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Thursday 14 March 2024

Krafty Chicks challenge #707 Christmas

Good Morning lovely friends.  I'm back again today to share my card for this week's Krafty Chicks challenge and this week is all about Christmas.  So grab your Christmas stamps, dies, papers etc and join in the fun with us. 
I bought some new stamps recently from LOTV as they've been having a fab offer and all their polymer stamp sets were only £10 - it would have been rude not to get some lol!  One of the sets I got was Christmas Mugs so I thought I would use one of the images for my card.  I asked my son to choose the image and he picked the cute snowman so here is my card:
a closer look at the cute image:
I decorated the inside:
I began by stamping the image with alcohol marker friendly ink and coloured it with Promarkers.  I also added some white highlights with a gel pen.  I decided I wanted to keep my card as one layer so stamped the image again onto masking paper and made a mask to cover my coloured image.  I then ink blended around the image with a light blue ink and also added some stencilled stars behind the mug.  Below the image I ink blended some very light grey ink to ground the image.  I cut out the panel with a scalloped rectangle and added it to my card base with foam tape.  I stamped a sentiment with black ink and cut it out with a banner die.  I also cut a slightly larger banner from a light blue card and layered them together.  This was added to the top right corner with liquid glue.  I didn't add any embellishments as I liked it as it was.  For the inside I cut another scalloped rectangle, stamped a sentiment in the centre with black ink and partially stamped the image at the bottom in a light grey ink.  I applied the mask and lightly inked with blue ink around the image.  The panel was adhered to the card base with double sided tape.   I'm really happy with how this card turned out and cannot wait to ink up all the other mugs.  

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

CRAFT challenge - Christmas
I Love Promarkers challenge - ATG option love/romance
Merry Little Christmas challenge - anything Christmas Goes
Peace On Earth Christmas challenge - anything Christmas themed
Shopping Our Stash challenge - round and round (dots on my mug and background) 13 max
Stencil Fun challenge - must use a stencil option Easter/spring
The Holly & Ivy Christmas Challenge - anything Christmas goes
The Male Room challenge - food and drink

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 - LeanneDiane and Lori and also our guest designer Shirley, who is joining us for March. 

Thanks for stopping by. 

Love and hugs, 
card ingredients:
MFT - blueprints 27 (for scalloped rectangle and banner dies)
Funky Fossil Designs - snow is falling stencil
Gina K Designs - ink pads - soft stone & sea glass
Gina K Designs - masking magic sheets
Paula Pascual - Christmas messages stamp set (for inside greeting)
Promarkers
Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card (for my card base)
Sakura - no. 10 white gelly roll pen

Wednesday 13 March 2024

Spring Into Cardmaking IG Hop - Week 1

Hello again lovely friends; I hope you're having a great week and for my friends in the UK I hope you had a lovely Mother's Day (although I know it's a tough day for some and I send my love to you).  I'm back with the start of another Instagram Hop organised by my lovely friend Kelly and this time we are all about spring with our Spring Into Cardmaking IG Hop.  Each week we will be sharing a themed card focusing on the joys of spring.  If our hop inspires you please use the hashtag #2024springintocardmakinghop to join in the fun. 
We know not everyone has stamp or die of their birth flower so you could use any spring flower you like.  I didn't have the flowers for my birth month (July) so made a birthday card for a friend whose birthday is this month so I used a daffodil.  Here is my card:
A closer look at the flower:
I decorated the inside:
I started this card with a completely different idea in mind but it evolved into a spotlight card after I had coloured the image.  I stamped and coloured the beautiful image with my Promarkers and cut it out with a small circle die and used a slightly larger one to create a black frame.  I took a white card panel and cut it to 3 3/4" x 5" and stamped the image once again in a light grey ink (I did have to extend the stems slightly using a pencil.  There is a slight colour difference but I don't think a non-crafter would notice).    I cut a black mat panel just slightly larger and adhered them together with double sided tape.  I added the coloured image over top of the grey stamped image, lining them up and then added the black frame around to make the image pop.  I used 2 pre-printed sentiment strips and added one to the top right corner and the other to the bottom left corner, both with foam tape.  For a change I used a coloured card base in a bright yellow to match my image.  For the inside I cut another white panel and stamped a sentiment in black ink and added a potion of the image, again stamped in grey ink, to the bottom.  I matted the panel with a black panel and added it to the card base with double sided tape.  I love the look of spotlight cards and they are simple to create but really pack a punch.  I didn't added any embellishments as I didn't think the card needed anything else.  

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

Allsorts challenge - use yellow
Craft Rocket challenge - for the girls
Cut It Up challenge - colours of spring
Double D challenge - first signs of spring
I Love Promarkers challenge - ATG option love/romance
Incy Wincy Designs challenge - birthday and/or funny, humorous 
Scrapping4Fun challenge - Easter or spring
Triple B challenge - birds, blooms or butterflies

I would love it if you would pop over to Instagram and see the amazing work by all the other crafters taking part in the hop.  Please use the hashtag #2024springintocardmakinghop to find us and also so that we can find your creation if you are inspired to take part.  

I'll be back again with you tomorrow with my card for the Krafty Chicks challenge so please pop by and check it out.  As always I appreciate the comments you leave and thank you so much for stopping by. 

Love and hugs, 


card ingredients:
Gina K Designs - Easter blessings stamp
Gina K Designs - birthday cheer stamp (for inside sentiment)
Gina K Designs - Master Layouts 5 (for smaller circle)
Spellbinders - standard circles large (for larger circle)
Gina K Designs - soft stone ink pad
Versafine - onyx black ink pad
Promarkers
Limetree Crafts - daffodil 230gsm card (for card base)

Thursday 7 March 2024

Krafty Chicks challenge #706 Stamps

Good morning lovely friends; I hope you're all doing ok and having a great week.  I'm here today to share my card for this week's Krafty Chicks challenge.  We are back around to Week 1 which is 'Stamps' so grab your rubber stamps, clear stamps or even your digital images and join in the fun.  
It was my mother-in-law's birthday recently so used this opportunity to make her a card from my boys.  I had just received this stamp and die set so was eager to try it out.  Here is my card:
A closer look at the beautiful image:
I also decorated the inside:
I began by stamping the gorgeous image, coloured it with Promarkers and used the matching die to cut it out.  I took a panel of peach card and used the die to cut an aperture from the centre.  I wanted the image to have some dimension and stability so cut it another 3 times from white card and adhered them together with liquid glue before adding it to the aperture, again with liquid glue.  I've had a piece of vellum sitting on my desk for months so decided to put it to good use and added it behind the aperture (I could have made a shaker card but thought the vellum would make a nice change).  I was debating what to put behind the vellum and found a small piece of this green gingham paper and thought that would co-ordinate with the green in the image and also the vellum would soften it so placed that behind.  I added foam tape behind the peach panel and added it to my card base.  The sentiment was stamped with black ink onto white card and cut it out with a rectangle die.  I added this with foam squares, overlapping the image, on the lower right side. I finished off with a few gold sequins.  The finished card is 6" square.  I don't make square cards very often these days so it was a nice change.  For the inside I cut a white panel, stamped my greeting in black ink and adhered it to a panel of peach card with double sided tape.  I found another thin strip of the patterned paper and added that to the very bottom of the panel.  This was then added to the card base with double sided tape.  

