CHRISTMAS WREATH

 Christmas isn't far away, and we'll be displaying our Christmas wreaths at our front doors very soon.  I do have a lovely wreath I made a few years ago, but I've seen some on Instagram and Pinterest which I like.  If I have the time, I think I'll try and make one.

Today, over at Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2, we have two new sketches and a retro from the past.

Sketch #339

This is such an easy sketch and makes a great card.   It also uses up those scrap pieces of design paper.

I use scraps of my design paper to decorate the inside of my cards.

Challenges I'm Entering:

1. A Perfect Time To Craft Challenge 11-2026 Anything Goes.

2.  613 Avenue Create Challenge November 

3.  A Place To Start Challenge November Anything Goes

4. Paper Rocks Scissors Challenge #22 Anything Goes

5. Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Challenge #289 Anything Goes 

6. Merry Little Christmas Challenge # 71 Anything Goes

7. Fab 'n' Funky Challenge # 644 Red, Green and Gold

8. Crafts Galore Encore Challenge #153 Anything Goes 

9. The Crating Challenge November Anything Goes

10. Double D Challenge Add Texture

11. Unicorn Challenge # 126 Christmas & or Winter

12. Dragonfly Dreams November Challenge Embossing

13. The Paper Funday Challenge # 93 Twist Christmas

Card Recipe:

1. Base: White French Linen cardstock.

2. Coloured Card: Emerald  & Rouge by American Crafts 

& gold mirror card.

3. Design Paper: By Polkadoodles 

4. Image: Very old stamp, unknown source

5. Colour Medium: Copic Ciao and a gold gel pen.

6. Embellishments:  Red Pearl Gems from my stash

7. Dies: Spellbinders Classic Circles Large & Small & 

Vine Leaves

8. Embossing Folder: Cuttlebug Snowflakes

9. Tools Used:

10. Glossy Accents: 

 11. Inside and the back of the card.

Wishing you all a happy Christmas crafting.

HOLLY MICE

Good morning and welcome to my blog.  Today, over at Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2, we have two new sketches for you.   

I do hope you like them.

Sketch #338

This is a great sketch for using up all those scrap pieces of design paper we all love, and that aren't big enough to make another card.

Here's a quick look at the inside of the card.

Don't forget to drop by Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2 and check out what the rest of the design team has created.

Challenges I'm Entering:

1. A Perfect Time To Craft Challenge 11-2026 Anything Goes.

2.  613 Avenue Create Challenge November 

3.  A Place To Start Challenge November Anything Goes

4. Paper Rocks Scissors Challenge #22 Anything Goes

5. Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Challenge #289 Anything Goes 

6. Merry Little Christmas Challenge # 71 Anything Goes

7. Fab 'n' Funky Challenge # 644 Red, Green and Gold

8. Crafts Galore Encore Challenge #153 Anything Goes 

9. The Crafting Challenge November Anything Goes

10. Passion for Markers Challenge # 862 Square 

11. Unicorn Challenge #126 Christmas and/or Winter

12. The Paper Funday Challenge #93 Christmas

Card Recipe:

1. Base: Kraft Card by Kaisercraft

2. Coloured Card: American Craft Rouge & Gold Minor card.

3. Design Papers: Kaisercraft Yuletide

4. Image: Holly Mice by Di's Digi Downloads

5. Sentiment: Make a Wish by DigiStamp Boutique

6. Colour Medium: Copic Ciao and Gold Gel Pen

7. Embellishments: Gold Gems

8. Tools Used:

9. Glossy Accents:

10. Dies Used: Spellbinders Classic Large & Small squares and unbranded tags.

11. Inside & the back of the card:

Wishing everyone a wonderful month of crafting.

SWEET SPOOKY TREAT BAGS

 Welcome, my Spooky Friends.

For someone who's never been to a Halloween party or dressed up in a Halloween costume, I heard that Halloween was the design team's theme, and we were supposed to design something for a Halloween party, not a card, over at DigiChoosday.  HELP!!!

When I grew up, Halloween was something that you saw on American television; we didn't celebrate it here. 

But now we're in the 21st century, and the younger generation all enjoy Spooky Treats at Tick & Treating, and our shops are full of costumes and decorations. 

Challenges I'm Entering:

1. 613 Avenue Create Challenge October Anything Goes

TOP ROCKER AWARD WEEK 4 25th to 31st OCTOBER 2026

2. A Place To Start Challenge October Anything Goes

A RISING STAR AWARD WEEK 4 26th to 31st OCTOBER 2026

3. Daisy Chain Challenge #112 Autumn and/or Halloween *

4. Crafty Girls Corner Challenge # 281 Trick or Treat

5. The Sisterhood of Crafters Challenge Fall

6. Creative Inspirations Challenge October Anything Goes*

7. Halloween Crafts All Year Round Spooktacular Challenge #1 *

Bag Recipe:

1. Base: White paper

2. The paper was printed using Gnome Trick or Treat Halloween Printable Papers from Polkadoodles DLPD 8987

3. Image: Creepy Creatures, Mummy Dress Up Costume and Bat from Polkadoodles DLPD 10092 AND DLPD 10096

4. A basic fold with a gusset. 

5. Scissors and glue stick.

6. Ribbon & Bow:

Once the bag was filled with goodies, we turned the top over a couple of times, punched two holes, threaded black satin ribbon through them, and tied a bow to finish.

I'm looking forward to seeing what Spooky item you make.

HALLOWEEN PARTY

 BAT FANGS, FROG EYES, SPIDER LEGS AND FLYING BATS.

HALLOWEEN

Creepy crawlies, gooey, slimy and steaming-hot, boiling cauldrons. 

That sounds like something out of Shrek.

NO, IT'S HALLOWEEN

Over at Digichoosday this week.

Halloween is definitely something I didn't grow up with; I saw it on TV.  

Nowadays, Halloween is part of our culture, and the younger generation dress up and go trick-or-treating.   The funny thing is, the children in our neighbourhood never visit our home, as we live down a long driveway and you can't see our house from the road.  I guess they don't know what's down that driveway.   Spooky.......people live there. 

Challenges I'm Entering:

1. 613 Avenue Create Challenge October Anything Goes

Top Rocker Award Week 2 11-17th October 26

2. A Place To Start Challenge October Anything Goes

A Rising Star Award Week 2    12-18th October 26

3. Unicorn Challenge #125 Autumn or Halloween *

4. Crafty Girls Corner Challenge # 281 Trick or Treat

5. The Sisterhood of Crafters Challenge Fall

6. Creative Inspirations Challenge October Anything Goes *

7. Halloween Crafts All Year Round Spooktacular Challenge #1  

FRIGHTFULLY FABULOUS AWARD 1st November 2026

Straws Recipe:

1. Coloured Card: Black by Bazzill

2. Design Papers:  Gnome Trick or Treat Halloween Papers by Polkadoodles

3. Image: Creepy Creatures Bat.

4. Colour Medium: Black Copic and White gel pen.

5. Sentiments: Bat Fangs, Frog Eyes, Spider Legs PC Generated.

6. Tools Used:

7. Dies Used:  Spellbinders Classic Large & Small circles

8. The straws were rolled around a knitting needle to get the correct size.

The Bats were fussy-cut and glued onto the straws.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend and happy crafting.

PINK HIBISCUS

Good morning on this beautiful spring morning here in New Zealand.  It's just after 9 a.m., and it's sunny at 18c.  I just hope the weekend is lovely as well.

Today for Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2

I have this beautiful Hibiscus flower from Pattie G, I have the exact colour Hibiscus at our beach house, and they are giant flowers, about the size of a side plate.

This is the sketch we used, and it's great for using up the odd pieces of design paper that we all have.  I hate cutting into a new sheet of 12 x 12 when I have so many scraps that can be used up.

Sketch #337

It's an easy sketch as long as you put the layers in the right order.

Don't forget to drop by Sweet Sketch Wednesday 2 and check out what Anne and Kelly have designed.  

Here's a quick peek inside my card.

Challenges I'm Entering:

1. A Perfect Time To Craft Challenge 10-2026 Anything Goes.

2.  613 Avenue Create Challenge October THINK PINK

 TOP ROCKER WEEK 1  4th - 10th OCTOBER 26

3.  A Place To Start Challenge October Anything Goes

Rising Star Award Week 1   5-11th October 26

4. Paper Rocks Scissors Challenge #21 Anything Goes*

5. Lil Patch of Crafty Friends Challenge #287 Anything Goes *

6. Fab 'n' Funky Challenge #643 Three of Something

* 3 Gems Together

* 3 Design Papers 

7. Love Those Pretty Papers Challenge October

 Anything Goes

8. Crafts Galore Encore Challenge #152 Anything Goes *

9. AAA Birthday Game #90 Bright & Bold

10. Beautiful Blooms Challenge #45 Anything Goes *

11. Pattie's Creations Design Challenge #247 Anything Goes WINNER

Beautiful Hibiscus

Card Recipe:

1. Base: White linen cardstock.

2. Coloured Card: American Craft Begonia

3. Design Papers:  Pink Gingham is a digital download paper, and the other two are scraps that were sitting on my craft desk.

4. Image: Hibiscus Flower by Pattie's Creations 

5. Colour Medium: Copic Ciao markers

6. Tools Used:

7. Dies Used: Spellbinders Classic Squares large and small

8. Embellishments: 

Pink Diamonte Gems from my stash

9. Inside and the back of the card

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend wherever you are in the world, and happy crafting.