Steampunk Birdhouse

Good morning friends, today's project is a bit of recycling featuring the fabulous new 'Punky Flowers' stamps from Chocolate Baroque, combined with the beautiful Steampunk Butterfly.

I picked up the bird house from the pound shop, it was bright green and had some chipboard flowers on it so I eased them off and gave it a coat of white gesso, followed by a coat of cream acrylic paint. I painted the roof and around the base black and then added some gold highlights.

I stamped the cog trees from Punky Flowers on tissue paper using  Stazon ink (red, black and gold), cut them out and created a cog forest by attaching the 'trees' using matte medium.

I stamped the flowers on red and black card, embossed with gold and cut them out, layering them up on the bird house. I did the same with the butterfly and added some red seam binding ribbon,a button and a little twine bow to finish off.

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

Anything goes: shaped but not square

Country View Crafts: how does your garden grow

Craftroom Challenge: stamp your own background

Love to Create: flowers

Natalie and Amy's: things with wings

Ooh La La: red

WOW embossing powders: 3d projects

Thanks for popping by, if you've got a minute do pop over to the Chocolate Baroque DT blog as my teamies have come up with gorgeous projects with these beautiful new stamps

Claire xx

Dahlia Heart

Good morning folks, in view of the fact that a certain puppy has made is his personal mission to destroy everything in my garden I don't think I'll have many flowers this year but with some stamps, ink and paint I can have some flowers indoors at least. 

My project today is an mdf heart, the background was made with acrylic paints, overstamped with text in gold stazon. I've used a large dahlia stamp from Sheena Douglass, coloured with PanPastels and promarkers. I've added some treasure gold around the edges and a scrap of pink ribbon to finish off.

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

Delicious Doodles: Anything but a card

Dream Valley: No squares allowed

Glitter and Sparkle: ribbons

Lacy Sunshine: anything but a square

My Sheri Crafts: flower power

Thanks for popping in, I really do appreciate all your kind comments

have a good day

Claire xx

Tall Trees

Good morning folks, Monday morning so I'm heading off to work as usual (booooo!) but before I go here's a card made with 'Tall Trees' from Chocolate Baroque.  I don't know about you but I tend to have so much fun with new crafty goodies that a lot of my old favourites get left to gather dust which is a real shame. Over at Chocolate Baroque, Glenda has a stamp set on special offer every week so I thought I'd try and dust of some of my old favourite stamps and ink them up.

I've used a shaped card blank, masked off a panel and a moon before inking in the sky with distress inks and a shaving brush. I created the reflection using the stamp from Tall Trees and my SplodgeMat and then created the watery effect with my brayer. I stamped the focal image with Memento Tuxedo Black and then inked in a bit of land around the base of the trees. I then used black and brown ink to give the impression of a the land reflecting in the sea - ok the brown was a bit of a bodge as I picked up the wrong blending tool DOH! But I quite liked the effect so I left it. The sentiment stamp is also from Chocolate Baroque.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges

Charisma Cardz: Black and white plus one

Moving along with the times: CAS

So Artful: Night skies

Sweet Stampin: clean and simple

Totally Papercrafts: CAS

Thanks for popping by, have a good day

Claire xx

In the pink at PanPastel UK

Good morning my lovelies, Sunday already and so its time for a new challenge over at PanPastel Uk and this week we're 'in the pink' so we want to see all your gorgeous pink projects to be in with a chance of winning a fabby PanPastel starter set from our lovely sponsor Berni at Your Creativity Store. 

I began by making a background using Permanent red tint PanPastel and stamped with a ruler stamp from EcoGreen with Tea Dye distress ink. My dress form die cut was embossed with a texture fade and coloured with more PanPastels, I made a little skirt from a scrap of fabric and some tulle and added a little ribbon belt with a blingy diamante buckle. 

The sentiment was a freebie stamp with Simply Homemade, layered up over a corrugated die cut heart. I've added a couple of tiny cotton reels wound with pink twine (from the lovely Linda over at the Funkie Junkie Boutique) and i've used the twine and some little pearls to add a bit of a swirl across the card. The seam binding ribbon and lace were from The Ribbon Girl

My flower is a bit of recycling, I'd got pink PanPastel everywhere and used a couple of babywipes to mop it up, the babywipes were such a pretty colour I let them dry and die cut them with tattered florals, layering them up with a pretty pearl brad.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Crafts and Me: lace

Crafty Sentiments: use a sentiment

Everybody Art : Fabric

Happy Campers: use lace

Jellypark: girly Girl

Milk Coffee: shabby chic/vintage

Penny's Papercrafty: die cuts/punches

Perfect Sentiment: dry embossing

Pumpkin Spice: flowers

Simply Create too: anything goes

Pop over and check out my talented teamies projects if you've got a few minutes, they have really come up with some gorgeous projects again this week. Well i've got a date with a basket of ironing and a pile of paperwork for work so i'd better get to it

thanks so much for visiting

have a lovely Sunday

Claire xx

Quick and Easy SplodgeAway

Hi there friends, hope you're having a good weekend. I had all good intentions of spending the day in the garden but the weather soon put paid to that so I've had a lazy afternoon watching tv and eating chocolate (much more fun lol). My card today is a very quick and easy card made with SplodgeAway masks and some of my old favourite stamps from Chocolate Baroque.

I've used the gorgeous Vintage Birdcage masks and one of the pretty feminine border masks with dylusions spray inks. Once the background was dry I stamped the sentiment, bird and the swirly border using stamps from Fly Away with Me by Chocolate Baroque, a bit of black card for matting and layering and the card was finished. Easy peasy :-)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Addicted to stamps and more: CAS

A Gem of a challenge: things with wings

Creative Corner: things with wings

Sweet Stampin: clean and simple

Totally Papercrafts: clean and simple

I'm off back to the TV and chocolate now so enjoy the rest of your day and I'll be back in the morning with my DT project for PanPastel UK

Thanks for popping by, 

Claire xx

Snowy SplodgeAway

Hi there my lovelies, well this week is whizzing past isn't it? Today I'm sharing another card made as part of my debut  with the  SplodgeAway DT, this time I've used the amazing Wolf on Creek StenSkape masks with myPanPastels.

I've used black Pastelmat for my base and began by applying white PanPastel through the mask to create the moon. I carried on with the white PanPastel using the hills, rocks and trees masks to create my scene, adding the wolf last. Once I'd got the basic shapes in the scene I added Paynes Grey, Neutral Grey and black PanPastels to create some shadows and add some depth. I added some definition with white pastel pencils and added the snow with a white gel pen. Last but not least I stamped the sentiment which is a stamp from Chocolate Baroque.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

A gem of a challenge: make it sentimental

Cards for Men: animals

Crafting for all seasons: Monochromatic

Creative Craft Challenge: all about animals

Flourishes Timeless Tuesday: black accents

So Artful: night skies

Southern Girls: You can say that

Word Art Wednesday: anything goes

I really love the StenSkape masks, they make it so easy to make a scene (and of course I do love to make a scene lol). If you've got a few minutes, do pop over to the SplodgeAway shop and check them out, although I must warn you they are addictive :-)

Thanks for popping by today

Claire xx

Steampunk Splodge Away

Good morning my lovelies, today's card is another SplodgeAway DT project, this time using the gorgeous 'Complex Frame' available of course from SplodgeAway. I had loads of messy fun making this project, you can imagine the colour of my paws when I'd finished lol.

The background was made simply by popping the mask on some matte gold card and spraying with black gold glimmer mist. Once that was dry I added my own 'frantage' type mix of EP,  gold and silver glitter, microbeads etc to the centre and heated it to set it all. The focal image is from Chocolate Baroque (Steampunk Travels), embossed on gold card and fussy cut with a glass cabochon over the clock face. You can see the detail a bit better in this pic.

To finish off i've added a black bow, a brass button, some screw head brads and a little key charm.

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

Deep Ocean: Lets Sparkle

Loves Rubber Stamps: anything goes

Make my Monday: something that flies

Ooh La La: Vintage/Nostalgic

Papertake Weekly: Anything goes

Stamping Sensations: embossing/texture

Thanks for popping by and for your lovely comments, they always make me smile although  I may struggle to smile today as I've got a trip to the dentist lined up and I'm having a tooth out!! How scared am I????  Eeeeeeeeek, I'm sure I'll be fine. If I tell myself that often enough I may believe it

have a good day

Claire xx

Punky Flowers from Chocolate Baroque

Good morning, have you seen the new 'Punky Flowers' stamps from Chocolate Baroque, they are fab-u-lous! I love steampunk and these flowers have got such a beautiful quirky steampunk feel I think they are going to be a firm favourite!

As soon as I saw this little 'desk lamp' flower I thought of snowdrops and set to with my distress inks to create the background. The image has been stamped and embossed and painted with Twinkling H20s and I've stamped the beautiful steampunk lacy border from 'Steampunkery' and embossed with a sparkly white EP.

I've kept the card fairly simple, embossing around the edge and matting on some green card. I created the card blank with a Martha Stewart punch and to finish off added some white ribbon and a pretty button. 

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Addicted to stamps: beautiful button

Card Mania: flowers

Craft your Passion: floral delights

Paper Playtime: embossing

Ribbon Girls: add a button

Without Words: floral

Thanks for popping by 

Claire xx

Splodge Away DT Debut!!

Good morning folks, this week I'm making my debut as part of the SplodgeAway Design Team, I can't tell you how much fun I've had playing with some of the most gorgeous masks and of course my trusty Splodge Mat. If you've got a few minutes pop over to the SplodgeAway blog and have a look at all the fab project created by my new teamies!

This card was the result of a 'happy accident' as they say lol. I'd decided to use the beautiful 'Fancier Lattice' mask for the glittered lace technique but it all went horribly wrong! I started with some white card and stuck it to some double sided adhesive sheet, applied my mask and sprinkled on lots of rock candy glitter. All seemed to be going to plan until I removed the mask and instead of a nice bright pink glitter I tipped on a load more rock candy - result a nice white glittery piece of card lol.

Not to be daunted I replaced the mask and grabbed my panpastels and applied Magenta and Magenta Extra dark with a duster brush and voila!! The background was made with one of the Splodge Away Feminine Border masks and more PanPastels. I've edged the layers with some treasure gold and added a big white bow and a gesso'd butterfly (from The Ribbon Girl) and lots of paper flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

ABC Challenge: make it sparkle

Allsorts: add some sparkle

Cute Card Thursday: come fly with me

Hybrid Chick: flowers

One Stop Craft: flower power

Well I'd better get organised and go to work, have a good day folks

Thanks for popping by

Claire xx

Lace and Pearls at Vintage Stamping Challenges

Good morning folks, don't you just love Mondays when you don't have to go to work??  Today's card is my DT offering for Vintage Stamping Challenges where our theme is 'Lace and Pearls'. As always we've got a fab prize up for grabs from our generous sponsor Leo at Flonzcraft so ink up those stamps and play along. If you've got a few minutes, put your feet up, have a cuppa and check out at my talented teamies projects as they are fab-u-lous! 

I've used one of my favourite stamps from Flonzcraft for this card, I've paper pieced the dresses and coloured the image with Graph'it markers. I've added a die cut butterfly, corners and a nestie frame, all in kraft card. The flowers are all from my stash aapart from the rose which I made with die cuts. The gorgeous lace and ribbon are from the Ribbon Girl. To finish off I've added a seam binding bow and a pearly swirl - is it just me or does anyone else get in a real tangle with these jokers? I always struggle with them lol.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Card Crafters Cirle: buds, blossoms and blooms

Crafty Calendar: Blooms and blossoms

Eclectic Ellapu: anything goes

Happy Campers: lace

Milk Coffee: lace and pearls

One Crazy Stamper: flowers

One stop craft: flower power

Thanks so much for popping by, have a lovely Monday

Claire xx

Fairyland at PanPastel UK

Good morning my lovelies, I'm planning a day in the garden, tackling those dreaded weeds, not an easy task with a labrador puppy 'helping' lol. Before I venture out in to the wilderness  garden here's my project for our new Fairyland challenge at PanPastel UK. As always there is a PanPastel starter set up for grabs from our generous sponsor Berni at Your Creativity Store.

I've made a little canvas, the background was created with PanPastels in Violet and Violet tint, with Maimeri Iridescent Paste applied through a Crafters Workshop template for some fairy shimmer. I've used a digi image from Laviniai stamps, coloured her with Graph'It Markers and adhered the image with Maimeri Matte Gel medium. To add some more texture I applied some Maimeri Light modelling paste around the image and around the edges of the canvas, coloured with PanPastel and a sprinkle of Glamour dust.. You can see the image better in this pic:

Next I've added another fairy, this time a clear stamp from Lavinia, stamped on tissue paper and applied to the canvas with Mamieri matte gel.  The butterfly is from the Ribbon Girl, painted with Maimeri gesso and highlighted with Treasure Gold. 

To finish off I've added some 'frantage' around the edges, I made my own mixture with assorted embossing powders, glitter, micro beads and some tiny iridescent stars.

I'm entering this in the following challenges:

Allsorts: Add some sparkle

Crafting for all seasons: Monochromatic

Creative Card Crew: bling

Lavinia Stamps: pastel colours

Live and Love Crafts: 50 shades of lilac

Whimsical Designs: bling

Thanks for visiting today, have a lovely Sunday

Claire xx

Anything goes at Fashionable Stamping Challenges

Hi there, I've got another clock project to share with you, this time its my project for our new challenge, 'Anything Goes' at Fashionable Stamping Challenges. Our lucky winner will receive a fabby prize from our generous sponsor Leo at Flonzcraft so don't miss out! 

I've used a circular mdf clock blank, and created a background with acrylic paint. The stamps are all from Flonzcraft, stamped with Timber Brown Stazon and then masked to stamp the numbers which have been given the gilding flake treatment.

I've added some fab fishing net to the back of the clock (love this stuff, I got it from Joanna Sheen and its great for nautical themed projects), I've also added lots of little shells:

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

Delicious Doodles: something for the boys

Frillie and Funky: Time

Inky Chicks: shabby chic

Moving Along with the Times: one for the boys

Shopping our Stash: all about numbers

Thanks so much for popping by and for your lovely comments,

Claire xx

Things with wings at NMWC

Good afternoon folks, hope your bank holiday weekend has got off to a good start. The weather is a bit iffy here but at least its not snowing so I shouldn't complain lol. We've got a new challenge starting over at No Matter Which Challenges and this month our theme is 'Things with Wings' . 

This month our lucky winner will receive a fab prize from My Creative Classroom so pop on over to the challenge blog and find out more, while you're there check out my teamies fab projects too as they are soooo talented! I've done a couple of courses with My Creative Classroom and they have been fab, so don't miss out on a chance to win.

Anyway back to my project, I've used a cog clock from Indigo Blu, primed with gesso and then created a background with acrylic paints in pastels colours. I stamped the flowers and butterflies, masking as I went along to create a circle around the clock and then masked them all to stamp the numbers. I've stamped the numbers and the cog design in the centre with Flitter Glu and gilded them with Royal Peacock gilding flames (the hands of the clock also got the same treatment.

I coloured the flowers with Promarkers and then used Broken China distress ink and a water brush around the flowers to give them a bit of dimension. You can see the detail a bit better in this pic:

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

Crafts and Me: floral frenzy

Creative Corner: flowers

Natalie and Amy's : things with wings

The Cupboard Trilogy: Spring flowers

Totally Papercrafts: don't be square

Unruly Paperarts: 5 or more flowers

Saturday night is my night for putting my feet up in front of the TV, I think I must be getting old as  few years ago you'd never have caught me staying in on a Saturday night lol

Thanks for popping by, 

Claire xx

Flower challenge at indigo Blu

Good morning all, some slightly dodgy pics of today's project, its really shimmery and I do struggle to get a decent pic of anything with a bit of shimmer, hence the dodgy angles on some of the pics lol. I've made a hanging heart for my entry in to this months challenge at Indigo Blu where the theme is 'Flowers'

I began by painting the A5 mdf heart with black gesso and then stamped Blazing Poppies (just love this stamp, sooooo detailed and pretty) with versamark and embossed with Gold EP. I also stamped the image on Neenah card a couple of times too and coloured the flowers in with promarkers.

Next came the Kroma crackle, coloured with turquoise PanPastel and a little spray of turquoise dylusions too. I absolutely adore Kroma crackle, such a fab-u-lous effect! Once it was dry I added a little Viva Precious Metal Paint and then higlighted the crackle with some gold ink (I'd blobbed a load on my craft mat while I was edging the heart with my krylon pen so waste not want not lol)

I've layered the flowers up, with a dewdrop and some black glitter in the centre of the poppies and a tiny dot of enamel accents in the centre of the forget-me-nots. 

To finish off i've added some turquoise ribbon and then a happy accident - I was sorting out a ginormous pile of bits and bobs on my worktable and had stuff everywhere, once it was almost put away I spotted that a tassel and a little chinese coin charm had ended up on this heart - serendipity as they say!

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

Crafts and Me: Floral Frenzy

Get Inky: Floral fun

Make my Monday: anything but a card

Word Art Wednesday: anything goes

Well I'm away to work again now (how boring)

have a lovely day and thanks for popping by

Claire xx

Sentimental Inspiration at Fashionable Stamping Challenges

Good morning folks, how's your week going? My card this morning is an inspiration project for our 'Sentimental' challenge over at Fashionable Stamping Challenges, our lucky winner will receive a $20 voucher from our lovely sponsor Leo at 'Flonzcraft' so you've got to be in it to win it!!

I've created a fairly simple card using this beautiful stamp 'Girl on a Windy Hill' from Flonzcraft, she's been coloured with promarkers and matted up on some card, edges with a little picked raspberry DI. I made the background by running the lovely Fancier Lattice mask (from SplodgeAway) through my brand spanking new Grand Caliber, I inked the mask up first with some more picked raspberry using my brayer. I nearly didn't buy this ink as I wasn't sure if I'd use such a bright pink but its such a pretty colour with the brayer that I'm pleased I got it.

To finish off i've added a Chocolate Baroque Sentiment, a seam binding bow and a rolled paper flower made with spellbinders dies.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Crafty Boots: Stamped character

Die Cuttin Divas: anything goes

Happy Campers: mask or stencil

Paper Playtime: emboss wet or dry

Passion for Promarkers: dies/punches

Penny Black and more: blossoms and bows

Pretty Little Ribbon Shop: Spring is in the air

Stampin for the weekend: die cuts/punches

Well guess where I'm going today?? work, just for a change lol, still it keeps me in crafty stash so I shouldn't complain really.

Thanks for popping by, have a lovely day

Claire xx