Rainbow Snowmen

I have a really simple one layer Christmas card to share today...featuring a Woodware stamp called 'Snowman Family'. I stamped it directly on to my card blank, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. The sentiment stamps are from a set by Lili of the Valley.

Challenges for this card:

• Christmas Card Throwdown - Snowmen
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Less is More - Rainbow
• Merry Little Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Monochrome Sketched Flowers

I have simple birthday card to share today...featuring a stamp which is fast becoming a favourite...'Sketched Flowers' by Simon Says Stamp. I heat embossed it, along with a sentiment from the set, in white on navy card then coloured the flowers using blue watercolour pencils...although I didn't use any water. I distressed the edges a little then added it to a card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• Cards Galore Encore - Anything Goes
• Dream Valley - Add a Sentiment
• Seize the Birthday - Anything Birthday

PBSC October - 'Anything Goes' (Optional 'Black, White & One Other Colour')...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
'Black, White & One Other Colour'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I went with purple as my one other colour this time...and used a stamp from the 'Spooky' set to make another Hallowe'en treat bag. I stamped the image on to watercolour paper, then coloured it using watercolour pencils, before cutting it out using one of my circle Nesties. I used papers by Carta Bella...from their 'Haunted' and 'Spooky' collections, distressing all of the edges, and adding some faux stitching using black and white gel pens.

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

• C.R.A.F.T. - Box or Bag
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Daring Cardmakers - Black
• Fab 'N' Funky - Feature a Creature
• My Time to Craft - Hallowe'en or Cats
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Hallowe'en
• Sweet Stampers - Autumn or Hallowe'en

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

Carol Singers

I have a couple of Christmas cards to share today...featuring a couple of the critters from the 'Carol Singers' set by Lili of the Valley. I stamped them on to watercolour paper, then coloured them using watercolour pencils. I used a music embossing folder that I recently picked up from Hobbycraft (it's in their Christmas range, but as far as can tell the music on it isn't Christmassy) for the background...embossing some plain-ish blue paper (I think it's by Craft Creations), then lightly sanding over the surface to reveal some of the white core. I distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitching before mounting on my cards. The sentiment stamp is also by Lili of the Valley.

Here are a couple of close-ups:

Challenges for these cards:

• Artistic Stamper - Music
• Christmas Card Throwdown - White, Blue & Brown
• Crafty Friends - Christmas
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Crazy 4 Challenges - Music
• Cutie Pie - Anything Goes
• Holly & the Ivy - Anything Christmas Goes
• Little Red Wagon - Teddies (Just the first card)
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

The Cat in the Hat

I have another Hallowe'en treat bag to share today...the image on this one is from the 'Spooky' set by Penny Black. I stamped it on to watercolour paper, coloured it using watercolour pencils, then cut it out using one of my oval Nesties. I used snippets of paper from the 'Hocus Pocus' pad by Tayored Expressions to make a patchwork effect background...distressing the edges a little, and adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

Challenges for this bag:

• Corrosive - Anything Goes
• Crafty Creations - Anything Goes
• Daring Cardmakers - Use Your Scraps
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets

Mice Treats

I have another Hallowe'en treat bag to share today...featuring another cute Penny Black image from the 'Be Very Scared' set. I stamped it on to watercolour paper, coloured it using watercolour pencils, then cut t out using one of my circle Nesties. I used snippets of paper from the 'Hocus Pocus' pad by Taylored Expressions for the background...distressing the edges a little before adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a white gel pen.

Challenges for this card:

• As You Like It - Favourite Stitching Style (Faux...I can't sew very well, and it's so quick to draw on, and the little peirced holes make it look so realistic)
• Crafty Calendar - Autumn Colours/Hallowe'en
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes (Optional 'Hallowe'en')
• Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - Anything Goes
• Crafty Sentiments - Hallowe'en
• Creative Moments - Anything Goes (Optional 'Spooky')
• Cute Card Thursday - Hallowe'en
• Fab 'N' Funky - Hallowe'en
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simply Create Too - Anything Goes (Optional 'Spooky/Scary')

Angel Cat

I have a Christmas card to share today...featuring an older Penny Black stamp called 'Angel Cat', which I stamped on to watercolour, coloured using watercolour pencils, then cut out using one of my circle Nesties. I made a simple background using a die from the 'Snowy Stars' die set by Tim Holtz for Sizzix and a snippet of paper from the 'Mystery Marbles' pad by Craft Sensations...mounting it on a piece of silver glitter card.

