Pretty In Pink

I don't normally work much with pink so this weeks challenge over at The Play Date Cafe was a REAL challenge for me this week.  I tend to work in earthy colours so this was definitely out of my comfort zone.

We are challenged this week to use the inspiration photo above, very pretty and definitely not my usual style.  I love taupe and must admit it does work rather well with the hot pink and I decided to make a birthday card this time around.

The papers I used are from an old K & Company PEABODY Scrap Pad which I have never used and to be honest I would not have been able to join in with this challenge if I had not found this pad lurking deep in a pile of card and paper LOL, so it was worth all the hunting around, told you I don't normally work with pink.  I have used one of Tim's Styled Labels, cut from taupe card and added a 3D flower which I have created from The Artistic Stamper Flower Power Sheet.

Hot pink pearl stickers have been added to the top and bottom of the label (courtesy of Memory Box, from a recent competition win, THANK YOU) along with a Happy Birthday sentiment which has had the edges sponged with DI Victorian Velvet.  A small flower in the bottom corner completes my entry for this week.  Wishing you all a VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR.  Tracy x x

Christmas Baubles

Hope you are all enjoying your Christmas break.  Thought I would spend a couple of hours making a card this morning to join in with The Play Date Cafe Challenge.

It did take me a while to get back into the swing of things as I have not created anything for a few days.  I decided on another Christmas card for this weeks challenge.

The bauble stamp is from Inkadinkado (available from The Stamp Attic), which I have inked in Adirondack Cranberry and stamped onto beige card which has been embossed with a Cuttlebug swirl folder and the raised areas have been sponged lightly with Cranberry ink.

I added three small hearts in bright blue to match the colour challenge.  Hope you all have a fantastic New Year.  Tracy x x

Winged Tag

I'm combining challenges with my tag this week, entering it for the following:-
Compendium of Curiosities Challenge with Linda - Scribble Stain Distress, page 34 of the book.
The Stampman Challenge - Anything Goes Tag.
Simon Says Stamp and Show - Something From Yesteryear.
Sunday Stamper with Hels - Music
Tag Tuesday Challenge - Use either SILVER or GOLD on your tag.
Jen's Tag Withdrawal Challenge - Make A Tag.

This is an old stamp that I have used to create my tag using the Scribble Stain Distress technique in the background, using DI Fired Brick, Crushed Olive and Frayed Burlap.  I have added Angel Wings (which have been cut from card and an old hymn book) using a Sizzix Die (available from The Stamp Attic) and they have been embossed with a snowflake folder and I have added Gold Acrylic Paint Dabber to the edges and on the raised areas of the snowflakes.  My flower has been created using a deckle circle punch and all the edges have also had Gold Paint added.  A believe embellishment completes my tag.  Best Wishes to you all for Christmas and The New Year.  Tracy x x

Christmas Has Come Early

Well for me it has anyway.  Me and my friend Sue have been out for our annual Christmas lunch today, the meal was great, the company great and wait until you see my gifts and card.

My Christmas card has an owl detail which has been made out of a tea strainer, fab or what and not only that it is a heart shaped one too, now anyone who knows me knows that I love anything heart related and I love owls so this is just perfect for me.

This is my card in all its glory, how FABULOUS is this, I love every little detail, Sue has put so much thought into this piece and I am absolutely thrilled with it, I will keep it in my craft room all year after Christmas.

This is one of my presents, an embroidered bag from Kazakhstan, just look at the detail on the embroidery.  This is also a special gift as the embroidered panel has a history, it is 60 years old and apparently was part of a bigger piece that used to hang in doorways of a YURT, which is a domed dwelling originally used by nomadic Turkic people.  Once they stopped living like this the embroidered pieces were broken up into usable sized pieces to make unique handbags like this and many other pieces too.  A wonderful gift which I will treasure.

The reverse of the bag, again wonderful detailed embroidery.

The handles also have a tassled detail to add to this unique piece.

There is more, three galvanised containers which I will display on my table in the lounge, I love to change the table with the seasons so I will add seasonal plants to these.

Look at this little adorable fella too, if you have not guessed by now I also love owls and this one is gorgeous, again he will stay out all year.  I was also given a lovely wooden heart and an unusual Hyacinth but the light has faded on me and I was unable to get a good picture so I will show these another time.  Thanks Sue for my wonderful gifts which I love and thanks for a great lunch.  Speak to you all soon, Tracy x x

A Christmas WOYWW

Morning all and welcome to my desk just 3 days before Christmas, WOW where has the time gone.  Hope you are all prepared for Saturday and getting a little excited for the family get togethers and the surprises under the tree.  It's WOYWW time again and there is not much on my desk this week as I have decided I am going to have a few days break from crafting so my desk has not changed much for a couple of days and will probably stay like this until after Christmas.

I have a couple of challenge pieces on show that I published a couple of days ago, an action list and several boxes of embellishments, but apart from that not much at all.  If you would like to join in the fun of WOYWW then click HERE and you will be transported over to Julia's place for all the details.  I would also like to take this opportunity to thank you all for visiting my blog and leaving such lovely, motivational comments and to wish you all a very HAPPY Christmas and BEST WISHES for the NEW YEAR.  Tracy x x

A SPLASH Of Colour

It's a colour splash this week over at The Play Date Cafe, a SPLASH of YELLOW.  I really enjoy these challenges, so much so I made two cards this week.

I've used a Memory Box stamp for my first creation aptly named Spriggle (available from The Stamp Attic), I love the name and the stamp, simple but very effective when embellished with jewels.  I have embossed the white card in the background with dots to echo the dots on the Spriggle.  A simple sentiment completes my first creation.

For my second creation I have used stamps from Outlines and created an accordion card, the image above shows the flower in detail.

My flower has been stamped onto white card and Black Market Paper Society papers and then layered one on top of the other to give a 3D flower.  I really enjoyed making these cards, a nice change from everything Christmas related, I am really looking forward to Christmas this year but I've definitely had my fill of Christmas card makes at the moment LOL.  Enjoy your build up to Christmas this week, take care, Tracy x x

Oh Alice Chapter 44 'Curiouser and Curiouser!'

`Curiouser and curiouser!' cried Alice (she was so much surprised, that for the moment she quite forgot how to speak good English); `now I'm opening out like the largest telescope that ever was! Good-bye, feet!' (for when she looked down at her feet, they seemed to be almost out of sight, they were getting so far off). `Oh, my poor little feet, I wonder who will put on your shoes and stockings for you now, dears? I'm sure _I_ shan't be able! I shall be a great deal too far off to trouble myself about you: you must manage the best way you can; --but I must be kind to them,' thought Alice, `or perhaps they won't walk the way I want to go! Let me see: I'll give them a new pair of boots every Christmas.'

Hello from all of us here in Wonderland! This week we are curiouser and curiouser to see if you are willing to play along with our weekly challenge. The challenge is a simple one, and one that most of us should be able to play along with, we would like you to take Wonderland and turn it into a Winter Wonderland! Yes, that's right.....put your boots on, hats, mittens and lets play in the snow! Alice with a hat on? Rabbit in the snow? Anything that reflects a Winter Wonderland. Have fun with it!

Here is what I created for this weeks challenge:-

I used the bauble stamp from Outlines and placed my Wonderland image inside the baubles and used blue ink to give that Winter Wonderland feel to my card.

Winter Wonderland was generated on the computer along with co-ordinated buttons in a cool blue.  I also sponged through sequin waste to add to the frosty feel, the white card in the background has been embossed with a snowflake embossing folder and punched snowflakes have been added to add to the Winter theme.

This week we are being sponsored by SUGAR NELLIE! The winner's prize will be an awesome set of 6 Leanne Ellis Alice In Wonderland stamps!! Woohoo!!

