Guest Designer - AAA Cards Challenge!

A couple of months ago I was picked as one of the favourites of a challenge over at AAA Cards, and asked to guest design for a future challenge which starts today. The game this week is 1/9th with optional 'Gnomes':

I decided to go with the optional 'Gnomes' theme, as I have a set of cute little gnome stamps by 2 Jays. I stamped one of the gnomes directly on to a kraft card blank, coloured him using watercolour pencils, then added a sentiment (from the Woddware 'Hanging Basket' set).

For more inspiration from the wonderful AAA Cards design team, please pop over to their challenge - thanks for having me!

PBSC October - Anything Goes (Optional 'Spooky')

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

'Spooky'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I picked a spooky image from the 'Be Very Scared' set to decorate the October page of my desk calendar. I stamped it on to watercolour paper, coloured it using watercolour pencils, then cut it into a circle using one of my Nesties. For the background, I used papers from the 'Spooky Spectacular' pad from Paper Mill Direct. I distressed all of the edges, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a white gel pen.

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

• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything Goes
• A Perfect Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes

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

Balancing Act

I have a simple one layer card to share today, that features a much neglected Whipper Snapper stamp called 'Balancing Act'. I stamped it directly on to a kraft card blank, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. The sentiment stamp is from the House Mouse 'Birthday Splash' set by Stampendous.

Challenges for this card:

• Creatalicious - Anything Goes
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Krafty Chicks - Anyhting Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Cat in the Hat Treat Bag

Today I'm sharing my first Halloween themed project of the year...a decorated treat bag. I used a Penny Black image (from the 'Spooky!' set), stamping the kitty on to watercolour paper, then colouring him using watercolour pencils. The papers are from the 'Hocus Pocus' pad by Taylored Expressions...managed to use a couple of snippets up too. I cut the circles using my trusty Nesties, then distressed all of the edges, and added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and black and white gel pens. I added some little bats cut from a snippet of black card using a Memory Box die.

Challenges for this treat bag:

• Allsorts - Anything Goes (Optional 'Spots and Stripes')
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes (Optional 'Cute')
• Creative Fingers - Anything Goes
• Happy Little Stampers (Dies) - Anything Goes
• Krafty Chicks - All Occasions
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• My Time to Craft - Autumn Colours (I picked Oranges, Purple, Green & Black)
• Pixie's Snippet's Playground - Use Snippets
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes

Holly Jolly Christmas

I have a Christmas card to share today...made using a fab holly stamp from Woodware (called 'Sketchy Sprigs'). I started by stamping my sentiment (from the 'Festive Phrases' set by Funky Fossil) in the centre of a piece of kraft card using Versamark Ink, then heat embossed it in white. I stamped the holly sprig around the edge, using my Tim Holtz stamping platform, heat embossing it again in white. I distressed the edges a little before adding the panel to a kraft card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• Corrosive - Anything Goes
• Crafty Calendar - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Love to Scrap - Anything Goes
• Moving Along with the Times - Trees and/or Leaves
• Rudolph Days - Anything Christmas Goes
• Sweet Stampers - Add a Sentiment
• Sweet Stampin' - Christmas in September
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
• We Love Stamping - Anything Stamped

Let it Snow!

I have a Christmas card to share today...made to use a leftover piece of snowy background from making this card that I blogged last week. The background was made by smooshing a few Distress Inks (Mermaid Lagoon, Broken China, Uncharted Mariner & Chipped Sapphire) on to watercolour paper, then heat embossing my Simon Says Stamp 'Falling Snow' back ground stamp over the top using 'Diamond White' embossing glitter from WOW. I added a little snowman (from the 'Many Blessings' set by Hero Arts), stamping him on to watercolour paper, colouring him using watercolour pencils, then cutting around the top of the image over the top of the snowy background, attached the panel to a card blank. The sentiment is an old wooden Penny Black stamp.

Challenges for this card:

• CAS on Friday - Christmas
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Stamps + Fun = Creativity - Anything Goes
• The Holly & the Ivy - Anything Christmas Goes
• We Love Stamping - Anything Stamped

I Baked a Cake

Today's card features an old Lili of the Valley bear stamp called 'I Baked a Cake!'. I stamped it on to a kraft card blank, along with a sentiment from the 'Signature Greetings' set by Memory Box, then coloured it using watercolour pencils.

Challenges for this card:

• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Creative Fingers - Anything Goes
• Cutie Pie - Birthday Bears
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Happy Little Stampers (Birthday) - Anything Goes
• Incy Wincy - Mythical or CAS (CAS)
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Little Critters

PBSC September - 'Anything Goes' (Optional 'Food and/or Drink')...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

'Food and/or Drink'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I used one of my oldest...and still most favourite...Penny Black stamps on my card this time...'Birthday Dog'. I stamped him on to watercolour paper, coloured him using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut him out. I added some strips of washi tape across my card blank...I've had them for ages, but I think they're a mixture of Dovecraft (bunting) and Poundland (stars & candles). I stamped a sentiment, using stamps from the 'Birthday Buddies' set by Paper Smooches, then added 'Birthday Dog' over the washi tape background using 3D foam pads.

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

• Everybody Art - Anything Goes
• Krafty Chicks - CAS
• Seize the Birthday - Anything Birthday (Optional 'Food')
• Use Your Stuff - Food & Drink

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

ABC Christmas Challenge - S & T are for?

It's the second Wednesday of a new month, so that means it's time for a new ABC Christmas Challenge! Fabiola is the host, and the themes are:

'S is for Snow'

&

'T is for Trees'

There is a surprise gift from Fabiola on offer for the lucky winner:

On my 'S is for Snow' card, I started by making a 'snowy' sky background. I smooshed some Distress Inks (Mermaid Lagoon, Broken China, Uncharted Mariner & Chipped Sapphire) on to watercolour paper, then once dry, stamped my Simon Says Stamp 'Falling Snow' background stamp on to it using Versamark Ink, then heat embossed it using 'Diamond White' embossing glitter from WOW. I stamped a little Penny Black snowman (from the 'Jolly Friends' set) on to a snippet of watercolour paper, coloured him using watercolour pencils then carefully cut around the top of the image. I trimmed the background down, matted it on to a snippet of red card, then added the snowman on top, before adding it to my card blank. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Winter Blessings' set by Crafter's Companion.

For my 'T is for Tree' card, I decided, rather than using one of my (many!) plush evergreen Christmas tree stamps, that I would use stamps from another Penny Black set...'Snowfield Friends'...which includes a rather bare tree! I combined a few stamps from the set, masking so that the fox would be behind his sack of gifts, stamping them directly on to a kraft card blank. I added a sentiment (from the same set), then coloured the image using watercolour pencils...adding some Glossy Accents to the baubles on the tree.

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

• Christmas with the Cuties - Snowmen (First card only)
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Creative Knockouts - Anything Goes
• Happy Little Stampers (Christmas) - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Stamp It
• The Male Room - Song Title ('Baby It's Cold Outside' - First card only)
• We Love Stamping - Anything Stamped

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

Christmas Robins

I have a simple one layer Christmas card to share today, featuring little robin stamps from a couple of Penny Black sets. The one with the envelope is from the 'Wintertime Cheer' set, and the one on the branch is from the 'Jolly Friends' set. I stamped them on to a kraft card blank, then extended the branch to the edge of the card using a black gel pen. I coloured the image suing watercolour pencils, then added a sentiment from the 'Many Blessings' set by Hero Arts.

Challenges for this card:

• Addicted to CAS - Birds
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Krafty Chicks - Christmas
• Merry Little Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Stamp It
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Stamp It
• Sparkles Forum Christmas - Clean & Simple

Sledging Penguins

I have a Christmas card to share today, featuring a cute penguin stamp from an old Lili of the Valley set. I stamped it on to watercolour paper, along with a sentiment from the 'Many Blessings' set by Hero Arts, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. The papers are from the 'Ho Ho Ho Christmas' pad...I distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug.

Challenges for this card:

• Aud Sentiments - Christmas + a Sentiment
• Christmas Craft Creations - Winter Activities
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Creative Inspirations - Spots and/or Stripes
• Little Red Wagon - Cute, Cute, Cute!
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Stamp It
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Stamp It
• The Holly & the Ivy - Anything Christmas Goes
• Winter Wonderland - Christmas Animals

Fuchsia

Today's card features a stamp that I picked up recently in a charity shop...it's an old wood mounted Penny Black stamp called simply 'Fuchsia'. I stamped it on to a snippet of watercolour paper, along with a senitment from the 'It's Your Day' set (also by Penny Black), then coloured it using watercolour pencils. I distressed the edges, then matted it on to a snippet of bright pink card...distressing the edges of that too...before adding it to my card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Stamp It
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• Stamping Sensations - Feminine

PBSC September - Anything Goes (Optional 'Food and/or Drink')

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

'Food and/or Drink'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I picked the Penny Black stamp in my collection with the largest food item on it! This adorable bear, guarding his gigantic birthday cake, is from the 'It's Your Day' set. I stamped it on to watercolour paper, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. I added a sentiment from the 'Go to Words' set by Visible Image, then doodled a simple border before adding the panel to a kraft card blank.

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

• A Perfect Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• Creatalicious - Anything Goes
• Krafty Chicks - Stamp Act
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesday) - Anything Goes
• Sweet Stampin' - Food or Drink

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

September Desk Calendar

Today I'm sharing my September desk calendar page (made using a blank calendar from Paper Mill Direct). As I'll be back at school next week, I picked a cute Penny Black image of a rather studious mouse from the 'Cheerful Critters' set. I stamped it on to a snippet of watercolour paper, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. I used snippets of a couple of papers with a sort of 'graph paper' design on from the 'Fresh Florals' pad by Craft Sensations...distressing the edges, then adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

Challenges for this calendar:

• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Back to School
• Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - Anything Goes
• Dream Valley - Back to School
• Just Us Girls - Back to School
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes

Flower Bear

Today's card features a cute Woodware stamp that I got for my birthday earlier this month, called 'Flower Bear'. I stamped him on to watercolour paper, coloured him using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut him out. I embossed a snippet of bright pink card using my Couture Creations 'Crazy Daisy' embossing folder, and matted that on to a snippet of bright blue card. I cut a little speech bubble from some light pink card, then stamped my sentment (from the 'It's Your Day' set by Penny Black), and added that along with the bear popped up on some 3D foam pads.

Challenges for this card:

• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Sweet Stampers - Embossing and/or Stencils
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Tall Pines

I have a trio of clean and simple Christmas cards to share today, made using a Tim Holtz/Sizzix embossing folder called 'Tall Pines' that I picked up yesterday in a charity shop.

On the first card, I simply embossed some white card, and added a sentiment (from the 'Winter Blessings' set by Crafter's Companion), before distressing the edges a little and adding the panel to a white card blank.

On the second card, I inked up the embossing folder using 'Old Paper' Distress Ink, before embossing a piece of watercolour paper. I added a simple sentiment (from the 'Many Blessings' set by Hero Arts), and distresse the edges before adding the panel to a kraft card blank.

On the final card, I embossed some kraft card, then gently rubbed a white inkpad over the raised trees, before splattering it with some more white ink. I added a sentiment (from the 'Festive Phrases' set by Funky Fossil), distressed the edges, then added it to a kraft card blank.

Challenges for these cards:

• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes (Optional 'Embossing')
• Perfectly CAS - Embossing (First card only)
• Rudolph Days - Anything Christmas Goes
• Time Out - Festive

Golden Wedding

I have a Golden Wedding Anniversary card to share today. I cut the heart shape and numbers from gold card using my Cricut Joy...this was a birthday gift, and I'm still trying to get to grips with it! I added them to some cream card, then heat embossed a sentiment (from the 'Go To Words' set by Visible Image), in metallic gold (from WOW). I matted the panel on to some gold glitter card, and then on to a cream card blank, before adding some adhesive gold pearls.

Challenges for this card:

• Allsorts - Anything Goes
• Creatalicious - Anything Goes
• Daring Cardmakers - In the Long Run (I would say that 50 years is a long time!)
• Krafty Chicks - All Occasions
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Floral Bouquet

Today's card features some stamps from a set that I got for my birthday earlier this month...'Floral Bouquet' by Woodware. I stamped the large vase image on to watercolour paper, along with one of the sentiments from the set, then coloured the image using watercolour pencils. I distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen, before adding the panel to a kraft card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• AAA Birthday - Anything Birthday
• Allsorts - Anything Goes
• C.R.A.F.T. - Anything Goes
• Crafty Friends - Summer Colours

Sparkly Snowflakes

I have a Christmas card to share today, which you may think looks familiar...and you'd be right! I made the background at the same time as this card a couple of weeks ago...if I was going to get inky and messy, I figured I may as well make it worth my while! The background piece was made in exact same way...a piece of watercolour paper embossed using a Sizzix 'Snowflakes' folder, then rubbed with Distress Inks in shades of blue & green, spritzed with water and left to dry. This time, I wanted to add some sparkle, so rubbed my Versamark inkpad over the raised areas, and heat embossed it using 'Sparkling Snow' embossing powder from WOW. It's so pretty & sparkly in real life, and couldn't bear to cover it up, so I matted it on to a snippet of navy card, and added a simple little sentiment (from the 'Top Hat Robin' set by Woodware Stamps) heat embossed in white on a teeny snippet of the same navy card.

Challenges for this card:

• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Christmas
• Time Out - Make Your Own Background 

PBSC August - Anything Goes (Optional 'Music')...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

'Music'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

My card follows the 'Music' theme, and is another I made to post out to a pupil with their music exam certificate from the end of last term, as they're changing schools, so I won't be seeing them again. This time I used a stamp called 'Merry Band', stamping it on to a kraft card blank, along with sentiments from the 'Critter Concert' set by Lawn Fawn, then coloured the image using watercolour pencils.

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

• Creative Fingers - Anything Goes
• Creative Knockouts - Anything Goes
• Krafty Chicks - CAS
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes

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