Swimming With Dolphins Circular Easel Card

Another short 'n' sweet post from me today I'm afraid - I just don't seem to have enough hours in the day at the moment to get everything done. It's my SIL's birthday shortly and she is a dolphin fanatic. So when Teri over at Delicious Doodles released the image Swimming With Dolphins I knew immediately that I would have to use it on a card for her.

The image was printed directly onto the DP's which are from Fred She Said and then printed again onto plain paper. I coloured the image printed onto plain paper with Promarkers and then cut the mermaid and dolphins out. The seaweed on the DP's was also coloured with Promarkers. The mermaid and dolphins were then mounted onto the DP's using silicone glue and then given a coat of Stickles and Glossy Accents.

I've brayered some white cardstock with ink from a Big Juicy Pad and have done the same with the sentiment from Craftwork Cards. The flowers have been punched from the brayered cardstock using a Nellie Snellon 5 Petal embossing punch. The gems in the centre have been coloured with a Promarker.

Thanks for stopping by today

Claire x

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Magical Mondays - Shaped Cards
Paper Playtimes - Anything goes
Gingerloft - Dies & Punches
A Gem Of A Challenge - Anything but a square

Faux Butterfly Tile Card

A really quick post from me today - I've got stacks of housework to do :(

This is the card I've made for my MIL for Mother's Day.

I made this faux tile card using my favourite all time butterfly stamp from EJ Crafts. The butterfly was stamped in Memento ink onto a 3" x 3" card and then coloured with Promarkers. The edges were inked with Dusty Concord Distress Ink. The square was then cut into inchies and covered with Glossy Accents. Once dry the inchies were mounted onto another square card. I covered a card blank form Craftwork Cards with some paper from Card Creations added a ribbon from my stash and finished the card off with some Prima E-line flowers topped with Card Candy.

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

Try it on Tuesdays - Give us an inch or three

I love Promarkers - Go dotty

Simon Says Stamp - Mother's Day/ Girly

Passion for Promarkers - In the garden

Creative Inspirations - Mother's Day

Pretty in pink!! Tim Holtz The Sewing Room & Rosette Die

I finally got to play with these two amazing dies. I'd bought the Sewing Room the other day, but hadn't had time to create anything with it and had actually passed on buying the rosette die as I can make them by hand!! Oh such famous and foolish words - of course I can make them by hand, but why bother when the die makes them in seconds! All I can say is it's a good job I've worked this week :)

This card was really quick and easy to make. The trickiest part was faffing around trying to get the mini gems out of the container and onto the card!

The Tailor's Dummy has been cut from a gold flecked pearlescent paper. The edges have inked with Spun Sugar Distress Ink and then curled to give some dimension. The dress has been cut using a large scalloped circle nestability which has then been trimmed to fit. The Rosette has been cut using the new Sizzix Rosette die and the sentiment topper is from Craftwork Cards.

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
2 Sisters Challenge - Make your own embellishments
Crafty Emma's - Die cuts
Wee Memories - Anything goes
Simon Says Stamp - Mothers Day/Girly

Shhh I think spring might be here!

I'm not going to say it too loudly, but I really do think Spring is here! My garden is full of daffodils and tulips, and the cherry blossom tree has loads of little buds just waiting to erupt into a mass of flowers. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the warmer, brighter days will soon be here. I really have had enough of the Winter this year and am finding that it has sapped my desire to create. However, if I'm brutally honest it probably has more to do with the fact that I have had to venture into a cold conservatory to rumage through my stash than an actual lack of desire to create! ;)

Anyway, enough of my rambling the challenge over at Delicious Doodles this week is flowers. We want to see lots of flowers on your creations. Up for grabs are two fantastic prizes, one is any three paper pads from our sponsor Pascale's Pad and the other is any three digi's from the Delicious Doodles Store.

As you can no doubt tell, I've been heavily influenced this week by the sudden promised change in season and have made the first of my Easter cards.

The image I've used this week is a new release from Delicious Doodles called On The Lookout. I thought it was perfect for more "grown up" Easter cards. As always the image has been coloured with Promarkers. I've then cut it to shape using Nestabilities Labels 8 and then heat embossed the edges using Heat It Up Gold Embossing Powder. The background paper is a piece of Core'dinations White Wash cardstock which has been run through the Bigshot with a Daisy Texturz Plate and then given a light sanding to expose the core colour. The ribbon is from Crafty Ribbons new Spring/Easter collection. The flowers are Prima E-line topped with Craftwork Cards Card Candy.

