Little Star

I have a simple little Christmas card to share today...using 'Little Star' by Lili of the Valley. I coloured the image using watercolour pencils, then coloured his star using a gold gel pen. For the background, I added some strips of gold washi tape (from WHSmith, Ikea & Hobbycraft)...the sentiment stamp is from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous.

Challenges for this card:

• CAS on Friday - Washi Tape
• Crafty Creations - Anything Goes
• Cute Card Thursday - Stars
• Cutie Pie - Bear Hugs
• Jingle Belles - Baby It's Gold Outside

Wish Upon a Star

I have a Christmas card to share today...using one of the stamps from the 'Holly Jolly' set by Penny Black, which I coloured using watercolour pencils...adding some sparkle to the stars and snowy ground using a Wink of Stella pen. The washi tape is from WHSmith (I think!), and the sentiment stamp is from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stamper Anonymous.

Challenges for this card:

• Crimbo Crackers - Anything Goes
• Holly Jolly Christmas - Inspired by a Song ('O' Christmas Tree)
• Little Red Wagon - You're a Star
• Love to Scrap - Stars
• Winter Wonderland - Christmas Trees/Make It Cute

Pile It On! Challenge - You're a Star! (Use Stars)

We have another fun Pile It On! Challenge starting today...the theme is:

'You're a Star!'

(Use stars)

Our sponsor this month is Craftin' Desert Divas:

Prize - 4 bags of Craftin' Desert Divas sequins!

I picked a Penny Black image called 'Cat on the moon' that features some stars, and stamped it directly on to my card blank along with a sentiment (from the 'Party Critters' set, also by Penny Black). I coloured the image using watercolour pencils, then added some sparkle to the moon and stars using a Wink of Stella pen. The star borders across the top and bottom of the card is washi tape from WHSmith (I think!).

Here are the challenges I've piled on:

• Pile It On! - You're a Star (Use stars)
• Addicted to CAS - Midnight
• Alphabet Challenge - F is for Furry Friends
• Cards Galore Encore - Anything Goes
• Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes
• Crafting with Friends - Anything Goes
• Creaive Card Crew - Anything Goes
• One Crazy Stamper - Anything Goes
• Penny Black & More - Anything Goes
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Simply Papercraft - Anything Goes
• Sisterhood of Crafters - No Designer Paper
• Stamping Sensations - Anything Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

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

Foodie Gifts & Washi Tape Wrapping

I've got something a little different to show you today...some foodie gifts:

From Left to Right: 

Olives marinated in oil with rosemary, thyme, garlic & coriander; 

Mixed nuts spiced with allspice, cayenne pepper, mustard & cumin; 

and Olives marinated in oil with basil, lemon & chilli

(The pretty jars are from TKMaxx...and I made some simple tags using a Sizzix die and some Hobbycraft washi tape, held on with twine (also from Hobbycraft).

I decorated a box to match to put everything in: 

Challenges for these items:

• 4 Crafty Chicks - Food & Drink
• Craft Your Passion - Christmas (Anything but a Card)
• Crafting for all Seasons - Christmas Anything but a Card
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Crimbo Crackers - Anything but a Card
• Dream Valley - Christmas
• Inky Chicks - Christmas
• Love to Create - Anything Goes
• Sparkles Christmas - Feasts & Treats

Pile It On! Challenge - Your Favourite Colour

This week at Pile It On! we're asking you to use:

'Your Favourite Colour'

We are sponsored for this challenge by:

Freckled Fawn

The prize is a $20 giftcard to ohdeermekit.com!

My favourite colour is blue...particularly turquoise/aqua...and I've happened to have some rolls of washi tape from Freckled Fawn in that colour. I covered some scraps of white card with strips of the washi tape, then cut out a bird shape using my 'Madeleine Bird' die from Memory Box, which I mounted on my tags using 3D foam pads. I added some faux stitching around the edges of the tags using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen, a sentiment (from the 'Fabulous Birthday' set by Hero Arts', some adhesive pearls, and ribbon.

Here are the challenges I've piled on:

• Pile It On! - Favourite Colour (Turquoise Blue)
• Challenges for Everybody - Anything Goes
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Crafty Creations - Winged Things
• Crafty Ribbons - Anything Goes with Ribbon
• Creative Card Crew - Tags
• Creative Craft - Anything Goes
• Everybody Art - Stitching
• Moving Along with the Times - Anything Goes
• Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes
• Penny's Papercrafting - Anything Goes

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

ABC Christmas Challenge - N is for...

It's time for a new ABC Christmas Challenge...Wilma is our host, and the theme is:

'N is for Not a Card'

We have two wonderful sponsors for this challenge:

Prize - a $20 gift certificate to spend at the Simon Says Stamp Store!

and

Prize - a $10 gift certifiacte for the Stamp Fairy Shop!

I've made a tag...I always seem to forget about making these until the last minute, so thought I'd get at least one done ahead of time! The image is 'Barry Winter 1' from the Stamp Fairy...which I coloured using watercolour pencils...than added lots of Stickles to his hat and the snow. The spotty paper is from the 'Coundown to Christmas' pad by My Mind's Eye - I distressed the edges a little, then added faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. I layered it over a piece of red card edes with my EK Success 'Scalloped Dimaonds' punch. The ribbons and twine are from Hobbycraft and the Ribbon Girls.

