ABC Christmas Challenge - R is for...

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

'R is for Recycling...plus Ribbon or Rhinestones...or both!'

That's right...we've gone green...so there must be something recycled on your project.

If you're in need of ideas, you can find lots of hints & tips over on the ABC Christmas Challenge.

We are sponsored for this challenge by Digital Delights.

The prize for one lucky winner is 3 digi stamps of their choice.

Inspired by this tag by Tim Holtz, I recycled the plastic packaging from an embossing folder:

I embossed the plastic using my Cuttlebug 'Snowflakes' folder...then used it as an overlay on my card. I created the scene underneath my using Distress Inks (Stormy Sky & Faded Jeans) for the background, and then adding a snowy effect around the edges with my Versamark inkpad and white embossing powder. I made the snowman using circles cut using Nesties, hand cutting his eyes, nose and arms, and inking around the edges a little. The trees were cut using a Marianne Designs Creatables die...then I sanded the edges to reveal the white core to look like snow.

And if you're wondering where the ribbon or rhinestones are...I used gem brads (from Craft Obsessions) to hold the plastic in place...you can see them a little better in this photo:

Challenges for this card:

• For Fun - Christmas in August
• Lollipop Crafts - Recycle It
• Prairie Fairy - Inspired by a Book ('The Snowman' by Raymond Briggs)

For more inspiration...and some great recycling tips...from my lovely DT buddies, please visit the ABC Christmas Challenge.

Time for Cake!

The image on today's card is a stamp from a freebie set thaat came with this month's Quick Cards Made Easy magazine...the sentiment is from the same set. I used my Cuttlebug 'Swiss Dots', 'D'Vine Swirls' and 'Textile' folders for the embossing. I distressed all of the edges using 'Old Paper' Distress Ink and my distressing tool, then added some lace (from Hobbycraft) and some adhesive pearls.

Challenges for this card:

• Birthday Sundaes - Photo Inspiration 
• Creative Card Crew - Anything Goes
• Creative Inspirations (Sundays) - Choice of recipes (I chose Shabby Chic, Pearls & Lace)
• Mojo Monday - Sketch
• Top Tip Tuesday - Shabby Chic

Blooming Meadows...Again!

I'm sorry if you're getting fed up with seeing me use this stamp...but I can't help it...I love it! Just to be different, this card is A6 sized...with the fold on the short edge. I coloured directly on to the stamp ('Blooming Meadows' by Hero Arts) using Distress Inks (Wild Honey, Spiced Marmalade, Fired Brick, Forest Moss, Faded Jeans, Chipped Saphire & Dusty Concord)...then spritzed it with a little water, and stamped it through a circular mask (cut using one of my Nesties)...not sure if it really works, but you can just about tell it's in the shape of a circle - I also tried it with the circle embossed...but I didn't like that one! lol
The sentiment stamp is from the 'Wonderful' set by Penny Black.

Challenges for this card:

• Less is More - Recipe: Take 3 Things (#2 - Flowers, #12 - Off Centre & #28 - Use Ink)
• PaperCrafting Journey - Anything Goes
• Sisterhood of Crafters - Flower Power

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.

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - Under the Sea

Please scroll down for my Penny Black Saturday Challenge DT card.

**********************************

 
It's Andie's turn to choose the theme of the Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge this week, and she has chosen:

'Under the Sea'

As it's the last challenge of the month, it's your last chance to be included for the draw for the prize from our fabulous sponsor The Stamping Boutique.

Now, this challenge had me stumped...until I came across these fabulous little fish digi stamps from Hambo...so cute! I decided to make a little underwater scene...and cut the fish out after colouring them with watercolour pencils. I used plain blue and yellow Bazzill card for the background...adding a few air bubbles with a black gel pen for each fish. The 'weeds' are actually bits of a Christmas tree cut using a Marianne Designs Creatables die. To create a bubbly water effect, I overlayed a piece of plastic (recycled from an embossing folder packet), embossed with my Cuttlebug 'Tiny Bubbles' folder. The sentiment is computer generated.

Here's another view...you'll be able to see it clearer if you click to enlarge it:

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

• Anything Goes - TV/Films (Mine's 'Finding Nemo')

For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please visit the Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge.

Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Sketch by Nat

This week at the Penny Black Saturday Challenge, we have a fabulous sketch for you, by Nat:

We are sponsored for this challenge by

 

And the prize is 4 rolls or ribbon of the winner's choice!

I tidied my stamps last weekend...and unearthed some neglected stamps...I haven't used this skating doggy ('Ice Dance') for ages, so I thought it was about time he saw some ink! Whilst tidying, I also discovered these papers that my lovely friend Samantha had sent me ages ago...I'm afraid I have no idea who made them. I kept it really simple...and flat so it's cheap to post...and just added a few Cuttlebug snowflakes.

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

• Crafty Creations - Inner Animal (I'm fairly sure my inner animal is a daft dog! lol)
• Top Tip Tuesday - Masculine
• Wags 'N Whiskers - Outdoor Fun

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

Trimming the Tree

The adorable little hedgehog on today's card is of course by Penny Black...it's from the 'Holly Jolly' set. The papers are from the 'Countdown to Christmas' pad by My Mind's Eye...as is the sentiment...which I cut from the sheet of text paper. The snowflakes were cut using Cuttlebug and Marianne Designs Creatables dies, the brads are by American Crafts, and I used my EK Success 'Scalloped Diamonds' punch for the border. I glittered all the snowflakes, stars and snow with some 'Crystal' Stickles.

 Challenges for this card:

• Charisma Cardz - Glitter It
• Christmas Cards - Glitter
• Crazy4Challenges - Bingo (Square Card-Die Cuts-2 Designer Papers)
• Creative Inspirations (Wednesdays) - Text Me
• Gem of a Challenge - Sketch
• Oldie, but a Goodie - Lots of Sparkle (I got this stamp set last summer)
• Papertake Weekly - Dies to die for
• Raise the Bar - Red, Blue & Green
• Sew Many - Edge Punches
• Winter Wonderland - Trim the Tree

Sunset Meadows

I've had another play with my new 'Blooming Meadows' stamp (by Hero Arts)...and some new Distress Inks that I bought with a gift voucher I was given for my birthday :0)
I stamped the image in Versamark, then heat embossed it in Opaque White...before blending 'Wild Honey', 'Spiced Marmalade' and 'Fired Brick' inks over the top, to look like a sunset...although it kind of looks like a sunrise too! The papers are from the 'Ooh La La (for Him)' collection by My Mind's Eye...I embossed the plainer one using my Cuttlebug 'Victoria' folder, then added faux stitching with my CutterBee Bug and a white gel pen.

Challenges for this card:

• Crafty Calendar - Hot Colours
• One Stop Craft - Bold & Bright
• Pollycraft - Autumn Colours
• The Stamp Man - Anything Goes with Summer colours

And...just before I go...as I was writing this post, the Postie brought me another birthday card! It's from my lovely ABC Christmas Challenge DT buddy Delphine...thank you...I love it!

ABC Christmas Challenge - Q is for...

I've got another card for the current ABC Christmas Challenge for you today...where the theme is:

'Q is for Quote'

Nice & easy...just include a quote/sentiment on your card.

We have two wonderful sponsors for this challenge...so that means two wonderful prizes!

Firstly, we have Robyn's Fetish

 The prize is 5 digital products of the winner's choice from the Robyn's Fetish store.

Our second sponsor is Stamping with Brenda

Brenda's prize is a 3 month subscription to her 'How to WOW Paper Crafting Techniques Club'

I've used another image from Robyn's Fetish...he's called Paul Penguin...and I coloured him using watercolour pencils. I used Distress Inks (Tumbled Glass & Stormy Sky), adapting one of Brenda's 'How to Wow' Techniques, to create a sort of blizzardy sky...as he looks to me like he's trudging through the snow. The sentiment stamp is by Penny Black.

Challenges for this card:

• Hooked on Craft - Things with Wings 
• Stampavie & More - Christmas in Summer
• Winter Wonderland - Cards for Men

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

Cupcake Mice

I've used one of my old favourite stamps on today's card...it's from the 'Critter Party' set by Penny Black...and I coloured it using watercolour pencils. All of the papers are by My Mind's Eye (from the '29th Street Market' and 'Penny Lane' collections), and I embossed the plain ones using my 'Hexagon Illusions' and 'Cupcakes' folders by Craft Concepts...sanding over the top to reveal the white core. I added some faux stitching around the edges with my CutterBee Bug and a white gel pen, and used my EK Success 'Scalloped Diamonds' punch for the border.

Challenges for this card:

• Card Patterns - Sketch
• Craft Your Days Away - Cupcakes
• Creative Inspirations (Wednesdays) - Favourite Stamp (So hard to choose just one...but this is definitely one of my favourites)
• Fab 'n' Funky - Stitching
• Totally Gorjuss - Cute & Cuddly

Driving along in my automobile...

Another one layer card today...this one is  DL size...and uses a stamp from the 'Hello Friend' set by Penny Black. I coloured it using watercolour pencils, and gave the car a generous coating of Glossy Accents. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Anytime Messages' set by Hero Arts...that's it...simples.

Challenges for this card:

• Charisma Cardz - Negative Space
• Lollipop Crafts - Make it Masculine
• Less is More - Things that Move
• My Time to Craft - G is for...Gloss

Bubble Trees & Paper Candy

I have a couple of really simple Christmas cards today...using stamps from my Woodware 'Bubble Tree' set. They are A6 sized, but with the fold along the shorter edge...and flat too, so cheap to post! I stamped and embossed the images and sentiments in black, then painted the 'bubbles' using various shades of blue Distress Inks (Tumbled Glass, Faded Jeans, Stormy Sky, Chipped Saphire & Weathered Wood), then went over the top with Glossy Accents, to make them look more 'bubbly'.

Here's a close-up of one of the cards, which shows the gloss a little clearer:

Challenges for these cards:

• Christmas Inspirations - Clean & Simple
• Christmas Stampin' All Year Long - Non-Traditional Colours (NO Red or Green)
• Crafts & Me - Blues
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Goes
• Scrapbook Sisters - Blue
• Sketchy Colours - Shades of Blue

Before I go...I just have to tell you all about Amy's candy. I'm sure that lots of you will remember the 1000 sheets of paper giveaway that she did to celebrate her first blogoversary last year...well, she's doing it again...and is giving away another 1000 sheets of paper:

Wow...that's a lot of paper to get through in a year! It's not just just paper....there are lots of lovely stamps on offer too...you can find out all about it here on her blog.

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - Make a Scene

Please scroll down for my Penny Black Saturday Challenge DT post

*********************************

This week it's Wendy's turn to choose the theme of the Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge, and she has chosen:

'Make a Scene'

(Create a scene on your project, either using stamps, digis, die cuts or a mixture)

I started by making a snowy night sky using Distress Inks (Chipped Saphire, Stormy Sky, Faded Jeans & Weathered Wood), the added torn strips of white card  to the bottom to look like snow...I added 'Polar White' Flowersoft and Glamour Dust to the torn edges. I used my new tree die (it's by Marianne Designs Creatables) to cut the trees...it was a birthday gift from my lovely friend Pauline...I sanded them to add a little dimension, then added more Flowersoft 'snow'. The adorable bear is a digi stamp from Pollycraft called 'Bronson & Beaker Star Gazing'...I coloured him using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut him out...adding a star to one of the trees instead. The star and little snowflakes were cut using Cuttlebug dies.

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

• Bah! Humbug! - Something New (the tree die...and I haven't used this digi before either!)
• Totally Papercrafts - Christmas in August

For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please visit the Secret Crafter Staurday Challenge.

Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Shabby Chic

This week at the Penny Black Saturday Challenge, we've come over all:

'Shabby Chic'

The prize for this challenge is this adorable stamp from former PBSC DT member Carole:

I've used a stamp that I won on a PBSC ages ago called 'Irises' (it's one of the cling stamps) on my card. I coloured directly on to the stamp using Distress Inks (Bundled Sage, Dusty Concord & Chipped Saphire), then spritzed it with a little water before stamping...think I rather overdid the water, but it kind of goes with the 'shabby' feel of the card! I embossed a couple of pieces of card using my Cuttlebug 'Kassie's Brocade' and 'Victoria' folders...sanding over the surface to reveal the white core. I distressed all of the edges using inks and my distressing tool...then added some adhesive pearls & seam binding ribbon (from Wild Orchid Crafts) for the 'chic' element.

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

• Craft Us Crazy - Anything Goes
• Crafty Sentiments - No Sentiments
• Papertake Weekly - Bingo - I chose Pearls-Ribbon-Free (Embossing)

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

Cutie Pie

The cutie on today's card doesn't seem to have a name...she's one of 'Dawn's Stamps' by Nellie Snellen simply called '3' on the back of the packet! She was a birthday gift from my lovely friend Kaz - thank you! I coloured her using watercolour pencils, then added some 'Crystal' Stickles to the candles. I've used a mixture of BasicGrey ('Hopscotch') and My Mind's Eye ('Wild Asparagus') papers...distressing the edges with my distressing tool. The sentiment is from the 'Cupcakes' set by Hero Arts.

Challenges for this card:

• CES - Mix & Match (BasicGrey 'Hopscotch' & My Mind's Eye 'Wild Asparagus') 
• Simon Says Stamp - Food & Drink
• Stampavie & More - Girly
• Stamp with Fun - Sketch

Fergus with Cupcake

The adorable stamp I've used on this card was a present from my lovely friend Samantha for my birthday last week...he's called 'Fergus with Cupcake' by Wild Rose Studio. I coloured him with watercolour pencils to match the 'Archaic' papers by BasicGrey...although his bright red cherry doesn't really go! I distressed all of the edges with inks & my distressing tool, and added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The sentiment is from a little Studio G set, and the sparkly brads are by American Crafts.

Challenges for this card:

• Birthday Sundaes - At least 3 Brads
• Cards for Men - Anything Goes
• Cupcake Craft - Sketch
• Here Come the Boys - Critters
• Pink Elephant - Stitching
• Pollycraft - Distressing
• Sew Many - 3 or more Brads
• Stamp & Create - Critters

More Birthday Cards! :0)

I was away from home for my birthday, and I arrived home yesterday to a lovely big pile of gorgeous cards from some more of my crafty buddies...so I thought I'd share some photos with you.

From Beth & Debby

From Nat & Liz

 From Carrisa & Jenny

From Bridget & Francesca

Thanks girls - I love them all...and had great fun trying to work out who'd made each one before I read the messages inside! lol