The Clue in the Jewel Box

Happy Saturday y'all and welcome to a new Nancy Drew Challenge!  This time we're attempting to unravel The Clue in the Jewel Box.

I think it's fun how the OT and RT covers have the creepy dude, Nancy in pink, the old lady, and NOT the titular jewel box on the cover.  We'll get to that last part in a minute.  Nancy is feeling VERY 60s on both covers and they're both by Rudy Nappi so maybe that's why they are so similar.  I like them both quite well.

Case file:  Nancy becomes acquainted with Madame Marie Alexandra, the deposed queen mother of a never-named European country (Russia, obvs) who is searching for her grandson, the only other member of the royal family to survive the revolution.  This is Anastasia with a boy instead of a girl.  Nancy finds a man who has some bona fides, but his uncouth manners make Nancy doubt that he really is the lost prince.  The Easter egg with the nightingale in it (and that piece is consistently referred to as an Easter egg, not a jewel box) sings instructions to look for the clue in the jewel box, which is shaped like Madame Alexandra's favorite footman from the palace.  Nancy finds the real prince and also smashes a pickpocket ring operating in River Heights.

Here's my card for the OT:

I knew from the jump that I wanted to use the Bird Ballad DSP because it has the same colors as the book cover and it's got birds, which calls back to the nightingale in the Easter egg.  I let the DSP be the star of the show here, the only stamping is the greeting.

Supplies, all SU!
Stamps:  Free as a Bird
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black
Paper:  Pool Party, Thick Basic white, Bird Ballad DSP
Accessories:  Lots of Labels Framelits, Dimensionals, Solid Faceted Gems

And here's the RT:

Case file:  The story remains the same as the OT, the only obvious changes I can think of are that Helen is married to Jim Archer in this one instead of having Buck Rodman as her date.  Also I think the OT is the first reference to Dave and Burt, who turn into Bess and George's regular dates for the rest of the hardback Nancy Drews.  Anyway, basically the same story and still the cover doesn't have the jewel box on it.

Here's my card:

I still used the Bird Ballad DSP but I brought in the Winterly Tree Tops stamp set, which coordinates beautifully with Bird Ballad and Free as a Bird, a stamp set that predates this one by a couple of years and was released with the Bird Ballad DSP.

Supplies, all SU!
Stamps:  Winterly Tree Tops
Ink:  Memento Tuxedo Black, Pool Party, Stampin' Blends in Smoky Slate, Pool Party, Calypso Coral, Pecan Pie
Paper:  Petal Pink, Pool Party, Thick Basic White, Bird Ballad DSP
Accessories:  Winterly Tree Tops dies, Dimensionals, Petal Pink Foil Gems

Side note:  My favorite part of these books (this happens in both) is that Nancy and her father Carson go to a daddy-daughter picnic thing where a judge drops his daughter's compact and complains that women's clothing doesn't have pockets.  PREACH, JUDGE!  Why is this still a problem in 2025?!

So there you have The Clue in the Diary, which is a great addition to the ND lineup.  Five stars.  Leave me a comment if you want to make your own card for the challenge, I would love to see if you're also inspired by Nancy!  As always, you can read (lots) more at Hey, Nancy Drew, where my most recent post is a deep dive into The Message in the Hollow Oak.  Next Saturday on this blog, we'll be working to uncover The Secret in the Old Attic, another great one!

Fall in the Forest

Mornin' y'all.  Did not get much sleep last night and I have a lot to do today so we'll see how that goes, wish me luck.  And I only got one card made yesterday, I just could not settle in my craft room and it's so frustrating when that happens.  Anyway, here's what I've got:

Let's start with the Color Throwdown:

I used Terracotta Tile, Night of Navy, and Boho Blue for the colors, with Very Vanilla as my neutral of choice.  Next up is the Festive Friday challenge:

I used blue (more than one, actually), ribbon, patterned paper, and a thinking of you sentiment.  I still had Winterly Tree Tops on my mind from yesterday and there is a lovely thinking of you in that set, so that was nice.  Last up is the Atlantic Hearts sketch:

I wanted to pair this sketch with the Festive Friday challenge because it automatically ticks off the ribbon element on the list.  Kinda wish I had some Terracotta Tile ribbon to match the leaf, but I don't...I don't buy ribbon very often because I don't use it a whole lot.  I tried making the card base Terracotta Tile and just didn't like the way it looked, so I ended up with mostly blue.

Okay, I've got to go chivvy Ryan up the stairs to get ready for school.  He keeps dilly-dallying every morning so we're skating in to school just before the bell rings and I don't like that.  Being late is a personal pet peeve : p unfortunately one Ryan does NOT share, so we need to work on that.  Cheers!

Supplies, all SU!
Stamps:  Gathering Moments, Winterly Tree Tops
Ink:  Terracotta Tile, Boho Blue, Night of Navy
Paper:  Night of Navy, Very Vanilla, Timeless Plaid DSP
Accessories:  Gathering Moments dies, Textured Notes dies, Dimensionals, Night of Navy ribbon, In Color Opaque Sparkle Dots, Wink of Stella

Winter Bird

Hello again, y'all!  I told you I might be back with a second blog post today and I am currently procrastinating about putting up Ryan's laundry since the dryer just beeped that it's done.  In a minute, dryer.  In the meantime, another card:

I liked the sketch at TGIF Challenges:

Which I paired with the colors from CAS Colours & Sketches:

I hope I kept it CAS enough...I have a lot of white (navy blue) space, but we do have some layers going on.  I did forego putting any embellishments on it though.  You can send the Challenge Police after me if necessary.

Okay, laundry is calling...cheers, y'all!

Supplies, all SU!
Stamps:  Winterly Tree Tops
Ink:  Secret Sea, Mossy Meadow, Stampin' Blends in Pecan Pie, Mossy Meadow, Bronze, Ivory, Night of Navy
Paper:  Secret Sea, Mossy Meadow, Thick Basic White, Mossy Meadow DSP
Accessories:  Winterly Tree Tops dies, Stylish Shapes dies, Textured Notes dies, Dimensionals

Winter Bird

Mornin' y'all!  It's finally starting to warm up where I am and yet today I have a rather wintry card to share.

Check out the latest Freshly Made Sketch:

And the Color Throwdown:

I used Pool Party, Gray Granite, and Real Red, all of which are in the Nests of Winter DSP so that's how I ended up in a winter wonderland today.

Daph woke me up early today and I don't really wanna be awake yet so I think I might try to go back to sleep for a bit.  Cheers!

Supplies, all SU!
Stamps:  Winterly Tree Tops
Ink:  Basic Gray, Stampin' Blends in Pool Party, Gray Granite, Real Red, Crumb Cake
Paper:  Gray Granite, Thick Basic White, Nests of Winter DSP
Accessories:  Winterly Tree Tops dies, Textured Notes dies, Dimensionals, Wink of Stella

Egg Inspiration for SUO Challenges

Goooooood morning, stampy friends!  It is time once again for a new challenge at SUO Challenges!

And we have an inspiration photo for you:

Interesting, right?  Not the expected pastels for Easter, but oh-so-pretty.  My teamie Tammy beat me to using the eggs and nest in Everyday Details so instead I made this:

I was also inspired by this card by Jan Clothier, that reminded me that I have that oval punch and it has been sadly neglected for far too long.  I played around with a few ideas before I landed on this one.  I used three of the soon-to-retire In Colors on this one:  Pebbled Path, Copper Clay, and just a little bit of Wild Wheat (which is the one I am most eager to get rid of...probably the only one).  I chose the greeting from Winterly Tree Tops even though there is nary a bird to be seen on my card just because I like it.

Your turn!  Upload your inspired creation at the SUO Challenges blog.  As you can see from my card, eggs are optional : )  Have fun!

Supplies, all SU!
Stamps:  Winterly Tree Tops
Ink:  Pebbled Path
Paper:  Thick Basic White, Pebbled Path, Wild Wheat, Pebbled Path & Copper Clay DSP
Accessories:  Wide Oval Punch, Perennial Lavender dies, Dimensionals, Faux Glass Dots

Lavender Fields Forever

Hey y'all!  I'm off to a lazy start this morning but as soon as I finish this blog post, I'll be taking Daphne out for a walk and then doing grocery shopping.  So let's get to it!

I made this card for the Retro Rubber Challenge:

I just missed the cutoff for the last challenge so I got my card done early this time!  Painted Lavender just turned a year old so just barely retro, and Winterly Tree Tops isn't retro yet, so the really retro part of this card is the DSP!  That's Enchanté, which is many moons old because it features Pale Plum and Perfect Plum.  I went with the first three colors in the palette, which I translated to Pale Plum, Perfect Plum, and Elegant Eggplant, and the last one, Very Vanilla.

I used this week's CASE-ing Tuesday Sketch:

I really have been having a fabulous time doing those challenges since the beginning of the new year.  One more challenge for good luck, check out Just Add Ink:

I used glittery gems, brass butterflies, and Wink of Stella on the stamped flowers.

Time to take my sweet girl out for a walk in the snow.  Cheers, y'all!

Supplies, all SU!
Stamps:  Painted Lavender, Winterly Tree Tops
Ink:  Pale Plum, Perfect Plum, Elegant Eggplant
Paper:  Pale Plum, Perfect Plum, Very Vanilla, Enchanté DSP
Accessories:  Painted Lavender dies, I forget which glitter gems, brass butterflies, Wink of Stella, Dimensionals

Winter Bird

Hey y'all, how goes your week?  I must say, I've done a pretty good job this week about focusing more on my craft room projects and less time doom scrolling on Facebook : )  I'm pleased with what I've gotten done so far this week, both cards and scrapbook pages.

So here's today's card:

I've had this idea swirling in my brain since I saw the sketch at TGIF Challenges so I'm glad I finally got it out on paper:

I knew I wanted to use Winterly Tree Tops from the jump, so this card came together very quickly.

That's it for me today, peeps.  As soon as I finish my sweet potato pie tea (I really do like it!), I'm taking Miss Daph out for a walk and then I'm working in my craft room.  Gotta do that while I can since the kid and the hubs have a 4-day weekend and I think we're going to paint the kitchen.  Cheers!

Supplies, all SU!
Stamps:  Winterly Tree Tops
Ink:  Early Espresso, Garden Green, Stampin' Blends in Boho Blue, Pumpkin Pie, Copper Clay, Moody Mauve
Paper:  Misty Moonlight, Thick Basic White, Winter Meadow DSP
Accessories:  Winterly Tree Tops dies, Countryside Corners dies, Dimensionals, Tinsel Gems

A Friend Like You

Mornin' y'all!  I got up early today to do my workout and who comes down the stairs at 5:30?  Ryan.  He's going to be tired tonight!  He had a dream and couldn't get back to sleep.

Anyway, on to today's card:

The colors are a little off in the picture, but the sun was already going down by the time I finished this card so it was the best I could do.  Check out the latest from Freshly Made Sketches:

And the Color Throwdown:

I went back and forth between Old Olive and Mossy Meadow for the green, and in the end I used both colors to color in the greenery swags; Real Red for the red, and I thought the light Crumb Cake pattern from the Nests of Winter DSP made a nice match for the cream. 

At first I wanted to use one of the bird images from Winterly Tree Tops, but I liked a sample in the mini catalog with just the greenery swags and a sentiment in the middle so I did that instead.  I really had to dig to find a die that was long and skinny enough for that sentiment, it's from the Seasonal Labels dies from a couple of years ago.  I had to do the sentiment twice; the first time, I stamped it in Versamark and poured embossing powder on, and wondered why the white wasn't showing up on the Old Olive cardstock very well.  Then I heated it up and realized I'd gotten the clear EP instead of white : ) so I did it again with the correct powder.

That's it for me today, peeps.  Gotta get Ryan off to school, take Daphers for a walk, and run some errands.  Cheers!

Supplies, all SU!
Stamps:  Winterly Tree Tops
Ink:  Early Espresso, Versamark, Stampin' Blends in Old Olive, Mossy Meadow, Real Red, Crumb Cake
Paper:  Crumb Cake, Old Olive, Thick Basic White, Nests of Winter DSP
Accessories:  Winterly Tree Tops dies, Seasonal Labels dies, white EP, Dimensionals, red rhinestones

Winterberry

Mornin' y'all!  We had demo day yesterday on the shower and Daphne was Not A Fan.  She barked and barked at the guys every time they came down the stairs and then had to spend most of the day in doggy jail.  And in the end, we found out that we need a plumber to come in and fix the stuff the first two yahoos messed up AGAIN.  What a mess.

Anyway, I do have a card to share today and unfortunately I need a sympathy card.  My friend's dad passed away last weekend so I made this for him:

The hubs gave it the thumbs up so I'm entering this at SOS Challenges for their masculine challenge.  I thought the colors from the Inspired By... challenge would work well for a sympathy card:

I used Misty Moonlight and Crumb Cake, plus a bit of Pecan Pie to have some darker browns for parts of the bird image.  I like the sketch from AAA Cards:

I know I added a layer with the bird image but I really wanted to use it on there.  I'd love to revisit this sketch and make a card closer to the sketch with the way the snowflakes are done but I don't know if I'll get to in the next few days since my parents will arrive in a few hours.

That's it for me, peeps.  Gotta go walk Daphne and do one or two other things before company arrives.  Cheers!

Supplies, all SU!
Stamps:  Winterly Tree Tops, Lovely & Sweet
Ink:  Early Espresso, Stampin' Blends in Crumb Cake, Pecan Pie, Misty Moonlight
Paper:  Misty Moonlight, Thick Basic White, One Horse Open Sleigh DSP Stack
Accessories:  Winterly Tree Tops dies, Stylish Shapes dies, Dimensionals, Wink of Stella

Autumnal Tree Tops

Hey y'all, how's your day going?  We have a snow day today--both the hubs and Ryan are staying home today (well, except the hubs is currently out looking to buy a snowblower).  I think we've got like 12 to 18 inches of snow so far?  It's quite nice to look out through our big living room window at the wind whipping the snow around in our backyard and the open green space behind us while I'm nice and cozy and sipping my first cup of tea of the day.  And I have a Very Good Girl laying down next to me and being a little angel.

I found out yesterday that Daphne may turn out to be a good craft room companion; she was pretty good about chilling out in there while I was working on a few things yesterday.  So here's the maiden voyage for another stamp set I got like 6 weeks ago : )

The bundle is called Winterly Tree Tops but I made it autumnal.  Ironic, considering all the snow outside.  Here's the theme challenge from the Paper Players:

I found the grateful sentiment in Inspirational Sketches.  And here's the new sketch from Atlantic Hearts:

Thanks to LeAnne for introducing me to this challenge, I've been having fun with it.  Last up is the color challenge from TGIF Challenges:

I found wash patterns in both Cherry Cobbler and Crushed Curry in the Splendid Autumn DSP Stack and used Pecan Pie for layers in between.  That Cherry Cobbler wash is very dark but it really is Cherry Cobbler.

That's it for me today, peeps.  I think I need another cuppa tea.  Cheers!

Supplies, all SU!
Stamps:  Winterly Tree Tops, Inspirational Sketches
Ink:  Early Espresso, Crushed Curry, Stampin' Blends in Pecan Pie, Cherry Cobbler, Bronze, neutrals
Paper:  Pecan Pie, Thick Basic White, Splendid Autumn DSP Stack
Accessories:  Winterly Tree Tops dies, Dimensionals, Wink of Stella, Festive Pearls