A Blue Christmas Sleigh for Santa

 Getting a start on the 2025 Christmas cards!

This lovely stamp set is from Claire Brennan Designs - unfortunately Claire had to close her shop due to oppressive small business tax laws in the UK.  I used the Milky Way stencil from Colorful Life designs. The stars on the bells were already on the stamp (showing white) but I added little silver stars over them for a little sparkle.  I added a black enamel dot at the top of the bells' rope.

I'm sending my card to:

Christmas Kickstart Challenge

I used blue for my sleigh which I think is not the norm for Santa!

NBUS

First time using this beautiful Sleigh stamp set

Little Red Wagon

It's a Fake -   my sky is a stencil of random shapes

Stencil Fun

Stamps: Sleigh Bells Ring - Claire Brennan Designs
Paper: white - PTI
Ink: Nocturne, Sand Dune, Warm Breeze - Versafine Clair, Caribbean Sky - Altenew
Accessories: Milky Way Stencil - Colorful Life Designs, blender Brush, Silver Star Confetti - Honey Bee, black enamel dots - Altenew

The Giant Carrot

 I've started making the Easter cards and found a few things in my Easter Box of stamps and dies that I haven't used since purchasing years ago!

I recently discovered a bunch of Honey Comb paper  in a drawer in my craft room that I purchased along with Honey Pop stamp sets from Inky Antics many years ago and have never used them!

Usually you would put the honeycomb carrot on the inside along the fold of the card so it 'pops open' when you open the card but I decided to put it on the front of my card (which means I have to hand the card to the receiver or mail it in a box or the Easter Bunny can put it in the Easter Basket!)  

Inside I stamped:

Someone Carrots About You!

I'm sending my card to:

Little Red Wagon

Start those Easter Cards

ends 3/12

NBUS

first time using the carrot stamp with the Honey Comb paper

Love those Pretty Papers

ends 3/31

Neglected Stuff

ends 3/28

Stamps: Carrot Bunny Clear Honey Pop Set, sentiment from Carrot Bunny Set - Inky Antics
Paper: white - PTI, Hammered White - Amazon, Easter Grass - Bazzill, Honey Comb Paper Assortment Set - Inky Antics, DP Pastel Dreams - Pink and Main
Ink: Nocturne - Versafine Clair
Accessories: Grass die - MFT, Circle punch, foam dots, clay flowers - The Greetery, Copic R20, Scortape.

February 2025 Card Chain Challenge Reveal

 It's time for the reveal of all the cards sent around the world for the February Card Chain Challenge!  I sent this card to Darlene in Canada and I received a card from Gail in Norway!

This is Darlene's first time participating in the challenge - so Welcome Darlene!  And I hope you'll sign up again for the March exchange!

Every month we are given options to help us with ideas for our cards.  You only have to use one suggestion.   This time I used the suggested colors, the sketch (sort of, I left off all the back layers), a Theme option of Hearts and Flowers and Technique option of die cuts.

And here's my card!

These wonderful blooms made using Fresh Picked Daffodils dies from Spellbinders certainly take front and center attention!   The sentiment was made using the Classic Frame Foil Plate from Waffle Flower.  The enamel hearts are from Altenew

If you'd like to join us for March exchange - check out this post that gives you all the info!  

You have until March 6th to sign up!

I'm also sending my card to:

Little Red Wagon

Tiny Dancer -  I used tiny enamel hearts on my card. ends 3/3

Paper:  Lemon Tart, Summer Sunrise, Cocoa Bean, True Black - Papertrey Ink,  Red Hots, Caramel Apple - Bazzill, DP Bitty Big Spring Moss - Papertrey Ink, Silver hot foil.

Other Supplies:  Fresh Picked Daffodils die - Spellbinders, Classic Frame Foil Plate (sentiment) - Waffle Flower, enamel hearts - Altenew.

Inkspirational #336 Clean and Simple - Option: Sticker

 Here's my DT card for the Inkspirational Challenge #336 -  

Clean and Simple - with the option of using a sticker or ephemera.

I went with the option -  using a lovely rub-on bunny - from the Easter Collection from Taperlogy.  I die cut an egg out of watercolor paper, rubbed the bunny rub-on with a popsicle stick and stamped the sentiment beneath it.

I die cut a 2nd egg, scored it across the top and adhered it to the decorated egg so it stands up!

Showing scored edge on the back piece - adhering it to the front above the score. 

I cut off a small strip straight across the bottom of the back piece and that will keep the 'egg' from rolling.  My egg is a small 2"x3" size!

Sentiment stamped inside.

So please join us and create a Clean and Simple card - maybe using a sticker/rub-on/or ephemera?

You'll find more inspiration from the rest of the DT as well as Mr. Linky over at Inkspirational!  

The challenge ends on March 14th.

I'm also sending my card to:

Shopping our Stash

One is the loneliest #

one layer  ends 3/10

Little Red Wagon

Tiny Dancer  - my egg card is 2"x3"

ends 3/3

Stamps:  Spring Baskets - Waltzingmouse (retired)

Paper: Watercolor paper - Canson Cold Press.

Ink:  Nocturne - Versafine Clair

Other Supplies:  Easter Collection Rub Ons - Taperlogy, Nested Eggs Die - Spellbinders

Group of Seven Cardmakers - Feb 2025 Technique - Floating Frames

 This month, the Group of Seven Cardmakers are playing with the technique - Floating Frames.

There are several tutorials for this on YouTube -  two of them are linked to over at GO7.  I looked at both of them and because I just happened to have Press N Seal Glad Wrap in my cabinet - I went with this tutorial. Floating Die Cut Frame by Jennifer McQuire. 

Side view to see the depth of the 'floating' frame.

I used Antique Roses stamps and dies from Altenew.  I chose 3 shades of green ink for the leaves and 3 shades of blue and black for the two blooms.  I used my Misti and stamped all the layers of leaves and blooms on a white panel - four times so I had 4 panels of each bloom and leaves to use on my card.

I die cut all the pieces and laid them over a 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" white panel.

I laid a piece of Press'n Seal over the panel and pressed over all the pieces with my fingers - it is slightly tacky on one side (be sure to have the tacky side down!) so holds all the pieces in their places on the white panel.

I cut around the edges of the white panel so nothing went over the edge..

I removed the white panel and the pieces remain stuck to the Pres'n Seal

Then I die cut a rectangle out of the center of the panel - So I had two pieces to work with - still stuck to the Press'n Seal.

I added pieces of thick foam tape all over the back of the pieces.  Thick foam makes the frame 'float' higher off the card base.

I removed the backs of the foam tape, flipped over the panel and carefully pressed it onto the white panel, removed the Press'n Seal and there's my floating frame!  I adhered the inside of the frame cut- out onto a white card front for my 2nd card and removed the Press'n Seal!  I added 3 clear Fairy Drops to each card.

A couple of days after I made the above cards - I was looking through my box of cover dies and came upon this Flower Field Frame die from Poppy Stamps - I've had this for at least a year and it's the first time I've used it!

A faux floating frame so to speak!  It's all one piece - just has to be colored and adhered to a card base with lots of little bits of foam strips!  I used Metallic Water Color Paints to color the blooms and added gems to the center of some of the flowers.

Notes:  

1.  Depending on what stamps you choose (my first card blooms had 4 stamps for each bloom to create the 3D look) it can take a couple of hours just to stamp everything and then die cut the pieces for these two cards.   But it does create a beautiful look for a special card for someone.  I would suggest you do all the stamping one day - die cutting the next day and placement the third day and to stamp/cut enough for several cards!

2.  You could hand color your stampings or stencil the colors over your stampings depending on what kind of sets you have in your craft room.  That would save a lot of time.

3.  Maybe you'll find a cover die similar to the one I used for my last card that works as well!  Check out all the corners of your craft room!

We'd love to see what you do with this technique and to let us know what was easy/difficult for you.  You'll find some beautiful inspiration from the rest of the Group of Seven as well as Mr. Linky to show us what you do over at Group of Seven Blog!

 

I'm sending my one piece floating frame card to:

NBUS

first time using the Flower Field Frame die

Little Red Wagon

something tiny/small   My flowers are small on this floating frame. 

ends 3/4

Sending  my You're Amazing card to:

Cardz 4 Galz - embellishments

clear Fairy drops   ends 3/4

Antique Roses Card
Stamps: Antique Roses - Altenew, Isaiah 30:15 - Impression Obsession
Paper: White, True Black - Papertrey Ink.
Ink: Light Spruce, Medium Spruce, Dark Spruce - Gina K Designs, Persian Blue, UIltramarine, Sapphire - Altenew, Nocturne - Versafine Clair.
Other Supplies: Antique Roses Dies - Altenew, Rectangle Die - Nestabilities, Press'n Seal - supermarket, foam tape, Fairy Drops - Memory Box.

Flower Field Card

Stamps: Antique Roses - Altenew, Isaiah 30:15 - Impression Obsession

Paper:  White - Papertrey Ink

Ink:  Nocturne - Versafine Clair

Other Supplies:  Flower Field Frame Die - Poppy Stamps, Metallic Water Colors Paints - Yasutamo, paint brush, water, foam strips, gems - Park Lane, Clear Fairy Drops - Open Studio

Dec Card Chain Challenge Reveal - Tic Tac Toe

 Today's the reveal of all the cards exchanged in December over at the Card Chain Challenge!  

This month it was a doozy - a 5 block Tic Tac Toe with all S words - ugh.  

I sent my card to Gail in Canada (not sure she received it yet due to the postal strike) and I received a lovely card from Arlene in California.   You will find all the cards exchanged here.

After reading each column over and over, trying to think about what I would do with the row of words,  I finally settled on the 4th vertical column from the left -  Squirrel, Sassy, Snow, Sparkle and Shrubbery.

I decided on that column after looking through a booklet I  have of 3" x 4" patterned paper from Kawaii Pen Shop.  

As you can see below - the patterned paper scene includes Snow and Shrubbery.   

Then I added a Rub-On Sassy Squirrel - from Rub On Christmas Collection from Taperlogy.   

I framed the patterned paper with two layers of Sparkle glitter card stock in black and silver, then layered it all over a hammered white card base. 

Easy Peasy Tic Tac Toe, right?   I was in a panic until I found that patterned paper!

So we hope you will come join us for the January Card Chain Challenge - you have until Jan 6th to sign up.  You'll find all the info on how to sign up over at The Card Chain Challenge!  

I'm also sending my card to:

Little Red Wagon

Something new - fresh falling snow ends 1/7

Make My Monday

Your fav challenge for 2024

challenge #218 Use your Patterned paper ends 1/12

Paper:  Hammered White - Amazon, Metallic Glitter Card (black and silver) - Recollections (Michaels), Snowy Night Papers - Kawaii Pen Shop.

Accessories:  squirrel from Christmas Collection Rub-Ons - Taperlogy