Dragonfly Dreams Challenge Blog - March Theme: Butterflies

 The theme for March on the Dragonfly Dream Challenge Blog is Butterflies. I don't have many butterfly stamps in my collection, but luckily I remembered this Wings & Petals Ledger Background Stamp from Unity Stamps. I seriously need to pull this one out more often because I absolutely loved working with it!

I started by stamping the image onto white cardstock. Then I reached for my much-neglected Copics and had so much fun coloring in the flowers and butterflies. There’s something so relaxing about bringing a detailed background like this to life with color.

Next, I pulled out a stencil and lightly inked over the entire image with a soft, pale blue. This added just the right touch of texture without overwhelming the stamped design.

To finish things off, I inked around the edges with brown ink to give the card an aged look. I love how the brown blending softened the pale blue stenciling and gave it more of a gentle green tone. Such a happy accident!

I completed the card with a simple Happy Birthday sentiment to let the background really shine.

I hope you’ll find time to join us this month! I’m so excited to see all of the beautiful butterflies fluttering into the Dragonfly Dreams gallery. Thanks for stopping by my blog.

In kindness, Cathy

Addicted to Stamps & More Challenge #511 - Make Your Mark

Back with another fun challenge on the Addicted to Stamps & More Blog! This time the theme is “Mark Your Mark” — and the idea is simple: pull out those inks, markers, watercolors, or any favorite coloring medium and make your mark! Whether you love bold Copic blends, soft watercolor washes, or vibrant ink smooshing, this challenge is all about getting inky and creative.

For my card, I went digging through some older stamp sets and rediscovered Cup of Friendship from Reverse Confetti. It’s definitely an oldie, but still such a sweet floral set — perfect for coloring.  I stamped the florals and pulled out my Copics — which, I’ll admit, have been seriously neglected lately. Some of them are even starting to feel a little dry (oops!). But once I got blending, it reminded me why I love them so much. There’s just something so satisfying about building depth with layered color and smooth shading.

To create a soft focal backdrop, I used the Nested Elongated Ovals layering dies from Pinkfresh Studios. I cut an oval from vellum and ran it through an embossing folder to add a bit of subtle texture. The embossed vellum gives just enough interest without competing with the colored florals. To frame everything, I used two of the dies to cut a frame from patterned paper. I love how the frame helps anchor the design and draw your eye straight to the bouquet.

For the sentiment, I chose the Kristina Werner's Written Words 2 Stamp and Die sets. The clean, modern font pairs beautifully with the soft florals and adds just the right finishing touch.

This card was such a good reminder to:

• Pull out those older stamp sets

• Use the supplies that have been sitting too long

• And most importantly — make your mark!

Now it’s your turn! What medium will you reach for — Copics, watercolors, distress inks, or something else entirely?

I can’t wait to see what you create for this challenge! Thanks for stopping by my blog.  

In kindness, Cathy

ATS&M Challenge #510 - Die Cuts or Stencils

 We are asking you to show off your die cuts or stencils for Challenge #510 

on the Addicted to Stamps & More Blog.   

Today’s card features the Papertrey Ink Into the Blooms – Fun Flowers dies, and I have to say—I absolutely love the shape of these blooms. One of my favorite things about this set is how easy it is to create completely different looks with just a bit of ink blending. Same dies, fresh results every time!

Truth be told, the flower centers can be a little fiddly. I did use one of the die-cut centers on the pink flower, but for the rest I grabbed my Copic markers and kept things simple. Sometimes crafty shortcuts are the best shortcuts 😉

To finish off the card, I added a Pinkfresh Studio bow die cut that was already sitting on my desktop (don’t you love when that happens?) and paired it with a sentiment from Taylored Expressions.

Now it’s your turn—break out those dies and stencils and join us! You’ll have two weeks to link up your card, and I can’t wait to see what you create.

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog. In kindness, Cathy

Dragonfly Dreams February Challenge - Fun Fold or Shaped Card

Welcome to February’s Challenge at the Dragonfly Dreams Blog!

This month’s theme is all about fun-folds or shaped cards, and I had so much fun creating my project.

For my card, I used a Z-fold design, adding patterned paper to the back panel for extra interest. The front features Altenew’s Blooming Branches suite of products. I glued three layers of the branch together to give it some lovely dimension and depth.

One of my favorite things about this fold is that the inside of the “Z” leaves plenty of room to write a message, making it perfect for this birthday card.

I hope you’ll join us for this month’s challenge—I can’t wait to see all the creative takes on this fun theme! Thanks so much for stopping by my blog, and happy crafting!

In kindness, Cathy

ATS&M Challenge #509 - Any Occasion

Welcome to Challenge #509 for the Addicted to Stamps & More Blog .
We're excited to be back with an "Any Occasion" theme. 

The possibilities are wide open with this theme!

It’s winter here in Minnesota, so I pulled out my Nordic Bundled Snowman Die from Poppystamps. I die-cut the scarf and hat from patterned paper to add some fun texture and interest. The background was created from a scrap of patterned paper, with die-cut snow hills and trees finished off with a little ink shading.

The sentiment is an oldie from my stash, and I think it works perfectly here. This card makes a great winter-themed version of a thinking of you card!

I hope you have time to play along with us over the next two weeks. Thanks so much for stopping by my blog!

In kindness, Cathy

ATS&M Challenge #508 - Birthday

"Birthday" is the theme for the first Addicted to Stamps & More Challenge for 2026. When I need a quick but memorable birthday card,  I often break out this Wish stamp and die set from Pretty Pink Posh. 

Today’s card is a shaker card with a clean, colorful design. The card base was ink blended from navy to yellow, then stamped and heat embossed with white embossing powder. The word “wish” is die cut from the top panel, while “make a” is stamped and embossed above it. To ground the design, I added a strip of white glitter paper along the bottom of the card.

This is one of the simplest shaker cards to create. I adhered acetate behind the die-cut word, added 1/4" foam tape around the opening, and filled it with a mix of shaker pieces from my stash. To finish it off, I added a few enamel dots for extra detail and shine.

A fast, fun birthday card that still feels special!  Hope you will make the time to join along with our Birthday Theme this month.  Thanks for stopping by my blog.

In kindness, Cathy

Dragonfly Dreams January 2026 Challenge- Flowers

"Flowers" are the theme for this month's Dragonfly Dreams Challenge Blog.  My card features a single stem of flowers and I am taking inspiration from Ardyth Percy-Robb by trying a new size card!  This one os 4.25 x 4.25 and I absolutely love it!

Kristina Werner's Long Line Roses suite of stamps, dies and stencil from Concord and 9th is the star of my card.  I started with an A2 card base and trimmed it to a 4.25" square.  One of my square nesting dies created the perfect frame.  

The rose image was stamped and heat-embossed with gold embossing powder, then stenciled with blue-greens and pinks before being die cut. The sentiment was also embossed with gold embossing powder and die cut to match. To finish it off, I added a few gold embellishments for a touch of sparkle.

I hope you will join the Dragonfly Dreams Challenge this month.  Thanks for stopping my my blog.

In kindness, Cathy

Dragonfly Dreams December Challenge - Tags

December’s Dragonfly Dreams Challenge is all about tags — create a tag or add a tag to your card! 

For my project, I made a festive tag using Pretty Pink Posh’s Holiday Birds Die Set. I inked the bird in a rich red to resemble a cardinal and tucked it into a bit of greenery so it has a cozy place to perch.

I’m so happy with how this turned out! The tag really helps the cardinal stand out and gives the whole card a warm, wintry feel. ✨

I hope you’ll join us and play along with this month’s challenge — I can’t wait to see what you create!  Thanks for stopping by my blog.

In kindness, Cathy

ATS&M Challenge #507- Christmas

How appropriate that as the calendar turns to December, the newest challenge on the Addicted to Stamps & More Blog is Christmas!

For my card, I pulled out a mix of favorite supplies. The background is created with an older Reverse Confetti die, and the blue frame features a snowflake stencil with white paste. It’s a little hard to see in the photo, but the inset panel is a beautifully textured vellum.

The tags were inked using the direct-to-paper technique—blending from the darkest blue at the top to a soft medium blue—and then splattered with white acrylic paint for a snowy effect. The little house, church, trees, and fence are all from a Simon Says Stamp die set.

I absolutely love how this card turned out! It was a bit putzy to assemble, but so worth the time and effort.

I hope you’ll find a moment to play along with our challenge this month. We’ll be back on January 6th with a brand-new one. See you then!

Thanks for stopping by my blog.
In kindness, Cathy

ATS&M Challenge #505 - Die Cuts and Stencils

 I decided to pull out a mix of supplies for the latest challenge over on the Addicted to Stamps & More Blog. Aside from the “sweet home” sentiment, everything on this card fits perfectly with the die cuts and stencils theme! It turned out to be a fun, fall-inspired design to share with a friend who just purchased a new home.

I started with an Altenew embossing folder background to add some texture and visual interest. Next, I inked up a few Altenew die-cut leaves, a flower, and a pumpkin for that cozy autumn feel. The “home” sentiment and matching roof die (from Papertrey Ink) were each cut four times and stacked together for extra dimension.

To complete the sentiment, I heat embossed the remaining words in rich brown embossing powder for a warm, seasonal touch. A few gold sequins sprinkled around the card finished everything off with just the right amount of shine.

I hope you are able to join us for the AST&M team for this challenge.  Can't wait to see what is added to the gallery.   Thanks for stopping by my blog. In kindness, Cathy

Dragonfly Dreams November 2025 Challenge - "Feminine"

The November Dragonfly Dreams Challenge Blog theme is “Feminine,” so I decided to focus on a few classic, feminine-inspired touches—soft colors, ruffly edges, and of course, a little pink!

For my card, I used the Layered Mistletoe Bundle from Gina K Designs. I love finding ways to get more mileage out of seasonal sets, so I challenged myself to create something that could work year-round. By varying the colors of the berries, softening the greens of the leaves, and using an everyday background paper, this holiday set takes on a whole new look. I even flipped the ribbon over to show its softer side!

To start, I used one of Gina’s Poly-Glaze Sheets with silver foil—so pretty and delicate! Then I added stenciled details to build some texture and depth. The leaves are a gentle sage green, the berries a yummy blue, and the bow a sweet blush pink. The mistletoe cluster is popped up with foam for a bit of dimension, and I finished it off with a few sequins and a foiled sentiment for sparkle.

A soft, feminine design that still feels fresh and versatile—perfect for this month’s challenge!

I hope you have time to join us this month!  Thanks for stopping by my blog.

In kindness, Cathy