Uniko June release: Day 1 introduction

Good morning friends and welcome back to my blog. It's day one of introductions for Uniko's June release.  Our first introduction is 'Background Blocks: Thank You Scramble'.  Bev has previously released a Birthday scramble and also one for Christmas and this one is along the same lines; perfect for a quick and easy card just by colouring the letters or ink blending/smooshing the background.  

Here is my card:

A closer look at the details:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by cutting a larger panel than I needed so that I could save a little piece for the inside.  I stamped the image into the centre and then rotated it and randomly stamped it all around to fill the panel.  I coloured the image in the centre using my Promarkers in rainbow colours. I trimmed down the panel to 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" and adhered it to my card base with double sided tape.  I decided to do a faux eclipse look so die cut 4 frames using nesting rectangles from black card and layered them together with liquid glue.  I adhered the frame to the panel with liquid glue.  A fairly simple design but I think the black frame and rainbow coloured letters really pack a punch.  For the inside I cut a white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and added the leftover strip of the background I created to the bottom with liquid glue; I also added a thin strip of black card along the edge.  I again coloured the letters on the strip with my Promarkers.  I stamped the sentiment in the centre with black ink and added the panel to my card base with double sided tape.  

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

* to be updated * 

Please check out what Bev and the rest of the team have created by clicking the links below:

Bev

Izzy

Julie 

Natalie

Vinita

Please pop back tomorrow at the same time to see the day 2 of the introductions.

Love and hugs,

card supplies:

Uniko - Background Blocks: Thank You scramble stamp (releasing Sat 27/06/26)

Uniko - doodle flowers clear stamp (for inside sentiment)

Promarkers

Hero Arts - nesting rectangle dies (to create my frames)

Limetree Craft - 300gsm smooth white card (for card base)

Limetree Craft - 220gsm black card

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

Memento - tuxedo black ink

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

Stencil Fun IG Hop - June 26

Hello again friends; I am back to share my card for the Stencil Fun IG Hop organised by my lovely friend Jane. We a group of crafters who are determined to use their forgotten and neglected stencils. I'm definitely guilty of this; I have so many stencils but usually forget to reach for them so this hop is perfect for me. The theme is always anything goes but we will have an optional theme to use if we want to. This month's optional theme is 'flowers', which I'm sure will be very popular, and I'm excited to see what everyone has made.

I used a new-ish stencil from Uniko from their ink & flip line called 'retro flowers'.  These stencils are so clever and create the most amazing designs.  I went with a purple and teal colour combo and I think it turned so pretty.  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the flowers:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by cutting a white panel 5 1/2" x 5 1/2" as I knew I wanted a strip to use on the inside of my card.  I used 2 shades of purple ink and 2 shades of teal ink to stencil the background and it's such a pretty colour combo.  I used a nesting rectangle die set to cut out my panel 3 1/2" x 4 3/4" and also a smaller rectangle to cut out the centre 1 1/2 x 2 3/4".  I added a thin black layer to both rectangles. So that the centre wouldn't dip I die cut a scrap piece of card using the smaller rectangle and adhered it in the gap using double sided tape.  I added some scrap white card behind the smaller rectangle and then lined up it over the background so that the pattern would match up.  It really gives a fun look I think.  I stamped the sentiment onto white card using black ink and used my paper trimmer to cut it out; I also added a thin black layer to this too.  I adhered the sentiment across the centre of the smaller panel using a mix of foam squares and liquid glue.  The panel was adhered to the card base using double sided tape.  I finished off with some tiny black pearls.  For the inside I cut a white panel 3 7/8" x 5 1/8" and added the left over strip of the stencilled background to the bottom with double sided tape; I also added a thin piece of black card above it.  I stamped the sentiment in the centre with black ink and adhered the panel to the card base with double sided tape.  I've just realised that I forgot the black layer on the inside panel but I think it still looks ok!

