Cards for all seasons IG Hop - Week 1

Hello friends; I hope you're having a great week so far.  Today is the start of a brand new Instagram Hop organised by my lovely friend Kelly. This hop is called 'cards for all seasons' and for the next 9 weeks we will be celebrating all things winter.  Week 1 is hosted by Amrita and she has chosen 'countdown to Christmas/winter'. A really fun theme and I can't wait to see what sparks your imagination.

I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to take part as we are currently in the first week of our kitchen renovation and seriously my house is upside down; I have things everywhere.  Luckily for me I found some images already coloured and die cut that I could use for today's card.  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the images:

Plus I decorated the inside:

As I said the images were already coloured with Promarkers and die cut out with the matching dies.  I cut a white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and then took a circle die and cut it out of the panel in the upper centre.  I die cut 3 snowy hill and secured them in place behind the circle with double sided tape.  I ink blended directly onto my card base with sea glass and turquoise sea inks and added some 'snow' with a white gelly roll pen.  I added foam tape behind the white panel and adhered it to my card base.  I added all the images with liquid glue except for the large centre house which was added with foam squares.  This design of card would have been perfect for a shaker card but I was short on time and didn't want to mess it up!  I stamped the sentiment onto a scrap of white card and cut it out with a sentiment strips die.  I added it below the circle with foam squares.  I didn't add any embellishments as I liked the clean look of everything contained within the circle (apart from the sentiment).  For the inside I cut a white panel 3 7/8" x 5 1/8" and die cut another snowy hillside and added it to the bottom of the panel with liquid glue.  I placed two trees and one small house into the bottom left corner with liquid glue and stamped the sentiment in the upper centre with black ink.  I adhered the panel to the card base with double sided tape.  I love these Lawn Fawn winter village images and I will have to use them again soon. 

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

The 12 Months of Christmas link up challenge - ATG Christmas

Addicted to Stamps & More challenge - Christmas

Alphabet challenge - R is for round

A Place to Start challenge - ATG optional twist happy holidays (any holiday)

Christmas Kickstart challenge - if it's Christmassy, link it up

Creative Inspirations challenge - let it snow

Dragonfly Dreams challenge - Christmas 

Everybody Art challenge - house/home

I Love Promarkers challenge - ATG/springtime

Merry Little Christmas challenge - anything Christmas goes

Peace On Earth Christmas challenge - anything Christmas themed

Pearly Sparkles challenge - Christmas

PINspirational challenge - ATG

Stamping Sensations challenge - ATG option winter

The Four Seasons challenge - ATG winter

The Dream Factory challenge - Christmas

I hope you will pop over to Instagram and check out the hop; please use the hashtag #cardsforallseasonshop2024 to see all the gorgeous creations and also if you want to participate we will be able to find you. 

I'll be back in the morning with my card for the Krafty Chicks challenge so I hope you will pop back and check it out. Until then thank you so much for stopping by. 

Love and hugs,

card ingredients:

Lawn Fawn - winter village stamp & die set

Lawn Fawn - home for the holidays stamp & die set (for outside sentiment and inside trees)

Promarkers

Gina K Designs - Master Layouts 8 (for circle die)

Gina K Designs - large strip sentiments dies

Gina K Designs - ink pads - sea glass & turquoise sea 

MFT - snowy hillside dies

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

Sakura - white no. 10 gelly roll pen

We Love Stamping - Guest designer

Hello again friends; I'm back with my second post for today (and another late post oops!).  I am delighted to be a guest designer over at We Love Stamping challenge this month.  Their theme this month is winter; so feel free to create anything that inspires you when you think of winter time.  

I was originally working off an inspiration mood board but the team decided to change the theme to just winter so my card fits either way thankfully.  I actually used a digital image for the first time in ages and although I always used to use digi images I don't enjoy using them as much as clear stamps these days but I can understand the cost and flexibility they give.  I hope you like my card:

A closer look at the images:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by printing out my digital image onto alcohol marker friendly card, coloured it with Promarkers and added some white gel pen highlights.  I added some stickles glitter to the 'snow' so that it would glisten.  I fussy cut the image around the border.  In my original inspiration photo there was a squirrel and bunny so I stamped one of each and again coloured them with Promarkers before fussy cutting them out.  I found some dark green patterned paper so cut it into strips and added them directly onto my 5" x 7" card base with double sided tape.  I adhered the image panel on top with foam tape.  I also added the squirrel and bunny with foam squares.  I stamped and die cut the Merry Christmas sentiment and added that with foam squares.  I didn't add any embellishments as I felt there was lots going on already.  For the inside I coloured the top part of the digital image (a failed print that came out the wrong orientation lol) and coloured it with Promarkers.  I added a strip of patterned paper behind it and added it to a white panel, adding a red strip above it. This was matted onto a dark green panel.  I stamped a sentiment in black ink in the centre.  The panel was then added to my card base with double sided tape.  A very traditional card but perfect for an older friend this Christmas.  

