Happy New Year

I can't believe its New Years Eve, where has the year gone? I bet like me you've had your ups and downs but the best thing to come out of 2011 for me is obviously the birth of my grandson who is now 5 months old and a little bruiser.   He has grown sooooo much, if you keep reading you might get a glimpse of little man.

I haven't been well for a while hence not posting but I'm hopefully on the mend and will try and post more often  in 2012 :)  I've got quite a few things to show you but for the time being I'm going to show you the christmas cards I made this year.  I was determined not to make a different one each time but several of the same design but I still ended up making several different ones...lol.   Here are a few pics to show you what I did....

The stamp sets used were Polar Party and Beautiful Seasons, these must be my most fav christmas sets.   As you can see I even braved it and did some colouring in using the blender pens and inks..... lol.  I've used lots of products to make the cards so if you'd like to purchase any please get in touch.

I'll be back soon to announce whats happening in January and to show you some cards I made for my mums birthday this month.    Until then have a very Happy New Year and a prosperous 2012.

Oh I nearly forgot, here is the promised pics of my beautiful grandson and gorgeous daughter taken christmas day evening down at my mums.  He was so well behaved considering he's usually in bed around 7pm and we didn't leave mums until gone 10.

Happy New Year everyone

Love and hugs

Tracy -x-

Box Frame class 2

Good morning ladies,

I'm finally catching up on my sleep from convention last weekend, its only taken all week to do...haha

Yesterday I  held my monthly crafting class and this month we made the box frames again as most of the ladies hadn't done it previously.   It was such fun as the new ladies didn't know what to expect, they thought they would be making a frame from cardboard not a 3D project.  However, all of them throughly enjoyed the class.  Here are some of the pages out of the frames to prevent the glear off the glass :-

This one is Emily's, its a picture of her and her brother and is a christmas present for her nan, lovely thought don't you think?  Colours used for this one were Early Expresso, crumb cake and pretty in pink.

Next we have Rachels.  Rachel decided she only wanted to do a 6x6 frame to match the one she has done previously, so cute.  The colours used on this one are Rich Razzleberry, pretty in pink, bashful blue and Wild wasabi.

Finally this is the one my sister did, shush its a christmas pressie for our mum, and its of my lovely grandson Leo.  This picture was taken about 3 weeks ago when he was only 14 weeks old, he's growing soooo quickly its frightening.  The cardstock used here was Island Indigo, Daffodile Delight and Basic Black.  You may have noticed the special paper at the bottom of this card, thats from the Mocha Morning Speciality DSP, isn't it just lush?

The other ladies didn't quite finish their projects in time but all have assured me that once they have they will wing a picture to me so I can show you all the finsihed products. 

If you would like to order any of the products listed or come to one of my classess just get in touch using one of the methods at the top of my blog.

Thanks for visiting, I'm off to start on my Christmas cards so I'll be back soon with more projects to show you.

Hugs

Tracy -x-

Stampin' Up! convention 2011

Hello ladies,

I have just returned from the annual Stampin' Up! convention and boy was it a fantastic experience.  The journey started last Wednesday evening when I stayed at a fellow demonstrators home, Zoe who was kind enough to drive us to Disneyland in Paris.  We left early Thursday morning and picked up another 2 demos before heading for the tunnel.  We arrived at the hotel at 7pm and thats when the fun began.

Friday started with a nice breakfast at the hotel and then off we headed to convention.  On arriving we were presented with a gorgeous black embroidered bag (which I will show you later), free stamp sets and the itinerary for the event.  We were then allowed to go into Mamento Mall where we were able to purchase exclusive items for demo's that attend convention.  It was like christmas had come early...  I spent ooodles and ooodles but don't tell the hubby : -)  After a day of inspiring classes and talks we had the awards dinner.  This recognised the demonstrators who had acheived certain milestones in their career, unfortunately I wasn't one of them but my upliner, Victoria, was.  Congratulations Victoria.

Saturday saw another day of inpiration and demonstrations that boosted everyone's enthusiasm in the room.  It was so uplifting to see lots of European demos together and the swaps were gorgeous.  Saturday evening was our time so we spent it roaming round Disney Village and of course I just had to buy something for my gorgeous little grandson, so I got him a Mickey Mouse and its only just a little bit smaller than him...lol   We arrived home safely Sunday evening and it was sooooo good to be home. 

Of course with going to convention meant swaps were needed so I decided to use the pillow box die and wanted to put a little chocolate bar in as a surprise.   So I foolishly bought the chocolate bars before making the boxes and guess what.... yep thats right, they didn't fit !!!!  So, not being one to be beaten by a chocolate bar, I decided to make up one box of each design and then give the actual swap out as a flat pack to make up at home and the chocolate bar seperately.  Well the amount of demo's that kept trying to take my sample  was hilarious and trying to explain the different chocolate bars was even more funny, my fellow demo and friend, Shazza, was laughing sooo much.  

I made 20 of each colour and the materials used were:

Concord Crush, Poppy Parade, Lucky Limeade, Garden Green and Cherry Cobbler c/s

Victoria crochet trim, Very Vanilla and Old Olive satin ribbon, Elegant Eggplant scallop ribbon, Pear Pizzazz polly stitched ribbon.  I just loved using the new ribbon and trim, they are soooo gorgeous, a definate must have in my opinion.

Doily triple layer punch, big shot, pillow box die, crimper and pearls. 

Sorry its been such a long post but it has been a while.  I'll try and post some pictures of the convention tomorrow.  If you would like to purchase any of the products mentioned above I'd be happy to place an order for you.  I can be contacted on 07891476636 or by e-mail tracy6636@hotmail.com

Til next time, take care

Hugs

Tracy -x-

Build a Blossom

Hello all,

What a busy time I've had again, I definately need more hours in the day...lol   Today saw my monthly class and to say we had fun is an understatement.   This month we used the build a blossom stamp set and punch to match.  I decided to use a lot of the new products especially the new In Colours paper and ink. 

I found the box at the front on an Ameican Demo's site, Lisa, please check it out as she has some lovely projects and ideas.  Despite it being a last minute dot com class to prep (finsihed prepping at 12.40am this morning...lol) I really enjoyed doing it and was pleased with the finished products.  I'm sure the ladies enjoyed making them as much as I did.  I deliberately left sentiments off some of the cards so it didn't limit the ladies as to who they could send them too or for what occasion.

My next class is on Saturday 26 November and could be the last one for this year unless a class in December is requested.  We are making the box frames again (12x12 or 6x6) so if you want to join me and my ladies, and maybe make a special pressie for someone for christmas, please let me know by 10 November and I'll get more details to you.

Hugs

Tracy -x-

What a weekend !!!

Hello ladies,

Oh my what a  busy weekend I've had as I had a stall at the 2 day craft event at Anorld Hill School.   It was sooo busy and I met a lot of lovely people. At the event I had a free prize draw in which one lucky person got to win a SU stamp set, some cardstock and ribbon.   The draw took place after the show on Sunday and the lucky winner is:

Pat from Basford.....yay

Congratulations Pat on winning and I'll be in touch soon to arrange getting your prize to you.

Lots of people joined in with the make and take below:

The stamp set used was build a blossom with matching punch, semtiment from perfect punches and matching punch, spots embossing folder and  the colour theme was Rich Razzleberry, Daffodil Delight and Old Olive.

Thank you all for a lovely time and look forward to seeing you again soon.

Hugs

Tracy -x-

Come join me.....

... on the 15 and 16 October 2011 at Arnold Hill school  PTA craft event from 10am to 4pm on both days. I will have a stall demonstrating Stampin' Up! goodies. You will be able try out some of the products by doing a make and take and you could be in with the chance of winning a lovely Stampin'Up! prize!!

Hugs
Tracy -x-

Wedding card

Good morning everyone,

Its pretty dull here at the moment but then again it is quite early so plenty of time to brighten up. The other week hubby and I were at a friends wedding. Obviously I had to make the card and wanted something special that would not only be different to the other cards but a keepsake as well. I decided to do a bookatrix card using a well known template that isn't SU. However, all the products used to make the card were.

                  

The colour theme for the wedding was lemon and white so I used so saffron and whisper white cardstock and ribbon to tie in with this.  The little flowers were made using the Boho Blossoms punch and the lid of the box emobssed using the Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder and big shot.

If you would like to purchase any of the items used to make this project (except the embossing board) please contact me on any of the methods listed a the top of my blog.  Also don't forget to check out my special offers page for some bargains :)

Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs

Tracy -x-

Baby boom !!!

Hello ladies,

Its been a few days  but not as long as before...lol  Both home life and work is very hectic at the moment as I try and prepare for the Arnold Hill fair next weekend.  Why are there never enough hours in the day sometimes?

Anyway, recently I was asked to make a baby card for a little girl that then turned into3!!!!!.  So, as they were going to different people, and to save time, I decided to make the same card and here is the result :-

I used the stamp sets Bundle of Love and Curly Cute.  The colour combination is Sahara Sand, Blushing Bride and Whisper White.  All the recipients were pleased with their cards.

If you would like to order any of the items mentioned, a catalogue, or just want some information on Stampin' UP! please contact me on 07891476636 or by e-mail, tracy6636@hotmail.com

Hugs
Tracy -x-

October..... Start of the SU year!!!!

Good morning everyone,

Firstly I would like to apologise for not being around lately, I've had a lot going on and just have not had the time but I promise you I will be making time to blog more often.

Now, you might be thinking what's the crazy woman talking about, start of the SU year, well today is the launch of the new 2011/2012 SU catalogue!!!!

 It has got some fabulous new products including 5 NEW IN COLOURS, FABRIC(yes I said fabric :) ) , NEW BIG SHOT ACCESSORIES including the Dr bag to carry your big shot around in, RIBBONS, BRADS ..... oh I could go on and on but the best way to see what's new is to grab a catalogue and sit down with a nice cup of coffee and have a look through it, mind you your coffee might go cold....lol

Now, because its launch month I'm doing a special offer..... if you spend £50 or more in one order during October then you will earn a free catalogue worth £5.95.  If you would just  like to buy a catalogue then you can order one from me for a discount price of £5.  For those of my customers who have already purchased the catty I will give you a discount of £5 on your 1st order worth over £50 during the month of October.   This offer is available to one per customer only. You can also browse the new catalogue online by clicking on the picture on the right hand side.

If you would like to take advantage of any of the offers above please contact me on 07891476636 or e-mail me - tracy6636@hotmail.com.

Take care now and I'll be back soon ....

Hugs

Tracy -x-

Training swaps

Hello everyone,

Yesterday was spent travelling to Leeds for regional training.  It was lovely to see familiar faces and everyone had a ball.   For those ladies still waiting to go to their regional training you'll have a blast.  It was so inspiring and uplifting, thanks to Paula and Kelly for organising it.

Obviously, as with any SU gathering, swaps are a major part of the day.  I got some lovely ones back and will try and take a picture later to post.  As training was near the end of the current catty a lot of us, thanks to a suggestion by Zoe, did swaps using punch art only.   So, I googled punch art and found a very cute hippo but, unfortunately I can't remember who's site it was on so apologise to them.  I have altered mine a little so it is not exactly the same as the one I saw.  I made 40 in total and here they are:

I used the following punches to create my hippo: word window for the inside of the ears, 1 3/4 round punch for the head, 1 3/8 oval for the ears (cut in half) and for the mouth, large ovel for the front of the face, circle from the trio punches in the mini to make the nostrils, 2 step bird punch for the leaves.  The eyes were none SU but you could easily make them using the owl punch.  The colour combo was old olive, basic black, crumb cake, basic grey and blushing bride.

 I'd like to thank Victoria for driving us there as it was a pretty eventful journey thanks to the motorway being closed...lol   Still we got there and back safely.

Thanks for looking and if you  would like to order any of the above items just get in touch and I'll be happy to oblige.
Hugs
 
Tracy -x-

Lovely as a tree class

Hello everyone,

My what a hectic weeks its been.  Not only have we been baby sitting our gorgeous grandson but have been running his mummy everywhere to find a new car.  She has finally got one so is mobile again.  We also did a major clean on the house, I ran my class yesterday and then organised a BBQ to celebrate our anniversary.  It was a great turnout and, for the first time in years, all of hubbys family were together in one place.  Over the next few weeks I have to make 30ish swaps for training thats next Saturday, a wedding card, design my scrapbook class and other bits and bobs so quite a busy time ahead.  Oh and did I mention I have to work full time as well...lol

At my class yesterday I used the stamp set Lovely as a Tree.  We made a box that holds 4 tea tree lights and 6 cards.  The measurements for the box were kindly given to me by Victoria, thank you.   This is what we made:

The image on the cherry cobbler scallop card doesn't show up too well but it was the largest image in the set stamped in Night of Navy.   The colour scheme was cherry cobbler, night of navy, river rock and whisper white.  All the ladies loved the class and we had a blast as usual.  One of my ladies even brought home made cakes for us all and has specially baked extra for my BBQ... how sweet (excuse the pun) was that!

If you would like to order anything or book in for a class please visit the pages at the top of my blog for details of how to contact me.

Thank you for stopping by

Hugs
Tracy -x-

Owl punch art

Hello everyone,

Sorry I haven't been around for a while but have had a few things to do that have taken up rather a lot of my time.  Anyway, I am off work this week and so far have just managed to finish off designing my class for Saturday.   I'm basing it on the Lovely as a Tree set and will post piccies after Saturday.

Yesterday was my wedding annniversary and, believe it or not, it was my neighbours as well.   We moved here 10 years ago to discover that they got married on the same day and year as us.  How weird is that!!!  Well to celebrate their anniversary I made them this card.....

As you can see I have used the owl punch to make a bride and groom and papers from the Lap of Luxuary set ensuring I got the word Love on the card.   I haven't seen them since I posted the card so I hope they liked it.

Hubby is meant to be taking me shopping this week to treat me so I'm hoping to get really spoilt.  We are having a BBQ on Saturday to celebrate our anniversary so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that  the weather is kind to us.

I won't leave it so long next time to post I promise.  Til them, ttfn

Hugs

Tracy -x-

Christmas in July

Hello everyone,

Today was my craft class and I've just had the most fabulous session for a long time.  As well as my usual ladies I had two new ladies join us and it was lovely to meet them.  Neither had made cards before so didn't quite know what to expect but both throughly enjoyed what we did, so much so they have booked in on the next one in August :)

Anyway, as the title suggests this months theme was Christmas and we were using the Welcome Christmas set.  We made a gorgeous bag and 6 cards.  The instructions for the bag were actually from another SU demo, Angie, and I would like to thank her for allowing me to use them in my class. Pop over to her blog and see some of the gorgeous creations she makes.

A lot of products and tools were used in the making of this set. The colour theme was Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla and Whisper White. You can't see it in the picture but the trees and ground had Dazzling Diamond glitter on them and there was some on the fathers chrismas hat and bobble.   Needless to say everyone went home covered in glitter.....lol

Thank you again for a lovely morning ladies

Hugs
Tracy -x- 

Baby Leo's card

Good morning all,

I'm still on cloud 9 following baby Leo's birth.  We saw him on Saturday and was lucky enough to have the pleasure of his company Saturday night when his mummy and daddy came round for tea.  They were both shattered as he had kept them awake most of the night.  We didn't see him yesterday as he went to his other grandparents house but, on catching up with Nikki yesterday he kept them awake again Saturday night.  Not too sure about last night as not spoke to her yet.  I am going to take as much of this week off as I can to be on standby should Nikki need anything but both her and Lee are fantastic parents already.

So being a crafter I just had to make card didn't I and this is what I came up with....

Its using the Little Additions stamp set and the colour combination is Marina Mist and Crumb cake.  I have also used the markers for the little elements on the card.  I have embossed the background with the SU polka dots embossing folder.  Inside, and I forgot to take a picture :/, I used the information stamp from the set to record all little mans details.  Mum and dad loved it.

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog, please leave a comment as I love to read then.  

Hugs
Tracy -x-

New arrival....

Hello all,
Before I show you my entry for the Less is More challenge I would just like to tell you about the roller coaster of a week I've had.  Not only have we been on baby watch but our youngest daughter has moved out to live with her partner.  Despite her not being here much for the last 2-3 months it is still a horrible feeling to know she's flown the nest...lol.  Then of course we had baby watch, well Wednesday came and went and nothing.  On Thursday morning Nikki rang me at half  6 to say she thought her labour had started as she'd been having pains since 3am.   We kept in touch all day and nothing seemed to be happening.  At 8 pm'ish we got a call from Lee asking us to go over as Nikki was getting aggitated, which we did.  We finally left at 11pm and had just finished having something to eat when we got another call saying her waters had broken and could we take her to the hospital!!!!

Well, I don't think Dean's drove so fast...lol  We arrived at the hospital at 12midnight and they said she would take another 7-8 hours to deliver so we got sent home at 1am.  We finally got to bed about 2 but neither of us slept and Dean then got a phone call form Lee at 5.40am to say that our grandchild had been born and both mummy and baby were doing well.  He didn't tell us the sex so we were still none the wiser on what we had.  When we got to the hospital at 8.30 to pick them up, ( I know released after giving birth 3 hours earlier !!!!!) we were very very pleased to discover that we had a gorgeous grandson called Leo Thomas, he weighed in at 8lb 6ozs and was born at 5.19am.  Here is a picture of the little man.....

I'm sure you will agree he's adorable?   Right then onto my entry for the challenge which this week is Button or Ribbon.

I've used my big shot to cut the daisy flowers out in Early Espresso, Regal Rose and Daffodil Delight and the button is from the subtles collection. The ribbon is Daffodil Delight and the sentiment is from Fresh Cuts stamp set.

Thank you for visiting my blog and I'm sorry its such a long post but wanted to share my wonderful news with you all.

Hugs
Tracy -x-

Oh my what a miserable morning, the sky is overcast and its quite cold, what a week to pick off work...lol  Anyway, I'm not going to let it get me down as still waiting on baby arriving so any day will become a bright one when he/she does :)  Its one day overdue now  !!!!!!

So what have I got to show you today?  Well its a card I made with a male theme for a change.  Men are soooo difficult to cater for so the Motorcycle stamp from SU in the mini was a nice surprise.   Here I've just stamped it in the corner and left the majority of the card blank, must be the influence of the Less is More challenges as I'd usually have  to have lots of layers..haha

The image and sentiment are stamped in Basic Grey and I've used the blender pens and Wild Wasabi ink for the "grass".

Thanks for stopping by and having a peek at my creations.  Off to make a new home card for my youngest who moved out on Monday,

See you later

Hugs
Tracy -x-

Quick update on babywatch... still no sign of the baby : ( We took Nikki to see the midwife today and everything is ok.  The baby was back to back but has now turned round into the right position so thats a good thing.

Yesterday when trouble, oops I mean Nikki, was here she told us that she was going to see her partners mum today as its her birthday.  Anyway, she had been here about an hour when I asked if she needed a card for today, "oh yeah, I meant to ask if you had one".  Typical of Nikki.  So I ended up making this one which is similar to another one I've made my neice for tomorrow.

Its not too good a picture I'm afraid as the light was very bad and I had to take it indoors.  The colours are actually Basic Black and Certainly Celery and the image is from the hostess set Long Fellows with a few pearls added onto the scalloped edge.

Thanks for visiting and please leave a comment.

Hugs
Tracy -x-

Circles

Hello everyone,

I'm soooo excited and on tenderhooks at the moment as my first grandchild is due tomorrow.  Nikki is getting very fed up and having some pains so maybe he/she will be on time.   I'm very proud of her as she hasn't wanted to know the sex so its all a big surprise when baby arrives.   I've taken this week off just in case but can extend it if needed.

To help take my mind off things I've decided to join in with the challange over at Less is More again and the theme this week is circles.  Its my niece's birthday on Thursday, so I thought I'd base one of her cards on this theme, and here it is....

I've used one of my own embossing folders, that just happens to be circles, in the SU bigshot and embossed on the punched out cirlcles.  These have then been attached to Cherry Cobbler card and buttons and brads attached.  The sentiment is from the hostess set Something to Celebrate.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope to have news of baby soon, til then take care

Hugs
Tracy -x-

Something with legs

Two posts from me in one day...

How could I resist in joining in the challenge on Less is More this week when the theme is "one layer" and "something with legs"?  I have used Fox and Friends stamp set for this card and the sentiment is from the hostess set Afterthoughts.

If you would like to join in this challenge or see some of the fabulous designs the ladies have come up with, then pop over to LIM and have a go.

Hugs
Tracy

P.S Thanks to Zoe I am now joining in St Lukes Charity Cards Challenge as well that is Black, White and one other colour.  Its a site aimed at raising money for a hospice in Sheffield, want to know more then visit their site here

Good morning,

I have been meaning to start my cleaning for the last 2 hours but I keep getting distracted, at this rate nothing will be done by the time hubby gets home....lol

I haven't had a chance to make a card yet today to show you but, luckily, I have one that I made for my daughter last weekend when we went to her "housewarming" party.  Now she's lived at this house for nearly 3years but was sharing it with her friend.  The friend has now moved out and her partner has moved in in readiness for the baby arriving so, in theory, it was new to them.

Anyway enough waffle from me, here is the card:

I've used the  Little Additions set to make this card along with the top note die and the perfect polka dot embossing folder.  The main colour combination is Baja Breeze and Crumb Cake c/s and Springtime Vintage  papers and seam binding ribbon from the mini. 

Thanks for stopping by and having a look.  Please leave a comment as I appreciate any feedback :)

Hugs
Tracy -x-

Happy Birthday ....

... to a special little boy called Blake :)  Blake is the youngest son to Victoria, my upliner and he is 2 today.  The last time I saw him I got soooo many hugs and cuddles it was lovely.  Obviously I couldn't let his special day go without making him a card so here it is

I've used the combination of Fun and Fast Notes, On a Pedastal and Just Perfect alaphbet stamp sets.  The colour combo is Daffodil Delight, Poppy Parade c/s, Poppy Parade, Daffodile Delight, Pacific Point ink and elements from Celebration papers.  I've had to hand write the "2" using the Poppy Parade marker/

Have a great day little man

Hugs

Tracy -x-

Shades of Blue....

Over at Less is More the challenge this week is, as the title suggests, shades of blue.  So I thought I would give it a try, especially as I needed to make a card for  my sister in law.  She has had an operation today so I thought it would be a nice surprise for her to receive a card to let her know we were all thinking about her. 

For this card I have used Baja Breeze, Pacific Point and Night of Navy inks, Night of Navy and Whisper White card stock, Baja Breeze seam binding ribbon and Pearls.  The stamp sets used were Just Believe and Curvy Verses.

I sent it so she received it yesterday and was delighted with it.   Last we heard was she was still in theatre so am waiting for an update, hubbys just txt his brother so hopefully we won't have to wait much longer.

Thanks for looking

Hugs

Tracy -x-

Baby frames

Its getting close to my first grandchild arriving, 17 days,  and everyone is getting excited, especially my hubby...lol   It seems like only yesterday that Nic and Lee told us they were having a baby, I can still remember the shock!!! 

Yesterday Nikki and Lee decided to have a housing warming party and invited just immediate family to join them and see the nursery.  I know that Nikki loved the baby frame I did a few months back and had asked me to do another 2 to go with it saying love and hope.  Well I finally finished them in time and took them round yesterday.  It was the finishing touches to the room and here they are:

Needless to say they both loved them and were already up on the wall by the time we were allowed to see the finished nursery.  Now that was emotional in itself seeing it all set out ready for baby to arrive.  We then went on to have a lovely BBQ.

Thanks for taking the time to stop by, please leave a comment if you wish.

Hugs
Tracy -x-

Hello everyone,

What a scorching day we're having, the English weather goes from one extreme to the other.  Still best make the most of it as not sure how long its here to stay...lol. Earlier in the week Nikki, who only has 23 days to go before baby is born, asked if we would take the cotbed and chest of drawers down as they have finished painting the nursery.  She also asked if we would like to have lunch.  Great, I thought, no cooking Sunday lunch for a change....wrong.  She is so flustered in this heat it took her all her time to go up the stairs so I ended up doing it with a little supervision from madam...haha.  Still it was very tasty.

Well it was brother-in-laws birthday on Friday and I made this card for mum to give to him. 

Its using the Sail Away stamp from the mini, which Victoria kindly loaned me, and the colour scheme is Real Red, Whisper White and Not Quite Navy. The buttons are from the subtles collection and the sentiment from Curly Cute.

Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs

Tracy -x-

Quick card

Hello all, 

Do you ever get someone ask you for a card and they want it the next day?  Well thats what my daughters do on a regular basis and Sunday was no exception.  Nikki wanted a card for her financee's niece who was 2 yesterday. Could she ask me last week when I was on leave week, oh no that was too easy...lol

Anyway I wanted to do something bright and cheerful so for this card I used the Party this Way set as the main images but also used lots of other things as well.    The 2 was die cut from a set I have using the Big Shot and the "today" was using different letters of the Curly Cute set, stamp a ma jig and markers (hence being a bit wonky).  Finally the bottom papers were from the celebrations accent set and Olivia's name was stamped with the Just Perfect alphabet set

I have been informed that she loved the card so thats all that matters.

Thanks for stopping by and will be back soon with something else.

Something different

Sunday was not only fathers day but my sister in laws birthday and I wanted to try something new and I came across a technique called black magic on U Tube.  No not the chocolates or witch craft but a stamping technique.

This technique allows you to put colour onto black card by using whisper white craft ink.  You will need to stamp a fairly solid image, I've used Greenhouse Garden, and once the ink has dried you colour it in.  On the video I saw the demo was using watercolurs but, as I don't have these yet, I used chalks on mine and I think the effect was just as good.

As Greenhouse Garden is a two step stamp set I stamped the second image in whisper white over the coloured image which I think is very effective.  The background foliage is from Vintage Vogue and I've used DSP Love Letter.

My sister in law loved it so I was very pleased with my efforts.  Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog and please leave a comment as I love to read them.

Hugs
Tracy -x-

Fathers day

As we know yesterday was fathers day, a time to say thank you to our dads for all the love and encouragement they give us.  Sadly my dad passed away in 2001 so this is the 10th year of missing him so it was a day of mixed emotions.  Luckily my lovely husband and gorgeous daughters helped me through it. 

My eldest commited a big crime this year and bought her dads card but I did make two for me and the youngest to give to Dean.  The first one is Kirsty's and then mine as hubby likes a beer now and then.

For Kirsty's card I used Trendy Trees and embossed the images with SU clear embossing powder and buttons from the subtles collection. The sentiment is from the level 2 hostess set Something to Celebrate from the mini catalogue. For my card I used the Cheers to You set and Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder.  I must say that hubby loved both cards.

After much persuasion the girls agreed to have a photo taken with their dad.  Now don't get me wrong it wasn't because they don't like their dad but both said they hadn't done thier hair and makeup...lol  Now to me they both look gorgeous,  Nikki (the pregnant one and eldest) is on the right of the picture and Kirsty on the left.

Thanks for taking a look at my blog and please come back soon

Hugs
Tracy -x-

Box Frame class

Yesterday I held my box frame class and, as usual, we had a blast.  For once everyone finished their project...lol  I was meant to start one of the two I have to do for baby but didn't get a chance, too busy running around after everyone....lol  The ladies had free rain over all my stamps, punchs, inks, embellishments etc and each finished project was totally different and all looked stunning.

This is Rachels' finished project, she did a 6x6 frame.   The colours used were Rose Red, Pretty in Pink, Certainly Celery, Perfect Plum Very Vanilla and Crumb Cake

Next is Teresas' finished frame, hers was slightly larger at 12x12.  Her colour combination was Pear Pizzaz, Peach Parfait, Chocolate Chip, Crumb Cake and Pretty in Pink.

Finally here's Stephs', who also did a 12 x12 frame.   Stephs' colours were Real Red, Wild Wassabi, Basic Grey, Chocolate Chip and Daffidil Delight. 

I'm sure you will agree with me that they are all fabulous projects and so different. Looking forward to next time ladies.

Hugs
Tracy -x-

Sooooo happy

Hello everyone,

I've just got to share this with you.  My darling hubby has just made me very happy by saying he will treat me to go to convention...yay.   This year its being held at Disneyland Paris.  At first I wasn't too bothered about going but, having spoke to other demo's, I decided I would like to go as its such a lovely experience meeting everyone.  Now all I need to do is get into shape, easier said than done, so I can find some nice new outfits to wear.... wish me luck.

Anyway, enough of my waffle, today I'm going to show you a card I've made for my sisters wedding anniversary thats at the end of this month.

This has very little stamping on it and I've used the Elegant Bouquet embossing folder, 2 step bird punch, Baja Breeze seam binding ribbon, Modern label extra large punch, Baja Breeze and Whisper White cardstock and the sentiment is from the Perfect Punch set

Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs

Tracy -x-

Hey everyone,

Its been a busy week so far, so much for having a relaxing week off...lol  Today has been no different as I've been to dearest daughters and run an errand for her as she had to wait in for a delivery today, then I nipped to see a friend and take her order and finally ended up at Victorias for a chat and a cup of coffee.   It was lovely to see the boys running around the garden and I got to have lots of cuddles - from the boys I might add...

Anyway, one good thing is that I've made some more cards  and, rather than show you another male card I've decided, for the first time, to join in the Less is More challange. The theme this week is one layer and "in the frame".   This is what I've come up with.

I've made the frame using the piercing tool and mat set, the image is from Fun and Fast Notes set and I've coloured  in the flower using the markers.  The sentiment is from a Hostess set Something to Celebrate. 

Thanks for stopping by and having a look at my project.

Hugs

Tracy -x-

Good morning

Typical isn't it, you have the chance to have a lie in and you still wake up at your normal time...lol  Mind you, on the positive side it gives you more time to do things.  Today I'm off out shopping with my mum, sister and heavily pregnant daughter, who I hope behaves herself!!!  However, before I go I thought I'd pop on and post another of the male cards I've made for brother in law.

This time I've used the stamp set Lovely as a Tree and I am pleased with the end result.

The colour combination is Garden Green, More Mustard and Chocolate Chip.  The ribbon is SU chocolate chip but unfortunately this is now retired.

Right I'm off to do a littel crafting before I go out so have a good day everyone and I'll be back soon.

Hugs

Tracy -x-

Great day out...

Hi everyone,

I've had a wonderful day today.  I'm on leave this week so, with my upliner Victoria, we went to Newark to meet 2 other demo's Zoe and Emma and had a lovely long chat over coffee, bacon butties and cake, except I didn't have cake....lol.  The 3 hours whizzed by and, before we knew it it was time to come home.   I've then spent the whole afternoon in the garden watching hubby hard at work on this glorious day, well you have to make the most of it don't you?

Its my brother in laws birthday towards the end of the month and so have been asked by my mum to make his cards.  I've done 3 for her to choose from and will show you them over the next few days but this is the first one I did using the Plane and Simple set from the mini but I'm not too sure about it :-/

I loaned this set off Victoria as I currently don't own it.   I've used the colour combo of Always Artichoke and Whisper White, the Bigshot and Top Note die, Square Lattice embossing folder and the Happy birthday wheel from the triple wheel set (all from the mini).

Thanks for stopping by and I'll be back tomorrow with one of the other cards for you to see. 

Til then ttfn xxxx

Strength and Hope

At the weekend I attended one of Victorias classes and the theme was strength and hope.  I was asked to take any samples I had with me so that the ladies could get a idea of the versitality of the set so I came up with this card

I have stamped the butterflies in versamark and rose red ink and then embossed with su clear embossing powder and carefully cut them out and mounted them onto the card with dimensionals.  I cut away a section of the side card then punched a decorative edge with the boarder punch and stamped the image in the "inside" of the card.  Quite a simple and easy card to make.

Thanks for looking

Hugs

Tracy -x-

Niece's card

Hello everyone,

Its been a while since I've posted but its been busy busy busy again both at home and work. On Friday it was my nieces 18th birthday and, true to fashion, I left making her card right until the last minute.  Luckily I had Friday afternoon off so was able to go and buy her pressie and also make the card.  Not bad considering we were at her BBQ at 6 that night...lol.  This is the finished product:

I've used the elegant bouquet embossing folder from the mini catalogue, Vintage Vogue, Braodsheet  alphabet and Curly Cute stamp sets and the colour combo is pumpkin pie and whisper white.  Accessories are Rhinestone brads, pumpkin pie ribbon and a beveled window, again from the mini catalogue.

Thanks for looking and if you wish to order any of the products please get in touch and I'll be happy to do that for you.

Hugs
Tracy -x-

Typical bank holiday...

The weather is terrible today isn't it?  Luckily I didn't have any plans today as hubby was at work so it didn't really bother me but I hope it hasn't spoilt too many peoples day.  I've been prepping for my interview tomorrow but as time goes on I'm getting more and more nervous so by tomorrow I'll be a wreck..haha.

Obviously due to this I haven't done any crafting yet today but hope to do some later so, in the meantime, here's one I prepared earlier.

Its not a very good picture I'm afraid as the main body of the card looks brown but it is in fact Concord Crush..lol.   I've used Four Frames stamp set and punch and one of the new embossing folders SU have introduced.  I am impressed every time I use the embossing folders at the depth of detail.

Thanks for looking and I hope to have something else for you tomorrow if I can concentrate long enough :-)

Hugs
Tracy -x- 

Lovely day

Hi  All,

We've just got back from a drive to the coast to see hubbys sister and it was a lovely day out.   We set off at 7.45 and got there about 9.35 so didn't do too bad time wise.  It was great to see her as its been a long time, you know how it is a week becomes a month etc and before you know it a year has gone by.  Then we went into town and had the obligatory fish and chips..yumyum.  It was so windy on the sea front that its a good job none of us were wearing wigs...haha.

Anyway, remember at my class yesterday I said I joined in but made the set in a different colour, well here it is....

For this set the colour combo that I used was Baja Breeze, Pear Pizzazz, River Rock and Very Vanilla along with the Springtime Vintage papers.  Obviously the Big Shot was used on both sets as well as the seam binding ribbon.  Not sure which set I prefer but I think this one is edging in the front slightly !!!

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look at my projects

Hugs

Tracy -x-