Pop Up Book Cards

I love fun fold cards, and when I saw this design in a FB group, I immediately checked out the instructions for it on Lisa Curcio's blog and created a Silhouette Design Studio cut file for it. If you'd like to find some inspiration for fun folds, check out her blog here: Blog - Lisa's Stamp Studio (lisasstampstudio.com). I'm already working on converting another one of her fun folds into a Silhouette Studio cut file and will undoubtedly find several more to try. 

I had some pretty fall papers I wanted to use, and this card design is great for that! I made one thank you card for a friend and 3 thinking of you cards for some hospice patients my cousin visits weekly who will hopefully enjoy a lovely seasonal card. 

The sentiments are from Stampin' Up! sets: "thank you" is from Fond of Autumn and "thinking of you" is from Ringed with Nature. The die I used to cut out the sentiments is from the Potted Geranium bundle. I used my MISTI to stamp the sentiments. It's great to be able to restamp in the same place, especially when using textured paper like I used here that sometimes doesn't get a clear impression the first time. 

Inside the cards, I embossed a panel using Paper Studio's leaves EF for the thinking of you cards and then used a die from SU!'s Fond of Autumn in the thank you card. All 4 cards have chipboard sentiments on the panel I left blank for a message. 

Challenges I'm entering: 

Can You Handle The Pressure? (cyhtp.blogspot.com): ATG with embossing (twist of pumpkins) 

TIME OUT Challenges: Thankful (one of the cards is a thank you card) C5 (ends Nov. 1)

Anything Goes With A Fun Fold for Creative Creases #44 (secretstamper.com): ATG with a fun fold

InspirationStation (inspirationstationchallenge.blogspot.com): Pumpkin photo inspired the use of these pumpkin design papers

Through The Craft Room Door (ttcrd.blogspot.com): ATG (4/4; ends Nov. 8)

Halloween Bottom- Latch Z Fold Easel Card

 

The idea for this card came from Connie Stewart's tutorial on making a Z-Fold Easel card found here: Z Fold Easel Card Tutorial: The Greeting Card To DIY This Season (simplysimplestamping.com). I used her measurements to create a cut file in my Silhouette Studio software to create the card.

The monsters on the front of the card are digi stamps by Gerda Steiner that I colored with Copic markers. The inner image of the boy in a werewolf costume is from The Paper Shelter. The sentiment on the front of the card was an acrylic stamp while the one on the inside of the card was a rubber stamp. I used my MISTI to stamp the images. 

I shared the Silhouette cut file for this card in the Silhouette Card Making & Paper Crafts FB group if anyone would like to download the file and try it out! There's a wealth of free files in that group made by wonderful people who share their creativity. Many of the files have SVG versions for people who have Cricuts or Brother Scan 'N Cuts or other electronic cutting machines. I'm thinking about upgrading to Business Edition software so I can convert Silhouette Studio files to SVG files and share them with people using other types of cutting machines. 

Front view:

Side view:

Open: 

Challenges I'm entering: 

Play along in our October 22' SYD Challenge - Gerda Steiner Designs, LLC (gsd-stamps.com): ATG with a Gerda Steiner stamp

Cut It Up (cutitupchallenges.blogspot.com): Halloween (this is my first time not to use traditional die cuts made from metal dies in your challenge. I just saw in the rules that using my Silhouette machine counts as well! Hooray! I do a lot of cutting with my Silhouette Cameo!) (1/1; ends Nov.2)

https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/: ATG (3/5)

Twisted Thursday Challenge (theoutlawzchallenges-thursday.blogspot.com): ATG with option of distressed

The Paper Shelter: Fantasy (2/2; ends Nov. 2)

Word Art Wednesday: ATG (2/5 for the week; 2/10 for the challenge; ends Nov. 9)

Crafty Gals Corner (craftygalscornerchallenges.blogspot.com): Halloween colors (2/3; ends Nov. 9)

The Paper Funday Challenges: ATG (3/6; ends 10/31)

