James Butterflies

Today's card features an old Lili of the Valley bear image called 'James - Butterflies'. I stamped him on to watercolour paper, then coloured him using watercolour pencils. I layered up some papers from the 'Spring Freshness' pad by Craft Sensations to make the background...distressing the edges a little, then adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. I added a couple of paper flowers (from Poppicrafts many, many years ago!), layered up and held in place using a BasicGrey brad, and a die cut fence, cut using my Die-namics 'Picket Fence' die.

Challenges for this card:

• Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - Anything Goes
• Incy Wincy - Summer Colours
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes

Ferns & Butterflies

Today's card features another new stamp...'Ferns & Butterflies' by Crafty Individuals. I stamped it on to a snippet of paper from the 'Mystery Marbles' pad by Craft Sensations, using black ink, along with a sentiment (from the 'Go To Words' set by Visible Image), then heat embossed them using clear embossing powder. I layered it on to a snippet of black card, distressing the edges, then mounted it on to a square card blank.

Challenges for this card:

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

Which one is Rudolph?

I have a simple one layer Christmas card to share today...using a Woodware stamp called 'Which one is Rudolph?'. There are actually seven reindeer on the stamp, but I chose to use only five so that I could fit them on a square card blank. I coloured them using watercolour pencils, then added some shine to Rudolph's nose with some Glossy Accents. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous.

Challenges for this card:

• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Cute Card Thursday - Christmas in July
• Less is More - One Layer Cards 'Christmas in July'
• Rudolph Days - Anything Christmas Goes
• Sweet Stampin' - Christmas in July

Funny Farm!

I'm using more new stamps on today's cards...from the 'Funny Farm' set by Tim Holtz/Crafters Anonymous. I couldn't decide which of the animals to use, so I made a simple set of one layer note cards using all of them! Each of the animal images comes with a punny sentiment attached...and I decided to use those too, although you could easily mask those off to use just the image.

The images vary in size, but none are particularly huge, so I used 5 inch square kraft card blanks, colouring the images using watercolour pencils.

Challenges for these cards:

• AAA Cards - Maxi White Space
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes (Optional 'Funny')
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Creative Knockouts - Flora & Fauna
• Creative Moments - Anyhting Goes
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes

Dandelions!

I was the lucky winner of a Blade Rubber Stamps gift voucher a little while ago, and spent it on some lovely new stamps. I had some time to have a play with my goodies at the weekend, and today I'm sharing one of the cards I made...this one features a stamp by Deep Red called 'Dandelion'. I stamped it, along with a sentiment from the 'Go To Words' set by Visible Image, on to a snippet of kraft card using Versamark Ink, then heat embossed them using white embossing powder. I made a matching background, by repeat stamping the dandelion on to a larger snippet of kraft card...heat embossing those in white too. I distressed the edges of both panels, then layered them on to a kraft card blank using 3D foam pads.

Challenges for this card:

• Allsorts - Flowers All Over
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Creatalicious - Anything Goes
• Fab 'n' Funky - Use a Real Stamp
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Cat Nap

Today's card features a Penny Black image called 'Cat Nap', which I stamped on to watercolour paper, then coloured using watercolour pencils. I added a sentiment, from the 'Sending Sunshine' set by Simon Says Stamp, and a simple doodled border before adding the panel to a kraft card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• As You Like It - Favourite Summer or Autumn (My favourite season is Winter...but, as that's not an option, I'd sooner have the freedom that the Summer holidays (usually) bring over the soggy slippery leaves of Autumn!)
• Creative Knockouts - Furry Friends
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Penny Black & More - In the Garden
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Time Out - Peaceful

PBSC July - Anything Goes (Optional 'Nature')...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
'Nature'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I picked another of my Penny Black brushstroke floral stamps for this card...this one is called 'Together'. I stamped it a few times using Distress Inks (Crushed Olive, Mowed Lawn, Forest Moss, Salty Ocean, Broken China & Chipped Sapphire) on to a kraft DL card blank, then heat embossed a sentiment (from a set that came free with a craft magazine) using 'Metallic Gold' embossing powder by WOW.

