HD It's a Cat's Life - Birman & Siamese

Today's cards started with the Hunkydory card kit called It's a Cat's Life, the set called Birman & Siamese.  The set itself looked like this:

But I also had some additional pieces that used the same images - along with some double sided paper that I thought might go with them:

The papers are from HD's - Paws for Thought Papers & Inserts, the first die cut page is from the It's a Cat's Life Book of Toppers, and the last is from It's a Cat's and Dog's Life Pop-a-Topper.

Here are the first four cards I made - from the original set:

And here are the four additional that I made using the extra supplies:

To each, I sometimes added materials from my stash.  Below is a closer look at each card.

Card #1:

I chose to switch the focal that went with this frame, using the Birman instead of the Siamese.  In cutting the background AS (Adoreable Scoreable printed card stock from HD), I cut along the bottom border and trimmed some of the white pattern out so it would fit the card front.  After inking the edges, I added the focal frame, then added the Birman cat on foam tape.  The sentiment was also added using foam tape (also from the set).

Inside:

As you can see, I created strips like the card front to form borders on the inside.  I added the cutout about Birman cats to complete the inside:

Card #2:

This time, the card front was taller than the AS, so I again split it along the border & added a piece of the border that came in the set.  This time, it came with the Siamese focal.  Adding the sentiment tag completed the card front.

Inside:

Again, I created a border like the background of the card front, then added the die cut about Siamese.

Card #3:

Again, I lengthened the AS to fit a slimline card front by adding in a piece of the border.  This time, however, I sliced part of the brown off the left-side border, and added it to the right side.  Again, the focal was already printed on the AS.  I added a piece I die cut from the corner of the AS (Spellbinders Celtic Motifs - see next card).  I finished the card front by adding a sentiment tag and gold ribbon bow.

Card #4:

The background was again cut from one of the AS sheets.  I die cut another Celtic Motif from gold to inlay it into the corner where I had removed the piece for the previous card.  I added gold stripes of washi tape on the top left corner & bottom right corner, then inked the edges before adding to the card front.  Next, I added the focal with two frames.  The outer frame and focal were added with foam tape, though the inner frame was glued directly to the card front.  The sentiment was from the Pop-a-Topper set - added with foam tape.

Card #5:

Moving on to one of the Pop-a-Topper focals, I created this card using a variety of brown patterned papers - following a CardMap sketch.  As you can see, I matted all pieces with dark brown (using Spellbinders Labels Four die for the mat for the focal).  The sentiment was die cut using the Creative Expressions Stacked Thinking of You die.

Card #6:

I found a piece of red patterned paper and glued it to gold card stock - then embossed it with a Cuttlebug folder called Kitchen Weave.  After wrapping the top of the piece with baker's twine I glued it in place on the card front.  After gluing the focal in place, adding the sentiment (from HD Sentiment book) with foam tape, and adding a twine bow, the card front was complete.

Card #7:

Starting with a dark brown piece of card stock for a background, this time I cut the patterned paper as suggested in the sketch challenge for this month on the MB I frequent.  I wrapped a piece of twine around it before adding it to the card front. The focal and frames were again from the Pop-a-Topper page - with frames glued to the card front and the focal added with foam tape.  I created a gold foiled greeting (Celebrate You Glimmer Sentiments from Spellbinders), die cut with another Labels Four die and matted with gold.  After adding the sentiment with foam tape, I created a bow with several strands of twine.

Card #8:

This last card is a fold-back card (from a sideways A2 card).  As you can see, I used several patterned papers to decorate it - along with more of the twine.  I glued the focal in place on the card front with glue just on the left side.  The greeting was another from the Pop-a-Topper page and was added with foam tape.

Opened: