A VALENTINE KITTY

Today I used the 3rd kitty cat from the Love Cats Stamp Set.  This one is sprawled out on a windowsill, a shelf, or the back of the couch -- wherever your imagination wants to put him.  I named him Smoky.  

When my neighbor Coco comes for a visit, she likes to lay on the back of my couch right next to where I am working.  

She can be a chatty little thing, particularly if she isn't getting the attention she wants.

This position doesn't look all that comfortable, but for some reason, she likes it.  It looks like doing those Plank exercises to me!

But I digress.  Back to the card.

The left side of the card uses a long-lost technique that I have revived.  I call it Faux Painting with Plastic Wrap.  I had actually used this technique to paint the walls of my guest bath many years ago.  If you are wondering how I made it, watch this video and you will see just how easy it is.

I also experimented with using the technique on the flap of my envelope, and it worked very well.  Just be sure to slip a piece of scrap paper under the flap before you start.  To keep the Valentine theme going, I also stamped a few little hearts from Country Bouquet on the envelope flap.  You can see them as the envelope peeks out behind the card.

My kitty, Smoky, today was stamped using the Colored Embossing Technique.  I could have simply stamped him directly with Smokey Slate ink, but this is an easy technique to give him a little shine and it seems to enrich his color a bit.  To use the colored embossing technique, follow these simple steps:

1. Ink your stamp with VersaMark and then ink it with the color of your choice.  Be sure to ink in this order!
2. Stamp the image on your cardstock.
3. Heat Emboss the image with clear embossing powder.  

The VersaMark that you have on put on your stamp BEFORE adding the colored ink will cause the embossing powder to stick to the image so you can heat emboss it.

Before adhering Smoky to the Pool Party cardstock mat, I fussy cut around his legs so it looks like he is hanging over the edge of "something".

To decorate the inside of the card I stamped the Valentine sentiment from the Country Bouquet Stamp Set in Real Red ink and then added hearts in Real Red and Pool Party from the Country Bouquet Stamp Set.  This was matted to Pool Party cardstock and then to the inside of the card base.

A FREE tutorial for today's card is available for download at this link.

All Products used are listed below.

Product List

Love Cats Cling Stamp Set (English) [160410]	Country Bouquet Photopolymer Stamp Set (English) [160377]	Deckled Rectangles Dies [159173]	Heron Dies [158896]
Real Red 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [102482]	Pool Party 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock [122924]	Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Thick Cardstock [159229]	Real Red Classic Stampin' Pad [147084]
Pool Party Classic Stampin' Pad [147107]	Smoky Slate Classic Stampin' Pad [147113]	Versamark Pad [102283]	Clear Wink Of Stella Glitter Brush [141897]
Regals Stampin' Write Markers [147155]	Gingham Embossing Folder [157627]	Red Rhinestone Basic Jewels [146924]	Balmy Blue/White 1/2" (1.3 Cm) Variegated Ribbon [160448]
Basics Embossing Powders [155554]	Heat Tool (Us And Canada) [129053]	Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine [149653]

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