With a flourish at Rainbow Lady's Challenge

Hello, thanks for visiting :-) Todays offering is my DT card for Cynthia's challenge over at Rainbow Lady's Challenge Blog where the theme is 'With a Flourish'. Our challenge this week is sponsored by crafting.co.uk so don't miss out on the chance to win a fab prize!!

I've used a beautiful bp from Artylicious Butterfly Bliss cd, printed out in the turquoise option. I stamped the ornate corner stamps (from Chocolate Baroque New England Winter themeplate) and added a lilac gem to each one. I brayered a background with Big'n'Juicy hydrangea inkapad. The gorgeous stamps are from CaroLines Rubber stamps and are some of my favourites for brayered backgrounds, so many detailed silhouettes they are great to build up a scene. I die cut some flourishes using Marianne dies. The flowers are also made using Marianne dies, one of the ribbon flower ones  - I coloured tissue paper with the same inkpad and cut out 5 layers for each flower and scrunched them up lightly before adding a tiny black button  in the centres.

I'm entering my card in the following challenges:

A Spoonfull of Sugar: anything goes

CD Sunday: Die cuts or Yeehaw 

Corrosive Challenge: birthdays

Dream Valley Challenge: Dig out the old to use with the new (the corner stamps are new and the cd is one of my oldest,and a real favourite)

Emerald Faerie Garden: Anything goes

Fab'n'Funky: Make your own blooms

One Stitch at a Time: anything goes

Paper Pretties: Flowers

Sentimental Sundays: Handmade flower plus sentiment

Truly Scrumptious: Anything goes

Thanks for calling by today

Claire xx

Say it with die cuts at Michelle Perkett Studio

Hello there, Tuesday again so its time for a new challenge at Michelle Perkett Studio and this week we want to see your die cuts and of course one of Michelle's gorgeous images too. If you don't have any of Michelle's digi stamps you can pop over to her group on Papercraft Planet and pick up a freebie or two (there are loads of lovely free images on the Discussion boards). I've used 'Lily, The Fairy of Enchantment' for my card. I love to colour Lily with those lovely wings and that beautiful dress. You can find her here in Michelle's Etsy Store

Lily is coloured with promarkers and has a little glamour dust for some added bling but it doesn't show up at all in the pic. I've kept the card layout fairly plain and framed Lily with die cuts from a cuttlebug die. The bp is from K&Co I was using up scraps hence the vertical and horizontal stripes LOL. I've added some pale peachy pink roses,salmon pink lace and aqua velvet ribbon from my stash to finish off. 

I'm entering Lily in the following challenges:

A Gem of a Challenge: aqua lemon and pink

The Crafty Pad: Holes

I did it creations: ribbon and lace

Kenny K's Krafty Girlz: die cuts and punches

My Mum's Craft Shop: to die for

One Stitch at a Time: anything goes

Stamps R us: going digi

 I hope you're going to join our challenge at Michelle Perkett Studio, our lucky winner will receive a gorgeous digistamp from Michelle's store!

I hope your week has got off to a good start. As usual I'm really busy at work but I suppose it keeps me out of mischief, unfortunately it also keeps me out of my craft room lol

thanks for calling by today

Claire xx

Bouquets of birthday wishes

Hi, I love ching chou kuik's Blue Eye Fairy (from Sweet Pea Stamps) although this time around I've given her brown eyes lol. I love colouring hair and eyes and she is a real joy to colour. I had lots of fun making this card, I got my Starburst stains and mica powders out to make the background and had a great messy time in my craft room lol.

The main image is coloured with promarkers and has lots of glittery higlights. She is matted on some card coloured with Rambling Rose Pink Starburst stain.

The main bp is made from green and pink (ramblin rose pink, alpine ice rose and edelweiss moss green) starburst stains clingfilmed to create the icy pattern. I coloured some 180gsm with green and some with pink  stains and put them through my cuttlebug. I coloured the doiley with golden pear mica powder and added some flowers from WOC dusted with crystal glamour dust. The butterflies are punched from vellum with an Anna Griffin punch and coloured with golden pear and rose hue mica powders. I added some rose pink velvet ribbon, cotton lace, irridescent gems and a little heart charm to finish off. The sentiment is a stamp from Chocolate Baroque, stamped with sepia versafine and matted on a scrap of bp. Here's another pic to try and show the detail a little better.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

A spoonful of sugar: Sketch

Craft us Crazy: Favourite embellies and/or something new (I love WOC flowers and my something new is a new technique - colouring the doiley with versamark and mica powder)

Diva's by Design: anything goes

Dutch Dare: Winged things

Fairy Fun Fridays: here come the girls

I love promarkers: pink and brown ( my image is coloured pink and brown but I've used quite a bit of green too so delete my entry if it doesn't meet the challenge requirements ladies)

Moving Along with the Times: 2B's -  my bees are butterflies and bling

In a Sweet pea dream: Bling it up

Oldie but Goodie: say it with flowers

Paper Pretties: Texture

Sisterhood of Crafters: Let it shine

Stamp Scrap and Doodle: Old supplies (the starburst stains are years old and this was one of the first sweet pea stamps I every bought)

Stamp something: Anything goes

Sweet Pea Stampers: Showers of Flowers

Top Tip Tuesday: Floral Frenzy

Thanks for visiting today

Claire xx

Exciting news :-)

I've had quite a bit of stress lately with problems at work and poorlies in the family but I've had such a lovely week its really cheered me up. Not only have I won some gorgeous blog candy from Little Miss Muffet Challenge and Delicious Doodles but ..... I'm so excited to say that I've been invited to join the DT at

Christmas Challenges {with sketches}

I just love making Christmas cards and i've got a bit behind this year so it will be great to have some fab sketches to motivate me. Its a lovely friendly team, everyone is so talented its a real honour to be asked to join. You're not going to believe the amazing sponsors they have lined up already!! I'm so excited I've been jumping around the house, the dogs think I'm going Christmas Crackers LOL.

I hope you're going to get your Christmas stash out and

join us in our first challenge on May 25th :-)

Claire xx

Grace from Michelle PErkett Studio

Hello, I'm a bit later than usual posting my card for Michelle Perkett Studio today. I had to go into work this morning and I don't know where the rest of the day has disappeared to. I've made a card using the lovely Grace (available in Michelle's Etsy Store)

The bp is one of my all time favourites from Artylicious Butterfly Bliss CD printed out in the Orange option. Grace is coloured with promarkers and matted on peach card. I've added a die cut butterfly, some peach ribbon and a sentiment from Chocolate Baroque stamped and cut out with spellbinders tag.

I'm entering Grace in the following challenges:

Crafty Creations: Anything goes

Fairy Fun Fridays: For the girls

Inspire Me Fridays: anything goes

My Mum's Craft Shop: to die for

Raise the Bar: apples and oranges

Sew Many Challenges: Anything goes

Thanks for visiting today :-)

Claire xx

Let's Ink It Up, sentiment and 3D flower

Hello folks, today I'm sharing  my DT project for Let's Ink It Up where our theme for challenge 15  is 'Sentiment plus a 3D flower' so we want to see the sentiment as the focal point of your project. I have to admit i did struggle a bit with this theme but eventually I decided to make this little wall hanging

Our challenge this time is sponsored by Kreativ Hobby and they are offering a really generous prize  so don't miss out on a chance to win!!

Kreativ Hobby

We are a Norwegian rubberstamp producer – with more than 1000 different designs. In our webshop you will find all our rubbestamps under the category “STEMPLER”. All prices are in Norwegian Kroner. We ship worldwide and all information regarding international shipping is on our website: www.kreativhobby.no  The winner can choose 4 rubberstamps from Kreativ Hobby Design. Value app. NOK 200 or $ 35

The base is a paper mache frame from The Craft Barn, I created a crackle background with green and pale pink Eco green paints and PVA blue and sloshed some gold acrylic paint around the edges. I added even more crackle with a creative expressions crackle stamp and gold EP.  I brayered a little background scene using big'n'Juicy inks and some gorgeous little tree stamps from Chocolate Baroque 'Teeny Weeny Meadow'.  The sentiment is a stamp from Paper Artsy. I've had this stamp for years and I use it again and again.

The large flower is also stamped with a Chocolate Baroque stamp, this time from Diamante Delights, its embossed with gold EP and painted with twinkling H2os.

I added some ribbon for a a hanger as I wanted to attached my beaded flowers. I LOVE seed bead work but haven't done any for ages and i've come to the conclusion I need new specs lol.

The large rose is made with size 11 seed beads in netting stitch and the tiny tulips are again made with Size 11s but this time using herringbone stitch. I added some myuki drops for the centres.

I'm entering the following challenges:

Creative Card Crew: May flowers

Creative Inspirations Paint: Inspired by your favourite colour

Dream Valley: Flowers

Everybody Art Challenge: Flowers

Oldie but a Goodie: Say it with flowers

Sentimental Sunday: anything goes

Simon Says Stamp and Show: anything goes

The Sisterhood of Crafters: Let it shine

Stamp Something: anything goes

Stamping Sisters in Christ: all things beautiful

Stamping Vacation: embellish it - use beads

Top Tip Tuesday: Flower Frenzy

Use it tuesday: Use your bling

Thanks for calling by today, make sure you pop over to Let's Ink It Up and check out my teamies amazing creations and gorgeous flowers. Caz has also kindly done a tutorial for some stunning roses so you don't want to miss that either :-)

Claire xx

A sketch challenge at Digi's With Attitude!

Hi there, better late than never! Its  time for a new challenge at Digi's With Attitude! and this week we have a fab sketch for you. I love to use a sketch as I often get stuck making cards with the same old layout, its great to try something a little different.

Here's the sketch we want to see you use for this weeks challenge

I've used one of the fab new releases from Digi's With Attitude!, isn't he cool! He's called 'Wrinkled Attitude Simon' and I think he is such a funny guy ... I'm sure i'll come up with some funny sentiments to go with him lol. There are some more new releases today too,  Zoo-A-Tudes Lion & Da Neckers Bobbie Sue and more are new in the store so pop over and check them out here. In fact Cindy-Lynn has released all the gorgeous May releases this week so make sure you pop over and take a look. This week we also have a fab prize of some digi papers from our generous sponsor My Graphico and of course there is a prize for every 25 entries from Digi's With Attitude! too.

I've coloured Simon with promarkers and cut him out with a nestie. I've used some scraps of  bps from my stash and kraft card for the layout and cut some little scalloped nestie circles to mount the buttons on.

I'm entering Simon in the following challenges:

Catch the bug: anything goes

Crazy Challenge: anything goes

Make it Monday with Kraft outlet: buttons and bows

My time to craft: Scallops

Papertake Weekly: fancy a punch

Pollycraft: boyz to me

Stamps R us: for the men in our lives

Try it on Tuesday: One for the boys

Tuesday Throwdown: Diecuts

Well the weekend is nearly here again thank goodness. I hope you have a good one

Claire xx

Let's feel it!

You may get a sense of deja vue when you look at this post lol, looks like bloggers gremlins deleted it so I'm trying again. Blogger is forgiven though lol as I've missed everyone so much and its so good to have blogger back :-)

Hello there, time for a new challenge over at Rainbow Lady's Challenge blog and this week Cynthia has a fab theme of 'Let's Feel it' so we want to see some texture on your cards :-)

We have a great prize for the lucky winner from our regular sponsor Chi Chi Memories too!

For my DT card this week I've combined 3 supercute images from Chi Chi Memories, thats a bit of an achievement for me as I'm a total numpty with anything technical. I eventually managed it and coloured the image with promarkers, for my texture element I added glossy accents to all the bubbles although it doesn't show too well in the pic. I added tumbled glass DI around the image with a shaving brush for the colour of the sea

I've kept the card pretty simple using some tangerine card for matting and layering and a bp from K&Co, adding some little tangerine eyelets in the corners of the image.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Allsorts: use at least 3 stamps

Bee Crafty: Birthday challenge for little ones

Catch the bug: anything goes

Crazy Challenge: anything goes

Gingerloft: under the sea

Scrappy Frogs: Anything goes

Thanks for calling by today

Claire xx

Mermaids galore at MPS

Hi there, I hope you're having a good week so far. Today's card features one of my favourite images from Michelle Perkett, 'Eva, the glam mermaid'. Eva is a real glamour puss isn't she? You can find her here in Michelle's Etsy store.

I've coloured Eva with promarkers and added pink and tiara stickles for a little extra bling. The bp is from GCD Rose coloured glasses and the ribbon is from Crafty Ribbons. I've added some lace from WOC and corner stamps from Clarity Stamps. The corner stamps look a lot brighter in the pic than they are really.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Creative Inspirations: Glitzy and bling

Delicious Doodles: Fantasty/mythical

Gingerloft: under the sea

I did it creations: Monochromatic

My Mum's Craft Shop: cute and girly

Paper Sundaes: Magical and mythical

Pixie Dust Studio: Under the sea

 There's a new challenge starting today over at Michelle Perkett Studio and Shelley and her talented team have a fab challenge theme for you ... Mermaids Galore! Michelle has some of the most gorgeous mermaid images so you'll be spoiled for choice :-)

Thanks for visiting today

Claire xx

Arianna in Red

Helloooo, oh dear I'm having one of 'those' weeks again, we have a few poorlies in the family, we're short staffed at work and my internet is really playing up! Grrrrrrrrrr!! 

Anway I'm a day late with this card but better late than never I suppose :-)

I've used Arianna from Michelle Perkett for todays card, you can pick her up in Michelle's Etsy store and at the minute there is a fantastic SALE so don't miss out :-)

Arianna  is coloured with promarkers and i've used bps from Artylicious CDs and a MS border punch. The flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts, the ribbon is from Crafty Ribbons and the little gems are from my stash.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Delicious Doodles: fantasy and mythical beasties

Fairy Fun Fridays: One for the girls

Raise the Bar: Flower Power

Stamp Something: Digi day

Wags'n' whiskers: die cuts/punches

Don't forget, if you're quick you can still enter this weeks 'Mothers Day' Challenge over at Michelle Perkett Studio, you don't want to miss out as Michelle has an extra special prize on offer and to be in with a chance of winning you need to enter all the challenges in May!!

thanks for visiting today, I do hope my internet doesn't kick me off before this posts :-)

Claire xx

Having a laugh at Digi's With Attitude!

Time for  a new challenge over at Digi's With Attitude! and our theme for challenge #25 is 'Funny Sentiments' so come on make us laugh with a funny sentiment this week. You don't have to use a Digis With Attitude! image but we'd love it if you did, this month you can pick up 'Clipper' as a freebie from Digi's With Attitude!, have a look here.  This week we have a great prize of 3 images from our generous sponsor Chi Chi Memories and of course for every 25 entries there is a fab prize from Digi's With Attitude too!!

There's a little story behind my DT project this week, my house is always full of my sons friends and as his bedroom is next to the bathroom I get fed up of them knocking at the door to use the toilet when I'm in the bath .... so I decided to make a door hanger to let them know lol. I also thought this little cute "Bubblebath Tween" image would attract their attention LOL. You can find her here in the Digi's With Attitude! Store.

The bps are from GCD Rose coloured glasses, the image is coloured with promarkers and cut out with a nestie and inked with Victorian Velvet Distress ink. I added glossy accents to the bubbles, microbeads and icicle stickles to add abit more 'bubblebath' and some clear dew drops attached with more stickles. The roses, lace and seam binding ribbon are from my stash. The sentiment is computer generated, I hope you like it, it makes me giggle lol. You can see the detail a bit better in this pic

I'm entering my door hanger in the following challenges:

A Spoonful of Sugar: White plus one other colour

By the cute and girly: Anything goes

Charisma Cardz: No cards allowed

Cheerful Stamp Pad: girls with curls

Clear it out: ribbon/trim

Creative inspirations: Use a digi

Digital Tuesday: ribbon and lace

Diva's by Design: anything goes

Emerald Faerie Garden: anything goes

I love promarkers: inspired by a song title (I hear you knocking ....)

Little Miss Muffet: Die cuts/punches

My Mum's Craft Shop: Cute and girly

Papertake Weekly: anything goes

Pollycraft: anything goes

Shelley's Images: Sugar and spice

Stamp with fun: Lace or Ribbon

Top Tip Tuesday: open challenge

Before I go, check out the Digi's With Attitude! store as there are some fab new releases, this week you can find some really fun new digi stamps:

Wrinkled Attitude! Simon, Da Neckers Fred & Zoo-A-Tudes Gorilla

make sure you pop over to the store and have a look :-)

Claire xx

Happy Birthday at Crafty Ann's

Well weekend is nearly here, I do love these short weeks at work don't you? Its time for a new challenge from Crafty Ann's Challenge blog and this time we have a nice easy one for you... 'Happy Birthday', as always our lucky winner will receive a fab prize from Crafty Ann's Digi Store!

For my DT card this time I've used this superfun image called 'Fit as a fiddle' and a gorgeous tartan bp from Crafty Ann's. I fell in love with this image as soon as I saw it, its so quirky and it comes with 3 fun sentiments too, they are perfect with the image and I've used "Kick up your heels... its your birthday' for my card.

The image is coloured with promarkers and cut out with nestie labels 4. I've used some green card from my stash for matting and layering, some brass buttons and also some gorgeous tartan ribbon from Crafty Ribbons. I've added a homemade bottlecap embellie as the card looked a bit plain. I've crushed the bottlecap with my cuttlebug and coloured the inside with alcohol inks and added microbeads and  crackle accents. The edge of the bottlecap is coloured with a gold krylon pen.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Bunny Zoe's Crafts: One for the boys

Craft your days away: Music and dance

Crafty Cardmakers Spotlight: Bottlecaps

Crazy Challenge: one for the boys

Digistamps 4 Joy: Its a celebration

Drunken Stampers: Say it like it is

Elliephantastic: Birthday/Party

Magical Monday: Birthday Challenge

Paper Romance: use your favourite die

Simply Create: Rock the metal

Stamps R Us: for the men in our lives

Thanks for calling by,

Claire xx

Rainbow Lady's 'Lady in Red' challenge

Hello there, its time for another challenge from our lovely Rainbow Lady  and this week Cynthia's theme is 'Lady in Red'. We also have  fab prize from our regular sponsor Joanna Sheen too so don't miss out :-)

For my card I've used a bp and one of the bookmarks from Artylicious 'Essence of Nature' cd. The blue bp and bookmark were distressed wth fired brick DI and edged with a gold krylon pen. I added some cuttlebugged red card and a couple of grungepaper roses (coloured with the same distress ink and some red stickles highlights).

The main image is a gorgeou stamp from Crafts and Me called 'Hiding' by Molly Harrison, the image is coloured with inktense pencils. To finish off I've added some royal blue seam binding ribbon and a couple of dew drops coloured with alcohol ink.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Ambers Crafts and Stuff: Special Lady

CD Sunday: Stamping

Challenge up your life: bookmarks

Divas by design: anything goes

Flutter by Wednesday: Open challenge with butterfly angel or fairy

The Paper Variety: Let's get messy

Stamp something: something with wings

Thanks for popping by today, make sure you check out my teamies blogs as they have some amazing cards lined up this week

Claire xx

Celebrating Mothers Day at Michelle Perkett Studio

Hi there, we have a new challenge starting at Michelle Perkett Studio and this week we are celebrating Mothers Day,  we've already had our Mothers Day  in the UK but our friends in the rest of the world will be celebrating soon. I've used one of my all time favourite images from Michelle's Etsy store for this card, Enchanted Slumber is such a gorgeous image I thought it would be perfect to celebrate Mothers Day

The image is coloured with promarkers and has some glittery highlights on the wings and flowers  but that hasn't shown too well in the photo. I've used a heart shaped doiley from my stash and added some paper flowers, cricut flourishes and some faux pearls. The bp is from the 'Love Letter's' collection (from Crafty Emma's). To finish off I've added some organza ribbon and a crystal buckle.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

2 Sisters: for a mom

Craft us Crazy: Moms and flowers

Fairy Tale Challenge: Mother's Day

If the shoe fits: Things with wings

My mum's craft shop: Flowers

Sisterhood of crafters: Mothers Day

Some odd girl: Hot mommas

Thanks for calling by today, don't forget you need to use one of Michelle Perkett's digi stamps to play along with our challenge, if you don't have any your can snag some freebies at Michelle's group on PCP - you don't want to miss out as not only does our winner get a gorgeous free digi, there is a special prize for our May monthly winner who will get 4 digi stamps!!!!

Claire xx

A new Christmas challenge starting soon...

Hello, it might be May day but I'm getting ahead with another Christmas card, this one is for a new challenge blog starting soon. Christmas Challenges {with sketches} is a fortnightly challenge blog starting with the first challenge on June 1st.  One of my dear blogland buddies Marion and some of her friends are starting the challenge up and they are having a DT call so I thought I'd try out :-)

Of course the DT call is a sketch challenge, I love sketches and really enjoyed making this card. I've used some lovely green and cream papers from Dovecraft's Noel bp pad, all the bps have been distressed with a craft knife, gold UTEE and some rather untidy hand stitching with silky embroidery floss.

The main image is one of my favourite Christmas stamps 'Lizzie with Muff' from Whiff of Joy, she's been stamped and coloured with promarkers and a little green glitter on her dress.  I created a border with some Christmas tapestry stamps and distressed with Shabby Shutters DI. I've added some green and cream tartan ribbon some gold wired netting (actually a Christmas decoration, a huge roll for £1 from the local pound shop. I've added some paper flowers - cream gardenia petals with a gold bead cap and gold dew drops, cream and gold cherry blossoms, gold and ivory rosebuds - they are all sprayed lightly with golden dubloons Moonshadow ink but it doesn't show up too well in the pic. Here's another photo to show the detail a little more.

I made some little holly berried by wiring some garnet miyuki drop beads and added some die cut fir branches. To finish off I added some more pale gold dew drops, I just found that these look amazing if you stick them on with stickles .... loads of sparkle!!

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

Bah Humbug: Christmas pleats and ruffles

Christmas Stamping all year long: use your favourite stamp

Crafts 4 Eternity: anything goes

Crafty Hazelnut's Christmas Challenge: use a die cut

The Crazy Challenge: Use 3 different patterned papers

Moving Along with the Times: Anything goes

Our Creative Corner: Embroidery floss

Totally Papercrafts: Glitter

 I really need to get on with my Christmas cards as I've been invited to do a Craft Fair in October. It will be the first time I've done anything like that and its a bit of a scary thought as its by invitation only and the lovely lady organising it has put me down as something rather grand like 'Specialist luxury cards' or something like that LOL.

Thanks for calling by, I hope you've had a good weekend. Its another bank holiday tomorrow so an extra day off work for me :-)

Claire xx