Forest Scene

I've finally finished all my Christmas cards and they are all written.  So here is my last design for 2025.

I picked up this beautiful die at a charity shop recently and this is the first time I've used it.  There was no packaging, so I don't know the brand.  I used the die with a snippet of white card and layered it on a navy blue rectangle, another snippet.  The sentiment is a stamp from the Stampin' Up 'Greatest Part of Christmas' set, stamped with Stampin' Up 'Night of Navy'.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Snippets Playground Challenge #521 ~ Use Snippets

C.R.A.F.T. Challenge #770 ~ Christmas

Krafty Chicks Challenge #798 ~ Christmas

Fab 'n' Funky Challenge #627 ~ Christmas

Die Cut Divas December Challenge ~ Christmas/Winter

NBUS Challenge #81 ~ Use Never-Before-Used-Schtuff 

Allsorts Challenge ~ New

This is my second post today.  Please scroll down to see my Crafty Calendar Challenge DT card.

It's my turn to introduce the Allsorts Challenge this fortnight.  I've chosen the theme of  'New'.  Will you make a creation for a new home, new baby, new job, or something else?  There is also the option of Anything Goes.

I've made a New Home easel card for a friend who has recently moved into her own first home.

The image is a Woodware 'Mushroom House' stamp, stamped with Memento 'Tuxedo Black' and coloured with Promarkers.  I added a little glitter to the flowers and leaves with a Wink of Stella clear glitter pen.

The flat base of the card is embossed with a Cuttlebug embossing folder, although it doesn't show up in the photo of my card.

There are two prizes, A4 and A5 stamp sets from AALL and Create.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Creative Creases December Challenge #110 ~ Use a Fun Fold

Creative Uncles Challenge #71 ~ Easel Card

Crafty Calendar Challenge ~ Winter/Christmas

The last Crafty Calendar Challenge of 2025 begins today with the theme of 'Winter/Christmas'.  I'm really behind with making my Christmas cards this year, so I've done some batch making to try and get them finished before the big day.

I used a Memory Box 'Grand Merry Christmas' die with patterned papers from The Works.  The Christmas tree was punched from a snippet of red card.  I went to a 12 hour craft day last weekend and we were all given a gift of a pack of stars pearls.  They were perfect to put on the top of the tree.

I am joining in the following challenges with this card:

Word Power December Challenge ~ Sentiment as focal point

I made a few more using patterned papers from the same paper pad. (24 cards made in total.)

The Crafty Calendar Challenge ends on the 28th December, so a good opportunity to make some last minute festive creations.

Snowdrop Edger

I'm home from the most amazing holiday in South Korea with my hubby and our daughter.  We had a few days stopover in Abu Dhabi on the way home.  What an amazing country South Korea is, so much to see and the people are so friendly.  I thought have time to keep up with my blog visiting, but every day was packed with things to see and do.  I'll include some holiday photos in later post when I've had time to look at them all.

So, a quick birthday card I made for a crafty friend before we went away.

I used a Creative Expressions 'Snowdrop Edger' die with a snippet of navy blue card.

 I am joining in the following challenges:

Snippets Playground Challenge #520 ~ Use snippets

 Beautiful Blossoms Challenge - Anything Florals Goes 

Triple B December Challenge ~ Birds, Butterflies and Blooms

Krafty Chicks Challenge #797 ~ Birthday

Allsorts Challenge ~ Let's Get Sentimental

A new Allsorts Challenge begins today and Helen has chosen the theme of 'Let's Get Sentimental', so make the sentiment the focal point of your creation.  As always, there is always the option of Anything Goes as we love to see all your creations.

 

I've got two cards to share today.

I saw this style of card demonstrated on the Nifty Noodles Crafting Facebook page recently.  I thought it would be a good style for my great nephew's 16th birthday.  I used Creative Expression dies to cut the circle aperture and the frame.  The aperture in the card demoed was left empty with a picture on the inside back panel.  I wanted to use the Happy Birthday die cut, (bought a long time ago on eBay).  I knew it wouldn't lie flat on the back panel, so I thought I try suspending it from behind the aperture. I attached the die cut with bakers twine, coloured with a blue Sharpie pen.  The patterned papers are from The Range.

My second card was a fairly quick and easy to make.

The sentiment is a Lawn Fawn 'Giant Happy Birthday' die cut.  I used a Lisa Horton 'Scalloped Layered Squares' die for the mat.  The patterned paper is from The Range. 

The prize this fortnight is a Sweet Poppy stamp A5 stamp set and sentiment stencil.

Allsorts Challenge ~ Christmas

A new Allsorts Challenge begins today and Christine has chosen the theme of 'Christmas'.  A perfect theme for anyone like me who is behind with making their Christmas cards this year.  As always there is also the Anything Goes option.

I bought this nativity die in a charity shop recently and thought it might be a good die for batch making cards.  There was no packaging, so I suspect it may be an unbranded die. It's quite small, so I decided to make a 5" x 5" card.  I found a piece of navy card in my snippets drawer just the right size for a square mat slightly smaller than the card blank, with some left over for the die cut.  The white rectangles were cut from a white snippet.  I layered the navy die cut on the larger rectangle.  The sentiment is a stamp from the Stampin' Up 'Snow is Glistening' set, stamped with SU 'Night of Navy'.  I finished off my card with three clear gems to add some sparkle.

There are two prizes this fortnight of stamps, stencils and dies.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Beccy's Month of Holiday Cards

Christmas Gnomes

A Christmas fancy fold card inspired by a demo I saw on the Nifty Noodles Crafting page.

The papers are from The Works and the image is from the same paper pad.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Beccy's Month of Holiday Cards ~ D for Diagonal stripes

Merry Little Christmas Challenge #65 ~ Anything Christmas Goes

Creative Creases Challenge #108 ~ Anything Goes with a Fancy Fold

Christmas Full Star Border Card

I've seen this style of card on several blogs lately, so I went in search of a tutorial.   I found this video HERE by Iced Images.  It was surprisingly easy to make.

The papers are from The Works and are stiff enough to make the star section. The sentiment is a stamp from the Stampin' Up 'Perfect Plaid' set, stamped with Versafine 'Crimson Red'.  I used a SU punch to punch the sentiment shape and an inverted corner punch on the red mat. The card folds flat for posting. 

I am joining in the following challenges:

We Love Stamping November Challenge ~ Anything Christmas

Stamping Sensations November Challenge ~ Christmas

Beccy's Month of Holiday Cards ~ B for lots of Burnishing.

Crafter's Cafe Challenge #324 ~ Christmas

Creative Creases Challenge #108 ~ Anything Goes with a Fun Fold

CRAFT Challenge #767 ~ Christmas

AUD Sentiments Challenge #331 - Glitter and/or Christmas + a Sentiment

Colorful Options November Challenge ~ The Colour Red

Love Those Pretty Papers November Challenge

Crafty Calendar Challenge ~ Add a Button

The November Crafty Calendar Challenge begins today and the theme this time is 'Add a Button'.

For my DT card I used an embossing folder which was a magazine cover gift many years ago.  I layered the embossed card on a green mat and used buttons for the centres of the larger flowers.  The sentiment is a stamp from the Stampin' Up 'Humming Along' set and stamped with Versafine Clair 'Rain Forest'.  The layered sentiment is raised up on foam pads.

The Crafty Calendar Challenge ends on 28th November, so plenty of time to dig out those buttons and use them on your creation.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Creations in Pink Challenge # 86 - Anything Goes in MAINLY PINK

Can You Handle the Pressure Challenge ~ Anything Dry Embossed Goes (without the twist.)

Christmas Card Sketch

A Christmas card today, inspired by a sketch on the Nifty Noodles Crafting Facebook page.

The papers are all snippets from an old paper pad from The Works.  I used a punch for the snowflake (another snippet) and layered it on Memory Box stitched circles.  The sentiment is a stamp from the Stampin' Up 'Greatest Part of Christmas' set, stamped with Night of Navy. The layered sentiment is raised up on foam pads.

I am joining in the following challenges: 

Rudolph Days October Challenge

Snippets Playground Challenge #518 ~ Use Snippets

Love Those Pretty Papers October Challenge

The 12 Months of Christmas Link Up Challenge #127 ~ Anything Christmas Goes

Allsorts Challenge ~ Autumn Colours

A new Allsorts Challenge begins today and Brenda has chosen the theme of 'Autumn Colours'.  There is also the Anything Goes option as we love to see all your creations.  For my DT card I've made an Autumn themed birthday card for a friend who is celebrated her birthday this month.

The background is a Stamp Addicts 'Bead Curtain' stamp, stamped with Versafine Clair 'Acorn'.  I coloured some of the little circles in the background with Promarkers in autumn colours.  The acorn and leaf are Tonic 'Autumnal Oak' die cuts, layered on Memory Box stitched circles.  I added three dark green enamel dots and a sentiment to finish off my card.

The prizes for this challenge are stamps from Stamp Addicts and a $25 Simon Says voucher.

I am joining in the following challenges:

The Sisterhood of Crafters Challenge ~ Anything Fall

Tic Tac Toe Challenge #282 ~ Leaves, Free, Die Cuts

Bees

A card for a friend who recently celebrated her 60th birthday.

The card base was made with a Crafter's Companion 'Triple-Stepper' set of dies.  I used a stamp from the Lavinia 'Bumble and Hum' set of stamps and added some colour with a yellow Promarker and a Wink of Stella clear glitter brush on the wings.  The patterned paper is from The Range.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Stamping Sensations October Challenge ~ Anything Goes

Let's Create and Craft Challenge #224 ~ AG + Things With Wings

Dragonfly Dreams October Challenge  ~ A Shaped Card

We Love Stamping October Challenge ~ Anything Goes

Love Those Pretty Papers October Challenge

Creative Creases Challenge #108 ~ Use a Fun Fold

Fab 'n' Funky Challenge #624 ~ Thing with Wings

CAS

A quick CAS card today.

I bought this preloved Poppystamps 'Floribunda Collage' die a few months ago.  I tested it on a snippet of of white card to see what it looked like..... and the die cut has just sat on on my craft table.  I needed to make a quick birthday card and I spotted this die cut waiting to be used.  I cut it into rectangle to fit a 6" x 6" square card blank.  The purple mat was a snippet too.  I stamped a sentiment with a stamp from the Stampin' Up 'Best Year' using Versafine Clair 'Monarch'.  A few clear gems were added in the centre of the flowers and the card was finished.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Snippets Playground Challenge #517 ~ Use Snippets

NBUS Challenge #79 ~ Use Never-Before-Used-Schtuff  (die)

Addicted to Stamps and More Challenge #503 ~ Birthdays

Allsorts Challenge ~ Traditional Christmas Colours

The Allsorts Challenge theme this time was chosen by Lynne and she has chosen the theme of 'Christmas Colours'.  As always there is also the option of Anything Goes.

I decided to make a CAS card in red and gold.  I used a Sue Wilson 'Joy' set of dies.  The gold is a pale gold glitter card.  I finished off my card with three tiny, red gems.

 

There are two prizes, a Tim Holtz Festive Foliage stamp set and a voucher for digital downloads from Buddly Crafts. 

Crafty Calendar Challenge ~ Halloween

The October Crafty Calendar Challenge begins today and the theme this month is 'Halloween'.

 

I used a MFT 'Cross-Stitch Tag' die with stiff white card and chopped off the top to make a rectangle.  The spider was cross stitched with black crochet cotton.  The striped paper was from a My Mind's Eye 'Something Wicked' paper pad.  I used a Cuttlebug 'Spider Stew' embossing folder.  The sentiment is a stamp from La-La Land Crafts 'Lil' Devil Marci' set, stamped with Versafine 'Onyx Black'.

The Crafty Calendar Challenge ends on 28th October, so please hop over to the challenge blog to see all the creations the DT have made for inspiration.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Crafty Animals Challenge #99 ~ Anything Goes with an Animal

Double D Challenge ~ Trick or Treat Smell My Feet Challenge 8 spiders feet

As You Like It Challenge ~ Square or not? (and why) I prefer making square cards as there seems to be more flexibility on where to put all the different elements.

Two Old Bats October Halloween Challenge

Allsorts Challenge ~ Woodland Critters

The Allsorts Challenge begins today and Sarah has chosen the theme of ‘Woodland Critters’.  The theme ties in perfectly with World Animal Day, which is on 4th October.  There is also the option of Anything Goes.

 

I used a Studio Light triptych die for my navy blue base card. I die cut the smallest panels in white and inked them using an Adirondack 'Denim' ink pad, masking off the moon with a circle of card.  To make the scene, I used the following Lavinia stamps: Woodland Hares, Owl - small (discontinued), Silhouette Grass, Forest Moss, Slender Mushrooms Mini, Toadstool Mini, Vine Branch, Climbing Ivy.

There will be two prizes of Lavinia Stamps, stencil and stampscapes for the lucky randomly drawn winners.  For this challenge there will also be some surprise random spot prizes open to all entrants Worldwide. 

I am joining in the following challenges:

We Love Stamping September Challenge ~ Anything Goes

Stamping Sensations September Challenge ~ Anything Goes

Cardz 4 Galz Challenge #259 ~ Dies/ Punches

Double D Challenge ~ Make Your Own Background 

Crafty Animals Challenge #98 ~ Anything Goes with an Animal

Daisy Chain Challenge #100 ~ More than 1 fold

Creative Creases Challenge #107 ~ Anything Goes with a Fancy Fold

Inkspirational Challenge #351 ~ Mood Board (mushrooms)

Craftlandia Challenge #24 ~ Fairy Tales

The Craftlandia Challenge #24 begins today and the theme this time is 'Fairy Tales', or you can go with the Anything Goes option.  Our generous sponsor this month is Gecko Galz.

Our sponsor kindly gave us images to use and I chose to use one of the images from the 'Fairy Magic Digital Collage Set'.  The patterned paper is from an old Papermania paper pad.

There will be a $25 voucher to spend for the lucky winner.  Please head over to the Gecko Galz Etsy store to see the range of collage sets, stamp sets, paper and ATC packs and complete digital kits that Leanne (the owner) has in the store.

 

The Craftlandia Challenge #24 will end on 30th September. 

Bird Tag

The Tag-along (and ATCs) Challenge this month has the theme of  'Things With Wings'.   It's a friend's 70th birthday party today, so I decided to make a tag for her present inspired by the Tag-along theme.

I used a Poppystamps 'Stitched Main Street Tags'.set of dies.  The larger die I cut in white twice and glued them together to make the tag stiffer. I used the smaller of the dies with a snippet of  blue ombré card and embossed it with an Embossalicious 'Clouds' embossing folder.  I used a Stampin' Up 'Bird Builder' punch with snippets of green and brown card for the bird and branch.  The tag die cuts have no hole, so I used my Crop-a-Dile to make one for the ribbon.  I finished off my card with a sentiment typed on the computer.

I am joining in the following challenges:

Tag-along (and ATCs) September Challenge ~ Things With Wings

Cardz 4 Galz Challenge #259 ~ Dies/ Punches

Triple B September Challenge ~ Birds, Butterflies and Blooms

Can You Handle The Pressure? Challenge ~ Anything Goes With A Twist of Layers

Pink

I made this card for a friend who celebrated her birthday this month.

The patterned paper is from The Range. I recently bought a preloved set of Stampin' Up 'Stitched Nested Labels Dies' and used them for the first time on this card for the layers in the centre and the sentiment.  The flower is Memory Box 'Fuchsia Sprig' die cut.  I finished off my card with three white pearls.

I am joining in the following challenge:

Beautiful Blossoms Challenge ~ Anything Florals Goes

Creations in Pink Challenge # 85 ~ Anything Goes in Mainly Pink

Crafter's Cafe Challenge #323 September ~ Flowers

Sparkles Monthy Challenge #192 ~ Single Flower

Triple B September Challenge ~ Birds, Butterflies and Blooms

Dream Valley Challenge # 344 ~ 2 or More Layers

Love Those Pretty Papers S78eptember Challenge ~ ATG Using Pretty Patterned Paper

Try It On Tuesday ~ Pretty Papers

NBUS September Challenge #78 ~ Use Never-Before-Used-Schtuff 

Triple Fold Card

I saw a Triple Fold Card made by a friend in a Facebook group.  I watched a link HERE for the instructions and tweaked the measurements to make this 6" x 4" card so the die cut would fit.  The card was sent to friends who celebrated their 51st wedding anniversary two days ago, the same day as me and my hubby.... although we have been married two hours longer than them. 😉  I used the same paper on both anniversary cards, my hubby's anniversary card is HERE.

 

I used a Memory Box 'Heart Waterfall' die and backed the apertures with red card.

 

The plain red panels were embossed with an Xcut 'Small Polka Hearts' embossing folder.

The sentiment was a stamp from the Stampin' Up 'Many Mates' set, stamped with Versafine Clair 'Nocturne'.  I recently bought this preloved set of stamps and as I'm using it for the first time, I'll share my card in the NBUS Challenge.

The patterned paper is from The Range and I included a plain white panel for the message.

I am joining in the following challenge:

NBUS Challenge #78 ~ Use Never-Before-Used-Schtuff 

Daisy Chain Challenge #100 ~ More than 1 fold

Creative Creases Challenge #107 ~ Use a Fun Fold

Die Cut Divas Challenge ~ Anything Goes

Can You Handle the Pressure Challenge ~ Anything Goes With A Twist of Layers