Cupcake Mice

Today's card is a simple little birthday card that features a really old Penny Black image from the 'Party Critters' set. I coloured it using watercolour pencils...added a sentiment from the 'Butterfly Birthday' set by Happy Little Stampers, then cut it out using one of my circle Nesties. I added a snippet of candle covered paper (from the 'Let's Celebrate' pad from Poundland) to the bottom of a kraft card blank, then added my image on top.

Challenges for this card:

• Cute Card Thursday - Birthdays
• Inkspirational - Three or Five of Something (Three Mice)
• Moo Mania - Animals
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• The Sisterhood of Crafters - Any Occasion

Cat Carolers

I have another Christmas card to share today...featuring a Penny Black image from the 'Christmas Hugs' set. I coloured the image using watercolour pencils, then added a sentiment from a little Studio G set. I used paper from a pad by Craftwork Cards called 'Chalkboard Christmas' for the background...a single sheet, as it's really busy! I distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and black and white gel pens. 

Challenges for this card:

• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Rudolph Days - Anything Christmas Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• Winter Wonderland - Use Red & Green

Sunflower Ted

I have a simple little card to share today featuring an adorable teddy bear image that was sent to me ages go in a swap. I haven't been able to identify him...he looks similar to the Lili of the Valley teddies...so if you know what he's called, please let me know! I coloured him using watercolour pencils, then distressed the edges a little, and added him to a kraft card blank. The sentiment is from a set by Visible Image.

Challenges for this card:

• Aud Sentiments - Anything Goes with a Sentiment
• Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes
• Crafty Creations - Anything Goes
• Creative Moments - Anything Goes
• Little Red Wagon - Much Ado About Nothing
• Penny Black & More - Blooms, Butterflies & Bugs
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes

All of Us!

I have little trio of cards to share today using a set of Avery Elle stamps called 'All of Us'. I stamped the rows of animals on to snippets of watercolour papers...adding an arm holding a sign to each one, along with a sentiment from the set, then coloured them using watercolour pencils, before carefully cutting them out. I made a simple background for each of the images, using kraft card and snippets of patterned paper (from the 'Bright Freshness' pad by Craft Sensations)...distressing the edges a little and matting each one on to a snippet of co-ordinating coloured card.

Challenges for these cards:

• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Driving Home for Christmas

It's been a couple of weeks since I last uploaded a Christmas card...so I thought it was about time I added another to my Christmas card tally! I used an image from the 'Joy to the World' set by Penny Black...and paired it with a piece of paper from the 'Peppermint Forest' pad by Craftwork Cards. When I bought the paper pad, my first thought was how similar the image of the car with the tree on the roof is to this stamp...so I just had to put them together. I coloured the image using watercolour pencils, then distressed the edges and added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

Challenges for this card:

• Allsorts - Soft Pastels
• Christmas at Sweet Stampin' - Anything Christmas Goes (Optional Non-traditional Colours)
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Crimbo Crackers - Anything Christmas Goes
• Fab 'N' Funky - Christmas
• Incy Wincy - Things with Wheels
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Transport
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Travel or Vacation
• The Holly & the Ivy - Anything Christmas Goes

Just for You

I have a simple little one layer card to share today...featuring another of the stamps from the 'It's Your Day!' set by Penny Black. I stamped it directly on to my card blank, along with one of the sentiments in the set, then coloured the image using watercolour pencils.

Challenges for this card:

• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Less is More - One Layer Card with Spots
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Seize the Birthday - Anything Birthday Goes

Sketched Flowers

I have another simple card to share today...this one features a gorgeous floral stamp by Simon Says Stamp called 'Sketched Flowers'. I stamped it on to watercolour paper...along with one of the sentiments from the set...then coloured it using watercolour pencils. I distressed the edges of the panels a little, then added it to a kraft card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• AAA Birthdays - Use Watercolours
• Inkspirational - Garden
• Moving Along with the Times - CAS
• My Time to Craft - Watercolour
• Penny Black & More - Blooms, Butterflies & Bugs

Twice as Mice

I have a simple little birthday card to share today using stamps from the 'It's Your Day' set by Penny Black. I stamped everything on to a panel of watercolour paper, then coloured the images using watercolour pencils. I doodled a simple border using a black gel pen, then added the panel to a kraft card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Sparkles Forum - No Patterned Paper
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Pile It On! Challenge - Transportation and/or Vacation

It's the third Sunday of the month, so I'm back with some more inspiration for this month's Pile It On! Challenge where the themes are:

'Transportation'

and/or

'Vacation'

We are sponsored for this challenge by Dr Digi's House of Stamps:

Prize - 2 Digi Stamps of the Winner's Choice!

