Potted Dragons

My sister came round for a cuppa and catchup on Thursday ... she ended up having a go with stamps and asked me a favour! She's a Rainbow Guide Leader and as Father's day is fast approaching and she was at a loss what to do ... could I help? ... she did however bring a gravy tub with her (you know the famous brand granules), with the idea of making it into a pen pot.So, I measured the pot up and on my pc, started to play, to see what I could come up with. I decided on some "Dustin Pike" - digi downloads, because they are generic. I didn't want to do fishing, footie or the like, as not all Dad's do the stereotypical male thing's and besides these dragon's are really cute , I'm sure the Rainbow's will love colouring them in. This project had to be easy, the Rainbow's are between 5 and 8 ... so it could'nt be anything to difficult for them to make.
So once I printed the item's out and coloured them in, I simply used double sided tape to adhere the band around the pot. Then to make the stick decoration ... I cut around the circle, then diecut two scallop nesties and mounted the image onto one of the nesties. Then I stapled the straw flat and used silicone glue (Rainbow's will be using PVA) to sandwich it between the two layers of nesties.

It turned out really cute, I hope the Rainbow's enjoy making them and they're Dads make good use of them. I'll get my sister to take some pic's of their finished pots for you to see.

Happy crafting.
Tracie x

Classic Christening

Good afternoon, Ladies ... well I've had a busy morning. My sister popped round for a cuppa and ended up having a go at stamping. She has recently started scrapbooking and caught the bug really quickly, so is now driving her family as mad, as I drive mine, lol.

So today I have made a christening card, using a Kanban, pyramage kit. The card that came with the kit, I cut up so that I will be able to get two cards from the one kit (typical crafter). I used three layers of the pyramage and placed it in the top right hand corner so that I could get some flowers on the spine. I added a chunky cream and gold bow to the card, with a ribbon slider cut from gold mirri with scallop nesties and a computer generated greeting. Then I wrapped the ribbon around the bottom of the gold card, before attaching to the main card.I didn't have any flowers in the right colour, so I made the flowers from some handmade paper using scallop nesties and cutting each circle into flower petals and shaped them with my Leone em tools. I finished the card with pearlescent blue ash branches.
Time for a cuppa tea ... phew! Enjoy your day, ladies.
Tracie x

Soccer Sensation

I don't know about everyone else but I just love school holidays! Mmmmm ... who am I fooling, the first couple of days a great and then they slowly start to become a nightmare. Now that mine are teenagers, you can imagine, boredom, bickering and the tiniest amount of friendship, the only thing they ever agree on is food and they seem to graze constantly. Well, we're half way through half term ... roll on monday!

Anyway back to today's card ...
I woke this morning to a text asking me to make a card today, for someone I work with, whose Dad's birthday is this weekend. Nothing like an urgent make to get the blood pumping.

As his Dad is a big Wolves fan and that they won promotion the the premiership next season, I thought that I would use this to my advantage. So black and orange, sorry gold and football it is ... oh dear (I'm a Birmingham City fan ... so this is gonna be fun!!).
I started by matting a piece of swiss dot green card onto black and placing on an orange base card. Then I decided on the size of the football (this one is 10cm) and cut both layers from a template in black and white and glued them together. I used quickutz grass die in two tones of green to add some depth and layered the grass and football onto the card.

For the trophy I used a decoupage sheet from "My Craft Studio" - A Carousel of Classics cd-rom set (1960's world cup trophy) and adapted it to become the Championship trophy for Wolves. I cut all the layers out, decoupaged them up and added the team colour ribbons to it ... just like the real one. Then by adding labels 2 greeting and some quickutz stars in co-ordinating colours and a few dots here and there, finished the card off perfectly.

Hope your surviving the school hols too!
Tracie x

Monochromatic Elegance

Today I've made a card for my cousin and her husband who are celebrating their 2nd wedding anniversary.
I've used decoupage with silver foiling and kept the card colours monochromatic (black, silver and white).

I did a main mat with white (swiss dots), then backed that with a narrow border of black and then silver. I rounded the corners, to give the card a softer look. Then I used my scallop nesties to make two mounts for the decoupage and greeting. I also diecut a ribbon slider, for the wedding anniversary number.I used the ribbon slider on white organza 1" ribbon and added a a double bow to match. Then I used some silver gems to finish the card.

Thanks for stopping by.
Tracie x

Guitar Hero

Hope you've all had a good day.
Today I've done a little cd crafting on "My Craft Studio" using the "Hollywood Greats Collection".

I started by making the insert and spiral Elvis pyramage, (to be truthful I had so much fun, it probably took me twice as long as it should have, I just couldn't stop playing). I thought it would be cool to make the front of the card in the shape of a guitar, so I also printed a background that looked like wood. Then using fiskars circle templates I cut an aperture in the card and insert, with red and black circles for the guitar.
Apart from that, it was just a case of cutting the shapes out, adding red cotton for the strings over the circle aperture and making up the pyramage.I really enjoyed making this card, it was fun. Happy crafting.
Tracie x

Sassy Sugarcraft Sandals

I thought you might like to see my Mum's sugarcraft sandals that inspired my sandal and shoe templates. Aren't they fantastic!

Made with red icing using templates and moulds and using a couple of gems from my stash box. They are on foam blocks to help support them while they dry, then they will free stand. She claims to be an amateur ... what do you think?

I'll see if I can get some photo's of her flowers, because they are simply amazing and I've been working on my sandals, can't wait to show you all.

Have a great day.
Tracie x

Anniversary Quickie

Today I have a real quickie ... I suddenly realised this morning that my friends wedding anniversary is today and I hadn't made a card!So I quickly went through my store of bought cards, that I keep when we have been sent them for our birthdays etc. I found this beautiful silver embossed heart and thought I would use it. I simply cut it out and matted it over some oil on water vellum torn gently and wrapped down the spine of the card, finished with a silver peeloff border on the back to hide the cut edge. Then I punched some flowers from the vellum, added silver gems and placed them on the heart. With a peeloff heart in the botton right corner, just to balance the card.

Quick, easy and simple, yet clean and elegant ...
and just in time, as she arrived just after I had put it in the envelope ... phew!

Enjoy your day.
Tracie x

Pocket Full Of Makeup

Morning everyone ... I've made this card for a friend to give her niece on her 13th birthday, the concept was ... she loves jeans and makeup, but she only wears black and red. That in itself caused a problem, as you know it's not always easy to make a card from just two colours. So I decided I needed to add white and grey and try and keep it as grungy, yet young as possible.I found some fresh papers and grunged the edges with black chalk and cut three mats and layers and arranged them randomly on the card. I then stamped a jean pocket on grey with black ink and added red hearts and brads with a pocket label with her name on. I made a large tag to go inside the pocket and decorated it with quickutz makeup dies in colours to match card.

Then I just added co-ordinating flowers and ribbons to finish. I just hope she likes it.

Have a great day, everyone.
Tracie x

Disco Diva

Well I did manage to get this card made before the cuttlebug died ... the image is a digi download from squigglefly called '80's dancer', just perfect for Pam as she love's 80's music and dancing.

I printed her out several times and coloured her with whispers stamp pens, then cut my choice of layers, shaped and decoupaged her up and set her aside to dry. I wanted the background to look like a nite club, so I added a disco ball (clipart matted onto nestie) and arranged the papers to look like light radiating from it, with fine border peel offs to tidy the cut edges. I made the central layer by running pure white paper through the cuttlebug using the swirls embossing folder, matted onto red mirri and added a couple of my ruffled border punch strips (which I love doing).
Then I added a greeting plate and mini roses, that were originally cream, which didn't fit the theme, so I coloured them with the whispers pens and added leaves punched from pure white paper. Finally I added the 80's dancer and finished with a few mini flower in red.
This is nothing like my original idea, it just sort of ran away from me and I'm not as happy with it as I could be ... maybe different colours would've been better?

Back later, happy crafting.
Tracie x

Disaster Struck

I realise I haven't been around for a few days and I apologise, but I'm a little dis-hearted and gutted ...

I was happily sat working on cards ... stamping, colouring, punching flowers and using my nesties through my cuttlebug ... sheer bliss you say ... I thought so too! I love my nesties and use them all the time ... and here's the disaster.

While running them through the bug to cut silver mirri, I noticed it wasn't running as smooth and easily as it should ... so I went into reverse to remove the sandwich and RUNCH ... OH NO!

I new instantly I'd done something serious, as I tried to turn the handle with no sandwich in it, it wouldn't turn properly ... now i'm stressed and upset.

With my hubby being an engineer, I asked him to take a look ... and my worst fears were realised. I had broken some teeth off the top roller gear. "Can you mend it?" I asked desperately.

He replied ... "I don't have the tools, not even at work, but I could ask my boss if I could make a tool, so i can make a new gear, though I can't guarantee anything". So he's left my bug in pieces in a box and has taken the gear roller with him to work.

I do hope he's able to mend it ... what am I gonna do without it?

Hope your crafting's happier than mine.
Tracie x

Shoe-tastic

As I've mentioned before, my Mum does sugarcraft, while I was visiting her recently, she was making sugarcraft shoes ... and there it was in the back of my mind ... I bet I could do something similar with card! So I quickly drew a rough pattern.

When I got home I started drawing up dimensions and trying to work out the template ... It took a week of cutting out and playing before I got it right and was satisfied with the result. Then I could really start playing with the different types of shoes I could make and before I new it I had enough to open a shop, lol.
I think they would be great if your giving money (I always feel like I'm doing someone out of a gift when they ask for money ... this way I'm giving a small gift too). You can tailor the card for the person who'll be receiving it and it would be lovely for 21st, 18th birthdays as well as for weddings etc.
And with the box to match (with either a single or double window) it becomes a lovely keepsake.I really love them and thought I might try a Cinderella glass slipper (may need to make another template for a slip on/slipper type shoe ... oh the ideas).

Hope you like them?
Tracie X

Classy Cat

Oh, how I enjoyed making this card. I used My Craft Studio - Finishing Touches.

Apart from my Cuttlebug - My Craft Studio has got to be one of my best buys. It allows you to call in any jpeg and change size, colour, opacity etc and you can just keep adding the artwork cd's to build up your collection (I now have four collections and there are many more I would like too ... shhhh ... it's Ok my hubby wasn't looking).So I decided on the pics I wanted, changed the size and changed them all to the same colour shade. I also made an insert to match and because i wanted it to look like the cat was looking through the window into the garden, I printed the same image onto the reverse of the insert, so it could be seen through the aperture, then I printed everything out.I made the window from white card, edged it with silver peel offs, made a window sill for the cat to sit on and a pelmit to frame the window, then I added acetate behind the aperture. I used peel off vases coloured blue to match and punched ash branches (I seem to favour this punch recently) and tiny black flowers with gem centres and added these to the window sill. I hand drew the cat on black card, cut him out and used glossy accents to make him stand out and not look flat.
I'm really pleased with this one, very stylish.

See you later
Tracie x

Roses For Mother

Ok, yes I realise Mother's Day has come and gone, but with my pc problems, their better late than never, I say!

I purchased this stamp at a craft fair it was in a bargain bin and cost me £1.20, what a bargain.
I stamped them onto watercolour card and coloured with watercolour pencils. I tried to keep them as delicate as I could as I wanted the cards to look light, fresh and romantic looking. I ran round the edge with an ink pad to match the colour of the rose and mounted onto silver mirri.
Then I simply made a swiss dot layer with three co-ordinating gems and organza ribbon bows.
I hope you can see the light and fresh effect I got from the pics.

Thanks for stopping by
Tracie X

Spring Milly

Milly's back, this time I wanted to make it look like you were looking through a woodland into a clearing. So I stamped Milly and coloured her with Whispers brush pens, then I cut two mounts (one green and one cream and used a nesty for the aperture) and cuttlebug embossed the cream layer and tinted the edges with mauve ink.

I punch loads of ash branches in two shades of green and glued them to the back of the cream mount, then glued the green and cream mount together. I placed the mount over the milly image to align it and taped it in place, then glued the whole lot to the card base.
I finished by adding some paper flowers etc and a greeting.

Tracie x

Playful Kitty

Well, April turned out to be a nightmare on the pc front, it totally put me off my stride and I have so many cards to show you because of it, never mind eh!

Ok I purchased this stamp at Hobbycraft, I just couldn't resist it, it's so sweet.I stamped the image onto water colour card with stayzon and coloured it with water colour pencils (both wet and dry to add extra detail). Mounted it onto black card and silver mirri using photo corner punch. I stamped the base card with dandelions and coloured them with a red sakura gel pen. I added paper flowers with brad centres and leone em ash punch branches, with a giant red bow to finish.I can't wait to try different colour kitties, I did this one grey because we have a grey cat (called Misty ... very original) and he chases anything that buzzes.

Back later
Tracie x