Spring in to Spring at Crafty Ann's

Hi there, I'm running a bit late this morning as I've pulled a muscle in my back so I'm a bit of an old crock at the minute lol. Anyway better late than never, this time around our challenge at Crafty'Ann's is 'Spring into Spring' and i've been inspired by a lovely early climbing rose in my garden. As soon as I see the flowers appearing I know spring is really here and the bad weather is over. 

I've used Crafty Ann's beautiful 'Rose Trellis' image, coloured with promarkers and matted on gold card. The bp is from Crafty Ann's Sweet Sage collection (its a real shame to cover it up as its so beautiful and has little butterflies on it). I've overstamped the paper with some  swirls from Chocolate Baroque's Artistic Expressions stampsheet and embossed with gold EP. To finish off i've added lace, ribbon and a paper rose from my stash.

I'm entering this in the following challenges:

Crafty Bloggers: Floral

Digital Tuesday: think spring

Paper Take weekly: for the girls

Whimsy Inspirations: Embossing

Don't forget our lucky winner will receive a fabby prize from Crafty Ann's Digi Shop!

thanks for popping by, 

hugs

Claire xx

Steampunk challenge at Sarah Hurley's

Hi there, back again with my second card today, this time my DT project for Sarah Hurley's Challenge where we have a 'Steampunk' theme this time, of course I had to use Sarah's brand new Steampunk cd for my project. You can find it here

As you can see i'm loving these shaped cards at the minute. For this card I've used papers,embellies, sentiment and the supercute little Steampunk chap from the cd. Its perfect for quick cards as the elements all work together so beautifully. I've just distressed all the edges with a craft knife and layered all the elements up.

All I've added is some dotty ribbon and a button from my stash. 

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Cards for men: Cheeky chappies

Cupcake craft: going dotty

My Craft Spot: Mainly manly

Paper Shelter: for a male

Polkadoodles: lets hear it for the boys

Thanks for visiting

Claire xx

St Patrick's Day at Rainbow Lady's Challenge

Hi there, we've got a St Patrick's Day theme for our new challenge at Rainbow Lady's Challenge blog this week, do pop over and check out my teamies gorgeous projects if you've got a min, they are such a lovely talented bunch. 

I've used a shaped card blank from Crafty Boots for my card and created the background with a Crafters Workshop template and distress inks and stains. The image is a lovely freebie from Waltzing Mouse, as is the sentiment. I coloured the image with promarkers and cut it out, matting it on a kraft die cut, made using one of my new spellbinders dies. I'm really loving these lattice dies at the minute. I added a little twine pinched from the garden shed lol and a little green button to finish off. It was only after I'd finished the card that I noticed it was upside down on the card blank eeeek, don't you hate it when that happens lol. 

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Cardmaking Mamas: green

Digistamps 4 joy: green

Fab'n'Funky: luck of the Irish

I love promarkers: anything goes

Make it Monday with kraft: Luck o' the Irish

Sentimental Sundays: go green or recycle

Sugar Creek Hollow: Monochrome green

Pop over and check out my lovely teamies projects if you get a min, they are such a talented bunch and have some beautiful projects to inspire you. Thanks for popping by today,

Claire xx

Shades of Green Blog Hop at Scrapbook Stamp Society Challenge

Welcome to the Scrapbook Stamp Society "Shades of Green Blog Hop!" March 16- March 21, 2012

The wonderful dream team wants to share with you projects in the shades of green and hopefully can inspire you this wonderful St. Patrick's Weekend with these beautiful shades of color.

Hop along and be sure to see all the magical wonders. Leave comments on each blog as well as this main one and be sure to become a follower on this blog as well.

Blog Candy:

Two girls in the hop that are randomly chosen already will pick a winner on March 21, 2012 to receive a free digi from us.

Also feel free to stop by http://www.scrapbookstampsociety.com and tell us your favorite digi and we will choose one of you to win that free digi on the main blog page.

Thank you for hopping with us at Scrapbook Stamp Society!

You should have hopped here from the talented Lia's Blog , if  not please start at the beginning which begins with Addicted-to-Stamps blog so you don't miss out on anything!

I've used this gorgeous image, Bunny Floral Border by Morgan Fitzsimons for my project, I thought it would be perfect to showcase all the lovely delicate shades of green in nature at this time of year. I coloured the image with promarkers and carefully cut out the inside of the frame and matted it up over a Paper artsty stamped sentiment. I inked around the outside with a pale green ink although for some reason it looks more of a bluey grey in the pic. I added some dew drops in the corners  and popped it on a green card blank.

