seeing spots and going dotty

No I'm not off my meds!  This weeks stampotique challenge is polka dots and I saw the lovely Becca's DT piece for the Craft Girls challenge which is spots and or stripes so it seemed rude not to have a play ;)

 I used a Sheena stencil from her new collection, she has some really awesome talent.  A stampotique stamp... I am so NOT over my love of these! A Maya road chippie tree and paper from graphic 45 bohemian pad

The sentiment is a new stamplorations design, you must pop over for a look, their new collection is so usable, this is from the fond expressions set.

I am sharing this with the stampotique and crafty girls challenges.

Take care

Tracey:)

Eclectic ellapu fussy mussie challenge

How can it be May already!!! The were so many awesome entries for last month, it was great to see so many of you taking a step outside you comfort zone and still coming up with the goods.

For me this month's challenge is also something I have never tried before, tussie mussie making.  A tussie mussie is a cone shaped holder for small posies or gifts, popular in Victorian time and often worn as a kind of broach... albeit a rather large one ;)

I decided to cover mine in flowers and pop choccies inside.

Where are the choccies you say.... they were very yummy!!

I used Tim Holtz tattered acorn die, an old rolled rose die and just did that thingy where you cut out a circle, then cut a spiral around and roll it up to make my flowers.

I may have gotten a little carried away with the flowers but they were so much bloomin fun to make and I couldn't bring myself to leave any out.

I used my butterfly palm punch, some pearls and got creative with some wire to make the handle, leaves and some more flowers.

I'll be honest and admit I groaned a little when I saw the challenge theme, I had no idea what a tussie mussie was.  I can totally admit to also having had a blast making it.  The girls over at Eclecticellapu have made some gorgeous pieces so do pop over for a look, even better if you join in the fun.

Take care

Tracey :)

Stampotique circles challenge.

I am just in lurve with Stampotique stamps at the moment, space I'm really not much of a colour but I have really enjoyed using these . I used distress inks and a white and black gelly pen with a waterbrush.   I am really quite chuffed with how this turned out and look forward to playing with them lots more.

 Are used Neenah desert storm card to stamp on and unicorn white heroarts ink.  Well to be honest I stamped loads of this cute girl in a variety of colours and inks.  Are you distress inks in spiced marmalade and tumbled Glass and weathered wood.  At first I thought I'd made a huge mistake as I come round the edges with the black pen and it was all smudgy but I persevered and kept playing around and love the way she turned out . When I fussy cut her I deliberately did a bit Jaggi as I think this suits the style of the stamp.

 I made the background using shattered coredinations card and a crafters companion embossing folder.  I love embossing this card and then sanding it back to reveal a really cool grungy look.  I used paper smooches thanks Die and cut it out of the desert storm card, white and the coredinations . I offset them slightly then used a bit of wink of Stella and glossy accents.

 Hi Cut out a few of the circles using the blue side rather than the black, added a bit more wink of Stella and glossy accents. the little sentiment I made on my computer .

 I make this card for the stampotique circles challenge

thanks for having a look, the stampotique challenges run until 5th of May so pop over and have a play

 take care

Tracey

Fashionably late... nope just plain rude!!!

I'm really gutted haven't been able to post and play for a while but I've had a really bad fibro flare :( However, you still have a week left to play with us eclectic girlies :) the challenge this month is outside your comfort zone!

 I've been Loving the Stampotique creations that I've been seeing hopping around.  To me there is an eclectic mix of bright colours, fun and a little bit of grunge in the projects I have been admiring... reet up my street.  I have been really inspired by the wonderful owner of the Kathrywheel blog, her journal soup classes are just Awesome. I hadn't yet had a try so I treated myself to 2 new stamps and I have just been loving playing with them . I was further inspired by one of the challenges at the Stampotique blog, use stitching, way way outside my comfort zone.

 I am so super chuffed with how this turned out :)  My eldest daughter is taking her GCSEs and I am consumed with thinking of her and her  friends and what difficult time of life this is for them.  I love how this card is still fun and girly but not too cute and young for a teenager,   I think the stamps really help with this.

 I had no idea what I was doing when I started making these flowers. I just twiddled the string around caught it upwith the needle and fastened them off . They really add cool  dimension and texture.  it's something I will definitely be having a go at again .

 Something else that is completely outside of my comfort zone are shaker cards.  The sun is a mini shaker that I made using the packaging from Tim Holtz ideology Buttom package .  I then used my thread needle again and added little rays for the sun .

 I completed the card by using a faux stitch die down the side , and a hugs and kisses die.

 I popped the cutout part of the hugs and kisses die through the holes so you could also see them from the inside. I stand out we believe in you sentiment with the new lemon citrus ranger ink and voila.

 Again my apologies for being so late, hope you like it .

 Take care

Tracey :)

Stretch your dies, Online Card Class

I love these classes, not just because of all the fun techniques and entertaining instructors but because they help me work out what products would enhance my already too large collection.... and yes I have placed an order since class finished.... but air need them lol.

This is gonna be a long post as I am gonna do a kind of round up of the things the class inspired me to create as I just haven't been well enough to play and blog daily.

DAY 1 - Word dies
On the edge with the awesomely funny Lauren,  I fell in lurve with this idea and made lots, and then I moved on from words to.shapes but with the same idea, I just adore those little zipper gift cards :)

inland

DAY 2 -flowers dies and DAY 3- basic shapes.

I don't have,well didn't have but will soon, any of these types of dies.  I have floral strips but they wouldn't work for these techniques.  Oh I am looking forward to the positive bringing them!!!

DAY 4 - Mini Dies

Word and mini combined

I only have mini hearts so have ordered some stars and will be looking out for some bargain littlies from now on!

Enhancing a pattern

Such a cool idea to personalise gorgeous pattern paper without looking the... well pattern

DAY 5 - Coordinating stamps and dies

I had a set that I loved but had never made anything with, I just couldn't get a card to come together... well I just got carried away with one of the lessons making lovely backing papers... this is just a selection, honestly I couldn't stop myself lol and... one card!!!

Stamping a window

This is such an elegant way to use these sets I think

DAY 6 - Border Dies

shape cards

Yukon posted this one before but I just had to pop it in with its peers ;)

Inlay borders

I loved jigsaw puzzles as a kid so this is right up my street.

DAY 7 was alphabet dies but I got frustrated with my twitchy fingers and those fiddly little dies so am saving that along with many other ideas for other days.  These classes are such great value for money and with a lifetime of being able to look back what's not to love.

Tracey

Bring on the bling with frillie and funkie

Hi, not sure if you remember me but I'm  Tracey... the fibro has been kicking my butt, and my fingers and my... well... Everthing for just over a month now. I've been struggling to make sure I do for my kids and work which hasn't left me much me to craft with ;)  Dr has signed me off for a week as I realised I was pushing myself towards  much bigger flare if I didnt pay attention to the warning signs.  I'm not gonna waffle on About this anymore on this post but I am gonna shAre some research and tips soon.

I am popping on as I have made a card using a fabbo Flonzcraft stamp I chose from my lucky win over at Frillie and Funkie (which btw becomes fillies and flunkies.if you don't keep an eye on that auto correct chaos causer !!!!) I just love this stamp I have sooooooo many ideas for this but as their challenge this week is "bring on the bling"  I just had to turn it into a tree that grows gem leaves... now wouldn't that solve some problems ;)

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The idea for the shaped cArd was from the Stretch your dies online class. This idea was by Debbie Hughes

I used lots of mica boss to.hold the distress glitter on the sides, I used x cut border dies also covered in distress glitter to form the flowers at the bottoms.  I stamped the gorgeous stamp twice and fussy cut some to the larger leaves which I then embossed and embossed and embossed which gave them a lovely rounded look.  A final sprinkling of gems, a sentiment  and voila.  The  Flonzcraft stamps are just absolutely awesome they give a really good finish and I can't wait to play with them again.  The challenge is always have a really cool thing so definitely worth checking out

I wrote this bit after the bit that follows... really if you are sane you should just mosey over to Frillie and Funkie Right now … Still here , you really gonna carry on... I need you to remember Dr two things, I warned
You, and I take lots of meds... oh and my kids will find this so funny and as I can't seem to copy to paste it elsewhere, and the FF deadline in about 4hours it following has to stay...
I was sitting here and   I was struggling with my silly old fingers hitting all the wrong keys when something popped up, after some faffin I realised it was my kindle writing what I say!!!!  Now we have some teamwork to work on , and she really needs to get my accent but will get there and morphing the Sampha crafting. What the heck ... I am using the voicey thing and thought it was going really well, although I sound and feel like an eejit taking to a comp although morphing is Sampha could be fun... anyone tried it.. heard of it... I'm a little scared to Google it!!! Anyway the next bit was me getting all OMG thank you God what is this finger saver thingumy.
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 Oh my god I'm so excited I've just realised that I can talk to my Kindle and she will write what I'm saying it doesn't seem to be working again but she's back I am going to have to learn how to use this properly I think it being excited doesn't help that was me getting excited definitely worth looking into oh my god how much pain for save my fingers is just unbelievable that last sentence means I definitely need to go play with it more learn to talk slowly probably enough for dollar voice and I would usually you and what about, punctuation! Well it do that for me yes you can X exclamation exclamation you happy loll LOL you have to say! All you just have to you get exclamation I'll stop now va-t-en this is me trying to get it to do a paragraph

 You say new paragraph he he he he ha ha it doesn't it after very well

 If you hang on in here until the bottom delete delete if you have to actually delete last word now

 So if you're still reading this you are Batier than I am please add me or send me your blog details cause we could be friends ;)

 See you all later

Tracy

Tracy with any not any E but the problem is it hasn't got any I wanted to have any not any unwanted to have any wanted to have one E in my name Tracy Kendall girl no Kindle

Hearts and Stamplorations

For the first time I am glad of my sometimes insomnia... I thought I had posted and shared my take on this challenge but some 4am browsing about proved otherwise...

This is my first time playing alng with the stamplorations challenges, the really great thing is that you don't have to have stamplorations stamps... Oh but I can't resist for long, to join in.

I started with these two clarity stamps and did the watercolour and white embossing first

Then I tries to do a sunset kinda beachy vibe

But this is my favourite, the paper is graphic 45 scraps of had leftover from a scrappy layout, I love these papers and really enjoyed stamplorations heart and stamps challenge

There is some truly great work over at the blog it really is worth popping on over if you haven't found these guys yet.

Tracey :)