Crafts Galore Encore May 2026

This is the first of two blog posts today.  

April just seemed to fly by and now it's time for the May challenge on the 

Crafts Galore Encore Challenge Blog. 

Thank you to everyone who joined in with last month's challenge. The winners have been announced on the challenge blog. This is a month long challenge and you can enter up to three times. There is a full list of rules on the challenge blog.

Our theme every month is the popular

"Anything Goes"

and our sponsor this month is:

Gecko Galz

who are offering a prize of $25 to spend in the shop for our lucky winner.

I have made a pretty birthday card that measures 8"x 6" (20 x 15 cms)

I used one of the images from the C'est la Vie ATC sheet for the background paper and mounted it on blue pearlescent card. I then wrapped white seam binding ribbon the length of the card.

I printed one of the images from Butterfly Blues  collage sheet twice. I cut out just the butterfly from one of the prints and fixed it to the entire image with foam pads for a dimensional effect, then mounted it onto the blue pearlescent card.

I created the sentiment on the computer and finished the card with a bow and some gems.

Now please visit the  Crafts Galore Encore challenge blog where you can see the wonderful cards created by our talented team using Gecko Galz images.

Grab some inspiration while you're there and enter your "Anything Goes" creations in this month's challenge.

I have entered this in the following challenges:

Crafts Galore Encore December 2025

December is finally here. Now the Christmas panic can start. So much shopping, decorating and wrapping to do. And not to mention all the food prep and eating.

And then it will all be over in the blink of an eye.

Meanwhile .....

.... there is a new challenge starting today at

Crafts Galore Encore Challenge Blog. 

Thank you to everyone who joined in with last month's challenge. The winners have been announced on the challenge blog. This is a month long challenge and you can enter up to three times. There is a full list of rules on the challenge blog.

Our theme every month is the popular

"Anything Goes"

and our sponsor this month is:

Gecko Galz

who are offering a prize of $25 to spend in their store for our lucky winner.

The team was lucky enough to be allowed to choose a collage set each from the store to work with this month. I chose Nature's Winter. The collage sheet has 8 lovely wintery images. I printed 6 of the images to make a set of six Christmas cards that are 7"x 5" (18 x 13 cms).

I thought these three images would look wonderful with blue backgrounds. I used silver mirri card for matting and some lace ribbon on the rabbit card. I cut the background layers to look like hills on the polar bear card. The snowflakes, poinsettia, sentiments and trees are cut with various dies and I finished these cards with silver gems.

I used the images with Red Cardinals* for the second trio of cards. I paired them with a red and green and gold card. The snowflakes and sentiments were cut with various dies and I used fancy scissors for the gold trims on two of the cards. I finished the set with red gems.

Now please visit the  Crafts Galore Encore challenge blog where you can see the wonderful projects and cards created by our talented team using Gecko Galz images.

Grab some inspiration while you're there and enter your "Anything Goes" creations in this month's challenge.

* I was excited to see my first Red Cardinal in real life this summer. Also Hummingbirds. So little and perfect.

I have entered this set of cards in the following challenges:

https://morgansartworld.blogspot.com/2025/12/morgans-artworld-challenge-95.html

Crafts Galore Encore December 2024

 December at last! And Christmas is just around the corner. This has been another difficult year for our family as we have lost two wonderful, and treasured, family members. Although they were somewhat elderly, dementia took them sooner than they deserved. Christmas will be a time of reflection and enjoying fond memories as our shrinking family comes together to celebrate.

Plus, we have a lovely event to look forward to next spring!

But, my personal sadness doesn't mean that I can't enjoy some of the fun annual Christmas traditions, starting with making festive cards ....

.... Today sees the start of the December challenge at

Crafts Galore Encore Challenge Blog. 

Thank you to everyone who joined in with last month's challenge. The winner and DT favourites have been announced on the challenge blog. This is a month long challenge and you can enter up to three times. There is a full list of rules on the challenge blog.

Our theme every month is the popular

"Anything Goes"

and our sponsor this month is:

Gecko Galz

who are offering a generous $25 voucher for their online store for our lucky winner.

I used some of the Gecko Galz papers and collage images to create my first set of Christmas cards for this year.

The cards are all 6"x 6" (15 x 15cm). 

I used Christmas Haberdashery collage set for the focal point images on these cards. I isolated the individual images in a photo editing program and printed them on white card. I then cut out the images and matted them on green card from Limetree Craft. 

I used the lovely red papers from the Night Before Christmas ATC set and matted them on the green card and red card, also from Limetree Craft. I used papers from Merry Little Christmas ATC sheet to make the card top left.

I also used the green card for the die-cut sentiments and punched holly border.

I added festive bows, ribbon and cut doileys to complete my designs.

For these cards I used two gloriously vintage papers from Merry Little Christmas ATC Sheet with the  red patterned papers from Night Before Christmas ATC set. The papers have beautiful Victorian type baubles which I cut out and mounted on foam pads on the cards. I matted the papers on gold mirri card and finished the baubles with festive bows.

The gorgeous vintage sentiment is also from the Merry Little Christmas ATC sheet.

Although all the papers are from ATC sets, they do print out much larger with no loss of definition.

Now please visit the  Crafts Galore Encore challenge blog where you can see the wonderful projects and cards created by our talented team using Gecko Galz products.

Grab some inspiration while you're there and enter your "Anything Goes" creations in this month's challenge.

I have entered this set of cards in the following challenges:

Crafts Galore Encore December 2023

I am approaching the end of 2023 with mixed feelings. The year started off with such promise with two much anticipated weddings in the spring. Then it took a terrible turn with the events of the summer, ending with my beloved brother passing away with hardly any warning. I really don't remember much of autumn. It's all a blur through the tears. Winter is going to be a difficult season with Christmas and birthdays to get through as the family still grieve. But, I'll wear a smile and soldier on through.

Now, the first of my two challenge posts for today ...

Welcome to the last  Crafts Galore Encore Challenge for 2023

Thank you to everyone who joined in with last month's challenge. The winners have been announced on the challenge blog. This is a month long challenge and you can enter up to three times. There is a full list of rules on the challenge blog.

Our theme every month is the popular

"Anything Goes"

and our sponsor this month is:

Gecko Galz

who are offering a very generous prize of a $25 store voucher for our lucky winner.

I have made a set of 6 Christmas cards using three different collections from the Gecko Galz shop. 

The cards are all 6" (15 cm) square. All the coloured card for the mats and layers is from Papermania. The cards were all finished off with ribbon bows and gems.

I was allowed to choose the images and papers from the store for these cards. I chose Altered Christmas Digital Collage Sheets, which has two pages of gorgeous images and tags. 

And Christmas in Nature ATC Set which has six beautiful pages for the backing papers. Plus a sentiment.

A couple of the images on the cards are from another collage set that has since, unfortunately, sold out.

The lovely vintage looking papers on these cards are from the Christmas in Nature ATC set and the tags are from the Altered Christmas set. I fixed the tags to the card with brads so the top one can swivel to reveal the second tag.

The Santa image toppers are, sadly, no longer available.

I printed the gorgeous poinsettia paper from the Christmas in Nature ATC set a few times, and slightly larger, so I could cut out the flowers and decoupage them using foam pads. The Peace on Earth sentiment is also from the ATC set. The sentiment and music sheet on the bird card are from the Altered Christmas set.

The card on the left is made using another wonderful vintage paper from the ATC set and my two favourite tags from the Altered Christmas set. For the card on the right, I printed out the red cardinal a couple of times from the bird paper and decoupaged it with foam pads. I teamed it with a sentiment from the Altered Christmas set. The background is the lovely ribbon and holly paper from the ATC set and I used an off cut  from the bird paper as a panel across the front.

Now please visit the  Crafts Galore Encore challenge blog where you can see the wonderful projects and cards created by our talented team using Gecko Galz images.

Grab some inspiration while you're there and enter your "Anything Goes" creations in this month's challenge.

Thank you everyone for supporting us throughout this year. We hope we have inspired you on your creative journey as much as you have inspired us.

Enjoy a merry festive season, however you celebrate.

I have entered this card set in the following challenges:

https://morgansartworld.blogspot.com/2023/12/morgans-artworld-challenge-12.html

Crafts Galore Encore December 2021

The countdown to Christmas has begun in earnest now. A letter to Santa has been posted and the tree is up and decorated. Just presents to wrap, cards to deliver, food prep to be done etc. But, before I can sort all that ....

.... there is a new challenge starting at

Crafts Galore Encore Challenge Blog. 

Thank you to everyone who joined in with last month's challenge. The winners have been announced on the challenge blog. This is a month long challenge and you can enter up to three times. There is a full list of rules on the challenge blog.

Our theme every month is the popular

"Anything Goes"

and our sponsor this month is:

Gecko Galz

who are offering a $25 voucher for their Etsy shop to the lucky winner.

I have made a set of four gift tags for my grandchildren's Christmas presents.

The tags are Tando Creative Mixed Media Boards and all measure 5.5" x 3" (14 x 7.5cm) I punched holes in the tops of the tags for the ribbons.

I started by covering the tags with a couple of coats of white gesso. Once dry I added two of the papers from the Merry and Bright ATC collection.

I used the Santa Claus Lane collage set. There are two pages in the collection that are packed with fabulous vintage Santas. I cut out four Santa images and mounted them on white card which I distressed with Antique Linen Distress Ink. 

I printed colour coordinated sentiments and fixed them to the tags along with little strips of lace. I also added ribbons from Fantastic Ribbons to the tags.

I finished the tags with some wooden decorations which I painted and some coloured gems.

Now please visit the  Crafts Galore Encore challenge blog where you can see the wonderful projects and cards created by our talented team using Gecko Galz images.

Grab some inspiration while you're there and enter your "Anything Goes" creations in this month's challenge.

You will also find the details of the DT Call for Crafts Galore Encore. So, if you want to join our team, please apply.

Lastly, 

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE

and keep staying safe!

I have entered these cards in the following challenges:

Crafts Galore Encore November 2020

It's been a half term school break here for the past two weeks and Wales has been placed in another lockdown. Not that we could go anywhere anyway as the weather has been awful with strong winds and heavy rain. Thank goodness it's back to school tomorrow as we're running out of things to do indoors. At least I've made a start on Christmas cards and ....

.... There is a new challenge at

Crafts Galore Encore Challenge Blog. 

Thank you to everyone who joined in with October's challenge. The winners have been announced on the challenge blog. This is a month long challenge and you can enter up to three times. There is a full list of rules on the challenge blog.

Our theme every month is the popular

"Anything Goes"

and our sponsor this month is:

Gecko Galz

who have a $25 voucher to their online store for our lucky winner.

I have made a selection of 6"x 6" (15 x 15 cm) Christmas cards.

These adorable little gnomes are from the Gnome for the Holidays digital collage set. The set has 17  delightful gnome images over two pages.

I paired the images with the papers from the Merry and Bright ATC Collection.

I used coloured card, mirror card, doileys and die cut snowflakes from my stash. The lovely ribbons are all from Fantastic Ribbons.

Here are a couple of Z-fold cards, one with a band. The great advantage to having Gecko Galz digital sets means you can print the images you want to use and the papers to match for each card. There are lots of fabulous collage and paper sets to choose from, so, grab a coffee and have a browse.

Now please visit the  Crafts Galore Encore challenge blog where you can see the wonderful projects and cards created by our talented design team using Gecko Galz images.

Grab some inspiration while you're there and enter your "Anything Goes" creations in the November challenge.

Stay safe everyone!

I have entered these cards in the following challenges:

http://geckogalzscrapbooking.blogspot.com/2020/11/white-christmas-challenge.html x

Crafts Galore Encore December 2019

The long awaited month of December is finally here and children, big and small, are getting excited for Christmas. Me, I'm rushing around trying to get everything done so I can relax next weekend at an Art Workshops class with the fabulous Tracy Evans. After that I will panic buy all those things I've forgotten to get to make the big day a success. But, before that ....

.... There's a new challenge at  

Crafts Galore Encore Challenge Blog. 

Thank you to everyone who joined in with November's challenge. The winners have been announced on the challenge blog. This is a month long challenge and you can enter up to three times. There is a full list of rules on the challenge blog.

Our theme every month is the popular
"Anything Goes"
and our sponsor this month is:

Gecko Galz
who are offering a $25 voucher for their store to our lucky winner.

Seeing as it's nearly Christmas I have made some festive cards. Here are six of them. They are all on 8"x 4" (20cm x 10cm) card bases.

The design team was very fortunate to get to choose a set of papers and a set of toppers from our generous sponsor. I chose the lovely Merry and Bright digital paper pack which is full of gorgeous vintage papers in rich festive colours.

The delightful images are all from the Happy Holidays digital collage sheet. There are nine fabulous vintage images and a sentiment to instantly download and play with.

I matted and layered all the papers and images onto card that I had distressed and coloured with inks. I added strips of lace, die-cuts, MDF sentiments, threads and gems. They were fun to make.

Now please visit the  Crafts Galore Encore challenge blog where you can see the fabulous projects and cards created by our talented design team using Gecko Galz papers and images. Grab some inspiration while you're there and enter your "Anything Goes" creations in the December challenge.

I have entered this card selection in the following challenges:
https://lovetocraftchallengeblog.blogspot.com/2019/12/ltccb-41-december-anything-goes.html
https://merrylittlechristmaschallenge.blogspot.com/2019/12/mlccb-17-december-anything-christmas.html
https://morgansartworld.blogspot.com/2019/12/morgans-artworld-challenge-12.html x