Krafty Chicks challenge #776 - Christmas

Good morning lovely friends, I appreciate you stopping by and I hope you're all doing ok. 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. Another card to add to the Christmas pile, which really takes the stress off later in the year. We hope you will come over and join in the fun with us.

I recently discovered some gingerbread men that I die cut and assembled last year so I thought I would use a couple on this week's card.  Isn't it great when you find things you forgot about and they are ready to use.   I hope you like today's card.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the gingerbread man:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I am obsessed with Master Layouts 14 and 01 combo at the moment and seem to be using them on every card so it's no surprise that I used them on today's card too.  I cut the stitched rectangle from ML 14 from some houndstooth patterned paper and the plain mat layer from ML 1 from red card and adhered them together with double sided tape.  I die cut a large snowflake from white card and adhered that onto the right side of the panel with liquid glue.  I added foam squares behind the gingerbread man and added him onto the centre of the snowflake.  I stamped and white heat embossed a simple sentiment onto a scrap of the red card and cut it out with a sentiment strip die.  I added that to the left of gingerbread man with foam squares.  I finished off by adding some red sequins onto the snowflake.  I added some scrap white card behind the panel and then adhered it to my card base.  For the inside I die cut a white panel and red mat layer and adhered them together with double sided tape.  I also added a strip of the patterned paper to the very bottom with liquid glue.  I added another gingerbread man to the lower left corner and stamped my sentiment along the top of the paper with black ink.  The panel was adhered to the card base with double sided tape.  

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 '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:

Spellbinders - stocking full of joy die set (? retired)

Spellbinders - scarlet smooth disc color essentials sequins 

Funky Fossil Designs - folk snowflake die

Gina K Designs - merry sentiment strips - (? no longer available)

Gina K Designs - sentiment strips dies

Clearly Besotted Stamps - simply said Christmas (retired)

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card - not currently available - but they do have 280gsm silky smooth white card available here

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

WOW! -  opaque bright white super fine embossing powder

DCWV - 8x8 The Natural Stack printed cardstock pack (no longer available)

red card from my stash

Cards for All Seasons IG Hop - week 14

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 14 and our theme is 'country colours, flags & fireworks'. Such an easy and open theme this week and is open to lots of interpretation.  There are going to be so many awesome ideas along the hop this week and I can't wait to see what sparks your imagination.

I went for the colour part of the theme this week and used red, white and blue (the colours of the UK flag) and made a fun birthday card.  I'm really happy with how this card turned out this week and I hope you like it too. 

Here is my card:

A closer look at the cute images:

I decorated the inside:

I began by stamping all the images onto alcohol marker friendly card, coloured them with Promarkers and used the coordinating dies to cut them out.  I also added some white gelly roll pen highlights.  I used Master Layouts 14 die set, die cut the postage grid panel and used the coordinating stencil to lightly ink blend some red ink around the boxes.  I cut the larger stitched panel from ML 14 out of blue card and used that as my mat layer.  I adhered both panels together with double sided tape.  I stamped the 2 sentiments in black ink and used the dies to cut them out.  I added foam squares behind all the images and both the sentiments and adhered them onto the postage grid panel.  I finished with 3 blue pearls.  I added some scrap white card behind my panel using double sided tape and then adhered this onto my card base with double sided tape.  For the inside I cut the stitched rectangle from ML 14 from white card and the plain mat layer from ML 1 and adhered them together with double sided tape.  I stamped the coffee cup in the left lower corner and again coloured it with Promarkers.  I stamped the sentiment in black ink in the centre.  The panel was adhered to the card base with double sided tape. 

I would like to enter my card 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.

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 supplies:

Gina K Designs - You are so loved stamp & die bundle

Gina K Designs - the good life stamp & die bundle

Gina K Designs - Master Layouts 14 die set

Gina K Designs - Master Layouts 01 die set

Gina K Designs - pearl mix - rainbow

Gina K Designs - red hot ink pad

Promarkers

Sakura - white no. 10 gelly roll pen

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card - not currently available - but they do have 280gsm silky smooth white card available here

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

blue card from stash

Shark Week 2025 IG Card Hop

Hello friends, I hope you're all doing ok and having a great week so far.  I'm taking part in the third annual IG hop to celebrate Shark Week. The card hop is hosted by my good friend Kelly and today's hop will showcase some fintastic cards featuring all things shark to celebrate Shark Week.  Our theme this year is “Stay JAWSitive”; a reminder to stay positive in all areas of life, while also promoting awareness around ocean conservation and marine life. Dive in and enjoy the creativity and inspiration!

I found a shark set that I hadn't used before so grabbed it for this year's hop - unfortunately it was from Heffy Doodle, which has now sadly closed, but it's such a super cute set I had to use it.  There are so many fun shark stamps available and I cannot wait to see what my fellow hoppers have used this year.  I hope you like my card.

Here is my card:

A closer look at my friendly sharks:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by stamping all my images onto alcohol marker friendly card and coloured them with Promarkers.  I don't have the coordinating dies so I had to fussy cut them out.  I also wanted one shark to face the opposite way so used my mirror image stamp to accomplish this.  It's not perfect but once it was coloured in I think it looks fine.  I cut a white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and using a wave stencil and sea glass ink created my background.  I took a stitched hill die and cut two 'sandbanks' from kraft card for the bottom of my panel, which I added with liquid glue.  I wanted a frame for my ocean so using an arch die I cut an aperture, added foam squares behind and adhered it to my stencilled background.   I stamped my sentiments from two different stamp sets in black ink and cut them out with sentiment strip dies.  I adhered the smaller images with liquid glue, except for one of the sea kelp, which I added behind the frame with foam squares.  The sharks and sentiments were added with foam squares too.  I finished off with some raindrop embellishments as I thought they looked a little like bubbles.  The panel was added to my card base with double sided tape.  For the inside I cut a large arch shape and using the ink left on my blending brush lightly blended over the whole panel.   I also cut one more sandbank and adhered it with liquid glue.  I stamped the sentiment in the centre with black ink and adhered another shark and also a sting-ray with liquid glue.  The arch was added to my card base with liquid glue.  

We are also sharing fun and interesting shark facts in our instagram posts so I thought I would add one here too:

Shark Skin Is More Like Teeth Than Fish Scales

Sharks may look sleek and smooth, but their skin is actually made up of tiny v-shaped scales, also called dermal denticles, which are made of an inner pulp cavity and an outside layer of dentine, an enamel-like material (just like our teeth). With their scales being more similar to teeth than typical fish scales when a shark loses a denticle, it can actually fossilize over time, just like ancient shark teeth! In addition to being just plain cool, these scales also help decrease drag and turbulence, allowing sharks to swim faster and more stealthily while hunting for prey.

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

* to be updated * 

Please swim on over to IG to see the amazing shark creations.  Please use the hashtag #3rdannualsharkweekcardhop to find all the cards in the hop. 

Enjoy the rest of your day and thanks for stopping by.  

Love and hugs, 

card supplies:

Heffy Doodle - oceans of love stamp set - store sadly closed

Heffy Doodle - alcohol marker friendly card - store sadly closed

Mama Elephant - B2B arch die set

Promarkers

Lawn Fawn - stitched hillside borders dies

Lawn Fawn - duh-duh stamp (for 'jawsome' sentiment)

Avery Elle - sea-prise! stamp (for 'hope you birthday is' sentiment) - retired

Gina K Designs - sentiment strips dies

Gina K Designs - large strip sentiments dies

Gina K Designs - sea glass ink pad

MFT - make waves stencil

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card - not currently available - but they do have 280gsm silky smooth white card available here

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

Sakura - white no. 10 gelly roll pen

Little Things from Lucy's Cards - clear raindrops embellishments - store sadly closed

Dragonfly Dreams challenge - guest designer

Good morning and happy Sunday lovely friends. I hope you are all doing ok and finding lots of time to get crafty.  Well the weather has taken a turn for the worse and we had quite a bit of rain yesterday, although it was still really humid.  Let's hope it's only a blip and the sun will return soon.  

I am delighted to be a guest designer over at Dragonfly Dreams challenge this month and they have a fantastic theme of 'use polygons'.  It's such a unique challenge but don't be put off by the name as it's easier than it sounds.  So many shapes are polygons so you won't have to think too hard to take part. 

For my card I decided to go with a diamond shape as I wanted to use a Uniko stencil which was a recent purchase.  It is such a clever stencil and the results are gorgeous.  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the background:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by cutting a white panel 5 1/2" square as I wanted some extra for the inside of my card.  I used a pink and orange colour combo, which is one of my faves, along with kraft card as my neutral.  I grabbed the Uniko stencil and firstly inked the pink part, once that is complete you clean the stencil and then flip it over so that you can ink the orange part.  It's such a clever stencil and even a messy crafter like me was impressed at how well it lines up and looks so crisp.  I cut a scalloped panel from the kraft card and then cut down my stencilled panel to fit inside and also used my corner rounder to match the stitching on the kraft panel.  I adhered them together with liquid glue.  I decided to make my sentiment panel a diamond shape also as I didn't think it would look right with a square or circle so hand cut the white diamond and also a mat layer from vellum.  I stamped the sentiment in black ink and then layered the two diamonds with foam squares.  It was also added to the panel with foam squares for lots of dimension.  I finished off with some black pearls.  I added some scrap white card behind the panel for some thin dimension and stability and then added it to my card base with double sided tape.  For the inside I cut another kraft panel and layered a white panel on top with liquid glue.  I fussy cut some diamonds from the left over stencilled panel and added them to the top left and bottom right corners with liquid glue.  I stamped the sentiment in black ink in the upper centre of the panel.  I adhered the panel to my card base with double sided tape.  

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

Color Throwdown challenge - kraft, fuchsia and orange

Creative Inspirations challenge - stars and/or stripes (there are stripes in my background)

Creative Moments challenge - use a die cut

Creative Friday challenge - neon colours or bold colours

Die Cut Divas challenge - birthday cards

Halloween & Other Occasions challenge - birthday

Inkspirational challenge - three of the same (3 pearl embellishments)

Stencil Fun challenge - anything stencil goes optional twist your flag colours

The Paper Funday challenge - ATG optional twist fun with stencils

Tic Tac Toe challenge - layers, free, summer colours

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

I hope you can join in with this fun challenge. Please pop over to the blog to find out all the details and to check out the gorgeous creations by the Design Team too.

I hope you enjoy the last bit of your weekend and thanks so much for stopping by.

Love and hugs,

card supplies:

Uniko Stamps - ink & flip delightful diamonds stencil

Gina K Designs - ink pads - passionate pink and tangerine twist

Gina K Designs - star flower stamp (for outside sentiment)

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

Clearly Besotted Stamps - simply said birthday stamp (for inside sentiment) - retired

W Plus 9 - sunshine layers die set - retired

Crafter's Companion - kraft cardstock

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card - not currently available - but they do have 280gsm silky smooth white card available here

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

Gorgeous Gift Tags IG Hop July 25

Hello friends, I hope you're having a lovely Saturday so far. It's time for this month's Gorgeous Gift Tags IG Hop, which takes place on the 5th of each month. You always have the option to go for anything goes but the extra prompt this month is 'stencil(s)', which is a fab theme. I expect the rest of the hop will have some gorgeous stencilled creations so I hope you will pop over to Instagram and check them out.  

Stencils are such a staple in a crafters arsenal these days that it's not really a challenge to use them. I actually used two different stencils on my tag and it ended up with a mixed media vibe, which I love.  I hope you like it too. 

Here is my tag:

A closer look at the details:

Plus I decorated the back:

