CCWS Blog Candy Winner

Hi there, todays the day that the blog candy winners are announced from our Blog Hop at Christmas Challenges {with sketches}! With the help of random.org's  clever random number generator my winner is.........

Paula (PEP)

congratulations Paula, please email me with your snail mail address and I'll get your goodies in the post!

Thanks to everyone who hopped along with us and your lovely comments, there is a full list of winners over at Christmas Challenges {with sketches} so make sure you check as you could be a winner

hugs

Claire xx

Your choice at Rainbow Lady's Challenge

Hi there, i'm back again with my second card of the day (If Mr Blogger is playing nicely as really i'll be at work with my nose to the grindstone as the saying goes). Over at Rainbow Lady's challenge this week Cynthia has set a nice easy challenge, 'Your choice' so you can play along with whatever you choose. My DT card features a gorgeous digital stamp from Whoopsi Daisy that i was lucky enough to win a couple of weeks ago, isn't she a cutie?

I've coloured the image with promarkers and cut her out with a nestie. The background is glimmer mists on glossy card, it looks quite pink in the pic but its actually a dark red (so much for my photography skills lol). I've added gold mirri card, distressed with a craft knife, paper flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts, ribbon from my stash and faux pearls made with my viva pearl pen.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Bearly Mine: anything goes

Crafts and Me: Christmas

Digistamps for Joy: christmas (No animals)

Divas by Design: Christmas

House of Gilli: red and gold

I love promarkers: anything goes

Paper Sundaes: Celebrate

Shopping our Stash: tie it up

Whoopsi Daisy: Sparkle and shine

Thanks for popping by

Claire xx

New Year challenge at C.R.A.F.T

Hi there, my last card as GDT for C.R.A.F.T challenge, its been great fun and I've loved it, especially seeing all your gorgeous creations :-) This week our challenge is 'New Year' and I've used a fab image from one of our sponsors for this card

This week we have two prizes up for grabs, one lucky winner will receive 5 images from Sew Many Digital Stamps 

and our other lucky winner will win 2 images from Liazstamps

I've used an image called 'Harry' from Liazstamps, don't you just love the expression on his face LOL. He's coloured with promarkers, cut out with nesties and matted on a black faux nestie. The bp is from my stash and I've added some gold satin ribbon and a flower made with a spellbinders die.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Everybody Art: Anything goes

I love Promarkers: anything goes

My Mum's Craft Shop: anything goes

Scrapbook Sisters: anything goes

Simon Says Stamp: anything goes

Thanks for calling by today and thanks to the lovely ladies at C.R.A.F.T, its been a real pleasure to join you for December's Challenges

Claire xx

PanPastels DT, Imagine the possibilities :-)

Hi there, well with Christmas and pesky internet gremlins it seems ages since I've blogged anything but today I wanted to share some very exciting news. I'm joining the PanPastel UK DT, and how excited am I?? Yes, you guessed it, thoroughly over excited lol. I wanted to have a play and share a project with my news so I've managed to grab a few hours in my craftroom and made this tag, using PanPastels of course :-)

I've had a really good play with PanPastels today and oh dear I think I have a new addiction, better warn the bank manager :-) PanPastels are such gorgeous vibrant colours,  they are velvety smooth and they blend beautifully with the Sofft tools (these are made from a very dense foam that is amazingly squidgy - technical term there lol).

I've tried them on lots of different card and they are really versatile, from watercolour card to supersmooth white cardstock. I know a lot of pastels need card with some tooth but PanPastels are just as happy with smooth cardstock. I haven't got any proper fixative, so I just used a spray of cheap hairspray instead.

I've made a few projects today but some I won't be able to share for a while, this tag was super quick to make. The night sky is made by blending black and Ultramarine Blue Shade panpastels with a Sofft Angle slice tool. I stamped the row of houses (from Artistic Outpost) with black versafine on white card lightly coloured with white PanPastel and a hint of black, cut them out and popped them up on 3d foam pads. I added glossy accents around the edges and then silver microbeads. The tiny stars are made with white cosmic shimmer glue and glamour dust. 

The larger stars were made using Jo Capper Sandon's star stamp on shrink plastic dipped in UTEE and coloured with pearl alcohol ink additive although they look black in the pic. I've never thought of trying that before until Tim's Tags and although I didn't have time to join in with the tags I was itching to get my melting pot out and start shrinking and its the most amazing fun watching the shrink plastic curl in the UTEE (OK I'm easily pleased lol). The sentiment is from Chocolate Baroque, and I thought it would be perfect for my first venture into the world of PanPastels :-)

To finish off I've added some scraps of ribbon, net and braid attached with a silver brad.

I'm entering this tag in the following challenges:

Gingersnap Creations GC129:  Starry Night

Make my Monday: Seasonal tags

Ooh La La: anything but a card

Stampotique: Shimmer, glimmer, glitter and glitz

The Stamp Man: Techniques

I hope you've all had a lovely Christmas, it seems to have gone as quickly as it came and I'm back at work tomorrow (not a happy bunny about that I can tell you) but at least its theres another long weekend coming up and lots of chocolate in the cupboard to console myself lol

hugs

Claire xx

Merry Christmas!

Just a quick post to wish all my lovely blogland friends and followers a very Merry Christmas. I hope you all have a wonderful time with the ones you love, lots to eat and drink and that Santa has been good to you. Christmas is such a special time of year, its so lovely to be able to relax and spend some time with friends and family. Special hugs to those who are on their own at Christmas or are having a difficult time.

No card today as the last few days have been so hectic I haven't had a lot of time for crafting and I'm itching to get in my craftroom and play! Footy tomorrow so I'll be home alone for most of the day so I'll be getting inky fingers lol

Enjoy your day everyone

Merry Christmas

love and hugs

Claire xx

Merry Christmas Blog hop at CCWS!!

Hi and welcome to the the first Christmas Challenges {with sketches} blog hop! If you came here from my lovely teamie Monique's blog, you are on the right track. If not please start at Christmas Challenges {with sketches}, because you don't want to miss anything!  All the DT have prizes on their blogs so there are lots of lovely goodies up for grabs!! All you need to do is leave a comment on the DTs blogs as you hop along and for an extra chance of winning a prize, enter our sketch challenge too. 

My card is made using stamps from Whiff of Joy stamped on kraft card and coloured with coloursoft pencils. The bps were all made using snowflake stamps from Chocolate Baroque with distress inks in Tumbled Glass, Tea Dye and Vintage photo oversprayed with pearl glimmer mist for some sparkle. The lace,ribbon and lacy doiley are from the Funkie Junkie and the sentiment is also a stamp from Chocolate Baroque, matted on a kraft die cut. I added some tiny blue faux gems to the snowflakes for a bit of Christmas bling

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Crafts and Me: Christmas

Crafty Purple Frog: Christmas and New Year

Inky Impressions: Christmas Cheer

My Mum's Craft Shop: Anything goes

Paperplay: christmas

Ribbon Reel: Shabby holiday 

Simon Says Stamp: bingo challenge ( my line is ribbon, gems sparkle)

Sisterhood of Crafters: christmas

Stampin Sisters in Christ: the true meaning of Christmas

Here's a pic of my prize, there are some stamps (wood mounted angels, some clear stamps and a Sweet Pea rubber stamp called Cherish Christmas), ribbon and assorted stickers:

Thank you for joining us in this bloghop, and don't forget to join us at our Bloghop sketch Challenge. You can win a lovely stamp on the CCWS Blog when you are the winner of the card using our sketch. You can upload your card on the CCWS Blog until December 29th 18:00 PM (Dutch time) and you can find the winner on the blog the day after. When you leave a comment here too, you can win this (what price you have to give away) and I will announce the winner on December 30th here on my blog. 

Now it's time to hop on over to NICOLE''s blog to see what wonderful creation she's made for your inspiration.

thanks for popping by today

Merry Christmas

Claire xx

#184 A white Christmas for Rainbow Lady

Hi there, I'm back with another Christmas card, this one is my DT project for Rainbow Lady's Challenge where Cynthia wants to see projects inspired by the theme White Christmas. 

I've used some of my favourite stamps for this card, they are all from 'Snow is Falling' by Chocolate Baroque. It was a really quick card to make as I've just stamped the image on silk coated card using a big and juicy waterfall inkpad and added some Judikins prisma glitter, matted the image on card brayered with the same ink and then on a layer of white card. The background was made using snowflake stamps from the same themeplate and the same inkpad. I've added some lace, seambinding coloured with waterfall ink and a glittery snowflake made with a Marianne die and attached to the bow with a snowflake brad.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Addicted to Stamps: Snowflakes

Creative Inspirations Paint: The holidays

Christmas Card Challenges: Non traditional Christmas colours 

Lexi's creations: Untraditional Christmas colours

Stamps+fun =creativity: favourite material for cardmaking (mine is my brayer)

Top Tip Tuesday: Christmas

Thanks for popping by

hugs

Claire xx

Pastelles for Christmas at C.R.A.F.T

Hi there, how are you doing? Nearly ready for the big day?  Today's card is my GDT project for C.R.A.F.T challenge where the theme is 'pastelles for Christmas'

This week we have 2 generous sponsors so don't miss out as that means there are 2 prizes up for grabs! One lucky winner will receive 4 images and a paperpack (or 5 images) from Robyn's Fetish

Our other lucky winner will receive either 3 digi stamps or 2 cling stamps from 2 cute rubber stamps!

I've made a shaped easel, cut out with nesties and inked with tumbled glass distress ink. The image is from our sponsor Robyn's Fetish, I've coloured with with promarkers and added Ranger Black enamel accents for his eyes. Once that was dry (don't you just hate waiting for things to dry?? I do lol) I added lots of judikins prisma glitter to the melting snowman and then decoupages his hat, scarf, gloves and pipe. I've added a marianne die cut snowflakes, some ribbon from my stash and plenty of stickles.

The sentiment is computer generated, inked with pale blue ink,  and attached to a Creative Acrylic tag with glue and stickles to make it look like ice. I'm really pleased with the effect :-)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Bunny Zoe's: Fancy folds/shaped cards

Craft your days away: Snowmen

Digital Tuesday: Winter Wonderland

Drunken Stampers: Glittery Holiday

Fussy and Fancy: Monochromatic and sparkle

Hooked on Crafts: christmas

Stamp'n'doodle: Its Christmas

Top Tip Tuesday: Anything Christmas

I don't know where this week is going, I'm still nowhere near organised for Christmas eeeek!  Hubby has been in hospital this week, he's ok and home now but with that and work I don't seem to have had a minute so I'll be battling the crowds in my lunch hour to do a bit more Christmas shopping lol

Thanks for calling by

Claire xx

Challenge #16 at Christmas Challenges {with sketches}

Hi folks, how are your Christmas preparations going? This time of year always seems to be so hectic but it will all be worth while on the day :-). If you've still got some cards to make pop on over to Christmas Challenges {with sketches} as we have a new challenge starting today with a gorgeous sketch from my talented teamie Carol.

As always we have a great prize up for grabs and this time around we are sponsored by 

Whiff of Joy, so you're not going to want to miss out!! Hop on over to the challenge blog to find out more :-)

For my DT card i've used papers from GCD Ella Blue collection, all matted on to kraft card, a kraft border punched with an EK success punch, a Marianne die cut snowflake with a little stickles. The image  is 'Window Wonder' from Di's digi Downloads,  coloured with promarkers and glittered with judikins prisma glitter although that doesn't show up too well in the pic. To finish off I've added some blue ribbon from my stash and stamped a 'Let it snow' sentiment on a die cut kraft tag

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Allsorts: brown and blue

Crafty Boots: Christmas

Digital Tuesday: Winter Wonderland

Di's Digi Designs: Christmas

Dream Valley: christmas

Everybody Art Challenge: anything goes

Little Claire's: Family Christmas

Marianne Design Divas:Christmas

Passion for Promarkers: Mega Christmas challenge

the Crazy Challenge: Christmas

We've got an extra Christmas treat for you at Christmas challenges {with sketches}, we're having a blog hop which starts on Christmas Eve with prizes on all the DT members blogs!!

Merry Christmas

Claire xx

Travelling the World at Fashionable Stamping Challenges

Hi there,  how on earth did it get to be the week before Christmas?? I'm sure I'm in some kind of time warp as I'm still nowhere near ready for the big day. It may have had something to do with the fact that I spend far too much time at work and hiding away in my craft room lol. I hope you're better organised than I am :-)

Anyway back to the important stuff like crafting lol, today's project is my DT piece for Fashionable Stamping Challenges where we are 'Travelling the world' . I've opted for an Egyptian theme but there are some amazing creations from all corners of the globe so make sure you check out my teamies fab creations on the challenge blog. As ever the lovely Marina from Cottage Crafts is sponsoring our challenge so there will be a fab prize up for grabs! 

I've made a tag, altered a body butter container and made a beaded cabochon for my project. The tag uses stamps from Non Sequitur and Chocolate Baroque, with lots of embossing and glimmer misting. The gorgeous archway isn't particularly Egyptian but its my favourite stamp of the moment and I'm using it on everything lol. Its from Texture Fragments by Chocolate Baroque and I love it. I've added ribbon from my stash , a filigree corner and a sphinx charm.

The body butter container was a lovely deep rich red so I added some alcohol inks in raisin and cranberry with some gold mixative and stamped the bigscarab beetle and embossed with gold. I found a scrap of beaded gold braid in my stash and guess what, it was just the right length for the lid, don't you just love it when that happens??

The tissue was also coloured with glimmer mists. The beaded cabochon was made by stamping a gold lily on red card and attaching a 30mm flat backed glass nugget with glossy accents. Once it was dry I trimmed off the excess card and beaded around it in peyote stitch usng size 11 red seed beads and size 15 gold seed beads. I just can't get a decent pic of it at all though so apols for that, I'll try again if it brighens up and see if I have any luck. I love to make these although those size 15 seed beads are soooooooo fiddly to work with

I'm entering my project in the following challenges:

Chocolate Coffee and Cards: tag it

Fairy Tale: gift/gift packaging

Fabulous Friday: ribbon

Fussy and Fancy: mono and sparkle

Our Craft Lounge: Hand stamped gifts

Simon Says Stamp and show: thru the looking glass

Sweet Stampin: sparkle and bling

Thanks for calling by today,

Claire xx

Colouring Challenge at Sarah Hurley's

My third post today and this time its my DT card for Sarah Hurley Challenge blog where our theme is colouring, we all love to colour don't we?? We've got a great prize up for grabs from our sponsor, Limited Runs so don't miss out on a chance to win.

I've used this cute image 'Fairy Catcher' from Limited Runs for my card, she is coloured with promarkers and die cut with a nestie. I've used some of my favourite bps from Sarah's Tinseltown Cd (you can find it here) . I thought Fairy Catcher would look perfect for a Christmas card if she was catching a snowflake so I die cut some snowflakes from white card and glittered them with glamour dust. To finish off I've added an ivory satin bow and a postage stamp sentiment from Whimsy Stamps.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Cupcake Crafts: Don't look at the light

Digital Tuesday: winter wonderland

Heartsong inspirations: Snowflakes or doilies

Limited Runs: Anything with a Limited runs digi

Paper Sundaes: anything Christmas

Pile it on: bling it up

The Pink Elephant: Snowflakes and sparkle

There's magic in the air: Winter ful with bling

Totally Gorjuss: let it snow

Thanks for popping by today

Claire xx

Angels at Rainbow Lady's Challenge

Hello again, my second card of the day and this one is my DT card for Rainbow Lady's Challenge where the theme is Angels. I did make a paper angel but the pics were even more horrible than usual so I made this card instead.

I've used stamps from LaBlanche for this card. I have to thank our very own Rainbow Lady Cynthia for introducing me to La Blanche stamps, i'm totally hooked on them and even found some I'd had years and never inked up. Anyway i soon remedied that and used the gorgeous corner stamp on silk coated card. The main image is another LaBlanche stamp, again on silk card, die cut with nesties eyelet circles and lightly inked around the edges. I've used gold mirri card for matting and layering and added some black and gold ribbon from Crafty Ribbons.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Bearly Mine: Christmas no red or green

Cards and More: Monochomatic

Craft Room challenge: punches/die cuts

Crafty Boots: Christmas

Crafty Emma's Challenge: Traditional Christmas

Lexi's Creations: no red or green Christmas

Thanks for popping by

Claire xx

GDT at CRAFT Challenge

Hi there folks, well its my second week as GDT over at CRAFT challenge and this week we have a really fun theme for you, we want to see a card with a removable item! We have not one but two fab sponsors this week so 2 prizes up for grabs. For one lucky winner there is a prize from My Creative Classroom

I can really recommend the courses from My Creative Classroom as i did one earlier in the year and it was fab-u-lous so someone is in for a real treat! There is also another great prize of 3 digi stamps from Bows and Berries.

Now this challenge had me rummaging through my craft room for my thinking cap lol. I was tempted to make something with a little gift attached but didn't have a lot of time for any beading so I decided to make a card with a removeable tag. I've used papers from GCD Joyeaux Noel pad, matted on kraft and the main image is a cute digi  called 'Festive Birdhouse' from  our sponsor Bows and Berries

The image is coloured with promarkers and I've added glossy accents to the fairy lights and polar white flowersoft and glamour dust to the snow on the roof. I've cut the image out and popped it on a little pocket made using Nesties. Here's another pic showing the tag too (sorry the colours are rubbish, my camera has bleached the colour for some reason)

The sentiment is a stamp from Chocolate Baroque and the ribbons are from Crafty Ribbons and Joanna Sheen. I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Craft your Passion: Tag you're it

One Stitch at a Time: use a digi

Papertake Weekly: Dreaming of your favourite colour Christmas 

(I love traditional Christmas colours)

Shopping our Stash: Tags or kraft

Victorine Originals: Christmas

thanks for popping by

Claire xx

Dragon's Dream of Christmas

Hi there, I've been a bit quiet lately, I'm back at work and we've been so busy I don't seem to have a minute but I really wanted to dream along with Frankie and the lovely team at Dragon's Dream Tag it on so I sneaked a couple of hours in my craft room and had loads of inky fun making this tag for their latest challenge where the theme is 'Time Changer'

I was thinking about the 'Time changer' theme for this challenge when i remembered a funny story from years ago when I was nursing. We used to have a Christmas party every year for the staff and patients children and grandchildren - the usual party games, buffet and of course a visit from Santa. This particular year our usual 'Santa' was ill so we persuaded one of the male nurses to dress up in a Santa costume and give out the presents to the children. He wasn't a happy bunny about it and got his revenge by telling all the children that they were first on his list  and he'd be visiting their house at midnight so they could get up as early as they wanted on Christmas day!!!! It still makes me giggle as the children were so excited at being first on Santa's list and we couldn't very well say Santa was lying lol. Needless to say we didn't ask him to be Santa ever again LOL

Anyway back to my tag. I've used distress inks (Wild honey, Festive Berries and Aged Mahogony) for the background and stamped with a music stamp before flicking drops of water on the background. The cogs are from Chocolate Baroque Steampunk Christmas themeplate. I've used part of one of Tims' weathered clocks, embossed with black sparkly EP as a frame for my Santa (stamped with one of my favourite stamps from Crafty Secrets). The flower is also from Steampunk Christmas, embossed with black sparkle EP on some card inked with the same distress inks. I've added some Marianne die cuts foliage coloured with evergreen bough distress ink)  and some holly berries made with red stickles and glass glintz. Here's another pic to show the sparkle.

I'm entering this tag in the following challenges:

Crafty Emma's Challenge: traditional Christmas

Crafty Hazelnut's : Traditional Christmas

Crafty Ribbons: Traditional Colours for Christmas

Crazy 4 Challenges: Its Santa

Creative Belli: christmas or winter

Dragon's Dream Tag It On: Time Changer

Craft your Passion: Add a tag

I brake for challenges: I brake for vintage

Marianne Design Diva's : sparkle and shine

My Mum's Craft Shop: Traditional Christmas

OOh La La: Anything but a card

Pan Pastels: gift tags

Sugar Creek Hollow: Vintage Christmas Tags

Try it on Tuesday: Tags

Thanks for calling by today

Claire xx

For someone special.....

Hi there, today's card is for my hubby at Christmas, I always end up making his card at the very last minute so this year i was determined to get his card made in good time. I really struggle with cards for the menfolk in the family and had racked my brains for ages but finally took inspiration from new stamps. You can't beat the smell of lovely new rubber to get the creative juices flowing lol.

 I wanted to recreate a romantic winter scene with a couple arriving at a grand party on a frosty night (not that we'll be going to any grand parties unless my lottery numbers come up lol). 

The background is made using a swirly stamp from Stampers Anonymous stamped in black in to coated cardstock and inked lightly around the edges. I stamped the main image (from Joanna Sheen's Vintage car stamp set) and the castle (from Clarity Stamps) on some silk coated cardstock and masked both with eclipse masking tape. I brayered the sky using memento tuxedo black and stamped in the forest and inked in the snowy hills, road and a little shadow under the car with tuxedo black ink and a make up sponge. The car is coloured with promarkers

I then added lots and lots of Judikins glitter to give a real frosty sparkle. It doesn't show up too well in the first pic but you can see it a little better in this one

To finish off I've added some 'snow' with a white gel pen, added some white organza ribbon and a computer generated sentiment matted on a spellbinders die cut

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Artistic Stamper: Christmas

Bling it on: Its Christmas

Crafts and me: Winter snow/snowflakes

Crafty Calendar: Cold and frosty

Joanna Sheen Challenge: Christmas wishes

Let's ink it up: Christmas projects

Make my Monday: Seasonal glitter

Oldie but Goodie: Christmas no red or green (my Clarity tree stamps are my old stamps)

Passion for promarkers: Celebrations mega Christmas challenge

Sparkles Forum: the one you love at Christmas 

Sweet Stampin' Challenge: snow something

thanks for popping by

Claire xx

Trees and Baubles and Rainbow Lady's Challenge

Hi there, you may have a feeling of deja vue when you see this post lol, that's because I got totally confused and posted it last week by mistake. Anyway hopefully this time I've got myself organised for Rainbow Lady's challenge this week which is 'Trees and Baubles'

I've used one of my favourite Christmas stamps for this card, I love this quirky Christmas tree from 'Family Christmas' themeplate by Chocolate Baroque. I've painted the image with H2os and die cut it with nesties labels 11 and distressed with bundled sage distress ink. The bp is from the Artylicious cd, Seasons Greeting. This is one of my favourite papers and I didn't want to cover it up too much so I kept the layout pretty simple and just added some green organza ribbon, some die cut leaves and rolled ribbon roses.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Christmas cards all year round: Anything goes

Craft Room Challenge: Make your own flowers

Come and get it: Anything Christmas

Fairy Tale: Christmas

Gingerloft: Winter or Christmas

Thanks for popping by

Claire xx

December GDT at CRAFT challenge :-)

Wooo hoo how exciting! I was over the moon to be asked to join the lovely team at CRAFT challenge as a guest designer this month. Of course I jumped at the chance and here is my first project.  for this weeks challenge which is a sketch challenge.

I've used gorgeous vintage papers and this lovely image from one of  our sponsors this week, Floppy Latte Designs. The aren't really Christmas images but I thought they'd work well for a man's Christmas card especially with some warm copper. I coloured the image with promarkers and distressed with tea dye distress ink. The imgae and the bps are all matted on copper mirri card. I've stamped a swirly border around the image and along the side of the main bp using a stamp from Stampers Anonymous and copper dreams EP. The sentiment stamp is from Chocolate Baroque, again using Tea Dye Distress ink and a copper mirri spellbinders die cut. To finish off I've added some faux gems and some die cut leaves, a little button and some seam binding ribbon.

We have another sponsor this week too, as well as a prize of a $10 gift certificate from Floppy Latte

 there is also a $10 gift certificate  from  the lovely Glitterbabe too!! 

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Come and get it:Christmas

Craft your days away: buttons and bows

The Crazy Challenge: anything goes

Gingerloft: Winter or Christmas

Lily Pad: Buttons

Poodles Parlour: Christmas

STamp Scrap and Doodle: Make a holiday card

Stampin with the Dragon: Anything goes for Christmas

Through the craftroom door: Happy Holidays

Thanks for calling by, make sure you pop over to the challenge blog and check out the DTs gorgeous projects 

hugs

Claire xx