Freebies on the Shop Blog

So if you haven't checked it out already, you should head over to my shop blog to pick up the blog train freebies I have there. There's also a free Canada Day mini kit & 4th of July mini kit for you all.  Make sure you check out the Stuff to Scrap blog train freebie before the 15th.  After that it will be gone.  The rest of the freebies will be available until the end of the month.  And don't forget that I have a little gift for all my newsletter subscribers every month as well.  You can sign up for my newsletter here:  Newsletter Sign Up Form

Here are previews of what you can pick up off the store blog (the pictures are linked to the actual post):

Have fun with them.  I'd love to see what you do with them, so shoot me a link if you post anything on line. You can contact me through the contact me form in the sidebar.

Talk to you later...

Cat

Guest Designer - Drunken Stampers

Well!  I can finally let Cat out of the bag (yes, I intentionally left the word "the" out of the phrase).  I'm going to be a guest designer on the Drunken Stampers challenge blog for the month of June.  I'm really excited about it.  I've never been a "guest designer" before, so I'm going to try and wow you all with some great stamped projects.

The first challenge for June is Breakfast at Tiffany’s – Bling!   You can make something representative of the movie or the theme (and who doesn't love bling?)  I opted for da bling of course.  I made a sweet little thank you card for someone special.  I hope you like it.

Unfortunately, I can't seem to get a better picture of it. The picture really doesn't show off how sparkly it is. I added stickles to random dots on the patterned paper and then I made swirls and dots on the pink cardstock too.  The chipboard letter was already a glittered chipboard piece, but I wanted even MORE bling, so I loaded it up with rhinestones.  Even the ribbon has a little metallic thread running along the edges (that my photo didn't pick up).  With all that excitement going on on the card, I wanted the word "Thank" to stand out, so I use a plain font alpha stamp for the word.

I really hope you join in the Drunken Stampers challenges along with me this month.  Its going to be a fun time.  And, just a little teaser to leave off with you.  I've been on this blog for about 8 years I think and I don't often post pictures of myself.  Usually because I'm the one behind the camera.  I get a lot of people asking me what I look like. Well, they'll be posting a snapshot of me over on Drunken Stampers. So if you want to see the face behind that green cat all over the internet, you'll be able to see the real me.

So that's all for today. Stop back again next week for another fun challenge card.  Also, you can stop by my store blog to pick up some fun free digi scrapping kits for a couple of blog trains I'm participating in.

Talk to you later...

Cat

New Challenge Freebie

Hi everyone!  Some of you might remember me mentioning a site I've been hanging out at lately.  Its called Pixel Scrappers.  I found it a couple years ago, but never really looked around to see what was happening. Well, I happened upon the site again, and I decided to take a look around.  I'm glad I did.  Its a great community with lots of digi freebies (personal use & commercial use).  There are a lot of great tutorials and, what I've been involved in lately, are the challenges.  Specifically, the designer challenges.  I want to get back into designing again, and this has given me the little pick up I needed to get going.  I've been working on getting a store set up, so you all can check that out, but I'll let you know when its ready and open for business. :)  In the meantime, I played along with the latest designer challenge at Pixel Scrappers, which was to make an add-on element for the Spring Fields kit (I love the colours).  Here is my addition to the kit:

There are two files available (packed together).  The first one is a sequin and glitter spray, and the second one is sponged background spray.  The sponged spray is quite subtle and a little hard to see, so I suggest you click on the preview to make it bigger so you can see the detail. You can pick up this add-on here:  CSF Spring Fields Add-on Freebie

I hope you like it and if you do use it, I would love to see what you did with it, so let me know. :)

That's all for today...

Cat

A New Paper Pack Freebie

I'm taking part in a design challenge at Pixel Scrappers and this week's challenge is to create a repeating pattern that you can use to make digital papers.  I love making digital papers.  I find it the easiest part of designing.  I did these papers up last night for the challenge and I'm offering them up for you to download.  I'm also offering the templates I created so you can play around with your own colour combinations and textures to see what you can create. :)

You can download these papers from here:  Call Me Paper Pack.

Here are the templates:

I'm offering these as CU, so if you make something you like and you want to sell it, your free to do so (you just can't sell the template as is or just recolouring it and selling it).  You can download the Paper Makers from here:  Call Me Paper Maker Pack.

Well, that's it for this post.  I bet you're falling out of your chair to see that I've actually posted twice today eh?  I'm on a roll...

Oh yeah, if you download, please leave a comment.  I just like to know what you all think of my designs (your feedback will help me determine what kind of designs you all like) and I'd really, really love to see any projects you do using my designs - really...

Ok, talk to you later...

Cat

Another Layout with my new kit

I was playing around with my Heritage Lane kit last night and surfing the web for freebies (what else are you suppose to do at 2am?) and I found this pretty layout template by Zoe Pearn Designs.  I haven't used layerd templates until I used the one for the Persnicky Prints layout contest, and I tell ya, they are great.  I can put together a layout in about 15 minutes and I don't have to think about where to put everything.  My layout skills really leave something to be desired, so while I am using these tools as a quick and dirty way of getting out a layout, I consider them a learning tool as well.  They help me understand how to put together a great layout using their scale of elements, placement, and shadowing.  I know I'll be looking more into how to make these for myself in the near future. So here is the layout:

I think this better shows off the colours of the kit, plus I got to use that pretty doily.

So, that's all for today.  I'm amazed there's still sunlight and I've posted.  Usually, blogging is a late night activity for me.  I need to get my schedule straightened out.  I've been looking for work and I can't be up all night and expect to be engaged if I get called for an interview.  We'll get there...

Talk to you later...

Cat

I am so bad at blogging!! (Freebie to make up for it).

I really do have good intentions to keep this blog updated, but then I get side tracked or I'm just too lazy to post, and then a week goes by, 10 days, 2 weeks, with no post.  I'm working on something pretty big (a couple of things actually) and its been taking up huge amounts of my time.  Plus, I have to look for work on top of that, sooooo needless to say, this poor little blog gets neglected.

To make up for it, I have a huge digi scrapping kit for you all.  Its over 70 pieces (over 80 if you grab my exclusive Facebook fan freebie).  I wanted to participate in the February blog train with Pixel Scrappers, but didn't feel I had the time to do a mini kit justice when they were going live with it February 1st.  So, I worked on this kit using the same colour scheme and theme on my own a little bit here and there and I think I've come up with something that's pretty cute.  I hope you all like it.  I did up a layout using the kit, just to give a quick example.

I've broken the kit up into 4 parts.  Each part is linked to the preview image for that part.

*Sorry, these links have now expired*

As a special bonus, I have an exclusive fan freebie on my Facebook page.  Here's a preview of it (preview is linked):

Just click on the big red heart to get into the download area.

If you download the kit, I would really love to hear what you think of it.  I appreciate any and all feedback and constructive criticism you can offer on this project.  I would also love to see what you create with it.  Its always a thrill for a designer to see their goods in action.

Well, that's all for tonight.  I will try to get back here sooner this time. I've been meaning to post some pictures I have of some cards I made.  I just don't seem to get around to it.  I think I need someone to give me a good boot in the butt to get me going again. :)

Talk to you later...

Cat

Just a quickie...

I guess I've been MIA for a little while.  I've been working on something and just haven't been able to get here.  I have a little gift for you all today (or tonight as I'm writing this).  I've been brushing up on some of my designing skills lately and have a paper sample pack for you.  Just in time for Valentines day for those last minute layouts or cards.  They are 12x12 papers at 300dpi so they are perfect for printing.  Here's a preview:

I tried to include something that wasn't so girly for those guy cards you still have to make. :)  For all you Silhouette Studio Designer Edition users out there, you can also import these to your library to use as fill patterns for your print & cuts. Hopefully, you can use them.  If you do download them, please let me know what you think and also, I would love to see what you do with them. *sorry this link has now expired* Click here to download them.

Talk to later...

Cat

Ok, So I fibbed...

When I said I wouldn't post again till after Christmas.  I haven't wanted to do to much but sleep and just laze around with this cold.  So I was playing with the SS software again.  I created this cute little reindeer and want to offer it to you guys out there.  I realize that its probably a little late for any of your holiday projects, but hopefully if you download it, you can use it for the next holiday season's projects.  Here he is:

In the zip file there is this preview .png file, a digi stamp .png file, a .studio cutting file, and a .studio print & cut file.  If you take the file, please leave me a comment.  I'd really like some feedback on these little drawing/files and I'd like to know if you're using the files.  If you do make a project with it, I'd love to see it. You can leave me a link in the comment section of any post on this blog to let me know, or use the contact form in the sidebar to the right. Either way works. :)  You can download the files HERE.

Thats all for today.  I won't promise to be back before Christmas - or even New Year's if this cold gets any worse - so if I don't see you again before then, have a great Christmas everyone!

Talk to you later...

Cat

Its looking a lot more like Christmas...

Its turned cold here and we got a little bit of snow, so now we will have a "real" Christmas instead of the brown grass Christmases we've had in the past. And, just because I have a bunch of stuff I wanted to get done before Christmas day, I woke up with a cold this morning.  Great...

Well, anyway, I've been playing with the SS software again today and I made this digi stamp for you.

