Christmas Melody Sneekpeak at Crafts and Me

Morning Peeps,

I'm still here!  Sorry peeps I have been really busy behind the scenes doing design team cards for pre-releases and today I have a very special lady to introduce you to............. This is Melody and I have used her for the Crafts and Me Challenge which has been chosen by the dynamic Amy who has chosen another really easy theme for you guys at this time of year.........Snowflakes.

Christmas Melody is illustrated by Lemon Shortbread and will be available for sale next week with 10% off for one week for subscribed newsreaders and if you aren't one, then why not, it's free!  You can see the whole range HERE.  They are all fabulous.

I probably got a little carried away with my snow, lol.  I have used puff paint all around the edges and then heated with a heat gun to puff it up like snow.  I also added a little glitter to this to give it that glisten and shine. I have made the snowflakes using silver mirri card and punched another on accetate and added diamond dust.  These come out fab.

The sentiment is a freebie available from Bizzy Becs HERE

Materials Used:-

Medium Copics and Prisma Pencils

Papers used are Bearly Mine Designs

Puff Paint

Martha Stewart Snowflake Punch

Marianne Design Poinsetta Die and swirls

Spellbinders Tag Die

Martha Stewart snowflake punch

Sentiment from Bizzy Becs

Beads and lace from stash

I have entered this card into the following challenges:-

CPL Challenge - Sketch

Delightful Sketches - Winter Weather

If The Shoe Fits Scrap It - Tickle me with tinsel (sparkle and glitter)

Papercutz - Christmas

Stampin for the weekend - Winter

ABC Christmas - X for Xmas

Crafty Creations - Christmas is coming

Simon Says Stamp - Let it snow

A spoonful of sugar - Anything Goes

Really resonable Ribbon - Christmas

Totally Papercrafts - Snow

Pile it on - Winter means (snow and candles)

Fussy and Fancy - Christmas no red or green

Crafty Calendar - Winter Snowflakes

Thankful

Morning Peeps,

I have been looking forward to this Friday for a while. I have some Son and me time tonight, a first in absolutely ages, and were off to see Harry Potter and leaving Dad at home. This makes a change!

It's Hubby's birthday on Sunday, so were out again Saturday night, so my crafting time is seriously at risk here of not happening. Mind you after the last two weeks that I have had I could do with a good drink! 5 new tyres, a clutch, a wheel bearing, coming out to two flat tyres on different days of the week this week and someone reversing into my Husband's car is just a small insight to say the least. Enough of me moaning!

I had to do a card for being in the Top 5 at Raise the Bar last week and as this time of year in the US is Thanksgiving, the challenge set is "Thank you". Fortunately this little stamp from Crafts and Me is called "Thankful Blessing" by Molly Harrison and is available HERE and it already has the words Thankful across it so fitted quite appropriately. I'm not particularly happy with this card, but I don't know why. My mojo has conked out, probably to do with my last post, the Pop up Easel Card, lol. Hopefully it will return as I have a few cards that need making over the weekend, but I may have to do a night shift as I have a busy one.

The papers are from Bearly Mine Designs and I have used the collection Summer Light. The frame is a Marianne Design Creatables and the flowers are from wild orchid crafts. I used the Martha Stewart Frond punch for the leaves to finish it off. Lace and bling is from my stash.

I have entered this card into the following challenges:-

All Sorts - Sketch
Little Paper Shop - Die Cuts
Stamp with fun - Square
The Shabby Tea Room - Square
Beary Sweet Challenge - Anything Goes
Creative Card Crew - Lets Give Thanks

My First Pop Up Easel Card

Evening Peeps,

Not a good week so far again, two more tyres for my car and my Husband's, and I think a neighbour opposite us has reversed into my husband's car, leaving a nice dent, but noone is coming forward........ One day something good will happen to me.

Well I have been beavering away in my craft room since Sunday and to be honest I thought I would finished it on Sunday, but oh no not me. Zoe at Make It Crafty has a technique challenge going on, and time permitting, I do like a challenge, and this time it is to make a Moving Card. Zoe has very kindly put a tutorial up on her blog, and I must thank her, as it took me an age to follow so goodness knows there was an awful lot of work involved in writing the tutorial, so thank you Zoe, I really appreciated it.

Now the difference between the normal pop-up card and this moving style is the mechanism and it took me a few times of reading it only to find that I had got the folding forward and folding backward elements in the wrong place. If you want my advice try it out on a piece of card first so you get used to the mechanism and how it works so you know how you want to place your images as I wanted to make a Christmas scene so wanted paper on my base as well as trying to create a little rug, so if you cut through and it's wrong, then you have to start again. I learn't the hard way, so like I say, practice on a piece of scrap card first.

I was really pleased that I used the Bearly Mine Design Digi paper as I brought this into Word and was able to bring in my fireplace, which is also a digi available from Make It Crafty.  I layered the fireplace on top of the paper and then bring the image to the front. This way I had wallpaper on my walls and my fireplace ready to be coloured. I was soo pleased with this.

Anyway here we go, and sorry if I'm boring you, but it is my first attempt.  I am really disappointed with the photo's but the lighting now the clocks have gone back is terrible.  I need an Ott Light, but I also need the pennies to buy one, :(

Now I have used loads of images, so I'll just point them out to you.  The fireplace on the back wall is a digi and also the photo frame, this comes with the fireplace.  Hanging on the fireplace you will notice two christmas stockings.  This is from the Magnolia fireplace which I stamped out and cut out the stockings to hang onto this fireplace.  The portrait is a little Tilda.  You will notice the presents in front of the tree, this is a Molly Bloom stamp, which actually is a stack of 3 presents but the other one was too tall, so I cut out what I needed.  On the tree are baubles which again are Magnolia and stamped onto shrink plastic and heated too make them suitable for my tree.  At the top of the tree is a little fairy.  Again this is a magnolia stamp stamped onto shrink plastic.  Lastly, is the Tilda unwrapping a present.  So you can see why I was in my room for sooooo long.

I made the tree using loads of Martha Stewart Branch Punch's.  I really like the effect that this gives.

Even though my Children are now 15 and 18, it is still traditional in our house to hang up the stockings and probably always will be.  This makes this card fit nicely into the Sir Stampalot Monthly Challenge of Christmas Traditions.

This is a side view so you can see that there isn't any large pieces of card holding up the images as they are on a slider system.  Looks a lot neater.

This card is certainly going to a special family member as a lot of work has gone into it, could be me, lol!

I have entered this card into the following challenges:-

Make It Crafty - Technique Challenge of Make It Move

Sir Stamp Alot - Christmas Traditions

One Stop Craft - Pop Up Cards

Quixotic - No Square or Rectangle

Simon Says Stamp - Sparkle

All That Scraps - Something Christmas using Magnolia stamp

Video Game Boy

Morning Peeps,

The house survived the gathering my son had on Friday, and more importantly so did I, well after a bottle of wine, lol. Seriously, we got home and there was no loud music blaring out, so I showed them how to party a little, well I had had a bottle of wine!

Today's card is one of those dreaded male cards, yuk. It was my nephew's 16th birthday yesterday so I followed a sketch for The Beary Sweet Challenge but haven't posted it in time, don't ya just hate that, but how's your luck, as this week's challenge is Anything Goes, so not wasted.

I have coloured him using copic markers and prisma pencils.

All papers are from Bearly Mine Designs Digital Papers (sale on right now, but hurry).  The ones I have used are from Volume I.  The sentiment is computer generated and the image is a digi from Mo Manning.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:-

Beary Sweet Challenge - Anything Goes

Sentimental Sundays - Children

Pixie Dust - All about Men

Cute Card Thursday - Anything Goes

Stamp Something - Digi

The Karber Challenge - Digi and for a family member



Bearly Mine Designs Sale

Evening Peeps,

Just a quick message to remind you that you can all get your hands on the Christmas Dreams design papers that I have been using this week and many more at a reduced price as Donna, at Bearly Mine Designs, is celebrating her birthday and has 15% off until 19th November.

Enjoy the weekend peeps.

Hugs Tracy x

Tilda Nightingale

Evening Peeps,

Tomorrow's Friday and I usually look forward to the weekend but I'm not so sure this week.  I am going to my Daughter's presentation of her A Level certificates at the school tomorrow evening, and yes this is a good thing, but my 15 year old son asked if he could have a couple of mates around.  He must of caught me when I was in a good mood, obviously crafting, and I agreed.  Well what's a few friends hey, 3 or 4.  Well that's what I thought.  There are 15 of them coming round!!!!!!!  That's a party in my book!  Now he know's I'm a little OCD.  I like the housework to be all done and the house tidy at all times, can't leave the dishes, they have to be washed up, dried and all out of sight before we can sit down.  My hubby has already told me not to get freaked out when we get in, there will be mess but it will clean up.  I know they will be noisy, those that are staying, so little sleep and I don't do little sleep very well.  It will give the right hump on Saturday and being tired no crafting will be performed.  I guess as I'm expecting the worse I could end up being surprised.  Let's hope it's a good one.

Anyway, onto my card this evening.  I have coloured one of my Maggies, gorgeous isn't she and used my favourite blue.

I have coloured her using copics and shaded with my prisma pencil.

The backing paper are from the soon to be released Bearly Mine Christmas Dreams Digi Papers and the music one is from the Christmas Sparkle collection.   Here's a reminder of the Christmas Dreams papers to be released tomorrow, Friday 12th November.

If you scroll down to my post below you will see another card made using this new release collection.

Materials Used:

Image by Magnolia

Papers by Bearly Mine Designs available HERE

Marianne Design Poinsetta Dies

Glamour Dust

Mirri Card

Sentiment from Craftwork Cards

Brads from the Hobby House

I have entered this card into the following challenges:-

Totally Gorjuss - Sketch

Magnolia Down Under - Own embellishments

Totally Tilda - Blue and Silver

One Stop Craft - Embossing

Crafty Cardmakers - Dry Embossing

Craft your passion - 2 of something
Cute Card Thursday - Anything Goes
Lili of the Valley - Anything Goes
ABC Christmas Challenge- W for Winter Wonderland
The Crafty Pad - Chirstmas Sparkle

Get the Glitter out at Crafts and Me

Morning Peeps,

Wow it's Wednesday already, this week is flying by. It's been pretty miserable here with the rain and temperatures are set to get lower, grrrrrrrr, must bring my chilli plants in tonight.  I do hate the winter, but I do love Christmas time and cozy nights in with the fire and not having to go outside, lol.

It's time for another fortnightly challenge at Crafts and Me and it's my turn to choose the theme. Now I don't need an excuse to use Glitter but I thought with everyone making Christmas Cards at the moment, you'd all like to join me in using some "Glitter" on your cards, and usually on me too, lol.

I have used the Crafts and Me Stamp by Molly Harrison "The Gift".  I have added turquoise glitter to the snowflakes as well as glamour dust and star dust stickles to her wings.  3 types, I am doing well!

Looking forward to seeing all your glitter and sparkle.

Materials Used:-

Image Crafts and Me Stamp by Molly Harrison, "The Gift" available HERE

Medium Copics and Prisma Pencils

Silver Mirri Card

Design Paper by Bearly Mine Designs available HERE

Marianne Design Doily and Snowflake Die

Martha Stewart Snowflake Punch

Sentiment by Craftwork Cards

Doily, brads and bling from stash

I have entered this card into the following challenges:-

Creative Craft - Starlight Starbright

A spoonful of Sugar - Snow or Snowflakes

Digital Tuesday - Use up your stash + digit (paper is digital, mirri card I haven't)

Crazy Challenge - Things with Wings

Crazy for Challenges - Square Cards

Crafty Calendar - Winter Snowflakes

The Stamp Man  - Christmas

Charisma Cardz - Love at Christmas

Paperplay - Cirlces



Anyone for Cupcakes

Evening Peeps,

Just a quick post with my new Lili of the Valley Stamp.  I am in the middle of making a card and I can't find my new Marianne Design mini poinsetta and it is driving me mad!!!  I know I wont be able to rest until I do so I'm back into the craft room so you might not see me for a couple of days, lol.  I think it's time to tidy up :(

 I have tried to colour her with copics to reflect the distressed look and I have shaded using my new prisma pencils.

Materials Used:-

Image by Lili of the Valley

Medium - Copics/Prisma Pencil

Bearly Mine Design Papers - Summer Collection, available HERE

Nestabilities

Sentiment is from Bizzy Becs (freebie) available HERE

Flowers are made using 3 different sized retro punches

Martha Stewart Punch

Marianne Design Creatables Swirls

Star Dust Stickles

Pearls/trim from stash

Tim Holtz Black Soot Distress Ink

I have entered this card into the following challenges:-

Lili of the Valley - One for the Girls

Incy Wincy - Sketch

Craft your passion - 2 of anything

Creative Friday - Anything Goes

Fairy Fun - Make your own flowers

Crazy for Challenges - Square Cards



Sunshine of Smiles and New Challenge Blog

Hiya Peeps,

Hope your enjoying your weekend.  I have some more exciting news for you..... I have been asked by Donna to join the design team for Bearly Mine Designs with a new challenge blog starting in January, woo hoo!  I already have volume I so you would of seen Bearly Mine Papers already used on my blog but even more popped into my mail box yesterday so I have made a card to show off these beautiful papers, but before I do, let me introduce you to the team:-

Donna (the boss)
Amy (DT Co-ordinator)
Judith aka Bella
Shirley
Doreen
Sarah
Marie
Donna
Vix
Tracy
Gina
Anne

I have used the Vintage papers from Bearly Mine available HERE, aren't they gorgeous. 

 I actually coloured this gorgeous Hanglar stamp a couple of evenings ago but it has still taken me a couple of hours to put the card together. 

I have coloured her using copic markers and prisma  pencils and a combination of pencils and chalk for the sky and ground.

Materials Used:-

Bearly Mine Papers

Bazill cardstock

Panels are machine stitched

Nesties

Sentiment LOTV

Quickutz Tab on the side

Brads, Pearls, Doily, Ribbon, RiffRaff from stash

I have entered this card into the following challenges:-

Make It Crafty - Sketch

Paper Romance - Lots of whatever you like (pink)

Crazy for Challenges - Square Cards

Sweet Stampin - Photo Inspiration (I have taken the pink)

PaperPlay - Circles

Raise the Bar - Curves

The Crafty Pad - Stitching

A spoonful of sugar - Relish to Embellish

Incy Wincy - Anything Goes

Kaboodle Doodles - Vintage

Grab the banner below for your blog and hop on over to the new Bearly Mine Challenge Blog and become a follower so you don't miss our first challenge.

In addition to the news of the new challenge team, look what Donna is releasing on the 12th November:-

Check out the Design Team Members blog, all listed on the sidebar, as I'm sure you'll seeing these papers over the coming week.





Chillaxing Under The Sea

Evening Peeps,

I'm running a bit late this evening but have good excuses, lol.  As you all know I spend alot of time on my colouring and I think this image is no exception, plus I just had to visit the NEC today, some little crafty thing was going on there, lol. 



Unfortunately now that the evenings are drawing in this isn't the best photograph and for some reason the light is making the lefthandside of the image a little dulled.  I will re-take in the morning, probably in the rain by the sounds of it out there. UPDATE - New picture added if you were wondering what I was going on about, although it's sunny today and that caused me a problem.  Never happy!

Well, isn't she just sooooooooooooooooo gorgeous.  The stamp by Hannah Lynn is called Kathleen Mermaid and is available right HERE from Crafts and Me.  If you haven't checked out all of the Crafts and Me range of stamps you really don't know what your missing.  Hop on over to the crafts and me blog HERE and also the challenge blog HERE for inspiration from my fellow teamies, and we would love you to join in our challenge which is running until next Wednesday, which is to make a christmas gift.

I have been playing this week as you would have seen in my previous post, some prisma pencils landed on my craft desk, so I had to have a play with them.  I have coloured her mostly with copics and have added the prisma pencils for shading.  I have also added a little sparkle of star dust stickles to her fins and the flowers of course.  I masked the image and stamped the background vines and bubbles with a magnolia stamp and cut it out using my nesties and then layered onto a scalloped nestie.  The little squares are also nesties, I do love my nesties.  The background paper is by Magnolia and the flowers are a combination from wild orchid crafts and prisma.  I have inked the edges of the nesties and the martha stewart punch leaves using a versafine ink pad. 



I have entered this card into the following challenges:-

Stamp Something - Sketch
Pixie Dust - Pretty Colours
Crafty Creations - Fables and Fairytales
A spoonful of sugar - Relish to Embellish
Creative Card Crew - Punch it
Incy Wincy - Anything Goes
Pollycraft - Chill time (I have gone for chilling under the sea as she looks relaxed to me)
Fairy Tales - Anything Goes

Sweet and Cute at Bizzy Becs and Some News

Evening Peeps,

Well I have some exciting news for you......... I've made the Bizzy Becs Design Team, woo hoo.  Now I officially start with the December challenge but couldn't resist making a card for the current challenge, "Sweet and Cute".  This is a monthly challenge so you have until 30th November to get your entry's in and the prize is a fabulous $25.00, so see you there.

The card I have made for this challenge started out as an experiment for the background, which I got a bit carried away with. ..... None the less I think I like the outcome.  Then, to add to my experiment some prisma pencils landed on my desk.  Oops, how did that happen?  Well what is a girl meant to do......... so I have done all the shading with my new prisma's, what do you think?

Isn't she just the cutest.  I ams sad to say that Bizzy Bec's doesn't stock Hanglar but I am sure when you check out the store you will see all the other cutie stamps like the Magnolias, CC Designs, Bildmalarna, Whiff of Joy, Wags and Whiskers to name but a few.  I am sure you all have cute stamps so don't miss out, pop over to Bizzy Becs challenge and check out my new teamies creations and the fabulous prize on offer.  You know what they say, you've got to be in it to win it!

Materials Used:-

Image by Hanglar and Stanglar

Medium Copics and Prisma Pencils

Papers by Tim Holtz Shabby Chic

Sewing Machine for stitched panels

Martha Stewart Frond Punch

Nesties

Flowers from wild orchid crafts and stash

Pearls from stash

I have entered this card into the following challenges:-

Crafty Cardmakers - Stitching

Incy Wincy - Anything Goes

Kaboodledoodles - Vintage

Lexis Creations - Anything Goes

The Shabby Tearoom - Photo Inspiration

Stamp Something - Pink

Lovely Hanglar - Punched Out
The Paper Players - Anything Goes
The Crafty Pad - Stitching
A spoonful of sugar - relish to embellish
Creative Card Crew - Punch It

Tilda Having A Day To Remember

Evening Peeps,

Hope everyone had a fab weekend.  We had some friends over for dinner and had a good night.  We watched the X-Factor late on so it was nice to have some understanding from my friends of what it is like to watch the X-Factor with my very opinionated husband who just doesn't shut up throughtout it and does my head in, love you honey!

I inked up this image some weeks ago, but didn't really like what I had done but over this weekend I felt I should try and make a card with it and when I had finished it I actually quite liked what I had done, well I think I do.

Materials Used:-

Image from Magnolia

Medium - Copics

Machine for stitching

Basic Grey Papers

Bazill cardstock

Nesties

Stardust Stickles and Gold Stickles

Sentiment from Catslife Press

Lace, leaves and pearls from stash

I am entering this into the following challenges:-

Sketch Saturday - Sketch

The crafty pad - Stitching

Fun at Fairy Knowll - Anything Goes

Delightful Challenges - Circles

Paper Pretties - Square Cards

Simon Says Stamp - Punches or Die Cuts

A spoonful of sugar - Relish to Embellish