I began by stencilling the sun spots stencil using red and pink ink onto a piece of white card and then used my tag die to cut it out.  I wanted to add some texture so grabbed my white texture paste but unfortunately it had dried up and I couldn't use it so instead found a sparkle texture paste so used that instead.  The sparkle paste is really pretty and although it doesn't stand out as much as the white the paste really glistens in the light for a different effect.  Once that was dry I added some white splatters all over the tag.  I debated for ages as to what to use as my focal point and then remembered I had this cute birdie die set that hadn't been used so thought I would show him some love.  I ink blended some of the pink and red ink onto scraps of white card and used that to die cut most of my pieces for the bird.  I did use black for the base layer and white for the eye patch piece.  I adhered him together with liquid glue and added the top layer of the wing with a foam square.  I die cut the 'branch' from brown card.  So that my bird wouldn't be lost on the tag I die cut a circle from vellum to use as a grounding piece and I adhered the bird with foam squares.  The vellum was also added to the tag with foam squares.  I white heat embossed my sentiment onto a scrap of black card and cut it out with a sentiment strip die; this was adhered with liquid glue.  I felt that my tag needed a bit more black so grabbed a stamp set of distressed patterns and randomly stamped them onto the background with black ink.  I recycled some ribbon from a dress I bought recently but as it was white I decided to ink blend some of the pink ink onto it with a blending brush; I think it turned out really well.  I die cut another two white tags and adhered them behind my tag with liquid glue.  I wasn't going to decorate the back this time but couldn't leave it plain, however I had already stuck everything down so had to careful adding things as it was an uneven surface.  I decided not to stencil but instead inked around the edges with the inks and added some of the distressed stamps as I thought it wouldn't matter if they didn't stamp properly.  I did risk stamping the 'to and from' stamp using a clear block but thankfully it stamped ok.  This tag went in a completely different direction that what I planned but I love the finished result.  

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

Alphabet challenge - f is for feathers (my bird has feathers)

Crafty Animals challenge - ATG must include an animal/bird

Creative Moments challenge - use a die cut 

Creative Friday challenge - neon colours or bold colours

Heart's Quest for Shaped Cards & Tags challenge - ATG

Little Red Wagon challenge - to boldly go (use bold colours)

Mix It Up challenge - ATG optional twist mixed media

Stencil Fun challenge - use stencils optional theme your flag colours

Tag-Along (& ATC's) challenge - in the garden/ATG

The Paper Funday challenge - ATG optional twist fun with stencils 

Triple B challenge - birds, blooms or butterflies optional mood board

We hope you will be inspired by our Gorgeous Gift Tags Instagram Hop and will pop over and check out all the gorgeous tags along the way. If you would like to join us please visit my Instagram page or use the hashtag #gorgeousgifttagshop2025 and we will find your tags.
Thanks for stopping by and take care.

Lots of love

card supplies:

Gina K Designs - sun spots stencil

Spellbinders - hummingbird textures stencil

Spellbinders - sweet birdie die set

Spellbinders - big jolly Santa die set (I used Santa's stick as my branch)

Waffle Flower - nesting tags die set

Waffle Flower - nesting circles dies

MFT - distressed patterns stamp - ? retired

Cosmic Shimmer - frosty dawn sparkle texture paste - discontinued

Clearly Besotted - bird bath stamp (for sentiment) - retired

Gina K Designs - large strip sentiments dies

Gina K Designs - sketched wreath builder (for to/from stamp)

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

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card - not currently available - but they do have 280gsm silky smooth white card available here - but limited numbers

Hobbycraft - A4 black card

Versamark - embossing & watermark ink pad

WOW! - opaque bright white super fine embossing powder

ribbon recycled from a dress

Krafty Chicks challenge #775 - 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 we are on Week 1; as always the theme is 'birthday' and Leanne is our hostess. It can't get any easier than this week's challenge so we hope you will come over and join in the fun with us.

I was really pushed for time this week so I was happy to find most of what I used on my card already prepared in a box at the side of my desk.  Sometimes if I die cut something or colour something and then decide not to use it, I will put it the box to use another time.  It is a real time saver when you're out of time.  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the flowers:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by die cutting the white panel with a stitched rectangle die.  The basket weave cover plate had already been die cut from white card and was in 'the box' so I adhered them together with liquid glue.  I had the flower cluster left over from my Gina K appreciation card so added that with foam squares and the happy birthday was already die cut and stacked x 4 so I adhered that with liquid glue.  I added some black pearls around the card and also put some clear raindrop embellishments in the centres of the flowers. The panel was backed with some scrap white card for a tiny bit of dimension and added to my card base with double sided tape.  For the inside I cut another white panel with the stitched rectangle die, stamped the same flower cluster in the top left and bottom right corners with light grey ink and stamped the sentiment in the centre with black ink.  The panel was then adhered to the card base with double sided tape.  This card came together so quickly but I think it's really pretty.  

