Friday, 24 October 2025

Favourite Fall Treat for Seize the Birthday

 


Hi everyone, it's time for a new challenge at Seize the Birthday and Nance wants us to use Autumn treats as the theme.


or build up your stash and play along with our anything goes birthday option.


Our party guest Johanna and Stephanie along with my team mates have some great inspiration for you, so hope to see you in the gallery.

I think hot chocolate would be my favourite treat when the weather starts to cool down!
These little coffee pots, teapots and cups were in my stash and I thought they could represent hot drinks.

I coloured some card with "Autumnish" shades of lunar paste and diecut them from those.
Love the shimmer and shine. Here's a closer look.


The background is embossed with a 3D foliage die as a nod to Autumn too.

I'm linking up to this challenge:


Supplies:
Coffee pot etc dies unknown brand; Simon Hurley lunar pastes; Sizzix 3D foliage embossing folder; 
Waffle Flower party banners die; Honeybee Stamps hooked on you sentiment stamp & die; versafine clair nocturne ink & clear ep.

Thanks for visiting and have a great week,
Cathy x



Sunday, 19 October 2025

Golden wedding

 


Hi everyone, I'm squezing in some time in the craft room amongst housework, I may forget to get back to that lol!

I love the texture on this embossing folder, and the font on the sentiment.
A great match, just like a wedding!
I've layered up the sentiment and hearts to add some definition, but otherwise this was a quick and easy card to put together.

I'm linking up to these challenges:

Allsorts, playing along with the anything goes option.

Can You Handle the Pressure, also the anything goes option.

Moving Along With the Times, sentiment as the focus

Word Power, sentiment is the focus


Supplies:
Honey Bee Stamps dogwood 3D embossing folder; Creative Expressions wedding day and hearts from Mr & Mrs dies; Crafts 4 U stitched rectangle die; gold metallic paper.

Thanks for visiting and have a great week,
Housework here I come!
Cathy x


Friday, 10 October 2025

Splish Splash for Seize the Birthday

 


Hi everyone, it's time for a new challenge at Seize the Birthday and Shirley has chosen splish splash as the theme for this round.

Or play along with our anything goes birthday option.

Our party guests and my team mates have loads of inspiration for you so I hope you can join in.

I've had this cover die for many years and thought I'd use dolphins with it again.
I coloured the panels with distress oxide inks from dark to light blue and splashed on some water. The dolphins are die cut from silver shimmer card and are layered up, along with the sentiment for dimension.

I'm linking up to these challenges:


Try it on Tuesday, animals real or imaginary

Aud Sentiments, playing along with the ink blending option and a sentiment


Supplies:
Distress oxide inks-tumbled glass, broken china and chipped sapphire; Memory Box splashing puddles & diving dolphins dies; Creative Expressions happy birthday die; Crafts 4 U stitched rectangle die.

Thanks for visiting and have a great week,
Cathy x




Thursday, 9 October 2025

Dragon Castle

 


Hi everyone, I decided to have a play with some of my Lavinia stamps that have been collected over the years! I've not used this castle, tree or dragon before and there are so many more
 that I need to actually use!

I used some torn paper to stencil the hills and a moon mask layered stencil.
The sky is a mix of stormy cloud, chipped sapphire and dusty concord distress inks and the ground is pumicestone and forest moss.

The trees are part of a much larger stamp but I just wanted the tops to show to create some depth. I used some gel pens to add colour to the windows.

I'm linking up to these challenges:


Alphabet Challenge, M for Mythical Creatures

Try it On Tuesday, animals real or imaginary

We Love Stamping Challenge, playing along with the anything goes option



Supplies:
Stamps: Lavinia stone castle, dragon set and forest trees.
Other: Tim Holtz moon mask; distress inks antique linen; stormy sky; chipped sapphire; dusty concord; pumicestone, forest moss and black soot; Crafts 4 U stitched rectangle die; sentiment sticker; versafine clair nocturne ink & clear ep.

Thanks for visiting and have a great week,
Cathy x


Tuesday, 7 October 2025

A grim birthday for Halloween!

 


Hi everyone, I had a play with some old and new goodies today for a friend's Halloween birthday!
These cobweb stamps and bat dies have been in my stash for quite a few years and I've had the distress spritz sprays since they first came out but have never used them!

I was inspired by this card by my new STB team mate Nance, to try out a new to me grim reaper die.
I stamped and embossed the cobwebs in silver, then sprayed on antique linen and wilted violet distress spritz, I love how shimmery it is in real life!

I inked around the edges with wilted violet distress ink, added the grim and some bats.
The sentiments are from a Poppy Stamps older set and a new to me Honeybee Stamps set, inked in black and clear embossed.

Nance used an action wobble so the grim shakes about,
 this one is firmly in place with glue dots!

I'm linking up to these challenges:

Mix it Up Challenge, playing along with the anything goes option.


The Neglected Stuff Challenge, bat dies, cobweb stamps and distress spritz.

Allsorts, playing along with the anything goes option.


Supplies:
Dies: Spellbinders dancin grim; Sizzix bat crazy; Crafts 4 U stitched rectangle.
Stamps: Stampers Anonymous tangled webs; Poppystamps birthday blowout: Honeybee Stamps sassy birthday.
Other: Distress spritz antique linen & wilted violet; distress ink wilted violet; Silver ink & Wow fine detailed silver ep; scraps of glossy black, silver, gold and silver shimmer card; purple cardstock.

Thanks for visiting and have a great week,
Cathy x

Friday, 3 October 2025

Guest design for Cut it Up Challenge #340

 


Hi everyone, I was delighted to be asked to join Cut it Up as a guest designer for being a top pick in Challenge #336. I love using dies so this theme of more than one die cut was lots of fun!
 

I embossed the base card and frame diecut with the Subtle embossing folder, love the texture it adds and it's the perfect name, as it is so subtle!

I coloured the flowers and tiny butterflies with Altenew inks and used distress inks for the greenery.
I layered the sentiment up for dimension and used glossy black card for the top layer.

Thankyou again to the team at Cut it Up for inviting me along to play.

I'm also linking up to these challenges:

Dragonfly Dreams, Happy Birthday

Krafty Chicks

The Sisterhood of Crafters, Birthdays

Allsorts, playing along with the anything goes option

Supplies:
Dies: Simon Says Stamp exotic blooms; Creative Expressions birthday wishes;  Memory Box scalloped frame and butterfly delights.
Other: Altenew sweet dreams fresh dye inks; evergreen bough & peeled paint distress ink; black gloss card; Stampin Up subtle embossing folder.

Thanks for visiting and have a great week,
Cathy x

Friday, 26 September 2025

Clean & Simple with a stencil for Seize the Birthday

 

Hi everyone, it's time for a new challenge at Seize the Birthday and our leader Nancy has chosen CAS with a stencil to challenge us this time around.


Or you can play along with our anything goes birthday theme.


My team mates and our party guests JohannaMilla and Bonnie have some great inspiration for you, so I hope you can play along.


I made a card with this flower a few years ago, and wanted to try a more clean and simple version
It was inspired by this card by Sherry Hester. Love her layout of the petals and leaves.

I stencilled some white card with candied apple distress ink and the Tim Holtz ornate stencil, then diecut the petals from it. The petal outlines are coloured with the same ink.
The stems and leaves are diecut from green card and the whole flower layered up for dimension.

The sentiment is from Annabelle Stamps, an Australian company that retired a long time ago. Her designs were gorgeous, I love the font on this one.

I'm linking up to these challenges:


Cardz 4 Galz, dies or punches



Simon Says Stamp Monday, sentiment as the focus

Supplies:
Memory Box sketch daisy die; Crafts 4 U stitched rectangle die; Tim Holtz ornate stencil; Candied apple distress ink;  Annabelle Stamps sentiment stamp; Versafine Clair nocturne ink
 and clear ep; hammered card base.

Thanks for visiting and have a great week,
Cathy x

Friday, 19 September 2025

Cheeky cat!

 


Hi everyone, I love this cheeky sentiment and this Katzelkraft cat suits the mood lol!
I made a similar card quite a few years ago and thought I'd redo the design as I need a card for a friend.

The cat is stamped, fussy cut and coloured with Prismacolour pencils.
I stamped and embossed the sentiment then die cut it with a speech balloon die. I went around the outline with a sharpie for some definition.

I'm linking up to these challenges:

Supplies:
Katzelkraft cat stamp: Crackerbox Stamps sentiment stamp; Memory Box big word pop curve; prismacolour pencils; verafine clair inks & clear ep.

Thanks for visiting and have a great week,
Cathy x


Friday, 12 September 2025

Embossing for Seize the Birthday

 

Hi everyone, it's time for a new challenge at Seize the Birthday and Jenny wants us to use an embossing technique.
Whether it's dry with a folder, or wet with inks, powder or pastes. Sounds like lots of fun!

Or you can play along with our anything goes birthday option too.

Our party guest and my team mates have some great inspiration for you, so I hope you can play along.

I have had this 3D embossing folder for ages and probably only used it once!
I thought I'd try the blackout technique with it, but instead of completely covering the card with ink, I just blackened around the debossed areas so the tools stood out more.

I used some designer paper from Craft Consortium, it held up well being embossed with the 3D folder.

I'm linking up to these challenges:

Dragonfly Dreams, Happy Birthday

The Neglected Stuff Challenge, my Memory Box 3D tools embossing folder

Allsorts, Birthday

Supplies:
Memory Box EF1019 3D folder; Craft Consortium retro summer paper pad; Versafine clair nocturne ink; Creative Expressions sentiment die; Crafts 4 U stitched rectangle die.

Thanks for visiting and have a great week,
Cathy x