SUNFLOWER

 I probably spent more time on my card as guest designer on the JUGS Challenge Mood #837 than ever before!!  I was being pretty literal in creating my card - colors and design following the photo pretty exactly and that's probably why.

I cut two circles in the lighter green, trimmed a bit off and made little flaps to fold over the sides of the single layer of dark green.  On the back I covered the flaps with a piece of white cardstock slightly smaller than 5.5" x 4.25".  With the flaps and the sunflower, I didn't want too thick a card.  Under the flaps is a small birthday wish.  Recipient will have to prop this card up to display.

The dark green background is subtly embossed with Altenew's Geo Steps and the side flaps with Curving Leaves.  The sunflower is from Honey Bee, the butterfly and smaller leaves from Altenew.

 

 

You have until Wednesday, 6PM 26 August to enter your card here - https://justusgirlschallenge.blogspot.com/.

Crafty hugs,

 

  

 

JUGS CHALLENGE

This week the challenge at JUGS is "WATER" - stamp, die cut or use water are all fine.  Have you ever done blowing bubbles on paper??? I've used watercolor paper and Bristol paper and both work well - you just need a heavy weight cardstock.  Here is a short video demo - https://www.youtube.com/shorts/opZK-szVjXM.  I used acrylic paints, a few drops of Dawn and not very much water - I've also used tube liquid watercolor, but acrylic is much cheaper.  Deep colors work best.  I've done this technique with my card class several times and it's always popular.

These are my two bubble colored pieces before I cut them out. 

I made a Z fold card using side panels embossed with Altenew's Curving Leaves folder and then Grand Dahlia flowers and leaves dies.  Will wait until I need a special card for someone before adding a sentiment.

I hope you like my inspiration card and will join in the challenge this week.  You have a week to design and enter. 

Crafty Hugs,

 

 

 

 

 

BOOKMARK CARD

On the second Tuesday of every month, I teach a card class at a senior living apartment complex.  Today we did a really easy card and with a little help everyone went back to their apartment with a pretty card to mail.

When I have a class, I precut everything so there's usually just gluing to do.  Today was really easy.  I had the base, polka dot piece, black piece for holding the bookmark and bookmarks precut.  The bookmarks were made from used greeting cards that I have collected.  I had 20 in the class (2 men and 18 women!!} so had about 40-50 bookmarks for them from which to choose.  Every bookmark was different.  Had a variety of narrow ribbons out also with scissors so everyone chose a bookmark and cut ribbon of color choice.  Measurements for the polka dot piece is 4" x 5 1/4", black piece is a little under 2 3/4" x 5 1/2" and the bookmark is 1 3/4" x 5" and all on a topfold A2 card base.

 

During National Library Week this past April, a group of us made just the bookmarks for about 350 kids at a nearby elementary school - used old greeting cards cut to size for this project too.

Crafty hugs,

 

 

WHITE ON WHITE

Vicki Dutcher from Just Us Girls Challenge contacted me recently and asked me to be the weekly guest designer for the month of August.  WOW!! What an honor and challenge!  I really have had to get those creative juices flowing!

The first week's challenge is Dies and Anything Goes.  Since flowers are my "go to" for creating, I went through my favorite Altenew florals and chose their Cape Marguerite dies. I intended to ink blend on them but couldn't decide on a color.  Put the flowers aside and did the background by die cutting a side fold card with Spellbinder's Essential Arches layered up with a smaller arched piece and all embossed with Altenew's Geo Steps.  Put this base together and began arranging the flowers (still not colored) and liked the white on white look.  Die cut some white leaves, put it all together and had my first ever white on white card.  Added white enamel dots and done!  I think this might be a future wedding card when needed.

I hope you like my inspiration card and will join in the challenge this week.  You have a week to design and enter.

Crafty Hugs,

 

 

ECLECTIC BLOOMS

A large set of Olo markers was given to me for my birthday and I put them to good use for today's card for the TicTacToe Challenge #298.  I went across the bottom with border, yellow and markers.  There's also a little sparkle in the flowers with tiny black gems and you might consider the arched card a fun fold.  I like to try and find ways of using multiple elements from the board in my cards.

 

I used Altenew's Eclectic Bouquet for my flowers and the embossed background. Spellbinder's Essential Arches dies were used to cut the card and the background piece. 

