My Favourite Film ...

Is this weeks challenge from Dragon's Dream Tag it on. Well I have to confess that although I don't watch many films, I am totally addicted to all things Harry Potter. I had a good rummage through all my stamps and couldn't find much suitable so this is my attempt at the forbidden forest

 

I've used stamps from Non sequitur and elusive images with black stazon over a brayered background with a few glamour paint highlights. The dragon is an elusive images stamp embossed with copper EP and highlighted with glamour paint (didn't know i had those but found them in my stash)

Thanks for looking

Claire xx

Bah Humbug!

A real challenge from the gang at Bah Humbug this week - to dust off those peel offs (we've all got them somewhere lol) and make a card with them. Here's my peel off creation:

A wide silver mirri border, scored around the edges and a background of word confetti using lots of silver peel off greetings and peel off snowflakes and sprayed with Silver Spray and Sparkle. I then added a little peel off snowballing snowman highlighted with sakura pens to finish off.

This card is also for

Fabs Big Christmas Card Challenge - word confetti and wide matting

ABC Christmas - G is for Glitz (optional silver)

Thanks for looking

Claire xx

A little mermaid

For this weeks sketch challenge over at Karen's Doodles UK Challenge Blog.

The mermaid digistamp from Karens Doodles is painted with tinkabella inks and then glittered. The background is tapestry card which I coloured with inks and stamped around the edge with a HOTP swirl and eggplant versamagic. I made the 'sea' border using glossy card and my brayer (with Barbara Gray's fab scrunched paper water technique) and then tore a strip off to make a wave, added crushed glass glitter to highlight some waves. I used some paper flowers from my stash and added some tiny shells around the flowers and one in the mermaid's hand. I finished off by adding some bubbles made from clear microbeads (they are really twinkly but don't show up too well on the scan)

This card is also for the following challenges:

Craft calender: Flower power

Colour Create: Your choice of pastels

Thanks for looking

Claire xx

In my garden I can see....

Is Cynthia's challenge at Rainbow Lady's Challenge Blog this week. My craft room looks out over our front garden and directly in front of the window is a lovely plum tree which is just starting to come in to blossom and inspired me to make this card

I've used distress inks for the background and the main image (shabby shutters and tattered rose). I have to confess I love inky backgrounds but I don't use distress inks much at all so I'm entering this card into this weeks challenge from Raise the Bar which is April Fool ( a style you don't usually do). I've used stamps from Tim Holtz and Elusive images in the same inks and dusted them with green cosmic shimmer powder. The leaves and flowers on the tree are embossed with palm green EP and  a pastel pink EP. The ribbon is coloured with DI and the button is from my stash, coloured with lettuce alcohol ink.

This card is for one of my closest friends who is having a difficult time at the minute so its just the thing for Crafty Ann's Challenge this week which is to make something for someone special.

There are lots of Spring challenges at the minute so I'm entering this card into the following challenges too:

Allsorts - Spring

Crafty Cardmakers - Spring into Spring

Magical Crafts - Spring/Easter

Thanks for looking

Claire xx

Paper Pieced Kelly

Nicola's challenge at Pretty in Ink is a sketch this week so I've used her lovely digi stamp Kelly with her hot water bottle for this card

I've used papers from Summertime Designs (wow there are some fab free kits there) for the paper piecing and background. I finished Kelly off by colouring her with promarkers. Ribbon and buttons rom my stash and a little paper piercing around the cb'd circle and the edge of the bp.

This card is also for the following challenges:

Corrosive Challenge which is paper piecing

Paper Sundaes which is also paper piecing

Thanks for looking

Claire xx

Spring has Sprung

Well it had yesterday, it was the most beautiful sunny morning, with gorgeous blue sky and the first signs of buds on the trees and finally some flowers in the garden. I went out to feed the birds and it was warm enough to sit out and have a drink and enjoy the sunshine. I love this time of year, the garden is starting to spring in to life after looking so drab and dull over the winter and the birds and bugs are everywhere. My morning cuppa in the garden was the inspiration for this card

I made the meadow scene using my brayer and assorted inks, I stamped with versamark first to give some faint flowers and grasses, i love to see the images appear through the ink using this technique. I then overstamped with flowers and grasses stamps from Elusive images. The tag was created in the same way using a verse from my new themeplate from elusive images (patchwork butterfly). I stamped the butterflies on vellum with black versafine, embossed with clear ep and then coloured with some shimmery chalks. the are lot brighter IRL but the shimmer hasn't shown up too well in the pic. I attached them with some silicone glue to give them some dimension and finished the card with a twist of yellow ribbon.

Its a good reminder that spring is here as this morning is it cloudy cold and windy. There seem to be a lot of 'Spring' type challenges about this week so I'm entering this card in to following challenges:

Magical Crafts which is Spring/Easter

Flutter By Wednesday which is Green with of course a butterfly/angel/fairy

Dragons' Dream Tag it On which is Got the Floral Bug

Allsorts: Spring is in the Air

Lots to Do: Springtime

Rosie D's Challenge: which is Green Yellow and white

Just Scraps which is New Beginnings with a pastel theme and also the inspiration behind your new beginning project

Thanks for looking

Claire xx

Bah Humbug!

 Its certainly not the weather for making Christmas cards as Spring has definitely arrived but I'm determined to make a Christmas card every week and avoid the December panic this year.
Here is todays card, a very quick and simple card using an image and bp from Joanna Sheen's Cardmakers Year CD

The topper has an acetate overlay which has been stamped with a snowstorm stamp and white stazon. I stamped the Elusive images greeting on to the red card blank and embossed with gold. I used a pleated strip of bp, edges with gold pentouch pen and finished off with some red organza ribbon

This card is for the following challenges:

Bah Humbug which is to make a vintage card

Rainbow Lady's Challenge: which is to use an acetate overlay (optional extra Christmas)

Fab's Big Christmas Challenge: Paper pleating

Thanks for looking

Claire xx

Jester Card

I've been racking my brains for a card for one of our friend's birthday next month. I really struggle with mens cards and wanted to do something funny for him so when I saw this quirky jester digistamp from Sassy Cheryl's I thought it would be perfect. I had lots of  fun making this card - lots of inking and masking and generally getting messy

 I coloured the image with inktense pencils and then masked it off to create the background using green and orange dye inks applied with a sponge. I then overstamped the green areas with a little crown stamp (freebie with craft stamper) and the orange area with an Elusive images background stamp. The Heidi Swann chipboard crowns started life pink so I coloured them to match the card using pigment inks and clear ep. The little jester seemed to disappear once the background was finished so I added a black glitter border around him to make him stand out more. I added an orange eyelet and a little green ribbon to the tag. I used a piece of black card and some orange corrugated card from my scrap box for the background. I wanted to stagger the sentiment  and my rubber stamp didn't work so I've hand written it and added some faux stitching.
This card is for the following challenges:
Sassy Cheryl's: Green Orange, Black and Glitter
Tuesday Taggers: Masquerade, Jesters and Clowns
Theme Thursday: Masculine

Thanks for looking
Claire xx

Happy Anniversary

To my MIL and FIL who have been married for 48 years on Tuesday. I've really struggled to make a card for them and maybe after all that time I should have made them a medal instead

The image and  bp are from Joanna Sheen's Fashion Boutique cds. The bp looks to have a blue tinge but that is just the scan. I used 2 of the toppers and cut an aperture in the frame of one which I backed with acetate and matted over the other topper. The charm and ribbon are from our local scrap store and cost pennies. the charm is actually an earring blank, I cut the back off added the lady's face from a small topper, some glossy accents and then added the tassel. The lace has been distressed with antique linen distress ink. I couldn't find a happy anniversary stamp anywhere in the chaos that is my craft room so I used a creative acrylic piece, highlited the text with black ink and embossed the back with gold ep. I attached the acrylic piece to a  stamped shape from Elusive images (one of their Christmas themeplates but I forget which one) which I stamped with antique linen distress ink and then overstamped with text in the same ink. I added lots of gold ep before the ink dried. I used a few little paper flowers from my stash to finish off.

This card is for the following challenges:

My time to craft: Lovely Lace

Tanda Teaser - Artful apertures

The Creative Cottage : Flowers

Stamp something: Distressed Somethings

Thanks for looking

Claire xx

Kelly has an admirer ...

I was pottering round in my craft room making this card

When my son came in, looked over my shoulder and said "Wow, gorgeous". I thought for a moment he meant my card but no, he meant Kelly with her hot water bottle lol. He's asked if I can do a life size one for his bedroom - I don't think his girlfriend would be too pleased about that though.

Anyway back to the card which is for this weeks challenge from Nicola at Pretty in Ink which is a sketch. I've used Nicola's digi stamp coloured with promarkers, some scraps of backing paper (i think from a Making Memories scrapbook kit) a couple of little pink brads and a few buttons. I had to add the 'Heartbreaker'  sticker after my son's comments lol

This card is also for the following challenges:

Creative Card Crew who have a 'Going Dotty' challenge this week

Crafty Creations where the challenge is 'Spots and Dots'

and the One Stop Craft Challenge who are also challenging us to use spots and dots

Thanks for looking

Claire xx

Mothers Day...

Is the theme for this weeks Challenge from Cynthia over at Rainbow Lady's Challenge blog. For once I've been very organised and and had made my mothers day card, my son wasn't as organised though and as I didn't get a card or pressie I decided to make this as a Mothers Day pressie for myself lol

I've used a Decor Plate from Carolines shop (part of my prize from last weeks challenge - thank you to Cynthia and Caroline)  and WOW they are fab to work with. I used tinkabella inks, acrylic paint and lots of glimmer mists for the background and it didn't bend at all. It also took the colour beautifully, the base colour is overstamped with some lacy circles from Joanna Sheen. The main images is a stamp from Elusive Images coloured with watercolour pencils and sakura souffle pens. Layered onto a smaller decorplate (coloured with chalk and embellished with some pearls). I then used a circle of gingham paper trimmed with some lace and added some yellow gingham ribbon to finish off.

I'm also entering this into the following challenges:

Crafty Ann's challenge which is lilac, pink and lemon

Tanda Teaser which is Simply Spring

Rosie D's challenge  which is Think Spring

The Pink Elephant Challenge which is Spring

Ooh La La which is 'Anything Goes'

and Pile it on which is pastels and lots of other challenges.

Thanks for looking,

Claire xx

This week's Christmas Card

This weeks challenge from the gang at Bah Humbug is a tricky one - Cool Combo's, the challenge being to combine at least 3 of their previous challenges (recycling, new stash, glitter, baubles, holly, snowmen, trees and stitching). Here is my card

I've managed to use 6 of the previous challenge themes:

Recycling - ribbon

New Stash - the cute image from Karen's Doodles

Glitter - everywhere!

Baubles - on the Dovecraft BP

Trees - on the brad at the bottom left corner

Stitching - around the Cloud 9 Sentiment

The image is painted with Tinkabella Inks and all around the image has been frosted with crushed glass glitter. The snowflakes are cut out on my cricut and again frosted with the same glitter. The bobble and wooly trim on his sleeves and trousers is flocked. The glitter card mat is made using a papermania punch (thanks to Bah Humbug's Ann for the fab tutorial for this)

This card is also for the following challenges:

Gingersnap Creations Spicy Supplies challenge (GC46) which is frosting

ABC Christmas which is 'F is for Frosty'

Karen's Doodles UK challenge which is Anything goes

Thanks for looking

Claire xx

Dream about the willow pattern story....

Willow pattern china always reminds me of my Grandma but I never knew the story behind it, you can read it on the Dragon's Dream Tag it On challenge blog (there is also some fab blog candy on offer too).  It is a beautiful story and has inspired me to make this tag for Frankie's challenge which is 'Dream about the Willow pattern story'

Its made using my brayer and various inks, the stamps are from Elusive images and Clarity. I used a white sakura glaze pen for highlights, a gold pentouch pen around the edge and added an eyelet with my cropodile. The ribbon is coloured with a blue inkpad and I added a charm made from a bottle top, an oriental sticker, some blue pearlidoodles and a little blue glitter.

I'm also entering this into the Alphabet challenge which this week is 'T is for Tag'

Thanks for looking

Claire xx

Celebrate

Here's my entry for the Gingersnaps Chestnut theme challenge (GC45) 'Celebrate'

I used mauve glitter card for the background and an image from Joanna Sheens Dancing with Shadows which was printed on to acetate and glittered on the reverse. I matted this on to a background made from card which I covered with paper that had been made using starburst stains and glimmer mists, scrunched and then highlighted with gold EP. The ribbon and gems are from my stash. The beaded tassel is made using black size 11 seed beads and gold size 6 seed beads. To finish off I stamped the sentiment (HOTP) on to some tapestry card (again glimmer misted first) and edged with gold pentouch.

This card is also for the following challenges:

Creative Card Crew which is 'Celebrations'

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge: Anything goes

Pile it on: One colour + neutral (not sure if black and gold count as neutral)

Crafty Cardmakers which is 'Feminine Celebrations' and

Corrosive Challenge #54 which is a sketch this week

thanks for looking

Claire xx

Another quick card

Using this cute image and sketch for this weeks challenge from Sassy Cheryl's (don't you just love her feet!!)

I've used some black tapestry card and some plain red card (stamped with a little butterfly from the Stampman) and coloured the image with promarkers. I used some more little red butterflies and some card candy to finish off.

I've made this card for the following challenges too:

Flutter by Wednesday which is an open challenge this week (of course with a butterfly,angel or fairy)

Dare you to Digistamp which is to use no patterned papers

and Just Scraps which is a colour challenge (Black, white and red all over - reminds me of a joke but i can't remember it lol)

Thanks for looking, I'm off to get inky now

Claire xx

Peace at last

After a whirlwind of a week at work I got home to find my son and his mates in full party mode ready for the weekend. I have proof that I'm definitely getting old as the noise shaking the house was definitely not music lol. At last they've gone out and i've had some peace and quiet to do a bit of crafting. Here's my first quick card using 'Kelly with balloon' from Pretty in Ink.

The papers are from HOTP . Kelly is printed on to ivory card with a bit of a twinkle, don't know where I got it (in fact I didn't know I had it lol) but I love the effect. She is coloured with promarkers and matted on to a little brown card. The ribbon is from my stash and looks a funny colour in the pic, its more the colour of Kelly' s top in the flesh. The flower is punched, cuttlebugged, and inked to match, the clear gem in the centre has been coloured with espresso alcohol ink.

I'm also entering this card in to the challenge from Creative Cottage which, as it is their first challenge, is new (Kelly is my newest digistamp) and Colour Create which is a colour challenge this week inspired by this yummy pic

Thanks for looking

Have a good weekend everyone

Claire xx

Something Completely Different

I'm so busy at work at the minute I've had to dip out of some of the swaps I usually take part in and I've really been missing fat book swaps, I love the 4x4 format so I had to take the chance to make a 'thrinchie' which is the challenge this month at Something Completely Different the theme this week is love and romance.Here is my little love thrinchie (sounds a bit naughty doesn't it lol)

I used l bits from my scrapbox for this, an elusive images heart stamp, some tiny black buttons, organza ribbon and a crystal buckle.

A quick tip - if you have a scrap store locally check it out for some fabby craft bargains. Ours is a charity which collects stuff from local companies that would be thrown away - I popped in for the first time yesterday and was amazed at the amount of stuff they had - everything from magazines, buttons, paper, card, vinyl, wood, and best of all - a HUGE bag of ribbons for £2.38. I was a very happy bunny and will be spending many a happy hour stroking all my lovely new ribbons

Thanks for looking

Claire xx

Scrap box snowman

I can't get over how many Christmas cards I've made already and its not even Easter yet. I've made this little snowman card from bits left over from last years cards.

The snowman image, scarf and mittens are all See D's stamps, coloured with promarkers. The papers were freebies. The challenge at Bah Humbug this week is 'Stitching/ Faux Stitching' and this border had white faux stitching which I went over with a red glaze pen. Fab's Big Christmas Card Challenge this week is 'Alternative Techniques' and I used flocking on the snowman for this challenge as I'd never used it before. It hardly shows up on the pic but it does give the snowman a lovely texture.

Thanks for looking

Claire xx

Mothers Day Card

I go to jewellery making workshops on Saturday afternoons and yesterday we made some little beaded tassels. I chose indigo and gold beads for mine and the deep blue made me think of iris, one of my favourite flowers. I decided to make a Mothers Day card using a gorgeous iris digi stamp. Huge apols but I can't remember where it was from, I try to be organised when saving digis but this one slipped through the net.

The bp is from an Artylicious cd (Seasons Greetings, I think). The image is coloured with inktense pencils and highlighted with a little shimmery chalk and then matted and layered on to blue silk mirri card and gold mirri. The ribbon and brads were from my stash and the sentiment stamp is from Elusive images.

This card is for 3 challenges:

Truly Scrumptious: A sketch challenge with the option of 'good enough to eat'

C.R.A.F.T. challenge which is Mothers Day/flowers

Pink Elephant: which is to add Green.

Thanks for looking

Claire xx

Mad as a March Hare

Here is another beeswax tag, I'm very new to working with beeswax and want to practice before I make a wedding collage. This is the results of my efforts this morning

I love the effect of the beeswax, it really adds dimension to the project and of course its great for sticking all sorts of stuff on with. I started with a tag made from white linen card and covered it with tissue paper stamped with sheet music by Tim Holtz and some HOTP swirls. The March Hare image is actually a White Rabbit image from the Graphics fairy which I tore out and added with beeswax. I then cut the hare out and decoupaged it by using a thick layer of beeswax. I then added some pressed white flowers, some tiny silver stars and microbeads, some clear fb gems and a Tanda stamps watch stamped onto acetate and backed with some silver metal leaf. I added extra beeswax around the edges and let it cool a little before stamping into it with a HOTP swirl stamp. I then scraped excess wax off the main image and off the watch. I finished the tag by rubbing over the swirls and around the edges with some silver rub on, a pewter coloured eyelet and some black and white lace.

This tag is for several challenges:

Dragons Dream Tag it on: Mad March Days (Some fabby blog candy here too so well worth a look)

Tuesday Taggers: Swirls and curls, with a special prize from Crafty Individuals this week

Lots to Do: Distressed

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge: Shades of Grey

Crafty Creations: All one colour

Thanks for looking

Claire xx

Birthday card for MIL

 I'm so lucky as my MIL is one of my best friends so I hope she likes this card. I have had a terrible job scanning this card, because of the mirri card I think.

My MIL loves peacocks so when I saw this weeks challenge on Rainbow Lady's Challenge blog was to create a fan, I had to use the gorgeous fan strut stamp from Elusive images for this card. I stamped the fan strut 5 times on to parchment with white EP, added aquamarine ink on the reverse to give a hint of colour. It looked a little harsh so I rubbed some versafine sepia ink over the front to tone it down and embellished the fan with some fb gems and attatched the struts together with a pearl brad.
The satin bp and gorgeous vintage lady image are from Joanna Sheen's Fashion boutique cd and were left from another project. The bp wasn't quite big enough for the 8x8 card so I added astrip of gold mirri card which I embossed with straight lines and some organza ribbon. The little perfume bottles are also from Joanna Sheen, I stamped them on to acetate with versamark and embossed with gold detail EP. Once I'd cut them out I used alcohol inks in stream, butterscotch and ginger on the reverse to make them look like they had perfume in. I stuck them on with tiny dots of silicone behind the embossing - hope they stay on lol. To finish off the card I coloured some tiny pearls with marine promarker.
This card is also for the following challenges:
Gingersnap Creations: GC44 Random Redhead Challenge - Birthday Greetings (Gingersnaps are also celebrating their first birthday so Happy Birthday to them too. Gingersnaps have some fab blog candy up for grabs, have a look here
Daring cardmakers challenge which is aquamarine
and Alphabet Challenge which is 'S is for stamping'
Have a good weekend everyone and thanks for looking
Claire xx