Toot Your Own Horn!

Today's card features a cute Penny Black stamp called 'Merry Band'. I stamped it directly on to a white card blank, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. I made this card to send to one of my pupils, along with her clarinet exam certificate, as I won't be seeing her again because she's changing schools, so I added a fun sentiment from the 'Critter Concert' set by Lawn Fawn.

Challenges for this card:

• Allsorts - Anything Goes
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Four-legged Friends
• We Love Stamping - Anything Goes

Before the Snow

I have a Christmas card to share today, featuring an old wood block Penny Black stamp called 'Before the Snow'. I stamped it several times along the bottom of a piece of watercolour effect paper (from the 'Mystery Marbles' pad by Craft Sensations) using white pigment ink, then heat embossed it all using white embossing powder. I stamped a sentiment (using a stamp from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous), then masked it off before stamping my Simon Says Stamp 'Falling Snow' background stamp over the top, using white pigment ink, then heat embossing it using more white embossing powder. I distressed the edges a little, then added it to a white card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• C.R.A.F.T. - Christmas
• Crafty Gals Corner - Anything Goes (Optional 'Christmas')
• Daring Cardmakers - Christmas in July
• Inkspirational - Woodland
• Jingle Belles - Dashing Through the Snow
• My Time to Craft Christmas - Woods
• Rudolph Days - Anything Christmas Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Add a Sentiment

Stay Curious!

Today's card features a cute little dog stamp by Anita Jeram for the Colorado Craft Company called 'Stay Curious!'. I stamped it, along with it's matching sentiment, on to a snippet of watercolour paper, coloured it using watercolour pencils, then distressed the edges and added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. I used a fun 'Bones' stencil from Funky Fossil for the background, inking directly on to a kraft card blank using 'Pumice Stone' Distress Ink.

Challenges for this card:

• As You Like It - Favourite Cats or Dogs (Dogs for me - growing up we always had a dog or dogs...mostly Golden Retrievers, which is why I nearly always colour dog images this way)
• Cutie Pie - Something Beginning with B (Bones (and Bottom!))
• Krafty Chicks - All Occasions
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Add a Sentiment
• Sparkles Forum - One for the Boys

Brightest Xmas

I have a Christmas card to share today...featuring a cute Penny Black chicken stamp called 'Brightest Xmas'. I stamped it on to watercolour paper, along with a sentiment from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous, then coloured the chickens using watercolour pencils. I added some Glossy Accents to the lightbulbs, then doodled a simple border using a black gel pen, before adding it to a kraft card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• Christmas Card Throwdown - Christmas Lights
• Christmas Cards All Year Round - Anything Christmas Goes
• Christmas Kickstart - Festive Frames
• C.R.A.F.T. - Christmas
• Creative Knockouts - Christmas in July
• Merry Little Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Peace on Earth Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes

Together Bookmark

I have a bookmark to share today...made using a lovely floral stamp from Penny Black called 'Together'. I inked it up with Distress Inks (Mermaid Lagoon, Uncharted Mariner, Chipped Sapphire, Lucky Clover & Mowed Lawn), then stamped it on to a snippet of kraft card. I stamped a 'Music Background' stamp by Hero Arts/BasicGrey inked with 'Pumice Stone' Distress Ink over the top, then finally rounded the corners using n old woodware punch.

Challenges for this bookmark:

• Allsorts - Flowers
• As You Like It - Favourite Non-Card Project (I, along with several family members and friends, am a keen reader, and can always make use of a bookmark)
• Creative Fingers - Anything Goes
• Little Red Wagon - Scraps (I made use of one of the scraps created by trimming an A4 sheet of card down to make a square card blank)
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets

PBSC July - Anything Goes (Optional 'Food')...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

'Happy Birthday'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I've used one of the stamps from the 'Critter Party' set...stamping it on to a snippet of watercolour paper, along with a sentiment from the 'What This!' set by Anita Jerum for the Colorado Craft Company. I coloured it using watercolour pencils, then added some sparkle to the cupcake icing with some Stickles, before cutting out the circle shape using one of my Nesties. For the background, I used a couple of snippets of watercolour effect paper from the 'Watercolour Feeling's pad from The Works...using a 'Cupcakes' embossing folder by Craft Concepts to dry emboss one, and a Simon Says Stamp background stamp called 'Magic Stars' to heat emboss this other in white. I distressed all of the edges, added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a white gel pen, and lightly sanded over the dry embossing before assembling the card.

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

• Crafts Galore Encore - Anything Goes
• Creative Inspirations - Anything Goes
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Lots of Layers
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Add Some Sparkle 
• We Love Stamping - Anything Goes

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

Floral Garden Duo

I was the lucky winner of a Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) Challenge a little while ago, and one of the items I got with my prize was this fabulous 'Floral Garden' stamp set by Simon Says Stamp. The main stamp in the set is huge...so, for these cards, I only inked up half of the stamp at a time, stamping it on to watercolour paper. I coloured the image using watercolour pencils, then lightly distressed the edges of the paper. I stamped the sentiments (using a stamp from the 'Go To Words' set by Visible Image), using Versamark ink on to strips of vellum, then heat embossed it in metallic gold. Once cooled, I tore the edges of the vellum, then folded it around the watercolou paper before attaching the panels to DL kraft card blanks.

Challenges for these cards:

• AAA Birthday - Fabulous Flowers
• Allsorts - Anything Goes (Just the card on the left)
• Beautiful Blossoms - Anything Goes
• Creative Fingers - Anything Goes
• The Flower Challenge - Birthday Cards
• We Love Stamping - Anything Goes

Guest Designer - Penny's Challenge

Today, I'm sharing a Guest Deisgner card for Penny's Paper Crafty Challenge, where the theme for this fortnight is, as always:

'Anything Goes'

I was sent a digi stamp from Mirtillamente Digital Stamps & Papers called 'Flowerz: Rose Mandela' to use on my card. I stamped it on to smooth what card, coloured it using watercolour pencils, then used one of my circle Nesties to cut it out...carefully cutting around the protruding leaves using a craft knife beforehand. For the background, I embossed pieces of watercolour effect paper (from the 'Watercolour Feelnigs' pad from The Works), using a couple of different Cuttlebug embossing folders. I then lightly sanded over the raised edges, to reveal some of the white core, before distressing the edges and adding faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and awhite gel pen.

For more inspiration from the faulous Design Team, please pop over to Penny's Paper Crafty Challenge - thanks for having me!

Gift Exchange

Today's card features stamps from a set that I picked up from Simon Says Stamp with a prize I won recently on one of their challenges...called 'Gift Exchange' by Anita Jeram for the Colorado Craft Company. I stamped the images on to watercolour paper, added one of the sentiments from the set, then coloured them using watercolour pencils. I used a piece of patterned paper from the 'Christmas Multistack' by DCWV for the background...distressing the edges, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

Challenges for this card:

• Cardz for Guys - Animal Magic
• Crafty Calendar - Add a Sentiment
• Crafty Catz - Make It Cute
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Stamping Sensations - Christmas in July
• The Male Room - Animals

Polar Pair

Today's card features an old Lili of the Valley stamp called 'Polar Pair'. I stamped it directly on to a white card blank, added a sentiment from the 'Beary Merry Christmas' set by Funky Fossil, then coloured the image using watercolour pencils.

Challenges for this card:

• Alphabet Challenge - Holidays (I went with Christmas)
• Christmas with the Cuties - Festive Bears
• Creative Fingers - Anything Goes
• Krafty Chicks - Christmas
• Little Red Wagon - Something You Love (CAS Christmas cards - cheap to post!)
• My Time to Craft - CAS Style Layout
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Stamping Sensations - Christmas in July

ABC Christmas Challenge - N & O are for?

We have a fun new ABC Christmas Challenge starting today...Fabiola is the host, and the themes are:

'N is for No Stamping'

&

'O is for Off the Edge'

The prize for the lucky winner is this a 30.00 CHF Cap sur le Scrap Gift Certificate

:

For my 'No Stamping' card, I used a mixture of die cuts and dry embossing. I started by embossing a snippet of watercolour effect paper from the 'Pastel Watercolours' pad from The Works using a Tim Holtz for Sizzix embossing folder called 'Snowfall'...sanding lightly over the raised areas to reveal a little of the white core. The I took snippets of white hammer card, and used some dies (Clearly Besotted 'Tree Landscape', Your Next Die 'Houses on a Hill' & Lawn Fawn 'Stitched Hillside Borders') to cut the wintry landscapes, then layered them up over the background...placing some teeny tiny snippets of yellow card behind the windows of the houses. Finally, I added a large star cut from a snippet of silver glitter card using one of the dies from the Tim Holtz for Sizzix 'Snowy Stars' die set.

For my 'Off the Edge' card, I used one of the stamps from my Simon Says Stamp ' Snowflake Edges' set, stamping if just off the edge of a snippet of watercolour effect paper from the 'Mystery Marbles' pad by Craft Sensations, using Versamark ink, then I heat embossed it using white embossing powder. I then carefully tore around the edge of the image before adding it to a navy card blank. I added a simple sentiment, heat embossing it in white to match the snowflakes, using one of the stamps from the Crafter's Companion 'Winter Blessings' set.

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

• AAA Cards - Anything CAS (Second card only)
• Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday - Anything Goes
• Jingle Belles - Embossing
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets
• Stamping Sensations - Christmas in July (Second card only)

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

Rainbow Christmas Trees

Today's card features a Woodware Christmas tree stamp called 'Mini Tall Twiggy Tree'. I stamped it across a piece of watercolour paper in a rainbow pattern using Distress Inks: Festive Berries; Spiced Marmalade; Mustard Seed; Lucky Clover; Salty Ocean; Chipped Sapphire; and Wilted Violet. I added a sentiment cut from black card using a Poppy Stamps die called 'Folk Merry Christmas'. I matted the panel on to some more black card before adding it to a DL card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• A Perfect Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• Allsorts - Anything Goes
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Krafty Chicks - Stamps
• Everybody Art - We Love Stamping

PBSC July - Anything Goes (Optional 'Food')

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

'Food'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I have a fairly sizeable collection of Penny Black stamps that feature some kind of food...but the one that immediately sprang to mind was this one from the 'It's Your Day!' set. I stamped it directly on to akraft card blank, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. The sentiment stamp is from the 'What This' set by Anita Jeram for the Colorado Craft Company.

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

• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything Goes
• Crafty Animals - Anything Goes
• Creative Fingers - Anything Goes
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Moving Along with the Times - CAS
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes

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

Sketched Flowers

Today's card features one of my favourite floral stamps...'Sketched Flowers' by Simon Says Stamp. I stamped it on to a piece of watercolour effect paper (from the 'Watercolour Feelings' pad by Craft Sensations) using Versamark ink, then heat embossed it in white. I heat embossed a sentiment, using a stamp from the 'What This' set by Anita Jeram for the Colorado Craft Company, in white to match, then doodled a simple border using a white gel pen. I trimmed the panel down to fit a DL card blank, then distressed the edges a little before adding it to the card.

Challenges for this card:

• AAA Birthday - Fabulous Flowers
• Allsorts - Anything Goes
• Daring Cardmakers - Happy & Bright
• My Time to Craft - Summer Florals
• Seize the Birthday - Anything Birthday Goes

 

July Desk Calendar

Today I'm sharing my desk calendar page for July. Inspired by the start of the Tour de France at the weekend, I picked a cute cycling image from the 'Cheering Critters' set by Penny Black. I stamped him on to a snippet of watercolour paper, then coloured him using watercolour pencils...of course putting him in the maillot jaune! I paired him with snippets of yellow papers from the 'Breeze' pad by My Mind's Eye...distressing the edges and adding some faux stitches using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

Challenges for this calendar:

• Creative Fingers - Anything Goes
• Incy Wincy - Circles and/or Handdrawn Sewing
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Transport
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• Stamps + Fun = Creativity - Vehicle