CRAFT challenge - guest designer

Hello again friends; I bet you weren't expecting me here again so soon haha!  I'm honoured to be a guest designer over at the CRAFT challenge this week and the theme is 'anything goes'.  They have two sponsors this week - Sheepski Designs and Sweet n Sassy Stamps.  

I needed a birthday card for a friend so this was the perfect challenge for me.  I used some flowers that I had already die cut and assembled so just had to choose my layout and colours to coordinate.  

Here is my card:

A closer look at the flowers:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I don't know why my computer is changing the colours but in real life the flowers and card base are a hot pink colour but they look red in the photos.  

So as I said I had already die cut and assembled all the flowers and leaves from card stock in my scraps bin.  I die cut a white panel with an arch die and lightly inked around the edges with pink ink.  I hate to admit how long I fussed trying to get a pleasing arrangement of my flowers but eventually I got there!  I added all the flowers and leaves with liquid glue except the large flower, which was popped up on foam squares.  I stamped my sentiment in black ink.  I cut my A2 card base from the same hot pink card stock as I had used to cut the flowers and actually found a piece of patterned paper cut to the exact size that I needed 4" x 5 1/4" so added that to my card base with double sided tape.   The arch panel was added to the patterned paper with foam tape.  I finished off with some silver sequins.  For the inside I cut a white panel 4' x 5 1/4' and added a strip of the patterned paper to the bottom, along with another large pink flower.  I stamped my sentiment in black ink in the centre.  I then noticed I had an ink smudge under my sentiment so added the extra white flower to cover my boo-boo!  I'm really happy with this card and I think my friend will like it too. 

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges 

Beautiful Blossoms challenge - anything floral goes optional mood board

Cardz for Galz challenge - inspired by a book (The Flower Arrangement by Ella Griffin)

Crafty Catz challenge - ATG option embellishments

Cupcake Inspirations challenge - ATG (3rd entry)

Die Cut Divas challenge - favourite die cut shape (I love using die cut flowers)

Little Red Wagon challenge - layer it up

Pearly Sparkles challenge - one for the girls

PINspirational challenge - flowers

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - ATG

The Sisterhood of Crafters challenge - in the garden

Tic Tac Toe challenge - #250 - ink blend/flowers/layers

Triple B challenge - use at least one bird, bloom or butterfly optional mood board

I would like to thank Jo and everyone at CRAFT challenge for having me as a guest this week.  I hope you will be able to play along with us as it can't get easier than 'anything goes'.  

Ok, that is it from me for today, but thank you for stopping by and visiting my corner of blogland. 

Love and hugs, 

Card ingredients:

Spellbinders - Be bold blooms dies

Mama Elephant - B2B arches dies

Simon Says Stamp - birthday basics stamp set

Lawn Fawn - spiffy speckles 6 x 6 paper pad

Spellbinders - color essential sequins silver smooth disc

Gina K Designs - dusty rose ink pad

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

coloured card from scraps bin

Krafty Chicks challenge #722 - All occasions

Good morning lovely friends.  I hope you're all doing ok and having a great week.  It''s time for a new challenge over at Krafty Chicks challenge and we are now on Week 4 which means Lori is our hostess and our theme as always is 'All Occasions' which couldn't be easier.  So come over and join in the fun with us. 

My cousin recently got married so I needed a wedding card and this theme was perfect timing for me.  I did go a bit mad with the glitter card but I think it turned out lovely.  I hope you like it. 

Here is my card:

A closer look at the images:

I decorated the inside:

I began by stamping the images onto alcohol marker friendly card before colouring them with Promarkers.  I used the coordinating dies to cut them out.  I die cut 4 postage stamp shapes out of white card and the mat layer from gold glitter card.  I adhered the images onto the postage shapes with foam squares.  I cut a white panel 4 1/2" x 6 1/2" and embossed it with a heart embossing folder and again matted it onto gold glitter card.  I stamped my sentiment and heat embossed it with gold detail powder and die cut it with a stitched strip die.  I also cut a gold glitter layer with the matching die.  I adhered the embossed panel to my card base with double sided tape.  I arranged the postage die cuts in a 'random' layout and adhered them to the embossed panel with double sided tape.  The sentiment was placed in the centre and added with foam squares.  I die cut some hearts from the glitter card and arranged them around the images.  For the inside I cut another white panel and gold glitter panel the same sizes as the front of my card and adhered them together with double sided tape.  I stamped my sentiment in the centre with black ink.  I used the outline die cut (that I cut the hearts from) and placed it at the bottom of the panel with liquid glue.  A really pretty, elegant and glittery card which I really enjoyed making. 

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

Addicted to Stamps & More challenge - make your mark

Can You Handle The Pressure challenge - anything embossing goes option sports

Cupcake Inspirations challenge - ATG

Fab 'n' Funky challenge - anniversary

I Love Promarkers challenge - ATG/pink, yellow, blue

Little Red Wagon challenge - layer it up

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - ATG

Unicorn challenge - embossing (I heat embossed my sentiment)

We Love Stamping challenge - fabulous florals/ATG (3rd entry)

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 - Leanne, Diane and Lori and also our guest designer Rachelle.  

Thanks for stopping by. 

Love and hugs, 

Card ingredients:

Gina K Designs - April Showers stamps & dies

Gina K Designs - Master Layouts 15 (for postage stamp & mat layers)

Gina K Designs - Master Layouts 14 (for strip dies)

Gina K Designs - happy hearts embossing folder

Gina K Designs - lovely lace stamp set (for sentiment)

Gina K Designs - on the inside stamp set (for inside sentiment)

Gina K Designs - heart chain die

Promarkers

Tonic Studios - gold dust glitter card

Cosmic Shimmer - detail bright gold embossing powder

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

Summer Soiree IG Card Hop - Week 2

Hello friends; we've made it to the middle of the week *yay*. I hope the weather is good where you are; it's still sunny and warm here in South Wales but I think it's supposed to change for the end of the week. Let's hope that summer isn't over already lol!  

Talking of summer; it's week 2 of our Summer Soiree IG card hop, which has been organised by my lovely friend Kelly.  This week is all about 'The Great Outdoors'.

Believe it or not but in my vast stash of stamps, dies etc I did not have one item relating the camping or the great outdoors so for a while I was a little bit stumped.  I am no artist but I decided to have a go at drawing my own caravan as this is as close to camping as I'll ever get haha!  It's not perfect by any stretch but I think you know what it is at least!  

Here is my card:

A close up of my masterpiece!

I decorated the inside:

So I began by roughly drawing my little caravan in pencil and when I decided it was as good as it was going to be I went over it with a letraset fine line black marker (which is safe to use with markers).  I erased all the pencil marks and coloured the caravan with Promarkers.  I fussy cut the image,  added some glaze to the windows and the wheel to make them shine a little and put it aside to dry.  For my background I used a mountain image and stamped it in light grey ink onto a white panel.  I ink blended the grass but then went over it with my markers for some extra definition.  I also coloured the sky and mountains with markers and used the black marker to define the birds.  I cut this panel out with a stitched die and then cut a navy card mat using my paper trimmer.  I decided to heat emboss my sentiment with gold embossing powder in the lower right corner.  I added my caravan with foam squares.  The panels were adhered together with double sided tape and then added to the card base with foam tape.  I finished off with a few gold sequins.  For the inside I cut the same size panels and adhered them together with double sided tape.  I stamped a small portion of the mountain image, coloured it with markers and added that to the bottom of my white panel with double sided tape.  I didn't add a sentiment as the card could be used for quite a few occasions, so left it blank until I know what I'm using it for.  The panel was then added to my card base with double sided tape.  

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

Addicted to Stamps & More challenge - make your mark

Aud Sentiments challenge - shaker and/or summer + sentiment

Craft Rocket challenge - no design paper

Cupcake Inspirations challenge - ATG

Halloween & Other Occasions challenge - the great outdoors

I Love Promarkers challenge - ATG/pink, blue & yellow

Little Red Wagon challenge - layer it up

Make My Monday challenge - outdoor summer fun

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - ATG

Try It On Tuesday challenge - here comes summer

Unicorn challenge - emboss it (I heat embossed my sentiment)

We Love Stamping challenge - fabulous florals or ATG

If you would like to follow the hop over on Instagram please use the hashtag #summersoireecardmakinghop2024 to find us or alternatively visit my profile and you will find the list of participants on my post.  We would love it if you would give the summer soiree challenges a try and again use the hashtag and we will find your projects.  

I'll be back tomorrow with my card for the Krafty Chicks challenge but until then enjoy the rest of your day and thank you for stopping by. 

Love and hugs,

card ingredients:

hand-drawn image

Heffy Doodle - alcohol marker friendly card

Gina K Designs - spring mountain stamp set

Gina K Designs - grass green ink pad

Promarkers

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card

Spellbinders - gold smooth disc color essential sequins

Letraset - fineliner black 03 pen

Nuvo - crystal glaze

Versamark - embossing & watermark ink pad

Cosmic Shimmer - detail bright gold embossing powder

Krafty Chicks challenge #721 - CAS

Good morning lovely friends.  I hope you're all doing ok and having a great week.  As it's Thursday it means it's time for a new challenge over at Krafty Chicks challenge and we are now on Week 3 which means Diane is our hostess and our theme as always is 'CAS (clean and simple)', so come and join in the fun with us. 

I wanted to make a colourful CAS card so choose my three favourite ink colours and a stencil to create my card.  I hope you like it. 

Here is my card:

A closer look:

I decorated the inside:

I began by cutting a white panel 4" x 5 1/4".  I grabbed 3 of my favourite ink colours and a layering stencil (although I only used one layer) and made a random design across the panel.  I stamped the leaf image in black ink towards the left side and a birthday sentiment towards the right side.  I adhered the panel to my card base with foam tape and that was it; no embellishments needed at all.  For the inside I cut another panel and again stencilled a random pattern at the very bottom.  I stamped a small leaf in the left corner and a sentiment in the centre of the panel.  This was then adhered to the card base with double sided tape.  A really quick and easy card and very bright and cheerful.  

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

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

Craft Rocket challenge - no design paper

Daisy Chain challenge - birthdays

Dream Valley challenge - summer colours

Halloween & Other Occasions challenge - always birthday

Simply Clean and Simple challenge - Anything CAS goes option tropical (I used tropical colours)

Stencil Fun challenge - Anything goes using a stencil option birthdays

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 and also our guest designer Rachelle.  

Thanks for stopping by. 

Love and hugs, 

Card ingredients:

Uniko Stamps - ink & flip: geometric heart layering stencil (but I only used one)

Uniko Stamps - wonderful day stamp set (for sentiments)

Uniko Stamps/Craft Stash - Papercraft Society Box 51 (for leaf images)

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card

Gina K Designs - ink pads - bubblegum pink, tangerine twist, wild dandelion

Versafine - onyx black ink

Summer Soiree IG Card Hop - Week 1

Hello friends; we've made it to the middle of the week *yay*.  I hope the weather is good where you are; it's really sunny and warm here in South Wales for a change.  Let's hope we can string a few days together!  

Before we get to the card I wanted to share a pic of our new puppy Wesley, he is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and he is 9 weeks old.  We picked him up last week but I forgot how much time they take up; it's like having a baby in the house again lol!  It is seriously affecting my crafting time and I literally finished today's card about 20 minutes before I was due to post it.  He is totally worth it though. 

So onto the card making.  Today is the start of the Summer Soiree IG Card Hop, which has been organised by my lovely friend Kelly.  Week 1 is 'itsy bitsy teenie weenie yellow polka dots' - isn't that such a fun theme?

I soon as I saw the theme I obviously went for yellow polka dot bikini and thought I would create a beach scene.  I actually used a digital image for the first time in years.  I really do prefer stamping my images but I had the perfect image to use although sadly the store closed many years ago.  

Here is my card:

A close up of the image:

I decorated the inside:

I began by printing out my image onto smooth white card and coloured it with my Promarkers.  I fussy cut it out and then moved onto creating my background.  I cut a white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and masking off the bottom third and ink blended sandy beach ink to create my sand.  I also went over my ink blending with a drifts & hills stencil.  for the middle third of my panel I created my sea using turquoise sea ink and then stencilled over that with tranquil teal using a make waves stencil.  For the sky I used sea glass ink and a mini cloud edges stencil.  To add a little interest I stamped 2 silhouette birds in the sky and a silhouette boat on the horizon.  I die cut a beach umbrella and added it to the left side of the sand with liquid glue.  I then added my image towards the right side with foam squares.  I stamped and die cut a sentiment and added it to the upper right of the panel with foam squares.  The panel was then added to my card base with foam tape.  There were a few things I would have done differently if time hadn't been so tight but overall I'm really happy with the finished result.  For the inside I cut another white panel and created a mini scene to match the front of the card.  I stamped a sentiment in black ink into the centre and then added the panel to the card base with double sided tape.  

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

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

Aud Sentiments challenge - shaker card and/or summer + sentiment

Cardz for Galz challenge - summer fun

Daisy Chain challenge - birthdays

Dream Valley challenge - summer colours

Halloween & Other Occasions challenge - always birthday

I Love Promarkers challenge - ATG/use sepia colours

Inkspirational challenge - mood board (I was inspired by the colours)

Little Red Wagon challenge - women

Make My Monday challenge - outdoor summer fun

Pearly Sparkles challenge - one for the girls

Stencil Fun challenge - use stencils option birthdays

The Four Seasons challenge - anything goes summer 

If you would like to follow the hop over on Instagram please use the hashtag #summersoireecardmakinghop2024 to find us or alternatively visit my profile and you will find the list of participants on my post.  We would love it if you would give the summer soiree challenges a try and again use the hashtag and we will find your projects.  I'm excited this hop has begun and I'm hoping to use some more of my neglected stash.  

I'll be back tomorrow with my card for the Krafty Chicks challenge but until then enjoy the rest of your day and thank you for stopping by. 

Love and hugs,

Card ingredients:

Sassy Studio Designs - polka dot bikini (sadly the store closed many years ago)

Gina K Designs - ocean silhouettes stamp set (for silhouette images and sentiments)

Gina K Designs - ink pads - sandy beach, sea glass, turquoise sea, tranquil teal

Gina K Designs - at the beach die set (for umbrella)

MFT - blueprints 27 (for banner die)

MFT - mini cloud edges stencil

MFT - make waves stencil

MFT - drifts and hills stencil

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card

yellow card & silver mirri card from scraps box

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

Christmas Kickstart challenge - reminder post

Good morning lovely friends and welcome to the weekend; I hope you had a great week.  I am back to share my second project as guest elf over at the Christmas Kickstart challenge for this month's theme of 'it's a gift'.  

As I made a card last time I thought I would shake it up a little and make a gift box.  I love decorating gift boxes and bags and I don't do it nearly often enough.  It's not much space to fill plus it's an adorable way of gifting something small.  

Here is my gift box:

A close look at the cute image:

I decorated the panels of the box:

I began by die cutting the gift box twice from kraft card and adhered them together with red line tape.  I forgot to decorate the box before I stuck it together so die cut the coordinating panels and stamped the present image in a light brown ink randomly all over to resemble patterned paper.  I attached all the panels with double sided tape.  I stamped the adorable image onto alcohol marker friendly card, coloured it with Promarkers and added a few highlights with a white gel pen.  I fussy cut the image as I don't have the coordinating dies for this set.  I cut a white panel with the die, stamped a present in the bottom left corner (which I coloured with Promarkers) and a sentiment in the upper left corner.  I attached the white panel onto the box with double sided tape and then adhered the penguin with foam squares.  I found some small wooden embellishments recently in my stash and thought the candy cane would be the perfect finishing touch so I tied a length of natural twine around the candy cane and then tied it to the handle of the box (it's only a loose knot so can be undone when the time comes to fill the box).  A really cute box and very easy to mass produce, especially if you remember to decorate the box before glueing it together!

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

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

A Place to Start challenge - ATG optional twist anything but a card

Classic Design challenge - ATG option fancy fold (is a box a fancy fold?)

Craft Rocket challenge - no design paper 

Crafty Animals challenge - ATG must include an animal

Crafty Gals Corner challenge - ATG option fancy fold (is a box a fancy fold?)

