Friday, May 15, 2026

Color Dare #704 & A New DT for Me!

 Happy to announce that I’m now part of the Color Dare Challenge DT! I’m on Team B and will be posting every other week. I absolutely love a good color challenge, and these palettes are so inspiring!

For today’s card, I used a new-to-my-collection Altenew layering die set called Botanical Waltz. I made the mistake of watching one of Altenew’s new release videos a couple of months ago, and somehow this set magically landed in my cart!

The layout featuring the three blooms was inspired directly by the Altenew inspiration folder. It’s a simple design, but it really showcases the three colors from this week’s challenge beautifully. I added some stenciling to the card base, a sentiment, and a few gold pearl accents to finish everything off. 

Honestly, this card practically made itself, and I just love how it turned out! I hope you’ll play along with these fun colors—I can’t wait to see what you create in the Color Dare galleryThanks so much for stopping by my blog! 
In kindness, Cathy





Tuesday, May 12, 2026

Addicted to Stamps & More #517 - Christmas

“Christmas” is the new theme at the Addicted to Stamps & More Challenge BlogMy card features the Cozy Toes Stamp and Dies from Concord & 9th. I created the look of stockings hanging from a fireplace mantel and kept the design festive with a variety of patterned papers paired with the stamped stockings.


To finish the card, I added a sentiment along with a few embellishments for some extra holiday sparkle. I hope you’ll take advantage of this challenge as a fun way to get a head start on the holiday cards you’ll need in December! Thanks so much for stopping by my blog.
In kindness, Cathy


Sunday, May 3, 2026

Dragonfly Dreams Challenge Blog - May Theme: Layers

Welcome to May’s layer-themed challenge on the Dragonfly Dreams Blog! This month’s theme was my pick, so I really leaned into it—I love layering anyway, but this card might take the cake. Even without counting all of the flowers, there are 8+ layers here!

A couple of months ago, my sister-in-law lent me the Into the Blooms: Fun Flowers die set from Papertrey Ink. I went a little overboard (in the best way!) and die-cut a ton of flowers from white cardstock, then brought them to life with ink blending. It turned into quite the project—I’ve made over 10 cards so far and I’m still adding the finishing touches like sentiments and sequins. It feels great to finally clear some space on my craft desk!

For this card, I paired the florals with the Vases 13 die from Papertrey Ink to anchor the arrangement. Behind that, I layered three of Altenew’s Nesting Arch dies to create a soft, grounded backdrop. I’ve also been making a real effort to use up my patterned paper stash—you’ll spot a few in the layers here, including one that’s been sitting in my scrap drawer for over 10 years!

I hope you’ll take some time to join this month’s challenge. Thanks so much for stopping by my blog!
In kindness, Cathy