Easter Time

Yes, it's me - I've been a bad blogger but hopefully as we approach the Easter holidays I'll be able to get back on track.  It's been quite a full-on term and of course, I've got a double-whammy this year, as not only am I getting kids ready for their exams, but the Boy Wonder just happens to be one of them!  I had no idea that being a parent of a child doing exams could be so stressful.

Well, as we're only a few days away from the Easter holidays there will be no prizes for guessing the theme of this week's challenge over at Sweet Stampin'.  It has to be Easter, doesn't it?

I don't really send (m)any Easter cards so my stash of suitable stamps is very small - honestly, only about 2 including the one above.  I coloured the image with Copics and used Doodlebug paper with toning Bazzill card as the image mat. There's a touch of glitter pen here and there but as the paper is lovely but very busy, embellies are at a minimum.

I hope you can join in the fun with us this week.  We're being sponsored by Funky Kits who have 2 digi images to give away.  The Sweeties have made the sweetest inspiration projects so do hop on over to take a peek.

It's to be stormy across the UK this weekend I believe, so stay safe and cosy.

Hugs

Tracey xx

Butterflies

Hello!  It's time for a new challenge at Lovely hAnglar or Sweet Magnolia.  Sadly this will be my last post for LhoSM as I've had to step down from the team.  I've been struggling to find the time to craft/post as work is seriously interfering with my crafty time!  Also, I've taken on a wee bit more responsibility with my first love, Sweet Stampin', so I felt it was only fair to let someone else who loves Maggies and hAnglars take a seat on the team.  

So, on to the challenge.  The theme this fortnight is Butterflies.

I couldn't resist another purple card and a chance to use this gorgeous Maja Designs paper, which I cut with a Go Kreate Die.  The image is coloured with Copics and I've used a selection of WOC flowers as embellies.  The butterfly is a Memory Box die cut which I covered in Versamark and Frantage.

I do hope you can join in with our Butterflies challenge.  My teamies have made the most beautiful inspiration projects which you can see here.  The sponsor is Live and Love Crafts who have a £10 voucher to give away to our winner.

If the words vintage and shabby chic makes your heart beat faster, you will find your haven at Live & Love Crafts!
Live & Love Crafts is a UK based online store that ships WORLDWIDE. The store is owned and operated by Sandra Mathis, a crafter who is as passionate about the vintage style as she is about customer service and providing a good shopping experience. Live & Love Crafts prides itself on having a website that is easy to navigate with excellent product images. Orders are dispatched fast; usually on the same day received.

 

Live & Love Crafts stocks a wide range of products from well-loved vintage brands such as Maja Design, Pion Design, Magnolia, Wild Orchid Crafts, Kort & Godt, Prima, Melissa Frances, Maya Road, and the Tim Holtz/Ranger product lines.

 

The store has a vast selection of laces, ribbons and trims, an assortment of over 200 charms and metal decorations, as well as many other unique embellishments that you can't find elsewhere. To help you save on costs, the charms/metal decos can be purchased singularly and all trims and ribbons are sold by the yard/meter. If you’re looking for products that will inspire and a one stop paper & embellishment shop, look no further than Live & Love Crafts!

I'd like to say a huge thank you to both Ilona and Sara at LhoSM - Sara has done an amazing job with the challenge and is a joy to work for.  It's a lovely, supportive and laid-back team and I wish everyone all the very best.

Hugs

Tracey xx

CAKE!

I like cake. I like baking cakes and I really like eating them. And I'm not alone.  We have "Cake Friday" at work, taking it in turns to bring in cakey goodies to celebrate making through another school week! 

Cake just happens to be our challenge theme at Sweet Stampin' this week.  I  have a few cake-related stamps but this Magnolia image is one I wheel out time and time again. 

I really wish I could get the colouring of the cupcake case absolutely right but it gives me a good excuse to stamp it again so that I can practise.  I used my Copics in soft colours to match the Echo Park papers.  I'm not convinced that the sequins were the best idea I've ever had but they're on now...

Flat Friends are sponsoring our challenge this week so there are 4 digis waiting for our randomly chosen winner.  Do grab a cuppa and hop over to Sweet Stampin' to check out the lovely cake creations the Sweeties have made - they really are gorgeous!

Have a lovely day.

Hugs

Tracey xx

A Blue Christmas

Can you believe that we're into the third month of the year already?  Time is just flying by and it will be Christmas again before we know it.

Good job, then that it's time for a new challenge at Christmas at Sweet Stampin'  - it's never too early to get started on your Christmas cards!  Our challenge theme this month is "Blue Christmas" - a nice, easy one as we just need to see the colour blue on your projects.

I used a combination of Simon Says Stamp and Mama Elephant dies for my DT card:

I coloured a square of white card with distress inks and layered embossing paste over the top through a Simon Says Stamp stencil.  While this was drying I cut my dies, backing the houses with some white card.  I layered up the houses, trees and snowy hills, adding a touch of Wink of Stella to some of the windows (although it doesn't show in the photo).

Finally, I added some twine although I could just have easily stamped a sentiment.

We are being sponsored by Flat Friends, who are giving 2 digis to our lucky winner.  Do pop over to the challenge blog to check out the lovely DT projects the CaSSettes have made. 

Hope you can play along with us this month!

Hugs,

Tracey xx

Your favourite Embellie at Lovely hAnglar or Sweet Magnolia

A very quick post from me today.  We're struggling with little or no internet again and the connection could drop at any minute!

I'm here to tell you about the latest challenge at Lovely hAnglar or Sweet Magnolia, which is asking you to use your favourite type of embellishment.

I went for flowers although I didn't use too many on my card.  When my main image contains flowers I don't really like to overdo the floral embellies, but I adore the off-white roses from Wild Orchid Crafts.  I love this Tilda image too, she's lovely to colour.  I used my Go Kreate dies to cut layers of Bazzill card and Maja Designs paper, which are very subtle but very pretty in real life.

I hope you can join in our challenge this fortnight.  Do hop over to Lovely hAnglar or Sweet Magnolia to check out the challenge details and admire the gorgeous creations my teamies have made.

Hugs

Tracey xx