Krafty Chicks challenge #781 - 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. Another card to add 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.

I recently bought a few die sets in the Spellbinders sale and was itching to use them so pulled a couple of them out for today's card.  I decided to make a shaped card and I love how it turned out; I hope you like it too. 

Here is my card:

A closer look at the gorgeous stag:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by creating my card base using one of the new die sets called essential stylish ovals.  I took a full sheet of white card and scored it in half, placed the die slightly over the score line and ran it through my die cutting machine.  The finished card size is 4 1/4" x 5 1/2".  I cut another smaller white oval from the set and stamped it with a script background using versamark ink and heat set it with gold detail embossing powder.  I slightly inked the edges with a red ink pad.  I die cut all the pieces from the floral stag die set using coloured card from my scraps bin and used liquid glue to adhere them all together.  For my arrangement I basically followed the picture on the packaging as I really liked it.  I used liquid glue to adhere everything to the panel except for the upper part of the stag, the large flower and the poinsettia which I added with foam squares.  I stamped and gold heat embossed the sentiment and used the coordinating die to cut it out; this was added with foam squares.  The panel was then added to the card base with double sided tape.  I finished off with a few gold pearl embellishments.  For the inside I again die cut another smaller oval, heat embossed the script background, just to the very top, and added another poinsettia and holly leaf with liquid glue.  I stamped the sentiment in a dark chocolate ink and adhered the panel to the card base with double sided tape.  I really like this floral stag die set and I think it would look great on a 5" x 7" card too.  

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

The 12 months of Christmas Link Up challenge - ATG Christmas optional twist diamond shapes

A Cut Above challenge - ATG with a die cut

Allsorts challenge - animals

Aud Sentiments challenge - any shape (except rectangle) and/or washi tape + a sentiment

Christmas (or not) BINGO challenge - Line B - Christmas, brown, free

Craft Rocket challenge - animals

Crafty Animals challenge - ATG must include an animal

Creative Moments challenge - embossing (I heat embossed my background and sentiment)

Critter Crazy challenge - ATG with a featured critter

Cut It Up challenge - add a sentiment

Dragonfly Dreams challenge - lots of layers

Dream Valley challenge - shaped cards

FarmQuest Country Christmas challenge - ATG with outdoor settings 

Hearts Quest for Shaped Cards and Tags challenge - ATG

Let's Craft and Create challenge - ATG optional polka dots and/or stripes

Merry Little Christmas challenge - anything Christmas goes

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

The Holly & Ivy Christmas challenge - anything Christmas goes

The Paper Funday challenge - ATG optional twist '4 legged friends'

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:

Spellbinders - floral stag die set - still on sale!

Spellbinders - essential stylish ovals die set - still on sale!

Spellbinders - Christmas magic sentiment stamp & die - still on sale!

MFT - romantic script BG stamp

Versamark - watermark ink pad

Cosmic shimmer - detail bright gold embossing powder

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

Gina K Designs - dark chocolate ink pad

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

coloured card from my scraps bin

Gorgeous Gift Tags IG Hop July 25

Hello friends, I hope you're having a lovely Saturday so far. It's time for this month's Gorgeous Gift Tags IG Hop, which takes place on the 5th of each month. You always have the option to go for anything goes but the extra prompt this month is 'stencil(s)', which is a fab theme. I expect the rest of the hop will have some gorgeous stencilled creations so I hope you will pop over to Instagram and check them out.  

Stencils are such a staple in a crafters arsenal these days that it's not really a challenge to use them. I actually used two different stencils on my tag and it ended up with a mixed media vibe, which I love.  I hope you like it too. 

