Happy Birthday

I made a card for my lovely Niece's birthday and using one of my favourite Lavinia's stamps - the cherry blossom, I love purple and blue together I think they compliment each other very well.

I have seen Tracey make this card so I thought i would make a stab at it too.

I used adirondack inkpads, and twinkling H2Os to colour in the cherryblossoms. I think the sentiment is perfect for a young or teenage girl's birthday.

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Spring Colours

I love working with Lavinia stamps, they have such a fantasy feel about them. For this challenge I decided to use one of the Castle stamps, and also the cherry blossom and fairy words stamps.

I stamped the castle and used Nutmeg Twinkling H2Os to colour it in. I added a sun mask and brayered in the sky using Adirondack inkpads - stonewashed and Cloudy Blue.

For the fields I brayered each one at a time and stamped the Fairy Words stamp over it in the same colour, just to give some texture. Then I added the Cherry Blossoms and painted the blossoms in with violet iridescent twinkling h2o.

And to finish it off i used one of the foliage sprigs.

Hope you like the result:

I'd love to hear some feedback, please feel free to leave a comment.

Green Day

Here is a card that i have created for the Clarity Challenge... the theme for April is Monochromatic so I have gone with the colour Green. I started out on the gelli plate. I added a layer of Sage acrylic paint and using the layering technique I built up layers of swirls.

Then I stamped the "May all your Dreams come True" sentiment. I love the Large Moonfairy stamp. So I stamped this on some scrap card and coloured it in using pencils and Twinkling H2Os for some added shimmer. Then I used glossy accent on the wings to give them some dimension.

I thought it was still missing something so in a moment of inspiration I used the Paris skyline mask and shaded this in with Meadow and Pesto Adirondack inkpads,

Here is how it all turned out. Hope you like it

Ohhh and I added some diamonds too :-)

Its all in the Words

Hello there, gosh its May and its been such a while since I have blogged. I better get catching up. But for this blog entry I'm going to show the card I have created for this months clarity challenge : Clairty Words Challenge - May

I did try to create a gelli plate card but I wasn't really happy with how it turned out: I painted in the Splodeaway stencil with different coloured acrylics, then I added some dots and lines to add some interest. I let i try and added Silver acrylic over it.

I think I was getting too complicated so..... I went back to basics and I created this Autumnal card. I love  Clarity Autumn Leaves

So I used these stamps with a number of distress inks pads: Mustard Seed, Rusty Hinge, Crushed Olive, Pine Needles and barn door. I edged the card in Rusty Hinge and then used Liquid pearls (pewter) in the scallops of the card

Then I stamped the sentiment and added a little bird from the Garden set.

Hope you like my card.

Gelli Plate Words

Please feel free to leave any comments. Many Thanks Claire

Crafting in 2014

.... wow 2014 already. How was your Christmas and New Year? I hope you had a fantastic break. So crafting and the year ahead. Well i haven't been great at blogging last year, amazing how time just seems to pass by and before you know it, a month or even two has gone by and you haven't blogged... well thats how it was for me. So this year I have decided to try and blog 2 - 3 times a week, and instead of looking the pieces i have created, and thought nagh I can't post that! well I'm going to post it even if it doesnt make to a finished card. I have a drawer full of pieces that haven;t made it to finished cards And an even fuller craft room full of craft goodies that i haven't played with yet. So my new years resolution is try at lease one new crafting thing a week, and then post the results.

So here goes.... hope you enjoy

This time around i'm using Sheena's stamps, and its the Only words through the rain and flower power sets. For the background I used adirondack inkpads - Lettuce, stonewashed and wild plum. I added them to the gelli plate using a brayer.
First of all i put down masks, these where just stamped on to white copy paper cut out and layed down on the gelli plate, then I applied the inks.
I spritz it with water (and a little purple mica powder)
Put down the lavinia card and lifted the print.
Then I stamped in the flowers and coloured them using distress markers
Stamped the saying "Its your day" in crimson red versa fine
and rounded the edges with green guilding flakes.

 

well until next time... take care xx Claire

And here is the finished card : 

All Creatures Great & Small...

Clarity card challenge this month is animals. So I set about creating a card that I could enter. Here it is, I hope you like it.

I first started with a grid card, but I just couldn't come up with a background I was happy with.

I always find finishing a card the hardest, I loved what Barbara did on the letter set lesson where she wrote a message and inserted a card. So I looked up a few quotes and settled on " All Creatures Great & Small" once I had that done I had to figure out what I would use as the centre piece. That's when I decided to use the stamp stamps.
For the background I used the spice rainbow pad and cranberry.

Then I had to add something to just complete it, so I turned to guilding flakes, I love these.

Lavinia: at the stroke of midnight a magical door appears.

Hello Everyone,

I haven't been blogging for quiet a while, amazing how time just slips by. I have been following the various challenges, and I have finally managed to make another card for the Lavinia Challenge. So here it is. I hope you like it.

The inspiration for this card is from the Lavinia 2nd and 3rd DVD. My favourite colours are blues and greens, so for this card I have mainly used, Blue and Purple Adirondack inkpads, and the Onxy black versa fine for stamping of the images. I also used part of the Fairy Words Stamp, which I inked up with the versa mark pen, to just highlight the words I wanted to use and then brushed with the mica powders.

I love the Door stamp and the little fairies so my card is the idea of a magic door appearing only at midnight.

Back to Lavinia Blog

Clarity Pattern Building.... with a difference

Usually when someone mentions Pattern Building in relation to Clarity.. I think Clever corners... but while I was creating this months ATC.... Texture, which I will post a pic of once I give it to Barbara! I made some of my own paper.... using Clairty stamps from the Remountable Haberdashery Set

And here is what I came up with.

Oh I also got some inspiration from Maria Simms Clairty Take 2 show. The Cool masking technique.

So I stamped the buttons first, then I masked them off and stamped over them with the dotty patch. I used adirondack inkpads Denium, and Meadow.

On this Paper I used the lettuce adirondack inkpad.

Ooops has it really been a month!

Hi Everyone, gosh I can't believe its been a month since I last posted something, its been a bit crazy the last while. So what have I been up to! Well i just created two of the Clarity samples from Aprils New Designs Stamps... the Bird Cage. I must say I really do love Clarity's Stamps, and with all the techniques that Barbara shares, it just makes them extra special, don't you think?

So the first card, that I made a stab as is the Guilding Flakes Two-Tone:

I made it as per Barbara's Project sheet, except that I used Autumn Guilding Flakes and for the center of the card, I added gold and white perfect pearls. Then I mounted it onto Black Clarity Card.

For the Leafy Swirl in Blue, I followed Barbara's project sheet but I did add some stamps from the Bird Cage Lesson, in Black Archival. I then added an outline around the outside using a promarker.

The other reason for doing these cards was to get some practice in before I head of to the Clarity Retreat in Cowden in two weeks.... wahoooooo I cannot wait... gotta go get some more practice in ;-) I will post more  on Cowden!!

Lesson 15 In the Classroom

Have you heard of In the Classroom with Barbara Gray? I hope so you have, but just in case, every first sat of the month, Barbara Gray has a 2 hour lesson, where you can craft along with her. After you have finished your masterpiece, you'll find out whats the next lessons kit and everything you'll need. Its so enjoyable, and I have always been so happy with any of the pieces I've created. Here is this months lesson.

Clarity Stamps Lesson 15

If you missed the classroom show today, don't worry it will be added to the clarity site soon

Follow lesson 15

All the previous lessons are there too... hope you find something you like.

Or keep up with all the clarity news on the Clarity Challenge Blogspot....
Clarity's Blog.

Right I'm off to do some homework for next month. Back soon xx Happy Crafting.

Happy Easter....

Happy Easter everyone, I hope the Easter bunnie left lots of chocolate, he certainly didn't forget our house!!! Lily & David are downstairs now snacking on chocolate and making dinner out of playdoh. I probably should mention lily is 4.

Weather outside is lovely, it's not raining or snowing. Must go for a walk later. Well hope you are all well this morning, enjoy your Easter Sunday wherever you are and what ever you're doing. Hope it's with your loved ones :-)

Spring.... Really

Godness gracious what is the weather doing. Woke up this week to snow and its freezing...but thankfully the sun has come out now, so fingers crossed its here to stay...

Well I did get some crafting done this week... There are a lot of family and friends birthdays this week. Plus there will be new challenges and of course the clarity ATCs

Clarity all along the byway

I distressed the edges and then stamped the dandelions in imperial blue, and then 2nd gen inked them around the edges. To give the effect of the pollen floating away I used liquid pearls white opal. 

Inspiring March....Clarity ATC

Never Mind, March

Never mind, March, we know

When you blow

You’re not really mad

Or angry, or bad;

You’re only blowing the winter away

To get the world ready for April and May.

Found this poem on the net, but not sure who wrote it. So the theme for march was inpiration. Hmmmm how do you capture that on 2.5" x 3.5" 

Fairy tales & Castles..

Hi everyone, can you believe how cold it is.... Brrrrrrr it's march hopefully the weather gets warmer soon. Are you all set for St. Patricks Day? It's lovely to see all the green, and the shamrock is
 out and always looks lovely. So here is my entry for the Lavinia Challenge. Hope you like it.

I started off with the leaves and then I stamped the castle. Then I added in the hills under the castle. I used the tree stamp to add some grass tuffets. Then I matted and layered the card onto pink and purple papers. Then I added some candidate and a craftwork card flower. 

Back to Lavinia blog

Mother's Day - March 10th

For all the Mum's out there, here are two cards I've made, one for my Mum and one for my hubby's Mum.

for David's Mum

Variation on a theme for both cards! The lily was made using Tonic Studios, Lily Die and Card, really nice to use and so easy to put together but i love the look of these. For my Mums card I used the Brambly Rose Fabric Stamp Set from Rubber Stamp Tapestry on the square mat. Then I used one of Tonic Studios circle dies to make the Mother's day Embellishment. And I finished it off with a torn strip of card and some card candi. On David's Mums card I used a Green square card background and on the circle tonic studio die cut i stamped the brambly rose on to it. And of course i had to add some glitter :-)

for my Mum

Pinch punch 1st of the month... Claritystamps first challenge

Ok so I know it has been a while, but here is my entry for the clarity stamp blog challenge. Anything goes. I started off using the joy to the world stamp... But the card just didn't work out as I had hoped it would so after a while of looking at a blank page I ended up with this.

First of all I started with the message scroll, I stamped this in place and then masked it off. Then, I masked off the frame and stamped the tree in black onxy (versa fine ink) and coloured it in using promarkers.
For the grass & sky i used a brayer to build up some layers. The moon mask was put in after I stamped the tree but before i brayered (is that even a word... but you know what i mean) the sky.

Using the ornate clever corner i stamped to create an ornate frame, stamping in the ink on the splodgemat used for the grass and the sky. I absolutely love using flitterglu from Indigo Blu so used this around the edge and the green background card.

To finish it off I matted and layered on to White card (with a green promarker edged finish) and then onto a Green card which I had added some guilding flakes to. There is also the image of the Large Pear Tree stamped on the green card and covered in Mica powders.

Stamps Used:
Large Pear Tree
Ornate Corner
Artist Set
To the World... (love this message)

First blog...

So blogging.. Here we go. Well I'm 36 and ,I've in Dublin with my hubby and little girl. I work in Lenovo and I love crafting. This started in 2005 when I went to get my boyfriend a Valentines card but didn't like any cards in the shop, so i went into Inspiring Ideas to get some ideas and they where showing how to make cards and as they say the rest is history. I love using Clarity stamps, Lavinia stamps & rubber stamp tapestry peg stamps. I've also started using tonic studio products.

Quick wee post today, I spent Saturday making Craftwork Card flowers, must say I love their wreaths, I did make a wreath card for my sister in laws birthday and I was really happy with how it turned out. I then used the Tonic punches to finish off the edges. I couldn't resist adding some peel off dots and boarders.
This was my first attempt but i have watched some you tube videos since on creating the flowers and Craftwork Cards own videos and found these a great help.

Here are the flowers I created at the weekend.

February ATC - Love

Are any of you part of an ATC group? I joined one last August and I didn't really know what to expect. But I love it. Each month we all make an ATC for a specific Theme. Then you send it to the next person on the list and so on each month. Its great to have a challenge to work to each month, and so lovely to receive an ATC each month. The interpretation of the themes are amazing. So here is the one I did for February.

So i decided to try something different and have  a note over a background style. I used Clarity birdcage stampset for the background and I used a colourbox chalk pink ink to add some colour. On the note I used the Loved you yesterday... sentiment, which I love and the small balloon stamp and tree stamp.

Pan Pastels...

..did my best to resist, but after watching lots of demos at the NEC I caved. I bought a set from amazon and just managed to start using them this evening. I love them. I'm converted they are so nice to work with, extremely easy to blend with, much easier than inks. So you will see attached my first attempt.