It’s Easter at Sparkles Monthly!

Hello friends! Hope your March is going along well and you’re starting to see some signs of Spring coming! We even have a few flowers trying to pop up out of the ground which is so fun to see! I hope they can hold out for a few cold days ahead.

Today I’m stopping in to share my card for the new challenge over at Sparkles Monthly and we have a very fitting theme of “Easter” this month. I think I’m more than ready to start some Spring related projects, so I look forward to seeing the gallery. Here’s the card I came up with:

How sweet is that bunny passing out his colorful eggs! I pull out an older card kit (2019) and it had this adorable Simon Says Stamp set called “Bunny Wishes” (no longer available) mixed in with the kit which I don’t think came with it, but I wanted to use it with some of the other items that were in the kit like the papers. It was like getting a brand new order and forgetting what I purchased! 😆

I also used this beautiful oval die (not available) from SSS that cuts the oval, the flowers and the stitching marks around it. I added a border of grass to place at the bottom and then I stamped the sentiment from the set and also stamped the “Easter” greeting on another piece of light blue cardstock cut with a banner die. The gingham background was cut with a double stitched rectangle die and then I used the oval die to cut an opening for the bunny scene. I added foam tape around the edges to pop up the panel on an A2 top folding pink card base.

Here’s a close-up view of the cute images that I’ve colored with Copic markers, cut out with the coordinating dies and then popped up over the floral oval scene with foam tape. The extra Easter egg behind the basket was just glued to the scene. It’s hard to see in a photo, but I’ve covered each egg with a glitter brush pen. It’s sparkly IRL.

I did recently get this pretty Iridescent White Cord from SSS and took two strands of it to create a bow and then I attached it to the top of the oval. It gives it a nice sheen and I might be using it again soon!

Thank you for stopping in today! Hope you enjoyed my card and will join us for the challenge this month! Have a great weekend!

Challenges:

Pammie’s Inky Pinkies – PIP2510 Anything Goes
Make My Monday – #247 Use a Die/Punch
Passion for Markers – #779 Dies &/or Punches + markers (used dies and Copics)
Little Red Wagon – #798 Start Easter Projects
Penny’s – #592 Anything Goes Using Paper
Tic Tac Toe – #tttc266 I used 3rd down or middle across
Four Seasons – Spring/Easter

X is for X’s and O’s

Hello friends and happy Friday! The weekend starts and we’ve had some snow blowing around over our way with wind and colder weather, BUT next week it’s supposed to be warmer with Spring-like temps…but that’s the Midwestern climate! It will level out later in the month.

Today is another new challenge over at the Alphabet Challenge Blog! Our theme for the next two weeks is “X is for X’s and O’s (as in hugs & kisses)“. We look forward to your entries! I had some fun with this one:

I’ve had this Tic Tac Toe set for years and never even broke it out to use! It was from the My Favorite Things “X’s and O’s card kit (obviously no longer available). I also used those adorable My Favorite Things Bitty Bears (retired) to help with the hugs and kisses part. I’m so happy to be using something from my stash and especially something that I haven’t used at all!

The card was pretty simple as the die cuts for the tic tac toe square were cut in different colors, found some polka dotted papers to match and also used those same papers to paper piece the heart on the top bear. I stamped the sentiment from the kit, popped up the colored and die cut bears with foam tape and added a few purple gems.

Before attaching all of the elements, I applied the polka-dot striped paper to a white front card base that was cut with a double-stitched rectangle die also from MFT, and then attached to an A2 top folding white card base.

Thanks for stopping in today and I hope you’ll join in the X’s and O’s with us over on the challenge blog! Have a great weekend and I’ll see you soon!

Challenges:

Crafty Animals – #92 Anything Goes with animal(s)
Critter Crazy – #96 Anything Goes with Featured Critter(s)
The Divas That Cut…Paper! – Critters plus a die cut
Pammie’s Inky Pinkies – PIP2509 Anything Goes
The Neglected Stuff – Anything Goes with neglected item (my neglected item is that MFT X’s and O’s card kit that was never used circa 2017!) About time, huh?!
Crafts Galore Encore – #133 Anything Goes

For Someone You Love at Sparkles Monthly

Hello friends! I hope that you had a great Valentine’s Day yesterday however you chose to celebrate it! We chose to stay indoors where it’s warm and watch a movie!

