52 Week Mini Art Card / Tag Challenge 2025 - Week 34

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 34 "Pockets and Pouches"

For my Week 34 tag, I decided to use a couple of pieces of Patterned Paper from the Funky Fossil Designs "Vintage Patchwork" paper stack.  I stuck one straight on to a blank tag, cutting to size, then I cut round one of the large flowers and decided to use that to create a pocket on the tag, using double sided sticky tape on the lower and left hand side of the flower, leaving the top and the right hand side open.  I went around the pocket flower with a black pen. Using a black Posca Pen, I added some doodles. I then added a word sticker with the words "Love you always", which is part of the Funky Fossil Designs "Sentimental Sticker Stack".

For the small tags within the pocket, I cut three shapes from the Funky Fossil "Vintage Patchwork" paper stack and mounted them on to black card.  I punched a hole in the top corner of each of the tags and threaded some pink and white "Bakers Twine" through the hole.  ON each tag, I added a word sticker from the Funky Fossil "Sentimental Sticker Stack".  The words I chose for the tags are:  Forever and always, You're the best and Love you to the moon and back.

Karen Telfer's "12 Days of Christmas Tags 2024" - Day 3

On the run up to each Christmas, I usually take part in Karen Telfer's Christmas Tag challenge.  Because we were living in the caravan and I didn't have my craft supplies, I wasn't able to take part in 2024.  Now my craft room is set up, I thought I had better get cracking on the tags.  For 2024, Karen was doing 12 tags rather than 24 as she had a busy work schedule.

This is my Day 3 Tag (You can watch Karen's tutorial here).

I didn't have the stamps or stencils Karen used for her tag, so I have improvised with what I have to make this tag.

I stamped the large flower stamp from the Funky Fossil Designs "Funky Florals" stamp set in Versafine Clair "Nocturne" black ink.

I then used "Mowed Lawn" Distress Oxide Ink through two Funky Fossil stencils (Nordic Star Background Stencil and Micro Dots Stencil).

I painted the flowers using Distress Oxide Inks:  Lumberjack Plaid, Mustard Seed and Lucky Clover) shades of ink.  I also used a yellow and an orange Posca Pen.

Next, I added some colour around the edge of the tag, I used "Peeled Paint" Distress Oxide Ink.

Finally, I added a stamped sentiment.  I chose the word "Noel" which is part of the Funky Fossil Designs "Stripped Back Christmas Sentiment" stamp set.

Funky Fossil Designs "Folk Garden" Anniversary Card

For this card, I have used the Funky Fossil Designs "Pretty Circle Stencil" with "Poppy" Ranger Archival ink to create the decorative circle.

In the centre of the stencilled circle, I have used another Funky Fossil stencil called ""Pretty Print" with "Shadow Grey" Ranger Archival Ink.

Using Versafine Clair "Nocturne" black ink, I stamped the decorative strip across the middle of the circle, which is part of the Funky Fossil "Folk Garden" stamp set.  I used the same ink to stamp the "Happy Anniversary" which is part of the Funky Fossil Designs "Stripped Back Sentiment" stamp set.

Finally, I used the remaining red "Poppy" ink on my blending brush to add a blush to the corners of the card and then added some black dots of Posca Pen to the decorative circle area

Funky Fossil Designs "Folk Garden" yellow card

Today I have played with a stamp I have long been waiting to play with.  I'd ordered this stamp set by Funky Fossil Designs called "Folk Garden", while still living in the caravan.  Now, we're back in a house and my craft room, I have had an opportunity to play with it.

I decided to stamp the central image in Versafine Clair "Twilight" dark blue ink on to a piece of yellow coloured card.  I then mounted the squarre on to a piece of black coloured card.

On a separate piece of yellow card, I used "Sunflower" Ranger Archival Ink, through the Funky Fossil Designs "Pretty Print Stencil".  I mounted the central image on to the yellow background and then added it to a card blank.

Using Versafine Clair "Twilight" again, I stamped the "Sending Hugs" sentiment, which is part of the Funky Fossil Designs "Stripped Back Sentiment" stamp set.

52 Week Mini Art Card / Tag Challenge 2025 - Week 21

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 21 is "Anniversaries"

Today, 25th May 2025, my Hubby and I celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary.  This of course had to be the prompt for the week.

For my tag, I have used some patterned paper for the base using a page from the Funky Fossil Designs "Vintage Patchwork" patterned paper pack.  I then used an additional page and fussy cut the flowers so they overlapped.

