Krafty Chicks challenge #800 - Masculine

Good morning lovely friends and a very Merry Christmas to all of you that celebrate. I know it can be a tough time for some and to those I am sending big hugs and love.  If you are lucky enough to be spending it with family or friends I hope you have a wonderful day.  

I'm sharing my card for the new challenge over at Krafty Chicks challenge and this week we are on Week 4; as always the theme is 'Masculine' and Lori is our hostess. We hope you will come over and join in the fun with us.

It was my son's birthday last month and this is the card I made for him.  The colours are not overly masculine but I thought they were fun, bright and happy colours.  He's a proper teapot and drinks copious amounts through the day so this die set was perfect for him.  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the details:

Plus I decorated the inside:

As the card was for my son I made the card base 6" x 8" (using a piece of 12" x 12" card and cutting it to 12" x 8" and scoring it at 6" on the longer side).  I cut a white panel 5 1/4" x 7 1/4" and ink smooshed the background using blue, yellow and green ink pads.  Once it was dry I matted it onto a black layer with double sided tape.  I stamped and die cut 3 of the teacups and also die cut 6 more white cups so that I could layer them up.  I ink blended the 3 same colours onto the teacups, blending more heavily around the edges.  I also stamped the dog, coloured him with Promarkers and fussy cut him out.  Finally I stamped and die cut the teabag image and blended it with some light brown ink and used Promarkers to colour the heart.  Now it was time to arrange my pieces.  I stacked the cups in a 'wobbly' arrangement and added them with foam squares.  I popped the dog at the top, so that he looked like he was sitting in the teacup.  I stamped the tea-riffic sentiment in black ink onto white card and use a sentiment strips die to cut it out.  I stamped the second sentiment directly onto the bottom teacup with black ink.  I finished off with some gold pearls.  I added some scrap white card behind my panel and added it to the card base with double sided tape.  For the inside I cut the same white and black panels and did some ink smooshing at the bottom of the white panel.  Once it was dry I stamped the outline of the dog over the smooshing with black ink and added a sentiment in the centre.  I adhered the layers together and added them to the card base with double sided tape.  

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

Color Dare challenge - #683 bold & bright colours

Crafter's Cafe challenge - ATG optional use the colour yellow

First Cup challenges - ATG must include a drink on your project

Girlz Makes Guyz Cards challenge - ATG masculine

Heart's Quest Celebrations of Love challenge - BEWAS (birthday)

I Love Promarkers challenge - ATG or use purple & yellow

Paper Rocks Scissors challenge - use paper and/or scissors (I fussy cut the dog image)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - add a sentiment

We Love Stamping challenge - red & green or ATG

I hope you will be able to join us for our 'Masculine' 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 supplies:

Funky Fossil - layering cup dies (retired)

Funky Fossil - critters in cups (retired)

Promarkers

Clearly Besotted - happy birthday all stamp (retired)

Stampin' Up! - family party stamp (retired)

Honey Bee Stamps - inside: birthday sentiments (for inside sentiment)

Limetree Crafts - 280gsm silky smooth white card

Limetree Crafts - 220gsm black card

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

Memento - tuxedo black ink pad

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

*Gina K Designs - large strip sentiments dies

Gina K Designs ink pads - in the navy, blue raspberry, grass green, lucky clover, sweet mango, honey mustard

Gina K Designs - black, gold & silver metallic pearl mix

*I now have an Affiliate Link for the Gina K Designs store. If you are considering making a purchase I would appreciate you using my link as it will earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you. 

Thank you x

Cards For All Seasons IG Hop - Week 26 Countdown to 2026

Hello again friends; I'm back to share my card for this week's Cards for All Seasons IG hop organised by my lovely friend Kelly.  We are now on Week 26 and this is our final week for 2025! Our theme for the last week of the year is 'countdown to 2026'. Such a great theme this week and open to many interpretations.  There are going to be so many awesome creations along the hop this week and I can't wait to see what sparks your imagination.

