Let's Craft and Create challenge #227: Anything Goes or Something New (new home, new year, new baby, etc.)...

 
It's a new year and a new challenge at Let's Craft and Create. The option for this month's challenge--Something New--is perfectly timed. In fact, my final card for 2025 (see my December 31 post) was a New Year's card and the card I have created for this challenge is a New Home card. Both a New Year and a New Home hold exciting possibilities! I can attest to that--I've seen a LOT of new years and have lived in fourteen different apartments and houses in my lifetime. 

To make this A2-size card, I first cut the dark blue pieces. The strips across the top and down the left hand side are both 1 1/8" X 4". The strip across the bottom is 1 1/8" X 2 3/4". The blue square that holds the focal point is 2 3/4" X 2 3/4".

I cut my DSP just 1/8" shorter and narrower than each of the dark blue strips.

This little mushroom house is one of my favorite dies to use for a new home card. It's so whimsical and fun.

I added some gold metallic marker to the spots on the roof. I also used the marker for the doorknob and to add some spots to the tiny mushroom.

The images have been popped up with foam squares, and the sentiment was stamped with Versamark and heat-embossed with white EP.

Here is a peek at the inside. I stamped the word "Congratulations" and then stamped the second sentiment beneath it. 

A second little mushroom die-cut was added at the top.

I hope you'll take a look at all the other inspiring projects the Design Team has created. You'll find them on display at Let's Craft and Create. You're sure to be inspired to join our first challenge of 2026.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.

Cheryl

A thank you card from bits and scraps...

 

Before Christmas, the thrift store where I volunteer received some crafting materials that included some small squares of DSP popped up on slightly larger squares. There were quite a few of them--at least 10--and they were made from all different patterns and colors of papers. Someone's scraps, maybe? The thrift store didn't want to try to sell them and offered them to me for cardmaking. I took them home and just looked at them for a few days, trying to figure out how to use them.

When I began cleaning up my Christmas cardmaking mess, I ran across a blue piece of DSP that was just the right size for a card front. It had shades of blue on it with a couple of stitch lines.  I wanted to use it on a card immediately--it wasn't worth storing somewhere for another day.

I trimmed it to the exact size I needed and then ran a dark blue ink pad around the edges so it would stand out against a gray cardbase. 

I went through the pre-made squares the thrift store had given me and found this one that had blue and gray in the striped pattern.

I die-cut "Thanks" out of navy blue cardstock and glued it to the top square. When that was done, I glued the bottom square to the front of my card.

In the photo at left, you can see how the striped square is popped up on the larger, yellow one.

I added a couple of enamel dots below the square for embellishment.

I stamped a sentiment on a white panel and adhered it to the inside of the card.

I think this would be a good thank you card to send to a guy. No flowers, no frills, and a CAS layout.

Now...what should I do with the rest of those squares?

Thanks so much for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.

Cheryl

Happy New Year...

 

I just received the address of a cousin to whom I wanted to send a holiday card. Since Christmas has passed, I decided to make him and his wife a New Year's card, and this is what I came up with.

I started with some DSP that had a glittery fireworks pattern on it. I cut the numbers for 2026 a couple of times out of red cardstock and stacked them for added strength. Then I popped them up on my card front using some thin adhesive foam strips.

I also added some clear adhesive gems to some of the ends of the starburst. You may be able to see them if you enlarge the photo.

I have exactly one die that cuts out "Happy New Year," so I decided to use that die-cut on the inside. I also cut a couple of fireworks star bursts from some silvery glitter cardstock.

This was a quick card to make, mostly because the DSP did most of the work for me. Love when that happens! 

I hope you all have a happy, healthy and prosperous 2026. Thank you so much for all your visits to my blog in 2025 and going forward. I love reading your comments and just knowing that others appreciate handmade cards as much as I do.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.

Cheryl

We all need a few thank you cards on hand...

 

This is a simple thank you card I made that has an elegant curved edge. 