Challenges for this card

• A Bit More Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• A Perfect Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• Animal Friends - Cats
• Christmas at Sweet Stampin' - Anything Christmas Goes (Optional 'Stars')
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Happy Little Stampers (Christmas) - Anything Christmas Goes (Optional 'Twinkle')
• Happy Little Stampers (Dies) - Anything Goes with Dies
• Merry Little Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Christmas
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Witchy Mouse Treat bag

I have another Hallowe'en treat bag to share today...I used another Penny Black image from the 'Be Very Scared' set, which I stamped on to watercolour paper, and coloured using watercolour pencils. I made a simple background by stamping my Simon Says Stamp 'Abstract Triangles' stamp using Versamark Ink on purple card, then heat embossed it with 'Halloween' embossing glitter from WOW...it's a really pretty mixture of black and orange. I distressed all of the edges, then added  piece of black lacy trim before adding it to my treat bag.

It's always so difficult to show just how sparkly and pretty the WOW embossing glitters are in photographs...but here's a different angle:

Challenges for this bag:

• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything Goes
• Cut It Up - Tags, Bags or Boxes
• Cute Card Thursday - Anything Goes
• Shopping Our Stash - Embossing
• Sweet Stampin' - Animals

PBSC October - Anything Goes (Optional ' Black, White & One Other Colour')

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
'Black, White & One Other Colour'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I used the colour combination...adding orange...to decorate a Hallowe'en treat bag. Pairing one of the images from the 'Be Very Scared' set with papers from the 'Apothecary' pad by Echo Park. I used a Cuttlebug embossing folder to embossing the pumpkins on the plain-ish orange paper...sanding over the surface to reveal some of the white core. I distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black pen.

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

• Crafting with an Attitude - Anything Goes
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Creative Inspirations - Hallowe'en or Autumn
• Lil Red Wagon - Pumpkin Party
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes

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 another fun ABC Christmas Challenge starting today...the themes this month are:

'U is for Upcycle'

&

'V is for Velocity'

And the prize for the lucky winner:

(Paper pad & Lili of the Valley stamp)

For my 'U is for Upcycle' card, I used the inside of the cover of a Christmas gift guide (from 2010!) as the background for my image. 

I paired it with a cute pup from the 'Wintertime Cheer' set by Penny Black, which I stamped on to watercolour paper, and coloured using watercolour pencils. I added a sentiment (from a set by Pollycraft for C. C. Designs), then distressed all of the edges before assembling my card and adding some adhesive pearls.

For my 'V is for Velocity' card, I picked another Penny Black image...this time a snowboarding chicken stamp called 'Snowboard Ride'. I stamped it on to watercolour paper, added in a slope for him to ride down using a black gel pen, then coloured him using watercolour pencils and carefully cut around the top of the image. I made a simple background using a falling snow die from the Tim Holtz/Sizzix 'Winter Wonderland' set and a snippet of navy card. I layered it over a snippet of silver glitter card, then matted it all on to some red glitter card.

Challenges for these cards:

• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Everybody Art - Use Dies (Just the second card)
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets (Just the second card)
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Getting Ready for Christmas
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• Sweet Stampin' - Distressed (Just the first card)
• The Holly & the Ivy - Anything Christmas Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

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

Together

Today's card features one of the Penny Black brushstroke floral stamps called 'Together' that I stamped on to watercolour paper using the watercolour stamping technique. I inked it up using Distress Inks (Dusty Concord, Chipped Sapphire, Broken China, Crushed Olive & Forest Moss), then spritzed it with some water before stamping. I stamped my sentiment over the top using Versamark Ink, then heat embossed it using 'Metallic Gold Sparkle' embossing glitter from WOW. I distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and  black gel pen. 

Another angle to show the sparkle on the sentiment:

Challenges for this card:

• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Less is More - Sparkle & Matte
• Seize the Birthday - Anything Birthday
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• Stamping Sensations - Flowers

Penguin Parade

I have a Christmas card to share today...featuring three of the penguins from the 'Penguin Parade' stamp by Woodware. I masked off their friends before inking and stamping, then used a black gel pen to extend to ground either side of them. I colored them using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut them out. I made a simple snowy background, by heat embossing my 'Falling Snow' stamp (by Simon Says Stamp) using 'Sparkling Snow' embossing glitter by WOW, on kraft card.  

Challenges for this card:

• Creative Knckouts - Anything Goes
• Dream Valley - Things with Wings
• Fab 'N' Funky - Christmas
• My Time to Craft - Birds
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Rudolph Days - Anything Christmas Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes

Birthday Fishes

Today's card features a trio of fishes by Hambo Stamps that I coloured using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut out. I used a piece of watercolour paper that I had had 'smooshed' with several blue Distress Inks left over from making this Christmas card for the watery background...adding a sentiment (from the 'Birthday Buddies' set by Paper Smooches) before popping the fish on using 3D foam pads.

Challenges for this card:

• Crafty Creations - Anything Goes
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Christmas Wishes

I have a Christmas card to share today...made using a snippet of snowflake embossed card that has been sitting in my 'box of bits' since I made this card back in January! It's the 'Outline Snowflakes' background stamp by Simon Says Stamp, and I heat embossed it on to kraft card using white embossing powder. I stamped my sentiment (from the 'Letter It - Christmas' set by Ranger) on to vellum, using Versamark Ink, then heat embossed it using 'Metallic Gold Sparkle' embossing glitter from WOW. I wrapped the vellum around the kraft snowflake panel, then matted it on to a snippet of gold glitter card.

Challenges for this card:

• As You Like It - Santa or No Santa (I do have a couple of Santa stamps, but they rarely feature on my Christmas cards as I'm never confident colouring 'people' stamps
• Christmas at Sweet Stampin' - Anything Christmas Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Holly & the Ivy - Anything Christmas Goes
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets

PBSC September - 'Anything Goes' (Optional 'Use Something Old/Neglected')...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
'Use Something Old or Neglected'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

The stamp I used on my card...'Magical Mimi' is both old and neglected. I won it back in 2011 as part of my prize for coming third in the Penny Black category...and as far as I can tell, have only used it once...on this card in February 2012! She is cute...but people stamps are not really my style, but I thought it was about time she saw some more ink! I stamped Mimi on to watercolour paper, along with a sentiment (from the 'Big Messages' set by Paula Pascual'), then coloured her using watercolour pencils. To carry on the 'old and neglected' theme, I paired Mimi with papers from an old BasicGrey pad called 'Hello Luscious', that I last used in 2013! In my defence, there's not a lot of it left...a couple of full sheets, and lots, and lots of snippets! I also added some pieces of Craftwork Cards 'Card Candi' to complete the 'old & neglected' theme!

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

• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Creative Knockouts - Anything Goes
• Love to Scrap - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Seize the Birthday - Anything Birthday Goes

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

Bring Out the Bubbly!

Today's card features a couple of critters from the 'Cheering Critters' set by Penny Black. I stamped them on to watercolour paper, along with a Lili of the Valley sentiment, then coloured them using watercolour pencils. I added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen before mounting the panel on my kraft card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• Cutie Pie - Celebrations
• Penny Black & More - Animals
• Stamps + Fun = Creativity - Anything Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Dog-gone Sweet!

I have another set of cards to share today...this time featuring the pups from the 'Dog-gone Sweet' set by Penny Black. They're ultra simple...I stamped the pups directly on kraft card blanks, along with a sentiment from the 'Big Messages' set by Paula Pascual. I coloured the pups using watercolour pencils...but didn't use any water.

Some close-ups:

Challenges for these cards:

• AAA Cards - Up to One Third
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Penny Black & More - Animals
• Shopping Our Stash - Dogs
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Stamp It

Floral Notecards

I have another set of floral notecards to share today...this time featuring stamps by Penny Black. I stamped the flowers stright on the card banks using grey ink, along with sentiments from the 'Big Messages' set by Paula Pascual, the coloured the flowers using watercolour pencils.

'Sun-kissed' and 'Sundail'

'Constellations' & 'Dotted Petals'

Challenges for these cards:

• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Creative Moments - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Stamp It
• Stamping Sensations - Flowers