52 Week Mini Art Card / Tag Challenge 2025 Tag Book Cover and Round Up

As the last tag for the 2025 A Crafting Niche "52 Week Mini Art Card / Tag Challenge" has been completed.  I have now made a front and back cover for my tag book. I've used a three inch book ring to keep all my tags together.  This allows me to flip through the tags with relative ease. 

For the cover of my tag book, I have covered a tag in blue card.  My box of Christmas ribbons was out, so I used a length of glittery turquoise coloured metal edged ribbon through the length of the tag, securing with double sided tape.

I had some silver curling ribbon, so I glued a length of that over the top of the glittery ribbon.  I then mounted the tag on to a turquoise piece of card, trimming it to size.

Next on a piece of turquoise coloured card, I stamped the numbers using the Lavinia Stamps "Numbers" stamp set with Versafine Clair 'Twilight" dark blue ink.  I then used a Spellbinders circle die to cut the numbers to shape and glued into position.

Here is a photo of all of my 2025 tags together.

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The Crafting Niche "52 Week Mini Art Card / Tag Challenge will be continuing for 2026.  The first prompt will be on Sunday 4th January 2026 at 7:30 am on the Facebook Group.  Here's the link.

52 Week Mini Art Card / Tag Challenge 2025 - Week 52

The Crafting Niche 52 Week Mini Art Card/Tag Challenge 2025:

This is a weekly challenge. I provide you with a prompt/theme each Sunday morning through out the year.  The challenge is very relaxed.  You can do as much or as little as you like.  You can create cards, tags, Artist Trading Cards (ATC's) or index cards, the choice is yours. You just go with what ever is in your head at the time.  You can stamp, get inky, use patterned papers, texture, embellish it is all down to you.

There is a dedicated private Facebook Group, with a lovely bunch of people who are already sharing their makes from previous challenges.  You can find the group by clicking this link.  I'd love you to join in.

The prompt for Week 52 is "Celebrate"

For the base colour of this tag I used Blue Print Sketch and Wilted Violet Distress Oxide Inks.  I then used Versafine Clair Medieval Blue and Morning Mist to stamp the background text, using  Visible Image "Distressed Christmas" stamp set.

I used a Wow! Clear Slow Drying Embossing Pad to stamp the bursts, then coated them with Wow! Silver super fine embossing powder and heat set.  The bursts are part of the Visible Image "Rays of Light" stamp set.

In the middle of the fireworks I added Lavinia Stamps "Moon Dust" silver glitter.  I then added word stickers and finally dots of "Lightning: Liquid Pearls.

52 Week Mini Art Card / Tag Challenge 2025 - Week 51

The Crafting Niche 52 Week Mini Art Card/Tag Challenge 2025:

This is a weekly challenge. I provide you with a prompt/theme each Sunday morning through out the year.  The challenge is very relaxed.  You can do as much or as little as you like.  You can create cards, tags, Artist Trading Cards (ATC's) or index cards, the choice is yours. You just go with what ever is in your head at the time.  You can stamp, get inky, use patterned papers, texture, embellish it is all down to you.

There is a dedicated private Facebook Group, with a lovely bunch of people who are already sharing their makes from previous challenges.  You can find the group by clicking this link.  I'd love you to join in.

The prompt for Week 51 is "Anything Goes"

I started this with plaing white card, coating the top half with various shades of dark blue Distress Oxide Inks.  The colours that I used are:  Prize Ribbon, Blueprint Sketch and Chipped Sapphire.  In the top left had side I used Versafine Clair "Nocturne" black ink to stamp the owl, which is part of the Lavinia Stamps "Brodwin and Maylin" stamp set.

On a separate, white piece of card, using Versafine Clair "Blue Belle" ink, I multi stamped the Lavinia Stamps "Hill Border - thin lines" stamp.  Using Versafine Clair "Nocturne" black ink I stamped the two Lavinia Stamps "Woodland Cottages". I fussy cut the stamped images, coloured the houses with three shades of Distress Oxide Inks (Iced Spruce, Broken China and Festive Berries).  I coloured the "Hill Borders" with different shades of blue Distress Oxide Inks.  The colours I used are:  Unchartered Mariner, Prize Ribbon, Blue Print Sketch, Chipped Sapphire and Stormy Sky.

Returning to the tag, I stamped the Lavinia Stamps "Small Pixy Houses" on the top hill using Versafine Clair "Morning Mist" grey ink.  I added a touch of yellow Posca Pen, which I then blotted to the windows, this meant the colour was less vibrant and more the look I was after.

Using Cosmic Shimmer "Acrylic Glue", I arranged the hills and houses how I wanted them and stuck them down on to the tag.

