myasperations 10-25-25

     I found a bit of time the last few days to create two cards for the October Coffee Loving Paper Crafters/Caffeinated Christmas Card Challenge. Both cards feature a sweet image from Tiddly Inks named Something Warm, which is one of my favorite freebies! (You can find the link in my supplies list below.)       

     For the first card, I upcycled a card from a boxed set that I found at a local thrift store. I use an Exacto knife to trim a photo from the front, leaving a gold “frame” for the digi. I kept my coloring of the snowman to a minimum, so that he didn’t overwhelm the background of pastel snowflakes that I adhered behind him. A few snowflakes, a scrap of snowflake embossed vellum cut into a circle, and sentiments finish the card.

    NOTE- Christy Croll, the artist/owner of Tiddly Inks, closed her challenge blog a few years ago, but maintains the blog to offer 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 and Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen

·    Snowflakes from Lawn Fawn LF995-Mini Snowflakes Die Set and other assorted ones from my stash.

·    Front and Inside Sentiments are from Beccy’s Place Digi sets that are no longer available. (Business recently 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:  

Coffee Loving Paper Crafters/Caffeinated Christmas Card Challenge: #46 Oct 

Classic Design Challenge: Anything Goes #10-2025 Oct/Nov

Penny’s Paper Crafty Challenge- #608 Anything Goes

Word Art Wednesday Challenge- Weeks #723-724 AG/Family Friendly

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

Rudolph Days Challenge- October

     This second coffee-themed entry is a shape card that features the same free digi, but this one has an earthy color palette.  An upcycled cardboard coffee sleeve, plus cream and tan musical background paper, both enhance the earthy color scheme. Sentiments, along with a few embellishments from my stash, finish the fun card. (Note- The card base accommodates a gift card, so if desired, you can add one and bring an even larger smile to the recipient's face!)  

                                

Supplies: 

·    Coffee cup template was made with a compilation of designs I’ve collected over the years. (I plan to make a template in the neart future and will post it here. So…. stop back in November!)

·    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

·    Front Sentiment “Good Days Start With Coffee”- Unity Stamps (Latte Life Snippets Ephemera)

·    Inside Sentiment- “May Your Holidays be Caffeinated.”  (Source currently unknown. I’m looking for it in my vast digi files. If you recognize it please share that info in a comment. Thanks! )

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

·    Upcycled cardboard sleeve, other misc. items and tools from my stash.

Entered into:  

Via Pinterest Coffee Loving Paper Crafters/Caffeinated Christmas Card Challenge:#46 Oct 

Passion for Markers Challenge- Week #811: Fun Folds  

The Paper Shelter- #656 AG

Pattie's Creations Challenge- #235AG (Oct)

Outlawz Challenge- Festive Friday: Oct (Christmas)         

Outlawz Challenge-Oct 2025 Linky  

    My final card in this post features a spooky black cat silhouette that I stumbled upon on the web. It’s from an assortment of Halloween window silhouettes created by set designer Dave Lowe, who gives permission to use this and many other great silhouettes for free. (see details in my supplies list.) I printed the cat on tan parchment paper. I could have left his eyes and nose uncolored, but instead I decided to color his nose with a deep pink marker and added a touch of white highlights with a white gel pen. Two eyes were sketched with a pencil on a scrap of paper. I drew green circles (irises) on the eyes,  followed by small black circles (pupils) and a dot of white gel pen to bring the eyes to life! When finished, they were cut out and adhered on his face.  Next came the background. When using my laptop’s Word program to set up the page with my silhouette and sentiments, I made sure the cat silhouette was spaced so that he could be positioned at the bottom of a 3.5-inch circle. After printing the silhouette, I used a circle template from my scrapbook stash to draw a “moon” that framed the feline, and cut it out. A larger circle of yellow vellum was drawn, cut, and adhered behind the moon, then both were adhered to an A2 card front covered with spider web paper. The addition of sentiments, a little hand-sketched and fussy-cut bat, a round yellow vellum moon on a scrap of starry sky paper, and a smattering of silver stars finishes the card! 

                          

Supplies: 

·   Black Cat Silhouette- See Dave Lowes free assortment HERE

·   Small details added with Spectrum Noir Classique markers, Black Fine-line Sharpie Marker, and Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen

·   Front Sentiment is a computer-generated quote from Mary Shelly, the author of the book Frankenstein

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

·   Spider web paper and 3-D silver stars- Hobby Lobby

·   Night sky paper, yellow vellum, misc. items and tools from my stash.

Entered into:  

Colorful Options Monthly Challenge: Oct Color Board (Luxury Black) 

Double D’s Challenge-Halloween Colors      

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Challenge- #264 AG 

Papercraft Challenges- Challenge #123 Theme- Spooky Delights 

Paper Funday- #81 Anything Goes