Anything Mixed Media/Creative Goes at We Love 2 Create

Good morning my lovelies, I've been a bit quiet of the blogging front recently with the chaos of getting ready for Christmas and work too I haven't had a minute to post for ages but here I am with my second post of the day lol. Its our new challenge over at We Love 2 Create and as always out theme is 'Anything Creative/Mixed Media Goes'. You don't have to use our products to enter but we love it when you do! Our lucky winner will receive some gorgeous crafty goodies from Premium Craft Brands!

I've altered this MDF word to create a little Winter Wonderland scene, I didn't have a lot of time but PanPastels are fabulous to create a very quick background. I'd already created a crackle background on the MDF using acrylic paints but I set to and made a bit of a forest background on some card (cut to shape using a dinner plate lol) .  I stamped the trees with Versamark ink and used shades of Phthalo Blue PanPastel to shade the trees.I blended the excess out to create the sky but forgot to mask the moon, doh! Not a problem with Pans though as they are erasable so I used a circle die and a pencil eraser to create my moon. I added some falling snow with a White Graph'It Shake pen before attaching to the back of the MDF. Next I cut out three snowdrifts from white card, smothered them with texture paste and brushed over Course White Pearl Medium, it gives a beautiful frosty sparkle!

 I layered up the snowdrifts with silicone glue and popped my little image (My Friend Flakey from Sugar Nellie) coloured with Graph'It Markers) behind the 'O'. I created some snow on the word itself and along the front by applying texture paste and again dusting with White Coarse and Fine PanPastel Medium

Here's  a pic from above, you can see I made some little support for the image with scraps of white card.

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

Crafty Hazelnut's: anything Christmas

Daring Cardmakers: All Wrapped up

Sweet Stampin: Merry Christmas

That's Crafty: Anything goes

The Sugar Bowl: Anything goes

Well I'd better go, lots to do before the big chap in the red suit arrives lol.
Thanks for visiting today
Claire xx

Phthalo Blue extra dark	Phthalo Blue Shade	Pan Pastels - Phthalo Blue Tint	White Fine Pearl Medium for Pan Pastels	White COARSE Pearl Medium for PanPastels
Graph It shake it white marker	Graph′It Markers	PanPastel - Sofft Tools Kit

Listen to the whispers of your heart

Good morning folks, my first post today features a quick and easy card made using the beautiful stamp 'Baroque Orchids from Chocolate Baroque.  This is such a beautifully detailed stamp that I really wanted to give it centre stage on my card.

I began with some glossy white card and stamped Baroque Orchids with versamark and embossed with clear embossing powder. I took a deep breath, lined up my stamp again and was very pleased to see that the stamp joins up beautifully to create a larger panel. I embossed the second image with clear embossing powder and then applied distress inks in Shabby Shutters, Bundled Sage and a little Evergreen Bough randomly with some Cut'n'Dry foam.

I stamped the sentiment with Memento Tuxedo Black on some vellum and tore a strip to layer over the background as shown. I added some black lace, green ribbon and a black button to finish off.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges

Allsorts: Anything but Christmas

Crafty Time: anything goes

Inspiration Destination: Anything goes

Not Just Cards: Anything goes

Simply Papercraft: Anything goes

Thanks so much for visiting today

Claire xx

Make your own background at Fashionable Stamping Challenges

Good morning folks, we've got a new challenge starting at Fashionable Stamping Challenges and this time around out theme is 'Make your own Background'. As usual we're sponsored by Flonzcraft and our lucky winner will receive a $20 voucher to spend! Don't forget though we are a stamping challenge so no digi stamps are allowed.

For my card I've used some new stamps and embossing powders from Chloe's collection, I love these EPs as they are soooooooo sparkly! 

I began with a gelli plate background, I love using dye inks on my gelli plate, they give a really different effect as the ink goes into teeny tiny beads. Once I'd inked the gelli plate us with assorted shades of green distress ink I stamped with a pine bough stamp to remove some of the ink before I took a print on white card. Next I used the same stamp and Pine Needles distress ink to to add some more foliage to the background. Then I repeated this but using versamark and WOW Icicle EP for some frosty sparkle.

I stamped the images (large and small snow flower) on white pearl card and embossed with Icicle EP and layered them over the snowflakes from the same set that I stamped on acetate and embossed with a Green Embossing tinsel from my stash. I added some of Chloe's bling stones to the centre of the flowers. The sentiment in the centre was embossed with Mercury Glass EP and I added some Pine Needles DI to the large 'Believe'.

To finish off I've added lace, sparkly white ribbon and some faux pearls.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Card Mania: Christmas

Crafty Catz: Sparkle and shine

 Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas:  anything goes Christmas

Live and Love Crafts: sparkle

Natalie and Amy's Challenge: Christmas

Really Reasonable Ribbon: Sparkle and Shine

Southern Ridge Trading Company: Christmas words

Through the Purple Haze: Christmas

Thanks so much for popping by today

Claire xx

Red and Green at Graph'It Colouring Challenge

Good morning, its challenge time at Graph'It Colouring Challenge and this time our theme is 'Red/Green'. We've got a fab sponsor too, our lucky winner will receive a prize from Digital Delights by Louby Lou! Pop over to the challenge blog and find out all the details and check out my teamies gorgeous artwork too.

I've used this adorable little penguin, he's called 'Carolling Slippy' and you can find him here. I've taken this colouring palette for inspiration

I printed the image on Ultimate Graphic 160gsm paper (from Polkadoodles), I love this paper for colouring, definitely my favourite! I've coloured him with Graph'It markers (for a full list of colours used, pop over to the challenge blog). I cut him out and popped him on 3d foam pads over a little scene made with a freebie embossing folder and my trusty old Cuttlebug and some freebie stamps. The papers are oldies from my stash ad I've added two ribbons and a couple of fabric covered brads.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

A Snowflakes Promise: anything goes Christmas or Winter

Cards 4 Guyz: traditional Christmas colours

Colouring in Scrapland: Christmas

Cuttlebug Mania: Christmas animals

My time to craft: Christmas animals

Pile it on: Christmas/winter

The Crazy Challenge: Christmas

Thanks so much for popping by

Claire xx

Winter Blues at Indigo Blu

Good morning folks,I was lucky enough to make the top 3 of the Time Flies challenge at Indigo Blu  so I was chuffed to bits to be invited to join the team as a guest designer for their Winter Blues Challenge!

It was a great excuse to use my new Indigo Blu metallic acrylic paints to decorate these MDF baubles. I primed them with white gesso and then created the backgrounds with Vodka Martini and Sleeping Beauty paint to create  a graduated effect. Once the paint was dry I used an assortment of Indigo Blu Christmas stamps to decorate them. I stamped with white gesso initially and then used the metallics to highlight the images although that doesn't show up too well on my pics. Next I used Coarse Texture paste dusted with White Coarse Pearl PanPastel Medium to add a frosty sparkle. The edges were gilded with Winter Dawn gilding flakes.

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

Bunny Zoes : sparkle

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas: time to decorate

Creative Card Crew: Holiday season

Creative Craft Cottage: Christmas

Holly Jolly Christmas: anything  Christmas

Penny Black and More: anything goes with a stamp

Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge: holly jolly stamping

Sweet Stampin: Snow time

Thanks so much for visiting today

Claire xx 

Free download from Chocolate Baroque

Good morning my lovelies, a quick post from me today as I've cut my finger and typing is taking me ages with a big dressing on my paw. The moral of the story is don't do housework,,,, its dangerous lol. There's a gorgeous free download available over on the Chocolate Baroque Challenge Blog, I've used it to decorate this MDF heart and you can get it by popping over to the challenge blog!

I've covered the heart with dictionary paper and a torn piece of the download paper before ditressing with Aged Mahogany distress ink. I've stamped the Daisy Ring Centre Flower twice onto the freebie paper with versamark and embossed with Gold EP. I've cut out both layers of the flower, curled the petals and layered them up, adding a glass cabochon to the centre. I've used some dark red seam binding to create a bow and topped it with a little gold button.

