Monday 31 October 2011

Boo!

HAPPY HALLOWE'EN

I have a 'spooky' card today...although I don't think this kitty is going to scare many people! He's from the 'Spooky' set by Penny Black...coloured using watercolour pencils. I used a couple of Cuttlebug folders for the embossing...distressing the edges a little. For the sentiment I cut the 'B' and '!' using my Cuttlebug 'Olivia' alphabet, and added a couple of googly eyes for the 'OO'.


Challenges for this card:

Sunday 30 October 2011

Wild Party

I've used another of the High Hopes stamps I got with the Stamp & Create voucher I won on Top Tip Tuesday a ittle while ago on today's card...it's called 'Wild Party'. I went a bit mad with my embossing folders ('Happy Birthday', 'Stars' & 'Spots & Dots' by Cuttlebug, and 'Hexagon Illusion' by Craft Concepts) for the background...distressing the edges, and adding faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a white gel pen. I cut the lettering using my Cuttlebug 'Olivia' alphabet.


Challenges for this card:

Saturday 29 October 2011

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - Spooky or Whimsical

Please scroll down for my Penny Black Saturday Challenge DT card

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

'Spooky or Whimsical'


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.

I went with 'spooky'...I've really been enjoying making Hallowe'en card this year! lol
The cute little 'witchy mouse' is from the 'Be Very Scared' set by Penny Black...coloured using watercolour pencils. I used a mixture of Cuttlebug and Tim Holtz folders for the embossing...inking over the raised areas using a white inkpad.


I'm also entering this card into the following challenges:
For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies...please visit the Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge.

Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Nat's Sketch

Yippee - it's the weekend...and time for another fabulous Penny Black Saturday Challenge! This week we have another wonderful sketch by Nat:


We are sponsored for this challenge by

 

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

I decided to use the sketch to make a Christmas card...and used a stamp from the 'Jolly Friends' set...which I coloured using watercolour pencils...adding Glamour Dust to the stars and snow. The glittery papers are from the 'Wonderful Winter' pad by My Mind's Eye...and I used my EK Success 'Scalloped Diamonds' punch for the border on the strip across the middle. The snowflakes were cut using Cuttlebug and Marianne Designs Creatables dies...then coated with more Glamour Dust.


I'm also entering this card into the following challenges:
For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please pop over to the Penny Black Saturday Challenge.

Friday 28 October 2011

Floral Notecard Set

There's more watercolour stamping using Distress Inks on today's project...a set of simple notecards in a wallet type folder. I folded the wallet from an A4 piece of card...adding some seambinding ribbon to tie it closed. The image on the front is 'Agapanthus Clusters' by Stampendous.


Here's a view of the inside filled with the notecards:


And a better view of the three different designs:



Stamps L-R: 'Irises' by Penny Black; 'Blooming Meadows' by Hero Arts; and 'Agapanthus Clusters' by Stampendous..

Challenges for this set:

Thursday 27 October 2011

Count Catular

Another Hallowe'en card today...I don't usually make many...but I'm loving using all my spooky Penny Black Critters, and spooky embossing folders! This stamp is from the 'Be Very Scared' set...I love his expression...although my Dad thinks I should have added some blood dripping from his fangs! I used a mixture of Cuttlebug and Tim Holtz embossing folders...sanding over the top, and distressing the edges a little. I added a little spider made using a brad and some wool to the web...I was inspired by Kath and Dawny...although I did have to give mine eight legs! lol


Challenges for this card:

Wednesday 26 October 2011

ABC Christmas Challenge - V is for...

It's time for a new ABC Christmas Challenge...and this time...Lacey is our host. The theme this time is:

'V is for Vintage'

We have two wonderful sponsors for this challenge:


The prize from Crafty Emma is a £10 voucher to spend in her fabulous store!


The prize from the Ribbon Reel is this delicious bundle of ribbons & lace:


For my card, I've used a Sarah Kay image called 'Noel Charity' that was sent to me by my lovely ABC Christmas DT buddy Lacey...which I coloured using watercolour pencils. The papers are from the My Mind's Eye 'Festive Frost' collection...and I distressed all of the edges with inks and my distressing tool...adding faux stitching with my CutterBee Bug and a white gel pen. I added some lace, a snowflake (cut using a Marianne Designs Creatables die...then coated with Glamour Dust), some adhesive pearls, and a sentiment (from a Stampin' Up! set).


I'm also entering this card into the following challenges:
For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please pop over to the ABC Christmas Challenge.

Tuesday 25 October 2011

Watercolour Irises

I've been playing with my Distress Inks again...this time using my Penny Black 'Irises' stamp. I used the watercolour stamping technique, colouring the stamp with 'Forest Moss' & 'Dusty Concord' Distress Inks, then misting with water before stamping. I made a tag, and a card...and on both items I then over stamped the image with my Hero Arts 'Music Background' stamp inked with 'Old Paper' Distress Ink...having removed some of the ink prior to stamping to give a patchy effect.


For the card, I inked around the image with more 'Old Paper' ink, then inked two more pieces of card, one with 'Forest Moss' which I then embossed using my trusty Cuttlebug 'Swiss Dots' folder, and the other with 'Dusty Concord' on to which I stamped my sentiment (from the 'Fabulous Birthday' set by Hero Arts).


And for the tag, I inked around the eges using 'Dusty Concord', added a sentiment (from the Hero Arts 'Elegant Messages' set) stamped in 'Brushed Corduroy' and a piece of 'Sea Moss' seam binding ribbon (from the Ribbon Girls).


Challenges for these items:

Monday 24 October 2011

Spooky Cat

I have a Hallowe'en card for you today...I think there'll be quite a few of those on here this week! lol
This time, I've used a stamp from the 'Spooky' set by Penny Black...colouring him with watercolour pencils. I used Cuttlebug & Tim Holtz folders for the embossing...inking the raised areas with a white inkpad. I added some googly eyes, and distressed the edges just a little.

Challenges for this card:

Sunday 23 October 2011

Pile It On! Challenge - Be Happy

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

'Be Happy'
We want to see projects showing happiness or things that make you happy.


 We are sponsored for this challenge by Jellypark...not sure what the prize is, but I'll update this post when I find out.

The DT were given a few Jellypark images to play with...and I chose 'Girl & Dog'...I used to love walking our dogs when I was little...so this image makes me happy :0)
As she's all wrapped up in her winter woolies & coat, I decided to go for Autumnal colours...and used papers from the My Mind's Eye collection 'Bloom & Grow'. I distressed all of the edges using 'Brushed Corduroy' Distress Ink...then used my distressing tool, and added faux stitching with my CutterBee Bug and a white gel pen. I cut the flowers using my Tattered Florals die, adding buttons threaded with twine to their centres. The lettering is from the '72 & Sunny' pad by We R Memory Keepers...I toned down the zingy colours with some more 'Brushed Corduroy' ink.


Here are the challenges I've piled on:
For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please pop over to the Pile It On! Challenge.

Saturday 22 October 2011

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - Wrap Up Warm

Please scroll down for my Penny Black Saturday Challenge DT post

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

'Wrap Up Warm'
Show us projects with woolies/winter clothing on.

I decided to make a pair of mittens from patterned papers (from the 'Countdown to Christmas' pad by My Mind's Eye)...I used an outline image I found on Google for the shape...and tied them together with some button twine. I embossed the background using my Cuttlebug 'Snowflakes' folder...inking around the edges a little. The lettering was cut using my Cuttlebug 'Olivia' alphabet.



I'm also entering this card into the following challenges:
For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please visit the Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge.

Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Too Cute to Spook

Yippee! Not only is it Saturday...but it's half-term...so I now have a whole week off work...woo-hoo! And what better way to start, than with a new Penny Black Saturday Challenge? Our theme for you this week is:

'Too Cute to Spook'

The prize for the lucky winner is 'Frightful Flight':

I've made a little pillow box for some Hallowe'en treats...using an image from the 'Don't be Scared' set...of course by Penny Black. I coloured him using watercolour pencils, then cut him out using my Nesties. I added some paper from the 'Boo yo you!' collection by My Mind's Eye...having distressed the edges and added faux stitchinhg using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.


I'm also entering this box into the following challenges:
For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please pop over to the Penny Black Saturday Challenge.

Thursday 20 October 2011

Wishes for Kisses

Another Christmas card today...using one of my favourite Penny Black stamps...'Wishes for Kisses'. I decided to go for a non-traditional colour combo...using papers from the 'Christmas Fancy' pad by Dovecraft, with some kraft card snowflakes, cut using Cuttlebug dies. I distressed the edges with my distressing tool, then added faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a white gel pen.


Challenges for this card:

Wednesday 19 October 2011

ABC Christmas Challenge - U is for...

I'm back with some more inspiration or our current ABC Christmas Challenge:

'U is for Unused Stash'

We want to you use something that you haven't used before on your projects this time...it can be something you've been saving for a special card...you know...only taking it out occasionally to admire/stroke...or something you've just bought...there are lots of lovely new Christmas collections being released at the moment...or maybe there's something in your stash that you have for absolutely ages but have never got around to using...now is your chance!

We have two fabulous sponsors for this challenge...as it's our first challenge of the month, we have Simon Says Stamp:


The prize is a $15 gift certificate to spend in the amazing Simon Says Stamp store!

And...if that's not enough...we are excited to welcome a new sponsor to our challenges...Bugaboo Stamps!


The prize from Bugaboo Stamps is 7 free digis of the winner's choice...wowee!!!


Ok...so I had another rummage through my stash, and found this cute little stamp set:


It came free with a craft mag about a year ago...and until recently, it was still attached to the front on the magazine...so I thought it was about time I actually used it! I chose the pile of presents stamp...which I coloured using watercolour pencils, then added the sentiment from the set underneath. I'm not sure what brand the papers are...they were a gift from my lovely friend Samantha...but I distressed the edges, then added faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a white gel pen. I used my EK Success 'Scalloped Diamonds' punch for the border, and added a snowflake cut using my Cuttlebug 'Ice Crystal' die, topped with a button threaded with some twine.


I'm also entering this card into the following challenge:
For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please pop over to the ABC Christmas Challenge.

Tuesday 18 October 2011

Warm & Cozy

Today's card is a Christmas one...and I've used a Lili of the Valley stamp that I haven't used in ages...called 'Christmas Bunnies - Stockings'. The glittery papers are from the 'Wonderful Winter' pad by My Mind's Eye...I distressed the edges a little, then added faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a white gel pen. I added some more sparkle to the image with some 'Ice Crystal' Stickles.


Challenges for this card:

Monday 17 October 2011

Scaredy Cat

I have a CAS Hallowe'en card for you today...using one of the images from the 'Don't be scared' set by Penny Black. I coloured him using watercolour pencils, then added Glossy Accents to his balloon. I used a Cuttlebug folder for the embossing, on Core'Dinations card...lightly sanding over the raised areas. The sentiment is from the 'Spooky' set (also by Penny Black). I used a pair of Craft Tonic scissors (which I got free with a craft mag last month) for the edging...the design is 'Victoria'...which sort of matches the deckle edge of the Nestie I used to mat the image.


Challenges for this card:

Sunday 16 October 2011

Carolling Chickens

Today's card is a rather untraditional Christmas card...I've used my Penny Black 'Carolers' stamp...I just love the Penny Black chickens, and was tempted to use this today by the yummy Ribbon Reel prize on offer over at the Daring Cardmakers this week! lol The funky coloured 'Christmas Fancy' papers by Dovecraft...I distressed all of the edges, and added some faux stitching around the edges of the papers using my CutterBee Bug and a white gel pen. The snowflakes were cut from kraft card using Cuttlebug and Marianne Designs Creatables dies, adding some brightly coloured buttons from my stash to their centres.


Challenges for this card: