Umbrella Bloom

Dia daoibh!

September has rolled in like it owns the place. One minute you are minding your own business and the next thing the calendar is waving at you saying “Right, time to get organised.” The craft desk of course took that as a sign to do the exact opposite and produce more paper scraps than a confetti cannon at a parade.

Today’s card is for Ally’s Angels Challenge #110, where the theme is always Anything Goes. Which is the best kind of theme really. No rules, no stress, just pure crafty fun. Do pop over and check out the Design Team creations because they are absolutely amazing and full of inspiration.

For my card I used the Spellbinders Umbrella Bloom die set. I kept everything CAS, letting the die cut do all the talking. Sometimes the cardstock just wants a simple life and I am happy to support that. For embellishments I only added a little Glossy Accents and a few flatback pearls for a bit of shine. Just enough sparkle to keep things interesting but not enough to require protective goggles. The sentiment is from Tonic Studios and I stamped it with Versafine ink. Versafine behaves beautifully, which is more than can be said for the pile of craft supplies currently plotting a takeover of my desk.

Now it is your turn to join the fun. The theme is Anything Goes, so grab your stamps, dies, glitter, glue, yarn, paper or whatever crafty goodies you have nearby and come play along with us at Ally’s Angels Challenge. We would love to see your creations in the gallery.

And remember… if your craft desk looks like a paper explosion happened… congratulations. You are doing it correctly.

Sláinte,

🌼 Wendy R. 🌼 

Card Chain Challenge August 2026

 Dia daoibh!

August has arrived, which means we all start pretending we know where the year has gone. Someone always says, "It'll be Christmas before we know it," and somehow they're right... even though we're absolutely not ready to hear it!

Anyway, enough of that. It's time for the August Card Chain Challenge!

This month, my card packed its little passport and winged its way to Greta in the USA, while I was delighted to receive a special delivery from Daja. Her card was absolutely beautiful and one of those happy pieces of post that makes you smile before you've even opened the envelope.

For this month's challenge, I chose the elephant theme along with the friendship option. Honestly, if ever there was a mascot for the Card Chain Challenge, surely it should be an elephant. Friendly, dependable, and famous for never forgetting... unlike me, who spends half my crafting time looking for the scissors I was holding thirty seconds ago!

For my card, I reached for some fabulous dies. The adorable elephant is from Spellbinders' D Lites Elephant Festival set, layered onto the beautiful Essential Floral Reflection dies. The intricate background was created using A Pocket Full of Happiness's Floral Lace Border, while the shiny "Friend" sentiment comes from Pinkfresh Studio's Phrasebuilder die set. Everything was layered with foam tape for extra dimension before I got carried away with pearls and gemstones. Let's be honest, once the embellishment box comes out, there is no such thing as "just one more."

The Card Chain Challenge is one of my favourite crafty adventures. You make a card, send it off somewhere in the world, and then wait for a handmade surprise to land in your own letterbox. It's like Christmas morning, except nobody gives you socks..

Right-e-o, the pearls have escaped onto the floor again, and I am convinced they wait until I am barefoot before making their grand appearance.

Sláinte,

Wendy R. 🦋

The Male Room #214: Dots and/or stripes

Dia daoibh!

For The Male Room Challenge #214, the theme is Dots and Stripes, and this zebra has arrived wearing both with the confidence of a man who lost a bet with a box of highlighters and is now daring anyone to mention it.

The wonderfully unimpressed zebra is from the Katzelkraft Les Jungles stamp set. I stamped him with Memento ink and coloured him with Promarkers. Zebras already come with stripes, of course, but this fellow felt nature had not gone nearly far enough. The sentiment is from the Taylored Expressions Enjoy Today stamp set. It says “Sending Good Vibes,” although his face looks more like he is sending a strongly worded complaint about the dress code. I finished the card with Tonic Studio's Nuvo enamel drops, adding plenty of colourful dots around him. At this stage, he has stripes, spots, a rainbow jumper and the expression of someone who has just realised he is dressed like the craft aisle during a clearance sale.

We would love you to join us over at The Male Room with your dots, stripes, or both. And remember, confidence is not about looking sensible. It is about wearing every Promarker colour at once and acting as though everyone else got the memo wrong.

Thanks a million for joining the colourful fun at The Male Room  ❤️

Sláinte,

Wendy R.