Wednesday, June 18, 2025

Double D - BEACH

Dear Ones~
Well, it's beach weather - or almost anyway. And that's the challenge this time over at Double D - BEACH. Here is the Mood Board for some inspiration:

 Here's my card:
I don't know why, but I always have a brain block with beach-y cards. Maybe because I don't identify with the beach - I live in the north woods. This cute little image is a Mo Manning digital stamp from Mo's Digital Pencil. She is called Beach Baby and I fussy cut her out after coloring her with alcohol inks. Oddly enough, I recently saw the same image over at Penny Black as a photopolymer stamp. Same name, you figure it out. The background is made with a stencil by Funky Fossil called Sun and Sea. Unfortunately, it is retired. The "sand" is some embossing powder by Seth Apter's Emerald Creek. It's from the Baked Texture line and it's called Dirty Sand.
 Pretty cool, aye??



  The Ingredients:
Recollections Ivory Card Stock
Funky Fossil Sun and Sea Stencil
Emerald Creek Baked Texture Embossing Powder
Mo Manning Digital Stamp
Various GKD Inks
Alcohol Inks to Color Image 

 
 
 
 
 If you head on over to the  Double D Challenge Blog and play along, you could win this beautiful silhouette stamp set.  Also, don't forget to check out all the beautiful cards the other designers have created.


So, until next time dear readers, ASPIRE to be INSPIRED. 
Here's celebrating your CREATIVE MUSE!!
~judY

Saturday, June 14, 2025

Can You Handle the Pressure - BUTTERFLIES

Dear Ones~  

There's a new challenge over at Can You Handle the Pressure.   For this challenge blog you MUST use an EMBOSSING FOLDER on your project.  Heat embossing (with embossing powder) is permitted but only IN ADDITION to your embossing folder design.  Each new challenge will have a 'TWIST' which is optional ... your choice to use or not.

The OPTIONAL TWIST for today's challenge is:

BUTTERFLIES
 
 
 This is my card:
This butterfly comes to you courtesy of a wonderful Spellbinders die set called Peacock Butterfly. It's really fun to make, just a good choice of colors and a little die cutting. The background panel is embossed with one of Gina's embossing folders - Petite Flourish. It's so popular and really packs a punch.


 
 The Ingredients:
GKD White Card Stock 
Park Lane Paperie Pastels Card Stock
GKD Petite Flourish Embossing Folder
Spellbinders Peacock Butterfly Die Set
Honey Bee Mini Messages: Everyday
Trinity Stamps Baubles
 

 
 
 
 So head on over to the Can You Handle the Pressure Blog and play along, and don't forget to check out all the beautiful cards the other designers have created while you are there. I can't wait to see all your wonderful designs!!

 Until next time dear reader, I hope you "can handle the pressure"!
Here's celebrating your CREATIVE MUSE.
judy
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Wednesday, June 4, 2025

Double D - FRAMES

Dear Ones~
The new challenge over at Double D is FRAMES. Here is the Mood Board for our inspiration:
 
And this is what I came up with:
I decided to use this beautiful stencil by SSS and try it on an old hymnal page. It worked beautifully, I love the look. I will be using stencils on patterned paper more, don't know why we think it just needs to be on plain paper. The frame is a fun shadow box technique I learned from Julie DiMatteo over at The Paper Pixie. You can watch it HERE. Her project is a very different size, but I have figured out how to make the shadow box any size.
 


 
 The Ingredients:
 GKD Ivory Card Stock
Stamperia House of Roses Patterned Paper for Frame
Old Hymnal Page
SSS Elegant Rose Stencil Set
Altenew Pink Pearl, Coral Bliss and Heart Beat Ink
GKD Medium Spruce Ink Stampendous Thoughtful Wishes Stamp for Greeting
 
 
 
 
 If you head on over to the  Double D Challenge Blog and play along, you could win this lovely Gemini Stamp and Die set.  Also, don't forget to check out all the beautiful cards the other designers have created.

 
So, until next time dear readers, ASPIRE to be INSPIRED. 
Here's celebrating your CREATIVE MUSE!!
 
~judy  
 
 
 
 

Monday, June 2, 2025

A Cut Above - June

  A Cut Above
 
Dear Ones~
It's a new month, and time for a new challenge over at  A Cut Above Challenge Blog
 
Challenges are on a monthly basis and posted on the first Monday of the month at 12:00 AM (Eastern Time) and ending on the 28th of each month 8:00 PM (Eastern Time) with the winner posted on the 30th of that month. The theme is always anything goes with a die cut. However once in awhile we will throw in a theme for you, or just do anything goes. Entirely up to you. This time it's just anything goes.

Limit of 3 entries per challenge with each being a different project.

Any project is welcome but MUST HAVE AT LEAST ONE DIE CUT defined by using a die cut machine, not a purchased pre-fabricated die cut. Winner is chosen by random draw, and will receive a $5 gift card to A Cherry On Top Online Store along with a dated badge to display on their craft site.
 
Here is my card:

I decided to go with a masculine card this time, I seem to struggle with them the most. I have had this die by Memory Box for a really long time, it's a real go-to for guy cards. I inlaid the "moon" in gold metallic card stock, and layered a different cattail die cut on top using gold metallic card stock. Photographing metallic paper is a nightmare, it's really pretty IRL. The fern background was made with a fern embossing folder using SU Soft Sea Foam card stock and highlighting it with SU Always Artichoke Ink. Diamond Stickles on the cattails.






The Ingredients:
Recollections Kraft and Chocolate Card Stock
SU Soft Sea Foam Card Stock 
Tim Holtz Gold Metallic Card Stock
SU Fern Embossing Folder
SU Always Artichoke Ink
Memory Box Graceful Cattails Die
Spellbinders Cattails Die
Spellbinders Our Favorite font Sentiment Set
Stickles on the Cattails

 
 
  I hope you will jump in and MAKE THE CUT, I can't wait to see what you come up with. Head on over to the A CUT ABOVE BLOG to see what it's all about. And if you play along, you could win a $5 gift card to A Cherry On Top.
 
Until next time, dear reader, aspire to be inspired.
Here's celebrating your Creative Muse. 

~judy