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Wednesday, 20 November 2024

Fall Friends IG Card Hop - Week 11

Hello again friends; I hope you're having a wonderful Wednesday. I'm back with my card for Week 11 of the 'Fall Friends' IG card hop organised by my lovely friend Kelly. This week is our penultimate week and our theme is 'gratitude or fall florals'. A really fun theme this week and you could make a thank you or thanksgiving card or simply go for a fall floral card, which is what I did.
I needed a card for friend so what better to use than flowers and sunflowers are perfect for fall and so pretty too.  I made a 5" x 7" card as it was for someone special.  I hope you like it. 
Here is my card:
A close up of the sunflower:
I decorated the inside:
I began by cutting a panel of ivory card 4 1/8" x 6 3/8" and embossing it with an embossing folder and adhered it to a kraft card mat with double sided tape.  I stamped two of the sunflower images onto alcohol marker friendly card and coloured them with my Promarkers (although I've noticed that I forgot to colour the centre of the top sunflower - oops!).  I used the matching dies to cut them out.  I cut a strip of the ivory card 4 1/4" x 1 1/4" and adhered it to a kraft card mat with double sided tape.  I then added this onto the centre of embossed panel with double sided tape.  I stamped and die cut the sentiment from the same stamp set and die cut the friend word from dark yellow card; I also cut the friend word from white card and layered them together for some dimension.  Both the sentiments were added to the strip with liquid glue.  I added the sunflowers to opposite corners with foam squares.  The whole panel was then added to my card base with foam tape.  As a finishing touch I die cut some circles from the dark yellow card, adhered them to my panel with liquid glue and then added crystal glaze over the top to make my own enamel-type embellishments that matched my sentiment perfectly.  For the inside I cut a white panel 4 1/2" x 6 1/2" and adhered it to a kraft card mat with double sided tape.  I stamped the sunflower in a light beige ink in the bottom left corner and added a strip of the ivory card that I embossed with the embossing folder.  I also added a strip of the kraft card above this.   I stamped the sentiment in the upper centre of the panel with black ink.  I added the whole panel onto my card base with double sided tape.  

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

Addicted to Stamps & More challenge - make your mark (coloured with Promarkers)
Beautiful Blossoms challenge - anything floral goes optional mood board
Can You Handle The Pressure challenge - anything embossing goes optional coffee/cocoa/warm drinks
Crafty Gals Corner challenge - ATG optional twist: use 3+ layers
Fab 'n' Funky challenge - dies and/or punches
I Love Promarkers challenge - ATG or Xmas colours
Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge - emboss it (I used an embossing folder)
Triple B challenge - use at least 1 bird, bloom or butterfly optional mood board 

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:
Gina K Designs - lattice embossing folder
Gina K Designs - filled with sunshine stamp set (for inside sentiment)
Gina K Designs - lots of dots die set (to cut circles)
Gina K Designs - intra-cut exclusive die set (for friend word)
Gina K Designs - sandy beach ink pad
Gina K Designs - kraft card 
Promarkers
Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card - not currently available
Heffy Doodle - alcohol marker friendly card - store now closed
Versafine - onyx black ink pad
Tonic Studios - Nuvo crystal glaze
yellow and ivory card from stash

Thursday, 14 November 2024

Krafty Chicks challenge #742 - Christmas

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.  This week is Week 2 and as always the theme is 'Christmas' and I am your hostess.  We want to see all your festive creations this week, and as the big day is not that far away now I'm sure we will have lots of entries.  We hope you will come over and join in the fun with us. 
I wanted to make a pink Christmas card this week, as I haven't made one yet, and I think they look so pretty.  I went fairly clean and simple once again and my card took no time at all to complete.  I hope you like it. 
Here is my card:
A close up of the cute die cuts:
Plus I decorated the inside:
I began by cutting a white panel 4" x 5 1/4"; I took a pink ink pad and smooshed some ink onto the top centre portion of the panel.  I also added some pink ink splatter and white gouache splatter for some extra interest.  I had some die cuts ready cut and left over from last year so decided to grab them and use them up.  I chose 2 houses, 1 tree and a cute tiny snowman.  I added 3 layers to each and adhered them together with liquid glue.  Using a t-square ruler I placed them onto the panel with liquid glue.  I stamped a sentiment in the same pink ink and die cut it out with a sentiment strip die.  I added this with foam squares below the houses.  I finished off with a few pink pearls.  The panel was added to a pink card base (for a change) with foam tape.  For the inside I cut another white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and ink smooshed along the bottom of the panel.  I added one house and a snowman in the left bottom corner and stamped a sentiment in black ink.  The panel was added to the card base with double sided tape.  A really simple card but the pink colour along with the white die cuts really packs a punch I think. 

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

The 12 months of Christmas challenge - anything Christmas goes optional all stitched up
Addicted to Stamps & More challenge - make your mark (ink smooshed my background)
Allsorts challenge - Christmas
Alphabet challenge - Q for quick & easy
Aud Sentiments challenge - glitter and/or Christmas + sentiment
Christmas BINGO challenge - column I - make your own background, free, clean & simple, smooshing
Daisy Chain challenge - Christmas and/or winter
Die Cut Divas challenge - any holiday of the year (Christmas)
Incy Wincy Designs challenge - ATG optional theme: Christmas card with handmade background (ink smooshed my background)
Merry Little Christmas challenge - anything Christmas goes
Simply Clean and Simple challenge - anything CAS goes optional theme: Christmas is coming
The Dream Factory challenge - anything goes Christmas optional theme: funny cards
Unicorn challenge - Christmas and/or winter

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

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

Love and hugs, 

card ingredients:
Gina K Designs - winter wonderland die set
Gina K Designs - innocent pink ink pad
Gina K Designs - sentiment strips dies
MFT - itty bitty holiday clear stamp - retired
Personal Impressions/Paula Pascual - Christmas messages clear stamp - retired
Limetree Crafts - 250gsm smooth white card - currently not available
Winsor & Newtonpermanent white gouache
Pink card from stash

Wednesday, 13 November 2024

Fall Friends IG Card Hop - Week 10

Hello again friends; I hope you're having a wonderful Wednesday. I'm back with my card for Week 10 of the 'Fall Friends' IG card hop organised by my lovely friend Kelly. This week Kelly is our hostess and she has chosen 'baked goods' and although we are a fall hop we are so close to Christmas that we are now also including winter/holiday creations.  You could go with apple pie, cookies, gingerbread so lots of yummy foods to choose from.  
I don't really need any more fall cards so I thought I would go with a Christmas card this week and wanted to use this adorable gingerbread die that I discovered in my stash.  I had a layout in my mind and die cut quite a few of the gingerbread people but changed my mind and only ended up using 2 so I have lots left over for more cards so perhaps you will see them again soon lol! 
Here is my card:
A close up of the gingerbread:
Plus I decorated the inside:
I began by die cutting the gingerbread and all the tiny pieces to decorate them using scrap card from my scraps bin.  I assembled them using liquid glue (which was the longest part of the whole card, especially as I originally die cut about 10 of them!).  I had a piece of brown dotty paper on my desk left over from another project and thought it matched my gingerbread perfectly.  I cut the paper to 3 7/8" x 5 1/8" and added a thin red mat layer behind with double sided tape.  I die cut a fish tail banner from some woodgrain pattern paper and again cut another one from red card as a mat layer (I had to trim the pattern paper ever so slightly as I didn't have a nesting banner so used the same one for both layers).  I added the banner to my base layer with foam tape and added the gingerbread people with foam squares.  I die cut the 'sweet' word 3 times from red card and adhered them together with liquid glue; I then also adhered it to the banner with liquid glue.  I stamped a sentiment in red ink and die cut it with a sentiment strip die.  I adhered this below the sweet word with a mix of liquid glue and foam tape.  Rather than add embellishments I die cut some hearts from the kraft card and added some white gel pen details to make them look a little like heart cookies.  I added these around the gingerbread with liquid glue.  The panel was then added to my card base with double sided tape.  For the inside I cut a white panel 3 7/8" x 5 1/8" and again added a red mat layer with double sided tape.  I took a strip of the woodgrain paper and added it to the bottom of the panel with double sided tape and above that adhered a thin strip of red card with liquid glue.  I had badly cut one of my gingerbread so decided to cut him in half and added him over the woodgrain paper with liquid glue.  I also added one of the heart cookies.  I stamped a sentiment in black ink in the centre of the panel and this was then added to my card base with double sided tape.  A really fun card and I'm really happy with it.  I hope you like it too. 

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

The 12 months of Christmas challenge - anything Christmas goes optional all stitched up
Allsorts challenge - Christmas
Aud Sentiments challenge - glitter and/or Christmas + sentiment
Craft Rocket challenge - Christmas and/or winter
Daisy Chain challenge - Christmas and/or winter
Day of the Month Card Club challenge - national gingerbread cookie day
Die Cut Divas challenge - any holiday of the year (Christmas)
Jingle Belles challenge - Christmas feast
Merry Little Christmas challenge - anything Christmas goes
Unicorn challenge - Christmas and/or winter

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 - stocking full of joy die set (for gingerbread) - retired
Spellbinders - sweet treat box die set (for sweet word)
Spellbinders - holiday besties clear stamp (for inside sentiment)
MFT - tag builder blueprints 6 (for hearts)
MFT - blueprints 13 (for fishtail banner) - retired
MFT - my itty bitty holiday clear stamp (for outside sentiment) ? retired
Gina K Designs - sentiment strips dies
Gina K Designs - warm cocoa ink pad (to add dimension to my gingerbread)
Gina K Designs - red hot ink pad
Limetree Crafts - 250gsm smooth white card (not currently available)
Patterned paper from a pad I bought in TK Maxx
red and kraft card from scraps bin
Versafine - onyx black ink pad

Tuesday, 12 November 2024

Try It On Tuesday challenge - guest designer

Good morning lovely friends.  I know I don't normally post on a Tuesday but I was asked to be a guest designer for the Try It On Tuesday challenge and I happily accepted.  Their challenge starts today and runs for 2 weeks and the theme is 'sparkle all the way'.  

Guest Designer
I was originally going to make a birthday card for a friend but sparkle at this time of year makes me think of snowflakes so I caved and made a Christmas card.  I hope you like it.
Here is my card:
A close up of the snowflakes:
Plus I decorated the inside:
I began by die cutting my snowflakes from glitter card and also a further 2 times from white card.  I adhered them together with liquid glue.  I cut a white card panel 3 7/8" x 5 1/8" and stamped a snowy background in a light grey ink.  I also cut a mat layer from silver mirri card 4" x 5 1/4" and adhered them together with double sided tape.  I cut the joy word from the silver mirri card and also a further 2 times from white card and again adhered them together with liquid glue.  I found a pre-printed sentiment strip that said wishing you joy so die cut with a sentiment strip die but cut off the word joy.  I added the snowflakes more towards the lower left corner with liquid glue and added the joy word and sentiment strip on top with liquid glue.  I finished with some silver sequins. I added the panel to the card base with foam tape. For the inside I cut the same white and silver panels and partially stamped the snowy background in just the bottom left corner.  I also added one snowflake with liquid glue.  I adhered the panels with double sided tape and also attached them to my card base with double sided tape.  It's hard to capture all the sparkle but hopefully you can see some of it; it's really sparkly in real life.  

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

The 12 months of Christmas challenge - anything Christmas goes optional all stitched up
Addicted to Stamps and More challenge - die cuts and/or stencils
Allsorts challenge - Christmas (full list of supplies at bottom of post)
Aud Sentiments challenge - glitter and/or Christmas + sentiment
Christmas Bingo challenge - Column I - make your own background, free, CAS, glitter
Craft Rocket challenge - Christmas and/or winter
Daisy Chain challenge - Christmas and/or winter
Die Cut Divas challenge - any holiday of the year (I chose Christmas)
Little Red Wagon challenge - white lightning (I thought snow)
Merry Little Christmas challenge - anything Christmas goes
Peace On Earth challenge - anything Christmas related 
Simply Clean and Simple challenge - anything CAS goes optional theme: Christmas is coming 
Tic Tac Toe - die cut/metallic element/festive sentiment
Unicorn challenge - Christmas and/or winter
Word Power - challenge #11 (make the sentiment the focus)

I know this will be a popular challenge as everyone likes a bit of sparkle don't they?  I can wait to see what you all come up with.  I would like to thank Jo and all the team at Try It On Tuesday for approaching me to be a guest designer and I would suggest you go and check out their amazing creations too.  

Have a wonderful day everyone; I appreciate you stopping by.  

Love and hugs, 

card ingredients:
Clearly Besotted Stamps - snowflake trio die collection - retired
Funky Fossil Designs - festive word dies
Gina K Designs - winter cheer sentiment strips - not available
Gina K Designs - sentiment strip dies
Gina K Designs - soft stone ink pad
MFT - my bitty holiday clear stamp set (for inside sentiment) - not available
silver mirri card from stash (I've lost the packaging)
Versafine - onyx black ink pad

Thursday, 7 November 2024

Krafty Chicks challenge #741 - stamps

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.  This week we are back to Week 1 and as always the theme is 'stamps' and our hostess is Leanne.  We want to see all your stamps this week, whether that is clear, red rubber or digi, we don't mind.  We hope you will come over and join in the fun with us. 
I was in the mood to make something one layer and clean and simple this week.  I used a colour challenge that took my eye and got to work.  I'm not entirely happy with it but I think it turned out ok; let me know what you think.  
Here is my card:
A close up of the image:
Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by cutting a white panel 4" x 5 1/4".  I stamped the background stamp in a gradient of red inks and then decided to trim my panel down slightly to 3 7/8" x 5 1/8".  The dandelion clock stamps are two-step stamps so I began by stamping the stems and then the tops in black ink.  I then stamped the sentiment in the lower left corner and a few extra seeds above it to balance the layout.  For a final touch I added some stickles glitter glue onto the seeds for a bit of sparkle.  For dimension I added some scrap panels of off white card that I don't use instead of foam tape behind the panel with double sided tape.  I also added the panel to the card base with double sided tape.  For the inside I cut the same size white panel and stamped part of the background stamp in the bottom left corner.  I also stamped the smaller dandelion clock and a few seeds.  I stamped the sentiment in the centre of the panel in black ink.  I added the panel to the card base with double sided tape.  A really quick and easy card today.

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

Aud Sentiments challenge - glitter and/or Christmas + sentiment
Beautiful Blossoms challenge - anything floral goes optional mood board
Color Hues challenge - red and black
Colorful Options challenge - red optional mood board

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

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

Love and hugs, 

card ingredients:
Uniko Stamps - floral vines clear stamp (for sentiment)
Versafine - onyx black ink pad
Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card (currently not available)

Wednesday, 6 November 2024

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
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)
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
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)