoms stamp set for the flower and leaves (and if you look really closely at the Blushing Bride tag I stamped the small flowers from this set and embossed with Iridescent Ice embossing powder), Circle of Spring for the sentiment. and the new Tags and Labels Framelits.  I coloured some Whisper White cotton ribbon with my marker and also added some Blushing Bride highlights to the flower buds on the DSP - it comes with no colour which is really cool and makes it easy to tie in with any project colour scheme!

There is a little card inside also stamped in Blushing Bride with the small flowers from Birthday Blossoms where I have written the message to my mum, you can see a little tag, made with a piece of the Sahara Sand Lace Trim, peeping out of the top of the bag.

Happy Stamping
Monique