Patterned Paper Party IG Hop - February 26

Hello friends, welcome back to my little blog. I'm here today to share my card for this month's Patterned Paper Party Instagram Hop. Do you love patterned paper? Do you have a huge stash that needs using? Well so do we and it's time to get it used! We will be hopping on the 20th of each month to share our ideas. We will definitely be creating cards, but maybe sometimes tags, ATCs, gift bags/boxes, mini albums and scrapbook pages too. We want our patterned paper to be used.

The theme is always 'anything goes' but each month we will have an optional twist that can be used if you like; this month the twist is pinks/red'', which is suitable for any occasion, so grab your patterned papers and join in the fun. The patterned paper I used was originally black and white striped but I had an idea to try colouring the white stripes with my pink and red Promarkers and it turned out really well so I used it.  I was excited to see the MFT challenges have restarted again so I followed their sketch. 

Here is my card:

A closer look at the details:

A quick comparison of the paper before & after I coloured it:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by colouring the patterned paper with my Promarkers and set it aside to dry.  I cut a white panel to 3 7/8" x 5 1/8" and a pink mat layer and adhered them together with double sided tape.  I stamped the image onto alcohol marker friendly card, coloured it with Promarkers and added some white gelly roll pen highlights.  I also stamped the banner onto white card and also onto the patterned paper so that I could fussy cut the pennants and paper piece them onto the white one.  I also fussy cut the whole banner to go onto my card.  I die cut the dotty edge rectangle and cut the image panel down to fit inside which I adhered with double sided tape.  I added some scrap white card behind this panel.  I adhered the patterned paper to the bottom of the white panel with liquid glue and added the dotty panel on top with double sided tape.  I adhered the banner with a mix of foam squares and liquid glue to the top and a happy birthday sentiment (which I cut with a fishtail die) to the bottom.  I finished off with some pink and red gems.  For the inside I cut another white panel and pink mat layer and adhered them together with double sided tape.  I stamped and paper pieced a portion of the banner in the top left corner and added a strip of the patterned paper to the bottom.  I finished by stamping 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:

613 Avenue Create challenge - ATG optional twist animal magic

A Cut Above challenge - ATG with a die cut

Alphabet challenge - V is for volume (I have dimension behind all my panels)

A Place to Start challenge - ATG optional twist small critters

As You Like It challenge - cute or elegant (I love using cute critter images; they make me smile)

Crafter's Cafe challenge - for the girls

Crafty Animals challenge - ATG must include an animal

Creative Moments challenge - feminine

Critter Crazy challenge - ATG with a featured critter

Die Cut Divas challenge - pink/red colours

Fab 'n' Funky challenge - dies or punches

Inkspirational challenge - February collage (I was inspired by the colours)

Little Red Wagon challenge - just the way you are 

MFT Card challenge - sketch challenge

Paper Rocks Scissors challenge - use paper and/or scissors (I used both, I fussy cut the banner)

PINspirational challenge - red and pink

Stamping Sensations challenge - favourite stamp or ATG (I love all MFT stamps and use them a lot)

The Dream Factory challenge - any type of animal

Tic Tac Toe challenge - red/pink, sentiment strip, patterned paper

Unicorn challenge - animals

We Love Stamping challenge - hearts or ATG (I went with ATG this month)

We hope you will be inspired by our Patterned Paper Party IG Hop and will pop over and check out all the gorgeous creations along the way. If you would like to join us please visit my Instagram page or use the hashtag #patternedpaperpartyhopfeb2026 and we will find you.

Thanks for stopping by and take care.

Lots of love

card supplies:

MFT - sending sweet celebration wishes stamp 

MFT - black & white stripes 6x6 paper pack

Promarkers

Spellbinders - essential rectangles die (for dotty edge)

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

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

*Gina K Designs - ML 18 (for flag die)

Heffy Doodle - alcohol marker friendly card - store now closed

gems from Little Things from Lucy's Cards - store now closed

pink card from my stash

*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

Happy World Bee Day

Hello friends; I hope you've had a brilliant start to your week.  I didn't realise until late today that it is World Bee Day so thought it would be fun to make a bee themed card.  I used the sketch from the current MFT sketch challenge and usually I would always exclusively use MFT products I couldn't find an MFT bee image in my stash so had to use images from another company.  Everything else however is MFT, even if it's a retired product from them.  

Here is my card:

A close up:

I decorated the inside:

I began by stamping the cute images onto alcohol marker friendly card using memento ink.  I coloured them with Promarkers and cut them out with the coordinating dies.  I die cut the frame from black card and cut a white panel to fit behind it.  I found a hexagon stencil and using yellow ink partially stencilled the background.  I added the branch behind the frame before glueing it to the white stencilled panel with liquid glue.  I added the hive with liquid glue and the bees with foam squares.  To create my 'punny' sentiment I die cut the BEE letters from white card and ink blended just the bottom portion to create an ombre look.  I masked off part of the happy birthday stamp so that I only stamped the HAP, added the die cut letters with liquid glue and then masked the sentiment again and stamped the birthday word.  The panel was then added to the card base with foam tape.  I added shimmer pen to the bees wings and a scattering of black sequins and the front was complete.  For the inside I stencilled the hexagon pattern using yellow ink along the bottom of my white panel and stamped a bee overtop in black ink.  I stamped my sentiment in black ink in the centre of the panel.  The white panel was then adhered to a black mat panel with double sided tape and this was added to the card base also with double sided tape.   A fun and happy card today and I hope you like it.  

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

MFT - sketch challenge #698

Addicted to Stamps & More challenge - birthdays

Allsorts challenge - ATG

Cardz 4 Galz challenge - World Bee Day

CRAFT challenge - ATG

Crafter's Cafe challenge - smile, be happy (the bees look happy and this card makes me smile)

Crafty Animals challenge - must include an animal (or insect)

Critter Crazy challenge - ATG with a featured animal (or insect)

Dragonfly Dreams challenge - use a stencil

I Love Promarkers challenge - ATG optional theme: cute

My Time To Craft challenge - super cute

NBUS - never used my bee stamps before

Simply Create Too challenge - add an animal (or any living creature)

Stencil Fun challenge - must use a stencil optional theme: girly

I will be back on Wednesday with the next instalment of the Mini Card challenge IG Hop so I hope you will be able to come back again and check it out.  Until then thanks for stopping by.

Love and hugs, 

MFT - essential cover up - vertical die (retired)

MFT - old friends stamp (for happy birthday sentiment)

MFT - little letters die-namics (retired)

MFT - everything wonderful stamp (for inside sentiment)

Clearly Besotted Stamps - cute as a bug stamp & dies (retired)

Crafters Workshop - punchinella stencil (no longer available)

Gina K Designs - ink pads - wild dandelion, lemon drop, sweet corn

Gina K Designs - blending brushes standard and detail

Tonic - Nuvo aqua shimmer pen in glitter gloss

Promarkers

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card

Hobbycraft - A4 luxury black card

Heffy Doodle - alcohol marker friendly card

Memento - tuxedo black ink

Versafine - onyx black ink

Spellbinders - color essential sequins: black smooth disc

Bunny card

Don't faint, but I'm back with another card!  I made a card for the MFT sketch challenge #642 but I'm adding to the linky in the nick of time.  I enjoy using the sketches and always plan to make something but this time I really liked it so wanted to make the effort to join in.  Here is my card:

close up of the cute images:

I began by colouring the adorable images with my Promarkers and fussy cutting them out (don't look too closely at that lol!).  I die cut some decorative circles from pink card and attached my images with thin 3d foam squares.  I also add foam squares to the back of the circles.  I went for some ombre patterned paper and add a thin dark grey cardstock border.  The sentiment was simply stamped onto the card panel with black ink.  No embellishments for a change; I liked the card and didn't want to overdo it.  

I'm entering my card into these challenges:

MFT WSC642 - sketch 

Unicorn challenge - add an animal

Allsorts challenge - ATG - option for the love of animals

Inkspirational challenge - dots and stripes (hope my dotty die cuts are allowed)

Daisy chain challenge - animals

Use your stuff challenge - layers

Craft rocket challenge - layer it up

I appreciate you stopping by.  

Crafty hugs, 

Card ingredients:

MFT - beach bunnies (retired)

MFT - sweet birthday wishes (retired)

Gina K Designs - lots of dots (die used for dotty circles)

Craft Sensations - ombre pastel 12x12 pad

Promarkers

Versafine onyx black ink

Memento tuxedo black ink

Sakura white gelly roll no. 10

50th birthday

Well how is everybody?  I'm sorry I've neglected my blog for so long *hangs head in shame*.  I've been making cards behind the scenes but had no time to blog them.  Anyway I thought I'd pop in quickly to share a card I made for a friend's 50th birthday using this week's MFT sketch challenge #557.  Here is the sketch:

and here is my card:

I began by stamping the candles with Gina K Designs inks, masking off each candle so I could use a different colour for each.  I die cut a star from some scrap cardstock and made by own stencil which I ink blended in the top right corner.  I then die cut the 5 and 0 from white card x 4 and black glitter card x 1 and glued them all together for extra dimension.  The sentiment was stamped in Versafine onyx black ink and die cut with a banner die and the final finishing touch were some black gems.  I hope you like it.

Here's what a used:

MFT - make a wish stamp set (from Dies to Die For)

MFT - blueprints 27 die set (from Dies to Die For)

MFT - by the numbers die set (retired)

Quickutz - nesting stars (no longer available)

Little Things from Lucy's Cards - ebony mix jewels

Gina K Designs - dye inks in red velvet, sweet mango, wild dandelion, jellybean green, sea glass, plum punch and innocent pink (from Bumbleberry Crafts)

Heffy Doodle - white letter size cardstock

Black glitter cardstock from stash

Tonic - Nuvo deluxe glue

I hope you have a wonderful week and I'll see you all again soon.

Hugs and love, 

Happy birthday hubby!

Hello again friends.  I hope you're all doing ok and had a great weekend.  The weather here in South Wales was lovely, glorious sunshine, although a little chilly.  It was my husband's birthday yesterday and this was the card I made for him:

I used this week's sketch from MFT as my inspiration.  This is the sketch:

Do you ever start a card with a technique in mind and then it completely changes by the end?  I began by ink blending the oval and I used a stencil to create the soft circles.  However it wasn't bold enough for me so I used a distress type stamp to go over the stencilling using oxide ink and sprayed it with water for a more messy look.  I really like the finished result even though it wasn't at all what I envisaged when I began.  I then stamped the candles and used the matching dies to cut them out.  I used the sentiment from the same set and die cut it with a banner die.  A small piece of patterned paper and my card was done.  Even though there are lots of elements it's still clean and simple which is perfect for my hubby as he doesn't like fussy cards.  

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

MFT sketch challenge - sketch #537

Krafty chicks challenge - CAS

Creative Knockouts challenge - add a sentiment

Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge - bright, cheerful colours

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - CAS

I hope you had a great start to your week.  Have you done anything exciting since the lifting of some of the lockdown restrictions?  I'm not in that much of a rush to go shopping so I haven't done anything at all except craft (which is my favourite pastime lol).  

Have a fab week and catch up again soon.

Hugs, 

Card ingredients:

MFT - make a wish stamp & die set

MFT - distressed patterns stamp

MFT - card sized confetti set of stencils

MFT - blueprints 27 (for the banner)

Heffy Doodle - white letter size cardstock

Lili of the Valley - bonnets and bowties solids paper pack

Tonic Studios - oval layering die set

Black card from stash

Stampin Up! - various stampin' spots for the candles

Distress oxide ink in Tumbled glass

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