Aud Sentiments Challenge Blog: Halloween + a Sentiment (3/5; ends Oct. 31)

C.R.A.F.T. Challenge (trimmiescraftchallenge.blogspot.com): Halloween/Autumn/Thanksgiving (2/2; ends Nov. 9)

Through The Craft Room Door (ttcrd.blogspot.com): ATG (3/4; ends Nov. 8)

Anything Goes With A Fun Fold for Creative Creases #44 (secretstamper.com): ATG with a fun fold

Crafty Catz (craftycatzweeklychallenge.blogspot.com): ATG with twist of Kraft

Two Old Bats Halloween Challenge: ATG Halloween (3/3; ends 10/28)

Sweet Stampin' Challenge Blog (sweetstampinchallengeblog.blogspot.com): Halloween or Halloween Colors (2/2; ends Nov. 9)

GD Card for Creative Creases: Diagonal Easel Card

One of my favorite card challeges is Creative Creases, where it's always anything goes with a fun fold. I love to make fun fold cards and find loads of inspiration there! Today I have the honor of being the GD for Challenge # 44. Here's a link to the challenge website if you'd like to play along or just find great ideas for fun fold cards: Creative Creases Challenge Archives - Secrets to Stamping (secretstamper.com)

The design for my diagonal easel card comes from Connie Stewart at simplysimplestamping.com. She very kindly provides a pdf with pictures and measurements for the various cards she makes, and although I altered the size of the card and created a cut file in my Silhouette Studio software, the basic idea is found here: Diagonal-Easel-Card-10-18-22.pdf (simplysimplestamping.com)

I decided I wanted to be able to create 2 cards using one sheet of 12X12 paper, so I used the Silhouette Design software to decrease the size of the original measurements until I could fit two card bases and two sets of triangles and rectangles needed to make the two cards on one 12X12 mat. 

I wanted to play with my new Stampin' Up! Christmas stamps and dies from the Merriest Moments and Merriest Frames sets. All the stamps I used on the card come from the Merriest Moments set, and all the dies except the one I cut the sentiment out with (that's an old Spellbinder die) come from the Merriest Frames set. You can find more details about these sets if you visit the Creative Creases challenge and follow the links Debbie Mageed includes on her blog. I've only scratched the surface with this set as there's also a beautiful hybrid embossing folder set that pairs with dies in the set for lots of versatility.

I added some cream-colored ribbon with a small knot to the top left corner and made a row of flowers and pearls to follow the diagonal line of that quadrant. I added foam tape to the "Joy" sentiment and the sprig beside it. The poinsettias have ruby gems at their centers for a little sparkle, too. 

Here are some views of the card from different angles: 

Challenges I'm entering: 

Happy Little Stampers: Christmas Challenge

Songs and Rhymes challenge (theoutlawzchallenges-sunday.blogspot.com): The part of the poem I took inspiration from is the "how lovely are thy branches" (I have pine boughs on the front and the inside of the card)

Stay Crafty with A Blog Named Hero: October Challenge | Hero Arts: Christmas

October Mood Board Card Challenge (not2shabbyshop.com): Mood board: Christmas plaid from the mood board

Dream Valley Challenges: Pearls or gems (I used both) (C10)

As You Like It Challenge: Favorite Christmas image or animal: Poinsettias like Wilma on the DT! I just love the beauty of poinsettias and how festive they look! (1/3; ends Nov. 9)

https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/: ATG (2/5)

BYSH Cardmakers: Falling for the Holidays 2022 {BYSHC} Linky Party

Through The Craft Room Door (ttcrd.blogspot.com): ATG (4/4; ends Nov. 8)

****Pammie's Inky Pinkies**** **********Challenges**********: PIP Challenge 2243 (pammiesinkypinkieschallenges.blogspot.com): ATG (3/3; ends Oct. 31) C10

Fun Fold Halloween Card

Today's card uses a couple sweet digis from The Paper Shelter. The Halloween Tea digi is a freebie here: Halloween Tea - Digital Stamp Halloween Tea - Digital Stamp (thepapershelter.com), and I won a choice of 3 digis from The Paper Shelter in a card challenge at The Outlawz Twisted Thursday, and the little boy dressed as a werewolf was one I chose. Isn't he darling? 

