ATC Scrap Makes IG Hop February 26

Hello friends, I hope you're doing great and you've had a great start to your week. I'm sharing my creations for this month's ATC Scrap Makes IG Hop. We challenge you to use leftover die cuts, sentiments and card stock to create Artist Trading Cards (ATC's). You can send them in happy mail, save them on a ring to highlight your favorite creations, swap them with friends or add sweet notes to a lunchbox. Join us if you like; the only rules are to use scraps and create cards that are 2.5” x 3.5” in size. We share our little snippets of happiness on the third Tuesday of the month.

I had some ink smooshed backgrounds left over from a previous project so they were my starting point this month.  I won a recent challenge and one of the prizes was an ATC stamp set so I also used that.  I went very mixed media/grungy this time around and I think they turned out great.  I hope you like them too.

Here are my ATC's:

and a closer look at each individual ATC:

I decorated the backs very simply this time:

I began by stamping the ATC stamps on each of the ink smooshed backgrounds and roughly trimmed them down, I stamped and gold heat embossed a small butterfly in the top right corner and ink blended around the edge with a brown ink pad.  I took 4 plain white ATC's and created some distressed looking backgrounds using a stamp from MFT and again ink blended all around with the brown ink pad.  I stamped 4 of the floral images with a light brown ink onto white card and used the matching dies to cut them out.  As I didn't want too much colour I used 2 prismacolor pencils to lightly colour the florals.  The white was a little bright so again used the remainder of the brown ink on my blending brush to tone down the white.  I added some white and gold spatter over all of the backgrounds and also brushed some of the gold randomly around the edges of the ATC's.  Once dry I tied some twine around each of the smaller panels, adhered the florals with liquid glue and added foam squares behind.  I used some pre-printed sentiments and again coloured them by blending with the brown ink.  A stamped the ATC info stamp onto the back using black ink and lightly blended around the edges of the back of the ATC's.  I then added the smaller panels onto the ATC's and adhered the sentiments with liquid glue.  

I would like to enter my ATC's into the following challenges:

* to be updated * 

I hope you will pop over to Instagram and check out the hop; please use the hashtag #ATCscrapmakes2026 or #ATCscrapmakesfeb26 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,

ATC supplies:

*Gina K Designs - floral friendship stamp & die (for flowers)

Gina K Designs - spring mountain stamp (for butterflies)

Gina K Designs - warm cocoa ink pad

MFT - distressed patterns stamp

Creative Expressions - wordies sentiment sheet - everyday

ATC silicone stamp won in a recent challenge

Kuretake - gansai tambi starry colors palette (for gold spatter)

Winsor & Newton - white gouache (for white spatter)

Prismacolor Premier pencils - light green & light aqua

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

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

Versamark - embossing and watermark ink pad

Cosmic Shimmer - bright gold detail embossing powder

twine 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

ATC Scrap Makes IG Hop - November 25

Hello friends, I hope you're doing great and you've had a great start to your week. I'm sharing my creations for this month's ATC Scrap Makes IG Hop. We challenge you to use leftover die cuts, sentiments and card stock to create Artist Trading Cards (ATC's). You can send them in happy mail, save them on a ring to highlight your favorite creations, swap them with friends or add sweet notes to a lunchbox. Join us if you like; the only rules are to use scraps and create cards that are 2.5” x 3.5” in size. We share our little snippets of happiness on the third Tuesday of the month.

I found some images that came free with a card making magazine (the copyright date is 2012 so I've had them a while lol!) and as they were cute Penny Black images, which I love, I decided to use them on my ATC's this month.  If you've visited my blog recently you may have seen my CASE IT card here where I recycled a birthday card and matching envelope; well I still had some small scraps left over of the envelope so thought I would use it up and make my ATC's matchy-matchy this month. I love all of them this month but I do have a soft spot for the hedgies - which one is your favourite?

Here are my ATC's:

a closer look at each ATC:

How I simply decorated the backs:

 

So I began by cutting up the scraps left from the envelope so that I could utilise as much of it as possible.  I was able to cut one whole ATC and then strips and corners on the others.  I found a background I had stamped previously with a gauze stamp and for the others I used some coordinating coloured card from my scraps bin.  I coloured the images with Promarkers and fussy cut each one before adding some white gelly roll pen and shimmer pen highlights.  I adhered the papers to the ATC's with liquid glue and splattered some white gouache mixed with perfect pearls for a little shimmer (although it is very subtle).  I inked around the edges with pink ink for some extra interest.  I added foam squares behind each image and added them to the ATC's.  I stamped some uplifting sentiments in black ink onto white card (except for one that I stamped directly onto the ATC) and used coordinating dies for two of them and my paper trimmer for the final one.  I added the sentiments with liquid glue.  For the backs I simply add a tiny scrap of the envelope just to tie it all together, again inking around the edges with the pink ink.  Very bright and cheerful ATC's this month and I hope you like them. 

I would like to enter my ATC's into the following challenges:

Beautiful Blossoms challenge - anything floral goes optional mood board

Crafters Cafe challenge - ATG optional use some yellow

Crafty Animals challenge - ATG must include an animal

Critter Crazy challenge - ATG with a featured critter

Die Cut Divas challenge - critters (I die cut the sentiments)

The Neglected Stuff challenge - use old/neglected stuff (the images are from 2012)

Paper Rocks Scissors challenge - must use paper and/or scissors (I used scissors to fussy cut the images)

Penny Black Saturday challenge - ATG optional music

Tag-along (& ATC's) challenge - add texture or ATG

Triple B challenge - birds, blooms and/or butterflies (I have floral paper and 1 small butterfly) 

I hope you will pop over to Instagram and check out the hop; please use the hashtag #ATCscrapmakes2025 or #ATCscrapmakesoct25 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,

 

ATC supplies:

Penny Black images were magazine freebies from 2012!

Promarkers

Sakura - white no. 10 gelly roll pen

Tonic - Nuvo aqua shimmer pen

Gina K Designs - lovely notes stamp & die set

Gina K Designs - enjoyable greetings stamp

Gina K Designs - layered carnation stamp

Gina K Designs - gauze background stamp

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

Ranger - perfect pearls in perfect pearl

Winsor & Newton - white gouache

recycled envelope for backgrounds

coloured card from scraps bin

*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

AAA Birthday challenge #74 - Ombre

Hello again friends and welcome to October. I hope last month was good to you and you're ready to start a brand new month.  I'm here today to share my card for this month's AAA Birthday challenge and this month our theme is 'ombre' which is such a fun challenge and can be achieved in so many different ways.  I'm looking forward to seeing how everyone interprets the theme this month.  Our guest designer this month is the lovely Karen so please pop over to her blog and leave her some love.

I was originally going to do an ink blended ombre background but changed my mind and decided to make an ombre birthday cake.  I love the finished card so much and it would look awesome in all the colours of the rainbow.  I hope you like it too.  

Here is my card:

A closer look at the cake:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by stamping the cake using a border stamp using light to dark purple ink pads.  I then trimmed it down to 2" x 2 1/2" and splattered it with white gouache.  I used a scalloped border die to create the cake stand and hand cut the base using scissors (it's a very dark purple but for some reason looks navy in my photos!).  I cut a white scalloped panel and using some of the darker purple ink I splattered the background; once dry I layered this onto a pale purple panel cut to 4" x 5 1/4" with double sided tape.  I added the cake and stand with foam squares and then stamped my sentiment with the palest purple ink I had used for the cake.  I added some scrap white card behind the panel and then adhered this to my card base with double sided tape.  I finished off with some pearls and heart crystals.  For the inside I cut another white scalloped panel and purple layer and adhered them together with double sided tape.  To continue the cake theme I stamped and die cut two candles and added them to the bottom right corner with liquid glue.  I stamped the sentiment in the centre with one of the darker purple ink pads.  The panel was adhered to the card base with double sided tape.  

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

Creative Crafting Uncles challenge - males go feminine

Dragonfly Dreams challenge - happy birthday

Fab 'n' Funky challenge - let them eat cake

Farm Quest Grocery Game challenge - anything food goes

Sweet Stampin' challenge - feature a sentiment

The Dream Factory challenge - ATG - use mainly purple (inspiration movie)

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:

Uniko Stamps - background builders: classic stamp (for cake layers)

Clearly Besotted - scalloped edges die collection (for cake stand) - retired

Gina K Designs - Master Layouts 4 die set (for scalloped rectangle)

Gina K Designs - sketched flowers stamp (for outside sentiment)

Gina K Designs - birthday cheer stamp (for inside sentiment)

Gina K Designs - birthday bash stamp & die set (for candles)

Gina K Designs - ink pads - lovely lavender, medium lilac, wild lilac

Gina K Designs - light orchid ink cube

Little Things From Lucy's Cards - crystal collection hyacinth - store now closed

Limetree Crafts - 280gsm silky smooth white card

Winsor & Newton - white gouache (for splatters)

purple card from stash

ATC Scrap Makes IG Hop September 25

Hello friends, I hope you're doing great and you've had a great start to your week. I'm back to share my ATCs for this months's ATC Scrap Makes IG Hop.  We challenge you to use leftover die cuts, sentiments, and card stock to create Artist Trading Cards (ATCs). You can send them in happy mail, save them on a ring to highlight your favorite creations, swap them with friends, leave them on a co-worker’s desk, or add sweet notes to a lunchbox. Join us if you like; the only rules are to use scraps and create cards that are 2.5” x 3.5” in size. We share our little snippets of happiness on the third Tuesday of the month. Sounds like so much fun doesn't it. 

The theme is always 'anything goes', we just want to be creative and make ATC's using up our scraps or leftovers.  I went with a mixed media vibe this month and actually used a scrap of copy paper that I keep on my desk when I'm ink blending or splattering etc to mop up the mess.  It looked really interesting and I thought it would make a great background for my ATCs.  I did add more ink blending to make the pieces darker but it was a great starting point.  I hope you like my ATCs this month (I made 4!).

Here are my ATCs:

I made them so that they could 'join' together:

A closer look at one of the ATCs:

Plus I decorated the backs:

This is the scrap of paper that was my starting point:

I began by cutting the background in 2 1/2" x 3/12" pieces; some were made up of smaller pieces but when they were glued together and all the extra details added it was hard to tell that there was a join. As I said I did add some extra ink blending to the backgrounds and also made some areas extra dark.  I found some vintage text paper in my stash and used that to add some interest to the corners and edges of the ATCs, I also added some pink ink blending to these areas.  I used a post card stamp set to add some black details and used a stencil and a damp wet wipe to take off the colour in some areas.  For my focal images I stamped 2 butterflies onto the paper and coloured the inside with 2 promarkers, one purple and one pink, before using the coordinating die to cut them out.  I lightly taped two of the ATCs together along the back with masking tape and glued the butterfly along the join with liquid glue.  Once dry I then cut them apart so that half of the butterfly was on each ATC. I repeated this step on the other two ATCs.  I finished with some white gouache splatters. For the reverse of the ATCs I used some of the text paper which I added with liquid glue.  I ink blended some of the pink and blue inks around the edge and added an ATC info sticker in the middle.  I'm really enjoying the mixed media look as it can be a little messy and still look good.

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

Addicted to Stamps & More challenge - make your mark (ink blending/splatters)

Craft Rocket challenge - dots and/or stripes (stencilled dots in my background)

Girlz and the Art of Letters challenge - Letter I (ink blending)

Moving Along With The Times challenge - butterflies or dragonflies

Paper Rocks Scissors challenge - use paper and/or scissors (text paper for butterflies and background, scissors to cut paper and butterflies in half)

Sweet Stampin' challenge - use die cuts (die cut my butterflies)

Tag-along (& ATCs) challenge - things with wings

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

I hope you will pop over to Instagram and check out the hop; please use the hashtag #ATCscrapmakes2025 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 Cards for All Seasons IG Hop so I hope you will pop back and check it out. Until then thank you so much for stopping by. 

Love and hugs,

ATC supplies:

Gina K Designs - you give me butterflies stamp & die

Gina K Designs - post cards & more stamp

Gina K Designs - ink pads - dusty rose, in the navy, blue denim

Hunkydorky - essential paper pack - vintage newspapers

Promarkers (trick or treat & violet)

Winsor & Newton - white gouache

Pre-made ATCs from stash

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

Cards for All Seasons IG Hop - Week 17

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 17 and our theme is 'galaxy/stars/outer space'. Such a fun theme this week; think space-ships, space-men or go for a bright star inspired card.  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 really wanted to make a galaxy inspired ink blended background so ordered a space-ship die especially for today's card.  I'm really happy with how my background turned out and the finished card is so much fun.  I hope you like it. 

Here is my card:

A closer look at the space-ship:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by creating my galaxy background.  I used ink pads from Gina K Designs in lots of colours - blues, purple, pink and yellow and blended them until I was happy with how they looked.  I splattered some white gouache all over and left it to dry.  I die cut the space-ship (or should it be rocket?) from coloured card from my scraps bin and adhered it together with liquid glue apart from the front 'leg' which I added with a tiny foam square.  I also die cut the moon and stars from some yellow card and lightly ink blended some orange ink over them for some definition.  I didn't have a suitable sentiment in my stash so used my pc and printed one out and cut it with a sentiment strips die.  Once my background was dry I trimmed it down to 4" x 5 1/4" and arranged all the die cuts and added the larger ones with foam squares and the small stars with liquid glue.  The sentiment was added to the bottom left corner with foam squares.  I added some scrap white card behind my panel for stability and dimension and then added it to the card base with double sided tape.  For the inside I cut a white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and added the left-over pieces from my background to the top and bottom of the panel with liquid glue.  I stamped a sentiment in black ink in the centre and finished off with some die cut stars, which I added with liquid glue.  The panel was added to the card base with double sided tape.  

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

A Cut Above challenge - ATG with a die cut

Addicted to Stamps & More challenge - any occasion

Allsorts challenge - I spy something beginning with B - blue, birthday

Classic Design challenge - ATG optional twist 'happy birthday'

Girlz Makes Guyz Cards challenge - ATG men

Halloween & Other Occasions challenge - birthday

Little Red Wagon challenge - circle of life (moon and window in rocket are circles)

The Male Room challenge - universe

Tic Tac Toe challenge - yellow, ink blending, rectangle shape (card base)

Try It On Tuesday challenge - going around in circles (moon and window in rocket are circles)

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 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:

Spellbinders - to the moon die set

Gina K Designs - ink pads - in the navy, blue denim, blue sky, wild lilac, bubblegum pink, wild dandelion, tangerine twist and slate

Gina K Designs - large strip sentiments dies

Clearly Besotted - simply said birthday stamp (for inside sentiment) - retired

Limetree Crafts - white 280gsm silky smooth card

Winsor & Newton - white gouache (for splatters)

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

coloured card from scraps bin

Imagination Crafts - black glossy card

PC & printer for outside sentiment