Flower Bear

Today's card features a cute Woodware stamp that I got for my birthday earlier this month, called 'Flower Bear'. I stamped him on to watercolour paper, coloured him using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut him out. I embossed a snippet of bright pink card using my Couture Creations 'Crazy Daisy' embossing folder, and matted that on to a snippet of bright blue card. I cut a little speech bubble from some light pink card, then stamped my sentment (from the 'It's Your Day' set by Penny Black), and added that along with the bear popped up on some 3D foam pads.

Challenges for this card:

• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Sweet Stampers - Embossing and/or Stencils
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

PBSC September - Anything Goes (Optional 'Embossing')

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
'Embossing (Wet or Dry)'

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I've used a cute little mouse stamp called 'Sweet Thoughts' that I found in a charity shop on my card. I stamped him on to a snippet of watercolour paper, coloured him using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut him out. I made a simple embossed backgound using my'Cany Hearts' embossing folder by Sizzix/Craft Asylum...then distressed the edges a little and matted it on to a layer of pink card, also with distressed edges, then popped the little mouse on top using 3D foam pads. The sentiment was made using a couple of the stamps from the 'Fuzzy Robin' set by Woodware.

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

• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything Goes
• A Perfect Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Stamp It!
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

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

To Cake Moment

I have a super simple little birthday card to share today featuring a cute Penny Black hedgehog stamp called 'To Cake Moment' - I love his expression! I coloured the image to match the colours in the papers...from the 'Fine & Dandy' pad by American Crafts...an absolute bargain at 30p from TKMaxx! I distressed all of the edges a little, and added a Hero Arts sentiment (from the 'Cupcakes' set), stamped on to a speech bubble (cut using a Sizzix/Craft Asylum die).

Challenges for this card:

• Allsorts - Sweet Treats
• Cutie Pie - Spots & Dots
• Happy Little Stampers (Dies) - Anything Goes
• Heartful Stamping - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Food and/or Drink
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• Sweet Stampin' - Food & Drink

House Mouse & Friends Challenge - Guest Designer

I'm back with another guest designer card for the House Mouse & Friends Challenge today.

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

'Use Dies'

I recently picked up a couple of Joanna Sheen House Mouse stamps sets in a charity shop...they were new and hadn't even been trimmed and mounted on to foam - what a lucky find! I've used one of the stamps from the 'Birthdays - Cake' set on this card...a little Googling, revealed that this stamp individually is called 'Eat Your Cake & Nap Too'! I coloured it using watercoour pencils, then added a sentiment from the 'Big Messages' set by Paula Pascual. The papers are from the 'Happy Day' pad by My Mind's Eye...I used one of my Lawn Fawn 'Stitched Hillside' border dies to cut the curve in the larger pieces, and a little triangle die (from a  'Speech Bubbles' die set by Craft Asylum/Sizzix) to make the bunting. I distressed all of the edges, the added faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

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

• Creative Knockouts - Furry Friends
• Gem of a Challenge - Three of Something (Three flags in the bunting)
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets (I used some really teeny snippets for the bunting)
• Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes (Optional Patterned Paper)

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

New Home

I have a 'New Home' card to share today...featuring an old Pollycraft stamp called...er...'New Home'! I coloured it using watercolour pencils to match the colours in the 'Paper Hearts' papers (by Crate paper). I distressed all of the edges, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. I made some bunting from snippets of the papers using a die from a Craft Asylum/Sizzix set...and added some hand-written letting for the sentiment.

Challenges for this card:

• Allsorts - New Beginnings
• Aud Sentiments - Anything Goes with a Sentiment
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Love to Scrap - Anything Goes
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Crazy Dogs

I a set of 'Crazy Dog' cards to share today...I couldn't decide which one to choose, so I used them all! I made six brightly coloured watercolour backgrounds using Distress Inks, mixing two colours on each one - I've listed the colours used underneath the images below. I started by adding a couple of layers of each of the colours...drying with my heatgun in between each addition...then added splashes of the inks, and plain water to create some more texture. I trimmed the panels down, added a simple border using a black gel pen, and mounted them on to my card blanks using 3D foam. I coloured all of the dogs using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut them out. I cut some speech bubbles using Craft Asylum/Sizzix Thinlits dies, and stamped a sentiment (from the 'Big Sentiments' set by Paula Pascual), then added the dogs and sentiments to their backgrounds using foam pads.

