A new challenge from the mermaids at Michelle Perkett Studios!

This week the challenge at Michelle Perkett Studio's is hosted by Jan's team and they have a fab challenge for you ... 'Hold on to Summer Fun'. Summer is nearly over here in the UK but I thought this image was perfect for a summery themed card. I don't often make baby cards but I just love this image from Michelle Perkett, Enchanted Slumber Fairy (you can find it in Michelle's store here)

The image is coloured with promarkers and has lots of sakura stardust highlights. I love making my own backgrounds and embellies and I had loads of fun making this card. The backgrounds are maded from assorted starburst stains sloshed onto copier paper and scrunched up. Once it was dry I gave at another spray with glimmer mist in pearl for a bit more bling!! The flowers and leaves are made with ribbon using techniques from the Crafty Ribbons blog with some sparkly brads in the centres. I used the bps i'd made, flowers and ribbon to decorate an easel card. I also stamped a new baby sentiment and embossed with pale pink EP - now I just need someone to have a baby so I can send it to them lol!!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Flutter by Wednesday: Open challenge with a butterfly angel or fairy

Lots to do : Angels and Fairies

Drunken Stampers: Favourite Summer Song (Hey Baby - my friend and I have sung this many a time when she's got the karaoke machine out after a bbq on a summer evening, so its doubly apt for the drunken stampers lol)

One stitch at a time: Girly/colour inspiration challenge

Cupcake craft challenge: Let's get digital

City Crafter: Let your Light Shine

Thanks for calling by, I hope you're going to try and join Jan and her mermaids at Michelle Perkett Studio this week

Claire xx

A new challenge and blog hop at Cowgirl's Sunday Stamp'en Challenge!!

Wow, its all happening at Cowgirl's Sunday Stampen Challenge this week, we have a fab new challenge 'Handmade Flowers' and a blog hop too as we are celebrating a whole bunch of brand new images in CJ's store 'Cowgirl Up Designs Digital Stampen Ranch'. Bunch being the operative word as CJ is launching loads of new floral images and if you're quick there is 25% off!!!  We're also celebrating as this week we welcome lots of new ladies to the posse at Cowgirl's Sunday Stamp'en Challenge!!!!

As usual we have a wonderful sponsor, the lucky winner of this weeks challenge will win these gorgeous ribbons from Crafty Ribbons , 3 of CJ's fabulous images AND the winner's badge to display on their blog!!

How gorgoeus are those ribbons??? Pop over to the Crafty Ribbons blog too as there are some amazing tutorials for making ribbon flowers and lots of other things too. You don't have to make ribbon flowers to enter this weeks challenge, you could use your punches, diecuts, grungepaper, what ever you fancy... I can't wait to see what you can come up with!!
Don't forget the top 3 also get 2 of CJs images and the blog badge too!

Here's my card made with one of CJ's beautiful new images, coloured as usual with promarkers and then I added little white dots to the flower petals with a white gel pen. I stamped a floral flourish stamp in versamark around the edge and dusted it with orange cosmic shimmer powder. The orange gingham paper is from my stash. I made the flowers from dotty ribbons from Crafty Ribbons and added the centres which were made by flattening bottle tops in my cuttlebug and adding seed beads to the centres.

Before you go dashing off to enter the challenge, don't forget out fab blog hop - there is candy to be won so you don't want to miss out!!

All you have to do is start at April's fab blog and visit all the DT blogs, collect a letter on each blog and leave a little love on your way round. If you've arrived here from Carrie's lovely blog, then you are on the right track - the letter you need to collect from my blog is

E

The next stop on our blog hop is Elke's lovely blog so hop on over,check out Elke's gorgeous cards and collect a letter from her. Once you've collected all the letters, rearrange them in to a sentence and email your answer to raesweb@yahoo.com. You don't have to enter the blog hop to be eligible to win the challenge.

I'm entering my card in the following challenges:

For Fun: something made with ribbon or lace

Craft your Passion: Make your own flower

Dutch Dare: Vintage Summer

Allsorts: Park/garden inspiration

Thanks for calling by, hope you enjoy the hop and our new challenge.

Claire xx

Meet Camille...