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

Addicted to Stamps & More challenge - make your mark

Beautiful Blossoms challenge - anything floral goes with optional mood board

Die Cut Divas challenge - happy birthday

Little Red Wagon challenge - to boldly go (use bright or bold colours)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - sending flowers

Tic Tac Toe challenge - flowers, free, CAS

Triple B challenge - birds, blooms or butterflies optional mood board

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 supplies:

Gina K Designs - spring clusters stamp & die bundle

Gina K Designs - spring clusters colouring stencils

Gina K Designs - floral friendship stamp (for inside sentiment)

Gina K Designs - basket weave cover plate die

Gina K Designs - Master Layouts 14 (for stitched rectangle die)

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

Gina K Designs - ink pads -  sea glass, turquoise sea, light lilac, medium lilac, soft stone

Gina K Designs - ink cubes - light & medium spruce

Little Things From Lucy's Cards - clear raindrops (store now closed)

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card - not currently available - but they do have 280gsm silky smooth white card available here - but limited numbers

Versafine - onyx black ink

Pearly Sparkles challenge - guest designer

Hello again friends; here I am again back with my second post for today!  I am delighted to be a guest designer over at Pearly Sparkles challenge this month and their theme is 'shaped card' so we want you to make a fun shaped card - no squares or rectangles allowed.  I hope you have fun with the challenge and I can't wait to see what you create.

I decided to make a circle card but with a fun twist - I made it into a doughnut shaped card.  It is so much fun and because my son loves pink sprinkled doughnuts I had to make it pink lol!  It's only a dinky 4 1/4" diameter but it makes it even more adorable.  I hope you love it too.

Here is my shaped card:

A closer look:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by making a 5" x 5" card base from white card and used the largest of my new nesting circle die set to cut out my circle card base.  I also cut a circle from kraft card to place on the front on my card.  I cut out the next circle down from the die set from pink card and traced a wobbly outline with pencil and cut it out with my scissors for the icing of my doughnut (I should have cut it a little bigger so that the kraft card wasn't showing quite so much but I still think it looks great).  I took one of the smaller circles in the set (approx 1 1/2" diameter) and cut the doughnut hole from the card base, the kraft circle and the pink circle. I adhered the kraft circle with liquid glue and the 'icing' with foam squares.  I was thinking about what to use for the sprinkles when I saw a die on my desk from a previous project that I thought would be perfect - a film strip die - the bits that fell out of the die cut were the perfect size and shape.  I cut out multiples from pink, blue, yellow and white card and added them randomly on the icing with liquid glue.  I added some crystal glaze to the sprinkles so that they would stand out and look dimensional.  I stamped the sentiment onto white card and cut it out with a sentiment strip die, adhered it with foam squares and then added a cute twine bow above it with liquid glue.  For the inside I cut another smaller circle from white card, again cutting the doughnut centre, stamped a small sentiment on either side in black ink and then adhered this to my card base with liquid glue.  I added a few of the sprinkles around the sentiment too.  I did cut a small piece off the back of the card base so that my card would stand up straight without toppling over.  This card really makes me smile and I hope it makes you smile too.  

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

Christmas (or not) BINGO challenge - Line I - circle or oval card shape, free, button or knot

Crafty Catz challenge - ATG

Dream Valley challenge - ATG

Halloween & Other Occasions challenge - birthday

Seize The Birthday challenge - ATG birthday/no topping

I would like to thank Helen and everyone at Pearly Sparkles challenge for having me as a guest this month. I hope you will be able to play along with the challenge and I cannot wait to see all your shaped card projects.

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

Love and hugs,

card supplies:

Waffle Flower - nesting circle die set

MFT - sweet birthday wishes stamp (for outside sentiment) - no longer available

MFT - sweet 16 stamp (for inside sentiment) - no longer available

Funky Fossil Designs - filmstrip dies (for sprinkles)

Crafter's Companion - kraft cardstock 

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

Tonic Studios - Nuvo crystal glaze 

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card - not currently available - but they do have 280gsm silky smooth white card available here - but limited numbers

pink card from stash

twine from stash