(Fired Brick & Festive Berries - Stormy Sky & Chipped Sapphire)

(Broken China & Peacock Feathers - Lucky Clover & Mowed Lawn)

(Spiced Marmalade & Wild Honey - Picked Raspberry & Wilted Violet)

Challenges for these cards:

• Artistic Stamper - Backgrounds
• Aud Sentiments - Use a Stamp for Your Sentiment
• Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Cute Card Thursday - Birthdays
• Happy Little Stamper (Watercolour) - Anything Goes
• Little Miss Muffet - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Seize the Birthday - Anything Birthday
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Splash It On
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Psst...Dani & Taylor

Rather unusually for me, today's card features some people! This image is 'Psst...Dani & Taylor' by Mo Manning for Stampavie, which I coloured using watercolour pencils. The papers are from the 'Yes Please!' pad by American Crafts...I doodled the borders using a black gel pen. I stamped the sentiment (from the 'Big Messages' set by Paula Pascual) on to a die cut speech bubble (a Thinlits die by Sizzix/Craft Asylum). I thought it looked a little bare, so I delved into the bottom of my stash and added some pieces of Craftwork Cards Card Candi.

Challenges for this card:

• Aud Sentiments - Anything Goes with a Sentiment
• Chocolate, Coffee & Cards - Just Us Girls
• Crafting for All Seasons - Make it Girly
• Crafty Creations - Doodles
• Creative Inspirations - Anything Goes
• Fantasy Stampers - All About the Girl
• Hiding in my Craft Room - Feminine
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• Sweet Stampin' - Terrible Teens

PBSC May - Masculine

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

'Masculine'

We are sponsored for this challenge by:

1-2-3 Stitch!:

Prize - a $20 voucher

I love using the Penny Black dog images for masculine cards...this one is from the 'Man's Best Friend' set. I combined him with papers from the 'Awesome Boy' pad from 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. I stamped my sentiment (from the 'Cupcakes' set by Hero Arts) on to a speech bubble cut using a Sizzix/Craft Asylum thinlits die.

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

• As You Like It - Favourite Patterned Paper or Embossed Paper (I love both, but particularly mixing different patterned papers in layers)
• Cheerful Sketches - Sketch
• Crafting with Friends - Anything Goes
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Creative Inspirations - For the Boys or Sporty
• Fab 'N Funky - Three or More Layers
• Fussy & Fancy - Birthdays
• Penny Black & More - Anything Goes
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Simply Papercrafts - Anything Goes
• Stamping Sensations - Anything Goes
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

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

Party Pup

I have another CAS card featuring a snippet of patterned paper to share today...this one has a masculine feel though. I stamped 'Party Pup' by Whipper Snapper directly on to my card blank, then coloured him using watercolour pencils. I cut the patterned paper in to a banner shape, then doodled around the edge using a black gel pen. I stamped the sentiment (from the Paula Pascual 'Big Messages' set) stamped on a speech bubble (cut using a Sizzix/Craft Asylum thinlit die), popped up on 3D foam pads.

Challenges for this card:

• Addicted to CAS - Plaid
• As You Like It - Your Favourite Animal (Dogs...I much prefer animal images than people ones to colour, but have chosen a dog as we always had dogs at home when I was growing up).
• Inky Chicks - Birthday Time
• Less is More - Use Designer Paper in a CAS Style
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes

Pile It On! Challenge - Use Green and Two Other Colours

We have a fun new Pile It On! Challenge starting today, with a theme of:

'Use Green and Two Other Colours'

Our sponsor this month is the fabulous Bugaboo Stamps:

Prize - 7 Digi Stamps!

