A Couple of Challenge Cards

Hey Crafty Friends!!!

Ahhh!! The first week of school vacation!!! I have been busy relaxing, working out again AND CRAFTING. It is so nice to be able to get to my craft desk to create.

My first card I created for two challenges.

 I used this round of the Color Hues Challenge #135 and this weeks Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge. 

I used the Petal Burst stencil by Spellbinders for my background. 

The sentiment was stamped/die cut using the SSS With Sympathy Stamp set.

The black leaves were die cut with the Curvy Leaves die from Pinkfresh Studios.

My second card I created for Freshly Made Sketches #742 and the All Sorts Challenge #852.

Before I post my card, I need to preface that I really STRETCHED how the sketch inspired me. I went through die cuts that are in my "extra" pile and wanted to use the orange suitcase as the blue strip in the sketch.

The hat was my "circle" and the green suitcase is the foliage. I put the sketch over my card to show how my thought process is.

I used the Honey Bee Stamps Small Suitcase dies for most of the dies on this card. 

The background paper is from the Been There Collection by Arden Studio. I had fun distressing the edges on this pattern paper and layering it over an A2, top folding card base.

The sentiment is from Altenew's Sentiment Strips 3. I cut it up to fit the card. I thought it was kind of appropriate to this card.

Well that is all from me today. Thank you for taking the time to stop by. Have a fabulous day!

Nora

A Card for Freshly Made Sketches #738

Hey Crafty Friends!! Happy Sunday! 

I am just popping in today with a card I created today for Freshly Made Sketches #738 and Simon Says Stamp! Wednesday Challenge-Anything Goes.

I used the Tweet Friend stamp and die set by Simon Says Stamp! for my stamped images. I did a bit of sewing with platinum thread behind my image.

I added some sequins around the images to give it some shine. Below is the Freshly Made Sketch #738 that inspired my card.

I had fun stamping and coloring the bird with Copic markers for this card. 

That is all from me today. I want to thank you for taking the time to stop by. Have a FABULOUS day!!

Nora

Always There Release at Simon Says Stamp!

Hello Friends!!!

Today I am popping in with a card for the Simon Says Stamp! "Always There" product release!!! They asked me to join them this month and sent me the "With Sympathy" stamp set to play with. I was so honored to be asked to be a part of this release.

I started off by stamping the branch image from the "With Sympathy" stamp set with Simon Says Stamp! Raindrop Pawsitively Saturated Ink. I have slowly been collecting all of their inks and this was the first time I used this color. It is so dramatic!!! 

I then used white Jelly Roll pen to add some white detailing inside the stamped images. It looks so good with the dark green.

I adhered my stamped panel over an A2 card green card base which just happened to match the Raindrop ink. Sometimes being a hoarder pays off!!!

I added an embossed sentiment from "With Sympathy" and used a few jewels from the SSS Cool Tones Pawsitively Dazzling Gems set to finish my card off. I LOVE how this came out and will be duplicating this card in other colors for my stash.

Hop on over to Simon Says Stamp! to see more of the new release. There are a TON of great examples from the designers.

Thats all from me today. Thank you for taking the time to stop by. Have a FABULOUS day!!

Nora

A NEW Challenge-Cupcake Inspirations Challenge #637

Hello Friends!!!

Today I am popping in with a card for the NEW round of the Cupcake Inspirations Challenge!!! Challenge #637 is a COLOR challenge-PEACHES and CREAM.

Below is the Challenge Badge for Cupcake Inspirations Challenge #637:

Source

I LOVED making this card! Why? Because I used a background panel that I had stenciled YEARS ago from my stash!!! It made the card making process so easy!!!

The products I used were from The Greetery. I kind of stretched the peaches and cream color for this. I used vanilla cardstock for the back of my die cut sentiment, as well as the panel under the peaches.

These products go together but alas, are retired. This card was so fun to create!!

Want to join us this round? To see more details about the Cupcake Inspirations Challenge #637, head on over to the BLOG. I cannot wait to see what you create!!!

That is all from me. I want to thank you for taking the time to stop by. Have a FABULOUS day!!

Nora

A Tea-rrific Birthday

Hello my Friends!!

Today I am popping in with a card I created for some challenges. I had fun using Simon Says Stamp Best-Teas and the sentiment is from the SSS Tea-rrific Birthday set.

The layout was inspired by this week's Freshly Made Sketches #732, Seize the Birthday Challenge #324-Anything Goes and this week's Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge-Bright and Cheerful.

I used Copic Markers to color in all my stamped images. The pattern paper was in my stash, border and all.

The white panel was embossed with the Linen embossing folder by Spellbinders. 

I LOVE how this card came out and had so much fun putting it together. 

That is all from me today. I want to thank you for taking the time to stop by today. Have a fabulous Sunday!!

Nora

Some New Cards!!

Hello Crafty Friends!!

I am just popping in with a couple of cards. I have not been crafting the last few weeks. I have been too depressed. Everything in the world is uncertain and I have a hard time feeling crafty when things are like this. However, I am on vacation this week and my goal is too make a ton of cards with some of the kits I have received over the past six months.

My first card I created for some challenges. I used this weeks Freshly Made Sketch #731, Time Out Challenges #315-Sweet Treats and Simon Says Stamp! Wednesday Challenge as my inspiration. As I was making it, I thought of my mother. She LOVED tea and had many cups throughout the day.

I had a blast using the Simon Says Stamp! August 2025 Best-Teas Stamp kit for my card. 

I used the paper in this kit from the Carta Bella Coffee Shop 6" x 6" paper pad for the background and the images from the Best-Teas that I colored in with Copic Markers. 

I die cut the images with the matching dies. I also used a cupcake from the tiny Tea-riffic Birthday that matches the larger set. I used a die from The Stamp Market for my ovals.

My second card I created for a student this week. I don't make cards for all the kids, which might sound mean, but this student is really special and has come such a long way. I wanted him to know that I was thinking of him on his birthday.

I used the Simon Says Stamp! Celebrate You stamp set (retired) for the bold balloons and the Simon Says Stamp! Fancy Happy Birthday Die for the sentiment die. 

I used the prompt from the As You See It Challenge #370 and Seize the Birthday #324 Anything Goes as my inspiration for this card.

When I gave this card to the student, he had such a big smile and it made my day. I love how it came out and it did what I needed it to do. 

Well, that is all from me today. I want to thank you for taking the time to stop by. Have a FABULOUS day!!!

Nora

Happy Sunday!!!

Happy Sunday!!

I am just popping in with some cards for some challenges. I am trying to use some of my stash this year so I dug out a Simon Says Stamp! stamp and die set-Celebrate You (retired).

For my first card, I had fun stamping the candles and coloring them in with Copic Markers. I then embellished them with some different colored Stickles. Using that stash!!

I dug out some stencils and used the stamp Grunge Tones from Visible Image with some Pinkfresh Studio Ink. I then used a Distress Tool and distressed the edges.

I adhered the coral panel onto a white A2 card base and used foam adhesive to pop up the candles and the sentiment.  My last step was to adhere some confetti sequins randomly around the card. I LOVE how this card came out and will be using these candles again.

I am entering this card into the following challenges Just Add Ink #779-Sketch (I used the candles as the rectangle) and The Little Red Wagon #846-Just the Way You Are (how I did the distressed edges-I am into this look!).

 

The second card I created I used the same stamp set as the first. This stamp set has a TON of fun images and sentiments to use on birthday cards.

I used another couple challenges as my inspiration. I used the All Sorts Challenge #843-Embossing (I used dry and heat embossing on my card) and Can You Handle the Pressure?-Dry Embossing, with Die Cuts being a twist (I have both!!), and The Color Hues Challenge #127-Peach and Teal. Yes, I used shades of both the colors but I was inspired by the colors.

I had fun using a stencil on the circles behind my stamped/colored in drinks.

For the dry embossing, I used Spellbinders Intertwined Lattice Embossing Folder on white cardstock.

I used some Glossy Accents on the stamped images and some randomly placed confetti sequins.

For my last card, I originally made for a IG challenge. However, I created a different card instead for that challenge and am posting this here. 

Once again I used the Celebrate You stamp/die set by Simon Says Stamp! for my card. I used the Kat Scrappiness Stitched Postage Stamp Edge Rectangles on the coral cardstock. I then layered this on a white A2 card base. I used a rectangle of pattern paper and then layered some Waffle Flower Stamps over the top.

To finish off my card is to add some star sequins and Glossy Accents around the card front.

I am entering this card into this round of Seize the Birthday #320. I am not doing the topping challenge as it needs to be CAS and Dies. I have the dies, but it isn't really CAS.

Well, that is all from me today. We are bracing for a huge Nor'easter today so I will be back with more cards tomorrow!! Thanks for stopping by!!

Nora