Fairy Lantern

Just a quick post today to show this pretty little fairy lantern. It's loaded with detail, so apologies for the picture overload.

I know that there are several versions of this type of lantern knocking around the internet. However, mine is super quick and super simple and avoids all that faffing around with glue and tissue paper. It also avoids the hit and miss painting on glass process!

Want to know more? Check out the instructions below.

1. Cover a jar with Xcut adhesive vellum.
2. Dab Blanc Artiste Acrylic Paint onto the remaining glass areas of the jar. Paint the lid with Metallic Gold Artiste Acrylic Paint.
3.   Using black card, die cut a fairy and a selection of flowers from the Xcut Meadow Flowers die set.
4. Glue the fairy and some flowers to the inside of the jar.
5. Brush Craft Planet PVA glue onto the painted areas of the jar and allow it to dribble in places. Sprinkle sparingly with Papermania Fine Iridescent Glitter.
6. Punch a selection of flowers, butterflies and leaves from using Xcut punches and dies.
7. Create a handle from docrafts Craft Wire, attach to the jar using Stick Hot Glue.
8. Place the lid onto the jar and embellish with a craft wire stems, butterflies and a selection of the foliage, ensure that nothing is obstructing the movement of the lid.
9. Thread Papermania Alphabet Charms onto twine to create the hanging WISH ornament.
10. To finish, place a battery operated tealight inside the jar and replace the lid. 

I hope you like my take on the captured fairy lantern?

Thanks for stopping by today.

Claire

Shaped Elephant Card

I just wanted to share this gorgeous little Elephant Card with you. It's another of my DT projects for docrafts. Full project details can be found here: https://www.docrafts.com/Blog/elephant-card/964

Thanks for stopping by today.

Claire x

Smile Foiled Card

This is another quick and easy make using products from docrafts. You can find the full how to instructions here: https://www.docrafts.com/Blog/foiled-die-cut-card/900

Thanks for stopping by today.

Claire x

Moroccan Star Garland

I recently created this gorgeous paper star light garland for docrafts. Full details can be found here https://www.docrafts.com/Blog/moroccan-star-garland/864

I hope you like it? 

Thanks for dropping by today.

Claire x

Willow Magic Slider Card

Just popping in to share a Magic Slider card that I made using the fabulous Santoro Willow Stamps and Papers.  

I'm ever so slightly in love with the entire range of Willow products.

For full details on how to make this card and the materials used, please pop over to the docrafts blog.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Claire x

Kitsch Christmas

Just thought I dash in and share a little shadow box that I created for the docrafts design team. I had a complete blast making it. I think it's everything a fun Christmas ornament should be!

For full details, please pop across to the docrafts blog.

Claire x

Playing with Gelatos

Just thought I'd pop and share a recent demo make using this fabulous Willow stamp from docrafts and Faber-Castell Gelatos.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Claire x

Up, Up and Away - a quick and easy Gorjuss Girl card.

Here's a little Gorjuss card that I made recently using Santoro's Gorjuss Up, Up and Away and Papermania Capsule Elements - Metallics.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Claire x

Happy Birthday Mum

Make this super cute pop out card for Mum using the new Paws for Thought Collection from docrafts. Full instructions and a template can be found on the docrafts blog so that you can easily re-create this project.

It folds completely flat for mailing and can be made in under an hour.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Claire x

Quick and Easy Card

Just thought I'd pop on and share a recent demo make using docrafts Capsule Pigments A4 Ultimate Paper Pack and the Xcut Winter Forest Die.

For full details please pop over to my docrafts gallery.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Claire x

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside.....

This was a really quick and easy make using the new Ultimate Capsule Pigment Collection and Xcut Oceanic and Beach Hut Dies. For full details please pop over to the Docrafts Blog.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Claire x

Got a spare 30 minutes?

If you answered yes, then you have plenty of time to whip up at least three different cards using the Xcut Diamond Lattice Cut and Emboss Folder.

I've used the vellum from the Capsule Elements Pigments A4 Ultimate Paper Collection to make these two cards. The vellum is beautiful and has a ombre effect. It dry embosses perfectly and as you can see from the second card accepts heat embossing perfectly too.

The third card is using one of the papers from the above collection. Again I've used heat embossing on the card.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Claire xxx

Thank you fairy much!

Another quick and easy card from me today.

1.   Cut a piece of watercolour card to fit the Xcut Flower Fairies folder and then run through the Xpress die cutting machine.

2.   Scribble selected colours from the Santoro watercolour pen set onto an acrylic block. Using a water brush to pick up the pigment, carefully colour the raised images.

3.  Create a card base measuring 11cm x 14.5cm from white cardstock. Trim the watercolour card to fit the base, leaving a narrow border.

4.  Glue Anita’s Pastel Vellum on the reverse side of the image attach to the card using foam pads.

5.   Add some Craft Planet Iridescent Glitter glue to the dragonflies and fairies. To finish pop on an Anita's glittered sentiment.

Quick & Easy Card for Dad

I've made this quick and easy card using the A4 Ultimate Die-cut & Paper Pack from the Capsule Elements Metallics.

1. Trim a piece of the patterned to paper to fit a 5" x 7" Anita's card blank, leaving a narrow border. Adhere the paper to the card using a Stick It Glue Stick.

2. Take one of the paper ribbons from the kit and trim to measure 5.5". Mark the centre of the strip and fold the edges to the centre, the top corners should be about 1/2" from the top. Fold the top corners back to create the collar wing tips.

3. Trim a narrow border from patterned paper to create a decorative edge for the shirt collar, glue into position.

4. Assemble a bow from the paper kit, secure with a brad before gluing into position.

5. Snip the heads from two more brads and adhere to the card using silicone glue.

6. To finish add a sentiment and the word DAD.

If you want to see me re-creating this card and others, then please feel free to pop along to Clarkes The Stationers, Bond Street, Brighton between 10am and 4pm.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Claire x

I'm back!!!

Well I'm kind of back. I thought I'd pop my head in, blow off the dust and see who's about! I'm not sure if people still blog or if other social media platforms have taken over? Whilst I love the ease and speed of sharing on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, I really miss the details that blog posts give. So with that in mind, I'm thinking I might give blogging another whirl. I can't promise to post on regular basis at the moment, but I'm going to do my best.

Whilst I've been away from here, I've been super busy and believe it or not a lot of it has involved crafting. As many of you know I demonstrate for docrafts and also design for Polkadoodles. That hasn't changed, but I'm pleased to be able to tell you that I'm now a member of the 2017 docrafts Professional Design Team. My term with them is about to start, so I'm hoping that I'll be able to bring you lots of inspiration for using the new goodies that they will be releasing in the coming months.

Whilst I'm here I thought I'd give you a little glimpse of some of my recent docrafts demonstration pieces. If you've not been to one of our events, I can highly recommend that you pop along as there are some super talented demonstrators and they all seem to have a never ending supply of hints and tips as well as inspiration.

I'll start with some easy makes using the new Mr & Mrs Xcut die, Vintage Border dies and Dinky Flower and Leaf dies. You'll have to excuse the fact some of the colours schemes and layouts aren't quite perfect, but these projects were made during a demo and with the products that I had to hand.

This was a simple little anniversary card. I've added Bare Basics large wooden numbers painted with Artiste Silver Paint and a sentiment from Papermania All Occasions Sentiments.

Another easy make using the above dies, Coloured Vellum, Mirror Board and of course some ribbon. (All of the flowers on the top of the project have been made using one die).

Finally, a little gift bag.

Hopefully you can see just versatile the dies I've used are? I'll be back soon with some more makes and maybe a tutorial.

Thanks for stopping by and apologies again for the lack of consistency in blogging. I will be trying harder to blog regularly!

Claire x

Gorjuss Girl altered notebook

Another little make that I did a while back and forgot to blog!

This time it's a notebook that I've altered using a Docraft's Gorjuss Girl stamps. I thought I'd try using pastel colours as the Gorjuss range tends to be darker shades. I think it works quite well, what do you think?

Thanks for stopping by today.

Claire x

Gorjuss Girl burlap bag

I created this bag a while back and have just realised that I've forgotten to blog it!

I used acrylic paints and one of the mid-sized Docraft's Gorjuss Girl stamps on a pre-made hessian/burlap bag. It was a lot trickier than I thought, but the key is not to overwork the paints.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Claire x

Docrafts Pop Up Box Christmas Parcel Card

I hope you all had a fabulous weekend? I had a really quiet weekend and managed to sneak in a bit of crafty me time. I can't show you what I've been making yet, so thought I'd share one of my recent Docrafts Demo pieces.

This was a really quick and easy card using a Goody Bag, decorative tape, die cut felt shapes and some acetate.

To make, I simply trimmed approximately 1cm off of the edge of a glitter card blank. I then scored the card on the opposite by an equal amount. Keeping the scored edge folded, the edges were then folded to the centre before cutting the card in half on the long edge. Finally I added some staging upon which to mount the embellishments.

I think this makes a really quick and easy show stopper of a card. The best bit is you can make three of these from one goody bag and still have loads of stash left to create with.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Claire x

Mixing things up with Docrafts Woodland Gift Tags and Creativity Magazine Free Gifts!

So I picked up this months Creativity Magazine and as always there were some amazing free gifts in the shape of a set of four double sided wooden postcards and some Wilson Wood stickers. I also happened to get my hands on the new Woodland Gift Tags dies which from the very first moment I saw them I knew that I was going to end up buying them!

I made this little card using one of the postcards and the dies. I'm really pleased with the way it turned out.

Paint the scene on the wooden postcard with watered down Artiste acrylic paints. Remove the sign post sticker from the free Wilson Wood stickers and cut out the text from another sticker. Mount onto cardstock and arrange the letters as desired. Using the Woodland Gift Tags Die and A4 Premium Textured Cardstock cut several leaves, toadstools and animals. If desired dry brush detail onto the animals using Artiste Acrylic Paints and Brushes. Arrange all of the elements onto the postcard and secure with Stick It Silicone Glue. To finish add 3D Clear Gloss to the mushrooms and acorns.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Claire

Supplies:
Creativity Magazine
Woodland Gift Tag Dies
A4 Textured Cardstock
Acrylic Paints
Brushes

I'd like to enter this project into the following challenges:
613 Avenue Create - Anything goes
Dragonfly Dreams - Anything goes
Simon Says Stamp - Create a scene
The Corrosive Challenge - Nature/Animals
Crafty Friends Challenge - Use your dies
Animal Friends Challenge - Anything goes
Crafts & Me - Anything goes
Cut It Up - Die cuts

Gorjuss Girl Mini Matchbox Surprise Card

As some of you know I love the Gorjuss Girl collection from Docrafts but rarely seem to find time to play. Well I had a little time to play and decided I'd try my hand at making a mini matchbox card.

I think I'm quite please with the results and will definitely be making more of these.

I might use a standard depth large matchbox though as it's a bit of a squash to fit everything inside.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Claire x

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Artistic Inspirations - Anything goes
Crafting from the heart - Anything goes
Craft your passion - Anything goes
Our Crafty Corner - Anything goes
613 Avenue Create - Anything goes
Crafty Friends Challenge - Anything goes
Card and Scrap - Lace
Crafty Hazelnut's Patterned Paper - Anything goes
Sparkles Monthly Challenge - Make It Girly