Happy Hallowe'en!

I have one last Hallowe'en treat bag to share today, featuring another of the critters from the 'Be Very Scared' set by Penny Black. I stamped him on to watercolour paper, coloured him using watercolour pencils, then cut him out using one of my circle Nesties. I used papers from the 'Hocus Pocus' pad by Taylored Expresions...distressing the edges a little, and adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

Challenges for this bag:

• Always Fun - Hallowe'en
• CCEE Stampers - Hallowe'en or Harvest
• Crafty Cardmakers - Hallowe'en
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes (Optional 'Costumes')
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Shopping Our Stash - Hallowe'en
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• Sweet Stampin' - Hallowe'en or Black & Orange
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Poinsettia Edge

I'm sharing another Christmas card today...this time inspired by the 'Winter Flora' challenge over at Less is More. I used a poinsettia stamp from the 'Christmas Wonder' set by Penny Black...stamping it towards the right-hand edge of my kraft card blank, in the centre first, then masking that flower before stamping the ones either side. I added a sentiment from the same stamp set, then carefully cut around the edge of the flowers before colouring them using watercolour pencils.

Here's another view:

Challenges for this card:

• Less is More - Winter Flora (One Layer Card)
• Rudolph Days - Anything Christmas Goes
• The Holly & the Ivy - Anything Christmas Goes 
• The Sisterhood of Crafters - CAS

Glittery Christmas Snowflakes

I have a couple of Christmas cards to share today...made using a snowflake background stamp ('Outline Snowflakes' by Simon Says Stamp), and a 'Merry Christmas' die from Creative Expressions. I stamped the snowflakes using Versamark ink on to snippets of burgundy and teal card, then heat embossed them using 'Metallic Gold Sparkle' embossing glitter from WOW. I cut the sentiment from snippets of gold glitter card, and used my old Xyron sticker maker to add adhesive to the backs, then added them a snippets of co-ordinating burgundy and teal card...matting everything on to more gold glitter card.

Challenges for these cards:

• Allsorts - Make Your Own Background
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes (Optional 'Make Your Own Background')
• Cute Card Thursday - Sparkles
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets

Big Gold Butterfly

Today's card features another current favourite stamp...'Big Butterfly' by Indigo Blu. I stamped it using Versamark Ink, then heat embossed it using 'Metallic Gold Rich' embossing powder from WOW...this was a recent purchase to replace some fairly ancient (at least 12 years old) Heat It Up powder, that was distinctly unimpressive when I tried it a few days ago...it was more dull brown than gold! I can't remember it being that bad - does embossing powder 'go off'?!?! I used Distress Inks to watercolour the butterfly (Broken China, Mermaid Lagoon, Chipped Sapphire & Tea Dye), then added some splatters of ink and a sentiment (from the 'Go To Words' set by Visible Image).

Challenges for this card:

• Allsorts - Something Gold or Silver
• Crafty Creations - Anything Goes
• Creative Knockouts - Embossing Delight
• Creative Moments - Anything Goes
• Happy Little Stampers (Watercolour) - Anything Goes
• Incy Wincy - Metallic

Rainbow Snowmen

I have a really simple one layer Christmas card to share today...featuring a Woodware stamp called 'Snowman Family'. I stamped it directly on to my card blank, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. The sentiment stamps are from a set by Lili of the Valley.

Challenges for this card:

• Christmas Card Throwdown - Snowmen
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Less is More - Rainbow
• Merry Little Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Monochrome Sketched Flowers

I have simple birthday card to share today...featuring a stamp which is fast becoming a favourite...'Sketched Flowers' by Simon Says Stamp. I heat embossed it, along with a sentiment from the set, in white on navy card then coloured the flowers using blue watercolour pencils...although I didn't use any water. I distressed the edges a little then added it to a card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• Cards Galore Encore - Anything Goes
• Dream Valley - Add a Sentiment
• Seize the Birthday - Anything Birthday

PBSC October - 'Anything Goes' (Optional 'Black, White & One Other Colour')...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
'Black, White & One Other Colour'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I went with purple as my one other colour this time...and used a stamp from the 'Spooky' set to make another Hallowe'en treat bag. I stamped the image on to watercolour paper, then coloured it using watercolour pencils, before cutting it out using one of my circle Nesties. I used papers by Carta Bella...from their 'Haunted' and 'Spooky' collections, distressing all of the edges, and adding some faux stitching using black and white gel pens.

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

• C.R.A.F.T. - Box or Bag
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Daring Cardmakers - Black
• Fab 'N' Funky - Feature a Creature
• My Time to Craft - Hallowe'en or Cats
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Hallowe'en
• Sweet Stampers - Autumn or Hallowe'en

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

Carol Singers

I have a couple of Christmas cards to share today...featuring a couple of the critters from the 'Carol Singers' set by Lili of the Valley. I stamped them on to watercolour paper, then coloured them using watercolour pencils. I used a music embossing folder that I recently picked up from Hobbycraft (it's in their Christmas range, but as far as can tell the music on it isn't Christmassy) for the background...embossing some plain-ish blue paper (I think it's by Craft Creations), then lightly sanding over the surface to reveal some of the white core. I distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitching before mounting on my cards. The sentiment stamp is also by Lili of the Valley.

Here are a couple of close-ups:

Challenges for these cards:

• Artistic Stamper - Music
• Christmas Card Throwdown - White, Blue & Brown
• Crafty Friends - Christmas
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Crazy 4 Challenges - Music
• Cutie Pie - Anything Goes
• Holly & the Ivy - Anything Christmas Goes
• Little Red Wagon - Teddies (Just the first card)
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

The Cat in the Hat

I have another Hallowe'en treat bag to share today...the image on this one is from the 'Spooky' set by Penny Black. I stamped it on to watercolour paper, coloured it using watercolour pencils, then cut it out using one of my oval Nesties. I used snippets of paper from the 'Hocus Pocus' pad by Tayored Expressions to make a patchwork effect background...distressing the edges a little, and adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

Challenges for this bag:

• Corrosive - Anything Goes
• Crafty Creations - Anything Goes
• Daring Cardmakers - Use Your Scraps
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets

Mice Treats

I have another Hallowe'en treat bag to share today...featuring another cute Penny Black image from the 'Be Very Scared' set. I stamped it on to watercolour paper, coloured it using watercolour pencils, then cut t out using one of my circle Nesties. I used snippets of paper from the 'Hocus Pocus' pad by Taylored Expressions for the background...distressing the edges a little before adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a white gel pen.

Challenges for this card:

• As You Like It - Favourite Stitching Style (Faux...I can't sew very well, and it's so quick to draw on, and the little peirced holes make it look so realistic)
• Crafty Calendar - Autumn Colours/Hallowe'en
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes (Optional 'Hallowe'en')
• Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - Anything Goes
• Crafty Sentiments - Hallowe'en
• Creative Moments - Anything Goes (Optional 'Spooky')
• Cute Card Thursday - Hallowe'en
• Fab 'N' Funky - Hallowe'en
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simply Create Too - Anything Goes (Optional 'Spooky/Scary')

Angel Cat

I have a Christmas card to share today...featuring an older Penny Black stamp called 'Angel Cat', which I stamped on to watercolour, coloured using watercolour pencils, then cut out using one of my circle Nesties. I made a simple background using a die from the 'Snowy Stars' die set by Tim Holtz for Sizzix and a snippet of paper from the 'Mystery Marbles' pad by Craft Sensations...mounting it on a piece of silver glitter card.

Challenges for this card

• A Bit More Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• A Perfect Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• Animal Friends - Cats
• Christmas at Sweet Stampin' - Anything Christmas Goes (Optional 'Stars')
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Happy Little Stampers (Christmas) - Anything Christmas Goes (Optional 'Twinkle')
• Happy Little Stampers (Dies) - Anything Goes with Dies
• Merry Little Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Christmas
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Witchy Mouse Treat bag

I have another Hallowe'en treat bag to share today...I used another Penny Black image from the 'Be Very Scared' set, which I stamped on to watercolour paper, and coloured using watercolour pencils. I made a simple background by stamping my Simon Says Stamp 'Abstract Triangles' stamp using Versamark Ink on purple card, then heat embossed it with 'Halloween' embossing glitter from WOW...it's a really pretty mixture of black and orange. I distressed all of the edges, then added  piece of black lacy trim before adding it to my treat bag.

It's always so difficult to show just how sparkly and pretty the WOW embossing glitters are in photographs...but here's a different angle:

Challenges for this bag:

• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything Goes
• Cut It Up - Tags, Bags or Boxes
• Cute Card Thursday - Anything Goes
• Shopping Our Stash - Embossing
• Sweet Stampin' - Animals

PBSC October - Anything Goes (Optional ' Black, White & One Other Colour')

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
'Black, White & One Other Colour'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I used the colour combination...adding orange...to decorate a Hallowe'en treat bag. Pairing one of the images from the 'Be Very Scared' set with papers from the 'Apothecary' pad by Echo Park. I used a Cuttlebug embossing folder to embossing the pumpkins on the plain-ish orange paper...sanding over the surface to reveal some of the white core. I distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black pen.

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

• Crafting with an Attitude - Anything Goes
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Creative Inspirations - Hallowe'en or Autumn
• Lil Red Wagon - Pumpkin Party
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes

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

ABC Christmas Challenge - U & V are for?

We have another fun ABC Christmas Challenge starting today...the themes this month are:

'U is for Upcycle'

&

'V is for Velocity'

And the prize for the lucky winner:

(Paper pad & Lili of the Valley stamp)

For my 'U is for Upcycle' card, I used the inside of the cover of a Christmas gift guide (from 2010!) as the background for my image. 

I paired it with a cute pup from the 'Wintertime Cheer' set by Penny Black, which I stamped on to watercolour paper, and coloured using watercolour pencils. I added a sentiment (from a set by Pollycraft for C. C. Designs), then distressed all of the edges before assembling my card and adding some adhesive pearls.

For my 'V is for Velocity' card, I picked another Penny Black image...this time a snowboarding chicken stamp called 'Snowboard Ride'. I stamped it on to watercolour paper, added in a slope for him to ride down using a black gel pen, then coloured him using watercolour pencils and carefully cut around the top of the image. I made a simple background using a falling snow die from the Tim Holtz/Sizzix 'Winter Wonderland' set and a snippet of navy card. I layered it over a snippet of silver glitter card, then matted it all on to some red glitter card.

Challenges for these cards:

• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Everybody Art - Use Dies (Just the second card)
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets (Just the second card)
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Getting Ready for Christmas
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• Sweet Stampin' - Distressed (Just the first card)
• The Holly & the Ivy - Anything Christmas Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

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