PBSC May - Anything Goes (Optional 'Nature')...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

'Nature'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I used my Penny 'Blossom Branch' stamp, inking it with Distress Inks (Dusty Concord, Seedless Preserves, Rustic Wilderness and Peeled Paint), spritzing with water, then stamping on to watercolour paper a couple of times. I added a sentiment from the 'Signature Greetings' set by Memory Box, then distressed the edges a little before adding to a DL kraft card blank.

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

• Seize the Birthday - Anything Birthday
• Sparkles Forum - Floral Frenzy 
• Stamping Sensations - Anything Stamped (Optional 'Flora or Fauna')
• We Love Stamping - For a Lady or Girl

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

Holly Jolly Christmas Tree

I have a Christmas card to share today, made using a Crafter's Companion stamp called 'Holly Jolly Christmas Tree'. I stamped the tree on to teal card using a white pigment ink, then heat embossed it in white. I inked around the edge of the panel with more of the white ink, then heat embossed those in white too before adding it to a matching teal card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• Christmas Craft Creations - Two Colours
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Creative Fingers - Anything Goes
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Sparkles Forum Christmas - Christmas Sentiments
• The Holly & the Ivy - Anything Christmas Goes

Burst into Bloom

I have a simple one layer card to share today...featuring an old Woodware stamp called 'Burst into Bloom'. I stamped it directly onto a kraft card blank, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Signature Greetings' set by Memory Box.

Challenges for this card:

• AAA Cards - No Layers + Plant, Grow or Farm
• Addicted to CAS - Flower
• CASology - Botanical
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Little Red Wagon - Make it Bloom
• Stamping Sensations - Anything Stamped (Optional 'Flora or Fauna')
• Sweet Stampers - Birthday
• We Love Stamping - For a Lady or Girl

More Beaded Bracelets

I have a few beaded bracelets to share today, made using the same technique as this wrap one I blogged last month. This time I made these so that they would go around the wrist just once, using a selection of glass crackle beads.

Challenges for these bracelets:

• A Perfect Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• C.R.A.F.T. - Anything Goes
• Crafty Calendar - Anything Goes
• Creative Knockouts - Anything Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

ABC Christmas Challenge - J & K are for?

It's the second 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:

'J is for Joke'

(Funny/Punny Sentiment or Humorous Image)

&

'K is for Kraft'

The prize on offer for this challenge is a $10 My Favorite Things gift card from Wei:

For my 'J is for Joke' card, I combined a few of the critters from a Lili of the Valley set of 'Carol Singers' stamps...masking the central mouse image...to create a little scene. I coloured them using watercolour pencils, then added a sentiment from the 'Caroling Chicks' set by Stamping Bella. 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.

On my 'K is for Kraft' card, I used my 'Connor's Crown Jewels' stamp by IndigoBlu...stamping it on to kraft card using a white pigment ink pad, then heat embossed it in white. I made a simple background, using my 'Collage Music Background' stamp by Hero Arts...again stamping and embossing in white on more kraft, then distressed the edges a little before layering them on to a kraft card blank.

I'm also entering these cards into the foloowing challenges:

• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes (Optional 'Hand Coloured Image')
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Creative Fingers - Anything Goes
• Happy Little Stampers (Christmas) - Anything Christmas Goes
• Merry Little Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• The Holly & the Ivy - Anything Christmas Goes

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

Doggy Driver

Today's card features a dog from the 'Hello Friend' set by Penny Black...I stamped him on to watercolour paper, along with a sentiment from the 'Anytime Messages' set by Hero Arts, then coloured him using watercolour pencils. I paired it with papers from the 'Fresh Florals' pad by Craft Sensations...although obviously none of these ones actually feature any flowers! I distressed all of the edges, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. 

Challenges for this card:

• Alphabet Challenge - C is for Cars
• As You Like It - Favourite Layout (This is one I've used many times...it allows me to combine lots of pretty papers and also looks good with a circular image)
• Cardz for Guys - D is for ? (Doggy Driver)
• Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - Anything Goes
• Creative Knockouts - Anything Goes
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes

PBSC May - Anything Goes (Optional 'Nature')

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
'Nature'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I used the floral stamp 'Together', inking it with Distress Inks (Broken China, Chipped Sapphire & Dusty Concord for the flowers, and Peeled Paint & Rustic Wilderness for the leaves and stems), then spritzing with a little water before stamping on to watercolour paper. I added some splatters of the same inks, and a sentiment from the 'Signature Greetings' set by Memory Box, then distressed the edges a little before adding it to a kraft card blank.

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

• C.R.A.F.T. - Birthday
• Happy Little Stampers (Watercolour) - Anything Goes
• Krafty Chicks - Stamp Act
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Stamping Sensations - Anything Stamped (Optional 'Flora/Fauna')

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

Mice Birthday

Today's card features one of the cute stamps from the set that I won recently on the House Mouse & Friends Challenge. The set is called 'Birthday Splash' by Stampendous, and I stamped the image and one of the matching sentiments on to some watercolour paper, then coloured it using watercolour pencils, before cutting it out using one of my circle Nesties. I lightly distressed the edges of the image, and those of a strip of paper from the 'Let's Celebrate' pad from Poundland, then added them both to a kraft card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Dream Valley - Four-legged Friends
• House Mouse & Friends - Anything Goes (Optional 'Birthdays')
• Krafty Chicks - All Occasions
• Moving Along with the Times - Birthday
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes

Desk Calendar - May

Today I'm sharing my little desk calendar page for May. The calendar itself is from Paper Mill, and I've been using Penny Black images each month...the smaller stamps in the clear sets are perfect for this. On this month's page, I've combined a couple of stamps from the 'Wonderful Day' set...stamping them on to watercolour paper and colouring them using watercolour pencils. I paired it with snippets of paper from the 'Bright Freshness' pad by Craft Sensations...adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

Challenges for this calendar:

• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything Goes
• Crafty Friends - Animals or Birds
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Bearing Gifts

Today's card features the other Penny Black that I picked up in a charity shop recently for a £1! It's called 'Bearing Gifts'...and I stamped it on to watercolour paper, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. I paired it with a piece of floral paper from the 'Watercolour Feelings' pad from The Works...I distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen before matting the image and paper on to some co-ordinating coloured card.

Challenges for this card:

• Creative Knockouts - Flower Power
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• The Sisterhood of Crafters - April Showers Bring May Flowers

Snow Much Fun!

I have an ultra simple one layer Christmas card to share today, featuring one of the snowmen from the 'Snow Much Fun' set by Penny Black. I stamped him on to a kraft card blank, along with a sentiment from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous, then coloured him using watercolour pencils.

Challenges for this card:

• Addicted to CAS - One Layer Cards
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes (Optional 'Snowmen')
• Jingle Belles - Winter Fun
• Less is More - One Layer Cards & Off Centre
• Rudolph Days - Anything Christmas

Garden Birdhouses

Today's card features a stamp that I received with my Easter egg last weekend...it's an old wood mounted one by Stampendous called 'Garden Birdhouses'. I stamped it on to watercolour paper, adding a sentiment from the 'Doodled Flowers' set by Happy Little Stampers, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. I distressed the edges a little, then added it to a kraft card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• Allsorts - Something Beginning with B (Birdhouses & Blooms)
• Alphabet Challenge - B is for Blooms
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Creative Fingers - Anything Goes
• Seize the Birthday - Anything Birthday

Sailing with Butterflies

Today's card features one of two Penny Black stamps that I picked up last week in a charity shop for the bargain price of £1 each. It's an old wood-mounted one (in perfect condition) called 'Sailing with Butterflies'. I stamped it on to watercolour paper, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. The paper are from the 'Watercolour Feelings' pad from The Works...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 'Doodled Flowers' set by Happy Little Stampers.

Challenges for this card:

• Aud Sentiments - Use a Birthday Sentiment
• Corrosive - Anything Goes
• Creative Knockouts - Wings & Things or Furry Friends
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Stamping Sensations - I Love (Penny Black stamps, pretty papers, faux stitching & a bargain!)

Christmas Gnomes

I have a couple of Christmas cards to share today featuring some non-Christmas Gnome stamps by 2 Jays. I stamped the gnomes directly on the kraft card blanks, then coloured them using watercolour pencils in traditional Christmas shades of red & green. I added a little snippet of tartan paper (from the 'Jolly Santa' pad from The Works) along one edge of each of the cards, and sentiments from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Hotlz for Stampers Anonymous.

Challenges for these cards:

• Christmas Kickstart - Gnomes
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Goes
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets
• The Holly & the Ivy - Anything Christmas Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Odey & Friends

Today's card features a cute little puppy stamp from Craft Emotions called 'Odey & Friends - 6' that I received with my Easter egg yesterday. It's a 'front and back' stamp, so I stamped the front of the dogs on to an A5 card blank, along with a sentiment from the 'Sailing' set by Penny Black, then coloured them using watercolour pencils, before trimming around the top of the image.

Using my Tim Holtz stamping platform, I carefully stamped the back of their heads on the reverse, and coloured them, again using watercolour pencils. I added a snippet of paper (from the 'Mystery Marbles' pad by Craft Sensations) to the inside of the card to look like the sky behind them.

Challenges for this card:

• As You Like It - Floral or Cute (Cute...I do have some florals among my favourite stamps, but my first stamping love was cute critters)
• CASology - Fluffy
• Creative Knockouts - Anything Goes
• Lil Red Wagon - Three of Something
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes

PBSC April - Anything Goes (Optional 'Easter')...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

'Easter'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I made an Easter treat bag using the Penny Black 'Bun Buns' image, which I stamped on to watercolour paper, then coloured using watercolour pencils. I paired it with snippets of papers from the 'Recollections - Charming' pad by Michaels (found at TKMaxx)...distressing the edges, and adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Egg-cellent Easter Sentiments' set by C. C. Designs.

I'm also entering this treat bag into the following challenges:

• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything Goes
• C.R.A.F.T. - Spring/Easter
• Crafty Friends - Spring
• Fab 'N' Funky - Feature a Creature
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Sweet Treats

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

ABC Christmas Challenge - H & I are for?

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

'H is for Ho Ho Ho'

(feature either the words 'Ho Ho Ho' and/or Santa)

&

'I is for Inky'

There's a little prize on offer from me for the lucky winner:

For my 'Ho Ho Ho' card, I used a cute unbranded stamp called 'Father Xmas', stamping him on to watercolour paper, and colouring him using watercolour pencils. The papers are from the 'Jolly Santa' pad from The Works...I distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black pen. The sentiment stamp is from a set from the Crafter's Companion 'Moonbeam Meadow' collection called 'Santa's Delivery'.

For my 'Inky' card, I used Distress Inks to make a background for a cute Penny Black mouse called 'Snow Dance'...I stamped him on to watercolour paper, coloured him using watercolourpencils, then carefully cut around just the mouse in the image. To make the snowy sky background, I inked up an acrylic block using Peacock Feathers, Broken China, Chipped Sapphire and Dusty Concord Distress Inks, spritzed it with a little water before stamping it on to some watercolour paper. Once dry, I stamped my 'Falling Snow' background stamp (by Simon Says Stamp) on to it using Versamark Ink, then heat embossed it in white. I tore a snippet of the watercolour paper to make the snowy ground, then layered it all up, adding the mouse on top using 3D foam pads. The sentiment stamp is from a set by Lili of the Valley.

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

• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Happy Little Stampers (Christmas) - Anything Christmas Goes
• Merry Little Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Simply Create Too - Make Your Own Background (second card only)
• Stamping Sensations - I Love ? (Christmas cards, pretty papers, faux stitching & cute Penny Black critters)
• The Holly & the Ivy - Anything Christmas Goes

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

Totally Excited Easter Treat Bag

I have another Easter treat bag to share today...featuring a Penny Black stamp called 'Totally Excited!'. I stamped it on to watercolour paper, coloured it using watercolour pencils, added a sentiment from the 'Egg-cellent Easter Sentiments' set by C. C. Designs, then cut it out using one of my circle Nesties. The papers are from a pad from The Works (it's the first time I've used papers from it, and I can't remember the name...I'm not at home, so can't check)...I distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

Challenges for this tretat bag:

• Cut It Up - Easter
• Daring Cardmakers - Birds
• Krafty Chicks - Stamp Act
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Easter or Spring
• Sweet Stampers - Easter or Spring