Blog Candy on offer for another night!

Yes, you have till tomorrow morning to get your comment about the blog candy, and become a follower. I have had such a disaster of a day, and so am now running late with the party over on the stamping chic blog, that I will now draw the blog candy after 9.00am tomorrow.

Why don't you join us for the party of the century (well nearly), it starts here!

Love, Clare x

10,000 visits! Whoo Hoo, Time for Blog Candy!

Blog candy is now closed. The Winner is Jeanie Nieva! Congratulations Jeanie!

I just came on here this morning to make my usual round of all the blogs I follow when I noticed that my blog had reached 10,000 visits (well, 10,001 to be precise)! Whoo hoo - doing a funny kinda dance! Thanks so much to everyone who keeps coming back for more and more visual punishment. It means so much to know my ramblings aren't falling on deaf ears.

Well, I think that calls for some blog candy, don't you? Nothing like a good excuse.

edited to add photo

Included: BG Cupcake Collection Pack ( 18 sheets patterned paper, 1 sheet alphabet stickers and 1 sheet cardstock stickers); BG cupcake Chipboard Stickers; BG cupcake buttons; BG journal block stamps, Doodlebug small chipboard butterfly; Doodlebug sugar coated chipboard in beetle black,; doodlebug Crushed velvet flock in beetle black and bubblegum.

There's always a catch, so what do you have to do to be in with a chance of winning the candy?

1. Become a follower here on my blog. If you are already a follower you will automatically be entered.
2. Post on your blog that there's blog candy up for grabs here with a link.
3. Leave a comment so I know you have done both.

You have one week from NOW. The blog candy ends on 1.03.09!

Love, Clare x

Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge #75- Let's Do Lunch!

I got all my magazine work that I needed to get finished in the day yesterday, whoop whoop! Which means playtime for Clare! I decided to do the Mojo Monday Sketch Challenge, as I have looked longingly at these sketches for ages, but unfortunately never had time to partake - until last night. This is sketch #75.

So I blew the dust off this fantastic girlie stamp from Denami Design that I've had for absolutely ages and only used once, and immediately knew the papers that I should use. Last week I found through blog hopping a free download from Gina K's Blog (uuber talented designer) for some DP called Neapolitan, scrummy!

I coloured the image with promarkers and added theborder to the strip of DP using Doodlebug paper frills. The paper flower is new from Papermania, and due to hit the craft shops March. The greeting was created with the gorgeous Doodlebug mini rub ons. I also broke out the pearl brads to create interest down the side of the image too.

I really enjoyed making this, hope you like it!

Love, Clare x

How Do You Eat yours?

Happy Pancake Day (Aka Shrove Tuesday)!

Well... how do you eat yours? I'm surprised Joe is not looking like a pancake with the amount he's put away today. When we arrived at school this morning, Mrs. parker was in fill cooking outfit geared up for the mass tossathon (?), and I know from further investigation that he had at least one at Angie's (his childminder). Just to make sure he had experienced fully this tradition, and so he didn't eat on his own (yeah, right!) we partook in one or two when he got home. Now I feel a bit sick.

Why do we just do this once a year? Pancakes are just the best! There's a place at Center parcs called the Pancake house, and do you know what they serve? Yeah, that's right just pancakes. Savoury and sweet. The first year we went to centerparcs David and I got 'flu, and even though we were literally dying (David was worse than me of course) I insisted that we went and had the full experience. Didn't enjoy a minute of it, but we went and that's all that matters.

So in answer to my own question, Joe and I had chocolate and strawberries, and David had golden syrup and chocolate (wierdo).

Love, Clare x

Just Popping in to Say Thank You

I received this beautiful card yesterday from Lisa (aka Crafting Diva) to say thanks for her goodies for putting the CCSR blinkie on her blog. I was really touched as I love to receive anything in the post - well, maybe not a bill! Lisa has even made a Tilda Magnet for me too!




Thank you sooo mch Lisa, it has pride of place on my desk!



love, Clare x

Penny Black Feel better Soon and Friday Sketch Challenge

I thought I would take a little break from working on my cards for the magazine over the weekend and do a little crafting for myself. I'm very lucky to do what I do, and I love everyminute in my little room playing with scrumptious goodies, but sometimes it's nice to kick back, join in a few challenges and use something that you choose.

