About Me

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Hi I'm Clare, I live in the South West of England in the seaside town of Torquay. I adore playing with inks, paints and generally getting messy. It is the calm place which fits in between my hectic life whilst working as an outreach support worker, looking after my son, daughter, foster son and hubby. Not forgetting our gorgeous springer spaniel, Suzi.

Saturday 20 December 2014

Merry christmas everyone!

Hi blog land here I am with my rather Christmassy Bee Crafty blog. I didn't post anything last week as I had a rather crazy brainstorm to decorate my daughters bedroom. She is now settled into her new room for christmas, I have finished work and can now relax a little before the big day.


I have posted 2 cards this week to make up for not posting last week. Bee Crafty have a fantastic range of Yuletide stamps so why not take this opportunity to get ready for next years celebrations. There is 20% off Bee Crafty Stamps until Monday 22nd December so why not take the opportunity to set yourself up for some new year projects.


To make this card I have used:

Yuletide fir tree stamp

Yuletide snowflakes

Yueltide seasons greetings

Backdrop borders grasses

Embossing powder

Salty ocean distress ink

 

 

For this card I used:

Yuletide holly swirl stamp

Seasons greetings stamp

Can I take this opportunity to wish you all a very merry christmas! I hope you've all been good and Santa brings you lots of crafty goodies. I'll be back in the new year with some more Bee Crafty inspiration.

 

Christmas Crafty Hugs,

Clare x x x

 

Sunday 7 December 2014

Oh Christmas Tree!

It's Clare here once again for Bee Crafty and I have another christmas themed card for you. I thought that I would try something on craft card this week.

 

For this card I used:

Yueltide christmas tree stamp

Yueltide seasons greetings stamp

Inkables off set dots mask

Dylusions White linen ink

Distress ink

Liquid pearls

Embossing powder

 

 

I started off with my craft card and the Inkables template and dabbed through some white linen dylusions ink with a sponge. After that I stamped the tree and sentiment with watermark ink and heat set with a pearly embossing powder. With festive Berries distress ink I brushed around the edge of the card. After matting and layering I added my favourite little liquid pearls to the tree in red and green to the tree and some random opal white to the outer edge. Finally I added some gems from my stash for a bit of bling.

 

 

Thank you for having a look at my post today.

 

Crafty christmas hugs,

Clare x x x

Sunday 30 November 2014

Some more seasonal greetings!

It's Clare again back with some more Bee Crafty seasons greetings. I'm sure I mentioned last week how fond I am of this stamp, it is a lovely large stamp and so versatile.

For this card I used:
 
To make this card I stamped using watermark ink and heat embossed using clear powder. I then brushed the card with mowed lawn and crushed olive. Using the same coloured inks I stamped the smallest snowflake. I then punched out some small holes using my punch. Using a die cut I stamped on the seasons greetings in black and heat embossed. To tie the greeting in with the card I again used mowed lawn to edge the shape and stamped the small snowflake with crushed olive and mowed lawn. I mounted the card onto a hidden panel of white card and then onto green and added my favourite little pearly dots and a sprinkle of glitter.
 
 

 

I hope you are not finding your christmas preparations too stressful? It's a busy time of year and I know I am trying hard not to let this busy period weigh me down. Some crafty time for me today I think.
 
Crafty hugs,
 
Clare x x x x

 

Sunday 23 November 2014

Seasons greetings!

Hi it's Clare here again with a little bit of Bee Crafty inspiration and like it says on the tin, I've gone a a little seasonal with some of The Yueltide collection stamps. You will will see this greeting pop up quite a bit over the coming weeks. I absolutely love it. It is such a good size and stamps fantastically.

 

For this card I used:

Seasons greetings stamp

Fir tree stamp

Beautanicals ferns stamps

Distress inks

Embossing powder

 

 
To make this card I masked with a circle aperture and a moon so that I could ink in my scene using festive berries distress ink. After that, with my circle mask remaining, I stamped on the ferns using black ink and heat embossed with clear powder. I removed the mask and stamped on the sentiment and the fir tree and once again heat embossed.
 
 

 

That's me for this week. I expect all of you are busy getting ready for that special day so thank you for taking the time to look at my blog. I look forward to hearing your comments.

Crafty Christmassy hugs,

Clare x x x x

 

Wednesday 19 November 2014

Frosty Double Daisy

Hello fellow crafters, it's Clare here with more winter ideas. I didn't go for the obvious choice of stamps on this one. I chose one of my favourite stamps, Double Daisy and decided to give it a touch of winter.

For this card I used:
 

 

First of all I stamped Double Daisy and the sentiment in Oak House Studios wine pigment ink pad and heat embossed with clear embossing powder. I then randomly went over the leaves of the double Daisy with a white wax crayon to cause a resist to create a frosty effect. Out came the lovely inks in a bottle and I continued to paint the Daisy with my red shades. Once Daisy had been painted I decided I wanted a splash of colour behind it. I mixed my green colours to create a wash for behind the flower. Finally after matting and layering I added a smattering of glitter to complete a frosty finish.

 

 

Good luck with your winter challenges. There is still time to get your entries in and be in with a chance of a wonderful prize.

 

Happy crafting,

Clare x x x

 

Sunday 16 November 2014

Looking on the bright side!

Hi there bloggers it's Clare and I'm here with my weekly spot at Bee Crafty. Over the last few weeks I've seen some fabulous, bright colour work so I decided to have ago myself and this is what I achieved.

 

For this card I used:
 

Beautanicals cow parsley stamp

Inspired by Banksy balloon girl stamp

Beautanicals branches stamps

Beautanicals ferns stamps

Wordage shoot for the moon stamp

Distress inks

Clear embossing powder

Liquid pearls

 

 

To make this card I Started by stamping the balloon girl and beautanicals stamps in watermark ink then embossed with clear embossing powder. After that I masked off a moon and inked in the background using salty ocean, picked raspberry and Crushed olive. I removed the moon mask and inked in with squeezed lemonade. The sentiment was stamped in black ink and again heat embossed with clear embossing powder. To finish I added my favourite liquid pearls.

 

 

 

Thank you for coming over and having a look. I love to hear your comments so feel free to feedback below.

 

Crafty hugs,

Clare x x x x

Saturday 8 November 2014

Falling leaves

Hi bloggers it's Clare here with my weekly blog spot for Bee Crafty. If you are lucky enough to venture to the NEC in Birmingham be sure to pop by and see Bev and the Bee Crafty team and check out the fantastic stamps, templates and all things inky.

 
For this card I used:

Backdrop bark stamp positive

Wordage - Live with no excuses

Distress inks

Beautanicals maple outline

Dylusions inks

 

I started off by masking off a corner of my card and using green distress inks I blended through the basket weave template. I stamped over this using brown ink using the bark backdrop stamp.


I removed the mask and stamped on the sentiment, some maple leaves and heat embossed with black embossing powder. On a separate piece of card I stamped some more leaves, heat embossed and cut out.


Using Cut grass, sunshine yellow and postbox red dylusion inks I painted all my leaves. I then applied my cut out leaves using silicone for dimension.


Thank you for taking the time to read my blog post.


Happy crafting,

Clare x x x

 

Snowy Hills

Howdy fellow bloggers, it's Clare again. Here is a little bit more of winter crafting to help you along with this months challenge. Winter scenes are proving very popular at the moment so I thought I would join in and make one of my own.

 
For this card I used:

 

 

I started off by placing my card behind a flower shaped mask. I then ripped up some scrap paper, using a sponge and my powder blue ink pad I inked on my snowy hills. I masked off a circle for the moon and with another piece of ripped paper I sponged on my wintery sky, again using Oak House Studios powder blue ink pad. After I had set the scene I stamped on the beautiful beech tree and the sentiment using the same coloured ink. Finally I added some glitter to the tree, hills and sentiment.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog post. Good Luck with your entries into this months winter themed challenge. You could be in for a treat and win a prize for your entry. You only need to use one of Oak House Studios fabulous products.

 

Happy crafting,

Clare x x x

 

 

 

Sunday 2 November 2014

Introducing the new Backdrop Borders

Hi it's Clare here with my weekly spot at Bee Crafty. Friday saw the launch of the new stamp range 'Backdrop Borders' so I placed my order and to my surprise they landed promptly on my doorstep, Saturday morning. I happily unpacked my parcel and set to work.

 

For this card I used:

Backdrop borders - dandies

Beautanicals - Dandelion stamp

Wordage - Joy is a flower

Inkables template - Honeycomb

Distress inks

Liquid pearls

 
First of all I stamped my backdrop border, twice with versamark, once with my black ink and heat embossed with clear powder. After that I stamped the dandelion stamp, sentiment and again heat embossed. Through the honeycomb mask I blended mowed lawn, crushed olive, peeled paint and peacock feathers distress inks and then added my favourite liquid pearls.
 
 

So now you know about the 'Backdrop Borders' why not drop by the website and treat yourself.

I have had a lovely crafty week but alas it is back to work for me tomorrow. I have made quite a few things which I look forward to sharing with you over the coming weeks.

 

I always enjoy reading your comments so feel free to feedback your thoughts on this weeks blog.

 

Happy crafting,

Clare x x x x

 

 

Wednesday 29 October 2014

Birthday Fairies

Just a quick mid-week blog from me. It's my daughters birthday next week and I'm grabbing this opportunity, whilst she is on a sleepover at nannies house, to make her card well in advance.

I am enjoying my long awaited half-term but I fear that the list of need to do is outweighing the want to do list! Although I have booked myself an appointment at a spa on Friday, every girl needs a pampering once in a while......surely?

So trying to claw back some time I decided to make my daughters card this months lavinia challenge entry. Nothing like killing two birds with one stone.

 

I would like to enter the above card into the following challenge http://laviniastamps.com/blog/lavinia-stamps-challenge-10-autumn-colours/

 

Thank you for taking the time to look at my blog, I look forward to hearing your comments.

 

Crafty hugs,

Clare x x x x

 

Sunday 26 October 2014

Like a bat out of hell!

 

Hello fellow bloggers I'm back with my Bee Crafty spot for the week and I'm using what has turned out to be a very versatile stamp indeed.

 

For this card I have used:

All Hallows' bat stamp

All Hallows' Happy Halloween stamp

Distress inks

Silver embossing powder

Glossy accents

Clear embossing powder

White fine line pen

 

 

To make this card I started off with stamping a black bat in the centre of the card. I then stamped the bat randomly using pumice stone, weathered wood and another grey ink pad from my stash. After that I added some doodles to my black bat using a white fine line pen. I then proceeded to stamp using the wavy edge of the bat wings to create a border. I stamped the sentiment in black and added some clear embossing powder. Using the same technique I stamped around the edge of a black piece of card using a watermark ink and embossed with silver embossing powder. After I assembled the card I applied glossy accents to the black, doodled bat for a bit of dimension.

 

Thank you for taking the time to have a look at my blog, I love hearing your thoughts and comments. I hope you are having a wonderful weekend whatever you may be doing.

 

Happy crafting,

Clare x x x x

 

Sunday 19 October 2014

Christmas frame - Oak House Studios

 

Hi blog land, today I am feeling somewhat euphoric as I start half term holidays which means I have some extra crafty time to play. I thought I would start by sharing what I made for the Oak House Studios frames and borders challenge.

There is still time to get your craftiness in action and submit your entry for this months challenge. Remember you are in with a chance of winning one of five prizes and all you have to do is create something using one of Oak House Studios fantastic products.

 

For my final bit of inspiration I have used the Oak House Studios extremely versatile Block frame stamp.

 
 
For this card I have used:
Big christmas collection (Holly & berries)
 
First of all I stamped and heat embossed the frame and the sentiment with Oak House Studio's gold detail embossing powder. After that, out came the trusty post it notes to carefully mask off the small rectangles and stamp in the hollow ivy leaves. A few more sticky notes later I masked the frame and stamped the solid ivy leaves around the outside of the frame.
 
 

 

I look forward each month to see what everyone else has been making. There has been some super cards made already this month so come on, what are you waiting for? Get your entries in while there is still time!

 

Happy crafting,

Clare x x x

 

Gone fishing!

Hi it's Clare again and my weekly turn for Bee Crafty. I have brought with me a little bit of moonlit fishing! With the nights drawing in and getting darker I found myself making a little moonlit scene which I complimented with Bee Crafty's banksy inspired fishing boy.

 

 

For this card I used:

Inspired by banksy fishing boy stamp

Wordage Dreams come true stamp

Distress inks

Liquid pearls

 

 

 

To make this card I brushed in my background using tumbled glass, chipped sapphire, seedless preserves and pumice stone distress inks. I stamped the fishing boy and sentiment with black ink and heat embossed with clear embossing powder. Finally I added my favourite Liquid pearls around the outside.

 

That's me until next week when I shall be celebrating the fact that I am on holiday and I can spend lots of crafty time with my daughter Sophie, yipeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

 

Crafty hugs,

Clare x x x