*Time Out Challenges #318*

 I took a little break from the Christmas cards to make my design team card for the new challenge at Time Out Challenges...

As soon as I saw this challenge prompt, I knew I wanted to play with some gorgeous paper in my stash and some fabulous new leaf dies I just got.  I cut a panel of the paper and then cut it in to three equal pieces.  I put the middle piece on the card using foam adhesive and then put the other two directly on the card front with regular adhesive.  I added some die cut leaves and a simple pop of colour with the sentiment.

Card Info

*Cardstock: Stampin' Up! Berry Burst, Mossy Meadow, Old Olive

*Paper;  Stampin' Up! Moonlit Florals
*Stamps:  Gina K Wreath Builder

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Stampin' Up! Fern & Flora; Waffle Flower Nesting Circles
*Etc:  foam adhesives

*Challenges:  Time Out #318

*This or That Instagram Hop*

 This week on the This or That Instagram Hop, we had to choose between sweet and sour.  I chose to make a sweet card using this fun popsicle paper and a sweet sentiment...

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black

*Paper:  Unity Here's The Scoop

*Stamps: Gina K You Give Me Butterflies

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Waffle Flower Nesting Circles; Love From Lizi Nesting Stitched Circles

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Scraps Only Instagram Hop*

 Each month, I play along with a group of friends on Instagram where you do a hop that focusses on using up the scraps and extras that we have hanging around, waiting for a rainy day.  Our theme for this month is Red, White & Blue... and since I'm not a patriotic American (but instead, a proud Canadian), I didn't do a patriotic themed card...  These are some of the pieces of the Pinkfresh Washi that I've cut and that get ignored in my bin of extras...

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic BLack

*Stamps:  Gina K Wreath Builder

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Washi:  Pinkfresh Studio Fluttering Butterflies, Vines & Roses

*Dies:  Stampin' Up! Nesting Ovals; Pinkfresh Studio Vines & Roses, Fluttering Butterflies

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Sending Sunshine Instagram Hop*

 Each month I play along with a group of creative friends on Instagram where we create and share cards of encouragement...  a card we could send to someone who might be going through something tough.

This month, I chose to play with a black and white card and I really like how it turned out!  I even used some bling again!

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black
*Stamps:  Gina K You Give Me Butterflies
*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Stampin' Up! Nesting Ovals (yes, the leftover piece from my card from yesterday!); Paper Rose Studio Alora Layered Butterfly

*Embellishments:  HAI Supply

*Etc:  foam adhesive

*Card Clubhouse Instagram Hop*

 Hello Sunshine is the theme for the current Card Clubhouse Instagram Hop...  I played with a sunburst stencil and some raised panels to create my card.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black

*Stamps:  Kraftin' Kimmie Birthday Bash Sentiments

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne; Gina K Wild Dandelion

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Etc:  foam adhesive

*Scraps Only Instagram Hop*

 This month for the Scraps Only Instagram Hop, we are playing with our favourite colour using only scraps and left over pieces from other projects.  I started keeping a bin of extras a few years ago that I go through regularly to find pieces that will work on a project.  The larger pieces of cardstock are not scraps, but everything else on this card was found in my bin of extras!

But I cheated... I didn't go with my favourite colour.  Instead I went with my favourite colour combination.  I had coloured up a couple of these butterflies a few weeks ago and the extra one was in the bin of extras!

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black
*Stamps:  Gina K You Give Me Butterflies; Honeybee Best of Everything

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne; Memento Tuxedo Black; Copics

*Dies:  Unknown stitched rectangle; Gina K You Give Me Butterflies

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Etc:  foam adhesive

*Challenges:  Just Us Girls #826

*This or That Instagram Hop*

 This week our choices were COFFEE or ICE CREAM for the This or That Instagram Hop... I am not a coffee drinker (I don't even like the smell of it!) so of course I went with ice cream!  I cut my scoop of ice cream out of a piece of patterned paper and added an embossed strip behind the focal point to add a little interest while keeping the card fairly clean and simple.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black; Crumb Cake

*Paper:  Stampin' Up! Full of Life

*Stamps:  Gina K You Give Me Butterflies

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Memory Box Whittle Ice Cream

*Embossing:  Stampin' Up! Soft Waves

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Embossing Folder Instagram Hop*

 This month for the Embossing Folder Instagram Hop, we are playing with the blackout technique.  After some trial and error, I found a few things that worked for me for this.... 

*ink blend darker than you think you should with your colours
*choose an embossing folder that has a lot of texture on it (not one with a lot of open space)
*use a 3D embossing folder
*use a light hand an MANY passes with your black ink to create the black out

I think this is probably the first time I've had good success with this technique...

Card Info

*Stamps:  LDRS My Wish For You
*Ink:  Gina K Bubblegum Pink, Grass Green, Wild Dandelion; Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Waffle Flower Nesting Circles

*Embossing:  Lisa Horton Peonies

*Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #683*

 There's a brand new sketch challenge that starts today at Atlantic Hearts!

I played with some new to me papers to create my card for today...  I'm trying to hone my skills at putting papers together.  I'm not sure I won the battle with this card as the pink layer just wasn't quite enough of a pop against the busy background.

Card Info

*Paper:  Stampin' Up! Painted Illusions

*Stamps:  Gina K You Give Me Butterflies; The Ton Easy Expressions
*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne; Memento Tuxedo Black; Copics

*Dies:  Gina K You Give Me Butterflies; The Ton Easy Expressions

*Challenges:  Atlantic Hearts Sketch #683

*Gina K Appreciation Instagram Hop*

 Once again, I am playing along with the Gina K Appreciation Instagram Hop...  I don't have a lot of her products as I can't find them locally any more... but I sure do love Gina's style and her products!

For this hop, I played with my favourite layering stencil that I have in my stash as well as a rainbow of Gina K inks.  Everything on this card is by from Gina K!

*{BYSHC} Sketch #69*

There is a wonderful new sketch over on the Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmakers blog... we are encouraging you to use our sketches to help build up your stash of Holiday cards so that you don't feel like you're in a mad rush to get them done later in the year!

I had fun with the sketch this month...  todays card is a lot more playful than the one you'll see later this month.  I had fun with a brand new die I purchased and some paper that has been sitting in my stash for quite a while.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Bubble Bath, Seaside Spray

*Paper  Simple Stories Winter Wonder

*Stamps:  Gina K Holiday Wreath Builder

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  The Ton Winter Mitten Dies; Waffle Flower Nesting Circles, Additional Nesting Circles
*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Challenges:  BYSHCardmakers #69; Addicted to Stamps & More #517

*BYSHCardmakers Linky Party*

 We are about half way through the Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmakers Spring Into Christmas Linky Party and I'm not done sharing Christmas cards with you!  I hope you've been inspired to make a few and that you've linked them up to our party for your chance to win one of the wonderful prizes from our sponsors.  

For today, I reached in to my bin of extras.  I had an idea of embossed panels on my card front and then I didn't know what I wanted to do next.  Enter, the bin of extras.  All of these extra pieces were in there from the fall when I was going full-tilt on making Christmas cards.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Cherry Cobbler, Evening Evergreen, Certainly Celery;  gold mirror

*Dies:  Simon Says Stamp Joyful; Lisa Horton Christmas Floral Builder

*Embossing:  Lisa Horton Christmas Floral Builder; Gina K Holiday Flora

*Challenges:  BYSHCardmakers Linky Party

*Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge #677*

 There's a fabulous new sketch at Atlantic Hearts this morning... I hope you'll play along!

I will admit that this sketch intimidated me.  How on earth would I figure out what size squares to make?!  But then I had an a-ha moment!  I have a DIE that basically does this!  I cut it out of white cardstock to create the framing and then cut it again out of a floral paper and inlaid those pieces in to the grid on my card.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black

*Paper:  Stampin' Up! Pattern Party

*Stamps:  Gina K Where Flowers Bloom
*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  MFT Horizontal Collage Cover; Waffle Flower Nesting Circles; Spellbinders Floral Spray

*Embellishments:  Kaiser Pearls
*Challenges:  Atlantic Hearts #677

*Time Out Challenges #309*

We have such a fun challenge for you at Time Out Challenges!  I can't wait to see how you interpret our idea of using a clear element on your project!

I went with a fully clear panel for my card front!  To do this, I cut a piece of acetate that was the same size as my card front but with an extra 1/2" on the folded side.  I scored the piece of acetate and put a piece of white cardstock inside the flap to create a card back.

The key to a card like this is to make it so that your adhesive doesn't show through.  I adhered my paper strips only in the centre 3/4" or so and then added the 1" gold strip to the inside of the card, putting adhesive only behind the paper strips.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  unknown brushed gold; acetate

*Paper:  Stampin' Up (don't know the name of it)

*Stamps:  Gina K Wreath Builder

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  MFT Stitched Circles

*Challenges:  Time Out #309

*Try A Sketch on Tuesday #688*

 I don't know how I missed this fabulous sketch challenge blog... but I did!  An online friend of mine recently joined this design team and that's how I found the challenge.  I loved the sketch this week and knew I wanted to play along.  I don't always have time to play along with other challenges just because I'm so busy with all of the other commitments I've made for my creating.  I'm happy I had a little time to play with this one!

I played with a few different ideas before landing on this card...  I thought that the loopy embossing folder felt like the pattern a butterfly would make while in flight... and I added some looped gold thread for one of the elements of the sketch.  Since I stamped on pattern paper (and it felt a little flimsy), I cut out an extra butterfly out of cardstock and layered them together to give the focal point a little more stability and to make it pop off of the page a little more.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black

*Paper:  Paper Rose Studio Rainbow Twirl 2.0

*Stamps:  Gina K Designs You Give Me Butterflies

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Gina K Designs You Give Me Butterflies

*Embossing:  Spellbinders Loops

*Tools:  Perfect Layers

*Etc:  gold cord

*Challenges:  Try A Sketch on Tuesday #688

*{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

*White on White Instagram Hop*

 For January, the theme for the White on White Instagram Hop is Winter... so of course I had to play with some snowflakes!  This could be a Christmas card or simply a card you send someone during the winter months... even a birthday card.

Card Info

*Stamps:  Gina K Doodled Snowflakes

*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne

*Dies:  Spellbinders Be Bold Alphabet; Impression Obsession Small Snowflakes

*Embossing:  Simon Says Stamp Snowflake Visions

*Challenges:  AAA Birthday

*Time Out Challenges#303*

 Today we start the last challenge of 2025 at Time Out Challenges.  We will be back in the new year to hopefully inspired your creativity!

We have an awesome photo challenge for this last challenge... be sure to tell us in your post how you were inspired by the photo below.

I find photo inspiration challenges difficult... but here's my tip for how I approached this one.  I looked at the photo as individual elements...  colours, locations, shapes... so I was inspired by the red and gold I saw in the photo as well as these friends together making memories.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Cherry Cobbler

*Stamps:  Concord & 9th Winter Greenery; Mama Elephant Merry Greetings
*Ink:  Versafine Clair Nocturne; Gina K Cherry Red and Grass Green

*Stencils:  Concord & 9th Winter Greenery

*Foil Plate:  Spellbinders Plaid Tidings

*Foil:  Spellbinders gold

*Etc:  foam adhesive

*Challenges:  Time Out #303

*{BYSHC} Sketch #62 Take 2*

 Hello friends... I'm back today with another card following the fabulous October sketch at Build Your Stash Holiday Card Makers...

While I was making my first card (that I shared earlier this month), I had this idea for my second card.  Because I'm menopausal and have post-chemo brain, I took a second to write down my idea so I wouldn't forget.  I'm so glad I remembered what I wanted to do because I LOVE this card!

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black; gold foil

*Dies:  Hero Arts Joy Stamp 'n Cut

*Embossing:  Gina K Holiday Flora

*Challenges:  Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmakers #62

*Time Out Challenges #300*

 This week, Time Out Challenges is hosting it's 300th challenge!  What an amazing milestone!  Our prompt for this challenge is Autumn Celebrations Around the World. I chose to make a simple thank you card for this challenge as here in Canada, we celebrate Thanksgiving in the fall (in fact it was two weeks ago)

I chose to go super clean and simple, using a large leaf die cut from some fabulous Pinkfresh Studio washi tape.I chose to highlight the gold highlights in the leaves by doing my sentiment in gold as well.

Card Info

*Cardstock:  Stampin' Up! Basic Black; unknown gold foil

*Stamps:  GinaK Fancy Greetings Mini

*Ink:  Versafine  Claire Nocturne
*Washi:  Pinkfresh Studio Fluttering Butterflies

*Dies:  Simon Says Stamp Big Thanks; Pinkfresh Studio Fluttering Butterflies

*Tools:  Perfect Layes
*Challenges:  Time Out #300