Thanks for stopping by this week.

Claire x

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Colour Create - Pastels
Crafty Purple Frog - Green
Delightful Challenges - Pastels
Digi Doodles Shops Best - Ribbons & Bows
Simon Says Stamp - Mothers Day/Girly
Stamping Vacation - Easter
Passion for Promarkers - In the Garden

Shrink Plastic and Ching-Chou Kuik's Flowing in Blue

It's challenge time again over at Sweet Pea Stampers and this week we want to see your punches! So if you want to be in with a chance of winning three fabulous sheets of Sweet Pea digital decoupage provided by the lovely Amy over at Crafty Purple Frog, then you know what to do - grab those punches and getting creating!

Now you'll have to think a little about my project to work out where punches have come into it. My project this week is something a little different - yep I've been playing and experimenting again!!! I warn you now it's not perfect, but I'm definitely going to work some more on this project to get it right as it's showing potential! I hope you like and aren't too disappointed that it's not a card or papercraft project.

I stamped the image Flowing in Blue by Ching-Chou Kuik onto some shrink plastic using Stazon Ink. The image was then coloured in using Derwent Coloursoft Pencils and Sakura Clear Star Gel Pen. I used a hole punch to make a hole either end of the pendant prior to shrinking it. Once I'd shrunk it to size, I used a gold paint pen on the edges and then heat embossed the front using clear detail powder. The chain and findings are from a necklace that I got in the 10 items for £5 sale from Claire's Accessories. The beads have been attached to head pins before adding them to lengths of chain.

Thanks for stopping by today.
Claire xx

I'd like to enter this necklace into the following challenges:
Crafty Purple Frog - Green
Crafts & Me - Anything goes
Tuesday Throwdown - Anything but a card
Let's Ink It Up - Die cuts/Punches
The Secret Crafter - Anything but a card

This brayer thing and Versamark Ink!!

I decided that I'd had enough of moving my brayer around in my tool box, so thought I'd better get it out to play. I've never used a brayer before and if I'm honest the wretched thing intimated me. I watched a few tutorials on YouTube and decided to go for it!

Now I have to say I found it fairly tricky the first few times I tried, but as with anything the more you do it the easier it becomes. I ain't no Barbara Gray that's for sure, but I'm certainly not mortified by the end result! What do you think??

I used smooth white cardstock for this project (I know glossy is recommended, but I was feelin' tight and concerned that if I stuffed up that it would start getting expensive!). I stamped the parsley head from Viva Decor - My Paper World Grasses and Embellishments using Versamark Ink and then brayered over it using a Big Juicy Inkpad. The images was then mounted onto pink paper before mounting on the card.

The butterflies were stamped using Versamark Ink onto my brayered "mistakes" (see that's why I never chuck anything out!!!). They were then cut out and shaped to give dimension. I rolled a cocktail stick covered with Stickles lightly over the wings to give them a bit of glitz. The Happy Birthday Sentiment is part of a set from Ladybug Crafts Ink which I've stamped using the same Big Juicy pad. The gemstones are from my stash.

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
One Stop Craft Challenge - Bling
Phindy's Place - Summer colours
Samuel Taylors Crafts - Butterflies

CSN Review

As some of you may recall I decided to be a little selfish with my last CSN giveaway and opted to do a review instead. I know that it seems an absolute age ago and you'd probably thought I'd forgotten!! Well I hadn't forgotten, it just took me a very long time to be able to choose and receive my product!

I decided that I needed a new food processor, the main reason being that my old one blew up. Also, I've started back on Slimming World and have developed an obsession with homemade coleslaw which is almost impossible for me to make by hand! So a new food processor for me it was!

I didn't want to spend a huge amount on a food processor as it's not a make or break piece of equipment, so I settled on this one. The only problem was it was out of stock for weeks (as were most of the other machines in this price range), so I decided to trial their "email me when back in stock" system. I have to say it worked fantastically well and I ordered my food processor. I was given an expected delivery date of 23/3, but actually received the item on 21/3 (a total of ten days from point of order to receipt, not the fastest delivery time, but by no means the slowest). I received numerous emails updating me on my order status, which is not only helpful, but also reassuring!

I unpacked my new toy and after a quick wash of the bowls and blades decided to use it to shred, grate and slice carrots, cabbage and onions for my coleslaw. It performed the job perfectly. I have yet to try the blender attachment so can't comment on this.

My only criticisms of CSN would be the lack of stock and slowish delivery time. Had I needed this item urgently then I would've been forced to approach another supplier. I had no worries over the price as they offer a price matching service and a quick look around showed only one retailer who was cheaper, but had no stock!

Would I use them again - yep, as long as I wasn't in a hurry and I would definitely take advantage of their price matching option.

Altered Vintage Monarch Butterfly Lumiere That Went Slightly Wrong!!!!

Good morning folks! Everything is back to normal here this week, but I've had to work - boo hiss! As a result I've had very little time for crafting :( which is a shame really as I'd have loved more time to create something really special for this weeks Delicious Doodles challenge - 3D. Especially as the rest of the girls on the DT have totally rocked this challenge and I'm in awe of their talent! If you get a chance, please pop by their blogs (links are on my side-bar) and take peek, I promise you won't be disappointed!

Anyway, onto my offering for the week, a Lumiere. I spotted the pictured Lumiere in a local discount store ages ago and thought that it would be ideal for altering, so bought a couple of them. They've been sat in my stash ever since! The first thing I did was to take the Lumiere apart and create a new "shade" using some papers that I had my stash. The aperture was cut using Nestabilities and then lined with a sheet of parchment. I finally got round to using my new Tim Holtz Corner Flourishes Die. The butterflies are the Monarch Butterfly image from Delicious Doodles which has been re sized in my graphics programme and then printed multiple times and cut out. I've used Promarkers to colour the butterflies and have then curled the wings to add dimension. The butterflies and flowers have then been given a light dusting of Stickles and Glossy Accents.

Now I was really quite happy with this project until I turned it on and discovered that the Lumiere had a colour changing bulb. I could've sworn that it was just a white light when I bought it, but hey ho that will teach me not to check! I actually love the colour changing bulb but not on this item : (

Anyway, so you can see why I'm disappointed, I thought I'd show you it all lit up in it's full ghastlyness!!! LOL. I'm going to try and find a white bulb for this project so wish me luck!!! Oh and excuse the video - I've never used the video function on my camera before and struggled to work out how to use it!

I'd like to enter this Lumiere into the following challenges:
Charisma Cardz -  To die for
Paper Crafting Journey - Up in the air
Cute Card Thursday - Music/dance
Digi Doodles Shops Best - Anything goes

Birdcage Aperture Card

OK a real quick post from me today as due to the fact that I didn't win the Euro Millions Draw on Friday and the housework fairies have been exceptionally lax in their duties I have a date with a pile of ironing :(

I've been wanting to play with this Woodware Birdsong Stamp Set for ages and finally got the chance the other day. The card base was matted and layered with Bazzil cardstock and Jack n Jill Papers from Prima. The aperture was cut using my Labels 8 Nesties. I stamped and heat embossed the birdcage and then coloured it with a Tea Green Promarker it has been hung in the aperture using metal jump rings. The birds and branch were stamped using the other stamps in the set. The faux heart charm has been made from shrink plastic and then painted with acrylic paint and coated in stickles.

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Art Impressions Stamps - Embossing
Craft Us Crazy - Nature
Crafty Purple Frog - Things with wings
Digi Doodles Shop's Best - Pearls
Little Miss Muffet Challenges - Designer Papers
PaperCrafting Journey - Wings
Dutch Dare Card Challenges - Photo Inspiration
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes
Stampavie & More - Birds
A Spoonful of Sugar - Shabby/Vintage
Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp & Show - Metal

Bad Hair Day??

We all have them, but for once it's not me, it's the cute little madam on my card! However, I have to say the dragged through a hedge backwards look that she was sporting has been greatly improved by me since I gave her a hair cut! It wasn't intentional, I'd just finished fussy cutting and then somehow manage to catch an ultra-fine piece of the image and rip it off! Naughty words weren't used - much!! I was going to re-do it, but as I'm running way behind schedule this week with everything that has been going on, I've taken a gamble that most people won't notice or will be far to polite to point my poor workmanship out - so I've left it.

Anyway, this week over at Sweet Pea Stampers we want to see your SCALLOPS. I really hope that you'll be joining us.

