Christmas Came Early Challenge #361 and the FINAL Cat Lovers Hop

 Hello and welcome to week two of our Christmas Came Early Challenge!
This challenge has a bit of a twist if you'd like to participate.

First and foremost...

Our current challenge is anything handmade that has a Christmas theme.

Our twist this week is that we are, for the last time, participating in the Cat Lovers Hop.
Janis passed away earlier this year and this one final Hop is a tribute to her. Art Impressions is one of only two or three companies that supported her Hop all 8 years.  These prizes are NOT being given away as part of Art Impressions Challenge.  You will be eligible to win a free stamp set of your choice if you win the Ai challenge.  To win one of the 3 sets featured for the Cat Lovers Hop you must join in through them.  Let's all HONOR Janis if you can, with one final cat themed card.

Though our challenge is a Christmas challenge,  we would love it if you added a cat to your project to honor Janis.  Here's the link to join in her memorial Hop and win lots of wonderful prizes.

Art Impressions has donated these three sets, and all you need to do is follow that link, and their instructions, to possibly win these sets and also some prizes from other companies.

4933 – Catastrophy Set

SC0652 – Crazy Cat Lady

M4877 – Be Joyful Window

Last week, Lynn kicked off our Christmas Came Early Challenge with this amazingly creative card in which she "re-thought" the 5183 – Christmas Kitty Flip Card set into a cat tree!  You can view her video tutorial HERE.

And now, being week two of the challenge, we have the rest of the Design Team cards. 

This "bonus cat" challenge was not mandatory so we'll start with those DT members that chose to participate.

First up, we have Nina who created an amazing slimline card featuring 5782 – Snowflake Frame Die,

4936 – Christmas Wonder Set,

5457 – Christmas Truck Set (for the tree and Gifts) and 5463 – Slimline Dies Set.

Next up we have Tasha who used 5098 – Cozy Cat Cubbies and 5566 – Christmas Sentiments.

I used: 5785 – Gnomes Set, 4929 – Winter Window MTF, 5712 – Christmas Journal Paper Pack, 5324 – MB Cat Accessories, 5489 – Front Porch Christmas Set

The rest of the Design Team participated in the Christmas Came Early Challenge (minus the cat theme) and those cards are just as FUN!!

Tasha used 5782 – Snowflake Frame Die and 5564 – Mousey Christmas Set.

You can see all of the products Karen used on her Watercolor Weekend post.

Mercy's final DT post used 5457 – Christmas Truck Set.

Janet used 5791 WC Snow Globe Set and 5353 – Large Snowflake Dies.

Sharon used:

5576 Little Trucks Set

5489 Front Porch Christmas Set

5782 Snowflake Frame Die

We'd love to have you join in on our challenge. whether you choose a Christmas theme or a Christmas project with a cat on it! 

✻ Please make a new card or handmade crafty creation. You can make any item you wish; this is not limited to cards!

✻ Limit two submissions per person. You will receive extra votes if you use Art Impressions stamps!

 ✻Please include your first name and last initial on your submission.

✻We love to comment on your entries, but keep in mind if you use a private group or a platform that you need to sign up for, we probably won't be able to.

✻ The Ai Challenge is open to everyone, international submissions are welcome!

✻ Include a link back to the Ai Blog or grab our button on the top right of our sidebar!

✻ Share the Ai love if you can, by clicking and commenting on your fellow crafters.

✻ Make sure to get your link up by the deadline to enter your creations.

✻ Good luck and happy stamping!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Feline Crazy challenge week two

 Hello Ai fans!

Today we're Feline Crazy because we have a fantastic card from DT member Janet!

Normally, we share our design team members feature during week one of our challenge but 
since we participated in the Cat Lovers Hop last week we changed things up a bit.  So, this week
you get to hear about how Janet made her adorable card!

It's Janet here to kick off a brand new challenge. This one is called Feline Crazy. To participate you can post any crafty project with a cat or cat theme. I chose to use #5183 - Christmas Kitty. I think these four little kittens in their Christmas sweaters are precious!

Flip cards are constructed so that when opened, the card flips the sentiment and shows you the back image. To make the flip mechanism, I used #5103 Flip Card Die. This makes the cut and fold lines. It also comes with the die phrase of Happy Birthday and numbers 0-9. It's a good set for many uses.

After stamping the images with a water color friendly ink, I water colored the images using Karin Brushmarker Pro markers. The markers are very easy to use. I like to squiggle some ink out on my glass board and paint with a damp #3 round brush. 

An alcohol ink background paper was used on both sides. It coordinates nicely with the colors used in the sweaters. A pastel pink glitter cardstock was used for mats and for the lacey border on the front. I heat embossed the sentiments using silver embossing powder. Matt pink enamel dots and small pearls were added as accents on the card front. 

The markers I used include several neon colors. I find these come out pastel when watered down and aren't either overpowering or too weak. The markers colors used are: 264-Arctic Blue, 0220-Neon Canary, 6120-Neon Orange, 6172-Neon Violet, 105-Henna, 213-Cocoa, 133-Neutral Grey 1, 131-Nuetral Grey 3, 030-Black.

We look forward to seeing your Feline Crazy projects for our challenge. It's always fun to see what everyone makes. They are all amazing!

Happy Creating!

Janet - YouTube - Blog - Facebook - Instagram - Pinterest

You still have another week to join in our Feline Crazy challenge.  This week we want to see 

any crafty, handmade project featuring a cat...both house or big cats count!  There are some amazing entries already.  Now it's up to you to take the challenge and show us your creation!  You have the chance to win 3 free stamp sets of your choice from Art Impressions!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Cat Lovers Hop and new FELINE CRAZY challenge #315

 Hello Ai fans!

What a special day this is!  We have a fun new challenge for you.

The reason that we're "Feline Crazy" is that we're participating in the 2021 Cat Lovers Hop!
This is the 7th year and Art Impressions has been a sponsor ALL 7 years!  There are only 3 companies that hold that honor.

This year's prize donated by Ai is
5369 – Feline Set

For social media use #2021catlovershop 

Make sure FB is set to PUBLIC for that post if you share there so everyone can see it.

MAIN HOP PAGE - 2021 Cat Lovers Hop 

This is the page where Hoppers link up cat-themed projects.

https://herpeacefulgarden.blogspot.com/2021/10/main-hop-page-2021-cat-lovers-hop.html

There are a ton of great sponsors and tons of prizes.  Sign In is required to be eligible for prizes.

DAY 4 Post - 2021 Cat Lovers Hop 

https://herpeacefulgarden.blogspot.com/2021/10/day-4-2021-cat-lovers-hop.html

2021 Cat Lovers Hop - Guidelines and FAQs

Before we get into our Design Team inspiration lets announce the winner from our Planes, Trains and Automobiles challenge.

We loved Molly K's "Into the Wild" card!

Please contact Leah at Feedback@artimpressions.com

to claim 3 stamp sets of your choice!

Now for our Design Team inspiration!

We're doing things backwards this time.  Usually, the first week of our

challenge we share a creation from our featured designer.  The following week, we share

all of the other designers' creations.

Janet will be our feature designer with this adorable flip card next week.

Please check back for week two of our challenge to see how she made her sweet card.
She used 5183 – Christmas Kitty Flip Card.  To create the flip card series you also need the 
5103 – Flip Card Die.

To hear about Dot's beautiful watercolor card you can click HERE.

Tasha used the 5369 – Feline Set which also happens to be the prize that
Art Impressions donated to the hop.

Bri used the cat from 5456 – Spooky Wagon Set on her tag made with 5132 – Tag Stitched Dies.

She has a web from the 5462 – Web Dies Set behind her cute cat.

Crystal used 5190 – Fright Night Set for her main image and created stencils
using the cats from 5333 – Cats Mini Dies.

Reneé used the M4877 – Be Joyful Window for her pair of cards.

Lynn has featured 5351 – Chubby Snowmen Set. She masked out the 

bird and added a cat!  She also used the new 5463 – Slimline Dies Set.

We hope you've enjoyed our cat themed card and that you'll be inspired to join

our challenge and enter in the Cat Lovers Hop!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Challenge 184 - Laughing WITH you! Plus, NEW Ai at Hobby Lobby Blog Hop!

We are SO excited to announce TEN new stamp blocks and clear sets, now available at Hobby Lobby stores. To celebrate, we're hosting a blog hop with our design team, including the chance to win a grand prize of each of the stamps! Make sure to check out these stamps at your local Hobby Lobby store!

Diane is kicking off our Blog Hop with a tutorial of how she used one of our brand new block stamps! Take it away, Diane!

Hello Ai friends!  Diane here and I have a tutorial for our NEW Challenge (Laughing WITH you) and the Hobby Lobby blog hop.  I am using the Jealous Too (4713) wood mount stamp on my cards.  I like to make shaped cards and I'll show you two ways to easily create them.

If the shaped card you want to make has a flat edge like my hexagon card, then you can simply die cut your card base by keeping the fold slightly below the straight edge of your die. This leaves the fold of your card intact.

If your desired shape does NOT have a flat edge, as my flower die, it is still very easy.  Die cut 2 shapes and set one aside (for the front). The second one will be the back...simply score a line close to one edge.  (This scored line will be your card fold.)  Note: I kept 2 "petals" along the left edge for my card bottom so it will easily stand up.

Apply strong adhesive to the smaller scored part and adhere the 2 flowers together.

It will look like this when opened...

I also love to use up small scraps of patterned paper by paper piecing the Ai character's clothing.  I decided to make 4 cards so I've stamped and cut out the elephant's dress 4 times.  I matched the hexagon patterned dresses with the hexagon shaped card, and the same with the florals!

Smaller shapes were cut from white cardstock, stamped, colored and the dresses were adhered.  I omitted the sentiments and stamped them separately.

The finished cards...

The inside sentiment is another wood mount block from Hobby Lobby, Happy 29th (4597) .

Now it’s your turn to make a card or project and join us in the new Ai Challenge!

Happy stamping!

InLinkz.com

Thanks for the fabulous tutorial, Diane!

Be sure to enter our Rafflecopter for a chance to win the GRAND PRIZE of one of each of these new Ai at Hobby Lobby stamps!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Here is the full list and order of the blog hop!

Art Impressions Blog

Cheri Burry

Dana Warren

Diane Zechman

Karen Day

Kerry Kung

Reneé Matarese

Sharon Caudle

So that means our next stop is:

Cheri Burry

After all that hopping, we hope you'll be inspired to join our new challenge! The theme is "Laughing WITH You" so we want to see some hilarious cards!

Here are the challenge rules …

✻ Please make a new card or creation. You can make any crafty item you wish; this is not limited to cards!

✻ Limit two submissions per person. You will receive extra votes if you use Art Impressions stamps!
✻ The Ai Challenge is open to everyone, international submissions are welcome!
✻ Include a link back to the Ai Blog or grab our button on the top right of our sidebar!
✻ Share the Ai love by clicking and commenting your fellow crafters.
✻ Make sure to get your link up by Wednesday, May 25 at 5:00 p.m. PST to enter your creations.
✻ Good luck and happy stamping!

An InLinkz Link-up

Last but not least, announcing the winners of last week's challenge!

Top Spot goes to...

Jenny!

Congrats, Jenny! We love how you creatively gave our Little Whoot a fabulous birthday hat with the Mini Cake Spinner Set! Email annelise@artimpressions.com with you address to claim your prize pack!

Honorable Mentions go to...

Stamperamma!

Cynthia!

Congrats, you two! Stamerramma, we love the combo of the squirrel from Furries TF Set with the EZ Project A and other watercolor stamps! And Cynthia, we're digging the spinning action with our Dog Spinner and Dies! Congrats, and be sure to email annelise@artimpressions.com with your address and stamp set of your choice!

If you haven't hopped to the next stop head on over to Cheri's Blog!