I used a black pen to outline the flowers to give the impression of depth and then drew vertical and horizontal lines to create a rough grid in the background.

Finally, I added the words "The best thing that happened to me is you" which is part of a Creative Expressions sentiment sheet.  Then added some dots of "White Opal" Liquid Pearls.

52 Week Mini Art Card / Tag Challenge 2024 - Week 48

The Crafting Niche 52 Week Mini Art Card/Tag Challenge 2024:

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 48 is "Music"

For my Week 48 tag, I used a plain cream coloured tag and cut music elements from the Funky Fossil Designs "Turn it up" patterned paper and stuck them into position.  

I used a stamp from the Funky Fossil Designs "Press Play" stamp set, stamped in Versafine Clair "Shady Lane" green ink for the central sentiment.  Using Versafine Clair "Nocturne" black ink I stmaped the Lavinia Stamps "Music Notes" stamps.

Finally, I added dots and splattered of Posca Pen using turquoise, pink, red and grey inks.

"Life is a mixtape" Male Birthday Card

Two cards in one day!  I must be on a roll!  Our friend celebrates his birthday next week, so I needed to get a card made.

This was super quick to make, I used two patterned papers from the Funky Fossil "Turn it up" patterned paper pad. for the base.

I then used Versafine Clair "Pine Cone" dark brown ink to stamp he central detail and the sentiment, both are from the Funky Fossil stamp set called "Press Play".

I used a Derwent Inktense pale blue pencil to colour the tape. I then stamped "Celebrate" on it using a sentiment from the Funky Fossil Designs "Small Print" stamp set and Versafine Clair "Nocturne" black ink.

Finally, I added four colours of Posca Pen splatters using Black, White, Red and Aqua Green colours.  I edged the card in Versafine Clair "Pine Cone" dark brown ink to get a more grunge look, then mounted it on to a brown card and then a red card blank.

52 Week Mini Art Card / Tag Challenge 2024 - Week 36

The Crafting Niche 52 Week Mini Art Card/Tag Challenge 2024:

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 36 is "How do you relax?"

***

For my Week 36 - "How do you relax"? I started with a piece of patterned paper with a shades of cream and beige zig zag pattern, which I stuck on to a plain tag.

I then used Ranger Archival Inks through the Funky Fossil Designs "Chatty Cups Stencil".  The ink colours I used were Thistle, Tiger Lily, Coffee, Poppy and Vibrant Fuschia.  I also used Vibrant Fuschia to ink the edges of the tag to brighten it a little.  

I used a stamp from the Funky Fossil Designs "Coffee & Friends" stamp set to multi stamp the definition, using Versafine Clair "Morning Mist" grey ink.  I then mounted the tag on to a piece of dark brown card and trimmed the edges.

Over a piece of plain white card, I lay the Funky Fossil "Coffee Cup Stencil" and coloured it in using some orange ink that was left on my blending brush for the right hand side and then used "Pebble Beach" Ranger Archival Ink for the left hand side, blending towards the middle so that the colour was very light down the middle of the cup.  I then fussy cut the cup and inked the edges of it using "Pebble Beach" ink again.

I used Versafine Clair "Acorn" brown ink to stamp the sentiment on to the cup.  The sentiment is also part of the Funky Fossil stamp set called "Coffee and Friends".  I then used foam pads on the back of the coffee cup to stick it to the tag.

Patterned Paper and MDF Collage Card

I've made another collage card, using up some off cuts of patterned papers from two Funky Fossil Designs paper packs "Textures" and "Patina.

I've also used three MDF shapes.  I used a white Posca Pen to paint the arrow.  

Considering these are all scraps of paper, it makes quite an impact!

Funky Fossil "Skeleton Leaf" Birthday Card

This morning, I took delivery of a small order from Funky Fossil Designs, in it was a "Skeleton Leaf stencil" which I loved the look of, so had to try it out immediately, making this card.

To make this card, I lay the new Funky Fossil "Skeleton Leaf Stencil" over a piece of white card and used three shades of Ranger Archival ink through the stencil.  Starting with "Seagrass", then moving out to "Paradise Teal" and then finally on the very edge of the leaf I used "Night Sky".

Lifting the stencil, I then used the "Sea Grass" and "Paradise Teal" to colour the card between the leaf and the edge of the card.

