CASE-ing the Catty - Thanks

Welcome to another CASE-ing the Catty Blog Hop, this week we are taking inspiration from the Thanks section of the Stampin' Up! Annual Catalogue - did I mention it has just recently been released? Just because it is a new catalogue doesn't me you have to use new product to join in, just take inspiration in some way from pages 13 to 18.  Don't forget that the front page of each section has a heap of samples too.

I have never tried the bokeh technique before and wanted to give it a go for this challenge.  I CASE-ed the card on page 14, but because I don't send many thank yous I changed it up to be a birthday version instead.  I was pretty happy with how this turned out, but think it is a bit dark, so next time will use lighter colours.  I think also doing it on watercolor paper meant that the sentiments didn't have as crisp an image.

I used stamps from a few different sets for the main panel, and added a few Blushing Bride and Bermuda Bay sequins for some bling.

Don't forget that you can join in by adding a comment to the CASE-ing the Catty Blog with a link to your project, and one of the team will add you in.

Time to hop on over to Emma's blog

Happy Stamping
Monique

Polka Dot Birthday

What fun I had with these challenges!  Just Us Girls inspiration challenge, Stampin' Royalty colour challenge, and Friday Mashup which was to use polka dots and/or a fancy fold!  So really four challenges in one card.

This is the front of the card, I saw this fancy fold when surfing Pinterest, and when I saw FMU was a fancy fold I knew it was the perfect time to give it a try.  I can not find the original creator, but if you recognise them please let me know so I can give credit.  The strip of DSP gives the illusion of a single panel on the front of the card.

As the card opens up you can see the fancy fold and the little panels inside for messages and images.  The Sketched Birthday stamp set is just perfect for this card. along with the large sentiments from Perfect Pennants of course!  It is sort of like 2/3 of a tri-fold card.

 Here I have opened the card all the way so that you can see the different panels,  the blank area is great for writing your message, it will be hidden when the card is closed. I stamped the little party hat in StazOn ink onto the card base after adding the strip of DSP, then stamped again onto Daffodil Delight DSP before cutting out just the hat and adding it to the card.  A touch of Dazzling Diamonds on the candle and front cupcake image gives just a little sparkle.

I re-jigged the measurements to fit a standard A5 card front size (14.8cm x 10.5cm). A paper trimmer is just great for these sorts of cuts and folds.  Cut on the solid line and fold on the dotted lines.


Edit:
How very exciting, my card this week was chosen as the Top Pick in

The Friday Mashup!!!

and
Stampin' Royalty!!!!

Happy Stamping

Bright Makes Me Happy

 One of the great things about being a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator is the inspiration I can get from other demonstrators all around the world, the Around the World Stampin' Up! Challenge is a great blog to visit, and this week has inspired me to not just look at the wonderful creations, but to join in with their colour challenge!

 I have not had chance yet to use my Hexagon Hive Thinlits Die, and decided to change that with this card. I wanted a painted wood lattice sort of feel so stamped Crushed Curry onto the same colour card stock using the Woodgrain stamp.  Then I ran it through the Big Shot with the Thinlit to create the lattice.  I decided to layer this over the stamped image, a combination of Flower Shop and Creative Elements to give the sense of looking through the lattice into the garden.  The little faux bows were an additional thought when the two layers of ribbon were not quite enough.

I sat and looked at the card for a while, not sure if I liked it or not.  I decided it needed something else to make it pop, so added some smaller flowers using Petite Petals stamp set and matching punch.  I just love how the flower makes perfect leaves as well!  Using my bone folder I gently curled the petals to give more of a 3D look and popped a couple of them up on Dimensionals.  I think this gives the card the finish it needed. I was thinking of adding Crushed Curry Candy Dots in the centres of the flowers but thought that might be taking it a bit far :)

Happy Stamping

Frozen Elegance

 Isn't this a cute sketch from Sketch Frenzy Friday this week?  I thought there was the opportunity for some cute elements so got creative.

I love love love Coastal Cabana, it is such a fresh and clean colour and the DSP in Eastern Elegance has some beautiful patterns using it. This pattern goes beautifully with the matching embossing folder and of course adding some Silver Glimmer Paper added some lift to the card.  Once I made this I immediately thought of the animated movie Frozen!

This is a close up of the little flags I used two of the images in Perfect Pennants, a set in the new Occasions Catalogue, I think they are just the right thing for this card, perfect you might say ;)

Happy Stamping

Watercolour Fun

Isn't it exciting when you find a new challenge blog?  Even more so when you know it is a Stampin' Up! one too!  That is how I felt when I found Around the World challenge, I like it too because it has a design team from around the world, so you don't just get a style of what is trending in one country.

I have been enjoying a play with some more of my new sneak peek products, this time from the Occasions Catalogue. The whole card was really inspired by the DSP Watercolour Wonder I love the random splotches of colour on the background DSP and so decided to really give my flowers a watercolour feel not really caring if I coloured outside the lines, or if it looked too perfect.  I then dropped splotches of water coloured with ink onto my stamped image to give smaller versions of the background blotches.  Heavy handed sponging around the flag also gives it the rougher less perfect feel I was going with.  

At the end of the day, I am not sure if this is really my style but it was fun to do something a bit different.  Be honest, let me know what you think.

Happy Stamping

Flowery Sketch

Isn't this a cute sketch from Create With Connie and Mary?  I just had to play as it let me use some of the new products available soon in the Australian/New Zealand market with both Sale-A-Bration and Occasions Catalogues, both go live on 28th January and are just bursting with great products, some you can get for free!

Onto my card, I have used a combination of new products and some existing products on this one.  The cute little flowers come from Petite Petals that have a matching Petite Petals Punch, I stamped some of the flowers on the top layer of the card and punched others out to let the Sweet Sorbet DSP show through.  I also used the little flowers from Betsy's Blossoms.  The banner is from another new stamp set Perfect Pennants which also has matching Banners Framelits which I love because I can never get the flag end of a pennant or banner to look just right, and this set has 6 different sized banners!

Happy Stamping