Stencil Fun IG Hop - Oct 26

Hello friends; I here to share my card for the Stencil Fun IG Hop organised by my lovely friend Jane. We are a group of crafters who are determined to use their forgotten and neglected stencils. I'm definitely guilty of this; I have so many stencils but usually forget to reach for them so this hop is perfect for me. The theme is always anything goes but we will have an optional theme to use if we want to. This month's optional theme is 'abstract/splatter and I'm sure there will be lots of fantastic and colourful creations.  I'm excited to see what everyone has made.

I used a stencil from Uniko appropriately called 'abstract triangles' for my background and loved the colours from the current Colorful Options challenge of black, red and orange.  I also added some spatter with white gouache.  The background screamed Halloween to me so that is what I made.  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

a closer look at the details:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I started with a white panel 4" x 5 1/4" (but will cut it down later) and stencilled the abstract design using black, red and orange ink pads (starting from the outside and working in towards the centre).  I think it turned out fantastic and looks really striking.  I decided to cut it down using a stitched rectangle die and also cut the next size up from black card to create the look of a wide frame.  I added some scrap black card behind the stencilled panel for dimension and adhered it to the black panel with liquid glue.  The background was perfect for a Halloween card so die cut some spooky shapes from black card and added them onto the background with liquid glue.  I stamped and white heat embossed the sentiment and used a sentiment strips die to cut it out.  I added the sentiment with foam squares.  The panel was adhered to my card base using double sided tape.  For the inside I cut another white panel and stencilled at the bottom using the same inks.  I die cut it using the stitched rectangle and also cut another bigger one from black card.  I die cut another tree and bird from black card and added them to the bottom of the panel using liquid glue.  I stamped the sentiment in the centre of the panel using black ink and added the panel onto my card base using double sided tape.  

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

* be updated *

We hope you will be inspired by our Stencil Fun Instagram Hop and will pop over and check out all the gorgeous cards along the way. If you would like to join us please visit my Instagram page or use the hashtag #stencilfunoct2026 and we will find you.

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Lots of love,

card supplies:

Uniko - abstract triangles stencil

Clearly Besotted - fright night stamp & die set

Simon Says Stamp - stitched rectangles die set

Gina K Designs - ink pads - cherry red and tangerine twist

Gina K Designs - large strip sentiments die set

MFT - extreme black hybrid ink pad (for blending)

WOW! - opaque bright white super fine embossing powder

Winsor & Newton - white gouache (for spatters)

Limetree Craft - 280gsm silky smooth white card (not available but other options are here and here)

Limetree Craft - 300gsm smooth white card

Limetree Craft - 220gsm black card

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad (for sentiment)

I have Affiliate Links for the Gina K Designs store. If you are considering making a purchase I would appreciate you using my links as it will earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you. 

Thank you x

CASE IT IG Hop - October 26

Hello again friends. I hope you've had a great start to your weekend. I'm here to share this month's card for the CASE IT Instagram Hop where we find a project on Instagram that inspires us and we will share that project as well as the project we’ve created. There are so many beautiful creations on Instagram the only difficult part is narrowing down which one to CASE (which means Copy And Share Everything).

This month I was inspired by @houses_built_with_cards and as soon as I saw Heather's cards I was in love, although I could have chosen any of her cards as she is so talented.  I loved the clean and simple layouts, the stripes and of course that I could make a two-fer!!  I have to say that I kept pretty much to Heather's design, using the circles and stripes but changed up the colours and sentiments.  I also used sequins instead of her enamel dots.  You can definitely see that my cards were inspired by hers! Here are her cards for my inspiration:

Aren't her cards just amazing? Using Ardyth's LIMES process (you can watch her video here) we list what we see - she has used blues as her main colours, a die cut circle, stamped sentiments, blue enamel dots and a clean and simple design.  So as I mentioned I pretty much followed Heather's layout and style but changed my colours to bright pink, orange and yellow and my paper is stripes instead of woodgrain.  I used different sentiments and also swapped her enamel dots for black sequins.  I hope you like them.

Here are my cards:

A closer look at card 1:

Plus I decorated the inside:

A closer look at card 2:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by cutting a white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and cut some strips from my pink, orange and yellow scraps.  I laid onto the panel at an angle using liquid glue and took a circle die and cut it out of the panel.  For the first card I took another white panel the same size and laid it behind the striped panel with the cut out circle using foam squares.  I stamped the gorgeous bold sentiment using black ink onto the back panel and added some black sequins to finish.  I added the panel onto my card base using double sided tape.  For the inside I added some strips of the coloured card to the bottom of a white panel with liquid glue and stamped a sentiment in the centre using black ink.  The panel was then adhered to my card base using double sided tape.  

For the second card I used the cut out circle, although I think my stripes were a little bigger than Heather's and didn't leave much room for my sentiment, so I cut a second white circle, trimmed down the striped circle slightly and added it over the plain one with liquid glue.  I stamped the sentiment in black ink at the top of the circle and added foam squares behind.  I cut another white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and a piece of black and white striped paper to 2" x 5 1/4" and added it to the panel with liquid glue.  I added the circle on top and finished off with some black sequins.  For the inside I cut another white panel and added a strip of the striped pattern paper at the bottom before stamping the sentiment in the centre with black ink.  The panel was adhered to the card base with double sided tape. 

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

* to be updated * 

We hope you will be inspired by our CASE IT Instagram Hop and will pop over and check out all the gorgeous cards along the way. If you would like to join us please visit my Instagram page or use the hashtag #caseithop and we will find you.

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Lots of love

card supplies:

Waffle Flower - nesting circles dies

Reverse Confetti - friendly floras stamp (for bold sentiment)

Gina K Designs - sketched roses mini stamp (for birthday sentiment)

MFT - let's celebrate clear stamp (for inside sentiment on birthday card)

MFT - black & white stripes 6x6 paper pack

Clearly Besotted - a little sentiment clear stamp (for inside sentiment on thank you card)

Spellbinders - black smooth disc color essentials sequins

Limetree Craft - 280gsm silky smooth white card (not available but other options are here and here)

Limetree Craft - 300gsm smooth white card

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

coloured card from my scraps bin

Seize the Birthday challenge - surprise guest card

Hello friends, me again; Thursday are becoming such a busy day for me on my blog lol!  I was lucky enough to win a recent challenge so I am guest designing (or the surprise guest as they call it) for the Seize the Birthday challenge.

The theme for this challenge is 'double frame' which is really fun.

This is such a great theme and there are so many ways to use 2 frames on your card.  I took the 'easy' route and laid one frame on top of each other but you could offset them, add images inside them; I can't wait to see what everyone makes.  I used a new-to-me die set from Spellbinders and isn't the panda super adorable.  I think it turned out super cute and I hope you like it.   

Here is my card:

A closer look at the cute panda:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by die cutting my frames from black card and the inner piece from orange gingham paper (I'm loving these Memory Box papers are the moment) and adhered them together with liquid glue.  I added foam squares behind the smaller frame and added it onto the larger frame.  I die cut all the pieces for the  panda from black and white card and the bow from light orange card, adhering them together with liquid glue.  To make him more in keeping for a birthday I die cut a balloon and party hat from a different spellbinders set from the light orange card and the bobble from the gingham paper.  I added the panda onto the smaller frame using foam squares.  I stamped a simple happy birthday in black onto white card and used a sentiment strips die to cut it out.  I added the sentiment across the legs of the panda using a mix of foam squares and liquid glue.  I didn't add any embellishments as I liked it as it was.  The panel was the adhered to my card base using double sided tape.  For the inside I cut the same large black frame and a white inner but also cut a slightly larger rectangle from the gingham paper to layer between, which I did with liquid glue.  I die cut a second panda and added him to the bottom of the frame with liquid glue and stamped a sentiment in the centre with black ink.  The panel was adhered to my card base using double sided tape.  

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

* to be updated * 

I would like to thank Nancy and all the Team at Seize the Birthday for inviting me to be a guest for this fun challenge and I hope you will pop over and leave them some love.  

Enjoy the rest of your day and thanks for stopping by.

Love and hugs, 

card supplies:

Spellbinders - dancin' birthday panda die set - on sale!