I picked turquoise and brown as my two other colours, and made an Easter treat bag. I created a little scene using papers from the 'Here + There' pad by Studio Calico (the sky) and the 'Farmhouse' pad by Crate Paper (the grass). I used one of my Lawn Fawn 'Stitched Hillside' border dies to cut the curve, and a Die-namics 'Grassy Edge' die. I added a fence cut from brown card using my Die-namics 'Picket Fence' die and a sentiment (from the 'Egg-cellent Easter Sentiments' set by Amy R/C C Designs stamped in a speech bubble cut from a snippet of kraft card using a Sizzix Thinlit/Craft Asylum die. The cute bunny is 'Bun Bun' by Penny Black...coloured using watercolour pencils, then fussy cut and mounted on 3D foam pads.

Here are the challenges I've piled on:

• Pile It On! - Green & Two Other Colours (Green, Blue & Brown)
• 4 Crafty Chicks - Easter
• Artistic Stamper - Springtime
• Aud Sentiments - Easter or Spring Sentiment
• Catch the Bug - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - Anything Goes
• Creative Corner - Bunnies Everywhere
• Creative Moments - Anything Goes (with a Sentiment on the Front)
• Gem of a Challenge - Spring
• One Crazy Stamper - Anything Goes
• Penny Black & More - Feature a Creature
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Use Snippets
• Ribbon Girls - Spring, Easter or Anything Goes
• Simply Papercraft - Anything Goes

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

I have candy on offer at the moment...you can find it here.

Cat on the Moon

I've used a Penny Black cat stamp on today's card called 'Cat on the Moon'...it's not a stamp I often use, so I thought that I should show him some love! I coloured him using watercolour pencils, then picked some My Mind's Eye papers (from the 'Breeze' pad) to go with him. I added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen, and a Paula Pascual sentiment stamped on to a die cut speech bubble (cut using a Craft Asylum/Sizzix Thinlits die). I also added some sparkle to the moon and stars on the image using a Wink of Stella pen...but I couldn't get it to show in the photographs.

Challenges for this card:

• Animal Friends - Cats
• Cards Galore Encore - Use a Stamp or Digi
• Crafting with Friends - Anything Goes
• Creative Knockouts - Furry Friends
• Penny Black & More - Stamp & a Die
• Simply Papercraft - Anything Goes
• Stamping Sensations - Anything Goes
• That Craft Place - Anything Goes

More Candy Hearts...

I'm sneaking one more card into the 'White on White' challenge for Less is More's 5th birthday...I used my Sizzix 'Candy Hearts' embossing folder once more, my Cuttlebug 'Concentric Hearts' and 'Olivia' alphabet dies...I distressed the edges a little, and that's it.

Challenges for this card:

• Corrosive - Love, Love, Love
• Cute Card Thursday - Sweet Valentine's
• Less is More - White on White
• Little Red Wagon - Happy Valentine's Day
• Winter Wonderland - Have a Heart

Candy Hearts

Before I get on to today's card, I should apologise for a distinct lack of colour on my blog this week...I sat down yesterday to make a card for this week's Less Is More 'White on White' challenge...and before I knew it I had three white cards...oops! I promise that I shall try to make up for it next week! I used a cute Craft Asylum/Sizzix embossing folder called 'Candy Hearts' for the embossing...matting the central panel on to another piece of white card where I'd pierced a border using my CutterBee Bug. I cut a heart shape using my Cuttlebug 'Concentric Hearts' die, embossed that too...then layered it over the top popped up on 3D foam pads. I scuffed up the edges of everything to add a little definition, then added a sentiment (from the 'Anytime Messages' set by Hero Arts.

Challenges for this card:

• Corrosive - Love, Love, Love
• Crafting When We Can - Add Hearts
• Creative Knockouts - Love is in the Air
• Less is More - White on White
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Have a Heart

Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Use Red and/or Hearts

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

'Use Red and/or Hearts'

We are sponsored for this challenge by:

1-2-3 Stitch!:

Prize - a $20 voucher

I picked a couple of sweet little images from the 'Every which way' set to combine on my card...and coloured them using watercolour pencils. The little hearts are the 'waste' part of a heart border die by Sizzix for Craft Asylum, and the sentiment stamp is from the same clear stamp set. I added some sparkle to the hearts using a Wink of Stella clear glitter pen.

