Krafty Chicks challenge #733 - Christmas

Good morning lovely friends.  I hope you're all doing ok and having a great week so far.  It's time for a new challenge over at Krafty Chicks challenge and this week it's Week 2 which means that I am your hostess and our theme as always is 'Christmas', so grab your festive supplies and come join in the fun with us.  

I recently got new to me stamps & dies from Dies to Die For in one of their fab offer sections and was itching to use this cute set.  I love how you can make cute scenes with it and the critters are adorable.  I hope you like it.  

Here is my card:

A closer look at the critters:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by stamping the images onto alcohol marker friendly card and coloured them with Promarkers.  I used the matching dies to cut them out.  I cut a piece of white card 4" x 5 1/4" and ink blended some light blue inks on about 2/3rds of the panel, leaving the bottom white.  I splattered some white gouache over the background to give the look of snow.  I also did my inside panel but only ink blended at the top but also did some splatter with the white gouache.  Once the panels were dry I took a torn edge die and cut them both out with the second to largest die.  I stamped my sentiment onto a white piece of card and fussy cut it out as I didn't know if it would stamp properly directly onto my background and I didn't want to risk ruining it.  I also stamped some musical notes in black ink.  I added my images to the bottom of the panel and the sentiment to the top of the panel, all with foam squares.  The panel was then adhered to the card base with foam tape.  For the inside I took my second panel and stamped a sentiment in the centre with black ink and added a tiny mouse image and 2 musical notes in the left lower corner.  I added this to the card base with double sided tape.  A really sweet card and I think I will be using this set a lot this year.  

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

Addicted to Stamps & More challenge - make your mark

As You Like It challenge - layered or flat (I love adding foam squares for some extra dimension so would choose layered)

Aud Sentiments challenge - tags and/or holidays + sentiment

Crafty Animals challenge - ATG must include an animal

Critter Crazy challenge - ATG with a featured critter

Get Creative challenge - inspired by a book (A Christmas Carol)

I Love Promarkers challenge - ATG/autumn golds & browns

Inkspirational challenge - make your mark

Merry Little Christmas challenge - anything Christmas goes

My Time To Craft challenge - add texture (splatter in background with white gouache)

Peace on Earth Christmas challenge - anything Christmas themed optional inspiration board

Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge - stamp it

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - 4 legged friends

Stamping Sensations challenge - ATG option animal magic

The Paper Funday challenge - ATG optional twist create your own background

We Love Stamping challenge - hand coloured image

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 for September Wendy.    

Love and hugs, 

card ingredients:

Mama Elephant - let's go caroling stamp & die set

Creative Craft Products - A2 layering nested torn edge dies

Promarkers

Gina K Designs - ink pads - sea glass and ocean mist

Winsor & Newton - permanent white gouache

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card

Heffy Doodle - alcohol marker friendly card (store now closed)

Memento - tuxedo black ink pad

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

Sakura - white no. 10 gelly roll pen

Fall Friends Card Hop - Week 1

Hello again friends; I hope you're having a wonderful Wednesday.  Today's post is week 1 of an IG hop that I'm taking part in called 'Fall Friends' organised once again by my lovely friend Kelly and this hop will last for the next 11 weeks.  It's a continuation of the Summer Soiree hop that we did in the summer but this time it's all about fall (or autumn if you're this side of the pond).  Week 1 is 'a latte fall fun' so dig out your coffee themed dies and images and join in the fun.  

I had a couple of coffee themed images but decided to use a long neglected red rubber stamp from Whiff of Joy Stamps (which sadly closed many years ago).  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

a close up of the image:

I decorated the inside as usual:

I began by stamping my image onto alcohol marker friendly card and coloured it with Promarkers.  There isn't a matching die so I fussy cut it out.  I cut a piece of white card 3 7/8" x 5 1/8" and stamped 3 coffee rings in shades of brown.  I did stamp some coffee beans but didn't like them so covered them with sequins.  I also stamped my sentiment in black ink.  I cut a piece of neutral coloured patterned paper 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" and coloured the edges with an orange promarker so that it would match my image.  I added the paper to my card base with double sided tape.  I adhered my panel on top of this with foam tape.  I also added my image with foam squares.  For the inside I cut a white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and inked around the edge with the broad end of my orange promarker.  I stamped 2 coffee rings and 3 coffee beans.  I also stamped a sentiment in black ink.  I adhered this panel onto my card base with double sided tape.  A fairly clean and simple-ish card and orange isn't normally a colour I use but I like it.  

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

Addicted to Stamps & More challenge - make your mark

Allsorts challenge - autumn colours

I Love Promarkers challenge - ATG/autumn golds and browns

Inkspirational challenge - make your mark

Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge - stamp it

Sweet Stampin' challenge - the drinks are on us

The Paper Funday challenge - ATG optional twist create your own background

Unicorn challenge - circles (my coffee rings)

We Love Stamping challenge - hand coloured image

I hope you will pop over to Instagram and check out the hop; use the hashtag #fallfriendscardhop2024 to see all the gorgeous creations and also if you want to participate we will be able to find you.  

