Craft Stamper Challege

Good morning folks, I'm really enjoying my long weekend off work and had a bit of a play as I'm up to date with all my DT stuff. This month's challenge at Craft Stamper is the fab bleach blocking technique except I didn't have any clean blending foam so I was a bit stuck. Hmmmm I tried cutting a rectangle but it ended up really wonky so I had a bit of a brainwave and die cut some cut'n'dry foam instead using a circle die.

I created the background using broken china, tumbled glass and salty ocean distress inks and then got to work with my cut'n'dry circles and water. Once it was dry I stamped the images using Lavinia stamps and Memento Ink and coloured the images using Graph'It markers

I wanted to add some highlights so I brushed on some cosmic shimmer glue to the fairies wings, the windows and some of the foliage on the tree and then sprinkled on some microbeads (I can't seem to stop using these at the minute lol)

To finish off I added some doodling around the edges and matted the tag on some black cardstock before adding a button brad and some rainbow trim to the top.

I'm entering this one in the following challenges:

Craft Stamper: Bleach Blocking

Craft and Smash: buttons

Fussy and Fancy: things with wings

Lavinia Stamps: add beads/gems

Open Minded: something with wings

Penny's Paper Crafty: anything goes

The Doodle Garden: summer love

I've got another day off work today, yippppeeeee so I'm away to play in my craft room. Have a great day and hope to see you again soon

Claire xx

A touch of green at PanPastel UK

Good morning folks, and a big warm welcome to me new followers. Its lovely to 'meet' you.  I hope you're having a good weekend so far. I'm having a lazy one as I've got a bit of a cold and don't seem to have an ounce of energy so yesterday was spend lolling around on the sofa. Today sees the start of our new challenge at PanPastel UK where our theme is 'a touch of green'. Here's my DT project, which was one of the samples I made for the Graph'It markers show on C&C. As always our lucky winner will receive a fab PanPastel Starter kit from our generous sponsor Berni from Your Creativity Store.

I must apologise for the pics of this project, now my photography skills are pretty poor at the best of times but for some reason my camera really struggles to take a pic of anything purple, how weird is that? Anyway for my little canvas I took some Ranger tissue wrap stuff and coloured the back with yellow green shade PanPastel and some magenta extra dark and then applied the tissue to the canvas with Maimeri glossy gel medium. Once that was dry I applied light modelling paste through my favourite harlequin crafters workshop template and let that dry before applying gilding flakes to through the template (using flitter glu). I added more gilding flakes around the edge of the canvas too.

The poppy is a stamp from Chocolate Baroque, coloured with Graph'It markers and added some depth with PanPastels. I used Ranger black enamel accents for the centre and again used Maimeri glossy gel to fix the poppy to the canvas. The little heart embellie was also coloured with PanPastels and Graph'It markers, stamped with text and gold stazon and a layer of glassy gel. The wings were a freebie from Craft stamper, I 've used Clearly for Art modelling film, coloured with Graph'its and stamped with gold stazon and attached them with some cute little hinges from The Funkie Junkie boutique, adding some tiny purple gems. Here's another pic of the heart which shows the colours a little better:

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

2 sisters: flowers for spring

Artistic inspirations; Flowers

Die Cutting Diva's : green and gold

Funkie Junkie Boutique: Sunday share

Just add ink: just add green

One Stop Craft: anything goes

Wags'n'Whiskers: go green

Have a lovely Sunday, its dry here this morning so hopefully I won't get drenched taking the dogs out. Barney, our labrador puppy is really struggling to understand that his lead is for me to lead him and not the other way around lol. 

Thanks for popping by, and for your comments they always brighten my day

Claire xx

A pocket full of posies at Vintage Stamping Challenges

Good morning my friends, we've got a brand new challenge starting at Vintage Stamping Challenges today and I've chosen the theme which is 'Pocket Full of Posies', we all love flowers don't we? As usual there is a generous prize up for grabs, from our lovely sponsor Leo at Flonzcraft. I've made a little gift for my DT project, hope you like it.

I've used stamps from the gorgeous 'Countrylife Pastoral' set which is a fab bargain and has some beautiful focal stamps, we often neglect the smaller stamps in a set but I wanted to showcase the beautiful flower silhouette stamps in this lovely set. I created a little gift box, using a free template from Craft Stamper magazine. I began by making the template up using brown card. I then used the template to create panels for each of the sections of the box, distressing them with antique linen ad tea dye distress ink and stamping with a crackle background stamp from Stampers Anonymous. I then stamped the flower silhouettes with versamark and embossed with gold EP. Lastly I added faux chocolate brown pearls using cosmic shimmer glue, I also used this to create some little pearl feet for the box.  I also made a floral brooch to pop in the gift box. My blogland buddy Joanna made some gorgoeus delicate jewellery a week or two ago and I took inspiration from her techniques to create the centre for my flower. Have a peep at Joanna's gorgeous work here.

I made the centre of the flower by stamping the flower silhouette on a scrap of craft resist cardstock and distressing with tea dye distress ink. I sprinkled on gold and brown mica flakes and a little green glitter and then attached a 30mm glass glintz with Maimeri gloss medium. Once it was dry I trimmed around the edge of the glass.

I made the flower by die cutting Crinoline fabric from the Funkie Junkie Boutique using the two largest flowers from Tattered Florals (3 of each). I also cut 3 of each of the flowers in netting. I coloured the crinoline flowers with distress stains and the netting flowers with alcohol ink. I layered them up, using a dot of cosmic shimmer glue in between each layer. I used more cosmic shimmer glue to attach the flower centre and left it overnight to dry. 

Next I had a bit of a problem as all the glue made it impossible to sew the brooch back to the flower. It taxed my poor little brain cell but eventually I came up with a plan lol. I die cut a circle of grungeboard, coloured with vintage photo distress ink and sewed the pin to the grungeboard before gluing it to the back of the flower. 

Phew, I was a happy bunny until I turned my back for a second and found Barney, my very mischievous puppy chewing it up! Eeek fortunately its meant to look a bit distressed lol.

I'm entering this (slightly chewed) project in the following challenges:

Alphabet Challenge: V for Vintage

Crafting for all seasons: flowers

Crafty Emblies: Vintage Shabby Chic

Glitter'n'Sparkle: flowers

Joanna Sheen Challenge: anything goes but Christmas

Sugar Creek Hollow: Distressing

Totally gorjuss: anything goes with glitter

Well as its Monday morning, I'd better get my act together and venture out in the cold to go to work

Have a great day, whatever you are doing and if you have a few minutes do check out my talented teamies projects as they are really stunning.

Thanks for popping by

Claire xx