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

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

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

Here is my decorated notebook:

A closer look at the details:

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

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

613 Avenue Create challenge - ATG optional twist sparkle & shine

Allsorts challenge - create a scene or ATG

Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge - sparkle & shine

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - add a sentiment

Stamping Sensations challenge - fantasy or ATG

We Love Stamping challenge - red/green or ATG 

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

Thank you so much for stopping by.

Love and hugs,

supplies used:

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

MFT - writing tablet background stamp

MFT - little letters die set

MFT - by the numbers die set

MFT - blueprints 13 (for the stars)

gold glitter card from stash

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

Memento - tuxedo black ink pad

Limetree Crafts - 280gsm silky smooth white card

Limetree Crafts - 230gsm daffodil card

*Gina K Designs - blue sky ink pad

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

Thank you x

Cards For All Seasons IG Hop Week 25 - baking

Hello again friends; I'm back to share my card for this week's Cards for All Seasons IG hop organised by my lovely friend Kelly. We are now on Week 25 and our theme is 'baking/Christmas cookies/gingerbread'. Such a great theme this week and I know we all have cute images or die cuts that are baking themed. 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 found an adorable image that I wanted to use and thought I would create a shaped card with a plate full of gingerbread men as my focal point.  Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong, with this card but I think it turned out ok in the end.  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the cute gingerbread men:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by creating my circle card base by die cutting two large circles from white card, scoring one of the circles at the very top and glueing them together with liquid glue.  I used the same die to cut another circle from patterned paper and adhered that to the front of the card.  I used a fluted circle die (which I think looks like a paper plate) and die cut that 3 times from white card and adhered them together with liquid glue.  I stamped 7 of the cute gingerbread men onto alcohol marker friendly card, coloured them with Promarkers before using the coordinating die to cut them out.  I added the 'plate' to the centre of my card base with liquid glue and added 6 of the gingerbread men on top with foam squares.  I stamped a sentiment in black ink and cut it out with a small circle die.  I added that overlapping the bottom of the plate with foam squares.  Finally I added some clear sequins for a little sparkle.  For the inside I cut a slightly smaller circle from white card and also a piece from patterned paper just to cover the bottom of the circle and adhered them together with liquid glue.  I added the one remaining gingerbread man with liquid glue to the bottom left and stamped a sentiment in the centre with black ink.  The panel was adhered to the card base with liquid glue.  

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

The 12 Months of Christmas Link Up challenge - anything goes Christmas

ABC Christmas challenge - Y is for yummy

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

Crafty Calendar challenge - winter/Christmas

Creative Inspirations challenge - tis the season

Die Cut Divas challenge - Christmas/winter + must include a die cut

Fab 'n' Funky challenge - Christmas

Farm Quest Grocery Game challenge - anything food goes

Heart's Quest for Shaped Cards & Tags challenge - ATG on a shaped card and/or tag

If You Give A Crafter A Cookie challenge - time for Santa with inspiration photo

I Love Promarkers challenge - ATG or purple & yellow

Merry Little Christmas challenge - anything Christmas goes

Peace on Earth challenge - anything Christmas themed optional mood board

Sweet Stampin' challenge - it's Christmas!

The Dream Factory challenge - candy cane lane or anything Christmassy goes

The Sisterhood of Crafters challenge - anything Christmas

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

Thank you so much for stopping by. 

Love and hugs,

Gina K Designs - Christmas cheer stamp & die set (for gingerbread man)

Gina K Designs - clear quartz solid sequins

Spellbinders - fluted classic circles dies

Spellbinders - Santa's sippin' sayings stamp (for outside greeting)

Gina K Designs - merry sentiment strips (for inside greeting)

Waffle Flower - nesting circles dies

Go-Kreate - XXL plain circle dies - no longer available

Limetree Craft - 280gsm silky smooth white card

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

Paper pad from TK Maxx

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

Thank you x

Cards For All Seasons IG Hop Week 24 -- gratitude

Hello again friends; I'm back to share my card for this week's Cards for All Seasons IG hop organised by my lovely friend Kelly. We are now on Week 24 and as it is almost Thanksgiving in the US our theme is 'gratitude'. Such a great theme this week and I feel so grateful to be able to make my handmade creations,  join the lovely crafting community and have friends all around the world. 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 am currently full up with a cold so my card is fairly clean and simple this time.  I was inspired by a recent video of Gina K and did a colour block background and silhoutte image.  As always my card looks much prettier in real life and I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the image:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by creating the background; I used masking magic strips to create the ink blended stripes.  I did have a boo-boo when blending the yellow stripe so my green stripe ended up being bigger than I intended to cover up the mistake.  I think it looks ok but I would have liked more white on that end of the panel.  I stamped the silhouette image more towards the left corner and the sentiment in the top right corner using black ink.  I cut the panel with the stitched die from ML 14 and a black layer with the plain die from ML 01 and adhered them together with double sided tape.  I added some scrap white card behind the panel with double sided tape.  I decided to make a yellow card base to draw your eye to the yellow stripe and added the panel with double sided tape.  I finished off with some gold pearls.  For the inside I cut another white stitched panel and black layer.  I stamped the silhouette image using a light grey ink onto the white panel and as I had a thin piece of the ink blended piece left over from the front I also stamped part of the silhouette image over this as well.  I also cut it out with the stitched rectangle die.  I adhered them together with liquid glue.  I decided to stamp the sentiment onto the blended piece so that I left enough space to write my message above.  A bright and happy card and I'm happy with how it turned out.  

