Sending Love CTC#114

Hello and welcome to CASE-ing The Catty. This week the assignment is to CASE from pages 14-19 of the Occasions Catalogue. CASE can mean copy and share everything or copy and selectively edit. Our design team at CASE-ing The Catty use the Stampin' Up!® catalogues to ignite our own creativity. You may have come from Rebecca's Blog, wasn't her project awesome? If you missed it, never fear, blogs go full circle and you'll get back there.

The card on page 16 with the rocking horse appealed to me and I decided to CASE it using Circle Of Spring. This is a stamp set found in your Annual Catalogue, page 94. I think this wreath is particularly pretty, and very easy to colour, which ever method you choose. I've used the new Watercolor Pencils; - Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight and Old Olive. It's actually coloured quickly and easily. The points I most liked and imitated from the design were doilies peeking out from behind the label, the strips of Old Olive and the de-bosssed Seaside TIEF. De-bossed is when the designs 'wrong' side is used, it's actually smoother.

Two labels the same size were cut with Lots Of Labels Framelits, and the white one trimmed a little to show Old Olive borders each side. Wonderful Wreath Framelit Dies are also really useful for cutting the wreath out, although you can use it without cutting it out also. My Big Shot Die Cut machine is my biggest and most expensive craft expense so far, but it pays for itself over and over. I love the fact that Stampin' Up! carries such a big range of dies and embossing folders to use with this machine, and everything co-ordinates with stamps. The Wonderful Wreath Framelit Dies also co-ordinate with another stamp set, Wondrous Wreath on page 32.

Although I've stamped a sentiment from a new stamp set, Suite Sentiments, in the Occasions Catalogue, Circle Of Spring actually includes six sweet sentiments already. From Happy Birthday all the way through to Easter and Mother's day, there is something for everyone. Those sentiments can all be fitted inside the centre section if you choose. I've stamped onto an Oval Stitched Framelit and lay it over part of the wreath.

You can join in with this challenge by posting on FB here. 

If the link is broken along the way you can get back on track at the CASE-ing The Catty Blog.

Now it's time to see the lovely card for Easter that the lovely Julia has to share this week.

Happy Crafting

Rachel

Bonjour Beautiful - Babies & Children - CTC85

Sunday evening and it is time to blog hop with the Crew from CASE-ing The Catty. We are CASE-ing Babies and Kids pages 56-65. Even though my 'kids' are all grown up now, I've been blessed with six gorgeous grandchildren, who seem to love the cards I make them. I probably should be embarrassed to admit that I have nearly every stamp set from this section on my shelves, and quite a few retired sets too, but I need them all so I can ring the changes with these cards. I've been sorting over the last couple of weeks and boxed retired sets that I still 'need' in categories - kids, wedding, Christmas so far. I'm going through and stamping images onto plain PL cards and clipping them together on a ring from Officeworks, so I can refer to the stamp set that has a particular sentiment, image etc.

I've been quite liberal with my CASE this week. I adore No Bones About It and was tempted to make the shaker card on page 64, but it seemed a bit too easy to just straight-out-copy. I kept on flipping through the pages and voila! the answer was a shaker card using Made With Love, Happy Happenings and a tiny flower from Swirly Bird. I adore the InColors this year, every single one of them and I'm sure I've NEVER been able to say that, right at the beginning. Flirty Flamingo pairs beautifully with Watermelon Wonder and Blushing Bride. I love the sweet onesies in Made With Love and Something For Baby and they cut out so neatly with those matching dies.

I CASE-d Page 64 of Catalogue

I do like this dinosaur shaker card too, using the new embossing folder Seaside.

Now, I have only just begun making shaker cards, but boy, am I enjoying it, or what? I used the Lots Of Labels Framelits to cut the window, but any die that comes in graduated sizes works well. The No Bones About It card, has a textured top layer, but I decided to keep it clean and simple. I'd thought about stamping on it too, but in the end, held back. This photo has the card laid down so you can see the sequins, which are retired now. They were the Incolors which were retired 2 years ago (?) I think, but the soft colours suit this card too.

I think 'Bonjour Beautiful' is lovely for a baby girl, and the Happy Happenings set also includes this matching 'Welcome to the World'. Don't you think that's too cute? So, like I said, I really stretched things with my CASE this week at CASE-ing The Catty. Now let's pop on over to  Judy May and see what she has made this week.

Cheers, Rachel

Would you like to join the challenge and CASE the Babies & Children section of the catty? You can link your post here

Sparkle And Shine FMS 241

Some more 40th birthday cards are needed in July, and this weekend I've made one for a girl who "needs diamonds". Don't think she'll be getting any from her friends? Anyway, my instructions were to make her a sparkly card, and the kraft card with jewels on seemed to be a good idea too.
I found the sketch by Karren at Freshly Made Sketches really helped with the design process.

This paper has retired now, but fortunately there was enough left for me to make two cards. This particular one has been made to hold a gift card or money with a couple of sentiments from BYOP (Buy Your Own Present) stamp set. Its a little difficult to see but I used the Gift Bag Punch Board to cut the flap, and Lots Of Labels Framelits to cut the labels. It is so usual these days to give a gift card, that it almost seems common sense to accommodate one.

The Large Number Framelits cut the sheets of Glimmer Paper quite easily and of course they make a big, flashy statement! 

Have a great week,
Cheers, Rachel

Project Life CTC#78

This week at CASE-ing The Catty we are looking at Project Life. I often prefer to scrapbook traditionally but I have to admit that Project Life is a great system for keeping up-to-date with memory keeping. It's a little bit sad that the current generation is the most photographed and yet those photos are rarely printed out. 

In 10 years time, when your iphone has been replaced and the computer updated and technology has done another about-turn, you might not be able to access those photos. It really is time to print those fun, family shots from your phone,so you'll have photos of your son and daughter to show to their children.

It doesn't have to be difficult. Start with a 6" by 8 " album, some page pockets, Project Life cards and a journaling pen. Maybe it is something you can actually do with family? I had my grandson,Logan, write his name to place next to photos of his very first day of school. I told him he could draw a picture or anything he liked, but he wanted to show off his writing.

Recently I attended  Stampin' Up!® Onstage in Sydney and shared a room with fellow team member and friend, Kathryn Mangelsdorf. I thought it would be a fun idea to make us some Project Life cards to use with photos we would take at the Onstage Event and in the days before, when we were sight-seeing around Sydney.

I didn't know whether Kathryn was using Project Life or not, but I do know she travels a great deal. It's another of the things we have in common, besides a love of paper, stamps and ink. As we chatted, I was a little disappointed to hear that she doesn't print her photos, just enjoys them on her computer. I wasn't sure how she'd feel about the small 6" by 8 " album I had made her, with some pages and the stamped cards I'd added to the pages. I stamped with Let's Get Away and Day To Day for two cards. Both those stamp sets are retiring at the end of May, if stock isn't depleted prior to then. Day To Day has a replacement stamp set, but there is nothing similar to Let's Get Away, so if you think you might need it for travel pages, today might be the day to pop into the Online shop to check out retiring stock - there are bargains to be had! The Project Life stamp sets, there are 7 of them, are listed under Project Life in the alphabet. On Kathryn's card with the world and a banner, I left the banner blank. On mine, I used the Alphabet Rotary Stamp, (#133769 $26) also retiring, to stamp 'Sydney'.

I used the heavy card from the 12" by 12" Project Life pages bags for the covers. The paper covering them is from It's My Party Designer Series Paper Stack, in such a lovely pattern and shade of Mint Macaron. Enjoy The Little Things has been stamped onto a Whisper White circle and another piece, die cut with Lots Of Labels Framelits, was stamped lightly with Birthday Blooms and Dear Friend at the bottom. Enjoy the Little Things is not carrying over to the Annual Catalogue, but Birthday Blooms is. The SALE-A-Bration glitter washi adds a touch of glimmer and a wooden butterfly left over from a stamp kit finishes the decoration. There is a closer shot further down the post.

It was drizzling on Thursday morning when we arrived, not the weather we'd been promised, so neither of us had an umbrella. That made for a slightly damp wander down to the Opera House after a beautiful breakfast (and some rather funny photos of two drowned rats!)  After we'd become sufficently wet, the sun came out and it became quite warm and humid. Some of the accessory packs include letter stickers which are handy for a quick title, if you don't want to use your Little Letters Thinlets, which are also on the retiring list.

On Friday night, we were again in the vicinity of the Opera House. It was a hive of activity and we weren't able to get seated anywhere, so we headed down to the end and watched a huge cruise liner as long as the Harbour Bridge, and too  high to go under it, leave port. It took some time, so when we returned we were able to get a seat at the Sydney Cove Oyster Bar, and ate a delicious meal of Barramundi and rocket salad, accompanied by a glass of champagne so we could use the card I'd made with Balloon Celebration and the retired stamp, Making Spirits Bright. The other cards on this page are from PL Moments Like These Card Collection. They are available now and will also carry over into the new Catalogue (refer to pages 162- 167 for Project Life.

 I know that Kathryn was thrilled with her gift and I do hope she jumps onboard with Project Life soon. Photos are so much better printed out, I often sit with my travel albums or share baby photos with my grandchildren. I had intended to make one of these albums for me as well, but I've realised that with two days of Sydney sight-seeing, plus a great Onstage where I celebrated my fifth anniversary with Stampin' Up!® by walking across the stage, there are just too many photos for a 6" by 8" format.

If you are just thinking about starting on Project Life, one of the 6" by 8" albums would be perfect and manageable. Choose an event - a special birthday, family Christmas or other celebration, a year in the life - there are lots of possibilities. Do you need some help? Ask your demonstrator if they use Project Life, or I am happy to try to answer your questions too.

I have to say, two big 12" by 12" albums managed to get 4 years of photos out of a shoebox and into order. Slowly, I am working my way through adding in journalling cards and notes as I remember anything significant.
So what will you do if your computer crashes or you lose your phone? I might be able to help you get started, just ask.

If you live in Australia, and want to place an order you can go to my online store anytime of the day or night. The Hostess Code for this month is ZGGAABEE


If you would like to share your creations with us at CASE-ing The Catty, you can link here

   

 Now head on over to see what Monique is sharing this week (I think it might be a card)

Cheers, Rachel