Merry and Bright

Here is is another cheery christmas card...

The stamps are from PB 'Cones and Berries', PB Brush Cones and the sentiment is from Kaisercraft.

I'm entering the following challenges:-

Anything goes

Close to Nature

Anything goes

Snowy Grove

Here is my 2nd Penny Black christmas card for today...

This is almost a one layer card. I stamped and clear embossed PB 'Snowy Grove' and the sentiment. Next I used masking fluid over the snow drops and when dry, sponged the background with distress inks. Then I stamped the deer from PB 'Prancers', fussy cut and adhered to the front of the card.

Not a Creature was Stirring

Close to Nature

Anything goes

Anything goes

Penny Black Christmas

Yay it's the weekend!

I have accumulated so many beautiful stamps from Penny Black over the last few years and I feel like I'll never have enough time to use them all (sound familiar?)! So I've set myself a challenge to make as many cards as possible for the Penny Black Holiday Jump Start.

This is another shaker card...

The stamps are  PB 'Dressed in Snow' and 'Brush Pine'. The deer dies are from Impression Obsession and the square die from Kaisercraft. The background is sponged with distress inks. I'm still on a learning curve with shaker cards - I got the sentiment too high up, but practise makes better!!!

I'm entering the following challenges:-

Close to Nature

Anything Goes

Anything goes

Not a Creature was stirring - Animals

Spring Blooms

Hi there. It's been crazy busy here, so I haven't had much time to craft over the last couple of weeks, but I snuck in a card today for the Altenew challenge and inspired by the roses in our garden.

The stamp sets I used are Altenew Beautiful Day and Painted Greetings. I coloured and stamped with Memento Chalk Ink and distress inks.

I'm entering the following challenges:-

Anything goes

Another Blueprints Card

Just a quick post as I should be cooking dinner!

Here is one more card combining MFT's Blueprints dies - Number 30 & Tag Builder 5. I used another couple of images I stamped at the Craft Retreat. I coloured them for the last colour challenge, but didn't use them.

Coloured with Zig Markers. The background tag is coloured with PanPastels and the designer paper is from Kaisercraft.

                                             I'm entering the following challenge.

(Mix it Up)

Using up the Unfinished Stuff

Whenever I go to our annual Craft Retreat, I come back with lots of stamped images - some coloured and some just stamped and they usually just stay in a box,  untouched until the next time I go to the Retreat!!! Today I decided to use up some of the bits and pieces.

I'm not to sure how well all the colours go together, but at least these little critters ended up on a card! I just received some more goodies from MFT and amongst them, was the Blueprints Tag builder 5, so I made a card for the Blueprints Construction Challenge - Mix it UP (Blueprint 30 & Tag Builder 5). I took the front flap off the frame and the arrow is from the Tag builder set.

Now I need to go and play with my other new stuff!

Chirpy Christmas

Here is another Christmas card to add to my small collection.  I love this stamp, but am never quite sure how to use it in my cards, so I decided to just use lots of colour for a bit of fun!

The stamp is from Penny Black 'Tree Chirps' and the sentiments are from PB 'Prancers' set. The birds were coloured with Zig Markers and added a bit of bling.

I'm entering the following challenges.
If you want to know about the Penny Black Head Start Challenge, click here.

Odd number of snowflakes and three words.

Hello Friend

Here is another card combining Essentials by Ellen and Altenew stamps for the Mix it Up Challenge at The Classroom.

The stamp sets I've used are Altenew 'Peony Bouquet' and Essentials 'Hello gorgeous'. Just a easy and classic design.

I'm also entering the following challenges:-

 one flower, 3 sequins, 7 leaves :)

Winter Song - A Shaker

Before the cool days give way to hot weather,  I thought I'd make some wintery Christmas cards to send to our Northern Hemisphere family and friends.

This is a beautiful stamp from Penny Black, called Winter Song. I really love this magical scene. I decided to challenge myself to make a shaker - I love the look of them, but I always struggle to perfect them! The sentiment die is also from Penny Black and the sentiment stamp is from WPlus9. The paper in the background  (behind card) is from Kaisercraft and makes a great back drop for Christmas cards.


I'm entering the following challenges:-

Craft Stamper Take it, Make it - Anything goes

CLOSE to NATURE

Anything Goes + Watercolour

Panda Can't Even ... without COFFEE!

I decided to make a fun card today. This is inspired by The ton challenge.

The coffee cup is a Silhouette cut file and I decorated it with the flowers from The Ton's Haute Stacks and the Panda,  was my alternative to the cat in the moodboard. I used my typewriter to add the extra bit to the sentiment.
I guess I should have used the tired looking Panda, but this one is my fave and it shows what he is like after coffee!

I'm entering the following challenges:-

Honey and Bears

Yesterday  it was World Cardmaking Day and I managed to get in a bit of crafting time.

Here is one of the cards I made. 

The stamp set is WPlus9 Curious Forest Friends and I used MFT Blueprints 30 to make it interactive.
The paper is from Kaisercraft. The bears were coloured with Copic Markers and most of the rest was coloured with Zig Markers.

I had a lot of fun making this and am entering it in the following challenges:-

First Iris

Well at last our Bearded Irises are starting to bloom and they are a different shade of purple this year!
So I felt inspired to make an Iris card as I do each year, although it's about a month and a half late this year.

I stamped the Altenew Enchanted Iris multiple times, with a bit of masking and then coloured with Copic Markers. I'm definitely a novice when it comes to Copics, but I do enjoy using them and will keep on trying to learn.  The sentiment is from Ellen Hutson.

I'd just finished mounting the stamped panel on the black card base and as I was smoothing it out I left a black smudge mark from my finger - ughhhh!!!! I bet you can guess where it is! The bees add a bit of interest though, although I wouldn't have placed it there:)

I'm entering this in the Ellen Hutson Mix it Up Challenge, which is with Altenew this month.

And here is the real Iris peeking through..

I'm intrigued by the shape! I hope they all fully bloom.

A Wish for Peace

It just occurred to me that the year is zipping by far to quickly and I haven't made a start on my Christmas cards. So I pulled out the box of Christmas stamps and this is the first one of the year...

I've had these gorgeous stamp sets sitting in my stash for awhile and they haven't been inked up until today. In other words they would have qualified for the NBUS* challenge, but alas, I'm too late.

The stamps are all from Penny Black. The background is called 'Tranquil'.  I added 2 more trees from the 'Prancers' set. The fox is from 'Smile all Day' and the sentiment is from 'Wish for Peace'.

I've used distress ink and Zig markers.

I'm entering the following challenges:-

Penny Black and More - 'Close to Nature'

CHRISTMAS

* Never Before Used Schtuff (accronym by Darnell)