Great Friend Easel Card

 I saw this type of card on the Pinkfresh Studio FB page - it looked interesting and I wanted to try it. 

The flowers were stamped with grey ink and stencilled using a very pretty colour palette of pink, yellow and turquoise/green. Those pieces were die cut and the easel card base was scored and spattered with gold paint. The front circle was created by adhering five strips of cardstock across the circle and then die cutting a smaller circle from the larger one. The front circle was adhered to the white circle with foam tape and the floral images were arranged along the sides. That was adhered to the front of the easel base and the same colours of cardstock were used to create the stopper. A hot foiled sentiment was placed across the centre and gold gems were added around the flowers. 

Enjoy, 

Alyson

AH 624 - Hello Friend

 Welcome to Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge 624!

I love this sketch - enough detail that I stayed true to the design. 

I embossed a stitched white panel with polka dots and added four strips of black and white polka dot paper. The circle was ink blended and spritzed with water. The pieces for the floral cluster were die cut, inked and that was added on the left side with the hot foiled sentiment placed under the flowers. Some gold gems finished off this pretty card. 

Come and join us at Atlantic Hearts and show us how you interpret this challenge. 

You have until Sunday evening to link up your project. 

We can't wait to see what you create!

Enjoy, 

Alyson

DD April - Trio of Toads

 Welcome to Dragonfly Dreams and our April challenge! 

The theme for this challenge is animals. 

I chose to use toads - usually not a beautiful animal but these ones are truly cute!

I ink blended a blue background with Distress Oxide inks and splattered it with a mix of water and Perfect Pearls to create some shine. The toad images were die cut and assembled. I added them to light blue cardstock behind each of the windows. The sentiments were heat embossed in white and added between the circles. The card front was adhered to a white mat and then a dark blue card base. 

Come and join us at Dragonfly Dreams and show us how you interpret this challenge. 

You have until the end of the month to link up your project. 

We can't wait to see what you create!

Enjoy, 

Alyson

SS 773 - Thankful for You

 Welcome to Sketch Saturday Challenge 773!

I stayed true to the sketch just because it worked so well for what I had in mind. 

The white background was embossed and I tied a ribbon around that piece before adding it to a teal card base. I stamped, stencilled and die cut the flowers and added them to a lightly inked square piece. That was offset with another square and the sentiment was placed at the bottom. I finished off this cute card with three enamel dots. 

Come and join us at Sketch Saturday and show us how you interpret this challenge. 

You have two weeks to link up your project. 

We can't wait to see what you create!

Enjoy, 

Alyson

Cut It Up 327 - Treat Box

 Welcome to Cut it Up Challenge 327!

The theme for this challenge is anything but a card. 

I often turn to my Cricut for challenges like this. This little treat holder was cut and assembled. There is acetate behind the open windows on the front and back and I used a ribbon to hold the top together. A glittery paper bow was added along with a sentiment. Easy! 

Come and join us at Cut It Up and show us how you interpret this challenge. 

You have until Monday, April 14 to link up your project. 

We can't wait to see what you create!

Enjoy, 

Alyson

MTTC 557 - Just a Note Flowers

 Welcome to My Time to Craft Challenge 557!

The theme for this challenge is to create a RECTANGLE shaped card. 

I almost always make my cards in a rectangular shape so this was easy! I chose a floral theme. 

The black background was embossed with a bamboo 3D embossing folder. The flowers and leaves were die cut from various colours of cardstock and arranged on the front. I added a silver hot foiled sentiment and placed coloured gems on the flowers. Clear dew drops were added around the card. 

Come and join us at MTTC and show us how you interpret this challenge. 

You have two weeks to link up your project. 

We can't wait to see what you create!

Enjoy, 

Alyson

CAS Embossed Card

 This was such an easy card to make but it is so pretty!

Each end of an A2 white cardstock panel was embossed with a 3D embossing folder. I stamped the sentiment in two parts across the centre, heat embossing the lower part. Some silver gems were added after the panel was adhered to the card base. Easy! 

Enjoy, 

Alyson

Create and Inspire Spring 2025

 I registered for the Create and Inspire event about 7 months ago. It is run by Scrapbook and Cards Today. It finally happened on the weekend. I wasn't sure what to expect as this was my first in-person event with this company but it was beyond any expectations I had! 

Angie Blom (digital designer) is between my friend, Karen and me.

The prizes! Just WOW! 

The main crop room was always busy but we had the chance to sign up for various classes when we registered. I choose the four card classes run by Gina (Gina K. Designs), Jenn Shurkus (Lawn Fawn), Meghann Andrew (Concord and 9th) and Kim Kesti (Spellbinders). All were fabulous and the cards from those classes are posted below. There were so many products and gifts provided for us... amazing! 

We also had the chance to meet and interact with the instructors - all remarkable people. They were all so entertaining, friendly and helpful. There were other instructors as well as the card makers as this event included scrapbooking, mini albums, etc. Catherine Tachdjian is the owner of SCT and she is the sweetest, kindest lady ever! 

Another in-person event is coming in Oct 2026 and I will most definitely be one of the first to register! 

Enjoy, 

Alyson

TSOT 667 - By Simple Means Rainbow

 Welcome to Try a Sketch on Tuesday Challenge 667!

This is a very different sketch... more like a scene. 

I ink blended clouds and grass on white cardstock and adhered that to a black card base. The rainbow, clouds and flowers were die cut and arranged on the front. I stamped a sentiment off to the side. No embellishments were added so as to keep this simple. 

Come and join us at TSOT and show us how you interpret this challenge. 

You have two weeks to link up your project. 

We can't wait to see what you create!

Enjoy, 

Alyson

PS April - Birthday in Blue

Welcome to Pearly Sparkles and our April challenge. 

The theme for this challenge is monochromatic. 

I chose a blue theme. I inked a panel of white cardstock with two shades of blue Distress Oxide ink and spritzed it with a mix of water and Perfect Pearls to give it some shine. That piece was embossed with a 3D embossing folder. I added a strip of blue cardstock with a white mat and die cut a leaf image to go on top. The sentiment was embossed in white and added at the bottom. I put Liquid Pearls on the centres of the raised design and matted the card front on white cardstock and then to a blue card base. 

Come and join us at Pearly Sparkles and show us how you interpret this challenge. 

You have until the end of the month to link up your project. 

We can't wait to see what you create!

Enjoy, 

Alyson 

DT 188 - Rainbow Easel Card

 Welcome to Double Trouble Challenge 188!

The small graphic is below - please visit the Double Trouble Challenge Blog for detailed information. 

I found a card similar to this one on Pinterest and it was perfect for this challenge so I changed mine to fit the parameters. 

I used all the colours of the rainbow, three die cuts (two types of clouds and the rainbow) and created a scene. 

The rainbow was stencilled and die cut. I die cut and arranged the large clouds to create the front of the card and the opening under the rainbow was also cut out. The large cloud pieces were stencilled with a raindrop stencil and I added a stamped sentiment (in rainbow colours) plus a pair of boots and an umbrella. On the lower panel, the sun was stencilled and I placed three clouds above the sun to hold the top of the easel in place. 

Come and join us at Double Trouble and show us how you interpret this challenge.

You have two weeks to link up your project. 

We can't wait to see what you create!

Enjoy, 

Alyson

Birthday Triangle Card

 I have made this card style before but it fit perfectly for the parameters for a recent 30 Minute Card Making Stash and Dash. 

The parameters for this challenge were as follows: Type of Card: standard A2 portrait, Colour(s): orange, Embellishment: triangle, Technique: embossing and Occasion: birthday or crafter's choice. 

I heat embossed the floral images in black, coloured and die cut them. The triangles were die cut and arranged on the card front. The sentiments were stamped in the spaces and I adhered the flowers at the points of the triangles. Some gold gems were placed around the card. 

Enjoy, 

Alyson

Let's Celebrate Double Gate Accordion Fold Card

That title is a mouthful! I found this card on Facebook along with the measurements and created a birthday card with the design. 

I chose a bold colour scheme of purple, yellow, green, blue, red and orange. The panels were all attached and I stamped, coloured a die cut a lot of images. The little mice are so adorable and I paired them with a balloon arrangement to make a birthday card. There is a panel on the back to write a message and I finished the back side as well. 

Enjoy, 

Alyson 

CD 645 - Friend Flowers

 Welcome to Colour Dare Challenge 645!

I used three of the four colours (not yellow) for my card. 

I die cut a background from a detailed coverplate die and placed that on a white cardstock base. A gold frame was added on the base. The floral image was stamped, stencilled and I die cut the image three times and stacked them together. The sentiment was die cut from black cardstock along with a vellum shadow and added across the bottom of the card. Some gold gems were placed in the centres of the flowers. 

Come and join us at Colour Dare and show us how you interpret this challenge. 

You have two weeks to link up your project. 

We can't wait to see what you create!

Enjoy, 

Alyson

MTTCC 109 - Christmas Blessings

 Welcome to My Time to Craft Christmas Challenge 109! 

The theme for this challenge is to use brads. 

Most of us have brads in our stash... I only had a few left so I was lucky!

I chose an old holiday stamp and stamped the holly branches twice, one above the other. Layering stamps filled in the colours. I splattered the background with dark green paint and die cut it with a stitched rectangle die. The sentiment was stamped, stacked and adhered across the centre wth metallic thread underneath and I added two silver brads, one on each side. 

Come and join us at MTTCC and show us how you interpret this challenge.

You have two weeks to link up your project. 

We can't wait to see what you create!

Enjoy, 

Alyson

Crop and Create Spring 2025 - Day 3

 The Crop and Create virtual card event ran for 3 days - these are the cards made on the final day. 

The classes in order of photos are: Concord and 9th (a few pictures to show the interactive cards), Hero Arts and Pink and Main. 

And every card made during that event is shown in the photo below!

Enjoy, 

Alyson

Crop and Create Spring 2025 - Day 2

 The Crop and Create virtual card event ran for three days - these are the cards that were created on Day 2.

In order of photos, the classes were: Gina K. Designs, Altenew, LDRS Creative and Brutus Monroe.

Enjoy, 

Alyson