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

The 12 Months of Christmas Link Up challenge - ATG Christmas 

AAA Colourful challenge - colour board #10

Addicted to Stamps & More challenge - Christmas

A Place to Start challenge - ATG optional twist happy holidays (any holiday)

Christmas With The Cuties challenge - sparkle and shine (I used stickles glitter glue)

Creative Inspirations challenge - Christmas animals

Creative Moments challenge - winter 

Creative Friday challenge - any animals

Critter Crazy challenge - ATG with a featured animal

Dragonfly Dreams challenge - Christmas

Halloween & Other Occasions challenge - Christmas & other winter holidays

I Love Promarkers challenge - ATG/springtime

Merry Little Christmas challenge - Anything Christmas goes

Peace on Earth Christmas challenge - anything Christmas themed 

Pearly Sparkles challenge - Christmas 

Stamping Sensations challenge - AG option winter (supplies listed at bottom of post)

The Four Seasons challenge - ATG winter

The Dream Factory challenge - Christmas option funny cards

Tic Tac Toe challenge - #261 - sparkle/free/red and/or pink

Try It On Tuesday challenge - traditional Christmas

I'm sure this will be a popular challenge and I can't wait to see what you all come up with.  I would like to thank Brenda and all the team at We Love Stamping for asking me to be a guest designer and I would suggest you go and check out their amazing creations too.  

Have a wonderful day everyone; I appreciate you stopping by.  

Love and hugs, 

card ingredients:

LOTV - Christmas scenes post box digital image

LOTV - woodland fairies clear stamp (for squirrel and bunny) - stamp store currently closed

LOTV - verses clear stamp - stamp store currently closed 

Promarkers

Sakura - white no. 10 gelly roll pen

Gina K Designs - holiday floral bundle (for sentiment)

Gina K Designs - jelly bean green ink pad

Echo Park - dots & stripes 6x6 paper pad Christmas collection - retired

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

dark green card from stash

Ranger - crystal stickles glitter glue

AAA Birthday challenge #68 - lovely layers

Good morning friends and welcome to December!  I apologise for my late post; today is the start of having a new kitchen fitted so I've been frantically clearing out 25 years of stuff and completely forgot about my post.  I am repeating the mantra - it will be worth it in the end lol!  

Today I'm sharing my card for this month's brand new challenge over at the AAA Birthday challenge. This month our theme is 'lovely layers'. Our guest designer this month is the lovely Jo from Dotty Pudding Designs so please pop over to her blog and leave her some love. 

This month we'd like to see some layers on your birthday cards.  Now these could be patterned paper layers, a layering stencil, some layered up dies or mats. Or any other way you can think of!  I went with layers of embossed card and as I needed a birthday for my niece from my boys I combined the two.  I hope you like it. 

Here is my card:

A close up of the cute images:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I decided to make a square card for a change and the card size is 5 1/2" square.   I began by cutting all my layers from white and pink card in decreasing sizes and embossed the white panels with a swiss dot embossing folder.  I adhered the base layer with double sided tape and the top layers with foam tape.  For some definition I ink blended some pink ink over the embossing on the diamond oriented panels.  I already had the images coloured from a while ago (coloured with Promarkers) and just had to fussy cut them out.  I added them to the top panel with foam squares.  I stamped the sentiment and added a cousin word below and then die cut it out with a rectangle die; this was also added with foam squares.  The panel was then added to the card base with double sided tape.  For a finishing touch I added a few pink pearls in each corner.  For the inside I cut a white panel and added a pink mat.  I embossed another piece of white card and added it to the bottom of the panel with double sided tape and added a strip of pink card above it.  I stamped the sentiment in black ink.  The panel was added to the card base with double sided tape.  Something a bit different from me but it definitely has lots of layers.  

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

Can You Handle The Pressure challenge - Anything embossing goes optional twist winter fun

Crafty Gals Corner challenge - ATG optional twist use 3+ layers

Halloween & Other Occasions challenge - always birthday

I Love Promarkers challenge - ATG/springtime

Inspired By challenge - inspired by celebrations (I was inspired by the colours)

PINspirational challenge - ATG

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - ATG

Sweet Stampin' challenge - birthday

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.

I'll be back later with another card for you so hopefully you can stop by.  Have a great day. 

Love and hugs, 

card ingredients:

Waltzingmouse Stamps - we go together clear stamp - store sadly closed

Promarkers

Gina K Designs - swiss dot embossing folder

Gina K Designs - innocent pink ink pad

Spellbinders - perfect pie sentiments & fillings clear stamp (for sentiment)

Spellbinders - fashion Bella self adhesive pearl dots

Uniko Stamps - everyday family clear stamp

Uniko Stamps - birthday wishes clear stamp (for inside sentiment)

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

pink card from stash

Sakura - white no. 10 gelly roll pen

Krafty Chicks challenge #744 - All Occasions

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 is Week 4 and as always the theme is 'All Occasions' and Lori is our hostess. As the theme suggests you are free to make whatever creation you like such as Christmas, new baby, anniversary or even birthday.  We hope you will come over and join in the fun with us.

It was my niece's birthday last weekend so I used this opportunity to make a card for her.  She's not really a girly girl so went for rainbow colours and some fun die cuts.  I hope you like it. 

Here is my card:

A close up of the die cuts:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I like to make 5" x 7" cards for close family so I cut my white panel to 4 3/4" x 6 3/4" and my black mat layer just an 1/8" bigger.  I began by ink blending my rainbow colours all over the white panel.  I then chose some fun musical themed stamps, as well as some splatter type stamps, and randomly stamped them over the ink blended panel to create a unique background.  I adhered the panels together with double sided tape.  I die cut the headphones from black and white card and added them together with liquid glue.  I stamped the sentiment in black ink onto white card and used a sentiment strip die to cut it out.  I die cut the word niece 3 times from black card and adhered them together with liquid glue.  Finally instead of embellishments I die cut some small stars from coloured card from each of the rainbow colours and some musical notes from black card.  The headphones, sentiment and stars were all added with foam squares and the niece word and musical notes were added with liquid glue.  The panel was then added to my card base with foam tape.  For the inside I cut the same size white and black panels and adhered them together with double sided tape.  I masked off a small border at the bottom and again ink blended and stamped to match the front of the card.  I added 2 stars and 1 musical note with liquid glue.  I stamped my sentiment in the upper centre of the panel with black ink.  The panel was then added to my card base with double sided tape.  A fun card, that's bright and funky, but not too girly.  

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

Cardz 4 Galz challenge - favourite colour combo (rainbow)

Colorful Options challenge - red (or rainbow inspired)

Crafty Calendar challenge - ATG

Fab 'n' Funky challenge - dies and/or punches

Halloween & Other Occasions challenge - always birthday

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - ATG

Sweet Stampin' challenge - birthday

The Sisterhood of Crafters challenge - ATG 

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.  

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

Love and hugs, 

card ingredients:

MFT - headphones die set

MFT - musical notes die set - retired

MFT - blueprints 13 die set (for star) - retired

MFT - keep on rockin' clear stamp (for outside sentiment) - oos

MFT - distressed patterns clear stamp - oos

Funky Fossil Designs - press play clear stamp

LOTV - verses A5 polymer clear stamp (for inside sentiment) - stamps not currently available

Gina K Designs - large strip sentiments dies

Gina K Designs - ink pads - red hot, tangerine twist, wild dandelion, lucky clover, blue raspberry, wild wisteria

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

Hobbycraft - A4 black card 

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

pre-made 5" x 7" card blank

Fall Friends IG Card Hop - Week 12

Hello again friends; I am very late with my post this week; the day just got away from me. Anyway I'm back with my card for Week 12 of the 'Fall Friends' IG card hop organised by my lovely friend Kelly. This week is our final week and we have a fab 'mood board' for our inspiration.  A really fun theme and I can't wait to see what sparks your imagination.