Finally, I added some snowfall to the scene, by using a fan shaped paint brush with Dr Ph. Martin's white bleed proof paint.

Funky Fossil Designs "Stencils Unlocked" - Day 4 (binding)

This is the final day of "Stencils Unlocked" techniques by Funky Fossil Designs and it's about binding the pages that have been made on the previous days.

I have a mountain of washi tape in my stash, so decided to use that rather than making my own with stencils.  I really enjoyed the binding process, using three tabs on tape on one page and then two on the next, alternating to the end of the booklet.

Funky Fossil Designs "Stencils Unlocked - Day 3

I have been distracted so am playing catch up on this short challenge.  These are my Day 3 makes of the Funky Fossil Designs "Stencils Unlocked" techniques - transparecies.

For one of these, I should have used "Mirror Spray" over a stencil on to acetate, but as I didn't have any of that, I decided to do two of the acrylic paint techniques through a stencil on to acetate instead.

I used DecoArt Americana "Snow (Titanium) White" acrylic paint, applied with a make up sponge very lightly, through two Funky Fossil Designs stencils.  The stencils I used are "Snow Storm" and "Starry Round" stencils.

These can then be laid over the prepared backgrounds from the previous days to make a layered look to the pages.

Funky Fossil Designs "Stencils Unlocked" Techniques - Day 1, technique B

This is my second make of Funky Fossil Designs "Stencils Unlocked Techniques from Day 1. If you'd like to know more, take a look at their page on this link.

I used three shades of Distress Oxide Spray Inks for the background colour.  The colours I used are: Cracked Pistacchio, Mermaid Lagoon and Speckled Egg.  It took a really long time to by fully dry, so even after big blasts from the heat gun, I left it over night.

Over the each end of the coloured card, I lay the Funky Fossil Designs "Mechanical Stencil", applying "Heavy Glossy Body Gel" by Pentart through areas of the stencil.

I then pinched small amounts of embossing powders between my fingers and sprinkled over the surface. The three colours of Wow! Embossing Powders I used are:  Lavaburst, Angel Eyes and Blueberry.  I then heat set with the heat gun.  

Top Tip:  when using the heat gun, keep it moving over the surface of the embossed area.  If you hold in one place for too long, the medium and powders can bubble - great if you want more texture but not so good if you are wanting it relatively smooth!

Funky Fossil Designs "Stencils Unlocked" Techniques - Day 2a 2b and 2C

Today is Day 2 of "Stencils Unlocked" a free technique tutorial on how to get the most from your stencils.  Here's the link on thier site.

For the Alcholol lift, I used a piece background from my stash that I had made maybe two years ago.  Using Alcohol Lift Ink to lift the pattern below the Funky Fossil Designs "Striped Circle Mask".

For the Brusho Paint Lift, I again used a background I already had in my stash, using neat bleach on a q-tip through areas of the Funky Fossil Designs "Woodcut Flowers Stencil by Zinski Art".  The bleach did bleed a little under the stencil but for this purpose the end result is fine.

The final one is using Acrylic paints, I used the following colours Ochre, Vermillion and Viridan Green, applied loosely with a paint brush.  I lay the Funky Fossil Designs "Wavy Grid Stencil" over the surface of the tacky paint and dabbed the surface using a wet wipe to lift the paint.

Of the three I made today, the acrylic paint one is my favourite as I tend not to do those colours but they work so well together here.

Funky Fossil Designs "Stencils Unlocked" Technique Challenge - Day 1a

For various reasons, my crafting mojo is practically non-existent, so to give myself a nudge, I decided I would try out the Funky Fossil Designs "Stencils Unlocked" Technique Challenge.  It's just for a few days and I love stencil play and it's always good to get more techniques under my belt. You can find out more about this on the Funky Fossil Designs web site here.

For the base colour of my piece, I used three shades of Ranger Archival Inks:  Forget-me-not, Sun Dazed and Sienna.

I then used Versafine Clair "Acorn" brown ink through the Funky Fossil Designs "Alpha Numeric" stencil.

Next, using Wow! Clear Embossing Pad, I applied the clear ink through the Funky Fossil Designs "Scattered Straw Mask", coated the areas in Wow! clear embossing powder and heat set.

I then used a Versafine Clair "Pinecone" dark brown ink pad to drag over the surface of the background, using a blending brush to ensure I got into the crevices of the masked area.  I then used a piece of kitchen roll to rub over the surface, removing excess ink from the embossed areas.

I tend not to like brown grungy looking pieces of art, but i quite like this one. 

52 Week Mini Art Card / Tag Challenge 2025 - Week 50

The Crafting Niche 52 Week Mini Art Card/Tag Challenge 2025:

This is a weekly challenge. I provide you with a prompt/theme each Sunday morning through out the year.  The challenge is very relaxed.  You can do as much or as little as you like.  You can create cards, tags, Artist Trading Cards (ATC's) or index cards, the choice is yours. You just go with what ever is in your head at the time.  You can stamp, get inky, use patterned papers, texture, embellish it is all down to you.

There is a dedicated private Facebook Group, with a lovely bunch of people who are already sharing their makes from previous challenges.  You can find the group by clicking this link.  I'd love you to join in.

The prompt for Week 50 is "Stencil Play"

I used a cream coloured tag for the base of this tag. I then used "Soft Cygnet" Element Ink through the Dina Wakley "Coasters 4 - MDS82135", positioning off the edge of the tag, so that only part of the circle stencil is seen.

I then used "Pixie Green" Element Inks through the lower dotty section of the Tim Holtz / Stampers Anonymous "Christmas Stamp and stencil set - THM178", just around the edge of the decorative stencilled area.

Using "Pixie Green" Element Ink I stamped then holly, which is part of "The Holly & the Ivy - CS137D" stamp set by Hobby Art Stamps.  I coloured the holly using a paint brush to apply "Rustic Wilderness" Distress Oxide Ink.  I used a red Posca Pen for the berries coating them in Ranger Glossy Accents, to achieve a more 3D look to the tag.  Finally, I added touches of gold to the holly using a gold gel pen.

Funky Fossil Designs "Take Three Challenge" for December 2025

On Facebook, I saw the Funky Fossil Designs "Take Three Challenge" for December with the prompts of:  Tag, Bird and Colour Palette, so decided to make a tag with this brief.  A screen shot of the post from the Fun With Funky Fossil group of Facebook is below. (shared with the approval of Sarah Gray, owner of Funky Fossil).

For my tag, I used three shades of Distress Oxide Inks (Bundled Sage, Spun Sugar and Victorian Velvet) to cover a white tag.

I then lay the Funky Fossil Designs "Broken Mosaic" stencil over the tag and applied a further two colours of Distress Oxide Inks:  Seedless Preserve and Mowed Lawn through the stencil.

I stamped the bird, part of the Funky Fossil "Birdsong" stamp set using Versafine Clair "Monarch" purple ink.  I then stamped it again on to white card and fussy cut the stamped image.

Next I used "Villainous Potion" Distress Oxide Ink through the Funky Fossil "Fly Away" stencil.  Next, I used Versafine Clair "Morning Mist" through areas of the Funky Fossil "Between The Cracks" stencil.

I then splattered white paint over the surface of the tag.  Finally, I glued the fussy cut bird on to the tag then added white dots of Ranger Enamel Accents.

52 Week Mini Art Card / Tag Challenge 2025 - Week 49

The Crafting Niche 52 Week Mini Art Card/Tag Challenge 2025:

This is a weekly challenge. I provide you with a prompt/theme each Sunday morning through out the year.  The challenge is very relaxed.  You can do as much or as little as you like.  You can create cards, tags, Artist Trading Cards (ATC's) or index cards, the choice is yours. You just go with what ever is in your head at the time.  You can stamp, get inky, use patterned papers, texture, embellish it is all down to you.

There is a dedicated private Facebook Group, with a lovely bunch of people who are already sharing their makes from previous challenges.  You can find the group by clicking this link.  I'd love you to join in.

The prompt for Week 49 is "Baubles"

I started with a white tag and stamped part of the Funky Fossil Designsbauble (part of their Elegant Ornaments stamp set), by using Versafine Clair "Fantasia" purple ink and the torn edge of a piece of copy paper to mask the lower section (that would be under the snow.

Using Versafine Clair "Acorn" brown ink, I stamped the squirrel, which is part of the Funky Fossil Designs "Hedgehugs" stamp set.

Using a circle as a mask, I then coloured the background, using two shades of Ranger Archival Inks.  I used Violet and then Majestic Violet on the outer edges.

Retaining the position of the circle mask, I then used a fan shaped paint brush to sprinkle white dots of white paint over the surface of the tag, drying with a heat gun.

I coloured the squirrel using three shades of Distress Oxide Inks.  I used Tea Dye, Rusty Hinge and Gathered Twigs.  I coloured the bauble using "Spun Sugar" Distress Oxide Ink.  Once it was dry, I gave it a coat of "A Wink of Stella" which provides a lovely subtle gold shimmery sparkle to the bauble.  For the snow area, I used Tumbled Glass, Lost Shadow and Pumice Stone Distress Oxide inks and a 2B pencil for shading.

Finally, using Versafine Clair "Fantasia" purple ink, I stamped the "tis the season" sentiment, which is also part of the Funky Fossil Designs "Elegant Ornaments" stamp set.