Carolling Chickens

Today's card is a rather untraditional Christmas card...I've used my Penny Black 'Carolers' stamp...I just love the Penny Black chickens, and was tempted to use this today by the yummy Ribbon Reel prize on offer over at the Daring Cardmakers this week! lol The funky coloured 'Christmas Fancy' papers by Dovecraft...I distressed all of the edges, and added some faux stitching around the edges of the papers using my CutterBee Bug and a white gel pen. The snowflakes were cut from kraft card using Cuttlebug and Marianne Designs Creatables dies, adding some brightly coloured buttons from my stash to their centres.

Challenges for this card:

• Corrosive - Flying Things
• Crafty Creations - 3 papers, 2 embellishments (snowflakes & buttons) & 1 image
• Daring Cardmakers - Birds
• Gem of a Challenge - Sketch
• Oldie but a Goodie - Wings (this was one of the first Penny Black stamps I bought...so I've had it for 4 maybe 5 years!)
• Simon Says Stamp & Show - Things with Wings
• Squiggles & Giggles - Christmas Cheer

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - White & One Other Colour

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

***************************************

 This week it's Wendy's turn to set the theme of the Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge...and she has chosen:

'White & One Other Colour'

(You may use other colours on your image)

I decided to use blue as my additional colour...and made a Christmas card...my 100th one so far this year!!! The image I've used is 'Snowy' (by Penny Black), which I coloured using watercolour pencils. For the bavkground I embossed some Core'Dinations card with my 'Swiss Dots', 'Snowflakes' and 'Ice Crystas' folders...lightly sanding over the raised areas. I distressed the edges a little, and added some layered Cuttlebug and Marianne Designs Creatables snowflakes.

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

• Christmas Stampin' All Year Long - Seeing Spots
• Jingle Belles - Inspired by a Christmas song (Mine's 'Frosty the Snowman')

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

Penny Black Saturday Challenge - On the Move

Woo-hoo...it's Saturday...and that means it's time for a brand new Penny Black Saturday Challenge! Our theme for you this week is:

'On the move!'

The prize for the lucky winner is this adorable stamp from former PBSC DT member Carole:

I just had to use this super cute racing doggie (from the 'Hello Friend' set) on my card...I coloured him using watercolour pencils, then gave his car a shiny paint job with some Glossy Accents. To carry on the car theme, I embossed some (British Racing) green Core'Dinations card using my Cuttlebug 'Diamond Plate' folder...then lightly sanded over the surface. I distressed the edges a little, then added a button on some twine.

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

• Just Some Lines - Inspired by a Song (Mine's 'Driving Along in my Automobile') 
• Pollycraft - Boys 

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

Witchy Mouse

I have a Hallowe'en card for you today...using another of the stamps from the 'Don't be Scared' set by Penny Black. I used a Cuttlebug folder (the pumpkins one) and a Tim Holtlz folder (the tet one) for the embossing...sanded over the top, then distressed the edges a little.

Challenges for this card:

• Crafty Calendar - Spooky 
• Creative Card Crew - Spooky Fun
• Cupcake Crafts - Hallowe'en 
• Everybody Art - Hallowe'en
• Fussy & Fancy - Hallowe'en
• One Stitch at a Time - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp - Hallowe'en or Goth
• Stamptacular Sunday - Distressing

Hedgie Hearts

A clean & simple card today...I stamped some hedgehogs from the 'Every Which Way' set by Penny Black across the centre of my card, and coloured them using watercolour pencils. I added Glossy Accents to their hearts, and a sentiment from the same set.

Challenges for this card:

• Creative Inspirations - One Layer Cards
• Less is More - One Layer Card with Hearts 
• Lollipop Crafts - Critters 
• Simply Create - Older than 6 Months (I've had this stamp set since it came out...probably 3 years)

ABC Christmas Challenge - U is for...