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.

Thank you so much for stopping by.

Love and hugs,

Gina K Designs supplies*:

Gina K Designs - autumn silhouettes stamp

Gina K Designs - harvest silhouettes stamp (for inside greeting)

Gina K Designs - Master Layouts 01 die set

Gina K Designs - Master Layouts 14 die set

Gina K Designs - ink pads - tangerine twist, wild dandelion, jelly bean green

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

Other supplies:

Limetree Crafts - 280gsm silky smooth white card

Limetree Crafts - 230gsm daffodil 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

Cards For All Seasons IG Hop Week 23 - friendship

Hello again friends; I'm back to share my card for this week's Cards for All Seasons IG hop organised by my lovely friend Kelly. We are now on Week 23 and our theme is 'friendship. Such a great theme this week and us crafters always like to send cards to our pals (crafty or otherwise) don't we?  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 went with an autumnal colour scheme for my card and dug out a frame die that I've had in my stash for years.  It's a fairly clean and simple design but there is lots of dimension and it looks really pretty in real life.  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the details:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by ink blending a panel with some ink pads in orange, green and a muted red, added some water drops and white gouache splatters and left it to dry.  I took the floral frame die and cut it three times from white card and once the ink blended panel was dry cut it from that too so that I had 4 layers.  I adhered the layers together with liquid glue.  I used an hello friend die cut sentiment and vellum shadow that I had already die cut previously, I just need to glue to main sentiment to the vellum shadow, which I did with liquid glue.  I had some of the ink blended pieces left so took the lots of dots die and cut some circles as embellishments so that they would match the frame.  I debated about what colour to use as my background but didn't want to detract from the frame so went with white; I adhered the frame and die cut sentiment with liquid glue.  Finally I added the circles around the sentiment with liquid glue.  I cut my card base and used double sided tape to adhere the panel to the front.  For the inside I cut a white panel 3 3/4" x 5" and as I had some slivers of the ink blended panel left I added them to the top and bottom of the panel (completely forgetting that I had made a horizontal card for a change) but it looks ok.  I stamped the sentiment in the centre with black ink and adhered the panel to the card base with double sided tape.  I'm really happy with this card and think it turned out really pretty.  

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

A Cut Above challenge - ATG with a die cut (3rd entry)

Addicted to Stamps & More challenge - die cuts and/or stencils (3rd entry)

Color Dare challenge - #677 green/orange + 1 other colour (I chose red and added metallic gold)

Everybody Art challenge - friend

Fab 'n' Funky challenge - CAS

Little Red Wagon challenge - gold or silver (I used gold for my sentiment)

Mix It Up challenge - ATG optional theme CAS

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

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 a little later with another card 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:

Simon Says Stamp - outline floral frame die

Memory Box - hello friend post script die

Gina K Designs - santana rose stamp (for inside greeting)

Gina K Designs - lots of dots die set

Gina K Designs - ink pads - sweet mango, prickly pear, tomato soup, jelly bean green

Limetree Crafts - 280gsm silky smooth white 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

Cards For All Seasons IG Hop Week 22 - Boo!

Hello again friends; I'm back to share my card for this week's Cards for All Seasons IG hop organised by my lovely friend Kelly. We are now on Week 22 and our theme is 'boo'. Such a fun theme this week and open to lots of interpretation; even if you don't want to make any more Halloween creations you could use Halloween colours instead.  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 found some plain white gift bags recently that I've had in my stash for years so I thought, even though I don't have many trick or treaters, why not decorate them to fill with sweets and chocolate (and if I don't have any callers I'm sure my sons and myself will eat the goodies lol!).  I know I've used this stamp set once already this year but it's so super cute and I gave more of the images some love this time around.  I went with the same layout and design on each bag just changed up the images and colours.  There are lots of photos today as I wanted to give each bag its moment in the spotlight haha!  I hope you like them.

Here are the bags all together:

Here is each bag and a close up of the image:

 

 

 

 

 

I worked in a production line style as I felt it made everything go faster.  I cut all the pieces of pattern paper, the striped paper is 4 7/8" x 5 1/8" and the strip of paper is 4 7/8" x 1 14".  I also cut black card mat layers for each piece and adhered them together with double sided tape.  I cut 5 of the arches from white card and using the next size up cut a black layer.  Before adhering them together I stamped the spider webs in black ink (although I used second generation stamping on 4 of them as I thought the first one was too dark) and stars in a colour to match the paper.  I did some ink blending around the edges in the same ink colour as the stars and then adhered the arches together with liquid glue.  I stamped and die cut all the images (except for the bats which I die cut from black card) and then coloured them with Promarkers.  I also added some white gelly roll pen highlights.  It was then time to assemble; I added the strip onto the black and white panel with double sided tape, added the arch into the centre with foam tape and placed the images and sentiment onto the arch with foam squares.  I added the bats with liquid glue and also added a string to the spider so he wasn't floating in mid air!  I think they are adorable and if I do have any kiddos at my door on Friday I'm sure they will love them.  

I would like to enter my gift bags into the following challenges:

Allsorts challenge - autumn colours

Cardz for Guyz challenge - use orange, black, purple - 1 or more

Crafty Catz challenge - ATG optional twist Halloween

Crafty Gals Corner challenge - fill in the blank - spooky____ treat bags

Creative Crafting Uncles challenge - Halloween

Creative Inspirations challenge - autumn/something spooky

Creative Knockouts challenge - Halloween or fall

Double D challenge - Halloween colours

Make My Monday challenge - Halloween colours

Papercraft challenges - spooky delights

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - ATG

Sweet Stampin' challenge - Halloween or Halloween colours

The Dream Factory challenge - Coco: day of the dead and/or Halloween

Try It On Tuesday challenge - Halloween

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 tomorrow 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,

supplies:

Hobbycraft - small gift bags 5 pack

MFT stamps - fab-BOO-lous friends stamp & die

Mama Elephant - B2B arches die set

MFT - black & white stripes 6x6 paper pack

Authentique - glowing 6x6 paper pad

Dovecraft - back to basics II 6x6 designer paper pack

Limetree Crafts - 280gsm silky smooth white card

Limetree Crafts - 220gsm black card

Promarkers

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

Sakura - white no. 10 gelly roll pen

Gina K Designs - large strip sentiments dies

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

Cards For All Seasons IG Hop Week 21 - Masquerade

Hello again friends; I'm back to share my card for this week's Cards for All Seasons IG hop organised by my lovely friend Kelly. We are now on Week 21 and our theme is 'masquerade'. Such a fun theme this week and open to lots of interpretation if you don't want to use actual masks.  You could have an image wearing a mask or even just use masking on your creation. 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 went very literal and used masks on my card (which is 5 3/4" x 7 3/4").  I wanted the full masquerade ball vibe and chose my patterns and colours accordingly.  There's lots going on but I hope you like it:

Here is my card:

A closer look at the masks:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by cutting a white panel 5 1/2" x 7 1/2" and using purple and green ink pads and my homemade smooshing tool I ink created my background; I splattered some gold paint and black ink for some extra interest.  I set that aside to dry and die cut my masks 4 times from black card.  I didn't have any harlequin paper so I created my own using a rhombus die and coordinating stencil; I cut the die from white card and used black ink through the stencil and it turned out exactly as I wanted.  I also splattered that panel with gold paint too.  It was at this point that I decided to use the gold paint to go over the black masks and I think it turned out really good; they are so shiny.  I trimmed the ink smooshed background ever so slightly and adhered it onto a black mat with double sided tape.  I also added a black mat behind the harlequin panel which I added to the background at a jaunty angle.  I adhered the masks with foam squares and added some black pearls to each mask for some extra bling.  I die cut some mini masks from black card and added them with liquid glue.  I stamped a sentiment onto white card using black ink and used a sentiment strip die to cut it out.  I adhered it to the card with foam squares.  I added some scrap white card behind the panel and adhered it to the card base with double sided tape.  For the inside I cut another white panel and adhered it to a black card mat with double sided tape.  I ink smooshed a 2" panel of white card using the same inks and once dry cut it into 2 x 1" strips which I adhered to the top and bottom of the white panel with liquid glue.  I die cut another large black mask and added it to the bottom left corner with liquid glue. Finally I added a die cut sentiment to the centre with liquid glue.  The panel was then adhered to the card base with double sided tape. 

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

Die Cut Divas challenge - ATG must have at least one die cut

Double D challenge - Halloween colours (purple, green, black)

Stencil Fun challenge - all about stencils optional theme Halloween (the harlequin panel is stencilled)

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 tomorrow 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:

Sizzix - masquerade 664195 thinlits dies

Waffle Flower - dashed rhombus panel die & two-step rhombus stencil

Lawn Fawn - sweet smiles stamp

Simon Says Stamp - birthday basics stamp & die set

Kuretale - Gansai Tambi starry colors palette

MFT - black hybrid ink pad

Limetree Crafts - 280gsm silky smooth white card

Limetree Crafts - 220gsm black card

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

Gina K Designs - ink pads - wild lilac, grass green

Gina K Designs - large strip sentiments dies

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

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