A Reindeer Bauble

Hey crafty friends & Happy Sunday! Labor Day holiday tomorrow in the USA - in Minnesota it signals the final day of the Minnesota State Fair. Still not planning to attend - our weather has been sweltering for this time of year!! Instead, I'm back with another reindeer card:

Supplies: Paper - Neenah Classic Crest Solar White;

Paper Studio Snow Pine patterned paper; cardstock scraps

Dies - Penny Black Moonlit;

Hero Arts Circle & Wood Frame Infinity Dies;

Impression Obsession Pine Branch;

Birch Press Design Block Print Petal Ornament

Other - B0000, Y00 & E18 Copic; 

Spellbinders puffy sticker sentiment

& Berry gems

I die cut the deer from a scrap of cardstock and colored the antlers with a darker brown Copic. Added a gem to the nose. Next I die cut the two bauble layers. The scalloped one has a large tree but I removed it by rotating the die cut to get scallops all around the interior. This operation also cut off the bauble hanger so I die cut a silver one from a BPD set. I also die cut a circle of pine paper to back the bauble. Shaded the snow edge with a pale blue Copic & the moon with a yellow one. Assembled the bauble and added the deer.

Next I die cut two wood frames and stacked for dimension. Added the frame to a top folding A2 card. I die cut a branch and added it to the frame along with the bauble. A little puffy stitcker NOEL from an old Spellbinders kit completed the card.

This is my second entry for the September CAS Christmas Challenge (Woodland Critters) & at Christmas Kickstart Challenge #114 (Reindeer Games). I will also send my reindeer to Merry Little Christmas Challenge #70 (also entry #2) where Anything Christmas Goes. I'm also playing at Darnell's September NBUS Challenge #90 since my reindeer bauble die set got first use here. I didn't buy it when it first came out in 2020 but I have had it for quite a while! Excited to finally use it!!

Thanks for stopping by & enjoy the long weekend!! 

ATCs on a Gatefold!

Happy Saturday - holiday weekend in the USA - woo hoo! I watched Craft Roulette Episode #335 last night & was able to finish/upload during the LIVE.

Supplies: Paper - Altrobrights and Paper Studio 

cardstock; Lawn Fawn Favorite Flannel Fall;

BoBunny Farmers Market 

Stamps - Hero Arts Autumn (c2012, retired)

Dies - Whimsy Stamps Slimline ATC Windows

Pressplate w/die - Spellbinders You Are Everything Sentiments

Other - Hero Arts enamel dots and various inks

Host Mary Gunn had Lauren Taylor (‪@laurentaylormade‬) as her guest. Lauren was making her 6th appearance; her daughter has been with her on an episode too. Here's what the crafty roulette wheel spun for our four must-use parameters:

• Project - Gatefold: I formed an A2 gatefold from cardstock. 
• Colors - Vacation: I used a vacation to New England to see Fall colors. 
• Element - CAS From Last Week's Gallery: They mean CASE (Copy & Selectively Edit) when saying CAS so I CASE'd host Mary's card from last week. She had stamped leaves on her ATC. 
• Random - Paper Strips: I put paper strips (might technically be panels but I used my stretchy pants) on the doors to my gatefold.

This time I cut two ATCs from Fall colors, plus layering panels of patterned paper. Stamped the leaves on one of the panels. Assembled and added the ATCs to the right gate. Also added a Betterpressed sentiment from the stash to the right side. I might do more to the left side of the gate and I need to finish the inside...

That's it for today! I did manage to die cut some bits for a card from last Friday's Spellbinders event but haven't finished it yet. Wish me luck!

Thanks for stopping by & happy crafting!!

Sweet Reindeer

Hello and TGIF, everyone! The Minnesota State Fair is in full swing but I avoid it - too hot & humid with huge crowds. Instead, I stay home and craft - lol. My card today fits a few challenges:

Supplies: Paper - Neenah Classic Crest Solar White;

Spellbinders A2 card & Betterpress Pebble; scraps

Pressplate w/dies - Spellbinders Home for Christmas Sentiments

Dies - Memory Box Festive Fawn;

Poppystamps Scandinavian Snowflake Plate (retired);

Birch Press Design Wavy Hillside (retired)

Other - B0000 Copic; foam tape; white gel pen

I was excited to see that the September CAS Christmas Challenge has Woodland Critters as the theme. Then I popped over to Christmas Kickstart Challenge #114 where I found that Jo and her elf Loll are doing Reindeer Games. Wow - a perfect pairing for a new Memory Box die I ordered in August!

I die cut the deer from scraps of cardstock and assembled. I die cut a snowflake coverplate and snowy hill (lined with a Copic) & added to an A2 card. Popped the deer onto the card with foam tape (just behind the head). Added a Betterpressed sentiment from the stash and some gel pen details to the deer. Done!

I will also send my reindeer to Merry Little Christmas Challenge #70 where anything Christmas Goes. I'm also playing at Darnell's September NBUS Challenge #90 since my reindeer die set got first use here.

Thanks for stopping by & have a crafty weekend!! I'm sure to be back with my entry to Craft Roulette Episode #335 which airs tonight at 6:30pm (slideshow from last week starts at about 6:10pm).

August 2026 Card Chain Reveal

Hey there everyone - time to reveal cards that went around the world for the August 2026 Card Chain Challenge! Twenty-six people participated and you can see the full reveal HERE. My card stayed closer to home this month, going to Linda G in Michigan:

Supplies: Paper - Anchor Paper linen A2 card;

Recollections black cardstock; 

Momenta Gemstone & Tim Holtz Menagerie 8x8" papers

Dies - Waffle Flower Sweet Friend;

AJVD Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set

Other - Recollections Puffy Sticker

TH Hickory Smoke Distress Ink;

Honey Bee gems

We had the following options when creating our cards:

Color Palette Option

Sketch Option

Theme Options: Elephants and/or Mice / Baking / Friendship

Product / Technique Options: Lace / Collage

The colors intrigued me so I tried them - a bit darker than my usual card but I love how it turned out! Thankfully Linda G doesn't hate it - lol. I also went with the sketch, substituting other shapes for the circles & the usual theme of friendship. 

I pulled out a Tim Holtz paper pad for the outline layer to the "Sweet Friend" sentiment and spotted another page with some printed vintage ads in rectangles. I left one as a rectangle and cut the other two down to a small square and diamond shape. The stone (light grey to me) is the card base & pewter is the background layer which I matted in black after inking the edges with Hickory Smoke Distress Ink. 

I die cut the "Sweet Friend" from the pewter paper and also from black to give a shadow. Added this to the tan outline layer. Added the sentiment to the pewter layer with foam tape after gluing the shapes directly to the card. Added some tan gems and a puffy sticker Hello.

I got this detailed and adorable elephant shaped card from the sweet & talented, Julia (Create with Me) in MA. She hasn't been my sender in the chain since March 2025 so I was delighted to receive her adorable Clarence! She also sent some lovely papers to use on future projects. Thanks Julia!!

Wonder how I got that purplish glow in the photo? There was a Zevo bug trap plugged into the wall behind my end table - lol.

Want to join in the Card Chain? You just make and mail one card! Go HERE by Sept. 6th for details on the September chain. Loads of fun and you get a fabulous piece of happy mail in the process!!

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

Oh What Fun - Part One

Hello! Thought I'd pop in with the projects I've made so far from Spellbinders' Oh What Fun event held last weekend. I did the virtual version which was much less (only one day & only 3 classes) than their in-person event. 

First up - a make & take lead by Kim & Josie using ephemera from the class kit:

Supplies: Spellbinders Oh What Fun 

Layered Cardstock Die Cuts;

Wooden dowel; ribbon from stash;

foam tape; Copics for edging

The banner is two pieces, with foam tape behind the T area of "Oh What" to add the "Fun" section. It's about 12" long when finished. To the right of the "Oh", the panel had an extended area with score marks. This made it easy to roll the banner onto the wooden dowel. Spellbinders requested a 1/4" one but I could only find 3/8" which was close enough. 

Then we could decorate as desired with other bits from the ephemera pack. I kept it simple with the holly. Next we added ribbon from our stash - the suggestion was to gather a bunch of ribbon and tie them together first, then add to the bottom of the banner. This worked much better than tying each ribbon separately to the dowel. 

Next we had a prerecorded class from Yana Smakula with her adorable pull tab card. Here's my version:

Supplies: Spellbinders cardstock, Top it Off Deer & 

New Heights Ladder from Oh What Fun!

Pear Blossom Press Stamp & Die Bundle;

foam tape

The ladder is glued to a panel behind an acetate pull mechanism - surprisingly easy to create. I stamped the word PULL on the tab - this wasn't part of the project but I had a stamp for it! The reindeer is popped onto the acetate using foam tape. Here's a view of the card after pulling up the acetate:

Isn't that just the cutest?! The little circle dots are meant to be used as tree decor but Yana added bows to the tree and used the dots as snow. I love her non-traditional color palette too! I will say, Yana's pace was fast and, since it was pre-recorded, there were no check-ins to see how people were doing. While I'm fairly fast, I fell behind because I didn't always do things in the same order Yana did. I caught up to her though & she explained everything thoroughly!

Next they had a demo of the upcoming new Glimmer system & a little quiz show, then they broke for a two hour lunch. This felt too long for the virtual people, especially given the prerecorded segments. Then Kim and Josie did another Make & Take using a package of rub-ons from the class kit. I made this card patterned after Kim's:

Supplies: Spellbinders Oh What Fun Rub-ons,

cardstock & Banner dies;

Hero Arts Pool A2 card & Infinity Circle Dies;

Simon Says Stamps Starshine Dots; foam tape

I applied the rub-on Santa to white cardstock and die cut with a circle. Matted to a red circle. I cut strips of cardstock and glued to an A2 card, then popped the circle onto it with foam tape. Some dots and a banner sentiment finished the card.

That's all I've made so far. I watched Channin's class but didn't craft along. The rest of the event fell during Craft Roulette so I'll have to catch it on replay. I'll share those cards when I've made them - all very cute! Sorry I can't remember what Spellbinders said about when/if the class kit products will be sold in their store. I was also sucked in to buying some add-on sets - they should arrive by next week...

Thanks for stopping by & have a crafty day! I'll be back tomorrow with the August Card Chain reveal. If you want to check out the September Chain, go HERE by Sep 6th.

Final Day for a Splash of Color at Die Cut Divas!

Hi there! It's the last day for Die Cut Divas' August Challenge - white with a splash of one color. You can see end-of-month Diva inspiration HERE. Here's my card:

Supplies: Paper - Neenah Classic Crest Solar White;

Spellbinders Rainforest

Dies - Birch Press Design Loop Stitch Frames

& Piped Icing Star (c2021, retired)

Other - Hero Arts Key Lime ink;

Spellbinders green gems; Recollections puffy sticker

We have the wonderful Birch Press Design as our August sponsor. They have generously donated a $20 prize to their online store for our random August winner.

I formed a top fold A2 card from Neenah Solar White cardstock. I inked the edges with a lime green ink. Next, I took another piece of white cardstock and die cut all the frames in the BPD Loop Stitch Frames set, a newly acquired item, getting first play here. I die cut all the frames again, this time from Rainforest cardstock, then mixed and matched for a stack. I put the smallest one with a horizontal orientation & added a puffy sticker for the sentiment. When I was making my bonus card, I found the perfect little "flowers" (center of the cookie) to embellish the frames. I added a gem to the center of each flower - very quick and easy!!

I'll add this card to Darnell's August NBUS Challenge #89 since the frame set was newly used here.

How about a bonus? I did another Christmas card with a splash of red. 

Supplies: Paper - Neenah Classic Crest Solar White;

Recollections Cardstock

Dies - Birch Press Design Loop Stitch Frames &

Piped Icing Star (c2021, retired)

Other - Spellbinders puffy sticker (old kit);

foam tape

I added a red die cut frame to a white A2 card formed from Neenah Solar White cardstock. I die cut the star cookie and white snowflake icing from Neenah & then cut the star center from red and inlaid it. Assembled the cookie and popped onto the frame with foam tape. A puffy sticker sentiment from an old Spellbinders kit (unk which) completed the card. 

Sadly, the star cookie is retired at BPD but I think the Pinpoint Snowflake would make a great alternate!

That's it for today, friends. I hope we'll see you in the August Die Cut Diva gallery if you haven't already maxed out on 4 entries - deadline is 9pm Pacific today. Oh, and remember to use a die cut &/or embossing folder in your design!

Thanks for stopping by & happy crafting!!

An ATC on a Christmas Card!

Happy Sunday - I hope you're enjoying the weekend! I'm slow to post my Craft Roulette card but I was able to complete it and upload during the LIVE on Friday night. This was after a day of crafting with Spellbinders Oh What Fun virtual event (more on that in another post!),

Supplies: Paper - Neenah Classic Crest Solar White;

Elizabeth Craft Designs Joyous Christmas;

Paper Studio colored cardstock; 

scrap of glitter paper; Spellbinders Betterpress Porcelain

Dies - Whimsy Stamps Slimline ATC Windows;

Birch Press Design Block Print Evergreen Trees;

Hero Arts Circle Infinity Dies;

AJVD Stitched Dot Rectangle Backdrop Set

Press Plates w/dies - Spellbinders Merry Bright Sentiment Strips

Other - Simon Says Stamp Starshine dots;

Color Box Robin's Egg ink

For Craft Roulette Episode #334, host Mary Gunn had Shilo Miles (‪@shilomiles4739‬) as her guest. Shilo made her first appearance and handled it like a pro. Here's what the crafty roulette wheel spun for our four must-use parameters (anything extra is totally welcome):

• Project - Include an ATC: I added an ATC to an A2 card. 
• Colors - Produce Aisle: I used red/green for vegetables. 
• Element - Tree(S): I added a trio of trees. 
• Random - Use 3 Circles: I added 3 die cut circles. 

When I went to the Craft Roulette in-person event a few weeks ago, I had die cut a stack of ATCs for my table - just in case... That parameter didn't come up then but I was ready for this episode!! I used the die to also cut down a piece of glitter paper for the snow, then die cut three pines. Added them to the ATC, along with a Betterpressed sentiment, and inked the edges of the "sky". 

Next I die cut a rectangle of plaid and added it to an A2 card. I die cut three red circles and added them with the ATC to the card. Embellished with a few Starshine dots - done!

That's it for today! I did manage to do a couple cards from the Spellbinders event but there are more to go - just ran out of steam... I'll be back tomorrow with last day inspiration for Die Cut Divas August Challenge.

Thanks for stopping by & happy crafting!!