ABC Christmas Challenge - P, Q & R are for?

We have another fun ABC Christmas Challenge starting today...I'm the host, and we have three fantastic themes this month:

'P is for Penguins'

'Q is for Quarters'

&

'R is for Reindeer'

There are three prizes on offer for three lucky winner (three 6x6 paper pads):

I made a card for each of the three themes (the more cards for the box the better!), and picked a cute Lili of the Valley penguin stamp called 'Present Pile for my first card. I coloured the image using watercolour pencils, added a sentiment (from a set by Pollycraft for C.C.Designs) and a simple doodled border, then simply popped it on to my card blank using 3D foam pads.

For my second card, I divided my background into quarters...using squares of papers from the 'Ho Ho Ho' pad by Polkadoodles...with a little bit of faux stitching added using my CutterBug and a black gel pen. The image and sentiment stamps are from the 'Christmas Hugs' set by Penny Black...and is again coloured using watercolour pencils.

My third card feature another Penny Black image...called 'Deer in Skates'...I stamped it directly on to a kraft card blank, along with a sentiment (from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous), then coloured it using watercolour pencils, but without any water.

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

• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Crimbo Crackers - Anything Christmas Goes
• Happy Little Stampers (Christmas) - Anything Christmas Goes
• Merry Little Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

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

Cat Nap

Today's card was a really quick make.. I found the image ('Cat Nap' by Penny Black) in my box of already stamped images, so I added a sentiment (from the 'Sending Sunshine' set by Simon Says Stamp), and coloured it using watercolour pencils. I trimmed it down to a square, added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen, then added it to my card blank using 3D foam pads.

Challenges for this card:

• AAA Cards - Made in Minute (Optional Summer)
• Catch the Bug - Anything Goes
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Bright & Cheerful
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• Time Out - Relaxation

PBSC August - Anything Goes (Optional 'Water and/or Watercolour')

It's the first Saturday of the month, so that means it's time for a new Penny Black Saturday Challenge...where the theme is:

'Anything Goes'
or
'Water and/or Watercolour'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I went with a mixture of water and watercolours...along with some of the frogs from the 'Toadily' set. I stamped the frogs on to some watercolour paper, coloured them using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut them out. I made a simple watercoloured background using Distress Inks (Stormy Sky, Faded Jeans, Mermaid Lagoon, Pine Needles & Forest Moss) on damp watercolour paper...I was aiming to create a sort of riverbank effect. I then added my frogs over the top using 3D foam pads.

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

• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything Goes
• Crafting with an Attitude - Anything Goes
• Cute Card Thursday - Anything Goes
• Happy Little Stampers (Watercolour) - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Bright & Cheerful
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes

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

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

Polar Pals

I have another Christmas card to share today...this time featuring a cute Lili of the Valley image called 'Polar Pals'. I coloured the image using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut around the top. I made a simple snowy background by heat embossing my Simon Says Stamp 'Falling Snow' background stamp using 'Sparkling Snow' embossing glitter by WOW on to a snippet of navy card. I added my coloured image over the top, then matted it on to a snippet of red card. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous.

Challenges for this card:

• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Cute Card Thursday - No Patterned Papers
• Daring Cardmakers - Whatever the Weather
• Dream Valley - Christmas in July
• The Holly & the Ivy - Anything Christmas Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Roocat Sliding

Today's card features a really old digi image by Prairie Fairy called 'Roocat Sliding', which I coloured using watercolour pencils. The papers are from the 'Bundled Up' pad by Crate Paper...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 'Tattered Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for  Stampers Anonymous.

Challenges for this card:

• Cardz for Guyz - Transport
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge - Anything Goes
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• My Time to Craft - Christmas in July
• Rudolph Days - Anything Christmas Goes

Happy Bark-day!

Today's card features another of the pups from the 'Good Times' set by Penny Black. I coloured him using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut him out. I added a tiny snippet of patterned paper (from the 'Yours Truly' pad by Pebbles Inc) along the bottom of card blank...with a little bit of distressing and some faux stitching, then popped the pop on top using some 3D foam pads. The sentiment is from the 'Birthday Buddies' set by Paper Smooches.

Challenges for this card:

• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Creative Knockouts - Sew It Up
• Little Red Wagon - Dogs
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes

Sketched Flowers

I have another one layer card to share today featuring a gorgeous floral stamp by Simon Says Stamp called 'Sketched Flowers' I stamped it on to a kraft card blank, along with one of the sentiments from the set, then coloured the flowers using watercolour pencils, but without any water.

Challenges for this card:

• Crafty Creations - Anything Goes
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Creative Moments - Anything Goes
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Stamping Sensations - Flowers
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Diggin' Squirrel

Today's card couldn't be any simpler. It's a one layer number, with lots of white space on account of the tiny stamped image called 'Diggin' Squirrel' by Penny Black. It's a really old wood mounted stamp that I found in a charity shop a little white ago...I can't find it online anywhere, but it's by Michael Woodward Creations with a catalogue number of 369C on it. I stamped it directly on to my card blank, along with a sentiment from the 'Micey Nice Day' set (also by Penny Black), then coloured the image using watercolour pencils.

Challenges for this card:

• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything Goes
• AAA Cards - One Image
• Less is More - Small Images

Pile It On! Challenge - Boys and/or Girls of Summer or Winter

It's the third Sunday of the month, so I'm back with some more inspiration for this month's Pile It On! Challenge where the themes are:

'Boys of Summer or Winter'
and/or
'Girls of Summer or Winter'

Our sponsor this month is Crafty Sentiments Designs:

Prize - 3 Digital Images of the Winner's Choice!

Having used one of the boys from the 'Christmas Kids' sheet of pre-coloured images sheet on my first card for this month's challenge, I thought I'd use one of the girls for my second card...adding a touch of sparkle to the snow and the furry trim on her hat and coat with some Stickles. I paired her with papers from the 'Candy Cane' pad by Craftwork Cards...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've piled on:

• Pile It On! - Boys and/or Girls of Summer or Winter
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes (Optional 'Christmas in July')
• Crafty Friends - Two or More Patterned Papers
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Cutie Pie - Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Little Red Wagon - Sew/Stitch It
• My Time to Craft - Check It Out
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes

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

PBSC July - Anything Goes (Optional 'Food and/or Drink')...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
'Food and/or Drink'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

My card is a really simple one, featuring one of the pups from the 'Good Times!' set. I coloured him using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut him out adding him to my card blank using 3D foam pads. The snippet of stripey paper is from the 'Bright Freshness' pad by Craft Sensations, and the sentiment stamp is from the 'Birthday Buddies' pad by Paper Smooches.

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

• Animal Friends - Dogs
• As You Like It - Favourite Bird or Beast (Definitely beast...and my favourite of those would be dogs! I have a bird phobia, although that doesn't extend to bird stamps, but you can never be too sure!)
• Seize the Birthday - Anything Birthday
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Animal Magic

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

White on White Winter Wonderland

I have a Christmas card to share today...made using snippets of white card. I cut a couple of circles using one of my Nesties, then embossed one of them using a Tim Holtz/Sizzix folder called 'Snowfall'. I used a Poppy Stamps die called 'Pine Tree Border' on the other to cut a row of trees, then distressed the edges a little. I mounted the trees on top of the snowy background using some 3D foam pads, then added it to my card blank. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous.

Challenges for this card:

• AAA Cards - Max White Space (Optional Christmas in July)
• C.R.A.F.T. - Christmas
• Craft Catz - Anything Goes
• Crafty Sentiments - Christmas in July
• Crimbo Crackers - Anything Christmas Goes
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Shopping Our Stash - Christmas in July
• Sparkles Forum Christmas - Include a Tree

Burst into Bloom

I have a simple one layer birthday card to share today...featuring a Woodware stamp called 'Burst into Bloom'. I stamped it on on to a kraft card blank using Versamark Ink, then heat embossed it in white, along with a sentiment from the 'Fabulous Birthday' set by Hero Arts. I coloured the flowers using watercolour pencils...but without adding water.

Challenges for this card:

• A Bit More Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• Corrosive - Anything Goes
• Crafting with an Attitude - Anything Goes
• Creatalicious - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Stamping Sensations - Flowers
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Burgundy & Gold Snowflakes

I have a Christmas card to share today...in a colour combination I don't use very often...burgundy and gold. I trimmed an A4 piece of card down to make a DL sized card, and then cut snowflake shapes into the offcut using some of the 'Mini Paper Snowflakes' dies. I added a sentiment from a Ranger set called 'Letter It - Christmas'...heat embossing it using 'Metallic Gold Sparkle' powder by WOW. I mounted it over a snippet of god glitter card using some 3D foam pads, then matted it on to a piece of gold mirror card.

Challenges for this card:

• CAS Christmas - Snowflake
• Crafty hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Crazy 4 Challenges - Christmas in July
• Cut It Up - Christmas in July
• Little Red Wagon - Christmas
• Happy Little Stampers (CAS) - Use Negative Space
• Happy Little Stampers (Christmas) - Anything Christmas Goes (Optional 'Sparkle')
• Happy Little Stampers (Dies) - Anything Goes with Dies

Duckie Flying Kite

I have an ultra simple one layer card to share today...featuring an old, and very much neglected, High Hope stamp called 'Duckie Flying Kite'. I stamped it along with a sentiment from the 'Birthday Buddies' set by Paper Smooches directly on to my card blank, then coloured the image using watercolour pencils.

Challenges for this card:

• Allsorts - CAS
• Happy Little Stampers (Watercolour) - Anything Goes (Optional Wings)
• Inkspirational - Photo Inspiration (Kites & Rainbows)
• Less is More - Celebrations 
• Shopping Our Stash - One Layer Cards

James Laptop

I have a birthday card to share today that features another image that was sent to me absolutely ages ago in a swap...a quick Google tells me that he's 'James the Bear - Laptop' by Lili of the Valley. I coloured him using watercolour pencils, then added a sentiment (from the 'Butterfly Birthday' set by Happy Little Stampers). I paired him with some snippets of papers from the 'Prince Charming' pad (by Recollections/Michaels)...distressing all of the edges before adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

Challenges for this card:

• Always Fun - Anything Goes
• Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes
• Crafty Creations - Anything Goes
• Crafty Friends - Things Beginning with B (Bear, Blue & Brown)
• Crafty Sentiments - Add a Sentiment
• Creative Moments - Anything Goes
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Moving Along with the Times - Stars & Stripes
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets
• The Sisterhood of Crafters - Birthdays
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Pile It On! Challenge - Boys of Summer or Winter

We have a fun new Pile It On! Challenge starting today...and the theme is:

'Boys of Summer or Winter'

Our sponsor this month is Crafty Sentiments Designs:

Prize - 3 Digital Images of the Winner's Choice!

I really struggled with this theme...I don't really have that many stamps with people on...and very, very few with boys...but after a rummage through my stash I came across a sheet of Lili of the valley pre-coloured die cut images called 'Christmas Kids' that had one image with a boy left on it - perfect! As Christmas is in Winter for me...I'm going for 'Boys of Winter'...although you can't really tell what season it is from the image as he's cosied up indoors sleeping off his Christmas dinner! I paired it with papers by Craftwork Cards...from the 'Mistletoe' and 'Festive Chalkboard' pads. I distressed all of the edges, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

Here are the challenges I've piled on:

• Pile It On! - Boys of Summer or Winter
• Cards Galore Encore - Anything Goes
• Crafty Calendar - Christmas in July
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes (Optional 'For a Man or Boy')
• Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - Anything Goes
• Creatalicious - Anything Goes (Optional 'Use Two or More Design Papers')
• Creative Inspirations - Anything Goes
• Crimbo Crackers - Anything Christmas Goes
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Love to Scrap - Anything Goes
• Simply Create Too - Anything Goes (Optional Use Patterned Papers)
• The Male Room - Multiple Layers

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

PBSC July - Anything Goes (Optional 'Food and/or Drink')!

It's the first Saturday of the month, so that means it's time for a new Penny Black Saturday Challenge...where the theme is:

'Anything Goes'
or
'Food and/or Drink'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I picked an image from the the 'Micey Day' set...of two wee mice making breakfast - I don't know how they're going to get those slices of toast out of the toaster! I stamped it on to some watercolour paper, coloured it using watercolour pencils, then added one of the sentiments from the set. I added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen, then mounted the panel on to a kraft card blank.

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

• Cute Card Thursday - Anything Goes
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes

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

ABC Christmas Challenge - N & O are for?

It's the first Wednesday of the month, so we have another fun ABC Christmas Challenge starting today...Samantha is the host, and we have two lovely themes:

'N is for No Peeking!'

and

'O is for Ornaments'

Samantha has a special birthday later this month...and she is celebrating with us and is very generously offering eight(!!!) prizes for eight(!!!) lucky winners:

I couldn't resist using this adorable Penny Black hedgie image for my 'No peeking!' card...he's called 'Hide-out'...and it's a good job there's not a gift underneath that box! I coloured him using watercolour pencils, then doodled a simple border using a black gel pen. The paper is from the 'Ho Ho Ho Christmas' pad by Polkadoodles, and the sentiment stamp is from a set by Lili of the Valley.

For my 'O is for Ornaments' card, I used an Indigo Blu stamp called 'Connor's Crown Jewels. I stamped it on to a piece of teal card using Versamark Ink, then used 'Sparkling Snow' embossing glitter by WOW around the edge, and 'Metallic Gold Sparkle' embossing glitter (also by WOW) over the centre portion of the image. I trimmed the panel down, then matted it on to a piece of gold glitter card, and then on to a card blank made from the same teal card.

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

• Merry Little Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

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

Sending All My Love

Today's card features a background I made using a snippet watercolour paper left over from making this card last year that I'd 'smooshed' with various pink and red Distress Inks. I stamped on to it using a stamp found in a charity shop...'Heart Striplet' by Creative Expressions. I used it as a background for a cute little cat image from the 'Every Which Way' set by Penny Black. I coloured the image using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut it out. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Sending Sunshine' set by Simon Says Stamp.

Challenges for this card:

• A Bit More Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• A Perfect Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Make Your Own Background
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes