Wooo hoooo!! Guest Designer over at CD Sunday :-)

I was over the moon when I was invited to be this month's GDT over at CD Sunday, not only because its such a great challenge but also because I have some good friends on the team too.

This weeks challenge is 'For Someone Special' and its sponsored by Cute Daisy May, and I was lucky enough to be able to use this gorgeous digistamp (you can find her at Whoopsi Daisy). She's such a beautiful stamp, I really enjoyed colouring her, especially all that lovely hair.

When I first started crafting I used CDs a lot but I've got more into stamping and my poor cds have been sat on a shelf in my craft room gathering dust. Anyway I dusted them off and had a good browse and I found loads of goodies I'd forgotten about.  For this cd I've used a bp from Artylicious 'Essence of Nature' CD, I must admit I do use this cd quite a bit as the backing papers are stunning but I had a really good look through it and found all sorts of things I'd never used. I printed the circular frame off twice and decoupage it up to giveit a bit of dimension. I edged the frame and bp with a gold kryon pen. I stamped and embossed a background using tree stamps from Elusive images on some vellum and inked in a sun.

I coloured the image with promarkers and added some glitter to her wings and the flowers in her hair. As its a card for someone special, I added loads of flowers. The large ones are also printed from Artylicious 'Essence of Nature' CD, cut out sprized with glimmer mist and scrunched up before being layerd up with glittery centres. The rest of the flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts and have been glittered. The lovely little charm is from Bunny Zoe's crafts and the pearls are from my stash

You can see the vellum background and the layered frame a little better in this pic

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Allsorts: Blooming blossoms

By the Cute and Girly: Cute and Girly

Bunny Zoe's Crafts: Happy Birthday with lots of pearls

Cardmaking Mama's : Embellish it

Charisma Cardz:Bling and Sparkle

Crafty Calendar: April Showers bring May flowers

Do you stack up? :Clear, light pink and mauve (I hope my vellum counts as clear)

Incy Wincy: Sparkle and Shine

Little Claires: Spring Celebration

Stampin Vacation: Square and circles

Stamp Something: April Digi day

Whoopsi Daisy: glitter and glitz

Thanks for calling by today, I hope you'll dust of those crafting cds and join this weeks challenge over at CD Sunday and of course pop over and check out the DTs fab cards as the ladies have come up with some beautiful creations.

Claire xx

A new challenge and a new DT spot with Digi's With Attitude!

I was sooooooo excited to get an email from Cindy-Lynn inviting me to join the DT at Digi's With Attitude! I loved my time as GDT for them in January so I was over the moon to rejoin the team and work with such fabulous images and such lovely friendly crafters . I can't say ladies though as we have a very talented young man called Tristan on the DT now:-)  Today is our big day and  its time for the relaunch of Digi's With Attitude! challenges and this time we have a nice easy one for you:

'Anything Goes'

I've used this amazing image 'Tabatha and Tony' for my card, pop over to the Digi's With Attitude! shop here and check them out (and the rest of the Animals with Attitude! too). You don't have to use a Digi's With Attitude!  image to enter the challenge but we'd love to see you use one if you can. Our lucky winner will recieve a $10 Gift Certificate for Digi's With Attitude!

I've printed the image onto encaustic art card, masked a moon and  the image with Eclipse tape and then brayered the background using dye inks and stamped in the grassed using rubber stamps from Elusive Images Eastern grasses themeplate. I inked around Tabatha and Tony using black dye ink and a make up sponge before I removed the mask to ground them. I coloured the image with promarkers, they give a totally different finish on this coated cardstock and don't blend as well as they do on ordinary card but i quite like the effect (as long as you don't look too closely lol)

The bp is printed from Joanna Sheen's Eastern Treasures CD, its a really neutral colour so I distressed it with lots of spiced marmalde distress ink to make it look a little more tigerish lol.