ABC Christmas Challenge...I'm the host this time...and I have a great theme for you:

'U is for Unused Stash'

We want to you use something that you haven't used before on your projects this time...it can be something you've been saving for a special card...you know...only taking it out occasionally to admire/stroke...or something you've just bought...there are lots of lovely new Christmas collections being released at the moment...or maybe there's something in your stash that you have for absolutely ages but have never got around to using...now is your chance!

We have two fabulous sponsors for this challenge...as it's our first challenge of the month, we have Simon Says Stamp:

The prize is a $15 gift certificate to spend in the amazing Simon Says Stamp store!

And...if that's not enough...we are excited to welcome a new sponsor to our challenges...Bugaboo Stamps!

The prize from Bugaboo Stamps is 7 free digis of the winner's choice...wowee!!!

 Ok, so on to my DT card...my  'Unused Stash' is a paper pack that came free with a craft magazine last month, and a stamp from a set I won on Totally Papercrafts a couple of weeks ago:

I also used a previously unused image from our sponsor Bugaboo, called 'Snowman Bells', that I'd got when he a was a freebie last year...I printed him our absolutely ages ago...but this is the first time I've used him. I coloured him using watercolour pencils to match the My Mind's Eye papers, then simply matted everything on to red Core'Dinations card. I cut the circles using my Nesties, and used my EK Success 'Scalloped Diamonds' punch for the border.

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

• Wild Rose Studio - Festive Frolics Blog Hop

For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies...and some wonderful guest designers from  Bugaboo Stamps and some winners from Feline Playful's Big Blog Party, please pop over to the ABC Christmas Challenge.

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

Let It Snow!

Another Christmas card today, I'm afraid...although my pile is growing nicely, I still need to keep cracking on with them. I've used an adorable Lili of the Valley James the Bear image called 'In the Snow', which I coloured using watercolour pencils. I embossed some blue Core'Dinations card using my Cuttlebug 'Snowflakes' and 'Ice Crystal' folders, sanding over it to reveal the core...then lightly distressed the edges with my distressing tool. I used my EK Success 'Scalloped Diamonds' punch for the border, and cut the snowflake using my Cuttlebug 'Ice Crystal' die...it's held in place with an American Crafts sparkly brad.

Challenges for this card:

• Allsorts - Bear with us
• Crafty Ann's - Christmas Song (Mine's 'Let It Snow!')
• Lili of the Valley - Let It Snow
• Paper Sundaes - Favourite Colour Combo (Mine's Blue & Brown)
• Ready Teddy Go - Punches (I used an EK Success punch for the scalloped border)
• Truly Scrumptious - Distressing

Pile It On! Challenge - Just Because

The theme of this week's Pile It On! Challenge is:

'Just Because'

Our sponsor for this challenge is Nikki Sivils

We were sent some Nikki Sivils papers and bits'n'bobs to play with...I got some yummy ones from the 'Tree Love' collection. I decided to cut out some of the elements from the papers to create a 'scene'. The sentiment was made using some of the stickers in the kit...and that's it...not much else to tell.

Here are the challenges I've piled on:

• Pile It On! - Just Because
• For Fun - Leaves
• Moving Along with the Times - Autumn Leaves
• One Stop Craft - Anything Goes
• PaperPlay - Autumn Colours
• Stampavie & More - Autumn

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

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

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

*************************************

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.

Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Age is just a number

This week at the Penny Black Saturday Challenge, we're celebrating our lovely DT buddy Nat's 21st Birthday...so our theme is:

'Age is just a number'

(We'd like to see projects with numbers on them)

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 'Hello Friend' set, which I coloured using watercolour pencils, adding Glossy Accents to the balloons. The papers and die cut numbers are by We R Memory Keepers from the 'Hippity Hoppity' and '72 and Sunny' pads. I cut the star using one of my Nesties, added a few BasicGrey brads, and a sentiment from the 'Anytime Messages' set by Hero Arts.

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

• C.R.A.F.T. - Bright Colours
• Fab 'n' Funky - Die Cuts or Punches
• Raise the Bar - Furry Friends

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

Little Shepherd

After a brief interruption...I'm back with another Christmas card...there'll be quite a lot again this week! I've used an image sent to me by my lovely ABC Christmas Challenge DT buddy Lacey, called 'Noel Little Shepherd' by Sarah Kay (Stampavie). The papers are from the 'Festive Frost' collection by My Mind's Eye, the sentiment stamp is from a Lili of the Valley set, and the star was cut using one of my star Nesties. I distressed all of the edges using 'Old Paper' & 'Pumice Stone' distress inks, and my distressing tool,...then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee bug and a white gel pen.

Challenges for this card:

• Bah! Humbug! - Nativity
• Christmas Challenges (with sketches)  - Sketch
• Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas - For a Male
• Paper Sundaes - Lots of layers
• Sparkles Christmas - Christmas Songs (While shepherds watched their flocks by night)

Blue Butterflies

I have a card for this week's Less is More challenge today...where the theme is to use your eye colour. My eyes are mostly blue...with a little bit of green in the middle...so I've chosen to use a couple of shades of greenish blue...aqua & teal. I was lucky to win a prize from Totally Papercrafts a week or so ago, that had been donated by Lady LIM Mandi...and included with the fab set of stamps and yummy papers, were some punched (?) and embossed butterflies. So, taking those as my starting point, I embossed some Core'Dinations card with a Craft Concepts 'Butterflies' folder, then lightly sanded over the suface. I cut it into three squares, mounted them on to my card (I think I've used a sketch layout from a previous LIM challenge!) using 3D foam, then popped the butterflies on top...adding some adhesive pearls for their bodies. The stamped sentiment is from the 'Heartfelt Messages' set by Hero Arts.

Here's a view showing the dimension:

Challenges for this card:

• Flutterby Wednesdays - Open
• Hero Arts - World Cardmaking Day Candy
• Less is More - Use your eye colour
• PaperPlay - White plus one other colour (Mine's blue)
• Squiggles & Giggles - Thanks

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - Hallowe'en

Please scroll down for my Penny Black Saturday Challenge DT card

**************************************

 
This week, it's Kate's turn to set the Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge...and the theme she has chosen is:

'Hallowe'en'

I've used another stamp from the 'Don't be scared' set by Penny Black that I've been waiting patiently to use ever since I bought them in the sales after last Christmas. I think I must have gone a bit 'Hallowe'en' mad in those sales...as that's also when I bought the embossing folders! The one covered in sweets is from a set by Cuttlebug, and the spider's web one is a by Tim Holtz...I sanded over it to make it look more like a web.

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

• Crazy - Three Colours (Purple, Orange & Black)
• Moving Along with the Times - Spooky Hallowe'en Cards
• Papercrafting Journey - Die cuts/Punches (I used my Nesties) 
• Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes

For more inspiration from my lovely DT buddies...including our new members Linda and Janet...please stop by the Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge.

 There's exciting news on the Secret Crafter front...Wendy is having a  'Dabble Day' next month (November 19th)...where you'll have the opportunity to try some new techniques and get ahead for Christmas...you can find full details here.

Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Down on the Farm

Woo-hoo!!! It's the weekend...and the sun has got his hat on...even better than that...it's Penny Black Saturday Challenge time!!! Our theme this week is:

'Down on the Farm'

We have two sponsors for this challenge:

From Penny Black:

And from the Ribbon Girl:

I've used '...to you!' as the image on my card...I love the expression on the cow's face...and the Penny Black chickens always make me smile! As the image is quite large, I kept the rest of the card quite simple...the papers are from the '72 and Sunny' pad by We R Memory Keepers, and I added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a white gel pen.

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

• Crafty Catz - Things with Wings
• Crop Stop - Stamp your Sentiment
• Cute Card Thursday - Animal Crackers
• Sketchy Thursday - Sketch
• Totally Stampalicious - Wings

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