My lovely blogland friends

Friday, 27 May 2011

Kids challenge at Digi's With Attitude!

Well its almost weekend at last and its time for our new challenge at Digi's With Attitude! and this week we have a really fun challenge for you ...we want to see kids cards and we'd love to see kids playing along too.
Our lucky winner will receive a fab prize from Digi's With Attitude! I've used 'Nosey Abby'  a recent release for my DT card. You can find Abby here she is one of the first of a new line of 'Tots with 'Tude' images.


Abby was coloured with promarkers and cut with a nestie. I've used bps from My Mind's Eye, some paper flowers, cerise ribbon and brad from my stash. The sentiment is computer generated, I hope it will make my sister smile lol.

I'm entering Abby in the following challenges:
2 Sisters: use a digi
I did it creations: anything goes
My mum's craft shop: favourite colours

I do hope you and your little ones will join our challenge this week, there are some amazing images at Digi's With Attitude! - perfect for kids cards. You don't have to use a Digi's With Attitude! image but if you do we'd love to see them. 
You can always pick up a freebie to play along with this weeks challenge, the gorgeous 'Gardener tween' is this months freebie, you can grab her  here.

Thanks for visiting
Claire xx

Thursday, 26 May 2011

Some enchanted evening......

Thursday is here again so its time for Cynthia's new challenge over at Rainbow Lady's Challenge Blog and this week we have a fab theme of 'Some Enchanted Evening...' (I've been singing that song all week lol). We have a lovely new sponsor this week too, my good friend Crafty Ann is sponsoring this weeks challenge so you don't want to miss out on the chance to win some goodies from Crafty Ann's Digi Shop.


I've used one of Crafty Ann's beautiful polished stone papers. overlaid with vellum stamped with some flowery corners from Joanna Sheen. I've also used one of Crafty Ann's beautiful images, Tropical beach watercoloured with distress inks and matted on a frame cut with a Marianne die. I've added a cute little Tilda, coloured with promarkers and some cream ribbon. The little satin flower is from my stash and the cute little cocktail glass charm is from the Craft Barn

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Catch the bug: Summer Celebration
Delicious Doodles: Let the sun shine
ECP challenges: pastel colours
Make it colourful: Colour a water scene
 Penny's Paper Crafty:Here comes summer 
Stamp Something: something with beachy colours
The Pixie Cottage: sketch and/or here comes the sun
Totally Gorjuss: Water or anything wet


Its definitely not summery here today, our weather is really acting up lately but hopefully it will improve for the bank holiday weekend :-) I'm sorry I haven't been around visiting everyones blogs much this week, my pc is poorly so i'm having to pop online at work when I get chance. Hopefully I'll be back to normal tomorrow. Before i go though, don't forget to visit my lovely teamies blogs as they have come up with some beautiful cards again this week
Thanks for popping by 
Claire xx

Wednesday, 25 May 2011

Our first challenge at Christmas Challenges {with sketches}

Woo hoo!!! How exciting, its time for our very first challenge over at Christmas Challenges {with sketches}, we have some amazing sketches lined up for you and the team have also got some unbelievable prizes from our sponsors too! For our very first challenge we have a very generous sponsor....All that Scraps so make sure you join in for your chance to win a $30 gift certificate!!! Now thats what I call an amazing prize :-)



For our first challenge,we have a gorgeous sketch from Janneke, who is the founder of Christmas Challenges {with sketches} and she has certainly come up with a brilliant sketch for our debut challenge.

Here's my card using Janneke's beautiful sketch. I've used a text bp and a stripe bp from Artylicious Season's Greetings cd rom. I've also made two snowflake bps, the one on the left of the pic was made by stamping Tim Holtz snowflake stamps on to white card and embossing with clear EP as a resist. I then sprayed with lots of Cosmic Shimmer spray in Midnight blue. The background on the right was made by stamping the same stamps on dark blue card with versamark and dusting with pearl cosmic shimmer powder. 

I've edged all the bps with a little glamour dust for some extra sparkle. The snowflakes and icicles are die cuts made with marianne creatable dies, liberally coated with more crystal glamour dust. The main image is ching chou kuik's Winterberry from Sweet Pea Stamps, she is a real beauty isn't she? I've coloured her with promarkers and added a little silver embossing to the trim on her dress. I use a quicke glue pen to apply the embossing powder as its much finer than my versamark pen. I also embossed the snowflakes and berries on the image with clear sparkle EP and then painted in the background with distress ink in Tumbled Glass. You can see the detail a little better in this pic


To finish off I've added some wide blue and silver ribbon from Crafty Ribbons, some pale blue gems and some clear dew drops. The sentiment is a stamp from Paper Pretties.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Christmas Stamping all Year long: Christmas and vintage
Clear it out: colouring mediums
Crafty Purple Frog: Monochromatic
Going Grey with Scrap Creations: Use at least 3 different bps
Passion for Promarkers: all the 2s (2 hand made bps, 2 printed bps
Phindy's Place: Christmas in May
Stamp Man challenge: Bingo (my line is blue/ribbon/sparkle and bling)

I do hope you're going to play along with our first challenge, you don't want to miss out on our fab prize and of course if you start your Christmas cards now you'll be way ahead by December too.
Pop over to my new teamies blogs if you get a minute, they have created the most gorgeous selection of cards to inspire you
Claire xx


Tuesday, 24 May 2011

Make your own DP at Michelle Perkett Studio

Hi there, how are you doing? I seem to have gremlins again with a leaky radiator, a poorly pc and I also think I've heard the patter of little paws in the house... I think I may have a little mousy visitor! I do hope not as I love mice and hate to think of having to evict them. I didn't have chance to investigate thoroughly with all the chaos of the leak so I'll have to look for evidence when I get home from work. If its not one thing its another but at least I'm not bored lol.
 Anyway on to today's card which features the stunning Princess Oceana from Michelle Perkett Studio, I adore this image and I've coloured her loads of times but I thought I'd give her black hair this time for a change.  You can find Princess Oceana in Michelle's Etsy Store here.


I've coloured her with my promarkers and added some dimension with viva pearl and gloss pens and some tiny sea shells from my stash. She's matted on some blue mirri card. I've created the background using Cosmic Shimmer spray in Midnight Blue and some silver firework ink, sprayed on white card and then clingfilmed and left to dry. I love this technique, its perfect for watery or icy backgrounds and looks sooooo sparkly and shimmery in real life. Once the background was dry I stamped border and and corner stamps from Chocolate Baroque and embossed with seafoam white EP. The flowers and gems are from my stash.

I'm entering Princess Oceana in the following challenges:
Aud Sentiments: No sentiment
2 Sisters:  Use a digi
Crafty Purple Frog: Monochromatic
Paperplay: Sparkle Galore
Simon Says Stamp: Sparkle and shine
Totally Gorjuss: Water or anything wet


Don't forget to check out the new challenge over at Michelle Perkett Studio, Shelley and her lovely team of mermaids have a fab challenge starting today ... they want to see you make your own backing papers. 
Thanks for calling by
Claire xx

Saturday, 21 May 2011

Michelle Perkett's Earth

Hi there, how is your weekend going? I'm home alone (well apart from the dogs and parrot lol) as hubby and son have gone away for the weekend so although the house is sooooooo quiet I've had a lovely day gardening and crafting :-). This card features Michelle Perkett's beautiful image 'Earth' (you can find her in Michelle's Etsy Store)


The image is coloured with promarkers and distressed with Vintage photo distress ink before being matted on some shimmery brown card. The bp is from the Prima Madeline range and was too pretty to cover up with loads of embellies so I've just added some brown organza ribbon to finish the card off.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Aud Sentiments: No sentiment
Crafty Catz: anything goes
Shelley's Images: Show us what you've got
Truly Scrumptious: Anything goes

Don't forget you still have time to enter this weeks challenge over at Michelle Perkett Studio, we have a nice easy theme for you this week, 'Say it with Die cuts' :-)
Right I'm going to have a lazy evening in front of the TV with perhaps a few chocs and may be a little glass of wine :-)
Thanks for visiting today
Claire xx

Friday, 20 May 2011

A colour challenge at Digi's With Attitude!

Hi again, its time for a new challenge at Digi's With Attitude! and this time we have a colour challenge: Brown, Beige plus one other colour. 


This week we are sponsored by Robyn's Fetish  and our lucky winner will receive 2 digi paper packs. There is also a prize for every 25 entries from Digi's With Attitude! too. 


Right back to my card, I've used one of the new May releases from Digi's With Attitude! called 'Monkey Business', you can find it in the store here. (and don't forget to grab your freebie too)
I've coloured the image with promarkers and distressed the edges with vintage photo distress ink before matting on some kraft card. The faux snakeskin bp is from Crafters Companion and the corrugated card is recycled from packaging. I've added some pleated tartan paper and some string with is threaded through brads in the main image. The sentiment is computer generated and is also distressed with vintage photo DI

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Crafts and me: anything goes + kraft
Die Cuttin Diva's: Masculine cuts
My Partner in Crafting Crime: Twine, jute or string
Paper Sundaes: Happy Birthday
Stampin Vacation: Animal applause
Stampin Scrappin Central: Birthday theme

Thanks for visiting, make sure you pop over to my teamies blogs and check out their fab creations if you get a minute :-)
Claire xx

An oriental challenge from Crafty Ann

Don't you just love Fridays? I certainly do, its great to think its nearly the weekend and even better when its time for a new challenge at Crafty Ann's Challenge Blog. This time Ann wants to see your Oriental projects and she has some gorgeous new oriental images too so why not pop over to Crafty Ann's Digi Shop and check them out. You don't have to use one of Ann's images to enter but we'd love it if you did. As always the winner of the challenge with receive a fab prize from Crafty Ann's! 

I've used Crafty Ann's beautiful cherry blossom image and teamed it with one of Crafty Ann's polished stone bps. I've stamped some silhouette blossom corners and embossed in black EP.


The image is coloured with promarkers and cut out with nestie Labels 11, the edges have been inked with peeled paint DI and then matted on a black faux nestie. I've added some black ribbon, a stamped sentiment (from Chocolate Baroque), dots of black enamel accents and some cherry blossoms from WOC sprayed with starfish glimmer mist.

I'm entering my card in the following challenges:
Anything goes challenge: Bingo challenge (my line is distressing,flowers,embossing)
2 Sisters: how does your garden grow
C.R.A.F.T: happy birthday
Crazy Challenge: green and pink
The Paper Shelter: Distressing
Paper and Such Design: Birthday card
Paper Sundaes: Happy Birthday
Stamp with fun: green and pink
Sweet Stamps: Birthday card

Thanks for popping by today.
Claire xx

Thursday, 19 May 2011

With a flourish at Rainbow Lady's Challenge

Hello, thanks for visiting :-) Todays offering is my DT card for Cynthia's challenge over at Rainbow Lady's Challenge Blog where the theme is 'With a Flourish'. Our challenge this week is sponsored by crafting.co.uk so don't miss out on the chance to win a fab prize!!


I've used a beautiful bp from Artylicious Butterfly Bliss cd, printed out in the turquoise option. I stamped the ornate corner stamps (from Chocolate Baroque New England Winter themeplate) and added a lilac gem to each one. I brayered a background with Big'n'Juicy hydrangea inkapad. The gorgeous stamps are from CaroLines Rubber stamps and are some of my favourites for brayered backgrounds, so many detailed silhouettes they are great to build up a scene. I die cut some flourishes using Marianne dies. The flowers are also made using Marianne dies, one of the ribbon flower ones  - I coloured tissue paper with the same inkpad and cut out 5 layers for each flower and scrunched them up lightly before adding a tiny black button  in the centres.

I'm entering my card in the following challenges:
A Spoonfull of Sugar: anything goes
CD Sunday: Die cuts or Yeehaw 
Dream Valley Challenge: Dig out the old to use with the new (the corner stamps are new and the cd is one of my oldest,and a real favourite)
Fab'n'Funky: Make your own blooms
One Stitch at a Time: anything goes
Sentimental Sundays: Handmade flower plus sentiment
Truly Scrumptious: Anything goes

Thanks for calling by today
Claire xx

Tuesday, 17 May 2011

Say it with die cuts at Michelle Perkett Studio

Hello there, Tuesday again so its time for a new challenge at Michelle Perkett Studio and this week we want to see your die cuts and of course one of Michelle's gorgeous images too. If you don't have any of Michelle's digi stamps you can pop over to her group on Papercraft Planet and pick up a freebie or two (there are loads of lovely free images on the Discussion boards). I've used 'Lily, The Fairy of Enchantment' for my card. I love to colour Lily with those lovely wings and that beautiful dress. You can find her here in Michelle's Etsy Store


Lily is coloured with promarkers and has a little glamour dust for some added bling but it doesn't show up at all in the pic. I've kept the card layout fairly plain and framed Lily with die cuts from a cuttlebug die. The bp is from K&Co I was using up scraps hence the vertical and horizontal stripes LOL. I've added some pale peachy pink roses,salmon pink lace and aqua velvet ribbon from my stash to finish off. 

I'm entering Lily in the following challenges:
A Gem of a Challenge: aqua lemon and pink
I did it creations: ribbon and lace
Kenny K's Krafty Girlz: die cuts and punches
One Stitch at a Time: anything goes
Stamps R us: going digi

 I hope you're going to join our challenge at Michelle Perkett Studio, our lucky winner will receive a gorgeous digistamp from Michelle's store!

I hope your week has got off to a good start. As usual I'm really busy at work but I suppose it keeps me out of mischief, unfortunately it also keeps me out of my craft room lol
thanks for calling by today
Claire xx


Sunday, 15 May 2011

Bouquets of birthday wishes

Hi, I love ching chou kuik's Blue Eye Fairy (from Sweet Pea Stamps) although this time around I've given her brown eyes lol. I love colouring hair and eyes and she is a real joy to colour. I had lots of fun making this card, I got my Starburst stains and mica powders out to make the background and had a great messy time in my craft room lol.


The main image is coloured with promarkers and has lots of glittery higlights. She is matted on some card coloured with Rambling Rose Pink Starburst stain.

The main bp is made from green and pink (ramblin rose pink, alpine ice rose and edelweiss moss green) starburst stains clingfilmed to create the icy pattern. I coloured some 180gsm with green and some with pink  stains and put them through my cuttlebug. I coloured the doiley with golden pear mica powder and added some flowers from WOC dusted with crystal glamour dust. The butterflies are punched from vellum with an Anna Griffin punch and coloured with golden pear and rose hue mica powders. I added some rose pink velvet ribbon, cotton lace, irridescent gems and a little heart charm to finish off. The sentiment is a stamp from Chocolate Baroque, stamped with sepia versafine and matted on a scrap of bp. Here's another pic to try and show the detail a little better.


I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Craft us Crazy: Favourite embellies and/or something new (I love WOC flowers and my something new is a new technique - colouring the doiley with versamark and mica powder)
Diva's by Design: anything goes
Dutch Dare: Winged things
Fairy Fun Fridays: here come the girls
I love promarkers: pink and brown ( my image is coloured pink and brown but I've used quite a bit of green too so delete my entry if it doesn't meet the challenge requirements ladies)
Moving Along with the Times: 2B's -  my bees are butterflies and bling
Oldie but Goodie: say it with flowers
Stamp Scrap and Doodle: Old supplies (the starburst stains are years old and this was one of the first sweet pea stamps I every bought)
Stamp something: Anything goes
Sweet Pea Stampers: Showers of Flowers
Top Tip Tuesday: Floral Frenzy

Thanks for visiting today
Claire xx

Exciting news :-)

I've had quite a bit of stress lately with problems at work and poorlies in the family but I've had such a lovely week its really cheered me up. Not only have I won some gorgeous blog candy from Little Miss Muffet Challenge and Delicious Doodles but ..... I'm so excited to say that I've been invited to join the DT at



I just love making Christmas cards and i've got a bit behind this year so it will be great to have some fab sketches to motivate me. Its a lovely friendly team, everyone is so talented its a real honour to be asked to join. You're not going to believe the amazing sponsors they have lined up already!! I'm so excited I've been jumping around the house, the dogs think I'm going Christmas Crackers LOL.
I hope you're going to get your Christmas stash out and
join us in our first challenge on May 25th :-)

Claire xx

Saturday, 14 May 2011

Grace from Michelle PErkett Studio

Hello, I'm a bit later than usual posting my card for Michelle Perkett Studio today. I had to go into work this morning and I don't know where the rest of the day has disappeared to. I've made a card using the lovely Grace (available in Michelle's Etsy Store)


The bp is one of my all time favourites from Artylicious Butterfly Bliss CD printed out in the Orange option. Grace is coloured with promarkers and matted on peach card. I've added a die cut butterfly, some peach ribbon and a sentiment from Chocolate Baroque stamped and cut out with spellbinders tag.

I'm entering Grace in the following challenges:
Crafty Creations: Anything goes
Fairy Fun Fridays: For the girls
Inspire Me Fridays: anything goes
Raise the Bar: apples and oranges
Sew Many Challenges: Anything goes

Thanks for visiting today :-)
Claire xx

Let's Ink It Up, sentiment and 3D flower

Hello folks, today I'm sharing  my DT project for Let's Ink It Up where our theme for challenge 15  is 'Sentiment plus a 3D flower' so we want to see the sentiment as the focal point of your project. I have to admit i did struggle a bit with this theme but eventually I decided to make this little wall hanging



Our challenge this time is sponsored by Kreativ Hobby and they are offering a really generous prize  so don't miss out on a chance to win!!

Kreativ Hobby
We are a Norwegian rubberstamp producer – with more than 1000 different designs. In our webshop you will find all our rubbestamps under the category “STEMPLER”. All prices are in Norwegian Kroner. We ship worldwide and all information regarding international shipping is on our website: www.kreativhobby.no  The winner can choose 4 rubberstamps from Kreativ Hobby Design. Value app. NOK 200 or $ 35


The base is a paper mache frame from The Craft Barn, I created a crackle background with green and pale pink Eco green paints and PVA blue and sloshed some gold acrylic paint around the edges. I added even more crackle with a creative expressions crackle stamp and gold EP.  I brayered a little background scene using big'n'Juicy inks and some gorgeous little tree stamps from Chocolate Baroque 'Teeny Weeny Meadow'.  The sentiment is a stamp from Paper Artsy. I've had this stamp for years and I use it again and again.
The large flower is also stamped with a Chocolate Baroque stamp, this time from Diamante Delights, its embossed with gold EP and painted with twinkling H2os.

I added some ribbon for a a hanger as I wanted to attached my beaded flowers. I LOVE seed bead work but haven't done any for ages and i've come to the conclusion I need new specs lol.
The large rose is made with size 11 seed beads in netting stitch and the tiny tulips are again made with Size 11s but this time using herringbone stitch. I added some myuki drops for the centres.

I'm entering the following challenges:
Creative Card Crew: May flowers
Creative Inspirations Paint: Inspired by your favourite colour
Dream Valley: Flowers
Oldie but a Goodie: Say it with flowers
Sentimental Sunday: anything goes
Stamp Something: anything goes
Stamping Sisters in Christ: all things beautiful
Stamping Vacation: embellish it - use beads
Top Tip Tuesday: Flower Frenzy
Use it tuesday: Use your bling

Thanks for calling by today, make sure you pop over to Let's Ink It Up and check out my teamies amazing creations and gorgeous flowers. Caz has also kindly done a tutorial for some stunning roses so you don't want to miss that either :-)
Claire xx

Friday, 13 May 2011

A sketch challenge at Digi's With Attitude!

Hi there, better late than never! Its  time for a new challenge at Digi's With Attitude! and this week we have a fab sketch for you. I love to use a sketch as I often get stuck making cards with the same old layout, its great to try something a little different.


Here's the sketch we want to see you use for this weeks challenge


I've used one of the fab new releases from Digi's With Attitude!, isn't he cool! He's called 'Wrinkled Attitude Simon' and I think he is such a funny guy ... I'm sure i'll come up with some funny sentiments to go with him lol. There are some more new releases today too,  Zoo-A-Tudes Lion & Da Neckers Bobbie Sue and more are new in the store so pop over and check them out here. In fact Cindy-Lynn has released all the gorgeous May releases this week so make sure you pop over and take a look. This week we also have a fab prize of some digi papers from our generous sponsor My Graphico and of course there is a prize for every 25 entries from Digi's With Attitude! too.

I've coloured Simon with promarkers and cut him out with a nestie. I've used some scraps of  bps from my stash and kraft card for the layout and cut some little scalloped nestie circles to mount the buttons on.

I'm entering Simon in the following challenges:
Catch the bug: anything goes
Crazy Challenge: anything goes
Papertake Weekly: fancy a punch
Pollycraft: boyz to me
Stamps R us: for the men in our lives
Try it on Tuesday: One for the boys

Well the weekend is nearly here again thank goodness. I hope you have a good one
Claire xx


Thursday, 12 May 2011

Let's feel it!

You may get a sense of deja vue when you look at this post lol, looks like bloggers gremlins deleted it so I'm trying again. Blogger is forgiven though lol as I've missed everyone so much and its so good to have blogger back :-)

Hello there, time for a new challenge over at Rainbow Lady's Challenge blog and this week Cynthia has a fab theme of 'Let's Feel it' so we want to see some texture on your cards :-)
We have a great prize for the lucky winner from our regular sponsor Chi Chi Memories too!


For my DT card this week I've combined 3 supercute images from Chi Chi Memories, thats a bit of an achievement for me as I'm a total numpty with anything technical. I eventually managed it and coloured the image with promarkers, for my texture element I added glossy accents to all the bubbles although it doesn't show too well in the pic. I added tumbled glass DI around the image with a shaving brush for the colour of the sea

I've kept the card pretty simple using some tangerine card for matting and layering and a bp from K&Co, adding some little tangerine eyelets in the corners of the image.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Allsorts: use at least 3 stamps
Bee Crafty: Birthday challenge for little ones
Catch the bug: anything goes
Crazy Challenge: anything goes
Gingerloft: under the sea
Scrappy Frogs: Anything goes

Thanks for calling by today
Claire xx

Tuesday, 10 May 2011

Mermaids galore at MPS

Hi there, I hope you're having a good week so far. Today's card features one of my favourite images from Michelle Perkett, 'Eva, the glam mermaid'. Eva is a real glamour puss isn't she? You can find her here in Michelle's Etsy store.

I've coloured Eva with promarkers and added pink and tiara stickles for a little extra bling. The bp is from GCD Rose coloured glasses and the ribbon is from Crafty Ribbons. I've added some lace from WOC and corner stamps from Clarity Stamps. The corner stamps look a lot brighter in the pic than they are really.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Creative Inspirations: Glitzy and bling
Delicious Doodles: Fantasty/mythical
Gingerloft: under the sea
I did it creations: Monochromatic
My Mum's Craft Shop: cute and girly
Paper Sundaes: Magical and mythical
Pixie Dust Studio: Under the sea

 There's a new challenge starting today over at Michelle Perkett Studio and Shelley and her talented team have a fab challenge theme for you ... Mermaids Galore! Michelle has some of the most gorgeous mermaid images so you'll be spoiled for choice :-)
Thanks for visiting today
Claire xx

Sunday, 8 May 2011

Arianna in Red

Helloooo, oh dear I'm having one of 'those' weeks again, we have a few poorlies in the family, we're short staffed at work and my internet is really playing up! Grrrrrrrrrr!! 
Anway I'm a day late with this card but better late than never I suppose :-)
I've used Arianna from Michelle Perkett for todays card, you can pick her up in Michelle's Etsy store and at the minute there is a fantastic SALE so don't miss out :-)


Arianna  is coloured with promarkers and i've used bps from Artylicious CDs and a MS border punch. The flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts, the ribbon is from Crafty Ribbons and the little gems are from my stash.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:
Delicious Doodles: fantasy and mythical beasties
Fairy Fun Fridays: One for the girls
Raise the Bar: Flower Power
Stamp Something: Digi day
Wags'n' whiskers: die cuts/punches

Don't forget, if you're quick you can still enter this weeks 'Mothers Day' Challenge over at Michelle Perkett Studio, you don't want to miss out as Michelle has an extra special prize on offer and to be in with a chance of winning you need to enter all the challenges in May!!
thanks for visiting today, I do hope my internet doesn't kick me off before this posts :-)
Claire xx
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