AAA Birthday challenge #91 - Nov 26

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 'small & dainty' and I'm excited to see what everyone creates this month. 

I bought the Lawn Fawn set in Simon Says Stamp's Stamptember release and thought they would be perfect for this month's challenge.  The images are so super cute and I made a very clean and simple card so that they would be the stars of the show!  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the images:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by cutting a white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and using a splat stencil and brown ink created a grounding spot for my images (plus I thought it looked a bit like mud for the moles to sit in lol!). I stamped the images onto alcohol marker friendly card, coloured them with Promarkers and added some white gel pen highlights.  I used the coordinating dies to cut them out.  I stamped the speech bubble and sentiment in black ink and used the die to cut this out too.  I added thin foam squares behind the moles and speech bubble and added them over the splat.  The panel was adhered to the card base using double sided tape.  For the inside I cut another white panel and stencilled the splat in the bottom right corner.  I stamped, coloured 2 more images and 1 more speech bubble and die cut them out.  I added them over the splat with liquid glue.  The panel was then adhered to the card base using double sided tape.  A very quick and easy CAS card but I think it would make anyone smile. 

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

* to be updated *

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:

SSS/Lawn Fawn - a mole lot of cake stamp & die set - Stamptember exclusive

Promarkers

Clearly Besotted - splat stencil - retired but they have a similar one here 

Gina K Designs - warm cocoa ink pad

Sakura - white no. 10 gelly roll pen

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

Memento - tuxedo black ink pad

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 links as it will earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you. 

Thank you x

Just Us Girls challenge - 847 - CASE a DT Member Week

Hello again friends! I'm back to share my DT card for the Just Us Girls challenge and as it's a five week month this week it's 'CASE a DT Member Week'. You just have to use one of the DT creations (doesn't have to be mine) as your inspiration and create something of your own. In case you're not sure 'CASE' means to 'copy and share everything' or alternatively 'copy and selectively edit' which basically means use the parts of the design you like and maybe change up the colours or use the colours and change the focal image; you get it. I'm sure there will be lots of entries for this one.

For my card I used a 3D embossing folder that's been sitting in my stash for a little while and wanted to show some love.  I did something different for a change and once I had embossed the panel I coloured the design using my ink pads and some very small detail blending brushes.  I think it turned out soft and pretty and 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 ran it through my die cutting machine with the pretty 3D embossing folder.  I used some soft, pastel ink pad colours and lightly blended all over the design.  The dark purple I chose was a little too bold in retrospect but it was too late by this point; I wasn't going to start again!  I thought I would add a little shimmer as it was quite a simple card but went a little heavy handed with my perfect pearls mix (but it looks super shimmery in real life).  Once the panel was dry I cut it down to 3 7/8" x 5 1/8' and layered it onto a purple mat layer using liquid glue.  I stamped the sentiment using the dark purple ink pad onto white card and used the coordinating die to cut it out (I also cut 3 more from white card to layer up).  I adhered the sentiment onto the background using liquid glue.  I finished off with some clear quartz sequins and added the panel onto my card base using double sided tape.  For the inside I cut another white panel and did some partial embossing on the lower part of the panel.  I again coloured it with my ink pads and added some perfect pearls.  I cut a purple mat layer and adhered them together with liquid glue.  I stamped the sentiment in purple and adhered the panel to my card base using double sided tape.  

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

Addicted to Stamps & More challenge - any occasion 

Allsorts challenge - feminine

Beautiful Blossoms challenge - anything floral goes optional mood board

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

Seize the Birthday challenge - geometrics or word die/s or ATG

Such a great challenge 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:

Gina K Designs - floral burst 3D embossing folder

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

Gina K Designs - birthday cheer mini stamp (for inside sentiment)

Gina K Designs - ink pads - blue sky, lovely lavender, medium lilac, lemon drop, innocent pink, dusty rose

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)

Ranger Perfect Pearls - perfect pearl colour

purple 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 links as it will earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you x

Krafty Chicks challenge #844 - ATG with a twist

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 5; and as it's an extra week this month we have an anything goes theme and Lori is our hostess. However we are mixing it up this year and adding an optional twist and the twist this time is 'coffee' so we would love to see all your coffee inspired creations.  Such a fun twist and we hope you will come over and join in the fun with us.

