Gorgeous Gift Tags IG Hop - February 2026

Hello again friends, I can't believe this is my third post for today! It's time for the 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 'hearts' and I know this is going to be a popular theme. I can't wait to see what the rest of my fellow hoppers have made. I hope you can pop over to Instagram and join us.

I decided to make some heart shaped tags this month and, even if I say so myself, I think they turned out super cute!  I used a fun cat and dog image from Gina K Designs and coloured them so that they looked vaguely like my Willow and Wesley.  Lots of ink blending, stamping, colouring and stencilling later and voila they were complete.  I hope you like them.

Here are my tags:

 

A closer look at the details:

 

I decorated the backs very simply this time:

I began by die cutting 4 of the larger pink hearts, so that I could adhere them back to back later, and 6 of the white smaller hearts, so that I could layer them up.   I used a heart stencil and using a pink ink pad created a subtle design to the pink hearts.   I used a romantic script background stamp to add some interest to the white hearts using a light grey ink pad.  I adhered the stencilled pink heart and the plain pink heart back to back with liquid glue and stacked 3 white hearts together, also with liquid glue.  I stamped, coloured and die cut the cute animals and also die cut one more from plain white card so that they could have a little dimension.  I stamped the same sentiment for both tags and die cut an additional 4 plain white ones so that I could layer each one 3 times.  Lots of subtle dimension on these tags.  I adhered everything together with liquid glue.  I die cut some tiny hearts from pink card that I ink blended over with the pink ink pad and added three to each tag.  For the backs I simply added a slightly smaller white tag with liquid glue and added a few of the ink blended hearts to the bottom of the tag.  I used my crop-a-dile to cut a hole through all the layers of my tag and threaded through some ribbon and twine.  

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

613 Avenue Create challenge - ATG optional twist animal magic

AAA Colourful challenge - colour board #24

A Cut Above challenge - ATG with a die cut

Allsorts challenge - create your own background (stencilled the heart BG and stamped the scripty BG)

A Place to Start challenge - ATG optional twist small critters

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

CRAFT challenge - love/ATG

Crafty Animals challenge - ATG must include an animal

Creative Inspirations challenge - think pink

Creative Moments challenge - love & romance

Critter Crazy challenge - ATG with a featured critter

Die Cut Divas challenge - red and/or pink colours

Everybody Art challenge - have a heart

Fab 'n' Funky challenge - love is all around 

Girlz & the Art of Letters challenge - T is for tags

Hearts Quest for Shaped Cards & Tags challenge - ATG

If You Give A Crafter A Cookie challenge - happy hearts

I Love Promarkers challenge - love & romance or ATG

Let's Craft & Create challenge - ATG optional theme from the heart

Little Red Wagon challenge - picturing love

Pearly Sparkles challenge - hearts

PINspirational challenge - colour challenge

Show Us Your Pussycat challenge - ATG/love must include a cat

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - add a heart

Stencil Fun challenge - create your own background

Sweet Stampin' challenge - all you need is love

Tag-along (& ATC's) challenge - add a number or ATG

The Dream Factory challenge - love actually

Try It On Tuesday challenge - all loved up

Unicorn challenge - animals

We Love Stamping challenge - hearts or ATG

 

Wow so many love/heart challenges around (not surprising I suppose)!

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 #gorgeousgifttagsfeb2026 and we will find your tags.

Thanks for stopping by and take care.

Lots of love,

tag supplies:

Spellbinders - essential heart dies

Scrapbook.com - hearts stencil

*Gina K Designs - a pocket full of sunshine stamps & die (for images & sentiment)

Gina K Designs - ink pads - dusty rose and soft stone

MFT - romantic script red rubber BG stamp

MFT - tag builder blueprints 6 (for hearts)

Promarker alcohol markers

Heffy Doodle - alcohol marker friendly card - store now closed 

Limetree Craft - 280gsm silky smooth white card (not available but other options are here and here)

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

pink 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

Just Us Girls challenge #809 - guest designer

Welcome back to my blog lovely friends.  I was honoured to be asked to be a guest designer for the Just Us Girls challenge for February and immediately said yes. They have fun weekly challenges and I hope you will join in.  

