I feel like a Dingle-Dangle Scarecrow...

With a flippy floppy head! Got back at 2.30am last night from my 10 day 'expedition'. Then I was woken up by a four and a half year old jumping on the bed at 6am. Bless.

It has just been the best few days for a long time! I really missed home and my boys, but I so enjoyed my time at the show in Olympia and down in Dorset. Whilst at the show, Phil, Beckie, Becky, Sheila and I gave our all, and equally laughed till our sides ached and we cried. It was just the best! Everything ran so smoothly, and of course this was due to the organisation and planning of Phil and Becky. We have had sooo many comments that our workshops were simply the best, and wonderful comments that my demos have inspired - the biggest compliment a demonstrator can receive.

Everything is so exciting in crafting at the moment, so fresh and dynamic. and no crafting items more so than those from Do Crafts! you just wait to see what we have for you!!!

Hopefully I'll be back really soon with more projects - I'm dying to make a card other than those I've been doing for the Olympia show. Don't get me wrong, I loved them, but after three weeks on the prep and demoing of the same cards, it can get a tad repetitive.

Talking about cards, we have a new colour challenge over on the Stampin'Chic blog starting tomorrow, with prizes available! Why not check it out?

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

New Baby Card - Heffalump Style!

My friend had a baby on Saturday! Congratulations Caroline and Mike! They probably won't be reading this, seeing as they are unaware of the blogging instinct in me, and especially not with a new baby around, but you never know. They had a baby boy, Thomas Michael, another son to go with Adam, which at this precise moment in time is Joseph's unconditional, love him to death Best Friend. Till next week. You know what they're like.

I don't have much baby stuff around, so I found these heffalump stickers (they used to be Josephs before I 'stole' them out of the bottom of his craft box {evil laugh}, and anyway it's not technically stealing, 'cos I bought them, so there.) and combined them with papers from the Cute and Cuddly set from Forever Friends and an old rub on from a sheet that I've had for ages and cost about a squillion pounds (or there abouts). A bit of a ribbon and a few buttons and voila! It's finished.

Hope she likes it! Can't wait to go round and have a squeeze of the baby and revel in the knowledge that I can give him back when he cries. Yippee!

Love, Clare x

Happy Easter Greetings!

Good Morning!

Well, what a night! I think I'm coming down with something, as I've got a sore throat and just don't feel right. Great! I didn't get to sleep last night till 4am, and so I'm like a zombie this morning. Just in time for Olympia Craft show. I knwo there's about 10 days before the show, but i have all the prep to be getting on with so this has just come at the wrong time. Oh well, just carry on regardless.

Last night, I thought I would have some fun doing a couple of challenges, so again I looked to the Penny Black Challenge blog for an exciting Saturday night (oh, I know how to live it up!) The challenge this week is Recipe 3..2..1! 3 brads, 2 ribbons and one flower!

As I so enjoyed doing Amy R's Friday Sketch Challenge a couple of weeks ago, I thought I'd do this weeks sketch. All her sketches are really lovely and are a joy to use. This is the sketch on the left and this my card:

Again, this is another Penny Black Stamp that has never touched ink. How terrible! I'm just loving the Penny Black challenges, as they are giving me a chance to use them! it's called 'What a spring!' and I thought it would be perfect for my Easter cards this year. So I've stamped 6 images, and plan to make them into cards over the next couple of weeks. A you can see also in keeping with the Penny Black Challenge I havebeen a good girl and used two ribbons, three gorgeous papermania Butterfly brads and one scrumptious Prima (I think) Flower!

I've stamped them in versafine Onyx black ink, but found that when coloured with promarkers started to bleed a little, making me not a happy bunny. Must get some memento ink that Katy has suggested. So the image is half Promarkers and half Vivid inks used as a watercolour medium. The greeting is Woodware clear stamps.

I love this little flower, I've topped it off with a dew drop in green.

Supplies: Stamps:Penny Black ' What a Spring!' (2002), Woodware sentiment. Inks:versafine Onyx Black Vivid ink pads in Tuscan Tan, Brown, Red; Promarkers. Papers:DCWV Nana's Kids glitter and embossed Stack., Doodlebug Pink Cardstock. Embellishments: Papermania pastel designer brads, Prima flower, green Dew Drop, Anita's ribbon in wide organza and Grossgrain, large scallop edged scissors.

Well that's about it for today, off now to make cards for one of the up and coming Videos of the Week over on Do Crafts.

Thanks so much for coming to visit! Have a great Sunday!

Love, Clare x

Stampin'Chic Techique Challenge

Just a quick visit this morning to tell you a little about the new challenge that started yesterday. This weeks challenge is technique challenge and that's all I'm saying. You will have to visit the Stampin' Chic blog to find out more. But first, here's a little sneak of the card that I have done for it - you can see more on the other blog!

A funny little story to share too - At the lunch table today Joseph told me when he's older he would like a pet - and he 'whispered' (you know what four year olds are like for whispering) in my ear, two rabbits and a dog. I said "I don't think Daddy will let us have a dog", and Joe 'whispered' - "It's okay Mummy we'll hide it behind my play room door and Daddy will never know". Now if that weren't funny enough, I said to him " Don't you think that Daddy will know there's a puppy behind your play room door?" He thought for a minute, then said " We'll he will now you've just told him!!" Love him to death!

Sees ya later sweet peeps!

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

Winner of Blog Candy Announced!

Good Morning everyone.

We have a winner of the blog candy offered last saturday. There were 148 comments and www.random.org chose

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:128
Timestamp: 2009-03-01 10:16:18 UTC

Therefore the winner is:

Jeanie Nieva from the Phillapines

Congratulations Jeanie! I will send your prize to you as soon as i get your postal address. Can you please e-mail me your addy please. Thanks so much.

And thank you to everyone who has entered the blog candy and become a follower on my blog. I hope you will come and visit often and see what I've been up to. I will also be stopping by your blogs too!

Love, Clare x