What a Snow!

After a brief slow-down to make some Halloween goodies, I'm firmly back into Christmas card making this week! Today's card features a cute Penny Black image called 'What a Snow!', which I coloured using watercolour pencils. For the background, I heat embossed the top and bottom of the front of my kraft card blank using 'Metallic Gold Sparkle' embossing glitter from WOW. I then added a piece of patterned paper from a Stampin' Up! pad over the top, and a strip of kraft card stamped with my Simon Says Stamp 'Abstract Triangles' stamp, and heat embossed in more sparkly gold. I added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a gold gel pen.

Challenges for this card:

• Allsorts - Traditional Christmas Colours
• Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Goes
• Jingle Belles - Animals
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Merry Christmas - Anything Goes
• Penny Black Inc - Holiday Cards
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Animal Antics

Pile It On! Challenge - Use Mostly Black, Purple & Orange and/or Fantasy

It's the third Sunday of the month, so I have another project for this month's Pile It On! Challenge, where the themes are:

'Use Mostly Black, Purple & Orange'

(Your creation does not to be Halloween themed)
and/or
'Fantasy'

Our sponsor this month is Ike's Art:

Prize - $15 store voucher!

I used the colour combination to make one final Halloween treat bag...again using a Penny Black image (from the 'Be Very Scared' set), which I coloured using watercolour pencils. The papers are from the 'Apothecary' pad by Echo Park...I distressed the edges a little, then addedsome faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The make of the sentiment stamp is unknown.

Here are the challenges I've piled on:

• Pile It On! - Use Mostly Black, Purple & Orange and/or Fantasy
• A Perfect Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• Animal Friends - Autumn/Halloween
• Aud Sentiments - Halloween/Fall Sentiment
• Corrosive - Anything Goes
• Crafty Friends - Circles
• Everybody Art - Bags/Boxes
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Little Miss Muffet - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Animal Antics
• Sweet Stampers - Autumn or Halloween
• Sweet Stampin' - Chevrons or Stripes
• That's Crafty - Spookalicious

For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please pop over to the Pile It On! Challenge.

PBSC October - Anything Goes (Optional 'Spooky Colours')...More Inspiration!

It's the third Saturday of the month, so I'm back with some more inspiration for this month's Penny Black Saturday Challenge...where the theme is:

'Anything Goes'
or
'Spooky Colour Combination'
(Choose at least two from Black, Orange, Purple & Green)

As usual, we are sponsored by the awesome 1-2-3 Stitch:

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I used the 'spooky' colours to make another Halloween treat bag. The image is from the 'Spooky' set, and is coloured using watercolour pencils. The papers are from the 'Hocus Pocus' pad by Taylored Expressions...I added some simple doodled borders using black and white gel pens. The googly eyes are from Hobbycraft.

I'm also entering this treat bag into the following challenges:

• City Crafter - Halloween
• Creative Knockouts - Black, Purple, Orange & Green
• Everybody Art - Bags & Boxes
• My Time to Craft - Halloween or Cats
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Animal Antics

For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please pop over to the Penny Black Saturday Challenge.

Cozy Winter Owl

I have another simple Christmas card to share today. This one features a cute little owl digi image from Meljens called 'Cozy Winter Owl', which I coloured using watercolour pencils. I added some sparkle to the snow on the branch using a Wink of Stella pen, and a sentiment from a stamp set by Lili of the Valley. The backing paper is from the 'Silent Night' pad by First Edition...I distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

Challenges for this card:

• Allsorts - Christmas
• Alphabet Challenge - O is for Owls
• Crafting form the Heart - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Goes
• Happy Little Stampers (Christmas) - Anything Goes
• Little Red Wagon - Digi Do
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Animal Antics
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Xmas Pilgrims

I have a simple little Christmas card to share today...featuring an older Penny Black stamp called 'Xmas Pilgrims'. I coloured the image using watercolour pencils and added it to my card blank over the top of a couple of strips of washi tape (which I think came from Hobbycraft). The sentiment stamp is from a set by Lili of the Valley.