In addition to the digi stamps (I used the precolored versions, but the stamp sets come with outlines you can color in yourself, also as well as backgrounds you can use), I used 2 acrylic stamps and one rubber stamp for the sentiments. My MISTI really comes in handy for stamping as I can repeat the stamp in exactly the same spot if it doesn't come out as clearly as I'd like the first time around. 

The idea for this fun fold card started with Connie Stewart's Z Fold Easel card found here: Z Fold Easel Card Tutorial: The Greeting Card To DIY This Season (simplysimplestamping.com). I created a Silhouette Studio cut file from Connie's instructions for the top-latch card and cut the file out in 3 patterns of card stock.  Look for another post soon with that card in it. Meanwhile, I used some extra pieces I'd cut for that card to create this modified version of the card. 

Front view: 

Partially opened: 

                                                                    View from the top: 

Completely opened:

Challenges I'm entering:

Aud Sentiments Challenge Blog: Halloween + a sentiment (2/3; ends Nov. 1)

Challenge – Dare 2B Artzy Blog: Favorite Color: Halloween/fall colors are my favorite! (3/3; ends Nov.5)

Gem of A Craft Challenge (pinkgemchallengeblog.blogspot.com) ATG (3/3; ends Nov. 4)

Allsorts challenge blog: Colors of Autumn (1/3; ends 10/28)

Word Art Wednesday: ATG (1/5 for the week; 1/10 for the challenge period; ends Nov. 9)

https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/: ATG (1/5)

The Paper Shelter: Fantasy (I hope the werewolf costume counts as fantasy)

Digi Choosday Cardmaking & Crafting Challenge: ATG (2/2; ends Nov. 7)

InspirationStation (inspirationstationchallenge.blogspot.com): Photo has pumpkins in it--my card has a pumpkin trick-or-treat bucket and a pumpkin tea pot and tea cup (1st entry; ends Nov. 7)

Creative Creases Challenge Archives - Secrets to Stamping (secretstamper.com): ATG with a fun fold (3rd entry; ends 10/27)

Challenge | Your Next Stamp: Treats

Through The Craft Room Door (ttcrd.blogspot.com): ATG (2/4; ends Nov. 8)

The Paper Funday Challenges: ATG with option of candy

Crafty Gals Corner (craftygalscornerchallenges.blogspot.com): Halloween Colors (1/3; ends Nov. 9)

C.R.A.F.T. Challenge (trimmiescraftchallenge.blogspot.com): Halloween/Autumn/Thanksgiving (1/2; ends Nov. 9)

Sweet Stampin' Challenge Blog (sweetstampinchallengeblog.blogspot.com): Halloween or Halloween colors: Halloween or Halloween colors

Dragonfly Dreams (dragonflydreamschallenges.blogspot.com): Autumn/Halloween

Revelation 21:4 Front Flap Cards

This past week I had the sad experience of attending the funeral of a beautiful 10-year-old girl who had been in my Bible Study Fellowship Student Program class a few years ago. I wanted to make a special sympathy card for the family and focus on the truth that one day, God will wipe every tear from our eyes and there will be no more mourning or crying or pain (Revelation 21:4). How that verse comforts me in times of great sorrow and anguish when despair threatens to swallow me whole! I am thankful that Cait knew Jesus from a young age and put her faith in Him for her salvation. She is in heaven now, and I know she's filled with unimaginable joy in the presence of the Lord. It's just so painful to see her family's grief and to know they will always miss Cait until they are reunited with her in heaven one day. I'm asking the Lord daily to comfort them and strengthen them and prove His grace is sufficient in their time of great need.

I chose a front flap card for the card design and created a cut file for the card using my Silhouette Design Studio software. The idea for the card came from Karen Titus' blog post here: https://karentitus.com/front-flip-cards-easy-fun-fold-cards-to-make/. I modified the sizing to accommodate the Heavenly Hollyhocks stamp and die set I wanted to use for the front flap. 

I used an old rubber stamp by Our Daily Bread for the "With Sympathy" sentiment and used Stampin' Up!'s Heavenly Hollyhocks stamps and dies for the other stamps and die cuts. I created the word art of Revelation 21:4 in my Silhouette Design Studio software using Falcon and Cremona fonts.

I decided to use the same design minus the "With Sympathy" sentiment for the shut ins I send cards to as Revelation 21:4 is such a wonderful promise for all believers to remember.

Challenges I'm entering: 

Digi Choosday Cardmaking & Crafting Challenge: ATG (1/2; ends Nov. 7)

Through The Craft Room Door (ttcrd.blogspot.com): ATG (1/4; ends Nov. 7)

Word Art Wednesday: ATG (ends October 26)

Crafty Catz (craftycatzweeklychallenge.blogspot.com): ATG with twist of ribbon or twine (2/3; ends on 10/26)

Anything Goes with a Fun Fold for Creative Creases #43 (secretstamper.com): ATG with a fun fold (2nd entry; ends 10/28)

Gem of A Craft Challenge (pinkgemchallengeblog.blogspot.com): ATG (2/3; ends 11/5)

Polkadoodles Cardmaking, Craft & Scrapbooking Challenge: ATG (3/3; ends 11/2)

****Pammie's Inky Pinkies**** **********Challenges********** (pammiesinkypinkieschallenges.blogspot.com): ATG (2/3; ends 10/31) C10

Ringed with Nature Get Well Card

 

This card is for my daughter-in-law's father who is struggling with some health concerns right now. I wanted to make something masculine, so I turned to the Stampin' Up Ringed With Nature stamp and die bundle. What really sold me on this set was the hybrid embossing folder that can be used with matching dies. So cool! Plus, I needed something that could be a good go-to for masculine cards since I tend to gravitate toward feminine, flowery stamps and dies. I'm probably not the only card maker with this problem😂!

I created the card base for this A2 card using a light tan card stock. I embossed a darker brown panel for the front of the card and die cut one of the tree rings to make an aperture for the "Get well soon" sentiment. Before adhering the embossed panel to the front of the card, I used a stencil and some distress ink to decorate the front of the card base. Then I stamped the sentiment where I wanted it and adhered the embossed panel. I die cut some mushrooms and an acorn using the same Ringed with Nature dies from the bundle and adhered them. It was a quick and easy card to make. 

This is the stencil and distress ink I used: 

Here's a look at the embossing folder and some of the dies from the set: 

Challenges I'm entering: 

Double Trouble Paper Crafting (doubletroublechallenge.blogspot.com): Thing 1: use at least one circle (I'm hoping the tree stumps count as they are not perfect circles but are still circular in shape); Thing 3: fall theme (I used fall colors and added an acorn)

****Pammie's Inky Pinkies**** **********Challenges********** (pammiesinkypinkieschallenges.blogspot.com): ATG (ends 10/30) C10

613 Avenue Create (avenue613.blogspot.com) (ends at the end of the month)

Allsorts challenge blog: Colors of Autumn

Happy Little Stampers: Anything Goes with Dies

Happy Little Stampers: Stencil Challenge

Crazy is our fame - STENCILS are our game! (stencilfun.blogspot.com)

Polkadoodles Cardmaking, Craft & Scrapbooking Challenge (1/2; ends Nov. 3)

Digi Choosday Cardmaking & Crafting Challenge (1/2; ends October 31)

Festive Friday Challenge (theoutlawzchallenges-friday.blogspot.com): Christmas or ATG (3/3; ends 10/27)

Slider Lock Halloween Treat Box

This will be my grandson's first Halloween (he was born in July), and I'm so excited to see him in his sweet pea costume! It will be so fun to have a trick-or-treater this year. We live in a very rural area and haven't had any trick-or-treaters since we built our house in 2015. We used to live in a big subdivision with literally hundreds of trick-or-treaters, so it was a big change for us!

