A For Adorable

Don't you just love making something that stretches your creativity?
I've had a go at decorating candles loads of times, but did the usual stamping on paper and wrapping it around the candle. This time I used some dimensional stickers. Previously I've avoided using stickers on candles as they lay flat and don't do much to inspire me, but these new stickers from "Anita's" are dimensional. They have parts of the sticker that aren't sticky ... so they only attach to your project in certain places allowing you to shape the bits that don't stick down ... totally cool.
I purchased two scented candles (one vanilla, one berry) and removed the wrapping. I added the dimensional stickers but shaped them so that they stood out from the candle. Unfortunately they didn't stick to the candle very well and had to use glue gel to stop them peeling away. Once this was done, I stamped my sisters name onto the candle with black stayzon (A is her initial too).Then I made a gift bag to match, but silly me forgot to take photos before I packaged the candles ... doh. I added some of the stickers to the gift bag and a gorgeous die cut butterfly, with a scallop circle monogram to finish. I'm really pleased with how adorable they look.

Crafty hugs.
Tracie x

Roses for Jackie

I made this cake for my best friend. She turned forty a couple of weeks ago. I happen to be a little younger, I haven't reached that milestone yet, much to her disappointment, lol.

Anyway I made the cake, filled it with jam and butter icing, then covered it with marzipan ... then along came my mum to do the icing (I don't do that bit ... it scares me frankly). Then we add the roses (that my mum made a few weeks before, to give them time to dry) and the lettering. Some piped icing in red around the base of the cake and a bow in each corner made from the same ribbon that is around the cake base.And there we go ... one 40th birthday cake ... gorgeous.

Happy crafting.
Tracie x

Candle Celebrations

I made this candle set for my sister's birthday in January.I diecut a spellbinders scallop & plain circles, stamped a "sarahkay" image into the plain circle and coloured her in with whispers brush pens. For the band around the candle I cut to rectangles and border punched each long edge and layered them on top of each other. I attached the band around the candle with silicone glue. Then I glued the stamped image to the band and used prima flowers, some ribbon and a plastic greeting tile.I made a box to match and decorated it with curly ribbon.

*Remember to stick a label on the box telling the recipient
to remove decoration ... if they wish to burn the candle.*
back soon.
Tracie x

Washer Wearables

Good afternoon ladies, today I'm going to show you the necklaces I made as Christmas gifts. They were really easy. I purchased some boshers, stamped them with black stayzon, added gems, then sprayed them with gloss varnish. Then I added some beads on wire, wrapped around the bosher itself. For the necklace above I used a brad buddy for a different look. Then to finish I used silk cord and silver plated findings.

Hope you like them as much as I enjoyed making them.
Enjoy the rest of your day.
Tracie x

No Ordinary Tag

This is my last upload for today, going out tonight so need to freshen and glitz myself up, lol.

This isn't a card, just a tag ... well not just a tag ... a tagged gift.To make this I recycled a card from last year, sprayed a fir cone gold and used a poinsettia from a tree decoration pack. All the gifts in the box are handmade by me. It's just that last year and the one before were really tight financially (as it's been for everyone), so I decided that I would make my gifts for Christmas. Not just to help save pennies but to go back to what Christmas is all about ... the act of giving something personal and sentimental. I made some necklaces (which I'll post some pics of later), some chocolates in wine glasses and a small bottle of wine. I wrapped it all in cellophane, used a bow from the same tree decoration pack and some red curly wrapping ribbon.I loved them and for those that were crafty ... well they got a little crafty surprise in their gift too. I'm definitely doing the same for this year ... I just haven't decided what yet.

Enjoy the rest of your day, be back tomorrow with more crafty treats.
Tracie x

Christening Shoe

I made it for my gorgeous great niece Lexie's christening. Wanting something different from the norm, I had seen this done on "SCS" and couldn't wait to try it. I cut the pattern out onto bazzil bling card in ivory and stamped onto it with pink die based ink and added glitter to the flowers. I followed the instructions to make the shoe up and added funky foam in bright pink for the sole. I used self adhesive braiding around the sole, to hide where it had been glued to the shoe, as it looked a bit messy. With a brad for the buckle and a few punched flowers and narrow (3mm) ribbon attached to the heel, the shoe was finished.I had to make a box from scratch, I added an acetate window, some punched border strips (martha stewart) around the base to emulate fencing, with grass and flowers to finish. I used quickutz die "pea pod" and nesties for a pretty embellishment and printed out the days details onto meltdust paper and heat embossed it using silver meltdust.I am really pleased with my first attempt, many more to come I think.

Hope your having a great day.
Tracie x

Baublelicious

Hello everyone, I don't know this years just been full off illness for me, I've had a major chest infection over the last week, to the point I've needed to take steroids and antibiotics. And I'm still feeling run down, but wanted to show you a quickie today. Before the chest infection I purchased these baubles real cheap (I mean 8 for 49p cheap), but they were plain and boring. So with some poinsettias I had in my stash, I jazzed them up a little. I just removed the tops, added the flowers and replaced the tops and added ribbon, so easy even the wallpaper could do it.

Hmm, maybe I need to go back and buy other colours?
Hope you like them and good health to all.
Tracie x

Poinsettia Passions

I am so excited to show you this card. I fell in love with the image as soon as I saw it. I limited the number of colours (red, black/silver and white), so it would give the traditional image a modern look.I simply printed out all the elements, matted the dp onto silver mirri and mounted it onto the red card base. Then I cut the image and some silver mirri with nesties label die, sprayed the flower layers with glitter varnish and decoupaged it up. I then added a chunky red bow with a heart pin and finished by adding red and silver gems to the poinsettia's. The verse I created in "mcs", and printed it out with the dp, I love making fancy greetings like this.So quick, so simple, but it's probably my favourite Christmas card I've ever made. Hope you like it too. Thanks for popping in.Tracie x

You've Been Framed

I thought you might like to see the little project I tried today.

You know what it's like we've had the children at home for the past seven weeks and you can't wait for them to go back to school for the piece and quiet, and the day they finally do go back, the house is so empty its kind of lonely, so ...I was watching craft on TV this morning with my coffee (trying to fill a gap between housework and thinking of what to cook for tea) when they made these gorgeous frames. From paper, origami folded similar to fortune tellers with no glue, just brads and ribbon. They are so simple to make.

I haven't put photos in mine yet, but think it would be better to do that before you tie the ribbon. Just imagine the possibilities (all the occasions and designs that can be done, these were just quickies to have a go, but I now have so many ideas) ... and they can be made any size (mine were made from 8"x 8" scrapbook paper and ended up 10cm square), as long as you start with a square the technique is the same.If there's enough interest, I can always do a tutorial.
Hoping you've all had a great day ... with love.
Tracie X

Who's Afraid Of The Big Bad Wolf?

Definitely not me ... I've turned into a twilight fan, while I was poorly with lot's of time on my hands, I decided to read twilight to see what all the hype was about, well ... I just couldn't put it down. So then I had to by the rest of the saga and before I knew it I'd read all four books thrice ... yes I did say three times ... how sad am I?

But I have to say my fave is Jacob (not Edward) ... I looked around for a tote bag ... but didn't find anything I really liked, so ... why not make my own. I used some 'iron-on transfer paper', designed what I wanted on the bag on my pc and printed them out.
Then after allowing the images to dry for 15 minutes, I cut around them but not to close as the paper has a tendency to curl if it has to many intricate shapes. I ironed the bag nice and flat, removed the backing paper and laid the images down in position. Using a piece of baking parchment (not greaseproof paper as this sticks to the image) and a hot iron (no steam), I ironed the transfers into place using a fair amount of pressure, but only for about 20 seconds on each area (otherwise the transfer will burn and lose it's colour).

I love it, and so many people have asked where I got it, cool.

Happy crafting friends.
Tracie x

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

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

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

Pink Petticoat Pockets

These adorable sour cream containers were been made for one of Liz's challenges on her Pink Petticoat Site. The challenge is was make some containers using her papers and as I love these sweet little boxes, I had to get involved.Made from one A4 sheet of printed paper from liz's 'sweet cupcake' range. I also printed out a sheet of greetings and flowers to match.

I didnt have any pink brads, so I covered four gold round brads with pva glue and dipped them in pink glitter and let them dry for about an hour. I used my cuttlebug to cut the sentiments and matted them on black paper. I cut out two flowers of different sizes and layered and shaped them and held them together with my pink glittered brads.Thankyou Liz for the yummy challenge.

Well once I started I kinda couldn't stop, lol. I thought to myself, what would they be like smaller? So instead of four from an A4 sheet, I made eight (they measure 3"x2"). They were a little fiddly to do and I could only get one sweety in them, but how sweet are they!

Of course they are made in the same way ... ish. I didn't do centre's for the flowers as I didn't have anything small enough and I had to use narrow double sided tape (and a bit of pva as the tape didnt hold that well ... they kept popping open), but they are so cute.I gave them to the girls I work with, as a little valentine gift.

Tracie x

Dotty Breakfast Set

With Mother's Day fast approaching, you just have to go all out and do something special.

To make this set I first purchased a one person teapot with cup base, as this would dictate what colour scheme I would be using. I found this gorgeous red and white dotty one in my local supermarket.

I then purchased food items to go in the basket (i.e. marmalade, teabags etc). I stamped some red paper stock with a cup design in white stayzon and wrapped the items up. I used the PC to typeset the names of the items into circles, in red on white paper, for use on the medallions. Using my cuttlebug and nestabilities scallop circle dies, I diecut using a small circle around the printed circles and with a silicone sheet embossed it too. I then cut a larger scallop circle in black and glued the white circle on to the black one, to form medallions, with a flower in the centre to finish. I did this for all the items.I purchased a basket gift wrapping set from my local supermarket. With white stayzon, I stamped the same cup design all over the wrapping (which seemed to take forever, as it was rather a large sheet). After arranging the items in the basket, I made sure it was centred on the gift wrap, gathered up the top and tied it with paper ribbon in red. Rolled the sides and stapled them together (I didnt want to use sellotape, as I think it can look untidy).

Now I've just got to hope she likes it!

Tracie x

Quilled Wedding Bells

I don't know about you but I like to try different crafts within my card making, I've done several cards with quilling on and thoroughly enjoyed the end results. The quilling technique book I purchased had some gorgeous 3d examples in it that were stunning, so me being me I had to something 3d for myself.
These came about because I wanted something unique to give as a bridal gift. Blimey, they took forever, I worked out the first bell took me twelve hours and the second only eight, as I had already worked out the pattern with the first bell.

Every shape is hand quilled from 4mm wide white strips of paper and so are the ninety-six roses, forty-eight on each bell and then painstakingly glued together into the bell shape, which I did by using a sugarcraft bell mould, as a pattern to build around.

To help waterproof it, I sprayed them with paper varnish, the kind you can use on paintings to protect them.

I was pleased with them and everyone's response on the big day was of amazement, that I had made them, would I do it again ... probably not ... I'm to impatient, lol.

What do you think?

Tracie x