Just Magnolia / Inspirational Sketches Challenges

Good evening everyone, been an eventful day in one way or another. Postie bought me aload more cards since this morning post, then had to take Jessica to Doctors with Tonsilitis and I think she's passed it on but am trying to push it to the back of my mind today. I managed to make this card for this weeks Just Magnolia which has a Pink/Green theme and Inspirational Sketches which has a gorgeous sketch to folllow this week. The backing paper is Bearly Mine Designs Extreme Vol 1 available HERE. My new Tilda stamp, (my favourite atm) which I've coloured with Copics. Not done black hair before so this really was trial and error, used 3 shades of grey and kept layering and blending. The swirls and leaves are done with my gorgeous punches and used my new Martha Stewart punch that I received yesterday. SU punches used for the sentiment. Really enjoyed putting this card together and love the way it has turned out.

I'm off out for a meal shortly, the village pub which is at the end of our road do the best food so hubby has booked a table for all of us. I have such a long list on peeps to thank, would take forever so will say Your Cards Were gorgeous and I'm a very lucky lady to have such wonderful friends, Thankyou.

Have a lovely evening and again thankyou so much for helping me celebrate my birthday.

TTFN

Clairexx

Cupcake Craft Challenge DT Card -

Good morning everyone, another Monday is upon us and that means another challenge over at the Cupcake Craft Challenge. This weeks theme has been set by the lovely Caryn and her chosen theme is "5 EMBELLISHMENTS". This wasn't so hard for me as I love extra's adding to my card. I have used the new Gorjuss from set 2 and coloured with Copics. I've edged the image and papers with Rub and Buff in Gold, wanted a distressed feel to it. The papers are a mix of Basic Greys. My 5 embellishments are Flowers, Spacer, Brad, Button and Lace. Have also used my favourite Martha Stewart and L-Em punches.

I do hope you can join in this weeks challenge, do pop on over and see what gorgeous pieces the other DT members have made. And next week its my turn to choose the theme so do come back and see what I have in store.

Have a lovely week, roll on Friday is all I can say.

Happy Crafting

Clairexx

My Birthday!!

Today I turn 39 yrs and just wanted to post a quick note from me to say a Big Thankyou to all those who send me a birthday card. I will be back later with a piccie of the gorgeous cards and gifts I have recieved. Thankyou for making my birthday so special. Have a great day everyone!!
Clairexx

Friday Sketcher

Afternoon all, dont know where the times go but have just managed to finish this card for the 

Friday Sketcher and get a piccie (sorry about the quality, dont know what happend there, but it looks alot better IRL). Bought these stamps at Ally Pally, (Clear Art Stamps). Love my cute cards to bits but every now and then I like to stray. I actually started my crafting off with vintage/altered cards, that was a few years ago now. It was only once I bought a few cute stamps that I found I was most comfy with them. So nice to do something different for a change. The papers are My Minds Eye and have coloured the image with Derwent ColourSoft Pencils and Sansodor. A piece of rafia, button, assorted flowers and button and L-Em punch. Distressed the edges using Tims nifty gadget and stippled with chalk ink pads. Had to get the food shop out of the way today, now I really must do the chores and hope to sit down and craft again this evening. Think I'm going to be excited tonight as I rarely go to bed before midnight. I have quite a handful of cards from crafters to open so the big kid in me is starting to rear LOL. Enjoy the rest of the day

TTFN

Clairexx

Multi Challenge Card

Just a quick post from me, I managed to find the time to make another card. As its such a nice day, I took the picture in the garden, dont know if it makes the piccie any better but I had the David Bailey in me LOL.

The papers and new from Ally Pally, My Minds Eye. Tilda is a newbie to, off the web, just haven't had time to ink her up. Coloured with Copics, have a added flowers, punched leaves and a sentiment from Autumn Leaves. Woodcare border punch and have gone around the edge of image with "Field of Sky" stamp, bought this years ago and love it for backgrounds. This turned out to fit in with 5 challenges, which was not my intention, I just based it on a sketch and worked with the papers. 
Scrappy Frogs - Spring
Stamp Challenge - Showers or Flowers

Sketch and Stash - Sketch

One Stop Craft Challenge - Something New

Colour Create - Orange, Green and Brown

Anyway, off to dish up our dinner, catch you later!