I've added some bright orange ribbon and a concertina flower. I made the concertina flower by punching some orange paper with a MS doiley lace punch once i'd concertina'd it I added a large black button and some orange fibres from my stash. To finish off i've added some little dots of Ranger black Enamel accents.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Crafty Ho's: photo inspiration

Creative Card Crew: for a child

Digital Tuesday: For the kids

Ladybug Crafts Ink: Handmade flower

Make it colourful: Colouring backgrounds

Pile it on: cutie patootie

The house that stamps built:scenic card

Paper playtime: anything goes

Squigglefly: Make your own patterned paper

Southern Girls: Add an animal

Stampin B's: Make a background with stamps

Thanks for calling by, I hope you're going to join us for our challenge

 this week at Digi's With Attitude!

Claire xx

Night at the Movies with the Rainbow Lady

Hi there, when I saw the new challenge at Rainbow Lady's Challenge blog, 'A Night at the Movies' my first though was Harry Potter as I just LOVE Harry Potter films although to be honest I much prefer the books (you don't what to know how many times i've read them .... I'm such a geek lol). Anyway I had to have a go at a 'Harry Potter' ish scene  although I didn't have a Harry Potter stamp so you'll have to use your imagination a little lol.

As well as a new challenge topic this week we have a fab new sponsor 'Time to Sow' so make sure you pop over the challenge blog to get your entry in to be in with a chance of a fab prize!

The background is masked and brayered using Mountain Meadow big&juicy ink pad with black brayered over the sky. The tree stamps are all from Elusive Images and I'm not sure where the castle is from, its been uninked in my stash for ages so it was  a good time to give it an airing!

I painted the dragon and unicorn with twinkling H2os and decoupaged them up a layer with foam pads. I was really stuck for a wizardy character until i remembered the fab 'Magical Alchemey' digistamp from Michelle Perkett, I love this stamp, he makes a perfect  Dumbledore but i've also used him in the past for Father Christmas coloured in red and white. This time I coloured him with promarkers and added a little bit of yellow feather to his hat.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Creative Card Crew: For a child

Daring Cardmakers: The Book Club

Digital Tuesday: for the kids

Going grey with scrap creations: Fairy tales 

The House that Stamps built: A scenic card

The Sisterhood of Crafters: Let's hear it for the boys

I've really enjoyed making this card. its been a while since I played with my trusty brayer :-)

Thanks for visiting today, I hope you're going to join our challenge this week.

Claire xx

Inspired by an Elvis song at Crafty Ann's

Hello there,  its time for a new challenge over at Crafty Ann's challenge blog and this time around Ann wants to see creations inspired by an Elvis song! Now I don't know about you but my brain goes in to a total melt down everytime I try to use a song as the inspiration for a project. Anyway after spending hours looking at a huge list of Elvis songs (have a look here if you want some ideas) and trying to come up with an idea I decided to pick one of Ann's stamps and then find a song to go with it! I'd wanted to use this gorgoeus winged heart (available from Crafty Ann's Digi Shop) for ages so I went back to the list and thought it would be perfect for a 'Love me Tender' inspired creation

 

I also wanted to show how versatile digital stamps can be, I tend to get stuck in a rut of just colouring digi stamps and using my rubber stamps for other techniques but I decided to have a play and see what i could come up with.

I've used a large manilla tag for my base and covered with with one of Crafty Ann's mottled stone backing papers (available here) and painted it with diluted cream acrylic paint. I then stamped and embossed the large Elusive Images border stamp in gold EP. I cut out the heart from Crafty Ann's winged heart and applied a layer of versamark and then triple embossed it with gold UTEE and then while it was hot pressed the border stamp into the utee. I layered the heart up over another winged heart and liberally glittered the wings with Judikins prisma glitter. the finished winged heart is layered up over some fluffy white feathers.

I've distressed the edges of the tag and inked with tea dye distress ink. To finish the tag off I've added some irridescent beaded trim, lace, vintage seam binding ribbon and a concertina flower with a button and a little bow.

