Serendipity Technique

I love this technique, and decided to use the a sketch by Roni (its on her blog here) as I thought it would be great with some some serendipity papers I made yesterday

I used a white 6x6 card blank and a mat of black tapestry card. I cut out the 3 pieces of  red serendipty paper as per Roni''s sketch and edged them with a gold pentouch pen before attaching it to the card with foam pads. I stamped the sentiment and embossed with gold EP. I then stamped an Elusive images flower onto a scrap of the serendipity paper, edged it with gold pentouch and added a button brad (which started off brown but thanks to a black promarker is now black lol) again edged with gold. I coloured some little pearl fb gems with a red promarker and added them to finish the card off.

This card is for the following challenges:

Raise the Bar which is 3's company

Alphabet challenge - 'R' is for red

Thanks for looking

Claire xx

Beeswax Tiger

I've finally plucked up the courage to try a beeswax collage. I had planned to make a canvas with pics and bits and bobs from our wedding but decided to start on a smaller scale and made this tag

It was great fun to make and not quite as messy as I though it would be although the kitchen did take a bit of cleaning when I'd finished lol.

I started off by making tag from card and covering it with inkjet canvas which had been coloured with Distress Inks in Shabby Shutter and Pine needles. While the beeswax was melting (I used an old ramekin dish in a pan of boiling water as I don't have a meltpot ... yet!!) I stamped some bamboo and oriental script on to some tissue paper, cut out a tiger sticker, cut a pressed leaf in halft and found some beads, oriental charm and some cord. Once the wax had melted I brushed a thin layer on to the tag and applied the stamped tissue paper, some other bits of asian design papers and then heated it with my heat gun to level off the wax a bit. I spread some more wax where I wanted the leaf to go, popped the leaf in place and gently dabbed more wax on the top. I added the tiger using the same technique and then added a large blob of wax to adhere the charm and the cord. I used a stampbord tool to scrape excess wax off the charm and then melted the wax around it to blend it in. While the wax was still warm I sprinkled on some beads, a little copper glitter and some mica powders. I built up the wax around the bottom corners and stamped in to this with a bamboo stamp and black stazon. Once all the wax was dry I tidied up the edges with my craft knife and rubbed some metallic rub ons over the stamped area and round the edges to highlight the texture. Finished off with a brass eyelet using my crop-o-dile. I was a bit worried it would crack the wax around it but no problem there.

I'll definitely be using beeswax again - great to be able to stick things into and create texture, the tag feels lovely too - really silky.

I'm using this tag for the following challenges:

Dragon's Dream Tag it on which is 'Year of the Tiger'

Crafty Ann's Challenge which is Celebrate your Creativity

Rainbow Lady's Challenge which is to stamp on something unusual

Lots to Do which is to use canvas

Corrosive Challenge which is Asian Theme

Thanks for looking

Claire xx

Prima's big secret

Prima have a big secret soon to be announced with 2 prizes worth $100 one for a US winner and one for an international winner. Sounds very interesting doesn't it?

As they say, "you've got to be in it to win it"

Claire xx

Vintage christmas card

I love vintage christmas images and made this card using the couple from Joanna Sheens 'Past Times' stamps and a Christmas tree from Elusive images. I can't believe how quickly my Christmas card box is filling up thanks to some fab challenges this year.

The tree is stamped on to pearlescent card and painted with twinkling h20's, I then inked around the edges with yellow and orange inks to give the card a bit of a glow and added some fb gems as baubles. The couple were also stamped and painted with h20s and then cut out. The blue bp is from Redhotbed and I cut a cirle out using my cricut, edged with gold pentouch pen and mounted it with foam tape sticking the man underneath the circle and the lady on top. Finished off with a sentiment from Redhotbed and some gold star gems from my stash.

This card is for 2 challenges:

Bah Humbug which is 'Trees' and

Fab's Big Christmas Challenge which is to make a vintage card with a round focal point

Thanks for looking

Claire xx

Colour theory challenge....

This weeks challenge from Crafty Cardmakers is to make a Tricolour card based on colour theory. I used one of this weeks gorgeous images from Digital Two for Tuesday and used a split complementary colour scheme of orange, violet and pale blue/green for this card

The image is coloured using Inktense pencils and a water brush, I used papers from DCWV and based the card on a sketch from this weeks Papertake Challenge.

I have to say its not a colour scheme I'd generally use but I've certainly learnt a lot about colour theory from the great tutorial at Crafty Cardmakers

Thanks for looking

Claire xx

Bird wall hanging

I was determined to enter the latest challenge from Ready Steady Stamp as they are thinking of stopping their challenges due to lack of entries. I always mean to enter but somehow never get round to it. Their challenge this time is:
Birds; blue, white, green and black, handmade flowers, frame it and either foam core or thick card board.
This is my effort, a very messy project (my favourite kind lol) so I'll also be entering in into this weeks challenge from Tuesday Taggers which is 'Get Messy'. They also have a great prize of a £15 voucher for the Craft Barn .

I started by making some bps using starburst stains and glimmer mists in various green and blue shades, I used the scrunch technique for one and put cling film on the other and left them to dry. Once they were ready, I cut a 6x6 frame from thick card board and covered it with the scrunched bp, stamped it with the tail feathers of one of the bird stamps from Elusive Images in black versafine. I then smeared on some pale blue glitter glue and added some AI glitter in Nirvana (I think thats my favourite colour glitter ever). I then took the cling film bp and stamped the bird silhouette (again from Elusive Images) in black versafine and embossed with clear EP before adding dots of glitter glue. While this was drying, I stamped flowers (again from EI, I do love Glenda's stamps lol) 2 of each of 3 sizes on to the left over bp. I covered 3 with glitter glue and left 3 plain. The bird house and bird were stamped on to the same bp which had been glued to more thick card and again, I added a very thin layer of glitter glue. I left them all to dry and then curled the flower petals and used an embossing tool in their centres to 'cup' them before layering them all up and adding a tiny black button in the centre. I trimmed the main image and matted it on to some pale blue linen paper, it looked a bit plain so I gave it another frame using red line tape and AI Summer Sea Glitter. I threaded odds and ends of beads on to some headpins, popped them on to a safety pin and stuck them on to the frame with silicone, added the bird house, flower and bird. To make the hanger, I took blue and green memory thread and some thin white organza ribbon, which i twisted round, and threaded a few blue and green beads on to finish off.

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

My Time to Craft which is 'In the Frame'

Corrosive Challenge - Wings

One Stop Craft Challenge - Wall Hanging

Thanks for looking

Claire xx

Time to change

I spent ages racking my brains for this weeks challenge from Tuesday Taggers which is 'Time'. I decided to base my work on "Time to Change", which is a campaign to tackle the stigma and discrimination facing people with mental health problems, this is really close to my heart as I work for a mental health charity.
I also wanted to create something for Gingersnap Creations Colour Challenge (GC43 - 3 colours you love). I'm a bit fickle when it comes to my favourite colours but in the end I decided to use shades of Teal, Brown and Gold and came up with this

Using a white glossy tag as a base, I used alcohol inks in stream, ginger, espresso and a little gold mixative for the background. I stamped Time to Change using stamps from Paperartsy and Elusive images and embossed with gold detail EP. I stamped the clock hands and added a gem which I coloured with 'stream' ink. I added some bits from my scrap box - some watches stamped on to acetate which I gold leafed; a piece of white UTEE which had been stamped into with an Elusiva Images stamp which I coloured with the same alcohol inks and stuck on a couple of tiny watch hands and cogs. I edged the tag with a gold pentouch pen and added some dots of the ink with a little embossing tool. To finish off I sprayed some gold glitter spray onto my craft mat and wipes the edges of the tag through it and added a few gold microbeads while the spray was still wet.

To make the small tag, I stamped the face (this months freebie from Craft stamper) on to acetate with sepia versafine and embossed with clear EP, coloured the back with the same alcohol inks I'd used before. I had some tiny metal frames so I distressed one with alcohol inks and attached the acetate with brads. I attached the small tag to the larger one with some beading using jade and gold size 11 seed beads and gold size 6 beads using a right angle weave design.

