Tattered Christmas

I have another Christmas card to share today...this time featuring a few stamps from the 'Tattered Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous. I stamped them on to watercolour paper, coloured them using watercolour pencils, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen, before matting the panel on to some red glitter card.

Challenges for this card:

• Allsorts - Snowmen and/or Snowflakes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Creative Knockouts - Christmas Delight
• Jingle Belles - Anything Christmas
• My Time to Craft - Christmas Scene
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Traditional Christmas
• Sweet Stampin' - Christmas
• Winter Wonderland - Anything Christmas

PBSC December - Anything Goes (Optional 'Sparkle & Shine')

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
'Sparkle & Shine'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I inked up one of my older wood mounted Penny Blacks...'Cat on the Moon', and coloured it using watercolour pencils...adding some sparkle to the stars & moon using a Wink of Stella pen. I made a super sparkly background by repeat stamping a panel of stars (from the 'Starry Backdrops' set by Lawn Fawn) in Versamark Ink on navy card, then heat embossing it using 'Metallic Gold Sparkle' embossing glitter from WOW. I matted everything on to gold glitter card for even more sparkle. 

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

• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything Goes
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Cute Card Thursday - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Let's Sparkle
• Stamping Sensations - Anything Goes

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

Carolers

I have another Christmas card to share today...featuring one of the first Penny Black stamps I bought...called 'Carolers'. I coloured it using watercolour pencils, then added a sentiment from a set by Stamping Bella called 'Caroling Chicks'. I made a simple background by embossing a piece of kraft card using my 'Musical Notes' embossing folder by Crafts Too...matting everything on to snippets of red card.

Challenges for this card:

• Addicted to Stamps - Anything Goes
• Animal Friends - Birds
• Cardz for Guyz - Christmas Critters
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Everybody Art - Anything Goes
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Stamping Sensations - Anything Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

ABC Christmas Challenge - Y & Z are for?

We have reached the final ABC Christmas Challenge of the year...Samantha is the host, and the themes for this month are:

'Y is for Yuletide'

&

'Z is for Zig Zags'

There's a little prize from Samantha on offer for the winner of this challenge:

I couldn't find a specific 'Yule' sentiment among my stash of stamps, so used a combination of stamps frm the Happy Little Stampers 'Everyday Messages' set ('Have a') and Paper Smooches 'Graffiti Alphabet' stamps to make my own. I stamped it directly on to my DL card blank, then added an image from the Lili of the Valley 'Penguins' set below. I coloured the penguins using watercolour pencils.

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

• Allsorts - Christmas Gifts
• Christmas with the Cuties - Santa Hats
• Creative Knockouts - Winter Holidays
• Merry Little Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Shopping Our Stash - Happy Holidays

On my 'Zig Zags' card, I used an old faithful...'Snowy' by Penny Black'...stamping him directly on to my card blank and coloured him using watercolour pencils, then I used snippets of 'zig zag' patterned paper, from the My Mind's Eye 'Chevrons' paper pad, to paper piece his hat and scarf. The sentiment stamp is from the  Sweet Dixie 'Merry Little Robin' stamp set.

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

• Always Fun - Snowmen
• Dream Valley - Christmas
• Moo Mania - Use Your Scraps
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• Use Your Stuff - Snow

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

'O' Christmas Tree

I have a couple of simple watercolour cards to share today...made using an idea shared here by Kristina Werner. I used masking tape to make a 'tree' shape on watercolour paper, then painted stipes of green watercolours, drying in between each different colour, overlapping the colours until I had covered the whole of each tree. Once dry, I removed the tape, then added sentiments (from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Satmpers Anonymous), and doodled frames before adding my watercoloured panels on to kraft card blanks.

Challenges for these cards:

• A Bit More Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• A Perfect Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• Christmas Card Throwdown - Watercolour
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes (Optional 'CAS')
• Happy Little Stampers (Watercolour) - Anything Goes (Optional 'Christmas)
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• The Sisterhood of Crafters - Trees

Scribbly Tree Tags

I have a set of Christmas gift tags to share today...using stamps from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous. I stamped the trees, and a sentiment from the same set, on to kraft luggage tags using Versamark Ink, then heat embossed them using 'Rich Metallic Gold' embossing powder from WOW. I replaced the plain string on the tags with some gold twine, and that's it...really simple.

