Cards for All Seasons IG Hop - Week 5

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 5 and this week our theme is 'carnival party'; think theme parks, carnival festivities, masks, masquerades, tickets, colours and more.  A really fun theme and I can't wait to see what sparks your imagination.

I immediately thought of a circus and even though I don't have many circus themed products I did find a super cute clown stamp set that I thought would be perfect.  It's bright and happy and I hope you like it. 

Here is my card:

A closer look at the clowns:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by stamping the images onto alcohol marker friendly card, coloured them with Promarkers and added some white gelly roll pen highlights.  I used the coordinating dies to cut them out.  I really wanted to have a big top on my card but didn't have any images or dies I could use.  I decided to make my own and used some stencils to create my own big top background.  I used a sunrise stencil at the top and a striped stencil at the bottom of my panel and inked them up with red ink.  Where the 'join' was I die cut a scalloped border to resemble the ruffles on the big top.  I'm so happy with how it turned out.  I stamped the sentiments onto white card and die cut them out with a sentiment strip die however afterwards I decided the stamp the second part of the sentiment directly onto the scalloped border.  I thought the girl clown looked like she was balancing so using black twine I made a high wire for her to stand on.  I added the clowns, balloons and 1 sentiment with foam squares.  I also die cut some tickets from white card, inked them with the same red ink and wrote 'circus admit one' onto one of them.  The plain one was added with liquid glue and the top one with foam tape.  For a final finishing touch I added a few red pearl dots.  Instead of foam tape I added scrap card behind my panel and added this to my card base with double sided tape.  For the inside I cut a white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and using the striped stencil and red ink created a border at the bottom.  I stamped, coloured and die cut another clown and balloon and added them to the left corner with liquid glue.  I also created two more tickets and added them to the right corner with liquid glue.  I created my sentiment from two different stamp sets (I bravely did some stamp surgery) and stamped it in black ink.  The panel was added to my card base with double sided tape.  It is such a fun card and it brings a smile to my face. 

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

Crafter's Cafe challenge - ATG optional twist spots and/or stripes

Creative Inspirations challenge - ATG

Creative Knockouts challenge - finish the inside

Halloween & Other Occasions challenge - birthday

I Love Promarkers challenge - ATG or wings

Just Us Girls challenge - ATG stencil week

Little Red Wagon challenge - B is for birthday

Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge - use your favourite technique (stencilling)

Stencil Fun challenge - ATG with stencils optional splatters

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:

CC Designs - clowns clear stamp & die set

Promarkers

Gina K Designs - sunshine stencil

MFT - diagonal stripes stencil

Clearly Besotted - decorative edge die collection - retired

Gina K Designs - red hot ink pad

Gina K Designs - sentiment strips dies

Sakura - white no. 10 gelly roll pen

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

Heffy Doodle - alcohol marker friendly card - store now closed

Memento - tuxedo black ink pad

Memento - tuxedo black pen 

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

Spellbinders - fashion poppy color essential pearl dots

black twine from stash

Pearly Sparkles challenge - guest designer

Hello again friends; I'm like buses today - no posts for ages and then I'm back with my second post lol!  I am delighted to be a guest designer over at Pearly Sparkles challenge this month and their theme is 'anything but a card' so you can make bags, boxes, bookmarks, tags - the world's your oyster!  I can't wait to see what you create.

I had loads of ideas running through my mind and remembered I had this cute little gift bag die in my stash that I hadn't used for years.   So simple to make but really fun to decorate any way you want.  I hope you like it. 

Here is my bag:

A closer look at the adorable images:

A little decoration to the back:

I began by die cutting two pieces of the gift bag from a mid grey card and adhered them together with strong red line tape. I love the decorative edge and stitching detail around the handle. I stamped the images onto alcohol marker friendly card, coloured them with Promarkers and added some white gelly roll pen highlights.  I die cut them with the coordinating dies.  I used a strip of patterned paper and used a scallop border die to create the decorative edge on each side.  I added a white panel slightly smaller on top with double sided tape (I did ink blend some pink ink lightly over the white panel to soften it slightly).  The images were arranged over the strip and added with foam tape.  I stamped the sentiment onto white card with black ink and used a larger sentiment strip die to cut it out; this was adhered to the bottom of the bag with double sided tape.  For a finishing touch I wrapped some twine around the handle and tied it into a bow.   For the back of the bag I kept it really simple.  I added the same patterned paper and white card so that I could write a message to the recipient of the gift.  A really sweet and dinky little gift bag - it only measures 3" x 4" - but it would be perfect for some small chocolates or some jewellery.  

