Anything Creative/Mixed Media Goes at We Love 2 Create!

Good morning folks, well the weather is lovely here this weekend so I'm hoping to spend the day relaxing in the garden but before I go and enjoy the sunshine I just wanted to share a tag I've made for our Anything Creative/Mixed Media Goes challenge at We Love 2 Create. We've got some lovely crafty goodies for our lucky winner thanks to our sponsors Premium Craft Brands and you don't even have to use our products to play along. 

I cleaned my ledger stencil onto this tag when I was clearing up from another project, This one has glassy gel medium on and I was really pleased with the effect from the stencil, I just rubbed the gungy stencil over the tag with a baby wipe and it's created a really clear stencil effect. Unfortunately my rubbish photography skills don't show it too clearly lol. I blended Yellow Green PanPastel over the top, adding a little gold around the edges. Next I added some angel hair and some SnipArt which I coloured with gold PanPastel The leaves were die cut from kraft glassine, scrunched and then coloured with PanPastel Bright Yellow Green/Shade. The flower is made from Foamiran, I used the Blueberry colour (I think) and was quite disappointed with the colour as its quite grey in tone so it sat gathering dust in my craft room until I got out my PanPastels. I was really pleased with the way the Pans blended on the foam, I also used them to colour the stamens (I dabbed these on a versamark inkpad before applying the gold PanPastel. 

I added a shrink plastic glittery butterfly and some eyelash trim to finish off.

I'm entering this tag in the following challenges:

Country View Crafts: things with wings

Craft for the Craic: handmade flowers

Go tag Thursday: In the garden

That's Crafty: anything goes

Try it on Tuesday: tags

Thanks so much for visiting today, hope to see you again soon

Claire x

PanPastel Magenta Extra Dark

Bright Yellow Green Pan Pastel

Bright Yellow Green Shade

PanPastel Rich Gold Metallic

PanPastel - Sofft Knives and Covers

Anything Creative/Mixed Media Goes at WL2C

Good morning folks, I'm back with my second post today and this project is for our new challenge over at We Love 2 Create where our theme is 'Anything Creative/Mixed Media Goes'. As always there is some fabulous crafty stash waiting for our lucky winner from Premium Craft Brands and you don't have to use our products to play along!

I've upcycled a cheap picture frame using my Pan Pastels for my DT project this time around. A began with a coat of white gesso and then some crackle paint. Once that was all dry I applied PanPastels in shades of Yellow and Bright Yellow Green and added some brown for a more distressed look. 

The little mouse peeking out from the leaf is made of resin (from the Trinket Parlour) I primed him with matte medium and then painted him with acrylic paints from Indigo Blu. I made a woodgrain background using texture paste through a stencil and then coloured this with Raw Umber and Burnt Sienna PanPastels. I gave it a coat of gloss medium to seal it and give a little shine. 

The flowers are made from Foamiran which I die cut and coloured with gelatos and acylic paint. The leaves were die cut from kraft glassine and again, coloured with PanPastels.

I love this little mouse, he's so cute! 

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

2 Crafty Critter Crazies: anything goes with a critter

A Bit more time to craft: Anything goes

Creatalicious: anything goes/ add flowers

Creates and Makes: springtime

Creative Craft Cottage: Dies or punches

Shopping our Stash: punches or dies

Thanks so much for visiting today, hope to see you again soon

Claire xx

Hansa Yellow	Hansa Yellow Shade	Bright Yellow Green Pan Pastel	Raw Umber PanPastel	Burnt Sienna
PanPastel - Sofft Knives and Covers

Spring Bird Crocus from Chocolate Baroque

Good morning folks, it's my turn to share some artwork over on the Chocolate Baroque DT Blog and this one features Spring Bird Crocus which was recently on the Chocoalte Baroque Hochanda. I've used the beautifully detailed little bird stamp to make this project

For this first project I began by applying texture paste through a woodgrain stencil onto a little MDF bird house blank. Once that was dry I added some colour with acrylic paint, shimmer spray and distress ink

I stamped the bird and coloured the image with pencils before cutting out and layering the image up over some scraps of hessian, lace and ribbon from my stash. I topped the birdhouse with some raffia and a little wooden button. Here's a closer pic of the image:

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

Addicted to stamps and more: Make your mark

CRAFT: Easter or spring

Craft Rocket: no patterned paper

Frilly and Funkie: Spring

Stamps & Stencils: Birds

Thanks so much for visiting today, hope to see you again soon

Claire xx

Take time to smell the roses

Good morning folks, my first post of the day and this one is a canvas made using some of the gorgeous stamps from Chocolate Baroque! Our theme this month over on the DT blog is Romance and what could be more romantic than beautiful roses?

Do you ever start a project with one idea and go off on a complete tangent and make something completely different? That's what happened with this canvas as I coloured the gorgeous roses from Rose Stem Script with my pencils planning to make 3 CAS cards but got totally side tracked and ended up making this lol.

I used acrylic paints to create the background, adding some stencilling with texture paste and then created texture around the images to frame them. I used scrunched up tissue paper with matte gel medium and once it was all dry I added silver highlights with gilding wax. I stamped the sentiment on an acrylic tag and embossed with silver embossing powder and added some little roses that I'd made with air dry clay to finish off. I wasn't sure how the tissue would work but it's quite solid once the gel medium is dry.

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

Artistic Stampers: anything goes

Get Creative: anything goes

Fab'n'Funky: ribbon

Inky Chicks: Anything goes

The Crazy Challenge: 3 of a kind

Thanks so much for visiting today, hope to see you again soon

Claire xx

GDT at Crafting by Designs

Good morning folks, I was lucky enough to be chosen as a Spotlight Winner over at Crafting by Designs in January and so I'm lucky enough to be doing a Guest Design spot for the new challenge which is 'She's so Beautiful'. Pop over to the challenge blog to check out the DT's beautiful projects to inspire you and find out all the details.

For my GDT project I've made a wallhanging using one of my favourite stamps 'Jing' from Prima. I stamped her on Ultimate Graphic paper from Polkadoodles and coloured her up with Graph'It Markers, adding some glitter to the flowers in her hair.

I created some layers for the background, starting with corrugated cardboard given a coat of black gesso and then highlighted with some gilding flakes.  The net layer was a blend of shades of Violet and Magenta PanPastels, I attached the image and overstamped with layers of various Indigo Blu stamps using Memento Inks in Elderberry and Lilac Posies. Next I added some stencilling using white texture past using stencils from Crafters Workshop and Indigo Blu, I left the stencilling white as it was looking a bit dark and added some highlights with gilding flakes.

I used some cosmic shimmer UTEE in the corners, its really shimmery in real life but doesn't show up too well in the pic. 

Last but not least I finished off with ribbon and some embellishments from my March and January CraftBox, I gilded the leaves and the twirly bits of the flowers with gilding flakes and coloured the fabric flower with distress inks and added some of the pretty iridescent pearls here and there.

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

Creative Craft Cottage: anything goes

Dream Valley: Girlie

Lemon Shortbread: Anything goes

Incy Wincy: Use your favourite colouring medium (Graph'It markers and PanPastels)

Mixed Media World Challenge: vintage

Recycle repurpose, reinvent: anything goes (recycled packaging card)

Retro Rubber: Anything goes

Sparkles Forum: Make it girly

Stamping Sensations: one for the girls

Thanks so much for visiting today

Claire xx

Harlequin Bouquet from Chocolate Baroque

Good morning folks, today's card features Harlequin Bouquet, one of this months new releases from Chocolate Baroque.  I've got a bit of an addiction for harlequin stamps so  I'm sure this one will be a firm favourite. I began by creating the background, I used black texture paste through a harlequin stencil on white card. Once that was dry I distressed with Black Soot distress ink and a craft knife and layered it on black card. I stamped the focal image with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and coloured with Graph'It Markers.

I cut the image out, distressed with a kraft knife and layered it with 3d foam, adding a bow and paper flower to finish off.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Aud Sentiments: use a love sentiment

Crafting with Friends: Anything goes

Morgans Art World: add flowers

Simply Papercrafts: Anything goes

The Sisters of Craft: Anything goes

Whimsy Inspiration: With love

Well the weekend is here at last so I'm going to venture out for a bit of shopping and do my dog walking duties then it's home to spend the day crafting. Have a lovely day and  thanks for popping by 

Claire xx

New stamps from Chocolate Baroque

Hello my lovelies, how's your week going? As usual I'm counting down to the weekend to escape from work, goodness me we're so busy these days I don't seem to have a minute which does keep me out of mischief but also unfortunately keeps me out of my craft room lol. I have managed to have a play with some gorgeous new stamps from Chocolate Baroque and created this card using the beautiful Flora Musica

, I've coloured the image with Graph'It markers and as I didn't have an oval die to fit I went for it and cut it out. It was a wee bit wonky but I dusted on a little Black Soot distress ink and distressed with a craft knife. I drew round the image on black card and cut that out too,  I create the background with Festive Berries and Aged Mahogany distress inks applied to my craft mat, misted with water and then swooshed the card through a few times. Once that was dry I stamped with some of the stamps from Music Fanfare and again distressed the edges before mounting on black card. To finish off I've added some faux gold pearls in the corners, a shabby red seambinding bow and a brass button from my stash.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Aud Sentiments: use a love sentiment

Card Mania: add some red

Cardz 4 Galz: Fantastic Florals

Craft Rocket: Valentine/Love

Crafts and Me: use reds/ valentines

Through the Purple Haze: Share some love

Thanks for visiting today

Claire xx

Something new at Polkadoodles!

