Monday, March 19, 2012

Handmade Monochromatic Blue Missing You Cat Card & One Poor Little Mouser



Section of the image on my missing you cat card in blue.
Portion of monochromatic blue missing you cat card
Blue without you. That's the theme of my handmade monochromatic blue Missing You Cat Card. Now I say cat, but this is a very special cat. She's my own creation and her name is Moxie the Feline. Today she has a broken heart and is very blue because she's missing someone in her life who has returned home after a brief visit with her. And because Moxie is a feline (somewhat of a diva in my opinion) and not just any ordinary cat, her handmade missing you card had to be special and have a little glitz. I've used a monochromatic blue color scheme befitting the occasion and upcycled some very sparkly wrapping paper that met with Moxie's approval. I wanted this missing you cat card to have dimension along with character so I used several layers and some interesting shapes on it. Very suitable for my feline diva digital image.

Speaking of feline divas...I have another one on my hands and she's no digital creation. Poor Gracie (my grey queen of the house) for the past 6 weeks she has had to put up with a fashion accessory that does not meet her approval, although I happen to think she looks good in green.

My cat Gracie in her new fabric fashion accessory.
Cat Gracie sporting her new fashion accessory

Doesn't she look miffed?!! She scraped her right rear leg on something and her constant licking with that sandpaper tongue of hers caused it to get red and inflamed. After a trip to the vet, two shots and a daily ointment for her scrape, insult was added to injury when she was adorned with this lovely green fabric collar to prevent her from getting to her leg. When we got home I'm not sure who was more entertaining to watch...Gracie trying to maneuver in her contraption or Bingo (my other cat) trying to figure out what the heck was going on with Gracie.

Poor Bingo has followed Gracie around like a poor lost soul. He has been bringing her toys and hasn't been tormenting her like he normally does. I think they'll both be glad when the collar comes off and things can get back to normal.

My cat Bingo watching with interest as my other cat Gracie maneuvers in her collar.
Cats Bingo and Gracie with Bingo feeling sorry for Gracie

It's pretty funny how they act around one another right now. Bingo wants to comfort Gracie, but knows to give her space when she's in one of those moods.

My two cats sleeping on a make-shift window seat.
Cats Bingo and Gracie relaxing on their perch

Notice on their make-shift window seat that Bingo wants to be up with Gracie, but has given her plenty of room to the point that he's almost off the edge of their platform. This is how it has been around my house for the last several weeks.

One thing is for certain...

My cat Gracie eating from her bowl with her collar in place.
Absolutely nothing prevents cat Gracie from eating

...nothing prevents Gracie from eating. I have been finding kibbles everywhere though. It seems that when she eats dry food, as she's crunching away the crumbs drop into her collar and when she moves her head she flings the collected crumbs across the floor. Thank goodness for vacuums. Oh well, we'll be able to take the collar off this soon and hopefully she'll leave her leg alone since it has healed up pretty nicely.


My Love of Papercrafting  Challenges

I love looking at challenge blogs and using them to assist me in developing my cards. My monochromatic blue missing you cat card reflects the following challenges:
  • City Crafter Challenge to focus on things in your heart and right now my poor cat and missing my family half way across the U.S. are both in my heart at this time.
  • Shelly's Images to show what you've got (anything goes).
  • Delightful Challenges to make a project for someone special and my card fits since its for that person that you're missing like crazy.
  • The Squirrel and the Fox to create something inspired by love. I love my cats, my digital images, and my family that live so far away.
  • Chocolate Coffee and Cards feathers and fur to incorporate an animal on your creation. Well, my digital image Moxie is a cat (even if she doesn't think so).
  • Cardmadfairy's Digi Days to add a sentiment and my sentiment "Blue Without You" is digital and affixed below my digital Moxie the feline image.
  • Forever Friends with a 3D or/& decoupage. My dimensional missing you cat card features my digital cat image and has several popped layers.


Handcrafting My Monochromatic Blue Missing You Cat Card


Card Statistics
  • Final Card Size: 5.5" tall x 4.25" wide
  • Tools: octagon die, tag die, heart border die, scoring board, paper cutter, scissors, ruler, blending stumps, computer, Cuttlebug machine, piercing needle tool, exacto knife, embossing tool
  • Digital Stamp: Moxie has a Broken Heart can be purchased in My Polished Moxie Etsy Shop
  • Materials: cardstock, glitter wrapping paper, cover stock, adhesives, gamsol, colored pencils, spray sealer, brads
  • Card can be Purchased in My Polished Moxie Etsy Shop: Missing You Cat Card


Front View of My Handmade Monochromatic Blue Missing You Cat Card

Front of my missing you cat card in blue.
Handmade Monochromatic Blue Missing You Cat Card

The inspiration for my card was the glittery Christmas paper that I received on several of my presents and decided to save for my future crafting delight. I also wanted to use my Moxie has a broken heart digital image. Looking through my Spellbinders dies I pulled out a few and created a sketch for my handmade card. I used the octagon die as the starting point for my sketch and went from there.

For the base of my card I used navy blue cardstock and scored it across the top so that my missing you cat card opens vertically from the bottom. Since I had decided to make the card monochromatic based upon my sparkly paper, I used a light blue cardstock for the base of my front panel. I layered it with an octagonal piece of the upcycled glittery paper to resemble the die cuts to be used in my image panel.

I created my image panel by starting with light blue cardstock die cut into an octagon and layering it with an octagon of the glittery paper. Based upon this panel I sized my Moxie digital stamp and printed it out on white cardstock. I colored Moxie using gamsol and colored pencils. You'll notice that Moxie has a blue tint befitting the mood of my card and its sentiment. After coloring Moxie I fussy cut her out and used a ball stylus to give her a more dimensional and rounded look. I used silicon adhesive to pop her off the surface of the octagon panel. 

With my image panel completed I popped a couple of die cut scrolled hearts on to the front panel and then popped my image panel on top of them so that they peek out from beneath it. This added a lot of depth to my card. I printed my sentiment "Blue Without You" on light blue cardstock in blue ink and die cut it out. To finish off my front card panel I attached the sentiment tag with silver brads over the image panel by piercing two holes through all the layers with a piercing tool. I affixed the completed front panel to my card base.


Angle Views of My Handmade Monochromatic Blue Missing You Cat Card

Front of my missing you cat card in blue sitting at a left angle.
Left Angle View of Monochromatic Blue Missing You Cat Card

Front of my missing you cat card in blue sitting at a right angle.
Right Angle View of Monochromatic Blue Missing You Cat Card

These views of the front of my card give you an idea of the dimensional elements. You can also see the added dimension I obtained on Moxie by using the ball stylus.


Inside Panel of My Handmade Monochromatic Blue Missing You Cat Card

Inside panel of my missing you cat card in blue.
Inside Panel of Monochromatic Blue Missing You Cat Card

I elected to leave the inside of my card blank. The panel base is light blue cardstock that I layered with white cardstock and embellished with die cut scrolled hearts. A very clean and simple design that is in direct contrast to the sparkly diva type front.

As is my practice, I also constructed a handmade envelope to complement my handmade missing you cat card. I printed Moxie with a broken heart in the lower left corner and colored her using gamsol and colored pencils. I sprayed the completed image with sealer to protect it should it travel through the mail.


Final Handmade Monochromatic Blue Missing You Cat Card with Coordinating Handmade Envelope

My handmade missing you cat card in blue and its coordinating handmade envelope.
Handmade Monochromatic Blue Missing You Cat Card & Coordinating Envelope

So there you have it...my monochromatic blue missing you cat card and its coordinating envelope. Inspired by some recycled Christmas paper and a feline diva.

This card set is available in my Polished Moxie Etsy Shop: Missing You Cat Card in Blue.


Card Recipe Specifics for Blue Missing You Cat Card
  • Cardstock: The Paper Company, Hammermill, Wausau
  • Cover Stock: Staples
  • Paper: Recycled Christmas paper
  • Dies: Nestabilities large octagons, Shapeabilities fancy tags, Borderabilities renaissance hearts border
  • Digital Stamp: "Moxie" Cat with a broken heart from Polished Moxie Concepts & Designs
  • Prismacolor Pencils: crimson red, crimson lake, metallic gold, mediterranean blue, blue slate, cloud blue, pink
  • Tools: scoring board, paper cutter, scissors, ruler, blending stumps, computer, cuttlebug machine, piercing needle tool, exacto knife, embossing ball stylus
  • Misc: adhesive, silicon adhesive, gamsol, spray sealer, brads
  • Techniques: gamsol, die cutting, fussy cutting, paper tole

Thank you for visiting my blog and allowing me to share my handcrafted items with you. I hope you enjoyed your visit and will come back soon!

Picture of the Polished Moxie Logo










Page Content © 2012 Polished Moxie Concepts and Designs

Back to inside panel of card



8 comments:

  1. Great job ... adorable creation! Thanks so much for joining our "ANYTHING GOES" challenge at Shelly's Images! Please come back and join us again real soon!!
    Darlene
    Shelly's Images DT
    DAR’S CRAFTY CREATIONS

    ReplyDelete
  2. What a lovely card and sweet photos too ... poor little Gracie ... Many thanks for sharing with us at CCCB what is in your heart ...

    ReplyDelete
  3. A really lovely card, I like the image and the blues. Thanks for joining in with us at Cardmadfairy Digi days, good luck.
    Kevin xx
    Ps I hope Gracie gets her collar off soon.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh Poor Gracie is wearing "The Cone Of Shame" as my children call it! Thank you so much for playing along with the Delightful Challenge Team this week! I am having a card challenge over at my blog, if you get a chance, stop by and see if you would be interested in joining! http://www.chrissandlou.blogspot.com/2012/03/relay-for-life-prize.html

    Hugs,

    Chriss
    www.chrissandlou.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. Awwww... poor kitty, and what a sweet and precious creation, thanks for playing along with us at CCCB!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi,
    Awww your kitties are just Gorgeous!!! I have two cats myself, ones a rescued black and white called Jess and the other is a little stray tortoishell who adopted us lol.
    This is just a Fabulous card!!! Love the little kitty image, the dp, the colour scheme is just gorgeous. Love the layout. Coloured perfectly. Thanks for joining us at The Squirrel and The Fox and Good Luck. Hope to see you joining us again.
    Hugs Jacqui xxx

    ReplyDelete
  7. Lovely card. Thanks for joining us at FOREVER FRIENDS '3D/Decoupage' Challenge. Good Luck. Diane (DT)x

    ReplyDelete
  8. What a gorgeous card, thanks for joining us at Chocolate, Coffee and Cards!

    ReplyDelete

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