Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - DT Piece

Hello everyone, todays challenge over at the Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge is "At The Zoo" and has been chosen by the lovely Sue. I instantly new what stamp I was going to use for the challenge, its my ickle elephant from Spiral Whisper. I've not had alot of mojo this week and fancied thinking outside the box so after having a rummage I found a few spare calenders, and a bag of chipboard shapes, so thought another calender be nice as we are only just into 2009. Covered the handbag with paper from DCWV Blossoms and Butterfly Stack and paper pieced my Ellie with another paper from the same pad. The sentiment "Elephants Never Forget" just sprung to mind and thought it appropriate as its all about dates. If you click on the piccie you'll see a closer view. Used my SU punches to punch this out. Flowers from Hero Arts, Skeleton leaves and Rub On from my stash. Hope you like my interpretation, please go check out what the other DT members have made this week, and hopefully you'll be able to join us in this weeks challenge! Thanks for looking.
Clairexx

Sketch Saturday Challenge

This is my second entry for this weeks challenge over at Sketch Saturday and I really liked working with this Layout. This is the first time I've coloured a FF stamp, I used my trusty Promarkers. He'll be used more often now as he's great for a mans card. The papers, well, I cant for the life of me remember, not sure where I've put the paper pad so could someone please jog my memory. You can tell its Friday LOL. Buttons and fibres from stash and sentiment done on my computer with safmat though I'm not happy with it so will be changing. Looks we've snow early next week and I'm all excited so lets hope they get it right as I've promised the kids it will be here. Have a great weekend!
Clairexx

Tilda and Friend ATC Challenge

Not that I make many ATC's nowadays, but in preperation for a few swaps I found that this ATC meets this weeks challenge over at "Tilda and Friends ATC Challenge" which is no designer paper. Again used my Leanne Ellis stamp and have used chalk inkpads to colour the background. I have coloured the image with Promarkers and a White Inksential Pen, adding a love sentiment rubon randomly around the edge of the ATC. These are beautiful stamps and all week I've been thinking that she looks familiar. Today I worked it out, she looks just like Lola from the childrens series "Charlie and Lola", though that Lola is a bit of a minx!!!!

Sketch Saturday Challenge

This week, Sketch Saturday have come up with a fantastic sketch which I just loved using. I used my new label nesties and stamped image from alota rubber, coloured with promarkers and added gems to the corners. The rubons are BG, flowers from stash and sentiment is SU along with the punches. The papers are Crate Paper, which are double sided. Already started another card with this sketch and am sure to use it again in the future. On another note, I received my MM Slice today. Postie was kind enough to leave it on my porch as I was out, he knows how I dont like waiting for new stash to arrive. Well, what can I say. Easy peasy, very simple set up and easy to use. I didn't like the idea of faffing around with putting the adhesive on the glass mat and waiting to dry so cheated and use my Crafters Companion repostionable spray. I only cut a few pieces just to test really but had no problems with the spray and the blade seemed fine, so may stick with this and see how it goes. Also received the Noteworthy cartridge as well. In comparison to the Cricut, the cartridges do not have half the amount on and I feel at around £32 are a bit pricey but the fact that I can have it sitting near me and its fully portable will make crafting so much easier, just need a few more cartridges as I would love to own some with flourishes.

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - DT Card

This weeks challenge over at The Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge has been set by Jane and the theme is "1 Stamp, 2 Papers and 3 Embellishments". My new stamp "Serenity" from Pollycrafts was just waiting to be coloured in. Shes such a cutie and she looks so happy sitting on the grass.I used my Sakura pens, Promarkers and a touch of Flowersoft around the grass. The backing paper is from Crate Paper and my 3 embellishments are a Photo Corner, Flower and Glitter Gems in the corners. I do hope you can join us with this weeks challenge. Pop on over to the Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge and take a look at what the other great designers have come up with! Enjoy the weekend!
Clairexx

Its An ATC!

Becky is hosting a new challenge blog called the "Monthly ATC Swap" and this months theme is "Love and Romance". It is a swap for cute ATC's only. I used to be an ATC addict and now have a couple of hundred ATC's in folders although I do lack the cute images so thought this would be a great way to getting back into them. I have used my new Leanne Ellis SN Stamp called "Choose". I have coloured the ATC with chalk pads and stamped image with a memento ink pad. Coloured with various Sakura pens and added a prima flower and some liquid pearls. I've still another 2 to make for the swap but as this stamp is just gorgeous I thought I'd post my first one! If you'd like to take part in the swap whether your a newbie to ATC's or not check out the link HERE.
Thanks for looking
Clairexx

The Sugar Bowl - challenge 2

Week 2 over at The Sugar Bowl and I love these challenges. My SN stamps have been sitting in their box long enough and its nice to get them out again. This weeks challenge is;
Please use three different design papers and three different types of embellishments on your cards! No more, no less.
(by types of embellishments we mean, buttons, brads, flowers, ribbons, beads, bling etc)
Of course, you can use any amount of 'plain' card stock!
I've coloured the stamp with Prismas Pencils and Sakura Pens. My 3 embellishments are Jewels, Heart Sticker and a Prima Flower. The 3 papers are K & Co and I have used my new Martha Stewart punch. Edged with a Gold Galaxy Marker and sentiment made using Safmat on my computer.
Heavy rain overnight and the wind is still howling. I have 2 of the children off sick today, just snuffles and headaches so hopefully they will be back to school tomorrow. Have a good week!
Clairex

Friday Sketcher

Here is my card for this weeks Friday Sketcher and I am very pleased with the end result. I stamped and coloured this image (from thestampbarn) a few days ago with Prisma Pencils and Sansodor but my mojo has been lagging a bit and its been sitting here waiting patiently. I found the checkered backing paper whilst tidying and this gave me the inspiration for the card. Papers used are Chatterbox, Rasberry Road & Summer Drigg. The swirl is a sizzix die and all the embellishments are from my stash. I've gone over pieces on the card with a clear sakura pen, if you click on the photo you may pick it up better. Decorated the insert too, but forgot to take a piccie. Must make a mental note to do that in future. Still windy here, last night it was howling. My hubby comes back from Paris today so I've the chores to get done before we pick him up. The one day I wanted to get up early and I slept in till 10am, unusual for me but obviously well needed. Have a good sunday.
Clairexx

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - DT Piece

Another weekend and another challenge over at the Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge. This weeks theme is Hearts and has been set by the talented Mandy. I've created another Post It Note Folder, these are so easy to make and the skies the limit as to how you can decorate them. My daughter's school friend had a birthday this week and she forget to get her a present. She asked if I had anything I could give, the only thing I could think if was the other folder I made. She liked it but I said I'd make another which was more suitable for a 14yr old. Excuse the poor piccie, I had to take this late at night as it was off on its travels first thing. The paper is from "ChatterBox". I prefer a thicker paper or thinner cardstock but this worked, just a bit more delicate. The paper is doublesided so I used the reverse to stamp the Panda directly onto. He's a newbie from "Prima". I dotted liquid pearls all over the cover and edged with a black galaxy marker, added the heart and flowers and then attached the post its when it was all dry. Here are the instructions again on how to make one of these. Just a few score lines, simple as that

Cut a Piece of double sided paper to 3 1/4 x 7 1/2 inches
Score at 3 1/2 & 4 inches.
Fold on the scorelines.
It really is as easy as that!!!!

Hope you can come and join us with this weeks great challenge, the DT have some lovely examples to show.
Enjoy!
Clairexx

A Quick Make

I've been a really bad blogger this week, but life has been pretty hectic and I've just not found the time to do much crafting. Hopefully I can return to normal next week as I miss my crafting. I made this quick and easy Ribbon Holder. Doesn't look much in the photos to be honest but I have it hanging in my conservatory and its quite pretty. All I did was cover an empty kitchen roll tube with paper (BG I think), added ribbon to the sides (DCVW) and added some Prima Flowers. Each ribbon has been attached by placing a little piece of double sided tape to one end then wrapping the ribbon around the tube. When that piece has finished, I can then just attach a new ribbon. I've threaded some fibres threw the tube and knotted so it will hang freely.

IS ANYONE ELSE HAVING PROBLEMS VIEWING BLOGS? I SEEM TO BE GETTING ALOT OF INCOMPLETE PAGES, GET THE HEADER AND SIDEBAR BUT NO PICCIES OR TEXT, UMM, DONT THINK BLOGGERS PLAYING BALL AT THE MOMENT! LETS HOPE HE SORTS HIMESELF OUT VERY SOON, I've given up blog hopping on several occassions.

Penny Black Christmas Card

I coloured this image before christmas but never got round to making it up so this is last nights efforts. Yesterday I tidied my craft room. Well I say tidied, just cleared my desk, moved a few things about and discovered loads of new stash that I'd forgotten about including the papers for this card which are DCVW and the clear bubble sentiment which was a new pack laying in the back of a draw. Coloured the image with Promarkers and added some stickles. Edged with my Galaxy Markers, new they were around here somewhere! Dont think this meets any challenges but sometimes I like to make what comes to mind and at least thats another card made for this Christmas. Thanks for looking!

The Sugar Bowl

There is a great new challenge out there called The Sugar Bowl and the 1st challenge is a fab sketch designed by Tiets. I just love this sketch and couldn't wait late last night to get some crafting done. Papers are BG Urban Prairie. I've used my SN and coloured with Promarkers and White Pen, gone around the edge of the image with an Ivory Promarker. All the papers have been distressed around the edge with a Gold Encore Ink Pad. I forgot about my Galaxy Markers that I usually use. Had to think twice when starting to colour as well, but it all came back to me. The Crochet Flower is new, have added some of my gold fabric leaves and have punched 2 flowers with the same BG papers and filled with stickles and liquid pearls.

This is the insert, I've only made 1 or 2 in the past but I think this is going to be a big thing in the crafting world this year and will be making my own from now on. The sentiment is a new Hero Art set and again papers are Urban Prairie.

So nice to be back to my crafting, didn't realise just how much I'd missed it. So many challenges, and so many new stamps, boy, looks like I'm going to be busy!!!
Clairexx

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - My Call

This weeks challenge over at The Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge is "Anything But A Card" and has been set by ME. Thought that we had all made our fair share of cards over the last few months and would be nice to try something different. A new technique perhaps! I found this tutorial a while back, below is the instructions. I used my Scor-It but any scoreboard will do.

cut your card stock to 5 1/2" x 8 1/2"
score from the 8 1/2" side at 1 1/2", 4 1/2" and 7 1/2"
place your calendar onto cardstock and adhere to the base.
embellish as you like
fold on the score lines, attach some sticky strip to the 1" side and attach to form the bottom stand.

The calender was from a local craft shop, cardstock, flowers, brad, backing paper from stash and the little bird stamp is from Hero Arts. Basically I've used up spare bits for this project but shows what can be achieved from your bitty box. Please do check out the other DT's creations, there is some great inspiration to be found over at The Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge. Hope you can join us, would love to see what you come up with!
Clairexx

ArtyGirlz - Anything but a Card..... (Updated with link added)

Managed to do a bit of crafting late last night but didn't fancy card making so made this post it note folder, it is my 1st attempt so hadn't really planned what it was going to be like, just grabbed the 1st sheet of paper and experimented really. The paper is double sided "Crate Paper". I used my Fiskars Waterfall punch, Opal Liquid Pearls, flowers from Hero Arts and a bit of doodling with a black pen. I can see me making alot of these, they make great little gifts and I'm sure the next one will be alot quicker. This fits in with this weeks Artygirlz Challenge. I am so pleased to be back in the system so to speak, shouldn't be crafting at all as still not done all the unpacking and the house needs a good sortout, but for the sake of my sanity I dived in and went for it! Tomorrow I'll be back with my DT piece for the Secret Crafter, please do and try and pop on over to the challenge blog, we'd love for you to join in! 

Had a bit of a splurge in December and cant believe just how many new stamps and other bits I'd bought, must make it a mission to try them out soon, so hopefully back to regular blogging next week. 

Here is the link for the tutorial as requested http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=l3ocilOI6u8
(not sure why its not a direct link, but copy and paste to view if your having trouble)
Hope to do some blog hopping soon so apologies if I've not been to visit recently, not enough hours is the day but will get there in the end!!!
Clairex

A Few Holiday Snaps

Here are a few holiday snaps of us in Mauritius. We've been back over a week now and my tan is already fading fast but will have great memories. The weather was hot, hot, hot. 35+ in the second week, like walking on hot coals. Day 6, we were upgraded to the only Private Villa with own pool, this is where Bjorn Borg stayed last year. It was a gift from the management. The last photo is of my family standing outside our own private front door. Christmas eve was just like last year, excellent food and again the live choir sang around the swimming pool. New Years was brilliant. The hotel set off fireworks from the sea. 2 massive things had been floating in the bay a few days previous but when they were lit on the night, it was stunning. Some of the biggest fireworks I've ever seen and with all the other fireworks going off around the bay, the sky was filled. A sight I'll never forget. The 1st piccie is of me, please dont laugh, but I think he was a saucy santa! Last year he arrived on the beach by waterski, this year, he paraglided in, something you dont see often (lol). Its only day 4 so not much of a tan then. The second photo is of the children down on the beach, getting ready to let a balloon go on christmas day, amazing sight and the sky was filled. Had the best of holidays, loved every minute of it and hope to return again on day. It took over 19hours door to door with a 12 1/2hr flight coming home and when we arrived at Heathrow we were welcomed by a temperature of -5 degrees's! Certainly not what we were used to. Anyway, hope I've not bored you to much, so nice to get back to my blogging and crafting. Will have something to show later no doubt.

Awards

Thankyou to all the lovely peeps who have given me awards over the last few weeks, I've been naughty and put them on my todo list but never got round to posting here but have just received this fab award from Marijke so striking while I can. Thankyou so much for this, I love my blog and I hope you enjoy viewing it. Must say, its turned out to be more of a full time job managing it but it keeps me motivated and there are some great source of inspiration out there.



I've also received these awards over the past few weeks but cant remember who they are all from so thankyou very much for thinking of me and will do my best in the future to keep ontop of things.
As I cant remember what the rules are for each of these, if you are a regular visitor to my blog, please feel free to take one, I love the blogging community and have made many friends. I think we can all inspire each other one way or another, but isn't that what crafting is all about?

Back From Mauritius!!

Hello everyone,

Happy New Year to you all! We arrived back from Mauritius just after midnight and as England is 5 hours behind I'm slighty jet lagged after a 19 1/2hr journey. We had a fantastic holiday and the weather was 35+ everyday. I will post some piccies and fill you in soon but for now need to catch up with some sleep and do the unpacking. Hope you all had a lovely Christmas.......

Clairexx