feeling festive ?

Well I have got into my Christmas Crafting a lot earlier this year in an attempt to keep my mind and body busy and also to gear up for a few craft fairs, which are rewarding in so many ways ..

So here is a quick Christmas Card ...I know a card.... 

I loved this stamp and don't know why, the shape the skate ...just appealed to me ...So wish I could show the shimmer on the background...but in my excitement to finish it I forgot to photograph the background...:(

I started my embossing the front of the card using this fab Tim Holtz snowflake texture fade and then inked with frayed burlap and weathered wood and sprayed with cosmic shimmer pearl spray .

For the main blueprint image I used my fab Distress Markers and also waterbrush and scribbled the colour onto my craft sheet , picking up with my brush. I then added a little rock candy distress glitter to highlight the edge of the boot and blade.

I edged the torn edges with distress ink and added one of Tim Holtz simple saying and there you have it!

Well I have some design team pieces and comments to catch up on , so I will wish you all a lovely weekend...there will be exciting changes on my blog really soon , as the lovely Susie is giving me a makeover! my blog...not me ...that may be a lot harder!

keep those fingers inky!

Trace x 

all things grow with love for Creative Expressions

Well its official , I am now slowly stepping back into the blogging world and trying to catch up with all my much missed friends. so here today is my post for Creative Expressions , using the winter flowers plate. I have decided to go for a little tag book :

and opened :

So I will start by showing you how I made the flowers on the front, these were stamped with coffee archival and cut out from the stems, also snipping down into the centre of the flower in between the petals.

then inked with vintage photo and waterbrush and cut 

and then shaped

then into my melt pot full of clear UTEE, to give a real and shine and also freeze their shape

now for the book pages...I swiped Distress paint ...love this stuff onto my craft sheet and swiped, blotted and smooshed my tags ...

and extra spritz of water to let the colours do their magic!

when dry and all tags completed on both side ..time to get inky!

I over stamped the tags and built up the layers using Creative Expressions chicken wire and bubble wrap stamps, using them without a block allows you to stamp random areas and by rolling the stamp you don't get a full stamped image...

I then added the crocus stamp in coffee archival and the newsprint flourish stamp in black archival..

now for the images inside I stamped in coffee archival , tore round the edges and added colour using Distress markers and a waterbrush.

 I then tore around then inked around the edges...and we are ready to complete the book :

and here are the completed pages..before adding images , pre folded so they can be joined using hitch fastners.

I then added the pictures inside using a small piece of tissue tape in corners for the sort of old fashioned photo album feel...some idea-olgy and our flowers and sentiment on front and some dyed seam binding and we are all done !

well hope you like my make see you soon x

keep those fingers inky!

trace x 

flutterby butterfly

Well last weekend lots of the Creative Expressions DT had samples on Create and Craft...a really exciting experience...we had been given the dreamboat 3 - in -1 collection sets from Couture Creations to play with. For this set I used Ornate frame.

Just before I show you, these sets consist of an embossing folder, some dies and also coordinating stamps....not being one to just stamp them, emboss them and die them ...this is what I did :

(Please excuse the photos playing with a new camera....that has now gone back!)

I am not a great card maker it has to be said and many of my samples were not cards...but this one is and I played with how to create layers. This uses the embossing folder but not as a whole piece, the dies and then the coordinating butterflies and background stamp...but not perhaps used as a whole.....I do like to play around to see how else things can be used.

The first layer was black, silver and pumice stone distress stain ...over stamped with the main image in black archival.

I then over stamped the corners with part of the main image. The next layer in the same colours was part of a #10 tag.

Here I used the same stamp but placed it off the edge of the tag to get part of the image.

Now for the next layer I added an embossed element using the folder across part of a #8 tag , and stamped part of stamp ..again in black archival.

Then layered up and added some butterflies and there you go . Here it is placed out to get an idea of placement before I glues all the layers .

Well thats it from me today.................have an great weekend...I am meant to be at a craft fair but poorly children..mean I am not! :(

keep those fingers inky!

trace x 

Splattered Ink ... a new venture

Before I start I want to say hello again to all my friends in blogland, I am now back and grateful for my break.... Ready to blog, visit my friends and slowly start back up with some of my design teams, the rest will be after Christmas...as they have been very generous xx

I have been keeping my fingers inky...and busy making things for some craft fairs (okay I have done one!)

and here with a little bit of self promotion, sorry dont know how else to get my name out there here are some details of my little online shop xx :)...

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO IGNORE THIS POST>>>> I WILL BE BACK TOMORROW WITH A CRAFTY ONE! xx

Well they say nothing ventured nothing gained and I have ventured into opening a tiny little shop on facebook to sell some of my more main stream creations...and soon some that are not . Hopefully you can still see they are mine but they are a little different and made for the shop and craft fairs. I will give you a little taster and if you have time I would love it , if you would hop here and like my little venture....

If I reach 175 likes I will give away a piece and again at 200 likes. I will also post on here as I have a piece to give away for 150 likes .

here are a few of the goodies on offer, and here is the link for Splattered Ink Designs . 

there are lots of handmade cards and some christmas ones...

handmade calendars on paperboard and some on mdf bases

large , small and medium notebooks..

bookmarks backed on grungepaper and lots more...

Sorry for this self promotion! Not usually me , just trying to get my little shop out there in the wide world for all to see!

keep those fingers inky!

trace x

Creative Expressions Couture blog hop - hanging in there .

Well to celebrate the launch of the Couture Creations Dreamboat 3 in 1 collection we are having a fun and fab blog hop, so lets get hopping!

Welcome to the Creative Expressions Couture Creations Blog Hop! In order to get here, you must have come from Kim Dellows blog .

If you arrived here from Kim Dellow , then you are in the right place, ( if you need to check, click here for creative expressions news blog ) so here is my project using the couture creations 3 in 1 collection.

This is a large piece incorporating elements from pattern quilt set and also some butterflies fluttered in from ornate frame set. The great thing about all of the sets that we had to work with ( and have recently been in create and craft) is they are a set coming with stamps, an embossing folder and some dies.

I wanted to show how to use the set in a different way and used elements to help create the layers on my piece .
I started by inking some mountboard and applying some gold pearl texture paste through tiny dots stencil, then when dry I added the flower stamp to create  the first layer . This is the base piece...as this piece is all about building up the layers.

I next added a layer where the same stamp was used and clear embossed and then inked over and then a torn kraft layer also using the same stamp.

Then the next layer was part of a tag, torn inked and stamped with the same stamp...I also added some of the great lace from Creative Expressions . To show you a quick picture of how I planned my layers before inking and stamping to get an eye for the layout of final piece and the placement of elements before getting inky!

Now onto the final layers and design pieces...I added some flourishes from Spellbinders foliage 2 and lots of the gorgeous flower die cuts from pattern quilt set.

The stamps in the sets coordinate with the dies and allow for coordination easily. I added stamped detail to the flowers and also butterflies from ornate frame set.

well hope you like my make , happy hopping!

Thank you for visiting my blog, please leave a comment in order to be in with a chance of winning a prize! and believe me there are some great goodies! 

Once you have done that, you will need to click here to visit Cathi O'Neill

To help you along the way, here is a list of the Blog Hop:-

1.       Kim Robertson

2.       Pam Smith

3.       Neil Burley

4.       Donna Ratcliffe

5.       Tracy Heaton

6.       Kerry Hickton

7.       Kim Dellow

8.       Trace Metcalfe

9.       Cathi O’Neill

10.    Tracy Evans

If you get lost or want more details check out the post here : Creative Expressions news blog .

The prize for one random winner chosen from the comments on my blog are :

From This Day Forward Pre Cut Stamp 
Glitter 
Cosmic Shimmer Dries Clear Glue
Cosmic Shimmer Silver Shine Details Embossing Powder 

Thank you for taking part in our Blog Hop – good luck!

happy hopping.xx

keep those fingers inky!

Trace x 

thanks and see you next week.....

Well whilst I have been busy away from blogland more about that in a moment.life has still been life , but I feel rested and thankful for my little blogging vacation! I want to say a huge thanks to my friends and team mates for their kindness and look forward to being back blogging soon. 

I am still not going to be doing full time Dt pieces for all my teams till after Christmas as I am lucky that the lovely Linda and Susan have allowed me till after Christmas off , hugely appreciated so thanks.

But exciting new on Tuesday Creative Expressions will be having a fab blog hop....see here for more news ...and also some of my samples may just have made it onto Create and Craft tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday!

So see you Tuesday for some fun hopping!

keep those fingers inky!

Trace x