Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - Milestone Birthdays

This week at the Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge, we're celebrating:

'Milestone Birthdays'

Our sponsor for this challenge is:

Prize - 3 digis of the winner's choice from the Stamping Boutique!

I used my Hero Arts ''Garden Bouquet' stamp for some resist embossing...stamping it using Versamark, then heat embossing it in white. Then I blended 'Milled Lavender', 'Dusty Concord' and 'Chipped Saphire' Distress Inks over the top. I used my Cuttlebug 'Kassies Brocade' folder for the embossing, my EK Success 'Scalloped Diamonds' punch for the border, and cut the numbers using my Cuttlebug 'Olivia' alphabet.

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

• Allsorts - Purple Passion
• Kaboodles Doodles - Flowers 
• Squiggles & Giggles - Punches & Dies
• Sunday Sketch & Stamp - Sketch

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

PS - I have candy on offer at the moment...click here to find out more.

Christmas Stampin' All Year Long - Winter Wonderland

This week at Christmas Stampin' All Year Long, our challenge theme is:

'Winter Wonderland'

We want to see some kind of snow on your projects.

Our sponsor for this challenge is:

Creations by AR

Prize - 2 Templates of the Winner's Choice!

I've used one of the fab templates from our sponsor Creations by AR, called 'Ornament Box Set'. I printed the 'box' part on to thick kraft card, and the 'decoration' bits on to some paper from the 'Wonderful Winter' pad by My Mind's Eye. I stamped a few extra snowflakes using 'Picket Fence' Distress Stain and stamps from a set from Lakeland. Before attaching the paper to the bx, I inked around the edges with 'Bundled Sage' Distress Ink. Once it was all assembled, I tied it together using some white satin ribbon.

Here's a side view:

I made a larger one of these last month (details on this post)...here's a photo of them together:

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

• Delightful - Anything but a Card
• Love to Create - Ribbon or Twine
• My Time to Craft - More than one fold

For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please pop over to Christmas Stampin' All Year Long.

PS - I have some Christmas themed candy on offer at the moment...click here to find out more.

ABC Christmas Challenge - R is for...

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

 'R is for Recycling'

Our sponsors for this challenge are:

Prize - a $20 gift certificate to spend at the Simon Says Stamp Store!

and

From In 2 Stamps - a €10 gift voucher to spend in their store!

My recycled item this time is some spotty wrapping paper from one of the presents I received for my birthday last month: 

(By the way...the little cookbook that was inside is fabulous...I made the most delicious chocolate fudge cake from it at the weekend...yum!)

I've used a Lili of the Valley stamp called 'Mr Snowman'...he's new to me...but he's one of their older stamps. I coloured him using watercolour pencils, and added some sparkle to the snow using Stickles. After trimming the edges of the wrapping paper straight, I matted it on to black card...not something I would normally do on a Christmas card, but it really maakes to blue 'pop'...then doodled a border using a black gel pen. The sentiment stamp is from 'Joy to the World' set by Penny Black, and the black pearls are from Wild Orchid Crafts.

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

• Anything Goes - Early Christmas
• Card Positioning Systems - Sketch
• Lili's Little Fairies - Black Magic
• Top Tip Tuesday - Recycle It! (The spotty paper)

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

PS - I have Christmas themed candy on offer here.

Pups with Present

I couldn't resist grabbing one of the new Lili of the Valley Chaistmas stamps for myself, when I picked up the ones in my blogoversary candy...this one is called 'Pups with Present'...I can't help wondering what they think is inside that package! I coloured it using watercolour pencils, then added some Stickles to the snow. The papers are from the 'Blitzen' pad by Bo Bunny...I distressed the edges, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The sentiment is also a Lili of the Valley stamp, the snowflakes were cut using a Marianne Designs die, and the button and twine are from the Ribbon Girls.

Challenges for this card:

• Crafty Catz - Christmas 
• Cupcake Crafts - In Stitches
• Dream Valley - Something Old (Everything except the image stamp), Something New (the LotV image stamp)
• Squirrel & the Fox - Anything Goes
• Winter Wonderland - Christmas Pets

Mini Christmas Cards

I have a few mini (they measure 4 inches square) Christmas cards to share today...for this weekend's Penny Black Inc 'Mini Cards' challenge. I've used some of the smaller stamps from the Penny Black clear stamp sets, and papers from the 'I Believe' pad by My Mind's Eye. I distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a white gel pen. The snowflakes are a mixture of Marianne Designs and Cuttlebug dies.

Here are some close-ups:

Robin from the 'Jolly Friends' set

Hedgie from the 'Joy to the World' set

Mouse from the 'Jolly Holly' set

Challenges for these cards:

• Christmas Crafting - Traditional Christmas Colours 
• Dutch Dare - Sketch
• Stampin' for the Weekend - Starting Christmas Early

PS - I have candy on offer at the moment...click here to find out more.

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - Back to School

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

'Back to School'

(Eeeek!)

Our sponsor for this challenge is:

The prize is a $10 voucher to spend in the Digi Doodles store!

I'm a music teacher, so it's back to school for me too...and I've made myself a little notebook to help me keep track of all the pieces that pupils and people in the the various ensembles I teach/conduct have requested, so that I remember to arrange them for them! The image is 'Toot the Flute' by Penny Black, which I cooured using watercolour pencils. The spotty paper is from the 'Festive Frost' by My Mind's Eye, and I made the musical paper by stamping a Hero Arts background stamp in 'Tea Dye' Distress Ink on the reverse of a piece of My Mind's Eye '29th Street Market' paper. I distressed all of the edges, with my distressing tool, and more 'Tea Dye' ink, then added some adhesive pearls, and lettering cut using my Cuttlebug 'Olivia' alphabet.

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

• Crafty Creations - Back to School
• Critter - Back to School
• Incy Wincy - Back to School
• Kaboodles Doodles - Music or Dance
• Little Red Wagon - Back to School
• Love to Create - Back to School
• Simon Says Stamp - Stamp On It!
• Totally Stampalicious - Anything but a Card

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

Christmas Stampin' All Year Long - CASE Your First Christmas Card

This week at Christmas Stampin' All Year Long we're asking you to travel back in time, and:

'CASE Your First Christmas Card'

(Take inspiration from the first Christmas card you posted on your blog)

Our sponsor for this challenge is:

Prize: £10 Gift Certificate for Bunny Zoe's Crafts!

My blog is just over four years old...so I had to go quite a long way back in time to find mine...this card, from September 20th 2008, was the first Christmas card I posted on my blog:

I decided to use the same colour scheme, with lots of embossing, but with a different Penny Black snowman...this little sweetie is from the 'Holly-Jolly' set, and is coloured using watercolour pencils. I used my Cuttlebug 'Swiss Dots' & 'Snowflakes' folders, and Sizzix/BasicGrey 'Snowglobe' folders for the embossing. The snowflakes were cut using Marianne Designs and Cuttlebug dies.

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

• Anything Goes - Early Christmas
• Cutie Pie - No Flowers
• Forever Friends - Embossing
• Inky Impressions - Anything Goes
• No Matter Which - Die Cuts/Punches (Snowflakes & Circles)
• Penny Black & More @ Allsorts - Early Christmas Makes
• Stamp & Create - Anything Goes

For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies, please pop over to Christmas Stampin' All Year Long.

PS - I have candy on offer at the moment to celebrate my blog's birthday...click here to find out more.

Seize the Cupcake!

I have an ultra simple card to show today...I dug out a cupcake die set (by Marianne Designs) that I haven't used in ages, to make a card for this week's Less Is More challenge. I cut the shapes from Bazzil card...then embossed the icing part using my Cuttlebug 'D'Vine Swirls' folder, to make it look like chocolate frosting...yum! The sentiment is from the 'Cupcakes' set by Hero Arts, and the little brown pearl is from Wild Orchid Crafts.

Challenges for this card:

• Heck of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Less Is More - Brown & Pink 
• Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes 

PS - I have candy on offer at the moment to celebrate my blog's fourth birthday...all the info is on this post.

ABC Christmas Challenge - R is for...

It's time for a new ABC Christmas Challenge, and this time Miria is the host, with a theme of:

 'R is for Recycling'

Our sponsors for this challenge are:

Prize - a $20 gift certificate to spend at the Simon Says Stamp Store!

and

From In 2 Stamps - a €10 gift voucher to spend in their store!

My recycled item is the acetate packaging from an embossing folder:

 

I've used one of my oldest (and still most loved) Christmas stamps on my card...'Snowy' by Penny Black. I coloured him using watercolour pencils, then added some sparkle to his haat and the snow, ussing some Stickles. The papers are by My Mind's Eye (from the 'Countdown to Christmas' and 'I Believe' pads)...I distressed the edges, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a white gel pen. The sentiment stamp is also by Penny Black. 

So, where's my recycled item??? I used it to cut a snowflake (using a Marianne Designs die) to embellish my card...although, because it's acetate, it's really difficult to photograph...here's a close-up:

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

• Anything Goes - Early Christmas
• Aud Sentiments - Christmas is Coming
• Christmas Cards - 3 of Something (3 papers)
• Creative Stamp Friends - Distressing
• Penny Black & More @ Allsorts - Early Christmas Makes
• Sketch Saturday - Sketch #223
• Sweet Stampin' - Inspired by a Song/Film (The Snowman, Frosty the Snowman, Let It Snow...)

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

PS - I have candy on offer at the monent...click here to find out more :0)

Oldie But a Goodie Challenge - 3,2,1 Recipe

This fornight at Oldie but a Goodie, we have a recipe challenge for you:

'3 Flowers, 2 papers & 1 Image'

Our sponsor for this challenge is:

Bugaboo Stamps

and the fabulous prize:

I've used a cute Bugaboo Stamps image called 'Theodore Flowers', which I coloured using watercolour pencils. The bright papers are from the '72 & Sunny' pad by We R Memory Keepers...I doodled a little border around the edges using a black gel pen. The teeny sentiment is from the 'Mini Messages' set by Hero Arts, the flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts, and the brads are by BasicGrey.

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

• Crazy Challenge - Seeing Spots
• Joanna Sheen - Going Dotty

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

Paper Pieced Present Pile!

Wow...that's a lot of P's!I have a little round easel card for you today, using an adorable Lili of the Valley James the Bear stamp ('Present Pile')...so cute! I coloured him using watercolour pencils, and paper pieced his hat and gifts using scraps of Dovecraft 'Fancy Christmas' papers...TIP!...this technique is perfect for using up those itty bitty pieces us crafters just can't bear to throw away!

I added some sparkle to his hat and the snowy ground with some 'Diamond' Stickles. I cut out my little card using the largest of my Scalloped Circle Nesties, and used the plain circle Nesties to cut all the other circles, using more of the 'Christmas Fancy' papers...I distressed the edges a little, and added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The snowflakes were all cut using Cuttlebug dies, and the pearls, button & twine are all from my stash. Here's a side-on view to show the shape:

Challenges for this card:

• Allsorts - Anything but Square
• Christmas Cards All Year Round - Presents
• C.R.A.F.T. - Shaped Cards
• Lili's Little Fairies - Anything but Square (I'm also entering this into the DT call...been dithering about whether or not to since I made this on Saturday! lol) 
• Ribbon Girls - Add Pearls
• Sparkles Christmas - Sparkle & Bling
• Stamp with Fun - Buttons

Oh...and it's my little blog's fourth birthday today...my how time flies! I will have some candy to celebrate soon, but I'm still waiting for the Postie to deliver part of it..all he brought todaywas junk! :0(

Pile It On! Challenge - For a Princess

This week at Pile It On!, our challenge theme is:

'For a Princess'

Our sponsor this week is:

A Day for Daisies (will add prize info later).

I've used a Gorjuss Girl image on my card...it was an image sent to me ages ago in a swap, and I can't find her at Funky Kits, so I can't tell you what her name is unfortunately. I coloured her using watercolour pencils to match the bright Bo Bunny 'Love Bandit' papers I've used. I distressed the edges of the papers, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. I cut a couple of flowers from the papers using my Tim Holtz/Sizzix 'Tattered Florals' die, and attached them with a sparkly brad from Craft Obsessions. The sentiment was a freebie stamp (came with a Docrafts magazine)...and is perfect for a Birthday Princess with it's little crowns, and I added some extra sparkle with some pink adhesive gems.

Here are the challenges I've piled on:

• Pile It On! - For a Princess
• Card Makin' Mamas - Hearts (On her dress & the papers)
• Crafts & Me - Birthdays
• Crafty Catz - 3 Embellishments (Flower, Brad & Gems), 2 Papers & 1 Image
• Crafty Sentiments - Sparkles
• Cupcake Crafts - Flowers
• Cute Card Thursday - Stitching
• Love to Create - Handmade Flowers
• Stamping Boutique - Anything Birthday

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

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - Animal Antics

As this is the first Saturday of the month...this is my second post of the day...please scroll down for my Penny Black Saturday Challenge DT post.

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

'Animal Antics'

We have two fabulous sponsors for this challenge:

Prize from Crafter's Companion - £10 gift voucher!

and

Prize from DigiDarla Designs - 5 digis of the winner's choice!

I've used 'Circus Act Dogs' by Penny Black to make a bookmark. I started by cutting the edges off a manilla tag, then rounding the corners to make a bookmark shape. I inked over the tag with 'Stormy Sky' and 'Faded Jeans' Distress Inks, then inked around the edges with 'Tea Dye'. The paw prints are a background stamp from Hobbycraft, and are stamped in 'Tea Dye'. I threaded some string, and seambinding ribbon from the Ribbon Girls through the top.

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

• Creative Fridays - Anything but a Card (Bookmark)

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

Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Buttons & Bows

It's the first Saturday of the month, so that means it's time for a new Penny Black Saturday Challenge, but before I tell you about that, I have a re-draw for the winner of my blog-hop candy, as the prize was not claimed...the new...as chosen by Mr Random.Org is:

#9 - Lorraine B

Congratulations! Please email me to claim your prize.

 Ok, so on to our new challenge...our theme for September is:

'Buttons & Bows'

There are some amazing prizes up for grabs form our lovely sponsors:

'Crystal Wreath'

5 packs of buttons of the winner's choice

A4 chipboard, cards, tickets & mannequins

$20 to spend @ 1-2-3 Stitch!

I've made a Christmas card, using 'Joy Filled Stockings', coloured using watercolour pencils. The sparkly papers are from the 'Countdown to Christmas' pad by My MInd's Eye...I distressed the edges, then added faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The snowflake was cut using a Marianne Designs die, the button in it's centre is threaded with some twine by Dovecraft, and the glittery brads are by American Crafts.

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

• Cute Card Thursday - A Stitch in Time
• Shopping Our Stash - Use your Favourite Things (Penny Black stamps, My Mind's Eye papers, kraft card, distressing tool)

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