Black white and a hint of Red on the catwalk

Hi there folks, its a busy blogging weekend for me with lots of projects to share! I've been awol recently so i'm playing catch up and I'm planning on sitting with my feet up doing lots of blog visiting this afternoon. This card is my DT project for our new challenge at Fashionable Stamping Challenges where our theme is 'Black, White and a hint of red'. There's a fabby $20 voucher from Flonzcraft up for grabs so ink up those stamps and play along for a chance to win. Don't forget we're a stamping challenge though so you do need to use rubber/clear stamps to play along, no digis allowed.

For my card I've used one of my newest Flonzcraft stamps, its perfect for valentine or wedding cards and its got a lovely vintage feel too. The stamp is called Bride and Groom at Alter and you can find it here. I've stamped with Black archival ink on white cardstock and lightly rubbed over a little Treasure gold before cutting out and distressing the edges. I've layered the image up over a cabinet die cut embossed with my favourite embossing folder and highlighted with more treasure gold.

The background was made using Distress Inks (Black Soot, Pumice Stone and Festive Berries) and stamps from Chocolate Baroque (Lace Fragments and Punky Hearts'. I've added an old book page, a heart shaped doily and lace, black ribbon and white seam binding from my stash. The red flower is made with UTEE and a silicone mould. To finish off i've popped some faux pearls in the corners and die cut a couple of little hearts from some left over background paper.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Artistic Stampers: love

Brown Sugar: anything goes

Card Mania: add some red

Crafts for Eternity: with love

Crafts Galore encore: use a stamp/digi

Natalie and Amy's: all about love

Red Rubber Inspirationals: love is in the air

Simply Create Too: hearts/valentine

Sisters of Craft: anything goes

STAMPlorations: stamps and hearts

If you've got a minute, grab a cuppa and check out my DT Sisters gorgeous projects, they are such a lovely talented lot they are bound to inspire you to ink up those stamps and join us!

Thanks so much for visiting, hope you're having a good weekend

Claire xx

Sketchy new stamps from Chocolate Baroque

Good afternoon folks, I'm back to share a canvas made using some of this months new releases from Chocolate Baroque. I've used some of the flowers, leaves and dragonfly from Sketchy Doodle Landscapes and had a lot of inky fun creating this project.

I began by spraying the canvas with some spray inks (I used glimmer mists but you could use dylusions or even have a play with brushos for this effect) in shades of green, blue and purple and left it to dry. While it was drying I took some squares and rectangles of plastic from my stash and coloured with alcohol inks in toning shades. I also coloured some acetate with alcohol inks and once that was dry turned it over, dusted with an anti-static bag and then  I stamped the flowers, leaves and dragonfly with versamark. I embossed with WOW gold embossing powder  and then cut them all out.

To assemble my canvas I used PVA glue to adhere the plastic squares and dragonfly  to the background. To fiive the flowers a bit of dimension, I created little 'n' shaped pieces of acetate and used them to pop the flower up, this gives the flowers some movement and also lets light through through acetate to make the colours pop.

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

Clear it out: anything goes (Stash item Glimmer mists)

Craft your passion: anything goes

Happy Little Stampers: Embossing

Not just cards:  anything goes

Papertake Weekly: anything goes

Rhedd's Creative Spirit: anything goes

Southern Girls: sparkle and shine

WOW Embossing Powder: DIY Decor

Thanks for visting today

Claire xx

Hearts and Flowers at We do Doobadoo

Good morning folks, I'm chasing my tail again as this week has been so hectic so this post is a bit late but  better late than never I suppose. We've got a new challenge starting at We Do Doobadoo and our theme is 'Hearts and Flowers'. As always there are some gorgeous Dutch Doobadoo goodies for our lucky winner and you don't have to use our products to play along (although we love it when you do).

I've made a little wall hanger for my DT project using lots of Dutch Doobadoo goodies (you can find links at the bottom of this post)

I started off with a wooden heart that I picked up at the Works, its was only £1.99 so it was a bit of a bargain. I painted one half green and the other grey on both sides of the heart and once the paint was dry I set to with my favourite Dutch doobadoo A5 brick stencil and Maimeri Light Modelling Paste, creating a brick effect on half of each side of the heart. On the green areas I stencilled some polka dots using more LMP that i'd coloured with some violet PanPastel. Once it was dry I added some colour to the bricks with various shades of brown PanPastel.

The flowers were all stamped and die cut using Heartfelt Creations stamps/dies. I took some pretty papers from my stash and used the Dutch Doobadoo envelope template to create a little lacy effect envelop and added another layer with the Shape Art template and some lilac gingham paper on which I 'd stamped the words 'happy place' using brilliance ink and a stamp from Chocolate Baroque.

I die cut my name and embossed with purple EP and began assembling the project. I added a postcard created by using a stamp of the same name from Premium Craft Brands and popped the letters in position. I added lots of the delicate Dutch doobadoo laser art fern leaves that i coloured up with PanPastels. The dainty butterflies are also Dutch Doobadoo laser art, they have been embossed with Aqua Sparkle and Sprinkle embossing powder. To finish off I took some lilac ribbon to create a hanging loop and topped that with a seam binding bow using the same ribbon.

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

A Girl Who Crafts: anything goes

Altered Eclectics: anything goes

Crafty Hazelnuts Patterned paper: anything goes with patterned paper

Creative Knockouts: Hearts a Flutter

Die Cut Divas: words, quotes/sentiments

Dies R us: hearts plus die cuts

Fairy Tale: something with a heart

Recycle, repurpose, reinvent: anything goes

I'm feeling quite organised today (for a change lol), I've got the housework done, washing done and drying, a big casserole bubbling away in the slow cooker so I've just go the shopping to do and then the rest of the weekend is my own (hopefully) so with any luck I'll be able to spend the afternoon crafting, yipppeeeeeee!

Have a great day and hope to see you again soon

Claire xx

Dutch Doobadoo A5 brick stencil	Premium Art Brands, Postcard stamp set	Dutch Doobadoo Laser Art Fern	Dutch Doobadoo laser art, butterflies	Dutch Doobadoo Dutch Shape Art 3 15 x 20 cm
Dutch Doobadoo Envelope Template	Maimeri Light modelling paste

Flower Power from Polkadoodles

Good morning again, back already with my DT card for our inspiration post over at Polkadoodles where our theme is 'Flower Power', of course there are some gorgeous goodies up for grabs for our lucky winner and some exciting new releases too! Our lovely Nikky Hall has been designing her socks off and come up with some gorgeous new collections and digis so pop over and see the new Work and Play collections and meet the beautiful Octavia Moonfly, you'll fall in love with her, she's gorgeous!

For my card  I've used the fabulous new Work and Play 8 Feel the Music collection for my card. I've distressed the backing paper with a little picked raspberry distress ink and used scraps of papers from the CD to die cut some flowers. The sentiment is from the same cd. I've coloured the image with Graph'It markers and layered up on some pink card. I've added some die cut flourishes, lace, pearls and pink velvet ribbon. To finish off I've added one of the paper bows from the cd, I'm really loving paper bows at the minute.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Crafty Gals Corner: pinkalicious

Digi Choosday: in the pink

Lil patch of crafty friends: anything goes

Pile it on: music

Through the craft room door: anything goes

Wonderful Wednesdays: anything goes

I'm off to work to earn some pennies now so thanks for popping by, have a great day and hope to see you again soon

Claire xx

Amethyst at Graph'It Colouring Challenge

Good morning my lovelies, I've been very quiet on the blogging front as life has been a bit hectic for the past couple of weeks but I'm back in action now and this card is my DT project for our new challenge over at Graph'It Markers where our theme is 'Amethyst' which is the birthstone for February so we want to see your purple creations (although you don't have to use Graph'Its on your project, any markers will do). Our lucky winner will receive some gorgeous Graph'It goodies, you've got to be in it to win it :-)

I've used this adorable image from Aurora Wings for my card, I've mixed purples and blues from the Graph'it range to create the colours for my little sprite. For a full list of colours used, pop over to the challenge blog. This pic shows the colours a bit better

I've added some freebie papers from my stash and added paper flowers, lace, ribbon, pearls and a bow topped with a pretty button and some twine.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Craft Dee Bowz: anything goes with a handmade bow

(I used my bowmaker from Craft De Bows on my card, its fab and even makes easy work of velvet bows)

Deep Ocean: lace and pearls

Fan-tastic Tuesday: anything goes, twist: add some purple

Glitter and sparkle: anything goes

My Craft Creations: anything goes

Papertake Weekly: anything goes

Through the purple haze: anything goes

Thanks so much for visiting

Claire xx

A new colour challenge from Chocolate Baroque!

Good morning folks, my card today is inspiration for our colour challenge at Chocolate Baroque Challenge where as always we have a lovely colour palette to inspire you



I always start by choosing some inks and for this challenge I picked out Gathered Twigs, Spiced Marmalade, Peeled Paint and Scattered Straw and set to creating an inky background for my card.

The focal image is one of the gorgeous new stamps, Landscape Collage which is an individual stamp. I stamped it with Potting Soil Archival ink and watercoloured with my distress inks and then distressed the edges with spiced marmalade and gathered twigs distress inks.

To create the background I used some of my favourite tree stamps from 'Terrific Treescapes' inking them up with Gathered twigs at the bottom and Shabby Shutters at the top and stamped them to create a landscape. Next I stamped the grasses in and distressed the edges with Shabby Shutters and Gathered Twigs. To finish off I've added a seam binding bow and a button topped with a twine bow.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Craft your Passion: Anything goes

Dream Valley: anything goes

Inky Chicks: Anything goes

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: up in the clouds

Thanks for popping by today

Claire xx

Happy Birthday at PanPastel UK

Good morning folks, its time for some mid challenge inspiration at PanPastel UK for our 'Happy Birthday' challenge, You've still got a week to enter and you don't have to use PanPastels to play along, although we love it when you do! Our lucky winner will receive a gorgeous stencil and a PanPastel from those lovely folk at Premium Craft Brands too so its well worth joining in!

I've used my PanPastels to distress some free backing papers, adding some stamping using some of my favourite clear stamps from Premium Craft Brands with my PanPastels. The butterflies have been embossed with white EP and then I applied PanPastel, it gives a lovely shabby finish. I've used kraft card to matt and layer the images and also added some ribbon, string, twine and a button.

I'm entering this in the following challenges:

Crafting for all seasons: things with wings

Creative Card Crew: shabby Chic

Little Miss Muffet: anything goes

Penny's Paper Crafty: anything goes

Top Tip Tuesday: something new (papers)

Tuesday Throwdown: embossing

Thanks for visiting today

Claire xx

Burnt sienna shade

Raw Umber PanPastel

Permanent red tint

Premium Art Brands, Postcard stamp set

Matt Gel

Numbers at Fashionable Stamping Challenges

Good morning  my lovelies, how's your weekend going? As always its chaotic here but I'm hoping to grab an hour in my craft room today. We've got a new challenge starting at Fashionable Stamping Challenges today and the theme is 'Numbers', chosen by my lovely teamie Amanda. Our lucky winner will receive a generous $20 voucher from our sponsors Flonzcraft so I hope you're going to play along. Don't forget we're a stamping challenge though so no digis allowed!

I've made a clock using stamps from Indigo Blu for my DT project. I bgan by painting the mdf blank with cream acrylic paint and once that was dry i applied PanPastel ink shades of blue here and there. Next I stamped my favourite English Flourish stamp with Versamark and dusted over some Blue Pearlescent PanPastel, it dosn't show up too well in the pic but it looks really pretty in real life.

I stamped and masked the roses and then stamped the cogs and the roman numerals with Flitter Glu and gilded with Gin and Tonic Gilding flakes. I coloured the roses with derwent Colorsoft pencils and added some shadow to the cogs. I've also added some little gems to mark the hours on my clock.

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

Crafts 4 Eternity: numbers

Crafty Ribbons: anything but a card

Red Rubber Inspirationals: stamping, anything goes

Thats Crafty: Tick tock

The Stamping Boutique: make your own background

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

Romance from We Do Doobadoo

Good morning folks, we're in the mood for love over at We Do Doobadoo as our new challenge theme is Romance so its a great opportunity to get ahead with your Valentine cards/ projects

I've altered an MDF heart using lots of Dutch Doobadoo products (links at the end of this post)

Began with a coat of pale pink acrylic paint and then set to stencilling chicken wire with Maimeri Light Modelling Paste and some flowers  with Maimeri Iridescent paste,

I stamped the image from Flonzcraft on tissue paper and applied with Matte Gel medium.

I added paper flowers, silk flowers and some tattered lace die cuts. To finish off I've added Dutch Doobadoo laser art Ferns, butterflies, buttons and keys.

I'm entering this in the following challenges:

A Vintage journey: love is in the air

Crafty Ribbons: anything but a card

Fussy and Fancy: things with wings

Really Reasonable Ribbon: hearts and ribbon

Suzy Bee's Blooming Challenge: layers

Wags'n'Whiskers: hearts

thanks for visiting today

Claire xx

Chicken Wire Stencil	Dutch Doobadoo laser art Buttons	Dutch Doobadoo Laser Art Fern	Dutch Doobadoo laser art, butterflies	Maimeri Light modelling paste
Maimeri Iridescent Paste/Gesso 200ML	Dutch Doobadoo laser art Kays

Case it at Polkadoodles

Good morning folks, its challenge time over at Polkadoodles and my card today is for our mid challenge inspiration. The theme is 'CASE it' and you've still got loads of time to enter to be in with a chance of winning a fabby prize! Pop over to the challenge blog for all the details. There are two gorgeous new collections out too and as we're celebrating Nikky's birthday there's a discount code to receive 15% off the digi store too!

I've  case'd my teamie Lou's gorgeous hoover card which you can find here. I've used lots of the precoloured digital embellies from the brand new Work and Play 8 - music collection for my card. Taking inspiration from Lou, I've used the speaker embellie to create my card shape. I've cut out the embellies and added a CD and some bottlecaps to embellish the card.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges

Aud Sentiments: anything goes

CRAFT: recycle

Crafty Creations: something old/ something new (old-recycled cd and new images)

Crafty sentiments: for a man

Creative knockouts: lots of embellies

Penny's Paper crafty: anything goes

Thanks for visiting today

Claire xx

Happy Birthday at PanPastel UK

Good morning folks, its challenge time at PanPastel UK and for the next two weeks we've got a nice easy theme for you as its a 'Happy Birtday' challenge. You don't have to use PanPastels to enter and we've got  fab prize for our lucky winner from those lovely peeps at Premium Craft Brands too so pop over to the challenge blog for all the details and you can check out the gorgeous inspiration from my teamies too.

For my card i've made a card and gift box, they were really quick and easy to make. I used a large background stamp from Chocolate Baroque (Dusty Damask) and stamped it in versamark on the card front and also twice on some white card. I used the mop brush to dust over Ultramarine Blue and the tint over the image highlighting the stamped design.

I spinkled some white frantage over the card front and heated from below before stamping the sentiment (also from Chocolate Baroque) in Paris Blue Memento Ink. To complete the box I cut the stamped card to size and stuck it on with pva glue, adding some bead trim to the top.

I stamped the butterfly from the postcard stamp set twice in versamark inkk and embossed with white EP. I stuck them onto some double sided adhesive and cut them out. I peeled off the backing from the adhesive and dusted on some Blue Pearlescent PanPastel for a lovely shimmer.

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

Aud Sentiments: anything goes

Brown Sugar: Birthday for a girl

Chocolate Coffee and Cards: no circles

Creative Knockouts: birthdays

Paper Creators Crafts: anything goes

Sister Act: anything goes

Wags'n'Whiskers: anything goes

Thanks for popping by, have a great day and hope to see you again soon

Clare xx

ultramarine blue

Ultramarine Blue Tint

Premium Art Brands, Postcard stamp set

White Blending Mop Brush

Pearlescent Blue

Crisp and white at Graph'It Colouring Challenge

Good morning, goodness me this week has flown by! Its Friday already so its challenge time over at Graph'It Colour Challenge and this time around our theme is 'Crisp and White'. Of course we've got gorgeous Graph'It goodies lined up for our lucky inner thanks to our generous sponsors at Premium Craft Brands. You don't have to use our markers to play along so I hope you're going to join in the fun! Here's my DT card

Graph'its blend so beautifully and have a fab range of greys so they are perfect for creating different shades of white, I've used quite a few different colour combinations for colour this image, there's a full list of colours used over on the challenge blog.

The image is from Aurora Wings, she's gorgeous and loads of fun to colour. I've used a flouish stamp from Indigo Blu stamped with versamark and then added blue pearlescent PanPastel. I cut an aperture around the image and layered it over a sentiment from Chocolate Baroque.

To finish off I added some blue ribbon and edged with silver embossing powder.

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

4 Crafty Chicks: flowers

Addicted to stamps and more: colouring

Aud Sentiments: anything goes

Crafting by Designs: anything goes

Crafty Cardmakers: something old something new

 (old- sentiment and flourish stamps, new image)

Crafty Ribbons: lets get sentimental

Fab'n'Funky: something new (new image)

Whoopsi daisy: anything goes

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

Claire xx

CAS inspiration at PanPastel UK

Good morning folks, how's your weekend going? Its been a bit blustery here this weekend, perfect crafting weather although i've been a busy bee as I'm still decluttering the house, and omg its taking forever lol. Anyway my card today is my DT project for our CAS challenge at PanPastel UK, you've still got a week to enter and there is a fab prize up for grabs for our lucky winner thanks to those lovely folks at Premium Craft Brands

This card took just a few minutes to make, I began by applying versamark through the dotty part of the Birds and leaves stencil. Then I applied yellow, red, green and blue pearlescent PanPastels through the stencil. To finish off I just stamped the sentiment (from Chocolate Baroque) with black archival ink and I was done.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Card Mania: let's shine

Cards Galore encore: anything goes

Crafty Catz: polka dots

Paper Creators Crafts: anything goes

Simply Create too: Let's celebrate

Sister Act: anything goes

Wags'n'Whiskers: anything goes

Thanks for visiting today, hope to see you again soon

Claire xx

A4 Birds and leaves stencil

Pearlescent Pan Pastels