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

Travelling the World at Fashionable Stamping Challenges

Hi there,  how on earth did it get to be the week before Christmas?? I'm sure I'm in some kind of time warp as I'm still nowhere near ready for the big day. It may have had something to do with the fact that I spend far too much time at work and hiding away in my craft room lol. I hope you're better organised than I am :-)

Anyway back to the important stuff like crafting lol, today's project is my DT piece for Fashionable Stamping Challenges where we are 'Travelling the world' . I've opted for an Egyptian theme but there are some amazing creations from all corners of the globe so make sure you check out my teamies fab creations on the challenge blog. As ever the lovely Marina from Cottage Crafts is sponsoring our challenge so there will be a fab prize up for grabs! 

I've made a tag, altered a body butter container and made a beaded cabochon for my project. The tag uses stamps from Non Sequitur and Chocolate Baroque, with lots of embossing and glimmer misting. The gorgeous archway isn't particularly Egyptian but its my favourite stamp of the moment and I'm using it on everything lol. Its from Texture Fragments by Chocolate Baroque and I love it. I've added ribbon from my stash , a filigree corner and a sphinx charm.

The body butter container was a lovely deep rich red so I added some alcohol inks in raisin and cranberry with some gold mixative and stamped the bigscarab beetle and embossed with gold. I found a scrap of beaded gold braid in my stash and guess what, it was just the right length for the lid, don't you just love it when that happens??

The tissue was also coloured with glimmer mists. The beaded cabochon was made by stamping a gold lily on red card and attaching a 30mm flat backed glass nugget with glossy accents. Once it was dry I trimmed off the excess card and beaded around it in peyote stitch usng size 11 red seed beads and size 15 gold seed beads. I just can't get a decent pic of it at all though so apols for that, I'll try again if it brighens up and see if I have any luck. I love to make these although those size 15 seed beads are soooooooo fiddly to work with

I'm entering my project in the following challenges:

Chocolate Coffee and Cards: tag it

Fairy Tale: gift/gift packaging

Fabulous Friday: ribbon

Fussy and Fancy: mono and sparkle

Our Craft Lounge: Hand stamped gifts

Simon Says Stamp and show: thru the looking glass

Sweet Stampin: sparkle and bling

Thanks for calling by today,

Claire xx

Colouring Challenge at Sarah Hurley's

My third post today and this time its my DT card for Sarah Hurley Challenge blog where our theme is colouring, we all love to colour don't we?? We've got a great prize up for grabs from our sponsor, Limited Runs so don't miss out on a chance to win.

I've used this cute image 'Fairy Catcher' from Limited Runs for my card, she is coloured with promarkers and die cut with a nestie. I've used some of my favourite bps from Sarah's Tinseltown Cd (you can find it here) . I thought Fairy Catcher would look perfect for a Christmas card if she was catching a snowflake so I die cut some snowflakes from white card and glittered them with glamour dust. To finish off I've added an ivory satin bow and a postage stamp sentiment from Whimsy Stamps.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Cupcake Crafts: Don't look at the light

Digital Tuesday: winter wonderland

Heartsong inspirations: Snowflakes or doilies

Limited Runs: Anything with a Limited runs digi

Paper Sundaes: anything Christmas

Pile it on: bling it up

The Pink Elephant: Snowflakes and sparkle

There's magic in the air: Winter ful with bling

Totally Gorjuss: let it snow

Thanks for popping by today

Claire xx

Angels at Rainbow Lady's Challenge

Hello again, my second card of the day and this one is my DT card for Rainbow Lady's Challenge where the theme is Angels. I did make a paper angel but the pics were even more horrible than usual so I made this card instead.

I've used stamps from LaBlanche for this card. I have to thank our very own Rainbow Lady Cynthia for introducing me to La Blanche stamps, i'm totally hooked on them and even found some I'd had years and never inked up. Anyway i soon remedied that and used the gorgeous corner stamp on silk coated card. The main image is another LaBlanche stamp, again on silk card, die cut with nesties eyelet circles and lightly inked around the edges. I've used gold mirri card for matting and layering and added some black and gold ribbon from Crafty Ribbons.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Bearly Mine: Christmas no red or green

Cards and More: Monochomatic

Craft Room challenge: punches/die cuts

Crafty Boots: Christmas

Crafty Emma's Challenge: Traditional Christmas

Lexi's Creations: no red or green Christmas

Thanks for popping by

Claire xx

GDT at CRAFT Challenge

Hi there folks, well its my second week as GDT over at CRAFT challenge and this week we have a really fun theme for you, we want to see a card with a removable item! We have not one but two fab sponsors this week so 2 prizes up for grabs. For one lucky winner there is a prize from My Creative Classroom

I can really recommend the courses from My Creative Classroom as i did one earlier in the year and it was fab-u-lous so someone is in for a real treat! There is also another great prize of 3 digi stamps from Bows and Berries.

Now this challenge had me rummaging through my craft room for my thinking cap lol. I was tempted to make something with a little gift attached but didn't have a lot of time for any beading so I decided to make a card with a removeable tag. I've used papers from GCD Joyeaux Noel pad, matted on kraft and the main image is a cute digi  called 'Festive Birdhouse' from  our sponsor Bows and Berries

The image is coloured with promarkers and I've added glossy accents to the fairy lights and polar white flowersoft and glamour dust to the snow on the roof. I've cut the image out and popped it on a little pocket made using Nesties. Here's another pic showing the tag too (sorry the colours are rubbish, my camera has bleached the colour for some reason)

The sentiment is a stamp from Chocolate Baroque and the ribbons are from Crafty Ribbons and Joanna Sheen. I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Craft your Passion: Tag you're it

One Stitch at a Time: use a digi

Papertake Weekly: Dreaming of your favourite colour Christmas 

(I love traditional Christmas colours)

Shopping our Stash: Tags or kraft

Victorine Originals: Christmas

thanks for popping by

Claire xx

Dragon's Dream of Christmas

Hi there, I've been a bit quiet lately, I'm back at work and we've been so busy I don't seem to have a minute but I really wanted to dream along with Frankie and the lovely team at Dragon's Dream Tag it on so I sneaked a couple of hours in my craft room and had loads of inky fun making this tag for their latest challenge where the theme is 'Time Changer'

I was thinking about the 'Time changer' theme for this challenge when i remembered a funny story from years ago when I was nursing. We used to have a Christmas party every year for the staff and patients children and grandchildren - the usual party games, buffet and of course a visit from Santa. This particular year our usual 'Santa' was ill so we persuaded one of the male nurses to dress up in a Santa costume and give out the presents to the children. He wasn't a happy bunny about it and got his revenge by telling all the children that they were first on his list  and he'd be visiting their house at midnight so they could get up as early as they wanted on Christmas day!!!! It still makes me giggle as the children were so excited at being first on Santa's list and we couldn't very well say Santa was lying lol. Needless to say we didn't ask him to be Santa ever again LOL

Anyway back to my tag. I've used distress inks (Wild honey, Festive Berries and Aged Mahogony) for the background and stamped with a music stamp before flicking drops of water on the background. The cogs are from Chocolate Baroque Steampunk Christmas themeplate. I've used part of one of Tims' weathered clocks, embossed with black sparkly EP as a frame for my Santa (stamped with one of my favourite stamps from Crafty Secrets). The flower is also from Steampunk Christmas, embossed with black sparkle EP on some card inked with the same distress inks. I've added some Marianne die cuts foliage coloured with evergreen bough distress ink)  and some holly berries made with red stickles and glass glintz. Here's another pic to show the sparkle.

I'm entering this tag in the following challenges:

Crafty Emma's Challenge: traditional Christmas

Crafty Hazelnut's : Traditional Christmas

Crafty Ribbons: Traditional Colours for Christmas

Crazy 4 Challenges: Its Santa

Creative Belli: christmas or winter

Dragon's Dream Tag It On: Time Changer

Craft your Passion: Add a tag

I brake for challenges: I brake for vintage

Marianne Design Diva's : sparkle and shine

My Mum's Craft Shop: Traditional Christmas

OOh La La: Anything but a card

Pan Pastels: gift tags

Sugar Creek Hollow: Vintage Christmas Tags

Try it on Tuesday: Tags

Thanks for calling by today

Claire xx

For someone special.....

Hi there, today's card is for my hubby at Christmas, I always end up making his card at the very last minute so this year i was determined to get his card made in good time. I really struggle with cards for the menfolk in the family and had racked my brains for ages but finally took inspiration from new stamps. You can't beat the smell of lovely new rubber to get the creative juices flowing lol.

 I wanted to recreate a romantic winter scene with a couple arriving at a grand party on a frosty night (not that we'll be going to any grand parties unless my lottery numbers come up lol). 

The background is made using a swirly stamp from Stampers Anonymous stamped in black in to coated cardstock and inked lightly around the edges. I stamped the main image (from Joanna Sheen's Vintage car stamp set) and the castle (from Clarity Stamps) on some silk coated cardstock and masked both with eclipse masking tape. I brayered the sky using memento tuxedo black and stamped in the forest and inked in the snowy hills, road and a little shadow under the car with tuxedo black ink and a make up sponge. The car is coloured with promarkers

I then added lots and lots of Judikins glitter to give a real frosty sparkle. It doesn't show up too well in the first pic but you can see it a little better in this one

To finish off I've added some 'snow' with a white gel pen, added some white organza ribbon and a computer generated sentiment matted on a spellbinders die cut

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Artistic Stamper: Christmas

Bling it on: Its Christmas

Crafts and me: Winter snow/snowflakes

Crafty Calendar: Cold and frosty

Joanna Sheen Challenge: Christmas wishes

Let's ink it up: Christmas projects

Make my Monday: Seasonal glitter

Oldie but Goodie: Christmas no red or green (my Clarity tree stamps are my old stamps)

Passion for promarkers: Celebrations mega Christmas challenge

Sparkles Forum: the one you love at Christmas 

Sweet Stampin' Challenge: snow something

thanks for popping by

Claire xx

Trees and Baubles and Rainbow Lady's Challenge

Hi there, you may have a feeling of deja vue when you see this post lol, that's because I got totally confused and posted it last week by mistake. Anyway hopefully this time I've got myself organised for Rainbow Lady's challenge this week which is 'Trees and Baubles'

I've used one of my favourite Christmas stamps for this card, I love this quirky Christmas tree from 'Family Christmas' themeplate by Chocolate Baroque. I've painted the image with H2os and die cut it with nesties labels 11 and distressed with bundled sage distress ink. The bp is from the Artylicious cd, Seasons Greeting. This is one of my favourite papers and I didn't want to cover it up too much so I kept the layout pretty simple and just added some green organza ribbon, some die cut leaves and rolled ribbon roses.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Christmas cards all year round: Anything goes

Craft Room Challenge: Make your own flowers

Come and get it: Anything Christmas

Fairy Tale: Christmas

Gingerloft: Winter or Christmas

Thanks for popping by

Claire xx

December GDT at CRAFT challenge :-)

Wooo hoo how exciting! I was over the moon to be asked to join the lovely team at CRAFT challenge as a guest designer this month. Of course I jumped at the chance and here is my first project.  for this weeks challenge which is a sketch challenge.

I've used gorgeous vintage papers and this lovely image from one of  our sponsors this week, Floppy Latte Designs. The aren't really Christmas images but I thought they'd work well for a man's Christmas card especially with some warm copper. I coloured the image with promarkers and distressed with tea dye distress ink. The imgae and the bps are all matted on copper mirri card. I've stamped a swirly border around the image and along the side of the main bp using a stamp from Stampers Anonymous and copper dreams EP. The sentiment stamp is from Chocolate Baroque, again using Tea Dye Distress ink and a copper mirri spellbinders die cut. To finish off I've added some faux gems and some die cut leaves, a little button and some seam binding ribbon.

We have another sponsor this week too, as well as a prize of a $10 gift certificate from Floppy Latte

 there is also a $10 gift certificate  from  the lovely Glitterbabe too!! 

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Come and get it:Christmas

Craft your days away: buttons and bows

The Crazy Challenge: anything goes

Gingerloft: Winter or Christmas

Lily Pad: Buttons

Poodles Parlour: Christmas

STamp Scrap and Doodle: Make a holiday card

Stampin with the Dragon: Anything goes for Christmas

Through the craftroom door: Happy Holidays

Thanks for calling by, make sure you pop over to the challenge blog and check out the DTs gorgeous projects 

hugs

Claire xx

Challenge 15 at Christmas Challenges {with sketches}

Hi there, time for another challenge at Christmas Challenges {with sketches} and this time we have a twist, we want to see you follow Betina's gorgeous sketch but also add twine and a charm! 

As always we have a fab prize up for grabs and this time around our sponsor is Stempelstudio so pop on over to the challenge blog and find out more!

For my DT card, I've used a stamp from Stampavie called 'Dearest Deer', its one of my favourite Christmas stamps. I've coloured the image with promarkers and added some glamour dust for a little sparkle. The bps are all from GCD 'Let it Snow ' paper pad. I've added some lace, ivory seam binding and pale blue velvet ribbon from my stash. The sentiment is a stamp from Crafters Companion, stamped on a scrap of bp and embossed with pale blue EP. To finish off I've added some little blue pearly buttons with a twine bow (ok its string from the shed but I don't have any twine lol) and a gorgeous little deer charm. You can see the image and the charm better in this pic:

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Addicted to stamps: Christmas cards

Bah Humbug: Cute critters

By the cute and girly: Let it snow

Cutie Pie Challenge: pastel Christmas

Jingle Belles: something Christmassy

One stop craft : Let it snow

Passion for Promarkers: Celebrations

Totally Papercrafts: Let it snow

I seem to be accumulating a large stack of Christmas cards but I still haven't got organised and done any Christmas shopping. I've been a busy bee looking for new kitchen units, tiles, etc. as hopefully after waiting months and months we're having a new kitchen in the new year. I saw the most GORGEOUS sparkly granite worktops but they were sooooooo expensive. I'm sure that whatever worktops I choose they'll soon be sparkly so I'll  get the cheaper ones and save my pennies for crafting goodies lol

Thanks for calling by

Claire xx

Sweet Blossom

Hi there, its the first day of my week off work today and I've had a lovely crafty morning :-)

Its so cold outside Its perfect weather to bunker up and craft. As a change from Christmas cards, todays card share is an 18th birthday card for my son's girlfriend, using Sweet Blossom from Wee stamps

After making so many Christmas projects it was a lovely change to make a flowery card. The bps are all from Raspberry Road Designs, distressed with a craft knife and matted on cream card with a MS punched border. The image was coloured with promarkers and distressed with spun sugar distress ink. I've added paper roses from Wild Orchid Crafts and some silk flowers from my stash. I stamped the '18' using stamps from Crafters Companion using gold stazon on shrink plastic and heated it to shrink before attaching it with silicone glue and adding a rose pink seam binding bow. To finish off I added some faux pearls with a viva pearl pen.

Here's another pic to show the detail a little better

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Cute Card Thursday: Its just a number

Daisy Doodles: Something sweet with a digi

Sir Stampalot: Bingo challenge (my line is: punch flowers pearls)

Sketch Saturday: sketch

Stamps + fun = Creativity: Pearls

Thanks for visiting today

Claire xx

Dressmakinig and corsets at Fashionable Stamping Challenges

Hi there, well the last 2 weeks seem to have vanished in the blink of an eye and its time to take to the catwalk at Fashionable Stamping Challenges where our theme is 'Dressmaking/Corsets/Accessories' so you can also include hats, shoes ,bags etc. As always we have a fab prize up for grabs from our generous sponsor Marina from Cottage Crafts.  

I've used a corset stamp by Clarity stamps for my little canvas. I've always thought corsets must have been sooooooo uncomfortable to wear and as  I was playing around with the stamp I thought it might make butterfly wings, from there I got the idea of my little corset flying away (my mind does work in a strange way sometimes lol. The corset has been paperpieced using scraps from the GCD Ella Blue paper pad and then stitched with brown embroidery floss. I made the background with acrylic paints  in blue and stone and used pearl medium to create some clouds. The houses are from the Artistic Outpost 'Neverland' stamp sheet, stamped on old book pages with vintage photo distress ink. I added a frill made from Kraft Glassine die cut with a Marianne die, some ribbon from my stash and a little stamped sewing maching.

I attached the corset with silicone glue and looped the floss in places adding tiny punched butterflies. It looked a little bare so I stamped some buttons using my Lost Coast button border stamp and added a little brass scissors charm.

Here's a close up to show the corset in a little more detail

and another showing the cloudy sky

I'm entering my canvas in the following challenges:

2 Sisters: punches/dies

Craft your days away: buttons or bows

Divas by Design: Anything goes

Fab'n'Funky : anything goes

Pan Pastels: The Great Outdoors

Thanks for popping by today, if you have time check out my teamies gorgeous projects as they have come up with some stunning creations again

hugs

Claire xx

A bingo challenge at Crafty Ann's

Hi there, today's card is my DT card for Crafty Ann's Challenge where Crafty Ann has a Christmas bingo challenge for us. I love bingo challenges and my line is 'Glitter, snow and Red' so pop on over to the challenge blog and find out more about the challenge and of course the fab prize too!

I've made a shaker card using one of Crafty Ann's precoloured Snowmen Snowglobes and one of the Gold Frames from the Metallics collection. The frame is gorgeous in real life but hasn't show up too well in the photo. I've cut the centre of the frame out and lined it with acetate and layered it up on some ivory sparkly card.  I've added some snowy glitter for the shaker element. To finish off I've added some gold net ribbon, a bow, some Marianne die cut snowflakes  and one of Crafty Ann's Christmas sentiment tickets. You can find all Crafty Ann's goodies in her shop here. 

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Crafty Boots: anything goes (you really need to try the Deluxe printers card from Crafty Boots, 

its fab-u-lous for printing and also with promarkers too)

Crazy for Challenges: snow

Dream Valley:  Sparkle

Ooh La La: Lots of sparkle

Paper Sundaes: Winter wonderland

Ribbon Reel: anything goes

Simon Says Stamp: anything goes

I'd better go and get myself ready for work, I've got loads to do i've got next week off yippppeeeeeee! We've been so busy its my first week off for 8 months and I can't wait to laze around, do lots of crafting and catch up on some blog hopping as I haven't had a lot of time for visiting lately

Thanks for calling by today

hugs

Claire xx

#181 Christmas Carols for Rainbow Lady's Challenge

Hi there, oh goodness i've had one of those days today. One of those days where everything seems to go wrong, including posting the wrong card for the lovely Cynthia's challenge over at Rainbow lady's Challenge blog. Anyway, I'll try again and here is my DT Card for this weeks challenge which is all about Christmas Carols,
i've taken inspiration from 'Oh little town of Bethlehem' 

I'm well known for my dreadful photography skills but this one has got to be the worst ever lol. The card is actually pale pink and blue with silver embossing although the colours have all come out rather odd in the card. The stamps are from Chocolate Baroque Harlequin Christmas stamped with versamark and embossed with silver EP on a background I'd brayered with Big & juicy Hydrangea inkpad. The background was made using the same ink, brayered and then over stamped with a snowflake stamp. I then misted it all with pearl glimmer mist. A couple of die cut swirly flourishes and some organza ribbon to finish off.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Cards and more: Snowflakes

Craft your passion: Tis the season

Crafty Cardmakers: Heat embossing

Digi Doodle Shops best: Lots of sparkle

Scrapbook Sisters: Christmas

Southern girls: ribbon

Victorine Originals: ribbon

Thanks for calling by. 

hugs

Claire xx

Christmas Challenge at Sarah Hurley's

Hi there, back again with a shaker Christmas decoration made using the cute little reindeer digistamp from Sarah Hurley's Tinseltown cd. The theme over at Sarah Hurley's Challenge this time around is 'Christmas' and we are sponsored by Letraset so pop on over to the challenge blog and find out more.

I used greyboard for the frame, diecut with nesties Labels 11 and 4 and painted using acrylic paints and PVA glue to create a crackle effect. I backed the frame with acetate and used shaker tape to attach it to the image. The image is coloured with promarkers and derwent pencils, I've used Shasta puff embossing powder to create the snow and then added crushed glass glitter for the shaker filling.

To embellish my little Christmas decoration I've made some rolled roses from ribbon and lace and added some little wooden 'berries' and some glamour dusted leaves (die cut using Krealies dies)

I'm entering this in the following challenges:

Cardmad Fairy's : winter wonderland

Crafts 4 Eternity: Christmas decorations

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas challenge: Vintage or distressed

Crazy 4 Challenges: snow 

Delicious Doodles: hairy legs

Dream Valley: sparkle

Elephantastic: weather related

My Sheri Crafts: Christmas decoration

Paper Sundaes: Winter Wonderland

Totally Gorjuss: sparkle

Thanks for popping by

Claire xx