Picturing Love @ Little Red Wagon

This week at

it's my turn to choose the challenge and I'm taking inspiration from Girlfriend Kate's challenge themes and I'm also doing music this year.....I'm going with some of my favourite songs from Canadian artists.  In the some of the past few years I have had an overall theme to my challenge picks....though they may not have been obvious as I didn't highlight that fact.  Last year was Star Trek (which the aforementioned Kate picked up on fairly quickly), 2023 was using the same word twice (Happy, Happy Birthday, Craft With Kraft and the one I kinda cheated on Simply Clean & Simple), 2022 was alliteration (Make Masculine Makes, Glitz, Glitter, Gleam & Glow).

2026 is all about some awesome songs from some awesome Canadian singers/bands.  I thought I might give a little info about each song/artist....who knows, maybe you'll find a new song to love.  (:  

"Picturing Love" is a 2016 song from the band July Talk.  From Toronto, this alternative rock band is known for its unique sound and explosive live performances.  Lead singer, Peter Dreimanis's, cover of CCR's "Bad Moon Rising", has been used in a number of TV shows, films and video games including The Walking Dead, Green Room, and Teen Wolf.  The band's first three studio albums won the Juno Award for Alternative Album of the Year.  Personally, I love their sound.  While "Picturing Love" is not my favourite song of theirs (that would be "Guns + Ammunition" but I obviously wasn't going to make that a challenge) it is a close second....which is where the song peaked on the Canadian Rock Chart in 2016.

I've linked to their music videos above but I thought I'd give a.....well.....very mild warning.    “Picturing Love” is about human relationships, sexuality, and how they are influenced by addiction to screens and pornography.  Imho, I would consider the music video tame, but I understand that Canadian media is  more....let's say open.....than American media.  So, that's your warning.  If you do watch the video, and you're not familiar with the band, I would bet actual money that you will not expect that voice to come out of that face.  Just sayin'.

Anyhoo, back to the challenge.  I want to see those projects about love.  Anniversary, Valentine's Day, friendship, something or someone you love or you could go with the same thing I did....

a wedding card.  At the beginning of January, I posted a card and mentioned that I had originally started with different patterned papers.  This was that card.  I added the die cut and a whole new card was born.  (:

Why not give our challenge a go this week and join us?  And, if you'd like more inspiration, be sure to check out what the Girlfriends have made.

Also for:

613 Avenue Create:  anything goes

Crafty Catz:  anything goes

Creative Fingers:  anything goes

A Place to Start:  anything goes

Fab 'n' Funky:  love is all around

The Sisterhood of Crafters:  spots & dots

A Cut Above:  anything goes with die cuts

Aud Sentiments:  wedding & dies + sentiment 

Simon Says:  add a heart

Fall Colours! @ Little Red Wagon

This week at

it's Brenda's turn to choose the challenge and she's saying, "Fall Colours!" and I think we all know what that means.  

I tell ya, autumn here in midwestern Ontario has been GORGEOUS.  I can't even remember when it has last rained and the temps have been consistently in the mid to high 20s (Celsius) with very little wind.  Average temps this time of year are 13ºC as highs with 5ºC for lows.  For most of September, our low temps have been higher than our average high temperature.  Sincerely hoping we don't pay for this with a wicked winter!

But, you didn't pop by to hear me brag about our beautiful weather, you came to see what I made.  I challenged myself to do something a bit unusual for a fall colours challenge and I made a.....

....wedding card!  I used mostly golds/yellows, terracotta, black, and browns on this make with a tiny bit of green and and grey.  And there you have it, a card using fall colours that's not about fall.  Unless, it gets used as a card for an autumn wedding.  Then it'll be both!  (:  Digi is a favourite of mine from Tiddly Inks.

Why not give our challenge a go this week and join us?  And, if you'd like more inspiration, be sure to check out what the Girlfriends have made.

Also for:

Allsorts:  anything goes

613 Avenue Create:  autumn colours 

Stamping Sensations:  autumn colours

Crafty Catz:  stripes

Creative Fingers:  anything goes

Cut It Up:  inspired by a song + die cuts - Chapel of Love by the Dixie Cups

My Time to Craft:  use two or more patterned papers

As You Like It:  favourite harvest colours - My fave harvest colour is gold!  So pretty and fresh....and who doesn't like gold?  (:

C.R.A.F.T.:  wedding

Ellibelle:  anything goes

Fab 'n' Funky:  show us some colouring 

The Sisterhood of Crafters:  shapes - squares & hearts

A Place to Start:  anything goes

Dream Valley:  occasions other than birthday

If You Give a Crafter a Cookie:  inspirational photo

Square or Rectangle! @ Little Red Wagon

This week at

it's Chrissy's turn to choose the challenge and she's saying, "Square or Rectangle!" which means she'd like to see projects using those shapes.

This is what I did.....

I make the majority of my card square, so that's what I decided to go with for this challenge.  But, I just noticed, I did sneak some rectangles on there too with the way I did the sentiment.  This image was a freebie from Artherapie.  I do find it difficult to colour match blues.  Wish I had went with a darker blue for the birds now that I see it on screen.  Next time!  (;

Why not give our challenge a go this week and join us?  And, if you'd like more inspiration, be sure to check out what the Girlfriends have made.

Also for:

613 Avenue Create:  anything goes

Corrosive:  anything goes

Allsorts:  anything goes

Crafty Calendar:  anything goes

Creative Fingers:  anything goes

Krafty Chicks:  anything goes

Ellibelle's:  anything goes

Fab 'n' Funky:  wings 

Paper Funday:  anything goes

Unicorn Challenge:  layer it up

A Place to Start:  anything goes

Glitz, Glitter, Gleam, Glow! @ Little Red Wagon

  This week at

it's my turn to choose the challenge and I'm saying, "Glitz, Glitter, Gleam & Glow!" which just means that I want to see those projects that have glitter or foiling or bling or have lights/lamps/candles etc. or even a make that's just really ritzy.  Lots of options there!

Now, this would be the perfect theme for which to make a Christmas creation, right?  Welp, I did something different.....

.....a wedding card!  As you can see, I've got patterned paper with a foiled design, a couple of glittery hearts, and a Stickles-over-fun-foam ampersand.  I also employed a (successful, imo) trick to hide the fact that I did not have quiiiite enough of that patterned paper to cover my whole card front.  Just added some black cardstock to the back of the one piece to make it just that little bit bigger.  And, it looks like I was being oh so fancy with my background.  

Image is from Tiddly Inks.  This is a big go-to of mine for wedding cards.  I was considering trying to colour pleats into the dress, but I've never really been that good at that, so I just left the dress as is.  Figured a little bland is a much better look than glaringly wrong.  Ha, that could be my life motto.  (:

So, why not give our challenge a go this week and join us?  And, if you'd like more inspiration, be sure to check out what the Girlfriends have made.    

Also for:

Simon Says:  anything goes

Krafty Chicks:  all occasions

Moving Along With the Times:  bright on dark

Shopping Our Stash:  bling it up

TTCRD:  anything goes

A Place to Start:  anything goes

613 Avenue Create:  anything goes

Colour Crazy:  anything goes

Crafty Catz:  anything goes

Creative Fingers:  anything goes

Tic Tac Toe:  patterned paper, stamped image, sparkly/shiny

No Patterned Paper! @ Little Red Wagon

  This week at

it's Imke's turn to choose the challenge and she's saying, "No Patterned Paper!", which is not how I say it.  I say it as "No PaTtErNeD PaPeR!?!?!?!?!?" followed by some epic wailing, because, if you know me at all, patterned paper is very prominent on most of my cards/projects.

Buuuuuuuut, it turns out that this was exactly the challenge I needed.  I needed to very quickly make two wedding cards.  And, having to eschew patterned paper means that I made this.....

.....and I quite like how it turned out.  I do think I should have made the sentiment panel smaller, but it's not hideously overlarge, so I'm calling it a win.  Sentiment was designed by yours truly.....who finally figured out that Canva would be an awesome tool for self-making sentiments and graphics for cards.

