Hallowe'en Tag

I have my version of Tim Holtz's October tag for his 12 Tags of 2014 to share with you today...

I didn't really have any of the products he used...but just fancied having one last play with my Hallowe'en stash before I tidied it away for another year...so improvised rather a lot!

I started by stamping my spider (from the Penny Black 'Be very scared!' set), then I used a Tim Holtz texture fade to emboss the background...blending Distress Inks over the top (Spiced Marmalade, Crushed Olive & Seedless Preserves). I then spritzed  over the top with some 'Antique Gold' Cosmic Shimmer pigment mixed with water in a mini mister. I distressed the edges a little, then inked the edges with 'Black Soot' Distress Ink. My pumpkins are also a Penny Black stamp (from the 'Spooky' set...I coloured then using watercolour pencils, then coated the with Glossy Accents before cutting them out, inking the edges with more 'Black Soot' and mounting them using 3D foam pads. The lettering was done using my Cuttlebug 'Olivia' alphabet, the little spider charm (there's a pumpkin on the other side) is from a My Mind's Eye die cut elements sheet, and the twine is from the Ribbon Girls.

Here's a shot under artificial light showing the gloss and shimmer:

Challenges for this tag:

• Crafting for All Seasons - Tag It
• Crafty Sentiments - Trick or Treat/Something Sweet
• Crazy Challenge - Spooky Nights
• Crazy4Challenges - Photo Inspiration
• Dream Valley - Halloween
• Gem of a Challenge - Halloween
• Inky Impressions - Halloween
• Simply Create Too - Shop in Your Craft Room (Everything I've used on this tag is at least a year old...some of the things I've had for more then five years!)
• Stampavie & More - Not a Card
• Sweet Stampin' - Anything but a Card
• Sweet Stamps - Spooky
• That Craft Place - Halloween

ABC Christmas Challenge - V is for...

We have another new ABC Christmas Challenge starting today...Lacey is the host, and the theme is:

'V is for Very Merry Christmas'

(Simply include these words in your sentiment...and if you don't have anything suitable, our lovely Samantha has created several for you to choose from.)

We are sponsored for this challenge by Sweet Stamps:

Prize - $10 Gift Certificate to spend at Sweet Stamps!

My 'Very Merry Christmas' sentiment is a Lili of the Valley stamp that I adapted...and the image is a Nellie Snellen stamp that my lovely DT buddy Samanatha sent for my birthday...so cute...thank you! The papers aren't Christmassy...they're from a pad by My Mind's Eye called 'Vintage Charms'...I inked the edges using 'Brushed Corduroy' Distress Ink, then distressed them a little too, before adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The snowflake was cut using a Memory Box die, the gem stone brad is from Craft Obsessions, and the pearls are from Hobbycraft.

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

• Christmas at Sweet Stampin' - Snowflakes
• Completely Christmas - Anything Goes with a Sentiment
• Crafty Calendar - Bingo (Pearls - Sentiment - Die Cuts)
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Hats
• My Craft Creations - Anything Goes
• Pink Elephant - Anything Goes

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

Oldie but a Goodie Challenge - Spooky!

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

'Spooky!'

I've made (another) Hallowe'en treat bag with one of the cute cats from the Penny Black 'Spooky!' set...which I coloured using watercolour pencils. The papers are a mixture of My Mind's Eye 'Boo to You!' and Bo Bunny 'Whoo-ligans'...I doodled some simple borders using black and white gel pens. The bats were cut using my Memory Box 'Bunch of Bats' die...and I couldn't resist adding a couple of googly eyes to the spider on one of the papers.

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

• As You Like It - Cute or Elegant (Cute...it was adorable Penny Black critters that got me into stamping and cardmaking)
• Corrosive - Magical
• C.R.A.F.T. - Halloween
• Crafter's Cafe - Spookable
• Creative Corner - Halloween
• Creative Inspirations - Halloween
• Cut It Up - Purple, Orange, Lime Green & Black
• Cute Card Thursday - Trick or Treat
• Open Minded Crafting - Halloween/Dressing Up

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

Pile It On! Challenge - Create a Scene

This week at the Pile It On! Challenge, we're asking you to:

'Create a Scene'

We are sponsored for this challenge by Beyond the Fringe Crafts:

I used dies to create a wintery scene...the trees are a Marianne Designs die, and the reindeer die is by Die'sires from Crafter's Companion...I added a little red pearl for his red nose. I embossed the background using my Cuttlebug 'Swiss Dots' folder to look like a snowy sky...and tore strips of white card to make the snowy ground.

Here are the challenges I've piled on:

• Pile It On! - Create a Scene
• Allsorts - Christmas
• Christmas Cards - Anything Goes
• Hiding in my Craft Room - Any Holiday (Christmas)
• Inky Chicks - Christmas
• Jingle Belles - Creatures
• Penny's Paper Crafting - Polkadots & Pearls
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Kraft
• Sweet Stamps - Anything Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

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

Wildflowers & Blooming Meadows

I have a birthday card and set of (almost) matching notecards to share today. For the card, I started by stamping my Hero Arts 'Blooming Flowers' in Versamark Ink on to a piece of paper from the 'Wildflower' pad by My Mind's Eye, then heat embossing it with white powder, before blending 'Peeled Paint' and 'Tumbled Glass' Distress Ink over the top. I inked around the edges using 'Pumice Stone' Distress Ink, and added a sentiment from a set by Papermania.

For the notecards, I simply cut pieces of paper from the same pad, inked around the edges using more 'Pumice Stone' ink, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen, then added another sentiment from the same Papermania set.

Here's a shot of all of them:

Challenges for these cards:

• Crafty Sentiments - Use a Sentiment
• Hiding in my Craft Room - Embossing
• Seize the Birthday - Anything Birthday
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Anything Goes

Bicycles, bicycles, bicycles!

I have a couple of stamped pieces of wall art to share today...along the same theme as this piece I shared a few months back...but on a much larger scale.

I sketched outlines first, then filled them using a variety of Hero Arts, Elle Avery and Hobbycraft bicycle stamps and Distress Inks. The frames are from Ikea and measure 60x80cm.

They were supposed to go in the office/craft room that I share with my flatmate who runs his business (The Bicycle Society) from there...but have ended up in our living room instead...so it looks like I'm going to have to make some more! Apologies for the dodgy photos...they weren't the easiest things to photograph!

Challenges for these pictures:

• Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes
• Inky Impressions - Anything Goes
• My Craft Creations - Anything Goes

ABC Christmas Challenge - U is for...

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

'U is for Uncoloured'

(No colouring on your main image)

We are sponsored for this challenge by QKR Stampede:

Prize - 5 Digi images of the winner's choice.

I decided to stamp and emboss my image...using black sparkle embossing powder. The tree and the sentiment stamps are both by Hero Arts.

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

• CAS on Sunday - Emboss It
• Creative Corner - Anything Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

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

Oldie but a Goodie Challenge - Christmas

We have a new Oldie but a Goodie Challenge starting today...with a nice and easy theme:

'Christmas'

I've used an older Penny Black stamp called 'Snow Dust' on my card...I stamped and embossed it in white together with a Hero Arts sentiment, before blending various shades of blue Distress Ink over the top (Stormy Sky, Faded Jeans & Chipped Sapphire).

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

• Aud Sentiments - Anything Goes
• C.R.A.F.T. - Christmas
• Crafty Blogger's Network - Christmas

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

Pile It On! Challenge - Use at Least 2 Die Cuts

We have another fun Pile It On! challenge starting today, where the theme is:

'Use at Least 2 Die Cuts'

We are sponsored for this challenge by StitchyBear's Digi Outlet:

Prize - $10 Gift Certificate

I've made (yet another!) Hallowe'en treat bag...and used one of the Penny Black cats from the 'Be very scared!' set. For the background, I embossed some plain card using a couple of Cuttlebug folders (there are pumpkins on the purple and sweets on the orange)...then added some die cuts ('Creepy Web' and 'Bats' by Memory Box, and 'Picket Fence' by Die-namics).

Here are the challenges I've piled on:

• Pile It On! - Use at Least 2 Die Cuts
• Bunny Zoe's - Animals
• Crafting at the Weekend - Anything Goes
• Crafty Girls - Anything Goes
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Crazy 4 Challenges - Halloween Treats
• Cut It Up - Halloween, but Not a Card
• Cute Card Thursday - Not a Card
• Delightful - Delightfully Frightful
• Dream Valley - Anything but a Card
• Loves Rubber Stamps - Anything Goes
• My Craft Creations - Anything Goes
• Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes
• Simply Create Too - Halloween
• Stampavie & More - Halloween
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
• Whimsy Inspires - Anything Goes

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

Noel

Today's card couldn't get much simpler...I used a Sugar Nellie stamp (sorry...I don't know what it's called, and can't find it on their website) which I simply coloured using watercolour pencils, then mounted on to to my card blank using 3D foam pads.

Challenges for this card:

• Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Extra - Anything Goes
• Creative Inspirations - Anything Goes
• Gem of a Challenge - Clean & Simple
• Penny Black & More @ Allsorts - Get Ahead for Christmas
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Watercolours

Bicycle Birthday

Today's card is for my bicycle obsessed flat-mate's birthday...I used stamps from a Hero Arts set simply called 'Bicycles'...heat embossing the images using clear powder on kraft card, before blending some 'Brushed Corduroy' Distress Ink over the top to create a vintage feel. The sentiment stamp is from a set by Studio G.

Challenges for this card:

• C.R.A.F.T. - Embossing (All of the stamped bicycles and sentiment are heat embossed)
• Crafting When We Can - No Design Papers
• Delightful - Add a Sentiment
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Transport
• Stampavie & More - Birthdays

Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Hallowe'en/Hallowe'en Colours

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:

'Halloween or Halloween Colours' 

We are sponsored for this challenge by:

1-2-3 Stitch!:

Prize - a $20 voucher

I've used a stamp from the 'Spooky' set...and papers from the 'Whoo-ligans' collection by Bo Bunny to decorate a Hallowe'en treat bag. I used my CutterBee Bug and a white gel pen to add some faux stitching, and a Memory Box die for the cobweb. The sentiment is from another Penny Black set ('Be very scared!'), and the googly eyes are by Craft Planet.

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

• Corrosive - Hallowe'en Colours
• Crafting for All Seasons - Too Cute to Spook
• Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - Anything Goes
• Crafty Senitments - Bingo (Designer Paper - Die Cut - Sentiment)
• Cute Card Thursday - Spots & Dots
• Inky Impressions - Anything but a Card
• One Crazy Stamper - Hallowe'en or Christmas

For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies...including our fabulous new DT members...please pop over to the Penny Black Saturday Challenge.

Crafty Little Fairies Challenge - One Design Paper

This month at the Crafty Little Fairies Challenge, we are challenging you to use just:

'One Design Paper'

As usual, we have lots of wonderful prizes on offer from our fabulous sponsors:

£10 gift voucher from The Ribbon Girl:

A stamp of the winner's choice from Whiff of Joy

£7.50 voucher from HobbyKutz

Marianne Design

4 Digis from Delicious Doodles

I picked a really busy Bo Bunny paper, from the 'Whoo-ligans' collection, to make decorate a Hallowe'en treat bag. The image is a Penny Black stamp (from the 'Be very scared!' set), the cobweb was cut using a Memory Box die (Creepy Web), and the fence was cut a Die-namics die (Picket Fence). I added some faux stitching around the edge of the paper using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

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

• A Little Bit Crafty - Boo!
• Allsorts - Stitching
• Cards Galore Encore - Trick or Treat
• Crafter's Cafe - Punches or Dies
• Fab 'N Funky - Hallowe'en
• Incy Wincy - Something Old (The paper & image stamp), Something New (The fence die)
• Little Red Wagon - Stitching

For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please pop over to the Crafty Little Fairies Challenge.

ABC Christmas Challenge - T is for...

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

'T is for Tree Ornament'

Our sponsor for this challenge is:

Prize -  2 digis of the winner's choice

I've decorated a photo ornament using some Helz Cuppleditch 'Special Delivery' paper, and some die cut shapes from the 'Colourful Christmas' collection by My Mind's Eye. I filled the bottom of the bauble with some 'Polar White' Flowersoft mixed with a little Glamour Dust.

Front:

Back:

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

• Charisma Cardz - Anything but a Card
• Completely Christmas - Anything Goes
• Pink Elephant - Anything Goes

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