I'm entering my tag in the following challenges:

A gem of a challenge: anything but a square

Crafty Emma's Store: your favourite song or inspired by a song

Creative cowgirls: Monochromatic

Cupcake Craft Challenge: Monochromatic

Little Red Wagon: butterflies

Moving along with the times: Precious metals

Paperplay: Distressing

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge: anything but a card

Some odd girl: pleat something

Squigglefly: buttons

Sugar Creek Hollow: Anything goes

The Crafty Pad: Use a digi

The Shabby Tearoom: Bingo challenge (my line is punch/embossing/ribbon)

Totally gorjuss: Button it

Thanks for calling by, I hope you're going to get inspired by an Elvis song with us this week. Pop round and check out my teamies blogs for some more ideas :-)

Claire xx

Celebrating St Patrick's Day with Rainbow Lady

Hello, lovely to see you visiting today. I've got a couple of days annual leave which means a long weekend off work so I'm really looking forward to some 'me time' in my craft room although I should really tackle some spring cleaning. This weeks theme over at Rainbow Lady's Challenge is 'St Patrick's Day', we are also celebrating the birthday of none other than Cynthia, our Rainbow Lady herself!! This week we are lucky enough to be sponsored by

CRAFTY NOTIONS ... our lucky winner will recieve a fab mixture of goodies! I'm really jealous and the Crafty Notions shop is a real Aladdins Cave of crafty loveliness :-)

Anyway my card this week features a gorgeous shamrock image which is a freebie from Waltzing Mouse (as is the sentiment, you can find them here). The image is coloured with promarkers and cut out with one of my favourite nesties and distressed with antique linen distress ink. The image and sentiment are both matted on green mirri card edged with a gold krylon pen.

I made the background with starburst stains, I love using these inks they are so shimmery! I had to use 'Lucky Shamrock Green' and Golden dubloons for the background on a St Patrick's Day card lol. After a layer of lucky shamrock green I added random splodges of golden dubloons and sprinkled it with lots of sea salt. When you dust the salt off the dry background it give a really lovely mottled effect. Its hard to see on a photo but hopefully this shows it a little better

The swirly corner stamps are from Elusive Images and the green and gold  stripy ribbon is from Crafty Ribbons and the gold gems are from my stash.

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

Allsorts: Luck of the Irish

Alota Rubber Stamps: St Patrick's Day green

Alphabet challenge: Stripes

Crafty Cardmakers spotlight: Make your own designer paper

Crafty Ho's Challenge: gold, green and white

Creative Card Crew: Green

Delicious Doodles: green for St Patrick's Day

ECP challenges: Green

If the shoe fits: St Patrick's day

Inspiration Avenue: St Patrick's Day

Mamie Doodles: Monochomatic green with a bit of the Irish

Sentimental Sunday: Let's go green

Sisterhood of Crafters: St Patrick's Day

Stamp something: something cream and green

Tellen's Place: St Patrick's Day celebration

Thanks for visiting, I'm really looking forward to seeing your

St Patrick's Day inspired cards this week.

Claire xx

An aperture card for Bah Humbug

I'm back on a roll with my weekly Christmas cards for the challenge over at Bah Humbug after my bad start to the year. I love making christmas cards so its great to make them through the year and save that last minute panic. Anyway the lovely ladies of Bah Humbug Hall have challenged us to use an aperture in our creations this week. For my card i've used a circular aperture for the moon on this little scene I created

I've just got the 'New England Winter' stamp plate from Elusive Images or perhaps I should say Chocolate Baroque now and I was itching to use the beautiful cottage stamp. I stamped and masked the large cottage on some glossy card and stamped the smaller house and trees (also from Elusive images) and then inked the background with a shaving brush. I bravely splattered water all over my carefully created background to create the effect of snow.

