STAMPtember 2020 - Christmas Snarky Cats

 

The STAMPtember collaboration between Tim Holtz and Simon Says Stamp is something I look forward to every September. This year's stamp set is delightful and one you don't want to miss!  

Please note that this is an EXCLUSIVE collaboration stamp set only sold through Simon Says Stamp as part of the SSS STAMPtember celebration. It is not part of the Tim Holtz Signature Brands releases and will not be sold anywhere else. It is a one and done, so if you don't order and it sells out, it is gone. That means you may have to pay extra for shipping or tarriffs, or taxes if you are in another country, so please keep that in mind. Just wanted to be sure you have fair warning.

I am so thankful that I was asked to make a few samples with this year's release. Below are my cards, but I will add a link to the LIVE Facebook reveal Tim had this morning so that if you missed it you can see all of the amazing cards and inspiration, including one from Tim!  Also, be sure to check Tim's blog for photos of all the cards and links to all the makers. 

For this card, I stamped a tree in the background by just repeat stamping a branch from the CMS390 Yultide Gatherings stamp set. I stamped in Distress Atchival Peeled Paint and then added a little watercolor. The cat was stamped on Distress Watercolor Cardstock, colored and then I added Glossy Accents to the lights. When dry, I fussy cut the cat, put him on an Action Wobbler and it was almost ready to go. I added the little bird at the bottom. I love him. I call him the judgey little bird because he seems like he's standing there with the piece of pine, read to DIY his nest and he stopped to watch the ridiculous cat tangled in all the lights. HAHAHAHA! So I had to add him to every card after that so he could look on in judgement.

The background of this card uses two older background stamps from Tim and Stampers Anonymous, Slate and Stone CMS299 for the stone background, and Wallpaper and Wood CMS126 for the mantle pieces. I just cut a couple of strips of the woodgrain and adhered it to chipboard to make the mantle, .5 and .75 by 4.

Then I fussy cut both of the stockings, and cut the cat off one. Then I transferred that cat behind the other stocking so I could pop it up in front of the cat for dimension. Then added the sentiment and judgey little bird. I imagined in this scene that he was looking at the ridiculous cat stuck in the stocking, but also thinking those pieces of pine would be perfect for his DIY nest project.

Isn't it great that there are some snowflakes on this set? Stampers Anonymous is so awesome about letting Tim add all kinds of fillers and bits of things in their sets. I used a technique I learned from Jennifer McGuire for this background. I've been obsessed with it this summer! LOL. It was made by stamping the snowflakes in clear embossing ink on a piece of Distress Watercolor Cardstock. Then I heat embossed them with clear embossing powder. I colored the background with Speckled Egg Distress Ink and Weathered Wood on the edges, then I ironed off the embossing powder so that it left a resist impression of the white snowflakes. I love this look!!

The cat is fussy cut, colored like my calico cat Leota, and then I stamped an extra set of arms holding a cup, fussy cut them and popped them up for dimension. Then added a judgey bird again. I imagined him thinking, "You couldn't even have dropped a few crumbs for me? I'm working hard here! DIYing my nest!"

The card I made originally with this kitty didn't get sent to Tim. I fussed with it and fussed with it and just ended up not being happy with it so I only sent him three cards. Once they were in the mail, it allowed my mind to relax and clear and I was able to make this card.

On a piece of Distress Watercolor Paper, I stamped the cat, bird, sentiment and branches in Black Soot Archival Ink. Then I lightly went around the entire piece with a little bit of Speckled Egg Distress Ink, and stamped the little sparkles in Speckled Egg as well. I colored the floor and shadows with Pumice Stone and Black Soot Distress Ink. Then I colored the cat with the new Crackling Campfire and Vintage Photo Distress Inks. I have orange kitties too so I needed to represent! Then on a separate piece of watercolor paper, I stamped the cat with the lights in Black Soot Archival. I colored the lights and then sprayed the entire piece with two layers of Distress Resist Spray. When that was dry, I fussy cut the lights off the cat and adhered them in little strips and some individually, along the pine branches so thay looked like they were on a tree.

The judgey little bird is just judging this guy for even thinking about messing with the lights because he knows it won't go well. LOL

That's it! So much fun! Thank you Tim Holtz, Heidi Crowl, Simon Says Stamp, and Stampers Anonymous. I'm so grateful to have been asked to participate in this year's STAMPtember release.

Tami

I am an affiliate with Simon Says Stamp and Scrapbook.com so the links below send you to one of those stores depending on which logo you choose.  If you wish to purchase something from either store and use one of my links below, I get a small percentage of your order, at no additional cost to you. This helps me to defray the costs of this blog, the time, the ideas and tutorials I post here. Your help is greatly appreciated! Thank you!

Tim Holtz and Simon Says Stamp Stamptember 2018 Collaboration Set

The exciting new Tim Holtz Stamptember set sold exclusively through Simon Says Stamp is available now and once it is gone it is gone, so don’t miss out because it is a gorgeous set!!
You can get it here while supplies last!! Tim Holtz Exclusive Stamptember Set

I made these samples with the set and I just love it! It’s one of my favorite Stamptember sets ever!!

This card uses the Candy Cane stripe to make the background paper. I used Dusty Concord and Evergreen Bough Distress Ink.

For the focal piece, I stamped the succulent piece with Ground Espresso Archival Ink, then watercolored with Distress Markers.  The snow was made by putting Opaque Crackle Texture Paste through the Snow Drifts stencil onto Distress Watercolor Paper and then letting it dry and cutting it out.

The background is the music stamped in a repeat pattern in Frayed Burlap Distress Ink. I stamped the sentiment in Black Archival and Clear Embossing Ink then embossed it with Clear Embossing powder.

The colors of this card were difficult to photograph. I made the background plaid by working Iced Spruce and Crushed Olive Distress Ink through the Candy Cane Stripe stencil horizontally and vertically with a Distress Blending Brush. I colored the bird with both colors and a few others.

After stenciling I spritzed it with some water drops and then lightly stamped the music notes in places. The sentiment is stamped in Black Soot Archival Ink.

Here is a closeup of the bird stamp with the watercolor. It's a beautifully detailed stamp!

The woodland greenery spray is so lovely! I stamped it on Distress Mixed Media Heavystock on Ground Espresso Archival Ink and then watercolored it with Distress Markers.

The background was made the sameway as the one above but I used Vintage Photo and Iced Spruce this time through the Candy Cane Stripe Stencil.

I cut the focal stamp out with the Sizzix Alterations Stacked Postage Die and popped it up off the background.

The sentiment technique is my favorite this year. I will have a photo technique in a future post, but it's easy enough to accomplish if you follow these steps:

1. Stamp your sentiment in clear embossing ink and then emboss it with Ranger Ink White or Antique White Embossing Powder. Heat Set. 
2. Color the piece with any brown Distress Stain.
3. Ink the high portions of the Tim Holtz 3-D Lumber Texture Fade with Black or Ground Espresso Archival Ink
4. Lightly Mist the sentiment strip and run it through the Texture Fade 3 times for 3-D.
5. Remove, let dry, and cut to size.
6. Ink the edges in a darker brown before adhering.

Just one more look at this stamp. I love it.

If you are here you have probably already seen the live Facebook reveal and heard Tim explain that these Shifter Stencils are a different size than the Large and Small Shifter Stencils in the regular Stampers Anonymous Christmas Release.  I thought I would make a card showcasing all of them.

The focal point of the card, however, is this fantastic sentiment! I just love the combination of fonts and the bold size.

So yeah, I used all four stencils on one card. Hahahahaha! It was really fun and I think give the card a whimsical feel.  The top of the card has the Snow Drift stencil  and the top section is the Tree Shifter in Pine Needle and Candied Apple Distress Ink.
You can probably see a little shine on the card as well. Once it was assembled, I sprayed the whole card with Distress Resist Spray and then lightly sprinkled it with Distress Rock Candy Glitter.

The bottom of the card uses the Candy Cane Shifter and the Star Shifter.