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

As You Like It challenge - monochrome or colourful (I love all the colours so very rarely create a monochrome card)
Color Throwdown challenge - peach, sage green & cream
Craft Rocket challenge - for the girls
I love Promarkers challenge - ATG option love/romance
Incy Wincy Designs challenge - birthday and/or funny, humourous
Inkspirational challenge - mood board (I was inspired by the colours)
Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge - bright and cheerful
The Paper Funday challenge - ATG option the DIES have it
Tic Tac Toe challenge - floral, free, metallic (my sequins are gold)
Triple B challenge - include at least one bird, butterfly or bloom

I hope you will be able to join us for our 'Stamps' challenge and I cannot wait to see your creations in our linky.  Please leave some love for my fellow chicks - LeanneDiane and Lori and also our guest designer Shirley, who is joining us for March. 

Thanks for stopping by. 

Love and hugs, 
Card ingredients:
Spellbinders - Lily Arch stamp & dies (CSOM Feb 24)
Spellbinders - Essential rectangles (to cut out sentiment)
Clearly Besotted Stamps - Simply Said stamp set
Clearly Besotted Stamps - happy birthday all (retired)
Clearly Besotted Stamps - mini calligraphy (retired)
Stampin' Up - card stock vellum
Craft UK - 250gsm 12x12 white card (to make card base)
Promarkers
peach card from stash

Friday 1 March 2024

AAA Birthday challenge #59 Geometric

Hello friends and welcome to March!  This year definitely needs to slow down as I can't believe we are at the start of the third month already.  On a positive note at least spring is getting a little closer *yay*.  I'm here today to share my card for this month's AAA Birthday challenge.  Our hostess this month is Vicki and she has chosen 'geometric'.  Our lovely guest for this month is Karen Rogers so pop over and leave her some love.  
I love the look of geometric designs and they are perfect for masculine cards.  I needed a card for my brother-in-law so it was the perfect challenge for me.  Here is my card:
a closer look:
plus I decorated the inside:
I began by cutting my white panel to 4" x 5 1/4".  I took some triangle dies and cut 1 large one from red card, 2 medium cut from red and black card and 1 tiny one cut from black card.  I took a strip of black and white striped patterned paper and adhered it to the left side of my panel with double sided tape.  I added the larger red triangle with liquid glue overlapping the paper and placed the medium black triangle over top with foam squares.  I then added the red medium triangle to the bottom left, again overlapping the paper, and added the tiny black triangle with a foam square.  The sentiment was stamped towards to the right side between my triangle clusters.  No embellishments as I thought it looked cool as it was.  For the inside I added a very thin piece of the patterned paper to the bottom of my panel and added a medium red and tiny black triangle just above in the bottom left with liquid glue.  I stamped a sentiment in black ink in the centre.  

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

AAA Cards challenge - anything CAS goes optional twist birthday
Cut It Up challenge - dots and/or stripes
Double D challenge - patterned paper
Incy Wincy Designs challenge - birthday and/or funny, humorous
Simply Clean and Simple challenge - anything CAS optional green
Tic Tac Toe challenge - CAS, free, favourite colour (red and black together for male cards)

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 our challenge this month but don't forget it has to be birthday themed.  I can't wait to see your creations in the linky.

Enjoy the rest of your day and thank you so much for stopping by.

Love and hugs, 

card ingredients:*
Lil' Inker - stitched triangle dies
Clearly Besotted Stamps - happy birthday all
Clearly Besotted Stamps - mini calligraphy
Clearly Besotted Stamps - tag along (for inside greeting)
MFT Stamps - black and white stripes 6x6 paper pad
Limetree Crafts - 250gsm smooth white card

* most of what I used is retired but I bet you have something similar in your stash if you're inspired to create something similar.  



Thursday 29 February 2024

Krafty Chicks challenge #705 - Anything goes

Good morning lovely crafty friends.  I hope you've had a fantastic week so far; it's almost the weekend!  I'm here today to share my card for this week's Krafty Chicks challenge and whenever there is a 5 week month Week 5 is always 'Anything Goes'.  It really can't get much easier than that can it?  
So as I said this week is 'Anything Goes' so you can go wild and create whatever you like, for whatever occasion you like.  I needed a get well card for a friend's husband so it was the perfect challenge for me.  Here is my card:
A close up of the cute images:
I decorated the inside:
I began by stamping the cute images in black ink and coloured them with my Promarkers and used the matching dies to cut them out.  I also decided to make my own patterned paper by stamping the band aid image onto light blue card using a slightly darker ink pad and added the tiny heart with red ink.  I heat embossed the sentiment in white onto black card and used a sentiment strip die to cut it out.  I cut a card panel from white card 3 3/4" x 5" and a mat panel from black card and adhered them with double sided tape.  I added the 'patterned paper' with double sided tape down the left side of the panel.  I added the sentiment strip in the lower centre of the panel with foam squares and then placed my images overlapping it on the right side.  The panel was added to the card base with double sided tape.  I didn't add any embellishments as I liked it as it was (plus I was giving it to a man who I always think prefer it CAS).  For the inside I cut another white panel and black mat panel and adhered them with double sided tape.  I didn't think far enough ahead to make another piece of 'patterned paper' so instead stamped and die cut another 2 band aids and placed them in the lower right corner.  I stamped a sentiment in the centre with black ink.  The panel was added to the card base with double sided tape.  I really like this card and the homemade patterned paper was simple to make and looks really sweet I think.  

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

Allsorts challenge - things that can fly
Alphabet challenge - x is for xtra hearts
Classic Design challenge - ATG optional twist I love ...
Creative Moments challenge - ATG option CAS (3rd entry)
Day of the Month Card Club challenge - random act of kindness
I love Promarkers - ATG option under the sea
My Time To Craft challenge - create your own background
Sweet Stampin' challenge - always look on the bright side of life
The Male Room challenge - Valentine/use a heart
Triple B challenge - must include either a bird, bloom or butterfly

I hope you will be able to join us for our 'Anything goes' challenge and I cannot wait to see your creations in our linky.  Please leave some love for my fellow chicks - LeanneDiane and Lori and also our guest designer for February, Helen (thank you for all your beautiful cards as guest during both January and February Helen).  

Thanks for stopping by. 

Love and hugs, 
card ingredients:
Gina K Designs - ink pads - red hot, ocean mist, white pigment ink cube
Card Making Magic - Verses for Occasions (for inside greeting)
blue card from my scraps bin

Thursday 22 February 2024

Krafty Chicks challenge #704 - All Occasion

Hello again friends; I'm back once again with my DT card for this week's Krafty Chicks challenge.  We are on Week 4 which is 'All Occasion' i.e. birthday, sympathy, get well etc; the world's your oyster!  
I found these images already coloured from another project so thought I would put them to good use. I didn't need a specific card so just made a generic hello friend card.  Here is my card:
A close up of the cute doggies:
Plus I decorated the inside:
In addition to the images already being coloured I also had the circles pre-cut that I was going to use on another card but then changed my mind (they were all cut from pieces from my scrap bin).  I did have to cut a few extra for the inside but this card was super easy to put together once I had decided on the layout.   I cut a panel from white card 3 3/4" x 5" and added the circles randomly around (but in rainbow order) with foam squares.  I also added the cute dog images with foam squares too.  I stamped the friend and hello words in black ink and used the matching die to cut out the friend, along with another 3 from white card.  I used a tiny sentiment strip die to cut out the hello word.   I used a tip I learned from Mindy Eggen and used the extra friend die cuts to layer up the word but only used the middle part that would have contact with the card panel so that everything would be the same level.  The panel was added with double sided tape.  I didn't add any embellishments as I thought it looked cute as it was.  For the inside I used the left over pieces of the circles that I had cut off from the front and added them around my panel.  The only circles I had to cut extra were the teal one and the yellow one.  I added another dog to the inside too.  These were all added with liquid glue.  I didn't add a sentiment as I thought this card could be for any occasion and I could add one when I needed to.  

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

AAA Cards challenge - anything CAS option birthday
Colorful Options challenge - Pink or rainbow creations
Crafty Animals challenge - ATG must include an animal
Creative Inspirations challenge - someone you love/for a friend
Creative Friday challenge - Double (2 dogs)
Critter Crazy challenge - ATG with a featured critter
Day of the Month Card Club challenge - random act of kindness
Dream Valley challenge - Our 4 legged friends
I love Promarkers challenge - ATG option under the sea
Simply Clean and Simple challenge - ATG CAS option pink 
Sweet Stampin' challenge - Always look on the bright side of life

I hope you will be able to join us for our 'All Occasions' challenge and I cannot wait to see your creations in our linky.  Please leave some love for my fellow chicks - LeanneDiane and Lori and also our guest designer for February, Helen.  

Thanks for stopping by. 

Love and hugs, 
  
Card ingredients:
MFT Stamps - Friends at first sip (for dogs)
MFT Stamps - Tag builder blueprints 6 (die cut circles)
Gina K Designs - Modern flower stamp & die set (for sentiments)*
Promarkers
Versafine - onyx black ink pad
Sakura - white no 10 gelly roll pen
other card from my scraps bin

*was part of the Hello Lovely kit but no longer available - it will be in the store when the new kit is launched

Just Us Girls challenge #715

Welcome friends; I hope you've had a great week so far and you are looking forward to the weekend.  I'm back to share my last guest designer card for the Just Us Girls challenge (I can't believe where the last 4 weeks have gone!).  
This week is a nice easy challenge for you - anything goes with a stencil.  If you are like me you have lots of stencils to choose from so grab some and play along.  
It is my nephew's birthday today so of course this was the perfect opportunity to make him a card.  Here is my stencil card:
a closer look:
and I decorated the inside:
I always make my family 5" x 7" cards because sometimes bigger is better.  I began by cutting my panels using Gina K's ML 8 which is designed to fit on a 5" x 7" card.  I used a star stencil and chose masculine colours to ink blend with.  I worked in a diagonal pattern, alternating the colours and stars and I also stamped some stars in between to fill any gaps.  I decided to add some metallic splatter in copper instead of adding any extra embellishments. I originally stamped the sentiment directly onto the card panel but it looked a little lost in all the stencilling so stamped it again in black ink onto white card and cut it with my paper trimmer and then matted it onto a black panel; this was then added with double sided tape.  The panel was added onto the card base with foam tape.  For the inside I cut the same size panels and used the stencil at the bottom, again alternating the colours and patterns.  I stamped a sentiment in the centre with black ink.  The panel was added onto my card base with double sided tape.  I really like the colour combo and will definitely use it again.  

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

As You Like It challenge - feminine or masculine (and why) - I have a husband and 2 sons as well as a nephew so I've always enjoyed and made my fair share of masculine cards  
Creative Knockouts challenge - die cuts/punches/stencils (I've used dies and a stencil) 10 challenges max
Seize The Birthday challenge - ATG birthday (no topping)
The Paper Funday challenge - ATG optional twist no patterned paper
Time Out challenge - birthday theme (it's their 10th birthday!) 5 challenges max

I'm sure this will be a popular challenge as we all love our stencils don't we.  Please pop over and check out the gorgeous creations by the talented design team.  I want to say a big thank you to Just Us Girls challenge for asking me to guest with them in February; it's been an honour and I've had a blast.  I'll be back next week playing along as usual lol!

My DT card for the Krafty Chicks challenge will be along soon so I hope you'll pop back and check it out.  Until then, thanks for stopping by, I really appreciate your support. 

Love and hugs, 

card ingredients:
Gina K Designs - star-studded 6x6 stencil
Gina K Designs - grand gentlemen stamp set
Gina K Designs - master layouts 8
Gina K Designs - birthday cheer stamp set (for inside sentiment and small stamped stars)
Gina K Designs - copper glimmer mist
Versafine - onyx black ink