I would like to enter my gift bag into the following challenges:

Alphabet challenge - w for wings (my little bird has wings)

Crafty Animals challenge - ATG must include an animal

Crafty Calendar challenge - more than one fold

Crafty Catz challenge - ATG optional twist for the girls

Critter Crazy challenge - ATG with a featured critter

Cut It Up challenge - tie it up (I used twine)

Die Cut Divas challenge - critters

I Love Promarkers challenge - ATG or add some sparkle

Little Red Wagon challenge - tiny dancer (the gift bag is dinky 3"x4")

My Time to Craft challenge - 1-2-3 recipe (1 sentiment, 2 critters, 3 balloons)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - ATG

I would like to thank Helen and everyone at Pearly Sparkles challenge for having me as a guest this month. I hope you will be able to play along with the challenge and I cannot wait to see all your non-card projects.

Ok, that is it from me for today, but thank you for stopping by and visiting my corner of blogland.

Love and hugs,

card ingredients:

Lawn Fawn - goodie bag die

Lawn Fawn - year four stamp & die set

Lawn Fawn - spiffy speckles 6"x6" petite paper pack

Promarkers

Sakura - white no. 10 gelly roll pen

Clearly Besotted - scalloped edges die collection - retired

Gina K Designs - large strip sentiments dies

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

Heffy Doodle - alcohol marker friendly card - store now closed

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

Memento - tuxedo black ink pad

grey card from stash

Krafty Chicks challenge #757 - 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. Not everyone's favourite theme but we always need these types of cards so come over and join in the fun with us.

I didn't make this card with anyone in mind but realised I didn't have any baby cards in my stash so thought I would make a baby boy card for a change.  I really wanted to use one of my new Lili of the Valley dragon stamps as they are adorable.  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A close up of the super cute image:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by stamping my dragon image onto alcohol marker friendly card, coloured it with Promarkers and added some white gelly roll pen highlights.  I found an older congratulations die in my stash (not sure if I have ever used it) and cut it 4 times from white card.  I decided to colour the letters with the same purple and lime green marker that I used on my image (although the green looks more yellow in my photos).  I adhered the 4 die cuts together with liquid glue, placing the marker coloured one on top.  I cut the dragon with a circle die which was slightly larger than the congratulations die cut and added that directly onto a kraft panel (which was to 4" x 5 1/4") with liquid glue.  I then adhered the congratulations die on top, again with liquid glue.  I stamped the sentiment in purple ink and cut it out with a sentiment strip die.  I added this to the lower right corner of the panel with liquid glue.  As a final finishing touch I die cut 3 stars, 2 from green card and 1 from purple card and added them with foam squares.  At the last moment I decided to cut down my panel ever so slightly to 3 7/8" x 5 1/8" and added this to my card base with double sided tape.  For the inside I cut a kraft panel 3 3/4" x 5" and stamped the dragon in the bottom right corner with purple ink.  The sentiment was stamped in the same purple ink in the upper centre of the panel and I die cut 3 more stars to match the front and added them with liquid glue.  I finished off by adding some white highlights to the dragon with a gelly roll pen.  The panel was added to my card base with double sided tape.  A really cute card and something different from the usual 'blue for a boy' cards that I would normally make.  

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

Creative Knockouts challenge - finish the inside

Creative Moments challenge - cute

Everybody Art challenge - kids/baby

Fab 'n' Funky challenge - fantasy/myth

I Love Promarkers challenge - ATG or add some sparkle

My Time To Craft challenge - 1-2-3 recipe (1 image, 2 colours, 3 stars)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - ATG

Sweet Stampin' challenge - masculine makes

The Dream Factory challenge - Mia & Me (inspired by fantasy)

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 ingredients:

Lili of the Valley - dragons and unicorns A5 stamp set

Promarkers

MFT - congratulations circle frame die - retired

MFT - itty bitty baby clear stamp (for sentiments)

MFT - blueprints 18 (for star die) - retired 

Gina K Designs - wild lilac ink pad

Gina K Designs - sentiment strips dies

Memento - tuxedo black ink pad

Heffy Doodle - alcohol marker friendly card - store now closed

Crafter's Companion - kraft card stock 280gsm

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

Sakura - white no. 10 gelly roll pen

Cards for All Seasons IG Hop - Week 4

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 4 and this week our theme is 'follow your heart'. which means either use a heart somewhere on your project; which is super easy, or alternatively create a card with something that’s near to your heart.  A really fun theme and I can't wait to see what sparks your imagination.

I decided to go with something that's near to my heart and I chose my pets.  We have a cat called Willow who is 3 years old and a puppy called Wesley who is 10 months old and they are full of fun and mischief and keep me on my toes but I love them dearly.  I found this cute stamp set in my stash and I'm not sure I've ever used it but it was perfect for today's card.  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the adorable image:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by stamping the image onto alcohol marker friendly card, coloured it with Promarkers and added some details with a white gelly roll pen.  I then used the coordinating die to cut it out.  I decided to have a kraft card base for a change and randomly stamped the two paw prints all over the front of the card base with kraft ink for a tone-on-tone look.  I went with a brown and orange colour scheme to compliment my image and cut a thin strip of orange card and also a strip of patterned paper and adhered them together with double sided tape.  I then added them directly onto the card base with double sided tape.  I die cut a white circle as a grounding area for my image.  I added the image onto the circle with foam squares and then the circle over the patterned paper with double sided tape.  I stamped the sentiment onto the same kraft card using acorn ink and die cut it with a banner die.  I adhered this under the image with foam squares.  I die cut a few hearts from the orange card and added them with liquid glue.  For the inside I cut a white panel 4" x 5 1/4' and added a strip of the patterned paper and a tiny strip of orange card along the left side with double sided tape.  I stamped 3 pawprints onto kraft card and used the coordinating dies to cut them out; I adhered them in the bottom left corner with liquid glue.  Finally I stamped the sentiment in the acorn ink in the centre of the panel.  The panel was added to my card base with double sided tape.  I really love this card and the image is just so cute.  

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

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

Crafty Animals challenge - ATG must include an animal

Crafty Calendar challenge - hearts

Crafty Catz challenge - ATG optional twist use a die

Creative Moments challenge - cute

Halloween & Other Occasions challenge - cats and dogs

I Love Promarkers challenge - ATG or add some sparkle

My Time To Craft challenge - hearts 

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - cute and cuddly

Tic Tac Toe challenge - kraft card stock, die cut, ink/markers/coloured pencils

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 - forever friends stamp & die set - retired

MFT - friends forever stamp (for inside sentiment) - retired 

MFT - blueprints 27 (for banner die) - ? retired

MFT - tag builder blueprints 6 (for heart dies)

Spellbinders - standard circles large die set

Promarkers

Basic Grey - basics white 6x6 paper pad - no longer available

VersaFine Clair - acorn ink pad

Gina K Designs - kraft ink pad

Memento - tuxedo black in pad

Sakura - white no. 10 gelly roll pen

Heffy Doodle - alcohol marker friendly card (store now closed)

Crafter's Companion - kraft card stock 280gsm

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

orange card from stash

AAA Birthday challenge #69 - winter birthday

Hello again friends; I'm sharing my card (although I'm almost a week late) for this month's AAA Birthday challenge.  I have been very sick since Christmas, as has most of the family, and I'm only now starting to feel better.  My main priority for the last week has been keeping the animals alive, everything else has gone on the back burner lol!  I'm still not running at 100% but hopefully things will start to get back to a normal routine now.   As always you must create a birthday themed project and this month it's all about 'winter birthdays'.  Our guest designer this month is the lovely Colien so please pop over to her blog and leave her some love.

I decided to create a clean and simple winter birthday card featuring an adorable penguin image from Gina K Designs.  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the image:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by cutting my white panel to 4" x 5 1/4" and lightly ink blended some sea glass ink into the bottom left corner and using the same ink I stamped some tiny snowflakes randomly.  I stamped the cute image onto alcohol marker friendly card and coloured him with Promarkers and used the matching die to cut him out.  I also stamped and coloured two mugs from the same set, and also die cut them out.  I stamped the sentiment in black ink onto a piece of white card and die cut it out with a sentiment strip die.  I added the sentiment with liquid glue at the bottom of the panel and after adding foam squares to the penguin, added him above as if he was standing on the sentiment.  I also added foam squares to the mug and placed it so that it looked like the penguin was holding it.  The panel was added to my card base with foam tape.  For the inside I cut another white panel and ink blended along the bottom and again stamped some snowflakes.  I stamped the sentiment in the centre using black ink and added the second mug to the bottom left with liquid glue.  The panel was added to the case base with double sided tape.  A really cute card and perfect for the icy, cold weather we're currently experiencing.  

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

Addicted to CAS challenge - brrr

Addicted to Stamps and More challenge - birthdays

Crafty Animals challenge - ATG must include an animal

Crafty Calendar challenge - add a die cut (entry 2)

Critter Crazy challenge - ATG with a featured critter

Daisy Chain challenge - no design paper

Double D challenge - 9th birthday/anniversary challenge

Halloween & Other Occasions challenge - always birthday

I Love Promarkers challenge - ATG or use the sketch

Make My Monday challenge - your fave challenge of 2024 - #240 a CAS winter card

Simply Clean and Simple challenge - anything CAS goes option something new

Stamping Sensations challenge - ATG optional hand coloured image (entry 2)

The Male Room challenge - clean and simple (entry 2)

Triple B challenge - birds, blooms or butterflies

We Love Stamping challenge - anything but square (entry 2) 

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:

Gina K Designs - playful penguins stamp & die

Gina K Designs - hygge time (for both sentiments)

Gina K Designs - Christmas cheer stamp set (for snowflake)

Gina K Designs - sentiment strips dies 

Gina K Designs - sea glass ink pad

Promarkers

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card (currently not available but this 250gsm smooth white card is an alternative in stock here)

Sakura - white no. 10 gelly roll pen

AAA Cards challenge - guest designer

Good morning lovely friends.  Well can you believe we are in 2025; the time is just whizzing by isn't it?  I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year celebrations.  We had a quiet one as always, but that's just the way we like it.  

I'm here today to share a card I made for the new AAA Cards challenge.  I won a challenge back in October last year and was invited to be a guest designer, which I immediately accepted.  Their challenges are always 'anything CAS goes' but there is an optional theme, which this time is 'flies in the air'.  

I had a dig through my stash and found this kite themed stamp & die set which I thought would be perfect for this challenge, although you could have birds, planes, balloons, spaceships etc.  This stamp/die combo is retired now but I don't think I've ever used it.  I am determined this year to try and not spend so much on new stuff when there are so many things in my stash that I haven't touched. Not sure how achievable this will be though.  Do you have any crafty resolutions this year?

Here is my card:

A close look at the kite:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by stamping 2 kites onto alcohol marker friendly card and coloured them with Promarkers; I also added some white highlights (I thought the dotty one was a bit busy so kept that one for the inside of my card).  I took a white panel and cut it to 4" x 5 1/4" and using my cloud stencil created a background for my kite.  I thought it was too much (as don't forget it's supposed to be a CAS challenge so cut down to 3 7/8" x 3" and adhered it onto another white panel cut to 3 7/8" x 5 1/8" with double side tape.  I did edge the cloud panel with 2 black card strips which were cut to 3 7/8' x 1/8" and these were added with liquid glue.  I stamped the string of the kite with black ink and added the kite over the end with foam squares.  I also cut 3 of the bows from white card and added them along the string with liquid glue.  I stamped the sentiment in the left lower section of the cloud panel using black ink.  The panel was then added to the card base with foam tape.  For the inside I used the same size white panel and added a strip of the cloud background to the bottom with double sided tape and another strip of black card above it with liquid glue.  I stamped the sentiment in the centre with black ink and added the dotty kite overlapping the cloud panel with liquid glue.  The panel was added to the card base with double sided tape.  I think this card would be perfect for a new job or someone off on a new adventure. 

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

Crafty Calendar challenge - add a die cut

Creative Inspirations challenge - something old or something new (my stamp/die are very old)

If You Give A Crafter A Cookie challenge - ATG

I Love Promarkers challenge - ATG or use the sketch

Just Us Girls challenge - die week - ATG

Scrapping4Fun challenge - ATG

Stamping Sensations challenge - ATG option hand coloured image 

The Male Room challenge - clean and simple

We Love Stamping challenge - anything but square

I can't wait to see what you create for this challenge; there are lots of fun options for this one.  I would like to thank Maaike and the Team at AAA Cards challenge for the opportunity to be a guest designer; please go and check out their amazing creations and leave them some love. 

Thank you so much for stopping by; I appreciate you taking the time to visit me and leave me comments.  I look forward to sharing my creations with you again this year. 

Love and hugs, 

card ingredients:

Clearly Besotted - sky's the limit stamp & die set, sky's the limit addition stamp set (retired)

MFT - mini cloud edges stencil (retired)

Promarkers

Gina K Designs - sea glass ink pad

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card (currently not available but they have 240gsm in stock here)

Hobbycraft - A4 black card

Sakura - white no. 10 gelly roll pen

Krafty Chicks challenge #746 - Christmas

* EDIT - sorry my post is so late - the kitchen fitter moved everything on Thursday morning so I couldn't get to my computer until today *

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 we are on Week 2 and as always the theme is 'Christmas' and I am your hostess. We want you to see all your festive creations this week and even if you are done with your Christmas cards this year, you can always make a start on next year or even share some gift bags or tags you've made.  We hope you will come over and join in the fun with us.

In all honesty I was going to skip this week as I literally cannot get to my craft desk at the moment due to all the kitchen appliances being delivered.  My room has a fridge/freezer, tumble dryer, washing machine, oven and microwave in the middle of the room so I didn't think I could get anything done.  Who knew you could create on top of a washing machine box lol!  I did find the image already stamped, coloured and die cut so that was a big help but I got there, even if it's not 100% perfect.  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A close up of the cute reindeer:

Plus I decorated the inside:

As I mentioned the reindeer was left over from last year, she even had foam squares already on the back!  I cut a white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and stamped the peace, love, joy words in black ink.  I then decided to cut a red panel using a scalloped die so that meant I had to cut my white panel much smaller (3 1/2" x 4 3/4").  I coloured the words using Promarkers.  I added the white panel onto the red panel with foam tape and the reindeer was also added with foam squares.  The red panel was added to my card base with double sided tape.  As a finishing touch I added some red sequins.  For the inside I cut a white panel, stamped the reindeer in kraft ink in the left bottom corner and a sentiment in the upper centre with black ink.  I matted this with a red panel using double sided tape and it was added to the card base again with double sided tape.  A super cute card and it took very little time to make.  I wasn't sure if there was too much red but I think it makes the reindeer stand out.  

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

The 12 Months of Christmas Link Up challenge - ATG Christmas

52 Christmas Card Throwdown challenge - pick a previous colour challenge (I chose April 24)

ABC Christmas Challenge - Z for zoo animals (quite a few zoos have reindeer)

As You Like It challenge - anything Christmassy 

Cardz 4 Girlz challenge - Christmas

Christmas With The Cuties challenge - cute and Christmassy

Creative Friday challenge - any animal

Critter Crazy challenge - ATG with a featured critter

Cut It Up challenge - more than one die cut (I die cut my reindeer and scalloped panel)

Fab 'n' Funky challenge - Christmas animals

I Love Promarkers challenge - ATG or use the sketch (I went for ATG)

Moving Along With The Times challenge - Christmas characters 

Merry Little Christmas challenge - Anything Christmas goes

Pearly Sparkles challenge - Christmas

Simply Clean and Simple challenge - ATG CAS

Sparkles Christmas challenge - Christmas song or carol (Rudolph the red nosed reindeer)

Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge - use dies in diecember 

Stamping Sensations challenge - ATG option winter (full list of supplies at bottom of post)

Sweet Stampin' challenge - Christmas creations 

The Cutie Pie challenge - cute Christmas 

The Sisterhood of Crafters challenge - Christmas 

Word Power challenge - #12 (use sentiment as the focus)

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:

MFT - reindeer love stamp & die set - currently oos

MFT - blueprints 27 (for scalloped die) - currently oos

MFT - itty bitty holiday (for inside sentiment) - retired 

Promarkers

Spellbinders - scarlet smooth disc color essentials sequins

Gina K Designs - kraft ink pad

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

Memento - tuxedo black ink pad

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

Sakura - white no. 10 gelly roll pen