Black, Lime, and Lilac

I wasn't sure about the black, lime and lilac colour combo which is this weeks C.R.A.F.T challenge until I coloured one of my new Sweet Pea stamps (Ching Chou Kuik's 'The Serene Night')  with it and I love these colours together!

 I've followed the sketch from Truly Scrumptious and made my own bps using distress inks, cosmic shimmer mica powders and some glimmer mists for the Crafty Cardmakers Challenge which is 'Inky fingers'. My fingers are well and truly inky now lol. I've distressed the edges of the papers and the black mats with my craft knife. I've added some little black gems and a flower made from some bits of handmade paper coloured with the same inks and scrunched up.

Thanks for looking. I'm supposed to be painting in the bathroom but postie has just delivered some goodies from the Altered Element so the decorating may have to wait lol

Claire xx

Blue bird

CJ gave all her followers this cute freebie image this week to celebrate reaching 100 followers over at Cowgirls Sunday Stamp'en Challenge and I've used it to make this birthday card.

The image is coloured with promarkers and matted on some blue mirri silk card. I've used one of Crafty Ann's Mottled Stone BPs and some whilte leather effect card inked with some blue ink for the layers. I've also used some blue ribbon from my stash and a sentiment from Elusive Images.

I've used the sketch from Crazy For Challenges for the layout.  I love sketches, they really help get my mojo in to gear. I'm also entering this card in the following challenges:

Paper Sundaes: Birthdays

Rosie D's Challenge: Summer Birthdays

Aud Sentiments: Use a sentiment with the word 'love'

Incy Wincy: Things with Wings

Thanks for looking. I hope your week is going well. Its loads fresher here today as we've had some rain in the night so the dogs are much happer today  bless em

Claire xx

Here's Scooter....

This weeks challenge at Michelle Perkett Studio is 'Cutting, cutting, cutting' and the gang want to see us use our cutting tools and do some fussy cutting. I've used my cricut to cut some swirly flourished to make a frame for Scooter, a gorgeous little doggy digi from Michelle's Etsy Store (you can find Scooter and his friends here)

I've used some brown Bazzil Bling card for the base and a layer of hessian which I've frayed. Scooter is coloured with promarkers (I've tried to give him a curly coat) and I've distressed the edges with my craft knife and Vintage Photo DI. The flourishes are also inked with DI. I added some little brass buttons and a foiled sentiment to finish off

 I'm also entering Scooter in the following challenges:

Rainbow Lady's Challenge: Icecream colours (well anyone who knows me will know that I love ALL icecream but this colour combo is  inspired by the huge bowl of double choc chip icecream I had last night YUM!!)

Penny's Papercraft Patch - #32 Something with a Dog (my first time entering this challenge)

Its bliss to get up on a Monday morning and not have to go to work :-)

Thanks for visiting  me and Scooter ;-)

Claire xx

Sweet pea notebook and baby wipe beads

Well I did it, got my Bind it all off the shelf, dusted it off and had a go. It might have helped if I'd spotted the dvd in the box before I had a play but no, I didn't notice that until I put it away lol. After a lot of faffing around I managed to make this note book (don't look too closely at the slightly wonky wires)

I used covers that came with the BIA (7x5 ish) and painted them with Viva Precious Metal Paint. Once the paint was dry I ran a black stazon inkpad around the edges and stamped an Elusive Images background stamp in versamark as the cente panel. I dusted it with mica powders and then stamped some faux stitching down both sides with a HOTP stamp. I then attached a layer of wide lime ribbon and some narrower bluey green ribbon around the cover.The image is Winter Watcher by Ching-Chou Kuik, coloured with promarkers and matted on some black card with embossed faux stitching around the edge. I also added some glossy accents to the cats eye. The two flowers are made using an Elusive images stamp, the centres are bottlecaps crushed in my cuttlebug and filled with peacock blue glitter.

To finish off I added some little black gems and a beaded dangle which is mostly made of beads from my stash .... apart from the pale beaded beads which are made of baby wipes rofl.

I've got a pile of baby wipes in beautiful colours from cleaning up my inky mess but I never really know what to do with them (all ideas appreciated please lol). I tried punching one and ruined my favourite flower punch and today I managed to snap some nymo beading thread while stitching these (what do they make babywipes from? ????).

 The beads are easy to make but a little fiddly. I cut the baby wipe into strips and rolled them around a wooden skewer, fastening the end with dst. I then threaded a beading needle with nymo thread and added my beads. When I got to a baby wipe bead I stitched almost through the bead and came out near the top. I then threaded small bugle and seed beads on my needle and wrapped it around the baby wipe bead. This is attached by stitching back into the babywipe bead and then out of the top of the bead!!

I'm entering my little note book in the following challenges

Magical Crafts:Flower Power

Our Creative Corner: Keep your cool colour challenge - blues and greens

Cute Card Thursday: Renew, Reuse, Recycle (my baby wipes and bottletops)

Sketch Saturday: I've used the sketch for my cover layout

Thanks for looking, I hope you've had a good weekend. I usually hate Sunday nights but as I don't have to go to work tomorrow I'm a happy bunny :-)

Claire xx

Toe Tag You're It!!

This weeks challenge from The Burtonesque Dolls is to make a tag inspired by Beetlejuice. How could I resist lol?

I've made a brayered night sky using Mountain Meadow Big & Juicy inkpad, the stamps are all from Stamp it crazy (except for the Tim Holtz trees). I've coloured the main image with promarkers, cut her out and embossed her wings with sparkle EP. I added a few white highlights and made a beaded cord dangly bit to hang it from (it obviously doesn't like its photo taken as its hiding behind the tag lol)

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

Oh Alice: Twinkle Twinkle little bat (the challenge is to use something twinkly or sparkly but I've managed some bats too lol)

Art on the Darkside: Midsummer Night'smare

Thanks for looking. I'm debating whether I dare get my Bind it all out and have a go with it (its been sitting on a shelf in my craft room for about 18 months daring me to get it out of its box). I'm rather gadgetly challenged though so I'm not sure how I'll get on with it. Still nothing ventured nothing gained, I'll post my results later unless of course the BIA wins lol

Claire xx

Cowgirl's Sunday Stamp'en Challenge 5

Wow what a lot of fab entries we had for last weeks challenge, so many wonderful cards it was difficult to get round them all. Thanks to everyone who took part in the blog hop too and congratulations to all the lucky winnners.
Its an exciting time over at  Cowgirl's Sunday Stamp'en Challenge as we are going to be having a challenge every week from now on and there are some really fun challenges coming up!!
 This weeks challenge is a photo inspiration challenge and here's my card

Here's the pic to inspire you:

Isn't it a gorgeous quilt? You don't have to make a quilt though lol so don't worry - you can be inspired by the colours, by the quilted effect etc. I've used an 8x8 base card and made a quilted effect background using stamps from Elusive Images stamped and embossed onto white card with lilac, pink and pastel green EPs. After my last attempt at stitching on card which took FOREVER I've used faux stitching around the quilting.

The swirly, flourishy frame is cut on my cricut using the Home Accents card and inked with some Eggplant versamagic ink.

The main image is CJ's gorgeous fairy with attitude, she's called Tiare and you can find her here. Tiare is coloured with promarkers and I've used some Diamond stickles on her wings. I've cut her out and layered her over the frame with some 3d foam pads. Next I wanted something for her to glare at lol and I found the gorgeous little mouse image at Digital 2 4 Tuesday. He's coloured with promarkers and again cut out. I used  his cotton reel as a seperate embellishment and wrapped some thread around the reel and then around the mouse to look like he'd got in a tangle. I then attached the mouse, reel and thread with some silicone glue.

To finish off I added some lilac flower gems, some fb pearls and some little buttons in the corners.

Tiare and the naughty mouse are also being entered in the following challenges:

Sunday Stamper: Pearl's a Singer (use pearls on your work)

Simon Says: Friends

City Crafter: Pink Purple and pearls

Creative Cottage: Pearls and Swirls

ABC Challenge: X is for Xtra Dimension

Cooking it up with Katie: The recipe this week is 1. make or alter an embellie (my little cotton reel), add some sparkle (stickles on Tiare's wings), and use a diecut (my swirly frame)

Thanks for calling in, I hope you are inspired to enter this weeks challenge, I'm looking forward to seeing your gorgeous cards.

Claire xx

Heart and Soul

Frankie must be  all loved up following her and the lucky Fred's Handfasting as he challenge this week at Dragons Dream Tag It on is 'Heart and Soul'. For this romantic challenge i've made this tag

I've used a Tim Holtz music stamp embossed in silver ep for the background. The couple are stamps from Joanna Sheen stamped on grey card and embossed with Black Magic EP. I've triple embossed a grungeboard heart with silver EP and heated it to bubble to try and get a metal effect (got to say I quite like it lol). The flowers were going to be made out of grungepaper but I got a roll of canvas from the Works (a proper bargain at £1.99 for 2m!!!!) so I had a go  with that instead. I  coloured the canvas with brilliance inks in rocket red, pearescent poppy and crimson and once it was dry stamped it with 2 sizes of Elusive images flower stamps before cutting them up and making the roses (there's a great tutorial over at Gingernsnap Creations if you want to have a look)

I added some eyelets and a black ric-rac tie to hang it up and to attach the heart.

I'm entering this tag in the following challenges:

Sunday Stamper: Metal

Incy Wincy: Music

Allsorts challenge: Embossing

Thanks for looking

Claire xx

Its sunny here....

I've made this quick and simple card using my brayer, Hydrangea B&J inkpad (just for a change lol) and some gorgeous Artemio stamps I got recently from the Altered Element. I matted the scene on some black card and layered it over a piece of card which I brayered with the same ink and then ran through the cuttlebug. I stamped the Elusive images sentiment on some more brayered card and layered it on a scrap of black card. I love this sentiment and I though it was perfect with the image. I added a little paper flower and a couple of flourishes cut on my cricut to finish off.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Sentimental Sunday: All about you (use your favourite sentiment)

The Corrosive Challenge : Black, White + one other colour

Papertake weekly Challenge: Sketch

Gingersnaps Colour Challenge (GC60) -  Shades of Blue

Paperplay - Its sunny here (use sun or sunglasses)

Hand Full of Stamps: Joys of Summer

Its so hot here today, I'd love to be sat near the water but I'll have to settle for a walk by the ponds near my MILs lol

Thanks for looking

Claire xx

Cowgirl Up Challenge and Blog Hop with some fabby prizes!!!!!!!

This post will hopefully stay at the top of my blog til the end of the blog hop so please scroll down for newer posts.

Hi and welcome to the Cowgirl Up Blog Hop and Challenge. If you've hopped here from my lovely teamie Beccy's blog then you're on the right track. If not the pop over to Cowgirl's Sunday Stamp'en Challenge where the fun begins!! Your next stop is the lovely Gina's Blog

The challenge theme is 'Anything Goes',

it doesn't get much easier than that does it? You can use any image but of course we'd love to see you use an image from Cowgirl Up. Its a great time to treat yourself to some of CJ's gorgeous digistamps as there's a brilliant sale with 45% off everything in her shop Cowgirl Up Digital Stamp'en Ranch from Sunday til Wednesday!!!!!
We have a fabulous sponsor for your challenge this week. The lucky winner will get their crafty mits on one of CJs fab images AND this gorgeous stash from our sponsor Wild Orchid Crafts

How yummy is that???????  Wild Orchid Crafts have an brilliant selection of flowers, lace and all sorts of stash. I think I'll be popping over there on payday lol

To be in with a chance of winning, just enter the challenge and join in the blog hop too, leave a comment on each of the DTs blogs. Its as easy as that!!

Thats not all though, there is also some scrummy blog candy from CJ too. Check out this lot of DPs, ribbon, embellishments etc etc

To be in with a chance of winning these gorgeous goodies leave some love on each of the DTs blogs and then hop back to Cowgirls Sunday Stamp'en Challenge to leave a final comment!

Anyway, thanks for reading through this mega long post. Here's my card using CG's adorable image 'Lil Gabe'

Isn't he a cutie???. I've stitched the BP squares onto some leather effect card, distressed with some Vintage Photo DI. It took me ages as I'm useless at sewing lol. The image is coloured with promarkers and masked before adding the sky with some Stormy Skies DI. Again Vintage photo and more stitching around the edges of the images. The corners are cut with my cricut and coloured with the same inks.

Lil Gabe is going to be entered in the following challenges:

Passion for Promarkers: Sketch plus a male theme

Allsorts: Sketch

Magical Crafts: Something for a male/Fathers Day

Crafty Creations: Its a Stitch Up

Raise the Bar: What a Special Guy

Cupcake Craft Challenge: One for the boys

Incy Wincy challenge: for the Guys

Thanks for taking part in the blog hop, I can't wait to see your creations and GOOD LUCK with the scrummy candy!!!

Now pop on over to Gina's blog and leave her some love

And remember ...... Cowgirl Up!!!!

Claire xx

My favourite things...

I'm very fickle and love lots of things so I had plenty to chose from for this weeks challenge from Passion for Promarkers which is 'Your Favourite Things' but I've gone for 'baking'. I almost always bake on a Sunday morning - usually a cake for tea and a big batch of cookies - delish but not good for my waistline lol. Anyway I've made this card using 2 fab digistamps Crafty Ann's Aga stamp and Chessie from Cowgirl Up's Digital Stampen Ranch.

I wanted to give the card a kind of vintage country cottage look but its got a bit of a Christmas vibe going on somehow - maybe Chessie is baking her Christmas pud lol. The gingham bp, flowers and ribbon are all from my stash. The leaves are cut on my cricut (Home accents cart) and inked with distress ink.

I cut an oval of white leather card and distressed it with vintage photo DI and then added an oval of Crafty Ann's Polished stone BP in pale green.

I coloured both images with promarkers, cut them out and layered the Aga with some foam pads and added Chessie over the top with more foam pads.

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

Stamp Something: Something vintage with flowers

Sew Many Challenges: Anything Goes

Tanda Teaser: Yesteryear

Your next stamp challenge: Printed or patterned ribbon

I did it creations: 3D

Thanks for looking. I don't know about you but I'm sooooooo pleased its Friday, I've got 9 days off work now so I'm a very happy bunny

Have a good weekend

Claire xx

Bah Humbug GD - Father Christmas/Santa

I've loved being Guest Designer with the lovely team from Bah Humbug this month, this is my last week and the theme is 'Father Christmas'. I've used one of my all time favourite stamps  from Crafy Secrets for this card

I've used a 6x6 white linen base card, lightly sprayed with Crow's Nest Copper Moonshadow Mist from the Stampman. I've used another piece of inked card over a layer of copper textured card (from Kanban I think) and punched holes in the corners with my cropodile. I've made a frame using a Dreamweaver brass stencil, after embossing it I lightly ran a versamark ink pad over the top and heat embossed with some copper EP. Then I distressed with some Brilliance Copper ink and lots more Moonshadow Mist. I cut the oval out of the centre of the frame and stamped Father Christmas on with versafine ink and again distressed with copper brilliance ink.

To finish the card off I made a knotted ribbon frame by tying some copper organza ribbon through each pair of eyelets

Huge thanks to Ann, Irene and Max for letting me loose on their challenges this month. Its been a real honour for me as their work is so amazing!!! I'll still be joining in the weekly challenges though so they won't get rid of me that easily lol.

Thanks for looking, I hope you join us at Bah Humbug this week.

Claire xx

Please vote for my boy!!!

Hi everyone, no card this morning although I have lots of stuff drying in my craft room. I know how kind and generous you crafters are so I'd like to ask a favour if you have a minute to spare. My son is a budding DJ and is desperate to get a place in a new event but he needs lots of votes to have a chance.
If you have time I'd be really grateful if you would vote for him on this link http://imadj.co.cc/ . When you click on the link you will see 4 lists of names, my boy is 'Nico' - he's half way down on the second column of names.
Believe me you don't wan to listen to him - its the most awful din (not our sort of DJing at all lol)
I'm so proud of him though, he was really poorly when he was a little boy but after lots of treatment at St James' and Leeds General Infirmary he's done really well. He's been out of work for a couple of years but has finally got a job. If he gets a chance to play at this event it would be the icing on the cake for him

Thanks everyone, I really appreciate you taking the time to read this most
Claire xx

Harmony Mermaid

I've used the fab sketch from this weeks challenge from Everybody Art for this card which uses Michelle Perkett's Harmony Mermaid digi.

Sorry about the pic, not sure why its so blurry. The BP, gems, ribbon and fibres are from my stash. The gorgeous mermaid is coloured with promarkers and then i rubbed a little diamond stickles over her tail and the water. She's matted onto a layer of cuttlebugged and inked card. The little brass charm say's 'Hand made for you'

I'm also entering this card into these challenges:

Meljens: Fibres, Ribbon, Lace

Lots to Do: Quotations

Scrap the Art: Summer Dreams

Cutie Sunday: Summer

Thanks for looking and I hope summer has arrived where you are. Its a beautiful day here, shame I have to go to work

Claire xx

Creepy Birthday to you.....

This weeks challenge from the Burtonesque Dolls is 'Creepy Birthday to You' and when I saw the fab stamps I got from Stampitcrazy i decided to use them to make a creepy background for Angela, a lovely digistamp from Cowgirl Up.

I've used a deep red Bazzil card for the base and made the bp using starburst stains in Poinsetta Red Gold and Amaryllis Burgundy, Once this was dry I distressed the edges with black memento ink and masked off some clouds and a moon and inked around them. I then stamped lots of bats,a black cat and the sentiment  from Stampitcrazy and some Elusive images trees and foliage with more memento tuexdo black. I wish I'd embossed some of them now to give it a bit more depth but hey ho, I had a lot of fun with it.

I coloured Angela with promarkers and cut her out and then painted over her dress with more starburst stains and her wings with Pearl glimmer mist before attaching her with silicone glue.

This card is also for the following challenges:

Fussy and Fancy Friday: Monochrome + Wings

Digital Tuesday: Easel Card

Paperplay: something old (my old stash is my starburst stains, I've had em for ages and rarely use the red shades)

Craftalicious: Monochrome challenge

Thanks for looking, I hope you are having a good weekend. The weather here is more like November than June so I'm off to bunker up on the sofa and do some colouring. I'm easily pleased lol

Claire xx

Make a garden scene ....

Another great challenge this week from Frankie at Dragon's Dream Tag It On where the theme is to make a garden scene. At the minute my garden is full of flowers, birds and assorted insects, if we had some sunshine it would be lovely but the weather isn't on our side at the minute. I've used one of my favourite stamps from Elusive Images and I've had a go at Sheena Douglass' 'toilet roll technique' to make this tag

I've used an Elusive Images scroll stamp around the edges of the black card with versamark and dusted it with some yellow and orange mica powders before adding a couple of orange eyelets and some black velvet ribbon. The topper is made from loo roll lol. I had to have a go at this technique as it looked so much fun and made a few toppers, they didn't all turn out too well though, I think you have to be careful which stamp you use.

Anyway, I used 6 sheets of loo roll, spritzed with water til they were good and damp and then put them on top of the stamp. I pressed it down with a stencil brush and gave it a good roll with a hard rubber brayer for good measure. It took ages to dry (almost 24 hours) so I  may have wet it too much. Once it was dry I removed it from the stamp and tore the rough edges off and then sprayed it with yellow, orange, pink and brown glimmer mists. Then it had to dry again and I used some black soot DI lightly over the top with cut n dry foam to highlight the relief. I punched a couple of little butterflies out of black card to finish off

I'm also entering this tag into the following challenges:

Just Scraps: Butterflies, Birds and Blooms

Stamp Something: Something summer

Quirky Crafts: Summer

Thanks for looking,

Claire xx

Crafty Ann's Challenge 17 and some exciting news!!!!

Well aren't I  a happy crafter - I've been Guest Designer for June over at Crafty Ann's Challenge Blog and I'm over the moon to say that Ann has asked me to stay on as a member of the DT. Of course I've accepted and I'm so happy to be working with such a lovely talented team!!!!!!! Anyway back to business lol, the latest challenge theme from Crafty Ann's  is 'Embossed', i've gone for some triple embossing and also used my cuttlebug for the background.

For this card, I've used Crafty Ann's fabulous Venetian Mask 3 and the blue backing paper from Ann's Mottled Stone Collection 2. I've printed the mask onto a sheet of the mottled stone BP for the mask base and then printed the mask twice on some plain card which was coloured with gold and yellow shades of promarkers. I then cut out the yellow layers and triple embossed them before adding some blue dots with my Viva Pearl Pen. The layers were then decoupaged up with some silicone glue.

The base card is ivory pearlescent card stock with a layer of blue mirri silk card. I then added a layer of the blue mottled stone BP which I'd distressed with some stormy skies DI (I also added some yummy mica flakes to this layer with some pva glue). I popped some strips of blue mirri silk through my cuttlebug and rubbed over some gold metallic paste to highight the embossing.

I added some blue mirri silk behind the eyes of the mask and added a couple of gold gems for eyes.

I'm also entering this card in this weeks challenge from City Crafters. Ann's fabulous image is perfect for their Venice photo inspiration challenge this week

I do hope you're going to join us over at Crafty Ann's Challenge Blog for this fun challenge, I'm really looking forward to seeing all your 'Embossed' creations

Thanks for looking

Claire xx

Bah Humbug: A Christmas card for a child

This weeks challenge from the ladies at Bah Humbug is to make a card for a child. My guest designer card is a very girly offering. I've got really into pink Christmas cards lately and this one is seriously pink lol. I thought it would be just the job for a young girl.

I've used a layer of pink glitter card, then a bp made with Elusive images snowflake stamps and lots of pink glimmer mists. The image is 'Snow Godess' from Michelle Perkett's Etsy Store. I love this image, she is so pretty with her fur muff and collar. I've coloured her with promarkers and added some sakura stardust highlights. I've used some hot pink ribbon (recycled from a bouquet of flowers),a creative acrylic tag stamped with an Elusive Images sentiment. To finish the card off I've stitched some little beaded snowflakes using pink and white seed beads and some clear crystals. Michelle Perkett Studio's challenge this week is 'A stitch in time' so I'm entering this card with my beaded snowflakes as the stitching.

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone's cards again this week. I don't know about you but i've already got a box full of Christmas cards. Irene, Ann and Max have certainly got us motivated with their challenges this year.

Thanks for looking, have fun with the challenge

Claire xx

Bargains, blog hop and yummy blog candy too

Just to let you know that something exciting is happening at Cowgirl's Sunday Stamp'en Challenge this week .... there's a blog hop,  an extra challenge with a theme of 'Anything Goes and some amazing candy on offer. And even better,  CJ is having a fantastic sale with 45% off in her store Cowgirl Up's Stampen Ranch from Sunday to Wednesday so pop over, grab a bargain and join in the fun

See you there!!

Claire xx

Trip to Fantasy Land with Rainbow Lady

Cynthia's challenge this week at Rainbow Lady's Challenge blog is 'Take a fantasy trip with me' with the extra of attaching a tag to your project. I've used Elusive images stamps with a resist technique and my favourite hydrangea big & juicy ink pad to create my fantasy land background. The tag is from Creative acrylics and is stamped with a Crafters Companion Sentiment.

The main image is a Sweet Pea stamp, the ovals are cut on my cricut and the fairy is coloured with promarkers on a chalked background. I used a scrap of fantasy film for her wings. The layout is based on this weeks gorgeous sketch from 'Sweet Pea Stampers'. I've also used a punched border, some punched flowers and butterflies (decorated with some liquid pearls) for this months challenge from Sir Stampalot which is 'Punch it'. This was a tricky one for me as I haven't got many punches at all but I do like this little butterfly punch from Anna Griffin.

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

Donna's Den: a new challenge which this week is 'Happy Birthday'

Stamp Something: Happy Somethings

and a new challenge from UK Cricuteers called 'Pink Thursday' where the challenge is 'Pink Summer.

Thanks for looking, hope you are having some sunshine. Its a gorgeous day here, shame I've got to work though

Claire xx

I got carried away....

I got carried away with this weeks challenge from Dragon's Dream Tag It On where Frankie has challenged us with a fab theme of 'Acetate and Alcohol' and made two tags last night while the football was on

Both tags have acetate dragonflies coloured with alcohol inks and a little glitter glue.

The first card has has a brayered base (big & Juicy Hydrangea) using a gorgeous music and dragonflies stamp from the Stampman, hydrangea stamp from Artemio and some numbers from Paper Artsy,

The second tag has a DI background with some different paper artsy numbers, tanda pocket watch, artemio bees and plates. I also used some Moonshadow mist in copper but it doesn't like havin its photo taken lol

I'm also entering my tags in the following challenges:

Sunday Stamper: Summer of 69 (use numbers and Hels also has some fab candy this week to celebrate her birthday - Happy Birthday Hels!!)

Kard Krazy Tag Challenge: These are a few of my favourite things (Acetate, alcohol inks, DI, ink fact all things inky lol)

Gingersnaps Chestnut Theme (GC57): Wings

Raise the bar: Sweet Music

Lots to Do: Birds/Wings

Thanks for looking everyone,

Claire xx

Meet Juniper and Cecilia...

I fell in love with these cute fairies  as soon as Michelle introduced them to us at her group on PCP (you can find them at Michelles Etsy Store here).  I didn't have to wait long to invite them over for tea as I was lucky enough to win Michelle's Challenge so I thought I'd use them for my entry for this weeks challenge at Michelle Perkett Studio . The challenge is '3 Ps' - 3 papers, 3 Pearls and 3 element that have a colour starting with 'P' (mine are pink flower, pearl grey flower and pink lace).

As I'd been reading this months Craft Stamper I decided to make my own papers using the watercolour technique with a Big & Juicy ink pad (I used Hydrangea and Elusive images and Joanna Sheen stamps). Its a really easy technique - you just stamp the image onto your card with the big & juicy ink and then brush across it with lots of water to make the colours bleed. I found it worked better to use the second stamped image as the first one was soooooooo bright.  I cut each paper to size then distressed the edges with my craft knife and some memento london fog ink. I also stamped around the edges of the larger 2 papers with the edge of one of the background stamps. I cut a strip from the lace paper and added some pink chiffon lace (again coloured with the Hydrangea ink pad).

Juniper and Cecilia are coloured with promarkers and  the background is inked with the same big & juicy inkpad. I distressed the edges as before adding some little flat back pearls and some stickles to their wings and the background.

To embellish the card I had a go at some extreme crafting lol. I'd seen a couple of tutorials showing how to make chiffon flowers by heating the chiffon until it crinkled (there's a good one at Priscilla's blog). I'm not totally happy with the finished product but at least I didn't set the house on fire lol. I think I need to use bigger circles next time (or less heat) as some of them almost disappeared when I heated them.

I'm entering Juniper and Cecilia in the following challenges:

Passion for Promarkers: Pink Birthday

Allsorts: Lace and/or Buttons

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge: Include a quote

I love promarkers: A sketch challenge

Meljens Designs: Sparkle, Glitter, Bling

I'm certainly getting lots of crafting done while my 2 men are glued to the football (oops that sounds naughty -  my hubby and my son lol). The weekend soon seems to have gone doesn't it? I hope you've had a good un and thanks for looking at my creations

Claire xx

Cowgirl's Sunday Stamp'en Challenge

Here's my first DT card for Cowgirl's Sunday Stamp'en Challenge, I hope you are going to play along and join us for the challenge which is a gorgeous sketch by Andrea (of course there is a fabby prize too). Here's my card which uses CJ's beautiful images 'Wheel Barrel'  and 'Flower' , you can get both at Cowgirl Up Digital Stamp-en Ranch

I love sketch challenges and Andrea has given us this little beauty for this weeks challenge

The images are coloured with promarkers and decoupaged onto a base of 2 doilies which were coloured with glimmer mists. For the squares (which are mostly hiding behind the ribbon) I used the faux mother of pearl technique which has a lovely glimmer and sheen but its so hard to photo. Its really easy to do, I found this technique on Roni's blog 'Ink Stains' and I love it - you dab some card with liquid pearls and once its dry you rub ink over the top, I also added some more glimmer mist for a bit extra bling. The BP is by K&Co, the ribbon and pearls are from my stash. As a finishing touch, I made a little butterfly pin to peep out the top of 'Wheel Barrel' using a head pin, butterfly bead and some little seed beads.

I'm also entering this card into the following challenges:
Alphabet Challenge: G is for Green
Pollycraft Monday Challenge: Ribbon and Bling
A spoonful of sugar: Floral Delights

Thanks for popping by, I'm looking forward to seeing your creation for this weeks challenge from Cowgirl Up's Sunday Stamp'en Challenge :)

Claire xx

'Fish' from Cowgirl Up

Another card with one of CJ's new digistamps - this one uses 'Fish' from Cowgirl Up Digital Stampen Ranch 

I've used this weeks sketch from Papertake Weekly Challenge for this 8x8 card. I sprayed the white base card lightly with Moonshadow Mist in Treasure Island Aqua and distressed a piece of white leather card with vintage photo distress ink. The image is coloured with promarkers and some prisma glitter highlights in the water. To frame the image I printed Crafty Ann's gorgeous mottled stone paper (check it out here) on both sides of some bright white paper. To make it look more 'watery', I crumpled some copier paper, swiped a versamark inkpad over it then laid it over the printed sheet and brayered it. The ink transfered really well so I could emboss it with seafoam white EP. I did the same to the other side and cut 2 diagonal lines to make the flaps which were folded back and then rolled round my pokey tool to curl them.

The ribbon is from my stash and the sentiment is stamped and embossed onto a creative acrylics tag. I made a 'fishing hook' from a headpin, a few beads and a couple of feathers.

I'm entering  my fishy card in the following challenges

Totally Papercrafts: Animal Magic

Tanda Teaser: For the Big Man

Simon Says Challenge: One Image, 2 papers, 3 types of embellishment (beads, feathers and ribbon)

Cupcake Craft challenge : Dazzle us  (glitter on the water and beads)

Well thats about it for today. Thanks for looking

Claire xx

Dad's Day from Cowgirl Up

CJ has LOADS of fab new digis in her store for Fathers Day, check them out here. CJ kindly gave all us cowgirls on her DT a digi to have a play with, I chose 'Dad's Day' and here's my first card using it

The image is printed on to pearlescent card, so hard to get a photo but is has a lovely shimmer 'in the flesh' lol. The image is coloured with promarkers and the background is dusted with blue dye ink. The image is matted on to a gorgeous BP from Crafty Ann's Digi Store, its from the Funky collection and is so beautiful its a shame to cover it up really but it was just the right colour for this card. I've used a dark red 6x6 base card and added some little 'DAD' corners instead of a sentiment. The letters are from a Paperartsy alphabet, stamped on red card and triple embossed.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Our Creative Corner: Gotcha cornered

C.R.A.F.T.  : Father's Day.Mens cards

Tellen's Place: Father's Day

Thanks for looking

Claire xx

Sweet pea gift box

I was tidying up (don't worry it doesn't happen often lol) when I came across a clear plastic cotton bud box in the recycling so I decided to have a play and alter it. I'm making a bracelet for my friend using some gorgeous aqua semiprecious chip beads and brown pearls so I thought these colours would be just the job for the gift box.
 I got a pot of Viva Precious Metal paint in my Graphicus stash box so I gave the box a light sand and coated it with paint -omg I love this stuff!!!! The shimmery glimmery gorgeousness is unbelievable, i can't wait til payday so I can invest in some more colours. Anyway here is my altered gift box

And another angle to try and catch the paint effect

The image is a Sweet Pea stamp from Crafts and Me, coloured with promarkers and a dusting of ink around the edge. The image is mounted on some brown shimmer card and attached to the lid with wet glue (this stuff doesn't like dst). I raided my flower and bead stash for the flowers, using some floradoodles and the rest plain white flowers coloured with promarkers. I added some memory wire spirals too. The sentiment is stamped and embossed onto a creative acrylic tag which had been coloured with alcohol inks (stream and expresso) - hard to see in the pics tho. I added some brown velvet ribbon and a couple more flowers to the box base to finish off.

I'm entering this little gift box in the following challenges

Sweet Pea Stampers: Aqua and Brown

Crafts and Me: Friends and Family

Sentimental Sundays: New or neglected stash (my yummy new paint!!)

Tuesday Taggers: all that blooms

Gingersnaps Spicy Supplies Challenge (GC 58): Transparencies (I've used a clear acrylic tag and my recycled box is made from clear plastic)

Thanks for looking,

Claire xx

Anything Goes at Bah Humbug

The lovely ladies at Bah Humbug have set an 'Anything Goes' challenge this week and for my Guest Designer creation I've made an altered book. I'd been itching to have a go at an altered book for ages and when I saw this tutorial over at Gingersnap Creations its spurred me on to have a go
Here's the outside

And the inside:

I'm a real book lover but it was easy to overcome my guilt at defacing a book when I got my paws on a pile of old books destined for the tip. I used stamps from Elusive Images, coloured with promarkers and added a little prisma glitter and clear sakura stardust highlights. For the book base. I covered the outside with papers from the Decadent Delights cd by Artylicious and I used  lots of Starburst stains, metallic rub ons and brilliance inks in shades of red and burgundy - I had loads of fun with this and made so much mess lol. I covered the spine of the book with gaffer tape, smeared some versamark ink on and embossed with some 'antiquities' EP and added a stamped holly image using the same EP. The berries are highlighted with some glossy accents and coloured with cranberry alcohol ink


 The flowers are all made from the cut out pages of the book, inked up and crumpled before being layered up and seed beads added for the centres.. I added some charcoal grey organza ribbon, a crystal buckle and some faux gems. To finish off I made a beaded tassel with size 6 and size 11 seed beads and added a right angle weave beaded chain for a 'bookmark'. I used a couple of junk earrings from the scrap store to make a little clip to attach the bookmark which can be removed from the book.

I've learnt a lot while making this book:
1. Dont try to clean your craft knife with your thumb, it hurts lol
2. Don't drop a big blob of red alcohol ink on the image you've just spent hours colouring (and if you do, remove the worst with blending solution or stazon cleaner (or both) and cover the splodge with some ribbon ;)
3.A teeny tiny pot can contain enough glitter to make you, your craft room and two german shepherds sparkle for days

I'm also entering my altered book into the Gingersnaps Colour Challenge (GC56) which is Burgundy, Ivory and Black and is inspired by the colours of old books so I thought my book would fit the theme perfectly.

I hope you find time to join us over at Bah Humbug and have  fun creating something for Christmas .... it won't be long now lol

Thanks for looking, have a good weekend
Claire xx