What a gorgeous weekend!!!

I hope you all had an excellent weekend. The weather here has been absolutely gorgeous so we've spent the whole time outside and this is the first card I've got done!! Yesterday was geocaching and then the afternoon at the beach. Today we spent the day in the garden and also had to run ciruits round the local park with the girls!! Yes, I know that sounds a bit crazy on a hot day, but they were trying to learn to ride their bikes without stabilizers, so we had to run around holding on to the backs!!! Not quite there yet, but they are doing well and it was good fun!!

So on to my card. This is for two challenges today. The first is Papertake Weekly, where the challenge was to use scraps. The second is A Spoon Full of Sugar, where the challenge was to inculde lace on the card.

The main panel of the card was made from scraps of paper (of which I have a lot!!!). I selected lots of browny pink scraps and punched squares using an X-Cut square punch. I stuck them on to a square of brown card and covered the whole lot with Anita's clear glaze. When dry, I decorated this with paper flowers, clear gems and letters cut on my Big Shot using Impress dies.

The pink and brown backing papers are handmade papers from my stash.

The scalloped card is Papermania. I punched holes all around with my crop-a-dile and then set eyelets. The pink paper and card blank were edged with brown fluid chalk.

I tied lace through the holes for the Spoon Full of Sugar challenge and finished off with pink scalloped sticky ribbon down the spine.

Thanks for looking!!

Stampin' Chic colour challenge

This is my entry for this week's challenge over on the Stampin' Chic blog. The challenge is to make a card in Brown and Blue. Also, there needs to be a product included from Clare Curd's Signature Range - not too tricky as I seem to use her paper pack in nearly all my cards at present!!!

The brown butterfly paper and all the stamps were from CCSR. The blue paper is some butterfly paper from Papermania (although in hindsight I think the card would have looked better without this on!!).

All the images were stamped in black ink and clear embossed. I then went round all the edges with ColorBox fluid chalk in Chestnut Roan, which I also brushed over the top of all the stamped images to add a bit of interest.

Blue cardstock - Core'dinations. Brown cardstock and brads - Papermania.

Thanks for looking!!

Daisy & Dandelion challenge

Hi everyone! Hope you all enjoyed the long weekend. The girls and I had a lovely time in sunny Cambridge visiting my brother and sister-in-law. My sister-in-law is pregnant and has just had her first scan so we were able to tell the girls and show them the first photo of their new cousin! They were very excited as you can imagine!!

Now on to my card!! This is for the challenge this week on the Daisy & Dandelion challenge blog. The challenge was to use circles on the card, as well as Daisy & Dandelion products. This gave me the perfect excuse to play with my lovely new nestabilites!!!

The image and sentiment are both stickers, backed with white card, cut out and inked with pink fluid chalk. The papers are from the Daisy & Dandelion Picnic Patch collection.

I've also had a play with various embossing folders!! I used swiss dots for all the circles. The pale pink circles are from cor'dinations card stock which I then sanded, the dark pink circles were wiped over with pink fluid chalk (Colorbox, Orchid Pastel).

The large scalloped circle was embossed using the Perfectly Paisley folder. I then coloured over it with Dovecrafts Shimmer Chalks in a pale pink. I used a wet paint brush to try and make the colour a bit stronger.

Finally, I embossed my dark pink flower (it was a plain one from a large pack at Lakeland and looked a bit boring!!). I used the Floral Fantasy embossing folder for this!

Thanks for looking!!

Have a good weekend!!

Well, it's a long weekend for us as the girls have a couple of days off school/nursery for in-service days - so we're going to Cambridge for the weekend to visit my brother and sister-in-law. Two very excited girls here now trying to pack!!!

Just before I go I thought I'd share these cards with you. I finally got round to making them as thank you notes for my birthday. I've been very disorganised lately and they're shamefully late!!
I used the Sizzex Build a Butterfly die that came with my new Big Shot, and cut them out from assorted handmade paper. The sentiment stamp was from Clare Curd's Signature Range.

Whatever you're up to this weekend have a good one - especially those in England who have Monday off as well!!!

The Sugar Bowl challenge 10 card

This is my entry for the sketch challenge on The Sugar Bowl.

As well as the lovely sketch to follow, the challenge was to include buttons on the card.

I've used the Gorjuss - Sent With Love stamp from Sugar Nellie, coloured with Staedtler colouring pencils.

The blue card was embossed with the Cuttlebug Floral Fantasy embossing folder.

Buttons and blue silk flower from stash. Green paper flower Papermania.

Pale blue cardstock Core'dinations

Patterned paper - Clare Curd Big One paperpack.

The plastic letters were free on the cover of a magazine ages ago - suddenly remembered them and they were the perfect colour!!

Thanks for looking!!

More blog candy!

The lovely Gayle is offering some blog candy to mark her Birthday. Visit her blog - Little Bird Design - by 31 May. See the picture on my sidebar!!

Claire xx

New challenge blog & gorgeous candy!!

Just a quick one to let you know about a new challenge blog launching on Monday 1st June. It's called The Next Level. They are also offering the most amazing blog candy - see the links on my sidebar!!

And now for something completely different....

I made this box of goodies to send to my Dad who is still in hospital and not enjoying the hospital food. I've filled it with lots of his favourite things to try and encourage him to start eating again!!!

The box is a shoe box covered with brown paper and then decorated.

The papers I have used are from Clare Curd's paper pack (yes, again, they are just so useful!!).

I have inked the black papers with white chalk ink and the white papers with black chalk ink.

The buttons, paper flowers and cardstock alphabet stickers are all Papermania. The small letters are peel-offs coloured with a black permanent pen. Eyelets set with crop-a-dile. Ribbon from stash.

Thanks for looking. I just hope my Dad likes it!!

Stampin' Chic sketch challenge 4

Here is my entry for this week's sketch challenge on the Stampin' Chic blog.

I have used one of my new Gorjuss stamps from Sugar Nellie, coloured with Whispers Brushmarkers.

Black and green card from stash, cut with my lovely new nestabilities!

Patterned paper from Clare Curd's CCSR Big One Paper Pack.

Brads, adhesive gems and scalloped card blank all Papermania.

Edges inked in ColorBox fluid chalk in Charcoal.

Paper flowers - assorted!!

Thanks for stopping by!

My beautiful flowers from DoCrafts!!

Hello everyone. I hope you had a good weekend and some good weather!! It wasn't so good here this morning but has cleared up now so we were able to get into the garden for a BBQ which was nice!

I managed to get one card made this weekend which I will pop back with later, but first I thought you might like to see this photo of some beautiful flowers I received. These were my runners-up prize from the last DoCrafts competition. They arrived on Friday and aren't they lovely!!

I already had some beautiful flowers this week from my husband and parents for our wedding anniversary (like waiting for a bus - it all comes at once!!) so our house is now lovely and floral!!!

Wedding anniversary card

Today is my wedding anniversary, so in my current disorganised state I made my husband a card last night! Luckily he was working late or I'd have had no chance!! Mind you, he popped off to Tesco's for a card at midnight when he finished work, which makes me seem really organised in comparison!!

This card was made using the sketch on the Daisy & Dandelion challenge site - always great to have a sketch to work with when you're in a hurry!!

The Dandelion stamp was stamped in black ink, clear embossed and coloured with whispers brushmarkers.

The spotty paper is from the Clare Curd Big One paper pack. I also embossed some green card using the Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder.

Ribbons, buttons and felt flower all Papermania.

It was meant to be a masculine card but now that I've finished I'm wondering if it looks a bit girlie!! Oh well, hopefully he'll like it!!

Thanks for looking!!

Stampin' Chic technique challenge

Thank you for all the kind comments you've left on my blog. My Dad has unfortunately had to go back into hospital as he has an infection, but at least he's somewhere they can look after him!!

For my first card since I've been back I've made a get well card (of course!!) using lots of my lovely birthday pressies. I included faux stitching for last week's Stampin' Chic challenge, but just realised I'm too late and I should have uploaded this last night. Oops!! I've lost track of the days this week!!






Anyway, details of the card are:

Papers - CCSR Big One paper pack
Card - local craft shop, cut with scalloped square nestabilities. Embossed with Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder.
Lettering - Impress die cut stencils
Ribbons - Papermania
Gems - Anita's gemstone wheel
Buttons - from stash
Edges inked with Colorbox fluid chalk in Burnt Sienna
Faux stitching added by pricking with pokey tool and then Whispers brushmarkers.

Thanks also for all the comments about my card in the DoCrafts mag. I was very pleased!! Didn't even know it was in there until I got Sarpreet's comment then rushed off to the shop to get a copy!!!

Thanks for looking!!!

Back at home!

Hi everyone!

I'm now back at home in Scotland. My Dad did really well with his op (triple heart bypass - now has an amazing scar to scare the kiddies with!!!) and was allowed back home yesterday which was excellent. I'm now back at home with my husband and the girls who I missed loads. My husband did a great job looking after them and is now back at work for a rest!!!
Now I need to catch back up with everything and get making some cards again!! It was my birthday while I was away. I got my presents when I got back, which included a lovely BigShot from my parents and some nestabilities from my husband so I can't wait to get crafting again with those!
Looking forward to catching up with everyone's blogs!!