TMR - Dots and/or Stripes

... Hello!! I've had a really busy month, and only manged to grab a bit of time to make my card for this month's challenge at The Male Room - TMR#214, the day before I went on hols!! This month we want you to make your masculine projects using DOTS AND/OR STRIPES. Here's my card:

Stamps: Dare 2B Artzy - Hot Air Balloon, Balloon Tangle; Waffle Flower - Your Day Sentiments

Inks: Gina K - Blue Sky, Powder Blue, Applemint, Lucky Clover, Sea Glass, Ocean Mist; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Stencils: Waffle Flower - Wave for A2 A6 A7

Accessories: White Card; Design Paper - Kaisercraft Off The Wall; Copic Markers

I used the new Waffle Flower Wave stencil to create the background - I inked with shades of blue and green to make a sky/hill scene. I stamped a couple of cloud outlines directly on the notecard, as well as the large balloon. I also stamped the balloon on white card and dotty design paper. I fussy cut the balloon and design paper and pieced it all together, and adhered the pieces to the note card. I do like paper piecing - but I don't do it enough. I finished the front with a bold greeting, and another hot air balloon. On the inside, I cut a piece of stripey design paper for the mat layer, and on the white panel simply stamped a birthday greeting and another hot air balloon.

I'm submitting this card to Cardz 4 Guyz - C4G#389 where the theme is hot air balloons and to Never-Before-Used-Schtuff - NBUS#90 - first time of using the Waffle flower stencil and sentiments.

 

This card is for my uncle's birthday - his is the first one I have in September. 

That's all for now - do visit our blog - The Male Room - to see more design ideas from the rest of the team. See you soon.

Birthday Cupcakes

.... Hello! Three days in a row, my I'm on a roll. Today's card is for my sister-in-law, her birthday is next week and I'm safe to share it here as she doesn't look at my blog. Here's her card:

Stamps: Waffle Flower - Postage Collage, PC - Birthday, PC - Fall

Inks: Memento - Anel Pink, Summer Sky; Gina K - Passionate Pink, Blue Sky, Barely There Amalgam; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Dies: Waffle Flower - Postage Cupcake

Stencils: Waffle Flower - Postage Cupcake, Random Rhombus

Accessories: White Card

I used a stencil to make the background - blending pale pink and pale blue inks, where they cross I have a soft lilac. Next I die cut three postage circle stamps and used the co-ordinating stencil to create little cupcakes in each stamp. I added some ribbon to the card base, adhered the two blue cupcake stamps directly to the card. I added some postage marks to the pink cupcake, stacked it on two white die cuts for dimension, and added it to the card. I finished with a simple birthday sentiment in black. For the inside I cut a piece of white card slightly smaller than A2, stamped a greeting and added a little birthday postmark.

I'm playing along with the following challenges:

CAS Colours & Sketches - CASC&S#583 - I turned the sketch to make a landscape card

{PIN}spirational Challenges - PIN#336 - to use pale pink and pale blue

Never-Before-Used-Schtuff - NBUS#85 - I've had the rhombus stencil and cupcake die 'n' stencil for a while, but this is the first time I've used them!

That's it for today - see you again soon.

Red Christmas

...Hello!! It's a lovely day here in North Wales - no rain, blue skies and sunshine! Just fab! I'm here to share a couple of Christmas cards for this year's stash. Here they are:

Stamps: Gina K - Holly Jolly Mini

Inks: Gina K - Petunia, Red Hot, Red Velvet, Cherry Red; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Dies: MFT - A2 Stitched Rectangles Set 1 #8, A2 Stitched Rectangles Set 2 #9

Accessories: White & Black Card; C&9/KW - Holiday Icons Stencils; Xmas Labels; Gems

I'm submitting these cards to the following challenges:

Jingle Belles - JB2604 - to use mostly Red - done!

