Krafty Chicks challenge #765 - 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 needed to make a card for hubby's birthday so this week's theme was perfect for me.  He loves music and has a great knowledge of all types and genres so I made him a musical themed card.  I hope you like it. 

Here is my card:

A close look at the die cuts:

Plus I decorated the inside:

As I had a couple of die cuts left I also decorated my envelope:

As it was a family card I made my card base 5" x 7" as we like larger cards in the UK in general.  I took a white panel 4 1/2" x 6 1/2" and using a music themed background stamp created my background using a light grey ink (I did have to stamp it twice as the stamp was only 6" square but as it was a straight-ish design it was easy enough to mask and re-stamp).  I found some glossy card in my stash so used that to cut all the black parts of my die cuts and then used some scrap red, blue and silver mirri card from my scraps bin for everything else.  I adhered all the die cuts together with liquid glue.  I laid out the basic design and before adhering anything I stamped my sentiments in black ink just to make sure I had enough space.  The larger die cuts were added with foam squares and the smaller stars and musical notes with liquid glue.  I added a black panel with double sided tape and instead of using foam tape I adhered about 3 layers of scrap card behind for dimension.  This was then adhered to the card base with double sided tape.  For the inside I cut another white panel the same as the front, stamped the musical background stamp in light grey ink (leaving a masked area in the centre so that I could write my message) and stamped the sentiment in the upper centre with black ink.  I had some extra die cuts left over so arranged them in the upper left and lower right corners with liquid glue.  Again the panel was adhered onto a black mat layer and then added to the card base with double sided tape.  I'm really happy with this card and it could even be used for the ladies and girls in our lives with a slight change in the colour combo.  

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

Alphabet challenge - A is for alphabet - I went for M is for music

A Place to Start challenge - ATG optional twist black, white and red

Daisy Chain challenge - not square

Halloween & Other Occasions challenge - birthday

The Paper Funday challenge - ATG optional twist things that begin with B - birthday, blue, black

Unicorn challenge - use dies

Word Art Wednesday challenge - ATG

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 (sold out)

Gina K Designs - music medley background stamp

Gina K Designs - grand gentlemen stamp 

MFT - keep on rockin' stamp (for inside sentiment) (sold out)

Imagination Crafts - glossy black card (got mine from eBay)

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

Hobbycraft - A4 black card

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

red, blue and silver mirri card from scraps bin

Krafty Chicks challenge #764 - 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 and this week we are on Week 3; and as always the theme is 'CAS (clean and simple)' and Diane is our hostess. Now we know that CAS is subjective but generally it's lots of white space, no embellishments (or very few) and an uncluttered design.  It can be a difficult design to pull off but we hope you will take on the challenge and come over and join in the fun with us.

I haven't made any Easter cards yet this year and I've recently received the cutest set from Spellbinders so wanted to at least use it once this year!  I love the adorable bunnies in this set.  I love this card and may try and make a few more for my family but perhaps make the backgrounds different pastel shades for some variation.  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the sweet bunny:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by stamping the bunny onto alcohol marker friendly card and coloured him with Promarkers.  I added a few white gelly roll pen highlights and then cut him out with the coordinating die.  For my background I cut a white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and stamped the circle in a muted lemon ink.  I stamped the flowers from the stamp set in a mid grey ink and coloured them with Promarkers.  I stamped the sentiment in the top left corner in black ink (I did try the mid grey ink first but it looked a little washed out so stamped over it with the black.  I added some scrap white card behind my panel with double sided tape and then adhered it to my card base, again using double sided tape.  The bunny was adhered over the circle with thin foam squares.  No embellishments but I really like it the way it is.  For the inside I cut another white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and repeated the stamping to mimic the front.  I added a secondary sentiment in the upper centre again using black ink.  The panel was added onto the card base with double sided tape.  This is about as CAS as I can get but I really like this design.  

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

AAA Cards challenge - sketch (I flipped it and rotated it)

As You Like It challenge - fussy or CAS (I like both options but I am getting more comfortable with CAS cards now and make them quite a lot)

Crafty Animals challenge - ATG must include an animal

Creative Inspirations challenge - Easter

Creative Moments challenge - CAS

Critter Crazy challenge - ATG with a featured critter

Dragonfly Dreams challenge - animals

Fab 'n' Funky challenge - think spring

Halloween & Other Occasions challenge - Easter

If You Give A Crafter A Cookie challenge - bunnies & eggs inspiration photo

I Love Promarkers challenge - ATG or no patterned paper

Papercraft challenges - Easter elegance

PINspirational challenge - Happy Easter optional inspiration photo

Simply Create Too challenge - furry friends

Stamping Sensations challenge - birds, animals, flowers and nature

The Four Seasons challenge - ATG spring optional mood board

The Paper Funday challenge - ATG optional twist things that begin with B (bunny)

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 supplies:

Spellbinders - spring smiles stamp & die set

Promarkers

Avery Elle - painted backdrops stamp set - retired

Gina K Designs - lemon drop ink pad

Versafine Clair - morning mist ink pad

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

Sakura - no. 10 white gelly roll pen

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

Heffy Doodle - alcohol marker friendly card - store now closed

Cards for All Seasons IG Hop - Week 8

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 8 (I sadly missed the hop 2 weeks ago) and our theme is April showers or rainbow' so think umbrellas, rainbows, rainbow colours, puddles, critters jumping in puddles or using watercolors etc!  A really fun theme for you this week and I can't wait to see what sparks your imagination.

I love rainbow colours so that was my starting point this week.  I used some older products and created this fun birthday card.  I'm really happy with how it turned out and I hope you like it too. 

Here is my card:

A closer look at the candles:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by stamping the candles by masking each candle as I went along the rainbow.  As there were only 5 candles I incorporated purple with a strip of paper under my focal image.  I die cut the candles and also cut an additional two layers from white card to add dimension as I didn't want to fuss with tiny foam squares.  I cut the flames from yellow card and the inner portion from glitter card (and cut 2 more layers of the flame from white card).  I adhered them all together with liquid glue.  I already had the stitched rectangle on my desk leftover from a previous project and it was the perfect size for my candles.  I arranged them on the rectangle and added them with liquid glue.  I stamped the happy birthday sentiment directly onto the rectangle with black ink.  I stamped the make a wish sentiment onto a piece of scrap white card and cut it out with a sentiment strip die.  For my background I use the gorgeous candle embossing folder on a white panel cut to 4" x 5 1/4", added some white scrap card behind instead of foam tape and adhered it to my card base with double sided tape.  I cut the purple paper with a scallop die and added that to the embossed panel with liquid glue.  The rectangle also had some scrap white card added behind it and then adhered to the embossed panel with double sided tape.  I added the make a wish sentiment with thin foam squares across the candles.  For a final finishing touch I die cut a few more hearts from the glitter card and arranged them in the left upper corner and right lower corner for some extra sparkle.  For the inside I cut a white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and added a strip of the purple paper to the bottom with double sided tape.  I die cut one more candle from red card and added white dots with gelly roll pen. I also cut a yellow flame and glitter heart and adhered them all overlapping the paper with liquid glue.  I stamped the sentiment in the upper centre with black ink.  The panel was added to my card base with double sided tape.  I think this is quite a generic card and would be suitable for both girls and boys of all ages.  

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

Addicted to Stamps & More challenge - die cuts and/or stencils (10 challenges max)

Aud Sentiments challenge - embossing (wet or dry) and/or flowers + sentiment

Can You Handle The Pressure challenge - ATG embossing with twist of rainbow/rainbow colours

Colorful Options challenge - pastels or rainbow inspired (optional inspiration board)

Craft Rocket challenge - layer it up

Creative Knockouts challenge - embossing delight (10 challenge max)

Little Red Wagon challenge - birthday

My Time To Craft challenge - rectangle shaped cards 

Tic Tac Toe challenge - any colour/free/embossing

Unicorn challenge - use dies

I hope you will pop over to Instagram and check out the hop; please use the hashtag #cardsforallseasonshop2025 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:

MFT - make a wish stamp & die set

MFT - birthday chicks stamp set (for make a wish sentiment)

MFT - simply scallops large die

MFT - sweet 16 stamp set (freebie)

Spellbinders - candles for every birthday 2d embossing folder - retired?

Gina K Designs - ink pads - red velvet, tangerine twist, wild dandelion, jelly bean green, blue raspberry

Gina K Designs - large strip sentiments die

Gina K Designs - Master Layouts 18 (for stitched rectangle)

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

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

purple paper and glitter card from stash

Krafty Chicks Challenge #763 - Christmas

Good morning lovely friends. I hope you're all doing ok and having a great week so far.  We're still enjoying the lovely sunny weather here in South Wales and Wesley the puppy is living his best life practically outside all day; he loves it out in the garden in the sunshine.  

Anyway enough of my waffle!  It's time for a new challenge over at Krafty Chicks challenge and this week we are on Week 2; and as always the theme is 'Christmas' and I am your hostess.  Another chance to add a card to the Christmas pile and we hope you will come over and join in the fun with us.

I was pushed for time this week so made a clean and simple card but I did colour my image so that's something.  I made a 5" x 7" card for a change.  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the cute hedgie:

Plus I decorated the inside (very simply this time):

I began by stamping the image onto alcohol marker friendly card and coloured it with Promarkers; I also added a few highlights with a white gelly roll pen.  I cut the panel down to 4 1/8" x 6 1/8" and stamped the sentiment in black ink in the top right corner.  I cut a piece of green dotty paper 4 5/8" x 6 5/8".  I added some extra scrap card behind the image panel for dimension instead of using foam tape and adhered this to the dotty paper with double sided tape.  I added the panel to the card base with double sided tape.  I finished off with a few gold sequins.  For the inside, as I was pressed for time, I simply cut a white panel 4 1/4" x 6 1/4" and added a 1/2" strip of the dotty paper to the top and bottom with double sided tape. I stamped a sentiment in black ink in the upper centre.  I adhered the panel to my card base with double sided tape.  I love the Penny Black hedgie stamps so I'm really happy with my card, even if it was made in a rush.  

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

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

As You Like It challenge - cute or floral (I love cute images, especially the PB hedgies)

Christmas Crafts All Year 'round challenge - rockin' around the Christmas tree (deck the halls with boughs of holly)

The Crafter's Cafe challenge - ATG optional clean and simple

Crafty Animals challenge - ATG must include an animal

Crafty Gals Corner challenge - adorable hedgehogs (I'm partial to the Penny Black hedgies)

Creative Moments challenge - CAS

Critter Crazy challenge - ATG with a featured critter

Daisy Chain challenge - not square (my card is 5"x7")

Dragonfly Dreams challenge - animals

Girlz Creative Christmas challenge - ATG Christmas

I Love Promarkers challenge - ATG or under the sea

Merry Little Christmas challenge - ATG Christmas

My Time To Craft challenge - rectangle shaped cards (my card is 5"x7")

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

Penny Black Saturday challenge - ATG optional Easter

Simply Clean and Simple challenge - ATG CAS optional theme umbrellas

Simply Create Too challenge - furry friends (hedgehogs have fur on their legs and stomach)

Sparkles Christmas challenge - Christmas foliage

Stamping Sensations challenge - birds, animals, flowers & nature

We Love Stamping challenge - favourite stamps (I love the PB hedgie stamps)

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 ingredients:

Penny Black Inc - a thorny affair 4092K wood stamp

Promarkers

Sakura - white no. 10 gelly roll pen

Clearly Besotted Stamps - simply said Christmas clear stamp - retired

Spellbinders - holiday besties clear stamp (for inside sentiment)

Spellbinders - gold smooth disc color essentials sequins

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

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

dotty paper from stash

Heffy Doodle - alcohol marker friendly card - store now closed

Krafty Chicks challenge #762 - Birthday

Good morning lovely friends. I hope you're all doing ok and having a great week so far. It's been another glorious week here in South Wales, with lots of sunshine but also a stiff breeze - perfect weather for drying clothes on the line lol! 

It's time for a new challenge over at Krafty Chicks challenge and this week we are on Week 1; and 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.

Today is my lovely mother's birthday so I'm sharing the card I made for her.  I always try to make her an extra special card and usually a larger than normal card (today's card is 6" x 7 3/4").  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the florals:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by cutting my card base from a 12"x12" piece of white card.  I stamped all the florals in a light grey ink before colouring them using the coordinating stencils.  After all the stencilling was complete I then re-stamped the images using a black ink pad.  I used the matching dies to cut them out.  I created the stitched frame by die cutting 2 smaller frames (sized for an A2 card) from white card and used them horizontally instead of vertically. I laid them together and cut out the inside piece so that it would create one larger frame.  I cut a white panel to go behind the frame and using a stencil and light grey ink created a soft background.  I added thin foam strips behind the frame and adhered them together and then added a black mat layer behind with double sided tape.  For the panel behind the frame I used a pale purple piece of card and added a black mat layer with double sided tape.  This was added to the card base with double sided tape.  I fussed with the arrangement of my florals for quite some time but finally decided on adding them to the top right and bottom left corners going largest to smallest out from the corner.  I added them with a mixture of foam squares and liquid glue.  I also added a small leaf to the top left and bottom right corner with liquid glue.  I used a few different stamp sets to create my sentiments but I think the fonts really match.  I die cut all the sentiments except for the 'mother' which I had to fussy cut.  I added them all with teeny tiny slithers of foam squares.  I added a few black pearls for some bling and also added some white gelly roll highlights to the flowers.  For the inside I cut another purple card panel and added a black mat layer behind and also cut a white panel and adhered it with double sided tape.  I stamped the sentiment in black ink in the centre and as I had quite a few flowers left over replicated the arrangement from the front in the bottom right corner.  I also added a small leaf in the upper left corner.  The panel was then added to my card base with double sided tape.  I'm really happy with this card; I love the colour combo and the frame turned out exactly as I had hoped.

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

Allsorts challenge - spring flowers

As You Like It challenge - cute or floral (I like both but my mother loves florals so I always make a card with flowers for her)

Beautiful Blossoms challenge - Anything floral goes optional mood board

Classic Design challenge - ATG optional twist bunnies, blooms or butterflies

Craft Rocket challenge - layer it up

Die Cut Divas challenge - flowers

Halloween & Other Occasions challenge - birthday

Inkspirational challenge - use 2 or more sentiments

Little Red Wagon challenge - I guess that's why they call it the blues (include blue)

Moving Along With The Times challenge - spring flowers

Papercraft challenges - spring blooms

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - happy birthday

Stencil Fun challenge - Anything stencil goes optional theme patterns

Sweet Stampin' challenge - female cards

The Four Seasons challenge - ATG spring optional mood board

The Paper Funday challenge - ATG optional twist things that begin with B (birthday, blooms, blue)

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

Unicorn challenge - use dies

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

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 ingredients

(all Gina K Designs)

Flower Medley stamp & die bundle

Flower Medley stencils

Master Layouts 18 (for the frame)

Elegant Thoughts stamp & die bundle (for happy birthday sentiment)

Lovely Ladies stamp set (for mother sentiment)

On the inside - birthday (for inside sentiment)

Decorative Double stencil

ink pads - blue sky, blue raspberry, wild lilac, jelly bean green, fresh asparagus, soft stone

ink cube - light spruce

Pearl mix - metallic black, gold and silver

other supplies:

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

Crafts UK Limited - 12"x12" white card (for card base)

Hobbycraft - A4 black card

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

Sakura - white no. 10 gelly roll pen

purple card from stash

AAA Birthday challenge #72 - mythical

Good morning friends and welcome to April.  The weather is lovely here in South Wales and it's promised to be like this for the remainder of the week *yay*.  I'm not a sun worshipper but I definitely feel happier when the weather outside is nice and bright.  

I'm sharing my card for this month's AAA Birthday challenge and this month our theme is 'mythical'. So think unicorns, monsters, dragons, fairies, the list is endless.  I hope you will take on our challenge this month and get creating. Our guest designer this month is the lovely Silke so please pop over to her blog and leave her some love.

I decided to make a fun fold card and went for a z-fold card.  I know there are quite a few variations of this fold but I went with the basic z-fold as it's simple to make but really packs a punch when displayed.  For my mythical element I went with a fairy image.  I hope you like it.  It was quite difficult to photograph so there are a few more photos than usual.  

Here is my card (from the front):

Here is the card (standing up):

View from above:

A close up of the adorable fairy:

A closer look at the inside:

I began by creating my card base which is 5 1/2" square.  On the front flap of the card I scored it in half at 2 3/4" and folded it towards the left to create the z fold shape.  I stamped the fairy onto alcohol marker friendly card and coloured her with Promarkers and added some white gelly roll pen highlights.  Instead of fussy cutting her I used a decorative label die to cut her out.  I also have the matching scallop label die so cut that from pink card.  I decorated all the panels with a pretty pink gingham paper that I've had in my stash for years.  I adhered the labels together with double sided tape and then added foam squares to just the left side of the label and adhered it to the front half panel, making sure it was centred on the whole card.  I die cut a happy and birthday word from white card and the shadow layers from pink card and adhered them together with liquid glue.  Using a combination of liquid glue and foam squares I attached the die cut sentiments on the edge of the labels top left and bottom right.  I didn't add any further embellishments as I liked the clean look of the card.  For the inside I die cut another label and scalloped label as before and adhered them together with double sided tape.  I stamped two of the butterflies and coloured them with Promarkers and added white gelly roll highlights and stamped the sentiment in black ink in the centre.  I added double sided tape to the back of the label and carefully added it the inside of the card, making sure it lined up with the label on the front.  I hope I've explained it properly but if not there are lots of tutorials online to help you.  A really pretty card and I'm pleased with how it turned out.

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

Addicted to Stamps & More challenge - any occasion (3rd entry)

Crafty Gals Corner challenge - fairy tale... mine is fairy

Creative Creases challenge - ATG with a fun fold

Girlz Creative Fun Art of Scrap challenge - ATG but must use patterned paper

Halloween & Other Occasions challenge - birthday

Shopping Our Stash challenge - fun folds

Sweet Stampin' challenge - female cards

Tic Tac Toe challenge - patterned paper/free/grass

Unicorn challenge - dies

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 ingredients:

Lili of the Valley - woodland fairies polymer stamp set - not currently available

Promarkers

Spellbinders - happy birthday wishes die set

Spellbinders - labels one small die set - retired but loads on eBay

Spellbinders - scalloped labels one die set - retired but loads on eBay   

Tonic Studios - I love you fairy much stamp set (for inside greeting) - retired

Sakura - white no. 10 gelly roll pen

Memento - tuxedo black ink pad

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

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

Heffy Doodle - alcohol marker friendly card - store now closed

gingham and coordinating plain pink paper from stash