House Mouse & Friends Challenge - Guest Designer

I'm back with another guest designer card for the House Mouse & Friends Challenge today.

The fortnightly challenges are always 'Anything Goes'...but if you want more of a challenge, there's an optional theme, which this time is:

'Be Square!'

I picked a sweet little Christmas stamp called 'Mistletoe Moment', which I coloured using watercolour pencils, and made a square card...trimming the image int a square, and using square snippets of papers (from the 'Christmas Cheer' pad by Lily Bee Designs) for the background. I distressed all of the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. 

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

• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Goes
• Crimbo Crackers - Anything Goes
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets
• Rudolph Days - Anything Christmas
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes

For more inspiration from the awesome design team, please pop over to the House Mouse & Friends Challenge.

Blossom Branch

I'm sneaking on before bed with another 'flowery' card...this time using my new(ish) 'Blossom Branch' stamp by Penny Black. I stamped it on to watercolour paper using Versafine 'Smokey Gray' Ink, then coloured over the top using watercolour pencils, but without using any water. I added  sentiment (from the 'Handwritten Borders' set by Simon Says Stamp)...also stamped in 'Smokey Gray', then matted the panel on to some grey card...distressing the edges a little.

Challenges for this card:

• 4 Crafty Chicks - CAS
• Heartful Stamping - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Flower Power
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes

Agapanthus Clusters

I had some lucky charity shop finds recently, and among them was an 'Agapanthus Bloom' stamp by Stampendous. I used it to create a background to go with my 'Agapanthus Clusters' stamp...also by Stampendous. I inked both stamps using Distress Inks...Dusty Concord, Chipped Sapphire & Forest Moss...spritzed with a little water, then stamped them on to watercolour paper. 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 'Doodled Flowers' set by Happy Little Stampers.

Challenges for this card:

• Artistic Inspirations - Anything Goes
• Crafting with Friends - Anything Goes
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes (Optional Purples)
• Crafty Friends - Flowers
• Everybody Art - Flowers
• Inspiration Destination - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Flower Power
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• Simply Papercraft - Anything Goes

Rainbow Puppies

I have a couple of clean and simple cards to share today featuring a couple of cute Penny Black pups (from the 'Good Times!' set) and a Hero Arts 'Zig Zag' background stamp. I started by inking up the background stamp with Distress Inks (Wilted Violet, Chipped Sapphire, Salty Ocean, Peeled Paint, Squeezed Lemonade, Spiced Marmalade and Fired Brick), spritzed it with a little water, before stamping it on to some watercolour paper to create a rainbow colour background. I then cleaned off the stamp, inked it again with some Versamark Ink, then heat embossed it using clear embossing powder. I stamped the pups, on to some more watercolour paper, and coloured them using watercolour pencils. I added a sentiment from the 'Birthday Buddies' set by Paper Smooches, and cut the rainbow background into strips, and used them to border each of the image panels.

Challenges for these cards:

• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes (CAS)
• Crafty Creations - Anything Goes
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Happy Little Stampers (CAS) - Chevrons
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Teddy Birthday

I have a birthday card to share today for a little girl who turned five earlier this month. I used lots of Penny Black teddy bears...the little ones holding her name are the 'Birthday Bears' set and 'Bear Blank One', and the one floating down with the balloons is called 'Transported'. I coloured them all using watercolour pencils, then added the numbers and letters using a black gel pen. I created a simple outdoor scene for them using plain card and a few dies...the 'Stitched Hillside Borders' by Lawn Fawn and 'Puffy Clouds' by Memory Box. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Anytime Messages' set by Hero Arts.

Challenges for this card:

• Alphabet Challenge - B is for Bears
• Always Happy Birthday - Anything Goes (Optional Balloons)
• Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes
• Crafty Cardmakers - Birthdays
• Fussy & Fancy - Add a Die Cut
• Little Miss Muffet - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simply Create Too - Die Cuts

PBSC April - Anything Goes (Or Spring Flowers)...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:

'Anything Goes'
or
'Spring Flowers'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I picked a cute kitty image called 'You're the Bestest!'...I though his big bunch of daffodils would be perfect for our optional 'Spring Flowers' theme. I coloured him using watercolour pencils. The papers are from the 'Indie Chic - Nutmeg' 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. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Doodled Flowers' set by Happy Little Stampers.

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

• As You Like It - Favourite Colouring Medium (Watercolour pencils...I love that I can take them anywhere...all I need is a pencil case & a waterbrush!)
• Card Mania - Spring
• Craftaholics R Us - Anything Goes
• Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes
• Crafting with Friends - Anything Goes
• Creative Inspirations - Springtime
• Moving Along with the Times - Springtime
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Sweet Stampers - Too Cute!
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

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

Sparkly Christmas

I have a trio of very sparkly Christmas cards to share today using a set of stamps I recently picked up in a charity shop - they weren't in any packaging, and although through a little googling, I was able to find them listed on ebay...but, the packaging didn't show any branding either, so I'm still none the wiser! I stamped them on to kraft card using Versamark Ink, them heat embossed them using WOW embossing glitters. I made some matching glitter card to mat the images on, but inking around the edges of some pieces of white card, then heat embossing them using the same embossing glitter. I added a sentiment to each card using stamps from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous.

Tree embossed using 'Vintage Peacock':

Reindeer embossed using 'Turkish Nights':

Wreath embossed using 'Emerald City':

Challenges for these cards:

• C.R.A.F.T. - Christmas
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Goes
• Crimbo Crackers - Anything Goes
• Heartful Stamping - Anything Goes
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes

House Mouse & Friends Challenge - Guest Designer

I'm back with another guest designer card for the House Mouse & Friends Challenge today.

The fortnightly challenges are always 'Anything Goes'...but if you want more of a challenge, there's an optional theme, which this time is:

'Let's Eat!'

I found a couple of 'foodie' stamps in my House Mouse collection...'Birthday Cupcake' & 'Cake Nibbler', and I decided to use them both to make a card and gift tag for my Mum's birthday.

For the card, I used the large 'Birthday Cupcake' image...colouring it using watercolour pencils, thn adding a generous coating of Stickles to the cupcake frosting. I paired it with papers from the 'Happy Day' pad by My Mind's Eye...adding a sentiment (from the 'Cupcakes' set by Hero Arts) and doodling some simple borders using a black gel pen.

For the gift tag, I stamped 'Cake Nibbler' on to a small kraft tag, then coloured him using watercolour pencils...although I didn't use any water this time. I added the same sentiment as on the card, then attached to tag to my gift using some multicoloured twine (from TK Maxx).

Challenges for these items:

• Crafty Sentiments - Only for Girls
• Creative Knockouts - Lots of Layers (Just the card)
• Daring Cardmakers - Animal Antics
• Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes (Optional Vibrant Colours)

Oh...and I also made her a birthday cake...salted caramel...yummy!

For more inspiration from the awesome design team, please pop over to the House Mouse & Friends Challenge.

Pile It On! Challenge - Think Small and/or Coloured Pencils

It's the third Sunday of a new month, so that means we an additional theme for this month's Pile It On! Challenge. Our themes for April are:

'Think Small'
and/or
'Use Coloured Pencils'

Our sponsor for this challenge is A Day for Daisies:

Prize - 3 Images of the Winner's Choice!

I combined the themes and made a simple little gift tag for part of my brother's birthday present. The tag is from Hobbycraft and measures about 1.5 by 3 inches. I stamped a cute little Penny Black pup (called 'for you!') on to it, then coloured him using watercolour pencils...but without using water. I tied it to the present using some multicoloured twine (from TK Maxx).

Here are the challenges I've piled on:

• Pile It On! - Think Small and/or Coloured Pencils
• Addicted to Stamps - Balloons/Bunting/Presents
• CCEE Stampers - Pets
• Fab 'N' Funky - Cute Critters
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes

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

Kaleidoscopic Butterflies

Today I have a simple birthday card, with matching gift bag and tag to share. I used my IndigoBlu 'Big Butterfly' stamp, stamped in white pigment ink on kraft, then heat embossed using Stampendous 'Kaleidoscope' embossing powder on all three items. On the card I added a Hero Arts sentiment (from the 'Fabulous Birthday' set), and lightly distressed the edges.

The embossing powder gives a really pretty multi-coloured sparkle...virtually impossible to photograph, but lovely in real life! 

And the matching bag & tag (sentiment stamp from the 'Big Messages' set by Paula Pascual):

Challenges for these items:

• Aud Sentiments - Add a Birthday Sentiment
• Creatalicious - Anything Goes
• Inspiration Destination - Anything Goes
• My Time to Craft - Bag or Box with Matching Tag
• Stamping Sensations - One for the Girls

Snowflake Lace

I have a Christmas card to share today that I found recently in the 'bargain bin' of a lovely little craft shop...it's called 'Snowflake Lace' by Indigo Blu. I stamped it using Versamark Ink, then added a few different shades of blue WOW embossing glitter to create an ombre effect...starting from the top: Vintage Peacock, Midnight Dream & Silent Night. I added a stamped sentiment (from the 'Merriest Wishes' set by Hero Arts), heat embossed it using clear embossing powder, and lightly distressed the edges.

Challenges for this card:

• Christmas at Sweet Stampin' - Anything Goes
• Corrosive - Anything Goes
• Crafty Creations - Anything Goes
• Crafty Friends - Your Favourite Colour (Blue)
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Goes
• Happy Little Stampers (Christmas) - Anything Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Breakfast in Bed!

Today's card is a simple little one...I just wanted to use the last little pup from the new 'Good Times!' set by Penny Black. I coloured him using watercolour pencils, then cut a circle using one of my Nesties. I found a snippet of Dovecraft 'Tea House' paper that matched with his tray of goodies, 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 'Anytime Messages' set by Hero Arts.

Challenges for this card:

• Catch the Bug - Anything Goes
• Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes
• Cute Card Thursday - Anything Goes
• Little Miss Muffet - Anything Goes
• Moving Along with the Times - Food & Drink
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes

Pastel Butterflies

I have a delicate little butterfly card to share today using a new (to me) background stamp called 'Beautiful Wings Background' by Creative Expressions. I inked it up with Distress Inks (Tattered Rose, Milled Lavender, Stormy Sky & Bundled Sage), then spritzed it with a little water and stamped it on to some watercoour paper. I allowed it to dry, then stamped it again using Versamark Ink, and heat embossed it using clear embossing powder. I trimmed the panel down, then distressed the edges a little. Using the same inks, I 'smooshed' another piece of watercolour paper, then used one of my Tim Holtz/Sizzix 'Detailed Butterflies' dies to cut a solid butterfly shape. I then cut the matching detailed butterfly from a scrap of white card, then heat embossed it using Stampendous 'Kaleidoscope' embossing powder fr a really pretty glittery effect. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Doodled Flowers' set by Happy Little Stampers...I also used the 'Kaleidoscope' embossing powder over the black ink on this for a subtle sparkle.

Challenges for this card:

• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes (Colours of Spring)
• Crazy Challenge - Shine On!
• Fussy & Fancy - Add a Sentiment
• Happy Little Stampers (Watercolour) - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Happy Birthday
• Stamping Sensations - One for the Girls
• Sweet Stampin' - Embossing

PBSC April - Anything Goes (Or Spring Flowers)

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

'Anything Goes'
or
'Spring Flowers'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I went with the 'Spring Flowers' option, and had another play with my new 'Blossom Branch' stamp. I used the watercolour stamping technique...but added much less water than last time, trying to get a crisper image! I used Distress Inks to colour directly on to the stamp...slowly building up layers of colour...I used a lot of inks: Squeezed Lemonade, Scattered Straw & Spiced Marmalade (Centres of flowers); Milled Lavender, Dusty Concord & Chipped Sapphire (Flowers); Peeled Paint & Forest Moss (Leaves). Once the image had dried, I stamped it one final time using Versamark Ink, then heat embossed it using clear embossing powder. I added a sentiment (from a set that came free with a craft magazine), stamping it in black, then heat embossing that too. To make a softer background, I blended Bundled Sage, Stormy Sky & Faded Jeans Distress Inks over the top.

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

• 4 Crafty Chicks - Flowers
• Gem of a Challenge - Female Birthday with a Sentiment
• Happy Little Stampers (Watercolour) - Anything Goes
• Incy Wincy - Nature & All of It's Beauty
• Love to Scrap - April Showers Bring May Flowers
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Happy Birthday
• Stamping Sensations - For the Girls

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

Abstract Triangles

I have another 'the same, but different' cards to share today featuring the 'Abstract Triangles' background stamp by Simon Says Stamp. I started by stamping the background stamp on to a piece of watercolour paper using Versamark Ink, then heat embossed it using white powder. I then added some blue and green Distress Inks (Cracked Pistachio, Evergreen Bough, Peacock Feathers, Mermaid Lagoon, Broken China & Salty Ocean) on to my craft mat, added a little water, then 'smooshed' my embossed paper int them. I picked out a few of the triangles to paint with some stronger colour using the same inks, then splattered it with some water droplets...leaving it to stand for a minute before drying with a paper towel. I trimmed the panel in half, then cut partial circles using one of my Nesties, added them to my card bases, then stamped my sentiments (from a set that came free with a magazine) in the 'hole'.

Challenges for these cards:

• AAA Cards - A Favourite Technique (Ink smooshing)
• Addicted to Stamps - Thank You (Obviously just the 'thank you' card)
• C.R.A.F.T. - Get Well (Obviously just the 'get well' card)
• Crafting with an Attitude - Anything Goes
• Creative Knockouts - Anything Goes
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes

Moo'd Swing

Today's card features a rather grumpy looking cow called 'Moo'd Swing' by Whipper Snapper. I coloured the image using watercolour pencils, then added a sentiment from a Lili of the Valley set. I added a piece of patterned paper (from the My Mind's Eye 'Now & Then' pad) along the top...I cut the curve using one of my Lawn Fawn 'Stitched Hillside' border dies.

Challenges for this card:

• Animal Friends - On the Farm
• Craftaholics R Us - Birthday Cards
• Crafty Animals - Anything Goes
• Little Red Wagon - Old MacDonald
• Penny Black & More - Black & White Plus One
• Shopping Our Stash - Black, White & One Other Colour
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Happy Birthday

ABC Christmas Challenge - H & I are for?

We have a fun new ABC Christmas Challenge starting today...Lols is the host, and the themes for this month are:

'H is for Hats'

&

'I is for Ice'

Our sponsor for this challenge is All Dressed Up:

Prize - 2 Digi Stamps of the winner's choice!

There's also an awesome bonus prize for one lucky winner from Lols...a $25/£20 gift certificate to a store of the winner's choice!

Looking through my stamp collection, I discovered that I had quite a lot of Christmas stamps featuring hats...but just had to go with 'Snowy' (by Penny Black). I coloured him using watercolour pencils, then paper pieced his hat and scarf using snippets of paper from the 'Recollections - Prince Charming' pad by Michaels (found at TK Maxx). I used some more of the papers for the background...distressing the edges a little, then adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The sentiment stamp is from a set by Pollycraft for C C Designs.

Challenges for this card:

• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Goes
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Crimbo Crackers - Anything Goes

Coming up with an image for 'Ice' was also fairly easy...I do have a few 'ice skating' images, but thought that little Lili of the Valley penguin on his iceberg (called 'Ice Christmas') would be perfect! I coloured him using watercolour pencils, and added a sentiment (from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous). I simply distressed the edges a little then matted it on to a couple of pieces of co-ordinating card.

Challenges for this card:

• Sparkles Forum Christmas - Feature a Creature
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
• Winter Wonderland - Animals

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