Delicious Doodles Challenge - Good vs Evil!!

Finally I managed to make it for a Delicious Doodles Challenge! I haven't joined the girls for so long it's a wonder that they haven't booted me from the team! Since I last played along with them there have been a few changes, not least of which is that we are now fortnightly which gives you oodles of time to make something and join in the fun. Full rules can be found on the blog.

This time the challenge is nice easy one Saintly Good stuff, or Ghostly Evil stuff. We are celebrating two festivals Halloween on 31st October and All Saints Day on 1st November. You get to choose which theme to follow, or you could combine them both, it's up to you!! I decided that I go with darkside this time and have made a fun invite for some friends that will (hopefully) be coming to dinner on Halloween. So what do you think of it? Would it tempt you to join me??

I made a simple stepper card out of acetate and then used a plethora of images from the Delicious Doodles shop. The images have been coloured with Promarkers and Distress Inks. I've added Stickles to the wings, moon and decoupaged slopes. The iron railings have been heat embossed and then cut out (I would've stamped them directly onto the acetate, but discovered at the last minute that I'd run out of heat resistant acetate). The "Join Us" sentiment has been made using my Dymo label maker and acetate, coloured with Promarkers.

Before I go, I'd just like to thank everyone who has voted for me over at Sweet Pea Stamps - I really do appreciate it. If you haven't yet voted and would like to do so, please follow the link .


Have a fab weekend - I'm hoping to get some serious crafting done and may even be back on Sunday with another project that I've been working on.


Claire xxx

Materials
Images -  Gravestone Scene, The Grim Reaper, Vampyress, Spooky Haunted House
Railings & Bats - Martha Stewart Halloween Set
Heat It Up Silver Embossing Powder
Promarkers
Stickles - Stardust
Distress Inks
Acetate
Tools - Heat gun, Martha Stewart Scoreboard, Purple Cows Guillotine, Tim Holtz Blender, Dymo Label Maker

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Crafty Purple Frog - Sparkle
Divas by Design - Spooky
I Brake For Challenges - Halloween
The Paper Shelter - Anything goes
Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes
Sisterhood of Crafters - Halloween

I need your vote - please!

Good Evening Folks

I'm after a huge favour from you all. I recently entered the Sweet Pea Stampers Card Making Superstar Contest and am thrilled to have been shortlisted in the top 5. The contest is now open to the public vote and I really, really need your votes. If you can spare a couple of minutes to vote I'd be really grateful.

My card is the second one down and here's the link to the poll.

I'll be back in the morning with my Delicious Doodles challenge card.

Thanks for stopping by
Claire x

Halloween Bird House

I thought I'd show you yet another of the birdhouses that I've been playing with. This time it's a Halloween one and I have to say I'm really pleased with the way this one came out even though my picture really doesn't do it justice.

I painted the house with black acrylic paint and then gave it a generous spritz of Twilight Black Cosmic Shimmer, popped on some stickers that I think came from Poundland, stamped a silver spiders web from my new Martha Stewert Holiday Set, added some black ribbon and that was it - finished.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Claire x

I'd like to enter this project into the following challenges:
Crafty Boots - Autumn or Halloween
Hooked on Crafts - Something Spooky
Dream Valley Challenges - Halloween
The Crafty Pad - Halloween
Allsorts - Halloween
Craft Your Days Away - Halloween Colours
Marks Finest Papers - Altered Item

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?

Hello :)

Have you missed me?? Well I know some of you have and I've missed all of you!! I can't believe how long it's been since I last blogged and can only apologise and say that I have had a couple of very good reasons not least of which was major surgery which has to be honest knocked me for six and left me unable to sit and craft for very long. However, I'm feeling heaps better and am crafting as and when I can.

So, my first project back is sadly a With Sympathy card. I never enjoy making these cards (to be honest who does?) and find them really stressful. I'm never sure if the recipient finds comfort in the cards or if they just serve as a reminder of their loss and adds to their grief! Also, I worry about using inappropriate images or verses. To try and avoid this minefield, I've  kept the card relatively clean and simple.

I made a gate fold card and embossed the front panels before swiping over with gold ink. The sentiment has been heat embossed as have the die cut swirls, the oval die cut has been embossed and then highlighted with gold ink.

Tools/Materials
Martha Stewart Scoreboard
Purple Cows Guillotine
Big Shot
Heat Gun
Sizzix Decorative Labels
Sizzix Swirls Embossing Folder
Mini Dots Embossing Folder (freebie from DoCrafts)
Stamp - Anita's (currently on bogof for 99p in The Range)
Heat It Up Embossing Powder  - Gold
Gold Ink

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
OSAAT - Anything Goes
Sentimental Sundays - Anything Goes
Marks Finest Papers - No Designer Papers

Blue Christmas!! Using Rachel Anderson's Snow Fae

Wow two Christmas cards down and it's only August!!! LOL! Not sure what happened to my "I'll make a Christmas card a week resolution - I think it might have run off with my I'll lose two stone by August one! Anyway, I've made this card for this weeks challenge over at Sweet Pea Stampers which is Blue Crush. This is my first appearance on team B since we've gone weekly, so I really hope that you will be able to join us. We have a fantastic prize this week, a grab bag of three Sweet Pea stamps which have kindly been donated by our sponsor Lynette from Sweet Pea Stamps.

I've kept this card relatively simple as I didn't have time to faff around finding co-ordinating papers and a fancy layout, so I dug out my trusty Distress Inks, Promarkers and white gel pen and set to work! I hope you like and don't think I've been too lazy :)

Tools
Big Shot
Texturz Snowflake Embossing Plate

Materials
Image - Snow Fae
Distress Inks - Weathered Wood, Stormy Sky & Broken China
Promarkers
White Gel Pen
Sakura Stardust Clear Pen
Gold Gel Pen
Ribbon from stash
Diamantes

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Passion for Promarkers - Divas with glam & glitter
Sweet Stamps -Bling it up
Crazy Challenge - Embossing
Charisma Cards - Distressing
Craft Us Crazy - Anything goes
Moving Along With The Times - Fantasy
Fab 'n' Funky - Christmas
Flutterby Wednesdays - Open

Have I Had Fun??

You bet!! I'm GDT for Bunny Zoe's this month - whoooohooo which meant that I got to play with a stamp of my choice (thanks Nikki - greatly appreciated). I'm sure most people would've found that an easy task, but not me!! It took ages to choose a stamp from the huge selection that are stocked, but I finally settled on the gorgeous Magnolia Butterfly Dreams  - Beautiful Tilda. The next challenge for me was to create my card. The theme this month is Easel Cards and whilst I lurvee easel cards, I wanted to make something a bit different, so after much ummming and aggghhing I finally settled upon this easel card. Although it took me a while to make, I really did have loads of fun  - I just hope everyone else likes it!! :)

The card topper was created using multiple copies of a digi stamp which was coloured with Promarkers and then decoupaged. Glossy Accents were added to the red parts of the toadstools and white enamel accents to the spots. I drew the flagstones that have been used for the path and again decoupaged them. The grass is Crafter's Moss and the flowers are part of a heather spray that has been cut down.

Tilda has been stamped multiple times using Memento ink and then coloured with Promarkers and decoupaged. I stamped her wings onto Fantasy Film and then added some Stickles to the edges. She has then been mounted onto a "faux easel platform" and I've used the stopperless easel mechanism to hold her in place.

Tools
Embossing Ball Tool

Materials
Magnolia Tilda
Mushroom House
Promarkers
Martha Stewart Triple Butterfly Punch
Glossy Accents
White Enamel Accents
Stickles - Stardust
Crafters Moss
Silicone Glue

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Craft Us Crazy - Anything goes
Moving Along With The Times - Don't Be Square
Amber's Crafts & Stuff - Sparkle & Shine
Crafts & Me - Anything goes
I ♥ ProMarkers - Things with wings
Papertake Weekly - Anything goes
Mark's Finest Papers - Anything but a standard card
Crazy 4 Challenges - Shape it up
Just Magnolia - Anything goes & optional glitter
Sparkles Forum - One for the girls

I'd also like to enter this card into the weekly linking party over Passionately Artistic.