Christmas Cat Card Tutorial with Yana's Christmas Cats Collection

Hello crafters! It’s Lisa Tilson here with you today to share a card using the newly released Yana’s Christmas Cats Collection from Yana Smakula. I am going to be doing a step-by-step photo tutorial showing you how to create a Christmas card featuring three of the sets from the collection. One of the cats is being exceptionally naughty by jumping onto the tree!

The collection features six new products, including the Christmas Cats Etched Dies, Christmas Cats Accessories Etched Dies and Meowy Christmas Sentiments Press + Foil & Die Set, all of which I use on my card today. There is also a lovely die set called Christmas Cats Window View Etched Dies and this includes a window, curtain, curtain pole, and cushion. To create beautiful texture or frame your design, there are also two 3D embossing folders in the collection – A2 Ornate Molded Frame and A2 Herringbone Décor. So, let’s get started with the card.

Have A Pawsome Christmas

For all the die cutting, use the Platinum SIX Die Cutting Machine with the die cutting sandwich as follows (from bottom to top):

• Plate A – Platform Base
• Plate B – Platform Top
• Plate C – Cutting Plate
• Plate C – Cutting Plate

The cardstock/die will be inserted between the two cutting plates with the die sitting on top of the cardstock, cutting edge down.

Die Cutting

1. Take the Christmas Cats Etched Dies and die-cut the pieces as shown.
2. The two solid cat dies are cut from Truffle and Anchor ColorWheel Cardstock.
3. The two outline cat dies are cut from Fawn and Fog ColorWheel Cardstock.
4. The eyes are die-cut from Raven, Peridot, and Seaside ColorWheel Cardstock.
5. The scarf is die-cut from Poppy ColorWheel Cardstock.

NOTE: The scarf die also contains a tiny piece that will become the cat’s tongue. It is very small and easy to lose, so keep an eye on it! You could make the cat without it, but having the tongue poke out adds a little extra something to the cat. Like he is sticking his tongue out at you! NOTE: The dies are shown with their cutting edge facing up to help you see which die is being cut from which cardstock. When die cutting, they should be flipped over so the cutting side is touching the cardstock.

6. Flip the dies over and tape them in place.
7. Run them through the Platinum SIX Die Cutting Machine.

8. Take the Christmas Cat Accessories Etched Dies and die cut the pieces as shown.
9. The tree is die-cut from Rainforest ColorWheel Cardstock.
10. The tree pot needs to be die-cut twice – once from Poppy and once from Pomegranate ColorWheel Cardstock.
11. The star and the tree garlands are die-cut from Gold Assortment Treasured Cardstock (Brushed Metallic).
12. The tree trunk is die-cut from Acorn ColorWheel Cardstock.
13. The presents are die-cut from Waterfall and Peridot ColorWheel Cardstock.
14. The present ribbons and bows are die-cut from 80lb white cardstock.
15. Run them through your die-cutting machine.

16. Continue with the Christmas Cat Accessories Etched Dies and die cut the remaining pieces as shown.
17. The hats are die-cut from Pomegranate ColorWheel Cardstock.
18. The hat trims are die-cut from 80lb white cardstock.
19. The bauble base die needs to be die-cut twice from Brushed Metallic cardstock.
20. The bauble die cut needs to be die cut once from Poppy, Seaside, and Peridot ColorWheel Cardstock.

TIP: Store all your die cuts in a Medium Craft Stax Tray for safekeeping.

Assembling the Die Cuts

1. Using Bearly Art Glue, adhere the two outline cat die cuts onto their solid bases.

2. Take the small Seaside eyes die cut and adhere it to its black base.

3. Add dabs of liquid glue onto the back of the grey cat’s face and then add the Seaside piece onto it. You need to add the Seaside die-cut face down onto the back of the cat’s face. When you turn the cat over, you will see that he has light blue irises and eyes that look like he is a little surprised! So fun!

4. Add the two green die cuts onto their respective black bases. Only one of these die cuts will work with the brown cat, so make sure you test the two out before adhering in place.

5. Take the brown cat and add liquid glue around the back of his face, and then adhere the green die cut behind as you did for the grey cat. So, when you look at the brown cat from the front, he will have green irises, and he will look slightly cross-eyed!

6. Adhere the scarf pieces onto the brown cat. Start with the piece that goes around the neck, then add the bow and finish with the ribbon tails.

7. Now add a tiny dab of glue onto the mouth area and find that little die-cut that is his tongue! Pop it in place.

8. Adhere the white bobble and hat trim onto the red hat.

9. Adhere the hat onto the head of the grey cat.

10. Assemble the tree pot by adding the Pomegranate rim onto the Poppy pot base.

11. Add a small dab of liquid glue onto the bottom section of the tree trunk and place the pot onto it. There are a couple of guidelines on this die cut so you can line up the pot and the bottom of the tree.

12. Adhere the tree onto the top section of the tree trunk.

13. Put some liquid glue onto the straight section of the star and adhere your tree down on top of it.

14. Using liquid adhesive, add the three gold garlands onto the tree as shown.

15. Adhere the baubles onto their gold bases.

NOTE: The coloured cardstock bauble die cuts are not completely circular. They have a straight edge that needs to sit at 12 o’clock when adhering it to its gold base. The little detail cuts on the baubles will be on the bottom right when assembled.

16. Adhere the seven baubles onto the tree.

17. Adhere the two white ribbons onto the presents. There are guidelines to help you line these up.

18. Adhere the two bows onto the ribbons. On the green present, the bow tilts to the left, and on the blue present, it tilts to the right.

Foiling and Assembling the Sentiment

1. Take the Meowy Christmas Sentiments Press + Foil & Die Set and remove the “Have A Pawsome Christmas” plate.
2. Take a piece of Raven ColorWheel Cardstock and add a strip of Champagne Glimmer Hot Foil onto it (shiny side up).
3. Place the sentiment plate on top (the raised edge should be in contact with the shiny side of the foil).
4. Hold it in place with Best Ever Craft Tape.

5. Switch on your Glimmer Hot Foil System and wait for the Platform Ready light (green) to go on.

6. Place your cardstock/foil/plate onto the heated platform, face down. (The press + foil plate is in direct contact with the heated platform)
7. Press the timer button. It will start to flash green.

8. Add the Thin Shim and Spacer Plate on top and wait for the timer button to stop flashing.
9. When it stops flashing, remove the platform from the docking station.

10. Run it through your die-cutting machine.

11. Remove the foil and gaze at your beautiful sentiment! The magic of foiling never gets old.

12. Take the coordinating die and tape it in place using yellow tape. Cut two extra strips of Raven ColorWheel Cardstock for the sentiment.
13. Run the sentiment through your die-cutting machine and then use the die to cut two more layers from the extra black strips.

14. Adhere the three layers together.

Assembling the Card

1. Temporarily position your sentiment onto an A2 panel of Raven ColorWheel Cardstock (4.25” x 5.5”).
2. Using liquid glue, adhere the tree above.

3. Using liquid glue, now adhere the sentiment in place.

4. Adhere the green present in place.

5. Add Black Foam Adhesive Squares to the back of the two cats and the blue gift as shown.

6. Remove the backings from the foam adhesive squares and adhere the grey cat in place.
7. Next, add the blue gift to the left of the pot.
8. Finish by placing the brown cat to the right of the pot.

9. Add some liquid glue to the back of your completed panel and adhere it to an A2 white note card (11” x 4.25”, scored and folded at 5.5”).

10. Finish by adhering a Red Color Essential Gem onto the red neck scarf (where the bow and ribbon tails meet).

That finishes the tutorial for today’s card. I hope that you find it helpful when making your card. This collection is such good fun, and the scenes you can create with all the different products are endless! If you would like to see more of my cards, I would love to have you join me over on my blog, Instagram, Facebook or YouTube. In the meantime, thank you so much for joining me here on the Spellbinders blog today. I hope that you have a fabulous day!

Other Supplies

Neenah Classic Crest Solar White 80lb and 110lb cardstock.