Sunday, March 29, 2026

Slytherin April Happy Planner Spread Begins!

This week’s The Happy Planner layout is finally representing Slytherin, so of course… all things green! I leaned into the color palette but skipped most of the snake stickers (not really my thing). Instead, I went with iconic quotes like “The wand chooses the wizard,” “I solemnly swear I am up to no good,” and “Mischief managed.”

And yes, I used another washi from Kaye, this time a Slytherin one - paired with a green washi from the Bearly Art Macaron Mix.

I’ll admit, I slightly regret starting April with Slytherin because Traci Reed just released a brand new collection to the Design Team that’s all kinds of pretty and super good vibes and I thought that it's perfect for a fresh month start! But hey, Slytherin is not that bad and still brought its own charm… maybe I’ll switch it up next week. Hehe.

Reading Update

I’m currently at 10 books month-to-date!

Not sure if I can squeeze in one more before the month ends, but let’s see… never say never

Projects This Week

Bee Happy Weeklies

This week’s FREE theme gave me the chance to finally catch up on a personal project, a scrapbook layout for my milestone birthday last year!

I documented our pre-celebration in Abu Dhabi with our friend Jhe during our extended layover, then our trip to Malaysia where I celebrated with family. Definitely one for the books. Read about ou Abu Dhabi trip here and our Malaysia trip here!

For this layout, I reused the cake toppers I made for myself - less ephemera, more meaning! hihi!

Traci Reed Designs

Productive week over here!

Finished my Micro Minis using the Flower Child collection (due April 5—early win!) Can't upload photos yet as it is yet to be published next week.
Sharing photos of the sneak peek projects I shared on last week's blog:

The Daily STAMPede – a Traveler’s Journal insert turned into that viral postage punch junk journal.

Pocket Moments – a mini album made from scraps for my Instax photos from my sister Mica and friend Kaye.

More details are up on Traci’s blog if you want a deeper look:

The Daily STAMPede and Pocket Moments Mini Albums by Ana

Bloom Where You Are Planted with the Wildflower Collection

Miqueka Scrap

This one’s extra special. Using the Blanco Y Negro collection, I recreated a mini album with boxes originally made for me years ago by Katrina Crucena.

Since I didn’t have her template (and I’m team Cricut, not Silhouette), I measured and winged everything. The box measurements and score lines were a challenge, but I made it work and I’m so happy with how it turned out!

Polkadoodles

Created mixed media ATC cards for Mother’s Day, just sharing sneak peeks for now!

Craft, Create and Swap Club (CCSC)

For CCSC’s 4th anniversary challenge, I made pocket Memorydex cards filled with photos and journaling from past events.

I used Kelly Bangs’ My Happy Place collection because honestly… CCSC has truly been a happy place for me since I joined.

Printable, Cuttable, Creatables

Another page added to the scrapbook album I’m making for my mom.

This one features our Easter 2022 celebration as a family, and I reused the same layout style from my birthday page. Slowly but surely, this album is coming together, and I can’t wait to gift it to her.

Also sharing last week’s sneak peek project, those Easter temporary tattoos I made!

Other Fun Stuff

Finally unboxed my Eid goodies!

A gum ball machine (currently filled with M&Ms but ready for real gum balls soon)

Candy containers now filled with gummies from the Saudi version of Candy Corner

They’re now chilling on my craft table… because priorities!

Life Lately

We received our first National Warning Alert SMS here in Al Ahsa last Monday, and another one early this morning. Nothing like being woken up by two alarms going off at once. No report of anything from Saudi Ministry of Defense about anything that happened here in Al Ahsa though.

I also had my second infusion last Saturday, and this time was so much better. The nurses were gentle, I barely felt the IV, and they were all so kind. One even complimented my dress, whether it was to calm me or not, I appreciated it. I had my mom and sister on video call the whole time too.

Sharing pretty hospital photos!

Little Wins

My husband made an Andoks-inspired roasted chicken!!!

If you didn't know, Andoks is my absolute fave back home. Safe to say, it was chef’s kiss!

Featured Moment

My video for Prestige Paper Products is now live!

It has its own blog post already (read about it here), but I’m linking it again here because it’s a special one.

And that’s a wrap for last week!

Mischief managed… until next week.

Papel ni Juana Season 5 Feature – My Crafty Heart is Proud and Happy

I’m so excited (and honestly still a little in disbelief!) to share that I’ve been featured in Prestige Paper Products’ Papel ni Juana Season 5 in celebration of Women’s Month. I mentioned this maybe 2 weeks ago on one of my Life Lately blogs, when the teaser was launched. Now, the actual video is out!

Papel ni Juana is such a beautiful platform that highlights women artists and the stories behind their creativity - celebrating how we express, persevere, and bring art to life through paper. Some of my crafting friends have already been featured too! Being part of a lineup of inspiring women who transform something as simple as paper into meaningful creations is truly an honor.

This feature means so much to me and my crafty heart is very proud and happy.

Watch My Feature

I’d love for you to watch the video that Prestige Paper Products created, where I got to share a bit more about my journey as a crafter and artist.

In the feature, I answered some thoughtful questions like:

A little introduction about myself... what I do, where I’m based, and what my life would look like if it were an art masterpiece
When I first realized that art was something important in my life
The challenges I’ve faced in my creative journey and how I worked through them
How my art (and I!) have evolved over time

It’s a mix of reflection, storytelling, and a whole lot of heart, so if you’ve ever been curious about my creative journey, this is a little peek into it.

Or, you can also check out Prestige Paper Products' different socials for it:

A Little Note of Gratitude

I’m incredibly grateful to Prestige Paper Products for this opportunity, to share my story, my passion, and my love for paper crafting on such a meaningful platform.

To be part of something that celebrates women in creativity, alongside other talented artists, is something I don’t take lightly.

And to you reading this, thank you for always supporting my projects, my posts, and all my crafty ideas. You’re a big part of why I keep creating.

Here’s to more stories, more paper, and more creativity.

Wednesday, March 25, 2026

Polkadoodles Digi Choosday Project | Lilac Haze Birthday Card

For this week’s Digi Choosday challenge, the theme is Anything Goes, and I’m bringing back one of my absolute favorite digis — Lilac Haze Watercoloured Flowers. If you’ve been following my Digi Choosday projects for a while now, you might have noticed that I reach for this digi quite a lot. It’s just so soft, elegant, and versatile!

For today’s project, I created a birthday card. I’d love to call it simple, but I have to admit it turned out a bit more than that, and I’m definitely not complaining! The combination of mirror cardstock, embossing, die cuts, and florals made this card feel extra special.

Materials Used

Bearly Art Precision Glue
Altenew Layered Plaid Cover Die
Foliage Embossing Folder
Sizzix Big Shot
Tim Holtz Tonic Paper Trimmer
Scor-Buddy Scoreboard
White Cardstock
Mirror Cardstock
Digis – Lilac Haze Watercoloured Flowers
Sentiments – Winnie Daisy Greetings, Quotes and Sentiments
Rosie’s Studio Softly Spoken Gemstones
Cricut Maker

How I Made This Card

1. Create the card base

Cut a piece of white cardstock to 5.5 x 8.5 inches and score it at 4.25 inches on the long side to form your card base.

2. Prepare the background

Die cut a piece of mirror cardstock using the Altenew Layered Plaid Cover Die. Adhere this to the front of the card base using glue.

3. Create the embossed focal panel

Cut another piece of mirror cardstock to 2.5 x 3.75 inches.

Run this through your die cutting machine using the Foliage Embossing Folder to add texture.

4. Assemble the focal area

Adhere the embossed mirror cardstock to the center of the card front using foam tape to give it dimension.

5. Add the sentiment

Prepare your sentiment. I used a Happy Birthday sentiment from the Winnie Daisy Greetings, Quotes and Sentiments set from Polkadoodles. I cut mine on a decorative circle using my Cricut Maker and adhered it to the center with foam tape.

6. Add the florals

Print then cut the Lilac Haze Watercoloured Flowers digis and arrange them around the sentiment.

7. Embellish

Finish the card with a few green gemstones from Rosie’s Studio Softly Spoken collection for a bit of sparkle.

And tadaaa! a gorgeous birthday card!

I really love how the delicate florals balance beautifully with the bold textures from the die cut background and embossing. It’s one of those cards that feels elegant but still fun to make.

Now it’s your turn to get creative! This week’s Digi Choosday challenge is Anything Goes, so you can make absolutely anything you like!

If you’d like to see more of my crafty projects, you can also find me here:

Instagram: @my.cat.and.crafts

Facebook: My Cat and Crafts

Happy crafting!