Card Chain Challenge - July 2026 Reveal!

 Today's the day all of the cards exchanged world wide for the July Card Chain Challenge are revealed over at the blog!

This month I sent my card to Alice in Austria and I received a beautiful card from Greta in Oregon!

Twenty-six cards were exchanged in July.

Each month we are given options to inspire our card designs, colors, sketch, themes, product and technique options.   You only have to use one of the suggested ideas but you can use as many as inspire you!

I was inspired by the Theme - Cocktails this month!

I have had this wonderful cocktail die set Cheers to You by Elizabeth Craft Design for over a year and this challenge gave me the push to finally use it!

I die cut all the pieces out of Water Color Card from Spellbinders and sponged the color on using Ranger Distress Inks. (it's quicker than cutting each piece out of colored papers).  The water color paper adds nice texture to the drinks.  I pretty much copied the samples on the die packaging to help with colors and what goes with what. (!)  

I just love how they came out! 

Would you like to join in on this fun card exchange - you can try it out for August and decide?  You sign up each month so your not committed to do any more than you want to.  You send to the person in front of you on Mr. Linky and the person after you on Mr. Linky sends to you!  You'll find all the details on how to join in at the Card Chain Challenge blog here.

Sign up closes on August 6th

I'm also sending my card to:

NBUS

1st time using these fun cocktail dies!

Allsorts Challenge

Colors of Summer  ends Aug 14

Krafty Chicks  ends Aug 4

Cardz 4 Galz

Word Inspiration: Rainbow  ends 8/5

Stamps: Simple Strips: Background - Taylored Expressions.
Ink: Nocturne - Versafine Clair, Ranger Distress - Saltwater Taffy, Fired Brick, Peeled Paint, Twisted Cintron and Tumbled Glass.
Paper: Water Color Card - Spellbinders, DP Bitty Big Smokey Shadow - Papertrey Ink.
Other Supplies: Cheers to You Die set - Elizabeth Craft Designs, Edge die - Unknown, Simple Strips - Straight Edge die - Taylored Expressions, foam dots, Mini ink blending tool and sponge daubers - Ranger, Copic R29 for the dot on the olive.

Inkspirational #373 Visual Prompt - Beach Scenes

 Time for another Inkspirational Challenge!  #373 Visual Prompt - Beach Scene - a great challenge for the middle of August when we'd all probably like to be at the beach! (Unless you live in the Southern Hemisphere!)

I was inspired by the ocean waves!

First time using this wonderful Making Waves Stencil, Hey Honeycomb Fish Die and Hey Honeycomb Summer Sentiments all from The Greetery release in June.  Inside I stamped "You're FIN-tastic" from the same sentiment set.

I die cut the fish out of water color card and sponged with Ranger Distress Inks.  I punched the sentiment with a 1" circle, then punched a 5/8" and 1/2" circle to look like bubbles floating up.  I added an enamel dot for his eye. The fish and bubbles are popped up on foam dots.

We hope you'll join us and show us your inspired card design using our Visual Prompt!  You'll find inspiration from the rest of the team as well as Mr. Linky over at the Inkspirational Blog!

This challenge ends on Aug 14th.

I'm also sending my card to:

NBUS

1st time using the stencil, fish die and sentiment set!

Cardz 4 Guyz

Summer Theme  ends Aug 17

Time Out Challenges

ends Aug 5

Krafty Chicks

ends Aug 4th

Allsorts Challenge

Colors of Summer  ends Aug 14

Four Seasons Challenge

August - Summer  ends Aug 25th

Stamps:  Hey Honeycomb Summer Sentiments - The Greetery.

Ink:  Nocturne - Versafine Clair, Carribean Sky, Persian Blue - Altenew, Peacock Feathers, Twisted Cintron - Ranger Distress.

Paper:  Water Color Card - Spellbinders, White - Papertrey Ink.

Other Supplies:  Making Waves Stencil, Hey Honeycomb Fish Die - The Greetery, 1", 5/8",1/2" circle punches, enamel dot - Altenew, foam dots, blender brushes.

Inkspirational Challenge #371 - Visual Prompt

 The newest challenge is up over at Inkspirational.

As you can see -  I went with the lemons from the Visual Prompt!  

I'm not partial to lemons (too acidic for me) and so found that all I had in my craft room on the topic of lemons, was a stamp of a glass of lemonade (which will be have to wait to be used on another day)  and the Dried Citrus Slices die from the Greetery, which I die cut and inked with Distress Inks.  

They can be lemon slices or orange slices depending on the color you use!  The die cut leaves are Etched Laurel Leaves from Simon Says Stamp.  The background was embossed using Fallen Leaves EF from Sizzix.  One of the lemon slices is up on foam dots.  The sentiment strip and yellow gems are from Waffle Flower.

We'd love to see how this Visual Prompt inspires you!  Please link up your creations over at the Inkspirational Blog!

This challenge ends on 7/17.

Also sending my card to:

Double D Challenge

Potpourri (def: A mix of things)

lemons, green stems, sunshine  ends 7/12

Tic Tac Toe

Layers - Die Cut - Summer Colors 

ends 7/17

Just Us Girls

Forgotten Favorite - Citrus Slices dies from The Greetery

ends 7/8

Can You Handle the Pressure

Anything Goes  ends 7/8

Paper:  Bright Buttercup - Papertrey Ink, Water Color Paper - Canson Cold Press.

Ink:  Ranger Distress Mustard Seed and Fossilized Amber.

Other Supplies:  Dried Citrus Slices Die - The Greetery, Etched Laurel Leaves Die - Simon Says Stamp, Fallen Leaves 3D Textured Embossing Folder - Sizzix, Sentiment Strip  and Candy Dots - Waffle Flower, foam dots.

Like an Octopus on your Face

 Today I'm playing along with both the Just Us Girls Challenge and Color Hues!

I used a retired Text+Texture Ocean stamp from PTI for the background using Crushed Pistachio and Worn Lipstick.  

I stamped the Octopus from Sea Life by Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous (Simon Says Stamp just came out with the dies for the Sea Life Set and I've ordered it but I had to fussy cut the octopus today. 

 

The sentiment (which absolutely CRACKS ME UP!) is a single stamp - Octopus Face from Technique Junkies.  It includes an image of an octopus but I didn't ink that part.  (I'm not sure if they are still in business)

Color Hues

I did use Old Paper Distress around the edges to soften the white card base and sentiment.

Just Us Girls

Stamps:  Octopus Face - Technique Junkies, Text and Texture: Ocean - PTI, Retired, Sea Life - Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous.

Paper:  White - PTI

Ink:  Nocturne - Versafine Clair, Ranger Distress Cracked Pistachio, Worn Lipstick, Old Paper.

Other Supplies:  Misty, Enamel Dots and heart - Altenew, foam dot, Sponge and Applicator. - Ranger.

Card Chain Challenge - September 2025 Reveal

 Today all of the cards exchanged for the September Card Chain Challenge are revealed over at the blog.

This month I sent a card to Ellie in Illinois and I received a card from Greta in Oregon.

For my card this month - I used the suggested colors and the theme option Flamingo.

I have about 10 of Tim Holtz Colorize dies of wonderful animals.  Some of them I've used a lot and a few haven't been used yet - including this wonderful flamingo Gladys!

I embossed the teal background card using Monstera Frame Embossing Folder from Altenew and I die cut the Monstera leaf using a die set from The Greetery.  The sentiment is preprinted from a set by Waffle Flower.

I die cut an easel to attach to the back of the panel so it can stand up for display.

We hope you will join us for the October Card exchange - you'll find all the instructions and the sign up for October here.

The link closes on 10/6

Also linking my card to:

NBUS

first time using Gladys

Just Us Girls

ends 10/8

Critter Crazy Challenge

Anything Goes with Critters

ends10/23

Paper:  Tropical Teal, True Black, Pale Peony, White, Lemon Tart, dotted vellum - Papertrey Ink, metallic gold from stash.

Other Supplies:  Gladys Colorize Thinlit die - TH/Sizzix, Large Leaves Monstera Die - The Greetery, Monstera Frame Embossing Folder - Altenew, glue dots, foam dots, enamel dots - Altenew, printed sentiment - Waffle Flower.  Small Easel Die - Sizzix (retired).

Another Year of Adventure

 A friend asked me to make her a card to send to friends who go camping in a trailer.

I pulled out some barely used older stamp sets to create this camping in the forest scene.  She will write her own note inside the card.

The background is DP from Forest/Stamperia.  The stamps and die cuts are from Happy Camper and the sentiment is from Peek A Boo Pals Camp Wanna stamps from Avery Elle. The camper and wagon are popped up on foam dots.

I'm sending my card to:

Just Us Girls

Ends 9/10

I.D.E.A.S

week 1  Ink/Color medium 

I used Copics to color the images

Stamps: Happy Camper - MFT (out of business), Peek a Boo Pals/Camp Wanna - Avery Elle.
Ink: Nocturne - Versafine Clair.
Paper: White - PTI, Watercolor Paper - Canson Cold Press, DP - Forest/Stamperia.
Other Supplies: Happy Camper Die Set - MFT (out of business), foam dots, COPICS YR09, YG23, E35, E33, C6, T2, BG10.

August 2025 Card Chain Challenge Reveal

 Today's the day all of the cards exchanged through the Card Chain Challenge  for August are being revealed over at the blog.  I sent my card to Carol in the UK and received a card from Arlene in California!

We are always given several options to inspire our card designs - but we only have to use one.  

This month I used the colors (which I rarely do as I hate being told what colors to use!), I "sort of" used the Sketch, the themes of Tropical and Friendship and the technique of Stenciling! 

Phew!  I got a lot of the suggestions in this month - I think this might be the most ever for me!

I used a Pool Water Stencil on my background which is white hammered cardstock. I die cut the squares and the cool summer drink is a rub-on from Taperlogy!

Instead of making a card that opens - I used a die cut easel on the back so the panel stands up for display!

Please pop over to the Card Chain Challenge Blog to see all the cards exchanged and to join us next month if you are so inspired - you'll find all the details for signing up here!  

Also sending my card to:

Dragonfly Dreams

Lots of Layers - ends 9/6

Paper Players

Center Horizonal line

Bright Colors   Free  Enamel Dots 

ends 9/5

Stamps:  Just Sentiments: Summer - Papertrey Ink.

Ink:  Soft Lilac - Altenew, Nocturne Versafine Clair.

Paper:  Hammered White - Amazon, Amethyst Allure, Summer Sunrise, and Raspberry Fizz - Papertrey Ink.

Other Supplies:  Square Nestability dies - Sizzix, Pool Water Stencil - Papertrey Ink, Summer Vacation Collection Rub Ons - Taperlogy, enamel dots - Altenew, foam dots, Blender Brush, Small Easel  Bigz Die - Sizzix.

Smell the Sea and Feel the Sky

 A blogging friend of mine (Michele Ferguson - thank you!) posted a card a while ago using stamps from the now retired Sandy Toes set from Waffle Flower.    She was nice enough so send me a stamped and die cut set of the images and I just made a card using 3 of the 5 images.

I colored the images with Copics, added an enamel heart to the beach ball and board and popped the images up on foam dots.

The background is a wonderful piece of DP that I only had a small piece of so this card is a 3"x6" mini slim card!

The sentiment is from a Colorado Craft set, Seas the Day.

I loved this Sandy Toes set so much I contacted Waffle Flower by e-mail on their web site to see if, by any chance there was a set of these stamps hanging around in their warehouse - and they looked but no, none there. They did say if enough people write in to request it be made again - they would! 

I used the colors from this weeks Color Challenge over on Splitcoaststampers where I have been one of their Guest DT's for the month of August.

I'm also sending my card to:

Festive Friday

I used Beach ball, sand, and relax sentiment

ends 8/26

Love those Pretty Papers

Optional Theme - Summer

ends 8/31

I.D.E.A.S.

Week 4 Anything Goes

NBUS

first time using the image and sentiment stamps

Stamps: Sandy Toes - Waffle Flower (retired), Seas the Day - Colorado Craft
Paper: water color paper, DP Beach Vibes - Honey Bee Stamps
Ink: Nocturne - Versafine Clair
Accessories: Sandy Toes Dies - Waffle Flower (retired), Copics RV25, Y17, RY04, R20, BG10, E00, E33, foam dots, acrylic hearts - Altenew