Krafty Chicks challenge #813 - Masculine

Good morning lovely friends; I hope your week is going well so far. I'm sharing my card for the new challenge over at Krafty Chicks challenge and this week we are on Week 4; as always the theme is 'Masculine' and Lori is our hostess. We know it's not everyone's favourite challenge, but we do have to make some masculine cards sometime and this challenge will hopefully help you get them done. We hope you will come over and join in the fun with us.

I recently got this fun stamp from Uniko and thought I would show it some love before putting it away. It's a great stamp and so versatile for any age/gender although it's perfect for masculine cards as I always think they prefer cards that are fairly clean and simple (well my husband does anyway).  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the image:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by stamping the image onto alcohol marker friendly card using memento black ink and coloured it in various shades of blue Promarkers trying to create an ombre look from left to right (it's not perfect but it looks quite cool I think).  I decided to re-stamp the image using versafine clair black ink to make the lines more bold and crisp.  I also added some white gelly roll pen highlights.  I used a stitched rectangle die to cut out the panel and also used the largest stitched rectangle from the same set to cut out the navy card panel.  I wanted to pull in more of the lighter blue/teal so used a stitched rectangle from another set to cut a panel from the blue/teal card to fit between the other two.  I adhered all the panels together and added it to the card base with double sided tape.  I didn't add anything else as I like the CAS look of the stamp as it was.  For the inside I cut a white and navy panel using the stitched rectangles and stamped a sentiment in the centre with black ink.  I took a strip of white card and using my Promarkers created an ombre blend to match the front of the card.  I used the stitched rectangle to cut out the strip so that it would match the white panel and adhered it with liquid glue.  I adhered the panels together and added it to the card base with 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 'Masculine' 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 supplies:

Uniko - background blocks: birthday scramble stamp

Uniko - everyday sentiments stamp

Uniko - everyday spring stamp

Simon Says Stamp - stitched rectangle dies

Promarkers

Sakura - white no. 10 gelly roll pen

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

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

Memento - tuxedo black ink pad

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

*Gina K Designs - master layouts 2 (for the middle stitched rectangle)

*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

Patterned Paper IG Hop - March 26

Hello friends, welcome back to my little blog. I'm here today to share my card for this month's Patterned Paper Party Instagram Hop. Do you love patterned paper? Do you have a huge stash that needs using? Well so do we and it's time to get it used! We will be hopping on the 20th of each month to share our ideas. We will definitely be creating cards, but maybe sometimes tags, ATCs, gift bags/boxes, mini albums and scrapbook pages too. We want our patterned paper to be used.

The theme is always 'anything goes' but each month we will have an optional twist that can be used if you like; this month the twist is 'flowers', which is such an easy theme, so grab your patterned papers and join in the fun.  I have this gorgeous paper pad from Gina K Designs that I wanted to use but I was torn which papers to use so I picked out a few to try and ending up loving them all so to solve my problem I made two cards lol!  I used a postage die and filled the spaces with the patterned paper and I think they turned out so pretty.  I hope you like them too.

Here are my cards:

Here is Card 1:

and here is Card 2:

A closer look at the gorgeous paper on card 1:

Plus I decorated the insides:

I began by die cutting two of the postage dies from white card.  Also in the same die set there is a window frame die that cuts out the frame but also the rectangles and these fit perfectly in the postage die so I used the frame to cut my patterned paper plus an extra white layer for each piece to give them a bit more stability.  I adhered the rectangles to the postage piece with liquid glue.  For the lighter papers and die cut a mat layer from a peachy coloured card and for the darker papers I cut a mat layer from green paper (that also came from the paper pad) and I adhered them together with liquid glue.  I didn't want to hide too much of the papers so I just grabbed two sentiment stamps/dies and gold heat embossed the sentiment onto white card for the lighter papers and white heat embossed onto the green paper for the darker papers.  I cut both sentiments out with the coordinating dies.  I also cut an extra 3 layers for the sentiment so that I could stack them out.  I adhered the sentiments with liquid glue.  I finished off with some gold pearls on the lighter card and pink pearls on the darker card.  I added some scrap white card behind each panel and adhered them to the card bases with double sided tape.  For the inside I cut a stitched rectangle from white card and the mat layer was cut with the peach card for card 1 and the green paper for card 2.  I added a strip of the paper to the bottom of each panel with liquid glue and stamped a sentiment (using a similar colour ink pad) to the centre of each panel.  The panels were then adhered to the card base with double sided tape.  Do you have a favourite card?  I love them both but I think the peachy coloured one just pips it for me.  

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

Addicted to Stamps & More challenge - birthdays

Beautiful Blossoms challenge - anything floral goes optional mood board

Daisy Chain challenge - flowers

Girlz Creative Crafts challenge - flowers

Girlz Rebel challenge - pearls

Love Those Pretty Papers challenge - use your patterned papers optional theme circles

Paper Rocks Scissors - use papers and/or scissors 

We hope you will be inspired by our Patterned Paper Party IG Hop and will pop over and check out all the gorgeous creations along the way. If you would like to join us please visit my Instagram page or use the hashtag #patternedpaperpartyhopmarch2026 and we will find you.

Thanks for stopping by and take care.

Lots of love

card supplies:

Gina K Designs supplies:

watercolour floral paper pad

master layouts 11

master layouts 2

elegant thoughts stamp & die (for card 2)

graceful greetings stamp & die (for card 1)

birthday cheer stamp (for inside sentiments)

sandy beach & fresh asparagus ink pads

warm glow card stock (came in an old kit, don't think it's available now)

black, gold & silver pearl mix

rainbow pearl mix

other supplies used:

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

Cosmic Shimmer - bright gold detail embossing powder

WOW! - super fine opaque bright white embossing powder

Versamark - embossing and watermark ink pad

*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

Krafty Chicks challenge #812 - CAS

Good morning lovely friends, I hope you're having a good week so far. It's time for a new challenge over at Krafty Chicks challenge and this week we are on Week 3; and as always the theme is 'CAS (clean and simple)' and Diane is our hostess. Now we know that CAS is subjective but generally it's lots of white/empty space, no embellishments (or very few) and an uncluttered design. It can be a difficult design to pull off but we hope you will take on the challenge and come over and join in the fun with us.

As spring is in the air here in South Wales (at least for this week) I decided to make a spring themed card.  I picked a floral stamp set that I don't think I've ever used (naughty me) and I think it turned out really pretty.  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the flowers:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by cutting a white panel 4" x 5 1/4" (although I do trim it down slightly later) and ink blended some green ink along the very bottom to replicate grass.  I stamped the images onto alcohol marker friendly card, coloured them with Promarkers and fussy cut them out.  I also added some white gelly roll pen highlights.  I added the yellow flower and all the leaves with liquid glue and popped up the other two flowers with foam squares.  I stamped the happy spring sentiment below the flowers with black ink.  It was at this point that I decided to trim my card down to 3 3/4" x 5".  I added some scrap white card behind the panel and adhered it to the card base with double sided tape.  For the inside I cut another white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and ink blended the green ink along the bottom.  I stamped one flower directly onto the panel and coloured it with Promarkers, again adding some white gelly roll pen highlights.  I didn't add a sentiment as I thought I would add one later.  

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

AAA Card challenge - anything CAS goes optional twist zoo or animals

Addicted to CAS challenge - garden

Beautiful Blossoms challenge - anything floral goes optional mood board

Crafty Calendar challenge - spring

Creative Crafting Uncles challenge - spring and/or Easter

Creative Friday challenge - feminine

Daisy Chain challenge - flowers

I Love Promarkers - for the girls

Little Red Wagon challenge - signs of spring

Papercraft challenges - joy of spring

Pearly Sparkles challenge - mixed colour flowers

Simply Clean and Simple challenge - CAS optional baby animals

Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge - beautiful blooms

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - clean and simple

Stamping Sensations challenge - spring

The Four Seasons challenge - spring

Triple B challenge - use at least one bird, bloom or butterfly

Try It On Tuesday challenge - spring 

I hope you will be able to join us for our 'CAS' 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 supplies:

Uniko - flower power #11 stamp

Uniko - everyday spring sentiments stamp

Uniko - everyday love sentiments stamp

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

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

*Gina K Designs - jelly bean green ink pad

*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

Card Clubhouse IG Hop - Week 6

Hello lovely friends; I'm back to share my card for the new Card Clubhouse IG hop organised by my sweet friend Kelly. We are on Week 6 and our theme is 'think spring'. So grab your flowers, easter goodies and pastel colours and join in the fun! We can't wait to see what everyone makes. There are going to be so many awesome creations along the hop this week and I can't wait to see what sparks your imagination.

I thought as Easter isn't too far away that my spring card would be Easter themed.  I found this super cute stamp and die set that I hadn't used yet so got to work.  It's a fairly simple design but I think it turned out adorable.  I hope you like it too.  

Here is my card:

A closer look at the cute image:

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 stamped and die cut 3 more from white card so that I could stack them.  I love gingham in any form (papers, clothing, bedding etc) so I grabbed this pink gingham card and die cut it using this fun wavy edge rectangle.  I stamped the sentiment in black ink and again used the coordinating die to cut it out (I also stacked this with 3 plain white die cuts too).  I added the image and sentiment onto the gingham background with liquid glue and added some pastel pearl embellishments.  I added some scrap white card behind the panel and adhered it to the card base with double sided tape.  For the inside I cut another wavy edge rectangle from the gingham card and also a slightly smaller white rectangle and adhered them together with liquid glue.  I stamped the bunny in a light grey ink in the bottom left corner and added a sentiment next to him 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:

Crafty Animals challenge - ATG must include an animal

Crafty Calendar challenge - spring

Creative Crafting Uncles challenge - spring and/or Easter

Creative Friday challenge - feminine

Creative Inspirations challenge - cute critters

Creative Moments challenge - bunnies & blooms

Critter Crazy challenge - ATG with a featured critter

Die Cut Divas challenge - spring is coming

Double D challenge - Easter/church/cross

Fab 'n' Funky challenge - 4 legged friends

Heart's Quest Celebrations of Love challenge - Easter

Little Red Wagon challenge - signs of spring

Papercraft challenges - joy of spring

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - clean and simple

Stamping Sensations challenge - spring

Sweet Stampin' challenge - gingham/tartan/plaid

The Four Seasons challenge - spring

The Paper Funday challenge - ATG optional twist fur or feathers

Try It on Tuesday challenge - spring

I hope you will pop over to Instagram and check out the hop; please use the hashtag #cardclubhousehop2026 to see all the gorgeous creations and also if you want to participate we will be able to find you.

Thank you so much for stopping by.

Love and hugs,

card supplies:

Spellbinders - pocket bunny stamp & die (CSOM-Feb23)

Promarkers

Scrapbook.com - nested wavy rectangle dies

Memory Box - bubblegum gingham card

Sakura - white no. 10 gelly roll pen

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

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

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

*Gina K Designs - rainbow pearl mix

Gina K Designs - soft stone ink pad

*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

ATC Scrap Makes IG Hop - March 26

Hello friends, I hope you're doing great and you've had a great start to your week. I'm sharing my creations for this month's ATC Scrap Makes IG Hop. We challenge you to use leftover die cuts, sentiments and card stock to create Artist Trading Cards (ATC's). You can send them in happy mail, save them on a ring to highlight your favorite creations, swap them with friends or add sweet notes to a lunchbox. Join us if you like; the only rules are to use scraps and create cards that are 2.5” x 3.5” in size. We share our little snippets of happiness on the third Tuesday of the month.

I have decided to make an alphabet series of ATC's and this month have created the first three.  I think it will be fun each month finding images/dies for each letter and I'm excited to see them all at the end.  I used mostly older, retired products but I still love them so why not use them.  I hope you like them. 

Here are all three ATC's:

A closer look at 'A':

A closer look at 'B':

and finally 'C':

I decorated the backs all the same:

When I ink blend I always keep a scrap of white printer paper to place underneath so that I don't make too much mess; I re-use this paper over and over again and it ends up either looking a hot mess or sometimes it becomes a really interesting piece that I keep for backgrounds.  I used this piece of paper to create the backgrounds for my ATC's today and to be honest they are better than something I would create from scratch as I can't always do random and messy well.  I added some white and gold spatter for some extra interest and some blending around the edges but other than that they are exactly as they were.  I stamped, coloured and die cut the cute images (I had to fussy cut the apple) and die cut 3 frames from gold mirror card.  The alphabet letters were already cut in my stash but I did cut some extra ones just to stack them up.  I added the frames and letters with liquid glue and the images with foam squares.  For the backs of the ATC's I simply ink blended the matching colours around the edges and stamped one the ATC info stamps (that I won a few months ago) in black ink.  

I would like to enter my ATC's into the following challenges:

Crafty Animals challenge - ATG must include an animal

Creative Inspirations challenge - cute critters

Critter Crazy challenge - ATG with a featured critter

Farm Quest Grocery Game challenge - anything food goes

Paper Rocks Scissors challenge - must use paper and/or scissors (I used scissor to fussy cut my apple)

Show Us Your Pussy Cats challenge - ATG with a cat

Tag-along (&ATC's) challenge - spring flowers or ATG

The Dream Factory challenge - sweet little things (small ATC's)

The Paper Funday challenge - ATG optional twist fur or feathers

We Love Stamping challenge - wild life or ATG (the bear is wild)

I hope you will pop over to Instagram and check out the hop; please use the hashtag #ATCscrapmakes2026 or #ATCscrapmakesMar26 to see all the gorgeous creations and also if you want to participate we will be able to find you.

I really appreciate you stopping by today.

Love and hugs,

ATC supplies:

Studio Katia - teacher's apple stamp

Mama Elephant - carnival cupcakes stamp & die

MFT - furever friends stamp & die

MFT - little letters die set

Hunkydory - Moonstone dies - scalloped edged picture frames

ATC silicone stamp won in a recent challenge

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

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

Winsor & Newton - white gouache (for white spatter)

Gansai Tambi - starry colours palette (for gold spatter)

Sakura - white no. 10 gelly roll pen

coloured card and mirror card from scraps bin

*Gina K Designs - ink pads - red velvet, warm cocoa, stormy sky

*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

CASE IT IG Hop - March 26

Hello again friends. I hope you've had a great start to your weekend; it's actually been sunny here today although still chilly but I think it's just a blip and we are forecast rain again tomorrow lol!  I'm back 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 Verena (@simple_stamper over on IG); this is actually the second time I have CASE'd one of her cards.  Her clean and simple style is just gorgeous and I love everything she makes.  I saw this amazing masculine card and loved the colours, the layout and die cuts she used.  I decided to make my card feminine and girly but you can definitely see that my card was inspired by hers! Here is her card for my inspiration:

Isn't her card amazing?  If we use Ardyth's LIMES process (you can watch her video here) we list what we see - Verena has used grey and soft green, 1 leaf and 2 plank die cuts, a light grey background with black spatter and a bold heat embossed sentiment.  So I followed the layout but instead of grey and green I used purple and white, I used a fancy frame die instead of the planks and a floral image instead of the leaf.  I omitted the enamel dots and used pearls instead and my spin is that my card is larger at 5" x 7" in size. I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the details:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I cut a 10" x 7" piece from white card and scored it at 5" on the longer side to create my card base.  I die cut a stitched rectangle and the decorative panel from white card; the decorative panel was too long for the card so I cut a bit out the middle so that I was left with two smaller pieces to replicate Verena's planks.  I added black spatter, although mine turned out quite fine as I picked up a small brush by mistake but I think it suits my delicate card.  I stamped the flower, used the coordinating stencil to colour it in and the matching die to cut it out (I also cut 3 more from white so that I could layer them up).  I also stamped and die cut the sentiments (again cutting 3 more of each so that I could stack them).  I adhered the two decorative panels onto the top half of the panel with liquid glue.  I added the flower on top, more to the left side, with liquid glue and added the sentiments also using liquid glue.  I finished off with some soft purple pearls.  I added some scrap white card behind my panel and then adhered it the card base with double sided tape.  For the inside I die cut another stitched rectangle and part of the decorative panel, which I added to the bottom of the panel with liquid glue.  I stamped, coloured and die cut a second flower and added it across the decorative panel with liquid glue and stamped a sentiment in the centre with black ink.  I'm really pleased with how my card turned out; it's so soft and girly. 

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

A Cut Above challenge - ATG with a die cut (3rd entry of 3)

Craft Rocket challenge - no design paper

Creative Knockouts challenge - birthday wishes

Creative Friday challenge - feminine

Cut It Up challenge - happy birthday

Daisy Chain challenge - flowers

Tic Tac Toe challenge - spatter, die cut shapes, embellishments

Triple B challenge - birds, blooms or butterflies optional mood board

Try It On Tuesday challenge - make it feminine

TGIF challenge - sketch #TGIFC568

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.  If you are in the UK I hope you have a wonderful Mothering Sunday; sending hugs to those of you who find this day difficult.  

Lots of love

card supplies:

*Gina K Designs - delicate flowers stamp, die & stencil

Gina K Designs - delicate dahlias stamp & die (for outside sentiment)

Gina K Designs - cheers to anther year stamp (for inside sentiment)

Gina K Designs - ML 08 (for stitched rectangle die)

Gina K Designs - ML20 (for decorative frame die)

Gina K Designs - orchid trio ink cubes, jelly bean green & fresh asparagus ink pads

Gina K Designs - rainbow pearl mix

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

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

*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