Favourite Embellishments

This months challenge at Let's Ink It Up is Favourite Embellishments - at the moment, mine are flowers and inks - usually but not always with a vintage feel.

Our fab sponsor this time is

                                        Kitty Lane Stamps

There generous prize is a package of goodies!

Take care

Tracy x

Labour of Love

I'm sorry my blog has been so quiet of late - it's not that I haven't been crafting, quite the opposite. After a great deal of thought, I've reduced my Design Team commitments as I didn't feel able to give my all to all of them. Instead, I've been concentrating my creativity on magazine commissions for Papercraft Essentials Magazine and making minis.

I've scrapbooked for years, and love to make mini books. A couple of months ago I was looking for inspiration for a family history book and stumbled on Kathy Files blog. Well that lady has a LOT to answer for! I'm well and truly hooked. The family history book still only exists in my head because I've been so taken with making other fab projects from her ustream classes and tuts. Kathy's enthusiasm (and laughter) really is infectious and her classes are a joy, certainly well worth joining in on a ustream class, but don't say I didn't warn you, it's HIGHLY ADDICTIVE.

So far I've made nine projects (told you!!) I'm trying to get my behind in gear to get some youtube videos done to show them all, but making and uploading videos is going to take me away from crafting and the withdrawal......well I'll try. Soon. I promise.

Anyway, this one is finished in that all the pages are matted, and the cover is embellished, but I haven't decided on a theme yet, so the boxes aren't filled and it's not overly embellished inside. I've used Graphic45 Steampunk Débutante paper which is stunning - in the past, this would've been a 'stroke only' paper, but to paraphrase Dirty Dancing, 'no one puts Graphic45 in a corner', and it's now reduced to precious scraps. I'm really pleased with how it all turned out - at one point, I got a little carried away with tags and inserts and ended up not being able to close the thing (Kathy's projects are anything but skimpy lol) so I had to remove them and need to make another project to show those off too (you can see it's a slippery slope!)

I'm especially pleased with the cover; I made some roses from coke cans, which I coloured with alcohol inks, die cut and heat embossed some cogs, both Tim Holtz and Spellbinders, to look rusty and weathered, then added some charms and Prima bling - which brings me to this months challenge at Let's Ink it Up. We want you to 'show us your bling'. Our sponsor for this challenge is offering a fantastic $15 to spend in their store.

Thanks for looking

Tracy x

Distressed!

Not me for once - it's our new challenge at Lets Ink It Up - so show us your distressing! The sponsor for this challenge, My Creative Classroom is offering a seat at one of their classes.

As usual, I've thrown all things Timmy into my project - I love my faux metal base made from chipboard, which I dry embossed and then heat embossed with black, silver and distress.

Thanks for looking

For my friend

Time for a new challenge at SCSC - this time we want you to use a sentiment but no image. Our regular sponsor, Digi Doodle Shop is offering $10 to spend with them.

My card started with some playing around with Spellbinders dies - I linked 9 motifs together and simple added my sentiment.

Thanks for looking

Spring in the air

There's a definite air of spring - if not where you are, then at least at MMCS. So show us your spring cards and you could win a prize from this weeks sponsor The Paper Shelter.

Thanks for stopping by

Altering again!

It's new challenge time at Lets Ink It Up. For this month, we want you to show us your flowers,  one lucky winner will receive this wonderful lushness, so get bloomin'!

For my project, I altered a hook I bought for 49p - can you believe it? I also added a mirror that I bought in a garden centre sale - I think that was about 50p too. I so love a bargain!

Thanks for looking

Lucky Green

We want to see your green creations this week at Secret Crafters, so be sure to pop by and see what the rest of the DT have been up to.

For my card I started with the lucky bingo card and went from there, again I've put long hoarded and loved stash to good use - Crate paper this time and I'm so sad to see the end of it.

Thanks for stopping by

Woof!

This week at My Mums Craft Shop, we've been mixing it up with shaped cards. If you'd like to share in the fun, there's a £10 gift voucher up for grabs from MMCS.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cards For Men

We have a sketch for you this time at CFM  from Starry Nights Divas. Our sponsor for this challenge is Digital Delights, who are offering a great prize from their shop.

Thanks for looking

Happy Anniversary

White on White is the new challenge theme at Secret Crafters Saturday Challenge; our regular sponsor Heather's Hobby Heaven, is offering a $15 voucher to our lucky winner.

I've been wanting to try a book card for some time now, but never got round to it until now. Keeping to one colour is really quite a challenge, so this was not an easy card for me!

Thanks for looking

Ribbons and buttons

This is the card I made for this weeks 'Buttons and Ribbons' challenge at My Mums Craft Shop. Our sponsor for this challenge is Sew Sweet - so much scrummy stuff to look at!

Once again I've used some  old but good stash, this time its MME; it's really pretty paper and a lovely soft palette.  I'm sad to see the end of it, but it needs to be used.

Thanks for looking

Guest Designer at Anything Goes

This is my second project as GD at Anything Goes. For the challenge we were asked to alter something like a box, bag, tag etc.. I made a mini book of photos of our daughters various hair colours and styles; the pages are made from letter sized manilla envelopes which fold and stick together to form the spine.

Here's a quick tutorial on how I put the pages together.
Seal the envelopes - I used 11 but you can use as many or as few as you choose. Trim a sliver of both short ends  - essentially making a tube.

Score and fold all the envelopes at 3"

Apply DST to the short side, ensuring that you leave a gap of about 1/4" from the fold - this is essential as it allows your book to expand.

 Remove the tape and stick the pages one on top of the next - a long page sticks to a short page for each leaf.

Decorate your pages, adding folded papers to form flaps coming out of the long pockets.

Add paper covered chipboard covers.

Thanks for looking

Eyes down

We're playing crafty bingo this week at Secret Crafters Saturday Challenge and our lucky winner will get to choose 3 digi images from our fab sponsor The Stamping Boutique

I've been really busy lately making mini books, after finding a youtube by the fantastic Kathy Orta. I've made many mini books in the past, but have always used my BIA to bind them. The BIA is great, but where it falls down for me is with thicker / embellished books. The beauty of most of Kathy's albums is that they are bound differently and allow you to make really fat books without them looking like crocodile mouths!

For the challenge, I've taken the top right to bottom left diagonal on the bingo board and used glittered papers, a vintage floral image, and ribbon.

Thanks for looking

Pearls and Swirls

This weeks challenge at My Mums Craft Shop is sponsored by Emerald Fairy and we want to see your pearls and swirls.

For my card, I made my own wax resist paper, cut a birdcage  from the metal of a tomato puree tube, I stamped  my image and used perfect pearls to colour it, finally, my birds swirly wings are glossy accents.

Thanks for looking

She Loves You

 Love is in the air this week at Cards For Men, so we want to see your creations for the man in your life. Our sponsor for this challenge is Freshly Brewed Designs, who are offering a lovely prize to our winner.

Thanks for looking

Love

Once again, it's new challenge time at Secret Crafters Saturday Challenge - for this week, we want you to use red, black, white and texture. Our regular sponsor, Digi Doodle is giving one lucky winner a $10 voucher to spend in the store.

For my card, I used a mask to emboss my background card, sticky backed flock, which I embossed with a folder and stuck to chipboard heart die cuts. I added gold ink to highlight the texture on the hearts.

Thanks for looking.

Must Be Love

We're getting loved up this week at My Mums Craft Shop. Our sponsor this week is Whimsy Stamps - I love their stamp and die combinations; I want them all. For my card, I used  their bunting die to mirror the heart bunting held by Tilda. I'm also using old stash again, this is by GCD; I bought it to make a mini book, but never got around to it, so expect to see it on a few cards!

Challenges Entered

Magnolia Stamp Lovers - Twine

It's a Magnolia Challenge - Valentine card

Magnolia Down Under - Love is in the air

Just Magnolia - Valentine card

Magnolia Mania - Anything Goes

Magnolia-licious Highlites - Vintage /Shabby chic

Simply Magnolia - Hearts & Love

Magnolia-licious Challenge - picture inspiration

Thanks for looking

Ribbons and Lace

A great new challenge starts today at Lets Ink It Up - Ribbons and Lace. Our sponsor this month is the fantastic Lili of the Valley, and our lucky winner will win a £10 voucher to spend in their store.

 For my creation, I started with a mint tin (I make no apology for buying it for the tin rather than the mints!) I embossed the foil from a tomato purée tube, then embellished with a lace rose, ribbon, trim, a bit of chain and a charm. I had in mind a bit of an Alice in Wonderland feel, and I think its achieved without being overtly themed.

Thanks for looking

Hugs and Kisses

Hi all,

It's new challenge day at Secret Crafter's Saturday Challenge and for this challenge, we are sponsored by Crafter's Companion . This weeks winner will get a £10 voucher to spend with them.

The theme of the challenge is Hugs and Kisses. I cut my shaped easel using a Grand Nestie, in such a way as you only cut half of the die; so easy and obvious that I never thought of it until I saw it demonstrated on Create and Craft!

Thanks for looking

Hey Punk

We want to see your Fab 'n' Funky creations this week at My Mums Craft Shop and, as if you'd need any further incentive, our sponsor for this challenge, Forgotten Scraps, is offering our lucky winner a $10 voucher to spend in their store.

Thanks for looking

Seeing Red

This card is another that just came together - I had an idea in mind, but then I got playing with some new Papermania stamps and went off at a  happy tangent. Great card for a male - mail get it? Ahem - well our challenge for this week at Cards For Men is 'Seeing Red' and  our sponsor, Letraset, have a great prize for our winner.

http://www.letraset.com/

Thanks for looking

Hello Tilda

I love the way the colouring turned out for this Tilda, and once I'd chosen my papers, it seemed to come together fairly quickly - I love it when that happens. I made this for our Ribbons challenge over at Secret Crafters Saturday Challenge, where our sponsors for this week are Heathers Hobby Heaven and Whimsy Stamps.

Thanks for looking

Flower Power

It may be too early for real spring flowers, but that doesn't mean it's too early to see them on cards. This weeks challenge at My Mums Craft Shop is Flowers - our sponsor for this week is Some Odd Girl who are giving a great prize to this weeks chosen crafter.

This is a mix of new and old stash - new patterned paper, old book paper. I made the flower from a drinks can, which I cut with a spellbinders rose creation die and embossed. The charm is from a broken necklace.

Thanks for looking