PBSC January - Anything Goes (Optional 'Something New')

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

'Something New'

(New Year, New House, New Job, New Baby, New Stash...)

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

My 'Something New' is the 'New Year', and I'm sharing the 2026 calendar that I made for my Mum for Christmas. Every year, I decorate a couple of the blank A4 calendars from Paper Mill Direct to give as gifts, and use only Penny Black stamped images. If there's a special event in a particular month, I try to find an appropriate image...it's a great project for using stamps that don't often get inked, and also for using up lots of snippets of papers! 

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

• A Perfect Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• Everybody Art - Christmas and/or New Year
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes

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

Desk Calendar - February

Today I'm sharing this month's page in my desk calendar. The calendar blank is from Paper Mill Direct...there are still some left in the sale, but if you really want to get ahead, they already have 2023 calendars in stock! I used a cute little pup from the 'Critter Party' set, stamping him on to a snippet of watercolour paper, colouring him using watercolour pencils, then used one of my circle Nesties to cut him out. I used a couple of papers from the 'Hello Today' pad by Heidi Swapp/Pink Paislee for a simple background...distressing the edges a little, and adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

Challenges for this calendar:

• Allsorts - Anything Goes
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Dream Valley - Two or More Patterned Papers
• Incy Wincy - Red and/or Pink AND Valentines
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Love is in the Air
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - With Love
• Stamping Sensations - Anything Goes (Optional 'Tails')

PBSC May - Anything Goes (Or Use Your Favourite PB Stamp)...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 Your Favourite Penny Black Stamp'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I couldn't resist using my favourite PB stamp again...'Birthday Dog'! This time I used more masculine colours, colouring him using watercolour pencils to match the shades in the 'Prairie Hill' papers by Pink Paislee. 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, and I used Nesties to cut the circles and scalloped circles.

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

• Always Happy Birthday - Anything Birthday
• Cut It Up - Cats or Dogs
• Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes
• Give a Crafter a Cookie - Photo Inspiration
• Heartful Stamping - Anything Goes
• Penny Black & More - Anything Goes
• Stamps + Fun = Creativity - Animals
• Sweet Stampers - Birthdays
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

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

PBSC October - Autumn/Fall Colours

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

'Autumn/Fall Colours'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I used a cute little hedgie speeding on his bike called 'Hedgie Delivery', and coloured him using watercolour pencils. The papers are from the 'Prairie' pad by Pink Paislee...I distressed the edges a little, the 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:

• Aud Sentiments - Anything Goes with a Sentiment
• Crafting When We Can - Your Favourite Medium (Watercolour Pencils)
• Cutie Pie - Birthdays
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• Stampavie & More - Autumn Colours

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

Penny Black Saturday Challenge - New

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

'New!' 
(New Year...New Home...New Job...New Stash)

As usual, we have some fabulous prizes on offer from our lovely sponsors:

The Ribbon Girl:

1-2-3 Stitch!:

Prize - a $20 voucher

I went with 'New Year' and am showing you the calendar that I decorated for my Mum...it's become a kind of tradition that I make a few of these for Christmas gifts...I get the blank calendars from the Paper Mill Shop (if you fancy making one of these for yourself...they're now half price):

Of course I used all Penny Black stamps...but the papers are a real mixture (American Crafts, Crate Paper, First Edition, My Mind's Eye, Penny Black, Pink Paislee, Raspberry Road & We R Memory Keepers!):

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

• Crafting When We Can - Countdown or Calendar
• Crazy Challenge - Happy New Year

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

Favourite Five Cards of 2013

Happy New Year! 

I hope that 2014 treats you all well! :0)

I thought I'd start this year by playing along with the lovely Debby, and show you my favourite five cards of last year:

Most of them seem to be CAS in style...I made plenty of non-CAS cards too...but it was the CAS ones that leapt out at me as I went through last year's cards. As with my Favourite Christmas Cards, I've linked all of the photos to the original blog posts so that you can click through for all the info should you want.

The first one uses one of my favourite Penny Black stamps ('Bunny Friends')...I cut them out of their flower pots on this one...I love that this stamp is so versatile!

I had lots of fun making the second of my choices...I don't like ice cream, but this card still appeals to me!

The next card was also a bit of an experiment...and I love how it turned out!

My final CAS card is similar to one of my favourite Christmas cards...love the watercolour effect background...it's a Christmas stamp ('Snow Dust') but I masked off the snow before stamping.

And I had to include a non-CAS cute card somewhere in the mix...this one is quite recent (from last week in fact!)...but I just love this cute chappie...and the bright colours.

I'm sneaking in a cheeky sixth creation...I think that this nappy cake that I made for a friend is my favourite thing I've made this year...it was a labour of love, but it was worth it as my friend loved it so much that she didn't dismantle it for a couple of months after her daughter was born!

Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Masculine

It's a new month, so it's time for a new Penny Black Saturday Challenge...and this month our theme is:

'Masculine'

As usual, we have some fabulous prizes on offer from our generous sponsors:

$20 voucher

It's my Dad's birthday in just over a week, so I thought I'd get ahead and make his birthday card for this challenge. I've used a stamp from the 'Hello Friend' set...which I coloured using watercolour pencils, and papers by Pink Paislie (from the 'Prairie Hills' pad). I doodled the borders, and added a Hero Arts sentiment (from the 'Anytime Messages' set) - I inked and stamped the 'happy' and 'birthday' separately, then added the 'dad' in handwriting to match. The Baker's Twine is from the Ribbon Girls.

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

• Created with Love - At Least 3 Layers
• Cupcake Craft - Boys
• Loves Rubber Stamps - Bows
• Papercrafting Journey - Masculine
• Sunday Sketch & Stamp - Sketch (liked the sketch so much I made another card!)

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