They have set themes for each week so it is always easy to play along.  Here is the schedule:

Week 1. Die Week

Week 2. Word Week

Week 3. Mood Board Week

Week 4. Anything Goes using a stencil Week

Week 5. Case a DT Member Week

Obviously I will only be sharing 4 cards with you as there are only 4 weeks this month.  

So as it's Week 1 the theme is Die Week and the prompt is 'use a heart'; here is the graphic:

I had just received my Gina K Designs kit when I sat down to make my card so of course I had to use the gorgeous heart frame die and matching stencils on my card; it was perfect timing!  I used a purple and green with a touch of black colour combo and made a 5 1/2" square card for a change.  I did go a bit wonky lining up the die on the stencilling but rectified that by using a green Promarker to colour in any missing areas and I think it looks ok.  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the details:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by creating my card base by cutting a white piece of card cut to 11" x 5 1/2" and scoring on the long side at 5 1/2".  I cut the heart frame from white card and used the square die to cut it out.  I took another piece of white card and used the matching stencils and purple and green inks and created the beautiful design.  I adhered the stencilled panel and the die cut heart panel together with liquid glue but as I said I went a bit wrong and it was stuck good and proper so just grabbed a green Promarker and carefully filled in any gaps.  I added a black mat layer behind with double sided tape. I ink blended the heart from the centre with the same purple inks and popped it back in place with liquid glue.  I cut a purple piece of card 4 3/4" square and embossed it with the swiss dots embossing folder and again added a thin black mat layer behind with double sided tape.  I added the purple panel onto the card base with double sided tape, added some scrap white card behind the heart frame panel and also added that to the purple panel with double sided tape.  I stamped the sentiment in black ink and used the coordinating die to cut it out.  I added the sentiment over the heart using foam squares.  I finished off with some black pearls.  For the inside I cut a white panel 4 5/8" square, stamped the sentiment in the centre and stamped two corner images in the top right and bottom left corners; I used Promarkers to colour these in.  I added a thin purple mat layer and also a thin black mat layer behind with double sided tape.  This was then adhered to the card base with double sided tape.  

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

* to be updated *

I'm sure this will be a popular challenge as we all love our dies don't we? Please pop over and check out the gorgeous creations by the talented design team. 

Love and hugs,

card supplies:

Gina K Designs - heart frame die & stencil (in current Mega Kit but will be available next month)

Gina K Designs - swiss dot embossing folder

Gina K Designs - graceful greetings stamp & die (for outside sentiment)

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

Gina K Designs - in the corner stamp (for inside decoration)

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

Gina K Designs - ink pads - lovely lavender, wild lilac, jelly bean green, fresh asparagus

Limetree Craft - 280gsm silky smooth white card (currently not available but they have alternatives here and here)

Limetree Craft - 220gsm black card

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

Green Promarker

purple 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 #806 - Birthday

Good morning lovely friends; I hope you're having a great week.  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. This is such an easy challenge as we always need birthday cards so we hope you will come over and join in the fun with us.

I'm sharing the card I made for my niece's 21st birthday and although I've made something similar in the past I did step it up a little and I think it's an elegant card for a special birthday.  My card size is 5 1/2" x 7 1/2".  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the details:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by taking some smooth white card and created my card base by cutting it to 11" x 7 1/2" and scoring on the long side at 5 1/2".  I used my score board to score 5 lines vertically for some texture and visual interest in the background and matted this panel onto a gold mirror card layer with double sided tape.  I also added some gold and black spatter.  I die cut some leaves from white card and also a couple from vellum and also die cut the happy birthday frame from vellum twice.  I cut a white circle to go behind the vellum frame and also used gold mirror card to die cut the 21, along with a few extra white ones so that I could layer them up with liquid glue.  I stamped the sentiment using black ink and die cut it out with a sentiment strips die.  I adhered the birthday frame together with liquid glue, putting it sparingly so that it would be less noticeable through the vellum and added the white circle behind it.  I added the leaves vertically along the score lines with liquid glue, adding the circle frame with foam squares.  I adhered the 21 with liquid glue into the centre of the circle and the sentiment on the bottom edge of the circle with foam squares.  I finished off with some gold and black metallic pearls.  I added some scrap white card behind the panel and then adhered it to the card base with double sided tape.  For the inside I cut another white panel and added it onto a gold mat panel with double sided tape.  I added some gold and black spatter to the bottom third and adhered a cluster of leaves in the left lower corner.  I stamped the sentiment in the centre with black ink.  I adhered the panel onto 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 '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 want to say how much I appreciate your lovely comments, your support really does mean the world to me.

Love and hugs,

card ingredients:

*Gina K Designs - foliage fillers die set

Gina K Designs - Master Layouts 03 die set (for white circle)

Gina K Designs - large strip sentiments die set

MFT - happy birthday circle frame die

MFT - by the numbers die set

Honey Bee Stamps - this one's for the girls stamp (for outside sentiment)

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

Stampin' Up! - card stock vellum

Limetree Craft - 280gsm silky smooth white card (not available currently but other options can be found here and here)

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

gold mirror card from stash

Kuretake - gansai tambi starry colours paint palette (for gold spatters)

MFT - black hybrid ink pad (for black spatters)

*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

Card Clubhouse IG Hop - Week 3 - Unexpected Valentine

Good morning friends; I'm back to share my card for the new Card Clubhouse IG hop organised by my lovely friend Kelly. We are on Week 3 and our theme is 'unexpected Valentine'. This could mean using unusual/bizarre colours, making a card for someone you wouldn't normally such as your boss/pet or even using an image not normally associated with Valentine; whatever it is we can't wait to see it. 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 decided to make a loved themed card for my bff using colours I wouldn't normally use for a Valentine/Galentine's card.  I went with shades of blue for something different.  The card is really shimmery in real life as I spritzed my card with a perfect pearls & water mixture before die-cutting my leafery.  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the die cuts:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I decided to make a square card for a change so cut my card 11" x 5 1/2" and scored on the long side at 5 1/2".  I cut a white panel 5" square and using a dark blue ink lightly ink blended around the edges leaving the centre white.  I die cut a large heart from navy card and a smaller heart from white card x 4 times so that I could layer it up using liquid glue.  I ink blended some dark blue and light blue ink onto a scrap of white card, spritzed it with a perfect pearls and water mixture and also added some white gouache spatter.  Once dry I die cut my leafery and also die cut some extras from white card.  I stamped the sentiment onto the smaller heart using navy ink and then adhered the hearts together with liquid glue.  I placed the heart into the centre of my blended panel with liquid glue.  I added the white leaf die cuts with liquid glue around the outside of the heart and then adhered the ink blended leaves with foam squares.  I die cut some tiny hearts from the leftover ink blended pieces and added them with liquid glue.  I added some scrap white card behind the panel for some dimension and adhered it to my card base with double sided tape.  For the inside I cut another 5" square panel from white card and ink blended around the outside.  I stamped the sentiment in the centre with navy ink and added one of the leaf die cuts to the bottom left corner with liquid glue (I actually took half of the dark blended and half of the light blended leaf and stuck them together).   I also added a few hearts around the leafery.  I added the panel to the card base with double sided tape.  I love this colour combo and I think the card turned out really pretty. 

