Pineapple Girl for Four Seasons Challenge - Summer

Hello and welcome! Happy August! Hard to believe it's August already! School starts here in less than 3 weeks! Summertime always seems to fly by so fast!! But luckily summer weather does stick around over here until the end of September usually so at least we can still enjoy some nice weather!

I'm so excited to share the news that I have joined the the Four Seasons Challenge Blog design team! I discovered this blog late last year and have used it so many times over these months whenever I needed a bit of inspiration. I wasn't really planning on joining another full time design team but couldn't help giving this one a try. With just one card commitment a month and a beautiful mood board each month I know it won't be hard to do! Many thanks to the Four Seasons team for allowing me to be part of it! Really looking forward to all the wonderful mood boards and challenges to come! And I hope some of my blog readers will join in the fun too :)

For those of you unfamiliar with Four Seasons Challenge: This is a monthly papercraft challenge starting on the 1st and ending on the 25th of each month. As the name suggests, the themes follow the four seasons (in the northern hemisphere) and each month the theme will be Anything Goes with the current season in mind.  

Each month will also have a new mood board as inspiration but it is totally optional to use the mood board. 

Below is this month's mood board and I am sure you will be able to tell what inspired my card. 

In fact I used this as an excuse to purchase this beautiful Mo Manning Pineapple Girl digital image. Not that I didn't already have plenty of products I could  have used, but I always loved this image just never actually purchased it. What a joy it was to color with my Faber Castell Polychromos!!

After coloring I fussy cut her using my Cutterbee scissors. On the background paper I used the Circle Explosions stencil to add some interest. The die cut circle and butterflies are from a newer Penny Black die set Soaring which I seem to be using a lot because I absolutely love this set, especially the butterflies. I cut them out on white card stock then used Squeezed Lemonade and Mustard Seed Distress inks to give them color. 

Related Products:

The summer sentiment is from an old Whimsy Stamp set (Summer Letter Seals) but it's many years old and no longer available. "Sweet Life" is a sticker from Tim Holtz Metallic sticker set. 

I used a Wonky Stitches rectangle die to cut out the image panel.

The patterned papers are all scraps from my scrap box. Green jute twine is by May Arts in Parrot Green.

Hope you will join in the fun at The Four Seasons challenge this month! And thank you so much for visiting! 

This post may include some affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links. As always, this is at no cost to you. Thank you so much for supporting this blog!

I plan on linking up here (I found so many this time but ensured they all allow unlimited entries to other challenges):

We Love Stamping - Hot Sunny Colors // We Love 2 Create - Anything Creative // 2 Sisters On The Blog - AG // Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - Patterned Papers // Creatalicious Challenges - AG // Pearly Sparkles Challenge - AG // International Art & Soul - Happiness //  Double Trouble Challenges - Add Extra Layers, Frames or Die Cuts (The circle die cut wasn't originally planned but it was laying around my desk so I added it // Incy Wincy Designs  - Food and/or Drink // Fab n Funky - AG // Little Red Wagon - Stitching (hope faux stitching is ok?) // Paper Shelter - AG // Simon Says Stamp - AG // Digi Choosday Challenge - AG // Everybody-Art-Challenge - Sunny Greetings // Cutie Pie Challenge - Little Cuties // Pammie's Inky Pinkies Challenges - AG // 

Always AG and Link Parties:

A Place To Start - AG // Taylor Made Cards 4 U // 613 Avenue Create opt. twist watercolor // Creative Moments // Through The Craft Room Door // The Corrosive Challenges // A Perfect Time To Craft // Classic Design  Challenge * // Crafts Galore Encore // DL.Art Linky Challenge // Love to Craft // QKR Stampede // The Creative Crafters // World Wide Open Design Team Challenge // Lil Patch of Crafty Friends 

Link Parties:

Dare to Share //  Sunday Showcase - First Sunday with Ada and Mireille  //  Inspire Me Monday //  Link Up Potpourri //  Random-osity Good, Random, Fun //  Travel Tuesday. // You're The Star Blog Hop Link Party @Stonecottage Adventures // Anything Goes with Your Hosts @ My Random Musings // Jenerally Informed The Happy Now // Spread the Kindness Linkup @ Shelbee on the Edge //  Wonderful Wednesday // My Corner Of The World //Thursday Favorite Things // Little Things Thursday // Encouraging Heart and Home @ Slices of Life //  Funtastic Friday //   Link Up On The Edge

Feminine And More Than A Single Word

Good morning! Today I have two cards to share, it's the 18th meaning it's time for my midmonth creation for the Penny Black and More challenge blog and then it's also Saturday when the new theme at Allsorts challenge goes live! Hope you can join us for your chance to win! We have some fantastic prizes to give away - a prize by Craft Stash from Allsorts and prizes from Penny Black and Blade Rubber Crafts at Penny Black and More.


Please note: This post includes some affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links. As always, this is at no cost to you. Thank you so much for your support!


Both cards feature stamps illustrated by Mo Manning.

First up is my card for Penny Black and More where our theme this month is "Make it Feminine". This stamp  All Connected is new to me, I came across it on Ebay at the end of last year for only $6 with free shipping and I had to have it :-)

Penny Black All Connected // Penny Black Snippets // Penny Black Wood Floor Die Set // Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink // Clear Embossing Powder // Faber Castell Polychromos Pencils // Cutterbee Scissors // Antique Linen Distress Ink // Mini Ink Blending Tool (I have these but really want these) // Big Shot Die Cutting Machine // Tonic Stamp Platform (no longer available - Alternative Options) // Mini Paper Flower Options // Natural Jute Twine

I heat embossed the image on Bristol Vellum paper using my usual Versafine Clair and clear embossing powder, colored with Faber Castell Polychromos Pencils then fussy cut. The floor was done with Penny Black's Wood Floor Die Set, inked with Antique Linen distress ink. The pretty pattern paper is from my stash (by Stampin up and really old). As you might have guessed, I had to add the flower to the chair because some ink transfered to the card stock where it wasn't supposed to. Then I decided to add the other flower and Twine. I feel like it needed a 3rd flower (two just seems weird) but I couldn't decide where to put it so I left it as is.

Stampavie Rae with Journal (Stampavie out of business but I found this stamp in a larger size by Penny Black) // Penny Black Brick Wall // Penny Black wood mounted sentiment stamp (old) // Penny Black Oscillations Stencil // Ink Blending Tool (I have these but really want these) //  Memento Tuxedo Ink // Pumice Stone Distress Oxide Ink // Copic Markers // Cutterbee Scissors // Tonic Stamp Platform (no longer available - Alternative Options) // Paper Flower Options // Foam Mounting Tape // Xpress it Blending Card

The second card was made for our theme at Allsorts challenge, chosen by Mervi this week it's "More Than a Single Word". I chose an old wood mounted sentiment by Penny Black for my "words". 

The pretty image is a clear stamp by Stampavie (no longer in business), this was another ebay find a couple of years ago and part of stamp lot I had found. While looking for a working link, I discovered this stamp was at some point produced by Penny Black (in a larger size), and I found it available at the Rubber Buggy. Otherwise it's probably available as a digi version from Mo's Digital Pencil. 

The brick wall stamp is also a stamp by Penny Black, I used Pumice Stone ink for stamping and a little bit of sponging, then added some stenciling to the bottom portion of the card. 

Image has been stamped with Memento ink on Xpress it Blending Card and colored with copic markers this time. Honestly I don't enjoy coloring with copics so much anymore, I think I forgot how to ... there is so much blending involved, it's just too complicated to have it look halfway ok! I think flowers  are much easier to color with copics than people.

Anyway, the image was fussy cut after coloring and I used Foam Mounting Tape  to adhere to the card. I embellished with a yellow  paper flower. 

I'm linking up with these challenges:

Card #1

Mo Manning Challenge - Something New (New to me stamp) // Colour Crazy Challenge  - Coloring // Cute Card Thursday - What's New (New to me stamp) // Sisterhood of Crafters - Thinking of You // Make My Monday - Anything But Square) 

Card#2

Path of Positivity - Character Traits (Dreamy Girl always thinking of poetry and her journal - that would have been me once upon a time :-) 

Inspire me Mondays

Thanks so much for visiting!

Allsorts Challenge 520 and 521: Happy Birthday Allsorts Challenge!!

For the next two weeks at Allsorts challenge we are celebrating 10 years of challenges with a Birthday theme. This means we want to see birthday specific cards!

I've had this gorgeous image by Mo Manning on my wish list for a really long time, and this was the perfect opportunity to finally purchase it! It was one of her earlier images  released, and honesty I have no idea what took me so long!!  I'm sorry if these pictures aren't perfect. I struggled taking the photo inside, maybe it's because the card is larger than my usual card and my 8x8 photo tent wasn't a good fit for it. I had trouble with lighting and outside we had perfect sunshine, so I decided to photogragh outside. Now I feel like it's a little bit too bright...

This was taken inside ... I can't tell which one is better, but definitely like the "backdrop" on the first one more, but the glitter only really show on the photo taken inside.

I colored with Copic markers on Xpess It Blending Card. Still struggling with digis and copics (I need a better printer!) so not much blending I could do as the ink will smear. But isn't this image GORGEOUS!! I wish she came as a rubber stamp so I could watercolor her! 

I used a Tim Holtz Layering Stencil  for a subtle background design with Antique Linen Distress Ink. The papers are from my stash, and the Happy Birthday sentiment I've had forever. It's from a Stampin Up set, but I separated the set and I don't remember the name of the set. I think the font is perfect for girly birthday cards. I found a flower shaped button in my box of buttons, and the color couldn't be more perfect, so I used it with some cotton twine. The tiny "make a wish" sentiment is from the Penny Black Snippets set. I distressed the edge of image panel and mat. 

Related Products:

Both my wink of stella brushes are running low, so I used some liquid watercolor glitter that came in a past Hero Arts Kit (unfortuntely I don't remember which kit).  Also, I used the Hero Arts Limited Edition set for the back of my card (It's not a limited edition set, it's just the name of the stamp set). I love all the little stamps included in this set for the back of cards and it's only $7.99! You can see in the photo below how I used the set on this card.

Mo Manning Sugar // Penny Black Snippets // Birthday Sentiment by SU - Set Unknown // Hero Arts Limited Edition // Xpess It Blending Card // Copic Markers // Tim Holtz Layering Stencil Mesh // Antique Linen Distress Ink // Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink // Liquid Watercolor Glitter from a Hero Arts Kit // Pattern Papers from Stash // Cotton Twine from Stampin Up

Hope you can join us at Allsorts for our special 10th Anniversary Birthday challenge. This theme will run for 2 weeks so there is plenty of time. We have FABULOUS prizes to give away!

I am sharing with these challenges:

Mo's Digital Pencil challenge - For the Girls (or anything Goes)

Daring Cardmakers - Something beginning with letters M A Y (I may have thought a bit outside the box here but how about: M for Mouthwatering, A for Alcohol Inks/Adorable and Y for Yellow Icing) C.R.A.F.T. - Birthday // Alphabet Challenge - D for Distressed // Pattie's Creations - Birthdays // Crafty Calendar - Distress It // Colour Crazy Challenge - Coloring // Crafty Catz - Buttons // Creative Craft Cottage Challenges - Use Ink (distress inked stenciled background) // Digi Doodle Studios Challenge Blog - Sparkle and Shimmer (hard to tell but cupcakes, tutu and hair are all covered in glitter - see second photo) // Do-Al(l) Kreatives - Fairies // LeAnn’s World 101 - Birthday // Sparkles Forum Challenges - Purple // Krafty Chicks - Fairies // Crafting By Designs  - Fantasy

Anything Goes:

Send a Smile for Kids // The Fairy and the Unicorn // Creative Fingers // Jo's Scrap Shack // QKR Stampede  // Simply Create Too // A Bit More Time to Craft //Crafts Galore Encore // Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper // Daisy Chain Challenges // DL.Art Linky Challenge // Happy Craft Challenge // Creative Moments

Today would have also been the day to share a Penny Black and More mid-month creation. Unfortunately I didn't get to make a card for this month's midway reminder post (we had such wonderful weather and I NEEDED to get my vegetables planted because I knew lots of rain was going to follow those sunny days; in addition to that I've been working ahead on some June and July DT cards, so that kept me busy as well.

Anyway, this month at Penny Black and More our theme is Feminine Creations, but it's an optional theme, so it's pretty much "Anything Goes" as long as you follow the challenge rules. And we do have many wonderful prizes there as usual! We would love for you to join us there as well, and if you already have - remember you may enter up to 3 times for more chances to win!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Hope you're having a wonderful sunny weekend. Rain rain and more rain in our forecast again!

This post contains some affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links, at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!

Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday - Midmonth Inspiration

Happy Wednesday and thank you so much for visiting! If you are here for Ellibelle's Crafty Wednesday challenge, then you are at the right place! Today I am sharing another card for the April theme which is

"Wings, Tails or Spring Blossoms". 

Feel free to choose one, two or all three! The linky tool has been added at the end of this post again, but as always it is also still accessable on the original April challenge post.

Off topic, but did you hear Mo Manning's Design team brought back their blogging challenge? I personally don't care much for Facebook challenges so I entered there only once while it was held on Facebook.  I don't know about anyone else but I find blogging a much better platform for those types of things. So I am really excited that their challenges are back in blogland and thought I'd spread the word to those who haven't heard!

But now back to my card ... I decided to combine this post with Mo's Digital Pencil Challenge (among some others) so I used the image Teen Fairy Mia for my card.  She's been colored with my Faber Castell Polychromos pencils (my choice of coloring medium for digital images) on Neenah 80lb card stock. 

Related Products:

Currently FREE SHIPPING at $50 or more at Scrapbook.com. 

Use Coupon Code FREESHIP423. Ends 4/18. 

I decided that I wanted some stencilling behind the image, so I tore a post it note into small pieces and layered them over the image where needed as a mask. The stencilling is hard to see in the photos as I used a really pale pink ink (Spun Sugar Distress Ink) for the stencilled design. The stencil is by Penny Black - Hypnotic. 

You can see more of the stencilling in the photo below. But isn't this image GORGEOUS!! You might also notice that I added some sparkles to the wings and the flower using my clear Wink of Stella glitter brush. I embellished with a pink button from my stash and white cotton twine. 

I rounded the corners and layered the image over a pattern paper by 7 Gypsies. Unfortunately I am not sure which paper pack it's from.  The "Happy Birthday" sentiment is part of a set given away for free by Scrapbook.com - Handmade Essentials. The "From the Heart" is a metallic sticker by Tim Holtz' Quotations.

If you are in the United States then I hope you took advantage of this offer, but if not, you might still be able to get it - the coupon code still worked as I type this (4/16). You do have to pay for promotional shipping which is $2.24, but that wasn't a deal breaker for me. Also, this is not a cheap quality set like those you usually find in the Dollar Bins. This set is made in the USA of premium photopolymer and stamps beautifully. I love how it also includes stamps for the back of cards or as as letter seal.


If you are interested in this set, be sure to add coupon code FREE3762 - this will take $10.00 off (the cost of the stamp) and then will show a shipping charge of $2.24 in the cart. Unfortunately this offer is only good within the United States. Here is what it looks like. 

On another note, Scrapbook.com currently offers FREE SHIPPING at $50 or more for US shipping adresses with coupon code FREESHIP423. (International costumers can use coupon code FIVEAPR423 to receive $5.00 off an order $50 or more). But please note: you can only use one coupon code at a time, meaning, if you'd like to get the set above for free you will have to place a separate order because a promotional shipping charge does apply for that set, and once you enter the free shipping coupon code it will remove the other coupon code for the free set. A bit confusing, right? But I think most retailers usually allow just one coupon code at a time. Note: The Free Shipping Coupon expires on 4/18. 

Mo Manning Teen Fairy Mia // Faber Castell Polychromos pencils // Handmade Essentials Stamp Set by Scrapbook.com // Wink of Stella // Spun Sugar Distress Ink // Penny Black Stencil Hypnotic // Tim Holtz Quotations Metallic Sticker Sheet

Challenges I am playing along with: 

Mo's Digital Pencil Challenge Blog - Anything 'Mo'/ option of Spring // Unicorn Challenge - Spots or Stripes // Crafty Friends Challenge - Birthday // The Fairy and The Unicorn - Anyting Magical Goes // Colour Crazy Challenge - Coloring // Craft-Dee BowZ - Handmade Bow // Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper  - Pattern Papers // Daisy Chain Challenges - Make it Feminine // Digi Doodle Studios Challenge Blog  - Hand Coloring 

Anything Goes (and I found lots of them!): 

Digi Choosday Challenge // Lemon Shortbread // Paper Minutes // Through The Craft Room Door // Tuesday Throwdown // Get Creative Challenges // Path of Positivity // Lil Patch of Crafty Friends // The Corrosive Challenges // A Gem of a Challenge  // Crafter's Castle // Crafty Catz  // Creative Fingers // Jo's Scrap Shack // QKR Stampede  // Simply Create Too // Crafting With An Attitude  // Creative Moments // A Bit More Time to Craft // Createful Heart Digis & Design Challenges // Happy Craft Challenge // Let's Craft & Create Challenge // Love to Craft // The Creative Crafters

As a reminder, the prize for my Crafty Wednesday challenge is this cute rubber stamp from my prize box:

To play along simply leave a link to your blog post with the linky tool below. Please remember to leave a link back to my blog in your blog post and the given themes must be followed in order to be entered into the prize drawing.

Please remember: this is a public blog, meaning any papercraft you link up or any comments left on this blog will be visible and clickable by third parties. The blog owner is not responsible for republished content from this blog on other blogs or websites without permission. 

This post contains some affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links, at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support! 

Allsorts Challenge 513: Use Yellow

Hello and welcome! It's time already for a new theme at Allsorts challenge. This week Lynn is our host and she chose the theme of "Use Yellow Somewhere". We're having a wonderful prize by Woodware to give away this week to one lucky randomly selected winner. It could be you - but only if you play along :-)

To make my card I followed this week's sketch from Freshly Made Sketches and used this cute image (Baby Fairy Bee) by Mo Manning. I colored it with my Faber Castell Polychromos  pencils on Neenah 80lb card stock. I used a chickenwire stencil for the honeycomb background with Mustard Seed Distress Ink to add some interest to the background. The yellow stripe on the right side was done with Distress inks as well, and I used a dotted stencil (Penny Black Oscillations Stencil) to add a simple design.


Stencils at Scrapbook.com

 Sentiment is from the set Label Maker by MFT. This specific set is retired but this one by Altenew is similar and it also comes in a spanish version. I stamped it with Versafine Clair Nocturne ink. A button and white cotton twine finish off this CAS card. I also covered the wings with a Wink of Stella clear glitter brush for some sparkle.

Mo Manning Baby Fairy Bee // Faber Castell Polychromos Pencils // Neenah 80lb Cardstock // Wink of Stella Clear Glitter Brush // Penny Black Oscillations Stencil //  TCW Chickenwire Stencil // Mustard Seed Distress Ink // Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink // Scor Tape // MFT Label Maker Sentiment - retired - Similar by Altenew

Related Products

I am also sharing my card here:

I used this sketch from Freshly Made Sketches

 Ike's World - CAS // 2 Sisters On The Blog - CAS // A2Z Scrapbooking Linky Party - Color it in // Aud Sentiments Challenge - Any sentiment except Happy Birthday

Anything Goes Here: 

Simon Says Wednesday // Crafting By Designs // Crafty Creations // Creative Moments // House That Stamps Built // Crafty Sentiment Designs // Digi Choosday Challenge // Lemon Shortbread // Through The Craft Room Door // Artistic Inspirations // Path of Positivity 

Thank you so much for visiting! Hope you're having a fabulous weekend! 


This post contains some affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links, at no additional cost to you. Thank you so much for your support!

Allsorts 506: Winter Sparkle

Hello and welcome!
It's Saturday and that means it's time for a new theme at Allsorts challenge. Brenda is our host this week and she chose the theme of "Winter Sparkle".  This *should* be a fun one this time of the year, but I can't deny that I am sooooo over this winter weather. Between snow storms, ice storms and the polar vortex, more ice storms after that, and then more snow in next week's forecast, you can't blame us here in the midwest. We did get to see a blue sky and some sunshine yesterday, although very cold, but it was nice to have a sunny day.

But I did have fun with this card. I love this cute Eskimo couple Siku and Shiya by Mo Manning.

Mo Manning Siku and Shiya // Penny Black Berry Bevy // Distress Oxide Tumbled Glass // Ink Applicator Tool // Winsor & Newton Masking Fluid // Wink of Stella Glitter Brush Clear //
Faber Castell Polychromos

With a hill mask in place I flicked some masking fluid onto my Bristol Vellum card front. I let this dry completely then using an Ink Applicator Tool, I inked up the background using Tumbled Glass Distress Oxide ink. Next I rubbed off the masking fluid with a paper towel.  With the help of my Tonic stamp platform I stamped the Berry branch by Penny Black onto the inked sky, then removed my hill mask. 

The  image has been colored with Faber Castell Polychromos pencils, then fussy cut using Cutterbee scissors. I adhered them to the card with 3D mounting tape. The snowflake was done with a die from Dare 2B Artsy (which was part of their challenge prize I recently won), and the sentiment is an old wooden stamp by Penny Black. 

Below is a closer look at the image. I used the burnishing pencil coloring technique for coloring. I really wanted to add more shading, but unfortunately time is always an issue.

Sharing with these challenges:
Stinkin' Inkers - Baby it's Cold Outside
C.R.A.F.T. - Anything Goes

Cute Card Thursday  - Anything Goes

Moving along with the Times  - Add a Sentiment 

Brown Sugar - Love and/or Valentines Day

Simply Create Too -  Anything Goes w/ option of Hearts

Challenge Up Your Life - Love is in the Air 

Just Us Girls -Weekly - Word Week: Love

My Time to Craft - All You Need is Love 

International Art & Soul - Make Your Own Background

Colour Crazy Challenge -  Anything Colored Goes

Paper Shelter Challenge  - For the One You Love


Thanks so much for visiting. Hope to see you over at the challenge blog, we're giving away a prize package by Stix 2. Remember you may enter up to 3 times for more chances to win!

Amazon shopping links:
This post contains some affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you purchase something through the links, at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!