The Craft Awards 2010

Vote for 

Best Independent Store in the Midlands

we'll make u rich 

(thats a huge lie but it made u look hahaha)

 Put your tick next to us on question number 21 

Go on, you know you want to hehe. 

SCS Challenge - Make a start on Christmas

 

Wel i'm off to a fine ol' start this mornin!!  Me internet only came on about 10 mins ago (9.50ish grrrrrrrrrr) and as I cut and paste me thoughts from Notepad (but didn't save it, double grrrrr) I lost all me witty musings that I was going to post today.  So, I'm sorry for the short post but I really need to get it uploaded and quick !!!

I was playing about with the Spellbinders Impressabilities Snowflake Stencil which embosses beautifully but doesn't cut out.  I scanned it and made some magic in my Klick n Kut program and came up with the delicate cut out version of the stencil.  I glittered it to death (of course) but couldn't use it on it's own so decided to attach it to an acetate front to make my card.

I used Bazzil Bling Flirty for the back of the card.  Used a Marianne Designs Creatable die cutting stencil for the flower with Bazzil Bling Flirty & Infatuation and silver card for the leaves.  Ribbon and a peel off (I know, I know shock horror, but I love the clear and sparkly design) and Bada Bing the card was finished, and unfortunately so is this post. 

Make a start on Christmas today (you know you're going to get to December then have to get them fingers smokin to finish your cards) and pop on over to the other Gals blogs for more inspiration.

TracieB xxx

SCS Challenge - Blue and Cream

It's Wendywoo's turn this week over at

(aka Da Boss hehe)

Blue and Cream is the theme  

(haha I am a poet but I didn't know it lol)

Happily there were no major problems with this weeks card (Boo Hoo no fun lol).  I had the design in mind ages ago and I decided to follow a sketch to make the layout easy. 

Cat Girl from Secret Crafter is such a pleasure to colour in I nearly stamped and coloured another one just for fun lol. Wendy had also been able to make her stamps available in Digi Format for immediate download (instant crafty fix haha). 

I had a bit of a clear out and found some papers that I had from a magazine offer about 5 years ago and the blue ones matched purrrfectly (get it, lol).

I added a punched piece using MS Edger Punch Hearts, used the good ol Nesties to cut out the image & the computer printed sentiment then added a bit of bling for the corners.

I had to add some of my newly found creations in the form of ProMarker coloured flowers (don't they just look fantabulous, check out my previous post for how to do it) and hey presto, finished card

Pop across to the other DT Blogs for info on their wonderful creations and I hope to see you for next weeks new SCS Challenge.

TracieB xx

SCS Challenge - What little Girls are made of...

What little Girls are made of set by the
fantabulous Vicky the Vickster

You all know what that means....  Lots of Bling and pretties hehe.

I luuurrvve the new Kenny K download images GOTHIK ANGELZ! I just had to get the Paypal account doing it's magic and partake in a little purchase hehe. 

Secret Crafter has some new paper pads in and they are well nice.  I was going to use the De Lovely pad but the Boss pinched it first (grrrrrr).  So I closed me eyes and did an Eny Meny Miny MO and picked up the KaiserCraft Hippy Girl Collection.  This pad is really really nice.  Sparkly, embossed and a little fluffy too and how well does it go with Devilish Donna (Perfectamundo).  Coloured the lil' devil with ProMarkers and Copics and the obligatory Stickles on the wings and around the Nesties Scalloped Octagon edge. I ended up cutting her out as I didn't trust myself to line up the Nesties properly and not cut her wings or feet off (not that I wouldn't of minded another colouring session lol).  I also found an old sketch to follow and Voila a card is born!

OOOooooooooooh I have also found a new technique.  If I didn't have flowers in the right colour to match me card, I used to spray with water and paint them to try and get a match.  The only problem I had was the fact I am very heavy handed and the water would eventually dissolve the glue and my flower would start falling apart. 

Sooooo out came me ProMarkers and Copics again and the Blender pen.  Dab a little dark colour on the edge of the petal.  Get the really light version of the matching colour and hold it against the dark bit.  The colour will start flowing along the petal.  To spread it out a little more, or lighten part of the petal edge, hold a blender pen along the coloured edge and Hey Presto shaded flowers that match your colour scheme perfectly (Oh and out came the credit card again with a rather small WOC order (yeah right hehe) for white flowers in all shapes and sizes lol).

It was also my first play with the Tim Holtz paper distresser, rather fab I think (but you do get covered in paper dandruff hahaha) Distress inks on the edge of my paper strips and we was done.

Hope you like me Lil' Devil and don't forget to pop over to the gals blogs to find out what they were up to this week.

See you all soon

TracieB xxx

SCS Challenge - Its a Mans World

 

 It's A Mans World

This weeks challenge over at

is set but the lovely, well, Me hehe

Firstly I must apologise.  I know we all hate doing mens cards but as it is my Dads birthday next week I had to do it (at least he's got a proper card off me this year lol).

Oh my did I have problems with this one.  Got me image sorted (thanks to me mate with a debit card lol), picked out me papers and started on the colouring.  I had decided (reluctantly) to do an A5 card (only because I had printed the image out sooo big lol).  I found a sketch I was going to follow and this is where all my problems began.
 
The layout didn't go with the card.  It was, for want of a better word, boring.  No matter which way I turned the picture or elements of the sketch I really didn't like it (really really didn't like it).  I couldn't see a way around it either.  

So I went home, showered and went to bed.  After work the next day I found myself just staring at it for ages (like it was going to make itself lol). I recalled a male card I had made a while ago where I had used circles within the layout so went from there.  Cut a few circles out using the Cuttlebug then went to work on this new masterpiece of mine hehe.

I eventually came up with the card you see in the picture, and while I'm not 100% happy with the card, my Dad'll be pleased as punch, so that's good enough for me.

I used the new Basic Grey Oliver paper pad, Pink Petticoat Washed out plain paper, Spellbinders Small & Large Circles and both Copics & ProMarkers.  I printed the sentiment out using Word and cut that out with Spellbinders Labels 2 

I hope you like me creation and I wonder what you would of done with the layout lol.

Pop over to our other DT Gals blogs and have a peek at their fabby cards and i'll see you all next week.

TracieB xxxx

SCS Challenge - Hot Wheels

Here we are again, another ...

This weeks theme is HOT WHEELS.

Well me ol' brain cells started turning (very slowly at first, they are gettin little old now lol).  I was going to do an image of a super, souped up car (but me mate Vicky had already thought of this grrrr).  So I started Google'ing words. Anything from Hot wheels (the kids toy cars came up), Wheels on fire/of fire (Did u know that Cream had done an album of that name!!  I didn't lol).  I was getting nowhere fast and was starting to lose a bit of momentum now. 

Made meself a cup of coffee and started again and had a lightbulb moment (more like a little flame of something than anything spectacular haha) but then i was thinking a little more outside the box.  I was going to do a fab image of a girl roller blading when a funky image popped into view (have you tried the new Google image search, I like it a lot).  So I downloaded it and (feeling a bit pleased with meself now hehe) began to look for some papers.

As soon as I saw me lad on the scooter I knew I wanted some graffiti type paper.  Another lightbulb moment later I found the perfect pad, the Prima Pulse Collection 6x6 paper pad, wicked!!

I coloured me laddo in with a combination of Copics and Promarkers (they work really well together), cut him out and put him on the paper then got to work looking for a graffiti font.  Deciding that I wanted to cut the words out on me Klick n kut I looked for an interesting but fairly simple font.  Ta Daaaaah, got it!
 
Cut out me sentiment out of more paper from the pad (and a shadow background) but it looked too clean.  Time to get me fingers dirrty hehe.  Used the Primary Elements Cats Eye chalk inkpad in the very dark purple and (not being too careful) flicked it around the edges of my letters.

I set all the elements out on the page but there was something missing.  Google again lol, and found me little spray paint vandal hehe.  Coloured him and popped him in the corner and Voila me masterpiece was finished Hurraah (and I just luuurrve the colours).

I have also had another lightbulb moment (isn't it strange what us crafters dream about haha) and this card may get another addition soon, if I can find what I am looking for (cue Google again lol).  Fingers crossed i'll be posting it soon as i've finished.

Me hopes u like me card this week and make sure you pop on over to the other gals blogs and have a look at their wonderful creations.

See u all next week peeps

TracieB xxx

SCS Challenge - FairyTales

This weeks challenge at SCSC is Fairytales set by the lovely Janey.

Had loads of ideas for this but didn't want to do me usual stamping.  So went down to the Secret Crafter Shop (jealous much hehe, how many of you would like to have a whole craft shop to choose from downstairs lol) and had my pick of these lovely Hunkydory Decoupage Sheets.  I've been itching to use these fairies since they first came in but haven't had a chance.

So I went for the purple one (obvious choice me thinks lol).  The sheets are really fab, die cut decoupage, so they just pop out (no cutting, hurrah).  I used silicone to decoupage rather than foam pads as I had shaped the fairy a little (she is called Sparkle btw).  Used the scalloped nestie and backed Sparkle with the Precious Peonies Amethyst foiled card.  Dug out my much used Pink Petticoat Doodle Swirls for the backing paper (printed directly onto me card). Then had to go downstairs and ask Wendywoos how to make an easel card (I know, how could I forget how to make one, Doh! and she didn't really laff at me, much lol)

Dug about in me ribbon stash and found this lovely velvet purple one (off a chockie box me thinks lol) which went fab with the dotty sparkley one.  (Couldn't decide between them and went for both hehe).  Put a few jump rings together and hung the sentiment off them using a sparkley brad (I think I can see a sparkley pattern emerging here lol).

To finish I used me WOC flowers topped with some Stardust Stickles for more sparkle and added a sentiment from the Fairy packs and a border using the Martha Stewart Heart Lace edge punch and more of the Precious Peonies card stock.