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

• Crafty Sentiments - Christmas in July
• Crazy Challenge - Christmas in July
• Squirrel & the Fox - Christmas in July
• Stampin' for the Weekend - Tags 

For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies and some fabulous guest designers, please pop over to the ABC Christmas Challenge.

Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Recycle

This week's Penny Black Saturday Challenge is all about:

'Recycling'

We have a fabulous prize from the DT for this challenge:

I've recycled some corrugated card packaging on my tag...which I saved from the recycling bin ages ago...and cut into a star using a Nestie. The chicken is 'Present Pile' (of course by Penny Black)...and he was coloured using watercolour pencils. For the background, I inked a plain tag using Distress Inks (Bundled Sage, Evergreen Bough, Pine Needles, Stormy Sky & Faded Jeans), then stamped a balloon & stars background stamp (by Funstamps) in Memento 'Rich Cocoa' ink over the top. I inked around the edges of everything using 'Brushed orduroy' Distress Ink, and attached a sentiment banner (a Studio G stamp) using a staple. I added a few pieces of Card Candi, and attached a mixture of seambinding and string (recycled from an Abel & Cole Veg box!) to the top.

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

• Joanna Sheen - Happy Birthday
• Lollipop Crafts - For Him
• Oldie but a Goodie - Things with Wings (I've had this stamp since I first started stamping 5/6 years ago)
• Paper Sundaes - Things with Wings
• Simon Says Stamp & Show - Anything Goes
• Stampavie & More - For a Boy

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

Dog Tag

I know I don't usually post at night...but I've been busy working on music...and making DT stuff all day...so I thought I'd pop on and show a quick little tag I snuck in before I toddle off to bed. I started by stamping a 'Happy Birthday' background stamp by Funstamps on a blank luggage tag (from WHSimths) inked with various Distress Inks (Pumice Stone, Brushed Corduroy, Stormy Sky & Faded Jeans), which I then heat embossed with clear powder. I inked over it using the same Distress Inks, then roughed up the edges using my distressing tool. The doggy image is from the '12 Days of Christmas' set by Penny Black...I inked around the edges using more Distress Inks. The stars were cut using Nesties...then distressed, and inked...then embossed using my Sizzix/BasicGrey 'Plaid' folder.

Challenges for this tag:

• Cards for Men - Texture 
• Corrosive - Tim Holtz Products (Distress Inks)
• Crafts & Me - Embossing
• Here Come the Boys - Hobbies (Drumming)
• Sweet Stampin' - Anything but Square
• Top Tip Tuesday - Anything but a Card
• Wags 'N Whiskers - Distressing
• Whimsy Inspires - Distressing

Ok...time for bed...have to get up at 6am for school...yawn!

Pile It On! Challenge - Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!

The theme of this week's Pile It On! Challenge is:

'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun'

We are sponsored for this challenge by The Paper Shelter.

I've made a Christmas gift tag this week...and the girl on my tag is 'Snow Bunny Bella' by Stamping Bella. I coloured her using watercolour pencils, then added some sparkle to the fur trim with 'Crystal' Stickles, before cutting her out. I covered my blank tag (from WHSmith) using scraps of various BasicGrey papers...then inked all of the edges. I cut snowflakes from more BasicGrey papers using Marianne Designs Creatables and Cuttlebug dies. The pearls are from Wild Orchid Crafts, and the seam binding ribbon is from the Ribbon Girls.

Here are the challenges I've Piled On!:

• Pile It On! - Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!
• Bah! Humbug! - Here Come the Girls!
• BasicGrey - Anything Goes (I've used papers from the 'Hopscotch', 'Archaic', 'Eskimo Kisses', 'Hello Luscious' & 'Lemonade' pads!)
• CES - Pink, Brown & Aqua
• Crafty Sentiments - Ribbons & Bows
• Creative Craft - Anything but a Card
• Digi Doodles - Anything Goes
• Dutch Dare - Anything but a Card
• Incy Wincy - Anything but a Card
• Just Some Lines - Anything but a Card
• My Time to Craft - Here Come the Girls!
• One Stop Craft - Anything but Square
• Totally Gorjuss - As You Like It!

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

ABC Christmas Challenge - P is for...

I have another project for the current ABC Christmas Challenge for you today...where the theme is:

'P is for Presents, Packaging & Photo Inspiration'

Basically, we'd like you to make a gift or gift bag/box/tag inspired by this photo:

We have two fabulous sponsors for this challenge:

Simon Says Stamp are offering one lucky entrant a $15 voucher to spend in their store:

AND:

Stamp Fairy are offering one lucky entrant 3 digis (of their choice) from their store.

After last week's bumper project...I've gone for something a lot simpler today. I decorated a plain gift bag and tag with lots of die cut snowflakes:

I bought the bag from a seller on ebay, and cut the snowflakes using Marianne Designs Creatables and Cuttlebug dies:

And a simple matching tag (luggage tag from WHSmiths):

For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please visit the ABC Christmas Challenge.

