First Sugar Nellie!

Oh I could so easily get hooked on these! The papers are from the Basic Grey Perhaps range. Gorgeous colours!

QKD Bloggers

QKD Bloggers

Happy Birthday Natalie!

Wishing Natalie a very happy birthday today!

Still hooked on my magnolia stamp! and I've used new K&Co Wild Saffron papers.

5 Mins to Bedtime! What does my name mean?

At the end of this day which has involved the dissection of my personality through self perception and team dynamics tests.. I thought I would try something based on real facts!! What does my name tell you about me?? I'm too tired to argue with this logic so here goes....

***What Tracy Means***
You are a seeker. You often find yourself restless - and you have a lot of questions about life.You tend to travel often, to fairly random locations. You're most comfortable when you're far away from home.You are quite passionate and easily tempted. Your impulses sometimes get you into trouble.
You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You're always up to something.You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you. You're very intense.You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun.
You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. You have the classic "Type A" personality.
You are very open. You communicate well, and you connect with other people easily.You are a naturally creative person. Ideas just flow from your mind.A true chameleon, you are many things at different points in your life. You are very adaptable.
You are a free spirit, and you resent anyone who tries to fence you in.You are unpredictable, adventurous, and always a little surprising.You may miss out by not settling down, but you're too busy having fun to care.
What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?http://www.blogthings.com/whatsyournameshiddenmeaningquiz/

And in short??? this is so NOT me! I've done Belbin tests and Tuckman today.. and both have me spot on... so what do I do now?? I have to change my name!! But to what..............

First Magnolia!

Oh Dear! I think I could fall in love with these Magnolia stamps! They are so easy to work with - the images are perfect and colouring them is great fun! The paper on this card is from Basic Grey Two Scoops. The frame is cut from mount board (thin chipboard). The stamp is coloured with.. yeah, you guessed.. watercolour pencils! She is cute isn't she??

I'm being very naughty crafting tonight... I should be studying... just have no self discipline!! I'm sure when I'm sitting my exam in two weeks time I will feel comforted by the fact that I made this card! Perhaps it should have been a good luck one! I need all the help I can get!

Oh Dear!

Says me who is supposed to be watching the pennies!!! I just ordered some Sugar Nellies and a Magnolia stamp!! I just can't help myself! Can't wait until they arrive!

Retro Chic

A bit of a variation of the last card - a bit more funky!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMBER!

This card is to wish my SBS9 sister Amber a very happy birthday today! I hope you are having a great day!

I just love this PB Stamp - you can make such a variety of cards just by changing the colours! I've used watercolour pencils here - they are so easy to work with.

Penny Black Challenge "D"

Another of the A-Z Penny Black Challenges - this is week three (C) so I'm a week ahead - which I will catch up on next week as I will have no craft time (awwww!). This is the D challenge and the best I could come up with is D for Dance. I'm a little D for Disappointed that I couldn't do better! I'm E for Expecting to be better for the E challenge!

The stamps used are: "Ecarte, Splits, Pirouette" and "Dance, Sing, Love" - I just used bits of them!

If you would like to join in on the challenge then just check out the docrafts website on the cardmaking forum!

I need to brainstorm some techniques and themes for E right through to Z! Need to get my thinking cap on! I guess E for Easter would be my obvious next choice - and I could E for Emboss!!

Birthday Posy

I've been playing with my sizzix and revolution dies on my cuttlebug. Got this idea (and copied it!) from issue 20 of Beautiful Cards. All the papers used are DCWV. I think it's nice and cheery! Other colour combinations would look good!

I think you could also do a twist on the theme and make a caribbean beach style card using the same layout. Might give that a try sometime!

New Stuff!

Ok, not the best pic!! But look what I got!! Whoopeee! This is some of the goodies I've treated myself to in a post-christmas shopping frenzy! Well, you know when you really NEED something!!
Can't wait to get started! But first I will have to find somewhere to put it all! Or I may just leave it in a pile and try and make a card - I fancy doing something bright and cheery - as it's so dark and cold at the moment!

Aren't the new K&Co ranges just fantastic!! Smitten - lovely! Urban Rhapsody - just had to have it! and I'm waiting for Wild Saffron to arrive! Naughty I know!!

Too simple??

Is this too simple?? I know bereavement cards should be plain but I just wonder if this is just a bit too plain. It's a Penny Black stamp - stamped using stazon straight onto the base card - coloured with water colour pencils. This is it.. there wasn't much point in taking a pic of the whole card as there is nothing else to see!

Handbag 60th

Made for a friend of a friend who is a trendy 60 year old. Had real problems with this card - probably because I decided to use the k&co grand adhesions rather than just starting with no pre-set idea. I'm pleased it's done now but I can't say that I find handbag cards very easy.

Valentine Bear

Just a quicky card using PC Crafter - everything is decoupaged and mounted using silicone glue (which wasn't dry when I took the pic!!)

Penny Black Valentine Tag

2000 WoW!

I would just like to say a big thank you to everyone who looks at my blog! I've just noticed my counter is over 2000... thats amazing! If you look regularly then a HUGE thanks from me! and if this is your first time then try and visit again if you like this little piece of the world wide web!

Thanks to everyone for being so inspirational!

xxx

Penny Black Challenge "C"

I saw a card on another blog - but can't remember where!! - it had the bottom cut away from the front with the image mounted and stuck to the card to re-balance it - it wasn't a valentine card. I thought I would have a play with the new Penny Black T for Transparent stamps (cause they are gorgeous!!) and it was after I started that I thought - this card is perfect for the PB challenge week 3 - C for "cute", C for "cuddle", C for "cut away" and C for "crimson".

Its a really cute card, and the bit you can't see - the insert - has a lovely red rose on it.

Eastern Birthday

Not at all sure if I like this - the papers are from the DCWV Far East Stack. The stamp is by Limited Edition which has been heat embossed using gold embossing powder. The gold highlights on the stamp are done using gold leaf.

Two Scoops Birthday Mum

First time using Two Scoops - the colours are gorgeous! The stamp on this card is Hero Arts. The Happy Birthday is Penny Black and the swirls are Rhonna Farrar.

Two Scoops Arrived!!

Whooo Whoo! Papers arrived this morning - I'm so impressed with A Trip Down Memory Lane! And they are gorgeous! These are definately my "must have" papers - in real danger of classifying these as "too good to use" (sad I know!!). I could reassure myself that I can always get some more!

So now to play!! but not tonight sadly as I don't have enough time :-(

I'll just do some creative thinking instead!!

Basic Grey Two Scoops

Ooooh! How exciting! Didn't realise these were now available! I couldn't help myself - I had to order them in 6x6 and in 12x12! What can I say..... except... Hurry Up Postman!! I need them!!

I think I need help.. should I set up a Crafter's Anon group??

http://www.basicgrey.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=79&products_id=1228

Challenge "B"

Ok, I know these are supposed to be weekly challenges but there will be weeks when I am late - so I will keep this one up my sleeve to ensure I'm on time next week!
This is my card for challenge "B".
B for Black and White
B for Bow
B for Brads
B is for Bling!! (the diamond on the bow!!)
The stamp is Penny Black "Light the night".

Penny Black Challenge "A"

Made for the first of the Penny Black challenges set by Samantha on the Docrafts Forum. The challenge was the letter "A" e.g. an aperture card, use acetate etc.

I chose to do an aperture card - not something I have ever done before. Usually I matt and layer my stamped images and I love to use patterned papers. This is totally different for me as all the images are stamped straight onto the card and coloured using Marvy Le Plume II pens.

The stamps I've used are:

• Arrangement
• Bright Wings
• Happy Birthday
• Flower Fantasy

What to make??

