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.

The final step was to added the gold foiled sentiment, previously created on black card stock – to tie in with the black details on the cardinal.

I really enjoyed making this card, all the techniques – stamping, die cutting, embossing – make me happy…

I hope you can come and join the team with your Christmas creations following their theme. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

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

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

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

Black & White Birthday

Hello friends. Pamela has chosen a great theme for the new challenge at The Alphabet Challenge. We have reached the letter ‘X’, and she has chosen the theme os:

X is for X-Ray – use black and white

Here is my card:

When I first saw the theme, I remembered this stamp set from Gina K Designs and their 12 Days of Christmas box. The stamp and matching die set is called ‘A Paper Hug‘ and as there were racoons on there, and I wanted a purely black and white card, I thought they would be perfect.

I stamped the image then used the matching die to cut them out, then went searching through my stash for how I could showcase them.

I actually ended up using all Gina K Designs products.

The white card base, with a black layer, then a white stitched layer cut using a Master Layouts die, the oval fancy shape is also from their Christmas box – ‘Twin Tiara Frames‘ – and this one I also die cut a couple more times and layered it for dimension. There is also a circle frame, but I thought the oval would suit the design better for this card.

The sentiment is also from the same stamp set – along with the matching die – stamped, cut and adhered to the bottom as you see.

The final touch was to add some very small black gems to each corner.

I hope you can come and join us for this very intriguing theme. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Seize The Birthday – birthday – option of green as main colour not taken

Critter Crazy – anything goes with a critter

Crafty Animals – anything goes with an animal

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

A Splash of Green

Hello everyone. A new challenge has started at Cardz 4 Galz, with the theme of ‘a splash of green‘ hosted by Pamela:

The centre image is from Pinkfresh Studio ‘Garden Tapestry’ and consists of a stamp, die, stencil, and hot foil plate. I didn’t use the hot foil plate this time round, and chose the stamp and gold heat emboss the main image.

Once heat embossed, I used the layering stencils to colour the image, choosing softer colours, then use the matching die to cut it out.

The background panel was created using some light green card stock and running it through with a Spellbinders embossing folder ‘branching out’, cutting it down slightly and attached to a white card base.

The die cut image was added with 3D foam, then the foiled sentiment attached.