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Saturday, 14 December 2024

Krafty Chicks challenge #746 - Christmas

* EDIT - sorry my post is so late - the kitchen fitter moved everything on Thursday morning so I couldn't get to my computer until today *

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. This week we are on Week 2 and as always the theme is 'Christmas' and I am your hostess. We want you to see all your festive creations this week and even if you are done with your Christmas cards this year, you can always make a start on next year or even share some gift bags or tags you've made.  We hope you will come over and join in the fun with us.

In all honesty I was going to skip this week as I literally cannot get to my craft desk at the moment due to all the kitchen appliances being delivered.  My room has a fridge/freezer, tumble dryer, washing machine, oven and microwave in the middle of the room so I didn't think I could get anything done.  Who knew you could create on top of a washing machine box lol!  I did find the image already stamped, coloured and die cut so that was a big help but I got there, even if it's not 100% perfect.  I hope you like it.
Here is my card:
A close up of the cute reindeer:
Plus I decorated the inside:
As I mentioned the reindeer was left over from last year, she even had foam squares already on the back!  I cut a white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and stamped the peace, love, joy words in black ink.  I then decided to cut a red panel using a scalloped die so that meant I had to cut my white panel much smaller (3 1/2" x 4 3/4").  I coloured the words using Promarkers.  I added the white panel onto the red panel with foam tape and the reindeer was also added with foam squares.  The red panel was added to my card base with double sided tape.  As a finishing touch I added some red sequins.  For the inside I cut a white panel, stamped the reindeer in kraft ink in the left bottom corner and a sentiment in the upper centre with black ink.  I matted this with a red panel using double sided tape and it was added to the card base again with double sided tape.  A super cute card and it took very little time to make.  I wasn't sure if there was too much red but I think it makes the reindeer stand out.  

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

52 Christmas Card Throwdown challenge - pick a previous colour challenge (I chose April 24)
ABC Christmas Challenge - Z for zoo animals (quite a few zoos have reindeer)
As You Like It challenge - anything Christmassy 
Critter Crazy challenge - ATG with a featured critter
Cut It Up challenge - more than one die cut (I die cut my reindeer and scalloped panel)
Fab 'n' Funky challenge - Christmas animals
I Love Promarkers challenge - ATG or use the sketch (I went for ATG)
Moving Along With The Times challenge - Christmas characters 
Merry Little Christmas challenge - Anything Christmas goes
Sparkles Christmas challenge - Christmas song or carol (Rudolph the red nosed reindeer)
Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge - use dies in diecember 
Stamping Sensations challenge - ATG option winter (full list of supplies at bottom of post)
Sweet Stampin' challenge - Christmas creations 
The Cutie Pie challenge - cute Christmas 
Word Power challenge - #12 (use sentiment as the focus)

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.

Thank you so much for stopping by; I appreciate your lovely comments.

Love and hugs,

card ingredients:
MFT - reindeer love stamp & die set - currently oos
MFT - blueprints 27 (for scalloped die) - currently oos
MFT - itty bitty holiday (for inside sentiment) - retired 
Promarkers
Gina K Designs - kraft ink pad
Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card - currently not available
Versafine - onyx black ink pad

Wednesday, 11 December 2024

Cards for All Seasons IG Hop - Week 2

Hello friends; I hope you're having a great week so far. I'm back today to share my card for this week's Cards for All Seasons IG hop organised by my lovely friend Kelly. Week 2 is hosted by Melissa and she has chosen 'create tags'. A really fun and useful theme and I can't wait to see what sparks your imagination.
I really enjoyed this week's challenge as I don't tend to make many tags.  Also it took my mind away from all the chaos and mess in my house currently lol!.  I used lots of different brands of dies and stamps and went all out and made a shaker tag.  My photos are not the best again this week but with everything everywhere I couldn't find a bright spot to take them.  I hope you like it.
Here is my tag:
Plus I decorated the back of the tag:
A closer look at the front:
And a closer look at the back:
I began by die cutting two tags from white card and 1 tag from red card and die cut the word merry from one of the white tags.  I die cut some holly and leaves from various colours of green card, some berries from red card and a bow from red card.  I arranged the foliage at the top of the tag and adhered them with liquid glue.  I added the bow with tiny foam squares and placed a red pearl in the centre.  I stamped a sentiment in black ink and die cut it with a sentiment strip die.  I adhered some acetate behind the merry word with liquid glue and then added thin shaker foam strips.  I sprinkled some clear sequins and then stuck this to the red tag.  I added the sentiment at the bottom of the tag with foam tape.  For the back of the tag I add two more sprigs to the bottom with liquid glue and added 3 red pearls in the centre.  I stamped a to and from word in black ink and a small sentiment above the foliage.  I then adhered the tags together with liquid glue.  I found some pretty shimmer ribbon and threaded that through my tag and also found a tiny gold bell and attached that to some red and white bakers twine.  I tied the ribbon in a knot so it could be hung from a tree or a present.  Not really a tag that could be mass produced quickly but if you took away the shaker element I think it would be fun to make multiples of.  

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

AAA Colourful challenge - mood board #10
ABC Christmas challenge - Y is for your favourite colours (red, green & gold)
Allsorts challenge - it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas 
A Place to Start challenge - ATG optional twist happy holidays (any holiday)
Christmas Crafts All Year 'round challenge - bows, gifts or decorations
Christmas Kickstart challenge - if it's Christmassy, link it up
Classic Design challenge - ATG optional twist bells and baubles
Colourful Options challenge - red, green & gold (my bell is gold)
Crafty Gals Corner challenge - ATG optional twist make it merry
Inspired By challenge - inspired by gifting (I was inspired by the colours and I made a gift tag)
Jingle Belles challenge - last minute Christmas makes
Little Red Wagon challenge - action (my tag is a shaker)
Merry Little Christmas challenge - anything Christmas goes
My Time To Craft challenge - anything but a card
Peace on Earth Christmas challenge - anything Christmas themed optional inspiration board
Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge - use dies in diecember
The Four Seasons challenge - anything goes winter optional inspiration board
Word Power challenge - challenge #12 (make the sentiment the focus)

I hope you will pop over to Instagram and check out the hop; please use the hashtag #cardsforallseasonshop2024 to see all the gorgeous creations and also if you want to participate we will be able to find you.

I'll be back in the morning with my card for the Krafty Chicks challenge so I hope you will pop back and check it out. Until then thank you so much for stopping by.

Love and hugs,

 
tag ingredients:
Creative Dies Plus - wonky stitches nesting tags - not available
MFT - stacked merry die - oos
MFT - winter wreath die (for bow) - retired
MFT - itty bitty holiday clear stamp - retired 
Spellbinders - stocking full of joy die set (for holly & berries) - retired 
Spellbinder - seasonal cupcake toppers die set (for leafy sprigs) - retired
Gina K Designs - sentiment strips dies
Gina K Designs - sketched wreath builder (for to & from)
Gina K Designs - Christmas Cheer clear stamp (for small sentiment on back)
Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card - currently not available 
red card from stash
ribbon and bell from stash
clear sequins from Little Things from Lucy's Cards - store now closed

Thursday, 5 December 2024

Krafty Chicks challenge #745 - 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. This week we are back to Week 1 and as always the theme is 'Stamps' and Leanne is our hostess. We want you to use your clear, wooden or even digital stamps this week.  We hope you will come over and join in the fun with us.
It was my son's birthday last week (I can't believe my baby is now 28 lol!) so this challenge was just perfect timing.  I know the card is very similar to the one I made my niece but I stepped it up a little as it was for my little boy.  I hope you like it.
Here is my card:
Here is a full view of the front:
A closer look at the dies:
Plus I decorated the inside:
I decided to make a 5" x 7" easel card.  I cut one piece of white card 5" x 7" and scored it in half and one piece white card 5" x 8" and scored it at 1".  I then glued them together to make my card base.  I also cut an extra 5" x 7" piece to attach to the front of the half panel to create the easel part of the card.  I hope you understand my ramblings.  I then cut a white panel 4 3/4" x 6 3/4" and using some geometric background stamps randomly stamped them all over (I did first and second generation stamping so that I would have a light and dark version of the blue colour ink).  I cut a black mat slightly larger than the panel and adhered them together with double sided tape.  I die cut the headphones and games controller, mostly using card from my scraps bin, and added them together with liquid glue.  They were added to the card with foam squares.  I die cut the word SON from black card 4 times and adhered them together with liquid glue.  I also die cut the number 28 4 times and again used liquid glue to stack them together.  They were both added to the panel with liquid glue.  I stamped the sentiment in black ink and used the matching die to cut it out.  I added it to the panel with foam squares.  As the background was quite busy I didn't feel the need to add any further embellishments.  For the inside I cut another white panel 4 3/4" x 6 3/4" and masked the bottom so that I could stamp a border to match the outside panel.  I also die cut the smaller games controller and added that above the border with foam squares (this also acts as the stopper that holds the easel card open).  I stamped the sentiment in the upper centre in black ink.  I cut another black mat and adhered them together with double sided tape.  The panel was then added to my card base with double sided tape.  I love the funky stamped background and it would look cool in lots of colours I think.  Thankfully my son loved his card.  

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

Creative Creases challenge - ATG with a fun fold
Seize the Birthday challenge - ATG birthday optional topping: masculine
Sweet Stampin' challenge - it's our birthday

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.  

Thank you so much for stopping by; I appreciate your lovely comments. 

Love and hugs, 

card ingredients:
MFT - little letters die set - retired
Honey Bee Stamps - inside: birthday sentiments
Gina K Designs - ink pads - slate, soft stone, blue raspberry
Versafine - onyx black ink pad
Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card - currently not available
Hobbycraft - A4 black card

Wednesday, 4 December 2024

Cards for all seasons IG Hop - Week 1

Hello friends; I hope you're having a great week so far.  Today is the start of a brand new Instagram Hop organised by my lovely friend Kelly. This hop is called 'cards for all seasons' and for the next 9 weeks we will be celebrating all things winter.  Week 1 is hosted by Amrita and she has chosen 'countdown to Christmas/winter'. A really fun theme and I can't wait to see what sparks your imagination.
I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to take part as we are currently in the first week of our kitchen renovation and seriously my house is upside down; I have things everywhere.  Luckily for me I found some images already coloured and die cut that I could use for today's card.  I hope you like it.
Here is my card:
A closer look at the images:
Plus I decorated the inside:
As I said the images were already coloured with Promarkers and die cut out with the matching dies.  I cut a white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and then took a circle die and cut it out of the panel in the upper centre.  I die cut 3 snowy hill and secured them in place behind the circle with double sided tape.  I ink blended directly onto my card base with sea glass and turquoise sea inks and added some 'snow' with a white gelly roll pen.  I added foam tape behind the white panel and adhered it to my card base.  I added all the images with liquid glue except for the large centre house which was added with foam squares.  This design of card would have been perfect for a shaker card but I was short on time and didn't want to mess it up!  I stamped the sentiment onto a scrap of white card and cut it out with a sentiment strips die.  I added it below the circle with foam squares.  I didn't add any embellishments as I liked the clean look of everything contained within the circle (apart from the sentiment).  For the inside I cut a white panel 3 7/8" x 5 1/8" and die cut another snowy hillside and added it to the bottom of the panel with liquid glue.  I placed two trees and one small house into the bottom left corner with liquid glue and stamped the sentiment in the upper centre with black ink.  I adhered the panel to the card base with double sided tape.  I love these Lawn Fawn winter village images and I will have to use them again soon. 

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

Alphabet challenge - R is for round
A Place to Start challenge - ATG optional twist happy holidays (any holiday)
Christmas Kickstart challenge - if it's Christmassy, link it up
Merry Little Christmas challenge - anything Christmas goes
Peace On Earth Christmas challenge - anything Christmas themed
Stamping Sensations challenge - ATG option winter

I hope you will pop over to Instagram and check out the hop; please use the hashtag #cardsforallseasonshop2024 to see all the gorgeous creations and also if you want to participate we will be able to find you. 

I'll be back in the morning with my card for the Krafty Chicks challenge so I hope you will pop back and check it out. Until then thank you so much for stopping by. 

Love and hugs,

card ingredients:
Lawn Fawn - home for the holidays stamp & die set (for outside sentiment and inside trees)
Promarkers
Gina K Designs - Master Layouts 8 (for circle die)
Gina K Designs - ink pads - sea glass & turquoise sea 
Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card - currently not available

Monday, 2 December 2024

We Love Stamping - Guest designer

Hello again friends; I'm back with my second post for today (and another late post oops!).  I am delighted to be a guest designer over at We Love Stamping challenge this month.  Their theme this month is winter; so feel free to create anything that inspires you when you think of winter time.  
I was originally working off an inspiration mood board but the team decided to change the theme to just winter so my card fits either way thankfully.  I actually used a digital image for the first time in ages and although I always used to use digi images I don't enjoy using them as much as clear stamps these days but I can understand the cost and flexibility they give.  I hope you like my card:
A closer look at the images:
Plus I decorated the inside:
I began by printing out my digital image onto alcohol marker friendly card, coloured it with Promarkers and added some white gel pen highlights.  I added some stickles glitter to the 'snow' so that it would glisten.  I fussy cut the image around the border.  In my original inspiration photo there was a squirrel and bunny so I stamped one of each and again coloured them with Promarkers before fussy cutting them out.  I found some dark green patterned paper so cut it into strips and added them directly onto my 5" x 7" card base with double sided tape.  I adhered the image panel on top with foam tape.  I also added the squirrel and bunny with foam squares.  I stamped and die cut the Merry Christmas sentiment and added that with foam squares.  I didn't add any embellishments as I felt there was lots going on already.  For the inside I coloured the top part of the digital image (a failed print that came out the wrong orientation lol) and coloured it with Promarkers.  I added a strip of patterned paper behind it and added it to a white panel, adding a red strip above it. This was matted onto a dark green panel.  I stamped a sentiment in black ink in the centre.  The panel was then added to my card base with double sided tape.  A very traditional card but perfect for an older friend this Christmas.  

