Quick and easy Christmas gifts at Premium Craft Brands

Good morning folks, how's your weekend going? After a mammoth pressie wrapping session yesterday I think we're nearly ready Christmas, I'm hoping to have a lazy day today and catch up on some TV but first I wanted to share my project for this weeks challenge at Premium Craft Brands PanPastel Challenge. Pop on over to the challenge blog to find out all about the fabby prize from our generous sponsor Your Creativity Store and check out my teamies gorgeous projects too! Our theme this week for challenge entrants is 'Anything goes' but the DT were challenged to make a Christmas gift using fabric eeeeeeeek!
Talk about a challenge lol.

I had a bit of a mad scientist session in my craft room and experimented with PanPastels, Maimeri Glassy Gel and Crinoline fabric. I coloured the fabric with Permanent red PanPastel and then smothered it with Maimeri Glassy Gel and brushed on some  Gold PanPastel. I left it to dry (give it a good 24 hours) and die cut it with tattered florals and made the roses. I added some charms, beads and bits and bobs from my stash to make the necklace. Here's another pic of the flowers, they are a lot 'redder' in real life, my dodgy photography again lol.

I'm entering this one in the following challenges:

Bastel Traum: anything but a card

Bloggers: Holiday gifts

Crafters Cafe: sparkle

Miriam's Crafting Blog: homemade gifts

Sparkles Forum: anything but a card

Thanks so much for visiting today

Claire xx

Rosebud hanging ornament from Chocolate Baroque

Good morning blogland buddies, hope you're having a good week. As usual i'm rushing off to work this morning but then I've got 4 days off for Easter, how lovely! I do hope the weather improves a bit but at least I haven't got to go to work so I promise i won't moan too much lol. Anyway this mornings project is a little hanging ornament made with the lovely little rosebud stamp from Periwinkle Corners and Rosebud clear stamp set from Chocolate Baroque.

I drew round a microscope slide twice and  stamped the rosebud with black archival ink and coloured with Derwent inktense pencils and added stamped a little text here and there. Inktense pencils blend beautifully and once dry, the colour doesn't seem to run so they are ideal for a project like this. I took two microscope slides and stuck them to my coloured images using glossy accents and left them overnight to dry.

Once they were thoroughly dry I cut them out and used more glossy accents to stick them together. I sealed the edges with silver embossing powder and added a glue on bail to the top and little metal corner to the bottom. The silver butterfly, little pearls and beads are from my stash.

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:
Crafting for all seasons: anything but a card
Crafting by Design: anything goes with a twist Easter/Spring
Crafty Boots: flowers
Penny's Paper Crafty: anything but a square
Sugar Creek Hollow: an altered state
Tando Creative: Flowers

Thanks for popping by, have a good day whatever you're up to
Claire xx

15 minutes of fame (well nearly lol)

Good morning folks, ooooooooh I'm beside myself with excitement this morning as some of my projects are going to be on TV this evening! The lovely Berni from Your Creativity Store asked us girlies on the PanPastel Design Team  if we would have a play with the fabulous new Graph'It markers and guess what?? They are going to be on Create and Craft this evening at 7pm, to add to the excitement our very own Tracie from the DT will be demonstrating them!! 

Graphi'It markers are a range of alcohol markers, 'whats new there' I hear you say, we've all got promarkers, copics or spectrum noirs in our craft rooms. Well Graph'It markers bled beautifully, they are quite thick so very comfy on the old paws if you're having a long colouring session and they come is a gorgeous selection of colours. Now as far as I'm concerned the biggest advantage of Graph'It markers is their fab 'blendability' and the fact that they have a really unique accessory - the Mix'It blending palette and this may look like a little square of plastic but it is a WONDERFUL creation lol. It means that you can mix your marker colours to create different shades but also to create new colours and then you use your blender pen to apply the colour! You can graduate colour on your Mix'It and then colour and shade in one 'swooosh' of the blender pen. 

Absolute genius idea!

This little project really shows the 'blendability' of colour you can get with the Graph'Its and the Mix'It I've used one of the Colour Me  Domino images from the Gecko Galz for this little hanging ornament. I coloured the butterfly with the markers and as you can see th e purple is nice strong shade. I wanted to create a 'wash' of colour for the background so I blended the purple with a little pink on the Mix'It and applied with the chisel end of the blender pen - so much quicker than just layering colour by colour as we usually do with alcohol markers. This means that you don't need as many colour pens too!

Once the image was colours I stamped two Ranger frosted Microscope slides with a little swirl using black stazon at the top and bottom although you can't really see that in the pic.

I've used glossy accents to stick the images to some frosted Microscope slides and to stick it all together, and used silver EP around the edges to seal them.  I've added At the bottom I've used a metal filigree corner, again attached with glossy accents and bent around the slide with a little more glossy accents at the black. The metal tassle was made with an old broken silver chain that I cut up into short lengths and popped on a jump ring  At the top I've added a glue on bale and some beads from my stash, a little butterfly charm and a gorgeous little rose button. Once it was all dry, I've finished off with some lilac seam binding ribbon.

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

Anything goes: Vintage/Shabby Chic

Everybody Art: Metal

Paper Minutes: butterflies in spring

Tuesday Alchemy: Hearts all a flutter (hearts/wings)

Whimsy Inspiration: Wings

We've had an awful lot of weather here in the last day or so lol, snow, wind, then a bit of rain and now its freezing. I haven't ventured out yet but it looks a bit like an ice rink outside eeeeeeeeeek! Take care if you're out and about it in and thanks for popping by today

Claire xx

Surprise us at FSC!

Hello folks, I hope you're all enjoying the Christmas and New Year break. I've got 9 days off work now so hopefully lots of time for crafting :-)

Back to business as we've got a fab new challenge over at Fashionable Stamping Challenges where our theme is 'Surprise Us'. Our lovely teamie Joanna suggested that we should all make a project to send to one of our DT sisters so next week I'll be posting my project out to ...... nope not telling, that would spoil the surprise lol.

I've altered a little board book box using acrylic paint to create a crackle background, and adding lots of gold embossing. I then made a panel using alcohol inks (wild plum, cranberrry and snow cap) which I stamped with a gorgeous Chocolate Baroque flower stamp and embossed with Gilded Ivory EP. ?Unfortunately my photography skills don't get any better so the photos are pretty rubbish. I added some lace, ribbon and little flowers (from The Funkie Junkie boutique) I made a little brooch to go in the box, using crinoline fabric coloured with the same alcohol inks and white netting, I added a button and stiched some crystals and seed beads around the button centre. Here's another pic which is perhaps slighly better, or maybe not lol. 

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

C.R.A.F.T: Not a card

Fab'n'Funky: ribbon/lace

Live and Love Crafts: anything but a card

Simon Says Stamp: anything goes

Try it on Tuesday: Lucky Dip (Stamped image and ribbon)

As always our challenge is sponsored by the lovely Marina from Cottage Crafts with a voucher for the lucky winner so don't miss out!  Don't forget though, we're a rubber stamping challenge so no digi stamps allowed :-)

Thanks for popping by today, have a lovely Sunday. If you have time grab a coffee and pop over to visit my DT sisters as they have really come up with some gorgeous creations this time

Claire xx

Linda's Christmas Tags

Good morning, today's project is my entry for Linda's fabulous tag challenge over at the Funkie Junkie (you can find all the details and see Linda's stunning tag here). Linda's artwork is a real inspiration to me and she also has the most gorgeous goodies in her lovely shop too. As soon as I saw the first tag I knew I wanted to play along with this fab challenge, the idea is to take inspiration from Linda's tag and create a winter holiday inspired project.To add to the excitement there are prizes from The Funkie Junkie Boutique too, do pop over to Linda's blog for all the details.

I'd had  a plan for a couple of years to make some Christmassy bunting to decorate the dresser in my hall but never got round to it, so I decided to take inspiration from Linda's tag and make my first piece of Christmassy bunting. I just adored the scrummy background Linda created so I followed the steps she used with the marble distress stains technique (I really love the new metallic distress stains!!)and then stamped swirls with tea dye distress ink and overstamped to add the rock candy glitter. I used flitter glu for this step and it worked a treat :-)

Next I created a crackled heart using grungeboard, crackle paint and distress stains and added some vellum wings created using a chocolate baroque stamp and white embossing powder. I cut the numbers on my cricut, stamped the sentiment and added some snowflakes to the bottom of the bunting. As a finishing touch I added some snowflakes made with seed beads and crytals and some bead caps and pearls to the centres of the snowflakes.

Now I'm playing catch up as Linda has posted tag number 6 and it is gorgeous so I'll hopefully be back later in the week with my second project.

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

ABC Christmas: anything goes

Die Cutting Divas: Shimmer glimmer gloss

Ooh La La: Christmas Sentiment

Totally Gorjuss: bling it on

Totally Papercrafts: Christmas

Winter Wonderland: anything but a card

I hope you're having a good week, I'm at work today just for a change but I'm counting down to the weekend as usual lol

Thanks for popping by and for all your kind comments

Claire xx

Steampunk at FSC!

Hi there, we've got a new challenge starting over at Fashionable Stamping Challenges and this time around we want to see you on the catwalk in your Steampunk creations! As always our lucky winner will receive a fabulous prize from Marina, our regular sponsor from Cottage Crafts. I love Steampunk and I really enjoyed making this necklace and tag :-)

The tag was made with lots of different metallic acrylic paints and plenty of distressing. I used my favourite cog stamps from Chocolate Baroque, some embossed card, bits of lace and ribbon and some idea-ology bits and bobs. I added a dress form from the Haberdashery stamps (also from Chocolate Baroque), painted with viva precious metal paints and given a luvverly pair of vellum wings made using stamps from Artistic Expressions themeplate and WOW gold EP.

  The necklace was made with an assortment of beads and bits and bobs from my stash, including a stampbord domino. some friendly plastic that I stamped into with stamps from CB's Texture Fragments stamps, a pendant blank that I filled with more viva precious metal paint, some watch parts and glossy accents, the large brass flower is from Prima and the resin rose was in the fabby candy I won a while ago from the lovely Hels (thank you Hels!!)

I'm entering this in the following challenges:

Bunny Zoe's: anything goes

Charizma: Metal charms

Crafting when we can: Steampunk

Creative Craft Challenge: Distressing

Inky Impressions: Lace or trim

Paperplay: Destruction

WOW Embossing powders: Earth tones

Thanks for popping by today

Claire xx

Blue Butterflies

Hi there, its been a lovely sunny weekend here and instead of gardening I've been wrestling with this project. I didn't think it would take me long but the necklace kept going horribly wrong lol

I recently got some lovely alterable bits and bobs from the Artistic Stamper, and decided to use one of the little bamboo domino tiles to make a necklace for my MIL. The little papier mache book went really smoothly, a couple of coats of acrylic paint, stamps from Chocolate Baroque (Wisteria Lane and Rose Tree) coloured with distress markers, distress ink around the edges and a few layer of matt multi medium and that was it.

The little bamboo domino was a different kettle of fish. I got it painted and got dog hairs stuck in it so had to start again. Then because I was rushing I decided to use my heat gun and bubbled the paint grrrrrrr. Anyway third time lucky I managed to decorate the little tile and once it was dry (without the heat gun lol) I added beads and bead caps from my stash and strung the lot on some beading wire and finished with a clasp. Phew just in the nick of time as it was a pressie for my lovely MILs birthday!

I'm entering this in the following challenges:

By the cute and girly: Spring is in the air

Craft your days away: all creatures great and small

Creative Craft Challenge: anything goes

Fairy Tale: things with wings

One Stop Craft Challenge: Monochrome

Paper Sundaes: things with wings

Polkadoodles: Monochromatic shades

Stampin Sisters in Christ: animals, birds or bugs

Thanks for popping by, I'd better get my skates on and get myself ready  for work

Claire xx

Girly/Mothers Day at PanPastel UK

Hi there, i'm back with my second post already today, this time my DT project for PanPastel UK where the theme is 'Girly/Mother's day'. I'd made this beaded bracelet for my MIL and decided to alter a PanPastel box to pop it in

Sorry about the blurry pic, my camera has given up the ghost so I had to borrow hubbys and I can't seem to suss out the settings at all. 

I crackled the box using purple emulsion paint, watered down pva glue and cream emulsion and distressed the edges with vintage photo distress ink. I made the flowers using fabric from my stash, the purple pompom flowers are coloured with violet panpastel.

To make the gift tag, I stamped a Chocolate Baroque background stamp on a kraft tag with versamark ink and applied Violet PanPastel with a sofft applicator. I used my scrummy new lattice spellbinder dies to create the embellies, again using violet PanPastel to highlight the diecuts. I love this colour, its my favourite at the minute. To finish off I added a little purple ribbon.

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

Allsorts: Say it with flowers

Craft your days away: Mothers Day

Divas by Design: Favourite things (Panpastels, making flowers and kraft)

Fabulous Friday's:  kraft paper

One stop craft : Mothers day with ribbon

Paperplay: recycle it

Simon Says Stamp: Mothers day or special female

Totally Papercrafts: Favourite things (My PanPastels, making flowers and kraft)

Don't forget our lucky winner with receive a fabby PanPastel Trial set from Berni our lovely sponsor at Your Creativity Store!!

thanks for popping by 

hugs

Claire xx

The Magic of Mardi Gras

Hi there, we're celebrating Mardi Gras at Rainbow Lady's Challenge this week!

 I've struggled to get a decent pic of my project as it is seriously sparkly lol. I made the background using radiant rain paint dabbers, black crackle paint and stickles and matted it on purple glitter card. 

It looks much nicer in real life honest :-)

The image is a stamp from Debbi Moore, coloured with promarkers and die cut with a nestie. I created a faux nestie from more glitter card and then disaster struck ... i used silicone glue from Wilkinsons to attache the image as dst never seems to stick properly to glitter card and the blinking stuff showed through!!! EEEEEk, panic set in but i managed to hide the marks with some diecut swirly bits lol. I've added ribbon and lace from my stash and made a couple of hat pins from headpins and black pearls and purple  crystal beads. To finish off I made some faux black pearls with black cosmic shimmer glue for the corners

i'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Challenge up your life: tone on tone monochrome

Crafty  Cardmakers: Monochrome magic

Fab'n'Funky : try something new (my background)

Inky Impressions: punches/dies

My Mum's Craft Shop: swirls and pearls

Oldie but goodie: Lace (i've used an old stamp and embellies)

Stamptacular Sunday: Pearls and lace

thanks for calling by today

Claire xx

Travelling the World at Fashionable Stamping Challenges

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

Fashionable Flowers

Hi there my fashionable friends, today sees a new challenge over at Fashionable Stamping Challenges  and this time our theme is Handmade flowers. We are of course sponsored by the lovely Marina who will be providing a gorgeous prize for our lucky winner from her shop Cottage Crafts. For my DT project I decided to combine two of my favourite things, stamping and jewellery making.

I created a grungepaper flower using a freebie stamp from Craft Stamper, painted with viva precious metal paint in turquoise and over stamped with part of a beautiful doodle butterfly stamp (also a freebie from Craft Stamper), layered the 5 flowers up and secured them with a gold eyelet. This allowed me to thread some wired gold myuki drop beads through the centre, I secured them with silicone glue and added some gold glitter. The leaves were made using jade green size 11 seed beads, gold size 15 seed beads and more myuki drops (the pattern for the leaves was in last months Bead magazine). I'd forgotten just how teeny tiny size 15 seed beads are, I'm sure they've shrunk or perhaps I should have gone to specsavers LOL. 

Once I'd made the flower and the leaves I had to try and work out how to attach them together so that i could make a necklace out of them. EEk that was a bit of a nightmare but I used a small nestie to cut a shape from grungeboard and wired the flower and leaves through it and added some silicone glue for a bit of extra security (I'm a bit of a belt and braces girl lol). I added another gold eyelet to the grungeboard shape and attached a gold chain (from one of my expeditions to the charity shop lol. 

Here's a pic to show the detail a little better. Its been so dark and dull here I've struggled to get photo's of this project.

I made a tag to display the necklace, by painting a tag with the same turquoise precious metal paint and overstamping with the same flower and butterfly stamp in gold and then using versamark and embossing with some gorgeous sparkly teal ep from my stash. I attached the necklace using a little turquoise chiffon ribbon.

I'm entering this tag in the following challenges:

Allsorts : Anything but a card

Cheerful Stamp pad: petals

Creative Belli: non paper materials

Flutter by Wednesday: Open challenge with butterfly angel or fairy

Sir Stampalot: Whatever you fancy

Sweet Stamps: Bling it up

Pop on over to the challenge blog to see the gorgeous projects from my fashionable teamies, they've come up with some absolute stunners and we're also introducing our newest member of the DT too!! 

Thanks for calling by

Claire xx

Let's Ink It Up, sentiment and 3D flower

Hello folks, today I'm sharing  my DT project for Let's Ink It Up where our theme for challenge 15  is 'Sentiment plus a 3D flower' so we want to see the sentiment as the focal point of your project. I have to admit i did struggle a bit with this theme but eventually I decided to make this little wall hanging

Our challenge this time is sponsored by Kreativ Hobby and they are offering a really generous prize  so don't miss out on a chance to win!!

Kreativ Hobby

We are a Norwegian rubberstamp producer – with more than 1000 different designs. In our webshop you will find all our rubbestamps under the category “STEMPLER”. All prices are in Norwegian Kroner. We ship worldwide and all information regarding international shipping is on our website: www.kreativhobby.no  The winner can choose 4 rubberstamps from Kreativ Hobby Design. Value app. NOK 200 or $ 35

The base is a paper mache frame from The Craft Barn, I created a crackle background with green and pale pink Eco green paints and PVA blue and sloshed some gold acrylic paint around the edges. I added even more crackle with a creative expressions crackle stamp and gold EP.  I brayered a little background scene using big'n'Juicy inks and some gorgeous little tree stamps from Chocolate Baroque 'Teeny Weeny Meadow'.  The sentiment is a stamp from Paper Artsy. I've had this stamp for years and I use it again and again.

The large flower is also stamped with a Chocolate Baroque stamp, this time from Diamante Delights, its embossed with gold EP and painted with twinkling H2os.

I added some ribbon for a a hanger as I wanted to attached my beaded flowers. I LOVE seed bead work but haven't done any for ages and i've come to the conclusion I need new specs lol.

The large rose is made with size 11 seed beads in netting stitch and the tiny tulips are again made with Size 11s but this time using herringbone stitch. I added some myuki drops for the centres.

I'm entering the following challenges:

Creative Card Crew: May flowers

Creative Inspirations Paint: Inspired by your favourite colour

Dream Valley: Flowers

Everybody Art Challenge: Flowers

Oldie but a Goodie: Say it with flowers

Sentimental Sunday: anything goes

Simon Says Stamp and Show: anything goes

The Sisterhood of Crafters: Let it shine

Stamp Something: anything goes

Stamping Sisters in Christ: all things beautiful

Stamping Vacation: embellish it - use beads

Top Tip Tuesday: Flower Frenzy

Use it tuesday: Use your bling

Thanks for calling by today, make sure you pop over to Let's Ink It Up and check out my teamies amazing creations and gorgeous flowers. Caz has also kindly done a tutorial for some stunning roses so you don't want to miss that either :-)

Claire xx

As you like it

I was really stuck for an idea for Frankie's challenge at Dragon's Dream Tag it On this time as the theme is 'As You Like It' and Frankie would like to see a twist. I decided to twist the tag and make it horizontal and then when I was reading Craft Stamper I spotted a project to make a note holder using pegs so i decided to combine it to give my tag another twist.

I brayered a background using Kaleidacolour Autumn Breeze inkpad and then created an Autumn scene with stamps from Artemio and Elusive Images. I took 3 pieces of stampbord, coloured them with the same inkpad and stamped them with some Elusive Images leaf stamps. I edged them with gold and triple embossed them with clear EP to make them shine. I took 3 wooden pegs and snipped the ends off so they were a little smaller than the stampbord and attached the stampbord to the pegs with silicone glue. Once they were dry I stuck them to the tag. The hanger is made with bronze, copper and lime green wire and beads from my stash.

Here's a side view showing the altered pegs

I really enjoyed making this and hope the silicone glue holds up lol

Thanks for calling by

Claire xx

Crafty Ann's Challenge ...Anything but a card

The latest challenge from Crafty Ann's Challenge blog is 'Anything but a card'. I love altered art so I decided to alter an old jewellery box from the huge pile of bits and bobs waiting to be altered in my craftroom. It started life as  a watch box made from study card.

I gave it a really think blobby coating of gesso (thats the technical term lol) and left it overnight to dry. Next came a couple of coats of metallic blue paint (Stewart Gill, I think) While the paint was drying, I printed off Crafty Ann's short petal flower (available  at Crafty Ann's Digi Shop) and painted the flowers in blue shades of twinkling h20s. Once the flowers were dry, i cut them out, curled the petals with my pokey tool and layered them up. The centres are made using gold microbeads.

I attached some blue and gold check ribbon around the box and popped one of the small flowers on each of the 4 sides. I used the large flower on the box lid with the leaves from the same digisheet. To finish off I made some tiny flowers using seed beads. I'm going to make some earring using the same little beaded flowers when I get a minute. I love making these flowers, once you get the hang of them they are pretty quick and easy

I'm entering my altered box in the following challenges

Crafty Calender: blue and flowers

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge: Anything goes

Stampin Royalty: Anything but a card

Digital Tuesday: All about the girls

AiFactory: Anything goes

Charisma Cardz: Anything goes

Thanks for calling by, I hope you're going to join us for our challenge. Its certainly crafting weather here, its chilly and pouring with rain. Can you tell its nearly weekend lol?

Claire xx

Sneaking in ....

Here I am sneaking in at the last minute with my tag for this weeks challenge at Dragons Dream Tag it on which is 'Bead-dazzle'. I've made a bracelet with twisted bugle beads, cube beads and size 11 seed beads and attached it to my tag for this weeks challenge. I did get it finished yesterday but the internet was soooooo sloooooooow I gave up trying to post it lol.

I love bead stitching but it takes so long I really don't make as much jewellery as I'd like to. This is the second of these bracelets I've made, my friend loved the design so this will be a perfect pressie for her.

The tag is a large manilla tag from Graphicus, I coloured the tag with dusty concorde and milled lavender distress inks and stamped the Stampman dragonfly stamp with dusty concorde. The edges and sentiment are embossed in silver although it hasn't shown up too wellin the pic. The words read 'Imagine the possibilities' , another stamp from Elusive Images.

I made a couple of little holes with my cropodile and attached the bracelet with a little purple ribbon, it looked a bit plain so inspired by Cynthia's fab challenge at Rainbow Lady's Challenge blog this week which is 'feathers' i added a purple feather.

I'm also entering this tag in this weeks challenge from Tuesday Taggers where the theme is 'Anything Goes' and the sponsor is Ribbon Oasis who are offering a gorgeous selection of ribbons to the lucky winner 

Thanks for looking. We look to be having some better weather today,

I hope you get some sunshine too 

Claire xx

Meet Camille...

Isn't Camille the mermaid a beauty?? She is another beautiful digistamp from Michelle Perkett (you can find her in Michelle's Etsy Store) and I decided to use her to make a little candle jar

As usual my dreadful photography skills haven't helped with the photo lol!! I've wanted to have go at a little candle jar for ages, my lovely friend Kerri has made loads and they are all stunning - pop over to Kerri's blog and check them out!!  I have a huge stash of stuff to alter and this old coffee jar was just the right shape for Camille.

I began by colouring the jar with alcohol inks (I used stream, lettuce and pesto) and coloured the lovely Camille with promarkers. I made a handle by twisting lime and teal wire together and wrapping it around the top of the jar and , twisting the ends together and then securing them with pliers. I then shaped the handle by wrapping the wire round my pokey tool and added a few beads from my stash as I went along. I attached the other end of the wire handle again by twisting it around the wire circling the top of the jar. I made a ribbon ruffle to hide the joins by stitching down the centre of some teal ribbon and then pulling the thread to gather it. I stitched it in place around the top of the jar.

Camille is coated with a layer of matt varnish and  attached to the jar with silicone glue. I love Michelle's mermaids and Camille is a real stunner with that gorgeous hair isn't she??

I've used a little battery operated tea light instead of a real candle as I thought it would be safer with the ribbon. I knew I had some in my stash but looked everywhere and couldn't find them. I managed to get some more from the Works - a real bargain at 3 for £1!! I got loads so you may be seeing a lot of candle jars in the future lol

I'm entering Camille in the following challenges:

Everybody Art Challenge: Sea/Beach

Digital Tuesday: Cool it

Cupcake Craft challenge: Blue and Green (one of my favourite colour combo's!!)

The Shabby Tea Room : A little bit of metal (my wire handle)

Don't forget you still have time to enter the Michelle Perkett Studio's  blog hop and challenge - our theme this week is 'Back to School' and there are fab prizes to be won!!

Thanks for calling by, I hope you are having a good weekend

Claire xx