AAA Cards challenge - guest designer

Good morning lovely friends.  Well can you believe we are almost at the end of March....where is the time going?  It only seems like 5 minutes ago I was wishing everyone a Happy New Year lol!  

I'm here today to share a card I made for the new AAA Cards challenge.  I won a challenge at the end of 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 '1+1'; which means you use the centre prompt and choose 1 other prompt from the outer circles.  

here's a closer look at the graphic:

I wanted to make a card for a friend's birthday and had this fun stamp set in mind so I chose to pair silhouettes with geometric or organic shapes (although it would also fit pets) as my 1+1.  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look at my funny cat:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by cutting a white panel 3 7/8" x 5 1/8" and using a stencil and some cool ink colours created my organic shaped background.  I then stamped the cat image in black ink and the sentiment just below him.  I adhered the panel to the card base with foam tape.  I didn't add any embellishments or extras as I wanted to keep my card as CAS as possible.  For the inside I cut another white panel and stamped the sentiment in black ink in the centre (it's an inside joke as that is what my friend and I used to call each other) and also stamped another smaller cat in the bottom right corner.  I adhered the panel to my card base with double sided tape.  A super quick card but it turned out really fun.  

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

* to be updated * 

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'll be back on Tuesday with my card for the AAA Birthday challenge so I hope you can call back again and check it out.  

Love and hugs,

card ingredients:

Funky Fossil Designs - what meow? stamp set

MFT - paint strokes stencil

MFT - smitten kitten stamp (for outside sentiment)

Neat & Tangled - kitty's favourite things (for inside sentiment) - store sadly closed

Gina K Designs - ink pads - lucky clover, ocean mist and blue raspberry

Versafine - onyx black ink 

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

Krafty Chicks challenge #761 - Masculine

Good morning lovely friends. I hope you're all doing ok and having a great week so far. It's been a glorious week here in South Wales, although it's set for change today as we've been forecast rain.  

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. I know it's not everyone's favourite theme but we do need to make these types of cards on occasion so get ahead and have some ready in your stash.  We hope you will come over and join in the fun with us.

I didn't have anyone in mind when I made my card (although thinking about it now, it could come in useful in May when it's my BIL's birthday lol).  I went very clean and simple, which I think sometimes is best with masculine makes as most men don't do fussy.  I'm really happy with the finished result and I hope you like it too. 

Here is my card:

A closer look at the details:

I also decorated the inside:

I began by cutting a white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and using an arrow die cut a row going down the left side of my panel.  I did draw a pencil line so that the centres would be in the same place but eye-balled the gaps between them.  I took another white panel the same size and using some ink cubes swiped them across horizontally to create my own faux patterned paper.  I stamped a simple happy birthday sentiment in black ink about 2/3rds of the way down on the right side.  I added foam squares behind the die cut panel and placed it over the ink swiped panel for some slight dimension.  This was then adhered to a black mat panel with double sided tape.  I added some scrap white card behind the panel instead of using foam tape and this was then adhered onto my card base with double sided tape.  To finish off I added 3 small black pearls around the sentiment.  For the inside I cut another white panel 4" x 5 1/4" and using the same ink cubes swiped them vertically along the bottom to create a border.  Using liquid glue I added two of the arrow pieces that were discarded when I cut the front panel over the border.  I stamped a sentiment in the centre with black ink.  I adhered the panel to a black mat panel with double sided tape and this was added to the card base with double sided tape.  A fun card but one that could easily be mass produced in lots of different colours.  

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

Addicted to CAS challenge - masculine

Addicted to Stamps & More challenge - any occasion

Crafter's Cafe challenge - ATG optional clean and simple

Fab 'n' Funky challenge - one for the boys/men

Halloween & Other Occasions challenge - birthday (5th entry)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - ATG

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:

Clearly Besotted Stamps - geometric style II (for arrow die) - retired

MFT - sweet 16 clear stamp (for outside sentiment) - retired

Spellbinders - fashion jet color essentials pearl dots

Gina K Designs - ink cubes from winter collection & dark lilac ink cube

Gina K Designs - on the inside: birthday clear stamp 

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card - not currently available - they do have 300gsm bright white card available here

Hobbycraft - A4 black card

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

Krafty Chicks challenge #760 - 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' and Diane is our hostess. We want you to see all your clean and simple creations this week and we hope you will come over and join in the fun with us.

It was my nephew's fiancee's birthday earlier this week and I used this opportunity to make her a card.  Her birthday is on St. Patrick's Day so of course I had to use green (again) as my starting point.   My card is 5" x 7" as always for family.  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the details:

Plus I decorated the inside:

(I didn't realise my photo was out of focus until after I'd posted it)

I began by cutting my white panel 4 3/4" x 6 3/4" and blended some green ink into the centre.  I took a speckle background stamp and used the same green ink to randomly stamp it over the blending (I used second generation stamping for a subtle look).  I smooshed some of the ink onto my glass mat and sprayed it with water and splattered it over the stamped and blended panel for some extra interest.  I die cut the outlined circles from white card and added it to the panel with liquid glue.  I used one of the inner portions that fell out of the die and stamped my sentiment using the same green ink pad and added it into the centre with foam squares.  I die cut two butterflies, which comes in two parts; the detail layer from white card and the backer piece from green card.  I adhered them together with liquid glue.  I also added some pencil highlights so that it wasn't a flat colour.  These were added over the top left and bottom right of the white die cut with liquid glue.  I didn't add any embellishments and I liked it as it was.  The inside photo is out of focus but I didn't realise until after I had posted the card but I think you can get the gist.  I cut another panel 4 3/4" x 6 3/4" and ink blended the green ink at the very bottom, again using the speckle background and some splatters as before.  I die cut another butterfly and added it with liquid glue to the left lower corner.  I stamped my sentiment in the centre with green ink.  A really simple card but I think it's really pretty.  

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

AAA Cards challenge - follow my lead

AAA Colourful challenge - colour board #14

Allsorts challenge - feminine

Aud Sentiments challenge - glitter & bling or St. Patrick's Day/Green + sentiment

Classic Design challenge - ATG optional twist bunnies, blooms or butterflies

Colourful Options challenge - it's not easy being green

Craft Rocket challenge - for the girls

Crafter's Cafe challenge - ATG option CAS

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

Make My Monday challenge - use a die or punch (3rd entry)

PINspirational challenge - spring greens optional inspiration photo

Shopping Our Stash challenge - think ink

Simply Clean and Simple challenge - shades of green

The Sisterhood of Crafters challenge - shades of green

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

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:

Waffle Flower - outlined circles die

Visible Image - speckle background clear stamp - no longer available

Clearly Besotted - butterfly duo die collection - retired

Gina K Designs - birthday cheer mini stamp

Gina K Designs - grass green ink pad

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card - currently unavailable

Cards for All Seasons IG Hop - Week 6

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 6 and as it's Kelly's birthday next week our theme is 'birthday fun'.  A really easy theme for you this week and I can't wait to see what sparks your imagination.

I know Kelly loves the colour green as it's her birthday month colour so I wanted to make her a card using that.  I searched through my stash and found this adorable cactus stamp set from MFT Stamps and thought it would be perfect.  I also went all out and made a shaped easel card.  I hope you like it. The lighting was really weird here today so my photos are a bit naff.

Here is my card:

A closer look at the adorable cacti:

Here is the inside of the card:

I made my own envelope and added an image on the front to match:

I began by stamping my 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 created my card base using a large scalloped circle die (approximately 5 1/2" in diameter) by folding an A4 piece of card in half placing the die over the fold and running it through my die cut machine.  I also cut one more  scallop circle from white so that I could cover the front of my card and added this with liquid glue.  I cut 2 white circle dies and ink blended the larger one with green ink.  On the smaller circle I used a fun dotty stencil using the same green ink and faded it out towards the edge.  I stamped the sentiments (which I previously had cut in half) and cut them out with sentiment strip dies.  I adhered the two circles together with liquid glue and added them to my card base with liquid glue.  The images were arranged on my card front and the two outer ones were added with liquid glue and the centre one with foam squares.  I added the thinner sentiment above the images and the larger sentiment below, both with foam squares.  I didn't add any embellishments as I thought there was enough going on.  For the inside I cut another two circles and ink blended and stencilled them to match the front.  I used a smaller cactus image and added that at the bottom right with liquid glue.  I stamped a sentiment in black ink in the centre.  The circles were then adhered to the card base with liquid glue.  I made my own envelope using an envelope punch board using green paper and as I had one image left over adhered that to the front left corner with liquid glue.  A really sweet card and I'm really happy with how it turned out.  If I thought it would reach her in time I would send it to Kelly in Florida but I don't think it will sadly.  

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

AAA Colourful challenge - colour board #14

Allsorts challenge - feminine

Aud Sentiments challenge - glitter & bling or St. Patrick's Day/green + sentiment

Colourful Options challenge - it's not easy being green

Crafty Calendar challenge - more than 1 fold

Crafty Catz challenge - ATG optional twist add a sentiment 

Creative Creases challenge - ATG with a fun fold

Everybody Art challenge - lots of layers

Fab 'n' Funky challenge - make it punny

Halloween & Other Occasions challenge - birthday

I Love Promarkers challenge - ATG or a girly card

Inspired By challenge - St. Patrick's Day (I was inspired by the colours)

Just Us Girls challenge - green

Make My Monday challenge - use a die or punch

The Neglected Stuff challenge - use an old, neglected item (the go-kreate dies are really old)

PINspirational challenge - inspirational photo (I was inspired by the colours)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - fun with stencils

Stencil Fun challenge - ATG but you must use a stencil optional theme splatters

The Sisterhood of Crafters challenge - shades of green

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 Stamps - let's stick together stamp & die set - retired

Go-Kreate - XXL concentric straight circle & XXL concentric scallop circle dies - retired

Promarkers

MFT - birthday chicks clear stamp (for inside sentiment)

Gina K Designs - sentiment strips dies

Gina K Designs - large strip sentiment dies

Gina K Designs - lucky clover ink pad

Gina K Designs - fizzy stencil

Sakura - white no. 10 gelly roll pen

Versafine - onyx black ink pad

Memento - tuxedo black ink pad

Limetree Crafts - 250gsm silky smooth white card - currently unavailable

Heffy Doodle - alcohol marker friendly card - store now closed

Krafty Chicks challenge #759 - 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 bought an old (but new to me) stamp set which I thought was fun and playful and I had to use it for today's card.  There are lots of cute chick images and a fantastic large merry Christmas sentiment included in the set but I only used 3 of the chicks on my card.  I hope you like it.

Here is my card:

A close up of the fab chicks:

Plus I decorated the inside:

I began by die cutting the circles cover plate from smooth white card.  I then took a piece of alcohol marker friendly card placed it underneath and lightly traced around the circle openings with pencil.  This allowed me to stamp the chicks in the perfect position.  I coloured them with Promarkers and added some white gelly roll highlights.  I went back to the cover plate and stamped over top with my favourite snowy background stamp using sea glass ink.  Before adding my two panels together I erased the pencil lines and then used liquid glue to adhere them.  I stamped the sentiment in black ink and used the coordinating die to cut it out; I also cut an extra 3 from white card so that I could have some dimension without using foam squares.  I added it between the images with liquid glue.  I added the panel onto a red mat layer with double sided tape and then used some scrap white card behind for dimension.  This was then added to my card base with double sided tape.  I finished off with a few red pearls.  For the inside I cut a white panel 4" x 5 1'4", used the background stamp and stamped a small border at the bottom of the panel with sea glass ink.  I used one of the leftover circles (from die cutting the cover plate), stamped another chick, coloured him with Promarkers and added some white highlights.  I adhered the circle over the border with liquid glue.  I stamped the sentiment in the centre of the panel with black ink.  The panel was then added to my card base with double sided tape.  A really fun card and I've still got loads of images left to try.  

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

The 12 Months of Christmas Link Up challenge - anything goes Christmas optional twist owls

As You Like It challenge - monochrome or colourful (I love colourful cards and they make me happy)

Crafty Animals challenge - ATG must include an animal

Crafty Catz challenge - ATG optional twist add a sentiment

Critter Crazy challenge - ATG with a featured critter

Daisy Chain challenge - animals 

Die Cut Divas challenge - critters

I Love Promarkers challenge - ATG or wings or tails

Make My Monday challenge - use a die or punch

Merry Little Christmas challenge - anything Christmas goes

Sparkles Christmas challenge - Christmas critters

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

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:

Your Next Stamp - Merry Christmas chickie clear stamp - retired

Gina K Designs - circle windows cover plate die

Gina K Designs - snowy BG clear stamp

Gina K Designs - Christmas cheer clear stamp & die bundle (for sentiment)

Gina K Designs - sea glass ink pad

Spellbinders - Santa's sippin' says clear stamp (for inside sentiment)

Spellbinders - fashion poppy color essential pearl dots

Memento - tuxedo black ink pad

Verafine - onyx black ink pad

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

red card from stash

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