Ups & Downs

Today's card features a cute Penny Black stamp that I picked up from a charity shop a few weeks ago, called 'Ups & Downs'. I stamped it onto watercolour paper, along with a sentiment using a stamp from the 'Anytime Messages' set by Hero Arts, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. I paired it with snippets of papers from the 'Fresh Florals' pad by Craft Sensations...distressing the edges and adding faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

Challenges for this card:

• Creative Fingers - Anything Goes
• Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesdays - Anything Goes
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes

ABC Christmas Challenge - W & X for for?

We have a fun new ABC Christmas Challenge starting today...Fabiola is the host, and the themes are:

'W is for Wings'

&

'X is for X-Stitch'

(Any kind of stitching will do)

This is the prize for the lucky winner:

A $30 Gift Card for your favourite craft store!

For my 'Wings' card, I picked a Penny Black chicken stamp called 'Carolers'. I stamped it directly onto a white card blank, added a sentiment using a stamp from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous, then coloured it using watercolour pencils.

For my 'X-Stitch' card, I used a Stampavie stamp called 'Xmas Puppies'. I stamped it onto some watercolour paper, added a sentiment using stamps from the 'Christmas Hats' set by Anita Jeram for the Colorado Craft Company, then coloured it using watercolour pencils...this card is destined for a friend with two Cockapoos, so I've coloured the pups to match her two dogs. I used a piece of patterned paper from the 'Merry & Bright' pad by Craft Sensations for the background, and added two different types of stitching using my CutterBee Bugs and a black gel pen. I matted the layers onto some red card, then added it all to a white card blank.

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

• Allsorts - Christmas (Second card only)
• Aud Sentiments - Glitter and/or Christmas and a Sentiment (First card only)
• Stamping Sensations - Christmas (First card only)
• Time Out - Favourite Holiday - Christmas! (Second card only)
• We Love Stamping - Christmas (Second card only)

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

Sweet Snowman

Today's card features a cute Penny Black stamp called 'Sweet Snowman'. I stamped him onto watercolour paper, extended the snowy ground to the edges, then coloured him using watercolour pencils. I added a sentiment using a stamp from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous, then carefully around the top of the image. I layered it over  piece of 'snowy' paper (from the 'Fresh Florals' pad by Craft Sensations), then matted it onto some purple card before adding it to a card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• C.R.A.F.T. - Christmas
• Creative Inspirations - Wrapped Up in Winter
• Moving Along with the Times - Winter Wonderland
• Peace on Earth Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Stamping Sensations - Christmas
• The Holly & the Ivy - Anything Goes
• We Love Stamping - Christmas

November Desk Calendar

Today I'm sharing the page for November in my desk calendar. I picked a pup in cosy footwear called 'Fetching Slippers' by Penny Black, stamped him onto a snippet of watercolour paper, coloured him using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut him out. I used snippets of paper from the 'Fresh Florals' pad by Craft Sensations and 'Tea House' pad by Dovecraft for the background...it was supposed to look like wallpaper and carpet, but now I'm looking at it on a screen, it looks like he could be out in the garden!

Challenges for this calendar:

• As You Like It - Your Favourite Critter (Dogs, specifically Golden Retrievers - my family had several of them when I was growing up)
• Creative Fingers - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes

Winter Friend

I have a Christmas card to share today, made using stamps from the 'Snow Bunnies' set by Anita Jeram for the Colorado Craft Company. I stamped the image onto watercolour paper, added one of the sentiments from the set, then extended the snowy ground to the edges using a black gel pen. I coloured the image using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut around the top of the image. For the background, I embossed a piece of watercolour effect paper, from the 'Mystery Marbles' pad by Craft Sensations, using an old Cuttlebug embossing folder, then lightly sanded over the raised areas before layering the image on top. I matted it onto some navy card, then added it to a white card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• Allsorts - Anything Goes
• Can You Handle the Pressure - Anything Goes
• Christmas Kickstart - Snow Alert
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes (Optional 'Embossing')
• Creative Fingers - Anything Goes
• Peace on Earth Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Getting Ready for Christmas

Guest Designer - The Male Room Challenge

Today, I'm excited to be sharing a Guest Designer card for the Male Room Challenge, where the theme this month is:

'For a Baby Boy'

I picked a cute Penny Black image called 'Baby Hammock', stamped it onto watercolour paper, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. I cut the circle shape using one of my Nesties, then cut a matching scalloped circle mat from kraft card. The papers are from the 'Vintage Dreams' pad by Craft Sensations...I embossed the plain one using my Cuttlebug 'Swiss Dots' embossing folder, then distressed all of the edges, before adding faux stitching using my CutterBee and a black gel pen, and matting the layers onto more kraft card.

For more inspiration from the wonderful Design Team, please pop over to the Male Room Challenge. 

PBSC September - Anything Goes (Optional 'Spots and/or Stripes')

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

'Spots and/or Stripes'

We are currently without a sponsor, so this challenge is just for fun.

