Summer Soiree Card Making IG Hop - Week 6

Hello friends; I hope you've had a great start to your week.  The weather is very changeable here at the moment and we can't seem to string two days together; it's showery today but it was lovely and sunny yesterday.  We did however take Wesley for a walk today around the local lake this morning.  It's gorgeous up there and they even have a cafe so you can have a coffee and a bite to eat if you want.  He really enjoyed himself and was really brave meeting dogs for the first time.  He wasn't too sure about the water though.  

Anyway enough of my waffling let's get down to the real reason you are here.  It's week 5 of our Summer Soiree IG card hop, which has been organised by my lovely friend Kelly. This week is all about 'Christmas in July' so we want to see all your festive images but of course if you don't celebrate Christmas we would love to see your winter creations too.  

I've been having fun rediscovering my wooden stamps and I'm really going to try and make an effort to use them more.  I found this cute Hero Arts stamp and I remember using it lots years ago but it's been neglected for probably 15 years so I thought I would show it some love.  

Here is my card:

A close up of the cute kitty:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by cutting a white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and did an ombre ink blend from left to right using my ink pads and blending brushes.  Using the same inks I stamped some trees in the background and added some gold dots using a metallic pen and white highlights using a gelly roll pen.  I managed to squish one corner of my panel so decided to cut it out using a postage die.  I stamped the kitty image onto alcohol marker friendly card, coloured it with Promarkers, added some white highlights and then fussy cut it out.  I stamped a sentiment under the ink blended strip towards the left side using black ink.  I added the panel onto my card blank with foam tape and also added the kitty with foam squares.  For the inside I again did an ombre ink blend but this time at the bottom of my panel and stamped two trees using the same inks.  I added more gold and white highlights and stamped my sentiment with black ink.  I used the same postage die to cut it out.  I added this to my card base with double sided tape.  A very simple card but I think it's really super cute.  I hope you like it too.  

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

AAA Cards challenge - sketch ombre

Alphabet challenge - H is for Holidays - summer or Christmas in July

Christmas Crafts All Year 'Round challenge - anything Christmas or winter holiday goes

Christmas With The Cuties challenge - clean and simple Christmas cuties

CRAFT challenge - Christmas

Crafty Gals Corner challenge - ATG optional twist Christmas

Creative Knockouts challenge - Christmas in July

Daisy Chain challenge - Christmas in July

Day Of The Month Card Club challenge - National US postage stamp day

Dragonfly Dreams challenge - Christmas in July

A Blog Named Hero July challenge - color my world (I coloured my image with alcohol markers and ink blended my background)

Kat Scrappiness Christmas in July pick 3 challenge - die cuts/stamps/mainly red & green

My Time To Craft Christmas challenge - woods (like a forest, small grove of trees)

My Time To Craft challenge - clean and simple

Papercraft challenges - holiday time

Pearly Sparkles challenge - Christmas in July

Show Us Your Pussy Cats challenge - ATG must include a cat

Simply Create Too challenge - Christmas in July 

Stamping Sensations challenge - ATG optional twist Christmas in July

Tic Tac Toe challenge - die cut/free/any sentiment

Wow so many Christmas challenges around at the moment!  

If you would like to follow the hop over on Instagram please use the hashtag #summersoireecardmakinghop2024 to find us or alternatively visit my profile and you will find the list of participants on my post.  We would love it if you would give the summer soiree challenges a try and again use the hashtag and we will find your projects.  

I'll be back tomorrow with my card for the Krafty Chicks challenge but until then enjoy the rest of your day and thank you for stopping by. 

