Red white and blue at Polkadoodles

Good morning folks, hasn't this week flown by? I can't believe its Friday already but I'm not complaining lol. Today's card is my DT project for our Red White and Blue challenge at Polkadoodles, you've got lots of time to enter and as always there's a fab prize for our lucky winner so hop on over to the challenge blog for all the details.

I've used my favourite image and some of the gorgeous backing papers from the Polkadoodles Work and Play 3 collection (you can find it here). I've coloured the image with my Graph'It markers and added a PanPastel background with some glitter on the waves.

I've used kraft card for matting and layering and added some bunting and flowers made with scraps of the polkadot backing paper. To finish off i've added some lace, gingham ribbon and pearls. 

I'm entering this in the following challenges:

City Crafter: lets go to the beach

Crafters Cafe: red white and blue

Crafty Ribbons: anything goes with ribbon

Lexi's Creations: at the beach

Moving along with the times: girls just want to have fun

Shopping our Stash: red white and blue

Sparkles Forum: at the beach/ summer fun

As usual i'm rushing off to work so a big thank you for visiting today, hope to see you again soon

Claire xx

Wild Rose Easel Card from Chocolate Baroque

Good morning my lovelies, today's card is a little easel card made using the beautiful new stamps Briar Rose Butterfly from Chocolate Baroque, you can find them here

I began by folding some white card in two and die cutting with a Spellbinders die just off the fold to create the base card I then die cut two more shapes, inking the die with New Sprout Memento Ink for a letterpress effect. I inked around the edges with Summer Sky Memento Ink. The image has been coloured with pencils. I added a sentiment from Birthday Words and some paper flowers to finish off. 

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Aud Sentiments: two word sentiments

Crafty Creations: things with wings

Daring Cardmakers: no scissors

Seize the birthday: anything goes 

Through the purple haze: no right angles

Sweet Pea Stampers: shaped card

Thanks for popping by today

Claire x

By the sea at Craft a Scene

Its the last Sunday in June so if you're very quick you still have time to enter our 'By the sea' challenge at Craft a Scene. This is my last project for this theme and this time I've used Stampscapes stamps and an assortment of dye inks.

I stamped all the elements in Memento Tuxedo black on glossy card and let the ink dry, I then added colour with a mixture of distress and memento inks. I added more definition with Graph'It markers and lastly used a White Graph'It shake pen to add the waves.

I made the background using the same stamps as the scene but just stamped them in distress inks and misted with water to get a more muted effect.

I'm entering this in the following challenges:

Crafting for all seasons: weather

Crafty Catz: anything goes

Crazy 4 Challenges: summer or winter

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: product or technique you wish you used more often

(mine is stampscapes stamps)

Sister Act: anything goes

That's Crafty: all at sea

Thanks for visiting today, enjoy the rest of your weekend 

Claire xx

Flowers at Fashionable Stamping Challenges

Hi folks, well the last two weeks have gone by so quickly I'd totally forgetten it was challenge day at Fashionable Stamping Challenges lol. So better late than never here is my DT make for our 'Flowers' challenge. As ever our lucky winner will receive a $20 voucher from Flonzcraft, don't forget you need to make sure that stamping is the focus of your project, no digis allowed!

Ive altered a frame from the pound shop, giving t a coat of gesso and then dry brushing on acrylic paint in pastel shades of yellow, blue, green and pink. Once that was dry I stamped on some text here and there in London Fog memento ink.

I filled the frame using some of my favourite stamps from Flonzcraft, coloured with Graph'It markers. I also added some scraps of backing paper and some flowers made with thermomorph and painted with acrylic paint. I've added some faux pearls, a metal corner embellie, some stamped butterflies and some rose lace trim that I coloured with distress inks. At the top of the frame I used a Justrite stamp to create the frame and sentiment and topped it off with a glass cabochon. To finish off I added a seam binding bow.

I'm entering this in the following challenges:

2 sisters: make your own embellishments

Fussy and Fancy: summertime

Its all about the vintage: summer garden

Simon Says Stamp: anything goes

Sugar Creek hollow: floral

Thanks for popping by
Claire xx

Roses are a girls best friend at PanPastel UK

Good morning, time for a new challenge at PanPastel UK and for the next two weeks our theme is 'Roses are a girls best friend', my lovely teamies have created some gorgeous projects to inspire you so pop on over and have a peek. There is a fab prize of a gorgeous mask and a PanPastel for our lucky winner, you don't have to use Pans to enter so I hope you're going to play along.

I've made this card using the beautiful Roses mask by Dutch Doobadoo. I ran it through my Grand Calibur using ivory cardstock to emboss it and then applied some colour with PanPastels in shades of green and magenta. For the focal image I coloured with my PanPastels and sealed them with hairspray before applying a layer of Maimeri glassy gel medium through the stencil. I removed the stencil, sprinkled on clear microbeads and left it to dry. It gives a lovely sparkly effect

I've layered it up on a spellbinders die cut and popped it on 3d foam pads. I've added lace, ribbon, a paper rose and some pearls to finish off.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Crafty Calendar: petals and pearls

Creative Corner: flowers

Little Miss Muffet: anything goes

Penny's Paper Crafty: embossing

Sugar Creek Hollow: Floral

Totally Gorjuss: pink and green

Thanks for popping by today, hope to see you again soon
Claire xx

Pins and Pearls at We do Doobadoo

Morning all, hope you're having a lovely Saturday. Its total chaos here as usual so I'll keep it short and sweet this morning. Today's card is my DT project for We Do Doobadoo, our brand new challenge is 'Pearls and Pins', as always you don't have to use Dutch Doobadoo goodies to enter and our lucky winner will get some fabby Dutch Doobadoo stash! Pop over to the challenge blog and check out all the details and my teamies gorgeous projects too.

I've made an easel card using one of the Dutch Doobadoo Shape Art temples and kraft card. The image is from LOTV, coloured with my Graph'It markers. The bp is also from LOTV. I've added lots of Dutch Doobadoo embellies to this card 

I've used the pretty Laser Art Butterflies, buttons, keys and locks and of course I had to add some of my favourite softboard Honeycomb. The butterflies were coloured with PanPastels and I used versamark and embossing powder on the buttons, key and lock. 

Here's another pic of the image

for the base of the easel I used stamps designed by Nikky Hall for Premium Craft Brands, I just love this postcard stamp! 

To finish off I've added some paper flowers from my stash, some seambinding bows and of course a couple  of pins and some pearls.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Chocolate Coffee and Cards: summer days

Creative Corner: flowers

Delicious doodles: buttons and bows

Digistamps 4 joy: shaped card

Fairytale: lazy summer days

Penny's Paper Crafty: Embossing

Sister Act: anything goes

Wags'n'Whiskers: summer fun

I've got loads to catch up on today so I'd better get my skates on, have a great day and thanks for popping by

Claire xx

Anything goes with markers at Graph'It Colouring Challenge

Good morning folks, time for a new challenge at Graph'it Colouring challenge and this time our theme is soooooo easy, its 'Anything goes with markers' so don't miss out on your chance to win some gorgeous Graph'It goodies!

I've used my Graph'It Markers to colour the ribbon and flowers on this card. The image is from Sweet Pea Stamps, I couldn't resist her as I love Fuchsias, they are so pretty. I raided my pile of inky backing papers for the background and added a Chocolate Baroque sentiment which I die cut with a spellbinders die. I fussy cut the image and popped her up on 3d foam pads once she was coloured (pop over to the challenge blog for a full list of colours)

I used my markers to colour some white seam binding ribbon and also used them to colour the paper fuchsias (made with the Britannia rose die). To finish off I added some lace and pearls

I'm entering this in the following challenges:

As you like it: favourite die and why

(I love the Britannia rose die as you can use it to make lots of different flowers)

Corrosive Challenge: your favourite colouring medium

Crafty Creations: things with wings

Incy Wincy: things with wings

Loves rubber stamps: handmade flowers

have a great day and thanks for popping by
Claire xx

Baby card

Good morning folks, its a very exciting time as we've got a new baby in the family so over the last few weeks I've made a few baby cards as we weren't sure if it would be a boy or a girl. I don't often make baby cards but I really enjoyed making this one.

I've used an image that I won recently from Sami Stamps, I coloured the image with my Graph'It markers and paper pieced the shawl using a freebie backing paper. I die cut the image with a Spellbinders die ad added some distress ink (Squeezed Lemondae, Tumbled Glass and Spun Sugar). I used a coordinating paper for the background, distressed with a craft knife and the same distress inks. I die cut the letters for the word BABY with a memory box die, coloured them with my Graph'It markers and gave them a coat of glossy accents. To finish off i've added a seam binding bow, a little pram charm and a couple of paper flowers.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Addicted to Stamps and more: anything goes

A Little Bit crafty: childs play

Card Mania: babies

Crafty Hazelnuts Patterned paper: anything goes

Digistamps for Joy: shaped cards

Glitter'n'Sparkle: include yellow

Simon Says Stamp: anything goes

have a great day and thanks for popping by
Claire xx

Sparkly poppies

Good morning, isn't it lovely to have such gorgeous sunny weather? The only downside is that our office is like the fires of hell with the sun streaming in the windows but I'd be complaining even more if it was raining so I'll stop moaning lol. Today's project is a tag made using a technique I fell in love with in Craft Stamper, you know those ideas that you see and think 'Wow I wish I'd thought of that' lol.

