Wednesday, 19 November 2025

I Spy With My Little Eye #32


Hi everyone, Christmas is fast approaching, it’s the third Wednesday of the month and it’s time once more for another I Spy With My Little Eye... challenge over at Ellibelle's Corner. Thanks so much to everyone who joined in last time - please do check over on Ellie’s blog to see if you are one of our top picks. 

This is our last challenge for 2025 as we will be taking a little break over Christmas - it will end at the usual time but then we will be back in January. Please see the end of this post for full details.

Ellie chose the challenge theme this month, and it is

I Spy With My Little Eye 

*** Something Festive for Christmas ***

For those of you who (like me!) are behind with your Christmas makes it’s the perfect opportunity to make up for lost time; and if you’re in the fortunate position of having already got Christmas 2025 done and dusted, you can always get ahead for next year! 

We look forward to seeing your festive makes! Please don’t forget to pop over to Ellie's blog to see her fab creation and link up your entries here.

Here’s my card for the challenge. It’s quite a simple card this time as I’m starting to feel the pressure to complete my Christmas makes; but I did my best to incorporate a couple of magical and whimsical elements with the mice celebrating around the decorated tree.


I die cut a base panel using one of my new die sets from Craft Addiction UK - they recently got some new styles, and I thought a couple of them would be very useful to use as an alternative to my stitched squares. I stamped the focal Christmas tree then created landscape by blending Della Blue Elements ink using torn paper. I blended more Elements for the sky using a circle mask for the moon, then coloured the tree using fine brushstrokes of Olive Elements, Wink of Stella and Sakura Stardust pens for the baubles. I stamped the mice using Pinecone VFC and added accents with a white Posca pen and pastel pencil, then stamped the little fairy. Finally I stamped the sentiment then added some sparkly highlights with Spectrum Noir sparkle pen and some faux snow spatter. Sadly the sparkle doesn’t show up on photos - probably a reflection of the awful and very dull weather here!

Stamps: Lavinia Christmas Joy, Basil and Bibi, Fairy Foragers, Christmas Greetings;
Media: Lavinia Elements inks (Olive, Della Blue); Versafine Clair (Nocturne, Rainforest, Pinecone, Medieval Blue); Sakura Stardust pens (blue, green, yellow, clear); Wink of Stella (clear); Spectrum Noir sparkle pens (clear); Posca pen (white);
Tools: Craft Addiction UK Scallopstack Squares die.

Challenges I would like to enter:

12 Months of Christmas #128 - Anything Goes Christmas
52 Christmas Card Throwdown - Theme: Winter Scene 
ABC Christmas - W is for Wings
Beccy’s Month of Holiday Cards 2025 - Day 19: Q is for Quirky
Crafty Animals #100 - Include an Animal 
Die Cut Divas (November) - Critters plus Use a Die Cut (3rd entry)
Dream Factory #145 - Anything Christmassy Goes
FarmQuest Country Christmas #26 - Anything Farm or Country Christmas Goes (2nd entry)
Heart’s Quest Fantasy #11 2025 - Anything Goes Fantasy
Merry Little Christmas #65 - Anything Christmas Goes (2nd entry)
Peace On Earth #100 - Anything Christmas Goes
Try It On Tuesday - Get Ready for Christmas

Don’t forget - this is the last I Spy Challenge for 2025. The challenge will end at the usual time on Sunday December 14th at 23:59 US Central Time, but there will be no new challenge in December so we will be back with you on Wednesday January 21st 2026, when we will also announce our December top picks.

In place of a challenge in December there will be a I spy a crafty year in review: Favourites of 2025 linkup on Ellie’s blog starting Wednesday December 17th which will be open until Sunday January 18th 2026 -  the Sunday before the January challenge starts.

Take care, and thanks for visiting.
Hugs,
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Monday, 17 November 2025

Simon Says (Monday) Guest Designer week 3 - Thank You


Hi everyone,


Here I am again for my third week as Guest Designer for the  Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge.


