Inspiration Station Challenge - January 2026

Hello Friends and Happy 1st Monday of the New Year! It's time for a new challenge month at The Inspiration Station Challenge Blog and we're starting off the new year with a inspiration prompt that's appropriate for this time of year:

I had to think on this one for a while, and thought about using any furry critter in a winter scene, but decided to do an internet search for Free squirrel images to color. I found a set of adorable squirrels at CraftStarters and used this cutie with his big acorn for my design team project.

I've colored the image using Copic Markers and the patterned papers are snippets from my stash.  The sentiment is from the Snowflake Season Stamp Set by Penny Black.  I've cut the focal and mat using a fancy die from Spellbinders and popped the focal on foam pads.

Lastly, I've added olive green sparkly enamel dots for added interest.  I've used the Cute Squirrels Set and you can find it HERE.

The team and I hope you'll stop by the challenge and share your inspired makes this month.  Until next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna

Snowball Fight

Hi Friends and Happy Friday!  I hope you had a fantastic day and plan on a great weekend.  I spent the day taking down Christmas decorations, it's always sad to take them down, however we only have 357 days left till Christmas 2026!

I'm in the process of creating cards with a Winter theme and this little one was just too cute not to color up.  She's the Snowball Fight Digital Stamp from Mo's Digital Pencil.

I've colored the image using Copic Alcohol Markers and the patterned papers are from a 12x12 Winter themed pad by Recollections; the sentiment is included with the image.  I've die cut the focal image using a diagonal stitched oval nesting die from Kat Scrappiness.

The Sentiment and Focal image have been popped on foam pads. Lastly, I've added Crystal Stickles to her Hat Pom Pom and called this card complete.  She goes in the mail tomorrow as part of a card swap for January.  If you're interested in joining the card swap, you can find our group on Facebook HERE.

I would like to remind everyone of a new Challenge starting the 20th of January.  It's the new Pick 3 Challenge and we would love to have you play along.  Keep on the look out for the 1st challenge, starting soon.

Until next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna

**Challenges Entered:

TGIF Challenges

Mirtillamente

Pearly Sparkles

The Four Seasons Challenge

Love to Craft Challenge

Word Art Wednesday

Creative Crafters

Ally's Angels

Papercraft Challenge

Cards Galore Encore

Happy New Year - Welcome 2026!

Hi friends and Happy New Year!  Wow, 2026, who would have thunk it?  I pray that each of you has the best year ever, full of good health, prosperity, love and friendship.  

My share today is another quick and easy card for the New Year, made from die cuts, hole punches, mirror card and heat embossing.

Yesterday's card was Black and Gold, and I wanted to create one in Black and Silver.  The hardest part of this card was the heat embossing, and that's not difficult!

Have a fantastic 1st day of the new year, now it's time to get started on Winter and Valentine's Day cards.  Until next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna

**Challenges Entered:

A Perfect Time to Craft

Cards Galore Encore

Lil Red Wagon

Moving Along with the Times

Die Cut Divas - New item is the Dots inlaid die

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge

Simon Says Stamp Wed. Challenge

Word Art Wednesday

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends

Craft Rocket

Happy New Year's Eve!

Hello Crafty Friends and Happy Dec 31st, 2025.  As we approach 2026, I want to wish each of you a safe New Year's Eve.  Do you have plans for this evening?  As for us, we've been to our traditional NYE breakfast at our favorite diner, I'll be popping a Ham in the oven soon and we'll have a quiet dinner at home with hopefully, a toast of Bubbly at midnight to welcome in 2026....and That's a big "IF" LOL!

I have a quick share today featuring a card created with die cuts and heat embossing.  A simple make taking advantage of gold mirror card for lots of festive shine.

I've cut stars using a stitched nesting set along with a die cut focal.  The sentiment has been heat embossed with fine detail gold powder and cut with a stitched nesting circle die.  The sentiment has been popped on foam pads as well as a few stars.

That's all from me today.  I wish you all a great afternoon and evening, and until next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna xx

**Challenges Entered:

Lil Red Wagon

Simon Says Stamp Mon. Challenge

Simon Says Stamp Wed. Challenge

Word Art Wednesday

Creative Inspirations

Everybody Art

The CreaLadies Challenge

Little Patch of Crafty Friends

613 Avenue Create

A Place to Start

Let's Go Sledding!

Hello Crafty Friends and Happy Saturday!  I hope you had a joyous Christmas.  We were blessed with family and friends, lots of good food and fellowship.  We took a trip down memory lane with old family photos.  The grade school years were not kind to me LOL; huge, round, plastic framed eyeglasses and the Dorothy Hamill haircut....oh my!

Today I'm sharing an adorable Sledding Bear, a free image from artist Elizabeth Dulemba.  She has many free coloring book pages, and the images are easy to resize for cardmaking.  I'm in the process of creating Winter themed cards and I couldn't resist this bear. 

Isn't he adorable?  I've colored him using Copic Alcohol Markers and turned him into a Polar Bear. The patterned paper is from a 12x12 All Seasons Mat Stack by Die Cuts with a View (DCWV) and the sentiment is from the Snow-One Like You Stamp Set by Pink & Main.

I've die cut the focal image using a scalloped stitched nesting circle die, and the sentiment was cut using a plain nesting circle die.  To embellish, I've added 2 die cut snowflakes and covered them with Crystal Stickles.  I've splattered the focal image with Dr. Ph. Martins Bright White Pen Ink to replicate snowfall.

That's all from me for today.  I hope you have a wonderful rest of your Saturday and until next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna

**Challenges Entered:

All Sorts

Crafty Calendar

Send A Smile 4 Kids

Polkadoodles Gem of a Challenge

Cut It Up Challenge
TGIF Challenges

Simon Says Stamp Wed. Challenge

Word Art Wednesday

Elli's Crafty Wednesday

613 Avenue Create

A Place to Start

Merry Christmas to You and Yours!

Hi Friends, it's Christmas Day!  The Christmas Story means something different for everyone, but for my family and I, it means the birth of a baby who was destined to save humanity from the sins of the world and to offer everlasting peace and love.

"And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear.

And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

My card was made using a corner die from my stash, a sentiment from Memory Box that I've heat embossed with fine gold powder and embellishments punched from gold mirror card. I've layered the focal panel with a mat of gold mirror card as well.

Merry Christmas to you all! I wish you a blessed day full of Love. Until next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna

**Challenges Entered:

Word Power

Rudolph Days

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge

Simon Says Stamp Wed Challenge

Word Art Wednesday

Creative Inspirations

Aud Sentiments

AAA Cards

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends

Stamping Sensations

Happy Christmas Eve!

Hello Friends and Happy Christmas Eve! I hope you're enjoying time with family and friends.  For the past 30+ years, on Christmas Eve, I prepare a Lasagna with Garlic Butter Breadsticks and we eat, eat, eat!  For dessert, it's always a homemade Cheesecake while watching Christmas movies - specifically A Christmas Story.

After our meal and movie, we open gifts and then take a drive around town, looking at Christmas Lights.  Tomorrow we will travel to my younger brothers' house and spend the day with his family. I hope you are blessed with good food, family and friends!

Just a quick share today featuring snippets of patterned paper and a Quilt Square Pattern.  I like using snippets to create Quilt Cards and I find lots of interesting patterns for them on Pinterest.

I've embossed the quilt square and background panel using a folder from Penny Black.  I've popped the square and sentiment strip on foam pads and added a Baker's Twine Bow to give the design that extra Country Christmas vibe. This was an enjoyable card to create. 

