Perfect Petals

Today's card is inspired by the current Less is More Challenge, where the theme this fortnight is to CASE this fabulous card by Aileen:

I don't usually attempt CASE challenges...but was drawn in by the beautiful blues and took inspiration from the layout, blue flowers & silver sentiment...I probably would have added some sequins too, but I'm away from home at the moment and only have limited supplies with me. I started by stamping my Woodware 'Perfect Petals' stamp on to some watercolour paper using 'Onyx Black' Versafine Ink...I then heat embossed it using clear powder...I wanted to colour it straight away, and this also gives the added bonus of providing a slightly raised edge which is helpful for stopping your watercolouring from spreading! I watercoloured the flowers using a few shades of blue Distress Ink
(Broken China, Salty Ocean & Tumbled Glass), then used a silver gel pen to colour their centres. Once the flowers had dried, I went over the three largest ones with a clear Wink of Stella pen to give them some sparkle. I heat embossed a sentiment (from a set that came free with a magazine) using 'Metallic Silver Sparkle' embossing glitter by WOW, then added a pierced border using one of my CutterBee Bugs.

Challenges for this card:

• Artistic Inspirations - Anything Goes
• Heartful Stamping - Anything Goes
• Less is More - CASE Card
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• Stamps + Fun = Creativity - Clean & Simple

House Mouse & Friends Challenge - Guest Designer

I was the lucky winner of a House Mouse & Friends Challenge last month, and as well as a super cute Happy Hopper stamp, part of my prize was a guest designer stint with the challenge!

The fortnightly challenges are always 'Anything Goes'...but if you want more of a challenge, there's an optional theme, which this time is:

'Multiple Images'

I couldn't resist using the Happy Hopper stamp I'd won on my card...he's called 'Great Catch'...and I coloured him using watercolour pencils. I paired him with some papers from the 'Recollections - Awesome Boy' pad by Michaels (found at TK Maxx). I distressed all of the edges, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Big Massages' set by Paula Pascual.

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

• Creative Knockouts - Outside Fun
• Naughty or Nice - Pick An Old Challenge (I chose #5 - For the men)
• Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes

For more inspiration from the fabulous design team, please pop over to the House Mouse & Friends Challenge.

Pile It On! Challenge - Think Small

It's the first Sunday of a new month, so that means we have a fun new Pile It On! Challenge starting today. The theme this month is:

'Think Small'

Our sponsor for this challenge is A Day for Daisies:

Prize - 3 Images of the Winner's Choice!

I picked some small images from the 'Birthday Buddies' set by paper Smooches', and made a set of small cards (4x4). I coloured the images using watercolour pencils, then cut them out using one of my circle Nesties. I cut squares of brightly coloured card, added them to my card bases, then stamped the matching sentiments from the stamp set. I found some small snippets of paper (from the 'Happy Day' pad by My Mind's Eye), doodled some simple borders around everything then assembled the cards.

Here are the challenges I've piled on:

• Pile It On! - Think Small
• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything Goes
• A Bit More Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• A Perfect Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• Cards Galore Encore - Anything Goes
• Crafting with Friends - Anything Goes
• Crafty Animals - Anything Goes
• Crafty Creations - Anything Goes
• Crafty Girls Creations - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - Anything Goes
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• Simply Papercrafts - Anything Goes

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

Bunny Friends

I have one last Easter treat bag to share today. I used a couple of the bunnies from the 'Bunny Friends' stamp by Penny Black...I love using parts of the larger image (there are five bunnies in total). I coloured the image using watercolour pencils, then cut it out using one of my circle Nesties. The papers are from the 'Recollections - Charming' pad from Michaels (found at TKMaxx). 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 'Egg-cellent Easter Wishes' set by Amy R/C C Designs.

Challenges for this treat bag:

• Aud Sentiments - Easter or Spring Sentiment
• Crafty Cardmakers - Bunnies, Chicks or Eggs
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes 
• Deep Ocean - Easter or Spring
• Fab 'N Funky - Easter
• Little Red Wagon - Hipptiy Hoppity
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes

Good Times!

