Category Archives: Uncategorized

Happy Memories

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Hey everyone! Welcome back to another exciting challenge at the Colorful Options Challenge.

We were thrilled with all the fantastic entries last year and can’t wait to see your creativity for 2025. Our year starts out with a trio of colors to play with this month: yellow, purple, green.

Pick one, two, or all three colors. If none of these inspire you, join us with a rainbow inspired make instead. I chose to play with the color yellow this month.

My color palette & theme are directly inspired by this month’s inspiration board.

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!!

For the Colorful Options Challenge, you have until Tuesday, January 28th, 11:59pm US CST time, which translates to 5:59am on Wednesday, January 29th in the UK or 6:59am on Wednesday, January 29th in CET.

If you’re looking to recreate this card, here’s what you’ll need:

Start by trimming a piece of Yupo paper to 4″ x 6″ and applying a blend of alcohol inks and mixatives. Experiment until you’re satisfied with the look, then set the piece aside to dry completely. Next, color some texture paste with the Wild Honey Distress Crayon and use a stencil to apply it across the top portion of the card. Allow the texture paste to dry fully before proceeding. Once dry, use StazOn ink and a script stamp to randomly add stamped designs across the background, creating depth and texture. Follow this by splattering acrylic paint onto the surface, letting it dry completely for the best effect.

To enhance the lower portion of the card, apply collage medium to the washi tape and adhere the strip to the background. After the tape is secure & the glue is dry, rub the edges with a black crayon. For a cohesive finish, apply Black Soot Distress Ink around the edges of the panel.

Now it’s time to bring in the focal elements. Select a group of paper dolls that fits your theme and color them using a water brush and Distress Crayons, customizing their look to suit your project.

For the sentiment, die-cut the word “happy” from black cardstock using the Classic Upper alphabet dies. Cut “memories” from silver cardstock with the Tiny Text Lower dies, then adhere both words to your background using collage medium. To assemble your card, prepare a base measuring approximately 4.25″ x 6.25″. Attach the completed background panel to the base using foam tape and collage medium for added security. I find that collage medium is the best glue for yupo paper. Finally, adhere the colored paper dolls to the front of your card with foam tape and collage medium to complete the design.

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

Happy 2025 Crafters!

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Hey, crafters! Happy New Year!

For my project, I crafted a cute and sweet birthday-themed card. While I highlighted purple and green, I added my own twist by using a soft mint green instead of the bold kelly green featured on the Colorful Options inspiration board. 💜💚It’s a bit non-traditional, but guess what? It totally works! If you remember the Flying Unicorn ride at Universal Orlando, you’ll recognize the theme that inspired my design. 🎢✨

This month at the Colorful Options Challenge, we’re all about Mardi Gras vibes! Why Mardi Gras? Why not? 🎭✨ At Park Hopping My Happy Place, we’re all about coffee this month—or at least the inspiration board is! ☕ Don’t forget, it’s an anything-goes challenge, so let your creativity flow! 🎨✨.

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!!

For the Colorful Options Challenge, you have until Tuesday, January 28th, 11:59pm US CST time, which translates to 5:59am on Wednesday, January 29th in the UK or 6:59am on Wednesday, January 29th in CET.

For the Park Hopping My Happy Place, you have until Friday, January 31st, 11:59pm US CST time, which translates to 5:59am on Saturday, February 1st in the UK or 6:59am on Saturday, February 1st in CET.

Wishing you a New Year filled with endless crafty happiness & creative adventures! ✨

Merry Belated Christmas

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Happy Sunday, everyone! I am excited to share a single layer card with you today. For me, it’s almost CAS. 😁😂 Perhaps not CAS for most, but for me, a single layer card is as close as I get these days. I hope you like it as much as I do.

This card draws inspiration from Tim Holtz’s 2024 Stampersanonymous Halloween. Many of the makers used alcohol ink backgrounds and then added stamps and pastes over the top of the backgrounds.

If you’re looking to recreate this card, here’s what you’ll need:

Begin by trimming a piece of yupo paper to 5″x7″. Apply a mix of alcohol inks and mixative until you’re happy with the background’s look. Set it aside to dry completely. Next, stamp the focal images diagonally across the paper with black ink. Arrange the other stamps and apply a second-generation stamping with them using the same ink. Using a fan brush and blue-gold water colors, splatter gold accents over the card front. Allow this to dry thoroughly; this dry time may take 12+ hours for complete drying. To finish, cut a black base along with two mattes—one in black and one in gold. Layer everything together and you’re ready for Christmas 2025.

Challenges entered:

Pocket of Joy

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Happy Sunday Holiday Crafting, everyone!

I have a clean and simple (CAS) card to share with you today! It’s a classic design—an “oldie but goodie”—that never goes out of style. This card is not only easy to create but also serves as a practical and charming gift card holder. It’s perfect for the older “kids” in your life who appreciate a thoughtful touch. I hope you enjoy this fun and functional project!

I discovered this fun-fold card layout by Rachael Tessman a few years ago, and it quickly became a favorite. When I watched this week’s Craft Roulette, I immediately knew this design would be the perfect fit! With two DD19 cards to create this month, this layout was just what I needed to bring my ideas to life.

If you’re looking to recreate this card, here’s what you’ll need:

Have fun! Makira

Challenges entered:

Moth Man Cares

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Hey, crafters! Happy December!

This card is my DT entry for Park Hopping My Happy Place.

Over at Park Hopping My Happy Place, we’re totally vibing with the “Turning Red” energy and all those fun red treats you can find at theme parks. Even though it’s the Christmas season, I decided to go with a Valentine’s Day theme! It’s a bit non-traditional, but hey, it totally works!

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!!

You have until Monday, December 30th, 11:59pm US CST time, which translates to 5:59am on Tuesday, December 31st in the UK or 6:59am on Tuesday, December 31st in CET.

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

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Delivery 2024

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Hey, crafters! Happy December! 🎄 Welcome to a brand new month filled with all the crafty inspiration you need to kick off your holiday season!

This card is a total two-for-one! It’s my DT entry for both Park Hopping My Happy Place and the Colorful Options Challenge.

Over at Park Hopping My Happy Place, we’re all about the amazing “Turning Red” vibes and celebrating those bright red goodies you find at theme parks. On the other side, the Colorful Options Challenge has us embracing the bold combo of RED, GREEN, and GOLD. Come along and join me as we dive into the fun and colorful magic of both worlds!

I decided to go with red as my main color, with a little splash of gingerbread brown for a neutral vibe. The theme I went with is gingerbread, which is totally iconic at the Disney World Resorts during Christmas time every year. It just gives off those cozy holiday vibes!

Have you ever seen the life size gingerbread house at the Grand Floridian Resort at Disneyworld? I did, although young, it was amazing!

If you’re looking to recreate this card, here’s what you’ll need:

Merry Christmas!

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

For the Colorful Options Challenge, you have until Saturday, December 28th, 11:59pm US CST time, which translates to 5:59am on Sunday, December 29th in the UK or 6:59am on Sunday, December 29th in CET.

For the Park Hopping My Happy Place, you have until Monday, December 30th, 11:59pm US CST time, which translates to 5:59am on Tuesday, December 31st in the UK or 6:59am on Tuesday, December 31st in CET.

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

Holiday Wishes 2024

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Happy December, crafters. Welcome to another month of crafting inspiration! You might want to settle down with a warm cup of cocoa, this is a bit of a long post. 😁🎄❤️

This card serves as a two-fer! It is a DT entry for both Park Hopping My Happy Place and the Colorful Options Challenge.

At Park Hopping My Happy Place, we’re celebrating all things Turning Red and the vibrant red items found at theme parks. Meanwhile, over at the Colorful Options Challenge, we’re embracing the bold trio of RED, GREEN, and GOLD. Join us as we explore the colorful magic of both worlds!

This card draws inspiration from the rich hues of red and gold, paired with the blocks of color on the left of Colorful Option’s December inspiration board. The musical notes in the background bring to mind the festive carolers at Epcot and the Dapper Dans at Magic Kingdom. While these elements aren’t featured on this month’s Park Hopping mood board, remember that this challenge invites you to draw inspiration from any theme park, not just the current board. 

Did you ever go caroling as a child? I did, in the snow. Snow much fun! 🎶❄️🎄

If you’re looking to recreate this card, here’s what you’ll need:

Begin by cutting a piece of Bristol Smooth cardstock to 4.25″ by 5.5″ and centering it on your grip mat. Place the stencil over the paper, masking the edges with Pixie Tape. Blend Distress Oxides diagonally, starting from the center and working outward. Begin with Scattered Straw at the center, followed by Worn Lipstick, and finish with Festive Berries at the edges. Next, mask the “red” areas using scrap paper and lightly spray the center with Distress Spritz. Afterward, mask the center of the design and lightly spray with Distress Mica Stain. Remove the paper masks and lightly spray the entire image with Distress Spritz a second time to help the shimmers blend. Allow the inks & sprays to dry completely. Keep the stencil and Pixie tape in place while you hand stamp the music pattern using VersaMark. Once stamped, remove the card from the stencil & grip mat; add white embossing powder, heating it until it is set. Select your desired sentiments from the Tiny Text Christmas stamp set and stamp them with black ink using a Misti or other stamping platform.* Cut the sentiment out of black cardstock and center it on your card. Use the remaining black cardstock to create the card base. Finally, embellish your design with Stickles and Nuvo Drops for a bit of sparkle and dimension.

*Technique Tip: To ensure perfect sentiment alignment, place your card base in a Misti Stamping Platform and secure it with magnets. Lay a piece of acetate over the area where you plan to stamp the sentiment. Stamp the sentiment onto the acetate first to check the alignment. If the sentiment isn’t positioned where you want it, simply clean the acetate, reposition the sentiment, and stamp again on the acetate until it’s just right. Once satisfied with the positioning, remove the acetate and stamp the sentiment directly onto the card base.

Merry Christmas!

🎄🎨 🌈🎢✨Makira✨🎢🌈🎨 🎄

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

For the Colorful Options Challenge, you have until Saturday, December 28th, 11:59pm US CST time, which translates to 5:59am on Sunday, December 29th in the UK or 6:59am on Sunday, December 29th in CET.

For the Park Hopping My Happy Place, you have until Monday, December 30th, 11:59pm US CST time, which translates to 5:59am on Tuesday, December 31st in the UK or 6:59am on Tuesday, December 31st in CET.

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

Thank You So Much

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Happy Sunday, crafters! I’m excited to share two Clean and Simple (CAS) cards with you today. This idea has been floating around in my mind for a while, and I finally had the chance to bring it to life this morning. I hope you enjoy these creations as much as I enjoyed making them!

With the holiday season quickly approaching, having a few thank you cards in the stash is always a good idea.

If you’re looking to recreate this card, here’s what you’ll need:

Happy Crafting!

Challenges entered:

Winter Wishes

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Happy November, crafters! Say hello to Walter! He sits on top of a coffee cup, bringing the joy of a gift card to someone this year.

For this festive card, I combined Tim Holtz and Lawn Fawn. I thought they married fairly well for this card. What do you think? Can you find my obvious mistake? Let me know below.

If you’re looking to recreate this card, here’s what you’ll need:

  • Paper: Carta Bella A Vey Merry Christmas (unfortunately discontinued); black,white,yellow,craft cardstock from the stash
  • Distress Oxide: Ground Expresso
  • Tim Holtz Sizzix: Walter-December 2023, Twig & Stump, Collector
  • Tim Holtz Sizzix, Switchlit Seal
  • Lawn Fawn: Stitched Circle Die, Stitched Rectangle frame, Coffee Cup Gift Holder
  • Krenik Metallics Medium, #16 braid color #238

Happy Crafting!

Challenges entered:

Congrats, 2025

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Happy November, crafters.

We are celebrating the color RED over at the Colorful Options Challenge.

Additionally, this card serves as inspiration for the Park Hopping My Happy Place community.

My color scheme inspiration is drawn from the striking black and red pattern on the inspiration board. The theme itself is rooted in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, highlighting the essential role of education within that enchanting story.

This card is designed for a graduating senior who will be starting her engineering studies this fall. To celebrate her academic journey, I thought it would be fun to incorporate graph paper and numerical elements into the background, symbolizing engineering. I’ve also incorporated her university’s colors—red, black, and white—adding a touch of school spirit.

If red isn’t your color of choice, consider joining us with dark burgundy or pink, as they are lovely shades of the primary color red. If that still doesn’t inspire you, feel free to create a rainbow-themed entry instead!
If the theme of snow doesn’t spark your creativity, feel free to explore another theme from a theme park that inspires you. Clearly, I found my inspiration this month from another source! 🧙‍♂️❤️📚⚡️

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 challenges to check out the amazing creations from the talented Design Teams. You can’t win without entering! Come join the fun!!

For the Colorful Options Challenge, you have until Thursday, November 28th, 11:59pm US CST time, which translates to 5:59am on Friday, November 29th in the UK or 6:59am on Friday, November 29th in CET.

For the Park Hopping My Happy Place, you have until Saturday, November 30th, 11:59pm US CST time, which translates to 5:59am on Sunday, December 1st in the UK or 6:59am on Sunday, December 1st in CET.

If you’re looking to recreate this card, here’s what you’ll need:

  • Azteca Watercolor Paper, black & white cardstock from the stash
  • Distress Oxide: Lumberjack Red, Festive Berries, Worn Lipstick
  • Distress Watercolor Crayons: Black Soot, Old Paper, Lost Shadow, Tattered Rose, and Worn Lipstick
  • Distress Crayon: Black Soot, Lumberjack Red
  • Distress Oxide Archival Ink in Black Soot
  • Stampers Anonymous, TH: Mini Glitch CMS405, Tidbits CMS488
  • StampingBella Oddball Girl Gradute eb687
  • Tim Holtz Sizzix: Alphanumeric Theory
  • Distress Mica Stain: Mulled Cider
  • Distress Ink: Black Soot, Lumberjack Plaid
  • Distress Grit Paste Snowfall
  • Tim Holtz stencil: Digits THS 145

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