Vintage Christmas Angel Card

This is going to be a really quick post from me today, I just thought I'd show you the card I made using my favourite stamp from my new stamp set.

The image has been stamped onto the shiny side of frosted shrink plastic with Stazon. The reverse has then been coloured with Promarkers and the edges inked with a gold paint pen. I tore a piece of white card to match the contours of the image and then heat embossed it with gold powder before mounting the shrink plastic image. The backing paper was made using Distress Inks and my trusty Papersoft stamps. I've distressed the edges prior to lightly inking them and adding faux stitching. The image has then been mounted using foam pads.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Claire x

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Die Cut Dreams Christmas Club - Angels
Christmas Stampin' All Year Long - Favourite Image
If The Shoe Fits - Things with wings
Stamp Something - Things with wings
Crafts & Me - Vintage/distressed

Did Someone Mention A Royal Wedding???

Good morning folks - I hope you've all been enjoying the fabulous weather that we've been lucky enough to have here in the UK. I'd like to apologise for the lack of posts from me recently, but things have gone a little pear shaped here and I've been struggling to create anything much, let alone post on my blog. Anyway, you haven't come here for me to drag you into my woes, so I'll move swiftly along and remind you that Delicious Doodles launches it's new challenge today TEENAGERS which is being sponsored by the awesome Kenny K, I've popped over to the challenge blog for sneaky peek and those girls have completely rocked things again! Please do stop by if you get the chance. I'd also like to remind you that Sweet Pea Stampers are currently running a RECYCLE challenge, again some completely awesome projects on display including the clever use of a DSST roll.

So moving along, we've been invited to a party today to celebrate the Royal Wedding. The invite requests that guests wear something red, white or blue. I couldn't decide what to wear as I don't have anything red in my wardrobe and the only blue I have is my jeans, so I decided that I'd make a bracelet in the Royal Colours. I actually ended up making two bracelets as I bought more beads than I needed, so I'm going to give one to my friend who has organised the party - the only thing is I can't decide which one!!

Anyway, here are my Royal Wedding Bracelets....

For this bracelet I simply threaded glass beads and twizzle wire onto a length of memory wire. I then attached a silver heart charm to finish it off.

This is another of my knitted wire bracelets. I normally use seed beads, but decided to try the glass beads - not too unhappy with the result, but will definitely tweak the pattern and layout of the beads.

Finally, I'd like to wish the happy couple a long and happy marriage. Enjoy the bank holiday weekend folks and hopefully normal service from me will resume shortly.

Thanks for stopping by.

Claire xx

I'd like to enter the first bracelet into the following challenges:
Quirky Crafts - A Right Royal Affair
Sparkles Forum Challenges - Anything Goes
Inspiration Avenue - Royal Wedding
Fab 'n' Funky - Red, White & Blue

Halloween Bird House

I thought I'd show you yet another of the birdouses that I've been playing with. This time it's a Halloween one and I have to say I'm really pleased with the way this one came out even though my picture really doesn't do it justice.

I painted the house with black acrylic paint and then gave it a generous spritz of Twilight Black Cosmic Shimmer, popped on some stickers that I think came from Poundland, stamped a silver spiders web from my new Martha Stewert Holiday Set, added some black ribbon and that was it - finished.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Claire x

I'd like to enter this project into the following challenges:
Crafty Boots - Autumn or Halloween
Hooked on Crafts - Something Spooky
Dream Valley Challenges - Halloween
The Crafty Pad - Halloween
Allsorts - Halloween
Craft Your Days Away - Halloween Colours
Marks Finest Papers - Altered Item

Peacock Seam Binding Card

I can't believe it's Friday already! This is going to be a really brief post from me as it's my Birthday and I'm off out for the day :)

It's time for another challenge over at Delicious Doodles and this time we want to see some stitching on your card. There is stitching on my card even though it's not visable. I've combined this card with the Crafty Ribbons seam binding challenge and have to say that I wouldn't have chosen this colour binding in a million years, but having used it I'm now in love with the jewel colours and have ordered some more.

The card base was made from black cardstock from The Papermill which has been cut to size and scored with a Martha Stewart Scoreboard. The bottom edge has been punched using a X-Cut Scalloped Border Punch. The seam binding ribbon has been wrapped around the card and then a bow has been attached with silicone glue.

The image is Peacock from Delicious Doodles. I've coloured it with Promarkers and then added some Sakura Gel Pen and Stickles. I've then cut around the peacocks tail and laid it outside of a Nestability Circle and then die cut the image out. To finish I've given the image background a light dusting of Distress Inks and Glimmer Mist.

I've then run a thread up through the centre of the seam binding and gathered it up and glued it around the image before mounting it onto a black and blue nestability die cuts.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Claire xx

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Altered Easter Birdhouse

Whoooo I'm GDT for Die Cut Dreams this week and I'm not in the least bit excited about it (much)!!! :) The challenge this week is an Easter theme and I decided that I'd try something other than a card. So here's my offering a birdhouse...

I have to confess that I currently have a little stockpile of these houses at home, so be prepared this maybe my first but it certainly won't be my last!!

I took the plain wooden birdhouse and lightly sanded it prior to painting with acrylic paint. I then stamped the Molly Bloom's Bunting (which was a magazine freebie) multiple times, coloured it with Promarkers and then cut it out prior to glueing it to the house. The roof has been made from the Tim Holtz Sizzix Rosette Die. I've inked the edges of the die cut to give a little definition.

I added some crafters moss to the base and randomly glued some punched flowers topped with gems onto it. To finish off  I added some puffy stickers (I was going to make some fimo figures and eggs until I worked out how much it was going to cost me!!).

Thanks for stopping by today.

Claire xx

I'd like to enter this project into the following challenges:
The Crazy Challenge - Easter
The Pink Elephant - Easter
Stamps R Us - Easter
Woodware USA - Anything goes
Passion for Promarkers - Pink & Yellow

Clean & Simple Seam Binding Card

This is one of the cards that I sent off for the Crafty Ribbons Seam Binding Challenge. I found this quite tricky to do and with hindsight think I'd have been better off putting the sentiment on the bottom right hand corner or maybe leaving it off altogether! Anyway, this card was a bit of an experiment, a huge learning curve for me and I really enjoyed making it which is the most important thing.

The card base was covered with some hot pink paper. I then drew the flower stalks onto a square of white card before gathering up some wired ribbon from Crafty Ribbons and attaching it using a hot glue gun. The flowers were made from seam binding by simply tying a knot on one end of the seam binding before gluing it to a circle of card. The seam bind is then twisted whilst being glued onto the card circle. The sentiment is part of a set from Ladybug Crafts Ink.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Claire xx

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
The ABC Challenge - R for ribbon
Clear It Out Challenge - Flowers
The Stamping Boutique - Handmade Flowers

Altered Notebook Using Lisa Victoria's Rain Dragon

It's time for another challenge over at Sweet Pea Stampers and this time we'd like to see something for your Mum. It can be a birthday card, gift or for those of you not in the UK a Mother's Day card/gift. There is an awesome prize of $10 to spend in the Sweet Pea Stamps Store kindly donated by the lovely Lynette. The DT have totally knocked themselves out for this challenge, so please do stop by their blogs if you get the chance (links are in my sidebar).

So what have I been upto for this challenge?? Well as I'd already made my Mum a card and gift for Mother's Day, I decided that I'd make her a small gift for Easter. So I found a small spiral bound notebook and decided to alter it. I've done these in the past using DP's, but thought for a change I'd try paint. I'm actually really pleased with the result, I just hope that both you and my Mum like it?

I gave the cover of the book a light coat of Gesso and then applied two layers of acrylic paint before stamping the Rain Dragon image directly onto the paint. The covers were then sponged lightly with Distress Ink. The dragon image was then stamped multiple times onto paper, coloured with promakers and then decoupaged using silicone glue. I added a touch of Glossy Accents to the puddle, raindrops and "brolly" and then lighlty brushed Stickles onto the Dragon's spine and wings. Finally I added some seam binding to the rings.

Thanks for taking the time to stop by today.


Claire xx


I'd like to enter this book into the following challenges:
Sassy Studio Designs - April Showers
The ABC Challenge - Ribbons
Crafty Creations - Rain showers
Creative Card Crew - April Showers
Papertake Weekly - Anything goes/try something new
Crafty Cardmakers - Decoupage

Ribbons, Ribbons Everywhere And Lots of Chocolate Too!

Morning folks. I hope you're all well and enjoying this fabulous weather that we're getting here in the UK at the moment. I still have the dreaded lurgy, but am definately feeling much brighter than I was this time last week! Anyway, this weeks challenge over at Delicious Doodles is EASTER but we also want to see some RIBBON on your work. We're sponsored this time by the lovely Ali over at Crafty Ribbons who very generously provided the DT with some samples to play with and has offered up a fantastic prize for the lucky winner, pop over to the Delicious Doodles Challenge blog for full details.

I decided that I'd make another of those fabulous box cards and that this time I'd fill it full of mini chocolate eggs.Just in case you missed my earlier box card, here's the link to the fabulous tutorial.

The DP's are some old Papermania ones. I've die cut the egg using my nesties and embossed it using a Sizzix folder. The cute bunny is from Delicious Doodles and he's been coloured with Promarkers and the egg has been Glossy Accented. The yummy Easter ribbons are from Crafty Ribbons.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Claire xx

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
CRAFT - Animals
Craft Us Crazy - Easter/Spring
Simon Says Stamp - Spring/Easter
The Pink Elephant - Easter

LOTV Mother's Day Card

Good afternoon! Just popping on to show the last of my Mother's Day makes. This time it's the card I made for my Mum.

The image is of course Dandelion Clock from Lily of the Valley which has been coloured with Promarkers and then highlighted with Stickles and Glossy Accents before softening the edges with Distress Ink.The gorgeous glittery papers are Spring Feast by First Edition and these have been matted and layered onto pearlescent card stock. The corners have been rounded using a We R Memory Keepers Corner Chomper. The scalloped punch is a cheapie X-Cut one. The seam binding is from Crafty Ribbons and the buttons are part of set from Woodware. The sentiment has been stamped onto a tag which comes with the DP pad. The rosette has been made using the Tim Holtz Rosette Die from Sizzix.

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Lily of the Valley - Spring
The Shabby Tea Room - Colour Inspiration

Altered Box

Firstly Happy Mother's Day! I hope you're all being spoilt or spoiling your Mum's - we've been out for coffee and cake this morning and DH and DD are cooking a special meal for this evening. I've had one of the most thoughtful pressies ever from my kids a 12 x 12 Really Useful Box - I keep meaning to get one but either forget or find something more pressing to spend my pennies on, so I am truly thrilled to have been given one and not because it was filled with some Cosmic Shimmer Sprays, Metal Rubs and a couple of new sentiments stamps ;)

Secondly thank you for all your good wishes yesterday they were very much appreciated. We had a lovely day despite all the sniffing and coughing and I managed to sneak in some crafty time as well ;)

Anyhow, onto the matter in hand my box (or as it is now My Mum's Box)!!

The box has been painted with acrylic paint and a crackle medium. The painted surface has then been lightly swiped with Distress Ink and gold paint.

I've added Sizzix 3D Flowers and Tattered Florals and a selection of flowers and leaves that I found in my stash. The flowers and leaves have been dusted with Diamond Dust (isn't that stuff just the best). The pearl tipped spirals are made from the wires snipped from the flowers and an old bracelet that broke.

The inside and base of the box have been lined with designer papers which I forgot to photograph.

The photograph is of my children when they were much younger. I've changed the colour to sepia in my graphics programme and then inked it lightly to try to get it tie in with the aged feel of the box.

I'd like to enter this box into the following challenges:
One Stitch At A Time - Something 3D
The Crafty Pad - Flowers
Allsorts - Blooming blossoms
Sarah Hurley - Mum's the word

Ever Have One Of Those Weeks???

Where you seem to be continually chasing your tail? Well I've had one this week - the whole household has got the lurgy, I almost forgot Mother's Day and worse still I suddenly realised at about 8pm last night it was my wedding anniversary today!!! Cue frantic card making activity and DS keeping DH occupied with a film so he wouldn't come and investigate what I was upto! Anyway, I managed to pull together a quick card - not thrilled with it but the thought is there.

The background of the image has been created with Distress Inks. I've then stamped the Tim Holtz bird in Versafine ink and then masked it. The cow parsley has been stamped multiple times with Versamark and then heat embossed with Gold Heat It Up Embossing Powder. The bird has been coated with Glossy Accents and once dried the entire image has been given a generous spritz of Iridescent Gold Glimmer Mist prior to mounting on black card.

The Date Sentiment is from Lily of the Valley and has been heat embossed. The anniversary sentiment is from Create & Craft. Finally the black ribbon and gems are from my stash.

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:

 - Distressing



Pixie Dust Studio - Fluttering Wings
Top Tip Tuesday - Nature Inspired

Don't Forget It's Mother's Day!!!

Morning! How could I possibly forget it's Mother's Day on Sunday? I don't know but I almost had! I thought I was soooo organised this time as well, did the MIL's card, started my Mums' card and seriously believed I had a good couple of weeks to sort my Gran out something!! Then the TV runs an ad for a M&S Mother's Day meal and ooooppppsie I realise it's this Sunday!

I suppose I should've figured things out when I checked the challenge schedule over at Delicious Doodles and found that this weeks challenge is Mothers Day/Girly! Doh! Anyway, the card is obviously done now and I've just got to finish my Mums' card. Sadly I don't think I'll have time to make a handmade gift this year though :(

OK so finally onto my card.....

The image is Vase of Roses from Delicious Doodles and has been coloured with Promarkers, die cut using my nesties and then lightly distressed with Tea Dye Distress Inks. I've added glossy accents to the vase and have brushed the edges of the roses with Sakura Gel Pen. The DP's are of course Papermania's Rose Garden - I think this is one of my favourite pads - well one I don't mind cutting into anyway ;). The papers have been matted and layered onto blue cardstock from The Papermill. The lace and pearls are from my stash.The border punch used on the blue card is from X-Cut.

If like me you still have cards to make, please do stop by the Delicious Doodles Challenge Blog and see what the other girls have made for your inspiration. As always there are some amazing projects.

Thanks for stopping by today. Have a great weekend.

Claire xx

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Really Reasonable Ribbons - Diecuts/Punches
Delightful Challenges - Flowers
Paper Crafting Journey - For the ladies in your life
Paper Play - For Mum