myasperations 12-11-25

     One of my favorite things about making cards is sending them to friends and family who might need some encouragement or comfort. This one will be sent to a dear high school friend, also named Kathy, who had three strokes this past summer and, since then, has spent time in and out of hospitals in three states. Since Kathy suffered some memory loss, communicating by text or phone is difficult for her. So, after learning of her strokes back in July, I started sending her a card or two every week. Kathy’s family has told me that it helps raise my friend's spirits, especially when I send humorous cards or those with creative folds. She loved an explosion card that I sent a few months ago, so I decided to make her another one!       

      This one features a beautiful digi from Not2Shabby, named "Joy Love the Snow" and some Sparkle and Shine (paper, glitter paper, silver photo corners, Stickles glitter drops on snowflakes, and rhinestone "earrings"), which allows me to enter it into two challenges- Wednesday Simon Says and We Craft Cards.

      Back in the 1960’s we used to spend “snow days” making snow forts and having snowball fights with all of our siblings (12 in all!) Since the “explosion fold” on the inside of the card packs a simulated explosion of snow, I think Kathy will enjoy the card!

       Note- I added bulky knitted texture to Joy's gloves and mittens using a technique I learned from Anabel Haines on an easy-to-follow tutorial (see link in supplies list.)

Supplies: 

·   Digi Stamp- Not2Shabby Shop (Joy Loves the Snow)

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

·   Tutorial for creating knitted texture (on gloves and hat) can be found HERE

·   White Glitter paper used to make sparkly snowballs-Hobby Lobby

·   Small Pink Rhinestone Hearts from JoAnnes Crafts (Sadly no longer in business)

·   Snowflake paper from a package of heavyweight Christmas/Winter giftwrap purchased at JoAnnes Crafts (Sadly no longer in business)

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

·   Sentiments-Computer Generated

·   Blue and Silver snowflake paper (on the inside of the card) is from an upcycled gift bag.

·   Explosion Card tutorials HERE , HERE (Explosion fold starts at 6:10 on video), a mini-version is found HERE

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

·   Diamond Stickles- to add sparkle to snowflakes and around rhinestone earrings.

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

Entered into:  

Park Hopping-My Happy Place (Dec)     Badlands Snow Park (WI)

Word Art Wednesday Challenge- Weeks #728-729 AG/Family Friendly

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge- Sparkle and Shine

We Craft Cards- Sparkle and Shine

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Challenge- #267 AG 

      I had so much fun making the last card that I printed off another copy of the digi and got to work! Also, since I won this sweet digi, along with several others, at last month’s coffeelovingpapercrafters 2025 Fall/Winter Coffee Lovers Blog Hop, I decided to make a few changes to create a  coffee theme.  First, I used an exacto knife to cut slits around the snowballs. Then I printed off, colored, and fussy-cut a coffee cup digi, and slid it into the cut area, covering the two snowballs with the coffee cup.

     Since I won this sweet digi at a coffeelovingpapercrafters' last Blog Hop, it’s fun that this card is my first entry into this month’s Coffee Loving Papercrafters/Caffeinated Christmas Card Challenge! I’ve also decided that if that coffee cup was mine, it would be filled with a yummy Gingerbread Latte… which allows me to enter it into this month's ABC Christmas Challenge- ‘Y is for Yummy’ and the Colorful Options December Challenge (Gingerbread and other treats)!

     Note- I added bulky knitted texture to Joy's gloves and mittens using a technique I learned from Anabel Haines on an easy-to-follow tutorial (see link in supplies list.)

Supplies: 

·  Digi Stamp- Not2Shabby Shop (Joy Loves the Snow)

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

·   Tutorial for creating knitted texture (on gloves and hat) can be found HERE

·   Small Red Rhinestone Hearts and patterned paper- Hobby Lobby

·   Coffee Cup Digital image and Front Sentiment are from Beccy’s Place Digi sets that are no longer available. (Business recently changed to clear stamps/wholesale only)

·   Inside Sentiment- a freebie from YouTube@Sassy’s LLC (learn more Here)

·   Holly image cut from patterned paper (Hobby Lobby)

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

·   Metallic Gold Cardstock-Hobby Lobby

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

Entered into:  

Coffee Loving Paper Crafters/Caffeinated Christmas Card Challenge: #48 Dec 

Colorful Options Monthly Challenge: Dec  Color Board (Gingerbread & other treats)  

Classic Design Challenge: Anything Goes #11-2025 Nov/Dec (Optional twist- Hug in a Mug) 

Passion for Markers Challenge- Week #818: Mega Christmas Challenge-Add a Sentiment  

ABC Christmas Challenge- Y and Z are for?  'Y is for Yummy’

     I made another gift bag, with a striking box folded “topper” to enter into the current Double D challenge “Christmas Wrappings”.  I’ve made these toppers for several years, and always love being reminded how easy they are to make using the tutorial in my supplies list!

   The topper was made with heavyweight scrapbook paper, which created crisp folds that hold their shape. The tag was made with greetings, and the paper strip with green foiled swirls was upcycled from old cards and sequins I’ve had in my stash for a few decades. The green leaf sequins are embossed with raised veins, and the round red sequins create berries, especially when held in place with red seed beads, and bits of red thread.

 

Supplies: 

·   Kraft Gift Bag from Dollar Tree

·   Gift Bag Topper Tutorial can be found HERE  

·   Tag made from upcycled items from old cards, plus Holly and berry sequins found at a thrift store years ago.

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

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

Entered into:  

Double D’s Challenge- Christmas Wrappings 

Polkadoodles Challenge- Challenge 13, Week 2-AG  

myasperations 12-8-25

     I was saddened to see that Penny’s Paper Crafty Challenge is hosting its Final Challenge this month. I served on their DT a few years ago and enjoyed working with such a great group of people! Since Rachelle Anne Miller is hosting this last challenge, I decided to use one of her adorable digis for my card. And since I’ll soon be needing New Year's cards, I opted for that theme. So fun!

Supplies: 

·   Digi- Rachelle Anne Miller (RAM) Digital Stamps (Animal Parade)

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

·   Black, White and Metallic Gold Card Front- revised New Year Party invitation from clearance aisle at JoAnne’s Crafts (no longer in business)

·   Sentiments- QKR Eureka Digital Stamps (Currently Not Available)

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

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

Entered into:  

Penny’s Paper Crafty Challenge- #611 The Final Challenge

Passion for Markers Challenge- Week #817: Add Some Bling  

Park Hopping-My Happy Place (Dec)      Most Disney Parks have parades!

Polkadoodles Challenge- Challenge 13, Week 2-AG 

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Challenge- #267 AG 

     A short time ago, I stumbled upon a talented and generous artist named Sande Woodson. Sande manages a FB page and an email through which she provides free digital images on a regular basis. I created a card last week (posted HERE) using a beautiful, embroidered Angel wreath, which is an example of the types of images Sande creates and shares!  I used another of Sande’s embroidered wreaths, this one has a sweet (literally!) gingerbread cookie as the center focus. Using scraps of gold metallic cardstock, I created a cap and ring to top the ornament and set it aside. I next trimmed a card front from a Hobby Lobby boxed set of Christmas cards and covered one of its trio of ornaments with my gingerbread one. I cut slits into the bow on the card front, slid the ornament ring under it, and taped it in place with a strip of clear tape. Gold Filigree photo corners and sentiments finish the card.

                            

   
Supplies: 

·   Embroidered Gingerbread digi is from a Sande's Poema digital 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 and FB page!)

·   Christmas Tree with Ornaments card front is from “Traditional Christmas Box of Cards”-Hobby Lobby.

