Just Us Girls Challenge #805 - Word Week - Encouragement - Take Life One Cup at a Time (SSD Coffee, TE sentiment)

Hello,

Welcome to Just Us Girls Challenge #805  where Elizabeth, our hostess, has chosen *Encouragement* or our Word Week prompt. 

We're delighted to have Laurel Seabrook joining us for her second week as our January Guest Designer.

I've used an assortment of coffee themed papers and ephemera, from Simply Stated Design, paired with a sentiment from Taylored Expressions. 

Please head over to the main blog for some amazing Encouragement cards from Laurel and my talented team. 
Looking forward to seeing how this prompt speaks to you.

Thank you for dropping by!

Inkspirational Challenge #358 - Word Prompt - SHINE/SHINY - 2026 Happy New Year (HA Numbers, WF Snowflake coverplate)

Hello,

Welcome to Inkspirational Challenge #358where we're ringing in the New Year with our first Word Prompt: SHINE/SHINY.  From glitter to metallics to glimmer foils to sequins: whatever brings a shine to your cards is fine by us! 

Happy New Year! Lots of gold shine on my card: gold foil cardstock, Hero Arts numbers, a Waffle Flower cover plate and an Alex Syberia sentiment. 

May 2026 be a wonderful year for everyone!

Please head over to the main blog to see fabulous inspiration from my wonderful teammates, then bring out your shiny stuff, create a card/project and join us in the gallery.

The challenge is open until January 16th; plenty of time to play along.

Thank you for dropping by!

Colour Hues Challenge #124 - Grey and Red - Santa and Gingerbread Man (SSD Cute Whimsy Bases, SB Postage)

Hello!

Happy New Year! May 2026 be filled with joy, love and crafting...LOTS of crafting!

Welcome to Colour Hues Challenge #124 where our talented hostess, Bonnie, invites us to play with hues of Grey and Red for the next two weeks. A pretty wintery combination for January, in my opinion. 

We are joined this month by two fabulous Guest Designers: Lisa E. and Barb F.

I've been waiting to share this adorable Santa for quite a while - and when I realized the image is predominately red and grey, well: here he is! Too cute! 

Please head to the main blog to see amazing inspiration from our guest designers as well as my talented teammates.

Looking forward to seeing how Grey and Red inspire you!

The challenge will be open until January 14th!

The winners will be posted an hour before our next challenge and the overall

 winner will have the opportunity to be a future Guest Designer.

Thank you for dropping by!

Just Us Girls Challenge #804 - Die Week - Cover Plate - May Your Days Be Merry and Bright Cute Snowman (SSD, WF Frosty Panel Die, TH sentiment)

Hello,

Happy New Year!

Welcome to Just Us Girls Challenge #804 - Use Dies Week where Elizabeth, our hostess, invites us to use a cover plate on our cards/projects. Your cover plate can emboss or die cut; the choice is yours.

We're delighted to have Laurel Seabrook joining us as our Guest Designer for January.

My card captures a combination of the festive + winter mood I'm feeling: a cute snowman from the Simply Stated Design Cute Snowman Ephemera collection , a frosty panel from Waffle Flower and a Christmassy sentiment from a Tim Holtz booklet.  The snowman makes me smile; so adorable!

Please head over to the main blog to see fabulous inspiration from Laurel and the rest of the team. 

Looking forward to seeing what style of cover plate you'll be sharing.

Thank you for dropping by!

AAA Birthday Challenge #81 - Winter Birthday - This Card is Full of Birthday Wishes Arctic Critters (Simply Stated Design - November Patreon Bundle)

Hello,

Happy New Year! As we welcome 2026, I want to express how much I appreciate that you're part of our creative journey here at AAA Birthday Challenge. Your inspiring cards serve to fuel my inspiration as well. Hopefully, a joyous year of crafting comes to fruition for all of us.

Welcome to AAA Birthday Challenge #81. This month, we invite you to create Winter Birthday cards and projects. Think snowy vistas, Arctic critters, snowflakes, winter colours and cozy cold-weather items like mittens, hats and scarves—so many delightful possibilities for our January theme.

We're delighted to have Cathy R joining us as our guest designer. 

 

A winter scene features prominently on my card: a wintry sky, snowflakes and an ephemera focal cluster of Arctic animals, dressed in cozy hats and scarves. (Simply Stated Design - November Patreon collection).  A Spellbinders Better Press sentiment completes the birthday theme. 

Please drop in at the main blog to see wonderful inspiration from Cathy and the rest of my amazing team.

Looking forward to seeing your winter birthday cards filling the gallery! 

The challenge is open until January 31st; plenty of time to join us.

Thank you for dropping by!

Inkspirational Challenge #357 - Designer's Choice - COLD - Baby, It's Cold Outside (Inside Pop-up Panel using SSD Forever Frost)

Hello, 

Welcome to Inspirational Challenge #357. Can you believe it? This is our final challenge of 2025, carrying us right over the threshold into 2026. Where did the year go?

For the next two weeks (December 20–January 2), Marlena invites you to explore her Designer’s Choice theme: COLD. A timely pick for many of us in the Northern Hemisphere; indeed, as I write this post, the thermometer reads a brisk –27°C! 🥶 Winter has truly arrived.

What does cold spark for you? Frosty textures, icy palettes, snow-covered scenes, frozen treats or perhaps a humorous take on shivering critters or bundled-up figures? So many options, right!

Today, I'm using the Forever Frost collection from Simply Stated Design. The frost themed papers and ephemera certainly convey cold in the most lovely fashion.

 

This beautiful snowflake and sentiment featured on the front of my card make for a simple design.

The 'real' magic happens when the card is open, revealing a 'hidden' panel that pop-up from a carefully constructed 'feat of engineering' (at least for me it is!).

Below is a top view of the 'mechanism'.

Here is a view of one side of the card once opened, followed by...

the view from the other side.

 

A selection of ephemera - snowflakes and icy winter roses - adds to the card's wintry vibe.

I won't pretend this was easy to make; a couple of 'sloppy copies' happened first. Once I had the mechanism - or more specifically, the mechanism's opening - figured out, the card came together quickly. I'm pleased with the result and, despite the finagling and fiddling, I'll certainly be making more.  Hope this brings you a smile.

Please head over to the main blog to see wonderful inspiration from my talented team. Then, cozy up in your craft room and design a COLD themed card to share in the gallery.

On behalf of my team and myself, we wish you and your loved ones all the joys of the festive season.

Also sharing at:

The Four Seasons Challenge: Anything Goes Winter

Thank you for dropping by!

AAA Card Challenge #305 - Anything CAS Goes (Optional Twist: White on White) - For You Gift (TH Ribbon, SB Tag)

Hello,

Welcome to AAA Cards Challenge #305 - Anything CAS Goes, with the optional twist of White-on-White Only.  Since many of us are immersed in the joys and rush of the festive season, this challenge will run from Dec. 7th - Jan. 17, 2026.  Plenty of time to play along with us, both before, during and even after the holidays.

A reminder that we're looking for Clean and Simple designs; you can find the description of what that means here. 

My white-on-white card was simple to make, once the idea gelled. Here, I'm featuring the wonderful bow die from Tim Holtz paired with a tag from Spellbinders. I'm smitten with the way this large, pretty bow creates the illusion of a wrapped gift.

Please head over to the main blog to see fabulous inspiration from our guest designer and my teammates, then bring your Anything CAS Goes cards - with or without the twist - to the gallery.

Looking forward to seeing you there.

Wishing all my visitors a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! 

Thank you for dropping by!