Fall Friends IG Card Making Hop - Week 9

Hello again friends; I hope you're having a wonderful Wednesday. I'm back with my card for Week 9 of the 'Fall Friends' IG card hop organised by my lovely friend Kelly. This week Diane is our hostess and she has chosen 'sweater weather' so think sweater die cuts, critters in sweaters or even just sweater type papers or embossing folders.  

I don't know why but I really procrastinated over this week's card.  I wasn't sure if I had an image wearing a sweater (although I'm sure I do) so put off making this card until the very last minute - why do I do this to myself lol!  Anyway once I put my mind to it I remembered that I had a die set from Spellbinders that included a bear in a sweater so I decided to use this.  As we are a fall challenge I kept my colours to a traditional fall palette.  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A close up of the adorable bear:

Plus I decorated the inside:

and the flap of the envelope too:

I began by die cutting the bear from various colours of card from my scraps bin.  I used an argyle embossing folder to emboss his sweater and lightly ink blended some colour onto it for some extra interest.  I used liquid glue to adhere him together.  I changed my mind so many times regarding what card/paper to use in the background but I'm happy with my final choices.  I cut a pale mustard panel 3 5/8" x 4 7/8" and used a die to cut the decorative edge.  I also cut a panel of patterned paper 4" x 5 1/4" and adhered them together with double sided tape.  I added the bear to the bottom of the panel with foam squares.  I searched for a suitable sentiment but eventually combined two separate sentiments to create the one I used and stamped it with black ink.  I used a large sentiment strip die to cut it out and added it to my panel with foam tape.  Instead of using foam tape to add my panel to my card base I used up some scrap off white card which I adhered with double sided tape.  This adds dimension but not too much bulk.  As a finishing touch I added crystal glaze to the bears eyes and nose so that they would be glossy and a few gold sequins.  For the inside I kept it simple this time; I cut a white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and added a strip of the patterned paper and a thin strip of the mustard card to the very bottom and stamped a sentiment in the centre with black ink. The panel was added to my card base with double sided tape.  As I had a small piece of the patterned paper left over I decorated the flap of the envelope too so everything is match-matchy lol!

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges:

Addicted to Stamps & More challenge - die cuts and/or stencils

Can You Handle The Pressure challenge - anything goes embossing optional twist pumpkins

Cardz 4 Galz challenge - showcase your patterned paper

Crafty Animals - ATG must include an animal

Crafty Catz challenge - ATG optional twist dies/punches

Critter Crazy challenge - ATG with a featured critter

Double D challenge - warm & cozy optional mood board

Girlz Creative Fun Art of Scrap challenge - must use patterned paper

Halloween & Other Occasions challenge - always birthday

Inkspirational challenge - layer it up (layered die cut and layered panels)

Love Those Pretty Papers challenge - ATG using patterned paper

Make My Monday challenge - wild animals (bears are wild)

I hope you will pop over to Instagram and check out the hop; use the hashtag #fallfriendscardhop2024 to see all the gorgeous creations and also if you want to participate we will be able to find you. 

I'll be back tomorrow with my card for the Krafty Chicks challenge so I hope you will pop back and check it out. Until then enjoy the rest of your day and thank you so much for stopping by.

Love and hugs,

card ingredients:

Spellbinders - festive friends die set (I only used the bear)

Spellbinders - checkered argyle embossing folder

Spellbinders - essential rectangles dies

Spellbinders - gold smooth disc color essentials sequins

Gina K Designs - all at once - all occasion clear stamp (for part of outside sentiment)

MFT - deer friends clear stamp (for part of outside sentiment)

Gina K Designs - ink pads - sweet mango, tangerine twist, kraft

Gina K Designs - large strip sentiments dies

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

LDRS Creative - happy fall 6" x 6" paper pad (no longer available)

Clearly Besotted - simply said birthday clear stamp (for inside sentiment) (retired)

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card (currently not available)

AAA Birthday challenge #67 - favourite image

Good morning friends and welcome to November!  The weather has been really nice this past week; crisp and dry days just as I like them.  I hope the weather has been kind wherever you are too.  

Today I'm sharing my card for this month's brand new challenge over at the AAA Birthday challenge. This month our theme is a fun one, use your 'favourite image'. We don't have a guest designer this month so our lovely blog coordinator Jane is stepping in and has made a card so please pop over to her blog and leave her some love. 

Of course we all have lots of favourite images but we would like you to share some of your favourites with us.  I have always loved the Penny Black stamps 'hedgie' images so it was an easy decision for me to use one of these this month.  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A close up of the cute hedgie

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by stamping my image onto alcohol marker friendly card but did some selective stamping as I didn't want the hearts this time.  I also took another Penny Black stamp and just stamped the butterfly from it in place of the hearts as I felt the hedgie should be looking at something.  It was quite simple to do with some masking tape (just remember to remove it before you stamp - I've forgotten before and it's quite the mess lol!).  I coloured the images with Promarkers and added some white gel pen highlights.  I wanted a clean and simple card so took my panel and used a wonky stitched die to create a decorative border and stamped a sentiment in the top right corner using black ink.  At the last minute I decided to add some light blue ink around my image so made a mask to protect my hedgie and blended the ink around it for a halo effect.  I cut a piece of black and white patterned paper and added that to my card base with double sided tape and then adhered the image panel on top with foam tape.  No embellishments again on this card as I liked the white space.  For the inside I cut another white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and stamped the image once again without the hearts using a very light grey ink.  I added a thin strip of the patterned paper on the very bottom of my panel using double sided tape and stamped a sentiment along the top of the paper in black ink.  This panel was added to my card base with double sided tape.  A really simple card but I think it's super cute and the hint of the black and white paper behind the panel looks really fun.  

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges:

Addicted to Stamps & More challenge - die cuts and/or stencils

As You Like It challenge - favourite critter (I agree with Wilma, I love all Penny Black critters but the hedgie is my favourite as he is so cute and I could colour him every day)

Crafty Catz challenge - ATG optional theme: dies/punches

Critter Crazy challenge - ATG with a featured critter

Everybody Art challenge - things with wings (please delete if my little butterfly is not appropriate)

Halloween & Other Occasions challenge - always birthday

I Love Promarkers challenge - ATG or flowers

Penny Black Saturday challenge - ATG optional: cute or spooky (obviously I went with cute)

Simply Clean and Simple challenge - anything CAS goes optional: Christmas is coming

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - ATG 

The Design Team have created amazing cards as always so please pop over to the blog and check them out and perhaps leave them some love on their personal blogs.   

I hope you will be able to join in with the challenge this month but don't forget it has to be birthday themed.  I can't wait to see your creations in the linky.

Thank you so much for stopping by and have a great weekend.

Love and hugs, 

card ingredients:

Penny Black - top of the world wooden stamp 3925H

Penny Black - baby hammock wooden stamp 2073J (for the butterfly)

Promarkers

Gina K Designs - blooming sunflower clear stamp (for outside sentiment)

Gina K designs - sea glass ink pad

Simon Says Stamp - wonky rectangles dies

Simon Says Stamp/CZ Design - birthday basics clear stamp (for inside sentiment)

MFT - black & white stripes 6x6 paper pack - currently oos

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card - currently not available but they have 240gsm in stock here

Heffy Doodle - alcohol marker friendly card - store sadly closed

Versafine - onyx black ink

Sakura - white no. 10 gelly roll pen

Krafty Chicks challenge #740 - Anything Goes

Good morning lovely friends.  I hope you're all doing ok and having a great week so far.  It's time for a new challenge over at Krafty Chicks challenge and as we have a 5 week month we have an extra 'anything goes' challenge for you, which on this occasion is hosted by Lori.  As the theme suggests you can make anything you like.  We hope you will come over and join in the fun with us. 

It was my friend's birthday recently so I used this opportunity to make her a card.  I bought a few things a few months ago when Heffy Doodle was closing down and especially bought this hot air balloon die as my friends loves them.  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A close up of the image:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by die cutting and assembling the hot air balloon.  It wasn't too difficult especially as Lesley at Heffy Doodle had done a quick how-to video that I could follow.   I decided to go for a pink theme as it looked pretty against my blue background.  I searched through my stash and thought this fox would look ok in the basket, so I stamped him onto alcohol marker friendly card and coloured him with Promarkers.  I did have to do some detail fussy cutting and used a memento marker to go around the edges to make it look more finished but overall I think it looks pretty good.  I attached him into the basket with liquid glue.  I cut a white panel 4 3/4" x 6 3/4" and used a cloud stencil and some sea glass ink to create my cloud background.  I decided on placement for my balloon but before I stuck it down I stamped my sentiments in black ink.  The hot air balloon was then added with foam squares.  I added a black mat layer and then the panel was added to my card base with foam tape.   For the inside I cut another white panel and ink blended some clouds at the very bottom.  I die cut some extra bunting from the hot air balloon and adhered it with liquid glue.  I thought it looked like it was trailing in the breeze.  I stamped a sentiment in black ink in the centre of the panel.  Again I added a black mat layer and the panel was added to my card base with double sided tape.  I'm really happy with my card and think it turned out super cute.  

I would like to add my card into the following challenges:

Addicted to Stamps & More challenge - die cuts/stencils (die cut balloon/stencilled clouds)

Allsorts challenge - cute and/or cuddly (full list of supplies at bottom of post)

A Place to Start challenge - ATG optional theme: use the colour pink

Crafty Catz challenge - ATG optional use dies/punches

Day of the Month Card Club challenge - National Tic Tac Day - die/scene/friends

I Love Promarkers challenge - ATG or flowers

Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge - stencil it (cloud stencil in background)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - ATG

Stencil Fun challenge - must use a stencil optional theme: anything Halloween

The Cutie Pie challenge - pink and pretty

Try a Sketch on Tuesday challenge - sketch #657

I hope you will be able to join us for our 'Anything Goes'' challenge and I cannot wait to see your creations in our linky.  Please leave some love for my fellow chicks - Leanne, Diane and Lori.  

Thank you so much for stopping by; I appreciate your lovely comments. 

Love and hugs, 

card ingredients:

Heffy Doodle - hot air balloon die set (store now sadly closed)

Neat & Tangled - so foxy stamp set (store sadly closed in 2021)

Promarkers

MFT - mini cloud edges stencil (retired)

Gina K Designs - delicate flowers stamp set (for outside sentiments)

Gina K Designs - sea glass ink pad

Uniko Stamps - birthday wishes stamp set (for inside sentiment)

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card (currently not available but they have 240gsm in stock here)

Hobbycraft - A4 black card

Heffy Doodle - alcohol marker friendly card (store now sadly closed)

Sakura - no. 10 white gelly roll pen

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

pre-made 5" x 7" card black

Fall Friends IG Card Making Hop - Week 8

Hello again friends; I hope you're having a wonderful Wednesday. I'm back with my card for Week 8 of the 'Fall Friends' IG card hop organised by my lovely friend Kelly. For Week 8 we have special edition 'anything goes' week so we are celebrating all things Halloween, autumn or beautiful harvest.  

I don't usually make a lot of Halloween cards as I don't send them but I fancied a change from autumn this week and besides they will look cute on my shelf for a few weeks lol!  I ended up making two cards as they were very clean and simple designs and took minutes to make!  I hope you like them.

Here are both cards together:

This is card 1:

and a close up of the image:

Plus I decorated the inside:

Here is card 2:

Again a close up of the images:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by cutting a white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and using a circle mask ink blended some orange and purple inks in the upper centre of the panel.  I stamped my images in black ink and went with the batty for you sentiment, again stamped in black ink.  I did trim the panel down to 3 3/4" x 5" and adhered it to my card base with foam tape.  For the inside panel I decided to add a circle in the bottom left corner, again using the orange and purple inks and stamping the tree, bird and bat.  I also stamped the Happy Halloween sentiment along side it at the bottom of the panel.  However once I had finished it I decided I really liked it and kept it as the front panel of my second card instead.  So I needed another inside panel for my first card.  I ink blended the same inks, stamped the tree, bird and bat and then placed the sentiment in the centre of the panel.  This was adhered to the card base with double sided tape.  As I already had the second card front completed I just needed to do the inside.  Once again I replicated the inside of my first card but added a ghostly greetings sentiment instead.  As a final touch on both my cards I sprayed through the masks with a spray I made with perfect pearls and water for a shimmery effect (although it was hard to capture in the photos).  No embellishments as I wanted my cards to remain clean and simple.  

I would like to enter my cards into the following challenges:

AAA Cards challenge - anything CAS goes optional twist Halloween

Addicted to CAS challenge - Halloween

Addicted to Stamps & More challenge - die cuts and/or stencils (I used circle stencils)

CAS on Friday challenge - use the corner of your card (card 2)

Craft Rocket challenge - autumn or Halloween

Crafty Gals Corner challenge - make it spooky

Fab 'n' Funky challenge - autumn/Halloween

Inkspirational challenge - season - fall (Halloween)

Just Us Girls challenge - stencil week (I used circle stencils)

Make My Monday challenge - spooky/Halloween

Papercraft challenges - spooky season

Simply Create Too challenge - Halloween/Halloween colours

Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge - stencil it (I used circle stencils)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - ATG

Stencil Fun challenge - must use a stencil optional theme: anything Halloween

Sweet Stampin' challenge - Hallowe'en or colour of Hallowe'en

The Dream Factory challenge - anything goes Halloween

Lots of Halloween challenges around this week (of course!).

I hope you will pop over to Instagram and check out the hop; use the hashtag #fallfriendscardhop2024 to see all the gorgeous creations and also if you want to participate we will be able to find you.

I'll be back tomorrow with my card for the Krafty Chicks challenge so I hope you will pop back and check it out. Until then enjoy the rest of your day and thank you so much for stopping by.

Love and hugs,

Card ingredients:

Clearly Besotted Stamps - fright night stamp set - retired

MFT Stamps - Fab-boo-lous friends stamp set - retired 

Taylored Expressions - masking stencils - circles

Gina K Designs - ink pads - tangerine twist and wild wisteria

Versafine - onyx black ink cube

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card - currently not available but they have 240gsm in stock here)

Krafty Chicks challenge #739 - All Occasions

Good morning lovely friends.  I hope you're all doing ok and having a great week so far.  It's time for a new challenge over at Krafty Chicks challenge and we are on Week 4 which means Lori is our hostess, and our theme as always is 'All Occasions'.  We hope you will come over and join in the fun with us. 

My husband's cousin passed away recently so I needed a sympathy card to send to his auntie & uncle and I thought this challenge was the perfect opportunity.  I know we all dislike making these types of cards but when I do need to make them I take my time and make them as calming and elegant as I can.  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by cutting a white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and using an acrylic block (very old school) I randomly stamped the leaf and flower images in blue ink; I actually did second generation stamping as the blue was too bright on first generation stamping.  I used the same colour ink and blended around the stamping to soften it.  I cut a piece of vellum and tore one side so that it would look quite organic.  I adhered the vellum to the panel with double sided tape on the back.  I stamped the sentiment in black ink and adhered the panel to a black mat with double sided tape.  The panel was added to the card base with foam tape.  I don't usually add embellishments to sympathy cards as I don't want them to look too sparkly.  For the inside I stamped the leaves and flowers at the bottom of the white panel and again lightly inked blended around the stamping.  I stamped the sentiment in black ink in the centre.  I adhered the white panel to a black mat with double sided tape and added it to the card base with double sided tape.  I love this card and I think it is elegant but respectful at the same time.  

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges:

Addicted to Stamps & More challenge - any occasion

CRAFT challenge - ATG

Crafty Calendar challenge - ATG

Creative Moments challenge - monochrome

My Time To Craft challenge - monochrome

I hope you will be able to join us for our 'All Occasions'' challenge and I cannot wait to see your creations in our linky.  Please leave some love for my fellow chicks - Leanne, Diane and Lori.  

Thank you so much for stopping by; I appreciate your lovely comments. 

Love and hugs, 

Card ingredients:

Gina K Designs - with sympathy stamp set

Gina K Designs - blue raspberry ink pad

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card - currently not available but they have 240gsm in stock here

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

Stampin' Up! - card stock vellum - no longer available 

Hobbycraft - A4 black card

Fall Friends IG Card Making Hop - Week 7

Hello again friends; I hope you're having a wonderful Wednesday. I'm back with my card for Week 7 of the 'Fall Friends' IG card hop organised by my lovely friend Kelly. For Week 7 Rebecca & Renee are our hostesses and they have chosen 'fall sports or autumn outdoors'.

The fall sports/tailgate activity isn't really a thing in the UK so I decided to go with the autumn outdoors/nature theme this week.  I am still into my ink smooshing so did that again this week.  I hope you like it. 

Here is my card:

A closer look at the ink smooshing:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by cutting a white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and stamped the tree in the centre with black ink.  I let that dry for a while before using my ink smoosher 'tool' (see last week's post) and some autumn colours of ink to create my tree.  I did go over it again with some darker inks but overall I think it looks cool.  Once the panel was dry I decided to trim down my panel to 3 1/4" x 4 1/2" and added a brown mat layer behind with double sided tape.  I hand cut a small curved piece of the brown card and heat embossed the  sentiment before trimming to fit below my tree; again adding it with double sided tape.  I cut another white panel 3 7/8" x 5 1/8" and used a leaf embossing folder to add some texture.  Again I added a brown mat behind with double sided tape.  I added the embossed panel to the card base with double sided tape and then layered on the tree panel with foam tape.  No embellishments this time as I didn't think it needed anything extra.  For the inside I cut a white panel 3 7/8" x 5 1/8" and ink smooshed the same colours at the very bottom of the panel.  I then stamped part of the tree over the top in black ink.  No sentiment as I thought I could add something when I needed the card.  I added a brown mat layer with double sided tape and the whole panel was also added to my card base with double sided tape.  A fairly simple card but I think it screams autumn.  

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges:

Addicted to Stamps & More challenge - any occasion

Aud Sentiments challenge - embossing and/or fall + sentiment

Can You Handle the Pressure challenge - must use an embossing folder optional theme: monsters/halloween

Colorful Options challenge - orange

Craft Rocket challenge - autumn and/or halloween

Craft Catz challenge - anything goes optional theme: autumn colours

Creative Inspirations challenge - the season of autumn

Daisy Chain challenge - autumn and/or halloween

Fab 'n' Funky challenge - autumn/halloween

Incy Wincy Designs challenge - autumn and/or more than one fold

Inkspirational challenge - seasonal

Just Us Girls challenge - mood board

Little Red Wagon challenge - emboss it

Stamping Sensations challenge - autumn colours (supplies listed at bottom of post)

The Four Seasons challenge - anything goes fall

The Male Room challenge - trees

Unicorn challenge - autumn and/or halloween

We Love Stamping challenge - autumn (supplies listed at bottom of post)

Lots of autumn/autumn colours challenges around at the moment!

I hope you will pop over to Instagram and check out the hop; use the hashtag #fallfriendscardhop2024 to see all the gorgeous creations and also if you want to participate we will be able to find you.

I'll be back tomorrow with my card for the Krafty Chicks challenge so I hope you will pop back and check it out. Until then enjoy the rest of your day and thank you so much for stopping by.

Love and hugs,

Card ingredients:

SSS/Gina K Designs Stamptember exclusive - stay cozy stamp set (no longer available)

Gina K Designs - falling leaves embossing folder

Gina K Designs - harvest silhouettes stamp set (for sentiment)

Gina K Designs - white pigment ink cube

Gina K Designs - ink pads - wild dandelion, sweet mango, cherry red, tangerine twist, red hot

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

WoW! - opaque bright white super fine embossing powder

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card - currently not available but they have 240gsm in stock here

brown card from stash

homemade ink smoosher!