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 #cardclubhousehop2026 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,

card supplies:

*Gina K Designs - foliage fillers die set

Gina K Designs - we go together stamp (for sentiments)

Gina K Designs - ink pads - in the navy & blue sky

Time For Tea Designs - heart nesting die set

MFT - tag builder blueprints 6 (for tiny hearts)

Limetree Craft - 280gsm silky smooth white card (not available currently but other options can be found here and here)

navy card from my 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

Heart's Quest Celebrations of Love - Guest Designer

Hello friends, welcome back to my blog.  I was lucky enough to win a recent challenge so I am guest designing for the Heart's Quest Celebrations of Love challenge blog this month.  Every month they have a BEWAS theme (Birthday, Engagement, Wedding, Anniversary and Sympathy) with an optional theme, which this month is 'Valentines/Love'.  

I decided to make a birthday card as I have a few birthdays coming up this month and used a new die set from Spellbinders (DOM Jan 26).  I used the die to make a shaped card and I think it turned out really pretty.  I hope you like it too. 

Here is my card:

A closer look at the details:

Plus I decorated the inside:

It is such a pretty die set and ideal for a shaped card.  I folded a piece of A4 white card in half and ran the die through my die cutting machine with the top of the die just protruding slightly over the fold of the card; this way I created the shaped card.  I die cut one extra white piece to place on the front of the card so that it would be the full design, die cut the 'frame' from black card and adhered that the white panel with liquid glue.  I decided I wanted a rainbow background with the flower die cuts being in a silhouette style.  I cut the 'petals' from coloured card from my scraps bin and cut each flower from black card.  I did decide to add the details with white card to make them pop a little.  I adhered all the flowers together with liquid glue and also added the petals into the frame with liquid glue.  I added the flowers onto the panel with a mix of foam squares and liquid glue.  I stamped the sentiment onto the white half circle and adhered it into the frame with liquid glue.  I finished off with a few black pearls.  For the inside I simply stamped a sentiment in black ink in the centre and added one of the die cut flowers in the bottom right corner with liquid glue.  I wanted the back of the card to be a bit more sturdy so I die cut another white panel and adhered it to the back of the card with liquid glue.  

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

* to be updated * 

I would like to thank Becca and the Team at HQCOL for inviting me to be a guest for this fun challenge and I hope you will pop over and leave them some love. I'm sure this will be a popular challenge as it's all the themes that we create for our friends and loved ones.  

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

Love and hugs,

card supplies:

Spellbinders - sunny stems die set (DOM Jan 26)

Spellbinders - be bold blooms die set (for the smallest flower)

Spellbinders - envelope of wonder sentiments stamp (for outside sentiment)

Spellbinders - stylish ovals birthday wishes stamp (for inside sentiment)

Limetree Craft - 280gsm silky smooth white card (not available currently but other options can be found here and here)

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

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

coloured card from my 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

Pearly Sparkles challenge - guest designer

Hello again friends; I'm 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 'hearts' which I'm sure will be very popular with Valentine's Day just around the corner but as you will see from my card it can be for any occasion as long as you include some hearts.  I look forward to seeing what you create.

I decided to make a birthday card using lots of different hearts (stamped, embossed and gems) and Valentine colours and it turned out exactly as I had wanted.  It's a fairly simple layout but even so I think it turned out super cute. I hope you like it. 

Here is my card:

A closer look at the images:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by stamping the images onto alcohol marker friendly card, coloured them with Promarkers, added some white highlights and used the coordinating dies to cut them out.  I used master layouts 4 for all my dies; I cut the smaller heart from white card and the shadow layer from red card and cut the scalloped rectangle from pink gingham card.  I embossed the white heart with a hearts embossing folder and adhered the hearts together with liquid glue.  I stamped the sentiments in black ink onto the gingham panel and then adhered the heart on top with liquid glue.  I placed the images onto the embossed heart with foam squares.  As a final finishing touch I added some red heart embellishments in the top right and bottom left corners.  I added some scrap white card behind the scalloped panel and then adhered it to my card base with double sided tape.  For the inside I cut another scalloped panel from white card and added a strip of the gingham paper to the bottom with liquid glue; I also added a thin strip of red card above to make it look more 'finished'.  I added another image to the bottom right corner and stamped the sentiment in the centre with black ink.  I adhered the panel to the card base with double sided tape.

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

* to be updated *

I would like to thank Helen and all the team 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 'hearts' 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:

*Gina K Designs - you are so loved stamp & die

Gina K Designs - delicate dahlias stamp (for outside sentiments)

Gina K Designs - happy hearts embossing folder

Gina K Designs - master layouts 4 die set

Gina K Designs - birthday cheer stamp (for inside sentiment)

Memory Box - gingham bubblegum card

Limetree Crafts - 280gsm silky smooth white card (no longer available but they do have some alternatives here and here)

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

Promarkers

Little Things From Lucy's Cards - crystal collection - citrus twist - store sadly closed

Heffy Doodle - alcohol marker friendly card - store sadly closed

red 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

AAA Birthday challenge - DT card

Good morning lovely friends and welcome to February! As it's the first of the month it means we have a brand new challenge over at AAA Birthday challenge. This month's theme is 'slimline' and our guest designer again this month is Cathy R. so please pop over to her blog and leave her some love.

I don't make slimline cards very often, not really sure why, although they can be a bit tricky to photograph.   I had a fun image in mind when making my card so went with the larger sized slimline (4" x 9") so that it would fit.  You could of course make a mini slimline which is about 3 1/4" x 6 1/4", although they can be anything from 3" x 6" to 3 1/2" x 6 1/2" depending on which brand of dies you use.   I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the fun image:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by creating my card base from white card; I cut my piece to 8" x 9" and scored it at 4" on the 8" side.  I used master layouts 10 and die cut a white stitched panel and mat layer panel from dark brown card (although it looks black in my photos).  I used a fun tiger print stencil to create my background but of course I had to move the stencil down to fill the whole panel but as this is quite an open pattern it did leave a noticeable line in the middle which I didn't like.  I tried adding strips of the brown card and twine to try and mask the line but it didn't work for me so I finally decided to die cut the smaller panel from the die set and stencil that with the tiger print.  I also die cut the mat layer for this smaller panel and adhered them together with liquid glue.  I adhered the larger panels with liquid glue and then placed the smaller panel in the middle with liquid glue.  I think it looks more intentional now and not like a mistake.  I stamped the adorable giraffe image, coloured him with Promarkers and fussy cut him out.  I stamped the personalised message onto his 'board' with black ink. I added some scrap white card behind the panel and then adhered this onto the card base with double sided tape.  I added the giraffe with foam squares, added some die cut stars and some gold pearls for a finishing touch.  For the inside I cut another white stitched panel and brown mat layer.  I stencilled the bottom of the white panel with the tiger print stencil, added a strip of the brown card above and a few die cut stars with liquid glue.  I stamped the sentiment in the centre with black ink and then adhered the panel 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 animal magic

Allsorts challenge - create your own background

Crafter's Cafe challenge - one for the boys

Crafty Animals challenge - ATG must include an animal

Creative Crafting Uncles challenge - happy birthday

Critter Crazy challenge - ATG with a featured critter

Girlz and the Art of Letters challenge - s is for slimline

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.

Love and hugs,

card supplies:

Woodware - party giraffe stamp

Promarkers

Uniko - tiger print stencil

*Gina K Designs - master layouts 10 die set

Gina K Designs - honey mustard ink pad

Gina K Designs - grand gentleman stamp

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

Gina K Designs - on the inside - birthday stamp

Clearly Besotted Stamps - happy birthday all 

MFT - blueprints 13 (for stars)

Limetree Crafts - 280gsm silky smooth card - not currently available but there are alternatives here and here

Limetree Crafts - dark chocolate 300gsm card

Versafine Clair - nocturne 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