I am over the moon to have received this blinkie

from the ABC Christmas Challenge team for this card

Thank you to the Design Team for choosing my card as one of your 'O' for Old Top 3.

Sir Stampalot Challenge - August DT

Good morning.

Welcome to another Sir Stampalot challenge.

This month it's time to let your creative juices run riot with our theme of:-

"Whatever you Fancy"

I've used a Penny Black Slapstick stamp called "Fly Away" (40-020), coloured with Copic Ciaos, the sentiment is included in the same set - I love this font! 

Isn't the dog sweet leaning against the boy, this is just what my dog does to me, although when she does I struggle to stay standing up - she's a rather large German Shepperd!

Other ingredients:-

Papers - My Mind's Eye "Asparagus"

Punch - Martha Stewart border 

Dies - Sizzix Photo Corners 2

Spellbinders - Large Rectangles and Large Scallop Rectangles

Buttons - Papertrey Ink

Plain and Pearlescent from stash

I hope you are inspired to join us this month.

Hugs and best wishes, Clare xx

Penny Black at Allsorts - August DT

Good morning!

It's 1st of August which means it's time for another challenge at Penny Black at Allsorts.

Our theme this month is:-

Free and Easy (Anything goes)

I've chosen from my favourite range of Penny Black stamps, the florals. This image is called "Tigress" (3817K). I've coloured it with Copic Ciaos and added some Black Diamond stickles glitter glue. To take the white glare away from the card I sponged around the edges with Spun Sugar distress ink.

The Penny Black sentiment is called "Special Time" (4174H) and I've stamped it onto vellum with Versafine Onyx Black ink and heat embossed it with clear embossing powder.

I hope you are able to join us this month!

Hugs and best wishes, Clare xx

Ready-Teddy-Go! August DT card

Good morning!

Today is the very first challenge at Ready-Teddy-Go. It's a challenge for all teddy bear lovers. You can use either a rubber stamp or a digi image, we don't mind.

The first challenge is:-

"Button and Bows"

My teddy bear is part of a Penny Black stamp called "Team Teddy" (3981K). He's coloured with Copic Ciaos. 

This is the fabulous prize which will be chosen at random during the first week of September.

I look forward to meeting all the different teddies who are entered into the challenge.

I would like to enter this card into the challenge at Truly Scrumptious where their theme is "Buttons and Bows".

Hugs, Clare xx

ABC Christmas Challenge - "O" is for Older Stamp

Good afternoon,

ABC Christmas Challenge are asking you to use stamps/digis that are over one year old on your project for their current challenge.

I don't know quite how old this tree stamp is, but it's definitely well over a year old!

I had a piece of hammered white card left over from making a box, and, as I'm trying to have less waste from cardmaking, I decided to play about with some distress inks. I used a torn piece of copy paper to cover part of the card and then sponged and dusted three colours of distress ink onto the card (after first masking a circle for the moon). The colours I used were Chipped Sapphire, Faded Jeans and Tumbled Glass.

Next I stamped on the tree image which is by Rubber Stampede and called "Winter Woods" A2430F, and the sentiment which is "Christmas Flourish" by Penny Black (3900H). Finally, I matted onto some Stampin' Up! grey card and adhered it to an A6 card.

Thank you for visiting my blog today.

Hugs and best wishes, Clare xx

Penny Black Saturday "Bunting"

Good morning,

The challenge at Penny Black Saturday this week is "Bunting". Goodness me, what problems I had making bunting, I kept cutting out the wrong shaped triangle, but I got there in the end!

I used an image and sentiment from the Penny Black clear set "Tiny Wishes" 30-026. I've used Copic Ciaos to colour.

Thank you for visiting my blog.

Hugs and best wishes.

Clare x

Christmas Card for the Simon Says Challenge

Good afternoon,

I've just heard that the Simon Says Challenge are hoping to get 1000 entries to their challenge this week. If they do they are offering a second $50 prize to spend in their shop.

The challenge theme is "Anything Goes" and I am entering this simple Christmas card.

I'm making batches of Christmas cards using images from the Penny Black "Mimi's Christmas" set (30-061) to use for my son to send to his schoolfriends (the girls, I'll make differents ones for the boys).

I've coloured Mimi with pencils and added Perfect Pearls in Pearl, Glamour Dust and Glossy Accents to give the sparkle and shine that children love.

Good luck Simon Says Challenge, I hope you reach 1000!

Hugs and best wishes.

Clare xx

Penny Black at Allsorts - "Flower Power"

Just a quick reminder about our monthly challenge at Penny Black at Allsorts, where our theme is "Flower Power". You still have over two week's to enter and because this month is our first birthday we have a total of SEVEN prizes on offer, including our special birthday quiz prizes.

I've used Penny Black Day Dreams (3947K) for my card. I've coloured it with Aquamarkers and added some stickles glue for a bit of sparkle!

The background has also been made using Aquamarkers.

 I scribbled with them onto a waterproof sheet and sprayed them with Pearl Glimmer Mist. Then I put my glossy cardstock onto the ink and gently swooshed it to pick up all the ink. I also used a bit of scrunched up paper towel to pick up ink and fill in any gaps. 

I rather like the effect of this background technique with the Aquamarkers.

Have a lovely day whatever you are doing!

Hugs and best wishes.

Clare xx

Cupcake Craft Challenges - Your Favourite Cupcake Challenge

Good afternoon,

Cupcake Craft Challenges are celebrating their 150th challenge. The theme for this challenge is "Your Favourite Cupcake Challenge" where you get to choose from all the challenges they have ever had. What a great theme!

I've chosen Challenge 48 "Distressing" for my card, although it would probably fit other challenges too, including Challenge 1 "Flowers" and Challenge 148 "In the Garden".

For the panel of my card I started off with some pale green cardstock and stamped polka dots onto it using Versamark Frost. I then sponged over  with "Crushed Olive" and "Chipped Sapphire" distress inks and stamped Hero Arts "Wildflower Garden" (CG170)  in "Chipped Sapphire". The sentiment is from Crafty Individual and is also stamped with "Chipped Sapphire" distress ink.

Thank you for visiting my blog.

Clare xx

Vintage Birthday Card

Good afternoon to you!

I don’t normally do vintage. The idea usually sends me running, but when I was asked to make a card using a specific photograph, I felt I needed to try!

I think the photograph used on this card was taken in the late 70’s or early 80’s and because of this I would like to enter the card into the current ABC Challenge where the theme is “Y for Yesterday”.

Thank you for visiting my blog!

Hugs and best wishes, Clare xx

Joie de Vivre!

Good afternoon!

Here's a card I have made for my niece who will be celebrating her third birthday this month.

I've used a Penny Black stamped called Joie de Vivre! (4052K). I can't help but smile when I look at this teddy and for that reason I am entering this card into the current Penny Black Saturday Challenge where the theme is "Desert Island Stamps". I think if I could only take one stamp to a Desert Island then this would probably be the one because whenever I felt down just looking at him would cheer me up!

I hope you are enjoying your weekend. My boys (the big one and the little one) are at a birthday party at the local soft play so we girls (me and the dog) are at home enjoying some piece and quiet.

Thank you for visiting my blog.

Hugs and best wishes. Clare xx

Mimi's Christmas

Good evening,

This card is my entry for the July challenge at By the Cute and Girly, where the theme is "THINGS WITH WINGS".

I've used an image from a Penny Black clear stamp set called Mimi's Christmas 30-061 and coloured her with Prismacolor Pencils. The sentiment is from Stampin' Up!

Thank you for visiting and have a lovely weekend!

Hugs, Clare xx

Penny Black at Allsorts July Challenge - "Flower Power"

Woo hoo! Today is a very exciting day for me. It's my first challenge at Penny Black at Allsorts as one of the Design Team. I am truly honoured to have been chosen to be part of the team.

The theme for this month's challenge is:-

"Flower Power"

I think my first love from Penny Black has to be the floral stamps, but who can resist the cute animals too? So for my first card I have combined both. 

The background has been created by stamping Penny Black "Sundial" 4159K onto white card with "Dandelion" Memento Ink. The main image is Penny Black "Flower Bear" 3695J which I have coloured with copic ciaos and coloured pencils. His bow tie has been coated with Glossy Accents and I've added stickles glitter glue to the centre of the flowers.

This card was so much fun to make. I hope you are able to join in with our challenge this month.

Hugs and best wishes, Clare xx

Sir Stampalot July Challenge "Anything Goes"

Good morning.

It's the first of July and time for another Sir Stampalot challenge. This month our theme is:-

"Anything Goes"

My card uses a Molly Blooms stamp (MB-0321). All of the DT have used new Molly Blooms stamps and if you enter the challenge you could win a brilliant Molly Blooms prize, donated by our generous sponsors, Sir Stampalot.

I hope you are inspired to take part in our challenge and look forward to visiting all of the entries.

Goodies used on my card:-

Stamps: Molly Blooms "Seaside Molly" (MB-01321), Magnolia Sentiment, Shell from Hero Arts clear set "Antique Engravings" (CL888),
Papers: Stampin' Up "Tea Party" (retired set)
Colouring medium: Copic Ciaos for image and Distress Inks for background
Ink: Memento and Brilliance
Other: Martha Stewart Doily Lace Punch, Seed Beeds

Hugs and best wishes, Clare xx

Day dreams

Good afternoon,

I've been really struggling to take good quality photographs recently. I set my camera back to default settings and started over again, no good. I then decided that maybe the camera lens needed cleaning - oops! I think I should have left well alone, especially as I haven't the first idea how to clean a camera lens and perhaps wiping it with a t-shirt isn't the recommended method!!

For today's card I sprayed some glossy cardstock with pearl glimmer mist and then swiped Big n Juicy "Soothing Sunset" ink over the card using a wide sponge dauber. Next I stamped on Hero Arts La Lettre (K5344) and on top of this I stamped Penny Black Day Dreams (3947K). I coloured the petals using a water brush and ink from the Big n Juicy pad. To finish I matched up with cardstock from my scrap draw and added a sentiment from Stampin' Up!

Thank you for visiting!

Hugs and best wishes.

Clare xx

Ahhhhrrquamarkers!

The title of this post sums up how I have been feeling about Aquamarkers, but not wanting to be beaten by a pack of pens I decided to do battle with them once and for all. And do you know what? Unlike all the other times I have tried to use them, with very poor results, today they behaved perfectly! I'm so glad I didn't consign them to the dust cupboard.

I've used a beautiful Sweet Pea stamp "Kimono Butterfly Mermaid" (thank you Brenda!), she's stamped in Stazon onto 140lbs cotman watercolour paper. The papers are from a free pad with a recent issue of Papercraft Essentials and the sentiment is from Crafty Individuals.

I would like to enter this card into the current challenge at One Stitch at a Time where the theme is "Things with Wings".

Thank you for visiting!

Hugs, Clare xx

Snow Family Christmas

Hello,

My Christmas card stash is growing, slowly, but surely. Here's a card I made to add to it today.

The main image is a Penny Black stamp called "Snow Family" (2526K) and the sentiment is from a Stamping Up! set called "Best Yet".

Colouring - For the red I used an Aquamarker, I'm trying to get the hang of these, but I need to try much harder. For the green I used a Staedtler Ergosoft pencil. I really do enjoy using these pencils, I much prefer them to my Prismacolor pencils and, finally, for the snowmen I used a blue promarker. Oh, not to forget a white Polychromos pencil on the hats. How's that for a mix!

Tomorrow I am going to visit my brand new baby niece. I'm really looking forward to meeting her.

Thank you for visiting my blog.

Hugs Clare xx

Cheerful!

Good morning,

I love flower stamps and couldn't resist ordering a couple more from Penny Black! This small card uses a fairly new stamp by Penny Black called "Cheerful" 4160K.

I've paper pieced the flower (using a freebie paper pad from a recent magazine - sorry I can't remember which one) and I coloured the leaves/stalks with an Aquamarker (celery). The sentiment is from Papertrey Ink's "Mega Mixed Messages" set. I added some fuchsia stickles glitter glue to the centre off the flower.

I hope you enjoy your weekend everyone!

Hugs and best wishes, Clare xx

Card for Dad

Good morning,

Here is the first of the four fathers' day cards I need to make.

I've used a Penny Black image from the clear set called "Garden Friends" (PB30-021) and coloured it with Prismacolor Pencils.

The dies are Spellbinders Nestabilities labels 4 (large and small sets).

I would like to enter this card into the current challenge at Penny Black Saturday where the theme is "One for the Guys".

Thank you for visiting my blog. Enjoy your day.

Hugs, Clare xx

Sir Stampalot June Challenge - Photo Inspiration

Good morning to you!

Today sees a brand new challenge at Sir Stampalot. This month we have a photo inspiration for you:-

Here's my card inspired by this picture:-

 
I stamped Hero Arts "Silhouette Grass" S5316 onto blue card using Brilliant Pearlescent Olive ink. I then randomly stamped Stampendous "Flutterbug" XXA002 amongst the grass using Brilliant Crimson ink and added a sentiment from Personal Impressions "Fairy Silhouette" clear set PICS056. I distressed around the image using Tim Holtz "Distress Ink" Weathered Wood and then used a distress tool to roughen the edges of the card. I covered the wings of the flutterbugs with Ranger "Crackle Accents" and left it all to dry. Once it was dry I stapled the image card onto a burgundy mat and layered this onto more blue card with an edge punched using a Martha Stewart Deep Edger Punch "Flower Bed".

As always, we have a brilliant prize, sponsored by Sir Stampalot.

I hope you can join us this month and I look forward to visiting all the entries.

Hugs and best wishes,
Clare xx