Flower Shower

Today's card features a cute House Mouse stamp, by Spellbinders, called 'Flower Shower'. I stamped it onto watercolour paper, along with a sentiment using one of the stamps from the 'What This!' set by Anita Jeram for the Colorado Craft Company, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. For the background, I used papers from the 'Nana's Nursery - Baby Boy' pad from Premium Stacks (the purple), and 'Fresh Florals' pad from Craft Sensations (the green one). I distressed the edges, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen, before matting some of the layers on purple card, and adding it to a white card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• Allsorts - Anything Goes
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Crafty Gals Corner - Anything Goes
• House Mouse & Friends - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• Sweet Stampin' - Flowers

ABC Christmas Challenge - U & V are for?

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

'U is for Uncluttered (CAS)'

&

'V is for Vertical'

This is the prize for the lucky winner:

For my 'Uncluttered' card, I picked a cute House Mouse image from an old Joanna Sheen set called 'Christmas Opening Presents'. I stamped it onto a piece of smooth white card, along with a sentiment using a stamp from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. I matted it onto some red card, distressing the edges, then added it to a white card blank.

For my 'Vertical' card, I used a Christmas tree stamp from a Woodware set called 'Trimming the Tree'. I stamped it onto a DL card blank, using Versamark ink, then heat embossed it using 'Metallic Silver' embossing powder from WOW. I watercoloured it using Cosmic Shimmers pigments mixed with a little water.

It's really shiny in real life, which means it's a pain to get a decent photo of...but here's another angle:

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

• Allsorts - Woodland Critters (First card only)
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes (Second card only)
• House Mouse & Friends - Anything Goes (Optional 'Food') (First card only)
• Sparkles Forum Christmas - Non-traditional Christmas Colours (Second card only)
• Sweet Stampin' - Feature a Sentiment (First card only)

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

Have Your Cake & Eat it Too!

Today's card features House Mouse stamps from a set by Stampendous called 'Birthday Splash'. I stamped the image and one of the sentiments onto a snippet of watercolour paper, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. I cut the circle shape using one of my Nesties, then cut a matching scalloped circle mat from some aqua coloured card. I paired it with papers from the 'Geometrie' pad by Folia Paper...distressing all of the edges, before adding faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

Challenges for this card:

• Allsorts - Anything Goes
• As You Like It - Favourite Die (My circle Nesties - such a simple shape, but I could never cut one so neat by hand!)
• Crafty Calendar - Lots of Layers
• Creative Knockouts - Anything Goes
• Elliebelle's Crafty Wednesday - Anything Goes
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• House Mouse & Friends - Anything Goes (Optional 'Birthdays')
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes

Candy Cane Christmas

I have a Christmas card to share today, featuring a House Mouse stamp from the 'Christmas Opening Presents' set by Joanna Sheen. I stamped it onto watercolour paper, along with a sentiment using a stamp from the 'Santa's Sweets' set by Penny Black, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. I paired it with 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.

Challenges for this card:

• Alphabet Challenge - Y is for Yummy
• House Mouse & Friends - In the Mood for Food
• Rudolph Days - Anything Christmas Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• The Holly & the Ivy - Anything Christmas Goes

Sleeping Under Flowers

Today's card features a House Mouse stamp by Stampabilities called 'Sleeping Under Flowers' that my Mum picked up recently in a charity shop. I stamped it on to watercolour paper, added a sentiment using one of the stamps from the 'What This!' set by Anita Jeram for the Colorado Craft Company, then coloured the image using watercolour pencils. For the background, I used a piece of purple paper from the 'Over the Rainbow' pad by Craft Consortium. I cut four squares, then used a couple of Cuttlebug embossing folders to emboss it. I sanded over the raised areas to reveal some of the white core, distressed the edges, and added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen, then matted it all on to a piece of kraft card before adding it to a white card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• As You Like It - Stamping or Digi? (Definitely stamping - I love to have a rummage through my stamps, picking out what I want to use - looking through file names on my laptop just isn't the same!)
• Can You Handle the Pressure - Anything Goes Using Embossing Folders (Optional 'Something Beginning with F' - Flowers)
• Fab 'N' Funky - Stitching (Real or Faux)
• House Mouse & Friends - Anything Goes (Optional 'Spring Flowers')
• Seize the Birthday - Anything Birthday Goes

Flower Shower

Today's card features a House Mouse stamp (by Spellbinders) called 'Flower Shower' that I got for my birthday recently. I stamped it on to watercolour paper, along with a sentiment using a stamp from the 'Signature Greetings' set by Memory Box, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. I matted it on to some matching lavender card, distressing the edges, before adding it to a card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• AAA Birthday - Critters
• C.R.A.F.T.  - Anything Goes
• Crafty Calendar - Anything Goes
• Creatalicious - Anything Goes (Optional 'Animals')
• House Mouse & Friends - Anything Goes
• Krafty Chicks - CAS
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Add a Sentiment

Christmas Presents

Today's card features another of the stamps from the Joanna Sheen/House Mouse stamp set called 'Christmas Presents' that I picked up in a charity shop earlier this summer. I stamped it directly on to a kraft card blank, along with a sentiment from the 'Wintertime Messages' set by Hero Arts, then coloured it using watercolour pencils.

Challenges for this card:

• Addicted to CAS - Holidays
• Allsorts - Anything Goes
• Less is More - Anything CAS Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Stamp It
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Stamp It

Christmas Mice

Today's card features some more of the stamps from the 'Christmas Presents' House Mouse set that I picked up recently in a charity shop. I stamped them directly on to a kraft card blank, along with the sentiment from the set, then coloured them using watercolour pencils.

Challenges for this card:

• Creatalicious - Anything Goes
• Creative Fingers - Anything Goes
• House Mouse & Friends - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - CAS

Candy Cane Christmas

I have another Christmas card to share today...this one features one of the stamps from a Joanna Sheen House Mouse set called 'Christmas Opening Presents' that I picked up in a charity shop a few weeks ago. I stamped it, along with the sentiment from the set, directly on to a kraft card blank, then coloured it using watercolour pencils.

Challenges for this card:

• Allsorts - Anything Goes (Optional 'All Creatures Great & Small')
• Christmas Craft Creations - CAS
• House Mouse & Friends - Anything Goes
• Little Red Wagon - Craft with Kraft
• Simply Create Too - Food and/or Drink (Candy Cane)
• Sparkles Christmas Forum - Christmas Food (Candy cane)
• The Sisterhood of Crafters - Keep it Simple

Cake Nibbler

I have a simple one layer card to share today...featuring a 'Happy Hopper' stamp from Stampendous called 'Cake Nibbler'. I stamped him on to a kraft card balnk, along with a sentiment from another Stampendous 'House Mouse' set called 'Birthday Splash', then coloured him using watercolour pencils.

Challenges for this card:

• House Mouse & Friends - Anything Goes (Optional 'Celebrate It')
• Less is More - Anything CAS
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Seize the Birthday - Anything Birthday Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes

Balancing Act

I have a simple one layer card to share today, that features a much neglected Whipper Snapper stamp called 'Balancing Act'. I stamped it directly on to a kraft card blank, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. The sentiment stamp is from the House Mouse 'Birthday Splash' set by Stampendous.

Challenges for this card:

• Creatalicious - Anything Goes
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Krafty Chicks - Anyhting Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

PBSC July - Anything Goes (Optional 'Spots and/or Stripes')...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

'Spots and/or Stripes'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I used some really old stash to make my card...digging a stamped image out from the bottom of the box called 'Aftermath'. I had stamped this image at a craft retreat back in 2009, using a stamp that my lovely friend Uma had brought with her...so it's been waiting very patiently for it's turn! Keeping with the 'old' theme, I paired it with papers from the 'Penny Lane' pad by My Mind's Eye that, according to my blog, I last used in 2011!!! 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 House Mouse 'Birthday Splash' set by Stampendous.

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

• Creative Knockouts - Celebrations
• Dream Valley - All Occasions
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Stamps + Fun = Creativity - Birthday
• We Love Stamping - Anything Stamped

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

Sweet Treats

Today's card features an adorable House Mouse stamp that I won over at the House Mouse & Friends Challenge recently. I stamped it on to watercolour paper, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. I paired it with papers from a pad from Poundland called 'Let's Celebrate'...distressing all of the edges, then adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

Challenges for this card:

• A Perfect Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• Cards Galore Encore - Anything Goes
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• House Mouse & Friends - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes

Birthday Cupcake

Today's card features a House Mouse stamp called 'Birthday Cupcake, which I stamped on to watercolour paper, and coloured using watercolour pencils. I paired it with spotty papers from the 'Fresh Florals' pad by Craft Sensations and the 'Happy Colours' pad from The Works...lightly distressing the edges before adding faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The sentiment stamp is from a Stampendous 'House Mouse' set called 'Birthday Splash'.

Challenges for this card:

• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• House Mouse & Friends - Anything Goes
• Krafty Chicks - All Occasions
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• Sweet Stampers - Birthday

Mice Birthday

Today's card features one of the cute stamps from the set that I won recently on the House Mouse & Friends Challenge. The set is called 'Birthday Splash' by Stampendous, and I stamped the image and one of the matching sentiments on to some watercolour paper, then coloured it using watercolour pencils, before cutting it out using one of my circle Nesties. I lightly distressed the edges of the image, and those of a strip of paper from the 'Let's Celebrate' pad from Poundland, then added them both to a kraft card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Dream Valley - Four-legged Friends
• House Mouse & Friends - Anything Goes (Optional 'Birthdays')
• Krafty Chicks - All Occasions
• Moving Along with the Times - Birthday
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes

Easter Hares Treat Bag

I have another Easter treat bag to share today...this one features a House Mouse/Happy Hoppers stamp called 'Easter Hares', which I stamped on to watercolour paper, and coloured using watercolour pencils. I paired it with papers from the 'Bright Freshness' pad by Craft Sensations, distressing the edges a little and adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Egg-cellent Easter Sentiments' set by C. C. Designs.

Challenges for this bag:

• Alphabet Challenge - A is for Animal Antics
• Creative Inspirations - Happy Easter/Animals
• House Mouse & Friends - Anything Goes
• Incy Wincy - Easter and/or Animals
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Easter/Spring

Balloon Trio

Today's card features a cute House Mouse stamp called 'Balloon Trio'. I stamped it on to a white card blank, then added some colour to the balloons using watercolour pencils. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Anytime Messages' set by Hero Arts.

Challenges for this card:

• AAA Cards - Celebrate
• Alphabet Challenge - N is for No Layers
• Happy Little Stampers (CAS) - One Layer Card
• House Mouse & Friends - Anything Goes
• Less is More -Purple & Yellow

ABC Christmas Challenge - U & V are for?

It's the first Wednesday of a new month, so that means it's time for a new ABC Christmas Challenge! Julie is the host, and the themes are:

'U is for Under the Tree'

&

'V is for Vocabulary'

There's a fab little prize from Julie for the lucky winner:

For my 'Under the Tree' cadr, I used a cute House Mouse image (from the 'Sleepy Stocking' set), stamping it on to watercolour paper, and colouring it using watercolour pencils. I matted it on to a snippet of green glitter card, and added a sentiment from the 'Bauble Owl' set by Woodware stamps.

On my 'V is for Vocabulary' card, I used my Memory Box 'Grand Merry Christmas Script' die to, cutting it from a snippet of white card, layering it over some navy snowflake paper that was a magazine freebie. I added a snowflake (cut from another snippet of white card using my Cuttlebug 'Ice Crystal' die), with a adhesive pearl in its centre.

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

• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets (Second card only)
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• Sweet Stampin' - Christmas (First card only)
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

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

Muscle Mouse

Today's card features another of my '5 for £1' charity shop bargain stamps. This one is an old House Mouse stamp called 'Muscle Mouse', which I stamped on to watercolour paper, then coloured using watercolour pencils. I picked some snippets of card in co-ordinating pastel colours, then embossed them using various Cuttlebug embossing folders (Spots & Dots, Zig-zag, Diamond Plate & Stars). I distressed all of the edges a little before assembling it all. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Cheering Critters' set by Penny Black.

Challenges for this card:

• A Bit More Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• House Mouse & Friends - Anything Goes
• Little Red Wagon - Animal Antics
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Dry Embossing
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Add a Sentiment
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Easter Hares

I have an Easter card to share today, featuring a Happy Hoppers stamp called 'Easter Hares'...stamped on to watercolour paper and coloured using watercolour pencils. I paired it with snippets of papers from the 'Pretty Please' pad by My Mind's Eye...distressing all the edges and adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. I added a couple of really old Poppicrafts paper flowers, held in place with a BasicGrey brad, and a sentiment from the 'Egg-cellent Easter Sentiments' set by C. C. Designs.

Challenges for this card:

• Always Fun - Spring
• Animal Friends - Rabbits
• Creative Knockouts - Spring is in the Air
• Cute Card Thursday - Spring Fever
• Cutie Pie - Bunnies & Blooms
• House Mouse & Friends - Anything Goes
• Moving Along with the Times - Spring is on it's Way
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Two or More Patterned Papers
• Sweet Stampers - Easter or Spring