PBSC September - Anything Goes (Optional 'Embossing')...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

'Embossing (Wet or Dry)'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I used dry embossing on my first card for this month's challenge, so went with wet (heat) ebossing this time. The image I used is called 'Warm Reception', and I stamped it on to a piece of navy card, using white pigment ink, then heat embossed it using white embossing powder. I did the same with the sentiment (from the Hunky Dory 'Trimming the Tree' set), then trimmed the panel down a little before adding it to a white card blank.

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

• A Bit More Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• Cards Galore Encore - Anything Goes
• Corrosive - Anything Goes
• Creatalicious - Anything Goes
• Creative Moments - Anything Goes
• My Time to Craft - Embossing

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

Guest Designer - Christmas Card Throwdown

A few weeks ago, I was picked as the lucky winner of a Christmas Card Throwdown Challenge, and asked to be a guest designer for their challenge this week, where the thme is:

Now, I will admit that this theme had me totally stumped...despite my 'comprehensive' stamp collection, I had no suitable stamps, and the only patterned peper in my stash with 'things in jars' on was very obviously meant for Halloween crafting, not Christmas, so I drew myself a jar shape on some watercolor paper, and stamped a cute Lili of the Valley image (called 'Red Squirrels Christmas Tree') inside it. I coloured the image using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut around the jar outline, before adding some Baker's twine aroun the neck of the jar. I used papers from the 'Chalkbord Christmas' pad by Craftwork Cards for the background, distressing the edges a little and adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a white gel pen.

For more inspiration from the wonderful Design Team members, please pop over to the Christmas Card Throwdown. Thanks for having me ladies! 

Teddy & Snowman

Today's card features another charity shop find...the cute stamp (from a clear stamp set that did not have any markings on it, but I think is by Kanban), and a new stencil ('Snowflake Flurry' by Creative Expressions) that I picked up recently in a lovely Aladdin's cave of a craft shop in Diss whilst visiting my parents. I stamped the image on to watercolour paper, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. I used the stencil to make a simple background, inking the design with 'Stormy Sky' Distress Ink on some light blue card. I inked around the edges, then distressed them lightly, before adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. I matted everything on to some navy card, then added a die cut snowflake (cut using my Cuttlebug 'Ice Crystal' die), with a little adhesive pearl in its centre.

Challenges for this card:

• Christmas Card Throwdown - Three Shades of Blue
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Happy Little Stampers (Stencils) - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Fun with Stencils
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Lots of Layers
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Merry Band

Today's card was made to send to one of my pupils, to go with her certificate for passing a music exam. It features a Penny Black stamp called 'Merry Band', stamped directly on to a kraft card blank, then simply coloured using watercolour pencils. The sentiment stamps are from the 'Critter Concert' set by Avery Elle.

Challenges for this card:

• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Cute Card Thursday - Anything Goes
• Cutie Pie - Cute Celebrations
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• The Sisterhood of Crafters - Cute & Simple
• We Love Chocolate Baroque - Anything Goes (Optional 'Celebrations')

Pastoral

I have a couple of simple floral cards to share today, featuring another of my recent charity shop stamp finds. This one is an old Penny Black brush stroke stamp called 'Pastoral'. I painted Distress Inks on to the stamp (Dusty Concord, Chipped Sapphire, Peeled Paint & Forest Moss), then spritzed it with a little water before stamping onto watercolour paper. I added simple sentiments (from the 'Sketched Flowers' set by Simon Says Stamp), then distressed the eges a little before adding the panels to kraft card blanks.

Challenges for these cards:

• Crafty Creations - Anything Goes
• Crazy for Challenges - Let's Do Flowers
• Creative Fingers - Anything Goes
• Creative Knockouts - Anything Goes
• Happy Little Stamper (Watercolour) - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Stamp It

Baubles!

Today's card features another charity shop find...not a stamp this time, but a Cuttlebug embossing folder called 'Christmas Ornaments'. I embossed a snippet of watercolour affect paper (from the 'Mystery Marbles' pad by Craft Sensations) with the folder, then lightly sanded over the raised edges to reveal a little of the white core. I then cut a bauble from another snippet of paper from the same pad using one of my Sizzix 'Intricate Baubles' dies, hand cutting a matching plain bauble from a snippet of silver mirror card to layer behind it. More snippets for the little bauble 'cap' and 'string' for it to hang from, all layered up and mounted on the embossed background using 3D foam pads. I die cut the sentiment from another snippet of the silver card using Creative Expressions die, then matted it all on to yet more silver card before adding it to my card blank.

Challenges for thi card:

• Happy Little Stampers (Christmas) - Anything Goes (Optional Non-traditional)
• Happy Little Stampers (Dies) - Anything Goes
• Merry Little Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Sparkle & Shine
• The Holly & the Ivy - Anything Christmas Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
• Use Your Stuff - Anything Goes

...for a Spin!

Today's card features another of the bargain stamps (5 for £1!) I found in a charity shop recently...this one is by Penny Black and is called '...for a Spin!'. I stamped it onto watercolour paper along with a sentiment from the 'Big Messages' set by Paula Pascual, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. I paired it with papers from the 'Happy Day' pad by My Mind's Eye...distressing the edges a little then adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

Challenges for this card:

• Allsorts - Anything Goes
• Crafter's Cafe - Anything Goes
• My Time to Craft - Travel/Transport
• Seize the Birthday - Anything Birthday
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Stamp It!

Robin Stack

Today's card features a cute Woodware stamp that I received for my birthday called 'Robin Stack'. I stamped it directly on to a DL kraft card blank, along with one of the sentiments in the set, then coloured the image using watercolour pencils.

Challenges for this card:

• C.R.A.F.T. - Christmas
• Christmas Cards All Year Round - Something Beginning with Q and/or R (Robins)
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Happy Little Stampers (CAS) - Winged Things
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Stamp It
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Stamp It

PBSC September - Anything Goes (Optional 'Embossing')

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
'Embossing (Wet or Dry)'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I've used a cute little mouse stamp called 'Sweet Thoughts' that I found in a charity shop on my card. I stamped him on to a snippet of watercolour paper, coloured him using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut him out. I made a simple embossed backgound using my'Cany Hearts' embossing folder by Sizzix/Craft Asylum...then distressed the edges a little and matted it on to a layer of pink card, also with distressed edges, then popped the little mouse on top using 3D foam pads. The sentiment was made using a couple of the stamps from the 'Fuzzy Robin' set by Woodware.

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

• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything Goes
• A Perfect Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Stamp It!
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

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

'S is for Stencil'

&

'T is for Two'

There's a wonderful prize on offer for the lucky winner a $10 gift card for MFT:

I don't have any stencils, so 'S is for Stencil' was a bit of a challenge! I set about making my own using some of my Christmas dies...and after a few failed attempts with acetate, I ended up cutting one using my Cuttlebug 'Ice Crystal' die and some very thick card. I used it to stencil a snowflake on to a navy card blank used a couple of colours of Izink Diamond glitter paints, allowing the two colours to blend together. Once dry, I stamped and embossed a Penny Black sentiment using 'Metallic Platinum Sparkle' embossing glitter from WOW.

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

• Allsorts - Clean & Simple
• Christmas Card Throwdown - Stencils
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Glimmer & Sparkle
• Time Out - Coloured Card Base

On my 'T is for Two' card, I used a Penny Black image of TWO hedgies with TWO gifts from the 'Jolly Friends' set...stamping it on to a snippet of watercolour paper and colouring it using watercolour pencils, before carefully cutting it out. I made a simple background for them using snippets of TWO papers (one from the 'Pastel Pinks' pad from the Works, and one from the 'Mystery Marbles' pad by Craft Sensations), tearing the edge of the one for the 'snow'. I added a TWO word sentiment from the 'Bauble Owl' set by Woodware and some sparkle to the snow on their umbrella using some Stickles, matting it all on to some navy card before adding it to my card blank.

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

• As You Like It - Favourite Wild Animal (Hedgehogs...especially these cute Penny Black ones!)
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes

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

Stained Glass Candles

Today's card features a Woodware stamp called 'Stained Glass Candles'. I stamped it on to black card using Versamark Ink, then heat embossed it using metallic gold embossing powder, along with a sentiment from another Woodware stamp set called 'Bauble Owl'. I watercoloured the image using Cosmic Shimmer pigments, then matted the panel on to gold card before adding it to my card blank.

It's really shiny in real life, so here's another angle:

Challenges for this card:

• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes (Optional 'Embossing')
• Creative Moments - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• The Holly & the Ivy - Anything Christmas Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Sketched Flowers

Today's card features one of my favourite stamps...'Sketched Flowers' by Simon Says Stamp. I partially stamped it along the top and bottom edges of a piece of watercolour paper using Versamark Ink, then heat embossed it using gold metallic embossing powder from WOW. I then watercoloured the images lots of Distress Inks (Victorian Velvet, Seedless Preserves, Fired Brick, Dusty Concord, Chipped Sapphire, Shaded Lilac, Forest Moss, Crushed Olive, Peeled Paint, Pine Needles & Lucky Clover). I made the sentiment using several of the stamps from the 'Go To Words' set by Visible Images, heat embossing each section as I went with more of the metallic gold. I matted the watercoloured panel on to some gold mirror card before adding it to the card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• Cards Galore Encore - Anything Goes
• Happy Little Stampers (CAS) - Off the Edge
• Happy Little Stampers (Watercolour) - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• We Love Chocolate Baroque - Favourite Stamps

Butterfly Wishes

Todays cards feature a new die I got for my birthday a couple of weeks ago...'Butterfly Wishes' by Crafters Companion. I kept the design of the two cards the same, cutting the die from hammered white card, and mounting it over lilac card on the first, and from aqua card and mounting it over aqua glitter card for the second. On both cards I added a sentiment from the 'Go To Words' set by Visible Image.

Challenges for these cards:

• CAS on Friday - Butterfly
• Seize the Birthday - Anything Birthday Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• Simply Create Too - Monochromatic (second card only)
• Sparkles Forum - Monochromatic (second card only)

A Wish and a Kiss

Today's card features another of my charity shop bargain stamps...this one is 'A wish and a kiss' by Penny Black. I stamped it directly on to a kraft card blank, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Bauble Owl' set by Woodware.

Challenges for this card:

• A Perfect Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• Christmas Card Throwdown - Birds
• Christmas with the Cuties - Anything Cute & Christmassy
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Add a Swntiment
• Stamping Sensations - Any Celebration

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

'Interactive'

(Shaker, Slider, Spinner, Pop-up, Wobble etc)

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I made a wobble card this time...complete with a DIY 'wobble'! I started by stamping one of the cute pups from the 'Man's Best Friend' set onto a snippet of watercolour paper, then coloured him using watercolour pencils before carefully cutting him out. I then set about making the 'wobble' by winding some jewellery wire around a pencil a few times to make a 'spring', then sandwiched each of the ends between a couple of die cut circles cut from more snippets of cardboard. I made a little scene for him to be jumping through from more snippets of card and lots of dies (Memory Box 'Puffy Clouds', Lawn Fawn 'Stitched Hillside Borders' and Die-namics 'Picket Fence' & 'Grassy Edge'). I added some texture to a couple of the layers using Cuttlebug embossing folders ('Dots' & 'Charles'), then added my wobbling pup over the top!

The 'wobble'was not the easiest thing to capture in a photo, so here's a short video showing it in action:

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

• Creative Fingers - Anything Goes
• Cute Card Thursday - Anything Goes
• Happy Little Stampers (Dies) - Anything Goes
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Dry Embossing
• Sweet Stampers - Dies and/or Punches

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

Muscle Mouse

Today's card features another of my '5 for £1' charity shop bargain stamps. This one is an old House Mouse stamp called 'Muscle Mouse', which I stamped on to watercolour paper, then coloured using watercolour pencils. I picked some snippets of card in co-ordinating pastel colours, then embossed them using various Cuttlebug embossing folders (Spots & Dots, Zig-zag, Diamond Plate & Stars). I distressed all of the edges a little before assembling it all. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Cheering Critters' set by Penny Black.

Challenges for this card:

• A Bit More Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• House Mouse & Friends - Anything Goes
• Little Red Wagon - Animal Antics
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Dry Embossing
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Add a Sentiment
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Guest Designer - Penny's Paper-Crafty Challenge

I was picked as the winner over at the Penny's Paper Crafty Challenge of a recent challenge, and asked to guest design for one of their future challenges. 

Today, I'm excited to be sharing my card their new challenge the theme is:

'Anything Goes Using Paper'

The sponsor for this challenge is Dr Digi's House of Stamps:

(See challenge blog for prize details)

I have used one of Dr Digi's images on my card...this one is called 'Patient Pets'. I coloured it using watercolour pencils, then simply matted it on to some green card, then on to a kraft card blank. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Dawn loves her doggie' set by Stamping Bella

For more inspiration from the wonderful Design Team, please pop over to Penny's Paper Crafty Challenge.

Meeting Shelty!

Today's card features another recent charity shop find...this adorable Penny Black stamp called 'Meeting Shelty'. The wooden stamps were all on offer (5 for £1!) and there were lots of lovely ones, including some more Penny Blacks, so it would have been rude not to fill a basket! I stamped it on to watercolour paper, then coloured it using waterolour pencils, and added a sentiment from the 'Big Messages' set by Paula Pascual. The papers are from the 'Bright Freshness' pad by Craft Sensations...I lightly distressed the edges before adding some faux stitching using my CuttleBee Bug and a black gel pen.

Challenges for this card:

• Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - Anything Goes
• Creative Knockouts - All Stitched Up
• Seize the Birthday - Anything Birthday
• Stamping Sensations - Any Celebration
• Sweet Stampin' - Feature an Animal