November Desk Calendar

Today I'm sharing the page for November in my desk calendar. I picked a pup in cosy footwear called 'Fetching Slippers' by Penny Black, stamped him onto a snippet of watercolour paper, coloured him using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut him out. I used snippets of paper from the 'Fresh Florals' pad by Craft Sensations and 'Tea House' pad by Dovecraft for the background...it was supposed to look like wallpaper and carpet, but now I'm looking at it on a screen, it looks like he could be out in the garden!

Challenges for this calendar:

• As You Like It - Your Favourite Critter (Dogs, specifically Golden Retrievers - my family had several of them when I was growing up)
• Creative Fingers - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes

P P Pick Up a Penguin (or Two!)

I have a pair of Christmas cards to share today...made using a pair of Molly Blooms penguin stamps that I picked up from a charity shop last week. I stamped them onto watercolour paper, along with a sentiment using stamps from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous, coloured them using watercolour pencils, then cut them out using Nesties. I paired them with spotty papers from the 'Christmas Basics' pad by Dovecraft...distressing the edges and adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a white gel pen.

'Mini Percy with Star Banner'

'Dean' (There's a larger version of this stamp called 'Torvill' - ha ha!)

Challenges for these cards:

• Everybody Art - Anything Goes
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes

Christmas Robin

Today's card features a Christmas Robin stamp by Inca Stamps, which I received for my birthday earlier this month. I stamped it onto watercolour paper, along with a sentiment from the 'Holly Spray' set by Woodware Stamps, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. I paired it with papers from the 'Christmas Basics' pad by Dovecraft...distressing the edges, and adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

Challenges for this card:

• Allsorts - I Spy Something Beginning with B (Bird)
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Stitch It
• Stamping Sensations - Birds, Bees & Butterflies

Royal Mail

Today's card features a Penny Black stamp that I picked up in a charity shop last week, called 'Royal Mail'. I stamped it onto watercolour paper, along with a sentiment from an old Lili of the Valley set, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. I cut it out using one of my circle Nesties, then cut a mat using the matching scalloped circle Nestie. The background papers are a mixture from the 'Christmas Basics' pad by Dovecraft (the spotty & floral ones), and 'the Love Lives Here' pad by Raspberry Road Designs (the stripey one). I distressed all of the edges, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a white gel pen, then matted it all onto some more red card before adding it to a white card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• Allsorts - Animals
• Crafter's Cafe - Christmas in July
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Love Those Pretty Papers - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• The Holly & the Ivy - Anything Christmas Goes

PBSC June - 'Anything Goes' (Optional 'Stitching')...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

'Stitching'

We're currently without a sponsor, so this challenge is just for fun.

I picked one of the images from the 'Snow Much Fun' set to use on my card. I stamped it onto watercolour paper, along with a sentiment using a stamp from an old Lili of the Valley set, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. For the background, I used papers from the 'Back to Basics Christmas' pad by Dovecraft. I distressed the edges, then added faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

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

• Creatalicious - Anything Goes
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes

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

Jolly Snowman

Today's card features a cute Penny Blac stamp called 'Jolly Snowman'. I stamped it onto watercolour paper, along with a sentiment from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. For the background, I used papers from the 'Back to Basics Christmas' pad by Dovecraft...distressing the edges, then adding faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

Challenges for this card:

• Christmas Cards All Year Round - Inspired by 'Frosty the Snowman'
• C.R.A.F.T. - Cute
• Crafts Galore Encore - Anything Goes
• Creatalicious - Anything Goes
• Creative Fingers - Anything Goes
• Krafty Chicks - Christmas

Pile of Presents

Today's card features another stamp that I picked up in a charity shop over the Easter break. It's by Molly Blooms, and is called 'Pile of Presents'. I stamped it onto watercolour paper, along with a sentiment using a stamp from an old Lili of the Valley set, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. I used a piece of paper from the 'Back to Basics Christmas' pad by Dovecraft...distressing the edges a little before adding faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

Challenges for this card:

• C.R.A.F.T. - Christmas
• Creative Fingers - Anything Goes
• Little Red Wagon - Make It Sew
• Peace on Earth Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Rudolph Days - Anything Christmas Goes
• We Love Stamping - Anything Goes

ABC Christmas Challenge - A & B are for?

It's the second Wednesday of a new month, so that means it's time for a new ABC Christmas Challenge...and today, we are starting our sixteenth trip through the alphabet! I'm the host, and the themes are:

'A is for Anything Christmas Goes

&

'B is for Buildings'

The prize for the lucky winner is this stamp set & paper pad:

For my 'Anything Christmas' card, I used a new Penny Black snowman stamp that I received for Christmas...he's called 'Jolly Snowy'. I stamped him on to watercolour paper, along with a sentiment using an old Lili of the Valley stamp, then coloured him using watercolour pencils. For the background, I used papers from the 'Back to Basics Christmas' pad by Dovecraft...distressing the edges, and adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

For my 'B is for Buildings' card, I used a Memory Box die called 'Snowy Cabin Circle'. I cut the whole die from a snippet of white card, then used tiny snippets of blue, pink and yellow papers to cut some of the details of the cabin, and added those to the scene. I layered a circle of paper from the 'Glittering Snowflakes' pad by Crafter's Companion behind the scene, then added it to a card blank using 3D foam. The sentiment stamp is from an old Lili of the Valley set.

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

• Crafty Calendar - Use a Die Cut (Second card only)
• Peace on Earth Christmas - Anything Goes/Optional 'Moodboard' (First card only)
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Something New (The stamp is new) (First card only)
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Something New (The stamp is new) (First card only)
• Stamping Sensations - Anything Goes/Hand Coloured Image (First card only)

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

PBSC January - Anything Goes (Optional - Something New!')

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

'Something New'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I went with 'New Year' as my Something New, and am sharing the calendar I made for my Mum for Christmas. Every year I decorate a couple of the Paper Mill blank calendars to give as gifts, and use exclusively Penny Black images. The panel on each month is A6 in size, and I used lots of snippets from a mixture of brands for the simple backgrounds. I distressed the edges of everything, and added some faux stitching to the papers using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. I won't list the names of all of the images, or papers...partly because there are too many to list, but also because I can't remember and I'm not at home able to check!

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

• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything Goes
• Crafty Gals Corner - Anything Goes
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• 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.

November Desk Calendar

Today I'm sharing my desk calendar page for November. I used a cute pup image from the Penny Black 'Good Times' set, stamped on to watercolour paper, coloured using watercolour pencils, then cut into a circle shape using one of my Nesties. I paired him with snippets of papers from the Dovecraft 'Tea House' pad...distressing the edges a little and adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

Challenges for this calendar:

• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything Goes
• A Perfect Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• Crafts Galore Encore - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - Anything Goes

PBSC September - 'Anything Goes' (Optional 'Food and/or Drink')...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

'Food and/or Drink'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I used one of my oldest...and still most favourite...Penny Black stamps on my card this time...'Birthday Dog'. I stamped him on to watercolour paper, coloured him using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut him out. I added some strips of washi tape across my card blank...I've had them for ages, but I think they're a mixture of Dovecraft (bunting) and Poundland (stars & candles). I stamped a sentiment, using stamps from the 'Birthday Buddies' set by Paper Smooches, then added 'Birthday Dog' over the washi tape background using 3D foam pads.

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

• Everybody Art - Anything Goes
• Krafty Chicks - CAS
• Seize the Birthday - Anything Birthday (Optional 'Food')
• Use Your Stuff - Food & Drink

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

PBSC January - Anything Goes (Optional 'Something New')!

Happy New Year!

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
'Something New

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I went with 'New Year' and I'm sharing the calendar that I made for my Mum for Christmas. I've been doing several of these for gifts each gifts for years...the calendar balnks are from Paper Mill Direct...currently in the sale if you fancy getting some for yourself.

I used all Penny Black images, and papers from a variety of brands...lots of snippets used up! I added some faux stitching to the edges, and that's about it...no embellishments, otherwise it becomes rather bulky (and heavy!).

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

• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything Goes
• Crafter's Cafe - Favourites (Penny Black stamps & patterned papers)
• Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes

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