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

• CAS on Friday - Anything but White
• Crafty Creations - Anything Goes
• Love to Scrap - Anything Goes
• Penny Black & More - In the Garden
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes

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

Christmas Delivery

I have a Christmas card to share today...featuring a Crafter's Companion image called 'Christmas Delivery'. I stamped it on to watercolour paper, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. I added a Lili of the Valley sentimentm then distressed the edges a little before adding it to a red card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• A Bit More Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• Christmas Craft Creations - Christmas Characters
• C.R.A.F.T. - Christmas/Humorous
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes (Use Some Red)
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Christmas in July
• The Holly & the Ivy - Anything Christmas Goes

Big Butterflies

I have a couple of cards to share today, inspired by the 'Butterflies' theme of this month's Twofer Challenge. I have several butterfly stamps and dies in my collection, but went with my favourite...'Big Butterfly' by IndigoBlu. 

On the first card, I used Distress Inks (Chipped Sapphire, Broken China, Mowed Lawn, Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade and Festive Berries) to stamp an almost rainbow on to watercolour paper - I didn't really leave myself space for violet! I simply stamped a sentiment (from the 'Everyday Sentiments' set by Happy Little Stampers) over the top in black, then trimmed the edges of the panel so that it would fit on a DL card blank. I distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

For my second card, I stamped the butterfly just once on to watercolour paper using Versamark Ink, then heat embossed it using 'Midnight Dream' embossing powder by WOW. I watercoloured the butterfly using 'Chipped Sapphire' and 'Black Soot' Distress Inks, then, once it had dried, splattered more of the same inks over the top. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Sketched Flowers' set by Simon Says Stamp, and is heat embossed in 'Metallic Gold Sparkle' embossing glitter from WOW.

Challenges for these cards:

• Allsorts - Something Beginning with B (Butterflies)
• Inkspirational - Colouring or Painting (just the second card)
• The Sisterhood of Crafters - Ink it Up!
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
• Twofer - Butterflies

Cheers!

Today's card is a simple one layer number featuring the colour combination of this fortnight's Less is More Challenge of 'Fuchsia, Yellow & Grey'. Not really my usual colours...which perhaps explains why there's not a lot of the fuchsia & yellow on my card! I stamped a couple the critters from the 'Cheering Critters' set by Penny Black, along with one of the sentiments from the same set in the bottom right-hand corner of my card blank, then coloured them using watercolourcolour pencils, mainly in shades of grey, but with a touch of fuchsia and yellow. I added some sparkle to their champagne flutes using a Wink of Stella pen.

Challenges for this card:

• Corrosive - Anything Goes
• Creative Moments - Anything Goes
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Less is More - Fuchsia, Yellow & Grey
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes

Snowy Winter Nights

I have a couple of Christmas cards to share today...made using my 'Snowy Winter Nights' stamp by Hero Arts. I couldn't decide whether to stamp on white or kraft card, so made one of each!

I stamped on to snippets of white and kraft card using Versamark Ink, then heat embossed the image using 'Midnight Dream' embossing glitter from WOW...it's a beautiful mix of navy and black with flecks of many other colours mixed in...so pretty, but impossible to photograph! I added a sentiment (from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous), then distressed the edges a little, matting each panel on to a snippet of navy pearlised card, distressing those edges too, before adding them to my card blanks.

Challenges for these cards:

• AAA Cards - Made in Minutes (Optional 'Christmas in July')
• Aud Sentiments - Christmas in July + Sentiment
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes (Optional 'Christmas')
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Little Red Wagon - Embossing
• Merry Little Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• My Time to Craft - Christmas in July
• Shopping Our Stash - Christmas in July
• Sweet Stampers - Christmas in July
• Winter Wonderland - Square Cards

Garden Visit

I have a simple one layer card to share today...this one features Penny Black stamps...'Garden Visit', and a sentiment from the 'Hello Friend' set. I used watercolour pencils to colour the image...and that's it!

Challenges for this card:

• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything Goes
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Creatalicious - Anything Goes
• Creative Inspirations - In the Garden
• Penny Black & More - In the Garden
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

...to you!

Today's card features a Penny Black stamp called '...to you!'. I stamped it on to watercolour paper, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. I added some strips of washi tape across the centre of a kraft card blank, then added the image on top using 3D foam pads.

Challenges for this card:

• As You Like It - Favourite Jungle or Farm (I'm a sucker for the Penny Black chicken stamps, so it's farm for me)
• Cardz for Guyz - Red, White & Blue
• Cute Card Thursday - Anything Goes
• Dream Valley - All Occasions
• Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes (Optional 'Red, White & Blue')

Guest Designer - Stamping Sensations Challenge

Today, I'm excited to be sharing with you a guest designer card for the Stamping Sensations Challenge! As a winner of May's challenge, I was invited to join them this month, where the theme is:

'All Creatures Great & Small'

This was a fairly easy theme for me, as the majority of my stamp collection features animals in some form...however, the difficulty came in choosing just which stamp to use! I decided to go with some of the smallest creatures in my collection...mice...and picked this adorable image by Penny Black called 'Celebration Song'. I stamped it directly on to a kraft card blank, along with a sentiment (from the 'Anytime Messages' set byHero Arts), then coloured the image using watercolour pencils.

For more inspiration from the fabulous Design Team, please pop over the the Stamping Sensations Challenge.

PBSC July - Anything Goes...Optional 'Nature'

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
'Nature'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I decided to use my 'Blossom Branch' stamp, and inked it up with some 'Stormy Sky' Distress Ink, spritzed it with a little water, then using my Tim Holtz stamping platform, stamped it on to a piece of watercolour paper. I then went back and inked up some of the flowers and parts of the leaves with 'Chipped Sapphire' Distress Ink, again spritzed with a little water, and stamped again. I added a few ink splatters, and sentiment using a stamp from the 'Sketched Flowers' set by Simon Says Stamp, then distressed the edges a little before adding the panel to my card blank.

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

• A Bit More Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• A Perfect Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• Cards Galore Encore - Anything Goes
• Crafter's Cafe - Anything Goes
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Crafty Creations - Anything Goes

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

ABC Christmas Challenge - N & O are for?

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

'N is for No Fuss'

&

'O is for Over the Top'

There's a little prize from Samantha for the lucky winner.

For my 'N is for No Fuss' card, I stamped a Penny Black image ('What a Snow!') on to a kraft card blank and coloured it using watercolour pencils. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Tattered Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous.

Over the recent years, my Christmas cards have definitely become more CAS (quick to make, easy to mass produce, cheap to post!), but I do sometimes like to make a more layered card with lots of pretty papers and some embellishments. I used another Penny Black image ('Angel Cat') on my 'O is for Over the Top' card, stamping it on to watercolour paper, and colouring it using watercolour pencils...adding some shine to the halo & star with a silver gel pen, and some sparkle to his wings with some 'Diamond' Stickles. I paired it with papers from the 'Silent Night' pad by First Edition...distressing the edges a little, and adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. I matted all of the layers on to some icy blue glitter card...cutting a snowflake out of the offcuts using a Cuttlebug die. I added a diamante to the centre of the snowflake, and some lacy silver ribbon for a little extra texture.

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

• Allsorts - So Cute
• Christmas with the Cuties - Two or More Patterned Papers (Second card only)
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes (Optional 'Snowflakes') (Second card only)
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Cutie Pie - Layer it Up! (Second card only)
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• My Time to Craft - Colour on Kraft (First card only)
• Polkadoodles - 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.