This week the theme is

*** Thank You ***

The lovely folks over at Simon Says Stamp are generously giving away a FABULOUS $25 voucher to shop at the  Simon Says Stamp Store! All you have to do is take out your crafty supplies, make something following this week’s prompt, and add a link in the Inlinkz  on the challenge blog post!  You can enter 5 times so that's 5 possible chances to win! All winners are chosen randomly, so everyone has an equal chance - good luck everyone!


Here's my card for this week (links to my supplies are below the description).


I recently saw an online video for the ‘faux pyrography’ technique, so I decided to give it a go. I cut a 5 1/2” square of white stamping card and spritzed with water. I then stamped part of my recently acquired Julie Hickey floral stamp in one corner using Vintage Photo Distress Oxide ink and spritzed a little more so that the ink would wick out. I dried the panel then over stamped using Nocturne Versafine Clair. I repeated this process with a different part of the stamp in the opposite corner of the card, then highlighted the flower centres and dots by painting with watered down acrylic paint from a gold Posca pen. I cut a stitched square frame from kraft card then distressed it with Vintage Photo DOX and a little more gold paint. I die cut a Simon Says Script Thanks die and shadow using kraft and black card stock then added some gold paint highlights to the kraft sentiment. Finally I assembled the card and matted onto a 6” square white card blank.


Here are links to what I used.



Don’t forget to visit the challenge blog to see the amazing inspiration from the rest of the Design Team.
You have until Monday 8am Ohio time (EST), 1pm UK time (GMT), 2 pm CET to join in.

Challenges I would like to enter:

613 Avenue Create (November) - Anything Goes with option Thank You
Beautiful Blossoms #35 - Anything Floral Goes
Card Concept #221 - Give Thanks


(Inspired by the theme: style is Shabby chic / Mixed Media)

Crafty Catz #704 - Anything Goes / Thank You
Make My Monday #265 - Gratitude/Thankful
Sparkles #194 - Thank You
Triple B (November) - Birds, Butterflies and/or Blooms (2nd entry)
We Love 2 Create #11 2025 - Anything Mixed Media/Papercrafting Goes
Word Art Wednesday #724/725 - Anything Goes (4th entry)

Take care, and thanks for visiting my blog today.
Hugs,
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Saturday, 15 November 2025

Leftovers Playtime


Hi everyone, today’s card is one I made using a leftover background from a previous project, and I also used my new birthday dies, as I already had them out on my desk during the week for this card. Two cards in succession using the same dies, but this one is a very different look I think. It is also very unusual for me in that this card is a totally stamping free zone!


I die cut a stitched square of stamping card and created the background by randomly blending Distress Oxide inks through a Lavinia stencil. I didn’t know what I would use it for, but when I was playing with my new birthday dies during the week it struck me that they would look pretty cut from some pastel ombré glitter card stock I have in my stash … so that’s what I did. I cut the shadow die from white card along with an old neglected Magnolia Doohickeys butterfly, which I painted with my Spectrum Noir sparkle pen to add some shimmer. I assembled the card and matted onto a glitter card border (I managed to use up the piece of card from which I had cut the sentiments!) and my card blank. To finish I added a scattering of crystal gems.


Stamps: None!
Media: Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks (Kitsch Flamingo, Tumbled Glass, Squeezed Lemonade, Salvaged Patina, Shaded Lilac); Spectrum Noir sparkle pen (clear);
Papers: Crafter’s Companion Ombré Glitter Card;
Tools: Lavinia Honeycomb stencil; Julia Hickey ‘You’ and ‘Birthday’ dies; Magnolia Doohickey swirly butterfly die; Hunkydory Moonstone Duo-Stitched square die.

Challenges I would like to enter:

Addicted to Stamps and More #505 - Die Cuts and/or Stencils (3rd entry)
Ally’s Angels #100 - Anything Goes
Creative Crafters #94 - Anything Goes
Creative Moments #276 - Add Some Sparkle (3rd entry)
Die Cuts Divas (November) - Critters and Use a Die Cut (2nd entry)
Dragonfly Dreams (November) - Feminine (3rd entry)
Girlz Rebel #46 - Something Beginning With B (2nd entry)
(Birthday, bling)
Love to Craft #89 - Anything Goes
Outlawz Twisted Thursdays (November) - All About Words (2nd entry)
Word Art Wednesday #724/725 - Anything Goes (3rd entry)

Hope you’re all having a sparkling weekend, whatever you’re doing.

Take care, and thanks for visiting.
Hugs,
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Thursday, 13 November 2025

Total Eclipse


Hi everyone, today I would like to share a birthday card I made, which is my first attempt at the ‘eclipse’ technique. I have admired eclipse cards for a long time, and was particularly inspired by this card made by my bloggy friend Sarn. I never really had a suitable sentiment die and have coveted the Julie Hickey birthday die for a while, so when I saw it at Port Sunlight craft fair it just had to be mine! Here is my first attempt, using a different stamp from the same set as Sarn used on her gorgeous eclipse card.


I die cut a stitched square of white card and stamped the floral image using Hawthorn Rose Versafine Clair. I then die cut the sentiment from the stamped panel, plus three more birthday die cuts from white card. I attached the die cuts, stacking them up in the aperture created by the first die cut, with the inked one on top. I stamped the word ‘HAPPY’ then matted the panel onto a card blank and added a few teeny scattered gems. This technique is actually really easy once you get the hang of it, and I do think this is the perfect die to execute it. I also bought the matching ‘happy’ die so have already had a play with that too! 


Stamps: AALL & Create #985 Flower Smudge; Uniko Christmas Sentiments (the word ‘happy’);
Media: Versafine Clair (Hawthorn Rose, Nocturne);
Tools: Julie Hickey Birthday die; Hunkydory Moonstone Duo-Stitched square die;
Other:  clear crystal gems from my stash.

Challenges I would like to enter:



(Birthday + flowers)

A Place to Start (November) - Anything Goes with option Something New (2nd entry)
As You Like It - Favourite Embellishment (and why)
(I love crystal gems as they are easy to use and just add a little sparkle)
Crafts Galore Encore # 141 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)
Creations In Pink #86 - Anything Goes in Mainly Pink
Dragonfly Dreams (November) - Feminine (2nd entry)
Fab ‘n’ Funky #625 - Clean and Simple (2nd entry)
Girlz Rebel #46 - Something Beginning With B
(Birthday, bloom)
Make My Monday #264 - Birthday Card with at least one flower - TOP 3
Word Art Wednesday #724/725 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

That’s all for today. Take care, and thanks for visiting.
Hugs,
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Monday, 10 November 2025

Simon Says (Monday) Guest Designer week 2 - Thinking of You


Hi everyone,


The past week has flown by, and it's time already for my second week as Guest Designer for the  


This week the theme is

*** Thinking of You ***

The lovely folks over at Simon Says Stamp are generously giving away a FABULOUS $25 voucher to shop at the  Simon Says Stamp Store! All you have to do is take out your crafty supplies, make something following this week’s prompt, and add a link in the Inlinkz  on the challenge blog post!  You can enter 5 times so that's 5 possible chances to win! All winners are chosen randomly, so everyone has an equal chance - good luck everyone!


Here's my card for this week (links to my supplies are below the description).


I always prefer ‘thinking of you’ cards not to be too fussy, so I kept this one relatively simple. I die cut a stitched square of white card, and created the background by blending various shades of Distress Oxide ink through a Lavinia Honeycomb stencil then spritzed lightly with water to give a softer look. I die cut the lovely Simon Says ‘Fresh Daisies’ from purple glitter card stock, a white butterfly from the AALL & Create ‘Papyrus Essence’ die set, and the Simon Says ‘You’ from silver mirror card. I stamped the rest of the sentiment from the matching stamp set onto a snippet of black card stock using Versamark, heat embossed white, then cut out. I assembled the pieces onto the background and matted onto a 6” square card blank, and finished off with a scattering of teeny purple gems.


Here are links to what I used (* or nearest equivalent)



Don’t forget to visit the challenge blog to see the amazing inspiration from the rest of the Design Team.
You have until Monday 8am Ohio time (EST), 1pm UK time (GMT), 2 pm CET to join in.

Challenges I would like to enter:

A Place to Start (November) - Anything Goes with option Something New
(Sentiment stamp and die)
Addicted to Stamps and More!  #505 - Diecuts and/or Stencils (2nd entry)
Creative Moments #276 - Add Some Sparkle (2nd entry)
Die Cut Divas (November) - Critters and Use a Die Cut
Just Us Girls #800 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)


Simon Says (Wednesday) - Thinking of You
Snippets Playground #519 - Use Snippets 
(everything apart from the base layer)
Triple B (November) - Birds, Butterflies and/or Blooms

Take care, and thanks for visiting my blog today.
Hugs,
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Friday, 7 November 2025

Cabin Fever!


Hi everyone, I’m still playing with all sorts of Christmas combos using my recently acquired Christmas stamps, stencil and inks - here are a couple of cards I made with my winter cabins.


I blended Morning Mist VFC around a circle mask, then stamped a twiggy wreath in 1st and second generation Nocturne. I stamped the cabin scene in Morning Mist, masked, then created the sky using blended Versacolor inks I added some inky snowdrifts and a wee faun to the foreground, then added Posca highlights and snow, and Stickles and Spectrum Noir sparkle pen for sparkle. I stamped the sentiment then edged the finished piece in black and matted onto silver mirror card and a card blank.


Stamps: Inkylicious Winter Cabin (small), Stag/Deer set 1; Card-io Oriental Blossom;
Media: Versafine Clair (Nocturne, Morning Mist, Blue Belle); Versacolor (Atlantic, Peony, Canary, Green Tea); Posca pen (white); Spectrum Noir sparkle pen (clear); Stickles (Stardust).

Challenges I would like to enter:
Beccy’s Month of Holiday Cards 2025 - Day 7: F is for Fir Trees
C.R.A.F.T. #767 - Christmas (2nd entry)
Craft Rocket #131 - Christmas/Winter
Creative Artiste #121 - Anything Mixed Media Goes
Creative Inspirations (November) - Wrapped Up in Winter
Creative Moments #276 - Add Some Sparkle
FarmQuest Country Christmas #26 - Anything Farm or Country Christmas Goes
FarmQuest General Store #34 - Anything Farm or Country Goes
The Holly and Ivy #195 - Anything Christmas Goes
Just Us Girls #800 - Anything Goes


Merry Little Christmas #65 - Anything Christmas Goes
Mix It Up #80 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)
Moving Along with the Times #183 - Winter Wonderland (2nd entry)
Paper Funday #82 - Anything Goes with option Merry and Bright
Peace On Earth #99 - Anything Christmas Goes

My second card today is a simple one layer card which features the larger cabin inside a bauble, but this time I tried a different colouring technique for the sky.


I created a card blank suitable for stamping onto directly by simply scoring a 30cm x 15cm piece of Pink Frog super smooth card. I stamped the cabin using Morning Mist VFC and extended the scene with a few small Card-io trees, then masked the cabin and snow line, and created the sky by blending Distress Oxide inks and Memento, working outwards from light to dark. I also blended ink to define the bottom of the bauble and created snowdrifts with torn paper. I painted the cabin roof and added accents to the scene plus snowfall with white Posca pen, then outlined the bauble with a Sakura Stardust pen. I stamped the pine branches and sentiment, then added Stickles and Spectrum Noir sparkle pen for sparkle. This card is much sparklier than the picture suggests! 

Stamps: Inkylicious Winter Cabin (medium), Stag/Deer set 1; Card-io Small Pine Trees; AALL & Create #806 Fallen Leaves; Tracy Evans Boutique Designs TE18 Decorations;
Media: Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks (Tumbled Glass, Blueprint Sketch); Versafine Clair (Nocturne, Morning Mist); Memento (Paris Dusk); Posca pen (white); Sakura Stardust pen (clear); Spectrum Noir sparkle pen (clear); Stickles (Stardust);
Tools: Card-io stencil - Vintage Bauble.
 
Challenges I would like to enter:

ABC Christmas (October) - U is for Uncluttered (2nd entry)
Addicted to Stamps and More #505 - Diecuts and/or Stencils
Aud Sentiments #331 - Glitter and/or Christmas plus a sentiment
Crafter’s Cafe #324 - Anything Goes with option Christmas (4th entry)
Daisy Chain #102 - Christmas/Winter
Fab ‘n’ Funky #625 - Clean and Simple
Girlz Creative Christmas #149 - Anything Christmas Goes
Outlawz Monthly (November) - Project entered into Outlawz challenges
Tic Tac Toe #283 - Tic Tac Toe


(Ornament / Free / Snow)

Unicorn #115 - Christmas/Winter

That’s all for today. Take care, and thanks for visiting.
Hugs,

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Monday, 3 November 2025

Simon Says (Monday) Guest Designer week 1 - Masculine - Featuring Tim Holtz



I'm feeling really excited today, as I can finally share what I have been bursting to tell everyone since the summer - I have been asked to be the Guest Designer again on the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge for November.


I was previously a Guest Designer back in January this year and March 2023, so am absolutely thrilled to be asked back for a third time, and to have the opportunity to showcase some cards for the next 4 weeks alongside the immensely talented regular members of the Design Team.

This week the theme is

*** Masculine ***

As it’s the first Monday of the month we are showcasing a brand/company, and this week it is the fabulous Tim Holtz. You don’t have to use them to join in with the challenge, but if you have them we would love to see them on your creation.

The lovely folks over at Simon Says Stamp are generously giving away a FABULOUS $25 voucher to shop at the  Simon Says Stamp Store! All you have to do is take out your crafty supplies, make something following this week’s prompt, and add a link in the Inlinkz  on the challenge blog post!  You can enter 5 times so that's 5 possible chances to win! All winners are chosen randomly, so everyone has an equal chance - good luck everyone!


Here's my first Guest Designer card, using a “new to me” Tim Holtz stamp set along with a couple of Idea-ology ephemera and my Distress Oxide inks (links to my supplies are below the description).


I created a smooshed background onto cream stamping card using Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks in Antique Linen, Old Paper and Frayed Burlap, then stamped the map from Tim Holtz ‘Road Trip’ set, using Morning Mist Versafine Clair. I die cut a portion of the stamped image into a deckle rectangle, edged with Black Soot DOX and set aside. 

I die cut a square of white card using AALL & Create Papyrus Essence die set, and a matching matting layer from black card stock. I created a smooshed background on the white layer using Frayed Burlap, Vintage Photo, Scorched Timber and Black Soot DOX, then added background stamping using Tracy Evans Garden Elements and Background Elements, stamped in Morning Mist VFC. I edged the panel with blended Black Soot DOX and set aside.

I stamped the car onto cream card and fussy cut out, and stamped the sentiment onto another small piece of cream smooshed card, which I die cut into a small rectangle and edged with Black Soot DOX. I added a small amount of stencilling to the background and sentiment panels using Tim Holtz Dot Fade Layering Stencil with Black Soot DOX.

To assemble the card I layered up the background die cuts, map, car and sentiment, along with a cog from Tim Holtz Idea-ology Mini Gears, a small tag from Ephemera pack ‘Memoir’, and a Small Talk sticker. Finally I added a few white Posca accents to the background, and Glossy Accents to the car windows. 

Here are links to what I used:



Don’t forget to visit the challenge blog to see the amazing inspiration from the rest of the Design Team.
You have until Monday 8am Ohio time (EST), 1pm UK time (GMT), 2 pm CET to join in.

Challenges I would like to enter:

A Place to Start (November) - Anything Goes with option Something New
Creative Fingers #311 - Anything Goes
Girlz & the Art of Letters #13 - M is for … (2nd entry)
(Masculine, map, Mini Gears)
Love to Craft #89 - Anything Goes
Love to Scrap #176 - Anything Goes
Mix It Up #80 - Anything Goes
Simon Says (Wednesday) - Anything Goes (2nd entry)
Word Art Wednesday #722/723 - Anything Goes (6th entry)

Take care, and thanks for visiting my blog today.
Hugs,
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