I picked an image with both spots and stripes on from the 'Cheerful Critters' set, of course by Penny Black. I stamped it ontowatercolour paper, added a sentiment using a stamp from the 'What This!' set by Anita Jeram for the Colorado Craft Company, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. I paired it with some spotty and stripey papers from the 'Fresh Florals' pad by Craft Sensations. I distressed all of the edges, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. I matted all the layers onto some teal card before adding it to a kraft card blank.

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

• Allsorts - Birthdays
• Seize the Birthday - Anything Birthday
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Stamp It!
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Stamp It!

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

Guest Designer - C.R.A.F.T. Challenge

Today, I'm excited to be sharing a Guest Designer project for the C.R.A.F.T. Challenge, where the theme this fortnight is:

'Back to School!'

The prize for the lucky winner is three digi images from Colour of Love.

I'm a music teacher (teaching one to one instrumental lessons), so I've decorated myself a notebook (bought from Hobbycraft many years ago in a post-Christmas sale for 50p!) to keep myself organised in the term ahead! I picked a cute Penny Black image (called 'Literally Giant!'), for the front of the book, stamping it onto watercolour paper, and colouring it using watercolour pencils. For the background, I used snippets of papers from the 'Fresh Florals' pad by Craft Sensations...distressing the edges, and adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

I decorated the back in a mirror image of the front, but used a musical Penny Black stamp this time called 'Suspenseful Music':

Here's a better view of the back:

For more inspiration from the fabulous C.R.A.F.T. Challenge Design Team, please pop over to their blog. Thanks so much for letting me join you for this challenge!

September Desk Calendar

As it's the first day of a brand new month, I'm sharing my desk calendar page for September. I'm a music teacher (teaching one to one woodwind lessons) and it's back to work this week, so I picked a flute playing cat from the Penny Black 'Jazzy Cats' set. I stamped it onto a snippet of watercolour paper, coloured it using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut it out. For the background, I used snippets of papers from the 'Vintage Dreams' pad by Craft Sensations. I stamped the cat again onto the background...so that he didn't lose his whiskers, then added some extra notes using a stamp from the 'Critter Concert' set by Lawn Fawn. I distressed the edges, then matted it onto a snippet of kraft card before adding it to my calendar.

Challenges for this calendar:

• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Stamp It
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes

PBSC July - Anything Goes (Optional 'On or In the Water')...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

'On or In the Water'

We're currently without a sponsor, so this challenge is just for fun.

The image I used on my card is called 'Friendship'. I stamped it onto a snippet of watercolour paper, coloured it using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut it out. I made a simple background from a snippet of watercolour effect paper from the 'Mystery Marbles' pad by Craft Sensations for the sky, and a couple of snippets from the 'Pastel Watercolours' pad from The Works for the sea...tearing the top edges to look like the breaking waves. I layered it onto a snippet of teal card, then added it to an A5 card blank. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Anytime Messages' set by Hero Arts.

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

• AAA Birthday - Summer Birthday
• Cardz for Guys - Summer Holidays
• Creative Fingers - Anything Goes
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Moving Along with the Times - Masculine
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Cute Critters
• Sparkles Forum - Summer Days
• We Love Stamping - Sun, Sea & Sand

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

Furry Christmas

I have another Christmas card to share today, featuring stamps from the 'Gift Exchange' set by Anita Jeram for the Colorado Craft Company. I stamped them directly onto a white card blank, then added a sentiment using one of the stamps from another Anita Jeram set called 'Furry Christmas'. I coloured them using watercolour pencils, then added a snippet of spotty paper along the edge of the card, cutting the curve using one of my 'Stitched Hillside' border stamps (from Lawn Fawn), then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

Challenges for this card:

• Addicted to CAS - Christmas
• CAS on Friday - Christmas in July
• Krafty Chicks - CAS
• Little Red Wagon - Cats (& other pets)
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Stitch It
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Cute Critters
• The Male Room - Dogs and/or Cats
• The Sisterhood of Crafters - Stripes and/or Dots

ABC Christmas Challenge - N & O are for?

We have a fun new ABC Christmas Challenge starting today...I'm the host, and the themes are:

'N is for Non-Christmas Stash'

&

'O is for One Layer Cards'

This is the prize for the lucky winner:

For my 'N is for Non'Christmas Stash' card, I picked one of the cats from the 'Jazzy Cats' set by Penny Black. I stamped him onto a snippet watercolour paper, added a sentiment from the 'Joy to the World' set (also by Penny Black). I used one of my circle Nesties to cut him out, and cut a matching scalloped circle mat from a snippet of kraft card. The papers are also from 'Non-Christmas' pads, but in Christmassy colours...the light green and red stripey papers are snippets from the 'Party Day' pad by Crate Paper, and the dark green snippet is from the 'Fresh Florals' pad by Craft Sensations. I distressed the edges a little, then added faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and white gel pen.

For my 'O is for One Layer Card' card, I used a Penny Black chicken stamp called 'Carolers'. I stamped it directly onto a kraft card blank, added a sentiment using one of the stamps from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous, then coloured the image using watercolour pencils.

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

• Christmas Kickstart - Spots, Dots & Circles (First card only)
• Inkspirational - Three of a Kind (Second card only)
• Peace on Earth Christmas - Anything Christmas Goes (Second card only)
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets (First card only)
• Sweet Stampin' - Christmas in July (Second card only)

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

PBSC July - Anything Goes (Optional 'On or In the Water')

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

'On or In the Water'

We are currently without a sponsor, so this challenge is just for fun.

I have a few 'watery' stamps in my Penny Black collection, and picked 'Fish Are Jumpin'' to use on my card. I stamped it onto watercolour paper, added a sentiment using stamps from the 'Birthday Buddies' set by Paper Smooches, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. The background paper is from the 'Fresh Florals' pad by Craft Sensations...I distressed the edges a little, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and black and white gel pens.

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

• Krafty Chicks - Birthday
• Little Red Wagon - Bold/Bright Colours
• Seize the Birthday - Anything Birthday Goes
• Stamps + Fun = Creativity - In the Water

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

Santa Paws!

Today's card features one of the critters from the 'Christmas Hats' set by Anita Jeram for the Colorado Craft Company. I stamped him onto watercolour paper, coloured him using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut him out. I embossed a piece of watercolour effect paper (from the 'Mystery Marbles' pad by Craft Sensations) using a snowflake embossing folder from Crafter's Companion, then sanded over the raised areas to reveal some of the white core. I stamped a sentiment (from the 'Furry Christmas' set also by Anita Jeram for the Colorado Craft Company) onto a snippet of white hammer card, then tore along the top edge, and layered it over the embossed background. I matted it onto some red card, then added the pup on top using 3D foam pads.

Challenges for this card:

• Can You Handle the Pressure - Anything Goes (Optional 'Cats and/or Dogs')
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
• Creative Fingers - Anything Goes
• Elliebelle's Crafty Wednesday - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes

Moo Birthday

Today's card features a Penny Black cow stamp that I picked up in a charity shop over the half-term break called 'Moo Birthday'. I stamped it onto watercolour paper, added a sentiment using a stamp from the 'Anytime Messages' set by Hero Arts, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. I paired it with papers from the 'Fresh Florals' pad by Craft Sensations...distressing the edges, then adding faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

Challenges for this card:

• A Perfect Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• Allsorts - What Makes You Happy? (Penny Black stamps)
• Love Those Pretty Papers - Anything Goes
• Moving Along with the Times - Birthday
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Masculine

PBSC June - Anything Goes (Optional 'Stitching')

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

'Stitching'

We are currently without a sponsor, so this challenge is just for fun.

I picked a chicken stamp to use on my card...this one is called 'Cluck, Cluck, Cluck!'. I stamped it onto watercolour paper, added a sentiment using a stamp from the 'What This!' set by Anita Jeram for the Colorado Craft Company, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. I used lots of snippets of papers from an old Craft Sensations pad called 'Bright Freshness' to make a 'patchwork'  background...distressing all of the edges and adding some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. I matted the image and background onto some orange card, then added it to an 8x8 card blank.

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

• Crafty Animals - Anything Goes
• Creative Fingers - Anything Goes
• Krafty Chicks - Birthday
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes

For more inspiration, please pop over to the Penny Black Saturday Challenge.

Modern Florals

Today's card is unusual for me in that there's no stamping involved. Instead, I used a set of floral dies by Sizzix, called 'Modern Florals' as the focal point. I cut the flowers from snippets of watercolour effect paper from the 'Watercolour Feelings' and 'Happy Watercolours' pads from The Works, and 'Mystery Marbles' pad by Craft Sensations. I embossed a pice of white card using my Cuttlebug 'Swiss Dots' embossing folder, then lightly distressed its edges. I assembled the flowers, then layered them on to the embossed card, adding a sentiment cut from silver mirror card using an unbranded die, before adding it all to a white card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• AAA Birthday - No Stamping
• Addicted to CAS - Floral
• CAS on Friday - Embossing
• Cut It Up - Send Me Flowers
• Seize the Birthday - Anything Birthday

 

May Desk Calendar

Today I'm sharing my desk calendar page for May. I picked a cute little hedgehog stamp from the 'Wonderful Day' set by Penny Black, and stamped him onto a snippet of watercolour paper. I coloured him using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut him out. I used snippets of papers for the simple background...the cloudy sky paper is from a magazine freebie pad called 'Let's Fly Away', and the green paper (that already had its edge cut into a curve using one of my Lawn Fawn 'Stitched Hillside Borders' dies) is from the 'Bright Freshness' pad by Craft Sensations. I distressed the edges a little, and matted it onto a snippet of kraft card before adding it to the calendar.

Challenges for this calendar:

• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything Goes
• A Perfect Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes