Fluffy Wabbit!

I have a little Easter gift bag to show you today...perfect for filling some choccie treats! The paper bag is from Hobbycraft...I use a cute Pollycraft image called 'Fluffy Wabbit' - love his sock ears! For the background, I embossed some plain card using my Cuttlebug 'Swiss Dots' & 'Spots & Dots', and Sizzix 'Plaid' folders...doodling borders around the edges. The sentiment stamp is by Hero Arts.

Challenges for this bag:

• Aud Sentiments - Easter
• C.R.A.F.T. - Easter/Spring
• Created with Love - Anything Goes
• Hotshot Craft - Not a Card
• Kaboodles Doodles - Anything but a Card
• Sunday Sketch & Stamp - Sketch

ABC Christmas Challenge - E is for...

This fortnight's ABC Christmas Challenge is hosted by Annette...and the theme is:

'Eyes down for Bingo!'

Simply pick a row or column...go corner to corner...or go mad and use them all!

We have two wonderful sponsors for this challenge:

Stamp Fairy

And the fabulous prize:

and

Shape EZ:

I picked the bottom row (Ribbon-Animal-Die Cuts) and used an adorable Stamp Fairy bear image called 'Barry Winter - Skis' for my card. I coloured him using watercolour pencils, then added some Stickles to the snow. I embossed some Core'dinations card using my Cuttlebug 'Snowflakes' folder, then sanded over the top alittle to reveal the core. I distressed all of the edges, added some spotty ribbon (from Hobbycraft absolutely ages ago!) and some die cut snowflakes (Marianne Designs and Cuttlebug dies.

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

• Christmas Cards - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Ribbon
• Crafty Ribbons - Use Ribbon
• My Time to Craft - Embossing
• Sweet Stampin' - Embossing
• Winter Wonderland - Bears

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

Oldie but a Goodie - Feeling Floral

It's my turn to choose the theme of the new Oldie but a Goodie Challenge, and I have gone for:

'Feeling Floral'

The prize for this challenge is some yummy hand-made flowers:

I've used a rather neglected floral stamp on my card...'Irises' by Penny Black...which I stamped using the watercolour technique with a couple of Distress Inks (Dusty Concord & Forest Moss). I stamped my Hero Arts 'Music Background' stamp over the top in 'Old Paper'...removing some of the ink before stamping for a distressed effect, then blended some more 'Old Paper' ink around the edges. I added a sentiment (from the 'Wonderful' set by Penny Black, then distressed the edges a little with my distressing tool. The adhesive pearls are from Wild Orchid Crafts.

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

• CAS-ual Fridays - Stamp Your Own Background
• Crafty Ann's - The Sound of Music
• Drunken Stampers - The Sound of Music

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

Guess!

I have a birthday card using a Penny Black stamp (called 'Guess') that I bought in the post-Christmas sales...so cute! The papers are from the 'Tea Party' set by Dovecraft...I distressed the edges a little, then added faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Anytime Messages' set by Hero Arts, the Baker's Twine is from the Ribbon Girl, and the button is from my stash.

Challenges for this card:

• Craft Us Crazy - Anything Goes 
• Creative Inspirations - Buttons & Bows
• Fab 'n' Funky - Pastels
• Gem of a Challenge - Button It
• One Crazy Stamper - Anything Goes
• Ribbon Girls - Add Ribbon or Twine
• Sisterhood of Crafters - Birthdays
• Stamping with the Dragon - Anything Goes
• Totally Gorjuss - Anything Goes with Pink

Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Spring into Spring

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

'Spring into Spring!'

As usual, we have some fabulous prizes on offer from our wonderful sponsors:

$20 voucher

I've used 'bun buns' to make an Easter card...colouring the bunnies to match the 'Hippity Hoppity' papers (by We R Memory Keepers) that I've used. The little strip of glittery eggs is from of the sheets of papers...I cut it out and mounted it on 3D foam. I distressed the edges of the papers a little, then added faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

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

• 4 Crafty Chicks - Stitching
• Created with Love - Bright & Cheery
• Cute Card Thursday - Something Old (The papers are at least 3 years old)
• Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes

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

Inclinations

I have another holey card for Less is More today...I made the stamped panel over half-term, intending to use it on my Mother's Day card...but it looked too much like it should be on a sympathy card by the time I'd finished...so I scrapped that idea! The stamp is 'Inclinations' by Penny Black - I stamped and embossed it before blending various shades of blue Distress Inks over the top (Chipped Saphire, Stormy Sky, Faded Jeans, Tumbled Glass & Salty Ocean). I pierced the holes at the corners using my Dovecraft ruler with it's handy guide holes, and added a sentiment from the 'Mini Messages' set by Hero Arts.

Challenges for this card:

• Less is More - Paper Piercing
• Pink Elephant - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes

ABC Christmas Challenge - D is for...

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

'D is for Designer Paper'

Simply use some patterned paper on your Christmas project.

We have two wonderful sponsors for this challenge:

QKR Stampede:

Prize: 5 Digital Images of the winner's choice

And our very own Lacey's store,

Stamp & Create:

Prize: A $25 Gift Voucher to spend at Stamp & Create!

I've used a Lili of the Valley James the Bear stamp on my card...this one is called 'Present Pile'...I coloured him using watercolour pencils. The papers are from the 'Eskimo Kisses' collection by BasicGrey...I distressed the edges, then added faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. I used my Nesties to cut out the image, and my EK Success 'Scalloped Diamonds' punch for the scalloped border.

I'

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

• BasicGrey - Anything Goes
• Crafty Catz - Dies & Punches
• Forever Friends - Bears
• Sunday Sketch & Stamp - Sketch

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

Cute & Cuddly

As a complete contrast to yesterday's bright card, I have something a lot calmer to share today. One of my friends is expecting her first baby at the beginning of April, and a baby shower is being thrown for her next Sunday, so I've made a card to go with my gift. The image is 'Cute & Cuddly' by Sugar Nellie, which I coloured using watercolour pencils, and the sentiment stamp is from a set by Art Impressions. I pierced the holes all around the edge using the piercing guide on a Dovecraft ruler, then mounted the image on 3D foam.

Challenges for this card:

• Cute Card Thursday - Simplify
• Less is More - Paper Piercing
• Sugar Bowl - Amything Goes
• Totally Gorjuss - Happy

Pile It On! Challenge - Sunshine

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

'Sunshine'

We are sponsored for this challenge by:

MilkCoffee

Prize - 5 digis of the winner's choice

The image I've used is 'Catnap' by Penny Black...I picked this up in the post-Christmas sales thinking it would be summer before I got to use it...but our 'sunhine' themed challenge seemed like the perfect excuse to ink it up! The papers are from the '72 & Sunny' pad by We R Memory Keepers, the sentiment stamp is from the 'Sending Sunshine' by Simon Says Stamp, the twine is from the Ribbon Girls, and the buttons are from my stash.

Here are the challenges I've piled on:

• Pile It On! - Sunshine
• 4 Crafty Chicks - Twine
• Crafty Ribbons - Buttons
• Gem of a Challenge - Add a Bow
• My Time to Craft - Inspired by a Song ('Bring Me Sunshine')
• Penny's Paper-Crafty - Anything Goes
• Sketch Saturday - Sketch
• Stamp with Fun - Friends

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

Pretty Pastels

Today I have the Mother's Day card that I made for my Mum to give to her Mum. I've used a sweet Penny Black hedgie from the 'Wonderful' set, which I coloured using watercolour pencils. The papers are from the 'Summer Breeze' pad by First Edition - I distressed the edges a little, then added faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Sentiments' set by Hero Arts, and the Card Candi is by Craftwork Cards.

Challenges for this card:

• Allsorts - Animals
• Cutie Pie - Pretty Pastels 
• Inky Chicks - Mother's Day or Birthday
• Kathy's Waffle Sketch File - Sketch
• Simply Create Too - Mother's Day
• Stampin' for the Weekend - Distressing
• Sweet Stampin' - Mother's Day

Agapanthus Clusters

I have a flowery card for you today...using a favourite of mine 'Agapanthus Clusters' by Stampendous. I stamped it in Distress Inks (Dusty Concord and Bundled Sage) using the watercolour technique. For the background, I used Distress Core'dinations card in the same two colours...stamping Penny Black 'Circles & Lines' on to Dusty Concord card in Dusty Concord ink...and Hero Arts 'Scattered Dots' on to the Bundled Sage card in...yes...Bundled Sage ink. The purple lace was a gift from my lovely friend Samantha...and the sentiment stamp is from the Hero Arts 'Cupcakes' set. I inked around all of the edges with some 'Pumice Stone' Distress Ink, and added a few adhesive pearls.

Challenges for this card:

• Bunny Zoe's Monthly - Flowers & Pearls
• Crafty Cardmakers - Blooming Images
• Creative Card Crew - Birthdays
• Creative Inspirations - Anything Goes
• Fab 'n' Funky - Flower Power
• Sketchy Colours - Green, Lilac & White

Butterflies...

Something a little bit fresh and springy today to try and banish the winter cold! I've used stamps from the 'Social Butterfly' set by Penny Black stamped in Distress Inks (Milled Lavender, Scattered Straw, Tattered Rose, Bundled Sage and Tumbled Glass), with a Hero Arts sentiment (from the 'Sentiments' set) stamped over the top...simples!

Challenges for this card:

• Allsorts - Things with Wings
• Created with Love - Things that Fly
• Daring Cardmakers - Butterflies
• Less is More - Up in the Air
• Sweet Stamps - Sweet & Simple

ABC Christmas Challenge - D is for...

This fortnight Carissa is the host over at the ABC Christmas Challenge, where our theme is:

'D is for Designer Paper'

Simply use some patterned paper on your Christmas project.

We have two wonderful sponsors for this challenge:

QKR Stampede:

Prize: 5 Digital Images of the winner's choice

And our very own Lacey's store,

Stamp & Create:

Prize: A $25 Gift Voucher to spend at Stamp & Create!

I've used an adorable Penny Black image on my card (from the 'Jolly Friends' set), along with papers from the 'Winter Wonderland' pad by My Mind's Eye (available here at Lacey's Stamp & Create store). The ribbon is from the 'Tea Party' collection by Dovecraft, the sentiment is from a set by Lili of the Valley, and the snowflakes were cut using Marianne Designs and Cuttlebug dies.

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

• Christmas at Sweet Stampin' - Snowflakes
• C.R.A.F.T. - Christmas
• Craft Your Passion - Glitter
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Snow
• Critter - Snowflakes
• Love to Create - Glitter
• Loves Rubber Stamps - Lots of Layers
• Seems a Little Sketchy - Sketch
• Stampavie & More - Lots of Layers
• Winter Wonderland - Christmas

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

Oldie but a Goodie Challenge - Bright Colours

This fortnight, the theme for our challenge over at Oldie but a Goodie is:

'Bright Colours'

Our sponsor for this challenge is Iva Nova Chest

I've used some brightly coloured papers (from the 'Hippity Hoppity' pad by We R Memory Keepers), and a Penny Black stamp (called 'Spring Chick') to make my first Easter card of the year. I doodled some borders, using a black gel pen, added a sentiment (also a Penny Black stamp), and some little flowers (from Poppicrafts...which closed several years ago, so that shows you how long they've been residing in my stash!) held in place with some teeny tiny BasicGrey brads.

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

• Challenges4Everybody - Anything Goes
• Craft Us Crazy - Favourites (My favourites are: Penny Black Stamps; Spotty Papers; Kraft Card Blanks; & Doodling)
• Forever Friends (Monthly) - Animals, Butterflies & Birds
• Paper Playtine - Sentiment Stamps
• Raise the Bar - Anything Goes
• Stamp & Create - Spring is Coming

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

White Wedding

I have a wedding card to show you today...I love making them in all white...and they always seem to give my Cuttlebug a good workout! I used my Cuttlebug 'Victoria' and Craft Concepts 'Gem Flourish' folders for the embossing...and cut the hearts using my Cuttlebug 'Concentric Hearts' die, and the flowers using a die from my Cuttlebug 'Olivia' alphabet...adding little pearls to their centres. The sentiment is from the 'Sending Sunshine' set by Simon Says Stamp. I inked the edges of everything using a little 'Pumice Stone' Distress Ink...as much as I love all white cards, even if you pop the layers up on 3D foam, everything still has a tendency to blend in together, and this just helps make the edges just a little more distinct without really adding any 'colour'.

Challenges for this card:

• 2 Sisters - Love or Valentine's
• Crafty Ann's - Love
• Crafty Catz - Bingo (I used the diagonal line of: Embossing-Dies or Punches-Flowers)
• Crafty Creations - Love/Hearts
• Gem of a Challenge - Dies/Punches
• Hiding in my Craft Room - Embossing
• Love to Create - Love
• Moving Along with the Times - Love is in the Air
• Papertake Weekly - Hearts & Flowers
• Pink Elephant - Love
• Simon Says Stamp - White on White
• Squirrel & the Fox - Love
• Top Tip Tuesday - Romance & Hearts
• Wags 'N Whiskers - Love

Up, Up & Away!

It's finally half-term...so I'm starting as I mean to go on...with a little bit of crafting! I realised that I hadn't made a birthday card in a few weeks, so made a quick one for this week's Less is More's 'Up in the Air' challenge. I stamped the cat (from the 'Hello Friend' set by Penny Black) on to the blue spotty paper (from an un-named Heidi Grace pad), then again on to white card so that I could colour the balloons and cat, cut them out and layer them over the top...thus avoiding having to cut out all of the furry edges and whiskers! The clouds were cut using a Memory Box die ('Puffy Clouds') and the sentiment is Hero Arts (from the 'Anytime Messages' set).

Challenges for this card:

• Card Makin' Mamas - Birthday
• Charisma Cardz - Anything Goes
• Less is More - Up in the Air
• Shopping Our Stash - Birthday
• Totally Papercrafts - Pets

ABC Christmas Challenge - C is for...

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

'CASE One of Us'

(CASE = Copy & Selectively Edit) 

We are sponsored for this challenge by:

Prize - 2 Images from the Saturated Canary Shop!

This time I CASED Carissa's card from the U is for Up to You challenge.

I used a different Lili of the Valley James the Bear (shhhh...I cheated and used a pre-coloured die cut, but did add lashings of gold Stickles to his star), but kept the layout (although omitting a sentiment) and colour the same. My papers are from a Kaisercraft set that came free with a craft mag a few months ago...instead of matting them on to red card, I distressed the edges, then added faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen for a little definition.

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

• Forever Friends (Fortnightly) - Anything Goes
• Sparkles Christmas - Anything Goes

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