myasperations 5-9-25

      My first two cards in this posting feature a free digi from Beccy’s Place. It’s been a favorite of mine since I first discovered Beccy’s amazing site over 10 years ago. I especially like swapping out the opaque bauble with vellum to add a wonderful translucency that resembles a real vintage ornament. Three patterned papers provide a nice base for my card. A few sentiments and a green plaid bow complete the holiday magic!

 

  

Supplies: 

·   Digi- Freebie from Beccy’s Place (Holly Bauble)

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

·   Silver hanger and cap on Bauble Colored with Marvey Silver Marker, and Sakura Gelly Roll white and silver gel pens

·   Front Sentiment “Merry Christmas”- word tag from my scrapbook stash

·   Inside Sentiment “Don’t get your tinsel in a tangle” from the inside of a box of Christmas cards I found at a Goodwill Store

·   Tinsel strands to embellish the inside sentiment- from our Christmas ornament box

·   Woodgrain and Christmas tree patterned papers- Hobby Lobby

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

·   Vellum, ribbon scrap, other misc. items and tools from my stash.

Entered into:  

Polkadoodles Challenge- Challenge 6, Week 1- AG                     

Double D’s Challenge- Designer Paper    

{BYSHC} Spring Into Christmas  2025 Linky Party        

Outlawz Challenge- Festive Friday: May (Christmas) 

Outlawz Challenge-May 2025 Linky 

      Creating this version of a Holly Bauble card took more time and creativity, but I like how it worked out. I adapted an Accordian Fold Tutorial to create my 3-sided column of pine boughs. I used red vellum on this bauble, and a few wonderful digis from one of my favorite Beccy’s Place Christmas digi sets.

Supplies: 

·   Card Base was inspired by a Accordian Fold found HERE  (I adapted it to create three and one-half panels I could fold into the standing triangle and trim into a pine bough column) Note- I plan to make a template with a few instructions. So please  stop back in a week or so if you’d like that info!)

·   Holly Bauble.Digi- Freebie from Beccy’s Place (Holly Bauble)

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

·   Silver hanger and cap on Bauble Colored with Marvey Silver Marker, and Sakura Gelly Roll white and silver gel pens

·   Pine Bough image- from a Stampin’ Up clear stamp set (retired)

·   Sentiments are from a Beccy’s Place Digi Set (Home for the Holidays)

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

·   Red vellum, ribbon scrap, other misc. items and tools from my stash.

Entered into:  

Outlawz Challenges- Monday Greeting Challenge- Celebrate or Congratulations (May)     

Outlawz Twisted Thursday Challenge-AG May 2025 (optl twist- Celebrate Good Times!) 

Via Pinterest- {BYSHC} Spring Into Christmas  2025 Linky Party        

The Paper Shelter- #637 Anything Goes

       My last card for this posting is a free digi from TLC Creations named “Old Saint Nicholas. I printed it off on Kraft cardstock and lightly colored Santa’s face with alcohol markers. Then highlighted his face, hair, eyebrows, and beard, plus furry collar, hat, and cuffs with a white gel pen. The card front, complete with the holly bedecked frame, was upcycled from an old card. The inside includes a few sentiments, plus  the backside of the card front includes a wonderful “Truth about Santa Claus” article that was published in a Salvation Army newsletter in the early 70’s. (I have scrapbooks full of items I’ve collected since I was a young teen over 50 years ago! So… it is no surprise that I love paper crafting!) I’ll share the article below so that you can easily read it. The original didn’t cite the source. If you recognize it, please let me know!

The Truth About Santa Claus- In the fourth century A.D., there was in Asia Minor an impoverished little town called Myra.  Nicholas, the Christian bishop of this town, was known for his generosity.  To avoid embarrassing the recipients, he gave anonymously.  In one account, he threw a bag of gold through the window of a poor man to serve as dowries for his daughters. 

Nicholas, you see, had been given a gift far superior to any earthly possession.  He had been given the gift of a Savior, God's own Son, who came to take away the sins of the world.  He was eager to share the good news of the risen Savior with any who had ears to hear.  This greatest Gift was too precious to keep to himself.  Today, we know this humble bishop as Saint Nicholas or Santa Claus.

During the coming days, as the nation prepares for Christmas, we can enhance the lives around us by sharing the legend of Saint Nicholas. All the gifts that he gave, and all we give, are to remind us of the greatest gift ever given... that of God giving His only Son for our salvation.

    An added note- Paulette Slater, the person who hosted the TLC Creations blog, now hosts one of my favorite FB sites for free digis, Free Printables for your Junk Journaling with TLC.  As the group sponsor, Paulette provides dozens of free sentiments and digis on a monthly basis. Paulette also has a Ko-fi web shop HERE where you can find digis, word art, patterned papers and occasional freebies.

 

Supplies: 

·   Digi-Old St Nicholas- a freebie from TlcCreations (Blog has closed)

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

·   Front of card- upcycled from an old Christmas Card

·   Inside Sentiment- “Noel” and “Merry Christmas” upcycled from old cards

·   Inside article “The Truth About Santa Claus” (see above) 

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

Entered into:  

Word Art Wednesday Challenge- Weeks #698-699

Park Hopping-My Happy Place (May)     Santa’s Village (includes Nativity)    

ABC Christmas Challenge- “H and I are for…? ”  ‘'H is for Ho Ho Ho!'

Via Pinterest- {BYSHC} Spring Into Christmas  2025 Linky Party        

Paper Funday- #76 Anything Goes 

myasperations 5-8-25a

    I’ve started working on Father’s Day cards and love that this sweet digi from All Dressed Up includes its own sentiment.  That helps a card go together fairly quickly! Now… what little boy isn’t going to LOVE giving this card to his Daddy next month?

     I’m entering this card into several challenges, including Outlawz Monday Greeting Challenge-Celebrate or Congratulations (Fathers Day is a wonderful event to celebrate!)

Supplies: 

·   Digi- All Dressed Up Stamps (Daddy’s Little Helper)

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

·   Inside Sentiment “Happy Father’s Day” from an Imagine That digi set (Company no longer in business)

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

·   Yellow vellum, cloud-patterned paper, and other misc. items and tools from my stash.

Entered into:  

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Challenge- #252 AG 

Since I’m a DT for All Dressed Up FB Challenge, I’m entering just for fun. Please don’t     

   include me in the prize draw!  

Outlawz Challenges- Monday Greeting Challenge- Celebrate or Congratulations (May) 

Outlawz Challenge-May 2025 Linky  

Penny’s Paper Crafty Challenge- #596 Anything Goes

All Dressed Up- Anything Goes (April #161) 

   Since I’m a DT for All Dressed Up FB Challenge, I’m entering just for fun. Please don’t 

   include me in the prize draw!  

     I’m still decluttering my craft room. In the process, I keep finding things I haven’t used for a while and… well… I get distracted! The next two cards prove that good things can sometimes happen when decluttering turns to distraction. Heh heh!!  Both cards feature wood-stamps that I haven’t used in 15-2o years and also pigment inks, embossing powder, and heat gun that I seldom use.

    This card features a beautiful spray of Christmas greens made with an old PSX wood-mount stamp. I stamped and then embossed the image twice on a piece of Kraft cardstock. After coloring and fussy cutting the greenery, I created card fronts with two different patterned papers, framed with red cardstock, and adhered them to the A2 card base. I positioned and adhered the greenery to the A2-sized card base, printed and added the sentiments, securing them in place with a bit of gold bling (photo corners).  I have always liked how white blossoms just pop when stamped onto kraft brown cardstock and colored with white colored pencils. The other coloring is done with markers and a white gel pen. (I added a close-up pic of one of the cards to show the details.)

 

Supplies: 

·   Greenery image- PSX wood-mount stamp (company no longer in business)

·   Black Pigment Ink and fine-line black Embossing Powder  from my stash

·   Colored with Spectrum Noir Classique markers, Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen and white Aquarelle Pencil.

·   Front Sentiment “May Your Christmas be filled with Joy and Love” from a Beccy’s Place Digi Set (Jingle Bells)

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

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

·   Patterned papers- Hobby Lobby

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

Entered into: 

Double D’s Challenge- Designer Paper   

{BYSHC} Spring Into Christmas  2025 Linky Party        

Crafty Catz Challenge- #693 AG- Optional: May Flowers

Outlawz Challenge- Festive Friday: May (Christmas, Say It With Flowers) 

Love Those Pretty Papers Challenge: May 2025 Optional-Florals 

    This card features an old wood mount stamp from Embossing Arts named Victorian Stocking. I love that images of roses are spread across the entire image, in the stocking, the gifts, and even as flowers spilling out of the stocking top! To build upon the Victorian theme, I used sage green and burgundy as the primary colors on my card and cut an oval aperture on the front of my card. A scrap of deep burgundy velvet is attached to a cardboard oval that is slightly larger than the aperture. This velvet-covered oval is then taped to the underside of the aperture, providing a wonderful backdrop for the stocking. Again, honoring the Victorian theme, I included the “Legend of the Christmas Stocking” and an insightful Christmas sentiment on the inside of the card.

      I’m entering this card into several challenges including Passion for Markers: Make It Bloom (I was inspired by this theme to create a rose-laden Victorian card!), Simon Says Wednesday: Beautiful Blooms (Roses are beautiful… and have such a wonderful fragrance!)

 

Supplies: 

·   Victorian Stocking wood-mount stamp  from Embossing Arts (company no longer in business)

·   Black Pigment Ink and fine-line black Embossing Powder  from my stash

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

·   Front Sentiment “Merry Christmas”- word tag from my scrapbook stash

·   Inside Story- Legend of the Christmas Stocking (Source unknown- I’ve had this is my collection since I was in college… so it’s OLD!)

·   Inside Sentiment- “Christmas It’s All about the Love” from TlcCreations (No longer available)

·   Scrap of velvet, cardstock, oval template,  other misc. items and tools from my stash.

Entered into:  

Passion for Markers Challenge- Week #787: Make It Bloom  

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge- Beautiful Blooms

Word Art Wednesday Challenge- Weeks #698-699

Park Hopping-My Happy Place (May)     Santa’s Village

Via Pinterest- {BYSHC} Spring Into Christmas  2025 Linky Party        

myasperations 5-8-25

     I created this card to enter into a few Christmas Challenges. It features an adorable Gnome from a Woodware Clear Singles stamp set. The sentiment from a Polka Dots Orchard digi set is a perfect fit for this image as Santa Gnome looks like he is enjoying swinging on a Christmas tree ornament!

Supplies: 

·   Santa Image- Woodware Clear Singles Funtime Gnome 4 in x 6 in Stamp Set (available from several web sources.)  

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

·   Front and Inside Sentiments- “Swinging by just to say... Merry Christmas”- from Polka Dot Orchard Digi Set (Swinging By With Holiday Cheer)

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

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

Entered into:  

{BYSHC} Spring Into Christmas  2025 Linky Party

ABC Christmas Challenge- “H and I are for…? ”  ‘'H is for Ho Ho Ho!'

Polkadoodles Challenge- Challenge 6, Week 1- AG                     

Park Hopping-My Happy Place (May)     Santa’s Village

Outlawz Challenge- Festive Friday: May (Christmas) 

Outlawz Challenge-May 2025 Linky  

      This Christmas card also fits into the current challenge at Double D’s Patterned Papers Challenge.  I’ve had these two papers in my stash for at least five years and hadn’t thought of pairing them on a Christmas card, but I really like the combo, especially on a card with a sparkly black embossed sentiment!  

 

Supplies: 

·   Image- “Merry Christmas” Rubber pulled from wood-mount years ago so unsure of company (perhaps Denami Designs or Printworks?)

·   Black Pigment Ink and Sparkly Colored with Embossing Powder  from my stash

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

·   Inside Sentiment- “Wishing you a Merry Christmas…” from a We Are 3 Digital Sentiments  set (company no longer in business)

·   Pioneer Black Photo corners- available from several sources

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

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

Entered into:  

Double D’s Challenge- Designer Paper 

Via Pinterst-{BYSHC} Spring Into Christmas  2025 Linky Party

Penny’s Paper Crafty Challenge- #596 Anything Goes

Word Art Wednesday Challenge- Weeks #698-699

Paper Funday- #76 Anything Goes 

     There are several flower-related challenges right now so I pulled out a digi from Ching-Chou Kuik that features large poppies, a fairy and a  cute and cuddly little kitten that adds an “Ahhhh” factor to the card.  Bling was added to the card with gel pens, a “Wink of Stella” marker, and glitter paper. A frame torn from red mulberry paper adds bright shouts of color to the card.

 

Supplies: 

·   Peony Digi- Ching-Chou Kuik Grayscale digi (Poppy Night Adventure)

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

·   Sparkly Heart Stickers- punched or fussy-cut from glittery and metallic paper scraps

·   Front Sentiment “A Happy Hello” from a Beccy’s Place Digi Set (Limited Edition)

·   Inside Sentiment “You Sparkle” from WeAre3 Digital sentiment set (Magical Sparkle) No longer available

·   ZIG Wink of Stella clear glitter brush marker (To add a bit of sparkle onto pink stripes)

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

·   Mulberry paper, silver cardstock and other misc. items and tools from my stash.

Entered into:  

Passion for Markers Challenge- Week #787: Make It Bloom   

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge- Beautiful Blooms

The Paper Shelter- #637 Anything Goes (Opt Twist- Floral Delight)

Crafty Catz Challenge- #692AG

Di’s Digi Stamps-Load on Flowers

Show Us Your Pussycats Challenge- Furry Thing Goes- #111 May