Here is the mood board:

What comes to mind when you see this gorgeous photo?  I was immediately drawn to the leaves and the gorgeous colours so that I what I based my card on.  I have to say I did struggle a little this week (maybe I'm all fall'ed out lol!) and left it until the final moment to finish my card.  As a consequence the light was really gloomy and my photos are a little dark.  Anyway I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the leaves:

I also decorated the inside:

For a change I made a light brown card base.  I began by cutting a warm cream panel 4" x 5 1/4" and added some ink around the edges with kraft ink before adhering it directly onto my card base with double sided tape.  I die cut 4 leaves from brown, red, yellow and caramel card and also embossed them with a leaf embossing folder for some extra interest.  I die cut the thanks word 4 times and the shadow was die cut from vellum.  I added one layer onto the vellum and added the other 3 behind the vellum with liquid glue.  I stamped a sentiment onto cream card with brown ink and used a sentiment strip die to cut it out.  I arranged the leaves and added the sentiments, all with foam squares.  For a finishing touch I added some gold sequins.  For the inside I cut another warm cream panel 4" x 5 1/4" and inked around the edges with kraft ink and added it to the card base with double sided tape.  I die cut another 2 leaves but left them plain this time and added them to the bottom of the panel with liquid glue.  I stamped a sentiment in the centre with brown ink.   At the last minute I decided to add some crystal glaze to the thanks word so that it was shiny and looks dimensional.  

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

A Place to Start challenge - ATG optional twist sentiment of thanks

Can You Handle The Pressure challenge - ATG embossing optional twist winter fun

Cardz 4 Guyz challenge - grateful/thankful/blessed

Cupcake Inspirations challenge - toffee, yellow, red

Fab 'n' Funky challenge - dies and/or punches

If You Give a Crafter a Cookie challenge - inspired by the sentiment and colours

My Time To Craft challenge - thank you

Shopping Our Stash challenge - masculine

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - ATG

Word Power challenge - #11 (make the sentiment the focus)

I hope you will pop over to Instagram and check out the hop; use the hashtag #fallfriendscardhop2024 to see all the gorgeous creations and also if you want to participate we will be able to find you. 

I'll be back in the morning with my card for the Krafty Chicks challenge so I hope you will pop back and check it out. Until then thank you so much for stopping by. 

Love and hugs,

card ingredients:

Clearly Besotted - autumn flowers stamp & die set (I only used the dies) - retired

Gina K Designs - thanks & shadow die set 

Gina K Designs - doodled autumn clear stamp (for sub-sentiment) - retired

Gina K Designs - falling leaves embossing folder

Gina K Designs - sentiment strips dies 

Gina K Designs - ink pads - warm cocoa, kraft 

LOTV - verses A5 clear stamp - stamp store currently closed

Spellbinders - gold smooth disc color essentials sequins

All coloured card from my stash

Tonic Studios - Nuvo crystal glaze

Krafty Chicks challenge #743 - CAS

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 is Week 3 and as always the theme is 'CAS' and Diane is your hostess. You are free to make whatever creation you like but we want to see lots of open, unadorned, space on your projects.  We hope you will come over and join in the fun with us.

I made another Christmas card this week, although I'm not really sure I need any more, but it's always handy to have a few spares isn't it.  I went extreme CAS this week but I like the finished result, I hope you do too.  I think the kraft and gold give it a rustic feel and it would be suitable for a man too.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the tree:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by cutting a white panel 2 1/2" x 5 1/2" and heat embossed a sentiment about 2/3rds down the panel using gold detail embossing powder.  I stamped the tree in green ink and cut it out with scissors then took an embossing pen and added dots to the tree to resemble baubles; I again heat embossed them with gold powder.  I wanted the star to be the same gold as everything else so I swiped a piece of white card with an embossing pad, sprinkled embossing powder over it, melted it and then when cool die cut a star from it.  I added the tree and star above the sentiment with foam squares.  I added the white panel to my kraft card base with foam tape.  I resisted the urge to add anything else and moved on to the inside.  For the inside I cut a white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and stamped part of the tree in the bottom left corner, again adding another heat embossed die cut star and added a small sentiment in the centre of the panel with black ink.  The panel was adhered to the card base with double sided tape.  The embossing looks really pretty in real life and goes perfectly with the kraft card. 

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

Alphabet challenge - Q is for quick & easy

Aud Sentiments challenge - glitter and/or Christmas + sentiment

Craft Rocket challenge - Christmas and/or winter

Daisy Chain challenge - Christmas and/or winter

Merry Little Christmas challenge - anything Christmas goes

Peace on Earth Christmas challenge - anything goes Christmas

Shopping Our Stash challenge - masculine 

Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge - emboss it (I heat embossed in gold)

The Dream Factory challenge - anything Christmas goes optional theme: funny cards

Tic Tac Toe challenge - #260 - die cut/metallic element/festive sentiment

Unicorn challenge - Christmas and/or winter

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.  

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

Love and hugs, 

card ingredients:

Uniko Stamps - Christmas pop clear stamp

Uniko Stamps - rustic Christmas clear stamp (for outside sentiment)

Uniko Stamps - pure florals: poinsettia clear stamp (for inside sentiments)

MFT - blueprints 13 die set (for star) - retired

Gina K Designs - grass green ink pad

Cosmic Shimmer - bright gold detail embossing powder

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card - currently oos

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

kraft card from stash

Fall Friends IG Card Hop - Week 11

Hello again friends; I hope you're having a wonderful Wednesday. I'm back with my card for Week 11 of the 'Fall Friends' IG card hop organised by my lovely friend Kelly. This week is our penultimate week and our theme is 'gratitude or fall florals'. A really fun theme this week and you could make a thank you or thanksgiving card or simply go for a fall floral card, which is what I did.

I needed a card for friend so what better to use than flowers and sunflowers are perfect for fall and so pretty too.  I made a 5" x 7" card as it was for someone special.  I hope you like it. 

Here is my card:

A close up of the sunflower:

I decorated the inside:

I began by cutting a panel of ivory card 4 1/8" x 6 3/8" and embossing it with an embossing folder and adhered it to a kraft card mat with double sided tape.  I stamped two of the sunflower images onto alcohol marker friendly card and coloured them with my Promarkers (although I've noticed that I forgot to colour the centre of the top sunflower - oops!).  I used the matching dies to cut them out.  I cut a strip of the ivory card 4 1/4" x 1 1/4" and adhered it to a kraft card mat with double sided tape.  I then added this onto the centre of embossed panel with double sided tape.  I stamped and die cut the sentiment from the same stamp set and die cut the friend word from dark yellow card; I also cut the friend word from white card and layered them together for some dimension.  Both the sentiments were added to the strip with liquid glue.  I added the sunflowers to opposite corners with foam squares.  The whole panel was then added to my card base with foam tape.  As a finishing touch I die cut some circles from the dark yellow card, adhered them to my panel with liquid glue and then added crystal glaze over the top to make my own enamel-type embellishments that matched my sentiment perfectly.  For the inside I cut a white panel 4 1/2" x 6 1/2" and adhered it to a kraft card mat with double sided tape.  I stamped the sunflower in a light beige ink in the bottom left corner and added a strip of the ivory card that I embossed with the embossing folder.  I also added a strip of the kraft card above this.   I stamped the sentiment in the upper centre of the panel with black ink.  I added the whole panel onto my card base with double sided tape.  

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

Addicted to Stamps & More challenge - make your mark (coloured with Promarkers)

Beautiful Blossoms challenge - anything floral goes optional mood board

Birthstone challenges - topaz

Can You Handle The Pressure challenge - anything embossing goes optional coffee/cocoa/warm drinks

Cardz 4 Galz challenge - texture

Crafty Gals Corner challenge - ATG optional twist: use 3+ layers

Fab 'n' Funky challenge - dies and/or punches

Halloween & Other Occasions challenge - always birthday

I Love Promarkers challenge - ATG or Xmas colours

Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge - emboss it (I used an embossing folder)

Triple B challenge - use at least 1 bird, bloom or butterfly optional mood board 

I hope you will pop over to Instagram and check out the hop; use the hashtag #fallfriendscardhop2024 to see all the gorgeous creations and also if you want to participate we will be able to find you.

I'll be back tomorrow with my card for the Krafty Chicks challenge so I hope you will pop back and check it out. Until then enjoy the rest of your day and thank you so much for stopping by.

Love and hugs,

card ingredients:

Gina K Designs - blooming sunflower stamp & die set

Gina K Designs - lattice embossing folder

Gina K Designs - filled with sunshine stamp set (for inside sentiment)

Gina K Designs - lots of dots die set (to cut circles)

Gina K Designs - intra-cut exclusive die set (for friend word)

Gina K Designs - sandy beach ink pad

Gina K Designs - kraft card 

Promarkers

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

Heffy Doodle - alcohol marker friendly card - store now closed

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

Tonic Studios - Nuvo crystal glaze

yellow and ivory card from stash