Winter Wonderland

As the nights are closing in and getting darker, we start to think about switching the central heating on (if it's not on already) and this gives us a reminder that winter is around the corner.  But there's no need to start looking for your top coats, scarf and gloves yet as I'm just talking about this months Clarity Stamp challenge where the theme for October is:

Winter

(using Clarity stamps only)

We'd love you to join in with our challenge where the winner is chosen at random and receives a £50 voucher to spend on Clarity goodies.  So come on over and join in the fun!

Here's my inspiration for the challenge:

I don't normally explain how my cards are made, but several of the DT have already asked about the panel on the left so I thought I would let you all know how it was done.

I took a piece of black card and covered it with versamark then randomly applied perfect pearls before adding UTEE (ultra thick embossing enamel), then heated.  I repeated another 2 layers of the versamark and UTEE and then in the final layer I stamped the snowflake whilst it was still hot and applied perfect pearls to complete.

The squares on the right were produced using versamark and perfect pearls misting around the edges with distress ink.

Materials:

Stamps - winter wonderland set

Perfect pearls:

Perfect pearl

Perfect copper

Forever green

Forever blue

Versamark

Distress ink - antique linen

Twine

xx Happy crafting and glittery hugs xx

Netball anyone?

Thank crunchie it's Friday and what a week I've had!!!!  But now it's craft time so I can chillax and lose myself in inks, papers and everything crafty.  Yeah!

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We've got a new challenge starting today over at Fussy and Fancy where the new theme is SPORT, hosted by Celine.

My card was made as a commission for a friend at work whose sister is a netball coach and player, and yes you saw the age correctly, she was celebrating her 60th birthday.  Way to go!

We'd love to see you playing along with this challenge showing us every sport from aerobics to zumba and if you'd like some inspiration, our design team have come up with some great inspiration for you.

Remember to limber up first before you exercise, we don't want to be responsible for any pulled muscles or torn ligaments!

Materials used:

Stamp - number kit

Stamp - letter box kit

Sentiment - Jane's script

Adirondack ink - lettuce

Distress ink - dried marigold and shabby shutters

Dylusion ink - squeezed orange, lemon zest,

pure sunshine and fresh lime

Card candi - regal gold

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

Inky Chicks - faux stitching
Papertake Weekly - anything goes
Creative Inspiration - favourite colour combo
Sarah Hurley - autumn glow

xx Happy crafting and glittery hugs xx

Vintage Paris Collage

So as the children head off back to school your minds can now turn back to crafting and what better way to ease you back into it than a new challenge!

This month's theme over at the Clarity Stamp challenge is:

VINTAGE

For this one we've decided to go back in time and we'd like you to produce your artwork in a vintage style.  We can see you all scratching your heads wondering what on earth you can do, but once you look through the Clarity Stamps you will see that there are a lot that lend themselves to this challenge.

Here's my take on the theme and all of the lovely design team have had some fab ideas too which you can check out on the challenge blog for inspiration.

Materials:

Stamp - Paris collage

Stamp - large Paradise stampstamp

Stamp - small fobwatch

Distress ink - old paper & vintage photo

Glossy accents

Ribbon

Bakers twine

Hat pin

Card candi

Clock charm

Eyelets from my stash

Gold Krylon pen

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

Papertake Weekly - anything goes
Crafting Musketeers - vintage - ends 29th September
Simply Create Too - vintage
It's all About the Vintage - metal decoration



xx Happy crafting and glittery hugs xx

Blue Wedding

It's Friday again, which means it's craft day, although mine will be cut short today as I will be travelling to stay at my friends house this afternoon so that we can get an early start for the Great British Craft Festival at Stoneleigh tomorrow.

Is there anyone else going tomorrow?  If you are and you see me walking around, please stop me and say hello.  It's always nice to meet new crafty friends.

I've got a list as long as my arm of things to get, but also hoping to try and get into one of the make and takes with Hels Sheridan.  Wish me luck!!

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We've got a new challenge starting today over at the Fussy and Fancy challenge, where the new theme is BINGO BOARD and hosted by yours truly.

My card was made as a commission for a friend recently who was attending a wedding with this colour scheme.  Isn't it a great colour?

We'd love to see you playing along with this challenge and the design team have got some amazing inspiration for you too.  Don't forget your bingo dabber and you may get the winning line!

Materials used:

Oddments of card from my stash

Embossing folder - D'vine Swirl

Die - Heart Swirl Branch

Nestability - Lacey Circles

Sentiment - For You

Ribbon, pearls and gems from my stash

I'd like to enter my card into the following challenge:

Papertake Weekly - anything goes

Creative Inspirations - something old (almost everything used)/new (flowers)

Crafty Ribbons - anything goes

Delightful Challenges - make it pop

xx Happy crafting and glittery hugs xx

Bunnies in the frame

I've been a really bad blogger this month haven't I?  It's been a month since my last post - oops!!!!

There's lots going on in my world at the moment, hence not many posts. I know excuses, excuses but I've got a rather large wedding stationery order that I'm in the middle of pulling together and I'm also going to be starting my own workshops too so busy planing for them.  How exciting is that?

If you'd like more information about my workshops please pop over to my "workshop" page to find out more.

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This year is flying past isn't it?  I can't believe it's the first of August already!  That means it's time to launch a new challenge over at the Clarity Stamp Challenge.  The theme for this month is:

Animals

With the school holidays in full swing you may be thinking about taking the children on a trip to the zoo, a day out at the beach with the dog or a visit to a butterfly farm.

For this challenge we'd love to see your projects reflecting all of the beautiful Clarity animals.  We're also including birds and insects in this challenge so that you have plenty of scope to choose from.

So grab the dog's lead, the horse's harness or the butterfly net and join in the challenge.  You could be the winner of the £50 Clarity voucher.  Sound tempting?

Here's my card for inspiration, but the design team have plenty more inspiration over on the challenge blog if you fancy a look.

Materials used:

Stamp - remountable bunnies and grass set

coloured with promarkers

Stamp - small tree

Stamp - small birds in flight

Adirondack ink - stonewashed and lettuce

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

Joanna Sheen - boys will be boys
Creative Inspirations - anything goes

A Little Bit Crafty - summer fun
Creatalicious - pets
As You Like It - fancy fold
Southern Girls - animal antics

xx Happy crafting and glittery hugs xx

Shell Frame

Like a true Brit, I'm going to talk weather as it has been great this weekend hasn't it and believe me I have the face to prove it!!!  Rudolph has nothing on me!!!

Mark and I went to Silverstone on Saturday for the qualifying rounds of the Grand Prix.  The sun was out but it was a little bit windy as well which was not a good mixture when you don't have any sun tan lotion on, is it?  Spent a great day there, watched some fab driving, quality time with friends and a chance to beat the traffic on the motorbike too.

Yesterday was spent busy finishing my Clarity samples for the shows next weekend on Create and Craft so make sure you're free or you've set it to record.

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As you all know by now on the first of the month the Clarity Stamp challenge launches it's new challenge and this one ties in very nicely with the great weather we've had.  The theme for July's challenge is:

Oh I Do Like to Be Beside The Seaside

So grab your "kiss me quick" hats, slap on some sun tan lotion and come and join in the challenge.  You could be the winner of the £50 Clarity voucher.  Sound tempting?

Here's my card for inspiration, but the design team have loads more inspiration over on the challenge blog if you fancy a look.

Materials used:

Stamp - single shell

Stamp - shell cluster

Stamp kit - making a point

Coloured with promarkers and flexmarkers

Adirondack inks - stonewashed, cloudy blue

sunshine yellow and sunset orange
Grande nestabilities - creative book pages

Stamp - birds in flight

Stamp - small tree

Stamp - coast

Sentiment - walk along the sea

Versamark

Black detailed embossing powder

I'd like to enter my frame into the following challenges:

Inky Chicks - anything goes
Passion for Promarkers - name that song (oh I do like to be beside the seaside)
Creative Inspirations - anything goes
A Little Bit Crafty - die'ing for it
Creatalicious - all about summer
Crafty Cardmakers - holiday



xx Happy crafting and glittery hugs xx