Krafty Chicks challenge #822 - Christmas

Good morning lovely friends, I appreciate you stopping by and I hope you're all doing ok. It's time for a new challenge over at Krafty Chicks challenge and this week we are on Week 2; as always the theme is 'Christmas' and I am your hostess. We are slowly adding to the Christmas pile, which really takes the stress off later in the year. We hope you will come over and join in the fun with us.

For today's card I decided to dust off some LOTV polymer stamps. I know they are no longer available in this format as they are focusing on their digital images but I still love them and will keep using them.  I went fairly clean and simple with my layout and NO dimension - don't faint - but I think it turned out super cute.  I hope you like it. 

Here is my card:

A closer look at the details:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I tried to capture the sparkle of the stickles:

I began by cutting a white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and ink blended a strip of sea glass ink in the upper half of the card.  I stamped the image with memento black ink and once dry coloured it with my Promarkers.  I added some white gelly roll pen highlights and stickles to their hats.  I stamped the sentiment above the image with black ink.  Last year when I was mailing out my Christmas cards I realised that they had so much dimension I needed to add extra postage which really started to mount up.  This year I need to start making some flat, mailer friendly cards and this is the first one lol!  I simply added double sided tape behind the panel and adhered it to the card base.  For the inside I cut another white panel and stamped one of the birds from the stamp with some selective masking.  I again coloured it with Promarkers, adding white gelly roll pen highlights and stickles to his hat.  The sentiment was stamped in the centre with black ink and the panel was adhered to the card base with double sided tape.  

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

The 12 months of Christmas Link Up challenge - ATG Christmas optional twist 'lanterns in the snow'

ABC Christmas challenge - J is for just enough (CAS)

Christmas (or not) BINGO challenge - Line N - Christmas, free, glitter

Crafty Animals challenge - ATG must include an animal

Creative Friday challenge - all animals

Critter Crazy challenge - ATG with a featured critter 

Dream Valley challenge - all creatures great and small

I Love Promarkers challenge - special occasions (Christmas)

Merry Little Christmas challenge - anything Christmas goes

Peace On Earth Christmas challenge - anything Christmas themed optional mood board

Simply Clean and Simple challenge - ATG CAS optional theme 'things that fly'

Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge - things with wings

Stamping Sensations challenge - cute creatures

Sweet Stampin' challenge - things with wings

Triple B challenge - birds, blooms or butterflies optional mood board (entry 3)

We Love Stamping challenge - all creatures great and small 

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.

Thank you so much for stopping by; I appreciate your lovely comments.

Love and hugs,

card supplies:

LOTV - cute Christmas A5 polymer stamp (no longer available)

LOTV - verses A5 polymer stamp (no longer available)

Promarkers

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

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

Memento - tuxedo black ink pad

Ranger - crystal stickles

Sakura - white no. 10 gelly roll pen

*Gina K Designs - sea glass ink pad

*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 #75 - summer birthday

Hello again friends and happy 1st of July.  The weather has certainly perked up again over the last few days, although it's a little bit too hot for me.  It was my nephew's wedding on Sunday and although it was only 24 degrees I managed to burn the back of my neck lol!  We had a wonderful day and the bride looked amazing, like a princess (no photos yet I'm afraid until the newlyweds have shared their own).  

I'm here today to share my card for this month's AAA Birthday challenge and this month our theme is 'summer birthday' which is such a fun challenge.  I hope you will take on our challenge this month and get creating. Our guest designer this month is the lovely Pauline so please pop over to her blog and leave her some love.

My mind instantly went to food when I saw the theme - I was thinking ice-cream, ice lollies, candy floss etc but I finally settled on ice lollies as my focal point.  There is nothing cooler than a frozen ice lolly in the hot sun mmmmmm!  It's a fun card and I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the lollies:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I often admire Yana Smakula's cards and the way she uses coloured card for her backgrounds; they always look so cool.  I decided to try it on this card and used a panel of blue card cut to 4" x 5 1/4".  I splattered some blue ink as well as some perfect pearls mixed with water onto it to add some interest.  For my focal point I stamped 4 of the ice lollies but used a blending brush to add the ink to the stamp so that it would be a bit softer and have a little roughness to it.  I used the coordinating dies to cut them out. I also stamped 4 sticks using a kraft ink and also die cut them out.  I stamped the happy birthday sentiment directly onto the background in the centre with black ink.  I then decided to stamp the sub sentiment onto the blue lolly in black ink.  I die cut 3 more layers for each lolly and stick and adhered them together with liquid glue.  I added foam squares behind each lolly and added them to my card base, two above the sentiment and two below, in a grid formation (again inspired by Yana). I added some scrap white card behind my panel with double sided tape and then this was adhered to my card base with double sided tape.  I finished off with some clear raindrop embellishments.  For the inside I cut a white panel 3 3/4" x 5" and added a blue card mat layer with double sided tape.  I stamped and die cut another lolly and adhered in onto the lower right of the panel with liquid glue and stamped the sentiment in the centre with black ink.  The panel was then adhered to the card base with double sided tape.  A bright and fun card and I'm really happy with how it turned out. 

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

AAA Cards challenge - anything CAS goes optional twist sentiment focus

Allsorts challenge - seaside or ATG

Cardz 4 Galz challenge - welcome to summer

Classic Design challenge - ATG optional twist vacation/holiday

Creative Knockouts challenge - summer fun

Die Cut Divas challenge - happy birthday (I love MFT and have used their products on my card)

Halloween & Other Occasions challenge - happy birthday

Little Red Wagon challenge - to boldly go (use bold colours)

Make My Monday challenge - summer fun

Papercraft challenges - summer vibes

The Four Seasons challenge - summer (optional mood board)

The Sisterhood of Crafters challenge - summer fun

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:

MFT - you're the sweetest stamp (the die set is now sold out)

Gina K Designs ink pads - powder blue, key lime, tangerine twist, wild dandelion, passionate pink, kraft

Little Things From Lucy's Cards - clear raindrops - store now sadly closed

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card - not currently available - but they do have 280gsm silky smooth white card available here

blue card from my stash

Ranger - perfect pearls (perfect pearl colour)

Krafty Chicks challenge #741 - stamps

Good morning lovely friends.  I hope you're all doing ok and having a great week so far.  It's time for a new challenge over at Krafty Chicks challenge.  This week we are back to Week 1 and as always the theme is 'stamps' and our hostess is Leanne.  We want to see all your stamps this week, whether that is clear, red rubber or digi, we don't mind.  We hope you will come over and join in the fun with us. 

I was in the mood to make something one layer and clean and simple this week.  I used a colour challenge that took my eye and got to work.  I'm not entirely happy with it but I think it turned out ok; let me know what you think.  

Here is my card:

A close up of the image:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by cutting a white panel 4" x 5 1/4".  I stamped the background stamp in a gradient of red inks and then decided to trim my panel down slightly to 3 7/8" x 5 1/8".  The dandelion clock stamps are two-step stamps so I began by stamping the stems and then the tops in black ink.  I then stamped the sentiment in the lower left corner and a few extra seeds above it to balance the layout.  For a final touch I added some stickles glitter glue onto the seeds for a bit of sparkle.  For dimension I added some scrap panels of off white card that I don't use instead of foam tape behind the panel with double sided tape.  I also added the panel to the card base with double sided tape.  For the inside I cut the same size white panel and stamped part of the background stamp in the bottom left corner.  I also stamped the smaller dandelion clock and a few seeds.  I stamped the sentiment in the centre of the panel in black ink.  I added the panel to the card base with double sided tape.  A really quick and easy card today.

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

Aud Sentiments challenge - glitter and/or Christmas + sentiment

Beautiful Blossoms challenge - anything floral goes optional mood board

Color Hues challenge - red and black

Colorful Options challenge - red optional mood board

Moving Along With The Times challenge - sparkle

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

Thank you so much for stopping by; I appreciate your lovely comments. 

Love and hugs, 

card ingredients:

Uniko Stamps - organic wishes clear stamp 

Uniko Stamps - BG blocks horizontal stripe clear stamp

Uniko Stamps - floral vines clear stamp (for sentiment)

Gina K Designs - red velvet ink pad, red hot ink pad, cherry red ink cube

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

Ranger - crystal stickles glitter glue 

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card (currently not available)

Red, white & blue card

Hello lovely friends; I hope you're having a great Sunday.  It's really warm and sunny here today and even though I don't like sunbathing or sitting out in it for too long, it's really nice to have the dry and sunny weather isn't it?  It makes everyone feel so much happier (plus I can dry my clothes on the line lol).  

Anyway enough waffling from me; I'm sharing a card I made especially to fit in with a few fun CAS challenges that are around at the moment.  Not 100% sure about it but my son liked it so that's nice.  

Here is my card:

A closer look:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by die cutting the balloons from white card.  I grabbed some red and blue ink and a couple of stencils and blending the ink onto the die cuts.  I coloured the 'strings' by blending on the ink.  I already had the 'hugs' word die cut from a previous project so wanted to use that so I just stamped the 'birthday' word in red ink and trimmed it into a rectangle.  I cut a white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and added it to my card base with foam tape.  All the other elements were arranged and added with liquid glue.  No embellishments as I wanted to keep it clean and simple.  For the inside I cut another white panel, stencilling some stripes on the bottom and added another balloon with liquid glue.  I stamped a sentiment into the centre with black ink and then added the panel to my card base with double sided tape.  Not a colour combo I would normally use but I think it turned out cool.  I hope you like it.

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

AAA Cards challenge - sketch

Addicted to CAS challenge - code word: Balloons (10 challenges max)

CAS on Friday challenge - code word: Hugs

Color Throwdown challenge - red, blue & white

Crafty Catz challenge - ATG optional twist use a stencil

Double D challenge - polka dots

Everybody Art challenge - circles and/or stripes

Sweet Stampin' challenge - clean and simple

I hope you enjoy the rest of your Sunday.  I appreciate you stopping by and leaving me lovely comments. 

Love and hugs, 

Card ingredients:

MFT - birthday balloon die - retired

MFT - sending big hugs coverplate (for hugs die cut)

MFT - inside and out birthday greetings (for inside sentiment)

Uniko Stamps - everyday sentiments (for birthday word)

Gina K Designs - ink pads - red hot and blue raspberry

Ranger - our town stencil (for the stripes)

The Crafters Workshop - punchinella stencil (for stars and dots) -  no longer available

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card

Versafine - onyx black ink

Beautiful wildflowers

Happy Saturday friends.  It's a beautiful day here is South Wales, glorious sunshine all day but very breezy (perfect for drying my washing lol!).   I hope you're having a fab day and the weather is good where you are too.  I'm sharing a slimline card I made for a friend in work who's birthday is today.  Apart from the sentiment there is no stamping on this card.  Here is my card:

close up of the card:

pretty gold embossing & splatters:

I die cut the flowers from white card and coloured them with oxide inks for a softer effect.  I die cut the butterfly from glitter card and black for the body.  I created the background by simply splattering some gold pigment paint in 2 shades of gold for a sparkly but clean and simple look.  I added the panel to a peach coloured card panel and then adhered this to my white card base.  The sentiment was embossed in gold embossing powder and I added a few pearls for a final touch.  The finished card size is 4" x 8 1/4".  I don't make slimline cards very often but I really like them so I will have make more of them soon.  

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

The Crafters Cafe challenge - flowers

Creative Knockouts challenge - wings and things

Sweet Stampin' challenge - no squares

Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge - bright, cheerful colours

Allsorts challenge - use 3 colours of the rainbow (red, orange, green)

Krafty Chicks challenge - all occasions

Simon Says Stamp IG challenge - make the cut

Enjoy the rest of the weekend and I'll catch you back here very soon.

Hugs, 

Card ingredients:

Sizzix/Tim Holtz Thinlets - wildflowers

Distress Oxide inks in abandoned coral, spiced marmalade, mustard seed, twisted citron

Memory Box - pippi butterfly

Gansai Tambi - starry colors (I used yellow gold and red gold for the background)

Ranger - letter-it birthday (for the sentiment)

pearls from Little Things from Lucy's cards (they were a free gift)

peach cardstock from stash

Heffy Doodle - white letter size cardstock

Cosmic Shimmer - bright gold detail embossing powder