CTC 316: One Final Goodbye

 Hi!

Thanks for joining me for the new CASEing The Catty Sunday Challenge Blog Hop. As it's our last challenge before the new Annual Catalogue goes live, we are challenging to you to CASE your favourite project from the outgoing Annual Catalogue.

Before I even opened my catalogue I decided that I would CASE a project from the bundle that was at the very top of my wishlist when I first saw the catalogue: Nothing's Better Than. I'm so glad that it's carrying over for another year!

I decided to combine two projects from page 91, as I liked elements from each. The background stamping on the box is very cool, and I loved the look of the cocktails on the card.

The background was stamped with Pretty Peacock ink onto coordinating card. I couldn't resist embossing it with my Subtle 3DEF. I used Silver Foil instead of Gold, and switched out the Seam Binding for some Sheer Pool Party ribbon.

How fun are the cocktails? I used Mango Melody, Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight, Granny Apple Green and Pretty Peacock to colour them. Some colours are full strength, others I stamped off once first. To get the two layer cocktails, I inked the lightest colour first, hanging part of the stamp over the edge of the ink pad. I then went to the darker ink pad and inked the rest of the stamp. Easy!

To finish off the inside, I just stamped another cocktail and the sentiment. I think the this would be a great one to send to a friend having a rough time.

How will you go about choosing a favourite project to CASE from the outgoing Annual Catalogue? It's tough choice! To enter our challenge, just take a photo of your card and post it in our Facebook group.

For now though, it's on with the blog hop. Next up is the lovely Sandra, with a simply gorgeous card.

Bye for now,

Tina

CTC 314: Favourite Retiring Punch

 Hi!

Welcome back to me log for the new CASEing The Catty Sunday Challenge Blog Hop. Do you like CASEing projects from Stampin' Up! catalogues? If so, this is the challenge for you! Each week we are set a challenge to CASE some aspect of the catalogue. This week we are farewelling our Favourite Retiring Punch.

I had a hard time choosing  a punch this week, but I ended up going for my 2" Circle punch. It's one that I use a lot, and will stay in my collection even though it's retiring from the SU range. It's a convenient punch to own!

Flipping through the catalogue, I found the High Tide card above that uses circles so nicely! I love how different parts of the scene are in the different circles. I found a few images from the retiring stamp set, Seaside View, floating around on my stamp desk, so I decided to see how they'd go using the technique.

I started by colouring the whole image with my Stampin' Blends. I then took my 2"Circle punch and cropped the middle section of the image. I then used the same punch to crop the rest of the image on both sides of the middle These were then layered over layers of Grey Granite and Basic Black cardstock cropped using my Stitched Nested Labels Dies, which are also retiring.

Here you can see how I popped the middle circle up on Dimensionals, while the two outside pieces are flat. Another retiring punch, Classic Label, cropped the sentiment from the retiring Seaside Notions stamp set. The final piece of the card was the DSP from the Whale Of A Time pack which, you guessed it, is also retiring.

For the inside, I sponged a little Pacific Point ink into the corner and then layered another image from the Seaside View set over the top. I didn't stamp a sentiment on the inside, as I think the card is more versatile without an inside sentiment. It could be a retirement card, birthday card, or just a congrats card as it is.

That's all from me tonight, but the fun is just starting for you. Which retiring punch is your favourite? Is there one that you can't bear to let go of? We'd love to see the card you make using it. Just add your photo to our Facebook group before next Sunday night and you're all set!

In the meantime, though, please do continue on with the Blog Hop, as there's still lots to see. Next up is the lovely and talented Julia. She's got a pair of super sweet cards for you.

Bye for now,

Tina

CTC #303: CASE The Sale-A-Bration Catalogue

 Hi!

Thanks for joining me for the new CASEing The Catty Sunday Challenge Blog Hop. I nearly missed the deadline for this, as the Australia Day public holiday has thrown my week right out! Does that happen to you, especially when the holiday is in the middle of the week?

This week we are challenging you to CASE any project from the Sale-A-Bration Catalogue. It's a lot smaller than the Mini or the Annual, but it is still chock a block full of gorgeous projects to CASE.

I'm still in a tricky mood, so once again I started flicking from the front of the catalogue. This little gift box on the third page caught my eye because it uses flowers that are die cut from DSP rather than cardstock or stamped images. I think it's really clever, and a great way to get slight variations in colour without the mess of watecolouring or smooshing, or other techniques.

The sample used flowers cropped from the Sale-A-Bration freebie DSP, Paper Blooms. I don't have that DSP, but the Ice Cream Corner DSP has pages with similar patterns. I'm guessing so that you can punch some ice cream shapes from it, but flowers and leaves work just as well! I used my Perennial Petals Dies to crop the flowers and leaves from the DSP. The white loopy bits layered over the flowers were cropped from Whisper White cardstock. A Rhinestone finished off each flower.

I used my Dainty Diamonds Embossing Folder for the background, and my Well Written and Stitched Nested Labels Dies for the sentiment panel.

Another flower and strip of embossed card finished off the inside. I didn't stamp anything on the inside - in fact, there's no stamping at all on this card!

What inspires you from the Sale-A-Bration Catalogue? I can't wait to see what you make. Just add your photo to our Facebook group.

Before you dash off the get stamping, please do finish our Blog Hop! Next up is the lovely Sandra with her super adorable card! Hop on over *wink*!

Bye for now,

Tina

CTC #297: CASE A 3D Project

 Hi!

It's the end of another busy week, which means it's time for the new CASEing The Catty Sunday Challenge Blog Hop! What a great way to end the week.

This week Bec has set us the challenge of CASEing a 3D project from either of the two current catalogues. I'm still very much in Christmas card making mode, so I went straight for my August-December Mini Catalogue and started flipping from the back.

It didn't take too long to find this cute little gift box using the Christmas Gleaming bundle, seen on page 72 of the Mini. I loved the way that the two baubles overlapped each other, and also the two fonts in the sentiment. I don't actually own this bundle, so I had to look through my stash for something to substitute.

Cherish The Season had the perfect substitute with the bells that overlapped! I stamped them on Whisper White with Memento and coloured them with my Petal Pink Blends. I had the plan of using the same Petal Pink ribbon on my card as is on the box, but the bows were far too big! Instead I had to make do with pink bells and a pink layer under the DSP.

Speaking of the DSP, I used the same DSP as in the sample - Brightly Gleaming SDSP. I just chose a different pattern with the gorgeous Copper designs, hence the extreme sideways photo trying to get a good image of the copper! The sentiment is from the Joy To The World Paper Pumpkin kit, and it stamped in both Mossy Meadow and the retired Celestial Copper Delicata ink. The bows were the last scraps of some copper trim I had left over from a kit a year or so ago - the name escapes me!

I stamped and coloured two of the smaller individual bells for the inside so that it matched the front. Those bows sure were tricky to tie!!

As always, you can play along with our challenge by simply taking a photo of your card or project and upload it into our Facebook group. It really is that easy!

Before you do, please finish the Blog Hop, as there's lots more to see! Next up is Peta and her wonder-cat, Marvi. I wonder what he thinks of Peta's 'pawsome' projects this week?

Bye for now,

Tina

Colour Creations: Mango Melody

 Hi!

Thanks for joining me again for the new Colour Creations Creative Showcase. It's Mango Melody's turn to shine! It's a lovely orange that sits in the Brights Colour Family. I must say, it's overtaken Pumpkin Pie as my favourite orange.

I started with the Mango card base, sponging Mango ink through a mask to create the bubbles to fit in with my cocktail theme - I was hoping it would look like the bubbles in a fizzy drink. I realised later that it's a retired SU mask, but there's a similar one that is current that would work just as well. I sponged in an ombre pattern, so that it faded away towards the top.

I die cut three of the 'cocktails' words from the Love You More Than Dies and stacked them to get some dimension on the Stitched Nested Label Die cut. I curved the word as I adhered it to the label, just for something different! The cocktail image and stamped text is from the coordinating stamp set, Nothing's Better Than.

I added more bubbles on the inside to tie it in with the front, also fading them out as they go up the page, but much more quickly than on the front. The sentiment here is from Itty Bitty Birthdays, and I think it works perfectly with the cocktails theme!

That's all from me tonight, please pop on over to Catherine's blog for the rest of this week's Mango Melody cards.

Bye for now,

Tina

JAI #528: Just Choose Two

 Hi!

Thanks for joining me for the new Just Add Ink challenge. This week our Birthday Girl, Jan, has set the challenge, which is to Just Choose Two of Sequins, Ribbon or Metallic Foil. What does that mean? You just choose at least two of the listed items to add to your card - easy!

I was initially going to choose sequins and foil, but my card led me in a different direction.

I started with the background DSP, which is from a retired pack called Shine On SDSP. The silver foil raindrops pair perfectly with Under My Umbrella, don't you think? The ribbon I selected is also retired, but only last year. It's the Granny Apple Green Textured Weave Ribbon.

The images from Under My Umbrella were stamped with Memento ink and coloured with my Blends. I used the Daffodil Delight, Granny Apple Green, Pumpkin Pie, Highland Heather and Flirty Flamingo combos.

I coloured some extra images to use on the inside. I haven't ever done the 'upside down umbrella with flowers inside' before, so this was the perfect time. It's a bit cute!

To enter our challenge, just link up your card over on the Just Add Ink Blog. The hardest part will be choosing which two of the three challenge elements you will use on your card! While you're thinking, check out the rest of the Design Team cards, there's lots of inspiration to be found.

Bye for now,

Tina

CTC #280: CASE The Cover Of The Aug-Dec Mini Catalogue

Hi!

It's time once again for the new CASEing The Catty Sunday Challenge Blog Hop. The new August-December Mini Catalogue went live to customers this week, and so we chose to CASE the cover of the catalogue for our first challenge.

There's so much inspiration to be found! You could CASE the colour scheme, one of the cards, or take elements from a few. Turn a card into a tag, or a tag into a card - the possibilities are endless!

I chose this card on the far right of the cover to CASE. I liked that the whole front was covered in DSP, and that the die cut layer under the bells butted up to the edge of the card.

I don't have the DSP used on the front, but I do have the Heartwarming Hugs DSP. The paper I used on my card today is one of my favourites in the pack. It's not a really obvious Christmas pattern, but a pretty one nonetheless.

I used the largest Stitched Nested Labels Die as my base and the Peace & Joy bundle to decorate it. Sadly, the Red Glimmer Paper is retired, but I can't help using it on my Christmas cards. How lovely is the Gold Trim? It's from the Forever Greenery Trim Combo pack. The ends fray very easily - but I think that's meant to be a feature. I like it!

I stamped the smaller of the stylised star images on the front, and carried it over to the inside. The two greens in the DSP are Pear Pizzazz and Mossy Meadow, so I stamped some in each colour and then added some Red Glimmer Paper to the centres.

As always, we'd love for you to join in with the fun by creating a card for our challenge. Just join our Facebook group, if you haven't already, and then add your card to the group. Easy!

In the meantime though, don't forget to continue on with the Blog Hop. Next up is Michelle, with a very clever card that I absolutely adore!

Bye for now,

Tina

CTC #262 Week 1: CASE The Koala Card Sketch

Hi!

After two weeks of CASEing the Sale-A-Bration catalogue, the CASEing The Catty Crew have a new challenge for you. This fortnight we are CASEing the layout of this cute Birthday Bonanza card from page 34 of the January-July Mini Catalogue. Did you buzz on over from Peta's blog? Keep on buzzing through my post!

To make things nice and easy for you, the lovely Siobhan has simplified the card into this sketch.

I decided to flip the sketch onto it's side, and use my Nested Stitched Dies instead of the rectangles in the sketch.

The hexalong shapes made me think of bees, so it was a natural jump to pull out my Golden Honey DSP. The bees were fussy cut from one of the sheets and then popped up on each of the hexalongs.

I used my retired (sob!) Golden Glitz Delicata ink to stamp the birthday sentiment from Label Me Bold. A few black sequins filled in the empty space on the hexalongs. It's s nice, subtle way to fill the space.

I couldn't bear to waste this large bee that was on the edge of the DSP, and therefore not a whole bee. Now he can fly again on the inside of my card, LOL.

Don't forget that this week is Week One of the new challenge, which means you have two weeks to make your card and get it posted into our Facebook Group.

Michelle was feeling a bit tropical this week - it must have been the heat! Anyway, pop on over to her blog next to see her fab card.

Bye for now,

Tina