Simply Create Too Challenge 35 - Midway Extra - Use Your Stash

It's time for the Midway Extra inspiration for the current Simply Create Too challenge and the theme is:

Use Your Stash

I've used an 6x6 paper pack that I've had for over a year and rarely use - Dovecraft Sugar and Spice and used a fancy X Cut die for the shapes.  The stamped Penny Black image I've also had for quite some time and I can't remember where it came from as I've not got the stamp!  I've coloured it with Aquamarkers.

 

The ribbons are all from my stash and I've layered two across the centre.  I've made the hat pin and added seed beads to it and the half pearls are from my stash too.

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

Sisterhood of Crafters:  Animal Antics
Shelly's Images:  April Showers Bring May Flowers
Creative Moments:  Spring
365 Day Cards:  Day 106:  Welcome Spring
Try It On Tuesday:  Spring Has Sprung
Always Something Creative:  April Weather in Brown

Papers:  Dovecraft 6x6 Sugar and Spice
Image:  Penny Black coloured with Aquamarkers 
Everything else:  My stash

Simply Create Too Challenge 34 Midway Extra - Animals

You would be forgiven for thinking that I've already blogged this card- we'll, I have, sort of - very similar but some differences - this is the green themed version - the original one is here!

It's the Midway Extra part for the current Simply Create Too challenge and the theme (there is a week left to get your entries in!) is

Animals

I've used the same Penny Black stamp from one of the clear packs and I've coloured it with Aquamarkers and used papers from Dovecraft Back to Basics 2.

I've added a faux stitch around the edges of the image and papers and made the bunting myself.  I cheated a little with the brads as they are Sharpie marker dots with a blob of liquid pearls over the top.

The sentiment is also from the stamp set and I've added ribbon and pearls from my stash.

Good luck with the challenge - we also have a Design Team Call running - pop over to the Challenge blog for more details!

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

Crafting By Design:  Animals
Papercraft Star:  Gardens / Seeds
Emerald Faeries Challenge:  Recipe - 1 image, 2 papers, 3 embellishments (ribbon, pearls and bunting)


Image:  Penny Black, coloured with Promarkers
Sentiment:  Penny Black
Papers:  Dovecraft Back to Basics 2
Everything else:  My stash

Simply Create Too Challenge 34 - Animals

It's time for a new Simply Create Too challenge and the theme this fortnight is:

Animals

I've used a Penny Black stamp from one of the clear packs that I actually own!  I've had the stamp set for some time but never got round to inking it until now!  I've coloured it with Aquamarkers and used papers from Dovecraft Back to Basics 2.

I've added a faux stitch around the edges of the image and papers and made the bunting myself.  I cheated a little with the brads as they are Sharpie marker dots with a blob of liquid pearls over the top.

The sentiment is also from the stamp set and I've added ribbon and pearls from my stash.

Good luck with the challenge - we also have a Design Team Call running - pop over to the Challenge blog for more details!

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

CRAFT Challenge:  Mother's Day / Female
CCEE Stampers:  Oldie But a Goodie
Charisma Cardz:  Happy Birthday
Crafty Ribbons:  Anything Goes With Ribbon
DL.ART Challenge:  Spring


Image:  Penny Black, coloured with Promarkers
Sentiment:  Penny Black
Papers:  Dovecraft Back to Basics 2
Everything else:  My stash

Crimbo Crackers Challenge 33 - White On White

It's time for another Crimbo Crackers challenge and the theme this fortnight is:

White On White

I will allow a tiny bit of colour plus gold or silver!

I've used a Penny Black stamp - Fantasy - that I bought with a gift voucher I won from Simon Says Stamp in the summer and my intention was to make a large batch of Christmas cards with it to send to family.  And I never did - just ran out of time!  So shamefully, this is the first time its seen ink!

I decided to heat emboss and used some silver powder that I bought when I was making my Wedding invitations around 13 years ago!  And the embossing pad that I use is still farm fresh and not in the slightest dry! 

I'm not sure if its me or if the tree looks a little wonky - I've always thought that the trunk should be straight but looking at it here I'm not sure!

Anyway!  I've layered it onto some silver card I found in my stash and had to add the ribbon (Lidl) carefully to hide the join.  The snowflake charm is a recent purchase (Amazon voucher so it does not really count!) from the Bead and Button Company - be warned - they have a lot of stuff that could jump into your basket!

Three half pearls from my stash and edging of the image and card with stickles and the card is complete!

I've just eaten a cinnamon jelly bean.  Teach me not to look at the flavours before I shove them in my mouth.  Bring back Root Beer flavoured beans too I say!  And McDonalds in the UK too!!!

Good luck with the challenge, for more details, pop over to Crimbo Crackers!

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

Christmas at Sweet Stampin;  Cold and Frosty
Creative Moments:  Monochrome
Always Something Creative:  Winter
Christmas Cards All Year Round:  Anything Christmas
WOW Embossing Powders:  Heat Embossing
Creative Card Crew:  Snow and Ice
Cheerful Stamp Pad:  White as Snow
Crazy Challenge:  No Designer Paper

Image:  Penny Black 'Fantasty' stamp
Ribbon:  Lidl
Charm:  The Bead and Button Company
Everything else:  My stash

Lazy Summer

I coloured this image Penny Black some time ago with Aquamarkers and found it when I was looking for something else- which is usually the case!  It fitted rather neatly onto a flat - but looks layered - card panel from Cuddly Buddly - its part of a download collection which is available here.  I printed it onto smooth white card and then added the strip of ribbon - really quick and easy!

Great for sending through the post!  Lets hope the British summer turns out to be better than it currently is!  Having said that, I've managed to get 4 loads of washing on the line today whilst I've been working from home!

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

Penny Black July Challenge:  Summertime
Everybody Art:  Summer
LEJ Designs:  Animals
Loves Rubber Stamps:  Sweet Summer Days
Passion for Promarkers:  Gingham / Checks
Tuesday Throwdown:  Hot Colours

• Image:  Penny Black, coloured with Aquamarkers
• Card blank:  Cuddly Buddly download
• Ribbon:  My stash

Stylish

A pretty quick card to make once I'd decided what I was doing!  The image is a stamped Penny Black and I've coloured it with Promarkers to match the paper which is Bazzil Basics Swiss Dots that I've had for ages (since Harrogate September 2009!!)  I've also used some plain pink and black card from my stash for layering.

The sentiment is a magazine freebie and I've used various flowers, the brad and half pearls from my stash that came from different RAK's over the years.

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

Penny Black:  No Patterned Paper
The Sweetest Thing:  Sketch followed
Southern Girls:  Get Your Girly On
Inspired By:  Colour Combo Used
Fab N Funky:  No Designer Paper

• Image:  Penny Black, coloured with Promarkers
• Papers:  All from my stash
• Sentiment:  Magazine Freebie
• Everything else:  My stash

Two Hedgehogs

I'm now just 1 card away from my goal of 150! Although the ticker banner has sort of had a bit of a turn and can't cope! This card is part of an order from one of my cousins (hello Claire!) and this has to be one of my favourite Penny Black images!


It's been coloured with Aquamarkers and glitter glue and I've used one of my Nesties to cut the shape - the next size up was too large so I've cut the red border myself. I've embossed the spotty backing paper (Happy Happy Birthday cd from Funky Hand) and the red is an old card blank that I've cut up as it was too thin to use for its intended purpose.

Sentiment is computer generated and the organza ribbon and silver chipboard snowflake are from my stash.

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

Inkspirations: Sketch followed
Addicted to Stamps: Christmas Card
One Stitch at a Time: Seeing Red
Penny Black at Allsorts: All Creatures Great and Small
Penny Black Saturday Challenge: Christmas, Red and Embossing
Paperworks: Recipe - Animal Image, Texture and 2 Embellishments (ribbon & snowflake)

• Image: Penny Black, coloured with Aquamarkers and glitter glue
• Papers: Printed - Happy Happy Birthday cd from Funky Hand, other from my stash
• Dies: Spellbinder Nestabilites and Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder
  
• Sentiment: Computer generated
• Everything else: My stash
  

More Christmas!

Brace yourself! There are 5 Christmas cards in this post! All of them use a Penny Black stamp which I've coloured with Aquamarkers and used papers either from Funky Hand - Blue Christmas download or from Mad About Cards (vintage type papers) all of which I've had for a few years.

I've used table confetti for the stars and snowflakes plus various ribbons from my stash, which again I've had for a number of years!

I've either used a blue gel pen to dot around the edge of the image and card or a silver or gold 3d Anita's paint (found that lurking in the back of a drawer!) Each challenge specific to a card are listed directly under the card.

Challenge:
Cute Card Thursday: Sketch

Challenge:
Divas By Design: Sketch

Challenge:
Eat, Sleep, Stamp: Sketch

Challenge:
Dutch Dare: Sketch

Challenge:
ABC Christmas: Shaped Card with Spots, Stripes or Swirls

Apologies for the way blogger has added the above card - it just won't go the right way up!

All the cards also qualify for:
Christmas Cards All Year Around: 5 Cards all supplies older than 12 months
Paper Sundaes: Anything Goes

• Images: Penny Black coloured with Aquamarkers
• Papers: Blue Christmas download from Funky Hand and downloads from Mad About Cards
• Dies: Spellbinder Nestabilities
• Everything else: My stash
  

Girly Christmas

Time for a Christmas card and this is the first time I've inked this stamp. I bought it as a bit of a bargain in the clearance section in one of my local craft stores and it works so well for Christmas as well as other occassions! It's been coloured with Promarkers and just a hint of glitter glue.

I've used papers and sentiment from Polkadoodles Jingle Jangle Christmas plus some shiny silver card I found for layering. The gems are from my stash and for some strange reason, it took me ages to work out how best to place them!


The ribbon is from my stash and I've added some red and white embroidery thread as extra detail. And I've just realised that she's floating - I've not added a shadow..... ah well!

Another Christmas card off my total!!

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

Willow Sketchie: Sketch
Penny Black at Allsorts: Christmas
Christmas Challenges: Girlie Christmas
Ellephantastic: Here Come The Girls

• Papers and sentiment: Polkadoodle Jingle Jangle Christmas
• Image: Penny Black, coloured with Promarkers
• Everything else: My stash
  

More Christmas!

Five more Christmas cards to be precise! See how my target of 100 is rushing towards me?! All five of these cards have been made with Penny Black Christmas stamps and have been coloured with Aquamarkers. I've inked around the edges of each image with a very worn but trusty blue inkpad.

I've embossed panels with either a Cuttlebug snowflake folder or Swiss Dots plus added either red raffia,
or Tempting Turquoise ribbon from Stampin' Up

or even some red ric rac from my stash. I've used a Spellbinder Nestabilities die to cut all the stamped images out with exception to the first card as I just used it as a template to draw around.
A few snowflake confetti shapes, glittering with stickles and a bit of faux stitching and the cards are complete!

The cards fit the following challenges:

Christmas Cards All Year Round: Make 5 Christmas cards and choose at least 4 ingredients from list - mine are: Stitching, Ribbon, Inking, Stamping and Texture
Desert Island Crafters: Choose minimum of 3 items from list - mine are: Dry Embossing, Ruffles, Stitching
Charisma Cardz: Negative Space (third card from top fits this best!)
CAS-ual Friday's: Clean and Simple and Embossing

• Images: Penny Black, coloured with Aquamarkers
• Embossing: Cuttlebug
• Dies: Spellbinder Nestabilities
• Ribbon: Turquoise - Stampin' Up, everything else my stash
• Everything else: My stash
  

Red At Christmas

You just know that it's never long before I make another Christmas card! For this one I've used a wonderful Penny Black stamp and coloured it with Promarkers. The background has been coloured with a rather faded (but still functional!) tiny blue inkpad.

Papers are Papermania Home For Christmas 6x6 stack which have been layered onto some dark red cardstock I had in my stash. The flowers are from The Craft Garden but I don't think they are currently stocked as I've had them for quite some time! I coloured some orange brads with my Promarkers to match the flowers.

I've followed the Sweet Stop Sketches sketch and would also like to enter the following challenges:

Sparkles Christmas Challenge: Robins
Christmas Stampin': Gimme The Bird
Allsorts: Red
Penny Black Saturday Challenge: Anything Goes

• Image: Penny Black, coloured with Promarkers
• Papers: Papermania Home For Christmas 6x6 stack
• Flowers: The Craft Garden
• Everything else: My stash
  

Winter Scene

I know! Another Christmas card! This time I've dug out some of the Penny Black stamped images that I have and coloured it with my Aquamarkers which actually save me time as they are so easy to use - I find I can colour almost two images with Aquamarkers to every Promarker coloured image! I've used papers from the Dovecraft Let It Snow 12x12 glittered stack - I really do like these papers and will be so sad when I've exhausted them! The ribbon I found in my stash and is actually a better colour match than the photo shows. It was actually really sunny when I took the photo hence the shadows and sorry it is a little dark.

The snowflake is a Sizzix die (my most recent purchase when on holiday!) and I've inked it and added some glitter glue to the tips and middle.


My card fits the following challenges:

Penny Black: Christmas in July
Sweet Stop Sketches: Sketch (above)

Shopping Our Stash: Out With The Old or In With The New (my brand new Sizzix snowflake die!)

Use It Tuesday: Animals (brand new Sizzix die used and roll of ribbon that I discovered at the bottom of a box!)

Pollycraft: The Great Outdoors

• Image: Penny Black, coloured with Aquamarkers
• Papers: Dovecraft Let It Snow 12x12 stack
• Dies: Sizzix Snowflakes 3
• Everything else: My stash

Special Couple

Yes, it's another Christmas card and one closer to my target! I've used a Penny Black image which has been coloured with Promarkers and the pirnted paper is from Papermania - Home For Christmas 6x6 paper stack. Sentiment is computer generated and the maroon card and organza ribbon are from my stash. I've used two Nesties for the shapes. A great simple card but looks so good!


It fits the following challenges:

ABC Christmas: L for Love plus silver (hat) green (flowers on hat) and red (burgandy!)
Oldie But A Goodie: Lots of Layers
Craft-Room Challenge: Anything Goes
Pixie Dust Studio Challenge: Let's Cool Down / Christmas
Art Impressions Stamps Challenge: Monochromatic

• Image: Penny Black, coloured with Promarkers
• Papers: Papermania 'Home For Christmas' 6x6 stack
• Sentiment: Computer generated
• Dies: Spellbinder Nestabilities
• Everything else: My stash
  

Newcastle United

No, Penny Black has not released a stamp that is unique to Newcastle United! I've adapted it slightly to the team colours, just in case you were wondering! I've coloured it with Promarkers and for the sky I've used a watercolour pencil. Its for the Passion for Promarkers challenge, which is:

One For The Boys

The sentiment is computer generated and its all layered onto some really lovely black card that is sort of rubbery to touch! When cleaning under Samuel's bed (I've had a run for cleaning this week!) I found a big stash of very large sheets of card that I'd forgotten I had, so I've dug some out to cut up for card blanks otherwise it will stop under there for ages again!

I think this is one of the simplest cards I've made for a while - but then again, blokes don't go for the ribbon and bling thing so this is probably enough!

• Image: Penny Black, coloured with Promarkers
• Sentiment: Computer generated
• Everything else: My stash
  

Polkadoodle Challenge 8 - StashBox Stamps & Extras

It's Friday again and time for another Polkadoodle challenge! This week Enfys has set the challenge which will be a regular monthly feature called Stashbox Stamps!

Basically, it means that the Design Team get to raid their non Polkadoodle stamps and to use them with Polkadoodle papers and elements so you can see just how versitile Nikky's CD's are!
As the Design Team are using their stashbox stamps, the challenge is to use:

2 different ribbons and a charm

You can make the charm if you want - just as long as there is a charm on your creation along with two different ribbons! I've used a Penny Black stamped image that I've had in my stash for ages and it was fancily cut around the edge just as you see so I've kept it and not trimmed it down. I've coloured it with Aquamarkers, layered it onto some black card from my stash, added tiny black half pearls to the corners and layered it all onto a paper from Sundae of Seasons.


The ribbons are from the Scrap Store and I've made the charm using two fancy beads donated to me by Lynsey a while ago! And the colour was a perfect match to the papers.

Good luck with the challenge - please pop over to the Challenge blog to see the rest of the Design Team creations and to view our rules. The challenge is open until Sunday 6 March at 12noon GMT.

• Backing paper: Sundae of Seasons
• Image: Penny Black, coloured with Aquamarkers
• Ribbons: Scrap Store
• Beads: Lynsey
  

String of Hearts

A great sketch from Oldie But A Goodie challenge this fortnight:


And I've made this sweet valentine or anniversary card! The stamp is Penny Black which I bought from here and its been coloured with Aquamarkers plus watercolours for the sky. All the papers are from Funky Hand's Colour Me Happy cd and I've used my two largest Nesties to cut out the image and backing.

The flowers, bling, button and pearl heart are all from my stash. And I've just realised I've not added a sentiment. Ah well!

• Papers: Colour Me Happy from Funky Hand
• Image: Penny Black, coloured with Aquamarkers and Watercolours
• Dies: Spellbinder Nestabilities
  
• Everything else: My stash
  

Winter

I'm beginning to see the light at the end of tunnel for Christmas cards and orders and other related stuff, this particular card being one off my list! It also fits the Fuzzy Wuzzy Challenge this month as it is:

Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall

And I've gone with the winter option. Image is Penny Black and I got the stamped image from here, coloured it with Promarkers and a little glitter glue. The sentiment is computer generated and I think the backing paper is from Mad About Cards which I bought as a download ages ago.

Ribbon is from my stash as too the pearlescent snowflakes and gems. I've cut and layered the image with Nesties. Sorry for the rather blue photo - its not really that blue in real life!

• Image: Penny Black, coloured with Promarkers and glitter glue
• Papers: Mad About Cards and stash
• Dies: Spellbinder Nestabilities
• Everything else: My stash
  

A White Winter Wonderland

I'm really beginning to ramp up with the Christmas cards now - the box is looking healthier (or it would be if I stopped selling them!) and I could not let the ABC Christmas challenge pass me by! The challenge this fortnight is:

Winter Wonderland

This is another image that I'd already coloured a few weeks ago and I've used Aqua Markers as they give a lovely rich colour with a watercolour feel to it. Of course, I've added some glitter glue!

I've layered the Penny Black image onto some very shiny silver card that I found in my box of bits and have layered the sentiment (not got a clue where from) onto it too.

I've used two different Cuttlebug embossing dies for the background, and again used off cuts of card for it. A bit of inking and the addition of the sparkly trimmed white ribbon and the card is complete!

• Image: Penny Black, coloured with Aqua Markers and glitter glue
• Sentiment: Some random die cut I found in my stash
• Embossing folders: Cuttlebug Swiss Dots and Snowflakes
• Everything else: My stash
  

Snow Mouse

A lovely sketch over on Just Cute Bears & Friends which I was able to use a Penny Black image that I'd coloured a while ago with watercolour paints and a bit of glitter glue (because snow is glittery!)
I've used printed papers from Funky Christmas Time download from Funky Hand plus a random bit of gold card that I found in my stash. I've inked the edges and cornered them too and in the edges of the gold card I've added a dot of 3d gold paint as I was too lazy to look in my box for matching brads!

The ribbon is from my stash and I used a little wooden bow maker to make the bow which I found on the table which presumably I was going to use for something else but didn't! How random! But at least I've tided up a little!

• Backing papers: Funky Christmas Time download from Funky Hand
• Image: Penny Black, coloured with watercolour paints and glitter glue
• Everything else: My stash
  

Football at 18

My Mum asked me to make a card for my cousin's eldest who turns 18 mid November. I've worked on the basis that all boys like football and the fact that I found this stamped Penny Black image in my stash.

I've used the Friday Sketchers sketch for the layout:


And papers from the 6x6 Retro Stack from DCWV with a bit of nifty cutting and gluing as the 6x6 was not big enough for the height of the card! I've used Promarkers (what else?!) to colour him in and used numbers from my Sizzix Round-a-Bout alphabet dies. The plain card is from my stash, and I think it used to be a card blank that I cut up.


Lets hope Adam does like football! He looks a bit like the image anyway!

• Papers: DCWV 6x6 Retro stack
• Image: Penny Black, coloured with Promarkers
• Dies: Sizzix Round-a-Bout alphabet dies
• Everything else: My stash