Clarity Feminine

Over at Clarity Challenge Blog the theme is Feminine.  Here is my effort - just in time!  Its the last day.

I chose the background from a pile of Gelli plate prints I had made - the dress is decoupaged from the same sheet.  The lovely lady is Rosie by Clarity and she is stamped in Black Archival.  Around the edge I stamped the leaves from the Clarity Birdhouse stamp set.  The Happy Birthday is a die that came free with a magazine and the little flowers are a fab die which is loads of teeny tiny flowers.  I added pearls then coloured Rosie's hair and shoes with coloured pencils, shaded under her feet with a Distress Marker and it was finished.  I would have coloured her hair and shoes with Distress Markers if I had the right colours.  I must also confess that the sentiment wasn't supposed to be there but I had an ink accident that I needed to cover up but I actually quite like it!

Please pop over to The Clarity Challenge Blog and have a look, its fab!

Thank you so much for visiting me, I really appreciate it loads and loads!  Have a lovely Sunday.  Take care.  Christine xxx

Christmas in July

The Challenge over at IndigoBlu is Christmas in July - the perfect time to use the fabulous Stag Cliffhanger stamp for the first time!

The background is coloured using Stormy Sky, Dusty Concord and Scattered Straw inks along with the moon and hills masks by Clarity.  The wonderful stamp by IndigoBlu is stamped in Black Archival and I used the tree to edge the scene.  I added 'snow' with dries white glue and Cosmic Shimmer Diamond Sparkles and used Quickie Glue Pen and the sparkles on the tree and edging.  The last thing is Card Candi dotted with 'snow'.  I didn't use any extra layers as I didn't think it needed it.

I nearly forgot I also would like to enter this into the Stamping challenge over at That's Crafty.

Please pop over to see the amazing DT makes and the other entries over at IndigoBlu and That's Crafty

I hope you have some nice plans for the weekend - I am seeing my Son and his girlfriend along with my Daughter and Granddaughter tomorrow.  I am really looking forward to it!

Thank you for visiting me, I really appreciate it loads and loads!  Take care, Christine xxx

Never Forget

It was our tenth anniversary yesterday and this is the card I made for my wonderful husband, Darren.

Its not a traditional anniversary card, not a heart in sight!  It was the sentiment 'Never Forget I Love You' that came with the fab Sheena, A taste of India set of stamps which made me decide this was the card to make. The black stamping is Versafine embossed with clear powder.  The elephant and leaves are coloured with Promarkers and its head gear and blanket are painted with matching Distress Inks to the background. The background piece of card has been inked then a Taste of India embossing folder inked with Encore Metallic Gold Ink on the flatter side then the card embossed through the Cuttlebug then heat embossed with Gold detail powder.  The numbers and letters are by Clarity and the stones are from my stash.  I have also added gold Gilding Wax around the edges. Distress Inks used are Spiced Marmalade, Wild Honey, Fired Brick and Picked Raspberry.  My photo is not very good - the card looks more vibrant and the stones, gold embossing and wax all shine.

I  would like to enter the following challenges:

That's Crafty - this challenge is all about using stamps.
Paper Players - this is a colour challenge - my colours are darker versions so |I hope it qualifies!
Papertake Weekly - this one is Anything Goes.

Please visit these Challenge blogs to see what they are all about and to see the fab DT makes and other brilliant entries

Hope you are all having a good weekend.  If you are in England, I am guessing you may have rain today - its throwing it down and thundering here in Bournemouth.  I am hoping to spend some time crafting today - haven't managed much lately!

Take care and thank you so much for visiting me, I really do appreciate  it so very very much!  Christine xx

First Try With Peg Stamps

I was watching Create and Craft this morning where the products being demonstrated were by Card-io stamps.  They specialise in peg stamps.  I have had several sets for ages and not really used them and was inspired to play!  Here is my first attempt using them.

The set I used is Oriental Blossom and the inks are various colours of VersaColour along with Coffee Archival.  The sentiment is a an old wooden Penny Black stamp which is one of my favourite birthday stamps.  I added a little Glamour Dust for sparkle.  I will be using my peg stamps a lot more now, they are definitely addictive!  I need lots more sets too!

I would like to enter this into The Crafting Musketeers challenge which is 'Summertime'.  Please hop over and see the DT fab projects and other entries.

I hope you are having a fab weekend.  Thank you so much for visiting me, I appreciate it so very much!  Take care! Christine xx

Its a Hoot!

Firstly, I would like to apologise for being out of Blogland for which seems like ages!  Its due to mine and my husbands health problems.  Things are a bit difficult so I haven't been crafting hardly at all or paying blog visits.  I am so very sorry!

Here is a card I made a while ago for my Father-in-law's birthday.

The cute owl stamp is Hoot designed by Sam Poole from Creative Expressions and the sentiment is from the same set.  He is stamped in Coffee Archival, embossed with clear powder and coloured with Promarkers.  The bark background is made using a Creative Expressions embossing folder rubbed over with Vintage Photo Distress Ink.  The hole is punched out and brown card added behind.  The branches are cut with Spellbinders Cherry Blossom die.  I hand cut the banner, added some brads and Card Candi coloured to match and job done!

Thank you for visiting me.  I can't tell you just how much your support means to me!  Tomorrow I will start visiting as many blogs as I can manage.  Take care and have a good weekend. Christine xxx

Butterflies for a Friend

I don't very often use patterned paper but I really must start as I have loads - so here is a card I have made using a lovely 6 x 6 sheet that came from a Pink Paislee set that was free with a magazine ages ago.

The three larger butterflies and sentiment are stamped with coffee Archival Ink and embossed with clear powder onto another sheet of paper from the same book which matches perfectly.  I stamped the butterflies on the original paper and glued the cut out ones over the top and added some shimmer with clear Wink of Stella.  The background card and sentiment mat are brown card from my stash and the little round butterfly embellishment on the sentiment came with the paper.  I really love the paper and didn't want to cover too much of it up especially the detail in the bottom left corner and the bee in the top right corner.  The two larger butterflies are Flying Colours by Sheena Douglas and the smaller one is from Little Claire.  The sentiment is by Creative Expressions.  I have used the paper collection and all the stamps for the very first time even though I have had all of them for ages!  I would like to enter the following challenges:

Mr friend Darnell has a wonderful blog and has hit over 500 followers and to celebrate is hosting a NBUS challenge with friendship as the theme.

I just had to join in with that - I went a bit mad with the NBUS stuff!  I am so guilty of buying things and then not using them!

Hels fabulous blog hosts Sunday Stamper and this weeks is to use 'pretty paper' so I had to join in this one too!

Summer of Colour where the theme is Coral and Teal with a splash of White. I hope the white in the butterfly wings is enough.  Thank you to Vickie for pointing this challenge out to me.  I hope I am not too late!  I have added this challenge at the last minute cause I didn't know it was there!

Thank you so much for visiting me, I really really appreciate it!  Have a lovely weekend and take care! Christine xx

IndigoBlu Monochromatic

The challenge over at IndigoBlu this time is Monochromatic.  Here is my simple offering.

I used the absolutely fabulous IndigoBlu stamp Elizabeth Bennet!  In the past I have always coloured the image in but this time I have stamped it on pale blue card with Versamark ink and embossed with Cosmic Shimmer embossing powder Lagoon Lilac Aurora.  The flourishes on the background are stamped with Royal Blue Versacolour again on blue card and I added thin white layers just to lift it a little.  Its a very simple card but the image is so stunning that I decided to leave it alone this time.

If you can, please pop over and see the DT makes and all the other entries - every one of them is fab!

Thank you so much for visiting me.  I really appreciate it!  Your visits and comments mean so much.  Take care.  Christine xx