So off I went, scouring blogs for a challenge - and I found two! first stop was the ubber talented Kath where I spotted the Penny Black Challenge - week 37. I have about 100 penny black stamps that never get used (and are my pride and joy), so I thought this challenge would be an excuse for me to dust tem off and get inking! The challenge is to create a get well soon card (apparently the second most popular shop bought card).

Then, I went window blog shopping for a sketch challenge to go with it, just to give those little grey cells a rest. I found the perfect one at Prairie Paper and Ink by Amy Rysavy! Click on the sketch to be taken straight to the post.

This is my take on both challenges:

I used Penny Black Framed Flowers, a relitively old PB design (2003), but I absolutely love it! And it's the first time it has seen ink too! I stamped the outline with Colorbox Dark brown fluid chalk and quickly embossed with clear powder. I then used my gorgeous vivid inks as a watercolour medium to colour in the image, taking inspriation from the fatastically talented Christine (Sketching stamper), and her very informative video on how she colours in images. Colouring is one of, of not my favourite technique when crafting, I find it sooo relaxing! The circle background to the greeting is also a penny black stamp (dot - lined) and is also an ink virgin! The greeting is MFT.

Supplies:

Stamps: Penny Black Framed Flowers, dot - lined, MFT Bunny Slippers, Inks: Colourbox fluid chalk in dark brown, Vivid inks in Beach Glass, Turquoise, Tuscan Tan, Brown, Olive , Vintage Green and Black. Papers and Cardstock: bazzil in light tan and dark brown, SEI Granny's Kitchen Vinyl Chair and Oven Mitts, Embellishments: Ribbon from stash, WE R memory keepers Nonsense Glitter Brads.

I really hope you like it as much as I enjoyed making it! Thanks for coming to visit!

Love, Clare x

Was it Miss Scarlet, in the Drawing Room with the Lead Piping?

Well, I don't know about you all but I'm well and truly pooped today! I decided this morning I was going to go for a really long walk around the village this morning. Only problem is, our village ain't all that big, and so rather than going for a long walk, I just walked faster to burn off the chocolate mousse I had last night at a Murder Mystery Dinner that I went to.

Do you know, our village is like the Mary Celeste? On my 35 minute walk around the village, I saw three passing through cars, and one man walking his dog. And it was a lovely sunny day too. Takes me back to when I had first had Joseph, and just to get out of the house and maybe speak to someone as I was going stir crazy (I was diagnosed with Post Natal Depression soon after), I went for a walk around the village, and in the whole hour saunter I was out I didn't see a single person. It was as if everyone had been taken by aliens. So depressing!Living on a cul-de-sac doesn't help too.

Anyhoo I digress, here is the final card I made for the LI video of the week. I just love the LI paper pack that fully co-ordinates, and the colours are so fresh and yummy too. I also used Doodlebug Simply Sweet mini rub-ons too, which are one of my all time favourite things. I simply could spread 'em on toast and gobble 'em up!

So, watcha doin' this evening? Whatever it is I hope you have a great one and I'll speak again soon.

BTW, it wasn't Miss. Scarlet with the lead piping in the drawing room, it was Charity Ball on the 18th Hole with a 9 iron! and I got it right!!

Love, Clare x

And now for a card...

Hi All!

Todays card was again made for the Lasting Impressions Video of the week over on the Do Crafts site. I used the brass stencils, not for dry embossing, but as a mask to create a unique background paper. I also used this technique under the 'Enjoy' wording also. I really enjoyed myself, I love getting messy with inks from time to time.

For more deets on the card and supplies, please click here.

P.S. CheeseStrings Trivial fact: "Did you know that the average human body has enough fat to produce 7 bars of soap." Just 7, that's nothing with my body you could make 144 and still have enough left over to produce a wax work of Jabba the Hut.

Love, Clare x

So, So Sad...

I don't normally post things like this, as I think there is far too much misery and depression in the world without having on a blog too, but I just have to say something about this awful situation.

I am talking about Jade Goody. Ever since I heard on Sunday that she has been diagnosed with terminal cancer, and may only have weeks to live I have been wracked with sadness, not only for her, but for her two beautiful little boys. Now, I know that Jade is not the only person to have ever gone through this, but just seeing her now makes me cry frustrated tears - why? It's such a waste.

people may criticise her for living her life and consequently her final days in the glare of the media, but as she has said herself, she is doing it for the money, but so her boys can have a good start in life. I know money doesn't bring happiness, but she is going what any mother tries every day to do - to try and provide the best for them, and god knows, I would do exactly the same thing.

And now, she has left hospital to be with her family at this time. And there is nothing I can do to help her. And I do feel helpless. This is a perfect illustration of why I'm wholeheartedly supporting the Marie Curie make a Card for Cancer Care Campaign, so that others like Jade can be cared for in their own homes with their families around them.

Lastly, I would just like to say that I wish Jade a wonderful wedding, and the most beautiful of days with her boys. Sorry if I've depressed anyone, but I think I feel better for saying (in my opinion) what needs to be said.

Love, Clare x

Make a Great Impression!

Today I have had to parcel up my demo boards and sample cards and scrapbook pages for Rosemerry merry to use on QVC when she demo's the final few Purple Cows Trimmers on Craft Day. I was asked to go down but with it being for only 10 minutes at 11pm at night, it was decided that it would be impractical. However, watch out for other shows coming soon to a TV near you!

Anyway, I digress - I had to parcel up the A1 demo boards, and I didn't realise how much bubble wrap they would take up. I was wrestling for ages with tape and wrap, and then I had to start on the outer wrapper. I used some wrapping paper I bought years ago, and it was silver. Unfortunately that ran out and so I found some deep purple wrapping paper. By the time I had finished it look like a humongous bar of Dairy Milk! I hope it doesn't make Rosemerry hungry! The UPS man's face was a picture when he saw it!

Anyhoo, today I have another card from the Lasting Impressions Video to share with you. I love this card (are you allowed to love your own card?), I think it's the coloured elements against the black that does it for me. The stamped sentiment is from the Scrumptious stamp set , I absolutely LOVE this font!

Well, that's all from me for now..."Only the crumbliest, flakiest chocolate, tastes like chocolate never tasted before....."

Love, Clare x

Huh?

You may be wondering what has happened to my blog background, well you're probably not; however, let me bring it's absence to your attention. You see, what happened is...aliens came down from Jupiter, liked what they saw and took it with them for their navigation system...err...my dog ate it..mm...I ran over it with my car...OKAY, OKAY - I was trying to be clever by uploading a new blog background, and in doing so I inadvertantly deleted my background, plus all my widgets and piccy's down the side bar. That will teach me to try and be clever. This is a subject that boffins go to university to study for four years and I think I can master it in a matter of minutes? Think again!

I saved my HTML template, promise, but I didn't account for the fact that it would delete all my side bar stuff. Oh well, an excuse for a new background, and oh go on, why not - I made a blog header to match the colours, and I likey a lot!!

Back to cards - I have a good few cards to share with you over the next few days, as the've just been set free from solitary confinement on the DO Crafts website. I'll just share one with you tonight though as it's a llittle late and I was planning to do this earlier had my digits not been so mouse-happy!

I made this card for the new Lasting Impressions Video of the Week (available on a PC or laptop near you), and luckily this one was spared from the coffee branding! I will let you know when I got to those! It's made with the gorgeous lasting Impressions Gratitude Paper Pack which has a white core - perfect for sanding! To find more details about this card, click here!

Thanks for stopping by, tomorrow there will be a new card here, and another sneeky peeky over on the Stampin Chic Blog so see you there!

I {heart} Louise Jolley and Photoshop!

Wow! What a busy time in the Curd household at the moment! I'm busy looking through all the applications for the Clare Curd's Signature Range (CCSR), as well as starting on my cards for the may edition of the Do Crafts Creativity! Magazine and cards for future Video's of the week over on Do Crafts. I'm also hoping to go to the stitches Trade Show tomorrow with Sheila, but David has to be in work tomorrow at 6am, so it depends whether I want to go late or not go at all.

Last week, Sheila and I was down in Do Crafts land (or Dorset to you), and a busy yet fun time was had by all! Sheila did a couple of Top Tips videos, you can see the first one here, and I filmed four Video's of the week. I very kindly passed on my nasty cold to Sheila too, nothing like sharing with your friends! Get well soon, Sheils! Talking of Sheila, here's a photo that Lou (the photographer) took of Sheila and I on the last day we were there - Sheils needed a new photo of herself for the website, and I happened to sneak in and get in the picture. They can't do anything with me popping up!

Lou just sent me the photo today, and I had a little chuckle when I spotted the title she put on the image - the terrible twins - that explains us just about right!

Just incase you're wondering, Lou is a superstar because she had achieved the impossible - she has managed to save my cards that I ruined with coffee last week! Whoo hoo! And even though it must have taken her ages, she did it with a smile and alot of patience. I love you Lou - you're the best, I really appreciate everything you do!

Today, I have been out and bought a new webcam so I can start skyping Sheila again - my webcam kept crashing my computer, and some new headphones to replace the ones I smashed when I thought the bath was running over last week.

Finally, here is a card I didn't get around to posting last week, I made it with my The Greeting Farm Pretty Hat stamp set. She is just the cutest and was a pleasure to colour and work with. I also love the font used for the greeting - gorgeous! I used a sketch challenge from Mojo Monday (week 72), but didn't enter it 'cos I'm not organised enough. The pink paper is an gorgeous old Doodlebug paper, and the flowers are cut from a lush BasicGrey paper. I coloured in anya with my promarkers Love'em!

That's all for now - see ya later!

Love, Clare x

I can't 'bear' to be without you!

Sorry I have not posted for a good few days. I was away at the weekend at my Mum and Dad's and now I'm down in Dorset filming some Video's of the Week and doing a few other things.

I have made this card in celebration of St.Valentine's Day! It was just so easy to make, and probably the quickest card I have made in a long time too! I love making cards that take time, enoying the process and hopefully the final result.

I created the frame around the main image by punching out 7 flowers from red core'dinations cardstock. I stuck them to the underside of the circle. easy peasy and effective!

It's under New Projects over on the Do Crafts Website if you need more details about the products used, or how it's made. You can also comment here too, and it would be lovely to know what you think.

Love, Clare x

I just wanted to share with you a video of the week that Dan (videographer extrodinaire) and I put together to support the Marie Curie Create a card for Cancer Campaign. seriousness aside for a minute. That's not easy to say, especially after laughing 'till your sides hurt for four hours!

as the video says, it;'s so easy to help and make a difference. Buy the stamp set and send in a few A6 sized cards, that's all there is too it.



You can rate the video on the do crafts website to let us know how we're doing too! Now I'll shut up and let the video do the talking - enjoy!

Love, Clare x

Have You Ever Had One of Those Days...

...when everything seems to go wrong? Well believe me, today has been one of those days. please allow me to explain, and maybe the release of the feelings will help in the recovery process.

We have had the water cut off today from 9 til 5pm. It was a planned thing, but as usual we forgot in the Curd household and I only remembered by sheer chance at 8.45am. Off I went, filling jugs, pans and anything I could get my hands on. I remembered my Dad recommending that we fill the bath to be able to flush the toilet, and so I started to run the bath with cold water. It takes ages for our bath to fill (we have low water pressure), and so I came into my craft room next door to the bathroom to catch up on my e-mails.

Some time later I had my head phones on, watching and listening to Most Haunted (as I always do whilst working on the challenge of the week and Project of the Week instructions for the Do Crafts website), when I heard a funny bubbling noise. what could it be - then it struck me - OMG the bath is still running! I immediately got up and legged it into the bathroom, causing mayhem and madness. My head phones were still attached to my head and my laptop, and sprung off my head. I knocked over the container which holds all my colourbox eye queue and single inks, but had to leave them and run to turn off the bath! When I got there the taps weren't running, and the bath wasn't over flowing. I really don't remember turning them off. I must have done it subconsciously. When I returned to my room, disaster had struck. All mu inks were all over the floor, lids off and colour scattered lover the laminate flooring. Also all the eye queues had come apart so I had to spent a good 2o minutes matching up lids to inks and the stacks of colour. I had also broken my head phones, but it could have been worse - I could have pulled over my laptop and smashed it!

In the afternoon, I went downstairs to make the tenth cup of coffee of the day (as you do), put a long handled spoon into the coffee, and proceeded to flick the spoon and therefore freeze-dried coffee all over the kitchen worktop and floor. So off I went to clean that up.

Soon after, I was sat at my laptop, typing up instructions and supply lists for the cards I have made for some new video's to be filmed next week. I took a drink of my coffee, which was still nearly full, and - you know what's coming next don't you - I didn't get my coffee onto my coaster properly and it spilled all over my precious cards, the phone, and my beautiful core'dinations cardstock. Nearly a full cup of coffee - I couldn't believe it. Quick as a flash I sprung into action, but not quick enough. One of the cards which took me ages to create a unique background is ruined I think. the others might be salvageable, I'll have to see what Lou (the photographer)thinks, and really put photoshop to the test! If they are ruined, I will make them again, as you all know, the thing what takes the time is the design after all.

Speaking to my best friend Sheila on the webcam , she reminded me that that should be it, as things come in threes. However, she was wrong, as when I was rearranging the freezer to fit in the shopping, I knocked over a box of fish fingers and they all fell to the floor!

I honestly think that someone upstairs (or below, if you believe in that too) has something against me. Maybe when I wake up in the morning, I will have a better day.

Putting my bad day aside, I have a card to share with you today. It's project of the week over on Do Crafts! It's called I Love you More Than....Chocolate Cake!, and you can see why. I really wanted to make a card that would be perfect for a lady to give to her man, after all the ladies do hold the majority vote when it comes to card making. If you want to have a go at making your own piece of chocolate cake (Sorry, it's not edible!) there is a template for you to follow. You can find the instructions supply list and templates here.

Off again to create mayhem and madness wherever my feet fall! See you soon.

Love, Clare x

Snicky, Snacky Snoo!

Good Morning everyone!

Today I wanted to share this gift that I made for Joseph's Scool. They collect donations towards the snacks they have in the mornings and the box that they use was getting a bit tatty and torn.

I found an old coffee tin that was still in the cupboard and full of coffee. Unfortunately the coffee had gone out of date, so at least the tin didn't get wasted. I covered it with striped paper and cut a circle to cover the plastic lid. It was quite easy to cut a slit in the lid too. I was hoping that would be the case!

I stamped the orange panel with a gorgeous stamp from a Fancy Pants set (sorry, I'm not sure which one), and I was going to appply some adhesive stones, but I know they wouldn't last long in the hands of little ones! The lettering is Papermania; some old, some new.

I'm giving it to school today, so I really hope they like it!

Love, Clare x

Boo Hiss!

After such a lovely weekend, I was in the foulest of foul moods this morning. The Reason? Comet - the electrical retailer!

After our hotel stay (where I sufficiently embarassed David by asking the waiters to sing Happy Birthday whilst bringing out a "chocolate orange" cake), we popped to Comet to pur-chase an external Hard Drive for my laptop. David quite rightly was getting a bit worried that I hadn't backed up my memory and if something corrupted my memory, precious pictures and documents would be lost forever. My question is, do you need to back up the back up, and how long could this quandry carry on for?

So, with hard drive safely tucked under arm, we travelled the 15 miles home only to find that the USB cable and instructions were missing. They had displayed an empty box, and obviously only filled the box with the hard drive and power cable. I wasn't very happy, especially when I tired to phone them and found that the only number availabe was a central number, with no chance of being able to get through to the store. So, I travelled the 30 mile round trip, just to collect a USB cable and instruction book. It has definitely taught me a lesson, I will always check all components are included before setting off home next time!

Tonight therefore I will be saving all my documents etc to the hard drive, what fun!

Back tomorrow with a project.

Love, Clare x