Breezy Swings and Postman Things

Dia daoibh!

Ah, winter in healthcare. That magical time when everyone’s coughing in harmony, the hand sanitiser flows like holy water, and the staffroom kettle is working harder than management at inspection time. Between chasing thermometers, losing pens, and pretending the vending machine coffee is grand, we’re practically superheroes. Still, we keep the spirits up with biscuits, sarcasm, and industrial-strength hand gel.

Now onto something with less sneezing and more sparkle: the Card Chain Challenge Reveal! 

This month my card took flight to Tina in Slovenia, and in return, I received a faaaaabulous card from Gail in Norway 💙.  There’s nothing like proper happy mail arriving, an envelope that isn’t a bill, a staff meeting notice, or another reminder to book flu jabs.

For my own creation, I worked with the colour theme of Pewter, Ruby and Lapis Blue. Apologies - the pewter looks moodier in the photo than it does in real life. It’s not actually auditioning for a goth phase. The design features the Spellbinders “Breezy Swing” die set, cut from Tonic Studios cardstock, layered over a softly stencilled cloud background created with Memento Platinum ink for a delicate shimmer effect. I finished it off with some sparkly gems, and a sentiment (Sizzix: Sunnyside Sentiments) stamped with StazOn ink for that crisp finish (and the faint whiff of “no going back now”).

If you haven’t joined the Card Chain Challenge, you really should. You make one card, send it off to a crafter somewhere in the world, and get one back. It’s like pen pals for glitter lovers and slightly unhinged scissors hoarders. The excitement when that envelope arrives is unreal ... you’d think the postman was handing out scratch cards and free biscuits.

Right, I’m off to make a strong coffee and pretend that tidying my craft desk counts as cardio.

Sláinte,

Wendy R. 😊

Spidey’s Got Moves

Dia daoibh!

You know those random Halloween die cuts that linger on the craft table long after the sweets are gone and the decorations are packed away? Well, I finally tackled mine. Among them was this wee spidey, one of a few Spellbinders die cuts I received as a gift, and he’d been staring at me accusingly for weeks. I paired him with a Spellbinders stamp sentiment, and it turned out both cute and slightly creepy at the same time.

The spider is layered and attached to a wobbler so it actually wobbles when you touch it. Pretty cute but strangely unsettling, like something you’d expect to see skitter past your feet at 2 a.m. The sentiment is stamped with StazOn, and I added a touch of glitter and a few Nuvo enamel drops for sparkle and texture. Bold stripes, cheeky spider, mission accomplished. This is officially the last Halloween card for the stash until next year, or so I tell myself.

A few challenges: 

• Cardz 4 Guyz  #379 Use Orange/Black/Purple 1 or more
• Creative Crafting Uncles #70 - Halloween
• Mix It Up Challenge #80 - Anything Goes (option: Clean and Simple)
• Two Old Bats Halloween Challenge -November 2025 - Anything Halloween

• CAS Colours & Sketches #572 - Sketch Challenge

And on a funny note, I left the finished card on the table, and my son nearly dropped his tea when the spider started wobbling. He jumped, shouted, and declared I was never to leave “moving insects” lying around again. I’ve never been prouder of my crafting skills.

Sláinte,

Wendy R. 🕷🕸