Sending Hugs XO

 One more Valentine I wanted to make for a few challenges out there before the deadlines!

Pretty straight forward -  I layered die cut hearts in pink, red and DP using Heart Nestabilities.  I embossed the background on a light gray (neutral) that I embossed using Art Deco EF from Sizzix.  The sentiment hearts are up on foam dots.  Card size is 4 1/4" x 4 1/4"

Sending my card to:

The Color Challenge

Ends 7/14

Time Out Challenge

Pick 2   Heart Pink Red ends 2/18

NBUS

1st time using the Bunny Love stamp Set (sentiment)

Inkspirational: XOXO

ends 2/13

Just Us Girls

ends 2/18

Stamps:  Bunny Love (sentiment) - Sizzix.

Ink:  Nocturne - Versafine Clair

Paper:  Pure Poppy, White, Pale Peony, Soft Stone - PTI, DP Valentine's Day - Recollections.

Other Supplies:  Heart and Scalloped Hearts - Nestabilities/Spellbinders, Emb Folder - Art Deco - Sizzix, foam dots.

January 2026 Card Chain Challenge Reveal

 Today is reveal day over at The Card Chain Challenge - when we see all the cards that were exchanged for the January Challenge!   I sent my card to Hilary in the UK and I received a card from Joanne in CT.

We are always given options for our card designs - we can use all the options or as little as one!

This month I used the colors, the theme of friendship and the technique of layers!

These are not colors I would usually choose to use together - so it was a good creative challenge for me to use them! 

 

I used two different die sets - Infinity Punch and Pierce Plate from Sizzix for the background and Stylish Oval Hello You Floral from Spellbinders for the flowers and leaves.

  

The sentiment is from A Little Message Sentiments Press Plate and die set from Better Press.

I sponged the edges of the lighter petals with ink matching the darker petals.  I inked the edges of the leaves with ink matching the lighter petals and I added some acrylic dots!  The one largest flower is up on foam dots.

We'd love to have you join us for the February Card Chain Challenge you'll find all you need to know about signing up and options for your card design there!

Sign up ends on Feb 6th

Paper:  Terracotta Tile, Melon Berry, Harvest Gold, White - Papertrey Ink, Porcelin - Better Press.

Ink:  Terracotta Tile, Harvest Gold, Melon Berry - Papertrey Ink, Better Press Black.

Other Supplies:  Stylish Oval Hello You Floral Dies - Spellbinders, Infinity Punch and Pierce Plate - Sizzix,  A Little Message Sentiments Press Plate and Die Set - Better Press, foam dots, yellow acrylic dots - Altenew.

Inkspirational #360 - Word Prompt: XOXO

 It's time for the next Inkspirational Challenge #360!  

My roller skating pup has the XO 'balloon' string in his mouth as he skates down the road!  The XO, dog collar and skates are cut from metallic red so they are shiny IRL. 

The XO is from an old slimline die, Stack Words: Valentine from Tim Holts/Alterarations.  The dog is from a new purchase - Roller Disco Dottie from Spellbinders.

What does XOXO inspire you to create!?   Please link up your creation over at Inkspirational where you'll also find inspiration from the rest of our creative team!  

The challenge ends on Feb 13!

Also sending my card to:

NBUS

1st time using Roller Disco Dottie Die!

Love those Pretty Papers

ends 1/31

Die Cut Divas

Use a new crafty item  ends 1/31

New Roller Disco Dottie Die!

Shopping Our Stash

Love Me Do  ends 2/9

Paper:  White, True Black - Papertrey Ink, Metallic Red from stash, DP Gosh I Love You - Unity.

Other Supplies:  Stack Words: Valentine - Tim Holtz/Alterations (retired), Roller Disco Dottie - Spellbinders, Bakers Twine - JoAnn, foam dots.

Inkspirational #358 - Shades of Blue

 There's a new challenge up at Inkspirational today - #358 Shades of Blue

I made a 3 1/4" x 4" encouragement card with a Knot Bird made from Yasutomo All Blue Orgami Paper - perfect for this challenge!  

I found a tutorial for making a Knot Bird on YouTube by

Karen Elaine and there are lots of samples by others on Pinterest.

I used Origami paper as it is thinner and easier to make a knot with it.

  

This Origami paper is one sided and the back is white, so the head on one side and the tail on the other side of the knot end up white. I used coordinating Copics to color the white ends.  You trim one end to be the head and you trim the other end to be the tail.

Cut a tiny triangle out of black card for the beak and glue it on - use a black marker to make the eye.

Your bird can be used facing either way as both sides work.

I made my birds with strips 5 7/8" x 3/4".  

My origami paper is 5/78" x 5 7/8" so that's why I made it that length.

I did later buy some Origami paper printed on both sides but haven't used it yet.

Here is the flock of birds I whipped up in a short time -  and some bird affirmation quotes I found by Google-ing.

I smooshed the panels and the card base on my craft mat using Ranger Distress Broken China spritzed with water.  It gives them a white cloud -  blue sky look!

I die cut the quotes with rectangle dies.

I adhered the quote to the card base, adhered the bird on a foam strip, drew her legs with a fine black marker and added 3 blue enamel dots!  

Please join us and show us how Shades of Blue inspired you to create!  Link up your creation over at the Inkspirational Blog where you will also find some lovely inspiration by the rest of the DT!

This challenge ends on Jan 30th!

Also sending my card to:

Love Those Pretty Papers

anything goes ends 1/31

Make My Monday

Use Paper with a Pattern  ends 1/25

Crafts Galore Encore Challenge

anything goes  ends 1/30

Creative Inspiration Challenges

Always anything Goes  ends 1/29

NBUS

First time using this Knot Bird pattern and this Origami paper

Color Hues

ends 1/29

Paper:  White, True Black - PTI, Yasutomo All Blue Origami Paper (I found it on Amazon, Blick also has it).

Ink:  Ranger Distress Broken China

Accessories:  Blue Copics to cordinate with the paper colors, computer generated Bird Quotes, Rectangle dies - Nestabilities, Stitched Mat Rectangles - Lil Inker Designs (retired), craft mat, water mister, enamel dots - Altenew, heat tool to dry the smooshed panels.

1st Inkspirational Challenge of 2026! Word Prompt: Shiny/Shine

 The 1st Challenge of 2026 is up over at Inkspirational.  We're changing up our challenges a bit so be sure to check out the blog.  Our first challenge is a Word Prompt - chosen by DT Marlena.

I went with Shine:Star  AND Shiny:Gold Foiled Paper.  

I just happened to have an undecorated pine wreath to display my shiny paper star!

I found a video on how to make this lovely star on Pinterest/Instagram by FloralFlairStudio.

 I used 6  4"x 4" squares of foiled paper for my star.  It measures ~8" point to point.  Use smaller squares for a smaller star. It folds cleaner with thinner papers.

The gold is really shiny IRL. I tied a sheer gold ribbon at the top.  The center circle is made from two floral dies cut from metallic paper and a gold gem added to the center

You can watch the video to see how she folded each square - but I took some photos as I made each fold so I'd hopefully remember what I did!    This might seem clearer to you after you watch the video!

So, we hope you will join us for the 1st Inkspirational Challenge for 2026!  Link up your Shine/Shiny creation over at Inkspirational where you'll also find how the rest of the DT interpreted this challenge! 

This challenge ends on Jan 16th!

Also sending my star to:

Anything but a Card

ends 1/31/26

NBUS

First time using this pack of metallic papers 

First time using the pattern for the star  

Creative Inspiration Challenges

Anything Goes

ends 1/31/26

Crafts Galore

Anything Goes

ends 1/31/26

Paper:  Foiled Fundamentals 12"x12" Paper Pad - Recollections (Michaels), Kraft Stock Metallic Paper - Tim Holtz/Idea-ology.

Other Supplies:  star instructional video, Tombow Glue (she used a glue gun), Stitchy Flowers and Leaf Dies (for star center) - Eileen Hull/Sizzix, Gold Gem - Parklane, sheer gold ribbon - from stash.

December 2025 Card Chain Reveal

 Today's the big reveal of all the cards exchanged in December over at The Card Chain Challenge!  This month my card went to Jo in England ( I mailed it on Dec 8 but it still hasn't arrived😖) and I received a card from Pia in Norway!  Twenty three cards were exchanged in December!

We had rather specific instructions for this end of the year challenge!  Usually we just have to use one of the suggestions but for December we had to use ALL of these.

Challenge Directions 

 

Please use all the following options.

 

NBUS

(new but unused stuff) 
something from your stash that is unused
It doesn't have to be new, old unused stuff is OK too

AND 

your favourite 3 colours

AND

an animal OR a flower OR a fruit 

I used two newly purchased and never used until now dies - Stylish Oval Hello You Floral Dies from Spellbinders for the bloom and sentiment and Capsule Basics Die from The Greetery for the oval background.

I used 3 of my favorite colors to use together - blue, green and brown, using Ranger Distress Inks - Stormy Sky, Peeled Paint and Brushed Corduroy.

I rubbed the inks on my craft mat - one color at a time - spritzed with water and smooshed panels of watercolor paper onto the mat, drying between smooshings, continuing until I had the coverage I wanted on each panel

I die cut all the pieces of the floral stem in the three colors, glued the pieces together and layered it over the die cut oval and adhered the panel to a panel of DP.  The die cut sentiment is part of the floral die set.  I added 3 green enamel dots.

If you'd like to join in this fun card exchange challenge for January - check out this post over at The Card Chain Challenge where you'll find all the info you need -  you have until Jan 6th to sign up!

Also sending my card to:

NBUS

first time using the floral and oval dies

Die Cut Divas

Use a New Craft Item 

new floral and oval dies

ends 1/31/26

Paper:  Water Color Paper - Spellbinders, Blueberry Sky - Papertrey Ink, DP The Magic of Winter 6x6 pad - Echo Park.

Ink:  Ranger Distress Stormy Sky, Stormy Sky, Brushed Corduroy.

Other Supplies:  Stylish Oval Hello You Floral Dies - Spellbinders, Capsule Basics Die - The Greetery, craft mat, water mister, heat tool, green enamel dots - Altenew.