Childsplay at Fashionable Stamping challenges

Good morning folks, we're having the most gorgeous summer weather here. Perfect for a trip to the beach. Our new challenge at Fashionable Stamping Challenges is Childs Play chosen by my lovely DT sister Esther.  I've created a beach themed project for my DT offering. As always there is a fab prize of a $20 Flonzcraft voucher for our lucky winner and of course there is the honour of a top 3 place up for grabs too. Don't forget you must ensure that stamping is the focal point of your project, digistamps aren't allowed.

I've used backing papers and bits and bobs from Graphic 45, love love love these papers!

The focal image was stamped with some old favourite stamps from Joanna Sheen, coloured with PanPastels and coloured pencils. I added some texture around the image using Maimeri Light Modelling Paste and a Crafters Workshop Woodgrain stencil, once the paste was dry I coloured with PanPastels and distressed the edges.

I've layered the image up over come cheesecloth, added some tiny shells and some twine to finish off.

I'm entering this in the following challenges:

Artistic Stamper: by the seaside

Crafty Little Fairies: summer fun

Creative Card Crew: beach/sea

Deep Ocean: lots of layers

Fresh Brewed: seaside/summer

Frilly and Funkie: cool water

Ruby's Rainbow: Beach

Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge: Midsummer

Whimsy Inspiration: summertime

If you've got a minute, pop by and check out the gorgeous projects my teamies have created to inspire you, as always they've made some stunning artwork!

Thanks so much for visiting today, hope to see you again soon

Claire xx

By the sea at Craft a Scene

Hi there, can you believe its June already? No me neither, I think I must be getting old as this year is just flying by. As its the first Sunday in June we've got a new challenge over at Craft A Scene and this month our theme is 'By the Sea'. My talented teamies have created some amazing projects so if you've got time pop over and have a look here.

I took inspiration for this card from a sample on a recent C&C show, its a three fold card so you've got lots of layers to add your images and give plenty of dimension. I've used stamps from Chocolate Baroque and Joanna Sheen, all coloured with Graph'It markers and fussy cut out. The background colouring was done with PanPastels (you can find my PanPastel clouds tutorial here if you fancy having a go at this easy technique). I used a white Graph'It Shake pen to add some detail around their feet.

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

Bloggers: make your own background

Craftitude: anything goes/pop it up

Creative knockouts: summers coming

Fussy and Fancy: outdoors

Frilly and Funkie: vintage seaside

My time to craft: No designer paper

Simon Says Stamp: anything goes

Sister Act: anything goes

Thanks so much for popping by, hope you're going to join us at Craft a Scene this month

Claire xx

Frame it at Premium Craft Brands

Good morning folks, and a big warm welcome to my lovely new followers! Sunday morning so its time for a new challenge at Premium Craft Brands PanPastel Challenge and as always there is a fab prize for our lucky winner from our generous sponsor Berni at Your Creativity Store. This time around out theme is 'Frame it', if you've got a min do pop over and check out my teamies gorgeous artwork, they are such a talented bunch!

For my DT project I took an old MDF clock blank that I'd started working on but looked awful, it had been sat in the corner of my craft room for ages looking really sorry for itself so I decided to see if I could save it. I got to work with Maimeri Light Modelling Paste and a palette knife, spreading it liberally all over and then creating some texture with the edge of the palette knife to create the effect of wood (hopefully lol). Once it was dry I added some colour with PanPastels and watered down gesso.

The little scene was created with stamps from Sheena Douglass and coloured with PanPastels, I just love sea themed stamps! I used a white Graph'It Shake pen for the fence

The fishing next at the back of the frame is from Joanna Sheen, attached with my hot glue gun - omg I always get in such a mess when I use hot glue lol. I've added some shells from my stash and stamped some text to create a little message and popped in in a bottle.

I'm entering this in the following challenges:

Altered Eclecctics: alter something

Crafts 4 Eternity: texture

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Paste

Rhedd's Creative Spirit: altered art

Rhedd and Rosie's: anything but a card

Thanks for visiting today, have a lovely day and hope to see you again soon

Claire xx

Guest Designer at Frilly and Funkie!!

Good morning folks, woooo hooo what an exciting day!! I was chuffed to bits to be the DT's choice for a guest designer spot over at the Frilly and Funkie Challenge, of course I jumped at the chance to play along with such a talented bunch of ladies. Anyway the challenge is to create a card or project that reflects the abundance of the harvest season and the gratitude we express at Thanksgiving. Hmmmm, I had to get my thinking cap on for this one and I decided to take inspiration from the harvest theme and the beauty of nature and here is my project .....

A couple of weeks ago I was busy decluttering ( I don't know about you but I'm always decluttering and the house is still full of clutter lol) and I came across a funny little handbag that was a free gift with some make up. It had been gathering dust for years and was looking very sad, I decided that I'd keep the clasp and as I was prying it off the bag I thought I'd keep the bag and add it to my huge pile of stuff waiting to be altered. Here's the before pic

I began by giving the outside a coat of gesso and then smothering it with a layer of Flitter Glu and Kroma Crackle before blasting it with my heat gun. I'm so loving this effect at the minute, I'm crackling everything in sight lol. Once it was dry I added some colour with my PanPastels and gave it a coat of Maimeri Glossy Gel Medium, it looks a bit like a dragons egg doesn't it?

For the inside I stamped two little scenes, the top one with stamps from Joanna Sheen and the bottom one using a Clarity Stamp, I coloured them with Graph'It markers and created a cloudy sky with some PanPastels. I layered the little scenes up over loads of tissue paper. Next It was time to add lots of leaves and other goodies. I die cut lots of leaves from kraft Glassine, coloured with Memento Inks in various shades of yellow, red, purple, green and orange. I crumpled all the leaves up for some texture. I added the leaves around the edges of the little scenes, adding some little berries, lots of raffia and some die cut flowers made from Crinoline Fabric. 

To finish off I added some gingham bows and some little rusty bells. 

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

Artistic Inspirations: Fall colours

Cuttin and Stampin: Autumn harvest

Heck of a Challenge: Autumn colours

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: anything goes

Sweet Stampin: Woods, trees, leaves

There she goes: Leaves

Thanks to the lovely ladies at Frilly and Funkie for inviting me to join you for this challenge, its such an honour :-) and thanks to you for popping by today, hope to see you again soon

Claire xx

Butterfly heart

Good morning, I've got a quick project to share this morning before I rush off out to work. Its a little papier mache heart that I've decorated with papers from my scrap box and some Chocolate Baroque butterflies .

I've used a bp from Joanna Sheen and stamped a background stamp and embossed with gold EP. The butterfly stamps are from Chocolate Baroque, coloured with Graph'I tmarkers and then given a coat of crackle accents for some shine. I've used gold EP to edge the heart.

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

Come and get it: Things with wings

Creative Craft Challenge: not a square

Glitter and Sparkle: anything but a square

LEJ designs: nature inspired

Stamping Sensations: Wings and a touch of vintage

Sweet Stamps: anything goes

Hope you're having a good week so far, its stil so busy at work I don't seem to have had a minute but two more sleeps and I've got a week off yippppppeeeeee! I haven't had much time for visiting my favourite blogs while we've been short staffed at work but I'll be catching up at the weekend so I'll see you then

thanks for popping by today

Claire xx

Anything goes at Fashionable Stamping Challenges

Hi there, I've got another clock project to share with you, this time its my project for our new challenge, 'Anything Goes' at Fashionable Stamping Challenges. Our lucky winner will receive a fabby prize from our generous sponsor Leo at Flonzcraft so don't miss out! 

I've used a circular mdf clock blank, and created a background with acrylic paint. The stamps are all from Flonzcraft, stamped with Timber Brown Stazon and then masked to stamp the numbers which have been given the gilding flake treatment.

I've added some fab fishing net to the back of the clock (love this stuff, I got it from Joanna Sheen and its great for nautical themed projects), I've also added lots of little shells:

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

Delicious Doodles: something for the boys

Frillie and Funky: Time

Inky Chicks: shabby chic

Moving Along with the Times: one for the boys

Shopping our Stash: all about numbers

Thanks so much for popping by and for your lovely comments,

Claire xx

Paint fusion poppies and daisies

Good morning folks, well after my long weekend off work my nose will be back to the grindstone this morning but before I venture out into the snow here's a quick couple of projects. Sorry about the pics, the light was really weird yesterday one minute it was bright sunshine the next black clouds and a blizzard. I've made a couple of mdf plaques that I got from Joanna Sheen and given them the paint fusion treatment.