Your next stop is Louisa's  blog

Here is the entire line up in case you get lost:

Addicted-to-Stamps - http://addicted-to-stamps.blogspot.com

Shirley - http://craftersretreat.blogspot.com

Cynthia - http://luv2scrap-luv2scrap.blogspot.com

Chrissy -http://crissyscardland.blogspot.com

Lia -http://myscrapworks.blogspot.com

Claire - http://clairescraftycreations.blogspot.com

Louisa - http://l00pyscraftcreations.blogspot.com

And we have a Challenge Blog that we would love for you to check out:http://scrapbookstampsocietychallengeblog.blogspot.com

Thanks for popping by

Claire xx

Challenge 22 at Christmas Challenge {with sketches}

Hi there, we've got a fab sketch again for our challenge at Christmas Challenge  {with sketches}, this time its my lovely teamie Nicolet who has designed the sketch for your inspiration

As always we have a great prize up for grabs, this time our sponsor is Inky Impressions so make sure you pop over to the challenge blog to find out more and of course check out Nicolet's sketch too

For my card I've gone for a monochrome theme using stamps from Chocolate Baroque's Christmas Cheer stamp sheet for the focal image and the stamped backing paper. The main image is stamper with black versafine ink and has lots of glamour dust for an icy sparkle but unfortunately it doesn't show up at all in the pic.  I've added vellum, die cuts, a punched border and ribbon, sparkly fibres and pompom trim from my stash.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas: glam it up with glitter

Dies to die for: anything goes

Winter Wonderland: A Christmas Scene

Thanks for popping by

hugs

Claire xx

Hitting the bottle

Hi there, i've had a lovely play in my craft room today. My son received a lovely pressie of a special bottle of booze for his birthday and wants me to alter it for him. I'd never tried an altered bottle before so my boy and his friends kindly emptied a bottle of Jack Daniels to practice on (yes they did let me have a little drop lol). 

(Apols again for the crap picture, I still can't work out hubby's camera lol)

I started by painting the bottle with black gesso and then a coat of black acrylic paint. I added black soot crackle paint to some parts and left it to dry. I've used train tracks from Creative Expressions gold embossed on tissue paper, and dandelion clocks from Chocolate Baroque's Punky romance Stamps, I stamped these directly on to the bottle and embossed with gold EP. Next came my favourite Crafters Workshop template, with magitac paste and gold mica powder.

To embellish I've added lots of Idea-ology bits, salvage stickers, some chain and ribbon from my stash, grungeboard swirls painted with gold acrylic paint and lastly a flower made from Clearly for Art modelling film. I vaguely followed Wendy Vecci's youtube tutorial adding crackle paint and colouring with alcohol inks before diecutting with Tattered florals. The button in the centre is recycled from some clothes my boy was throwing out. I also made a smaller flower that I popped on top of the bottle.

I'm so glad I managed to get some crafting time to make this, I spotted that this weeks challenge at Simon Say's Stamp and Show was 'Bottle it' and had to play along as this bottle was sat in my craftroom.

I'm also entering this in the following challenges:

Let's Ink It Up: show us your flowers

Paper Play: recycle it

Totally Gorjuss: anything goes with a button

The Stamp Man:Vintage

Thanks for popping by, I hope you've had a lovely crafty Sunday too

hugs

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

Full House at Fashionable Stamping Challenges!

Hi there, we've got a fab BINGO challenge for you this time at Fashionable Stamping Challenges, my teamie Sue has set the challenge and her bingo board is full of such gorgeous things I couldn't just settle for a line, I went for a full house lol. As always there is a fabby prize for our  winner from Marina, our generous sponsor at Cottage Crafts!

I've used a backing paper from 'Vintage Shabby' paper stack, distressed with a craft knife and a little tea dye distress ink and matted it on some blue tissue paper. I then added some texure using a Crafters Workshop template (mini mosaic) and Magi-tac paste dusted with silver mica powder. You can see the effect a bit better in this pic

The ribbon, lace, butterfly and glimmer misted doiley are all from my stash. The silver embellie over the bow is from a broken necklace. The flowers were made using more blue tissue paper, die cut with tattered florals and buttons in the centre. The metal frame for the sentiment is from my stash and I stamped the sentiment on a scrap of vellum. I also added lots of faux pearls with my viva pearl pen.

The focal image is a Kanban stamp, coloured with promarkers and coloursoft pencils and cut out. I stitched the lace up bodice with silver thread, it look me ages as the blinking thread kept getting in a HUGE knot for some reason.

I'm entering my card in the following challenges:

Craftroom Challenge: Vintage

Fairy Fun Fridays: distress it

I love promarkers: ribbons and bows

Paper Shelter: anything goes

Passion for Promarkers: Mum or female relative

Sweet Stamps: Monochromatic

The Pink Elephant: Lets see those layers

Top Tip Tuesday: Stitches real or faux

Totally Gorjuss: anything goes with a button

thanks for visiting today

hugs

Claire cc

A colour challenge at Rainbow Lady's Challenge Blog

Hi there,  its time for a new challenge at Rainbow Lady's Challenge Blog and this week our theme is to use 'Red Brown and Cream' although I've cheated a little bit and added some green leaves to my project 

I've used my favourite Poppy paint fusion stamps from Sheena Douglass and some scalloped Decor Plates from CaroLine's Rubber stamps, they are perfect for paint fusion as they are a really good weight and take the layers of paint beautifully.

I began by creating a crackle background with a layer of brown emulsion paint, once that I was dry I slapped on some watered down pva glue and a layer of cream emulsion. Once that was dry I stamped on my poppies and painted them with acrylic paint. Next came the daisies which I painted with grey and cream acrylic paint instead of my usual pale blue and white. I added the centres to the flowers and then decided to add  a few leaves at it looked a little bare. I gave the small scalloped frame (also from CaroLine's) the same background treatment and then dry brushed gold acrylic paint around the edges of the painting. The sentiment is from the new Artistic Expressions themeplate from Chocolate Baroque, stamped with versamark and embossed with gold EP.

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

Kaboodle Doodles: flowers

Shopping our Stash: embossing

Stamptacular Sunday: Text me

If you get chance pop over and check out my teamies projects, they are stunning as always :-)

Thanks for visiting today

hugs

Claire xx

Cameo from Scrapbook Stamp Society

Hi there, my card share today features one of the gorgeous digistamps from Scrapbook Stamp Society, this elegant lady is Cameo 7 by Morgan Fitzsimons. She's got such a lovely wistful expression on her face hasn't she?

I've used K&Co backing paper and ribbon and lace from my stash. The lady is coloured with promarkers and has a little glamour dust for some bling. I've matted the image and bps on white card distressed with a craft knife and tea dye distress ink. I've added lots of flowers and a spray of little pearls with faux pearls in the corners.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Crafts 4Eternity: digital

Crafty Emma's: Flower frenzy

Di's Digi Designs: Lace and pearls

Dream Valley: Mothers Day or female

Just some lines: girly girls

Paper Play: something old, something new (old flowers and lace, new image)

SJ Papercrafts: flowers plus red or pink

thanks for calling by today

hugs

Claire xx

Use a stamped image at PanPastel UK

Good morning, we've got a new challenge today at PanPastel UK and our theme is 'Use a stamped image'. I've treated myself to a few new colours and couldn't resist using Violet and Magenta panpastels for this card. You don't have to used PanPastels to join in our challenge, although of course we love it when you do.

I've used shaped card blanks to create this easel card. I simply blended Magenta and Violet Pan Pastels, adding a little white to create the background and stamped the swirly flourishes from Chocolate Baroque's butterfly bliss stamp sheet in black archival ink. The ginormous butterfly is from the samp stamp sheet, I stamped it with versamark and embossed with clear sparkle EP and then coloured with Pan Pastels, adding some paynes grey for some shading. I added some white highlights with a gel pen and cut the butterfly out. I popped the wings up with some silicone glue. The sentiment is also from the same stamp sheet, stamped with versamagic ink in Eggplant and cut with nesties labels 4, I used the PanPastel left on my sofft applicator to add a little colour around the edges and then added a little purple bow.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Allsorts: Spread your wings

Crafting for all seasons: Shaped cards

Crafty Sentiments: shaped but not square

Do you stack up: things with wings

Emerald Faerie Garden: embossing

Kaboodle Doodles: Shades of purple

My Mum's Craft Shop: Shaped cards

Sparkles Forum: things with wings

Sweet Stampin: Nature, bugs and bees

Don't forget our lucky winner will receive this fabulous prize from Berni at Your Creativity Store,  our generous sponsor

Have a lovely Sunday

Claire xx

Garden Patch challenge at Scrapbook Stamp Society

Hi there folks, I'm running late with this post, I've just had one of those days so i'll keep it quick and go and put my feet up with a glass of falling down water lol. There's a brand new challenge at Scrapbook Stamp Society Challenge at the theme is 'Garden Patch'. I've used this gorgeous image called 'Elf Flower' by Mogan Fitzsimons for my project.

I'd been playing around making tissue paper flowers so i decided to make a little wall hanging for my DT project. I used a Decorplate from Caroline's and gave it a crackle background with emulsion paint and pva glue. I'd already coloured the image with promarkers and decoupaged it so that the gorgeous elf is peeping out from the floral frame. I attached it to the decorplate and added my flowers around the edge, unfortunately i ran out of glue so i'll have to have a trip to the shop in the morning. Eeek how on earth did I run out of glue?? I bet i'll find loads when  I've bought some lol.

The flowers were made using white tissue paper (I always save tissue paper from packaging) die cut with tattered florals die and then coloured with glimmer mists. I scrunched them while wet and left them to dry before layering them up with a dot of glue, more glue in the centres to add assorted colours of seed beads.

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

Crafters Companion: spring

Cupcake Craftroom: spring bouquet

Joanna Sheen Challenge: spring or Easter

Just Hannah: something to hang

Scrapbook Sisters: Spring flowers

Wags'n'Whiskers: spring break

Don't forget to check out all the gorgeous images at Scrapbook Stamp Society, they are scrummy!!

Hope you're having a good weekend

hugs

Claire xx

Anything but a card at Crafty Ann's

Hi there, well its Friday again thank goodness and time for a new challenge over at Crafty Ann's where our theme this time around is 'Anything but a card'. I love to make jewellery so this was a perfect chance! My super talented teamies have come up with some stunning project so make sure you check them out. Don't forget that our lucky winner will receive a generous prize from Crafty Ann's Digi Shop too.

I've created a pendant using Crafty Ann's beautiful Champagne flower from the Cream Dream collection. It was really quick and easy to make, I attached the glass cabochon with glossy accents and trimmed to size once it was dry before attaching a glue on bale with more glossy accents. I've added some gold organza ribbon  instead of a chain as I thought it would complement the delicate flower nicely.

To make the gift box, i used a fab freebie template from Craft Stamper magazine, printed onto card and painted with gold acrylic paint. I then printed out one of the papers from Crafty Ann's 'Cream Dream' collection and used the template to cut out panels to cover the box. I added some gold dew drops as feet for the box and another of the Champagne flower on top. The box opens with a little ribbon tab. The colours on this pic are appalling - for some reason everything has a blue tinge and the ribbon tag looks white when its more or less the same colour as the ribbon on the pendant, i really must learn how to use my camera lol.

I'm entering this in the following challenges:

Anything goes challenge: anything but a card

Corrosive Challenge: Another dimension

Sisterhood of Crafters: use a digi

thanks for popping by today

Claire xx

Birthday Celebrations at Sarah Hurley's Challenge

Hi there, i'm back again with my second post today, this time around I want to share my project for the new challenge over at Sarah Hurley's Challenge blog where our theme is 'Birthday Celebrations'.

I knew straightaway which of Sarah's fab cds i wanted to use, of course it had to be the brand new Steampunk cd! (You can find Sarah's Steampunk cd and lots of other fabby goodies here) I haven't had much chance to play with it yet as i've been so busy at work and we've had some poorlies in the family so its was great to find some time to have a browse and print off lots of gorgeous papers and bits and bobs from the cd. The backing papers, journalling cards and sentiment are all from the cd, aren't the colours scrummy?? I've used some of the paper to make the flowers using spellbinders dies. I also used a die cut dress form and made a little dress from a scrap of fabric coloured with distress stains, some seambinding ribbon and one of my hoarded crystal buckles. I added a few tiny faux gems to create a necklace. To finish off i've added a screw top brad, some more seam binding, vellum punched leaves and a recycled doiley cut in half and sprayed with perfect pearls spray.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

CD Sunday: Recycling

Celebrate the occasion: birthday plus bling

Crafty Creations: Vintage fashion

Die Cutting Divas: recipe - Fabric and feathers/flowers

Paper Sundaes: Circles

Simon Says Stamp: anything goes

Make sure you pop over to the challenge blog and check out my teamies gorgeous projects, I've also done this weeks tutorial for Sarah's Craft Academy - a couple of fun and easy handmade flowers so have a peep at that too if you get a minute

Thanks for visiting today

Claire xx

St David's Day at Rainbow Lady's Challenge

Hi there, you may  need your sunspecs for this card as its a wee bit bright lol. Our challenge this week at Rainbow Lady's Challenge is 'St David's Day' so we want to see anything to do with Wales, so dragons, leeks, daffodils that kind of thing.  I was a bit stumped for ideas for this one until i came across this cute image which was a LOTV freebie from a magazine, I thought he'd be perfect jumping over those pretty daffodils.

The image is coloured with promarkers and die cut with nesties (eyelet circles0 and matted on a paper doiley. The bp is from K&Co, distressed with my trusty craft knife and Wild Honey distress ink, i've added lace and gingham ribbon and some faux pearls in the corners. The paper flowers are from my stash as is the little butterfly charm.

I'm entering this one in the following challenges

Crafts and me: pretty in lace

The Crazy Challenge: anything goes

Di's Digi Designs: Lace and pearls

Fab'n'Funky: Leap

Fairy Tale: Spring

Glitter Geeks: St David's Day

Marks Finest Papers: Lace

Paper Sundaes: Circles

Scrapbook Sisters: Spring flowers

thanks for popping by, 

Claire xx