Gorgeous Gift Tags IG Hop September 25

Hello friends, I hope you're doing ok and that you've had a lovely day so far. It's time for a new theme for the Gorgeous Gift Tags IG Hop, which takes place on the 5th of each month. You always have the option to go for anything goes but the extra prompt this month is 'autumn', which is great theme and with so many images to choose from such as pumpkins, leaves, apples, figures bundled up in their sweaters/gloves the world is your oyster!  I can't wait to see what the rest of my fellow hoppers have made. I hope you can pop over to Instagram and join us. 

I wanted to use leaves on my tag as there are so many variations in the colours in the autumn.  I ended up going really clean and simple this month but I really like how it turned out.  I hope you like it too. 

Here is my tag:

A closer look at the details:

Plus I decorated the back of the tag:

I began by die cutting two tags from white card.  For the front of the tag I used a woodgrain backdrop die to add some texture and interest.  I die cut 3 leaves, 1 from red, 1 from yellow and 1 from green card from my scraps bin, added some inking around the edges for definition and added them to the tag with foam squares.  I stamped the sentiment in the bottom right of the tag using a dark brown ink pad.  I used some kraft coloured twine to make a small bow and using liquid glue adhered it to the top of the leaves.  I also added a hole reinforcer cut from kraft card.  I finished off with a few sequins to match the leaves.  For the back I die cut another 3 leaves and adhered them to the bottom left of the second tag and I also stamped another sentiment using the same dark brown ink.  I added another hole reinforcer cut from kraft card and then adhered the tags together with liquid glue.  I found some ribbon and twine that matched my colours and looped them through the hole for some extra colour.  I know it is really clean and simple but I love it. 

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

AAA Cards challenge - follow the leader (CASE Ceal's card)

Alphabet challenge - K is for keep it simple

Aud Sentiments challenge - tags and/or thank you + sentiment

Cardz 4 Galz challenge - stitching real or faux (my tag has stitching detail)

Christmas (or not) BINGO challenge - Line N - tag, free, stamped phrase

Color Throwdown challenge - red, yellow and green

Hand Stamped Sentiment challenge - inspiration photo (inspired by leaves and colours)

Heart's Quest for Shaped Cards and Tags challenge - ATG

Inspiration Station challenge - inspiration photo (inspired by the colours)

Just Us Girls challenge - die week/ATG

Simply Clean and Simple challenge - ATG CAS optional theme birthday

The Four Seasons challenge - ATG fall optional inspiration photo

The Paper Funday challenge - ATG optional theme changing seasons

We hope you will be inspired by our Gorgeous Gift Tags Instagram Hop and will pop over and check out all the gorgeous tags along the way. If you would like to join us please visit my Instagram page or use the hashtag #gorgeousgifttagsSept2025 and we will find your tags. 

Thanks for stopping by and take care.

Lots of love

tag supplies:

Waffle Flower - nesting tags dies

Gina K Designs - autumn leaves dies

Lawn Fawn - stitched woodgrain backdrop die

Altenew - autumn bounty stamp (for both sentiments) - on sale!

Gina K Designs - dark chocolate ink pad

Limetree Crafts - 280gsm silky smooth white card

Little Things From Lucy's Cards - kaleidoscope sequins (store sadly closed)

twine and ribbon from stash

Shark Week 2025 IG Card Hop

Hello friends, I hope you're all doing ok and having a great week so far.  I'm taking part in the third annual IG hop to celebrate Shark Week. The card hop is hosted by my good friend Kelly and today's hop will showcase some fintastic cards featuring all things shark to celebrate Shark Week.  Our theme this year is “Stay JAWSitive”; a reminder to stay positive in all areas of life, while also promoting awareness around ocean conservation and marine life. Dive in and enjoy the creativity and inspiration!

I found a shark set that I hadn't used before so grabbed it for this year's hop - unfortunately it was from Heffy Doodle, which has now sadly closed, but it's such a super cute set I had to use it.  There are so many fun shark stamps available and I cannot wait to see what my fellow hoppers have used this year.  I hope you like my card.

Here is my card:

A closer look at my friendly sharks:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by stamping all my images onto alcohol marker friendly card and coloured them with Promarkers.  I don't have the coordinating dies so I had to fussy cut them out.  I also wanted one shark to face the opposite way so used my mirror image stamp to accomplish this.  It's not perfect but once it was coloured in I think it looks fine.  I cut a white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and using a wave stencil and sea glass ink created my background.  I took a stitched hill die and cut two 'sandbanks' from kraft card for the bottom of my panel, which I added with liquid glue.  I wanted a frame for my ocean so using an arch die I cut an aperture, added foam squares behind and adhered it to my stencilled background.   I stamped my sentiments from two different stamp sets in black ink and cut them out with sentiment strip dies.  I adhered the smaller images with liquid glue, except for one of the sea kelp, which I added behind the frame with foam squares.  The sharks and sentiments were added with foam squares too.  I finished off with some raindrop embellishments as I thought they looked a little like bubbles.  The panel was added to my card base with double sided tape.  For the inside I cut a large arch shape and using the ink left on my blending brush lightly blended over the whole panel.   I also cut one more sandbank and adhered it with liquid glue.  I stamped the sentiment in the centre with black ink and adhered another shark and also a sting-ray with liquid glue.  The arch was added to my card base with liquid glue.  

We are also sharing fun and interesting shark facts in our instagram posts so I thought I would add one here too:

Shark Skin Is More Like Teeth Than Fish Scales

Sharks may look sleek and smooth, but their skin is actually made up of tiny v-shaped scales, also called dermal denticles, which are made of an inner pulp cavity and an outside layer of dentine, an enamel-like material (just like our teeth). With their scales being more similar to teeth than typical fish scales when a shark loses a denticle, it can actually fossilize over time, just like ancient shark teeth! In addition to being just plain cool, these scales also help decrease drag and turbulence, allowing sharks to swim faster and more stealthily while hunting for prey.

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

Addicted to Stamps & More challenge - make your mark

Allsorts challenge - for a child

Crafty Animals challenge - ATG must include an animal (hope my sharks are allowed)

Critter Crazy challenge - animal/birthday card (hope my sharks are allowed)

We Love Stamping challenge - sun, sea or sand/ATG

Please swim on over to IG to see the amazing shark creations.  Please use the hashtag #3rdannualsharkweekcardhop to find all the cards in the hop. 

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

Love and hugs, 

card supplies:

Heffy Doodle - oceans of love stamp set - store sadly closed

Heffy Doodle - alcohol marker friendly card - store sadly closed

Mama Elephant - B2B arch die set

Promarkers

Lawn Fawn - stitched hillside borders dies

Lawn Fawn - duh-duh stamp (for 'jawsome' sentiment)

Avery Elle - sea-prise! stamp (for 'hope you birthday is' sentiment) - retired

Gina K Designs - sentiment strips dies

Gina K Designs - large strip sentiments dies

Gina K Designs - sea glass ink pad

MFT - make waves stencil

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card - not currently available - but they do have 280gsm silky smooth white card available here

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

Sakura - white no. 10 gelly roll pen

Little Things from Lucy's Cards - clear raindrops embellishments - store sadly closed

Krafty Chicks challenge #775 - birthday

Good morning lovely friends. I hope you're all doing ok and having a great week so far. It's time for a new challenge over at Krafty Chicks challenge and this week we are on Week 1; as always the theme is 'birthday' and Leanne is our hostess. It can't get any easier than this week's challenge so we hope you will come over and join in the fun with us.

I was really pushed for time this week so I was happy to find most of what I used on my card already prepared in a box at the side of my desk.  Sometimes if I die cut something or colour something and then decide not to use it, I will put it the box to use another time.  It is a real time saver when you're out of time.  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the flowers:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by die cutting the white panel with a stitched rectangle die.  The basket weave cover plate had already been die cut from white card and was in 'the box' so I adhered them together with liquid glue.  I had the flower cluster left over from my Gina K appreciation card so added that with foam squares and the happy birthday was already die cut and stacked x 4 so I adhered that with liquid glue.  I added some black pearls around the card and also put some clear raindrop embellishments in the centres of the flowers. The panel was backed with some scrap white card for a tiny bit of dimension and added to my card base with double sided tape.  For the inside I cut another white panel with the stitched rectangle die, stamped the same flower cluster in the top left and bottom right corners with light grey ink and stamped the sentiment in the centre with black ink.  The panel was then adhered to the card base with double sided tape.  This card came together so quickly but I think it's really pretty.  

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

Addicted to Stamps & More challenge - make your mark

Beautiful Blossoms challenge - anything floral goes with optional mood board

Die Cut Divas challenge - happy birthday

Little Red Wagon challenge - to boldly go (use bright or bold colours)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - sending flowers

Tic Tac Toe challenge - flowers, free, CAS

Triple B challenge - birds, blooms or butterflies optional mood board

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

I hope you will be able to join us for our 'birthday' challenge and I cannot wait to see your creations in our linky. Please leave some love for my fellow chicks - Leanne, Diane and Lori.
Thank you so much for stopping by; I appreciate your lovely comments.

Love and hugs,

card supplies:

Gina K Designs - spring clusters stamp & die bundle

Gina K Designs - spring clusters colouring stencils

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

Gina K Designs - basket weave cover plate die

Gina K Designs - Master Layouts 14 (for stitched rectangle die)

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

Gina K Designs - ink pads -  sea glass, turquoise sea, light lilac, medium lilac, soft stone

Gina K Designs - ink cubes - light & medium spruce

Little Things From Lucy's Cards - clear raindrops (store now closed)

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card - not currently available - but they do have 280gsm silky smooth white card available here - but limited numbers

Versafine - onyx black ink

AAA Birthday challenge #75 - summer birthday

Hello again friends and happy 1st of July.  The weather has certainly perked up again over the last few days, although it's a little bit too hot for me.  It was my nephew's wedding on Sunday and although it was only 24 degrees I managed to burn the back of my neck lol!  We had a wonderful day and the bride looked amazing, like a princess (no photos yet I'm afraid until the newlyweds have shared their own).  

I'm here today to share my card for this month's AAA Birthday challenge and this month our theme is 'summer birthday' which is such a fun challenge.  I hope you will take on our challenge this month and get creating. Our guest designer this month is the lovely Pauline so please pop over to her blog and leave her some love.

My mind instantly went to food when I saw the theme - I was thinking ice-cream, ice lollies, candy floss etc but I finally settled on ice lollies as my focal point.  There is nothing cooler than a frozen ice lolly in the hot sun mmmmmm!  It's a fun card and I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the lollies:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I often admire Yana Smakula's cards and the way she uses coloured card for her backgrounds; they always look so cool.  I decided to try it on this card and used a panel of blue card cut to 4" x 5 1/4".  I splattered some blue ink as well as some perfect pearls mixed with water onto it to add some interest.  For my focal point I stamped 4 of the ice lollies but used a blending brush to add the ink to the stamp so that it would be a bit softer and have a little roughness to it.  I used the coordinating dies to cut them out. I also stamped 4 sticks using a kraft ink and also die cut them out.  I stamped the happy birthday sentiment directly onto the background in the centre with black ink.  I then decided to stamp the sub sentiment onto the blue lolly in black ink.  I die cut 3 more layers for each lolly and stick and adhered them together with liquid glue.  I added foam squares behind each lolly and added them to my card base, two above the sentiment and two below, in a grid formation (again inspired by Yana). I added some scrap white card behind my panel with double sided tape and then this was adhered to my card base with double sided tape.  I finished off with some clear raindrop embellishments.  For the inside I cut a white panel 3 3/4" x 5" and added a blue card mat layer with double sided tape.  I stamped and die cut another lolly and adhered in onto the lower right of the panel with liquid glue and stamped the sentiment in the centre with black ink.  The panel was then adhered to the card base with double sided tape.  A bright and fun card and I'm really happy with how it turned out. 

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

AAA Cards challenge - anything CAS goes optional twist sentiment focus

Allsorts challenge - seaside or ATG

Cardz 4 Galz challenge - welcome to summer

Classic Design challenge - ATG optional twist vacation/holiday

Creative Knockouts challenge - summer fun

Die Cut Divas challenge - happy birthday (I love MFT and have used their products on my card)

Halloween & Other Occasions challenge - happy birthday

Little Red Wagon challenge - to boldly go (use bold colours)

Make My Monday challenge - summer fun

Papercraft challenges - summer vibes

The Four Seasons challenge - summer (optional mood board)

The Sisterhood of Crafters challenge - summer fun

The Design Team have created amazing cards as always so please pop over to the blog and check them out and perhaps leave them some love on their personal blogs.

I hope you will be able to join in with the challenge this month but don't forget it has to be birthday themed. I can't wait to see your creations in the linky.

Have a great day.

Love and hugs,

card supplies:

MFT - you're the sweetest stamp (the die set is now sold out)

Gina K Designs ink pads - powder blue, key lime, tangerine twist, wild dandelion, passionate pink, kraft

Little Things From Lucy's Cards - clear raindrops - store now sadly closed

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card - not currently available - but they do have 280gsm silky smooth white card available here

blue card from my stash

Ranger - perfect pearls (perfect pearl colour)

AAA Birthday challenge #74 - no stamping

Hello again friends and happy 1st of June; can you believe we are already at the 6 month mark of 2025!!  This year needs to seriously slow down lol!  I'm here today to share my card for this month's AAA Birthday challenge and this month our theme is 'no stamping' which is harder than it sounds!  I hope you will take on our challenge this month and get creating. Our guest designer this month is the lovely Wendy so please pop over to her blog and leave her some love.

I make lots of cards that are purely die cutting or stencilling but they usually involve a stamped sentiment or something stamped so I actually did find this a challenge this month.  I used a new die set and I have to say I'm really happy with the finished result.  I hope you like it too.  

Here is my card:

A closer look at the die cuts:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by creating my flowers; die cutting them from coloured card from my scraps bin.  For the background I used a piece of white faded gradient paper so that it looked like sky and cut it out with a stitched rectangle die.  I also cut a grass border, using the same die.  The curved edge was made using a die from the same set as the flowers.  I adhered the papers with liquid glue leaving a gap so that I could tuck in my greenery.  I added the leaves with liquid glue and the flowers were adhered on top with foam squares.  I die cut 2 little butterflies from vellum and layered them together with liquid glue, leaving the wings free on the top butterfly.  I die cut the birthday wishes words from white card and the shadows from vellum and adhered them together with liquid glue.  I adhered them to the card panel with liquid glue.  For some dimension and stability I added a few scraps of white card behind my panel and adhered it to my card base with double sided tape.  I finished off with a few tiny white pearls.   For the inside I cut the same stitched rectangle from white card and a grass border again with the curve die and the stitched rectangle and adhered them together with liquid glue.  I cut one more flower and leaves and adhered them with liquid glue.  As I couldn't stamp a sentiment I left it blank until I need to send it out.  The panel was then adhered to the card base with double sided tape.  A really fun card and the tulips are so pretty.  

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

Allsorts challenge - ATG

Beautiful Blossoms challenge - anything floral goes optional mood board

Cardz 4 Galz challenge - floral frenzy

Dragonfly Dreams challenge - use one or more butterflies

Halloween & Other Occasions challenge - birthday

Inkspirational challenge - celebrate

Moving Along With The Times challenge - birthday

PINspirational challenge - summer sky inspiration photo

Triple B challenge - use at least one birds, blooms or butterflies optional inspiration photo

The Design Team have created amazing cards as always so please pop over to the blog and check them out and perhaps leave them some love on their personal blogs.

I hope you will be able to join in with the challenge this month but don't forget it has to be birthday themed. I can't wait to see your creations in the linky.

Have a great day.

Love and hugs,

card supplies:

Spellbinders - snail mail post die set

Spellbinders - happy birthday wishes die set

Simon Says Stamp - stitched rectangle die

Clearly Besotted - happy everything stamp & die set (for butterfly) - retired

Studio Light - slimline paper pad - white faded gradients ? retired

Stampin' Up! - card stock vellum - retired

Little Things From Lucy's Cards - crystal collection - summer of love - store now closed

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card - not currently available - they do have 300gsm bright white card available here

coloured card from scraps bin

Cards for all seasons IG Hop - Week 11

Hello friends; I hope you're having a great week so far. I'm back today 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 11 and our theme is 'garden party'.  So think anything in the garden i.e. flowers, bees, watering can etc.  A really fun theme for you this week and I can't wait to see what sparks your imagination.

I had so many ideas running through my head for this challenge but finally settled on creating my own flower arch .  It was a lot of die cutting but I think it turned out really sweet.  I hope you like it too. 

Here is my card:

A closer look at the flower arch:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by cutting my white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and firstly masked a strip at the bottom and ink blended over some green ink.  At the top I used a cloud stencil to create a soft sky which fades into white at the top.  I die cut the picket fence from white card and added that over the join of the grass and sky with liquid glue.  At this point I decided to cut down my panel ever so slightly and it ended up being 3 3/4" x 5".  I used 2 arch dies from a nesting set to cut out a thin arch from white card and also die cut lots of flowers and leaves using coloured card from my scraps bin.  I added the flowers and leaves onto the arch with liquid glue.  I then adhered the arch on top of the picket fence with foam squares, which I cut into tiny strips.  I decided to add a few more flowers and leaves on each side of the arch and added most with liquid glue but raised the top one on foam squares.  I die cut a butterfly twice from vellum and adhered them together just down the body with liquid glue.  This was then adhered to the top right corner with liquid glue.  I stamped a sentiment at the bottom of the panel with black ink and as a finishing touch adding some sparkling gems to the flower centres and the body of the butterfly.  I used some scrap white card behind my panel for stability and dimension and added it onto my card base with double sided tape.  It is so sparkly in real life but hard to capture on my photos.  For the inside I cut another panel 3 3/4" x 5" and again ink blended the green ink and add a sky with the cloud stencil using blue ink.  I had a small part of the picket fence left over so adhered that to the left side of the join with liquid glue and also die cut some extra leaves and flowers and added them on top with liquid glue.  I stamped a sentiment at the bottom of the panel for a change in black ink.  The panel was adhered to the card base with double sided tape.  

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

Allsorts challenge - ATG (it's their 16th birthday celebration challenge)

Beautiful Blossoms challenge - anything floral goes optional mood board

Crafty Gals Corner challenge - fancy..... flower arch

If You Give A Crafter A Cookie challenge - pretty flowers

Little Red Wagon challenge - friendship

Make My Monday challenge - garden/gardening

Simply Create Too challenge - anything for a woman

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - ATG

Stencil Fun challenge - must use a stencil optional bouquets

The Sisterhood of Crafters challenge - flowers

Word Art Wednesday challenge - 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.

I'll be back in the morning 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:

Spellbinders - mini blooms & sprigs die set

Gina K Designs - picket fence die

Gina K Designs - ink pads - ocean mist & jelly bean green

MFT - mini cloud edges stencil - retired

Mama Elephant - B2B arches die set

Clearly Besotted - happy everything stamp (for butterfly) - retired

Clearly Besotted - flower friends sentiments (for outside sentiment) - retired

Clearly Besotted - feeling sentimental stamp (for inside sentiment) - retired

Stampin' Up - cardstock vellum - retired

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card - not currently available - they do have 300gsm bright white card available here

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

Crystal gems from Little Things From Lucy's Cards - sadly now closed

coloured card from scraps bin