This first project was inspired by the lovely Brenda's special celebration challenge. pop over and have a look here.  Brenda has been a very special inspiration to me so I had to have a play and enter. Brenda is so generous with her ideas but also unbelievable generous with her goodies - she is celebrating her 4th blogaversary with some really special prizes! Happy Blogaversary Brenda, we should really be giving you pressies for all the inspiration you share with us.

Anyway back to my project, I gave the mdf plaque a quick coat of magnolia emusion paint and then a light sanding. Next I stamped the poppies with black stazon and painted them with acrylic paint. Now this was meant to be a quick project and the painting didn't take long at all but the letters - what a nightmare! I decided that I wanted nice sparkly letters  and thought all i need is some lime stickles and a bit of glossy accents, easy peasy .... mmmmm maybe not! I cut the letters on my cricut, coloured them with promarkers and then added the stickles. Left them to dry and when i went back i was a 'p' short and i'd lost my apostrophe! So back to the cricut, promarkers and stickles, left them to dry and added the glossy accents. Now I'd lost the 'm' grrrrrrrrr. How annoying, even more when I'd made another 'm' and then found the first one stuck to my sleeve lol.

My second plaque was made in the same way using Sheena Douglass' daisy stamps. This time I added some little daisies I'd made with air dry clay.

I'm also entering the following challenges:

Addicted to stamps: bring on spring

all that stickles: any green stickles

Artistic inspirations: flowers

Crafting for all seasons: spring

Paper Crafting journey: anything but a card

Thanks for popping by,

have a lovely day 

Claire xx

A vintage challenge

Good morning, we're back with our first challenge for the new year at Vintage Stamping Challenges and this time our challenge is 'Vintage' with the optional extra of using your new stash. As always there is a great prize up for grabs from our generous sponsor Flonzcraft and of course my lovely teamies have come up with some gorgeous projects to inspire you 

I've used a shaped card blank, distress inks modelling paste and mica powder to create the background for this card. The two glamorous ladies are a lovely stamp by Flonzcraft - coloured with distress markers and I've decoupaged their dresses for a little more depth. I've added a fan made using a Joanna Sheen stamp, crinoline flowers made with tattered florals, a doily, buttons, feathers and faux pearls from my stash.  Here's another pic to show the detail

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Crafty Mess: sparkle/bling

Crazy 4 Challenges: ribbons and bows

Totally gorjuss: anything goes with ribbon

my poor laptop is playing up at the minute so I'm still very behind with my blog visits so apologies for not visiting, hopefully normal service will be resumed before too long

have a happy Monday

Claire xx

Decorate to Celebrate GDT

Hi there, I hope you are having a nice relaxing Boxing Day. I'm having a very lazy day but before I go and do some serious lazing, I wanted to share this project with you. I was chuffed to bits to be invited to be a Guest Designer for Decorate to Celebrate, what an honour! A big thank you to Amy and her lovely team for inviting me to join them. The challenge the theme is 'New Year/Winter Party', how exciting!! Do pop over to the Challenge blog to find out all about this fab challenge.

Now what could be more exciting than a Winter Party, my thoughts turned immediately to icy decorations, beautiful party frocks, some Christma decorations and children ready for bed but too excited to sleep. I set too altering a little house shaped thimble display unit to create a Party Scene. I won't go in to lots of detail as it took ages and I had loads of fun making it. Here are a couple more pics: 

Can you see the little mouse flat on his back behind the lady? He's polished off a bottle of wine and is feeling a bit worse for weat lol, the bottle and glasses are hidden in the shadow. 

In the pic below you can see the little children and the mouse watching from outside by the streetlamp.

