Flower Bear

Today's card features a cute Woodware stamp that I got for my birthday earlier this month, called 'Flower Bear'. I stamped him on to watercolour paper, coloured him using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut him out. I embossed a snippet of bright pink card using my Couture Creations 'Crazy Daisy' embossing folder, and matted that on to a snippet of bright blue card. I cut a little speech bubble from some light pink card, then stamped my sentment (from the 'It's Your Day' set by Penny Black), and added that along with the bear popped up on some 3D foam pads.

Challenges for this card:

• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Sweet Stampers - Embossing and/or Stencils
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Tall Pines

I have a trio of clean and simple Christmas cards to share today, made using a Tim Holtz/Sizzix embossing folder called 'Tall Pines' that I picked up yesterday in a charity shop.

On the first card, I simply embossed some white card, and added a sentiment (from the 'Winter Blessings' set by Crafter's Companion), before distressing the edges a little and adding the panel to a white card blank.

On the second card, I inked up the embossing folder using 'Old Paper' Distress Ink, before embossing a piece of watercolour paper. I added a simple sentiment (from the 'Many Blessings' set by Hero Arts), and distresse the edges before adding the panel to a kraft card blank.

On the final card, I embossed some kraft card, then gently rubbed a white inkpad over the raised trees, before splattering it with some more white ink. I added a sentiment (from the 'Festive Phrases' set by Funky Fossil), distressed the edges, then added it to a kraft card blank.

Challenges for these cards:

• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes (Optional 'Embossing')
• Perfectly CAS - Embossing (First card only)
• Rudolph Days - Anything Christmas Goes
• Time Out - Festive

Golden Wedding

I have a Golden Wedding Anniversary card to share today. I cut the heart shape and numbers from gold card using my Cricut Joy...this was a birthday gift, and I'm still trying to get to grips with it! I added them to some cream card, then heat embossed a sentiment (from the 'Go To Words' set by Visible Image), in metallic gold (from WOW). I matted the panel on to some gold glitter card, and then on to a cream card blank, before adding some adhesive gold pearls.

Challenges for this card:

• Allsorts - Anything Goes
• Creatalicious - Anything Goes
• Daring Cardmakers - In the Long Run (I would say that 50 years is a long time!)
• Krafty Chicks - All Occasions
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Floral Bouquet

Today's card features some stamps from a set that I got for my birthday earlier this month...'Floral Bouquet' by Woodware. I stamped the large vase image on to watercolour paper, along with one of the sentiments from the set, then coloured 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, before adding the panel to a kraft card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• AAA Birthday - Anything Birthday
• Allsorts - Anything Goes
• C.R.A.F.T. - Anything Goes
• Crafty Friends - Summer Colours

Sparkly Snowflakes

I have a Christmas card to share today, which you may think looks familiar...and you'd be right! I made the background at the same time as this card a couple of weeks ago...if I was going to get inky and messy, I figured I may as well make it worth my while! The background piece was made in exact same way...a piece of watercolour paper embossed using a Sizzix 'Snowflakes' folder, then rubbed with Distress Inks in shades of blue & green, spritzed with water and left to dry. This time, I wanted to add some sparkle, so rubbed my Versamark inkpad over the raised areas, and heat embossed it using 'Sparkling Snow' embossing powder from WOW. It's so pretty & sparkly in real life, and couldn't bear to cover it up, so I matted it on to a snippet of navy card, and added a simple little sentiment (from the 'Top Hat Robin' set by Woodware Stamps) heat embossed in white on a teeny snippet of the same navy card.

Challenges for this card:

• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Christmas
• Time Out - Make Your Own Background 

PBSC August - Anything Goes (Optional 'Music')...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

'Music'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

My card follows the 'Music' theme, and is another I made to post out to a pupil with their music exam certificate from the end of last term, as they're changing schools, so I won't be seeing them again. This time I used a stamp called 'Merry Band', stamping it on to a kraft card blank, along with sentiments from the 'Critter Concert' set by Lawn Fawn, then coloured the image using watercolour pencils.

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

• Creative Fingers - Anything Goes
• Creative Knockouts - Anything Goes
• Krafty Chicks - CAS
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes

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

Top Hat Robin

Today's card features another birthday present...this adorable robin from Woodware Stamps called 'Top Hat Robin'. I stamped him on to watercolour paper, along with one of the sentiment from the set (splitting it in two, so that it would fit in the square), then coloured him using watercolour pencils. For the background, I used papers from the 'Home for Christmas' pad by Violet Studio...doodling simple borders using a black gel pen, and matting the layers on to some bright blue card.

Challenges for this card:

• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Christmas
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Champion!

Today's card features a stamp set that I picked up in a charity shop called 'Champion' from the 'Mulberry' Wood' collection by Crafter's Companion. I stamped it on to watercolour paper, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. I paired it with papers from the 'Home for Christmas' pad by Violet Studio...I distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

Challenges for this card:

• Creative Knockouts - Stitching
• Incy Wincy - Food and Drink and/or Monochrome
• Stamps + Fun = Creativity - Monochrome

Hanging Basket

Today's card features another stamp I got for my birthday earlier this week...this one is called 'Hanging Basket' by Woodware Stamps. I stamped it on to a kraft card blank using Versamark Ink, along with one of the sentiments that came with it, then heat embossed them using white embossing powder. I coloured the image using watercolour pencils.

Challenges for this card:

• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Inkspirational - One Layer Stamping
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• We Love Stamping - In My Garden

Bubble Mini Baubles

I have a Christmas card to share today, made using stamps from a set by Woodware called 'Bubble Mini Baubles' I got for my birthday earlier this week. I stamped the baubles on to black card using Versamark Ink, then heat embossed the using metallic gold embossing powder by WOW. I then added a bow to the top of each of the baubles using another stamp from the set, drawing a 'string' using my Versamark pen, then heat embossed those using more of the gold. I watercoloured the 'bubbles' using Cosmic Shimmers pigments mixed with water, then added a sentiment from the set, again embossing it in gold, before matting the panel on to gold mirror card and adding it to a card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• Corrosive - Anything Goes
• Happy Little Stampers (Christmas) - Anything Christmas Goes
• Krafty Chicks - Christmas

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

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

'P is for Pink'

'Q is for Quarters'

&

'R is for Reindeer'

There are some stamps from Helene on offer for the lucky winner:

For my 'Pink' card, I started by stamping a cute Lili of the Valley James the Bear image called 'Present Pile' on to some watercolour paper. I coloured him using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut around the top of the image. I made the background by stamping my 'Christmas Sentiments' background stamp (from Chloe Creative Stamps) on to a piece of pink watercolour effect paper (from the 'Watercolour Moods' pad from The Works) using Versamark Ink, then I heat embossed it using 'Diamond White' embossing powder from WOW. I layered the bear over the top, then matted it on to some hot pink card before adding it to my card blank.

For my 'Quarters' card, I embossed a piece of watercolour paper using a Sizzix 'Snowflakes' embossing folder, then I swiped some Distress Inks (Cracked Pistachio, Salvaged Patina, Peacock Fathers, Broken China & Chipped Sapphire) over the raised areas. I then spritzed it with some water to blend the colours, then left it to dry. I cut it into quarters, distressed the edges, then matted them on to some aqua card, adding a sentiment (from the 'Winter Blessings' set by Crafter's Companion), heat embossed in white, on some more of the aqua card.

And for my 'Reindeer' card, I used one of the dies from the 'Winter Wonderland' set by Tim Holtz/Sizix to cut the reindeer, then I inked over him with some 'Brushed Corduroy' Distress Ink. I gave him a little red nose using an adhesive pearl, then added him to my card blank using 3D foam pads. The sentiment is from the 'Many Blessings' set from Hero Arts.

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

• Allsorts - Make Your Own Background (First & second cards)
• Christmas Cards All Year Round - Reindeer (Third card only)
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Happy Little Stampers (Watercolour) - Anything Goes (Second card only)
• Jingle Belles - Blue Christmas (Second card only)
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Spritz & Splatter (Second card only)
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Embossing (Second card only)
• The Holly & the Ivy - Anything Christmas Goes
• Winter Wonderland - Reindeer (Third card only)

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

Bouncing with Joy!

Today's card features another charity shop find...this adorable Penny Black stamp called 'Bouncing with Joy!'. I stamped it on to watercolour paper, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. The papers are from the 'Happy Colours' 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 stamps are from the 'Birthday Buddies' set by Paper Smooches.

Challenges for this card:

• Crafty Calendar - Anything Goes
• Creative Inspirations - Anything Goes
• Creative Knockouts - Birthday Wishes
• Happy Little Stampers (Birthday) - Anything Birthday Goes
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Little Red Wagon - Circles
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes

PBSC August - Anything Goes (Optional 'Music')

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
'Music'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I have quite the collection of musical Penny Black stamps...and went with a fun mice and kitty stamp called 'Suspenseful Music'. I stamped it directly on to a kraft card blank, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. I made this card for one of my pupils - she passed her grade 3 clarinet exam last month, but as she's changing schools I won't be seeing her again, so this is to post out with her exam certificate. So, I a celebratory sentiment, from the 'Critter Concert' set by Lawn Fawn.

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

• Creatalicious - Anything Goes
• Krafty Chicks - Stamp Act
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

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

Penguin Presents

I have a Christmas card to share today, that features an old Lili of the Valley penguin stamp called 'Present Pile'. I stamped it on to watercolour paper, then coloured the image using watercolour pencils. For the background, I used lots of snippets of papers from the 'Fresh Florals' pad by Craft Sensations, and the 'Happy Colours' pad from The Works...distressing the edges, and adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Christmas Critters' set by Penny Black.

Challenges for this card:

• A Perfect Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• Cards Galore Encore - Anything Goes
• Christmas Kickstart - Never in a Nativity
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - Anything Goes
• Moving Along with the Times - Anything Goes
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets (Christmas in July)

August Desk Calendar

As it's the first of the month, I'm sharing my desk calendar page for August today. The image, by Penny Black, is called 'Design by Me!', which I stamped on to a snippet of watercolour paper, coloured using watercolour pencils, then cut out using one of my Nesties. I paired him with some watercolour effect papers from the 'Mystery Marbles' pad by Craft Sensations (the blue & green), and '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.

Challenges for this calendar:

• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything Goes
• Alphabet Challenge - I is for Interests/Hobbies (Painting)
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes