Whats new pussycat?

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

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

 I kind of felt like I'd cheated lol.

I'm entering this one in the following challenges:

Crafty Purple Frog: anything goes

Dream Valley: anything goes

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

Lollipop Crafts: No embellishments

Moving Along with the times: things with wings

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

Claire xx

All about me at Sarah Hurley Challenge Blog

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

 

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

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

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

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

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

CD Sunday: enchantment

Fabulous Friday: use paint

Hooked on Crafts: try something new

Little Claire's: Anything but a card

Simon Says Stamp and show: anything but a card

Totally Gorjuss: use a star

Through the craftroom door: Anything but a card

Try it on Tuesday:do you believe in fairies

Thanks for calling by

Claire xx

Year of the Dragon at Rainbow Lady's Challenge

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

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

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Catered Crop: buttons

Crafty Catz: Something new

Delicious Doodles: All things new

Deep ocean: sparkling and/or glitter

Emerald Faerie Garden: Green and gold/yellow

I love promarkers: anything goes

Marks Finest Papers: border punches

Stampin Sisters in Christ: Something new 

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

Stamptacular Sunday: texture

The Squirrel and the Fox: Critters

Truly Scrumptious: something forgotten (my dragon stamp)

Thanks for visiting today

Claire xx

Challenge 18 at Christmas Challenge [with sketches}

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

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

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

I'm entering my card in the following challenges:

Crafty Emma's : Vintage Dahling

Dream Valley: anything goes

Fussy and Fancy: let it snow

Gingerloft Challenge: anything goes

Incy wincy: bold and bright

Polkadoodles: Vintage/retro

Shopping our Stash: across the border

Stempelsonnen: Winter

Thanks for visiting today

Claire xx

A postcard from Spain

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

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

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

 

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

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

Thanks for visiting today

Claire xx

Anything goes at PanPastels

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

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

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

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

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

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Cheerful Stamp Pad: Let it snow

Chocolate Coffee and Cards: glitter

City Crafter: Back to Black (use a silhouette)

Craft a Scene: anything goes with a scene

Crafty Creations: Something new (my PanPastels)

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

Going Grey with ScrapCreations: glitter

Penny's papercrafty: Birds

Scrapbook Sisters: snow

Sisterhood of Crafters: Snow

Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps: something  new (PanPastels)

Tuesday Throwdown: Baby its cold outside

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

Thanks for calling by

Claire xx

Butterflies or Bugs at FSC

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

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

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

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

Crazy Challenge: Lace and or pearls

Creative Inspirations Paint: something old

Fabulous Friday: use paint

Flutter by Wednesday: bright colours

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

Make My Monday: Nature/animals

Shopping our Stash: glitter sparkle or shine

Thanks for calling by. 

Claire xx

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

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

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

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Crafty Cardmakers: No floral embellies

Crafty Emma's: anything goes

My Mum's Craft Shop: girls

Stampalot Challenge: Monochrome

Stamp and Create: anything goes

Thanks for popping by

Claire xx

On our travels with Darcy's postcard challenge

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

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

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

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

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

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

Claire xx



Hot stuff at Crafty Ann's

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

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

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

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Aud Sentiments: any sentiment plus use your scraps

Crafty Emma's Challenge: Party party party

Joanna Sheen Challenge: Celebration

Kaboodle doodles: celebrate

Truly Madly Crafty: anything goes

Tuesday Throwdown: Shiny New Year

Thanks for calling by today

Claire xx 

Giving Thanks at Sarah Hurley Challenges

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

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

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Charisma Cardz: over the rainbow

DYSU: photo inspiration

Fairy Tale: Something easy

Paper Shelter : Anything goes

Scrapbook Sisters: Anything goes

Sentimental Sundays :Anything goes

Sparkles Forum: Anything but a Christmas card

Top Tip Tuesday: Anything goes

Unstampabelles: Anything goes

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

Claire xx

Travel in Time with the Rainbow Lady

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

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

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Artistic Stamper: Vintage

Crafty Creations:Heat embossing

House that  stamps built: brown and blue

Incy Wincy: anything goes

Paper Creations Ink: die cuts/punches

Stamp-n-Doodle: Anything goes

Stamp and Create: Vintage

Top Tip Tuesday:  Anything goes

Tuesday throwdown: Shiny new year

Thanks for calling by today

Claire xx

Challenge #17 at Christmas Challenges {with sketches}

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

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

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

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

I'm entering this card in the following challenges

Christmas Cards all year round: Non traditional Christmas colours

Craft your passion: anything goes plus distressing

Cupcake Craftroom: anything goes

52 Christmas Throwdown: anything goes

Incy Wincy: anything goes

Magical Monday: anything magical

Marianne Design Diva's : Its Christmas

My Craft Spot: winter wonderland

One Stop Craft Challenge: Winter wishes

Sentimental Sundays: anything goes

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

The Pink Elephant: anything goes

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

Claire xx

The Stamp Man 3rd annual awards

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

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

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

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

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

Claire xx

New Year, New Stash at Fashionable Stamping Challenges

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

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

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

I'm entering this project in the following challenges

Craft room Challenge: anything goes

Crafts and Me: anything goes

Delicious Doodles: anything goes

Glitter Geeks: brand spanking new

Mami Doodles: altered art/ home decor

Ooh La La: anything but a card

Simon Says Stamp: anything goes

Thanks for calling by today. 

Happy New Year

Claire xx