CASEing the Catty #526 - CASE A Tag Sketch

CASE A Tag Sketch meets Charming Day

Hello, Welcome to Valley Inspirations with Andrea and #526 Challenge with CASEing the Catty.

I am so glad you have dropped by. You may have come from Julia Quinn, as you take this week’s Blog Hop or perhaps arrived directly here; either way I am delighted you are here. At the end of my blog, I have linked to Peta Stephen so you can continue with the Blog Hop.

At CASEing the Catty we love to use the samples from the Stampin' Up! Catalogues as inspiration and each week we have a different theme to guide our CASEing. To CASE is to "Copy And Selectively Edit" or some say "Copy And Share Everything". This week we are CASE-ing the sketches for tags found on page 24 of the 2025-26 Stampin' Up! Annual Catalogue.

The tag sketch I am CASEing is the sketch on the top row and 2nd from the left.

My CASE uses some die cuts overlapping circles in the background with flowers sitting on the largest circle. Instead of landscape, my card is portrait. The sentiment is in a different position but is a long straight sentiment. That is the thing with CASEing - sometimes you can take aspects of the sketch or project, but not everything.

I had a number of different sized circular Stylish Shapes die cuts on my desk, so played with them to find a nice arrangement on a card front. Before adhering them down, the Basic White panel was de-bossed with the Pressed Flowers Embossing Folder. A little partial blending was added to a few of the die cuts to add some Darling Duckling glow.

The larger image from a coming On-Line Exclusive called Charming Day bundle was stamped onto some Basic White card-stock in one of my favourite inks from the new 2025-2027 In Colours, ie Secret Sea. The flowers are so pretty and beautiful to colour.

The flowers and leaves were coloured with Stampin’ Blends combos, that is Berry Burst and touches of Fresh Freesia for the flowers and Granny Apple Green for the leaves and touches of Colour Lifter to add highlights. This was die cut with coordinating Charming Day dies.

A piece of White ribbon from the Ribbon Starter pack was cut in half lengthwise and both pieces were tied into a bow and tucked under some of the leaves. I had some sentiments made with the More Messages stamp and dies on Secret Sea card-stock so used the Happy Birthday greeting as it was long and thin like the sketch. A few Berry Burst Purple Fine Shimmer Gems were scattered around to add a little glimmer.

Just a little simple stamping of the larger floral stamp in Secret Sea Classic ink was added to the Basic White card inner with a little Darling Duckling blending. A Basic White C6 Envelope was decorated in the same way.

Thanks so much for calling in on your way around the CASEing the Catty Blog hop for Challenge #526.

Don’t miss any of the inspiration from this creative CASEing The Catty Crew. The next blog in the hop is by the lovely Peta Stephen . Just click on the "next" graphic below to be taken to her blog. I wonder which sketch she has CASEd - I am sure her project will be something special.

Join In The Challenge: We would love you to share a project that you have created for this Challenge which has been inspired by the tag sketches shown on page 24 of the Annual Catalogue. To share, all you need to do is go to the CASEing The Catty Challenge Group on Facebook. If you aren't a member, it’s easy to request to join and once anpproved all you need to do is upload a photo of your project to the main section. You can click on the graphic below to be taken to the group on Facebook. We would so love to see your creation.

 

#ctc508 #stampinup #stampinupaustralia #stampinupsouthpacific #stampinupdemo  #handmadecards #makeacardsendacard #stampinupdemonstrator #papercrafting #papercrafter  #valleyinspirations  #charmingday  #stylishshapes #moremessages #pressedflowers #caseingthecatty #artisandesignteam2025  #artisandesignteam

Be Inspired Blog Hop - Techniques or Top Tips

 Be Inspired Design Team Blog Hop - Sharing Techniques or Top Tips

Hello, welcome to Valley Inspirations with Andrea. I am so excited to have been asked to join the Be Inspired Design Team. I am in awe of everyone in the team - they are so talented. This is my first blog hop with the team so I do appreciate you dropping in.

The technique I am sharing this month via my project is wet-on-wet water-colouring. I was a bit tentative selecting this technique as I know others on the team who are brilliant water-colorers. However, I do love water-colouring so decided on to go with something I love.

I also adore Stampin’ Up! Scenic Adventure bundle. The dies are amazing with extra details within the die cuts. Numerous die cuts were prepared in watercolor paper. Stampin’ Up! uses Fluid 100 Watercolor Paper which is a really good paper. A background panel was also cut from water-colour paper. 

The background was wet on wet water-coloured using the larger flat Water Painter. Each colour was painted separately. Where I wanted some melding of colours, the next colour was added while the previous colour was still wet. Balmy Blue Classic ink was used for the sky, with touches of diluted Pretty In Pink to glow around the mountains. The mountains were coloured with Fresh Freesia & Petunia Pop. The colours were more diluted for the mountains at the back to give a sense of depth. The smaller background trees were coloured in different strengths of Lost Lagoon. The larger trees at the left were coloured with Pretty Peacock & touches of Lost Lagoon. The bushes  in the foreground were just Pretty Peacock coloured. The foreground is a mixture of Pool Party and Lost Lagoon - both diluted.

The scene was framed in Basic White card-stock using the wonderful frame die from the Gallery Blooms dies. The background beneath the scene is a panel of Lost Lagoon card-stock, embossed with the Soft Waves 3D Embossing Folder and then adhered to a Basic White card-base.

A sentiment from the Scenic Adventure stamp set was white heat embossed onto a piece of Pretty Peacock card-stock and then fussy cut. A bow was created from the White 1/4” Starter Ribbon Pack that had been cut in half lengthwise. To bring the pinky purple colour further down the design some Strawberry Slush & Pretty in Pink Gems were scattered around the sentiment.

For those who know me, know I like to add a touch of decoration to the inside panel to link it in some way to the card front design. A little coordinating stamping was added in Lost Lagoon ink - just very simple. A little blending was added near the stamping as well.

I also like to simply decorate the envelope. The same stamping and blending was added to a C6 Basic White Envelope.

Thank you so much for spending time with me. I hope you have found something to inspire.

I am looking forward to checking out the projects created by everyone in the June Be Inspired Blog Hop. Next in line is the amazing Maheswari Rajaguru. Just click on the graphic below to head over to Maheswari’s blog, My Stamp Garden.

The full list of those participating in this hop is:

Maheswari Rajaguru

Brian King

Emma Goddard

Heather Thomas

Angela Meiritz-Reid

Andrea Sargent  <you are here 

#beinspired  #beinspireddesignteam  #stampinup   #stampinupofficial  #stampinupaustralia #valleyinspirations  #artisandesignteam #artisandesignteam2025  #scenicadventure. #stampinupofficial

CASEing the Catty #523 - CASE Beautiful Gallery Suite

CASEing Beautiful Gallery meets Gallery Blooms

Hello, Welcome to Valley Inspirations with Andrea and #523Challenge with CASEing the Catty.

I am so glad you have dropped by. You may have come from Kathryn Mangelsdorf, as you take this week’s Blog Hop or perhaps arrived directly here; either way I am delighted you are here. At the end of my blog, I have linked to Rochelle Laird-Smith so you can continue with the Blog Hop.

At CASEing the Catty we love to use the samples from the Stampin' Up! Catalogues as inspiration and each week we have a different theme to guide our CASEing. To CASE is to "Copy And Selectively Edit" or some say "Copy And Share Everything". This week we are CASE-ing the projects shown in the Beautiful Gallery Suite on pages 52-57 of the 2025-6 Stampin' Up! Annual Catalogue.

The card I have CASED is pictured above from page 52, ie the Cloud Cover card base with the askew white-ish frame. When I saw it I thought of the Foiled Frames & Labels Ephemera pack, using the label straight up and down with the frame askew. I adore the Beautiful Gallery Suite so decided to use the same suite but a different colour combo. Here is my card:

As the labels are a brighter white than Basic White card-stock I used Willow White card-stock as the card base and background. The background was embossed with the Damask Designs Embossing Folder.

The foiled edged label was die cut using one of the Beautiful Motifs dies that partially cut into the label with a leaf design. Some blended Garden Green Classic ink was softly added over the die cut area using a Mini Blending Brush. The beautiful blooms stamp was Gold embossed on Basic White card-stock. It was coloured with Strawberry Slush and Garden Green inks using a Blender Pen. The image was cut out with a coordinating die from the Beautiful Blooms dies.

A sentiment from the Beautiful Motifs stamp set was white heat embossed on to Strawberry Slush card-stock. Some retiring Twisted Gold Thread was tied into a double bow and tucked under an edge of the sentiment. (I will miss this gorgeous twine.) It is still available in the Last Chance category … but probably not for long.

Some gorgeous Strawberry Slush embellishments added the final touch.

The card inner simply has the gold embossed blooms and a strip of Gold Foil. A C6 Basic White envelope was also gold heat embossed. They are simple touches but do tie things together.

Thank you so much for calling in on your way around the Blog Hop.

Don’t miss any of the inspiration from this creative CASEing The Catty Crew. The next blog in the hop is by the wonderful Rochelle Laird-Smith. Just click on the "next" graphic below to be taken to her blog. I wonder which project she has CASEd - I am sure her project will be something special.

Join In The Challenge: We would love you to share a project that you have created for this Challenge which has been inspired by the Beautiful Gallery Suite. To share, all you need to do is go to the CASEing The Catty Challenge Group on Facebook. If you aren't a member, it’s easy to request to join and once anpproved all you need to do is upload a photo of your project to the main section. You can click on the graphic below to be taken to the group on Facebook. We would so love to see your creation.

 

#ctc523 #stampinup #stampinupaustralia #stampinupsouthpacific #stampinupdemo  #handmadecards #makeacardsendacard #stampinupdemonstrator #papercrafting #papercrafter  #valleyinspirations  #beautifulgallery  #galleryblooms #beautifulmotifs  #caseingthecatty #artisandesignteam2025  #artisandesignteam

CASEing the Catty #519 - CASE the Annual Catalogue

CASE The Annual Catalogue meets Pretty Florals

Hello, Welcome to Valley Inspirations with Andrea and #519 Challenge with CASEing the Catty.

I am so glad you have dropped by. You may have come from Julia Quinn, as you take this week’s Blog Hop or perhaps arrived directly here; either way I am delighted you are here. At the end of my blog, I have linked to Judy May so you can easily continue with the Blog Hop.

At CASEing the Catty we love to use the samples from the Stampin' Up! Catalogues and On-Line Exclusives as inspiration and each week we have a different theme to guide our CASEing. To CASE is to "Copy And Selectively Edit" or some say "Copy And Share Everything". This week we are CASE-ing something from the new 2025-2026 Stampin’ Up! Annual Catalogue. So much to choose from. 

The card from the new Annual Catalogue that I CASEd is from page 58 within the Kintsugi Inspirations section. Here is the card I CASEd.

I love the tone on tone with the frame and simple contrasting flowers. I have created a card featuring tone on tone but with Lost Lagoon, an embossed background and flowers stemming from 2 opposing corners - as you can see below.

The Lost Lagoon card-stock background was embossed with the Plaster Painting 3D Embossing Folder. The frame die from the Gallery Blooms dies cut a frame from the Lost Lagoon “B” side of the Storybook Moments Designer Series Paper.

The flowers both die cut and stamped are from the Pretty Blooms bundle. The die cut flowers were cut from Basic White card-stock and gently coloured with Petal Pink ink. This colour together with Calypso Coral stamped some of the flowers from the Pretty Florals stamp set. The leaves were stamped in Lost Lagoon and die cut leaves were left white.

The Sweet Blooms bundle was used for the sentiment.

The card was finished with a double bow of White Bakers Twine and a few Riverside Pearls. 

A Basic White panel of card-stock was added inside the card.

Both the card inner and the C6 Basic White envelope were stamped with leaves and flowers.

Thank you so much for calling in on your way around # 519 Challenge Crew Blog Hop. I do appreciate you spending time with me on my blog. 

Don’t miss any of the inspiration from this creative CASEing The Catty Crew. The next blog in the hop is by the wonderful Judy May. Just click on the "next" graphic below to be taken to her blog. I wonder which project she has CASEd - I am sure her project will be something special.

Join In The Challenge: We would love you to share a project that you have created for this Challenge which has been inspired by the new Annual Catalogue. To share, all you need to do is go to the CASEing The Catty Challenge Group on Facebook. If you aren't a member, it’s easy to request to join and once anpproved all you need to do is upload a photo of your project to the main section. You can click on the graphic below to be taken to the group on Facebook. We would so love to see your creation.

 

#ctc519 #stampinup #stampinupaustralia #stampinupsouthpacific #stampinupdemo  #handmadecards #makeacardsendacard #stampinupdemonstrator #papercrafting #valleyinspirations  #sweetblooms #prettyflorals  #caseingthecatty #artisandesignteam2025  #artisandesignteam

Funky Folds Blog Hop #13

ANYTHING GOES WITH A FUNKY FOLD

Welcome to the thirteenth Funky Folds Blog Hop.

We are a group of like-minded paper crafters who love to make cards with funky folds. Funky actually means "modern and stylish in an unconventional or striking way"... so we are featuring cards that are not your usual rectangle/square portrait or landscape style. Think 'easel', 'pop-up', 'gatefold', 'z-fold', 'shaped' or 3D cards etc. The list is endless. All Blog Hops have an 'anything goes' theme using any type of 'funky' card fold. 

I have had a difficult couple of days and have not been able to finish writing my blog in time. I will finish it tonight and also add watermarks on the photos during the evening. My sincere apologies. Here is the card:

The below photo gives a sense of the card from above.

Here is the panel at the back of the card.

And the photo below shows the mid level panels.

The next two photos shows close ups of the top to panels.

The back of the card can be used for writing the personal message.

And yes, the card does fit into an ordinary C6 Basic White envelope.

Thank you so much for calling in on your way around the Blog Hop. I so appreciate it.

Up next is the lovely Julia Quinn. I am looking forward to seeing Julia’s funky fold and to hop around to check out everyone’s’ creations in this May Funky Folds Blog Hop. Just click on the graphic below to be taken to Julia’s blog.

Here is the list of those participating in the Funky Folds Blog Hop for May 2025

1. Tammy Fite, Stamp with Tammy, USA

2. Cindy Mitchell-Clark ~ UK

3. Cathy Pinchbeck - Australia

4. Lou Kitzelman - Australia

5. Andrea Sargent - Australia

6. Julia Quinn - Handmade by Julia Quinn (Australia)

7. Bronwyn Eastley - Australia

8. Tracy Held - Trace Of Creativity (Australia)

#stampinup #stampinupaustralia #stampinupsouthpacific #stampinupdemo  #handmadecards #makeacardsendacard #stampinupdemonstrator #papercrafting #papercrafter  #valleyinspirations  #wildflowerbirthday   #artisandesignteam2025  #artisandesignteam