Just Us Girls challenge #831 - Word Week

Hello everyone and welcome back to my blog. I am back to share my card for this week's Just Us Girls challenge and it's Word Week and Vicki has chosen 'play'. This is such a fun theme and open to lots of interpretation and I'm sure this is going to be a really popular week.  I cannot wait to see all your gorgeous creations.

The first thing that popped into my mind when I saw the theme was football as me and my son have been avidly watching the World Cup (except for the ones at silly o'clock).  I don't usually watch football but love the World Cup as there's lots of excitement and it's done in a few weeks.  I decided to make a football shirt shaped card and I think it turned out super fun.  I hope you like it too. 

Here is my card:

A closer look at the details:

Plus I decorated the inside:

For a fun touch I added a number to the back of the shirt:

I began by making a top folding card base 4 1/2" x 5 1/2" and die cut the shirt leaving the top of the die overhanging the fold of the card base ever so slightly.  The finished shirt size card is approximately 4 1/4" x 5'.  I used 2 stencils and ink blended grass on the bottom and clouds on the top of the shirt.  I die cut the footballer silhouette image x 4 from black card and stacked them using liquid glue; I then adhered it to the centre using liquid glue.  I stamped the 'happy birthday' sentiment above and the 'have a ball' sentiment below using black ink.  For the inside I again used the grass stencil and ink blended along the bottom.  I stamped the sentiment in the centre and added another silhouette image in the bottom left corner.  A really simple card but I think most men/boys would love it. 

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

A Cut Above challenge - ATG with a die cut

Allsorts challenge - stencils (cloud and grass stencil)

Aud Sentiments challenge - bookmarks and/or hobbies + sentiment

Crafty Calendar challenge - happy birthday

Daisy Chain challenge - birthday

Heart's Quest Celebrations of Love challenge - BEWAS + optional theme 'masculine'

Heart's Quest for Shaped Cards & Tags challenge - ATG

Mix It Up challenge - ATG optional shaped card

Simply Clean & Simple challenge - ATG optional theme birthday

Stencil Fun challenge - ATG optional theme patterns

The Male Room challenge - hobbies

Unicorn challenge - no design paper

I'm sure this will be a popular challenge as play could mean lots of things, such as, play music, play sports, play a game etc.  I cannot wait to see what you create. Please pop over to the challenge blog and leave some love for our guest designer Bonnie and the rest of the design team.

I appreciate you stopping by.

Love and hugs,

card supplies:

Craft Addiction UK - create your own football shirt die set

Craft Addiction UK - mini football collection die set

MFT - mini cloud edges stencil

MFT - grassy edges stencil

Lawn Fawn - year two mini stamp (for happy birthday)

Lawn Fawn - sweet smiles stamp (for have a ball)

Clearly Besotted - a little sentiment stamp (for inside sentiment)

Limetree Craft - 300gsm smooth white card (for card base)

Limetree Craft - 220gsm black card

Gina K Designs - ink pads - grass green & blue sky

Versafine Clair - nocturne 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

Krafty Chicks challenge #807 - Christmas

Good morning lovely friends, I hope you're having a good week so far. It's been rain, rain and more rain here in South Wales, which is miserable, but at least it gives me some time to catch up on crafty projects lol!  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.  It's time to start building up our Christmas card stash again so why not come over and join in the fun with us.

I've had this mittens die on my wish list for ages and finally caved and clicked 'add to cart' lol!  It has lots of extra dies that can be used with or without the mitten and the finished shaped card is about A2 sized.  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the details:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I originally cut the mitten from a folded piece of white card to create my card base but then realised that I had cut it upside down (with the cuff at the bottom which is not what I wanted) so rather than waste it I cut the two pieces apart and scored a line on one of them, to act as a fold, as secured them together with red line tape.  I cut one more mitten from white card, ran it through my Intri-cut with a checkered argyle embossing folder and used my ink pads to add some colour all over the design, adding a slightly darker ink at the edges.  I die cut the cuff and scallop border from white card and adhered them together with liquid glue.  I die cut the holly leaves from white card and ink blended over them with spruce ink.  I also die cut some berries from white card and used cranberry inks to colour them.  I stamped the sentiment in black ink onto white card and used a stitched rectangle die to cut it out.  For assembly I used liquid glue to add the embossed mitten onto the card base and everything else was popped up with foam squares.  For the inside I stamped the sentiment in the centre with black ink and also die cut an extra holly leaf and berry, inked them as before, and adhered them to the bottom of the card with liquid glue.  A fun shaped card with lots of texture and dimension. 

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

* to be updated * 

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:

Sunny Studio - woolen mitten dies

Spellbinders - checkered argyle embossing folder

Spellbinders - Santa's sippin' sayings stamp (for both sentiments)

Catherine Pooler - notecard postage dies (for stitched rectangle die)

*Gina K Designs - ink pads - medium and dark cranberry

Gina K Designs - ink cubes - medium and dark spruce

Gina K Designs - large, small and detail blending brushes

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

Versafine Clair - nocturne 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

Heart's Quest Celebrations of Love - Guest Designer

Hello friends, welcome back to my blog.  I was lucky enough to win a recent challenge so I am guest designing for the Heart's Quest Celebrations of Love challenge blog this month.  Every month they have a BEWAS theme (Birthday, Engagement, Wedding, Anniversary and Sympathy) with an optional theme, which this month is 'Valentines/Love'.  

I decided to make a birthday card as I have a few birthdays coming up this month and used a new die set from Spellbinders (DOM Jan 26).  I used the die to make a shaped card and I think it turned out really pretty.  I hope you like it too. 

Here is my card:

A closer look at the details:

Plus I decorated the inside:

It is such a pretty die set and ideal for a shaped card.  I folded a piece of A4 white card in half and ran the die through my die cutting machine with the top of the die just protruding slightly over the fold of the card; this way I created the shaped card.  I die cut one extra white piece to place on the front of the card so that it would be the full design, die cut the 'frame' from black card and adhered that the white panel with liquid glue.  I decided I wanted a rainbow background with the flower die cuts being in a silhouette style.  I cut the 'petals' from coloured card from my scraps bin and cut each flower from black card.  I did decide to add the details with white card to make them pop a little.  I adhered all the flowers together with liquid glue and also added the petals into the frame with liquid glue.  I added the flowers onto the panel with a mix of foam squares and liquid glue.  I stamped the sentiment onto the white half circle and adhered it into the frame with liquid glue.  I finished off with a few black pearls.  For the inside I simply stamped a sentiment in black ink in the centre and added one of the die cut flowers in the bottom right corner with liquid glue.  I wanted the back of the card to be a bit more sturdy so I die cut another white panel and adhered it to the back of the card with liquid glue.  

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

Aud Sentiments challenge - dies and/or love/anniversary/wedding + sentiment

Colorful Options challenge - pink & purple or alternatively rainbow inspired

Hearts Quest for Shaped Cards and Tags challenge - ATG shaped card or tag

Moving Along With The Times challenge - floral

Triple B challenge - birds, blooms or butterflies optional inspiration board

I would like to thank Becca and the Team at HQCOL for inviting me to be a guest for this fun challenge and I hope you will pop over and leave them some love. I'm sure this will be a popular challenge as it's all the themes that we create for our friends and loved ones.  

Enjoy the rest of your day and thanks for stopping by.

Love and hugs,

card supplies:

Spellbinders - sunny stems die set (DOM Jan 26)

Spellbinders - be bold blooms die set (for the smallest flower)

Spellbinders - envelope of wonder sentiments stamp (for outside sentiment)

Spellbinders - stylish ovals birthday wishes stamp (for inside sentiment)

Limetree Craft - 280gsm silky smooth white card (not available currently but other options can be found here and here)

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

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

coloured card from my 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

Card Clubhouse IG Hop - Week 2 goals/dreams

Good morning friends; I'm back to share my card for the new Card Clubhouse IG hop organised by my lovely friend Kelly. We are on Week 2 and our theme is 'plans/goals for 2026' maybe you want to start working out, reading more or just want to craft more; we want to see your interpretation in card form lol!  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.

One of my goals this year is to actually send out the cards I make; sounds easy doesn't it?  I was useless last year and sent out hardly any cards so that is what I am determined to improve this year. I have already sent one card out this year so I'm feeling positive!  I recently purchased this super cute die set which is a mail box with a gift card holder inside and I thought this would be perfect to represent me posting all my cards.  I hope you love it as much as I do.

Here is my fun shaped card:

A side view to show the dimension:

A closer look at the details:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by die cutting two of the main panels from red card which I used to make my card base (I scored the top of one of the panels about 3/4" in and then glued them together just along that small 3/4" strip ).  I cut the smaller layer panel from pink gingham paper and added that to the front of my card with liquid glue.  If you want the smaller panel actually opens and you can place a gift card inside, however I decided not to do that this time.   I added some scrap card behind the smaller layer and added them onto the card with double sided tape.  I did die cut the handle and the piece that would usually keep the front panel closed but it is just for decoration only.  I adhered both of these pieces with liquid glue.  I die cut lots of the elements from red, pink, white, black card and gingham paper and assembled them all using liquid glue.  I adhered the happy mail die cuts to the front of the card using liquid glue and then arranged the other elements at the top and bottom of the panel using a mix of liquid glue and foam squares.  I finished off with some black pearls.  For the inside I cut the smaller panel from white card and stamped the sentiment in the centre with black ink.  I also added one of the die cuts in the bottom right corner with liquid glue.  I actually added it to the back of the card base before I scored it and it did crack a little but it's not too bad.  I'm really happy with this fun shaped card and it could be used for so many occasions.  It could be turned into a chalk board for back to school or make it look like an A-frame sign that you would find outside a coffee shop etc.    

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

Addicted to Stamps & More challenge - any occasion

Craft Rocket challenge - something new (my die set is new)

Heart's Quest for Shaped Cards and Tags challenge - ATG

Love Those Pretty Papers challenge - ATG must use patterned paper optional theme snowman

Make My Monday challenge - use paper with pattern

Paper Rocks Scissors challenge - use paper or scissors (I used gingham paper)

Pearly Sparkles challenge - use patterned paper

Word Power challenge - make the sentiment the focus of your card

I hope you will pop over to Instagram and check out the hop; please use the hashtag #cardclubhousehop2026 to see all the gorgeous creations and also if you want to participate we will be able to find you. 

Thank you so much for stopping by.

Love and hugs,

card supplies:

Time for Tea Designs - happy mail gift card holder die set on sale!

Time for Tea Designs - happy mail gift card holder add-on die set on sale!

Lawn Fawn - Valentine mice stamp (for inside sentiment)

Memory Box - bubblegum gingham card

Limetree Craft - 280gsm silky smooth white card

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

red, pink and black card from stash

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

*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

Pearly Sparkles challenge - guest designer

Hello again friends; here I am again back with my second post for today!  I am delighted to be a guest designer over at Pearly Sparkles challenge this month and their theme is 'shaped card' so we want you to make a fun shaped card - no squares or rectangles allowed.  I hope you have fun with the challenge and I can't wait to see what you create.

I decided to make a circle card but with a fun twist - I made it into a doughnut shaped card.  It is so much fun and because my son loves pink sprinkled doughnuts I had to make it pink lol!  It's only a dinky 4 1/4" diameter but it makes it even more adorable.  I hope you love it too.

Here is my shaped card:

A closer look:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by making a 5" x 5" card base from white card and used the largest of my new nesting circle die set to cut out my circle card base.  I also cut a circle from kraft card to place on the front on my card.  I cut out the next circle down from the die set from pink card and traced a wobbly outline with pencil and cut it out with my scissors for the icing of my doughnut (I should have cut it a little bigger so that the kraft card wasn't showing quite so much but I still think it looks great).  I took one of the smaller circles in the set (approx 1 1/2" diameter) and cut the doughnut hole from the card base, the kraft circle and the pink circle. I adhered the kraft circle with liquid glue and the 'icing' with foam squares.  I was thinking about what to use for the sprinkles when I saw a die on my desk from a previous project that I thought would be perfect - a film strip die - the bits that fell out of the die cut were the perfect size and shape.  I cut out multiples from pink, blue, yellow and white card and added them randomly on the icing with liquid glue.  I added some crystal glaze to the sprinkles so that they would stand out and look dimensional.  I stamped the sentiment onto white card and cut it out with a sentiment strip die, adhered it with foam squares and then added a cute twine bow above it with liquid glue.  For the inside I cut another smaller circle from white card, again cutting the doughnut centre, stamped a small sentiment on either side in black ink and then adhered this to my card base with liquid glue.  I added a few of the sprinkles around the sentiment too.  I did cut a small piece off the back of the card base so that my card would stand up straight without toppling over.  This card really makes me smile and I hope it makes you smile too.  

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

Christmas (or not) BINGO challenge - Line I - circle or oval card shape, free, button or knot

Crafty Catz challenge - ATG

Dream Valley challenge - ATG

Halloween & Other Occasions challenge - birthday

Seize The Birthday challenge - ATG birthday/no topping

I would like to thank Helen and everyone at Pearly Sparkles challenge for having me as a guest this month. I hope you will be able to play along with the challenge and I cannot wait to see all your shaped card projects.

Ok, that is it from me for today, but thank you for stopping by and visiting my corner of blogland.

Love and hugs,

card supplies:

Waffle Flower - nesting circle die set

MFT - sweet birthday wishes stamp (for outside sentiment) - no longer available

MFT - sweet 16 stamp (for inside sentiment) - no longer available

Funky Fossil Designs - filmstrip dies (for sprinkles)

Crafter's Companion - kraft cardstock 

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

Tonic Studios - Nuvo crystal glaze 

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

pink card from stash

twine from stash

A fishy card for Willow!

Hello friends and happy Saturday.  I hope you've had a great start to your weekend.  My husband had a partial knee replacement (and also some metalwork removed from his other leg) earlier in the week so this week has been busy and long lol!  He came home on Thursday and I have to say for a man he is doing remarkably well.  He's walking very well and not in too much pain, although I think he does have a high pain threshold normally.  He has to wait 10 days to have his clips out and then he can begin his physio, although honestly I don't think they will have to do too much with him.  

Anyway enough waffling let's get on with the card.  Last week was our Willow's 2nd birthday and I had to make her a card, even though hubby thought I was completely mad, especially when I wrote a heartfelt message inside it too lol!  I was a little stumped what to make so decided to make a fish shaped card for her.  Here is my card:

a little closer view:

I began by roughly drawing the fish shape by hand and cutting out a template from paper.  I then laid this onto a 5x7 card base and cut around it to make my shaped card base.  It's a little wonky in places but I think it looks ok.  I also cut a smaller piece out of yellow card for my panel.  I used a stencil to create the fish scales and punched a small black circle for the eye (I added some white gel pen to make it look more realistic).  The sentiments were stamped in black ink and cut out with a label die and I die cut the letters and number 2 from white card.  For a little contrast I ink blended them with the same ink but with a bit of a heavier hand so that they would stand out.  I went for an ombre look on letters, which I stacked 4 times and added them to the card panel with liquid glue.  The sentiments were added with foam squares.  The yellow fish panel was also added to the card base with foam tape.  I know I'm biased but isn't it adorable?  I'm really happy with the finished result, even if it isn't perfect.  Willow loved it and that is all that matters haha!  

Here is Willow admiring her card:

and I love this one cos it looks like the fish is eating her:

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

Seize the Birthday challenge - shaped card

Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge - happy birthday (happy 13th birthday SSS)

Time Out challenge - monochromatic

Aud Sentiments challenge - washi and/or shaped card + sentiment

Inspired By challenge - alphabet (inspired by the letters and big bold sentiment)

I hope you have a wonderful day and thank you so much for stopping by.

Love and hugs, 

card ingredients:

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

yellow card from stash

Taylored Expressions - sweet scallop stencil 

Lawn Fawn - Henry's ABC dies

MFT - smitten kitten (for main stamped sentiment)

MFT - you wow me (for the 'you're')

MFT - by the numbers dies (retired)

Versafine onyx black ink

Sakura - gelly roll 10 white pen

Gina K Designs - sentiment strip dies

Gina K Designs - honey mustard ink pad