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

Stencil Fun IG Hop - March 26

Hello again friends; I am back to share my card for the Stencil Fun IG Hop organised by my lovely friend Jane. We 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 'words' and I'm excited to see what everyone has made.

After a dig around in my stencils I found this fun birthday words stencil which I thought would be perfect as it had lots of different words.  I also found a postage style stencil which looked like a present to me so I thought I would combine them.  It turned out exactly as I had hoped and it's such a happy card.  I hope you like it too.  

Here is my card:

A closer look at the stencilling:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by cutting a white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and firstly used the postage stencil and some light grey ink added some shading to the very edges of the boxes to give them some definition.  Without removing the first stencil I added the words stencil on top and did a diagonal rainbow blend from the top left to the bottom right corner.  I removed both stencils and I loved how bright and happy the blending turned out.  To enhance the look of the 'present' I die cut a bow from white card and used liquid glue to assemble it before adhering it to the panel with foam squares.  I stamped a tiny greeting along the horizontal 'ribbon' in black ink and finished off with some black pearls.  I added some scrap white card behind the panel before adhering it to the card base with double sided tape.  For the inside I cut another white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and used the words stencil to create a border at the bottom, again using a rainbow of colours.  I added a smaller white bow along the edge of the stencilling with liquid glue and stamped the sentiment in black in the centre.   The panel was then adhered to the card base with double sided tape.  

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

Colorful Options challenge - green or rainbow inspired

Craft Rocket challenge - no design paper

Creative Knockouts challenge - birthday wishes

Cut It Up challenge - happy birthday

Heart's Quest Celebrations of Love challenge - BEWAS (birthday)

Stencil Fun challenge - use a stencil optional vines/vinery

Word Power challenge - make the sentiment the focus of your card

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 #stencilfunmarch2026 and we will find you. 

Thanks for stopping by.  I'll be sharing another card with you on Saturday so please pop back and check it out.   

Lots of love

card supplies:

Funky Fossil Designs - birthday words stencil 

Memory Box Co. - postage set stencil

Memory Box Co. - truly gifted die set

Clearly Besotted - teeny tags stamp (for outside sentiment)

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

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

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

*Gina K Designs - ink pads - lipstick, tangerine twist, wild dandelion, lucky clover, blue sky, wild lilac, soft stone

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

*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 #811 - Christmas

Good morning lovely friends, I appreciate you stopping by and I hope you're all doing ok. It's time for a new challenge over at Krafty Chicks challenge and this week we are on Week 2; as always the theme is 'Christmas' and I am your hostess. We are slowly adding to the Christmas pile, which really takes the stress off later in the year. We hope you will come over and join in the fun with us.

I saw a fun sketch on the CAS on Friday challenge that I wanted to try so that was the starting point for my card.  I wasn't in the mood for cute so thought I would pull out some poinsettias and I think my card turned out really elegant.  I hope you like it too.  

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" and 2 strips of gold mirror card which I adhered to the white panel with liquid glue.  I stamped the poinsettia and coloured it using the coordinating layering stencils before cutting it out with the matching die.  I also die cut three plain white poinsettias to stack up for some extra dimension.  I stamped and gold heat embossed the sentiment and used a sentiment strips die to cut it out.  I adhered the poinsettias with liquid glue onto the background and then added the sentiment directly on top of the poinsettia also with liquid glue.  I added some scrap white card behind the panel before adhering it to the card base with double sided tape.  For the inside I cut another white panel and added a thin strip of the gold mirror card along the bottom horizontally with liquid glue.  I stamped, coloured and die cut a smaller poinsettia and adhered it over the strip with liquid glue.  I stamped the sentiment in the centre with black ink before adding the panel to my card base with double sided tape.  A very clean and simple card but quite elegant I think. 

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

The 12 months of Christmas Link Up challenge - ATG optional peppermint twist

Addicted to CAS challenge - garden

Beautiful Blossoms challenge - anything floral goes optional mood board

Cardz 4 Galz challenge - embossing heat or dry (my sentiment is heat embossed)

CAS on Friday challenge - sketch

Classic Design challenge - ATG optional twist blooms or butterflies

Craft Rocket challenge - no design paper

Daisy Chain challenge - flowers

Merry Little Christmas challenge - anything Christmas goes

Peace on Earth Christmas challenge - anything Christmas themed optional mood board

Simply Clean and Simple challenge - clean & simple optional baby animals

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

Try It On Tuesday challenge - make it feminine 

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.

Love and hugs,

card supplies:

*Gina K Designs - holiday floral stamp & die set

Gina K Designs - merry sentiment strips stamp (for both sentiments)

Gina K Designs - sentiment strips dies

Gina K Designs - ink pads - red hot, faded brick, jelly bean green, fresh asparagus

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

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

gold mirror card from my 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

Gorgeous Gift Tags IG Hop - March 26

Hello and welcome 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 'Easter' and I know this is going to be a popular theme. I can't wait to see what the rest of my fellow hoppers have made. I hope you can pop over to Instagram and join us.

I always like to play along with the optional prompt and this month I created a super cute Easter tag using fantastic products from Gina K Designs.  Lots of stencilling, stamping and colouring and voila my tag was complete. I hope you like it.

Here is my tag:

A closer look at the details:

Plus I decorated the back of the tag:

I began by die cutting two tags from white card and used a stencil to create my clouds and grassy hills.  I stamped the sweet images onto alcohol marker friendly card, coloured them with Promarkers, added some white gelly roll pen highlights and used the matching dies to cut them out.  I stamped the sentiment at the bottom of the tag with black ink before adding my images with foam squares.  I felt the top looked a little bare so I stamped and coloured the sun image and cut it out with the coordinating die.  I adhered it to the top right corner with liquid glue.  I also stamped some small butterflies using a light grey ink and finished off with some rainbow pearls.  For the back of the tag I again used the stencil and created the clouds and hills.  I stamped the to: and from: in the centre as well as the greeting at the bottom of the tag in black ink.  I then adhered both tags together using liquid glue.  I added some yellow ribbon and green twine to decorate the top of the tag.  

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

613 Avenue Create challenge - ATG optional twist things with wings 

Allsorts challenge - ribbons and/or bows

CRAFT challenge - spring/Easter/ATG

Craft Rocket challenge - no design paper

Crafty Animals challenge - ATG must include an animal

Creative Inspirations challenge - cute critters

Critter Crazy challenge - ATG with a featured critter

Die Cut Divas challenge - spring is coming

Heart's Quest Celebrations of Love challenge - BEWAS (optional Easter)

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

Inkspirational challenge - use stencils optional twist plaid

Little Red Wagon challenge - include an animal

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - make it cute

Stamping Sensations challenge - spring

Stencil Fun challenge - use a stencil optional vines/vinery

The Four Seasons challenge - spring

The Dream Factory challenge - ATG with animals

The Paper Funday challenge - ATG optional twist fur or feathers

We Love Stamping challenge - wildlife or 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 #gorgeousgifttagsmarch2026 and we will find your tags.
Thanks for stopping by and take care.

Lots of love,

tag supplies:

*Gina K Designs - tag trio die set (I used the largest tag)

Gina K Designs - spring friends stamp & die 

Gina K Designs - Easter blessings stamp (for greeting on the front)

Gina K Designs - beautiful backdrops stencil 

Gina K Designs - the good life stamp & die (for sun)

Gina K Designs - summer silhouettes stamp (for butterflies)

Gina K Designs - a little something stamp (for to/from and greeting on back)

Gina K Designs - blue sky ink pad

Gina K Designs - lucky clover ink pad

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

Krafty Chicks challenge #810 - 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.

I didn't have anyone in mind when I made this card and as there are quite a few 'green' challenges around at the moment I decided to use a green & gold colour combo for my card.  It turned out quite clean and simple too but I love the finished card and I hope you do too. 

Here is my card:

A closer look at the details:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I started by cutting a white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and using a stencil and some green ink created my soft background.  I die cut two of the leaf clusters, one in gold and one in vellum and cut them in half as they were quite long.  I adhered the vellum leaf first and then laid the gold one over top using liquid glue.  I gold heat embossed the sentiment and used a sentiment strips die to cut it out (I also cut 3 more from white card to stack behind it).  I adhered the sentiment across the middle of the leafery with liquid glue and finished off with a few gold pearls.  I added some scrap white card behind my panel and then adhered it to the card base with double sided tape.  For the inside I cut another white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and stencilled a border at the bottom before adding some tiny pieces of the leafery with liquid glue.  I stamped a sentiment in green ink and then adhered the panel to my card base with double sided tape.  

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

A Cut Above challenge - ATG with a die cut

Aud Sentiments challenge - glitter/bling and/or St. Patrick's green + sentiment

Cardz 4 Galz challenge - embossing heat or dry (my sentiment is heat embossed)

Colourful Options challenge - green

Craft Rocket challenge - no design paper

Creative Moments challenge - feminine

Fab 'n' Funky challenge - shades of green

Heart's Quest Celebrations of Love challenge - BEWAS (birthday)

INKspiration challenge - use utensils

Inspiration Station challenge - inspiration photo (I was inspired by the colours)

Just Us Girls challenge - die week - luck/green

Mix It Up challenge - ATG optional die cuts

PINspirational challenge - green and gold

Stencil Fun challenge - use a stencil optional vines/vinery

Try It On Tuesday challenge - make it feminine

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:

Simon Says Stamp - outline clustered leaves die

Simon Says Stamp - birthday basics stamp

*Gina K Designs - decorative double stencil

Gina K Designs - sentiment strips die 

Gina K Designs - lucky clover ink pad

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

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

Versamark - watermark ink pad

Cosmic Shimmer - bright gold detail embossing powder

Stampin' Up! - card stock vellum (retired)

gold mirror 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