Krafty Chicks challenge #771 - Birthday

Good morning lovely friends. I hope you're all doing ok and having a great week so far. We're back to our usual weather in South Wales; lots of rain showers and cloudy skies but that's the price we pay for lush green valleys!  

It's time for a new challenge over at Krafty Chicks challenge and this week we are on Week 1; as always the theme is 'birthday' and Leanne is our hostess. It can't get any easier than this week's challenge so we hope you will come over and join in the fun with us.

My son asked me to make a card for one of his friend's birthdays so this challenge was just the right time for me this week.  I used a couple of fun stamp sets and made an almost one layer card (I just can't work directly to my card base so I always have one layer lol!).  The card is 5" x 7" in size.  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the pattern:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by cutting my white panel 4 3/4" x 6 3/4" and using 4 colours of ink pads and 2 fun stamp sets, randomly stamped my background with no rhyme or reason.  I did manage to get ink in the right hand corner which I didn't intend so that's where my sentiment ended up.  Once I'd finished the background I matted it onto a black card layer with double sided tape.  I stamped the sentiment and used the coordinating die to cut it out.  As I mentioned I added to the top right corner with foam squares.  I also decided to add a little more interest and dimension so die cut some circles from matching card from my scraps bin and added them with foam squares.  I added some scrap card behind my panel for stability and adhered it to the card base with double sided tape.  For the inside I cut the same size white panel and replicated the front with a pattern in the lower left corner, I also added a splodge to the top right corner so that it matched the front.  I die cut a few more circles and added them with liquid glue.  I stamped the sentiment in black ink in the centre of the panel and then adhered the panel to a black layer with double sided tape.  I then added it to the card base with double sided tape.  I know it's a bit random and messy (I didn't know when to stop which is always the way with these types of backgrounds) but I really love how it turned out.  It would be fun in lots of colour ways I think.  

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

613 Avenue Create challenge - ATG optional twist for the guys

Classic Design challenge - ATG optional twist masculine

Craft Rocket challenge - no design paper

Creative Inspirations challenge - one for the boys

Cut It Up challenge - ATG

Daisy Chain challenge - birthday

Fab 'n' Funky challenge - use your die cuts

Halloween & Other Occasions challenge - birthday

Inkspirational challenge - celebrate

Moving Along With The Times challenge - birthday

Pearly Sparkles challenge - masculine

Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge - masculine

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - masculine

Sweet Stampin' challenge - boys, boys, boys

I hope you will be able to join us for our 'birthday' 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:

MFT - party patterns stamp - retired

MFT - distressed patterns stamp - oos ? retired

MFT - all star dynamics die set (for circles) - retired

Gina K Designs - spring clusters stamp & die bundle (for sentiment)

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

Gina K Designs - lots of dots die set (for smaller circles)

Gina K Designs - ink pads - red hot, soft stone, blue raspberry

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

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

Limetree Crafts - 220gsm black card

coloured card from scraps bin

AAA Birthday challenge #74 - no stamping

Hello again friends and happy 1st of June; can you believe we are already at the 6 month mark of 2025!!  This year needs to seriously slow down lol!  I'm here today to share my card for this month's AAA Birthday challenge and this month our theme is 'no stamping' which is harder than it sounds!  I hope you will take on our challenge this month and get creating. Our guest designer this month is the lovely Wendy so please pop over to her blog and leave her some love.

I make lots of cards that are purely die cutting or stencilling but they usually involve a stamped sentiment or something stamped so I actually did find this a challenge this month.  I used a new die set and I have to say I'm really happy with the finished result.  I hope you like it too.  