Its a little rudimentary, so I need to brush up on my drawing skills, but I thought someone might be able to use it.  The file contains the preview you see above and a blank file.  You can download the files from HERE.

I doubt that I will be able to post before Christmas, so you all have a wonderful day with your family and friends.  I'll talk to you after the big day...

Take care

Cat

Just a quick post

Well, I can't sleep again.  Here it is 4am and I'm wide awake.  I think I've been going into menopause for about 2 years now.  My body just isn't acting the same way anymore and I don't like it one bit.  This getting old thing really isn't my cup of tea.  I guess it wouldn't be so bad if I would get my fat ass out of this computer chair and do some exercise.  I usually didn't have a problem getting to sleep at night the last say 15 years, but these last couple years, I could stay awake all night.  Mind you I would sleep until noon the next day.  Like today.  I was up until 5 this morning and got up at 11:30.  You would think I'd be tired.  But I'm not.  And my husband is sawing logs, so I know he'll just keep me awake if I try to go to bed.

Anyway, this leads me to why I'm here.  To pass the time, I was playing around in the Silhouette Studio software testing out some of the upgraded features in the Designer Edition. Oh yeah, did I tell you I won a copy of the designer edition software.  I did!  From the Bargain Shopper Mom!  I made up a couple things I want to share with you.  They're not much really, but I thought they were kind of cute.

 First, here is a digi stamp I made with the software of, what else, but a cat. :)  I'll do up a tutorial after the New Year on how to create digi stamps with your Silhouette software (I have a new video capture software I want to try out courtesy of a recommendation from Bird on her new forum).  Here she is (just click on the picture to make it bigger and then save the image to your computer):

Second, I made a cutting file of some lamps.  I know its nothing spectacular, but I have a card in mind and didn't want to go hunting for a file on the internet.  I also want to become more self-sufficient and make more of my own stuff so I don't have to worry about credits and where I got stuff from, and whether I can use it to make stuff to sell or not, and so on.  So here is a picture of the lamp shapes:

They are .rar files and will open with winzip or you can download a trial version of winrar (it never expires, but just keeps popping up a reminder to purchase a full license version).  I've included the .studio file as well as an .svg file.  Please read my TOU that I've included too. These are for personal use only and may not be shared.  If you think someone might like to have the file, please send them to my blog to get it. Here's the link:  CatScrapFever Lamp cutting files  I should also mention that they are blank shapes.  I only filled in the shapes so I could show you what they would look like using patterend paper and cardstock.

I'm using MediaFire now for my downloads.  I don't have that many files that I've been giving out, but I want to change that in the new year.  I want to try to get back into designing and offering some free digi scrap stuff and digi stamps here and there as well as the occasional cutting file.  I'd also like to see how many times the files are being downloaded.  I wasn't able to do that with the other methods of delivery I was using, so I think this will be the way to go.

Well, I think I should try to get to bed now.  Its getting on towards 5am and I don't want to waste the day tomorrow sleeping. Hubby is on his days off, so I want to spend a little time with him and get some baking done.

Let me know if you use the files and I would really love to see anything you create with them. Just drop me a line using the contact form in the right sidebar.

Talk to you later...

Cat

Breast Cancer Awareness Cards

Hello again.  I'm back today to show you some cards I made for Breast Cancer Awareness month - which is October. I wanted to send these cards to the women that are important in my life and give them a gentle reminder that we need to take care of ourselves and that early detection is the key to surviving this ugly disease.

Here are my cards:

The images are digital stamps from Bugaboo stamps that I coloured with pencil crayons and oms and cut out with my Craft Robo using the print & cut feature. I also put some stickles on the images. All the cardstock and patterned paper is Recollections brand and the ribbon and rhinestones are from the dollar store.  The corner punch I used on the image mat is also from the dollar store. I used my Craft Robo to print & cut the tags with the sentiments. The inside sentiment says: "Have you felt yourself up lately? October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Give yourself a breast exam. Just do it!"

Other than that, I have been in a Christmas card making mood.  I'll post them after Christmas though 'cause I don't want the recipients to see them just yet. :)  I do have a little surprise for you.  I was fooling around making some digital papers, so I thought I would share them with you. They are 300dpi letter size papers, so they are perfect for printing and using just as you would any other patterned paper for your Christmas cards. Here is a preview:

I hope you can use them.  I had already picked out all my supplies for my cards, so I didn't get to use these papers.  Maybe for next years' cards, but more than likely I will have designed a whole bunch more papers to use. You can download them from here: CatScrapFever Christmas 2012 Papers.  Please leave a comment if you download them.  I would also really love to see any projects you make with them.  You can leave a link in a comment or contact me through the contact form on the right-hand side.

That's it for tonight.  Talk to you later...

Cat