I had an idea in my mind to make a card highlighting my goals for 2026 and happily got to work. About half way through I decided to change my idea and instead using the same basic idea decorated the cover of an old, tatty notebook to use as my goals/plans book for 2026.  It turned out super fun and I cannot wait to use it.  I did put my top 2 goals on the front to remind me to do them lol!  I am the world's greatest procrastinator and always leave things until the last moment so that is my top goal this year - be more organised.  Have you set yourself any goals for the new year?  

Here is my decorated notebook:

A closer look at the details:

I began by stamping and colouring my images before cutting them out with the coordinating dies.  I cut an extra 2 for each image from white card so that I could layer them up.  I also die cut the word 'goals' and numbers for 2026 from gold glitter card and again cut 2 more of each one from white card to layer them up.  I adhered all the layers with liquid glue.  I cut a white panel 4 3/4" x 7 1/2" and stamped it with a writing tablet background stamp in a light blue ink.  I matted this onto a bright yellow card layer with double sided tape.  I arranged the die cuts and when I was happy adhered them with liquid glue.  For a final finishing touch I die cut some stars from the gold glitter card and added them with liquid glue.  I turned out just as I imagined and I can't wait to start using it.  

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

* to be updated * 

I hope you will pop over to Instagram and check out the hop; please use the hashtag #cfascardhop2025 to see all the gorgeous creations and also if you want to participate we will be able to find you.

Thank you so much for stopping by.

Love and hugs,

supplies used:

Heffy Doodle - just a note stamp & die set (store now closed)

MFT - writing tablet background stamp

MFT - little letters die set

MFT - by the numbers die set

MFT - blueprints 13 (for the stars)

gold glitter card from stash

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

Memento - tuxedo black ink pad

Limetree Crafts - 280gsm silky smooth white card

Limetree Crafts - 230gsm daffodil card

*Gina K Designs - blue sky ink pad

*I now have an Affiliate Link for the Gina K Designs store. If you are considering making a purchase I would appreciate you using my link as it will earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you. 

Thank you x

Patterned Paper Party IG Hop - December 25

Hello friends and happy Christmas week; I can't believe we are only 3 days away from the big day now!  I'm back today to share my card for this month's Patterned Paper Party Instagram Hop (a little bit late oops). Do you love patterned paper? Do you have a huge stash that needs using? Well so do we and it's time to get it used! We will be hopping on the 20th of each month to share our ideas. We will definitely be creating cards, but maybe sometimes tags, ATCs, gift bags/boxes, mini albums and scrapbook pages too. We want our patterned paper to be used.

The theme is always 'anything goes' but each month we will have an optional twist that can be used if you like; this month the twist is 'Christmas', which I'm sure is going to be super popular, so grab your patterned papers and have fun.  I completely forgot to make my card this month and only remembered at 12.30am on Sunday morning when I should have posted it at 7pm Saturday night!  I blame it on Christmas and trying to do everything in such a short space of time.  Anyway I had to make a super quick card but I think it turned out festive and fun.  I hope you like it. 

Here is my card:

A closer look at the paper:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by die cutting the stitched rectangle from white card and die cutting the tree from the centre of that panel.  The inside pieces fall out but of course you can put them back in, cut them from coloured card or even ink blend them (which I did here last year).  As the focus is on using patterned paper I placed a piece of green striped paper behind the tree, some gold mirror card for the star and some brown card for the trunk.  I then matted this panel on a gold mirror layer with double sided tape.  To bring in a bit more sparkle I cut a panel of red glitter card 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" to cover the whole of the front of my card base and added it with double sided tape.  I added some scrap white card behind the tree panel for extra stability and dimension and adhered this to the glitter panel with double sided tape.  I stamped the sentiment in red ink and cut it out with a sentiment strips die.  I added it below the tree with foam squares.  Because I thought the card was fairly basic I went mad and added gold pearls to each of the spaces on the garland of the tree using liquid glue.  I know it's a bit much but I think it looks gorgeous.  For the inside I cut a white panel and added a piece of the green patterned paper to the bottom along with a thin strip of the red glitter card with liquid glue.  I matted that onto a layer of gold mirror card with double sided tape.  I stamped the sentiment in the centre with the same red ink.  I adhered the panel to the card base with double sided tape.  Not too bad for a 1am creation and definitely festive.  

