CASE-ing the Catty - 2023-24 Annual Catalogue

Hi there

I'm very happy to be back, but a little sad that our holiday is now over. It was a wonderful 6 weeks visiting France, Portugal and the UK and celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary. As it has been a while, I've given myself permission to keep it simple today. My new goodies from the 2023-24 Annual Catalogue are still on their way to me, so hopefully I'll have something new to show you next week.

If you've come from visiting my lovely friend  Tina, then welcome!  If you're visiting me, I appreciate you stopping by today! You can continue your journey to see the other inspiring creations from the CTC Crew by clicking on the buttons at the bottom of the post. 

This week we have free reign to CASE any project from the new 2023-24 Annual Catalogue. I hope you've had an opportunity to browse all the amazing new products and take in all the new and returning colours that will be joining the core collection. I'm very happy that some old favourites like Berry Burst and Pretty Peacock are back. I have lots of happy work to do this week to reorganise all my colour collections and stamp sets ready for the new goodies.

I chose the card above from page 39 of the 2023-24 Annual Catalogue to inspire me to use the Cottage Wreath stamp set and coordinating Country Wreaths Dies that I have had for a little while, but haven't used.

It's never too early for a Christmas Card, right? I chose the Lost Lagoon design from the Hello, Irresistible paper pack for the first layer, using a die from the Basic Borders Dies to create the decorative border. The next layer is the polka dot vellum from the Vellum Basics pack cropped with the same border die. 

The bottom wreath was cropped from Thick Basic White and the top from Silver Foil and then adhered together and popped up over the banners. The greeting from the Cottage Wreaths stamp set was heat embossed in white on Lost Lagoon card stock, which was a lucky find in my scratch card stock pile. I cropped the embossed greeting with a die from the Stylish Shapes Dies and adhered it over the wreath, with some white foliage positioned underneath and the Baker's Twine bow, coloured with the Dark Real Red Stampin' Blend marker. I finished with clusters of berries using the (retired) Red Rhinestone Basic Jewels. 

I'll have to wait until I have the Lost Lagoon ink pad to finish the inside!

 

Project Details
Stamps	Cottage Wreaths
Card stock & Papers	Basic White, Hello, Irresistible, Lost Lagoon, Silver Foil Specialty Pack, Vellum Basics
Ink	Versamark
Accessories	Red Rhinestone Basic Jewels (retired), Baker's Twine Essentials Pack
Tools	Country Wreaths Dies, Stylish Shapes Dies, Basic Borders Dies, Stampin' Cut & Emboss, Dimensionals, Heat Tool, White EP, Real Red Stampin' Blends

 

We would love to see your CASE from the new 2023-24 Annual Catalogue, this week. Click on this link or the image below to go there. The first time you will need to click on the 'Join Group' button at the top. Once you have been added to the group, you can go ahead and post your creation and you do not need to have a blog. 

You can head over to the Rachel to see her fab project and follow the hop to see the inspiration from the rest of the CTC Crew.

Thanks for visiting today!

• Shop my Online Store 24/7
• See the latest Stampin' Up! Promotions
• Request a FREE Catalogue
• Check out my Tutorial Store

CASE-ing the Catty - Favourite Retiring Project

Hi there

Welcome to CASE-ing the Catty for this week! 

If you've come from visiting  Peta & Marvi, then welcome!  If you're visiting me, I appreciate you stopping by today!  You can continue your journey to see the other inspiring creations from the CTC Crew by clicking on the buttons at the bottom of the post. 

This week we are CASE-ing a favourite retiring project from the 2022 July - December Mini Catalogue. 

The photo above is the sample project from page 8 of the 2022 July-December Mini Catalogue. The background using the striped die from the Candy Canes Dies to create a kind of plaid pattern always catches my eye,  so I'm using it for inspiration.  

I started by die cutting the striped background twice from Basic White card stock. One of the die cuts you need to turn to the wrong side to make the pattern. I used a bone folder to press down the raised edges, and I put it underneath so it is less obvious. The die cuts were adhered together around the edges and then onto a Pool Party card base that I cut to a custom size to suit the background.

I chose the striped design with all the colours from the Sweetest Christmas DSP to create a border for the banner that was stamped in Real Red and Garden Green.  The pine foliage was die cut from Granny Apple Green card stock and I added some Shaded Spruce with a Stampin' Blend marker to take some of the brightness off. I used another of the foliage dies from the Christmas Banners Dies to crop from Gold Glimmer paper. The holly leaves were stamped in Shaded Spruce on Mint Macaron card stock. Finally I have the Textural Elements and I die cut the berries from the Christmas Banners Dies from Poppy Parade card stock and adhered them with Tombow glue. I actually meant to use Real Red, but it does add pop of colour. Once you have all of your elements ready, it is a matter of positioning them as you desire.  I added Dimensionals to the tails of the banner and positioned it over the striped paper and then popped in the rest of the elements, with extra Dimensionals added later to prevent sag.

