Claire's Crafty Creations

Ladybird Ladybird

2012-01-30T08:00:00.000Z

Hi there, today's card features some of the stunning new stamps released this month by Chocolate Baroque. When postie delivered these stamps I was blown away as they are fab-u-lous. I adore flower stamps and have loads but as always Glenda has come up with some more 'must have' stamps, you can check them all out here and the new stamps are on offer too so don't miss out. This card was quite a challenge as anyone who knows me will tell you I'm a real bodger and not the neatest stamper so getting this frame right was a bit tricky. It might have helped if I'd been able to find my stamp positioner lol.

I've used the large allium type flower stamps from Fragrant Honeysuckle stamped 4 times to create the corners. I pencilled in a line to give me a guide where to stamp and then just went for it lol. I stamped the images with versamark and embossed with black detail embossing powder. I used a clear ruler and a fineliner pen to create the frame.

The ladybirds are from the same stampsheet. again embossed with black EP and coloured with tinkabella ink and given a coat of glossy accents. The quote is one of my favourites, from Chocolate Baroque's 'Curly Birds' stamp sheet. It all looked a little plain so I masked off the outer frame and lightly spritzed red and black mica spray. I matted the finished artwork on red and black card before attaching to an 8"square card blank.

i'm entering this card in the following challenges

Crafts 4 Eternity: clean and simple

Fussy and Fancy: polkadots (on my ladybirds)

Moving Along with the times: blooming marvellous

My Mum's Craft Shop: flowers

I hope you like it, there are some amazing new stamps available from Chocolate Baroque again this month so pop over to the Chocolate Baroque Design Team blog as my talented teamies have some gorgeous projects to share

Thanks for calling by

Claire xx

Glitter and Glitz with PanPastels

2012-01-29T08:00:00.000Z

Good morning folks, here I am bright an early with my DT card for our new challenge over at PanPastel UK Challenge where our theme is 'Glitter and Glitz'. You don't have to use PanPastels to enter the challenge but of course we'd be happy if you did. :-). Apologies in advance for the awful pic, we don't seem to have had any light to get a decent photo for weeks now.

Now for a change there isn't a lot of stamping on this project. I was playing around with PanPastel colours and loved the combination of Diarylide Yellow, Ultramarine Blue and Permanent green. My truly horrible photography skills have bleached out a lot of the colour in the pic but in real life these 3 colours are totally scrumptious together, adding the yellow creates a fab lime shade. Anyway the backgrounds were created in a matter of minutes by simply applying the panpastels with a sofft sponge and blending them together.

The focal image was made using a beautiful dreamweaver stencil from my not-so-secret Santa Annie :-). I applied creative expressions black glue to the stencil carefully removed it and sprinkled on Beadazzles in Macarena. I wasn't sure if the black glue would work or not so it was a bit of an experiment lol. The colours haven't shown up to well in the pic but they have a lot of copper in which contrasts beautifully with the greens. You can't beat Beadazzles for a some serious glitter and sparkle lol.

I left the tree overnight to dry and to complete my card I added stickles in midnight blue and more beadazzzles (this time attached using red line tape. The butterfly is a stamp from Chocolate Baroque, stamped on acetate and embossed with black and glittered on the reverse. The sentiment stamp is also from Chocolate Baroque.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Crafty Cardmakers: beads

Drunken Stampers: something new (my new tree stencil)

For your inspiration: Photo inspiration

Gingersnap Creations GC136: Glorious Greens

Stamp Scrap and Doodle: anything goes

I do hope you can join us at PanPastel UK this week, our lucky winner will receive a fab prize from our generous sponsor Berni, from Your Creativity Store who is offering a PanPastel Trial Set!

Before I go i'd like to give a big warm welcome to my new followers, its really lovely to 'meet' you all :-)

Thanks for popping by today

Claire xx

Make it a Guy thing at FSC

2012-01-29T00:30:00.000Z

Hi there, phew I really struggled with this card for our new challenge over at Fashionable Stamping Challenges. Our theme is 'Make it a guy thing' and as always our lovely sponsor Marina has a fab prize up for grabs. Don't forget we're a rubber stamping challenge so no digi images are allowed.

I find mens cards tricky, and this one was no exception. Its my FILs birthday next week so I wanted to make a card that he would like rather than one I like lol. So the messy inky backgrounds and the steampunk stamps were put away in favour of a more sedate watercoloured scene lol. I've used a stripey bp from my stash and ribbon from crafty ribbons (one is navy blue and one is bottle green although they both look the same on the pic lol). The focal image is a stamp from Sheena Douglass, stamped on watercolour card and painted with distress inks. The sentiment is a Chocolate Baroque stamp, cut out with nesties. I've used dark green and dark blue card to mat and layer but again it doesn't show up too well with my dreadful photography :-)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Celebrate the Occasion: Masculine birthday

Crazy 4 Challenges: layer it on

Marks Finest Papers: at least 4 layers

Simon Says STamp: anything goes

Sisterhood of Crafters: Striped paper

Thanks for calling by, I hope you're going to join us on the catwalk at Fashionable Stamping Challenges and share your masculine creations with us

Hope you have a good Sunday, if it wasn't followed so quickly by Monday mornings it would be my favourite day of the week

hugs

Clairexx

A taste of the orient

2012-01-28T21:32:00.001Z

Hi there, I'm late with todays' card, I seem to have had one of those days, you know the ones where everything takes twice as long as usual, your drop everything you pick up lol. Anyway I wanted to share this card which features a gorgeous image from Scrapbook Stamp Society (you can find her here)

I've coloured the image with promarkers and used fineliner pens for her long flowing hair. I wanted to keep the card fairly simple so I made a bp using starburst stains (using shades of lilac, blue and green but the mica makes them look a bit odd lol). Once the card was dry I stamped assorted foliage stamps using black versafine ink. I've used black card to matt and layer and added some black organza ribbon to finish off. I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Crafts 4 Eternity: Clean and simple

Inspire me Fridays: anything goes

Secret Crafty:ribbon

Truly Madly Crafty: anything goes

Thanks for calling by today

Claire xx

Burn's Night Challenge at Rainbow Lady's Challenge Blog

2012-01-26T09:00:00.000Z

Hi there folks, Thursday again so time for a new challenge from the lovely Cynthia over at Rainbow Lady's Challenge and this week our theme is 'Burns Night' so we want to see anything to do with Scotland.

For my DT card i've created a brayered scene using my favourite 'Mountain Meadow' Big&Juicy inkpad and stamps from Clarity. I've matted the scene on white card,then black card. The gorgeous tartan backing paper is from Crafty Ann's , the colours are a perfect match for the inkpad and fitted the theme beautifully.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Craft a Scene: anything goes (with a scene)

Crafty Boots: Inspired by a song title (By the light of the silvery moon)

Let's Ink It Up: anything goes

Stamp & create: anything goes

Victorine Orignals: anything goes

Thanks for popping by today

Claire xx

New stamps from Chocolate Baroque

2012-01-24T08:00:00.000Z

Hi there, today's card share features some of the gorgeous new stamps from Chocolate Baroque. 3 new sets of stamps have just been realeased and they are all fab-u-lous (you can see the stamp sheets here on the Chocolate Baroque DT Blog)

I've used a backing paper from the Butterfly Bliss CD, and added a little victorian velvet distress ink to pink it up a little. I've used silk coated cardstock to create the scene using the focal image from Rose Tree 3 times in the foreground of the card. I used eclipse masking tape to stamp the central tree before stamping another tree on either side. I masked the sun and added the sky and hills in the background with my brayer and Memento inks (Summer sky, Danube blue, New Sprout and Bamboo leaves). Once the inks were dry I coloured the flowers and leaves on the trees with promarkers and gave it a gentle polish.

The castle in the background is actually a halloween stamp, from Howling Moon stamp sheet. I inked it up carefully with memento tuxedo black inkto miss out the spooky moon. I added foliage from Wisteria Lane along the top and bottom of the little scene and used a make up sponge to intensify the colour around the trees. As a finishing touch I used the butterfly from Rose Tree, stamped on acetate and glittered on the reverse and popped up with silicone glue to let the glitter sparkle.

Its so rainy and miserable here in the UK at the minute, I hope this card brings a reminder that spring isn't too far away now.

Claire xx

Exciting news!!

2012-01-22T17:47:00.003Z

Hi there,I'm back with my first DT project for Scrapbook Stamps Society. I was over the moon when I was invited to join such an exciting team, the hardest part was choosing the images to work with lol. For my first project I've made a little shadow box using a stunning digistamp by Heather Valentin called 'Butterfly Fae Fantaseyes' (you can find it here). I love to colour eyes so I couldn't resist this image.

I've coloured the image with promarkers and popped it in to the back of a canvas that I'd covered with glimmer misted scrunched paper to create a frame. I inked around the edges with some black versafine ink and added lots of flowers. The large black roses are made from grungepaper painted with Ranger crackle paint and a sprinkle of black glitter. All the smaller flowers started out white and were coloured with glimmer mists. I've added some black punched leaves and some gorgeous glittery green leaves.

The little heart charm isn't showing too well in the pic, I made it by colouring translucent shrink plastic with green pigment ink and stamping over with a heart stamp before shrinking to size. Its attached with a couple of jump rings.

The new challenge over at Scrapbook Stamp Society Challenge is open and the theme is 'Hearts and Flowers, there are some fab prizes on offer and some gorgeous freebies too

I'm also entering this project in the following challenges:

Crafty Emma's Challenge: anything but a card

Creative Belli: Fancy frames

Hotshot Crafts : Flowers

I love promarkers: anything goes

Stampin Sisters in Christ: Make a heart

Sunday Stamper: My eyes adored you

Totally Papercrafts: Make your own flowers

Through the Craftroom Door: anything but a card plus make your own embellies

Truly Scrumptious: something forgotten

(my canvas was gathering dust as were the flowers I coloured with glimmer mists)

Happy Crafting

Claire xx

Use 2 of Something at PanPastels

2012-01-22T08:05:00.000Z

Good morning folks, hope you've got your sunspecs on this morning as my card share today is rather bright lol. Today sees the start of our second challenge over at PanPastel UK Challenge Blog and our theme this time is to use 2 of something. We're really looking forward to seeing your beautiful artwork as we had so many gorgeous entries last week. This is a real change from my card last week which was very muted colours, for this card i've used Iron Oxide Red and Yellow PanPastels with a little black

I made the background by applying red PanPastel around the edge of the card and yellow in the centre using a large angle sofft sponge and then gradually blended the colours together to graduate them. PanPastels are so velvety they blend perfectly and you can create a background in literally a couple of minutes. I then used black PanPastel to stamp the swirls around the border, when you stamp with PanPastel apply to your stamp using a sofft sponge, they give a really soft and muted effect.

For the main image I used the same PanPastel colours, this time I masked a circle of the yellow before I blended in the with the red. I used a post it note, dabbed onto fabric to get rid of most of the sticky so that it didn't lift the colour.

The large stamp with the 2 gorgeous birds is from Chocolate Baroque (Woodland Dreams themeplate) stamped with versamark and embossed with black detail EP. I've found that PanPastels are great for embossing on as you don't seem to get any static so no messy specks of powder on your project.

I've painted the berries with Tinkabella ink, this gives a lovely shine but that doesn't show up too well on the pic. I've added die cut flowers (tattered florals) again coloured with the same PanPastel colours, a button, some twine and die cut leaves. In line with our theme I added a couple of tassels and 2 die cut borders.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Cheerful Stamp Pad: Birds of a feather

Crafty Catz: buttons and bows

Incy Wincy: Bold and bright

Moving Along with the Times: things with wings

My time to craft: Your favourite embellisment

(I adore tassels on cards but i'm very mean with them so don't use them too often lol)

Tanda Stamps: Scenic

There she goes: Scene of back to nature

TCP Tuesday: Embossing

Totally Papercrafts: Make your own flowers

I hope you're going to join our challenge again this week, don't forget our lucky winner gets an amazing prize, our lovely sponsor Berni from Your Creativity Store will be providing a trial set of PanPastels for this weeks winner

Thanks for calling by today

Claire xx

Caroline's fab candy

2012-01-21T18:00:00.003Z

My friend Caroline has a new blog for her gorgeous rubber and digi stamps and to celebrate she has some yummy candy up for grabs!

Aren't these stamps gorgeous??

I adore paint fusion so I'll be sat with my fingers crossed that i'm the lucky winner lol. Pop over to

CaroLines Creative Stamps,

become a follower and find out how to enter.

hugs

Claire xx

GDT at Sugar Creek Hollow

2012-01-21T13:00:00.000Z

Hi there, I'm so excited to be GDT at Sugar Creek Hollow for this weeks challenge, its a real pleasure to join such a talented team of ladies. I always admire their beautiful shabby chic and vintage projects so it was such an honour to be invited :-). This week's theme is 'Go Girly' and one lucky winner will receive a digi stamp of our choice and a winner's badge to display on their blog. In addition, the Design Team will choose one project as Card of the Week, the creator will receive a badge and be in the running for a Guest Designer spot!

For my GDT project I've used a gorgeous stamp from Crafty Individuals (a birthday pressie from my lovely MIL and FIL). I stamped the image with sepia versafine and watercoloured with distress inks (Tea dye, Vintage photo, Victorian Velvet). I made the background by stamping words onto card stock with distress inks, coating with gesso and then overlaying scrunched up tissue stamped with text stamp (from Chocolate Baroque's Paisley Elephant stamp sheet). To create the edge I cut the tissue paper larger than the card and once it was dry, ran a wet paint brush around about 1/2cm from the edge, this lets you tear the tissue in a straightish line but leaves a lovely feathery edge. I've also added stitching with shimmery embroidery floss.

I've gone to town with lots of girly embellies, pearls, iridescent gems, seam binding ribbon, lace, irridescent beaded trim and some lovely sparkly pins from Crafty Boots. The sentiment stamp is from Chocolate Baroque. I've added some hand made flowers too, rolled ribbon roses and the larger flowers were created with crinoline fabric from Linda, The Funky Junkie's Etsy store. I die cut the fabric using Crealies dies, coloured with Victorian velvet distress ink and scrunched up to dry. Once they flowers were dry, I layered them up and added iridescent seed beads to the centre. The punched leaves are made from kraft glassine.

The shimmery heart was made using a technique I saw on the Particraft blog, (I think its on Sue's dvd too). This is the first time I've used it but definitely not the last as its so easy and really effective. To get the heart shape I stamped a heart stamp on some scrap card, cut out the shape and then spread pva glue over the reverse of the shape. I added a good dusting of mica powders in pink and pearl and then blasted with my heat gun.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Clearly Inspired: Pastels
Crafters Companion: love is in the air
Crafty Creations: Valentine
Crop Stop: Distressed vintage or shabby
I brake for challenges: Fancy folds
Pretty Little Ribbon Shop: Be my valentine
Scrapbook Sisters: Sweet Valentine
Simply Create Too: love is in the air
Totally Papercrafts: Make your own flowers
Wags'n'Whiskers: Valentine/love

Thanks for calling by today. I hope you're having a good weekend
hugs
Claire xx

Whats new pussycat?

2012-01-20T07:00:00.000Z

Hi there, well its Friday already yippppppeeee and time for a new challenge from Crafty Ann's and this time the theme is 'What's new pussycat?' As always there is a fab prize from Crafty Ann's Digi Shop for our lucky winner.

I've used elements from Crafty Ann's new digi collection called 'Sweet Sage', aren't they the most gorgeous colours?? I've layered them digitally to create this card. As I'm a total numpty when it comes to digital crafting so I'm really happy I managed to create this. I printed the digi sheet off and matted it on some gold textured card, adding some dew drops in the corners. I printed out a couple of Crafty Ann's gorgeous metallic butterflies and coloured them with sakura stardust pens. I haven't used these pens for ages and I'd forgotten how beautiful and sparkly they are. Once I'd cut the butterflies out I popped them on to the card with some silicone blue. With the digital layering this card was sooooo easy to make,

I kind of felt like I'd cheated lol.

I'm entering this one in the following challenges:

Crafty Purple Frog: anything goes

Dream Valley: anything goes

Flutter by Wednesday: Open challenge with a butterfly angel or fairy

Lollipop Crafts: No embellishments

Moving Along with the times: things with wings

Thanks for popping by. i've been a bad blogger again this week and haven't had chance to do a lot of visiting. i've a good excuse though, the little charity i work for has had the chance of some extra funding so i've been up to my ears in planning a new project. :-)

Claire xx

All about me at Sarah Hurley Challenge Blog

2012-01-19T17:00:00.000Z

Hi, back again with my second post today and this one is my DT project for Sarah Hurley's Challenge Blog where Nat has set the challenge this time around. The theme is 'All about me' and Nat wants to see us celebrate ourselves! Now this one really made my poor little brain cell struggle. I work for a mental health charity and have done lots of groupwork about positive thinking, I came up with the brainwave of creating a journal to record positive 'stuff' about me.

I began by carefully removing the cover from the journal (actually a 99p notebook from the Works) and covered it with white card. I had planned to used some of Sarahs gorgeous papers from Tinseltown but my printer has been playing up (my fault I jammed it up trying to print on thick card eeeek). I created the background with distress inks, painted with watered down gesso and then misted with glimmer mists. Next I used a Tattered Angels flourish mask and sponged green PanPastel ovet it. I stamped with dandelion clocks from Chocolate Baroque, stars (from Stampotique) and a couple of my favourite sentiment stamps (serendipity by Stampers Anonymous) and a wood mounted stamp that reads 'Be the change you want to see in the world. The world Serendipity is embossed with clear sparkle EP and the stars are painted with glimmer mists.

I found some scraps of my favourite papers from Sarah's Tinseltown cd (available here!!)and paperpieced the fairy from Stampers Anonymous. It looks a bit weird in the pic as the dress is a solid stamp so I stamped and embossed with clear sparkle EP and its reflecting the light in a really strange way lol. I was tempted to swap the fairies cute little face for my mugshot but gave up on the idea lol

Now for the scary bit lol, I painted white acrylic paint where I wanted to write and added the text with a fineliner pen. One of the group activities we use it to create an acronym of our names using positive words so I decided to add that to my journal cover.

I really enjoyed creating this so think its a project I that I can tempt our craft group with at work, if I ever get through the mountains of paperwork in my office that is.

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

CD Sunday: enchantment

Fabulous Friday: use paint

Hooked on Crafts: try something new

Little Claire's: Anything but a card

Simon Says Stamp and show: anything but a card

Totally Gorjuss: use a star

Through the craftroom door: Anything but a card

Try it on Tuesday:do you believe in fairies

Thanks for calling by

Claire xx

Year of the Dragon at Rainbow Lady's Challenge

2012-01-19T09:00:00.000Z

Get your sunspecs out as this card is a bit on the bright side lol. Our challenge this week at Rainbow Lady's Challenge is 'Year of the Dragon'. I was tempted to go all oriental for this one but then I decided to use this cute little dragon stamp instead.

The stamp is 'Dragon Luck' by Lisa Victoria from Sweet Pea Stamps. I've coloured him with promarkers and inked around the edges with distress ink. I've used a background made with lime green cosmic shimmer mist, which I brayered (with an old hard rubber brayer not my trusty speedball lol) to create the texture. I've also added a panel of cuttlebugged card again inked with distress inks. To finish off I've added some lime green scrunchy ribbon, a couple of fabric flowers and a button.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Catered Crop: buttons

Crafty Catz: Something new

Delicious Doodles: All things new

Deep ocean: sparkling and/or glitter

Emerald Faerie Garden: Green and gold/yellow

I love promarkers: anything goes

Marks Finest Papers: border punches

Stampin Sisters in Christ: Something new

(my embossing folder was a Christmas pressie from my lovely friend Ann)

Stamptacular Sunday: texture

The Squirrel and the Fox: Critters

Truly Scrumptious: something forgotten (my dragon stamp)

Thanks for visiting today

Claire xx

Challenge 18 at Christmas Challenge [with sketches}

2012-01-18T08:00:00.000Z

Hi there, another challenge at Christmas Challenges {with sketches} already, and this time we have a fab sketch by the lovely Janneke (pop over to the challenge blog to see the sketch)

We have a fab prize up for grabs too, we're sponsored by Judikins so our winner will be in for a treat!

For my DT card I've used backing papers from an Anna Griffen kit that I seem to have had forever. I've edged all the papers with a gold krylon pen and added a strip of green card punched with a MS border punch. The image is 'Home for the Holidays' by Katerina Koukiotis from Sweet Pea stamps. I love this image, she is such a gorgeous old fashioned girl. I've coloured her with promarkers and added snow with a white gel pen. The image is matted on a couple of Marianne die cuts. I've added some gorgeous red and gold ribbon from Crafty Ribbons to finish off.

I'm entering my card in the following challenges:

Crafty Emma's : Vintage Dahling

Dream Valley: anything goes

Fussy and Fancy: let it snow

Gingerloft Challenge: anything goes

Incy wincy: bold and bright

Polkadoodles: Vintage/retro

Shopping our Stash: across the border

Stempelsonnen: Winter

Thanks for visiting today

Claire xx

A postcard from Spain

2012-01-15T22:59:00.001Z

Hi again, my third post today but I wanted to sneak in my project for Darcy's postcard challenge (pop over to her blog Art and Sole to find out all about it). This week we're making postcards from Spain. I'd planned a quiet weekend tucked away in my craft room but as usual things didn't go to plan and I had to grab a crafting fix this afternoon to make my postcard

Here's the front, I masked the edges of the card and stamped the image (from Chocolate's Baroque's Echoes of Italy stampsheet but it looks a bit Spanish lol). I added the sky with PanPastels and then rubbed out the colour from the stamped image and used Derwent Pastel pencils to colour the image.

On the back I've used Chocolate Baroque's mail art stamps and perforated postage paper.

It looks as though Jonathons brother romance is going more smoothly than his. I wonder if the young lovers will soon be reunited? I'm loving this challenge, there are so many fascinating stories developing, with all manner of romances developing and even dogs and fairies sending cards lol. I wonder if any of our travellers paths will cross en route ? I can't wait to get home from work tomorrow and find out how everyone's stories are developing

Right I'd better get to bed as its work in the morning.

Thanks for visiting today

Claire xx

Anything goes at PanPastels

2012-01-15T08:01:00.000Z

Woo hoo, our first challenge at PanPastel UK Challenge Blog and our first challenge is a really easy one for you: Anything Goes! There is a fab prize of a PanPastel trial pack up for grabs from our generous sponsor 'Your Creativity Store'. I was soooooo excited to be chosen for the PanPastel DT as I'd been itching to have a play with such an exciting new product and I've got to say they are a-ma-zing! I'm still very much a beginner but i'm looking forward to sharing my journey into PanPastel Land with you lol.

Here' is my first DT project, I wanted to create a misty winter scene and set to copying a pic from a Christmas card. I started by covering the card with White PanPastel and then added the sky, using streaks of Red Iron Oxide, Dairylide Yellow and black. I then blended it all with more white using a Sofft right angle slice. The tools for applying PanPastels are wonderfully squidgy and the colours blend beautifully.