Hope you'll join in our challenge for the next two weeks!

Crafty Hugs,

 

SUMMER BLOOM

Rosanne has a great challenge for us today on the TicTacToe Challenge #296!  I went down the center with patterned paper, die cuts and 3D.  Those layering flowers dies from Altenew certainly made it easy to do the 3D and dies elements from the board.  I went thru my patterned papers and tried out a few before deciding on this one for my card.  I think it turned out to be a fun way for creating a flower.

I embossed the black background with leaves and mounted it on a piece of A2 cardstock desert storm.  The flowers and leaves are from Altenew - Grand Dahlia and Curving Leaves.  I'll add a sentiment when needed or maybe not at all!!
 

Hope to see your card in this fun challenge from Roseanne!

Crafty Hugs,

 

ANOTHER BUTTERFLY

Today's card is for Cindy's TicTacToe #294.  I went across the center with patterned paper, free and twine.  Included black,  gold and vellum which are also on her board.

I embossed a black background with Altenew's Curving Leaves and used their Fluttering Fantasies butterfly die.  The patterned paper is flowered and just added a smaller vellum butterfly and a gold body.  Finally made a nest of some gold thread and glued it all down with the butterfly on top.  I'll wait until I need a card for a special occasion to add a sentiment. 

You have until June 18th to enter - so many varied choices on Cindy's board so have fun creating a card and entering our challenge!

I am also entering my card at Just Us Girls Challenge where the theme is butterflies and die cutting. 

Crafty hugs,

 

 

 

 

FLUTTERBYS!

I live in senior independent living - it's great way to live - have a large apartment, meals, tons of activities from which to choose - besides I am now living 15 minutes from my daughter - best perk of all.  I teach a card class every month - usually have about 15-20 of the residents in every class - so it's a challenge to think up a card and then do all the prep of the materials for the class. 

I made several sample cards for ideas for the group.  I cut out tons of various colored butterflies from Altenew Fluttering Fantasies - also leaves from Itty Bitty Branches.  Had three trays of a mixture of sizes and colors of butterflies on the tables - other supplies were in their packets - card base, sequins. leaves.  As everyone finished, I spattered their card with gold metallic ink. 

 

 

That's me in the back row on the right!

 

Thanks for stopping by.

 

PINK FLOWERS

I am the designer for #292 TicTacToe Challenge board this go around.  I chose across the middle with floral, free and white - pretty easy and fast choice for me.

My flowers are from Altenew - Fresh Flowers and the greenery is also from Altenew - Itty Bitty Branches.  I embossed a circle in the background for some texture.  The greeting is from an old Memory Box set of sentiments.

Hope you'll find some inspiration from my board and join us in our challenge this time.

Crafty hugs,

 

  

BUTTERFLY

I was rummaging thru my box of half finished cards, embossed card fronts, and other bits and bobs and found this card with only the base and embossed front.  It went perfectly with the butterfly I had just been playing with and here's the finished product.

I embossed the butterfly in gold and then smooshed broken china distress ink on it.  Did the same with the leaves using rainforest ink.  I did the embossed piece so long ago I don't know what colors I used.  Added the little sentiment and done!

Crafty hugs,

CARDS FOR CRAFT BAZAAR

I am going to participate in a small craft bazaar this coming weekend so have been in kind of a crunch to have enough cards to put out on my table for sale.  I don't like to have exact duplicates so try to do a variation of color or design on every card.  I usually have about a third of cards that have a sentiment on them and rest I leave blank.  Then I have a variety of sentiments from which to choose if someone wants to add a sentiment to a blank card.

My first card was inspired by Therese Calvird where she added some butterflies to a black and white background.

I didn't have the butterflies she had so used some from Spellbinders.  Same went for the flower - mine is from when Hero Arts and Altenew did a collaboration ages ago.  I blended some darker pink on the butterflies and gave them a gold body.  Added the leaf sprigs, added some gold spatter and put it all together.  Made another card with yellow butterflies and different colored leaves.

 

My second card was inspired by Carrie Sheridan - she called it a panel bridge card and had five strips across her card.  I simplified my version by only using three strips and I think her card was larger also.  Mine is an A2 and folds flat in A2 envelope.

 

I used Honey Bee's coneflower die and blended on the flowers petals and leaves.  Embossed the center strip with a leafy folder.  Added a simple sentiment and done.  Pretty fast and easy after I figured it out.  I am entering this card in the Creative Creases Challenge.

 

Thanks for stopping by today.

 

 

 

TICTACTOE #290

This week's board is by our DT member, Rosanne and offers many fun ways to design your card.  My card has all the elements if you count that the flower is in the shape of circle.

For the background I used a very old SSS stencil (2013) and used white heat embossing with it.  The magnolia die is also an oldie.  I used Altenew nimbus cs for the background and nimbus ink for the shading in the flowers.  The embellishments are Altenew's tranquility enamel dots.

Our challenge is open for two weeks beginning today so pick a row, any row and join in for an opportunity to be one of our guest designers!

Crafty hugs,  

 

 

 

ALCOHOL INKS REVISITED

How long has it been since you've used your alcohol inks?  For me, I think it's been at least 4 years!  The activity Director where I live is doing alcohol ink on a ceramic tile tomorrow and I'm helping her with the class and then next Saturday we're doing an alcohol ink on Yupo paper and making a card.  Here are the cards I've designed as inspiration.

It's sort of positive and negative - die cut from their piece or use it as a background.  I used an old SSS leaf die and various TH alcohol inks. Then added bits of gold with Deco-foil.  I'd forgotten how much fun it is to play around with these inks.

Thanks for stopping by,

 

 

COREOPSIS

TicTacToeChallenge #288 is up today and I'm here with a monochromatic card.  I chose to go down the right side with spatter, die cuts and embellishments.

I used Altenew's coreopsis dies cut out in white and inked with their nimbus ink.  The base cardstock is also in nimbus.  I spattered the background with some white acrylic paint.  The center of the flower is filled with Altenew's tiny sequins and then I added a few larger ones around the sentiment.

 I am also entering my card at SimonSaysStamp's IG challenge (#SSSIGChallenge) where the theme this month is monochromatic.

Our challenge runs from March 12 - 26 - plenty of time to create with this board!  So please join us!

Crafty hugs,

 

TULIPS

My creativity fairy has been on vacation and so I'm trying to lure her back by entering some challenges.  My card today was inspired by the colors in CAS Colors and Sketches (yellow, navy and apple green) and the theme at Die Cut Divas (spring).

After die cutting all the tulip parts from white cs, I used DO to color them.  I die cut a pocket and embossed it with a brick folder - then swiped navy DO to show off the texture a bit more.  Added a navy background to a white card base and then finally arranged my bouquet.  I didn't have any yellow ribbon so made my own by swiping yellow ink onto some seam binding.

Crafty hugs,

 

TICTACTOE CHALLENGE

Our challenge at TicTacToe is a little slow in starting up for 2026 but we are all set with some new team members, themes and assignments - we're good to go!!  Rosanne has started us off with a Valentine theme and I chose down the left side with hearts, floral and texture.  My card also goes across the middle with floral, ink blending and sentiment strip.

I made a Z fold card and used some old dies (Altenew) and an embossing folder (Spellbinders) - neither available any longer.  I ink blended the flower parts and leaves (DO shabby shutters, picked raspberry and kitsch flamingo) and then arranged them into a sort of bouquet.  Next, I glued my bouquet to the left side of the Z fold card. To add a little pizzazz, I added some sparkle spray and some gold spatter.  Glued on the little sentiment and done!!

Our challenge runs from February 12th to the 26th. That's two weeks of time to create and post on our website (https://tictactoechallenge.com).

Thanks so much for stopping by.  Crafty hugs,

 

 
  

INSPIRATION CHALLENGE

The colors for the February Altenew Inspiration Challenge are sort of a pale gray, green and soft coral.  I recently bought their lilac dies and just HAD to use them!

After die cutting all the flowers, I used some inks to give them a little depth with ink shading. Then arranged them on the branch - Altenew's number system makes it a breeze to arrange.  I gave the arch card base some texture with a 3D die from Altenew.  The card base is a dull gray/silver.  Added a little interest with some enamel dots.  I will add a sentiment when needed - altho it will probably be for a birthday.

 Crafty hugs,

 

2025 FAVES

Here is a collage of my favorites from this past year - although I made many many cards, it seems I didn't post very many on my blog.

 Hope everyone has a fantastic 2026!