Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - Red, White & Black with Texture

Please scroll down for my Penny Black Saturday Challenge DT post

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It's Jane's turn to set the theme of the Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge this week, and she has chosen a colour combination of:

'Red, White & Black
With Texture'

Our sponsor for this challenge is:

The prize is a $10 voucher for the Digi Doodles Shop!

I've used an adorable Henry Mouse stamp by Whiff of Joy on my card...I coloured him using watercolour pencils...then added Glossy Accents to his heart. I embossed plain red and black card for the background, using my Cuttlebug 'Flower Fantasy' and 'Swiss Dots' folders. The letters were cut using my Cuttlebug 'Olivia' alphabet dies.

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

• Card Crafter's Circle - Valentine's 
• C.R.A.F.T. - Valentine's
• Crafty Calendar - Love & Marriage
• Crafty Catz - Valentine's
• Creative Stamp Friends - Valentine's
• Delightful - Love
• Everybody Art - Love
• Forever Friends (Monthly) - Valentine's
• Hooked On Crafts - Hearts
• Lollipop Crafts - Valentine's
• Paperplay - Love Letters
• Simon Says Stamp - Love is in the Air
• Sisterhood of Crafters - Valentine's
• Stamp with Fun - Love
• Stampavie & More - Love
• Top Tip Tuesday - Valentine's
• Totally Gorjuss - Lurve
• Truly Scrumptious - Love & Hearts 
• Whimsy - Love

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

Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Love & Kisses

This week's Penny Black Saturday Challenge is all about:

'Love & Kisses'

 Our sponsor for this challenge is:

and the prize is a $20 voucher to spend in their online store! 

I've used an image from the 'Every Which Way' set on my card...and papers from the 'Adore' collection by My Mind's Eye. I distressed the edges a little, then added faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a white gel pen. The sentiment stamp is by Cuddly Buddly.

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

• Anything Goes - Bingo (Animals - Distressing (My choice) - Stitching)
• Creative Inspirations - Lots of Love
• Crafty Ann's - Love is in the Air
• Fab 'n' Funky - Love is in the Air
• For Fun - Love
• Little Miss Muffet - Valentine's or Love
• Prairie Fairy - Sweetheart
• Stamp & Create - Valentine's or Love
• Sunday Sketch & Stamp - Sketch

For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies...including the wonderful Ali, who rejoins us after a little break...please pop over to the Penny Black Saturday Challenge.

ABC Christmas Challenge - C is for...

We have a brand new challenge for you today over at the ABC Christmas Challenge...Miria is the host...and the theme is:

'C is for Charming'

(Feature a charm on your project)

We have three fabulous sponsors for this challenge:

The prize in a $15 voucher to spend in the Simon Says Stamp store

The prize is a$10 gift certificate for the Stamp Fairy store

The prize is a £10 voucher for the Ribbon Reel store

The stamp I've used on my card ('XMouse Ornament' by Penny Black) is an old favourite of mine...he's so cute...and very quick to colour! I used a couple of shades of blue card for the background, embossing the lighter one with my Cuttlebug 'Snowflakes' and Sizzix 'Snowglobe' folders. I cut the snowflakes using Cuttlebug and Marianne Designs dies...and the charm and twine is from my stash.

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

• Christmas Cards - Make your own background
• Christmas Inspirations - Anything Goes
• Craft Your Passion - No patterned paper
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Use a die cut
• Forever Friends - Shades of Blue
• Sparkles Christmas - Anything Goes
• Winter Wonderland - Blue & White

For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies and some wonderful guest designers from our sponsors, please pop over to the ABC Christmas Challenge.

Cuttlebug Spot Challenge - Sweetheart

We have a brand new challenge for you over at the Cuttlebug Spot today...and the theme is:

'Sweetheart'

(Anything to do with hearts)

I've made a simple Valentine's card using some adorable Penny Black hedgie stamps from the 'Every Which Way' set. I coloured them using watercolour pencils, then carefullycut them out before adding some Glossy Accents to their hearts. I mounted them onto an embossed panel (using my Cuttlebug 'Swiss Dots' folder), with a sentiment from the 'Sentiments' set by Hero Arts. I used my EK Success 'Scalloped Diamonds' punch for the red border along the bottom.

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

• Card Makin' Mamas - Valentine's
• Clean & Simple Stamping - Sketch
• Cookin' it up with Katie - Punch me an Embossed Heart
• Dream Valley - Valentine's
• Little Red Wagon - Valentine's or Love
• Moving Along with the Times - Hearts
• One Stop Craft - For the one I love
• Paper Sundaes - Clean & Simple
• Sweet Stampin' - The one I love

For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please visit the Cuttlebug Spot.

New Home

My brother and his girlfriend moved house yesterday...or at least they were due to...not sure if they got snowed off! So, I've made them a 'New Home' card...using a digi from Pollycraft called (rather appropriately) 'New Home', which I coloured using watercolour pencils. I've not seen their new house, but I'm fairly sure the colours I've used are not accurate...lol...but I wanted to make something bright and cheerful...and I love these '72 & Sunny' papers from We R Memory Keepers! I distressed the edges a little, and added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a white gel pen. The brads are BasicGrey, and the twine is from the Ribbon Girls.

Challenges for this card:

• Craft Your Days Away - Get Stitchy With It
• Crafty Creations - Home Sweet Home
• Creative Craft - Bingo (I used Brown-Brads-Scallops) 
• Fab 'N' Funky - Use a Digi (Mine's from Pollycraft)
• My Mum's Craft Shop - Fab & Funky

Aqua Flowers

You may (or not) remember me saying that I'd won a prize in the Cardmaking & Papercraft magazine's 'Cardmaker of the Year' competition...you can see my winning card on this post....well...my prize arrived yesterday:

Such a lot of lovely Penny Black stamps....I think I'm in heaven! lol

I couldn't resist having a little play, and got a little inky making a card for this week's Less is More challenge using a couple of my new stamps. I blended some 'Tumbled Glass' Distress Ink on some plain white card, then stamped the background stamp ('Circular Design') over it using the same ink. I stamped the flower ('Sundial') a couple of times in black ink, adding a little extra shading to the petals using the ink and a waterbrush, then cut them out and layered up some of the petals. To echo the line drawing style of the flower, I added a doodled border with a black gel pen. The sentiment stamp was a freebie with a Docrafts magazine.

Challenges for this card:

• Allsorts - Free & Easy
• Challenge Up Your Life - Monochrome
• Crazy Challenge - Flowers
• Less is More - Aqua
• Totally Stampalicious - Clean & Simple

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - Hugs & Kisses

Please scroll down for my Penny Black Saturday Challenge DT post

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This week, it's my turn to set the theme of the Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge, which is:

'Hugs & Kisses'

Our sponsor for this challenge is Crafter's Companion

The fabby prize is a £10 voucher to spend in the Crafter's Companion store.

The image on my card is by Penny Black....from the appropriately named 'Hugs' set. I coloured using watercolour pencils to match the pastel shades of card I used for the background. I used a Sizzix/BasicGrey folder called 'Plaid' for the embossing, then added a few pieces of Card Candi in each corner.

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

• Craft Us Crazy - Anything Goes 
• Lollipop Crafts - Anything Goes
• Stampin' for the Weekend - Embossing

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

Penny Black Saturday Challenge - CASE IT (Debby)

As it's the first Penny Black Saturday Challenge of the month, we have another 'CASE IT' challenge for you...this time we want you to take inspiration from this fabulous card by Debby:

We have two wonderful sponsors for this challenge:

 

From Penny Black Inc

And from the Ribbon Girl

I took inspiration from Debby's kite-flying kitty...and used an image from the 'Hello Friend' set...which I coloured using watercolour pencils, then added Glossy Accents to the balloons. I used similar papers to the ones Debby used...from the '72 & Sunny' pad by We R Memory Keepers pad...adding faux stitching using a black gel pen. The sentiment is from the 'Sending Sunshine' set by Simon Says Stamp, the ribbon is from Hobbycraft, and the flower is from Wild Orchid Crafts.

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

• Crafts & Me - Bright Colours
• Simon Says Stamp - Animal Antics
• Sundays with Crissy - Birthdays

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

ABC Christmas Challenge - B is for...

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

'B is for Bears...with one or more of: Bunting, Banners, Brads, Bling, Buttons, Bows & Blooms!'

Phew...what a mouthful! lol

We have two fabulous sponsors for this challenge:

Our very own Lacey with her store Stamp and create:



and a whopping prize

and

Bugaboo



with this fabulous prize

I've used an adorable Lili of the Valley bear on my card called 'Present Pile'...which I coloured using watercolour pencils. The papers are from the 'Countdown to Christmas' pad by My Mind's Eye...I distressed the edges a little, then added faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a white gel pen. The sparkly brads are by American Crafts.

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

• Christmas Cards - Your Favourite Technique (I've used several of my favourites: watercolouring, distressing & faux stitching)
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Make it Square
• Lili's Little Fairies - Oh Boy!
• My Time to Craft - A is for Adorable

For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please visit the ABC Christmas Challenge.

Puppy Love

I'm ashamed to say that the stamp I've used on today's card had been very much neglected...I got the 'Every which way' set by Penny Black when it first came out years ago...and have only used this stamp a couple of times before...so when my group of Penny Black crafty friends started up our friendly 'challenges' again recently...with a theme of 'Puppy Love'...I thought now would be the perfect time to show him some ink. I coloured him using watercolour pencils...then added Glossy Accents to the heart balloon. The papers are a mixture of BasicGrey 'Blush' and My Mind's Eye 'Adore'...I distressed the edges a little, then added faux stitching using mmy CutterBee Bug and a white gel pen. The hearts were cut using my Cuttleebug 'Concentric Hearts' die...and the sentiment (which I curved to match the shape of the circle before inking) is from the 'Sending Sunshine' set by Simon Says Stamp.

Challenges for this card:

• Allsorts - Hearts
• Anything Goes - To the One I Love 
• Craft Us Crazy - Full of Love
• Die Cut Dreams - Pink, Red & Hearts
• Just Some Lines - Dogs
• Oldie but a Goodie - Hearts (I've had this stamp set since it first came out...probably 3 or 4 years ago!)
• Paper Sundaes - Valentine
• Penny Black @ Allsorts - Love & Hearts
• Simply Create - Love is in the Air
• Squiggles & Giggles - Loved Up
• Wags 'N Whiskers - Love is in the Air

Simple Butterflies

I have a couple of really simple fluttery butterfly cards to share today...inspired by the Less is More sketch challenge.

My starting point was the brightly coloured butterflies...not sure whether they were punched, or cut using a die, as they came from Lady LIM Mandi as part of a prize from a challenge she sponsored. I embossed the white card using my Craft Concepts 'Butterflies' folder...then added a scalloped border punched using my EK Success 'Scalloped Diamonds' punch. The sentiment is a Whiff of Joy stamp.

Here's a better look:

And the pink one:

Challenges for these cards:

• Crafty Catz - Things with Wings
• Creative Inspirations - Anything Goes
• Flutterby - Embossing
• Less is More - Sketch 
• Totally Gorjuss - Keep It Simple Silly!

Pile It On! Challenge - Just Because

This week at the Pile It On! Challenge, we're asking you to make a card:

'Just Because'

Our sponsor for this challenge is Stamp n Doodle:

The prize for the lucky winner is two Stamp n Doodle images of their choice!

Now, my card's a little bit silly...I found this Hambo 'Floating Pig' image in my box...I printed it out absolutely ages ago...and I thought he'd make someone smile...so I coloured him using watercolour pencils to match the bright and cheerful 'Hippity Hoppity' papers by We R Memory Keepers. I distressed all of the edges, matted the papers on to kraft card, then added faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a white gel pen. The flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts, the brads are BasicGrey, and the buttons (threaded with twine from the Ribbon Girls) are from my stash. I coated the piggy's balloon with some Glossy Accents, then added a sentiment done on computer...I couldn't resist! lol

Here are the challenges I've Piled On!:

• Pile It On! - Just Because
• CES - Check it out!
• Craft Your Days Away - Distressing
• Crazy4Challenges - Layer it on!
• Critter - 3 Embellishments (can't tell from the DT cards if this is three in total, or three different kinds...I went with flowers, brads & buttons...sorry if I've got it wrong!)
• Digi Doodles - Anything Goes
• For Fun - Farm Animals
• My Time to Craft - Favourite Embellishment (Flowers)
• One Stop Craft - Stitching
• Papertake Weekly - Happy Highlights (Glossy Accents on the balloon)
• Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes
• Sweet Stampin' - Animals

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

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - Ribbons

It's Franz's turn to set the theme of the Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge this week, and she has chosen:

'Ribbons'

We have two fabulous sponsors for this challenge:

Prize One: A $15 voucher for Heather's Hobbie Haven

Prize Two: Five Digi Images from Whimsy Stamps

 I've used an old favourite stamp on my card...it's from the 'Critter Party' set by Penny Black...I coloured it using watercolour pencils to match the soft pastel colours of the 'Tea House' papers by Dovecraft. I added my ribbons (from Hobbycraft) like little tags behind the image...and a stamped sentiment from the same Penny Black set.

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

• Birthday Sundaes - Birthdays
• Ribbon Girls - Blue & Pink
• Sisterhood of Crafters - Striped Paper

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

Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Floral Frenzy

This week at the Penny Black Saturday Challenge...we've gone into a:

'Floral Frenzy'

We are sponsored for this challenge by

 

And the prize is 4 rolls or ribbon of the winner's choice!

The image I've used 'You're the Bestest'...which I coloured using watercolour pencils to match the bright We R Memory Keepers 'Hippity Hoppity' papers. The flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts, the brads are BasicGrey, and the sentiment is from the CCSR set by Papermania.

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

• Birthday Sundaes - Birthdays
• Hooked On Craft - Something Bright
• Hotshot Craft - Flowers
• Moving Along With The Times - Blooming Marvelous
• My Mum's Craft Shop - Flowers
• Papercrafting Journey - Floral
• Stamptacular Sunday - Spots

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