Monday, May 18, 2026

myasperations 5-18-26

       I have been a regular participant in the Path of Positivity (POP) Challenge since I stumbled upon it 5 years ago. It became a favorite almost immediately, mainly because it inspires a positive mindset and encourages positive actions! (To learn more, read the Introduction provided in 2013 by the creator of this inspiring challenge, Lisa D.)   
      This year, the POP is officially entering its 13th year of offering challenges that encourage positivity and creativity! In honor of this anniversary, our challenge host introduced the theme for 2026, "Crafting by the Numbers," back in January. (Click HERE if you'd like to read more in-depth about our overall theme for 2026)!  
     May’s challenge TWIST is Lucky #5: and we’re layering on the creativity by encouraging you to use five layers or to embrace a sweet theme (or both!). If you’d like to learn more about the #5, and/or see suggestions for other creative ways to use the #5 on your card HERE. 
      One of my favorite treats is donuts, and this card features a very yummy-looking donut on a colorful easel birthday card. Its five layers include a white card base, bold polka dotted patterned cardstock, a subway birthday greeting, a fussy-cut donut digi, and several embellishments providing the 5th layer (yellow vellum for the candle glow, golden stars made with paper punches, and the little "Happy" sentiment tag at the top!  The suckers sticking into the donut are not made with vellum. I colored them with pastel markers, and added the translucent look with a fine line black marker and white gel pen. I love how they look so real! 
   Note- the twist is completely optional, and you don't need to follow it to win. 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"!
 
 

Supplies: 
·  Easel Card- Instructions found HERE  
·  Background- Birthday Subway Art Freebie from createwithTLC (can be found HERE)  
·  Donut Digi and inside sentiment are from a Beccy’s Place digi set (Sweet Thing) (Beccy recently closed her digi shop. She now sells clear stamp sets online. Check HERE  to see which sets are available!)
·   Colored with Spectrum Noir Classique markers and Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen

·   Inside Sentiment- "Birthday Blessings" is a freebie from Decosses Dynamite Doodles HERE  

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

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

Entered into:  
Classic Design Challenge: Anything Goes #5-2026 May-June (Optional twist-BDay) 
Paper Funday- May 2026 #87 AG 
Pammies Inky Pinky Challenge #2620

   I made this card for the Spring Fling at STAMPlorations! It features a weathered wood digi named Rustic Window (which is available at Stamplorations for just $2 US dollars!) I used a tan Copic (#E70) to lightly sketch wood grain  on the kraft brown paper. I also wanted to add depth to the card, so after adding stripes and lace to the curtains with a white gel, I vut out the lower part of the curtains with an exacto knife, then used foam tape to mount the finished window upon a scrap of yellow patterned cardstock. (A photo of the window taken from the side shows this detail.) I also added a few bright shouts of color with red and green markers on the geraniums in the window box, then gave them a bit of texture with a few dabs of red and green Tulip fabric paints that I’ve had in my stash for at least a decade… and maybe two!
    I’m entering this card into several challenges, including Pick 3- card includes the following picks: Friend (sentiment), Feminine (frilly curtains), and Rustic.) 
   
Supplies: 
·   Easel Card- Instructions found HERE  

·   Digi- Stamplorations (Rustic Window) printed on kraft cardstock

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

·   Front Sentiment- QKR Eureka Digital Stamp (I am happy to see that Eureka Stamps are again offered online. Check HERE to see which ones are available!)

·   Inside Sentiment- Computer Generated

·   Tulip fabric paint

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

·   Sheer black dotted Swiss ribbon- JoAnne’s

·   Foam tape, exacto knife, other misc. items and tools from my stash.

Entered into:  
STAMPlorations-Spring Fling May 2026     
Pick 3 Challenge- #4 April/May 2026  
Word Art Wednesday Challenge- Weeks #752-753 (AG/Family Friendly)
Papercraft Challenges- Challenge #130 Theme- AG (Twist- Botanical Beauty)

      This card is my third entry into the May Challenge at Sweet November Stamps, where May signals a wonderful event named “MerMay”! This beautiful mermaid, named Brook Wavedrifter, shyly peeks out of the card over her full tail fins. I had fun creating a layered base that features assorted scraps (Snippets!) from my stash. Included is a watery background scene from an upcycled flyer that I picked up back in the late 1990’s when I visited Niagara Falls while attending a convention in New York. A scrap of glossy white cardstock, embossed with swirls from an old Cuttlebug embossing folder, is adhered atop the Niagara Falls photo. And lastly, Brook is perched atop a few scraps of aqua-colored cardstock, cut into ovals with a few templates from my scrapbooking stash.
     
Supplies: 

·  Watery background scene is an upcycled Niagara Falls flyer

·   Digi- Sweet November Stamps (Brook Wavedrifter)

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

·   Front Sentiment-Gina K. Designs (Sentiment Set-Mixed Messages)

·   Pioneer Black Photo corners- available from several sources

·   Cuttlebug-D'vine Swirl Embossing Folder

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

·   Small anchor punch, metallic silver cardstock, oval templates, other misc. items and tools from my stash.

Entered into:  
Snippets- Week #532

      I created this card for the current Time Out challenge with a wonderful Music theme! My card features assorted items from my digi collection (which I’ve had since 2015) plus patterned papers from my stash. The wonderful guitar and musical note stickers, a recent purchase from Hobby Lobby, add a perfect touch of color and glossy sheen to the card!
 
   
Supplies: 
·   Silhouette With Music digi-Freebie from May 2016 PaperCrafters Magazine (no longer available)
·   Front Sentiment- from a Beccy’s Place digi set (All That Jazz) (Beccy closed her digi shop last year but still sells clear stamp sets online. Check HERE  to see which sets are available!)

·   Music Themed Stickers (Guitar and Musical Note)-Hobby Lobby

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

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

Entered into:  
Time Out Challenge- Challenge#313 (Theme Challenge- Music)      
Neglected Stuff Challenge- May 2026  
Colorful Options Monthly Challenge: May 2026 Color Board 

     This final card features a sweet snowman digi (which is one of my favorite freebies), perched upon a shape card (whose template is also a freebie!) The beautiful, knitted texture on the background adds a touch of holiday warmth, complemented with just a few touches of color (the little coffee cup is paper pieced with snowflake-patterned paper!)  The inside of the card features snippets of the patterned papers, plus a warm sentiment to match!
    An added note- Although Christy Croll, the artist/owner of Tiddly Inks, closed her challenge blog a few years ago, she has maintained the blogsite to maintain access to coloring tutorials plus several freebies (including this image) HERE, and sells a nice assortment of digis in her Etsy shop HERE.   
Supplies: 

·   Digi- Tiddly Inks Freebie “Something Warm” (You can find in the Freebies section of the blog HERE)

·   Colored with Spectrum Noir Classique markers, Black Fine-line Sharpie Marker, and Sakura Gelly Roll white  

         gel pen

·   Polkadoodles Mug Card Template Freebie Mug HERE

·   Nordic Knitted Sweater paper- Originally found  at Whimsy Stamps. No longer available there, but I found a similar assortment of patterns HERE

·  Inside Sentiment “Tis the Season for Coffee” from a Beccy’s Place digi set (Christmas Cheers) (Beccy closed her 

      digi shop last year but still sells clear stamp sets online. Check HERE  to see which sets are available!)

·   Inside Sentiment- “Sending You the warmest…” from Polka Dot Orchard digi set (Merry Little Coffee)

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

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

Entered into:  
Polkadoodles Challenge-  Challenge 5 Wk 3- AG
ABC Christmas Challenge- J and K are for… ?  'K is for Knitted’
Outlawz Christmas Only Challenge- May 2026
Outlawz Challenge Monthly Linky- May 2026
Posted by at 3 comments:

Wednesday, May 13, 2026

myasperations 5-13-26

    I love the photo inspiration for the current challenge at Time Out, which inspired me to make this card. It features a free digi from Beccy’s Place, which I’ve always thought would work beautifully on a Sympathy card. So… that is what I did! I punched a circle from a Post-it note, adhered it to the scene, and sponged layers of yellow, orange, and rusty red to create a rich sunset. After removing the “sun”, I added sentiments to the front and inside, then finished the card with butterflies, which I use on sympathy cards to represent new life!
    The timing of this photo inspiration challenge was almost unbelievable, as the day it was posted was the day that my sister’s husband, Marty,  went into hospice after a 7-year battle with colon cancer. He passed away the next day, and my hubby and I just returned from his funeral. 
    I knew Marty as an amazing man who, for nearly 47 years, cherished my dear sister, whom he called “The love of my life”, and was one of the best dads I’ve ever seen. He was loved and respected deeply by my sister, Carol, his three sons, and their wives. He was also the beloved grandfather to four little girls who called him "Papa" and enjoyed his generosity with hugs, treats, and especially his funny stories and cartoon voices!
    What I did NOT know is that during his career as a teacher, coach, and later the manager of a few businesses, he mentored hundreds of other people’s children.  His funeral was probably one of the most touching that I have ever attended. If you’d like to “meet” this real-life hero, you can view a recording of the service on YouTube HERE.
     My card features bands of color similar to those in the inspiration photo, plus Marty's life shimmered with light and encouragement, which he poured into the lives of so many people. His legacy is that the helped make the world a better place because he was in it! 
     I'm entering the card into several other challenges, including Passion for Markers-Masculine (it seems that Sympathy cards often feature flowers, I made this one to have a more masculine feeling.) 
Supplies: 
·   Digi- Freebie from Beccy’s Place (Free Silhouette Digi) (Beccy closed her digi shop, but continues to offer a large number of free digis on her blog, and sells clear stamp sets online. Check HERE  to see which sets are available!) 
·  Colored with assorted inkpads a sponge from my stash, and a circle mask. 
·  Front Sentiment-Gina K. Designs (Sentiment Set-Mixed Messages)
·  Inside Sentiment- Computer Generated
·  Butterfly images- trimmed  from the upper margin of a 12x12 sheet of American Crafts paper from JOAnnes Crafts (sadly no longer in business)
·  Sookwang double-sided tape- Available from several sources on the web.
·   All other misc. items and tools from my stash.
Entered into: 
Time Out Challenge- Challenge #312 (Photo Inspiration)  
Word Art Wednesday Challenge- Weeks #752-753 (AG/Family Friendly)
Passion for Markers Challenge- Week #837: Masculine
Pattie's Creations Challenge- #242 AG (May 2026)
Paper Funday- May 2026 #87 AG 

     This card is my first entry into the monthly challenges at the  Coffee Loving Paper Crafters/Caffeinated Christmas Card Challenge and Stamplorations.  It features one of my favorite Stamplorations digi is named "Framed Coffee Cup." I printed a copy of the complete digi onto white card stock, then cropped the digi to include just the cup, and printed that onto striped fuchsia colored paper that I loaded into my printer, then fussy-cut, and adhered it atop the cup on the white “Framed Coffee Cup digi”. A bit of color and whimsy were added with a strip of Christmas Ornament paper, a sentiment tag, and a small Santa hat from my scrapbook stash. The inside sentiment was embellished with a coffee cup and hearts stamped on green paper with an old Stampin’ Up! Coffee-themed stamp set. 
   
Supplies: 

·   Stamplorations Digital stamp (Framed Coffee Cup) (clear stamp is retired. Digital image is available for $2.oo)

·   Inside Sentiment “Tis the Season for Coffee” from a Beccy’s Place digi set (Christmas Cheers) (Beccy closed her digi shop last year but still  sells clear stamp sets online. Check HERE  to see which sets are available!)

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

·   All other misc. items and tools from my card-making or scrapbooking stash.

Entered into: 
STAMPlorations- May 2026      
Outlawz Christmas Only Challenge- May 2026
Outlawz Challenge Monthly Linky- May 2026

      This card is my second entry into the May Challenge at Sweet November Stamps, where May signals a wonderful event named “MerMay”! This sweet little mermaid, named Nami, is perched within a delicate oval to share a bright greeting with all who see her! She is sure to brighten the day of anyone who sees her!
     I’m entering this card into several challenges, including Pick 3- card includes the following picks: Friend (sentiment), Feminine, and Pastel)
 
Supplies: 

·   Digi- Sweet November Stamps (Nami)

·   Oval Templates and Front sentiment- from my scrapbook stash

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

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

Entered into:  
Pick 3 Challenge- #4 April/May 2026  

    I tried a new fold on this card, a “Three Panel Gatefold,” but I mustn’t have followed the directions that I found HERE since it took me forever to get the panels to slide together without a hassle. And then, to keep them together so that the card doesn’t look like a sloppy mess, I ended up adding a pretty red bow. I like the end result, so it was worth the effort. Since I really like the look of the sample card, I'll give it another try. For now, here is my final card for this post. It will be on its way to one of my sister-in-laws tomorrow. I know that it will make her smile!
Supplies: 
·   Three Panel Gatefold Instructions (and video) can be found HERE
·   Birthday Cake Digi from Bugaboo Stamps (Sadly, the company is no longer in business)
·   Front Sentiment-Musical Happy Birthday from Birdscards (blog now closed)
·   Inside Sentiment “You don’t look a day older…” from a Beccy’s Place digi set (Feathered Friends ) (Beccy closed her digi shop last year but still sells clear stamp sets online. Check HERE  to see which sets are available!)
·   Sookwang double-sided tape- Available from several sources on the web.
·  Patterned paper, satin ribbon,  other misc. items and tools from my stash.
Entered into: 
Pammies Inky Pinky Challenge #2619
Polkadoodles Challenge-  Challenge 5 Wk 2- AG
Posted by at 7 comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)