Krafty Chicks challenge #756 - CAS

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 we are on Week 3; as always the theme is 'CAS' (clean and simple) and Diane is our hostess. Everyone interprets CAS very differently but as long as there is some 'white' space and not too many embellishments you're all good. We hope you will come over and join in the fun with us.

I needed a card for a friend who has been going through a rough time and I wanted to let her know that I was thinking of her.  I used one of my favourite PB hedgie images and I'm really happy with how it turned out.  I hope you like it too.  

Here is my card:

A close up of the cute hedgie:

Plus I decorated the inside (albeit very simply this time):

I began by stamping the image onto alcohol marker friendly card. The stamp was originally for Halloween but I masked the face on the balloon so that it was plain (and I think it turned out great).  I coloured the image with Promarkers and added a few highlights with a white gelly roll pen.  I couldn't find my mini cloud stencil so made one out of card and used that instead; it's not perfect but I think it looks quite good.  I stamped the sentiment in the top right corner using black ink.  I was just about to adhere the panel to my card base when I notice a ghost impression of my sentiment in the left corner (I must have caught it with my finger and transferred it grrrrrr!).  Ok onto plan B - I trimmed off about 5/8" on the left side of the panel and added a strip of black & white striped paper instead.  I then added the panel to the card base with double sided tape.  I cannot believe there is no dimension on my card at all!!  For the inside I simply cut a white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and to match the front added a thin 1/4" strip of the paper to the left side with liquid glue.  I stamped the sentiment in the centre with black ink.  

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

* to be updated *

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 ingredients:

Penny Black - frightful flight wood stamp

Promarkers

Spellbinders - nature's dance clear stamp (for sentiment)

Spellbinders - stylish oval birthday wishes clear stamp (for inside sentiment)

MFT - black & white stripes 6x6 paper pack - currently not available

Gina K Designs - sea glass ink pad

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card - currently not available

Memento - tuxedo black ink pad

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

Heffy Doodle - alcohol marker friendly card - store now closed 

Cards for All Seasons IG Hop - Week 4

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. We are now on Week 4 and this week our theme is 'follow your heart'. which means either use a heart somewhere on your project; which is super easy, or alternatively create a card with something that’s near to your heart.  A really fun theme and I can't wait to see what sparks your imagination.

I decided to go with something that's near to my heart and I chose my pets.  We have a cat called Willow who is 3 years old and a puppy called Wesley who is 10 months old and they are full of fun and mischief and keep me on my toes but I love them dearly.  I found this cute stamp set in my stash and I'm not sure I've ever used it but it was perfect for today's card.  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the adorable image:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by stamping the image onto alcohol marker friendly card, coloured it with Promarkers and added some details with a white gelly roll pen.  I then used the coordinating die to cut it out.  I decided to have a kraft card base for a change and randomly stamped the two paw prints all over the front of the card base with kraft ink for a tone-on-tone look.  I went with a brown and orange colour scheme to compliment my image and cut a thin strip of orange card and also a strip of patterned paper and adhered them together with double sided tape.  I then added them directly onto the card base with double sided tape.  I die cut a white circle as a grounding area for my image.  I added the image onto the circle with foam squares and then the circle over the patterned paper with double sided tape.  I stamped the sentiment onto the same kraft card using acorn ink and die cut it with a banner die.  I adhered this under the image with foam squares.  I die cut a few hearts from the orange card and added them with liquid glue.  For the inside I cut a white panel 4" x 5 1/4' and added a strip of the patterned paper and a tiny strip of orange card along the left side with double sided tape.  I stamped 3 pawprints onto kraft card and used the coordinating dies to cut them out; I adhered them in the bottom left corner with liquid glue.  Finally I stamped the sentiment in the acorn ink in the centre of the panel.  The panel was added to my card base with double sided tape.  I really love this card and the image is just so cute.  

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

Addicted to Stamps & More challenge - make your mark (coloured with markers)

Crafty Animals challenge - ATG must include an animal

Crafty Calendar challenge - hearts

Crafty Catz challenge - ATG optional twist use a die

Creative Moments challenge - cute

Halloween & Other Occasions challenge - cats and dogs

I Love Promarkers challenge - ATG or add some sparkle

My Time To Craft challenge - hearts 

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - cute and cuddly

Tic Tac Toe challenge - kraft card stock, die cut, ink/markers/coloured pencils

I hope you will pop over to Instagram and check out the hop; please use the hashtag #cardsforallseasonshop2025 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:

MFT - forever friends stamp & die set - retired

MFT - friends forever stamp (for inside sentiment) - retired 

MFT - blueprints 27 (for banner die) - ? retired

MFT - tag builder blueprints 6 (for heart dies)

Spellbinders - standard circles large die set

Promarkers

Basic Grey - basics white 6x6 paper pad - no longer available

VersaFine Clair - acorn ink pad

Gina K Designs - kraft ink pad

Memento - tuxedo black in pad

Sakura - white no. 10 gelly roll pen

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

Crafter's Companion - kraft card stock 280gsm

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card (currently not available)

orange card from stash

Krafty Chicks challenge #755 - 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 we are on Week 2.  As always the theme is 'Christmas' and I am your hostess. We want you to see all your festive creations this week and we hope you will come over and join in the fun with us.

I recently bought a fun Christmas mug die that I've been itching to use so today's challenge was the perfect opportunity (although the mug itself could be used for various occasions).  A bit of stencilling and lots of die cutting and my card was done.  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the mug:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by cutting my white panel 3 7/8" x 5 1/8" and using a snowflake stencil created my background using a very light grey ink.  I matted this panel onto a grey panel cut to 4" x 5 1/4" using double sided tape.  I cut the mug die from red ink and inked the edges with a slightly darker red ink for some definition.  I also cut the inner part of the mug from brown card to resemble cocoa.  I cut the candy cane from red and white card and adhered it together with liquid glue.  I cut 3 marshmallows and 2 snowflakes from white card and using my trimmer I cut a strip of black card for the belt.  I don't have the holiday additions die set that coordinates with the mug set so I had to make my own buckle using gold mirri card (it's not perfect but I think you can recognise it as a belt buckle lol!).  Once all the die cutting was done I assembled all the pieces.  The inner of the mug was adhered with liquid glue before the candy cane and marshmallows were tucked into the mug and secured on the back with some double sided tape.  The belt, buckle and 2 snowflakes were added with liquid glue.  I stamped the sentiment with black ink and die cut it out with the coordinating die (I cut another 2 from white so that I could add some dimension without fiddling with tiny strips of foam tape).  I added foam squares behind the mug and added it to the centre of my panel.  The sentiment was added across the mug with liquid glue.  I added gold sequins to the centres of the snowflakes and onto the background.  I added some scrap white card behind my panel, instead of using foam tape, and adhered it to my card base with double sided tape.  For the inside of my card I cut the same size white and grey panels, I stencilled the very bottom of the white panel using the snowflake stencil and adhered the panels together with double sided tape.  I stamped the sentiment in the centre with black ink and added a die cut snowflake in the bottom left corner.  I also added a gold sequin into the centre.  The panel was then added to the card base with double sided tape.  Although there was a bit of die cutting it wasn't too fiddly and the card came together quite quickly.  

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

The 12 months of Christmas Link Up challenge - ATG Christmas optional twist couples

ABC Christmas challenge - D is for die cuts

Crafts Galore Encore challenge - ATG

Crafty Catz challenge - ATG optional theme use a die

Cupcake Inspirations challenge - colour challenge - red, black and white

Daisy Chain challenge - layer it up 

Little Red Wagon challenge - red alert!

Merry Little Christmas challenge - anything Christmas goes

Scrapping4Fun challenge - black, white + 1 other colour (I went with red)

Stencil Fun challenge - anything stencil goes optional theme pink and/or red

The Four Seasons challenge - ATG winter optional mood board

The Sisterhood of Crafters challenge - red or pink

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:

Pretty Pink Posh - winter mug die set

Funky Fossil Designs - snow is falling stencil

Gina K Designs - graphic tree stamp & die set (for outside sentiment)

Gina K Designs - soft stone ink pad 

Spellbinders - Santa's sippin' sayings stamp (for inside sentiment) - on sale!

Spellbinders - gold smooth disc color essential sequins

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card (currently not available but this 250gsm smooth white card is an alternative in stock here)

coloured card from scraps bin

Krafty Chicks challenge #754 - birthday

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 is Week 1, our theme is 'birthday' and our hostess is Leanne. We always need birthday cards, gift packaging and decorations so I'm sure you will find this week a breeze!  We hope you will come over and join in the fun with us.

I always need birthday cards but didn't have anyone in mind when I made my card so I just had fun.  I haven't used this die set for ages so decided to give it some love.  I hope you like it. 

Here is my card:

A close look at the die cut:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by die cutting the large word die which comes in three separate dies.  The background was cut from white card, the happy from red card and the birthday from pink card.  I added some shading to the happy and birthday words with a slightly darker ink for some extra interest.  I adhered them together with liquid glue.  I cut a white panel 3 7/8" x 5 1/8" and once again grabbed the snowy background stamp (as it really looks like splatter to me) and used the same red and pink inks to create a fun and playful background for my sentiment to rest on.  I matted this onto a pink layer with double sided tape.  I added the die cut sentiment with foam tape.  I finished by added a few clear sequins around the word and added shimmer pen all over the happy and birthday words.  The panel was added to my card base with foam tape.  For the inside I cut a white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and used some left over pieces from the background, adding them at the top and bottom of the panel.  I also added a thin strip of pink card to cover the join.  I stamped the sentiment in the centre of the panel with black ink.  The panel was added to the card base with double sided tape.  A really fun card and you could make it in every colour of the rainbow and it would still look fab.  

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

AAA Colourful challenge - mood board

As You Like It challenge - stamping or digi (I didn't have a printer for a while so went back to stamping and I love it and now prefer a physical stamp). My background is stamped.

Aud Sentiments challenge - love/anniversary/wedding and/or shimmer + sentiment (I used shimmer pen on my die cut sentiment)

Colorful Options challenge - February mood board (I chose the colours red and pink)

Craft Rocket challenge - happy birthday

The Crafter's Cafe challenge - ATG optional twist birthday 

Daisy Chain challenge - layer it up (my die cut is layered)

Dragonfly Dreams challenge - CAS (clean and simple)

Everybody Art challenge - die cuts and punches

Inkspirational challenge - red and pink

The Neglected Stuff challenge - use your older neglected stuff (my die cut is older and haven't used it for ages)

Unicorn challenge - dots and/or stripes

We Love Stamping challenge - CAS (my background is stamped)

Word Art Wednesday challenge - ATG

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

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

Gina K Designs - birthday trio die set

Gina K Designs - snowy BG stamp

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

Gina K Designs - ink pads - red hot & passionate pink

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card (currently not available but this 250gsm smooth white card is an alternative in stock here)

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

Tonic Studios - Nuvo aqua shimmer pen in glitter gloss

Cards for all seasons IG Hop - Week 3

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. We're back with Week 3 and this week our theme is 'I love.......'. which means you can go to town and make a card using things you love, or incorporate an occasion you love or simply make a love themed card.  A really fun theme and I can't wait to see what sparks your imagination.

I knew I wanted to incorporate chocolate into my card as I love it and I'm a serious chocolate addict! I decided to give it a twist and make it a Valentine's card for hubby as I think he will find it funny (as he knows if I had to choose I probably would take chocolate over him lol!).  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the image:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by stamping the fun image onto alcohol marker friendly card and coloured her with Promarkers.  I also stamped a full background with the cute chocolate image and also a few extra chocolates and again coloured them all with Promarkers.  I used a shaped die to cut out the girl and slightly larger matching shaped die to cut a red mat.  I added them together with double sided tape.  I was originally going to use the full background that I created on the front on my card but it was a little busy so I decided to cut a strip for the centre and matted this onto red card with double sided tape.  I cut a white panel 3 7/8" x 5 1/8" and again matted it onto red card with double sided tape.  I stamped the sentiments in black ink and die cut them with some sentiment strip dies.  I added the background strip into the centre of the panel with double sided tape and adhered the image over top with foam squares.  I added the chocolate word with foam squares and as I had fussy cut two chocolates added them under each side with liquid glue.  I added the other two sentiments above and below the image with liquid glue.  The panel was then added to my card base with foam tape.  No embellishments this time as there was already a lot going on.  For the inside I cut a white panel 3 7/8" x 5 1/8" and matted it onto a red panel with double sided tape. I added a strip of left over background to the bottom with double sided tape and a thin strip of red card above that with liquid glue.  I stamped the sentiment in black ink in the centre and added one more fussy cut chocolate image next to it.  I added my panel to the card base with double sided tape.  A really fun card and I'm sure my husband will appreciate the joke.  

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

Allsorts challenge - romance and/or music

Aud Sentiments challenge - love, anniversary, wedding and/or shimmer + sentiment

Christmas (or not) BINGO challenge - letter G - Valentine/red/die cuts

Colourful Options challenge - February mood board

Creative Inspirations challenge - love is in the air

Daisy Chain challenge - layer it up

Fab 'n' Funky challenge - include a stamped image

Halloween & Other Occasions challenge - Valentine's Day

I Love Promarkers challenge - ATG or down on the farm

Pearly Sparkles challenge - love is in the air

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - love is in the air

Stamping Sensations challenge - Valentine's, wedding and romance

Sweet Stampin' challenge - love

Try It On Tuesday challenge - romance

I hope you will pop over to Instagram and check out the hop; please use the hashtag #cardsforallseasonshop2025 to see all the gorgeous creations and also if you want to participate we will be able to find you.  I'm not sure if I mentioned it last time but our challenges are now every other week, so we will be back with our next card in 2 weeks time.  

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:

Elzybells - sweet like chocolate stamp (store closed many years ago sadly)

Promarkers

Casual Friday - coffee talk stamp (sadly closed a few years ago)

Spellbinders - labels one small & scalloped labels one (I got mine from eBay)

Gina K Designs - sentiment strips dies & large sentiment strip dies

CC Designs - elegant Valentine red rubber stamp set

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card (currently not available but this 250gsm smooth white card is an alternative in stock here)

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

Memento - tuxedo black ink pad

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

red card from stash

AAA Birthday challenge #70 - ink smooshing

Good morning friends and happy 1st February.  I'm sharing my card for this month's AAA Birthday challenge and this month we have a fun challenge for you of 'ink smooshing'.  I love the look of ink smooshing but sometimes I struggle to get the effect I want.  As I mentioned a little while ago since I made a homemade smoosher (inspired by Natalie Bowers or NB Cards on YouTube) I get great results; she has a video on her channel showing how to make it if you're interested.  Our guest designer this month is the lovely Ashwini Rao so please pop over to her blog and leave her some love.

I love pink and purple together but don't use it often enough so that was the starting point of my card.   I decided to use some die cut flowers on top but kept them white so that they would stand out against the busy background.  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A close up look at the flowers and ink smooshing:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I also had a small strip left over so decorated my envelope to match:

I began by cutting my white panel 4" x 5 1/4" from smooth white card.  I didn't feel the need to use watercolour card as I didn't use very much water.  I smooshed my ink down onto my glass mat, sprayed some water on top and picked it up with my homemade smoosher.  I initially tried ink smooshing through a stencil but I don't think I choose an 'open' enough stencil so it didn't really achieve anything, except for a few blobs, so I just went over it with the ink smoosher, direct to paper, to create my panel.  Obviously I didn't want a full ink smooshed background so decided to cut it down into strips.  I cut the front strip to be 1 7/8" and added it to a strip of black card with double sided tape.  I then adhered that to another white panel with foam squares (I could have added it directly to my card base but didn't want to mess it up lol).  I die cut the flowers from the same smooth white card and the centres from black card.  I added the stems and leaves with liquid glue and the flower heads with foam tape.  I stamped a sentiment in black ink in the bottom right corner.  The panel was then added to my card base with double sided tape.  No embellishments this time as I didn't think it needed anything.  For the inside I cut a strip of the smooshed panel to 7/8" and again adhered it to black card with double sided tape.  It was added to a white panel with double sided tape. I cut an extra one of the smaller flower and adhered that with liquid glue onto the strip.  I stamped a sentiment in black ink in the centre.  I added the panel onto my card base with double sided tape.  As I had a small strip left over and not wanting to waste it I decided to adhere it to my envelope so that everything was matching.  This was added with double sided tape.  I really like the organic effect you can achieve with ink smooshing and I hope you will give it a try.  

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

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

Beautiful Blossoms challenge - anything floral goes (optional mood board)

Cardz 4 Galz challenge - anything but square

CAS on Friday challenge - flowers

Crafter's Cafe challenge - ATG optional birthdays

Halloween & Other Occasions challenge - always birthday

Little Red Wagon challenge - A is for anything goes

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - ATG

Word Art Wednesday challenge - ATG

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.

Have a great day.

Love and hugs,

card ingredients:

Spellbinders - layered anemone dies

Spellbinders - stylish oval birthday wishes stamp set

Gina K Designs - ink pads - passionate pink & dark lilac

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card (currently not available but this 250gsm smooth white card is an alternative in stock here)

Hobbycraft - A4 black card

Versafine - onyx black ink pad