Penny Black | Whimsical Halloween Delight

Hello! A playful hedgehog, a spooky tree, and a “Boo” sentiment create a whimsical scene on this Halloween card showcasing Penny Black stamp and die sets. The scene embodies the spirit of Halloween and emphasizes the creativity found in older crafting sets. Several of these products were introduced in 2020 as part of the Autumn Extraordinaire Collection. I previously used the Windy die set on Halloween cards HERE and HERE. Other products used on the card have been in my collection even longer.

Penny Black | Whimsical Halloween Delight

    • As I mentioned HERE in my post on stamped backgrounds, background stamps can be stamped with colored ink on to inked backgrounds. For this card, the inked background was created with Wilted Violet and Villainous Potion Distress Oxide ink colors (sky section), and the Dots in Space background stamp was stamped with Wilted Violet Distress ink (not Oxide). I lightly stamped the background on to scrap paper, before stamping on to the inked background, so that the amount of ink stamped would be more subtle. The ground was masked when I inked the sky and stamped the dots. I inked the ground and then cut the panel with a stitched A2-size die, and attached it to a card base.
    • Stamp Candy Kisses in Versafine on Arches Cold Press watercolor paper and heat set. Color the images with watercoloring mediums of choice. I used mini Distress Inks in the following colors: Antique Linen, Gathered Twigs, Ground Espresso, Spiced Marmalade, Rusty Hinge, Crackling Campfire, Squeezed Lemonade, Wilted Violet, Picked Raspberry, Saltwater Taffy, Peacock Feathers, and Scattered Straw. Once dry, cut the image with the die in the coordinating set. (Check out my “Resources for Watercoloring Stamped Images” HERE.)
    • With the Windy die set, cut the tree from cardstock on which Distress Oxide inks have been applied. Assemble.
    • Cut the “Boo” sentiment with a die in the eeek! set from cardstock on which Distress Oxide inks have been applied. Cut again from black foam for depth. Adhere the two and attach to the card.
    • Add tree to the card with dot adhesive and the hedgehog with foam adhesive.

Penny Black | Whimsical Halloween Delight


Father’s Day Inspiration | Penny Black Blissful Bears

Hello! Today, I am delighted to showcase the enchanting Blissful Bears stamp set by Penny Black. While I plan to use the card for Father’s Day, the image and sentiment can be used for a variety of occasions.

Father's Day Inspiration | Penny Black Blissful Bears

I brought the peaceful image of a bear napping in a rowboat to life with watercoloring. The bear exudes a sense of calm and contentment, inviting us to pause and appreciate life’s simple pleasures.

I stamped the Blissful Bears stamp set image and sentiment on Arches Cold Press watercolor paper with VersaFine ink and heat set it. I colored the image with Tombow markers, Zig markers, and an Albrecht Dürer Watercolor Pencil.

Once the watercolored image was dry, I trimmed the image and matted it with black cardstock. I added the assembly to a dry-embossed orange cardstock background (which was added to a card base).

Father's Day Inspiration | Penny Black Blissful Bears

You can see more of the Penny Black Cherished Collection in this post.


Penny Black | Happy Campers

Hello! Today I am sharing a card that features the adorable Penny Black stamp set – Happy Camper. I’ve brought to life a scene showing two furry friends sitting at a cozy campsite and roasting hot dogs. The Happy Camper stamp set was part of the Stamping with Scooter collection, introduced in 2021. As I have previously mentioned, I did not play enough with these products when they were introduced, and I am making up for that now.

Penny Black | Happy Campers

I am a big fan of camping-themed cards, especially around this time of year. For me, camping symbolizes a sense of adventure and nostalgia.

