Patterned Paper Play

Hello once again. I am stepping out of my comfort zone to play with some patterned papers from 49 & Market. I have had these – along with many more – in my stash for absolutely ages, and I was in the mood to play yesterday. I created 3 cards:

I think that these collections from 49 & Market are best suited to folios, but I have never tried one – maybe that is another comfort zone exit for the future…….

I created 6 x 6 inch card bases in the colours I thought would match the images, and matted a slightly smaller layer onto them.

I cut apart the images and strips from the collection, played around with mats and layers until I was happy, then either glued or used 3D foam to put everything together.

There are lots of images and papers left over, and I may explore different card styles and folds over the next few days, maybe even some folio pages – I found a folio in my stash when tidying up a little – who knew I had one of those……?

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Crafty Animals – anything goes with an animal

Craft Rocket – layer it up

Crafts Galore – anything goes

Love Those Pretty Patterned Papers – patterned papers – option of spring flowers

Cupcake Birthday

Hello everyone. I’m a little late posting this card, as I had to wait for some of the items to dry. I was inspired by the current challenge at Time Out – the theme is ‘Sweet Treats‘. Here is my card:

I started by creating the cupcake, and using products – again – from the recent SCT event. This cupcake die is from Pretty Pink Posh. I die cut the base of the cupcake in a light pink, the blue layer from a textured blue card stock, and the topping from brown – chocolate must have been on my mind…

I used a little ink blending around the edges of each die cut, and even across the middle of the topping layers to create some dimension. These two layers were applied to the cupcake base with 3D foam. The cherry is also from the same die set, die cut from light pink, ink blended around the edges, assembled, then glossy accents applied for a little shine.

Whilst drying, I die cut the sentiment – from a Simon Hurley/Spellbinders die set – the banner out of dark blue, the letters from the sentiment were attached – each individual piece of each letter – using the other piece as a template to get the spacing right.

The background is a lilac piece of card stock, and run through with a Spellbinders embossing folder, and white pigment ink gently swiped across the top to try and pick up some details. You can see that more on the banner sections of the background.

Another addition was to splatter some Lawn Fawn ‘Liquid Stardust’ across the background panel, and across the cupcake.

The background panel was adhered with glue, the cupcake and sentiment were adhered with 3D foam.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Time Out – Sweet Treats

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Craft Rocket – layer it up

CAS Hello

Hello again. I have a card to share for my next voyage into the CAS realm.

This card was created by using a Spellbinders stencil, selective masking, and ink blending.

I took the stencils and decided which part of the whole image I wanted to put down into the bottom left corner. This was done directly onto a white Neenah 110lbs card base, used some low tack tape to mask off areas I didn’t want, and used Pinkfresh Studio inks.

This did take a little planning, and initially I didn’t want the two buds on there, but when it came to ink blending the uppermost flower and the leaf and stem, I realised that there would be gaps – so I went back in with the relevant stencils and joined everything up to my liking.

The complete image takes up most of an A2 card, with a total of three flower heads and 4 buds, but as you can see I ink blended two flowers and two buds, moving the stencil down further past where it should be so they were coming off the edge.

The stamped ‘hello‘ is also from Spellbinders, and the same monthly release.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

CAS on Friday – CAS Botanical

Simply CAS – CAS – option of baskets not taken

Dragonfly Dreams – CAS

Stencil Fun – stencils – option of rainbow colours not taken

A Little Birdie Told Me….

I have a card to share created using more products from the recent SCT event – this time using a die and stamp set from Scrapbook.com:

The current challenge at Color Hues is to use the colours Navy and Fuchsia, and these colours were my starting point. Certain neutrals are allowed also.

The birds were die cut with white for the base of each, and then navy and fuchsia card stock for the layers. The blue and pink pieces were ink blended a little to create some dimension, then the layers glued together. The wings were added with a small piece of 3D foam, the beaks were die cut from gold card stock, and the eyes are little black gems.

The background navy panel was cut slightly down, and run through my die cutting machine with a Spellbinders embossing folder, attached to the white card base with glue.

The sentiments and musical notes were stamped, then die cut with the matching dies, two more layers also die cut and glued behind the sentiments instead of using 3D foam.

To put this together, I added the sentiments first, then attached the two birds with 3D foam, making it look as though they were perched on the sentiments. The musical notes were glued flat to the card panel, and some ombre gold gems added – from Pinkfresh Studio to tie in with the gold beaks – and because I love to use them….. :)

I love how these two colours work well together, and am really pleased with how it turned out.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Color Hues – Fuchsia & Navy

Addicted to Stamps & More – any occasion

Crafty Animals – anything goes with an animal

Die Cut Divas – die cuts and birthday/anniversary

Triple B – birds and/or butterflies and/or blooms

ABC Challenge H & I

Hello everyone. The new challenge at ABC Christmas Challenge has started. Fabiola is hosting, and the Christmas themes for this month are:

H is for Hats, I is for Image only

Here are my cards:

For my first card, I used a stitching die from Spellbinders. This hat came in their Stitchmas 2025 box and was die cut with light blue and white sparkle card stock, then stitched as required with dark blue thread. I also added a couple of pearl gems to the hat.

The background was created by dry embossing a piece of dark blue card stock and a Spellbinders embossing folder, cutting the panel down slightly to leave a white border on the card base.

The sentiment is also from the same Stitchmas box, and die cut from the same white glitter card, adhered flat. More of the pearl gems added.

For my second card – I is for image only – I thought that a stand-alone Santa would be a good way to go. For that, I turned to a Simon Hurley/Spellbinders die set, cutting out the layers – of which there are plenty – and some very small elements (definitely what I enjoy doing most) and assembled him

The background is using the same Spellbinders embossing folder and the same dark blue card, but this time I ran a white pigment ink gently over the top to catch the raised areas.

I hope you can come and join us with your Christmas creations following one or both of our themes. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – Christmas anything goes

Mix It Up – anything goes, option of die cuts taken

Peace On Earth – Christmas anything goes

12 Months of Christmas Link-up – anything goes Christmas

Christmas Crafts All Year Round – Christmas with a G or H item – H is for Hat

Sending Springtime Smiles

Hello. I am here to share a card using more products from the recent Crop & Create run by Scrapbook & Cards Today:

My goodness – these cards are hard to photograph to cover all aspects – I’m afraid there are a few more through the post – bear with me….

I started by stamping and ink blending the Lawn Fawn mouse images using the supplied colouring stencils, then die cutting with their matching dies….Jenn Shurkus taught this class at the event, and I stamped a few more than was needed for her cards so I could have a play.

I then turned to the Pink & Main products, which included the ‘Pull & Surprise‘ die, and created the interactive card base. I first created one with white, so I could how it all went together, then used a teal card, and added some Polkadoodles patterned paper – which you see with the sweet little birdies.

To create the grass and sky scene, I used a piece of light blue card stock and an MFT stencil for the cloud area, and just ink blended green over the bottom for the grass.

The Spellbinders sentiment was stamped onto the patterned paper – after it was put together – so I girded my loins and used an acrylic block and my trusty Versafine black onyx…….phew! It turned out perfectly….. :)

I don’t often make interactive cards, nor even fancy fold cards, but I enjoyed playing and putting this together – even though it must have taken my quite while to figure it out – even with the videos for the event…..maybe I should make more now I have it in my head how to do it……..!?

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Tic Tac Toe – top row – Spring/colouring technique/fun fold

Allsorts – Springtime

Sparkles Forum – Springtime

Fab ‘n’ Funky – Easter/Spring

Stencil Fun – stencils – option of rainbow colours not taken

The Magic Is In You

Hello everyone. I am settling down from my retirement and have made time to create this card for the current challenge at Festive Friday, choosing three items from their list:

I am currently working my way through the projects from the recent ‘Crop & Create‘ 3 day virtual event, run by Scrapbook & Cards Today. I always buy this event – so much product, so much teaching from the gurus of the card making and crafting world.

This card was created using the Gina K Designs product suite from this event – stamps, dies, and stencils. I stamped more when completing the cards she was teaching and took these two images, ink blended with Pinkfresh Studio inks in bright colours, adding some slightly darker blending around the edges of the florals and the base of the leaves with a darker tone of each colour.

Once the two images were completed and die cut, I used some bright green dotted patterned paper from Heffy Doodle for the background, die cutting the ovals from Pinkfresh Studio in that same paper, and some white card stock.

These were layered onto a white card base – the top white layer with 3D foam – then the florals attached with a mixture of glue and 3D foam.

I searched through the CML app for the word ‘magic’ (on the Festive Friday list) and found this one from Pinkfresh Studio. I die cut the shadow layer out of vellum, then the words three times from black card stock.

The first two layers were glued onto the front of the vellum, the third layer glued onto the back of the vellum. I find this is a good way to be able to add glue for attaching the sentiment, instead of trying to glue vellum and getting smears and smudges of glue.

The final touch was to attach some ombre glitter gems – also from Pinkfresh Studio – to the centre of the large flowers, and more dotted around as you can see.

So – that takes care of three of the items on the Festive Friday list – bright colours, sparkle gems, and ‘magic’ sentiment.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Festive Friday – choose three from the list – bright colours, sparkle gems, ‘magic’ sentiment

Craft Rocket – layer it up

Yellow Flowers

Hello once again. I have a card to share for the new challenge at The Alphabet Challenge. Billie A is hosting, and she has chosen the theme of:

Yellow Flowers

Here is my card:

The floral images are from a stencil set from Gina K Designs and their ‘12 Days of Christmas‘ box called ‘Magnificent Magnolias‘.

The layering stencil is 6 x 6 inches, and I ink blended onto a square piece of white card stock using Pinkfresh Studio inks. Once blended. I used a Master Layouts die to cut out the are I wanted, then matted with black and green card stock, before adhering to a card base.

The sentiment is also from the same Christmas box, stamped and die cut with the matching die, attached to the card, then some small black gems also stuck down.

I love the abstract look to these flowers, and I can see that I will be playing with this stencil set in various colours in the future.

I hope you can come and join us with your ‘yellow flowers’ creations. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Ellibelle’s Garden Party – anything in or from the garden

Seize The Birthday – birthday – option to add a tag not taken

Addicted To Stamps & More – any occasion

Colourful Options – yellow or rainbow

Hello Spring

Hello everyone. I hope to be creating more in the future as I will have more time on my hands after retiring from the NHS after 43 years. I seem to be busier now that when I was working – but in things I want to do, instead of things I have to do….

I have a card to share for the new challenge at Cardz 4 Galz. Caz is hosting, and she has chosen the theme of:

Spring Flowers

I started by creating the chick, using a Spellbinders die, then thought about what scene I wanted him to be in.

There had to be spring flowers, so I die cut all those assembled them, then searched through the CML app for grass dies.

For the sky, I ink blended onto a white panel to create some fluffy clouds – subtle – but there – and attached the two grass layers onto the bottom.

The flowers were added, tucking them into the bottom grass layer, the chick attached with 3D foam, then the Spellbinders sentiment die cut and attached.

A lot of die cutting, but that is certainly what I enjoy doing the most, but I am pleased with the simple and bright outcome.

I hope you can come and join us with your creations following out theme. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Ellibelle’s Corner Garden Party – anything in or from the garden

Allsorts – Springtime or anything goes

Mix It Up – anything goes – option of die cuts taken

Ellibelle’s Corner – I Spy – Spring Flowers or Spring showers

Cardinal Slimline

Hello everyone. I have a card to share for the new challenge at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown. I was lucky enough to be chosen as winner for their February 2026 technique challenge with THIS card, and as such invited to be Guest Design Team member for this challenge.

The theme is Christmas and slimline.

Here is my card:

I wanted to use this cardinal layering die set from Honey Beet Stamps, so I first created him, using three tones of red card stock adding the black for the face and feet.

The slimline card base was created – 3.5 x 8.5 inches – then a separate piece of white card added for the background, which I ran through with a Spellbinders embossing folder.

I wanted the cardinal to be framed somehow, so search through the CML app, and saw this set from The Greetery.

I die cut the oval, then used the layering stamps to create the holly frame with the berries.

Something else was needed behind the bird, so I used a ‘Filigree Capsule Border‘ die, also from The Greetery to create the second smaller oval, and used the same embossing folder to add further detail.

I wanted to add more – you know me – so I also used other products from The Greetery – the ‘Hang It Up‘ die set using Spellbinders matt gold card stock, and the ‘Ornamental Tags‘ die set for the foliage.

I wanted even more, so I also used their ‘Regency Bow No 1‘….

I then thought I was done with the die cutting and started to put the card together.

I first added the embossed smaller oval to the larger oval, added the bird with 3D foam, nipped then tucked some of the foliage behind him. The tag hanger-up thingy was attached, then the bow on top of that.