Sketchy Pure Branch

I have another couple of Christmas cards to share today...made using more new Woodware stamps, this time from the 'Sketchy Pure Branch' set. I stamped the branch on to watercolour paper using Distress Inks (Evergreen Bough, Pine Needles, Forest Moss & Iced Spruce) to make a wreath shapes, then inked around the edges of the panels using 'Old Paper' and 'Pumice Stone' Distress Inks. I stamped a sentiment from another Woodware set ('Sketchy Pine Cones') on to snippets of watercolour paper using Versamark Ink, then heat embossed them in metallic gold. I cut them into circles using one of my Nesties, then layered them on to more circles cut from snippets of red and gold card, then added them to the centres of the wreaths.

Challenges for these cards:

• Allsorts - Going Round in Circles
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Cut It Up - Old School (My trusty Spellbinders Nesties!)
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes

Get Well Soon!

Today's card features a charity shop stamp find...it's from an old Kanban set called 'Get Well Soon'. I stamped it on to watercolour paper, then coloured the image using watercolour pencils. The papers are from the 'Prince Charming' pad by Recollections/Michaels. 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:

• Creative Moments - Anything Goes
• Cutie Pie - Hip to be Square
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• Stamping Sensations - Masculine

Sketchy Pine Cones

I have a couple of Christmas cards to share today, made using stamps from the new 'Sketchy Pine Cones' set by Woodware. I stamped the images on to watercolour paper using Distress Inks (Tea Dye, Brushed Corduroy & Gathered Twigs for the branches & pine cones, and Iced Spruce, Everrgreen Bough, Pine Needles & Forest Moss for the needles). The sentiment stamp is also by Woodware, but is from the 'Festive Circle' set...I stamped it using Versafine Ink, then heat embossed it in metallic gold. I inked around the edges of the panels using 'Old Paper' Distress Ink, before lightly distressing them and adding them to kraft card blanks.

Challenges for these cards:

• Aud Sentiments - Anything Goes + a Sentiment
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Cute Card Thursday - Inky
• Rudolph Days - Anything Christmas Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Beautiful Botanicals
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Vintage Rose

Today's card features another new (to me) stamp called 'Vintage Rose' by Creative Expressions. I stamped it on to watercolour paper using Ink on 3's 'Fadeout/No Line Colouring' ink pad, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. I added a sentment from the 'Go To Words' set by Visible Image, heat embossing it using metallic gold embossing powder by WOW, then distressed the edges a little before adding the panel to a kraft card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• As You Like It - Favourite Colour with Pink (Green - I'm not really a 'pink' kind of person, but I do like it paired with green on floral images)
• Creatalicious - Anything Goes
• My Time to Craft - Clean & Simple
• Penny Black & More - Say it with Flowers
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Beautiful Botanicals

Daisy Hedgie

Today's card features one of the hedgies from the 'Wonderful Day' set by Penny Black. I stamped him on to watercolour paper, coloured him using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut him out. I used an embossing folder called 'Crazy Daisy' (by Couture Creations) on a snippet of yellow card to make a simple background...layering it on to a snippet of orange care to echo the colours of the centre of the daisy. I stamped a sentiment (from the 'Big Messages' set by Paula Pascual) on to a die cut speech bubble (cut using a Sizzix die), then added that, along with the hedgie image, to the card using 3D foam pads.

Challenges for this card:

• Cute Card Thursday - Embossing
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets
• Polkadoddles - Anything Goes
• Seize the Birthday - Anything Birthday
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Oh So Cute

Les Pingouins

I have another Christmas card to share today...featuring stamps from another new (to me) set by Katzelkraft, simply called 'Les Pingouins'. I stamped three of the penguins from the set on to a piece of watercolour paper, then doodled a line for the icy ground using a black gel pen. I coloured them using watercolour pecnils, then carefully cut around the top of the images. I used a piece of patterned paper (from the 'Mystery Marbles' set) for the background, adding a sentiment from a set by Lili of the Valley.

Challenges for this card:

• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Everybody Art - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Oh So Cute
• The Holly & the Ivy - Anything Christmas Goes

Winter Critters

Today I'm sharing a simple set of Christmas cards made using the dies from the 'Winter Critters' set by Tim Holtz for Sizzix. I used up many, many snippets of different coloured card to cut all of the little pieces...being careful not to lose any eyeballs! Once assembled, I added the critters to kraft and white card blanks, stamping sentiment (from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous) below.

Challenges for these cards:

• A Bit More Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Goes
• Inkspirational - Face
• Jingle Belles - Cardstock Christmas
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednedays) - Oh So Cute
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Les Chiens

I have another couple of cards to share today that I made using stamps I got for my birthday last week. The set is called 'Les Chiens' by Katzelkraft...I couldn't decide which of the dogs to use first, so managed to combine them all over a couple of cards. On the first one, I layered a couple of the pups up, masking as I stamped, so the the little one could be standing on the back of the dachshund trying in vain to reach the bone I suspended from the top of the card. The bone image came in the stamp set, but I doodled the string tied around it using a black gel pen.

On the second card, I masked and stamped the remaining four dogs in the set...again stamping directly on to a kraft card blank, colouring the images using watercolour pencils. I love the expressions on their faces!

Challenges for these cards:

• AAA Cards - One Layer Cards
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Less is More - Doodles (Just the first card)
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes

PBSC August - Anything Goes (Optional 'Make the Sentiment the Focus')...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
'Make the Sentiment the Focus'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I used the set of 'Birthday Bears', combined with 'Bear Blank 1', to make my card...stamping them on to watercolour paper, colouring them using watercolour pencils, then carefully cutting them out. I added a strip of paper from the 'Vintage Creams' pad by Craft Sensations along the bottom of a kraft card blank. I used a black fine liner pen to add the lettering to their signs for the sentiment, then added the bears to the care using 3D foam pads.

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

• A Perfect Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• Cards Galore Encore - Anything Goes
• Crafty Calendar - Anything Goes
• Crafty Creations - Anything Goes
• Creative Moments - Anything Goes

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

Foxy Christmas

Today's card features another new stamp...'Foxy Christmas' by Woodware. I stamped him on to watercolour paper, along with one of the sentiments from the set, then coloured him using watercolour pencils. I added snippets of paper from the 'Jolly Christmas' (from The Works) to the top and bottom of my card blank before mounting the fox over the top. 

Challenges for this card:

• Christmas Craft Creations - Animals
• Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - Anything Goes
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes

Festive Circle

Today's card features stamps from a new set that I received for my birthday yesterday...'Festive Circle' by Woodware. I stamped the main circle image on to green card, along with a sentiment from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous, using Versamark Ink, then heat embossed it using 'Metallic Gold' embossing powder from WOW. I had to re-ink and stamp several times to get a really even impression, so was really grateful to be using my trusty Tim Holtz stamping platform! I stamped the single tree from the set on a snippet of the same card, heat embossing in gold to match, then cut it out and added it on top using 3D foam pads. I matted the panel on to some matte gold card, before adding it to my card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• Corrosive - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Cute Card Thursday - Anything Goes
• Love to Scrap - Anything Goes
• Merry Little Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Your Favourite Tool (Tim Holtz stamping platform)
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Dotty Flowers

I have a couple of simple one layer cards to share today...featuring the 'Dotty Flowers' set by Woodware Stamps. I stamped each of the flowers on to kraft card blanks, along with a sentiment from the 'Go To Words' set by Visible Image, using Versamark Ink, then heat embossed evrything using 'Metallic Gold' embossing powder by WOW.

Challenges for these cards:

• A Bit More Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• Aud Sentiments - Anything Goes & a Sentiment
• CAS on Friday - Nature
• Crafter's Cafe - Anything Goes
• Creatalicious - Anything Goes
• Penny Black & More - Say it with Flowers
• Shopping Our Stash - KISS (Keep It Simple Sister)
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Happy Birthday (just the second card)

Five in a Row

Today's card features a Woodware stamp called 'Five in a Row'. I stamped it directly on to a kraft card blank, along with a sentiment (from the 'Go To Words' set by Visible Image), then coloured the flowers in bright summery colours using watercolour pencils.

Challenges for this card:

• AAA Cards - Along the Edge
• Less is More - Summer Flowers
• Penny Black & More - Say it with Flowers
• Seize the Birthday - Anything Birthday
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Happy Birthday
  

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

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

'P is for Pine Trees'

'Q is for Quiet'

&

'R is for Robins'

Here's the prize on offer for the lucky winner:

I have lots (and lots!) of tree stamps...but opted to go use a couple of Penny Black stamps (the big one is called 'Before the Snow' and the smaller one is from the 'Wonder Collection' set). I started by watercolouring a simple background using lots of green Distress Inks (Mowed Lawn, Lucky Clover, Forest Moss, Evergreen Bough & Pine Needles) on watercolour paper. Once dry, I stamped the trees over the top using more of the same inks. I added some splatters of the inks, and a sentiment from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous, before distressing the edges and adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

For my 'Q is for Quiet' card, I picked a Penny Black image of a sleeping mouse from the 'Jolly Friends' set...stamping it on to watercolour paper, colouring it using watercolour pencils, then carefully cutting it out. I made a simple background using my 'Jolly Christmas' embossing folder by Couture Creations and some snippets of red and green card. The sentiment stamp is from a set by Lili of the Valley.

For my 'R is for Robins' card, I found this Lili of the Valley stamp simply called 'Christmas Robins', which I stamped directly on to a kraft card blank. I coloured it using watercolour pencils, extending the ribbon to the top of the card, and added a sentiment (also by Lili of the Valley).

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

• Christmas with the Cuties - Christmas Animals (second & third cards only)
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Goes
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Creative Knockouts - Tic Tac Toe (Embossing-Image-Sentiment) (second card only)
• 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.

Birthday Beagle

Today's card features a Whipper Snapper stamp called 'Birthday Beagle', which I stamped on to watercolour paper, then coloured using watercolour pencils. I made a simple background, by stamping a paw print background stamp (by Hobbycraft) on to teal card using 'Ground Espresso' Distress Ink. I distressed all of the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The sentiment is from the 'Birthday Bears' set by Penny Black.

Challenges for this card:

• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything Goes
• Allsorts - Masculine
• As You Like It - Favourite Cats or Dogs (It's dogs all the way for me...we always had retrievers (mainly golden, but there was a flat coat in the mix too) growing up, and I just can't resist any kind of dog in stamp form!)
• Little Red Wagon - Backgrounds
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Happy Birthday
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• Stamping Sensations - Masculine

PBSC August - Anything Goes (Optional 'Make the Sentiment the Focus')

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
'Make the Sentiment the Focus'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

Most of my Penny Black sentiment stamps are fairly small, but I did find this rather lovely large 'Merry Christmas' one in my collection. I used it to make a simple set of one layer Christmas cards, combined with the snowy swirl stamp from the 'A Bright Tomorrow' set. I stamped it on to the centre of my card blanks using Versamark Ink, then added the swirl in a couple of the corners. I heat embossed them using a different colour of embossing powder on each of the coloured card blanks (Metallic Silver & Metallic Silver Sparkle on the navy, Metallic Gold & Metallic Gold Sparkle on the burdundy, and white & Sparkling Snow on the teal - all by WOW except the white).

These were so quick and simple to do (especially as I used my Tim Holtz stamping platform to stamp the swirl - keeping the stamp in the same position, and just moving the card blank around to stamp it in the opposite corner), so I made a couple of each colour:

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

• Dream Valley - Christmas in July
• Fab 'n' Funky - Christmas
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Christmas in July
• Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes

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