Wooooo hooooo, exciting news to share :-)

Hi there, hope you're having a lovely Sunday, I've been beavering away in my craft room (that always sounds a bit rude doesn't it ??)  but before I go and put my paws up for the evening, I have got some super duper exciting news. Anyone who knows me will tell you that I'm a proper chatterbox so I've been absolutely bursting to tell you that:

 

Get that fancy blinkie too lol!! I was lucky enough to test these markers for Berni from Premium Art Brands last year and they are fab! I'm in marker heaven right now as I really wasn't expecting to be chosen for the DT, in fact I'm still pinching my self lol. I've got some uber talented teamies too so  make sure you pop over to the Graph'It Blog and meet them, I'm sure there'll be some familiar faces and you're bound to know our Team Leader, the lovely Nikky Hall from Polka Doodles! Our first challenge is coming up and there are going to be some a-ma-zing prizes up for grabs so you don't want to miss out on a chance to win :-) 

Right I'm off back to play with those luvverly markers! 

thanks for popping by 

Claire xx

Male theme at PanPastel UK

Good morning, we've got a new challenge starting at PanPastetl UK and this week we'd like to see projects with a male theme. As always our lucky winner will receive a PanPastel starter set from our lovely sponsor Berni at Your Creativity Store so don't miss out :-). I don't have many male themed stamps, and love to create sea/sky effects so this was a great excuse for me to create a nautical card. 

I began by created the background using a Pronty Alphabet Mask. I laid down some turquoise PanPastel and lightly brushed some Raw Umber PanPastel through it, I overstamped with some text. Next I created the little seascape using PanPastels in various shades of blue and turquoise. I cut a porthole shaped frame and added some dots of cosmic shimmer glue.

The Embellie was made using Maimeri Iridescent medium coloured with PanPastels in shades of brown, buttered onto one of my favourite stamps from the Stampman, I inked the stamp up with gold stazon first and  left it for a couple of days to dry

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To finish off i've added a nautical knot using some string and an old button

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Artistic Stamper: makes for me

Crafting for all seasons: Masculiine

Get Inky: boys/men

Milkcoffee: Male inspired

Sisterhood of Crafters: masculine

Top Tip Tuesday: masculine

Totally Gorjuss: for dad

Well as usual on Sunday morning there is a ginormous pile of ironing calling my name so i'd better scoot and get it done so I can grab some time in my craft room. Have a lovely day and thanks for popping by

Claire xx

Show Us Something new at FSC

Hi there folks, how's your weekend going? Hope you're having a good un :-) We've got a new challenge starting at Fashionable Stamping Challenges and this time around we want you to 'Show us something new' - some new crafty stash, a new technique .... you get the idea, just remember to include some stamping. Our lucky winner will receive a prize from our fab sponsor Leo at Flonzcraft!

I decided to make a little altered domino book - a first for me as I've never made one before and I'm not likely to make another, these babies are tiny and when you're as blind as a bat and clumsy to boot this isn't the best kind of project to tackle lol. The front and back of the domino were coloured with alcohol inks (lettuce and stream) and stamped with one of the 'Urban Landscapes' stamps from Flonzcraft.

Inside the little concertina bit was made with distress inks (peeled paint and tumbled glass) and then stamped with more of the Urban Landscapes stamps, I did a bit of second generation stamping to add some depth . The birds are a stamp from Chocolate Baroque, I cut the words I wanted from another Chocolate Baroque stamp and popped them on with some wet glue. All going smoothly so far .....

I glued black beads and some green and blue microbeads around the edges with my hot glue gun and also glued on some silver bead caps and black bead feet - smart idea until the dratted thing wouldn't stand up. This is where things started to go horribly wrong, you don't want to see how many beads went all over me,  my desk and the dogs,  hot glue stringy stuff everywhere - not a  pretty sight lol   OMG it took me ages to position the feet so it would stand up. Next I assembled it and then promptly lost it, after a bit of a panic incase Barney had eaten it (he's a lab and eats anything and everything) I found it and broke one of the feet off. Aaaarrrggggh! Anyway hot glue gun to the rescue but of course now the joker won't stand up again!  Talk about a creative journey lol.

