Final Day for Spring with Die Cut Divas

Hey crafty friends - the Die Cut Divas end-of-month-team has inspiration for the last day of our Spring-themed challenge. If you want to play, you have until 9p Pacific Time today!

Supplies: Paper - Neenah Classic Crest Solar White;

Paper Studio blue A2 card

Stamps w/dies - Gina K. Designs Forget-Me-Nots (dies)

Stencils - Spellbinders Burst Mode (SOM-Mar26)

Other - foam tape; Hero Arts & Memento ink;

Gina K. Designs Sentiment Sheets - Spring;

Copic Markers; dot embellishments

We have the wonderful Gina K. Designs as our March sponsor. They have donated a $25 prize to their online store. We will award it on April 3rd by random draw from eligible March entries.

If you saw my previous post with Gina K.'s forget-me-nots, you know I bought the set for this Diva post. Just couldn't resist using it earlier for a Craft Roulette card! This time I stamped, colored & die cut the image, then trimmed it into two pieces. Added the pieces to two corners of an A2 card & snipped off the overhang. I love how it gives a totally different look to this image!

Next, I stenciled some dots for a tone-on-tone effect in the other corners, then added one of Gina K.'s Spring sentiment strips. Some dot embellishments finished the card - sorry, I can't remember which brand! I think they came in some card kit, probably from Simon Says Stamp.

Ready for a bonus? I used some adorable spring themed Gina K. stamps:

Supplies: Paper - Park Lane A2 card; 

Neenah Classic Crest Solar White; Momenta Gemstones;

Lawn Fawn Gleeful Gradients; Paper Studio Distressed Floral

Stamps w/dies - Gina K. Designs Sweet Spring 

(retired but stamps found HERE at Scrapbook.com);

Gina K. Designs Spring Joy Mini (dies)

Dies - Gina K. Design Ornate Frame;

AJVD Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set;

Vintage label from Lea Lawson's SBC Fest kit

Other - Copic Markers; foam tape; white gel pen

I saw the Sweet Spring set used on Diva Michelle's post and looked for it at Gina K. Found the dies on clearance but no stamps left (now no dies either). Found the stamps at Scrapbook.com - woo hoo! I stamped, die cut and colored two images and one of the sentiments. I had a leftover bunny from my Mar 21st post; added it into the wheelbarrow. Arranged  the items on Gina's ornate frame (enabled to purchase by a Card Chain friend, Linda G). Backed the frame with a sky-ish paper and added to a stitched rectangle, then to an A2 card. A bitty flower from the bits box finished the card.

I'll add this card to Darnell's March NBUS Challenge #84 since my garden stamps are new.

 How about a three-fer? I mentioned starting Gina K.'s SBC Fest class & shared card one on a previous post. Still haven't finished the other two cards from her class (or the other SBC Fest classes...). But I did complete another card using the the Gina K. stamp set used in the class. I wouldn't consider this a true spring card, even though there are soft pastels, due to the black silhouette & friendship sentiment. Just thought I'd share it today anyway.

Supplies: Paper - Paper Studio A2 card & 

Recollections black cardstock;

Scrapbook.com White Mixed Media Paper;

Neenah Classic Crest Solar White

Stamps w/dies - Scrapbooks.com SBC Fest Gina K. class kit 

Dies - AJVD Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set;

Waffle Flower Sweet Friend

Other - Recollections sentiment sticker;

various reactive inks & VersaFine black

I started with the first panel I made in Justin Adkins SBC Fest class (see that post HERE). Stamped the leafy sprig in black, die cut the panel & matted in black. Added to an ombré A2 card. Die cut the sentiment and popped onto card with foam tape, then added a small sentiment sticker.

That's it for today. I hope to see you in the March Diva gallery, if you have time. Otherwise check out the new challenge which starts tomorrow. Thanks for visiting and have a crafty day!!

Easter's Coming!

Happy weekend everyone! I watched Craft Roulette Episode #312 last night and completed my card during the show. If you watch the replay, you can see it pop onto the screen towards the end of the crafting time. Prize drawings and announcements follow that segment.

Supplies: Paper - Neenah Classic Crest Solar White;

Spellbinders cardstock; Momenta Gemstones patterned

Stamps w/dies - Pink and Main 18 Carrot Friendship (dies)

Dies - AJVD Slimline Rectangle Window & Words Cover Plate;

Poppystamps Fresh Happy Easter;

Gina K. Designs Spring Forest 

Other - foam tape; Copic Markers

Host Mary Gunn had Von Marie (‪@vonmariedesign‬) as her guest. Von Marie is a Craft Roulette member & was making her 1st appearance as a guest - she did great! She is on the Design Team for Not2Shabby, a company unfamiliar to me. Of course I checked them out - they have cute papers with coordinating ephemera, among other products.

The wheel gave us nice and easy parameters.

• Project - Slimline Card: I formed a standard slimline from Neenah. 
• Colors - Insects: I used butterfly colors - white/blue/green/orange/yellow/purple. 
• Element - April: Easter is in April this year, so made an Easter card. 
• Random - In the Corner: I put a die cut in the upper left window. 

I recently ordered a Pink and Main Easter set and it was sitting on the table begging to be used. I thought the bunnies were so adorable and the set has sweet chick images too!

Stamped & die cut the basket & bunnies, then colored using Copics. Die cut a slimline panel with three windows & backed it with purple textured paper, then added to a slimline card. Popped the bunnies and basket in their windows with foam tape. Die cut the sentiment words and shadow, then assembled and added to the middle window. Finished things off with a die cut sun. I added some more details with a white gel pen after the show. 

I will add this card to Darnell's March NBUS Challenge #84 since the stamps were newly used here. I will also join in at We Love Stamping using the Anything Goes option (or the wildlife option, I guess, since bunnies can be wild!); this is my second entry. I'm also sharing at the Stamping Sensations March Challenge Spring or Anything Goes - my second entry there too. Finally, I link up at the current Double D Challenge where they have a beautiful mood board with Easter items!

Thanks for stopping by and have a crafty day!!

Forget-Me-Nots

Hey crafty friends - hope you're enjoying the weekend! I watched Craft Roulette Episode #311 on Friday night and completed my card just after the show.

Supplies: Paper - Neenah Classic Crest Solar White;

Spellbinders cardstock; Recollections A2 card

Stamps w/dies - Gina K. Designs Forget-Me-Nots (dies)

Dies - Poppystamps Nordic Fancy Background

Spellbinders w/Our Daily Bread Mini Tags (retired)

Other - foam tape; Lawn Fawn bakers twine;

Creative Expressions Wordies - Spring

Host Mary Gunn had Justin Adkins (‪@justanotebyjustin‬) as her guest. Justin taught a class at Scrapbook.com's March 2026 SBC Fest. I shared the card I made based on his class HERE. Justin was making his 1st appearance on Craft Roulette and he did great! The wheel confounded me for a bit so I didn't finish during the show as I like to do...

• Project - Card with Tag: I made an A2 card with little tags on my bouquet. 
• Colors - Aquarium: Blue for water & green for seaweed. 
• Element - March: Spring starts in March here. 
• Random - Twist(S): I used baker's twine since it's a twist of 3 strands. 

Yesterday I mentioned just receiving a Gina K. order on Thursday. I couldn't resist using the new-to-me Forget-Me-Not stamp set. I had ordered it to use for our Die Cut Divas March Challenge - Spring after learning that these are Spring flowers. Oh well, I used it before my end-of month post...

Stamped, die cut and colored the bouquet using Copics. Die cut a Nordic background and added to an A2 card, then popped up the bouquet with foam tape. Die cut 3 bitty tags & tied them with baker's twine and glued to the bouquet. Adhered a "happy" strip on one tag and "spring" on another. The third tag is more of a charm, an open heart. Done! Note to self - do not pick a large stamp to color if you want to finish a card quickly! Not that I had to finish during the show but I find it fun to try.

I will add this card to Darnell's March NBUS Challenge #84 since the stamps were newly used here. I will also join in at We Love Stamping using the Anything Goes option &, update - thanks for the reminder, Carol - to Stamping Sensations March Challenge Spring or Anything Goes. I haven't played there in quite a while! Also, thanks to Carol, I'll join in the March Challenge at A Place to Start which is a new one for me. There it's No Squares or Anything Goes this month.

Thanks for stopping by and have a crafty day!!

Spring Hugs

Hey everyone - I'm here with inspiration for Die Cut Diva's March Challenge - Spring is Coming! See my Diva post HERE. Nothing says Spring to me more than soft colors and new leaves! 

Supplies: Paper - Recollections A2 card & black cardstock;

Scrapbook.com White Mixed Media Paper

Stamps w/dies - Scrapbooks.com SBC Fest Gina K. class kit 

Dies - AJVD Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set

Other - Creative Expressions Wordies: Hello Spring;

Hero Arts Spring Enamel stickers & various inks

We Divas are delighted to have Gina K. Designs as our March sponsor. They have furnished a $25 gift card to their store as our March 2026 challenge prize, to be awarded randomly from eligible March entries. Thanks, Gina K. Designs!!

I mentioned previously that I participated in Scrapbook.com SBC Fest last Friday. I still haven't finished all the sessions, including Gina K.'s class! I used her class kit for my Diva card, though, since I couldn't find any other spring-y Gina K. in my stash. 

I started the Spring Hugs card with a piece of mixed media paper. Stenciled the left edge with soft yellow, pink and lime green inks using Gina K.'s Elegant Ovals stencil from the class kit. I angled the stencil different ways for each color. Then I used the dot texture stamp curled in my hand (some call this "taco stamping") for some random dot stamping over the stenciling. Next I spritzed the area with water and once dry, stamped the large leafy sprig three times with green ink. 

I die cut the panel with a stitched rectangle, matted in black (as Gina K. likes to do) and added to an A2 card. Popped a printed sentiment strip on the card using foam tape. Stamped & die cut 3 small leafy sprigs from Gina's class kit to glue around the sentiment. Added two small enamel hearts and 3 dots. Done!

I have two bonus cards today! First I'm sharing a card made based on Gina K.'s class from Scrapbook.com SBC Fest which I started watching after I made the card above. The class is available free at the link shown - Gina's was the last class of the day. Due to other commitments that day, I'm watching most of the Fest on replay & so far have gotten through just the first of Gina's three cards.

Gina had us mask a white panel and create a background with the class kit stamp set. When I peeled off the masking tape, some card stock tore. I pivoted and cut it down with a stitched rectangle & then matted on white panel die cut with the next bigger stitched rectangle, then matted with black. Adhered to an A2 card base. My center leafy sprig wasn't stamped well so I covered it with a label (from another class kit) and then added a stamped/die cut sentiment from Gina's kit. Some Hero Arts black enamel dots finished the card.

For my second bonus, I have an Easter card made using some adorable Spring critters. I ordered some of Gina K.'s Spring themed products & they arrived in time for a second bonus card - yay! Thanks for the quick processing, Gina K.!! I whipped this card up Thursday night...

Supplies: Paper - Neenah Classic Crest Solar White;

Hero Arts and Paper Studio cardstock;

BoBunny Cottontail; Lawn Fawn Gleeful Gradients

Stamps w/dies - Gina K. Designs Spring Joy Mini (dies)

Dies - AJVD Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set;

Poppystamps Folk Decorated Eggs (retired)

Other - Copic markers; foam tape

You may think of Gina K. as having gorgeous florals, which she does. She also has some stamps in the "cute" category & I couldn't resist this set on clearance! I stamped and die cut the three critters and arranged on a blue stitched rectangle, then matted in pink. Adhered to a patterned rectangle and then to an A2 card. The stamped sentiment is from the same set. To finish off the card, I added some die cut Easter eggs.

I'll add this card to Darnell's March NBUS Challenge #84 since my critters are newly used.

That's it for today, friends! Thanks for visiting and I hope to see you in the March Diva Gallery!!

Love, Joy & Peace

Hi everyone - quick post today. I wanted to get a second card made for Christmas Kickstart Challenge #108 - Out of the Woods.

Supplies: Paper - Neenah Classic Crest Solar White;

Paper Studio red cardstock; Recollections black &

black glitter cardstocks

Dies - Poppystamps Nordic Deer (retired);

Memory Box Peace Love Joy Stylish Script;

AJVD Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set

Embossing folder - Taylored Expressions Nordic Holiday (retired)

Other - foam tape

I embossed a stitched rectangle cut from red cardstock, matted it in black and added it to an unembossed red stitched rectangle. Adhered the panel to a top-fold A2 card formed from Neenah. Die cut the deer from black glitter cardstock and the sentiments from white with a black outline. Layered the sentiments and added to the card with foam tape. You often see this word grouping as "Peace, Love, & Joy" or "Peace, Joy, & Love" but I wanted the peace on the bottom for the deer to rest on. Oh well....

This is a streamlined deer - LOL. There's a die that cuts the two other legs but I didn't use it. I also used the more frilly antler die. While this die is retired, Poppystamps still carries the Nordic Regal Deer set. I laid the deer onto the card while placing the sentiments to get them precisely where I wanted them, then glued the deer.

That's it for today. I'll be back tomorrow with inspiration cards for our March Die Cut Diva Challenge - hope to see you in the gallery! Happy Crafting!!

Creating Artsy Backgrounds with Justin Adkins

Happy Sunday, friends - we have about 10 inches of snow so far from last night's storm but it hasn't stopped yet! We're advised to keep off the roads which is fine with me - I have everything I need at home. I mentioned yesterday that I did part of Scrapbook.com's March 2026 SBC Fest on Friday. It's a free event on YouTube if you want to check it out. You could purchase curated products for it which I did. I bought the full event bundle even though one class revolved around scrapbooking which I don't do as much anymore. Those products can easily be used for cardmaking.

I had a chance to make some backgrounds as shown in Justin Adkins' SBC Fest class. One of them reminded me of the lower right part of the inspiration photo at Inkspirational Challenge #363. So, I made a card for that challenge! It's a bit of a mash-up of products from three online events - SSS Create Together with Jennifer McGuire, Hero Arts Spring 2026 Stamp Along & SBC Fest.

Supplies: Paper - Recollections A2 cards;

Neenah Classic Crest Solar White;

Paper Studio & Spellbinders cardstock;

Scrapbook.com White Mixed Media Paper

Stamps w/dies - Simon Says Stamp CZ Design Good Greetings 1 Set

Stencil w/coordinating coverplate - Hero Arts Stamp Along Kit

Dies - AJVD Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set;

Scrapbook.com Heirloom Butterflies (from Lea 

Lawson's class kit); 

Hero Arts Squiggly Rectangle Frames (from the

Stamp Along kit)

Other - SSS Starshine embellishments; 

Hero Arts enamel dot; foam tape; white gel pen

I started with the background which was made with mini ink cubes of water reactive ink. Justin used 8 mini Distress Oxides but I have no minis. I used mini Hero Arts Reactive Inks and one Distress ink (came in some kit or another). You create a grid pattern by stamping the inks onto a glass board (I have the Tim Holtz one). Then you spray with water and smoosh Mixed Media paper into the ink. Pull up the paper and you can spray it more to move the ink. Here was the first pull I got (along with the inks used):

You can see the block-ish look of this first pull. I left it that way deliberately & will make it into a card later. I then added more water and sometimes more ink to get two more pulls. I just photographed those two in the finished cards. The first card I shared was made with the third pull.

I die cut the panel with a stitched rectangle, matted in lime green and added it to a shimmery peach card. It went wonky so I trimmed it down and added to a turquoise card. I had an extra squiggly frame from the Hero Arts Stamp Along so added it to the background panel for my focal elements. Die cut and assembled an heirloom butterfly from SBC Fest (haven't done that class yet...) & a sentiment from the JM/SSS class. Arranged some little flowers & leaves left over from the Stamp Along around the sentiment. These were created with a layered stencil set and coverplate die to cut them. Flowers centers went wonky on a few of the big flowers so I covered up the stenciled center with a die cut one from the stash (brand unk). I really liked the pop of the bright butterfly with the softer background and flowers.

I will also add this card to Darnell's March NBUS Challenge #84 since the butterfly was newly used.

Bonus: Here's the card I made with the second background pull - it's mainly Justin's design but he made a big "Cheers to You" sentiment with a die set for his card. I just used a birthday sentiment on hand - lazy, I guess....

Supplies: Paper - Neenah Classic Crest Solar White;

Scrapbook.com White Mixed Media Paper;

Paper Studio & Recollections cardstock

Stamps w/dies - Simon Says Stamp CZ Design Good Greetings 1 Set

Dies - AJVD Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set;

Scrapbook.com Justin Adkin class kit (also embossing folder)

Other - Trinity Stamps dot embellishments

After drying the background, I cut it with a stitched rectangle & embossed it (as Justin did) with the banner 3D folder that came with his class kit. Die cut the balloons from his kit and adhered to the card, trimming off any overhang. Matted the panel in green and added to an A2 card made from Neenah. Popped an extra sentiment from the JM/SSS class and some Trinity embellishments onto the card - done!

That's it for today. Thanks for visiting and have a crafty day!!

A Flower for a Birthday!

Hi all - we're expecting 18 inches of snow tonight; not looking forward to that! Last night I watched Craft Roulette Episode #310 live and crafted along.

Supplies: Paper - Neenah Classic Crest Solar White;

Paper Studio cardstock; Lawn Fawn Fall plaid;

Echo Park & Spellbinders patterned

Stamps w/dies- Scrapbooks.com From the Heart (part of

Laura Graff's SBC Fest class kit);

Simon Says Stamp CZ Design Good Greetings 1 Set (on 2nd layer)

Stamps - Sunny Studio Inside Greetings Birthday (inside layer)

Dies - Birch Press Design Splendid Cosmos;

Memory Box Magnolia Blossom Trio (leaves);

AJVD Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set

Other - SSS star embellishments; foam tape

Craft Roulette celebrated its 6th birthday, having begun during Covid on 3/13/2020. Host Mary Gunn had Alicia Call Me Crafty Al as her guest. Alicia has appeared many times over the years. I love her Advent Calendar videos and have referenced them on various posts. The wheel wasn't too bad this time:

• Project - Tri-fold Card: I did an A2 card with a gate fold inside. 
• Colors - Vegetable Garden: I used orange/green/brown. 
• Element - Nursery: Flowers are grown in a nursery. 
• Random - Star(s) or Starry: I added star embellishments to the card front.

After deciding on the format and orange cardstock, I took the 8x11.5" cardstock and cut it in half. Used 1/2 to create an A2 top folding card and the second to make a gatefold. I trimmed a bit off the top of the gatefold and adhered it inside the top folding card. I chose a mix of patterned orange papers for layering. I already had a completed flower in the stash, plus several stamped/die cut sentiments. The inside one was stamped during the show. Some star embellishments finished the card. 

Here are a few more views so you can better see the fun fold.

I was honored to be Mary's guest on this week's Craft Roulette Members' Show. We got to celebrate my 100th card from last week and spent an hour showing & commenting on randomly selected member cards from last week's gallery. Very fun! While you can't see that video unless you're a member, check out the Craft Roulette site for loads of inspiration, if desired.

That's it for today, crafty friends! I was behind on blog commenting but think I caught up pretty well. Oh and I participated in part of the March 2026 SBC Fest offered by Scrapbook.com yesterday but will have to watch the rest on replay....

Thanks for visiting and have a wonderful weekend!!