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!

One of my goals for October is to complete five Christmas cards a week. Although making multiples of one design is certainly the most efficient way to meet the goal, today I have two cards that were created for specific challenges. First off is a pink poinsettia for the Christmas Kickstart Challenge whose current theme is PINK!

For several years, I’ve owned a Hero Arts set, “Color Layering Poinsettia.” The first two words of the title tell me exactly why I’ve never used it. For some reason, color layering is something I always struggle with. One of my good friends who is also a stamper loves layering and hates coloring. I’m the reverse. But I was determined to make this work, and it wasn’t quite as frustrating as I anticipated.

In fact, stamping and die cutting the poinsettias went pretty well. It was figuring out a design for the card that took some time. I finally decided on a stenciled background and used Altenew’s “Beach Towel Stripe.” It may be a summery name, but it worked out well. The inks and papers are all from Concord & 9th.

It’s almost impossible to see, but the die cut “merry” from W+9’s “Hand Lettered Holiday” is coated with glitter as are the petals of the poinsettias. I added a few pale pink pearls from AMuse which have been in my stash for years.

I’ll be adding this card to Darnell’s NBUS Challenge since I’ve never used the Hero Arts set before.

The next card was created specifically for two challenges. First the CAS Colour and Sketch Challenge:

And also for The Flower Challenge where the current challenge is to use a circle.

I had already stamped and embossed this poinsettia cluster from Waffle Flower’s “Poinsettia,” so it was just a matter of coloring it with Copics and assembling the card according to the sketch.

Metallics are so hard to photograph! The gold circle and thin border are a beautiful gold shimmer paper, and the sentiment is also embossed in gold. It’s a little easier to see here:

It’s not often that a sketch inspires me, but I loved this one. 

In September, I purchased two dies from The Greetery’s new collection: “Botanic Cuts: Mighty Oak,” and the “Shiplap Builder.” I recently had time to make a fall birthday card (soon to go in the mail) and used the challenge from the Paper Players for my color scheme.

There are over 18 names on my October and November birthday and anniversary list. Many of the cards in my stash are too summery, so I’m back to needing some new cards. This one fits the bill.

The card had a rocky start. I had finished it, and decided it needed a few ink splatters. I’m always a bit apprehensive when I start that process, and there’s good reason why. The splatters were too big and too many, so I carefully disassembled the card and started over! This time I splattered first and with a much smaller paintbrush. Lesson learned, I hope!

The sentiment is also from The Greetery: “Blessed Blooms,” which has the same font as an earlier set which I like so much. The dies are awesome, too! The beautiful copper envelope was part of a Simon Says kit. 

It’s another beautiful fall day here! Off to enjoy it.

The Pinkfresh Studio’s World Card Making Day Challenges close in just a few hours. Luckily, I had time this afternoon to make two more cards. One for the Sympathy Card Challenge, and one for the Thank You Card Challenge. Both use Never Before Used Stuff again so I’ll be linking up to Darnell’s NBUS October Challenge. 

First off, the sympathy card. I like CAS cards with neutral colors for sympathy cards and this definitely fills the bill.

Although I’ve owned the Botanical Circle die for quite some time, I’d never used it before. I had, however, die cut it in several colors, one of them being white. I thought there was just enough contrast with the Soft Stone background, and then layered both on a top-folded card base made from Smoky Shadow. Both cardstocks are from Papertrey Ink.

One thing I’ve discovered during these challenges is despite my very lovely collection of Pinkfresh Studio products, I don’t have a lot of sentiments to choose from. This one, however, is perfect and is from their Oval Foliage Wreath stamp set.

Next up is the first of the Christmas thank you notes. I just purchased the beautiful Winterberry Background stamp, and embossed it in gold on Asparagus cardstock (Gina K).

The sentiment is also a product I’ve owned for some time and never used before. I love it, and I’m sure you’ll be seeing it again. It’s the Simon Says “Thankful 2” die.

I die cut the shadow with vellum, and the main sentiment from the same gold cardstock (Michael’s) that I used as a narrow layer on the card. 

It’s a beautiful fall day here, 20° cooler than yesterday, but a lot less wind, and no threat of rain. Here’s hoping for a couple more weeks of decent weather before winter weather appears!

Saturday was World Card Making Day. I didn’t see all the Pinkfresh Studio Challenges until too late to participate. Thankfully the galleries are open until this weekend. I have a lovely collection of Pinkfresh stamps and dies, so Sunday I spent some time with my Pinkfresh stash. I have more I’d like to do, but the week is slipping away from me, through no fault of my own!

Here’s #1 using a “Shaker Tag” die cut, “Everyday Script” die cut, and two blooms from the “Celebrate Ephemera” pack for Challenge #1: Die Cutting and Challenge #6: No Stamping. The tag is one of several in a set, and it’s one of those Never Used Before Stuff that’s in my Pinkfresh collection. 

The next card is for Challenge #10: Watercolor. This time I watercolored the background and die cut the beautiful Pinkfresh Studio “Botanical Branch” from some Canyon Clay cardstock. A double layer of green (Asparagus from Gina K and a scrap of green paper from my stash) sets it off from the Canyon Clay card base. The sentiment isn’t PFS, but an oldie and favorite of mine “Wishes Come True” by Papertrey Ink. I added some Nuvo Crystal Glaze to the berries.

Number three ended up so differently than I imagined, and took way too long given it’s CAS design at the end. I used the new “From Our Home to Yours” stamp and die set. Love the little paths from one house to the other. Bright reds and greens and another Christmas card for the stash. 

The next card goes into two challenges: #4 – Monochromatic Colors and #5 – Stripes. I got out one of my birthday purchases which I’ve never used before, the “Color Block Gradiating Stripes.” I used the Pinkfresh ink cube set, “Urban Raincoat” for the stripes, and the “Phrase Builder: Hello” die cut for the sentiment.

Last (for now, at least) another card for the Stripes Challenge and the Clean and Simple Challenge. Again I used the “Gradiating Stripes,” and added a sentiment from the “Hanging Florals” stamp set. The leaves were in my stash, and are from Papertrey Ink’s “Forest Floor: Autumn.”

With any luck, I’ll have a couple more cards made by the weekend when the challenge galleries close. I’m also sending this over to Darnell’s NBUS Challenge.