Isn't Camille the mermaid a beauty?? She is another beautiful digistamp from Michelle Perkett (you can find her in Michelle's Etsy Store) and I decided to use her to make a little candle jar

As usual my dreadful photography skills haven't helped with the photo lol!! I've wanted to have go at a little candle jar for ages, my lovely friend Kerri has made loads and they are all stunning - pop over to Kerri's blog and check them out!!  I have a huge stash of stuff to alter and this old coffee jar was just the right shape for Camille.

I began by colouring the jar with alcohol inks (I used stream, lettuce and pesto) and coloured the lovely Camille with promarkers. I made a handle by twisting lime and teal wire together and wrapping it around the top of the jar and , twisting the ends together and then securing them with pliers. I then shaped the handle by wrapping the wire round my pokey tool and added a few beads from my stash as I went along. I attached the other end of the wire handle again by twisting it around the wire circling the top of the jar. I made a ribbon ruffle to hide the joins by stitching down the centre of some teal ribbon and then pulling the thread to gather it. I stitched it in place around the top of the jar.

Camille is coated with a layer of matt varnish and  attached to the jar with silicone glue. I love Michelle's mermaids and Camille is a real stunner with that gorgeous hair isn't she??

I've used a little battery operated tea light instead of a real candle as I thought it would be safer with the ribbon. I knew I had some in my stash but looked everywhere and couldn't find them. I managed to get some more from the Works - a real bargain at 3 for £1!! I got loads so you may be seeing a lot of candle jars in the future lol

I'm entering Camille in the following challenges:

Everybody Art Challenge: Sea/Beach

Digital Tuesday: Cool it

Cupcake Craft challenge: Blue and Green (one of my favourite colour combo's!!)

The Shabby Tea Room : A little bit of metal (my wire handle)

Don't forget you still have time to enter the Michelle Perkett Studio's  blog hop and challenge - our theme this week is 'Back to School' and there are fab prizes to be won!!

Thanks for calling by, I hope you are having a good weekend

Claire xx

A sketch challenge at Crafty Ann's

Another Friday and its time for another challenge at Crafty Ann's!! We had loads of goregous entries for our last challenge and this time is our first challenge in our new home on blogger at Crafty Ann's Challenge blog   make sure you visit us and check out the rest of the DTs work - some really beautiful cards as always!!

Here is my card, I love sketch challenges and really enjoyed making this card

I've used bps from Crafty Ann's mottled stone collection in pink and green, one of Ann's lovely ticket sentiments  and Ann's beautiful Music Collage 2 (you can get them from Crafty Ann's Digi Shop where there are also some gorgeous new tartan papers too!!). The backing papers are beautiful - so pretty and the pattern is really delicate (the photo just doesn't do it justice at all) I cut the papers to shape and edged them with a gold pentouch pen and added some fb gems.

I coloured the image with promarkers distressed it with vintage photo DI. I also coloured an extra violin and bouquet and decoupaged them, adding the little ticket as a finishing touch

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Just Scraps: Fussy Cutting

Donna's Den: Decoupage

One stitch at a time: Say it with Shapes

Papertake Challenge: 3,2,1! (3 gems, 2 bps and one image)

Thanks for looking, I'm looking forward to seeing your take on Ann's fab sketch!!

Claire xx

New Challenge from Michelle Perkett Studios and Back to School: Secret Word contest!!

Hi everyone and welcome to Michelle Perkett Studio's Back to School Secret Word Contest!! If you've arrived here from Andrea's fab blog you're on the right track, if not hop along to

Michelle Perkett Studio's Challenge Blog and start at the beginning as you need to collect a letter at each of the DTs blogs,  and leave a comment too. You also need to enter this weeks Back to School Challenge at Michelle Perkett Studio

 Once you've hopped around and collected all the letters, rearrange them to make a word (here's a clue - its a school subject) and then send a personal message to Michelle Perkett at either Paper Craft Planet, SNR or Crafter's Digital Art Centre including the word and your email address!! The lucky winner will recieve one of Michelle's fab new images - Hugs before School!!

The challenge starts today, August 24th and ends Monday, August 30th, 2010 at 5:00 PM MST.The two winners will be chosen randomly at that time and an announcement made on Tuesday early morning before the new challenge starts!


The letter you are looking for on my blog is

P

Your next stop on the Back to School Blog hop is my lovely teamie Tammy's blog , hop over to see her gorgeous creation!!

For our 'Back to School' Challenge, I have made a pencil pot using Michelle's beautiful image Stella the Storyteller (you can find Stella in Michelle's Etsy Store)

I have a cupboard full of things to recyle and this started life as a plastic tub of laundry whitener, I thought it would be a great pencil pot and it was really easy to make too. I covered the pot with some dp and I coloured Stella with promarkers and cut the image to size. I attached it to the pot and then added a strip of green ribbon to the bottom and some blue ribbon to the top with some red line tape. To add some interest i attached a little beaded bee ( made using seed beads and wire) to the image with a little silicone glue. Its just the right size to hold my inktense pencils.

I'm entering this in the following challenges:

The Pixie Cottage: Sketch and/or Anything but a card

I did it creations: anything but a card

Little Red Wagon: Make an altered item

One stop craft challenge: say it with shapes (circle and rectangle)

Sarah Hurley Challenge: Anything but a card

Frosted Designs: Back to School

   

Thanks for hopping by!! Good luck with the Secret Word contest, I'm looking forward to seeing your fab cards for this weeks challenge - or will you try and do a little recycling too?

Claire xx

Seeing Through....

I was so lucky to win last week's challenge at Sweet Pea stampers - this gorgeous ching-chou Kuik stamp was part of my prize from the lovely Linda at Jazzlin's Designs (huge thank you's to Linda and the rest of the fabby team at Sweet Pea Stampers). I've used 'Seeing Through' for this card

I stamped the image with versamark and embossed with black detail EP, I also dotted the sky with a versamark pen and added some clear sparkle EP to look like stars in the sky. I've coloured the image with Twinkling H20's except for the skintones which are promarkers. This new camera is not very friendly lol, I can't turn the flash off for some reason so sorry for the glare on the pic. Papers are from K&Co (distressed and inked with vintage photo DI), shimmery  floral ribbon from Crafty Ribbons, the heart shaped pearls, flowers and leaves are also from Linda at Jazzlin's with some glimmer mists and stickles added. The buttons, dragonfly brad, and lace are from my stash.

I'm so pleased I found Linda's shop, we are in a bit of crafty desert here and although Linda's online store isn't open yet you can email her with an order, Linda is so friendly and her prices are FAB!!

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Sweet Pea stampers: Lace and Pearls (they also have some fabby monthly blog candy)

Rainbow Lady's Challenge: Sparkle and Shine

Truly Scrumptious: Sketch + Brads, buttons and bows

Incy Wincy: Buttons and Bows

Lollipop: Ribbon and Buttons

City crafter: I see stars (you'll be lucky in this dodgy photo lol but they are there honest)

Craft Your Days Away: With Wings

Thanks for looking. I usually love Thursdays as it means the weekend is nearly here but I'm enjoying my week off so much I'm not in a hurry for the weekend to arrive

Claire xx

A little birdie....

This weeks challenge from Allsorts is to make a little something - less than 3" in size. I've had this tiny canvas for ages so this was a perfect opportunity to have a play

I used ecogreen paint in ocean and tidepool and blobbed them on the canvas before spreading them around with a palette knife for some texture, while the paint was wet I sprinkled on some glitter. Once the paint was dry, I stamped the little bird in a tree with black versafine. I painted a scrap of card with lime shimmery paint and stamped the bird again. I also applied some blobs of the lime paint to the tree and then some lime stickles. I attached the bird with some silicone glue for a little dimension and added some feathers (kindly donated by my parrot Sammy lol)

I'm entering my little canvas in the following challenges

Play Date Cafe: this gorgeous colour combo

Totally Stampalicious: Texture - licious!!

Tuesday Taggers - Inspired by a poem ( how about Ode to a Nightingale?)

Thanks for calling by, I hope you like my little canvas. We had blue sky and sunshine first thing but by 10.30 it was pouring with rain so I had to abandon my plans to do some weeding and potter in my craft room instead. What a shame lol.

Claire xx

A lovely award From Cathy...

I'm over the moon to receive this lovely award from my blogging buddy Cathy - thank you so much :-). Pop over to Cathy's blog and check out her gorgeous cards - she has some real beauties on her blog!!

These are the rules for this blog award

1. Thank the person who gave you the award - done!

2. Put the award on your blog - done!

3. List 3 things about yourself

• I am very very clumsy
• I qualified as a Life Coach last year
• I hate driving probably because I'm not good at it lol. When I was having my driving lessons my teacher said I was the only person he'd ever met who could drive better backwards than forward (cheek!!!!)

4. Post a picture you love

This is my little feathered friend Sammy, he's a yellow crowned Amazon parrot and I especially love this photo as Sammy hates having his photo taken. As soon as he sees a camera he attacks it so I've hardly got any pics of him. I managed to get this one the other day with my new camera. He doesn't look best pleased but at least he didn't savage the camera lol

5. Pass the award on to 5 other people. Now this is the tricky bit as I get so much inspiration from everyone's blogs but I'd like to give this award

• Suzanne
• Michelle
• Marion
• Ann
• Gina

These ladies are all amazingly talented and I get so much inspiration as well as friendship from them all. Please check out their blogs - you'll be pleased you did :-)

Claire xx

Summertime feeling at Cowgirl's Sunday Stampen Challenge!!

Over at the ranch, the challenge from Cowgirl's Sunday Stampen Challenge is 'Summertime Feeling' and I've used 'Spoonful of Sugar' a gorgoeus image from the lovely CJ Holifield (available here) for this card. I love to see babies in little sunhats and aren't they cute when the play with their feet? I hope this card brings you a little sunshine today

I hope you are going to be able to join us with a Summer inspired creation, we have a fabulous sponsor again this week - the lucky winner will receive a $10 gift voucher from The Character Cafe

The Top 3 will also get one of CJs gorgeous images and the Top 3 badge for their blog!! You know what they say ... you've got to be in it to win it!!

Back to my card now. I've used bps from K&Co and cut a couple of frames on my cricut. The frames are painted with ecogreen paint (mulch and butternut) and then layered up. The image is coloured with promarkers and the honey has been triple embossed to give it some shine. I love this image, such a cute little angel with a real vintage feel. She is attached with 3d foam pads. To finish the card off, I've added some ribbon and pearls from my stash and a couple of lovely roses from Wild Orchid Crafts which have been highlighted with gold stickles.

I'm entering this little honey in the following challenges:

Stamp Something: something digi

Rainbow Lady's challenge : Paint it!

Order of The Opus Glueii: You've got to move it,move it (use your stash!) 

Polkadoodles: vintage

C.R.A.F.T: photo inspiration (I've taken 'sweet' as my inspiration)

Totally Papercrafts: Summer fun 

I hope you're going to have some summertime fun with us at Cowgirl's Sunday Stampen Challenge. We have lots of exciting stuff happening at the ranch over the next few weeks , starting off with a blog hop next week!!

Thanks for calling by,

Claire xx

In the spotlight at Digital Delights

I'm over the moon to be this weeks Spotlight Guest Designer over at Delightful Challenges !! Thanks  so much to Wendy and the DT! How exciting, especially as I got to work with a gorgeous image from Digital Delights by LoobyLou -  I chose the supercute little bride and groom and used it for this easel card

The image is coloured with promarkers and I've added a little prisma glitter to the bride's dress and veil. The  backing papers are from DCWV and are edges with a silver pentouch pen. I've stamped a lace doily heart from Joanna Sheen twice on vellum and embossed with raspberry sorbet ep. Once I'd cut them out I attached them with a little silicone glue. I added some eyelet lace, pink ribbon and irridescent gems from my stash. I added a little charm made from shrink plastic - I stamped a heart (from Elusive Images) using silver brilliance on some clear shrink plastic and punched a hole with my cropodile. I used my heat gun to shrink it and while it was still hot, I shaped it using the curved side of a pot of glitter

 The sentiment is also from Digital Delights, I thought it was perfect for a wedding card. I've coloured the sentiment with some pink shimmer chalk, and added a little prisma glitter. To finish off, I've added a little lace and ribbon and a couple of paper roses (from Wild Orchid Crafts).

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

The Stampman: Easel Card

My time to craft: Glitter and Glitz

Dare U 2 Digi: Blooms and Charms

Glitterbabe's Challenge: Sparkle, glitter, bling and two flowers

Totally stampalicious:  Pink, Black and White

Thanks for popping by, and thanks again for putting me in the Spotlight - I'm usually very shy lol!!

I hope you'll check out Delightful Challenges and the lovely digi's at Digital Delights

Claire xx

Its here!! The first challenge over at Let's ink it up

Its finally here, our first challenge at Let's Ink it Up and we have made it easy for you this time. The challenge is 'Anything Goes' but with a twist, you must use some yellow in your project, even if its just a tiny bit! Of course LIIU is all about rubber/clear stamping so the focal point of your card must be a rubber/clear stamped image. We have a great prize for the winner:

 Scrapbook Boutique are sponsoring the challenge and have generously donated a $20 voucher for the store

Here is my creation to (hopefully) inspire you to create with us at LIIU this time:

I've had this canvas in my head for ages and I've loved every messy minute of creating it. All the stamps used are from Elusive Images. I began by colouring the canvas with ecogreen paints in butternut and clamshell and then oversprayed with glimmer mists in daffodil and starfish. I tore strips from a roll of canvas and coloured them with the leftove painty inky mess on my craft mat. Once they were dry I rolled them into little roses and highlighted them with gold stickles.

The main image was created using by stamping leaves and plants from EI Autumn Hedgerow themeplate with versamark on coated cardstock, I wanted it too look a bit misty so I sponged some dye  inks on rather than brayering it for a change. I then stamped and embossed the tree and fairy with Ranger Queen's Gold EP. I used mother of pearl mica flakes to add foliage to the tree, i love the effect they've created so I'll probably be putting them on everything now lol. The toadstools and unicorn were embossed in the same EP on scraps of white card and coloured with promarkers before being attached to the main image with silicone glue.

I made the frame by cutting out on my cricut and painting with Ecogreen paints in pomegranate and clamshell. Once it was dry I embossed with gold EP and a swirl stamp from EI. I ran a versamark pen around the inside and outside edges and again embossed in gold. I arranged the canvas roses and added some vellum leaves (from EI Diamante Delights themeplate) and some grungeboard flourishes (again embossed with gold EP). To finish the canvas I attached some lace and pink velvet ribbon to the bottom.

I'm entering my canvas in the following challenges:

Sir Stampalot: Bring on the bling

Gingersnap Creations GC 67: Go 3D 

Oh Alice: Prizes for dodo

The Pink Elephant: ribbon and sparkles 

I hope you are going to get inky with us over at Let's Ink It Up, you have 2 weeks to wow us with your stamped creation so I can't wait to see what you come up with. Whether your style is cute, grungy, or whatever we want to see what you can do with your rubber!! Dont' forget to check out my teamies fabby blogs for more inspiration, they have really excelled themselves with their DT projects for our first challenge!

Claire xx

Dragons Dream Tag it on Wendy Vecci Style

Frankie's challenge over at Dragon's Dream Tag it On is 'Die cuts' and I've combined it with this weeks challenge at Simon Says Stamp and Show where the challenge is 'Wendy Vecci' style. I love Wendy's style but don't have ny of her stamps (yet!!) so I had to rummage through my stamps for something suitable and came up with a large flower from Elusive Images to use as the focal point.

I've cut the shapes on my cricut and then coloured them with distress inks in vintage photo, spiced marmalade and antique linen and stamped them with a Creative Expressions crackle stamp. The leaves are coloured with shabby shutters. I stamped the flower twice on some white card coloured with the same distress inks and embossed with black detail EP. I also stamped and embossed the flower on some glossy card coloured with ginger and lettuce alcohol inks. I decoupaged the layers of the  flower, added some lime stickles and attached it to the centre of the tag. The oval tags are coloured the same way and I stamped a quote from Sweet Pea stamps a bee from Artemio and added a punched butterfly.

I love working with beads and decided to add a beaded hanger and attach the oval with beads, thats when it all started to go horribly wrong lol. I made the beady bits (note the technical terminology lol) with wire, myuki drops and twisted bugle beadsThe two metal embellishments are earring blanks from the local scrap store which started off with little loops which I was going to use to attach the oval - BUT I managed to snap one! At that stage I thought it was destined for the bin but I managed to remove the earrings and stick them on further up, waste not want not as my grannie used to say ;-)

I thought it would be plain sailing to attach the beaded bits with eyelets and jump rings, WRONG! I didn't have any jump rings big enough so I had to bodge some from headpins (so don't look too closely lol). Added a little metal peg as a finishing touch (not sure if Wendy is into metal pegs lol).

I'm also entering this in the following challenges:

Craft your days away: With wings

One stop craft challenge: Not a card

Alphabet Challenge: Q is for quote 

Aud Sentiments: Anything goes

Just Scraps: Anything goes

Thanks for looking, sorry about the photo, I can't blame my dodgy camera any more as my photo's are just as bad with new my camera lol

Claire xx

Winter wonderland with Michelle's Snow Godess

I've bit a little quiet on the blogging front lately, work has been a bit hectic and I've been trying to get ahead with some DT stuff too. I'd planned to post this first thing but I've been a little distracted this morning as postie brought a huge parcel full of ribbons from Crafty Ribbons and I've been oohing and ahhing over them all morning. I'm addicted to grab bags and I ordered 3, a bag of bits, and Bev's Bag which is a regular special offer - WOW, I never saw so much ribbon in my life.

Anyway, today's card is another Christmas card using Snow Godess from Michelle Perkett

I just love this image, she is gorgoeus isn't she? I've coloured her with promarkers and added some diamond stickles to the berries. The background is made using 3 layers of torn card with the edges glittered with Glenda's snowflake glitter. I always chuckle at that cos its not Glenda's, its mine lol. The snowy hills are layered over a brayered sky. I masked the moon and stamped a snow stamp over with versamark and then brayered using the blueygreen end of Hydrangea Big&Juicy inkpad. I also embossed the snowy sky with a little clear sparkle EP. I had a 'happy accident' a while ago and found that where the post it mask has been stays a little sticky and holds embossing powder - I love this effect, it added a sparkly side to the moon.

To finish off, I added some pale blue organza ribbon and a metallic sentiment (I have to confess that was to cover up a blob of glue lol, don't you hate it when you get a card finish and realise you've done that??)

I'm entering Snow Godess in the following challenges:

Bah Humbug: Winter Wonderland

Passion 4 Promarkers: Winter blues

Sew Many Challenges: Christmas in August

Creative Cottage: Christmas

ABC challenge: B is for blue

Winter Wonderland: Walking in a winter wonderland

A Spoonful of Sugar: Christmas

I'm still doing a happy dance about joining Michelle Perkett Studio's DT, you still have time to join in our challenge this week. Its a very easy one - Anything goes using one of Michelles images but if you pop over to her groups on PCP, SNR and CDAC there are some lovely freebies!!

Thanks for calling by, hope you are having a good weekend.

Claire xx

A new recipe at Cooking it up with Katie

Wow, thanks for all your fab creations for our last challenge at Cooking it Up with Katie, I hope you are going to join us again this week and see what you can cook up with our new recipe which is: punches, string and water!

We have a fantastic sponsor again with a great prize from Simply Betty Stamps. The DT were lucky enough to be able to have a play with a fab digi from Simply Betty. I fell in love with these quirky characters, and it was sooooo hard to pick but I chose 'Betty' and here is my card: 

The cardstock is from my stash (purple pearl and black glitter card) and I used my brayer and Big'n'Juicy Mountain Meadow inkpad to create the seaside background. The little bat is a rubber stamp from Stamp it Crazy.

I coloured Betty with promarkers and cut her out, she's attached to the scene with 3d foam pads. The border is punched from black glitter card using a papermania punch and layered over some orange card. I don't do punched usually, in fact I must be the only person left in the universe who hasn't got a MS punch (yet!!). I inked a domino shaped piece of stampbord with orange ink and stamped the sentiment before triple embossing it. I made holes in the corners with my cropodile and attached it with some string (coloured purple with promarkers)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Paperplay: Bon Voyage

Alphabet Challenge: P is for Punches

I did it creations: Anything goes

OSAAT: pack a punch

I love promarkers: At the seaside

I hope you'll join us at Cooking it up with Katie, why not pop over to my teamies blogs - they have some fab inspiration again this week

Claire xx

Christmas Fairy

I just got some gorgeous new sweet pea stamps and as I'd already coloured  Ching Chou Kuiks's lovely Holly Fairy, i thought she would be perfect for this weeks challenge at Bah Humbug which is... Angels and Fairies,

Sorry for the dogdy photo, my new camera is still totally baffling me lol. Holly Fairy is coloured with promarkers and I embossed the holly berries and her wings with clear sparkle EP. I used scraps of some Anna Griffin papers and followed the layout from the sketch at ABC Christmas Challenge which is also to make a quick and easy card.

 I stamped the Sweet Pea sentiment on a red tag and embossed with gold EP. I also embossed a couple of swirly flourishes cut on my cricut with some gold EP. When my mojo was missing the other week I cut loads of swirls, leaves etc out of white card on my cricut so when I need them I just have to colour them. I'm so pleased I did this as when I'm making a card, I'm usually too lazy to cut out little embellies so I'm ahead of the game now lol.

To finish the card off I added scraps of ribbon and lace, some red gems and a little poinsetta flower from my stash.

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

Sweet Pea Stampers: Swirls and flourishes (they also have a fab monthly candy too!!

Paper Jewels Ribbon and Flowers
Die cut Dreams Christmas: Poinsetta

Sentimental Sundays: Ribbon and Lace 

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge: What are little girls made of?

Thanks for looking
Claire xx

Michelle Perkett, new DT and a new challenge...

Hi everyone, Michelle Perkett has a new DT and I'm so pleased to be one of  Michelle's mermaids (I just wish I was as glamourous as Michelle's digi mermaids lol). I fell in love with Michelle's images soon after I found Blogland and I've loved working with them ever since. Michelle creates the most beautiful whimsical images ( have a look in her store here).

The first challenge over at Michelle Perkett Design Studio is an easy one ... Anything goes as long as you use one of Michelle's images (you can get some fab freebies from Michelle's groups on CDAC, PCP and SNR if you don't have any). I've used the lovely Forest Fairy for this card

Sorry about the photo, its not too good as I'm still learning to drive my new camera lol. I've coloured Forest Fairy with promarkers and added some sakura clear stardust to her wings. I love the sentiment with this image, its really beautiful. The backing paper is from Joanna Sheen's art deco range and I though the plants and birds were perfect with this fairy. I've also used green card, beige velvet ribbon, green lace from my stash. The leaves are cut with my cuttlebug and the flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts.

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

Flutter by Wednesday: Open challenge although you must use a butterfly, angel or fairy

Everybody art Challenge: In the garden (I don't know if there are any fairies in my garden but I have a big willow tree and when my son was a little boy he really thought that fairies lived in it lol

Play date Cafe: Dark Brown, green and beige

I've just realised this card has a bit of an Autumn vibe so sorry for the  reminder that summer is nearly over, hopefully we will get some sunshine and blue sky before autumn is here

Thanks for calling by

Claire xx 

Carnival Time at Sweet Pea Stampers

Its 3rd time lucky with this card as I've 2 weeks running I finished my card too late for the Sweet Pea Stampers Challenge but I made it this week. This week the theme is Carnival colours so I've used some bright primary coloured acrylic paints as a starting point and splodged them randomly on some card before spraying with coordinating glimmer mists. While it was wet I used stuck  bubble wrap to an acrylic block and lighly coated it with metallic gold paint and stamped it around the edges. Once it was dry I overstamped with a big flourishy corner stamp from Elusive Images using black versamark and distressed the edges with the same ink. I then rubbed it lightly with tissue so the black faded into the background.

The flowers are made with tissue coloured with the left over paint from making the background, cut into circles, scrinched and layered up. The Venetian mask is a fab digi stamp from Crafty Ann's which is coloured with promarkers and triple embossed.

The main image is Midnight Waiting by ching chou kuik coloured with promarkers. I used crackle accents on the wings and then once it was dry rubbed in some red stickles. The background is painted with glimmer mists. The image is matted on red and black card. To finish off i added some black velvet ribbon and stamped a sentiment from Crafters Companion on the background.

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

Gingersnaps GC 66: Paint

Cute card Thursday : Tree-mendous (the tree in the background behind the image)

Daring Cardmakers: Tree-mendous

Thanks for looking. I hope you are having a good weekend and get a little sunshine. Its dreadful weather here - really cloudy and rainy.

Claire xx

Some exciting news and a date for your diary.....

We've had such an brilliant response to the new challenge blog Lets Ink It Up that Suzanne and the DT have decided to bring the date of the first challenge forward. We just can't wait to get started so we'll be launching our first challenge on Sunday 22nd August !!

The winners for the blog candy and the great stamp giveaway will still be announced on 5th September along with our 2nd challenge so you still have plenty of time to be in with a chance of winning.

Make sure you don't forget to stop by for our new lauch, you don't want to miss the first challenge as we have a fantastic sponsor lined up so watch this space lol

Thanks for popping by

Claire xx

Christmas in August at Crafty Ann's

Its time for a new challenge at Crafty Ann's Challenge blog and this time around the theme is 'Christmas in August'. I love maiing christmas cards, in fact I have loads made all ready for this year so i've really enjoyed making this  card

I've used Crafty Ann's fabby Aga image with a cute little Tilda for this card, I can just imagine Tilda making her Christmas pud lol. I just love Ann's aga it is perfect with so many different cute character stamps :-)

The frame is cut on my cricut and is made using Crafty Ann's crimson paper from the Autumn tones Embossed hearts collections (you can get Ann's lovely papers and digi stamps here). I've used the same paper for the side panel and I've used Anns' polished stone bp in green from the pastels collection behind the aga image,

The checked bp is from my stash ( I think it may be Anna Griffin). To finish off I've added some ribbons and poinsettia flowers from my stash and one of Ann's ticket sentiments.

There is also some news at Crafty Ann's - we are moving home!! This will be the last challenge at the wordpress blog as we are moving over to blogger, pop over to the new challenge blog here to find out how you can win some goodies in Ann's blog warming celebrations lol.

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

Sentimental Sundays: Anything goes

Donna's Den: Something sweet

Everybody Art Challenge: Check it out

Fab'n'funky: Your favourite colours (I love red and green all year round)

Stampavie and More : Christmas in summer

I hope you're going to join us at Crafty Ann's, this time, I can't wait to see your Christmas creations

Claire xx 

Great stamp give away at Let's Ink It Up

This post will (hopefully) stay at the top of my blog so please scroll down for newer posts :-)

There is some more candy available at Let's Ink it Up - one of our talented DT members Kathryn (owner of KLM clear and digital stamps) is offering some fab stamps to one lucky crafter.

We already have over 200 followers at Let's ink it up but we're trying to get to our next milestone which is 300 followers. Kathryn has offered these 4 gorgeous stamps sets to one of our followers

What do you have to do to be in the running to win, well it's easy:

• 
  
  Become a follower of Let's Ink It Up
• 
  
  Write a post on your blog about Kathryn's fab prize linking back to Let's Ink It Up and also KLM Digital Designs and Clear Stamps
• 
  
  Post a picture of Prize Giveaway on your sidebar and link back to Let's Ink It Up
• 
  
  Post your comment here on the new challenge blog

Closes 4th September 2010, winner will chosen by Random Org and announced on 5th September 2010 (when the first challenge will be announced!!)

Don't forget to invite your friends along, you could win these gorgeous stamps!!

Thanks for stopping by and good luck

Claire xx

August Candy from Aud Sentiments!!!!!

Quick!! There's some fab candy at Aud Sentiments in their August blog candy! The sponsor is Denami Designs - this is a new company to me, pop on over to their site for a serious fix of cuteness!!!!!!

All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning a $30 gift certificate is become a follower, pop a post on your blog, a link on your sidebar and then add your link over at Aud Sentiments.

Easy as that!!

I was one very happy bunny when I spotted I was in the top 3 at Aud Sentiments too!! Thanks to the team over there :-)

Claire xx