Krafty Chicks challenge - GDT card week 4

Happy Thursday friends; I hope your week has been good so far and not too hectic.  I'm back today with my final card as guest chick for the Krafty Chicks challenge.  I have really enjoyed being their guest this month.  This week's theme is 'All occasion' so you can enter anything you like.  I needed to make a baby card so thought it would be ideal for this challenge.  

My son's friend recently welcomed a baby boy and my son asked if I could make a card for him.  I love making baby cards but it's ages since I made one so popped over to Pinterest for some inspiration.  I saw a gorgeous baby onesie card so thought I would give it a go.  Is it perfect - no, but is it super cute and unique - yes!  I took lots of photos so I'm apologising now for the photo overload lol!  

Here is my card:

a close up of the cute bib:

the inside:

the back:

I even made myself a template for next time:

I made my own envelope to match:

There are loads of templates/tutorials over on Pinterest so I had a look at a couple and then made my own template as I wanted my card to be a little bigger than the ones I had seen.  I started with a panel 5"x6" and made my template by die cutting circles for the neck and legs and then shaping the arms/body.  I then transferred this template onto a 5"x7" card base and cut out my onesie.  I embossed the front with a dot embossing folder.  I made a smaller template so that I could cover the embossing on the inside and also have a different colour layer for my sentiment just for some contrast.  I used mostly dies to create the elements but also stamped a sentiment in blue ink onto a banner for the front.  A few pearls for the poppers and the front was complete.  I used the same elements on the inside and stamped a secondary sentiment in black ink.  On the back I stamped my 'handmade by Denise' and added a die cut star.  I used an envelope punch board to make a matching envelope and added a few die cuts onto that too.  My son's friends were delighted with the card and said they had many comments on it, which is nice.  I'll have to try one in pink now as well as I think they look gorgeous.  

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

Addicted to Stamps and More challenge - die cuts and/or stencils

Alphabet challenge - M is for monochrome

Can You Handle the Pressure challenge - ATG embossing option bees/beehive

Crafter's Cafe challenge - children's clothing

Day of the Month Card Club challenge - International dot day (I used a dotty embossing folder)

Simon Says Stamps Wednesday challenge - ATG

The Cutie Pie challenge - birthdays and/or bears

The Sisterhood of Crafters challenge - shapes (my card is onesie shaped plus lots of die cut shapes)

Please pop over to the Krafty Chicks challenge to get all the details/rules and also to leave some love for the design team - Leanne, Melanie, Diane and Lori.  I've had a brilliant time in the Hen House and grateful for the opportunity to guest.  

Thanks for stopping by and leaving me such lovely comments; I appreciate them all. 

Love and hugs, 

card ingredients:

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm smooth white card

MFT - it's a baby die-namics

MFT - itty bitty baby stamp set

MFT - blueprints 27 (for the banner)

MFT - blueprints 13 (for the stars)

Gina K Designs - swiss dot embossing folder

Gina K Designs - rainbow pearl mix

Lawn Fawn - Henry's ABC dies

Spellbinders - standard circles large & classic scalloped circles large

Clearly Besotted - scalloped edges die collection

blue card from my stash

Falling for Wednesdays IG Hop - week 6

Happy Wednesday friends; I hope you've had a brilliant week so far.  I'm back with my card for this week's Falling for Wednesdays IG Hop organised by my lovely friend Kelly.  We are now on Week 6 (only one more week to go) and this week is all about 'farmers market'.

I know it sounds a daunting theme this week but it's not really.  Farmers markets have a vast array of produce such as fruit, veggies, flowers, baked goods etc.  I envisaged a farmers market stand so did a quick internet search and found this free image at Our Mindful Life.  The one issue I had was that I don't have a printer but thankfully my son managed to get it printed for me.  Here is my card:

I also decorated the inside:

Here are the Promarkers I used:

the image after I finished colouring it (before adding any highlights etc):

this is the image before it was coloured:

I was a little intimidated as the image was so large and it took me ages to actually pick up my pens and begin colouring but once I started it went quite quickly.  There were a few things that I wasn't actually sure what they were but I coloured them to suit what I wanted them to be lol!  There was some greyscale/shadowing on the image which did help but I think I did ok with my colouring considering it was such a big image.  I coloured it with Promarkers and added some highlights with a white gel pen.  The image panel ended up being 5 1/2" x 6 3/4" so my card was a custom size of 5 3/4" x 7".  The panel was added to a chocolate card mat and then this was adhered to my card base with foam tape.  I heat embossed a sentiment using gold embossing powder and die cut this out with a banner die.  The banner was also added with foam tape.  Finally a few gold sequins for some extra shine.   

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

As You Like It challenge - favourite harvest colours (I always think of orange, yellows, dark greens, browns and red; they remind me of the lush fruit and vegetables around this time of year)

Crafty Gals Corner challenge - signs of fall (entry #3)

Dream Valley challenge - make it digital (my image is a free digital colouring page)

Get Creative challenge - pumpkin spice, please 

Inspiration Station challenge - inspiration prompt #53 (I was inspired by the pumpkins and colours)

Shopping our Stash challenge - colour me beautiful (I used alcohol markers to colour my image)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - ATG

I hope you will be able to join us over at Instagram and check out the hop.  As always please use the #ffwcardgroup2023 to find all our creations and we will be able to find yours if you want to join in the fun too.  

Enjoy the rest of your day.  I'll be back again tomorrow with my fourth and final card for the Krafty Chicks challenge and week 4 is all occasions.  

I appreciate you stopping by.  

Love and hugs, 

card ingredients:

free image from Our Mindful Life.com

Promarkers

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm smooth white cardstock

Gina K Designs - harvest silhouettes stamp set (for sentiment)

MFT - blueprints 27 (for banner to cut sentiment)

Gina K Designs - everything nice (for inside greeting and image)

Gina K Designs - sweet mango ink (to stamp image on inside)

Sakura - white gelly roll 10 pen

Versamark ink pad for embossing

Cosmic shimmer - bright gold detail embossing powder

Craft UK Limited - 12" x 12" white card 250gsm (to make my card base)

Limetree Crafts - dark chocolate card 300gsm

Versafine onyx black ink

Spellbinders - gold smooth disc sequins

Krafty Chicks challenge - GDT card Week 3

Good morning lovely friends; I hope you're having a great week so far.  I'm back with my third card for the Krafty Chicks challenge and week 3 is always CAS.  

I always love the look of clean and simple cards but it's not really my forte, although I am getting better at making them.  Here is my card:

and a close up of my cute image:

I began by stamping my adorable little bear and coloured him with Promarkers; I also added some white gel pen highlights.  I don't have the matching dies so fussy cut him out.  I cut a piece of white card 3 3/4" x 5" and masked off a strip towards the top and ink blended it with purple inks; I went for an ombre blend.  I then stamped some of the small cupcakes in black ink onto the ink blended strip.  I die cut the letters from white card and stacked them 4 high for some dimension using liquid glue.  I stamped the birthday sentiment below the ink blended panel towards the right hand side.  I arranged my letters and adhered them with liquid glue and the bear was added with thin foam squares.  I managed to contain myself and not add any more and I think it looks super cute.  

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

Addicted to Stamps and More challenge - any occasion

Craft Rocket challenge - CAS

Crafty Catz challenge - ATG option dies (my letters are die cut)

Creative Inspirations challenge - sentimental

Dragonfly Dreams challenge - happy birthday

Mix it Up challenge - make your own background (mine is ink blended)

Seize the Birthday challenge - ATG (no toppings this time)

Simply Create Too challenge - use stamps

Cutie Pie challenge - birthdays and/or bears

The Sisterhood of Crafters challenge - ATG/die cuts (my letters are die cut)

Please pop over the Krafty Chicks challenge blog for all the details/rules and whilst you are there please leave some love for the design team - Leanne, Melanie, Diane and Lori.  I'll be back next Thursday with my fourth and final guest chick card - All Occasions.  

Thanks for stopping by and I appreciate all your lovely comments.

Love and hugs, 

card ingredients:

MFT - bitty bears stamp set

MFT - little letters die set

Gina K Designs - light, medium and dark lilac ink pads

the basics:

Versafine onyx black ink (for sentiment and cupcakes)

Memento tuxedo black ink (to stamp the bear)

Promarkers

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm smooth white card

Heffy Doodle - alcohol marker friendly card

Sakura - white gelly roll 10 pen

Falling for Wednesdays IG Hop - Week 5

Hello again friends; I hope your day is going brilliantly.  It's Wednesday so that means it's the next instalment of the Falling for Wednesdays IG hop organised by my lovely friend Kelly.  We are now on Week 5 and this week is all about 'fall critters'.  

I love making cards with cute critters so the only dilemma was which image to use.  I dug out an older stamp set that I've never used so decided to show it some love.  

Here is my fall critter card:

and a close up of the critters:

I only added an acorn on the inside; I'll add a sentiment when I know what it's for:

here are the Promarkers I used:

I began by stamping my images and colouring them with Promarkers; I don't have the dies so I fussy cut them out (the tiny acorn was a bit fiddly).  I stamped one of the sentiments from the set onto the log with black ink.  I took a white card panel 3 3/4" x 5" and ink blended some honey mustard ink on the bottom; I also took my cloud stencil and used some sea glass ink on the top.  I wanted my critters to look like they were in a pile of leaves and I'd just received my Gina K Designs order and it was still sitting on my desk so used these beautiful dies to cut out the leaves from white card and inked them up with various autumnal inks.  I arranged the leaves at the bottom in a pile and adhered them with liquid glue.  I added both hedgehogs, the log and the mushroom with thin foam squares.  I really wanted the add the jumping hedgehog with an action wobbler but I still can't find them (if I order more I will discover them right away I'm sure) so he had to be added with foam squares but he still looks super cute.  I then added the card panel onto my card base with foam tape also.  

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

Addicted to Stamps and More challenge - any occasion

Crafty Animals challenge - ATG but must include an animal

Crafty Gals Corner challenge - signs of fall

Critter Crazy challenge - ATG with a featured critter

NBUS - never used the hedgehog stamps

Retro Rubber challenge - fall scenes (my stamp set is from 2016)

Stencil Fun challenge - must use a stencil + option fall (I used a cloud stencil)

The Sisterhood of Crafters challenge - ATG/use die cuts (my leaves were die cut)

Tic Tac Toe challenge - foliage, free, stencil (I used a cloud stencil for my background)

We Love Stamping challenge - autumn leaves

I hope you will be able to pop over to Instagram and check out the hop.  As always please use the hashtag #ffwcardgroup23 to find all the participants gorgeous creations and we will be able to see yours if you want to join in the fun too.  

Enjoy the rest of your day.  I'll be back again tomorrow with my GDT card for the Krafty Chicks challenge - week 3 is CAS cards.  

Thanks for stopping by.

Love and hugs, 

card ingredients:

MFT - happy hedgehogs stamp set

Gina K Designs - autumn leaves (this was a free gift in the Breath of Sunshine card kit)

Gina K Designs ink pads - jellybean green, faded brick, sea glass, honey mustard, sweet corn

Promarkers

Versafine onyx black ink (for sentiment)

Memento tuxedo black ink (to stamp my images)

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm white smooth card

Heffy Doodle - alcohol marker friendly card

Krafty Chicks challenge - GDT card week 2

Hello again friends; I hope you're having a great week so far......it's nearly Friday *yay* (although luckily for me every day is Friday now I've retired lol).  I'm back with my second card for the Krafty Chicks challenge and week 2 is always Christmas.  My Christmas card making production is going as well as most years - this is my second card - but even though I have a last minute panic they always get done!  Here is my card:

and a close up of the cute penguin

I recently got my hands on the new cute Christmas stamps from LOTV so it was the perfect excuse to ink one of them up.  I decided on this cute penguin but they are all adorable.  I coloured him with Promarkers and fussy cut him out.  For the background I used a snowflake stencil and went with light grey ink for a subtle look.  To create his 'ice rink' I actually used a balloon stencil and just masked off the end and inked that in light blue.  I die cut the white panel using a rectangle die that punches the holes which is gorgeous and added a red panel behind it so that the red would peek out from the holes.  I stamped a sentiment in black ink below the ice rink.  I then adhered this to my card base with foam tape.  I added some shimmer pen to the ice rink and then added the penguin on top with thin foam squares.  For a finishing touch I added some clear raindrops around my penguin.  

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

Addicted to Stamps & More challenge - any occasion

Allsorts challenge - ATG or use die cuts (I used a frame die)

Craft Rocket challenge - clean and simple

Fab 'n' Funky challenge - wings or scales (penguins can't fly but use their wings to swim)

Moving Along with The Times challenge - Christmas

NBUS - brand new penguin stamp

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - make it cute

Stencil Fun challenge - use stencils - option fall

The Sisterhood of Crafters challenge - die cuts/ATG (I used a die cut frame)

Use Your Stuff challenge - borders (my die cut frame has a decorative border) 

Please pop over to the Krafty Chicks challenge blog to get all the details of the challenge and to give some love to the Design Team - Leanne, Melanie, Diane and Lori.  I'll be back next Thursday with my card for Week 3 - CAS.