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

Altered Eclectics: Anything goes

Anything but cute: its ornamental

:Lemon Shortbread: Anything goes

Not just cards: anything goes

Recycle Repurpose Reinvent: anything goes

Through the craft room door: anything goes

Thanks so much for visiting today

Claire

Winter Trees at Flonzcraft Vintage Stamping Challenges

Hello again, I'm back with my second post of the day as its time for our new challenge over at Flonzcraft Vintage Stamping Challenges where our theme this time is 'Winter Trees'. My teamies have loads of inspiration for you so pop on over to the challenge blog and check out their beautiful projects. Our lucky winner will receive a $20 voucher for Flonzcraft so don't miss out on your chance to win! Don't forget we're a stamping challenge so no digis are allowed.

I began with my frame for this project as I'd been die cutting and had these left over so I decided to use them to frame my winter scene. I used a Clarity stencil and distress inks applied with Clarity stencil brushes to create the background, using a mask die cut from a post it note to mask the moon. I've added two adorable little girls in their winter coats from Flonzcraft, they've been coloured with distress inks too. I added a die cut snowflake, holly vine and asilver bow topped with a red button a a scrap of silver twine.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Artistic Stamper: Christmas

Crafting for all seasons: Brrrrr its cold outside

Crafty Calendar: Let it snow

Creative Craft Cottage: Christmas

Dies R us: Christmas

Paper Shelter: Christmas card

Simon Says Stamp: let it snow

Sparkles Forum Christmas: Die cuts for Christmas

Suzy Bee's Blooming Challenge: outdoor scene

That's Crafty: Seasons Greetings

Thanks so much for visiting today

Claire xx

Background stamps from Chocolate Baroque

Good morning folks, have you been watching the lovely Lesley from Chocolate Baroque on  The Craft Channel over the weekend? Goodness me aren't the new stamps fabulous?? This project features Studded Lattice which is a really pretty and very useful stamp. I've made a project using one of the wooden art blocks which are great fun to decorate and look lovely in a window as you can decorate both sides.

I began by painting the block with white gesso and then gave it a coat of pale blue acrylic paint, Once the paint was dry I sanded it to create a distressed effect. I stamped the Studded Lattice with versamark and embossed with a sparkly white embossing powder on both sides of the block. 

Next I die cut some flowers and coloured with turqouise PanPastel. I stamped them all with the Studded Lattice stamp, some were stamped with Gathered Twigs distress ink and some were embossed with the sparkly white embossing powder. I distressed the edges with Gathered Twigs distress ink and curled the petals before layering them up to create two large flowers. I popped a faux pearl in the centre of each. I die cut some foliage and embossed with a mix of blue and gold embossing powder. I arranged the flowers and foliage on  the block as shown and added a brass flower to the top of the block.

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

Altered Eclectics: Anything goes

Brown Sugar: anything goes

Craft Rocket: anything goes

Crafty Time: Anything goes

Noor! Designs UK: Anything goes

Simply Papercraft: anything goes

Sparkles Forum: anything but a card

Thanks for visiting today

Claire xx

Anything Creative/Mixed Media goes at We Love 2 Create

Good morning my lovelies, we've got a new challenge over at We Love 2 Create and as always its really easy to play along as our theme is 'Anything Creative/Mixed Media Goes'. Our generous sponsors Premium Art Bands have some lovely crafty goodies for our lucky winner so I hope you're going to play along. I've made a Christmas decoration for my DT project, apologies for the awful photo but the weather here as been terrible so I've had to use my Ottlite for the pic.

I began with an oval MDF blank which I covered with white card and coloured with Turquoise and Turquoise tint PanPastels, dusting with a little Coarse White medium for some sparkle. The stamps are all from Stamps by Chloe, stamped and embossed with assorted WOW embossing powders on card coloured with my Pans and also on acetate.

The flowers in the baubles are also made using Chloes' stamps, this time stamped on vellum that I'd coloured with Pans. Pans don't adhere too well to vellum which is a very smooth surface so I swiped the vellum with a versamark inkpad which makes the Pans stay put and also makes the colours a lot more intense.

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

Anything but Cute Mixed Media Challenge: anything goes

Crafting Musketeers: use a sentiment

Crafting with Dragonflies: Anything Christmas

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas: time to decorate

Creatalicious: Merry Christmas

Creative Corner: sparkle and shine

Natalie and Amy's: Christmas

Really Reasonable Ribbon: Shimmer or sparkle with ribbon/trim

Through the Purple Haze: Christmas

Thanks so much for visiting today

Claire xx

Pearlescent Violet Pan Pastel	Magenta Tint Pastel	PanPastel Turquoise Tint	White COARSE Pearl Medium for PanPastels	Violet Pan Pastel
Pearlescent Blue	Pearlescent red	PanPastel - Sofft Tools Kit

Traditional Christmas at Polkadoodles

Good morning folks, we've got a fab challenge over at
Polkadoodles and our theme is 'Traditional Christmas' so its a really easy one to join in! Our lucky winner will receive a voucher to spend in the Polkadoodles store so I hope you're going to play along. 

I've been a bit pushed for time recently, between work and home I haven't had a lot of time to craft so I decided to print out lots of goodies from the Picknix 3 Nordic Winter collection and made a quick and easy card. I die cut my card blank and backing paper and distressed everything with Gathered Twigs distress ink. I used one of the gorgeous frames from the collection and layered it up over one of the gorgeous chalkboard sentiments and then went to town cutting out lots of embellies - stars, burlap hearts etc, adding a bit of glamour dust for some Christmassy sparkle.

I added some hessian, seambinding ribbon ,a little brass button and a few faux pearls to finish off. 

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Artistic Inspirations: anything goes with a twist of Christmas

A Snowflakes Promise: anything Christmas or Winter

Come and Get It: anything goes with a sentiment

Inky Chicks: Merry Christmas

Paper Shelter: A Christmas Card

Papertake Weekly: anything goes

Quirky Crafts: anything Christmas

Thanks so much for visiting today

Claire xx

12 Days of Christmas at Eclectic Ellapu

Hello folks, I thought I'd scheduled this post but either I forgot or blogger did lol. Anyway my project today is for our new challenge over at Eclectic Ellapu where the pink team have a '12 days of Christmas' challenge for you this month! The purple team's theme is 'Cards to die for' so lots of options for you to play along.

I've used a stamp from Lili of the Valley for this card, coloured with distress inks and die cut with spellbinders. I've used backing papers from my stash, they are real old favourites. I've layered everything up on kraft card and added a scrap of gold netting (recycled packaging - I can never throw anything away lol)

I've added a seambinding bow topped with a little brass button and some die cut holly leaves, berries and a pretty little die cut star. The sentiment is also from LOTV, embossed with gold EP. To finish off I've added some little gold faux pearls in the corners and distressed all the edges with Gathered Twigs distress ink and a touch of gilding wax.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Holly Jolly Christmas: embossing

Papertake Weekly: anything goes

Stamping Sensations: Festive Flowers/foliage

Southern Girls: Patterned paper mix up

Suzy Bee's Blooming challenge: die cut

The Ribbon Girl: use any image

Wags'n'Whiskers: ribbon/pearls

Thansk so much for visiting today

Claire xx

White plus one at Polkadoodles

Good morning folks, my project today is for our 'While plus one' challenge at  Polkadoodles so its a nice easy theme for you. I hope you're going to play along to be in with a chance of winning a prize to spend in the Polkadoodles store!!

 I've gone for a sepia tone for my little altered notebook and coloured up the beautiful  digi stamp 'Cinders'  (you can find her here). I've coloured the image with my Lyra pencils and used her to cover a little notebook, adding ribbon, lace bead trim and a little flower. I've inked around the edges with distress inks and added a little gilding wax to finish off.

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

Addicted to stamps and more: make your mark

Crafts Galore Encore: use a stamp or digi

Crafty Time: embellish it

Creative Moments: anything goes

Just keep on crafting: anything goes

Simon Says Stamp: anything goes

Sparkles Forum Challenge: anything but a card

Thanks so much for visiting today

Claire xx

Dotty Centre Flower from Chocolate Baroque

Good morning my lovelies. I got all crossoppled with my posting dates over on the Chocolate Baroque DT blog but anyway here's a little  project that would make an ideal stocking filler made using the beautiful Dotty Centre Flowerhead stamp from Chocolate Baroque.

I stamped the Flower on heat resistant acetate using Versamark ink and embossed with Gold Embossing Powder. I cut the flower out and snipped in between the petals before bending each petal up a little. I stamped the center of the flower again on a scrap of my background card, embossed with Gold Embossing Powder and then cut otu the centre and layered it up over the acetate flower. This enables you to glue the flower onto your projects without seeing the glue.

It was at this point that I decided to make a post it holder as popped the flower to dry on top of some post it notes and realised it was a perfect size. I didn't bother to measure anything, just used the pad of post-its to score a strip of white linen card to fit.

I cut some scraps from my stash of inky backgrounds to cover the white linen card, edging each piece with a gold Krylon pen. I attached the pieces of background to the linen card, trapping a scrap of ribbon at each end of the inside to create a fastener.

I stuck the flower to the top of my little project and to finish off I added some dots of faux pearls to the flower.

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:
Artistic Inspirations: anything goes with a twist of feminine
Crafting for all seasons: embossing
Creative Fingers: Anything goes
In the pink: fancy folds
Karleigh Sue Challenge: one for the girls
Not just cards: anything goes
Simply Papercraft: anything goes
Wags'n'Whiskers: embossing

Thanks so much for visiting today

Claire xx

Anything Mixed Media/Creative Goes at We love 2 Create

Good morning, brrrrrrr Winter has arrived all of a sudden, we've had high winds and its been bitterly cold so I'm spending the weekend bunkered up crafting and eating chocolate so I'm not complaining too much about the weather lol. Anyway its challenge time over at We Love 2 Create and as always' we're being very gentle on you as our theme is 'Anything Creative/Mixed Media Goes'. We've got some lovely crafty goodies lined up for our lucky winner too, thanks to those lovely folks at Premium Craft Brands.

 I've been colouring with my PanPastels this week, they blend so easily especially if you add the amazing colourless blender into the mix that they are perfect for colouring stamped images.

The stamp I've used is from Prima, she's called Jing and I really enjoyed colouring her.

I find that Burnt Sienna Tint is a fab base skin colour and use Burnt Sienna and Raw Umber to add depth and shadows. Although these colours seem really dark I just use a little colour and then dip my Sofft tool in the colourless Blender and then they blend in easily. I coloured the image using Sofft tools, the teeny ones like eyeshadow applicators for the skin and one of the sponge bars for her hair. 

The bar applicators are fab as they can add a broad sweep of colour or if you use the edge you can add very fine lines. Don't forget you can use a pencil eraser with your PanPastels. I used an eraser to lift colour to create the highlights in her hair, removing the brown PanPastel and then applied Hansa Yellow Tint over the top

 The background was created with Turquoise and Bright yellow Green, blended and then overstamped with some background stamps from my stash. I masked Jing with copier paper and then stamped the text with Black Versafine ink and then stamped the stars with Versamark. I embossed the stars with blue and green WOW Embossing powders and added some stickles to the centre of the flowers to finish off.

I framed her with a plastic frame from the poundshop that I painted with acrylic paints and then swiped with versamark and applied Light Gold PanPastel here and there before sealing with some matte medium.

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

Addicted to Stamps and More: anything goes

Brown Sugar: anything goes

Crafting with an attitude: Anything goes

Daring Cardmakers: anything but a card

Inspiration Destination: anything goes

Star Stampz: all about girls

Wags'n'Whiskers: Embossing

Thanks so much for popping by today, hope to see you again soon

Claire xx

Burnt Sienna Tint	Burnt Sienna	Raw Umber PanPastel	Permanent Red Tint	Permanent Red
PanPastel Ultramarine Blue	Turquoise Pan Pastel	Bright yellow green	Neutral Grey Pan Pastel	Hansa Yellow Tint
PanPastel Light Gold Metallic	PanPastel - Sofft Tools Kit	Pan Pastel Colourless Blender