My extra card using ConBC #19 bingo board for non traditional colors Christmas slimline card

 Welcome to Becca's Heart for Creativity!, a personal crafting blog!

who: I'm Becca S, a 60+ year old crafting blogger, who in the past has dabbled in lots of arts/music, crafts, practical arts plus printed and audio communications such as newspapers, school/college yearbooks and radio broadcasting. These last mentions are why I think I enjoy blogging so much. And the fact that it's combining my craftsy-artsy interests with a print communication is like winner-winner!!

where did card inspiration derive? While getting ConBC #19 blog post ready to launch before May 1st, my creative curiosity got to thinking about the elements in a different column. So on April 27th, I took an hour and put together a non-traditional color Christmas card using Column O. 

when: blog post releasing on May 3rd

why: being creatively curious is an important quality for developing and growing talent(s)

what: "HOPE" Christmas Advent card in a colorful mix of winter season florals

Column O from the ConBC #19 bingo board = slimline, stripes, free (ephemera, gems, alpha stickers, pastel lavender CS base), metal (bling) & clear (look for the round clear plastic over 'hope' and the top border strip of metal bling)

how:

1. pastel lavender CS panel base = Colorbok pastel CS pad; cut to about 3.75" x 6.25" 

2. stripe print CS is recycled packaging = from Freckled Fawn (for a TN insert of pocket pages); cut the panel just under 3.5" x 5"

3. floral bouquet die-cut ephemera = Snow Pine Lodge by Simple Stories

4. gems = different colors and packages from Nicole Brand Crafts

5. lavender rhinestone metal bling was wider/deeper; cut into 2 differing lengths = Crafter's Square (sold on a spool like ribbon)

6. red shiny foil alpha stickers = Sticko

7. clear plastic round overlay = recycled packaging from a 'dome' kind of lid to hold a spool of dual-sided tape to a cardstock backing; fussy cut the smallest center circle = Crafter's Square product originally

LINK-UPs:

1A. Mix It Up; new on May 1st; theme of mixed media (w opt of stamped background); MY nontraditional colors Christmas card is for A. G. M. M.; recycled plastic overlay; recycled striped CS packaging; metal bling; inking/outlining around the striped CS and inking on the base CS perimeter; foil alpha stickers; gems 

link = https://mixitupchallenge.blogspot.com/2026/05/miucb-83-anything-goes-optional-stamp.html

1B. Jingle Belles; week 2 of 2; theme of Peace on Earth -- recycle/reuse/upcycle; My non-traditional colors card w/ advent word of HOPE has a clear circle of plastic as an overlay across the text and most of the upper border bling which is recycled packaging!!! Also the striped CS is recycled packaging! 

link = https://jinglebellesrock.blogspot.com/2026/04/peace-on-earth-day.html

1C. Creative Artiste; new on Friday/May 1; anything goes mixed media; this non-traditional Christmas card has a clear plastic overlay (recycled packaging) located over the wording and upper bling border; the striped cardstock is also recycled packaging; metal bling; inking/outlining around the striped CS perimeter and inking on the lavender base CS perimeter; gems; foil alpha stickers; 

link = https://creativeartistemixedmedia.blogspot.com/2026/05/welcome-to-creative-artiste-challenge.html

1D. The 12 Months of Christmas Link-up Challenge; new on May 1st; anything goes Christmas (opt of lanterns in the snow)

link = https://12monthsofchristmaslinkup.blogspot.com/2026/05/challenge-134-anything-goes-christmas.html

1E. The Outlawz Christmas; new on May 1; anything Christmas goes;

link = https://tolchristmasonly.blogspot.com/2026/04/may-challenge.html

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Crafting in the USA heartland,

Becca S

*DT member only = PRS and Pin-spirational owned by Deanne; CIP owned by Marlene

*owner/DT = CCC; ConBC; AA; HQCB, HQCOLCB, HQFCB, HQFSCAT, and HQLQCB; plus FQCB, FQCCCB, FQGS, FQGGCB, FQHCB. 

***I've used the ConBC #19 bingo board Column O. This challenge is open from May 1-June 15, 2026. 

bingo board image =

 

My FQHCB #1D extra inspiration project on 19 Sept 2025

 Welcome to Becca's Heart for Creativity blog!

why: This is my personal blog post describing details for another bonus/extra inspiration project for the new FQHCB or FarmQuest Home Challenges Blog. The theme is anything home goes. My paternal grandmother received a teaching degree from Berea College in Berea, KY sometime in the 1920s. Her parents met and married in Berea (her maiden name of Hart) and then moved to east central Illinois sometime in the early 1900s. She was her parents' fifth and last child and tragically her dad died a few days before she was born in 1905. And then another tragic occurrence occurred to her husband, my grandpa, died in 1958, with her youngest of 4 children only being about 13 years old. As a little girl, Grandma Sadie had returned to teaching in a nearby elementary school and did have some apple trees on her small farm. So August and September brings thoughts of my teaching grandma and her apple trees!!

when: #1D bonus inspiration post for FQHCB on September 19, 2025

what: Project #1 = An apple for the teacher

how-to &/or vendor notes for #1 =

1. digital image = Google search on Sept 19th; printed as black and white

2. black cardstock cut to 4.25" x 6.5" = Colorbok

3. red with black dot paper scrap = old stash item

4. red and white; old = The Paper Studio

5. red and white geometric patterned = ?/stash; separated from the original paper pad

6. red copy paper used behind image = Pen + Gear

7. red heart gems and green round gems = different packs = Crafter's Square

8. ladybug sticker = Little Birdie Handmade Embellishments (1 of the package)

9. gold foil 'thanks' = from a multi word pack = Crafter's Square

where #1 will be linked/shared:

1A. If You Give A Crafter A Cookie; started Sept 1st; back to school theme image prompt; I pulled the apple cookie for inspiration and instead of as BTS for a student, this card was made in memory of my paternal grandma who was a teacher and lived on a small farm with a few apple trees. 

link = https://giveacrafteracookie.blogspot.com/2025/09/cookie-challenge-208-september-back-to.html

image = 

1B. Pin-spirational; started Sept 1st; back to school theme image prompt; I pulled inspiration from the wood and distant barn for this card made in memory of my paternal grandma who was a trained teacher and taught school when I was growing up; grandpa died unexpectedly leaving her a widow with a small farm that included a few apple trees.

link= https://pinspirationalchallenges.blogspot.com/2025/09/pinspirational-challenge-329-september.html

image = 

1C. Just Us Girls; new on Sept 18; mood board/see image; finding a porch scene like in the photo was the inspiration I pulled for the direction of my bonus DT inspiration card

link = https://justusgirlschallenge.blogspot.com/2025/09/just-us-girls-challenge-793-mood-board.html

image = 

1D. Word Power; still open for Sept; theme is power of the word/focal--eye-catching; MY card says thanks and will be sent to my dad's only surviving sibling, my aunt Rachel. She was 13 years old in 1958 when her dad died and left her mom widowed and the situation forced my grandma to go back to work, teaching 4th grade. "Thanks"/in memory of...

link = https://wordpowerchallenge.blogspot.com/2025/09/word-power-september-2025-challenge.html

1E. Time Out Challenges; started last week/still open; see image for theme of favorite season; I love autumn season weather and living in the USA Midwest where I can enjoy different seasons, especially the changing colors of leaves of the maples, oaks, birches, etc. Growing to Grandma Sadie's to pick apples was one of the childhood activities I remember doing at least 1 or 2x after a new school year had started. 

link = https://timeoutchallenges.blogspot.com/2025/09/challenge-297.html

prompt= 

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where to find  HQFCB #1D bonus/extra blog post link =

https://farmquesthomechallenges.blogspot.com/2025/09/fqhcb-bonus-project-1d-on-19-sept-2025.html

theme badge:

team badge:

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Crafting in the USA heartland,

Becca S

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