Simon Says "Paper Piecing"

Good evening to you,

The current challenge at Simon Says is "Paper Piecing". I just love to paper piece and couldn't resist making a card for this challenge.

Hopefully I will be able to send this card to my brother and sister-in-law very soon. Their new baby boy is overdue and should be making an appearance any day now.

I've used a Forever Friends stamp called "New Arrival", an Elzybells sentiment and digi papers "A Patchwork of Papers - Blue" from Cuddly Buddly. (Since I took this picture I have popped a foam pad under the sentiment to stop it from sagging!).

For those of you in the UK, enjoy the bank holiday tomorrow.

Hugs, Clare x

Allsorts - Park Inspiration

Good morning,

The challenge at Allsorts this week is to to get some inspiration from a garden or park and let that show in your work.

Gardens mean flowers to me and if I go to a park I love to see all the wonderful beds full of beautiful plants.
 

 
I've used a stamp by Penny Black 4035K 'letters and flowers'. I love this stamp but sometimes feel a bit limited by it as it is a silhouette stamp, so I decided to stamp the image in a light colour so that I could watercolour over it using Derwent Graphitint pencils. I chose memento "London Fog" ink stamped onto watercolour card and I'm really pleased with the results.  I've kept the card simple again to highlight the image. The little butterflies are the small ones from a Martha stewart Butterfly trio punch.
 
I hope you are enoying the weekend.
 
Hugs, Clare xx

My Good News!

Good morning,

I don't know if you are aware, but there is a new Challenge Blog called "Oldie but a Goodie" and I am delighted to have been chosen as one of the DT to join a team of very talented ladies.

The first challenge starts on 7th September and you can find out all about it here.

Hugs, Clare x

p.s. Does anyone know how to add a hyperlink to a picture now that blogger has changed? I've always been able to do this in the past, but sadly no longer!

Allsorts Challenge

Hello,

The challenge at Allsorts this week is "Paper Piercing or Paper Piecing". This card combines both, the clothing is paper pieced and the edges of the paper have been pierced by the sewing machine!

The image and papers are from Cuddly Buddly - Skateboarding Boy and Peppy Papers. I resized the papers to make the pattern a more suitable scale for the boy's clothing.

Thanks for taking a look.

Clare xx

Another CAS "Ghosting" card

Good afternoon.

I had so much fun making yesterday's card using the "Ghosting" technique that I thought I would have another go today.

The image I have used is Penny Black "Letters and Flowers". I used Versamark Dazzle "Frost" again, as this gives a lovely sparkly sheen to the image. I brayered using Big and Juicy "Hydrangea" and lightly sponged around the edges using the same ink pad. The embossing on the base card was done using a Scor-Pal.

Thanks for visiting!

Hugs, Clare xx

Trying out a new (to me) technique

Hello there!

Here's a simple card I made to try out a technique called "Ghosting".

Basically, this entails stamping your image in Versamark and brayering straight over it. There is no need to wait for the Versamark to dry or to heat set it in any way. It's so simple and I love the effect it gives.

I used Versamark Dazzle "Frost" and a Big and Juicy "Soothing Sunset" inkpad with a Speedball brayer. The image is a stamp by Magenta called "Lovely Meadow" and the sentiment is from an SU! set called "Oval All".

See you soon.

Clare xx

Happy Birthday Crafty Cardmakers!

Good afternoon!

Crafty Cardmakers are celebrating their first birthday and have therefore chosen the theme of "Birthdays" for their current theme. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU CRAFTY CARDMAKERS!

My poor fairy's wings look very dull - they aren't in real life. I've heat embossed them with kaleidescope embossing powder and they look wonderful and sparkly but unfortunately I couldn't catch this in the photo.

I've used a Lili of theValley image coloured with Copic Ciaos and a sentiment from Waltzing Mouse Stamps.

I've been put off using my 6" x 6" Core'dinations Gemstones cardstock as I only have one sheet of each colour which isn't enough to make a card with a base layer and a mat - so here's what I did to make it go that little bit further:

I cut the nestie shape for my mat from the middle of the 6" x 6" cardstock before sticking the card onto my base card.

I then cut another nestie shape, the same size, from some plain card (I've got lots of this) and stuck it in the gap left in the middle of the card to make it all level.

Finally I stuck on the Designer Paper. There's no hole for it to fall into and you would never be able to tell would you?

I hope you have all enjoyed your weekend. There's still a bit left to enjoy. I shall have an evening in front of the television watching "Sherlock".

Hugs, Clare xx

Penny Black at Allsorts

The theme at the Penny Black at Allorts challenge this month is "Glitter and Glitz". There is also a DT call along with this month's challenge and I've put my name down - fingers' crossed!

I am still in Christmas Card mode and, for me, a Christmas card generally means lots of glitter!

I love this image, I can't help but feel happy looking at this little mouse doing his happy dance in the snow!

Here's what I used to make this card:-

Image and sentiment from Penny Black "T" for Transparent set "Holly Day Critters"
Base card blank from Craftwork Cards
Designer Papers from Papertrey Ink "Rustic Snowflakes"
Nestabilities large classic square, large classic circle, large scallop circle
Nestabilities tag trio
Lots of Glamour Dust applied with the help of a Quickie Glue Pen
Copic Ciao and Sketch for colouring (B0000, G85, G94, R27, R29, E50, E51, E53, E93, E47)
Brilliance "Moonlight White" ink to edge the largest piece of designer paper.
Gems from stash

Thank you for visiting my blog. I hope you are enjoying your weekend. It's wet, wet, wet here so we are all having a relaxing stay at home day.

Hugs, Clare xx

More Christmas cards

Good morning, here are my final Christmas sample cards for the new release at Cuddly Buddly.

Aren't these images gorgeous? I had lots of fun colouring them with my Copics.

Have a great day whatever you are doing.

Hugs, Clare xx

It's Christmas!

Well, it certainly feels like it with all these Christmas cards, and I have more to show you tomorrow!

The stamps I have used are all available from today at Cuddly Buddly as either rubber stamps or digi images and the papers are avialable in digi format.

Thank you for visiting!

Hugs, Clare xx

Quick and Simple Christmas Card

Hi folks,

I've just finished making sample cards for Kim MacFarlane at Cuddly Buddly using her soon to be released Christmas 2010 rubber stamps.

This has left me feeling particularly Christmassy so I have turned my thoughts to making a start on my own Christmas cards. I like them to be quick and easy, which this one certainly was.

See you soon!

Hugs, Clare xx

Sir Stampalot August Challenge - "Bring on the Bling"

Good morning,

Doesn't the time fly fast? It's August, time for Summer Holidays and another Sir Stampalot challenge.

The theme this month is "Bring on the Bling" and, once again there is a fabulous prize to be won, kindly donated by Janice and Andy of Sir Stampalot.

For my card I have used a Whiff of Joy wedding cake stamp which I stamped and heat embossed using silver embossing powder. I've added glitter to the icing on the cake and used mirri card to mat and layer it. The sentiment, from Waltzing Mouse, has also been heat embossed in silver and I've added a few gems for extra bling.

I am entering this card into the current challenge at Polka Doodles, where the theme is Generic Male and Female - I hope it's okay as it is a card for both!

Hugs, Clare xx