Gorgeous Gift Tags IG Hop - July 26

Hello and welcome lovely friends. I hope you've had a great weekend and my US friends had a wonderful 4th of July.  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 'Christmas in July' so we want to see all your Christmas themed 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 decided to go with cool colours for a change instead of the traditional red and green and opted for blue and grey.  I used some cute images and embossed my background and I think it turned out adorable.  I hope you like it too. 

Here is my card:

A closer look at the images:

Plus I decorated the back of the tag:

I began by die cutting my tag from light blue card and embossed it with a snowflake embossing folder.  I took a white pigment ink cube and lightly rubbed it over the raised areas of the embossing to give a subtle white design on the blue.  I stamped the images onto alcohol marker friendly card and coloured them with Promarkers, also adding some white gelly roll pen highlights.  I don't have the dies so I fussy cut the images.  I die cut two 'hills' from white card and stamped the sentiment onto white card using a blue ink pad.  I added the hills to the bottom of the tag with double sided tape and the tree, bunny and sentiments were added with foam squares.  I also added a white hole reinforcer with liquid glue.  For the back of the tag I cut another tag from blue card, partially embossed the snowflake design on the bottom and stamped the sentiments using the same blue ink pad.  I also added a white hole reinforcer with liquid glue.  I adhered both the tags together using liquid glue.  I threaded some blue & white ribbon through the hole and added some white twine, which I tied into a bow.  

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

613 Avenue Create challenge - ATG optional twist any holiday 

Alphabet challenge - E for embossing; wet or dry

As You Like It challenge - favourite non card project (I love making tags, they are like cards but with much less space to fill!)

Can You Handle The Pressure challenge - use an EF optional twist use purple

CRAFT challenge - Christmas

Craft Rocket challenge - animals

Crafty Animals challenge - ATG must include an animal

Critter Crazy challenge - ATG with a featured critter

Cut It Up challenge - critters

Die Cut Divas challenge - Christmas in July

Heart's Quest for Shaped Cards & Tags challenge - ATG

Moving Along with the Times challenge - use a colouring medium (alcohol markers)

Merry Little Christmas challenge - anything Christmas goes

Paper Rocks Scissors challenge - I used scissors to fussy cut my images

Peace on Earth Christmas challenge - anything Christmas themed

Pearly Sparkles challenge - Christmas in July 

Sweet Stampin' challenge - Christmas in July

Tag-Along (& ATC's) challenge - favourite colours or ATG (I love non traditional colours for Christmas)

The Little Things challenge - ATG

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. If you would like to join us please visit my Instagram page or use the hashtag #gorgeousgifttagsjuly2026 and we will find your tags.

Thanks for stopping by and take care.

Lots of love,

card supplies:

Waffle Flower - nesting tag dies

MFT - Christmas cheer stamp

Gina K Designs - snowflakes embossing folder

Gina K Designs - sentiment strips dies

Gina K Designs - create-a-tag holiday mini stamp

Gina K Designs - white pigment ink cube

Gina K Designs - powder blue ink pad

Lawn Fawn - stitched hillside border dies

Promarkers

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

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

Memento - tuxedo black ink pad

Sakura - white no. 10 gelly roll pen

blue card from stash

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

Just Us Girls challenge #830 - Die Week

Hello 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 Die Week and Ina has chosen 'use a forgotten favourite'. I know we all have dies that we used to love but then new supplies come along and they get relegated to the back of the draw; this challenge is the perfect opportunity to show them some love and I cannot wait to see all your gorgeous creations.  Our guest this month is Bonnie so please pop over and show her some love.  

I've had these talk bubble dies in my stash for years and to be honest I think I've only used them once but I love the look of these types of dies.  I decided to go with a fairly simple but colourful and playful design on my card and 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 white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and using coloured card from scraps bin die cut lots of the talk bubbles.  Once I had played about for a while and settled on the layout I stamped the sentiments on to each one using black ink.  I added foam squares to most of them except for the two that were hanging over the edge of the panel; these were added with liquid glue.  I added some scrap white card behind the panel and then adhered it to my card base with double sided tape.  I debated adding embellishments but in the end I decided not to.  For the inside I cut another white panel and added three of the talk bubbles to the bottom with liquid glue.  I stamped the sentiment in the centre with black ink and then added the panel to the case base with double sided tape.  It was a fairly quick and simple card to make once I figured out what I was doing.  

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

* to be updated *

I can't wait to see what forgotten dies you grab this week and I cannot wait to see what you create. Please pop over to the challenge blog and leave some love for the rest of the design team. 

I appreciate you stopping by. 

Love and hugs, 

card supplies:

Simon Says Stamp - talk bubbles die set

Paper Smooches - birthday sampler stamp (no longer available)

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)

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

coloured card from my scraps bin

Krafty Chicks challenge #826 - Birthday

Good morning lovely friends; I hope you're having a great week. It's time for a new challenge over at Krafty Chicks challenge and this week we are on Week 1; as always the theme is 'birthday' and Leanne is our hostess. This is such an easy challenge as we always need birthday cards so we hope you will come over and join in the fun with us.

It was my friend's birthday a few days ago and this is the card I made for her.  I've had this stamp for a little while and never used it and saw it when I was searching for something else so I thought I would finally show it some love.  I ended up making a shaker card, which I haven't done for a while, and I think it turned super pretty.  I hope you like it too. 

Here is my card:

A closer look at the details:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by cutting a white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and embossed it using a pretty swirly embossing folder.  I stamped the wreath image, coloured it with Promarkers and used the coordinating die to cut it out.  I also cut another 3 from white card so that I could stack it up using liquid glue.  It was a this point that I decided the wreath would be perfect for a shaker window so cut a piece of acetate and added that behind the stamped wreath using liquid glue.  I then adhered this to the other 3 plain white wreaths using liquid glue.  I used some clear sequins for inside my shaker but felt I still needed a little more dimension for them to shake freely so added some foam tape shaker strips around the wreath and adhered it over the sequins onto the background.  I didn't use the sentiment from the wreath set for the front as I wanted something a little bigger so found this sentiment already stamped and die cut so I only had to cut another 3 plain white ones to stack up, again for extra dimension.  The sentiment was adhered onto the background using liquid glue.  I added some scrap white card behind my panel and added it to my card base with double sided tape.  For the inside I cut another white panel and partially embossed the swirly pattern along the bottom.  I stamped, coloured and die cut another wreath and cut it apart so that I could place it over the embossed portion, using liquid glue.  I stamped the sentiment in the centre with black ink and adhered the panel to the card base with double sided tape.  

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

Allsorts challenge - bees, blooms and/or birds

Alphabet challenge - E is for embossing (wet or dry)

Beautiful Blossoms challenge - anything floral goes optional mood board

Can You Handle The Pressure challenge - use an embossing folder with an optional twist of purple

The Crafter's Cafe challenge - ATG optional blooms

Fab 'n' Funky challenge - something beginning with B (blooms)

Little Red Wagon challenge - I see (I used acetate for my shaker window)

Moving Along With The Times challenge - use a colouring medium (I used alcohol markers)

Tic Tac Toe challenge - floral, dry embossing, summer (my colours are summery)

Try It On Tuesday challenge - in the garden

TGIF challenge - popping it up (I used foam squares for my shaker window)

I hope you will be able to join us for our 'birthday' 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 want to say how much I appreciate your lovely comments, your support really does mean the world to me.

Love and hugs,

card supplies:

*Gina K Designs - let's celebrate stamp & die

Gina K Designs - elegant thoughts stamp & die (for outside sentiment)

Gian K Designs - petite flourish embossing folder

Gina K Designs - clear quartz solid sequins

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)

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

Promarkers

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

Thank you x

AAA Birthday challenge #87 - for the girls

Good morning lovely friends and welcome to July which is my favourite month as it's my birthday month lol!  I can't believe we are already more than half way through this year.  A cooler week this week (thank goodness) but it's forecast hot again next week I believe.  

As it's the first of the month it means we have a brand new challenge over at AAA Birthday challenge. This month's theme is 'for the girls' and we all love our flowers and girly images so I'm sure it will be a popular challenge. Our guest designer this month is Brenda so please pop over to her blog and leave her some love.

I decided to go with flowers for my card as there was a recent incentive stamp & die set from Gina K that I hadn't used yet and wanted to show some love.  I went with a bright and happy yellow, grey and black colour combo that I think would brighten anyone's day.  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the details:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by stamping the image onto alcohol marker friendly card, coloured it with my Promarkers and used the coordinating die to cut it out.  I also cut three more from white card so that I could stack them up using liquid glue.  I used some patterned paper from an older GKD 6x6 pad and cut it out using the plain rectangle from master layouts 21 and I also cut 2 arches from white card from the same ML set.  I added a black mat layer to the paper panel and adhered them together with double sided tape.  I stamped the sentiment using black ink onto the smaller arch and glued both the arches together using liquid glue.  I added the flower image to the bottom right of the arch using liquid glue. I added some scrap white card behind the arch and adhered into the paper panel with double sided tape.  The panel was adhered to the card base with double sided tape and I finished off with some yellow pearls.  For the inside I cut a white panel, again using the rectangle from ML21 and added a black mat layer.  I added a strip of the patterned paper to the bottom of the panel with liquid glue and stamped a sentiment in the centre with black ink.  I stamped, coloured and die cut another flower spray but felt it was a little too large for the inside so decided to trim the bottom leaves off and also the top bud flower (although I did re-use the bud and one of the leaves but re-arranged them) and adhered it to the bottom right corner of the arch.  The panel was then added to the card base with double sided tape. 

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

Allsorts challenge - bees, blooms and/or birds

Atlantic Hearts Sketch challenge - sketch #688

Beautiful Blossoms challenge - anything floral goes optional mood board

Crafter's Cafe challenge - ATG optional blooms

Fab 'n' Funky challenge - something beginning with B (blooms)

Moving Along with the Times challenge - use a colouring medium (I used alcohol markers)

The Pick 3 challenge - yellow, frame & sentiment

Try It On Tuesday challenge - in the garden

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.

Love and hugs,

card supplies:

*Gina K Designs - holding you close stamp & die

Gina K Designs - perfect posy stamp (for outside sentiment)

Gina K Designs - watercolour floral 6x6 paper pad

Gina K Designs - master layouts 21

Gina K Designs - wild dandelion card stock (for card base)

Gina K Designs - rainbow pearl mix

Promarkers

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

Memento - tuxedo black ink

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

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

Uniko's June release - release day!

Good morning friends and welcome back to my blog. Today is the day that you can purchase the new goodies from Uniko's June release. I've had so much fun this week for my first release as brand ambassador and I do have one more card for you using the new release products.  Before I show you my card I thought I would re-cap the new products that are now available.

And that wraps up the June Release. I hope you love the products as much as I do. But, as always, the Brand Ambassadors are here to tempt and inspire you a little bit more.

For my final card I used both the Ink & Flip: Triangulate stencil and the Layering Modern Blooms 4 piece stencil to create my fun card.  I went with a classic yellow & black colour combo and I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the details:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I took an extra photo to try and capture the dimension:

I began by stencilling the Ink & Flip: Triangulate stencil using black ink onto white card.  On a separate piece of white card I stencilled the Layering Modern Blooms flowers and leaves using yellow and grey ink.  I'm not as proficient at fussy cutting at Bev but I fussy the flowers and leaves and also decided to fussy cut the triangles so that they were all separate. I took a white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and after adding foam squares behind the triangles adhered them so that they created a border on my panel.  I felt at this point that the inner portion was a little plain so took the Quilted stencil and some yellow ink and partially stencilled the design.  I added foam squares behind the flowers and added them to the bottom of the panel; the leaves were added with liquid glue and I stamped a sentiment at the top with black ink.  I added some scrap white card behind the panel and adhered it to my card base with double sided tape.  For the inside I used some left over flowers, leaves and triangles and created a border at the bottom of my card using liquid glue.  I stamped the sentiment in the centre with black ink and adhered the panel to my card base with double sided tape. 

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

Allsorts challenge - bees, blooms or birds

Color Hues challenge - yellow and black

Paper Rocks Scissors challenge - use paper and/or scissors (I fussy cut everything)

The Pick 3 challenge - yellow, frame, sentiment

TGIF challenge - popping it up (everything except the leaves are popped up with foam squares)

For more inspiration please check out what Bev and the rest of the team have created by clicking the links below:

Bev

Izzy

Julie

Natalie

Vinita

Bev is generously offering one lucky commenter a £20 eGift Certificate to spend in store, just make sure you comment on all the brand ambassador blogs/socials for a chance to win.  The winner will be announced on Wednesday, 8th July 2026.

Have a great weekend; thankfully it's cooling down here, so hopefully we will be feeling a bit more comfortable tomorrow *yay*.  

Love and hugs, 

card supplies:

Uniko - Ink & Flip: Triangulate stencil (available now in the Uniko store)

Uniko - Layering Modern Blooms 4 piece stencil (available now in the Uniko store)

Uniko - quilted stencil

Uniko - originally organic stamp (for outside sentiment)

Uniko - flower power #11 stamp (for inside sentiment)

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)

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

MFT - extreme black hybrid ink pad

*Gina K Designs - ink pads - wild dandelion, sweet corn & soft stone

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

Uniko June Release: Day 4 introduction

Good morning friends and welcome back to my blog. It's day four and the final day of introductions for Uniko's June release. Today's introduction is another brilliant stencil called 'Ink & Flip: Chevron Duo'. You know how much I love these fantastic stencils; there are so many ways to use them just by flipping the stencils different ways. I needed to make a Father's Day card for my hubby and this stencil was perfect.  I used 4 shades of blue ink pads to create the pattern and kept it really simple (as my husband doesn't really do fussy). 

Here is my card:

A closer look at the details:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I made a 5" x 7" card so cut a white panel to 4 1/2" x 6 1/2" and using the 4 ink pads created my background.  I decided to cut the panel along the edge of the stencilling (top and bottom) so that it would have a fun zig-zag edge and I added some scrap white card behind for dimension.  I cut another white panel and added the stencilled piece on top using double sided tape.  I stamped the sentiments above and below the panel with black ink (for the Father's Day I had use the Mother's Day stamp and do some masking and replace the mother with father).  I adhered the panel to the card base with double sided tape.  I didn't add any embellishments as I loved it as it was.  For the inside I cut another white panel and stamped the sentiment in the upper centre with black ink.  I stencilled once again and cut out a small piece to go at the bottom of the panel, which was adhered with liquid glue. The panel was then added to the card base with double sided tape. 

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

* to be updated *

 Please check out what Bev and the rest of the team have created by clicking the links below:

Bev

Izzy

Julie

Natalie

Vinita

It's release day tomorrow and all the products we've introduced this week will be available in the Uniko store at 9am.  I will be back at the same time with one extra card so I hope you will come and check it out.  

Love and hugs,

card supplies:

Uniko - Ink & Flip: Chevron duo stencil (available tomorrow)

Uniko - everyday family and everyday spring stamps (for outside sentiments)

Uniko - everyday love stamp (for inside sentiment)

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

Craft UK Limited - 5" x 7" card & envelope pack

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

*Gina K Designs - ink pads - in the navy, blue denim, blue raspberry, powder blue

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