The image is coloured with promarkers, now I love promarkers but colouring on glossy card is a totally different ball game to ordinary card. I've seen Barbara Gray recommend letting each colour dry but I haven't the patience for that lol. I've found it best to lay down a layer of a really pale colour like ivory and then add the other colours over it. I've added some white gel pen snow and lots of snowflake white glitter although its a bit camera shy :-)

Now the aperture was a bit of a headache as I suddenly decided I wanted to use this beautiful sentiment by Clarity stamps in side the moon but my card was too small to fit the circle in. I'd planned on using my cricut but after a lot of head scratching I went for it with my Lighthouse shape cutter and cut the circle part way round until I got to the trees and housetop and then carefully cut round them. Talk about crafting by the seat of your pants lol! I'd have been really miffed if I'd snipped off the top of one of the trees. Anyway all went smoothly and I managed not to lop the trees. The sentiment is stamped on vellum and the main image is layered up with 3d foam and edged with gold krylon pen.

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

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas challenge: use gold

Crazy 4 Challenges : Include a tree on your project

I did it creations: Masking

Paper Romance: Use as many colours as possible

Pollycraft: Fly me to the moon

Stampin Vacation: Glitter

Sweet Stamps: Parchment/Vellum

Lawnscaping: Use a stamp in an unusual way (stamping the sentiment on the moon)

Thanks for visiting today. i've had a lovely day messing around with ink and stuff. I'm going to grab my place on the sofa now ready for Dancing on Ice. I love Sunday evenings, its such a shame Monday mornings follow so quickly lol

Claire xx

Spring or a sketch this week at Crafty Ann's

This week there is a choice at Crafty Ann's Challenge blog, you can follow the sketch, use the theme of 'Spring' or do both. I've done both but rotated the sketch

I've used a pastel pink mottled stone BP and a pastel green polished stone bp. The Morning Glory image is one of Crafty Ann's new stamps, you can find it and the beautiful bps at Crafty Ann's Digi Store. Pop over and have a peep as Ann has some gorgeous new images, including some fab oriental designs.

The image is coloured with promarkers and dusted around the edges with spun sugar Distress ink. The flowers are decoupaged to give a bit of depth. I've punched the borders with a MS punch and used a nestie to cut an aperture in the green panel. The sentiment stamp is from Paperartsy. The flower is from my stash and the green and white button is made from shrink plastic stamped with an Elusive images heart stamp. I've added some faux pearls with a viva pearl pen to finish off.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Digi Doodle Shop's Best: Pearls

For Fun Challenge: Spring

Incy Wincy: Pastel Colours

KB Cute Monday: Pink

Paper Playtime: anything goes

Simon Says Stamp: anything goes

Thanks for visiting today, I hope you're going to play along with Crafty Ann's fab spring and/or sketch challenge this time :-) I'm going to get myself ready for work now, ah well its nearly weekend and i've got a short week at work next week :-)!!

Claire xx

Embossing at Bah Humbug

Here's a very quick and easy addition to the Christmas card box for this weeks challenge from Bah Humbug where the theme is embossing.

The Christmas tree and sentiment are stamps from Elusive images, stamped and embossed with clear EP on black card and then i've added lots of brilliance Galaxy gold ink over the top. The embossing acts as a resist and although the photo is pretty bad it looks quite nice in real life (honest lol)

To finish off I've added a gold bow, some gold gems and matted it on some gold mirri card. I made quite a few cards using this technique last year as its so quick and easy.

I'm also entering this card in the following challenges

Crafty Hazelnut's challenge: Embossing

Die Cut Dreams Christmas Club: Inspired by a song (Oh Christmas Tree )

Thanks for popping by today.

Claire xx

Blog hop at Michelle Perkett Studio!!

Hi, its time for our blog hop at Michelle Perkett Studio :-) If you've arrived from Mari's blog then you're on the right track, if not hop over to Michelle's blog where the fun starts!

