PROMARKERS & OTHER MEDIUMS
Welcome back to I Love ProMarkers & Other Mediums and to our brand new Challenge #609. This fortnight our theme is By the Sea, and we are looking forward to seeing the gallery filled with beautiful seaside-inspired creations.
This theme offers so many wonderful creative possibilities. You might choose sandy beaches, rolling waves, seashells, boats, lighthouses, beach huts, mermaids, sea creatures, or characters enjoying a day by the water. Soft blues, sandy neutrals, fresh aquas, and bright summer colours all work beautifully for this theme.
Whether you prefer elegant coastal designs, cute and cheerful characters, or playful summer scenes, there are so many ways to bring By the Sea to life. Add texture with twine, pearls, shells, shimmer, layered die cuts, or keep your design clean and breezy for a softer seaside feel.
From calm coastal cards to bright beachy makes full of sunshine and charm, we cannot wait to see the creative ways you interpret this theme.
We are delighted to be sponsored by Di’s Digi Stamps, whose wonderful digital images are perfect for colouring and crafting.
The lucky winner of challenge #609 will receive $6 to spend in the shop.
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✨ Ways to Enter ✨
Although our challenge has always centred around blog entries, we are embracing the wider crafting community and the places you now share your work. Entries are welcome from TikTok and Instagram, alongside traditional blog posts. However you choose to create and share, we would love to see it.
Full instructions on how to submit TikTok and Instagram links can be found further down in this post, so please make sure you read them carefully before entering. We’re really excited to open things up and can’t wait to see even more of your wonderful creativity.
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We are delighted to announce that the lucky winner of the #608 is:
No. 3 Paper Whims
A huge congratulations to Paper Whims, our winner for this challenge.
This card has such a sweet and uplifting feel, with a lovely mix of bright colour, gentle detail, and thoughtful design. The adorable mushroom scene immediately catches the eye, with the bold red toadstools creating a strong focal point against the softer floral background. The image has been coloured beautifully, with cheerful tones that bring warmth and charm to the whole design.
The layered scalloped circle works really well, framing the main image and giving it a pretty, soft finish. The floral patterned paper adds lots of colour and interest without taking away from the focal point, while the bright yellow banner behind the sentiment gives the card a lovely pop of contrast.
We especially liked the balance between playful and comforting. The Get Well Soon sentiment fits perfectly with the cheerful image, creating a card that feels kind, bright, and full of encouragement. The small flower embellishment adds a delicate finishing touch and helps bring the whole design together.
A wonderfully charming creation with beautiful colour choices, sweet detailing, and a lovely uplifting feel. Congratulations again, Paper Whims.
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Please grab your winner badge from the sidebar and contact us to claim your prize.
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🌟 Our Top Three
In no particular order:
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No 1 Paper whims
Paper Whims has created such a bright and cheerful Get Well Soon card, full of colour, charm, and uplifting energy. The sweet little donkey holding the large daisy immediately brings a smile, and the simple Feel Better sentiment keeps the message clear and thoughtful.
The colouring is lovely and playful, with the bold yellow flower creating a strong focal point against the softer character tones. The little purple butterfly adds a sweet touch of contrast and helps tie in beautifully with the floral background paper.
The oval frame works really well here, giving the image a clean focal space while allowing the colourful patterned paper to add plenty of brightness around it. The yellow card base and border pull everything together beautifully, reinforcing the happy, sunny feel of the design.
A sweet, cheerful card with a lovely comforting message and plenty of feel-good charm.
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No 2 Kathy K
Kathy K has created a wonderfully fun and colourful ATC with a brilliant playful message. The “Stay cool, stay colourful” sentiment works perfectly with the bold design and gives the whole piece such a positive, upbeat feel.
The purple colour palette is lovely and eye-catching, with the different sized shapes creating a strong focal point while still keeping the design clean and balanced. The black detailing around the edges adds definition, and the pink accents bring a great pop of contrast that keeps everything lively.
We also loved the sparkle and texture around the shapes, which gives the ATC extra interest and makes it feel bright and cheerful without overcrowding the small format. Working on an ATC size takes careful placement, and this design uses the space really well.
A bold, creative, and uplifting little project full of colour, personality, and charm.
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No 4 Paper whims
Paper Whims has created another sweet and uplifting Get Well Soon card, full of soft colour and gentle charm. The adorable character tucked inside the teacup gives the design such a comforting feel, making it a lovely fit for the theme.
The colouring is bright and cheerful, with the purple cup creating a strong focal point against the softer pastel background. The yellow hair and delicate floral details add warmth and sweetness, while the little flower embellishment brings extra dimension and texture to the main image.
The oval frame works beautifully, giving the character space to shine while keeping the layout clean and balanced. The patterned background adds plenty of interest, with soft blues, pinks, and floral tones that help the whole card feel fresh and encouraging.
The small Feel Better Soon sentiment is perfectly placed on the banner, adding a thoughtful message without taking attention away from the image.
A lovely cheerful creation, full of kindness, colour, and gentle detail.
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Please grab your Top Three badge from the sidebar
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🎨 Design Team Inspiration
Our Design Team have been busy creating a fabulous collection of inspiration for this challenge using images from Di’s Digi Stamps, and there are so many wonderful seaside ideas to enjoy. From bright beach scenes and nautical details to cute characters, sea creatures, and coastal colour palettes, each project brings its own creative take on the By the Sea theme.
You will find a lovely variety of styles throughout the gallery, including playful summer cards, fresh blue and sandy tones, layered seaside designs, and beautifully coloured images full of charm. Some projects keep things clean and breezy, while others include texture, embellishments, patterned papers, and plenty of crafty detail.
We hope their fantastic creations inspire you to dive into your own seaside-themed project and join in with the challenge. We cannot wait to see what you make.
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Become a guest DT member.
We are excited to introduce a new ongoing feature here at I Love ProMarkers & Other Mediums. From now on, we will regularly be welcoming Guest Design Team members to share their creativity and inspire our community. It is a wonderful way to showcase different colouring styles, techniques, and fresh ideas, and we are delighted to make this a permanent part of the blog.
If you would like to be considered as a Guest DT member, we would love to hear from you. Please email us using the contact details found at the top of the blog.
If you are interested in joining our Design Team, you are also very welcome to get in touch. Simply send us a few examples of your colouring using the email address at the top of the blog. We look forward to hearing from you.
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Guest DT –
Our Guest Design Team spot will return next time. In the meantime, we hope you enjoy the wonderful inspiration from our Design Team.
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Design Team Makes
Now it’s time to take a look at what our Design Team have been creating for this challenge. They have put together a wonderful collection of By the Sea projects, each filled with its own coastal details, colour choices, and creative style.
From bright beach scenes and playful seaside characters to softer nautical designs and calming coastal colours, there is plenty of inspiration to enjoy. You will find everything from sea creatures, shells, boats, and beach huts to layered papers, textured embellishments, and beautifully coloured images full of summer charm.
Some projects keep things clean and breezy, while others bring in lots of layers, sparkle, texture, and crafty detail. We hope their fantastic creations inspire your own seaside makes and encourage you to join in with us this fortnight.
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✨ Marjeta
We are very excited to welcome Marjeta as a new member of our Design Team. It is always lovely to have fresh creativity joining us, and we are delighted to have her sharing her inspiration with us.
For her first Design Team make, Marjeta has created a beautifully nautical card that fits the By the Sea theme perfectly. The sweet little sailor mice are such a charming focal point, and the boat scene brings a lovely sense of seaside adventure to the design.
The blue colour palette works beautifully throughout the card, giving it a fresh coastal feel. The deeper blue matting helps frame the image clearly, while the softer aqua tones in the background add movement and texture without taking attention away from the main scene.
The image itself has been coloured with lovely detail, especially in the sailor hats, boat, flag, and water. The circular aperture behind the image adds depth and gives the card a clever layered look, almost as if the boat is sailing through the centre of the design.
We also love the small floral embellishments on the side, which soften the layout and add a pretty finishing touch. The vertical sentiment strip is a lovely design choice too, helping balance the card and adding extra interest.
A wonderful first Design Team project from Marjeta, full of seaside charm, soft detail, and beautiful blue tones. We are thrilled to have her joining the team and cannot wait to see more of her creations.
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✨ Caroline L Family commitments
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✨ Sharon
Sharon has created a beautifully soft and charming card with a lovely gentle seaside feel. The sweet image of the little boy fishing, with his puppy beside him, gives the design such a warm and peaceful atmosphere. It fits the By the Sea theme in a softer, more nostalgic way, focusing on those quiet seaside moments rather than bold beach colours.
The colouring is wonderfully delicate, with soft skin tones, warm browns in the hair, and lovely blue shades in the outfit that help connect the image to the coastal theme. The little fish and birds add playful detail, while the puppy in the bucket brings an extra touch of sweetness and character.
The layout is very elegant and well balanced. The scalloped frame around the image draws the eye straight to the focal point, while the layered cream and neutral tones keep the whole card looking polished and calm. The background paper is especially pretty, with floral corners and soft blue details that add interest without overpowering the central image.
We also love the understated finish of this card. The design feels thoughtful, gentle, and beautifully put together, with the soft colour palette allowing the image to shine.
A lovely card full of warmth, sweet detail, and quiet seaside charm.
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✨ Clare
Clare has created a lovely By the Sea themed card with a warm, playful feel and a beautifully balanced layout. The sweet fishing image is such a charming focal point, with the little boy, fish, birds, and puppy all adding personality and gentle storytelling to the design.
The colouring is soft and carefully handled, with lovely natural tones throughout the skin, hair, and clothing. The muted greens and yellows work beautifully with the teal background papers, giving the whole card a calm coastal feel without becoming too bright or overpowering.
The layout is very effective, with the tilted dark teal panel adding movement and depth behind the main image. It helps the focal panel stand out clearly while keeping the design fresh and interesting. The patterned paper also works really well, adding texture and detail while still feeling clean and coordinated.
The birthday sentiment in the top corner gives the card a clear purpose, while the little fish embellishments at the bottom are a perfect finishing touch for the seaside theme. They add charm without cluttering the design.
A beautifully put-together card with gentle colouring, clever layering, and a sweet seaside story at its heart.
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✨ Jacquie Temp leave
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✨ Caroline T Work Commitments
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✨ Helen
Helen has created a lovely By the Sea themed birthday card with a warm, cheerful feel and a beautifully coordinated colour palette. The sweet fishing image makes a charming focal point, with the little boy, puppy, fish, and birds all adding personality and gentle storytelling to the design.
The colouring is soft and clean, with lovely natural tones throughout the image. The blue overalls help bring in that fresh coastal feel, while the red details on the shirt, hat, bucket, and embellishments add a bright pop of colour and keep the design lively.
The layered background papers work really well together. The checked panel gives the card a cosy, outdoorsy feel, while the fishing-themed paper behind it ties perfectly into the image and theme. The green matting frames everything neatly and gives the whole card a polished finish.
The stitched image panel keeps the focal point crisp and clear, and the red gems add just the right amount of sparkle without overwhelming the design. The simple Birthday wishes sentiment finishes the card beautifully and makes it feel thoughtful and complete.
A sweet, well-balanced card with lovely colouring, thoughtful paper choices, and plenty of seaside charm.
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✨ Ileana
Ileana has created a beautifully nautical card that fits the By the Sea theme perfectly. The sweet sailor mice in their little newspaper-style boat make such a charming focal point, bringing a lovely sense of seaside adventure and playful character to the design.
The colouring is soft and detailed, with the striped hat and flag adding lovely pops of colour against the gentler neutral tones of the mice and boat. The blue-green background paper works beautifully with the coastal theme, and the swirl pattern gives a subtle feeling of movement, almost like waves behind the image.
The layered net-style die cut is a brilliant touch, adding texture and helping frame the focal image without making the card feel too busy. The white stars and anchor embellishment bring in extra seaside detail, while the twine across the bottom adds a natural, beachy finish.
The clean white card base gives everything room to breathe, making the layered centre panel stand out clearly. It is a lovely balance of texture, colour, and nautical detail.
A sweet and beautifully composed card full of coastal charm, soft colouring, and clever embellishments.
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✨Judith
Judith has created a wonderfully fun and cheerful card for the By the Sea theme, packed with bright colour, texture, and playful seaside detail. The adorable mice relaxing in their oversized cocktail glass give the whole design a proper holiday feel, with the parasol, pineapple, cherry, and sleepy little mouse adding so much character and humour.
The colouring is warm and lively, with soft browns on the mice balanced beautifully by the brighter pinks, yellows, oranges, and greens. The parasol is especially eye-catching, bringing a bold splash of summer colour and drawing the eye straight into the centre of the card.
The background paper works perfectly with the theme, adding beach huts, boats, sunshine, waves, and little seaside details without overpowering the focal image. The textured beach hut border across the bottom is a brilliant addition, giving the card extra dimension and a strong coastal finish.
We also love the bold Party Time sentiment in the corner, which adds a fun celebratory touch and ties in beautifully with the relaxed holiday atmosphere.
A fabulous seaside card full of sunshine, clever layering, cheerful colouring, and playful summer charm.
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✨ Lisa
Lisa has created a beautifully soft and dreamy card for the By the Sea theme, with a lovely gentle coastal atmosphere running through the whole design. The sweet sailor mice in their paper boat make such an adorable focal point, bringing a sense of seaside adventure and playful charm.
The colouring is fresh and delicate, with soft peach tones on the mice, gentle blues in the sailor hats, and bright yellow accents in the sail and flag. The paper boat detail adds a lovely storybook feel, while the small bird and little passenger peeking out bring extra personality to the scene.
The background is especially effective, with the lighthouse, soft clouds, and large sunshine flower creating a calm seaside setting without making the card feel crowded. The pale blue and warm yellow tones work beautifully together, giving the design a light, breezy summer feel.
The layout is clean and well balanced, with plenty of open space allowing the focal image to stand out. The simple Happy Birthday sentiment adds a polished finishing touch and makes the card feel complete.
A gorgeous seaside birthday card full of softness, charm, and lovely coastal detail.
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✨Tinz
Tinz has created a sweet and clean By the Sea card with a lovely sense of calm and simplicity. The adorable sailor mice in their paper boat make a charming focal point, bringing a playful little adventure feel to the design.
The colouring is soft and gentle, with pale peach tones on the mice and subtle greens and yellows on the hats and flag. This keeps the image light and airy, which works beautifully with the seaside theme. The newspaper-style paper boat adds a lovely touch of detail and gives the scene extra character without needing lots of extra embellishment.
The blue water-effect panel behind the image is a great choice, adding movement and helping ground the boat within the scene. It gives just enough background interest while still allowing the main image to remain the focus.
The scalloped card base adds a pretty decorative edge, and the teal gem details on either side bring a little sparkle and balance to the layout. The overall design feels fresh, simple, and thoughtfully put together.
A lovely seaside card with soft colouring, clean styling, and plenty of gentle nautical charm.
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Coming Up Next Challenge #610
Challenge #610 is just around the corner, and this time our theme will be Add a Button. We cannot wait to see all the creative ways you include buttons in your projects, whether they are used as a focal feature, a finishing touch, or a clever little detail within your design.
This is a wonderfully flexible theme with so many possibilities. You might add one button as a simple embellishment, create a cluster of buttons for extra texture, use buttons as flower centres, wheels, balloons, corners, or decorative accents. Cute characters, fun scenes, bold layouts, and playful designs would all work beautifully.
You can keep things clean and simple with one carefully placed button, or go all out with layers, twine, ribbon, stitching, patterned papers, and plenty of crafty detail. Whether your style is quirky, colourful, elegant, or full of humour, we are really looking forward to seeing how you bring this theme to life.
Our wonderful sponsor for Challenge #610 is Dr Digi, and the lucky winner will receive one image to download, kindly provided by our sponsor.
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📢 Ways to Enter
While our challenges have always been blog led, we know many of you now share your creative work across different platforms. From now on, you are free to enter using any colouring medium and share your work on the platform that suits you best.
Full instructions on how to submit TikTok and Instagram links can be found further down in this post, so please read them carefully before entering. We cannot wait to see even more of your creativity in even more places.
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✏️ Challenge Rules
• Your project must follow the theme
• You may use any colouring medium
• You must link directly to your individual entry
• Please mention our challenge in your post
• Multiple entries are allowed unless otherwise stated
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📱 TikTok & Instagram. How to Get the Correct Link.
TIKTOK
HOW TO GET THE RIGHT LINK
From the TikTok app:
Open TikTok
Go to the exact video you are entering
Tap Share
Tap Copy link
Paste the link somewhere (Notes, a message to yourself, or a browser)
Tap the pasted link so it opens in a browser
Copy the URL from the browser address bar
The correct TikTok link looks like this:
https://www.tiktok.com/@username/video/1234567890123456789
Do not use short links that look like this:
https://vm.tiktok.com/xxxxxx
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HOW TO GET THE RIGHT LINK
From the Instagram app:
Open Instagram
Go to the exact post you are entering
Tap the three dots on the post
Tap Copy link
Paste the link into your entry
The correct Instagram link looks like this:
https://www.instagram.com/p/ABC123xyz/
or
https://www.instagram.com/reel/ABC123xyz/
Important:
Your Instagram account must be public. Stories cannot be used unless they are saved as a post or reel.
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COMMON MISTAKES (ENTRIES MAY BE REMOVED)
Do not link to your profile instead of the post.
Do not use TikTok short links (vm.tiktok.com).
Do not submit screenshots without a clickable link.
Do not use private Instagram or TikTok accounts.
If we cannot click the link and see your entry, we cannot judge it.
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FINAL CHECK BEFORE SUBMITTING
Make sure your link opens the exact post.
Make sure it opens in a browser.
Make sure it can be viewed by someone who is not logged in.
If all of the above are true, your entry link is correct.
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⚠️ Posting Your Entry Links
• Blog posts must link directly to your project
• TikTok and Instagram entries must use the correct full URL
• No profile links
• No screenshots
• Accounts must be public
If we cannot access your entry, we cannot judge it.
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📅 Challenge Closes
This challenge will close on the 21st June 2026 at 8 pm.
Winners will be announced in the next challenge post.
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🔒 Privacy Policy Notice
By entering this challenge, you agree that your name and entry link may be published in our winners post. Please ensure your entry is dated within the challenge period.
We do not accept back-linked entries.
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💌 Thank You
A huge thank you to everyone who joins in and shares their wonderful creations with us. Your creativity, enthusiasm, and unique ideas are what make every challenge so special, and we always love seeing the different ways you bring each theme to life.
We are really looking forward to seeing how you use buttons in your projects, whether as sweet little embellishments, clever details, textured accents, or bold design features. There are so many fun ways to interpret this theme, and we cannot wait to see what you create.
Wishing you lots of luck, plenty of crafty inspiration, and most of all, happy crafting!
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