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

AAA Colourful challenge - colour board #28

Allsorts challenge - anything from the garden

As You Like It challenge - favourite sentiment (has to be happy birthday as 90% of my cards are birthday cards)

Aud Sentiments challenge - monochrome and/or birthday + sentiment

Colour Dare challenge - #708

Craft Rocket challenge - birthday

Fab 'n' Funky challenge - summer flowers

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - add a sentiment

Stencil Fun challenge - use a stencil optional theme butterflies

Tic Tac Toe challenge - stencil, free, black/gold

Triple B challenge - birds, butterflies and/or blooms

Unicorn challenge - flowers

We hope you will be inspired by our Stencil Fun Instagram Hop and will pop over and check out all the gorgeous cards along the way. If you would like to join us please visit my Instagram page or use the hashtag #stencilfunJune2026 and we will find you.

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy your weekend. 

Lots of love

card supplies:

Uniko - ink & flip stencil: layering retro flowers

Uniko - floral vines stamp (for outside sentiment)

Uniko - pure florals: cosmos stamp (for inside sentiment)

Hero Arts - precision layering A2 A die set

*Gina K Designs - ink pads - blue lagoon, ocean mist, wild wisteria, light lilac

Gina K Designs - black, gold & silver pearl mix

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

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

Earth Day 2026 IG Hop

Happy Earth Day friends and welcome to the 2026 Earth Day IG card hop! We’re so excited to have you join us as we celebrate creativity and our beautiful planet. Today, each stop along the hop is sharing handmade cards inspired by keeping the Earth green - think nature, recycling, sustainability, and all things eco-friendly!  As you hop along, we hope you feel inspired to create with purpose and spread a little love for our environment.  Be sure to visit every stop, leave some love, and enjoy the journey!  Let’s celebrate Earth Day together - one card at a time! 

I am a big believer in recycling and in our area we recycle an amazing 70% of our household waste. The benefits of recycling includes: Reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills and incinerators, Conserves natural resources such as timber, water, and minerals, Prevents pollution by reducing the need to collect new raw materials, Saves energy, Reduces greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global climate change, Helps sustain the environment for future generations, Helps fight climate change, which in my book is a win-win! 

For my card today I used an amazing earth die, did some ink blending and I created my sentiment after being inspired by some art on Pinterest.  It turned out exactly as I planned and I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the details:

Plus I decorated the inside (albeit very simply):

I began by ink blending onto white card using two shades of green ink, I then die cut the earth die from this.  I also ink blended another piece of white card using two shades of blue ink, which will be my oceans.  I used two nesting circle dies to create a frame from black card and also used the larger circle to die cut my earth and ocean background.  I adhered all the layers with liquid glue.  I cut a white panel 4" x 5 1/4".  For the stamped portion of the sentiment I took a stamp that was much longer and did some stamp surgery to cut apart the 'there's no' portion and curved it slightly in my Misti to match the curve of the earth and stamped it with black ink.  I die cut the 'planet' letters from black card and the B from red card, along with a small heart.  I adhered the earth with foam squares in the centre and then added the letters below with liquid glue.  I added the red heart onto the earth with liquid glue.  I added some scrap white card behind the panel and adhered it to my card base with double sided tape.  I loved the clean, crisp look and felt I didn't need to add any embellishments. For the inside I cut another white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and blended some green ink along the bottom and blue ink along the top.  I stamped the sentiment in black ink and added a tiny red heart in the bottom right corner with liquid glue.  I adhered the panel to the card base with double sided tape.  

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

Addicted to Stamps & More challenge - die cuts/stencils

Cardz 4 Guyz challenge - clean and simple

Creative Crafting Uncles challenge - circle(s)

Dragonfly Dreams challenge - clean and simple

Fab 'n' Funky challenge - clean and simple

NBUS challenge - use new or neglected stuff (my world die is new to me)

Simply Clean & Simple challenge - CAS optional baskets

The Dream Factory challenge - code 3 (use at least 3 colours)

Unicorn challenge - use dies

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 #earthday2026ighop 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,

card supplies:

Hero Arts - world window fancy die

Waffle Flower - nesting circle dies

MFT - little letters die set

MFT - make a wish stamp

MFT - tag builder blueprints 6 (for hearts)

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

*Gina K Designs - never lose hope mini stamp (for inside sentiment)

Gina K Designs - ink pads - blue denim, in the navy, grass green, fresh asparagus

*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

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