These are some of my favourite stamps - Peeking Posies from Hero Arts - they are so easy to use! I've coloured them here with Marvy LePlume II pens. Not sure what to do with them now! I could make simple little thank you cards which are always handy to have!
The weather here is really dull and wet today. My little princess is playing in her almost life size (!!) disney princess pop up castle so it's nearly impossible for me to get out of the craft room!! Life is hard sometimes!!

Still don't know what to make!

I like these stamps - by OneFourZero - http://www.onefourzero.co.uk/3.html - great for a new home card. Coloured them with Marvy's again. Stuck totally for inspiration this afternoon so just stamping and colouring!

Be Mine

I cheated with this one - PC Crafter downloads are so easy to use! The doggie is printed on card and cut out - I used 3d glue to attach him to the card. The letters are cut from DCWV card using Sizzix Alphabet - Endless Love.

Bees

I love the stamp - it's so easy to work with and the effect is really cute! It's by Stamps Happen Inc. I've used watercolour pencils to colour it then decoupaged the bees. The papers are from K&Co Roam (I was using up odd bits that I had!).

Trumpet Vase

And another one! Penny Black "Trumpet Vase".. coloured with watercolour pencils. The papers are from K&C - Classic K - McKenna. The greeting is by Hero Arts.

Lazy Days

Another of my new Penny Blacks - this one is called "Lazy Days". I've used watercolour pencils again, and Bazzill card. The backing papers are by Dream Street from the Baylee's Garden range. I've decoupaged the daisy just to give the card a bit of depth.

Rainin' Daisies

New Penny Blacks arrived!! Whooopppeee! This is "Rainin' Daisies"... so cute! Coloured this one using watercolour pencils (yes, again.... I am a creature of habit!). The card is Bazzill and I used my Cuttlebug for the embossing. The greeting is also by Penny Black.

Now I'm off to play with the other stamps!

Follow Your Heart

Made using the scraps from the last card - waste not want not!!
Ingredients:

• Penny Black - Burst of Stars
• Gold and Cranberry Embossing Powders (Heat Gun)
• DCWV card
• K&Co Roam paper
• Sentiment from K&Co
• A wee bit thin gold ribbon
• Chalks (natural shades)

Sisterhood of the Blogging Stampers-9

I'm chuffed to bits to be part of this! I've added links to the other members in group 9 - there are only three of us at the time of writing this but I guess it will be full up soon - judging by how fast groups 1 to 8 filled up! Check out the links on the left side of my blog!

I'm constantly amazed by how much talent there is out there and I can't wait to explore some new blogs! I try to post cards most days - I don't get a lot of time to craft - at the most I get about 40 mins a day which isn't really enough to mull over ideas and play. But I get there! And I think this craft keeps me sane! Especially just now as my three year old little princess is at the "Why, Why, Why... but Why??" stage - not to mention the fact that whoever called it the "terrible-two's" was a year out!! Wouldn't change things for the world though!

Say hi and add a comment on this post if you're a fellow SBS sista and have stopped by!

Butterfly Wishes

The butterfly is made from "Build a Butterfly #2" from Sizzix. I've used DCWV Naturals card. The backing paper is from the K&Co Roam collection.

New Years Resolution - lasted approx 12 hours

Oh no, I need help - I failed miserably on one of my resolutions - that was, not to buy any more stamps (as I have hundreds). Well, it's bad enough that I gave in and bought some of the new Penny Black Spring collection - which I can be TOTALLY forgiven for!! But I also ordered some gorgeous American Art Stamps (the range from Karen Stolper) from the US (the price and the postage was so low I could hardly say no!) Now I will have to be patient for them to arrive. Patience.. hmm, yes, I've heard of that concept!! As SOOOOON as they arrive I'll make and post some cards using them!

Which resolution will fail next??

• Not to buy anymore paper?
• To drink less red wine?
• To keep my craft stash tidier?

It's just a matter of time....

Happy New Year!

Hi everyone! Wishing you all a very happy New Year!