I added more black to create the shape of the houses using a Sofft knife with a pointed cover and ....now comes the good bit lol. To create the houses I just rubbed the PanPastel out where i wanted the snowy roof to be! I'm thoroughly over excited about the fact that you can use an eraser with PanPastels, its so much easier than masking and also means you can create so many different effects. I added the 'river' with more black PanPastel and then added detail with stamps.

The spruce trees in the background were made with Clarity stamps, and I actually used black PanPastel to stamp them. For the trees in the foreground and the birds I used stamps from Andy Skinner and Memento Tuxedo Black ink. I've found dye ink much better for stamping on PanPastel backgrounds than Versafine or Stazon as they seem to disappear into the background. To add to the frosty feel of the scene I added glamour dust to the tree branches and foliage in the foreground.

To finish off I've matted the scene on yellow card, then charcoal grey card and added some sparkly silver foliage, wooden and silver berries and some grey organza ribbon.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Cheerful Stamp Pad: Let it snow

Chocolate Coffee and Cards: glitter

City Crafter: Back to Black (use a silhouette)

Craft a Scene: anything goes with a scene

Crafty Creations: Something new (my PanPastels)

Gingersnap Creations GC 133: use a set/line of stamps (I've used Andy Skinners stamps, Back to Nature set)

Going Grey with ScrapCreations: glitter

Penny's papercrafty: Birds

Scrapbook Sisters: snow

Sisterhood of Crafters: Snow

Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps: something new (PanPastels)

Tuesday Throwdown: Baby its cold outside

I hope you're going to join our first challenge, you don't have to use PanPastels to enter but of course we'd be chuffed if you did. Our lucky winner will receive a trial pack of PanPastels and be able to have a play

Thanks for calling by

Claire xx

Butterflies or Bugs at FSC

2012-01-15T00:05:00.000Z

Hi there, we're back on the catwalk with a new challenge at Fashionable Stamping Challenges and this fortnight our theme is 'Butterflies or Bugs'. As always we're sponsored by the lovely Marina from Cottage Crafts who is offering a fab prize for our lucky winner. You may need your sunspecs for my DT card lol

I've created the background with PanPastels using white and yellow applied with a sofft sponge and given a quick spray of cheapie hairspray to fix. Next some splodges of acrylic paint, once this was dry I added some 3d stencil paste through some sequin waste and coloured with yellow mica powder. The bees are from one of the Sheena Douglass paint fusion sets, they've got glamour dusted wings and yellow viva gloss gel on their bodies.

The butterflies were created using some of my old favourite butterfly stamps from Chocolate Baroque (Butterfly Bliss and Just Butterflies). I stamped the butterfly silhouette with London Fog memento ink, cut out and coloured the back with yellow PanPastel. I used the detailed butterfly stamp with black stazon on Clearly for Art film, cut them out coloured the reverse with alcohol inks and heated them so I could curl the wings. I added Ranger black enamel accents to the butterfly and attached them with silicone. The tiny white 'pearls' were made with a Viva pearl pen. To finish off I've added some lace, yellow chiffon ribbon and a silver bee charm.

I'm also entering this card in the following challenges:

Crazy Challenge: Lace and or pearls

Creative Inspirations Paint: something old

Fabulous Friday: use paint

Flutter by Wednesday: bright colours

Gingersnap Creations: (GC 132): Soft yellow and white

Make My Monday: Nature/animals

Shopping our Stash: glitter sparkle or shine

Thanks for calling by.

Claire xx

The Many Faces of Women at Rainbow Lady's Challenge Blog

2012-01-12T09:00:00.000Z

Hi there, well another week has flown past and its Thursday already. I've been feeling a bit sorry for myself this week as I've had a cold and earache, but I'm soldiering on fuelled by lemsip and vitamin C and the weekend will soon be here yipeeeeee. This week at Rainbow Lady's Challenge our theme is 'The Many Faces of Women'. I've used a gorgeous stamp by La Blanche for my DT card.

I've simply inked the stamp with Memento Tuxedo black in and stamped the image on some white silk card,matted on some black card and AB gems in teh corners. The background was made using a gorgeous leaf stamp from Chocolate Baroque's Essence of Nature stampsheet. Again stamped on white card and then gently inked with black ink and matted on black card. I've just addded a little ribbon to finish off.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Crafty Cardmakers: No floral embellies

Crafty Emma's: anything goes

My Mum's Craft Shop: girls

Stampalot Challenge: Monochrome

Stamp and Create: anything goes

Thanks for popping by

Claire xx

On our travels with Darcy's postcard challenge

2012-01-07T16:33:00.002Z

As soon as I heard about Darcy's Post Card challenge over at her blog Art and Sole, I was totally intrigued by the idea and had to play along. I love mail art so I couldn't resist, its a fantastic challenge that involved making a postcard each week for 52 weeks. I won't give you all the details, you can visit Darcy's blog and find out all about it, click the button in my sidebar for all the details. I haven't had much time for crafting but managed to make this quick postcard from our first country 'Austria'

My characters are Miss Rosemary Wilton, aged 17 and her sweetheart Mr Jonathon Baker aged 18. Their romance is set in the early part of the 20th century. The course of true love never runs smoothly and the young couple have been sent their separate ways by their parents in an attempt to end their budding romance. Their homes are in the same village in a quiet rural area of England and to avoid their parents finding out that they are communicating, they are both writing to Rosemary's older sister's address. Rosemary is travelling with her Aunt Mabel and Jonathon has been sent on an extended trip with his older brother James. Rosemary and James are hoping that they can engineer thing so that their paths cross and they can be reunited.

Ahhhh how sweet! Watch this space though as hopefully they may have some adventures along the way lol.

I've made a quick postcard using my new Winter distress inks and Clarity stamps create a snowy landscape that I cut with nesties. I created the 'stamp' for the back with perforated postage paper and the same inks/stamps. Now I've just got to get myself organised and make a book to keep them all in :-)

Thanks for calling by, are you tempted to travel along with Darcy's challenge?

Hope you're haivng a good weekend so far. I've been a real lazy bones today in fact I'm sooooooo lazy we've cancelled going out this evening in favour of phoning the local chinese for a home delivery yum scrum!!

Claire xx

Hot stuff at Crafty Ann's

2012-01-06T06:30:00.000Z

Hi there, well its time for a new challenge at Crafty Ann's, our first of the new year and Ann wants to see us thinking HOT so we can be inspired by hot colours or summery scenes etc. As always there is a fab prize from Crafty Ann's Digi Shop so I hope you're going to escape the horrible winter weather with us. For my DT card i've used one of Ann's gorgeous Venetian masks and a gorgeous bright paper from the Funky collection.

I've distressed the paper and added some gold embossing before matting it on some gold textured card. The main image is coloured with promarkers and glittered using gold glitter and a quickie glue pen. I've matted the image over scraps of mirri card that i embossed in my trusty cuttlebug before colouring with alcohol inks (raisin and cranberry). I've added a metal filigree corner to finish off and stamped and gold embossed the sentiment 'Celebrate'.

Sorry for the decidedly dodgy photo, its been so dark and grey here over the last couple of weeks. its dark when i go to work and dark when i come home, i'm starting to feel like an owl lol.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Aud Sentiments: any sentiment plus use your scraps

Crafty Emma's Challenge: Party party party

Joanna Sheen Challenge: Celebration

Kaboodle doodles: celebrate

Truly Madly Crafty: anything goes

Tuesday Throwdown: Shiny New Year

Thanks for calling by today

Claire xx

Giving Thanks at Sarah Hurley Challenges

2012-01-05T17:00:00.000Z

Hi there, my second card today and hopefully this one will banish some of the winter blues. Our challenge over at Sarah Hurley's Challenge this week is Giving Thanks so I've made a thank you card using elements from Woodland Whimsies (you can find it here).

All the elements were printed off the cd and then cut out and decoupages. I matted the sentiment on a nestie eyelet circles die cut and added some white ribbon over the rainbow bp. A super quick card but hopefully it will raise a smile on a grey January day.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Charisma Cardz: over the rainbow

DYSU: photo inspiration

Fairy Tale: Something easy

Paper Shelter : Anything goes

Scrapbook Sisters: Anything goes

Sentimental Sundays :Anything goes

Sparkles Forum: Anything but a Christmas card

Top Tip Tuesday: Anything goes

Unstampabelles: Anything goes

Its a very exciting time to be part of Sarah Hurley's team as this week sees the launch of Sarah's fab new Craft Academy and Crafty Kids Academy which is going to be so exciting! Check it out here

Claire xx

Travel in Time with the Rainbow Lady

2012-01-05T09:00:00.000Z

Hi there, Rainbow Lady's Challenge this week is 'Travelling in Time' which was a great excuse to use this gorgeous background from Dover, I'd printed it out ages ago but didn't want to cover it up so I came up with the idea of adding some stamping around the edges instead.

I've distressed the edges of the paper with a craft knife and vintage photo and black soot distress inks. I've stamped the cogs from Chocolate Baroque Steampunk Christmas on some vellum using black versafine and then turned it over and stamped and embossed the same stamp with gold EP, the black cogs give a shadowy effect through the vellum. I've added half of a die cut 'weathered clock' embossed with antique gold EP and some black velvet ribbon. To finish off I've added a flower made from card stamped with Stampers Anonymous music stamp and die cut with tattered florals before being inked with a little black soot distress ink. Here's another pic to show the detail

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Artistic Stamper: Vintage

Crafty Creations:Heat embossing

House that stamps built: brown and blue

Incy Wincy: anything goes

Paper Creations Ink: die cuts/punches

Stamp-n-Doodle: Anything goes

Stamp and Create: Vintage

Top Tip Tuesday: Anything goes

Tuesday throwdown: Shiny new year

Thanks for calling by today

Claire xx

Challenge #17 at Christmas Challenges {with sketches}

2012-01-04T08:00:00.000Z

Hi there, it our first challenge of 2012 at Christmas Challenges {with Sketches} and this week its my turn to design the sketch so I hope you like it :-)

For a bit of extra fun we're going to be adding a twist to some of our challenge and this week as well as using the sketch we'd like to see die cuts and/or punches too

This time around our challenge is sponsored by 'My Favourite Things' so don't forget to visit the challenge blog to see the sketch and to find out more about the prize on offer

The backing paper is from Raspberry Road Designs, distressed with a craft knife and matted on pink pearl card. I've created a panel using STampers Anonymous tree stamps and Memento Bamboo leaves ink, I inked the sky with Victorial Velvet distress ink. The circle frame is a Marianne Die cut, swiped with versamark and embossed with gold EP. The gorgeous angel rubber stamp is by Chrissy Armstrong from Whimsy STamps, she is coloued with promarkers. To finish off I've added some die cut filigree corners from Make it Crafty, some rolled ribbon roses and die cut leaves. The sentiment is from the same stamp set, its stamped on a creative acrylic tag.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges

Christmas Cards all year round: Non traditional Christmas colours

Craft your passion: anything goes plus distressing

Cupcake Craftroom: anything goes

52 Christmas Throwdown: anything goes

Incy Wincy: anything goes

Magical Monday: anything magical

Marianne Design Diva's : Its Christmas

My Craft Spot: winter wonderland

One Stop Craft Challenge: Winter wishes

Sentimental Sundays: anything goes

Sundays with Chrissy: Beat the winter blues (I hope my warm colours count)

The Pink Elephant: anything goes

Thanks for visiting today. Make sure you pop over and check out my teamies blogs as they have made some stunning cards again.

Claire xx

The Stamp Man 3rd annual awards

2012-01-02T19:50:00.000Z

Hi there, well Christmas is well and truly over, the decorations have been put away and the fridge is cleared off leftovers lol. Before looking forward to 2012, the team at The Stamp Man are encouraging us to look back over the past year and pick our best/favourite craft project of the year! What a great challenge and a good excuse to sit in front of the TV with the lappy and a box of After 8s lol (not that I need an excuse to eat chocolate )

After a wander around looking at all the projects I've made in the last year I think my favourite is this one, a little canvas called 'Fairy Door'. I really enjoyed making it as it gave me chance to mess around with paint and glitter and also to use one of my all time favourite stamps, the gorgeous unicorn from Chocolate Baroque. You can see the original post here

It was hard to choose and I thought I'd share a couple more of my favourite projects, this little canvas was created for our first challenge at Fashionable Stamping Challenges and uses some more of my favourite stamps (the original post is here)

Lastly, I really enjoyed making this one, I love mail art and got so carried away making these faux stamps, again using stamps from Chocolate Baroque. You can find out more in the original post here

Thanks for taking a walk down memory lane with me. I'm back at work tomorrow so although I'm not the happiest bunny in the world its always nice to catch up with friends and have a good old gossip :-) Here's to another year of crafting

Claire xx

New Year, New Stash at Fashionable Stamping Challenges

2012-01-01T07:00:00.000Z

Happy New Year!! I hope its a good one for you :-) I hope you enjoyed your new year celebrations and have escaped the dreaded hangover lol. No hangovers here, i'm not a party animal these days.

Not only is it the start of a New Year, its also the start of a new challenge over at Fashionable Stamping Challenges and this time we'd like to see you model your new stash on the catwalk. If Santa brought you some new goodies or maybe you've treated yourself, nows the time to get inky and join us to be in with a chance of winning a fab prize from the lovely Marina our regular sponsor from Cottage Crafts. (don't forget we're a stamping challenge so no digistamps allowed)

For my project i've used a new Kaisercraft beyond the page cuckoo clock from Crafty Boots. I've paint fusioned it with daisy stamps from Sheena Douglass and used assorted acrylic paints from my stash. I've added some die cut grungeboard flourishes, a flower die cut with tattered florals and some paper flowers from my stash. The butterflies are stamps from Chocolate Baroque, stamped on acetate, embossed and then glittered on the back. They don't show up too well in the pic but this is one of my all time favourite techniques for sparkly butterfly wings. I had so much fun with this project, and even better i have another clock to alter as soon as I get some free time.

I'm entering this project in the following challenges

Craft room Challenge: anything goes

Crafts and Me: anything goes

Delicious Doodles: anything goes

Glitter Geeks: brand spanking new

Mami Doodles: altered art/ home decor

Ooh La La: anything but a card

Simon Says Stamp: anything goes

Thanks for calling by today.

Happy New Year

Claire xx

CCWS Blog Candy Winner

2011-12-30T10:00:00.000Z

Hi there, todays the day that the blog candy winners are announced from our Blog Hop at Christmas Challenges {with sketches}! With the help of random.org's clever random number generator my winner is.........

Paula (PEP)

congratulations Paula, please email me with your snail mail address and I'll get your goodies in the post!

Thanks to everyone who hopped along with us and your lovely comments, there is a full list of winners over at Christmas Challenges {with sketches} so make sure you check as you could be a winner

hugs

Claire xx

Your choice at Rainbow Lady's Challenge

2011-12-29T09:00:00.000Z

Hi there, i'm back again with my second card of the day (If Mr Blogger is playing nicely as really i'll be at work with my nose to the grindstone as the saying goes). Over at Rainbow Lady's challenge this week Cynthia has set a nice easy challenge, 'Your choice' so you can play along with whatever you choose. My DT card features a gorgeous digital stamp from Whoopsi Daisy that i was lucky enough to win a couple of weeks ago, isn't she a cutie?

I've coloured the image with promarkers and cut her out with a nestie. The background is glimmer mists on glossy card, it looks quite pink in the pic but its actually a dark red (so much for my photography skills lol). I've added gold mirri card, distressed with a craft knife, paper flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts, ribbon from my stash and faux pearls made with my viva pearl pen.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Bearly Mine: anything goes

Crafts and Me: Christmas

Digistamps for Joy: christmas (No animals)

Divas by Design: Christmas

House of Gilli: red and gold

I love promarkers: anything goes

Paper Sundaes: Celebrate

Shopping our Stash: tie it up

Whoopsi Daisy: Sparkle and shine

Thanks for popping by

Claire xx

New Year challenge at C.R.A.F.T

2011-12-29T08:30:00.000Z

Hi there, my last card as GDT for C.R.A.F.T challenge, its been great fun and I've loved it, especially seeing all your gorgeous creations :-) This week our challenge is 'New Year' and I've used a fab image from one of our sponsors for this card

This week we have two prizes up for grabs, one lucky winner will receive 5 images from Sew Many Digital Stamps

and our other lucky winner will win 2 images from Liazstamps

I've used an image called 'Harry' from Liazstamps, don't you just love the expression on his face LOL. He's coloured with promarkers, cut out with nesties and matted on a black faux nestie. The bp is from my stash and I've added some gold satin ribbon and a flower made with a spellbinders die.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Everybody Art: Anything goes

I love Promarkers: anything goes

My Mum's Craft Shop: anything goes

Scrapbook Sisters: anything goes

Simon Says Stamp: anything goes

Thanks for calling by today and thanks to the lovely ladies at C.R.A.F.T, its been a real pleasure to join you for December's Challenges

Claire xx

PanPastels DT, Imagine the possibilities :-)

2011-12-27T19:05:00.000Z

Hi there, well with Christmas and pesky internet gremlins it seems ages since I've blogged anything but today I wanted to share some very exciting news. I'm joining the PanPastel UK DT, and how excited am I?? Yes, you guessed it, thoroughly over excited lol. I wanted to have a play and share a project with my news so I've managed to grab a few hours in my craftroom and made this tag, using PanPastels of course :-)

I've had a really good play with PanPastels today and oh dear I think I have a new addiction, better warn the bank manager :-) PanPastels are such gorgeous vibrant colours, they are velvety smooth and they blend beautifully with the Sofft tools (these are made from a very dense foam that is amazingly squidgy - technical term there lol).

I've tried them on lots of different card and they are really versatile, from watercolour card to supersmooth white cardstock. I know a lot of pastels need card with some tooth but PanPastels are just as happy with smooth cardstock. I haven't got any proper fixative, so I just used a spray of cheap hairspray instead.

I've made a few projects today but some I won't be able to share for a while, this tag was super quick to make. The night sky is made by blending black and Ultramarine Blue Shade panpastels with a Sofft Angle slice tool. I stamped the row of houses (from Artistic Outpost) with black versafine on white card lightly coloured with white PanPastel and a hint of black, cut them out and popped them up on 3d foam pads. I added glossy accents around the edges and then silver microbeads. The tiny stars are made with white cosmic shimmer glue and glamour dust.

The larger stars were made using Jo Capper Sandon's star stamp on shrink plastic dipped in UTEE and coloured with pearl alcohol ink additive although they look black in the pic. I've never thought of trying that before until Tim's Tags and although I didn't have time to join in with the tags I was itching to get my melting pot out and start shrinking and its the most amazing fun watching the shrink plastic curl in the UTEE (OK I'm easily pleased lol). The sentiment is from Chocolate Baroque, and I thought it would be perfect for my first venture into the world of PanPastels :-)

To finish off I've added some scraps of ribbon, net and braid attached with a silver brad.

I'm entering this tag in the following challenges:

Gingersnap Creations GC129: Starry Night

Make my Monday: Seasonal tags

Ooh La La: anything but a card

Stampotique: Shimmer, glimmer, glitter and glitz

The Stamp Man: Techniques

I hope you've all had a lovely Christmas, it seems to have gone as quickly as it came and I'm back at work tomorrow (not a happy bunny about that I can tell you) but at least its theres another long weekend coming up and lots of chocolate in the cupboard to console myself lol

hugs

Claire xx

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T11:16:00.002Z

Just a quick post to wish all my lovely blogland friends and followers a very Merry Christmas. I hope you all have a wonderful time with the ones you love, lots to eat and drink and that Santa has been good to you. Christmas is such a special time of year, its so lovely to be able to relax and spend some time with friends and family. Special hugs to those who are on their own at Christmas or are having a difficult time.

No card today as the last few days have been so hectic I haven't had a lot of time for crafting and I'm itching to get in my craftroom and play! Footy tomorrow so I'll be home alone for most of the day so I'll be getting inky fingers lol

Enjoy your day everyone

Merry Christmas

love and hugs

Claire xx

Merry Christmas Blog hop at CCWS!!

2011-12-24T09:00:00.000Z

Hi and welcome to the the first Christmas Challenges {with sketches} blog hop! If you came here from my lovely teamie Monique's blog, you are on the right track. If not please start at Christmas Challenges {with sketches}, because you don't want to miss anything! All the DT have prizes on their blogs so there are lots of lovely goodies up for grabs!! All you need to do is leave a comment on the DTs blogs as you hop along and for an extra chance of winning a prize, enter our sketch challenge too.

My card is made using stamps from Whiff of Joy stamped on kraft card and coloured with coloursoft pencils. The bps were all made using snowflake stamps from Chocolate Baroque with distress inks in Tumbled Glass, Tea Dye and Vintage photo oversprayed with pearl glimmer mist for some sparkle. The lace,ribbon and lacy doiley are from the Funkie Junkie and the sentiment is also a stamp from Chocolate Baroque, matted on a kraft die cut. I added some tiny blue faux gems to the snowflakes for a bit of Christmas bling

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Crafts and Me: Christmas

Crafty Purple Frog: Christmas and New Year

Inky Impressions: Christmas Cheer

My Mum's Craft Shop: Anything goes

Paperplay: christmas

Ribbon Reel: Shabby holiday

Simon Says Stamp: bingo challenge ( my line is ribbon, gems sparkle)

Sisterhood of Crafters: christmas

Stampin Sisters in Christ: the true meaning of Christmas

Here's a pic of my prize, there are some stamps (wood mounted angels, some clear stamps and a Sweet Pea rubber stamp called Cherish Christmas), ribbon and assorted stickers:

Thank you for joining us in this bloghop, and don't forget to join us at our Bloghop sketch Challenge. You can win a lovely stamp on the CCWS Blog when you are the winner of the card using our sketch. You can upload your card on the CCWS Blog until December 29th 18:00 PM (Dutch time) and you can find the winner on the blog the day after. When you leave a comment here too, you can win this (what price you have to give away) and I will announce the winner on December 30th here on my blog.

Now it's time to hop on over to NICOLE''s blog to see what wonderful creation she's made for your inspiration.

thanks for popping by today

Merry Christmas

Claire xx

#184 A white Christmas for Rainbow Lady

2011-12-22T09:00:00.000Z

Hi there, I'm back with another Christmas card, this one is my DT project for Rainbow Lady's Challenge where Cynthia wants to see projects inspired by the theme White Christmas.

I've used some of my favourite stamps for this card, they are all from 'Snow is Falling' by Chocolate Baroque. It was a really quick card to make as I've just stamped the image on silk coated card using a big and juicy waterfall inkpad and added some Judikins prisma glitter, matted the image on card brayered with the same ink and then on a layer of white card. The background was made using snowflake stamps from the same themeplate and the same inkpad. I've added some lace, seambinding coloured with waterfall ink and a glittery snowflake made with a Marianne die and attached to the bow with a snowflake brad.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Addicted to Stamps: Snowflakes

Creative Inspirations Paint: The holidays

Christmas Card Challenges: Non traditional Christmas colours

Lexi's creations: Untraditional Christmas colours

Stamps+fun =creativity: favourite material for cardmaking (mine is my brayer)

Top Tip Tuesday: Christmas

Thanks for popping by

hugs

Claire xx

Pastelles for Christmas at C.R.A.F.T

2011-12-22T08:30:00.000Z

Hi there, how are you doing? Nearly ready for the big day? Today's card is my GDT project for C.R.A.F.T challenge where the theme is 'pastelles for Christmas'

This week we have 2 generous sponsors so don't miss out as that means there are 2 prizes up for grabs! One lucky winner will receive 4 images and a paperpack (or 5 images) from Robyn's Fetish

Our other lucky winner will receive either 3 digi stamps or 2 cling stamps from 2 cute rubber stamps!

I've made a shaped easel, cut out with nesties and inked with tumbled glass distress ink. The image is from our sponsor Robyn's Fetish, I've coloured with with promarkers and added Ranger Black enamel accents for his eyes. Once that was dry (don't you just hate waiting for things to dry?? I do lol) I added lots of judikins prisma glitter to the melting snowman and then decoupages his hat, scarf, gloves and pipe. I've added a marianne die cut snowflakes, some ribbon from my stash and plenty of stickles.

The sentiment is computer generated, inked with pale blue ink, and attached to a Creative Acrylic tag with glue and stickles to make it look like ice. I'm really pleased with the effect :-)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Bunny Zoe's: Fancy folds/shaped cards

Craft your days away: Snowmen

Digital Tuesday: Winter Wonderland

Drunken Stampers: Glittery Holiday

Fussy and Fancy: Monochromatic and sparkle

Hooked on Crafts: christmas

Stamp'n'doodle: Its Christmas

Top Tip Tuesday: Anything Christmas

I don't know where this week is going, I'm still nowhere near organised for Christmas eeeek! Hubby has been in hospital this week, he's ok and home now but with that and work I don't seem to have had a minute so I'll be battling the crowds in my lunch hour to do a bit more Christmas shopping lol

Thanks for calling by

Claire xx

Challenge #16 at Christmas Challenges {with sketches}

2011-12-21T08:00:00.000Z

Hi folks, how are your Christmas preparations going? This time of year always seems to be so hectic but it will all be worth while on the day :-). If you've still got some cards to make pop on over to Christmas Challenges {with sketches} as we have a new challenge starting today with a gorgeous sketch from my talented teamie Carol.

As always we have a great prize up for grabs and this time around we are sponsored by

Whiff of Joy, so you're not going to want to miss out!! Hop on over to the challenge blog to find out more :-)

For my DT card i've used papers from GCD Ella Blue collection, all matted on to kraft card, a kraft border punched with an EK success punch, a Marianne die cut snowflake with a little stickles. The image is 'Window Wonder' from Di's digi Downloads, coloured with promarkers and glittered with judikins prisma glitter although that doesn't show up too well in the pic. To finish off I've added some blue ribbon from my stash and stamped a 'Let it snow' sentiment on a die cut kraft tag

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Allsorts: brown and blue

Crafty Boots: Christmas

Digital Tuesday: Winter Wonderland

Di's Digi Designs: Christmas

Dream Valley: christmas

Everybody Art Challenge: anything goes

Little Claire's: Family Christmas

Marianne Design Divas:Christmas

Passion for Promarkers: Mega Christmas challenge

the Crazy Challenge: Christmas

We've got an extra Christmas treat for you at Christmas challenges {with sketches}, we're having a blog hop which starts on Christmas Eve with prizes on all the DT members blogs!!

Merry Christmas

Claire xx

Travelling the World at Fashionable Stamping Challenges

2011-12-18T08:30:00.000Z

Hi there, how on earth did it get to be the week before Christmas?? I'm sure I'm in some kind of time warp as I'm still nowhere near ready for the big day. It may have had something to do with the fact that I spend far too much time at work and hiding away in my craft room lol. I hope you're better organised than I am :-)

Anyway back to the important stuff like crafting lol, today's project is my DT piece for Fashionable Stamping Challenges where we are 'Travelling the world' . I've opted for an Egyptian theme but there are some amazing creations from all corners of the globe so make sure you check out my teamies fab creations on the challenge blog. As ever the lovely Marina from Cottage Crafts is sponsoring our challenge so there will be a fab prize up for grabs!

I've made a tag, altered a body butter container and made a beaded cabochon for my project. The tag uses stamps from Non Sequitur and Chocolate Baroque, with lots of embossing and glimmer misting. The gorgeous archway isn't particularly Egyptian but its my favourite stamp of the moment and I'm using it on everything lol. Its from Texture Fragments by Chocolate Baroque and I love it. I've added ribbon from my stash , a filigree corner and a sphinx charm.

The body butter container was a lovely deep rich red so I added some alcohol inks in raisin and cranberry with some gold mixative and stamped the bigscarab beetle and embossed with gold. I found a scrap of beaded gold braid in my stash and guess what, it was just the right length for the lid, don't you just love it when that happens??

The tissue was also coloured with glimmer mists. The beaded cabochon was made by stamping a gold lily on red card and attaching a 30mm flat backed glass nugget with glossy accents. Once it was dry I trimmed off the excess card and beaded around it in peyote stitch usng size 11 red seed beads and size 15 gold seed beads. I just can't get a decent pic of it at all though so apols for that, I'll try again if it brighens up and see if I have any luck. I love to make these although those size 15 seed beads are soooooooo fiddly to work with

I'm entering my project in the following challenges:

Chocolate Coffee and Cards: tag it

Fairy Tale: gift/gift packaging

Fabulous Friday: ribbon

Fussy and Fancy: mono and sparkle

Our Craft Lounge: Hand stamped gifts

Simon Says Stamp and show: thru the looking glass

Sweet Stampin: sparkle and bling

Thanks for calling by today,

Claire xx

Colouring Challenge at Sarah Hurley's

2011-12-15T17:00:00.000Z

My third post today and this time its my DT card for Sarah Hurley Challenge blog where our theme is colouring, we all love to colour don't we?? We've got a great prize up for grabs from our sponsor, Limited Runs so don't miss out on a chance to win.

I've used this cute image 'Fairy Catcher' from Limited Runs for my card, she is coloured with promarkers and die cut with a nestie. I've used some of my favourite bps from Sarah's Tinseltown Cd (you can find it here) . I thought Fairy Catcher would look perfect for a Christmas card if she was catching a snowflake so I die cut some snowflakes from white card and glittered them with glamour dust. To finish off I've added an ivory satin bow and a postage stamp sentiment from Whimsy Stamps.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Cupcake Crafts: Don't look at the light

Digital Tuesday: winter wonderland

Heartsong inspirations: Snowflakes or doilies

Limited Runs: Anything with a Limited runs digi

Paper Sundaes: anything Christmas

Pile it on: bling it up

The Pink Elephant: Snowflakes and sparkle

There's magic in the air: Winter ful with bling

Totally Gorjuss: let it snow

Thanks for popping by today

Claire xx

Angels at Rainbow Lady's Challenge

2011-12-15T09:00:00.000Z

Hello again, my second card of the day and this one is my DT card for Rainbow Lady's Challenge where the theme is Angels. I did make a paper angel but the pics were even more horrible than usual so I made this card instead.

I've used stamps from LaBlanche for this card. I have to thank our very own Rainbow Lady Cynthia for introducing me to La Blanche stamps, i'm totally hooked on them and even found some I'd had years and never inked up. Anyway i soon remedied that and used the gorgeous corner stamp on silk coated card. The main image is another LaBlanche stamp, again on silk card, die cut with nesties eyelet circles and lightly inked around the edges. I've used gold mirri card for matting and layering and added some black and gold ribbon from Crafty Ribbons.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Bearly Mine: Christmas no red or green

Cards and More: Monochomatic

Craft Room challenge: punches/die cuts

Crafty Boots: Christmas

Crafty Emma's Challenge: Traditional Christmas

Lexi's Creations: no red or green Christmas

Thanks for popping by

Claire xx

GDT at CRAFT Challenge

2011-12-15T08:35:00.000Z

Hi there folks, well its my second week as GDT over at CRAFT challenge and this week we have a really fun theme for you, we want to see a card with a removable item! We have not one but two fab sponsors this week so 2 prizes up for grabs. For one lucky winner there is a prize from My Creative Classroom

I can really recommend the courses from My Creative Classroom as i did one earlier in the year and it was fab-u-lous so someone is in for a real treat! There is also another great prize of 3 digi stamps from Bows and Berries.

Now this challenge had me rummaging through my craft room for my thinking cap lol. I was tempted to make something with a little gift attached but didn't have a lot of time for any beading so I decided to make a card with a removeable tag. I've used papers from GCD Joyeaux Noel pad, matted on kraft and the main image is a cute digi called 'Festive Birdhouse' from our sponsor Bows and Berries

The image is coloured with promarkers and I've added glossy accents to the fairy lights and polar white flowersoft and glamour dust to the snow on the roof. I've cut the image out and popped it on a little pocket made using Nesties. Here's another pic showing the tag too (sorry the colours are rubbish, my camera has bleached the colour for some reason)

The sentiment is a stamp from Chocolate Baroque and the ribbons are from Crafty Ribbons and Joanna Sheen. I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Craft your Passion: Tag you're it

One Stitch at a Time: use a digi

Papertake Weekly: Dreaming of your favourite colour Christmas

(I love traditional Christmas colours)

Shopping our Stash: Tags or kraft

Victorine Originals: Christmas

thanks for popping by

Claire xx

Dragon's Dream of Christmas

2011-12-13T19:46:00.000Z

Hi there, I've been a bit quiet lately, I'm back at work and we've been so busy I don't seem to have a minute but I really wanted to dream along with Frankie and the lovely team at Dragon's Dream Tag it on so I sneaked a couple of hours in my craft room and had loads of inky fun making this tag for their latest challenge where the theme is 'Time Changer'

I was thinking about the 'Time changer' theme for this challenge when i remembered a funny story from years ago when I was nursing. We used to have a Christmas party every year for the staff and patients children and grandchildren - the usual party games, buffet and of course a visit from Santa. This particular year our usual 'Santa' was ill so we persuaded one of the male nurses to dress up in a Santa costume and give out the presents to the children. He wasn't a happy bunny about it and got his revenge by telling all the children that they were first on his list and he'd be visiting their house at midnight so they could get up as early as they wanted on Christmas day!!!! It still makes me giggle as the children were so excited at being first on Santa's list and we couldn't very well say Santa was lying lol. Needless to say we didn't ask him to be Santa ever again LOL

Anyway back to my tag. I've used distress inks (Wild honey, Festive Berries and Aged Mahogony) for the background and stamped with a music stamp before flicking drops of water on the background. The cogs are from Chocolate Baroque Steampunk Christmas themeplate. I've used part of one of Tims' weathered clocks, embossed with black sparkly EP as a frame for my Santa (stamped with one of my favourite stamps from Crafty Secrets). The flower is also from Steampunk Christmas, embossed with black sparkle EP on some card inked with the same distress inks. I've added some Marianne die cuts foliage coloured with evergreen bough distress ink) and some holly berries made with red stickles and glass glintz. Here's another pic to show the sparkle.

I'm entering this tag in the following challenges:

Crafty Emma's Challenge: traditional Christmas

Crafty Hazelnut's : Traditional Christmas

Crafty Ribbons: Traditional Colours for Christmas

Crazy 4 Challenges: Its Santa

Creative Belli: christmas or winter

Dragon's Dream Tag It O n: Time Changer

Craft your Passion: Add a tag

I brake for challenges: I brake for vintage

Marianne Design Diva's : sparkle and shine

My Mum's Craft Shop: Traditional Christmas

OOh La La: Anything but a card

Pan Pastels: gift tags

Sugar Creek Hollow: Vintage Christmas Tags

Try it on Tuesday: Tags

Thanks for calling by today

Claire xx

For someone special.....

2011-12-09T19:07:00.000Z

Hi there, today's card is for my hubby at Christmas, I always end up making his card at the very last minute so this year i was determined to get his card made in good time. I really struggle with cards for the menfolk in the family and had racked my brains for ages but finally took inspiration from new stamps. You can't beat the smell of lovely new rubber to get the creative juices flowing lol.

I wanted to recreate a romantic winter scene with a couple arriving at a grand party on a frosty night (not that we'll be going to any grand parties unless my lottery numbers come up lol).

The background is made using a swirly stamp from Stampers Anonymous stamped in black in to coated cardstock and inked lightly around the edges. I stamped the main image (from Joanna Sheen's Vintage car stamp set) and the castle (from Clarity Stamps) on some silk coated cardstock and masked both with eclipse masking tape. I brayered the sky using memento tuxedo black and stamped in the forest and inked in the snowy hills, road and a little shadow under the car with tuxedo black ink and a make up sponge. The car is coloured with promarkers

I then added lots and lots of Judikins glitter to give a real frosty sparkle. It doesn't show up too well in the first pic but you can see it a little better in this one

To finish off I've added some 'snow' with a white gel pen, added some white organza ribbon and a computer generated sentiment matted on a spellbinders die cut

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Artistic Stamper: Christmas

Bling it on: Its Christmas

Crafts and me: Winter snow/snowflakes

Crafty Calendar: Cold and frosty

Joanna Sheen Challenge: Christmas wishes

Let's ink it up: Christmas projects

Make my Monday: Seasonal glitter

Oldie but Goodie: Christmas no red or green (my Clarity tree stamps are my old stamps)

Passion for promarkers: Celebrations mega Christmas challenge

Sparkles Forum: the one you love at Christmas

Sweet Stampin' Challenge: snow something

thanks for popping by

Claire xx

Trees and Baubles and Rainbow Lady's Challenge

2011-12-08T09:46:00.000Z

Hi there, you may have a feeling of deja vue when you see this post lol, that's because I got totally confused and posted it last week by mistake. Anyway hopefully this time I've got myself organised for Rainbow Lady's challenge this week which is 'Trees and Baubles'

I've used one of my favourite Christmas stamps for this card, I love this quirky Christmas tree from 'Family Christmas' themeplate by Chocolate Baroque. I've painted the image with H2os and die cut it with nesties labels 11 and distressed with bundled sage distress ink. The bp is from the Artylicious cd, Seasons Greeting. This is one of my favourite papers and I didn't want to cover it up too much so I kept the layout pretty simple and just added some green organza ribbon, some die cut leaves and rolled ribbon roses.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Christmas cards all year round: Anything goes

Craft Room Challenge: Make your own flowers

Come and get it: Anything Christmas

Fairy Tale: Christmas

Gingerloft: Winter or Christmas

Thanks for popping by

Claire xx

December GDT at CRAFT challenge :-)

2011-12-08T08:00:00.000Z

Wooo hoo how exciting! I was over the moon to be asked to join the lovely team at CRAFT challenge as a guest designer this month. Of course I jumped at the chance and here is my first project. for this weeks challenge which is a sketch challenge.

I've used gorgeous vintage papers and this lovely image from one of our sponsors this week, Floppy Latte Designs. The aren't really Christmas images but I thought they'd work well for a man's Christmas card especially with some warm copper. I coloured the image with promarkers and distressed with tea dye distress ink. The imgae and the bps are all matted on copper mirri card. I've stamped a swirly border around the image and along the side of the main bp using a stamp from Stampers Anonymous and copper dreams EP. The sentiment stamp is from Chocolate Baroque, again using Tea Dye Distress ink and a copper mirri spellbinders die cut. To finish off I've added some faux gems and some die cut leaves, a little button and some seam binding ribbon.

We have another sponsor this week too, as well as a prize of a $10 gift certificate from Floppy Latte

there is also a $10 gift certificate from the lovely Glitterbabe too!!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Come and get it:Christmas

Craft your days away: buttons and bows

The Crazy Challenge: anything goes

Gingerloft: Winter or Christmas

Lily Pad: Buttons

Poodles Parlour: Christmas

STamp Scrap and Doodle: Make a holiday card

Stampin with the Dragon: Anything goes for Christmas

Through the craftroom door: Happy Holidays

Thanks for calling by, make sure you pop over to the challenge blog and check out the DTs gorgeous projects

hugs

Claire xx

Challenge 15 at Christmas Challenges {with sketches}

2011-12-07T08:00:00.000Z

Hi there, time for another challenge at Christmas Challenges {with sketches} and this time we have a twist, we want to see you follow Betina's gorgeous sketch but also add twine and a charm!

As always we have a fab prize up for grabs and this time around our sponsor is Stempelstudio so pop on over to the challenge blog and find out more!

For my DT card, I've used a stamp from Stampavie called 'Dearest Deer', its one of my favourite Christmas stamps. I've coloured the image with promarkers and added some glamour dust for a little sparkle. The bps are all from GCD 'Let it Snow ' paper pad. I've added some lace, ivory seam binding and pale blue velvet ribbon from my stash. The sentiment is a stamp from Crafters Companion, stamped on a scrap of bp and embossed with pale blue EP. To finish off I've added some little blue pearly buttons with a twine bow (ok its string from the shed but I don't have any twine lol) and a gorgeous little deer charm. You can see the image and the charm better in this pic:

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Addicted to stamps: Christmas cards

Bah Humbug: Cute critters

By the cute and girly: Let it snow

Cutie Pie Challenge: pastel Christmas

Jingle Belles: something Christmassy

One stop craft : Let it snow

Passion for Promarkers: Celebrations

Totally Papercrafts: Let it snow

I seem to be accumulating a large stack of Christmas cards but I still haven't got organised and done any Christmas shopping. I've been a busy bee looking for new kitchen units, tiles, etc. as hopefully after waiting months and months we're having a new kitchen in the new year. I saw the most GORGEOUS sparkly granite worktops but they were sooooooo expensive. I'm sure that whatever worktops I choose they'll soon be sparkly so I'll get the cheaper ones and save my pennies for crafting goodies lol

Thanks for calling by

Claire xx

Sweet Blossom

2011-12-05T15:00:00.001Z

Hi there, its the first day of my week off work today and I've had a lovely crafty morning :-)

Its so cold outside Its perfect weather to bunker up and craft. As a change from Christmas cards, todays card share is an 18th birthday card for my son's girlfriend, using Sweet Blossom from Wee stamps

After making so many Christmas projects it was a lovely change to make a flowery card. The bps are all from Raspberry Road Designs, distressed with a craft knife and matted on cream card with a MS punched border. The image was coloured with promarkers and distressed with spun sugar distress ink. I've added paper roses from Wild Orchid Crafts and some silk flowers from my stash. I stamped the '18' using stamps from Crafters Companion using gold stazon on shrink plastic and heated it to shrink before attaching it with silicone glue and adding a rose pink seam binding bow. To finish off I added some faux pearls with a viva pearl pen.

Here's another pic to show the detail a little better

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Cute Card Thursday: Its just a number

Daisy Doodles: Something sweet with a digi

Sir Stampalot: Bingo challenge (my line is: punch flowers pearls)

Sketch Saturday: sketch

Stamps + fun = Creativity: Pearls

Thanks for visiting today

Claire xx

Dressmakinig and corsets at Fashionable Stamping Challenges

2011-12-04T09:01:00.000Z

Hi there, well the last 2 weeks seem to have vanished in the blink of an eye and its time to take to the catwalk at Fashionable Stamping Challenges where our theme is 'Dressmaking/Corsets/Accessories' so you can also include hats, shoes ,bags etc. As always we have a fab prize up for grabs from our generous sponsor Marina from Cottage Crafts.

I've used a corset stamp by Clarity stamps for my little canvas. I've always thought corsets must have been sooooooo uncomfortable to wear and as I was playing around with the stamp I thought it might make butterfly wings, from there I got the idea of my little corset flying away (my mind does work in a strange way sometimes lol. The corset has been paperpieced using scraps from the GCD Ella Blue paper pad and then stitched with brown embroidery floss. I made the background with acrylic paints in blue and stone and used pearl medium to create some clouds. The houses are from the Artistic Outpost 'Neverland' stamp sheet, stamped on old book pages with vintage photo distress ink. I added a frill made from Kraft Glassine die cut with a Marianne die, some ribbon from my stash and a little stamped sewing maching.

I attached the corset with silicone glue and looped the floss in places adding tiny punched butterflies. It looked a little bare so I stamped some buttons using my Lost Coast button border stamp and added a little brass scissors charm.

Here's a close up to show the corset in a little more detail

and another showing the cloudy sky

I'm entering my canvas in the following challenges:

2 Sisters: punches/dies

Craft your days away: buttons or bows

Divas by Design: Anything goes

Fab'n'Funky : anything goes

Pan Pastels: The Great Outdoors

Thanks for popping by today, if you have time check out my teamies gorgeous projects as they have come up with some stunning creations again

hugs

Claire xx

A bingo challenge at Crafty Ann's

2011-12-02T07:30:00.000Z

Hi there, today's card is my DT card for Crafty Ann's Challenge where Crafty Ann has a Christmas bingo challenge for us. I love bingo challenges and my line is 'Glitter, snow and Red' so pop on over to the challenge blog and find out more about the challenge and of course the fab prize too!

I've made a shaker card using one of Crafty Ann's precoloured Snowmen Snowglobes and one of the Gold Frames from the Metallics collection. The frame is gorgeous in real life but hasn't show up too well in the photo. I've cut the centre of the frame out and lined it with acetate and layered it up on some ivory sparkly card. I've added some snowy glitter for the shaker element. To finish off I've added some gold net ribbon, a bow, some Marianne die cut snowflakes and one of Crafty Ann's Christmas sentiment tickets. You can find all Crafty Ann's goodies in her shop here.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Crafty Boots: anything goes (you really need to try the Deluxe printers card from Crafty Boots,

its fab-u-lous for printing and also with promarkers too)

Crazy for Challenges: snow

Dream Valley: Sparkle

Ooh La La: Lots of sparkle

Paper Sundaes: Winter wonderland

Ribbon Reel: anything goes

Simon Says Stamp: anything goes

I'd better go and get myself ready for work, I've got loads to do i've got next week off yippppeeeeeee! We've been so busy its my first week off for 8 months and I can't wait to laze around, do lots of crafting and catch up on some blog hopping as I haven't had a lot of time for visiting lately

Thanks for calling by today

hugs

Claire xx

#181 Christmas Carols for Rainbow Lady's Challenge

2011-12-01T21:00:00.000Z

Hi there, oh goodness i've had one of those days today. One of those days where everything seems to go wrong, including posting the wrong card for the lovely Cynthia's challenge over at Rainbow lady's Challenge blog. Anyway, I'll try again and here is my DT Card for this weeks challenge which is all about Christmas Carols,
i've taken inspiration from 'Oh little town of Bethlehem'

I'm well known for my dreadful photography skills but this one has got to be the worst ever lol. The card is actually pale pink and blue with silver embossing although the colours have all come out rather odd in the card. The stamps are from Chocolate Baroque Harlequin Christmas stamped with versamark and embossed with silver EP on a background I'd brayered with Big & juicy Hydrangea inkpad. The background was made using the same ink, brayered and then over stamped with a snowflake stamp. I then misted it all with pearl glimmer mist. A couple of die cut swirly flourishes and some organza ribbon to finish off.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Cards and more: Snowflakes

Craft your passion: Tis the season

Crafty Cardmakers: Heat embossing

Digi Doodle Shops best: Lots of sparkle

Scrapbook Sisters: Christmas

Southern girls: ribbon

Victorine Originals: ribbon

Thanks for calling by.

hugs

Claire xx

Christmas Challenge at Sarah Hurley's

2011-12-01T16:30:00.000Z

Hi there, back again with a shaker Christmas decoration made using the cute little reindeer digistamp from Sarah Hurley's Tinseltown cd. The theme over at Sarah Hurley's Challenge this time around is 'Christmas' and we are sponsored by Letraset so pop on over to the challenge blog and find out more.

I used greyboard for the frame, diecut with nesties Labels 11 and 4 and painted using acrylic paints and PVA glue to create a crackle effect. I backed the frame with acetate and used shaker tape to attach it to the image. The image is coloured with promarkers and derwent pencils, I've used Shasta puff embossing powder to create the snow and then added crushed glass glitter for the shaker filling.

To embellish my little Christmas decoration I've made some rolled roses from ribbon and lace and added some little wooden 'berries' and some glamour dusted leaves (die cut using Krealies dies)

I'm entering this in the following challenges:

Cardmad Fairy's : winter wonderland

Crafts 4 Eternity: Christmas decorations

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas challenge: Vintage or distressed

Crazy 4 Challenges: snow

Delicious Doodles: hairy legs

Dream Valley: sparkle

Elephantastic: weather related

My Sheri Crafts: Christmas decoration

Paper Sundaes: Winter Wonderland

Totally Gorjuss: sparkle

Thanks for popping by

Claire xx

White Christmas Challenge at Chocolate Baroque

2011-11-28T20:42:00.001Z

You're not going to want to miss Glenda's 'White Christmas' Challenge, the winner receives a gift voucher for Chocolate Baroque and the more people that enter, the bigger the prize will be! And some of the entries that showcase Chocolate Baroque stamps will be featured over on the Chocolate Baroque DT blog over Christmas too. How exciting!

I've made an easel card using one of the stamps from Home Sweet Home stamp sheet from Chocolate Baroque (of course lol) I stamped the image on watercolour card with sepia versafine and watercoloured with distress inks (antique linen, tea dye and vintage photo). I created the easel card from kraft card using nesties and also die cut the image and distressed with lots more vintage photo and tea dye DI. I added lots of Glenda's Snowflake glitter and created flowers using fabric and Krealies 18, I coloured the cotton with vintage photo distress ink and added faux pearls to the centres. The larger flowers are rolled ribbon roses made using Ivory Lace ribbon. I die cut the foliage using scraps of kraft and Krealies Shapes 11.

For the base of the easel I used a sentiment stamp from Chocolate Baroque, I'm not sure if its available at the minute but its one of my favourites. You can see the detail here

I'm also entering this card in the following challenges:

Make it Monday with Kraft: Christmas

Oh la la: Lots of sparkle

Sparkles forum challenge: Vintage Christmas

Stamptacular Sunday: anything Christmas

Sugar Creek Hollow: fancy folds

Totally Papercrafts: Christmas

Thanks for visiting today

hugs

Claire xx

Tinseltown wreath

2011-11-26T13:45:00.001Z

Hi there, hope you're having a good weekend so far. Its blowing a gale here and bitterly cold .. perfect crafting weather lol. When I first got Sarah Hurley's Tinseltown cd I got totally carried away printing out loads of the gorgeous bps, and wanted to find a project to use them all. I'd seen a few of these papercone wreaths around blogland so I thought I'd have a bash.

I was suprised how easy it was to make, I just cut loads of squares of the bps, punched two edges with a MS topiary punch around the page and then folded them a little and curved the paper round to create a cone. I used a plate to position them and once I'd got enough I cut out a couple of circles of white card and used one as the base. One I'd attached all the cones I stamped the sentiment (from Chocolate Baroque) on a circle of ivory card in brilliance red ink and popped it in the centre. I attached a loop of ivory ribbon at the back and used the other white card circle to cover the back. Easy peasy :-)

Taking the pic was a different matter though, I'm sorry its at a wonky angle - I was holding it with one hand and trying to take the photo with the other lol.

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

Aud Sentiments: winter holiday sentiments

Christmas Inspirations: No image

C.R.A.F.T: Unusual Christmas

Crafts 4 Eternity: Christmas decorations

Creative Craft Challenge: FRee for all

Guylou's inimitability: Christmas with a wreath

Little Red Wagon: Christmas

Scrapbook Sisters: Christmas Time

Shopping our Stash: christmas or winter

Stampin with the dragon: anything goes Christmas

I've got a very lazy evening planned, watching TV and perhaps eating a little chocolate too :-) But before I collapse on the sofa, just a little reminder that you still have time to enter our Buttons challenge at Sarah Hurley's Challenge

Thanks for popping by today.

Claire xx

Cards for men at Rainbow Lady's Challenge

2011-11-24T09:00:00.000Z

Hi there, isn't Christmas sneaking up on us? I haven't even thought about Christmas shopping yet but I've got plenty of cards made and here's another, this time for Rainbow Lady's Challenge where the theme is Cards for Men.

I've used stamps from Clarity and kept the layout very simple. The 'Noel' is stamped in versamark and embossed in gold and then masked to ink in the scene inside the 'O'. I then inked in the scene surrounding the image using my trusty brayer and Memento inks in Summer Sky, Danube blue and a little tuxedo black.

I've matted the scene on gold mirri card and had to add a gold bow to cover a messy inky fingerprint lol. Why do I always do that ??

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Allsorts: one layer cards

Crafty Emma's: Snowflakes

House that stamps built: Christmas card +snowflakes

Lady bug Crafts Ink: Winter blues

Kaboodle Doodles: baby its cold outside

Oldie but goodie: Let it snow

PanPastel: Frosty and bright

Partytime Tuesday: snow us what you've got

Scrapbook Sisters: Christmas

Stamptacular Sunday: for a man or boy

Thanks for popping by, i've been a bad blogger lately as I'm sooooo busy at work at the minute but hopefully i'll catch up with some blog hopping at the weekend :-)

hugs

Claire xx

Challenge 14 at Christmas Challenges {with sketches}

2011-11-23T08:00:00.000Z

Hi there, its time for a new challenge at Christmas Challenges {with sketches} already and our sketch this time around if from my lovely teamie Wilma. I've rotated the sketch as I wanted to use the text border that matched the dps I've used. Sorry about the awful pic, the dark foggy days combined with my dreadful photography skills are to blame lol.

Our sponsor this time around is Michelle Perkett, Michelle is such a talented artist and her digi stamps are just gorgeous so I'm sure you won't want to miss out on the chance to win. I've used one of Michelle's Christmas images, isn't she adorable? She is called Tia and you can find her in Michelle's Etsy Store

I've coloured Tia with promarkers and added ivory flowersoft and glamour dust for the trim on her dress, hat and muff. The papers are all from GCD Joyful Peace paper pad, distressed with a kraft knife. The flowers are ivory paper flowers from my stash, coloured with Jolly Roger Red moonglow ink spray. I've used Marianne die to cut the leaves and swirls. To finish off I've added a faux gems and a fab postage stamp sentiment from Whimsy Stamps, I love these stamps and they have a matching die too.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Daisy Doodles: Christmas plus use a digi

Digi Doodle Shops Best: red and green

Digital Tuesday: sparkle and shine

Everybody Art Challenge:Christmas cards

Paper Creations Ink: christmas

Papertake Weekly: Christmas crackers

Pollycraft: Christmas fun

Shopping our Stash: christmas or winter

Whoopsi Daisy: anything goes at Christmas

Winter Wonderland: What a cutie

Thanks for popping by today.

Claire xx

We're dreaming of a white Christmas

2011-11-20T00:10:00.000Z

Hi there folks, well its time for a new challenge over at Fashionable Stamping Challenges and this time around we have a Christmas theme for you (anything Christmas will be fine as long as its stamping not digis). As always we have a yummy prize up for grabs from Marina of Cottage Crafts so head on over to the challenge blog and find out more.

For my DT card, I've used an assortment of stamps old and new and got good and messy into the bargain lol. I started off by stamping a music score stamp from Stampers Anonymous on some tissue paper with pumice stone and tea dye distress ink. I coated a square of card with gesso and layered the gently crumpled tissue over it and then applied another layer of gesso. Once it was dry i tore the excess tissue off and lighly inked around the edges with tea dye distress ink. The focal image is from Crafty Secrets 'Vintage Christmas' stamp sheet,, stamped in sepia versafine and die cut. Santa is layered up over an eyelet circle nestie die cut and a Marianne star frame die cut. All the die cuts were lightly inked and then liberally glamour dusted. I've added a doily from my stash and layered that over some vellum stamped with snowflakes and dusted with pearl cosmic shimmer. I've also added some faux pearls, lace, ivory velvet ribbon and some gorgeous ivory and silver ribbon from Crafty ribbons. The pins are from Crafty Boots, they are really beautiful and sparkly in real life but I couldn't catch the sparkle on the pic. The snowflakes are also Marianne die cuts and the brad is from my stash.

The sentiment stamp is from Whimsy Stamps, die cut with their postage stamp die (I just love these postage sentiments!!). The leaf frond is also a Marianne die cut. I haven't ticked 'naughty' or 'nice' yet as I don't know who I'm sending it too lol.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

2 Sisters: let it sparkle

Artistic Stamper: Backgrounds

Bunny Zoe's Crafts: Christmas with pearls

Challenge up your life: music

Crafters Companion: let it snow

Crafty Catz: snowflakes

Crafty Emma's Challenge: snowflakes

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge: music

Craft your days away: bingo challenge (my line is lace, pearls and pins)

Creatalicious: Christmas and make it sparkle

Crimbo Crackers: Make is sparkle

Deep Ocean Challenge: vintage

Diva's by Design: Monochrome

Marianne Design Diva's : sparkle and shine

Moving along with the times: Let it snow

Oldie but goodie: Let it snow (my old stamp is the Crafty Secrets Santa)

Paper Shelter: snowflakes

Truly Scrumptious: Christmas with a vintage theme/pearls

Wags'n'Whiskers: Christmas

Phew, thats a lot of challenges lol.

Thanks for popping by, if you get a minute pop over and check out my teamies gorgeous projects as they have come up with some truly gorgeous projects. We also have the pleasure of welcoming a new member to the team too! Paula is really talented and comes up with the most gorgeous creations so we're all really excited to have her join us

hugs

Claire xx

Check out this fab freebie!

2011-11-19T06:26:00.001Z

Good morning, phew its been one of 'those' weeks at work again and of course my darling doggies forgot it was Saturday and got my up at the crack of dawn lol. My early morning blog hopping came across this fab freebie though so it was well worth getting up so early. You can get a free "Santa's Magical Sleigh" card making template from Card Carousel. Pop over and find out more!

Just visit www.cardcarousel.co.uk/free/sleigh.html

Have a happy Saturday

hugs

Claire xx

A new challenge at Crafty Ann's

2011-11-18T06:15:00.000Z

Hi there, Crafty Ann has a new challenge starting today and its a sketch challenge with an optional twist to make it a monochromatic creation. I nearly managed a monochrome card but couldn't resist adding a splash of colour to the main image. Pop over to the challenge blog and check out the fab sketch and also the prize up for grabs for our lucky winner.

I've used papers from Crafty Ann's abstract collection for this card and one of Ann's new images the beautiful 'Narrow boat scene' (you can find them in Crafty Ann's digi shop). I've matted the papers on cream card and coloured the image with Derwent coloursoft pencils. To embellish the card i've added some lovely olive green gingham ribbon.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Daisy Doodles: anything goes with a digi

Di's Digi Designs: ribbons and bows

Pretty Little Ribbon Shop: anything goes

Shelley's Images: anything goes

Thanks for visiting today

hugs

Claire xx

Buttons at Sarah Hurley Challenge Blog

2011-11-17T16:30:00.000Z

Hi again, i'm back again with my DT card for Sarah Hurley's challenge which this time around has been set by my lovely teamie Melly who wants to see you use buttons! A nice easy challenge for you this time around. I've made a fun Santa card with an image and backing papers from Sarah's ..................cd

I've matted the cute kraft Santa bp on some red card and then added a doiley to the centre. i cut the main image out and then added polar white flowersoft and glamourdust to his beard and the fur trim on his hat. Once this was dry I mounted Santa's head on a strip of acetate so it 'nods' lol. To finish off I've added a sentiment from ........... and some little wooden buttons and red ribbon bows

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Daisy Doodles: anything goes with a digi

Di's Digi designs: ribbons and bows

Crimbo Crackers: Make it sparkle

Opus gluei: whats on your head

Paper Sundaes: digital images

Wags'n'whiskers: Christmas

Thanks for popping by

hugs

Claire xx

Thanksgiving at Rainbow Lady's Challenge

2011-11-17T09:01:00.000Z

Hi there well this week has flown by and its time for a new challenge from the lovely Rainbow Lady and this week Cynthia wants to see Thanksgiving stamps so I took the opportunity to ink up this beautiful little lady from Sweet Pea Stamps, she is called 'Autumn Harvest' by Ching Chou Kuik

I created the background by painting white card with starbust stains (Jazzy Jivin purple, don't you just love the names of the colours lol). I painted with a stiff bristly bursh to leave the mica in lines and create some texture. Once it was dry i stamped the clarity corner stamp and embossed with gold EP and matted the background on some gold mirri card.

The image is coloured with promarkers and she has sparkle EP on her wings. I've used the new Deluxe Crafters Card from Crafty Boots to stamp the image and this stuff is fab-u-lous! I'd been having a problem with flexmarkers bleeding but with this card the colours blend beautifully but don't seem to bleed, its a great price too. I've layered her up over a couple of Marianne diecuts, covering the join with a ribbon. The sentiment is also from Sweet Pea stamps

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Aud Sentiments: thank you or thanksgiving

Corrosive challenge: give thanks

Crafty Boots: Fantasy

Crafty Purple Frog: use orange

Hooked on Crafts: die cuts/punches

In a Sweet pea dream: a thankful project using fall colours

Kaboodle Doodles: thanksgiving

Our Creative Corner: pumpkins or pumpkin pie

Sentimental Sundays: thank you or thanksgiving

Sketchy Colours: orange, green and purple

Stampin Sisters in Christ: gratitude

Thanks for calling by

hugs

Claire xx

Love is in the air

2011-11-13T18:17:00.001Z

Hi there, ooooh i'm in love! I've got some gorgeous new LaBlanche stamps and they are fab-u-lous, they are so detailed and stamp sooooo beautifully, I'm totally in love with them lol. Today I'm sharing a tag I made using 'Woman with flowers'

I've used this lovely lady for my tag for this weeks challenge at Dragon's Dream Tag it on where the theme is Romance. I started off with a kraft tag and stamped my favourite text stamp from Chocolate Baroque Paisley Elephant themeplate in sepia versafine ink. I then stamped a large swirly border, also from Chocolate Baroque in versamark and embossed with clear EP. Next I added lots of dusty concorde distress ink . I stamped the beautiful La Blanche Lady with sepia versafine and again distressed with more dusty concorde ink. I tore the lady's face out and attached it too the tag, adding some cream lace and purple velvet ribbon. The flower is cut out from the same LaBlanche stamp,with the addition of a couple of paper flowers. To finish off i've added some faux pearls and some purple braid.

I'm entering this tag in the following challenges:

Addicted to Stamps: Ribbon and lace

Crafty Emma's : Roses and ribbon

Fabulous Fridays: embossing

Gingerloft: Lace, fabric or felt

One Stop Craft: ribbon and lace

Polka Doodles: swirls and pearls

Scrappy Frogs Challenge: use kraft cardstock

Simon Says Stamp and Show: women only

Totally Papercrafts: Victorian

Thanks for visiting today

hugs

Claire xx

Tinseltown

2011-11-13T18:14:00.001Z

Hi folks, how's your weekend going? Its been a bit of a lazy one for me, after another busy week at work I decided to leave the housework and enjoy a much needed inky fix in my craftroom lol.

This project was so quick and easy, it uses one of my favourite images from the lovely Sarah Hurley's Tinseltown CD (which you can find here).

Its always such a rush to get all those Christmas projects done but Sarah has very kindly included lots of gorgeous precoloured images on the cd so although I love colouring i decided to cheat a little. My little Christmas ornament is an old Cd covered with a Mistletoe paper (from the same cd). I've added a doiley and some lace around the edge.

The little cutie and the holly were printed from the cd, cut out and attached with silicone glue, I've added ivory flowersoft and glamourdust to the fur trim on her cute little outfit. I also added some faux gems for the holly berries. To finish off I added a sentiment (also from Tinseltown), its hard to see on my pic but it reads 'Santa's Little Helper'

I'm entering this in the following challenges:

2 Sisters: anything goes

Cardmad Fairy's digi day: Texture

Charisma cardz: cutesy

Crafty Catz: use a digital image

Digital tuesday: anything goes

Paper Sundaes: digital images

Totally Gorjuss: Christmas traditions

Wags'n'Whiskers: Christmas

Thanks for popping by today. Don't forget you still have time to enter our challenge at Sarah Hurley Challenge blog, where our theme is use more than 2 images

Claire xx

Challenge 13 at Christmas Challenges {with sketches}

2011-11-09T08:00:00.000Z

Hi there folks, its time for a new challenge at Christmas Challenges {with sketches} and hopefully Mr Blogger will play nicely and post this as I'm going to be awol (ok not really, I've got to go to a conference and will be away for a couple of days, don't worry I'm taking my colousoft pencils and some images to colour lol) Our sketch this time around is from my lovely teamie Renata and I think you'll agree its a gorgeous sketch. I really enjoyed making this card.

Our sponsor this time around is Hobby Stempels, make sure you pop over to the challenge blog and check out Renata's fab sketch and find out more about the prize from our generous sponsor

I've used a gorgeous digistamp from Crafts and Me called 'Perched at Dawn', its not really a Christmas stamp but with a red breast i thought the gorgeous little bird would make a great robin. I've coloured the image with Derwent coloursoft pencils and added clear sparkle EP to the fairy's wings. I've used some little tapestry stamps to create a holly border and added some vintage photo distressing around the edge. I've matted the image on some Kraft glassine punched with a MS border punch. You can see the image a bit better in this pic.

The papers are from my stash, I've had them years and i think they were from one of those huge kits from C&C, all the edges are distressed with a craft knife. I've added some red gems, ruffled up chiffon ribbon, a couple of jingle bells, a poinsettia, die cut fir branches and a sentiment from Clarity Stamps.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Christmas Inspirations: bows

Crafty Catz: anything goes

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas: bright colours and/sparkle

Crimbo Crackers: anything goes

Delightful Challenges : a very sparkly Christmas

Fun with Shapes and more: animal Christmas

I did it Creations: Christmas/winter

Winter Wonderland: make your card sparkle

Thanks for popping by

hugs

Claire xx

Photo Inspiration from the Rainbow Lady

2011-11-06T20:28:00.000Z

Hi there, todays card is my DT card for this weeks challenge over at Rainbow Lady's Challenge Blog where we have a photo inspiration challenge for you so hop on over and check out the gorgeous pic to inspire you.

Once you've seen the inspiration pic you'll see why I've chosen these stamps for my card. The stamps are from the 'Christmas Fusion' themeplate from Chocolate Baroque, this is one of my favourite stamp sheets and I adore this medallion stamp. I stamped the image 7 times and embossed with gold ep. I painted the images with twinkling h20s and cut them out before layering them up with 3d foam pads. I've created a border using the small poinsettia stamp from the same stamp sheet, again painting with twinkling h2os. I've added pink and gold card for matting and layering and some white card embossed with 'swiss dots' embossing folder.

This pic shows the colours of the medallion a little better (although the poinsettia is actually a very bright pink and the greens are shades of lime) and also catches some of the shimmer from the paints

I'm entering this card in the following challenges

Creative Inspirations Paint: anything goes

Stampin Sisters in Christ: use one of your oldest stamp sets

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge: bright colours and/or sparkle

Jellypark: non traditional Christmas colours

Thanks for visiting today

hugs

Claire xx

Times gone by at Fashionable Stamping Challenges

2011-11-06T00:10:00.000Z

Hi folks, how's your weekend going? Here's my DT project for Fashionable Stamping Challenges where the theme is 'Times Gone By'. As always we have a wonderful prize from Marina our permanent sponsor from Cottage Crafts

I've taken inspiration from a stunning background, a freebie from Dover Publications which I fell in love with. I loved the wistful look in the lady's eyes and the train speeding away (although i've more or less covered it up on my card lol) made me think of a couple thinking of eachother across the miles.

I've used lots of different stamp for this card, the train track border is from Creative Expressions as are the cogs and sprockets. The silhouette couple stamp is from Joanna Sheen, stamped on acetate and backed with gilding flakes before being framed with a painted nestie die cut. I've added post cards created with Crafty Individuals stamps and a kraft tag stamped with a border stamp.

The black velvet ribbon is from my stash as is the black and gold lace. The flower is stamped on to card coloured with black gold glimmer mist, the stamps are from Chocolate Baroque, Steampunk Christmas. I've added a little metal rose charm from Prima in the centre.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Addicted to stamps: vintage/shabby chic

Bunny Zoe's Crafts: Lace

Crafting for all Seasons: texture

Die cut dreams: So charming

Diva's by Design: metal

Fab'n'Funky: trains planes and automobiles

Scrapbook Sisters: anything goes

Stamps +fun= creativity: vintage

Wags'n'Whiskers: black plus ribbon or pearls

Thanks for visiting today

Claire xx

Floral Frenzy at Crafty Ann's

2011-11-04T06:18:00.003Z

Hi there, phew I'm so pleased its Friday! We're really busy at work at the min but the good thing about that it the week seems to disappear in a blur and before I know it the weekend is here again. Anyway its time for a new challenge from Crafty Ann and this time our theme is Floral Frenzy. As always there is a fab prize from Crafty Ann's Digi Shop for the lucky winner!

I always struggle with computery techie crafting but I was really chuffed with myself as I managed to Crafty Ann's beautiful ivy corner to create a border, with one of the mottled stone backing papers in the background! Clever stuff eh?? Ok clever for me lol.

I printed the image out twice and coloured the leaves with promarkers and then cut out lots of leaves and layered them up with silicone. I used Crafty Ann's short petal flower which i coloured with flex markers, I love the soft shades you can get in these and the brush tip is fab. I've got some more on order so hopefully they will be here for the weekend. I've added some glamour dust to the centre of the flowers, an ivory bow and edged the backing paper with a gold krylon pen to finish off.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Dream Valley: anything goes

Fresh Brewed: Anything goes

One Stop Craft Challenge: No sentiment

Papertake Weekly: anything goes plus sparkle and bling

Pretty Little ribbon shop: Anything goes

Scrapbook Sisters: anything goes

thanks for calling by.

hugs

Claire xx