Creative Inspirations challenge - Christmas in June 

Creative Friday challenge - many layers

Critter Crazy challenge - ATG with a featured critter

I Love Promarkers challenge - ATG option use sepia colours

Moving Along With The Times challenge - early Christmas

My Time To Craft challenge - winter

Sparkles Christmas challenge - use dies

The Holly & Ivy Christmas challenge - anything Christmas goes

Triple B challenge - use at least one bird, bloom or butterfly (a penguin is a flightless bird)

I hope you can join in with the challenge; I can't wait to see your creations in the linky. Jo does a great job running the blog singlehandedly (with just her guest elves) so please pop over and check out her gorgeous card and leave her some love too.  I would like to take this opportunity to thank Jo for asking me to be a guest this month; it's been a delight being an elf and maybe one day I can join you again Jo.  

Have a wonderful weekend and thank you so much for stopping by. 

Box ingredients:

Spellbinders - charming cottage box dies

Spellbinders - envelope of wonder sentiments

MFT - sweet holiday penguins stamps - retired

Crafter's Companion - Neenah desert storm card

Promarkers

Heffy Doodle - alcohol marker friendly card

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

The Works - box of Christmas wooden embellishments (bought last year)

Sakura - white no. 10 gelly roll pen

twine from stash

Krafty Chicks challenge #720 - Christmas

Good morning lovely friends.  Firstly apologies for the lack of posts this week; it's been a bit of a busy week so crafting has taken a back seat.  However as it's Thursday it that means it's time for a new challenge over at Krafty Chicks challenge.  We are now on Week 2 which means I'm your hostess and our theme as always is 'Christmas', so grab your festive supplies and join in the fun with us. 

My card was inspired by one that Bev from Uniko Stamps made, although I embellished mine a bit more.  I wanted to make something in non-traditional colours for a change so went for a bright rainbow colour scheme. 

Here is my card:

A closer look at my 'tree':

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by stamping the sentiments in rainbow colours starting with red and working my way down to green and then fussy cut them out into strips.  I die cut a star from pink card and a square shape from blue card.  I wanted to emboss my background so cut a white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and ran it through my intri-cut machine with a Christmas tile embossing folder.  I thought the three looked a little lost on the background so cut a rectangle of vellum to add some interest and to soften the background.  I added the strips onto the vellum with foam tape to resemble a tree shape.  The embossed panel was added to my card base with double sided tape and the vellum rectangle was added with liquid glue.  I finished off with a few clear sequins.  For the inside I cut another white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and added a strip of embossed card to the very bottom and stamped the sentiment in black ink in the centre of the panel.  At the last moment I decided to add a pink star overlapping the embossed strip.  A fun card and I think it turned out super cute.  I hope you like it too. 

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

As You Like It challenge - with or without words (I always put a sentiment on the front of my card, even if it's only happy birthday and I don't think it looks finished without one)

Can You Handle The Pressure challenge - ATG with a twist of beach

CAS on Friday challenge - embossing

Colorful Options challenge - aqua or rainbow colours

Craft Rocket challenge - no design papers

Creative Inspirations challenge - Christmas in June 

Dream Valley challenge - summer colours

Moving Along With The Times challenge - early Christmas

Merry Little Christmas challenge - anything Christmas goes

Peace On Earth Christmas challenge - anything Christmas themed 

Sparkles Christmas challenge - use dies

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - bright and cheerful

The Holly & Ivy Christmas challenge - anything Christmas goes

Unicorn challenge - embossing

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

 I hope you will be able to join us for our 'Christmas' challenge and I cannot wait to see your creations in our linky.  Please leave some love for my fellow chicks - Leanne, Diane and Lori and also our guest designer Rachelle.  

Thanks for stopping by. 

Love and hugs, 

Card ingredients:

Uniko Stamps - simply said blocks Christmas

Spellbinders - Christmas tile embossing folder

Spellbinders - essential rectangles (to cut the vellum)

MFT - blueprints 18 (for the star) - retired 

Paula Pascual - Christmas messages for inside sentiment - no longer available

Gina K Designs - ink pads - red hot, tangerine twist, wild dandelion, grass green

Gina K Designs - clear quartz solid sequins

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card

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

pink and blue card from scraps bin