Hot stuff at Crafty Ann's

Hi there, well its time for a new challenge at Crafty Ann's, our first of the new year and Ann wants to see us thinking HOT so we can be inspired by hot colours or summery scenes etc. As always there is a fab prize from Crafty Ann's Digi Shop so I hope you're going to escape the horrible winter weather with us. For my DT card i've used one of Ann's gorgeous Venetian masks and a gorgeous bright paper from the Funky collection.

I've distressed the paper and added some gold embossing before matting it on some gold textured card. The main image is coloured with promarkers and glittered using gold glitter and a quickie glue pen. I've matted the image over scraps of mirri card that i embossed in my trusty cuttlebug before colouring with alcohol inks (raisin and cranberry). I've added a metal filigree corner to finish off and stamped and gold embossed the sentiment 'Celebrate'.

Sorry for the decidedly dodgy photo, its been so dark and grey here over the last couple of weeks. its dark when i go to work and dark when i come home, i'm starting to feel like an owl lol.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Aud Sentiments: any sentiment plus use your scraps

Crafty Emma's Challenge: Party party party

Joanna Sheen Challenge: Celebration

Kaboodle doodles: celebrate

Truly Madly Crafty: anything goes

Tuesday Throwdown: Shiny New Year

Thanks for calling by today

Claire xx 

Giving Thanks at Sarah Hurley Challenges

Hi there, my second card today and hopefully this one will banish some of the winter blues. Our challenge over at Sarah Hurley's Challenge this week is Giving Thanks so I've made a thank you card using elements from Woodland Whimsies (you can find it here).

All the elements were printed off the cd and then cut out and decoupages. I matted the sentiment on a nestie eyelet circles die cut and added some white ribbon over the rainbow bp. A super quick card but hopefully it will raise a smile on a grey January day.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Charisma Cardz: over the rainbow

DYSU: photo inspiration

Fairy Tale: Something easy

Paper Shelter : Anything goes

Scrapbook Sisters: Anything goes

Sentimental Sundays :Anything goes

Sparkles Forum: Anything but a Christmas card

Top Tip Tuesday: Anything goes

Unstampabelles: Anything goes

Its a very exciting time to be part of Sarah Hurley's team as this week sees the launch of Sarah's fab new Craft Academy and Crafty Kids Academy which is going to be so exciting! Check it out here

Claire xx

Travel in Time with the Rainbow Lady

Hi there,  Rainbow Lady's Challenge this week is 'Travelling in Time' which was a great excuse to use this gorgeous background from Dover, I'd printed it out ages ago but didn't want to cover it up so I came up with the idea of adding some stamping around the edges instead.

I've distressed the edges of the paper with a craft knife and vintage photo and black soot distress inks. I've stamped the cogs from Chocolate Baroque Steampunk Christmas on some vellum using black versafine and then turned it over and stamped and embossed the same stamp with gold EP, the black cogs give a shadowy effect through the vellum. I've added half of a die cut 'weathered clock' embossed with antique gold EP and some black velvet ribbon. To finish off I've added a flower made from card stamped with Stampers Anonymous music stamp and die cut with tattered florals before being inked with a little black soot distress ink. Here's another pic to show the detail

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Artistic Stamper: Vintage

Crafty Creations:Heat embossing

House that  stamps built: brown and blue

Incy Wincy: anything goes

Paper Creations Ink: die cuts/punches

Stamp-n-Doodle: Anything goes

Stamp and Create: Vintage

Top Tip Tuesday:  Anything goes

Tuesday throwdown: Shiny new year

Thanks for calling by today

Claire xx

Challenge #17 at Christmas Challenges {with sketches}

Hi there, it our first challenge of 2012 at Christmas Challenges {with Sketches} and  this week its my turn to design the sketch so I hope you like it :-) 

For a bit of extra fun we're going to be adding a twist to some of our challenge and this week as well as using the sketch we'd like to see die cuts and/or punches too

This time around our challenge is sponsored by 'My Favourite Things' so don't forget to visit the challenge blog to see the sketch and to find out more about the prize on offer

The backing paper is from Raspberry Road Designs, distressed with a craft knife and matted on pink pearl card. I've created a panel using STampers Anonymous tree stamps and Memento Bamboo leaves ink, I inked the sky with Victorial Velvet distress ink. The circle frame is a Marianne Die cut, swiped with versamark and embossed with gold EP. The gorgeous angel  rubber stamp is by Chrissy Armstrong  from Whimsy STamps, she is coloued with promarkers. To finish off I've added some die cut filigree corners from Make it Crafty, some rolled ribbon roses and die cut leaves. The sentiment is from the same stamp set, its stamped on a creative acrylic tag.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges

Christmas Cards all year round: Non traditional Christmas colours

Craft your passion: anything goes plus distressing

Cupcake Craftroom: anything goes

52 Christmas Throwdown: anything goes

Incy Wincy: anything goes

Magical Monday: anything magical

Marianne Design Diva's : Its Christmas

My Craft Spot: winter wonderland

One Stop Craft Challenge: Winter wishes

Sentimental Sundays: anything goes

Sundays with Chrissy: Beat the winter blues (I hope my warm colours count) 

The Pink Elephant: anything goes

Thanks for visiting today. Make sure you pop over and check out my teamies blogs as they have made some stunning cards again. 

Claire xx

The Stamp Man 3rd annual awards

Hi there, well Christmas is well and truly over, the decorations have been put away and the fridge is cleared off leftovers lol. Before looking forward to 2012, the team at The Stamp Man are encouraging us to look back over the past year and pick our best/favourite craft project of the year! What a great challenge and a good excuse to sit in front of the TV with the lappy and a box of After 8s lol (not that I need an excuse to eat chocolate )

After a wander around looking at all the projects I've made in the last year I think my favourite is this one, a little canvas called 'Fairy Door'. I really enjoyed making it as it gave me chance to mess around with paint and glitter and also to use one of my all time favourite stamps, the gorgeous unicorn from Chocolate Baroque. You can see the original post here

It was hard to choose and I thought I'd share a couple more of my favourite projects, this little canvas was created for our first challenge at Fashionable Stamping Challenges and uses some more of my favourite stamps (the original post is here)

Lastly, I really enjoyed making this one, I love mail art and got so carried away making these faux stamps, again using stamps from Chocolate Baroque. You can find out more in the original post here

Thanks for taking a walk down memory lane with me. I'm back at work tomorrow so although I'm not the happiest bunny in the world its always nice to catch up with friends and have a good old gossip :-) Here's to another year of crafting

Claire xx

New Year, New Stash at Fashionable Stamping Challenges

Happy New Year!! I hope its a good one for you :-) I hope you enjoyed your new year celebrations and have escaped the dreaded hangover lol. No hangovers here, i'm not a party animal these days.

Not only is it the start of a New Year, its also the start of a new challenge over at Fashionable Stamping Challenges and this time we'd like to see you model your new stash on the catwalk. If Santa  brought you some new goodies or maybe you've treated yourself, nows the time to get inky and join us to be in with a chance of winning  a fab prize from the lovely Marina our regular sponsor from Cottage Crafts. (don't forget we're a stamping challenge so no digistamps allowed)

For my project i've used a new Kaisercraft beyond the page cuckoo clock from Crafty Boots. I've paint fusioned it with daisy stamps from Sheena Douglass and used assorted acrylic paints from my stash. I've added some die cut grungeboard flourishes, a flower die cut with tattered florals and some paper flowers from my stash. The butterflies are stamps from Chocolate Baroque, stamped on acetate, embossed and then glittered on the back. They don't show up too well in the pic but this is one of my all time favourite techniques for sparkly butterfly wings.  I had so much fun with this project, and even better i have another clock to alter as soon as I get some free time.

I'm entering this project in the following challenges

Craft room Challenge: anything goes

Crafts and Me: anything goes

Delicious Doodles: anything goes

Glitter Geeks: brand spanking new

Mami Doodles: altered art/ home decor

Ooh La La: anything but a card

Simon Says Stamp: anything goes

Thanks for calling by today. 

Happy New Year

Claire xx

CCWS Blog Candy Winner

Hi there, todays the day that the blog candy winners are announced from our Blog Hop at Christmas Challenges {with sketches}! With the help of random.org's  clever random number generator my winner is.........

Paula (PEP)

congratulations Paula, please email me with your snail mail address and I'll get your goodies in the post!

Thanks to everyone who hopped along with us and your lovely comments, there is a full list of winners over at Christmas Challenges {with sketches} so make sure you check as you could be a winner

hugs

Claire xx

Your choice at Rainbow Lady's Challenge

Hi there, i'm back again with my second card of the day (If Mr Blogger is playing nicely as really i'll be at work with my nose to the grindstone as the saying goes). Over at Rainbow Lady's challenge this week Cynthia has set a nice easy challenge, 'Your choice' so you can play along with whatever you choose. My DT card features a gorgeous digital stamp from Whoopsi Daisy that i was lucky enough to win a couple of weeks ago, isn't she a cutie?

I've coloured the image with promarkers and cut her out with a nestie. The background is glimmer mists on glossy card, it looks quite pink in the pic but its actually a dark red (so much for my photography skills lol). I've added gold mirri card, distressed with a craft knife, paper flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts, ribbon from my stash and faux pearls made with my viva pearl pen.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Bearly Mine: anything goes

Crafts and Me: Christmas

Digistamps for Joy: christmas (No animals)

Divas by Design: Christmas

House of Gilli: red and gold

I love promarkers: anything goes

Paper Sundaes: Celebrate

Shopping our Stash: tie it up

Whoopsi Daisy: Sparkle and shine

Thanks for popping by

Claire xx

New Year challenge at C.R.A.F.T

Hi there, my last card as GDT for C.R.A.F.T challenge, its been great fun and I've loved it, especially seeing all your gorgeous creations :-) This week our challenge is 'New Year' and I've used a fab image from one of our sponsors for this card

This week we have two prizes up for grabs, one lucky winner will receive 5 images from Sew Many Digital Stamps 

and our other lucky winner will win 2 images from Liazstamps

I've used an image called 'Harry' from Liazstamps, don't you just love the expression on his face LOL. He's coloured with promarkers, cut out with nesties and matted on a black faux nestie. The bp is from my stash and I've added some gold satin ribbon and a flower made with a spellbinders die.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Everybody Art: Anything goes

I love Promarkers: anything goes

My Mum's Craft Shop: anything goes

Scrapbook Sisters: anything goes

Simon Says Stamp: anything goes

Thanks for calling by today and thanks to the lovely ladies at C.R.A.F.T, its been a real pleasure to join you for December's Challenges

Claire xx

PanPastels DT, Imagine the possibilities :-)

Hi there, well with Christmas and pesky internet gremlins it seems ages since I've blogged anything but today I wanted to share some very exciting news. I'm joining the PanPastel UK DT, and how excited am I?? Yes, you guessed it, thoroughly over excited lol. I wanted to have a play and share a project with my news so I've managed to grab a few hours in my craftroom and made this tag, using PanPastels of course :-)

I've had a really good play with PanPastels today and oh dear I think I have a new addiction, better warn the bank manager :-) PanPastels are such gorgeous vibrant colours,  they are velvety smooth and they blend beautifully with the Sofft tools (these are made from a very dense foam that is amazingly squidgy - technical term there lol).

I've tried them on lots of different card and they are really versatile, from watercolour card to supersmooth white cardstock. I know a lot of pastels need card with some tooth but PanPastels are just as happy with smooth cardstock. I haven't got any proper fixative, so I just used a spray of cheap hairspray instead.

I've made a few projects today but some I won't be able to share for a while, this tag was super quick to make. The night sky is made by blending black and Ultramarine Blue Shade panpastels with a Sofft Angle slice tool. I stamped the row of houses (from Artistic Outpost) with black versafine on white card lightly coloured with white PanPastel and a hint of black, cut them out and popped them up on 3d foam pads. I added glossy accents around the edges and then silver microbeads. The tiny stars are made with white cosmic shimmer glue and glamour dust. 

The larger stars were made using Jo Capper Sandon's star stamp on shrink plastic dipped in UTEE and coloured with pearl alcohol ink additive although they look black in the pic. I've never thought of trying that before until Tim's Tags and although I didn't have time to join in with the tags I was itching to get my melting pot out and start shrinking and its the most amazing fun watching the shrink plastic curl in the UTEE (OK I'm easily pleased lol). The sentiment is from Chocolate Baroque, and I thought it would be perfect for my first venture into the world of PanPastels :-)

To finish off I've added some scraps of ribbon, net and braid attached with a silver brad.

I'm entering this tag in the following challenges:

Gingersnap Creations GC129:  Starry Night

Make my Monday: Seasonal tags

Ooh La La: anything but a card

Stampotique: Shimmer, glimmer, glitter and glitz

The Stamp Man: Techniques

I hope you've all had a lovely Christmas, it seems to have gone as quickly as it came and I'm back at work tomorrow (not a happy bunny about that I can tell you) but at least its theres another long weekend coming up and lots of chocolate in the cupboard to console myself lol

hugs

Claire xx

Merry Christmas!

Just a quick post to wish all my lovely blogland friends and followers a very Merry Christmas. I hope you all have a wonderful time with the ones you love, lots to eat and drink and that Santa has been good to you. Christmas is such a special time of year, its so lovely to be able to relax and spend some time with friends and family. Special hugs to those who are on their own at Christmas or are having a difficult time.

No card today as the last few days have been so hectic I haven't had a lot of time for crafting and I'm itching to get in my craftroom and play! Footy tomorrow so I'll be home alone for most of the day so I'll be getting inky fingers lol

Enjoy your day everyone

Merry Christmas

love and hugs

Claire xx

Merry Christmas Blog hop at CCWS!!

Hi and welcome to the the first Christmas Challenges {with sketches} blog hop! If you came here from my lovely teamie Monique's blog, you are on the right track. If not please start at Christmas Challenges {with sketches}, because you don't want to miss anything!  All the DT have prizes on their blogs so there are lots of lovely goodies up for grabs!! All you need to do is leave a comment on the DTs blogs as you hop along and for an extra chance of winning a prize, enter our sketch challenge too. 

My card is made using stamps from Whiff of Joy stamped on kraft card and coloured with coloursoft pencils. The bps were all made using snowflake stamps from Chocolate Baroque with distress inks in Tumbled Glass, Tea Dye and Vintage photo oversprayed with pearl glimmer mist for some sparkle. The lace,ribbon and lacy doiley are from the Funkie Junkie and the sentiment is also a stamp from Chocolate Baroque, matted on a kraft die cut. I added some tiny blue faux gems to the snowflakes for a bit of Christmas bling

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Crafts and Me: Christmas

Crafty Purple Frog: Christmas and New Year

Inky Impressions: Christmas Cheer

My Mum's Craft Shop: Anything goes

Paperplay: christmas

Ribbon Reel: Shabby holiday 

Simon Says Stamp: bingo challenge ( my line is ribbon, gems sparkle)

Sisterhood of Crafters: christmas

Stampin Sisters in Christ: the true meaning of Christmas

Here's a pic of my prize, there are some stamps (wood mounted angels, some clear stamps and a Sweet Pea rubber stamp called Cherish Christmas), ribbon and assorted stickers:

Thank you for joining us in this bloghop, and don't forget to join us at our Bloghop sketch Challenge. You can win a lovely stamp on the CCWS Blog when you are the winner of the card using our sketch. You can upload your card on the CCWS Blog until December 29th 18:00 PM (Dutch time) and you can find the winner on the blog the day after. When you leave a comment here too, you can win this (what price you have to give away) and I will announce the winner on December 30th here on my blog. 

Now it's time to hop on over to NICOLE''s blog to see what wonderful creation she's made for your inspiration.

thanks for popping by today

Merry Christmas

Claire xx

#184 A white Christmas for Rainbow Lady

Hi there, I'm back with another Christmas card, this one is my DT project for Rainbow Lady's Challenge where Cynthia wants to see projects inspired by the theme White Christmas. 

I've used some of my favourite stamps for this card, they are all from 'Snow is Falling' by Chocolate Baroque. It was a really quick card to make as I've just stamped the image on silk coated card using a big and juicy waterfall inkpad and added some Judikins prisma glitter, matted the image on card brayered with the same ink and then on a layer of white card. The background was made using snowflake stamps from the same themeplate and the same inkpad. I've added some lace, seambinding coloured with waterfall ink and a glittery snowflake made with a Marianne die and attached to the bow with a snowflake brad.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Addicted to Stamps: Snowflakes

Creative Inspirations Paint: The holidays

Christmas Card Challenges: Non traditional Christmas colours 

Lexi's creations: Untraditional Christmas colours

Stamps+fun =creativity: favourite material for cardmaking (mine is my brayer)

Top Tip Tuesday: Christmas

Thanks for popping by

hugs

Claire xx

Pastelles for Christmas at C.R.A.F.T

Hi there, how are you doing? Nearly ready for the big day?  Today's card is my GDT project for C.R.A.F.T challenge where the theme is 'pastelles for Christmas'

This week we have 2 generous sponsors so don't miss out as that means there are 2 prizes up for grabs! One lucky winner will receive 4 images and a paperpack (or 5 images) from Robyn's Fetish

Our other lucky winner will receive either 3 digi stamps or 2 cling stamps from 2 cute rubber stamps!

I've made a shaped easel, cut out with nesties and inked with tumbled glass distress ink. The image is from our sponsor Robyn's Fetish, I've coloured with with promarkers and added Ranger Black enamel accents for his eyes. Once that was dry (don't you just hate waiting for things to dry?? I do lol) I added lots of judikins prisma glitter to the melting snowman and then decoupages his hat, scarf, gloves and pipe. I've added a marianne die cut snowflakes, some ribbon from my stash and plenty of stickles.

The sentiment is computer generated, inked with pale blue ink,  and attached to a Creative Acrylic tag with glue and stickles to make it look like ice. I'm really pleased with the effect :-)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Bunny Zoe's: Fancy folds/shaped cards

Craft your days away: Snowmen

Digital Tuesday: Winter Wonderland

Drunken Stampers: Glittery Holiday

Fussy and Fancy: Monochromatic and sparkle

Hooked on Crafts: christmas

Stamp'n'doodle: Its Christmas

Top Tip Tuesday: Anything Christmas

I don't know where this week is going, I'm still nowhere near organised for Christmas eeeek!  Hubby has been in hospital this week, he's ok and home now but with that and work I don't seem to have had a minute so I'll be battling the crowds in my lunch hour to do a bit more Christmas shopping lol

Thanks for calling by

Claire xx

Challenge #16 at Christmas Challenges {with sketches}

Hi folks, how are your Christmas preparations going? This time of year always seems to be so hectic but it will all be worth while on the day :-). If you've still got some cards to make pop on over to Christmas Challenges {with sketches} as we have a new challenge starting today with a gorgeous sketch from my talented teamie Carol.

As always we have a great prize up for grabs and this time around we are sponsored by 

Whiff of Joy, so you're not going to want to miss out!! Hop on over to the challenge blog to find out more :-)

For my DT card i've used papers from GCD Ella Blue collection, all matted on to kraft card, a kraft border punched with an EK success punch, a Marianne die cut snowflake with a little stickles. The image  is 'Window Wonder' from Di's digi Downloads,  coloured with promarkers and glittered with judikins prisma glitter although that doesn't show up too well in the pic. To finish off I've added some blue ribbon from my stash and stamped a 'Let it snow' sentiment on a die cut kraft tag

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Allsorts: brown and blue

Crafty Boots: Christmas

Digital Tuesday: Winter Wonderland

Di's Digi Designs: Christmas

Dream Valley: christmas

Everybody Art Challenge: anything goes

Little Claire's: Family Christmas

Marianne Design Divas:Christmas

Passion for Promarkers: Mega Christmas challenge

the Crazy Challenge: Christmas

We've got an extra Christmas treat for you at Christmas challenges {with sketches}, we're having a blog hop which starts on Christmas Eve with prizes on all the DT members blogs!!

Merry Christmas

Claire xx