Guess Who's Hosting This Weeks Challenge Over At Stampotique????

Yup it's lil ol me! Before we get down to business I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas with plenty of new goodies to play with?? If you did then hopefully you'll come and join in with this weeks Stampotique challenge which is "Out with the old and in with the new". 

Which basically means that if you were very good then Santa will have bought you lots of new stash to play with, which means you can either make a project using a combination of old and new stash (just don't forget to tell us what it is). Or if you weren't so lucky, you can make something to celebrate the new year. The choice is yours!

I went for a combination of both for my card!

I used die cut numbers to create a mask before spraying the card with a combination of inks. Whilst I waited for the ink to dry, I stamped up Head and "Gussie Up" which were then cut to size and coloured as necessary. Once the background was dry, I matted and layered it onto cardstock and added some Glossy Accents to the 2013 to add dimension. 

I do hope that you'll join us as I can't wait to see what you come up with.

So all that's left for me to do is to wish each and everyone of you a very Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year.

Claire xxx

Keep Calm & Carry On - It's Only Christmas!!!!

Hee hee so are you all feeling the pressure?? I sure am!!! I currently have builders in the house and it is has hugely disrupted my Christmas preparations (and crafting). I really wanted to be organised this year and send out cards to some of the lovely people that I have met through blogging, the organised bit never materialised but I did manage some very last minute cards and this is one of them! This is ideal for making in batches and the best bit is you don't need to be really precise with anything - so no faffing around measuring and matching colours!

To start I knocked up a few Gesso background pieces which I immediately sprinkled with Glamour Dust. Whilst they were drying I stamped, coloured and cut out my images. I added some interest to the background with embossing powder, cut the sentiment ribbon into individual words and then quickly assembled my cards. To finish I added Glossy Accents to the lights and baubles.

What do you think?? Not bad for a rush job??

I'm going to enter this card into the Moneysupermarket.com Christmas card contest. Keep ya fingers crossed for me as there are some awesome prizes up for grabs!!!

Right, I'd better get off of here and carry on with my Christmas preparations! You won't be seeing very much of me until about February, so I'd like to wish each and everyone of my readers a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Claire x

PS Oh and whilst I'm here, don't forget to enter the Crafty Ribbons Advent Event, there are loads of prizes to be won and the DT have worked really hard to bring you lots of inspiration. Remember even if you missed day one, you can still enter as Mr Linky will remain open until 26/12.

Materials:
Images: Tangled Enthusiasm, Abstract Foliage
Sentiment Ribbon - Crafty Ribbons
Gesso, Embossing Powder, Stickles

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

Cat's Choir! Christmas Box

Good morning. It's my turn post over at the Stampotique Designers Blog, so I've decided to double up this post with the Crafty Ribbons Advent post.  I've been desperate to show you this wall hanging, but have been unable to do so until I knew that it been safely received! It was a complete devil to photograph, so please excuse the picture quality.

It started life as a simple kraft box frame from  The Range. I covered it with a thick layer of Gesso and dabbed at it with a palette knife to give it loads of texture. Whilst it dried I stamped out, cut and coloured Oh Tree, Small Tree Topper, Front Door Shrubbery, Christmas Ornaments Cube, Mini Christmas Ornaments Cube, Welcome Door, Line Up and Snowman. I then drew a little carol book and die cut a Lampost using my new Sizzix Die and coloured them with Promarkers.

Once the Gesso had dried, I layered up some torn,inked strips of paper and dabbed some textured modelling paste over them. As the frame still looked a little bare I added some silver heat embossing using Abstract Foliage. Once the base was completed, I created the scene.

To finish I chucked on a bit of glitter and some Glossy Accents. I then added the fantastic Merry Christmas ribbon from Crafty Ribbons, and some Pinflair icicles which were covered with Glamour Dust.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Claire x

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

Gothic Arch Wedding Card

Well did you see the launch of the new Polka Doodles Cherry Blossom CD on Create & Craft? Weren't the DT samples lush? If you bought the cd, leave me a comment when you've made something with it, so that I can pop across and take a look!

If you didn't see the show then you will have missed this little card that I created. As you are all aware the turnaround time on samples is very tight and I cut everything by hand, so if there's a mistake I have very little time to rectify things. This card didn't quite turn out as I expected and after I'd finished it I had another idea for it, but just haven't had time to execute it! I think it will be a project for later in year!

Anyway, this is my card (apologies for the large number of pictures, but I wanted to show you the detail on it). I've used the gorgeous leaf ribbon from Crafty Ribbons to embellish the front of the card and the fantastic Cherry Blossom CD for the rest of it. The Gothic Arch was a chipboard shape from Tando which I simply resized as I needed.

Front of the card

Inside

Inside

This one shows of all of the sparkle and shine

So what do you think?

Thanks for stopping by today.

Claire

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

Polka Doodles Has A New Release!!!

Morning. Sorry nothing crafty from me today - I'm up to my eyeballs in things here! Just thought I'd let you know that Polka Doodles will be launching a new CD on Create & Craft on the 14th December. Shows are scheduled to go out at 10am and again at 4pm. I've made a couple of samples with the new collection, so I hope that you'll find the time to tune in. I can promise you that the new collection is gorgeous!

I'll be back later in the week with some crafty makes.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Claire x

Cute or what???

Good morning it's time for another challenge over at Stampotique and this week we want to see you make a Christmas card but not using a Christmas stamp!!! Remember you don't need to use Stampotique stamps to enter, but obviously we'd love it if you did!

For my card I've used the uber cute Hung Out To Dry which has been stamped, cut out and placed in a little hand drawn stocking. The image has been coloured with Promarkers. I've added some lace for texture and a sentiment using ribbon.

Whilst I'm here I just want to remind you that Crafty Ribbons is staging it's Christmas Advent Event and there are loads of prizes up for grabs, so don't forget to hop on over.

Thanks for stopping by today

Claire x

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Make It Monday - Anything goes
Inspire Me Friday - Anything goes

Have Faith!!! It's a Gesso ATC

Morning. Surprised to see me I bet? Well I thought that I'd show you this ATC that I made for the Wicked Wednesday ATC Challenge Blog who are being sponsored this week by Stampotique. The theme is "Wing It" which basically means anything with wings, so should be a nice easy challenge for most of you.

I have to say I really don't know why I don't make more ATC's as I had lots of fun with this one and they are great for trying new techniques and using up scraps of card. Maybe one of my New Years resolutions will be to make an ATC a week and participate in few swaps?

Anyway, onto my ATC. I used a Gesso technique that I'd spotted in Craft Stamper magazine to create the textured background. I liberally sprinkled the wet Gesso with angel dust aka as glitter and left it to dry. Whilst I waited for the Gesso to dry, I stamped Daniel's Tree Topper Large onto lightweight card three times, coloured with Promarkers and then cut her out.

Once the Gesso was completely dry,  the raised parts were swiped with silver acrylic paint and the edges stamped and heat embossed using Abstract Foliage.  The angel was then decoupaged onto the ATC. I printed the sentiment from JM Barrie onto tissue paper and then cut it out and used Mod Podge to place it onto the ATC. At this point I decided that the ATC needed something more, so I stamped Daisy Daisy onto some tissue paper, coloured with Promarkers and Mod Podge'd (is that a word??) it into place.

I do hope that you'll join the challenge.

Thanks for stopping by.

Claire x

Woooo Hoooo!!!! 24 Days To Go!!! Advent Countdown Chalkboard

Good Morning. Can you believe that it's the first day of advent??? No me neither - you just know that one blink and it's going to be Christmas Eve! :D Today sees the start of Crafty Ribbons Christmas Event which can only mean one thing...... lots of lovely inspiration and prizes each and every day! To enter simply pop across and enter your name in Mr Linky.

So to help keep us all on track I've designed this Christmas Themed Chalkboard. I've decided to use mine as a countdown calendar, until the big day when it will become a "Mum's Kitchen's Closed" sign!

I found the chalkboard in the poundstore and have used elements from Studio 12 Picknix Collection 2 - Gingerbread Twist to decorate it (and yes everything was handcut - sigh Santie I've been a real good girl won't you please deliver me a Cameo Silhouette???). The gorgeous gold edged organza ribbon is of course from Crafty Ribbons. To finish I've added Rock Candy Stickles, Star Dust Stickles and of course Glossy Accents.

Thanks for stopping by today

Claire x

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