The blog hop is to say a big thank you to our lovely DT ladies, especially those who are leaving we're so sad to see them go but wish them all the very best for the future. Jan, Marilyn, Margie, Melissa and Tammy are leaving the DT after our 6 month term and its been a real pleasure to work with you ladies :-)

I'd also like to thank my lovely teamies who are staying on and of course a huge thank you to Michelle too. Michelle is a very talented artist and a wonderful warm person and its a real pleasure to be a part of this amazing team.

I wanted to make a special card for our blog hop and decided to make a tealight card as I saw lots on people's blogs a few months ago and never got round to making one. Anyway as I made the little box bit for the tealights I thought it would be a great stopper for an easel card to I've made a tealight easel card, hope you like it :-)

We've all used Michelle's beautiful image 'Mary, Mary' for our blog hop projects, you can find her in Michelle's Etsy Store or at Bunny Zoe's Crafts. Mary is such cutie and i love the sentiment that comes with her. Mary is coloured with promarkers and i've used pale green and pink pearl card to make the tea light easel and mat and layer the image. The green card is stamped with an Elusive Images stitched flowers and embossed with white EP. The little tea light box was made using the same stamped card, it has an aperture cut out with a Spellbinders tag die and lined with some recycled clear plastic packaging. The lace, ribbon and flowers are all from Wild Orchid Crafts. Sorry the pic is a bit dull, we've had nothing but grey days here now for ages and its hard to get a decent pic but hopefully Mary will be a reminder that Spring isn't far away

Here's a little reminder of the blog hop order so you don't get lost lol. Your next stop on the blog hop is Marilyns wonderful blog

Michelle

Jan

Marion

Melissa

Pauline

Andrea

Mari

Claire (You are here)

Marilyn

Tammy

Shelley

Michelle Perkett Studio


I'm entering Mary in the following challenges:
Allsorts: Inspired by Nature
Bunny Zoe's Crafts: Spring - flowers everywhere
Charisma Cardz: Spring has sprung
Crafty Cardmakers: Spotlight plastic (recycled some clear packaging to go inside the aperture of the little box)
Creative Cottage: Fabulous florals
Frosted Designs Fabulous Friday: No patterened papers
Guylou's inimitability: anything goes
I did it Creations: Anything goes
Incy Wincy: Punches or dies
Kaboodle Doodles: Break tradition, Try something new
Karber Monthly challenge: Digi + love and/or friendship
Totally Papercrafts: Do it with digi's

Thanks for calling by today
Claire xx

Dragon Luck

I love all the cute dragon stamps by Lisa Victoria at Sweet Pea stamps but this is one of my favourites, Dragon Luck is just adorable and I thought he'd be perfect for a Valentine card with a difference. I was ready for a change after all the pink and red so I've got for bright and zingy lime green for this card

I've coloured the dragon with promarkers and cut him out with one of my lovely nesties that came with my gorgeous parcel of blog candy from the lovely Audrey. Make sure you check out Audrey's blog as she not only has the most awesome blog candy but lots of eye candy too - her cards are gorgeous!!

I've inked around the image with some peeled paint distress ink and I decided to try this weeks sketch from Clean and Simple Stamping. I love clean and simple cards but really struggle with them so this sketch was a real help. I used some scrunchy lime green ribbon down the side of the card and added a little embellie which i made. I concertina folded some lime paper that I'd punched with a MS punch to make the rosette and then made a shink plastic heart button using white shrink plastic stamped with an Elusive Images heart stamp using peeled paint DI. I threaded a little white narrow ribbon through the holes in the shrink plastic button and tied it in a little bow.

I'm also entering this little dragon in the following challenges:

In a Sweet Pea Dream: Anything this time

 The Stamp Man Challenge which is Hearts

 Daring Cardmakers which is a recipe challenge : 2 items of ribbon/trim/ twine (i've used 2 ribbons), one or more buttons and at least one heart element. I hope its ok to combine the heart and button ladies.There is a fab prize from the Ribbon Reel this week at Daring Cardmakers too!!

