Monochromatic Sweet Pea Ching Chou Kuik's Fluttering Butterflies Acetate Card

Yay it's the weekend (well almost) and I can't wait! I'm off to The Craft Barn this weekend and am really looking forward to it! In case you haven't heard they have their extravaganza weekend where basically they take over the whole of Lingfield village with craft demos. The full line up can be found here.

So onto this weeks challenge over at Sweet Pea Stampers which is Monochromatic. We want to see creations using a single colour in lots of shades and tones. We are sponsored by the lovely Lynette from Sweet Pea Stamps who is offering a 3 count grab bag of stamps. If your wanting some inspiration, please stop by the rest of the DT's blogs where they have some amazing projects.

Anyway, here's my offering for the week.

I stamped Ching-Chou Kuik's Fluttering Butterflies onto smooth white cardstock. The image has been coloured with a range of Black and Grey Promarkers and then high-lighted with Stickles and Enamel Accents. I ran a sheet of acetate through an embossing folder to create the card base. The image was then mounted onto black card and attached to the acetate. I then attached matching black mounts the reverse of the image and inside and to the rear of the card. The eyelash fibre, flowers and butterfly were from my stash.

I hope you all have a great weekend, thanks as always for stopping by.

Claire xx

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
The Craft Barn - Acetate
In A Sweet Pea Dream - Wings

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

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

Sweet Pea Stampers Challenge - Use your favourite stamp

Hello folks hope you're all well? It's challenge time over at Sweet Pea Stampers and this fortnight it's Use your favourite stamp! So basically it's anything goes, so I really hope you'll be joining us this time, especialy as we have a fantastic prize of three digital Sweet Pea Decoupage sheets on offer from The Crafty Purple Frog. Oh and don't forget that we currently have a DT call which can be found here.

Whilst I'm here, I may as well remind those of you who do me the honour of following me, there's some blog candy on offer here. If you haven't entered it yet, please do so, there's no catches or requirements, it's just a small thanks for following me.

Now back to the challenge! Asking me to chose my favourite stamp was almost impossible. I whittled it down to three stamps and then changed my mind (not just once, but several times), that in the end I decided that I'd just use one of my uninked stamps that I've been meaning to use.

Anyway, time is short and as usual I've waffled on for far too long! So here's the bit you've been waiting for, well I think it is - I'm sure you don't stop by here for my weekly waffle!! LOL. My card....

The image is Ching-Chou Kuik's Fluttering-Butterflies which I've paper pieced, coloured with Distress Inks and Promarkers and then lightly blasted with Tattered Angels Diamond Glimmer Mist. I've highlighted parts of the image with Glossy Accents and lots of stickles. The DP's are by Amy Butler from K&Co. The blue rhinestones are from Simon Says Stamp , Pink Grosgrain Ribbon is from Crafty Ribbons, and the butterfly charm is from The Works.

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Stamp Insanity - Photo au mojo
Paper Romance - Anything goes
In a Sweet Pea Dream - Warmer Weather
Crafty Purple Frog - A touch of magic
Do You Stack Up - Anything goes
Creative Craft World - Square
Paper Pretties - Glitter
Bunny Zoes - Flowers
Totally Paper Crafts - Paper piecing
Stamp Something - Flowers
Crafty Emmas - Flowers & flutterbys
Sweet Stampin - Girly