I'll be back tomorrow with my card for the Krafty Chicks challenge so I hope you will pop back and check it out.  Until then enjoy the rest of your day and thank you so much for stopping by.  

Love and hugs, 

card ingredients:

Whiff of Joy Stamps - Willow with coffee 2 go (store closed years ago)

Promarkers

Altenew - coffee ring stamp

Honey Bee Stamps - perfect blend stamp (retired)

Gina K Designs - autumn splendor paper pad

Gina K Designs - ink pads - warm cocoa, dark chocolate, charcoal brown

MFT - friends at first sip (for inside greeting)

Spellbinders - colour essentials smooth gold disc sequins

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card (currently oos)

Heffy Doodle - alcohol marker friendly card (store is now closed)

Versafine - onyx black ink

Memento - tuxedo black ink

Krafty Chicks challenge #732 - Stamps

Good morning lovely friends.  I hope you're all doing ok and having a great week so far.  It's time for a new challenge over at Krafty Chicks challenge and this week it's Week 1 which means that Leanne is your hostess and our theme as always is 'Stamps', so grab your stamps or digital images and come join in the fun with us.  

I needed to make a card for hubby's sister & brother in law's anniversary so this challenge was perfect for me.  I used some cute polymer stamps that I've for a couple of months but not used yet.  My card is 5" x 7" in size.  

Here is my card:

a closer look at the cute bees:

I decorated the inside too:

I began by stamping the two cute bee images onto alcohol marker friendly card, coloured them with Promarkers and added a few white highlights.  There aren't any dies for these stamps so I used a heart die to cut them out.  I found a really old paper pad that I think I got from Joanna Sheen (some of you will remember her lovely store) and cut a piece 4 1/2" x 6 1/2"; I also cut a slightly larger black mat and adhered them with double sided tape.  I die cut the large happy word 3 times from black card and adhered them together with liquid glue.  I stamped the anniversary word in black ink and used a sentiment strip die to cut it out.  I also stamped the sister & brother-in-law sentiment in black ink and used my trimmer to cut a rectangle; again I cut a black mat and adhered them together with double sided tape.  Finally I die cut hearts in 2 different sizes from red card.  I added the large hearts and sentiments with foam squares and the happy word and smaller hearts with liquid glue.  The panel was added to my card base with double sided tape.  For the inside I cut the same size panels and stamped the sentiment in the centre with black ink.  I added a strip of the paper at the top of the panel and stamped another bee in the bottom left corner.  I again coloured him with Promarkers and finished off with a few red hearts.  I added the panel onto my card base with double sided tape.  A fun anniversary card and I hope you like it.  

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

Addicted to Stamps & More challenge - make your mark

As You Like It challenge - layered or flat (I like to add dimension and layers to my cards)

Crafty Animals challenge - ATG but must include an animal

Critter Crazy challenge - ATG with a featured critter

I Love Promarkers challenge - ATG option autumn gold and browns

Scrapping4Fun challenge - ATG with a stamp

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - stamp it

Stamping Sensations challenge - ATG option animal magic

We Love Stamping challenge - hand coloured image

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 - Leanne, Diane and Lori and also our guest designer for September Wendy.    

Love and hugs, 

Card ingredients: 

LOTV - happy bees A5 polymer stamp set - stamp store is currently closed

Promarkers

Mama Elephant - happy everything stamp & happy script die

Presscut - heart nesting dies

MFT - tag builder blueprints 6 (for hearts)

Clearly Besotted Stamps - friends & family stamp - retired

Cardmaking Magic - verses for occasions (for inside sentiment) - currently oos

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card - currently oos

Hobbycraft - A4 black card

Sakura - no 10. white gelly roll pen

red card from scraps bin

Colorful Options challenge - Guest Designer

Good Morning lovely friends.  I'm excited to be a guest designer over at Colorful Options challenge this month.  They always have really fun colour boards to inspire you and this month is no different.  

When I saw the colour board my eye was immediately drawn to the cat so I knew I wanted to use an image of a cat on my card.  I had a quick rummage through my stash and found this line art image that I don't think I've ever used before.  

Here is my card:

A closer look at the gorgeous image:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by cutting a white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and using a fun stencil and the brightest inks I had I made my vibrant background.  I added some water droplets to add some interest to my background and once dry I stamped the cat line art image in versafine black ink over top.  One of the sentiments that came with cat stamp was 'you had me at meow' which wasn't really something I would use but I love the font so I found another stamp in my stash that said happy birthday to you and with some masking replaced the word you with the meow word so the sentiment now says 'happy birthday to meow' which I thought was really fun.  I heat embossed the sentiment onto black card with white embossing powder and used a strip sentiment die to cut it out.  I added onto the colourful background with foam squares.  The panel was added to the card base with foam tape.  I tried quite a few different embellishments but nothing looked right so I left it clean and simple.  For the inside I cut another white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and using the same stencil and inks just stencilled the fun shape into the left corner of the panel.  I stamped a simple sentiment in black ink and added the panel onto my card base with double sided tape.  The card turned out just the way I wanted and it's vibrant, fun and clean & simple.  I hope you like it too.  

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

AAA Cards challenge - anything CAS goes option get well cards

Addicted to CAS challenge - pun

Crafter's Cafe challenge - ATG option rainbows/lots of colours

Crafty Animals challenge - must include an animal

Critter Crazy challenge - ATG with a featured critter

Dragonfly Dreams challenge - happy birthday

Everybody Art challenge - ATG

Halloween & Other Occasions challenge - always birthday

Incy Wincy Designs challenge - ATC and/or CAS

Scrapping4Fun challenge - ATG + stamping

Stamping Sensations challenge - ATG option animal magic 

I would like to thank Makira and all the team over at Colorful Options for having me as a guest this month and I can't wait to see your interpretations of the colour board.  

Thank you so much for stopping by today; I'll be back on Thursday with my DT card for the Krafty Chicks challenge.  Until then have a great start to your week. 

Love and hugs, 

card ingredients:

Picket Fence Studios - Sophie kitten stamp - retired

MFT - watercolour wash free form stencil - oos ? retired

Gina K Designs - inks - cherry red, tangerine twist, wild dandelion, lucky clover, blue raspberry, wild lilac, white pigment ink

Pretty Pink Posh - let's party stamp (for part of the sentiment)

MFT - smitten kitten stamp (for inside sentiment)

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

AAA Birthday challenge #65 - background focus

Good morning friends and welcome to September.  I love autumn and I'm hoping it's cool and crisp without too much rain this year (I'm never happy when it comes to the weather am I? lol). Today I'm sharing my card for this month's brand new challenge over at the AAA Birthday challenge. This month Kateryna is the hostess and she has chosen 'background focus' as our theme.  Our guest designer this month is Hanneke so please pop over and leave her some love. 

 

It was my sister's birthday last week so used this opportunity to make my DT card.  Whilst looking through my stash I rediscovered this stamp/stencil combo and I think I have only used it once before so decided to give it some love.  

Here is my card:

A closer look at the background:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I took a white panel 6" x 6" and stamped the butterfly bodies in black ink.  I then took the matching stencils and did the upper wings in yellow ink and the lower wings in pink ink using a lighter and darker shade of both colours for some shading.  Once I finished I trimmed the panel down and it ended up being 4 1/2" by 5 1/2" so I decided to make my card size 5"x 6".  I matted the panel onto a black card mat with double sided tape.  I stamped my sentiment in black ink and cut it out with a stitched circle die and used a slightly larger circle to cut a black mat.  I didn't want to hide too much of the background so cut the top of the circle and added it to the very top of the panel with foam tape.  There is an add-on stamp & die set that has co-ordinating butterflies so I decided to die cut a couple of butterflies and used the same stencils to colour their bodies.  I added one butterfly to the edge of my sentiment circle for some added interest.  I added the panel onto my card base with foam tape.  As a finishing touch I added a few tiny white pearls randomly over the background.  For the inside I cut the same size panels as the front and stamped a sentiment in black ink.  I used a tiny strip of the panel that I had left over when I trimmed it down so added that at the bottom of the panel and added another butterfly over top with liquid glue.  I added this to the card base with double sided tape.  A really bright and happy card and I hope you like it. 

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

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

Allsorts challenge - getting sentimental

Crafty Animals challenge - must include an animal (or insect)

Critter Crazy challenge - ATG with a featured critter

Cut It Up challenge - ATG

Dragonfly Dreams challenge - happy birthday

Halloween & Other Occasions challenge - always birthday

Pearly Sparkles challenge - pink, pearls and/or sparkle (use at least 1)

Try It On Tuesday challenge - make it feminine

The Design Team have created amazing cards as always so please pop over to the blog and check them out and perhaps leave them some love on their personal blogs.   

I hope you will be able to join in with the challenge this month but don't forget it has to be birthday themed.  I can't wait to see your creations in the linky.

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

Love and hugs, 

card ingredients:

Taylored Expressions - butterflies stamp & stencil combo

Taylored Expressions - butterfly wishes stamp & die set

Honey Bee Stamps - inside: birthday sentiments

Uniko - floral vines stamp (for happy birthday)

Uniko - everyday family stamp (for auntie)

Gina K Designs - ink pads - bubblegum pink, passionate pink, wild dandelion, honey mustard

Gina K Designs - Master Layouts 3 (for stitched circle, Master Layouts 5 (for plain circle)

Little Things from Lucy's Cards - pearls - soft snowball mix - store now closed

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card

Hobbycraft - A4 black card

Versafine - onyx black ink