 

Project Details
Stamps	Christmas Banners
Card stock & Papers	Basic White, Pool Party, Granny Apple Green, Mint Macaron, Poppy Parade, Gold Glimmer, Sweetest Christmas DSP
Ink	Real Red, Garden Green, Shaded Spruce
Accessories	Adhesive-Back Seasonal Sequins
Tools	Candy Canes Dies, Christmas Banners Dies, Stampin' Cut & Emboss, Dimensionals,  Tombow Glue, Shaded Spruce Stampin' Blends

 

We would love to see you CASE your favourite retiring project from the 2022 July-December Mini Cataloguethis week. Click on this link or the image below to go there. The first time you will need to cte bundlick on the 'Join Group' button at the top. Once you have been added to the group, you can go ahead and post your creation and you do not need to have a blog. 

You can head over to Julia to see her lovely card and follow the hop to see the inspiration from the rest of the CTC Crew.

Thanks for visiting today!

• Shop my Online Store 24/7
• See the latest Stampin' Up! Promotions
• Request a FREE Catalogue
• Check out my Tutorial Store

IDEAS Blog Hop - We Are Cut Out to Be Friends!

Hi there

I'm back with the IDEAS (International Demos Exciting Artistic Stampin') team this month to share more fabulous projects. We are a group of international demonstrators who create a Tutorial Bundle each month to give you, our customers and readers a heap of inspiration for your crafting.

If you've come from looking at Simone's lovely project, then welcome!  If you're visiting me, I appreciate you stopping by today!  You can continue your journey to see the other inspiring creations from the IDEAS Team by clicking on the NEXT button at the bottom of the post. 

This month is all about cutting tools and techniques - fussy cutting, paper piecing, die cutting and punches to create lovely projects for you. 

I’ve created a fab little bag for treat/gift packaging using a single sheet of 12” x 12” patterned paper. Decorate and embellish to suit any occasion; you can keep a few on hand as they fold flat and take up very little space. They are perfect for a holiday or thank you treat/gift for teachers, neighbours, colleagues and your children’s friends; you can even hang them on the Christmas tree! The finished size is 5” x 5 1/2” x 3/4” (12.7cm x 14cm x 1.9cm) when standing. The card measures 5” x 5” (12.7cm x 12.7cm) and fits into one of pockets in the bag and includes an optional gift card holder. The gingerbread cookie fits into the pocket, too! You can see more photos by clicking on the Etsy link below.

There are 3 ways you can get the December 2022 Tutorial Bundle.

1.  Place an order with me for $50 or more using the current month's Host Code (shown in the side bar on the right) and you will receive the tutorial bundle for FREE. I will email you the PDF file within 24 hours of your order being confirmed.  

2. You can purchase the tutorial with Instant Download through my Etsy store by clicking here. You can pay with a credit card or PayPal and you DO NOT need to sign up to Etsy to make a purchase. Check out as a guest if you are not a member.

3.  Join my team and you will get this bundle of tutorials FREE every month to use for your personal crafting or for classes. You can see all the details over on the Join My Team page. It might be the right time for you consider the opportunity to run your own home-based craft business or to get a great discount on your craft supplies.

Once you have received the tutorials, please remember not to share or distribute the printed or electronic copies of these bundles. We have worked hard to provide these exclusive projects for your use. If you know someone that would like to purchase the bundle, please direct them to me to obtain their copy. Thanks for your support.

Now it's time to hop over to Debbi to see her lovely friendship project. 

Thanks for visiting today!

• Shop my Online Store 24/7
• See the latest Stampin' Up! Promotions
• Request a FREE Catalogue
• Check out my Tutorial Store

CASE-ing the Catty - A Christmas Twist

Hi there

Welcome to CASE-ing the Catty for this week! It's great to be back with the Crew after a few weeks away with the Stampin' Up! OnStage event in Sydney and then a week catching up with family and friends in Western Australia. My first airline trip away since before COVID and I'd forgotten how much patience you need to travel, lol. 

If you've come from visiting  Peta & Marvi, then welcome!  If you're visiting me, I appreciate you stopping by today!  You can continue your journey to see the other inspiring creations from the CTC Crew by clicking on the buttons at the bottom of the post. 

This week we are CASE-ing a project from the 2022-23 Annual Catalogue and giving it a Christmas twist. I've been trying to get cards made in the last couple of days to send off this week, so I was happy to have the opportunity to get another one made.

The photo above is the sample project from page 53 of the 2022-23 Annual Catalogue that I'm using for inspiration.  I think it was the polka dot background on this card that caught my eye, as well as the slimline shape.

My card is also a slimline shape, although it is slightly shorter than a standard metric DL card. I decided to go with proportions that looked right with the Poinsettia image from the Boughs of Holly designer paper. The card base is in Shaded Spruce, which looks more intense in real life. I have a mat of Gold Foil for the spotty background using the Spots & Dots Die, cropped from Basic White.

Edited to add the dimensions for this card:

The finished card is  3 7/8" x 6 3/4" (9.9cm x  17.cm). The gold mat is  3" x 6" (7.6cm x 15.2cm) and the white dotted panel is 2 3/4" x 5 3/4" (7.2cm x 14.8cm). For the envelope, cut a piece of paper to measure 8 1/2" x 9 1/2". Score on the short side at 2 1/4" and 6 3/8".  Score on the long side at 1" and 8". Cut out the 4 small corners. Fold into the centre on the score lines and adhere where it overlaps. Use a corner rounder on the 2 end flaps. Fold over and adhere the shorter end.

I placed a folded piece of Gold Shimmer ribbon under the fussy cut Poinsettia image and then positioned it to work with the greeting banner. The greeting from the Leaves of Holly stamp set was heat embossed in white on the Gold Foil and then cropped with the banner from the Stylish Shapes Dies. I also popped some extra foliage in to balance out the shape. I used a foliage die from the Christmas Banners Dies and cropped it from a small piece of Basic White that I coloured with Dark Shaded Spruce and Granny Apple Green Stampin' Blends markers to get a colour that worked with the leaves in the Poinsettia flower. 

I have kept the inside simple, with a Basic White writing panel and another fussy cut Poinsettia flower. I've used a partial image from the edge of the sheet, which is a great way to get the most from the paper.

Because of the non-standard size of this card, I quickly made an envelope to go with it, using some 12 x 12 envelope paper. It is super simple and I added a trim to the flap using the smaller Poinsettia design from Boughs of Holly and rounded the corners.

 

Project Details
Stamps	Leaves of Holly
Card stock & Papers	Basic White, Shaded Spruce, Gold Foil, Boughs of Holly DSP
Ink	Versamark
Accessories	Gold Shimmer Ribbon
Tools	Stylish Shapes Dies, Spots & Dots Die, Christma Banners Dies, Stampin' Cut & Emboss, Dimensionals, White EP, Shaded Spruce & Granny Apple Green Stampin' Blends

 

We would love to see you add a Christmas Twist to project from the 2022-23 Annual Catalogue this week. Click on this link or the image below to go there. The first time you will need to cte bundlick on the 'Join Group' button at the top. Once you have been added to the group, you can go ahead and post your creation and you do not need to have a blog. 

You can head over to Rebecca to see her lovely card and follow the hop to see the inspiration from the rest of the CTC Crew.

Thanks for visiting today!

• Shop my Online Store 24/7
• See the latest Stampin' Up! Promotions
• Request a FREE Catalogue
• Check out my Tutorial Store

CASE-ing the Catty - Mini Catalogue Bundles

Hi there

Welcome to CASE-ing the Catty for this week! 

If you've come from visiting  Tina, then welcome!  If you're visiting me, I appreciate you stopping by today!  You can continue your journey to see the other inspiring creations from the CTC Crew by clicking on the buttons at the bottom of the post. 

We're taking inspiration from bundles in the 2022 July-December Mini Catalogue this week. As it happens, the Leaves of Holly Bundle arrived this week, so I decided to get it inky.

The photo above shows the sample project from page 76 that I've taken my inspiration from.

 

As you can see, I've stayed close to the design, choosing to use more traditional red and green colours for my version. I added the red spotted design from the Boughs of Holly Designer Paper to a Thick Basic White card base. For the focus panel I have a Basic White rectangle cropped with the Stitched Rectangles Dies with a Pool Party mat creatiing a narrow border.

This is a 2 step stamp set, so you can stamp the background colour and then add the highlights in a darker colour over the top. I've used just the highlight stamp and stamped on Shaded Spruce card stock with Shaded Spruce ink, to achieve the different tones.  There are coordinating dies in the Holly Berry Dies to crop the holly leaves. For the berries, I used only the background image with Real Red ink. For another option, you can use just the dies to create layered holly leaves. The greeting was stamped in Real Red on Pool Party card stock and cropped with the label die included in the Holly Berry Dies.  I added a strip of the 3/8" Gold Shimmer Ribbon under the label and around the focus panel, adhering on the reverse with tape. The label is popped up and the separate bow added at the left. I popped in some Gold Foil foliage and a sprinkle of Adhesive-Backed Seasonal Sequins to finish. 

For the inside, I have stamped the greeting from the Leaves of Holly stamp set and added a strip of the striped paper from the Sweetest Christmas DSP at the bottom. The writing panel was added to a Pool Party mat.

 

Project Details
Stamps	Leaves of Holly
Card stock & Papers	Basic White, Pool Party, Boughs of Holly DSP, Sweetest Christmas DSP, Gold Foil
Ink	Shaded Spruce, Real Red
Accessories	Adhesive-Backed Seasonal Sequins, 3/8" Shimmer Ribbon
Tools	Stitched Rectangles Dies, Holly Berry Dies, Stampin' Cut & Emboss, Glue Dots, Dimensionals

 

We would love to see your CASE of a bundle from the 2022 July-December Mini Catalogue this week. Click on this link or the image below to go there. The first time you will need to cte bundlick on the 'Join Group' button at the top. Once you have been added to the group, you can go ahead and post your creation and you do not need to have a blog. 

You can head over to Rebecca to see her lovely card and follow the hop to see the inspiration from the rest of the CTC Crew.

Thanks for visiting today!

• Shop my Online Store 24/7
• See the latest Stampin' Up! Promotions
• Request a FREE Catalogue
• Check out my Tutorial Store