Cards for Men - Water

I recently bought a stamp kit from Little Claire Designs. The kit came with a stamp set, papers and ribbons, with a nautical theme.

The current challenge at Cards for Men gave me the perfect reason to use them because the theme is "Water".

Thank you for visiting.

Hugs, Clare xx

Allsorts "Inspired by Nature" Challenge

Good afternoon,

Here's my card for this week's Allsorts challenge where the theme is "Inspired by Nature".

I've used a gorgeous stamp by Magenta called "Lovely Meadow" (41017K). This stamp always inpsires me and certainly makes me think of nature.

I coloured the image and then used "Stamp and Bond" to cover it with Glamour Dust. At first this went on so thickly I could hardly see the image through it but after lots and lots of brushing I had an image I was happy with - so hard to photograph though!

Have a great weekend. I've recently started work as a part-time postwoman so I have an early start in the morning.

Hugs, Clare x

Allsorts Challenge

Good afternoon!

Here's a card I have made for this week's Allsorts Challenge where the theme is "It's All About the Sentiment".

I had fun with some Hero Arts background stamps, "Magical" and "Dots & Flowers", and some Distress Inks, "Spun Sugar", "Worn Lipstick and "Weathered Wood". The background has been oversprayed with "Pearl" glimmer mist but, sadly, this doesn't show up in the photograph.

The main sentiment is from a Stampin' Up set called "Vintage Vogue".

Thank you for visiting today.

Hugs, Clare xx

By The Cute and Girly "Red is all around us"

Good afternoon,

I am entering my Valentine's card for hubby into this month's challenge at By the Cute and Girly where they want you to 'Use red + any other colour` on your project. I've used red and black.

Thanks for dropping by and taking a look.
 
Hugs, Clare x

p.s. The wreath stamp is Penny Black "Adornment" (3996J) and the background stamp is Hero Arts "Large Canvas Stripes" (S5433)

Allsorts Challenge - Saving Nature

Good afternoon,

The challenge at Allsorts this week is "Saving Nature" with the idea being to use something on your project that isn't intended for crafting and that you've saved to "use later".

I have a pot where I keep the tags from new clothing. Quite often they come with ribbon, cord, tiny safety pins and chipboard tags, so it seems a real shame to throw them away.

I have made a birthday card for my son who is four this month.

I used a round, chipboard clothing tag, which I covered in card to mount the "4" onto and used a cord from another clothing tag to put through it.

The image is a Molly Blooms "Fishing George". I've coloured him with Copics and highlighted some areas with a clear glaze pen. I've also heat embossed the glass jar with clear embossing powder. I made the little fish on the hook with modelling clay.

Thank you for visiting my blog today and may I wish you a happy weekend.

Clare x

Cupcake Craft Challenges "Old MacDonald had a Farm"

Good afternoon,

The cupcake craft challenge this week asks to see creations incorporating something you would find on a farm.

I have opted for a chick as something you would find on a farm.

I've used a Toby Tumble image called "Easter Surprise" which I have coloured using Copic Ciao pens. You can find Toby Tumble at Cuddly Buddly in either rubber, digi or 3d format.

Thank you for visiting my blog.

Clare x

Sir Stampalot February Challenge - DT card

Good morning.

It's time for another Sir Stampalot challenge and this month we have the theme:-

"All Creatures Great and Small"

I've used two Penny Black stamps for my card, "Before the Snow" (3993K) and "Mystical" (4001K).  I stamped the tree and the deer onto the card and ran it through a Cuttlebug folder "Swiss Dots". I then stamped another image of the deer which I coloured with Copics and cut out, bar the tricky antlers, before sticking it to the card.

The sentiment is from Papertrey Ink "Mega Mixed Messages".  Other tools I have used are a Martha Stewart corner punch, an Stampin Up! oval punch and a Scor-pal. 

As always, we have a fantastic prize for the winner donated from our wonderful sponsors, Sir Stampalot.

I do hope you join us this month.

Clare x

Just having a play

Good evening,

Quite often my crafting time is spent making cards for specific reasons so today I took some time to "play".

My first card used two Hero Arts stamps:- F5042 Leaf Flourish for the background and K5378 Hydrangea. I stamped both in Tim Holtz "Walnut Stain" distress ink and I heat embossed the Hydrangea with clear embossing powder.

My second card is an attempt at a one layer card. I used a linen card base and sponged TH Distress inks through an oval nestability cutout. I then sprayed over the inks with "Pearl" glimmer mist. The ink colours are Chipped Sapphire, Crushed Olive and Tumbled Glass. It's a bit dark, but I quite like this. The butterfly is a stampendous cling stamp. I filled in the flowers with a white gel pen. 



Hugs, Clare x

Simon Says Challenge - Animal Antics

Good afternoon.

Here's my entry for this week's Simon Says challenge where the theme is "Animal Antics".

The image is another cute Toby Tumble called "Walking in Clover".

I would like to apologise for not visiting my blogging buddies very much recently. I won't go into details but I am very worried about something at the moment and until we have some answers I can't really concentrate enough for blog hopping. Please don't think I have forgotten you because I haven't. Hopefully things will all be back to normal soon.

Enjoy your day.

Hugs, Clare xx

Toby Tumble "Say it with Flowers"

Good morning!

My card today uses one of the new Toby Tumble images which are available from Cuddly Buddly today (in rubber, digi and 3D format), along with a new set of Floral Bouquet digi papers.

I love working with this little bunny, he's so cute! So cute in fact, that I am entering this card into the current challenge at Stamp Something where the theme is "Cute Somethings".

I am also entering the current challenge at Simon Says Stamp where the theme is "Bingo" where you get to choose a card recipe, my choice is Gems, Glitter/Glimmer and Ribbon - I've used pearls, Glamour Dust and satin ribbon.

Enjoy your day!

Clare x

Allsorts Challenge Week 87 - Male/boy

Good afternoon.

I hope you are all having a lovely weekend.

I've made a card to enter into the Allsorts Challenge where the theme is Male/boy. It's for my nephew who will be 5 in April (I hope I don't forget I have made this card when April gets here!).

I've used a Mollie Blooms stamp which was free with the current issue of "Simply Cards and Papercrafts" magazine. The sentiment is from Cuddly Buddly and the name is spelled with letters cut with a Go Create alphabet set called "Rome". The papers are Kaiser Craft "Peachy Clean".

I was really good and let the glossy accents on the balloon dry overnight before finishing off the card!

Hugs, Clare xx

Penny Black "Baby Hammock"

Good afternoon,

I've seen a lot of people colouring onto Kraft card with pencils in blogland recently, so I thought I would have a go myself (sorry to be such a copycat!).

I've used a Papermania card base (I have to say I don't really like these, but they are made from recycled paper, so I feel good using them!). I stamped the cute Penny Black "Baby Hammock" in Memento Tuxedo Black ink and coloured the image with Prismacolor pencils, blended with Sansodor. The frame is made using nestie lace and classic circles. The sentiment is from Papertray Ink "Mega Mixed Messages". I put splodges of liquid pearls around the edge of the nestie frame. A good tip for using Liquid Pearls is to tap your project on your desk after you have applied the dots of pearls, this takes the "tip" off the pearl and makes them a nicer shape.

After I took this photo I did my usual of smearing the liquid pearls with my fingers - I really must learn some patience when it comes to crafting.

I would like to enter this card into two challenges:-

Penny Black at Allsorts where the theme for January is to use your interpretation of the Beatles song "All You Need is Love". Immediately I thought of a baby because babies need lots of love.
and,
Crafty Cardmakers Spotlight Challenge where they are asking you to use pencils as your colouring medium.

Enjoy your day and thank you for visiting my blog.

Hugs, Clare xx

p.s. Jacilynn and Linda, this is the die I used on my previous card:-
Marianne Design Creatables Die - Frame & Swirls - LR0116

Penny Black Saturday Challenge - Card Buffet

Good morning!

I have had a Saturday morning to myself so I thought I would make a card for the Penny Black Saturday challenge. I've been really good and made another Christmas card.

The image and sentiment are from the Penny Black T for Transparent set called "Christmas Critters".  I think I might have to go back and give these poor hedgies a few more spikes, they are looking a bit bald! I always find that the photograph of a card will show up all the mistakes I miss looking at the card in real life.

Penny Black Saturday are asking you to choose four items from their "Card Buffet" and I have chosen:-

Ribbon (rikrak along the bottom)
Twine (through tag - this is cord, but I hope it will count!)
Three gems "two on the tag and one below the tag)
Patterned paper (background)

Thanks to the PBSC team for a lovely challenge.

Hugs, Clare xx

p.s. Enjoy your weekend.

Lili of the Valley birthday

Good morning!

My very kind blogging buddy Vicky kindly sent me some lovely images and I have used one to make a birthday card for a little girl who is soon to be four years old. Thank you Vicky!

The little girl in question likes pink, so I hope she likes this card. I have added glossy accents to the icing and the candle on the cake. I love this lace that I got at a local show a couple of months ago. I normally hoard things like this but I have decided this year to use my stash instead of looking at it and stroking it!!

I think I might add a glossy or sparkly number 4 at some point.

Have a lovely day.

Hugs, Clare xx

Sir Stampalot Blog Hop - Winner of my Blog Hop Candy

Good morning to you!

Thank you to everyone who took part in the Sir Stampalot Blog Hop and helped to make it such a fun event. I hope you enjoyed your hopping!

The winner of the candy on my blog is ..........................

Suzi

Suzi, please email brenda@ibas.co.uk with your full postal details so that she can send your prize to you. I hope you enjoy it!

A full list of winners can be found over on the Sir Stampalot Challenge Blog.

- - - ~ - - -



Don't forget you still have plenty of time to enter our January challenge with the theme of a Winter's Tale.

These are the goodies available for the winner of this month's Challenge



Thank you to our wonderful sponsors, Sir Stampalot, for this fabulous prize.

Enjoy your day!

Clare xx

Papertake Weekly - Cold & Frosty Morning

Good day!

It's not cold and frosty here today, it's wet and dull, but the theme at Papertake Weekly is "Cold and Frosty Morning".

It certainly looks cold and frosty with Penny Black's "Snowy". I've wanted this fella for ages and now he's mine, hooray!

As you may know from my last post, I'm getting ahead nice and early with my Christmas Card. This is my first one using "Snowy" and I thought I might use this design, in different colour ways, for my son's school Christmas cards (my little baby will be at school next Christmas!).

I coloured Snowy with Promarkers and heat embossed his hat and some snow with snowy glitter embossing powder. I used a Cuttlebug embossing folder on the base card.

This little snowman never fails to bring a smile to my face, I hope he's made you smile too.

Hugs, Clare xx

Sir Stampalot January Challenge and Blog Hop

Happy New Year!

It's time for the January Sir Stampalot Challenge and to celebrate the New Year we are also hosting a blog hop.

Firstly, the challenge!

The theme for this month's challenge is:-

"A WINTER'S TALE"

I have used my lovely "Large Canvas Stripes" background stamp by Hero Arts and the gorgeous "Fantasy" tree from Penny Black. I stamped in Versamark "Majestic Blue" and heat embossing using Kaleidescope embossing powder, I love this stuff as it sparkles in so many colours. The sentiment is from the "Best Yet" set by Stampin' Up. I used a white gel pen for the snowflakes.

As usual, our challenge will run for the month of January and there will be a fabulous suprise prize from Sir Stampalot for the winner.

Now onto the blog hop!

This going to be such fun and with lots prizes to be won. It starts today and will finish at midnight BST on 10th January.

For those of you who have never joined in a Hop before this is what you need to do:

1) Start at the Sir Stampalot challenge blog.
2) Visit all DT blogs.
3) Leave a comment on each blog.
4) Collect a letter clue from each blog.
5) Use those letters along with the ones already given in the grid below to make two words and mail your answer to Brenda at brenda@ibas.co.uk

    _ _ R _ _ A _ _ A _ _ _

Your starting point is the Sir Stampalot Challenge blog and each blog you visit will tell you where you should have arrived from and where you need to go next.

You should have arrived with me from Lorraine's blog and the letter you need to collect from me is

P

the next stop on the hop is Francesca's blog.

Here's the prize for one lucky person who leaves a comment on my post.


Enjoy the hop!

Clare xx

Cupcake 124 - Something New

Good evening to you.

I have been busy making Christmas cards today. I didn't make enough cards for Christmas 2010 and I have promised myself that I will not be in the same position for Christmas 2011. I ordered some scrummy Christmas stamps in the Sir Stampalot sale and couldn't wait to start inking them up.

I am entering this card into the Cupcake Craft Challenge where the theme is "Something New" and the something new is the tree stamp.

The main image for this card is Hero Arts Decorated Tree (K5440). I stamped onto pearlized card and coloured with Copics, I then added Glossy Accents to the baubles.

I had to trim my card base down for this card so I decided to make a Christmas tag out of the cut off piece.

€

This also uses a new stamp, Hero Arts Cling - Music Background (CG222) which I stamped in versamark ink and heat embossed with clear embossing powder. The cute Penny Black image is from the T-for Transparent set "Holly Day Critters".

I had better get back to making the dinner! See you soon.

Hugs, Clare x

Birthday Dogwood

Good evening,

Here's a card I made today for a commission. I don't get many of these and usually panic when I get asked for something!!

I apologise for the awful photograph but I won't get the chance to take a picture of this one in daylight as DH is taking it to work with him in the morning.

I've used a Hero Arts stamp called Dogwood and heat embossed with with clear embossing powder and added some Crystal stickles to the flower centres. I LOVE this stamp, it is so versatile and beautiful too. I also stamped the same image onto the envelope. It's great that it's a large stamp, just what I needed for an A5 card.

Enjoy your evening!

Hugs, Clare xx

New stamp storage

Good morning,

I braved the crowds at Ikea on Sunday and remembered to pick up some Ribba shelving whilst I was there. DH put the first two up for me yesterday.

These are narrow frames with a lip at the front, designed to stand framed pictures on, but I think they are just perfect for wooden stamps. Now I can see at a glance what I have and hopefully this will give me inspiration.

There's still one shelf left to put up which is twice as long as these two, but I need to clear some space before it goes up.

Enjoy your day!

Hugs, Clare xx