Have a Purrfect Halloween ~ 2018 Cat Lovers Hop Day 6 {LAST DAY!}

Thanks for joining me on the LAST Day, Day 6 of the Cat Lovers Hop 2018!

You can check out all the details here {link to the FAQ and Info page}, at Her Peaceful Garden {this is the link to the main hop page}! Hope you can join in, there are tons of fabulous prizes!  If you didn't get to enter the Hop, no worries! You can still go and comment on the entries for a chance to win - you have until Sunday, 11:59 PM to play!

Now the Hop is all done and we will have to wait until next year to play again.  I look forward to this hop every year and I want to that all the sponsors {scroll to about the middle of the page and check out ALL the sponsors; be sure to stop by & give them some love!} and especially Janis who works ALL year to put this together! And I can't forget the ladies who helped me work some magic behind the scenes - D.Ann and Karen Ladd. OK, on to the last card!

This card combines my two loves - cats and Halloween!  It was very easy to make and lots of fun.

What I Used to Make my Purrfect Halloween Card:
Black Card Base
DCWV Fall Cardstock Matstack Orange {retired}
Ranger Archival Ink in Jet Black
Hero Arts Luna the Halloween Cat Stamps, #CM202
Hero Arts Luna the Halloween Cat Dies, #DI433
White Card
Die-Versions Stitched Nesting Squares, #DV-572 {discontinued?}
Darice Gem Swirl Embossing Folder, #30008380
Dimensional Dots

I began this card by stamping the cats on white card with Jet Black ink - I stamped LOADS of them!  Then I cut them all with the coordinating dies and set them aside.  I fished around in my card stock and found the Orange background paper and ran it through my Big Shot with the embossing folder.  I didn't even know the card had a white core until after I embossed it.  It was a pleasant surprise and I like how the white just peeks out.  

My idea was to use the cats that hadn't been cut that well.  I don't always line up the die perfectly so some of my cuts come out wonky.  I needed the cats for a different card I was making, so using up the ones that would have gotten thrown

Another Look

away was a good idea {I'm going out on a limb here - anyone else feel badly when they are throwing out a person or an animal that isn't quite cut right?  I feel needlessly guilty; not because of the waste, but because it's a "living" thing.  So I'm the only one, huh? Shocking.}  I rifled through the cats and picked out the ones for this card.

I layered them on the background, leaving two flat and two popped up with dimensional dots.  Then I cut the sentiment out with the square die and popped that up as well.  Glued the whole thing onto a black card and there ya go!  One easy Halloween card, ready to go!  And I bet you'd have never noticed that those cats weren't cut out purrfectly if I hadn't said anything! Thanks for stopping by, I appreciate it more than you know! Christi

I would like to enter my Purrfect Halloween Card in the following challenges:
2018 Cat Lovers Hop
Sweet Stampin' - Humor
Crafty Catz - Halloween
CAS on Friday - #144, Make a Fall or Halloween Card
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Halloween/Spooky
CASology - #318, Scary {see cue card below}
Die Cuttin Diva's - #392, Halloween {entry 2}

CASology

Purr More, Hiss Less - Cat Lovers Hop Day 5

As you know if you are a regular reader, I love cats.  I love cats to the point I am almost a Cat Lady {although, I can't understand why that has such bad connotations - I've been called so much worse.}  I even have a page on this blog dedicated to my cats, the Fabulous Feline Five.  Go ahead. take a look, I'll wait.  Now that you're back, I hope you enjoy this kitty card that I made for the Cat Lovers Blog Hop, held every year at Her Peaceful Garden.  

Thanks for joining me on Day 5 of the Cat Lovers Hop 2018!

You can check out all the details here {link to the FAQ and Info page}, at Her Peaceful Garden {this is the link to the main hop page}! Hope you can join in, there are tons of fabulous prizes!

There are a plethora of pretty kitty prizes, so I urge you to take some time and join in the fun!

What I Used to Make my Card:
White Card Base
10 Window Die from Uniquely Creative, #UCD1764
Hero Arts Purr Stamps, #CM181
Hero Arts Purr Dies, #DI366
Papertry Ink, Everyday Cat Sentiments, #2884
Watercolor Cardstock {I use Strathmore Ready Cut}
Zig Clean Color Markers
Gray Card
Ranger Archival Ink in Jet Black

As I often do when I get a new stamp set, I had stamped, colored, and cut them out long before I had a card in mind.  I figure you can never have too many cats ready to pop onto a card and I always have all kinds ready to go.  I had so much fun coloring these fur babies there is NO doubt you'll be seeing them on many more of my cards.  

The panel was cut from gray card using a new die from Uniquely Creative.  They are a new company to me and I lucked out by finding them in my local scrapbook/stamp store which features used items.  I did find them online and I am certain you can buy them from numerous online stores.  Once the panel was cut, I saved the interior squares because you just never know and I am so glad I did!  While choosing which cats I would use, I decided only five really fit the card, so I used the scrap squares to fill in the squares without cats.  

Then I placed the chosen cats in various places in the open squares, including the long square.  Next to the stretched out kitty is where I stamped my sentiment.  The set of sentiments was my very first purchase from Papertrey Ink so this card is packed with items I've used for the first time.  In fact, it's the first time I used the cats and dies from Hero Arts, too.

I hope you find some time to join us for the Cat Lovers Blog Hop.  Janis, who runs Her Peaceful Garden blog, always has some fun photos and quips and she's lined up more sponsors than ever! So, get out your kitty stuff and play along! Fondly, Christi

I am entering my Purr More, Hiss Less card in the following challenges:
2018 Cat Lovers Hop
The Sisterhood of Crafters - Use a Little Humor
Aud Sentiments - Use a Funny Sentiment
Southern Girls Challenge - Critter Crazy
Scrapy Land - M, Anything Goes w/ a Brand Die they sell
Time Out Challenges - Use Words to Inspire You {see below} - I am forever grateful for my kitties and this card reminds me to be grateful to others.  Kitties also make me SO happy!

Time Out Challenges

Sympathy. . 2018 Cat Lovers Hop, Day 4

Thanks for joining me on Day 4 of the Cat Lovers Hop 2018!

You can check out all the details here {link to the FAQ and Info page}, at Her Peaceful Garden {this is the link to the main hop page}! Hope you can join in, there are tons of fabulous prizes!  This is a sad one, so get some tissues 😢

My two best friends in the whole world lost their pets in a two week time span.  Tom had to put his dog, Bear, down due to a suspected tumor in his spinal column.  Rather suddenly, Bear, who was about 5 years old and 17 pounds, stopped jumping to greet people, he wouldn't get on the couch, wouldn't eat, and generally seemed to be in a bad way.  Not two days after he began to exhibit these symptoms, Tom noticed that he was beginning to drag his hind legs.  Unfortunately, the tumor had grown and was now either pressing on his spine or a disc and essentially paralyzing him.  There was nothing that could be done. 

Diane's cat was 17 years old and she had stomach cancer.  Kitteny went to meet Bear and all the others a week after her diagnosis.  Now, Tom is a "manly man" and I know he would not appreciate a sympathy card {plus, he & I live about 15 minutes from each other} while Diane lives back East and I know she needs all the support she can get. I needed to express my feelings about both of these unfortunate events, so I made Diane a card.

What I Used to Make my Card:
White Card Base
KaiserCraft Fairy Garden, 6.5" x 6.5" pad, #PP1039
Distress Ink in Hickory Smoke
Simon Says Stamp, Pawprints on our Hearts Stamp Set, #SSS101425
Simon Says Stamp With Sympathy Die, #SSSD111360
Grey Card
Altenew Modern Cats Stamps & Dies {already colored and cut}

I was pleased that I had the beautiful clouds paper - I felt it worked perfectly with the message I was trying to convey.  I had colored and stamped the cat long ago {as I tend to stamp and color more card pieces than I need - I've ruined far too many projects when I don't have extras!} so once I glued the patterned paper to the white card, then put it under the infamous tile I have on my desk to dry overnight, I decided what I wanted to stamp onto the card, the ink I wanted to use, and cut out the "with sympathy" sentiment, I was done until later.

Once that card base was dry and checked for naughty peeling paper, I stamped directly onto the upper left corner of the card "Cats leave pawprints on our hearts" and glued the "with sympathy" die cut to the bottom right hand corner. 

The cat was put across from the die cut and she was glued down as well.  I have to confess, I have a terrible phobia of stamping directly onto papers when  I have a limited supply of them, and thank goodness I used my Stamp Platform.  I can't even begin to tell you how many things I messed up in the old days due to the placement being crooked or the ink not being dark enough, or not fully filled in.  I am slowly starting to realize that these fabulous inventions, whichever kind you favor, aren't going to let you fail if you take the time to line things up; you can stamp as much as needed without worrying about the ink not completely transferring to your paper.  Wish *I* had thought about {and invented things} to make our lives {as crafters} easier!

I did use the stamp that comes with the Altenew set inside the card.  It just reads "So sorry about the loss of your Cat", but I was so anxious to get this into the mail {it took her birthday card 3 months to get to her but another item I mailed only three days!} since I didn't know if it was going on the same trip as her birthday card or not, that I forgot to take a quick picture.  No worries as you can click the link above, under How I Made my Card, and see all the sentiments that both these fantastic sets offer.  Regardless of the sad nature of the card, I do like it.  I think the gray compliments the colors in the sky very well.  What do you think? Do you have a standard Sympathy card? 

Even though this isn't a happy card, Diane loved it.  I am going to enter it into the Cat Lovers Hop that is held every year by Janis who owns Her Peaceful Garden.  It's a fabulous hop, with tons of great prizes and cat cards!  I hope you can join us - I'll be playing every day from October 22 to the 27, 2018.

Thanks for stopping by! Christi

I am entering my Sympathy card in the following challenges:
2018 Cat Lovers Hop
The House that Stamps Built - #02418, Anything Goes
Crafty Creations - #377, Anything Goes
TTCRD - Always Anything Goes
SUYP - #35, Anything Goes with a Cat
CraftyHazelnut's Pattern Paper Challenge - M, Anything Goes
Sunny Day Crafting - M, Anything Goes w/Animals

By the Pricking of My Thumb... 2018 Cat Lovers Hop, Day 3

"...something wicked this way comes," from good old Shakespeare, was the inspiration for this card.  I was lucky enough to grab this Joy Clair stamp set and I think it is PERFECT for Halloween! It has a bunch of spooky Halloween words on it, a skull banner, and much more.  Good score on my part!  I honestly had never heard of the brand until I spied these stamps and now I am adding more and more and more of their products onto my wish list.  Anyway, I knew I wanted to use the sentiment as soon as I saw it and here is what was born from just one stamp set.  

What I Used to Make my Card:
Purple Card Base
White Card
Joy Clair Spooky Greetings Stamps
Hero Arts Luna the Halloween Cat Stamps, #CM202
Hero Arts Luna the Halloween Cat Dies, #DI433
Ranger Archival Ink in Jet Black
Dimensional Dots
Sequins from Little Things from Lucy's Cards, Happy Haunting
Raindrops from Little Things from Lucy's Cards, Raindrops Mix
Wink of Stella in Clear

Another Look

I stamped a bunch of the kitties, as well as the cauldron, on plain white card.  The sentiment was also stamped, in the lower, left-hand corner, on a panel of white card.  Once the kitties and cauldron were stamped, they were cut with the coordinating dies.  I put the kitties in a circle, well, what's loosely based on a circle, around where I was going to place the cauldron.  I used a dimensional dot to pop up the cauldron in the center of the card, placed my circle of kitties around that, with one more kitty on the right hand side at the bottom.  

I was actually going to leave the card at that, but then I spied a bunch of little

The Sparkles Up Close

sparkly packages I had just gotten from Lucy's Cards.  I thought the sight of the cauldron hissing and spitting bubbles and what-not would really benefit the card so I used some of the sparkly gorgeousness from the little bags.  Once everything was attached to the white panel, I just glued that onto the purple card base and I was done!  Oh, wait, not quite done; I swirled around some clear Wink of Stella, just to add a bit more sparkle.

Thanks for joining me on Day 3 of the Cat Lovers Hop 2018!

You can check out all the details here {link to the FAQ and Info page}, at Her Peaceful Garden {this is the link to the main hop page}! Hope you can join in, there are tons of fabulous prizes!

I hope you enjoyed my tutorial and card.  I appreciate all your kind comments and thank you for stopping by! Fondly, Christi

I am entering my By The Pricking of my Thumb card in the following challenges:
2018 Cat Lovers Hop
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Halloween/Spooky
Die Cuttin' Diva's - #392, Halloween
{PIN}spirational - #227, Picture Inspiration {see below}
Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Halloween/Spooky
Carlin's Card Challenge - M, #3, Cat + Black
Joy Clair - M, October Challenge, Inspiration Picture {see below}
Dies R Us Challenge - #107, Anything Fall
Lost Coast Portal - M, Halloween {see below}
Lost Coast Portal - #63, Cats & Dogs {see below} 

{PIN}spirational Picture

Joy Clair

Lost Coast Portal

Lost Coast Portal

Sweater Weather - 2018 Cat Lovers Hop, Day 2

Thanks for joining me on Day 2 of the Cat Lovers Hop 2018!

You can check out all the details here {link to the FAQ and Info page}, at Her Peaceful Garden {this is the link to the main hop page}! Hope you can join in, there are tons of fabulous prizes!

I just could NOT resist this set from Simon Says Stamp - I knew when I saw it that I want to make a blue and white winter card showcasing these adorable cats {but, honestly, show me a cat that isn't adorable!}  So when the package came in the mail, I got right to it.

What I Used to Make my Card:
White Card Base
Light Blue Card
Shimmer Dark Blue Card
Simon Says Stamp, Right Meow, Stamps & Dies Bundle, #SET335RM
Sue Wilson Dies, Indian Ocean Collection - Mauritius, #CED10014
VersaMark Ink
Simon Says Stamp Detailed White Embossing Powder
Ranger Archival Ink in Jet Black
Watercolor Paper
Zig Clean Color Makers
Water Brush
Silver Gel Pen
Pink Sparkle Gel Pen {for their noses}

First I made the background paper.  Choosing the cute little kitty in the sweater, I stamped the image randomly using VersaMark ink to get that tone on tone look.  I actually used a paper much larger than I was going to need so I could choose where to trim it.

After setting aside the background paper, I stamped the cats on some water color paper and used my Zig Clean Color Markers to color them up a bit.  The one on the left reminds me of my cat Sylvester because he always gets himself tangled up in various toys! Each one of the three cats I used reminds me of at least one of my five.  It's a shame I can't gather up all the fur balls and knit a sweater out of that; well, the more I think about it, maybe not.  Anyway, I colored in the kitties using a silver gel pen for every other square on the scarf the kitty on the right is wearing, then cut them with the coordinating die.

I used the VersaMark ink as my embossing ink, sprinkled some detailed white

embossing powder in the sentiment and heated it.  No matter how many times I do this, I literally get mesmerized by the process.  Watching that powder melt is just amazing to me and even more amazing is that I'm making it melt!  Once that was cooled, I used one of the many dies in the Mauritius set to cut it out. 

Finally, after I trimmed my background, I attached all the components and there you have your card!  I love white, blue, and silver together for winter cards; I just think it looks so put together.  Maybe not so on this card but it's hard to be 'put together' when you have kitties on your card!

I appreciate each and every one of you stopping by; without your support, I wouldn't have kept going with my blog.  I hope you and yours are having a wonderful day!  Christi

I am entering my Sweater Weather card in the following challenges:
2018 Cat Lovers Hop
Creative Sketchy Girls - M, #29, Make Your Own Background
Do-Al(l) Creative - M, #22, Make Your Own Background
Southern Girls Challenge - M, Animals
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Animal Antics
SUYP Challenge - M, #35, Furrything Goes

Time Spent with Cats ~ 2018 Cat Lovers Hop, Day 1

First, let me say it's FINALLY here - 2018 The Cat Lovers Hop begins today!! My favorite time of year and my favorite animals - it's a win win!!  On to my card!

I found this stamp while searching Pinterest for something completely different.  I've never owned a Stamping Bella stamp; for some reason I thought they only had digital stamps.  Well, I found out how much they really have and I already have a wish list a mile long.  I'm tickled that this card came out the way it did; almost exactly how I pictured it in my mind!  And it was so fun to color!

What I Used to Make my Card:

White Card Base

Watercolor Paper

Ranger Archival Ink in Jet Black

Stamping Bella, Tiny Townie Courtney Loves Kitties, #669

Die-Namics Wonky Stitched Rectangle STAX

Tim Holtz/Ranger Oxide Inks

Zig Clean Color Markers

Dimensional Dots

I wanted to try something different with this card.  Since I typically purchase matching die cuts with my stamps, and this time I didn't, I needed to figure out 

The first layer of Oxides

a way to get some color onto the background.  What I did was lay the stamp onto the watercolor paper and used the ink blending tool to frame ink around the stamp.  When I picked the stamp up, I continued to use the Oxide Inks around, using all different colors {which I neglected to write down - sorry} and fill the watercolor paper with color.  I didn't use the Distress Sprayer this time; I just left the inks as they were. 

Then I used my stamp platform to position the stamp right where it needed to be, stamped it with the Jet Black Ink, and then colored the image with my Zig Markers and a detail water brush.  Once I had the image colored, I used the rectangle die to cut it out, used dimensional dots to adhere it onto my card base, sat back and admired my work.  

Another Look

This stamp is so far away from what my style was when I first began stamping; I'm glad I saved pictures of my old work {and no, I am not sharing them!} because when I get discouraged and feel that I'm never going to get any better at this hobby, I look back and realize that I've improved so much, and I wasn't even trying!  I'm much more open to all types of stamps now; before I was wary of anything with a person in it, a sentiment that wasn't a stand alone stamp, and oh boy, did I fight against clear stamps!  I hope you have some of your older creations to review, just to see how you have evolved as a crafter, if nothing else.  Thanks so much for visiting me, I am very grateful! I'll be back tomorrow with another kitty card! Fondly, Christi

I am entering my card in the following challenges:
2018 Cat Lovers Hop
Crafty Animals - M, #19, Anything Goes with Animals
Lost Coast Portal to Creativity - M, #63, Cats & Dogs
The Artistic Stamper - M, Inktober (stamp)
Simons Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Animal Antics
Cardz TV - #70, Anything Goes

Lost Coast Portal to Creativity

HEADS UP! Important Information re:The Cat Lovers Hop for 2018

I just wanted to shout out to my friends who play in Her Peaceful Garden's Cat Lover Blog Hop - Janis, the owner, has changed things up a bit this year.

You now have to SIGN IN to be eligible for prizes and it is NOT too early to do that! So, please, click the link above, or click on the Badge on the side of my blog to go to Her Peaceful Garden and sign up!

Remember, the hop runs from October 22 until the 27, 2018.  Get making those cat creations! 

A Morning Poem. . .

This card's sentiment is definitely one I can relate to; welcome to card #5 for the Cat Lovers' Blog Hop.   This card has caused me the need to vent a bit; unfortunately, the Man is a talker, and has a tendency to blather on and on first thing in the morning about an all manner of things - and I typically have absolutely no idea what he is talking about until I am on my second cup of liquid caffeine.  I often have to ask him questions like, "Did you say there was going to be 30 feet of snow tomorrow?" and he will grudgingly correct me, "No, dear. I said it is going to be in the 70's tomorrow". Well, I've told him a million times not to bombard me first thing and it's not MY fault if he continues to do it! Heck, he will even ask me if I have seen "so and so on the news" ~ HEY! Do my eyes look open?!? Do I look as if I am up to date on things?! I can't even find the remote, never mind actually turn it on! So, it's no shock that this card is a favorite of mine and again, the Katzelkraft Cat has the BEST expression! 

What I Used to Make My Card:
KaiserCraft Square Kraft Card Base, #CD509
Distress Ink in Ground Espresso
Katzelkraft Cats
Sentiment, Riley & Co., Coffee Poem, #RWD-539
Water Color Paper
Water Brush
Derwent Inktense Pencils
Light Brown Card
Lawn Fawn Love You Latte Stamps, #LF704
Spellbinder Nestabilities Labels Forty-One, #S4-468
MISTI
Ranger Archival Ink in Jet Black 
Dimensional Dots

I had my cat already stamped, colored and fussy cut out, all she needed was the right card to put her on and this one totally fit the bill! I used Inktense Pencils and a water brush to color her as well as Jet Black archival ink. She was put on the side to wait to be glued onto the card.  

I made my own background using the MISTI , the Lawn Fawn Love You Latte stamp set and Ground Espresso ink.  I just put the stamps I wanted to use in a

It's NOT crooked in Real Life, just in Photo Life

row, stamped, rotated the stamps one over, stamped and repeated the process until I was satisfied.  Since I knew my kitty would be hanging out in the left hand corner I didn't quite finish the background. To be honest, I didn't think the sentiment would cover so much of the background, but so it is.

I stamped the sentiment {that reads: A poem for mornings ~ Coffee, coffee, coffee. Coffee. Coffee, Coffee. Everyone shut up. Coffee.} on a lighter brown than the Kraft card, cut it out with the Spellbinders die and attached it to the card base with dimensional dots. Lastly, I attached the cat onto the card.  I know how this cat feels as I feel it every. Single. Day.  Could be worse I suppose and I do have to give props to him since he makes the coffee {if only he'd do it silently!}

I hope you got a chuckle out of my card and perhaps it inspired you to enter the Cat Lovers' Blog Hop AND share {and enter} my little giveaway?                               Art~Without~Anxiety

presents

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

I’m having a small drawing on my blog.  All you need to do is click onto this post, chose the costume you like best & when I get 75 costume comments, I’ll draw a random winner.  Open Internationally! Please feel free to share!

EXPIRES Nov, 1. 2017

Thank you so much for stopping by - I hope to see you on the giveaway as well as the Cat Lovers' Blog Hop! Fondly, Christi XOXO

In addition to the Cat Lovers' Hop, I am entering my A Morning Poem card in the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes
Scrapy Land - #76, Anything Goes w/ a Die Brand they Sell
CCEE Stampers - #1743, Cat Day

All You Need is Love & a Cat

and a cat. Or six.  I think this stamp is SO cut with the the kitty's glasses and bow tie! I've had it for a
while but {gulp} I actually forgot about it! I'm ashamed! So when I did recall I had him, I had to make it up to him! In order to do that, I put him on a card just in time for the Cat Lovers' Hop!   

What I Used to Make my Card:
White Card Base
KasierCraft Pawfect Cat Collection, PK555 
Meow, Meow, Meow Stamp Set from Unity Stamps, #UK-926A
Watercolor Paper
Derwent  Inktense Pencils
Heart Punch
Red Glitter Paper
Darice Nested Craft Dies, Classic Circles, 2014-74
Ranger Archival Ink in Jet Black

I started by stamping the kitty on water color paper, then coloring him in with Derwent Inktense Pencils.  I didn't like the heart in the language bubble, so I took a very. very old heart shaped punch and made a new heart out of red glitter paper.  I then stamped the sentiment onto white card and cut it out with circle dies.  I fussy cut {argh, I hate it - wish I could sent it all off to someone

who finds joy in fussy cutting!} the main image out and adhered that as well as the sentiment to the background paper.  Lastly, the background paper was glued to the card base, left overnight under my drying tile and we have a card!

Thanks so much for supporting me and the Cat Lovers' Blog Hop!  I have one more tidbit to share with you - I am having a small giveaway on my blog and I would love for you to enter and share:

Art~Without~Anxiety

presents

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

I’m having a small drawing on my blog.  All you need to do is click onto this post, chose the costume you like best & when I get 75 costume comments, I’ll draw a random winner.  Open Internationally! Please feel free to share!

EXPIRES Nov, 1. 2017

Thanks for stopping by! Hugs, Christi

In addition to the Cat Lovers' Hop, I am entering my card in the following challenges:

2 Crafty Critter Crazies - M, Anything Goes w/ a Critter

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes

Inky Chicks - #90, Animals

I'm too Sexy. . .

I love using kitties for Halloween cards!  This is a fun one, especially when you add googly eyes!  Don't forget to get your cat creations going so you can enter the fabulous Cat Lovers' Blog Hop!

She doesn't look too sexy; she looks terrified! Hehehehehehehehe!

What I Used to Make my Card:
Black Card Base
Sentiment, Riley & Co., RWD-496
Tim Holts/Stampers Anon Crazy Cat Stamps, #CMS251
Tim Holtz/Sizzix Crazy Cats Dies, #661209
Tim Holtz/Stampers Anon Crazy Things Stamps, #CMS237
Tim Holtz/Sizzix Crazy Things Dies, #660953
Water Color Paper
Blender Pen
Derwent Inktense Pencils
Lawn Fawn Starry Skies, #LF1377
Lawn Fawn Blue Skies Dies, LF519
Silver Cardstock
Ranger Archival ink in Jet Black
Distress Ink in Hickory Smoke
Googly Eyes
Dimensional Dots

I had made my cat already - stamped on watercolor paper, colored with Derwent pencils with a blender pen and cut out.  I also stamped, colored and cut the broom and witches hat from the Crazy Things stamps and dies.  I stamped the sentiment from Riley & Company on white card using Ranger Archival Ink in Jet Black and fishtailed the end (see my technique here).  I adhered the sentiment to the top of the card on the left hand side.  I die cut the clouds out of the Lawn Fawn Blue Skies and edged them with Hickory Smoke ink, then set them aside.

I put the witches hat on my nervous kitty, added some comical googly eyes and set her onto the card.  Using silver cardstock, I die cut the Starry Skies die and made a bunch of tiny stars.  I then added the kitty and the broom onto the card. Filling in some of the negative space, I glued the tiny stars all around and then placed the large cloud.  I used dimensional dots to adhere the smaller cloud just to add some interest.  

Now I have got a huge stash of Halloween cards and each year it just gets bigger and bigger, any ideas on what I could do with them all? I'd love to hear your ideas in my comments!

Lastly, I have a small giveaway going on and here are all the details:

Art~Without~Anxiety

presents

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

I’m having a small drawing on my blog.  All you need to do is click onto this post, chose the costume you like best & when I get 75 costume comments, I’ll draw a random winner.  Open Internationally! Please feel free to share!

EXPIRES Nov, 1. 2017

Thanks for reading my blog and I hope to see you around blogland! Fondly, Christi

I am entering my I'm Too Sexy card in the following challenges {in addition to the Cat Lovers' Blog Hop} -

Tuesday Throwdown - #366, Spooktacular!

Die Cuttin' Divas - #340, Halloween (pic inspiration)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Mood Board

Feed Me!

I love cats.  I am currently owned by four felines {The Fabulous Feline Four}

and I am obsessed with them.  I can talk about my cats like other people talk about their children. I've been looking forward to this fantastically fun blog hop ALL year! Janis, at Her Peaceful Garden, started this hop a while  ago and it has been wildly successful - I mean who doesn't have any cat stamps?!?! I have a huge amount of cats stamps and every time I see one I like, I might not buy it right away, but it's gonna get bought! Stop by for the next five days and hopefully get a chuckle out of my cats cards; better yet, make your own and enter the hop!

What I Used to Make my Card:
Square White Card Base {5 1/4" x 5 1/4"}
Cheap Alphabet Sets or Letter Stamps
Judikins Purring, Purring Cat, #3395E
Judikins Black Cat, #2725E
My Favorite Things I Knead You Stamps, #BB14
Meow Stamp {manufacturer out of business}
Computer Generated Sentiment
Ranger Archival Ink in Jet Black
Hero Arts Ink in Cup 'o Joe
MISTI 

This was a super easy card to make.  I started by stamping the two cats on the square card using the jet black ink; I have removed the 2 cat stamps from the wood blocks because it was very difficult to get a good, solid image and now I can stamp them over and over with the MISTI until they are nice and black.  Then I set to work making my own stamps.  It isn't difficult and if you have no alphabet sets you can sometimes pick them up for a dollar at the major chain stores.  I have quite a few old alphabet sets, and they are all wood mounted.  I was a die hard "mount your

stamp on wood" stamper; until I saw how much more economical it was to buy them unmounted, and now it's  cheaper to buy the clear stamps. Anyway, if you have designated a few alphabet stamp sets you don't mind using {you're going to have to ruin them, if you consider un-mounting them ruining them}, just peel the letters off the adhesive; and off the wood if they are mounted.  Then you are free to make your own words.  All I did was adhere my chosen letters to a piece of cardstock, then I used the MISTI, attaching the stamp with a bit of non-permanent adhesive roll tape {the kind that comes out of the dispenser}.  So easy and I am happy I thought of a way to recycle those teeny tiny letter stamps. You can just reuse them by taking them off the card stock. The red letters I used in this project actually came with something or other to attach them to so you could make your own words and sentences.  It didn't work, so I threw out the thingamajig, took the adhesive off the back and viola! I have custom words!  

So, I had my card with the two black kitties on it, I computer generated my sentiment {which reads "When you have been gone for a while and your cat greets you like this:" the meows are stamped, then the second half reads: "They are really saying this:" then feed me is stamped}, colored the cardstock with the Hero Arts Ink, very lightly.  I then stamped the fish around the bottom part of the card using the same Hero Arts ink.  The meow stamp was stamped at an angle.  I then used adhesive dimensional dots to put the sentiment onto the card.  The whole process was very easy and so much fun.  I love it when my cats are sarcastic and snarky {they learn from the best!}.

Before I close, let me invite you to enter a little giveaway I'm having:

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

I’m having a small drawing on my blog.  All you need to do is click onto this post, chose the costume you like best & when I get 75 costume comments (or on Nov. 1, whichever comes first), I’ll draw a random winner.  Open Internationally! Please feel free to share!

EXPIRES Nov. 1, 2017

Thanks SO much for stopping by! Hope to see you at the Cat Lovers' Blog Hop 2017and don't forget to share my little giveaway! Hugs, Christi

I am entering my card in the following challenges, besides the Blog Hop:
SUYP - #23, M, Anything Goes of Meow-lew-ween 
Southern Girls Challenge - Crazy for Critters