And speaking of love, this brings us to the February challenge over at Sparkles Monthly and for this month, our hostess is asking for a “Love Card (for anyone you love)” . Be sure to stop by the blog to see what the rest of the design team has created for you. Here’s my project for this challenge:

Aren’t these heart sweaters adorable?! I had fun making a couple of cards to send to my kids (whom I love) for Valentine’s Day. I was actually able to create two similar cards using a stencil set that allows you to make 4 sweaters at one time.

I love the Taylored Expressions Sweater Weather Stencil Set that you can ink blend up to four different sweaters at once. This had previous come out for Christmas, but in December, they came out with a cute Valentine line to go with this stencil. So I gold foiled a panel from the TE Foil It-Valentine Sweater Weather pack and then to decorate the sweaters, I used the TE Dinky Decorations Valentine die set. I wanted more hearts, so I die cut a few extra to place around the background.

Speaking of the background, I used the TE Lots of Love 3D embossing folder and then sponged a bit of white over the hearts so they stood out a bit more. I also die cut the A2 Thin Frame die for a gold mirror frame. The sentiment came from the TE Love & Hugs stamp set.

And here’s a closer look at the other card I made. I know I could’ve used just one sweater for each card, but I thought these sweaters were too cute, so I decided to use all of them! I’m thinking one of my sons would probably wear a sweater like one of these and the other would think it’s ridiculous! LOL Regardless, at least they each know that they are loved by me!

I also had these fun TE Snarky Valentine Insiders panels that I gold foiled. I have to share some snark with those I love too! LOL (Click on the photos above to enlarge them if you’re on my website.)

I thought I’d share another card I had made for someone I love that was given to my husband for Valentine’s Day yesterday. (Sometimes, I have to wait until he gets it before I share!):

This pup and his boing heart hat cracks me up! Look at that face! I actually made this last month during a Craft Roulette challenge. I decided that I liked it so much that I put a Valentine greeting on it for my husband to give him on Valentine’s Day.

I used the Taylored Expressions Puppy Love (retired) stamp set and colored in this cute pup with Copic markers and die cut him out. I stamped the TE Gingham Check BG Stamp in black ink over red cardstock. I splattered some white Copic Opaque over top.

For the lace, I white heat embossed the border stamp from the TE Flip the Lace stamp/die (retired) over the Toffee cardstock and placed beneath the check background piece. I added a black strip between the two and then popped the dog on it. I stamped the “Seriously” from the pup stamp set and the Valentine greeting from the lace stamp set together and fussy cut them out to pop up with foam tape on the card. I added a few white hearts around the pup. The entire card is a mini slim from a pre-cut and scored Toffee card base.

Thanks so much for stopping by today and I hope that you enjoyed these “love” cards or have been inspired to make and send a card to someone you love too! I look forward to seeing what you share in the gallery this month!

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

Challenges:

Critter Crazy – #95 Anything Goes With a Featured Creature (Bottom card only)
Crafty Animals – #91 Anything Goes + Animal (Bottom card only)
Pearly Sparkles – #104 Love is in the Air
Crafts Galore Encore – #132 Anything Goes
Crafty Calendar – Hearts
613 Avenue Create – Anything Goes with optional: Lots of Love
Crazy is Our Fame-Stencils Are Our Game – Pinks &/or Reds + stencil (sweater cards)
Make My Monday – #245 Love (bottom pup card)
Crafty Gals Corner – #264 Fill in the Blank: “Pink________” (sweaters)

“V” is for Vintage

Hello friends and happy Friday! Are you looking forward to a nice weekend? I have some crafty time in store for me, but honestly, I need to be cleaning my craft room!

Today starts a new challenge over at the Alphabet Challenge blog! Please be sure to check out the challenge blog to see how to play as we go through the alphabet letters every-other week (fortnight) for each new challenge.

For this challenge, we are at the letter “V” for Vintage and here’s what I’ve come up with:

I love the look of vintage style cards, but I don’t make them very often, so this was a great challenge to get me motivated in making one!

I fell in love with the Simon Hurley “In the Garden” stamp set (discontinued) last year , but never got a chance to play with it until now. I thought the images were perfect for a “vintage vibe”. I got that along with these gorgeous papers from Scrapbook.com called “Vintage“, of course! The imagery went well with the stamps in the set.

I started with cutting all of the different patterns from the paper pad into a card design. I sponged around the edges with Hickory Smoke oxide ink. I die cut the “graph paper” panel with Taylored Expressions A2 Postage Stamp Stacklets die. On that panel, I stamped the wording from the SH stamp set with Hickory Smoke oxide as well as a few hearts in Tattered Rose oxide ink. I also took a music score rub-on that I got from Scrapbook.com to add in the corner and then sponged around the edges with Hickory Smoke oxide. I layered this panel onto a piece of grey cardstock. The second layer was also layered onto another piece of grey cardstock and then layered over another piece of the Vintage pattern paper over an A2 top folding white card base.

For the stamped images, I stamped them in black pigment ink and then clear heat embossed them. I used Shabby Shutters, Tattered Rose and Victorian Velvet oxide inks to watercolor by smooshing the ink pads onto a surface and using a water brush for coloring. I fussy cut out the images and popped them up over the panel with foam tape.

Before attaching this panel onto the next panel, I added some grey seam binding ribbon tied in a bow on the side and then popped it up with foam tape. I also die cut the lettering from the Tim Holtz Script Words set in black and attached onto the graph panel.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my card for you today and that you’ll stop over to the blog to play along in the challenge with us! Wishing you a happy and productive weekend!

Challenges:

Sweet Stampin’ – LOVE! (must use stamp)
Allsorts – #816 Romance and/or Music
Stamping Sensations – Valentines, Weddings, Romance or Anything Goes + must have stamping
Aud Sentiments – #322 Love/Anniversary/Wedding and/or Shimmer + sentiment
Triple B – Birds/Butterflies/Blooms (must use at least one)
Try it On Tuesday – Romance

Time to Send Love

Hello friends! It’s getting closer to Valentine’s Day and Sending out love to others is a good reason to make cards! I’ve joined a couple of challenges to play along with:

I have fallen in love with these card layout dies from Newton’s Nook called A2 Card Layout Die and was also able to use as part of a sketch for a challenge that worked with it. The die made it very easy for the layout. I’ve also used some Newton’s Nook papers as well as a new Valentine themed stamp set that came out in December.

For the postage stamp on the card, I’ve taken the NN Postage Stamp Layout die and cut one in turquoise and then another in white. One for the inside and one for the frame. I cut it apart so that I had several postage stamps. I stenciled clouds on the turquoise insert and added the heart balloons from the NN Valentine Postage Sampler set over it. I stamped, colored and cut it out with the coordinating die. I also white heat embossed the number at the bottom.

I took the same stamp set and stamped some random hearts on the center kraft cardstock panel. The sentiment came from the NN Sending Hugs stamp set (retired) and was white heat embossed over the hearts.

For the die cut turquoise hearts, I’ve used the NN Charming Hearts Frame die. It cut out three hearts that I could use for accents on this card. I’ve attached the entire design over an A2 top folding kraft card base and finished it with some heart shaped sequins.

Thanks so much for joining me today! I hope you’ve enjoyed my card or found some inspiration!

Challenges:

Newton’s Nook Inky Paws Challenge – Cherry Red, Turquoise, Buttery Brown & White + Newton’s Nook products
Sketch Saturday – #768 sketch with twist: include a heart
The Divas That Cut…Paper – Something New + die (new Newton’s Nook products!)
Creative Fingers – #293 Anything Goes
Pammie’s Inky Pinkies – #2504 Anything Goes

“U” is for Underwater

Hello friends! It’s already closer to the end of our first month for 2025 and I hope you’re staying warm and/or cozy where you are!

Today I’m excited to share that I’ve joined the Alphabet Challenge design team! I’ve been playing along with the challenges for a few years, so this will be a fun one! Please be sure to check out the challenge blog to see how to play as we go through the alphabet letters every-other week (fortnight) for each new challenge.

For this challenge, we are at the letter “U” for Underwater and here’s what I’ve come up with:

Now how cute are these smiling underwater critters?! It was hard to believe that going through my stash that I didn’t have much of any underwater critters besides mermaids, but last year I saw this adorable Doodlebug Sea Life stamp set on sale and decided to add it to my collection. This is the first time I’ve used it.

For the background: I’ve taken my Distress Oxide inks and ink blended the colors Salty Ocean, Mermaid Lagoon and Blueprint sketch over some Bristol Smooth watercolor paper. I sprayed it with water and blotted it up with a paper towel. I used a stitched wave die cut border at the top and another wavy landscape border die for the sand at the bottom with kraft cardstock. I’ve used markers and gel pens to create “dots” for the sand and then attached it to the ink blended panel. Once I had it all attached, I cut out the entire panel with a stitched rectangle die and then attached it to an A2 sized top folding kraft card base.

I stamped several of the images and colored them with Copic markers and die cut them out with each coordinating die. The “seaweed” was part of the coordinating die set that I inked over in green Oxide inks and then attached all of the images to the underwater scene.

Lastly, I white heat embossed a sentiment from the stamp set (it says: “with oceans & oceans of love”) in the top corner of the card base and stamped some blue solid hearts from the set for “bubbles”. I couldn’t resist adding some googly eyes to the crab too.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my card today and hop on over to the challenge blog to play along with us! I look forward to seeing your underwater creations in the gallery!

Thanks so much for dropping in and I’ll see you tomorrow for my monthly Art Journal Page!

Challenges:

Allsorts – Close to Nature/Anything Goes
Pammie’s Inky Pinkies – PIP2503 Anything Goes
Little Red Wagon – #791 Can You Feel the Love Tonight (love theme)
Critter Crazy – #94 Anything Goes with Featured Creature
Crafty Animals – #90 Anything Goes with Animal(s)

Sending Love Using My Stash

Hello friends! Just popping in with a quick post to share a card I’ve made for a few challenges.

This year, I’m going to try and “shop my stash” instead of buying and buying and buying all the things. YES…I know it’s easier said than done, but I’ve joined a fellow crafter that I’ve known for a long time to join in her monthly challenge prompts in her group on FB (This & That With Danni’s Dreams) to help keep me motivated in spending less. I’m sure she’d love you to join her, so check it out. Her monthly prompts are from her “Use Your Stash” challenges that she just started this year.

Her themes/prompts for January 2025: gnome(s), embossing folder, border die/punch, heart(s) and 12×12 paper. (You can choose one, several or all.) Here’s the card that I’ve made “Using My Stash” with ALL of the prompts:

I think gnomes are cute and I happen to have several stamps, so it was no problem finding one of those! I’ve used an older gnome set from Whimsy Stamps Gnome One Like You. I colored him up with Copics, but I fussy cut out the gnome and the heart balloon to pop up over the image on the circle that I’ve stenciled some pink clouds on.

The background has an older Sizzix embossing folder not sure of the name, but it’s a 3D embossing folder with hearts piled up. The embossing folder and hearts was another two of her prompts. I splattered some gold watercolor over the background before placing it over an A2 sized top folding cream card base. I also used a corner chomper to round the edges of the right two corners.

I’ve used some very old 12×12 papers from Stampin’ Up! called “Fan Fare”. I hoarded it for a long time and even wrote the coordinating colors on the back of the package! It’s high time to use some of it up…even if it’s a small strip! I’ve also taken the Whimsy Stamps Basic Border dies (not available any more) to cut a mirror gold strip along the edge of the papers. (The remaining of her other prompts used.)

I gold heat embossed the sentiment from the stamp set over a piece of the cream cardstock. I cut it out with a banner die and sponged some light pink ink around the edges. Lastly, I covered the heart balloon with a glitter pen and added a couple of tiny sequin hearts around the gnome.

