Sending Warm Wishes

It's July at Peace On Earth and here I am sending 'warm wishes' lol,
but we ARE a year round Christmas challenge blog so
July or not we must go on!
We have a cute 'inspiration' board that can inspire you or not
as we want to see your Christmas creations.

Being I always try to follow the inspiration board in my eyes I had
the choice between mittens and stockings but there are plenty of other
things to inspire you as well, just take a peek!

I had a stocking die in mind to use but when I opened my Christmas (one of 5)

die books I saw this much neglected Poppystamps (2015) 
Stacked Stockings die so it seemed to call to me and here we are!
I die cut the die several times to paper piece in each stocking different from

one another.  All papers seen on this card are from my Christmas paper
scrap bag, and believe me there are lots and lots of them to use up!
I add a Cheery Lynn Designs trim from my 'spare parts' bin and a sentiment
from The Ton's Styled Christmas Sentiments stamps and die, 

I love the big size of these.
I also added a bit of bling for interest, yes, I know it adds to the postage but

I don't much care about that,  I just think it makes my card complete!

Hope you join our Christmas in July over at
Peace On Earth!

Entering the following challenges:

613 Avenue Create .... Any Holiday

Dragonfly Dreams .... Christmas in July With Sparkle
Girlz Creative Christmas ....Socks
Inkspirational #372 ....Christmas In July

Die Cut Diva's ....Christmas In July
Pearly Sparkles #121 .... Christmas In July

 

Brewin' Up Some Fun

 We are halfway through our challenge this month at
Two Old Bats and have a 'reminder' post in hopes
that you will join in with us!
Below is our fun JULY inspiration board
but you can create anything Halloween themed!

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I had purchased lots of new

Halloween goodies last year in the fall and this card front is

one of them. Whimsy Stamps came out with 10 A2 Lil Friends
card fronts, 8 images, each different and 2 sentiment sheets.

Each of the eight designs is different and all are little cute witches!
I was once again inspired by the bottom left corner and went

with the witch theme.  I trimmed the panel to 4" x 5 1/4"
so I would have an edge left around the sides.  the sentiment is
part of the Whimsy Stamps pack.

We have a couple weeks left for the challenge
so come on over to Two Old Bats and have some

spooky fun with us!

Sweet Birthday

 It's time for our second challenge at Double D and our new theme is
Your FAVORITE FRUIT
meaning we want to see some sort of fruit on your card.

We have a 'fruit-y' mood board for inspiration but you can create
with any fruit of your choice!

I don't think I have 'met' a fruit yet that I don't 'love',

but I chose CHERRIES for my card.
Michigan is known for their sweet AND sour cherries

and has a cherry festival each year in Traverse City,

a festival during my high school years that I never missed,

oh, the memories LOL!!

For my card I pulled out a never been used before Avery Elle
Cherry On Top stamp and die set.  It's a fun die that cuts out

an outer edge separate for the cherry's.  I opted not to use
the cherry stamps other then the sentiment
 but just the dies and to die cut my cherries

from a polka dot paper, cut them apart and inked the front most

cherry to give a bit of definition. 
A small posy and twine bows were added.
The background paper is Echo Park A Slice of Summer (2021).

Let's see YOUR 'citrus' over at Double D and check our all the

beautiful inspiration from the design teams.

Crocus In July

It's Beautiful Blossom challenge time
and we have a mood board for inspiration. 

I know it July and the Crocus has long since bloomed but I had this image

done and colored and it seemed to work perfectly for this challenge

and who doesn't love a House Mouse??

The stamp was purchased from Spellbinders House Mouse Bouquet for You (2023).

I left a sentiment off for now, making it useable for any celebration.

We would love to see YOUR floral creations at Beautiful Blossoms.

USA Birthday

At Can You Handle The Pressure our OPTIONAL theme is
STARS AND/OR STRIPES.

July 4th was also the 250th birthday of our great country
so I went that way but got my inspiration from Pinterest from
a  2013 card I saw HERE.  I loved the design of her card and
changed it up a bit with what I had to make it.
I used several different things starting with a Spellbinders
Striped Slimline embossing folder.  I just had to emboss it
then line it up again and emboss the other side of it, it worked out
pretty good.  The stars are Tutti Designs Stitched Nested Stars.
The strip is part of The Greetery's Bow die,
it does have stitching on it though it is hard to see,
and the scallop strip is a SU Scallop punch. 
The sentiment is Hero Arts Yay Birthday
stamped in Dew Drop Nautical Blue.
It was VERY hard to get a clear picture of the embossing
but trust me it's there.

If you have a love of embossing folders
then our challenge is for you.
We have plenty of fun inspiration too, at
Can You Handle The Pressure!

Happy Anniversary

A new challenge is starting today at The Sisterhood of Crafters
with the theme of FLOWERS.
We also have a mood board for inspiration.

I had put together this card front a while back using
Concord & 9th's Primrose Garden die set, cut totally from paper scraps of white
card stock and colored in with various inks.
The perfect time to make it into a card. 
The sentiment is Spellbinders Betterpress.

Come and hang out with us at The Sisterhood for some floral fun!

 

Sending Strength

New month, new challenge at Stencil Fun with an OPTIONAL theme of
PATTERNS, but we are an anything goes challenge as long as a stencil is used.

For my card I used a Pink & Main Garden Gate stencil
with Distress Mowed Lawn ink to create a sympathy card. 
The floral is from Stampendous and the sentiment is Betterpress. 

For my Anything Goes card I used an older stencil I have had for
a very long time, Memory Box (2014) Splatter Spray inked with
Distress Villainous Potion.  The image is a Dress My Craft Peacock Transfer.
The sentiment is a Betterpress.

  

Get your stencils out and come and join us at Stencil Fun.

July Happy Birthday

 This year the USA celebrates it's 250th birthday so I decided to make a 'July'
birthday card using older products I have quite some time making it a
perfect card for our The Neglected Stuff challenge.
Our challenge asks that you use your old neglected stuff, you know
that 'stuff ' you have or haven't used for quite some time.
Now is the time to get it out and put it to good use,

My neglected stuff features a Sparkle N Sprinkle stamp set that I used once
for a DT project when I was part of the SNS DT back in June of 2018.
This poor puppy stamp Baxter Pup was so neglected I had to use him again.
I also used a Cherry Lynn Designs Fishtail Banner along with 
Doodlebug Yankee Doodle paper (2017).  I added a tiny die cut star
and a Spellbinders Betterpress sentiment.

Come over to our challenge and show us your
Neglected Stuff.

Entering the following challenges:
{PIN}spirational #339 .... Red~White~Blue

If You Gave A Crafter A Cookie #218 .... See Board

Kitty Christmas

Hello friends, it is once again a new month and a new
challenge at Peace On Earth. 
We have a fun mood board for inspiration but you can
create anything Christmas!

I loved everything in this cute and pretty mood board but
let the kitty in the upper left corner inspire me.

Back in 2024 around Christmas time I purchased a set of

Stamperia Clear die cuts Classic Christmas and that is where my

cute Christmas kitty comes from.  The papers I used are from
Simple Stories Make It Merry paper pad I received free with an order

from Scrapbookdotcom.  I adhered my image to a Tutti Designs
die cut scalloped rectangle.

Hope to see YOU over at Peace On Earth!

Entering the following challenges:

Creative Knockouts #574 .... Christmas In July
C.R.A.F.T.  Challenge #783 .... Christmas
The Card Concept #228B ..... Christmas (inspired by colors)
Clean and Graphic Style

Girlz Creative Christmas .... Anything Christmas
Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers #276 .... X is for Xmas  In July

You Brighten My Day~Double Vision

Hi there, there is a fun sketch challenge at Just Add Ink 
and I just happened to have this 'Double Vision' card sitting on my
desk waiting for it's 'debut' and seemed to fit the challenge sketch perfectly.
Of course mine is 'turned'!

I have been seeing these Double Vision cards all over the place

and though different, reminded me of the 'eclipse' cards from quite a while back,

though I think these are much easier.  My 'partner in crime' 'Dar' has been making

quite a few of these herself and that kind of pushed me to create some myself as well.

It's hard to see what all the 'hype' is about, but if you could see these
'in person', you will see that every other strip is 'popped' up

hence, the 'double vision'.  Here is a side view that I tried
 (not very well I might add) to show just that,
but I think you get the idea..

Want to give this a try of your own (?)
here is the Youtube that I watched, very simple really.

The paper I used came out of my 12x12 stash and is a
Daisy D's Mt. Vernon Floral. 
The sentiment is a SB

Betterpress.

LTPP July 26

 We are already into July with a new challenge at
Love Those Pretty Papers
which is a challenge that is all about using your pretty papers.

Though we are an ANYTHING GOES challenge as long as you use your
papers we always have an OPTIONAL theme for inspiration and this month it is
COASTAL!

For my themed card I used a paper from Best Creations Ocean Breeze,
this paper was made in Taiwan, you don't see that often do you?

I added a few fun little clouds cut from Memory Box Cloud Bank,
a few IO seagulls already cut and in my spare parts bin and
a sentiment from Sweet n' Sassy The Sea.

For my Anything goes card I used a newly
purchased (last year) paper Crimson Petals.
This package has 16 5x5 pages of beautiful floral designs
all in the pretty crimson colors.  Looks like I can make
15 more pretty cards with it!
I also added a die cut sentiment from Tonic.

Hope to see YOU over at

Love Those Pretty Papers!

Entering the following fun challenges:

The Card Concept 228A.... Summer By The Sea
(Clean and Layered Style)

Eagles

Happy 'almost 4th' USA friends!!  It's time for a Triple B challenge
once again, the challenge that requires
birds~blooms~butterflies 
one, two, or all three.
We have a fun mood board below for inspiration!

I decided to go with the pretty eagle as I knew I had an eagle stamp I had never used

as I wasn't sure of the coloring of it.  It is a Northwoods stamp (2012) I bought at
a Ben Franklin store (remember them?) , one of the very few left in Gaylord, MI.  I wonder if

it's still there?  Anyhow the eagles are so tiny I wasn't sure how to color them

and went with a combination of a young eagle and an adult eagle, I hope it works!!

The sentiment is a Memory Box I received from a friend.
I think this will make a nice encouragement card.

Hope to see YOU over at Triple B!

Bouquet Bonnet

 I wrote this blog  post MONTHS in advance in January,
it is 8 degrees out, snowing and blowing as I am typing this
 but what better way then to stay inside and create!!
And here it is July and hopefully no snow LOL!!

It's our Simply Clean & Simple challenge time and we have an 
OPTIONAL theme of BIRTHDAY,
but you can create anything as long as you keep it CAS!

I stamped my Sparkle N Sprinkle Bonnet Bouquet  with Lisa Horton
Cloud Nine Solid Black in then colored in with a mix of Copics and Olos.
The die cut rectangles are Tutti Design Scalloped Rectangles.
The sentiment is from The Greetery.

If you enjoy creating CAS then come on over to our challenge at
Simply Clean & Simple!

Entering the following challenges:
Try It On Tuesday .... In The Garden
Cardz 4 Galz #279 .... CAS
Krafty Chicks #827 .... Birthday

How Are You

We are going halfway into the year and we have a new challenge
today at Word Power, the challenge where your BIG sentiments
draw the eye to them first thing, no tiny sentiments for us here!

You have heard me mention it several times, but back in 2025
at Simon Says stamps they had numerous 99cent sales
and I was lucky enough to get to be in a few of them,
mostly when I saw them they were already sold out.
That is where my Birch Press Design Jumbo Hello came from.

I used a paper from the basket of papers I am trying use up that
sits on my work desk (and there are many of them), along
with the small Spellbinders Betterpress sentiment.
The little butterfly is from my 'spare parts' box of already cut die cuts.

We would love to see your BIG sentiments at our Word Power challenge.

Let's Get Spooky

 Hello friends, it's a new month and that means a new
mood board at Two Old Bats to inspire you to play along!
You don't have to use the mood board and can create anything
as long as it is Halloween.

I was totally inspired by the witch in the bottom left corner.

Last year during the fall season I went a little overboard in purchasing

a lot of new Halloween goodies to play with.
Brutus Monroe came out with 36 3x4 card fronts that were ALL witches.
Some were pretty, some a bit spooky.  I went with a rather pretty one

for this card framed with a Hero Arts wood frame.

I used a scrap piece of designer paper from my Halloween scraps bag
and a sentiment from Whimsy Stamps.
She might be 'pretty' but I still don't think I would trust her...hah!!

It might be July, but we celebrate Halloween

all year long at Two Old Bats!!

Tomorrow's Forecast

It's July 1st on the first Wednesday of the month and that means a new challenge
beginning today at Double D!
Our fun theme is POTPOURRI
meaning you can create with anything you see on our mood board below.
It can be the images, objects, colors, shapes
just let your mind go wild, but make sure to tell us
what inspired you from the board

OMGosh you all, I cased the cutest card from Pinterest HERE.
I mean the layout/design is the same but the products used are very different.

Before we get into that, this blog where I saw the card has the cutest designs ever
but has nothing on her blog or instagram since April 2024.  Do you ever

wonder why they quit, I mean her creations are so very NICE, I sure hope

everything is okay in her life.

Back to MY card.  I used for the first time a Kat Scrapiness Slimline rainbow/clouds die
I have had in my stash for quite sometime and this is it's debut.
Aren't hose puffy clouds just the cutest?  I decided to make an A2 card instead

of a slimline, so after die cutting I adhered each piece to the front then cut off any

extra hanging over the edge of the card.  Each rainbow piece
was colored in with the broad tip of my Copics, worked

perfect on each strip. 

My cloud background was made with a  Lawn Fawn Cloudy stencil.
I gave the link as this stencil is only $7 and worth every penny!
The sentiment is an oldie from Flourishes and the glitter hearts are

stickers from my stash.

I think this card will be great for someone that has had a bit
of turmoil in their life or even for someone not feeling well.
Come over to Double D and join us for some Potpourri FUN!!

Entering the following challenges:

The Paper Funday #89 .... ATG
Path Of Positivity #142 .... ATG Positive

Spark-Tacular

Hello All,
this month at Colorful Options we have a 'playful' challenge:

Option 1 — Red, White & Blue

Create a project featuring red, white, and blue. 

Option 2 — Pick Your Color

Prefer to focus on a single color? Choose one color family from the palette:

Red (crimson, cherry, deep red)

Blue (bright blue, navy, deep blue)

White / Neutrals (white, soft cream, light neutrals)

Let your chosen color take the lead—clean and simple or layered with tone-on-tone variation.

As you can see I strictly went with Option 1 with 
red~white~blue for my card using Waffle Flower Postage

4th of July stencil along with a variety of inks,

Dew Drop Memento Nautical Blue, Distress Festive Berries,

Lisa Horton Cloud Nine Solid Gold and Memories Unicorn.
The perfect card for the 250th celebration of our country.

I have to admit I almost bought a new patriotic stencil to use and now

am so glad I didn't as this one is 'perfect'!!

Come and have some 'colorful' fun with us at
Colorful Options!!

Entering the Following challenges:

Simon Says Monday ....Stars and/or Stripes
Just Us Girls #829 .....Stencil Week

If You Gave A Crafter A Cookie .... Red~White~Blue

Birthday Flowers

We are in the SUMMER season at The Four Seasons
and have a 'summery' mood board for inspiration. 

Last year I seemed to purchase several stamps and dies with a bee theme.

So I guess I can say I was totally inspired by the bee in the upper right corner.
After looking through all my new and never been used sets,

I settled on this plump and fun bee from Craft Consortium

'Amongst The Hedgerow' Buzzing stamp.
The honeycomb paper is Brutus Monroe Sweet Honeybee die cut with
Sunny Studio's Fishtail Banners II.  The flowers are Katy Sue 3D
that I put together last year.

Come on over this month to The Four Seasons
and have some SUMMER fun with us!

Entering these fun challenges"
Fab N' Funky .... Something That Starts with a B (my bee)
Allsorts #852 .... Bees, Blooms and/or Birds 
Seize The Birthday .... Birthday

Birthday Wishes

 Get those embossing folders out as it's time for a new challenge
at Can You Handle The Pressure
and our OPTIONAL theme is PURPLES!

I created a super easy card this time around starting with a
store bought 6x6 card base that I embossed with a 
WeR Memory Keepers Quilted EB folder, so pretty.
I topped it with a Stamps By Me Violet Hues 5x5 topper.
There are eight designs in this set and 2 of each!
The sentiment is a Spellbinders Glimmer sent to me by a
kind blogger friend.  This card came together in less then five minutes
but so pretty!

Hoppe to see YOU over at Can You Handle The Pressure
the challenge where embossing folders are required!!

Entering the following challenges:
Alphabet Challenge .... E is for Embossing Wet or Dry

Oh Happy Day

 It's Amy's Woodblock Wednesday time and for once I have a card, yeah!!

I saw where House Mouse & Friends had a 'Water Fun' challenge so

what was more perfect then to use a woodblock house mouse stamp
to combine the two challenges!

This stamp is a Happy Hopper official House Mouse stamp Bunny Cruise 2008 stamp,

one of many I received when a friend honored me with all her woodblock stamps.
The sentiment stamp doesn't have any name on it anywhere so I have no idea of
whose stamp it is, but it seemed fitting for my fun bunny stamp. 
I colored  the image in with various Copic's and Olo's.

The background paper was a scrap leftover from a 12x12 piece I have previously used.

I die cut the image with a Tutti Designs scalloped rectangle and the cloud is
Impression Obsession stamped with Distress faded jeans ink.

My relaxing bunny hopper:

It was fun to actually sit down and make a card again, it's been awhile!!

Also entering the following challenges:
Little Red Wagon .... Feather, Fur & Fin
Simon Says Stamp .... ATG

 

Embossed Butterfly Frenzy

 I once again used the gorgeous SSS Butterfly Escapade
embossing folder and stencil.

I think this is one of my favorite color combos so far.
I used Distress Squeezed Lemonade, Altenew Green Fields,
Abandoned Coral and Lisa Horton Cloud 9 Strawberry Sundae inks.

I have had major fun using this stencil and embossing folder and have
created several different color combo's with this set, but this one happens

to be my favorite.  One of my friends 'had to have' every one of these

pretty butterfly cards, I guess she loved them as much as me!

Entering the following challenges:
Creative Moments #283 ... Pastels or Brights

Make My Monday .... Use A Stencil
If You Gave A Crafter A Cookie #217 ....In The Garden

Merry Christmas

 Time for our second challenge this month  at Peace On Earth
and we have a fun inspiration board that
seems to be all about 'birds', but you can create anything
Christmas themed.

I have so many bird things I could of chosen to work with but I

am still trying to use up some of my Stamperia clear die cuts
Christmas Classics that I purchased back in 2023.

The frame and other die cuts are from Waffle Flower's Lacey Layers 2.
The holly paper is Wild Rose Holly Lane, which I also have had

for a few years.

Come on over to Peace On Earth and join us!!