Now I don't normally do scallops as they are just that little bit too frilly for me, so this was a real challenge. I don't think I did too badly, but have to say that I'm tempted to totally re-work this card as it's not one of my favourites - not sure what the problem is but it just doesn't feel right - maybe it was that haircut!

The scalloped shaped card was cut using Large Nestabilities.As previously mentioned I used Bad Hair Day by Lisa Victoria from Sweet Pea Stamps. The image has been coloured with Promarkers and then decoupaged onto the digital designer paper from Fred She Said. The fairies dress has been covered with Clear Star Sakura Gel Pen to try and give a really sheer translucent look to the skirt. Her wings have been coated with a thin layer of Stardust Stickles. The toadstool has had a coat of Glossy Accents and Picket Fence Stickles. The butterflies are from my most favoured punch at the moment Martha Stewart 3 in 1 Butterfly Punch and the gems are from my stash. The sentiment is from Craftwork Cards.

I've added this second photo to try and show the sparkle and shimmer on her skirt and wings. If you click the image to enlarge it you can just about see it.

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Creative Card Crew - No flowers
Flutterby Wednesdays - Photo inspiration - sky
Simon Says Stamp - Anything goes
Bearly Mine - Birthdays
Magical Monday - Spring Colours
Totally Papercrafts - Shaped Cards

It's Supposed To Be Green, But Mine Is Pink!!

Good morning to you all. Today's challenge over at Delicious Doodles is to use green. It was designed to coincide with St Patrick's day, but as I don't have anyone to send a card to, I thought it would be a bit of a waste of card and paper. So rather than sit the challenge out, I decided that I'd make a card with some green on it :)

If you want some St Patrick's Day inspiration then check out the other girls on the DT's blogs, they have produced some awesome projects using some of the images from the Delicious Doodles Shop.

I've used Sweet Shamrock Fairy for my card and have shamelessly nicked the lovely Pascale's inspired idea of colouring the shamrocks a different colour, which means that I can use this beauty all year round!! I decided to paper piece the dress using some papers from My Minds Eye and have coloured the rest of the image with Promarkers. The flowers and wings have been given a coat of Stickles.I've then added some Glossy Accents to her eyes, lips and the flowers in her hair.

The card base has been cut using Large Circle Nestabilities. It's then been inked with Distress Inks and sprayed with Tattered Angels Iridescent Gold Glimmer Mist. The flowers have been punched using Nellie Snellen punches and the butterflies are from a Martha Stewart 3 in 1 Butterfly Punch. I've then added some hot pink gems to finish.

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Penny's Paper Crafty - Green
Simon Says Stamp - Anything goes
Charisma Cards - Easel Cards
Paper Play - Shades of Green
Paper Romance - Colour
Sarah Hurley - Flowers
Totally Papercrafts - Shaped Cards

Happy Birthday To Me!!! My First Triple Easel Card. Oh And I Have A Candy Winner!!

Firstly sorry I'm very late with this post - I've had one of those weeks where everything that can wrong has gone wrong! I was already going to be slightly late with the post, but then events took a rapid and unexpected turn for the worse and DS ended up being admitted to hospital for an emergency operation on Friday. Thankfully he's home now and seems to making a speedy recovery.

OK so I think an explanation is required - it's not my actual birthday, just the card I would like to receive. Now before you all go thinking that I've completely lost the plot, I'd better explain what this all about! Oh you guessed already? That's right, it's the new challenge over at Delicious Doodles - make the birthday card you would like to receive. We're sponsored this week by the fantastic FunkyHand who are going to provide the winner with a copy of the Craft The Year Away CD. As always the girls on the DT have produced some amazing creations for your inspiration, so please do go checkout their blogs (links are in the sidebar) to see what they've been upto.

I decided that as I love fairies and ink that "my" birthday card would have to contain these elements, then I thought about my favourite colour and that was where I hit a stumbling block! I don't really have a favourite colour, it's more like colours! So I decided that I'd use each and every colour that I fancied using!!! For those of you who have followed me for anytime, you will remember that I love experimenting, so when I saw a triple aspect easel card being demonstrated the other week I decided that I'd have a play and make my own. So drumroll please........... here's my birthday card.

Firstly I created my base card using plain white cardstock from The Papermill. I then inked up some cheap old copier paper and used it to line the back and inside of the card. The background has been created with Distress Inks upon which I've stamped leaves, grasses and flowers with my new Martha Stewart Peg Stamp Starter Kit.

I've used two images, Mushroom Fairy and Fairy Seats from Delicious Doodles. Both images have been coloured with Promarkers and then decoupaged. The fairy has been given a liberal dusting of Sakura Gel Pen, Stickles and Glossy Accents and the red part of the Fairy Seats have been coated with Glossy Accents.

The flowers have been punched using my Nellie Snellen 5 Petal Embossing Punch. I've then placed some 3mm yellow rhinestones in the centres to add a bit more shimmer and shine. The butterflies have been punched from pink cardstock using a Martha Stewart 3 in 1 Butterfly Punch. They've then been stickled to within an inch of their lives.

Now the bit you've all been waiting for....... the winner of my followers candy!! Before I announce the winner I'd just like to say a huge thank you to each and everyone of you who follows this blog and is kind enough to take the time to leave a comment. I just wish that I had enough pennies to send you all some candy. Anyway, I chucked all 63 entries into Mr Random Generator and he selected number 25

Which is Maggie. Congratulations hun, if you'd like to send me an email with your snail mail address I'll get your prize out to you asap.

Remember if I don't hear from the winner within 7 days of this post, then I will do a redraw.

Thanks for stopping by

Claire xx

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
The Pink Elephant - Springtime
The Crazy Challenge - Lovely Ladies
Kaboodle Doodles - Go green
Magical Mondays - Spring Colours
Craft Your Passion - Anything goes
Aly's Sunday Challenge - Anything goes
Card Cupids - Anything goes
Gingerloft Challenge - Flowers
Catch The Bug - Anything goes
Challenge Up Your Life - Fairytales
Little Claire's - Flowers
Simply Create - Flowers
Stamp Something - Use a digi
Wags n Whiskers - More than one fold
Crafty Purple Frog - Things with wings
Delightful Challenges - Welcome Spring
DYSU - Green
Paper Crafting Journey - Things with wings
Bearly Mine - Birthday Card
Bunny Zoes - Flowers
Die Cut Dreams - Spring Garden Scene
Passion For Promarkers - Sugar Rush

Followers Blog Candy

This post will remain at the top of my blog until 8/3/11.

Yep I'm back - fourth day in a row!! Still no card though - but I'm working on a whole bunch of stuff that I will be being posting in the next couple of weeks!

Anyway as promised in yesterday's post, I'm back with a candy offering. The candy is open to all of my lovely followers. To be in with a chance of winning you simply need to enter your name in Mr Linky and make sure you check back here to see if you're the winner. If you'd be kind enough to spread the word that would be great, but it's not necessary to be eligible to win.

The candy closes at midnight on 7th March 2011 and I will draw and announce the winner shortly afterwards. The winner will have seven days to claim their prize. If the prize remains unclaimed I will draw another winner.

Good luck and THANK YOU for following me!

Claire xx

Spring Shaker Card Using Tim Holtz Sizzix Branch Tree Die

Today's post is going to be short 'n' sweet as I'm really pushed for time! A friend who runs a craft store asked me to create a sample card using the Tim Holtz Sizzix Branch Die. At first I was completely uninspired and could only see a Halloween related project, which in March is hardly appropriate! So I went away had a little think and came up with this card.

I covered a card base with Basic Greys Lemonade Paper. The shaker frame has been cut using my nesties, I've then filled it with Soft Magic. The tree has been cut from white cardstock and coloured with distress inks. I've added Soft Magic to the tree branches. The sentiment from Ladybug Crafts Ink has been stamped using Memento Ink.

I'm going to try and make a few more cards with this Tree Branch Die all with a different theme, so watch this space!

Thanks for stopping by today.

Claire x

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
By the Cute & Girly - Springtime
Sir Stampalot - Spring is in the air
Everybody Art - Spring
Incy Wincy Designs - Spring
Papercutz - Spring

Silhouette Fairy & Toadstools

Just a quickie from me today. I've had my Distress Inks out to play and thought I'd try some new silhouette fairy and foliage stamps from Personal Impressions. The card base was cut using my nesties and the sentiment is from Ladybug Crafts Ink.

Thanks for stopping by.

Claire xx

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Crafty Cardmakers - Silhouettes 
Bearly Mine - Birthday
Cupcake Craft - Anything but square
Stamps R Us - For the girls
I Did It Creations - Punches or Dies
Challenge Up Your Life - Fairytales
Sugar Creek Hollow - Inside Out