Sunday 31 August 2014

Pile It On! Challenge - Punch It Out

This week at Pile It On! we're challenging you to:

'Punch It Out!
(Use your punches...not dies)

Our sponsor for this challenge is Paper Nest Dolls:
Prize - $25 Gift Certificate!

I only have two punches...a border punch that I use fairly regularly, and a really old (and very much neglected) corner rounder punch...so I decided to dig out the corner punch and round practically every corner on my card! The image is a House Mouse stamp called 'Birthday Cupcake' that I coloured using watercolour pencils. The papers are from a pad by Michaels (found at TKMaxx) called 'Recollections'...I inked the edges a little using 'Brushed Corduroy' Distress Ink, then added some faux stitching using my CuterBee Bug and a black gel pen.


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.

Thursday 28 August 2014

Ice Bucket Challenge

I know you don't usually see my face on my blog, but I was nominated to do the Motor Neurone Disease (ALS) Ice Bucket Challenge by my lovely flatmate Rob...I think it must have been punishment for chucking two buckets of ice cold water over him when he took on the challenge! So, in return for a donation to a good cause, here I am being drenched by a rather large quantity of ice cold water!



I'm nominating any of my lovely blog visitors that would like to take on the challenge...and to donate to the Motor Neurone Disease Association (with or without being drenched in ice cold water!) please visit their website here.

Thursday 21 August 2014

Birdy Thank Yous

I have a couple of simple thank you cards to share today...using a Memory Box die ('Madeleine Bird') and My Mind's Eye papers ('Floral Blue' and 'Brights'). I inked the edges using 'Brushed Corduroy' Distress Ink, the scuffed it up a little using my distressing tool, before adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The sentiment is from a Hero Arts set ('Mini Messages'), and the pearls are from Hobbycraft.


Challenges for these cards:

Wednesday 20 August 2014

ABC Christmas Challenge - Q is for...

We have a brand new ABC Christmas Challenge starting today...Carissa is the host, and the theme is:

'Q is for Quick & Easy'

Our sponsor for this challenge is Fred She Said:
Prize - $10 Gift Certificate!

I used a new snowflake die to make my super quick card...it's called the 'New Castle Snowflake' die by Memory Box and was a birthday gift from my lovely Crafty Little Fairies DT buddy Jayne...I love it...thanks so much! I simply cut a few snowflakes, stuck them across my card, added pearls to their centres, trimmed off the overhang, and added a sentiment (a Penny Black stamp). That's it...possibly one of the quickest cards I've ever made!


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 19 August 2014

Oldie but a Goodie Challenge - Anything but a Card

We have a new Oldie but a Goodie Challenge starting today, with the theme:

'Anything but a Card'

The prize for this challenge is a set of Tonic Studios toppers:

I made a tag...CASED from Tim Holtz's tag for June...I didn't really have any of the right products (besides some of the Distress Inks)...but didn't let that stop me! I started by stamping my Hero Arts 'Magical' background stamp in Versamark ink on a plain piece of white card, then heat embossed it using clear powder. I pressed various Distress Ink pads (Seedless Preserves, Salty Ocean, Spiced Marmalade & Evergreen Bough) on to my messy mat, then spritzed water over them to blend them together. I pressed my embossed card on to the inks to create a 'watercolour' effect, then used what was left to colour some white satin ribbon. I cut the background down to size, then added a sentiment (from the 'Sentiments' set by Hero Arts), and inked the edges of everything using 'Brushed Corduroy' Distress Ink. I coloured the butterflies (from the 'Social Butterflies' set by Penny Black) using the same inks, then mounted them on to the tag using 3D foam.


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


For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please pop over to the Oldie but a Goodie Challenge.

Sunday 17 August 2014

Pile It On! Challenge - At the Beach

This week's Pile It On! Challenge theme is:

'At the Beach'

Our sponsor for this challenge is Pink Gem Designs
Prize - 2 Regular Digital Images!

I couldn't resist using this cute Lili of the Valley bear called 'Deckchair Dreaming'...which I coloured using watercolour pencils. The 'beachy' papers are from the 'Shore Line' pad by American Crafts...I doodled some simple borders, then added a sentiment (from the 'Big Sentiments' set by Paula Pascual) stamped on some Memory Box 'Puffy Clouds'.


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 16 August 2014

Christmas Stockings

I'm still playing with birthday goodies...it's the stamps that are new on today's card...it's a little set by Papermania called 'At Christmas - Stockings'. I coloured the image using watercolour pencils, then simply added some multicoloured twine (from TK Maxx), and a few adhesive pearls.


Challenges for this card:

Friday 15 August 2014

Summer Weeds

I have a Clean & Simple card to share today...using another birthday present...the 'Summer Weeds' stamp by Woodware. I stamped it using Versamark ink, then embossed it with clear embossing powder, before blending Distress Inks (Scattered Straw, Wild Honey, Spiced Marmalade & Fired Brick) over the top. The sentiment is by Hero Arts.


Challenges for this card:

Thursday 14 August 2014

Cheeky Monkey!

I've used some more new birthday goodies on today's card...this cute 'Cheeky Monkey' stamp is by Rachelle Anne Miller (for Crafter's Companion)...and the sentiment stamp is from a set by Paula Pascual called 'Big Sentiments' (not sure why as they're all quite small!). I used papers from the 'Bright' pad by My Mind's Eye...I inked the edges a little with 'Brushed Corduroy' Distress Ink before adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.


Challenges for this card:

Tuesday 12 August 2014

Nellie the Elephant...

It was my birthday at the weekend...and I was lucky to receive a few new crafty goodies to play with...and I've used one of my new stamps on today's card...it's a Rachelle Anne Miller stamp called 'Sorry I forgot' (by Crafter's Companion). I coloured the image using watercolour pencils to match the 'Blue Floral' papers (by My Mind's Eye). I distressed the edges of everything a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The flowers are a mixture of Prima, Wild Orchid Crafts, Poppicrafts and Papermaina, and are held in place using BasicGrey brads. I used my E K Success 'Scalloped Diamonds' punch for the border, and the sentiment stamp is from the 'Wonderful' set by Penny Black.


Challenges for this card:

Thursday 7 August 2014

Crafty Little Fairies Challenge - Cute & Cuddly

We have a brand new Crafty Little Fairies Challenge starting today...with a nice & easy theme of:

'Cute & Cuddly'

As usual we have some wonderful sponsors:







I picked a cute & cuddly Penny Black bear stamp called 'Fly with me'...which I coloured using watercolour pencils. The papers are from the 'Blue Floral' pad by My Mind's Eye...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 'Cupcakes' set by Hero Arts, the brads are BasicGrey, and I used my E K Success 'Scalloped Dimaonds' punch for the border along the bottom.


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

Wednesday 6 August 2014

ABC Christmas Challenge - P is for...

This fortnight's ABC Christmas Challenge is hosted by Angela, with a theme of:

'P is for Penguins!'

We are sponsored for this challenge by our very own Lacey's Stamp & Create Store:
Prize - a $20 Gift Certificate to spend at Stamp & Create!

I used a couple of cute penguins from the 'Special Delivery - Penguins' set by Helz Cuppleditch...colouring them using watercolour pencils. I created the background by embossing pale blue card using my Cuttlebug 'Snowflakes' folder for the sky, tearing some white hammer textured card for the snow, and adding a tree cut using a Marianne Designs die.


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 5 August 2014

Oldie but a Goodie Challenge - Black, White & One Other Colour

We have a new Oldie but a Goodie Challenge starting today, and the theme is:

'Black, White & One Other Colour'

I picked a cute Penny Black cow image called 'Bedecked Antlers', which I coloured using watercolour pencils. For the background, I embossed some plain blue card using a Sizzix embossing folder, then simply added  Woodware snowflake brad and some spotty ribbon.


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


For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please pop over to the Oldie but a Goodie Challenge.

Sunday 3 August 2014

Pile It On! Challenge - Stitching (Real or Faux)

We have a new Pile It On! Challenge starting today...and the theme is:

'Stitching (Real or Faux)'

Our sponsor for this challenge is:

Prize - 2 Digis of the winner's choice!

I love a bit of faux stitching...it's one of my favourite techniques...so I loved this challenge! I picked some of my favourite papers ('Winter Wonderland' by My Minds Eye), and used some of the last scraps to make a patchwork background...distressing the edges a little, before adding my faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The image is the adorable Lili of the Valley James the Bear ('Presents for Two'), which I coloured using watercolour pencils. The snowflakes were cut using Marianne Designs dies, the button is by Dovecraft, and is threaded with Papermania twine.


Here are the challenges I piled on:


For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please pop over to the Pile It On! Challenge.

Saturday 2 August 2014

Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Floral Fantasy

It's the first Saturday of the month...so that means it's time for a new Penny Black Saturday Challenge...and this month the theme is:

'Floral Fantasy' 

As usual, we have some fabulous prizes on offer from our lovely sponsors:


Prize - a $20 voucher

I featured my flowers on the image, using 'Daisy Chain Mice', which I coloured using watercolour pencils. The papers are from the 'Indie Chic' pad by My Minds Eye...I distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. This card is for my Mum to give to my Nan for her 95th birthday later this year...so I added a Hero Arts 'Happy Birthday' sentiment, and personalised it with some die cut numbers & letters (cut using my Cuttlebug 'Olivia' alphabet).


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


We're also holding a DT call on this challenge, so for all of the information on that, and more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please pop over to the Penny Black Saturday Challenge.