The Male Room challenge - guest designer

Hello friends; I'm here again this morning to share my card as GDT for The Male Room challenge.  I was lucky enough to win one of their recent challenges and was honoured to be asked to be a guest designer for them.  The challenge this month is 'the outdoors' so we want to see all your outdoor scenes but don't forget it has to be masculine themed.  

I recently bought a stamp set from a destash group as I thought it would be perfect for masculine cards; as it turned out it was perfect for this challenge.  I decided to make an easel card, as it's been so long since I made one.  I hope you like it. 

Here is my card:

An angled view to show off the easel:

A closer look at the image:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I made my easel card 6" square and scored the front panel at 3" to create the easel fold.  I covered each panel with a mixture of orange striped paper and green plaid paper, adding a black mat behind each paper.  I stamped the row of trees onto a piece of white card and initially coloured them with Zig markers but thought they looked a little pale so went over them with my Promarkers.  I made a mask for the trees and ink blended some sea glass ink around them for the sky and used lucky clover at the bottom of the panel for grass.  I also stamped some birds above the trees in black ink.  I cut the panel down to 4' square again added a black mat layer behind.  On a separate piece of white card I stamped the tent and fire, coloured them with Promarkers and fussy cut them out.  I added the tent in front of the trees using foam squares and then adhered the panel below the score line using foam squares.  For the inside I cut a white panel 4 3/4" x 3" and added a black mat layer.  I stamped the sentiment in black ink and added a thin strip of the plaid paper to the bottom.  I adhered this to the top of the inside panel with double sided tape.  I created a strip using the plaid paper 5 3/4" x 1" and added a black mat layer.  I stamped the sentiment to the right of centre and added that below the message panel using double sided tape.  I cut a small white circle and slightly larger black circle and adhered them together with liquid glue.  I then adhered the fire image onto the circle with a foam square.  I finished off with some solid black sequins.  

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

* to be updated *

Please pop over to The Male Room challenge blog for all the details/rules and to see the amazing creations from the design team. I would like to thank Helen and the team for having me as a guest this month. I hope you will find the time to enter the challenge and cannot wait to see all your projects in the linky.

Thanks for stopping by and see you all soon.

Love and hugs, 

card supplies:

summer holiday stamp set free with Creative Stamping magazine

Promarkers

Me to You - spring chic 6x6 paper pad (for plaid paper)

Echo Park - candy shoppe dots & stripes 6x6 paper pad (for orange striped paper)

Waffle Flower - nesting circle dies

Heffy Doodle - happy camper mini stamp (for part of the front sentiment)

Honey Bee Stamps - swimming by stamp (for birthday word)

Spellbinders - black color essential smooth disc sequins

Limetree Craft - 12" x 12" 300gsm smooth white card

Limetree Craft - 220gsm black card

*Gina K Designs - ink pads - sea glass and lucky clover

*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

Patterned Paper Party IG Hop - ATG

Hello friends; I hope you've had a great week and are looking forward to the weekend.  It's been scorchio here this week, especially yesterday which was exceptionally hot.  We had some light drizzle first thing this morning but it's now very hot again.  I hope it's warm and sunny where you are too.  

I'm here today to share some cards I made for a new IG Hop that I'm taking part in called the Patterned Paper Party 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. 

I saw a fun tutorial on YouTube by @rickadkinsdesigns called Stack, Cut, Shuffle, and loved the idea of creating 4 similar but different card fronts using 4 sheets of your patterned paper.  You can watch his video here if you're more of a visual learner (like me).  I followed the basic layout of Rick's design but instead of adding flowers I added cute bear images.  I hope you like them.

Here are all four cards together:

Here is one of the cards in full view:

A closer look at one of the other adorable bears:

Plus I decorated the insides:

I began by cutting all four papers to 4" x 5 1/4".  On the 4" side I cut all four papers at 2 1/2" so we had 4 pieces 2 1/2" x 5 1/4' and 4 pieces 1 1/2" x 5 1/4".  I took the larger pieces and cut them on the long side at 3" and the smaller pieces were cut at 3 1/4". I separated the pieces into 4 piles so that 1 of each  pattern was in each pile. I cut 4 white panels 4" x 5 1/4" and adhered each pile onto the panel with liquid glue.  Once I had all 4 panels completed I decided to cut it out with a stitched rectangle die (so the panels did end up ever so slightly smaller).  I also die cut 4 white stitched circles as my grounding panels for my bears.  I stamped the bears onto alcohol marker friendly card, coloured them with Promarkers, added some white gelly roll pen highlights and cut them out with the coordinating dies.  I also used a black gelly roll pen on their eyes for a bit more definition.  I stamped 4 of the happy birthday sentiments and cut them out with a sentiment strip die.  Now I had all my elements ready it was time to assemble my cards.  I added foam tape to everything lol!  I placed the sentiments onto the circles and then added the bears as if they were standing on top of it.  The circles were placed over the joins of the papers in slightly different places on each card front.  Instead of adding foam tape behind my panels I used 3 pieces of scrap white card for stability and dimension. The panels were then added onto the card base with double sided tape.  For the inside I used a thin strip of each of the pattern papers to the bottom of a 4" x 5 1/4" white panel and then used the same stitched rectangle die to cut it out.  I stamped one of the bears as if it was standing on the strip and added a sentiment in the centre, both with black ink.  I added the panel onto my card base with double sided tape.  A really fun layout and a great way to quickly use up some of your papers.  

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

As You Like It challenge - add a sentiment or not (I always have to add a sentiment to the front)

Crafty Animals challenge - ATG must include an animal

Crafty Calendar challenge - add a sentiment

Critter Crazy challenge - ATG with a featured critter

Daisy Chain challenge - birthday

Halloween & Other Occasions challenge - birthday

I Love Promarkers challenge - ATG or summer time

Love Those Pretty Papers challenge - use patterned papers optional wedding

Moving Along With The Times challenge - birthday 

Shopping Our Stash challenge - a stitch in time (I used stitched dies)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - going around in circles

Stamping Sensations challenge - furry friends

We Love Stamping challenge - nature

We hope you will be inspired by our Patterned Paper Party IG 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 #patternedpaperpartyhopjune2025 and we will find you. 

Thanks for stopping by and take care.

Lots of love

card supplies:

Me To You - spring chic 6x6 paper pad - retired

MFT - bitty bears stamp & die set - retired

Promarkers

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

Gina K Designs - Master Layouts 3 (for stitched circle die)

Gina K Designs - sentiment strip dies

Gina K Designs - clear quartz solid sequins

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

Sakura - black gelly roll pen

Happy birthday friend

Happy Sunday friends.  I hope you’ve had a good weekend so far; mine has been quiet but that’s the way I like it!  Are you all going to be going mad around the shops tomorrow?  I don’t like shopping at the best of times so I think I’ll leave it a little while before I venture out (although I do fancy a mooch around IKEA sometime soon lol!).  Let’s hope everyone is sensible and keeps their distance in the mad scramble in Primark. 

Today I’m sharing a card I made for a friend’s birthday.  I am using my new Colorado Craft Company stamp (which is soooo cute); when my budget allows I will definitely be getting some more of the Anita Jeram range.  Here is my card:

I also decorated the inside:

I stamped my images with Memento Tuxedo black ink and coloured them with my promarkers (I used the photo on the back of the stamp as my colouring guide as I really liked the whimsical way they were coloured).  I used a scalloped die to cut out the image panel and also to cut the patterned paper.  I die cut some clouds and added them to the panel with liquid glue and stamped my sentiment with Versafine onyx black ink.  The panels were added to my card blank and I simply added 3 adhesive pearls as a finishing touch.  I added two strips of the patterned paper to the inside of my card and stamped the larger sentiment from the stamp set.  A really cute card I think. 

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

Dragonfly Dreams challenge – feature a creature

Crafty Friends challenge – ladies/girls

Creative Craft challenge – include an animal

CCC Digi Creations challenge – include an animal

Sweet Stampers challenge – lots of layers

SSS Wednesday challenge – happy birthday

Unicorn challenge – include an animal

Creative Knockouts challenge – for the girls

There seems to be lots of animal themed challenges around this week/month.  I have lots of new cards to share with you so hopefully will be back with another card soon.  Until then, take care and continue to follow the rules for now.

Lots of love,

Card ingredients:

Colorado Craft Company - birthday wishing

Lawn Fawn - scalloped rectangle stackables

Clearly Besotted - happy birthday all (for 'friend' word)

Promarkers

Me to You - spring chic paper pad

W Plus 9 - sunshine layers (for the clouds)

Heffy Doodle - alcohol marker friendly card

Sweet Stampin’ GDT Card

Happy Sunday dear friends.  I hope you’ve had a great weekend so far, although I can’t believe it’s 6.00pm already – where has the day gone??  I’m here this afternoon to share my second card as Guest Designer over at Sweet Stampin’ challenge.  The challenge this week is “clean & Simple” which I know fills most people with dread, me included.  Here is my card:

I have used a brand new image from DigiStamp Boutique which is part of the offer of them month called ‘Daisy set 1’ which is available at a very special price for February – just £2.25 for 3 gorgeous images.  I coloured her with promarkers and flex markers and cut her out.  The pretty papers are from the me to you ‘spring chic’ paper pad and the plain card is from the papermill shop.  The sentiment strip is from pink petticoat.  I did some faux stitching with my fine liner pen and added a couple of pearls and viola my card was finished.  I have to say I think it looks like it isn’t finished but I’m sure some extra bits will find their way onto my card before I send it to anyone lol!  You really need to check out the DT cards over at the challenge blog as they are stunning. 

There are two sponsors again this week, firstly stamp addicts are offering a £10.00 gift certificate to spend in their online store and the monthly sponsor for February is Joanna Sheen who is offering a £10.00 voucher to spend in her online store.

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

Stampin’ sisters in Christ challenge – make a happy card

Papertake challenge – anything goes

2 sisters challenge – I {heart} you (image is holding a heart)

Allsorts challenge – free & easy part 2

Craft your days away challenge – get stitchy with it

Crafter’s companion challenge – anything goes

OSAAT challenge – anything goes

Scrapbook sisters challenge – anything goes

I hope you can join in with our challenge and we look forward to seeing what you create.  Have a wonderful day and thanks for stopping by.

Card ingredients:

Image: DigiStamp Boutique – ‘Daisy set 1’

Papers: me to you – ‘spring chic’ paper pad, plain card from the papermill shop

Tools: promarkers, flex markers, pink petticoat sentiment strip, SU basic pearls, letraset fine liner pen for faux stitches, corner rounder punch