Samuel Taylor Crafts: copic Chic/Promarker gal (I'm a promarker gal!!)

Thanks for visiting, have a good day. I'm not keen on Monday mornings and going back to work but its a short week for me this week as I'm using up some annual leave and I've got a long weekend off work yippppeeeeeeee!!

Claire xx

Love is all around at Crafty Ann's Challenge Blog

Friday at last and i've got the day off work so I'm a very happy bunny. Today's card is my DT card for our new challenge over at Crafty Ann's Challenge blog where the theme is 'Love is all around'. Ann has some gorgeous new images that will be perfect for all our romantic cards but as my poor old printer conked out i've used one of my old favourites from Crafty Ann's  as I already had this image printed out.

The image is coloured with promarkers and distress inks, matted on red card and gold mirri card. The BP is from Graphicus and has been edged with gold ep. The sentiment is an Elusive images stamp. The flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts and the red and gold ribbon is from Crafty Ribbons.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Creative Card Crew: for a loved one

Creative Card world: Love

Cupcake: Seeing red

Everybody Art Challenge: Love

Passion for Promarkers: Let there be love 

Scrapbook Sisters: My Valentine

Sisterhood of Crafters: In love with valentines

Spoon Full of Sugar: Let's see some love

Top tip Tuesday: Frame it

Thanks for calling by today. If you have a minute pop over to my teamies blogs (links in sidebar) as they have some amazing cards to share .

Claire xx

Purple grey and silver Sweet Pea

I haven't posted a Sweet Pea card for a while, I'm totally addicted to these gorgeous stamps though so I'm back with a very sparkly card for the challenge over at Sweet Pea Stampers where the theme is 'Glitz and Glamour'

The bp is from Graphicus, stamped with a large Elusive images border stamp, embossed with silver sparkle EP. The edges fo the bp have been distressed and embossed with the same EP and dots of stickles added at the corners. The sentiment is also a stamp from Eluisve images.

The main image is 'Coral Immersion' from ching chou kuik, shecoloured with promarkers and to add some glitz and glamour I used Stickums powder to emboss lines through her hair and on the chalked background. Once I'd heated the stickums powder I brushed over some mica powders in silver and purple. I love the effect although its difficult to see in the pic.

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

Aly's Sunday Challenge: bling bling

Charisma Cardz: No embellishments

Ellephantastic: Distressing + love

Little Claire's: Anything goes

Oldie but Goodie: Fairy/mermaid/magical beings (not sure how long i've had the sweet pea stamp but I've had the Elusive images border stamp for years)

Paperplay: Stamp it Out

Phindy's Place: embossing

Thanks for calling by today. I hope you're having a good start to the week. Its blowing a gale here today, I'm sat in my little office having my lunch and it sounds like the roof is going to blow away lol. Its a really old building so when the weather is like this it creaks and groans like nobody's business. Anyway I'd better get back to work while we've still got a roof :-)

Claire xx

Romance/Valentines challenge at Let's Ink It Up!

Where did January go???We couldn't believe how many amazing entries we had for our last challenge at Let's Ink It Up, it was hard to choose the winner and top 5 I can tell you!! Thanks so much to everyone who entered and congratulations to the winner and Top 5.  I can't wait to see everyone's creations for our new challenge, the theme is Romance/Valentines!

As always we have a wonderful sponsor with a fab prize for the winner! This month our sponsor is Whiff of Joy and they are offering the lucky winner a gorgeous stamp 'Willow with Champagne'!

I've gone a bit shabby chic (well definitely shabby lol) for my DT card this time around.

I've used some embossed cream card for the base and made a background using distress inks (antique linen, tea dye and spun sugar) overstamped with big swirly corner stamps from Elusive Images. The vellum is stamped with a script stamp using tea dye DI and the hearts are also made using stamps from Elusive Images. I stamped them with cream pigment ink and embossed with clear EP and then added more of the same distress inks.