Here is my card:

A closer look at the die cuts:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by creating my flowers; die cutting them from coloured card from my scraps bin.  For the background I used a piece of white faded gradient paper so that it looked like sky and cut it out with a stitched rectangle die.  I also cut a grass border, using the same die.  The curved edge was made using a die from the same set as the flowers.  I adhered the papers with liquid glue leaving a gap so that I could tuck in my greenery.  I added the leaves with liquid glue and the flowers were adhered on top with foam squares.  I die cut 2 little butterflies from vellum and layered them together with liquid glue, leaving the wings free on the top butterfly.  I die cut the birthday wishes words from white card and the shadows from vellum and adhered them together with liquid glue.  I adhered them to the card panel with liquid glue.  For some dimension and stability I added a few scraps of white card behind my panel and adhered it to my card base with double sided tape.  I finished off with a few tiny white pearls.   For the inside I cut the same stitched rectangle from white card and a grass border again with the curve die and the stitched rectangle and adhered them together with liquid glue.  I cut one more flower and leaves and adhered them with liquid glue.  As I couldn't stamp a sentiment I left it blank until I need to send it out.  The panel was then adhered to the card base with double sided tape.  A really fun card and the tulips are so pretty.  

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

Allsorts challenge - ATG

Beautiful Blossoms challenge - anything floral goes optional mood board

Cardz 4 Galz challenge - floral frenzy

Dragonfly Dreams challenge - use one or more butterflies

Halloween & Other Occasions challenge - birthday

Inkspirational challenge - celebrate

Moving Along With The Times challenge - birthday

PINspirational challenge - summer sky inspiration photo

Triple B challenge - use at least one birds, blooms or butterflies optional inspiration photo

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:

Spellbinders - snail mail post die set

Spellbinders - happy birthday wishes die set

Simon Says Stamp - stitched rectangle die

Clearly Besotted - happy everything stamp & die set (for butterfly) - retired

Studio Light - slimline paper pad - white faded gradients ? retired

Stampin' Up! - card stock vellum - retired

Little Things From Lucy's Cards - crystal collection - summer of love - store now closed

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

coloured card from scraps bin

Krafty Chicks Challenge #770 - Anything Goes

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 and this week as it's a 5 week month our theme is 'anything goes' and I am your hostess.   Feel free to create anything you like, the world is your oyster lol! We hope you will come over and join in the fun with us.

I needed a sympathy card unfortunately so this week's challenge was just the ticket for me.  I found a lovely smooshed background that I made a little while ago so decided to use this for my card.  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the florals:

Plus I decorated the inside:

The ink smooshed panel may look familiar as I made a card in February and decided to make two panels at the same time (you can see my original card here if you like).  I thought I would use the panel differently this time and stamped my floral image directly onto it and die cut it out so that all the colour was the focus and then I kept the card background simple.  I cut a white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and used a lattice embossing folder to create a subtle background.  I added the panel with foam tape and also adhered the floral die cut with foam squares.  I stamped my sentiment in black ink and die cut it with the matching die; this was adhered with liquid glue.  I finished off with a few black pearls.  For the inside I had tiny pieces of the smooshed panel left so cut them into triangles and added them into the corners of a white panel cut to 4" x 5 1/4".  I stamped a sentiment in the centre with black ink and then adhered the panel to my card base with double sided tape.  I'm really happy with how this turned out and I think the pop of colour against the white background really works.  

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

Allsorts challenge - ATG (happy 16th birthday Allsorts)

As You Like It challenge - embossing wet or dry (I love the look of heat embossing but never seem to get it perfect so I prefer using embossing folders; you can get so many awesome designs these days too)

Beautiful Blossoms challenge - anything floral goes optional mood board

Can You Handle The Pressure challenge - anything embossing goes optional zoo/jungle animals

Cardz 4 Galz challenge - floral frenzy

Fab 'n' Funky challenge - add a sentiment

If You Give A Crafter A Cookie challenge - pretty flowers

Simply Create Too challenge - anything for a woman

Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge - emboss it

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - ATG

The Sisterhood of Crafters challenge - flowers

Word Art Wednesday challenge - ATG

I hope you will be able to join us for our 'anything goes' 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:

Gina K Designs - lovely flowers stamp & die bundle

Gina K Designs - delicate dahlias stamp & die bundle (for sentiments)

Gina K Designs - lattice embossing folder

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

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

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

ink smooshed background created previously using GKD ink pads - passionate pink & dark lilac

Cards for all seasons IG Hop - Week 11

Hello friends; I hope you're having a great week so far. I'm back today to share my card for this week's Cards for All Seasons IG hop organised by my lovely friend Kelly. We are now on Week 11 and our theme is 'garden party'.  So think anything in the garden i.e. flowers, bees, watering can etc.  A really fun theme for you this week and I can't wait to see what sparks your imagination.

I had so many ideas running through my head for this challenge but finally settled on creating my own flower arch .  It was a lot of die cutting but I think it turned out really sweet.  I hope you like it too. 

Here is my card:

A closer look at the flower arch:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by cutting my white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and firstly masked a strip at the bottom and ink blended over some green ink.  At the top I used a cloud stencil to create a soft sky which fades into white at the top.  I die cut the picket fence from white card and added that over the join of the grass and sky with liquid glue.  At this point I decided to cut down my panel ever so slightly and it ended up being 3 3/4" x 5".  I used 2 arch dies from a nesting set to cut out a thin arch from white card and also die cut lots of flowers and leaves using coloured card from my scraps bin.  I added the flowers and leaves onto the arch with liquid glue.  I then adhered the arch on top of the picket fence with foam squares, which I cut into tiny strips.  I decided to add a few more flowers and leaves on each side of the arch and added most with liquid glue but raised the top one on foam squares.  I die cut a butterfly twice from vellum and adhered them together just down the body with liquid glue.  This was then adhered to the top right corner with liquid glue.  I stamped a sentiment at the bottom of the panel with black ink and as a finishing touch adding some sparkling gems to the flower centres and the body of the butterfly.  I used some scrap white card behind my panel for stability and dimension and added it onto my card base with double sided tape.  It is so sparkly in real life but hard to capture on my photos.  For the inside I cut another panel 3 3/4" x 5" and again ink blended the green ink and add a sky with the cloud stencil using blue ink.  I had a small part of the picket fence left over so adhered that to the left side of the join with liquid glue and also die cut some extra leaves and flowers and added them on top with liquid glue.  I stamped a sentiment at the bottom of the panel for a change in black ink.  The panel was adhered to the card base with double sided tape.  

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

Allsorts challenge - ATG (it's their 16th birthday celebration challenge)

Beautiful Blossoms challenge - anything floral goes optional mood board

Crafty Gals Corner challenge - fancy..... flower arch

If You Give A Crafter A Cookie challenge - pretty flowers

Little Red Wagon challenge - friendship

Make My Monday challenge - garden/gardening

Simply Create Too challenge - anything for a woman

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - ATG

Stencil Fun challenge - must use a stencil optional bouquets

The Sisterhood of Crafters challenge - flowers

Word Art Wednesday challenge - ATG

I hope you will pop over to Instagram and check out the hop; please use the hashtag #cfascardhop2025 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 supplies:

Spellbinders - mini blooms & sprigs die set

Gina K Designs - picket fence die

Gina K Designs - ink pads - ocean mist & jelly bean green

MFT - mini cloud edges stencil - retired

Mama Elephant - B2B arches die set

Clearly Besotted - happy everything stamp (for butterfly) - retired

Clearly Besotted - flower friends sentiments (for outside sentiment) - retired

Clearly Besotted - feeling sentimental stamp (for inside sentiment) - retired

Stampin' Up - cardstock vellum - retired

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

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

Crystal gems from Little Things From Lucy's Cards - sadly now closed

coloured card from scraps bin

Gina K Appreciation IG Hop

Hello friends; I hope you've had a great week and are now looking forward to a long Bank Holiday weekend (here in the UK at least), although the weather is supposed to be awful which is a shame after all the glorious sunshine we've had for the last few weeks.  

I'm delighted to be here to share a card I made as part of a Gina K Appreciation Hop over on Instagram.  As you know I love Gina K Designs products and use them (especially her ink pads) on practically every card I make so it was a no-brainer to join the hop once again this year (I can't find a blog post for last year's card so I must not have had time to do it but if you want you can check out my card over on Instagram).  

Gina is one of the OG creators and YouTubers.  She has thousands of hours of video tutorials and is endlessly creative.  We wanted to take a day to highlight @ginakdesigns and her amazing products and send her lots of crafty love.  On the odd chance that you haven’t heard of her yet, we hope you will be inspired to check her and her fabulous team out on all the social media spots!

I have been so inspired by Gina’s Master Layouts Series on YouTube and for my card today I went right back to the beginning and used one of her layouts from the ML 1 video.  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the florals:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by stamping my floral arrangements in a light brown ink and using the coordinating colouring stencils and Gina's ink pads to colour them in.  I had left the stamp in the Misti so replaced my paper and re-stamped them in black ink to make the colours pop (this is always the scary part in case you mess up the stamping lol!).  I used the matching dies to cut out the flowers and also cut an extra layer each from white card.  I stamped my sentiments in black ink and again used the matching dies to cut them out, along with 3 extra layers from white card.  I used a stitched rectangle die from ML 14 to cut out my white panels and the plain rectangle from ML 1 for the black layer.  Before adhering them together I lightly stencilled the white panel with a butterfly stencil and a light grey ink. I then adhered the layers with double sided tape.  I also used the other dies from ML 1 for my other panels, again adhering them together with double sided tape.  I used liquid glue to add all the white die cuts behind the flowers and also the sentiments.  Now that all my elements were ready I began to assemble my card.  I adhered the border panel across the centre of the main panel with double sided tape and added the fancy oval over top with foam squares.  I added the flowers with a mix of liquid glue and foam squares and the stacked sentiments were added with liquid glue.  As I had so much dimension on the card front I decided to add my panel to the card base with double sided tape.  Finally I finished off with a few black pearls.  For the inside I cut another two panels the same as the front.  Before adhering them together I stamped the flower arrangement in the bottom right corner with the light brown ink, coloured them with the coordinating stencils and then re-stamped them with black ink.  I then adhered the layers with double sided tape.  I stamped a small sentiment in the centre of the panel with black ink and added the panel to the card base with double sided tape.  

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

Allsorts challenge - paper piecing or ATG

Beautiful Blossoms challenge - anything floral goes optional mood board

Craft Rocket challenge - flowers

Cut It Up challenge - send me flowers

Do-All Creative challenge - ATG optional flowers

Fab 'n' Funky challenge - add a sentiment 

If You Give A Crafter A Cookie challenge - pretty flowers optional inspiration photo

Just Us Girls challenge - stencil week (background stencil and colouring stencils)

Little Red Wagon challenge - flowers

Make My Monday challenge - garden/gardening 

Simply Create Too challenge - anything for a woman

Stamping Sensations challenge - feminine

Stencil Fun challenge - must use a stencil optional bouquets

Sisterhood of Crafters challenge - flowers

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

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

Enjoy your weekend; I appreciate you stopping by and leaving me such lovely comments.   

Love and hugs

card supplies:

Gina K Designs products:

Master Layouts 1 die set

Master Layouts 14 die set

Spring Clusters stamp & die bundle

Sending Flowers stamp & die bundle

All Occasion Flowers stamp

Butterfly Garden stencil

ink pads - sea glass, turquoise sea, light lilac, medium lilac, soft stone

ink cubes - light & medium spruce

Pearl mix - black, gold & silver metallic

other products used:

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

Limetree Crafts - 220gsm black card

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

Krafty Chicks challenge #769 - Masculine

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 and this week we are on Week 4; as always the theme is 'masculine' and Lori is our hostess. I know masculine makes are our least favourite things to make but it's always handy to have some ready in your stash. We hope you will come over and join in the fun with us.

I've had so many masculine cards to make recently that these challenges have been a godsend to me.  It was my son's birthday last week and I made a double Z fold card as he likes the fun fold shaped cards that I make.  He is a drummer and has been since he was in school (he was even in a band with his school friend at one time) so I always try to find a new drumming image or die cut to use on his cards.  I hope you like it.  There are a few extra photos this time as it was hard to show off all the card.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the drum kit:

There is no inside as such so the message panel is on the back:

A side view of the card:

And this is the card open flat:

I also made and decorated my own envelope:

As it was a special card for my son I made a 6" x 8" size card.  I used a 12" x 12" piece of white card and trimmed it to 12" x 11" and scored it at 3" and 6" along the 12" side.  I cut a 3" piece from the 11" size so it ended up being 12" x 8" and I could use the 3" panel for the double Z part of the card.  I folded the score lines and then the card laid flat at 6" x 8".  I cut 2 white panels to 5 3/4" x 7 3/4" and stamped a music background all over in a light grey ink.  I used the one panel as a whole and cut the other panel in half for the front two flaps of the card.  I also cut black mat layers for all the panels and adhered them together with double sided tape.  I added them to the card base with double sided tape.  For the 3" piece I cut two white panels 5 3/4" x 2 3/4" and again stamped using the music stamp this time using red ink for some contrast.  I cut the one panel in half and used the other as it was, again matting them with a black layer.  To make it a double z fold you need to flip the 3" piece so that the folds are on the opposite side i.e. the full piece is in the front and the folded piece is at the back.  Once I had done this I adhered the panels to the 3" strip with double sided tape.  You can place the 3" strip anywhere along your card; it can go at the very top, very bottom or in the middle, as I chose.  It suited my layout better for it to be in the middle but it looks cool is all orientations.  I then began the task of die cutting all my elements.  The drumkit comes as one whole die so I had to cut it multiple times from silver, gold, black, white and red to get all the coloured bits I needed.  I used the silver as my base layer and added all the other colours on top with liquid glue.  I also cut the drumsticks from kraft card.  I die cuts lots of stars and musical notes, a record (which looks more like a bullseye now I'm looking at it lol!), letters for the word son x 4 and a happy birthday word (and vellum shadow).  I adhered all the die cuts with liquid glue.  I also stamped a sub-sentiment onto white card with black ink and some additional sentiments on the inside panels of the card base.  I cut the sub-sentiment with a sentiment strip die and adhered that with liquid glue.  To make my drumkit stand out I die cut a white circle and black circle mat layer and adhered them together with double sided tape.  The drumkit was added with foam squares and the drumsticks with liquid glue.   The circle was adhered to the 3" strip with foam squares.  For the message panel on the back of the card I cut a white panel 5 3/4' x 7 3/4" and added a black mat layer with double sided tape.  I stamped the music background once again onto white card 5 3/4" x 1 1/2" using a light grey ink and adhered this with double sided tape.  To make it look more finished I added a thin strip of black card above the panel with liquid glue.  I stamped my sentiments in the centre of the panel with black ink and added a few more die cuts that were leftover from my epic die cutting fest!  The panel was adhered to the card base with double sided tape.  As my card was a custom size I had to make my own envelope using my envelope punch board and again added some die cuts to match.  Thankfully my son is my greatest cheerleader and always gives me input into my cards so he was really impressed with the work that I put into it and he loved it.  

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

Addicted to Stamps & More challenge - birthdays

Classic Design challenge - ATG optional twist masculine

Crafty Gals Corner challenge - fancy.....fold

Creative Creases challenge - ATG with a fun fold

Daisy Chain challenge - boys/men

Everybody Art challenge - birthday

Fab 'n' Funky challenge - add a sentiment 

Halloween & Other Occasions challenge - birthday

Heart's Quest for Shaped Cards & Tags challenge - ATG on a shaped card and/or tag (hope my double z fold card is acceptable as a shaped card, if not please delete)

Pearly Sparkles challenge - black, white plus one colour (mine is red)

I hope you will be able to join us for our 'masculine' 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:

Made to Surprise - make some noise die set - from Craft Stash but sadly they are closing and it is no longer available

Gina K Designs - music medley background stamp

Gina K Designs - grand gentlemen stamp (for sub-sentiment)

Gina K Designs - let's get started die set, free with intri-cut machine (for happy birthday die)

Gina K Designs - soft stone ink pad, cherry red ink cube

Honey Bee Stamps - inside: birthday sentiments stamp (for inside sentiments)

Little B - circle dies - ? retired

MFT - little letters dies - retired

MFT - keep on rockin' stamp (for other sentiments) - currently oos

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

Craft UK Ltd - 12" x 12" white 250gsm card

Hobbycraft - A4 black card

coloured card from my scraps bin