    • Stamp image from Happy Camper set in VersaFine on Arches Cold Press watercolor paper; heat set. Color with watercolor mediums. Once dry, fussy cut.
    • With the Tall Trees die set, cut trees from Arches Cold Press watercolor paper; color with watercolor mediums. For additional color, add Distress inks to trees once they are dry.
    • Stamp sentiment from Happy Camper set on cloud cut with Silver Linings die. Cut additional cloud.
    • Create frame from white cardstock with the largest die in the MFT Rectangle Frame set.
    • To create background, add Wild Honey and Blueprint Sketch Oxide ink to white cardstock panel.
    • Add Rustic Wildnerness ink to cardstock and cut with the Rolling Hills die.
    • Add Chipped Sapphire ink to cardstock and cut with the hill die in the Festive Family die set.
    • Attach the two hill sections to back of frame and add to the background panel. Add to A2-size card base.
    • Add image with dogs to center of card with foam adhesive. Place trees into scene with dot and foam adhesive.
    • Add sentiment cloud with foam adhesive and additional cloud with dot adhesive.

Penny Black | Happy Campers

You can see more Stamping with Scooter inspiration on the Penny Black blog HERE and view the catalog HERE.


Sending Hedgehugs with Penny Black

Spring has sprung on this sweet watercolored card that shows two hedgehogs watering a daisy. Featuring the Penny Black Grown with Love stamp set, this card is suitable for sending a message of love, friendship, or just a simple hello! But there’s a twist – instead of using the flower in the original Penny Black Grown with Love stamp, I masked it and added a die-cut daisy. Read on for step-by-step instructions on how I created the card.

Sending Hedgehugs with Penny Black

    • Stamp hedgehog image on Arches Cold Press watercolor paper with VersaFine ink, masking the flower image so that it does not stamp; heat set.
    • Watercolor image. I used Zig markers in Medium Beige, Oatmeal, and Light Pink for the hedgehog faces and bodies. I used Zig Gray Brown for the hedgehog needles. For the watering can and metal portion of the spade, I used Zig Gray. I used Tombow Poppy Red for the spade handle and Zig Light Blue for the pond.
    • Stamp hedgehogs on Gina K Masking Magic. Fussy-cut hedgehogs and pond and cover watercolored portions with the masks. Apply Tumbled Glass Oxide ink for the sky and Mowed Lawn Oxide and Rustic Wilderness Oxide for the grass.
    • Stamp Grown with Love sentiment on to white cardstock and cut with large cloud die in the Silver Linings set.  Cut two small clouds with the same set.
    • Use the Daisy Delight die to cut the daisy from white cardstock. Color with Copic markers. I used Pale Yellow and Cadmium Yellow for the flower center and Moss Green for the stem.
    • Trim stamped panel to 4 x 5 1/4 inches and add to yellow card base. Add clouds and daisy to scene.

Sending Hedgehugs with Penny Black

This stamp set was part of the Refreshing release three years ago. You can see the release video here.


Penny Black | Watercolored Scooter

Hello! Today I am sharing a watercolored card, featuring an adorable scene of a critters that will bring a smile to the recipient’s face, created with Penny Black supplies. The card features an image from the Stamping with Scooter release of June 2021. You can view the Stamping with Scooter catalog HERE. I did not play enough with these products then, and I am making up for that now. Read below for details on how I made the card.

Penny Black | Watercolored Scooter

The whimsical Zooming By image shows three creatures in the midst of a Zoom call – one dog is in conversation with another furry friend and a friendly hedgehog. The set was designed during the height of the pandemic, when we turned to Zoom to communicate with others. That being said, this set is by no means outdated as virtual communication in our modern world is still relevant, even as in-person interactions resume.

  • Stamp Zooming By image on Arches Cold Press watercolor paper with VersaFine ink; heat set. Color image with watercolor markers. Set aside to dry. Stamp image on Masking Magic Sheets and fussy-cut. Cover watercolored image with mask; apply Tumbled Glass and Hickory Smoke inks for the background.
  • Stamp Puptastic sentiment on Chamomile cardstock. Trim panel to A2-size and cut with a die in the Stitched Circles set. Add the circle frame panel to the watercolored image and add assembly to card base.

Penny Black | Saying Hello with Scooter