ABC Christmas Challenge - P is for...

I'm back with another ABC Christmas Challenge today...this time Samantha is our host, and she has chosen a fabulous theme of:

'P is for Presents, Packaging & Photo Inspiration'

Phew...what a mouthful! Basically, we'd like you to create either a present and/or some kind of packaging (gift bag, box, tag etc) inspired by this photo collage:

We have two fabulous sponsors for this challenge:

Simon Says Stamp are offering one lucky entrant a $15 voucher to spend in their store:

AND:

Stamp Fairy are offering one lucky entrant 3 digis (of their choice) from their store.

Ok, so on to my projects...I went a bit over the top this week...so there are a lot of photos!

First of all, here's a photo of everything together:

 

Here's a close-up of the little box:

And the present inside:

Yes, it's another of those wrap bracelets...this time in a multicolour assortment of gemstones:

The gift tag:

And finally, I couldn't resist making a matching card:

Products used:

Hero Arts stamps set - 'Graphic Lines Trees'
Cuttlebug 'Snowflakes' folder

 EK Success 'Scalloped Diamonds' border punch
Scalloped Square Nesties

Sentiment - 'Bubble Tree' set by Woodware
Luggage label - WHSmith

Bazzill 'Kraft' card
Papermania 'Recycled' card blank

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

• Christmas Stampin' All Year Long - The Whole Sha-bang! (Matching package, card & tag)
• Crafty Catz - Christmas in July
• Fussy & Fancy - Christmas in July
• Sweet Stampin' - Christmas in July

For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, as well as some of the Stamp Fairy girls, please visit the ABC Christmas Challenge.

Pile It On! Challenge - Life is a Picnic

This week at the Pile It On! Challenge our theme is:

'Life is a Picnic'

We are sponsored for this challenge by the fabulous Simon Says Stamp

 

The prize is $15 to spend in their store!

I had a bit of a panic when I couldn't find any suitable images in my image box, but then found this adorable little chicken stamp in my Penny Black '12 Days of Christmas' set...well, he'd be welcome at my picnic with his red wine and baguette! As the image is so small, I decided to make a tag rather than a card, and used a blank tag from WHSmith. I inked lightly around the edge of it, then added some blue colour core, and red white core card embossed with my Cuttlebug 'Spots & Dots' and 'Diamond Plate' folders - sanding over the raised areas to reveal the core. I tore the red strip, and distressed all of the edges with my scissors. Finally, I replaced the string on the tag with a piece of red, white & blue twine. Here it is being modelled by what else, but a bottle of French red wine!

Here are the challenges I've Piled On!:

• Pile It On! - Life is a Picnic
• Allsorts - Free & Easy
• Crafty Catz - Tags
• Crafty Creations - Boyz to Men (this is probably not suitable for boys now I've put it on a bottle of wine! lol)
• Fab 'n' Funky - Food
• My Time to Craft - Bird Watcher
• PaperPlay - Things with Wings
• Penny Black Inc/Flickr Group - Distressing
• Stampin' for the Weekend - Wings & Things
• Sweet Stampin' - One for the Boys (although, again because of the wine...this is one for the 'older' boys!)
• Totally Gorjuss - Men

For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please stop by the Pile It On! Challenge.

Cupcake Tag

Today, I have a tag to share with you. I used a luggage tag (from WHSmiths) as the base, inking around all of the edges. I attached a strip of paper from the 'Hopscotch' pad by BasicGrey across the middle and stamped a sentiment from the 'Party Critters' set by Penny Black, below. I cut the cupcake from more of the 'Hopscotch' papers using dies from the 'Cupcakes' set by Marianne Designs, embossing the brown one using my Cuttlebug 'D'Vine Swirls' folder, and adding an adhesive pearl to the centre of the flower. To attach the tag to a gift, I threaded some chocolate coloured seam binding ribbon through the hole.

Challenges for this tag:

• Charisma Cardz - No Cards Allowed
• Crafts & Me - Swirls
• Cute Card Thursday - Chocolate
• Moving Along with the Times - Have Some Cake

All wrapped up!

Phew...I've finally finished making all my Christmas presents...woo-hoo!!! I do have photos of some of them to show you, but today it's all about the wrapping. I like to wrap my presents in ordinary brown paper...and I use kraft bags & tags to match. The bags were bought on form a seller on Ebay, and the tags are from WHSmith. I decorated the bags with a few snowflakes cut using Cuttlebug & Marianne Creatables dies. The tags were simply stamped with a Lili of the Valley sentiment, and decorated with a piece of My Mind's Eye 'Wonderful Winter' or 'Colourful Christmas' paper, and the images are a mixture of Penny Black (from the 'Christmas Critters' & 'Holly Jolly' sets) and there's also a Stamp Fairy snowman. I didn't bother to photograph them separately, but you should be able to get a better view by clicking on the photo.

I'm going to enter these into the following challenges:

• Pink Elephant - Tags
• Prairie Fairy - Use Kraft Card
• Stamp Something - Something with a Tag or Pocket
• The Stamp Man - Anything Goes Tags
• Winter Wonderland - Wrapping