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

• 4 Crafty Chicks - Love
• Aud Sentiments - Use a Love Sentiment
• Bunny Zoe's - Hearts
• Card Mania - Add Some Red
• Crafting for All Seasons - Love is in the Air
• Crafty Creations - Hearts
• Crazy Challenge - Love
• Creatalicious - Love is in the Air
• Creative Corner - Valentine's Day/Love
• Creative Inspirations - Love & Hugs
• Creative Moments - Anything Goes (with a twist of love/romance)
• Fab 'N Funky - All Creatures Great & Small
• Incy Wincy - Love is in the Air
• Love to Scrap - Have a Heart
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Hearts
• Simply Create Too - Love or Valentine's
• Sisterhood of Crafters - Love Letters
• Stamps + Fun = Creativity - Love/Hearts/Valentine's
• The Stamping Boutique - Dies/Punches etc
• Whimsy Inspires - With Love

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

Pile It On! - Something Beginning with...

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

'Use something beginning with the initial of your first name'

We're changing things up over at Pile It On! and from today, our challenges our challenging to every other Sunday...so you have twice as long to join in the fun!

My first name begins with an 'H' so I picked a cute Penny Black hedgehog stamp to use on my card...this little guy is called 'To cake moment'. I simply coloured him using watercolour pencils, then fussy cut him out. He looked a little bit swamped on even my little A6 sized card, so I cut a smaller panel to mat him on, and pierced some holes (another 'H') around the edges using my CutterBee Bug. I added a sentiment (pieced from one that says 'seize the cupcake' from the Hero Arts 'Cupcakes' set) stamped on to a die cut speech bubble (cut using a die from a Sizzix Thinlits set for Craft Asylum).

Here are the challenges I've piled on::

• Pile It On! - Use Something Beginning with the Initial of your First Name (Hedgehog & Holes)
• Addicted to CAS - Cake
• Creative Knockouts - Anything Goes
• Fantasy Stampers - Birthday
• Seize the Birthday - Anything Birthday
• Stamping Sensations - Anything Goes with a Die

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

Irises

I have a pair of cards to share today...made using my new Prima oil pastels, and a much neglected Penny Black stamp simply called 'Irises'. I coloured directly on to the stamp with the pastels, then spritzed over the stamp with water to blend the colours together before stamping. The colours are quite pigmented, so I was able to get two really clear impressions from the one 'inking'. I then stamped a music background stamp (by BasicGrey & Hero Arts) inked with 'Old Paper' Distress Ink over the top...I only inked the edges of the stamp, so that it didn't go too much over the flowers. I blended some more 'Old Paper' over the whole thing, and some 'Dusty Concord' around the edges, before distressing the edges a little. I added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a white gel pen, and a die cut sentiment (the 'hello' is from a Craft Asylum set of Sizzix Thinlits, and the 'thanks' is from the Cuttlebug 'Olivia' alphabet set.

Challenges for these cards:

• Allsorts - What's New? (The oil pastels I used for stamping)
• Artistic Stamper - Anything Goes
• Come & Get It - Something New (The oil pastels I used for stamping)
• Crafty Friends - Use Something New (The oil pastels I used for stamping)
• One Crazy Stamper - Anything Goes
• Pixie's Snippets Playground - Snippets (I cut the sentiments from snippets)
• Sweet Stampin' - Something New (The oil pastels I used for stamping)
• Stamping Sensations - Anything Goes with a Die

Butterfly Hello

I received a set of Prima oil pastels for Christmas...they're water soluble, so I had a little play at making a watercolour background on today's card. I scribbled a rough butterfly shape using a couple of the pastels, then blended them using a waterbrush. I added a die cut butterfly (cut using a Joy Crafts die) over the top, a sentiment (cut using a die from a Craft Asylum set by Sizzix) cut from a piece of card coloured using the same pastels, and some adhesive pearls.

Challenges for this card:

• 4 Crafty Chicks - Anything Goes
• As You Like It - Anything Goes
• C.R.A.F.T. - Anything Goes
• Cute Card Thursday - Anything Goes