AH 626 - So Very Special

Welcome to Atlantic Hearts Sketch Challenge 626!

I really liked this sketch - it worked well for what I had in mind. 

I embossed a panel of white cardstock with a 3D embossing folder and adhered it to a black mat and a yellow card base. The flower was stamped, stencilled and die cut and I also stamped and die cut a sentiment in two parts. The strips were cut from patterned paper and three yellow gems were placed under the flower. 

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

Thinking of You Fan Fold Card

 This pretty card idea was designed by Lisa Curcio - she always creates beautiful projects! 

The card is 5x7 and folds flat. I chose some old patterned papers that worked with green and turquoise cardstock. There are small images on the front to allow the focus to be on the fold. Inside, I stamped a second sentiment and added a few extra die cuts. Turquoise glitter gems were placed on the front. 

Enjoy,

Alyson

SS 774 - Piece of Cake

 Welcome to Sketch Saturday Challenge 774!

I chose a birthday theme and used three patterned papers for the circles. The background was stencilled with confetti and I added Stickles to some of the dots. The cake image was embossed in blue, coloured and die cut. I didn't put a sentiment on the front as the cake explains the purpose of the card. There is a sentiment inside. 

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 328 - Cup of Flowers

 Welcome to Cut It Up Challenge 328!

The theme for this challenge is something that starts with C. I used a cup and a cover plate die. 

I stamped, stencilled and die cut the cup. The floral image was stamped, coloured and die cut before being slid into the opening in the cup. The white geometric background was die cut and added to yellow cardstock and then a black base. I added a sentiment at the bottom of the cup and some gold gems around the card. 

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

You have until Monday, April 28 to link up your project. 

We can't wait to see what you create!

Enjoy, 

Alyson

MTTC 558 - Find Beauty

 Welcome to My Time to Craft Challenge 558!

The theme for this challenge is to make a circle card. 

I have had this oceanscape die for ages... I inked several pieces of white cardstock with a variety of Distress Oxide inks, cut out the various sections and pieced them together. The entire inked front was adhered to black cardstock and I stamped a sentiment for the front. 

Come and join us at MTTC and show us your circle projects. 

You have two weeks to link up your project. 

We can't wait to see what you create!

Enjoy, 

Alyson

Pink Lotus Birthday

 This card is from another 30 Minute Card Making Stash Dash. 

The parameters for this challenge were as follows: Type of card: 5x7, Colour(s): green, Embellishment: shiny, Technique: dove tailing, Sentiment: birthday or just because. 

I stencilled the flowers onto a piece of white cardstock and added some additional shading. That piece was splattered with silver paint and adhered to a green border and then a silver mat. A sentiment was stamped in dark pink and adhered to a silver border, with both pieces dovetailed. That was added with foam tape and I adhered the card front to the white base. Some silver gems were placed around the flowers. 

Enjoy, 

Alyson

In My Thoughts Purple Flowers

 I saw a card like this made by Mindy Eggen and I had the same (or similar) products so I could try it myself. 

The white frame was die cut so there was a stitched border on both the inside and the outside of the frame. The flower and leaf images were stamped, stencilled and die cut and adhered on opposite corners. The sentiment was placed across the middle. I did use both thick and thin foam tape to add some dimension. Gold gems were added in the flower centres and around the card. 

Enjoy, 

Alyson

TSOT 668 - Flight of Joy

 Welcome to Try a Sketch on Tuesday Challenge 668!

I used a scalloped die to create the borders from white cardstock and adhered those pieces to blue cardstock. The front was adhered to another piece of darker blue cardstock. I die cut the bird, branches and leaves from coloured cardstock and adhered them to a white circle. The sentiment was stamped in the bottom corner. I kept this card clean and 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

Beautiful Blossoms April - Heart Smiles

 Welcome to the April challenge at Beautiful Blossoms! 

The inspiration photo is below. You can use that or create any project with flowers as the theme. 

I drew my colours from the inspiration photo. 

The floral image was stamped, stencilled and die cut with an oval frame die. I also splattered it with silver paint. That was adhered to a black oval frame, green patterned paper and then to a black card base. The sentiment was embossed in white and added at the bottom with foam tape. Some silver gems were scattered around the card.

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

You have one month to link up your project. 

We can't wait to see what you create!

Enjoy, 

Alyson

DT 189 - Row of Bunnies

 Welcome to Double Trouble Challenge 189!

The 3-2-1 combo this time is as follows: 3 pastel colours, 2 words in the same sentiment and 1 slimline or mini-slimline card. Eggs are a bonus. 

This card represents the THIRD attempt at this challenge... I either didn't read the info correctly or I did the wrong style of card the first two times. 

The clouds were stencilled, the brick wall was embossed and I dragged dark red ink on top to enhance the design. The adorable row of bunnies was stamped, coloured and die cut and I stamped a variety of sentiments in the word balloons above the bunnies. I also stamped several ovals and coloured them to represent a pile of eggs. That was placed at the bottom and the entire card front was adhered to a black card base. 

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 Hydrangeas

 I have a hydrangea stamp and I can never colour it the way I envision... the Gina K stencil that I used for these hydrangeas makes it so easy! 

The image was stencilled onto white cardstock and I stamped a birthday sentiment at the bottom. The front was adhered to a blue mat and then a purple card base. Some silver gems were placed around the flowers. Easy! 

Enjoy, 

Alyson

CAS Floral Stem Card

 This card was CASEd from one I saw on Facebook. I intend to make four sets of eight cards each at upcoming crops using this design. 

The background was embossed and the floral panel was die cut with a stitched rectangle die and then a smaller stitched rectangle was embossed inside that piece. The stem was stamped and stencilled and I added a sentiment at the bottom. The panel was adhered to the front with craft foam. Neat, clean and simple!

Enjoy, 

Alyson

CD 647 - Flowers in Boot

 Welcome to Colour Dare Challenge 647!

You must use both colours in the graphic - neutrals and metallics are free to use. 

I struggled with these colours - I had one sheet of old patterned paper in the lime green colour and I created my own patterned paper by stamping orange images on orange cardstock. Those panels were matted on grey cardstock and added to an embossed white panel. The boot image was stamped, coloured and die cut and I added some lime green ink at the bottom of the oval before adhering the boot image. A gold hot foiled sentiment was placed at the bottom with foam tape and gold gems were added around the card. 

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 110 - Trio of Ornaments

Welcome to My Time to Craft Christmas Challenge 110!

The theme for this challenge is to use something foil. 

I have a hot foil machine, a laminator for foiling and lots of foil paper. For this card I chose the hot foil option and the foil paper. 

The background was hot foiled in gold and I die cut the frame, sentiment, ornaments and floral cluster at the top. Everything was arranged on the card front and I drew some white lines on the ornaments and added gold Stickles to the centre of the flower. The card front was adhered to a teal card base. 

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

Raised Squares Cards

 This is an old but fun technique - raising parts of a card that are die cut. 

I chose a rectangle background die to do this. It has stitched details along the inner lines and it cuts twelve small squares. 

I stamped and stencilled the floral image on white cardstock and then die cut it with the frame die. The base fame was adhered to dark cardstock and I raised each of the squares with foam tape. A hot foiled sentiment was placed across the bottom and I also added some silver gems. 

I thought I would try this using a geometric stencilled image. Once the image was inked, I did the same die cutting and adhered the squares with foam tape. I placed the frame on white cardstock and then a teal base. A gold foiled sentiment was placed in the centre with some gems around it. I was thinking how that second card could really be made to play with your brain by rotating some of the pieces... 

Enjoy,

Alyson

Embossed Strips Butterfly Card

 This card is based on one made by Angela Meiritz-Reid. She used gold tulle - since I didn't have anything like that, I used metallic thread. 

The background was created by embossing a panel of white cardstock and cutting it into strips. They were adhered to the card base with foam tape. The butterfly was die cut and I chose a hot foiled sentiment to go across the body of the butterfly. I cut a LONG piece of metallic thread, folded it together several times and cut the loops. That was adhered under the butterfly - not the easiest task, for sure! 

Enjoy, 

Alyson

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