Here's a list of some of the supplies I used:

Stamps from Crafty Individuals, Chocolate Baroque and Joanna Sheen

Acrylic Paint, distress inks, promarkers, glimmer chips, pale blue gingham ribbon, a broken pearl necklace, Marianne die cut icicle border, sparkly beads, stickers , tiny gold baubles and little gold bells, and lastly lots of faux snow made using rock candy glitter, clear holographic glitter, shaved ice, tiny clear stars and a little silver glitter - sprinkled all over (the dogs and I were sparkly for days when I finished lol)

I'm entering this in the following challenges:

Addicted to stamps: blue Christmas/winter

Bunny Zoe's Crafts: Celebration

Craft Your Passion: Alter it

Crafty Calendar: white Christmas plus metal (I've added some little bells)

Crafty Mess: vintage Christmas

Die Cutting Divas: More holiday spirit

Joanna Sheen Challenge: with love at Christmas

Ribbon Carousel: Holiday spirit

 I hope you're enjoying the Christmas break. I'm back at work tomorrow (booooo hooooo) but I finish on Friday and have a week off work - I can't wait :-)

Thanks for popping by today

Claire xx

A song or a carol at PanPastel UK

Good morning, Christmas is sneaking up on us so quickly isn't it? How are your preparations going? I had a bit of a panic last week as I hadn't done anything so I've whizzed round and put up all the Christmas decorations and done most of my Christmas shopping online. Anyway talking of Christmas, here's a card for our new challenge at PanPastel UK where our theme is 'Inspired by a song or carol'. As always our lucky winner will receive a fab PanPastel starter set from our generous sponsor Berni from Your Creativity Store. I've taken inspiration from 'Frosty the Snowman' for this card.

The focal image is one of the Thomas Kinkade stamps from Joanna Sheen, coloured with PanPastels and Distress markers, with lots of glamour dust for frosty sparkle. 

The background was made using white and paynes grey Panpastels applied randomly to white card and then overstamped with a Chocolate Baroque snowflake stamp using flitterglu before sprinkling over lots of Stampendous Silver Halo glitter, this has got to be the glitteriest glitter Ive ever seen. Gorgeous stuff, I haven't captured the sprarkle very well in the pics but you can see it a little better in this one

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

4 Crafty Chicks: Snowman

Craft us Crazy: Christmas/Winter

Craft your Passion: snow

Eureka Stamps: winter wonderland

Happy Campers: Winters here

Little Red Wagon: Christmas with a house

Pixie Dust Studios: Sparkle and Snowflakes

Shopping our Stash: Snow/Winter

Simon Says Stamp: snowflakes

Twisted Tuesday: winter white  plus a snowflake

Wags'n'Whiskers: anything goes

Well, I hope you're enjoying your weekend. After having such a busy day yesterday I'm going to have a very lazy day today and do as little as possible, Have a good day and keep warm in this horrible cold weather. Thanks for popping by 

Claire xx

The Funkie Junkie's Tag challenge: number 8

Good morning folks, yipppee Saturday at last, I love the weekend!! I'd like to say hello to my lovely new followers, its great to 'meet' you, I'd love to pop by and follow your blogs but I can't always see your blogger profile. If yours isn't visible it would be great if you could leave me a message or email me so I can visit you too. Anyway here's my 8th pennant inspired by Linda's fab Tag Challenge over at the Funkie Junkie . You can see Linda's tag here, its gorgeous but I didn't have many of the 'ingredients' to had to raid my stash and improvise a bit. If you haven't checked out the challenge you can find all the details on Linda's blog here. The challenge is sponsored by Linda's online store the Funkie Junkie Boutique so there are some fab prizes up for grabs.

I've created a background using the marbled stains technique (I used picket fence, tarnished brass and Vintage photo distress stains) which I overstamped with a Stampers Anonymous crackle stamp. The bells are a Joanna Sheen stamp and the poinsettias are a stamp from Chocolate Baroque. I already had this cute little Santa coloured up, so I cut him out, adding some flowersoft (eeeek, I actually used flowersoft lol) and popped him on a Szzix die cut that had the same background treatment, this time overstamped with a holly background stamp from Chocolate Baroque.

I've added some red pompom trim and some ribbon to the top of the bunting and to finish off I've made a flower from Crinoline fabric (also from The Funkie Junkie), die cut with tattered florals and coloured with Festive Berries distress ink, the centre is a faceted clear bead attached with gold stickles but the sparkle doesn't show up too well in the pic.

I'm entering this one in the following challenges:

Bearly Mine: Santa is on his way

Deep Ocean: Christmas

Everybody Art: Christmas

Oozak: anything goes plus red

Paper Playtime: Christmas Colours

Pretty Little Ribbon Shop: Christmas

Tuesday Alchemy: anything but a card

Only another week to get my Christmas bunting finished for Linda's challenge, Ive got another two done and waiting for some daylight to take their photos so that means two more to make,  guess what I'll be doing today lol??? Thanks for popping by

Claire 

Wedded Bliss at PanPastel UK

Good morning, I've been very quiet this week as I've had a terrible cold and an awful week at work, why is it work is always busy when you haven't got an ounce of energy? Anyway onward and upward, I'm having a lazy weekend to try and shake this cold off but before I go and put my feet up, here's my DT card for PanPastel UK where our theme is 'Wedded Bliss'

I've created a background with violet tint panpastel, a prima mask and some fab modelling paste from Your Creativity Store, I've sprinkled pearl mica powder on the paste for some shimmer. The focal image is a Joanna Sheen stamp I've had for years. I've coloured the skintones with promarkers and then layered up the dress by stamping the image on vellum and applying white panpastel and faux pearls. I've also paper pieced the bodice which is embossed with gilded ivory EP. You can see the image a bit better in this pc

To finish off I've added a doily, lilac seam binding ribbon, lace, some paper flowers, a spray of pearls and some gorgeous little pearl hearts that I was lucky enough to win from the lovely Teresa a couple of weeks ago.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

CRAFT: Monochromatic

Crafts and Me: anything goes

Delicious Doodles: Monochrome

Incy Wincy: anything goes

Southern Girls: ribbon

Don't forget our lucky winner will receive a fab PanPastel starter set from our generous sponsor Berni from Your Creativity Store

Thanks for popping by

Claire xx

Circles at Crafty Ann's

Eeek I'm running late again, life seems to get busier by the minute doesn't it? I can't tell you how pleased I am its Friday :-) Here is my DT project for Crafty Ann's Challenge Blog where the theme is circles and my very first project using Craft Artist. 

I've never been struck on digital crafting, I tried the MCS cds and just couldn't get on with them so gave it all up as a bad job, anyway I decided to give it a try (blame Ann and Trish lol) and I've got to say I'm  converted, it seems really easy to use although there are sooooooo many different things it can do it will take me ages to find my way around it. For this project I've used elements from Crafty Ann's stunning 'Temping Turquoise' collection with a lovely vintage lady from The Graphics Fairy. I've got to say a huge thank you to Ann for the brilliant instructions on how to get the pictures into Craft Artist in the first place lol.

I'm entering this in the following challenges:

Divas by Design: Flowers

The Perfect Sentiment: anythng goes

I'm going to try and catch up with all my blogging buddies this weekend, I've got a nice new lappy and for a pleasant change I haven't got a pile of paperwork to do so I'm looking forward to a nice lazy weekend with lots of crafting and blog hopping too

Thanks for popping by

Claire xx

A is for ......

Hi there, here I am again with my GDT card for CD Sunday where the theme is 'A is for ....' I've gone for A is for Aquamarine and Anniversary for this card and used a beautiful backing paper from the Essence of Nature cd by Artylicious

The bp wasn't quite the colour i wanted it to be so I applied a little turquoise panpastel and the overstamps the corners with a beautiful leafy corner stamp from Chocolate Baroque which I embossed with white EP. I made the butterflies using Marianne dies and a couple of scraps of the same backing papers, I used cosmic shimmer glue to create their pearly bodies. The bow in made from scrunched seam binding ribbon and the focal image was made using a Marianne Designable. I got this last weekend at the craft show and I love it, its so delicate with the embossed pattern and the little lacy cut out bits. I inked it up with tumbled glass distress ink, stamped the sentiment (again from Chocolate Baroque) and added more faux pearls and gems.

I'm entering this in the following challenges:

Always Something Creative: Butterflies

Card and Scrap: things with wings

Card Cupids: wings

Divas by Design: anything goes

Marianne Design Divas: Anything goes

Sparkles Forum: wedding or anniversary

Thanks for popping by, if you get a minute do pop over to CD Sunday and check out the DT's work, they really are a lovely talented bunch of ladies

Claire xx

Paper piecing at Crafty Ann's

Hi there, a very quick post as I've got internet gremlins, hubby is in hospital and I don't know if I'm on my a**e or my elbow at work so apologies for being awol this week. Hopefully I'll catch up with my blogland buddies at the weekend but before I rush off to work here's my DT card for the new challenge over at Crafty Ann's Challenge where the theme is paper piecing

I've used papers from Crafty Ann's scrummy Tempting Turquoise collection. The bp has some flitter glued and gilded swirls added to it using a stamp from Chocolate Baroque and I've used one of the other bps from the collection to paper piece the dress. I've combined Anns' papers with stamps from Joanna Sheen. You can seethe lovely lady better here, she's actually a bride but I've cut her veil off for this card. I've used some gold vellum for her bodice and underskirt.

To finish off I've added some gold stickles to the flowers on the backing paper and some gold ribbon. 

Right, I'm off to earn a crust, have a happy Friday

thanks for popping by

Claire xx

Guest Designer at CD Sunday

Hi there, me again :-) I was chuffed to bits to be asked to join CD Sunday as their guest designer for the month of July. They are such a lovely bunch of talented ladies, how could I resist? This weeks theme is 'Seaside Treasures' and I knew straight way which CD to dust off for this one, Joanna Sheen's Cardmakers Year. This was the first craft cd I ever bought and I must admit I still love it. I'd decided to use a gorgeous vintage image of a little cutie on a sunny beach but while I was browsing through the cd I thought this image would be more appropriate for the weather we're having here in the UK lately

The inky background is made with distress stains, distress inks tissue paper and acrylic paint. I added some corrugated card, dress net (coloured with alcohol inks), some string, shells, brads from my stash and a stamped sentiment from Chocolate Baroque. The sentiment says 

" A smooth sea never made a skilled mariner", wise words there :-)

I used kraft card for matting and layering and once I'd got the card assembled I decided to add this inked watch die cut to frame the poor chap battling the elements. You can see him a bit better in this pic:

I'm entering this one in the following challenges:

Drunken Stampers: hit the road

Frilly and Funkie: lets see some texture

Hiding in my craft room: anything goes

Simon Says Stamp and Show: Depth of distress

Simply Create too: the country where you live

Wags'n'Whiskers: Use kraft

We had some really wild weather here yesterday, one minute it was sunny the next minute thick black clouds, heavy rain and high winds. I was a brave soul though and ventured out to do some weeding and had a bit of a scare as the TV aerial blew off the chimney and knocked a brick off. I nearly jumped out of my skin! 

We've had a very sad week this week as my  hubby is in hospital and I had to have our beautiful fur baby girl Mia put to sleep on Friday. She was the most loyal and gentle dog and was my best friend for 12 years. The house is so empty without her and our other dog Benji is such a sad boy so I'm planning lots of walks and treats to try and cheer him up. He's had a special treat this morning, some lovely Lincolnshire sausage for his breakfast and paws crossed a good run in the park will help take his mind off things for a while.

Thanks for stopping by

Claire xx

Challenge 27 at CCWS

Hi there, well its time for a new challenge over at Christmas Challenges {with sketches} and this time we have a fab sketch from the lovely Bettina and a twist too - BINGO! For my line I've used Lace, Pearls and a charm but you'll have to pop over to the challenge blog to see the sketch and to check out the bingo too.

This week our lucky winner will receive a prize from our generous sponsor, Whiff of Joy! 

I've used one of Joanna Sheen's supercute house mouse stamps, coloured with promarkers for my card, the papers are from GCD, ribbon, lace, charm and pearls are all from my stash.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Charisma Cardz: Metal charms

Craft your days away: all creatures great and small

Everybody Art Challenge: Lace and shapes

Holly Jolly Christmas: Anything goes plus ribbon

Totally gorjuss: Charms

I'll try and catch up with my visiting at the weekend, work is unbelievably busy still and I haven't had much time for the last few days cos one of our dogs has been poorly bless her. After a major panic and a dash to the vets she's now got some tablets and  fingers crossed she seems to be improving. 

Hope you're having a good week, thanks for popping by

Claire xx

Pastel colours at PanPastel UK

Good morning folks,  its time for a new challenge at PanPastel UK and this week our theme is 'Pastel colours'.  You don't have to use pans to enter the challenge but of course we love it when you do. 

For my DT card I've used a Rose Fairy stamp from Joanna Sheen, she's coloured with distress markers and edged with permanent red tint.I love Joanna's fairy stamps, they were some of the first stamps I ever bought and I never get fed up of them. The bp is also from Joanna Sheen, distressed with some permanent green tint PanPastel. I've coloured the ribbon and lace with the same PanPastels, I wasnt sure how the lace would take the colour but it worked fine :-)

I made the flowers with watercolour paper die cut with tattered florals and coloured with permanent red tint and hansa yellow tint, the centres are little yellow seed beads from my stash. To finish off I've added some little green pearls in the corners.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Alphabet challenge: Handmade flowers

Crafty Ribbons: flowers

Divas by Design: Tickled pink

Hotshot Crafts: Die cuts

Joanna Sheen: Happy birthday

Papertake weekly: In the garden

Sisterhood of Crafters: May flowers

Sparkle Creations rubber stamps: May flowers

Totally Gorjuss: Pink and green

Don't forget theres a fab prize up for grabs for our lucky winner, who will receive a PanPastel trial set from our lovely sponsor Berni at  Your Creativity Store! 

Brrrr its freezing here again today, I can't believe we're in the middle of May and I've still got the central heating on. Not much sign of many spring flowers either although the weeds are definitely thriving in my garden with all this rain lol. Still its perfect crafting weather so I think I'll spend the day in my craft room.

Have a great Sunday

Claire xx

Cities of the World At FSC

Hi there, we're on our travels at Fashionable Stamping Challenges as this week our theme is 'Cities of the World' so perhaps you'll be inspired by your own capital city, or by somewhere that holds special memories for you. Don't forget that to be in with a chance to win a prize from our generous sponsor Marina from Cottage Crafts you need to use a rubber stamp, no digis allowed!!

I was a bit stumped for this challenge as I'm not a city girl at all and then I saw some gorgeous new London stamps from the Artistic Stamper and couldn't resist them. I decided to go with a jubilee inspired wedding anniversary card and got a bit carried away, I threw everything at it lol. I started with a layer of Tim's tissue tand then added a shaped card topper that I'd stamped with a Crafty Individual's union jack stamp coloured with distress markers (fired brick and faded jeans) and embossed the edges with gold EP. Next came a  lady and gent from Joanna Sheen, I stamped and masked the lady and stamped the chap to look as if he's asking her to dance.

 The gorgeous union jack bunting is one of my scrummy new stamps from the Artistic Stamper, coloured with distress markers, cut out and popped on some blue thread. Everything is distressed, inked, torn and a bit crumpled :-)

I love the London skyline from the Artistic Stamper and it fitted perfectly on my perforated postage paper from Chocolate Baroque, how lucky is that??  I wanted it to look a bit faded so I masked the squares  and stamped with an ancient versafine ink pad. 

I've added seam binding ribbon in ivory and coloured some more with faded jeans and fired brick distress stains. The sentiment is from Chocolate Baroque, stamped on vellum. To finish off i've added some flowers made with tattered florals and tattered pine cones dies using watercolour card and again coloured with distress stains. Pop over to my teamie Brenda's blog as she has a fab tutorial for making flowers with watercolour paper and they hold their shape beautifully so thanks for a fab idea Brenda :-)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Crafting for all Seasons: Handmade flowers

Crafts for Eternity: ribbon

Cupcake: Best of British

Fashionista: Weddings

Joanna Sheen: Flower Power

One Stop Craft : Clebrations

Papercrafting Journey: Vintage

Polkadoodles: distressing

Wags'n'Whiskers: distressing

Thanks for popping by today

Claire xx

'Memories' at Rainbow Lady's Challenge

Our new challenge at Rainbow Lady's Challenge is 'Memories' and as its the first week of the month we are sponsored by the lovely Joanna Sheen so don't miss out on your chance to win a treat from her shop!

For my card I've used bps from Raspberry Road Designs, ribbon and a cute ribbon buckle 'thingy' from my stash. The focal image is a stamp from Joanna Sheens 'Faye Whittaker' stamps, I love these vintage scenes they are gorgeous. I've stamped the image with black archival ink and then watercoloured the image with distress markers. I'm really loving these scrummy new pens!!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Bearly Mine: Friendship

Crazy Challenge: summer/beach

Cupcake: Best of British

LEJ Designs: Anything goes

Paper Take weekly: Anything goes

Pinspirational: Photo inspiration

Well the way our weather is shaping up I won't be paddling for a while, well not unless its in the puddles lol. 

Thanks for popping by, don't forget to check out my talented teamies blogs as they have come up with some really gorgeous projects again this week

Claire xx