Hello 2026!

 Hello 2026!

Happy New Year everyone!

I took a break from doing my blog, but I'm back!

supplies used:  Altenew Camellia Build a flower, Color pop Hello die

Today I'm getting back in the swing of doing my blog posts, by doing Altenew Tuesday  #Altenewchallengelive with Jen Rzasa.  This week the challenge is Hello 2026, which just means you need to use Hello somewhere on your project.  My first project is a tag ... and if you follow me here on my blog you know I do like to make tags.

I am also an avid cardmaker!  Most of my cards are A2 size, which is 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" (folded).  The background on both my tag, and card are done with Altenew Camellia build a flower.  It's actually a stamp layering flower set, but I just used one of the images, and repeated it on the cream cardstock panel.  Next I die cut the color pop Hello die, which doesn't cut out the word completely.  I put black cardstock behind the cut out Hello to make it stand out more.  Added leaves I already had die cut (I keep a bunch of die cuts in a container for when I need something extra on my project) out with foam mounting tape.  I have used lots of mounting tapes over the years but for the past few years my favorite one is by Altenew.  For the sparkle on the leaves I used stickles glitter glue.  

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Tic tac toe

 Tic tac toe

It's December, and time for the creative card crew group I belong to; to have our monthly meeting.  

stamps/die/stencils used:  Altenew stencil art: nature splashes, Stampin' Up saying

We had to choose a line from a tic tac toe board this time.  I chose on of the diagonal lines:  die cut/punch - matching envelope - sponging. If you take a look I sponged colors using Altenew Stencil Art: Nature Splashes set, which has layering stencils, and I used the leaf dies in the same set for the die cuts.  Look to the left of the picture to see the envelope, which I stenciled plus used one of the die cut leaves.  This was a different theme for us, but it was fun to do.

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Full circle

 Full circle

This week with Jen Rzasa tuesday #altenewchallengelive the theme is Come full circle.

supplies used:  Gina K designs wreath stencils and stamps

This stencil makes it easy to create wreaths that you can also stamp inside of the wreath image.  I kept these two cards BIG and square, which I usually do not do.  These turned out to be 5" square cards, unfortunately when I get around to mailing them it will cost a bit more.  

I also did one more full circle leaf that I cut in half, and then made into tags or they could be bookmarks.  Either or.  

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Seasonal cards

 Seasonal cards

Went to a friend's house, who is a SU demonstrator, to make some cards.  

First card is a mitten card and gloves for a fun winter birthday card.

Second card is full of pumpkin delight!

Third card is what I call a platform card, because it is flat...BUT...this one has a pocket.  Inside the pocket are three little tags.

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Pastel perfection

 Pastel perfection

This week for #Altenewchallengelive with Jen Rzasa the theme is Pastel perfection.

The pastel perfection on all these cards/tag are Pebbles pearlescent chalks in the background. Basically what I did was burnish the chalks with cotton balls on white cardstock.

The two cards below are what I call the Faux grid technique.  You can see more on this technique here, and here with a video.

supplies:   Altenew and Pebbles pearlescent chalks

These chalks can possibly rub off a bit, so I took them outside and sprayed them with a Fixative spray.

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Wreath cards

 Wreath cards

I was at Interlaken Inn, Lakeville, CT for Making Memories at Lakeside crop on Friday Nov. 7 - 9, 2025.  I was there with a few friends to have a nice weekend away. 

I made a bunch of cards using dies from Altenew stamp co.  and Sizzix. Basically I penciled a half circle, then adhered leaf dies to it.  These are only a few of them that I created at the crop.  Interlaken Inn is out of the way ... in a lovely setting.

I also made some Christamas cards that I will show at a future time.

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Stars and Stripes

 Stars and Stripes

This week for #Altenewchallengelive Tuesday challenge with Jen Rzasa is Stars and Stripes.  Well, I had to stretch my imagination a bit for this challenge.  Jen did say we could use stars, and stripes or one or the other.  So I mainly went with stripes.

My first two tags have masked out areas with Altenew masking paper, then colored in with blending brushes, and inks.  Before removing the masking paper I placed a stencil (big flower) down then added ink through the stencil.  Added a few enamel dots, die cut words with shadows, stickles glitter, ribbon and done.  The pink tag again used masking paper, enamel dots (my favorite embellishment), but this time I stamped images in the stripes.

For my next two tags I again used Altenew masking paper.  This masking paper works very well...it doesn't rip the paper at all.  Used stamps, stickle paints, enamel dots, and stamps.  These stamps are old ... in fact, I don't even think the companies are still around.

The last two tags need something, something more ... I just don't know what, yet. 

Just want to mention that on the horizontal stripes tag ..... the ribbon is a pink ribbon.  I guess when I scanned it ... my scanner wanted it to be silver, but it is actually a light pink ribbon.

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October - November swap cards

 October - November swap cards

I am behind in showing my local swap cards, so just going to show the last couple of months.

October Anything goes cards

stamps used:  Stamping Up

For my Anything goes theme I did the dryer sheet technique.  You can see more on this dryer sheet technique here. 

November Get well card

stamps used:  Stamping Up

This is a simple card where I just inked image with color ink pad then stamped.  

Thanks for stopping by.  Leave a comment to let me know what you think.

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Carve a Pumpkin

 Carve a Pumpkin

I'm back to carving my own image!  It has been years since I have carve an image ... I found my stash of carving material, and tools ..... so I said to myself "why not, carve something!" 

I actually basically carved the same image, a partial pumpkin twice.  I did it twice because I had a square of the pink rubber, and a bigger square of the white rubber carving material.  The pink rubber is a softer material, and easier to carve. 

The white carving material is a lot thicher, and harder material.  This white is more like carving in linolium, which is harder to dig out the material.  

If you look at both pics you will see that the carving are opposite ... left and a right pumpkin.  Had the materials, and time to do two so I did.  I stamped the pumpkins with black ink then colored them in with my prisma color pencils.  Added some squiggles, a sentiment, and even some stickles glitter glue for some sparkle.

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Crafting with dice

 Crafting with dice

This week #altenewchallengelive with Jen Rzasa the theme is crafting dice roll.  Anotherwords Jen asked us to roll a dice then do the technique from the list of 6 ideas.

I couldn't help myself, I had to do more than one!  My first card, and tag dice rolls were #5 Geometric genius, and #6 Sentiment spotlight. The geometric shapes are the stencils from Altenew   Modern circles and Calligraphy maze stencils.  The black set rolls were #3. shimmer/shine, and #6 sentiment spotlight.  I used the same Altenew stencil Modern circles.  All the die cut words are also from Altenew. 

 The shimmer/shine on the black tag, and card are from some texture paste I have in my stash. 

For the next set of cards, and bookmarks I used the same Modern circles stencil.  

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Booooooooo

 Booooooooo

These Halloween cards are a little different for me ... I say that because of the color scheme.

dies used:  TH Sizzix Fright Night and Gothic Protraits

I had the backgrounds done and laying out on my table, along with a bunch of dies I had die cut ... so ... why not use them together.  And that is how these cards came about.  Also when I stenciled these backgrounds ... guess what ... you guessed it ... those color ink pads were out on my table, so there you have it.  You could say I was being creative or just lazy.  what do you think creative? or lazy?  Either way I like them with all their quirks of color and theme.

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Masking off

 Masking off

Another masking technique for Jen Rzasa #altenewchallengelive.  

supplies used:  Altenew Retro Plantines, Enamel dots

I did a technique I have done years ago that, I think is called grid sections.  I masked off sections with masking paper, but you can also use post it notes.  You can see more here in this post.  Just type in grid, and you will see more cards with this technique.

Here is a bookmark, and another card I made for this challenge.

supplies used:  Altenew Painted jellyfish/mini seashells, Dovetail butterflies

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