The idea for this treat box came from Sabine Harris in the Silhouette Card Making & Paper Crafts FB group I'm part of. She created the cut file for this adorable box, and I just resized it a bit and chose some fun Halloween papers to use. I did a print and cut of a spider and chose a couple different fonts as well as changing the orientation on the box for the second version. I like the dangly spider on the card on the left but prefer the font I used on the card on the right. Both will be filled with Hershey's nugget candies for my son and daughter-in-law as Sawyer is at the perfect age to bring in the candy for them and not compete with them for it😄!

Side view: 

With the top up (see the Hershey's nuggets inside? 12 of them fit perfectly!

With the slider pulled down so the box can be opened:

Here's the same design but a different orientation. The spider is dangling from purple twine:

Here's the box open (this one is empty for the photo):

Challenges I'm entering: 

Challenge – Dare 2B Artzy Blog: Favorite Color (I hope it's ok that mine is a mix of fall and Halloween colors: orange, black, purple, and green look so fun together for Halloween!) (2/3; ends at the end of the month)

613 Avenue Create (avenue613.blogspot.com): ATG (4/8; ends at the end of the month)

Gem of A Craft Challenge (pinkgemchallengeblog.blogspot.com): ATG (1/3; ends on November 5)

Polkadoodles Cardmaking, Craft & Scrapbooking Challenge: ATG (1/2; ends Nov 1)

Paper a la mode challenge (theoutlawzchallenges-saturday.blogspot.com): Autumn/Fall Leaves (I think Halloween projects count for Autumn, but please disregard my project if that isn't accurate) (1/3; ends October 29)

Crash your Stash challenge (theoutlawzchallenges-stash.blogspot.com): Twine or floss -- one of the boxes has a spider dangling from purple twine (1/3; ends November 14)

Festive Friday Challenge (theoutlawzchallenges-friday.blogspot.com): Christmas or ATG (2/3; ends 10/27)

Monday Greetings Challenge (theoutlawzchallenges-monday.blogspot.com): Halloween greetings (1/3; ends 10/23)

Twisted Thursday Challenge (theoutlawzchallenges-thursday.blogspot.com): ATG with twist of distressed (unlimited entries; ends 11/2)

Outlawz Challenges: Monthly linky

Double Trouble Paper Crafting (doubletroublechallenge.blogspot.com): Use circles (the slider lock has circles, and the design paper also has lots of circles on it) I've followed Thing 3's optional twist of creating a Halloween project

https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/: Halloween (ends 10/24)

Digi Choosday Cardmaking & Crafting Challenge: ATG (1/2; ends 10/25)

Double D Challenges (daranddiane.blogspot.com): Orange and Black (1/3; ends October 30)

The Paper Shelter: Halloween

https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/: Spooky (I hope my spiders qualify😃)

Word Art Wednesday: ATG (ends October 25)

Art Impressions Blog: Let's Hear it for the Boys #338 Week 2 (artimpressionsstamps.blogspot.com): Let's Hear it for the Boys (My box is designed for my favorite little boy!)

Aud Sentiments Challenge Blog: Halloween/Fall + a sentiment

Crafty Catz (craftycatzweeklychallenge.blogspot.com): ATG with optional add ribbon or twine

Creative Fingers Challenge Blog: ATG  (ends Nov. 4)

Challenge | Your Next Stamp: Treats (ends Oct. 28)

Two Old Bats Halloween Challenge: ATG Halloween (love the bat on your mood board! Spooky!)

This is Halloween (thisishalloween31.blogspot.com): Halloween or gothic

The Paper Funday Challenges: ATG with option of candy

Dragonfly Dreams (dragonflydreamschallenges.blogspot.com): Autumn/Halloween

The Corrosive Challenge Blog!! (corrosivechallengesbyjanet.blogspot.com): ATG (4/4; ends Nov. 5)

Ephesians 2:10 Flip Flop Card

This week's card design for the shut ins at my church is a diagonal flip-flop card I saw on Mary Deatherage's blog here: https://stampsnlingers.com/2022/10/06/stampin-up-rustic-soft-seedlings-fun-fold-for-the-happy-inkin-thursday-blog-hop/. I modified her measurements slightly and designed a cut file for my Silhouette Cameo so I could use my Cameo to score and cut them rather than cutting them and scoring them all by hand.

I used the SU! Fond of Autumn stamp and die bundle for the image on the front of the cards and took the sentiment ("Reaching out with friendship and caring") from SU! Potted Geraniums. I used word art from Creative Fabrica for the inside paraphrase of Ephesians 2:10 which reads: "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" in the NIV translation. The ESV translation reads "workmanship." Masterpiece, handiwork, or workmanship, this verse is so beautiful as it explains that we are crafted beautifully and intentionally by God. Our lives have meaning and purpose. 

I watercolored one of the images and colored the rest of them with Copics and Chameleon markers. I played around with a few different shades, so each card is a bit unique. I embossed the cream layer on the front of the card with a Cuttlebug leaf embossing folder. The card base seemed like the perfect cardstock for fall cards! I love the tiny acorns on one side and the crates of apples on the other! Normally I would have matted the card base, but I didn't want to cover up the pattern on either side. 

 

Challenges I'm entering: 

Gem of A Craft Challenge (pinkgemchallengeblog.blogspot.com): ATG (3/3; ends October 22)

613 Avenue Create (avenue613.blogspot.com): (3/8; ends at the end of the month)

Challenge – Dare 2B Artzy Blog: Favorite Color (fall colors, especially red, are my favorite) (1/3; ends at the end of the month)

Stamping Sensations (sirstampalotchallenge.blogspot.com): All Things Autumn (3/3; ends at the end of the month)

We Love Stamping: Autumn Colors (3/3; ends at the end of the month)

We Love to Create mixed media Challenge Blog...sponsored by Polkadoodles (welove2create.blogspot.com): AT Mixed Media Goes (2/3; ends at the end of the month) 

Festive Friday Challenge (theoutlawzchallenges-friday.blogspot.com): Christmas or ATG (1/3; ends October 27)

Outlawz Challenges: Monthly linky

Twisted Thursday Challenge (theoutlawzchallenges-thursday.blogspot.com): ATG with twist of tags

Songs and Rhymes challenge (theoutlawzchallenges-sunday.blogspot.com): From the poem: "Maples turn a fiery red" -I used red in my project (ends October 15)

InspirationStation (inspirationstationchallenge.blogspot.com): The leaves in the photo are the inspiration (ends October 16)

Digi Choosday Cardmaking & Crafting Challenge: ATG (1/2; ends October 17)

Passion for Markers (promarkerchallenge.blogspot.com) (ends October 17)

Double D Challenges (daranddiane.blogspot.com): Octoberfest (3/3; ends October 16)

https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/wednesdaychallenge/: Fall Colors

Word Art Wednesday: ATG

Creative Creases Challenge Archives - Secrets to Stamping (secretstamper.com): ATG with a fun fold (ends October 28)

Creative Fingers Challenge Blog: ATG (3/3; ends October 21)

Craft dream (bastel-traum.blogspot.com): Fall (ends October 15)

Classic Design Challenge Blog: ATG (ends at the end of the  month)

Happy Little Stampers: Anything Goes with Dies: ATG with dies

https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/: Autumn Mood Board

Dragonfly Dreams (dragonflydreamschallenges.blogspot.com): Autumn/Halloween

Sending Prayers Card

A friend of mine who lives in another state has been going through some very challenging times recently, and I wanted to make a card to lift her spirits and let her know I'm praying for her. 

A couple card challenges I like to join had water coloring as their theme, and I hadn't done any water coloring in an age, so I thought I'd break out my watercolors and have some fun while making this card. I learned a valuable lesson: don't watercolor the stamped image until AFTER die cutting it! I hadn't taken into account that my watercolor paper was more uneven than most cardstock, and my washi tape that I use to hold dies in place didn't stick to it as well. My dies didn't stay put, and the end result was having to scrap the stamped and water colored image the first time around. Lesson learned! I will stamp, die cut, and then color/watercolor from now on😂. 

My card base is 4 inches by 8 inches, and I added a layer of yellow card stock die cut on the right side so that the red shows through the lacy die cut area. I popped up the "Sending" sentiment with foam tape and adhered the "prayers" die cut with a Zig glue marker. On the left, I added a layer of kraft card stock embossed with Ringed With Nature EF by SU! and adhered my stamped and water colored image from the Fond of Autumn SU! set to that part of the card with foam tape.

Here's a look at the inside. I stenciled the background using Tim Holtz Spiced Marmalade distress ink: 

I broke out some of my water color paints! I haven't used them for YEARS, but I think I'll use them more often now. 

Challenges I'm entering: 

Gem of A Craft Challenge (pinkgemchallengeblog.blogspot.com): ATG (1/3; ends October 22)

Allsorts challenge blog: ATG with option of monochromatic (1/3; ends October 13)

Can You Handle The Pressure? (cyhtp.blogspot.com): ATG with embossing; twist of orange and black (1/3; ends October 19)

Polkadoodles Cardmaking, Craft & Scrapbooking Challenge: ATG (1/2; ends October 15)

Colour Crazy Craft Challenge (colourcrazychallenge.blogspot.com): ATG with coloring of some sort (1/2; ends October 21)

Crafty Catz (craftycatzweeklychallenge.blogspot.com): ATG (1/3; ends October 12)

Creative Fingers Challenge Blog: ATG (1/3; ends October 21)

Stamping Sensations (sirstampalotchallenge.blogspot.com) : Autumn (1/3; ends at the end of the month)

We Love Stamping: Fall colors (1/3; ends at the end of the month)

Twisted Thursday Challenge (theoutlawzchallenges-thursday.blogspot.com)

Tuesday Color challenge (theoutlawzchallenges-tuesday.blogspot.com) (Yellow, green, red)

Word Art Wednesday: ATG (3/5 for this week; 10/10 for the challenge period; ends October 12)

Double Trouble Paper Crafting (doubletroublechallenge.blogspot.com): fall colors and entered Jan's Digi Stamps Challenge (3/4; ends 10/16)

Jan's Digi Stamps Challenges: Anything Goes October 2022 (jansdigistampschallenges.blogspot.com)

handicraft dream (bastel-traum.blogspot.com): Fall (ends October 15)

Classic Design Challenge Blog: ATG (ends at the end of the month) 

The Diva's that cut ....paper! (die-cut-divas.blogspot.com): Watercolor (2/4; ends at the end of the month)

Happy Little Stampers: Watercolour Challenge: ATG with watercolor (ends at the end of the month)

Happy Little Stampers: Stencil Challenge: ATG with stencils (ends Nov. 5)

Happy Little Stampers: Anything Goes with Dies (ends October 9)

Order Now — There’s Still Time to Save 35% Sitewide + Slimline Challen – MFT Stamps: Slimline Fall card

Songs and Rhymes challenge (theoutlawzchallenges-sunday.blogspot.com): I used a red card base to match the line: "Maples turn a fiery red" in the poem (2/3; ends October 15)

InspirationStation (inspirationstationchallenge.blogspot.com): The leaves in the photo were my inspiration

Double D Challenges (daranddiane.blogspot.com): Octoberfest (2/3; ends October 16)

https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/: Autumn Mood Board

We Love to Create mixed media Challenge Blog...sponsored by Polkadoodles (welove2create.blogspot.com): Anything mixed media goes (3rd entry out of unlimited entries; ends at the end of the month)

Crazy is our fame - STENCILS are our game! (stencilfun.blogspot.com)

Pastor Appreciation Card

October is Pastor Appreciation Month, and I wanted to make a very special card for my pastor. He has been shepherding our congregation for over 30 years now, and he is such a humble, faithful, and caring pastor. My church is truly blessed by his service.

I started with a 4 1/4 by 5 1/2 brown card base that is folded on the short side. I stenciled my leaf stencil using Tim Holtz distress ink in yellow and then die cut the stenciled background and adhered it to the card base. I used SU!'s Fond of Autumn stamps and dies to create the other elements on the card front. I watercolored the images I had stamped using watercolor pencils and some water. After previously watercoloring the images before die cutting them and then having the die shift and cut the colored image in the wrong places, I learned my lesson and stamped then die cut the images BEFORE watercoloring them😁. My washi tape doesn't stick to the heavy watercolor paper as well as it does to traditional card stock, so I also learned to apply more of it to keep the dies in place.

The Fond of Autumn die set has a lovely lacy die that I die cut in kraft card stock for the card front and in yellow card stock for the inside of the card. 

A look at the inside of the card: 

Close up of the front: 

A look at one of the pieces I die cut before coloring with my watercolor pencils. The top five leaves are watercolored, and you can see how adding water makes the color smoother:

Here's how it looked after all parts were watercolored:

Challenges I'm entering: 

Gem of A Craft Challenge (pinkgemchallengeblog.blogspot.com): ATG (2/3; ends October 22)

Allsorts challenge blog: ATG with option of monochromatic (2/3; ends October 13)

Polkadoodles Cardmaking, Craft & Scrapbooking Challenge: ATG (2/2; ends October 15)

Colour Crazy Craft Challenge (colourcrazychallenge.blogspot.com): ATG with coloring of some sort (2/2; ends October 21)

Creative Fingers Challenge Blog: ATG (2/3; ends October 21)

Crafty Catz (craftycatzweeklychallenge.blogspot.com): ATG (2/3; ends October 12)

Challenge | Your Next Stamp (3/3; ends October 13)

Stamping Sensations (sirstampalotchallenge.blogspot.com) : Autumn (2/3; ends at the end of the month)

We Love Stamping: Fall colors (2/3; ends at the end of the month)

Festive Friday Challenge (theoutlawzchallenges-friday.blogspot.com): Fall (3/3; ends October 13)

Twisted Thursday Challenge (theoutlawzchallenges-thursday.blogspot.com)

Outlawz Challenges: Monthly linky

Word Art Wednesday: ATG (3/5 for this week; 9/10 for the challenge period; ends October 12)

Tuesday Color challenge (theoutlawzchallenges-tuesday.blogspot.com) (Yellow, green, red, brown)

Double Trouble Paper Crafting (doubletroublechallenge.blogspot.com): fall colors and entered Jan's Digi Stamps Challenge (2/4; ends 10/16)

Jan's Digi Stamps Challenges: Anything Goes October 2022 (jansdigistampschallenges.blogspot.com)

handicraft dream (bastel-traum.blogspot.com): Fall (ends October 15)

Classic Design Challenge Blog: ATG (ends at the end of the month) 

The Diva's that cut ....paper! (die-cut-divas.blogspot.com): Watercolor (1/4; ends at the end of the month)

Happy Little Stampers: Watercolour Challenge: ATG with watercolor (ends at the end of the month)

Happy Little Stampers: Stencil Challenge: ATG with stencils (ends Nov. 5)

Happy Little Stampers: Anything Goes with Dies (ends October 9)

fourseasons (thefourseasonschallenge.blogspot.com): Fall

Songs and Rhymes challenge (theoutlawzchallenges-sunday.blogspot.com): The browns in the card reflect the line: The month is amber, gold, and brown

Double Trouble Paper Crafting (doubletroublechallenge.blogspot.com): Leaf colors (4/4; ends October 17)

InspirationStation (inspirationstationchallenge.blogspot.com): The leaves in the photo were my inspiration

Digi Choosday Cardmaking & Crafting Challenge: ATG (2/2; ends October 17)

Double D Challenges (daranddiane.blogspot.com): Octoberfest (1/3; ends October 16)

https://www.simonsaysstampblog.com/mondaychallenge/: Autumn Mood Board

Crazy is our fame - STENCILS are our game! (stencilfun.blogspot.com)