My fourth and sadly final piece as visiting artist for gingersnap creations!gorgeous greens!

Hey there ,
Well here I am with my fourth and sadly final piece as visiting artist at gingersnap creations. I have been chuffed to bits to have this fab opportunity and want to thank everyone at gingersnap for having me along!!
Anyway the challenge this time is gorgeous greens, I loved this so here she is:

I love using greens in DI range, and always wonder why I don't do it more often!!I started by creating the background. I coloured the card with shabby shutters,peeled paint, forest moss and broken china...Then I stamped the text from Wendy Vecchis set botanical art...this is a gorgeous set....!!!
The middle section is Tims tissue wrap coloured also in greens, then the last piece is coloured in same inks and stamped with the flower design.
The flowers were made from grungepaper using the large flower from flower power set from The Artistic Stamper....even if they do look a bit like cabbages!!???

The clock is the one and only Tims weathered clock die coloured with DI and then I added some fab gilding flakes in variegated green from craftynotions.

The butterfly is from the same stamp sheet and some gilding flakes and a pen nib added.
The sentiment is from Tim holtz set boundless flight and I love this sentiment.

Why don't you pop over to gingersnaps and see the fab dt work and maybe pop in an entry yourself,
Thanks again to gingersnap creations for having me, I have loved it!!!!
I am entering this for the following competitions:
butterflies @ http://fashionablestampingchallenges.cottagecrafts.ie/
use 2 of something @ http://panpasteluk.blogspot.com/
use 3 from list...monochrome,metal,handmade flower,distressing @ http://desertislandcraftschallenge.blogspot.com/
distressed @ http://delightfulsketches.blogspot.com/
things with wings @
http://movingalongwiththetimes.blogspot.com/
Thanks for stopping by and for all your kindly comments
Have a fab fun and inky day
Hugs Trace x
see previous post for woyww!and some more 3-d roses!!!how hooked am i!?

Woyww#138,what has happened here then?!

Hey there,
Well it is that time of week where we wander through craftiness courtesy of our ultimate hostess Julia...so here is my desk, I mean bomb site, I mean desk!!!

thought it might look better form this angle, but er..no!!!

Well moving swiftly onwards from the mess that is..
 thanks to everyone who stopped by last week, apologies if I didn't get round to you all ..I am on a mission this week!!!!!
my desk shows my weekend craftiness and still stands in this state!!but boy did i have fun and can't wait to share the finished piece soon!!!
For all of you saw the cabbages, I mean flowers last week....I have worked hard and improved I think so here are some more...

I hope you will agree , these are far better flowers and far less like the cabbages, i mean flowers from last week...however i  will be back later with my last and final post as visiting artist for gingersnap creations and you can see where the cabbages I mean flowers from last week ended up!!!!

Make sure you hop across to Julia to see all the fab crafty people...and I am off to get desk hopping!!!!a woman with a mission!!!
have a fab inky day
hugs trace x

dt piece at anything goes, theme for the one I love..

Hey the bloggers,
Well it is challenge time over at anything goes again and this time the theme is , for the one I love also there is a fab prize of £20 from indigo blu

 http://www.indigoblu.com/

Quintessentially English rubber stamps, with unique and highly detailed deep etched designs – all made in England. IndigoBlu stamps have been featured on Create and Craft a few weeks ago.

so here is mine:

Make sure you pop across to lynnes @ craftden for all your crafty goodies and to Anything goes challenge to seethe fab Dt pieces and maybe pop in an entry!
So here is what I did:
I started with a limited palette as this theme is definitely not in my comfort zone,I started with a brand new set of darkroom door stamps....some DI in vintage photo and antique linen.
The background was made by colouring with DI and then over stamping with script and the postcard word stamp.The main image was stamped in DI onto pre coloured card using DI and cut n dry foam.
The roses were made using grungepaper , as were the flourishes which were over stamped in script using aged mahogany DI.

The little love letter was the script stamped onto white paper and lightly coloured then rolled and tied.
The sentiment is stamped in a two tone cosmic shimmer embossing powder and held in a Tim memo pin.
Finally, another melt pot play produced the heart,....i melted utee, then used a craftynotions mould which i had brushed with cosmic shimmer pigment..then poured the utee into the mould, left to cool and there she is...a fab heart embellishment!

hope you like the card ..found this a hard challenge, so why don't you hop over to anything goes and challenge yourselves and pop in an entry!you may even bag the prize!!!

I am entering this for the following challenges:

vintage @ http://theartisticstampercreativeteam.blogspot.com/
eyes for sunday stamper..@ http://craftuscrazy.blogspot.com/
The Look of Love..as song title Dusty Springfield...@ http://simonsaysstampandshow.blogspot.com/
distressing @ http://craftyourdaysaway.blogspot.com/
love @ http://drunkenstampers.wordpress.com/
love @ http://thepoodlesparlour.blogspot.com/
love is in the air @ http://simplycreatetoo.blogspot.com/
love @ http://craftuscrazy.blogspot.com/
thanks for stopping by, your kindly comments mean a lot!!!
have a fab fun and inky day
hugs trace x

oops sorry, wrong button..you will have to wait till tomorrow!!!

Sorry wrong button, you will have to wait till tomorrow...
SORRY!!!!

do you believe in fairies?!!

hey there,
well today is a tag, and the starting point was the Try it on Tuesday competition of , fairies...they have a DT call at the mo too..So here she is, not so much the usual me, but here she is:

I didn't have any fairy stamps but love making tags so went with this fab stampotique girl and some beautiful butterfly that I used as wings from The Artistic Stamper. I started by making a DI background using stormy sky, faded jeans and dusty concord, spritzing, and drying, adding more colour and spritzing again.When totally dry i added embossed details ..sparkle holographic splatters and silver swirls..i love these...I also added some little silver stars
I stamped the girl onto the bacground so I didnt have to cut out herhair!!!then again onto white card.

The wings and her dress were painted using DI.Once dry i glued on the wings and then added the girl...i left her white as i love the contrast.

The sentiment is from the net and i coloured this using DI and added a silver star pin for a wand.
hope you like her...!!!

I am entering this for the following competitions:
do you belive in fairies @ http://tuesdaytaggers.blogspot.com/
embossing @ http://2sisterschallengeblog.blogspot.com/
open , plus fairy @ http://flutterbywednesdays.blogspot.com/
things with wings @ http://movingalongwiththetimes.blogspot.com/

thanks for stopping by, your kindly comments mean a lot!!!I love them!!!
thanks also to all the people that have chosen to follow my journey!!thanks
have a fab inky day!
hugs trace x

Seeing red but in a good way!!!!

Hey there bloggers,
Well here I am again with a piece in red for the stampman, I wanted to make a small dimensional piece and have a plaŷ, So here she is:

I started with some crowded attic paper from the one and only Tim, which I coloured using fired brick and aged mahogany DI.I covered a small square arts part with the paper and inked edges with aged mahogany.Once dry I stamped a script over the pre coloured paper, again using aged mahogany.When dry I added a Tim flourish stamp, in gold dabber down the right hand side..I coloured a scalloped part in the same way to add to bottom, sanding in places and adding some gold dabber .
The flourish is coloured in fried brick .

The flower was made using paper coloured in same way as background and cut from stamped images using large flower stamp from The Artistic Stamper.I used a tutorial found here from Hels to get the hang of these fab flowers and boy am I hooked!!! I then spritzed with perfect pearls heirloom gold.
The little bottles are filled with glitter and glass pearls coloured using alcohol inks in a bag and smooched around!!I alos coloured the little heart pins!

I added a few more idea-ology and stash bits and voila!
Thanks for stopping by, your kindly words mean a lot!
I am entering this for the following competitions:
red @ http://thestampmanchallenges.blogspot.com/
gold for sundaystampers @ http://pinkleart.blogspot.com/
try something new ,the flowers @ http://hookedoncraftchallenges.blogspot.com/
valentine @ http://craftycreationschallenges.blogspot.com/2012/01/153-valentine-theme.html
something new@ http://freshbreweddesigns.blogspot.com/2012/01/wow-it-feels-like-forever-since-i-have.html
make your own flowers @ http://totallypapercrafts.blogspot.com/
love is in the air @ http://simplycreatetoo.blogspot.com/
'love'@ http://audsentimentschallengeblog.blogspot.com/
have a fab fun and inky day
hugs trace x

my third proud piece as visiting artist for gingersnap, it's a wrap!!

Well hey the bloggers,
Here I am again with my third and sadly penultimate piece as visiting artist for
gingersnap creations.This time the challenge was to use some favourite papers, if you stop by here often you will realise my favourite is White,that I can colour myself...but my new found all time fab favourite has to be the one and only Tim's tissue wrap. it is amazing!!!I love love love it!!! So here is my piece a fully functioning pen box:

I started with a blank pen/pencil box which I painted with neutral paint and then covered using fab tissue wrap...this stuff is so fab and so versatile, love it!!!So I covered the pencil box in multi medium and applied pre cut pieces of tissue wrap to cover sides, back, base top etc I then set aside to give the multi medium plenty of time to dry.
Once dry I stamped stampotique splatter randomly using black soot DI.
The flower was made by covering grungepaper in tissue wrap, stamping out flower from The Artistic Stamper flower forms set, inking with black soot and pumice distress inks, I then shaped and dipped into wax in my melt pot, when dry I then spritzed with perfect pearls, and blasted with my heat gun...this catches some of the mica in the wax,then leave to cool.To finish the flower I added a fab idea-ology Tim button, a new pressie from Santa!

The letters are grungeboard, inked and spritzed. I added some pens nibs, a little Tim bottle , which I added a few drops of black alcohol ink into, and a type charm with some old book text in.

Hope you like what I have done with my favourite paper, make sure you pop over to gingersnap creations to see the fab DT work and why not pop an entry in yourselves!

I am entering this for the following competitions:
anything but a card @ http://simonsaysstampandshow.blogspot.com/
anything goes @ http://letsinkitup.blogspot.com/
something new @ http://fairytale-challengeblog.blogspot.com/
metal@ http://2sisterschallengeblog.blogspot.com/

See post underneath for woyww#137 and the finish of those grungepaper  roses!
Have a great inky day
hugs trace x

Woyww#137,distress inks, mess and general inkiness.

Hey there,
Well it is that time of week again where courtesy of Julia we hop around blogland looking at people's creative places and goodies!!!what a great way to spend a few hours!!!
So here is my place today

There is lots of mess and general post inky fun mess here...I haven't had a lot of time to play but can you that from my first foray into grungepaper flowers last week

to the finished result here

I have become officially hooked and much of my crafty time has been stamping flowers from The Artistic Stamper set flower power, cutting them and they await inking, cutting and possibly dunking in the melt pot?!!
However..is it just me or because of the colour do these look like little cabbages?!!not quite what i went for!!!Do you think they will catch on?!

Anyway make sure you pop across to http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/, to see all the fab creative places and hop around , the desks I mean!

I will be back later with my third piece as visiting artist for gingersnap creations,
have a fab inky day
thanks for stopping by
hugs trace x
right off to get hopping...

Just playin the blues!!!

Well hey there,
Bet you wondered where I had gone!!!Been busy busy and sadly not all crafty busy, but I did have time to have a little play...so here she is...a teeny tiny quicker project..playing with the blues:

I started by crackling this little notebook and once dry I coloured using various blue distress inks.When these were dry I stamped script randomly over the cover using faded jeans, which I haven't used for ages and only found when rummaging for another colour, well what yummy colour!!I added some Tim tissue wrap, so hooked on this I had to have the other design!!!I had pre coloured the tissue wrap with picket fence distress stain and DI, then added some script stamp.The flower as made from grungepaper and I used a flower stamp from The Artistic Stamper set flower power to make it.I inked and spritzed with perfect pearls mist in turquoise and blasted with my heat gun!

Those of you who stopped by woyww, will have seen some flowers, my first in progress, and oh dear have I started something mow!!!!I am hooked....these are so fab!!!
Anyway, onwards.
I made the leaves from coloured tissue wrap and used a leaf stamp from the Artistic stamper and some crystal stems. To finish I added an Eco board, coloured with DI and sentiment added...I love this sentiment!

The little butterfly is the final addition, again coloured using DI and perfect pearls...
Thanks for stopping by! I will be back on Wednesday with my third offering for visiting artist at Gingersnaps,ooh and woyww....see you then, I hope!
I am entering this for the following competitions:
y for  you choose @ http://alphabetchallengeblog.blogspot.com/
in blues @ http://crazy4challenges.blogspot.com/
anything but a card @ http://littleclairesdesigns.blogspot.com/
anything goes in blue @ http://thesecretcraftersaturdaychallenge.blogspot.com/
anything goes @ http://craftsandmechallenges.blogspot.com/
anything goes @ http://onestitchatatimechallenge.blogspot.com/

Thanks for stopping by, all your kindly comments make my day,
Have a fab inky day
Hugs trace x

Dt call for anything goes blog........

hey there ,
just a quick one to let you know there is a design team call for anything goes,
why dont you pop across and see the fab DT and throw your hat into the ring!!
Come and join the fun @ http://anythingchallenge.blogspot.com/

have a great inky day
hugs trace x

Second proud piece for visiting artist at gingersnap,show us some ribbon!

Well hey there,
Here I am again and who took my week?!
I am back with my second piece for gingersnaps as visiting artist and can't believe how the week has flown!This time the challenge is ribbon and I will be the totally honest that although I have my fav vintage seam binding which I love to use , the colourful ribbon rainbow above my desk is never used and ribbon is not really me...but I am mightily chuffed with where this piece ended up!! So here she is:

I started with a trusty tag and some of my favourite blue distress inks, a Tim set of stamps and some ribbon, I even surprised myself and decided to use White ribbon.I made some White ribbon flowers which were fairly fiddly to do but I was determined!So here's what I did.
The tag was done in two halves,one using clear embossed images as resit and then coloured with DI , then when dry the image was stamped in silver paint dabber.The other half was coloured with DI and the same image stamped using a draker shade of DI.

The bird and cage were cut from grungepaper and I used a faux mercury technique on that can be found here @   http://shellyhickox.blogspot.com/2011/12/grungy-monday-new-technique.html to cover cage and Wendy vechhi leaves.

The flowers were made from tissue wrap and my ribbon roses added.Finally some crystals on stems and some Tim ribbon roses trim, far better than mine and ribbon trim were added.
Make sure you pop over to gingersnaps and have a go yourself!!!

I am entering this for the following challenges:
things with wings @ http://2sisterschallengeblog.blogspot.com/
more than 2 layers @ http://simplycreatetoo.blogspot.com/
use a resist technique @ http://tuesdaytaggers.blogspot.com/
winter colours @ http://cachallenge.blogspot.com/
blue, silver and white @ http://diecuttindivas.blogspot.com/
anything goes @ http://toptiptuesday.blogspot.com/

see post below for woyww#136..
Thanks for stopping by
Have a fab inky day
Hugs trace x

woyww #136, some inky grungepaper

Well hey there bloggers and crafty friends,
This week has been a busy week as my eldest son was nine, cannot believe where the time goes!!!So there was more presents, cake and a trip to the deep aquarium at Hull.
I have had some crafty fun playing with my melt pot, a Christmas pressie and have had some awesome and disastrous results, in fairly equal measure!!!However whenever there is a disaster something good usually comes out and I had a beeswax and melt pot moment where disaster was averted when I added perfect pearls and blasted with my heat gun, I will post the results later in the week...but there were a few hairy moments I can tell you!!!!
Anyways here is the desk today...

I am having my first, yes you got that right my first ever attempt at proper 3-d Tim grungepaper flowers!!still a work in progress!
Thought I would show you around some of my crafty storage, just because..

and here is some more storage and I still have boxes in front that i havent had time to home!

make you you pop across to julias, our fab hostess with the most-ess to see other fab crafty spaces and creativity!!! @ http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/
see my later post today for my visiting artist piece for gingersnaps!
have a a fab inky day
hugs trace x

Anything goes dt piece for anything goes challenge blog!

Well hey there!
it is challenge time over at anything goes challenge blog again and this time the theme is ...anything goes!
So he is, my bit of anything goes:

I decided to do another book as these are fab and very addictive!!This time I tried to do a more masculine themed book, using some fab stamps from the Artistic Stamper, some idea-ology and some arts parts shapes.
I started by covering the book with watered down gesso!shocked you, no crackle today!!!Then when dry inked with distress inks and left to dry.When dry I stamped the fab splat stamp from journalling plate in antique linen and then vintage photo.When dry I added some calligraphy script, also from the artistic stamper.Once totally dry I stamped some Tim pen nibs in walnut stain, heated to dry and then stamped a smaller version of same set in coffee archival.

I covers the left hand side in my favourite thing, tissue wrap.
The middle panel was White card coloured in antique linen DI, the I stamped the journal word..imagine in same DI, to get a very subtle effect. I then added the splat stamp using vintage photo and pen nibs in walnut stain.

The sentiment is a journalling stamp from the Artistic Stamper and the bottles are arts parts from Wendy Vecchi, coloured and crackle paint and metal tape added the top(this was also painted).Finally some idea-ology was added and some computer generated text added.
Sorry another marathon post, must try harder to waffle less and get to the gist, but then I never was very good and short and sweet, why use 1 word when 10 will do!!
Anyway make sure you hop across to see all the fab dt work and for all your craft needs visit Lynnes craft den.
I am entering this for the following competitions:
anything but a card @ http://pollycraftchallengeblog.blogspot.com/
anything goes @ http://trulymadlycraftychallenges.blogspot.com/
anything goes @ http://dreamvalleychallenges.blogspot.com/
Have a fab inky day
Hugs trace x

Some more inky playing in monochrome and Happy 9th Birthday James!!

Hey there,
Well here I am again with a card that came out of playing with a few themes in mind, I wanted to try and play along with try it on Tuesday's, where the challenge was to make everything on a card yourself and also to play along with the gingersnap theme of wax.Especially as I was a lucky girl and got a melt pot for Christmas, so he she is:

I also decided to try and tie this in with a monochrome theme and use a couple of barely used distress inks, rusty hinge and wild honey.I started by making the background using DI, spritzing, blotting and drying, I never tire of this...does that make me predictable?!!hope not! then added some DI coloured card over stamped with script from my first ever set of Wendy Vechhi stamps from a while ago...once dry I spritzed with perfect pearls mist in heirloom gold and blasted with my heat gun!!

The sentiment was stamped onto card coloured with wild honey and then stamped and edged in rusty hinge.The leaves were stamped in rusty hinge from one of my new sets of Wendy stamps, coloured with wild honey then spritzed and quickly dried.I loved the way this really made the wild honey 'pop'!!
NOW......THE FLOWERS! oh wow I want to make more and more and more!!!!!

I started by stamping the two sized flowers onto card, colouring and stamping text over.I coloured both sides so no White showed.I curled and layered using pin flair glue then when dried cracked out my new melt pot!!!yippee!!!I melted some natural beeswax and with some , oh golly what am I doing dipped the flowers in, coated and set aside to dry!!!I am in love...I fear I could be dipping many things in beeswax now!!!!

The centres were made with a gold pearly pen thing, very technical!
Anyway I am delighted with my new toy and can't wait to get dipping again!!!
Am entering this card for the following competitions...
wax as a supply @ http://gingersnapcreations.blogspot.com/
make a card yourself @ http://tuesdaytaggers.blogspot.com/
monochrome @ http://sirstampalotchallenge.blogspot.com/
Thanks for surviving the ramblings!!
Before I go, I just want to say Happy Birthday James to my eldest son, who is 9 today!!!Love you.xx
Where did the time go?!

Have a great inky day!
Hugs trace x

First piece as proud visiting artist for gingersnap!!!!how excited am I !!!

well hey there bloggers,
Today is an exciting day as here is my first piece as a proud visiting artist for gingersnap creations!! I was so excited and chuffed to be asked..The challenge this time is to use a set or range of stamps...I went for the one and only TIM!!So here is my piece:

I decided to use a great set called fairytale frenzy and an additional Tim text stamp, some distress inks and some idea-ology.
I started with a blank book which had been been pre painted and crackled, using crackle medium and household emulsion!Once dry..I inked the book cover using antique linen, iced spruce and broken china.
I then added a strip of tissue wrap, which I think I can officially say I am addicted too!!, to the spine and left hand side of book, this was covered with picket fence distress stain and then when dry covered in DI.I over stamped the cover with the flowery flourish thing in broken china, direct to the cover and left to dry.

Th middle panel is made using all the same DI, spritzing with water and drying and then stamping with the no's in antique linen and the butterfly in stormy skies and the script in broken china...I love layering stamps to build up backgrounds, so much fun and you never quite know where you will end!!
The central panel is coloured using DI and the sentiment stamped in archival black ink.

To complete I added flourish die cuts which were inked and  butterflies which were inked and covered in script stamp.The butterflies centres are spinners and I added a word key and clock and some corners all from the fab Tim's idea-ology range.
make sure you hop over to Gingersnap Creations to join in all the fun!! See you next week for more gingersnap fun!
I am entering this for the following competitions:
anything goes with santa stash @ http://fashionablestampingchallenges.cottagecrafts.ie/
new beginnings @ http://allsortschallenge.blogspot.com/ , starting anew from now..
something old, something new @ http://papersundaes.blogspot.com/ , old stamps, new idea-ology
please see post below for woyww #135!
have a fab inky day
hugs trace x

woyww #135, a new year, same old desk!!!but some inkiness too!

Hey there,
well happy new year woyww!!!
Happy new year and welcome to the new year, with same old me, same old desk but some  new inkiness afoot!
Make sure you hop across to Julias @ http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/ to see allsorts of creativeness and inky stuff!!
So enough waffle, here is my desk today:

And finally some craftiness has come my way, inspired by new crafty stash from Santa, the hubbie and the children, as well as some me time to play!!! I know not too exciting yet, but my head is buzzing!!!I just need more time to finish!!
and because it would be rude not too, I spilled craftiness onto the computer desk as well...:in the form of yes, more work in progress...

That is what happens when your brain is trying to do many things at once lots of bits and no final "thingamajig".
I was a very very lucky girl and the children and my fab Hubbie certainly outdid themselves with all my new crafty stash,thank you!!!but so much to do, so little time!!!Heres hoping to get some more me playtime soon!!!
Don't forget to hop across and see all the fab creative desks and creativeness over @ http://stamping-ground.blogspot.com/
happy woyww!
have a fab inky day!
hugs trace x