The butterflies are made using an Anna Griffin punch. The ribbons, lace (dyed with distress inks), pearls and tassel are all from my stash. The flower is made using a strip of the leftover bp, punched with a MS punch and concertina'd before layering it over some lace.

I love making cards that start out as plain white card, and I really enjoyed making this although its not my usual style at all.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Allsorts: Love, love love

Artistic Stamper: Love is in the air

Bunny Zoe's Crafts: Love is in the air

Crafty Calendar: Love

Flourishes Timeless Tuesday: Valentines

If the Shoe Fits: Get your pink on

Polka Doodles: with hearts

Raise the Bar: Hearts

Simon Says Stamp and Show :Some love

Stampin for the Weekend: Valentines Day

The Shabby Tea Room: Get creative

Try it on Tuesday: Feel the luurve! (with a fab prize from One Stop Crafts)

Make sure you check out my teamies blogs, its the last challenge for the current DT and they've really pulled out all the stops and come up with the most amazing creations so pop over and leave them some love :-)

Thanks for popping by today, I hope our new challenge will put you in the mood for some love lol

Claire xx

A colour challenge at Crafty Ann's

The new challenge at Crafty Ann's Challenge Blog is a colour challenge set by my lovely teamie Kym who has chosen the colour combo of Silver, Gold and White. Well this one really taxed my poor overworked brain cell lol but I decided to start this years Christmas cards using Crafty Ann's gorgeous delicate Holly Wreath (you can find it here in Crafty Ann's store)

I made the background using gold and silver Eco green paints just splodged on to the card and brushed around randomly, when this was dry I added loads of gorgeous silver and gold firework ink for lots of shimmer. The corners and sentiments are stamps from Elusive Images.

I printed Crafty Ann's beautiful Holly Wreath on some acetate and glittered the back using my quickie glue pen and silver, gold and white ultrafine glitter. I made a frame from my old Stamp'n'around frame stamp and then layered the image on some white pearl card with shaker tape and added a bow to finish off.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Christmas Card Challenges: No colouring

Crafty Creations: Heat it up (heat embossing)

Die cut dreams: Use a digi stamp and rubber stamp together

Fab'n'Funky : Use a digi

My time to craft challenge: Emboss, emboss, emboss

One stitch at a Time: As you like it (+Christmas Club)

The Shabby Tea Room: Winter Wonderland

I hope you're going to join us for our colour challenge this time around, if you need some more ideas make sure you have a wander around the rest of the DTs blogs as they have some amazing ideas for you

Claire xx

Ring in the new at Crafty Ann's

Good morning, Friday at last and its time for a new challenge at   Crafty Ann's and this time Ann wants us to 'Ring in the New' but that doesn't mean forgetting all your old favourites, so we want to see you combine the new with the old!

 I've gone for a new technique which I've combined with one of the first stamps I used from Crafty Ann (this gorgeous 'Bird on blossom branch' and an old frame rubber stamp (I haven't used this stamp for years and had forgotten how much I love it) from Stampin Around.

I've used a pastel pink bp from Crafty Ann's 'mottled stone' collection (available in Crafty Ann's Digi shop) , stamped and embossed the frame with detail black ep. The bird is coloured with distress inks, my new technique and I have to say one I think will take a while to get the hang of. I also stamped the sentiment (from Elusive Images) on some pastel pink mottled stone paper and layered up the frame and bird with foam pads. I've added some glitter to the flowers for a bit of sparkle. The image is matted on yet another layer of pink mottled stone paper, this time with faux stitching (again stamps from Elusive Images). I wanted to keep the card pretty simple but after 4 attempts to get the stitching straight at the corners, I gave up and used some pretty pink roses from Wild Orchid crafts to cover the dodgy corners lol.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Sentimental Sundays: Things with wings

Sweet Stampin Challenge: Try something different

The Crazy Challenge: animals

Scrappy Frogs Challenge: Sentiments

Our Creative Corner: photo inspiration

Freshly Brewed Challenge 30: Black, white + 1

Dutch Dare: All stitched up

Sassie Studio Designs: Use something old (my frame stamp)

Meljen's: Square or round card

Thanks for taking the time to visit, I hope you're going to play along with Crafty Ann's Challenge this week. I love these something new challenges, I'm such a nosey parker and I love to have a wander round blogland checking out everyones new stash. The only problem is my wish list gets even longer lol

Claire xx

Fairytale fairies at Michelle Perkett Studios

Hi, time for a new challenge at Michelle Perkett Studios and this week our theme is 'Fairytale Fairies', now Michelle has got some of the most beautiful fairy stamps so we're spoiled for choice this time! I've chosen the gorgeous 'Juniper and Cecilia having tea in the garden' available in Michelle's Etsy Store. I love these too cuties and the sentiment with them is just perfect. 

I coloured the image with promarkers and added stickles to Juniper and Cecilia's wings for a little sparkle. I decided to ink in some clouds to make them look as though they are having tea in the sky. I usually mask the image to do this but for speed I just used a piece of scalloped card and Tumbled glass distress ink and applied it very carefully so as not to go over the fairies.

I made the background by stamping a big swirly corner stamp from Elusive Images 4 times on some white card and embossing with Broken China distress embossing powder and inkind around the edge with more tumbled glass DT. To finish off I added some sparkly white organza ribbon.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Sentimental Sunday: Anything with wings

Stampin for the weekend: New and Blue (I've used my new blue distress embossing powder)

Kaboodle Doodle: Use a digi

Whoopsi Daisy: No designer papers

Craft your passion: Tie it on

Gingersnap Creations GC 85: Hot beverage

Flutter By Wednesday: Open challenge + butterfly angel or fairy

Aly's Sunday Challenge: Things with wings

Mark's Finest Papers: Embossing

Delicious Doodles: Try/Use something new (My new distress embossing powder)

Thanks for visiting today. I hope your week has got off to a good start. My week started with a few gremlins in the works as something fused the electricity, I missed the bus to work and forgot my pack up!!! Ah well, things can only get better (ooops I'll be singing that song all day now so its bound to rain)

Don't forget to check out our Fairytale Fairies challenge over at Michelle Perkett Studio, if you don't have any of Michelle's images yet you can grab a gorgeous freebie at her groups on PCP, SNR and CDAC

Claire xx

Anything Goes at Let's Ink It Up!!

Well we're back from our Christmas break at Let's Ink It Up with a fab new challenge for you and this time around we've kept it easy, our theme is 'Anything Goes' . We also have a gorgeous new logo, do you like it??

Once again we have a fab sponsor and one lucky crafter will win a great prize

 from 'Make it Crafty'

For my DT project this time, I decided to have a play with my trusty brayer and made this card

I've created a brayered scene with big & juicy ink pads and assorted stamps from artemio, Elusive images, Time to Stamp and Enchanted Inc.The background trees and foliage are stamped with the same blue/green inks and the ones in the foreground are stamped with black versafine. I've added some highlights with a white inkssentials pen.

The large butterfly is stamped on to fantasy film and layered up with silicone glue for a little dimension. The scene is matted and layered on to white then black card and I've added a sentiment stamped on a creative acrylic tag attached with black velvet ribbon.

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

The Artistic Stamper: Things with Wings

Dutch Dare: Make a scene (use masking - I've used masking to create the hills)

Craft Your days Away: Anything goes

Sweet Stampin Challenge: Something different (using fantasy film)

Crafty Emma's Challenge: All creatures Great and Small

Aud Sentiments: Anything goes (2 word sentiment)

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

Thanks for calling by, I hope you're going to get inky with us at Let's Ink It Up and join our 'Anything goes' challenge Don't forget no digistamps, we want to see you fab creations with your clear/rubber stamps!!

Check out my LIIU teamies blogs, they have come up with some amazing projects to inspire you

Claire xx