I had a great time pulling out items from my stash and it felt good to be using them! I certainly plan on doing more of these every month! So stay tuned for more posts to help “Use Your Stash”! Thanks so much for dropping in! See you again soon!

Challenges:

Freshly Made Sketches – #FMS668
Creative Friday – #376 altrosa (Old pink)
Crafty Calendar – Add a Die Cut
Stamping Sensations – Anything Goes optional: hand colored image

Merry Christmas Makes PLUS GIVE AWAY!!!!

Hello friends! Just wanted to pop in to wish you all a Merry Christmas and to share some final Christmas creations that I’ve made basically within the last few weeks! Some of these are cards that I’ve sent friends and family and some are recent makes for Craft Roulette challenges.

Scroll below this post to see the give away!

First up are the last few weeks of the Craft Roulette challenges:

(I got out my stretchy pants to play along!)😉

(These are money holders for Christmas with recycled wrapping paper)

(This is a diagonal joy fold card design)

(Tri-Panel Card for me was 3 layer panels on the front! LOL)

(Always stepping on those tiny gems on my floor!)

Hopefully the next several cards have been received by everyone they were sent to, but if not, maybe the surprise will be which one you will get! I don’t like making several at one time, so I’ve split up the design in sessions using the Taylored Expressions Make It Merry Stamp Set along with the Happy Half Sheets: (I’ve made my own “map” with the images)

Lastly, I’ve made several of these photo frame cards using the Lisa Horton Framed Poinsettia Stencils/Die/Embossing Folder: (Using a photo recently taken for our 25th wedding anniversary)

Hope you’ve enjoyed all of my Christmas projects this year and a very special thank you for being apart of the crafting journey with me! I’m so thankful for the friends I’ve met along the way!

ALERT!! GIVEAWAY!!

Since this is the season of giving, I would like to gift someone that would like to receive this set that I have collected myself (over the entire year as an extra) to give away to someone:

Vicki-December2024-giveaway Vicki-December2024-giveawayback

If you’re NOT familiar with Taylored Expressions, this is a collection of the “freebie” rubber stamps that a person receives when placing an order. Each month the stamp image changes to something else. I have not only collected a set for myself, but I’ve also collected another entire set (12 rubber stamps) to give to someone else that would like one! I have included the sturdy laminated Collection card, in addition, a sturdy plastic sleeve in which to store it all in. Plus, I’ve also included a set of 2025 tear-off calendars in a package of ten to go with it!

You can purchase these in the store here under the Pretty Postage Collection, but I’m giving them all away in one set for the entire year as I’ve collected them. I did NOT include the Pretty Postage die set that cuts out the images, but you can purchase your own by clicking on the link.

If you are interested in this give away from me (no affiliation with any company), please just leave me a comment below to tell me that you’re interested in the give away. THAT’S ALL YOU NEED TO DO, BUT YOU HAVE TO TELL ME IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN GIVE AWAY!
You will need to leave your comment below by January 3rd, 2025 to enter. I will announce here on my blog who won by January 5th, 2025. (The winner will need to be in contact for mailing out prize.)
P.S. If you have been collecting and looking for one you’re missing, let me know which month and I’ll see if I have it as I have several months that are extras! (I know that I do NOT have any August left, though.)

Just wanted to send out a little Christmas cheer to a crafty friend! It doesn’t matter where you live, I will be happy to mail it out…so please don’t let that stop you! It’s just a special gift from one crafter to another to enjoy!

Thank you for making my crafting journey a special one and for joining me here to share inspiration with one another! Looking forward to more in the coming year!

Wishing you and yours a VERY Merry Christmas with lots of joy and love!

(I will be back after Christmas (Saturday) to share an art journal page with you!)

Christmas Transport at Sparkles Monthly-It’s almost Christmas!

Hey friends! Wow, how in the world did Christmas get here so darn fast?! I feel like we just got through Thanksgiving and then things were a blur after that!😳 So, I’m also now realizing that it’s been a whole month since I’ve posted! YIKES!

Since it IS December…and the middle of it…that means today starts the December challenge over at Sparkles Monthly and for this month, our hostess is asking to see Christmas Transport on your project. Be sure to stop by the blog to see what the rest of the team has created for you. Here’s my project for this challenge:

For me, Christmas transport is not planes, trains or anything busy or noisy, but something a little more outdoors around the countryside. There’s nothing better than a good road trip with snow falling and the smell of fresh pine in the air! I live in an area where there are lots of tree farms to pick out your perfect tree. (Do I pick out a real tree? Nope…but I do love them and the smell. Just not the mess. LOL) I prefer to visit the trees and not chop one down.

I’ve used the adorable Inky Stamper set called Vintage Truck and I’ve decided to add the tree image to the back of his truck as he’s taking it home to decorate for Christmas! I’ve fussy cut the image out after coloring and even added a snowflake stamp to the truck door from the Inky Stamper Toboggan stamp set. I’ve also stamped a few more along with the larger snowflake and cut out to add to the background of the card.

For the background, I’ve used some paper from the Lisa Horton A Festive Tapestry pack as it was perfect for a landscape of trees. At the bottom, I’ve used the road die from Lawn Fawn and then placed it over my tree landscape and added the truck over it by popping up with foam tape so it looks like he’s on the road.

So while making this card, I had the song stuck in my head and so I found a perfect sentiment to go with it from the Inky Stamper Tree stamp set. I white heat embossed over a green piece and cut out a banner to add to the top left of the card. Everything was placed over a white A2 top folding card base and I lastly added some Iridescent Clear Drops in the center of the snowflakes.

Hope you’ve enjoyed my card for you today and I hope that you’ll hop on over to the challenge blog and play along! I’d love to see what you come up with!

Challenges:

613 Avenue Create – Anything Goes optional: Any Winter Holiday (Christmas)
We Love Stamping – Winter/Anything Goes
Stamping Sensations – Anything Goes Winter
Sparkles Christmas – #167 Christmas Song-Carol (“Oh Tannenbaum”/Oh Christmas Tree”)
Cardz for Guyz – #362 Holiday/Christmas Card/Tag
Krafty Chicks – #746 Christmas
As You Like It – Anything Goes Christmas
C.R.A.F.T. – #744 Christmas/The Last Stretch

Christmas Florals for Sparkles Monthly Challenge!

Hello friends! I hope you’re having a great month so far and looking forward to a great weekend ahead! I know it’s starting to get “crunch time” with the Holidays quickly approaching us in a few weeks, so it’s time to get those Holiday cards finished up and sent out!

Today starts the November challenge over at Sparkles Monthly and for this month, our hostess is asking to see Christmas Florals on your project. Be sure to stop by the blog to see what the rest of the team has created for you. Here’s my project for this challenge:

When I saw this challenge, I knew what I wanted to pull out to play with right away! I’ve pulled out the beautiful Taylored Expressions Scattered Holiday Blooms Bundle. I also wanted to use the Scattered Holiday Blooms Foil Panels which I foiled in gold.

After I foiled the panel, I used the coordinating layered stencils to go over it. I was almost thinking that I might not want to cut the panel out after blending it because I liked it so much, but I wanted to try out the die that cuts each of the blooms out. I love that the center of the large poinsettias has an extra cut in the center to lift up the edges too. I ended up layering two of the poinsettias together for each one for even more dimension. I layered some of the leaves around them and they were popped up over the card with foam tape again.

For the background of the card, I used the TE Sketched Plaid embossing folder over a toffee cardstock. I took some gold ribbon and wrapped it around the two corners with the top one in a bow. I then attached this over a white top folding A2 card base. I used my corner chomper to round the corners of the base and toffee card panel.

Lastly, I die cut the “JOY” letters in white and gold mirror cardstock and attached them by slightly off-setting them before placing on the card front. I added the holly to the “O” and a few more of the tiny blooms that were cut out from the blended panel to finish off the card.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my card today or have been inspired to get those holiday makes going by joining in the challenge with us this month! I look forward to seeing what you create! Thanks so much for stopping by and I’ll see you soon!

Challenges: