We love to Create with Polkadoodles!!

Good morning folks, it's an exciting day today as after a little break we're back with a bang over at the We Love To Create challenge and we're so excited to become part of the Polkadoodles family! We're still going to be a mixed media challenge but we'll be showcasing lots of lovely goodies from Polkadoodles too. 

As well as a monthly challenge with a fab prize, we'll be having regular Guest Designers to join us and some tutorials too. I'll be doing our very first tutorial next week so today I'm sharing some sneaky peaks of my project! I hope you'll stop by the blog and find out all the details!!

Thanks for visiting today

Claire xx

New England Winter Acetate Card

Hello my lovelies, how's your Saturday going? Today's card features one of my all time favourite stamps from Chocolate Baroque, yes it's New England Winter again. I just love this  little house.

To make this acetate card I cut the front off an 8x8card blank leaving a little border (about 2cm) along the top and used red line tape to attach an acetate panel. I stamped the gorgeous little house from New England Winter on watercolour card and added some colour with watercolour paints, highlighted with glitter and glossy accents. I cut this out and then tore several strips of card, adding glitter to the torn edges. The important thing with this style of card is to add some weight to the front of the card otherwise it doesn't stand up properly so the strips of snowy card give the front some strength. Layer the strips of card, popping the house in between. I added some 'snow' with a white Posca Pen and some icicles with glue and glitter. I stencilled the moon using Seasonal Elements stencil and white gesso with a sprinkle of glitter. The sentiment is from Let's Get Festive. I made the background using watercolour paint, creating a very dilute wash of colour. 

I'm entering this card into the following challenges:

A Snowflakes Promise: Anything goes

Creates and Makes: Anything goes

Christmas at Sweet Stampin: anything goes for Christmas

The Holly and Ivy Christmas Challenge: anything goes Christmas

The Merry Christmas Challenge: Anything Christmas

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

Claire xx

Reindeer Landscape from Chocolate Baroque

Good morning my lovelies, how's your weekend going? Today's card features the beautiful Reindeer Landscape, another favourite from Chocolate Baroque. I stamped the focal image with Black Versafine ink and used a black pitt pen to extend the landscape to each side.

I added shadows to the hills with very dilute watercolour paint in shades of blue, purple and pink. I used slightly more intense shades of the same colours to create the sky, masking a little moon. I added some snow with splatters of white gesso and a white posca pen before stamping the sentiment which comes from the lovely new set Let's Get Festive,

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Christmas Card Challenges: Anything Christmas/Winter

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas: Anything Christmas Goes

HeARTful Stamping Challenge: anything goes plus stamping

Happy Little Stampers Christmas: Christmas

Penny Black and More: Christmas

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

Claire xx

New England Winter from Chocolate Baroque

Good morning folks, I haven't had a lot of time for crafting or blogging lately but I did mange to make some samples for the recent Chocolate Baroque shows on Hochanda. This card features New England Winter, this is one of my all time favourite sets!

I began by stamping the image onto watercolour paper and painting with masking fluid. I gave it a good coat of the fluid as I was planning on a very messy background lol. Once the masking fluid was dry spritzed the card with plenty of water and set to with my watercolour paints to create a 'galaxy sky' effect. I used shades of blue, green, purple and pink - mixed with plenty of water and added black around the edges. While the paint was wet I sprinkled over some rock salt and then added some drops of rubbing alcohol. I wasn't sure how the alcohol would react with the water but it was on my desk so i had a go. The salt created the feathery effect in the background (I think I added a bit too much lol) and the alcohol created the circles. I left the background to dry and and then splattered everything with watered down white gesso and again left it to dry before adding some even white stars with a white posca pen. Once the background was completely dry I removed the masking fluid and watercoloured the image. I added glossy accents to the tree lights and white pva glue generously sprinkled with glitter to create the snow in the foreground. The sentiment is from Let's Get Festive.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Addicted to Stamps: Christmas

Christmas at Sweet Stampin: anything goes for Christmas

Little Red Wagon: make your background

The Merry Christmas Challenge: anything Christmas

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Stamp it

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

Claire xx