Pearly Sparkles September Challenge ~ Traci's Recipe

Hi Crafty Friends,
September is always a special month at Pearly Sparkles. Our theme is in honor of our original blog owner, Traci, who passed away in 2018.  Her canine best friend was named Pearl.  Traci's favorite things were Pearls, Sparkles, and Pink.
Here's my card in honor of Traci.  I hope you'll play along.

Products used:

Altenew Sweet Blooms die set

Jaded Blossom Mini Tag Dies 2

Pink Fresh Butterflies in a Cloche (sentiment)

Crafter's Companion DSP

Join us by adding your project to the link above.

Pearly Sparkles August Challenge ~ Under the Sea

Hi Crafty Friends,
The new monthly challenge at Pearly Sparkles is ready for you to join in.
Our theme for this month is UNDER THE SEA.
Here's my project.

So this scene card could be shared, I made it an easel card.

Products used:

La-la Land Crafts Under the Sea dies

Pinkpaislee Ephemera

Cuttlebug Divine Swirls embossing folder

Jaded Blossom Tropical Dies

Head on over to the blog (link above) and joy us.

Pearly Sparkles July 2025 Challenge ~ Shape Card

Hi Crafty Friends,
We have a new challenge at Pearly Sparkles and I think it's a first for us.
This month we're sharing shape cards.

I think this will be a fun little notecard to share with someone.

I used these products:

Pinkfresh Studio Holiday Gifts Suite (envelope die)

Pinkfresh Studio Happy Blossom Floral stamp and stencil

Copic Markers (there is a stencil included in the Happy Blossom set but I wanted to use Copics.)

Pinkfresh Studio Butterfly washi tape

Spellbinders 3D script embossing folder

I hope you'll play along with us this month.

Pearly Sparkles May Challenge ~ Use Black & White + One Color

Hi Crafty Friends,
New month, new challenge at Pearly Sparkles.
Our challenge for May is to use Black & White plus one other color.Here's my take for this challenge.

Products used on this challenge card:

Altnew Organic Linen 3D embossing folder

Jaded Blossom Stitche Arches dies (I cut a frame and then ink blended the inset)

Pretty Pink Posh Hummingbird Floral stamp set

Gina K Powder Blue ink for blending

Join us at the link above to play along.

Pearly Sparkles April 2025 Challenge ~ Monochrome

Hi Crafty Friends,
New month, new challenge at Pearly Sparkles.  April's challenge is "MONOCHROME."
I love working with stenciling and ink blending and this stamp and die cut set from Pinkfresh Studio seemed perfect for this challenge.

I've used Pinkfresh Studio's Joyful Day Betterpress plate, die and stencil, Dotted Scallops Cover Plate, and Double Stitched Fancy Frames.  The ink is from Gina K.

I hope you'll play along this month.

Pearly Sparkles March Challenge ~ Anything BUT a Card

Hi Crafty Friends,
New month, new challenge at Pearly Sparkles.This month we're asking you to share your projects that are ANYTHING BUT A CARD.
I love making gift card holders.  They come in so handy for almost any occasion.Here's what I created for this challenge.

All of the dies and stamp are from Jaded Blossom.

Paper Bag Die

Coffee Dies

Gift Card Die

Coffee Break Stamps set

We hope you'll join us this month.  Add your project to the link above.

Pearly Sparkles Challenge February 2025 ~ Love is in the Air

Hi Crafty Friends,
New month, new challenge at Pearly Sparkles Challenge.
Our theme for February is LOVE IS IN THE AIR.
Here's my card for the challenge.

I used a lot of different company's products for this design.Jaded Blossom Random Hearts stencilJaded Blossom Stitched Circle diesPenny Black "T for Transparent" stamp setSimon Says Stam "Hello Beautiful" stamp setSpellbinders 3D embossing folderPinkfresh Studio inkCopic Markers
I hope you'll join us this month.  Add your card to the link above.

Pearly Sparkles Challenge ~ January 2025 ~ Something Old, Something New

Hi Crafty Friends,Welcome to a brand new year of challenges at Pearly Sparkles.
Our theme is Something Old, Something New.  You can use older products, ideas, designs and also new ones.  
Here's my card using new crafty goodies and some older favorites.

I've used a brand new Lala Land Crafts Poinsettia stencil for this card along some of my favorite stamp/die sets from Jaded Blossom: Sentiment Strip dies, Happy Hello stamps set, and Thanks stamp and die set.  I've also used some of my favorite Altenew inks and Pinkfresh Studio gems.

I hope you'll play along with us during this new year!

Pearly Sparkles December Challenge~ Christmas

Hi Crafty Friends,
 We have our final challenge of 2024 at Pearly Sparkles.
The challenge theme is CHRISTMAS.
I used one of my newer Betterpress plates with die for this simple card.

I used the Dashing Reindeer Betterpress plate and die set.

This is such a fun set to use because the press plates are separate so you can use different colors of ink.  There is an alignment guide to place the plates so it all come together perfectly.  The sentiment plate is also included.
Please visit the Pearly Sparkles blog and play along with us.

Pearly Sparkles November Challenge ~ Angels

Hi Crafty Friends,
It's time for another Pearly Sparkles challenge.
Our theme is Angels.  I've used Lala Land Crafts products for this card which was inspired by a Make and Take presented by Irina Blount at my local craft store quite a few years ago.

Products used:LLLC Sympathy Stamp Set and Marble background stamp, Lace Stencil, Mandala Doily die, Leaves and Flowers dies.  I also used Jaded Blossom's Stitched and Scallop Ovals.The paper is Neenah Desert Storm.
I hope you'll join us this month by adding your project to the link above.

Pearly Sparkles October Challenge ~ Fantasy

Hi Crafty Friends,
Are you ready for a new month and a new challenge at Pearly Sparkles?This month's theme is Fantasy.
Here's my project.

Oooo, this one was a doozy to photograph because I used both acetate and gold foil.

I would love to have a genie come out of her bottle to grant me my wishes, how about you?

Products used for this card:

Lala Land Crafts ~ Genie Marci, lamp and palace border dies, and sentiment (from the January 2017 club kit.)

Jaded Blossom ~ Rectangle die, cloud stencil

Copic Markers

Pinkfresh Studio ink

I hope you'll play along with us.  Just follow the link above.

Pearly Sparkles September Challenge ~ Traci's Recipe (Pink, Pearls, Sparkle)

Hi Crafty Friends,Welcome to Pearly Sparkles' Traci's Recipe Challenge.
Each year we honor our founder's memory by hosting a challenge that include her favorite things: the color pink, pearls, and sparkle.
Here's my card that includes all of Traci's faves.

The stenciled florals, sentiment, and shape die cuts are from Pinkfresh Studio.  The embossing folder used for the mat is from Altenew.
Follow the link above to play along with this challenge.  

Pearly Sparkles Challenge August ~ Floral

Hi Crafty Friends,
We have a new challenge at Pearly Sparkles.
This month we want you to share your FLORAL creations.
I watched a YouTube video in which Gina K shared a technique using white ink and double stamping which gives a faux embossed appearance so I wanted to give it a try.
Here's the result!

The first impression was stamped using Altenew Mocha.  Then I slightly offset my cardstock and restamped using white pigment ink.  I love the subtlety of the stamped image and it does look as though it's an embossed image.  Give it a try.

The background was made using a Spellbinders 3D embossing folder and the mats were cut using Jaded Blossom rectangle dies.

Hope you'll play along with us.

Pearly Sparkles July 2024 Challenge ~ Christmas in July

Hi Crafty Friends,
It's July 1st and time for a new Pearly Sparkles challenge.Our theme this month is Christmas in July.
I was going through some older stamp sets and found this layering set from Hero Arts so I decided to play.

I was inspired by the sample card on the packaging for the final card design.
Layering stamps have sure come a long way in ease of application since this set was sold!
Hope you'll play along with us this month.  

Pearly Sparkles June Challenge ~ For the Girls

Hi Crafty Friends,
New month and a new challenge at Pearly Sparkles.
Our theme for June is "For the Girls."
I've used several products from one of my favorite companies, Pinkfresh Studio.

The sentiment and washi tape floras are from the Enchanting Flora suite.  I love using PF washi because there is a companion die set making it so easy to cut out the florals and stamped sentiment.

I've also used a PF essential die for the sparkly frame and PF inks to blend the background which is a Spellbinders 3D embossing.

I hope you'll play along with us this month.

Pearly Sparkles May Challenge ~ Cats and Dogs

Hi Crafty Friends,Wowzers!  It's May already.  Our weather in Northern California still can't decide whether or not it's spring or winter.  80 degrees today and Saturday, 60 degrees and rain.  Ugh!
We have a fun new challenge at Pearly Sparkles ~ Cats and Dogs.
Here's my project.

I used the Peek-a-Boo Window die from Whimsy stamps and an image from My Favorite Things Four Legged Friends stamp set.  I think this makes a cute shaker card.
I hope you'll play along with us this month.Upload your project HERE.

Pearly Sparkles April Challenge ~ For Men or Boys

Hi Crafty Friends,
Happy April!  Here in northern California our March roared in like a lion, but it sure didn't go out like a lamb.  Our weather still can't make up its mind whether it's winter or spring.  I'm truly ready  to wear my flip flops but . . . 
Our Pearly Sparkles April challenge is "For men or Boys."  Sometimes those masculine cards can be a struggle but I think the Betterpress plate I chose to use works well.

The sentiment is also a Betterpress plate.  I love the deep etching these plates produce.  I inked up the background before I pressed and actually cut the mat apart so that more of the design would show after adding the rather large sentiment.  The finished card is 6x5.
I hope you'll play along with us this month.  Just follow the link above to add your card to the challenge.

Pearly Sparkles March Challenge ~ Celebrate

Hi Crafty Friends,
Our new challenge for March is CELEBRATE.  Oh so many ways to interpret this theme!You can join our challenge by uploading your project to the Pearly Sparkles blog HERE.
I'm sharing my project which was made for a very special 18th birthday celebration.

For this card I used Jaded Blossom's Gnome Dies and Build a Booth dies.  I also added dies from Spellbinders.  

I hope you'll play along.  Playing along with blog challenges is such a great way to share you creativity with fellow crafters.

Pearly Sparkles February Challenge ~ Have a Heart/Love

Hi Crafty Friends,
Time for a new Pearly Sparkles challenge.Our February challenge is "Have a Heart/Love".  It's open for your interpretation.
Here's my design team project.

I used a mini stencil that was in the Spellbinders Advent Calendar and added hearts instead of flowers.  All of the hearts were in my die cut stash.  The sentiment with matching die cut is from Jaded Blossom.

I stenciled on Spellbinders card stock using Pinkfresh Studio inks.

I hope you'll play along with us this month.  Just link your project using the link above.

Pearly Sparkles November Challenge ~ Winter or Christmas

Hi Crafty Friends,
It's time for another Pearly Sparkles challenge.  This is the last challenge of 2023.  The design team will take a break in December and then return with all new challenges in 2024!
Our final theme for the year is Winter or Christmas.
I have fallen in love with many of the Spellbinders floral die sets.  For this card, I'm using the Christmas Bird Poinsettia set and Altenew's 3D embossing folder, Organic Linen.  I used 110# white cardstock for all the die cutting and then used Altenew Crisp Dye inks to ink blend the pieces.

Can't wait to see your entry.
Hugs,Larelyn