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

613 Avenue Create challenge - ATG optional twist sparkle & shine

Addicted to Stamps & More challenge - Christmas

Color Dare challenge - #683 bold & bright

Creative Crafting Uncles challenge - Christmas/Happy New Year

Girlz and the Art of Letters challenge - P is for patterned paper/pearls

Inspiration Station challenge - inspiration photo

Little Red Wagon challenge - Christmas cards

Papercraft Challenges - festive sparkle 

Peace on Earth challenge - ATG Christmas challenge optional mood board

Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge - sparkle & shine

We hope you will be inspired by our Patterned Paper Party IG Hop and will pop over and check out all the gorgeous creations along the way. If you would like to join us please visit my Instagram page or use the hashtag #patternedpaperpartyhopdecember2025 and we will find you.

Thanks for stopping by and take care.

Lots of love

card supplies:

*Gina K Designs - Christmas tree cover plate

Gina K Designs - graphic tree stamp (for sentiments)

Gina K Designs - sentiment strips dies

Gina K Designs - red velvet ink pad

Limetree Crafts - 280gsm silky smooth white card

Echo Park - dots & stripes metropolitan 6x6 paper pad

Tonic Studios - craft perfect ruby romance 6x6 card pack

gold mirror card from stash

*I now have an Affiliate Link for the Gina K Designs store. If you are considering making a purchase I would appreciate you using my link as it will earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you. 

Thank you x

Krafty Chicks challenge #799 - CAS

Good morning lovely friends, I hope you're having a good week so far.  It's very wet here at the moment so perfect weather for staying indoors and crafting! It's time for a new challenge over at Krafty Chicks challenge and this week we are on Week 3; and as always the theme is 'CAS (clean and simple)' and Diane is our hostess. Now we know that CAS is subjective but generally it's lots of white space, no embellishments (or very few) and an uncluttered design. It can be a difficult design to pull off but we hope you will take on the challenge and come over and join in the fun with us.

I made this card for my niece who had her special birthday yesterday.  I can't believe she is 21, it only seemed like yesterday she was toddling about playing with my sons.  Time certainly is flying at my time of life lol!  I know my card is pushing CAS this week but I was short of time and I think it mostly fits the bill - lots of white space, very few embellishments but it is a little fussy - but hey ho 2 out of 3 ain't bad and I'm happy with how it turned out.  I hope you like it too.  

Here is my card:

A closer look at the glittery number:

Plus I decorated the inside:

This card was a custom size as I wanted it a little bigger than A2, so my card base ended up being 4 3/4" x 5 3/4".  I cut a white panel 4 1/2" x 5 1/2" and die cut all the numbers randomly from the top left corner to the bottom right corner.  I cut a thin strip of the purple glitter card (just big enough to cover the space behind the 21 and adhered it with double sided tape.  I added lots of foam squares behind the panel and added it onto my card blank.  I also kept the insides of the 8, 5, 0, 4 and 6 and added them back in with teeny tiny foam squares.  I stamped my sentiment with black ink and cut it out with a sentiment strip die.  I added foam squares behind the sentiment strip and adhered it above the 21 (I made a little booboo so this was the perfect spot to cover it lol).  I finished off with 3 tiny black pearls just to bring in a little more black.  For the inside I cut a white panel a little smaller than usual as the purple glitter card was only 4" wide and it was the only piece I had.  I added a thin strip at the top of the panel and a slightly thicker strip at the bottom with liquid glue.  I stamped the sentiment in the centre with black ink.  The panel was then adhered to the card base with double sided tape.  

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

613 Avenue Create challenge - ATG optional twist sparkle & shine

Crafter's Cafe challenge - ATG optional use the colour yellow

Crafts Galore Encore challenge - ATG

Heart's Quest Celebrations of Love challenge - BEWAS (birthday)

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.

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

Love and hugs,

card supplies:

MFT - by the numbers die set

Uniko - everyday love sentiments, everyday sentiments & everyday family stamps

Clearly Besotted - simply said birthday stamp (for inside greeting) - no longer available

*Gina K Designs - large strip sentiments dies

Gina K Designs - mini gold, black and silver metallic pearls

Limetree Crafts - 280gsm silky smooth white card

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

purple glitter card from scraps bin

*I now have an Affiliate Link for the Gina K Designs store. If you are considering making a purchase I would appreciate you using my link as it will earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you. 
Thank you x

ATC Scrap Makes IG Hop December 25

Hello friends, I hope you're doing great and you've had a great start to your week. I'm sharing my creations for this month's ATC Scrap Makes IG Hop. We challenge you to use leftover die cuts, sentiments and card stock to create Artist Trading Cards (ATC's). You can send them in happy mail, save them on a ring to highlight your favorite creations, swap them with friends or add sweet notes to a lunchbox. Join us if you like; the only rules are to use scraps and create cards that are 2.5” x 3.5” in size. We share our little snippets of happiness on the third Tuesday of the month.

I went with a winter/Christmas theme this month and they are purely SIP creations (stamps, ink, paper); no die cuts were harmed in the making of my ATC's this month lol!  I have so many white card scraps that I used them to make my ATC blanks this month (and for many more months!).  I'm planning on making some gift bags with sweet treats for any delivery drivers that call next week so I think these will be perfect to attach to them.  I hope you like them.

Here are my ATC's:

One of the ATC's:

A closer look at the details:

I began by cutting my white scraps into ATC size 2 1/2" x 3 1/2".  I did make a prototype and that is the one that look slightly different (I used a different sentiment and a bit of sea glass ink on that one). I ink blended the upper part of the background and using a torn piece of copy paper blended some snow banks at the bottom.  I stamped the stag and deer in slate ink and added some white gelly roll highlights and also stamped the sentiment in the same ink.  I finished off with some white splatter/spatter for some snow.  I didn't really decorate the backs this month, hence the lack of photo, but I did do some ink blending around the edges with the blue ink.  

I would like to enter my ATC's into the following challenges:

A Place to Start challenge - winter things

As You Like It challenge - free for all Christmas

Aud Sentiments challenge - (non) traditional Christmas and/or winter + sentiment 

Cardz 4 Guyz challenge - Christmas critters

Classic Design challenge - ATG optional twist make it merry

Creative Crafting Uncles challenge - Christmas and/or happy new year

Creative Knockouts challenge - winter wonderland

Critter Crazy challenge - ATG with a featured critter

Farm Quest Country Christmas challenge - ATG country Christmas

Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge - anything Christmas/holidays

Tag-along (& ATC's) challenge - red & green or ATG

I hope you will pop over to Instagram and check out the hop; please use the hashtag #ATCscrapmakes2025 or #ATCscrapmakesoct25 to see all the gorgeous creations and also if you want to participate we will be able to find you.

I really appreciate you stopping by today.

Love and hugs,

supplies used:

*Gina K Designs - winter terrain stamp 

Gina K Designs - ink pads - in the navy, blue denim, honey mustard, tangerine twist, wild dandelion, soft stone, slate

Gina K/SSS Stamptember 2022 - sparkling season stamp (for sentiment) - no longer available

Limetree Crafts - 350gsm white card (for ATC blanks)

Winsor & Newton - permanent white gouache (for splatters)

*I now have an Affiliate Link for the Gina K Designs store. If you are considering making a purchase I would appreciate you using my link as it will earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you. 