Thanks for stopping by and leaving me such lovely comments; I appreciate you all.  

Love and hugs, 

Card ingredients:

LOTV - penguins and reindeer A5 stamp set

Funky Fossil Designs - snow is falling stencil

Uniko Stamps - balloon bash stencil (for the ice rink)

MFT stamps - my itty bitty holiday stamp set

Gina K Designs - sea glass and soft stone ink pads

Spellbinders - essential rectangles dies

Little Things from Lucy's Cards - clear raindrops

Promarkers

Nuvo - aqua shimmer pen (glitter gloss)

Limetree Crafts - 250 gsm white smooth card

Heffy Doodle - alcohol marker friendly card

Sakura - white gelly roll 10 pen 

Versafine onyx black ink (for sentiment)

Memento tuxedo black ink (for stamping image)

Falling for Wednesdays IG Hop - week 4

Happy Wednesday friends; I hope you're having a wonderful week so far.  I'm back again for this week's instalment of Falling for Wednesdays IG Hop which has been organised by my lovely friend Kelly.  This week is our only technique week and we were challenged to create our own plaid.  It's not as scary as it sounds; there are loads of stamps, stencils etc that you can use or you can even freehand draw your plaid.  I remembered that I had a plaid stamp so used that on my card.

Here is my plaid card:

A close up of the my cute image:

I also decorated the inside:

and made a matching envelope:

here are all the Promarkers and pens I used:

I began by creating my plaid (as if I messed it up I could start again).  I wanted a multi colour plaid so used 3 ink pads to ink up my stamp.  I softened the edges of the ink with a blending brush so that the blend between each colour wasn't too harsh.  The stamp set also comes with the thin lines so that you can really make the background pop - I stamped my lines in black ink for some contrast.  I didn't want my plaid to cover all the background as I thought that would be too much so I cut a piece of white card for my image to stand out a little.  I matted the plaid and white onto some dark chocolate card and also added a thin strip of the dark chocolate card between the plaid and white for some definition.  I stamped my image and coloured with Promarkers, added some white highlights, and then fussy cut it out.  I stamped my sentiment with white pigment ink and heat embossed it with white embossing powder.  It did warp my panel a bit so I let it sit under my Misti for a while before adding it to my card with double sided tape to make sure it was extra secure on my card base.  I added the image with foam squares and grounded them with a light grey Promarker.  At the last minute I decided I wanted some pumpkins around my image but I put so many foam squares behind the image that I couldn't really fit them in, however after a little surgery (i.e. cutting them in half) I managed to squeeze two onto my card.  I finished off with some gold sequins.  I'm really happy with my plaid and I think I will have to make some more in other colours.  The card size is 5"x7".

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

Addicted to Stamps challenge - any occasion

As You Like It challenge - autumn or winter (I love autumn, it's just so pretty with the changing leaves and the perfect weather for being outdoors)

Crafty Gals Corner challenge - signs of fall

Double D challenge - fall plaids

Get Creative challenge - pumpkin spice, please!

Incy Wincy Designs challenge - colours of autumn

Mix it Up challenge - ATG option make your own background (I stamped my background)

Retro Rubber challenge - fall scenes (my stamp is 6 years old)

Simply Create Too challenge - use stamps

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - make it cute

Tic Tac Toe challenge - stamping, brown and leaves (there are leaves on my image, hope this is ok)

Unicorn challenge - layer it up

We Love Stamping challenge - ATG option trees/leaves (there are leaves on my image)

I hope you will be able to pop over to Instagram and check out the hop.  Please usual the usual hashtag ffwcardgroup2023 and you will find all the participants cards and we will be able to see yours if you join in the fun.  

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

Love and hugs, 

card ingredients:

Concord & 9th - plaid background stamp

Honey Bee Stamps - acorn sisters

Promarkers

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm white smooth card

Limetree Crafts - 300gsm dark chocolate card

Heffy Doodle - alcohol marker friendly card

Spellbinders - gold smooth disc sequins

Gina K Designs - faded brick, fresh asparagus, honey mustard, white pigment ink pads

Wow - fine detail white embossing powder

Nuvo aqua shimmer pen in glitter gloss

Sakura - white gelly roll 10 pen

Versafine onyx black ink (for lines on plaid)

Memento tuxedo black ink (for stamping image)

Congrats card

Happy Sunday lovely friends.  I've had a busy few days (but an exciting one) as my lovely son helped me re-organise/re-arrange my craft room and although I keep forgetting where I now have put things I am beyond happy with the way things are now arranged.  I don't have a huge, fancy craft space but it's bigger than some and I am grateful that my hubby has allowed me to take over half our dining room to accommodate all my stuff.  

I have a card to share today that I made for my niece.  She did amazingly well in her A levels and received 2 x A* and 2 A grades.  I wanted to celebrate her achievement so dug out an older stamp set from Concord & 9th.  Here is my card:

I decorated the inside too:

I began by stamping a lined notepaper background stamp in sea glass ink.  I took the arrow stamp from the stamp set and masked it so that I could have the point at the top of my card and the tail at the bottom and this was stamped in red ink.  I did make a mistake on the bottom but I fixed that by colouring around the arrow with a white posca pen and adding some black dots with a black marker.  It was a happy accident but I really liked the end result.  I stamped the sentiments in the same sea glass ink and added some stars in-between them, again using the red ink.  I die cut some stars and an arrow from black card and added them to the panel and also added some Nuvo aqua shimmer pen to bling them up.  I decorated the inside with a strip of the notepaper background that I had left over and another star and arrow.  The panels were both added onto a green mottled paper and again onto a black mat.  The finished card was mini slimline size - 6" x 3".  

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

Allsorts challenge - ATG or use die cuts

Creative Inspirations challenge - sentimental

Daisy Chain challenge - dots and/or stripes

Inspired By challenge - inspired by leggings (I was inspired by the colours)

Simply Create Too challenge - use stamps

Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge - stamp it

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - stamp it

Sweet Stampin' challenge - doodling (I hope my doodled dots are enough)

Unicorn challenge - layer it up

I hope you have a wonderful week.  I will be back on Wednesday for my card for the next instalment in the Falling for Wednesdays IG hop.  I'd love it if you could pop back and check it out.  

Love and hugs, 

card ingredients:

Concord & 9th - above average stamp set

MFT stamps - blueprints 13 (for stars and arrows) *retired*

MFT stamps - writing tablet background stamp *retired*

Sakura gellyroll white 10 pen

Posca white pen

Nuvo aqua shimmer pen (glitter gloss)

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm white smooth card

Gina K Designs - sea glass and red velvet ink pads

Versafine black onyx ink pad

Krafty Chicks challenge - guest chick

Good morning lovely friends.  I hope you're doing well and having a great week so far.  I am honoured to be a guest chick over at the Krafty Chicks challenge for the month of September and today is my first card for them.  

Leanne is our hostess for Week 1 and the theme for week 1 is always Stamp Act - focus on stamping (can also be a digi), so grab your stamps/digis and join in with the fun.  

Here is my card:

and a close up of my image:

I began by stamping the image (an oldie but new to me) and coloured him with Promarkers.  I don't have the die so I fussy cut him out.  I put him to one side and started on a the background.  I used quite a few stencils to make my background; firstly I used the watercolor wash free form stencil for the shape and then made some clouds using the mini cloud edge stencil and finally the grassy edges stencil.  I also stamped some ground for him to stand on.  Surprisingly I didn't add any extra layers to this card.  I simply added the background panel to a green card base with liquid glue and then my viking was added with thin foam squares onto the background.  The sentiment is also from the stamp set and was stamped in black ink in the top left.  No frills or embellishments as I felt it had enough going on.  

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

Mix It Up challenge - ATG - option make your own background (I used stencils and stamps to create my background)

Little Red Wagon challenge - square or rectangle

Alphabet challenge - L is for literature (inspired by The Vikings by Robert Ferguson)

Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge - stamp it

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - stamp it

Stencil Fun challenge - use stencils option fall 

Simply Create Too challenge - use stamps

Just Add Ink challenge - use colours crumb cake/misty moonlight/mossy meadow (or similar)

The Sisterhood of Crafters challenge - make a scene

NBUS challenge - using my viking stamp for the first time

Please pop over to the Krafty Chicks challenge blog to get all the details of the challenge and please give some love to the Design Team - Leanne, Melanie, Diane and Lori.  I'll be back next Thursday with my card for Week 2 - Christmas.  

Thanks for stopping by and I appreciate all your lovely comments. 

Love and hugs, 

Card ingredients:

MFT - viking

MFT - watercolor wash free form stencil

MFT - mini cloud edges stencil

MFT - grassy edges stencil

MFT - on sold ground stamp

Gina K Designs - ink pads - sea glass, soft stone, jelly bean green

Promarkers

Versafine - black onyx ink pad

green card from stash

Cutter Bee scissors (for fussy cutting)