I frequently see people post cards for multiple challenges, and marvel that they can combine so many different prompts. The most I’ve ever done is two, but today I have two cards—one for four challenges, and another for two.

I’ll start with the fall-themed card that I created, then dismantled, after taking a photograph and realizing some things needed to be fixed! I’m entering it in the Color Throwdown Challenge, and The Card Concept. For both cards, the colors were the main inspiration, and for The Card Concept–also the theme of “Give Thanks.” This card falls under the definition of CAS at The Card Concept.

The design began when I was looking through the clear envelopes where I store previously die cut/stamped/embossed pieces. I sort them by kind or by stamp set. I found this kraft background that had been embossed with a Time Holtz Alterations embossing folder. I thought it would make a good background for a fall card. Then I found the leaves that I had stamped and die cut a year ago when I was crafting with a friend. The leaves and the card base tick off three of the Color Throwdown Challenge. The narrow brown frame ticks off the fourth color, although kraft falls in the brown category as well. All the stamped images are from Papertrey Ink’s “Forest Floor: Autumn.”

The next card is another Christmas card, headed for four challenges: CAS on Friday–Christmas (no challenge image for this site,) CAS Mix-up — Watercolor and Off the Edge, Christmas Kickstart–Festive Florals, and The Flower Challenge-Use a Sentiment. It’s another card featuring a poinsettia.This one was one of last year’s favorite purchases, and I’ve already used it this year a few times.

I started with a bright red card base using Gina K’s “Cherry Kisses.” Having almost ruined a card with splatters awhile ago, I splattered the card front with metallic gold paint before I did anything else. I gold embossed the beautiful poinsettia (Altenew’s “Modern Poinsettia”) and then watercolored it with Zig Clean Color Markers. 

It’s easier to see the beautiful gold embossing here. I added a strip of gold metallic paper and a thin black border behind the poinsettia. The greeting is from Simon Says “Holiday Greetings: Mix 1” which is quickly becoming a favorite sentiment. I love the narrow gold border around the greeting. The final touch was to add some gold metallic dots to the center of the flower.

I’ve been busy keeping myself distracted from the election news by creating Christmas cards, and I’ve put a serious dent in the number I need. I won’t share some of them until they’re in the mail, but I have one to share today for two challenges: the Christmas Kickstart Challenge where the challenge is Festive Florals, and The Flower Challenge where the prompt is Use A Sentiment.

Over the last couple of years, I’ve added some poinsettia stamps to my collection. This year’s purchase was from Waffleflower (“Poinsettia”), and I’ve used it for several cards. This is one of my favorites, so far.

It’s a bit of an odd angle to the photo, but I wanted the gold embossed sentiment to shine–although the poinsettia is clearly the star for these two challenges. I love the gold and red against the black background. The sentiment was gold embossed on black cardstock and die cut using Ellen Huston’s “Essential Rectangles.” Those dies also cut a narrow frame, so I die cut it again in gold and adhered the gold frame around the sentiment.

I die cut another piece of black cardstock and then added the sentiment piece to that. That was all added to a Pure Poppy card base. The poinsettia was also gold embossed and colored with Copic markers. It’s attached to the card with foam adhesive which gives it a bit of dimension. The sentiment is from Simon Says “Holiday Greetings: Mix 1” which I’ve been pulling out for multiple cards. 

We’re enjoying a streak of unusually warm and sunny weather for Rochester in November. It’s been near 70° the last two days, and more of the same is forecast for the next four days! It’s much appreciated. Yesterday I went for a long walk through Highland Park. Today I met a friend for another walk in Genesee Valley Park and a picnic lunch in the park afterwards—socially distanced for lunch, masks for the walk. COVID has raised its ugly head here again after months of one of the lowest rates in the country. Halloween parties and indoor gatherings seem to be the culprit. Aside from close family, we keep to outside venues if we want to see friends. It’s one of the reasons I’m so happy to see this warm weather. 

The challenge at AAA Cards is Maxi White Space/Optional Stars.

Since I had already started this stenciled star panel, the challenge provided the nudge to finish the card.

Actually, the card is almost totally white! I started by applying Gina K’s Glitter paste through the Altenew “Milky Way” stencil. I wanted a subtle, but distinct, glitter embossing powder for the sentiment and tried several, settling on WOW’s “Cloud 9.” The panel was die cut with one of Hero Art’s “Rounded Rectangle Infinity” dies, which has proved to be a good purchase. I added some fun foam to the back before adhering it to the white card base.

I often have difficulty photography the sparkly parts of a card. Not this time, the glitter stood right out! I’m thinking this could be either a birthday card or a Christmas card, depending on the inside sentiment which I almost always wait to include until I know who the card is going to.

The Fusion Challenge is “Purple Nights.”

I loved the purple sky, and that was the source of my inspiration for another Halloween card—this one for my only grandson.

I started with a piece of Amethyst Allure cardstock, ink blending with purple and black inks around the edges, leaving the center lighter. I also added a bit of white in the middle. “Caught in the Web” from Ink to Paper was die cut from True Black cardstock. I randomly added some Spectrum Noir glitter to the web which is, as always, nearly impossible to detect in the photos, but effective IRL. It’s interesting that in the original photos, it’s visible, but once uploaded to the blog it seems to disappear.

The two ghosts are from Ink to Paper’s “Ghosts and Ghoulies. I added the google eyes and attached the ghosts with Wobblies. I had no luck trying to do a short video of the ghosts wobbling  back and forth when you flick them, but it’s pretty cute. The sentiment is from “Friendship Jar Fillers: Autumn,” one of my all-time favorite sets from Papertrey Ink.

The card went in the mail today with a layer of foam on top and in a 5×7 envelope with extra postage. Hope it gets there intact!