What are your Christmas Holiday traditions?  Do you have things you do each and every year?  I would love to hear about them so comment below.  Have a blessed Christmas Eve, and I'll be back tomorrow to share my last Christmas card for the 2025 holiday season.  Until next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna

**Challenges Entered:

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge

Word Art Wednesday

The Male Room

Crafts Galore Encore

Kerst Christmas

12 Months of Christmas

Paper Rocks Scissors

Let's Craft and Create

Girlz Rebel Challenge

Ally's Angels

Christmas Joy and Merry Making

Hi Friends!  I hope your day is good and you've had an opportunity to find a moment of rest before Christmas Eve and Christmas Day arrive. I have a quick share featuring another Christmas Joy Mug from Angie Blom.  I've colored the image using Copic Alcohol Markers and the patterned papers are from a 12x12 Winter Stack from Recollections.

A very quick and easy card, the image is simple to color.  I've cut the focal panel using a stitched edge nesting oval die from Kat Scrappiness, added tiny peppermint candy and pearl embellishments; also from Kat Scrappiness, and a layer of Crystal Stickles on the Whipped Cream.

That's all for today. now it's time for a Christmas Movie and a Cup of Christmas Joy (in my case, Hot Cocoa).  Until next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna

**Challenges Entered:

Passion for Markers

Art Nudge - 1225C

Make My Monday

A Place to Start (https://avenue613.blogspot.com/)

TGIF Challenges!

Creative Inspiration

Lil Red Wagon

Word Art Wednesday

ABC Christmas Challenge

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge

Christmas Joy Hot Cocoa to Go

Hello Friends and Happy Sunday!  We're on the downhill side racing towards Christmas Day and I've been busy with last minute prep: baking and cleaning.  We only have 4 more sleeps till the Big Day!

Today I have a quick share featuring another Festive Mug from the Christmas Joy Mugs Cardmaking Kit from Angie Blom.  The images are easy to color and make adorable holiday cards.

I've colored the image using Copic Alcohol Markers and die cut the focal image using a nesting stitched rectangle die from Kat Scrappiness.  I've adhered to a red mat and popped on foam pads for dimension.  The patterned papers are from a Christmas 6x8 paper pad purchased at Hobby Lobby.

Lastly, I created my own embellishment dots using a hole punch. After attaching I've added Gold Stickles to them for that much needed holiday sparkle.  I wanted the card not too bulky as it traveled overseas.  Punching circles is therapeutic and a good way to use up small snippets of card too.

That's all for today, until next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna

**Challenges Entered:

Caffeinated Christmas Challenge

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends

We Love Stamping

Peace on Earth Christmas Challenge

Polkadoodles

Gem of a Challenge

Pattie's Creations

TGIF Challenges

Colorful Options

Word Art Wednesday

Mirtillamente

First Cup Challenges

Sparkling Season

Hi Crafty Friends and Happy Saturday!  I have a quick share for you today, but before we get to my holiday card, I want to announce a New Challenge that will be starting on the 20th of January 2026.  It's The Pick 3 Challenge. Please check it out, be sure to follow, spread the word and get ready to play along!

My card today is another fairly CAS design, using the Sparkling Season Stamp Set from Gina K. Designs.  This set was a Simon Says Stamp Stamptember offer a few years ago and it's a timeless holiday set.

I started with heat embossing the images and sentiment on Stampin' Up Blackberry Bliss card using Ranger Fine Detail gold embossing powder.  I've back the focal panel with gold mirror card and adhered to a Blackberry Bliss card base.

I use this set every year for at least 1 Christmas Card, I love the nostalgic feel of the baubles, the sentiment font and the elegant gold and blackberry together.  

That's all for today, so until next time, Happy Crafting!

Donna

**Challenges Entered:

Sweet Stampin'

Crafty Calendar

Color My Heart Color Dare Challenge #682

Cardz 4 Galz

Lil Red Wagon

Word Art Wednesday

Shopping our Stash

613 Avenue Create

A Place to Start

A Perfect Time to Craft