Sweet Snowman

Today's card features an adorable Penny Black stamp called 'Sweet Snowman'. I stamped him on to watercolour paper, extended the 'snowy ground' using a black gel pen, then coloured him using watercolour pencils before carefully cutting around the top of the image. For the background, I heat embossed my Simon Says Stamp 'Falling Snow' background stamp in white on a piece of watercolour effect paper from the 'Pastel Watercolours' pad. I layered the snowman over the top, then added it all to a kraft card blank. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous.

Challenges for this card:

• Allsorts - Anything Goes
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Rudolph Days - Anything Christmas Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• The Holly & the Ivy - Anything Christmas Goes

Birthday Wishing

I have a simple one layer card to share today...made using stamps from the 'Birthday Wishing' set by Anita Jeram for the Colorado Craft Company. I stamped them directly on to a white card blank, then coloured the images using watercolour pencils.

Challenges for this card:

• Addicted to CAS - Balloons
• Creative Fingers - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Fur or Feathers
• Simply Create Too - Add an Animal
• Sweet Stampin' - CAS

Bookmarks

I have a couple of bookmarks to share today, made from snippets of kraft card to go with some books I've got for my Dad for Father's Day. The first one features a Penny Black chicken stamp from the '12 Days of Christmas' set...he's representing the 'Three French Hens'. I started by stamping the chicken, colouring him using watercolour pencils, then I made a mask so that I could stamp the background over the top. I first stamped a script background stamp called 'Wine Names' by Inkadinkado in a grey ink, then heat embossed a 'Chicken Wire' background stamp (by Darkroom Door) over the top in metallic silver over the top.

The second one accompanies a book on fishing, so I used some Hambo digital stamps, called 'Fish Trio' for that one. I coloured the fish using watercolour pencils, carefully cut them out, then added them to the bookmark.

Challenges for these bookmarks:

• Creative Fingers - Anything Goes
• Creative Knockouts - Anything Goes
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Fur or Feathers (Just the chicken one!)

A Wish & a Kiss

Today's card is a simple Christmas card, that features a Penny Black stamp called 'A Wish & a Kiss'. I stamped it on to a kraft card blank, along with a sentiment from the 'Wintertime Messages' set by Hero Arts, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. I added a snippet of checked paper from the 'Christmas Wishes' multistack by DCWV along one edge...using one of my Lawn Fawn 'Stitched Hillside' border dies to cut the curve.

Challenges for this card:

• Christmas Kickstart - Plaid/Checks
• C.R.A.F.T. - Christmas
• Crafts Galore Encore - Anything Goes
• Peace on Earth Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Fur or Feathers
• The Holly & the Ivy - Anything Christmas Goes

What This!

Today's card features all of the dog stamps, and one of the sentiments, from the 'What This!' set by Anita Jeram for the Colorado Craft Company. I stamped them on to watercolour paper, masking the pup on the ball, to make a little scene, then coloured them using watercolour pencils. I paired the image with papers from the 'Vintage Dream' pad by My Mind's Eye (the stripey one), and the others are from the 'Party Day' pad by Crate Paper. I distressed all of the edges, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

Challenges for this card:

• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes (Optional 'Dots and/or Stripes')
• Daring Cardmakers - For the Boys (this card is for my Dad)
• Dream Valley - Man or Boy (this card is for my Dad)
• I Spy With My Little Eye - Something for Boys or Men (this card is for my Dad)
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Fur or Feathers

A Present

I have a very simple card to share today, featuring a cute bear stamp by Penny Black called 'A Present'. I stamped it on to watercolour paper, then coloured it using watercolour pencils before carefully cutting it out. I doodled a simple square border on a white card blank, added a little sentiment (from the 'Dotty Flowers' set by Woodware), then popped the bear inside the frame using 3D foam pads.

Challenges for this card:

• AAA Cards - Birthday
• Allsorts - Anything Goes
• Creative Fingers - Anything Goes
• Cutie Pie - Bear Hugs
• Krafty Chicks - CAS
• My Time to Craft - Super Cute
• Sparkles Forum - CAS

PBSC May - Anything Goes (Optional 'Pastel Colours')...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

'Pastel Colours'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

This time, I picked a fun chicken stamp called 'Chicky Nights', stamping it on to watercolour paper, and colouring it in pastel shades using watercolour pencils. For the background, I embossed a piece of watercolour effect paper (from the 'Watercolour Feelings' pad from The Works) using my CuttleBug 'Swiss Dots' embossing folder. I distressed all of the edges then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Anytime Messages' set by Hero Arts.

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

• Crafty Calendar - Anything Goes
• Elliebelle's Crafty Wednesday - Anything Goes
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Stamping Sensations - Anything Goes
• The Sisterhood of Crafters - Ladies
• We Love Stamping - Anything Goes

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

Wonderful Day

Today's card features stamps from the 'Wonderful Day' set by Penny Black. I stamped them onto watercolour paper, then coloured them using watercolour pencils. I trimmed a couple of snippets of patterned paper (from the 'Bright Freshness' pad by Craft Sensations) to the height of the card blank, distressed them a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen, before adhering them to the card. I did the same with the image, then matted it on to a snippet of yellow card before adding that to the card.

