A colour challenge at Crafty Ann's

The new challenge at Crafty Ann's Challenge Blog is a colour challenge set by my lovely teamie Kym who has chosen the colour combo of Silver, Gold and White. Well this one really taxed my poor overworked brain cell lol but I decided to start this years Christmas cards using Crafty Ann's gorgeous delicate Holly Wreath (you can find it here in Crafty Ann's store)

I made the background using gold and silver Eco green paints just splodged on to the card and brushed around randomly, when this was dry I added loads of gorgeous silver and gold firework ink for lots of shimmer. The corners and sentiments are stamps from Elusive Images.

I printed Crafty Ann's beautiful Holly Wreath on some acetate and glittered the back using my quickie glue pen and silver, gold and white ultrafine glitter. I made a frame from my old Stamp'n'around frame stamp and then layered the image on some white pearl card with shaker tape and added a bow to finish off.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Christmas Card Challenges: No colouring

Crafty Creations: Heat it up (heat embossing)

Die cut dreams: Use a digi stamp and rubber stamp together

Fab'n'Funky : Use a digi

My time to craft challenge: Emboss, emboss, emboss

One stitch at a Time: As you like it (+Christmas Club)

The Shabby Tea Room: Winter Wonderland

I hope you're going to join us for our colour challenge this time around, if you need some more ideas make sure you have a wander around the rest of the DTs blogs as they have some amazing ideas for you

Claire xx

Katie's recipe this week...

Good morning, brrrr its really cold here at the minute and we're told that the first snow is on its way - perfect weather for thinking about Christmas (and for staying in and crafting lol) so I've made a Christmas decoration for this weeks challenge from Cooking it up with Kate. Our recipe this week is :

Paint, Angelic/holidays/rhinestones

and we are sponsored by Pixie Dust who have some gorgeous images! I've used 'Sugarplum Fairy' and although she's not just for Christmas I thought she'd look great for a christmas decoration

I've used a bell shaped decor plate from Caroline's Rubber stamps. I love these decor plates, and the big ones are a great size for making Christmas decorations. I've painted the bell with acrylic paints and then sprayed with pearl glimmer mists for lots of sparkle. More sparkle with the snowflakes which are embossed with enchanted gold EP and have little blue rhinestones in the centres. The creamy/beige papers are from my stash, stamped with the same snowflakes and embossed this time in pale blue and then I distressed the edges with vintage photo distress ink.

Sugarplum fairy is coloured with promarkers and she has clear microbeads on her underskirt, to look like layers of net. She's cut out and layered up on a couple of shapes made with MS topiary punch.

I'm entering my Sugarplum Fairy in the following challenges

Colour Create: Robin's Egg, Seafoam green, cream

Paper Romance: Favourite things (ooh lots of them here, decorplates paint, embossing and of course promarkers and I love Christmas decorations)

Winter Wonderland: Make a decoration

Ai Factory: Bring on the Bling

Tuesday Taggers: Make a decoration

Papertake challenge: cut it out

Passion for Promarkers: Old and new (new image and decorplate, old paint and embossing powder from when I first started crafting)

Thanks for visiting today. As usual I'm counting down to the weekend (or a lottery win lol) so I can have some time off work. Hope you're having a good week and get some time to join our challenge this week

Claire xx

Christmas challenge at Crafty Ann's!

Woo hoo weekend is nearly here! Its my last day at work today and then I have a week off :-) I may do a little Christmas shopping and Crafty Ann's Challenge this week is perfect to get me in the mood for Christmas - we want to see your Christmas creations BUT using non traditional Christmas colours!! We are also celebrating the first anniversary of Crafty Ann's Challenge and we couldn't let that pass with out some treats!!

All the the DT have prizes on their blogs so all you have to do is leave a comment and you'll be in with a chance of winning your choice of one of Crafty Ann's digi stamps or a precoloured sheet on each of the DTs' blog!! Don't forget to leave me a comment to be in with a chance with win!!  And there will be an extra prize over on the challenge blog too so there are  lots of chances to win some goodies!

I've used Crafty Ann's beautiful pointsettia digi stamp (available from Ann's shop here) to make a Christmas decoration. The image is coloured with promarkers and layered up with silicone and I've added some gold microbeads to the centre. The leaves look a grey colour in the pic but they have been overstamped with swirls and versamark and dusted with gold mica powder and its not showing up too well in the pic. Ann has also got some beautiful precoloured images that will be great for quick projects so have a little look around her shop and check them out

The bauble shape is one of Carolines Decor Plates (available here). I always rave about these but they really are a wonderful surface to work on. This one is painted with orchid ecogreen acrylic paint paint. The snowflakes are a stamp from Tim Holtz, embossed with  gold EP. I masked the top of the bauble, swiped it with versamark and again embossed with gold EP. To finish off I added some gold Christmas tree trim, pink velvet ribbon and a big pink chiffon bow.

I'm entering this in the following challenges:

A Pocket Full of posies: Winter bouquet

City Crafter: get your Digi on

Kaboodle Doodles: Vintage

Everybody Art Challenge: Untraditional Christmas

I love promarkers: Snowflakes

Thanks for visiting today. Don't forget to check out the rest of the DTs blog for some fabulous inspiration for your non traditional Christmas project. Remember I'll be picking a comment from the comments  left here to win a prize too

Claire xx

A refreshing change...

I think we've all been loving the gorgeous Autumn and Halloween colours around for the last few weeks but making this card was such a refreshing change after all those browns, blacks oranges and purples! This week's recipe at Cooking it up with Katie is the perfect one for you if you're looking for a change too. Our recipe this week is

• Lilac
• Girly
• Bow

and we are sponsored by Robyn's Fetish and  the DT were all able to use a fab image and I chose this beautiful bird and bird house! Such a cute image

The liac crackle background is made using lilac and buttermilk ecogreen paints and pva glue. The lemon squares are also plain card and ecogreen paint as is the lilac card the main image is matted on. The lilac gingham paper is from my stash. All the layers have paper piercing around the edges and some distressing for a bit of interest.

The image is coloured with promarkers. I added some flowers (made with Marianne dies and ecogreen paint), tiny buttons, memory wire spirals and a gingham bow to finish off

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Cute card Thursday: Sketch

Crafty Emma's Challenge: Buttons and Bows

Frosted Designs: Lets see your die cuts

Meljens: Anything goes

I did it creations: Surprise me

Thanks for visiting today :-)

Claire xx

A new challenge from Cowgirl's Sunday Stampen Challenge!!

Hi there, its time for a new challenge at Cowgirls Sunday stampen Challenge and this week our challenge is a sketch plus make your own background!! Thanks to the talented Alison for our fab sketch this week! I've really enjoyed making this card as I love sketch challenges and I love making backgrounds too!!

As usual there are some fab prizes on offer and this week we are sponsored by the lovely Michelle Perkett, who has some amazing digistamps so hop on over to the challenge blog and check out the goodies!

I've used this beautiful image Emilee from CJ at Cowgirl Up Designs and coloured her with promarkers and sakura stardust pens. I've made 2 background for this card, the first is directly behind Emilee and is clear embossing powder with versamark ink on black card (using a swirly stamp from Elusive Images) and then adding tiny dots of red stickles to the design. The main background was made by painting some card with pure gold ecogreen acrylic paint and once it was dry, stamping with a paisley stamp (from Elusive images) in black pigment ink. Once the ink was dry, I rubbed vaseline in patches over the design and then painted all over with black acrylic paint. Once the paint was dry, the vaseline rubs off leaving patches of the gold background showing through.

The gold swirls are  cut on my cricut, inked with versamark and embossed with gold EP and dotted with red stickles. I added a red rose from Wild Orchid crafts and a butterfly from my stash and added a few more dots of stickles for the butterflies trail

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Scrap it with a song: Vogue

Gingersnap Creations Spicy Supply Challenge GC 73: versamark

Simon Says : 3 types of embellies (diecuts, flower and butterfly) 2 dps (mmm do my homemade backgrounds count??) I image

Sisterhood of Crafters: Bling

Delightful Challenges: Metal Mania (my faux metal embellies)

Incy Wincy: Faux it up

Digi Doodle's Best: People

Stampin with the Dragon: You got ink

Daring Cardmakers: Welcome to the Dance

Thanks for calling by today. Have a good Sunday

Claire xx

Floral Parade at MPS

Helllooooo, my third post today, I promise I'll be quiet from now on lol. This weeks challenge from Michelle Perkett Studio is Flower Parade and is hosted by Jan and her wonderful team of mermaids! They want to see your floral creations, particularly handmade flowers! Now I love making my own backgrounds and embellishments so I really enjoyed making this card.

I'm going through a real mica loving phase at the minute, unfortunately although I love mica my camera hates it with a passion lol. I'm really disappointed with this pic as the card looks so much better IRL. I've used Daydream Fantasy (available from Michelle's Etsy store - be quick as Michelle has a 50% sale on!!!!) and coloured with promarkers before dusing with mica powders (it looks blurry but its all the shimmer). The bps are from Essence of Nature cd by Artylicious punched with a MS border punch. I made the crackle background using pure gold and zuccini Ecogreen acrylic paints and pva glue and overstamped with a floral border and embossed with peanut butter EP .

The flower is a little extreme crafting lol, circles of organza heated near a candle until they curl at the edges, the centre is a button from my stash with a bow from some gorgeous autumn coloured fibres. I added some punched leaves and a creative acrylic tag stamped with the word 'friendship' to finish off.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges

Simon Says:  3 types of embellie (flower, button, acrylic tag, 2 dps and I image)

Flutter by Wednesday: Fall

ABC challenge: F is for flowers

Scrapbook sisters: Flower power

Our Creative Corner: Sketch

Crafty Pad: for a friend

Stamptacular: Buttons, flowers friendship

Before I go, I have some exciting news, there's going to be a fab blog hop at Michelle Perkett Studios - 23rd and 24th October, find out more and sign up here

Thanks for looking,

Claire xx

Digi Blog Hop!!

Hello, welcome to the first fantastic Digi Blog Hop, If you want to take part in the blog hop and be in with a chance to win the fantastic prize  you will need to start here 

If you came to my blog from here you will need to visit here next

 

You need to pick up a letter on each blog as you hop around and then hop back to the Digi Blog Hop and leave a comment with the completed sentence back there. The letter you need from my blog is

 

G

 

Here is my project made with one of our designers gorgeous images - i've used this beautiful Venetian Mask by Crafty Ann to make this little altered box

 

The box started life as a clear plastic box to hold business cards. I gave it a good coating of gesso and once that was dry I painted the box with copper Ecogreen paint. Next came a coat of watered down pva glue and then before that was dry some ecogreen paint in butternut. I love the crackle effect using this technique and I emphasised it by stamping a crackle background stamp around the edges. I painted Crafty Ann's beautiful mask with Twinkling h2o's and cut it out. I attached some glimmer misted paper roses (from Wild Orchid Crafts) to the top of the box with silicone glue, added a beaded pin (made with beads from my stash) and some copper organza ribbon and finally attached the mask with silicone.

I'm entering this altered box in the following challenges:

Little Red Wagon: Paint

Sisterhood of Crafters : Anything but a card

Sarah Hurley Challenge: Something 3d

Stampin for the Weekend: Shabby/Vintage

Paper Sundaes: Mixed mediums

Mixed Media Monday: Warm it up

Thanks for calling by, I hope your week has got off to a good start :-)

I hope you are enjoying the first Digi blog hop, good luck

Claire xx

A little birdie....

This weeks challenge from Allsorts is to make a little something - less than 3" in size. I've had this tiny canvas for ages so this was a perfect opportunity to have a play

I used ecogreen paint in ocean and tidepool and blobbed them on the canvas before spreading them around with a palette knife for some texture, while the paint was wet I sprinkled on some glitter. Once the paint was dry, I stamped the little bird in a tree with black versafine. I painted a scrap of card with lime shimmery paint and stamped the bird again. I also applied some blobs of the lime paint to the tree and then some lime stickles. I attached the bird with some silicone glue for a little dimension and added some feathers (kindly donated by my parrot Sammy lol)

I'm entering my little canvas in the following challenges

Play Date Cafe: this gorgeous colour combo

Totally Stampalicious: Texture - licious!!

Tuesday Taggers - Inspired by a poem ( how about Ode to a Nightingale?)

Thanks for calling by, I hope you like my little canvas. We had blue sky and sunshine first thing but by 10.30 it was pouring with rain so I had to abandon my plans to do some weeding and potter in my craft room instead. What a shame lol.

Claire xx

Summertime feeling at Cowgirl's Sunday Stampen Challenge!!

Over at the ranch, the challenge from Cowgirl's Sunday Stampen Challenge is 'Summertime Feeling' and I've used 'Spoonful of Sugar' a gorgoeus image from the lovely CJ Holifield (available here) for this card. I love to see babies in little sunhats and aren't they cute when the play with their feet? I hope this card brings you a little sunshine today

I hope you are going to be able to join us with a Summer inspired creation, we have a fabulous sponsor again this week - the lucky winner will receive a $10 gift voucher from The Character Cafe

The Top 3 will also get one of CJs gorgeous images and the Top 3 badge for their blog!! You know what they say ... you've got to be in it to win it!!

Back to my card now. I've used bps from K&Co and cut a couple of frames on my cricut. The frames are painted with ecogreen paint (mulch and butternut) and then layered up. The image is coloured with promarkers and the honey has been triple embossed to give it some shine. I love this image, such a cute little angel with a real vintage feel. She is attached with 3d foam pads. To finish the card off, I've added some ribbon and pearls from my stash and a couple of lovely roses from Wild Orchid Crafts which have been highlighted with gold stickles.

I'm entering this little honey in the following challenges:

Stamp Something: something digi

Rainbow Lady's challenge : Paint it!

Order of The Opus Glueii: You've got to move it,move it (use your stash!) 

Polkadoodles: vintage

C.R.A.F.T: photo inspiration (I've taken 'sweet' as my inspiration)

Totally Papercrafts: Summer fun 

I hope you're going to have some summertime fun with us at Cowgirl's Sunday Stampen Challenge. We have lots of exciting stuff happening at the ranch over the next few weeks , starting off with a blog hop next week!!

Thanks for calling by,

Claire xx

Its here!! The first challenge over at Let's ink it up

Its finally here, our first challenge at Let's Ink it Up and we have made it easy for you this time. The challenge is 'Anything Goes' but with a twist, you must use some yellow in your project, even if its just a tiny bit! Of course LIIU is all about rubber/clear stamping so the focal point of your card must be a rubber/clear stamped image. We have a great prize for the winner:

 Scrapbook Boutique are sponsoring the challenge and have generously donated a $20 voucher for the store

Here is my creation to (hopefully) inspire you to create with us at LIIU this time:

I've had this canvas in my head for ages and I've loved every messy minute of creating it. All the stamps used are from Elusive Images. I began by colouring the canvas with ecogreen paints in butternut and clamshell and then oversprayed with glimmer mists in daffodil and starfish. I tore strips from a roll of canvas and coloured them with the leftove painty inky mess on my craft mat. Once they were dry I rolled them into little roses and highlighted them with gold stickles.

The main image was created using by stamping leaves and plants from EI Autumn Hedgerow themeplate with versamark on coated cardstock, I wanted it too look a bit misty so I sponged some dye  inks on rather than brayering it for a change. I then stamped and embossed the tree and fairy with Ranger Queen's Gold EP. I used mother of pearl mica flakes to add foliage to the tree, i love the effect they've created so I'll probably be putting them on everything now lol. The toadstools and unicorn were embossed in the same EP on scraps of white card and coloured with promarkers before being attached to the main image with silicone glue.

I made the frame by cutting out on my cricut and painting with Ecogreen paints in pomegranate and clamshell. Once it was dry I embossed with gold EP and a swirl stamp from EI. I ran a versamark pen around the inside and outside edges and again embossed in gold. I arranged the canvas roses and added some vellum leaves (from EI Diamante Delights themeplate) and some grungeboard flourishes (again embossed with gold EP). To finish the canvas I attached some lace and pink velvet ribbon to the bottom.

I'm entering my canvas in the following challenges:

Sir Stampalot: Bring on the bling

Gingersnap Creations GC 67: Go 3D 

Oh Alice: Prizes for dodo

The Pink Elephant: ribbon and sparkles 

I hope you are going to get inky with us over at Let's Ink It Up, you have 2 weeks to wow us with your stamped creation so I can't wait to see what you come up with. Whether your style is cute, grungy, or whatever we want to see what you can do with your rubber!! Dont' forget to check out my teamies fabby blogs for more inspiration, they have really excelled themselves with their DT projects for our first challenge!

Claire xx