Holiday Tags Embellished

 Welcome to Becca's Heart for Creativity blog!

why: This posting features focals that were bought and then embellished with extra layers, ink, chalk, gems, faux wax seal puffy sticker, cording, and sentiment writing. 

when: crafted on Tuesday, November 25, 2025 and blog posted on Wed Nov 26.

what: Project #1 = Merry Santa Eating and Drinking Tag

how-to & vendor notes for #1 =

1. Crafter's Square:

a. faux wax seal puffy sticker; part of pack

b. Santa tag is 1 of 5 designs from a pack of 25

c. red CS

d. silver glitter CS

e. red and white cording (comes in a 3 color pack)

f. red pearl (from a package)

g. white chalk writer; used to give a snowy border on the red CS

2. black extra fine tip marker = Sharpie; used for sentiment writing and added to the top of 'for you' on the wax seal sticker

3. black stamp pad = Hero Arts

4. paper towel strips = for dabbing ink on the border of the red CS

where #1 will be linked =

1A. First Cup; started Nov 2; theme of anything goes beverage/drink related; Santa's holding a glass of milk with a straw; 2nd entry

link = https://firstcupchallenges.blogspot.com/2025/11/first-cup-challenge-8-november.html

image prompt = 

1B. Creative Fingers Challenge; started on Nov 14; theme of anything goes; this will be my 2nd link-up

link = https://creativefingerschallengeblog.blogspot.com/2025/11/challenge-312.html

1C. Everybody Art Challenge; current/open; theme of glitter; My Santa tag's base layer is silver glitter cardstock/CS

link = https://everybody-art-challenge.blogspot.com/2025/11/589.html

1D. The Holly and Ivy Christmas challenge; opened a week ago; anything goes Christmas

link = https://thehollyandivychallenge.blogspot.com/2025/11/challenge-196-anything-christmas-goes.html

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and

what: Project #2 = Rudolph saying hello tag

closeup cropped scan of the nose to see that it was altered:

how-to & vendor notes for #2 =

21. from Crafter's Square:

a. silver glitter CS

b. deer tag; 1 of 5 designs from a pack of 25

c. black and white cording

d. white chalk writer; used to give a snowy border on the black paper

e. black paper scrap; from a scraps pack

f. red crystal gems; from a pack

22. black extra fine tip marker pen = Sharpie

where #2 will be linked =

2A. Christmas Crafts All Year Round; started Nov 1; theme song of Run Run Rudolph; my tag had a deer with a black nose ---> I covered the black with red permanent ink marker and then used a red-purple glitter glue for a top layer to transform the deer into Rudolph; I also used the white chalk writer to add a look of snow to the black paper for a wintry look; 2nd entry

link = https://christmascardsallyearround.blogspot.com/2025/11/november-challenge-run-run-rudolph.html

image prompt = 

2B. Merry Little Christmas Challenges; started on Nov 1 and ends Dec 15; anything Christmas goes; either 2nd or 3rd entry

link = https://merrylittlechristmaschallenge.blogspot.com/2025/11/mlccb-65-anything-christmas-goes-mlccb.html

2C. Tag Along and ATCs; started on Nov 1; theme of add texture or anything goes; My Rudolph tag has silver ribbed metallic cording, thread type cording, silver glitter CS; white chalk has a waxy texture

link = https://tag-alongandatc.blogspot.com/2025/11/november-challenge.html

2D. Crafty Animals; started on Nov 1 and opened for 2 more days; anything goes including an animal; My tag has deer/Rudolph; 3rd entry

link = https://craftyanimals.blogspot.com/2025/11/challenge-100.html

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these are non-design team related projects

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Crafting in the USA heartland,

Becca S

*** these are non-design team related commitments

* owner/DT = HQCB, HQFCB, HQCOLCB, HQFSCAT (anything goes shaped tags); FQCB, FQGS, FQCCCB (deer/Rudolph for outdoors/country Christmas), FQHCB and FQGGCB (Santa's cookie and milk could be shared for the anything food goes theme); also ConBC, AA and CCC. 

* DT member only = PRS

Loving my HAOOCAYR #24 DT projects on 1 March 2025

Welcome to Becca's Heart for Creativity blog! ~~from America's heartland!

WHY: My heart is happy to share my newest design team (DT) inspiration projects for my blogger/artisan friend Deanne's HAOOCAYR...Halloween and other occasions crafts all year round. This is #24 with the 2 main themes of Halloween and Birthday plus optional themes St. Patrick's Day and/or Caffeine. (see the badge further down).

WHEN: #24 is published on March 1, 2025 and is open for the whole month.

WHAT: Project #1 = Halloween

notes for #1:

1. black cardstock cut to 6" square = Neenah

2. peach is neon deep orange cardstock cut to 5.5" square = Astrobrights/Neenah

3. black with orange pin dots print & the ghouls print papers + cut-a-part card + brad = FaBOOlous collection by Simple Stories

4. string = stash

5. string was colored with alcohol marker "Goldfish Orange" = Arteza

6. brown/Walnut stamp ink pad = Lawn Fawn (for all outside edges)

7. foam dimensional adhesive tape strips used under the cut-a-part card = Crafter's Square (3 pack with different widths and thicknesses)

and

WHAT: Project #2 = optional theme of Caffeine

notes for #2: "Coffee Time" tag

21. white cardstock base = Conservation Flat Card in White by CutCardStock

22. lighter amount of ink on the white = "Chocolate Chip" by SU

23. darker amount of ink on the white = "Walnut" by Lawn Fawn

24. circle tag focal is on foam tape = Sandcastle Tan by Martha Stewart and sold by CutCardStock

25. coffee bean looking shapes was actually an abstract leaf stencil and the lettering is from different words from a religious stencil set = I forget who made; it was gifted by a friend

26. red umber colored pencil for the lettering= stash

27. brown watercolor marker for the coffee beans = stash

28. twine = stash

29. hole punch used to cut the corners for an altered rectangle tag base 

WHERE: HAOOCAYR #24 or March 2025 blog posting

link = https://halloweencraftsallyearround.blogspot.com/2025/03/march-1st-halloween-and-other-occasions.html

theme badge = 

DT badge =

other places to share/link are:

a. Ghouls = Fab -n- Funky; started Feb 26/Wed; theme is fantasy; My card has ghouls/ghosts/spirits; some people consider these fantasy/make-believe

link = https://fabnfunkychallenges.blogspot.com/2025/02/611-fantasy.html

b. Ghouls = Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenges; started Feb 26/Wed; anything goes using paper; My Halloween card has 5 uses of paper (black, orange, dotted, ghosts and journal card with large ghost

link = https://pennyschallenges.blogspot.com/2025/02/pennys-challenge-591.html

c. Ghouls = Lil Patch of Crafty Friends; started Feb 16/1 day or less yet; anything goes

link = https://lilpatchofcraftyfriends.blogspot.com/2025/02/248-paper-shelter.html

---------------------------

d. Coffee tag = Krafty Chicks; week 4/theme is masculine; the neutral colors and twine plus coffee theme would appeal to a lot of guys, especially since there are no frills or bling

link = https://kraftychickschallenge.blogspot.com/2025/02/krafty-chicks-challenge-757-masculine.html

e. Coffee tag = I Love Promarkers; week 2 of 2; use markers; MY coffee tag's coffee beans are color-filled with a brown watercolor marker

link = https://ilovepromarkers.blogspot.com/2025/02/challenge-577.html

f. Coffee tag = Creating with CutCardStock FB group share

g. Coffee tag = could be shared with 2 challenge blogs that I own: FQGGCB/AFG theme- anything food goes (coffee beans) and HQFSCAT for shaped tag -- since I altered the rectangle tag base with the punched corners that counts for an acceptable altered rectangle shape

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Crafting in the USA heartland,

Becca S

* DT member of 2 of Deanne's teams = HAOOCAYR and P-R-S

* manager/DT = MTTC and MTTCChristmas

* owner/DT = FQGGCB and HQFSCAT mentioned above; also FQCB, FQGS, FQCCCB, FQHSKCB, HQCB, HQFCB, HQCOLCB; AA; ConBC; and CCC (Critter Crazy Challenges is effective after February 25, 2025)

 

MTTC Blog Challenge no 438 Travel Theme starts 7 August 2020

Welcome to Becca's Heart for Creativity blog! Oh my artsy crafty heart is super excited about this travel theme card! This is for a DT commitment with My Time To Craft challenge blog and the new fortnight challenge theme is travel. Travel-related elements are probably one of the fewest topics in patterned papers or embellishments that I have. But I dug around and found some stash that is a mix of old and new.

Explore and Navigate This Beautiful Life Journey card=

Link to MTTC's #438 challenge=
#438 http://mytimetocraftchallenge.blogspot.com/2020/08/challenge-438-travel.html


so additional scanned cropped photos:

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Some supply and design notes:
a. my sister does not like when I put staples on a card but occasionally I like using them for adhering as well as adding some texture...
b. this time that's what I needed--adhering and texturing for 2 colors of cording
c. the top 3 word stickers are from the "Treasure Map" Word Stickers from October Afternoon [OLD]
d. The section of cardstock with the hot air balloons is from My Mind's Eye [OLD]
e. "Thinking of You" dazzle is from Paper Wishes [NEW]
f. the bottom 3 stickers are from "Seaside Retreat" phrase and word stickers sheet from Webster Pages [NEW]
g. the small size (4" x 5.5") flat card base with a matching envelope is from Darice [NEW]
h. some silver glitter paint pen around the inside edge of the hot air balloon paper

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Find this card shared at these other challenge blogs and Facebook groups:

a. Aud Sentiments #257 Anything Goes + a sentiment;
link= https://audsentimentschallengeblog.blogspot.com/2020/08/257-anything-goes-sentiment.html

b. Mix It Up challenge blog #40 Anything Goes (w/ option of embossing)
link= https://mixitupchallenge.blogspot.com/2020/08/miucb-40-anything-goes-embossing.html

c. Little Red Wagon challenge blog #561 Happy Days theme; [my card has a no pun intended--uplifting look to it with the hot air balloons !!!; soft to mid-tone colors; the playful banners in the patterned cardstock and even more fun with the attached cording!!]
link= http://lilredwagon.blogspot.com/2020/08/challenge-561-happy-days.html

d. Mixed Media Creativity group on Facebook; (besides cardstocks and stickers, I've used a foil sentiment 'dazzle', cording, staples)

e. Paper, Paper, Paper & Design Team Calls group on Facebook; a sharing site for crafty bloggers

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Crafting in the USA heartland,
Becca S

Design Team member for these 3:

a. MTTC
b. APTS
c. 52 CCT

Great Stash Bash April 2020 kit finally made with sneak peek of 2 projects

Welcome to Becca's Heart for Creativity blog!! My heart's been desiring to spend some time scrapping layouts but it's been tough returning to the classroom this year and then having all the remote learning changes thrown into the mix as well! My online commitments were low in numbers today so I got some time in mid-to-late afternoon to make 2 small cards with a completed work kit assembled late last night. The assembled kit follows the formula suggested by Lisa H and Lori S for The Great Stash Bash's April 2020 challenge.

First group of photos will be different parts of the kit:

Above: some of the old and new= the 2 oldest are the large green floral scrap and the bit of contemporary geometric cardstock; the green and white chevron from The Paper Studio is also old, about 2.5 years in my stash
New: scraps of gray and cream cardstocks; and the peek of the orange and green flat cards/envelopes (by Darice that were a Christmas gift from my BFF).

Above: the 2 patterned cardstocks are sides A; scroll down 3 photos for their reverse patterns; and these are NEW from Webster Pages.

Above: New items: silver dazzle stickers, yellow resin frame, and the orange and green flat cards w/ matching envelopes; and Old items: everything else!, embellishments like die-cut accents, floral stickers, border stickers, digital images the 3 journal cards near the yellow frame, and a bit of the floral patterned scraps near the top :)

Top: the beige and white looking buffalo check is a thin TN book that was part of a Webster Pages clearance bundle that just arrived. So that along with the friends phrase stickers laying on top and the snapshots of my BFF and I are part of my new items. The oldest item in the above photo is the set of border stickers sheet that's peeking out below the floral stickers.

Below: the 2 full sheets of patterned cardstock are new arrivals from Webster Pages. They are the reverse sides to the prints shown up 3 photos.

Summary count: Well, I really didn't track the count! There are some small scraps that got cropped  due to trying to crop out my dining chair's cushion! And all of those are old. Only 2 newer papers but with having reverse side prints, it's like having 4 sheets! Embellishments: cording, the floral stickers, etc. for old; the newest is that yellow resin frame; and the stash item of washi tape was forgotten but I've got loads and I'll try to feature some when I get the TN's first layout made. Color inspiration for my kit following TGSB's prompt comes from the spectrum palette from CKC blog's kit shown further in the post.

2nd part is the TGSB April 2020 prompt badge and the blog page badge:

3rd part is to show that some of this assembled kit is some of the leftovers of my CKC blog mini kit:

The color spectrum is the key color palette from the inspiration kit CKC has posted for April 2020. That's what I tried to focus both my kits with.  Below are 2 snapshots of the kit I assembled for my copy-cat version. The 2nd pic has 2 photos that I've already used and some of the die-cut accents shown to the left of the pics have already been too!

Two of the florals shown on the left main papers are being carried over into TGSB along with most of those small scraps.

4th part is a teaser sneak peek of the 2 small cards. I'll make a follow-up post with 2 along with TGSB kit in 2-3 days from now.

Link-ups:

a. TGSB=
Lisa H link= https://createdbylisa.blogspot.com/2020/04/lisa-loris-great-stash-bash-2020-april.html


Lori S link= https://createdbylisa.blogspot.com/2020/04/lisa-loris-great-stash-bash-2020-april.html


b. Counterfeit Kit Challenge blog= link to 1 of  about 5 posts for the month thus far=
https://counterfeitkitchallenge.blogspot.com/2020/04/april-2020-mini-kit-reveal-and-projects.html

c. Mixed Media Creativity group in Facebook= a private group of artists and crafters who like to mix it up; I'll share a link to this post to show part of my work for these last few days of April

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Crafting in the USA heartland,
Becca S

You can also find my creativity as design team projects for the following challenge blogs:
a. A Place to Start
b. 52 Christmas Card Throwdown
c. My Time To Craft
d. The Crafter's Café Challenges
e. Scrapping 4 fun Challenges

CKC blog LIRNH kit with leftovers and CCMWF sketch model card for Thank You cards

Two thank you cards made using sketch inspiration from CCMWF group with supplies from current and past CKC kits

Below: Monica Mackler's posted card in the Facebook closed group Christian Card-Makers ~ Women's Fellowship that was used for the model to follow for sketch layout

This is the ID badge for the Jan 2019 challenge that some of the cards' papers and accessories that I've been using this month or leftover from October and November 2018:

link to current post: https://counterfeitkitchallenge.blogspot.com/2019/01/january-2019-challenge-2-mood-board.html

Below: more photos of each card. I will be mailing or hand-delivering these for Christmas gifts my husband and I received. I need to make at least 3 more!

Above: supplies from current CKC kit I've dubbed "Love Is Reaching New Heights" are white CS, cording, glitter tape, heart stickers, and the blue script paper. The lime green paper and plaid paper are leftovers from previous October and/or November 2018 kits.

Above: supplies different from card #1 that are current kit's: ivory ribbon; blue tonal paper that is sandwiched between the plaid and the script paper is leftover; and the large pink foil heart is new.

These were fairly easy to make and assemble...my kind of card-making! Thanks CCMWF and CKC for helping with creative mojo this month!!--Becca S

HIMCR #349 third Saturday of the month surprise theme to be cutesy

Meet Me At The Flower...

that's the name of the focal image from Oddball Art Stamps that is the prize sponsor and provider of images for the design team at HIMCR #349 challenge with a theme of "cutesy"!

I'm not sure if this is cutesy as much as it is cheery...love the colors and mix of patterns and shapes!

The backside of the marble tone cardstock was left white so I just used a scrap section to offset the graph grid index card that has a message I sketched, outlined in markers, and then filled using colored pencils. Some more of the 'cute' decorative tape used on the front was added under the inside message.

This is the badge for HIMCR. Each week of the month is a different theme. Third week has been designated as "surprise" and the blog owner, Laurie, has picked the characteristic "cutesy" to be that surprise theme. To find out how to participate, when the deadline is for the challenge, see what the other design team members created for your inspiration, and about the prize sponsor use this link to take you to the newest post announcing the new challenge= http://www.hidinginmycraftroom.com/2018/04/himcr-349-cutesy.html

This image is the sponsor identification badge for Oddball Art Stamps. They provided 3 images for the design team to use this week and they have a great prize gift for the challenge winner.

My thinking of you card was based on this sketch design from Let's Get Sketchy from February 2012. I turned it 90 degrees to the right. I added more zig-zag points, switched direction on the section shown under the 3 dots and then only used about half the shape. Decorative tapes are substituted for some of the papers/sections down the middle. Instead of half of a flower, I hole-punched 2 holes and threaded lots of different colored cording as another way to repeat the cheerful mix of hues.

close up of the image...I used a black gel pen to add upper eyelashes for the ladybug but it looks blurred when snapping photo on cell phone. I used violet colored pencil for the butterflies' eyes to help them contrast with the 2 blue tones and gray used on his wings.

Left side

Right side

Card propped up to show inside message from different viewpoint

And how this all got started with base card and background paper with decorative tapes ready to go. Boxed notecards have been upcycled/recycled as patterned paper and a title for the cover. Only a small section was used of the notecard that has stripes on one end and scattered dots over most of it. And then 'hello' was fussy cut in order to allow the base papers and tapes to not be totally covered up. This also allowed me to glue the 'o' closer to the second "l" to save about 1/4".

I just love this cheery card full of color, patterns, and interesting angles. Maybe it is cute?!?!!!

--Becca

Card-Making: 2nd quick post for today--tooth fairy card

Cute! My youngest nephew just lost his first 2 teeth within 3 days of each other. My husband and I have been the "tooth fairy" for his older sisters and now it's our turn to mark these developmental milestones for him. (However, 6 months ago, he said that he wanted to keep his teeth and Uncle Joe can just keep his money!!!!!)

101st blog post=best year birthday card

Here's another combined challenges creation. I'm using Paper Wishes message board June 27 guest host challenge to incorporate slide mount and Ribbon Carousel's #10 Challenge to incorporate paper piecing.

The slide mount had purple string woven around the top half as well as Jillibean Soup's Atomic cardstock stickers spelling "best year". Behind the slide mount is a pre-printed card cut in small rectangle shape so that some of the happy birthday print shows through the slide mount opening as well as around it. The pre-printed card is from HOTP's Paper Pizzaz/PW. I also used the part of the same card to create the flourish shown on the inside of the card. Also from PW/HOTP are all the brads and flowers (Earth Palette's creative brad kit)and the basic white card form. And the inside view's flourish was created by enlarging part of a stencil in Pebble's stencils accent set purchased from PW.

Paper pieced are the paper pieces that if you look at the cover in a certain way you should be able to see the elements as a stacked cake. (That was actually a happy accident of the process.) Ribbon Carousel's spool required supplies include the purple string used around the slide mount and also between the two brads that was tied into a bow.

It's certainly a different styling for me but I like the combination of colors, patterns, the overall look of both the cover and the inside.

(From Jillibean Soup's Atomic Cardstock Sticker set is also the border sticker used on the inside. I also used papers from Colorbok's pattern set.)

I don't have an image to input for the guest host challenge but it can be found on the Paper Wishes message board's guest host challenge thread under the category of Swaps and Challenges.

new blog and challenge undertaking

Ribbon Carousel's latest challenge, RCC7, is to include music along with an item that comes from a spool (thread, twine, ribbon, etc).

For a teacher thank you card, I used the chorus portion of the hymn "Count Your Blessings" that I copied onto a light blue linen parchment paper. It's mounted onto light blue cardstock and then placed onto the background pattern paper (DCWV or Colorbok, not sure, since I deconstructed the paper pack).

I used blue satin ribbon in one corner and white string bow in opposite corner. There's also white thread tied on the button.

The layout design is simple and clean. On the inside there's another button with white thread.

Here's what the card looks like outside and inside: