Christmas at Little Claire

Goodly morning to you! I hope you are well and happy!!!! I'm probably either finishing off setting up for the school fair or in the throws of it all as you read this - fingers crossed we'll do well - we've all worked very hard!!!!

I'd like to share with you my main make for the Little Claire Christmas challenge this month - I love these stamps and have added some diecuts and made an easel card.

The images have been coloured with promarkers and some glitter has been added. There's also gems on there - the circles were cut using spellbinders dies - the poinsettia and holly diecuts came from a crafters companion sheet.

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

TPCtotallypapercrafts: HO HO Holidays
Little Clairelittleclairesdesigns: Christmas
Jellypark:jellyparkchallenges Christmas
Simon says stampsimonsaysstampblog: AG

I can't believe its the 1st Dec tomorrow - got three posts to do then - there should be four but I've put one off until Monday - its just a bit much all on one day!!! Big Hugs to you all and thanks for visiting!

Rachel xx

Inspired by Funkie Junkie week 8 - 12 tags of Christmas

Good morning lovelies! How are you today? I'm going to be in a bit of a frazzle probably as its the school Christmas fair tomorrow and my right hand lady is poorly. Still we'll just keep calm and carry on and do the very best that we can!!!! I'll let you know on Sundays post how it goes - but if I'm a bit late/absent with commenting please forgive me!

Onto today - I have a card to share with you largely inspired by the Funkie Junkie 12 tags of Christmas challenge - week 8. I'm slowly catching up but am still a little behind! On this one I took the inspiration from the snowflakes and santa  and the colour blue that you can see here on Linda's tag.

I've cut a mat using my mums latest spellbinders die and onto that placed a mat that I created by using the chocolate baroque snowflake stamp with versamark  and heat setting with white opaque wow powders. Then I used DI faded jeans and salty ocean and smooshed it over the snowflakes. The top image is a stamp from crafty individuals and has simply been stamped in sepia archival ink. The card base I have made from centura pearl card and used vintage photo and tea dye DI around the edge then stamped a clarity corner all around the edge to build a border. This is in vintage photo - i  used primary and secondary stamped images too. I added the twine and the bells and the sentiment and voila! Job Done!

I'd like to enter this one for the following challenges:
thefunkiejunkie/challenge-12-tags-of-christmas-Funkie Junkie 12 tags of christmas week 8 - sponsored by  thefunkiejunkie boutique.
Crafty Ribbons:craftyribbonschallenge AG
Crafty hazelnuts christmas extra challengeChristmaschallenge
simon says stamp:simonsaysstampblog AG
wow powders challengewowembossingpowder: christmas
craft room challengescraft-roomchallenge: vintage christmas card
ATSaddicted-to-stamps-challenge: Embossing: Heat
fashionablestampingchallenges - shabby chic christmas

Hope you have a great Friday - and looking forward to seeing you again soon!

Big Hugs

Rachel xxx

Gold at the Sunday Stamper

Hello there! How are you today? Good I hope! Thanks for all your comments and support yesterday - sounds like I hit a raw nerve with some of you! We really all do have to be so careful.

Today I want to share a card with you that I made in response to the Hels Sheridan Sunday stamper this week which is Gold. I was lucky enough to win a set of stamps from Crafty Individuals and I chose the set I've used on my card today - well its only part of the set! Its called three kings of Christmas and you can get it here.

Here's what I did:

I started with the main panel, stamped and coloured with my speccies then mounted onto gold mirri board. Then I took a white card and used versa to stamp some palm trees and added brass regular wow powders and heat set. Then I stamped the Gold Frankincense and Myrrh, used scattered straw DI around the edge,  added the netting and the topper and voila - jobs a good un!!!

I'd like to enter this into the Sunday Stamperpinkleart/sunday-stamper-fields-of-gold
WOW Powderswowembossingpowder: Christmas
CCC:christmascardchallenges Faith
ATSaddicted-to-stamps-challenge: Embossing - heat
sweet stampin'sweetstampinchallengeblog - cause for celebration
Polkadoodlespolkadoodle: Inspired by a Christmas Carol: We three kings

I hope you're not getting too fed up with Christmas - I've still got a lot to do! Lol!!!  Big Hugs and hope to see you again soon!

Rachel xx

Anything goes with sketch option at Creative Inspirations plus tag 7 for funkie Junkie

Good morning lovelies! I hope you are well! I'm still reeling from a phone call we had on Monday night from a man claiming to be a microsoft engineer - basically a con - trying to get us to reveal our bank details. I just hate that people do things like that. He was so very convincing -nearly got us. There's some nasty dishonest people in this world - and I'm not the only person that they've tried to do this too - loads of friends have had it too. Just be warned!

Onto brighter things! I'm delighted to be able to say that I'm now GDT for thatcraftplace - well for 3 months!!!! So very excited - thanks to Lisa and everybody else on the team for giving me a chance! I'll do my best!!!! Watch this space for my first challenge but why not join in this fortnight where the challenge is use a star.

This week's challenge at creative Inspirations is Anything Goes + Option of A Sketch!

This week's prize is from CEDAR CHEST DESIGNS and is a $10 GIFT CERTIFICATE!

I took this opportunity to use my new stamps from Sheena Douglass - this is my card:

To make this card I stamped the puffin then masked him and stamped the seagrasses and birds. Then I coloured with my speccies and used DI to create the sky.  The background card has been torn - the shells stamped and coloured with speccies. 

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

Bearly Minebearlymine-challenges: AG

Incy Wincyincywincydesigns: Male

I've also got a tag to share with you today - this one is for the thefunkiejunkie-12-tags-of-christmas challenge and it was inspired by tag 7. The elements I took from Linda's tag, that you can see by clicking the link above,  are the colour brown, the textured background and the poinsettia.

I've used an A4 embossing folder to firstly give the texture to the size 10 tag and then rubbed over the raised areas with rusty hinge Distress ink. The image is from Sheena Douglass and has been coloured with promarkers - wish I'd pained this - I think the colours are too bright. The poinsettias are cut using spellbinders dies and then put together and I've rubbed them with metallic rub. The letters are from Claritystamp. 

I'd like to enter this tag into the funkie Junkie week 7 sponsored by thethefunkiejunkie boutique. 

Hope you have a great day! Thanks for dropping by today and for any comments you may leave - I'm always touched by the many of you who stop by here regularly and leave some comments - thankyou - it means a lot to me!

See you tomorrow!

Hugs rachel xx

Anything goes at Crafty sentiments

Good morning lovelies! How are you today? I hope you are well and standing up to the cold - its been perishing here - but bright and blue so thats always nice - had a great run yesterday morning - bracing - but definitely blew the cobwebs away!

Today I've got a card to share with you that I've made for the crafty sentiments design team - the challenge over there this week is anything goes and don't forget they're having an awesome die as the prize. Full details here. Here's my card:

This one uses a stamp called angel that you can get her here. She's a joy to colour - one of my fave Crafty Sentiments Images for sure! I've coloured her with promarkers and cut her out using a spellbinders die. The paper is from papermania and the ribbon from Creative Expressions. The flowers are WOC.

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

Lexislexiscreations: Christmas
totally gorjusstotallygorjuss: Childs Christmas
sweet stampi,n'sweetstampinchallengeblog - a cause for celebration
CHNCcraftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge: For a child
CHNC extra craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge2- AG
polkadoodles:polkadoodle Inspired by a carol - deck the halls
SFTW:stampinfortheweekend Feeling festive
charismacharismacardz: Christmas
MAWTTmovingalongwiththetimes: Music

Thanks for dropping by today - and before I go I must let you know the winner of my last little candy - it was comment number 2 and thats you craftinsuzie.  If you could email me your addy Susan I'll get the parcel out to you today!!!! I do like it when somebody who comments every day wins - but thanks to all of you who do comment whenever you can - I wish I could send you all something!!!!

Big Hugs and hope to see you again soon!

Rachel xx

Crafty sentiments digi release blog hop

Good morning lovelies! I hope you are well and happy today! Today over on the Crafty Sentiments inspirations Blog we're running a blog hop for the release of 5 new digis. This will continue tomorrow too. To qualify for the prizes you must be a follower of the Inspirational blog leave a comment on there and then hop

and leave a comment on all blogs on both days

COLLECT A LETTER FROM ALL BLOGS - then email the phrase answer to  Scattyjan_814@msn.com and leave a message on the inspirational blog to say that you have.

3 winners will each receive one of the new digi's and one lucky winner will win the chance to be a GDT for 2 months- if you'd like that prize pop GDT after your name on the message you leave on the inspirational blog. Enjoy the hop. Winners will be announced on the 28th December. 

Here's what I did:

The diecuts are all from Marianne dies except the branch which is spellbinders and the daisies and the sentiment there are from stamps by Little Claire. I've coloured the digi image in with promarkers fussy cut her and added her to the scene I created.

You should have got here from  Caz  and the next on your hop list should be Audrey. My letter is T!

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

Come and get itcomeandgetitchallenges: AG with a digi

OSAATonestitchatatimechallenge: Bingo - green, blue, dies

Fab n funky fabnfunkychallenges- AG

Delicious doodlesdeliciousdoodleschallenge: No dp

aud sentimentsaudsentimentschallengeblog: any sentiment
cutiepiechallenge-cute-scenes-and-backgrounds

Hope you enjoy hopping! Big Hugs Rachel xxx

Tims Tag - November

Goodly morning to you one and all! How are you? I hope you are well and happy and enjoying a lovely Sunday. I'm so excited to be showing you my Tims tag today for November - I just love the chalkboard technique and really enjoyed making this one - but I have to confess I did feel it was a bit plain - so ened up with some leafy additions! Here's Tims Tag:



Now I didn't have the special leaf and die set that tim used but I did have the set of 4 stamps that include this image - I chose to use the acorn - and the leaf! Here's what I did.

I followed tims chalkboard technique and created the main body of the tag and the decoupaged the image up. Then I created some background paper using DI and stamped the leaf image onto it several times to create the leaves which I then fussy cut. I added the sentiment which is a favourite verse of mine - I used to have a money box with it written on when I was a child and it always makes me think of that box that was shaped like a book and had a key and everything. So thats it!

I'm entering this into timholtz.com/12-tags-of-2013-november.

Hope you have a great day and thanks so much for dropping by today! I really do appreciate your comments!

Big Hugs

Rachel xx

p.s. I'm doing a blog hop tomorrow for Crafty Sentiments - please come along and enjoy the hop! There are letters to collect and everything! Sounds like fun!

two more for the Christmas pile

Good morning lovelies! How are you all? Well where did that week go? Its amazing quite how fast time is moving - and it only seems to be getting faster! Somebody step on the brake pedal - it needs to all slow down!

Well our 'builder' didn't come yesterday - he's supposed to be coming today along with an electrician and then, hopefully, everyhting will be complete and we'll have a working condensation unit and no damp! Fingers crossed.

I've got two cards to share with you today - I'm not over fond of either of them - they've got some nice features but you knw sometimes you feel that things just don't work - well these are two for me - but my blog is warts and all I'm afraid!!!

The first one uses a stamp from Chloes - I just adore this stamp - but think I need to put a sentiment in the centre - will try that one soon. I've used spakling white Wow embossing powders and heat set then added gems. The sentiment is also a chloe one.

I'd like to enter this into the following challenges:

WOW powderswowembossingpowder: Christmas/winter

The second card uses an image from the Makey Bakey mice at Crafters Companion - this time I think the background paper is just too busy! I've coloured with promarkers and added trees cut using a die'sire die.
I'd like to enter this one into the Crafters Companion Challenge which is christmaswinter this month.

Hope you have a great Saturday - we're off to Preston later to pick up my mil from the bus station - she's coming for just over a week - the girls are super excited - they just love it when nana comes to stay!

See you tomorrow - for my tims tag!

Big Hugs

Rachel xx

String at the sunday stamper

Good morning lovelies! How are you today? I'm  feeling a bit housebound as we're having a condensation unit fitted at the moment and so I couldn't go out at all yesterday and today looks set to be a repeat! Still its useful in as much as I can get some much needed and neglected jobs done. Or I can craft!!!!! Lol!!!!

Today I want to show you a tag I made for the Sunday Stamper - the challenge this week is string - well as soon as I saw that I knew i wanted to do one of the string bows I keep seeing over on pieces by tracyevans - that was the starting point for this tag and everything else evolved around it.

I must tell you - I'm very happy with this piece - love that stamp from Crafty Individuals - thats going to be featured again very soon I should think! Okay - to make my tag I've firstly stamped the snowflake and swirly borders from a set of stamps by sheena douglass - in versamark and added sparkling white wow powders and heat set. Then I used distress inks - antique linen, tea dye, walnut stain and weathered wood and tumbled glass to complete the background. Once dry I stamped the words in versa again and added gold detail powder and heat set. The image was simply stamped on a piece of paper in sepia archival then the image was cut out and mounted on the tag.Then I added the string (twine with some DI added to grunge it up) and finally the jewel! This was from chloes.

I'd like to enter my tag into the challenges at the Sunday stamperpinkleart-283-string-of-pearls and also

Wow embossing powder challengewowembossingpowder: Christmas
rhedd and rosiesrheddandrosies: Christmas is coming
Divas:divasbydesignchallenge make it pretty
cute card Thursdaycutecardthursday: ABAC
PCJpaper-craftingjourney: Bling it up
glitter -n- sparkle - tag itglitternsparklechallengeblog

Thanks for popping by today and for any comments you choose to leave - I had a commenters candy yesterday if you missed it just go for the older post!

Big Hugs for a happy Friday!

Rachel x

Inspired by Funkie Junkie week 6 from the 12 tags of Christmas

Hello there! How are you? Very good I hope and keeping wrapped up in this cold snap. I can't believe all the snow that has been flying around on pictures in blogland - we've not had any yet - thank goodness! Just to report that Lucy had a great day too - she loved the canoe raft and the tree climbing and was absolutely shattered by the time she came home! So she'll sleep tonight - not sure about the other one though - she's lost her first tooth so is lying in wait for the tooth fairy I think!!!!!

Todays card is inspired by the tag here from Linda Coughlin of the thefunkiejunkie 12-tags-of-christmas challenge sponsored by the thefunkiejunkie Boutique. I was inspired by the plaid and the number , the gold bow and the red cardinals and also the tree.

The paper is from LOTV - the winter wishes pad - and the birds are cut using spellbinders dies. The trees are cut using a die'sire die and then brayered with sparkle medium (diamond) from Imagination Crafts. The numbers have been cut using a cuttlebug die set and the banner is a spellbinders die - I stamped the diecut with a script stamp.Then just added the lace.

I'd like to enter this card into the Funkie Junkie challenge week 6 thefunkiejunkie and also
Fab n funky week 2fabnfunkychallenges: AG
Rhedd and rosiesrheddandrosies: Christmas is coming
TPSthepapershelter: Christmas is coming
Penny'spennyschallenges AG
Tuesday throwdowntuesdaythrowdown: Snowbirds

Now how's about a little candy - its just for you followers and is a commenters candy - its a few things some stamps and papers and a pan pastel that got duplicated in a recent win I had - but if you'd like to be in the running please leave a comment on this post and be a follower. I will draw a winner next Tuesday morning. Just a little thankyou to all you lovely people who comment so regularly!

Thanks for dropping by today and hope to see you again soon! before I go news from Crafty sentiments!

Hugs

Rachel xx

Thankyou at Creative Inspirations - and another little claire stamp club card

Good morning all! Well wasn't it cold yesterday? My Little Penny had a beautiful day though - she never stopped talking about it when she got in. She was paddling a canoe on Lake Windermere - and running through the forest - taking rubbings of leaves and generally having a ball. What a fantastic day it sounded like! Its Lucy and the juniors turn today - I hope they have as much fun!!!!

This week's challenge atCreative Inspirations is Happy Thanksgiving / Thank You Cards!

This week's prize is from BUNNY ZOES CRAFTS and is a £10 GIFT CERTIFICATE!

 Here's the card I made for this challenge:

I've used a magnolia Tilda stamp - coloured with promarkers. The papers are all LOTV from the Always and forever pad and the flowers are WOC. The sentiment stamp is from whimsy stamps and the image is cut with a spellbinders die. 

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

Kaboodle doodleskaboodledoodles-thanksgiving: Thanks

WDcutedaisymay: Thanks

PIOpileitonchallenge: Thanks

Totally Gorjusstotallygorjuss: 3 patterned papers

Jellyparkjellyparkchallenges: Thanks

CLFcraftylittlefairieschallenge: You don't bring me flowers!

This second card I've got to share with you today is another one done using the Little claire stamp club stamps. I've coloured it in using promarkers.

I'd like to enter this into the following challenges: 

Incy Wincyincywincydesigns: Easel

polkadoodlespolkadoodle: shaped card

PFPpromarkerchallenge: Checks

Thanks for dropping by today and I hope you'll join in with the C.I. Challenge this week! Big Hugs to you all and hope to see you again soon!

Hugs

Rachel xx

A little bit pink and a little bit Christmas!

Hello lovelies! How are you this morning! Well I hope!!! I wonder if the cold is coming today? I hope its not going to be too bad - Penny has a day out at an outdoor centre on Windermere today so I'm hoping that its dry and not too cold!

I've got a couple of cards to share with you today -the first is another card done using the  cards and stamps from Little Claire monthly stamp club.  The second  is a LOTV one done for the pink and white challenge at LOTV monthly challenge.

This card was simply done by stamping one of the LC images on the card, colouring with promarkers and mounting on the card supplied.

I'd like to enter this into the Little Claire Christmas challenge little-claire-monthly-challenge-39 happening this month. I was lucky enough to win last month - woohoo! 

This card was made by stamping the image and paperpiecing the dress, shoes and bows in the hair. The rest of the colouring was done using promarkers. The image was then fussy cut.  The paper is from the always and forever pad and the sentiment is also LOTV.

I'd like to enter this into the following challenges:
Pink and white at LOTVideastoinspire.

Just wanted to let you know about the great prize this week and the next three weeks on the craftysentiments challenge blog too. There will be a different die each week up for grabs.
Christmas Challenge Prize

 If you use a CS image you get 3 entries into the random draw if you are also a / or become a follower on the Inspirational blog you also get 3 entries - If you do both you get 6 entries - so lots of chances to win!!!

Thanks so much for looking today - I really do appreciate your visits! Hope to see you again soon!

Big Hugs

Rachel xxx