I've used a background made with Twinkling H2os and began by stamping some Lavinia stamps using Memento inks (Bamboo Leaves, Rhubard Stalk, Lady Bug and Tuxedo Black.

Next I used a Sweet Poppy stencil to create the poppies using Sparkle Medium from Imagination Crafts, adding colour with my Graph'It markers. I'd never have thought of colouring Sparkle medium with my markers but it works perfectly,  its really hard to get a pic of the effect though

I've added black enamel accents to the flowers and the butterfly and then some little flowers stamped with stamps from Indigo Blu and painted with h2os, I popped them up up on 3d foam pads and layered it all up on some black card. To finish off I added some red seam binding ribbon.

I'm entering this in the following challenges:

Artistic Stamper: Colour it red

Charisma: sparkle and shine

Dragonfly Dreams: things with wings

Fussy and Fancy: things with wings

Imagination Crafts: all that glitters

Live and Love Crafts: summer garden

Scrapbooker Phd: add texture

Well I'd better scoot off and get ready for work so have a great day and thanks for popping by
Claire xx

By the sea at Craft a Scene

Hi there can you believe how quickly June is whizzing by?  You've still got time to enter our challenge at Craft a Scene where our theme is 'By the sea'. I just love this month's theme and  I really enjoyed making this card.

I've used stamps from Sheena Douglass and memento tuxedo black ink and coloured with distress inks and markers. I made the clouds by sloshing on some water and blotting with kitchen towel and matted the scene on white and then kraft card.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

ABC:  N is or nautical

Creative Corner: summertime

FAN tastic Tuesday: summer at the beach

Jellypark Friends: beach/seaside/nautical

Milk Coffee: summer fun

Moving along with the times: beside the seaside

Unruly Paperarts June Reader Artquest: by the sea

Thanks for visiting today, enjoy the rest of the weekend

Claire xx

Flora and Fauna at PanPastel UK

Good morning and Happy Sunday! My favourite day of the week with lots of time to play in my craft room and a scrummy Sunday lunch to look forward too.  Its inspiration day at PanPastel UK as we've still got a week to run in our Flora and Fauna challenge so if you've got time po over and have a look at the gorgeous projects from my teamies and our lovely guest designer Yvonne too.

I've created a little scene with my PanPastels, usingSofft tools to add colour to the sky and hills (I used Ultramarine blue tint, Turquoise tint, Bright Yellow Green, Bright Yellow Green shade and permanent green) I used stamps from Lavinia Stamps and memento inks, adding some liquid pearls and glamour dust to the flowers. Last but not least I used my white Graph'It shake pen for the bunnies tails.

I'm entering this in the following challenges:

Allsorts: how does your garden grow?

Artistic Inspirations: anything goes/summer fun

Cards Galore Encore: anything goes

Delicious Doodles: make a scene

Fairy Tale: lazy summer days

Rhedd and Rosie's: anything goes

Through the Purple Haze: anything goes

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

Claire xx

Blondie inspiration at Graph'It Colouring Challenges

Good morning, Friday at last! Its been a bit of a nightmare at work this week with one thing and another so I'm pleased the weekend is nearly here. My card this morning is for our Blondie inspiration post at Graph'It Colouring Challenge, pop over and have a peek at my teamies gorgeous artwork and find out how you can win some gorgeous Graph'It goodies ! You don't have to use Graph'It markers to enter but of course we love it when you do. Oooh and don't forget we've got a DT call too

For my project I've coloured one of the beautiful images from Aurora Wings, you can find a full list of the colours I've used on the Graph'It blog, I do love my Graph'its for colouring blonde hair! I added some dabs of stickles and a little glamour dust for some extra sparkle although it doesn't show up too well in the photo.

I've layered the image up on some hot pink card and used white linen card instead of a backing paper as I didn't want to detract from the lovely image. I've added some hot pink seam binding ribbon, a paper flower and a metal butterfly that I painted with gesso and a dab of pink twinkling H20s.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Bunny Zoe's: Layers

Digi Choosday: in the pink

Digistamps 4 Joy: flowers

In the pink: flower garden

Penny's Paper Crafty: favourite embellishments (ribbon and flowers)

Rhedd and Rosies: anything goes

well its time to go and earn some pennies so a big thank you for visiting, hope to see you again soon
Claire xx

GDT At Frilly and Funkie

Good morning, ooooh what an exciting day it is!! I'm a very lucky crafter as I'm Guest Designer at Frilly and Funkie, one of my very favourite challenges. Even better the challenge theme is absolutely fabulous too! The theme is 'Case it' and the idea is to case one of Linda's amazing Christmas tags but with a summery twist. Now I adore Linda's Christmas tags they are always so full of techniques and inspiration but I didn't get chance to play along last year so this was a perfect opportunity to catch up I took my inspiration from this one of Linda's tags

I began with a sheet of mountboard, distressed with a craft knife and Burnt Umber PanPastel. I followed the layout of Linda's tag and the idea of textured panels down the sides. I wanted a much more summery feel though so I set to work with Squeezed Lemonade, Shabby Shutters and Gathered twigs distress ink and a viva decor flexible stencil to create the flower panels. I cleaned the stencils and then applied a layer of Maimeri Glassy Gel, removed the stencil and sprinkled on microbeads (I know, I just can't stop using them at the minute lol).  Once it was all dry I added some colour to the background with PanPastels

The centre panel was made using a distress ink background on a tag, I used stamps from Crafty Individuals coloured with Graph'It markers, adding a die cut birdcage, lace, ribbon, pearl trim and a bird cage charm which I attached to the stamped glassine envelope

Again, following Linda's tag design I cut some burlap squares and gave them a light coat of gesso before attaching the letters (die cuts embossed with vintage silver Frantage powder)

Last but not least I added some flowers made with some scraps of linen card coloured with Magenta tint PanPastel. They were die cut with tattered florals and I added some glittery centres.

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

Crafty Individuals: tag you're it

Die Cutting Diva's: thing with wings

Hobbycutz: anything goes

Rhedd and Rosie's: Anything goes

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: anything goes

Through the Purple Haze: anything goes

Thanks so much for popping by, do pop over and check out the gorgeous inspiration from the Frilly and Funkie DT as they such a lovely talented bunch of ladies!

Claire xx

Monochromatic Challenge at Indigo Blu

Good morning folks, I hope you're week is going smoothly. Today's project is my entry for the 'Monochromatic' challenge at Indigo Blu, I've really struggled to get a half decent photo of this project, silver is such a nightmare to take pics of for some reason

I've used lots of Dutch Doobadoo stencils and maimeri Light modelling paste over the Ranger vintage shabby paper and then added colour with PanPastels. I applied white gesso to the centre and stamped 'Diane' from Indigo Blu with flitter glu and memento rich cocoa ink before applying Winter Dawn gilding flakes. I added some colour to the image with Graph'It markers and then decoupaged the frame. 

I distressed the edges with a craft knife and stuch some lace behind the little tears. I added a metal corner embellishment and butterfly that were painted with white gesso.

The flowers were made with Sizzix dies. Once everything was dry I layered it up over some corrugated card that was distressed and gesso'd.

I'm also entering this project in the following challenges:

Loves rubber stamps: spots and dots

Make my Monday: pretty in pink

Papertake weekly: lace and pearls

Rhedd's Creative Spirit: altered art

Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge: anything goes

Thanks so much for calling by today

Claire xx

Dreamy notebook cover

Hello folks and a big warm welcome to my new followers, its a pleasure to 'meet' you. Today's project is a quick and easy notebook cover made using some of this months new stamps Briar Rose Butterfly from Chocolate Baroque (have a look at these and all the other new stamps here) The little book has a magnetic back so you can pop it on the fridge for shopping lists and was a real bargain at 99p from Home Bargains.

I began by masking a moon on a piece of kraft card and then used some cut and dry foam to apply White Brilliance Ink, smearing it here and there to create a misty effect. Next I stamped the foliage stamps with both White Brilliance Ink and Tea Dye distress ink I stamped the butterflies with versamark ink on to kraft card and embossed with WOW embossing powder  before cutting them out and adding them to the front of the cover. The sentiment is from Artistic Expressions, stamped with Vintage Photo distress ink. I've added some faux pearls in the corners to finish off.

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

Crafting by Design:  Anything goes

Creative Moments: anything goes/monochromatic

Dragonfly Dreams: things with wings

Everybody Art challenge: pearls

Love to Create: anything goes

My Time to Craft: DL it

My lovely talented teamies have some amazing inspiration lined up for you so if you've got time check out their gorgeous artwork on the DT blog here

Thanks for visiting today

Claire xx