Clairexx

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - DT Card

Hello everyone. Its saturday again and another challenge at this weeks Secret Crafter. The theme for this week is a "Shaped Card" and has been set by the big boss Wendy. Dont do alot of shaped cards to be honest so had to have a long hard think of what I could possibly do. Was considering a scallop card with my nesties but thats pretty popular right now so as I've not used my screen cards for a while, though this a perfect excuse. All the papers and the stamp are from Bearly Mine Designs. I believe the stamps are now in single figures so you'll need to be quick, they are well worth having in your collection. These ickle elves are adorable. I coloured mine with Copics and a white inksenntials pen. My card may look a strange shape, but that is because I have actually made a bookmark and using sticky fixures added to the front of the card. If you click on the piccie you can see a bigger image, and read what I have wrote. Made it up, so dont laugh LOL

Added lots of Jewels, Liquid Pearls and Die Cuts on this, wanted a bookmark with dimension. Have also added a glaze over area's of the image but I dont think the camera has picked this up very well. 

On a sad note, 2 of the DT's have had to step down so we say hello to Gina, and now have a vacancy for another DT. Please look on the challenge blog for more details if you are interested and also see what the rest of the DT have done, amazing just how many shapes there are.

You can also get details of the paper disc and stamps from HERE.

Also like to thank peeps for the birthday cards I have received so far. Obviously I cant name names atm, but am very grateful and will say a proper thanks when I've steamed in and opened them. Only 5 days to go!!!! 

Have a lovely weekend, no plans for me except crafting and blog hopping.

Thanks for looking......

Clairex

ICS DT Call

Just come across a DT Call for Inspirational sketches and just had to enter. I love all the DT's I'm on and get such a buzz from working with the themes, but my one dream would be for me to be on a sketch DT. I love working with sketches. Its amazing how a few shapes can transpire into such beautiful cards. And know matter how detailed or not they may be, am always happy with the way my final pieces turn out.

So this is my card I am entering which was to follow a sketch. The image is Kadoodle, coloured with Copics and Prisma's. Did I mention how I love combining the two! Papers are from Ally Pally, they are My Minds Eye and I think are totally scrummy. Flowers are Prima. Sentiment also Ally Pally, Stampotique. I stamped onto matching paper and distressed the edge with a pair of scissors and went around edge with a fluid chalk ink pad. Used a Stipple brush around the edge of image as I felt it was a little too white so used a pink and green ink to blend. Martha Stewart punch and you see the stitched edge. Its a rub-on roller tape from Daisy D's. Another Ally Pally purchase but I must browse the web for more, they are beautiful.

Anyway hope you like my card and I hope Dawn likes it to. Will be back with my Secret Crafter Piece tomorrow. In the mean time, Happy Crafting to you all!

TTFN

Clairexx

My GDT Card for Lilley of the Valley

Hello peeps. An exciting day for me today, its my 1st week as Guest Designer over at The Lilley of the Valley Challenge and this week is a great sketch.

Now, I new had a an unused LOTV stamp somewhere and after a rummage found it and think he's a great character. I coloured the image with Copics and for the 1st time, added highlights with Prisma Pencils, love this technique and the pencils just seemed to glide. The papers are all BG, Gypsey and the flowers are Prima. Sentiment is computer generated and printed onto Safmat. The leaves have been punched and used my Nesties. This is a fab sketch and I do hope you can join in with this weeks challenge, the other DT's have come up with some lovely pieces for you to see! Happy Crafting Everyone and a big thanks to the team for giving me this wonderful opportunity!!!

Clairexx

Here is a close up, (click on piccie for a larger image). You can see I have used darker shades of green and an orange Prisma to shade.

Cupcake Craft Challenge DT Card - CC

Hello to everyone, another start to the week, kids all back at school and another challenge over at The Cupcake Challenge. This weeks theme is a fab sketch which you can find HERE and this is card for the challenge. I have used one of the new Sugar Nellie stamps and coloured with Copics and Sakura pen. Dies cut with my new Nesties. Dont know what the papers are, they were taken from my bits and bobs draw. Decorated with flowers cut with Retro punch and mini rosebuds and a Martha Stewart punch along the bottom. Please do go see what the other DT's have made and hope you can find the time to play with this weeks challenge. This card also fits in with the Colour Create challenge pink/black and white so am entering this as I'm short of time this week.

Had a fantastic time at Ally Pally. Yes, I spent and come home with some great new bits, few papers, new stamps and embellishments, will try and play over the next week. Met up with a few old forum friends which was nice and my mate Nic, so nice to see her again. Sorry this was a late post, piccies wouldn't upload 1st thing so I gave up and tried later. Enjoy the rest of the week. Back soon no doubt with another card!

Clairexx

My Exciting News!!!

Well you could of knocked me down with a feather! The lovely Denise of Whimsy Stamps has only asked me to be on her DT,and the only answer I could think of was YES!!!!!!!!! There I was just going threw my emails, not a care in the world and was gobsmacked by what I saw. I do love the Whimsy Stamps, Pajama Time Emma just has to be one of my favourites along with the gorgeous Animal designs. Do check out the shop HERE and if you are lucky enough to own any of these gorgeous stamps, Whimsey Stamps now has a challenge blog, link HERE. So a big thankyou to Denise and the rest of the DT for taking me on. The last few months for me has been full of pleasant suprises in the crafting world, I just love the inspiration out there and the many friends I have made threw blogging. The challenges are brilliant and I'm always updating my sidebar with new ones. I just hope I can continue to find the time to enter some of the challenges each week along with my DT work. Now I've been a good girl today and have been sorting my craftroom and the tedious job of mounting all my new rubbers stamps. Not totally finished but after todays events all I want to do is make something, so will get dinner out of the way early tonight and have a play with my new stash. What a fantastic birthday pressie!

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - DT Card

Saturday already, where has this week gone?? Its Ally Pally this weekend, my usual haunt but doubt I'll get there as hubby is working probaby both days. Is that a good thing though? To him, obviously!! To me, its like someone dangling carrot you know LOL. Anyway, back to this weeks challenge over at the Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge and this week the theme has been chosen by the lovely Jill and its to "Create A Scene". Got my Magnolia's out for this one and used an A5 sized card for a change. I do crave Tilda at times. Coloured with Copics, I cut Tilda out and used silicone to sit here on fence for a bit of dimension. The papers are BG and used a Brown Bazzill to matt. Pop on over to the challenge blog and see what the other DT members have made and we'd love it if you could take part. All entries go into a monthly draw to win a voucher to spend at Wendy's shop. Going to get the chores out of the way and have a play later. I want to try colouring with Copics and Prisma's, seems silly that one of them ends up being shelved so would like to try and combine the two. I'll post the finish piece (if its any good) and give you my opinion of this technique. Have a lovely weekend. School runs approaching, at least the weather should be on the up, though thats debatable in this country (Haha).

Clairexx

Multi Challenge card

Hello everyone. Jessica is back at school today and the other 2 are keeping themselves amused so I found time to get my stash out and have a play!!! I didn't make this card for any specific challenge, just done my own thing but after looking at my long list on sidebar found it met quite a few challenges.

Rosie Dee - Flowers Stamp with Fun - Brown/Pink Cute Card Thursday - Floral & Dutchdare which is to use your favourite things. I love the Gorjuss girls, Prima Flowers are my favourite and Basic Grey papers I cant get enough of!

I stamped the image and masked then spritzed Gold Glimmer Mist. Coloured Gorjuss with Promarkers. The tickets are from Designer Extreme Volume 1 Disc from Bearly Mine Designs and leaves made with the L Em punch. A few other embellishments to finish the card off. Hope you like and thanks for looking.

Clairexx

Lilley of the Valley/Colour Create Challenges

Well its all quiet here now, another pub lunch and gorgeous weather. Niece and Nephew have now gone home and I had a a little spare time to finish off this card. I made this card in line with this weeks Challenge at LOTV which has a theme of "Fun" this week. The stamps I've had for years, been shelved poor thing but I new I had some doggy papers somewhere that would match. Coloured the image with Promarkers. The flowers are made with the Retro Punch. Backing paper K & Co and the doggie paper is cut from A Karen Foster page. Distress all the edges with a brown Chalk Ink Pad. Going through my very long list of challenges I found this also meets with the Colour Create Challenge which is Chocolate, Coffee and Cream. Now I'm off to put my feet up for 1/2hr, been a hectic week and I'm going to relish some peace and quiet.

Thanks for looking!

Clairexx

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - DT Card

This weeks Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge has been set by the lovely Donna and here chosen theme is "A Sketch with Chocolate Orange". I thought this was going to be difficult as I dont think I've used this colour combo before but have to say I loved it and am really pleased with the way my card turned out. The stamp is one made by my local craft store. I've used this on a few cards before as I think she is so sweet.


I actually got my Promarkers out for a change. I'd somehow persuaded myself that Copics blended better but I dont think I had the knack of blending back then and it worked a treat with these pens so may start combining the two on my projects. The dies are all nestabilities and the sentiment is Craftwork cards. Brown flowers are Prima, the centres are from Wild Orchid Crafts. They do the most beautiful flowers which are ideal for your cardmaking and they offer a fab service. Leaves cut with L-Em punch from The Glitterpot. Lattice punch is a Martha Stewart available from The Hobby House. Please do check out the other DT's cards, they are a great source of inspiration, and we would love it if you could join us with this weeks challenge.

Happy Easter to You all and try not to get any chocolate smudges over your cards

TTFN

Clairexx

Remember this card?

This is the card I entered into the "Stamp with Us" challenge which was a simple sketch. But everytime I looked at it, it was bugging me as it lacked something.

So this is the edited version, amazing how a few more simple embellishments can lift a card. Just thought I'd share with you.

Hope you had a lovely Easter, the weather was pretty good to us. BIL and family came down for the day yesterday and they went home 2 short, I've now got my niece and nephew staying for a few days and with 5 kiddies, doubt I'll be around as much this week either.
Hope you all have a lovely Easter Break and the Easter Bunny was good to you and the children.
Take Care!
Clairexx

Multi Challenge Easter Card

This card I based On Sketch Saturday as I loved the Layout but as so many challenges are Easter Themes, it turned out to be a multi challenge card. 

I chose a masking theme the other week for the Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge and really enjoyed it so chose to try this technique again as I dont do it often enough. I used Tilda and the Wagon Of Eggs from the spring kit and a Magnolia background scene. I stamped Tilda onto cardstock. Stamped another image and masked tilda. Then stamped the wagon, slightly overlapping. Masked the wagon and having Tilda still masked stamped the background over the 2 images. Then coloured the whole thing with Copic Markers. The Backing Paper is from American Crafts, the border bunch is Martha Stewart and the Flower is made with Papershapers Reto Punch. The swirls are also Papershaper Swirl punch available from The Hobby House. Added my favourite gold leaves and small rosebuds to finish.

I really enjoyed making this card, its nice and colourful and I'm happy with the way the scene has turned out. But like I said its a multi challenge card and I have entered it into 6. Could have been more! I add any new challenge sites to my sidebar and update my list everyday so here it what I am entering this card for:

Dutchdare - Easter

Sketch Saturday - Followed the Sketch

Stamp Challenge - Easter

Our Creative Corner - Easter

Lilley of the Valley - Easter

Creative Card Crew - Easter

The kids are behaving and Jessica breaks up today for 1 week so I can hopefully get at at least 1 lay in and lots of crafting. Have a great week and my heartful thanks to the amount of peeps who have left comments on my post below, think thats a record amount for me.

TTFN!

Clairexx

1st DT For Cupcake Craft Challenge!

Hello everyone. Today is a very exciting day for me as its the start of my new DT post over at The Cupcake Craft Challenge. This weeks theme is "Folds" and this is my piece.

Lauren wanted us to use at least 3 folds in the card so I used a tutorial from Claudia's blog. This is how it looked before being folded together.

This is the finished product. The papers and butterfly are from the new K & Co "Que Sera Sera". Flowers are a mix of Prima and others. Leaves made with L - Em punch. Rubon and Pearls from stash.

The sentiment is my new stamp from "Stamps by Woo" and has been stamped onto cardstock that I spritzed with Glimmer mists. Have added a lace trim before adhering to Bazzill Cardstock. Added a few more Prima Flowers to decorate.

Hope you like my piece and please do pop along and see what the other new DT's have created. Theres a new challenge every Monday and we'd love it if you could join in!

Hoping to get some crafting done this week, though with the kids off it could be a bit hit or miss. We had a lovely day out yesterday at the Hop Farm and Zoe got to hold a 10 day old lamb and a newborn chick.

Have a lovely week. I hope to do some blog hopping and crafting.

Remember my blog candy at the top of the page and please feel free to enter. Now counting down the days before my birthday. Last year with a 3 at the front!

TTFN & Thanks for looking!

Clairexx

Stamp With Us & One Stop Craft Challenge

There is a new chllanege blog out there for all you SU Fans called Stamp with Us and this week its a sketch. I've left my card quite simple and need to add something on Tilda's hand so will do this at a later date. Coloured with Copics and used my new nestabilities. The papers are SU "Summer Picnic & Rose Red". My SU Collection is slowly growing LOL. Flowers are Prima and added a spacer with brad and doodled some stitching around the edge. This card also meets with One Stop Craft Challenge which is Stitching.

Lazy day for me today, hubby is out in the garden repairing a fence and I've a nice long list of things to do if he's interested!!

Have fun whatever your plans,

TTFN

Clairexx

Change of plan - I'm off to Ally Pally today (HOORAY)!!!!! Hubby new how much I wanted to go so is not going to go back to London today but stay at home and look after 2 of the kids, Jessica will be coming with me. So no cards from me today but will be back tomorrow with my Cupcake DT Card. My candy is now closed and I will make the draw probably monday evening using the random generator. Kids all at school monday and no doubt I'll come home with a few new goodies to play with so thats Monday taken up. Have a lovely sunday, think of me sitting in the car for over 4hrs, but its gotta be worth it...

TTFN

Clairexx

Cupcake Craft Challenge DT Card

This weeks challenge over at the Cupcake Craft Challenge is " A One Layer Card", use just one piece of paper and embellishments.

I have used a paper from Donna's CD (Extreme Vol 1) available at Bearly Mine Designs. The stamp is Stampavie "Shopping Girl" coloured with Promarkers and a new Accent Ink called Smooch from Oyster Stamps (though I dont think its on the website yet). Cut with Nestabilities and rest from stash. The other DT members have created some fantastic pieces so do pop on over and see what they have made.

Enjoy the Bank Holiday, hoping to take it easy (again lol) and a pub lunch if the weather stays fine.

Clairex

Blog Candy Winner!

I've used the Random Generator but cant seem to get the thing pasted into this post,
but the lucky winner of my candy is ---------------

No: 24

CAROLINE.

Well done Caroline, if you could email me in the next few days and I will get your goodies in the post to you!

Thanks to eveyone who took part, I'm sure there will be another in the not too distant future.

I've fallen behind with my blog hopping so sorry if I've not been to visit. Been a busy few days and I'm off to the hospital today for 2 MRI Scans but hope to craft again this evening and will try and catch up with you all shortly.

Happy Crafting
Clairexx

It Just Gets Better!!

I've just found out that I have won a 4 week Guest DT spot over at the Lilley of the Valley Challenge Blog! 

So unexpected but am thrilled and cant wait till my 1st challenge.

Jumping for joy at the moment and as I've not had a chance to craft today (had 5 kiddies in the house), think I'll go make a card!

Hope everyone has a lovely easter holiday. We'll be having a quiet weekend and I'm sure another card or 2 will be made.

Bye for Now

Clairex

Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - DT Card

Saturday again and this weeks Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge is ready with another theme for this week. Kim has chosen "Stripes", so shouldn't be too hard a challenge for you. I used my new cute snail stamp from WOJ and coloured with Derwent Coloursoft pencils and blended with Sansador and used Liquid Pearls around its collar. The Bp's are from Bella BLVD and used the new Swirl and corner punch from EK Success available at The Hobby House. Zigzag punch is Martha Stewart. Other bits from stash.

Not been around so much this week. Wasn't feeling too good at the beginning of the week and I spent Thursday and Friday Blitzing the house. Looks like a palace at the moment and hard work keeping on top of it. I've cleared all the stash off the dining room table and had a little sort out in my craftroom. 2 of my children are now off for the easter holidays so am hoping to spend some time with them. If the house is clean and the kids behave, I'll have more time to craft, well, thats the plan anyway! 

Hope you can join us in this weeks SCSC. Pop on over to the challenge blog to see what the rest of the team have made. 

Remember my blog candy, anyone can enter!

TTFN

Clairexx

Watcha Do'in ATC

This is me just playing around, no challenges involved, just bringing out the Goth in me (LOL). I was intending to make a Miss Anya card but went into my craftspace and saw this stamp on the shelf that I've recently bought but never inked up. Ended up with this ATC which in not my normal cute but thinking outside the box is good for you. I'm afraid the picture isn't brilliant, was just turning dark when I took it but it is alot better IRL. Swirl background is a T/Holtz stamp and the image and sentiment are Stampotique. Added a photo anchor, and flowers for embellishments and edged with a Copper Krylon Pen. 

Thanks for looking

Clairexx

Meet Max!

This is Max, our new 9 week Old bunny we got last week. The children chose him as they loved his coloured, brown and cream. He's very sweet.

And Heres Daniel holding his furry friend.

This is a sneak peak of tomorrows Cupcake Challenge card. Think you all know the stamp, buts whats the challenge, check back in the morning to see.

Roast pork in the oven and about to make a start on another card. Hubby is up in the skies flying his plane, wont get me up there, but he enjoys it. Have a lovely sunday everyone, catch you later.

Clairexx