Monday, January 26, 2026

Some Cards for Challenges

Hey Crafty Friends!!!

It is a snow day in my world. I am popping in with a some cards for some challenges. I had fun creating with some of my Spellbinder's Club Dies. I used my November and December 2025 Small Die of the Month for my cards.


For my first card, I used this week's Freshly Made Sketches #720 as my inspiration for the layout of my card. I am also entering this into Just Us Girls Challenge#807-Stencil Week.


I had fun using two stencils on this card. I used a Taylor Expressions rectangle stencil with Candied Apple and Lumberjack Plaid Distress Ink. I then used a heart stencil by Pretty Pink Posh over the red to make my hearts. 


I then watered down some Gold Crush Lunar Paste and a paint brush to splatter my card. It didn't work as well as I wanted but that's okay.


I layered two circles and then my die cut images from November's Let's Do Brunch dies set from Spellbinders. I LOVE how this came out and had SO MUCH FUN making this. I so needed this after Saturday.

For my next card, I used a couple more challenges for inspiration. I used Time Out Challenges #305-Favorite Technique as the initial inspiration. My favorite technique is using die cuts on a card. I am also going to enter this card into Simon Says Stamp's Monday Challenge-Have a Heart.

 

I used the December Small Die of the Month from Spellbinders-Better Together-for my card.


I die cut my owls out of white cardstock and shaded the pieces in with Lost Shadow Distress Ink.


The hearts were die cut from a pinky/purple cardstock and then shaded in with a purple ink from an old WPlus9 ink pad. I miss that company!! I layered my little owls over scraps of pattern paper.


The sentiment is from an old MFT More Essential Sentiments stamp set. I miss this company too!!

My last card is another card that I created for this month's Cupcake Inspirations Challenge. Challenge #633 is to use the colors GRAPE, FIG and BEIGE on a card.


I used a die from Spellbinder's Advent Calendar 2025 for my card. 


Isn't that little dog so cute? I am giving this card to my daughter. She is a dog lover and I know she will enjoy this card.


It is hard to tell but my dog is beige. I used an old We R Memory Keeper's embossing folder for my background and then splattered it with ink.


I am going to be honest with you, these colors were HARD for me to use. I am not a fan of that fig color. It is a bit more orange colored in the challenge badge BUT I didn't have any ink or cardstock that was that color so I used what I had.

Well, I want to enter my cards into the challenges because before they close. Thank you for taking the time to stop by. Have a FABULOUS day!!!

Nora





Monday, January 19, 2026

Happy Monday with a Some Cards

Hello Crafty Friends!!!

I had today off for Martin Luther King Day. I was not feeling all that well so I decided to hang out at home. I did go to the MD to get contacts-a first for this old lady!! I have powerful readers and was sick of wearing glasses all the time so decided to try contacts. Let me ask you-how do you who use them put these in and take them out all the time? It took a while!! I love that I can see things on my phone now without wearing glasses. It will take time to get used to, though.

I am popping in with some cards I created this afternoon. I used Spellbinders Die of the Month for July for all of my cards. I had die cut all the dies and pieced them together this past fall but never used the images.

My first card I created using FOUR challenges as inspirations.


I used this weeks Atlantic Heart Sketch #665 for my card layout. I used the colors from the Card Concept #223, with the addition of some green-not sure that is allowed but some of their DT used green on their cards too. I am also entering this in the Jingle Belle's Challenge-Something old-which is the gingham pattern paper from MFT, and something new to me, the Simon Says Stamp Holiday Typewriter Sentiments. I am also entering it into Make it Monday #269-use pattern paper.

 

I actually had to dig through my stash for this card. The gingham paper was among the many 6 by 6 paper pads I have. The strip of "wood" pattern paper was in my scraps.


The banner die is the Stitched Party Banners from Lawn Fawn. Don't know if it is even available anymore but it took me awhile to find it!!


I absolutely LOVE everything about how this card turned out!!!

My second card I entering into two challenges.


I used the Color Hues Challenge #125-Blue and White for my colors. I also used the Paper Players CAS #769-Signs of Winter, as inspiration for this card.


The layout of my card was inspired by one of the DT members that used this set in July. I liked the way the mittens were in the corner. 


The background is the Filagree Snowflakes from Simon Says Stamp and the sentiment is from their Holiday Typewriter set.

My last card I created just to use the remaining die cuts up. I am entering this into Just Add Ink Challenge #777-something seasonal and Inkspirational Challenge #359-Shades of Blue. I have not done this many challenges in a long time!!


This one is really simple. I love the gingham paper on the "sweater sleeves!" 


I used a Distress Tool to distress the edges of the embossed paper. The sentiment is from my stash and I did not write down on the bag who made it. That is something I am going to be better at this year!!


Woooo!! This post was longer than I thought it would be!!! I apologize for that!!! I want to thank you for taking the time to stop by. Have a GREAT night!!

Nora


Sunday, January 18, 2026

Happy Sunday with a Birthday Card!!

Hey Friends!!!

I am just popping in with a card that I created for some challenges. I received a package with some new stamps and I HAD to use this one!!!


This is the House Mouse Party Streamers from Spellbinders. I colored it in with Copic Markers and then cut it apart so that I could use it with this weeks Freshly Made Sketches #719. The colors were inspired by this weeks Inspired By...#371 badge and the birthday is for this round of Seize the Birthday Challenge. I used the anything goes theme for that one. 

I dug out some purple cardstock and embossed it with the Honey Bee Burlap embossing folder-one of my go to folders. I trimmed it into a 4" by 5 1/4" piece and then used a Distress Tool along the edges. (**Please excuse the white dog hair in my photo. I just noticed it and I don't feel like going and taking it out!! My dogs are rarely in my craft room but their hair gets everywhere.)

I then stamped it with a retired MFT Stamp-Brush Splatter Background Stamp-in purple.

The sentiment strips are from an old MFT Birthday sentiment stamp set. I know they are NOT the same width but I did that on purpose. 

I completed my card by adding some blue gems that went with the background and some Stickles on the hat decorations. This was SO FUN to make!! I have not stamped and colored in a while and it was good therapy. I have needed some therapy the last couple weeks!!!

I am trying something new with adding all of the images together. I need to do some frames or something but I wanted to get this posted. Last week I made cards for challenges and forgot to enter the cards into them in time!!!

Well, that is all from me today. I want to thank you for taking the time to stop by. Have a FABULOUS day!!

Nora


Tuesday, January 13, 2026

Cards Using Spellbinders Merry Mug Creations Dies

Hey Crafty Friends!!

Today I am popping in with some cards for a couple of challenges. This year I am attempting to pull out old supplies for my cards. I am also trying to make them less dimensional as it cost me an arm and a leg to send out Christmas cards this year!!!

My first card was inspired by Inspired By #370-Winter Knits


I pulled out an old embossing folder, the Spellbinders Mary Mug Creations die set (discontinued) and a sentiment strip for my card. I was inspired by the colors and the sweater pattern on the challenge badge. I also used the sketch but flipped it.

I was trying to figure out how to include the sweater pattern on my card and I had this lightbulb moment to combine a piece of pattern paper that was on my desk and navy cardstock and run it through with an old Tim Holtz Alterations embossing folder.


My cup was cut out of my coveted Basic Grey pattern paper. I hate to use it but what am I doing just hoarding it? It doesn't show up in the photo but I used a bit of Weathered Wood Distress Ink on the left edge of the cup for a bit more dimension.


I added a some Glossy Accents on the "chocolate" bits, as well as the heart on the front of the cup. I also put some Diamond Stickles on the marshmallows for some zing. I LOVE how this came out!!

I used the Make My Monday Challenge #269 for my second card. It was to use pattern paper on your project. I used a scrap of hear pattern paper for my hot chocolate cup.


I used an embossing folder from We R Memory Keepers for the embossed background and layered a piece of red, textured cardstock over it that I had die cut an arch using Spellbinders Essential Arch dies. 


Once again I used Glossy Accents on the "chocolate" and the little heart. The red sentiment strips are from Taylored Expressions.


The black sentiment block was in my stash and I do not know the company that made it. I need to go through my stash and figure this all out. 

Well, that is all from me today. I want to thank you for taking the time to stop by. Have a FABULOUS day!

Nora



Sunday, January 11, 2026

A NEW Challenge-Cupcake Inspirations Challenge #633

Hello Friends!!!

Today I am popping in with a card for the NEW round of the Cupcake Inspirations Challenge!!! Challenge #633 is a COLOR challenge-Grape, Fig and Beige.


This year Cupcake Inspirations has decided to be a monthly challenge. This gives
everyone more time to create and enter a project. I hope to see you there!!

To start 2026, I decided to try to use supplies that I have bought and have not used.
I bought the 2026 Spellbinder’s Advent Calendar and decided to use day 1’s offering.

Isn’t the little puppy cute? I had fun creating the background with a Crackle Paintembossing folder from Spellbinder's.

Below is the Challenge Badge for Cupcake Inspirations Challenge:

Source

Want to join us this round? To see more details about the Cupcake Inspirations Challenge, head on over to the BLOG. I cannot wait to see what you create!!!

That is all from me. I want to thank you for taking the time to stop by.

Have a FABULOUS day!!

Nora