Spring Flowers

Today's card features a floral stamp by Crafter's Companion called 'Spring Flowers' that I picked up in a charity shop last week. I stamped it on to watercolour paper, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. For the background, I used a piece of paper from the 'Watercolour Feelings' paper pad from The Works. I distressed all of the edges, matting the layers on to snippets of pink card, then added it to a white card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• Beautiful Blossoms - Anything Goes
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes (Optional 'For the Girls')
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes

Christmas Hats

Today's card features a couple of the critters from the 'Christmas Hats' set by Anita Jeram for the Colorado Craft Company. I stamped them on to watercolour paper, along with a sentiment from another Anita Jeram set, 'Furry Christmas', then coloured them using watercolour pencils. I distressed the top and bottom edges, then added it to a kraft card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• Addicted to CAS - Pet
• Krafty Chicks - CAS
• Rudolph Days - Anything Christmas Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesday) - Cute & Cuddly
• We Love Stamping - Anything Goes (Optional 'CAS')

Lovely Bubbly

Today's card is in honour of the 500th(!) challenge over at Pixie's Snippets Playground - congratulations Di & Sarn! So, with the 'Celebratory' theme in mind, I picked a Penny Black image called 'Lovely Bubbly'....stamping it on to watercolour paper, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. For the background, I used snippets of papers from the 'Fresh Florals' pad by Craft Sensations. I distressed all of the edges, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and black and white gel pens. I cut a 'Celebrate' sentiment using a Clearly Besotted die from a snippet of gold mirror card, then layered it on top of the image, then matted that on to another snippet of gold mirror card before assembly the card.

As is always the way with anything shiny, it's a real pain to photograph, but here's a slightly different angle - I promise that the sentiment is much clearer to read in person!

Challenges for this card:

• Creative Fingers - Anything Goes
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Love Those Pretty Papers - Anything Goes
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets & 'Celebration' Theme
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Cute & Cuddly
• Stamps + Fun = Creativity - Drinks

Blue Baubles

Today's card features a Cuttlebug embossing folder that I picked up in a charity shop earlier this week. I used it to emboss a piece of blue paper from the 'Over the Rainbow' pad by Craft Consortium. I distressed the edges a little, then lightly sanded over the raised areas to reveal the white core. I heat embossed a sentiment using a stamp from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous and white embossing powder, then added it to a white card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• Allsorts - Anything Goes (Optional 'Shades of Blue')
• C.R.A.F.T. - Christmas
• Creative Fingers - Anything Goes
• Little Red Wagon - Winter Blues
• The Male Room - Monochrome

Merrymaking

Today's card features a Penny Black Christmas stamp called 'Merrymaking'. I stamped it on to watercolour paper, along with a sentiment from the 'Winter Blessings' set by Crafter's Companion, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. I matted it on to a snippet of red card, distressing all of the edges a little, before adding it to a kraft card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• Creatalicious - Anything Goes
• I Spy With My Little Eye - No Designer Paper
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Peace on Earth Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Cute & Cuddly

Sleeping Under Flowers

Today's card features a House Mouse stamp by Stampabilities called 'Sleeping Under Flowers' that my Mum picked up recently in a charity shop. I stamped it on to watercolour paper, added a sentiment using one of the stamps from the 'What This!' set by Anita Jeram for the Colorado Craft Company, then coloured the image using watercolour pencils. For the background, I used a piece of purple paper from the 'Over the Rainbow' pad by Craft Consortium. I cut four squares, then used a couple of Cuttlebug embossing folders to emboss it. I sanded over the raised areas to reveal some of the white core, distressed the edges, and added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen, then matted it all on to a piece of kraft card before adding it to a white card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• As You Like It - Stamping or Digi? (Definitely stamping - I love to have a rummage through my stamps, picking out what I want to use - looking through file names on my laptop just isn't the same!)
• Can You Handle the Pressure - Anything Goes Using Embossing Folders (Optional 'Something Beginning with F' - Flowers)
• Fab 'N' Funky - Stitching (Real or Faux)
• House Mouse & Friends - Anything Goes (Optional 'Spring Flowers')
• Seize the Birthday - Anything Birthday Goes

PBSC February - Anything Goes (Optional 'Hearts')...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

'Hearts'

We're currently without a sponsor, so this challenge is just for fun.

This time, I picked a cute pup from the 'Every Which Way' set...stamping him on to watercolour paper and colouring him using watercolour pencils. I added a sentiment using one of the stamps from the 'Funny Farm' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous, then used one of my circle Nesties to cut him out. For the background, I used a 'Hearts' embossing folder from Hobbycraft to emboss a piece of paper from the 'Happy Colours' pad by Craaft Sensations...sanding over the raised areas to reveal the white core. I distressed all of the edges a little, then added it to a kraft card blank.

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

• Crafty Calendar - Hearts
• Creative Inspirations - Love is in the Air
• My Time to Craft - Hearts
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Simply Create Too - Love Song
• Stamping Sensations - Anything Goes (Optional 'Valentine's, Wedding or Romance')
• The Sisterhood of Crafters - Red or Pink

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

Winter Friend

I have a simple one layer Christmas card to share today...made using stamps from the 'Just Add Snow' set by Anita Jeram for the Colorado Craft Comnpany. I stamped the image directly on to a krafrt card blank, then used a black gel pen to extrend the 'snowy ground' to reach the edges of the card. I added a sentiment from the same stamp set, then coloured the image using watercolour pencils.

Challenges for this card:

• Addicted to CAS - Friends
• Creative Fingers - Anything Goes
• Just Us Girls - Friend
• Krafty Chicks - Christmas
• We Love Stamping - Anything Goes (Optional 'CAS')

ABC Christmas Challenge - C & D are for?

We have a fun new ABC Christmas Challenge starting today, our last of the year...Lynda is the host, and the themes are:

'C is for Cute'

&

'D is for Die Cuts'

The prize for the lucky winner is these adorable stamps:

I have an abundance of 'Cute' Christmas stamps...but had to use this one that I just got by Anita Jeram for the Colorado Craft Company called 'Furry Christmas'. I stamped it on to watercolour paper, along with one of the sentiments from the set, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. As it's such a large image, I decided to leave it at that, and simply distressed the edges a little before adding it to a kraft card blank.

For my 'Die Cuts' card, I used another new to me item...this fabulous 'Joy' die by Penny Black. I cut it from gold mirror card, added it to a piece of watercolour paper, then stamped a sentiment in the centre of the 'O', using one of the stamps from the 'Winter Blessings' set by Crafter's Companion. I used my Tim Holtz 'Holiday Greens,Mini' dies to cut some foliage from snippets of green card, then placed them around the 'O' shape to turn it into a wreath. I distressed the edges, then added the panel to a kraft card blank.

Challenges for these cards:

• A Perfect Time to Craft - Anything Goes (Second card only)
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes (Optional 'Use a Die') (Second card only)
• Crafts Galore Encore - Anything Goes (First card only)
• Creative Fingers - Anything Goes (Second card only)
• Creative Moments - Cute (First card only)
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes (First card only)

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

You Put a Song in My Heart!

Today's card features one fo the stamps from the 'Jazzy Cats' set by Penny Black. I stamped it on to watercolour paper, along with one of the sentiments from the set, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. For the background, I stamped an old Hero Arts/BasicGrey music background stamp on to some blue watercolour effect paper (from the 'Mystery Marbles' pad by Craft Sensations) using 'Twilight' Versafine ink, which is a really lovely dark blue colour. I used one of my Nesties to cut the circle shape, then distressed all of the edges before adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

Challenges for this card:

• Allsorts - Anything Goes (Optional 'Romance and/or Music')
• Aud Sentiments - Love & a Sentiment
• C.R.A.F.T. - Love
• Creative Fingers - Anything Goes
• Creative Knockouts - Love/Valentine's/Anniversary/Wedding
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Love is in the Air
• Stamping Sensations - Anything Goes (Optional 'Love')
• Sweet Stampin' - Love

Doggo & Mousy Winter Walk

Today's card features a new (to me) stamp by Purple Onion called 'Doggo & Mousy Winter Walk'. I stamped it on to a snippet of watercolour paper, coloured it using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut it out. I used a snippet of snowy sky paper (from the 'Christmas' pad by Craft Sensations) for the background, adding a snippet of white card, torn along its top edge, for the snowy ground, before matting it on to some grey card and adding it to a card blank. The sentiment stamp is from an old Lili of the Valley set.

Challenges for this card:

• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything Goes
• Cardz for Guys - CAS
• Crafty Animals - Anything Goes
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Stamping Sensations - Anything Goes

Modern Florals

Today's card features a set of Sizzix dies called 'Modern Florals'. I gathered lots & lots of snippets of coloured card, then cut out one of each of the pieces. I layered some fo them up, then added them to a card blank...following the layout on the packaging...popping the flower heads up using 3D foam pads. I added a simple stamped sentiment using one of the stamps from the 'Go To Words' set by Visible Image. 

Challenges for this card:

• Addicted to CAS - Centre Focus
• Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday - Anything Goes
• Everybody Art - Die Cuts & Punches
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Bright & Cheerful

Snowflake Edges

I have a simple one layer Christmas card to share today, made using one of the stamps from the 'Snowflake Edges' set by Simon Says Stamp. I stamped it along the folded edge of a smooth white card blank using Versamark ink, then heat embossed it using white embossing powder. I blended 'Broken China' Distress Ink over the top of the embossed area, then once dry added a stamped sentiment using one of the stamps from the 'Festive Phrases' set by Funky Fossil.

Challenges for this card:

• Crafty Gals Corner - Fill in the Blank 'Snow.....' (Snowflakes)
• Little Red Wagon - A is for Anything Goes
• Merry Little Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Peace on Earth Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• The Sisterhood of Crafters - Snowflakes
• We Love Stamping - Anything Goes (Optional 'CAS')

PBSC February - Anything Goes (Optional 'Hearts')

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

'Hearts'

We are currently without a sponsor, so this challenge is just for fun.

I used this challenge as an opportunity to decorate my desk calendar page for February...and picked some cute heart carrying hedgies from the 'Every Which Way' set. I stamped them on to a snippet of watercolour paper, coloured them using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut them out. For the background, I used a snippet of heart covered paper from the 'Happy Colours' pad from The Works, distressing the edges a little and matting it on to a snippet of kraft card. I added a heart cut using my Cuttlebug 'Concentric Hearts' die, then layered the hedgies on top.

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

• Creatalicious - Love is in the Air
• Cut It Up - Have a Heart
• Krafty Chicks - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Have a Heart
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes

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