Sparkle and Bling at Polkadoodles

Good morning folks, its time for some inspiration over at Polkadoodles as you've still got a week to enter our 'Glitter, Bling and Sparkle' challenge to be in with the chance of winning a gift certificate for the Polkadoodles Download Store!

Colouring this gorgeous fairy from the Serenity Collection and one of the gorgeous pages from Colour Therapy 1 Floribunda with my Lyra Polycolour pencils kept me amused for hours. I've added some sparkly beaded trim and given the fairy some sparkly wings with a little glamour dust.

I began by adding the sentiment (from Serenity)to the colouring page in Publisher. I printed the fairy separately and coloured them both us with my pencils.

Once the were coloured I took some corrugated card and gave it a wash of watered down gesso. I layered the coloured page up on one of the beautiful distressed wood backgrounds and added lace, pearls and some bead trim. I also popped some glossy accents on the 'bubbles' on the image and sprinkled them with glamour dust. I cut the fairy out and layered her up with silicone glue. I made a little hanger with seam binding ribbon.

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

Bunny Zoe's Crafts: Shabby chic

Crafty Creations: Colourful

Creative Artiste: Mixed media with lace and pearls

Creative Fingers: anything goes

Dream Valley: use blue

Fussy and Fancy: Flowers

Simon Says Stamp: anything goes

Thanks so much for visiting today

Claire xx

Exquisite Edges from Chocolate Baroque

Good morning folks, today's card has a bit of a spring theme and the way time is flying past it won't be long until Spring is here lol. I've used the beautiful 'Exquisite Edges', one of this months new releases from Chocolate Baroque and combined it with an old favourite from Elegant Spring Flowers.

I began by making a distress ink background, splodging Peeled Paint, Shabby Shutters,Squeezed Lemonade and a little Scattered Straw distress inks onto my blending mat, spritzing with water and mopping up the in with my card, dabbing up any excess ink and then splashing with water. I stamped the edge stamp with Memento Bamboo Leaves ink and used part of the same stamp to create the corner motifs too.

The primula image was stamped with Memento London Fog ink,coloured with Graph'it markers and inked around the edges with distress ink left on my craft mat. I've added ribbon and pearls to finish off.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Brown Sugar: flowers

Crafting with Friends: Anything goes

Crafty Gals Corner: anything goes

Fussy and Fancy: flowers

Simon Says Stamp: anything goes

Simply Papercraft: anything goes

Thanks so much for visiting today, if you've got a minute do pop over to the Chocolate Baroque DT blog as my teamies have some gorgeous inspiration for you,

Claire xx

Chocolate Baroque Colour Challenge

Good morning folks, we've got a gorgeous colour palette to inspire you over at Chocolate Baroque Challenge this month, such lovely colours taken from Judith's stunning card. As always there is a £15 voucher for our lucky winner and the DT will be getting their thinking caps on to choose their top 3 too.

I've used two of the beautiful stamps from Carousel Horses, to create this project. I've used one of the fabulous wooden art blocks, also from Chocolate Baroque which you can find in lots of different sizes here. I began by painting the front and back of the block with white gesso leaving a gap around the edge. Once the gesso was dry I stamped the horses with Black Versafine ink and coloured them with distress markers. 

I applied gold gilding wax lightly around the edges and then piled up lots of bows on the top. I dyed some white seam binding with distress inks to match the challenge colours and layered them up with some glue. To finish off I added some stickles and glamour dust to give the horses a little sparkle.

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

Alphabet Challenge: R is for ribbon

Colouring in Scrapland: Anything goes

Mixed Media World Challenge: Anything goes with wood

Shopping our Stash: go paperless

Whoopsi Daisy: Hand coloured image

Thanks so much for visiting today

Claire xx

We love 2 Create

Good morning folks, its challenge time again over at We Love 2 Create and we're keeping it nice and easy for you with our theme of 'Anything Creative/Mixed Media' goes. You don't have to use our products to play along either and our lucky winner will receive some gorgeous crafty goodies from Premium Craft Brands!! I've made a quick little scene using my PanPastels, Memento Inks and Lavinia Stamps. I love this fairy and use her every year, she's perfect for Autumn themed cards.

I used my Pans to create the background, masking the moon and using torn paper to mask the hills. Pans blend so beautifully it only takes a few minutes, soooooo much easier than brayering. I've used lots of different Lavinia Stamps to create my little scene. They've all been stampe with Memento Inks in various bright Autumnal colous. Memento Inks work a treat over PanPastels and the colours are lovely and vibrant too. 

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Brown Sugar: anything goes

Creative Fingers: anything goes

Scrap and Crafts: autumn colours

Simply Papercrafts: anything goes

Sweet Stamps: anything goes

The Crafty Addicts: Anything goes/Autumn colour palette

Wags'n'Whiskers: Fall colours

Thanks for visiting today, hope to see you again soon

Claire xx

Neutral Grey Pan Pastel	Silver Metallic PanPastel	White PanPastel	Ultramarine Blue Tint	Bright Yellow Green Shade
Bright yellow green	Raw Umber PanPastel	Burnt Sienna

Autumn or Christmas at Graph'It Colouring Challenge

Good morning folks, its challenge time over at Graph'It Colouring Challenge and we've got a nice easy challenge for you, just choose one of the colours from the colour palettes over on the challenge blog and you can be in with a chance of winning a fab prize!! 

I've used the Christmas colour palette to colour up this adorable image from Oddball Art

. She's called Ellie the Elf and you can find her here. One lucky winner will receive 3 digis to play with and another will win a set of Graph'It Markers from Cult Pens (who have a fabulous offer on Graph'Its at the minute so pop on over and have a peek!!)

I usually do my background before I colour the main image in case of disaster lol but this time I forgot and coloured Ellie first so I went ahead to create the background without any major mishaps.

I'm soooooooo enjoying making backgrounds with my Graph'Its, this was made by just scribbling my markers onto the background not worrying too much about blending and then dripping on Mix'It Fluid using the end of the spray tube from the bottle. The White Graph'It Shake pen is perfect for adding snow and the Silver Shake pen gives a little frosty sparkle

I've just added a sentiment stamp from Chocolate Baroque, stamped in Memento Rhubarb Stalk ink and matted the image on white and then red card.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Addicted to stamps and more: make your mark

A Snowflake Promise: anything goes

Crafting by Designs: get ready for Christmas

Crafting with an attitude: anything goes

Paper Minutes: Snow

Southern Girls: Stripes

Star Stampz: add a sentiment

Thanks so much for visiting today

Claire xx

Anything Mixed Media/Creative Goes at We Love 2 Create

Good morning folks, its inspiration time over at We Love 2 Create and I've made a canvas using some of my favourite products from Premium Craft Brands. Our theme is 'Anything Creative/Mixed Media Goes' so its a nice easy one for you. You don't have to use our products to enter and our lucky winner will receive some gorgeous goodies from Premium Craft Brands!

I began by rummaging through my scraps box and stuck lots of bits and bobs onto my 8x8 canvas with Maimeri Matte Gel Medium. I used lace, ribbon, pearls, die cuts, paper flowers, bits of old jewellery and some chunky tags from some new clothes. I gave everything a coat of Maimeri White Gesso and added some stencilling with Light Modelling Paste. I added another coat of matte gel and while it was wet dusted on Permanent Red Tint PanPastel and Pearlescent Red PanPastel using a duster brush. Once it was all dry I sponged on a little versamark ink and then dusted on some Coarse White Pearlescent PanPastel Medium and used a Sofft tool to add some Light Gold Metallic PanPastel. Its really shimmery in real life but it doesn't show up in the pic.

I stamped one of the tags with one of my favourite stamps from the Postcard stamp set from Premium Craft brands and dusted over with some Black Fine Pearl PanPastel Medium. I also use the fine black Pearl medium to add some shadows here and there too.

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

Alphabet Challenge: R is for ribbon

City Crafter: Paste it

Creative Artiste: Mixed Media with lace and pearls

In the pink: pink ribbon

Stamps and Stencils: Make it 3d

Thanks for visiting today, hope to see you again soon

Claire xx

White Blending Mop Brush	PanPastel - Sofft Tools Kit	Permanent Red Tint	Pearlescent red	White COARSE Pearl Medium for PanPastels
PanPastel Light Gold Metallic	Black fine Pearl	Premium Art Brands, Postcard stamp set

Christmas Kisses from Chocolate Baroque

Good morning folks, its my turn to post over on the Chocolate Baroque DT blog today and I'm sharing a make made with some of this month's gorgeous new releases. This card features both Gingerbread Christmas and Exquisite Edges

I love these ornate edge stamps and I thought this one had a look of mistletoe so I decided to create a Christmas card. I stamped the edge four times on kraft card with Versamark and embossed with white embossing powder. I cut them out and layered them up with 3d foam pads to create a frame. The focal image is from Gingerbread Christmas, again stamped with versamark on kraft card and embossed with white EP. I  stamped the sentiment with  Festive Berries distress ink and used the same ink with a waterbrush to add a little colour to the rest of the image.  I stamped snowflakes from the same stamp set into the corners and again embossed them with white. Once my frame was in position, I added little red pearls and created faux stitching with a white pen. I made some little candy cane 'kisses' by stamping the candy canes onto kraft card with red ink and using a white pen to colour the open areas. Here's another view to show the dimension a little better.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Allsorts: no designer paper

A Snowflakes Promise: anything goes Christmas or Winter

CRAFT: Christmas

Fab'n'Funky: make it square

Karleigh Sue: kraft

Sweet Stamps: anything goes

Thanks so much for visiting today

Claire xx

Graph'it Colouring Challenge

Good morning folks, its inspiration week at Graph'It Colouring Challenge and our theme is 'Autumn/Christmas colours' so there's loads of scope for you to play along to be in with a chance of winning a fabulous prize! There's a $6 voucher for digis from Little Miss Muffet, 3 images from Oddball Art and a set of Graph'It Markers from the lovely people at Cult Pens too! Wow I wish I could enter lol. You don't have to use our markers to play along, you can use pencils, markers, inks etc!

For my DT project I've made a card using this gorgeous image from Little Miss Muffet, she's called Polkadot Pals Rosalie. For a full list of colours used, pop over to the challenge blog!

I've sat Rosalie on a couple of pumpkins from the fabulous Autumn/Fall digi bundle from Polkadoodles and added some ribbon, and a sentiment and bunting from the same digi bundle.

I created the background with my Graph'It markers too, its a really fun technique. Just scribble your marker on a Mix'It Palette and use a paint brush dipped in a little Mix'It Fluid to squiggle in a cloudy sky. I've used black and orange for a spooky sky and added a little Silver Graph'It Shake pen for some sparkle.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Allsorts: no designer paper

Aud Sentiments: Halloween

Crafty Calendar: Halloween

Dream Valley: Halloween

Get Creative: Halloween

Little Miss Muffet: Anything goes

Moving along with the times: Halloween

Thanks for visiting today

Claire 

Walking the dog from Polkadoodles

Good morning folks, my card today features a gorgeous image from Polkadoodles called Dog Walking from Work and Play Collection 10 or you can get her as a digital stamp here. Talking of Digital Stamps, our sister blog 'Digi Choosday' has a mahoooosive discount code today so pop over and have a peek so you can snag a bargain!

I've coloured her with my Graph'It Markers and added lots of beautiful embellies from the same CD collection, birds, flowers, trees, butterflies and a pretty paper bow. I've layered everything up on one of the gorgeous bps and added some little pearls to finish off.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Chocolate Coffee and Cards: animals

Crafting with an attitude: anything goes

Crafty Friends: gems/pearls 

Dragonfly Dreams: Lets get girly

Glitter'n'Sparkle: use some pink

My Sheri Crafts: pink and pretty

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

Claire xx

Anything Creative/Mixed media goes at We Love 2 Create

Good morning folks, its time for a new challenge over at We Love 2 Create and we're keeping it nice and easy for you with a theme of 'Anything Creative/Mixed Media Goes' again! You don't have to use our products to enter and you've got two whole weeks to enter so I hope you're going to join in the fun. Our lucky winner will receive some gorgeous crafty stash from those lovely folks at Premium Craft Brands

I've made a quick Christmas card for my DT project this week, we're well into October already so it won't be long before Christmas is upon us! I've used a kit that I bought ages ago from Which Craft, I've used my PanPastels to distress all the papers. Its really easy to do and loads quicker than inking.  The Robin stamp is from Woodware and came with the kit, he's soooooo cute lol.  He's stamped on kraft card with Memento Rich cocoa ink and I've paper pieced his wing and breast and added some colour with PanPastels (links to the colours i've used can be found at the end of this post). I've also given the Robin a googly eye lol and stamped the sentiments with Memento Rich Cocoa.

To finish off I've added a bow, a rusty bell and a button topped with a twine bow.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Chocolate Coffee and Cards: animals

Christmas Stampin all year long: lots of layers

Crafting from the heart: anything goes

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas: Vintage/shabby chic

Creative Fingers: anything goes

ooh la la: kraft card

Simply Papercraft: anything goes

Stamp & Create: brown/kraft

Star Stampz: add a sentiment

Thanks for visiting today, hope to see you again soon

Claire xx

Burnt Sienna	Burnt sienna shade	Raw Umber PanPastel	Permanent Red Shade	PanPastel Permanent Green
PanPastel - Sofft Tools Kit

Changing Seasons at Fashionable Stamping Challenges

Hi there, how is your weekend going? We're having some lovely weather here in my little corner of the UK, its been so warm and sunny that its hard to believe its Autumn but the leaves are beginning to turn and the nights are turning chilly. Over at Fashionable Stamping Challenges, our theme this time around is 'Changing Seasons', chosen by yours truly! You've got a month to enter to be in with a chance of winning a $20 voucher to spend at Flonzcraft but don't forget we're a stamping challenge (no digis allowed)  so ink up those rubber/clear stamps and play along.

For My DT card I've used a couple of my favourite stamps from Art Nouveau Silhouettes large stamp sheet (a real bargain as you get 8 really good sized stamps from $16.99!

I've stamped them onto acetate and attached them to some card coloured up with alcohol inks using some pretty brads. The papers, little faux postage stamps, postcard and sentiments are all from Graphic 45, they've been distressed with Gathered Twigs distress ink and layered up on kraft card.  I've added lace, dark green seambinding topped with a button behind the images/

I've adde some paper flowers, pine cones, berries and lots of leaves. I made the leaves using Justrite stamps which I stamped onto a masterboard made with alcohol inks on glossy card, I cut the leaves out, die cut a few more leaves from my masterboard and scrunched them all up a bit before popping them on my card. 

Here's another pic of the images, I love these glamourous ladies. I certainly don't look as elegant when I walk my dogs lol.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Crafting by Designs: All about Autumn

Crafting for all Seasons: autumnal hues

Cut it up: Back to nature

Frillie and Funkie: Autumn splendour

Fussy and Fancy: autumn colours

Mod Squad: get your 'Fall' on

My time to craft: autumnal colours

Wags'n'Whiskers: use a die cut

If you've got time, pop over to the challenge blog and check out my teamies inspiration. As always they've created some gorgeous artwork

Thanks so much for visiting today

Claire xx

Use a die cut at Polkadoodles

Good morning folks, Friday at last and my weekend has started early as I've got a days annual leave today. I've got a few jobs to do at home and of course some crafting. Its time for a new challenge at Polkadoodles and this time around our theme is a really easy one, 'Use a die cut'. As always there's a fab prize for our lucky winner so pop on over to the challenge blog for all the details and check out my teamies gorgeous projects too.

I've used lots of elements from the gorgeous Picknix Nordic Winter Collection (you can find it here) to create this acetate card. I don't use a lot of die cuts in my crafting but I've dusted off my cuttlebug and added some die cut icicles to the top of my card. To save time i've used precoloured elements from the collection, isn't the snowman adorable?

To make it extra Christmassy i've added lots of 'snow' and given Mr Snowman a bobble for his hat

To finish off I've added seam binding ribbon, bells and little bark heart.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Christmas Cards all year round: no stamping

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas: anything goes

Craft your Passion: anything goes

Creative Craft Cottage digi challenge: Anything goes

Inspiration Destination: Anything goes

Natalie and Amy's : Snowpeople

Papertake Weekly: anything goes

Thanks so much for visiting today

Claire xx