Gina K Appreciation IG Hop

Hello again friends; I'm back to share a card I made as part of a Gina K Appreciation Hop over on Instagram.  As you know I love Gina K Designs products and use them (especially her ink pads) on practically every card I make so it was a no-brainer to join the hop once again this year (you can see last years card here).  

Gina is one of the OG creators and YouTubers. She has thousands of hours of video tutorials and is endlessly creative. We wanted to take a day to highlight @ginakdesigns and her amazing products and send her lots of crafty love. On the odd chance that you haven’t heard of her yet, we hope you will be inspired to check her and her fabulous team out on all the social media spots!

I have been so inspired by Gina’s 3D embossing bundles that I had use one on my card today. However I didn't use the embossing folder on my background, I only used it for embossing a couple of extra flowers.  I'm loving the dreamy no-line colouring look of stencilling the flowers directly onto my panel and used Gina's favourite colour combo - teal and black.  The card base is 5" x 6 1/4" as I didn't want to chop anything off the edges lol!  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the gorgeous florals:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began with a 5" x 7" panel and stencilled the gorgeous flowers using two shades of teal ink and the leaves in two shades of green ink.  I decided to leave the flower centres white as it went with the soft, dreamy look I was going for.   I die cut the three flowers from the bundle with white card and again using the stencils, coloured them the same way.  I trimmed the panel down to 4 1/2" x 5 3/4" and added a thin black mat layer behind with double sided tape.  I white heat embossed the sentiment onto black card and used the coordinating die to cut it out; I also cut an extra 2 from black card so that I could layer them up.  I added the sentiment to the left of centre with liquid glue and two of the embossed flowers were added with foam squares.  I finished off with some black pearls.  I added some scrap white card behind my panel and adhered it to my card base with double sided tape.  For the inside I cut another white panel 4 1/2" x 5 3/4" and again added a black mat layer with double sided tape.  I lightly ink blended some sea glass ink to the bottom of the panel and added the one remaining embossed flower to the bottom right corner (before I stuck it down I stencilled a couple of leaves peeking out from behind it).  The panel was then adhered to the card base with liquid glue.  

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

* to be updated *

I hope you will pop over to Instagram and check out the hop; please use the hashtag #ginakappreciationhop to see all the gorgeous creations.

Enjoy your weekend; I appreciate you stopping by.

Love and hugs

card supplies:

*Gina K Designs products:

blooming branches 3D embossing folder, stencil & die bundle

picture perfect greetings stamp (for outside sentiment)

birthday cheer mini stamp (for inside sentiment)

ink pads - sea glass, ocean mist, jelly bean green, fresh asparagus

white pigment ink cube

black, gold & silver metallic pearl mix

other products:

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

WOW! - opaque bright white super fine embossing powder

*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 #69 - winter birthday

Hello again friends; I'm sharing my card (although I'm almost a week late) for this month's AAA Birthday challenge.  I have been very sick since Christmas, as has most of the family, and I'm only now starting to feel better.  My main priority for the last week has been keeping the animals alive, everything else has gone on the back burner lol!  I'm still not running at 100% but hopefully things will start to get back to a normal routine now.   As always you must create a birthday themed project and this month it's all about 'winter birthdays'.  Our guest designer this month is the lovely Colien so please pop over to her blog and leave her some love.

I decided to create a clean and simple winter birthday card featuring an adorable penguin image from Gina K Designs.  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the image:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by cutting my white panel to 4" x 5 1/4" and lightly ink blended some sea glass ink into the bottom left corner and using the same ink I stamped some tiny snowflakes randomly.  I stamped the cute image onto alcohol marker friendly card and coloured him with Promarkers and used the matching die to cut him out.  I also stamped and coloured two mugs from the same set, and also die cut them out.  I stamped the sentiment in black ink onto a piece of white card and die cut it out with a sentiment strip die.  I added the sentiment with liquid glue at the bottom of the panel and after adding foam squares to the penguin, added him above as if he was standing on the sentiment.  I also added foam squares to the mug and placed it so that it looked like the penguin was holding it.  The panel was added to my card base with foam tape.  For the inside I cut another white panel and ink blended along the bottom and again stamped some snowflakes.  I stamped the sentiment in the centre using black ink and added the second mug to the bottom left with liquid glue.  The panel was added to the case base with double sided tape.  A really cute card and perfect for the icy, cold weather we're currently experiencing.  

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

Addicted to CAS challenge - brrr

Addicted to Stamps and More challenge - birthdays

Crafty Animals challenge - ATG must include an animal

Crafty Calendar challenge - add a die cut (entry 2)

Critter Crazy challenge - ATG with a featured critter

Daisy Chain challenge - no design paper

Double D challenge - 9th birthday/anniversary challenge

Halloween & Other Occasions challenge - always birthday

I Love Promarkers challenge - ATG or use the sketch

Make My Monday challenge - your fave challenge of 2024 - #240 a CAS winter card

Simply Clean and Simple challenge - anything CAS goes option something new

Stamping Sensations challenge - ATG optional hand coloured image (entry 2)

The Male Room challenge - clean and simple (entry 2)

Triple B challenge - birds, blooms or butterflies

We Love Stamping challenge - anything but square (entry 2) 

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 ingredients:

Gina K Designs - playful penguins stamp & die

Gina K Designs - hygge time (for both sentiments)

Gina K Designs - Christmas cheer stamp set (for snowflake)

Gina K Designs - sentiment strips dies 

Gina K Designs - sea glass ink pad

Promarkers

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card (currently not available but this 250gsm smooth white card is an alternative in stock here)

Sakura - white no. 10 gelly roll pen

Krafty Chicks challenge #711 - Christmas

Hello friends; I hope you're having a great week.  I'm here today to share my DT card for this week's Krafty Chicks challenge.  As we are on Week 2 we are looking for all your Christmas or holiday themed creations.  

I went for a traditional style card this time and used some silhouette stamps against an ink blended background.  Here is my card:

a closer look at my scene:

I decorated the inside as always:

I began by cutting my panel of white card to 4" x 5 1/4" (although I did trim it down slightly later on).  I created some masks for the moon and under the trees/houses so that they would remain white (to create the curved edge I traced along the edge of the stamp so that my mask would match perfectly).  I took 4 ink colours and created my ink blended night sky.  Once the blend has dried a little I removed the masks.   I then took the silhouette stamps and stamped them multiple times (using my Misti) with black ink.  I took the sentiments from the same stamp set and also stamped them in black ink more towards the right hand side of the white portion of the card.  I added some white highlights to my Santa & sleigh and also some snow (or stars) to the background with a white gelly roll pen.  I added the white panel to a black mat with double sided tape and then added this to the card blank with foam tape.  For the inside I stamped the trees/houses border at the very bottom of my panel and added a sentiment in black ink.  Again this was matted with a black panel and added to my card base with double sided tape.  I'm really happy with my ink blending and really pleased with the finished card.  I hope you like it too.  

I'd like to enter my card into the following challenges:

AAA Colourful challenge - mood board

ABC Christmas challenge - I is for inky (I ink blended my background)

Christmas Craft Creations challenge - non traditional colours

Christmas Crafts All Year Around challenge - Santa, gnomes or elves

Christmas Kickstart challenge - Santa and his sidekicks

CRAFT challenge - inspired by a movie (Santa Claus the movie)

Girlz Creative Christmas challenge - no red

Merry Little Christmas challenge - anything Christmas goes

Peace on Earth Christmas challenge - mood board or anything Christmas goes

Sparkles Christmas challenge - non traditional colours

The Holly & The Ivy challenge - anything Christmas goes

I hope you will be able to join us for our 'Christmas' challenge and I cannot wait to see your creations in our linky.  Please leave some love for my fellow chicks - Leanne, Diane and Lori and also our guest designer for April, Rachelle. 

Thanks for stopping by. 

Love and hugs, 

Card ingredients:

Gina K Designs - holiday silhouettes stamp set

Gina K Designs - ink pads - plum punch, tranquil teal, blue denim, in the navy

Gina K Designs - masking magic sheets

Spellbinders - standard circles large dies (for moon mask)

Paula Pascual - Christmas messages (for inside sentiment)

Versafine - onyx black ink

Sakura - white no. 10 gelly roll pen

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm white silky smooth card

Krafty Chicks challenge - All Occasions

Hello and happy Thursday lovely friends.  I hope you're having a great week.  I'm here today to share my DT card for this week's Krafty Chicks challenge.  We are on week 4 which is always 'All Occasions' i.e. birthday, sympathy, new baby, Valentine's, the world's your oyster lol!

I made this card for a crafty friend who had her birthday recently and was inspired by a technique I saw by Gina K Designs.  Here is my card:

A closer look:

Of course I decorated the inside:

I began by cutting a white panel 3 3 /4" x 5" and used a circle stencil to mask the area I wanted to ink blend.  I used an orange for my sky and a light green for my grass.  I went over my ink blending with a cloud stencil using the same orange ink but with a slightly heavier hand and a grass stencil using a slightly darker green ink.  I did go over the clouds with a pink ink but I don't think I added enough as you can't really see it.  I removed the stencils and stamped the silhouette image in black ink using my Misti tool.  I also stamped my sentiment below the image and a small butterfly to the upper left side.  I added the panel onto a black card mat with double sided tape and this was also added to my card base with double sided tape.  A few black pearls and my card was complete.  For the inside I cut the same size panels and on the white panel I stamped my sentiment in black ink and added a portion of the silhouette stamp in the lower left corner.  I blended some of the orange ink around it for some added interest.  Again I matted the panels with double sided tape and again adhered it to the card base with double sided tape.  A very calm and elegant card which I think would also be suitable as a sympathy card by changing out the sentiment. 

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

Addicted to CAS challenge - sky (I stencilled my sky)

Addicted to Stamps & More challenge - die cuts and/or stencils (I used a cloud and grass stencil)

As You Like It challenge - What's your fave: pearls or gems and why (I like both but mostly grab for my pearls as they are great for all types of cards

Inkspirational challenge - use stencils (I used a cloud and grass stencil)

Just Us Girls challenge - ATG stencil week (I used a cloud and grass stencil)

Make My Monday challenge - happy birthday

Triple B challenge - must have either birds, blooms or butterflies (I have silhouette blooms and a butterfly)

I hope you will be able to join us for our 'All Occasions' challenge and I cannot wait to see your creations in our linky.  Please leave some love for my fellow chicks - Leanne, Diane and Lori and also our guest designer for January, Helen.  

Thanks for stopping by. 

Love and hugs, 

card ingredients:

Gina K Designs - Natural Silhouettes stamp

Gina K Designs - Spring Mountain stamp (for butterfly)

Gina K Designs - Birthday Cheer stamp (for inside sentiment)

Gina K Designs - ink pads - sweet mango, bubblegum pink, lucky clover, jelly bean green

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

MFT - grassy edges stencil

MFT - mini cloud edges stencil

Taylored Expressions - masking circles stencil

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

Hobbycraft - A4 luxury black card

Versafine - onyx black ink

Pretty butterflies

Hello again friends.  Well I finally had my hair cut yesterday and I feel so much better.  I always have a fringe but over the last 4 months I've had to endure it growing out and I hated it but now I have a fringe again and had about 3 inches cut off the length *yay*.  I know a lot of you are having hair cuts or due to have them so I know you appreciate how I feel.

I have a pretty butterfly card for you today and I ink blended the background using a masking stencil to ensure I had pristine borders.  I made this card for a neighbour whose birthday was last week.

Here's a close up of the card

I think ink blending is my favourite technique at the moment as it's relatively quick and gives amazing results.  After ink blending I again sprinkled water over the panel and dabbed with a piece of kitchen roll to achieve the splattered look.  The butterflies were coloured with promarkers, fussy cut and added to the panel with foam tape.  The sentiment is from the same stamp set and for a final touch I added some crystals.  

I love this colour combination and I hope you do too.  

I'm entering my card into the following challenges: 

Allsorts challenge - I spy with my little eye something beginning with B (butterflies)

CCC Digi Creations challenge - no patterned paper

Penny Black and More challenge - in the garden

I can't believe it's Thursday already.  I'm off from work this week and apart from having my hair cut and a little bit of organising in my craft room I haven't really achieved anything but it has been nice chilling out and having some extra crafting time.  

Take care and thanks for stopping by.

Card ingredients:

Jane's Doodles - doodle butterflies

Distress oxide inks in fossilised amber, mowed lawn and peacock feathers

Taylored Expressions - blender brushes

Taylored Expressions - masking stencils rectangle

Studio Katia - April (white diamond) crystals