Billy is 10 today!

Today is a very special day..out dearest cat Billy has reached the age of 10....yes my sweet boy celebrates a whole decade of being part of our home and lives. I have dedicated my post today to my furry boy.

 I sorted out a few photos...as a kitten of 6 weeks old, with his sweet pink nose.

His first adventures in the garden

Through the early early years

 He became my avatar for my blog when I started blogging nearly 8 years ago. This is the photo I still use of him sitting on my studio roof, still a favourite look out post. 

 He often photo bombs!

 One of my talented blogging friends Jane even created a wood print of him, which sits proudly on the shelf above his (he likes to think it is) green chair 

And right up to date; this was him yesterday finding some shade in the garden during our heatwave.

He hosts my blogs at certain times of the year too..most recently my Christmas in July post

I have made lots of cards and projects based on him, these are my faves using my favourite cat stamp set, Curious cats by Visible Image

Billy in the garden (with his real life friend and visitor Blackie)

 Billy in his box

and Billy's fence

So my card today is made with the same set..I have made several versions of this over the years as they sell so well at Dotty's Teahouse. It is made with distress inks. I pinked his nose with pen and added glossy accents to his eyes.

I would like to enter it into the following challenges;

Fashionable stamping 3/3 use those inks any way you want to

Not just cards 3/3 anything goes

Card Mania 5/5 anything goes

The Artistic stamper distress it

A bit more time to craft 1/3 anything goes

So happy birthday to my sweetest dearest cat Billy, here's to reaching your 10th birthday and here's to many, many more. You are such a blessing to us. 

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x

Billy's summer garden

A while back I shared a sneak peek of the Visible Image Designer 3D challenge make I made for the June Edition of Craft Stamper. Their magazine is always issued a month ahead so now that the July edition is in the shops I can finally share the details of my make here on my own blog. This piece is also very relevant inspiration for the "dimension" challenge running over on our VI Facebook group page. All the details and links for this will be at the end of this post.

As you all know my garden is a constant source for my crafting inspiration. Billy my cat is also a constant shadow out there and he really loves the summer months when we spend many pleasant hours outside. We also eat most of our meals on our sunny terrace. This is such a wonderful time of the year.

I tend to garden in pots as my garden is tiny and it means that I can have constant flowers. These are some of my potted flowers this year.

My sweet Billy adores the summer months..

and when it gets too hot he makes a nest to cool down...often under here.

Billy has a friend called Blackie who visits, so when it came to choosing a set of stamps to work with for my project, I did not hesitate to chose this one...
the amazing Stay Curious set available here

I used a Visible Image monolith and added some die cuts for initial texture

 and gave it some colour using these "garden inspired" PaperArsty fresco paints.

 I also added some texture paste through my dots and floral stencil.

 To give me this base.

I added some shading and the fun paw prints from the set

 I stamped my Cat face and carefully applied it.

I then stamped a small dragonfly from the Live in the moment set

, stamped, embossed and fussy cut out the small cats and die cut some floral elements.

It was then time to put on my creative hat...

and here is my finished Billy's summer garden Monolith.

and a few close ups... I made a picket fence from coffee stirrers and added a texture paste path...

and Glossy Accents to his eyes and his sweet pink nose....😻

and to prove that Billy really has a friend called Blackie who visits I took these snaps last week..

and I snapped him here in one of his many shady hideaways 😸

My sweet pink nosed boy.

All the links to Visible Image are below;

Visible Image group page on Facebook. Our friendly Group can be found here ...it would be lovely to see you. You can add work to the "Show and Tell" album where one randomly chose winner each month win a £25 coupon to spend on the website. Our 2nd themed challenge, "dimension", is  also up and running until 28 June. There is another £40 voucher up for grabs for the winner of this. 

The main Visible Image Facebook page is here; there are weekly stamp giveaways...open world wide!

And the shop web site is here; where all these gorgeous stamps can be purchased. 

I would like to enter my monolith into the following challenges;

Rhedd's Creative spirit June
Stamps and stencils words with meaning I think my Billy will always "Stay Curious"
Simon Says stamp Monday touchy feely
Deep Ocean die cuts, chipboards and/or punches
Rubber dance 1/3 summer holidays the garden is where my Billy will spend all of the summer holidays!
Penny Black and More 2/3 anything goes
Mixed Media World anything goes
Happy little stampers 1/3 anything goes with dies
Creative Artiste anything goes

Thanks so much for stopping by today and for the very kind comments that you take the time to leave. Thank you also for all the lovely messages, texts and emails sent to me after seeing the Create and Craft show too. I love finding out that I can inspire people in their own crafting. I am happy to share my knowledge and techniques..sharing is caring in my books and we are all on a fun creative journey.

Back soon,

Bye for now,

Jane x 

Christmas in August

Hello everyone, it's Billy, Jane's cat here and yes you have read Jane's blog title correctly.  It might be the first day of August but it's also that summer day of madness when she makes her first Christmas card of the year. I am keeping out of the way as all I can hear is lots of Christmas humming coming from her studio window and there seems to be glitter everywhere. If I go in I may come out looking like a very sparkly cat.

Last year it was Christmas July, this year she is having Christmas in August. The reason for this that today is another of those Guest Designer posts she is doing for Tracy over at Noor!UK. The theme for the new challenge for August is none other than Christmas. Have a peep here  and you can see the other DT cards on display too? Why not join here and enter this month, there is a Noor voucher on offer to the winner. As you well know Jane is Mrs Christmas in disguise and she did a woop when she found out the theme.

I tend to sit out here on the patio...I don't think her heat gun can be felt from here. It's nice and cool in the shade.

As she is busy she asked me to show you here card she made.
She says she used a die called an accordion to make it....well knock me down with a feather because I thought an accordion was an instrument but hey I'm only the pet cat here.

What do you think of my photography skills, not bad for a cat eh. She asked me to do some close ups too. I think I mastered the zoom button OK.

 She says she used a new star die ...I'm getting a bit worried that she's killing off stars now..what next ...the moon?

 She also got out her best gems and stuck them on.....I wonder if that means that she'll be looking for new ones for her earrings now she's used them?

Well it might be Christmas in August in Jane's studio but out here in the garden it's still very much summer thank goodness. Have a look here...pretty

 but like these green things below, pretty inedible to a cat. I think I'll stick to Felix thank you.

She says she enters challenges and gave me this list....I wonder if I will get extra treats for doing this for her...my claws keep getting in the way of the keys on the computer. These are the ones she would like to join in the fun with her card;

Whimsy stamps Christmas in July
Simon says stamp work it Wednesdays die cuts
Winter wonderland Christmas songs/carols Jane's  Christmas song inspiration was none other than Bing's "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas"...I can hear her humming it now.
Crafty Hazelnut's patterned paper August
Christmas cards all year round snowflakes
Die cut Divas favourite holiday mine just has to be Christmas!
ABC O is for Open
Allsorts pearls and gems

Honestly it's a cats life here. Jane says she'll be back soon and of course I will be back in December when the other festive madness happens and she starts bringing real trees in to live inside the house with me. It's only 146 days away.......eeek!

 On second thoughts don't worry, no need to stress about that yet....I think it's time for another snooze. I've been sooo busy....

I just need to find a little sunbeam first to warm my tummy

Ok that will do 

Bye for now,

Billy (and Jane x)

The products Jane used are available in Tracy's shop just click on the links below

Shabby Christmas Paper Pad

Merry Christmas Pictures and Paper Pad

Ice Crystal Edge Die 6002/0201

http://noordesign-shop.co.uk/ourshop/prod_3886694-2042Cutting-Embossing-Winter-Wishes-Circle-Star-Di

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