Challenges for this card:

• Allsorts - Anything Goes (Optional 'Spots and/or Stripes')
• Everybody Art - Gardens
• Incy Wincy - Spring and/or Animals
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Use Patterned Paper
• Stamps + Fun = Creativity - Stamps

Burst into Bloom

Today's card features an old floral stamp by Woodware called 'Burst into Bloom'. I stamped it on to a kraft card blank using Vwersamark ink, then heat embossed it using white embossing powder. I coloured the flowers using watercolour pencils, then added a sentiment using a stamp from the 'Signature Greetings' set by Memory Box, heat embossing that in white to match.

Challenges for this card:

• Addicted to CAS - Flower
• Aud Sentiments - Foiling and/or Flowers + Sentiment
• CAS on Friday - Flowers
• Stamping Sensations - Anything Goes
• The Flower Challenge - Colour Your Flower
• We Love Stamping - Anything Goes

Snowman

Today's card features an old Lili of the Valley stamp, called simply 'Snowman'. I stamped him on to watercolour paper, along with a sentiment from the 'Snow Bunnies' set by Anita Jerum for the Colorado Craft Company, then coloured him using watercolour pencils. For the background, I cut snippets of aqua and pink card into sqaures, then embossed them using a couple of 'Snowflake' embossing folders...one by Cuttlebug, and the other is a Sizzix/Tim Holtz one. I distressed all of the edges a little before assembly the card.

Challenges for this card:

• Christmas Cards All Year Round - Inspired by Christmas Drinks or Christmas Movies (My card is inspired by 'The Snowman')
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Crafty Gals Corner - Anything Goes
• Krafty Chicks - Christmas
• Jingle Belles - Cardstock Christmas
• Little Red Wagon - Make Your Own Background

London Driving

Today's card features a couple of Penny Black transport themed stamps...'London Bus' and 'Miniful'. I stamped them on to a piece of watercolour paper, then coloured them using watercolour pencils. I added a sentiment from the 'What This!' set by Anita Jeram for the Colorado Craft Company, then distressed the edges a little before adding it to a kraft card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything Goes
• Alphabet Challenge - C is for Cars
• C.R.A.F.T. - Birthday
• Crafty Animals - Anything Goes
• Creative Fingers - Anything Goes
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• The Male Room - Planes, Trains & Automobiles

ABC Christmas Challenge - J & K are for?

We have a fun new ABC Christmas Challenge starting today...I'm the host, and the themes are:

'J is for Jesus'

&

'K is for Kings'

The prize for the lucky winner is this Paper Boutique stamp set & Hobbycraft snowflake die set:

For my 'J is for Jesus' card, I used a cute Penny Black stamp called 'The Manger', stamping it on to watercolour paper, then colouring it using watercolour pencils. I paired it with papers from a couple of different Craft Sensations pads ('Fresh Florals' and 'Vintage Dreams'), and one from the 'Prince Charming' pad by Recollections/Michaels (found at TK Maxx). I distressed all of the edges a little, then added a sentiment using  stmp from an old Lili of the Valley set.

I used another Penny Black stamp on my 'K is for Kings' card...this one is called 'We Three Kings'. I stamped it, along with the matching sentiment, on to black card using Versamark ink, then heat embossed them using 'Metallic Gold' embossing powder from WOW. I watercoloured the image using Cosmic Shimmers mica pigments mixed with a little water, then matted it on to gold mirror card before adding it to a card blank.

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

• A Perfect Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• Creative Fingers - Anything Goes
• Merry Little Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Peace on Earth Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes

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

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 it using watercolour pencils. I added a sentiment from the 'Birthday Wishing' set by Anita Jeram for the Colorado Craft Company, then carefullytore the edges before adding it to a kraft card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• AAA Birthday - CAS
• Allsorts - Anything Goes
• As You Like It - Favourite Soft or Bold Colours (I like both, but at the moment I'm liking calm pastel shades)
• Creative Inspirations - Feminine
• Moving Along with the Times - Flowers
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Light & Airy
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Feminine

PBSC May - Anything Goes (Optional 'Pastel Colours')

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

'Pastel Colours'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I picked 'Dream a Dream' to use to decorate the May page of my desk calendar...stamping it on to watercolour paper, and colouring it using watercolour pencils before cutting the oval shape using one of my Nesties. I paired it with papers from the 'Vintage Dreams' pad by Craft Sensation...distressing the edges a little, and adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

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

• Creative Fingers - Anything Goes
• Krafty Chicks - Stamps
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Feminine
• Sweet Stampin' - Animals

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

Robin Stack

I have a simple one layer Christmas card to share today...made using a cute Woodware stamp called 'Robin Stack'. I stamped it, along with one of the sentiments that came in the set with it, on to a DL kraft card blank, then coloured the robins using watercolour pencils.

Challenges for this card:

• Allsorts - Anything Goes
• Christmas Card Throwdown - Slimline Card
• Christmas with the Cuties - Sentiment Based on a Carol or Song (Have a Holly Jolly Christmas)
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes