January 2025 Card Chain Challenge Reveal

 Today's the day we can see all of the cards that were exchanged all over the world for the January Card Chain Challenge!    I sent a card to Carol in England and I received a card from Hilary - also in England!

Every month there are suggestions of colors, sketch, theme, product and technique options to inspired us.  

This month I just went with the theme of Friendship.

I used a recently purchased Gate Fold X Fence die from Mama Elephant along with the Dandelion Wish Embossing folder from Sizzix.  The stamps are from Dandelion Wishes Sentiments from Papertrey Ink (on sale!)

I embossed the dandelions onto a white panel and then rubbed over the panel with  Ranger Distress Ink - Scattered Straw ink pad to color the raised bits.  I adhered the fence tabs to the back of the panel

Since the fence will stand the card up I embossed and inked another white panel and adhered it to the back of the card panel which also covers the tabs from the fence.  I added a die cut scalloped trim and a white panel for the sentiment and message!

I adhered the oval sentiment to just one side of the fence and 3 yellow enamel dots on each side of the fence.

Have you been thinking of joining this fun monthly card exchange challenge?  You sign up each month - so you can just do it once and see if you enjoy it!  You'll find all the info you need to know about joining in over at The Card Chain Challenge!

I'm also sending my card to:

NBUS

First time using the fence and the sentiment stamps.

Time Out Challenge

layer, warm, love

Can You Handle the Pressure?

Anything goes with embossing

Stamps:  Dandelion Wishes Sentiments Mini Stamp Set - Papertrey Ink.

Paper:  White, Summer Sunrise - Papertrey Ink.

Ink:  Scattered Straw - Ranger Distress Ink, Nocturne - Versafine Clair.

Other Supplies:  Gatefold X Fence die - Mama Elephant, Scalloped Edge Die - unbranded, Oval and Scalloped Oval Punches - Stampin'Up, Zutter Corner Rounder, Yellow enamel dots - Altenew.

A Pop Up Birthday

 I wanted to make a special 17th Birthday Card for my Godchild, Eden whose birthday is coming up on Saturday.   I decided it was time to get out the Platform Pop Up dies and Platform Pop Up Add On dies that I purchased a few months ago and get a card made!

Lawn Fawn has a wonderful YouTube video with step by step instructions on how to put it together.  It's really easy once you know what piece to put where!

I used a white cardstock for the base and back piece (the Platform Pop Up Add On die sold separately).  You can make a perfectly lovely card with out the back piece - just the base - and that will fit in a regular A2 envelope.  With the back piece on the pop up box, you need a 5 1/2"x5 1/2" envelope.

Here's a view from above where you can see the 3 layers for your scene.  The die includes grass and landscape dies to use on the sections.

Here's a view of it folded to mail.  I added PUSH stamps to the bottom so in case the receiver couldn't figure out what to do with it (?) - they would try pushing up on the bottom - and it really does just POP up!

Here's a view of the back.  I added a birthday sentiment here and panels of DP.  The die sets include the squares and angled piece dies that you use to cut the pieces on the panels.

I'm linking my platform pop up birthday card to:

Seize the Birthday

I have many animals on my card!

NBUS

Stamps: Backyard Party Stamp and Die Set - Essentials by Ellen Hutson, Ella and Friends - Mama Elephant, Sentiment Suite: Birthday - The Greetery, Simple Strips Birthday - Taylored Expressions, Interactive Labels - MFT.

Paper: White - PTI, DP Ink Drops Dusk and Ink Drops Earth -Craft Consortium, Silver Metallic Paper - Park Lane/JoAnn.

Ink: Versafine Clair Nocturne

Accessories: Platform Pop Up Die, Platform Pop Up Die Add On - Lawn Fawn, Simple Strips - Taylored Expressions, Alphanumeric Tiny Type Upper Case Dies - Tim Holtz/Sizzix, Copics, Acrylic Hearts - Honey Bee Stamps, 1" circle punch, Clear Glitter Wink of Stella.

12 Tags of Christmas - Tag #2

As per my last post - I'm joining in on Ellen Hutson's 12 Tags of Christmas Challenge.

You'll find the challenge details and Mr. Linky here. There are prizes to be won!!

Here is my tag for the Dec 2nd challenge

The song inspiration: A Puppy for Hanukkah. (check out YouTube!)

I die cut the tag pieces out of blue, white and Holographic silver.  I stamped the sentiment and stars and dreidels on the white panel and adhered it to the tag.  I added Clear Glitter Wink of Stella to the stars.  I adhered the scalloped frame piece around the panel with foam dots.   I stamped and die cut the pups from Mama Elephant, colored them with Copics and adhered them to the sides of the frame.   I stamped and die cut the sentiment and adhered it below the frame with foam dots.  I looped a piece of bakers twine through the top of the tag.

 

Stamps: Yappy Birthday - Mama Elephant, Happy Hanukkah - Wordsworth, Simple Strips: Woof - Taylored Expressions, 8 Happy Nights - Cas-ual Friday.
Paper: White, Blueberry Sky - PTI, Holographic Silver paper pad - Park Lane (JoAnn)
Ink: Obsidian - Altenew
Accessories: Yappy Birthday dies - Mama Elephant, Tag Sale #10 die - PTI, Simple Strips die - Taylored Expression, Copics B45, N2, Clear Glitter Wink of Stella, foam dots.

A Bike Card for Lucas

A friend asked me to make a card for her grandson who is turning 9 this month - and he's getting a bike (which they are frantically looking for because everyone is sold out due to the Corona Virus stay at home edict - more families are riding bikes together and didn't own them prior to this spring apparently!)

So I also found out that I didn't have ONE bicycle stamp in my craft room (shocking!! I later found a bicycle die but still no stamps!)  so I ran over to recently re-opened Michaels and found they had just ONE 3D sticker package of bicycles and bike paraphernalia!  And it was perfect for what I needed!

I brought it home and made this fun pop up box card for Lucas!

The Scalloped Box Card Pop Up Die is from Lawn Fawn and is really easy to put together - they have videos on YouTube showing how it's done. The photo below shows the 3 inside sections where you can attach die cuts, stickers or sentiments to create a dimensional scene.

 I put a white panel on the back so my friend can write her birthday message to Lucas.

 Another view of the dividers inside.  I used a grass die from MFT for the grass on each divider.

 A view from the bottom

 The balloon image and die are from Mama Elephant.  The bike, sign and helmet are from a 3D sticker set by Paper House (Michaels).  The Keep Calm and Bike On sentiment is from a set called Live to Ride by Jillian Vance Designs.   I adhered the strip with LUCAS on it to a thin strip of acetate and adhered the bottom of the strip to the back of the first divider so it appears to 'float' in the air.

 The box card folds flat and fits in a regular A2 envelope but will require additional postage as it is thick.  The thickness depends on what you attach to all of the dividers.  

(The stickers I used are 3D and also have thick foam dots on the back of them which made them even thicker.)

 So when it's first opened you just lift it up, hold it loose in your hands and let it open up like a box.

 Then you fold down the sides and front

My friend loved this personalized card for Lucas and I think he will like it too!  And hopefully his parents find a real bike for him soon!  I wonder if it will be green?!?

I'm linking my birthday Box Card to the following challenges:

Cute Card Thursday

Summer

Make My Monday

Summer Activities

Happy Little Stampers

Arty Divas #24

Anything Goes

Seize the Birthday

Anything Goes

Stamps:  Half Pint Heroes (happyBirthday) - Waltzingmouse (retired), Live to Ride - Jillian Vance Designs (retired), Snap Stamps Alphabet and Numbers - Karen Foster (retired)
Paper:  Water Color Paper - Canson, Leaf Green, Pure Poppy, Clear Acetate - PTI, Knock On Wood 6x6 paperpad - Lawn Fawn, Grass DP sheet, FireFly DP Sheet - Michaels.
Accessories:  Scalloped Box Card Pop Up Dies - Lawn Fawn, 3D Bike Stickers - Paper House (Michaels), Grass Die - MFT, Copics BG49, YR09, YG23, Y38, Sentiment Strips Die - MFT, 1" circle punch - EK Success, ScorTape, Tombow Glue.

Unforgettable

I used one of my favorite birthday stamp/die sets for my tag/card today -  Mama Elephants Ella and Friends.  Ella is so adorable and she has several animal friends for her to play with -  today I used the little mouse and put the party hat on Ella.  AND she's so easy to color with just a brush of gray around the edges - I used Copics.

To make the blue background, I sponged the white cardstock panel with Ranger Distress Mermaid Lagoon.  Then I spritzed water over the panel - let it sit to make watermarks - then dried it with my heat tool.   When it was completely dry, I stamped the sentiment in the top corner.

For the tag, I used the WMS Stitched Tag die cutting it out of Soft Stone cardstock.  I cut the little hole cover out of Hawaiian Shores and looped Caribbean and Pink Sorbet Twine through the hole.  I die cut Ella, the hat and little mousie out of white card stock and colored them with Copics.  I adhered the hat to Ella's head layered Ella and the mouse to the tag using foam dots.  I used foam dots again to layer the tag over the blue panel.

I'm linking my tag card to the Tag You're It Challenge where the sweet tag/card below by Anja Curvers was the inspiration.

Stamps:  Ella and Friends - Mama Elephant
Paper:  White, Soft Stone, Hawaiian Shores - PTI
Ink:  Ranger Distress Mermaid Lagoon, True Black - PTI
Accessories:  Ella and Friends die - Mama Elephant, foam tape, Stitched Tag Die - Waltzingmouse, Caribbean and Pink Sorbet Twine - The Twinery, water spritzer - Ranger, Copics.

Tag You're It

Today I have a tag card to share - that I made for the latest Tag You're It Challenge -  here is this weeks inspiration from Anja Curvers.

And here is my inspired tag card. 

I sponged the smaller tag with Ranger Distress Evergreen Bough ink then flicked water drops onto it and dried it with my heat tool. I layered it onto the larger white tag with foam dots. I colored the images from Ella and Friends with Copics.  The umbrella is popped up on foam dots and the  I added 3 dew drops to suggest the rain.

I'm also linking my card to the following challenges:

 Addicted to Stamps Challenge -  I was inspired by the watercolor green background in the photo.

 Inkspirational Challenge Word prompt - Wild

Mixed Media Monthly Challenge -  I used MMMC#11 - April Showers

Stamps:  Ella & Friends - Mama Elephant
Paper:  white, Textstyle Library Ledger - PTI,  watercolor paper - Ranger
Ink:  Ranger Distress Evergreen Bough, Smokey Shadow - PTI
Accessories:  Dies - Tag Sale #2 and Tag Sale #8 - PTI, Ella and Friends Dies - Mama Elephant,  Copics: R20, E51, E37, BG32, foam dots, Dew Drops, Scotch Quick Dry Adhesive, Cappachino Twine - The Twinery.

Candles and Elephants

I have two cards to share today - one a Christmas card and one a Birthday card made for challenges.

First up is one more card for my Christmas stash box.  I used 3 Waltzingmouse stamp sets for my design - Little Lanterns (lantern, hanger, chain, holly leaf, candle and flame), Bright Season (berries) and the sentiment is from Alpine Christmas.

All the stampings are embossed using either gold or silver embossing powder.

I die cut the lantern with a die from the WMS Little Lanterns Die set and scattered 3 white sequins over the card.

I'm linking my Christmas lantern card to the Merry Monday Challenge - add Sparkle, Shimmer and/or Bling.

For my next card I used an adorable little stamp set I recently purchased after seeing so many cute cards in blogland using it!   It's called Ella and Friends from Mama Elephant and this is the first time I've used it.  I die cut Ella and her hat using the Ella and Friends Creative Cuts die set.  I cut Ella out of Soft Stone card stock so she was already light gray, stamped her outline with Smokey Shadow ink then colored around the edges with a gray Copic and added a blush to her cheek with a pink Copic - SO easy to make her look SO cute (I'm not big on coloring too much!) Both Ella and her hat are popped up on foam dots.   I scattered some white sequins around the card for a little sparkle.

I'm linking my Ella card to two challenges:

Less is More - Lucky Dip Theme - 2 or 4 legs.

Curtain Call - Beach Ball (I used the beach ball colors on the bubbles Ella is blowing out of her trunk!)

I'm finally back to work today - thanks for all your well wishes while I had bronchitis -  and I was assigned to sit on a jury at Jury Duty yesterday -   the judge appointed me to be the foreman - Yikes! -  I'm pretty sure it was because I had been on a jury before (they ask you that on the questionnaire you have to fill in before serving) and when we got in the room to start deliberating, I found out that none of the other 5 jurors had been.  Luckily it was a quick case and we were released at 1 pm.

Merry Christmas Card:
Stamps:  Little Lanterns, Bright Season, Alpine Christmas - Waltzingmouse
Paper:  White - PTI, Brushed Gold - SU
Ink:  Versamark
Accessories:  Foam dots, Scotch Quick Dry Adhesive, Winter Blend Sequins - Avery Elle, Silver and Gold Embossing Powders, heat tool, Little Lanterns Die Set - Waltzingmouse.

Unforgettable
Stamps: Ella and Friends - Mama Elephant
Paper:  White, Soft Stone - PTI
Ink:  Smokey Shadow, Harvest Gold, Pure Poppy, Hawaiian Shore - PTI
Accessories:  Copics: R20, T2, R35, Y13, BG13, Winter Blend Sequins - Avery Elle, foam dots, Ella and Friends Creative Cuts Die set - Mama Elephant