·   Gold filigree photo corners- Hobby Lobby

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

·   Small gingerbread cookie embellishments for inside sentiment are trimmed from Hobby Lobby Patterned paper

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

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

Entered into:  

Colorful Options Monthly Challenge: Dec  Color Board (Gingerbread and other treats) 

Sande's Poema Card Making Community Monthly Challenge- Dec

The Four Seasons Challenge- Winter Season Dec 2025   (Trees)

Pattie's Creations Challenge- #237 AG (Nov)

    This week’s Wednesday challenge at Simon Says Stamps requires the use of Dies. I recently found an envelope full of pretty pastel-colored flowers that my dear friend, Linda, and I die-cut many years ago. We'd both been Stampin’ Up demonstrators for a few years before opening a small stamp store in South Dakota in the late 1990s. We loved creating cards together, and often stuffed envelopes with die-cuts, embellishments, etc., for later use. 

     Sadly, I had to create with this pile of pretty flowers on my own, since breast cancer took Linda from us two years ago. I miss her more than I thought possible, and can’t wait to craft with her again, because I'm pretty sure that our heavenly mansions will be side by side!  

     Since Linda loved growing flowers, I made this card in her memory! I am thinking I’ll send it to her daughter, Sara, who has a sweet heart like her momma!

Supplies: 

·   Flowerpot Pocket Card Template can be found HERE

·   Tag created with scraps and a sticker from my stash

·   Inside Sentiment-a Rubber stamp that I tore off the wood years ago so I could use it on my MISTI

·   All other items from my stash.

Entered into:  

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge- Use Dies

Classic Design Challenge: Anything Goes #11-2025 Nov/Dec

Word Art Wednesday Challenge- Weeks #728-729 AG/Family Friendly

myasperations 12-4-25a

    This week’s Wednesday challenge at Simon Says Stamps requires the use of Dies. I used one of the first dies I ever purchased, from Stampin’ Up, back in 2013 when they released their first Thinlits Expressions dies. I use this die set more than any others in my collection.  I cut the sentiment from two pieces of cardstock (a scrap of shiny red and a half circle of smooth moss green), which I positioned on a white card front. I also created an embellishment with a circle punch and a scrap of red paper with white dots, topped with sequins I’ve had in my stash for a few decades. The green leaf sequins are embossed with raised veins, and the round red sequins create berries, especially when held in place with red seed beads and bits of red thread.

 

Supplies: 

·   Holly and berry sequins were a great find at a thrift store years ago.

·   Front Sentiment “Merry” is from a set of Stampin Up Thinlits Expressions Dies (Retired)

·   Inside Sentiment- a Freebie from TlcCreations (Merry Little Christmas)

·   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- Use Dies

Polkadoodles Challenge- Challenge 13, Week 1-AG          

           

This gift bag is my second entry into the Double D challenge “Christmas Wrappings.” It features a gift tag made with an heirloom PSX stamp that I’ve had in my collection since the 1990s. All other items were from my stash.

  

Supplies: 

·   Kraft Gift bag from Dollar Tree

·   Christmas light sentiment on gift tag is from a wood-mount PSX stamp (Company no longer in business)

·   Green ink pad, Spectrum Noir Classique markers, Decorative Chalks (to add light bulbs glow), and Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen

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

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

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

Entered into:  

Double D’s Challenge- Christmas Wrappings   (photo)   

Word Art Wednesday Challenge- Weeks #728-729 AG/Family Friendly

I made this card to enter into the current Passion for Markers Challenge “Add Some Bling”. It features a sweet penguin digi from Scribbles, which includes a sentiment AND is a freebie! The background is created with an upcycled greeting card, sparkly gold paper, and gold star stickers. The inside sentiment is a favorite of mine. Sadly, it is no longer available.

Supplies: 

·    Scribbles Designs Freebie- Digital Image with sentiment (Happy New Year Penguin).

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

·    Aqua patterned paper, Black Flowers and Leaves all  upcycled from old greeting cards

·    Sparkly gold paper and gold stickers- Hobby Lobby

·    Inside Sentiment- QKR Eureka Digital Stamp (Another Year) Currently Not Available

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

·    White A2 card base, other misc. items and tools from my stash.

Entered into:  

Passion for Markers Challenge- Week #817: Add Some Bling

Park Hopping-My Happy Place (Dec)      Penguin Trek (Orlando Seaworld)