Midmonth Reminder at Penny Black and More

Happy Monday :) It's the 18th of the month so that means it's time for the Midmonth reminder post at Penny Black and More. Still time to join us if you haven't already or if you'd like to play along again - remember you can enter up to 3 times. 

I'm sharing a winter scenery card today. I am really loving all the cards made with silhouette stamps, but I am struggling so much with them!!! It took me what seemed like forever to come up with this. And I am not even 100% happy with it. I tend to overthink everything and that's what I did  here too.

All stamps are by Penny Black from the sets Woodland Beauty, Spread Cheer and Season's Gifts for the sentiment.  I made a hill mask by simply cutting printer paper in shape of a hill and then inked with distress ink as I moved the mask around. It all sounds so easy, no idea why I am struggling with these cards so much!! I guess it just means I need to practice more with silhouette stamps, because I do love scenic cards. 

We have some wonderful prizes lined up this month
 from Penny Black, Swedish House Crafts and Tattered Lace, so lots of chances to win!!

Thanks so much for visiting!

Feels Like Autumn at Allsorts

Good morning and happy Saturday! This week it's my turn to host a challenge over at the Allsorts challenge blog, and I chose the theme of "Feels Like Autumn". It's not officially Fall yet, and we're currently enjoying some beautiful summer weather here in Illinois, but you can definitely feel that Fall is on the way. I love the chilly mornings! Last weekend we took down the summer decorations and put up a few fall decorations. It did feel a little bit too early, but we were ready for a change. And I am sure Fall weather will be here really soon too!

I made two cards for today's challenge - and they both include apples. It's what I always look forward to most in fall - apple picking season! 

I used a cute Penny Black stamp for the first card. Image has been heat embossed and watercolored with Zig Clean color. 

The sentiment is also by Penny Black - a little wood mounted stamp that came in a package of stamps I purchased from Ebay. It is also heat embossed. I used a stitched Whimsy Stamps border die to cut the designer paper trim on the top of the card and I added a little apple charm with some jute twine to finish it off. 

On the next card I used a really old stamp by Stampin Up from the set "Feathered Hope". It's one of those sets that I just keep hanging on to but haven't used in ages. This was originally the stamp set I had in mind when I decided on the challenge theme. 

I heat embossed this image as well, and colored with Zig Clean Color. The grass around the basket of apples was then stamped using a stamp by Penny Black. I've made it a little bit rustic by distressing the edges and used the "canvas" background stamp (Stampin Up) on kraft paper. A button and twine finishes off this card. 

We have two prizes to give away this week, and I really hope you come join us. I think the theme is pretty simple, anything fall related works - fall colors, fall flowers or crops, a fall scene...

I'm happy to say that my neck/ upper back pain is just about gone and I am finally able to sleep through the night again - at least until my cat Thomas decides to wake up the house.

Hope you are all well and thank you so much for visiting!

Sunny Wishes

Saturday already again - this week has gone by so quickly, and it's time already for the new challenge at Allsorts. This week Kath is our hostess and she chose the theme of "two or more designer papers". 

Hope you can join us!

The sunflower is from the set Grateful by Penny Black and I paired it with a sentiment from the set Sunny Wishes, also by Penny Black. The heat embossed image has been colored using Zig Clean Color brush pens. I've had the designer papers for a while so I am unable to tell you who the makers are. I added some jute twine and a button to finish it off. 

This week we are being sponsored by

Tattered Lace

and we also have this pretty 6x6 paper pad.

Come play along for a chance to win!

Thanks for visiting!!

Penny Black and More - September Challenge

Happy Sunday! This month our theme at Penny Black and More is - Get ready for Christmas. I know it's early still, but it's always nice knowing that I can send some handmade cards, and I would not be able to do that if I waited until the Christmas season to start making them. Last year I ended up sending store bought cards...which is ok, but then how do I justify spending so much money on my hobby LOL.

For my card today I used the stamp Cones and Berries along with a sentiment from the set Season's Gift, also by Penny Black. These brushstroke stamps are perfect for quick and easy cards, and that is all I can manage to do at the moment.

I colored directly on the stamp using Distress Markers, spritzed lightly with water before stamping onto Bristol Vellum card stock. A music note stamp by Hero Arts was used on the background. The card front is Soft Suede by stampin up, which actually matches the branches a lot in real life, not sure why it looks almost black in the photo. To finish off the card I simply added some gold cord with a tiny clear button.


We have some wonderful prizes again this month, sponsored by Penny Black, Swedish House Crafts, Rare Earth Stamps, so lots of prizes to win! Hope you'll come join us!

I am also entering my card to Penny Black's Holiday Head Start Challenge.


 
Thank you so much for visiting!

Little Bundle Of Love

Happy Saturday! Hard to believe it's September already, and it definitely looks Fall- like here in my area, although it's not quite fall yet. But squirrels have been busy throwing acorns down at us and especially at the cats, and when that starts happening then you know Fall is almost here. But we're still lucky enough to be able to enjoy Summer weather. 

Today is the start of the new Allsorts challenge. Our hostess this week is Tracy and she chose the theme of "New Beginnings" so baby, wedding, new home, new school, etc.

For my card today I used a digistamp set by LOTV (Baby Companion). Both the image and sentiment are part of the set. 

I went with the colors cream/light brown and blue because the starry wrapping paper reminded me of gift wrap for a baby boy. I colored with my Faber Castell Polychromos. Not my best coloring as I am still not able to be in the same position for a longer time, and not sure how soon my neck will feel 100% better. (But hopefully soon, so I can get to work de-cluttering my kitchen, craft room and closet, something I like to work on every fall and spring.)

I used two different embossing folders on the card and some cute bashful blue gingham ribbon. The sentiment was fussy cut and I put an eyelet through it for the twine. A pop-up dot keeps the sentiment in place.

This week we have two wonderful sponsors: Digistamp Boutique and Crafty Ribbons. We'd love for you to come join us for a chance to win!

Thanks so much for visiting!

Allsorts 430 - Ribbons, More Than Just A Bow

Good Morning, happy Saturday!

It's time already for a new challenge at Allsorts. This week Wendy is our hostess and she would like us to use some ribbon, but it has to be more than just a simple bow. 

It had to be another simple card for me,  coloring is practically impossible right now, (I am still suffering from neck pain) but luckily I still have a few Penny Black stickeroos and they came in very handy. I simply placed it on the left side of the card and then placed an assortment on ribbon on the right side. Stamped the sentiment (from and old Stampin Up set) and mounted the card onto soft sky card stock. 

This time we have a wonderful ribbon prize to give away sponsored by Fantastic Ribbons. Hope you'll come join us!

Have a fantastic weekend!

Allsorts 429 - Forest Friends

It's Saturday again already, time for a new challenge at Allsorts. This week it's Tracy Mouse' turn to host and she'd like to see "Forest Friends". It had to be a simple card from me, because I currently suffer from some intense neck pain (probably caused by not being careful while painting my son's room which has some slanted walls - I need to remember I am over 40 now and need to be more careful...) The nights are the worst, but it's almost impossible for me to move my head any direction, especially up and down, so crafting (and most anything else) hurts at the moment.

Here is what I came up with.

I used a stamp from the Penny Black set Share a Hug. This set is currently still available in my Etsy shop (brand new) if you're interested.

Heat embossed on Bristol Vellum card stock and colored using Zig Clean Color pens. The pine needle stamp is from Just For Fun Rubberstamps. I randomly stamped it around the squirrels. Sentiment is from the Penny Black set So Very Much. I finished off the card by adding some jute twine and adhered to the soft sky card base. 

We have two fabulous prizes to give away again this week, hope you can join us for a chance to win!

Thanks so much for visiting! Have a great weekend!