Spellbinders - birthday bliss die set DOM-Nov24 (for balloon & party hat)

Spellbinders - lots of wishing you sentiments clear stamp (for outside sentiment)

Spellbinders - envelope of wonder clear stamp 

Avery Elle - large pierced scallop die set

Memory Box - mango gingham paper

Gina K Designs - sentiment strips die set

Limetree Craft - 280gsm silky smooth white card (not available but other options are here and here)

Limetree Craft - 220gsm black card

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

I have Affiliate Links for the Gina K Designs store. If you are considering making a purchase I would appreciate you using my links as it will earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you x

Just Us Girls challenge #844 - Word Week

Hello again everyone and welcome back to my blog. I am here to share my card for this week's Just Us Girls challenge and this week is Word Week and Carol Mc has given us the theme of 'move'. This means she would like to see a card with any of the following: interactive, fun fold, a rocker card, pop-up, easel card, bridge card, shaker, wobbler, spinner, a tab to pull something, a sliding mechanism etc.  Something on your card must physically move, shake, slide or open.  I can't wait to see what you create and I hope you can join in the fun with us.  Our guest this month is Carrie Sheridan so please pop over and show her some love.

I originally was going to make a rocker card but changed my mind at the last moment.  I went fairly simple in the end and created a square column pop up card, which is so easy to make (there is a tutorial here if you would like to check it out).  I used papers and ephemera for my card and it turned out really pretty.  I hope you like it too.   There is slight photo overload today so I'm apologising up front lol! 

Here is my card (it folds down flat for mailing):

A slightly different angle:

Looking down on the card:

A closer look at the details:

Plus I decorated the back:

I began by cutting a white panel 10 1/8" x 5 1/2" and scored on the long side at 4 1/4″, 5 3/4″, 7 1/4″ and 8 3/4″.  I added double sided tape to the last panel and adhered it to the card.  I cut my black mats for the columns at 1 1/4" x 5 1/4 and the leafy patterned paper 1 1/8" x 5 1/8" and adhered them together using liquid glue.  For the front panel I cut a black mat 3" x 5 1/4" and the pink paper 2 7/8" x 5 1/8.   I added all the panels to the card base using liquid glue.  I cut two black stitched circles and 2 slightly smaller plain white circles and adhered them together with liquid glue.  I added these onto the front column with foam squares.  I added the ephemera onto the circles with a mix of foam squares and liquid glue.  I stamped and white heat embossed my sentiment onto black card and used the coordinating die to cut it out.  I added it between the two circles using liquid glue.  I finished off with some tiny black pearls.  For the back of the card I cut a black mat 4" x 5 1/4" and a white panel 3 7/8" x 5 1/8" and adhered them together with liquid glue.  I cut a 1 1/8" x 4" strip of leafy paper and a 1 1/4" x 4" black mat and added them to the bottom of the panel using liquid glue.  I added one more piece of ephemera in the bottom right corner.  I stamped and white heat embossed another sentiment onto black card and used the coordinating die to cut it out and used liquid glue to adhere it to centre of the panel.  The panel was then adhered to the card base using double sided tape.  

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges

* to be updated * 

I can't wait to see all your bold creations this week and look forward to seeing your entries in the linky. Please pop over to the challenge blog and leave some love for the rest of the design team. 

I appreciate you stopping by.  I have one more card for you today so please, if you are able, pop back and check it out. 

Love and hugs,

card supplies:

Gina K Designs - watercolor floral ephemera pack

Gina K Designs - watercolor floral 6x6 patterned paper pack (for leafy paper)

Gina K Designs - feathers & fauna card kit (for pink paper)

Gina K Designs - master layouts 03 (for circle dies)

Gina K Designs - picture perfect greetings stamp & die set (for outside sentiment)

Gina K Designs - springy sketches stamp & die set (for back sentiment)

Gina K Designs - white pigment ink cube

Gina K Designs - black, gold & silver mini pearl mix

Limetree Craft - 280gsm silky smooth white card (not available but other options are here and here)

Limetree Craft - 300gsm smooth white card (for card base)

Limetree Craft - 220gsm black card 

WOW! - opaque bright white super fine embossing powder

I have Affiliate Links for the Gina K Designs store. If you are considering making a purchase I would appreciate you using my links as it will earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you x

Krafty Chicks challenge #841 - 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 and this week is Week 2, our theme is 'Christmas' and I am your hostess. We are in the 'ber months now so if you haven't already started your Christmas cards it's time to ramp up production.  We hope you will join us and build up your collection and take the pressure off in December.  So come on over and join in the fun with us.

I recently purchased this gorgeous layering stencil in the Spellbinders clearance sale and have been dying to use it.  I used a non-traditional colour combo and I love how it turned out.  I hope you like it too. 

Here is my card:

A closer look at the details:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by creating my card base by cutting a white piece of card 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" and scoring on the long side at 4 1/4".  I cut a piece of light brown card to 5" x 6" (although I will trim it down later) and used white pigment ink on the first layer of the stencil and a mid blue and navy on the second and third layers.  I am really happy with the finished result, although the mid blue turned more teal on the light brown card but I think it looks lovely.  At this point I trimmed the panel down to 4" x 5 1/4" and added some scrap white card behind for some dimension.  I stamped and white heat embossed the 'merry' sentiment and 'Christmas' sub-sentiment onto the same brown card and used the coordinating dies to cut them out (I also cut 3 more from the brown card to layer up).  I added the panel onto my card base using double sided tape and then adhered the sentiments in the centre using liquid glue.  I finished off with some white pearls.  For the inside I cut another panel from the light brown card and stencilled part of the design at the bottom using the same inks as the front.  I stamped and white heat embossed the sentiment in the centre and then adhered the panel to my card base using double sided tape. 

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

* to be updated * 

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 - Leanne, Diane and Lori. 

Thank you so much for stopping by; I appreciate your lovely comments.  I'll be back in a little while with my card for this week's Just Us Girls challenge. 

Love and hugs,

card supplies:

Hero Arts - color layering holiday neighborhood stencils

Kristina Werner (for C&9th) - joyful & merry stamp & die set

Gina K Designs - ink pads - blue raspberry and in the navy

Gina K Designs - white pigment ink cube

WOW! - opaque bright white super fine embossing powder

Limetree Craft - 300gsm smooth white card (for card base)

Little Things From Lucy's Cards - soft snowflake mix pearls (store sadly closed)

light brown card from my stash

I have Affiliate Links for the Gina K Designs store. If you are considering making a purchase I would appreciate you using my links as it will earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you x

Gorgeous Gift Tags IG Hop - Oct 26

Hello and welcome back to my blog lovely friends. It's time for the Gorgeous Gift Tags IG Hop, which takes place on the 5th of each month. You always have the option to go for anything goes but the extra prompt this month is 'circle tags'. You can make whatever you like as long as it's circular, but of course it's totally optional.  So get creating and let's see all your round tags. I can't wait to see what the rest of my fellow hoppers have made and I hope you can pop over to Instagram and join us.

I used some dies from Spellbinders to create my tag shape and an ephemera book for the image. My tag does match a card I made for my sister-in-law's birthday but I can't show that yet as she hasn't received it.  I think it turned out super cute and I hope you like it too.

Here is my tag:

A closer look at the details:

Plus I decorated the back of the tag:

I went for a scalloped circle tag as I thought it matched the pretty, whimsy style of the image.  I cut the scalloped circle from orange card and the plain layer from paper from the ephemera book.  I also cut a smaller scalloped circle, again from orange card and the plain layer of the girl from the ephemera book.  I adhered all the layers together with liquid glue.  I added foam squares behind the image circle and added that onto the larger circle.  I die cut some small butterflies from peach and light blue card and added them with liquid glue.  I also added some gold pearls to the centres of the butterflies with liquid glue.  I stamped a sentiment onto white card using orange ink and used a sentiment strip die to cut it out and added it overlapping the both layers using liquid glue.  I also added a few more gold pearls around the image.  For the back of the tag I cut the same layers as the front, except the centre of the smaller circle was cut from plain white.  I stamped and die cut another sentiment and added that in the centre with liquid glue.  I also die cut one more butterfly from peach card and added some pearls in the centre.   I laid both circles together and punched a hole in the top with my crop-a-dile and added a hole reinforcer to both sides cut from orange card.  I adhered both sides of the tag together with liquid glue and added some white ribbon through the hole and tied a bow with blue twine.  

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

* to be updated * 

We hope you will be inspired by our Gorgeous Gift Tags Instagram Hop and will pop over and check out all the gorgeous tags along the way using the hashtag #gorgeousgifttagsoct26.

Thanks for stopping by and take care.

Lots of love,

tag supplies:

Giraffe Creative Studio - cute whimsy spring ephemera book

Spellbinders - classic scalloped circles and standard circles large dies (loads on eBay)

Stampin' Up - brights collection card (for orange card)

MFT - butterflies die-namics

Waffle Flower - nesting tags die set (for hole reinforcer die)

Clearly Besotted - a little sentiment clear stamp (for sentiments)

Gina K Designs - tangerine twist ink pad

Gina K Designs - sentiment strips die set

Gina K Designs - black, gold & silver mini pearl mix

Limetree Craft - 280gsm silky smooth white card (not available but other options are here and here)

I have Affiliate Links for the Gina K Designs store. If you are considering making a purchase I would appreciate you using my links as it will earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you x

World Card Making Day IG Hop 2026

Hello again friends; thanks for popping back and checking out my second card for today. I'm back again as we are celebrating World Card Making Day with an Instagram Hop organised by my lovely friends Kim and Geeta. We are excited to share our cards and projects with you and we hope you'll hop along with us as we share our love of crafting and card making.

There is no theme for this hop, it is purely a group of crafters sharing cards and our love of our fun hobby.  We know for some crafting is a lifeline to the 'outside world' and I feel the same.  I'm from a very small town in South Wales and don't have any crafty friends nearby so I really do count all my internet and blogland friends as my real friends and appreciate you all so much.  Crafting keeps my mind active and keeps me (relatively) sane in this crazy world.  I love this creative outlet and feel a sense of accomplishment when I look at the finished cards, tags and ATC's that I make.  I'd love to hear what you enjoy about crafting and what it means to you.  

I decided to make an autumnal apple pie card as we are now in the season of pies, leaves and hot beverages (well here in the UK anyway).  I've seen a few cards on my feed using the perfect pies dies and it reminded me that I haven't used this set for such a long time.  I hope you like it.  

Here is my card:

a closer look at the details:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by cutting a panel from beige card 4" x 5 1/4" and a piece of gingham paper 4" x 3 1/4".  I also cut a strip of white card and die cut it using a scalloped border die.  I added the scalloped strip behind the gingham paper and then adhered this onto the beige panel to create my background.  I stamped the sentiment at the top of the panel using dark chocolate ink.  I die cut the pie and extra pieces from beige, red, silver mirror, white and green card from my scraps bin and adhered them together with liquid glue.  I also cut a 'plate' from white card using a decorative circle die.  I added the plate with foam squares and  the pie, fork and larger apple with liquid glue.  The two leaves and smaller apple were added to the pie with foam squares.  I added a bow to the fork with liquid glue and also added two more sets of leaves under the plate.  I finished off with some red solid sequins. The panel was adhered to my card base using double sided tape.  For the inside I cut a white panel and a strip of the gingham paper.  I die cut another scalloped border but this time from beige card and adhered it under the gingham paper with liquid glue.  I then added this border strip to the bottom of the panel with liquid glue.  I stamped the sentiment in the centre of the panel with dark chocolate ink and added one more die cut apple in the bottom right corner.  I adhered the panel to my card base using double sided tape.  

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

* to be updated *

We hope you will be inspired by our World Card Making Day IG Hop and will pop over and check out all the gorgeous creations along the way. 

Thanks for stopping by and take care. 

Lots of love,

card supplies:

Spellbinders - perfect pies die set

Spellbinders - delicious decorations die set (for larger apples and leaves)

Spellbinders - perfect pies sentiments & fillings clear stamp

Spellbinders - dish it up die set (for fork)

Spellbinders - fluted classic circles die set (for 'plate')

Spellbinders - scarlet smooth disc color essentials sequins on sale!

Clearly Besotted - scalloped edges die collection

Gina K Designs - dark chocolate ink pad

Limetree Craft - 280gsm silky smooth white card (not available but other options are here and here)

Limetree Craft - 300gsm smooth white card (for my card base)

Limetree Craft - warm mushroom 220gsm card

Memory Box - cranberry gingham card

all other coloured/mirror card from my scraps bin

I have an Affiliate Link for the Gina K Designs store. If you are considering making a purchase I would appreciate you using my links as it will earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you. 

Thank you x