Saturday, September 5, 2026

Guest Designing with Penny Black Saturday Challenge



Hello there!  I'm honored to be guest designing alongside Denise (The Crafty Den) at the Penny Black Saturday Challenge this month.  The theme is always "anything goes", but with an optional prompt.  This month the option is "use a die".

 


I'm all for using a die!  In this case I colored the wisteria blooms and leaves from Penny Black's Wings of Joy set, then cut the curve with PB's Curved Stitch die.  From my already-made-up stash I plucked a Memory Box dragonfly which happened to be just the right colors.



I watercolored with a mix of Stampin' Up inks and Tombow markers.  Did the background first, then the blooms.  The leaves were stamped separately and hand cut to drape over the blooms and add texture without too much dimension which enables the card to be easily mailable with no extra postage.  Finished with a few sequins for a touch of garden magic.




The sentiment is from the Penny Black Serene Beliefs set.  I've been using this set a LOT since its summer release, mostly for the insides.  Every word is beautiful.

I hope you'll join us at the Penny Black Saturday Challenge.  I just love seeing all the PB goodness by the talented team and those who play along.  Have a super day!



Stamps:  Penny Black Wings of Joy and Serene Beliefs  Paper:  Fabriano Artistico extra white 140 lb hot press watercolor, Hammermill Premium 100 lb white  Ink:  Memento Toffee Crunch for image, Stampin' Up Brocade Blue for sentiment  Coloring:  Watercolor with Stampin' Up reinkers and Tombow markers  Dies and Other:  Penny Black Curved Stitch, Memory Box Azure Dragonflies, sequins, Wink of Stella on dragonfly wings


22 comments:

Helen said...

A beautiful card Leslie - perfect for our 'Use a Die' theme!
Thanks so much for being our Guest Deswigner this month!
Helen x

Cindy Beach said...

Garden magic paired with Penny Black magic is a fabulous WIN! Beautiful card, Leslie, in all it's soft drama., it's the picture of serenity. Glad you'll be posting your PB gems!

Yogi said...

Beautiful and serene. Love all of it. Have a great day

Ida said...

Another gorgeous card! - Yesterday blogger would not allow me to comment (or I should say Google Chrome) but it seems to be working today. - Love the sentiment and how you layered the leaves over the flowers.

Barbara said...

Congratulations on your win the card that got you there was beautiful and so unique. The card that you did for this challenge with the die is wonderful. I love the way the wisteria are falling over the top half of the card. Wonderful design again.

Marcia Hill said...

Oh Leslie...your card is absolutely BEAUTIFUL!! I love the soft water colored background and then the bright blooms and leaves over top...so pretty! Love the die cut separating the top 2/3rds and the bottom 1/3rd, where it left the perfect spot for that lovely sentiment! A real STUNNER of a card my friend!! Hugs. :0)

Anonymous said...

Just a gorgeous card Leslie! I loved it the moment I saw it!! I haven’t seen that before! Love your colouring and soft background allowing to shine! I do love wisteria! Amazing yesterday my first wisteria flowers for the season opened! Such a lovely surprise when I went out to see it among all the sticks that are still to shoot!!
It’s wonderful to have you join us at our Guest Designer and I look forward to seeing lots more of your creations in future challenges!! I hope you have a good week! 😊

crafty-stamper said...

Congratulations on your well deserved GDT spot-absolutely beautiful card, love the delicate inky background and beautiful wisteria and foliage stamps.
Carol x

I Card Everyone said...

Such a beautiful summer scene, Leslie! I adore your little 'hitchhiker' and he's found the most wonderful place to perch! A gorgeous card and sensational sentiment, too!
=]

HilaryJane said...

You have taken me right back to spring. How wonderful I love it. I always look forward to the return of spring. Love that sentiment too. I am trying hard to implement the first part right now xx

bensarmom said...

Leslie, your card is stunning. The die you used pulls the image and sentiment together so beautifully.

Bonnie said...

This is so pretty, Leslie! That beautiful dragonfly, with his sparkly wings, looks right at home with the pretty flowers! This sentiment is very meaningful for me today. A lovely card, my friend and congratulations on your Guest Designer spot!

Loll said...

GORGEOUS!! I love your beautiful watercolour background, and those glorious leaves and wisteria blooms. The curved design is so pretty. Congrats on being GD at PBSC! xx

Sue from Oregon said...

This is a beauty Leslie. I love the watercolors and the pretty sentiment! 💕Sue Kment

Birgit said...

Oh my stars Leslie, this is water colored so beautifully! I adore the little dragon fly as well. Such a lovely summer make!

Cat Craig said...

The colors are lovely and the sentiment is wonderful. The curve adds a lovely bit to the entire card experience.

Conniecrafter said...

Gorgeous, not only are the flowers and leaves colored so pretty, I love the background too. sweet sentiment to go with it too!

Christine said...

Gorgeous card and I love how you created such beautifully soft colours xx

Lynette said...

So, so beautiful, Leslie!

Lisa Elton said...

Blogger is driving me crazy, post are no showing up... grrr... Anyway, this is a fabulous card. Congrats on guesting!

Diane said...

I LOVE every single ting about this beautiful card, the wisteria is something I always wanted to have myself in my flower gardens, just no where to put it, sigh! The design with the die cut and the dragonfly looks like a dragonfly trail (if that makes sense) but it's such a perfect placement and how fun are those sequins!!!

My Paper Epiphany said...

This is truly beautiful and I love that sentiment. Thanks for being our GD:)