Total Cattitude!

ANOTHER red, white and blue theme? We've been a bit overwhelmed with them here in the jolly old UK, what with the Jubilee and the London Olympics, you can't move for bunting. Still, a challenge is a challenge and I'd promised myself I'd give the Altered Alice challenge (sponsored by Simon Says Stamp) a try this month, so here we go.

I had a bad case of crafter's block on this one, probably because I wouldn't normally use red, white and blue in my crafting and as stated above, I've already participated in a couple of challenges that used that theme. It was time to dig deep into my resources!

As well as the "real world" crafting, I enjoy digital scrapbooking (it started off as physical scrapbooking, then I found Digital Scrapbook Artist - now Digital Craft Artist- and Photoshop). My digital stash is probably at least as big as my physical stash, it just takes up less space. Before Craft Austerity measures began to bite, I'd bought the "Portobello Road" CD from DoCrafts, so that's where I began. I printed off a few sheets for inspiration...still not helping....

OK, let's go and look at my Alice stamps. I've loved Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass since I was a small child, so when I saw Alice rubber stamps for sale you can bet I was going to buy some! I looked at the Cheshire Cat...and suddenly, no more crafters block!

'Well! I've often seen a cat without a grin,' thought Alice; 'but a grin without a cat! It's the most curious thing I ever saw in my life!'

I stamped dear old Chessie onto a nice piece of paper and coloured him. As well as the label shape (from Portobello Road) I printed out some red-white-and-blue patterned papers (landscape orientation). I die-cut the label shape (a Go-Kreate XL die) and the rosette (one of Sir Tim of Holtz's Sizzlits dies, a favourite).

After that it was just a matter of assembling all the pieces. In a moment of whimsy, I attached Chessie with a spring so that he bobs about a bit. The sentiment stamp (from Inkadinkadoo) just seemed to fit - after all, the Cheshire Cat has cattitude oozing out of his whiskers!