A very special Wedding card

I really enjoyed making each and every one of the items for my Sister's Wedding and last but not least was the actual Wedding card from myself which I didn't get the chance to make until a couple of days before the big day.  I wanted the card to reflect my crafting style in order to make it more personal and used the same tattered rose distress ink and embossing folder as for the Wedding invites I created.  I wanted something different to the norm and had purchased the Tim Holtz pocket watch die a few months back but hadn't used it before, I decided to make it the focal point of the card and cut it out in cardboard before choosing everything else to go with it.

Thanks for looking!
Tracey x

Wedding Post Box

Just before the wedding I found a Wedding Post Box in the Range whilst buying some craft items and thought I'd buy it for my Sister.  However once constructed I wasn't very happy with how it looked so I decided it needed a little bit of additional decoration. I started by adding silver star wrapping paper behind the card structure and then put the cage together. I added the ribbon it came with at the top but still wasn't happy. Next I made a 'Thank you' tag for my Sister to write a sentiment on and then made some bunting to hang across the front.  I have to say that the actual letter box wasn't the largest but it still worked well and best of all Ann was really pleased with it.

Thanks for looking!

Tracey x

Button Wrist Corsage

After suggesting making the button bouquet for my Sister's Wedding, I also suggested making a button wrist corsage for the 3 Bridesmaids (including myself) and my Sister.  Again my Sister loved the idea and it meant that she could keep the button bouquet theme even when she wasn't carrying her bouquet during the reception.

I sourced 4 pearl corsage bracelets online and then designed the corsage in a similar style to some of the bouquet stems using one of the large flower buttons as the main feature.  I also used felt, angel hair, crochet flowers, small buttons, pearls and wire.  Apart from the felt everything else featured in the bouquet.  I'm pleased to say that my Sister was also pleased with how these turned out.



Typically I forgot to get a photo taken of just the four of us together on the day showing our wrist corsages but here is a photo my Sister and one of my Nieces wearing theirs.

Thanks for looking!

Tracey x

Button Bouquet

My Sister got married on Friday (13th September) and a few months ago I suggested making her a button bouquet after seeing a tutorial by Sarah Linda in Issue 38 the March/April Docrafts Creativity magazine. 

I used the guidance given to make the stems but instead of using lots of different size smaller button stems, Ann found some large flower buttons at the local market which she preferred. I have to admit that it still took quite a while to make (even with less stems) and I needed a heavier gauge wire due to the weight of each stem but I thoroughly enjoyed working on the project. I also had sore fingers quite a lot of the time and I found the final assembly step really difficult. I did a lot of research and couldn't get a round/dome bouquet shape to start with but after a few attempts I arrived at something I was happy with and I'm really pleased with the finished bouquet.

I used a couple of different buttons for the centre/top of the bouquet and added the names of the Bride and Groom using beads to make it personal to them.

Just before the big day one of my Sister's friends gave her an Angel charm which we attached to hang at the front. I'm glad to say that my Sister was thrilled with the finished bouquet and received numerous comments throughout the day.

Thanks for looking!

Tracey x

Finnabair workshop 4: Prima Goes Inky - Part II

Sadly the Sunday afternoon session was our final workshop with Anna and it was all about creating beautiful pages for the journal we made in the morning workshop. Again, plenty of helpful guidance was on hand from Anna.

I managed to complete the first double page layout and again used an adopted ancestor for the project but I hope to swap the photo out when I get time to revisit my projects.

We started the second set of pages in class which uses a different style and managed to complete the background, but as they are not finished the photos will follow. Due to time constraints we were shown how to create the final style of layout ready for us to create our own pages at home and I'm particularly looking forward to trying this one myself so watch this space as the saying goes.

I had an absolutely fantastic weekend learning a different creative style, using new products and discovering some great techniques. I have a couple of items on my crafty shopping list but not many and I enjoyed every single moment. I also had the chance to meet up with a couple of crafty Twitter friends and the opportunity to make new crafty friends and actually remembered to take photos of them too.

It was great to see how everyone ended up with something different when using the same products and I am really inspired to get back in my craft room just to play.

If you get the chance to take a Finnabair workshop I'd say jump at it, you definitely won't regret it and I look forward to the next time too...

Thanks for looking!

Tracey x

An afternoon with Tim Holtz

So on Thursday 29th August I was in Coventry having spent a wonderful afternoon at my first and long awaited workshop with Tim Holtz.  The UK event was called 'Journeys of the Past' and really was just as brilliant as you'd imagine it to be!

We arrived to find the kit for the project already set out on the table (I didn't have to take a single thing with me).

We got very inky using old and new products before adding numerous embellishments to each tag. It was so much fun. Tim is a great teacher and the workshop flowed along at a nice pace.

The finished tag book is just beautiful and I aim to add my photos from the afternoon to this once I get a chance to print them out.

The workshop itself was more than enough for me but then at the end we each received a few gifts and were allowed to keep the products we'd used for our projects, this was unexpected and very generous, needless to say I am so pleased with everything I came away with!

At the end of the event I managed to get my tag book signed and have photos taken with Tim, Mario, Dyan and Kaz.

I also had the opportunity to meet up with a Twitter friend, Emma.  Everyone was extremely friendly and I loved my experience. I really hope to have the opportunity to get inky at another workshop with Tim in the future.

Thank you all once again but especially Tim, Ranger and Personal Impressions, I had the most amazing afternoon!

Thanks for looking!
Tracey x

Finnabair workshop 3: 'Prima Goes Inky - Part 1

The Sunday 1st September morning session was workshop 3 entitled 'Prima Goes Inky - Part 1' and  included plenty more yummy products in order to make canvas journal covers.

As always Anna provided the step by step 'how-to' guidance and there were plenty of Anna's projects on display to look at for inspiration if needed.

This workshop was also fun and involved lots of inking and drying and I love how my canvas journal covers turned out - the colours, the embellishments and the style.

And the next photo doesn't even begin to show how inky my hands were at the end of the session...

It really was a case of roll on part II...

Thanks for looking!

Tracey x

Finnabair workshop 2: 'Imagine Collage Canvas'

The second Finnabair workshop I attended on the 31st August was entitled 'Imagine Collage Canvas' and was just as amazing as the first class. Again we received a bumper pack of products to use and of course I was determined to use every single item in true Finnabair style.

There were plenty of tutorials along the way and Anna makes it look so easy with her relaxed approach to mixed media art.

Now unfortunately I was very silly and forgot to take my own photos with me so for this project I adopted a fake ancestor and this is my finished canvas.

Well what a great first day it was and I went back to the hotel feeling tired but very happy and excited for the next workshop.

Thanks for looking!

Tracey x

Finnabair workshop 1: 'Industrial Baroque Tea for 2

Last weekend I was extremely lucky to attend 2 whole days of workshops at Snazzys in Swindon with Anna Dabrowska aka Finnabair. I've long admired her style but hadn't tried to recreate it before.

Saturday morning was a class called 'Industrial Baroque Tea for 2'. We used lots of goodies from Anna's Prima range for our project as you can see from the kit photo below.

Anna is another great teacher and there was lots of very messy inky fun to be had during the morning. The class moved along at a good pace to keep on track and Anna gave us great tutorials through each step of the project. It was so much fun and best not to over think it!

We made a stunning layout and I challenged myself to use all the components in order to recreate Anna's style on my page. Now I wouldn't normally use so many embellishments on one piece but the outcome is simply gorgeous and I love it!

At the end I asked Anna to sign my layout close to the embellishments on the left and intend to print out the photo of myself and Anna (below) ready to add to the lighter space between the embellishments on the right to complete my page.

It was an absolutely wonderful morning and even better there were still 3 workshops to go! I'll be back with details of workshop 2 soon.

Thanks for looking!

Tracey x

Happy birthday PaperArtsy

This evening I've had a project posted as part of the PaperArtsy birthday celebrations #3Up challenge. As always there's lots of inspiration so it's definitely worth stopping by the PaperArtsy blog for a look!

So a little while back I received a parcel from Leandra containing numerous goodies including a canvas, a set of cat's meow stamps, ribbon, card stock, embellishments etc. At first I was a little stumped for a project idea but then finally and just in time my crafting mojo (which has been missing for a couple months) returned and I ended up making a hanging.  This project was quite a challenge but I loved the opportunity to be able to take part!

Thanks for looking!

Tracey x

Tickets please...

Today's post is my entry to the current challenge at Out of a hat Creations #63 'Tickets Please', now I love to travel so wanted to incorporate this in my project but without making it look like a travel piece. Due to being a bit last minute recently, this is my third blog post using the iPhone blogger app, I really must look at my blog on a pc to check how they are appearing full size.

I used cardboard and twine to make a hanging plus the Stampin'Up top note die, stamps by Papermania, PaperArtsy and Tim Holtz, brown distress inks, glossy accents, rock candy crackle distress paint, picket fence distress marker, film strip ribbon and clear gems.

Thanks for looking!

Tracey x

A third workshop with Hels

Yesterday I attended my third workshop with Hels Sheridan at Birds In The Barn and as always we had a fantastic time crafting, chatting and learning new techniques. The project was called 'The Curio Shelf'.

We used Studio490 art parts and stamps plus Tim Holts distress inks, stains grunge paper, swivel clasps, film strip ribbon and die cuts. We also used treasure gold and a number of small embellishments. I just need to find my seed beads to go in the bottle.

Thanks for looking!

Tracey x

Jewel In The Crown

I have been in my craft room tonight in order to create my entry to this week's challenge at Out of a hat Creations which is #62 'Jewel In The Crown'. Now with our Queen celebrating at the moment I thought I'd make this my theme.

I used a crown template which I found online, printed and cut it out. I stamped a background using the flag from the Artistic Outpost London underground set then used Tim Holtz faded jeans and barn door distress inks to colour.  I glued the paper crown to some cardboard to make the piece sturdy. Next I stamped 3 of the Tim Holtz crown in embossing ink and heated with gold embossing powder and inked with brushed corduroy.  I stamped my sentiment, again edging in brown and them added gems. Finally I attached a second class stamp behind a Tim Holtz facet using glossy accents.

Thanks for looking!

Tracey x

Butterfly Dreams

Finally the 'Jade' products I ordered arrived today, so this evening I have spent time in my craft room creating my entry for this month's challenge over at Bombshell Stamps (nothing like last minute)!  I received the Butterfly Dreams set this month and knew that I wanted to use these but Ms. May really did challenge me as she set a colour (grey, jade, gold, silver, white) and a texture (dry embossing, scrolls, scallops, satin ribbon, metallic glitter etc.) theme.  Now I had nothing 'jade' in my craft stash except for a couple of hat pins so in the end I purchased a pot of Cosmic Shimmer ultra thick embossing crystals and a Copic marker to use on my project, I tried for a sheet of Bazzill card stock too but it was out of stock in the end.

So apart from the Bombshell Stamps, Copic pen, Cosmic Shimmer embossing crystals and the hat pins, I used the Tim Holtz tag and flourish dies, Cuttlebug divine swirl embossing folder, silver gems, Angelina fibres, white and gold card stock, brown, silver and gold ink, Sakura gold shimmer gel pen, a grey promarker pen, Tim Holtz rock candy distress crackle paint, Tim Holtz crinkle ribbon, Tim Holtz embossing ink, a gold wax pellet, gold and silver ribbon and double sided foam.

Thanks for looking!
Tracey x

'F' is for Friendship

The eleventh letter in the The Craft Barn alpha challenge is 'F' but with the additional challenge to use a word between FE and FR so I have chosen the word Friendship.

I started with the usual piece of 6x7 inch white card stock and punched the 2 holes on the correct side of the page so that I can eventually add it my book.  I glued the dictionary page to the card stock and inked the page (excluding the word and definition) with the Tim Holtz tattered rose, seedless preserves and picked raspberry distress inks. I spritzed with water, dried and went round the edges with a Dylusions flower stencil to remove some of the colour before drying again.  I stamped the Creative Expressions tatty button girl twice, a small Tim Holtz butterfly 3 times and then created an edge using the Prima brick wall stamp.  I coloured the images with Promarkers and added black pen lines and gold Ranger paint dabber round the edge of the page, plus a few splats of picket fence distress stain over the brick effect.  Next I die cut the appropriate Tim Holtz alphabet letter and stamped my chosen word onto black card stock.  Finally I doodled around the word and definition and covered with Tim Holtz rock candy distress crackle paint.

Thanks for looking!
Tracey x

Purple, Blue and White

I have been in my craft room this morning and managed to complete my entry for the Tando Creative May challenge which is to use the colours 'Purple, Blue and White'.  I bought a new set of stamps during a trip to Birds in the Barn a couple of months ago and thought that they would work well for this challenge.  It is always worth popping by to take a look and join in with the challenge and this month they have a DT call too (are you tempted, I am...)

I started with a Tim Holtz die cut tag which I coloured using Tim Holtz faded jeans, salty ocean and seedless preserves distress inks.  I spritzed the background with water, heat dried, added black pen lines to the edge and then stamped 3 of the Katy Sue Designs Limited Fabulous Shoes collection 2 images.  I stamped the main image onto white card stock, added the dragonfly and then cut out using the Spellbinders lacey circles before colouring with blue and purple Letraset promarkers.  I used a Sakura glitter pen to add sparkle to the outside of the shoe, the edge of the leaves and the dragonfly wings on the background and then covered the flower and dragonfly wings on the circle with Ranger glossy accents.  To finish the main piece off I added colour dots with the promarkers and a faux stitching with a black pen to the edge of the circle and attached it to the tag using double sided foam tape.  Next I added a clear stone to the centre of the flower, 3 gems to the background and 3 colours of bakers twine through the tag hole and secured using 3 Tim Holtz tiny attacher staples.

Thanks for looking!
Tracey x