Homespun Hearts Snowman

I have a Christmas card to share today...featuring a really old High Hopes stamp called 'Homespun Hearts Snowman'. I stamped him on to watercolour paper, coloured him using watercolour pencils, then added some Stickles glitter glue to his hearts. I paired him with a piece of paper from the 'Glittering Snowflakes' pad by Crafter's Companion...distressing the edges before adding faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

Challenges for this card:

• Allsorts - Hearts
• Christmas Cards All Year Round - Hearts
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Inspirational - Hearts
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Love is in the Air
• We Love Stamping - Anything Goes

Duckie Flying Kite

I have an ultra simple one layer card to share today...featuring an old, and very much neglected, High Hope stamp called 'Duckie Flying Kite'. I stamped it along with a sentiment from the 'Birthday Buddies' set by Paper Smooches directly on to my card blank, then coloured the image using watercolour pencils.

Challenges for this card:

• Allsorts - CAS
• Happy Little Stampers (Watercolour) - Anything Goes (Optional Wings)
• Inkspirational - Photo Inspiration (Kites & Rainbows)
• Less is More - Celebrations 
• Shopping Our Stash - One Layer Cards

Homespun Hearts Snowy

I was the lucky winner of a couple of High Hopes stamps a few weeks ago, and this adorable snowman was one of the stamps that I chose...he's called 'Homespun Hearts Snowy'. I coloured him using watercolour pencils, then added some sparkle to the snow and the hearts with some Stickles. As the image is quite large, I simply added a doodled border, and matted it on to a snippet of navy card.

Challenges for this card:

• Christmas at Sweet Stampin' - Anything Christmas
• Corrosive - Anything Goes
• Crafty Creations - Anything Goes
• Incy Wincy - Sparkle & Shine
• Inspiration Destination - Anything Goes
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Little Miss Muffet - Anything Goes
• One Crazy Stamper - Anything Goes
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes

Duckie Flying Kite

I've used a much neglected stamp on today's card...he's called 'Duckie Flying Kite' by High Hopes Stamps. I coloured him in soft pastel shades using watercolour pencils, then simply added a sentiment (from the 'Hello Friend' set by Penny Black).

Challenges for this card:

• Crafty Calendar - Things wth Wings
• Creative Moments - Anything Goes (Showers/Rainbows)
• Cutie Pie - Escape to the Country (Farm or Garden Animals)
• Less is More - Pastel Shades
• Let's Colour Linky Party - Anything Goes

Oldie but a Goodie Challenge - Paper Piecing

Our challenge this fortnight at Oldie but a Goodie is:

'Paper Piecing'

We are sponsored for this challenge by:

Prize - 5 images of the winner's choice from Squidgi Digi!

I've used a High Hopes stamp on my card called 'Cherry Chip Chimp', and paper pieced his cupcake. The papers I've used (and I've managed to use 7 different patterns on this card!) are all from the 'Offbeat' pad by BasicGrey. I doodled borders using a black gel pen, and cut the star using Nesties. The three little brads are also by BasicGrey.

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

• BasicGrey - Anything Goes ('Offbeat' papers)
• Craft Your Passion - Power of Three (3 brads)
• Dutch Dare - Furry Friends
• Here Come the Boys - Sketch

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

ABC Christmas Challenge - O is for...

I have another card for our current ABC Christmas Challenge today, where the theme is:

'O is for Open It Up'

Also decorate the inside of your card

We have two amazing sponsors for this challenge:

Bugaboo Stamps

 The fabulous Bugaboo Stamps prize is:

and

The Ribbon Girls

The awesome prize from the Ribbon Girls is:

I've made a gatefold card this time, using a couple of snowman images, that I though worked well together, despite the fact that they're by different stamp companies. On the outside, I've used a very old Penny Black image called (it took me several hours worth of Googling to find this out!) 'No Peekin' Snowman'. The paper is from the 'I Believe' pad by My Mind's Eye...I distressed the edges, then added faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a white gel pen.The sentiment is from a Christmas set by Lili of the Valley, the snowflakes are a mixture of Marianne Designs & Cuttlebug dies, and the pearls are from Wild Orchid Crafts.

And on the inside, it's 'Homespun Hearts Snowy' by High Hopes Stamps. The paper is the same, and the layout is similar, with another Lili of the Valley sentiment on one of the side panels, and space to add my own message on the other.

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

• Christmas Crafting - 2 or More Folds
• C.R.A.F.T. - Stitching 
• Critter Sketch - Anything Goes
• Hiding in my Craft Room - Christmas in July
• Sweet Stampin' - Christmas in July
• Totally Gorjuss - Pearls

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

Duckie Flying Kite

I have a bright and summery card to share today...unfortunately we don't have the weather to match...I really hope all of the athletes arriving here in London for the Olympics have packed their wellies! I won this stamp on the High Hopes Challenge a few weeks ago...he's called 'Duckie Flying Kite'...he arrived last weekend, and this is the first time I've inked him up. I coloured him using watercolour pencils to match the zingy colours of the We R Memory Keepers 'Hippity Hoppity' papers. I distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a white gel pen. The die cut letters and sparkly chipboard flower are from the same pad.

Challenges for this card:

• Challenge Up Your Life - Rainbow
• High Hopes - Summer Fun
• Sketch & Stash - Sketch (My new stash is the stamp)
• The Stamp Man - Anything Goes/Summer Colours

High Hopes Challenge - Guest Designer

Last week, I was picked as the lucky winner of the High Hopes Challenge...and in addition to winning my choice of stamp, I was asked to guest design for this week's challenge, where the theme is:

'Nature'

Now, I only have a few High Hopes stamps...mainly Christmas and Hallowe'en...so I had to think a little outside the box, and used my 'Beary Good Friends' stamp to create a wintry scene with them walking through a forest. irst, I coloured the image using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut it out. For the background, I started by embossing some light blue Core'dinations card with my Cuttlebug 'Snowflakes' folder...then sanded over the raised areas to make it look like a snowy sky. I cut some trees from various shades of green card using a Marianne Designs die, then lightly sanded the edges, and attached them to the card between a couple of pieces of torn white card for the snowy ground, before adding the image.

For more inspiration from the fabulous design team team, pop over to the High Hopes Challenge - thanks so much for having me this week girls!

Homespun Hearts Snowy

Another Christmas card today...this time, in non-traditional purple. I've used a High Hopes image ('Homespun Hearts Snowy') sent to me by my lovely ABC Christmas Challenge DT buddy Lacey (thank you!)...and he's been waiting patiently in my image box for some time, so I though that it was about time I coloured him! For the background, I embossed various shades of purple card using my Cuttlebug 'Swiss Dots', 'Snowflakes' and Sizzix 'Snowglobe' folders. The sentiment stamp is from a Lili of the Valley set. 

Challenges for this card:

• Christmas Crafting - Purple Christmas
• Christmas Stampin' All Year Long - Monochromatic
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - A Right Royal Purple
• For Fun - Snowmen
• High Hopes - Anything High Hopes Goes
• Papertake Weekly - Sketch
• Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes
• Sparkles Christmas - Monochromatic

Wild Party

I've used another of the High Hopes stamps I got with the Stamp & Create voucher I won on Top Tip Tuesday a ittle while ago on today's card...it's called 'Wild Party'. I went a bit mad with my embossing folders ('Happy Birthday', 'Stars' & 'Spots & Dots' by Cuttlebug, and 'Hexagon Illusion' by Craft Concepts) for the background...distressing the edges, and adding faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a white gel pen. I cut the lettering using my Cuttlebug 'Olivia' alphabet.

Challenges for this card:

• Birthday Sundaes - Birthday Cards
• Cards for Men - Animals 
• Crafty Sentiments - No Designer Papers
• Pink Elephant - Sketch

Silly Spider

I've used another of the new High Hopes stamps I got from Stamp & Create with my prize from Top Tip Tuesday on today's project...a simple little Hallowe'en treat box:

I used my score board to make the box from black card, then decorated it with some purple card embossed using a Cuttlebug folder (it's from a Hallowe'en set), and the High Hopes 'Silly Spider' stamp. 

I filled it with some Hallowe'en chocolates:

Challenges for this box:

• Challenge Up Your Life - Hallowe'en
• Corrosive - Purple Passion
• High Hopes - Party Favours
• Hooked on Craft - Anything but a Card
• Rubber Cafe - Hallowe'en Treats

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - Anything Goes (As long as it sparkles!)

Please scroll down for my Penny Black Saturday Challenge DT card.

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This week it's Tracie's turn to choose the theme of the Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge, and she's decided that:

'Anything Goes (As long as it sparkles!)'

I decided to make a Christmas card...surprise, surprise...and inked up another of my new High Hopes stamps ('Chris Mouse'). I coloured him using watercolour pencils, then added some sparkle to his lights with some 'Ice Crystal' Stickles. The glittery papers are from the 'Wonderful Winter' pad by My Mind's Eye, and the snowflakes were cut using Cuttlebug and Marianne Designs Creatables dies...they've been coated with Stickles too. And I added some adhesive gems to a couple of the corners, and some of the snowflakes for a bit more bling.

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

• Bah! Humbug! - Glitz & Glitter 
• Simon Says Stamp - Sparkle & Bling
• Top Tip Tuesday - Sketch 
• Totally Papercrafts - Animals

For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please visit the Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge.

ABC Christmas Challenge - T is for...

I'm back with some more cards for our current ABC Christmas Challenge, where the theme is:

'T is for Tiny'

Make a set of four 'tiny' cards or tags

Our sponsor for this challenge is our very own Lacey's Stamp & Create store:

The prize is an amazing $25 gift certificate...I was lucky enough to win one on another challenge a few weeks ago...and I can confirm that it's a fabulous prize..in fact I'm using some of it on these cards!

I decided to go down the cheap to post, one layer card route...stamping a couple of my new High Hopes stamps ('Callie Christmas Kitty' & 'Beary Good Friends') straight on to my card blanks (they're 4 inches square). I coloured them using watercolour pencils, and added sentiments from a Lili of the Valley set.

 Here's a better view of the two designs:

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

• Bling It On - No patterned papers
• Crafty Cardmakers - Anything Goes
• Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes
• Raise the Bar - Hats Off! (The cards on the right)

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

Cheeky Monkey!

I won a gift certificate for my ABC Christmas Challenge DT buddy Lacey's Stamp & Create store a few weeks ago onTop Tip Tuesday...it took a while for me to decide what to spend it on, but eventually, I chose some High Hopes stamps. My package arrived last week, and I had a play with some of them at the weekend...frst up is 'Cherry Chip Chimp'. I coloured him using watercolour pencils, then added Glossy Accents to the cherry. I embossed some blue Core'Dinations card using my Cuttlebug 'Swiss Dots' & 'Spots & Dots' and Craft Concepts 'Cupcakes' folders...lightly sanding over the raised areas. I distressed the edges using inks and my distressing tool, and added a sentiment from the 'Anytime Messages' set by Hero Arts.

Challenges for this card:

• One Stop Crafts - Just for men
• Sir Stampalot - Food Glorious Food
• Sketch & Stash - Sketch (The monkey stamp is new) - I had to flip the sketch...managed to embossed the wrong side of the card with the cupcakes on, so they'd have been upside down! lol
• Totally Stampalicious - Embossing

You're my cup of tea!

This adorable wee little mouse stamp was a birthday present from my lovely friend Squirrel...he's called 'Teacup Mouse' by High Hopes...I coloured him in weeks ago, but I've only just made him into a card. The papers are from the 'Penny Lane' glitter stack by My Mind's Eye, and a mixture of Prima flowers and paper roses from Wild Orchid Crafts. I used my EK Success 'Diamond Scallop' border punch along the bottom of the image, and made the sentiment on my computer.

Challenges for this card:

• Sketch & Stash - Sketch
• C.E.S. - Floral Frenzy
• Stamp Something - Something Cute
• Totally Stampalicious - Paper Flowers

I have candy on offer at the moment...if you haven't already entered, you can find all of the info on this post.