Stencil Fun IG Hop - November 25

Happy again friends; I am back to share my card for this month's Stencil Fun IG Hop organised by my lovely friend Jane. We a group of crafters who are determined to use their forgotten and neglected stencils. I'm definitely guilty of this; I have so many stencils but usually forget to reach for them so this hop is perfect for me. The theme is always anything goes but we will have an optional theme to use if we want to. This month's optional theme is 'thanks' and I'm excited to see who has used this optional theme.

I have loads of Gina K Designs stencils and sometimes it's hard to choose which one to use but today I used one of my all-time favourites - Layered Carnations.  It's such a pretty set of stencils with 2 stencils for the flowers and 2 for the leaves but it's really easy to use and line up and the end result is beautiful.  I went for a pretty purple colour combo and I hope you like it. 

Here is my card:

A closer look at the details:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by cutting a white panel and using 2 purple inks and 2 green inks stencilled the gorgeous design.  Once I was finished I decided to use Master Layouts 14 and cut the panel using the postage grid die.  I also used the larger mat layer to cut some purple card.  As I knew I wanted to use black ink to stamp my sentiment I also cut a slightly larger layer from black card using Master Layouts 1.  I added foam squares behind the postage grid panel and layered it onto the purple layer; this was then adhered to the black layer with double sided tape.  I stamped the sentiment in black ink onto a scrap of white card and used the coordinating die to cut it out.  I also cut another 2 from plain white card to stack up using liquid glue.  The sentiment was then added to the bottom right of the panel with liquid glue.  I finished off with some gold pearls embellishments.  For the inside I cut a white panel from Master Layouts 2 and stencilled just one of the flowers in the bottom right corner.  I also cut another purple layer and black layer as before and adhered them all together with double sided tape.  I stamped the sentiment in the centre with black ink and then adhered the panel to the card base with double sided tape.  A really pretty card and I love this postage grid die and always forget to use it!  

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

613 Avenue Create challenge - ATG optional twist thank you

Crafty Catz challenge - ATG optional twist thank you/thanksgiving

Girlz Rebel challenge - something beginning with B - blooms

Little Red Wagon challenge - gold or silver (gold pearls)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - thank you

Stencil Fun challenge - ATG stencil goes optional twist use some gold

The Sisterhood of Crafters challenge - thanks

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

We hope you will be inspired by our Stencil Fun Instagram Hop and will pop over and check out all the gorgeous cards along the way. If you would like to join us please visit my Instagram page or use the hashtag #stencilfunoctober2025 and we will find you.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend.

Lots of love

card supplies:

Gina K Designs*:

layered carnation stencils

graceful greetings stamp & die set (for outside sentiment)

thankful greenery (for inside sentiment)

Master Layouts 1 die set

Master Layouts 2 die set

Master Layouts 14 die set

ink pads - lovely lavender, plum punch, jelly bean green, fresh asparagus

black, gold & silver metallic pearl mix

other:

Limetree Crafts - 280gsm silky smooth white card

Limetree Crafts - 220gsm black card

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

purple card from stash

* I now have an Affiliate Link for the Gina K Designs store.  If you are considering making a purchase I would appreciate you using my link as it will earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you.  

Thank you x

Cards For All Seasons IG Hop Week 23 - friendship

Hello again friends; I'm back 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 23 and our theme is 'friendship. Such a great theme this week and us crafters always like to send cards to our pals (crafty or otherwise) don't we?  There are going to be so many awesome creations along the hop this week and I can't wait to see what sparks your imagination.

I went with an autumnal colour scheme for my card and dug out a frame die that I've had in my stash for years.  It's a fairly clean and simple design but there is lots of dimension and it looks really pretty in real life.  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the details:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by ink blending a panel with some ink pads in orange, green and a muted red, added some water drops and white gouache splatters and left it to dry.  I took the floral frame die and cut it three times from white card and once the ink blended panel was dry cut it from that too so that I had 4 layers.  I adhered the layers together with liquid glue.  I used an hello friend die cut sentiment and vellum shadow that I had already die cut previously, I just need to glue to main sentiment to the vellum shadow, which I did with liquid glue.  I had some of the ink blended pieces left so took the lots of dots die and cut some circles as embellishments so that they would match the frame.  I debated about what colour to use as my background but didn't want to detract from the frame so went with white; I adhered the frame and die cut sentiment with liquid glue.  Finally I added the circles around the sentiment with liquid glue.  I cut my card base and used double sided tape to adhere the panel to the front.  For the inside I cut a white panel 3 3/4" x 5" and as I had some slivers of the ink blended panel left I added them to the top and bottom of the panel (completely forgetting that I had made a horizontal card for a change) but it looks ok.  I stamped the sentiment in the centre with black ink and adhered the panel to the card base with double sided tape.  I'm really happy with this card and think it turned out really pretty.  

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

A Cut Above challenge - ATG with a die cut (3rd entry)

Addicted to Stamps & More challenge - die cuts and/or stencils (3rd entry)

Color Dare challenge - #677 green/orange + 1 other colour (I chose red and added metallic gold)

Everybody Art challenge - friend

Fab 'n' Funky challenge - CAS

Little Red Wagon challenge - gold or silver (I used gold for my sentiment)

Mix It Up challenge - ATG optional theme CAS

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

I hope you will pop over to Instagram and check out the hop; please use the hashtag #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 a little later with another card 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:

Simon Says Stamp - outline floral frame die

Memory Box - hello friend post script die

Gina K Designs - santana rose stamp (for inside greeting)

Gina K Designs - lots of dots die set

Gina K Designs - ink pads - sweet mango, prickly pear, tomato soup, jelly bean green

Limetree Crafts - 280gsm silky smooth white card

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

*I now have an Affiliate Link for the Gina K Designs store. If you are considering making a purchase I would appreciate you using my link as it will earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you. 
Thank you x

CASE IT IG Hop - November 25

Hello again friends. I hope you've had a great day so far. I'm back to share this month's card for the CASE IT Instagram Hop where we find a project on Instagram that inspires us and we will share that project as well as the project we’ve created that was inspired by that original. There are so many beautiful creations on Instagram the only difficult part is narrowing down which one to CASE (which means Copy And Share Everything).

This month I was inspired by Kate (@katedeignancards over on IG); her cards are CAS and beautiful and this one had everything I love - plaid, kraft and Christmas.  I needed a birthday card for a friend so changed it from Christmas to birthday.  I went with a floral background instead of plaid and a circle shape instead of a heart but you can definitely see that my card was inspired by hers!  Here is her card for my inspiration:

Isn't Kate's card just CAS perfection?  I used the same layout but as I said went with a floral background, white main panel and floral die cuts instead of leafery.  I also added some splatters which Kate didn't.  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the die cuts:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I actually recycled the birthday card that I received from my friend to make her card.  It was such a pretty floral design and even the envelope was the same pattern so I cut the card down to 4 1/4" x 5 1/2".  I took a white panel and cut it to 3 3/4" x 5 1/2" and die cut a circle just a tad higher than centre to mimic Kate's heart cut out.  Now the floral card had a large birthday greeting in gold and once I had cut the circle you could see this though the window; I got around this but cutting a piece from the envelope and sticking it behind the window so it looked like a continuous pattern.  I die cut the flowers and leaves from some similar coloured card from my scraps bin and adhered them together with liquid glue.  To mix it up a little more I added my die cuts to the bottom right of the circle as opposed to Kate adding her greenery to the upper left corner.  I found a thin sentiment that I liked and added it to the Misti door and manipulated it until it curved around the outline of the circle (it's not 100% right but it looks ok I think) and stamped it onto the panel with black ink.  I used some of the black ink to add some splatters from the top left to the bottom right.  I think I need to pick up some black gouache as the ink faded to a grey once it was dry.  I made my A2 card base as usual and then adhered the floral panel to the front with double sided tape.  I added foam tape to my white panel and adhered this overtop with a 1/4" either side.  I didn't add any embellishments as I didn't think the card needed any.  For the inside I cut a white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and added some of the left over envelope to the top and bottom with liquid glue.  I had one flower left over from the front so added that the bottom right corner and one black circle die cut so added that the centre of the flower in the top left corner.  I stamped the sentiment in black ink and then adhered the panel to the card base with double sided tape.  A really pretty card and I love how it turned out.  

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

A Cut Above challenge - ATG with a die cut

Addicted to Stamps & More challenge - die cuts and/or stencils

Everybody Art challenge - friend

Heart's Quest Celebrations of Love challenge - BEWAS (birthday)

Make My Monday challenge - birthday and use at least one flower

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

We hope you will be inspired by our CASE IT Instagram Hop and will pop over and check out all the gorgeous cards along the way. If you would like to join us please visit my Instagram page or use the hashtag #caseithop and we will find you.  

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Lots of love

card supplies:

Spellbinders - sentimental ampersand (DOM Jan 23) die set

Spellbinders - standard circles large die set

MFT - bearly special birthday stamp (for outside greeting)

Gina K Designs - birthday cheer mini stamp (for inside greeting)

Limetree Crafts - 280gsm silky smooth white card

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

coloured card from scraps bin

*I now have an Affiliate Link for the Gina K Designs store. If you are considering making a purchase I would appreciate you using my link as it will earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you. 

Thank you x

Krafty Chicks challenge #793 - Birthday

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 1; as always the theme is 'birthday' and Leanne is our hostess. We always need birthday cards so we hope you will come over and join in the fun with us.

I'm actually sharing a card I made for my sister's birthday at the end of August but forgot to share with you.  She is known to like a drink or two so this die set was just perfect for her lol!  The card size is 7" x 7" as I like to make larger cards for my close family and also the die set I used it huge and needed a bigger card to fit it all on.  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the details:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by die cutting all the elements from black, pink, yellow, gold glitter card and vellum and used liquid glue to adhere them together (except for the hearts which were added with foam squares).  I cut a panel of yellow patterned paper 6 3/4" square and matted it onto pink card.  I cut a white panel which I embossed with the fun streamers folder and again matted it onto pink card with double sided tape.  I added some scrap white card behind the embossed panel and then adhered it to the yellow panel with double sided tape.  The bottle and glasses were added with foam squares plus I also cut some stars from gold glitter card and adhered them above the glasses with liquid glue. I created the sentiment on my pc and printed out onto my usual white card and die cut it with an oval die; I again cut a pink mat from the same oval die set and adhered them together with liquid glue.  This was then added to the corner of the embossed panel with foam squares.  For the inside I cut a white panel 6 3/4" square and matted it onto a pink layer with double sided tape.  I added a strip of the yellow paper onto the top and bottom with liquid glue and stamped the sentiment in the centre with black ink.  I also added 3 more gold glitter stars next to the sentiment with liquid glue.  

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

A Cut Above challenge - ATG with a die cut

Addicted to Stamps & More challenge - die cuts and/or stencils

Aud Sentiments challenge - glitter and/or Christmas + sentiment (I used glitter card)

Farm Quest Grocery Game challenge - ATG food (or drink) goes

Heart's Quest Celebrations of Love challenge - BEWAS (birthday)

Just Us Girls challenge - ATG

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:

Spellbinders - cheers to us die set

Spellbinders - essential stylish ovals die set

Spellbinders - cascading streamers embossing folder - on sale!

LOTV - verses polymer stamp set - no longer available

Stampin' Up! - card stock vellum - no longer available

Limetree Crafts - 12x12 smooth white 250gsm card

The Works - pastel watercolours 12x12 paper pad - no longer available

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

pink and gold glitter card from stash

pc & printer for sentiment

Gorgeous Gift Tags IG Hop November 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 'vintage vibes', which is great theme and open to lots of occasions.  I can't wait to see what the rest of my fellow hoppers have made. I hope you can pop over to Instagram and join us. 

Now I've said it before but vintage is not really my thing but I'm always up for a challenge so I gave it a go.  I kept my colours muted and distressed and inked the edges of pretty much everything and used a gorgeous hot air balloon as my focal image.  I am quite pleased with how it turned out even though it's not my usual style.  I hope you like it.

Here is my tag:

A closer look at the gorgeous hot air balloon:

Plus I decorated the back:

I began by die cutting two tags from the muted beige paper and also 1 from white card to sandwich in between for some extra stability.  I used papers from the same paper pad so that they would coordinate with each other.  I took a scripty background stamp and cocoa ink pad and stamped the whole of the front tag and the bottom third of the back tag.  I tore and cut pieces of the patterned paper and added them with liquid glue.  I also used a distressed stamp to add some extra details using the cocoa ink pad.  I then splattered some white gouache on both tags.  I stamped the hot air balloon using a sepia ink pad and cut it out with the coordinating die.  I used a few Promarkers and a white gelly roll pen to add some colour and highlights to the image.  I stamped the sentiment using the cocoa ink onto the same paper as the tags where cut from and then used the coordinating die to cut it out.  I found some lace, ribbon and twine in my stash from yonks ago and added them to the bottom of the tag (I probably should have ironed the ribbon but I was too lazy lol); I also added a beige button that I distressed with the cocoa ink.  I added the hot air balloon and sentiment with foam squares.  I finished off with some sequins and added a dot of stickles in the centres.  I adhered the 3 tags together with liquid glue.  

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

613 Avenue Create challenge - ATG optional twist thank you

Crafty Calendar challenge - add a button

Cut It Up challenge - thankful, grateful, blessed

Girlz Creative Fun Art of Scraps challenge - ATG must use design paper

Heart's Quest for Shaped Cards & Tags - ATG

Let's Craft & Create challenge - AG + use twine

Paper, Rocks, Scissors challenge - ATG (used paper and also scissors to cut my ribbon, twine & lace)

Tag-along (& ATC's) challenge - add some texture (the lace and ribbon add texture)

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 #gorgeousgifttagsnov2025 and we will find your tags. 

Thanks for stopping by and take care. 

Lots of love

tag supplies:

Waffle Flower Crafts - nesting tags dies

Gina K Designs - vintage summer stamp & dies

Gina K Designs - warm cocoa ink pad

MFT - romantic script background stamp

MFT - distressed patterns stamp

Promarkers

Sakura - white no. 10 gelly roll pen

Versafine - vintage sepia ink pad

First Edition - love letters 8x8 pad (on eBay here)

Little Things From Lucy's Cards - rose garden sequins - store now closed

Limetree Crafts - 280gsm silky smooth white card

lace, ribbon and twine from my stash

*I now have an Affiliate Link for the Gina K Designs store. If you are considering making a purchase I would appreciate you using my link as it will earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you. 
Thank you x

Dragonfly Dreams challenge - GDT card

Good morning and happy Sunday lovely friends. I hope you are all doing ok and finding lots of time to get crafty. Well the weather is certainly perfect for staying indoors and crafting as it's now really chilly and wet here in South Wales.  I'm not sure if you are the same as me but as soon as the clocks go back I don't want to leave the house after 4pm lol!  

I am delighted to be a guest designer over at Dragonfly Dreams challenge this month and they have a fantastic theme of 'feminine'.  I'm sure this is going to be a really popular challenge and I'm looking forward to seeing all your pretty, girly creations.  I think flowers are always my go-to when I think of feminine and I combined them with a soft colour combo and pretty dies.  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the flowers:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by stamping the florals and coloured them with the coordinating stencils using two colours of teal/blue for the flowers and two greys for the leaves.  I went with blue as I was itching to use one of my new ink pads from Gina K Designs so chose the new Cadet Blue which is beautiful.  I stamped the sentiment in black and used the coordinating dies to cut out both the sentiment and flowers (I cut 3 more of each from white so that I could layer them up for some extra dimension).  After watching Gina on Thursday showcase Master Layouts 19 I decided to use the scalloped dies and I cut the fancy scalloped die from white card and the scalloped mat layer from a teal/blue card and I adhered them together with liquid glue.  Before I adhered the centre panel I took a lattice stencil and the lightest grey ink pad and stencilled a soft grounding panel for my flowers.  The centre panel was adhered in place with liquid glue.  I cut a white panel 3 7/8" x 4 6/8" and also a teal/blue mat layer 4" x 4 7/8" and adhered them together with double sided tape.  I added the scalloped panel with double sided tape and then added the flowers with liquid glue and the sentiment with foam squares.  I finished off with some clear solid sequins.  I added some scrap white card behind the panel for some dimension and then adhered it to the card base with double sided tape.  As I still had the sparkle gel on my card from my winter card I used my finger and added a small amount over the flowers for a pretty sparkle.  For the inside I cut the same white and blue layers and also cut another scalloped panel and mat.  I stamped the sentiment in the centre with black ink and then adhered the panel to the card base.  

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

Beautiful Blossoms challenge - anything floral goes optional mood board

Cardz 4 Galz challenge - colouring (I coloured by ink blending using a stencil)

Girlz and the Art of Letters challenge - letter M - monochrome

Seize the Birthday challenge - favourite fall treat or ATG

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - ATG

I hope you can join in with this fun challenge. Please pop over to the challenge blog to find out all the details and to check out the gorgeous creations by the Design Team too.

I hope you enjoy the last bit of your weekend and thanks so much for stopping by.

Love and hugs,

card supplies:

Gina K Designs - floral friendship stamp, dies and coordinating stencils

Gina K Designs - Master Layouts 19 die set

Gina K Designs - ink pads - cadet blue, sea glass, soft stone, stormy sky

Gina K Designs - bodacious blooms layering stencils (for lattice)

Gina K Designs - birthday cheer stamp (for inside greeting)

Gina K Designs - starlight sparkle gel

Gina K Designs - clear quartz solid sequins

Limetree Crafts - 280gsm silky smooth white card

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

teal/blue card from stash

*I now have an Affiliate Link for the Gina K Designs store. If you are considering making a purchase I would appreciate you using my link as it will earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you. 
Thank you x