Hello folks, I'm a bit late on parade today as blogger isn't posting my scheduled posts for some reason. I seem to have gremlins following me this week as my phone is playing up and my  freezer has broken too. Anyway better late than never, here's my project for our new challenge over at Polkadoodles where our theme is 'Something new to you'. I've been inspired by the gorgeous canvas created by my lovely teamie Claire B and made a canvas using the wonderful Santa image from the new collection 'Picknix 3 Nordic Winter'

I printed Santa out on Ultimate Graphic Paper (also from Polkadoodles) and coloured hime with Graph'It markers before cutting him out. I primed the canvas with white gesso and stencilled on some snowflakes using  Maimeri Glassy Gel and once that was dry I added some colour with distress reinkers in Tumbled Glass and Broken China. Once that was dry I stencilled in some more snowflakes using Light Modelling paste, adding a sprinkle of glitter.

I stencilled polkadots around the sides of the canvas with LMP and coloured the dots by swiping over the raised areas with Festive Berries distress ink. 

Here's a better pic of Santa, he's a fab image to colour

To finish off I've added a die cut 'Noel' with some glittery snow, a bow and a couple of bells.

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

ABC Christmas: polkadots

Addicted to Stamps and more: make your mark

Creative Card Crew: sparkle/glitter

Die Cut Divas: Favourite holiday

Digi Choosday: punches/ die cuts

Inspiration Destination: anything goes

Moving along with the time: Snow in summertime

Sparkles Forum Christmas: no designer papers

If you've got a few minutes pop over and check out my teamies gorgeous projects, they've created some gorgeous projects to inspire you

Thanks so much for popping by today

Claire xx

By the sea at Eclectic Ellapu

Good morning my lovelies, can you believe August is here already? I seem to have blinked and missed July. Over at Eclectic Ellapu its time for a new challenge and this month the Pink Team are challenging you to create a project with a 'Beach or Sea' theme. This is one of my all time favourite themes so I really enjoyed creating this little project.

I began by painting my collage frame with white gesso and then added some texture with my favourite harlequin stencil and some texture paste. Next I gave it a coat blue and green acrylic paint and then added gilding wax one the paint was dry.

I created the little scene with stamps from Inkylicious using distress inks and thenadded some shells and twine.

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

Artist Trading Post: Crafters Workshop Stencils

(I've used a harlequin stencil from Crafters Workshop)

Crafty Cardmakers: Anything but a card

DRS Designs: Create a Scene

Fab'n'Funky: no patterned papers

Natalie and Amy's: Summertime

Sparkles Forum: Sun sea and sand

Stamps and Stencils: Summertime

If you've got a minute pop over to the challenge blog and check out my teamies gorgous projects. The purple team have a fab challenge and lots of inspiration to inspire you too!

Thanks for popping by today, have a great weekend 

Claire xx

Inspiration time at We Love 2 Create

Good morning folks, its inspiration time over at We Love 2 Create with Premium Craft Brands and you still have a week to enter our 'Anything Creative/ mixed media Goes' challenge to be in with a chance of winning some lovely goodies from Premium Craft Brands.

I've made a little canvas. I began by priming with white gesso and then applied a thick layer of gesso through a harlequin stencil before sprinkling on some Turquoise and Magenta PanPastels which I blended into the gesso to give  a subtle background. I also brushed over some Fine White Pearl medium while the gesso was wet, it gives a lovely sparkle in real life but I haven't managed to catch it in my photo.

The image is one of my favourite stamps from Indigo Blu. I stamped it with Black memento ink on tissue paper and applied with matte medium once the gesso layer was dry. I added some colour with my PanPastels once the matte gel was dry and then used my Graph'It markers to give some definition

I added some dots of cosmic shimmer glue here and there and sprinkled with glamour dust for some extra shimmer. I've added a filigree corner that I embossed with frantage EP, some lace, a ribbon and bow topped with a little button and some twine.

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

Addicted to Stamps and more: anything goes

Brown Sugar: ribbon and flowers

Indigo Blu: Pocket full of posies

Moving along with the times: texture

Retro Rubber: vintage lace

Simply Papercraft: anything goes

Stamps and Stencils: 3 of a kind

Thanks for popping by today, have a great day and hope to see you again soon

Claire xx

Pan Pastel - Magenta	Magenta Shade Pan Pastel	Turquoise Pan Pastel	white Gesso	Pan Pastel Colourless Blender
White Fine Pearl Medium for Pan Pastels	Graph′It Markers

Dressmakers Window from Chocolate Baroque

Good morning folks, have you seen this month's new releases from Chocolate Baroque? As always there are some stunning new stamps, two A5 stamp sheets with a sewing theme and some gorgeous clear stamps too. I've used this lovely (and very useful) Dressmakers window stamp for this card (you can find it here)

I began by creating a background using a Crafters Workshop Brick Stencil and texture paste. Once that was dry I applied colour with PanPastels (Neutral grey tint, Burnt Sienna and a little Raw Umber). To create the window I  stamped the image onto black card with versamark and embossed with white embossing powder before cutting out the window panels. I then stamped and embossed the image onto acetate with versamark and embossed with white embossing powder. I created the little scene using my PanPastels and some old favourite stamps from Home Sweet Home and added a little colour to the cottages with coloured pencils. I layered the window up over the scene using 3d foam tape and then added ribbon, lace, paper flowers and a wooden button topped with a twine bow.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Challenge up your life: clear element

Chocolate Coffee and Cards: spring has sprung

Fab'n'Funky: May flowers

Fussy and Fancy: lots of flowers

Simon Says Stamp: lets get sentimental

Stamping Sensations: flower power

Thanks for popping by today, hope to see you again soon

Claire xx

Handmade Flowers at Vintage Stamping Challenges

Good morning folks, our challenge for April at Vintage Stamping Challenges is 'Handmade flowers' one of my favourite themes. As always our generous sponsors Flonzcraft have a $20 voucher for our lucky winner and my teamies have some gorgeous projects to inspire you so pop over to the challenge blog if you have a min.

For my card I've used this beautiful stamp is called Birds on a Branch and you can find it here. i've coloured it with my Graph'It markers and die cut will spellbinders die and layering it up on kraft card. The background was  made using  stencil and distress inks.

I've layered the image up over some burlap and die cut trellis and then added my die cut flowers (coloured with PanPastels) and some raffia, pearls and a little button topped with a twine bow.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Country View Crafts: use kraft

Creative Corner: animal fun

Di's Digi Designs: spring is here

Fussy and Fancy: buttons and bows

Hiding in my craftroom: think Spring

My time to craft: Get krafty

Sister Act: anything goes

Wags'n'Whiskers: buttons

Thanks for visiting today

Claire xx

Spring Bird Tulip

Good morning folks, todays card features one of the stamps from the gorgeous Spring Bird Tulip  set from Chocolate Baroque. I just love these stamps they are so pretty!!

I've stamped and coloured the focal image using my Graph'It markers, before layering it up on a die cut frame cut from kraft card. I made the background by applying maimeri Light modelling paste through a crafters workshop stencil and once that was dry I applied PanPastel in Burnt Sienna and Raw Umber. I've added lace, ribbon and a little button and popped some faux pearls in the corners to finish off.

 I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Card Mania: spring

Crafty Cardmakers: Spring

Deep Ocean: Easter/Spring

Die Cutting Divas: Anything goes

Dragonfly Dreams: add some embellishments

Incy Wincy: flowers and Lace

Ooh La La: Easter/ Spring

Pile it on: Easter or Spring

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: Pastels

Thanks for popping by today

Claire xx

Sketchy doodle landscapes from Chocolate Baroque

Good morning folks, my project today is a little wall hanging made using the beautiful little scenic stamp from Sketchy Doodle Landscape from Chocolate Baroque and stampbord. I've always loved stampbord as it takes ink beautifully and I wanted to experiment with my distress markers.

I began by making a mosaic using a mixture of pieces of stampbord, I attached them to my non stick craft sheet with double sided tape so that they didn't move while I was working.

I used distress markers to colour the rubber stamp and then misted lightly with water before stamping the image onto the stampbord mosaic. Stampbord has a really absorbent surface to it takes the ink really well and worked a treat with my distress markers. I took a paint brush and a little water and blended the ink here and there before distressing with Tumbled Glass and Vintage Photo distress inks. The sentiment is from Artistic Affirmations, I stamped it with potting soil archival ink. Once the piece was dry I glued it to some white card and then ran a versamark inkpad around the edges before embossing with WOW Gold embossing powder.

I mounted the mosaic on some greyboard that I'd applied texture paste through a Crafters Workshop Brick effect stencil. Once that was dry I coloured the bricks with PanPastels in Burnt Sienna and Raw Umber.

I'm entering this in the following challenges:

Crafting from the heart: anything goes

Crafts Galore Encore: stamp or digi

Get Creative: embossing

Incy Wincy: distressing

Ooh La La: add something green

Through the purple haze: anything goes

Top Tip Tuesday: rubber stamps only

Tuesday throwdown: anything goes

WOW embossing powder: DIY decor

Thanks for visiting today

Claire xx

Gorgeous free download from Chocolate Baroque

Good evening folks, I'm running late as always but I just wanted to give you a heads up as there is a gorgeous free download backing paper to pick up over at the Chocolate Baroque Challenge blog

You can't see if very well as this pic is rubbish but its a gorgeous wood effect paper, I've altered it with a Crafters Workshop stencil and used both watered down Maimeri White gesso and Maimeri Glassy Gel medium to add some texture. The focal images are some old favourites from Chocolate Baroque, the mermaid is from Mermaid Queen and the gorgeous border stamp in the foreground is from Seaside Dreams (as is the sentiment). All the images were stamped on kraft card and coloured with pencils, I didn't do much blending as I wanted a sketchy effect. I've used recycled corrugated card as a background and added some cheesecloth and a few little shells and pearls. I've also added some plaited twine to hang my little wall hanging

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Addicted to Stamps: lots of layers

Craft your passion: anything goes

Crafting from the heart: anything goes

Crafty Gals Corner: anything goes

Paper Shelter: Recycle

Penny Black and more: stencils, masks etc

Through the Craft Room door: anything goes

Thanks so much for visiting today

Claire xx

Guest Designer at Country View Crafts Challenge

Good morning folks, Monday morning already!! Its a very exciting day for me as I'm over the moon to be joining the talented team at Country View Challenges and a Guest Designer for their 'Nautical Challenge'. If you've got time,do pop over and have a look as the team always have some amazing inspiration!

For my project I made the base using mountboard (I'd seen them on C&C and decided to have a go at making my own) and created some texture with a Crafters Workshop woodgrain stencil and Maimeri Light modelling paste. I added some colour with acrylic paints, distress stains and added some coffee for a bit more depth here and there.

The focal scene was made using stamps from Chocolate Baroque stamped on kraft card painted with gesso. I've coloured the scene with Derwent Coloursoft pencilsand then tore the edges.

I stamped the sentiment and seagulls in the sky using stamps from Crafty Individuals and layered the scene up over some cheesecloth and some netting. Next came more stamping,with a selection of postcards and seaside images from Crafty Individuals stamped on coffee misted card and popped under the right hand side of the scene. I added the lovely bathing belle (also from Crafty Individuals) and coloured with Graph'It Markers to the left hand side of the scene.

To finish off I've added lots of little shells

I'm entering this project in the following challenges:

Creative knockouts: outdoors

Deep Ocean: Vintage

Sentimental Sundays: a touch of vintage

Treasured Times: Anything goes

Wags'n'Whiskers: for the girls

Thanks for popping by today, hope to see you again soon
Claire xx

Discover your passion

Good morning folks, today is the first proper day of my week off work and it looks like its going to be a lovely sunny one so hopefully I'll be able to laze around in the garden and enjoy the sunshine. My project today is my entry for this months challenge at Indigo Blu where the theme is Tag You're It

I've used lots of different Indigo Blu stamps for my tag, I began with a layer of turquoise tint and Permanent Green tint PanPastels and then stamped the border from 'Boadicea' along the left hand side in Memento Tuxedo Black and Bubbles Background along the other side using Versamark ink. I applied deeper shades of PanPastel over the versamark and coloured the border with Graph'it markers. Next I used Salty Ocean and Peacock feather distress inks through a harlequin stencil and applied  Maimeri Glassy Gel over the top. I removed the stencil and sprinkled with Glamour dust. You can see the sparkle a bit better in this pic

I stamped the sentiment from 'Discover your Passion' and embossed with silver EP. I added some little acetate flowers from my stash, die cut butterflies and a rose I'd made with Tattered pine cones die and coloured with PanPastels. I also coloured some ribbon with PanPastels for the top of my tag, it looks a bit of a weird colour on the photo but its actually the same colour as the rose.

I'm also entering this tag in the following challenges:

Everybody Art: monochrome

Glitter'n'Sparkle: anything goes

Left of Centre: add sparkle

Simon Says Stamp: clear

Sisterhood of Snarkystampers: brads and or buttons

That's Crafty: Stencils, masks and templates

Thanks for visiting today

Claire xx