Click on the links below to see what the Twisted Team made to inspire you!

• Andi Murdock
• Donna Budzynski
• Emma Eads
• Erin Leveille
• Gloria
• Jessica Diedrich-Our Mad Hatter
• Ky Sanders
• Lynne Phelps
• Margie Cortina-Sponsorship Coord.
• Peggy McCurry
• Randi Wall
• Sammi Betbeder
• Tasha Beasley-Sponsorship Coordinator
• Tracy Evans-Nov/Dec Guest

As usual, you'll have until midnight Christmas Eve (Friday, December 24th) to show us your work. Just link a picture of it to the Oh Alice! Challenge Blog. Take some creative time for yourself this week during all the hustle and bustle. Best Wishes!!

NOTE ~ We will be taking a short time away to play in our Wonderlands through the holidays. We will resume in the new year with more challenges and fun giveaways!

Wishing you all the happiest Christmas and Best Wishes for The New Year,  Tracy x x

Tagged Birds

I have used the PaperArtsy Papers (Thorndon Hall) for my next DT piece and decided to make a tag accordion card.

I simply drew around one of Tim's tags onto the PaperArtsy paper to make my accordion.  The edges have been distressed using Tim's Paper Distresser and the stamped images are from PaperArtsy Hot Picks range, Birds and Flowers.  All the images have been stamped with Adirondack Currant, and in some areas I have used the brushless watercolour technique (simply spritzing the stamp with water).  The bird on the right hand side is the second stamping hence a paler colour and my middle bird has some old screws for legs.  The flower on my house has had the Chipped Enamel technique applied (as detailed in Tim's Compendium of Curiosities book, page 44), enabling me to add this piece for the Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge which this week is to show a Tim Holtz Technique.

 

I have also added some hand stitching to the stem of one of my flowers and some faux stitching using a Pitt Pen around the second flower.  Added Idea-ology completes this side of the tag.

On the reverse I have tried to keep it quite simple so that you can see the detail of the paper.  I have created a flower from the Hot Picks Flowers and added a DREAM addage ticket, added a bird and cage using the Caged Bird Die along with some Idea-ology and a simple stamped flower on the final side, again using the Hot Picks Flowers.

I like the fact that these papers co-ordinate with the stamp sets which gives a very co-ordinated feel to your artwork.

I have also created a co-ordinated tag.  The cage in the background was the APERTURE from die cutting the Caged Bird Die which I thought I would use rather than just discard.

Wishing you all a HAPPY CHRISTMAS and very BEST WISHES for THE NEW YEAR, Tracy Evans x x.

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday?

Plenty of space is what's on my desk this Wednesday, in fact I nearly did not schedule a post this morning as there is just not much to show.  I have spent most of the week wrapping, wrapping, oh and more wrapping of Christmas presents.  In the Evans' household Christmas is all we seem to be focusing on at the moment, well ME being the one doing most of the focusing that is.

Due to so many Christmas preparations the only thing on my desk is a challenge piece for the Oh Alice challenge this Saturday, but I am hoping to rectify that later today and spend some time doing a little crafting, maybe a DT piece.  Sorry the desk is a little boring this morning, hopefully more to show next week, which believe it or not will only be 3 days before Christmas, how frightening is that LOL.  If you would like to visit some fabulous desks then pop over to our esteemed leader, Julia's place HERE.  Hope you are all enjoying the build up to Christmas, have a fabulous Wednesday, see you all in Blogland and thanks for popping by,  Tracy x x

Stitched Hearts

Are the order of the day for The Play Date Cafe Challenge and Hels' Sunday Stamper Challenge. Our inspiration for The PDCC is below and Hels' challenge this week is to use SCRIPT in your artwork.

I decided I would use hearts as shown in the inspiration picture above along with the colour challenge to produce......

The background has been created with acrylic paints and Gesso.  I hand stitched three hearts using the colour challene for this week and added stamped florals using a Poppy Collage from Memory Box which also included SCRIPT for Hels' challenge.  A smaller heart painted with acrylics was added along with co-ordinated buttons.

"Dream Is A Wish Made By The Heart" is from Wendy Vecchi 's Just Word Art sheet.  The smaller heart also has quite a bit of texture which is difficult to pick up from the picture.  I used Stewart Gill paint and heated with a heat gun which causes the paint to bubble, great for added texture.  Enjoy the rest of the weekend.  Tracy x x

Oh Alice - Chapter 43 Christmas Greetings (From A Fairy To A Child)

LADY dear, if Fairies may
For a moment lay aside
Cunning tricks and elfish play,
'Tis at happy Christmas-tide. 

We have heard the children say—
Gentle children. whom we love—
Long ago, on Christmas Day,
Came a message from above. 

Still, as Christmas-tide comes round,
They remember it again—
Echo still the joyful sound
"Peace on earth, good-will to men!" 

Yet the hearts must childlike be
Where such heavenly guests abide;
Unto children, in their glee,
All the year is Christmas-tide! 

Thus, forgetting tricks and play
For a moment, Lady dear,
We would wish you, if we may,
Merry Christmas, glad New Year! 
Christmas, 1867. 

Welcome down the rabbit hole once again my friends.  This poem by Lewis Carroll was found in the back of a copy of Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There.  In researching the history of this poem I found the All Saints, the Lewis Carroll Memorial Window at Daniell Chapel in England.  The 3 centre panels contain verses from the Lewis Carroll’s poem.  The window was designed by the stained glass artist Geoffrey Webb and depicts a Nativity scene, at which both Carroll and Alice are present.  This is a must see for anyone that loves Wonderland. 

For our challenge this week let's get into the CHRISTMAS SPIRIT. The challenge is to use red, green, + one color.  You can still use other colors for hair and skin.  Just make the main use of color red, green, + one.

I decided to create a Christmas card this week and although I did not use an Alice image as I normally do, I did incorporate a heart which are often associated with  Alice In Wonderland.

I used red, green and gold cardstock to matt my image of Santa and the heart has been coloured with Alcohol Inks.  I have also added hand stitching to lift the heart from the gold background.

I have also added a Christmas floral which has been created from The Artistic Stamper Flower Power sheet, stamped onto red Bazzil card stock and edged with Gold Acrylic Paint Dabber.

Our wonderful sponsor this week is Pixie Dust Studio.  The lucky winner will receive your choice of 2 digital images

Check out what the Twisted Team have created this week by clicking on the links below:-

• Andi Murdock
• Donna Budzynski
• Emma Eads
• Erin Leveille
• Gloria
• Jessica Diedrich-Our Mad Hatter
• Ky Sanders-Sponsorship Coord.
• Lynne Phelps
• Margie Cortina-Sponsorship Coord.
• Peggy McCurry
• Randi Wall
• Sammi Betbeder
• Tasha Beasley
• Tracy Evans-Nov/Dec Guest

So get your Santa hat on, turn on your favorite holiday music and get crafty for your chance to win your choice of 2 digital images!  You have until Friday 17th Dec to play long with us!  Until the next time, Tracy x x

A Blue Christmas

I now have time to enjoy a little RELAXED card making now that my Christmas preparations are almost completed, so today I have gone all BLUE for Christmas, I love the cool feel of blue for Christmas makes.

I have quite a few slide mailers in my craft room so thought rather than discard them I would make use of them for some alternative Christmas cards.  This is a four slot mailer which I have painted with a couple of coats of Gesso then applied Terra and painted with Aqua Acrylic Paint Dabber, I really love the texture you achive with Terra.  The texture was only added to the front and back covers and the inside was simply painted.  I have cut the Carved Ornament using Tim's Alterations Die from Grungepaper and embossed with snowflakes which I then sanded to reveal the Grungepaper and then applied DI Tea Dye and hand stitching has been added to lift the ornament a little.  Although you can not see it clearly here I have added a thin layer of Clear Rock Candy Distress Stickles.  Tissue tape has been added to the bottom along with a Christmas floral, created using The Artistic Stamper Flower Power Sheet.

