Warm Cup of Tea

 At Can You Handle The Pressure challenge our
OPTIONAL theme is Food and/or Drinks.
Our challenge requires you to use an embossing folder
which I am sure many of you have plenty of.

I picked up this fun Sizzix Silverware embossing folder during one of
their sales.  I embossed it on a silver metallic paper giving it a real
silver shine.  I added a vellum Spellbinders Scalloped oval with a
Cheapo Dies tea pot die cut from a rosy metallic paper.
The sentiment is from SU's Tea Together stamp set,
given to me by a friend.

We would love to see YOUR embossing folders at our challenge too!!

Holidays/Winter 2025

 We are into our first week of November and at
Simply Clean & Simple we have an OPTIONAL theme of
Holiday/Winter
but we are an anything goes as long as you keep it
CLEAN & SIMPLE!

I cut into my last piece of SU Bashful Blue card stock
and topped it with a never been used before snow doily die
I have had for a long time by Wild Rose Studio.
I accidently stamped my card with Versamark
(I meant to use Memento Black)
and thought what is wrong with my black ink LOL.
So, I went with it and used a beautiful SNS Cerulean embossing powder.
It was a good mistake!
The sentiment is Stampendous.

Come and join us at Simply Clean & Simple with your CAS card!

Thankful

 Hello friends, a new monthly challenge begins today at Word Power
where your sentiment takes center stage!
I was able to hit a few sales for some dies at Simon Says for 99cents
and this fun thankful die was one of them, a Simon Thankful cover Plate.
It cuts all the letters out so you can piece them back in or do as I did
and just place on your card stock.  I added a Maple Vine Frame from Tutti Designs
that was already cut out and in my die cut stash to use up.  I think IRL
you can make out the colorful leaves better then you can by this photo.
I think I need to try another one with the letters paper pieced back in.

Get out those BIG sentiments as this is the perfect
place to use them, at Word Power!!

Thinking Of You

 Hello Double D friends, it is once again time for a new challenge
and a new challenge theme at Double D
and it is FALL WREATH.

We have a pretty mood board of wreaths for inspiration!

I started with a die cut Waffle Flower Lacy die background using a paper
from DCWV Harvest House, a 6x6 pad I am trying to use up.
The wreath is Tutti Designs Leafy wreath that I inked with various Altenew inks.
The bow sentiment is The Greetery Put A Bow On It stamp and die.

We would love to see your pretty fall wreaths at Double D!

Stencil Fun November Challenge

It's time once again for our challenge at  Stencil Fun
and we have an  OPTIONAL theme of
Use Some Gold
this is optional and you can use any stencil any color.
I did stencil in gold on my card using an older (2014)
Memory Box stencil Large Snowflakes.
I stenciled with a limited edition Lisa Horton Cloud 9 solid gold ink.
Christmas of 2024 I received a beautiful store bought card with the pretty snowflake
I am using on my card, I just recycled it off the card I received.
I try to repurpose all the store bought Christmas cards we
receive and normally use them to make Christmas tags,
but this one was perfect for the front of my card.

This card is MUCH more beautiful IRL, the light is picking up
some un-natural colors in my photo that aren't there, it is all a gorgeous solid gold!

For my Anything Goes card, I once again have a card I created
for my 2024 Christmas cards using the Taylored Expressions
layered Holly Holiday stencil.
This stencil allows you to create three different card front panels
all at once with each layer (there are 4).
These are geared to make a mini slimline but I trimmed them down to
fit an A2 card front as I didn't want to have to make lots of mini
slimline envelopes!  I used four different colors of Altenew inks
Firefly, Green Field, Crimson and Velvet.

I'll be showing the last card from this set in December.
Make sure to come and join Darlene and I at Stencil Fun!

Basket Of Flowers

 Hello friends, here we are into November already and time for another
The Neglected Stuff challenge.

I have so many neglected things that it's always hard to decide what to use 
next!  Do you find that at times you buy something, use it maybe once and
then you are off to something else?  Or maybe buy it, set it aside and then
forget all about it, but 'just' had to have it?
I seem to do that a lot and am trying to stop myself from doing that anymore.

My neglected stuff is a Layered Basket stamp and die from Sunny Studios.
I think I did use this set 'once' a long long time ago. 
The inks used are all Altenew Coffee Break series
Espresso, Mocha, Rocky Shore, and Sand Dunes.
The flowers are some I
purchased and put together back in January.  I have a drawer full of these
Katy Sue 3D designs just waiting to be made into cards.

I placed the basket of flowers on a Spellbinders Venice Lace die cut.
It's been a long while since I have used this too as I normally use the
SB Hemstitch oval more .

Side view of the 3D flowers

Can't wait to see your neglected stuff too.

November 2025

Hello friends, today begins our monthly challenge at Triple B
where we are all about the three Bs, Birds~Butterflies~Blooms.
we always have a pretty mood board for inspiration , but you can use any colors
as long as one, two or all three of the B's are used.

I was inspired by the browns and the orange colors and used a stamp set that
was one of two I won from a challenge several years ago.  It is Woodware
Cone Flower and the first time it has seen ink.

I colored it with a mix of Copics and Olos.  I added a small butterfly from my
spare parts box and a few gold half pearls.  The sentiment is from
Pink fresh Studios.

Thanks for stopping by and happy creating!!

November 2025

 Hello friends, we are back into our 'groove of making
Halloween cards year round at
Two Old Bats!
We have a spooky fun mood board for you
giving you LOTS of fun inspiration!

I don't think I even have to tell you what inspired me
as it's pretty plain to see!
As soon as I saw the witchy woodsy scene I remembered I had
a die that would work well for my card, Memory Box
Medium Forest Archway (2015).  I also had a Lavinia Willow The Witch
stamp that fir perfectly inside.  I used a set of Altenew Gentleman's Gray inks
to blend on some white card stock.. Before adhering the die cut
I stenciled a full moon in the background.  A few Prickley Pear die cut
bats were added.

Come on over to Two Old Bats and join in with us!

Wishing You A Merry Christmas

 Hello friends, it is getting closer and closer to Christmas
and at Peace On Earth we are ready for it!

We have a fun inspiration board if you are inclined to be
inspired by it, but you can create anything Christmas themed!

Those fun ornaments in the bottom left corner inspired me knowing I had this 
great Cottage Cutz Deer and Birch Tree ornament die.  We actually tried to give this
same die away at one of our other challenges but it went unclaimed...sad!
But I used my die for this card and die cut three of them and a The Ton sentiment.
The paper once again came from a  favorite designer P13 Cozy Winter.

Were you inspired by our inspiration board?  
We hope so and would love to see your results at
our Peace On Earth challenge.

Colorful Options November 2025

 Hello friends, time for our monthly challenge again at
Colorful Options and we are into the REDS!
Your other 'option' is to use rainbow colors.

So many cute things in this mood board to inspire let alone the color.
That red barn spook to me as we have a red barn too.
I also knew I had a Cottage Cutz die with reindeer that were in a barn
(Reindeer stable)so went with that.  My embossed background is a favorite
Paper Rose Wood Panels, I love all the texture detail on this one. 
The sentiment is The Ton Easy Expressions Holiday.
It was fun to make this fun die cut with the cute deer for the first time.

Thanks for stopping by and happy creating!!

Entering the following challenges:
Christmas Crafts All Year Round .... Run Run Rudolph
Die Cut Diva's .... Critters
Simon Says Wednesday ...ATG

Be Grateful

We are well into our Fall season at
The Four Seasons and you can create any new project as long as it is FALL.
We have a fun mood board for inspiration full of fall goodness! 

I was inspired by the bottom left pretty florals and pumpkin.
I still have several of my Graphic 45 rub ons and had placed them on some 
cream colored card stock that I had cut into dotted ovals using Tutti Designs dies.
I had a new pretty My Colors Blue Mist card stock I had purchased earlier in the year
which I embossed with a new Sizzix Winter Berries EB folder.  This folder is so
pretty when embossed that I hated covering any of it up.
I didn't do anything else to it and left it pretty simple to be an easy mailer.

Come on over to The Four Seasons and have some FALL fun with us!

Be Merry

 Today is a new challenge at
Love Those Pretty Papers
where the challenge is to use all those pretty designer papers you have
been neglecting or hoarding !!
Our OPTIONAL them is Forest Critters!
But we are an Anything Goes challenge so you can create
anything as long as you use your pretty papers
as your 'main' focus, meaning NOT just a small piece of
designer paper but a lot of DS paper present,
make sense?  

My card came together pretty quickly as I had a scrap of
Martha Stewart left over paper from another project 
sitting on my work desk just waiting to be used.
So, I based my card on that scrap.
For my base I used Eco Parks Have a Holly Jolly Christmas paper.
The scenic paper was popped up as well as my IO deer.

For my anything goes card I used some very old paper from
a pad of My Minds Eye Fine and Dandy (2011).
I have about 20 pads pulled out with just a few remaining
papers in them to use up and this is one of them!

Most of what I used I pulled from my 'blue' stash of
already die cut pieces so am not sure of the name of
each and every piece I used.  But, the frame and birdhouse
are Impression Obsession, the bird is Memory Box
Meadowbird Branch (2015).  The scalloped edge on the 
bird paper is a Sunny Studios die.

So, get out all those pretty papers you have
and come and join us for some
Love Those Pretty Papers fun!!

Hello My Dear Friend

 It's that time again for a new challenge at Can You Handle The Pressure
with an OPTIONAL theme of Orange and/or Pumpkins.
We are an anything goes challenge but an embossing folder is a MUST!

I went with orange for my card but have to say this was a cluster of disasters
from the get go!  This is a Lisa Horton stencil and embossing folder set
Cinnamon Sticks and Oranges.  I usually stencil first then fit into the
embossing folder and it comes out perfect., not this time though.

I pulled the stencils straight out of the package and started in,
big mistake as they were  put in there upside down but little did I know until 
I got about to the 3rd stencil (and they aren't numbered in use order either
like the other layered stencils I use are).  This resulted in a couple of stencils
being used not in the correct order, but I figured it out and kept going.

But because they were flipped wrong side up it made my stenciling
not fit in the EB folder correctly to emboss, so I now have the debossed side up.
resulting in the look I have here, not happy at all but after all the work
of the stenciling I went with it...live and learn as they say!!

The sentiment is a die/stamp set from Spellbinders 
'A Little Hello Sentiments'.

Hope to see you at Can You Handle The Pressure.

Entering the following challenges:
Just Us Girls #798 .... Stenciling

Woodblock Wednesday

 Amy is having her Woodblock Wednesday this month,
The challenge where woodblock stamps are the feature.

I used an older Pink Ink (2017) Cinderella Pumpkin,
stamped on a Tutti Designs Oval with a second one
framing it underneath and colored in with Copics.
The background paper is Mintay Autumn Splendor.

I added wax cord, a button and a few PFS gems.

An easy peasy card for sure with just my simple pumpkin stamp,
I'll add a sentiment later!

Make sure to go and check out all the FUN woodblocks used!!

The Magic of Christmas

Hello friends, can you believe we are already into October?
It will be Christmas before you know it and if you have been playing along in our
Peace On Earth Christmas challenge all year you will have a pretty good
nice stack of holiday cards made.  If not then come on over get started before
the holiday sneaks upon us.

As usual we have a mood board for inspiration but you can create anything
as long as you stay within the Christmas theme. 

I inked up for the first time a Pink Ink Designs stamp and if you
are familiar with their stamps then you know that most are quite large
and this image is no exception.  I colored it in with a mix of Copics,
Olo's and Atenew markers.  The sentiment is an old Kaisercraft.  I used a few glitter
markers here and there. It is a very large card and a fun image.

Hope to see you at Peace On Earth!

Two Old Bats October 2025 Reminder

We are halfway thru our challenge at
Two Old Bats
and have a super fun and somewhat 'spooky'
inspiration board but you can create anything as long
as it it Halloween themed!

For this card I have to honestly say I 'dug' in my scraps of all Halloween
and came up with this scrap piece of paper and a bit of ephemera,
plus the black cat from a MS punch!

 We would love to see you over at Two Old Bats for some spooky fun!!

Happy Birthday

 Hello friends, at Double D we have a new theme and it is
Halloween Colors.
We have a spooky and somewhat creepy mood board for inspiration
but you can create anything in Halloween Colors.

Since I had pretty much created all the Halloween cards I wanted/need for the year
I went more with the Halloween colors of purple, orange and black.

I stenciled Pink Fresh Studios Floral Focus in those colors using Pink Fresh Studios
Chasing Sunsets inks and Altenew Enchanted Garden and Green Fields inks.
The sentiment is Sizzix Hello Sunshine.  A few gold half pearls were added.

As usual the DT has amazing creations, stop by and see them!!

Entering the following challenges:
Dream Valley #346 .... Add Pearls/Gems
Addicted To Stamps & More #503 .... Birthdays

Beautiful Blossoms October 2025

 Hello friends, look at this pretty bight and colorful inspiration
board for our October Beautiful Blossoms monthly challenge.
Doesn't it just cheer you up?

You can always use any color floral or be inspired by the colors
like I was!  I bought a few new floral stamps back on February

(because I didn't have many...hahaha, that is too funny)!!

But I saw this new Paper Rose release with the Sketchy stamps and

they had my name all over them!  This one is Sketchy Floral 'Thanks'
and I purchased them from Ecstasy a newer online shop to me I discovered last year, they 
have fabulous sales!  I colored my image in with Olo's and stamped a

sentiment from Spellbinders Garden Favorites stamped in Altenew Azurite ink.
I left it as is, so simple to mail with the cost of postage now.

Hope to see you at our pretty floral challenge at Beautiful Blossoms! 

Beautiful Autumn

Today at Can You Handle The Pressure challenge our OPTIONAL theme is
Fall Harvest, meaning anything fall, but of course we are an anything goes
challenge and the theme is always optional but the use of an embossing folder is a MUST!

I used a beautiful Lisa Horton Acorns and Pinecones EB folder
for the first time on a dark chocolate card stock.  The image and sentiment are
Graphic 45 press ons (rub ons as I call them) Autumn Greetings.
I left this card simple as I really wanted all the pretty embossing to shine it's pretty head!!

We would love to have you get out those EB folders and join
us at our Can You Handle The Pressure challenge.

Entering the following challenges:
Crafty Catz #702.... ATG/Dry or Wet Embossing

Autumn Leaves

 We are feeling FALL at The Sisterhood of Crafters.
Fall is our theme for this month as we move into October.

I had this panel already made using Graphic 45 press on's and it
fit into our theme perfectly and was easy to turn into a card
plus the fact I have really been trying to use up more of what I have
purchased over the years.  I added a few gems for a 'bit' of sparkle.

Come on over to The Sisterhood and see all the pretty FALL
creations from my 'sistahs'!!

Entering the following challenges:
The Card Concept  #220 .... Autumn Days (inspired by the colors and the Autumn concept with a clean and graphic look)

Stencil Fun October Challenge

 Hello friends, today our OPTIONAL theme for
the month of October at our Stencil Fun challenge is
Anything Halloween related.

I pulled out my Waffle Flower Postage Spooktacular stencil
and Spectacular stamps.  I used a mix of some Altenew
and Pink Fresh inks for my colors.  I read on one of the sites where
someone said these stencils from WF were a fad
but I have to whole hardily disagree as I feel I will never
grow tired of using them and look forward to a new one
every month, and I would call them more of an 'addiction'!
They are so FUN!!

For my Anything Goes card, I  have a card I created
for my 2024 Christmas cards using the Taylored Expressions
layered Holly Holiday stencil.
This stencil allows you to create three different card front panels
all at once with each layer (there are 3).
These are geared to make a mini slimline but I trimmed them down to
fit an A2 card front as I didn't want to have to make lots of mini
slimline envelopes!  I used four different colors of Altenew inks
Firefly, Green Field, Crimson and Velvet.

I'll be showing the other two cards in the coming months of
November and December.

Get out your stencils and come and have some
fun with us at Stencil Fun!

Entering the following challenges:
Unicorn Challenge .... Autumn and/or Halloween Card #1
Daisy Chain #101 .... Autumn and/or Halloween Card #1
The Holly and Ivy Challenge .... ATG Christmas Card #2
Wednesday's Creative Inspirations .... Spooky/Autumn Card #1

Your Day To Celebrate

 Our The Neglected Stuff challenge starts again today, a new month, a new challenge!

It is always an anything goes challenge using your very neglected stuff
that you have had for a long time, you can even have used it before but just
not recently.

Back in October of 2024 Simon Says sent me this cute Festive Balloons
stamp and die set for my birthday, free!  All I had to do was put it in my cart
and pay shipping. 

I stamped it in Versamark on vellum then colored it with Copis on the back side.
I used the matching die to then cut it out and attach it to a Spellbinders die cut.
The background paper was also cut with a SB die from a mostly used pad of
Pink & Main It's A Party 6x6 paper pad I am trying to use up.
The sentiment is part of the stamp set.

I'm sure you have plenty of neglected stuff too and we would love to have
you join in with us!

Thanks for stopping by and Happy Creating!!

Creatalicious #293 .... ATG/Optional Birthday
Krafty Chicks #788 ....Birthday

Candy Cane Bouquet

Hello friends, the year is getting closer to the end  and if you have been
joining our challenge at Peace On Earth all year
then you should have a nice assortment of Christmas cards by now!

We always have a fun mood board to inspire!

I let the candy canes 'sway' me as I had a fun die set I bought in 2024
from Honey Bee Lovely Layers Candy Cane.
The canes themselves have 3 layers, I added a metallic silver for the
first layer giving a bit of shine.  All the pieces other then the
sentiment are part of the set.  I added a bit of white embossing
powder to the leaves for a bit of a 'snowy' look.  The sentiment is
from The Ton and the background paper is Mintay.

We hope to see you over at Peace On Earth,
always plenty of pretty inspiration there
from the design team!!

Entering the following fun challenges:
Girlz Creative Christmas #145 ...ATG
Die Cut Divas ....ATG

October 2025 Halloween Colors

 Hello friends, we are into another month at
Love Those Pretty Papers  where you must use your designer papers.
Our OPTIONAL theme is Halloween Colors.

I opted to use a bit of purples and orange an make a more 'fall-ish'
card then a Halloween one due to the fact that from being on the TOB
team I have more then plenty of Halloween cards for the year.

I used a pretty plaid gold embossed paper from Memory Box
Gladiola Plaid that I won from them at one of their fun challenges,
die cut with a Waffle Flower Lacy Layers 2 die..
The image is (I think) is an old Flourishes stamp set that I first stamped
with Versamark them embossed with SNS Coffee EB powder.
The image was colored with Olo markers and the other pieces came from my 'spare parts' bin.

I have for my 'anything goes' card a cute and fun hen die cut and layered together
that I purchased from Cottage Cutz Folk Art Hen.  I used two different
pieces of paper from Carta Bella Country Kitchen, one piece being die cut with
Lattice Beauty Edger.  The sentiment is stamped on a Sizzix die and I added
a few bits of 'bling' to it.

I think she is pretty 'cool' hen and I love how colorful she is!
I have several of their folk art dies that I purchased at one of their
fabulous sales they have now and then.  Hope to see your Pretty Papers at our challenge too!

Entering the following challenges:
Crafty Cat Catz #701 .... ATG/Optional fall or Autumn Colors
Cut It Up Challenge .... Use More Then One Die
Craft Rocket #130 ....Fall/Halloween
Art Nudge .... Inspired by the Colorful Roosters

Pumpkin Time At Simply Clean & Simple

 Hello friends, we have an OPTIONAL theme at our
Simply Clean & Simple challenge and it is PUMPKINS!

I pulled out an old stamp I purchased years ago at a garage sale
that is a SU 1999 stamp.  Funny how many people get rid of
their wood block stamps, all the better for me LOL, as I keep them all!

I added a few strips cut with Honey Bee banners and a spider web
die cut with a Cottage Cutz die.
Pretty simple but that is what we are all about CAS!

Come on over and have some fun with us at SCAS
and see all the fun designs from our design team!!

October 2025

 Hello friends, we have our new monthly challenge starting today at
Triple B where are all about the three B's
Birds~Blooms~Butterflies.
You can one do one, two or all three, but at least one is a must!

We have a mood board for inspiration but you can use any colors
you would like. 

I was inspired by the orange colors and the green color
behind the robin using that color for my card base.

The flower stamp I used is one I won several years ago
from a challenge blog.  It is Woodware Boxed Daisies Trio
that I turned into orange cone flowers.

I spattered a gold metallic paint on, which is much easier to see IRL.

Thanks for stopping by...happy creating!!