Next, using Versafine Clair "Arctic" blue ink, I multi stamped some text from the Funky Fossil "Musings Stamp set" around the edge of the leaf.  I then inked the edges of the card using Versafine Clair "Medieaval Blue" ink.

I used the flowers from the Funky Fossil "In The Meadow" stamp set, stamped in first and second generation stamping with Versafine Clair "Medieval Blue" ink.  I then used the same ink to stamp the sentiment, which is part of the Funky Fossil "Stripped Back Sentiment" stamp set.

I added a touch of colour to the butterflies, also part of the "In the meadow" stamp set, using a Derwent Inktense pencil.  Finally adding some white splatters of Posca Pen.

Funky Fossil Designs "In the neighbourhood" new home card

For the last couple of years, our friends, who were once our neighbours and are greatly missed, have been building their own house.  This week they eventually moved in, so this is a card I have made for them.

In the background I used "Shadow Grey" Ranger Archival Ink through the Funky Fossil Designs "In the neighbourhood stencil.'

Then using the Funky Fossil Designs "Honeycomb Heart Die Set" I cut one layer in green, with the leaves.  I then used the same die in white, cut off the leaves and glued over the green heart, leaving the leaves exposed.

Using the same die set, I then cut the inner honeycomb area in yellow card and glued into position over the white area.  I then glued the whole heart into position overthe stencilled background. Mounted the card on to grey card and then on to a white card blank.

I then die cut the house and the word home in grey card, using another Funky Fossil die set.  Sorry, I don't know what it's called and I can't locate it on their web site either, so likely retired and glued into position.

I returned to the "Honeycomb Heart die set" and die cut a couple of bees in yellow card.  I used a black Posca Pen to add stripes and a gold shimmer gel pen on the wing area, then glued into position on the card using a wet glue.

Funky Fossil "Sending Hugs" Card

Our pets mean so much to most of us and it is heart breaking when you eventually have to make the decision to say that last goodbye, but it's the one final kindness we can offer them, to ease their pain, when our pain at losing them goes on for what seems forever.

Sadly, my friend has booked the vet to have her old dog and loyal friend put to sleep tomorrow.  He was a rescue dog and has had such a lovely life with my friends.  Today, I am invited to go to visit Marco for the final time, to see his tail wag, to sit on the floor with him and show him I care.  I will miss that boy so much.

Anyway, I made this card for my friends.  I used Archival Ink left on my blending brushes through the Funky Fossil Designs "Pawprint Background" stencil.

I used Versafine Clair "Twilight" dark blue ink to stamp the "Sending Hugs" sentiment, which is part of the Funky Fossil "Stripped Back Sentiments" stamp set.

Funky Fossil "Fern" Celebrate Card

A very quick card to make.  I used a stitched edge rectangle die to cut a piece of patterned paper from the Funky Fossil Designs "Patina" paper pad.  I stuck it to the middle of a white card blank.

Then using an off cut of white card, I used one of the dies from the Funky Fossil Designs "Fern Die Set" and cut the fern using the Sizzix Big Shot.  I used a wet glue to secure the die over the patterned paper rectangle.

I used a gold coloured Signo Unibal pen to add dots on the patterned paper and I also drew around the edge of the rectangle.

Finally, I use Versafine Clair "Twilight" dark blue ink to stamp the "Celebrate" sentiment, which is part of the Funky Fossil Designs "Small Print" stamp set.

Another stash busting collage card

 

I have continued my stash busting from last night, by making this collage today.

I've used off-cuts of a Funky Fossil Designs paper pack for the background.  I've then used a couple of their A7 stamps (Vintage Script and Face the music", stamped in Versafine Clair "Twilight" dark blue ink and "Verdant" a lime green ink.

I've added a strip of Washi tape and some dashes of white Posca Pen.

Using Versafine Clair "Twilight" dark blue ink, I stamped the flowers and the bird on to white card and the little sentiment over the lime green script, on the card itself.  If I remember correctly, the stamps came free with a magazine and were designed by Paper Artsy.  I've had them for years. I used

I fussy cut the bird and flowers and stuck them on to the card, adding some yellow and orange Posca Pen to the bird.

Funky Fossil "Beauty's Garden" Tag

The other day, I attempted to make a tag and towards the end, I managed to drop an ink pad face down on to my pretty tag.  I attempted to rescue it, but it just wasn't what I had in my head.  Today, I had another attempt at it.

Starting with a white tag, I lay the Funky Fossil Designs "Urchins" stencil over the top and added Ranger Opaque Texture Paste through areas of the stencil.  I then set it aside to dry.

Once dry, I used a Funky Fossil blending brush to apply colour to the tag, using "Rose Madder" Ranger Archival Ink, which is a pretty coral/rose colour. Then, using a black Posca Pen, I tapped paint across the surface of the tag.

On a separate piece of white card, using Versafine Clair "Nocturne" black ink, I stamped the vase, which is part of the Funky Fossil Designs "Beauty's Garden" stamp set. For placement, I also stamped the vase on the tag.  I then stamped the flower, which is also part of the same stamp set.

I shaded the vase stamped on the piece of white card using Derwent Charcoal Pencils and a white gel pen.  I then fussy cut the vase, sticking foam pads on the back and then placed in position.

Finally, using Versafine Clair "Nocturne" black ink, I stamped the word "Miss You" which is part of the Funky Fossil "Small Print" stamp set.

***As a matter of interest, here is the tag that I first made, where I attempted to recover half of the original inky tag after I had dropped an ink pad on it.

Funky Fossil "Surf's Up" Textured Card

I've been playing with Ranger 'Opaque Matte Texture Paste" through the "Petal Burst" stencil from Funky Fossil Designs to make the background of this card.

Once dry, I used Ranger "Paradise Teal" Ranger Archival Ink to give the raised area a blue tint, circling the blending brush from the centre of the raised design outwards.

I then used "Jet Black" Ranger Archival Ink to stamp the surf figure, which is part of the Funky Fossil Designs stamp set called "Surf's Up".  There were a few lower gaps between the raised areas that did not get any ink, so I used a black pen for those, to get a more solid image.  Finally adding some dots of white Ranger "Enamel Accents".

Happy Birthday Card (Stencilled background) Card

This background has been in my "Ditch or Do" box for at least a year, as I was trying out a texture pastes.  Today I decided to use it for a birthday card.

Sadly, I didn't write on the back of it what I used, so this is a bit of guess work regarding the inks.  For the colour, I used "Twisted Citron" and "Mowed Lawn" Distress Oxide Inks through the Funky Fossil Designs "Micro Dots" stencil.  I then used a metallic silver texture paste through the Funky Fossil Designs "Between the cracks stencil".  This ended up quite raised, maybe I should have used a little less, but it's called "texture paste" for a reason !

I used "Monarch Orange" Ranger Archival ink through areas of the Funky Fossil Designs "Brick Wall 2" stencil.  Then I used wet glue to add the die cut "Happy Birthday" sentiment.  After mounting the piece on black card and then on to a white card blank, I added some dots of black "Ranger Enamel Accents", to add a bit more texture to the card.

Funky Fossil Designs "Celestial" Card

I made this card using some older stamps from Funky Fossil Designs.  It was nice to reacquaint myself with them.

I started with a 6x6" piece of white card.  In the middle of the card, using Versafine Clair "Morning Mist" grey ink, I stamped the lightbulb, which is part of the Funky Fossil Designs "Celestial" stamp set.  

I then stamped the feathers, which are part of the Funky Fossil Designs "Magical" stamp set, stamped in Versafine Clair "Medieval Blue" ink.

In the background, I randomly applied three shades of Distress Oxide Inks with a paint brush.  The colours I used are Tumbled Glass, Bundled Sage and Wilted Violet.  I Inked the edges of the card with the Wilted Violet too.

Next, using Versafine Clair "Morning Mist" grey ink, I stamped the hanging jewels, which are also part of the Funky Fossil Designs stamp set called "Celestial". I coloured the jewels with Posca Pens.

I then coloured the bulb and the feathers using Derwent Inktense pencils, applied with a paint brush.  Finally, I added touches of a gold gel pen to the feathers and a white gel pen for the highlights.

Funky Fossil Designs "Downpour" Gift Tag

A quick gift tag using the Funky Fossil Designs "Downpour Stencil" coloured with assorted Posca Pens.

I went around the raindrop shapes with in the stencil with a pencil, then coloured the rain drops then using a black Posca Pen filled in the background.

Funky Fossil Designs "Good Vibes" Camper Van Birthday Card

A quick card featuring a camper van by Funky Fossil Designs.  The stamp set is called "Good Vibes".  I've stamped the camper van and the sentiment, part of the "Stripped Back Sentiments" also by Funky Fossil Designs in Versafine Clair "Blue Belle" ink.  I've added colour to the van using some bright Posca Pens.