I have a simple little card to share today using one of the puppies from the 'Good Times!' stamp set by Penny Black, and snippets of paper from the 'Now & Then' pad by My Mind's Eye. I coloured the image using watercolour pencils, then used one of my circle Nesties to cut it out. I trimmed the paper strips to the same length...although they're of varying widths...then distressed all of the edges, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Anytime Messages' set by Hero Arts.

Challenges for this card:

• 4 Crafty Chicks - Anything Goes
• Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Midnight Dream

I have a couple of 'the same, but different' Christmas cards to share today using 'Midnight Dream' embossing glitter by WOW. I stamped a couple of stamps ('Snowy Winter Nights' by Hero Arts, and 'Bethlehem Nights' by Stampendous) using Versamark Ink, then heat embossed them with the glittery powder. I added a sentiment to the Hero Arts scene (from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous), then simply trimmed the images down and matted them on to some navy card before adding them to my card bases.

As with all of the WOW embossing glitters, it's really difficult to get a decent photo, but this colour is a beautiful mix of blue, black and iridescent glitters. Here are a couple of close-ups:

Challenges for these cards:

• Artistic Inspirations - Anything Goes
• Card Mania - Embossing
• Christmas at Sweet Stampin' - Anything Goes
• Christmas Card Throwdown - Embossing
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Goes
• Crimbo Crackers - Anything Goes
• Fab 'N' Funky - Christmas
• Happy Little Stampers (Christmas) - Anything Goes
• Heartful Stamping - Anything Goes
• Rudolph Days - Anything Goes

Totally Excited!

I have another Easter treat bag to share today...this one features a Penny Black chicken stamp called 'Totally Excited', which I coloured using watercolour pencils. I added a sentiment from the 'Egg-cellent Easter Sentiments' set by Amy R/C C Designs, then cut it out using one of my circle Nesties. The papers are from the 'Indie Chic - Nutmeg' pad...I distressed the edges, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

Challenges for this treat bag:

• C.R.A.F.T. - Spring/Easter
• Crafting with Friends - Anything Goes
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes (Easter)
• Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Creative Moments - Anything Goes (Spring)
• Cute Card Thursday - Spring/Easter
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Sweet Stampin' - Easter

Puppy Birthday!

I'm sneaking on before bed with a simple little birthday card...I do still have a couple more Easter treat bags to share, but I'd show you something else today. I used another stamp from the new 'Good Times!' set by Penny Black which I coloured using watercolour pencils. I added some strips of washi tape, with a Hero Arts sentiment underneath (from the 'Anytime Messages' set).

Challenges for this card:

• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Little Miss Muffet - Anything Goes
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Bunny with Chicks

I have another Easter treat bag to share today...this one features a Lili of the Valley image called 'Bunny with Chicks', which I coloured using watercolour pencils. I used papers from the 'Hippity Hoppity' pad by We R Memory Keepers...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 a set by Pollycraft for C C Designs.

Challenges for this treat bag:

• Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes
• Dream Valley - Spring Colours
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Shopping Our Stash - Easter
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Easter Inspired
• That's Crafty - Spring

Pile It On! Challenge - Circles and/or Squares

It's time for some more inspiration, and an additional theme for this month's Pile It On! Challenge...where the themes are:

'Circles'
and/or
'Squares'

Our sponsor for this challenge is Bugaboo Stamps:

Prize - 5 Digi Stamps of the Winner's Choice!

I combined the themes to make an Easter treat bag, cutting squares and circles from patterned papers (from the 'Happy Day' pad by My Mind's Eye), and layering them up. The image is called 'Hello World' by Penny Black...I coloured it using watercolour pencils, added a sentiment (from a set by Pollycraft for C C Designs), then cut it out using one of my circle Nesties. 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! - Circles and/or Squares
• Corrosive - Anything Goes
• Daring Cardmakers - Watch the Birdie
• Gem of a Challenge - Easter Time
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Shopping Our Stash - Put a Bird on it
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Easter/Spring
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Easter Inspired
• Sparkles Forum - Spring is in the Air
• Sweet Stampers - Spring/Easter

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

PBSC March - Anything Goes (Or 'Easter/Chocolate Brown')

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
'Easter/Chocolate Brown'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I made another Easter treat bag...this time using 'Spring Chick', which I coloured using watercolour pencils. I picked papers from the 'Hippity Hoppity' pad by We R Memory Keepers...distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The sentiment stamp is from a set by Pollycraft for C. C. Designs.

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

• As You Like It - Favourite Easter Character (Definitely the Easter bunny...well, he is the one with all the chocolate!)
• Creative Knockouts - Spring is on the Way!
• Cutie Pie - Spring Cuties
• Moving Along with the Times - Easter
• My Time to Craft - Easter/Spring
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Easter/Spring
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Easter Inspired

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

Crazy Dogs!

I was the lucky winner of a Simon Says Stamp Challenge a little while ago, and one of the lovely things I got with my prize was the Sizzix die set to match my set of Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous 'Crazy Dogs' stamps. I've made quite a few cards using these stamps, and found that I was often fussy cutting them out, so thought that this might make life a little easier! I find it hard to choose just one of these dogs, so made a set of six cards so that I could use them all! I coloured the dogs using watercolour pencils, then cut them out using the dies...I love how there are also dies to cut out some of their facial features, and collars...I used 3D foam pads to layer them up. I had a rifle through my paper pads, and picked snippets from several (Lily Bee Design 'Christmas Cheer', Penny Black 'Madison', My Mind's Eye 'Bright', 'Breeze' & 'Stella & Rose - Mabel'), trimmed them to fit along the bottom of my card blanks, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. I added a sentiment (from the 'Birthday Buddies' set by Paper Smooches), then the dogs popped up on 3D foam pads.

Challenges for these cards:

• Cardz 4 Guyz - Things with Tails
• Catch the Bug - All Creatures Great & Small
• Corrosive - Anything Goes
• C.R.A.F.T. - Animals
• Crafty Creations - Anything Goes
• Creatalicious - Anything Goes (Optional Birthday)
• Everybody Art - Anything Goes
• Happy Little Stampers (Dies) - Anything Goes
• Heartful Stamping - Anything Goes
• Inspiration Destination - Anything Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
• Use Your Stuff - Die Cuts

Easter Hares

I have an Easter treat bag to share today...featuring a cute Happy Hoppers image called 'Easter Hares'. I coloured the image sing watercolour pencils and added a sentiment (by Penny Black). I used snippets of spotty papers from the 'Hippity Hoppity' pad by We R Memory Keepers to make a simple patchwork background...I need to keep some of these treat bags fairly masculine. I distressed all of the edges, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

Challenges for this treat bag:

• Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes
• Crafting with Friends - Anything Goes
• Crafty Sentiments - Easter
• House Mouse & Friends - Anything Goes or Bunnies
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Easter or Spring

Happy Mother's Day!

It's safe for me to share my Mum's Mother's Day card now I know she's received it. I picked a sweet Penny Black image called 'Gifts for You!', which I coloured using watercolour pencils. I paired it with some pretty papers from the 'Paper Hearts' pad by Crate Paper...distressing the edges a little, and adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and  black gel pen. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Sentiments' set by Hero Arts.

Challenges for this card:

• As You Like It - Single or Multiple Layers? (Although I have recently embraced a more CAS style, that's not going to help me get through my mountain of pretty papers, so it's layers for me!)
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes (Layer it up)
• Creative Inspirations - Any Occasion
• Creative Moments - Anything Goes (Optional Feminine)
• Cute Card Thursday - Mothers
• Daring Cardmakers - Your Favourites (My favourite stamps have always been Penny Black critters...and I love using them with pretty patterned papers...adding some light distressing & faux stitching to make them look more like fabric) 
• Fab 'N' Funky - Mother's Day
• Fussy & Fancy - Let's Celebrate
• Gem of a Challenge - Mother's Day
• Penny Black & More - Feature a Creature

I also made  simple tag to put on her present using the 'Doodled Flowers' stamps by Happy Little Stampers. I stamped a sentiment using my Paper Smooches 'Graffiti' alphabet stamps, then added the flowers around it on a kraft tag, then coloured them using watercolour pencils...without adding water.

Challenges for this tag:

• Crafty Calendar - Add a Tag or Make One
• Crafty Friends - For a Special Lady
• Happy Little Stampers - Anything Goes with HLS Stamps
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Girl Power

I wrapped the gifts using brown paper, them added some pretty flowery ribbon (from Home Sense), and tied on my tag using some Baker's Twine.

Celebrating You!

I have a simple little Penny Black card to share today, featuring another of the cute puppy stamps from the new 'Good Times!' set. I stamped the image directly on to my card base, along with the sentiment fro the same set, and coloured it using watercolour pencils. I added a snippet of paper from the 'Blue Floral' pad by My Mind's Eye along the top of the card...I used one of my Lawn Fawn 'Stitched Hillside' border dies to cut the curve.

Challenges for this card:

• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Little Miss Muffet - Anything Goes
• Penny Black & More - Feature a Creature
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets

ABC Christmas Challenge - E, F & G are for?

Over at the ABC Christmas Challenge, we have a fun new challenge starting today...Carol is the host, and the themes for this month are:

'E is for Embossing'
'F is for Frills'

and

'G is for Glitter'

Our sponsor for this challenge is:

Wild Orchid Crafts

Prize - £20 Gift Certificate!

There's also a little prize from Carol:

For my 'E for Embossing' card, I embossed a piece of blue patterned paper (it was a snippet from a 12x12 sheet, and I have no idea of brand!) sing my 'Snowfall' folder from Tim Holtz for Sizzix...I lightly sanded over the raised areas to reveal the white core. I used it as a background for one of the cute snowmen from the 'Snow Much Fun' set by Penny Black. I extended the line of the snowy ground using a black gel pen, then carefully cut him out...adding his snowballs popped up on 3D foam pads. The sentiment stamp is from a set by Lili of the Valley.

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

• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Crimbo Crackers - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Whatever the Weather

I'm not usually one for 'Frills', but I'm challenging myself to make a card for every theme again this year, so picked some sort of frilly silver lace for this card, and paired it with some papers from the 'Silent Night' pad by First Edition, and a cute 'Angel Cat' by Penny Black. I distressed the edges of everything, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. Again, the sentiment stamp is by Lili of the Valley.

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

• Alphabet Challenge - Y is for Your Choice
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
• Winter Wonderland - Stitching

Finally, I have a 'G for Glitter' card...and chose to use one of my WOW embossing glitters to make a sparkly background. I smooshed some Distress Inks (Picked Raspberry, Tattered Rose, Fired Brick & Festive Berries) on to a piece of watercolour paper, then heat embossed my 'Delicate Snowflakes' stamps by Stampendous using 'Turkish Nights' embossing glitter...it's such a beautiful mix of pinks and gold...and so sparkly! I added a Penny Black mouse ('X-Mouse Ornament') over the top...there's glitter on his snowflake too...matted it on to a piece of gold mirror card, and added another Lili of the Valley sentiment.

Here's another attempt at photographing the sparkle:

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

• Christmas with the Cuties - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Anything Goes
• Penny Black & More - Feature a Creature
• WOW - All About Sparkles

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

Blossom Branch

I have a flowery card to share today, featuring a new stamp from Penny Black called 'Blossom Branch'. I used the watercolour stamping technique with some of my Distress Inks (colours used: Peeled Paint, Mowed Lawn, Forest Moss, Wild Honey, Spiced Marmalade, Fired Brick, Festive Berries, Wilted Violet, Dusty Concord, Blueprint Sketch & Chipped Sapphire). I inked up the stamp then spritzed if with a little water, then stamped it on to some waterolour paper...I added a little too much water in some parts...losing some of the definition of the image, but I still like the effect...more practice needed though! I trimmed the panel down to a square, distressed the edges a little and added a sentiment (from the Hero Arts 'Fabulous Birthday' set).

Challenges for this card:

• Artistic Inspiration - Anything Goes
• Crafting from the Heart - Anything Goes
• Crafty Cardmakers - Floral Delight
• Happy Little Stampers (Watercolour) - Anything Goes
• Love to Scrap - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes