Pearly Sparkles June Challenge - Masculine - For a car freak

It's time for a new Pearly Sparkles challenge, over at the Pearly Sparkles Challenge Blog. 

Our theme this month is "Masculine". This card is for a car freak friend, who restores old cars. 

What I used

Black glossy, Silver and White card

White cogs embossed card

Sue Wilson Creative Expressions Dream Cars die set

Craft Artist silver Mica Magic

Black brads

I'd like to enter this card for the following challenges:

A Perfect Time to Craft Open Challenge #6 June 2025 
Classic Design Challenge #05 2025 May/June
Crafts Galore Encore #136 June 2025
Crafty Catz #694 
Creative Crafters Challenge #88 
Creative Fingers Challenge Blog #302
Love To Craft Challenge Blog #86

 Why not join us at the 
 Pearly Sparkles Challenge Blog this month?
 We'd love to see your makes.

Music man

Hello, 

It's time for a new Pearly Sparkles challenge which, as always, starts on the 1st of the month, over at the Pearly Sparkles Challenge Blog. Our theme this month is For a Man or Boy. I decided to make a birthday for my nephew-in-law, who is into his music, and rather apt as we'd bought him vinyl LPs for his birthday. Very "old school"!

I do hope you'll join us over at the Pearly Sparkles Challenge Blog this month and share your makes with us.  

Card recipe

8 x 8 white card blank 

Black card for the mats and die cuts

White stars embossed card

Record patterned shirt paper from Vintage Americana pad in my stash

Creative Expressions shirt die

Tonic musical notes die

Silver Mica Magic for highlighting

Happy Birthday die and black brads from my stash

I'd like to enter my card into this challenge:

Birthstone Challenges 8 optional theme of Birthday 

I hope you like the card I've made, please leave a comment to let me know what you think if you've got time. I do appreciate them and like to read them.

 Please also join us over at the 

 Pearly Sparkles Challenge Blog this month, 

 we'd love to see your makes.

Happy birthday to a wine connoisseur

Hello, 

It's time for a new Pearly Sparkles challenge which, as always, starts on the 1st of the month, over at the Pearly Sparkles Challenge Blog. Our theme this month is Celebrate, so I made an 80th birthday card for one of our family. He seemed quite pleased with it. I used My Craft Studio software and images and backing paper from My Craft Studio's From a Man's Point of View: the Golden Years

I do hope you'll join us over at the Pearly Sparkles Challenge Blog this month and share your makes with us.  

 

Card recipe

8 x 8 gold card blank folded into a Z fold card

Brown card for the mats

Images, backing paper and Label mounts: From a Man's Point of View: the Golden Years
John Next Door sentiment stamp

Letters and Numbers stamps from my stash

Brown pearls from my stash

This is the card opened out, the Happy Birthday die  is one by Chloe (Chloescreativecards.co.uk)

 

I hope you like the card I've made, please leave a comment to let me know what you think if you've got time. I do appreciate them and like to read them.

I'd like to enter this card for the following challenges:

A Perfect Time to Craft Open Challenge #3 March 2024
Classic Design Challenge #2 2024 Feb/March
Crafts Galore Encore #121 March 2024
Creative Inspirations Challenge #12 
Love To Craft Challenge Blog #79

 Please also join us over at the 

 Pearly Sparkles Challenge Blog this month, 

 we'd love to see your makes.

Unicorn band rocks!

Hello,

Welcome to another Challenge over at the Heart's Quest Fantasy Challenge Blog.  As always it starts the first Saturday of the month, and as usual it lasts for about a month. I do hope that you'll join us. 

The theme of the Challenge, as always, is Fantasy, however as long as it's Fantasy pretty much anything goes. If you're not sure what we mean by that just check out the guidance in the Challenge Rules, and in the side bar on the Challenge blog. With the rename and relaunch of the Challenge Blog last month there are a few changes in what we mean by Fantasy so it might be worth checking it out.

This month I decided to use some ALL and Create Unicorn stamps to make a birthday card for my brother.

