Krafty Chicks challenge #817 - 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.

This challenge was perfect timing for me as it was my husband's birthday last week so I could get his card done and tick off my challenge too!!  If you think this card looks sort of familiar it's because I shared a card earlier in the week that I made using the scraps leftover from this card, so you are not going mad lol!  This one is the original, stepped up and enhanced version of that simple card and it's 5 1/2" x 7 1/2".  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the details:

Plus I decorated the inside:

My husband loves bright colours and is more daring with his clothes than I am (I'm usually in black or grey lol!) so I decided to make a rainbow background using fun patterned papers.  I used a die from Spellbinders to cut all the papers and adhered them to a white panel cut to 5" x 7",  leaving a tiny gap so the white would peek through, using liquid glue.  I added a black mat layer behind with double sided tape.  I stamped the image onto alcohol marker friendly card; the image originally didn't have much hair and my husband has lots of hair so I used my memento marker to draw in some hair on the top, and I was quite chuffed with how it looked.  I used my Promarkers to colour the image and fussy cut him out as I don't have the dies.  I used my computer & printer to create the top, personalised sentiment and cut it out using a die from ML20 and added a black mat layer.  I stamped the fun sentiment at the bottom with black ink (we are both 60 next year so we're always teasing each other how old we are!).  I lightly ink blended some sea glass ink in the middle of the panel and added the image with foam squares.  I added some scrap white card behind the smaller panel and adhered it to the background with double sided tape.  I created my card base by cutting a white sheet to 11" x 7 1/2" and scoring on the long side at 5 1/2".  I then adhered the panel onto the card base with double sided tape.  I didn't add any embellishments as my hubby is not a fan, plus the background was quite busy as it was.  For the inside I cut another white panel 5" x 7" and added a black mat layer.  I used tiny pieces of the patterned paper to create a border at the bottom of the panel and added a thin strip of black card above with liquid glue.  I stamped, coloured and fussy cut another image and added it in the bottom right corner with liquid glue.  I found a fun sentiment that I thought was perfect for us and stamped that in the centre with black ink.  I adhered the panel 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:

MFT - old friends stamp

Promarkers

MFT - sassy pants b-day greetings 3 stamp (for inside sentiment)

Spellbinders - color block slices die set

Echo park - summer dots & stripes 6x6 paper pad

Echo park - metropolitan dots & stripes 6x6 paper pad

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

*Gina K Designs - ML 20 (for rectangle die)

Gina K Designs - sea glass 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

Earth Day 2026 IG Hop

Happy Earth Day friends and welcome to the 2026 Earth Day IG card hop! We’re so excited to have you join us as we celebrate creativity and our beautiful planet. Today, each stop along the hop is sharing handmade cards inspired by keeping the Earth green - think nature, recycling, sustainability, and all things eco-friendly!  As you hop along, we hope you feel inspired to create with purpose and spread a little love for our environment.  Be sure to visit every stop, leave some love, and enjoy the journey!  Let’s celebrate Earth Day together - one card at a time! 

I am a big believer in recycling and in our area we recycle an amazing 70% of our household waste. The benefits of recycling includes: Reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills and incinerators, Conserves natural resources such as timber, water, and minerals, Prevents pollution by reducing the need to collect new raw materials, Saves energy, Reduces greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global climate change, Helps sustain the environment for future generations, Helps fight climate change, which in my book is a win-win! 

For my card today I used an amazing earth die, did some ink blending and I created my sentiment after being inspired by some art on Pinterest.  It turned out exactly as I planned and I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the details:

Plus I decorated the inside (albeit very simply):

I began by ink blending onto white card using two shades of green ink, I then die cut the earth die from this.  I also ink blended another piece of white card using two shades of blue ink, which will be my oceans.  I used two nesting circle dies to create a frame from black card and also used the larger circle to die cut my earth and ocean background.  I adhered all the layers with liquid glue.  I cut a white panel 4" x 5 1/4".  For the stamped portion of the sentiment I took a stamp that was much longer and did some stamp surgery to cut apart the 'there's no' portion and curved it slightly in my Misti to match the curve of the earth and stamped it with black ink.  I die cut the 'planet' letters from black card and the B from red card, along with a small heart.  I adhered the earth with foam squares in the centre and then added the letters below with liquid glue.  I added the red heart onto the earth with liquid glue.  I added some scrap white card behind the panel and adhered it to my card base with double sided tape.  I loved the clean, crisp look and felt I didn't need to add any embellishments. For the inside I cut another white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and blended some green ink along the bottom and blue ink along the top.  I stamped the sentiment in black ink and added a tiny red heart in the bottom right corner with liquid glue.  I adhered the panel 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 pop over to Instagram and check out the hop; please use the hashtag #earthday2026ighop 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,

card supplies:

Hero Arts - world window fancy die

Waffle Flower - nesting circle dies

MFT - little letters die set

MFT - make a wish stamp

MFT - tag builder blueprints 6 (for hearts)

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

*Gina K Designs - never lose hope mini stamp (for inside sentiment)

Gina K Designs - ink pads - blue denim, in the navy, grass green, fresh asparagus

*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 - April 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.

This month I am continuing my alphabet series of ATC's with D, E & F.  I think it will be fun each month finding images/dies for each letter (although I did struggle with F this month and breathed a sigh of relief when I found the fairy stamp lol!).  I'm excited to see them all at the end and I hope you are going to stick around to see them all too.  I used mostly older, retired products but I still love them so why not use them. I hope you like them.

Here are my three ATC's:

Here's a closer look at 'D':

Here's 'E':

and here's 'F':

The backs are simply decorated with the ATC info stamp and some blending:

Once again I used my leftover ink blending scrap paper for my backgrounds as they turn out really interesting and not something I would create myself.  I did add some stamping and ink blending over them to tie them into the image a little more and I think they turned out great.  I stamped the dog, elephant and fairy images and coloured them with Promarkers.  I had the dies for the dog and elephant but had to fussy cut the fairy.  I die cut the three frames (the same die set that I used last month) from gold mirror card and adhered them to the backgrounds with liquid glue.  I die cut the letters 3 times in each colour and stacked them with liquid glue; these were then adhered to the top left corner with liquid glue.  I added each of 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:

* to be updated *

I hope you will pop over to Instagram and check out the hop; please use the hashtag #ATCscrapmakes2026 or #ATCscrapmakesApril26 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:

MFT - puppy kisses stamp & die (for dog)

MFT - distressed patterns stamp

MFT - little letters die set

MFT - new best friend stamp (for paw stamp)

W Plus 9 - unforgettable stamp & die (for elephant)

Tonic Studios - I love you fairy much stamp (for fairy)

Hunkydory - Moonstone dies - scalloped edged picture frames

ATC silicone stamp won in a challenge

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

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

Promarkers

Tsukineko - silver encore ultimate metallic ink pad (to stamp the stars)

coloured card and mirror card from scraps bin

*Gina K Designs - ink pads - dark chocolate, warm cocoa, slate, stormy sky, dark carnation

*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 Party IG Hop - April 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 'Easter, which I know was a little while ago, but you can get ahead for next year if you follow the twist, so grab your patterned papers and join in the fun.  I needed a last minute Easter card for my in-laws so I'm sharing that today plus I have a bonus birthday card which I made with some leftover paper after making my hubby's birthday card (I'll be sharing that on Thursday).  I hope you like them.

Firstly here is the Easter card:

A closer look at the image:

Plus I decorated the inside:

Here is the bonus birthday card:

A closer look at the details:

Plus I decorated the inside:

For the Easter card I stamped the floral cross image onto alcohol marker friendly card and coloured it with Promarkers, adding a few white gelly roll pen highlights.  I cut it out with a stitched rectangle and matted it onto some yellowy/peach patterned paper. I then cut a piece of wood grain paper to cover the front of my card base (4 1/14" x 5 1/2") and adhered it with double sided tape. I added some scrap white card behind the smaller panel and added that to the background with double sided tape.  I stamped the sentiment in black ink and used a sentiments strip die to cut it out before adhering it to the centre of the image with foam squares.  I finished off with some gold pearls.  For the inside I cut a white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and added a strip of the wood grain paper to the bottom with liquid glue.  I stamped the sentiment in the centre with black ink and adhered the panel to the card base with double sided tape.  

For the birthday card I cut a white panel 4" x 5 1/4" (but I will cut it down later) and used some leftover strips of patterned paper to create my background which I adhered with liquid glue.  Once dry I used a stitched rectangle die to cut it out and added a black mat layer behind with double sided tape.  I stamped the sentiment in black ink and used a stitched circle die to cut it out.  I added the sentiment to the lower left side of the panel with foam squares.  I added some scrap white card behind the panel before adhering it to the card base with double sided tape.  I finished off with some black pearls around the sentiment.  For the inside I cut another white panel 4 " x 5 1/4" and added a strip of pink card to the bottom with double sided tape.  I stamped two presents onto the pink strip with black ink and added some details with a white gelly roll pen.  I then stamped the sentiment in the centre with black ink.  I added a black mat layer before adhering the panel to the card base with double sided tape.  

Two very different cards but both using up some of my vast collection of patterned paper.  Do you have a favourite?  I like them both; the Easter card is elegant and beautiful and the birthday card is just bright and fun.  

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

* to be updated *

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 #patternedpaperpartyhopapril2026 and we will find you.

Thanks for stopping by and take care.

Lots of love

Easter card supplies:

Studio Katia - floral cross stamp

Promarkers

Lawn Fawn - 6x6 petite paper pack 'spiffy speckles'

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

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

*Gina K Designs - friendly wishes mini stamp (for inside sentiment)

Gina K Designs - sentiment strips dies

Gina K Designs - master layouts 02 (for stitched rectangle)

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

birthday card supplies:

Spellbinders - color block slices die set

echo park - summer dots & stripes 6x6 paper pad

echo park - metropolitan dots & stripes 6x6 paper pad

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

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

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

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

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

Gina K Designs - sketched wreath builder stamp (for outside sentiment)

*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 #816 - 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.

I'm trying to use stamps or dies that I've had in my stash for years and never used.  It's sad that I have so many unloved products that, although are now retired (or the stores have closed), are still usable and I'm determined to show them some love.  I know we all love new stuff to play with (I definitely do) but it's nice to dust off the old stuff too.  My card is almost a SIP card (I did use the coordinating dies to cut out the flowers) but apart from that it's just stamps, ink and paper (well white card).  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the details:

Plus I decorated the inside:

When I made my CASE IT card on the weekend I had the panel left over that I cut the arch from; I had deliberately made sure it was centred in the panel so that I could use it on another card - and today is that card lol!  I took another white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and stamped the stem and leaves in dark green ink directly on the panel.  I stamped the three flowers onto a scrap piece of white card and used the coordinating dies to cut them out.  I added foam squares behind the arch panel and placed it over the stamped panel for some dimension.  I then placed the flowers over the stems with foam squares.  I stamped the sentiment in black ink and fussy cut it out and placed it in the top right of the arch using a mix of foam squares and liquid glue.  I finished off with some black pearls.  I adhered the panel onto my card base with double sided tape.  For the inside I cut another panel 4" x 5 1/4" and stamped the stems and leaves in the bottom right corner with green ink and again stamped and die cut the flowers and added them with liquid glue.  I stamped the sentiment in the upper centre in black ink before adhering the panel to the card base with double sided tape.  

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

Allsorts challenge - in the garden

Beautiful Blossoms challenge - anything floral goes optional mood board

Crafter's Cafe challenge - ATG optional no squares

Dragonfly Dreams challenge - clean and simple

Fab 'n' Funky challenge - clean and simple

Girlz Rebel challenge - flowers

Neglected Stuff challenge - use your neglected stuff (my stamp & die set)

Pearly Sparkles challenge - something old, something new (stamp is very old, arch die is new)

Pick 3 challenge - CAS, text, die cuts/punches

Simply Clean & Simple challenge - ATG CAS optional baskets

Stamping Sensations challenge - inspired by nature

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

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:

Clearly Besotted - simply quilled stamp & die - retired

Clearly Besotted - mini calligraphy stamp (for inside sentiment) - retired

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

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

*Gina K Designs - master layouts 21 (for arch die)

Gina K Designs - ink pads - grass green, apple mint, blue raspberry, medium lilac

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

Card Clubhouse IG Hop - Week 8

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 8 and we have an awesome sketch to work with this week. It will be fun to see how everyone uses the sketch and 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.

It was my dog's 2nd birthday on Saturday so I decided to use the sketch to make a card for him (most of my family think I'm nuts making him a card but I know you'll all understand lol!).  I thought the sketch would work as a gate-fold card so that is what I made.  I hope you like it.

Here is the sketch:

Here is my card:

A closer look at the details:

Plus I decorated the inside:

Here is the card open (not the best photo but you get the gist):

To make my card base I cut a white piece of card 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" and scored it at 2 1/8 and 6 3/8" to create the smaller panels for the gate-fold.  I cut some black and white paper for the larger panel on the sketch and adhered that the left side of the card with double sided tape.  For the smaller panel I decided to create my own 'paper' by stamping some cute dogs and dog related images randomly on a white piece of card and coloured them with my Promarkers.  I made the panel bigger than I need so that I could fussy cut out some extra dogs to decorate the front and inside.  For the middle strip I cut a plain piece of red card and I added both these pieces to the right side panel with double sided tape.  I created my personalised sentiment on the pc and printed it out before cutting it out with a stitched circle die.  I added the circle over the red strip with foam squares and placed one of the dogs I cut out next to it, again with foam squares.  For the inside I cut a white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and added a strip of the black and white paper to the bottom the liquid glue.  I added another fussy cut dog above the paper (as if he was peeking over) and added a bone below him, both with liquid glue. I stamped the sentiment in the centre with black ink and then adhered the panel to the card base with double sided tape.  I'm really happy with my card and think it turned out super cute. 

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

Classic Design challenge - ATG optional twist furry friends

Craft Rocket challenge - layer it up

Crafter's Cafe challenge - ATG optional no squares

Crafty Animals challenge - ATG must include an animal

Creative Creases challenge - ATG with a fun fold (my card is a gate fold)

Creative Moments challenge - gone but not forgotten (MFT stamps)

Creative Friday challenge - design your own background 

Critter Crazy challenge - ATG with a featured critter

Do-All Creative challenge - ATG optional repeated stamping

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

Little Red Wagon challenge - that song (Who let the dogs out?)

Paper Rocks Scissors challenge - I fussy cut the dogs

Try It On Tuesday challenge - make your own background 

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:

MFT - puppy kisses stamp (for dog and large heart)

MFT - you have my heart stamp (for bone and paw print)

MFT - friends at first sip stamp (for smaller heart)

Promarkers

MFT - new best friend (for inside sentiment)

MFT - black & white stripes 6 x 6 paper pack

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

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

red card from my stash

*Gina K Designs - master layouts 03 (for stitched circle die)

*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