Stamping

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.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

CYHTP – embossing folder – option of sewing/sewing related not taken

Stencil Fun – use stencils – option of vine/vinery

Craft Rocket – no designer paper

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Blue & White Christmas

Hello there. I have a card to share for the new challenge at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown. I was lucky and fortunate enough to win their February colour challenge, and as such was invited to be Guest Design Team Member for this challenge.

The theme is: Blue & White Christmas

Here is my card:

I first started by stamping the image from Kristina Werner/Concord & 9th in black, then heat embossing with a clear powder. I prefer to do this if I am going to ink blend straight away, to stop any smudging.

The matching layering stencils were used to colour the image in, using blue inks from Pinkfresh Studio, adding a light shade to the whole flower petals, then a darker shade towards the centre.

The foliage was ink blended using a light grey ink, and a lighter blue for the holly leaves and berries.

Once the image was coloured, it was die cut using the matching die, and a second piece die cut out of white card stock to add some stability and thickness.

Onto the square white card base, I added a shimmery blue piece of card, then glued the coloured image straight onto that.

The sentiment is also from the same stamp/die/stencil set, die cut and attached as you see.

For added interest and a little sparkle, I glued blue gems from Pinkfresh Studio onto the centre of the poinsettia, and three smaller gems surrounding the sentiment.

I hope you can join the team with this colour challenge. I look forward to seeing you in their gallery. xx

ABC Challenge – Elves, Foliage, Gems

Hello everyone. The ABC Christmas Challenge has reached the letters E, F, & G. We want to see your Christmas creations following the following three themes for this challenge:

E is for Elves, F is for Foliage, G is for Gems

Here are my cards:

I first decided on the background for this card, using a piece of light blue card stock and running it through with a Spellbinders embossing folder.

Before attaching that piece to the card base, I decided where I wanted the hat to be, then used the Waffle Flower ‘Elf Hat‘ die set, die cutting the hat out of Spellbinders glitter foam.

The face part of the elf was die cut with white and ink blended some light peach, attaching the the corner of the blue panel, then the hat pieces glued to fit. I trimmed the edges to make them square with the base piece.

This was then glued to the card base, and the sentiment added after stamping and trimming to fit.

For my second card, I stamped and silver heat embossed the image twice – a Pinkfresh Studio set called ‘Magical Holiday’.

I then used the matching layering stencils to colour the two images in, and then the matching die to cut them out.

The white background panel was created by using an old Stampin’ Up embossing folder, and attaching to the card base.

The silver frame was created by using two nesting rectangle dies, then two ink blended images attached to the back, then glued down onto the dry embossed panel.

The sentiment was also silver heat embossed and die cut, adding to the centre, then the silver gems glued as you see.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Elf card:

CYHTP – embossing folder, option of sympathy not taken

Addicted To Stamps & More – Christmas

A Cut Above – anything goes with a die cut

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

Foliage & gems card:

Inkspirational – use stencils, option of plaid not taken

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Love To Craft – anything goes

Happy Spring

Hello everyone. I was thrilled to be the random winner for the November – December challenge at Christmas (or not) Bingo, and as such, invited to be Guest design team member for an upcoming challenge.

The new bingo board for March 1st is:

I chose to follow column ‘O’ – Easter/Spring/free/foil or vellum with this card:

I first created the vellum panel, by using a Spellbinders embossing folder, and set to one side whilst I then created the main image.

This stamp and die set is from The Greetery, and is called ‘Spring Crest’. It is a layering stamp set and I chose light colours for the florals, a sage green for the greenery, with a light brown for some of the other accentes.

I also used the ‘Bitty Botanicals’ stamp, stencil and die set to create some small florals to use at the bottom of the frame.

The first step was to add the frame to the vellum, then tuck the separate bitty floral in place. This way, I knew what I could add to the back of this arrangement to be able to stick the vellum down onto a white card base. The vellum is not, therefore, stuck down completely, only at the back of the arrangement on the front.

The final step was to stamp and die cut the sentiment – also adding more glue on the back of vellum behind the sentiment.

So quite a soft and ethereal make for me – obviously inspired by the Spring theme.

I hope you can visit the challenge and have a go at joining, the Bingo board is such a novel idea, and there are so many different ways of playing. The challenge runs from March 1st and finishes 15th April. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

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

Sending Sunshine

Hello everyone. It;s been a fairly busy week, but I have time to create another CAS card:

For this card I used a stamp set from an SCT ‘Let’s Stamp Together‘ kit, I believe is from Taylored Expressions.

I first took a white panel and stamped the sun image, then stamped again onto some masking paper, cut it out, stuck it down on top of the stamped image, then stamped the rainbow image on top.

Once the sun mask was removed, the sun covers the cloud on the other end of the rainbow and looks like one image.

Once both images were stamped in dark brown amalgam, I heat embossed with clear, as I wanted to colour straight away, and didn’t want to wait until the ink dried. Even when I dry the ink with my heat gun, I find alcohol markers sometimes still smudge and smear the outline.

I chose to colour with Copics, adding a little shading, then stamped the sentiment, cut down the white panel slightly and adhered to a white card base.

Even though it is CAS, I don’t like that Copics will show through a card base if coloured directly onto it.

I hope I will have more time to craft these next few days, and so you may see more of my cards coming up. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Addicted To Stamps & More – make your mark

Addicted to CAS – CAS – theme of weather

I’m A Lucky Duck

Hello and welcome. Cardz 4 Galz has started anew challenge, this time the host is Helen, and she has chosen the theme of:

Wings – butterflies, fairies, dragons etc

Here is my card:

For this card, I created my own background panel using techniques learnt from a Jenn Shurkus virtual event and Distress water-colour pencils. I loved this particular technique, and made several panels with different colours.

The technique consists of using a wet small brush, taking colour from the Distress pencil, then just scribbling a patchwork of colour down onto a panel….that’s it……

After the panel was dry, I spritzed with the dirty water from my little water pot thingy (I know – but as per Jenn Shurkus – it works well!!), then added a stamp of musical notes to the top – no idea why I chose that stamp – and you also use a wet distress pencil to colour the stamp – then stamp it. It gives a faint and blurry image.

This was drying to one side, and I die cut the ducks from a Simon says Stamp set, layering them together and adding small black gems for their eyes.

The sentiment was stamped and die cut using s trip die – I think it is two sentiments I stamped to make one – but I can’t find the second half of the sentiment now – this first half is definitely Lawn Fawn.

The panel was adhered to a white card base, th3e sentiment and ducks arranged as you see.

I hope you can come and join us with your creations following our ‘wings’ theme. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Critter Crazy Challenge – anything goes with a critter

Crafty Animals – anything goes with an animal

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Addicted To Stamps & More – make your mark

Bunny Hugs & Kisses

Hello everyone. It is my turn to host at Cardz 4 Galz, and I have chosen the theme of:

Hugs & Kisses

Here is my card:

I first created the little bunny using a die set from The Greetery, which also included the little flower it is holding.

The florals to either side are a layering stamp and die set – also from The Greetery, and created using Pinkfresh Studio inks.

The background was created die cutting a panel out of white card stock using a cover plate die – I think from Pinkfresh Studio – then attaching that to a white card base.

The bunny and the florals were then added with thin 3D foam pieces.

The sentiment is from Heffy Doodle.

The final touch was to add some black gems as the eye for the bunny, and three more as you see.

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

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Inkspirational – hugs & kisses

Critter Crazy – anything goes with a critter

Crafty Animals – anything goes with an animal

A Cut Above – anything goes with a die cut

T is for Texture

Hello once again. It is my turn to host the new challenge at The Alphabet Challenge. Having reached the letter ‘T’, I chose the them of:

T is for Texture

Here is my card:

For this card I chose to add texture by using an embossing folder and many layers.

The main floral image is from The Greetery, a layering stamp of a carnation, then die cut with the matching die.

The oval layers are also from The Greetery, and I stacked three of the layers on top of each other for dimension with the pattern adding more texture, stamping the words on the top layer.

The panel in the background was created using an embossing folder from Spellbinders.

The back layer was glued flat to the card base, then each of the oval layers added on top, the uppermost payer with thin 3D foam, then the floral image also added with more thin 3D foam pieces.