May 2025 Card Chain Challenge

 Dia Daoibh!

May’s Card Chain Challenge has come and gone — and what a gorgeous one it was! For May 2025, I joined in the fun and chose the colour palette option: a rich and elegant mix of aubergine, crushed rose, and coffee cream. I also followed the theme option "smiles" — which, let’s be honest, we all need a bit more of these days.

My card was posted off to Robyn in Australia (hi Robyn! 👋) — I hope it brings a smile when it lands! 

I used a fabulous digital stamp from Power Poppy, coloured with Promarkers, and gave the mug a glossy coat of Glossy Accents for that satisfying shine. The "smile" sentiment was layered up a few times to add dimension (because flat sentiments are just not living their best life), and I gave it a coat of Glossy Accents too. That card was positively grinning by the time it left! 😄

Side note: the aubergine cardstock may look black in the photos — blame the lighting and my camera’s dramatic flair. It’s a rich purple in real life, I promise!

And what a treat I received in return — a fabulous card from Carol in the UK (hi Carol! 👋)!  It was full of beautiful butterflies, which made my heart flutter. Butterflies are more than just pretty paper motifs for me — I’ve got an entire right arm tattooed in them, and I consider them my spiritual insects. They always seem to show up at the right time, like nature’s little wink.

On to a few challenges:

• Dream Valley Challenges #337 - Hand colored image 
• Di's Digis Designs - Sentimentally Yours
  
• Cardz 4 Galz #251 - Floral 
• I Love Promarkers #584 -  Anything goes or In the Pink 
• Little Red Wagon #809 - Friendship
• Sisterhood of Crafters - 5/14/25 - Flowers

All in all, another lovely round of CCC, and I’m already looking forward to the next one. If you haven’t joined the Card Chain Challenge, what are you waiting for? It’s happy mail with a crafty heartbeat. 💌

Sláinte,

Wendy R.

Core Chaos & Crafty Apples

Dia Daoibh!

Well now, hasn’t it been some week? Between the whirlwind of emotions, sleep doing its usual disappearing act, and Autism taking the wheel while ADHD quietly sulks in the corner, let’s just say my kitchen presses got the full “Wendy Works” treatment. There's now a brand new streamlined system in place for when the dishwasher gets unloaded – colour-coded, shelf-aligned, and possibly requiring a user manual. But hey, the mugs are happy.

I’ve also switched over to night shifts for a while – figured since sleep had clocked out, I might as well clock in. Four nights back-to-back… so I’ll be off to bed shortly. Just don’t ask if I’ve remembered how to human during daylight hours.

Now, onto something far juicier – my card!  I whipped up a wee number featuring some dinky die-cut apples that I “borrowed” (read: plundered with no shame) from the stash. They're perched on foam pads for that bouncy 3D pop – just the thing to make it look like the apples are actually trying to escape. Can’t say I blame them. Especially after reading the sentiment… let’s just say it hits a bit too close to home. Definitely one for the ‘laugh or cry’ drawer! Oh, and I embellished the wee hearts with some irridecent glitter.

Onto a few challenges:

Sisterhood of the Snarky Stampers #262 - R is for Rude

Carlin’s Challenge #82 – Yummy, that’s tasty

Farmquest General Store Challenge #28 Anything goes and/or country theme goes

Allsorts #824 Anything Goes

Simply Clean and Simple - May 2025 - Clean and simple (optional: flowers) 

Fab n' Funky - 2W, #617 - Add a Sentiment 

CAS Colours & Sketches #560 - Sketch: 

Right, I’ve one more post to share before I shuffle off to bed for the night shift ;)

Sláinte,

Wendy R. 🍎

A Card for Ms D

 Dia Daoibh!

I'm back with another card for you! This time, it's all about the joy of reading! A topic I feel qualified to tackle, mostly because I own a lot of books... that I haven't read yet. Fun Fact: May I also mention that I own every single Jamie Oliver recipe book and have only ever cooked one recipe (from the Nintendo DS game, mind you!) 🙈

Today's card showcases some incredible art by Rina Rudny! I colored it using my go-to Promarkers and layered it on an embossed background with a distressed edge (apologies for the snapshot barely picking it up due to the bright white card). To finish it off, I added some die-cut embellishments, enamel dots, and even a few staples. Let's just say my budget and my craft supplies aren't exactly on speaking terms right now.

This card is for a gorgeous friend who was kind enough to lend me a book to read. Oh, be the hokey, it was a heartbreaker  (yet truly inspiring) from a child-now-adult perspective! A real must-read! The book is called "A Time for Truth" by Sarah Corbett Lynch. Thank you, Ms. D! I'll be popping the book and the card in the post shortly -  Hopefully, it will make her smile!

Onto a few challenges:

• First Cup Challenges #1 April: - Anything Drink related prjects
•  Cardz 4 Galz #247 Stripes
• A Cut Above - Apr - Anything Goes
• Aud Sentiments Blog Challenge #324 - Embossing (wet or dry) and/or Flowers + a Sentiment 
• Stamps & Fun = Creativity #473 - Words
• Crafty Calendar - April - Feminine
• Word Power - April -  Anything Goes with Words as Focus

Right so, that's my card! I think it is as lovely as a summer's day in County Clare! 

Sláinte!

Wendy R. x

A Wee Bit of Irish Card-Making Fun

Dia Daoibh! ...bringing a touch of Irish charm to your day. 

Today, I'm tackling the 'Try a Sketch on Tuesday' challenge #665 with the delightful '4 Leaf Clover' stamp set from Colorado Craft Company, designed by Anita Jeram, to sprinkle a bit of luck on my card.

Tap the pic for an enhanced view ;)

I've coloured it using Promarkers—check out the bar at the top of my blog for all my colour recipes. I hit a slight snag with my green ink pad collection, but Memento's Bamboo Shoot saved the day. It's not quite the emerald green of Ireland, but hey, it's close enough to be shade number 41 in the '40 Shades of Green' collection! I also went and put two grand lines on a card, like a couple of leprechauns doing a jig down the left side with their scoreboard in tow.

For a finishing touch, I've used Ranger's Glossy Accents and glitter to make the butterfly and clover shimmer. After all, if it doesn't glisten like a leprechaun's gold, can you even call it complete?

Onto a few challenges:

• Moving along with the Times #176  March - Pets
• Critter Crazy -#96 - Anything (featuring a critter) goes
• Crafty Animals #92 - Feature an animal
• Daisy Chain Challenges #94 - Animals
• Simply Clean and Simple CAS card design with optional shades of green
• Triple B - March - Anything with Birds, Blooms and/or Butterflies + optional Inspiration Moodboard* 
  
• Try a Sketch on Tuesday #665: 
  
  
  

And here's a little Irish humour to wrap things up: 

Why don't you ever borrow money from a leprechaun? 

Because they're always a little short!

Sláinte!

Wend R. x

Cardz 4 Galz - Lever Card

Hi Peeps

Time for another Cardz 4 Galz challenge day!
Thank you to everyone who plays along each fortnight :)
Onto this fortnight's challenge. Challenge # 82 is Fancy Folds.

Here is my DT card, a square Lever Card:

The design is from Lori Whitlock.
I used a cute elephant from MFT stamps - Birdie Brown Adorable Elephants
Coloured with Promarkers.
Embellished with liquid pearls and a die cut.


Hope to see your creations in the card gallery and Thank You for stopping by!

Wendy xxx

Soap Glad

Hi Peeps
My card today features a cute little bear from Nicola Storr Clear Stamps: Bubble Bear.
Coloured with Promarkers.
Embellished with clear glitter, sequins and 3d gloss.

Onto a few challenges:

Addicted to CAS #141 - Summertime
Sweet Stampin - Clean & Simple
Colour Crazy Challenge #30 - Anything goes
Simply Create Too #140 - No patterned paper

Thank You for stopping by!

Flutters

Hi Peeps
My card for today is for a colleague of mine who completed the VHI mini marathon this weekend.
She's so awesome!!
Here is my card:

Butterflies are stamped and coloured with Promarkers.
Stamp set used from Martha Stewart.
Embellished with 3D enamel.

Right-e-o, a few challenges:
Crafty Calendar - June - Three of Something
A Gem of a Challenge #220 - Use 3 of something
heARTful Stamping Challenge -Anything Goes + a Stamp
Inkspirational #162 - Power
Just Us Girls #444 - Outside

Thank You for stopping by!

Dream BIG

Hi Peeps
This card is another one for the CAS stash
I haven't used this stamp in aaaaages.. It is an unbranded stamp I bought a few years ago.

Stamped with Memento Tuxedo black ink.
The die cuts are layered to add dimension to the card.
Embellished with Gems.

Onto a few challenges so:
Less is More #369 - Bring something back ( The sentiment stamp)
CAS On Friday #131 - Black, White & Pink
heARTful Stamping Challenge -  APR 22 - 29 -Anything Goes + a Stamp
AAA Cards #113 - Perfect Day (to sit and dream all day ;)



Thank You for stopping by!