Playing card birthday card

Good Morning everyone

Today im sharing the 2nd card I made for my niece Alice's 10th birthday with a playing card theme which is unusual for a 10yr old but she loves playing cards especially after school with her nan & I to unwind, or on a train journey so its the perfect theme for her.  Id kept this mini playing cards set from a Christmas cracker years ago - knew it would come in useful one day! 

8x8" card die cut using fancy circle dies.  I then cut smaller layer from red and black polka dot paper and then a smaller white layer.  I then adhered the cards randomly, some flat and some on foam pads.  I computer printed the sentiment, die cut and matted onto a larger circle die cut from the black polka dot paper and adhered to the front with pinflair glue gel.

I took the 10 of spades card and matted onto red polka dot paper and added just off the sentiment with glue gel to finish....spades are her 'fav' suit at the moment!

Showing it stood up side on.  I cut a sliver off the bottom of the back panel so it stands up nicely and doesn't rock. 

I had started doing a 'clock patience' lay out with the cards on the card front as she plays that alot too, but i soon realised that wasn't going to work as had 13 numbers and usually the king goes in the middle where i wanted the sentiment so I added them randomly after that😁

and the inside, i cut some of the red polka dot paper and then a smaller white die cut with my stamped greeting

Items Used:

Creative craft dies - stretched circles

Woodware sentiment stamp

Anna Marie red & black polka dot card

mini playing cards - mine came out of a Christmas cracker

CraftUk ltd smooth white 300gsm cardstock

Thank you for stopping by. Emmax

Id love to enter the following:

https://dreamvalley2.blogspot.com/2025/08/challenge-342-shaped-cards-no-squares.html

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https://craftingacutabove.blogspot.com/2025/08/august-challenge-time.html - used several nesting dies 

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https://theoutlawzchallenges-monday.blogspot.com/2025/08/august-4th-monday-greetings-challage.html - use polka dots

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https://neglectedstuff.blogspot.com/2025/08/neglected-stuff-825-challenge.html = the red and black polka dot paper is over 8yrs old....just waiting for the perfect project to come along😁....great to use the mini  playing cards too after 10 yrs in the drawer.

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Alice is 10 - cats & books

Good Morning everyone

My middle niece Alice is 10 this month.  She loves reading and cats so ive combined the two with these fab katzelkraft stamps and made a tri fold card which contains 2 bookmarks to Alice to use

The front of the card.  Its A4 folded 3 times so each section is 4x8.25" .  I stamped the cat images onto white card and coloured with alcohol markers.  I stamped the sentiment and then lightly stenciled on pawprints with cracked pistachio oxide ink, I then die cut into a panel and matted onto rainbow printed cardstock. 

I founded a printed paper in my stash that had a subtle blue pattern, matted onto blue holographic and then the card front.  I tied a double bow from the 2 ribbons ive used on the bookmarks.

I used blue holographic for my mat layer as when the light hits it it is rainbow colours to tie in with the image and every girl loves a bit of sparkle.

Showing the card opened up.  I made the bookmarks the same way as the front topper, this rainbow card is double sided so looks as great on the back of the bookmark as the front.  

I made pockets for the bookmarks using the same paper as the background and adding foam to the sides and bottom, leaving the top unstuck so the bookmark can slide in and out

So that when the bookmarks are removed it still looks good I stamped the cats a 2nd time, coloured in with alcohol markers and cut out, I adhered them to the pockets to line up with the bookmarks.

I doodled a line under the books with fineliner and shaded with grey alcohol marker to 'ground' the books and stop them floating in mid air

and the bookmarks front and back.  This rainbow card came in a pack from Lidl and is nice and stiff so ideal for bookmarks, I haven't laminated them as you know how childrens tastes change yearly but I know Alice will enjoy these bookmarks for as long as they do last.  I added stamped cats and pawprints to the back of the bookmarks for a little interest.  Punched a hole at the top and threaded with ribbons.  

Items Used:

Katzelkraft cat stamp set

Creative craft stamps 'fur babies'

Clearly besotted birthday stamp 'something to say'

DL stitched edge dies

Pawprint stencil

Oxide ink 'cracked pistachio'

Alcohol markers

Rainbow cardstock from Lidl

Blue holographic card 

Thank you all for stopping by.  Emma

Id love to enter the following:

https://craftyanimals.blogspot.com/2025/08/challenge-97.html

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https://2craftycrittercrazies.blogspot.com/2025/08/ccc-101-return-to-regular-theme-of.html

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https://girlzcreativefunartofscrap.blogspot.com/2025/07/challenge-12-new-challengeblog.html

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https://dragonflydreamschallenges.blogspot.com/2025/08/august-challenge-lots-of-layers.html

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https://allsortschallenge.blogspot.com/2025/08/challenge-829.html

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https://showusyourpussies.blogspot.com/2025/08/challenge-114.html

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https://craftrocketchallenges.blogspot.com/2025/08/challenge-128-animals.html

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August We love stamping - flowers

Good Morning everyone

Welcome to August.  Over at We Love Stamping the theme this month is 

FLOWERS

So nice and easy but you can always go with the anything goes as long as you use stamping - rubber, clear or digi 

Our Prize this month is a £25 voucher from Personal Impressions  who stock various different brands.

6.5x6.5" kraft card blank.  I first took the stamperia wooden foliage panel and sprayed with inks to colour - more details on this down below.

I mounted it onto the cardfront - being about 5mm thick this adds a lovely depth to the card but its also super light weight.  I stamped the lily onto white card with versafine clair teal ink and watercoloured with distress inks and cut out.

I die cut a circle from white cardstock and put through a sizzix embossing folder, i adhered this to the card front and added the lily with pinflair glue gel.

I die cut the sentiment twice, once from card inked with the same inks i used to colour the lily and once from the white card to give a drop shadow and help it stand out, these i added to a strip of kraft card and then the card front. 

Difficult to show but one of the sprays i used on the background has mica so a lovely shimmer & sparkle when the light hits it.

and as i got a 2nd background when I sprayed the woodchip I made another card

I matted the background onto 7" square card blank.  Die cut a circle from white card using and embossed, this i added to the bottom left of the inked background and added the lily on top.  Stamped sentiment onto card inked with the same distress inks used to colour the lily, die cut into a circle and matted onto a larger circle die cut from white.  Gems added to finish.

Old lily of the valley (LOTV) sentiment stamp reads 'sending you sunshine all year through' which is rather lovely

This is the stamperia decorative chip i used, its very light so i guess like a balsa wood

I placed it onto white card and sprayed with cosmic shimmer airless misters in greens, yellow and pink, you then get the pattern onto the white card as well - so no ink wasted and a free background for another project.  I did wonder how well the woodchip would take the wet inks but it stood up to them well, I didn't over saturate, just sprayed enough to cover.  

Items Used:

Pennyblack slapstick cling stamp 'tiger lily' 

LOTV sentiment stamp 

Stamperia decorative chip

Ranger distress Inks - squeezed lemonade, wild honey, ripe persimmon, twisted citron, mowed grass

Versafine Clair ink 'warm breeze'

Cosmic Shimmer airless misters

MFT Circle die

hello sentiment die (maybe Simon says?)

Sizzix honeycomb & swirl embossing folders (very old)

CraftUK ltd kraft card

The prize this month is an amazing £25 voucher for personal impressions craft store where they are lots of gorgeous crafty products & brands to tempt you.

So hop over to We Love Stamping to join in and be in with a chance of winning just make sure to use stamping on your project with a theme of Flowers or anything goes option. 

Its my middle nieces birthday today so of course its raining, my birthday is in august too and growing up I remember way more wet birthdays than dry ones. I hope you all have a great week whatever your plans are.   Emma

I love to enter card 1 into the following:

https://www.simplyellibelle.com/2025/07/ellibelles-garden-party-no-5-anything.html #2 entry

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https://creativeknockouts.blogspot.com/2025/07/551-sparke-shine-patties-creations.html - used mica shimmer sprays in the background

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https://girlzandtheartofletters.blogspot.com/2025/07/challenge-6-de-letter-van-f-van.html - F is for flowers, foliage & friendship

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https://dd-tripleb.blogspot.com/2025/08/august-2025-challenge.html

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Creative Creases Aug

Good Morning everyone

This is my 2nd post this morning, if the scheduling goes to plan

I am honoured once again to be Guest DT over at Creative Creases where anything goes with a fancy fold.  

I decided to try one of the many fancy folds on my 'to try' list and make a hexagon pop up card.  After reading a few step by steps online I ended up using the one from beccys place as it was clear and easy to follow

Ive used 2 stamp sets, one leafy one from aall&create and a lovely quote from inkalicious and one ink pad which is an ombre one.

