Penny Black Nature's Jewels Thinking of you card

 

Hello friends, and welcome back to a new challenge at Addicted to Stamps and More. This time we have our any-occasion theme, so you have lots of scope for joining in with us.

I came up with this simple design to keep in my stash for lots of occasions.

I stamped a Penny Black flower image from Nature's Jewels several times and then die cut it with a rectangular stitched die. I coloured the image with Copics, and placed a rectangle stencil over before inking lightly to give a background. I used the same ink around the edges of a mat and layered them onto a 5 by 7 notecard. To finish off, I stamped and die cut the sentiment and stacked it to give a little dimension.

I'd like to play along with

Pammie's Inky Pinkies #2603 - anything goes

Aud Sentiments Challenge #333 - anything goes with a sentiment

Dragonfly Dreams January 2026 - floral

Penny Black Saturday Challenge January - anything goes

Pattie's Creations Challenge #238 - anything goes with a stamped image

I've been using the weather as an excuse to stay tucked up inside, but I feel very virtuous cos I have cleaned my craft room from top to bottom, and I'm seeing a clear desk for the first time in ages! I could do with a bit of a declutter too, but that will have to wait until my halo is feeling a bit tarnished.

I hope you are all well,

Hugs,

Carol x

Simple Papertrey Ink Bold Border Flurries Christmas card

 

Hello friends, and welcome back to a new year of challenges with ABC Christmas Challenges.

Challenge begins: Wednesday 14th January 2026

Challenge ends: Saturday 7th February 2026

Our lovely host this time is Helen, and she has a great prize for the lucky winner.

Our themes this time are:

'A is for Anything Christmas'

&/or

'B is for Bright'

My shiny offering covers both these themes

This card is made using an old and neglected die from Papertrey Ink called Bold Borders: Flurries. It is easy to mass-produce, very quick to make and is pretty flat for posting, so it ticks a lot of boxes if you need a few extra Christmas cards at the last minute. The Joy die is in the same set, and just the right size to fit in the snowflake frame.

I'd like to join in with:-

A Cut Above Challenge: January 2026 - use die cuts

Neglected Stuff Challenge: January 2026 - dies are old

Peace on Earth Challenge #103 - anything Christmas

I hope you'll pop over to the ABC Christmas Challenges Blog for some inspiration, and get a head start on Christmas 2026 by playing along with us each month.

Thanks for stopping by,

Hugs,

Carol x

The Greetery holiday borders and Papertrey Ink birthday card

Hello friends. Happy New Year, and I really hope it's going to be a good one for you. There is such a lot of sadness around for so many people, both nearby and across the world, and my hope is that we all get some comfort and kindness this year. One way to escape from reality when it is hard to face is to spend time playing with your crafty stash and create something to gift and hopefully, bring a smile to the recipient's face. I plan to do more of this on these cold and dark January/February days when I want to hibernate until spring comes, because I know it always lifts my spirits (at least until I have to do the clean up lol!). 

We have the first challenge of the year at Addicted to Stamps and More, and we'd love to see some of your birthday creations.

I have 3 January birthdays for friends, so it is the perfect challenge for me, and I came up with this card.

I used my new The Greetery's Capsule Basics collection and die cut the scalloped oval from white card before embossing it with the 3D embossing folder. I coloured the card with Rustic Wilderness Oxide ink and a Pinkfresh Studio large blending brush, and I was very pleased with the smooth finish. The smaller oval is from the same die set, and I stamped it with the Holiday Borders fern stamp. Instead of using the accompanying berries stamp to fill in the gaps, I used a tiny flower from another set, which made it more suitable for a birthday card. I wanted to add a flower sprig, so I scoured my stash for a suitable one and found this stamp from Papertrey Ink Bitty Bouquets. I finished off with the sentiment which is from The Greetery Birthday Blooms stamp and die set, and placed it all on a 5x7 notecard.

I'm off to play at

Heart's Quest Celebrations January 26 BEWAS - birthday

Triple B Challenge January 26 - blooms

Daisy Chain Challenge #103 - use dies

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #269 - anything goes

Dragonfly Dreams: January 26 - floral

Crafty Calendar Challenge January 26 - anything new (stash)

There is lots to inspire you over on the ATSM blog, and I hope you will be able to join us this time.

Thanks for stopping by,

Hugs,

Carol x

 

My Favorite Things Hot Chocolate Christmas card

 

Hello, friends, and welcome to the final challenge of the year at ABC Christmas Challenges. I don't know how the year has disappeared so fast - I swear time is speeding up the older I get.

Our final themes this year are

Y for Yummy

and/or

Z for Zebra 

( think black and white or stripes)

As there is nothing more yummy than a mug of hot chocolate in the winter, I came up with this card

I used some old dies from My Favorite Things called Hug in a Mug and added snowflakes and a sprinkles stamp from a cupcake stamp set. The sentiment is from Papertrey Ink, and I embossed that in white. A few stars finished off the simple design.

I'd like to join in the festivities at

A Cut Above Challenge December Challenge - anything with a die cut goes

A Place to Start December 2025 - winter things

Neglected Stuff Challenge 12/25 - use old stuff - mug dies

First Cup Challenge 9th December -- anything drink-related

Crafty Calendar Challenge December - Christmas/Winter

Fab n Funky Challenge #627 - Christmas

As always, my talented Teamies have lots of inspiration for you over on the ABC Christmas Challenges blog, and there is a lovely prize for the randomly chosen winner.

Thanks for stopping by,

Hugs,

Carol x

Woodware Ribbon Tree Christmas Card

 

Hello friends, and welcome to the final challenge of the year at Addicted to Stamps and More.

As we're in December, it's great that we have a Christmas theme, and I came up with this card.

I've had this Woodware Ribbon Tree stamp in my stash for a very long time, and I love the quirky look it gives. I used the Lisa Horton/Spellbinders Scalloped and Stitched Oval dies and cut the layers in white before colouring the visible edges with Copic markers, and to continue the pastel look, I used them to colour the tree too. A sentiment from Clearly Besotted finished it off .

You'll find lots of last-minute Christmas inspiration from my talented Teamies over on the ATSM Blog.

After this challenge, we'll be taking a Christmas break and be back on 6th January.

I'd like to play along at

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - use dies in Diecember

Make My Monday Challenge #266 - Christmas Trees

Neglected Stuff Challenge 12/25 - My ribbon tree

Die Cut Divas Challenge December -Christmas

Merry Little Christmas Challenge #65 - Anything Christmas Goes

Peace on Earth Challenge #100 - - anything Christmas goes

Thanks for stopping by,

Hugs,

Carol x

Children's birthday or just for you card

 

Hello friends, and welcome to another challenge at Addicted to Stamps and More. I hope you are all well and ready for the cold snap if you are in the UK. We have had several beautiful sunny days recently, but there is a definite nip in the air and staying in the warm, crafting seems very attractive right now.

The challenge at ATSM this time is to make your mark. So you can break out any colouring medium you enjoy, and show us what you come up with.

I made this little card for my Granddaughter, who is turning 8. I don't know where the time goes because I swear it was only a couple of years since she was born.

I was going through my bits box and came across this little sweetie with her heart-shaped apples and long, wavy hair. I don't remember where she came from, but she reminded me of Alice, so I coloured her with Copic markers and made her the centre stage for this card.

A heart stencil from Simon Says Stamp was used to make the background, and a birthday greeting was stamped inside.

I'd like to play along at

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #266 - anything goes

Dragonfly Dreams Challenge November - feminine

Ally's Angels #100 - anything goes

Creative Crafters Challenge #94 - anything goes

Creative Inspiration Challenge #32 - anything goes

My talented Teamies over at Addicted to Stamps and More have some great inspiration for you over on the blog.

Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs,

Carol x

Lawn Fawn Build a Birdhouse Christmas card

 

Hello friends, and welcome back to another challenge at ABC Christmas Challenges.

Our lovely Fabiola is hosting this month, and she's offering a prize gift token to a store of your choice.

For our second-to-last challenge this year, we have:

**W for Wings** 

and/or 

**X for X Stitch** (any type of stitching will do).

I chose to go with W for Wings.

I used the Lawn Fawn Build a Birdhouse dies along with the Christmas Add-Ons, which were a recent purchase. I cut all the pieces from white cardstock and coloured them with Copic Markers. I added glitter to the roof and step pieces to give them a sparkly finish. Finally, I arranged everything on mats cut from The Greetery's Nordic Frame dies.

I really enjoyed making this card with some of my favourite dies. Although some of the pieces were fiddly, it was very therapeutic to sit and fiddle, and I made some extra pieces to make 3 copies as we're getting closer to the time for sending them out.

As always, our Design Team has some fabulous inspiration over on the ABC blog

I'd like to play along at

Shopping our Stash  - A Few of My Favourite Things 

The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge #195 - anything Christmas goes

Try it on Tuesday: - Get ready for Christmas

Unicorn Challenge #115 - Christmas/winter

Lawn Fawnatics #208 - Christmas old and new

Aud Sentiments Challenge #331- Glitter and/or Christmas with a sentiment

Thanks for stopping by,

Hugs,

Carol x