I recently picked up this stamp & die set and it was perfect for this theme.  I also needed a card for a friend's birthday so it worked out for that too.  I made my card 5" x 7" as it was for a special friend and used a new to me stencil too.  I think it turned out super cute and I hope you like it too. 

Here is my card:

A closer look at the image:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by cutting a white panel 5" x 7" and used the coffee bean stencil and a warm cocoa ink pad to create my background.  I cut the panel down using the stitched rectangle from master layouts 08 and the plain rectangle die to cut a black mat layer and adhered them both together using liquid glue.  I stamped the image onto alcohol marker friendly card, coloured it with my Promarkers and added some white highlights.  I used the coordinating die to cut it out.  I cut a circle from vellum and added the image onto it using foam squares.  I then added the circle onto the background using liquid glue. I stamped the two sentiments onto white card using black ink and die cut them out with stitched fishtail banner dies; I also blended the warm cocoa ink over both of them so that they would match the background.  I added both sentiments with liquid glue.  I finished off with a few pearls and adhered the panel onto my card base using double sided tape.  For the inside I cut another white panel and black panel as before and adhered them together using liquid glue.  I used a scrap piece of white card and using the coffee bean stencil and the warm cocoa ink.  I die cut it using the stitched rectangle and added it to the bottom of the white panel.  I stamped the sentiment in the centre using black ink and adhered the panel to my card base using double sided tape. 

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

Addicted to Stamps & More challenge - any occasion

Allsorts challenge - feminine

First Cup challenge - ATG with a hot or cold beverage

Little Red Wagon challenge - s is for stencil

Seize the Birthday challenge - geometric or word die/s (I've not used the topping this time)

I hope you will be able to join us for our 'ATG with a optional twist of coffee' 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 later with my DT card for the Just Us Girls challenge.

Love and hugs,

card supplies:

MFT - latte love stamp & die set

MFT - everything wonderful clear stamp (for birthday sentiment)

Promarkers

Time for Tea Designs - coffee beans stencil - store now closed

Waffle Flower - nesting circles die

Stampin' Up! - card stock vellum - no longer available

Gina K Designs - master layouts 08 die set

Gina K Designs - master layouts 05 die set (for banner dies)

Gina K Designs - warm cocoa ink pad

LOTV - verses A5 polymer stamp set - no longer available

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 pad

Sakura - white no. 10 gelly roll pen

Heffy Doodle - alcohol marker friendly card - store now closed

Little Things From Lucy's Cards - seashells crystal collection - store now closed

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

Card Clubhouse IG Hop - Week 22 - Thrills & Chills

Hello lovely friends; I'm here to share my card for the Card Clubhouse IG hop organised by my sweet friend Kelly. We are on Week 22 and our theme is 'Thrills & Chills' so we want to see all your Halloween/spooky creations. This is going to be a great hop this week and I can't wait to see what sparks your imagination.

I recently picked up a few things in the 'end of an era' sale over at Time for Tea Designs (sad to see another craft store close) and one of them was this fun haunted house.  I did some ink blending and spatter and I love how it turned out.  I hope you like it too.

Here is my card:

Plus a closer look at the house:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by cutting a white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and ink blended over the whole panel using plum punch ink; I also darkened the edges with black ink for a bit more drama and added some white spatters. At this point I decided to add a black mat layer so trimmed my blended panel down to 3 7/8" x 5 1/8" and adhered them together using liquid glue.  I found a strip of script patterned paper so blended some black ink all over and tore one of the edges, again adding some white spatters.  I adhered that over the blended panel using double sided tape.  I stamped the image onto alcohol marker friendly card, coloured it with my Promarkers and added some white gelly roll highlights.  I don't have the dies so I fussy cut it out.  I added foam squares behind the image and added it onto the background, more towards the top.  I stamped and white heat embossed my sentiment onto black card and used a stitched banner die to cut it out.  I added this below the house, again using foam squares.  The panel was adhered to my card base using double sided tape.  For the inside I cut another white panel and black mat layer.  I ink blended a border along the bottom of the white panel and again added white spatters.  Once dry I adhered the panels together using liquid glue.  I found a black bat left over from a previous project so added that to the bottom right corner using liquid glue.  I stamped the sentiment in the centre using black ink and then adhered the panel to my card base using double sided tape.  

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

Addicted to Stamps & More challenge - any occasion

Cardz 4 Guyz challenge - use at least 3 of purple, green, orange & black

Crafty Gals Corner challenge - ATG optional twist trick or treat

Creative Crafting Uncles challenge - Halloween

Creative Knockouts challenge - Halloween or fall

If You Give A Crafter A Cookie challenge - come on get spooky

Papercraft challenges - spooky delights

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - ATG

Sweet Stampin' challenge - Halloween or the colours of Halloween

The Dream Factory - The Curse of Bridge Hollow (Halloween)

I hope you will pop over to Instagram and check out the hop; please use the hashtag #cardclubhouse2026 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:

Time for Tea Designs - haunted house clear stamp - store now closed

Promarkers

Clearly Besotted - fright night clear stamp - retired

Gina K Designs - plum punch ink pad

Gina K Designs - white pigment ink cube (I use this when embossing in white)

Tracey Hey Designs - 'words' A4 paper pad

Gina K Designs - master layouts 02 die set (for stitched banner die)

MFT - extreme black hybrid ink pad

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 white card (for card base)

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

Memento - tuxedo black ink pad

Sakura - white no. 10 gelly roll pen

Wow! - opaque bright white super fine embossing powder

Heffy Doodle - alcohol marker friendly card - store now closed

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

The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown IG Hop - Oct 26

Hello friends and welcome to the 1st Annual 'It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown' Instagram Hop hosted by my lovely friend Kelly. 2026 marks the 60th anniversary of this beloved classic’s first airing on tv and it’s still warming our hearts today. We’re celebrating with fun, pumpkin-inspired projects, so hop along with us for lots of creative inspiration; plus there’s a special treat waiting for you!  Just as Linus waited all night in the “most sincere” pumpkin patch for The Great Pumpkin to deliver toys to those who believed, we have a gift for one (1) lucky winner! Hidden somewhere along the hop is a giveaway prize because Halloween wouldn’t be complete without a few treats. Head to the beginning at Kelly's stop for giveaway details! Happy hopping, and may the Great Pumpkin bring a little magic your way!

I wanted to use something Charlie Brown/Snoopy related but didn't really have anything with a pumpkin.  I found a very old Stampabilities Snoopy Joe Cool stamp that's been in my stash for years and decided to get resourceful.  I used a favourite Penny Black stamp featuring hedgie and a pumpkin balloon and did some creative masking to merge the Joe Cool image and the pumpkin balloon together.  I think it turned out super cool and I hope you like it too.  

Here is my card with the stamps I used:

A better look at the card:

A closer look at the image:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by cutting a white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and stencilled the pumpkin background using my Gina K inks.  I stamped the images, masking as I said, coloured it with Promarkers and fussy cut it out.  I decided I wanted a bit more orange so used an orange gingham paper as my mat layer so cut down my stencilled panel by 1/4" and adhered them together with liquid glue.  I added the image onto the background using very thin foam squares.  I used 3 different stamp sets to create my sentiment which I stamped directly onto the background using black ink.  I added a few black pearls and the panel was adhered to my card base with double sided tape.  For the inside I cut another white panel and orange gingham mat layer.  I stencilled the pumpkins at the bottom of the white panel and stamped my sentiment in the centre with black ink.  The layers were adhered together with liquid glue before adding to my card base with double sided tape.  

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

Creative Crafting Uncles challenge - Halloween or autumn

Creative Knockouts challenge - Halloween or fall

Cupcake Inspirations challenge - fall

Inkspirational challenge - inspiration photo

Make My Monday challenge - use the colour orange

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - ATG

The Paper Funday challenge - ATG optional twist pumpkin spice & everything nice

The Sisterhood of Crafters challenge - fall

Please pop on over to IG to see the amazing pumpkin creations in the hop. Don't forget there is 1 prize up for grabs so check out Kelly's stop for all the details on how to win.

Thanks for stopping by; enjoy the rest of your day

Love and hugs,

card supplies:

Stampabilities - Joe Cool Snoopy wooden stamp - retired

Penny Black - frightful flight wooden stamp

Promarkers

Pretty Pink Posh - pumpkin background stencil 

Memory Box - mango gingham paper - no longer available

MFT - SPECtacular clear stamp

MFT - you're super clear stamp

MFT - document it days & dates clear stamp

LDRS - the magic of fall clear stamp

Gina K Designs - ink pads - warm cocoa, sweet mango, sweetcorn, jelly bean green

Gina K Designs - black, gold & silver metallic 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 my card base)

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

I now 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

Uniko Christmas *almost* in July release review - brand ambassador inspiration

Good morning friends.  Today I'm joining Bev of Uniko and my fellow brand ambassadors for a Christmas *almost* in July release review and revisiting the gorgeous products released in early August.  Bev is sharing some of our new creations over on the Uniko blog but we are also showing some extra cards on our personal blogs too.  I used almost all of the new release but didn't get around to using the Ink & Flip: Christmas Star, Star stencil as I ran out of time.  

My first card is the one that Bev is sharing on her blog and it's using 'Rustic Snowflake'.  

A closer look at the details:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I went fairly simple with this card and used only stamps, ink and paper (and a little bit of stickles for a bit of sparkle) and the ink colours are lovely lavender and sky blue.  The inside sentiment is from the 'rustic wreath' clear stamp.  I love how soft and dreamy it turned out.  

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

The 12 Months of Christmas Link Up challenge - ATG Christmas 

ABC Christmas challenge - V is for violet

Allsorts challenge - feminine 

Color Dare challenge - color challenge #726 (I used purple and blue)

For my second card I used 'Layering Modern Poinsettias' layering stencil set

A closer look at the details:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I masked off a strip and did some partial stencilling using only the smallest of the poinsettias.  I added a large sentiment from the  'Christmas wishes' clear stamp in black and some gold highlights.  A really CAS card but I think it turned out so elegant.  

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

Beautiful Blossoms challenge - AT floral goes optional mood board

Christmas Crafts All Year 'round challenge - T for traditional colours

For my third card I used one of the stamps from the 'winter garlands' clear stamp

A closer look at the details:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I stamped the garland randomly over my background and coloured it with pencils and sansodor and added a red mat layer.  I stamped and fussy cut a bold sentiment from the 'mid century modern wreath builder' clear stamp and added it with foam squares.  The inside sentiment is from 'Christmas wishes'.  This card screams traditional Christmas to me.  

Do you have a favourite of the three cards I'm sharing today; I'd love to know?  I love how they all turned out but I think if I had to choose my favourite would be the CAS card using the poinsettia stencil.   

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 £15 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 next Saturday 31st October.

Have a great weekend; hopefully Storm Boelo won't cause too much damage if you're in its path.  We had Storm Austen yesterday but luckily we just had lots of rain in the morning and some wild winds for most of the day.  Wherever you are take card and thanks for stopping by.     

Love and hugs, 

non Uniko supplies used:

Gina K Designs - ink pads - lovely lavender, blue sky, soft stone, light cranberry, medium cranberry, dark cranberry, light spruce, sea glass

Gina K Designs - master layouts 02 die set

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

Ranger - crystal stickles

Arteza Expert pencils (venetian red, emerald green, burnt ochre & sky blue)

Winsor & Newton - sansodor low odour solvent (for blending)

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 stash

I now 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