Krafty Chicks challenge #758 - 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 is Week 1, our theme is 'birthday' and our hostess is Leanne. We always need birthday cards, gift packaging and decorations so I'm sure you will find this week a breeze! We hope you will come over and join in the fun with us.

It was my mother-in-law's birthday recently so this challenge was perfect timing for me.  I grabbed some new supplies from Gina K Designs and got to work.  It's a really pretty stamp, die and stencil combo and my MIL loved it.  I hope you like it too.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the flowers:

Plus I decorated the inside:

As always for my family cards I used a 5" x 7" card base.  I cut a white panel 4 3/4" x 6 3/4" and stamped half of the 'double background 1' in soft stone ink.  I used the half that resembles leaves and although it wasn't quite big enough I don't think it looks glaringly obvious.  I matted this onto a slightly larger black card panel with double sided tape.  I stamped two of the flower arrangements, used the coordinating stencils to colour them in and cut them out with the matching dies.  I also stamped the happy birthday sentiment from the same stamp set in black ink and used the coordinating die to cut it out.  I cut the decorative label from master layouts 10 and also the slightly larger mat label from black card (although once I placed the flowers on top you couldn't really tell it was a decorative label lol!).  Before adding it to my panel I stamped the mother word directly onto the label with black ink.  I adhered the label with foam squares and placed the flower arrangements at the top and bottom with foam squares.  I added the happy birthday sentiment above the mother word with foam squares.  I added some scrap card stock behind my panel for dimension and it was then added to my card base with double sided tape.  I finished off with a few gold pearls.  For the inside I cut a white panel 4 3/4" x 6 3/4" and matted it onto a black card panel with double sided tape.  I stamped another of the leafy backgrounds and cut it into a strip and added it to the bottom of the panel with double sided tape.  I cut a thin strip of black card and added this above it.  I die cut a flower and ink blended it in the same colours as the flowers on the front of my card and added that in left lower corner with liquid glue.  Finally I stamped a sentiment in the centre of the panel using black ink.  The panel was added to my card base with double sided tape.  A really pretty and elegant card I think and I love using all the coordinating product from Gina K Designs.  

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

As You Like It challenge - monochrome or colour (colourful cards as they are bright and happy)

Beautiful Blossoms challenge - anything floral goes (optional mood board)

Cardz 4 Galz challenge - Mother's Day or for a special lady

Craft Rocket challenge - for the girls

Crafty Catz challenge - ATG optional twist for the girls

Get Creative challenge - happy birthday Barbie! (make a card for a woman)

Halloween & Other Occasions challenge - birthday

Little Red Wagon challenge - B is for birthday

Sweet Stampin' challenge - special women

Triple B challenge - use at least one bird, bloom or butterfly (optional mood board)

Try It On Tuesday challenge - for a lady

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:

Gina K Designs - spring clusters stamp & die bundle

Gina K Designs - spring clusters stencils

Gina K Designs - double background 1/grip mat

Gina K Designs - lovely ladies stamp set

Gina K Designs - Master Layouts 10 die set (for decorative label)

Gina K Designs - let's get started die set (free with the intri-cut machine)

Gina K Designs - perfect posy stamp (for inside greeting)

Gina K Designs - ink pads - sunkissed coral, butterscotch, jelly bean green, soft stone

Gina K Designs - black, gold & silver pearl mix

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

Hobbycraft - A4 black card

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

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

AAA Birthday challenge #71 - Masculine

Good morning friends and welcome to March and the first day of meteorological spring *yay*.  I'm sharing my card for this month's AAA Birthday challenge and this month our theme is 'masculine'. Now I know we all prefer to make pretty, girly, flowery creations but we do occasionally have to make cards for the men in our lives lol!  Please take on our challenge this month and get creating some masculine makes. Our guest designer this month is the lovely Ella so please pop over to her blog and leave her some love.

It was my nephew's birthday last week so it was perfect timing for my masculine make.  I had a new die set that I wanted to use so set to work.  This card would be suitable for males of all ages and full disclosure - my nephew was 36 this year!  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A close up of the monsters:

Plus I decorated the inside:

As my card was for a family member I made a 5" x 7" card size as always.  I began by cutting a panel from fog card 4 3/4" x 6 3/4" and used an embossing folder for some fun texture.  I added a black mat panel behind with double sided tape.  I die cut all the elements for the monsters from card in my scraps bin and adhered them together with liquid glue.  I stamped the 'monster' sentiment onto alcohol marker friendly card, coloured it with Promarkers and used the coordinating die to cut it out.  I also die cut the letters to spell 'nephew' from black card 4 times and adhered them together with liquid glue.  I stamped rest of the sentiment onto white card with black ink and used sentiment strip dies to cut them out.  Now that I had all my elements ready I arranged them onto my card.  I added the die cut monsters and 'monster' sentiment with foam squares and the remainder with liquid glue.  I didn't add any embellishments as I thought there was enough going on, especially with the embossed background.  Instead of adding foam tape for dimension I used 4 layers of scrap card behind my panel and added it to my card base with double sided tape.  For the inside I cut a white panel 4 3/4" x 6 3/4" and adhered this to a black mat panel with double sided tape.  I embossed another piece of fog card and cut it into two strips, adhering one to the top and one to the bottom of the panel with double sided tape.  For a fun twist I partially die cut one of the monsters and adhered him at the bottom left of the panel so that it looked like he was peeking over the embossed panel.  Finally I stamped a sentiment in the centre with black ink.  The panel was added to my card base with double sided tape.  A really fun card and I'm really happy with how it turned out.  It could be sent to a 4 year old or a 40 year old I think!

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

As You Like It challenge - masculine or feminine (I do find feminine cards easier to make but enjoy the challenge of making masculine cards.  I have a hubby, 2 sons, and a nephew so had lots of practice)

Can You Handle The Pressure challenge - ATG embossing with a twist of masculine

Creative Knockouts challenge - finish the inside

Fab 'n' Funky challenge - fantasy/myth

Halloween & Other Occasions challenge - birthday

Mix It Up challenge - ATG optionals layers

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - ATG

The Male Room challenge - monochrome (blues with neutral colours black, white & grey)

Try It On Tuesday challenge - Boss it (I used an embossing folder)

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: 

Spellbinders - monster love pop die set

Spellbinders - splatter embossing folder - currently on sale!

Neat & Tangled - little monster stamp & die set (for monster word) - store now closed

Promarkers

MFT - little letters die set - retired

MFT - purr-fect birthday stamp (for partial sentiment)

Gina K Designs - sentiment strips dies

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

Simon Says Stamp - fog card stock

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

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

coloured card from scraps bin

Heffy Doodle - alcohol marker friendly card - store now closed

Krafty Chicks challenge #756 - 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; as always the theme is 'CAS' (clean and simple) and Diane is our hostess. Everyone interprets CAS very differently but as long as there is some 'white' space and not too many embellishments you're all good. We hope you will come over and join in the fun with us.

I needed a card for a friend who has been going through a rough time and I wanted to let her know that I was thinking of her.  I used one of my favourite PB hedgie images and I'm really happy with how it turned out.  I hope you like it too.  

Here is my card:

A close up of the cute hedgie:

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

I began by stamping the image onto alcohol marker friendly card. The stamp was originally for Halloween but I masked the face on the balloon so that it was plain (and I think it turned out great).  I coloured the image with Promarkers and added a few highlights with a white gelly roll pen.  I couldn't find my mini cloud stencil so made one out of card and used that instead; it's not perfect but I think it looks quite good.  I stamped the sentiment in the top right corner using black ink.  I was just about to adhere the panel to my card base when I notice a ghost impression of my sentiment in the left corner (I must have caught it with my finger and transferred it grrrrrr!).  Ok onto plan B - I trimmed off about 5/8" on the left side of the panel and added a strip of black & white striped paper instead.  I then added the panel to the card base with double sided tape.  I cannot believe there is no dimension on my card at all!!  For the inside I simply cut a white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and to match the front added a thin 1/4" strip of the paper to the left side with liquid glue.  I stamped the sentiment in the centre with black ink.  

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

A Place to Start challenge - things in the sky

As You Like It challenge - feminine or masculine (I think most of us prefer feminine as we can add pretty flowers, papers etc)

Classic Design challenge - ATG optional twist thinking of you

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

Crafty Animals challenge - ATG must include an animal

Creative Moments challenge - cute

Day of the Month Card Club challenge - feed the forest animals day

Dragonfly Dreams challenge - CAS

I Love Promarkers challenge - ATG or add some sparkle

Penny Black Saturday challenge - ATG optional hearts

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - cute and cuddly

Stencil Fun challenge - anything stencil goes optional pinks and/or reds

Unicorn challenge - dots and/or stripes

We Love Stamping challenge - CAS

I hope you will be able to join us for our 'CAS' challenge and I cannot wait to see your creations in our linky. Please leave some love for my fellow chicks - Leanne, Diane and Lori.

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

Love and hugs,

card ingredients:

Penny Black - frightful flight wood stamp

Promarkers

Spellbinders - nature's dance clear stamp (for sentiment)

Spellbinders - stylish oval birthday wishes clear stamp (for inside sentiment)

MFT - black & white stripes 6x6 paper pack - currently not available

Gina K Designs - sea glass ink pad

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

Memento - tuxedo black ink pad

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

Heffy Doodle - alcohol marker friendly card - store now closed 

Krafty Chicks challenge #755 - Christmas

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 2.  As always the theme is 'Christmas' and I am your hostess. We want you to see all your festive creations this week and we hope you will come over and join in the fun with us.

I recently bought a fun Christmas mug die that I've been itching to use so today's challenge was the perfect opportunity (although the mug itself could be used for various occasions).  A bit of stencilling and lots of die cutting and my card was done.  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the mug:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by cutting my white panel 3 7/8" x 5 1/8" and using a snowflake stencil created my background using a very light grey ink.  I matted this panel onto a grey panel cut to 4" x 5 1/4" using double sided tape.  I cut the mug die from red ink and inked the edges with a slightly darker red ink for some definition.  I also cut the inner part of the mug from brown card to resemble cocoa.  I cut the candy cane from red and white card and adhered it together with liquid glue.  I cut 3 marshmallows and 2 snowflakes from white card and using my trimmer I cut a strip of black card for the belt.  I don't have the holiday additions die set that coordinates with the mug set so I had to make my own buckle using gold mirri card (it's not perfect but I think you can recognise it as a belt buckle lol!).  Once all the die cutting was done I assembled all the pieces.  The inner of the mug was adhered with liquid glue before the candy cane and marshmallows were tucked into the mug and secured on the back with some double sided tape.  The belt, buckle and 2 snowflakes were added with liquid glue.  I stamped the sentiment with black ink and die cut it out with the coordinating die (I cut another 2 from white so that I could add some dimension without fiddling with tiny strips of foam tape).  I added foam squares behind the mug and added it to the centre of my panel.  The sentiment was added across the mug with liquid glue.  I added gold sequins to the centres of the snowflakes and onto the background.  I added some scrap white card behind my panel, instead of using foam tape, and adhered it to my card base with double sided tape.  For the inside of my card I cut the same size white and grey panels, I stencilled the very bottom of the white panel using the snowflake stencil and adhered the panels together with double sided tape.  I stamped the sentiment in the centre with black ink and added a die cut snowflake in the bottom left corner.  I also added a gold sequin into the centre.  The panel was then added to the card base with double sided tape.  Although there was a bit of die cutting it wasn't too fiddly and the card came together quite quickly.  

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

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

ABC Christmas challenge - D is for die cuts

Crafts Galore Encore challenge - ATG

Crafty Catz challenge - ATG optional theme use a die

Cupcake Inspirations challenge - colour challenge - red, black and white

Daisy Chain challenge - layer it up 

Little Red Wagon challenge - red alert!

Merry Little Christmas challenge - anything Christmas goes

Scrapping4Fun challenge - black, white + 1 other colour (I went with red)

Stencil Fun challenge - anything stencil goes optional theme pink and/or red

The Four Seasons challenge - ATG winter optional mood board

The Sisterhood of Crafters challenge - red or pink

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:

Pretty Pink Posh - winter mug die set

Funky Fossil Designs - snow is falling stencil

Gina K Designs - graphic tree stamp & die set (for outside sentiment)

Gina K Designs - soft stone ink pad 

Spellbinders - Santa's sippin' sayings stamp (for inside sentiment) - on sale!

Spellbinders - gold smooth disc color essential sequins

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

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

coloured card from scraps bin

Krafty Chicks challenge #754 - 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 is Week 1, our theme is 'birthday' and our hostess is Leanne. We always need birthday cards, gift packaging and decorations so I'm sure you will find this week a breeze!  We hope you will come over and join in the fun with us.

I always need birthday cards but didn't have anyone in mind when I made my card so I just had fun.  I haven't used this die set for ages so decided to give it some love.  I hope you like it. 

Here is my card:

A close look at the die cut:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by die cutting the large word die which comes in three separate dies.  The background was cut from white card, the happy from red card and the birthday from pink card.  I added some shading to the happy and birthday words with a slightly darker ink for some extra interest.  I adhered them together with liquid glue.  I cut a white panel 3 7/8" x 5 1/8" and once again grabbed the snowy background stamp (as it really looks like splatter to me) and used the same red and pink inks to create a fun and playful background for my sentiment to rest on.  I matted this onto a pink layer with double sided tape.  I added the die cut sentiment with foam tape.  I finished by added a few clear sequins around the word and added shimmer pen all over the happy and birthday words.  The panel was added to my card base with foam tape.  For the inside I cut a white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and used some left over pieces from the background, adding them at the top and bottom of the panel.  I also added a thin strip of pink card to cover the join.  I stamped the sentiment in the centre of the panel with black ink.  The panel was added to the card base with double sided tape.  A really fun card and you could make it in every colour of the rainbow and it would still look fab.  

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

AAA Colourful challenge - mood board

As You Like It challenge - stamping or digi (I didn't have a printer for a while so went back to stamping and I love it and now prefer a physical stamp). My background is stamped.

Aud Sentiments challenge - love/anniversary/wedding and/or shimmer + sentiment (I used shimmer pen on my die cut sentiment)

Colorful Options challenge - February mood board (I chose the colours red and pink)

Craft Rocket challenge - happy birthday

The Crafter's Cafe challenge - ATG optional twist birthday 

Daisy Chain challenge - layer it up (my die cut is layered)

Dragonfly Dreams challenge - CAS (clean and simple)

Everybody Art challenge - die cuts and punches

Inkspirational challenge - red and pink

The Neglected Stuff challenge - use your older neglected stuff (my die cut is older and haven't used it for ages)

Unicorn challenge - dots and/or stripes

We Love Stamping challenge - CAS (my background is stamped)

Word Art Wednesday challenge - ATG

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:

Gina K Designs - birthday trio die set

Gina K Designs - snowy BG stamp

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

Gina K Designs - ink pads - red hot & passionate pink

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

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

Tonic Studios - Nuvo aqua shimmer pen in glitter gloss