I first cut and folded the card from white linen cardstock.  Onto another piece of white I multiple stamped the leafy background stamp with an ombre ink which has lovely shades of green from lime through to a greeny blue. I then cut the panels out to fit the 6 sides of the base.  I die cut the rest of the leafy background sheet with a leafy sprig die.  Onto a white die cut circle I stamped the quote and then framed it with the die cut leaves

3 acetate butterflies to finish

Such a lovely quote... there is something very peaceful and calming about being surrounded by nothing but nature.  I love the effect of die cutting the leaves from the leafy background stamp, makes an interesting finish to them which is also softer than a solid colour would be.

On the back of the card I lined up a smaller white die cut circle with the one on the front and then added a smaller circle die cut from a pale paper for a place to write the greeting.  I also lined the inside panels with a green paper to give a more finished look.

Just showing it side on

and it folds completely flat for posting which is great.

Items Used

aall&create stamp #556 'leaves'

Inkilicious stamp 'forest quote'

CheeryLynn Foliage die

acetate butterflies (ebay find)

Kaleidacolor Ombre ink pad 'caribbean sea'

craftUk ltd 300gsm white linen card

So do hop over to Creative Creases challenge to see what everyone came up with and to join in - anything goes with a fancy fold. 

  I hope you all have a great weekend.  Big hugs Emmax

Id love to enter the following:

https://sweetstampinchallengeblog.blogspot.com/2025/07/anything-but-square.html

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https://traumfabrik-challenge.blogspot.com/2025/07/challenge-141-spotlight-highlight-or.html - my sentiment/quote is made the focus with the frame to draw the eye in

 

Creative Artiste August - Lemon Wreath

Good Morning everyone

Time for a new challenge over at Creative Artiste where the theme is always anything mixed media goes - use at least 3 different mediums

Something fun and summery from me today.  Ive made a little lemon wreath to add to the front door.

Approx size 8x8"   I cut my wreath base from cardboard box card and then wrapped with garden twine.

I then stamped all the images and watercoloured with derwent inktense pencils adding touches of shimmer with cosmic shimmer pixie powders which i used as a paint by adding a little water.  Once dry I cut out and sealed with glossy mod podge and then added touches of stickles glitter glue to the flowers and glossy accents to the lemon gals eye.

I arranged the lemons and foliage mostly to the bottom right of the wreath, adhering to the twine with pinflair glue gel.  I decided it needed something to help the girl stand out a bit so I made a kind of rosette from twine which I added behind her which also helps break up all the yellow and add more texture....its a fabulous tactile medium to use too.

To finish I added a twine bow to the top.

For the lemons and foliage it is actually only one stamp which ive cut up and used at different angles to build it up from a stamp set my studio light but it goes perfectly with the lemon girl stamp from aall&create

The start of my wreath, first cut a circular frame from corrugated card - cutting the inside out with craft knift wasn't very neat or even but once i wrapped the garden twine around it and i used the thicker part behind my elements so no one would know and it added a little rustic charm😊

How i made my little rosette behind lemon girl - first wrapped twine around my fingers multiple times and then tied in the middle, i then fanned it out, once i added the girl with pinfliar glue gel that helped hold it in shape.

Items Used:

Aall&create stamps #1021 'lemon'

Studio light stamps #SL-ES-STAMP427 'lemon sqeezy'

Derwent Inktense pencils

Cosmic shimmer pixie powder 'mango'

Ranger Glossy accents

Ranger Stickles 'crystal'

Garden twine

Do hop over to Creative Artiste Mixed Media to see what the rest of the DT have created this month and to join in - any project but with at least 3 different mediums 

Thank you all for stopping by.  This is my first post of 2 today as have a GDT post coming a little bit later this morning....its like buses, i don't post anything for days and now 2 in one day! lol   Im having issues with my eyes so not getting much crafting in, but im on the urgent 6wk list for laser treatment so hopefully my eyes will soon be back to their usual level if not better...better would be great but I will be happy with them being as they were😊   What with that and them still messing about with my MS treatment I think I have a seat reserved at hospital at the moment......at least I have a good distraction over the holidays spending time with my nieces.

 I hope you all have a great weekend.  Happy Crafting Emmax

Id love to enter the following:

https://shoppingourstash.blogspot.com/2025/07/sos553-eat-five-day.html

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https://theoutlawzchallenges-saturday.blogspot.com/2025/07/the-outlawz-anything-goes-in-card-free.html

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https://mixitupchallenge.blogspot.com/2025/07/miucb-78-anything-goes-optional-mixed.html

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https://thefourseasonschallenge.blogspot.com/2025/08/summer-season-august-2025.html

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https://www.simplyellibelle.com/2025/07/ellibelles-garden-party-no-5-anything.html