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

Handmade Buttons!

Is what we want to see from you this week over at Delicious Doodles. The prize this time is the choice of five digis from the Delicious Doodles Shop. When I initially saw the details for this challenge I was totally uninspired, but have to say that once I got going I really enjoyed it and ended up making loads of buttons for future projects.

I used the image Zebras for this card and coloured it with Distress Inks and Promakers. I stamped directly onto the DP's using Stazon and My Paper World Grasses and Embellishments Stamps.

The button was made using nesties, shrink plastic, Distress Inks and the above stamps. Before shrinking the buttons I dotted the images with Sakura Gel Pens to add a bit of glimmer (well you didn't think I'd manage to make a card with no shimmer, sparkle or shine did you?). I made the rosette using this tutorial by the fabulous Laura.

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

Crafty Cardmakers - Plastic
Incy Wincy - Punches or Dies
Simon Says Stamp and Show - Stripes
I Did It Creations - Anything goes
Allsorts Challenge - Inspired by Nature
Crafty Calendar - Love

Craftymess Blog Candy

The lovely Judie over at I Just Love a Crafty Mess has recently set up a fantastic craft forum called Craftymess. I popped over there the other day to see what was going on and was amazed to find not only lots of friendly chit chat, but lots of hints and tips, an ATC swap, an inchie challenge and even some fantastic blog candy (see the picture below).

If you haven't signed up already, please do take the time to pop over and have look.

Thanks for stopping by

Claire

PS don't forget to enter my followers candy

Furry Friends GDT Card for Gingerloft Challenge

A couple of weeks ago I was fortunate enough to have this card selected as one of the top three over at the Gingerloft Challenge and as a result the lovely Tami asked me if I'd be interested in being GDT for this week. Of course I said yes!

This weeks theme is Furry Friends and I've chosen to use an image from the Gingerloft Store called Fairy with Unicorn. I hope you like what I've created for your inspiration and will look forward to seeing your entries. This post is a little photo heavy cos I've tried to capture all the sparkle and shimmer, remember if you want to see the images larger, just click on them.

Taken with a flash to show shimmer

I started of by colouring the background of the image with Distress Ink, I then coloured the fairy and unicorn with Promarkers and made them pop a little with some stickles. The whole image has then been blasted with Diamond Glimmer Mist.

Taken in natural light to show depth of colour

The BP was created using Distress Inks and Glimmer Mist. I stamped the sentiment from Sweet Pea Stamps directly onto the card using Stazon.

Taken with a flash to try and get more sparkle to show

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Crafts & Me - Time to spread your wings
Little Red Wagon - Mist
Sir Stampalot - All creatures great and small
Incy Wincy Designs - Colour me wonderful
Sparkles Forum - Fairies
Crafty Purple Frog - A touch of magic

Delicious Doodles Challenge # Bling, Shimmer, Sparkle & Shine

Yep it's that time again over at Delicious Doodles and this week it's a nice easy challenge - sparkle, shimmer, shine and bling! The prize is any five digis from the Delicious Doodles Shop. The DT have created some gorgeous projects for your inspiration, so please stop by and have a peek.

Just a reminder that I have a followers blog candy running at the moment and all you have to do is enter your name in Mr Linky to be eligible. Oh and don't forget that Sweet Pea Stampers currently have a DT call here.

Right onto my card! I loved this challenge, cos as you know most of my cards and projects have plenty of sparkle and shine and this card is no exception! I'm afraid my photos don't really show all the sparkle and shimmer as the light here today is dreadful - sorry.

I decided to keep this card nice and simple with a minimum number of embellishments as I really wanted to show of the gorgeous Fairy Flora Prima Paper and the beautiful fairy image. I've coloured the fairy with Promarkers, cut her out and then covered her dress with Sakura Gel Pen, added a gem and stickled her wings. I've used silicone glue to mount her onto the card. The flowers on the paper have been glittered.



The butterflies have been punched using my Martha Stewart 3 in 1 Butterfly Punch. I've then covered them with Stardust Stickles and added tiny little gems. I've then added a trail using a pink sakura glitter gel pen.

Thanks for stopping by today, I'll be back tomorrow with another card.

Claire x

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Papertake Weekly - Putting on the glitz
Crafty Purple Frog - A touch of magic
Dutch Dare - Sparkle, glitter, bling

Mini Book - A Work In Progress

I hope you've all had a lovely valentine's day. I've spent it on my own as DH is working away again, still it's given  me time to play, so I'm not too sad :)

Now I know I don't normally post twice in one day, but I am desperate to enter a challenge and am praying that I'm not too late!! The challenge is over at Simon Says Stamp who at the weekend showed this fab tutorial from the master himself Tim Holtz and then set a challenge for us mere mortals to make one. It looked relatively straight forward, so I decided that I'd have a little play. Here's what I've come up with (sorry for the pictures will try to get some better ones in daylight).

I didn't have any tissue tape, so made my own from Micropore (the surgical plaster stuff) simply by stamping over it with Versafine. It seems to have worked OK, so will definately be making some more for future projects. I made a tie to keep the book closed with some vintage seam binding which has been coloured with inks.

This is going to be a work in progress as obviously time was limited due to the closing date being the 15/2. However, it is in my mind that it's not going to be a book of love, but a mini labour of love! I'm going to add vintage techniques, materials and interesting finds to the book as and when I find them, which means I will be able to refer to the book for inspiration.

I will definately be making more of these as not only were they nice and easy, but they were fun and can be adapted for many projects.

Thanks for looking

Claire xx

Happy Valentine's Day

Well DS is showing all the traits of being a typical man and following in his father's foot steps! At nine 'o'clock last night he re-appeared downstairs and said "When's Valentine's Day?" The look on his face when I told him was tomorrow was priceless, he then got all tearful and said "but I haven't got Faith a card or present!" True love at the tender age of nine - LOL! So I told him not to worry I'd find something!! So once I'd finished ironing I quickly made a card and a chocolate bar.

I'd like to enter the chocolate bar into the following challenges:
Simon Says Stamp - Anything but a card
The Stampman - Hearts

I'd like to enter the card into the following challenges:
The Crafty Pad - Hearts
Creative Cowgirls - Hearts
Gingerloft - The colour red
PaperWorks Co. - Hearts
Crazy for Challenges - Hearts
Sew Many Challenges - Valentine