Anyone for a Cupcake?

As promised, I'm back to let you know the news I hinted at yesterday.

I'm chuffed to bits that my lovely blogging pal, Faye, has asked me to be a Guest Cupcake for the month of October over at Cupcake Craft Challenges! 

I'll be posting my first Guest Cupcake card tomorrow for our first challenge of the month, so I do hope you'll visit us at Cupcake to join in the fun!

Today I've got a card to share that I made a wee while ago but didn't get round to posting.

The photo isn't the best, I'm afraid - it seems to be almost dark here all the time.  I used a
little hAnglar stamp and coloured her with my Distress Markers.  The papers are from a Maja Designs pad and I've added some pink pearls in the corners, flowers (WOC) and seam binding.  The brad in the centre of the bow is from the Basic Grey Capella collection and I made the butterfly with a Cheery Lynn die.

I'm going to enter this card in the Just Magnolia challenge, which is Die cuts/punches and pearls.

I'm off to brave the howling gale that's going on outside to try to rescue a few plants which I had to put into pots because they were sitting in a lake of rainwater.  Now they're rolling around the patio - I can't win, can I?!

Enjoy your Sunday.

Hugs

Tracey xx

Vintage (and I don't mean me!)

Good morning everyone! I can't believe it's been so long since I was able to post anything.  We've had a pretty dodgy internet connection again this week but I've also been really busy at work, with lots of stuff going on after school.  We're on holiday in a couple of weeks and hopefully then I can catch my breath and get back on track.  I've also been busy doing something crafty which I can't show you yet, but I'll be back with news of this tomorrow!

Anyhoo, it's Saturday and that means it's time for a new challenge at Sweet Stampin'! This week we want to see your interpretation of Vintage style in your creations.  Now, I'll admit, I wasn't sure whether I was confusing vintage with shabby chic (can anyone tell me the difference?) but this is what I made:

I was lucky enough to win over at Totally Tilda a couple of weeks ago and the prize was a £10 voucher from Bunny Zoe's.  The lovely Nikki has such a beautiful range of goodies and I was spoilt for choice, but I decided to get myself a couple of Bildmalarna stamps to try.  I stamped this little cutie onto watercolour card and painted her using my Distress Markers and some water.  There is a little bit of Glamour Dust on her wings, to give her a wee bit of sparkle

The pretty papers are from a Maya Designs pad and I've distressed all of the edges with the Timmy Thingy and some Walnut Stain ink.  I wish I could remember where I got the chipboard flourishes, particularly as it wasn't that long ago that I bought them! The heart was cut with a Magnolia Doohickey and edged with Walnut Stain and I added some lush ribbon from the Ribbon Girl and flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts.

I do hope you can join us at Sweet Stampin' this week - hop over here to take a look at the fabulous designs my teamies have made!

Have a lovely day!

Hugs

Tracey xx

Awww..!

I'm not a soppy person.  At least, I don't think I am.  But I didn't take that into consideration at all when, a couple of years ago, I bought these stamps.  I don't get to use them very often, but when I do... oh, they are such a joy to colour.

It's new challenge time over at Lovely hAnglar or Sweet Magnolias and we've decided on an "Anything Goes" theme this fortnight.  My fabby teamies have made the most gorgeous creations to inspire you and I decided to make not one card, but two!

Apologies (again) for the photo - this time there was a yellow thing in the sky and no matter what I did, I couldn't avoid getting shadows on the cards. One even looks like a grubby fingerprint but I promise you, it isn't!

I found a tutorial for this card shape, wrote down the link and now can't find it.  When I do, I'll edit this post in case anyone would like to take a look.

The images were coloured with Copics and all that was added were some roses from Wild Orchid Crafts and gingham from my stash.  Very simple, I know, but I do like the effect.

I do hope you can join us over at Lovely hAnglar or Sweet Magnolias - for this challenge we are sponsored by Creative Treasures

I’m Tracy and the owner of Creative Treasures, we are a family run business with a love of all things craft related. We stock a great range of mulberry flowers, pretty ribbons, seam binding, lace, crystal drops, charms and lots of pretty embellishments. We are always adding new stock. Our aim is to provide fantastic customer service and great value for money.

 

Hope you all have a lovely week and I'll see you soon!

 

Tracey xx

Simply Sentimental

Another Saturday, another new challenge over at Sweet Stampin'!  This week our theme is "Simply Sentimental".  No, we're not asking you to get all nostalgic and weepy, we'd like to see you use a sentiment as the focus of your card.  Stamp & Create are our sponsors this week, giving away a prize of a $20 voucher.

I will apologise in advance for the rubbish photo; I must have taken a picture of it in every room in the house and still couldn't get it right.  Anyhoo, here it is...

The sentiment is from a Magnolia Christmas collection and has been stamped with brown Staz-On. The DP is from last year's Authentique Christmas pad and I've added some Cheery Lynn die cut corners.  The kraft frame has been cut with a Spellbinders die. 

I had hoped to get a photo of the "special thing" I mentioned that the Boy Wonder and I were off to collect last week.  Sadly the awful weather has meant that I haven't been able to do that but... we picked up our new car!  Yay!  And then ... yesterday I got a letter to say that my brand new car was on a recall list as there is a potential fault with it.  I haven't even had it a week. Typical!

Finally, if anyone wants to know just how rubbish the weather is here, the driveway and patio are covered in seaweed-like algae again.  Yuk!

I'll be back tomorrow with a little hAnglar (or two??).

Hugs,

Tracey xx

G'day!

Fingers crossed that after the last two manic weeks at school I can now start to get back into a more normal routine and start crafting again.  I was able to colour some images for an upcoming DT project last night and it felt so lovely to be doing something other than schoolwork or housework!

I've got a few projects on the go at the moment but nothing ready to post, so I thought I'd share another bit of the mini album I made for my dear friend and colleague who retired recently.  She has been planning a trip to see family in Australia, so this cute Tilda stamp seemed the perfect choice.

The papers are from the MME Sunny Side pad and they've been layered to form little pockets for my friend to put photos or other mementos in.  Tilda has been coloured with Distress Markers; the postcard is a Lily of the Valley stamp which I really should use more.

There are a couple of animal challenges out in Blogland at the moment that I would like to enter.


Magnolia Stamp Lovers - Animal
Midweek Magnolias - Animal (non-domesticated)


Before I go, I must let you know about our new challenge at Sweet Stampin'!  This week it's White on White and let me tell you, the DT creations are amazing! We've got prizes from Letraset (Promarkers) and from our lovely Sweetie Natali, as well as our monthly sponsor Joanna Sheen.  Lots to play for, then and a fabulous challenge!

I'm rushing off to get everything done today so that I can (hopefully) get some crafting time tomorrow.  It's not all work for me today, though...  all being well the Boy Wonder and I will be going to collect something a bit special!  More news of that next time!

Have a lovely day.

Hugs

Tracey xx

Inspired by a Song or a Film

There's a new challenge at Sweet Stampin' today! Our challenge this week is for you to create something stamped which is inspired by a song or a film.  We are being sponsored by Papelitos Stamps so we were all given some digis to play with.  Mine is called Alice, so I had a choice: Alice in Wonderland or something else.

After much faffing about I went with something else!  My choice has, however, caused some consternation over at Sweet Stampin' Towers as I am now responsible for putting a naughty song in the heads of my lovely Teamies!  I decided on "Livin' Next Door to Alice" from all those years ago when I was a teenager.  And then I remembered that a certain rotund comedian (and I use the term loosely) did his own version... 

Moving swiftly on... I stamped a row of Magnolia houses and put my Alice image in front of them using sticky pads.  The papers are also Magnolia and I added a punch MS border, lots of Wild Orchid Crafts flowers and some blue ribbon to finish it off.

I do hope you can come over to Sweet Stampin' to take a look at what the rest of the DT have made to inspire you.  It would be great to have you playing along with us this week - remember to stamp and, this week, to mention on your post the song or film behind your creation.

Many apologies for being away from my blog this week.  Work has been pretty full-on but I hope to be able to get back to normal in a week or so.

Have a lovely weekend!

Hugs

Tracey xx