myasperations 11-3-25

    This year, the Path of Positivity is challenging you to Embrace the Unexpected!  This month's theme is "brighten someone's day by creating something that you can send as a good surprise to someone special (or give in person) or send a card that has a surprise in it" (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 an eagle image from a Personal Stamp Exchange (PSX) wood mount rubber stamp that I’ve had for over 25 years. Which is nearly as long ago as I met the wonderful friend who will receive this card. I met Ron G. in 2003 when I worked on a national training team with the US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), providing alcohol and drug abuse training across the nation. Ron worked with a regional center that coordinated training for several Wisconsin school districts, scheduling the training at a conference center a few hours south of the Canadian border. After flying into the region, I used a rental car to travel to the conference center. The scenery was incredibly beautiful. As I drove through miles of trees and passed several lakes, every turn in the road held new and wonderful scenery! The first morning I saw a sight that took my breath away. I was driving near one of the lakes when I saw a huge bird soaring in the sky, then quickly swoop down, skimming the water and rising with a large fish in its claws. Then I realized that the bird was a Bald Eagle. I’ve lived in the United States all my life… but this is the first time I’ve ever seen our national bird. A few hours later, I was still thrilled with the experience and excitedly mentioned it during my introduction to the group. I was surprised when my words were met with knowing smiles and even a few giggles, until Ron smiled and said, “Kathy, the Northwoods are full of eagles.  Seeing them is a regular part of life up here, and we love that!” 

     When Ron and I talked at day's end, I learned eables are revered by members of the state's Tribal Nations and are a federally protected species. A bit of web research tells me that are around 1,500 breeding pairs of bald eagles and 1,684 occupied nests in the state, which was one of the top states for bald eagle numbers!

     I had to pleasure to work with Ron for five years, but haven’t talked with him since a family move in 2009. When thinking of people who have been special in my life, and whom I could surprise with a handmade card, Ron came to mind. I think he’ll not only like the eagle on this card, but since Ron is one of the most positive and optimistic people I've ever known, he'll appreciate the sentiments on the card. And, I know he will be surprised to find the packet of cards that I'll send with it. I know he’ll put them to good use! 

 

Supplies: 

·    Eagle image from a wood-mount PSX stamp (Company no longer in business)

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

·    Scenery was added to the card front with a green ink pad and w wood-mount stamp from Stampscapes (Reeds)

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

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

Entered into:  

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

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

Crafty Catz Challenge-#703

    I'm glad there are still a few fall-themed challenges around, so I get to post this card that I made a short time ago. It features an easy-to-make faux quilting block (video tutorial link is in my supplies list) and the cute little ghosts (a freebie from Patties Creations a few years ago) were traced onto vellum, making them a bit transluscent. Oooohhhh... spooky! The black cats patterned paper on the inside of the card is also a freebie, available from Beccy’s Place.

Supplies: 

·    Quilted Star made with paper scraps and the tutorial found HERE

·    Ghosts traced on vellum from a Patties Creations Freebie (Although this freebie is no longer available, Pattie offers a freebie the first Friday of every month. Right now, you can find an adorable pair of chickens ready to roost as your place! )  

·    Sentiments are from a Hero Arts Spooky Labels digital set (no longer available)

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

·    Kitty patterned paper (on inside of card) is a freebie from Beccy’s Place HERE

·    Other patterned paper, misc. items and tools from my stash.

Entered into:  

The Paper Shelter- #657 AG (opt-Haunted Pictures)

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

Outlawz Challenge- Festive Friday: Oct (Halloween)         

Outlawz- Tuesday Color Challenge- Color Board-Oct (twist-Jack-o-lanterns) 

Pink & Main Challenge- #10- October: All Things Fall   

Snippets- Week #518

Papercraft Challenges- Challenge #123 Theme- Spooky Delights 

Beccy’s Place 13^th Annual Month of Holiday Cards Challenge- Day 4- C is for Cobweb

   It's November, which means that it’s time for Beccy’s Place Annual Month of Holiday Cards Challenge! This is the 13^th year that Beccy’s been offering all kinds of fun on her blog. This Valentine’s Day card, featuring a sweet bear from a Beccy’s Place digi set helps celebrate Day 2 of the challenge “B is for… Bear”!  

Supplies: 

·    Bear Image is from a Beccy’s Place Digi Set, which is no longer available. (Business recently changed to clear stamps/wholesale only)

·    Front Sentiment from We Are 3 Digital Sentiments Set (Etsy Shop is closed) 

· Floral-patterned mulberry paper, blue heart stickers, other items, and tools from my stash.

Entered into:  

Via Pinterest Beccy’s Place 13th Annual Month of Holiday Cards Challenge- Day 2- B is for Bear 

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Challenge- #265 AG 

Outlawz Twisted Thursday Challenge-AG Oct 2 -Nov 5 2025 (optl twist-All Tied Up) 

Outlawz Challenge-Nov 2025 Linky  

Park Hopping-My Happy Place (Nov)   Epcot’s International Flower and Garden Festival  

myasperations 11-1-25

    It’s November first, which means I get to share my DT card for All Dressed Up (ADU) Stamps monthly FB Challenge. The theme is “Christmas” and I just had to make a card that features this adorable ADU digi name “Christmas Kitty.”  I used bright traditional colors on the card background, wreath, anad his fuzzy green blankie, so decided to use more neutral colors for the felines ultra fluffy fur. Don't you just want to pet him?! 

 

                                       
Supplies: 

·    Digi- All Dressed Up (Christmas Kitty)

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

·    Front Sentiment from an Angie Blom Freebie (Purr Purr Purr)

·    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: Nov  Color Board (Red, Red and Red)  

Penny’s Paper Crafty Challenge- #608 Anything Goes

      Since I’m a DT for All Dressed Up (one of the sponsors), please don’t include me in the draw for their prize!  

Outlawz Twisted Thursday Challenge-AG Oct 2 -Nov 5 2025 (optl twist-All Tied Up) 

Outlawz Challenge- Festive Friday: Oct (Christmas)         

Outlawz Challenge-Nov 2025Linky  

     This cute little Angel from Sweet November Stamps is announcing the true reason for Christmas! I wanted to use a non-traditional color scheme and opted for shades of blue and brown. I really like the result especially her reddish blond hair. I used a calligraphy pigment marker from Zig that has a very fine tip which allowed me to frame her face and head with all that lovely whispy hair!  

     When decluttering my craftoom I found a pile of lovely Christmas subway art backgrounds that I had printed on vellum at least 10 years ago. Sadly, this one appears to no longer be available. However, when searching the web for it, I did find a different one, also free and Christian-themed, that you can find HERE. (It’s multicolored, but you can change that if you’d like a more subdued look, just print it in greyscale!)

Supplies: 

·    Digi- Sweet November Stamps (Little Christmas Angel)

·    Colored with Spectrum Noir Classique markers, Sakura Gelly Roll white gel pen and Zig Memory System Calligraphy II Pigment Marker (Pure Brown)

·    Christmas Subway Art (no longer available)

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

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

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

Entered into:  

Friends of Sweet November (FB) (Nov) 

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

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

Beccy’s Place 13th Annual Month of Holiday Cards Challenge- Day 1 - A is for  Angel

    My final card this posting features an upcycled calendar page, aflame with the vivid colors of Fall!  A beautiful fluttering of leaves are framed in several layers of fall colored cardstock. Depth was added to the card by inking and firmly stamping the leaf on the paper, then repeating stamping the image several times before re-inking. I also like to stamp and fussy-cut a leaf or two that can be used for embellishments. Overlapping a leaf onto a sentiment adds texture and dept. So fun! 

     I usually like to decorate the inside of the card to fit with the colors, patterns, themes, etc. on the front. In this case, before I adhered the calendar page to the front of the card, I cut a rectangle from it's middle to use as backing ofor the sentiment on the inside of the card. Since the area I cut from the calendar page would be covered by the framed rectangle of  stamped leaves, it was an easy, and effective, nab!  

Supplies: 

·    Background scene is upcycled from an old calendar

·    Leaf Wood Mount Rubber Stamp from Embossing Arts (Company no longer in business)

·    Colored with Tsukineko Kaleidacolor Inkpad, Autumn Leaves (Available from several web sources or use ink pads in fall colors)

·    Sentiments- Power Poppy’s Digital Stamp Set (Autumns Opulence)

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

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

Entered into:  

Pink & Main Challenge- #10- October: All Things Fall   

Classic Design Challenge: Anything Goes #10-2025 Oct/Nov (Optional twist- Autumn Splendor) 

Outlawz- Tuesday Color Challenge- Color Board-Oct

Crafty Catz Challenge-#703 (Optional- Fall)

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 

myasperations 10-24-25

    I haven't been able to post many cards to the Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmakers (BYSHC) Falling for the Holidays Challenge - Oct 2025, and it closes tonight! This post features three cards that I’ll be posting via my blog and Pinterest as soon as I finish this write-up.                       

                                            

    This first card features a pair of Christmas digis from an amazing artist named Mo Manning. The base of the digi is actually a paper doll named Lula. Instead of dressing her in her fairy garb (part of the paper doll set), she donned a lovely gown and set of wings (from different digi set) to become a Christmas angel!

    (Great news- Mo closed her website a few months ago when she opened a new one. I just visited that new site to make sure that I had the correct link in my supplies list and discovered that Mo added a link to the old site, so you can still get all her wonderful original digis… and they are 50% off! She had originally planned to close her old site, so I don’t know how long these will be available. You can also find 19 Freebies by typing Freebie in the search. Here is the link for the new website and the old one with its freebies and discounted digis!)

Supplies: 

·    Sheet music-photocopied from an old chorus book (1957) inherited from my husband's grandmother (She would have loved this card!)

·    Digis from Mos Digital Pencil (Lula Fairy Doll- now just $3.25) and (Lula Angel Wings-Free)

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

·    Card Base with navy border- from a boxed set of cards/envelopes found at a local thrift store

·    Inside Sentiment- “Wishing… Blessed Christmas” from a Beccy’s Place Clear Stamp Set (Lamb of God) found HERE

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

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

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

Entered into:  

{BYSHC} Falling for the Holidays Challenge- Oct 2025     

 Penny’s Paper Crafty Challenge- #608 Anything Goes

      Since I’m a DT for All Dressed Up (one of the sponsors), please don’t include me in the draw for their prize!  

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

Park Hopping-My Happy Place (Oct)   Living Nativity at Silver Dollar City, Branson MO    

     All the items on this second card are items from my stash!

Supplies: 

·    Penguin image- from a retired Stampin’ Up set (I discovered the little cutie already colored and fussy-cut when organizing my craft room.)  

·    Patterned papers- from Oriental Trading Company many years ago.

·    Sentiments- both front and inside are from my stash of scrapbook lables/titles.  

·    Pioneer Clear Photo corners- available from several sources

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

·    Snowflake embellishments- assorted sizes of window clings (which my sweet Mon once used in her apartment. She loved them!)

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

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

Entered into:  

Via Pinterest {BYSHC} Falling for the Holidays Challenge- Oct 2025        

Polkadoodles Challenge- Challenge 11, Week 4-AG                     

Outlawz Twisted Thursday Challenge-AG Oct 2 -Nov 5 2025  

Outlawz Challenge-Oct 2025 Linky  

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

    This last card features a beautiful digi that was fun to color with the many shades of Christmas and embellish with little stitches. I love how it turned out!  

Supplies: 

·    Stockings Digi (with its own sentiment!) is a freebie from Free Printables for your Junk Journaling with TLC (FB) (Although this digi appears to be retired, the group sponsor, Paulette Slater, provides dozens of free sentiments and digis every month to site members. If you join, HERE you can access the free digis… and you can purchase sets of digis at her shop HERE.)

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

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

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

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

Entered into:  

Via Pinterest {BYSHC} Falling for the Holidays Challenge- Oct 2025    

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Challenge- #264 AG 

The Paper Shelter- #656 AG

Paper Funday- #81 Anything Goes