PBSC January - Anything Goes (Optional 'Something New')

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

'Something New'

(New Year, New House, New Job, New Baby, New Stash...)

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

My 'Something New' is the 'New Year', and I'm sharing the 2026 calendar that I made for my Mum for Christmas. Every year, I decorate a couple of the blank A4 calendars from Paper Mill Direct to give as gifts, and use only Penny Black stamped images. If there's a special event in a particular month, I try to find an appropriate image...it's a great project for using stamps that don't often get inked, and also for using up lots of snippets of papers! 

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

• A Perfect Time to Craft - Anything Goes
• Everybody Art - Christmas and/or New Year
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes

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

Royal Mail

Today's card features a Penny Black stamp that I picked up in a charity shop last week, called 'Royal Mail'. I stamped it onto watercolour paper, along with a sentiment from an old Lili of the Valley set, then coloured it using watercolour pencils. I cut it out using one of my circle Nesties, then cut a mat using the matching scalloped circle Nestie. The background papers are a mixture from the 'Christmas Basics' pad by Dovecraft (the spotty & floral ones), and 'the Love Lives Here' pad by Raspberry Road Designs (the stripey one). I distressed all of the edges, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a white gel pen, then matted it all onto some more red card before adding it to a white card blank.

Challenges for this card:

• Allsorts - Animals
• Crafter's Cafe - Christmas in July
• Gem of a Challenge - Anything Goes
• Love Those Pretty Papers - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes
• The Holly & the Ivy - Anything Christmas Goes

August Desk Calendar

It's the first day of a brand new month, so today I'm sharing my desk calendar page for August. I stamped three little pups from the 'Man's Best Friend' set by Penny Black onto a snippet of watercolour paper, coloured them using watercolour pencils, then carefully cut them out. I made a simple background from snippets of paper from a pad called 'Let's Fly Away' (magazine freebie) and 'Love Lies Here' by Raspberry Road. I used one of my 'Stitched Hillside Borders' dies (from Lawn Fawn) to cut the green hills, then distressed the edges before layering it up and adding it to the calendar.

Challenges for this card:

• As You Like It - Favourite Cats or Dogs? (Dogs for me, as we had several golden retrievers when I was growing up)
• Krafty Chicks - Anything Goes
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Anything Goes

Spring Bunny with Daffs

Today's card features another old Lili of the Valley stamp called 'Spring Bunny with Daffs'. I stamped it on to a piece of watercolour paper, along wiith a sentiment from the 'Go To Words' set by Visible Image', then coloured it using watercolour pencils. The yellow gingham paper is from a pad from The Works, and the green floral paper is from a Raspberry Road pad called 'Love Lives Here' that was a magazine freebie years ago. I distressed all of the edges, then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen.

Challenges for this card:

• Creatalicious - Anything Goes (Optional 'Easter/Spring')
• Creative Inspirations - Anything Goes
• Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - A Bit O' Green
• Stamping Sensations - Anything Goes (Optional 'Hello Spring')
• We Love Stamping - Anything Goes (Optional 'Hello Spring')

PBSC January - Anything Goes (Optional 'Something New')!

Happy New Year!

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
'Something New

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

Prize - a $20 voucher!

I went with 'New Year' and I'm sharing the calendar that I made for my Mum for Christmas. I've been doing several of these for gifts each gifts for years...the calendar balnks are from Paper Mill Direct...currently in the sale if you fancy getting some for yourself.

I used all Penny Black images, and papers from a variety of brands...lots of snippets used up! I added some faux stitching to the edges, and that's about it...no embellishments, otherwise it becomes rather bulky (and heavy!).

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

• 2 Crafty Critter Crazies - Anything Goes
• Crafter's Cafe - Favourites (Penny Black stamps & patterned papers)
• Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - Anything Goes
• Polkadoodles - Anything Goes

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

ABC Christmas Challenge - X is for...

It's time for another fun ABC Christmas Challenge...this time Lisa is the host, and the theme is:

'X is for Criss-Cross'

Simply make an 'X' shape somehow on your project

Our sponsor for this challenge is Fred She Said:

Prize - $10 Gift Certificate!

I went for a patterned paper from a freebie set by Raspberry Road that has a 'criss-cross' checked pattern...and used it to paper piece 'Snowy' by Penny Black. I stamped him directly on to my card blank, then coloured him lightly using watercolour pencils. The sentiment is from the 'Very Merry Christmas' set by Hero Arts.

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

• Amusing - Anything Goes
• Cardz 4 Guyz - Snowmen
• Crafty Catz - Anything Goes (Twist - Use Red)
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Cute or Anything Goes
• Crafty Sentiments - Anything Goes
• Crimbo Crackers - Anything Goes
• Inkspirational - Chill
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Penny Black & More - Anything Christmas
• The Pencil Cases - 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.

Nordic Reindeer

I have a simple Christmas card to share today...using a Die'sire reindeer die from Crafter's Companion. I cut him out of a snippet of kraft card, then inked around the edges using 'Brushed Corduroy' Distress Ink to add a little definition. The checked paper is a snippet from a pad by Raspberry Road that came free with a craft magazine...I distressed the edges then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Scribbly Christmas' set by Tim Holtz for Stampers Anonymous, and I think the ribbon was from Hobbycraft.

Challenges for this card:

• Christmas at Sweet Stampin' - Christmas Die Cuts
• C.R.A.F.T. - Christmas
• Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes
• Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas - Cute or Anything Goes
• Happy Little Stampers (Dies) - Anything Goes
• Lil Patch of Crafty Friends - Anything Goes
• Love to Scrap - Anything Goes
• Pixie's Snippets Challenge - Use Snippets
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - CAS
• That's Crafty - Christmas in September
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Pile It On! Challenge - It Moves Me!

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

'It Moves Me!'

(Feature a mode of transport)

Our sponsor for this month is Bugaboo Stamps:

Prize - 7 Digi Stamps of the Winner's Choice!

I went with a bicycle as my form of transport, and picked this cute Penny Black stamp called 'Hedgie Delivery', which I coloured using watercolour pencils. The papers are from a pad by Raspberry Road that came free with a craft magazine ages ago...I distressed the edges then added some faux stitching using my CutterBee Bug and a black gel pen. The sentiment stamp is from the 'Critter Party' set, also by Penny Black.

Here are the challenges I've piled on:

• Pile It On! - It Moves Me
• 4 Crafty Chicks - Sew Cute
• Artistic Inspirations - Anything Goes
• C.R.A.F.T. - Animals
• Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes
• Crafty Creations - Anything Goes
• Crafty Friends - Inspired by a Song ('Bicycle Race' by Queen)
• Daring Cardmakers - On Your Travels
• Love to Scrap - Anything Goes
• Penny's Paper Crafty - Anything Goes
• Simon Says Stamp (Mondays) - Use Patterned Paper
• Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

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

Penny Black Calendar 2

I have another of the Paper Mill Shop's 'Create a Calendars' to show you today. It's quite similar to the one I shared last week...using lotsmore Penny Black stamps, and some of my favourite papers. Again, I kept everything really simple, just using papers..no embellishments, as I didn't want them to end up too bulky (or heavy!)...I won't list all the different stamps & papers used, but if you're a regular visitor to my blog, you'll recognise my favourites! :0)

Challenges for this calendar:

• Crafty Sentiments - New Beginnings
• Crafting When We Can - Anything but a Card
• Simon Says Stamp (Wednesdays) - Something New (New Year!)
• Sweet Stamps - Something New (New Year!)