Challenges for these tags:

• Aud Sentiments - Christmas/Winter Sentiment
• Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Fab 'N' Funky - Christmas
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• The Sisterhood of Crafters - Trees

More Monochrome Sketched Flowers

Today's card is very similar to one I made a month or so ago (here), and is what I had originally set out to do...but my plans were foiled by some rubbish-y gold embossing powder! It was a really old one (from way before I started blogging...and I've been doing that for over 11 years) that came with my first heat gun, and when I embossed the stamp ('Sketched Flowers' by Simon Says Stamp) it came out a dull brown colour...not attractive! On the previous card, I embossed the flowers and sentiment using white when the gold didn't work, but I went on a hunt to replace it, and picked up a 'Rich Metallic Gold' powder by WOW, and tried again.It's so much better and is everything that I wanted it to be...a lovely shiny gold...and not too yellow. I added a sentiment from the same stamp set, then coloured the flowers using watercolour pencils (but without water), then distressed the edges a little before adding the panel to my card blank. 

Challenges for this card:

• AAA Cards - Made in Minutes
• Crafty Cardmakers - No Patterned Paper
• Crafty Creations - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes

Monty with Gifts

Today's card features a stamp that I picked up from a charity shop recently...it's an old Funstamps one called 'Monty with Gifts'. I stamped it on to watercolour paper, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. The papers I used for the background are from the 'Peppermint Forest' pad by Craftwork Cards...I distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

Challenges for this card:

• Always Fun - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Creatalcious - Anything Goes (Optional Stitching)
• Rudolph Days - Anything Christmas Goes
• The Holly & the Ivy - Anything Christmas Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Toot Your Own Horn!

I have a quick and simple card to share today featuring more of the hedgies from the Penny Black 'Hedgie Harmony' stamp set. I stamped them on to a snippet of watercolour paper, along with a sentiment from the 'Critter Concert' set by Lawn Fawn, then coloured the image using wtercolour pencils. I embossed a snippet of yellow card using my 'Music Notes' embossing folder by Crafts Too to make a simple background.

Challenges for this card:

• A Bit More Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Creative Moments - Anything Goes
• Cutie Pie - Add an Animal
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets

Snowman Family

Another Christmas card to share today...this one is ultra simple. I used my Woodware 'Snowman Family' stamp, stamped it directly on to a DL kraft card blank, along with a Lili of the Valley sentiment, and coloured using watercolour pencils (without water).

Challenges for this card:

• As You Like It - Your Favourite Way to Add Snow (I like adding snow in many ways, but my favourite has to be in the form of snowmen!)
• Corrosive - Anything Goes
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Crafty Creations - Anything Goes
• Creative Knockouts - Snow Much Fun
• Cute Card Thursday - Winter
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes

Bright Baubles

I have a Christmas card to share today, featuring another recent purchase...the 'Bright Baubles' stamp set by Julie Hickey. I stamped the bauble on to snippets of teal card using Versamark Ink, then heat embossed them using 'Metallic Silver Sparkle' embossing powder from WOW. I carefully cut out the baubles, then mounted them on to a DL card blank, layering one overlapping the other using 3D foam pads. I doodled a 'thread' for each of the baubles using a black gel pen, then added a sentiment using stamps from the same stamp set.

Challenges for this card:

• Crafty Friends - Christmas
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes (Optional Glitter)
• Crafty Sentiments - Christmas
• Cute Card Thursday - Festive
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets
• Sparkles Forum - Christmas
• The Holly & the Ivy - Anything Christmas Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Cosmos Circle

I'm featuring another recent purchase on today's card...the 'Cosmos Circle' stamp by Woodware. I stamped it on to watercolour paper, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. I added a sentiment (from the 'Go To Words' set by Visible Image), distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

Challenges for this card:

• Aud Sentiments - Thank You Sentiment
• Crafty Cardmakers - Thankful
• Creative Knockouts - Anything Goes
• Happy Little Stampers (Watercolour) - Anything Goes
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Thank You/Thanksgiving
• Sweet Stampin' - All Things Bright & Beautiful

PBSC November - Anything Goes (Optional 'Tags')

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
'Tags'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

This time, I used one of my newer Penny Black stamp...'Together'...to make a Birthday card and matching gift tag. I stamped on to kraft card, and a kraft tag using Versarmark Ink, then heat embossed the images using 'Rich Metallic Gold' embossing powder from WOW. On the card, I matted the panel on to some gold mirror card, distressing the edges a little. The sentiment stamps used on both are also by Penny Black, from the 'It's Your Day' set.

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

• Addicted to Stamps - Anything Goes
• Cards Galore Encore - Anything Goes
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes (Optional 'Birthday')
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Stamp + Fun = Creativity - Non-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.

Snow Dust Twofer

I have a couple of cards inspired by this month's 'Holiday Greenery' theme of the Twofer Challenge to share today...and although the 'two different occasions' rule has been relaxed this month...I decided to stick with the original formula. I used a Penny Black stamp called 'Snow Dust' to make a Christmas card, and a sympathy card.

On my Christmas cards, I started by blending Distress Inks (Milled Lavender, Shaded Lilac, Wilted Violet, Seedless Preserves, Dusty Concord) on to a snippet of smooth card, then heat embossed the whole stamp on top using white embossing powder. I added a snippet of torn white card along the bottom, to look like a snow drift, then added my panel to my card blank using 3D foam pads. The sentiment is from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous.

On the Sympathy card, I made a loose watercolour background with Distress Inks (Broken China, Stormy Sky, Chipped Sapphire, Mowed Lawn, Forest Moss) on watercolour paper, then stamped just the trees (minus the snow dust) in black over the top. I matted it on to a snippet of navy card, distressing the edges a little, and added a sentiment from the 'Sketched Flowers' set by Simon Says Stamp.

Challenges for these cards:

• Christmas Card Throwdown - Purple & White
• Christmas at Sweet Stampin' - Trees (Just the Christmas Card)
• Less is More - Torn (Just the Christmas Card)
• Little Red Wagon - Don't Be Shy (Just the Sympathy Card)
• Sweet Stampin' - Make Your Own Background
• Twofer - Holiday Greenery

Just a Note!

I have a simple one layer card to share today...featuring some critters from the 'Hedgie Harmony' set by Penny Black. I stamped the image, along with one of the sentiments from the set, directly on to my kraft card blank, then coloured it using watercolour pencils...but without using any water.

Challenges for this card:

• CAS on Friday - One Layer
• Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Inkspirational - One Layer Card
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes

Festive Panel

I have another couple of Christmas cards to share today...featuring a recent purchase...'Festive Panel' by Woodware Stamps. I stamped it using Versamark Ink on to both red and green card, then heat embossed it using 'Rich Metallic Gold' powder by WOW. I then tore along the top edge, then matted it on to gold glitter card...again tearing the top edge. I stamped on of the sentiments that came in the stamp set on to a couple of kraft card blanks, then added my embossed panels along the bottom edge of each card.

Here's a close-up of each card:

Challenges for these cards:

• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Happy Little Stampers (CAS) - 'Tis the Season
• Happy Little Christmas (Christmas) - Anything Christmas Goes
• Less is More - That's Torn It!
• Sweet Stampers - Christmas

Skiing Bunny

I have another Christmas card to share today...this one features a recent charity shop find 'Skiing Bunny' by Uptown Rubber Stamps, Holly Town Hill. I stamped him on to watercolour paper, then coloured him using watercolour pencils, then added a sentiment from the 'Joy to the World' stamp set by Penny Black. I paired it with a snippet of paper from 'The Christmas Multi Stack' by DCWV...it's an old pad, and was another charity shop find. I distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

Challenges for this card:

• Alphabet Challenge - Quick & Easy
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes (Optional 'Christmas')
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Cute Card Thursday - Anything Goes
• Jingle Belles - Baby, it's Cold Outside
• Penny Black & More - Christmas
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Stamping Sensations - Traditional Christmas Colours
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

ABC Christmas Challenge - W & X are for...

We have another fun ABC Christmas Challenge starting today...Lindsey is the host, and the themes this month are:

'W is for Wreath'

&

'X is for fauX'

And the prize for the lucky winner:

My 'W is for Wreath' project is a Quality Street chocolate wreath...I make a couple of these every year. I'm still using the original polystyrene wreath shapes...and simply use my hot glue gun to attach the chocolates. I use a whole tub of chocolates on each wreath...although every year there are fewer chocolates, so the white of the wreath shape underneath is starting to show through this year! 

I went with faux stitching on my 'X is for fauX' card. I picked a Penny Black image called 'Wishes for Kisses', which I stamped on to watercolour paper and coloured using watercolour pencils. I added a sentiment and little snowflake from a couple of the Penny Black transparent sets. The plaid papers are from two differentpads...the green paper is from the 'Ho Ho Ho Christmas' pad by Polkadoodles, and the red paper is from the 'Festive Chalkboard' pad by Craftwork Cards...I distressed the edges a little before adding my faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

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

• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything Goes 
• Aud Sentiments - Anything Goes with a Sentiment
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes (Something Beginning with H - Hedgehog)
• Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - Anything Goes
• Incy Wincy - Animals
• Penny Black & More - Christmas
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• Stamping Sensations - Traditional Christmas Colours

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