Krafty Chicks challenge #786 - CAS

Good morning lovely friends and welcome back to my little corner of blogland. It's time for a new challenge over at Krafty Chicks challenge and this week we are on Week 3; and as always the theme is 'CAS (clean and simple)' and Diane is our hostess. Now we know that CAS is subjective but generally it's lots of white space, no embellishments (or very few) and an uncluttered design. It can be a difficult design to pull off but we hope you will take on the challenge and come over and join in the fun with us.

I wanted to use the gifted Stamptember set once again; you may remember it was a Christmas bauble set, but I wanted to make a birthday card.  I only used the scallop circle stamp from the set but as I stamped it in black I feel it is the focal image.  My card is VERY clean and simple this time but 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 4" x 5 1/4" and stamped the scalloped circle stamp 5 times across the top third of my panel using black ink.  I made sure to offset them and overlap them for some interest.  I die cut the word happy from scraps of card in rainbow colours and adhered them inside the circles using liquid glue.  I stamped the birthday sentiment below the circles on the right hand side.  At the last moment I decided to use my score board and add some scored lines above and below the stamped piece, although now I'm not sure if I should have left it as it was.  I added some scrap white card behind my panel for stability and adhered it to my card base with double sided tape. For the inside I cut another white panel and stamped two more scalloped circles in the bottom right corner using black ink.  Inside these circles I stamped a purple and pink heart to finish the rainbow from the front.  I stamped the sentiment in the upper centre with black ink and again added some scored lines around the stamping.  The panel was adhered to the card base with double sided tape.  I think this card would be suitable for anyone, any age or gender and the plus was it was super quick to make.

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

* to be updated * 

I hope you will be able to join us for our 'CAS' challenge and I cannot wait to see your creations in our linky. Please leave some love for my fellow chicks - Leanne, Diane and Lori. Thank you so much for stopping by; I appreciate your lovely comments.

Love and hugs,

card supplies:

Simon Says Stamp - shiny baubles stamp

Simon Says Stamp - happy birthday die set

Simon Says Stamp - favourite puperoni stamp (for birthday and heart) - I think it's retired

Simon Says Stamp - birthday basics stamp (for inside greeting)

Limetree Crafts - 280gsm silky smooth white card

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

coloured card from scraps bin

Cards For All Seasons IG Hop Week 19 - autumn

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 19 and our theme is 'all things fall'. Such a fun theme this week; think pumpkins, leaves, hot drinks, even halloween.  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.

As the latest Spellbinders Club Kits had just landed on my desk it would have been rude not to use them right?  I ordered the small die of the month which had the fantastic pumpkin, cat and ghost and the 2D embossing folder which has a flowing leaves design which is gorgeous.  I decided to go all out autumn so didn't use the cat or ghost this time but they will definitely come in handy for Halloween.  My card is full of colour and dimension and 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 and ink blended over them for some extra definition.  I die cut the wavy rectangle from kraft card and then used the embossing folder.  I swiped over the embossing folder with some white pigment ink.  I adhered the pumpkin and lid with foam squares but everything else was added with liquid glue.  I white heat embossed the sentiment onto the same kraft card and cut it out with a sentiment strip die and added this above the die cuts with foam squares.  I added some scrap white card behind the kraft panel and then adhered this to the card base with double sided tape. I finished off with a few gold sequins.  For the inside I cut two white wavy rectangles and embossed one with the folder.  I cut the embossed one down to a strip and adhered that the bottom of the plain one with liquid glue.  I die cut a few more leaves and arranged them in the bottom right corner with liquid glue.  I added the panel to the card base with double sided tape.  I will add a sentiment when I'm ready to send it out.  A really fun card with lots of interest and colour.  

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

613 Avenue Create challenge - ATG optional twist lots of leaves

A Cut Above challenge - ATG must use a die cut

Allsorts challenge - tree, leaves and plants

Can You Handle The Pressure challenge - ATG optional twist lots of layers

Cardz 4 Guyz challenge - autumn/fall

Classic Design challenge - ATG optional twist trees or leaves

Crafty Calendar challenge - lots of layers

Crafty Gals Corner challenge - fall.....colours

Die Cut Divas challenge - ATG

Sweet Stampin' challenge - use die cuts

The Four Seasons challenge - fall optional mood board

The Paper Funday challenge - ATG optional twist changing seasons

Tic Tac Toe challenge - rectangle, three of more colours, embossing

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 tomorrow 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 supplies:

Spellbinders - harvest magic small die of the month Sept 25

Spellbinders - autumn breeze 2D embossing folder of the month Sept 25

Spellbinders - gold smooth disc color essentials sequins - on sale!

Scrapbook.com - nested wavy rectangles

Gina K Designs - harvest silhouettes stamp (for sentiment)

Gina K Designs - sentiment strips die

Gina K Designs - white pigment ink cube

Limetree Crafts - 280gsm smooth white card

Crafter's Companion - 280gsm Kraft card

WOW! - opaque bright white super fine embossing powder

ATC Scrap Makes IG Hop September 25

Hello friends, I hope you're doing great and you've had a great start to your week. I'm back to share my ATCs for this months's ATC Scrap Makes IG Hop.  We challenge you to use leftover die cuts, sentiments, and card stock to create Artist Trading Cards (ATCs). You can send them in happy mail, save them on a ring to highlight your favorite creations, swap them with friends, leave them on a co-worker’s desk, or add sweet notes to a lunchbox. Join us if you like; the only rules are to use scraps and create cards that are 2.5” x 3.5” in size. We share our little snippets of happiness on the third Tuesday of the month. Sounds like so much fun doesn't it. 

The theme is always 'anything goes', we just want to be creative and make ATC's using up our scraps or leftovers.  I went with a mixed media vibe this month and actually used a scrap of copy paper that I keep on my desk when I'm ink blending or splattering etc to mop up the mess.  It looked really interesting and I thought it would make a great background for my ATCs.  I did add more ink blending to make the pieces darker but it was a great starting point.  I hope you like my ATCs this month (I made 4!).

Here are my ATCs:

I made them so that they could 'join' together:

A closer look at one of the ATCs:

Plus I decorated the backs:

This is the scrap of paper that was my starting point:

I began by cutting the background in 2 1/2" x 3/12" pieces; some were made up of smaller pieces but when they were glued together and all the extra details added it was hard to tell that there was a join. As I said I did add some extra ink blending to the backgrounds and also made some areas extra dark.  I found some vintage text paper in my stash and used that to add some interest to the corners and edges of the ATCs, I also added some pink ink blending to these areas.  I used a post card stamp set to add some black details and used a stencil and a damp wet wipe to take off the colour in some areas.  For my focal images I stamped 2 butterflies onto the paper and coloured the inside with 2 promarkers, one purple and one pink, before using the coordinating die to cut them out.  I lightly taped two of the ATCs together along the back with masking tape and glued the butterfly along the join with liquid glue.  Once dry I then cut them apart so that half of the butterfly was on each ATC. I repeated this step on the other two ATCs.  I finished with some white gouache splatters. For the reverse of the ATCs I used some of the text paper which I added with liquid glue.  I ink blended some of the pink and blue inks around the edge and added an ATC info sticker in the middle.  I'm really enjoying the mixed media look as it can be a little messy and still look good.

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

Addicted to Stamps & More challenge - make your mark (ink blending/splatters)

Craft Rocket challenge - dots and/or stripes (stencilled dots in my background)

Girlz and the Art of Letters challenge - Letter I (ink blending)

Moving Along With The Times challenge - butterflies or dragonflies

Paper Rocks Scissors challenge - use paper and/or scissors (text paper for butterflies and background, scissors to cut paper and butterflies in half)

Sweet Stampin' challenge - use die cuts (die cut my butterflies)

Tag-along (& ATCs) challenge - things with wings

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

I hope you will pop over to Instagram and check out the hop; please use the hashtag #ATCscrapmakes2025 to see all the gorgeous creations and also if you want to participate we will be able to find you. 

I'll be back tomorrow with my card for the Cards for All Seasons IG Hop so I hope you will pop back and check it out. Until then thank you so much for stopping by. 

Love and hugs,

ATC supplies:

Gina K Designs - you give me butterflies stamp & die

Gina K Designs - post cards & more stamp

Gina K Designs - ink pads - dusty rose, in the navy, blue denim

Hunkydorky - essential paper pack - vintage newspapers

Promarkers (trick or treat & violet)

Winsor & Newton - white gouache

Pre-made ATCs from stash

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

CASE IT IG Hop - September

Hello again friends.  I hope you've had a great day so far.  I'm back to share a card I made for another new IG Hop I've joined.  This one is called 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).

I was inspired by Galina (@galachko over on IG); her cards are beautiful and so well designed.  I actually didn't change too much from her original as I loved it so much.  Here is her card for my inspiration:

As you can see she has a pretty quilted background, a die cut circle, some gorgeous butterflies, heat embossed sentiment and a few dew drop type embellishments.  I loved the CAS layout so stuck to that pretty closely.  I also had the same quilted background die so used mine too.  In place of the butterflies I used some cute images and added pearl embellishments.  

Here is my card: 

A closer look at the cute images:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by cutting a white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and die cut it using the quilted background die.  I stamped the images onto alcohol marker friendly card, coloured them with Promarkers, added white gel pen highlights and used the coordinating dies to cut them out.  I stamped the sentiment using versamark onto black card and white heat embossed it before using a sentiments strip die to cut it out.  I die cut a decorative circle from white card and added some scrap white card behind it for dimension.  The quilted background was adhered to the card front with double sided tape and the circle placed on top also with double sided tape.  I arranged the images and sentiment over the circle with foam squares and finished off with some pearl embellishments.  For the inside I cut another white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and added a strip of white card again cut with the quilted background to the bottom with liquid glue.  I stamped, coloured and die cut another plaster (or band-aid) image and adhered that in the left lower corner with liquid glue. I stamped the sentiment in the centre with black ink.  The panel was adhered to the card base with double sided tape.  I know my card follows Galina's card quite closely but I loved it so much but I did make a few slight changes to make it my own.  

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

Crafty Animals challenge - ATG must include an animal

Critter Crazy challenge - ATG with a featured critter

Fab 'n' Funky challenge - cute as a button (something cute and/or a button)

I Love Promarkers challenge - ATG or gnomes

Simply Clean and Simple challenge - CAS optional theme 'birthdays'

Stamping Sensations challenge - CAS

Sweet Stampin' challenge - use die cuts

Tic Tac Toe challenge - large sentiment, 3 or more colours, stamped image

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

Unicorn challenge - circles

We Love Stamping challenge - make it cute

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:

Waffle Flower - dashed rombus panel die

Lawn Fawn - get well soon stamp & die

Spellbinders - fluted classic circles die

Gina K Designs - large strip sentiments die

Limetree Crafts - 280gsm silky smooth white card

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

Versamark - watermark ink pad

WOW! - opaque bright white super fine embossing powder

Heffy Doodle - everyday sentiment duos stamp - store now closed

Heffy Doodle - alcohol marker friendly card - store now closed

Little Things From Lucy's Cards - beach dreams crystal collection - store now closed

Stencil Fun IG Hop - September

Happy Friday friends; I hope you've all had a great week, although the weather here has been total pants - rain, rain and more rain!!  I am joining a new Instagram Hop this month called Stencil Fun. It's 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 'geometric' and as I love geometric designs it was a no-brainer to use it this month.  I'm excited to see who has used the optional theme.  

For my card I used a fun (and neglected) stencil from Uniko called 'abstract triangles'.  I decided to make extra work for myself my masking off each individual triangle so that I could colour the background in rainbow colours.  I used a ton of post-it notes but I think it was totally worth it.  I hope you like it too.

Here is my card:

a closer look at the stencilling:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by grabbing some white card and a rainbow selection of ink pads (along with lots of post-it notes) and ink blended the background.  It's not perfect by any means but I love the look of the rainbow colours.  The stencil was only just over 5" square so not quite big enough for a whole A2 background so initially I was going to cut it in half and make 2 cards but then I found this split background die in my stash that I thought would be perfect.  As it was an A2 sized background die it did mean that I had a gap in the middle but I thought that would be the perfect place for my sentiment.  I cut a white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and adhered the stencilled pieces with foam tape to the top and bottom.  It was at this point that I realised that I should have stamped the sentiment after adhering the top piece but didn't so had to stamp the sentiment onto a separate piece of paper and slide it into the gap and adhered it with liquid glue.  Thankfully it worked out ok but I was holding my breath lol!  I decided to create a black card base for a change instead of having a black mat layer and adhered the panel with double sided tape.  I was going to add some black pearls but both my grown up sons felt it looked better without so I actually took their advice for once!  For the inside I cut another white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and as I had a tiny piece of the stencilled background left over I adhered that to the bottom with liquid glue.  I stamped the sentiment in the centre with black ink and the panel was adhered to the card base with double sided tape.  It looks a fairly simple card but it took a while to complete the background but I love it.

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

Addicted to Stamps & More challenge - make your mark (ink blending)

Alphabet challenge - k for keep it simple

Classic Design challenge - ATG optional theme 'happy birthday'

Colourful Options challenge - ATG (I went for rainbow)

Creative Friday challenge - stencils

Dragonfly Dreams challenge - happy birthday

Make My Monday challenge - fun with stencils

Stencil Fun challenge - ATG but must use a stencil optional theme 'nature'

The Sisterhood of Crafters challenge - birthdays

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 #stencilfunseptember2025 and we will find you.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend.

Lots of love

card supplies:

Uniko - abstract triangles stencil

MFT - blueprints 18 die set

Gina K Designs - flowing florals stamp (for front sentiment) - retired

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

Gina K Designs - ink pads - red hot, tangerine twist, wild dandelion, key lime, blue sky, wild lilac, bubblegum pink

Limetree Crafts - 280gsm silky smooth white card

Limetree Crafts - 220gsm black card 

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

Krafty Chicks challenge #785 - Christmas

Good morning lovely friends, I appreciate you stopping by and I hope you're all doing ok. 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. Another card to add to the Christmas pile, which really takes the stress off later in the year. We hope you will come over and join in the fun with us.

I bought the Christmas in July card kit from Gina K Designs and haven't had a chance to use it yet so this week was the perfect opportunity to dig it out and christen it.  The hardest decision was deciding which stamp set to use as the kit is jam packed but I eventually chose the Christmas tree set.  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the trees:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by die cutting the trees, stamping the spine with versamark and heat embossing with gold embossing powder.  I also stamped and heat embossed the sentiment and used the coordinating die to cut it out.  I then die cut the frame from white card.  I found the ink smooshed panel left over from last year (I used part of it on this card here) and cut it down to fit behind the frame and they were adhered together with liquid glue; I matted this onto a gold layer with double sided tape.  I used a dots embossing folder on another white panel and also matted this onto a gold layer with double sided tape.  I added the trees with foam tape and placed the sentiment across the trees with a mix of liquid glue and foam squares.  I added some scrap white card behind the frame panel and then adhered this onto the embossed panel with double sided tape.  I then adhered it to the card base with double sided tape.  I finished off with 3 mini gold pearls.  For the inside I cut a white panel 3 3/4" x 5" and added a gold mat layer with double sided tape.  I had a tiny piece of the smooshed background left over so adhered that the bottom of the panel with liquid glue and also added a thin strip of gold card above it.  I added another tree in the bottom right corner and stamped the sentiment in black ink in the centre.  The panel was then adhered to the card base with double sided tape.  It's a very dimensional card and one that I will definitely have to hand deliver.  

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

The 12 Months of Christmas Link Up challenge - anything Christmas goes optional circles or squares

ABC Christmas challenge - T is for trees

As You Like It challenge - flat or layered (I love adding layers to my cards as I like the texture and dimension it gives)

Cardz 4 Galz challenge - stitching real or faux (my frame has faux stitch detail)

Craft Rocket challenge - dots and/or stripes (my background is a dotty EF)

Crafty Calendar challenge - lots of layers

Creative Inspirations challenge - Christmas in September 

Creative Knockouts challenge - lots of layers

Creative Moments challenge - trees

Die Cut Divas challenge - ATG (use at least 1 die cut or EF)

Dream Valley challenge - 2 or more layers

Let's Craft & Create challenge - ATG optional twist lots of layers

Merry Little Christmas challenge - anything Christmas goes

Peace On Earth challenge - anything Christmas themed optional mood board

Pearly Sparkles challenge - pink, pearls and/or sparkle

The Holly & Ivy Christmas challenge - anything Christmas goes

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 supplies:

Gina K Designs - O Christmas tree stamp & die set

Gina K Designs - Master Layouts 18 die set (for frame)

Gina K Designs - swiss dots embossing folder

Gina K Designs - mini pearl embellishments - gold, black & silver

Limetree Crafts - 280gsm silky smooth white card

gold card from stash

Versafine Clair - nocturne ink pad

Versamark - watermark ink pad

Cosmic Shimmer - detail bright gold embossing powder

Gorgeous Gift Tags IG Hop September 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 'autumn', which is great theme and with so many images to choose from such as pumpkins, leaves, apples, figures bundled up in their sweaters/gloves the world is your oyster!  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. 

I wanted to use leaves on my tag as there are so many variations in the colours in the autumn.  I ended up going really clean and simple this month but I really like how it turned out.  I hope you like it too. 

Here is my tag:

A closer look at the details:

Plus I decorated the back of the tag:

I began by die cutting two tags from white card.  For the front of the tag I used a woodgrain backdrop die to add some texture and interest.  I die cut 3 leaves, 1 from red, 1 from yellow and 1 from green card from my scraps bin, added some inking around the edges for definition and added them to the tag with foam squares.  I stamped the sentiment in the bottom right of the tag using a dark brown ink pad.  I used some kraft coloured twine to make a small bow and using liquid glue adhered it to the top of the leaves.  I also added a hole reinforcer cut from kraft card.  I finished off with a few sequins to match the leaves.  For the back I die cut another 3 leaves and adhered them to the bottom left of the second tag and I also stamped another sentiment using the same dark brown ink.  I added another hole reinforcer cut from kraft card and then adhered the tags together with liquid glue.  I found some ribbon and twine that matched my colours and looped them through the hole for some extra colour.  I know it is really clean and simple but I love it. 

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

AAA Cards challenge - follow the leader (CASE Ceal's card)

Alphabet challenge - K is for keep it simple

Aud Sentiments challenge - tags and/or thank you + sentiment

Cardz 4 Galz challenge - stitching real or faux (my tag has stitching detail)

Christmas (or not) BINGO challenge - Line N - tag, free, stamped phrase

Color Throwdown challenge - red, yellow and green

Hand Stamped Sentiment challenge - inspiration photo (inspired by leaves and colours)

Heart's Quest for Shaped Cards and Tags challenge - ATG

Inspiration Station challenge - inspiration photo (inspired by the colours)

Just Us Girls challenge - die week/ATG

Simply Clean and Simple challenge - ATG CAS optional theme birthday

The Four Seasons challenge - ATG fall optional inspiration photo

The Paper Funday challenge - ATG optional theme changing seasons

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 #gorgeousgifttagsSept2025 and we will find your tags. 

Thanks for stopping by and take care.

Lots of love

tag supplies:

Waffle Flower - nesting tags dies

Gina K Designs - autumn leaves dies

Lawn Fawn - stitched woodgrain backdrop die

Altenew - autumn bounty stamp (for both sentiments) - on sale!

Gina K Designs - dark chocolate ink pad

Limetree Crafts - 280gsm silky smooth white card

Little Things From Lucy's Cards - kaleidoscope sequins (store sadly closed)

twine and ribbon from stash