We are also teaming up with the Double Trouble Challenge blog...which has a challenge staring tomorrow (Monday 17th) with a 'Vacation' theme...with a couple of optional extras too!

I combined the two themes...using a couple of Penny Black stamps and patterned papers to create a beach scene. I stamped the critters on to watercolour paper...the dog is called 'Bee-have!'...and I masked off the grass and flowers as he was going to be lying on the beach...and the chicken is actually a Christmas stamp...I masked off the Santa hat and snow so that he could be surfing rather then snowboarding...and drew in the top of head adding a comb in place of the hat. I coloured them using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut them out. I used patterned papers to create the background...the yellow spotty paper (sand) is from the 'Bright Freshness' pad by Craft Sensations, and the blue papers (sea & sky) are from the 'Prince Charming' pad by Recollections/Michaels. I tore the edges of a couple of strips of the zig-zag paper to represent the foam of the breaking waves. I added  sentiment (from the 'Sending Sunshine' set by Simon Says Stamp), distressed the edges of the papers a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and  black gel pen.

Here are the challenges I've piled on:

• Pile It On! - Transportation and/or Vacation
• A Bit More Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• Artistic Inspirations - Anything Goes
• CCEE Stampers - Sewing
• Corrosive - Anything Goes
• Crafty Creations - Anything Goes
• Crafty Sentiments - Water
• Double Trouble - Vacation
• Little Red Wagon - Sea It
• Moo Mania - Here Comes the Sun
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Vacation
• Sweet Stampers - Anything Goes

For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please pop over to the Pile It On! Challenge...and don't forget to also link up at Double Trouble if your entry meets their challenge theme too!

PBSC June - Anything Goes (Optional 'Partial Stamping')...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
'Partial Stamping'
(Either by only inking and stamping part of your image, or by stamping off the edge of your project)

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

This time, I stamped my image off the edge of my card blank...it's one of the images from the 'Hello Friend' set. I coloured the image using watercolour pencils, then added a sentiment (from the 'Laugh Out Loud Again' set by Clearly Besotted) along the top of the card.

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

• AAA Cards - One Layer
• Aud Sentiments - Anything Goes + a Sentiment
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes (Optional 'Male/Father's Day')
• Cute Card Thursday - CAS

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

Don't take the cake!

I have a simple birthday card to share today...featuring a stamp from a new Penny Black set called 'It's Your Day'...I just love how protective that teddy is of his cake! I stamped it on to watercolour paper, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. I trimmed the panel down, then matted it on to a snippet of aqua coloured card...distressing the edges...and adding it to a kraft card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• As You Like It - Your Favourite Stamp Brand (Penny Black - they were my first love...what really got me into stamping...and I love the range of stamp styles, from elegant to cute, but the critters are my most favourite)
• Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes
• Everybody Art - Anything Goes
• Seize the Birthday - Anything Birthday
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Happy Father's Day!

I'm sharing the Father's Day card I made for my Dad today...I know it's a little early, but he won't see on here. I used a Lili of the Valley image called 'Mr Fixit', which I coloured using watercolour pencils. I paired it with snippets of papers from the 'Blue Floral' pad by My Mind's Eye. I added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Sentiments' set by Hero Arts.

Challenges for this card:

• Always Fun - For Dad
• Animal Friends - Bears
• Cardz for Guyz - Father's Day
• Crafty Cardmakers - Masculine
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Masculine
• Sweet Stampin' - Father's Day

Christmas Delivery

I have another card featuring a charity shop find to share today...a stamp set by Crafter's Companion from the Moonbeam Meadow collection called 'Christmas Delivery'. I stamped the main image on to a piece of watercolour paper along with one of the sentiments from the set. I coloured it using watercolour pencils, then added a simple doodled border before adding it to a kraft card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Crimbo Crackers - Anything Christmas Goes
• Cute Card Thursday - Anything Goes
• Fab 'N' Funky - Something New (The stamps are new)
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Jingle Belles - Santa
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Stamping Sensations - Colourful

Resplendent Roses Background

Today's card features another charity shop find...the 'Resplendent Roses' background stamp by Phill Martin for Sentimentally Yours. I had a little play around with it using some different embossing powders and inks, and picked this one to turn into a card. I stamped it on to watercolour paper using Versamark Ink, then heat embossed it with white embossing powder. I then watercoloured over the top using Distress Inks in shades of pinks, red, oranges & yellows (Scattered Straw, Wild Honey, Spiced Marmalade, Fired Brick, Festive Berries & Seedless Preserves). 

I added a sentiment from a Lili of the Valley set and a few clear sequins...really sparkly in real life...but a pain to try to photograph!

Challenges for this card:

• Alphabet Challenge - F is for Flowers
• Crafting with an Attitude - Anything Goes
• Creative Knockouts - Anything Goes
• Happy Little Stampers (Watercolour) - Anything Goes (Optional Love)
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Weddings or Anniversaries
• Simply Create Too - Anything Goes (Optional Lots of Flowers)
• Stamping Sensations - Colourful

ABC Christmas Challenge - L & M are for?

We have another fun ABC Christmas Challenge starting today...I'm the host, and we have two themes this month:

'L is for Little'

&

'M is for Masking'

There are a couple of prizes on offer for two lucky winners:

For my 'L is for Little' card...I used a 4 inch square card blank...and an old Hero Arts stamp called 'Winter Pup'. I coloured him using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut him out. I used a snippet of tartan paper (from the 'Chalkboard Christmas' pad by Craftwork Cards) as a background...with some faux stitching...and popped the pup on top using 3D foam pads.

I combined several Penny Black critter stamps for my 'M is for Masking' card...the mice in the parcel are from the 'Christmas Hugs' set, the other two mice are from the 'Jolly Friends' set, and the robin is from the 'Wintertime Cheer' set. I coloured them using watercolour pencils to match the pastel shades of the paper from the 'Peppermint Forest' pad by Craftwork Cards. I added some faux stitching, and a sentiment (from a set by Pollycraft for C. C. Designs).

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

• CAS Christmas - Gifts (Just the second card)
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Crimbo Crackers - Anything Christmas Goes
• Happy Little Stampers (Christmas) - Anything Christmas Goes
• Holly & the Ivy - Anything Christmas Goes
• Merry Little Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• My Time to Craft - Use Kraft (Just the first card)
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - 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.

Tiger Lily Two Ways

I have a couple of simple birthday cards to share today that feature a stamp I picked up in  charity shop last week...it's called 'Tiger Lily' by Penny Black. I stamped it on to a couple of pieces of watercolour paper...one landscape, and the other portrait...and coloured the flowers using watercolour pencils. I added a sentiment to each (from the 'Fabulous Birthday' set by Hero Arts, and the 'Butterflies' set by Happy Little Stampers), then distressed the edges a little before adding them to kraft card blanks.

Challenges for these cards:

• AAA Cards - Happy Birthday
• Aud Sentiments - Nature & a Sentiment
• Love to Scrap - Anything Goes
• Penny Black & More - Blooms, Butterflies and/or Bugs
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes

Pile It On! Challenge - Transportation

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

'Transportation'

We are sponsored for this challenge by Dr Digi's House of Stamps:

Prize - 2 Digi Stamps of the Winner's Choice!

I went with a sail boat as my method of transportation...and used a cute Penny Black image simply called 'Fishing!', which I coloured using watercolour pencils, then added some sparkle to the sea using a Wink of Stella pen. I used snippets of papers from the 'Prince Charming' pad by Recollections/Michaels (found at TK Maxx). ..I distressed all of the edges, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The sentiment stamps are from the 'Birthday Buddies' set by Paper Smooches/

Here are the challenges I've piled on:

• Pile It On! - Transportation
• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything Goes
• A Bit More Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• A Perfect Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• Addicted to Stamps - For a Boy/Man
• Cards Galore Encore - Anything Goes
• Cardz 4 Guys - Beside the Seaside
• Catch the Bug - Anything Goes
• Crafty Calendar - Masculine
• Crafty Friends - Men/Boys
• Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - Anything Goes
• Creatalicious - Anything Goes (Optional Blue)
• Cute Card Thursday - Masculine
• Dream Valley - Boys Only
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• Sweet Stampin' - Oceans of Fun

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

PBSC June - Anything Goes...Optional 'Partial Stamping'!

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
'Partial Stamping'
(Either by only inking and stamping part of your image, or by stamping off the edge of your project)

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

Partial stamping is a technique I like to use with some of the larger Penny Black images...it helps to make them fit better on a smaller card, and of course makes the images more versatile. The stamp I used on my card is called 'Cluck, Cluck, Cluck'...the whole stamp has four chickens on it, but as I was making this card for my Dad's birthday, I chose to mask off the chicken carrying the bouquet of flowers before I inked it...here's what the original stamp looks like:

I coloured the image using watercolour pencils to match the colours in the checked papers I was going to use...I think they're by Lawn Fawn, but I received them as part of a prize. 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 'Butterfly Birthday' set by Happy Little Stampers.

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

• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes

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