PBSC October - 'Anything Goes' (Optional 'Black, White & One Other Colour')...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
'Black, White & One Other Colour'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I went with purple as my one other colour this time...and used a stamp from the 'Spooky' set to make another Hallowe'en treat bag. I stamped the image on to watercolour paper, then coloured it using watercolour pencils, before cutting it out using one of my circle Nesties. I used papers by Carta Bella...from their 'Haunted' and 'Spooky' collections, distressing all of the edges, and adding some faux stitching using black and white gel pens.

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

• C.R.A.F.T. - Box or Bag
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Daring Cardmakers - Black
• Fab 'N' Funky - Feature a Creature
• My Time to Craft - Hallowe'en or Cats
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Hallowe'en
• Sweet Stampers - Autumn or Hallowe'en

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

Ice Cream Mouse

I have a weather appropriate card to share today...featuring a little mouse stamp by Tina Wenke for Stampavie. He's called 'Ice Cream Mouse'...I coloured him using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut him out. I added a snippet of Carta Bella 'Cool Summer' paper to the top of my card blank...the paper is covered with ice cream cone & flag bunting, so I trimmed around the top and bottom first. I added a Hero Arts sentiment (from the 'Cupcakes' set), and popped the mouse up on 3D foam pads.

Challenges for this card:

• Catch the Bug - Anything Goes
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes (Optional Summer Fun)
• Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - Anything Goes
• Creative Moments - Anything Goes (Optional Summer Fun)
• Give a Crafter a Cookie - Photo Inspiration
• Heartful Stamping - Anything Goes
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Summer Fun

Penny Black Saturday Challenge January - Anything Goes!

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'

(In fact, all of our challenges will now be 'Anything Goes', but from next month we will have an additional optional theme for those of you that like a prompt)

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

My project for this challenge is a 2018 Penny Black calendar. I buy a few of the blank 'Create a Calendars' from Paper Mill Direct to decorate and give as Christmas presents each year, and this is the one I made for my Mum. They still have some available here if you fancy making yourself one.

I used a variety of Penny Black stamps and papers from lots of different manufacturers...far too many to list, but I did manage to use up lots of snippets! Here's a look at each of the months:

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

• Animal Friends - New Beginnings
• Cut It Up - Calendars
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Something New (New Year)
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Something New (New Year)

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

Silly Bat!

I have one last Hallowe'en treat bag to share today...this one uses a stamp by Funstamps called 'Silly Bat', which I coloured using watercolour pencils. I used papers by Carta Bella (from the 'Spooky' and 'Happy Haunting' collections...distressing th edges a little, and adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The little bats and cobwebs were cut using Memory Box dies.

Challenges for this bag:

• Come & Get It - Halloween
• Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes
• Creative Knockouts - Halloween
• Fussy & Fancy - So Spooky
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - All Creatures Great & Small
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes

Mice Treats

I have another Hallowe'en treat bag to share today...using another cute Penny Black image from the 'Be Very Scared' set. I coloured them image using watercolour pencils to match the Carta Bella papers (from the Haunted collection). I distressed all of the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

Challenges for this treat bag:

• Allsorts - Halloween
• Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes
• Crafty Friends - Cute
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Deep Ocean - Halloween
• My Time to Craft - Halloween or Cats
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

PBSC October - Lace & Pearls...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:

'Lace and/or Pearls'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I made another Hallowe'en treat bag...this time using a sweet little mouse in fancy dress from the 'Be Very Scared' set. I coloured it using watercolour pencils to match the colours in the papers from the 'Haunted' and 'Spooky' collections by Carta Bella. I distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. I added some orange lace and a few black adhesive pearls. 

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

• As You Like It - People or Animals (Definitely animals...so much easier to colour!)
• Crafty Cardmakers - Spooky
• Incy Wincy - Dress Up
• Stampavie & More - Halloween
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

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

Pile It On! Challenge - Fantasy and/or Spiders & Cobwebs

It's the third Sunday of the month, so we have more inspiration and a bonus theme for this month's Pile It On! Challenge. The themes this month are:

'Fantasy'

&

'Spiders & Cobwebs'

Our sponsor for this challenge is Sasayaki Glitter Digital Stamps

Prize - a digi image of the winner's choice

I went with the 'Spiders & Cobwebs' theme to make another Hallowe'en treat bag. I used stamps from the 'Spooky' and 'Be Very Scared' sets by Penny Black...masking off the bats above the cat's head before inking, so that he could be looking at the spider instead. I coloured the images using watercolour pencils, and added a sentiment made using stamps from the 'Graffiti' alphabet set by Paper Smooches...adding a handwritten exclamation mark. The papers are from the 'Haunted', 'Spooky' and 'Haunted House' collections by Carta Bella...I distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The cobweb was cut using a Memory Box die.

Here are the challenges I've piled on:

• Pile It On! - Fantasy and/or Spiders & Cobwebs
• A Perfect Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• Crafty Animals - Anything Goes
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Crafty Girls Creations - Anything Goes
• Creates & Makes - Anything Goes
• Gem of a Challenge - Spots/Stripes and/or Halloween
• Happy Little Stampers (Dies) - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Not a Card
• Sweet Stampers - Autumn or Halloween
• That's Crafty - Get Your Spook On!

For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please pop over to the Pile It On! Challenge.

Pumpkin Kitty

I have another Hallowe'en treat bag to share today...this time I used a cute little cat image from the 'Be Very Scared' set by Penny Black. I coloured the image using watercolour pencils, and combined it with papers by Carta Bella (from the Haunted, Spooky & Happy Haunting collections). I distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

Challenges for this bag:

• Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes
• Crafting with Friends - Anything Goes
• Crafty Calendar - Halloween
• Crafty Sentiments - Halloween or Fall
• Crazy Challenge - Halloween
• Creative Inspirations - Autumn/Halloween
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Not a Card
• Sweet Stampin' - Distressing
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Penny Black Saturday Challenge - October...Lace & Pearls

It's the first Saturday of the month, so that means it's time for a new Penny Black Saturday Challenge...the theme this month is:

'Lace and/or Pearls'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I used both lace and pearls on a Hallowe'en treat bag...pairing them with a cute kitty from the 'Spooky' stamp set and papers from the 'Haunted' and 'Spooky' collections by Carta Bella. I inked around all of the edges using 'Black Soot' Distress Ink, then distressed them a little before adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a white gel pen.

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

• Craftaholics R Us - Halloween
• Cute Card Thursday - Anything Goes
• Give a Crafter a Cookie - Photo Inspiration
• Inspiration Destination - Anything Goes
• Little Miss Muffet - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - The Dark Side

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

Count Catular Treat Bag

I have a Hallowe'en treat bag to share today...featuring a cute cat from the 'Be Very Scared' set by Penny Black. I coloured the image using watercolour colour pencils, then inked around it using 'Black Soot' Distress Ink. The papers are from the 'Haunted' and 'Spooky' collections by Carta Bella. I inked around all of the edges with some more 'Black Soot' Distress Ink, then distressed them a little before adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a white gel pen.

Challenges for this bag:

• Animal Friends - Autumn or Hallowe'en
• Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - Anything Goes
• Cute Card Thursday - Trick or Treat
• Everybody Art - Black & Orange
• Heartful Stamping - Anything Goes
• Love to Scrap - Frightfully Fun
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - A Walk on the Dark Side
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes

Back to School...On Your Bike!

I'll warn you now that today's post is rather long...with quite a few photos too...as I've been busy making a 'back to school' gift for my flatmate. He recently started his own business and one of the thing he does is run cycling training sessions and bike clubs in schools. In the few months since he started the business it's grown much more quickly than expected, and it's looking like the coming term might be quite manic! He's not an organised person by nature, but he does like to make lists, so I've decorated a notebook for him to keep all his school 'To Do' lists in, with a matching 'Good Luck' card:

The plain kraft notebook was from Paperchase...I simply covered it using some bicycle covered paper (from the 'Cool Summer' collection by Carta Bella)...inking (with 'Brushed Corduroy' Distress Ink) and doodling around the edges...then added some lettering (cut using my Cuttlebug 'Olivia' alphabet)...then I gave it  couple of coats of a satin varnish to help make it a bit more durable:

I decorated the back too...cutting the corners out using one of my circle Nesties:

It has a piece of elastic to keep it closed:

I made the matching card in the same way using a 4x4 kraft card blank from Hobbycraft...and obviously without the varnish!

And I couldn't resist making a matching tag and some quick bicycle wrapping paper by stamping on some parcel paper using my Hero Arts 'Classic Bike' stamp and 'Rich Cocoa' Memento Ink. I also stamped a little bike on the envelope...and attached the tag to the parcel using some twine from American Crafts:

Challenges for these items:

• Allsorts - Focal Sentiments (Card only)
• Aud Sentiments - Any Sentiment (Card Only)
• Card Crafter's Circle - For the Boys
• Craft Your Passion - Office Suplies (Notebook only)
• Crafting for all Seasons - Tags (Tag only)
• Crafty Ribbons - Back to School
• Cut It Up - Back to School Altered Notebook (Notebok only)
• Delightful - Die Cuts/Punches
• Fussy & Fancy - Back to School
• Love to Create - Back to School
• Pink Elephant - Back to School
• Shopping Our Stash - For the Boys
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• Sisterhood of Crafters - Back to School
• Wags 'N Whiskers - Back to School

Now I just need to get myself ready for the new school term!