Kitties for a Friend

 Hello, dear blogging friends. Wishing you all a Happy Mother's Day - and for those of you who did not raise children of your own, thank you for the nurturing impact you have had in our world - in all our communities - where life would not be the same without your specialness.

A kitty-loving friend's birthday is coming up, and I've made a card for her, in addition to some extras for her personal use later.

Having lost some abilities, I chose to use forgiving techniques by using Versafine Clair ink, Distress inks for coloring, clear EP to make those shiny eyes, and lots of scraps including OLD OLD OLD designer papers.

First is a vellum strip, dry-embossed on the edges and heat embossed with gold EP for the sentiment. Eyes, ears, etc were colored with Prismacolor Pencils.

The black sentiment is from my Brother Label Marker, using black background and white font:

Products: Starving Artistamps Kitty Cat, Warm Breeze Versafine Clair, Scattered Straw & Wild Honey DIs, Versafine Marker for eyes which were clear embossed. Tutti scalloped stitched rectangles, Martha Stewart border punch (black), stash designer & glitter papers. Eyes, ears, etc were colored with Prismacolor Pencils.

ON A PERSONAL NOTE:

Please forgive my inability to visit and leave comments as I once did to your dear blogs. One of my diseases has progressed into the severe stage. Cognitive abilities are crippled as a result. If I "think too hard" it throws me into a severe body-wide flare and can cause me to be "bedridden" for weeks with the strangest of symptoms. Thank you for understanding that it's beyond my abilities, and NOT because I don't care.

Here is a fun puzzle we recently put together. Check out the book titles this snoozing kitty loves! (click on the photo to enlarge LOL)

Sending you my love and best wishes for a beautiful and safe May.

Challenges:

1. Crafty Animals #94 (AG with animals) 5/28
2. Critter Crazy Challenge #98 (AG with animals) 6/1
3. Love Those Pretty Papers (May 3) AG with pretty pattern papers 6/7 sep post

hugs,

A Little Sadness

 

I hope it is appropriate to share this sadness with you all. You are my blogging friends, so here goes...

Missy, our very sweet, unique kitty, has been a dear member of our home for 7 years. We adopted her at age 2 after a severe trauma. She only weighed 5.25 pounds at age 2! Responsive and interactive, Missy was more like a dog than a kitty. She was an indoor/outdoor critter who knocked on the door periodically throughout the day to come in, and hang out, then returning to her awesome barn and yard full of wildlife and birds. 

She came running to us when we called her, just like a dog. If I was outdoors, she always kept me company while I worked in the garden. 

She enjoyed keeping Jack company as he did chores around the house:

Her favorite treats were freeze-dried salmon bits, which I hid around the house for her to "hunt" to give her something interesting to do indoors.

Helping me craft:

Missy would carry on conversations, and had quite a large kitty vocabulary, as well as understanding a large human vocabulary. She used to play games with us, and often invited our German Shepherd to play as well. She had a fun, playful, show-off, intelligent personality with a "look at what I can do" mentality, taunting us from rafters in the barn/workshop, or the roof, or climbing trees.

We had to keep the seats down on the toilets because:

Just outside my craft studio, Missy had a huge "feed bucket" of water containing a solar powered water fountain. We dubbed that fountain "Missy's Friend" because she used to be at that water feature 30 minutes at a time, playing in the water and drinking from the fountain. 

Missy used to come settle in for the evening around 6PM with us to watch TV and a late night snack before we turn in. She would ask me to put her out between 1-2am because she detested her litter box. 

There is so much more to share about this delightful fur child... but she succumbed to a traumatic brain injury she sustained last summer. The feline PTSD had worsened, but she suffered a few seizures, and I imagine those were strokes. Our kindly vet tried everything, but ultimately, she was euthanized. It was the only humane thing left we could do to alleviate her suffering. 

We found it difficult to overcome our feelings of denial and do the right thing. She was so young, and healthy other than the brain trauma. 

Thank you for allowing me to share a little about Missy. You all are the absolute kindest of friends!

lovingly,

Lavinia World Pink Equinox and Kitty Mooch

Note: I have two posts this morning - Moving Along is here.

Jumping Up and Down and Waving Hello to You!
It's a special day today, not only because you have stopped by, not only because the day is full of possibilities, but because it is time for another Lavinia World Challenge!

Mr. Mooch Kitty is under Fairy Forager's Spell during the celebration of the Pink Equinox:

Details of our Lavinia World Challenge: An ANYTHING GOES theme using ANY brand clear or rubber stamp - no digitals. Winner receives
a $15 gift certificate to the Lavinia World store.

While "our" Lavinia World store is located in the US, it ships worldwide. In the US, buy $25 and get free shipping! Lavinia World carries other crafting supplies for your convenience.

Store -- Facebook -- Challenge -- Instagram

Today's card features PINK!
Just click on any of the photo to enlarge them:






The Fairy and Slender Mushrooms were stamped in VFC Fantasia Purple, while the "fairy dust" (Stars Mini) was stamped with VFC Purple Delight (it's between pink and purple).



At the bottom of the above photo are "layers" of glittered grasses. I also used a glue pen and applied dark purple glitter to the black area in a few streaks.

TIP:

Since using the Lavinia World Scenescapes, I've accidentally learned something regarding VersaFine Clair ink, Glitter, and the cardstock used for the Scenescapes.

Apply glitter ONLY where you want it BECAUSE - even if the VFC is heat set, glitter will still adhere to it. Not sure if it happens on regular cardstock - it's something I need to experiment with, but my last 4 cards using the LW Scenescapes and VFC inks have grabbed the glitter. The big specks of glitter will brush away, but the oil-based pigment in VFC apparently adheres the smallest glitter particles. You can see what I mean below. I held the camera so the light reflected off the paper and ink. The mushrooms on the right are "glittered" unintentionally. While I did brush off the kitty, and even scraped with my finger nail, Mooch's tail and "bottom" grabbed the glitter. If anything, it is a happy condition if you like glitter (if you love fairies, SURELY you love glitter!).
Click to make photo larger if you wish to inspect it.

Try glitter on some of your cards that use VFC - it only works with loose glitters:



Finally, the finished Card
(I know, I know -- you are sighing with relief!)




Lastly, I stamped the interior of the card in black after printing a cute sentiment:

Products Used:

• Lavinia World Pink Equinox Scenescape
• Lavinia World Mooch Kitty LAV404
• Lavinia World Mini Leaf 2 LAV265
• Lavinia World Fairy Dust is like Love LAV024
• Lavinia World Fairy Foragers LAV498
• Lavinia World Slender Mushrooms Mini LAV151
• Lavinia World Stars Mini LAV152
• VersaFine Clair Nocturne, Purple Delight, Charming Pink, Fantasia Purple
• Punch: MS Flourish Lace PATP
• Dies: Impression Obsession: Grass 308J, Small Grass 178C
• Other: White Pen, Lavender Glitter, Purple Glitter, Pink EP with Glitter, Purple EP with Glitter, Purple Cardstock, Black Cardstock

Challenges I'd like to play in please:

1. Crafty Friends Challenge #121 Embossing-Wet or Dry (the leaves are embossed with EP containing glitters)(Pink EP with Glitter, Purple EP with Glitter) 11/2
2. The Fairy and Unicorn Challenge (Oct 5) AG Fantasy 11/2
3. My Time to Craft #408 "Halloween or Cats" 11/1
4. Stamping Sensations (Oct 6) Trees and/or Leaves and/or Autumn 11/1
5. Sweet Stampin' (Oct 19) Creatures  11/2 (sep post)
6. Unicorn Challenge #48 Pretty In Pink 11/1 (sep post)
7. Double D Challenges (Oct 16) Silhouettes 11/4 (sep post)
8. Craft Rocket Challenges #64 Pink 10-27 (sep post)
9. Creative Knockouts #321 Wet or Dry Embossing (10-31 top left side bar)

Fairy Hugs,

Here Kitty Kitty Kitty! {Cardz 4 Galz}

Greetings to the best blogging buddies EVER! (smile)
and welcome to my little corner of Blog Land.

Today's projects are all about GREEN KITTIES!
(no they are not from Outer Space, and they are not "little green alien kitties").
'Just doing something a little different.
Instead of a "horse of a different color", it is "Kitties of a Different Color".

Time for a new challenge at Cardz 4 Galz Challenges today!

Badges are awarded for the Spotlight Winner and Top Picks.

Challenge #54 is chosen by guest designer Jan - and the theme is:

  CATS OR KITTENS  

show us your Kitty Paper Crafting projects using any technique and medium!
Challenge ends on August 30th.

Onward to my cards depicting "Kitties of a Different Color".

Had SO MUCH FUN making these cards.

Used a virginal stamp by Starving Artistamps. According to the internet, they are still in business, but I don't think the same artist owns the company because the styles are completely different than the few stamps in my stash. This one is copyrighted 2003 and I got it NEW in the same year AND IT HAS NEVER SEEN INK! eeek! or should I say MEOW! Hanging head in shame.

Stamped with VersaFine Olympia Green, and colored with Copic markers, my kitty is delighted to be placed on VIRGINAL papers by DCWV Latte Stack copyrighted 2009 LOL OLD AND NEGLECTED! Vintage "Great Aunt Agnes Lace" shares the limelight with black die cuts from friend KT Fit Kitty. They have been embossed with my own hand-blended green embossing powder mixed with a little greenish mica powder and some goldish glitter.

CAN YOU SEE THE DIFFERENCE?



Kitty eyes have been CLEAR EMBOSSED with detail EP. It enriches the blue color, however, the photos show up a bit red (the traditional camera red eye) because of the EP. See the difference between the two images? One without EP, one with:

Heated and then dipped into the same custom-blended EP twice, are these OLD, OLD JUMBO BRADS. Why did I purchase so many brads?

I love this kitty stamp!



Another "wonky frames" card, I used the external "negative" left overs of the Tonic English Picnic Layering Die Set and coated it with Old Navy Embellishment Mousse to contrast against the detailed frame distressed with Memento Paris Dusk. It is difficult to NOT use Embellishment Mousse because it is SO PRETTY and easy to use. FAST drying.

Love the DLArt Crinkle Ribbon which always provides wonderful texture!

The papers have been distressed with Tumbled Glass DI and Memento Paris Dusk with a touch of Lemon Sorbet Embellishment Mousse. Was able to partially capture a little shine below:

5.5" x 7.5"

Not sure why I added the brads. Guess I thought "more is more" giggle.

6" x 6"



Are you GREEN WITH ENVY over my little GREEN KITTIES?
not everyone can have green kitties, after all...
(more giggling)

Products Used:

• Tonic English Picnic Layering Die Set (rectangular card)
• Tonic Embellishment Mousse (Powder Blue, Lemon Sorbet, Old Navy) Distressing
• SB Scallop Labels Twenty-two, cats from KT (square card)
• SB Rolled Roses, Cottage Cutz Greenery, Cats from KT (rectangle card)
• INKs: VersaFine Olympia Green (stamped images), Memento Paris Dusk, Tumbled Glass, Forest Moss Bundled Sage, Several Green Copic Markers.
• Hand blended green-mica-glitter EP, vintage lace, brads
• DLArt crinkle ribbon (green)
• Papers: Express-it White, DCWV Latte Pack, Green, Blue-Gray, Green Vellum, Pale Blue

Cards are entered in the following wonderful challenges:

1. A Bit More Time to Create #50 Anything Goes 9/1
2. Show Us Your Pussies - Cats #21 Furrything Goes 9/4?
3. Dragonfly Dreams (Aug 6) Animals 9/3
4. Making Memories Crafting #8 Anything Goes 9/1
5. Retro Rubber Challenges #69 Sketch with Old Rubber (as mentioned above, the rubber stamp is at least 10 years old but I think I purchased it when it first came out in 2003 - thanks for the fabulous sketch!) 8/27  sep post
6. As You Like It Challenge "What's Your Favorite Embellishment and Why" (my two favorite all-time embellishments are (1) the gorgeous rolled flowers -- my favorite of those is the SB rolled roses - I enjoy making them, embellishing them, customizing them, and adorning projects with them. The sad day of my life was when the U.S. Postal Service changed regulations to 1/4" thickness for the mail, making it costly to mail projects using the roses. (2) embossing powder - I love altering papers, embellishments, die cuts, anything that can stand heat - with embossing powder - it's inexpensive and transforming -- like my cat die cuts here, and the brads! 8/25 sep post
7. Craft Rocket Challenges #40 Animal Kingdom #40 9/4 (sep post b4 new chal)
8. DLArt August Linky Challenge Anything Goes 9/1 (used DLArt crinkle ribbon)
9. Crafty Animals #5 Anything Animals 9/1
10. Country View Challenges (Aug 2017) Blues and Greens 9/1 (sep post)

Thanks for stopping by, my friends!

hugs,