Monday 30 October 2017

Silly Bat!

I have one last Hallowe'en treat bag to share today...this one uses a stamp by Funstamps called 'Silly Bat', which I coloured using watercolour pencils. I used papers by Carta Bella (from the 'Spooky' and 'Happy Haunting' collections...distressing th edges a little, and adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The little bats and cobwebs were cut using Memory Box dies.


Challenges for this bag:


Sunday 29 October 2017

Birthday Gift Bags

I have a couple of birthday gift bags to share today...the first one uses a fairly large piece of paper from the 'Indie Chic - Saffron' pad by My Mind's Eye. I distressed all of the edges, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. I cut the lettering using my Cuttlebug 'Olivia' alphabet dies.


On the second one, I used a cute Lili of the Valley image called 'I Baked a Cake!', which I coloured using watercolour pencils. The papers are from the 'Paper Heart' pad by Crate Paper...again I distressed the edges and added some faux stitching. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Sending Sunshine' set by Simon Says Stamp.


Challenges for these bags:

Thursday 26 October 2017

Skating Snowy

I have a scenic Christmas card to share today, featuring a Penny Black image called 'Skating Snowy'. I made him a snowy background using a mixture of stamping and die cutting. For the sky, I smooshed 'Broken China, Salty Ocean, Stormy Sky & Chipped Sapphire Distress Inks on to some watercolour paper, then stamped and heat embossed my Simon Says Stamp 'Falling Snow' background stamp using 'Sparkling Snow' embossing powder from WOW. I used a mixture of Taylored Expressions 'Mountain Tops' and Lawn Fawn 'Stitched Hillside Border' dies on snippets of white card...distressing the top edges a little to add some definition. I used more smooshed Distress Inks for the trees (Mowed Lawn, Forest Moss & Peeled Paint), then cut them using a Marianne Designs die. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous.


Challenges for this card:


Tuesday 24 October 2017

Mice Treats

I have another Hallowe'en treat bag to share today...using another cute Penny Black image from the 'Be Very Scared' set. I coloured them image using watercolour pencils to match the Carta Bella papers (from the Haunted collection). I distressed all of the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.


Challenges for this treat bag:

Sunday 22 October 2017

Snowy & Sparkly

I have some Christmas cards to share today using some new goodies that I picked up at a newly discovered craft shop yesterday...we stumbled upon it by accident yesterday, and it was a real treasure trove! Among the items I bought was a set of Tim Holtz/Sizzix snowflake dies...I cut all of the snowflakes from snippets of plain white card...then coated them with Versamark Ink, and heat embossed them using some new embossing powders (Vintage Peacock & Under the Sea by WOW). I layered up the snowflakes using 3D foam pads, and then used them to make a couple of clean & simple DL cards. I used the offcut of card from trimming down the A4 card to make the card blank as a background for the snowflakes...distressing the edges a little, and piercing some holes using one of my CutterBee Bugs. I added a Lili of the Valley sentiment, and then matted those on to some co-ordinating coloured card.


It's a really dull day here...but you can just about make out the pretty sparkle of the embossing powders on the snowflakes:



Challenges for these cards:

Saturday 21 October 2017

PBSC October - Lace & Pearls...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:

'Lace and/or Pearls'

As usual, we are sponsored by the awesome 1-2-3 Stitch:
Prize - a $20 voucher!

I made another Hallowe'en treat bag...this time using a sweet little mouse in fancy dress from the 'Be Very Scared' set. I coloured it using watercolour pencils to match the colours in the papers from the 'Haunted' and 'Spooky' collections by Carta Bella. I distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. I added some orange lace and a few black adhesive pearls. 


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


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

Tuesday 17 October 2017

Cat on the Moon

Today's card is an ultra simple one layer card featuring a cute Penny Black stamp called 'Cat on the Moon'. I added a few extra doodled stars, then coloured the image using watercolour pencils. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Party Critters' set, also by Penny Black.


Challenges for this card:

Sunday 15 October 2017

Pile It On! Challenge - Fantasy and/or Spiders & Cobwebs

It's the third Sunday of the month, so we have more inspiration and a bonus theme for this month's Pile It On! Challenge. The themes this month are:

'Fantasy'
&
'Spiders & Cobwebs'

Our sponsor for this challenge is Sasayaki Glitter Digital Stamps
Sponsorship Badge
Prize - a digi image of the winner's choice

I went with the 'Spiders & Cobwebs' theme to make another Hallowe'en treat bag. I used stamps from the 'Spooky' and 'Be Very Scared' sets by Penny Black...masking off the bats above the cat's head before inking, so that he could be looking at the spider instead. I coloured the images using watercolour pencils, and added a sentiment made using stamps from the 'Graffiti' alphabet set by Paper Smooches...adding a handwritten exclamation mark. The papers are from the 'Haunted', 'Spooky' and 'Haunted House' collections by Carta Bella...I distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The cobweb was cut using a Memory Box die.


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.

Friday 13 October 2017

Little Snowy

I have a Christmas card to share today...featuring a little snowman from the Penny Black 'Jolly Friends' set, which I coloured using watercolour pencils. I added a snowy background behind him...made using a snippet of watercolour paper that I'd coloured using Distress Inks (Mermaid Lagoon, Peackock Feathers & Cracked Pistachio), then stamped some of the 'Delicate Snowflakes' (by Stampendous), and heat embossed them using 'Sparkling Snow' powder from WOW. The sentiment is from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous.


Challenges for this card:


Wednesday 11 October 2017

Pumpkin Kitty

I have another Hallowe'en treat bag to share today...this time I used a cute little cat image from the 'Be Very Scared' set by Penny Black. I coloured the image using watercolour pencils, and combined it with papers by Carta Bella (from the Haunted, Spooky & Happy Haunting collections). I distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.


Challenges for this bag:

Monday 9 October 2017

Spicy Butterflies

I have a couple of clean & simple cards to share today following the 'Hot & Spicy' colour theme of this week's Less is More Challenge. I started by smooshing some Distress Inks on to watercolour paper...making a yellowish one with Scattered Straw, Wild Honey & Spiced Marmalade, and a reddish one using Fired Brick, Festive Berries & Aged Mahogany. Using my Tim Holtz/Sizzix 'Detailed Butterflies' dies, I cut the solid shapes from the yellow paper, and the intricate one from the red, then layered them up.


I mounted them on to panels of plain white card..having added a pierced border around the edge using one of my CutterBee Bugs. The sentiments are form a set that came free with a craft magazine.



Challenges for these cards:

Saturday 7 October 2017

Penny Black Saturday Challenge - October...Lace & Pearls

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:

'Lace and/or Pearls'

As usual, we are sponsored by the awesome 1-2-3 Stitch:
Prize - a $20 voucher!

I used both lace and pearls on a Hallowe'en treat bag...pairing them with a cute kitty from the 'Spooky' stamp set and papers from the 'Haunted' and 'Spooky' collections by Carta Bella. I inked around all of the edges using 'Black Soot' Distress Ink, then distressed them a little before adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a white gel pen.


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


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

Thursday 5 October 2017

Autumn Rainbow

Today's card is rather Autumnal in feel...but the stamp I used is actually a Christmas stamp called 'Snow Dust' by Penny Black. I started by making a rainbow in Autumnal colours, watercolouring with Distress Inks (Mowed Lawn, Forest Moss, Wild Honey, Spiced Marmalade, Fired Brick & Seedless Preserves).I then stamped the image and sentiment (from the 'Big Messages' set by Paula Pascual) in black ink, then heat embossed them using clear powder. I distressed the edges of the panel a little, then matted it on to some kraft card.


Challenges for this card:


Wednesday 4 October 2017

ABC Christmas Challenge - October

We have a fun new ABC Christmas Challenge starting today...Carol is the host, and the themes are:

U is for Unlimited'
(Anything Christmas goes)
&
'V is for Vibrant'
(Use bright colours)

Our sponsor for this challenge is Freckled Fawn:
Prize - $15 Gift Card!

There is also a little prize from our host Carol:

I made cards for both of the themes...trying out some new-ish snowflake stamps...from the 'Delicate Snowflakes' set by Stampendous. I made some inky backgrounds by smooshing Distress Inks on to watercolour paper...adding a couple of layers..drying in between...and then splattering with some water to add more texture. On my 'Unlimited' cards, I went for a rich purple background, using Dusty Concord, Wilted Violet & Seedless Preserves inks. I then stamped the largest snowflake from the set in Versamark Ink, and heat embossed it using 'Sparkling Gold' powder by WOW. I inked around the edges with some more Versamark Ink, and heat embossed those to match. I matted the panels on to some gold mirror card, and added them to some kraft card blanks.


The snowflakes are so sparkly in real life...it's difficult to get them to show in a photo, but here's a better look at one:


I'm also entering these cards into the following challenges:


On my 'Vibrant' card...I used a background made using Mermaid Lagoon, Peacock Feathers & Cracked Pistachio inks. This time I heat embossed the snowflakes using 'Sparkling Snow' powder from WOW. I trimmed the panel down, and used it as a background for a cute little Penny Black mouse image called 'XMouse Ornament', which I coloured using watercolour pencils...adding some sparkle to his snowflake with some 'Diamond' Stickles. The sentiment stamp is from a set by Lili of the Valley.


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.

Monday 2 October 2017

Count Catular Treat Bag

I have a Hallowe'en treat bag to share today...featuring a cute cat from the 'Be Very Scared' set by Penny Black. I coloured the image using watercolour colour pencils, then inked around it using 'Black Soot' Distress Ink. The papers are from the 'Haunted' and 'Spooky' collections by Carta Bella. I inked around all of the edges with some more 'Black Soot' Distress Ink, then distressed them a little before adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a white gel pen.


Challenges for this bag:


Sunday 1 October 2017

Pile It On! Challenge - Fantasy

It's the first Sunday of the month, so that means that we have a fun new Pile It On! Challenge starting today...and the theme this month is:

'Fantasy'

Our sponsor for this challenge is Sasayaki Glitter Digital Stamps
Sponsorship Badge
Prize - a digi image of the winner's choice

I'm decidedly lacking in 'fantasy' images...but did find this Hambo Stamps monster in my image box...he's called 'Monster Sax'. I coloured him using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut him out. I added a couple of pieces of musical washi tape (from Freckled Fawn) on to my card blank, then used some snippets of 'Awesome Boy' papers (by Recollections/Michaels) to create a background for the monster. I 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 'Fabulous Birthday' set by Hero Arts.


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.