2024 Crafty Kickoff IG Card Hop - Week 1

Hello again friends and Happy Hump Day.  I'm joining in with a new Instagram Hop organised by my lovely friend Kelly called 2024 Crafty Kickoff and each Wednesday we will share a themed card inspired by the New Year.  This week's theme is 'what's new to you'.   

You can interpret this theme any way you like; whatever inspires you.  I went literal and used a new background stamp that I got recently as the starting point.  Here is my card:  

A closer look:

I decorated the inside:

I also decorated the envelope:

I began by stamping the background stamp twice with navy ink onto white card to make a panel for my card.  I ink blended the same navy ink all over so that the white parts became a lighter blue.  I die cut a circle from the upper centre and added acetate behind so that I could create a shaker window.  I die cut some lighter blue card using the same circle die and one size larger to make a frame for my shaker window.  I added this with liquid glue.  I added foam tape behind my panel and around the window, poured clear sequins onto my card base and removed the foam tape backing and placed it over my sequins to seal them in.  I stamped and coloured a cute bunny image using my Promarkers, added some white highlights with a gel pen and fussy cut him out.  I added him to the bottom right of the shaker window with foam squares.  I used the same light blue card and stamped my sentiment in navy ink and die cut it with a banner die; I also added this to the panel with foam squares.  I added a few more sequins to the front of the card for some extra bling.  

For the inside I cut a white panel and stamped a sentiment in navy ink.  As I had some spare background pieces (as I did a test run before making my card) I added a thin strip at the top and bottom of the panel.  This was added to my card base with double sided tape.   I also decorated the envelope with the extra background pieces.  

I love making shaker cards and don't know why I don't do it more often.  I could have put a few more sequins in my shaker but it shakes and looks ok so no worries.  

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

Allsorts challenge - make your own background

CRAFT challenge - new (new BG stamp)

Cardz for Guyz challenge - something new from stash (BG stamp)

Colourful Options challenge - blue lagoon

Crafty Animals challenge - ATG include an animal

Crafty Catz challenge - ATG optional twist - no design paper

Critter Crazy challenge - ATG with a featured critter

Cut It Up challenge - use something new (BG stamp)

Fab 'n' Funky challenge - stamp it

I Love Promarkers challenge - ATG/animals

Make My Monday challenge - happy birthday

My Time To Craft challenge - something new in your stash (BG stamp)

Sweet Stampin' challenge - what's new with you? (BG stamp)

Try It On Tuesday challenge - winter blues

We Love Stamping challenge - something new (BG stamp)

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 #2024CraftyKickoffIGCardHop to find the hop and also so that we can find your creation if you are inspired to take part.  

I'll be back tomorrow with my DT card for this week's 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:

Uniko Stamps - Background Blocks Layered Stripes stamp

MFT - Sending sweet celebration wishes stamp set

MFT - Old friends stamp set (for HB sentiment)

MFT - Blueprints 27 (for banner die)

Gina K Designs - Birthday cheer (for inside sentiment)

Gina K Designs - In the navy ink pad

Spellbinders - Standard circles large die set

Little Things From Lucy's Cards - sprinkles - crystal circles

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm smooth white card (for panels and card base)

Sakura - white gelly roll 10 pen

Auntie card

Hello friends and happy Monday to you.  I hope you're having a great day and enjoying the warm and sunny weather we're having - always the same when the kids are about to go back to school isn't it.  I'm not much for the sun but love seeing my washing blowing on the line in the sunshine (I'm weird I know lol!).  

I'm back to share the card I made for my sister from my boys.  They call her auntie but I only had a stamp that was spelt aunty but hey ho she didn't mind.  Here is my card:

a close up of the image:

I began by stamping the image and colouring it with Promarkers.  I did debate fussy cutting her but decided against it.  The image does come with sentiments but I wanted to personalise the card for my sister to stamped my own image into the sign with black ink.  I found this really pretty paper in my stash that had gold accents so used that along with some gold card for the mats.  I also cut some hearts from the gold card and also some gold glitter card.  I added the paper to the gold card with liquid glue and adhered it to my 6x6 card base.  The image panel was also added to gold card with liquid glue but this was then added to my card with foam tape.  The hearts were added around the image with liquid glue (I did add a small foam square to the larger hearts that overhung the image panel for stability).  I didn't feel the card needed anything else as it was busy enough.  I forgot to take a photo of the inside but I just added a couple of the hearts into the bottom corner.  

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

Use Your Stuff challenge - borders

Dragonfly Dreams challenge - happy birthday

Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge - stamp it

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - ATG

Allsorts challenge - ATG or sunflowers

Pearly Sparkles challenge - pink, pearls sparkle (use at least one) - my sparkly hearts

Simply Create Too challenge - use stamps

Addicted to Stamps and More challenge - birthdays

I really appreciate you stopping by and hope you enjoy the rest of your day. 

Love and hugs, 

card ingredients:

Stamping Bella - curvy girl with a sign

MFT - blueprints 6 tag builder (for the smaller heart)

MFT - hearts a plenty (for the larger heart)

Clearly Besotted Stamps - happy birthday all (retired)

Clearly Besotted Stamps - friends and family (retired)

Tonic Studios - Craft Perfect 6x6 pad - gold hearted

Home Bargains - 6x6 Creative Paper pad (no name)

Promarkers

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm smooth white card

Heffy Doodle - alcohol marker friendly card

Versafine onyx black ink

Memento tuxedo black ink

Happy birthday Hubby!

Hello friends; I hope you've had a great day so far.  

It was my hubby's birthday earlier in the week and this was the card I made for him.  He doesn't really 'do' cards (I know, can you believe it!) but I thought this would be perfect for him as he is car mad.   

I began by stamping the 3 cars with memento tuxedo black ink and coloured them with Promarkers.  I thought the background was too plain so added some 'splatter' with stamps in matching ink colours and I was much happier.  The husband sentiment was stamped in Versafine onyx black ink and the strip sentiment was a pre-made one that I die cut with a sentiment strip die.   

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

Allsorts challenge - create your own background

Seize the birthday - I didn't use the topping so just went for anything birthday goes

I know my posts have been a bit sporadic the last year or so but (without promising anything) I hope I can try and get back into the swing of blogging, even if it's just once a week.  We'll see how that goes lol!  I really do appreciate you still following my blog and hopefully you will continue to stick with me.  

Thanks for stopping by.  Have a wonderful weekend.

Hugs, 

Card ingredients:

Honey Bee Stamps - car show

Gina K Designs - grand gentlemen sentiment set

MFT - distressed patterns

Creative  Expressions - wordies sentiment sheets - birthday

Gina K Designs - ink pads for background (I used soft stone, red velvet and blue raspberry)

Gina K Designs - large sentiment dies 

Memento tuxedo black ink pad

Versafine onyx black ink pad