Creating with products designed by someone you admire is always a little extra special, and that's exactly how I felt when I sat down with the Spellbinders Christmas Cats Collection by Yana Smakula. Yana has been such an inspiration to me over the years, so getting the chance to create with one of her collections was both exciting and incredibly fun.
For this card, I reached for several products from the collection, including the Christmas Cat, Christmas Cat Accessories, and Window Views dies. This collection is packed with adorable die-cut pieces that let you build a scene full of personality.
Whenever I'm working on a die-heavy project like this, I don't start with a strict color plan. Instead, I pull out scraps from my cardstock stash and start cutting. I'll die cut pieces in several different colors, lay everything out on my desk, and slowly narrow down what feels right. It's one of my favorite parts of the creative process because sometimes the colors I thought I'd use aren't the ones that end up on the finished card.
I definitely went back and forth on this one. I knew I wanted a clean, simple holiday scene, but I wasn't sure which direction to take the colors. My original plan was to lean into pinks, but once I had all the die cuts spread across my desk, it just didn't feel quite right. I swapped in soft blues instead, which gave the card a cozy, almost monochromatic winter feel. I couldn't resist keeping the pink bow, though—it adds just enough contrast and brings your eye right to that mischievous little cat.
The tree from the Window Views set is beautifully simple, making it the perfect backdrop for this playful scene. And while I have to admit I'm not really a cat person, one of the cat dies instantly reminded me of my own dog—always curious and just a little mischievous! I could completely picture him "helping" decorate the Christmas tree, so I perched him on a cozy blue pet bed reaching for the ornaments. That little moment became the inspiration for the entire card.
