March 2026 Altenew Inspiration Challenge Entry #2

 I've made a second card for this month's Inspiration Challenge by Altenew. This card uses the Apothecary Garden stamp set for the vase, Sketched Florals stamp set for the flowers, and Butterfly Garden stamp set for the sentiment, all from Altenew. I used Red Cosmos, Summer Afternoon, Glacier Caves, and Frosted Foliage Fresh Dye Inks from Altenew. The glitter that may or may not show up (better in the close up) is a clear Stardust Gelly Roll pen. Sentiment is embossed with Brutus Monroe Fairy Dust embossing powder over Altenew Eucalyptus and Tsukineko Versamark inks. Splatters and top border are watercolor. Bottom section is stenciled with Chunky Chevron from The Crafters Workshop.

  

March 2026 Altenew Inspiration Challenge Entry

Here is my first card for this month's Inspiration Challenge from Altenew. I used their Floral Radiance stencils for the flowers and leaves, Iridescent Crystal Gem Sparkles for the flower centers, Birthday Builder Stamp Set for the sentiment, and several of their inks. I also used the Chunky Chevron stencil from The Crafter's Workshop for the background and Brutus Monroe Fairy Dust Embossing Powder on the sentiment. I was primarily inspired by the colors and the geometric pattern of the tiles on the table  in the inspiration photo. I don't have any vase stamps (yet). 

Yet Another Entry into Altenew's January 2026 Inspiration Challenge

I made this card after watching a video by @nickiheartscards. I used Dotty Circles 3D embossing folder from @altenewllc for the background, Translucent Foliage stamp set (die cuts and embossing folder) from @altenewllc for the flowers and leaves, and Iridescent Crystals Gem Sparkles from @altenewllc for the flower center. Inks are Distress inks from @ranger_ink. 

Third Entry in Altenew January 2026 Inspiration Challenge

Another entry in the @altenewllc January 2026 Inspiration Challenge, using their Inked Lotus and Birthday Builder stamp sets and Clear Iridescent Sequins. Stamp is colored with alcohol markers and background with @ranger_ink Distress Inks.

Another Altenew Inspiration Challenge Entry

Here is my second card for the Altenew January 2026 Inspiration Challenge. I used their Delicate Bouquet and Birthday Builder stamp sets. I colored the flowers and leaves with alcohol markers and the background with Ranger Distress Ink. Then I attached hot fix crystals.

Altenew January 2026 Inspriation Challenge

I am entering the January 2026 @altenewllc Inspiration Challenge for the first time this month. The flowers and leaves are from their Translucent Foliage Outline Stamp Set, which includes coloring stencils and cutting dies. The words are from their Birthday Builder stamp set, and the sequins are their Satin Gold (flower centers) and Clear Iridescent (card corners). I used their Dotty Circles 3D embossing folder for the dark red background. I colored everything with @ranger_ink Distress Inks.

Another circle journal entry completed

I had a really rough time finishing this today. I started out by deciding to make a card for a contest. I spent a long time getting it exactly right, then when I was looking up the name of one of the stamp sets I had used, I realized that it was discontinued, meaning I couldn't enter the card in this particular contest.

So then I went on to work on the circle journal. I completed one of the pages, only to realize that I'd made it too big. I guess I hadn't measured the page size. I had thought it was 6" square, but it was actually 5 1/2" square.

So I started all over. Decided that the snowman I had used on the 6" page was too big for the 5 1/2" page. Made a few other smaller mistakes, but finally got the two pages done. The theme for this journal is "this and that," meaning I could do pretty much anything I wanted in this. So I decided on snowflakes and snowmen, since it has been so cold the past few days, and we even had a few flakes a couple of days ago.

ABC Atc Swap

Another ATC Swap - this one is ABC's. There are 26 participants, each one chooses a letter and makes 26 atcs using that letter. I chose "C" because I wanted cats on mine. When all swapped out, each participant ends up with a set of the whole alphabet.

Here is my completed atc. Kind of cute I think.

Design Team Work

I am on the Design Team for Our Stamping Studio. What this means is that each month, we have a sponsor (usually a rubber stamp company) who provides us with free product. We then create artwork with the sponsor's products and promote the sponsor for the month. At the end of the month, we provide the sponsor with our samples or scans (whichever the sponsor prefers). It has been a really great program for both the sponsors and the Design Team, and I love doing it. So here are a few of the things that I created for this month's sponsor, Silver Fox Stamps.

Ornament ATC

I am in a local group that swaps ATC’s. We meet twice a month and generally swap once a month. This month’s theme is ornaments (as in, an atc that can be used as an ornament). Here is the one I completed for the current swap. The green tree is a metal charm, and the circle is actually punched out of the atc, so the white you see is from my scanner.

Vision of Women ATC

I finished this for today for a swap on Our Stamping Studio. After stamping the lady, I colored her with Walnut Ink Tintz from Fiber Scraps and also with Distress Ink from Ranger. Then I collaged some papers around her and added lace and a fancy brad. I also stitched around the edges with my sewing machine. One will also be sent in to Technique Junkies for their current contest.

Circle Journal

I am in a circle journal swap on Our Stamping Studio. This is basically the same thing as a deco swap. There are 11 of us participating in this one, and we have a month to work in each journal, which means it will be almost a year from start to finish. Our journal had to be mailed out by April 15, so it has been going around for a long time now. I only have 3 more journals to work in, and then I get my own back! This one has been much better about staying on schedule than the other one (Asian Deco) I'm in.

I finished my pages today in the journal I have now. This was a very thought-provoking theme for me - Treasures. Our instructions were to fill the pages of the book with what we treasure - whatever is most important in our life. We could include photos if we wanted to, journaling if we wished, or an artistic expression of what means the most to us. I spent a lot of time just thinking about the theme before I did any work in the journal - it was a great chance to really think about all of my treasures. I did a 2-page spread, and tucked some journaling into a pocket. I really enjoyed this one once I got started.

My Own Asian Deco

And here is the cover of my own Deco. I'm anxious to get it back and see all the wonderful artwork created by the other members of the group! This group has been running behind schedule though, so I don't know when I'll get it back. I really hope I don't have to wait TOO long.

Asian Deco Swap Completed

These are the other two deco pages I've completed. As you can tell, I really like my geisha and kimono rubber stamps. The kimono is an outline that I stamped on Japanese paper; I stamped the geisha on vellum and colored her kimono on the back.

Asian Deco Swap Continued

Here are two more Deco pages I've done for the same swap. Since each person made her own book, each book is a different size and shape. The most original book in my opinion had pages in the shape of fan blades (the left picture).

Asian Deco Swap

I've already mentioned that I love participating in swaps. This one is called a Deco: each participant makes a book that she sends to the next person in the group. Each person in the group creates artwork in each person's book, and when each book has been around to each person in the group, it is returned to the person who made the book. Decos usually have a theme, and the theme for this one is Asian Art. Here are a couple of pages that I completed in other artists' books. The one on the right was the last one for me to work in - I hope to get mine back soon.

Published!

I had 3 cards published in this month's Vamp Stamp News magazine. It is so exciting to see my work in print. And Vamp Stamp News is a really interesting Rubber Stamp magazine. It is a one-woman operation, not your slick glossy full color magazine like so many others, but still very well put together with a lot of good solid information. I really enjoy the magazine, so it is quite a thrill that I've been published there several times. Here is a link to the website: http://www.vampstampnews.com/. The extra fun thing is that if you're published, you get a free copy of the magazine. And since I've been published in 6 out of the previous 9 months, I haven't even bought a subscription. If I ever get tired of submitting my work, I will definitely buy that subscription, but until then, I just buy it at the nearest rubber stamp store (about 65 miles away) whenever I'm not published. I've even had my work on the cover a few times.

Artist Trading Cards

I mentioned earlier that I love participating in swaps. Well, probably my favorite swaps are of Artist Trading Cards, or ATCs. These cards are 2.5" by 3.5" in size (the same size as sports trading cards), and can be done in any technique that an artist chooses. They are only traded, never sold. Other than that, and the size, there are really no rules for ATCs. There are a lot of internet groups for trading; this is how I do most of my trades. It works like this - one person (the host) decides on a theme (for example, dragonflies). The host then posts information about the swap (things like due dates, number of atcs to send, address, whether to send a self addressed stamped envelope, etc.). Interested participants email the host to sign up. Participants send their completed cards to the host by the due date, who then swaps them out to all participants. It is a great way to get a little piece of artwork from a wide variety of artists on a theme of interest to you. Here is one of my favorite atcs that I made recently - the theme was dragonflies.

Calendar Swap

I am participating in a calendar swap on Our Stamping Studio. Participants choose a month (mine is January) and make 12 copies of a calendar page for that month. They send their completed pages to the swap hostess, who will then send 1 of each month to each participant, so we each end up with a complete calendar. I worked on my page today. I finished one page for my prototype, so now I just need to complete 11 more just like it. I love participating in swaps - I receive art from several different artists and share my own art with others. It also gives me a direction for my art, which helps me to create. Here is the page I completed today.