Color Dare Challenge #714

I'm back today with a new challenge for the Color Dare Challenge Blog!

I did a little shopping during the Sizzix sale earlier this month and picked up the Brushstroke Flowers 2 dies at an amazing discount.  I thought this versatile set would make a wonderful addition to my craft stash, and I couldn't wait to put it to use.  

For today's card, I used all eight dies in the set, cutting the pieces from a mix of patterned papers and solid cardstock. I finished the flowers with a bit of ink blending to add depth, dimension, and a touch of texture. 

I hope you'll take a look through your stash, get inspired by our newest color challenge, and join us this week. I can't wait to see what you create! Happy crafting!  Thanks for stopping by my blog. 

In kindness, Cathy

Addicted to Stamps & More Challenge #522 - Christmas

This card is a bit of a two-for-one challenge for me! The theme for Challenge #522 at Addicted to Stamps & More is Christmas, and another design team I'm on, Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmakers, is in the middle of its Christmas in July Linky Party.

If you're making Christmas cards for the ATS&M challenge, I'd love to encourage you to pop over and upload your creations to the Linky Party gallery. There are lots of fabulous prizes up for grabs from some amazing sponsors!

For my card, I kept things fairly simple, letting the fun background paper take center stage while showcasing the delightful Mini-Oddballs on a Sled stamp from Stamping Bella. I dusted off my Copic markers and put my somewhat rusty coloring skills to work!

To create the snowy scene, I used a scalloped border die to cut a snow hill from silver shimmer cardstock. I used the same shimmer paper to die cut several snowflakes, adding one more from white glitter cardstock for a little extra sparkle. I finished the card with sentiments from Simon Says Stamp and a few Pinkfresh Studio pearls.

I'm looking forward to seeing your Christmas cards in both galleries! Thanks so much for stopping by my blog. I always appreciate your visit!                      

In kindness, Cathy

{BYSHC} Christmas in July 2026 Linky Party - Day 1

It's finally here! The first day of the Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmakers Christmas in July 2026 Linky Party! If you have been with us before you know we are in for a week of inspiration, sponsors, and prizes to give away.  

My first card is a shaker card, and I have to admit, it's one of my favorites! I started by creating the gorgeous poinsettia background with the Hero Arts Poinsettia Window Layering Stencil, blending traditional red and green inks for a classic Christmas feel.

Then the die cutting began! I reached for the Arched Stacklet Dies  from our wonderful sponsor, Taylored Expressions. The largest arch created the base panel, while three smaller arches became the green frame, the window opening, and the shaker element.

The shaker sits on the front of the card, with the shaker mix tucked between two pieces of clear acetate and 1/4-inch foam tape. 

For a fun interactive surprise, I used the smallest arched die cut on the inside of the card so it's visible through the shaker window when the card is closed and even more noticeable when it's opened.

To finish everything off, I added a beautiful foiled "Merry Christmas" sentiment from another generous sponsor, Gina K Designs, and a few sparkling red glitter jewels from Pinkfresh for the perfect finishing touch.

This card was such a joy to create! It's definitely a "looker" with all the sparkle and dimension, and I couldn't think of a better way to kick off the Linky Party than with a card that makes a big festive first impression!  I can't wait to see what you add to the gallery this week. Thanks for stopping by my blog.

In kindness, Cathy

Addicted to Stamps & More Challenge #521 - Make Your Mark

Welcome back to the newest "Make Your Mark" challenge at the Addicted to Stamps & More Blog!

For this challenge, I was asked to create a good-bye card for the Community Manager in my 62+ active living cooperative here in Minnesota. The theme for the card was "You Are Our Sunshine," and I had so much fun bringing that idea to life. This is one of the two cards I created, and I absolutely love how it turned out! I made this version a little less literal than the first card (which I'll post at the end of the month for a Color Dare Challenge) and had fun pulling together a variety of supplies from my stash.

I started with Waffle Flower's A2 Postage Collage Die and added several of the Postage Collage Wild Flower Stencil panels. To keep with the sunshine theme, I colored all of the flowers in cheerful shades of yellow.

The two bolder sunshine panels with the sweet smiling faces are from Concord & 9th's Pure Sunshine stamp, stencil, and die bundle. I also pieced together the sentiment from that same set.

The bottom right rectangular panel was created using candle flames from the Make A Wish birthday set by The Greetery—a fun way to create a unique sunburst effect! I finished the card with a layered die-cut sentiment from Cathy Zielske and Simon Says Stamp, using a contrasting salmon cardstock color. I think that pop of salmon adds just the right amount of warmth and dimension.

With all of the layered elements, this card ended up measuring just under 5" x 7", making it a wonderfully substantial card.  Can' wait to see how you "make your mark" in our latest challenge.  Thanks for stopping by my blog.

In kindness, Cathy

Color Dare Challenge #712

 How about switching to a little navy, red, and green for this week's Color Dare Challenge?!?

Unfortunately, I have had a need for sympathy cards over the past few weeks, so the Color Dare challenges have been a great jumping-off point to build my stash.  

For this card, I wanted navy to be the primary color. I pulled out my treasured (and very old!) SU! French Script background stamp and inked it with white pigment ink. Then I used oval stitched nesting dies to create an olive frame for the focal point.

The flowers are Memory Box dies - called Wildflower Stems.  I found them in the sale room at my local stamp store, so they're new to me even though they're not readily available anymore.  Keeping with the challenge colors and taking advantage of the “free” extras of white and neutrals, I tried to make the blooms resemble white coneflowers with brown centers. It was easy to ink the stems green while leaving the tips white to create the look of fresh buds.

The panel behind the flowers is splattered with green ink, Distress mica spray, and brown ink for added texture and interest. I knew I needed to incorporate the red from the challenge palette, so I tied a piece of red twine around the stems for a simple finishing touch.

I loved the challenge of these three colors together because they made me think a little harder about the card design.  Hope you find inspiration and join the Color Dare Challenge.  Thanks for stopping by my blog.

In kindness, Cathy

Dragonfly Dreams July Challenge: Christmas with Glitter or Sparkle

I'm back with my July card for the Dragonfly Dreams Challenge Blog. ! This month's theme is Christmas with Glitter or Sparkle, and I'm always happy to make Christmas cards in July.

For this card, I pulled out the Pine Trees Stencil from Simple Stories. I ran it through my Platinum 6 using the embossing pad to add some texture before blending green ink over the raised design to create a festive background. I finished it with splatters of white and gold Distress Mica spray paint for a snowy, shimmery effect.

To incorporate this month's sparkle theme, I layered the strand of lights from the Let Your Light Shine Stamp and die set from Gina K Designs and added gold glitter paste over the stenciled light bulbs for lots of festive sparkle. The Concord & 9th sentiment was die cut from gold glitter cardstock and layered onto a white backer to help it stand out against the background.

To finish the card, I added a few gold and silver glitter dots, keeping the sparkle going and adding the perfect finishing touch to this Christmas-in-July creation. Hope you are able to join in the festivities this month!  Thanks for stopping by my blog!

In kindness, Cathy