Side note, not always (coz, I'm old enough to remember not having a computer in the house), but probably for about 10-15 years or so, I kinda thought graphic design would be a career I would enjoy but I never pursued it.  One, (to simplify) the timing was always wrong, and two, I do believe there are a TON of graphic designers out there, meaning not a lot of job opportunities.  But, happily, with my one job, I have been given free rein to create graphics, posters, Facebook covers, etc. etc. etc. as part of my duties, so I do get to do some creative designing, which makes me happy.  Right now I'm doing a series of Facebook posts to get the word out about our 50/50 lottery to raise funds for a local hospital that consists mostly of funny animals and (imho, hilarious) puns, so that for sure makes me happy.  [Plus, there's a little petty part of me, the part that I don't talk about at parties (not that I actually go to any parties) that is just shy of gleeful, that once I showed my graphics to the team working on this fundraiser (which is a joint project for three hospitals), they immediately and (almost) unanimously decided to go with my graphics instead of the designs from another person, who is (probably close to) half my age, and has a background (and possibly a diploma) in graphic design.  Yes, that petty part is chuckling while doing a not-so-subtle "I win" dance.]      

Why not give our challenge at go this week and join us?  And, if you'd like more inspiration, be sure to check out what the Girlfriends have made.

Also for:

613 Avenue Create:  anything goes

Crafty Creations:  anything goes

Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday:  die cuts & punches

Simon Says:  make your own background

Crafty Sentiments:  anything goes

Dream Valley:  anything goes

Crafty Calendar:  anything goes

My Time to Craft:  texture

GDT @ 613 Avenue Create!

Hey, look!  It's me with a very rare non-Wednesday, non-Little Red Wagon post!  I was invited to be a Guest Design Team member for the August challenge over at.....

And, I happily accepted!

The challenge there is always Anything Goes with an optional twist.  This month the optional twist is a number of lovely fall palettes.  I chose this one....

Aren't those colours awesome!  Now I didn't go with a fall card, I decided to do this instead.....

Okay, my blue is way more like black but let's just pretend that's a computer screen issue and not a JanR-just-couldn't-colour-the-suit-blue issue.  Image is from Tiddly Inks.  This is totally my go-to image for wedding cards.  It's so lovely, and not hard to colour at all.  (Which is definitely something I look for in stamps!)

With the challenge being Anything Goes, you have no excuse not to join in!  Or, pop on over to 613 Avenue Create and check out the Palette photo for inspiration...and don't forget to check out the fabulous projects the DT made too!

Also for:

Colour Crazy:  anything goes

Aud Sentiments:  anything goes + sentiment

Crafty Creations:  anything goes

Creative Moments:  anything goes

Simon Says:  anything goes

Crafty Sentiments:  anything goes

Through the Craftroom Door:  anything goes

Colouring In Scrapland:  stripes

Stamping Sensations:  any celebration

Corrosive:  anything goes

Allsorts:  anything goes

Bits! @ Little Red Wagon

  This week at

it's Brenda's turn to choose the challenge and she's saying, "Bits!" which just means that she wants to see those bits & bobs, leftovers, uncoloured set-aside stamped images, discarded backgrounds etc. etc. etc.  A great way to clean up the craft desk!

This is what I did.....

I used a stamp from All Dressed Up that I've had printed out for mooooooonnnnnnnths.  In fact, it might even be yeeeeeaaaaars.  Every once in awhile I'll go through my digis and print out four or five pages of them (four to a page) so I can quickly colour something up....especially since there would be times when the computer would be taken by one of my kidlets.  It's not so crucial to have this stack now as my kids all have their own laptops these days, so it's been some time since I've done that.  As you can see, the background is made up of some patterned paper scraps.  A bit of distressing, some bling, and call it done.

I will say, I think our bride was a bit too angular with the blush.  Still, it's good to know that I can colour a face about as good as I could....well.....colour a face.  Life imitates art and all that.  (:

Why not give our challenge at go this week and join us?  And, if you'd like more inspiration, be sure to check out what the Girlfriends have made.

Also for:

Colour Crazy:  anything goes

Crafty Catz:  anything goes

Creative Fingers:  anything goes

Crafty Creations:  anything goes

Crafty Sentiments:  anything goes

Through the Craftroom Door:  anything goes

Through the Purple Haze:  anything goes

Double Trouble:  special celebration

613 Avenue Create:  anything goes

Stamping Sensations:  I Love - colouring with Prismacolor pencils

Corrosive:  anything goes

Spots Or Stripes! @ Little Red Wagon

This week at

it's my turn to choose the challenge and I'm going with "Spots Or Stripes!" which means I want to see those polka dots or spots or tittles or lines or plaids or stripes or.....all of the above!

This is what I did....

I've got liney patterned paper and a beautiful image from Pernilla Nilsson with lots of little dots, which I Stickled, though it doesn't show up in the photo, of course.  Anyone know why Stickles are so shy?  If I sparkled like that, I sure wouldn't hide.  #Stickles...The Introverted Glitter.

Speaking of shy.....*reaches under desk, rummages around, drags, pulls, tugs with both hands, arms & legs, swears more than once....finally yanks it out, gives it a shake, a nudge, dirty look, The Mom Look, The Just Wait Until We Get Home Mom Look, gestures impatiently....*

"Hi, I'm Mojo.  I'm glad to be back.  Sorry I was away for so long.  I'm going to try to be more present in the future.  Thank you for being understanding."

Yes, Mojo, thanks for coming back.

Why don't you give our challenge a go this week and head on over to Little Red Wagon and link up? And, while you're there, be sure to check out the fabulous projects the other Girlfriends have created.

Also for:

As You Like It:  summer or autumn - I'll admit...I like autumn better as a season but I like summer cards sooooo much better.  Personally, I find that autumn cards can only really be given in the fall, while summer cards as good all year 'round.
613 Avenue Create:  anything goes
Allsorts:  flowers all over
Inkspirational:  painting or colouring
Creative Fingers:  anything goes
Crafty Creations:  anything goes
Creative Moments:  anything goes
Crafty Sentiments:  anything goes
A Place To Start:  flowers

Anything Goes @ Tiddly Inks

This month at

we've got a super easy challenge for you...it's "Anything Goes"!. All you've got to do is use a Tiddly Inks image and it's in!

This is what I did....

I used a cropped version of Garden Wedding, a super sweet image for all your wedding card needs.  I was a bit disappointed by my colouring/blending for the skin tones....it just is what it is sometimes.  I wasn't disappointed over the fact that I used some of my flower stash though.  I don't have an enormous stash of flowers by any means, but seeing as I almost never use them, any flower stash is almost too much stash.  And any time I can whittle down stash, that's a good thing.

Why not grab a Tiddly Inks image, and join us for the challenge?  And be sure to  check out the fabulousness the DT has come up with.

Also for:

Unicorn Challenge:  stitching
Incy Wincy:  flowers
Moving Along With the Times:  flowers (as main focus) - Hmmmm.....there's flowers in the image that's the main focus, as well as flowered patterned papers and flower embellishments but I don't know if that constitutes as "main focus".  If it's not, feel free to shake your finger at me and delete my entry.  (:
Brown Sugar:  wedding
Fussy & Fancy:  pretty in pink
Pile It On:  vintage - ish??  (:
The Library Challenge:  The Rose Garden
Just Add Ink:  inspirational photo

Blooming Beautiful @ Tiddly Inks

This month at

we're looking forward to all those May flowers so the challenge is "Blooming Beautiful" which means we want to see projects with flowers....and a Tiddly Inks image, of course.

Speaking of Tiddly Inks images....Christy has just released three Tiddly Inks colouring books! You can check them out here. They are just gorgeous....all your fave Tiddly Inks stamps, combined, and with backgrounds....you'll love 'em, I promise!

On to my card....

Not sure why I couldn't get a brighter photo of this.  I tried a couple of different locations and settings with no luck.  Anyhoo, I used a past freebie, so no link for you coz it was from well in the past.....just goes to show you've got to snag those stamps and freebies when you see 'em coz you never know when they'll be gone!

Found my mojo has been lacking as of late so this was my second attempt at this challenge....though I do like how this turned out.  Hope my mojo comes back....I just HATE it when it's gone, makes me grumpy, it does.  And, I have such limited time to craft, it's a bugger when I have to abandon or trash projects.....or just sit at my desk and sullenly nudge at my craft supplies, like a kid being told "no dessert until you eat those Brussels sprouts" (though why anyone would be that mean is beyond me) waiting for inspiration to strike.  Oh well, it'll come back, it always does.....this isn't the first time this has happened.  And when it does come slinking back, this'll be me....

and this'll be it.....

but we'll be reunited and that's all that counts.

So, why not get out your blooms, and a Tiddly Inks image, and join us for the challenge?  And be sure to  check out the fabulousness the DT has come up with.

Also for:

Crafty Sentiments:  anything goes
Deep Ocean:  anything goes
Glitter 'n Sparkle:  flower power
Di's Digi:  use something digital
Hiding In My Craftroom:  freestyle
Always Fun:  flowers
Come And Get It:  make it square

Wedding Bells - Fab Friday @ Tiddly Inks

It's Friday again, so time for a Fab Friday Tiddly Inks post - yay!  Usually I do at least a bit of a spiel before I show the card but I've got nothing to say here.....though I do have something to say, but it would make more sense to talk about it after you've seen the card.  Well, there I go.  Using the fact that I had nothing to say, as something to say, has now, in effect, made this whole paragraph pretty much meaningless......so onward, I guess.....

Here's my card....

I used Wedding Bells.  So perfect for all those upcoming weddings you need to make cards for!

So, dear Readers, have you noticed something different about my last few cards?  You have?  (I know most of you are probably shaking your heads or shrugging your shoulders right now but I like to pretend that there are people out there who actually read my blog, and furthermore, actually pay attention enough that they would observe a change so just go along with me here, 'kay?)  That's right....I've not been using textured cardstock to colour on for my last few.  I decided to switch it up a bit and go back to just regular ole white cardstock....though it's cheap-crap cardstock, $4.00 for 50 sheets of 8.5 x 11 when it's on sale.  I prefer it to the more expensive smooth best-for-Copics varieties (seeing as I use pencils I don't need Copic paper anyway) as I like a little tooth in my paper (obviously seeing as I like to colour on textured cardstock too).  I probably won't be giving up the textured completely, especially since I've got a few images pre-printed and cut out from before I decided to go back to the smooth, but I'm enjoying the little shake up of my crafty life.  (And this change is going way better than my attempts at watercolouring and non-digi stamping....as you'll notice you've not seen any of those horrors hitting my blog.  Nor will you until I can manage something postable!)


Make sure you go check out the other fabulous Fabby Friday makes the rest of the DT has come up with.  You can see 'em all right here.

Also for:

Colour Crazy:  anything goes
Jo's Scrap Shack:  anything goes
The Crafty Addicts:  anything goes
Dream Valley:  different coloured hair - I'm not sure if the challenge is "different" as in unusual or "different" as like I have on my card, two people with hair colour that's not the same.  If it's not the latter, feel free to delete my entry.

Let Your Tiddly Flow @ Tiddly Inks

For the next two weeks at

we want you to "Let Your Tiddly Flow".....and that just means anything with a Tiddly Inks image goes!

This is what I did.....

I used one of my most favourite Tiddlys, You and Me. This card is really lacking in the embelli department but, at the time, I just didn't want to cover up that yummy patterned paper.  Now I'm thinking ribbon and a bow on the right side of the circle with a gold button in the middle would have looked good.  Who knows, maybe I'll take 'er apart and do just that!

So why not grab one of your fave Tiddly Inks and enter the challenge?  And be sure to also check out the fabulousness the DT has come up with.

Also for:

As You Like It:  patterned or embossed paper - I love patterned paper.  So many different colours and designs!
Crafty Creations:  black & white & a pop of colour
Fab 'n' Funky:  3 or more layers
Hiding In My Craftroom:  prints x 3
The Crazy Challenge:  3 layers or more
613 Avenue Create: anything goes
Crafting-With-Friends: anything goes
Simply Papercraft: anything goes
Artistic Inspirations: anything goes
Crafting From the Heart: anything goes
Craft Your Passion: anything goes
Through the Craftroom Door anything goes
Creative Fingers: anything goes
Our Crafty Corner: anything goes
Crafting With An Attitude: anything goes