PBSC August - Anything Goes (Or 'On the Move')...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
'On the Move'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I used one of the stamps from the 'Cheerful Critters' set...the little doggy driving his pals with their presents was just perfect for the theme! I coloured it using watercolour pencils to match the colours in the papers from the 'Happy Day' pad by My Mind's Eye. I distressed all of the edges, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Cupcakes' set by Hero Arts.

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

• Crafty Calendar - Dots and/or Stripes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - Anything Goes
• Cute Card Thursday - Spots & Dots
• Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes

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

Little Miss Muffet Customer Appreciation Day

I have something a little different to share today...I was a winner over at Little Miss Muffet Stamps Challenge a little while ago, and was asked to take part in their Customer Appreciation Day Celebrations. Well, that day is today!

There are lots of new images in the Little Miss Muffet Stamps Shop...so pop over and have a browse!

I was sent an image to play with called 'Robin's Mailbox'...I coloured it using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut it out. I stamped a sentiment (from the 'Doodled Flowers' set by Happy Little Stampers) on to a piece of sky blue card, matted it on to a piece of black card, then added the image over the top using 3D foam pads, before adding it to a kraft card blank.

For more sample projects, and all of the information on the exciting Customer Appreciation Day offers...please pop over the Little Miss Muffet Shop.

Penguin Parade

I have a Christmas card to share today...featuring a new (to me) stamp by Woodware called 'Penguin Parade'. It's a rather large stamp...so it filled a DL card...I have also partially stamped the penguins...in two groups of three...to use on smaller size cards, but haven't got around to using those yet. I coloured the image using watercolour pencils, then simply matted it on to a piece of red card, then on to a kraft card blank...having lightly distressed the edges.

Challenges for this card:

• Crafty Sentiments - Animals
• Holly & the Ivy - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Distressing
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Hip, Hip Hooray!

I have a bright and cheerful card to share today featuring one of the hedgehogs from the 'Cheerful Critters' set by Penny Black. I coloured the cheerleading hedgie using watercolour pencils, then added a sentiment from the 'Anytime Messages' set by Hero Arts. I embossed a plain piece of yellow cardusing my Craft Concepts 'Blooming Season' embossing folder...they're flowers really, but I thought that it sort of looked like pom poms! I then lightly distressed all of the edges.

Challenges for this card:

• Craftaholics R Us - Yellow
• Cutie Pie - Sports
• Dream Valley - Animals
• Scrapbook Stamp Society - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Distressing

Blossom Branch

I have another card featuring my Penny Black 'Blossom Branch' stamp to share today. This time I used it to make a simple one layer card. I stamped it on to a kraft card blank using 'Pumice Stone' Distress Ink...I wanted it to be really quite faint, so that I could add colour over the top using watercolour pencils, but not actually see the ink. The seniment stamp is from the 'Fabulous Birthday' set by Hero Arts.

Challenges for this card:

• Corrosive - Anything Goes
• Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Fussy & Fancy - CAS
• Stamping Sensations - Your Current Favourite Stamps

Critter Christmas

Today's card features an assortment of Penny Black critters from the 'Jolly Friends' & 'Wintertime Cheer' sets. I stamped them to make a little Christmas scene, then coloured them using watercolour pencils. I distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous.

Challenges for this card:

• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything Goes
• Animal Friends - Mice
• Christmas at Sweet Stampin' - Anything Christmas Goes
• C.R.A.F.T. - Christmas
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Goes
• Dream Valley - Christmas in July
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Sweet Stampin' - Christmas in August
• That's Crafty - Animal Magic

Beautiful Wings

Today's card was a 'happy accident' that occurred while I was stamping a background I planned to use on yesterday's card! It didn't really go...so I turned it into something else! I stamped my 'Beautiful Wings' background stamp by Stampendous, on to a blue card blank using Versamark Ink, then heat embossed it using 'Holographic' embossing powder by Stampendous. I stamped and heat embossed one of the Stampendous 'PenPattern Butterflies' to match, carefully out it out, then added it using 3D foam pads. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Doodled Flowers' by Happy Little Stampers'.

The embossing is really pretty in real life...a real rainbow of sparkles:

Challenges for this card:

• Always Fun - Let it Sparkle
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Little Miss Muffet - Anything Goes
• Penny Black & More - Something Beginning with B (Blue, Butterflies & Birthday)

Good Times!

Today's card features one of the puppies from the 'Good Times' set by Penny Black. I coloured him using watercolour pencils, then added a sentiment from the 'Big Messages' set by Paula Pascual. The paper is from the 'Happy Day' pad by My Mind's Eye...I distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

Challenges for this card:

• Catch the Bug - Anything Goes
• Crafty Creations - Anything Goes
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Penny Black & More - Something Beginning with B (Butterflies & Birthday)
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Distress It
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Blossom Branch

I have a flowery card to share today...the stamp is 'Blossom Branch' by Penny Black. I stamped it using several shades of purple Distress Inks...Shaded Lilac, Dusty Concord, Wilted Violet & Chipped Sapphire...inking us various parts of the stamp, misting it with a little water, and then stamping in layers on some watercolour paper. I added a sentiment (from the 'Everyday Sentiments' by Happy Little Stampers), stamped in Versamark Ink, then heat embossed using 'Magical Mauve' embossing glitter from WOW. I distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

Challenges for this card:

• Artistic Stamper - Anything Goes
• Happy Little Stampers (Watercolour) - Anything Goes (Optional Flowers)
• Penny Black & More - Something Beginning with 'B' (Blossoms & Birthday)
• Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes
• Stamping Sensations - Your Current Favourite Stamp 

Merry & Bright!

I have a Christmas card to share today featuring a stamp from the Penny Black 'Joy to the World' set. I coloured the image using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut it out. For the background, I used a snippet left over from making one of these cards that I'd made by 'splodging' Distress Inks (Peacock Feathers, Mermaid Lagoon & Blueprint Sketch) on to wet watercolour paper. I stamped by Simon Says Stamp 'Falling Snow' background stamp using Versamark Ink on to it, then heat embossed it in white. I matted  it on to a snippet of navy card, then added the animals over the top popped up on 3D foam pads. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous.

Challenges for this card:

• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Goes (Optional Embossing)
• Happy Little Stampers (Christmas) - Anything Goes
• Less is More - Pets
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Make Your Own Background)

Pile It On! Challenge - Try a New-to-you Technique

We have a fun new Pile It On! Challenge starting today...and the theme is:

'Try a New-to-you Technique'

Our sponsor this month is Becky's Place:

Prize - a digital stamp set of the winner's choice!

The new to me technique that I tried was 'Inlaid Die Cuts', so I pulled out my Tim Holtz 'Detailed Butterflies' dies and some Distress Inks, and gave it a go. I started by painting some Distress Inks on to wet watercolour paper...I did four different colourways, each using three similar shades of ink in a random pattern, letting the inks blend together. Once they'd dried, I cut a butterfly from each one, and then a matching one from plain white card. I cut 'solid' butterflies from more plain white card, and added the detailed outlines on top before using the coloured pieces to carefully 'fill in' the holes of the white butterflies. Having spent quite a lot of time assembling my butterflies, I kept the cards really simple, cutting a piece of white card slightly smaller than my card base, stamping a sentiment (from the 'Doddled Flowers' set by Happy Little Stampers), and piercing some holes around the edge using my CutterBee Bug, before adding the butterflies using 3D foam pads.

Here are some close-ups of the four cards...along with the colours of Distress Ink used:

Blue: Peacock Feathers, Mermaid Lagoon, Blueprint Sketch

Green: Cracked Pistachio, Lucky Clover, Evergreen Bough

Orange: Squeezed Lemonade, Spiced Marmalade, Fired Brick

Purple: Picked Raspberry, Seedless Preserves, Wilted Violet

Here are the challenges I've piled on:

• Pile It On! - Try a New-to-you Technique (Inlaid Die Cuts)
• A Bit More Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• A Perfect Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• Always Happy Birthday - Anything Birthday
• Cards Galore Encore - Anything Goes
• Crafting with an Attitude - Anything Goes
• Creatalicious - Anything Goes
• Happy Little Stampers (CAS) - Die Cuts
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes

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

We're also looking for some new members for our design team...click here to find out more.

PBSC August - Anything Goes (Or 'On the Move')

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
'On the Move'

(Feature some form of transport)

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I went with a tractor as my mode of transport...and used a cute puppy stamp from the 'Wintertime Cheer' set. I coloured him using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut him out. I used dies from the Taylored Expressions 'Mountain Tops' and Lawn Fawn 'Stitched Hillside Borders' sets to make a wintry scene for him to ride through, adding a couple of trees using Happy Little Stampers dies. The snowy sky is a paper from the 'Frost & Snow' pad by Craft Creations', and the sentiment is from a set by Lili of the Valley.

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

• As You Like It - Fur or Feathers (definitely fur, especially of the cute Penny Black kind...I have a phobia of birds...well anything that flies really...although I don't mind them in stamp form)
• CCEE Stampers - Colouring
• Crimbo Crackers - Anything Goes
• Cute Card Thursday - Anything Goes
• Merry Christmas - Anything Goes
• Rudolph Days - Anything Goes

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

ABC Christmas Challenge - P, Q & R are for?

It's the first Wednesday of the month, so that means that we have a fun new ABC Christmas Challenge starting today! Sharon is the host, and we have a bumper crop of three themes:

'P is for Plain'

'Q is for Quote'

&

'R is for Rabbits or Robins'

Our sponsor for this challenge is Freckled Fawn:

Prize - $25 Gift Certificate!

There's also a prize on offer from Sharon:

A cute set of Penny Black stamps!

I made a card for each of the three themes...on my 'P is for Plain' card, I used a Stamping Bella stamp set called 'Caroling Chicks' to make a simple one layer card. I coloured the image using watercoloure penils.

For my 'Q is for Quote' card, I used stamps form the 'Tattered Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous...the sentiment stamp is a quote from the song 'Winter Wonderland'. I used a piece of paper from a pad by Stampin' Up that I found in a charity shop recently for the background...I distressed the edges, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

For my 'R is for Rabbits or Robins' card, I found a stamp by Lili of the Valley that combined the two called 'Winter Bunnies' which I coloured using watercolour pencils. I added a strip of Stampin' Up paper (form the same pad as the last card) having cut the curve using one of the dies from the 'Stitched Hillside Borders' set by Lawn Fawn. The snowflakes were cut using dies by Tim Holtz for Sizzix, and the sentiment stamp is also by Lili of the Valley.

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

• City Crafter - CAS Christmas
• Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Goes
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Cut It Up - Christmas in July (Just the last card)
• Holly & the Ivy - Anything Goes
• Inkspirational - 10 Minute Cards (Just the first card)
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• Sweet Stampin' - CAS
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

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

Ice Christmas

I have a Christmas card to share today...featuring a cute Lili of the Valley penguin stamp called 'Ice Christmas'. I coloured him using watercolour pencils to match the colours of the papers from 'The Candy Cane' pad by Craftwork Cards. I distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous.

Challenges for this card:

• Animal Friends - In or On the Water
• Craftaholics R Us - Birds
• Crimbo Crackers - Anything Goes
• Fussy & Fancy - Christmas in July
• Little Red Wagon - Ice, Ice Baby!
• Moving Along with the Times - Wild Animals
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Wild Thing
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• Winter Wonderland - Gifts

Buzz in the Air

I have another card to share today that features a stamp found in a charity shop...this one is called 'Buzz in the Air' by Penny Black. I coloured it using watercolour pencils, then cut it out one of my circle Nesties. The papers are from the 'Happy Day' pad by My Mind's Eye...I distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Big Messages' set by Paula Pascual.

Challenges for this card:

• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Creative Knockouts - Sew It Up
• Cute Card Thursday - Too Cute!
• Little Miss Muffet - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• Stamping Sensations - In My Garden

Sparkly Butterflies

I have a simple one layer card to share today...featuring one of the stamps from the 'Pen Pattern Butterflies' set by Stampendous. I stamped it on to a kraft card blank using Versamark Ink, then heat embossed it using 'Vintage Peacock' embossing glitter from WOW. I watercoloured the butterflies using a few Distress Inks (Mermaid Lagoon, Peacock Feathers & Gathered Twigs), then went over the wings using a Wink of Stella pen to add some sparkle. The sentiment was made using stamps from the 'Every Day' messages set by Happy Little Stampers.

Challenges for this card:

• City Crafter - Butterflies
• Happy Little Stampers (Watercolour) - Anything Goes (Optional Birthday)
• Penny Black & More - Things with Wings
• Shopping Our Stash - Kraft
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• Stamps + Fun = Creativity - Anything Goes

O' Christmas Tree

I have a Christmas card to share today using another stamp found in a charity shop last weekend...it's a simple line of trees by Whispers/Docrafts. It's rather large, so I stamped it directly on to a DL card blank, then simply coloured it using watercolour pencils. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous.

Challenges for this card:

• Aud Sentiments - Christmas + a Sentiment
• CAS on Friday - Christmas in July
• Crafty Creations - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Goes
• Fab 'N' Funky - Christmas
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Christmas in July

Flowers All Over

Today's card features another charity shop find...the stamp is an old Dovecraft one, from the Kate Knight collection. I stamped it on to watercolour paper using Distress Inks (Wild Honey, Tattered Rose, Milled Lavender & Tumbled Glass), then gave it a spritz with some water to soften the stamping a little. I then stamped some more flowers over the top using Versamark Ink, then heat embossed them using 'Kaleidoscope' power by Stampendous. I heat embossed a sentiment (from the 'Doodled Flowers' set by Happy Little Stampers) in white on a snippet of black card. I distressed all of the edges a little, and matted the flowery panel on some more black card.

It's so difficult to get the embossed flowers to show...in real life they're multicoloured and super sparkly!

Challenges for this card:

• Allsorts - Flowers All Over
• Artistic Inspirations - Anything Goes
• Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Sweet Stampin' - Distressing
• That's Crafty - Close to Nature
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
• Use Your Stuff - Anything Goes (Add a Sentiment)