Here is my tag:

A closer look at the details:

Plus I decorated the back:

I began by stencilling the sun spots stencil using red and pink ink onto a piece of white card and then used my tag die to cut it out.  I wanted to add some texture so grabbed my white texture paste but unfortunately it had dried up and I couldn't use it so instead found a sparkle texture paste so used that instead.  The sparkle paste is really pretty and although it doesn't stand out as much as the white the paste really glistens in the light for a different effect.  Once that was dry I added some white splatters all over the tag.  I debated for ages as to what to use as my focal point and then remembered I had this cute birdie die set that hadn't been used so thought I would show him some love.  I ink blended some of the pink and red ink onto scraps of white card and used that to die cut most of my pieces for the bird.  I did use black for the base layer and white for the eye patch piece.  I adhered him together with liquid glue and added the top layer of the wing with a foam square.  I die cut the 'branch' from brown card.  So that my bird wouldn't be lost on the tag I die cut a circle from vellum to use as a grounding piece and I adhered the bird with foam squares.  The vellum was also added to the tag with foam squares.  I white heat embossed my sentiment onto a scrap of black card and cut it out with a sentiment strip die; this was adhered with liquid glue.  I felt that my tag needed a bit more black so grabbed a stamp set of distressed patterns and randomly stamped them onto the background with black ink.  I recycled some ribbon from a dress I bought recently but as it was white I decided to ink blend some of the pink ink onto it with a blending brush; I think it turned out really well.  I die cut another two white tags and adhered them behind my tag with liquid glue.  I wasn't going to decorate the back this time but couldn't leave it plain, however I had already stuck everything down so had to careful adding things as it was an uneven surface.  I decided not to stencil but instead inked around the edges with the inks and added some of the distressed stamps as I thought it wouldn't matter if they didn't stamp properly.  I did risk stamping the 'to and from' stamp using a clear block but thankfully it stamped ok.  This tag went in a completely different direction that what I planned but I love the finished result.  

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

Alphabet challenge - f is for feathers (my bird has feathers)

Crafty Animals challenge - ATG must include an animal/bird

Creative Moments challenge - use a die cut 

Creative Friday challenge - neon colours or bold colours

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

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

Mix It Up challenge - ATG optional twist mixed media

Stencil Fun challenge - use stencils optional theme your flag colours

Tag-Along (& ATC's) challenge - in the garden/ATG

The Paper Funday challenge - ATG optional twist fun with stencils 

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

We hope you will be inspired by our Gorgeous Gift Tags Instagram 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 #gorgeousgifttagshop2025 and we will find your tags.
Thanks for stopping by and take care.

Lots of love

card supplies:

Gina K Designs - sun spots stencil

Spellbinders - hummingbird textures stencil

Spellbinders - sweet birdie die set

Spellbinders - big jolly Santa die set (I used Santa's stick as my branch)

Waffle Flower - nesting tags die set

Waffle Flower - nesting circles dies

MFT - distressed patterns stamp - ? retired

Cosmic Shimmer - frosty dawn sparkle texture paste - discontinued

Clearly Besotted - bird bath stamp (for sentiment) - retired

Gina K Designs - large strip sentiments dies

Gina K Designs - sketched wreath builder (for to/from stamp)

Gina K Designs - ink pads - passionate pink and red hot

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

Hobbycraft - A4 black card

Versamark - embossing & watermark ink pad

WOW! - opaque bright white super fine embossing powder

ribbon recycled from a dress

Gorgeous Gift Tags IG Hop June 25

Hello friends, I hope you're doing ok and that you've had a lovely day so far.  It's time for a new theme for the Gorgeous Gift Tags IG Hop, which takes place on the 5th of each month.  You always have the option to go for anything goes but the extra prompt this month is 'flowers', which is such a lovely and easy theme.  I expect the rest of the hop will be adorned with enough flowers to fill a garden lol!  I hope you can pop over to Instagram and join us.  

I love flowers and it's so easy to make a project that includes them.  I grabbed some coloured card from my scraps bin (still trying to use it up) and went to work.  I hope you like it.

