Bold & Bright or Soft & Gentle?

I have another pair of cards to share today...this time featuring a large floral background stamp that I picked up in a charity shop recently. I've Googled and Googled, but I can't find out what make the stamp is or what it's called...so if anybody recognises it, please leave me a comment! ***Edited to say a big 'thank you' to Michele for letting me know that the stamp is called 'Sunkissed Fleur' by Heartfelt Creations***

I stamped it a couple of times on to watercolour paper...once each in black and grey. The coloured them using watercolour pencils...using bright colours on the one stamped in black, and more muted, pastel tones for the one stamped in grey. I distressed the edges a little, and added a sentiment to each, from the 'Go To Words' set by Visible Image, stamped in either black or grey.

Challenges for these cards:

• Allsorts - Feminine
• As You Like It - Favourite Way to Add Text (Using a sentiment stamp...my handwriting is not that pretty!)
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Seize the Birthday - Anything Birthday Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes

Musical Christmas

I'm back with a couple of Christmas cards featuring the remaining critters from my new Lili of the Valley 'Carol Singers' stamp set...you can see my first card featuring the other critters here. 

This time I used the animals individually, stamping them on to watercolour paper, then coloured them using watercolour pencils and cut them out using one of my circle Nesties. For the background, I embossed snippets of aqua coloured card using my 'Music Notes' embossing folder by Crafts Too. I used sentiments from from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous...stamping them on to snippets of watercolour paper, adding them along with my images using 3D foam pads.

Challenges for these cards:

• Crafty Creations - Anything Goes
• Creative Knockouts - Add a Sentiment
• Crimbo Crackers - Anything Christmas Goes
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Simon says Stamp (Mondays) - Something Beginning with 'S' (Singers)
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• The Holly & the Ivy - Anything Christmas Goes

Sketched Flowers

I have a 'Thankyou' card to share today...made using my Simon Says Stamp 'Sketched Flowers' set.I stamped the flowers over one corner of my piece of watercolor paper...using 'Smoky Gray' Versamark Ink...turned the paper around in my stamp platform, and stamped it again over the opposite corner. I added a sentiment (from the 'Go To Words' set by Visible Image), and doodled a simple border using a black gel pen. I coloured the flowers using watercolour pencils, then matted the panel on to some gold card before adding it to my A5 card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• Alphabet Challenge - K is for Kind Thoughts
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - CAS
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Carol Singers!

I have a simple one layer Christmas card to share today...featuring a trio of stamps from a set by Lili of the Valley called 'Carol Singing'  that I received for my birthday a couple of weeks ago. I stamped them directly on to a card blank, then doodled with a black gel pen to join up the snowy ground between the critters. I coloured them using watercolour pencils, then added a sentiment from another Lili of the Valley set.

Challenges for this card:

• Addicted to CAS - One Layer
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Crafty Sentiments - Animals
• Incy Wincy - Musical Instruments & Singers
• Rudolph Days - Anything Christmas Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - CAS

Baubles!

I have a couple of simple Christmas cards to share today...using a new Thinlits die set by Sizzix called 'Intricate Baubles'. I used the dies to cut the baubles from snippets of navy and red card...then cut a plain bauble shape from glitter card to mount behind. I used DL card blanks...adding a sentiment stamp from a set by Lili of the Valley, and doodling a thread for each bauble to hang from using a black gel pen, before adding my baubles to the cards using 3D foam pads.

Challenges for these cards:

• CAS Christmas - Glitter
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - CAS
• Winter Wonderland - Christmas Ornaments

Together

Today's card features another birthday present...the 'Together' stamp by Penny Black. I inked it up with several Distress Inks...Dusty Concord, Chipped Sapphire & Broken China on the flowers, and Crushed Olive & Forest Moss on the leaves and stem. I added a sentiment (from the 'Sketched Flowers' set by Simon Says Stamp), distressed the edges a little, and then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

Challenges for this card:

• Artistic Stamper - Anything Goes
• Creatalicious - Anything Goes
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - CAS
• Simply Create Too - Anything Goes
• Sweet Stampin' - CAS
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Winter Wonderland

I've used another birthday present on today's card...it's a Penny Black die called 'Xmas Tree Border'. I loved the design of the sample card on the packaging...so basically copied that! I cut a couple of rows of trees from snippets of green card...then used my Lawn Fawn 'Hillside Border' dies to cut some snowy slopes from snippets of white card, and a new (to me) Poppy Stamps 'Curious Fawn' die to cut the little deer from a snippet of kraft card. I stamped a sentiment (from the 'Merriest Christmas' set by Hero Arts) on to a piece of paper from the 'Mystery Marbles' pad by Craft Sensations), then layered all of the die cut pieces over the top.

Challenges for this card:

• Crafty Creations - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Crimbo Crackers - Anything Christmas Goes
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Happy Little Stampers (Dies) - Anything Goes with Dies
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• The Sisterhood of Crafters - Dies as the Main Focus

PBSC August - Anything Goes (Optional 'Water and/or Watercolour')...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
'Water and/or Watercolour'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I received this adorable 'Friendship' stamp for my birthday last weekend...and it was just perfect for our 'Water' theme this month...so I couldn't resist using it...in fact I made two cards!

On the first one, I stamped the image on to watercolour paper...extended the waves a little...coloured it using watercolour pencils, then cut it out using one of my circle Nesties. I curved the sentiment  (from the 'All of Us' set by Avery Elle) around the image, and added a few die cut clouds (cut using the 'Puffy Clouds' dies by Memory Box).

On my second card I stamped the image, along with the sentiment that came in the set, on to some watercolour paper, and again coloured it using watercolour pencils. I doodled a simple border, then matted it on to some red card before adding it to my card balnk.

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

• A Bit More Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• A Perfect Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• Cards Galore Encore - Anything Goes
• Corrosive - Anything Goes
• Crafty Calendar - Anything Goes
• Penny Black & More - For Boys and Men
• Twofer - Nautical

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

Urban Butterflies

Today's card features some new (to me) stamps...I picked them up in a charity shop a couple of days ago...there was no packaging with them, and their previous owner had separated the butterflies, but I was fairly sure I recognised them as being by Papermania...a quick Google has revealed that I was right...they're simply called 'Butterflies' from the 'Urban Stamps' range. I stamped them on to watercolour paper, then coloured them 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 'Go To Words' set by Visible Image.

Challenges for this card:

• CAS Watercolour - Colourful Butterflies
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Seize the Birthday - Anything Birthday Goes (Optional Butterflies)
• Stamping Sensations - Things with Wings
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Delicate Snowflakes

I have a Christmas card to share today..made at the same time as this birthday card that I blogged a couple of days ago...using the same technique. I started by stamping my snowflakes (from the 'Delicate Snowflakes' set by Stampendous) and sentiment (from the 'Letter It - Christmas' set by Ranger) on to watercolour paper using Versamark Ink, then heat embossed them in white. I watercoloured over the top using Distress Inks (Stormy Sky, Salty Ocean, Broken China Mermaid Lagoon & Peacock Feathers), distressed the edges a little, then added a few sequins.

Challenges for this card:

• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• C.R.A.F.T. - Christmas
• Jingle Belles - Blue Christmas
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Use Blue
• Sparkles Christmas Forum - It's Snowtime

Airborne

It was my birthday a couple of days ago and I was the lucky recipient of some lovely new crafting goodies...including this adorable Penny Black stamp called 'Airborne'. I stamped it on to some watercolour paper, coloured it using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut it out. I stamped the sentiment that came with it on to a snippet of blue card, and doodled a simple border using a black gel pen. I added the puppy image, along with a few die cut clouds (cut from a snippet of white card using my memory Box 'Puffy Clouds' dies) using some 3D foam pads.

Challenges for this card:

• A Bit More Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• Aud Sentiments - Animals & a Sentiment
• Dream Valley - Hand Coloured Images
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Midsummer Blues
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Add a Die Cut

Birthday Butterflies

I have another birthday card to share today...this one features a trio of butterflies (from the 'Penpattern Butterflies' set by Stampendous). I stamped the butterflies (along with a sentiment from the 'Sketched Flowers' set by Simon Says Stamp) on to a piece of watercolour paper using Versamark Ink, then heat embossed them in white. I used three Distress Inks (Picked Raspberry, Seedless Preserves & Blueprint Sketch) to watercolour over the top, then distressed the edges a little and added a few sequins for a touch of sparkle.

Challenges for this card:

• CAS Watercolour - Colourful Butterflies
• Catch the Bug - Anything Goes
• CCEE Stampers - Embossing
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Moo Mania - Butterflies
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Happy Birthday
• Stamping Sensations - Things with Wings
• Sweet Stampin' - Things with Wings

Don't Take My Cake!

I have a simple little birthday card to share today...featuring an adorable Penny Black teddy (from the 'It's Your Day' set) being very protective of his cake! I stamped him on to watercolour paper, coloured him using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut him out. I used a snippet of spotty paper (from the 'Prince Charming' pad by Recollections/Michaels) for the background, adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

Challenges for this card:

• AAA Birthday - For the Boys
• Creative Knockouts - Furry Friends
• Creative Moments - Anything Goes
• Penny Black & More - For Boys/Men
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Happy Birthday
• The Male Room - Birthday Cards

ABC Christmas Challenge - P, Q & R are for?

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

'P is for Penguins'

'Q is for Quarters'

&

'R is for Reindeer'

There are three prizes on offer for three lucky winner (three 6x6 paper pads):

I made a card for each of the three themes (the more cards for the box the better!), and picked a cute Lili of the Valley penguin stamp called 'Present Pile for my first card. I coloured the image using watercolour pencils, added a sentiment (from a set by Pollycraft for C.C.Designs) and a simple doodled border, then simply popped it on to my card blank using 3D foam pads.

For my second card, I divided my background into quarters...using squares of papers from the 'Ho Ho Ho' pad by Polkadoodles...with a little bit of faux stitching added using my CutterBug and a black gel pen. The image and sentiment stamps are from the 'Christmas Hugs' set by Penny Black...and is again coloured using watercolour pencils.

My third card feature another Penny Black image...called 'Deer in Skates'...I stamped it directly on to a kraft card blank, along with a sentiment (from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous), then coloured it using watercolour pencils, but without any water.

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

• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Crimbo Crackers - Anything Christmas Goes
• Happy Little Stampers (Christmas) - Anything Christmas Goes
• Merry Little Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• 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.

Cat Nap

Today's card was a really quick make.. I found the image ('Cat Nap' by Penny Black) in my box of already stamped images, so I added a sentiment (from the 'Sending Sunshine' set by Simon Says Stamp), and coloured it using watercolour pencils. I trimmed it down to a square, added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen, then added it to my card blank using 3D foam pads.

Challenges for this card:

• AAA Cards - Made in Minute (Optional Summer)
• Catch the Bug - Anything Goes
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Bright & Cheerful
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• Time Out - Relaxation

PBSC August - Anything Goes (Optional 'Water and/or Watercolour')

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
'Water and/or Watercolour'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I went with a mixture of water and watercolours...along with some of the frogs from the 'Toadily' set. I stamped the frogs on to some watercolour paper, coloured them using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut them out. I made a simple watercoloured background using Distress Inks (Stormy Sky, Faded Jeans, Mermaid Lagoon, Pine Needles & Forest Moss) on damp watercolour paper...I was aiming to create a sort of riverbank effect. I then added my frogs over the top using 3D foam pads.

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

• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything Goes
• Crafting with an Attitude - Anything Goes
• Cute Card Thursday - Anything Goes
• Happy Little Stampers (Watercolour) - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Bright & Cheerful
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes

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

It's Your Day!

Today's card features a trio of little mice from the 'It's Your Day' set by Penny Black. I stampeed them on to watercolour paper, then coloured them using watercolour pencils. I paired it with papers from the 'Pretty Please' pad by My Mind's Eye...adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The sentiments are a mixture of Paula Pascul (from the 'Big Messages' set) and Penny Black (from the 'It's Your Day' set).

Challenges for this card:

• Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - Anything Goes
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Seize the Birthday - Anything Birthday
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Bright & Cheerful
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes