Crazy cats on a self-made background

Hi and Happy Saturday!
When browsing through the web I came across a fun challenge blog, Pile It On! There are many inspirational and great challenge sites out there, but this one takes them all to a new level: The task is to make a project (card, scrapbook layout, altered item, ...) using more than one challenge. How cool!

My take on the challenge is a card with fun stamped and die-cut elements:

I started with embossing small dots a piece of white cardstock (love *this* Tim Holtz/Sizzix embossing folder!), and continued inking it with dark grey ('hickory smoke'), black ('black soot') and red ('fired brick') Distress inks.

I had a vision of making my stamped cat an alley cat, and for creating a proper background decoration I die-cut bricks from red cardstock. The die I used was a new Tim Holtz design, one of the three dies from his Sizzix Thinlits Mixed Media set #3.
After gluing down the bricks I stamped on them and brushed them gently with a dry brush and white gesso. Loved that grungy result!

The Crazy Cats by Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous are adorable! The matching Sizzix die set is easy to use; especially if you are using a magnetic platform underneath to keep the dies securely in place while cutting.

The party hat and the balloons are from the Crazy Birds accessories stamp set. 

It was such a fun project to work with. I love playing with collages like this!

I'm happy to enter this card to the following challenges:

Pile It On, #114: Make your own background

Crafting By Designs, August: Anything goes

Creative Moments, #100: Anything goes

Inspiration Destination, #99: Anything goes

Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge Blog, #291: Anything goes

Sisters of Craft, August: Anything goes

The Crafty Addicts, #22: Anyghing goes/Use die-cuts

Craft Your Passion Challenge, #325: Anything goes

Through The Craft Room: Anything goes

Wishing you a nice weekend! Hope you have time to do something that makes you happy ♥.

Hugs,