Heart of a Champion

Good morning! Happy July! Hope you are enjoying summertime! We've had nice weather recently, a few cooler days too which I enjoyed very much, but the Summer temps are back again and today we're going raspberry and blueberry picking at a nearby orchard. Maybe we'll be able to pick enough to make a few jars of jelly :) We missed out on the strawberry picking season this year...

I made today's card for the new Allsorts challenge which kicks off today and is hosted by Kath. The theme she chose is "A question of Sport". I worried a bit about this because I don't really own any typical sports stamps, but while trying to look for an  image to use, I came across this cute digi by Mo Manning. I've had it for a while but probably only used once before. And I thought a swimming themed image was perfect for the challenge.

Colored with Faber Castell Polychromos pencils on Neenah linen card stock. The sentiment is from a set by Whimsy Stamps and I used a matching die to cut out the banner. I embellished with two die cut stars (die also by Whimsy Stamps) and a button and twine.

 This week we are being sponsored by DigiStamp Boutique

 

 and we also have an extra prize to give away, this pretty paper pack.

Hope you come join us for a chance to win!

I am also entering this card to Mo's Digital Pencil challenge.

Thanks so much for visiting! 

Have a great day!!

Hello...Morning Glory

Happy Weekend, hope it's a nice and sunny one for you!

This week at Allsorts challenge it's Tracy's turn to host and she chose the theme of Flower Power.

For my card today I used one of my PSX flower stamps - Morning Glory. This company is no longer in business, so if you're interested in this stamp, you're best bet would be ebay.

The image has been heat embossed on winsor and newton watercolor marker paper and colored using Zig clean color brush pens. I wanted to keep the focus on the image so I kept the card simple by just adding a strip of patterned paper to the bottom portion, another strip of coordinating card stock and some jute twine. I originally wanted to keep the card blank but then decided on a simple "hello". Finished off by adding the butterfly and a sticky pearl.

And here are our wonderful prizes, hope you come join us :)

Two tickets to Crafting Live on 15/16th July

Thanks so much for visiting!

Wrapped in Happiness

Happy Sunday! Today I am sharing my mid-month card for the Penny Black and More challenge. Still some time left to join us, we have two fantastic prizes to give away this month, one is a lot of 7 Penny Black wood mount stamps and the second prize is a die cutting machine by Tattered Lace.

 Our theme is "anything goes", just be sure to follow our simple rules to be entered into the drawings. 

I decided to make a floral card for today using Penny Black's stamp Bejeweled. Distress markers were used to color directly onto the stamp, lightly spritzed with water before stamping onto Bristol Vellum card stock. Edges were inked using mowed lawn and wild honey distress inks. The sentiment is from the set Sprinkles and Smiles, also by Penny Black. It's been layered onto a torn piece of black card stock. A stamp by Whimsy Stamps has been used for the crosshatch or cheesecloth pattern. To finish off the card I distressed the edges and paper pierced. Added the butterflies and button with twine before adhering to card base.

Thanks for stopping by!

Allsorts 420 - Birthday Boy

Saturday again and I am back with a card for the new Allsorts challenge. Wendy is our hostess this week and she chose the theme of "Birthday Boy". I decided to use one of my Penny Black animal stamps and used traditional boy colors for coloring.

 The image has been heat embossed on Winsor and Newton Watercolor marker paper and colored using Zig Clean Color Brush pens. Still loving these markers very much, not sure how I managed to color before I had them, but my copics and pencils are sitting mostly unused on the shelve now. 

The image is large and just about fills the whole card front, so I kept the card simple by just adding some torn blue paper and the stamped sentiment. A few candy dots were added for a little fun factor. They remind me of confetti. Paper piercing was done next to the sentiment before adhering the card to the base. 

Wendy has a  fun stamp set to give away this week, hope you come join us for a chance to win!

I'd also like to enter my card here:

• Addicted to Stamps and More - Anything Goes

• Simon Says Stamp -  Emboss (heat embossed image)

  Everybody-Art-Challenge -  Happy Birthday

• Craft Rocket Challenges - For The Men/Boys
• Seize The Birthday -  Birthday + Optional Topping of One Layer

Thanks for visiting!

Allsorts 419 - Two or More Dies

Saturday already again and we have a new challenge for you at Allsorts. It's Tracy Mouse' week to host and she'd like to see two or more dies used on our projects. This should be an easy challenge, hope you'll join us for a chance to win!

I started out by inking up the middle portion of the card front using Wild Honey distress ink. The dark brown scallop circle was done using a Penny Black die, the white die cut was done using a Whimsy Stamps die and the bird die is also by Penny Black. The bird was inked using Broken China, Tumbled Glass and Wild Honey distress inks. The sketch was inspired by a card from a recent Penny Black catalog which are all available to view on their website. If you haven't looked at their catalogs recently, I warn you, look at your own risk, you might want everything you see!!

A few dimensionals were used to pop up the scallop circle. Sentiment is from the clear Penny Black set Sprinkles and Smiles stamped in chocolate chip ink by stampin up. Before adhering the card front to the base I paper pierced the borders. Both the card base and front are Solar Crest Linen, which gives the card a nice texture.

This card has been added to my Etsy shop if you're interested. (US shipping only.)

I'd also like to enter my card here:
A Bit More Time to Craft - Always Anything Goes
A Perfect Time To Craft  - Always Anything Goes
Animal Friends Challenge  - Animals with Wings
Crafting-With-Friends - Anything Goes
Crafty Catz -  Anything Goes with a twist: Dies & Punches

 

That's all for today. Wishing you all a happy and sunny weekend! We had some beautiful weather this past week, but I think we're heading into a heatwave starting today which I am sure will create a few strong storms too...Hello Summer!

Penny Black and More - June Challenge

Happy Sunday! First Sunday of them month also means it's time for our new June challenge at Penny Black and More.We have  two very special prizes to give away this month so be sure to check out the challenge blog and read about how you can be entered into the drawing.

Anything goes this month as long as you follow our simple rules, but just for this month our requirements on how to be entered to win are a little bit different ... here is how Brenda explained it: 

Normally we put all the entries into the draw but this month we are going to ask you to let us know which prize you prefer, this is because the Penny Black stamps are all wood mounted and we know that presents storage problems for some people. So we are asking all entrants this month to leave us a comment to tell us if they prefer the stamps or the die cutting machine...........we will only enter the people who have commented into the draw as we would not want to send these lovely stamps to someone who would not use them.

(Be sure to leave that comment on the challenge blog, not here on my blog!) 

See the wonderful prizes below...
A die cutting machine by Tonic and a lot of 7 wood mounted rubber stamps by Penny Black.

I used an older stamp by Penny Black - Warm and Fuzzy. It's been heat embossed on Winsor & Newton Watercolor Marker paper, then colored with Zig clean color brush pens. Yes, I colored them to match my two critters Thomas and Fussy. If my two would just get along like these two cuties....sometimes Fussy comes along to clean Thomas's ears and while she cleans him he just sits there with a confused look. It's fun to watch them together, but it rarely happens...but then who knows what they are up to when we're asleep 😀

Papers are all from my stash, sentiment from a Penny Black clear set and I used a whimsy stamps slider die (probably retired) to cut it out an attached with some jute twine. Machine sewing finishes off the card.

Well and that is all for today, hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend. Plenty of sunshine over here!

Christmas in June for Allsorts 418

Good morning blogging friends! Hard to believe it's June already!! This year is flying by so quickly. 

It's Susan's week to host the challenge at Allsorts, and she chose the theme of "Christmas in June". Not sure about any of you, but every year I end up stressing at Christmas time when it's time to send out cards, every New Year I make a resolution to make monthly Christmas cards, but that resolution is out the window quicker than the month is over. Last Christmas I ended up sending store bought cards...so this challenge was perfect for me!

First up is a card that almost didn't happen, because like many times I ended up not liking the coloring, that's when I decided to make another card, but now I kind of like this one more :)

I bought this stamp (K2431) last year when I discovered PSX stamps on Ebay. It reminds me of vintage Christmas cards which I absolutely love! Stamped with versafine onyx ink and I used my Faber Castell Polychromos pencils for coloring on Neenah Solar Crest card stock. Stickles glitter was added to the snow and glassy glaze to the berries. Since there are so many details in the stamp, I simply stamped some snowflakes on the white surrounding the image and inked the edges using distress ink. There wasn't really any room for a sentiment so I decided to use a small Merry Christmas stamp (Penny Black Holiday Snippets). The snowflake is from another Penny Black clear set. I framed the image panel using cherry cobbler card stock by stampin up, it's is a deep red in real life but not as dark as in the photo. I finished off the card by adding some gingham ribbon.

A close up  below...isn't this scene just beautiful!!

I am entering the above card here: 
Try It On Tuesday -  Feathered Friends

A Snowflakes Promise -  #40 - Anything Goes

The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge - #7 Anything Christmas Goes

Now onto my second card...

For this card I used the Penny Black stamp Listening to Stars, I have no idea if it is still in production, as it was another one I purchased from Ebay. The sentiment is from a clear Christmas set also by Penny Black. Image has been stamped onto Stampin Up kraft card stock and colored using my Faber Castell Polychromos pencils again. Wink of Stella glitter was brushed over the snow and star but it's hard to see in the photo. I added a couple strips of designer paper from my stash and finished off with a button and jute twine.

I'd like to enter this card here:
Christmas at Sweet Stampin' -  Anything Goes for Christmas 
Fab 'n' Funky - #353 Christmas

Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes 

This week at Allsorts we're being sponsored by Digistamp Boutique and Tattered Lace. Hopefully you'll find some time to play along for a chance to win. 

 

Thanks so much for visiting today. I'll be back again tomorrow with my June Penny Black and More creation.