Bearing Gifts

Today's card features the other Penny Black that I picked up in a charity shop recently for a £1! It's called 'Bearing Gifts'...and I stamped it on to watercolour paper, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. I paired it with a piece of floral paper from the 'Watercolour Feelings' pad from The Works...I distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen before matting the image and paper on to some co-ordinating coloured card.

Challenges for this card:

• Creative Knockouts - Flower Power
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• The Sisterhood of Crafters - April Showers Bring May Flowers

Snow Much Fun!

I have an ultra simple one layer Christmas card to share today, featuring one of the snowmen from the 'Snow Much Fun' set by Penny Black. I stamped him on to a kraft card blank, along with a sentiment from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous, then coloured him using watercolour pencils.

Challenges for this card:

• Addicted to CAS - One Layer Cards
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes (Optional 'Snowmen')
• Jingle Belles - Winter Fun
• Less is More - One Layer Cards & Off Centre
• Rudolph Days - Anything Christmas

Garden Birdhouses

Today's card features a stamp that I received with my Easter egg last weekend...it's an old wood mounted one by Stampendous called 'Garden Birdhouses'. I stamped it on to watercolour paper, adding a sentiment from the 'Doodled Flowers' set by Happy Little Stampers, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. I distressed the edges a little, then added it to a kraft card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• Allsorts - Something Beginning with B (Birdhouses & Blooms)
• Alphabet Challenge - B is for Blooms
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Creative Fingers - Anything Goes
• Seize the Birthday - Anything Birthday

Sailing with Butterflies

Today's card features one of two Penny Black stamps that I picked up last week in a charity shop for the bargain price of £1 each. It's an old wood-mounted one (in perfect condition) called 'Sailing with Butterflies'. I stamped it on to watercolour paper, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. The paper are from the 'Watercolour Feelings' pad from The Works...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 'Doodled Flowers' set by Happy Little Stampers.

Challenges for this card:

• Aud Sentiments - Use a Birthday Sentiment
• Corrosive - Anything Goes
• Creative Knockouts - Wings & Things or Furry Friends
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Stamping Sensations - I Love (Penny Black stamps, pretty papers, faux stitching & a bargain!)

Christmas Gnomes

I have a couple of Christmas cards to share today featuring some non-Christmas Gnome stamps by 2 Jays. I stamped the gnomes directly on the kraft card blanks, then coloured them using watercolour pencils in traditional Christmas shades of red & green. I added a little snippet of tartan paper (from the 'Jolly Santa' pad from The Works) along one edge of each of the cards, and sentiments from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Hotlz for Stampers Anonymous.

Challenges for these cards:

• Christmas Kickstart - Gnomes
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Goes
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets
• The Holly & the Ivy - Anything Christmas Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Odey & Friends

Today's card features a cute little puppy stamp from Craft Emotions called 'Odey & Friends - 6' that I received with my Easter egg yesterday. It's a 'front and back' stamp, so I stamped the front of the dogs on to an A5 card blank, along with a sentiment from the 'Sailing' set by Penny Black, then coloured them using watercolour pencils, before trimming around the top of the image.

Using my Tim Holtz stamping platform, I carefully stamped the back of their heads on the reverse, and coloured them, again using watercolour pencils. I added a snippet of paper (from the 'Mystery Marbles' pad by Craft Sensations) to the inside of the card to look like the sky behind them.

Challenges for this card:

• As You Like It - Floral or Cute (Cute...I do have some florals among my favourite stamps, but my first stamping love was cute critters)
• CASology - Fluffy
• Creative Knockouts - Anything Goes
• Lil Red Wagon - Three of Something
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes

PBSC April - Anything Goes (Optional 'Easter')...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

'Easter'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I made an Easter treat bag using the Penny Black 'Bun Buns' image, which I stamped on to watercolour paper, then coloured using watercolour pencils. I paired it with snippets of papers from the 'Recollections - Charming' pad by Michaels (found at TKMaxx)...distressing the edges, and adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Egg-cellent Easter Sentiments' set by C. C. Designs.

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

• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything Goes
• C.R.A.F.T. - Spring/Easter
• Crafty Friends - Spring
• Fab 'N' Funky - Feature a Creature
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Sweet Treats

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

ABC Christmas Challenge - H & I are for?

It's the second Wednesday of a new month, so that means it's time for a new ABC Christmas Challenge! I'm is the host, and the themes are:

'H is for Ho Ho Ho'

(feature either the words 'Ho Ho Ho' and/or Santa)

&

'I is for Inky'

There's a little prize on offer from me for the lucky winner:

For my 'Ho Ho Ho' card, I used a cute unbranded stamp called 'Father Xmas', stamping him on to watercolour paper, and colouring him using watercolour pencils. The papers are from the 'Jolly Santa' pad from The Works...I distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black pen. The sentiment stamp is from a set from the Crafter's Companion 'Moonbeam Meadow' collection called 'Santa's Delivery'.

For my 'Inky' card, I used Distress Inks to make a background for a cute Penny Black mouse called 'Snow Dance'...I stamped him on to watercolour paper, coloured him using watercolourpencils, then carefully cut around just the mouse in the image. To make the snowy sky background, I inked up an acrylic block using Peacock Feathers, Broken China, Chipped Sapphire and Dusty Concord Distress Inks, spritzed it with a little water before stamping it on to some watercolour paper. Once dry, I stamped my 'Falling Snow' background stamp (by Simon Says Stamp) on to it using Versamark Ink, then heat embossed it in white. I tore a snippet of the watercolour paper to make the snowy ground, then layered it all up, adding the mouse on top using 3D foam pads. The sentiment stamp is from a set by Lili of the Valley.

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

• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Happy Little Stampers (Christmas) - Anything Christmas Goes
• Merry Little Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Simply Create Too - Make Your Own Background (second card only)
• Stamping Sensations - I Love ? (Christmas cards, pretty papers, faux stitching & cute Penny Black critters)
• The Holly & the Ivy - Anything Christmas Goes

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

Totally Excited Easter Treat Bag

I have another Easter treat bag to share today...featuring a Penny Black stamp called 'Totally Excited!'. I stamped it on to watercolour paper, coloured it using watercolour pencils, added a sentiment from the 'Egg-cellent Easter Sentiments' set by C. C. Designs, then cut it out using one of my circle Nesties. The papers are from a pad from The Works (it's the first time I've used papers from it, and I can't remember the name...I'm not at home, so can't check)...I distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

Challenges for this tretat bag:

• Cut It Up - Easter
• Daring Cardmakers - Birds
• Krafty Chicks - Stamp Act
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Easter or Spring
• Sweet Stampers - Easter or Spring

Easter Hares Treat Bag

I have another Easter treat bag to share today...this one features a House Mouse/Happy Hoppers stamp called 'Easter Hares', which I stamped on to watercolour paper, and coloured using watercolour pencils. I paired it with papers from the 'Bright Freshness' pad by Craft Sensations, distressing the edges a little and adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Egg-cellent Easter Sentiments' set by C. C. Designs.

Challenges for this bag:

• Alphabet Challenge - A is for Animal Antics
• Creative Inspirations - Happy Easter/Animals
• House Mouse & Friends - Anything Goes
• Incy Wincy - Easter and/or Animals
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Easter/Spring

Bunny Friends Birthday

I have a birthday card to share today...featuring my Penny Black 'Bunny Friends' stamp, which I used recently on an Easter treat bag...but as I only used a couple of the bunnies on that, I wanted to ink it all up this time. I stamped them on to watercolour paper, then coloured them using watercolour pencils...adding a sentiment from the 'Anytime Messages' set by Hero Arts. I paired it with papers from the 'Bright Freshness' pad by Craft Sensations...I distressed the edges, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The paper flowers have been in my stash for years...so long in fact that the store I bought them from (Poppicrafts) has been closed for at least a decade!

Challenges for this card:

• Allsorts - Real Animals
• Everybody Art - Chickens/Ducks/Bunnies
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Happy Birthday
• Stamping Sensations - I love... (Penny Black critters, pretty papers & faux stitching)
• We Love Stamping - Stamp of the Moment (this is an 'oldie but a goodie', and it always comes out at this time of year...I've used it twice in the last week!

Beaded Wrap Bracelet

I have something a little different to share today. I went through a phase of jewellery making several years ago, and decided to get my beads out again at the weekend to see if I could still remember how to make something! I started by sorting through all of my supplies, and picked a mixture of 4mm semi-precious gemstone beads to play with. I decided to have a go at making a simple beaded wrap bracelet...I had made quite a few of these in the past, but not for ten years so I wasn't sure I'd remember how! Well, it did come back to me, and I eventually managed to make a bracelet that would wrap around my wrist three times...here it is:

I'm entering this bracelet into the following challenges:

• Dream Valley - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes

I had a play with some slightly larger glass beads too, and have made a few more single wrap bracelets, which I will no doubt show you sometime soon.

PBSC April - Anything Goes (Optional 'Easter')

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
'Easter'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I used a cute Easter chick stamp called 'Hello Wolrd!' to decorate the April page of my desk calendar (from Paper Mill Direct). I stamped it on to watercolour paper, coloures it using watercolour pencils, then cut it out using one of my oval Nesties. The papers are from a pad that was a craft magazine freebie...I distressed the edges a little then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

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

• A Perfect Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• Cards Galore Encore - Anything Goes
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Creative Fingers - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - Anything Goes
• Creatalicious - Anything Goes (Optional 'Easter')
• Moving Along with the Times - Baby Animals
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes

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