Krafty Chicks challenge #729 - CAS

Hello again lovely friends.  I hope you're all doing ok and having a great week.  It's Thursday so that means it's time for a new challenge over at Krafty Chicks challenge.  We are now on Week 3 which means Diane is our hostess and our theme as always is 'CAS (clean and simple)', so come and join in the fun with us. 

I didn't have anyone in mind when I made this card (for a change) so just had fun and went with it.  I chose colours I liked and really like the finished card, even though it took 10 minutes to make!  I hope you like it too.

Here is my card:

A closer look:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by cutting a white panel 4" x 5 1/4".  I took 5 ink cubes and lightly swiped them across the panel from the left side so that they went to white at the right side.  I took a beautiful floral stamp and simply stamped it in black ink over the swiped panel; no colouring or anything fancy but I think it looks dramatic and modern.  I decided at this point to die cut the panel using a stitched rectangle die and also a black mat panel.  I adhered them together with double sided tape.  I stamped the sentiment onto black card using versamark embossing ink and added white embossing powder which I heat set; I had the matching die so cut it out with that.  The panel was added to my card base with foam tape and I also added the sentiment with foam squares.  I didn't add any embellishments as I thought it looked colourful and fun as it was.  For the inside I cut a white panel and a black mat panel using the same dies as for the front.  I again swiped the ink pads across the panel but this time I didn't even go as far as the middle of the panel and then stamped a sentiment in black ink.  The panels were adhered together with double sided tape and then onto the card base also with double sided tape.  A super quick card but really colourful and quite easy to mass produce using different colours.  

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

Addicted to Stamps & More challenge - any occasion

Beautiful Blossoms challenge - anything floral goes optional mood board

CRAFT challenge - ATG option back to school

Daisy Chain challenge - for the girls

Halloween & Other Occasions challenge - always birthday

Pearly Sparkles challenge - floral

Scrapping4Fun challenge - ATG

Simply Clean & Simple challenge - anything CAS option off centre

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - add a sentiment

Stamping Sensations challenge - ATG or summer in the garden

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

Try It On Tuesday challenge - keep it simple

Unicorn challenge - flowers 

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 and also our guest designer Rachelle.  

I have an extra card for you today so please pop back in a little while and check it out.  

Thanks for stopping by. 

Love and hugs, 

card ingredients:

Gina K Designs - lovely flowers stamp

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

Gina K Designs - all occasion flowers stamp & die bundle (for sentiment)

Gina K Designs - Master Layouts 14 (for stitched rectangle die)

Gina K Designs - Master Layouts 1 (for plain rectangle die)

Gina K Designs - ink cubes - carnation cube set, orchid cube set, lilac cube set

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card

Hobbycraft - A4 luxury black card

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

Versamark - embossing ink

WOW! - opaque bright white super fine embossing powder

Summer Soiree Card Making IG Hop - Week 7

Hello friends; I hope you've had a great start to your week.  Apologies for the lack of posts this past week but Wesley is dominating my time so much that I don't have any time to myself!  He is a bundle of fun, but a little terror at the same time lol!  He's been enjoying the gorgeous weather we've been having this week and loves being outside.  

Anyway enough of my waffling let's get down to the real reason you are here.  It's week 7 of our Summer Soiree IG card hop, which has been organised by my lovely friend Kelly. This week is all about 'summer bugs' so we want to see all your cute and fun critters. 

I wanted to use this cute stamp set from Clearly Besotted (this is the same set that I got the fun bees from that I used on my World Bee Day card a little while ago).  They are such adorable images and fairly simple to colour too.  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A close look at the cute images:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by cutting a panel of 8 1/2" x 5 1/4" kraft card and stamped my own background paper using 2 leaf stamps from the stamp set and versamark ink for a tone on tone look.  I cut 2 panels from the background measuring 3 3/4" x 5".  I stamped the images onto alcohol marker friendly ink and coloured them with Promarkers before using the matching dies to cut them out.  I stencilled a background using a stencil and die cut it out with a circle die.  I stamped the sentiment in black ink and used a sentiment strip die to cut it out.  I took some alpha dies and cut out the word 'bugs' from green card and inked the bottom half with a slightly darker green ink.  I added the circle onto the background with foam tape, the caterpillar was also added with foam tape and the dragonfly was added with liquid glue.  I tucked 2 leaves behind the circle, adding them with liquid glue.  I also added the sentiment and words with liquid glue.  The panel was added to the card base with foam tape.  For the inside I cut a white panel 3 1/4" x 4 1/2" and stamped a sentiment in the centre with black ink.  I lightly ink blended the bottom and added another cute bug and 2 leaves with liquid glue.  I adhered the white panel onto the kraft panel with double sided tape and this was added to the card base with double sided tape.  A really fun card and I love a good punny sentiment lol!  

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

Addicted to Stamps & More challenge - birthdays

The Crafter's Cafe challenge - ATG twist include some balloons

I Love Promarkers challenge - ATG/masculine

Make My Monday challenge - colouring mediums (I used alcohol markers)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - ATG

The Cutie Pie challenge - beginning with B (bugs)

Try It On Tuesday challenge - in the garden (bugs)

If you would like to follow the hop over on Instagram please use the hashtag #summersoireecardmakinghop2024 to find us or alternatively visit my profile and you will find the list of participants on my post.  We would love it if you would give the summer soiree challenges a try and again use the hashtag and we will find your projects.  

I'll be back tomorrow with my card for the Krafty Chicks challenge but until then enjoy the rest of your day and thank you for stopping by. 

Love and hugs,

Card ingredients:

Clearly Besotted Stamps - cute as a bug stamp & matching die set - retired

Promarkers

Clearly Besotted Stamps - a little sentiment stamp set - retired

Clearly Besotted Stamps - around about stencil

Gina K Designs - sentiment strips dies

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

Gina K Designs - ink pads - sea glass, ocean mist, lucky clover, grass green

Lawn Fawn - Henry's ABC dies

Tonic Studios - circles layering basics dies

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card

Heffy Doodle - alcohol marker friendly card - store now closed

Crafter's Companion - desert storm kraft card

Versafine - onyx black ink 

Memento - tuxedo black ink

Versamark - embossing ink 

CAS on Friday challenge - guest designer

Hello friends and welcome to Friday.  I hope you've had a great week so far and you've got some exciting plans for the weekend.  

I was lucky enough to win a recent challenge over at CAS on Friday and was offered a guest DT spot.  I excitedly accepted and today is the day that I can share my project for them.  The theme for this challenge is 'watercolour'.  I was going to go down my usual route of a background wash of colour and an image over top but decided to try something different.  After watching a couple of YouTube videos showing simple watercolour flowers I decided to give it a try myself.  My efforts are definitely not exceptional but I am over the moon pleased with the final outcome.  I hope you like it too. 

Here is my card:

A closer look at my flowers:

I decorated the inside:

I began by cutting a panel of Bristol smooth heavy weight card to 4 1/4" x 5 1/2".  I used my Kuretake Gansai Tambi palette and chose a pink, blue and green pan to use on my card.  Following one tutorial I saw on YouTube I added 3 small dots of concentrated colour with a small paint brush and dragged the colour out with a clean damp brush to create the petals.  I created 2 pink and 2 blue flowers in this fashion.  I know I should have done 3 or 5 flowers for perfect design but I liked the way my 4 flowers looked (and I didn't want to mess up my panel by adding one more lol!).  I added the stems using the green paint and added some leaves (although some were a little wonkier than others!).  I took a gold pan and added the centres to my flowers and also some splatter (spatter?) all over the background.  I stamped my sentiment and heat embossed with gold embossing powder (I did a little stamp surgery as the original sentiment was happy birthday bestie but I cut it apart between the birthday and bestie).  I then added the panel to an A2 card base using double sided tape.  No embellishments or anything extra as I loved it the way it was.  For the inside I took another panel of the Bristol card and stamped a sentiment in the centre with black ink.  I had practiced my flowers on a scrap of card and as they looked so pretty I didn't want to throw them away so I cut them into triangles and added them to the right top and bottom left corners with liquid glue.  A really simple card but a one-off original made by yours truly lol!

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

A Place to Start challenge - ATG

Beautiful Blossoms challenge - anything florals goes optional mood board

Creative Inspirations challenge - ATG

Halloween and Other Occasions challenge - always birthday

Incy Wincy Designs challenge - round/circles and/or hand drawn/sewing (my flowers are hand painted)

Moving Along With The Times challenge - CAS (clean and simple)

My Time To Craft challenge - summer florals

Scrapping4Fun challenge - birthday

Simply Clean and Simple challenge - CAS optional use a heart (happy 1st anniversary)

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

I hope you will be able to join in with the challenge over at CAS on Friday but remember it must be a CAS creation and you are allowed one entry only. You can read the definition of CAS here. 

Thank you so much for stopping by. 

Love and hugs, 

card ingredients:

Kuretake - Gansai Tambi 36 colour paint palette

Strathmore - Bristol smooth heavyweight card

MFT - inside and out birthday greetings

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card (for card base)

Cosmic Shimmer - detail bright gold embossing powder

Versamark - watermark ink pad

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

Summer Soiree IG Card Hop - Week 2

Hello friends; we've made it to the middle of the week *yay*. I hope the weather is good where you are; it's still sunny and warm here in South Wales but I think it's supposed to change for the end of the week. Let's hope that summer isn't over already lol!  

Talking of summer; it's week 2 of our Summer Soiree IG card hop, which has been organised by my lovely friend Kelly.  This week is all about 'The Great Outdoors'.

Believe it or not but in my vast stash of stamps, dies etc I did not have one item relating the camping or the great outdoors so for a while I was a little bit stumped.  I am no artist but I decided to have a go at drawing my own caravan as this is as close to camping as I'll ever get haha!  It's not perfect by any stretch but I think you know what it is at least!  

Here is my card:

A close up of my masterpiece!

I decorated the inside:

So I began by roughly drawing my little caravan in pencil and when I decided it was as good as it was going to be I went over it with a letraset fine line black marker (which is safe to use with markers).  I erased all the pencil marks and coloured the caravan with Promarkers.  I fussy cut the image,  added some glaze to the windows and the wheel to make them shine a little and put it aside to dry.  For my background I used a mountain image and stamped it in light grey ink onto a white panel.  I ink blended the grass but then went over it with my markers for some extra definition.  I also coloured the sky and mountains with markers and used the black marker to define the birds.  I cut this panel out with a stitched die and then cut a navy card mat using my paper trimmer.  I decided to heat emboss my sentiment with gold embossing powder in the lower right corner.  I added my caravan with foam squares.  The panels were adhered together with double sided tape and then added to the card base with foam tape.  I finished off with a few gold sequins.  For the inside I cut the same size panels and adhered them together with double sided tape.  I stamped a small portion of the mountain image, coloured it with markers and added that to the bottom of my white panel with double sided tape.  I didn't add a sentiment as the card could be used for quite a few occasions, so left it blank until I know what I'm using it for.  The panel was then added to my card base with double sided tape.  

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

Addicted to Stamps & More challenge - make your mark

Aud Sentiments challenge - shaker and/or summer + sentiment

Craft Rocket challenge - no design paper

Cupcake Inspirations challenge - ATG

Halloween & Other Occasions challenge - the great outdoors

I Love Promarkers challenge - ATG/pink, blue & yellow

Little Red Wagon challenge - layer it up

Make My Monday challenge - outdoor summer fun

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - ATG

Try It On Tuesday challenge - here comes summer

Unicorn challenge - emboss it (I heat embossed my sentiment)

We Love Stamping challenge - fabulous florals or ATG

If you would like to follow the hop over on Instagram please use the hashtag #summersoireecardmakinghop2024 to find us or alternatively visit my profile and you will find the list of participants on my post.  We would love it if you would give the summer soiree challenges a try and again use the hashtag and we will find your projects.  

I'll be back tomorrow with my card for the Krafty Chicks challenge but until then enjoy the rest of your day and thank you for stopping by. 

Love and hugs,

card ingredients:

hand-drawn image

Heffy Doodle - alcohol marker friendly card

Gina K Designs - spring mountain stamp set

Gina K Designs - grass green ink pad

Promarkers

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card

Spellbinders - gold smooth disc color essential sequins

Letraset - fineliner black 03 pen

Nuvo - crystal glaze

Versamark - embossing & watermark ink pad

Cosmic Shimmer - detail bright gold embossing powder

Krafty Chicks challenge - CAS

Hello friends and happy Thursday.  Well the weeks are certainly flying by aren't they?  I can't believe I'm sharing my week 3 card for the Krafty Chicks challenge already.  Week 3 is always CAS, which I know a lot of people struggle with (me included), but I think it does get easier the more you make them.  

I like the look of clean and simple but honestly don't always know when to stop but I've made quite a few CAS cards in the last few weeks and I'm liking them more.  I decided to make a sympathy card as I'm always usually rushing to make them so here is my card for today:

a closer look:

and I decorated the inside:

I recently watched a video on YouTube that reminded me about partial embossing, which is something I have done before, but completely forgot about so wanted to try again.  I grabbed 2 different embossing folders and embossed them onto white card leaving a gap large enough to fit my sentiment.  I scored each edge of the embossing to define them and make them look more 'finished'.  I stamped the sentiment with versamark and heat emboss with gold detail embossing powder.   I cut a leafy die 3 times from white and once from a matte gold speciality card and adhered them together with liquid glue.  I added the die cut to the embossed panel with liquid glue.  The white panel was then added to the same matte gold card with double sided tape.  I also added it to my card base with double sided tape.  I didn't add any embellishments as I wanted to try and keep it as clean and simple as possible.  For the inside I cut another white panel and stamped my sentiment with black ink.  I added a smaller sprig of the die cut in the bottom right corner.  Again the panel was matted onto the gold card and adhered to the card base with double sided tape.  

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

Can You Handle the Pressure challenge - ATG with embossing option - snow people

Craft Rocket challenge - use embossing

Crafty Catz Challenge - ATG optional twist - no designer paper

Double D challenge - sparkle and/or shine (shimmer card and heat embossing)

Just Us Girls challenge - mood board week (inspired by the colours and textures)

Pearly Sparkles challenge - CAS

Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge - sparkle and shine (shimmer card and heat embossing)

I hope you will be able to join us over at Krafty Chicks and I cannot wait to see all your gorgeous creations.   Check out the blog for all the rules and to see the amazing cards from the very talented design team - Leanne, Diane and Lori.  Helen is our guest designer for January so please leave her some love too.  

Thank you so much for stopping by. 

Love and hugs,

card ingredients:

Gina K Designs - Swiss dot embossing folder

Gina K Designs - Tapestry embossing folder

Gina K Designs - Botanical duo die set

Gina K Designs - Fresh Florals stamp set (for main sentiment)

Gina K Designs - So Many Sentiments stamp set (for inside sentiment)

Tonic Studios - Craft Perfect 6 x 6 card pack - gold hearted

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm smooth white card

Versafine onyx black ink

Versamark

Cosmic Shimmer - bright gold detail embossing powder

Tonic Studios - Nuvo deluxe glue

Hubby's Christmas card

I hope you are all doing ok and having a great week so far.  It's flipping freezing here today and has been all week; plus it's been really windy, which is not a good combination.  Luckily I didn't have to go anywhere today so could stay inside and craft lol!  

I've got quite a few Christmas cards that I haven't shared with you yet so I thought today I would start with the card I made for my husband.  I was inspired by a card I saw from Mindy Eggen, although mine is not as good as hers.  Here is my card:

A closer look at my scene:

I decorated the inside:

plus I stamped the envelope:

I loved Mindy's card as soon as I saw it so followed along with her video using the same ink colours etc.  I began by stamping the row of houses in versamark and embossing with clear embossing powder.  I then ink blended the background using 3 different ink colours.  I stamped the trees in a mid grey ink behind the houses.  I'm not sure why but my embossing didn't resist the colour as well as Mindy's but I did use a clear gloss powder so not sure if that has something to do with it.  I splattered some water droplets onto the background and also added white gauche to replicate snow.  I took a white panel and cut it with a stitched hill die and then stamped my sentiment in black ink and adhered this over the bottom of my houses to create a snow bank.  The panel was then adhered to a black mat panel and this was added to my card base with foam tape.  No fussy embellishments as I loved it as it was.  The finished card size is 5" x 7".  For the inside I stamped my sentiment in black ink onto a white card panel and stamped a row of the trees at the bottom in the same mid grey ink.  This was then adhered to a black panel and added to my card with double sided tape.  I also stamped the trees again onto my envelope.  

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

Colourful Options challenge - blue lagoon 

Crafty Gals Corner challenge - winter fun

Daisy Chain challenge - no design paper

Get Creative challenge - snow much fun

Inspiration Station challenge - inspiration photo (I was inspired by the scene and colours)

Inspired By challenge - inspired by snowman (I was inspired by the colours)

Little Red Wagon challenge - show some snow

The Sisterhood of Crafters challenge - icy cold

Try It On Tuesday challenge - January blues

Word Art Wednesday challenge - ATG

I really appreciate you stopping by today.  I will be back tomorrow with my DT card for the Krafty Chicks challenge.  Have a great evening. 

Love and hugs, 

card ingredients:

Gina K Designs - Winter whimsy stamp

Gina K Designs - ink pads - turquoise sea, tranquil teal, plum punch, stormy sky

LOTV - Christmas greetings A5 stamp set (for inside sentiment)

LOTV - Snow globes A5 stamp set (for Merry Christmas sentiment)

Stampin' Up - family party stamp set (bought from another crafter)

Lawn Fawn - stitched hillside borders die

Versamark ink pad

WOW! - clear gloss super fine embossing powder

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm smooth white card

My sister got married!

Hello crafty friends; I hope you're having a great weekend so far.  It's actually been quite a nice day today here in South Wales; chilly but at least it's been dry.  We've had so much rain here over the past few weeks, it makes such a difference to see some blue sky.  

Just before Christmas my sister (and now brother in law) decided to get married, completely unexpectedly, after being together for 36 years.  It was all arranged within a week as she didn't want any fuss and apart from my mother and his parents and friends of theirs who were also getting married, no-one else attended.  It was a quick registry office ceremony and then out for lunch.  She looked beautiful and my BIL scrubbed up quite well too.

I had to mark the occasion with a card and this is what I made:

I decorated the inside:

I began by embossing a white panel with a heart embossing folder and then mat that onto some gold mirri card.  I die cut the letters and ampersand from the same gold mirri card and the flowers and leaves from coloured card stock.  The sentiment was stamped with versamark and heat embossed with gold embossing powder and cut out with a stitched die.  I arranged all the die cuts and added them with liquid glue and then the sentiment was added on top with foam squares.  I didn't add any embellishments as there was lots of shiny gold on my card already.  For the inside I die cut an extra flower and some leaves and adhered them to the lower left corner.  A simple sentiment stamped in black ink and again the panel was matted onto the gold mirri card.  

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

Allsorts challenge - mood board or ATG

Alphabet challenge - T is for texture (embossing folder)

Can You Handle the Pressure challenge - Must use an embossing folder - option winter

Craft Rocket challenge - use embossing (embossing folder and heat embossing)

Crafters Cafe challenge - feminine

Creative Knockouts challenge - celebrations (10 challenges max)

Daisy Chain challenge - no design paper

Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge - a new start (newly married)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - something new (newly married)

Time Out challenge - new (newly married)

Enjoy the rest of your Saturday.  Thanks for stopping by. 

Love and hugs, 

Card ingredients:

Spellbinders - sentimental ampersand (SDOM-Jan23)

Spellbinders - simply perfect alphabets 

Gina K Designs - happy hearts embossing folder

Gina K Designs - on the inside stamp set (for the greeting on the front)

Gina K Designs - succulent spray stamp set (for inside greeting)

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm smooth white card

Gold mirri card and coloured card from my stash

Versamark ink pad

Versafine onyx black ink pad

Cosmic Shimmer - gold detail embossing powder