Here are a few of my favourite things and Happy new year!!!!

Well what a difference a year makes!!!!

Last year I was a blog novice, had not visited blogland and didn't belive I could do this and now after 6 months I have had so much fun, been a honoured guest artist for Artistic Stamper,proudly joined my first design team @ anything goes challenge and got many much appreciated followers.

Thanks for all my followers and their lovely comments, that have made me feel welcome and happy to be part of this fab place ..blogland...can't believe it took me this long to take the plunge!!!

So, as crafting has been slim on the ground I decided to look back over my first few months in blogland and choose some of my favourite things!! I have tried to choose one from each month I have been in blogland!

July...

August...

September...

October...

November...

December...

Well, all that is left is to say a huge thanks to all the people who have been so kind to me,

 a huge  Happy new year to everyone..

Here's to a happy, healthy new year for everyone, with lots of creative ventures along the way.

hugs trace x

Guest Artist for Artistic Stamper , sneaky peak...last part!

Well hey there bloggers, here is my next and sadly last piece for my guest artist at the Artistic Stamper.

I have had a ball and loved every minute and am so grateful

 for this opportunity. I want to say a huge thanks to Jennie and Hels!

So here is my sneaky peak, to see the piece in all its glory, with details, please hop across to the Artistic Stamper.

Hope you like what I have done , I truly have had a great time playing!!!

Thanks for stopping by

have a fab time,

 hugs trace x

Something blue for DT piece at anything goes .

Hey there bloggers,
well it is challenge time again at anything goes, the theme is blue and another colour, so here is my piece:

I love making tags , so decided to do another tag, make sure you pop across and see all the fab DT work @ http://anythingchallenge.blogspot.com/    and for all your crafty goodies pop across to Lynne's @ http://www.craftden.co.uk/
I started with the fairytale frenzy set of Tim stamps and I do love this set.The background of the tag, was yes you have guessed split into traces two bits!!!However hard I try I cannot help myself! I started by covering the tag in tumbled glass distress ink.Once dry I added the large no stamp using darker blue DI, then stamped the butterfly in an even darker blue...sorry forgot which ones! Then I added script text printed in snowcap paint dabber. I love the way that the backgrounds build up to create a whole..if that makes sense!

The left hand side is another favourite of mine tissue wrap from Tim's district market range, which I added some patches of ink too and stamped with the butterfly.
To finish I spritzed the background with perfect pearls mist.

To complete the tag I added flourishes, mini butterflies and a large flower, all coloured with distress inks and stamped with script text, oh and spritzed! the centre of the flower is a washer and I added some handmade hat pins, just because!
hope you have all had  a happy and healthy Christmas,
thanks for stopping by
hugs trace x

Happy Christmas!!!!!!!

Well hey there bloggers!

All I want to say is HAPPY CHRISTMAS!!!

have a good one!

A snowy scene from last year!!..My Hubbie took it!!!BLIMEY!!!

have a fab fun time

hugs trace x

happiness is hatpins!!!woyww 133

well hey there bloggers,
I wasn't going to do my desk today as craftiness has been thin on the ground.but wanted to say happy Christmas to everyone in blogland and thank everyone who has stopped by and made my first months in blogland so happy...THANKS!!!
Well here are the only crafty things that have been happening due to poorly children..hatpins and hatpins and more hatpins!!
Make sure you hop across to other far more crafty spaces @ http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/.

I have been adding them to my presents to give them that little something different and am really rather pleased! And here are my Tims tags, still in bits!!!

Thanks again to Julia for this fab Wednesday visiting place full of craftiness!

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR MAKING ME FEEL SO WELCOME IN BLOGLAND AND FOR ALL THE LOVELY COMMENTS

hugs trace x

trying to keep it simple!!!!

hey there bloggers,
hope you are all having a good day!Mine is not so great blogger issues and grr!!!! this was made a long time ago as still crafty nothingness here!
This card started off as something and ended up as something quite different, and yet I am pleased with the outcome.
So without further ado here she is:

I started off by trying to keep it simple,well for me anyway...I stamped the flower head around the card blank and the when dry added some DI, weathered wood and stormy skies. The middle panel is coloured with DI, same as edge but I added in some broken china too and some black soot around edges, this was then spritzed with perfect pearls mist in pearl and dried, using heat tool.
The middle panel was stamped, spritzed quickly with perfect pearls to soften image and then heated, when dry I added some fine crystal glitter.

the sentiment is made using same DI.The flowers are cut from Tim tattered floral die and coloured and then a black brad and some crackle accents added...The flourish is also covered in crackle accents.
thanks for stopping by
ta trace x
have a great day!

Snowflakes steampunk style!!!

Well hey bloggers,
Hope you are all ok in blogland, well my little brood are much better although still full of sniffles, but that I can cope with!!So here I am to blog a tag I made a while back, I have not crafted for at least two weeks!!!poor me!
So here she is:

I started in typical trace style with two halves to my background, just can't help myself!!The left hand side was made with an tissue wrap which I love, love, love!!I stamped some cogs from steam punk Christmas plate from chocolate baroque and added some pearly dots.
The right hand side was coloured with DI, tumbled glass and iced spruce, such a fab colour!!  stamped the coggy Christmas trees to overlap.

Finally I added die cut snowflakes which had been coloured up with DI and added some small cogs(old watch bits)to the centres.
so, that is my quick snowflake tag!

Thanks for stopping by and thanks to all the people who have left lovely comments and who are following my blog!!!thanks, thanks, thanks!
Hugs trace x

Guest Artist for the Artistic Stamper, sneaky peak 2

hey there bloggers,

well here I am back again for my second offering as guest artist for the Artistic Stamper,

I have had an absolute ball making this piece,

so here is my sneaky peak:

To see the full piece and all the details hop across to the Artistic Stamper!
Thanks again to Jennie and Hels, I am having a fab time !
Have a great inky day!
hugs trace x

A Christmas tag for anything goes challenge DT

Hey there bloggers,
Well crafty wise I am here today with a festive offering in red and green today,a festive tag for Christmas tags at anything goes for my DT piece, so here she is,

Hop across to anything goes to see all the fab DT pieces and to join in the challenge @ http://anythingchallenge.blogspot.com/
For all your crafty goodies hop across to Lynne at @ http://www.craftden.co.uk/
So here is how I made my tag:
For the base tag I cut a piece from Tim holtz Kraft resist Christmas rad and coloured using distress inks from the Christmas set of Distress inks.

The left hand strip is tissue paper from district Market collection from Tim Holtz...of course!!!
This strip was coloured using picket fence distress stain and then inked and some gold paint dabber added.The flourishes and 25 were cut using Tim dies and coloured to match tag.
Finally I made two large flowers using Tim Holtz tattered floral die, cutting the flowers from canvas on a roll, colouring and stamping with script.

When dry i assembled the flowers using pin flair glue and added Tim Holtz washers and brads to centres of top flowers. To complete I added a handmade hat pin.

Hope you like it, remember to hop across and see the other fab DT work and maybe join in yourself!!
have a great inky day
hugs trace x

Show us some livestock for gingersnap!

Well hey there bloggers,
I am blogging this while my poorly little girl is asleep,this card has been made a long time but I have not had chance to blog it , so here it is :

The theme at gingersnap creations was livestock which I did find hard, then craft stamper came to my rescue with this free cover stamp!, they must have known I needed an animal!
The colours used were black soot and pumice stone, a great combination.The background stamping used some foliage stamps from chocolate baroque, stamped over background using both colours to build up the layers.
I added black flourishes and some paper string and finally a flower cut from canvas from a roll, inked and over stamped with the foliage stamp.

sorry short and sweet today!!
I am entering this for the following competition:
livestock @ http://gingersnapcreations.blogspot.com/
thanks for stopping by!
have a great inky day
hugs trace x

Let it snow raffia style!

Hey there bloggers,
Well over at gingersnaps the theme was to use raffia and I will admit is rugged with this a little as it is not something I would usually use..so I decided to continue with snowy makes and add raffia?! So here she is..

I started by making a distress ink background and stamping Tim snowflakes onto it in same colour, then I stamped some in darker broken china on the right and script stamp on the left, then spritzed with perfect pearls in pearl.Once dry I added pearly dots to snowflakes centres.I added three strips of raffia, then added some pre-made  pearly glittered snowflakes, with pearly dot centres.

To finish I added some vintage  cream ribbon down the side, a big bow..something different for me! and two hat pins....having a  ball making these!

This is another made ages ago waiting to be blogged card.
I am entering this for the following competitions:

raffia @ http://gingersnapcreations.blogspot.com/
anything goes @ http://theribbonreelchallenge.blogspot.com/
snowflakes @ http://cutedaisymay.blogspot.com/
let it snow @ http://toptiptuesday.blogspot.com/
anything goes @ http://cookingitupwithkatie.blogspot.com/
anything christmas with pearls @ http://bunnyzoescrafts.blogspot.com/2011/11/challenge-18-anything-christmas-with.html

have a great inky day!
hugs trace x
share the love and leave a comment, they make my day!

Woyww #131, Tims tags in bits!!

Hey there bloggers,
Well is it really Wednesday?It is the time to hop around desks to see other peoples work spaces and crafty creations. I have had an amazingly inspiring week  looking at Tim's tags for Christmas, but a frustrating and slow crafty week as now the boys are better, little Lucy now has been poorly for a week and has an ear infection, so my desk is Tim's tags in bits!!! Here it is:

Even the cooker crafting of a few weeks ago is slow and I am suffering from crafty withdrawal!!! So it is short and sweet from me today, here's hoping that I catch up with all my tags, blogging and my little brood get well! Santa is very behind!!! Have a happy woyww! Make sure you pop over to http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/  courtesy of Julia to see all the fab crafty spaces and craftiness going on!!!
Have a great inky day,
Thanks for stopping by
Hugs trace x

Tims tag no 2!!! talk about behind!

Well hey there bloggers,
What can I say Tim has surpassed himself, with wonderful tags, tips and techniques...I have three half finished as my little girl has been poorly and so crafting has been slow and slim pickings, but I will catch up!!!!
Anyway, Tim's twelve tags can be found here...and here is my tag 2,

I think my deer is slightly smaller and I didn't, have the die so hand cut a border and the little deer has a bell instead...

I loved making this tag and am chomping at the bit to have a go at the next ones and finish the others!

Have a happy inky day!
Hugs trace x

I'm snow angel!!!

Hey there bloggers,
well there is so much going on and I am SO behind with blogging!! Anyway this card has been made ages and was wondering if it would ever get blogged so here it is:, my offering for non traditional Christmas cards for stampotique @ http://stampotiquedesignerschallenge.blogspot.com/ :

I started by making the background using distress inks and sand texture gel through a stencil.Once dry I added some snow cap paint dabber to the snow and then some pearl glitter in patches.

The top of the card was stamped with fab splatter stamp. I  added glossy accents to form icicle shapes and added more pearl glitter.
The little man is so gorgeous but can't remember his name! I added grungeboard wings and crown painted with silver crackle paint.

The text is computer type and there is my snow angel!! Who is no angel!
I am entering this for the following competition:
non traditional Christmas cards @ http://stampotiquedesignerschallenge.blogspot.com/
thanks for stopping by, have a happy inky day!
hugs trace x