Hocus Pocus #2

 Hello friends, I am back today with our reminder post
at Two Old Bats.  You still have a couple weeks to join in
our spooky fun with us.  And, of course we have a mood board
for inspiration!

As I mentioned a few weeks I am back with a second card using the 
Hero Arts Witches Hat die this time created in black.
The background is a Waffle Flower die cut on Echo Park's I Love Halloween paper.

The sentiment is die cut from the now out of business Cheapo Dies Haunted letter set.

These hats are a bit addicting to make, they are so fun!!

You still have a couple weeks to join our Halloween fun at

Two Old Bats...what are you waiting for!!!

Daffodil

It's Beautiful Blossom challenge time and we have a beautiful Spring
mood board for inspiration! 

You can always create anything floral but this gorgeous board had me
from the minute I saw it!  I used an old Flourishes stamp set

A Year In Flowers 1, this is a pretty set with other flowers, Pansy, Crocus,

and Primrose. Of course it has the names and months like I have stamped on my tag.

Not sure of the paper as it was a single sheet and to look through all my

many papers to find it would take me at least a day lol!

We would love to have you join us at Beautiful Blossoms!!

Entering the following challenges:

Daisy Chain .... Flowers
Make My Monday .... All Tied Up

Crafty Calendar .... Spring
The Paper Shelter .... Flowers~Twine~Pretty Papers

Winter-Ful Life

 It's the start of a new challenge at Peace On Earth and we have a
mood board for inspiration but you can create anything
Christmas themed!

While looking through my Christmas stamps for a Christmas sentiment

I came across  this never been used before Christmas/Winter stamp set
from Creative Expressions Snow Fun!  It contains five different ice skating

critters all decked out for winter.  I chose one for this card plus
a few of the other stamps included to complete my card.

I paper pieced , colored and used stickles for my card and even
added a few silver snowflakes stamped with Lisa Horton Limited
Edition Silver Shine ink.  Have you tried her inks yet?
I love everyone I have used so far and this one has such a pretty shimmer.

We surely would love to see YOU over at our Peace On Earth challenge!

Entering the following challenges:

Krafty Chicks #811 .... Christmas

Addicted To Stamps & More ....Christmas

Birthday Cheer

At Can You Handle The Pressure our new OPTIONAL theme is
SEWING but you can create anything as long as an
Embossing  folder is used, that is a must!!

I went with the sewing theme and used a never been used before
EB folder that I have had forever and have never heard of this company
before, Design Objectives.  I have two cards created with this folder
as the first one I did seemed too light to capture the embossing,
but the same result with the second one, I think I am so used to
the 3D embossing and how deep embossed those are that I have
forgotten how light the regular EB folders are.

Card #1
The background color is really a pretty darker lavender
then the color it is showing, sometimes it is really hard to
get 'true' colors when photographing the cards!
Both cards use sentiments from Woodware 'I Meant to'.

Card #2

Our challenge at Can You Handle The Pressure
is a good one to make you get those folders out
and USE them!!

Entering the following challenges:
Cardz 4 Galz #271 .... Embossing
Just Us Girls #814 .... Emboss

Sunbird Spark Challenge #58

Hello friends!
I don't normally do sketches as for some reason my mind
doesn't seem to wrap around them, but when I saw this one
it looked pretty super easy and my first thought was 
some embossing and a rub on I had, so that is what I did.
This is a new to me challenge I saw when leaving a comment on
someone else's post so decided to give it a try.

Sunbird Spark Challenge

I had just purchased some new Lawn Fawn Minty Fresh card stock
so I used that for the bottom half of my card and an

SU Decor Dots SU embossing folder for the top half.
From my 'spare parts' box I pulled out an already die cut

Cherry Lynn Designs ric rack piece and ran it between the two pieces.
I also had purchased a couple sets of the new Spellbinder rub ons

 tis where my cute frog and sentiment came from.

I have a love for their rub ons as they seem to be faultless and so easy too!

I added a few fun gems to finish.

It's an easy sketch so why don't you play along too
I am sure they would love to have you!

Also entering the following challenges:
Simon Says Wednesday .... A Bit O' Green

Out of This World Birthday

 At The Sisterhood of Crafters our theme for this month is
GALAXY.

I had a pretty washi tape background that reminded a lot of a
galaxy that I used as my background.  I printed and die cut a cute
little alien from my Cricut and popped him up on the background.
I die cut a few stars from a  gold metallic scrap of  paper
and popped them up with micro dots.  The sentiment was computer
generated, one I think that will work for a young boy.

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It's a unique and different fun theme,
I hope you will join us at
The Sisterhood with YOUR take on our theme.

Time Out Birthday Challenge

Time Out is celebrating their 12th birthday and I love when a good
challenge has been running as long as this one, it says a lot about the challenge
so how could I not join in.  The theme is to case the beautiful card shown,
the colors, layout or anything else you see.  If you go and visit the challenge,
you will see a beautiful variety of designs by the DT.

Here is a close up of the card to case:

I pretty much cased the layout and the flowers for my card.
I didn't add the twine, embossing, nor gold but kept it more simple.
I have a thing for Rose stencils, years ago I had the most beautiful rose garden,

so anything roses always has an appeal to me.  I purchased this Altenew

Sweet Spring stencil a few years back.

It is only a two layer stencil so it's a little tricky as the leaves are not separate to

stencil so you will always get a bit of overlapping on colors, but it kind of

adds to it I think.  The inks I used are all Altenew, I purchased many of 

their ink cube sets of four long ago and they have
been my go to for most of my stenciling.

The colors used are Coral Bliss~Heart Beat~Vineyard Berry~

Firefly and Green Field.  I love how these inks flow from light to dark

perfect for the layered stencils.  

You can read about all the challenge details on the Time Out blog.

Also entering the following challenges:

Altenew .... Color Board

House Mouse Green Challenge

Today I have an older never been used before stamp that I decided to ink up for the
 House Mouse Challenge with the option to use GREEN.
There seems to be a LOT of 'green' challenges this month, so why not join in!!

Over the last few years, three of my friends gave me all their
House Mouse stamps and along with what I already had I seem to now
have lots of them, so am very happy there is a challenge just for them!

My stamp is a House Mouse Designs 2005 Gifts To Tie woodblock stamp.
I stamped it with Lisa Horton's Cloud 9 Solid Black ink on a
Sizzix Layered Labels die then colored in with Copics.
I added a doily die underneath straight from my 'spare parts' box,
then adhered the entire piece to a scrap of designer paper,
I love being able to use those pieces up!
The sentiment is a Lawn Fawn Wavy Sentiments.
A few gems were added for sparkle.

Also entering the following challenges:

I Love Pro Markers & Other Mediums .... Happy Birthday
AAA Birthday .... Use Die Cuts
Krafty Chicks .... Happy Birthday

Think You're Lucky

All my DT for the year is pretty much all done, 
all the way through December which frees me up to actually
have some creative fun whenever I want, and when I saw this challenge
I knew I had the perfect new stamp to use for it! 

Inspiration Station

Also entering the challenge at 

The Card Concept .... Monochromatic Greens
Somewhere between clean and layered and clean and graphic,

was totally inspired by the greens and had this in my head for awhile!

Back in either January or February, I forget which I purchased the entire new
months release at Unity, all the stamps were some I would use and this stamp
Zero Luck Given was one of them.

I stamped with Lisa Horton's Cloud 9 Solid Black ink on a 
Cottage Cutz Double Stitched Nested Square.
It was colored in with various Copics, a few tiny shamrocks from
my spare parts box were added, I think they are Impression Obsession.
The sentiment is one of the five 'snarky' ones that come with the stamp.
The 'wood' plank background paper is from a set of St Patrick's
12x12 Reminisce Irish Kiss Kit I bought a couple years ago.

I'll be back again with a few more 'fun' things later this week!

Also entering the following challenges:
Little Red Wagon .... Animal

Festive Friday .... Use Three of Listed:   Leprechaun (my cat)!Green~Clover 

Happy Thoughts

 It's time for another Love Those Pretty Papers challenge
with our OPTIONAL theme of CIRCLES.
I have a stack of paper pads that are close to being used up
and that is where my 'circle' paper is from,
a Simple Stories Make It Merry pad.
The circle I stamped on and the die cut underneath all came from
my 'white' spare parts container. 
The stamp is one I purchased from Spellbinders at one of their famous
warehouse sales and is Butterfly Burst Mar 2023 stamp of the month.
I added a few enamel dots, (yes, I am trying to use them up too)!

Because the theme is OPTIONAL and the challenge is an anything goes challenge
we also make an anything goes card.

I used my Cheery Lynn Step card die since it was still sitting out from a
previous use along with a VERY old Stampin' Up designer paper
which you might have yourself!
I really wanted the paper to take center stage so I just added
a few of my already made flowers and a sentiment stamped
from Pink Fresh Simply Sentiments 'Hello'.

The side and inside view of the card.

We would love to see YOUR pretty papers over at
Love Those Pretty Papers.

Entering the following challenges:

Creative Creases .... Fancy/Fun Fold

Happy Day

 Our fun challenge at Simply Clean & Simple
has an OPTIONAL theme of Baby Animals.
But, we are an anything goes as long as it CAS!

I pulled out a Colorado Craft Anita Jeram Wishing Birthday
stamp set and used the two tiniest little critters stamped with
Lisa Horton Cloud 9 and colored with a mix of Aletnew and
Copic alcohol markers. This set has 2 more larger critters
that are just as cute as the 2 I used. I stamped them on a pretty
Pink Fresh Studio Folk Edge Circle with a Cottage Cutz
Scalloped Circle underneath, all cut from scraps of papers.
I added some PFS gems.

If you love to make CAS cards, or even if you just want a break
from the more fussy cards, then come and join our CAS challenge at
Simply Clean & Simple.

Entering the following challenges:
Simon Says Wednesday ....Make It Cute
Little Red Wagon .... Animal
Crafty Animals ... Animal

Irish Blessing

 It's that time again for our monthly challenge at Word Power
where we are all about letting the sentiment take center stage!
It's an anything goes challenge as long as your sentiment is
big enough to make a statement, we don't want to see 
those itty bitty ones!

Being March, I decided not only to go with a St Patrick's theme
but to use a bit of my 'neglected' stuff as well.
I chose a Sparkle N Sprinkle (retired) stamp set Irish Blessings.
Though SNS is no longer with us, the stamp 'might' still be available,
the stamp was designed by Becky Muir
and I'm not sure if she is still making/selling stamps?

The image was stamped on a Tutti Designs Nested Rectangle die, then colored in with various Copic and Altenew markers.

The sentiment was stamped with Versamark then embossed
with Ranger Princess Gold EB powder.
I have a lot of gold EB powders but this one is a very fine powder.
The background paper is from an older (2018) pad of
Doodlebug 'Lot's of Luck' paper that I have a few sheets left
and am trying to use up.

A pretty simple card but sometimes simple is good, right?
Come on over and join us at Word Power!!

Entering the following challenges:
Path Of Positivity  .... ATG

If You Gave A Crafter A Cookie .... Green

Just Us Girls .... Die Week #813 Luck/Green

From All Of Us

We have a fun new challenge theme for the next two weeks at
Double D  and it is Books/Bookmarks and/or Postage/Postal.

We also have a fun inspiration board plus plenty of beautiful
inspiration over on the DD blog.

As you have probably seen on my blog before I love the Waffle Flower

postage dies, stencils ands stamps, am very addicted to them and have several now.
The one I am using today is Postage College Rose stencil, my first time using it

and I have to say it was one of the easiest with only three layers!  The stamps are

also WF Postage College stamp set, other then the sentiment which is

Spellbinders Betterpress.

I used the Distress ink colors listed in one of the WF samples and was happy
with the mix.  They are Distress Peeled Paint, Rustic Wilderness, Barn Door,

Aged Mahogany and Scattered straw.

We would love to have you come and join us at Double D

with your take on our challenge!!

Entering the following challenges:
Try It On Tuesday .... Feminine
Inspirational Challenge .... Stencils

Congratulations

Hello friends it's once again time for a new challenge at 
Stencil Fun and if you really want to be challenged our
OPTIONAL theme is Vines/Vinery
but you can always use ANYTHING Goes as long as your stencil is featured!

What I had planned to use I couldn't as it required a 
spray, not ink and each of my NEW sprays(that I have had a long time) were clogged and I made a mess trying to clean
the nozzles, so I finally gave up and started over.
It was very frustrating as each of the three bottles I tried
has never even been opened, that taught me a lesson,
to not buy any more of those products.
For my vinery card I used an Ink 3 Leafy Forest stencil.
inked with Dew Drop Bamboo Leaves ink.  In my stash I
had a piece of WF postage I used for a base for my SB
pre-made flowers, an embossed butterfly, also from my spare parts
and a Betterpress sentiment finishes my card.

Anything Goes Card:

For my ATG card I used a never before been used
stencil from A Pocket Full of Happiness 'So Lucky'.
This is a three layer stencil that I used Altenew
Forest Glades and Evergreen inks and Lisa Horton limited edition
Solid Gold ink.

Thanks for stopping by and make sure to come and visit us at

Stencil Fun!!!

Entering the following challenges:
Cards For Galz ....Wings
Inkspirational Challenge .... Use Stencils/Optional Plaid

Just Add Ink .... Stencils and/or Dies

A Happy Hello

 The Triple B challenge for March is starting today
and we have a pretty March mood board for inspiration!

You can however create anything as long as it has a
bird~bloom~butterfly on it, one, two, OR all three!

I was inspired by not only the green colors but the pretty small
white flowers and the green bird.  I went thru my die books of flowers
and found this Memory Box (2015) Evershan Branch die.  After cutting it out I
added some apple green Nuvo to the flower centers.  I then added a bird from
Memory Box (2024) Bird Blossoms.  The Sentiment is Spellbinders
A Little Hello Sentiments, but I wish I had placed it a bit higher but 

it was too late to move it, one of life's hard lessons!!
It really is a 'deeper' green then it shows.

Come join in our Triple B fun!!

Entering the following challenges:
Die Cut Diva's ... Spring
Moving Along With The Times .... Birds and/or Bees

Good Luck

 Our fun challenge at The Neglected Stuff is up and running today 
for the month of  MARCH.
It's the challenge where we want you to pull out any of your
supplies that you have never used or haven't used in quite some time!

Being March, I decided to go with a St Patrick's type card
using an older Cheapo Die that I had only used once before.
The Cheapo Dies challenge blog closed in 2018
 and the last time I used this die set was March 2018.
Time to bring it back out don't you think?

The background dies are Cottage Cutz Wacky  Stitched Rectangles.
The sentiment is part of the die set.

We would LOVE to see YOUR neglected stuff, so come on over!!

Entering the following challenges:
If You Gave A Crafter A Cookie ....March Clovers

Hocus Pocus

It might be March but it is still Halloween at Two Old Bats 
and we have a fun mood board befitting to March!
You can let it inspire you or create anything Halloween you want!

All those fun witch hats inspired me along with my new die I
purchased last fall from Hero Arts The Witches Hat.  It sold out
right after I purchased it so it must of appealed to many more besides myself.
It was such a fun die to work with that you will see it again in a couple of

weeks when we have our reminder.  The sentiment was created with the now

out of business Cheapo Dies Haunted die set.  The background die

is Waffle Flower cut from P13 Happy Halloween paper.

Hope to see YOU over at Two Old Bats!!

Good Luck To You

We are seeing GREEN at Colorful Options and have a green mood board
for inspiration to prove it.
Don't like green, then you can choose to do rainbow colors!

I used an older die from Frantic Stamper Shamrock Card Panel
die cut from a scrap of white card stock.  When cutting the panel
you get several full die cut shamrocks as well.
I die cut a 2nd panel from Memory Box Anemone Plaid papers
so I was able to paper piece a few shamrocks back in.
Now I also have another card panel and plenty of shamrocks to use
on another project.  The sentiment is a Cheapo Dies, no longer in business.

It's March and 'green' is showing up in lots of places after winter
though not yet here in my part of Michigan!
Come on over and have some 'green' fun with us at Colorful Options.

Guest Designing At PoppyStamps

 I have the honor of guest designing this month for the
Poppystamps monthly challenge,
invited by the fabulous designer Jeanne Jachna, thank you so much Jeanne.

The challenge theme for the month of March is to use
Pattern Paper and/or Stencils.

Because I am yearning for Spring, I created a Springtime card using all
Poppystamp products:
Small Madison Window #816
Nordic Butterfly Trio #2624
Nordic Bird Bunch #2601

Simple Floral Bundle and
Birthday Fun 6x6 papers PP2100

All the dies were cut from white card stock, then colored in
with various Copic's and Olo's.

The challenge runs all month long so you have plenty of time 
to pop on over to Poppystamps and join in the fun,

there is always a fabulous prize for one random winner!

Thanks again Poppystamps for having me!!

Entering the following challenges:
Pearly Sparkles #117 .... Mixed Color Florals

Joy & Cheer

 We are well into our year round Christmas challenge at
Peace On Earth and have a  mood board fitting for the 
month of March to give you some inspiration,
but you can create anything Christmas themed if you prefer!

I think without me even telling you, you can see what inspired me.

I had this very neglected Sunny Studios Perfect Gift Box dies
to make my little holiday boxes.  I used all scraps for these,

and boy do I have the scraps to use up.  However, the background paper is

Piatek Trzynastego North Pole (2017), I think this paper is now known as P13.
I used a Zutter round corner punch to round each edge.  

The sentiment is from The Ton's Styled Christmas stamps and dies.

I also had a little box left over so I added to the inside of the card.

I hope you will be as inspired as I was to come on over
and join us at Peace On Earth!

Happy Easter Chicks

It is Springtime at The Four Seasons
and we have a fun SPRING mood board for inspiration! 

I LOVE Spring, don't you?  All the pretty spring flowers start popping up,
birds are happily singing and Easter is on it's way, April 5th to be exact!

Because I have so many done I am featuring my Spring card I created
with Katy Sue 3D designs.  I went a little crazy with these last year
and made dozens and dozens of 3D cards.  These cute little Easter chicks are one of
them.  Though they are from the UK, you can purchase them on Amazon if
you are in the states.

I used a pretty yellow stripe background paper to set the cute
yellow chicks off.  The sentiment is part of the set.

Here is a closer look at the 3D layers:

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