Author Archives: Makira

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About Makira

I am a mother of three wonderful young teens and we live with a houseful of cats with a dog sidekick. I enjoy crafts of all kinds and have a rather large obsession with anything Disney. I host two craft challenges: Colorful Options Challenge and Park Hopping My Happy Place Challenge.

Snacks, Anyone?! 🎃✨

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Who says crafting is only for paper and ink? This month, I took a little detour into sewing because… well, snacks, anyone?!

After spending quite a bit of time on bed rest last month due to illness and injury, I found myself watching a LOT of YouTube bag-making videos. Before long, I was inspired to dust off my sewing machine and create something different — two handmade snack bags that are not only practical but also inspired by our October challenge boards.

The idea came from memories of snacking at theme parks. When my DDs were little, they weren’t huge fans of the park treats at the time, so we often packed our own snacks. These new bags feel like a sweet nod to those days, blending function with a little handmade magic.

For Colorful Options, the October theme of Luxury Black punched with Orange inspired my first bag — a bold orange-and-black checkerboard design paired with a black leather bottom. For the Park Hopping My Happy Place challenge, I was drawn to the vibrant Día de los Muertos 💀🌸🎉 board — the colorful skulls, the lively festive spirit, and the nostalgic memories of carrying our own snacks through the parks when my DDs were little.

🧵 A Little About the Bags

Both bags are sturdy and stylish, featuring durable leather bottoms and a fully lined, food-grade, water-resistant interior. They’re not just cute — they’re practical, easy to wipe clean, and reusable, making them an excellent eco-friendly alternative to plastic snack bags. They’d also make wonderful gifts for Halloween or autumn outings, perfect for anyone who loves a touch of handmade charm. If you are interested in the pattern for yourself, it is available from Oklaroots, and she has YouTube tutorials to help you along.

Tip: If you decide to sew one yourself, I highly recommend adding interfacing to the cotton fabric on the upper portion of the bag. It gives the top a bit more structure and keeps it from feeling flimsy.

Make sure you join in on the blog or on Instagram for your chance to win a gift certificate of your choice (Simon Says Stamp, Scrapbook.com, or Amazon). Visit the challenge to check out the amazing creations from the talented Design Teams. You can’t win without entering! Come join the fun!!

Makira

Whiskers & Wicked Light

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Hello, crafty friends! 🍁✨

This month’s inspiration takes us straight into the heart of the Día de los Muertos festivities. The board is alive with bold colors, vibrant papel picado, sugar skulls, festive dancers, and the warm glow of candles. I wanted my project to capture that magical mix of tradition, celebration, and just a touch of spooky charm.

For my make, I chose to feature one of my favorite October pairings: a curious black cat and a glowing jack-o’-lantern — all hand-drawn with colored pencils on rich grey cardstock. The soft pencil strokes bring the kitty to life as it peeks over the pumpkin, bathed in that eerie green glow we all love during Halloween. Behind them, I sketched a pattern of mischievous jack-o’-lantern faces to keep things playful yet just a little haunting.

The drawing is framed with layered cardstock in deep charcoal, fiery orange, and brick red, echoing the warmth of an autumn night and making the pumpkin’s glow stand out even more.

Why not venture over to the challenges:  Park Hopping My Happy Place and check out the amazing creations from the talented design team members.

I hope you enjoy this design, and be sure to join in on the fun for the Park Hopping My Happy Place.

💀🌸🎉Makira

A Road into the Ember Night

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Hey everyone, it’s CZ! I’m thrilled to be back with another piece to showcase. This month’s Colorful Options Challenge celebrates the bold and dramatic combination of Luxury Black punched with Orange and Park Hopping My Happy Place is a beautiful board of Sugar Skulls. Here’s my combination of the two.

When I first saw this month’s Colorful Options Challenge board—Luxury Black punched with Orange—I immediately pictured a glowing road cutting through the night. The fiery orange against the deep black felt both bold and mysterious, like a secret journey waiting to happen.

If you look closely, you’ll find a little black cat sitting along the roadside, a nod to the cat in both inspiration boards. I added it as a quiet companion on the journey—small but watchful, like it’s guiding you forward. It’s one of my favorite parts of the painting because it gives the scene a hint of story and wonder.

Make sure you join in on the blog or on Instagram for your chance to win a gift certificate of your choice (Simon Says Stamp, Scrapbook.com, or Amazon). Visit the challenge to check out the amazing creations from the talented Design Teams. You can’t win without entering! Come join the fun!!

Until next time, keep creating!!

Hawaii Day 2025

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Hey everyone! Colorful Options is celebrating Hawaii Day!

I have created a card and envelope as my design team contribution.

Over at the Colorful Options Challenge, play along with the colors of our Hawaii Day Inspiration Board, or choose a color from the monthly challenge that you enjoy, or blend the two together. So many Options!!!

This challenge will run alongside our regular monthly challenge from Sunday 8/10 through Saturday 8/16.  

Make sure you join in on the blog or on Instagram for your chance to win a gift certificate of your choice (Simon Says Stamp, Scrapbook.com, or Amazon). Visit the challenge to check out the amazing creations from the talented Design Team. You can’t win without entering! Come join the fun!!

I did add a few items to this set to make a mail mix. My thought is to send a “bouquet in an envelope” to help spread a little cheer. The tuck-ins include a floral post card, a cheery blossoms cachet, a packet of forget-me-nots, and a flowering butterfly.

Wishing all the entrants good luck! Have fun, everyone!

Man’s Best Friend

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Happy Saturday, everyone! Today, I am sharing a tag with a more grunge vibe. I am pleased to announce that this tag is my design team contribution for Park Hopping My Happy Place. My color palette is from the turquoise blue-green in the water.

Why not venture over to the Park Hopping My Happy Place and play along!

Traditional crafting is difficult for me right now, so I am delving into digital creating for now. I was inspired by some tags I found at an event years ago and loved their style and thought it would be fun to create my own. You can see the front and back of the tag below. So, it could be sent as a card, used as a tag for a gift or sent as a post card.

Have a great month, everyone!

Penelope

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Hey everyone, it’s CZ! I’m thrilled to be back with another piece to showcase. Today, I’m bringing you a butterfly in acrylics. I hope you enjoy exploring this painting as much as I enjoyed creating it! Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.

I drew inspiration from the neutral shades on the Colorful Options Challenge and the butteflies from Epcot’s Flower & Garden Festival for Park Hopping My Happy Place’s challenge.

This month at the Colorful Options Challenge, we’re embracing neutrals! If this palette doesn’t inspire you, join us with a rainbow-inspired make instead.

Over at Park Hopping My Happy Place, the inspiration board celebrates pools and some beautiful, vibrant images, but don’t forget that Park Hopping is an anything-goes challenge. If our current inspiration board isn’t your thing, check out our Inspiration Page for more ideas, and what I did this month.

Make sure you join in on the blog or on Instagram for your chance to win a gift certificate of your choice (Simon Says Stamp, Scrapbook.com, or Amazon). Visit the challenge to check out the amazing creations from the talented Design Teams. You can’t win without entering! Come join the fun!!

Until next time, keep creating!!

A Steampunk August

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Happy Saturday, everyone! I’m delighted to share a fun steampunk-style card. This card is my design team contribution to the Colorful Options Challenge. For this month, I’ve embraced neutrals with a bit of a dusty green.

Remember, Colorful Options is all about color challenges. While the current theme centers on a books and library vibes, you’re free to explore any color or combination that resonates with you from the inspiration board above. Pick a color or combo of colors, make them the star, and join in the creative fun! If this muted palette isn’t your thing, play along with a rainbow-inspired make instead.

My card is a combination of Tim Holtz & Merimi Small Art ephemera and images. Some simple collaging with a bit of color pencil enhancement to “hide” some of the edges.

I hope you enjoy this design, and be sure to join in on the fun for the Colorful Options Challenge!

Christmas in July, A Great Start

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Happy Tuesday, everyone! I’m delighted to share a festive Christmas card featuring the beautiful Waffleflower stamp die-cut. This card is my design team contribution to the Colorful Options Challenge and Park Hopping My Happy Place. For this month, I’ve embraced the classic colors of red and green. There’s something about this palette that instantly brings Christmas to mind!

Remember, Colorful Options is all about color challenges. While the current theme centers on a picnic, you’re free to explore any color or combination that resonates with you from the inspiration board below. Pick a color or combo of colors, make them the star, and join in the creative fun!

Why not venture over to the challenges: Colorful Options Challenge  & Park Hopping My Happy Place and check out the amazing creations from the talented design team members.

This design is part of a mail mix I made. Thought I’d include it for some additional inspiration.

This design was a quick and easy make, and I’m excited to share it with you!

The Card:
I started with Bristol Smooth cardstock and cut it out with the Waffleflower die. I then did some masking & stamping with a Sassy Club stamp set. Then I pulled out the Copic collection & began coloring. For the background, I added a gold gel pen and a white pencil for interest. Then, varying postage stamps were stamped over everything. I used Tim Holtz’s Christmas Postage (Stampers Anonymous CMS323) & an assortment of Waffleflower postage marks. A little red and white border was added before placing it on the green card base.

The Envelope:
For the envelope, I used a digital layout and then brought it to life with a little ink, scoring & cutting.

Fun “Tuck-Ins”:
I added a few playful “tuck-ins” with the set: a gift card and three stamps. These were downloaded from Etsy and modified to fit the desired size. I printed them on clear sticker paper, then used my Cricut to cut them out. Despite the added elements, the total weight of the package remains under 3 oz, so it will only require double postage to send.

I hope you enjoy this design, and be sure to join in on the fun for the Colorful Options Challenge!

Park Hopping Epically Inspired

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Happy Sunday, everyone! It’s time to share a one-layer card. One can never go wrong with a classic – Audrey Hepburn. This is my DT contribution for ‘Park Hopping My Happy Place. The beautiful Constellation Carousel is our inspirational piece for the month of June.

Remember, Park Hopping My Happy Place embraces an anything-goes philosophy, which means you can draw from a wide range of inspirations beyond just the inspiration of the month; the inspiration photo serves solely as a launching point. For those seeking further inspiration, check out the inspiration page for more ideas, themes, and IPs.

This card could not be more simple. Take out some watercolor paper, and spray with your choice of Distress Ink Stain & Distress Oxide Spray (my choices were Wilted Lilac, Spun Sugar, Seedless Preserves, and Picked Raspberry). Once this is dry, use Black Soot paint and sponge through a stencil. Cut a black border and place on your card.

Have a great week!

hugs, Makira

Team Aquablue for June

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Happy Sunday, everyone! Today, I am sharing a vintage card set I themed “author.” I am pleased to announce that this set is part of my design team contribution for the Colorful Options Challenge. I chose turquoise as my main color for this month; I liked the beach scene in the bottom left of the inspiration photo.

Why not venture over to the Colorful Options Challenge and check out the amazing creations from the talented design team members.

This design was a quick and easy make, and I’m excited to share it with you!

The Card:
I started with Bristol Smooth cardstock and added color using Distress Oxide inks in Peacock Feathers, Scorched Timber, and Salvaged Patina. The combination created a smooth, layered effect that sets the tone for the vintage vibe. To build on that, I used a few stamp sets: Ledger Script CMS241, Faded Type CMS397, and Curiosity Shop CMS397, which gave it that old-school, typewriter feel. For a bit of fun and shine, I finished the card with Scorched Timber Distress Glaze, Deco Foil in Gold, and Distress Spritz in Salvaged Patina.

The Envelope:
For the envelope, I started with a base of turquoise cardstock and folded it to highlight both the front and back flaps. I stamped the front with Scorched Timber, then added some flair by coloring the stamped design with a gold Sharpie. After re-stamping in Scorched Timber, I applied a layer of glaze to seal it in place, making it mailing-ready!

Fun “Tuck-Ins”:
I added a few playful “tuck-ins” with the set: a postcard and three stamps. These were downloaded from The Graphics Fairy and altered to fit my color scheme. I printed them on clear sticker paper, then used my Cricut to cut them out. Despite the added elements, the total weight of the package is still under 3oz, so it only requires double postage to send.

I hope you enjoy this design, and be sure to join in on the fun for the Colorful Options Challenge!