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

AAA Colourful challenge - colour board #10
A Place to Start challenge - ATG optional twist happy holidays (any holiday)
Christmas With The Cuties challenge - sparkle and shine (I used stickles glitter glue)
Critter Crazy challenge - ATG with a featured animal
Halloween & Other Occasions challenge - Christmas & other winter holidays
Merry Little Christmas challenge - Anything Christmas goes
Peace on Earth Christmas challenge - anything Christmas themed 
Stamping Sensations challenge - AG option winter (supplies listed at bottom of post)
The Dream Factory challenge - Christmas option funny cards
Tic Tac Toe challenge - #261 - sparkle/free/red and/or pink
Try It On Tuesday challenge - traditional Christmas

I'm sure this will be a popular challenge and I can't wait to see what you all come up with.  I would like to thank Brenda and all the team at We Love Stamping for asking me to be a guest designer and I would suggest you go and check out their amazing creations too.  

Have a wonderful day everyone; I appreciate you stopping by.  

Love and hugs, 

card ingredients:
LOTV - woodland fairies clear stamp (for squirrel and bunny) - stamp store currently closed
LOTV - verses clear stamp - stamp store currently closed 
Promarkers
Gina K Designs - holiday floral bundle (for sentiment)
Gina K Designs - jelly bean green ink pad
Echo Park - dots & stripes 6x6 paper pad Christmas collection - retired
Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card - not currently available
dark green card from stash

AAA Birthday challenge #68 - lovely layers

Good morning friends and welcome to December!  I apologise for my late post; today is the start of having a new kitchen fitted so I've been frantically clearing out 25 years of stuff and completely forgot about my post.  I am repeating the mantra - it will be worth it in the end lol!  

Today I'm sharing my card for this month's brand new challenge over at the AAA Birthday challenge. This month our theme is 'lovely layers'. Our guest designer this month is the lovely Jo from Dotty Pudding Designs so please pop over to her blog and leave her some love. 
This month we'd like to see some layers on your birthday cards.  Now these could be patterned paper layers, a layering stencil, some layered up dies or mats. Or any other way you can think of!  I went with layers of embossed card and as I needed a birthday for my niece from my boys I combined the two.  I hope you like it. 
Here is my card:
A close up of the cute images:
Plus I decorated the inside:
I decided to make a square card for a change and the card size is 5 1/2" square.   I began by cutting all my layers from white and pink card in decreasing sizes and embossed the white panels with a swiss dot embossing folder.  I adhered the base layer with double sided tape and the top layers with foam tape.  For some definition I ink blended some pink ink over the embossing on the diamond oriented panels.  I already had the images coloured from a while ago (coloured with Promarkers) and just had to fussy cut them out.  I added them to the top panel with foam squares.  I stamped the sentiment and added a cousin word below and then die cut it out with a rectangle die; this was also added with foam squares.  The panel was then added to the card base with double sided tape.  For a finishing touch I added a few pink pearls in each corner.  For the inside I cut a white panel and added a pink mat.  I embossed another piece of white card and added it to the bottom of the panel with double sided tape and added a strip of pink card above it.  I stamped the sentiment in black ink.  The panel was added to the card base with double sided tape.  Something a bit different from me but it definitely has lots of layers.  

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

Can You Handle The Pressure challenge - Anything embossing goes optional twist winter fun
Crafty Gals Corner challenge - ATG optional twist use 3+ layers
Inspired By challenge - inspired by celebrations (I was inspired by the colours)

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.

I'll be back later with another card for you so hopefully you can stop by.  Have a great day. 

Love and hugs, 
card ingredients:
Waltzingmouse Stamps - we go together clear stamp - store sadly closed
Promarkers
Gina K Designs - innocent pink ink pad
Spellbinders - perfect pie sentiments & fillings clear stamp (for sentiment)
Uniko Stamps - birthday wishes clear stamp (for inside sentiment)
Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card - currently not available
pink card from stash