Just Us Girls challenge #824 - Mood Board week

Hello everyone and welcome back to my blog. I am here to share my card for this week's Just Us Girls challenge and it's our 'mood board week' and Carol is our hostess.  It's such a fun and funky mood board and I'm sure you'll all have a lot of fun creating from it and I cannot wait to see all your gorgeous creations.

There are so many fun elements in the mood board.  Obviously the colours are bold and bright but the sofa, boat, beach ball and funky shapes could call to you.  I was immediately drawn to the pictures hanging on the wall and decided to create my card inspired by them.  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the details:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by die cutting a light pink panel 4" x 5 1/4".  To create my funky shapes I used a corner punch, some circle dies and my paper trimmer.  I dug out some teal, orange and pink card from my scraps box and cut lots of different shapes and sizes.  I also scored some lines onto the larger orange shapes.  I won't tell you how long it took me to settle on an arrangement that I was happy with (but it was a while) and adhered all the largest pieces first with foam squares.  I pulled in some black accents and added them with liquid glue and then adhered the circles to fill the gaps using both liquid glue and foam squares.  I deliberated over what sentiment to use but didn't want anything too large that would hide my layout so finally settled on this fun stacked one from Gina K Designs which I white heat embossed onto black and cut with the coordinating die.  I added the sentiment over the largest circle with foam squares.  The panel was then adhered to the card base with double sided tape.  For the inside I cut another white panel and added a strip of the light pink card to the bottom with liquid glue.  I had some shapes left over so added them randomly with liquid glue.  I stamped the sentiment in the centre with black ink and unfortunately got a finger print on the left edge so added one of shapes there to cover it.  The panel 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 * 

Such a great mood board and I cannot wait to see what you create. Please pop over to the challenge blog and leave some love for the rest of the design team.  Our guest designer is Kerry so please leave her some love too.  

I appreciate you stopping by.

Love and hugs,

card supplies:

Waffle Flower - nesting circle dies

Creative Craft Products - corner/notch punch

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

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

Limetree Craft - 220gsm black card

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

WOW! - opaque bright white super fine embossing powder

*Gina K Designs - birthday sprinkles stamp & die (currently in this month's kit but will be available separately in the next release)

Gina K Designs - white pigment ink cube

*I now have an Affiliate Link for the Gina K Designs store. If 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 #823 - CAS

Good morning lovely friends and welcome back to my little corner of blogland. 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 recently purchased a whimsical ephemera book after being enabled by another crafter on Instagram.  The images are so cute and the colours are gorgeous but after colouring with markers for over 20 years I was a bit stuck with how to use them (silly I know as I can just treat them the same way).  I decided my CAS card was the perfect opportunity to christen the book.  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the sweet image:

Plus I decorated the inside (sort of):

I had the front panel left over from the sympathy card I made recently (I had cut this panel to use as a mask for the circle on that card here).  As it already had some sea glass ink around the cut edge I decided to lightly blend sea glass all over the panel.  I die cut the ephemera image with a slightly smaller circle than the opening and created a frame cut from teal card using two different sizes of circle dies.  I adhered the frame and image together with double sided tape and using the front panel as a guide adhered it directly onto the card base.  I stamped a birthday sentiment in coral reef ink (to match the image), added foam squares behind the front panel and added that onto the card base; so that the image was recessed below it.  I didn't add any embellishments this time as I thought it was cute as it was.  For the inside I cut a white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and stamped the sentiment in the centre with the coral reef ink.  I ink blended at the bottom with the sea glass ink and then added the panel to the card base with double sided tape.  I may have to die cut a small flower or something to add to the inside as it looks a little bare.  

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 supplies:

Giraffe Creative Studio - cute whimsy spring whimsical ephemera book

Waffle Flower - nesting circle dies

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

teal card from scraps bin

*Gina K Designs - blooming sunflower mini stamp (for outside sentiment)

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

Gina K Designs - ink pads - coral reef and sea glass

*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 - May 26

Hello friends, welcome back to my little blog. I'm here today to share my card for this month's Patterned Paper Party Instagram Hop. 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 'distressed edges' which I know was really popular quite a few years ago but it can look really fun, especially for mixed media or masculine cards. I made a card for my sons to give to their uncle for his birthday and it's 5" square for a change.  Unbelievably no dies and only sentiment stamps were used on my card.  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the details:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by choosing my papers (all from the same paper pad) and tore thin strips, leaving the raw edges on show and I used what was left on my blending brushes to ink the edges.  I used one of the strips to stamp my greeting in black ink.  I was going to put the strips directly onto my card blank but I thought it looked 'too clean' so choose another paper from the paper that looked quite grungy and distressed and added that to the card base with double sided tape.  I added my strips, adding foam squares behind the outer and middle strips and double sided tape to the two inner strips.  Before I added the sentiment I curled up some black twine for some extra interest and placed it behind.  The sentiment was then laid across the strips using a combination of foam squares and liquid glue.  I didn't add any embellishments as I thought it looked ok as it was.  A fairly simple layout but perfect for my brother in law.  For the inside I cut a white panel 4 3/4" square and as I had some leftover torn strips I added them to the bottom with double sided tape.  I stamped a 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:

* to be updated *

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 #patternedpaperpartyhopmay2026 and we will find you.

Thanks for stopping by and take care.

Lots of love

card supplies:

My Minds Eye - now & then 'Izzy' 6x6 paper pad

Uniko - everyday family stamp (for uncle part of sentiment)

Uniko - floral vines stamp (for happy birthday)

Uniko - birthday wishes stamp (for inside sentiment)

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

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

black twine from my stash

ATC Scrap Makes IG Hop - May 26

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.

This month I am continuing my alphabet series of ATC's with G, H & I.  I think it will be fun each month finding images/dies for each letter.  I'm trying to stick to animals and food but we'll see how it goes.  I'm excited to see them all at the end and I hope you are going to stick around to see them all too.  I used mostly older, retired products but I still love them so why not use them. I hope you like them; do you have a favourite from this month's trio?

Here are my three ATC's:

Here's a closer look at 'G':

A closer look at 'H':

and a closer look at 'I':

The backs are simply decorated with the ATC info stamp and some blending:

Once again I used my leftover ink blending scrap paper for two of my backgrounds as they turn out really interesting and not something I would create myself. I did add some stamping and ink blending over them to tie them into the image a little more and I think they turned out great.  For the 'H' ATC I used part of an embossing folder that I embossed but never used.  Luckily for me the gingerbread man was already assembled and ready to go so that ATC was simple to complete; I added him with foam squares and added the letter G with liquid glue.  As my focal images were too large to use the frames from the previous month's ATC's I decided to die cut one from the kraft card and cut it apart to add parts of it to the edges of the ATC.  I added some faux stitching around the edge with a black fineliner pen and that ATC was done.  I stamped and coloured the horse image and used the coordinating die to cut him out.  I added the embossed piece onto a plain white ATC with double sided tape and die cut some grass from three shades of green card, these were then adhered with double sided tape.  I added the horse, standing in the grass, with foam squares.  I die cut a few clouds from white card and added them, as well as the letter H, with liquid glue.  Onto the final ATC; the cone was stamped in kraft card and die cut out, the pink ice cream was die cut from pink card and the chocolate layer was stamped in brown ink and fussy cut out.  I stamped and die cut the cherry and then adhered all the pieces together with liquid glue.  I added some extra details to the blended background with this fun stencil and also stamped some of the sentiments from the stamp set with the kraft ink.  I again die cut the frame from pink card and cut it apart added some pieces to the edges of the ATC with liquid glue.  I adhered the ice cream with foam squares and added the letter I with liquid glue. For the backs of the ATC's I simply ink blended the matching colours around the edges and stamped one the ATC info stamps (that I won a few months ago) in black ink.  

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

Aud Sentiments challenge - embossing and/or flowers + sentiment

Can You Handle The Pressure challenge - use an EF optional balloons

Cardz 4 Guys challenge - use an embossing folder

Crafty Animals challenge - ATG must include an animal

Creative Friday challenge - animals

Critter Crazy challenge - ATG with a featured critter

Dragonfly Dreams challenge - use die cuts

Dream Valley challenge - embossing wet or dry

Farm Quest Grocery Game challenge - food and/or drink

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - use craft dies

Stamping Sensations challenge - cute creatures

Tag-along (&ATC's) challenge - use some pink

We Love Stamping challenge - all creatures great and small 

I hope you will pop over to Instagram and check out the hop; please use the hashtag #ATCscrapmakes2026 or #ATCscrapmakesmay26 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,

ATC supplies:
MFT - on the farm stamp & die

MFT - you're the sweetest stamp & die

MFT - cutest clouds ever die set

MFT - grassy fields die set

MFT - little letters die set

Spellbinders - stocking full of joy die set (for gingerbread)

Hunkydory - Moonstone dies - scalloped edged picture frames

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

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad
Promarkers

ATC silicone stamp won in a challenge

Sakura - white no. 10 gelly roll pen

*Gina K Designs - ink pads - innocent pink, charcoal brown, kraft, cherry red, grass green

*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 #823 - DT card

Hello everyone and welcome back to my blog. I am back to share my card for this week's Just Us Girls challenge and it's Word Week and Lisa has chosen 'flowers'.  I'm sure this is going to be a really popular week and I cannot wait to see all your gorgeous creations. 

I wanted to use another of my new embossing folder bundles from Gina K Designs and even though my stencilling went a little bit awry in places I think it still turned out great.  I don't use lilacs often enough but I really like this colour combo.  I hope you like it too.

Here is my card:

Plus a closer look at the details:

I decorated the inside:

I tried to capture the shimmer:

I began by embossing my white panel with the gorgeous floral embossing folder; it looked so pretty just white but I knew I wanted to add some colour.  I used the coordinating layering stencils to colour the flowers and leaves and I went with a pop of yellow for the flower centres.  I trimmed the panel down to 4" x 5 1/4" and added some scrap white card behind before adhering it to my card base. Unfortunately the stencil shifted on the smaller flower so I embossed and die cut another one, coloured it with the stencils and added it over top with foam squares.  I stamped and die cut the sentiment, using the same colour inks for the larger word and adhered it with foam squares.  I finished off with some black pearls and shimmer pen for a bit of extra sparkle.  For the inside I cut another white panel and added a strip of the embossed background to the bottom with double sided tape.  I ink blended some colour over the embossing with a very light hand and stamped the sentiment in the centre with black ink.  I added 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 May flowers

Aud Sentiments challenge - embossing and/or flowers + sentiment

Can You Handle The Pressure challenge - use an EF optional theme balloons (the flowers are a 3D EF)

Color Dare challenge - #703 (I used purple, green and yellow)

CRAFT challenge - birthday (happy 17th birthday CRAFT challenge)

Crafty Gals Corner challenge - ATG optional twist flowers for mom

Die Cut Divas challenge - celebrations (birthday)

Do-All Creative challenge - ATG optional flowers as an eye catcher

Little Red Wagon challenge - May flowers

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - use craft dies

Stencil Fun challenge - use a stencil optional theme see thru it (I used layering stencils on the flowers)

I'm sure this will be a popular challenge as we all love our flowers don't we?  I cannot wait to see what you create.  Please pop over to the challenge blog and leave some love for the rest of the design team.  

I appreciate you stopping by. 

Love and hugs, 

card supplies:

*Gina K Designs - blossom trio bundle (currently sold out)

Gina K Designs - modern greetings stamp & die

Gina K Designs - springy sketches stamp (for inside sentiment)

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

Gina K Designs - ink pads - light, medium & dark lilac, marigold, light spruce

Gina K Designs - ink cube - medium spruce

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

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

Tonic Studios - nuvo glitter gloss shimmer pen

*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 #822 - 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. We are slowly adding 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.

For today's card I decided to dust off some LOTV polymer stamps. I know they are no longer available in this format as they are focusing on their digital images but I still love them and will keep using them.  I went fairly clean and simple with my layout and NO dimension - don't faint - but I think it turned out super cute.  I hope you like it. 

Here is my card:

A closer look at the details:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I tried to capture the sparkle of the stickles:

I began by cutting a white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and ink blended a strip of sea glass ink in the upper half of the card.  I stamped the image with memento black ink and once dry coloured it with my Promarkers.  I added some white gelly roll pen highlights and stickles to their hats.  I stamped the sentiment above the image with black ink.  Last year when I was mailing out my Christmas cards I realised that they had so much dimension I needed to add extra postage which really started to mount up.  This year I need to start making some flat, mailer friendly cards and this is the first one lol!  I simply added double sided tape behind the panel and adhered it to the card base.  For the inside I cut another white panel and stamped one of the birds from the stamp with some selective masking.  I again coloured it with Promarkers, adding white gelly roll pen highlights and stickles to his hat.  The sentiment was stamped in the centre with black ink and the panel was adhered to the card base with double sided tape.  

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

The 12 months of Christmas Link Up challenge - ATG Christmas optional twist 'lanterns in the snow'

ABC Christmas challenge - J is for just enough (CAS)

Christmas (or not) BINGO challenge - Line N - Christmas, free, glitter

Crafty Animals challenge - ATG must include an animal

Creative Friday challenge - all animals

Critter Crazy challenge - ATG with a featured critter 

Dream Valley challenge - all creatures great and small

I Love Promarkers challenge - special occasions (Christmas)

Merry Little Christmas challenge - anything Christmas goes

Peace On Earth Christmas challenge - anything Christmas themed optional mood board

Simply Clean and Simple challenge - ATG CAS optional theme 'things that fly'

Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge - things with wings

Stamping Sensations challenge - cute creatures

Sweet Stampin' challenge - things with wings

Triple B challenge - birds, blooms or butterflies optional mood board (entry 3)

We Love Stamping challenge - all creatures great and small 

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 supplies:

LOTV - cute Christmas A5 polymer stamp (no longer available)

LOTV - verses A5 polymer stamp (no longer available)

Promarkers

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

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

Memento - tuxedo black ink pad

Ranger - crystal stickles

Sakura - white no. 10 gelly roll pen

*Gina K Designs - sea glass 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