I first created the top-fold A2 card base from white cardstock. I covered the card front from edge to edge with DSP. Once that was done, I used a curved edge die to cut the bottom edge. Then I added a piece of lilac cardstock to the inside bottom of the card so that it showed when the card was closed.

The pretty flower sticker has pink and lilac flowers with gold accents. I applied it to some white cardstock and then die-cut it with a stitched circle die. Doing it this way makes the sticker appear less like a sticker and more like a part of the cardstock. I popped the circle up with foam squares.

The word "thanks" and its shadow were die-cut and popped up with thin foam strips.

I stamped a sentiment on the inside and my card was finished.

*****

We had a snowstorm in our part of the state yesterday, so today we are trying to get the walks and driveway cleared of snow. No fun. The older we get, the heavier that snow becomes!

Thanks so much for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.

Cheryl

A simple sympathy card...

 

I have a die that cuts out the rectangular lattice piece you see on this card. It may have been meant to be used as a stand alone accent piece, but I decided to slip it back into the space it was cut from. Both the green panel and the lattice piece were glued directly to the card front.

The sentiment was stamped with Versamark and heat-embossed with white EP.

I die-cut a flower from white cardstock and added a tiny bit of ink to the center of the blossom with a blending brush. Then I used a gel pen to add a bit more color to the dots in the flower center.

A short piece of knotted ribbon was the only other embellishment.

I stamped two sentiments on the inside.

I know there are many people for whom the holidays are a difficult time because of the loss of a loved one. I wish them peace, comfort and hope for a brighter future. 

Thanks so much for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.

Cheryl

Secret sliding message card...

First of all, MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL WHO CELEBRATE!  I hope your holidays are filled with family, friends and fun times. 

Now, on to my card for today. This is a super fun card to make and I love the interactive aspect of it. 

This is how the finished card looks on the outside. It's simple, with a bold die-cut and a strong, graphic pattern. The little bow adds a bit of softness.

I stamped the sentiment with Night of Navy ink. I thought the strong colors and design elements of this card made it okay to use for a male or a female.

When the card is opened, the sentiment panel is pulled out from the pocket on the right side. 

If you think you'd like to give this card a try, check out this post at Simply Simple Stamping. Connie, the owner of Simply Simple Stamping, has an instructional video you can watch and a free download with all of the measurements and supplies.

When the holidays are over and you have some time for cardmaking, give this one a try. You'll love it!

Thanks so much for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.

Cheryl

Nativity scene cards...

 I had some nativity scene die-cuts that were given to me, and I used a couple of them for this year's Christmas cards.

This card features the entire scene, including the angel in the sky above the creche. The nativity scene was added to a swiss dot light blue panel that was matted with a navy blue panel. I die-cut the word "noel" from navy blue cardstock and adhered it to the card front.

A star had been cut separately from gold glitter cardstock and included in the assortment of nativity die-cuts, so I glued it over the one that was a part of the navy blue scene.

I stamped a sentiment on the inside with Night of Navy ink to finish the card.

I had a scrap of navy blue swiss dot cardstock in my scraps. It was too narrow to cover the whole card front, so I centered and adhered it to a kraft cardbase, leaving a 1/4" border on the left and right. I liked the look of this layout.

This time I used a white nativity die-cut and glued it about 3/4" above the bottom of the card.  So that it didn't seem suspended in air, I added three gems beneath it. The star was colored with a gold metallic marker, and then some sparkle was added with a glitter pen.

The sentiment was stamped, die-cut and popped up on foam squares.

I added a short, stamped sentiment to the inside and the card was finished.

*****

We are essentially ready for Christmas at our house. I say "essentially" because we have some last-minute cleaning and cooking to do, but that won't take long. 

My grandson stopped by yesterday and said, "I'm here for cookies!" I just had to laugh. And, of course, I filled a box with cookies for him to take home. They'll get another assortment of them on Christmas Eve, but since they have kids coming and going all the time at their house, the cookies don't last long!

Thanks so much for stopping by, and remember to laugh--a little or a lot--every day.

Cheryl