ABC Christmas Challenge - T is for...

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

'T is for Two'

(Include two of something on your project)

Our sponsor for this challenge is Sweet Stamps:

Prize - $10 Gift Certificate!

I picked a Lili of the Valley stamp called 'Pups with Present' featuring two adorable puppies. I stamped the image directly on to my card blank, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. I added some sparkle to the snowy ground using a Wink of Stella pen, and a Lili of the Valley sentiment.

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

• CAS on Sunday - One Layer Cards
• Come & Get It - One Layer Cards
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Use a Sentiment
• Critters & Creatures - Anything Goes
• Hiding in my Craft Room - Any Holiday
• Rudolph Days - Anything Goes
• The Pencil Cases - Anything Goes

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

Sweet!

Today's card is inspired by this one that I made back in November 2013...where I used Baker's twine and a kebab skewer to make a 'lollipop'! I thought I'd have another go, when I saw the 'thread' theme of this week's Less is More challenge, but this time made three smaller lollipops. I started by using one of my Nesties to cut some small circles from a snippet of card, coated them with some tacky glue, then covered them with Baker's twine...winding it round in a spiral, starting in the centre, then securing it to the back of the circle with some tape. I attached a piece of wooden kebab skewer to each 'lollipop', then tied another little piece of the twine around each of the sticks, then attached them to my card using 3D foam pads. I couldn't find a suitable sentiment in a large enough font, so made my own using a set by Paper Smooches that I was lucky enough to win a little while ago over at Pixie's Snippets Playground.

Challenges for this card:

• Artistic Inspirations - Anything Goes
• Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Less is More - Thread
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets

Constellations

I have a couple more 'watercolour stamped' cards to share today...featuring a rather neglected Penny Black stamp called 'Constellations'. I inked up the stamp using Distress Inks (Dusty Concord, Wilted Violet, Peeled Paint & Forest Moss), then spritzed it with a little water, and stamped it on to some watercolour paper. There was still a little ink left on the stamp, so I refreshed it with a little more water, and stamped a second one. I stamped a Hero Arts 'Music' background stamp inked with 'Old Paper' Distress Ink over the top, and then blended some more of that same ink around the image. I distressed the edges a little, then added sentiments (from the 'Big Messages' set by Paula Pascual.

Here's a close-up of the first one:

And the card made with the second stamping:

Challenges for these cards:

• Crafting with Friends - Anything Goes
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Crafty Girls Creations - Anything Goes
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Inspired by Music ('Constellations' by Jack Johnson)
• Simply Papercraft - Anything Goes

Nordic Reindeer

I have a simple Christmas card to share today...using a Die'sire reindeer die from Crafter's Companion. I cut him out of a snippet of kraft card, then inked around the edges using 'Brushed Corduroy' Distress Ink to add a little definition. The checked paper is a snippet from a pad by Raspberry Road that came free with a craft magazine...I distressed the edges then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous, and I think the ribbon was from Hobbycraft.

Challenges for this card:

• Christmas at Sweet Stampin' - Christmas Die Cuts
• C.R.A.F.T. - Christmas
• Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Cute or Anything Goes
• Happy Little Stampers (Dies) - Anything Goes
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Love to Scrap - Anything Goes
• Pixie's Snippets Challenge - Use Snippets
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - CAS
• That's Crafty - Christmas in September
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Pile It On! Challenge - Autumn Colours/Theme

It's time for another fun Pile It On! Challenge...and this fortnight the theme is:

'Autumn Colours/Theme'

Our sponsor this month is Doodle Pantry:

Prize - 3 Digital Products of the Winner's Choice!

I actually used a Christmas stamp on my project...it's called 'Snow Dust' by Penny Black...I heat embossed it using 'Kettle Copper' powder...and thought that it looked like leaves being blown off the trees...rather than snow! I then blended lots of Autumnal coloured Distress Inks over the top...colours used: Scattered Straw, Wild Honey, Spiced Marmalade, Fired Brick, Crushed Olive, Peeled Paint, Forest Moss & Brushed Corduroy. To create some texture in the background, I splattered it with some plain water droplets, then patted off the excess with a paper towel, which removed a little colour in those places. I then stamped a Hero Arts 'Music' background stamp over the top...inked with 'Pumice Stone' Distress Ink, but partially removed before stamping. To finish, I inked around the edges with some more of the 'Brushed Corduroy' Distress Ink, and added some ribbon and twill in co-ordinating colours.

Here's a close-up of the copper embossing:

Here are the challenges I've piled on:

• Pile It On! - Autumn Colours/Theme
• Addicted to Stamps - Trees/Branches/Leaves
• Creative Inspirations - Anything Goes
• Creative Moments - Anything Goes (Fall Colours)
• Fantasy Stampers - In the Fall
• Fussy & Fancy - Music
• Sisterhood of Crafters - Halloween Colours
• Sparkle 'N Sprinkle - Anything Goes with Loose Glitter or Embossing Powder
• Sweet Stampin' - Anything but a Card
• WOW - Anything Goes with Heat Embossing

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

PBSC September - 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:

'Nature'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

My card uses a simple flower scene stamp called 'Spring Flowers' that I stamped a few times along the bottom of my card blank...letting it go off the sides. I coloured it using watercolour pencils, then added a sentiment (from the 'Sending Sunshine' set by Simon Says Stamp) with a doodled border.

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

• Crafty Girls Creations - Anything Goes
• Fab 'N Funky - Go Outside
• Penny Black & More - Add a Sentiment
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Clean & Simple

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

ABC Christmas Challenge - S is for...

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

'S is for Sew What?'

(Real or Faux Stitching)

Our sponsor for this challenge is Freckled Fawn:

Prize - $15 Gift Certificate!

I've used a Stampendous stamped image called 'Bethlehem Nights'...I stamped it using Memento 'Nautical Blue' ink, then heat embossed it using clear embossing powder. I added a little colour to the buildings, stars and clear patches of sky using watercolour pencils. I distressed the edges a little, then matted it on to some matching blue card, adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a white gel pen.

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

• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Extra - Anything Christmas
• Everybody Art - Anything Goes
• Happy Little Stampers (Christmas) - Song (O Little Town of Bethlehem)
• Jingle Belles - O Little Town of Bethlehem
• My Time to Craft - Stitching
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

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

Agapanthus Clusters

This week at Less is More, we're challenged to make a one layer card featuring our favourite flower...hmm...I don't really have a favourite flower in 'real life'...but this 'Agapanthus Clusters' stamp by Stampendous is one of my favourite single flower stamps. I used Distress Inks (Chipped Sapphire, Dusty Concord, Forest Moss & Mown Lawn) and the watercolour technique...painting the inks directly on to the stamp, then spritzing with water before stamping. I doodled a border, then added a sentiment (from the 'Big Messages' set by Paula Pascual).

Challenges for this card:

• Artistic Inspirations - Anything Goes
• Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes
• Great Impressions - Anything Goes
• Less is More - Your Favourite Flower (One Layer Card)
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Stamp It

Bunny Friends

I have a simple little card to share today...featuring the 'Bunny Friends' stamp by Penny Black. I love this stamp...and often use sections of it, stamping just one, two or three of the bunnies...it's so versatile! Today, I've used the whole stamp...using it to fill the whole of my A6 sized card. I simply coloured the bunnies using watercolour pencils, added a simple doodled border and a sentiment (from the 'Anytime Messages' set by Hero Arts).

Challenges for this card:

• 4 Crafty Chicks - Birthdays
• Corrosive - Anything Goes
• Crafting with Friends - Anything Goes
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes (Twist - Anything but Square)
• Creative Corner - Woodland Creatures
• Cute Card Thursday - Animals/Creatures
• Little Red Wagon - Fur-ever Friends
• Penny Black & More - Add a Sentiment
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Stamp It
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Stamp It
• Simply Papercraft - Anything Goes
• Sweet Stampin' - Cute & Cuddly
• The Pencil Cases - Anything Goes

That Folder...

A couple of weeks ago, I was one of the lucky winners of 'That Folder' over at Pixie's Snippets Playground...I think I must have been living underneath a rock, because I'd never seen it anywhere before! Apparently it was a 'must-have' item that was originally a freebie with a craft magazine, but proved so popular that they made some more and it's available to buy in a set with a couple of sentiment stamps. Anyway, it arrived in time for me to have a little play with it at the weekend...and I can see why it was such a hit! I made a couple of cards to test it out:

I used the folder to emboss pieces of vellum, then layered them over teal and purple card. I stamped the sentiments that came in the set on to strips of white card...I masked of the symbols before inking, so that I just had the words...then added some faux stitching along the edges and matted them on to co-ordinating card. I cut a couple of butterflies from snippets of the same card using a Joy Crafts die...and added lots of adhesive pearls. I managed to hide all of the adhesive underneath the sentiment strip, butterflies and pearls so that it wouldn't show through the vellum.

Here's a better view of both cards:

And the purple:

Challenges for these cards:

• Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes
• Crafty Girls Creations - Anything Goes
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Peacock Flowers

I have a simple one layer card inspired by this week's Less is More's 'Peacock Feathers' colour challenge. I stamped some flowers from the 'Spring Flowers' set by Honey Doo Crafts just off the edge of one side of my card base, then watercoloured them using Distress Inks (Peacock Feathers, Cracked Pistachio, Mermaid Lagoon, Seedless Preserves, Wilted Violet, Blueprint Sketch, Wild Honey & Spiced Marmalade). The sentiment stamp is from the 'Fabulous Birthday' set by Hero Arts.

Challenges for this card:

• Come & Get It - Flowers
• Less is More - Peacock Feather Colours
• Love to Scrap - Flower Power
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Stamp It
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes

Pile It On! Challenge - Recycle

We have another fun Pile It On! Challenge starting today...and the theme is:

'Recycle'

Our sponsor this month is Dr Digi's House of Stamps:

Prize - 2 Digis of the winner's choice!

I recycled a piece of corrugated cardboard packaging from a set of cake tins...and picked some papers in co-ordinating shades of brown and blue to match from the 'Prince Charming' pad by Michaels. The image is from the 'Man's Best Friend' set by Penny Black which I coloured using watercolour pencils. 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.

Here are the challenges I've piled on:

• Pile It On! - Recycle (I recycled some corrugated cardboard from some cake tin packaging!)
• ABC Challenge - O is for Open
• Animal Friends - Animals with Fur
• Aud Sentiments - Anything Goes with a Sentiment
• Cards Galore Encore - Anything Goes
• Catch the Bug - Anything Goes
• Crafter's Cafe - Use Two Patterned Papers
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - Anything Goes
• Crafty Sentiments - Lots of Layers
• Creatalicious - Anything Goes
• Let's Colour Linky Party - Anything Goes
• Penny Black & More - Add a Sentiment
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - It's a Stitch Up
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• Stamping Sensations - One for the Boys

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

PBSC September - Nature!

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

'Nature'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I used one of the butterfly stamps from the 'Social Butterfly' set...stamping it lightly in 'Old Paper' Distress Ink. I wet the whole of the image, then watercoloured using a mixture of Cracked Pistachio, Peacock Feather, Old Paper and Pumice Stone. I masked off the butterfly, then splattered some of those colours over the top. I inked around the edges using more Old Paper Distress Ink, the distressed the edges a little, then adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Handwritten Borders' set by Simon Says Stamp.

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

• Everybody Art - Butterflies
• Little Red Wagon - Let's Get Inky
• My Time to Craft - Something that Flies
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - It's a Stitch Up
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• That's Crafty - All Square

You can also find this card over on the Fussy & Fancy Challenge, where I'm the featured guest designer for their current challenge:

 'Let's Fly Away!'

Thank you so much for having me!

And that's not all...today is my blog's 8th birthday...so I'll sort out some candy soon to celebrate that!

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