One stamp, two cards

Good morning, how's your week going? I kind of feel like I'm on the home straight to the weekend as i've got Friday off. I do love long weekends :-) Here are a couple of cards made using the gorgeous new Floral Edges from Chocolate Baroque. When I stamped this card, I though the floral border would make a lovely lacy border so had to have a play and created the second card. 

I don't usually do CAS cards but I thought this would make a pretty card without lots of embellies. I stamped the border stamp with memento ink, added the bird (from Curly Birds) and added the sentiment (from Best Relative Ever. I added some colour with Flexmarkers and matted the image on some black card.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Broken Box Stock: happy birthday

Creative Card Crew: birthday

Sentimental Sunday: flowers, flowers, flowers

Stamping Sensations: Fur or feathers

I had to try using the floral border as a lacy stamp and I think it looks really pretty. I stamped with versamark on kraft and embossed with white EP. I've added some seam binding ribbon, paper flowers coloured with a mist of diluted vintage photo reinker.

The main image is a Stampsmith stamp, I do love these stamps but hardly ever use them as I really struggle to get a good image, this was about my 20th attempt lol. I've layered it up over a doily and added some vellum leaves and a few little pearls. 

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Addicted to Stamps: use kraft

A gem of a challenge:add a bow

LEJ Designs: Lovely lady

Simon Says Stamp and Show: stamp you love but don't use

Thanks for visiting today, and for your lovely comments

Claire xx

Inspiration post for Vintage Stamping Challenges

Good morning folks, Monday morning already (yuk, not my favourite day of the week lol) but before I rush off to earn a crust I'd like to share an inspiration project for our Brown, Beige and Blue challenge over at Vintage Stamping Challeges. Our generous sponsor Leo from Flonzcraft has a fabby prize for our lucky winner so dust off your stamps and inks and join us to be in with a chance of winning.

I've made a little canvas wall hanging for my inspiration project. I have to confess that it nearly ended up in the bin a time or two as it wouldn't transfer from my fuddled little brain cell to the canvas lol. Anyway i managed to bodge it together in the end. I love creating sea and sky effects and decided i wanted to create some dimensional waves using tissue paper. All went well to start off with, I applied various shades of blue distress inks in stripes across my Splodge Away mat and misted with water and then popped a tissue over the top and dragged it along the stripes. I used Maimeri Matte Gel medium to apply the tissue to the canvas (tip - wait until the tissue is dry before you do this or it will totally disintegrate into a soggy blue mess , don't ask how I know this lol). Add another coat of Maimeri Matte Gel and give it a blast with your heatgun.  Then grab some more tissues and some dries white pva glue and rip bits off  and stick them on to create waves, adding a little sprinkle of glamour dust for some spray. I used a stampscapes stamp to create the island in the distance, again stamped on tissue paper. Next job was to ink all around the canvas with walnut stain distress ink. 

The vintage ship battling the waves and the lighthouse are from Flonzcraft, the Sailship Ocean Addicted set. This is a fab set of stamps full of gorgeous nautical images, you can find it here. I've stamped the images on cream card and shaded with distress markers before popping them onto the canvas with a little silicone glue.

I've added some fabby fishermans netting (from Joanna Sheen) some shells, a little brass ships wheel and some twine tied in a nautical knot to finish off, you can see the embellies a bit better in this pic:

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

Craft a Scene: let you light shine

Crafts and Me: Charmed I'm sure

Craft Room Challenge: something for a man

Crazy for Challenges: texture, texture, texture

Creative Moments: Shades of Blue

Eclectic Ellapu: masculine

Hot Shot Crafts: Anything but a card

Joanna Sheen Challenge: Layer it up

Thanks for popping by today, have a good Monday

Claire xx

Happy Birthday at PanPastel UK

Good morning folks, and a warm welcome to my new followers, its lovely to 'meet' you. Winter is back with a bang here,I think the weather was teasing us with the sunshine last weekend as its starting to snow again this morning. As its Sunday morning, we've got a new challenge over at PanPastel UK and this week our challenge theme is a nice easy one for you, "Happy Birthday" so we want to see your birthday projects. This was perfect timing for me as yesterday was my son's birthday, he's 23 now and my word doesn't that make me feel like an old lady lol.

I had a lovely play making this card, I started off with a Paynes Grey and Neutral Grey PanPastels which I overstamped with a cog stamp from Chocolate Baroque using Flitter Glu and then added gilding flakes. The next layer was created using silver mirri card, I used a Crafters Workshop Template and used Maimeri Glossy Gel. Rather than leave the gel plain (which gives a fabby clear resist) I added silver mica powder and gave it a good mix before applying it through the mask. Here's another pic to try and show the effect, isn't silver a  pain to photograph

To finish off I've added a diecut shield and instead of using a Happy Birthday sentiment I stamped 23 and popped that in the centre of the die cut shield. I added some silver ribbon, black and red twine and a squashed bottle cap.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Cardmaking Mamas: birthday

Crafting for all Seasons: dies/punches

Craft room Challenge: something for a man

Crafty Catz: dies and punches

Ooh La La: sparkle and shine

QKR Stampede: Birthday with a number

Songbird Challenge: Sixteen going on seventeen

As always our lucky winner will receive a fabby PanPastel starter set courtesy of the lovely Berni from Your Creativity Store!

Well this little old lady is going to battle through a mountain of ironing before sneaking off to my craft room. Thanks for popping by, hope you're having a good Sunday

Claire xx

Black, Brown and Red on the catwalk at FSC

Good morning folks, oh dear I've had a right week of it, I seem to have spent half my life this week on trains or stood waiting at the station. Why on earth are railway stations always 10 degrees colder than anywhere else? I'd better stop moaning as I'm home, nice and warm and even better its the weekend! We've got a new  challenge over at Fashionable Stamping Challenges and our theme is Black, Brown and Red. As always our lucky winner will receive a prize from our sponsor Marina at Cottage Crafts so ink up those stamps and join in to be in with a chance to win. 

For my card I've created a messy inky background with distress inks, overstamped with an IndigoBlu fabric texture stamp, this was a freebie with my last order and it is such a useful stamp. The focal image is also from  IndigoBlu, coloured with distress markers. 

I've added some black ribbon, a little button and then coloured and cut out a couple more of the poppies and popped them on the card.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Anything goes: vintage/shabby chic

Chocolate Coffee and Cards: Buttons and bows

Crafty Cardmakers: flowers

Fab'n'Funky: flower power

Thanks for popping by, have a peep at the gorgeous projects created by my lovely DT sisters if you've got a few minutes. Have a lovely Sunday

Claire xx

Ah, Ah, Ah Tissue!!!!!!

Good morning my friends, here's another project featuring the gorgeous new clear border stamps from Chocolate Baroque, Floral Edges and Landscape Edges. i've made a tissue box cover using the new stamps and combined them with my very favourite fairy stamps from Chocolate Baroques Dragonfly Faeries and gossamer wings.

The stamping was really simple, i've used Memento Inks and on each of the little scenes I've stamped the cloudy sky from Landscape Edges in blue ink and then at the bottom i've stamped the Floral Edges using Bamboo Leaves and then again with New Sprout to give a bit of depth. i've stamped the birds, butterflies and fairies in black ink and then asssembled the tissue box cover, using a MS punch around the edges of the lid and a spellbinders die cut on the top.

I've had a couple of people ask if i have a template for my tissue box cover so I'll get one organised as soon as i get a minute so watch this space as they say lol.

I'm entering this in the following challenges:

Alphabet Challenge: anything with wings

Cheerful Stamp Pad: anythng but a card

Crafty Emblies: wings

Craft us Crazy: show us your favourites (fairy stamps)

Glitter and sparkle: Anything but a card

Well i've got some very long days this week as I'm on a course  so apologies if I'm not visiting and commenting on your  blogs, I'll try and catch up at the weekend

Thanks for popping by today, have a good one.

Claire xx

New clear border stamps from Chocolate Baroque

Good morning folks, and a Happy Monday to you. This is my very favourite kind of Monday .... one where I don't have to go to work lol. This mornings card features the fabby new clear border stamps from Chocolate Baroque, this set is called Landscape Edges and its going to be such a useful stamp, it won't be far from my craft desk that is for certain. I've combined the stone wall stamp ad the cloudy sky stamp from the new set with some old favourites, the gorgeous thatched cottages from English Cottages

I've Stamped the stone wall and clouds with versmarks and simply swiped over the top with PanPastels (Ultramarine blue  and the tint for the sky and Neutral Grey for the wall, then I've added a little shading to the wall with derwent pastel pencils.

The cottages have been stamped with black archival ink and coloured with distress markers.

The bird stamp is also from Landscape Edges and the sentiment is from Home Sweet Home.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Charisma Cardz: anything goes

QKR STampede: anything goes

Natalie and Amy's: something old and something new

through the craft room door: anything goes

Well I'm going to grab a couple of hours in my craftroom and make the most of my day off work.

 Thanks for popping by today,

Claire xx

Felted hearts

Hi there folks, I hope you're having a lovely relaxing Sunday. After a long walk with the dogs, a scrummy Sunday lunch and a couple of hours in my craft room I'm planning on getting into my PJs and spending the evening in front of the TV. I'm getting to be a real lazy bones these days lol. Anyway before I go and put my paws up for a couple of hours I thought i'd share this project with you. For change from stamping I've had a little dabble at needle felting:

Nothing fancy as i'm very much a beginner, these were made without a template and I'm quite pleased with the finished shape. I do love felting, I think its all that stabbing lol. I've finished my hearts off with some ribbon and buttons and added a little silver heart charm to the red heart.

I'm entering my little felted hearts in the following challenges:

City Crafter: you felt it

Crafting by Design: heart but not a Valentine

Creative Belli: Hearts or valentine

Little Claire's: love and romance

Pumpkin Spice: love: use your imagination

thanks for popping by today

Claire xx

Just two colours at PanPastel UK

Good morning bloggers,  Sunday morning again, my favourite day of the week and this Sunday is even better as I don't have to go to work tomorrow. I certainly picked a good time to have a long weekend off work as we've had our first glimpse of spring with some blue sky and sunshine. This mornings card is my DT project for PanPastel UK where out theme this week is 'Just two colours'. I've gone for pink and green (and added a little black as its not a colour lol. As always our lucky winner will receive a fabby PanPastel starter set from the lovely Berni at Your Creativity Store.

The bp is one of the scrummy  'Love Letters' downloadable paper from Chocolate Baroque, I've distressed the edges and applied a little black PanPastel and then ripped out a couple of tears in the paper. I've stamped some white card with a Chocolate BAroque stamp from Lace Fragments with versamark and applied black PanPastel (I picked this idea up from my CB teamie Judith, thanks Judith)

The image is another Chocolate Baroque stamp, this time from Rose Script, I've coloured the image with Graph'It Markers, using the Mix'It palette to mix and blend the colours. I've used another lace stamp with black PanPastel around the edge of the image. The sentiment is from the same stamp set, I've framed it with a little frame from the 99p shop (actually 5 little frames for 99p,. what a bargain!), painted with Maimeri Gesso and then sanded back. 

Here's another view of the card:

To finish off i've added some black seam binding ribbon, black guipre lacce and a lovely silver butterfly from the Ribbon Girl.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Allsorts: things with wings

By the cute and girly: roses are red

Charisma Cardz: anything goes

Delightful Challenges: Frilly scallops and lace

Heck of a challenge: love and flowers

Moving along with the times: Love is in the air

Ruby's Rainbow: roses

Sugar Creek Hollow: Metal Mania

Thanks for popping by, have a lovely lazy Sunday if you can

Claire xx

Spring is in the air at Chocolate Baroque

Hi  there, today's project features the lovely Spring Foliage stamps from Chocolate Baroque. My dresser was looking a little bare after the Christmas bunting was taken down so I decided to make some Spring bunting to brighten the place up.

The bunting pennants were from Chocolate Baroque, coloured with PanPastels, i used various colours from the tints range and blended with a sofft sponge, I used so many different colours I ended up covered in pastel colours as did Barney our puppy who loves to lie on my feet while I'm crafting lol.  I dusted my trusty cricut off to cut the letters out  and then stamped everything up. The images are all from Spring foliage, stamped with memento ink and coloured with promarkers

I coloured seam binding ribbon to match the buntig ad addded raffia, bows and then some little wooden buttons topped off with bakers twine bows. 

Here's a pic of the bunting in my dining room, I couldn't take a pic without my refletction in the glass lol.

I'm entering this project in the following challeges:

Creative Moments: buttons and bows

Eclectic Ellapu: Girly

Hotshot crafts: Anything but a card

Really Reasonable Ribbon: spring colours and ribbon

Simon Says Stamp and Show: something messy 

Spring was definitely in the air here yesterday, we had blue sky and sunshine most of the day and I even managed to have an hour tidying up in the garden. The snowdrops and hellebores are flowering and there are lots of little green shoots popping through the ground. I even managed to get some washing dried on the line. I'm enjoying a long weekend off work so its bliss to have some good weather to go with it.

Thanks for popping by today, have a great Saturday

Claire xx

Love Actually at Crafty Ann's

Good morning folks, well for a pleasant change i'm not rushing off to work today as I've got a long weekend off yipppeeeeee! The weather isn't looking to clever though so I don't think I'll venture much further than the park with the dogs and my craftroom. I'm getting to be a bit of a hermit these days lol. Anyway before I ramble on any more, its time for a new challenge over at Crafty Ann's Challenge Blog and we've got a bit of a move title theme going on and this time our challenge theme is 'Love Actually'

As always my teamies have come up with some gorgeous projects to inspire you so if you've got a minute do pop over and have a peek at them. Our lucky winner will receive a fabby prize from Crafty Ann's Digi Shop too so don't miss out, you've got to be in it to win it as they say :-)

Apologies for the weird angle of the pic and the iffy lighting, its been so grey and dismal here I've tried using my Ottlite to take my pics. Never mind, not long until Spring and hopefully some sunshine too. 

For my DT card I've used one of my favourite images from Crafty Ann, this one is part of the lovely  Morning Glory set of 3 images (for only £0.60, what a bargain!) and the paper is a freebie (do pop over and check out Crafty Ann's freebies page as there are some beautiful papers and a Scrapbook kit too!

i've stamped the bp with my favourite Chocolate Baroque swirly stamp and embossed with white sparkly EP. The image has been coloured with Graph'It Markers and promarkers, distressed with Victorian velvet distress ink and stamped with the 'With Love' sentiment. I've added some cheesecloth and dotted faux pearls around (to hide the glue - shhhhhh don't tell lol). The lace is from The Funkie Junkie Boutique and the organza ribbon is from my stash. 

I'm entering this one in the following challenges:

Can you digi it: Love is in the air

Crafty Cardmakers: Vintage love

Divas by Design: love/romance

I love promarkers: For the girls

Incy Wincy: Texture

Ribbon Carousel: love is in the air

Stamping Chef: ribbon/lace

Well I'm watching out for the nice man from Tesco with my food shopping (and my chocolate fix, craft mag and a bottle of wine or two lol) and then I'm away to my craft room for a few hours

Thanks for popping by today and for all your lovely comments

Have a good Friday

Claire xx

15 minutes of fame (well nearly lol)

Good morning folks, ooooooooh I'm beside myself with excitement this morning as some of my projects are going to be on TV this evening! The lovely Berni from Your Creativity Store asked us girlies on the PanPastel Design Team  if we would have a play with the fabulous new Graph'It markers and guess what?? They are going to be on Create and Craft this evening at 7pm, to add to the excitement our very own Tracie from the DT will be demonstrating them!! 

Graphi'It markers are a range of alcohol markers, 'whats new there' I hear you say, we've all got promarkers, copics or spectrum noirs in our craft rooms. Well Graph'It markers bled beautifully, they are quite thick so very comfy on the old paws if you're having a long colouring session and they come is a gorgeous selection of colours. Now as far as I'm concerned the biggest advantage of Graph'It markers is their fab 'blendability' and the fact that they have a really unique accessory - the Mix'It blending palette and this may look like a little square of plastic but it is a WONDERFUL creation lol. It means that you can mix your marker colours to create different shades but also to create new colours and then you use your blender pen to apply the colour! You can graduate colour on your Mix'It and then colour and shade in one 'swooosh' of the blender pen. 

Absolute genius idea!

This little project really shows the 'blendability' of colour you can get with the Graph'Its and the Mix'It I've used one of the Colour Me  Domino images from the Gecko Galz for this little hanging ornament. I coloured the butterfly with the markers and as you can see th e purple is nice strong shade. I wanted to create a 'wash' of colour for the background so I blended the purple with a little pink on the Mix'It and applied with the chisel end of the blender pen - so much quicker than just layering colour by colour as we usually do with alcohol markers. This means that you don't need as many colour pens too!

Once the image was colours I stamped two Ranger frosted Microscope slides with a little swirl using black stazon at the top and bottom although you can't really see that in the pic.

I've used glossy accents to stick the images to some frosted Microscope slides and to stick it all together, and used silver EP around the edges to seal them.  I've added At the bottom I've used a metal filigree corner, again attached with glossy accents and bent around the slide with a little more glossy accents at the black. The metal tassle was made with an old broken silver chain that I cut up into short lengths and popped on a jump ring  At the top I've added a glue on bale and some beads from my stash, a little butterfly charm and a gorgeous little rose button. Once it was all dry, I've finished off with some lilac seam binding ribbon.

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

Anything goes: Vintage/Shabby Chic

Everybody Art: Metal

Paper Minutes: butterflies in spring

Tuesday Alchemy: Hearts all a flutter (hearts/wings)

Whimsy Inspiration: Wings

We've had an awful lot of weather here in the last day or so lol, snow, wind, then a bit of rain and now its freezing. I haven't ventured out yet but it looks a bit like an ice rink outside eeeeeeeeeek! Take care if you're out and about it in and thanks for popping by today

Claire xx

Spring Foliage from Chocolate Baroque

Good morning folks, I've got a Spring themed project to share with you today although it certainly doesn't feel like Spring in my neck of the woods yet. I've used the gorgeous new Spring Foliage stamps from Chocolate Baroque for this card

I've used memento inks to brayer the background, on coated cardstock  Memento inks are my favourite for brayer work as they come is such beautiful clear colours. I've also used my Splodge Away Mat, which I absolutely love!! It makes brayer work sooooo much easier and saves wasting so much ink. I didn't do any masking at all as I wanted the stamps to do all the work. I just brayered green shades at the bottom of the image (New Sprout and Bamboo leaves) and at the top I used Dandelion, Tangelo and Rosebud to create a pinky peachy sky. I used the same colours on the background but this time I used plain cardstock and a blending tool to give a slightly different effect.

Next I stamped the foliage stamps using Bamboo leaves, repeat stamping before reinking to give some depth to the foliage. The butterflies (from Rose Tree) were made by stamping on acetate and  embossing with Gold embossing powder, next I cut them out and applied stickles  (I used Tropical Tangerine, Paprika and Lime Green) to the reverse side, left them to dry and then folded the wings up a little. Here's a better pic of the butterflies

The sentiment is stamped in brown Memento ink, its from Loving Sentiments and is one of my favourites, such lovely words and the font is gorgeous. I've used dark brown card for matting and layering. I didn't want to add a lot of embellishments so I added some green ribbon and a rose.

I'm entering this one in these challenges:

Artistic Inspirations: Anything goes

Brown Sugar: anything goes

Crafty Ribbons: anything goes with ribbon

Delightful Challenges: think Spring

Stamp and Create: spring

There She Goes: flowers

Well I'd better get my skates on and go to work, have a good day folks and thanks for stopping by for a visit today.

Claire xx

Silhouette SD Giveaway

Good morning lovely friends, what better way to start the week that with a chance to win fabby crafting goodies! Clare Curd is celebrating the launch of her online craft boutique by having a wonderful giveaway - a Cameo Silhouette SD is up for grabs!!

Pop over to Clare's blog and find out all about it 

Good luck to Clare in her new venture and good luck with the giveaway everyone

have a lovely Monday (if there is such a thing lol)

Claire xx

Love and Romance at PanPastel UK

Good morning folks, how's your weekend going? We're having a nice quiet weekend and bracing ourselves for snow later today but it won't bother me too much as apart from walking the dogs i won't be going much further than my craft room. This mornings project is my DT project for PanPastel UK, i've created a little canvas with a romantic theme. 

I began by sticking a beautiful floral napkin to the canvas with Maimeri Matte Gel Medium, once that was dry I applied White and Magenta tint PanPastels to tone the colours down and then added a little Payes Grey. I used my favourite harlequin template from Crafters Workshop and mixed Maimeri Iridescent paste with some gold acrylic paint and popped some on the canvas. The 'love' sentiment is a Chocolate Baroque stamp, embossed with Gold EP onto a tissue, again i used Maimeri Matt Medium to adhere to the canvas. I made some little hearts from air dry clay and coloured them with Magenta tint PanPastel, then some gilding flakes. The lace, ribbon and beautiful little lace heart are all from The Funkie Junkie Boutique. I've added  die cut swirls, a little pearl buckle and a metal corner. The paper flower was made with a Chocolate Baroque stamp and coloured with Magenta PanPastel.

I'm entering this canvas in the following challenges:

Allsorts: Valentines

Frilly and Funkie: lacey, heartsy valentine project

In the pink: Valentines/Romance

Simon Says Stamp: Heart

Deep Ocean: love and lace

As always our lucky winner will receive a fab prize of a PanPastel Starter Set from our generous sponsor Berni at Your Creativity Store. If you are stuck for inspiration pop over and check out my teamies wonderful creations, they are such a lovely talented bunch of ladies!

Thanks for popping by today.

Have a happy Sunday

Claire xx

Birds at Fashionable Stamping Challenges

Good morning blogland buddies, here's my first post of the day which is for our new challenge at Fashionable Stamping Challenges where our theme, chosen my our lovely teamie MeggyMay,  is 'Birds'.  Our lucky winner will receive a prize from the lovely Marina at Cottage Crafts so you won't want to miss out. Don't forget we are a rubber stamping challenge so no digis are allowed. If you need some inspiration my teamies have come up with some stunning projects to get those creative juices flowing.

I've made a book card with a coordinating tag for my DT project, the stamp I've used are all from Chocolate Baroque: Curly Birds, Live out Loud  and Sing your Song. I won't go into all the details on how I made the project or you'd end up covered in dust and cobwebs but i've used lots of distress inks (tumbled glass, broken china, bundled sage - all blended on my SplodgeAway mat, spritzed with glimmer mist and covered with cling film), Teal zeal memento ink, Gilded Ivory Embossing powder. I've added some faux pearl string, cheesecloth, paper rose buds and some utee flowers. My lovely teamie Joanna has a fab video tutorial on her blog - check it out here and have a go, they are soooo much fun to make!! Here's a pic of the inside:

The tag has a quotation from Oprah Winfrey stamped on it, its one of my favourites it always motivates me and makes me feel positive

The front cover has a bird in a tree stamped with a Marianne birdcage die cut over the top, I've added more flowers (rosebuds from Wild Orchid Crafts) and lace (also from WOC), seam binding ribbon coloured with distress inks, some little heart pearl pins and a metal butterfly coloured with a little gesso. I was lucky enough to win some goodies from the Ribbon Girl a couple of weeks ago, wow what a fabby selection of goodies and these little butterflies are a real bargain, love em!

I'm entering this in the following challenges:

Anything goes: Monochrome

Artistic Inspirations: Embossing

Crafty Boots: Blue and white

Delicious Doodles: No designer papers

Divas by Design: things with wings

Its all about the vintage: lace and pearls

Paper Minutes: quotes

Stampin for the weekend: something metal

Unique Crafters: lace and fabric

thanks for popping by, I do hope you're going to join our birds challenge

Have a lovely Sunday whatever you are doing. 

Claire cc