Best of British at CD Sunday

Hi there, phew I was a bit last minute with my GDT card for CD Sunday this week but here it is. The theme is 'Best of British' and I've used a lovely backing paper from Artylicious cd 'Peacock Summer Party' for my card. I've also dusted off one of my favourite Tilda stamps and coloured her with distress markers. I've die cut her with nestie labels 4 and added glitter to give her tiara a bit of bling.

I've added ribbon, lace and flowers from my stash. The bunting was made with one of my current favourite stamps, from The Artistic Stamper, I coloured the stamp with distress markers stamped and cut out the bunting. I know I'm easily pleased but I do love this technique :-)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Crafting for all seasons: Patriotic/military/fireworks

Die cutting Divas: Red, white and blue plus a patriotic symbool

Divas by Design: red white and blue

Raise the bar: Red white and blue

SJ Papercrafts: red white and blue

Tilda's Town: your favourite Tilda

thanks for popping by

Claire xx

Snowdrop Easel Card

Hi there, can you tell I love snowdrops lol. I fell in love with this beautiful stamp which you can find on one of the stunning new stamp sheets available this month at Chocolate Baroque. This stamp is from the stamp sheet, Elegant Spring Flowers

This was a simple card to make, I stamped the image with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and coloured with promarkers adding very pale dots in the background.  The image was die cut with nesties Labels 4 and I used Bundled Sage distress ink around the edges. I accented the flowers with some glossy accents but you can't see that too well in the photo. To create the shaped easel I folded some pale green card and placed the largest die on the card so that the top overlapped the fold and cut the shape out. I cut another identical shape to mat the image and make the easel topper

. The base of the easel card features the sentiment from Elegant Spring Flowers, stamped again with Memento Tuxedo Black, die cut and distressed with Bundled Sage.  I added generous blobs of Rock Candy Crackle paint to give the sentiment a frosty crackle and popped on some clear dew drops to support the easel. 

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Art Impressions stamps: Monochromatic

Chocolate Coffee and Cards: Fancy folds

Crop Stop: shaped cards

Fairy Fun Fridays: spring

Fussy and Fancy : anything but a square or rectangle

Little Claire's: Spring

Penny Black and More: springtime

Thanks for popping by today. Keep a beady eye over on the Chocolate Baroque DT blog as my talented teamies have loads of gorgeous inspiration for you over the next few days

Claire xx

Use a stamped image at PanPastel UK

Good morning, we've got a new challenge today at PanPastel UK and our theme is 'Use a stamped image'. I've treated myself to a few new colours and couldn't resist using Violet and Magenta panpastels for this card. You don't have to used PanPastels to join in our challenge, although of course we love it when you do.

I've used shaped card blanks to create this easel card. I simply blended Magenta and Violet Pan Pastels, adding a little white to create the background and stamped the swirly flourishes from Chocolate Baroque's butterfly bliss stamp sheet in black archival ink. The ginormous butterfly is from the samp stamp sheet, I stamped it with versamark and embossed with clear sparkle EP and then coloured with Pan Pastels, adding some paynes grey for some shading. I added some white highlights with a gel pen and cut the butterfly out. I popped the wings up with some silicone glue. The sentiment is also from the same stamp sheet, stamped with versamagic ink in Eggplant and cut with nesties labels 4, I used the PanPastel left on my sofft applicator to add a little colour around the edges and then added a little purple bow.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Allsorts: Spread your wings

Crafting for all seasons: Shaped cards

Crafty Sentiments: shaped but not square

Do you stack up: things with wings

Emerald Faerie Garden: embossing

Kaboodle Doodles: Shades of purple

My Mum's Craft Shop: Shaped cards

Sparkles Forum: things with wings

Sweet Stampin: Nature, bugs and bees

Don't forget our lucky winner will receive this fabulous prize from Berni at Your Creativity Store,  our generous sponsor

Have a lovely Sunday

Claire xx

For a child at Fashionable Stamping Challenges

Hi there, our challenge this time at Fashionable Stamping Challenges is to make a project for a child. Make sure you pop over to the challenge blog as my teamies have created some stunning projects to inspire you and of course you'll want to check out the fab prize from Marina our lovely sponsor from Cottage Crafts. Don't forget we're a stamping challenge so no digs stamps allowed

I've made a little baby card for my DT project. I usually make large cards but i'm really enjoying making little easel cards with my nesties.  The main image is a stamp from Joanna Sheen that I've had for years, I stamped it on watercolour card and painted with distress inks before cutting out with a nestie, leaving the baby girls nightgown trailing out of the die cut shape. I added a little glamour dust for some sparkle on her nightie

I die cut 2 shapes from some whitewash coredinations card with a larger nestie and sanded around the die. I used the larger die to create the easel card base too, using cream card edged with pumice stone distress ink. To finish the card off I added some faux pearls, a little babies feet charm, seambinding ribbon, a pink rose and a little fabric teddy from my stash. The sentiment is a little sticker i've had for years but I thought it would be perfect.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Bunny Zoe's crafts: Celebrations

Clearly Inspired: Shaped card

Crafting for all seasons: shaped card

Delicious Doodles: pink

Do you stack up? : distress

Moving along with the times: lots of layers

Our Creative Corner: Over the edge

Thanks for visiting today

Claire xx

Pastelles for Christmas at C.R.A.F.T

Hi there, how are you doing? Nearly ready for the big day?  Today's card is my GDT project for C.R.A.F.T challenge where the theme is 'pastelles for Christmas'

This week we have 2 generous sponsors so don't miss out as that means there are 2 prizes up for grabs! One lucky winner will receive 4 images and a paperpack (or 5 images) from Robyn's Fetish

Our other lucky winner will receive either 3 digi stamps or 2 cling stamps from 2 cute rubber stamps!

I've made a shaped easel, cut out with nesties and inked with tumbled glass distress ink. The image is from our sponsor Robyn's Fetish, I've coloured with with promarkers and added Ranger Black enamel accents for his eyes. Once that was dry (don't you just hate waiting for things to dry?? I do lol) I added lots of judikins prisma glitter to the melting snowman and then decoupages his hat, scarf, gloves and pipe. I've added a marianne die cut snowflakes, some ribbon from my stash and plenty of stickles.

The sentiment is computer generated, inked with pale blue ink,  and attached to a Creative Acrylic tag with glue and stickles to make it look like ice. I'm really pleased with the effect :-)

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Bunny Zoe's: Fancy folds/shaped cards

Craft your days away: Snowmen

Digital Tuesday: Winter Wonderland

Drunken Stampers: Glittery Holiday

Fussy and Fancy: Monochromatic and sparkle

Hooked on Crafts: christmas

Stamp'n'doodle: Its Christmas

Top Tip Tuesday: Anything Christmas

I don't know where this week is going, I'm still nowhere near organised for Christmas eeeek!  Hubby has been in hospital this week, he's ok and home now but with that and work I don't seem to have had a minute so I'll be battling the crowds in my lunch hour to do a bit more Christmas shopping lol

Thanks for calling by

Claire xx

Another one for the Christmas box :-)

Hi there, I'm definitely in Christmas card mode at the minute lol, no wonder with the weather we've been having here in the UK. we've had torrential rain  today so it doesn't look as if summer is coming back yet. It may not be sunbathing weather but its perfect crafting weather and as I was the lucky winner of the first Prairie Fairy weekly gift certificate winner I have some gorgeous new images to colour :-). Pop over to the Prairie Fairy blog, here to join in the weekly candy

I'm pretty new to Praire Fairy images but I was blown away by the choice of designs, todays card features Gilly's Carolling, she's such a cute character i couldn't resist her. I've coloured Gillian with promarkers and cut out with nesties and then used tapestry stamps for the border. I drew round the nestie to create the shaped easel card and added a tapestry stamped mat on the bottom of the card. I used the sentiment that comes with Gilly to prop the easel up and added some flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts and a scrap of red organza ribbon.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Bah Humbug: Shapes

Christmas Inspirations: Free Christmas Project

Crazy Challenge: Christmas in July

Digistamps for Joy: Christmas in July

Just some lines: Easel Cards

Paper Sundaes: Christmas in July

Simon Says Stamp: Anything goes

Simply Create: Christmas time

Stamps & Fun = Creativity: Digistamps

Top Tip Tuesday: Shaped cards

Thanks for visiting today. I'd better stop singing along with Gillian 

then the sun might come back lol. 

Claire xx

Celebrating St Patrick's Day with Rainbow Lady

Hello, lovely to see you visiting today. I've got a couple of days annual leave which means a long weekend off work so I'm really looking forward to some 'me time' in my craft room although I should really tackle some spring cleaning. This weeks theme over at Rainbow Lady's Challenge is 'St Patrick's Day', we are also celebrating the birthday of none other than Cynthia, our Rainbow Lady herself!! This week we are lucky enough to be sponsored by

CRAFTY NOTIONS ... our lucky winner will recieve a fab mixture of goodies! I'm really jealous and the Crafty Notions shop is a real Aladdins Cave of crafty loveliness :-)

Anyway my card this week features a gorgeous shamrock image which is a freebie from Waltzing Mouse (as is the sentiment, you can find them here). The image is coloured with promarkers and cut out with one of my favourite nesties and distressed with antique linen distress ink. The image and sentiment are both matted on green mirri card edged with a gold krylon pen.

I made the background with starburst stains, I love using these inks they are so shimmery! I had to use 'Lucky Shamrock Green' and Golden dubloons for the background on a St Patrick's Day card lol. After a layer of lucky shamrock green I added random splodges of golden dubloons and sprinkled it with lots of sea salt. When you dust the salt off the dry background it give a really lovely mottled effect. Its hard to see on a photo but hopefully this shows it a little better

The swirly corner stamps are from Elusive Images and the green and gold  stripy ribbon is from Crafty Ribbons and the gold gems are from my stash.

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

Allsorts: Luck of the Irish

Alota Rubber Stamps: St Patrick's Day green

Alphabet challenge: Stripes

Crafty Cardmakers spotlight: Make your own designer paper

Crafty Ho's Challenge: gold, green and white

Creative Card Crew: Green

Delicious Doodles: green for St Patrick's Day

ECP challenges: Green

If the shoe fits: St Patrick's day

Inspiration Avenue: St Patrick's Day

Mamie Doodles: Monochomatic green with a bit of the Irish

Sentimental Sunday: Let's go green

Sisterhood of Crafters: St Patrick's Day

Stamp something: something cream and green

Tellen's Place: St Patrick's Day celebration

Thanks for visiting, I'm really looking forward to seeing your

St Patrick's Day inspired cards this week.

Claire xx

Dragon Luck

I love all the cute dragon stamps by Lisa Victoria at Sweet Pea stamps but this is one of my favourites, Dragon Luck is just adorable and I thought he'd be perfect for a Valentine card with a difference. I was ready for a change after all the pink and red so I've got for bright and zingy lime green for this card

I've coloured the dragon with promarkers and cut him out with one of my lovely nesties that came with my gorgeous parcel of blog candy from the lovely Audrey. Make sure you check out Audrey's blog as she not only has the most awesome blog candy but lots of eye candy too - her cards are gorgeous!!

I've inked around the image with some peeled paint distress ink and I decided to try this weeks sketch from Clean and Simple Stamping. I love clean and simple cards but really struggle with them so this sketch was a real help. I used some scrunchy lime green ribbon down the side of the card and added a little embellie which i made. I concertina folded some lime paper that I'd punched with a MS punch to make the rosette and then made a shink plastic heart button using white shrink plastic stamped with an Elusive Images heart stamp using peeled paint DI. I threaded a little white narrow ribbon through the holes in the shrink plastic button and tied it in a little bow.

I'm also entering this little dragon in the following challenges:

In a Sweet Pea Dream: Anything this time

 The Stamp Man Challenge which is Hearts

 Daring Cardmakers which is a recipe challenge : 2 items of ribbon/trim/ twine (i've used 2 ribbons), one or more buttons and at least one heart element. I hope its ok to combine the heart and button ladies.There is a fab prize from the Ribbon Reel this week at Daring Cardmakers too!!

Samuel Taylor Crafts: copic Chic/Promarker gal (I'm a promarker gal!!)

Thanks for visiting, have a good day. I'm not keen on Monday mornings and going back to work but its a short week for me this week as I'm using up some annual leave and I've got a long weekend off work yippppeeeeeeee!!

Claire xx

My first GDT card for Digi's with Attitude!

I'm thrilled to be joining Digi's with Attitude! as a guest designer for January and this week the theme is 'New Year Resolutions'! I've used this gorgeous image 'Martini Gretchen',  don't you just love the look on her face?? You can find 'Martini Gretchen' and loads of other fab digistamps here at the Digi's with Attitude store!

Martini Gretchen is coloured with promarkers and I've used a corner stamp from Clarity stamps on the image and on the bp (from k&Co). I've used black card from my stash for matting and layering and for the swirly flourished (cut using a Marianne die). I've used the last of my yellow floradoodles and created a sentiment on the pc using a quote from Mae West :

"I generally avoid temptation, unless I can't resist it'

I thought that it would be a perfect quote for this weeks fun theme and would just suit the lovely Martini Gretchen!! The sentiment is die cut using nesties label 10 and attached with  yellow brads (new) and black velvet ribbon. I've added a little black lace bow and some faux black pearls made using ranger black enamel accents (I've only just got this and its wonderful stuff!!)

I'm entering this cardx in the following challenges:

Creative Craft World: New Year resolutions

Karber Weekly Challenge: Flowers

Paper Playtime: Faces

Kaboodle Doodles: Anything goes

Die Cut Dreams: Quotes

The Crazy Challenge: All things New

Sparkles Forum Challenge: New things

Creative inspirations: Something new

Do it with digi's: New Beginnings

Ai Factory: New beginnings

Cute card thursday: Out with the old (my bp and floradoodle flower)

Sassy Studio Designs: Something new

I can't wait to see everyone's New Year Resolution creations, I don't usually make a new year resoloution as I've got no willpower whatsoever so the quote on this card is just right for me lol. You don't have to use a Digi's with Attitude! image but if you have one we'd love to see your creation! Don't forget to look on the challenge blog and pick up this months fabulous freebie image :-)

Thanks for visiting today

Claire xx