Carol Singers

Today's card features some Lili of the Valley critters carol singing. I stamped them on to watercolour paper, then coloured them using watercolour pencils. I distressed the edges of the panel, then added some faux stitching, before mounting it on to a DL card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• Christmas Craft Creations - Christmas Music
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes (Optional 'Winter')
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Jingle Belles - Creature Feature
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes

Par Avion

Another day, another Christmas card! This one features an old Penny Black stamp called 'Par Avion', stamped directly on to a kraft card blank, then coloured using pencils. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Foxy Christmas' set by Woodare.

Challenges for this card:

• AAA Cards - Max White Space
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Creative Moments - Anything Goes
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Movie Inspired (My card is inspired by 'Chicken Run')
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes

Baubles!

I have another Christmas card to share today...this time featuring some glittery die cut baubles (cut using my Sizzix 'Intricate Baubles' dies). I cut the baubles from snippets of blue glitter card, then cut a plain bauble shape to go behind by tracing around the inside of the offcut on to some silver mirror card snippets, then cut them out with a pair of scissors. I used more snippets of the silver card for the die cut little tops for the baubles, then glued all the layers together. I mounted them on to a simple navy background using 3D foam pads, and doodled a 'string' for them to hang from using a silver gel pen. I stamped and heat embossed a sentiment (from the Woodware 'Sketchy Pine Cones' set), then matted it all on to some more silver mirror card before adding it to my card blank.

As always with super shiny, sparkly cards, it was impossible to get a decent photograph, but here's another angle anyway:

Challenges for this card:

• As You Like It - Favourite Colour with Blue (Blue is my favourite colour, and I like putting lots of different shades of blue together, but really love mixing it with silver on Christmas cards)
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets
• Rudolph Days - Anything Goes
• The Holly & the Ivy - Anything Christmas Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Sketched Flowers

Today's card was inspired by this beauty by Kristina Werner...I didn't use the same stamps, or colours, but imitated her 'loose watercolouring' over the image, albeit much more lightly, and the gold sentiment...although mine was heat embossed rather than painted. The image I used is 'Sketched Flowers' by Simon Says Stamp, coloured using watercolour paints, and the sentiment stamps are from the 'Everyday Messages' set by Happy Little Stampers, and is heat embossed using 'Metallic Gold' embossing powder by WOW.

Challenges for this card:

• A Bit More Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• Cards Galore Encore - Anything Goes
• Creative Inspirations - Anything Goes
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Seize the Birthday - Anything Birthday

Rockin' Robin

I have a simple little Christmas card to share today, made using stamps from the 'Merry Little Robin' set by Sweet Dixie. I stamped then on to watercolour paper, thencoloured the image using watercolour pencils. I distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. 

Challenges for this card:

• CAS Christmas - Christmas Birds
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes (Optional 'Hats')
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Cute Card Thursday - Stamping
• Lil Red Wagon - Things Beginning with B (Bird & Branch)
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Penguins

I have another Christmas card to share today...a simple one layer card, featuring a Lili of the Valley penguin stamp. I stamped it directly on to a kraft card blank, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous.

Challenges for this card:

• CAS Christmas - Christmas Birds
• Corrosive - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Goes
• Fab 'N' Funky - Christmas
• Winter Wonderland - Penguins

Birthday Cupcake

Today's card features a House Mouse image called 'Birthday Cupcake', which I stamped on to watercolour paper, then coloured using watercolour pencils...adding a generous coating of Stickles to the frosting. I paired it with some paper from the 'Vintage Dreams' pad by Craft Sensations...distressing the edges and adding some faux stitching. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Big Messages' set by Paula Pascual.

Challenges for this card:

• Allsorts - Birthday Cakes or Cupcakes
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• House Mouse & Friends - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes

PBSC October - Anything Goes (Optional 'Too Cute to Spook!')...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
'Too Cute to Spook!'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I used some pumpkins and a bat from the 'Spooky' set and a kitty from the 'Be Very Scared' set to create a Hallowe'en card. I stamped them on to watercolur paper, coloured them using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut them out. I made a spooky background for them by stamping some grasses (from the 'Just for You' set by Hobby Art on to a piece of starry paper, and my Memory Box 'Tree Silhouette' die...adding a moon cut from a snippet of cream card using one of my circle Nesties. I added the coloured images over the top using 3D foam pads, then added everything to an orange card blank.

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

• Crafty Calendar - Hallowe'en
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Creatalicious - Anything Goes (Optional 'Hallowe'en')
• Cute Card Thursday - Hallowe'en
• Cutie Pie - Too Cute to Spook!
• My Time to Craft - Hallowe'en or Cats
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Spooky!
• Sweet Stampers - Autumn or Hallowe'en
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

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

Christmas Bunnies in Stocking

I have another Christmas card to share today...and ultra simple one layer number. The image is 'Christmas Bunnies in Stocking' by Lili of the Valley...I stamped it directly on to a kraft card blank, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Christmas Hugs' set by Penny Black.

Challenges for this card:

• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything Goes
• AAA Cards - One Corner (Optional 'Cosy')
• C.R.A.F.T. - Anything Goes (Optional 'Christmas')
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes (Optional 'Include a Stocking')
• Fab 'N' Funky - Keep it Simple
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Sweet Stampin' - Use Your Old Stash (a quick search through my blog tells me I first used this stamp in October 2009!)

Snowy Winter Nights

Today's card features a Hero Arts stamp called 'Snowy Winter Nights', which I stamped on to white card using Versamark Ink, then heat embossed with a trio of WOW embossing glitters (from top to bottom - Silent Night, Midnight Dream & Vintage Peacock) to create an ombre effect in the night sky.

I added a sentiment (from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous), then trimmed it down and matted it on to a snippet of navy card.

Challenges for this card:

• Allsorts - Winter Scene or Snow
• Alphabet Challenge - N is for Navy Blue
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Crafty Creations - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Make it Sparkle
• The Holly & the Ivy - Anything Christmas Goes

Let it Snow

Today's card was inspired by the new challenge over at Less is More...CASE challenges are not usually my kind of thing, but I loved the layout of Sharon's card:

I decided to make a Christmas card, and started by stamping my Indigo Blu 'Snowflake Lace' stamp on to a kraft card blank using white pigment ink, then heat embossed it in white. I used my Lawn Fawn 'Stitched Hillside Border' dies to cut the over layers, and Tim Holtz 'Snowflakes' dies for the...um...snowflakes...all from snippets of kraft card. I coated the snowflakes using Versark Ink, then heat embossed them with 'Diamond White' embossing glitter by WOW. The sentiment stamp is by Penny Black, and is also heat embossed in white.

Challenges for this card:

• Allsorts - Winter Scene or Snow
• Crafty Friends - More than One Die
• Less is More - CASE Sharon's Card
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Make it Sparkle

Happy Together

Today's card features one of the stamps from the 'Happy Together' set by Penny Black. I stamped it on to watercolour paper, then coloured them using watercolour pencils. I added a sentiment from the 'Sketched Flowers' set by Simon Says Stamp, then distressed the edges a little before adding it to a kraft card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• A Perfect Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• Creative Knockouts - Clean & Simple
• Fab 'N' Funky - Birthday
• Seize the Birthday - Anything Birthday
• Stamps + Fun = Creativity - Anything Goes
• We Love Chocolate Baroque - Anything Goes

ABC Christmas Challenge - U & V are for?

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

'U is for Up in the Air'

&

'V is for Vixen'

(Other reindeer are ok too!)

There's a little prize from Julie for the lucky winner:

For my 'Up in the Air' card, I used cute little Owl and robin stamps from the 'Wintertime Cheer' set by Penny Black, stamped on to watercolour paper, and coloured using watercolour pencils. I cut an aperture (using one of my circle Nesties) in a snippet of white card, then mounted the watercolour image behind it. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous.

I used more Penny Black stamps on my 'V is for Vixen' card...'Deer in Skates' and a little robin from the 'Christmas Hugs' set. Again, stamped on to watercolour paper, and coloured using watercolour pencils...with some sparkle added to the icy ground using a Wink of Stella pen. I doodled a simple border using a black gel pen, and added a Lili of the Valley sentiment.

Challenges for these cards:

• Allsorts - Cute Christmas
• CAS Christmas - Christmas Birds (Just the first card)
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Merry Little Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything 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.

Layered Daisies Notecard Set

I was the lucky winner of an Allsorts Challenge a couple of weeks ago, and the prize was a set of Hot of the Press stamps called 'Layering Daisies'. I've not used any layering stamps before, but had a little play yesterday and created a set of simple notecards. I used Distress Inks in a few different colour families...not exactly 'daisy' colours...but they kind of worked. Once stamped, I added sentiments (from the same 'Daisies' set, and the Simon Says Stamp 'Sketched Flowers' set), distressed the edges a little, then added the panels to some kraft card blanks.

Challenges for these cards:

• A Bit More Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• Crafter's Cafe - Anything Goes
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Creatalicious - Anything Goes
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes with Paper
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• We Love Chocolate Baroque - Anything Goes

PBSC October - Anything Goes (Optional 'Too Cute to Spook!')

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
'Too Cute to Spook!'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I would usually make a set of Hallowe'en treat bags, decorated wth my Penny Black spooky critters, for my family at this time of year, but I'm not sure I'll be seeing them again before Christmas. It was August(!) before I was able to visit to deliver their Easter treats, so I've played it safe, and made a card...but with as many critters on it as I could fit! They are from the 'Spooky' and 'Be Very Scared' sets...oldies, but goodies...and I stamped them on to watercolour paper, coloured them using watercolour paper, then carefully cut them out. I made a simple background using some Hallowe'en themed papers (there's no branding on the spiderweb one, but the skull paper is from the 'Spooky' collection by Carta Bella. The little spider is also by Penny Black...I stamped him directly on to the background paper, then added a little colour with some pencils, and a pair of googly eyes. The sentiment was cut from snippets of purple card using my Cuttlebug 'Olivia' alphabet.

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

• Aud Sentiments - Fall/Hallowe'en Sentiment
• Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - Anything Goes
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Cut It Up - World Card Making Day
• Cute Card Thursday - Anything Goes
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Moving Along with the Times - Animals/Birds
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes

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

Big Bauble

I have a Christmas card to share today, featuring a big bauble stamp from a set by the Colorado Craft Company. I stamped it directly on to a burgundy card blank using Versamark Ink, along with a sentiment from the same set, then heat embossed it all using 'Diamond White' embossing glitter from WOW. You can't tell from the photo (why is glitter so difficult to photograph!?) but it's super sarkly in real life!

Challenges for this card:

• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• The Holly & the Ivy - Anything Christmas Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes