Snowman Christmas Card

This will be my last post before Christmas and I'd like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Peaceful, Prosperous New Year. I'd also like to thank those of you who have supported and encouraged me in my artistic endeavours this year, you really have no idea how much it means!

Anyway, here's a little snowman card that I batch made using Sizzix/Tim Holtz stamps and matching dies. They're really quick and easy, so much so that I managed to create matching envelopes.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Claire x

Ho Ho Ho...... Thank goodness for Tim Holtz and Sizzix!!!

I know I said I be back a few weeks ago...... whistles.... but you know life it just keeps happening and whoosh before you know it weeks have gone by!

Anyway, I'm seriously behind with my Christmas preparations and needed some super speedy makes. Rummaging through my unopened stash I came across a stamp and die set from Tim Holtz/Sizzix. So I opened them up and set to work.... wow is all I have to say! I don't think I've ever made so many cards in such a short space of time.

I even managed to make matching envelopes. :)

I've not quite finished making cards yet.... so I've opened another set of dies and stamps and am all set to create a few more cards. Hopefully, I'll be back with these within the next couple of days.

Whilst I'm here I'll also give you the heads up for Friday 16/12 at 11 am when the fabulous Nikky Hall from Polkadoodles will be on Create and Craft TV with a brand new launch of Papers (yes I said PAPERS!!!), Dies and a new CD. Seriously, having been lucky enough to make up some samples with the new kit, you do not want to miss out, they are lush! I'll post one of my samples here on Friday but if you get a chance pop over to the Polkadoodles Facebook page where you can see my fellow teamies stunning creations.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Claire x

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

My Final Polka Doodles GDT Card. Looking For Santa!!

Good morning folks. Apologies for my absence over the past couple of weeks, but real life has got in the way of crafting and blogging! As the title of this post suggests, this is my last GDT card for Polka Doodles :( so I'd like to take the time to thank Nikki and the rest of the team for having me. It's been fun :D

The challenge this week is Through The Window, so we want to see your aperture cards. I totally loved this challenge cos it meant that I got to use one my new dies and some un-inked stamps (shhhh don't tell, but I treated myself to some new stash).  :D

I die cut the window and then mounted it onto an inked scene before placing it onto the stepper card. I've used Cory from the Pretty Tuff CD by Polka Doodles and altered it by hand to suit my scene. I've used Promarkers to colour in and have added some Flower Soft to the brim of the hat and the bobble.

Materials
Pretty Tuff CD - Polka Doodles
Tree Stamp - Hero Arts
Santa & Sleigh Stamp - Hobby Art
Memory Box Window Die
Tim Holtz Distress Inks - Broken China, Black Soot, Scattered Straw
Sentiment -Craftwork Cards
Silver Snowflake Cord - Lidl
White Card - The Paper Mill
Papers - PaperCellar
Signlo - white gel pen

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
The Crafty Purple Frog - It's cold outside
Paper Play - Christmas
Sarah Hurley Challenges - Colouring
Crafts and Me - Christmas
Bunny Zoe's - Fancy Folds

Christmas Bird House

I'm back with another one :) Are you fed up of seeing them yet?? If so I'm sorry, but they are soooo addictive! This time I've made a Christmas bird house, which was really quick and simple.

I painted the house with acrylic paint, applied some patches of crackle glaze and then sponged gold paint over it using a baby wipe. The bird is from the Sizzix Tim Holtz Birdcage Alterations Die, I chopped his tail and legs off . The flowers, button and ribbon were in my stash.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Claire xx

I'd like to enter this project into the following challenges:
Little Claire's Designs - Christmas
Crafty Catz - Anything Goes
ABC Christmas Challenge - V is for vintage
Cooking It Up With Katie - Anything but a card
Freshly Brewed - Anything goes
Paper Shelter - Christmas Fun
Bearly Mine - Anything but a card
Christmas Inspiration - Bows
I Did It Creations - Christmas

Katerina Koukiotiss Halloween Magic!

Good morning folks. I've finally managed to sit for long enough to colour up an image and make a card for this fortnights Sweet Pea Stampers Challenge. The theme is "Scary", so we want to see your Halloween creations using Sweet Pea stamps.

The prize this time is two sweet pea stamps supplied by the lovely Lynette, and two gorgeous decoupage sheets

from the equally lovely Amy for the random winner!!!

I have to say I was itching to join the girls for this challenge as I'd got a new stamp that was begging to be inked up (plus I've been bored silly whilst convalescing)!!! Isn't she gorgeous??? I think she is now my favourite Sweet Pea!! Well until I ink up and colour the next new one and things could all change again :D

 Now I know that on first inspection my card  doesn't look scary, but take a closer look - loads of bats! Uurrggh - shudders!

Materials
Image  - Katerina Koukiotiss' Halloween Magic
Bats - Martha Stewart Halloween Stamps
Sentiment - Papermania Halloween Set
Promarkers - Satin, Sunkissed Pink, Blush, Amber, Honeycomb, Pumpkin, Caramel, Sandstone, Aubergine, Amethyst, Lilac, Black, Cool Grey 3,4,5.
Tim Holtz Distress Inks - Spiced Marmalade, Scattered Straw, Black Soot, Fired Brick, Forest Moss
Sizzix Pumpkin Die
X-Cut Botanics Ivy Leaf Punch
Glimmer Mist - Dazzling Diamonds
Sakura Gel Pen - Clear Star
Stickles - Black Soot, Stardust
Papers - Papermania Halloween
Green Leaf Ribbon - May Arts
Black Webbing Ribbon - white ribbon coloured with Promarkers

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Divas by Design - Something Spooky
Freshly Brewed - Black, Orange & Purple
I Brake For Challenges - Halloween
I ♥ ProMarkers - Cute
Inky Impressions - Halloween
Deep Ocean Challenge - Fall colours
Papertake Weekly - Spooky Hues
Pile It On - Fall Fun
Woodware USA - Anything Goes
Crafty Emma's - Autumn
In a Sweet Pea Dream - Anything Goes
Sweet Pea Stamps - Are You The Next Card Designing Superstar?

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

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

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

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

Delicious Doodles Challenge #11 - The darkness has decended!!

Morning folks I hope you're all ready and raring to go? I hope so, cos this week we have teamed up with the fabulous Smeared Ink and are running a sketch challenge and blog hop. There will be two prizes up for grabs this week, Delicious Doodles are offering five digis of your choice and  Smeared Ink are offering five single digis or one digi set. Full details of this weeks challenge and the blog hop can be found on the Delicious Doodles Challenge Blog. For those of you already hopping the running list is at the bottom of this post.

Smeared Ink kindly let the DD DT chose an image each from their store, and whilst they are renowned for their "alternative and darker" images, I happened upon some fabulous vintage stuff as well as dare I say it, some cutsie images!

Now I must've had a moment of madness as I've taken myself completely out of my comfort zone and played with one of the darker images! Yikes!!! It was all going rather well until I decided to check back onto the Delicious Doodles Admin Site only to discover I was supposed to be following the sketch! Those of you who read regularly will know I'm not the biggest sketch fan, so you can imagine it threw me completely. Anyway, I managed to salvage almost everything I'd done with the exception of the fantastic sentiment that goes with this image. I just couldn't find anywhere to put it, so I'm afraid it's ended up tucked inside the card. The sentiment reads " Have a howling good time" and can be found here. So... whadya think of my efforts?

I've used my beloved Distress Inks to create the image background. The image has been coloured with Promarkers and I've then randomly stamped some foliage with black memento ink. I've then given everything a generous blast of Glimmer Mist to soften the inks.

The backing paper has made from white paper sprayed with a mixture of Maya Road Mists. The main BP has simply had a flourish stamped over it. The other BP's have been run through the Big Shot in embossing folders.

Materials:
Cardstock - The Papermill
Distress Inks - Tumbled Glass, Chipped Sapphire and Forest Moss
Maya Road Mists - Blue Corn, Evergreen and Licorice
Flourish stamp - Viva decor
Foliage Stamp - Tim Holtz
Embossing folders - Sizzix/Tim Holtz Woodgrain and Craft Concept Garden Swirl
Nellie Snellon - Flower Punch
Little Claire's Fern Die
Stickles

If you're looking for the blog hop running order it's here:
Teri
Anita Marie
Pascale
Allison
Ildiko
Alex
Claire
Terra
Tori
Alison
Kelli
Black Dragon
Lady Brayton
Meredith
Kapree
Lisa
Jane

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Crafty Hos' - No designer Papers
Craft Us Crazy - Anything goes 
I ♥ ProMarkers - Anything goes
Papertake Weekly - Anything goes
Passion for Promarkers - Photo Inspiration (landscape & blue) 
Magical Monday - Flowers

Sweet Pea Stampers Challenge - It's All White!!!

Welcome to the first Sweet Pea Stampers challenge of 2011. This time we want you to make a card or a project using all white with the exception of the image where you can use colours of your choice. As always we have a fantastic prize, this time its three sheets of decoupage from The Crafty Purple Frog. I really hope that you will join us and look forward to seeing your creations. Also, don't forget to check out the fantastic blog candy currently on offer.

When I first saw this challenge I kind of panicked! Not that I'm afraid of white space, far from it I love it, but Sweet Pea stamps and white space, post Christmas??? I don't think so!! However, I've had to eat my words and say that once I'd got over the initial shock of the challenge and started playing with ideas, that Sweet Pea stamps and lots of white is a fabulous combination! Don't believe me? Checkout what the other DT girls have done for this challenge - their projects are totally amazing!

I've used ching-chou kuik's Fairy of the Night for this card. The image has been stamped and heat embossed and then re-stamped, coloured with Promarkers, cut out and mounted onto the heat embossed image. I've then added plenty of sparkle with Stardust and Tumbled Glass Stickles.

The white cardstock has been embossed with my new Sizzix Texture Fades Burlap/Swirls  and Textured Impressions Winter embossing folders and the edges have been distressed with the Tim Holtz Distressing Tool. The flowers have been cut from the Sizzix Tattered Florals Die and then coated with glass particles (thanks to the lovely Kate of Downright Crafty for pointing me in the direction of this fab product) and secured with pearl brads from Kars.

Thanks for stopping by.


Claire x

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Saturday Challenge - Tons of texture
Digital Tuesday - All white
Top Tip Tuesday - Anything goes
Hodge Podge Shop - White on White
Meljens Designs - Square or Round card 
The Stampman - Distress

Unregrettable Pirate Life - Altered Notebook

It's time for another challenge over at Sweet Pea Stampers and this time we have a sketch for you to follow. 

The prize this week is these three fabulous Sweet Pea Stamps. I really hope that you'll be joining us.

I decided that I'd use the sketch to alter a notebook for my daughter. My friend had picked up a pile of these horrible notebooks and her boys flatly refused to use them, so she was chucking them out! Being the horder that I am, I rescued them and have transformed this one into something slightly prettier!

I started off by prising open the wire to release the front and back cover. I then covered them with Pirate Princess papers from Rusty Pickle and inked the edges with Black Soot Distress Ink. The panels were matted and layered onto to some silver cardstock from The Papermill.

I stamped the image Unregrettable Pirate Life from Sweet Pea Stamps with Memento ink and then coloured it with Promarkers. The image was then spritzed with Glimmer Mist and given a generous coating of Stickles and Glossy Accents. It was then matted onto the silver cardstock which was distressed with a distressing tool and inks. The sentiment was computer generated and cut out using Nesties. Again the edges were inked with Black Soot. The notebook was then reassembled, prettied up with ribbons and gems et voila the finished product!

Thanks for stopping by and I'll look forward to seeing your entries.

Claire

I'd like to enter this project into the following challenges:
Digi Doodle Shop's Best - Anything goes
A Spoonful of Sugar - Distressing
A Crafty Little Place - Alter It
Let's Ink It Up - Recycle

Jewelled Fairy Easel Card

This going to be a really quick post from me today as I'm supposed to be ironing :( and then taking the kids out for the afternoon :)

Teri over at Delicious Doodles released this gorgeous fairy the other week and I was desperate to get her coloured and made into something. The fairy has been coloured with Promarkers and I decided that as my distress inks have been feeling a little neglected lately I would bring them out to play to create the entire background on this card and to colour the flowers. A bit more sparkle and glimmer has been added to everything by the use of Glimmer Mist, Sakura Gel Pens, Smooch, Stickles, Glossy Accents and Gems.

If you get the chance please do pop over to the Delicious Doodles Blog to check out the rest of the DT's cards as there are some amazing creations being showcased on a daily basis. Plus it's my turn to post over there today and I don't wanna be talking to myself  - LOL ;)

Oh and one more thing don't forget to enter my £30 giveaway!

Tools
Big Shot
Nestabilities
Sizzix Tattered Florals Die
Little Claire's Fern Die
Tim Holtz Blender

Materials
Image - Delicious Doodles
Tim Holtz Distress Inks
Sakura Gel Pens
Stickles
Smooch Ink
Glimmer Mist
Glossy Accents
Gems

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Papertake Weekly - Sparkle & Bright
I Did It Creations - Surprise Me
Speedy The Cat's Challenge - Diecuts/Punches
Craft Your Passion - Glitter/Sparkles
Karber Monthly - Fantasy
2 Sisters - Anything goes
Totally Gorjuss - Sparkle
Stamp Something - Use a digi
The ABC Challenge - Glitter
Simon Says Challenge - Punches/Die cuts

Pssst - I've got a secret to share!!

Want to know what it is???Here's a clue

Got it yet??? No? Well, you can either read on or click here for the answer!!! ;)

Got it now? Yep that's right, I've been invited to join those hugely talented girls over on the Sweet Pea Stampers DT !!  :)

This my first challenge card for them, and just in case you haven't guessed, this week the challenge is easel cards. There's a fantastic prize of  3 Sweet Pea stamps to be won. I really hope that some of you can find the time to pop over there and give me some support. It would be fab to see some of my followers joining the challenges and hopefully winning the prizes on offer.

Anyway as this is a huuuuuggggely long post I'll keep the deets of how I made the card brief! The picture above doesn't really show the shimmer and glimmer, so I've popped a couple more  on to try and show it.

I've coloured the image with Promarkers, created the background with distress inks and then given it a generous spritz of glimmer mist. I've added lots of gloss and sparkle with glimmer mist, stickles, sakura gel pens, gems and glossy accents. The snowflakes are Marianne Creatables which have been coloured with distress inks, glimmer misted and decorated with iridescent snowflake buttons and gems. The blue gem swirls have been created using a Eline Template (yes I really did glue each gem on individually).

Oh and just one more thing before I go, please don't forget to enter my CSN giveaway where you can win a £30 gift voucher to spend on anything you like.

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
The Crafty Purple Frog - Anything goes
Top Tip Tuesday - Anything goes
Pear Tree Designs - Free for all
Tuesday Throwdown - Anything goes
A Crafty Little Place - Easel card
In a Sweetpea Dream - All about Christmas
Moving Along With The Times (sponsored by Letraset)- Anything goes Promarkers
Meljens Designs - Anything goes
Delightful Challenges - It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
Sarah Hurley - Christmas card, but red and green must not be seen

MSE Challenge - Bling or Glitter

Crafty Place ATC Swap

The theme of this months ATC swap over on the Crafty Place was "Feathers". My swap partner was the lovely Debbie (aka Padster) who's gorgeous makes I've already blogged. Here's the ATC and card I sent in return.

The background has been created with distress inks. The bird has been stamped directly onto the ATC. I've then masked the bird and stamped and heat embossed the cow parsley heads. The bird has then been painted with distress inks and the wing tips given a brushing of Perfect Pearls.

This card uses the free stamp that came with this months Craft Stamper magazine. I've stamped it onto white card using Vintage Sepia Versamark Ink. The flower has then been coloured with Spiced Marmalade distress ink and then triple embossed to give it a glass effect. The centre of the flower has been filled with Glossy Accents and micro glass beads. The flower has been mounted onto a black/gold metallic paper.

Tools
Heat Gun

Materials
Brown Card - The Papermill
Black/Gold Metallic Paper - The Papermill
Beige Linen Paper - The Papermill
Heat It Up Embossing Powders - Gold and Clear
Distress Inks - Forrest Moss, Spiced Marmalade, Walnut Stain, Tea Dye and Scattered Straw
Tim Holtz Flights of Fancy Stamps

I'd like to enter the ATC into the following challenges:
Alphabet Challenge - N is for Nature
Rosie D's - All creatures great & small
PaperPlay - Anything goes
Creative Inspirations - Animals
Kah Wink E Dink - Anything goes as long as it's cool
The Stampman - Anything goes
Stamping with the Dragon - Distressing
Stamp n Doodle - Anything goes
Crafty Cardmakers - Oldest, latest & greatest

It's that birdcage again!!

I'm loving this die and have lots of plans for it in the future. It was definately money well spent! I've made this card for another forum friend's birthday, I hope she's had a great day!

I've used Core-dinations Whitewash cardstock and run it through my Bigshot. It's then been sanded and the edges distressed. The birdcage has been embossed and I've rubbed some of the powder off before heat setting it. I've made flowers using my 3D flower die and have then given them the stickles treatment. The ferns have been die-cut using my new Little Claire's die.

Tools
Bigshot
Sizzix Tim Holtz Birdcage Die
Sizzix 3D Flower Die
Little Claire's - Fern Die
Sizzix Texturz Swirly Vine
Tim Holtz Blender
Heat Gun
Fiskars Tag Punch

Materials
Cardbase - Craftwork Cards
Whitewash Cardstock - Core-dinations
Metallic Paper - The Papermill
Embossing Powder - Heat it up
Pearls - from stash
String - from stash
Stickles - Diamond
Sentiment - computer generated

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Rosie D's Challenge - All creatures great and small
Cowgirl Up Sunday Challenge - Anything goes
The Crafty Pad - Vintage theme
Creative Inspirations - Anything goes
The Pink Elephant - Brown
Create4fun - Flowers
Mami Doodles - Anything goes