Meow!

Recipe:

Stamps: Cool Cat

Paper: Black, Basic Grey Blitzen designer papers, white

Ink: Basic Black, Old Olive, Ruby Red, Taken with Teal, More Mustard

Accessories: Cuttlebug Tiny Bubbles and Script embossing folders, sponges, Dimensionals, black polka dot ribbon, Diamond Glaze, Basic Black marker, black Micron pen

Techniques: Blocking, stamping off, sponging

I decided the biggest background was going to be my latest trademark look ;) of Basic Grey designer paper with the Cuttlebug Tiny Bubbles embossing folder The paper is from the Blitzen collection and I just love the colors! The paisley imagery on this sheet is pretty cool, too. The rectangular feature (which is unfortunately smaller than Amy’s design challenge calls for) is of the same paper collection (Blitzen) as the bigger piece, and I stamped the flowers from Cool Cat on that paper in black ink. Then I used the Script embossing folder on it for added interest.

For the round feature I stamped the word stamp from the Cool Cat set, but blocked out the words “you’re the cat’s” and just left “meow”. I used a post-it note to do this. I stamped the whole stamp on the post-it note and cut out the part I was going to use (meow). Then I positioned the post-it note where I wanted the “meow” to be on a white cardstock scrap. Since I was going to punch this out, it wasn’t critical where I positioned it other than that I stamp it near enough to the edge of the cardstock so the punch would reach it. Once I stamped it I punched it out as well as a black circle a bit larger to mount it to. I stamped the perfume bottle freehand, but you could use a stamp positioner if you prefer to be more precise with the location.

To get the look of both the cat and the perfume bottle, I stamped each in their respective ink colors (Old Olive for the cat, Ruby Red for the perfume bottle) and stamped off once (which means stamping on a scrap of paper to remove a bit of the ink and then stamping on your chosen cardstock for a lighter look). Before stamping the second time, I very lightly sponged just a bit of black ink on the stamp and then stamped it. (The look you get from doing this is really neat. Give it a try and see what I mean. Be very light with the black, though.)

After doing this I outlined the images with my Basic Black marker. BUT it was too thick, even on the smaller side of the marker. So I finished off using a black Micron pen which worked MUCH better. I’ll use it from now on. I put a “birthmark” on her cheek, too. And you can see I messed up one ear a bit with that Basic Black marker. That wouldn’t have happened with the Micron pen. I just didn’t have it in me to start over on that feature. Too much work had already been put into it.

You’ll notice I altered the cat’s eyes to have that I Dream of Jeannie look (hey, that perfume bottle kind of looks like Jeannie’s bottle, doesn’t it? Well, maybe only a little – that was totally unintentional, btw. I promise!). Are you hearing the theme song in your head yet? :D

Like lots of stampers these days, I doodley-dooed with a black marker around the cat image. I sponged several colors around the cat which I’m not sure of right now, but will take a stab at (I should write this stuff down when I’m actually doing it!): More Mustard, Taken with Teal, Ruby Red, and Basic Black, I believe were the colors. I sponged black around the edges to emphasize the edges a bit. Oh, and I sponged just a bit of some of the previously mentioned colors on the perfume/word feature, as well.

I mounted the cat on another piece of paper from the Basic Grey Blitzen collection and then mounted that on black cardstock. Of course, I mounted the rectangle and the biggest background on black, too. Good thing I have LOTS of black cardstock, eh?

I adhered the cat and the perfume/word features with lots of Dimensionals and a bit of Diamond Glaze (Crystal Effects) to make sure everything stayed in place.

I mounted the polka dotted ribbon with Diamond Glaze and now see that it’s crooked! Oh well, no one’s perfect, right? And no one NEEDS to be perfect even though some of us still keep trying. *cough cough*