*Paper Crafters United Against Racism Instagram Hop*

 Today I am joining many of my papercrafting friends in an Anti-Racism Instagram Hop.  I saw the opportunity and with the state of the world right now, I jumped in with both feet to participate.  But then it came time to create my card and I froze.  I'm an white woman in Canada who has never experienced racism first hand.  Sure, I've heard comments and seen stuff directed at others, but I've never had to live that life for myself.  

I finally came up with a card idea and then I started to panic about what to say in my post about the hop.  How can I know what to say?  How can I know what to tell others.  But then I realized, my silence wouldn't help anyone...  but just showing up and letting others know that I stand for humanity might just make a small difference in the world.

I love my neighbours and the people in my world... no matter where they came here from, what languange they speak at home, what colour their skin might be.  I accept others as I expect them to accept me.  I am a safe spot if someone needs it.  And I hope that by standing up and declaring these things that I can help make a difference.  Racism is never OK...

So... on to my card.  I am in love with the shape of this double heart that's part of an alphabet die set from Concord & 9th.  I dug through my stash and found several shades of cream and brown and cut the heart(s) out of all of those shades.  I glued the outside of the hearts directly on to my card, overlapping them slightly... and then used foam adhesive for the insides of the hearts, also overlapping them.  I hope it conveys the idea of love and holding hands with our neighbours and friends...

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Very Vanilla, Early Espresso, Close to Cocoa, Crumb Cake, Pecan Pie, Sahara Sand

*Stamps:  MFT Anything But Basic Friendship
*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Concord & 9th Tall Type Alphabet; Lawn Fawn Everyday Sentiment Banners

My Favorite Instagram Hop*

 This week on the My Favorite Instagram Hop, we are playing with our favourite Valentine's or Love Themed products.

Let me tell you, I am so sick of red, pink and hearts right now!  I don't send Valentine's to people and now I have a huge stash thanks to all of the design team work I've done in the last few weeks.  I am close to being done with the love themed cards.

I'm not against love... I'm just tired of making these cards LOL!

Anyway... I grabbed a background I foiled at Christmas and didn't use to create my card today.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Lovely Lipstick

*Paper:  Stampin' Up! Pattern Party

*Dies:  Hero Arts Infinity Hearts; Stampin' Up! Playful Alphabet

*Hot Foil Plate:  Spellbinders Plaid Tidings

*Foil:  Spellbinders Gold

*Addicted to CAS #301*

 Good morning, clean and simple friends!  It's time for a new challenge at Addicted to CAS!

I wasn't not feeling too creative when I sat down to make this card...  I was tired of making Valentine's themed cards and the code word "pink" just screamed at me to make another one.  Instead, I found this extra piece from some cards in the last few weeks and thought "it's pink" so I played with it.

Card Info

*Paper:  MFT Black & White Stripes

*Stamps:  The Ton Easy Expressions
*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne; Tim Holtz Distress Picked Raspberry, Salty Ocean, Mowed Lawn

*Dies:  Waffle Flower Postage Collage; The Ton Easy Expressions

*Stencil:  Waffle Flower Peony Postage Collage

*Challenges:  ATCAS #301

*Build Your Stash Instagram Hop*

 This month we are building up our stash of appreciation style cards for the Build Your Stash Instagram Hop.  Some of my friends did some cards to thanks the nurses or teachers or fire fighters in their lives.  I don't have a need for anything like that, so I went with a simple thank you card.  I used the exact same things on these two cards... even the same layout.  I love double sided pattern paper!

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black, Granny Apple Green

*Paper:  Stampin' Up! Pattern Party

*Stamps:  Hunkydory Elegant Sentiments

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Prism Studios Essential Greenery

*Challenges: Simply Clean and Simple February 2026

*CAS on Friday Challenge #327*

 We have an "anything goes" clean and simple challenge at CAS on Friday that starts today.  No theme, just a CAS card!  What could be easier?!

Mine was so easy that I picked a bunch of extras from my bin of extras to create my card today... so I don't have much information on the items used.  I hope you can enjoy the card without knowing all of the details.

*This or That Instagram Hop*

 This week, the participants in the This or That Instagram Hop had to choose between RAIN or SNOW. At this time of the year, I choose snow.  I don't love snow, but here in Calgary, the cold weather often results in sunny skies.  I'd take a day of snow and sunny skies for the rest of the week over a week of gloomy cloudy days because of rain.  Besides, snow is bright and white and fun (unless you have to try to drive to work in it!).  I complain about the snow, but honestly, I think it's pretty!

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Seaside Spray

*Stamps:  Honeybee Best of Everything

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Impression Obsession Snowflakes

*Embossing:  Simon Says Stamp Snowflake Visions

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Time Out Challenges #306*

Challenge #306 at Time Out Challenges is a Pick 2 Challenge... choose any two of the inspiration words from the graphic below to create your card.  Thanks to Lawn Fawn for hosting this challenge!

I went a little nuts and chose FOUR words instead of only two!  I had some fun with some shades of pink and red sparkle paper as well as a gorgeous sparkly heart!

I'm also entering this card in to the current challenge at Color Hues and the challenge at Paper Players

     

*Card Clubhouse Instagram Hop*

 This week for the Card Clubhouse Instagram Hop, our theme is "Unexpected Valentine"...a challenge to use unexpected colours for a Valentine's card.  I chose to go with black, white and gold as I find it elegant.  I was really tempted to add just a little pop of red, but decided that was too traditional.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Bazzill gold foil; Stampin' Up! Basic Black
*Paper:  MFT Black & White Stripes
*Stamps:  MFT Something for Everything

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  MFT Something for Everything; Hero Arts Infinity Hearts

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Challenges: The Paper Players #771; Inkpirational #360 Addicted to Stamps & More #310

   

*Mini Slimline Instagram Hop*

It's time for another Mini Slimline Instagram Hop... no themes for this hop... just sharing a mini slimline card each month.  This is one of my favourite card sizes to play with.  For my card today, I played with one of the left over pieces from the postage stamp die and stencil I used last week... I think it fit pretty well!  I added a little embossing for an extra punch.

Card Info

*Stamps:  The Ton Easy Expressions

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne; Tim Holtz Distress Ink Picked Raspberry, Salty Ocean, Mowed Lawy

*Dies:  The Ton Easy Expressions; Waffle Flower Postage Collage

*Stencils:  Waffle Flower Peony Postage Collage

*Embossing:  Stampin' Up! Soft Waves

*Challenges:  AAA Birthday #82; Addicted to Stamps & More #310

 

*CAS Colours & Sketches #578*

 There's a new challenge at CAS Colours & Sketches that starts today, and it's a colour challenge.  

The colours felt beachy to me, but I just wasn't inspired to make something beachy... so instead I went more graphic to use the colors.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Pretty Peacock, Pool Party, Soft Sea Foam

*Stamps:  Waffle Flower Sweet Birthday Sentiments

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Waffle Flower Nesting Circles; Stampin' Up! NestingOvals

*Embossing:  Stampin' Up! Soft Waves
*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Challenges:  CC&S #578

*Atlantic Hearts Sketch #667*

 There's a wonderful new sketch at Atlantic Hearts this week...  

I didn't make it completely clean and simple in the true sense of the style, but it's pretty close.  My big white layer just screamed for some embossing on it!

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Lucky Limeade

*Paper:  MFT Party Time
*Stamps:  Waffle Flower Sweet Birthday Sentiments

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies: Waffle Flower Sweet Birthday Sentiments

*Embossing:  Spellbinders Floating Balloons

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Challenges:  Atlantic Hearts #667; Addicted to Stamps and More #509

*My Favorite Instagram Hop*

 This week on the My Favorite Instagram Hop, we are playing with my favourite woodland scene. I don't do much with scene stamping, but I wanted to play along.  I sure hope that this works for the theme!

Card Info

*Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Basic Grey

*Stamps:  MFT Something for Everything

*Ink:  Catherine Pooler Twilight; Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Stencils:  Artplorations Trees

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*{BYSHC} Sketch #66*

 It's the beginning of February and time for a new sketch at Build Your Stash Holiday Card Makers.  We hope to inspire you to make a Christmas card or two every month to help you feel less overwhelmed in November!

First, let's see the sketch!

I've made two cards using this sketch and am sharing my first one today.  I tried to go clean and simple but I just wanted some texture on my biggest layer.  Some will say it's clean and simple, but truly it's not.  It's pretty close!

Card Info
*Paper:  vellum

*Stamps:  Penguin Palace Magical Christmas Sentiments

*Ink: Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Pinkfresh Studio Snowflakes; Waffle Flower Nesting Circles; Penguin Palace Magical Christmas Sentiments
*Foil Plate:  Pinkfresh Studio Snowflakes

*Foil:  Spellbinders Aura

*Embossing:  Simon Says Stamp SnowflakeVisions

*Challenges:  BYSHC #66

*One Layer Instagram Hop*

 Today is the first hop of the new One Layer Instagram Hop...  we are making cards that only have the base layer on them.  This month, our optional theme is ink blending.

I realized as I was typing up this post that I cheated and added a die cut sentiment to my card.  Whoops!

I used some washi tape to mask off parts of the card front to create my blended stripes and then stamped this gorgeous floral over top of it.  I could have stamped the sentiment right on the front, but the one I liked the size of would have been lost in the floral.

Card Info

*Stamps:  Altenew Bouquet of Joy; The Ton Easy Expressions
*Ink: Versafine Clair Nocturne; Time Holtz Twisted Citron, Salty Ocean

*Happy Birthday Kati!*

Today we are celebrating Kati's birthday with an Instagram Hop to help make it a little more special.  Since she loves all things colourful, she chose a rainbow theme for her hop!

I started with this gorgeous pattern paper and went with a design I used on a Christmas card a few months ago.  I went shopping at my favourite local stamp store last week to use the gift card I got for Christmas (and a little more than that too!) and I bought those gorgeous leaves and a great new sentiment stamp and die set.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black

*Paper:  MFT Party Time

*Stamps:  Waffle Flower Sweet Birthday Sentiments

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Prism Studio Essential Greenery; Waffle Flower Sweet Birthday Sentiments

*Etc:  foam adhesive

*Challenges:  All About #1; Addicted to Stamps & More #509

 

*Rediscover Your Supplies Instagram Hop*

 For the month of January, we are playing with the theme of Love for the Rediscover Your Supplies Instagram Hop.  As you may be aware, I am trying to get back to my clean and simple style more often and while this card isn't quite there, it's pretty close...

Card Info

*Cardstock:  unknown red foil

*Stamps:  MFT Something For Everything

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Hero Arts Infinity Hearts; MFT Something for Everything

*Embossing:  Stampin' Up! Brick & Mortar

*Challenges:  Inkspirational #360

*{BYSHC} Sketch #65 Take 2*

 Already the end of the month... and time for me to share my second and final card using the January 2026 sketch at Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmakers.

Here's a reminder of the sketch...

I chose to do a second more clean and simple card with this sketch.  I toyed with embossing the white panel, but I'm glad I didn't.  I like it like this.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Cherry Cobbler

*Paper:  Stampin' Up! Tidings of Christmas

*Stamps:  The Ton Easy Expressions Holiday; Concord & 9th Winter Greenery

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne; Gina K Cherry Red, Grass Green

*Stencils:  Concord & 9th Winter Greenery

*Dies:  Pinkfresh Studio Slim Strips; The Ton Easy Expressions; Concord & 9th Winter Greenery

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Challenges:  BYSHCardmakers #65

*This or That Instagram Hop*

 This is the last week of the "old or new" challenge month  for the This or That Instagram Hop.  My family gave me a gift card to The Paper and Ink Boutique for Christmas and I went shopping last week.  I didn't think I wanted to hop on the postage collage bandwagon until I saw some people cutting collages apart to create something different... I came home from the store and immediately made this card.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Grey

*Stamps:  The Ton Easy Expressions

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne; Tim Holtz Distress in Picked Raspberry, Salty Ocean, Mowed Lawn

*Die:  Waffle Flower Postage Collage; Prism Studio Essential Greenery; The Ton Easy Expressions

*Stencil:  Waffle Flower Peony Postage Collage

*Challenges:  All About #1

*Rainbow Connection Instagram Hop*

 Another rainbow themed card for you today, for the Rainbow Connection Instagram Hop.  For today, I chose a pretty brushed rainbow printed paper to go behind a die cut window.  I die actually cuts out the floral square, but I placed it back in to the hole it created on my front panel to create a window look.

Card Info

*Paper:  Stampin' Up! Full of Life

*Stamps:  Waffle Flower Sweet Birthday Sentiments

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Memory Box Stained Glass Floral; Waffle Flower Sweet Birthday Sentiments

*Birthday Bash Instagram Hop*

 Things have changed a little bit with one of the monthly Instagram Hops I participate in. The Birthday Bounce Hop has become the Birthday Bash Instagram Hop.  In addition to the name change, we also have a moodboard to add to our challenge theme... this month, our theme is "fresh start"/"minimal" and our mood board was some lovely shades of blues and silver.

I chose to make a clean and simple card using those colours... grounding it with black.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black, Seaside Spray; unknown silver sparkle

*Stamps:  MFT Essential Sentiments

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Hello Bluebird Happy Birthday Words

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Embossing Folder Instagram Hop*

 Yup, I've joined another Instagram Hop!  These things are keeping me busy and creative!  Today I am playing with the Embossing Folder Instagram Hop and we are working with the common theme of Love.

I chose to cut a deep red heart and emboss it with a wavy lines embossing folder.  I did some ink spatter on a small panel and added it to the front of the card and then used foam adhesive to pop up the heart.  I added a banner sentiment across the centre to finish it off...

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Cherry Cobbler

*Stamps:  MFT Essential Sentiments

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Hero Arts Nesting Hearts; Lawn Fawn Everyday Sentiment Banners

*Embossing:  Stampin' Up! Soft Waves

*Etc:  foam adhesive