I hope you get chance to pop over to our other gals blogs as they have some stunning cards this week.

See you next Saturday for another challenge

TracieB xx

SCS Challenge - Summer Holidays

Well what started off a lovely Saturday morning has now gone a little grey (and will probably be very wet within the next 5 mins too grrrr).  I was going to sit here (door open) write me blog basking in the sun (whilst sipping me coffee an eating me fresh pecan pastry mmmmmmm) but it looks like i'll be swinging the door  shut any time now!!!

Anyhows, this card!!  Well after about 5 failed attempts at doing a background (who knew it was sooo difficult to colour sky and sand?? Just me then haha!!) I was well and truly stumped. 

Me surfer girl was stamped and coloured, papers chosen and background masked and ready to go.

Why did my sand come out dirt coloured and where did the yellow finger mark on my sky come from??? (I wasn't even using yellow so go figure that one).  Binned the lot of 'em I did!

Went home on Thursday afternoon completely deflated (and a little stressed cause me card had to be uploaded by 11am Friday morning so that only left me a few hours after work to sort it), showered and got into bed.  

Thats when I had one of those lightbulb moments (Wow, don't get very many of those these days) I'll use a holiday piccie (wish I was there....NOW!), stuff the stamping and colouring in.  So there we go, me eventually finished card.  And, although I do say so myself, it looks pretty good lol (Oooo suns come back out hehe)

I used Bazzil Bling & Basic Grey Marrakech papers (both available from Secret Crafter along with the new ones that came out this week), found a wonderful Swirl Border Punch that looked like waves and cut out the sentiment with me electronic cutter.

I have a night off tonight so i'm off to bed for a couple of hours so i'm feeling fresh and awake later (Curry night today woohoo lol).

Hope you like me little creation and byt the way, take a leaf out of my book.... Put the kettle on, sit back and relax whilst flicking through out DT's handywork for this weeks challenge (nice work too ladies xxxx)

Have a good weekend

T xxx

SCS Challenge - Aperture

I saw some laser cut sheets whilst browsing a few shops last week (an yeah me credit card came out, shhhhhh hehe), and I thought "I could do that!" and lo my brilliant idea for this weeks card was born (I would start to slightly regret this decision a little later tho).

Now I could of gone the easy route (cutting it via my electronic cutter) but no I gotta go an do it the hard way (Oh boy!)

I rooted through the Secret Crafter stash bucket and found a pile of flower punches.  I punched a few flowers out and decided on the ones I thought would be best for the size of me card.

I set to work.  There must be some way of keeping all these little flower shapes from moving about.  Then it struck me (not physically I must add), I taped down some stamp masking paper (not sure the proper name for it), sticky side up onto a cutting mat, drew around the inside of my aperture and got to work. I started laying out the flower shapes around the aperture shape (which now didn't move about woo hoo).

When I was happy with the effect I then had to think of a way to stick them together, so out came the sellotape and scissors. I cut thin slivers of tape and taped all of the flowers together, one by one (an yeah I know what you're thinking, sticking them to acetate would of been the easier option, but my brain doesn't work like that). After a few hours of cutting and sticking all the little flowers were now happily attached.

Using my poky tool I eased my newly formed creation off the very low tack sticky paper and fitted it onto the back of my card aperture.  Feeling exceptionally pleased with myself I took the start of my card downstairs and Wowed everyone.  Comments like "Ooooh how did you do that?  Did you really stick all them together with just sellotape!" (I was feeling a bit big headed by now)

Wendy brought me down with a crash!  "I didn't think you wanted them on the bottom" (Pants!)  I'd only gone and got the card upside down. "Oh bother" I said (those of you who know me will already be substituting the actual words lol)  Upstairs for me again, poky tool at the ready!

Here's a close up of the offending object, complete with glamour dust for sparkle

Well to cut a long story short (cause you're probably half asleep by now) I did finish my card (with a little help from Wild Orchid Crafts (very scrummy flowers), remember the credit card lol) and behold my newest creation (stuff brilliant ideas next time, I ain't listening lol)

• I used flower punches Swirly Flower, Daisy (small purple and large green), Plum and Retro flower (find them under EK Success and Woodware)
• Cuttlebug 5x7" embossing folder GOOCHIE SCRIPT

SCS Challenge has also got an announcement.............  

We have three new members on or Design Team

Please give a warm Welcome to :-

CAROL

RENATE

SUZIE

Pop over to all the Gals blogs for loads of chat and inspiration and I'll see you all next week for me next masterpiece (hopefully lol)

T xxx 

(ps NEVER EVER gonna do a white card EVER again, fingermarks grrrrrrr)

Secret Crafter Frideay Freebie

Fancy winning a Basic Grey June Bug paper paper pad??

You could be in with a chance if you follow the
instructions over at Wendy's

See you tommorrow for this weeks SCS Challenge

TracieB xx