Cheep,cheep,cheep.....for the Sunday stampers challenge

Hey there bloggers,
here is my cheep, cheep cheep  entry for my first ever Sunday stampers challenge @ http://pinkleart.blogspot.com/

I decided to use a notebook that had been awaiting my attention for a while. The notebook had been painted with household emulsion in grey, a crackle medium and then a creamy emulsion and sat waiting for inspiration to strike.

I coloured the cover using distress inks on cut n dry foam in weathered wood and stormy skies, I then ovestamped using a Tim flourish in stormy skies.
Once dry I overstamped the birdcage in frayed burlap, such a gorgeous colour......The decoration, is mostlyTim using a birdcage cut from card and coloured with frayed burlap, overstamped and brads added for detail, tickets from Creative Expressions were then used to make a flower.

The bird is stamped in weathered wood and I added shade using frayed burlap.
The flourishes are Tims' elegant flourishes cut from grungepaper, coloured with weathered wood and frayed burlap distress stickles painted on for grungy bling.

Anyway again I must learn to remember to be short (well I am!!) and sweet once in a while...just get carried away!

Anyway that's all for tonight,
Have a happy crafty day
Thanks for stopping by, share the love and leave a comment
Ta trace x

film inspired Tim Holtz card of Schlindlers list....!

Hey there bloggers ,
hope you have all had good bank holiday weekends and enjoyed some crafty times!
Here is my offering for the following challenges:-
inspired by tv or film  @ http://anythingchallenge.blogspot.com
and anything goes @ http://craftuscrazy.blogspot.com

I promise I am going to keep this short and sweet...........
So here is my card using lots of Tim Holtz stamps, inks and dies and inspired by Schlindlers List..

And without rambling and keeping to my promise...short and sweet!
thanks for stopping by it makes my day
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ta trace x

Travel tag in vintage colours

Hey there bloggers, sorry about the title, didn't know what else to call it!!
Anyway I have finally managed to finish this tag so here goes:

I know it is vintage browns again, but that just seems to happen!!
I am entering this tag into the following competitions:
anything goes @ http://sirstampalotchallenge.blogspot.com
all things men/machomen @ http://theartisticstampercreativeteam.blogspot.com
travel @ http://thestampmanchallenges.blogspot.com
travel @ http://simonsaysstampandshow.blogspot.com

Anyway, I started with a blank manilla tag and used distress inks and a selection of Tim Holtz and creative expressions stamps to create the various parts:
1.The tag itself was coloured using distress inks in antique linen and tea dye, the text was then stamped using walnut stain......which is yummy and I don't use enough I decided!

2.The side panel was again coloured using antique linen and edged using tea dye, I then splatted (very technical!) my distress stain , antique linen, onto the card and once dry stamped enjoy the journey using antique linen, to create soft detail.

3.The blimp and tickets were stamped using black soot and again coloured using tea dye and antique linen.

4.The sentiment was stamped in black soot onto a torn piece of card coloured using , yes you've guessed...antique linen and tea dye distress inks, crumpled and the tea dye reapplied.

5.Finally all the elements were attached and a few embellishments added, namely a Tim holtz spinner, some brads and a flourish cut using Tim Holtz elegant flourish die, cut from grungepaper and coloured using black paint dabber and lastly a few staples, .... just because I HAD TO USE MY NEW TOY.....A Tim Holtz tiny attacher.!!

Anyway, that's all for now, I am off to put the heating on , it's freezing!!!! My husband says socks may be a good option, but bare feet and heating sounds much more appealing to me!!!!

Have a crafty day!
share the love and leave a comment...it makes my day!!
ta trace x

take time to smell the flowers!

Hey there bloggers,
Hoping you like my new feel blog with new background!
It has been wonderfully sunny here today and a real joy except for the wasps!!!!aargh!!!
Anyway, back to crafting I have finally finished my piece for the stampman challenge!!!!, so here it goes:-

I am pleased with this piece as it is not the colours I would usually use, I tend to go for the cooler colours and to use summer colours made me nervous but determined to give it a go!!!!!!!!

 I am entering this box for 2 challenges:

the stampmanchallenge, which is anything goes using summer colous@ http://thestampmanchallenges.blogspot.com/

and handmade flowers @

http://fashionablestampingchallenges.cottagecrafts.ie/

The box was painted and then crackled using crackle medium and a second painted layer. I then coloured using distress inks in - wild honey, spiced marmalade and barn door. I applied the colours lightly.I then overstamped the box with a Tim text stamp, using black soot distress ink.

The flowers were made by spritzing a piece of canvas with tattered angels glimmer mist in : sherbert, dreamsicle and lemon zest...good enough to eat!!!

When dry I cut flowers using the Tim Holtz tattered foral die. The flowers were then overstamped with a Tim script stamp.Once shaped I glued the layers adding a brad to centre of smallest layer.

The flourish is a Tim Holtz flourish cut from grungepaper,painted black and then dabbed lightly with tarnished brass crackle and when dry black soot rubbed in, the distress ink I mean not real soot, that would be mad!!!!

The sentiment is from Tim again and the frame surround is grungeboard, painted with tarnished brass crackle paint and black soot distress ink rubbed in.

Anyway bloggers the rain is now coming down, typical!!I feel I have rambled enough but just have one last photo to share , my 3 beautiful childrens debut into blogland!

Anyway, thats all for now bloggers!
Thanks for stopping by, share the love and leave a comment.............it makes my day!
ta trace x

painting the roses red with alice!

Hey there bloggers,
I have finally had a go at the Altered Alice Challenge and I have entered the following card for the paint the roses red challenge@
http://alteredalice.blogspot.com/
The challenge was to use paint somewhere and red was an optional theme.This did not turn out at all as expected when I started and took many twists and turns along the way, but I am pleased at how it turned out, so here it is:

I used red paint to create crackle backgound square - painting chipboard square red, leaving to dry , applying crackle medium and then applying cream paint - this was then coloured using pumice stone and black soot distress ink when dry.

Red paint was also used to part colour some flowers ( from wild orchid crafts) - some fired brick distress stickles was painted on to highlight tips of petals.
I used dimensional resist paint from cratynotions, through a stencil, for the patterened piece of paper and then when dry added fired brick distress stain , wiping away exces with a baby wipe.
The paint or blood splatters,depending on your take!!! were from Tim Holtz mini halloween..stamped in fired brick distress ink and clear embossed.

The playing cards were also stamped with the spatter and clear embossed and then the remainder of the cards also coloured using fried brick.

The main image from alice plate was stamped using black soot distress ink, I then applied some water and dabbed off just on faces, to highlight slightly.This was then coloured using pumice stone.The fired brick distress stickles was added to the roses using a paint brush.

Anyway, enough ramblings, have a crafty day!
share the love and leave a comment
ta tracex

butterflies, distress stickles, tim and bling...who could ask for more!!!

Hey there bloggers,
I amazed as I am actually on time for a grungy monday challenge, my first ever!
I decided not to do a card or tag this time and to decorate a little notebook I had bought to alter, so here it is....

I crackled the cover and then added distress inks in milled lavender and dusty concord.

Once dry, I overstamped in dusty concord with a flower head stamp.Then when dry I added distress stickles in milled lavender.

The flower was made using tattered floral die, cut from old book pages and coloured using distress stain in dusty concord and milled lavender distress ink(I haven't got stain yet ... but I will!!!). Then I added some bling, with little gems.

The butterflies, again Tim holtz, were stamped onto grungepaper with archival black ink, coloured with distress stain and when dry painted with distress stickles to give smoother finish.

Once dry the background of the book was stamped using black distress ink and a Tim flourish.

The sentiment is again, you've guessed a Tim Holtz one and I love it!

Hope you like it and I am entering this for the following competitions:

Grungy Monday #   - distress stickles party @ http://studiol3.blogspot.com/

Simon says stamp and show challenge - bling @ http://www.simonsaysstampandshow.blogspot.com/

Try it on Tuesday - Anything goes @ http://tuesdaytaggers.blogspot.com/

Well thats all for blogland tonight, ta trace x

happy crafting!

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A royal crown in my hats and crowns entry for the Octopode factory challenge

Hey there bloggers, well my posts are like buses, you can never find one then they all come at once!!! Thought I would seize the chance to show you this card I have made for the Friday challenge at the Octopode factory, theme hats and/or crowns.

I love the quirky nature of these stamps.The background was made using antique linen distress ink through a stencil.The vintage cream ribbon was stamped with a heart stamp in barn door distress ink and set aside to dry.I coloured the stamped image using pro markers, can't wait to try some copic pens, then I added crackle accents to the heart.

The crown was a Tim holtz stamp embossed with gold and a stone added.

 For the hearts in the corner I used a cosmic shimmer black/red embossing powder which changes in the light and is really cool!!!The flower in the corner was made using some dolls houseplaying cards coloured using distress inks and another heart used as a leaf.

I am entering this for the Octopode factory Friday challenge @
http://www.toffchallenge.blogspot.com/

Anyway happy crafting bloggers!
Ta trace
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Manly moth in monochrome

Hey there bloggers, sorry the posts have been low on the ground.My Husband is having holiday week off and we have been busy doing things with the children, so creating has been low on the ground.
But we did have a monkey on our car windscreen yesterday, which is amazing in anybody's world!!!!!
We took the children to a safari and all loved it, our little girl chattered away and the boys were amazed, clicking their cameras to capture the bears and rhinos and monkeys right near the car.!!!
Awesome eh?
Also the Internet has had some 'issues'!!!
Back to crafting...
So here I am with a card I made a while back.It is one of those that kind of evolved into much more than I planned and I am thrilled with it.

The stamps used were from a creative expressions plate and I decided to keep the colours limited and really like the effect.It is the first time I've made a easel card and I really enjoyed it.Anyway, enough ramblings I will let the card speak for itself.

Happy crafting, ta trace x
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