Monday, October 20, 2025

myasperations 10-20-25

     This year, Path of Positivity is challenging you to Embrace the Unexpected!  This month's theme is "Unexpected colours for a holiday [of your choice]" (See more theme info HERE.This theme is optional, so as long as your creation is positive or encouraging in some way, enter it into the POP challenge for a chance to win $6 worth of images from our sponsor, Scribbles Designs, and/or be honored as one of our special "picks"!
    My card features a wonderful digi from Scribbles Designs named "Jack-O-Lattern" and the "Unexpected [Fall/Halloween] Color Scheme" is teal and shades of brown/rust! There is a wonderful reason for this color scheme. A few years ago, a friend had a Teal pumpkin with a flickering candle on her front step on Halloween instead of a typical orange one. I was curious, and then impressed when she explained that her daughter has many food allergies, and having a Teal pumpkin on display meant that they have non-food treats available for children with allergies! (You can read more about the "Teal Pumpkin Project" HERE.)   
    An added note, the inside sentiment adds a fun feature to the card that was easy to make. I folded it in the middle, then also folded the ends up, so that when they were taped down so the sentiment "pops-up" when the card is opened (I added to photos of the inside of the card, and one from the side to try to show this folded section.) 
Supplies: 

·    Background on card front is from Sande's Poema “Fall Harvest” set (Obtained via a recent weekly email newsletter which you can join HERE, or check out the FB page HERE for additional info. Sande’s creations always impress me… and she provides them free to those on her newsletter!)

·    Front Sentiment “Sweet Fall”- freebie from Lovesvg.com (Note- you need to open an account to access freebies) 

·    Digi- Scribble Design (Jack-O-Lantern)

·    Colored with Spectrum Noir Classique markers and Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen

·    Inside Sentiment- from a Digi set by MMedelIllustrations (Etsy shop is on break) 

·    Other misc. items and tools from my stash.

Entered into:  
Sande's Poema Card Making Community Monthly Challenge- Oct  (Fall or Thanksgiving card)
Sande's Poema Card Making Community Weekly Color Challenge 10/20 (Gold/Yellow/Green)
Sande's Poema Card Making Community "First Post" to FB group by Oct 31  
Polkadoodles Challenge- Challenge 11, Week 4-AG                    

     This fun Halloween card took a little time and some fussy cutting, but I like the way it turned out! After coloring and fussy cutting the Jack-o-lantern, I used an Exacto blade to cut his eyes and mouth from the digi. I traced Jack onto a piece of yellow cardstock, then to add some depth to the pumpkin, I adhered it to the yellow background with foam tape. Round circles were punched out of black scraps for his eyeballs, with a few dots of white gel pen to add highlights. When finished, their eyes were positioned into cutouts and adhered to the yellow background,
      The other parts of the card came together pretty quickly, with leaf embellishments (cut from Dollar Store paper plates) adding additional color and texture.

 
Supplies: 

·    Instructions for Z-fold card base can be found HERE.

·    Digi and Sentiments from a Beccy’s Place Digi set that is no longer available. (Business recently changed to clear stamps/wholesale only)

·    Colored with Spectrum Noir Classique markers and Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen

·    Large Fall Leaf embellishments- trimmed from Dollar Store paper plates

·    Sookwang double-sided tape- Available from several sources on the web.

·    All other misc. items and tools from my stash.

Entered into:  
Classic Design Challenge: Anything Goes #10-2025 Oct/Nov  
Inspiration Station- Challenge #78 Inspiration Prompt (inspired by the pumpkins in the Cornucopia) 
Passion for Markers Challenge- Week #811: Fun Folds
Outlawz- Tuesday Color Challenge- Color Board-Oct (twist-Halloween Jack-o-lanterns) 
Double D’s Challenge-Halloween Colors      
Outlawz Challenge- Festive Friday: Oct (Halloween, Autumn)         
Pink & Main Challenge- #10- October: All Things Fall   
Park Hopping-My Happy Place (Oct)   Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party
Colorful Options Monthly Challenge: Oct Color Board (My card has orange, plus a bit of black for Jack’s eyes!) 
Paper Funday- #81 Anything Goes  (Optional Twist: Cute or Creepy)

     While decluttering my craft room, I’ve found many items I haven’t used for some time, including washi tape! I had fun making two slimline cards with washi tape accents to enter into the new ABC Challenge- V is for Vertical! Although both cards have a vertical orientation and gift partially decorated with washi tape, the color schemes and sentiments are different.
Card with Victorian Color scheme
 
Supplies: 
·    Washi Tape- Ivory with silver stripe

·    Front Sentiment “Merry Christmas”- Trimmed from scrapbook label

·    Inside Sentiment- “Merriest Wishes” from a Beccy’s Place Digi set that is no longer available. (Business recently changed to clear stamps/wholesale only)

·    Burgundy satin ribbon, kraft cardstock, patterned paper, other misc. items and tools from my stash.

Entered into:  Washi Tape Victorian Colors-silver stripes
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge-Get Ready for Christmas
Word Art Wednesday Challenge- Weeks #720-721 AG/Family Friendly
ABC Christmas Challenge- U and V are for?  ‘V is Vertical’

Card with Traditional Color scheme
Supplies: 
·    Washi Tape-Brushed silver with white dots

·    Front Sentiment “Merry Christmas” from Eureka Stamps (Currently not available)

·    Inside Sentiment- “Peace, Love, Joy” from a woo-mount PSX stamp (Company no longer in business)

·    Silver pigment ink, Silver Embossing powder and heat gun all from my stash.

·    Small Heart and Star puffy stickers- from Walmart

·    Red grosgrain ribbon, metallic silver cardstock, patterned paper other misc. items and tools from my stash.

Entered into:  
Outlawz Twisted Thursday Challenge-AG Oct 2 -Nov 5 2025 (optl twist-All Tied Up) 
Outlawz Challenge-Oct 2025 Linky  
ABC Christmas Challenge- U and V are for?  ‘V is Vertical’
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge-Get Ready for Christmas
Word Art Wednesday Challenge- Weeks #720-721 AG/Family Friendly

Tuesday, October 7, 2025

myasperations 10-7-25

   This is my DT card for the “New Release Inspiration” Day for artist Wendy Burns' latest creations at All Dressed Up Stamps.  It features the digi" Christmas Sprinkles" with all its yummy details! I loved pairing it with patterned paper I’ve had in my stash for several years. A dear friend had sent me a card in a handmade envelope. The envelope was made with this paper! I was thrilled that the envelope provided me with enough paper to create the background for this card, and also allowed me to fussy-cut embellishments for the sentiment inside. So fun!
     I’m entering this card into several challenges, including Pink & Main: Favorite Things (I love all things Christmas, especially the wonderful treats! The fragrance of gingerbread and sugar cookies reminds me of my dear mom and grandma, and yummy Norwegian Sandbakkels remind me of my MIL. All were top-notch bakers.)
 
Supplies: 
·    Digi- All Dressed Up Stamps (Christmas Sprinkles)

·    Colored with Spectrum Noir Classique markers and Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen

·    Front Sentiment- from a Beccy’s Place Digi set that is no longer available. (Business recently changed to clear stamps/wholesale only)

·    Inside Sentiment- from an Imagine That! Place Digi set that is no longer available. (Company is no longer in business)

·    Sookwang double-sided tape- Available from several sources on the web.

·    Patterned paper,  other misc. items and tools from my stash.

Entered into:  
Polkadoodles Challenge- Challenge 11, Week 2-AG                     
Pink & Main Challenge- #8: Favorite Things  
Outlawz Challenge- Festive Friday: Oct (Christmas)         
Outlawz Challenge-Oct 2025 Linky  

     I had fun making this fun Halloween card using a wonderful background scene (a Freebie from Di’s Digi) and an adorable digi from Sweet November Stamps named “Halloween Scrappy”.  I’m a dog person… and the look on Scrappy’s face shows so much excited anticipation of going Trick or Treating with his little humans makes me smile. (When I first saw this digi, I envisioned making his ghost costume a bit transparent by using a layer of vellum. I did it… but it was a bit more work than I'd planned!)
    Note- if you aren't interested in details of how to replicate this card, you can skip the rest of this post as it's a bit long!) I first sketched in a few “pieces” of little Scrappy’s body that were hidden by the sheet, but would show through the vellum (mainly, the left side of his head, left shoulder, and the right side of his body from neck to ground.) I also had to trace the sheet onto a piece of vellum, trim around it, and cut out the needed sections where his body would be visible. It took a little time to figure out this step, but I finally got it worked out so it fits around and could also be adhered to the backside of the image. Whew! When I placed the finished ghost onto the background, I quickly realized that the vellum was too transparent. (See the last photo) I dug through my paper options and found a small writing table of lightweight white paper that we used to refer to as “onion skin”. I quickly traced and trimmed the item, then wrapped it around Scrappy... sighed. Here was the look I wanted. Yay! After that, the card went together quickly. Yay! I now plan to make a few more of these cards now that I have figured out how to make them with little fuss! So Fun!
 
Supplies: 

·    Background-Freebie from Di’s Digi FB page (Join Di’s FB page HERE, you can find this digi HERE.)

·    Digi- Sweet November Stamps (Halloween Scrappy)

·    Colored with Spectrum Noir Classique markers and Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen

·    Colored with Spectrum Noir Classique markers, Sakura Gelly Roll white & silver gel pens

·    Front Sentiment- Desert Diva Freebie (hello!)

·    Inside Sentiment- Freebie from TLC Creations (FabBOOlous Halloween)

·    Mead 6 x 9 Writing Tablet- Plain/unlined, 100 Sheets, 15# weight paper

·    Sookwang double-sided tape- Available from several sources on the web.

·    Sookwang double-sided tape- Available from several sources on the web.

·    All other misc. items and tools from my stash.

Entered into:  
Outlawz- Tuesday Color Challenge- Color Board-Oct (twist-Halloween Jack-o-lanterns) 
Double D’s Challenge-Trick or Treat Smell my Feet   
Di’s Digi Stamps-Hand Colored Image  
Classic Design Challenge: Anything Goes #09-2025 Sept/Oct 
Papercraft Challenges- Challenge #122 Theme- Amazing Autumn 

It’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and this card is for the new challenge at Simon Says Wednesday, “Think Pink”! I used a cute digi image from Eureka Stamps, which is sure to bring a smile to the face of one of my sweet great-nieces. She loved dinosaurs…. which are kinda like dragons, right? And the card has lots of sparkles. Win-win for Great-Aunt Kathy!!
Supplies: 

·    Digi- Eureka (Birthday Dragon) (Currently not available)

·    Colored with Spectrum Noir Classique markers, Sakura Gelly Roll white & silver gel pens

·    Stickles- Diamonds

·    Front Sentiment “Cheers”- Sticker set from JoAnnes Crafts (Sadly no longer in business)

·    Inside Sentiment “Warm Birthday Wishes”- a freebie from Birdscards.com (Blog now closed)

·    Silver photo corners available from several web sources (WXJ13 Photo Mounting Corners)

·    Sookwang double-sided tape- Available from several sources on the web.

·    Patterned papers, other misc. items and tools from my stash.

Entered into:  
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge-Think Pink
Crafty Catz Challenge- # 701 Sept 26- Oct 8 (Optional- Fall)
Park Hopping-My Happy Place (Oct)   How to Train Your Dragon
Paper Funday- #81 Anything Goes  (Cute)

Monday, October 6, 2025

myasperations 10-6-25

     This year, the Path of Positivity is challenging you to Embrace the Unexpected!  This month's theme is "Unexpected colours for a holiday [of your choice]" (More theme information can be found HERE. 
     Note- This theme is optional, so as long as your creation is positive or encouraging in some way, enter it into the POP challenge for a chance to win $6 worth of images from our sponsor, Scribbles Designs, and/or be honored as one of our special "picks"!
     My card features a wonderful digi from Scribbles Designs named "Woodland Santa" and the "Unexpected Christmas Color Scheme" is blue and brown... with lots of plaid!  
 
Supplies:
·    Digi- Scribble Design (Woodland Santa)

·    Colored with Spectrum Noir Classique markers and Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen

·    Front Sentiment- from a Sande's Poema Nordic Winter set (Obtained via a weekly email newsletter which you can join HERE, or check out the FB page HERE for additional info.)

·    Inside Sentiment- “... Cozy Christmas,” a freebie from Birdscards.com (Blog now closed)

·    Patterned paper, vellum, and other misc. items and tools from my stash.

Entered into:  
Classic Design Challenge: Anything Goes #09-2025 Sept/Oct
Park Hopping-My Happy Place (Oct)   Santa’s Village    
Outlawz Challenge- Festive Friday: Oct (Christmas)         
Outlawz Challenge-Oct 2025 Linky  

    I made several Halloween cards earlier this month, and this is one of them! It features a Halloween digi from an amazing artist named Mo Manning. (Sadly, this digi was just retired, but Mo has other wonderful digis on her new website HERE) My siblings and I loved watching old B&W monster movies back in the 60’s, and Creature from the Black Lagoon was a favorite. So I had fun making this Halloween card, which I plan to send to one of my brothers. I think he’ll get a kick out of it!
   
Supplies: 
·    Background-Freebie from Di’s Digi FB page (Join Di’s FB page HERE, you can find this digi HERE.)

·    Halloween Digi- from Mo’s Digital Pencil (Troy's Monster Pack). This digi is retired, but you can find Mo’s new website HERE

·    Colored with Spectrum Noir Classique markers, Sakura Gelly Roll White & Sparkle gel pens

·    Front Sentiment “Got candy?” is from a Beccy’s Place Digi set that is no longer available. (Business recently changed to clear stamps/wholesale only)

·    Inside Sentiment- a freebie from skogstokiga.blogspot.com (Sadly, blog is closed)

·    Pumpkin candy holder- upcycled from a newspaper Halloween candy ad

·    Sookwang double-sided tape- Available from several sources on the web.

·    All other misc. items and tools from my stash.

Entered into:  
Outlawz- Tuesday Color Challenge- Color Board-Oct (twist-Halloween/Jack-o-lanterns) 
Double D’s Challenge-Trick or Treat Smell my Feet   
Di’s Digi Stamps-Hand Colored Image  
Paper Funday- #81 Anything Goes  (Optional Twist: Cute or Creepy)

It’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and this card is for the new challenge at Simon Says Wednesday, with the theme “Think Pink”! I used a beautiful digi image from Pink & Main (the sponsor of the Challenge.) It is a freebie named “Sakura Wallpaper,” and it’s intended to be used as wallpaper on a laptop. However, I thought it would work beautifully on a card… and I think it does! A lacy punched border embellished with ribbon added a nice touch. However, after cropping a few of the pretty flowers from the digi, printing, coloring, fussy-cutting and adding them to the border with a bit of ribbon finishes the card with a Voilà!   
 I’m entering this card into several challenges, including Pink & Main: Favorite Things (one of my favorite things is making cards to send to friends and family who might need some encouragement or comfort. This one will be sent to a dear high school friend who had three strokes a few months ago and is going through a tough time. I send her a card every week, and it provides a wonderful way to keep in touch with her!)  
Supplies: 

·    Pre-colored Digi with sentiment- Pink & Main freebie (Sakura Wallpaper)

·    Shading and highlights added with Spectrum Noir Classique markers and Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen

·    Inside Sentiment- from a Jan’s Digi Stamps set (Company is no longer in business)

·    Martha Stewart Crafts Punch Around The Page-Swirling Lace Punch Set (occasionally available on EBay, etc.)

·    Sookwang double-sided tape- Available from several sources on the web.

·    All other misc. items and tools from my stash.

Entered into:  
Simon Says Wednesday Challenge-Think Pink
Word Art Wednesday Challenge- Weeks #718-719 AG/Family Friendly
Pink & Main Challenge- #8: Favorite Things