The inside has had a second Carved Ornament added, stamped with a Winter Bird from an Inkadinkado set and again Rock Candy Distress Stickles have been added.  The sentiment is from Outlines and 25 has been added to complete this side.

The Winter Birds have been stamped with StazOn Timber Brown ink onto Tim's Vintage Shabby paper stash and adhered to the microscope slides.  A small Maya Road bird has been added to complete the inside of the slide mailer.

The back of the mailer has had Terra added prior to adding paint as with the front cover.  The baubles have been stamped with StazOn Timber Brown onto Tim's Vintage Shabby paper stash, cut out, silver twine added and then adhered.  I have added a Paper Rosette, buttons and embellishments to complete.

I would like to enter this piece for the following challenges:-
Simon Says Stamp and Show - A HOLIDAY GREETING
Compendium of Curiosities Challenge with Linda - ROCK CANDY DISTRESS STICKLES, page 47 of the book.
The Sunday Stamper with Hels - CHRISTMAS
Alter It Monthly - SLIDE
The Stampman Challenge -TAKE ANY 3 COLOURS, CHRISTMAS THEME
Stampotique Designers Challenge - PUNCHES & DIE CUTS
The Artistic Stamper Creative Team Blog - CHRISTMAS.

Have a fabulous week, Tracy x x

A Very Seasonal WOYWW

It's a very seasonal What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday for me this week, it's officially Christmas in my house, all the decorations are up, the cards are made and sent and I just need to wrap all the presents, I'm really beginning to get into the Christmas spirit, hope you are too.  If you are unaware of this phenomenon, pop over to Julia's place HERE to find out all the details and visit some great desks/craft spaces at the same time.

As always, I have kept my desk relatively tidy apart from the usual weekly challenge piece awaiting some finishing touches and to be posted after WOYWW.  The small plastic containers at the back of my desk are a new purchase to house my Tim Holtz embellishments and they work fabulously as they are there right at hand when I need them.   Everything else around the desk are to be added to my challenge piece or bits and pieces created during the process.

As I mentioned at the beginning of my post, my Christmas decorations are now up so I thought I would take this opportunity to show you my real Christmas tree in all its glory.

I have also decorated some branches in my conservatory.  I hope to visit a few more desks this week, time allowing once I have watched my daughter in her school Nativity.  Wherever you are have a fabulous week, until the next time, Tracy x x

Play Date Cafe Challenge

I love the build up to Christmas especially if I am organised and have all my Christmas cards completed, which I have, so now I can just enjoy it, I just have a few little bits and bobs to buy but no pressure, yippeeeee!!!

I love the colour combination from The Play Date Cafe this week, red and white are so crisp and a wonderful colour combination for Christmas.

This week I decided to make a couple of small gift bags for Christmas.  I have used Tim's Carved Ornament die for one and the bird from the Caged Bird die on the other.  Both bags have been created from red felt and some white fabric I had lying around.  These would be great for jewellery or Christmas chocolates.

I also decided to create a co-ordinated card using the Outlines Poinsettia stamp, stamped twice on red card stock and adhered to give a 3D like appearance.  The red and white paper in the background is an old Creative Imaginations one, I think it was from last year.  I have added polka dot buttons to complete.  I am also going to add these pieces to Hels' Sunday Stamper Challenge where the theme is CHRISTMAS for this week.  Until the next time, Tracy x x x

Oh Alice Chapter 42: The Flowers Are Talking!

`O Tiger-lily,' said Alice, addressing herself to one that was waving gracefully about in the wind, `I wish you could talk!' 

`We can talk,' said the Tiger-lily: `when there's anybody worth talking to." 

Alice was so astonished that she could not speak for a minute: it quite seemed to take her breath away. At length, as the Tiger-lily only went on waving about, she spoke again, in a timid voice -- almost in a whisper. `And can all the flowers talk?' 

`As well as all can,' said the Tiger-lily. `And a great deal louder.' 

Hello from all of us in Wonderland! This week we would like you to have a go at making your own flowers! So get fun creating, we can't wait to see what you come up with!

Here is my take on this weeks challenge:

I decided to decorate a heart box this week.  My box has had two coats of Gesso, allowed to dry and then a thick coat of Faded Jeans Distress Crackle Paint added.  Once dry, I have rubbed more Gesso into the cracks.  My flower has been created using The Artistic Stamper Flower Power Sheet, stamped on Tim's Vintage Shabby Paper Stack.  Alice has been stamped onto white card with StazOn Timber Brown ink, cut out and adhered to the box, along with the sentiment "Curiouser and Curiouser".

I have also added images to the side of my box using a small heart punch.  Each image has been stamped with StazOn Timber Brown and sponged with DI Broken China.

I will probably keep this box to house a jewellery gift for my daughter or a member of the family.

The Design Team have also created some great pieces for this weeks challenge, why not pop along and pay the Twisted Team a visit:

• Andi Murdock
• Donna Budzynski
• Emma Eads
• Erin Leveille
• Gloria
• Jessica Diedrich-Our Mad Hatter
• Ky Sanders-Sponsorship Coord.
• Lynne Phelps
• Margie Cortina-Sponsorship Coord.
• Peggy McCurry
• Randi Wall
• Sammi Betbeder
• Tasha Beasley
• Tracy Evans-Nov/Dec Guest

This week we are being sponsered by 'Some Odd Girl', who have gorgeous Digi Stamps that the DT have been luckily enough to create with this week. So get creating your own flowers for your chance to win some of your very own ' Some Odd Girl' Images!

You have until Friday the 10th of Dec to play long with us!  Link you image at the Oh Alice blog and good luck.  Until the next time, Tracy x x

Countdown To Christmas

With Tim's Tissue Tape.

Hope you can make out the image above of Tim's Tidings Tape, it has snowflake images, baubles, postcard text etc and is wonderful for those Christmas makes.

I decided to make a canvas with mine.  I painted the canvas with Gesso and then added a thin layer of Terra and heated it until it bubbled.  I added two coats of Adirondack Acrylic Paint Dabber in Aqua with highlights of Mushroom.  For the baubles (Carved Ornaments Die)  I added tissue tape to Grungepaper and then die cut the baubles, which were then painted with the Aqua dabber and highlights of DI Broken China added.  To add definition I have added a Fragment to each bauble along with the decorative baubles from Tim's selection.  Tissue tape has also been added to the bottom of my canvas and again painted lightly with Aqua Paint Dabber.  I have also die cut a bird from Tim's Caged Bird die, once again covered with Tissue Tape.  To complete, I have added faux stitching with a Pitt Pen, BELIEVE from Wendy Vecchi Just Word Art stamps along with metal embellishments from Tim's Foliage selection.

I have also created a tag to co-ordinate with my canvas.  I have stamped Daniel's Hearts from Stampotiqe with a VersaMark pad and embossed with clear embossing powder.  DI Broken China has been applied over the top and again faux stitching has been added to the edges with a Pitt Pen.  I have decorated the Carved Ornament with Tim's Tissue Tape, added baubles as before and hand stitched around the edges with white thread.  A Styled Label has been cut from white shrink plastic and stamped with BELIEVE from Wendy Vecchi's Just Word Art stamps, the edges have been sponged with black ink.  I added the label so that I could add this piece to Hels' Sunday Stamper challenge which is to use a sign in your artwork and I will also be submitting this for the Simon Says Stamp and Show A TAG.  To complete, I have added a flower which I have created from The Artistic Stamper Flower Power Sheet and Tim's Seasonal Paper Stash.  All the products highlighted are available from THE STAMP ATTIC.  Wherever you are, have a fabulous day, Tracy x x