Anything Creative/Mixed Media Goes at We Love 2 Create

Good morning folks, it's a bit nippy here this weekend so I'm hoping to bunker up in my craft room and have a play. I've made another tag for my journal for our new challenge at We Love 2 Create where our theme is 'Anything Creative/Mixed Media Goes'. My teamies have lots of inspiration for you and there's a fab prize of come gorgeous crafty goodies  from Premium Craft Brands lined up for our lucky winner.

I began by blending Magenta Extra Dark and Magenta Shade PanPastels over my tag, next I stamped using a script stamp from Polkadoodles and Memento Grey Flannel  ink. I stencilled the harlequin pattern using Maimeri Glassy Gel Medium and left that to dry. While it was drying I die cut the flowers, bird cage and foliage and stamped the images using the same grey ink. I coloured the images with PanPastels and a little water. 

Once the stencilling was dry I added some die cut shapes, coloured with PanPastels and highlighted with Pewter PanPastel. I added a little aged silver frantage powder here and there. I used a little twine to attach the bird cage and charm and found a little rose in my stash to coordinate with the tag.

I'm entering my tag in the following challenges:

A Perfect time to craft: anything goes

Crafty Catz: anything goes/dies and punches

Incy Wincy: anything goes

Mix it up: anything goes plus stamping

The Crafty Addicts: Anything goes/die cuts

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

Claire xx

PanPastel Magenta Extra Dark	Magenta Shade Pan Pastel	Metallic Pan Pastel, Pewter	Bright Yellow Green Pan Pastel	Polka Doodles Belle Papillon A5 stamp set
Birdhouse Doublet Die set	Sofft sponge bars

Some of my favourite things

Hello there my lovelies, I'm back at work this morning after a long weekend off work but before I go I just wanted to share a project made using lots of my favourite things. The challenge over at IndigoBlu is 'Love is all you need' so I've used some of my favourite Indigo Blu stamps to make this little canvas. I've also used lots of embellies from Craft Box too,  Anna from Craft Box has a very special box of goodies on Hochanda today so if you have time do check it out.

I began by misting my canvas with mica sprays in shades of pink, once that was dry I used IndigoBlu fine texture paste to stencil in the chicken wire and left it to dry. I added some stamping using Memento Lilac Posies ink and the dinkie script stamp from the last IndigoBlu ODS. I filled some of the little shapes on the background with deeper pink mica spray and then added sparkly mod podge to others. I added a few blobs of sparkly ModPodge here and there too. I sprayed some Foamiran Flowers made using Sizzix Tattered Florals with mica sprays, this was a bit of an experiment and they took ages to dry but have a pretty subtle effect

I glued on the flowers, some lace, ribbon and pearl trim, adding some leaves that I'd painted with gold acrylic paint and dusted with glitter. I used stamps from IndigoBlu's Mr Darcy stamps and coloured with pencils before cutting out and layering on my project. I added some gilding flackes and a little more pink mica spray/ To finish off I've added some large hat pins decorated with Craft Box beads and a little cameo, also from Craft Box.

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

Crafty Cardmakers: add some texture

Dream Valley: add some metal

IndigoBlu: love is all you need

In the pink: Dies or punches plus pink

Lost Coast Designs: Lovers plus rubber stamps

Sweet Stampin: flowers

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

Claire xx

Anything 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 with our theme of Anything Creative/Mixed Media Goes. My teamies have lots of inspiration for you and as ever we've got some fab crafty stash lined up for our lucky winner thanks to those lovely folk over at Premium Craft Brands!

For my DT project I've made a tag using my PanPastels, you can find the colours used at the end of this post. I blended shades of Turquoise and Bright Yellow Green for the background and then overstamped with script and snowflakes from the Festive Christmas Stamp Soup collection (you can find them here). Next I added some polkadots by applying Maimeri Glassy Gel medium through a stencil and sprinkling over glass glitter.

I added a strip of burlap, some tinsel and lots of Sizzix die cuts that I'd coloured with my PanPastels. I added some 'snow' to the pine cone with white glue and more glitter.

I'm entering this tag in the following challenges:

Allsorts: sparkle and shine

Brown Sugar: anything goes

Christmas at Sweet Stampin: Glitter and Sparkle

CRAFT: Christmas

Stamps and Stencils: elements of nature

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

Claire xx

PanPastel Turquoise Tint	PanPastel Turquoise Shade	Bright Yellow Green Pan Pastel	Pan Pastel bright yellow green shade	Raw Umber PanPastel
Burnt Sienna	PanPastel Permanent Green	Permanent Red

Anything Creative/Mixed Media Goes at We Love 2 Create

Good morning folks, I've made a little Christmas canvas for our 'Anything Creative/Mixed Media' Challenge over at We Love to Create. We've got some lovely crafty stash from our sponsors Premium Craft Brands for our lucky winner and of course lots of inspiration from my lovely teamies too.

I began by applying Turquoise Shade, Permanent Red Shade and Paynes Grey PanPastels to my canvas. I used strong colours as I knew I wanted to layer over some printed tissue which would mute the colours. I stamped the trees and Santa in his sleigh on the tissue with Black Versafine Ink and once that was dry I adhered it with matte medium.

To finish off I added some die cuts, a snowflake border, holly and 25 that Id coloured with PanPastels. I added some Rock Candy Crackle paint to the numbers and the berries.

I'm entering this with the following challenges:

Christmas at Sweet Stampin: Christmas die cuts

Incy Wincy: things that fly

Love to Scrap: anything goes

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: music

Simply Papercraft: Anything goes

Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes

Thanks so much for visiting today

Claire xx

PanPastel Turquoise Shade	Permanent Red Shade	Paynes Grey	PanPastel Phthalo Green	Silver Metallic PanPastel
Permanent Red	Black COARSE Pearl Medium for PanPastels

Birthday Celebrations at Polkadoodles and a Discount Code!

Happy 7th birthday Polka Doodles!!!

As this anniversary is normally called the "7 year itch", the Polka Doodles team have embraced the prickly feeling by scratching that itch and mixing/scratching up some new images ... get the pun? Corny we know but the team have had great fun. So to embrace the “itchy scratch” the Polka Doodles team have thrown caution to the wind and “scratched up” a different kind of birthday celebration. Today I'm sharing my project made with the images that I chose to mix up! I've used one of my favourite Polkadoodles images,she's called Cinders (of course lol) and I've merged her with one of the beautiful backgrounds from the Magic Garden collection.

Nikky wants to give everyone a birthday treat so keep visiting the DT's blogs as we're hiding some little treats!! Today I've got a discount code for you....

BIRTHDAY 25 = 25% discount on individual downloads only 

expires 21st May midnight GMT

The birthday celebrations will be running for 2 weeks and each day someone from the Polka Doodles team will be sharing their “mixed/scratched up” image. It’s been all hush hush and secret squirrel too as no one knows who has been busy creating what and when they will be revealing their image... so the Polka Doodles team get to join in the fun too. To add an extra layer of itchy fun, everyone has also been colouring up the new “scratched/mixed up” images, (still not knowing who designed them) and they will be sharing via their blogs and on FaceBook. We really have scratched things up ... new merged images, no one knows who created what and no one knows when they’ll be sharing them ...!

I've made a shadow box using my mixed up image, I coloured the image with Graph'It Markers and popped it in the back of an 8x8 canvas. The back of the canvas was coloured with Ultramarine blue PanPastel. I used a brick stencil and texture paste around the frame and the sides, once that was dry I coloured with more PanPastels

I added some die cut 'trellis', paper flowers, faux moss, ribbon and charms to finish off. 

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

Artistic Inspirations: anything goes/die cuts

Country View Crafts: Stencil

Craft Rocket: flower power

Fab'n'Funky: no designer papers

Inky Impressions: Die cuts and flowers

Little Red Wagon: Blooming fun

Sisterhood of Crafters: No designer papers

Pop over to the Polkadoodles facebook page and check out which of my teamies created this gorgeous image, you never know you may find a discount code as a birthday pressie too. We're heading towards 3000 members in our facebook group and I have a feeling Nikky has something rather special up her sleeve to celebrate!!

I'm just heading out the door to work now, thank goodness it's Friday!!

Have a lovely day and thanks for visiting today

Claire xx

Steampunk Fish from Chocolate Baroque

Good morning folks, well it feels like Spring is finally here at last! Blue sky and sunshine always makes me feel so much better. I'm sharing a mixed media project made using Steampunk Funky Fish from Chocolate Baroque. The DT are showcasing some of their old favourite stamps and have lots of inspiration to share so it's well worth a visit to the Chocolate Baroque Blog.  I'm a huge fan of steampunk and had the idea of creating a porthole effect looking out onto the fish swimming in the ocean.

To create my sea for the centre of the port hole I inked my brayer up with turquoise dye in and rolled it over crumpled paper before brayering some white glossy cardstock to give the dappled effect of light shining through water. I stamped the images on white glossy card with versamark and embossed with a sparkly gold embossing powder and coloured with distress markers. I cut the fish out and glued them to the sea and set them aside to dry while I made the background and the porthole.

The background was made using some silver self adhesive tape from a local DIY shop, I've no idea what it's used for but apparently plumbers use it. I had a better use in mind though and set to snipping random shapes to create the 'faux riveted metal' technique. I haven't used this technique for ages as it does take a while but it's great fun! 

Next I peeled off the backing from the silver tape and stuck the shapes at random on some white card until it was covered (except for the area where the porthole was going to be positioned). To create the texture of the rivets you can use various different tools to create different effects, I used a ballpoint pen, an embossing tool, an old credit card and and a prpelling pencil. I created dots and lines along the borders of the pieces of tape. Once I was happy with the texture I coloured the silver tape with alcohol inks using shades of brown, yellow and orange. Next I applied some verdigris embossing powder. I gave some die cut cogs the same treatment and attached them to the background, adding some metal embellishments from my stash.

I made the porthole by die cutting some greyboard and painting with a mixture of gold and copper acylic paints. I added some 'screws' with tiny circles of card and a fastener from my stash.

To finish off I've added some more embellishments coloured with paint and some copper ribbon to hang the project up.

613 Avenue Create: Anything goes, twist beach/nautical

Altered Eclectics: Anything goes

Critters and creatures: always anything goes with a critter/creature

Fab'n'Funky: 3 or more layers

Little Red Wagon: anything but a card

Rhedd's Creative Spirit: anything goes

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: home decor

Through the Craft Room Door: anything goes

Thanks 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

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

Autumn Colours at Polkadoodles

Good morning folks, its time for a new challenge at Polkadoodles and our theme is 'Autumn/Fall Colours'. As always there's a fab prize for our lucky winner who will receive a $10 voucher for the download store at Polkadoodles! 

 I've used elements from the Autumn/Fall digi bundle (which you can find here, what  bargain!!) to create my little canvas. I've used my Lyra pencils to colour them. I'm sooooo loving my Lyras at the minute. I ended up with an arch shaped image as one of the dogs drooled on it lol. I've mounted the image on some recycled corrugated card and added die cut leaves, raffia, berries and topped them off with ribbon, a button and a twine bow.

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

Crafty Gals Corner: Autumn hues

Incy Wincy: Anything goes

Paper Shelter: layer on layer

Papertake Weekly: anything goes

Sisterhood of Crafters: Fall

Southern Girls: Twine, tape or ribbon

The Crafty Addicts: Anything goes/ use a die cut

Thanks so much for visiting today

Claire xx

We love 2 Create Challenge!

Good morning folks, its time for a new challenge at We Love 2 Create and we've got a nice easy theme for you, Anything Creative/Mixed Media Goes! As always our lucky winner will receive a fabby prize from those lovely peeps at Premium Craft Brands

I've made a Christmassy shadow box. I began by creating  a little scene on a stampbord collage using Sheena Douglass stamps. I coloured the scene with my PanPastels and added some sparkle with my Black and White Pearl Mediums. The next bit was the fun bit, what a nighmare trying to get the collage into the canvas lol. Fortunately because the stampbord pieces had a bit of give at the joins I managed to manoevre it into position (after a wee bit of swearing lol)

I painted the edges of the canvas grey and once the paint was dry set to with Maimeri Light Modelling paste my my favourite Dutch Doobadoo a5 Brick stencil. I added some colour with my PanPastels in Burnt Sienna and Raw Umber to create a brick colour.

Next I coloured up lots of sizzix die cuts and then applied Rock Candy Crackle paint over the Pans. As always I was in a bit of a rush so I used my heat gun and ended up with a bit of a bubble effect. I added some buttons to the centre of the poinsettia die cuts to finish off. 

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

ABC Christmas: L is for lyrics

(Santa Claus is coming to town)

Allsorts: use a stamp not a digi

Crimbo Crackers: vintage

Everybody Art: snowflake in summer

Jingle Belles: no patterned paper

Simply Papercraft: anything goes

That's Crafty: housey housey

Winter Wonderland: anything but a card

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

Claire xx

Dutch Doobadoo A5 brick stencil	Burnt Sienna	Raw Umber PanPastel	Black COARSE Pearl Medium for PanPastels	Stampbord Scraper Tools
Stampbord assorted squares	Permanent Red	Permanent Red Shade	Pan Pastel chromium oxide green	White Coarse Pearl Medium