Card recipe

8 x 8 white card blank

ALL and Create Unicorn #9 stamps

Black card, White card

Hobbycraft Blues paper pad

Polkadoodles Gamer Dude backing paper 

Presscut Plain Rectangles and Stitch Dot Squares dies

John Next Door Flags and Happy Birthday dies

Spectrum Noir pens

Black brads

I'd like to enter this card for the following challenges:

A Perfect Time to Craft Open Challenge  February #2-2024 ATG
Classic Design Challenge #01-2024 Jan/Feb ATG optional twist of blue and white
Crafts Galore Encore #120 February 2024 ATG 
Crafty Catz #664 ATG
Creative Crafters Challenge #72 ATG
Creative Fingers Challenge Blog #270 ATG
Creative Inspirations Challenge #11 ATG
Love To Craft Challenge Blog #78 ATG
Worldwide Crafters and Colorists Challenge Blog #13 ATG with an image

I hope you like the card I've made, please leave a comment to let me know what you think if you've got time. I do appreciate them and like to read them.

Please also join us over at the Heart's Quest Fantasy Challenge Blog this month, we'd love to see you.

Happy birthday Capricorn

Hello and Happy New Year, 

It's time for a new Pearly Sparkles challenge which, as always, starts on the 1st of the month, over at the Pearly Sparkles Challenge Blog. Our theme this month Clean and Simple, and I've made a birthday card for my husband whose birthday is in January.and is a Capricorn star sign.

I do hope you'll join us over at the Pearly Sparkles Challenge Blog this month and share your makes with us.    

Card recipe

7 x 7 white card blank

Grey card and Craft Artist Coconut White card

Sue Wilson Noble Pierced Squares die set and Happy Birthday sentiment die

Tattered Lace Capricorn die and sentiment

I hope you like the card I've made, please leave a comment to let me know what you think if you've got time. I do appreciate them and like to read them.

Please also join us over at the Pearly Sparkles Challenge Blog this month, we'd love to see your makes.

Riding Route 66

Hello there, 

It's time for a new Pearly Sparkles challenge which, as always, starts on the 1st of the month, over at the Pearly Sparkles Challenge Blog. Our theme this month is Make it Masculine. I made this card for a friend who live in the USA, and loves his cars, not just driving but also restoring them. He's driven Route 66 and he really loved the card. 

I do hope you'll join us over at the Pearly Sparkles Challenge Blog this month and share your makes with us.  

Card recipe

7 x 7 card blank

Brown card for mats, cars and sentiment and sentiment backing

Cream card 

Tattered Lace die set

John Next Door sentiment and Flag dies

Craft Artist Mica Magic for highlighting

Brads to spell out the name Mike 

I hope you like the card I've made, please leave a comment to let me know what you think if you've got time. I do appreciate them and like to read them.

I'd like to enter my card into the following challenges:

A Perfect Time to Craft Open Challenge #6 June ATG

Classic Design Challenge #6 June ATG

Crafty Catz #640 ATG

Creative Crafters Challenge #64 ATG

Love To Craft Challenge Blog #74 ATG

Moving Along with the Times #155 June Man/Boy 

Please also join us over at the Pearly Sparkles Challenge Blog this month, we'd love to see your makes.

Unicorns rock!

Hello and Happy New Year,

It's time for the first challenge of the year over at the Fairy and Unicorn Challenge blog, which as always starts the first Saturday of the month.. As usual it lasts for about a month so I do hope that you'll join us. This month I decided to use a unicorn stamp I've had for a while and not used yet.

The theme as always is Fantasy, however as long as it's Fantasy pretty much anything goes. If you're not sure what we mean by that just check out the guidance in the side bar on the Challenge blog. 

Card recipe

8 x 8 white card blank

Black card for mats and for die cuts

AALL and Create Unicorn drummer stamp coloured with Spectum Noir and Promarkers

Polkadoodles Gamer Dude music backing paper

Tonic music dies

Sue Noble Stitch dies

Purple card candi from my stash

I hope you like the card I've made, please leave a comment to let me know what you think if you've got time. I do appreciate them and like to read them.

I'd like to enter my card into the following challenge:

Double Trouble Challenge #130 Keep us in stitches

Please also join us over at the Fairy and Unicorn Challenge this month, we'd love to see you.

Game on!

Hello there,

It's time for a new challenge starting today over at the Pearly Sparkles Challenge Blog. The theme this month is One for the Boys, I've made a birthday card for a friend who is mad about his gaming, I hope you like it. 

I do also hope you'll join us over at the Pearly Sparkles Challenge Blog this month and share your makes with us.

Card recipe

8 x 8 white card blank

Polkadoodles Gamer Dude precoloured image and backing paper

Black, white and blue card

Presscut Square and Rectangle dies

John Next Door Stencil Collection Alphabet and Numbers

I hope you like the card I've made, please leave me a comment if you've time, I love reading them and really do appreciate them

Please also join us over at the Pearly Sparkles Challenge Blog this month, we'd love to see your makes.

Fabulous Forties

Hello there,

It's time to let you know that we've a new challenge starting today over at the Pearly Sparkles Challenge Blog. The theme this month is Let's Layer it Up! I've made a card for a 40th birthday and as he's a Manchester United support I chose red and white as the colour theme. Including the card blank this has 7 layers in all!

I do hope you'll join us over at the Pearly Sparkles Challenge Blog this month and share your makes with us. 

Card recipe

8 x 8 white card blank

Red, white and black card for the mats and sentiments

Presscut Stitch Dot Squares and Circle dies 

Presscut Multi Layer dies - Circles, all 3 layers

John Next Door Alphabet dies

Tattered Lace Number dies

Sentiment die and banner, possibly Tonic

I hope you like the card I've made, please leave me a comment if you've time, I love reading them and really do appreciate them

Please also join us over at the Pearly Sparkles Challenge Blog this month, we'd love to see your makes.

Howdy partner!

 Hello there,

Today I'd like to let you know that we've a new challenge starting today over at the Pearly Sparkles Challenge Blog. The theme this month is Anything Goes, so feel free to let your creative juices flow. I made this card for my husband's birthday, he loves his country music and cowboy boots so I snapped up these dies when I saw them. 

I do hope you'll join us over at the Pearly Sparkles Challenge Blog this month and share your makes with us.

Card recipe

8 x 8 Kraft card blank

Cream card and sand coloured card for the mats

Blue and brown card for the hat, boots and sentiment

Silver mirri card for horseshoes and spur 

Sweet Dixie Cowboy Boots and Cowboy Hats dies

Unbranded sentiment die

Tonic embossing folder

Beige cord 

I hope you like the card I've made, please leave me a comment if you've time, I love reading them and really do appreciate them. 

Please also join us over at the Pearly Sparkles Challenge Blog this month, we'd love to see your makes.

So many books - so little time

Hello there,

Today's post is to let you know that we've a new challenge starting today over at the Pearly Sparkles Challenge Blog, the theme this month is Anything Goes, so let your imagination run wild! I made this card for my husband's birthday as he is a real book lover and fanatical reader. I made a similar one for my sister-in-law who is the same, and I'm sure I'll be using these stamps a lot as being a librarian I have lots of librarian friends who are also book lovers. 

Card recipe

8 x 8 cream card blank

Brown card for the mats

Cream stamping card

Paper Studio Antiquity paper pad

Rare Earth Book Shelf, Non-Fiction and Hardback stamp sets

Versafine Vintage Sepia ink pad

I'd like to enter this into the following challenges:

A Bit More Time to Craft Challenge #143 - Anything Goes

Classic Design Challenge Blog #8 August 2021 - Anything Goes 

The Creative Crafters #42 - Anything Goes

World Wide Open Design Team Challenge #07 - Anything Goes

I hope you like the card I've made, please leave me a comment if you've time, I love reading them. 

Please also join us over at the Pearly Sparkles Challenge Blog this month, we'd love to see you.

Autumn leaves are falling

Hello there,

Today's post is to let you know that we've a new challenge starting today over at the Pearly Sparkles Challenge Blog, the theme this month is your favourite time of the year. This could be Christmas, Easter or any of the seasons for example, the choice is yours. I've chosen autumn, I love the changing of the leaves and all the different colours this produces, plus I do like crunching through the dried leaves on the ground!

Card recipe

8 x 8 Kraft card blank

Copper mirri card

Clarity Indian Summer designer paper pad

Kanban trees stamp

Cardi-O stamps for the leaf border

Promarkers to colour the image

Tonic leaf embossing folder

Happy birthday die 

Skeleton leaves - found in my stash when having a sort out

Copper brads

I hope you like the card I've made, please leave me a comment if you've time, I love reading them. 

Please also join us over at the Pearly Sparkles Challenge Blog this month, we'd love to see you.

Motorbike rider

Hello there,

Today's post is to let you know that we've a new challenge starting today over at the Pearly Sparkles Challenge Blog, the theme this month is For the men / boys. My card has a motorbike as its main feature, I made it for the  a friend who has a bike rather than a car. The challenge lasts for about a month and I do hope you'll join us.

Card recipe 

7 x 7 dark grey card blank

Black card for the mats

Silver mirror card

Docrafts Papermania Monochrome paper pack

Tonic motorbike and sentiment dies

Crafter's Companion heart die

Black and dark grey Card Candi

I hope you like the card I've made, please leave a comment to let me know what you think if you've got time. 

I'd like to enter this into the following challenges:

Classic Design Challenge Blog #6 June 2021 - Anything Goes 

Crafty Catz #553 - Anything Goes 

Creative Moments #215 - Anything Goes

Krafty Chicks Challenge #561 - All Occasions

The Creative Crafters #40 - Anything Goes

World Wide Open Design Team Challenge #05 - Anything Goes

Please also join us over at the Pearly Sparkles Challenge Blog this month, we'd love to see you.

Into the woods!

Hello,

I'm afraid I've not been very active here, so it's been a while since I posted, but unfortunately I've not been well. Pleased to say I'm picking up so will hopefully be posting more often.

Today's post is to let you know that we've a new challenge starting today over at the Pearly Sparkles Challenge Blog, the theme this month is something with a bird, animal or insect. My card included an owl and a rabbit so as they say 2 out of 3 isn't bad! I made it for a friend who loves nature, trees in particular, and walking in the woods. The challenge lasts for about a month and I do hope you'll join us.

Card recipe

Custom made card blank made using the largest die in the set

Tonic Mythical Glade Layering Die Set with the Wondrous Woods owl and rabbit tag insert

John Next Door Autumn Leaves dies 

Lime Tree Crafts brown, gold and cream card stock

Gold and copper pearl paper

Craft Artist Mica Magic copper and gold for highlighting 

I also made a box using the same dies and card stock, and added a Happy Birthday sentiment to it.

I hope you like the card I've made, please leave me a comment if you've time, I love reading them. 

Please also join us over at the Pearly Sparkles Challenge Blog this month, we'd love to see you.

Passing of time

Hello there,
This is the card I made for my brother's birthday which is in July. I find it hard to make cards for men, the theme for this is time so I hope he likes it! 

Card recipe

7 x 7 dark grey card blank
Medium grey and light grey mats

White card pre-embossed with cogs and clocks and highlighted using Mica Magic

Dark grey to match the card blank for the main topper

Clock embossing folder

John Next Door sentiment stamp

Tim Holtz clock embellishment

I also made a box using the same card stock and a Tonic sentiment, this is below.

I'm entering this for the following challenges:

A Bit More Time to Craft Challenge #119 Anything Goes

A Perfect Time to Craft July #7 2020 Anything Goes
Classic Design Challenge July #7 2020 Anything Goes
Crafting Happiness Ch #55 Anything Goes

Get Creative Challenge #93 - Birthday
Love to Craft Challenge Blog #48 July Anything Goes
The Crafter's Cafe Challenge Blog #246 1st July Anything Goes 

For a wine aficionado

Hello there,
I needed to make a birthday card for a male friend of ours, who happens to like a glass of wine now and then so decided to make this.

Card recipe

8 x 8 gold card blank
Gold mirri card
Images and backing paper from My Craft Studio's From a Man's Point of View: the Golden Years
John Next Door sentiment stamp

I've used the My Craft Studio wine images for quite a few cards as they are very handy for men, here's one I made last month.

I'm entering the top card for the following challenges: 

Cute Card Thursday Challenge 368 Masculine
Dragonfly Dreams Challenge June Make it Masculine

Paper Funday Challenges #18 Anything Goes with a Twist Make it Masculine
Pearly Sparkles Challenge Blog #52 For the Boys/Men

Try it on Tuesday 9 June Make it Masculine
Unicorn Challenge Blog #55 Masculine

I hope you like the cards I've created, if you've got the time please leave me a comment to let me know what you think of them.

Car theme birthday cards

Hello there,
here are a couple of birthday cards made for some male friends - who as we all know are often difficult to make for. Both are interested in cars so I chose that as the theme.

Both cards were made using stamps from Creative Stamping magazine, I just changed the colours I used and tweaked the design a bit. I used to be a bit worried about stamping as the image didn't come out very well - that was until I discovered stamping platforms! I bought the Misti at a show having had a play with it there, however as I quite often make larger cards I wanted one with a larger base so I bought the Tonic/Time Holtz one. Then a won a set of We R Memory Keepers tools in a competition which included their stamping platform, so now I'm really spoiled for choice, and my stamping skills have improved enormously with using them.

Unfortunately I got the age wrong on the 65 one - but as he was older than that I think he was quite flattered so I got away with it!

I hope you like the two variations of this card, please leave me a comment if you've time as I do really appreciate it.