Cooking it up with Katie

Wednesday has come around again, so its time for a new challenge from Cooking it Up with Katie!! This week Katie has another great recipe for your cards and crafty creations:

• leaf
• embossing
• sticker

Here's my card made with a supercute stamp from Jazzlins Designs - dont' you just love that little mouse tucking in to that Christmas pudding??

The bps are from Raspberry Road designs. I cut an aperture in the green distressed paper using a die from Marianne Designs (ok, it was an accident, I cut the shape out to use on another card and noticed it fitted this image perfectly lol). I've lightly distressed around the edges of the papers and the aperture with a craft knife and then embossed with  ranger queen's gold EP.  I used some vintage photo DI around the inside of the frame. I've used an EK success border punch for the border and some paper flowers and leaves (also from Jazzlins). I added some clear gems coloured with alcohol inks for the centres. The sentiment is one of my favourites from Elusive Images, again embossed with gold EP. The ribbon and brads are from my stash. I don't use many stickers but added a cute little mouse sized Christmas stocking to finish the card off.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Tuesday Taggers: More than 2 legs (although you can only see Mr Mouses nose and ears lol)

Ellephantastic: Anything goes

Craftalicious: Anything goes

Bah Humbug: Christmas Cuties

Thanks for calling by, I hope you'll cook up something with Katie's recipe this week

Claire xx

All halloweened out!

I seem to have made a few Halloween cards lately and although i've loved doing them I'm kind of halloweened out at the minute. I was really stuck for ideas for the colour challenge from 'In a Sweet Pea Dream' which is to use orange purple and green. Passion for Promarkers is one of my favourite challenges and their theme this week is orange purple green and black. I love halloween colours but i didn't want to do another Halloweeny card so i decided to use those colours for something completely different. I've used this gorgeous stamp from ching chou kuik for this card

 Apologies once again for the even worse than usual pic, that'll teach me to use loads of my yummy new mica powders and try to take a pic by artificial light wont it lol. The sweet pea fairy is stamped on pearlescent card and coloured with promarkers and sakura stardust highlights.

I painted 3 scraps of black card with cosmic shimmer mica powders mixed with water and then overstamped them with oriental blossom and embossed with black detail EP and matted them on black tapestry card. The flowers are made from some odd handmade felty paper from my stash, I stamped them with a floral stamp and versamark then dusted with the orange purple and green cosmic shimmer powders. I gave them a good spritz of water and crumpled them up, dried them with a heat gun and joined them with an irridescent gem brad. The brads looked a little lost so i added some irridescent seed beads to the flower centres too.

The background uses Elusive images butterfly stamps on matt black card with versamark and more cosmic shimmers. To finish off I added some shimmery green ribbon and a black shimmery jewelled spray (from Jazzlins as were the stamp and mica powders too)

I'm also entering this card in the following challenges:
Sweet pea stampers: Brads and or bows
Lots to do : Oriental
Creative Card Crew: Fairytales
Paper Pretties: Sketch

Thanks for looking. I hope you're having a good week
Claire xx

Willow is 'Pretty in Pink'

Here's Willow, a gorgeous digistamp from Michelle Perket all dressed up in pink as there is a party tonight at 9pm UK time (I think lol) at  Michelle's group on PCP to celebrate some beautiful new images, the theme is 'Some Enchanted Evening' and there'll be fun and prizes too.

Willow is coloured with promarkers, her wings are embossed with sparkly clear EP and I've added stickles to the flowers on her dress and in her hair.

I've followed this weeks sketch from Everybody Art Challenge for the layout. The image is matted on some pink glitter card and then layered over some cream textured card edged with an EK success scallop border punch also some shapes cut with a Marianne die using more glitter card (both from Jazzlins Designs). The pink bp is from Rasperry Road Designs and the cream embossed paper is from my stash. I've added some pink and clear heart shaped gems from my stash and some paper rose from Wild Orchid Crafts.

I'm entering Willow in the following challenges:

Scrapbook Sisters: Full moon

I love Promarkers: Think Pink

Sweet Stampin Challenge: Diamonds are a girls best friend

Allsorts : Song title (Pretty in Pink by the Psychedelic Furs - hows that for

a blast from the past lol)

Stamp Something: Something Punchy

Raise the Bar: Raise the bra (pink)

Flutter by Wednesday: Butterfly, angel of fairy

Thanks for visiting today. Don't forget the party tonight - be there or be square lol. Oh talking of square - don't forget you still have time to enter our challenge at Michelle Perkett Studio where the theme is 'Hip not to be square' - we want to see your shaped creations this week :-)

Claire xx

Challenge 4 at Let's Ink It Up

Hi, how's your weekend going? I'm having a lovely peaceful day, hubby and son are out so I've got some peace and quiet to craft and catch up on some blog hopping. First though, its time for our 4th Challenge at Let's Ink It Up. Thanks for all your wonderful entries for our last challenge and congrats to the winner and top 3. It was really hard to choose again this time around.

The theme for our new challenge is Halloween colours, you don't have to make a Halloween project but we do want to see those spooky colours!! Dont forget though, NO DIGI STAMPS you must use a rubber or clear stamp!! We have a wonderful sponsor again this time, our lucky winner will get a $15 goodie package from Bizzy Becs

I've made a card for my DT project this month and I've used ching chou kuik's 'Not Just a Pumpkin' a very saucy witch from Sweet Pea Stamps. She is stamped onto pearlescent card and coloured with promarkers and some stickles for a little bling.

The letters 'BOO' are cut out on my cricut. I made the background by brayering shades of orange ink on some silk card and then brayered with black over the top before stamping with an Elusive images cobweb stamp and a little toadstool stamp behind  the lower 'O' (I just love those spookly eyes peeping out lol). I added a bit of black glitter to the spiders in the centre of the cobwebs. I made some grungepaper roses, coloured with rust brilliance ink and again finished with some black glitter. The swirly flourishes are cut on my cricut and embossed with tequila sunrise EP.

I don't celebrate Halloween but I love making Halloween cards for some reason lol. I'm entering this little witch in the following challenges:

The Shabby TeaRoom: Vintage Halloween

By the Cute and Girly: Spooky

A Spoofull of Sugar: Sparkle and Shine

Simon Says Stamp:Halloween

Gingersnap Creations GC 73: Gothic Theme

Meljen's : Halloweeny

Glitterbabe: Anything goes

Fussy and Fancy Friday: Halloween

Polka Doodles: Make your own embellishments

Thanks for calling by, I hope you're going to get inky with us and have a play with those Halloween colours. Don't forget to check out the rest of the DT's blogs -  3 new very talented ladies joining have joined our team today so don't miss out on their gorgeous projects

Claire xx

Fun at Fairy Knoll

Hi there, here's my first DT card for Fun at Fairy Knoll where we have a fab sketch challenge for  you this week.I'm so pleased to be joining Brandi and her team, such a lovely friendly group of ladies :-)

 I totally love unicorns so I t wasn't hard to guess I'd choose this gorgeous image 'Aislan and Diamond' for my first DT card. (You can find this image and lots more here)

The image is coloured with promarkers and sakura stardust pens for some sparkle and shimmer, cut in an oval and mounted on some silver card. I've used some bps from my stash in shades of purple and silver and also die cut some flowers using the same papers and a Marianne designs flower die. I added some purple and silver ribbon from  my stash and some clear gems to finish off.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Fab'n'Funky: Use a digi

For Fun: something you've never used before (the image and the bps)

Cute card Thursday: Make your own - i've made the flowers

Magical Monday: Back to nature

Bee Crafty: Furry/Fluffy friends

2 Sisters: Animal Fun

Thanks for popping by today, I hope you're going to join us for some Fun at Fairy Knoll

Claire xx

Crafty Ann's Challenge, Use a digi and your favourite colouring medium

Hi there, Friday at last and if Mr Blogger plays nicely and posts this for me, I'll be on my way to a conference and counting down to the weekend lol. The new challenge over at Crafty Ann's is to use a digi image and your favourite colouring medium. I've used this beautiful iris image from Crafty Ann's and promarkers (I do love watercolour pencils but always seem to get a better result with promarkers).

I've also used a beautiful lilac woodgrain bp from Crafty Ann's Digi Shop for the base card and punched some flowers out using a woodware punch and inked the edges with DI. I punched two borders from lilac and beige polished stone bps (again from Crafty Ann's) using a MS punch.The lilac gingham ribbon and pearls arefrom my stash. I wrapped the corners of the image with more gingham ribbon and added one of Crafty Ann's ticket sentiments to finsh the card off.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Southern Girls: 4 layers of patterned paper (backing paper, 2 layers of punched border and the flowers punched from scraps of the backing paper)

Pollycraft: Anything goes

Creative Card Crew: blooming marvellous

Paper Players: Monochromatic

Sketch Saturday: I've used this sketch with different shapes - hope that counts :-)

Thanks for calling by, I can't wait to see what your favourite colouring medium is

Claire xx

Girly Girl at Cowgirl Up!!

Hi there, just a little heads up about the new challenge starting at Cowgirl's Sunday Stamp'en Challenge on Sunday - the posse have a fab theme for you again! We want to see your Girly Girl creations using pink and green or purple and some pearls!! We have a great prize as well - the winner will get a $10 voucher for Pollycraft and the top 3 will get an image from Cowgirl Up Designs!!

I've used CJ's gorgeous image 'BELLA' for this card, coloured her with promarkers and added some Judikins prisma glitter to her wings. I've used the sketch from the challenge over at Sketch and Stash and some pink, green and cream dps from my stash (I think they were a freebie from a magazine). I've added some glimmer misted paper flowers with pearls in the centres, some liquid pearls, pink organza ribbon and a pink brad.

I'm also entering Bella in the following challenges:

Colour Create: Pink, Green and Cream

A spoon full of sugar: Sparkle and Shine

Flutter by Wednesday: Open Challenge with a butterfly angel or fairy

Thanks for looking. I've really enjoyed using these colours, they are a real change from all the Autumn, Halloweeny stuff I seem to have been making lately

Claire xx

Cooking it up with Katie

Hi, Wednesday again, where is the week going? This week's challenge from Cooking it up with Katie seems to have come around really quickly doesn't it? Our recipe this week is

• 
  
  Quote
• 
  
  Chipboard
• 
  
  Red

and we have a wonderful sponsor again this week, Shelley's Images! I used this image for my card this week - sorry the photo isn't too good my dreadful photography skills were made even worse than usual by the dark horrible weather!!

The image is coloured with promarkers and highlighted with sakura stardust pens. I struggled for a quote and settled on this one from Elusive images. I tore the edges of the image and the quote and inked them with vintage photo and pine needles DI. The other torn sheet is made with acrylic paints on linen card - i used a layer of dark green then a layer of coppery red and splashed it with water before blotting to let some of the green show through. The flowers are made with a Marianne designs die (Floral Fantasy) with a gem in the centre. The gem was a clear one coloured with alcohol ink but it doesn't show up to well in the pic. The red corrugated card and the ribbon are from my stash. The gorgeous wood grain bp is from Crafty Ann's.

I kind of thought I'd finished the card and then remembered ' CHIPBOARD' aaaaargghhh!! I was a bit stuck as I don't use a lot of chipboard embellies and didn't have anything remotely suitable. I did have loads of really naff chipboard tags and shapes that came with kits i bought when I first started crafting though. I took a round tag that had some teddies on it and inked it with versamark and added a few layers of cosmic shimmer EPs in gold, lava black and green and then stamped into it with a leafy branch stamp from Elusive images. I raided the shed for a bit of string to finish it off. I'm really pleased with the way this turned out so i'll be able to use up all those chipboard shapes i've got now, sometimes it pays to be a hoarder lol. I'm entering this tip in this weeks Top Tip Challenge

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Artistic Stamper: Layer it on

Paper Sundaes: Somthing from your stash

Craft your passion: Crimped paper

Sentimental Sundays: Autumn

Sunday Stamper: String

Digital Tuesday: ribbon, buttons, bling (any or all - i've used ribbon and a little bling)

Tuesday Throwdown - Use Chipboard

Oldie but goodie: All creatures great and small

Thanks for looking, I'm looking forward to seeing what you can cook up with us this week

Claire xx

Hip not to be square at Michelle Perkett Studios!

Hi, Tuesday again so its time for another challenge at Michelle Perkett Studio and this week our challenge is 'Hip not to be square!' We want to see your fabulous shaped cards and of course Michelle's lovely images. You can find Michelle's images in her Etsy Store, at Bunny Zoe's Crafts and there are also some amazing freebies over on Michelle's groups at SNR, PCP and CDAC.

When I first saw Carmen Cupcake  I had the idea to make a cupcake shaped easel card. I used another of Michelle's Digistamps to make the large cupcake card (I used Happy Birthday Flower Cupcake and snipped the candle off). I printed the large cupcake out a few times so I could decoupage the flowers

My printer doesn't like card so I printed the images out and coloured the large cupcakes and Carmen with promarkers and then cut them out, adding some Judikins prisma glitter to the white flowers. I stuck the large cupcakes on some white pearlescent card, cut them out leaving a  strip of card at the bottom of one cupcake. I scored and folded this to make the easel base and popped the other cupcake on. A scrap of white ribbon and the lovely Carmen Cupcake finish the card off.

I'm entering Carmen in the following challenges:

Crafty Cardmakers: Step Away from the Square

Pollycraft: Anything goes

Incy Wincy: Glitter

Polka Doodles: Fancy Folds

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge: Easel Card

ABC Challenge: E is for Easel Card

Thanks for calling by, don't forget its hip not to be square!!

Claire xx

Vintage Lizzie and exciting news!!

Hi everyone, I have some very exciting news!! Linda from Jazzlins Designs has asked me to be a member of her DT!! How chuffed am I? Linda is a really wonderful person, and has the most fab selection of goodies in her shop. I've been ordering from Linda by mail order and I'm so happy with her prices and fantastic service. Jazzlins webshop will be opening soon too :-)

I've used Lizzie with Muff from Whiff of Joy and the beautiful Designer Doiley Marianne die (both from Jazzlins) as my starting point for this card. Lizzie is coloured with promarkers and cut out. The bp is one I made with Elusive images snowflake stamps - i stamped them with a sparkly EP onto cream card and then sprayed with some aqua spray ink. It looked a bit drab so I gave it a generous blast of gold firework ink to bling it up.

I used the Marianne die to cut and emboss 3 doileys from cream pearl card and then inked them with an aqua dye inkpad. The cream ribbon is from my stash and the gorgeous flowers, heart shaped pearls and sprays of pearls are from Jazzlins. The flowers take ink beautifully so the white ones can be matched to what ever ink/markers you've used. The sentiment is from Elusive images, cut out with a nestie and again inked with aqua ink around the edges.

I'm entering Lizzie in the following challenges:

Charisma Cardz: Christmas Crafting

Passion 4 Promarkers: Vintage/Shabby chic

I love promarkers: Pearls and swirls

Daring Cardmakers: Christmas card

Stamptacular: Layer it on (use at least 5 layers - bp, ribbon, 3 doileys and Lizzie!!)

Lots to do: Vintage

There's Magic in the Air: Christmas card with snowflakes

Thanks for calling by today,

Claire xx

October's Digi Bloghop

Where did September go? I can't believe the first Monday in October is here already but it is so it must be time for the Digi Blog Hop. If you're already hopping along for some fab prizes (from our resident artists and our sponsor Caroline's Digi Stamps too) and you've arrived here from the lovely  Laura's blog, then you're on the right track. If not, hop over to the Digi blog Hop where the fun begins

I've used this supercute scarecrow image from DZ Doodles to make this card. Scarecrow is coloured with promarkers and matted onto a punched circle that I'd coloured with distress inks. The base  is corrugated card painted with acrylic paint in shades of copper and brown. The veggie ribbon is from my Crafty Ribbons. I've used punched and inked leaves and a gorgeous flower digi from this months sponsor Caroline's Digi stamps. Its printed out on vellum, stamped with a swirly flourish using brilliance ink and layered up.

Your next stop on the Digi Blog Hop is Rhonda but before you go, don't forget you need to collect a letter. I have a letter

L

for you before you hop on over to Rhonda's amazing blog

I'm entering this scarecrow in the following challenges

Stampin for the weekend: Autumn

Our Creative Corner: Beautiful fall colours

Raise the Bar : Flower, At least 2 ribbons, Lots of leaves

Something Completely Different: Shades of Autumn, any type of project

Tuesday Taggers : All about Autumn with a fab prize from The Craft Barn

Thanks for hopping by

Claire xx

A new Halloween challenge at Cowgirl's Sunday Stamp'en challenge

We've got a new challenge over at Cowgirl's Sunday Stamp'en Challenge today, the theme is 'Anything Goes' but we'd love  to see lots of Orange and Black on your Halloween inspired creations. Over at Cowgirl Up Designs CJ is launching a load of new Halloween images today, I've used one, 'Cat'n'Witch' for this card. Isn't she fab? I really enjoyed colouring her. Our prize this week is from Cowgirl Up, the winner gets 4 of CJs images and the Top 3 also get 2 images - check out the challenge blog for more details!!

I don't really like Halloween to be honest but I love making Halloween cards for some reason. My friend's daughter has a Halloween birthday so I always make her a spooky card, this year she'll be 16 so I think this funky witch will be great for her card.

 I've coloured Cat'n'witch with promarkers and distressed the edges a little. The bp is from a kit kindly sent to me by my blogging buddy Jean, as are the little stickers in the corners. I added some tiny buttons (from the Stampman) to the bp. The rose is made from grungepaper coloured with brilliance ink, I also added a little black glitter. I've also used a creative acrylic tag, embossed the back with some sparkly orange EP and used a sentiment from Elusive Images on the front. I added some orange ribbon and black eyelash fibre to finish off.

I'm entering 'Cat'n'Witch' in the following challenges

Crafts and ME: something for a teenager

Aud Sentiments: Halloween Sentiment

Glitterbabe's Challenge: Embossing

Crafty Emma's Challenge: Get ahead, Get a hat

Baby Bud Challenge: Fall/Halloween

The Crafty Pad: Spooky

Thanks for looking, I hope you're going to join in our challenge this week

Claire xx

Princess Oceana

Hi, I'm so pleased its the weekend at last. I think I've been working too hard as i've done some really daft things this week. I spent ages looking for a wedding invitation and eventually found it in the freezer lol. Thats just one thing, I've generally been totally scatterbrained all week. Definitely time to chill out and do some crafting lol

Last week Marion did a great tutorial for colouring red hair over on Michelle Perkett Studios, I used Marions technique to colour Princess Oceana and make this card. I love this image, she is Michelle's signature image and you can find her in Michelle's Etsy store here. If you're quick you'll be able to grab a bargain as Michelle has a sale on with 35% off to celebrate World Cardmaking day!!

I've used the sketch from Bunny Zoe'sCrafts  challenge for this card, did you know you can also get Michelle's images from Bunny Zoe's? The bps are from K&Co and I made the 3 panels by brayering a water effect on glossy card with dye ink, it doesn't show up too well on the pic though. I distressed the edges of the bps with a craft knife and spiced marmalade DI, it looks a funny colour in the pic for some reason (mmmm perhaps my terrible photography skills may have something to do with it lol)  I coloured Princess Oceana with promarkers and added stickles in various colours for some extra bling.  I made some flowers by cutting lots of circles of tissue paper, spraying them with glimmer mists and scrunching them up. I layered them up and added some tiny shells to the centres. I added some ribbon and larger shells from my stash to finish off.

I'm also entering Princess Oceana in the following challenges:

Paper Playtime: listen to the rhythm of the falling rain (the theme of water)

Totally Papercrafts: The great outdoors

Creative Cottage: bling it on

Your next stamp challenge: Make your own flowers

Simon says: It's Autumn (Photo inspiration and fall colours)

Little red Wagon: Make your own embellishment

Don 't forget you still have time to enter this weeks challenge at Michelle Perkett Studios which is 'Girly with Bling' and be in with a chance to win one of Michelle's gorgeous images!! If you don't have any of Michelle's images, you can find some lovely freebies over on PCP, SNR and CDAC!!

Thanks for popping by, have a good weekend

Claire xx

Just a reminder

Just a quick reminder you still have a week to enter our challenge at Let's Ink It Up and have a chance to win £20 to spend at Caroline's Rubber stamps!!

 

The theme for our challenge is 'Use your favourite stamp, with a twist - add a charm'

So dig out your favourite stamp and join us to be in with a chance to win

Claire xx

What's cooking with Katie this week?

Its time for a new recipe at Cooking it up with Katie, and this week we are sponsored by Sassy Studio! Our recipe is:

• 
  
  Digi
• 
  
  Yellow
• 
  
  Sparkle

The DT were lucky enough to be able to use a fab image from Sassy Studio, here's my card using this gorgeous image called 'Reading Rachel'. I haven't put a sentiment on as I thought this image would be fab for allsorts of occasions but I'll probably use it for my son's girlfriend as she has a birthday coming up soon.

The image is coloured with promarkers as usual. BP and card from my stash. The pink dotty ribbon is from Crafty Ribbons, the gingham ribbon is again from my stash. The little flowers were made using a punch and a dot of pink stickles in the centre. The larger flowers are made using a digistamp from Crafty Ann's, coloured with promarkers, sprayed with glimmer mists and  with pink glitter in the centres.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

CRAFT: Teenagers

Alota Rubber Stamps: Handmade flowers

Lollipop: Glitter, sparkle and gems

Karber Monthly: Anything goes

Karber Weekly challenge 7: hobbies and leisure

Thanks for calling by today. I hope you're going to cook up somthing with our recipe this week

Claire xx