Love and hugs,

  

Card ingredients:

Hero Arts - Winter kitty E4841 wood stamp - ? no longer available

Promarkers

Lawn Fawn - winter village stamp set (for trees)

Catherine Pooler - notecard postage dies

MFT - itty bitty holiday stamp set (for sentiments)

Gina K Designs - ink pads - key lime, jelly bean green, fresh asparagus

Heffy Doodle - alcohol marker friendly card - store now closed

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card

Sakura - white no. 10 gelly roll pen

Kuretake - Zig writer gold metallic pen

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

Spring Into Card Making IG Hop - Week 6

Hello friends; I hope you're having a great day.  I'm back to share this week's card for the Spring Into Card Making IG Hop, which has been organised by my lovely friend Kelly.  Each week we will be sharing a themed card focusing on the joys of spring.  If our hop inspires you please use the hashtag #2024springintocardmakinghop to join in the fun.  

This week's inspiration prompt is 'spring into action' so we want to see something interactive on your cards this week; even if it's just an action wobbler.  If interactive cards are not your things we would love to see your spring themed cards.  I originally made a card with an action wobbler but I didn't love it so decided to make another; the second card is a tent style card with a swinging action.  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the cute images:

There is no inside as such so I decorated the back:

It's not a very good photo but I wanted to show you the side view:

The basic size of the card is a regular US A2 (4 1/4" x 5 1/2") so I made my card base from white card and then cut a smaller piece 4 1/4" x 2" to create the 'W' for the inside using my score board to score at every 1/2" (I hope that makes sense).  Before sticking everything together I cut a rectangle from the front of the card so that I could make my scene.  I also created a background piece using cloud and grass stencils and adhered it to the inside of the card with double sided tape.  I stamped 2 monkeys, some branches and some bananas and coloured them with Promarkers; I then used the matching dies to cut them out.  I know you can buy the swinging mechanisms but to be honest I very rarely make these types of cards so had a go at making my own.  I cut a thin strip of acetate and punched a small hole in the top.  I die cut 6 smaller circles from white card and adhered them together with liquid glue.  By placing the smaller circles inside the acetate circle will enable my monkey to swing.  To keep it all together I punched 2 larger white circles and enclosed it all together.  I did have to trim my acetate a little to enable it to swing freely and also so that it wouldn't show behind the monkey.  I cut some green card using a scalloped die and added this to the top of the rectangle on the inside so that it would hide my mechanism.  I'm sorry if my instructions are not clear; I didn't think to take step by step photos as I wasn't sure it would even work lol!  I'm sure if you check Pinterest you will find some instructions there.  I added my branches, monkeys and bananas and then stamped my sentiment (which was made up of 2 different stamp sets).  As there is no traditional inside of the card I decorated the back with another stencilled panel and also added another monkey.  I haven't added a sentiment yet but will do that when I know who I am sending the card to.  I adhered the panel with double sided tape.  I then finished the card by adding the 'W' to each side of the card (using extra strong tape) to make it stand up (although it is a little bowed as I didn't take into account the extra bulk of the swing mechanism).  I didn't feel the need to add any embellishments as there was so much going on.  I really hope you like it.  I did take a short video and if you want to see it swing please pop over to my Instagram. 

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

Addicted to Stamps & More challenge - make your mark

As You Like It challenge - cute or floral (I love cute animal images and they suit all ages)

Creative Creases challenge - ATG with a fun fold

CRAFT challenge - inspired by a movie (jungle book)

Crafty Animals challenge - ATG must include an animal

Crafty Catz challenge - ATG option any cute critter

Creative Moments challenge - cute and cuddly

Critter Crazy challenge - ATG with a featured critter

Daisy Chain challenge - not square

Dragonfly Dreams challenge - use a die

Fab 'n' Funky challenge - add a sentiment

I love Promarkers challenge - ATG option shapes

Incy Wincy Designs challenge - inspired by a song/book or movie (jungle book)

Inkspirational challenge - word prompt FOLD

Moving Along With the Times challenge - fancy folds

Simply Create Too challenge - more than one fold

Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge - make your own background

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - stencil it

Stencil Fun challenge - Anything stencil goes option spring/flowers

The Cutie Pie challenge - simply cuties

Tic Tac Toe challenge - stencil/die cut/critter

I would love it if you would pop over to Instagram and see the amazing work by all the other crafters taking part in the hop.  Please use the hashtag #2024springintocardmakinghop to find us and also so that we can find your creation if you are inspired to take part.  

I'll be back again with you tomorrow with my card for the Krafty Chicks challenge so please pop by and check it out.  As always I appreciate the comments you leave and thank you so much for stopping by. 

Love and hugs, 

card ingredients:

Heffy Doodle - Chimply the best stamp & die set

Heffy Doodle - alcohol marker friendly card

Gina K Designs - Easter blessing stamp set (for part of sentiment)

Gina K Designs - ink pads - sea glass and grass green

MFT - mini cloud edges stencil

MFT - grassy edges stencil

Hero Arts - nesting rectangle dies

Spellbinders - standard circles large dies (for larger circles in my mechanism)

Clearly Besotted Stamps - scalloped edges die collection

Promarkers

Craft UK Ltd - 12 x 12 250gsm smooth white card

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

Memento - tuxedo black ink pad

green card from stash

Mother's Day 2021 part 1

Hello friends.  I hope you've had a good start to the week.  I'm on leave this week so my start has been very good.  Today I'm sharing the card I made for my mother for Mother's Day (we had ours last weekend in the UK).  I've titled this post part 1 as I made cards for my boys to give their grandmas and I also made a card for my husband to give his mother but I'll share them in separate posts so not to bore you lol!).   I hope you like today's card.

Isn't that image just adorable.  I stamped the image with Memento Tuxedo black ink and coloured it with my Promarkers.  I thought the card looked too plain so I added the small heart randomly around the image and again coloured them with the same Promarkers.  So that they matched the dark lines of the stamped image I used a multi-liner pen to draw around them.  I stamped the sentiment with Versafine Onxy Black ink and added a few sparkle gumdrops to finish.  I added my panel onto a yellow card panel and then adhered this to my card base.  As my card was 7x5 in size I made a matching envelope from plain green card.  I did decorate the inside too with a few hearts but forgot to take a photo d'oh!  Of course my mother loved it lol!

There are lots of spring inspired challenges around at the moment so I would like to enter my card here:

Inkspirational challenge - fur or feathers (my little bear has fur)

Daisy Chain challenge - flowers

Alphabet challenge - Y is for yellow

Sweet Stampers challenge - Easter or spring

Allsorts challenge - spring flowers

Simon Says Stamp IG challenge - hello spring

Cute Card Thursday challenge - spring fever

Sweet Stampin' challenge - spring mood board

I hope you have a great week, whatever you are up to.  Tomorrow is going to be a tough day for us as it's the first anniversary of my father's passing.  It's been a very difficult year, especially with everything else that has been going on, but we are all supporting each other and as long as he is in our hearts he will never truly be gone.  

Stay safe lovely friends, sending lots of love. 

Card ingredients:

Tracey Hey - wreath rascals stamp set

Hero Arts - Happy stamp & cut (for the sentiment)

Promarkers

Your Next Stamp - white sugar & sparkle gumdrops (Dies to Die For)

Versafine Onyx black ink

Memento Tuxedo black ink

Yellow & green card from stash

We R Memory Keepers - envelope punch board

MFT summer school 2020 day 5

Hi again friends.  I've managed to play catch-up and I'm finally graduating from MFT summer school 2020 with my contribution to Day 5.  I've never participated before but I've had lots of fun making my cards this week and it has been great to challenge myself using techniques I've not tried before.  

Here is my final card for the MFT summer school and today's theme is all about white space. 

"The idea of white space doesn’t refer to a primarily white card (though often, as is the case with today’s project, this is true) but rather, the idea of leaving a significant portion of your design open, free from embellishment, allowing your focal point to truly shine".

Here is my card for today:

close up of my card:

I stamped the adorable images using Memento tuxedo black ink onto a white card panel.  I fussy cut some post it notes and masked off the images before blending squeezed lemonade distress oxide ink over the panel.  I removed the masks and then coloured my images with Promarkers.  The colour choices were inspired by this week's MFT colour challenge 147 and the layout was inspired by this week's MFT sketch challenge 502.  The sentiment was stamped with Hero Arts soft brown shadow ink and the only thing I added was some Nuvo shimmer pen to the balloon.  I did find it quite hard to leave it without embellishments but I think it turned out super cute.  

I hope you've enjoyed seeing my summer school projects and appreciate you stopping by.   

I am entering my card into the following challenges: 

MFT Summer School Day 5 - white space

MFT sketch challenge 502 (which I rotated):

MFT colour challenge 147:

I hope the storms haven't been too bad where you are; we had some thunder and lightening here last night and a few brisk rain showers but it really hasn't been as bad as some parts of the country.  My thoughts go out to everyone struggling with power outages and flood damage and especially the people who lost their lives in the train derailment in Scotland; so tragic.  

Take care and stay safe.

 

Card ingredients:

MFT - birthday buds stamp set

Squeezed lemonade distress oxide ink

TE blender brush

Nuvo Aqua shimmer glitter gloss pen

Hero Arts soft brown shadow ink

Signo uni-ball white gel pen

Stamp with fun #44 – DT card

 

Hello and welcome to Monday, which means a new challenge over at stamp with fun.  This week Andrea (Emmi41) has given us a lovely sketch to use, which I rotated to fit my image.  For my card I used an image from DigiStamp Boutique called ‘Shelly turtle and flowers’ and coloured her (very brightly) with my promarkers.  This digi image along with 4 others is currently the offer of the month over at DSB so why not pop over and take a look.  The papers are doodlebug and the brown card and ribbon are SU (chocolate chip).  The brown flowers are imaginisce and the orange flowers were cut with my ek success medium retro flower punch.  The sentiment is a stamp by hero arts and I used my SU oval punches to cut it out.  The buttons are from my stash.  I used my circle nesties to cut out the circle and scallop circle shapes and a white gel pen for the faux stitching.  I don’t know why I went for such a bright colour scheme and the card didn’t turn out as I planned but I quite like the final result.  The rest of the DT have made some amazing cards, so check them out if you have chance. 

I’m also entering my card into the following challenges:

A spoonfull of sugar challenge – freestyle

Creative card crew challenge – punch it

Fab ‘n’ funky challenge – use any digi image or sentiment

Cute card Thursday challenge – blooming gorgeous

Creative inspirations challenge – feminine

Dutch dare challenge – summer in winter (bright colours)

Humble pie stamps challenge – flowery - use at least 5 flowers (2 punched flowers and 4 on image)

I hope you’ll pop back later to see my cupcake craft challenge card.  Thanks for stopping by.

Stamp with fun #31 – DT card

** THIS IS MY SECOND POST FOR TODAY - PLEASE SCROLL DOWN TO SEE MY CUPCAKE CRAFT DT CARD **

 

This is my first card as a design team member for stamp with fun challenge and our theme this week is ‘create a scene’ (which did fill me with dread when I read it lol).  As I don’t own any scene-type stamps I had to make up my own.  I used two different digi images from DigiStamp Boutique – the first one is ‘chloe and snowball’ and the snowmen are called ‘chilli’ and ‘lil shiver’.  I coloured the images with my promarkers and cut them out.  The “snow” was created by tearing white hammered card and layering it up at the bottom of my card.  To give the illusion of ice I added stickles to the edges of the torn card.  The gorgeous tree paper is MME and is called ‘snowed in trees’.  The plain card is making memories.  The sentiment is by hero arts and is from a clear set called ‘merriest wishes’ and the ribbon is SU.  The adhesive pearls are kaisercraft. 

There is a gorgeous prize up for grabs this week – a lovely hanglar stamp :)

 

Please check out the rest of the design team’s creations as they are all gorgeous.  I can’t wait to see what scenes you create and look forward to visiting your blogs.  Thanks for stopping by today. 

Cupcake craft challenge #61 – DT card

Hello and welcome to a new week over at cupcake craft challenge. This week’s challenge is ‘buttons and stitching’ and for my card I used a digi image from DigiStamp Boutique called ‘Alex & Felicity’. Also there are 3 more images in the set and these are the current offer of the month. I coloured the image with my promarkers and added highlights with a white gel pen (oops I’ve just noticed that I’ve coloured her sleeve in the wrong colour lol!). The papers are all gorgeous MME from the bloom and grow paper pack (will have to re-stock as I’m using it all up) and the flowers are cut with my ek success retro flower punches. I used my martha stewart valentine lace border punch (available from dies to die for) for the decorative edge and also on the flowers (I’ve seen lots of other crafters do this so I thought I’d give it a go. Not perfect but I quite like the effect). My stitching is all ‘faux’, as I don’t have a sewing machine, and is done with a black fineliner pen. For around the image I pierced holes first before drawing in the stitches. The tiny heart buttons are from my stash and the sentiment is a hero arts stamp. Now the sketch I used was drawn by Donna’s 9 year old daughter Sophie – hasn’t she done an amazing job. It was lovely to use and one that I will definitely use again – thank you so much Sophie for letting me use your sketch. Our sponsor this week is The Creative Cottage.

I can’t wait to see your gorgeous creations and look forward to visiting your blogs. If you have time please check out the rest of the DT cards as they are stunning.

I'm also entering my card for the following challenges: stamping for the weekend - colour combo - orange, brown and green, secret crafter challenge - autumn colours and crafty calendar challenge - autumn. Have a fab Monday and thanks for stopping by.

Stamps & Smiles #24/Secret Crafter #41

This is my card for two challenges this week.  Stamps and smiles is a sketch, as usual, and the secret crafter challenge is ‘spots and stripes’.  I had to make a card for a lady at work so decided to combine these themes into my card.  The image and small sentiment is by stamping up from the ‘cheers to you’ set (which I ordered from Jules) and I coloured my image with promarkers and a white gel pen.  The patterned papers are by imaginisce and the plain brown paper is from a paper pack I got from QVC.  The sentiment is hero arts and the adhesive stone stars are PM.  I really like the simplicity of this card and I think it’s perfect for a man.  Thanks for stopping by today. 

Sending hugs

I made this card.......for no reason at all (wow that makes a change doesn't it lol). I stamped the lelo design image 'roses for you' (which is available from Dies to Die For) and coloured him with my promarkers. The dotty dp is doodlebug and I used my un-named gingham dp again. The plain cs is from the papermill shop and I used my ek success retro flower punches to cut out the flowers from the dp and cs. The decorative edge was created with my fiskars threading water punch. The wide red ribbon was wrapped around my husband's birthday cake (I'm a good recycler haha) and the adhesive stones are PM. The sentiment is a stamp by hero arts. I wanted to say a BIG thank you for all your blogoversary wishes yesterday. Thanks for stopping by.

CCT #46/DDCC #34/Charisma cardz #5

Hello, this is my card for three challenges this week. I'm plodding along but struggling to keep up this week, I seem to be making all my cards the night before the challenges end. I need to get my act together. Anywoo this card is for the cute card thursday challenge, which is metallica, the dutch dare card challenge, which is 'love theme but no pink or red' and the charisma cardz challenge is a recipe, 3 papers, 2 flowers and 1 ribbon. I printed off the benji and bex download from pollycraft and coloured the image with my pro-markers, adding highlights with a white gel pen. All the dp is from a pack that I got a while ago from QVC. The sentiment is hero arts and it originally was a square sentiment but I punched it out with my woodware oval punch and lightly coloured it with my cat's eye chalk ink pad (it's not quite as dark IRL). The flowers, brads and ribbon are from my stash and the heart pin is from ebay. I used my fiskars threading water punch on the bottom edge of the patterned dp. I also added some highlights around the card with a white gel pen. Thanks for looking.

Sorry for the 'wonky' pic but I was in a rush to upload it before bedtime LOL!