I'm also entering this tag in to the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge which is tag, ticket or label

Sophisticat which is embossing

Thanks for looking

Claire xx

Split Negative Technique

I spotted this technique on Stampin B's Design Team challenge and as I'd never tried it I thought I'd have a go and made this card

I used a mandala stamp from Papermania that i've had for years but never used, stamped it on to white card using black versafine and embossed with clear EP. I then stamped the image onto black card with versamark and embossed with seafoam white EP. I cut the images in half and matted them on to some black tapestry card with a silver mirri border. I added 3 silver ribbon tags and attached it all to a silver base card stamped with a HOTP sentiment

Thanks for looking

Claire xx

Gingham Tilda

This weeks challenge from the Papertake Challenge blog is 'Check this out', to use gingham or checks in your card. I've used a some green and lilac card scraps and a glittery floral border from my overflowing scrap box to make the background for this card

I've used a Joanna Sheen frame stamp, resist embossed in Spring Green EP and coloured with Versamagic Eggplant. I finished the frame with some odds and ends of gingham ribbon attached with tiny brads and sat Tilda (coloured with promarkers) in the frame. The sentiment is from HOTP, stamped in stazon onto a green brad and a couple more bits of ribbon added

I'm also entering this card into the following challenges

Your next stamp challenge : Spring Colours

and Stamp Something: A touch of spring

thanks for looking

Claire xx

Clean and Simple

Is this weeks challenge at Mo's Digital Challenge Blog, in addition to one of Mo's gorgeous digi images you can only use white card and one piece of ribbon.

I've used Mo's Bella and Bronte image which i've coloured with promarkers. I made a 6x6 card blank and put it through my cuttlebug to emboss a panel and the sentiment and finished off with a little lime green bow to make a very quick card.

I'm also entering this into the Cupcake Craft Challenge which is 'Keep it Simple'

Thanks for looking

Claire xx

Birds and beads

I've made this card for my MIL, like most of us she's fed up of this long cold winter so I thought this would be a reminder that spring isn't too far away

The flourishes are from Elusive images as is the sentiment and the tree which is coloured with promarkers. I stitched some lime green seed beeds to the branches and added a border of lime, lilac and black seed beads. I pricked holes with my pokey tool and then stitched the beads with Nymo beading thread .It was really quick to do and I'm pleased with the result so I daresay I'll be beading everything now. I started jewellery  making workshops last year so I could use beads on my cards but this is the first time I've added them using this technique so I'm entering this card in to this weeks challenge from Our Creative Corner which is to try a new technique.

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

Crafty Creations - stitching

Corrosive Challenges -all sewn up

Quixotic Challenge - something for mum

Sophisticat - All sewn up

Thanks for looking

Claire xx

Another fairy card...

This weeks images from Digital Two for Tuesday are just gorgeous and a much needed reminder that it won't be long until Spring is here (hopefully lol). I really loved the image used on this card for their challenge. It made me giggle to imagine the flowers spending the dark winter days deciding what to wear for their summer finery.

The fairy is coloured with derwent inktense pencils with a little yellow sakura stardust around her head. I love the fact that you can make her look like different flowers depending on the colours you use - I went for fuchsia colours and they are one of my favourite flowers. I made the mirror by making a mask and spraying through with CC Spray'n'Sparkle in Silver - it doesn't show up very well on the scan but looks fab on the card. She is matted and layered onto some mat black card and some cerise mirri board. I used white card to make an 8x8 blank and added a matt of black card, stamped with a Wendie Rhodes fuchsia stamp and versamark before adding some mica powders in purple, pink and green (they look blue, gold and silver on the pic because of the mica though). I also made a little border by masking the same stamp and colouring with inktense pencils. Both were finished off with a gold edge using a pentouch pen. I then used DS adhesive film to attach a pressed fuchsia flower to an acrylic square and added some black glitter to the back, matted it onto some cerise mirri and added a hot pink bow made from organza ribbon.
To finish the card off I added a few little black gems and a sentiment from Paper Artsy which I though was perfect for the card.
I'm also entering it in the following challenges:
Digital Tuesday - All Things Girly
Sketch and Stash - the sketch has been rotated and apart from the new Digi image everything was from my stash
Pile it on - Flowers
Paper Sundaes - A Glittery Spring

Thanks for looking
Claire xx

Fab's Big Christmas Card Challenge

The theme this week on Fab's Big Christmas Card Challenge is Poinsettia and optional white space. Inspired by Fab's gorgeous card I had a play last night and came up with this

I used a poinsettia topper (already decoupaged I have to confess) from a kit by Anna Griffin that I've had for years and added a little glitter. I then stamped the greeting (from the same kit) onto some wide satin ribbon (which I think was wrapped around the kit when it arrived) and then I attached to the card and  added the topper.

It was such a quick card to make but will be great for using up the decoupaged toppers from the kit. I don't know if any of you have this kit, it was from QVC - I've made loads of cards from it but the box is always full. Its like magic, I just can' t use it up

Thanks for looking

Claire xx

Cute digi freebie from Instyle Stamps

I've just stumbled on Instyle stamps while having a quick coffee and a little blog hop before work and they have a fab freebie offer here. You can choose between these two little darlings

Aren't they both adorable?

Claire xx

Valentine Cutie Tag

There is a lovely little Valentine Cutie over on Digital Two For Tuesday and Cora has set the challenge of using her to make a tag so here is my effort

A very quick and simple tag, made using a resist technique background (stamp from Elusive Images just for a change), pewter EP and a selection of red/pink inks and GMs from my stash. Valentine Cutie is coloured with promarkers and mounted on 3d foam pads onto a border of 3 layers of lace. A little lace bow and tag to finish off.

I'm also entering her into the following challenges:

Daring Cardmakers which this week is 'Have a heart'

Tuesday Taggers - Love is in the air, with a fab prize from The Craft Emporium

Lots to Do - Love is in the Air

And last but not least, Cynthia's challenge on Rainbow Lady's Challenge Blog which is Have a Heart - inspired by Valentines Day and also 'Wear Red Day'

Thanks for looking

Claire xx

Read me a bedtime story

Have you seen the gorgeous colouring pages from Elizabeth O Dulemba? There are some real cuties have a look here . I've used the 'Reading Fairy' to make this card

I've coloured the fairy and her books with various shades of promarkers and highlighted her wings with sakura stardust. The bps and chipboard stickers are from DCWV 'Once upon a time' and have been hoarded for so long but I thought the chipboard stickers were perfect with this little fairy. I've added a brown floradoodle flower with a pink glittery button and a scrap of brown thread and finished the card off with some brown velvet ribbon and some little pearls coloured with 'blossom' promarker

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

I love Promarkers - Sketch and 'pink and brown'

C.R.A.F.T. challenge which is digi colouring

Stamp Something which is 'Something Cute'

Tanda Teaser which is 'Quick and cute'

and Paper  Jewels which is 'Cute and Girly'

Thanks for looking

Claire xx

Friends

I've made this card for my friends birthday on 17th of this month, she is a lovely lady and usually has a holiday somewhere warm and sunny at this time of year but she has recently lost her father so can't go. I hope the bright colours of this card will cheer her up.

I've used a  gorgeous image from Digital Two for Tuesday coloured with promarkers and mounted it with foam pads on to a background tag made using Kaleidacolour inks and my trusty brayer. I've added some 'waves' to the sea using a versamark pen and Seafoam white EP - I'm really pleased with the effect of that. The base card has been inked with the same inks as has the paper border then I've added some orange ribbon and braid. The sentiment is a stamp i've had for years ( ? from DCWV), stamped in blue dye ink and then I've attached some tiny seashells. I've used this weeks sketch from Paper Sundaes. I'm also going to enter this card in to this weeks Paperplay challenge which is a birthday card for someone special.

Thanks for looking

Claire xx

Snowmen....

Is the theme for this weeks challenge from Bah Humbug this week so here is my snowman to add to the gang

All made with bits and bobs from my scrap box, I think the stamp may be a See D's one, he has been stamped onto pearlescent card and coloured with promarkers. I think the bps and border were from a cd that came with a magazine. Isn't it strange that how ever much you use, your scrap box never seems to look any emptier? I wish my bank account was the same lol

Thanks for looking

Claire xx

All white ....

The challenge on the Joanna Sheen Forum this month is to make an all white card. I've really had to rack my brains for this one, I wanted lots of texture and dimension and  I came up with loads of bits and pieces but it just wouldn't come together because the Peacock Lady which I'd stamped onto vellum seemed to disappear. Fortunately I came across this fantastic tutorial on Gingersnap Creations so I used some braid to add dimension to her coat and it looks loads better. I also added a clear fb gem to her little bag

I started off by making an 8x8 linen base card and scoring a frame on it using my score board. Following the sketch which is this weeks Corrosive Challenge,  I then created a border out of three layers of cotton lace, some white braid and a crystal bead - this months Spicy Supplies challenge from Gingersnap Creations is to use lace and braid. I added some paper flowers from my stash with stamens (?) made using frills of paper, and some vellum leaves made with my cuttlebug. Finally an oval creative acrylic tag stamped with 'My soulmate' in Seafoam EP and tied with more braid and white ribbon for this weeks Quixotic Challenge which is 'Tag it'

Thanks for looking

Claire xx

Do you believe in fairies?

I'm totally addicted to fairy stamps, and the stamps I've used for this card from Graphicus are some of my favourites. I just couldn't resist the challenge from Quixotic Challenges which this week is 'I Believe in Fairies' and came up with this card. The sentiment is from Crafters Companion and fits the challenge perfectly.

I had to take part in this weeks Challenge from the Lots to Do team which is backgrounds as I just love making allsorts of inky messy backgrounds - this card has two. Inside the aperture is a background made using the 'caught in crystal' technique. Behind the acetate I used starbust stains (I can't remember which colours as I made the sheet a while ago but they are purple and teal colours), glitter, tiny little stars, a little mica powder and lots of floor polish lol. I've stamped the Graphicus fairy castle onto the acetate background using black stazon. The outer background is made using tapestry card which I've inked with versamagic Eggplant ink and then added some fusible webbing. I always have a bit of a battle with this stuff but I love the effect especially with this EP - which is Cosmic Shimmer Arctic Black. I'm not sure where that name comes from because it is actually mauve with a teal shimmer - love it!!

The fairy is stamped onto  some scraps of fantasy film. I've used two freebie stamps from Craft Stamper magazine - the key is stamped onto grungeboard and triple embossed with silver EP and the fairyland ticket has been stamped onto a scrap of card from the main background. I was struggling to fit all these bits and bobs onto the card until I saw a gorgeous sketch from Pretty in Ink which I have loosely followed . Instead of the border at the bottom of the sketch. I've put a little stamped unicorn on to a penny slider mechanism so that the unicorn tumbles across the bottom of the card. I'm also going to enter this card into the challenge at Floral Fantasies which is 'Moving' to celebrate the fact that Sir Stampalot are moving to new premises in Peterborough - they have a fabby prize and a blog hop too so its well worth a look.

The colour scheme also fits the challenge at Macabre Monday which is Purple Haze

Thanks for looking

Claire xx

Wings of Hope

This is my first card with the beautiful Wings of Hope digistamp which is being sold to raise money for people in Haiti. It is a really lovely image and I have so enjoyed using it

I've used promarkers to colour the horse and highlighted with lots of sakura clear stardust. The BP is from Kanban I think and i've used one of Joanna Sheen's lovely doily stamps, stamped onto pastel blue vellum and embossed with 'Icicle Tex' EP. The sentiment is made using a scrap of vellum through my cuttlebug, and I've used some ribbons from my stash to finish off.

I've made this card for my friends daughters 9th birthday and I'm also entering it into the following challenges:

Magical Crafts which is 'Something for the kids'

Digital Tuesday which is 'All about animals'

Crafty Cardmakers challenge  which is Digital Delights

ABC Challenge which is 'N is for New' and

Truly Scrumptious which is a lovely sketch

I'm sure I'll be making lots more cards with this gorgoeus digistamp

Thanks for looking

Claire xx

Tilda returns

I really didn't get Tilda when she first became so popular but after a while I had to try and now I am a real convert. I've only got a few Tilda stamps but every few weeks I can't resist getting them out and having a play. I just loved the colours on this weeks challenge from the One Stop Craft Challenge - Apple Green, Chocolate and Clotted Cream and thought they would be perfect for a little Tilda card. I'm also entering it in this weeks challenge from Flutter by Wednesday which is an open challenge but as always including either butterflies, angels or fairies.

I've used a butterfly backing paper from Artylicious Butterfly Bliss cd which I've distressed with some walnut ink and then added some dots of Cosmic shimmer Twinkles in Autumn to highlight the butterflies (they look black on the pic but this glitter glue is a gorgeous colour, one of my favourites). I've also punched some flowers using the same paper and a Woodware Dahlia punch and added more Autumn twinkles and a little gem in the centre. Tilda is coloured with promarkers and sat on a frame made using a Joanna Sheen stamp embossed in Palm Green EP onto brown pearlised card, the background is a scrap of cuttlebugged card coloured with pastel green chalk. Finished off with some brown textured ribbon from Elusive images.

Thanks for looking

Claire xx

Between

I just love this cute little girl, 'Between' is a fabulous  freebie from Mo Manning and I'd already started making this card using the faux wood BP so I had to enter it into this weeks challenge on  Mo's Challenge blog. which is 'wood'.

The image is coloured with promarkers and i've had a go at giving 'between' some auburn hair to go with those lovely freckles. I cut a circular aperture using my cricut in the green wood card (from Kanban I think) and used a pretty rose BP from my scrap box. I added 'between' so it looks like she is gazing out of a window daydreaming and then just finished the card off with some paperflowers from my stash

Thanks for looking and sorry the pic is a bit blurry

Claire xx

Four seasons ....

Is the theme for this weeks challenge on the Rainbow Lady Challenge blog. I was tempted to do yet another Christmas card but decided to make an Autumn themed card

It was really tricky to get a pic of this card as the fram is made from gold mirri stamped with various leaf stamps and embossed in brown, gold and copper EPs. The tree is stamped on acetate and then glittered with green gold and copper glitters so its really sparkly 'in the flesh'

Thanks for looking

Claire xx

Bah Humbug - Holly Challenge

Another Christmas card, I'll soon be making them for 2011 at this rate. This weeks challenge from the gang at Bah Humbug is 'Holly'. I've used one of my favourite stamps from Elusive images to make this card, coloured with inktense pencils and added a little red sakura glaze pen to the berries and some crushed glass glitter to the leaves to look a little frosty but that doesn't show up too well on the scan.

The green BP is from my stash as is the ribbon, the holly bp is from Joanna Sheen's Christmas paper pad. I've used a red base card and some gold mirri for matting and layering

Thanks for looking

Claire xx

Messy Valentine Card

I've had a go at another easel card for my hubby's Valentine Card but this time I've used a heart shape - thanks to Vix who has a great tutorial on her blog for the idea for this.

I cut the heart shapes on my cricut and used Joanna Sheen's Messy Rabbit stamps coloured with promarkers. Instead of a sentiment I have used an image from The Graphics Fairy which is a certificate from the Bank of True Love which I have rolled up and attached with a gold ring made from grungeboard (the pattern on the grungeboard matches the pattern on OH's wedding ring)

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:

Paperplay challenge which this week is 'Love notes'

Crafty Calendar challenge where the theme this month is Love/Friendship with the optiona extra of hearts

Stamp Something who have a challenge this week of 'Love somethings'

Stampin for the Weekend who have a Valentines themed challenge

Pile it on where the challenge is 'To the one I love'

Papertake weekly challenge which is 'Love actually' this week and last but not least

This weeks Tanda Teaser which is 'For a Loved One'

Thanks for looking

Claire xx

Digital Two for Tuesday

More lovely free images from Digital Two for Tuesday again this week. I've made a very simple card using the little boy with a flower

I've used a BP from an artylicious CD and highlighted it with a clear stardust pen. The little boy is coloured with promarkers and matted onto a scrap of silver mirri. The card is finished off with a little teal organza ribbon

Thanks for looking

Claire xx