Peace on Earth Christmas Challenge - POE#106 - it either anything Xmas goes or the graphic

Never-Before-Used-Schtuff - NBUS#83 - First time I've used these fab stencils

A Cut Above - ACA#0226 - must use dies on your card - done

This is the first time (but not the last) that I've used Kristina's Christmas Icons stencils. I only used the outline stencil for these cards because I wanted a couple of quick and simple cards. I blended several shades of red ink to give a lovely ombre effect from bottom to top of the card. I used stitched edged dies to cut a mat in black and then picked my favourite bits of each side for the main image. I finished the front of each card with a simple black greeting - I've had these labels since about 2009!! And added a few gems. On the inside, I used black mat layers and on the white panels I stencilled an Xmas tree and a candy cane, and finished with a bold, black greeting.

My cards have been inspired by Kristina's cards in her holiday card series where she gave us some ink blending tips.

I'd like to thank everyone for their lovely comments on my recent cards. It's so nice to be back making cards. That's all for now. See you again soon.

My Happy Place

...  I was hoping to make cards everyday, but as they say the best laid plans! Mine fell apart. I didn't even make a Valentine's card for my hubby. But this morning, I woke up and remembered a new stamp set that I got and decided to make a card for him today. Here it is:

Stamps: Gina K - String of Love

Inks: Versafine Clair -Nocturne; Gina K - Sea Glass

Dies: Gina K - String of Love

Accessories: White Card; Lawn Fawn - Cloudy Stencil; Copic Markers; Clear Wink of Stella Pen; Posca - White pen

I'm entering this card to the following challenges:

CAS Colours & Sketches - CASC&S#578 - I do love these colours

Addicted to Stamps and More! - ATSM#510 - to use stencils and/or dies

CAS on Friday - CASOF#327 - Anything Goes as long as it's CAS

The Male Room - TMR#207 - CAS

Never-Before-Used-Schtuff - NBUS#83 - The stamp and die set, and the cloud stencil 

I stencilled, very lightly - you can just about see it in the photo - a cloudy sky. I used whatever ink was left on my brushes! I used my MISTI to stamp the balloons, removed it from the MISTI and coloured with Copic markers. I put the image back into the MISTI and stamped again with Versafine Clair Nocturne ink - I think this is the best black ink. I used the matching die to cut out the image, along with two blanks which I layered together for dimension. I added some highlights to the balloons with a white pen, and some sparkle with a shimmer brush - you can't really see it in the picture, but it's so pretty in real-life. I finished the front by adding a sentiment - my hubby is my happy place!! On the inside, I cut a piece of white card slightly smaller than the A2 notecard. I stamped the balloons in a pale teal colour, added another greeting in black, edged the panel with a dark teal Copic and adhered it to the notecard.

I am so looking forward to the sun shining again soon - it's so hard to take a decent photo in all the grey.

I'm pleased how this turned out - no pink or red in sight, just shades of teal - Jonathan's favourite colour. That's it for now. I'll be back soon.

Birthday Bear

... Morning!! It's been so grey and wet here for the past couple of days, which is kind of good as I can play in my craft room with no guilt!! Today I'm sharing a birthday card:

Stamps: Waffle Flower - Postage Collage, PC-Birthday, Royal Mail, Sweet Birthday Sentiments

Inks: Gina K - Sky Blue, Wild Lilac, Sandy Beach, Warm Cocoa, Black Onyx, Wild Dandelion, Sweet Mango; Versafine Clair - Nocturne

Dies: Waffle Flower - Nesting Postage Collage Die

Accessories: White Card; SU Card - Crumb Cake; Waffle Flower Stencils - Nesting Collage Party Bear Stencil, Nesting Postage Collage Blocks

I'm playing along with the following challenges:

Cupcake Inspirations Challenge - CIC#633 - colours

Time Out Challenge -  TOC#305 - use a favourite technique - stencilling

Just Us Girls -JUGS#807 - to use a stencil

Never-Before-Used-Schtuff - NBUS#82 - Waffle Flower stash all new!

I started by cutting out the central 'postage stamp' die cut and the Party Bear stencil to create the image. I added some extra details to the image - a first class symbol, forever and some white details to the image. I stencilled an 'airmail' border directly onto an A2 white note card. I adhered the finished panel in the centre of the card and added a postage check mark. On the inside, I cut a mat layer of kraft card and on the white panel, I stamped a birthday greeting and added a little 'stamp' showing birthday candles.

This card is for our daughter's boyfriend - he said that he wanted a 'cute' card! I think this fits the brief!!

     

That's all for now - I plan on spending most of this weekend in my craft room making more cards - Christmas and birthday. See you soon.

Rainbow Birthday

... Good Afternoon! I've got one card to share today. Last year I finally jumped on the press plate bandwagon. I got plates from Pinkfresh Studio, Spellbinders and Altenew. I had fun making several backgrounds and I've finally started making them into cards. This is a birthday card:

Stamps: Gina K - Blooming Sunflower; Mama Elephant - Mixed Wishes Greetings

Inks: Versafine Clair - Nocturne; Gina K - Soft Stone

Dies: Pinkfresh Studio (PF) - Ornate Trellis; Gina K - Blooming Sunflower

Accessories: White & Black card; Rainbow Foil; Copic Markers; PF Press Plate - Ornate Trellis

One of the things I discovered is that press plates work really well in a Spellbinders Glimmer machine!! I foiled the design onto black cards and used the matching die to cut it out - the shine is spectacular. I adhered the panel to an A2 note card. I used my MISTI to stamp the floral image on white card. I removed it and coloured the image with Copic markers, keeping the colours soft so as not to compete with the rainbow background. I stamped a simple birthday greeting in black ink. I used the matching dies to cut out the images as well as a number of black die cuts. I layered up the black die cuts and topped each with the focal images and adhered them to the front of the card. Inside the card, I cut a piece white card slightly smaller than A2, stamped the floral image in soft grey ink and added a simple birthday verse in black ink. I edged the panel with a black Copic and glued it into the note card.

I'm entering this card into several challenge one of which, Colorful Options, is new to me.

Colorful Options - CO#0126 - where they have either a colour theme or rainbow

Seize the Birthday - STB#318 - where it's either the topping option or birthday theme

Inkspirational - INK#358 - the word prompt is 'shine/shiny'

Never-Before-Used-Schtuff - NBUS#82 - to use new, or never-before-used, stash

I'd like to thank you for the comments on my cards and welcoming me back to the blogland!! It's so good to be back making cards. Drop by again tomorrow, where I have a Christmas card to share - using the same pretty background. See you soon.

First Christmas Card of 2026

... Good morning! It's a really dull, dark morning in North Wales with rain, so perfect for staying in my craft room and playing. I didn't make any Christmas cards last year - no mojo!! But this year I've decided get started early and join in with as many Christmas challenges as I can. So, here's my first Christmas card of 2026:

Stamps: Gina K - Let Your Light Shine, O Christmas Tree

Inks: Gina K - Red Velvet, Tranquil Teal; Lisa Horton - Cloud 9 Solid Gold; Versamark

Dies: Gina K - Let Your Light Shine

Accessories: White Card; Lawn Fawn Embossing Powder - Gold; Christmas Wrapping Paper

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:

Jingle Belles - JB2601 - where they want us to use recycled gift wrap

Merry Little Christmas Challenge Blog - MLCCB#66 - anything Christmas goes

Inkspirational - INK#358 - word prompt 'shine/shiny'

Never-Before-Used-Schtuff - NBUS#82 - Darnell encourages us to use that never-used-schtuff

I saved the holly gift wrap from one of my gifts in December. It's so pretty that I decided to use it for the background. I trimmed the gift wrap to be slightly smaller than an A2 (US size 5½" x 4¼") card base and adhered it to the card. I stamped the greeting and stars in Versamark ink and heat embossed with gold powder, I used the matching dies to cut out the images. I also cut out a number of white pieces which I used to layer up and give the images dimension. Inside the card, I used another scrap of the gift wrap as the mat layer, and on the white panel I stamped a simple greeting in colours to match the paper and added some gold stars which, in real life, have a lovely shimmer.

It's quite tough getting decent photos in such dull light, but I think these have turned out okay! It's so nice to be getting back into making cards - I used to love sharing my cards with Mum, but I'm sure she's watching from on high!! It's good to have some mojo back 😀

That's all for now. I've got some new inks that I need to swatch and add to my collection. See you again soon.