Challenges for this card:

• Christmas at Sweet Stampin' - Anything Christmas Goes
• C.R.A.F.T. - Christmas
• Crafting with an Attitude - Anything Goes
• Crimbo Crackers - Anything Christmas Goes
• Daring Cardmakers - Pets
• Holly & the Ivy - Anything Christmas Goes
• My Time to Craft - Kraft
• Penny Black Inc - Holidays Cards
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes

Count Cat-ular Treat Bag

I have another Halloween treat bag to share today...using a Penny Black image from the 'Be Very Scared' set, which I coloured using watercolour pencils. The papers are from the Taylored Expressions 'Hocus Pocus' pad. I doodled some simple borders using a white gel pen. The sentiment stamp was  charity shop find, and I'm not sure of the brand as it has no markings on it.

Challenges for this bag:

• Always Fun - Lots of Layers
• Aud Sentiments - Halloween or Fall Sentiment
• Crafty Creations - Anything Goes
• Crafty Sentiments - Halloween
• Cute Card Thursday - Halloween
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• The Sisterhood of Crafters - Cute Spooks
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything but a Card
• Use Your Stuff - Halloween/Fall

Birthday Stars

I have a really simple card to share today, inspired by the current Less is More Challenge, where the theme is to CASE this card:

I used the layout, and colours, but instead of die cuts, kept my card one layer by stamping and heat embossing. The sentiment stamps are from the 'Everyday Messages' set by Happy Little Stampers, and are embossed using 'Coral Reef' embossing glitter by WOW, and the stars are from the 'Magical Christmas' set by Creative Expressions, embossed in 'Metallic Gold Sparkle' embossing glitter, again by WOW.

Challenges for this card:

• Always Happy Birthday - Anything Birthday
• Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes
• Happy Little Stampers - Anything Goes with HLS Stamps
• Less is More - CASE
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Pile It On! Challenge - Use Mostly Black, Purple & Orange

We have a fun new Pile It On! Challenge starting today, with a spooky colour combination as our theme:

'Use Mostly Black, Purple & Orange'

(Your creation does not to be Halloween themed)

Our sponsor this month is Ike's Art:

Prize - $15 store voucher!

I used the colours to make a Halloween treat bag...and picked some fab papers from the 'Hocus Pocus' pad by Taylored Expressions, and a cute Penny Black cat image from the 'Spooky' set. I coloured the image using watercolour pencils, added a sentiment (no idea of the brand of the stamp...I picked it up for 50p in a charity shop a little while ago), then cut it out using one of my Nesties. I added some simple doodled borders to all of the layers using black and white gel pens, and a couple of die cut cobwebs (cut using a Memory Box die).

Here are the challenges I've piled on:

• Pile It On! - Use Mostly Black, Purple & Orange
• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything Goes
• A Bit More Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• A Perfect Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• Always Fun - Dies & Punches
• Aud Sentiments - Two Word Sentiment
• Crafty Friends - Use More than Die
• Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - Anything Goes
• Cute Card Thursday - Anything Goes
• Little Miss Muffet - Anything Goes
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Sparkles Forum - Dies and/or Punches

For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please pop over to the Pile It On! Challenge.

PBSC October - Anything Goes (Optional 'Spooky Colour Combo')

It's the first Saturday of the month, so that means it's time for a new Penny Black Saturday Challenge...where the theme is:

'Anything Goes'
or
'Spooky Colour Combination'
(Choose at least two from Black, Orange, Purple & Green)

As usual, we are sponsored by the awesome 1-2-3 Stitch:

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I used all of the colours on my Halloween treat bag...and picked one of the images from the 'Be Very Scared' set to go along with some fab Taylored Expressions papers (from the 'Hocus Pocus' pad). I coloured the image using watercolour pencils, then distressed all of the edges of everything and added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and black and white gel pens.

I'm also entering this treat bag into the following challenges:

• Animal Friends - Fall or Halloween
• Cut It Up - Halloween
• Gem of a Challenge - Halloween
• Heartful Stamping - Anything Goes
• That's Crafty - Spookalicious

For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please pop over to the Penny Black Saturday Challenge.

ABC Christmas Challenge - U & V are for?

We have a fun new ABC Christmas Challenge starting today...Lisa is the host, and the themes are:

'U is for Upon'

&

'V is for Very Quick'

Our sponsor for this challenge is:

All Dressed Up

Prize - Two Digis of the Winner's choice!

There's also a little prize from Lisa:

I made a card for each of the two themes...my 'U is for Upon' card features a non-Christmas stamp set called 'Wish Upon a Star' by Lawn Fawn. I won the stamp set over at Pixie's Snippets Playground last week and couldn't wait to use it, so combined it with a snowy background to make a Christmas card. I stamped the animals on to a snippet of white card, coloured them using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut them out. I stamped the shooting star from the set on to blue card using Versamark Ink, then heat embossed it using 'Metallic Gold Sparkle' embossing glitter by WOW. I placed a mask over the star, then stamped my Simon Says Stamp 'Falling Snow' background stamp over the top, using Versamark Ink, and heat embossed it using 'Snow Sparkle' embossing glitter, also by WOW. I used another snippet of white card to cut the snowy ground (using a Lawn Fawn 'Stitched Hillside Border' die, adding a sentiment form the same stamp set along the bottom. I layered everything up, then matted it on to a piece of gold mirror card.

My 'V is for Very Quick' card is also very simple...I simply stamped a large Woodware stamp (simply called 'Christmas Trees'), and it's matching sentiment using Versamark Ink on to teal card, then heat embossed them using 'Metallic Silver Sparkle' embossing glitter by WOW.

I'm also entering these cards into the following challenges:

• Artistic Inspirations - Anything Goes
• As You Like It - Favourite Season (Winter - I love crisp, cold weather & bundling up in lots of layers!)
• Crafting form the Heart - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Goes
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Crimbo Crackers - Anything Goes
• Jingle Belles - Let it Snow! (Just the first card)
• Merry Christmas - Anything Goes
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets (Just the first card)
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
• Winter Wonderland - Anything Goes

For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please pop over to the ABC Christmas Challenge.

Pumpkin Kitty

I have another Halloween treat bag to share today...this time I've used an image from the Penny Black 'Be Very Scared' set - I love the cat's worries expression! I coloured the image using watercolour pencils, then cut it out using one of my circle Nesties. I made the background by stamping my Simon Says Stamp 'Abstract Triangles' background stamp on to a piece of black card using Versamark Ink, then heat embossed it using 'Halloween' embossing glitter from WOW.

It's so difficult to capture the sparkle in a photograph...but here's a better view:

Challenges for this bag:

• City Crafter - Pet Company
• Crafting with Friends - Anything Goes
• Creative Knockouts - Anything Goes
• Cut It Up - Bags or Boxes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes

Witching You A Spooky Halloween

I have a Halloween treat bag to share today...there'll be more of these coming over the next few weeks. This one is really simple...I recently picked up some new Halloween papers, and used one from the Echo Park 'The Apothecary Emporium' pad on this bag as a background for a Penny Black cat & mouse image (from the 'Spooky' set).

I coloured the image using waterolour pencils, then carefully cut it out. I added a sentiment (from the same Penny Black set) to the paper, distressed the edges a little, then matted it on to some black card before attaching it to my bag.

Challenges for this bag:

• Always Fun - Anything Goes
• Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes
• Crafty Creations - Anything Goes
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Fab 'N' Funky - All Creatures Great & Small
• Heartful Stamping - Anything Goes
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

We Three Kings...

I have a Christmas card to share today...featuring a Penny Black stamp called 'We Three Kings'. I heat embossed it on black card using 'Copper Kettle' embossing powder from Personal Impressions. I didn't have any copper card to mat it on to, so I used more of the embossing powder on white card...just inking around the edges using Versamark Ink and coating it with the powder...I did a couple of layers to get an even coat. I stamped the matching sentiment along the bottom of my card blank, then added the image panel above.

Challenges for this card:

• CAS on Friday - Copper, Black & White
• Christmas at Sweet Stampin' - Anything Goes
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes (Optional Christmas)
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Goes
• Holly & the Ivy - Anything Goes
• Penny Black Inc - Creative Christmas
• Rudolph Days - Anything Christmas

Pastel Flowers

I have a really simple one layer card to share today, featuring stamps from the 'Doodled Flowers' set by Happy Little Stampers, and one from the 'Perfect Petals' set by Woodware. I coloured them in pastel shades using watercolour pencils, then added a sentiment from the same Happy Little Stampers set.

Challenges for this card:

• Happy Little Stampers - Anything Goes with HLS Stamps
• Less is More - One Layer Florals
• Little Miss Muffet - Anything Goes
• Seize the Birthday - Anything Birthday
• Stamping Sensations - Something Beginning with B (Blooms)

Guest Designer - Fussy & Fancy Challenge

Today I'm excited to be sharing a guest designer card for the Fussy & Fancy Challenge that starts today. The theme is:

'White on White with a Splash of Colour'

This colour scheme screamed Christmas to me, so I had a rummage through my dies, and grabbed some plain white card. I started by cutting the frame using my Memory Box 'Tree Silhouette' die, then cut another piece of card to fit behind it, and embossed that using a Tim Holtz/Sizzix folder called 'Snowfall'. I then built up the scene by cutting some snowy hills using my Lawn Fawn 'Stitched Hillside Borders'...although I used the non-stitched side. I cut a couple of reindeer using dies from the 'Winter Wonderland' set also by Tim Holtz/Sizzix and placed them on the scene before attaching it all to my card blank. Finally, I added a red pearl to give one of the reindeer a red nose for my 'splash of colour'.

I'm also entering this card into the following challenges:

• Allsorts - Create a Scene
• Crafty Friends - Embossing
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Goes
• Fab 'N' Funky - Christmas
• Happy Little Stampers (Dies) - Anything Goes
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes

For more inspiration from the awesome design team, please pop over to the Fussy & Fancy Challenge.

Five in a Row

I have a simple floral card to share today, featuring a Woodware stamp called 'Five in a Row'. I stamped it on to a snippet of white card, coloured the flowers using watercolour pencils, and added the sentiment that came with the image. I distressed the edges a little, then added the panel to my card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• CAS on Friday - Flowers
• Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes
• Everybody Art - Anything Goes
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets
• Stamping Sensations - Something Beginning with B (Bright Blooms)
• Sweet Stampers - Bright Colours
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Pile It On! Challenge - Thing Big and/or One Layer Card

It's the third Sunday on the month, so I'm back with some more inspiration for this month's Pile It On! Challenge...where the themes are:

'Think BIG!'

and/or

'One Layer Card'

We are sponsored for this challenge by Angie's Digital Stamps:

Prize - 2 Digital Images of the winner's choice!

I picked a BIG Penny Black stamp called '...to you!' and stamped it directly on to my card blank to make a one layer card. I doodled a simple border using a black gel pen, then coloured the image using watercolour pencils.

Here are the challenges I've piled on:

• Pile It On! Challenge - Think Big and/or One Layer Card
• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything Goes
• Cards Galore Encore - Anything Goes
• Corrosive - Anything Goes
• Crafting with an Attitude - Anything Goes
• Crafting with Friends - Anything Goes
• Crafty Creations - Anything Goes
• Creative Inspirations - Anything Goes
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes

For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please pop over to the Pile It On! Challenge.

PBSC September - Anything Goes (Or 'Sketch')...More Inspiration!

It's the third Saturday of the month, so that means it's time for some more inspiration for this month's Penny Black Saturday Challenge...where the theme is:

'Anything Goes'
or
'Sketch'

As usual, we are sponsored by the awesome 1-2-3 Stitch:

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I followed the sketch again...it's one of my 'go to' layouts anyway, but this time I made a Christmas card, featuring one of the adorable Penny Black snowmen...this one's called 'Skating Snowy'. I picked out some papers from a really old My Mind's Eye pad (called 'Wonderful Winter'), then coloured the snowman to match. I cut out the image using one of my circle Nesties, then distressed all of the edges, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

I'm also entering this card into the following challenges:

• Addicted to Stamps - Christmas Comes Early
• Christmas with the Cuties - Snowmen
• C.R.A.F.T. - Christmas
• Crimbo Crackers - Anything Goes
• Give a Crafter a Cookie - Anything Goes
• Happy Little Stampers (Christmas) - Anything Goes
• Penny Black Inc - Christmas
• Simply Create Too - Stitching
• The Holly & the Ivy - Anything Christmas Goes

For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please pop over to the Penny Black Saturday Challenge.

Patchwork Woodland Creatures

I have a set of cards to share today featuring animals from a set of Jennifer Ellory stamps (called 'Oscar the Owl & Pals') that originally were a craft magazine cover gift, but I picked up in a charity craft shop last month for the princely sum of 50p. I coloured the critters using watercolour pencils to match the snippets of 'Happy Day' papers (by My Mind's Eye). I cut the images out using one of my circle Nesties, then added them to some kraft card blanks, along with the snippets of paper and sentiments from the same stamp set.

Challenges for these cards:

• Animal Friends - In the Forest
• Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes
• Crafty Cardmakers - All Creatures Great & Small
• Heartful Stamping - Anything Goes
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
• Use Your Stuff - Animals