Don't miss out!!

There's a new challenge over at Let's Ink It Up , no card from me though as its Suzanne and her talented team hosting this challenge, they have a fab Easter theme and a great prize up for grabs too!!

The challenge is sponsored by 'Scrappit' who are offering the lucky winner a fab A$20.00 voucher for their store

So get out those rubber/clear stamps (no digi's allowed thouhgh) and join our 'Easter' challenge! You've got to be in it to win it!! Make sure you visit my talented teamies blogs as they have some really beautiful creations to inspire you :-)

Claire xx

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

Best Friends ....

I love Saturday mornings, its great to get up and not rush out to work isn't it? I'm making the most of a lazy day today, in fact its almost lunchtime and I'm still in my pjs lol. Hubby is going to the football today so I'm planning on an afternoon in my craft room but before I go here's my card for today. Isn't this image adorable? Its one of the gorgeous new images from Michelle Perkett, Michelle has been on a roll lately with some stunning new digital stamps so pop over to Michelle's Etsy Store and have a look round :-)

I coloured the image with my trusty promarkers and added a little spiced marmalade distress ink around the edge. The bps are from DCWV, ribbon as usual is from the fabby Crafty Ribbons. I punched a scrap of card with an EK success scalloped punch and used it to make a little concertina flower which has a little jewelled brad in the centre.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Crafts and me: Yellow

Crazy Challenge: Sweet teens

Delightful challenges: flowers

Oh La La: Mother's Day or special friend

Partytime Tuesday: anything goes with a handmade flower

Pollycraft: Friends

Simply Create: Do it yourself

Stamp Something: april digi day

Tuesday Throwdown: Florals

You still have time to enter this weeks challenge at Michelle Perkett Studio, the theme is Make your flowers bloom so if you haven't got one of Michelle's gorgeous images (why not?? lol) then pop over to her group on PCP and grab one of the fab freebies and join in this weeks challenge ... you've got to be in it to win it lol.

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

Forest Fairy by Michelle Perkett

Hi there, its Tuesday so its time for a new challenge over at Michelle Perkett Studio and this week is the turn of Shelley and her lovely team of mermaid to host the challenge. They've chosen a theme of 'Make your Flowers Bloom'

I've made this card using Michelle's gorgeous Forest Fairy image, the sentiment is beautiful and its one of my favourite of all Michelle's images (lol, I always say that but I love all of Michelle's images). You can find her in Michelle's Etsy store here!

As usual i've coloured the image with promarkers and added a little sparkle with some glitter although its not showing up too well on the pic. The bp is from Raspberry Road Designs, distressed and matted on some pale pink card from my stash.

I've added some rafia lace, pink vintage seam binding ribbon, a little butterfly charm and a flower made from  white petals sprayed with Starfish glimmer mist, a silver bead cap and a pearl brad.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Crafts and Me: anything goes

Digi Doodle Shops Best: ribbons and bows

Fairy Tale challenge: Pink and green

Little Claire's: Pink and Green

One Stop Craft Challenge: Angels and Fairies

Polkadoodles: Spring has sprung

Simon Says Stamp: Mothers Day/Girlie

Sparkles Forum: springtime

Thanks for calling by today,

Claire xx

Name the mermaid competition at MPS and Blog Hop News :-)

Its all happening at Michelle Perkett Studio!! Michelle has designed a gorgeous new mermaid digi stamp, she is so beautiful but the poor thing doesn't have a name! You have until Wednesday at 7pm PST to add your suggestion for a name for the lovely new mermaid this post on the Michelle Perkett Studio Blog..... the lucky winner will receive this beautiful image as their prize :-)

That's not all though, we have a fab Easter Bunny Blog Hop planned for the 16th/17th April! Michelle has created some supercute new digital stamps for you to win! All you have to do is create an Easter themed project, answer a few Easter Trivia questions and hop along the bunny trail with us!!

For more details and to sign up to take part in the blog hop check out the challenge blog here

I hope you're going to join us for our fun competition and blog hop, 

Claire xx

Spring Willow

Hi there, we've had some beautiful spring weather this week so I decided to make a bright sunny card using the lovely Willow fairy from Michelle Perkett Studio (you can find her here in Michelle's Etsy Store)

The lovely lace edged dotty bp is from Raspberry Road Designs, doiley, lemon velvet ribbon and cotton lace are all from my stash. I coloured Willow with promarkers and added a little yellow glitter to the flower centres and embossed the sun behind her with clear holographic ep for extra sparkle and shine. You can see the effect a little better in this pic

I made the leaves using stamps from Sheena Douglass, coloured with promarkers and cut out. The flowers are made from tissue paper circles, scrunched up and layered with faux pearl centres made with a viva pearl pen. I used a viva gloss pen in yellow for the yellow faux gems in the corners.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

2 Sisters: make your own embellishment

Creative Craft Challenge: lace

Creative Cottage: spring has sprung

Delightful challenges: pastels and ribbon

Delicious Doodles: Floral fantasy/lots of flowers

Do you stack up: Shine on

Fairy Fun Friday: Oh so Spring

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

House of Gilli: pastel colours with bling

I did it creations: welcome spring

I love promarkers: go dotty

Lexi's Creations: ribbon but no knots or bows

One Stop Craft Challenge: Angels and Fairies

Paper Pretties: Spring

Papertake Weekly: Its a mom thing/girly

Passion for promarkers: in the garden

Sew Many Cards: Spring Fling

A Spoon full of sugar: ribbon, pearls/rhinestones/flowers 

Thanks for calling by, you still have time to enter this weeks challenge at Michelle Perkett Studio, the theme this week is Blue and Brown and if you don't have any of Michelle's images pop over to Michelle's group on PCP, pick up one of the beautiful free images and join in the fun and chat :-)

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

Rainbow Lady says 'Tie a Yellow Ribbon'

Wow this week is whizzing by, in fact I seem to have blinked and missed most of March lol. Anyway as its Thursday already its time for a new challenge at Rainbow Lady's Challenge Blog and this week Cynthia has set a really fun theme: Tie a Yellow Ribbon!

We have another generous sponsor this week our lucky winner will receive a prize from the fab Steph from http://www.crafting.co.uk/

Here's my DT Card, don't faint .. I haven't used a stamp anywhere on this card (don't worry I'm not ill as I did manage to get inky making it lol)

My inspiration for this card came from the lovely ribbon which is from Crafty Ribbons, I thought it would be just the job for a blokey vintage card. One of our friend's was celebrating his 50th birthday and as he is a real cricket fan I had a look through my crafting cds and found this image and backing paper on Joanna Sheen's Victorian Companion cd. The bp is distressed with vintage photo distress ink and matted on some gold hammered card. The sentiment is computer generated and after I'd distressed the background I mounted it behind some acetate and pocket watch die cut from Tattered Angels which I embossed with antiquities EP,

I did try to tie the ribbon like a man's tie but I made such a horrible job of it I gave up and tied it in a bow instead lol.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Ambers Crafts n stuff: Use a die cut

Crafty Cardmakers: Special birthdays

Creative Card Crew: No stamps

Incy Wincy: embossing

One Stitch at a Time: Something for the boys

Paper Sundaes: Embossing

Tellen's Place: Sports

The Sisterhood of Crafters: Lets hear it for the boys

Thanks for calling by, check out my fab teamies lovely blogs for some more ideas but be warned you'll be singing 'Tie a yellow ribbon ......." for the rest of the day lol

Claire xx

Something new at Let's Ink It Up!!

Some exciting news from Let's Ink It Up!!! Every 2 weeks we'll be having a 'Featured Stamper Spot' and you could be our featured stamper!! We've been totally blown away by the support for Let's Ink It Up so  we want to reward our loyal followers by giving them a chance to shine!!

If you fancy taking centre stage as our Featured Stamper all you have to do is

• be a follower of Let's Ink It Up
• Spread the word about our new Featured Stamper Spot on your blog
• contact Suzanne  to express your interest

You can find more details here

Claire xx

Blue and brown colour challenge at MPS

Hi there, its time for a new challenge at Michelle Perkett Studio and this week we have a colour challenge for you, we want to see your creations using blue and brown. This is one of my favourite colour combos and I thought Michelle's gorgeous 'Party Dress' image would be perfect! You can find it here in Michelle's Etsy Store.

The image is coloured with promarkers and I added clear micro beads to the bottom ot look like layers of petticoats and distressed the edges with vintage photo distress ink.

The gorgeous dps are all from Ella Blue by GCD and again distressed with a little distress ink and a strip punched with a ms punch for the border.

The ribbon is from Crafty Ribbons, flowers from my stash (inked with a little distress ink) and the brads for the flower centres are also from my stash

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Craft us Crazy: Cupcake or Celebration

Digi Doodle Shops Best: anything goes

Fairy Fun Fridays: Its my party

Gingerloft Challenges: Die cuts/punches

Guylou's inimitability: Polkadots

Meljens Designs: Show us your dots

One stop craft challenge: Diamonds are a girls best friend

Papercutz: Your choice

The Crafty Pad: Use a digi

The Shabby Tea Room: Bingo challenge (my line is brads, flowers, ribbon)

thanks for calling by, if you have a minute check out my lovely teamies blogs as they have some gorgeous cards to share today

Claire xx

Daisies

Hi, I've been getting carried away with my new paint fusion stamps and I thought this daisy background would be perfect for this Sweet Pea stamp, Bess by Elaine Cox.

The main image is coloured with promarkers and Bess has crystal glaze on her eyes and dots of diamond stickles on the background. I've used silver embossing around the distressed edges and a layer of diamond stickles over the top for some extra sparkle. I've layered the image on some vellum punched with a doiley lace MS punch and again edged with stickles. The sentiment is a stamp from Whimsy stamps, I love these faux postage stamps as they come with a matching die to cut them out.

The background is stamped with Sheena Douglass' daisy paint fusion stamps and then painted with a selection of acrylic paints from my stash. I've edged the background with more silver EP and diamond stickles. You can find Sheena's fabby paint fusion goodies here

To finish the card off I've added some white chiffon ribbon, some feathery bits under the white bow for some extra texture  and  a butterfly charm from my stash.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Art Impressions Stamps: punches

Bling it on: anything goes plus a charm

Charisma Cardz: To 'die' for

Crafts and me: photo inspiration plus texture

Crafty Cardmakers: make your own designer paper

Creative Cottage: Spring has sprung

Daring Cardmakers: Going postal

Do you stack up: Add a bow

Fussy And Fancy: SKetch

If the Shoe Fits: Aquamarine

Sweet pea Stampers: Scallops (the vellum is punched with a scalloped edge)

Thanks for calling by today. I'm really going to have to put my paints down and start cooking Sunday lunch lol.

Claire xx

Playing with Paint Fusion

Hi there, here I am again with another post, my third today. I just wanted to share my first attempts with Sheena Douglass' paint fusion stamps. I've used a couple of large decor plates from CaroLines rubber stamps, they are a good weight and take the paint without bending at all and they are a great size too (you can find them here)

I'm really pleased with this butterfly although it doesn't look as good close up LOL. I made a crackle background with siver acrylic paint, a layer of watered down pva glue and then a layer of very pale blue matt emulsion paint. Once that was dry I stamped the daisies randomly all over the butterfly shape with black stazon. I painted the first layer of the daisies with a shimmery blue acrylic paint (I think from Stewart Gill) and then used white eco green acrylic paint for the top layer. For the centres I used a yellow shimmerz paint and mulch eco green acrylic. The pale green paint is a docrafts acrylic paint. Once the flowers were dry I used tumbled glass distress ink around the edge of the butterfly and then embossed the edges with silver EP. I stamped an artemio bee and embossed with black EP and added some yellow acrylic paint stripes. For the butterfly's body I used some gems from my stash and some green Martha Stewart glitter.

I'm entering this butterfly in the following challenges:

Samuel Taylor Crafts: Butterflies

Craft your days away: for mum or a special lady (this is for my MIL)

A gem of a challenge: anything but a square

I used another crackle background for this decor plate - deep purple matt emulsion, watered down pva glue and then lilac emulsion. The leaves flowers and butterfly were stamped with stazon and painted with eco green paints and then the butterfly was embossed with gold ep.

I'm entering this decor plate in the following challenges:

Sir Stampalot: Spring is in the air (fresh green blossom pink and yellow)

Scrapbook sisters: Spring flowers

Sugar Creek Hollow: anything goes

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge: Anything but a card

Little Claire's : pink and green

I definitely think Paint fusion could be addictive, I've really enjoyed making these, they are so quick and its such messy fun!! I'm not sure about the colours on the scalloped decor plate but I'm really pleased with the daisies especially from a distance lol.

Thanks for visiting today, hope you are having a good weekend

Claire xx

Let's see your die cuts and punches at Let's Ink It Up!!

Hi, time for our new challenge at Let's Ink It Up and today its the turn of my team to host our first challenge!! WOW my wonderfully creative teamies have really come up with some fantastic inspiration for our DIE CUTS and PUNCHES challenge!!

We have a wonderful sponsor as always and this time our lucky winner will receive  a goregous 'Tweet Hearts' stamp set (valued at $21.95) from our fab sponsor Taylored Expressions!

Now for my project, I was really struggling for inspiration until I opened a goodie bag I ordered in The Craft Barn's recent birthday celebrations and saw some gorgeous die cut flowers and chipboard alphabet from the DCWV Dollhouse Floral range. I loved the colours and even better, the box holding the die cut alphabet was shouting out to be altered for this project! I loved the scalloped edges and the shaped aperture, far to pretty to throw away :-)

The focal image is 'Katie' by Elaine Cox from Sweet Pea Stamps, she is coloured with promarkers and attached inside the box base. I coated the top of the box with gesso and once it was dry I coloured it with versacolor inks and glimmer mists. I swiped over the edges of the box and the aperture with versamark and embossed with ranger Queen's gold EP. I attached the die cut flowers and butterflies to the outside of the box . I used my cropodile to make 4 holes in the bottom edge of the box, added some eyelets and did the same to the 4 die cut letters spelling out 'LOVE', I attached them to the box with wire and jump rings. To finish off I punched a coupe of holes in the top and added some pink ribbon to act as a hanger for the little box.

I'm entering this little wall hanging in the following challenges:

By the Cute and Girly: Springtime

Cupcake Craft challenge: Up in the air with optional green

Crafty Purple Frog: green - a little or a lot

In a Sweet Pea Dream: Pink

Crazy Challenge: Brads or eyelets

The Artistic Stamper: Spring has sprung

The Stamp Man: floral for Mother's Day

Sweet Pea Stampers: Scallops

Make sure you pop by my teamies blogs and check out their creations for our first challenge of the new DT term, you'll see some new faces and some old LIIU friends too!!

I'm really looking forward to seeing your die cut/punches creations but don't forget to use a clear/rubber stamp - no digi's allowed!!

Claire xx