Welcome to Chapter Three

Welcome to Chapter Three: Taking Life One Page at a Time -- a space to blog about those things that keep this retired gal from getting into ...

Saturday, August 1, 2026

SAS4Kids: Anything Goes Cards 4 Kids

Hi, everyone! It's the first Saturday of a new month, which means it's time for a new challenge at Send a Smile 4 Kids!

The official theme this month is Anything Goes Cards 4 Kids. That's right... ANY kiddie-appropriate card. 

Crafting friend Anna loaned me her entire stash of Elizabeth Craft Dog Days stamps and dies so that I could make a birthday card for hubby. When Anna showed me these dies, I started thinking about making a birthday card that would feature our family's new fur baby. Thanks so much, Anna! Hubby LOVED his card. Friends who have seen our pup have been pretty impressed by the card's likeness to our boy... who is a lot more tan-colored than the photo to the right shows.  :)


cardstock: Distress Ink core paper
dp: Echo Park Winnie the Pooh 6 x 6 pad
metallic paper: Stampin' Up
glittery paper: DCWV
Elizabeth Craft dies
sentiment: MFT stamp set
stash crystal gems
inking: Distress Oxide black soot
white ear accents: Hero Arts ink, Stampin' Up! watercolor pencil
banner: MFT stamp set and fussy cutting
misc. circles: various SU punches


Hope you will hop over to Send a Smile 4 Kids to check out all our DT's cards. (Even though our official theme is Anything Goes, you will notice that the team focused on birthday cards this month.) Then stop back by to link up ANY kiddie-appropriate card of your own. You have until noon on Friday, September 4 to play along.   :)

As always, thanks for stopping! Happy Scrappin'!!!

Saturday, July 4, 2026

SAS4Kids: Christmas in July Kids

Hi, everyone! Happy 250th, America!

It's the first Saturday of the month, which means it's time for a new challenge over at Send a Smile 4 Kids. This month, we are continuing our annual tradition of celebrating Christmas in July 4 Kids, making Christmas/holiday cards for our SAS4Kids kids.

My card takes a page out of SAS4Kids DTer Mary. Mary is the queen of decoupage. Well, my card isn't decoupaged, but I did fussy cut out a St. Nicholas from one of the pad's papers to adhere using dimensionals to pop up St. Nicholas on the matching paper. 


Echo Park Christmas Time dp
Lawn Fawn tiny snowflake dies
Stampin' Up dimensional


I hope you'll stop by to check out all our designer's cards. They are really, really cute. Then please stop by to link up a card of your own. Even though we are focusing on Christmas/holiday cards this month, you may link up any kid-appropriate card to play along with us. And, you have until Friday, July 31 to join in the fun!

As always, thanks for stopping. Until next time, happy scrappin'!

Saturday, June 6, 2026

SAS4Kids: Summer Fun Cards 4 Cards

Hi, everyone! Can you believe it's already June? How did that happen? Anyhow, school is out for the summer, the neighborhood pool is open... and we finally have some sunshine here! 

Since it's the first Saturday of the month, it's time for a new challenge at Send a Smile 4 Kids. Our theme this month is summer fun cards for kids. 

This GOLF card is going to a nephew for an upcoming birthday. And, I have my friend Suzanne to thank for it. She shared her design and supplied all the materials to make a couple of this great guy card. Thanks so much, Suzanne! Josh is going to love it!




Hope you will stop by this month's SAS4Kids Challenge to check out the other designers' summery cards. And, then please come back and link up a card of your very own. As always, ANY kiddie-appropriate card can be linked up. You have until Friday July 3 to play along.

As always, thanks for stopping by. Happy scrappin'!

Saturday, May 2, 2026

SAS4Kids: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles!

Hi everyone! Happy May!

This month at Send a Smile 4 Kids, our theme is Planes, Trains, and Automobiles! Our deadline for Father's Day cards is May 15 and this seemed like a good theme to get some dad cards to our shippers. 


SU cardstock; Carson watercolor paper
MFT watercolor wash stencil
Lawn Fawn Just Plane Awesome stamps and dies
MFT tiny cloud dies
stamping in Versafine black
background: various blue Distress Inks
DI black soot ink spatters
coloring: SU watercolor pencils

Hope you will stop by SAS4Kids to see cards from our design team and then stop back by to share a card of your very own. Even though we are focusing on cars, trains, and planes (or bikes, hot air balloons, ...), any kiddie-appropriate card can be linked up to play along. You have until noon on June 5 to play along. 

As always, thanks for stopping and happy scrappin'!

Saturday, April 4, 2026

SAS4Kids: Flower Cards 4 Moms

Hello! It's the first Saturday of April, which means it's time for a new challenge over at Send a Smile 4 Kids. 

With the deadline for sending in Mother's Day cards approaching, this month we are focusing on Flower Cards, particularly Flower Cards that our kids can give to their moms. For my card, I went with a more generic sentiment so this card can be given to celebrate a birthday or commemorate another special day.



Stampin' Up! dp and cardstock
SU hexagon and mini flower punches, Paper Smooches leaf dies
flower centers: SU owl punch
sentiment: My Favorite Things stamp


This card's design was inspired by two friends in a weekly card making group. For starters, Irene loaned us her hexagon punch. Then she instructed us to glue down a hexagon in the middle of an 8.5" by 11" sheet of paper and build out our hexagon pattern, resulting in backgrounds for four cards. Finally, Suzanne used the same hexagon shape for her sentiment panel. Isn't card design by committee the best?! 

I hope you will stop by Send a Smile 4 Kids to check out the DT's cards... and then stop back by to link up a card of your own. Even though our SAS4Kids focus this month is Flower Cards 4 Moms, ANY kiddie-appropriate card can be linked up for this month's challenge. You have until Friday, May 1 to play along. While you aren't required to donate your linked-up card to SAS4Kids, one of our hospitalized patients surely would love it if you did. Card submission information can be found by clicking on the tabs at the top of the SAS4Kids Challenge Page. 

As always, thanks for stopping! Happy Scrappin'!

Saturday, March 7, 2026

SAS4Kids: Animal Cards 4 Kids

Hello! Happy February! Since today is the first Saturday of the month, it is time for a new challenge over at Send a Smile 4 Kids.

Our challenge for March is Animal Cards 4 Kids. The little bunnies on my card hopped right into the envelope of Easter cards that I sent to my favorite SAS4Kids shipper. And speaking of Easter cards, the deadline for those is March 10ish. So, if you are finishing up Easter cards this weekend, please reach out to your favorite shipper(s) to let them know cards are headed their way. Thank you!


Pretty Pink Posh layered bunny stencils
Simon Says Stamp cheeky and apple inks
Stampin' Up coastal cabana ink
SU cardstock and dp; Canson watercolor paper; Recollection black
Paper Smooches scallop die; tiny black circles: SU owl punch

While we are focusing on Animal Cards 4 Kids this month, any kiddie-appropriate card can be linked up for this month's challenge. You have until Friday, April 3 to share your work of heart. While you aren't required to donate your linked-up card to SAS4Kids, one of our hospitalized patients surely would love it if you did. Card submission information can be found by clicking on the tabs at the top of the SAS4Kids Challenge page.   

Thanks for all you do for SAS4Kids! And, as always, thanks for stopping and happy scrappin'!

Friday, February 6, 2026

Hello! Happy February! Since tomorrow is the first Saturday of the month, it will be time for a new challenge over at Send a Smile 4 Kids.

Our challenge for February is Birthday Cards 4 Kids. We thought we'd try to get a stash of birthday cards to our shippers before they start focusing on spring holiday cards. And, speaking of spring holidays, our March 10 deadline for Easter cards is just over a month away.


My Favorite Things Birthday Chicks stamp set and dies
Paper Smooches grass die; ??? baker's b/w twine
Stampin' Up! water color pencils
ink spatters: Distress Ink black soot
SU cardstock

While we are focusing on Birthday Cards 4 Kids this month, any kiddie-appropriate card can be linked up for this month's challenge. You have until Friday, March 6 to share your work of heart. While you aren't required to donate your linked-up card to SAS4Kids, one of our hospitalized patients surely would love it if you did. Card submission information can be found by clicking on the tabs at the top of the SAS4Kids Challenge page.   

Thanks for all you do for SAS4Kids! And, as always, thanks for stopping and happy scrappin'!