Thank you x

CASE IT IG Hop - December 25

Hello again friends. I hope you've had a great day so far. I'm back to share this month's card for the CASE IT Instagram Hop where we find a project on Instagram that inspires us and we will share that project as well as the project we’ve created that was inspired by that original. There are so many beautiful creations on Instagram the only difficult part is narrowing down which one to CASE (which means Copy And Share Everything).

This month I was inspired by Mikaela (@thecraftyoinkpen over on IG); her cards are so rich and colourful and so beautiful and this one has everything I love - embossing, die cuts and a large sentiment.  I'm not sure I need any more Christmas cards but I decided to make my version a festive one.  I went with a white embossed background instead of her dark green and used snowflakes instead of leaves but I think you can definitely see that my card was inspired by hers!  Here is her card for my inspiration:

Isn't Mikaela's card just gorgeous.  The green is so rich and I love the beautiful leaves and fab sentiment.  You really need to check out her Instagram and give her a follow.  

Here is my card:

A closer look at my snowflake cluster:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by cutting a white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and embossed it with a striped folder.  I decided to go with an icy monochrome colour scheme so cut my various sized snowflakes from a mix of white, grey, glitter and silver mirror card. I arranged them largest at the bottom to smallest at the top with liquid glue, leaving the ends free so that I could zhuzh them up a bit (as Laura Basson would say)!  I die cut the merry word from white card x 2 and the shadow layer from vellum also x 2 and adhered them together with liquid glue.  This was placed over the snowflakes again with liquid glue.  I stamped and white heat embossed the Christmas word onto grey card and used the coordinating strip sentiment die to cut it out.  This was adhered below the merry with foam squares.  I finished off with some solid clear sequins.  I added some scrap white card behind my panel for stability and dimension and adhered it to the card base with double sided tape.  For the inside I cut another white panel and add a strip of white card to the bottom that I embossed to match the front, I also added a thin strip of silver mirror card above it.  I stamped the sentiment in a light grey ink in the centre and finished off with 2 snowflakes.  The panel was added to the card base with double sided tape.  It is such a pretty card in real life, with so much shimmer and shine.  

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

613 Avenue Create challenge - sparkle and shine

As You Like It challenge - free for all Christmas #3

Can You Handle The Pressure challenge - must use and EF optional celebrate any holiday

Cardz 4 Galz challenge - Christmas sparkle #3

Classic Design challenge - make it merry

CRAFT challenge - Christmas/ATG

Cut It Up challenge - oldie but goodie from your stash/must use a die cut (every I used is older stuff)

Die Cut Divas challenge - Christmas/winter #4

If You Give A Crafter A Cookie challenge - time for Santa (inspiration photo) - inspired by snowflakes

Pearly Sparkles challenge - silver bells (use silver) - I used silver mirror card

The Four Seasons challenge - ATG winter

Tic Tac Toe challenge - texture/free/sparkle

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

We hope you will be inspired by our CASE IT Instagram Hop and will pop over and check out all the gorgeous cards along the way. If you would like to join us please visit my Instagram page or use the hashtag #caseithop and we will find you.

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Lots of love

card supplies:

*Gina K Designs - snowflake trio die set

Gina K Designs - clear quartz solid sequins

Gina K Designs - white pigment ink cube and soft stone ink pad

Clearly Besotted - snowflake trio die collection (I only used the smallest one)

Clearly Besotted - simply said Christmas stamp (for inside sentiment)

Spellbinders - peppermint stripes embossing folder

Kristina Werner with Concord & 9th - joyful and merry stamps & dies

WOW! - opaque bright white super fine embossing powder

Limetree Crafts - 280gsm silky smooth white card

Tonic Studios - sugar crystal 250gsm glitter card

Stampin' Up! - cardstock vellum - no longer available

silver mirror, grey shimmer and plain grey card from my stash

*I now have an Affiliate Link for the Gina K Designs store. If you are considering making a purchase I would appreciate you using my link as it will earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you. 

Thank you x