Here is my tag:

A closer look the flowers:

Plus I decorated the other side of the tag:

I began by die cutting my tag from white card and using a stencil and some sea glass ink created a soft stencilled background.  I die cut the flowers from a teal coloured card and layered them up with foam squares adding a gold mirri card centre with liquid glue.  I also cut some leaves from the gold mirri card.  At this point I decided I wanted to mat my tag onto some of the teal card but I didn't have a larger tag so I simply trimmed down the white one every so slightly so that I had a thin border.  I adhered them together with liquid glue.  I stamped a sentiment with versamark ink and embossed it with gold detail embossing powder.  I used a sentiment strip die to cut it out.  I arranged my flowers and leaves on the tag and adhered them with liquid glue.  The sentiment was added with a mix of foam tape and liquid glue and I finished with a few gold pearls.  For the other side of the tag I cut another white tag and heat embossed the To: and From with the gold embossing powder and added a few gold leaves to the top left and bottom right corners with liquid glue.  I adhered the tags together with liquid glue.  I added some white tulle ribbon (recycled from packaging) and tied it with some twine.  It's such a pretty tag in real life and will really jazz up a plain white gift bag.  

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

Beautiful Blossoms challenge - anything floral goes optional mood board

Cardz 4 Galz challenge - floral frenzy

Christmas (or not) BINGO challenge - Line B - tag, free, fibres (I used ribbon & twine)

Colorful Options challenge - inspiration photo

Craft Rocket challenge - no design paper

Cut It Up challenge - ATG

Fab 'n' Funky challenge - use your die cuts

Heart's Quest for shaped cards & tags challenge - ATG

Just Us Girls challenge - die cut week - layers

Stencil Fun challenge - ATG optional summertime fun

Tag-along (& ATC's) challenge - ATG with the option of drinks

The Paper Funday challenge - ATG optional twist embossing heat and/or dry

Tic Tac Toe challenge - layers, free, floral/foliage

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

Unicorn challenge - not square

Word Art Wednesday challenge - ATG

We hope you will be inspired by our Gorgeous Gift Tags Instagram 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 #gorgeousgifttagshop2025 and we will find your tags. 

Thanks for stopping by and take care.

Lots of love

card supplies:

Creative Dies Plus - wonky stitches nesting tags - ? retired

Spellbinders - I dance die set (for flowers and leaves)

Spellbinders - Santa's sippin' sayings stamp (for sentiment)

Spellbinders - spring stencil backgrounds

Gina K Designs - sketched wreath builder (for To:/From:)

Gina K Designs - sea glass ink pad

MFT - skinny strips dies - oos ? retired

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card - not currently available - they do have 300gsm bright white card available here

Versamark ink pad

Cosmic Shimmer - bright gold detail embossing folder

coloured card & mirri card from scraps bin

Krafty Chicks challenge #729 - CAS

Hello again lovely friends.  I hope you're all doing ok and having a great week.  It's Thursday so that means it's time for a new challenge over at Krafty Chicks challenge.  We are now on Week 3 which means Diane is our hostess and our theme as always is 'CAS (clean and simple)', so come and join in the fun with us. 

I didn't have anyone in mind when I made this card (for a change) so just had fun and went with it.  I chose colours I liked and really like the finished card, even though it took 10 minutes to make!  I hope you like it too.

Here is my card:

A closer look:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by cutting a white panel 4" x 5 1/4".  I took 5 ink cubes and lightly swiped them across the panel from the left side so that they went to white at the right side.  I took a beautiful floral stamp and simply stamped it in black ink over the swiped panel; no colouring or anything fancy but I think it looks dramatic and modern.  I decided at this point to die cut the panel using a stitched rectangle die and also a black mat panel.  I adhered them together with double sided tape.  I stamped the sentiment onto black card using versamark embossing ink and added white embossing powder which I heat set; I had the matching die so cut it out with that.  The panel was added to my card base with foam tape and I also added the sentiment with foam squares.  I didn't add any embellishments as I thought it looked colourful and fun as it was.  For the inside I cut a white panel and a black mat panel using the same dies as for the front.  I again swiped the ink pads across the panel but this time I didn't even go as far as the middle of the panel and then stamped a sentiment in black ink.  The panels were adhered together with double sided tape and then onto the card base also with double sided tape.  A super quick card but really colourful and quite easy to mass produce using different colours.  

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

Addicted to Stamps & More challenge - any occasion

Beautiful Blossoms challenge - anything floral goes optional mood board

CRAFT challenge - ATG option back to school

Daisy Chain challenge - for the girls

Halloween & Other Occasions challenge - always birthday

Pearly Sparkles challenge - floral

Scrapping4Fun challenge - ATG

Simply Clean & Simple challenge - anything CAS option off centre

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - add a sentiment

Stamping Sensations challenge - ATG or summer in the garden

Triple B challenge - use at least one bird, blooms or butterflies

Try It On Tuesday challenge - keep it simple

Unicorn challenge - flowers 

I hope you will be able to join us for our 'CAS' 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 Rachelle.  

I have an extra card for you today so please pop back in a little while and check it out.  

Thanks for stopping by. 

Love and hugs, 

card ingredients:

Gina K Designs - lovely flowers stamp

Gina K Designs - on the inside stamp (for inside sentiment)

Gina K Designs - all occasion flowers stamp & die bundle (for sentiment)

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

Gina K Designs - Master Layouts 1 (for plain rectangle die)

Gina K Designs - ink cubes - carnation cube set, orchid cube set, lilac cube set

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card

Hobbycraft - A4 luxury black card

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

Versamark - embossing ink

WOW! - opaque bright white super fine embossing powder

Summer Soiree Card Making IG Hop - Week 7

Hello friends; I hope you've had a great start to your week.  Apologies for the lack of posts this past week but Wesley is dominating my time so much that I don't have any time to myself!  He is a bundle of fun, but a little terror at the same time lol!  He's been enjoying the gorgeous weather we've been having this week and loves being outside.  

Anyway enough of my waffling let's get down to the real reason you are here.  It's week 7 of our Summer Soiree IG card hop, which has been organised by my lovely friend Kelly. This week is all about 'summer bugs' so we want to see all your cute and fun critters. 

I wanted to use this cute stamp set from Clearly Besotted (this is the same set that I got the fun bees from that I used on my World Bee Day card a little while ago).  They are such adorable images and fairly simple to colour too.  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A close look at the cute images:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by cutting a panel of 8 1/2" x 5 1/4" kraft card and stamped my own background paper using 2 leaf stamps from the stamp set and versamark ink for a tone on tone look.  I cut 2 panels from the background measuring 3 3/4" x 5".  I stamped the images onto alcohol marker friendly ink and coloured them with Promarkers before using the matching dies to cut them out.  I stencilled a background using a stencil and die cut it out with a circle die.  I stamped the sentiment in black ink and used a sentiment strip die to cut it out.  I took some alpha dies and cut out the word 'bugs' from green card and inked the bottom half with a slightly darker green ink.  I added the circle onto the background with foam tape, the caterpillar was also added with foam tape and the dragonfly was added with liquid glue.  I tucked 2 leaves behind the circle, adding them with liquid glue.  I also added the sentiment and words with liquid glue.  The panel was added to the card base with foam tape.  For the inside I cut a white panel 3 1/4" x 4 1/2" and stamped a sentiment in the centre with black ink.  I lightly ink blended the bottom and added another cute bug and 2 leaves with liquid glue.  I adhered the white panel onto the kraft panel with double sided tape and this was added to the card base with double sided tape.  A really fun card and I love a good punny sentiment lol!  

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

Addicted to Stamps & More challenge - birthdays

The Crafter's Cafe challenge - ATG twist include some balloons

I Love Promarkers challenge - ATG/masculine

Make My Monday challenge - colouring mediums (I used alcohol markers)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - ATG

The Cutie Pie challenge - beginning with B (bugs)

Try It On Tuesday challenge - in the garden (bugs)

If you would like to follow the hop over on Instagram please use the hashtag #summersoireecardmakinghop2024 to find us or alternatively visit my profile and you will find the list of participants on my post.  We would love it if you would give the summer soiree challenges a try and again use the hashtag and we will find your projects.  

I'll be back tomorrow with my card for the Krafty Chicks challenge but until then enjoy the rest of your day and thank you for stopping by. 

Love and hugs,

Card ingredients:

Clearly Besotted Stamps - cute as a bug stamp & matching die set - retired

Promarkers

Clearly Besotted Stamps - a little sentiment stamp set - retired

Clearly Besotted Stamps - around about stencil

Gina K Designs - sentiment strips dies

Gina K Designs - perfect posy stamp set (for inside greeting)

Gina K Designs - ink pads - sea glass, ocean mist, lucky clover, grass green

Lawn Fawn - Henry's ABC dies

Tonic Studios - circles layering basics dies

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card

Heffy Doodle - alcohol marker friendly card - store now closed

Crafter's Companion - desert storm kraft card

Versafine - onyx black ink 

Memento - tuxedo black ink

Versamark - embossing ink 

CAS on Friday challenge - guest designer

Hello friends and welcome to Friday.  I hope you've had a great week so far and you've got some exciting plans for the weekend.  

I was lucky enough to win a recent challenge over at CAS on Friday and was offered a guest DT spot.  I excitedly accepted and today is the day that I can share my project for them.  The theme for this challenge is 'watercolour'.  I was going to go down my usual route of a background wash of colour and an image over top but decided to try something different.  After watching a couple of YouTube videos showing simple watercolour flowers I decided to give it a try myself.  My efforts are definitely not exceptional but I am over the moon pleased with the final outcome.  I hope you like it too. 

Here is my card:

A closer look at my flowers:

I decorated the inside:

I began by cutting a panel of Bristol smooth heavy weight card to 4 1/4" x 5 1/2".  I used my Kuretake Gansai Tambi palette and chose a pink, blue and green pan to use on my card.  Following one tutorial I saw on YouTube I added 3 small dots of concentrated colour with a small paint brush and dragged the colour out with a clean damp brush to create the petals.  I created 2 pink and 2 blue flowers in this fashion.  I know I should have done 3 or 5 flowers for perfect design but I liked the way my 4 flowers looked (and I didn't want to mess up my panel by adding one more lol!).  I added the stems using the green paint and added some leaves (although some were a little wonkier than others!).  I took a gold pan and added the centres to my flowers and also some splatter (spatter?) all over the background.  I stamped my sentiment and heat embossed with gold embossing powder (I did a little stamp surgery as the original sentiment was happy birthday bestie but I cut it apart between the birthday and bestie).  I then added the panel to an A2 card base using double sided tape.  No embellishments or anything extra as I loved it the way it was.  For the inside I took another panel of the Bristol card and stamped a sentiment in the centre with black ink.  I had practiced my flowers on a scrap of card and as they looked so pretty I didn't want to throw them away so I cut them into triangles and added them to the right top and bottom left corners with liquid glue.  A really simple card but a one-off original made by yours truly lol!

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

A Place to Start challenge - ATG

Beautiful Blossoms challenge - anything florals goes optional mood board

Creative Inspirations challenge - ATG

Halloween and Other Occasions challenge - always birthday

Incy Wincy Designs challenge - round/circles and/or hand drawn/sewing (my flowers are hand painted)

Moving Along With The Times challenge - CAS (clean and simple)

My Time To Craft challenge - summer florals

Scrapping4Fun challenge - birthday

Simply Clean and Simple challenge - CAS optional use a heart (happy 1st anniversary)

Triple B challenge - use at least one bloom, bird or butterfly optional mood board

I hope you will be able to join in with the challenge over at CAS on Friday but remember it must be a CAS creation and you are allowed one entry only. You can read the definition of CAS here. 

Thank you so much for stopping by. 

Love and hugs, 

card ingredients:

Kuretake - Gansai Tambi 36 colour paint palette

Strathmore - Bristol smooth heavyweight card

MFT - inside and out birthday greetings

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

Cosmic Shimmer - detail bright gold embossing powder

Versamark - watermark ink pad

Versafine - onyx black ink pad