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

Aud Sentiments: anything goes

Creative Card Crew: metal pins/charms etc

DominoArt: anygame goes

Sweet pea stampers: birds of a feather

Totally Papercrafts: feeling blue

Well I think after all that crafty drama i'm going for a lie down lol. Do pop over to the challenge blog as my talented teamies have come up with some fab-u-lous projects to inspire you 

Thanks for popping by

Claire xx

Christmas at CRAFT

Good morning my lovelies, I usually make Christmas cards all year round but I've got to confess this is my first one this year! I've got to thank the lovely gang at CRAFT challenge for giving me a kick start as   I'm joining the team as GDT this month and our theme for this weeks challenge is 'Christmas'. As always there are some fab prizes up for grabs, with goodies from Bugaboo, Floppy Latte, Gingerloft  and QKR Stampede. I've used an image from QKR Stampede for my GDT card

I've used a MS punch to create the card front, I never get these quite straight lol so I've added some buttons and bakers twine to cover the slightly dodgy bits. The supercute image is from QKR Stampede, perfect for a boys Chrismtas card. I've coloured with promarkers and glittered with glamour dust. I've used a bp from my Christmas stash box, added some ribbon and a couple of little bells with a stamped sentiment. The bells were a real bargain, I got a wreath made of bells from the pound shop just after Christmas!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Crafty Sentiments: for a male
Creative Moments: Weather
LEJ Designs: something for the boys
Papertake Weekly: hello boys
Whimsy Inspiration: shaped cards
Use it Tuesdays: Masculine

If you've got a min, check out the CRAFT challenge blog for some inspiration from the team.
Well as usual I'm rushing off to work so have a good day and thanks for popping by today
Claire xx

Peacock Summer Party

Good morning and Happy Wednesday, if you squint you can nearly see the weekend lol. Today's card features some of the new Peacock Stamps from Chocolate Baroque, pop over and have a look as they are on special offer this month! 

I've used a backing paper from the Peacock Summer PArty Cd. I've stamped the peacock on Neenah cardstock and coloured with promarkers and flexmarkers. I've stamped the edges with a feather stamp from the same stamp set using distress inks. I've matted the image and the backing paper on card coloured with distress inks. I've added some die cut branches and blossoms die cut with spellbinders dies.

I'm entering this in the following challenges:

Bunny Zoe's: wings

CD Sunday: fine plumage

Paper Playtime: anything goes

Sweet Pea Stampers: birds of a feather

Totally Papercrafts:punches/dies

Thanks for calling by today, if you've got a minute pop over and check out the Chocolate Baroque DT blog, its chockablock with gorgeous projects from my lovely teamies

Claire xx

Mr Darcy

Good morning my lovelies, my project this morning is my entry for this months challenge at Indigo Blu where the them  is 'Backgrounds Galore'. I had a lovely messy time with lots of gesso, Flitter Glu and gilding flakes making my project.

On one side I've used Mr Darcy from the stamp set 'Mr Darcy', he's been coloured with promarkers. I painted the heart with black gesso and once that was dry I stamped around the edges with Flitter Glu and added gilding flakes. I've added some hearts made with Maimiri Light Modelling Paste coloured with PanPastel and highlighted with treasure gold. I also decorated the back, I think I got a bit carried away with the gilding flakes on the background lol.

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

Crafting Musketeers: Stamped image

Crafting when we can: mad for markers

Marker POP : Love theme

Seemacrafts: mixed media

Thanks so much for calling by today, 

Claire xx

Spirograph Mask and PanPastels

Good morning, folks and a warm welcome to my new followers.  Monday morning so I'm back at work, yuk!!!! but before I go I just wanted to share a card made for the recent Sensational Stencilling show on C&C. I've used the Pronty Spirograph mask for the background but unfortunately the pic hasn't picked up the detail.

I applied Ultramarine Blue PanPastel through the Spirograph mask with a duster brush and sealed with hairspray. The image is a digstamp from Sweet Pea Stamps, she's been coloured with Graph'It makers. To create the effect of transparent sparkly wings, I painted over her wing with Oyster Twinkling H2o. I've used blue card to mat and layer and added a little blue seam binding bow. The daisy was made by using Maimeri Light Modelling Paste in a silicone mould, coloured with PanPastels.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

My Time to Craft: Fairytale

Alphabet Challenge: I is for image

Chocolate Coffee and Cards: fantasy/ fairies

Little Claire's: open challenge

The Hobby House: anything goes

Well I'm off to work now, hope you're enjoying the sunshine :-)

Thanks for popping by today, 

Claire xx

Anything goes at PanPastel UK

Good morning my lovelies, hope you're having a good weekend and enjoying the sunshine. For a change my garden is looking tidy (well if you ignore all the holes Barney has dug in the lawn) so I'm hoping the sun will shine and I can sit outside and read. I always think crafting outside sounds lovely but it never seems to work somehow, pens roll off to be eaten by Barney, the wind blows my stuff all over - you get the picture lol. Anyway I'm rambling on and I should be telling you about our new challenge at PanPastel UK where our theme this week is Anything Goes. As always our lucky winner will get a fab PanPastel Starter Kit from our generous sponsor Berni from Your Creativity Store

Its a nice easy theme so I've made a quick and easy card. I've use kraft card and one of the gorgeous Pronty Masks to create the background - Maimeri Light modelling paste through the mask , coloured with Permanent Red Shade PanPastel. I stamped the swirly heart (from Chocolate Baroque) on some more kraft card and embossed with WOW Vanilla White EP . I die cut the heart with a circle die and edged it with some gorgeous gingham trim from The Funkie Junkie Boutique. I just loooooove gingham!! To finish off I've added some little heart shaped pearls in the corners and a heart embellie. I made the heart by using more light modelling paste, this time in a silicone mould and again coloured with Permanent Red PanPastel.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Crafty Ribbons: circles

Charisma Cardz: tons of layers

Crafting for all Seasons: Wedding or anniversary

Papertake Weekly: anything goes

Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes

Have a lovely day and thanks for popping by

Claire xx

Reflections with the SplodgeAway Mat

Good morning and a big yippppeeeee cos the weekend is here at last. I'm getting a bit fed up of this working for a living lark, I think I'm going to have to find a rich man or win the lottery so I can become a lady of leisure lol. In the meantime I'll have to make the most of my crafty time at the weekends. This week on the SplodgeAway Blog, we're showcasing the fabulous SplodgeAway Mat and I've done a quick tutorial on how to create a really easy reflection using your SplodgeAway Mat if you fancy having a peek.

I've created a brayered scene using Lavinia Stamps, Memento inks, markers and my Splodge Away Mat. I won't go in to all the deets as you can find out more on the SplodgeAway Blog. Its soooooo easy to create a reflection using your SplodgeAway mat. Once I'd created the refections I brayered the background, using the Fairy Stenskape masks to mask the hills and stamped in the images in the foreground and some foliage along the top

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Amusing Challenges: Masking

Cupcake Craft: summer scene

Eclectic Ellapu: things with wings

Flutter by Wednesday : open

Natalie and Amy's : Fantasy

Shopping or Stash: no patterned paper

Thanks for popping by, have a lovely day :-)

Claire xx

Exciting News!!!

Good morning folks, I've got lots of exciting news to share this morning! I was over the moon when the lovely Nikky Hall asked me to join the Polka Doodles DT, and it took me about a millisecond to say yes lol. So today I'm sharing my first DT project for the new challenge over at Polkadoodles where the theme is to use your scraps to make a birthday card.

Now as a Polka Doodles newbie you'd think I didn't have too many scraps but I soon remedied that as I almost melted my printer with all the gorgeous bps from Nikky's fab cds so I'd got a heap of projects ready to put together and a heap of scraps too. For this card I've used the beautiful Pretty Sweet CD, it has the most scrummy bps and the images are just adorable. I made a kind of patchwork effect with some of the scraps, adding faux pearls in the corners and used peach card to mat and layer. The focal image is coloured with Graph'It markers, apart from the hair I just used the skintones to colour her dress. I looooove these pens! I die cut the image with nesties and stamped around the edges with flowers and foliage stamps from the clear stamp set 'Be Neighbours'.

I created a flower by die cutting some more scraps of backing paper and layering them up with some netting fabric flowers cut with the same die (tattered florals. I've added a Doodle dew drop to the centre of the flower. The sentiment is also from the CD, Nikky's cds have the most fab sentiments!. To finish off i've added a little seam binding bow, a button and some bakers twine.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Craft Room Challenge: use your scraps

Emma's Cards UK : anything goes

Inky Impressions: birthday/anniversary

Paper Shelter: flower

Penny's Paper Crafty: birthday

Stamp and Create: Summer fun

The weekend is nearly here so I'll be watching the clock at work today. I hope you're going to have a rummage in your scrap box and join our challenge :-)

Thanks for popping by today

Claire xx

White Peacock from Chocolate Baroque

Hi there folks, my second post of the day and this time my project features the gorgeous new Peacock stamps from Chocolate Baroque? They are absolutely scrummy and my card today features one of the stamps from Peacock Parade. I have a really vivid memory of a beautiful white peacock sat on a branch at twilight, his feathers really seemed to glow in the dim light and I wanted to try and capture the effect.

I began by creating the background using distress inks (pumice stone, walnut stain, picket fence and tumbled glass) and overstamped with the feather from Tangled Peacock and embossed with WOW white EP. I stamped the peacock image on white card and embossed with white EP and added colour with distress markers and lots of water. I've added some lace and ribbon from my stash and a little paper flower made with my tattered pine cone die.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Bearly Mine: dies/punches
Crazy Amigo: distress inks/stains etc
Creative Card Crew: punches/dies
Ooh La La: inspired by nature
Tuesday Throwdown: embossing
WOW embossing powder: nature

Don't forget to check out the Chocolate Baroque DT blog as my teamies have created some gorgeous projects with the new stamps.
Thanks for popping by
Claire xx

Complex geo-celtic framer from SplodgeAway

Good morning my lovelies, hope you're having a good week so far and enjoying the lovely blue sky and sunshine. I haven't seen much of at as i've been a work mores the pity. This mornings card uses the beautiful new Complex Geo-celtic mask from SplodgeAway. I love to use these masks to create a pretty frame for my cards :-)

I've applied Maimeri Light Modelling Paste through the mak and left it todry, once it was dry i've coloured it with Worn Lipstick distress ink and then popped the mask back in place and sprayed very lightly with Spray and Sparkle (one tip, keep you phone out of the way when you're using this stuff or you'll end up with a very sparkly phone lol)

I've used the frame with a pretty LOTV stamp that I coloured with distress markers. the sentiment is  a stamp from chocolate Baroque, stamped with Worn Lipstick. I've added a seam binding bow, a paper flower from Wild Orchid Crafts and a butterfly that I made with the SplodgeAway Butterfly Creator mask, glamour dust and tiny pearls.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Eureka Stamps: wedding

Loves Rubber Stamps: anything goes

Marker pop: love theme

Papertake weekly: anything goes

Shopping our Stash: no patterned paper

Well I'd better scoot off and catch the bus to work, its all good fun isn't it?

thanks for popping by

Claire xx

Super detailed floral framer from SplodgeAway

Good morning, isn't it nice to have some better weather?  I'm always up with the lark and I feel so much more human when the sun is shining lol. My card this morning features the beautiful Super Details Floral Framer mask from SplodgeAway, I've used the mask to create a frame for this gorgeous digi stamp from Saturated Canary.

I've used distress ink to create the frame, through the mask and also added in some detail with a waterbrush. The image is coloured with promarkers (sorry about the slightly blurred pic) and i've added a sentiment using a clear stamp from Chocolate Baroque. To finish off i've added faux gems to the flower centres, a bow and a paper flower.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Allsorts: here come the girls

Crafty Friends: anything goes

Corrosive Challenge: I've been framed

Divas by Design: tie a ribbon

Fab'n'Funky: Girly

Sparkles Forum: Monochromatic

Stampin for the weekend: Monochrome

Thanks for popping by

Claire xx

Childhood at Vintage Stamping Challenges

Good morning folks, well I'm not sure that its a good morning as i'm back at work this morning after my week off so I'm a wee bit grumpy today. Today's project is for our new challenge at Vintage Stamping Challenges where our theme is 'Childhood'. As always our lucky winner will receive a fab prize from our generous sponsor Flonzcraft so get those stamps inked up and play along for a chance to win.

I've made an inky background using distress inks and stamps from Indigo Blu. The focal image is from Flonzcraft, I just love this lovely image of Mum reading to her little ones. I've coloured the image with promarkers and dir cut it with nesties.

I've created a border using an Indigo Blu Stamp and also used a sentiment from Indigo Blu. I've added a heart shaped doily, some seam binding flowers, a bow and some pretty pearl pins

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

Crafting by designs: anything goes

Crafty Catz: Story book/nursery rhyme

Creative moments: lots of layers

Passion for Promarkers: ribbon/lace or twine

The Ribbon Girls: Add a die cut

Simon Says Stamp: anything goes

If you've got a minute do pop over and check out my teamies beautiful projects, they are such a lovely talented bunch of ladies.I'd better get my skates on and go earn some pennies, have a lovely day and thanks for popping by today.

Claire xx

Tag it at PanPastel

Good morning folks, and a big warm welcome to my new followers! I'm back with my second post of the day, this time its my DT project for our new challenge at PanPastel UK where our theme is 'Tag it'. Our lucky winner will receive a fabby PanPastel starter set from Berni, our lovely sponsor from Your Creativity Store.

I've used some kraft resist as a base for my tag, coloured with violet PanPastel and overstamped with a swirl stamp from Indigo Blu, embossed with gold EP. I've added some seambinding and lace, coloured with PanPastel and created some embellies with Maimeri Mediums.

The keyhole was made by mixing Maimeri iridescent medium with violet PanPastel and 'buttering' it over a Chocolate Baroque stamp (from Key to my dreams stamp set) that I'd inked up with black stazon ink. It takes a couple of days to dry properly but I just love the way the medium picks up all the detail!! 

I've added a little metal butterfly (from The Ribbon Girl) which has been given a coat of Maimeri Gesso and coloured with violet PanPastel and a little treasure gold, i've added a little key for his body. The roses have been made by using some of the PanPastel/Iridescent paste in a silicone flower mould, again they take a good while to dry but I think they are so pretty. The gold flowers were made with Maimier Glassy gel and beadazzles, again using a silicone mould.

To finish off i've addded a die cut swirl and stamped the sentiment from the same stamp set.

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

Crafts and Me: shabby chic

Loves rubber stamps: bows

Make my Monday: handmade embellishments

Papercraft Star: handmade flowers

Well my week off work seems to have whizzed by and I'll be back at work tomorrow so I'm going to make the most of my last day of freedom lol. H

Have a lovely day and thanks for popping by

Claire xx