#1134 – Rainbow of Colors

Posted on January 22, 2026 by Ashwini

Hello and welcome! Time for a new challenge at Seize the Birthday and this time, our leading lady Cathy has chosen the topping as ‘Rainbow of Colors‘ for us. However, if you are not a toppings kind of crafter, just make sure that your entry is a Birthday theme.

And here’s what I made –

I was inpired by Laura Bassen‘s card making style – who makes rainbow colored cards better than her?!

I started with the background. After brushing in a soft layer of rainbow colors using distress inks, I laid out the Neat & Tangled Geometric Blooms stencil on top and used the same set of inks to deepen the colors. I then splattered some water on top and picked up the ink using a clean cloth for additional texture and set it aside to dry.

For the sentiment, I used CraftAdda Large Happy Birthday die. I used it on white cardstock scraps and matte gold foild cardstock and adhered the pieces with the gold matte on top. I then adhered this piece over a sheet of vellum and then fussy cut the piece.

Before assembling the card, I rounded the opposite corners of the white card base and the rainbow stencilled panel and adhered them together. I then adhered the sentiment and then added some sequins for adding to the fetive feel. I also added a small ‘cheers!’ from Simon Says Stamp Tiny Words: Birthday, stamped in black over white cardstock, trimmed to size.

And that’s my card! And I’m joining these challenges as well –

Just us Girls challenge #807: Anything Goes Stencil

Neglected Stuff January challenge (I’ve used the Neat & Tangled Geometric Blooms stencil, which I had not used for more than a year now)

Stencil Fun January challenge: Anything Goes

Stop over the Seize the Birthday blog to checkout more colorful inspiration from the DT and our surprise party guests!

Thank you so much for stopping by! 🙂

#1133 – Thanking You

Posted on January 20, 2026 by Ashwini

Hello and welcome! We have a new challenge at Addicted to Stamps & More. We rotate our themes and this time the theme is ‘Any Occasion‘.

And here’s what I made –

I started with the background. I used Prima Mind Games stencil with Salty Ocean distress ink. I trimmed it and adhered it over a white card base. I then die cut the flower and a leaf from Altenew Peony Dream and a branch of leaves using Simon Says Stamp Basil Leaves, which I split into individual leaves. I then colored all the individual fragments and adhered the respective layers together.

For the sentiment, I stamped it from Altenew Magnolias for Her and trimmed it to size before adhering it to the card. And that’s my card!

Checkout more inspiration from the rest of the team at the Addicted to Stamps & More challenge blog.

Thank you so much for stopping by! 🙂

#1132 – A Winter Gift

Posted on January 8, 2026 by Ashwini

Hello and welcome to the first challenge of the year in Seize the Birthday!! Yay! And we’re off to a spectacular start with our leading lady, Barabara, has chosen the optional Topping of ‘Make your own Snowflake Background‘. Anytime is ‘Anything Goes‘ as long as it’s a birthday theme. But, if you’re a toppings kind of person (like me) you can add a little extra.

And here’s my creation –

I started with the background, blending in distress inks ins shades of purple and pink together. It wasn’t a perfect blend, but since I was going to add the snowflakes die cut on top, that wasn’t an issue. Next, I die cut two pieces of white cardstock panels using Craft Adda Snowflakes Grid 2 die. The snowflake patterns are so varied and gorgeous in this die! I adhered the two pieces together for some dimension and adhered them on the ink blended background.

I then stamped and colored the cat bearing gifts from Simon Says Stamp Gifts of Love on cardstock, colored it using Faber Castell Polychromos pencils and fuzzy cut it. I also stamped the images on scrap cardstock and fussy cut that to adhere behind the colored image to get some stability and dimension. I then adhered all the pieces on the card. The sentiment comes from Winnie & Walter Sentimental: Gift, which I stamped in black, trimmed to size and adhered on the card.

I couldn’t resist adding some white/clear gemstones in the center of some snowflakes for some shine. And that’s my card for you!

I am joining these challenges –

Die Cut Divas January challenge – Use New Crafty Item – I’ve used CraftAdda Snowflakes Grid 2, never used before and new!

AAA Birthday Card challenge #81: Winter Birthday

Crafty Animals challenge #101

Do hop on to the Seize the Birthday challenge blog to checkout more inspiration from the rest of the DT and our wonderful surprise Party Guests!

Thank you so much for stopping by!

#1131 – A Stained Glass Crocus

Posted on January 6, 2026 by Ashwini

Hello and welcome! It’s the first challenge for me in this year! We are starting the challenges at Addicted to Stamps & More with Birthdays challenge this year. There are no other themes to follow other than the need for it to be a birthday project.

And here’s what I made –

I wanted to make a stained glass effect card since I saw these cards from Jennifer McGuire. I had already kept my die chosen and ready for when I wanted to make the card – Simon Says Stamp Crocus Flowers. For the window, I chose to use Hero Arts Infinity Dies Arches.

To start with, I embossed the dies on a white panel and colored them. For the background I used distress inks and a brush to ink blend and for the Crocus, I used Zig brush pens. Once dried and done, I adhered the pieces together and stacked them with a couple more layers of die cuts. I then used Glossy Accents and filled in all the negative areas. I then left it to dry overnight.

For the card base, I used Simon Says Stamp Crystal Distortion embossing folder on black card base – I finally got to use this after more than a couple of years of buying! I then adhered matte silver cardstock die cuts on the previously assembled Crocus+Window piece and adhered this over the embossed base. For the sentiment I used Neat & Tangled Celebrate die, using black as the shadow and the matte silver for the seniment. After adhering all these pieces on the card, I used a few sequins for embellishment.

I must admit I love this technique despite it using quite a bit of the glossy accents and taking quite a bit of drying time. It is worth the wait!

And I’m joining these challenges –

Inkspirational challenge #358: Shine/Shiny

Neglected Stuff challenge January – I used the Simon Says Stamp Crystal Distortion embossing folder– old and completely unused! Not sure how old this is, but I’ve had it with me for a couple of years at least.

AAA Birthday Card challenge ##81: Winter Birthday – I’ve used a winter flower in my card.

So take your time to join the challenge as well. You can get more inspiration from our DT at the Addicted to Stamps & More challenge blog.

Thank you so much for stopping by!

#1130 – Happy New Year!!

Posted on January 1, 2026 by Ashwini

Hello and welcome!! It’s the New Year!!!

WISHING EVERYONE A VERY HAPPY & PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR!

I have no idea how 2025 flew by so fast – I am trying to recollect what happened in my life and everything seems like a blur – I feel like I did so many things, but I just can’t remember what! I guess being busy while not having many sad moments itself is an achievement and I can at least be happy about that feeling!

So anyway, while I wasn’t able to make any Diwali cards this year since I was so busy (one of the fre regrets!) I am happy I made new year’s card to give my sister. We also made this an Inspiration Station challenge – which seems to have been a yearly occurance, but we hope to change that this year!

So this time is my turn and I chose a trio of images –

_{sources: butterfly, Humming bird, Water Lilies}

The challenge is to take basically from the image – the colors, elements – nature, flora, fauna, shining – anything that you like! I wanted to use one or the other element from each image. Initially I thought of using the butterfly, bird and flowers, but then changed that to use the colors from the first image, and use the humming bird from the second and using the floral theme from the third. And here’s what I created –

Truthfully, I did change my idea quite a few times before I arrived at this one. But that seems to be the usual process with me! I used the Neat & Tangled Geometric Blooms on the base of the card and gently blended in some darker ink on the sea green cardstock, leaving the center un touched. I then die cut a frame for this panel using Pink Fresh Studio Ornate Rectangle Frame and set the pieces aside.

I then used various colored cardstock to die cut the florals from Spellbinders Fresh Picked Anemones. I used some ink blending only on the stalk and leaves, while leaving the rest of die cuts with solid colors. For the humming bird, I used Simon Says Stamp Delicate Hummingbird Duo on watercolor paper and then watercolored the bird before using a shimmery champagne watercolor from Gansai Tambi Starry Colors to color certain areas on the bird to make it shine – after all Humming birds are wicked shimmery! I used Sakura black Glaze pen on its eyes and beak. I also added dots of gold on the already die cut areas of the center of the flowers using a gold gel pen for doing so.

Once everything was dry and ready, I assembled all the pieces on the card base, and felt that the background was too flat. So I splattered some gold from the Gansai Tambi Starry Colors, let it dry and then adhered all the pieces on the card base. I also cut off the cardstock from the corners of the card base to match the frame.

For the sentiment, I used a sentiment from CrafTangles Happy Holidays and stamped it on gold pearl shimmer cardstock using a Colorbox teal pigment ink. I then stamped it using Versamark clear sticky ink before heat embossing it with clear embossing powder. I then die cut this using a die from Simon Says Stamp Stitched Circles and adhered it on the card.

And that’s my card for my sister – Happy New Year to you sis!!

Checkout my sister’s card here. ~~It’s still hidden from me at the time of writing this post, so I am excited to receive it, but I bet I’m gonna love it! ❤~~ ..and oh, wow!! Her mixed media card just blew me away!! I am delighted to be at it’s receiving end!! Thank you sis!! ❤

Thank you so much for stopping by!