myasperations 2-25-26

    I made a pair of cards to enter into the Coffee Loving Paper Crafters/Caffeinated Christmas Card Challenge a few weeks ago, but just realized that I need to get them posted tonight to beat the deadline!

    This first card features a free digi set (image and sentiment) named “Have a Cup of Cheer” from Not2Shabby. I created the card using many items from my stash, including a scrap of corrugated cardboard upcycled from a to-go coffee cup (I have a box of them I’ve collected over the last decade!), mini doilies I bought several years ago and just unearthed when organizing my craft room. I used one of my latest purchases, a yummy Christmas Cookie decorated tag from Unity Stamps, to decorate the coffee cup, and fussy-cut several of the tiny cookies to embellish the front and inside sentiments.

 

Supplies: 

·   Digi and front sentiment- free digi set from Not2Shabby (Have a Cup of Cheer)

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

·   A2 card with holly corners- from a packet of cards/envelopes found at local thrift store

·   Corrugated section of coffee cup- upcycled from the real thing

·   Small Doily from Scrapbook.com- Doodlebug Design-Paper Doilies-Mini-Bon Bon

·   Christmas Cookie patterned paper- from Unity Stamps (Timeless Christmas Treasures-Tags)

·   Inside Sentiment “Tis the Season...” from Beccy’s Place Digi Set (Christmas Cheers) (Beccy recently closed her digi shop. She now sells clear stamp sets online. Check HERE  to see which sets are available!)

·   Red Plaid paper- Hobby Lobby

·   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: #50 Feb 

Not2Shabby Mood Board Challenge-Feb (card includes several colors on the board/cookies are "from the kitchen")  

{BYSHC} Sketch Challenge FB- #66 Feb 2026        

Pammies Inky Pinky Challenge #2608 (AG except 5^th Monday)

Rudolph Days Challenge- February

Outlawz Christmas Only Challenge- Feb 2026

Outlawz Challenge Monthly Linky- Feb 2026

Word Art Wednesday Challenge- Weeks #740-741 (AG/Family Friendly)

    This second coffee-themed card features a festively decorated cup of hot brew! The beautiful digi is from Stamplorations, and although this image is no longer available, artist/owner Shery Russ stocks a nice collection of coffee and other themed clear and digital stamps.  When I started working on this card, it had a woodsy feeling with the Buffalo Check and Weathered Wood papers. I liked how they looked, but wanted a more feminine feeling to fit with the lovely china cup. A paper doily from my stash that is at least a decade old added just the look I was after. I also used a gold gel pen to add some bling around the lip of the cup. The final bit of creativity was to make sure that the inside has a similar vibe. So Fun!  

Supplies: 

·   Patterned papers (Red plaid and Weathered wood)- Hobby Lobby

·   Coffee Digi- a Stamplorations freebie from Nov 30, 2018 (no longer available)

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

·   Paper doily- from my stash

·   Front Sentiment- “Bean Thinking About You” from an Imagine That Stamp Set (Company no longer in business)

·   Inside Sentiment “Tis the Season...” from Beccy’s Place Digi Set (Christmas Cheers) (Beccy recently closed her digi shop. She Sentiments- from a Beccy’s Place Digi set that is no longer available. (Business recently changed to clear stamps/wholesale only)

·   Small coffee cup digi- embellishing inside sentiment is from a Beccy’s Place digital seet that is retired

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

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

Entered into:  

(entered via Pinterest) Coffee Loving Paper Crafters/Caffeinated Christmas Card Challenge: #50 Feb 

{BYSHC} Sketch Challenge FB- #66 Feb 2026   (I flipped the sketch for my card) 

STAMPlorations- Feb 2026      

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Challenge- #272 AG 

Simon Says Wednesday Challenge-AG

ABC Christmas Challenge- C & D are for… ?  ‘C is for Crimson’

The Paper Shelter- #666 AG

     I’ve had this digit stamp from Power Poppy for several years, and it is perfect for Valentine's cards, so I put it to work this month! This beautiful, large image with its inlaid greeting could easily be made into a CAS card... but I love layering, fussy-cutting, adding photo corners, embellishments, and more! So, after coloring this image, I trimmed it along the edges, then added a frame upcycled from an old attendance certificate. (After retiring a few years ago I filled five or six large boxes of training manuals, presentation notes, etc., and tucked them away in our garage. During our last blizzard, I made good use of the few days that we were snowed in, sorting through all the boxes. I ended up with just a few boxes of items, and the rest was recycled. In the process of sorting, I was amazed at how many certificates  I'd collected over 30+ years of attending and/or presenting at conferences and trainings across the nation. The photo below gives an idea of their number!) 

Supplies: 

·   Digi- Power Poppy Digital Stamp Set (Graceful Still Life)

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

·   Inside Sentiment- Freebie from TlcCreations (Happy Spring)

·   Frame is made from upcycled certificates

·   Buttercup Liquid Pearls- dotted into the center of the blooms to add a glimmer of texture!

·   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- Signs of Love    

Pick 3 Challenge-Feb-March 2026     My 3 picks are Embellishments, Flower(s), Coloring

Classic Design Challenge: Anything Goes #2-2026 Feb/March (Optional twist- Blooms or Butterflies) 

Inspiration Station- Challenge #82 Inspiration Photo (blooms on trees)

Simon Says Monday Challenge-Whateverthe Weather  (I can’t wait for Spring to arrive!!)  

Passion for Markers Challenge- Week #826: Spring Flowers

Paper Funday- Feb 2026 #84 Anything Goes  (Optional Twist: Use Pastels)

myasperations 2-21-26

     This card is my first entry into the current challenge at Double D’s “Signs of Love” challenge. I’ve had this sweet digi in my collection for over five years. and love bringing it out every Valentine's Day. I live in a state where dairy reigns, so cow cards are popular, and I get to indulge my love for REALLY good ice cream regularly. Life is good!  

Supplies: 

·   Cow Digi and front sentiment- QKR Eureka Digital Stamp (I am happy to announce that Eureka Stamps are again offered online. Check HERE to see which ones are available!)

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

·   Woodgrain paper- Hobby Lobby

·   Inside Sentiment- “Happy Valentine's Day” from We Are 3 (Company no longer in business)

·   Pioneer Black Photo corners- available from several sources

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

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

Entered into:  

Passion for Markers Challenge- Week #825: Shop Your Stash

Double D’s Challenge- Signs of Love    

Classic Design Challenge: Anything Goes #2-2026 Feb/March

    I looked through my stash to find “neglected items” that I could use on a card. I discovered a bike tag I’ve had in my stash for several years, and a sweet little kitty digi that I’ve had even longer. I put them to work on a card with wheels for the Simon Says Monday Challenge

Supplies: 

·   Happy Day tag- cut from patterned paper purchased at JoAnnes Crafts (Sadly no longer in business)

·   Cat Digi- fussy-cut from a Hetty Clare's Happy Birthday Cats digi (Currently Not Available on Etsy)

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

·   Weathered wood patterned paper- Hobby Lobby

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

·   Inside Sentiment- Desert Diva Freebie (Sending You Sunshine)

·   Sheer black dotted Swiss ribbon- JoAnne’s

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

Entered into:  

Simon Says Monday Challenge-Things with Wheels    

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Challenge- #272AG 

Pattie's Creations Challenge- #239 AG (Feb 2026)

Neglected Stuff Challenge- Feb 2026 

     I can’t believe that Fae-bruary is quickly racing to an end. It is week three at Sweet November Stamps (SNS) annual event, where we are invited to create a card each week that features a fairy digi AND a specific “theme”. The week three theme is  “”Fairies and Florals,” so I knew exactly which SNS fairy image I’d use on my card, a beautiful fairy named "Fleur" (Flower in French!)

     I'm entering this card into several challenges including WeCraftCards:TicTacToe- I picked the third column of the card- Metallic ( (I cut strips of  aluminum foil tape that is used for duct work to decorate the front of the card, and also used it as one of the layers behind the sentiments), Bling/Sequins (Stickles and clearn, mini-sequins I've had in my stash for quite a while. I dded two enlarges photo sections so you can see them sparkle!), Feminine (I know the my fairy loving grand-niece will love this card!)  

 

 

Supplies: 

·   Background digi- colored raindrops- freebie from “deepheart.tumblr.com _it rains inside my brain” (no longer available)

·   Digi- Sweet November Stamps (Fleur Rainfall) 

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

·   Front Sentiment- “Happy Spring” from Imagine That (Company is no longer in business)

·   Inside Sentiment- You Make My Heart Smile  freebie from LoveSvg-(Site is now longer available)

·   Aluminum Foil Tape- available in most hardware stores

·   Small clear sequins and Stickles- Diamond (to add sparkle to raindrops)

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

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

Entered into:  

Sweet November Stamps Fae-bruary Challenge- Week 3: Fairies & Florals 

Friends of Sweet November (FB) Feb  

Word Art Wednesday Challenge- Weeks #740-741 (AG/Family Friendly)

Colorful Options Monthly Challenge: Feb 2026  Color Board (Shades of Pink and Purple) 

Paper Funday- Feb 2026 #84 Anything Goes  (Optional Twist: Use Pastels)

We Craft Cards- TicTacToe

     My final card for this post features a fun Christmas digi, a snowboarding Santa!  I cut a scenic background from an old calendar to fit into a standard small business envelope (#6), and covered the bottom of the scene with torn strips of white paper to create snow drifts. Then printed off the precolored Paper Shelter digi, added a bit of shading and highlights, fussy-cut the adventurous Santa, and adhered him to the snow drifts! I can almost hear his happy HoHoHo as he swooshes down the hillside, all decked out in his bright crimson attire!

    An added note- I couldn't get the lighting to show that Santa is wearing a mirror visor, but it looks really cool in real life. It was actually easy to do. I just trimmed the lenses from the visor with my favorite little sharp/precision tip scissors, cut a scrap of silver metallic cardstock that fit the visor, taped it to the backside of the digi and trimmed any little extra edges.  Way cool!! 

Supplies: 

·   Background scene is upcycled from an old calendar

·   Precolored Digi- The Paper Shelter (Xtreme Xmas!)

·   Shading and highlights added with Spectrum Noir Classique markers, Sakura Gelly Roll white & silver gel pens

·   EK Tools Cutter Bee Precision Tip Scissors

·   Front Sentiment-Computer Generated

·   Inside Sentiment-“Wishing You a Magical Christmas,” a freebie from Birdscards.com (Blog now closed)

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

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

Entered into:  

The Paper Shelter- #665 AG

ABC Christmas Challenge- C & D are for… ?  ‘C is for Crimson’ 

Pammies Inky Pinky Challenge #2607

Crafty Catz Challenge-#707 AG

myasperations 2-16-2026

   This year, the Path of Positivity (POP) is officially entering its 13th year of offering challenges that encourage Positivity and Creativity! In honor of this wonderful anniversary, our challenge host, Lisa D, introduces the theme for 2026: Crafting by the Numbers, and February’s challenge TWIST is Dynamic Duo: Create 2 Matching Projects. For ex., create a card with a matching envelope, make a bag with a matching tag, etc.

    Since I retired, I’ve enjoyed having extra time to make packets of cards that I donate to the residential drug treatment facility where I worked for 13 years before retirement. (The clients there earn “points” for attending educational sessions, completing required steps toward recovery, etc., and they love being able to “purchase” handmade cards to send to loved ones during the 30+ days they are in treatment.) I’m thinking some of them might like sending letters made with stamped writing paper and matching envelopes! The paper and envelopes are much cheaper than cardstock and A2 envelopes, and since I have a huge stash of stamps I can use, these stationery sets will be much easier on my budget! (I plan to provide a nice assortment of the sheets with matching envelopes and will let the staff put them together for clients in whichever way they would like!)

   The sets below were all made with the following items, available in the Office Supplies section of most stores.

Supplies: 

·   Mead 6x9 Writing Tablet (onion skin thin)

·   Mead 100 white standard 6¾ inch sized envelopes

    Below are assorted sheets and matching envelopes made from my stash. If the clients like them, I’ll make and donate more in the future, and will also create pairs in seasonal themes. 

Set #1 and #2 

    

Set #3 and #4 

    

Supplies: 

·    Set #1-  Stamps are from Stampscapes: Stationery- Lakeside Cabin, envelope- Pine Row and Flock Silhouette

·    Set #2- Stationery & Envelope- Balloon Stamp (Stampendous-Stamp retired), 

                   Stationery- Cat Stamp (Eureka Stamps-retired) and Sentiment (Printworks- company out of  business) 

·    Set #3- Stationery-Sentiment (Stampendous-Stamp Retired), 

                   Stationery & Envelope- Butterfly (Embossing Arts- company out of business)

·    Set #4- Stamps are from companies that are no longer in business- 

                   Stationery - Cat (Biblical Impressions) and Sentiment (Azadi Earles), 

                  Envelope-Paw Prints (Biblical Impressions) 

·   Ink pads, cloud stencil, stamp sponge, chalks, Spectrum Noir markers, and misc. tools from my stash.

Entered into: 

Crafty Catz Challenge-#707 AG

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Challenge- #271 AG 

Pattie's Creations Challenge- #239 AG (Feb 2026)

Paper Funday- Feb 2026 #84 Anything Goes  (Optional Twist: Use Pastels)

   During COVID, I created packets of cards that I donated to the offices of several people who have taken good care of me over the years, especially my dentist, optometrist, and their wonderful staff.  Since I retired, I started doing that again. The packets I delivered a few weeks ago included cards using this sweet digi from Fred She Said!

   When putting the packets together, I also created a fun Valentine surprise for one of my dear grand-nieces who loves to craft and also loves STICKERS! I filled an envelope with a few copies of this sweet digi, plus included enough supplies for her to make cards to send to her grandparents (both sides of the family). I know that she will feel special getting mail and have fun being creative, and four senior citizens will feel loved! Isn’t that what Valentine's Day is all about! 

   PS I added a photo of the surprise packet below. It was fun to pull together from my stash!

  

Supplies: 

·   Joy Fold Card instructions can be found HERE

·   Digi and Sentiments- from Fred She Said digi set (I love You This Much- colored)

·   Shading and highlights added with Spectrum Noir Classique markers, Sakura Gelly Roll white & silver gel pens

·   Pioneer Black Photo corners- available from several sources

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

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

Entered into:  

Papercraft Challenges- Challenge #127 Theme- AG (Twist- Hearts and Hugs)

Time Out Challenge- Challenge #306 (Both cards include Red, Pink, and a handful of hearts!) 

Classic Design Challenge: Anything Goes #2-2026 Feb/March  

The Paper Shelter- #665 AG (Opt-Colors of Love)

Word Art Wednesday Challenge- Weeks #738-739 (AG/Family Friendly)

   Back in 2017, Dearie Dolls images moved me from stamping images to printing them off on my computer. I still occasionally use wood-mount or clear stamps, but my norm is to use digi stamps (which are more in line with my budget, and so much easier to store!) This card, created for the Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmakers group (BYSHC) Challenge on FB and Coffee Loving Paper Crafters/Caffeinated Christmas Card Challenge, turned out a lot “busier” than I had planned. The digi has lots of patterns, which I filled with bright colors. The problem arose when I adhered it atop the brightly colored gift-patterned background paper, which overwhelmed the sweet coffee-drinker. I resolved the issue by taking the card front apart and adhering a rectangular overlay of thick ivory on the background paper. That change, plus  moving the sentiment to the top of the card, allowed the cute Coffee Momma to stand out in all her “Morning Glory” (i.e. the digis name!) 

   I’m entering this card into several challenges, including Neglected Stuff and Passion for Markers' "Shop Your Stash” (everything on this card is from my stash, with most items being at least 4 years old, and I added the Dearie Dolls image to my digi collection in 2018!)

   PS-  I had taken a photo of the original card before I decided to add the vellum. I added that pic here and am wondering which version you prefer? 

 

Supplies: 

·   Digi- Free Dearie Dolls Digi Stamps (Good Morning Glory)

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

·   Front Sentiment-a freebie from LoveSVG (Mama Needs Coffee)  (Site is now longer available)

·   Inside Sentiment- Desert Diva Freebie (You did it Congratulation-graduation)

·   Sentiments- “Keep Calm and Wait for Santa” from a Beccy’s Place Digi set (Simply Santa) (Beccy recently closed her digi shop. She now sells clear stamp sets online. Check HERE  to see which sets are available!)

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

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

Entered into:  

{BYSHC} Sketch Challenge FB- #66 Feb 2026       

Coffee Loving Paper Crafters/Caffeinated Christmas Card Challenge: #50 Feb   

Passion for Markers Challenge- Week #825: Shop Your Stash

Neglected Stuff Challenge- Feb 2026

ABC Christmas Challenge- C & D are for… ?  ‘C is for Crimson’

Outlawz Christmas Only Challenge- Feb 2026

Outlawz Challenge Monthly Linky- Feb 2026