Pile It On! Challenge - Land Animals

We have another fun Pile It On! Challenge starting today...the theme is:

'Land Animals'

We are sponsored for this challenge by A Day for Daisies

Prize - $8 Gift Certificate!

I went BIG for my land animal, and picked a cute Lili of the Valley elephant image called 'Blowing Bubbles' that I picked up in a charity shop a week ago to make a birthday card for a little girl. I coloured the image in pastel shades using watercolour pencils...adding some sparkle to the bubbles using a Wink of Stella pen. The papers are a mixture of American Crafts (pink & yellow from the 'Star Shine' pad) and First Edition (blue from the 'Silent Night' pad). I distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Cupcakes' set by Hero Arts.

Here are the challenges I've piled on:

• Pile It On! - Land Animals
• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything Goes
• A Bit More Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• A Perfect Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• As You Like It - Anything Goes
• Cards Galore Encore - Anything Goes
• Catch the Bug - Anything Goes
• Crafting with an Attitude - Anything Goes
• Creatalicious - Anything Goes (Optional Something New - the elephant stamp is new)
• Cute Card Thursday - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Party Time!
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Something New (The elephant stamp is new)
• Stamping Sensations - Fabulously Feminine
• Sweet Stampin' - Spots and Dots

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

Cozy Winter Owl

I have another simple Christmas card to share today. This one features a cute little owl digi image from Meljens called 'Cozy Winter Owl', which I coloured using watercolour pencils. I added some sparkle to the snow on the branch using a Wink of Stella pen, and a sentiment from a stamp set by Lili of the Valley. The backing paper is from the 'Silent Night' pad by First Edition...I distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

Challenges for this card:

• Allsorts - Christmas
• Alphabet Challenge - O is for Owls
• Crafting form the Heart - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Goes
• Happy Little Stampers (Christmas) - Anything Goes
• Little Red Wagon - Digi Do
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Animal Antics
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Guest Designer - House Mouse & Friends Challenge

I'm back with another guest designer card for the House Mouse & Friends Challenge today.

The fortnightly challenges are always 'Anything Goes'...but if you want more of a challenge, there's an optional theme, which this time is:

'Flower Power'

I used 'Bird Watching', which I coloured using watercolour pencils. I paired it with papers from the 'Isabelle' pad by First Edition. I distressed the edges a little, matted all of the layers on to some pink card, then added a sentiment (from the 'Big Messages' set by Paula Pascual).

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

• Crafty Animals - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - Anything Goes
• Cute Card Thursday - Flowers
• Fab 'N' Funky - Garden/Outdoors
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Stamping Sensations - Close to Nature

For more inspiration from the awesome DT, please pop over to the House Mouse & Friends Challenge.

ABC Christmas Challenge - E, F & G are for?

Over at the ABC Christmas Challenge, we have a fun new challenge starting today...Carol is the host, and the themes for this month are:

'E is for Embossing'
'F is for Frills'

and

'G is for Glitter'

Our sponsor for this challenge is:

Wild Orchid Crafts

Prize - £20 Gift Certificate!

There's also a little prize from Carol:

For my 'E for Embossing' card, I embossed a piece of blue patterned paper (it was a snippet from a 12x12 sheet, and I have no idea of brand!) sing my 'Snowfall' folder from Tim Holtz for Sizzix...I lightly sanded over the raised areas to reveal the white core. I used it as a background for one of the cute snowmen from the 'Snow Much Fun' set by Penny Black. I extended the line of the snowy ground using a black gel pen, then carefully cut him out...adding his snowballs popped up on 3D foam pads. The sentiment stamp is from a set by Lili of the Valley.

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

• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Crimbo Crackers - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Whatever the Weather

I'm not usually one for 'Frills', but I'm challenging myself to make a card for every theme again this year, so picked some sort of frilly silver lace for this card, and paired it with some papers from the 'Silent Night' pad by First Edition, and a cute 'Angel Cat' by Penny Black. I distressed the edges of everything, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. Again, the sentiment stamp is by Lili of the Valley.

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

• Alphabet Challenge - Y is for Your Choice
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
• Winter Wonderland - Stitching

Finally, I have a 'G for Glitter' card...and chose to use one of my WOW embossing glitters to make a sparkly background. I smooshed some Distress Inks (Picked Raspberry, Tattered Rose, Fired Brick & Festive Berries) on to a piece of watercolour paper, then heat embossed my 'Delicate Snowflakes' stamps by Stampendous using 'Turkish Nights' embossing glitter...it's such a beautiful mix of pinks and gold...and so sparkly! I added a Penny Black mouse ('X-Mouse Ornament') over the top...there's glitter on his snowflake too...matted it on to a piece of gold mirror card, and added another Lili of the Valley sentiment.

Here's another attempt at photographing the sparkle:

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

• Christmas with the Cuties - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Goes
• Penny Black & More - Feature a Creature
• WOW - All About Sparkles

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

Angel Cat

I have another Christmas card to share today...this one features 'Angel Cat' by Penny Black, and papers from the 'Silent Night' pad by First Edition. I coloured the image using watercolour pencils, then added some sparkle to his wings using some Stickles glitter glue. I added a sentiment from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous, then distressed all of the edges and added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

Challenges for this card:

• Allsorts - Glitter
• Artistic Inspirations - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Goes (Optional Blue)
• Creative Inspirations - Sparkle
• Everybody Art - Anything Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Bronson & Beaker Star Gazing

I had a good rummage through my image box the other day, and came across this old Pollycrafts digi called 'Bronson & Beaker Star Gazing' that I just had to colour up. I used papers from the 'Silent Night' pad by First Edition...I distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

Challenges for this card:

• ABC Challenge - Go Digital (The image is my digital element)
• Christmas Cards - Polar Hues
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Cute & Cuddly
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Extra - Anything Goes
• Holly Jolly Christmas - Feature a Creature
• Pink Elephant - Pastel Colours
• Sparkles Forum - Teddy Bears
• Winter Wonderland - Let it Snow!

ABC Christmas Challenge - F is for...

We have a new ABC Christmas Challenge starting today...Chris is the host, and the theme is:

'F is for Frosty'

Our sponsor for this challenge is Sweet Stamps:

Prize - $10 gift certificate for the Sweet Stamps store!

I went for frosty blues...using a Penny Black stamp called 'What a Snow!' and papers from the 'Silent Night' pad by First Edition. I distressed the edges of the papers, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The snowflake is a Memory Box die cut, and is held in place using a gem stone brad (from Craft Obsessions). The sentiment stamp is from a Lili of the Valley set, and the adhesive pearls are by Papermania.

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

• Christmas at Sweet Stampin' - Blue Christmas
• Corrosive - Animal Friends
• Holly Jolly Christmas - Stitching
• One Crazy Stamper - Anything Goes
• Open Minded Crafting - Winter Vacation
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Animals
• Sweet Sunday Sketch - Sketch #260
• Winter Wonderland - Blue Christmas

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

Me To You...

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas time...and that Santa was good to you? I was a very lucky girl, and received some lovely new crafty goodies...and had a little play yesterday. They were mostly Christmas related...but, as I like to make Christmas cards all year round, that's not a problem! On today's card, I've used new papers (from the 'Silent Night' pad by First Edition) & a cute new stamp (simply called 'Presents' from the Me To You range of Christmas Characters). I coloured the image using watercolour pencils...adding some Stickles to the snowy ground for a touch of sparkle. I distressed the edges of papers, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a white gel pen. The snowflake is a Memory Box die, and is held in place with a gem brad from Craft Obsessions...the adhesive pearls are from Hobbycraft.

Challenges for this card:

• C.R.A.F.T. - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas
• Creative Moments - Anything Goes/Non-traditional Christmas Colours
• Cute Card Thursday - Anything Goes
• Holly Jolly Christmas - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• Sketchy Colours - Grey, White & Blue
• Sweet Stampin' - Anything Goes

Time to start a new tally chart for 2015's Christmas cards!

Birthday Cupcake

Something a little more fussy today...I hadn't used this House Mouse stamp in ages ('Birthday Cupcake') so thought it was about time I rectified that! I coloured the image using watercolour pencils, then added some tiny pearls to the cupcake frosting. The papers are all by First Edition , but from three different pads ('New Bloom', 'Isabelle' and 'Summer Breeze')...I distressed the edges, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Sending Sunshine' set by Simon Says Stamp, and the Card Candi is by Craftwork Cards.

Challenges for this card:

• Cards Galore Encore - Add Gems, Glitter, Candi etc
• Corrosive - In Stitches
• House Mouse & Friends - Purple, White & One Other Colour (Green)
• Papertake Weekly - Lovely Layers
• Penny's Paper Crafting - Lots of Layers
• Sketch & Stash - Sketch #133
• Top Tip Tuesday - Stitching

Oldie but a Goodie Challenge - New Beginnings

We have a new Oldie but a Goodie Challenge starting today...the theme is:

'New Beginnings'

Our lovely Francesca is providing the prize...I don't have a photo yet, so will add it later

 I'm celebrating the beginning of the 'New Year' by showing you another one of the calendars I decorated for a Christmas gift...it's become a kind of tradition that I make a few of these for Christmas gifts (you can see the one I made for my Mum here).I get the blank calendars from the Paper Mill Shop (if you fancy making one of these for yourself...they're now half price):

I used all Penny Black stamps...but the papers are a real mixture (American Crafts, BasicGrey, Crate Paper, First Edition, My Mind's Eye, Penny Black, Pink Paislee, CRaft Creations, Raspberry Road & We R Memory Keepers!)...I distressed the edges a little, then added faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a gel pen:

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

• Corrosive - New Beginnings 
• Cut It Up - New Year (I used my Nesties to out most of the images)
• Simply Create Too - Anything Goes
• Totally Papercrafts - New Beginnings

For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please pop over to the Oldie but a Goodie Challenge.
 

Penny Black Saturday Challenge - New

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

'New!' 
(New Year...New Home...New Job...New Stash)

As usual, we have some fabulous prizes on offer from our lovely sponsors:

The Ribbon Girl:

1-2-3 Stitch!:

Prize - a $20 voucher

I went with 'New Year' and am showing you the calendar that I decorated for my Mum...it's become a kind of tradition that I make a few of these for Christmas gifts...I get the blank calendars from the Paper Mill Shop (if you fancy making one of these for yourself...they're now half price):

Of course I used all Penny Black stamps...but the papers are a real mixture (American Crafts, Crate Paper, First Edition, My Mind's Eye, Penny Black, Pink Paislee, Raspberry Road & We R Memory Keepers!):

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

• Crafting When We Can - Countdown or Calendar
• Crazy Challenge - Happy New Year

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