stampin' Chic Colour Challenge #3 Turquoise and Yellow

Well, here is my offering for the Colour Challenge over on the Stampin' Chic Blog! it was Sheila and Kath's turn to set the challenge this week, and again as lots of the other DT members have said, yellow is not a colour I would normally reach for, but knowing Sheila very well, she LOVES yellow. She even has a yellow car (which is super easy to spot in a car park, making it a doddle to locate your car!) I created the main image using my new crafting bestest friend - The Quickutz Silhouette SD. I cut out the branch from one of the files, and added the stamped flowers which are from the flower border stamp from the Doodles Stamp Set. I also cut the tab with the Silhouette, it's so great how you can resize things to get them just the right size for a greeting or anything! The greeting of course is from the Sentiments Set. I finished the flowers off with some Anita's 3d Clear Gloss, my other crafting best friend.

Well, I hope you like it, I really enjoyed making this one too! Thanks for a great challenge also Sheila and Kath, I shall certainly be using this combination again!

Supplies: Papers: Papermania Clare Curd Signature Range 'the Big One'. Doodlebug Bumblebee la fleur, Core'dinations Cardstock in white and aqua; Stamps and Ink: Papermania Clare Curd Signature Range Doodles and Sentiments, Colorbox Amber clay chalk ink; Embellishments: branch and tab from Quickutz Silhouette SD electronic Die Cutter, Doodlebug Swimming Pool Boutique Trims.

Love, Clare x

Lots of Love - Stampin' Chic Colour Challenge #2

Whoo Hoo! It's my turn to show you my Pink and Black challenge card, and let me tell you it was like a breath of fresh air to do something different from the same cards that I have been preparing and making for the last three weeks!

Don't forget we have a prize for the winner of the colour challenge this week so click here to get more details about the challenge and enter your project. Just type your name and paste the URL into the Mister Linky box to enter. It would be lovely if you would leave a comment too!The main focus of the card was made using one of the new lasting Impressions stencils. This created the white panel complete with scalloped edge and black dots (lovely!) and also the large and small flowers.

I dry embossed these on to pink spotty paper from the CCSR 'Big One' and gently sanded them with one of the Lasting Impressions Paper Scuffers. I coloured the buttons with a black Whispers Permanent marker as I didn't have any black buttons (must put that right!) and embossed and cut leaves from black core'dinations cardstock. The panel is finished with spotty brads from Papermania and the greeting is also from the paper pack. Super versatile!
Supplies: Paper and Cardstock: Papermania Clare Curd's Signature range 'The Big One', black and white core'dinations cardstock; Embellishments: Papermania buttons coloured with Whispers Permanent markers, Papermania spotty brads; Tools: Lasting Impressions stencil, Paper scuffers, embossing stylus, light box.

Well, I really hope you like it as much as I enjoyed making it! Join us tomorrow to see Martine's card made with the pink and black challenge in mind!

Love, Clare x

Stampin' Chic blog - Limited Supplies Challenge

Hi Everyone!

This is my card for the Limited Supplies Challenge over on Stampin' Chic Blog. The challenge this week is to use only one patterned paper. You can use stamps, brads, buttons and ribbons, infact anything to embellish the design, but you must only use one patterned paper!

This one sure was a challenge for me too! I chose the black and white flower paper and coloured in the flowers with purple and lime green vivid inks used as a watercolour. I cut out a few of the flowers for a main image, and used the gorgeous, delectable Doodlebug sugar coated Limeade cardstock, and a few gun metal adhesive pearls to finish the card.

Don't forget to pop over to the Stampin' Chic blog and join in. Type your link into to Mister Linky, and leave a comment to enter the just for fun challenge. We can't wait to see what you come up with!

Love, Clare x

Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge - Have a Happy Day!

All I did yesterday was cut, cut , cut, and I nearly lobbed my thumb off with the guillotine! After a while I was getting a little complacent with the placement of my hands, and probably rushing a little, didn't realise I had my thumb over the finger guard and came down right on my thumb. I have now experienced the reason for having nails - as I cut straight through the nail to the bed, but this made me realise I was cutting more than card. Ouch! Oh well, at least I'll not be known in crafting circles as half thumb Clare from now on.

I thought to alleviate the monotony of measuring and cutting I'd actually make a card. I really wanted to do the Mojo Monday sketch last week, but never got around to it, so I was determined this week would be the week. So this is done with the Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge #77 in mind. For this card I've used those edible scrummy papers from BasicGrey (Eva) and some delectable Doodlebug Limeade Daydream sugar coated cardstock. I've coveted this Eva courtier paper for ages now, taking it out and stoking it from time to time, but never getting a chance to use it. This was my chance!

The gorgeous stamp is also from BasicGrey, from a bitsy stamp set called - you guessed it - butterfly! I simply inked it up with three colours and embossed with holographic powder for a little sparkle. I used silicone glue to give it that 'flying off the page look'. The greeting stamp is from the Clare Curd Signature Range Sentiment set, I just bent it a little to created the curved effect. I created the scalloped effect around the circle by punching out lots of mini circles, attaching them to the back of the larger circle

Deets of the supplies: Stamps & Inks: BG Bitsy Stamp set Butterfly/b2, Clare Curd Signature range Sentiment stamp set; Colorbox Eye Queue Jelly Beans, Rich Rustics and Orchid. Papers and Cardstock: Doodlebug limeade Daydream sugar coated cardstock; BasicGrey Eva courtier paper, burgundy paper from Eva range; white core'dinations. Embellishments: mini Circle punch, Heat it up! Holographic powder, BG Sultry brads, silicone glue, rotary circle cutter.

Well, here's hoping you like it! better get back to cutting, lets see how many more finger nails I can lose! Thanks for coming to visit today.

Love, Clare x

Some Quick Makes with Left Overs.

Four days? Has it really been that long? Oh my goodness, I have been a naughty little blogger haven't I? Been a little busy this week, and believe me I have wanted to post, but I have just never found the right time. Making up for it now though!

Over the weekend (yes, last weekend!) I made some quick cards with the left overs from the 'Let's Do Lunch' card that I posted a few days before. I don't normally do quick cards ( I like the whole process of becoming completely involved in a card, experimenting as I go along), but I really enjoyed making these.

All the papers featured on these cards are from the free download called Neapolitan available from Gina K's blog.

The flowers are from the Clare Curd Signature Range (under the Papermania brand) Doodles stamp set stamped onto pink and brown core'dinations. Sorry I can't remember the exact names of the cardstock. The Sentiment is also from the range, but from the CCSR Sentiments stamp set, stamped and embossed with white ink and powder. The pink crushed velvet brads are Doodlebug Love boutique brads, and I just love these Papermania self adhesive white pearls on the flowers. I use these all the time and feel so lost when I've run out. the great thing about them is you can change the colour with permanent pens!

As you can see, this one is a very quick card! I have cut the squares to size, then distressed the edges with a craft knife. The sentiment is again from the CCSR sentiment stamp set, and the glittery brads are from We R Memory Keepers christmas range.

I think this is my favourite. I just started playing around on the cardblank 'till I came up with a pleasing look. The fantastic flower is from the new Papermania range of paper flowers, there are 12 colours to choose from, with 20 in a pack for only £1.99! I think the buttons are Basicgrey, and the Rub ons and brad are Doodlebug.

Thanks for looking!

Love, Clare x

Carry On Regardless!

Oh wow! I really meant to blog last night to reassure you all that I had not succumbed to the after effects of de glittering my room, I really did, but I have honestly not had a minute to come on here to make sure that no one has called the crafting police! I haven't had the squad team burst through the front door shouting "Foam square backs - clear" yet, so I assume that no one got to that stage yet (I think I'm absolutely loosing it - I need to get out and stop breathing in the fumes of my permanent pens I think!).

Only four more cards to go and then I've completed my projects for the march Issue of the Do Crafts Creativity! Magazine. Can I got a Woop Woop!? Don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't enjoy it, I just think that when you have so many projects to complete ( I had 17 for the mag) in so little time, it's such a relief when you know you're going to make it.

Then I have a card to do for Project of the Week (which I like to sing to the music of Harry Hill's TV burp "TV Highlight of the Week") for DO Crafts, and then catalogue my ideas and sketches for the next collection to be included in Clare Curd's Signature Range (Can I just say, I don't take myself seriously when I write that, it seems very strange to have a range with my name on it!)

Next week Sheila and I are travelling down to Dorset to Do Crafts Head Office for a meeting about the Craft Show at Olympia where Sheila is running card making workshops and I will be in the demonstration theatre. The show is running from 19-22nd March, so why not come along and say hello! I also have some Videos of the Week to write and film, and some cards to make too, surprise surprise! I just know that Sheila and I will have an absolute ball, both down in Dorset and at the Olympia. We both work hard and when the going gets tough we just 'Carry On Regardless' and have a laugh whilst doing it!

Now, for the sneak for today. This is a card for the March Creativity! Magazine, and again it's using the Daisy and Dandelion Collection created and designed by Erica Martin. This is the stamped image that made me gasp when I lifted the stamp. I just could not believe the detail to the image. It's just gorgeous!

Well, better get back to those last four cards! Lots of love to you all!

Clare x

Introducing Stampin' Chic - an Exciting New Blog!

There's not much on there at the moment, but I've just designed a new blog called Stampin' Chic. It's to introduce the new range of products being launched under the 'Clare Curd Signature Range' - that's me - how off the wall is that!

I've been keeping things under my hat for a good four or five months now, and it's been really hard. Anyone who knows me will appreciate that I have trouble holding my own water, so this has been torture, but I can do it when it's important and I have to do it for the greater good.

The range will be out in March, so I can't really give you any sneek previews yet, but there are a few on the header I had fun designing last night - can't believe I actually made my own header! It uses some of the designs from the range.

I'm looking for 5 design team members to join me in launching this fantastic new range under the Papermania brand, just think, free products in exchange for beautiful projects. The closing date for consideration is 9th February 2009, so if you are interested, please leave a comment or drop me an e-mail with a link to your blog so I can see your work.

Why not go and have a look at the new blog now, and become a follower so that you can keep up with the launch. There will also be lots of exciting things going on there over the next few months, so you'll be glad you did!

Love, Clare x