PBSC September - 'Anything Goes' (Optional 'Use Something Old/Neglected')...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
'Use Something Old or Neglected'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

The stamp I used on my card...'Magical Mimi' is both old and neglected. I won it back in 2011 as part of my prize for coming third in the Penny Black category...and as far as I can tell, have only used it once...on this card in February 2012! She is cute...but people stamps are not really my style, but I thought it was about time she saw some more ink! I stamped Mimi on to watercolour paper, along with a sentiment (from the 'Big Messages' set by Paula Pascual'), then coloured her using watercolour pencils. To carry on the 'old and neglected' theme, I paired Mimi with papers from an old BasicGrey pad called 'Hello Luscious', that I last used in 2013! In my defence, there's not a lot of it left...a couple of full sheets, and lots, and lots of snippets! I also added some pieces of Craftwork Cards 'Card Candi' to complete the 'old & neglected' theme!

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

• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Creative Knockouts - Anything Goes
• Love to Scrap - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Seize the Birthday - Anything Birthday Goes

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

Dog-gone Sweet!

I have another set of cards to share today...this time featuring the pups from the 'Dog-gone Sweet' set by Penny Black. They're ultra simple...I stamped the pups directly on kraft card blanks, along with a sentiment from the 'Big Messages' set by Paula Pascual. I coloured the pups using watercolour pencils...but didn't use any water.

Some close-ups:

Challenges for these cards:

• AAA Cards - Up to One Third
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Penny Black & More - Animals
• Shopping Our Stash - Dogs
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Stamp It

Floral Notecards

I have another set of floral notecards to share today...this time featuring stamps by Penny Black. I stamped the flowers stright on the card banks using grey ink, along with sentiments from the 'Big Messages' set by Paula Pascual, the coloured the flowers using watercolour pencils.

'Sun-kissed' and 'Sundail'

'Constellations' & 'Dotted Petals'

Challenges for these cards:

• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Creative Moments - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Stamp It
• Stamping Sensations - Flowers

It's Your Day!

Today's card features a trio of little mice from the 'It's Your Day' set by Penny Black. I stampeed them on to watercolour paper, then coloured them using watercolour pencils. I paired it with papers from the 'Pretty Please' pad by My Mind's Eye...adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The sentiments are a mixture of Paula Pascul (from the 'Big Messages' set) and Penny Black (from the 'It's Your Day' set).

Challenges for this card:

• Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - Anything Goes
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Seize the Birthday - Anything Birthday
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Bright & Cheerful
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes

Pile It On! Challenge - Beverages

We have another fun Pile It On! Challenge starting today, and the theme this month is:

'Beverages'

Our sponsor for this challenge is Bugaboo Stamps:

Prize - 4 Digi Stamps of the Winner's Choice!

I used a cute Crafter's Companion image from the 'Moonbeam Meadow' collection called 'Time for Tea', that I found in a charity shop recently. I coloured it using watercolour pencils, then added a sentiment (from the 'Big Messages' set by Paula Pascual. I paired it with papers from the 'Happy Day' pad by My Mind's Eye...I distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

Here are the challenges I piled on:

• Pile It On! - Beverages
• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything Goes
• A Bit More Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• A Perfect Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• Cards Galore Encore - Anything Goes
• Catch the Bug - Anything Goes
• Crafting with an Attitude - Anything Goes
• Crafting with Friends - Anything Goes
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - Anything Goes
• Creatalicious - Anything Goes
• Cute Card Thursday - Anything Goes
• Incy Wincy - Coffee or Tea
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Sweet Stampin' - Anything Goes
• Time Out - Playful

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

Party Time

I have a simple little birthday card to share today inspired by the 'Navy & Yellow' colour combination of Less is More's 8th Birthday Challenge. The hedgie is from the 'Cheerful Critters' set by Penny Black...I coloured him using watercolour pencils. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Big Messages' set by Paula Pascual.

Challenges for this card:

• Creative Knockouts - Birthday Wishes
• Less is More - Navy & Yellow
• Penny Black & More - Anything Goes
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Seize the Birthday - Anything Birthday Goes

Pile It On! Challenge - Land and/or Water Animals

It's time for some more inspiration for this month's Pile It On! Challenge where the themes are:

'Land Animals'
and/or
'Water Animals'

We are sponsored for this challenge by A Day for Daisies

Prize - $8 Gift Certificate!

I found a cute Crafter's Companion stamp in my collection of a bear and his puppy fishing that combined the two themes...it's called 'Gone Fishing' from the Mulberry Wood collection. I coloured it using watercolour pencils to match some snippets of patterned papers that are from the 'Awesome Boy' pad by Recollections/Michaels (found at TKMaxx). I distressed all of the edges, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Big Messages' set by Paula Pascual.

Here are the challenges I've piled on:

• Pile It On! - Land and/or Water Animals
• Allsorts - Make it Masculine
• Crafting with Friends - Anything Goes
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes (Optional Blue Green & One Other Colour)
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simply Create Too - Anything Goes

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

Good Times!

Today's card features one of the puppies from the 'Good Times' set by Penny Black. I coloured him using watercolour pencils, then added a sentiment from the 'Big Messages' set by Paula Pascual. The paper is from the 'Happy Day' pad by My Mind's Eye...I distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

Challenges for this card:

• Catch the Bug - Anything Goes
• Crafty Creations - Anything Goes
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Penny Black & More - Something Beginning with B (Butterflies & Birthday)
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Distress It
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Buzz in the Air

I have another card to share today that features a stamp found in a charity shop...this one is called 'Buzz in the Air' by Penny Black. I coloured it using watercolour pencils, then cut it out one of my circle Nesties. The papers are from the 'Happy Day' pad by My Mind's Eye...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 'Big Messages' set by Paula Pascual.

Challenges for this card:

• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Creative Knockouts - Sew It Up
• Cute Card Thursday - Too Cute!
• Little Miss Muffet - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• Stamping Sensations - In My Garden

PBSC July - Anything Goes (Or 'Baby')...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
'Baby'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I went with the 'Anything Goes' option this time...and used  much neglected teddy bear stamp called 'By the Cartful!', which I coloured using watercolour pencils. The stripey paper is from the '72 & Sunny' pad by We R Memory Keepers...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 'Big Messages' set by Paula Pascual.

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

• Craftholics R Us - Anything Goes
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes (Optional Stripes)
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

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

House Mouse & Friends Challenge - Guest Designer

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:

'Use Dies'

I recently picked up a couple of Joanna Sheen House Mouse stamps sets in a charity shop...they were new and hadn't even been trimmed and mounted on to foam - what a lucky find! I've used one of the stamps from the 'Birthdays - Cake' set on this card...a little Googling, revealed that this stamp individually is called 'Eat Your Cake & Nap Too'! I coloured it using watercoour pencils, then added a sentiment from the 'Big Messages' set by Paula Pascual. The papers are from the 'Happy Day' pad by My Mind's Eye...I used one of my Lawn Fawn 'Stitched Hillside' border dies to cut the curve in the larger pieces, and a little triangle die (from a  'Speech Bubbles' die set by Craft Asylum/Sizzix) to make the bunting. I distressed all of the edges, the added faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

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

• Creative Knockouts - Furry Friends
• Gem of a Challenge - Three of Something (Three flags in the bunting)
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets (I used some really teeny snippets for the bunting)
• Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes (Optional Patterned Paper)

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

PBSC May - Anything Goes (Or Use Your Favourite PB Stamp)...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
'Use Your Favourite Penny Black Stamp'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I couldn't resist using my favourite PB stamp again...'Birthday Dog'! This time I used more masculine colours, colouring him using watercolour pencils to match the shades in the 'Prairie Hill' papers by Pink Paislee. 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 'Big Messages' set by Paula Pascual, and I used Nesties to cut the circles and scalloped circles.

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

• Always Happy Birthday - Anything Birthday
• Cut It Up - Cats or Dogs
• Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes
• Give a Crafter a Cookie - Photo Inspiration
• Heartful Stamping - Anything Goes
• Penny Black & More - Anything Goes
• Stamps + Fun = Creativity - Animals
• Sweet Stampers - Birthdays
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

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

Big Butterflies

I've been meaning to play along with Darnell's Twofer Challenge since it started at the beginning of the year...but I keep on getting too distracted by my other stash to make two different cards using the same stamp/die to enter! Anyway, this month's 'Butterfly' prompt drew me in, so I've got a couple of cards made using my Indiglo Blu 'Big Butterfly' stamp to share today.

On the first card, I heat embossed the butterfly on vellum using white embossing powder, then carefully cut it out. I made a simple background from a piece of paper (from the 'Paper Hearts' pad by Crate Paper), distressing the edges before adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. I added a sentiment (from the 'Big Messages' set by Paula Pascual, then matted it on to a piece of grey card. I added the butterfly off centre, then trimmed it to meet the edge of the card. 

I used one of my favourite techniques on the second card...watercolour stamping. I used several shades of blue Distress Inks...Chipped Sapphire, Broken China, Salty Ocean & Tumbled Glass...inking the same butterfly stamp, then spritzing it with water before stamping it on to watercolour paper. I added a sentiment (from the 'Everyday Sentiments' set), then trimmed the panel down to fit a DL card blank. Once again, I distressed the edges and added some faux stitching.

Challenges for these cards:

• Allsorts - In the Pink (Just the first card) 
• As You Like It - Favourite Pink or Blue (Although I've made one of here in the post...it's the blue one that's most 'me'...I love all shades of blue)
• Fussy & Fancy - Blues (Just the second card)
• Happy Little Stampers (Watercolour) - Anything Goes (Just the second card)
• Stamping Sensations - Close to Nature
• Twofer - Butterflies

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.

Puppy Treats

I have another Penny Black card to share today...featuring a couple of the pups from the new 'Good Times!' set. I coloured them using watercolour pencils to match the papers from the 'Floral Blue' pad by My Minds Eye. 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 'Big Messages' set by Paula Pascual.

Challenges for this card:

• Animal Friends - Stitches
• Aud Sentiment - Cute & a Sentiment
• Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes
• Crafty Creations - Anything Goes
• Love to Scrap - Anything Goes
• Penny Black & More - Anything Goes
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - For the Boys
• That's Crafty - A Stitch in Time
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Kaleidoscopic Butterflies

Today I have a simple birthday card, with matching gift bag and tag to share. I used my IndigoBlu 'Big Butterfly' stamp, stamped in white pigment ink on kraft, then heat embossed using Stampendous 'Kaleidoscope' embossing powder on all three items. On the card I added a Hero Arts sentiment (from the 'Fabulous Birthday' set), and lightly distressed the edges.

The embossing powder gives a really pretty multi-coloured sparkle...virtually impossible to photograph, but lovely in real life! 

And the matching bag & tag (sentiment stamp from the 'Big Messages' set by Paula Pascual):

Challenges for these items:

• Aud Sentiments - Add a Birthday Sentiment
• Creatalicious - Anything Goes
• Inspiration Destination - Anything Goes
• My Time to Craft - Bag or Box with Matching Tag
• Stamping Sensations - One for the Girls

House Mouse & Friends Challenge - Guest Designer

I was the lucky winner of a House Mouse & Friends Challenge last month, and as well as a super cute Happy Hopper stamp, part of my prize was a guest designer stint with the challenge!

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

'Multiple Images'

I couldn't resist using the Happy Hopper stamp I'd won on my card...he's called 'Great Catch'...and I coloured him using watercolour pencils. I paired him with some papers from the 'Recollections - Awesome Boy' pad by Michaels (found at TK Maxx). I distressed all of the edges, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Big Massages' set by Paula Pascual.

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

• Creative Knockouts - Outside Fun
• Naughty or Nice - Pick An Old Challenge (I chose #5 - For the men)
• Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes

For more inspiration from the fabulous design team, please pop over to the House Mouse & Friends Challenge.