Celebrating You!

Today's card features another of the pups from the Penny Black 'Good Times' set, along with the sentiment from the set. I stamped them on to watercolour paper, then coloured the image using watercolour pencils. The papers are from the 'Spring Freshness' pad by Craft Sensations...I distressed all of the edges, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

Challenges for this card:

• CCEE Stampers - Favourite Technique (Faux Stitching)
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes (Optional 'At Least Two Layers')
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes Using Paper
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Circles
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• The Sisterhood of Crafters - Favourite Technique (Faux Stitching)

Birthday Bone

Today's card features one of the cute stamps from the 'Good Times' set by Penny Black, which I stamped on to watercolour paper, then coloured using watercolour pencils. I added a sentiment (from the 'Birthday Critters' set...also by Penny Black), then cut it out using one of my circle Nesties. I made a simple background by adding strips of washi tape to a kraft card blank, then popped the pups on top using 3D foam pads.

Challenges for this card:

• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Little Red Wagon - Line It Up (the washi tape)
• Penny Black & More - Men & Boys
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Trio of Trees

I have a couple of Christmas cards to share today featuring a stamp by Woodware called 'Trio of Trees'. I stamped it using Versamark Ink, along with a sentiment from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous, on to navy and kraft card blanks, then heat embossed it,  using white embossing powder. I coloured the trees using watercolour pencils, but without using any water, then added some sparkle to the baubles/lights with some 'Tiara' Stickles.

Here are some close-ups:

Challenges for these cards:

• Christmas Card Throwdown - Embossing
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Dream Valley - Add Some Sparkle
• Less is More - One Layer Cards 'Going Dotty'
• Rudolph Days - Anything Christmas Goes

In the Dog House?

Today's card features one of the pups from the 'Man's Best Friend' set by Penny Black. I stamped him on to watercolour paper, then coloured him using watercolourpencils. I paired him with papers from the 'Awesome Boy' pad by Recollections/Michaels...distressing the edges, and adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Sanford the Birthday Boy Stuffie' set by Stamping Bella.

Challenges for this card:

• Allsorts - Gingham, Stripes, Dots
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes (Optional 'Spots and/or Stripes')
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Penny Black & More - Men & Boys
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• The Male Room - In the Garden

Cake Nibbler

Today's card features a cute little Happy Hopper stamp called 'Cake Nibbler', that I'm ashamed to say I hadn't used in over a year. I stamped him on to watercolour paper, coloured him using watercolour pencils, then cut him out using one of my circle Nesties. I made a sort of 'patchwork' background using snippets of paper from the 'Paper Geometrie' pad by Folia Paper...distressing all of the edges and adding faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Birthday Bears' set by Penny Black.

Challenges for this card:

• Cute Card Thursday - Critters
• House Mouse & Friends - Anything Goes (Optional 'Pastel Colours')
• Incy Wincy - Anything Goes
• My Time to Craft - Food Stuffs
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets
• Use Your Stuff - Patterns

Christmas is Coming...

I have a simple Christmas card to share today...featuring a little pup from the 'Wintertime Cheer' set by Penny Black. I stamped him on to watercolour paper, along with a Lili of the Valley sentiment, then coloured him using watercolour pencils. For the backing, I used a piece of tree covered paper from the 'Krafty Christmas' pad by Love to Craft at Poundland. I distressed all of the edges, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen...matting my layers on to some co-ordinating pieces of red card.

Challenges for this card:

• A Bit More Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Creatalicious - Anything Goes
• The Holly & the Ivy - Anything Christmas Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Sanford the Birthday Boy Stuffie

Today's card features a Stamping Bella image called 'Sanford the Birthday Boy Stuffie', which I stamped on to watercolour paper, and coloured using watercolour pencils. I paired it with papers from a Christmas pad called 'Let it Snow' by Love to Craft at Poundland. I distressed all fo the edges, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The sentiment stamp is from the Rachelle Anne Miller 'Soar' set by Crafter's Companion.

Challenges for this card:

• C.R.A.F.T. - Birthday
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Crafty Creations - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - Anything Goes
• Creative Moments - Anything Goes
• Cute Card Thursday - Birthdays
• Penny Black & More - Men & Boys
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Animal Fun

PBSC May - Anything Goes (Optional 'Inspired by a Song')...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
'Inspired by a Song'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

The song that inspired my card is 'Love is like a Butterfly' by Dolly Parton...not my usual sort of thing to listen to, but it popped into my head as I rummaged through my Penny Black stamps! I stamped one of the butterflies from the 'Social Butterfly' set onto watercolour paper using 'Old Paper Distress Ink, then used more Old Paper ink, along with Peacock Feathers and Broken China to watercolour it. I splattered a little of the same coloured ink over the top, 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.

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

• Allsorts - Anything Goes
• Animal Friends - Insects
• Sparkles Forum - Use a Real Stamp
• The Sisterhood of Crafters - Birds, Bees or Butterflies

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

Doggy Pile

Today's card features an adorable Whipper Snapper Designs stamp called 'Doggy Pile'. I stamped it on to watercolour paper, coloured the pups using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut them out.

I used words from the 'Smooches' set by Paper Smooches to make the sentiment, then added the pups above using 3D foam pads. 

Challenges for this card:

• Aud Sentiments - Anything Goes + Sentiment
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Fab 'N' Funky - Hand Coloured Image
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Happy Little Stampers (CAS) - Smile
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - It's a Dog's Life
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Animal Fun
• Sweet Stampers - Animals or Birds

Burst into Bloom

I have another floral card to share today...this one features a Woodware stamp called 'Burst into Bloom'. I stamped it, along with a sentiment by Hero Arts, onto watercolour paper using Versamark Ink, then heat embossed them with 'Metallic Gold' embossing powder by WOW. I used watercolour paints to colour the image, then splattered some droplets of the paint over the top. Once dry, I distressed the edges a little before adding the panel to a kraft card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• CASology - Plant
• Crafter's Cafe - Anything Goes
• Happy Little Stampers (Watercolour) - Anything Goes (Optional 'Emboss')
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Stamping Sensations - Say it with Flowers
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
• Use Your Stuff - Flowers and/or Butterflies

Blooming Meadows Twofer

I have two cards to share today, featuring one of my all time favourite stamps...'Blooming Meadows' by Hero Arts. 

On the first card, I stamped it three times off the the bottom edge of a DL kraft card blank using Versamark ink, then heat embossed it using clear embossing powder. I added a stamped sentiment (from the 'Go To Words' set by Visible Image), also heat embossed in clear.

On my second card, I used the watercolour stamping technique...painting Distress Inks (Dusty Concord, Wilted Violet, Forest Moss & Lucky Clover) directly on to the stamp, spritzing it with a little water, before stamping it on to watercolour paper. I matted the image on to snippets of gteen and purple card...distressing all of the edges, then added a stamped sentiment (again from the 'Go To Words' set by Visible Image) to my card blank.

Challenges for these cards:

• AAA Cards - Up to One Third (Optional repeating image) (First card only)
• Addicted to CAS - Flower
• As You Like It - Favourite Colour to go with Purple (I don't use a lot of purple, but I do like purple flowers, so the natural choice is green) (Second card only)
• CAS on Friday - Use Your Favourite Flower Stamp
• Crafty Friends - Flowers
• Crazy 4 Challenges - Slimline Cards (First card only)
• Little Red Wagon - Flowers
• Moving Along with the Times - Flowers
• Stamping Sensations - Say it with Flowers
• Twofer - Flowers

Glittery Night Sky

I have another Christmas card to share today...made using lots of glitter card and Tim Holtz/Sizzix dies. I used dies from the 'Winter Wonderland' set to cut the reindeer and snowy...or in this case starry...night sky, and another from the 'Snowy Stars' set for the big star. The snowy slopes were cut using my Lawn Fawn 'Stitched Hillside Borders' dies. Then I just layered everything up...with some gold glitter card behind the black to make a starry sky.

And because it's all glitter...it's such a pain to photograph...but here's a look from the other side:

Challenges for this card:

• Cards Galore Encore - Anything Goes
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Creatalicious - Anything Goes (Optional 'Add Sparkle')
• Cute Card Thursday - Anything Goes
• Happy Little Stampers (Dies) - Anything Goes with Dies
• Merry Little Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Dies and/or Punches

ABC Christmas Challenge - J & K are for?

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

'J is for Joy'

&
'K is for Kings'

There's a fabulous prize on offer for the lucky winner from Dorte:

On my 'J is for Joy' card I used a cute Simon Says Stamp image called 'Furry Christmas'...stamping it on to watercolour paper, and colouring it using watercolour pencils. I doodled a simple border using a black gel pen, and added a sentiment from the 'Joy to the World' set by Penny Black.

For my 'K is for Kings' card, I stamped my 'We Three Kings' stamp by Penny Black on to navy card using Versamark Ink, then heat embossed it, along with the sentiment from the same stamp set, using 'Metallic Silver' embossing powder by WOW. I matted the panel on to silver mirror card, then on to my navy card blank.

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

• As You Like It - Favourite Non-Birthday Occasion (Christmas - it was making my own Christmas cards one year that got me into stamping)
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Happy Little Stampers (Christmas) - Anything Christmas Goes
• Love to Scrap - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• 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.

Toadily Happy!

Today's card features a Penny Black Stickeroo...I stuck it on to a snippet of white card, then carefully trimmed around the edges. I made a simple watercolour background, using a snippet of watercolour paper, then stamped a sentiment and a couple of little bees from the 'Toadily' set also by Penny Black, before adding the frogs on to using 3D foam pads.

Challenges for this card:

• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything Goes
• A Bit More Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• A Perfect Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• Corrosive - Anything Goes
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes

PBSC May - Anything Goes (Optional 'Inspired by a Song')

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
'Inspired by a Song'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I picked the boat full of dogs image from the little 'Friendship' clear stamp set, to represent the song 'I am Sailing' by Rod Stewart. I stamped it on to watercolour paper and coloured it using watercolour pencils. I used snippets of paper from the 'Geometrie' pad by Folia Paper to cut a couple of 'waves' using my 'Stitched Hillside Borders' dies by Lawn Fawn, then added them over the bottom of the image before adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

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

• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Dream Valley - Our Four Legged Friends
• 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.