Happily Ever Crafting

Happy New Year and Top 12 of 2011.....

2012-01-01T22:41:00.015Z

Hi everyone!
Wishing you all a very Happy New Year and here's hoping we all have lots of good things in store for 2012!

I have thoroughly enjoyed browsing through your blogs showcasing top 10 or 12 cards of the past year so I thought I would join with everyone in showing my top 12 cards of 2012. In no particular order, here goes:

Thanks so much for checking out my favourites ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Oh Come Let Us Adore Him......

2011-12-24T19:45:00.003Z

Oh Come Let Us Adore Him, Oh Come Let Us Adore Him, Oh Come Let Us Adore Him, Christ The Lord......

God Bless you all this Christmas time.... hope you have a wonderful holiday and a very Happy New Year!

Hugs Tara xxx

'Tis The Season.....

2011-11-29T08:48:00.001Z

Good morning!

Sorry for not being around much but life is just so busy right now! Anyway here is a card I made recently in my usual vintage style.

I used Basic Grey Curio papers and Tim Holtz dies. The stunning image is by Tattered Roses available here on Etsy.

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

Craft Your Passion - 'Tis The Season

Stamptacular Sunday - Anything Christmas

Fun With Shapes and More - Cold As Ice

Well I hope you are all keeping well and thank you so much for stopping by today ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

True Friendship....

2011-10-29T11:10:00.004+01:00

Good morning folks!

I hope you're enjoying your weekend so far? Yesterday hubby and I took the day off to go out with the kids and we ended up at Cadbury World.... I will have a few pictures to show on my next post. I'm not really a chocolate lover but everybody else is.... and we really enjoyed seeing the history and workings of such a big and famous company.

Anyway, I'm here to show you a vintage topper I've made.... in pretty blues and greens this time as I do love this colour combo. I was really pleased with how the flowers turned out... made using DooHickey dies and my own rolled roses. Hopefully you can see tucked behind all the layers that I used Basic Grey Curio papers and the lovely sentiment is Tim Holtz. Everything has been sanded and distressed as always. Oh and I nearly forgot the most important thing.... this stunning image is from an Etsy shop which you can find here.... the quality of these beauties really is something else!

Here are the challenges I'm entering today:

Basic Grey - Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes

Sweet Stampin' - Anything Goes

Charisma - Anything Goes

Totally Gorjuss - I Remember

Have fun and stay happy ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Once Upon A Time....

2011-10-25T10:29:00.004+01:00

Good morning folks!

Hope you are keeping well and happy! I've managed to fit in some more crafty time and cut into these scrummy new papers from Prima which are called Printery.... they're right up my street and perfect to use with vintage projects. I printed the roses from a Joanna Sheen CD and cut them out.... the sentiment is Magnolia and there's some Tim Holtz film strip ribbon hiding in there too.... oh and the scrummy metal frame was a great find on Ebay. Of course everything has been sanded and distressed as much as possible ;o)

I have made this card topper with a number of challenges in mind:

Paper Sundaes - pick at least two choices from the following - Black, Sparkle, Flowers and Distressing (I've used Black, Flowers and Distressing).

Stampin' Sisters in Christ - incorporate time into your creation.

Crafts 4 Eternity - Use at least one metal embellishment.

Moving Along With The Times - Vintage

Our Creatice Corner - Fabulous Faces

PaperPlay - Use Black

Well that's me for today.... thanks so much for checking out my creation!

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

You Are Fabulous....

2011-10-21T09:00:00.000+01:00

Good morning folks!

Here's a card I made which has a nice Autumnal feel.... and I think Autumn has definitely arrived now in the UK..... chilly or what?!

Over at EAC this week the theme is 'Mushrooms' and I remembered this cute Joanna Sheen stamp from the Messy Rabbit collection. The papers are My Mind's Eye and I've used various dies.... Cheery Lynn, Marianne Creatables, DooHickey. The other bits and bobs are from my stash.

I'm also entering the following challenges:

Top Tip - Layer It Up

Stamptacular Sundays - You Choose

Stampin' For The Weekend - Colours of Autumn

Paper Sundaes - Halloween or Fall

Oldie But A Goodie - Forever Autumn

Deep Ocean - Fall Colours

CES - Forever Autumn

C.R.A.F.T. - Autumn

Thanks so much for stopping by today.... have a great weekend ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

With All My Love.....

2011-10-12T12:35:00.000+01:00

Good afternoon..... and happy 'hump' day!

I've made a card for the latest Paper Sundaes Challenge where the girls are asking for our favourite colour combination.... well I have many favourites really; pink and green, green and blue, pink and brown..... but I really love blue and brown together.... in fact let's make it sound more gorgeous by saying teal and chocolate in this instance!!

I've used Basic Grey papers and a Magnolia image with lots of Doo Hickey dies...... and everything has been sanded and distressed because that's the way I like it, lol!

I'm also entering the following challenges:

Craft Your Passion - A Card For Any Occasion

Crafty Cardmakers - Anything Goes

Just Magnolia - Anything Goes

One Stop - Anything Goes

Saturday Challenge - Anything Goes as Long as it Sparkles

Stamptacular Sunday - So Distressing

ABC - Anything Goes

The Emerald Faerie Garden - Punches/Dies

Tip Top Tuesday - Use Designer Paper (option of handmade flowers)

Thanks so much for stopping by today and enjoy the rest of your week ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Imagination.....

2011-10-01T14:00:00.002+01:00

Good afternoon!
Happy World Cardmaking Day!! Sorry for being AWOL for over a week now but I'm not sure where time has gone.... the days just seem to fly by and I suppose what with holding down a job and running the kiddos here and there, crafting time can sometimes take a backseat!!!

But here is a card I have managed to squeeze in.... I particularly enjoyed creating my flowers from the backing paper and I think this is maybe quite an underused technique. The cool blues and green tie in quite nicely with this fabulous mini Indian Summer we're having here the UK right now (today is supposed to be the hottest day on record for October).... and is one of those days that makes you feel glad to be alive ;o)

Anyway, I used Kay&Co papers, a vintage Lunagirl image and a Flora Doodle bloom on this card.....
plus a pretty paper butterfly and doily and a stunning Tim Holtz sentiment.... the outer border has been faux stitched and all edges have been Distress Inked.

Here are the challenges that fit in with my card today:

Colour Create - Lime, Aqua and White (well nearly, lol)

Cupcake Inspirations - Photo (I mainly went for green and blue but the girl in the image does have a pink bow)

Stampin' For The Weekend - What A Cutie!

Simon Says - Anything Goes

Sentimental Sundays - Step Out Of Your Comfort Zone (cut up design paper for the embellishments)

Paper Sundaes - Anything Goes

Fussy and Fancy Friday - Try A New Technique (cut up design paper for the embellishments)

Fun With Shapes And More - Shabby/Vintage

Flutter By Wednesdays - Open

Thank you soooooo much for taking the time to visit my blog today and I hope you have a fantastic weekend ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Beautiful Dreamer.....

2011-09-23T14:20:00.000+01:00

Hello folks!

I'm so glad I managed to make a card for this week's MDUC Challenge as there's such a gorgeous picture to use for inspiration.... it has something of an oriental feel to me which has been reflected by my choice of image and foliage..... and I think some of the DT were thinking along the same lines ;o)

I've used a mix of different papers.... MME, Basic Grey.... and Kay&Co for the wording....plus I inked up a Magnolia sentiment too. Now I'm always reluctant to step outside the comfort zone but when I saw today's new challenge over at Fussy and Fancy Friday I thought I'd take the plunge.... their brief is to try out a 'New Technique' and I've been wanting to have a go at a centre step card for ages.... and in the end it wasn't that tricky, lol!

The die cuts are from a lovely Sizzix Decorative Strip die I've had for a while now.... aren't those lovebirds sweet?!! Infact I think I can join in with Stampavie and More where the latest challenge is 'Love'..... oh and I urge you to check out Cupcake Inspirations for another divine photo.... I took my inspiration from the colours and those delish rolled roses.... well you know I struggle to make a card without them now, don't you?! Hee Hee!

I hope you all have a fab weekend and hopefully I'll be back in the next day or so to show you something else.... I'm on a crafty roll this week ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

LIFE Happens....

2011-09-22T11:29:00.005+01:00

Good morning everyone...... hope your week is good so far!

I've been having a play with this week's Waltingmouse sketch and also following the Vintage White theme over at The Shabby Tea Room.

And I opted to be brave and produce something without an image as the focal point..... scary for me!! Instead I created a layered flower with one of my trusty old Sizzix dies and then added some Papirloftet Autumn leaves to make it seasonal.

The papers are a mix of Kay&Co and Bo Bunny and the stamped sentiment is 7 Gypsies.... I also used a Martha Stewart punch to create a rustic border and carried on that theme by making a raffia bow..... the lace is from my stash.

I'm also entering the following challenges:

Paper Play - Autumn Leaves

Stamp With Fun - Anything Goes

Crafts and Me - Stripes

Simon Says - Dies To Die For

Corrosive Challenge - Punches and/or Dies

Thanks so much for stopping by and enjoy the rest of your week!

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Merry Christmas In September....

2011-09-17T10:40:00.000+01:00

Good morning everyone!

As a girl who nevers starts making Christmas cards early I'm not sure what has come over me this year.... I've made one in September!!! Just saw this stunning vintage image whilst browsing my CD and had to use her straight away..... had to glitter up her fur a little bit first though, lol!!

I've used papers from Basic Grey's Wassail range and a Webster's Pages Christmas collection.The holly leaves are a QuicKutz die and the swirl is DooHickey. The large snowflake is by Spellbinders and all other embellies are from my stash. And yep..... torn roses..... AGAIN!!!! I notice this week's challenge at Basic Grey is Pink and Brown which fits perfectly with my card ;o)

I'm also entering the following challenges:

CES - Embellish More More (at least 4 types.... hmmmmm, never difficult for me, lol)

Creative Inspirations - Anything Goes

Corrosive - Punches and/or Dies

Tuesday Throwdown - Pearls

Winter Wonderland - Girly Christmas

Paperplay - Punches or Dies

One Stop - Girlie

Oldie But A Goodie - Christmas In September

Moving Along With The Times - Sparkle

Have a wonderful weekend and thanks for stopping by today ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Tomorrow Holds Many Wonderful Things.....

2011-09-15T08:55:00.001+01:00

Good morning peeps.... hope you are enjoying your week so far!

I inked up one of last year's Tilda's for this card as I've only used her once before. She's coloured with Polychromatic pencils and I added some faux stitching around the edges. I also took out my emery board to distress the papers and the Co'redinations cardstock which is fast becoming one of my fave play things at the moment... I love the paler colours lurking underneath and sanding is a nice change from inking too!

I also inked up some Bo Bunny ETC stamps and some Marianne leaves which I stamped onto some Bo Bunny paper.... gives a subtle paper pieced effect I think.The flower is a layered DooHickey die and the leaves are Marianne, finally my sentiment is by LOTV.

I'm entering the following challenges:

Magnolia-licious - Orange, Teal and Brown

Crafts 4 Eternity - Blue and Brown

Challenge Up Your Life - Paper Piecing

Stamp Something - Stamp Something

Sentimental Sundays - Autumn

Craft Your Passion - The 'F' Word (Faux Stitching, Flower, Foliage)

Simon Says Stamp - Sing It (She's Leaving Home by The Beatles)

Cute Card Thursday - Anything Goes

Thanks so much for looking ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Hugs, ETC.....

2011-09-10T17:00:00.000+01:00

Good afternoon,

Hope you've had a good week and are enjoying a restful weekend. It's very blustery in the UK today and perfect weather for getting washing dry.... I have lots of towels and bedding flapping about in the wind, in fact one of the towels ended up half way up the garden a few minutes ago!!!

I've made a card today which definitely won't qualify as CAS, lol! Just a few embellies on this one, smile! I've used a gorgeous Lunagirl vintage image and some yummy Bo Bunny Timepiece papers here.... there's even a scrap of Basic Grey paper which I believe is from the Urban Prairie range.

There are lots of Autumnal leaves from Pairloftet and I've added some of the fab TH acetate ribbon and some scrabble letters. The roses are hand torn using dusky pink Co'redinations cardstock and I found a couple of gorgeous vintage black buttons with a marble design to hold down the folded corners. The swirl is a DooHickey die and the ETC stamp is by Bo Bunny. The main colour inspiration for my card came from seeing the latest Colour Create challenge which is Pink, Brown, Cream and White...... yum! I also had fun thinking of a song title for Charisma and Saturday Challenge and came up with 'Lean On Me' by Bill Withers based on my image, tee hee!

I'm also entering the following challenges:

Totally Papercrafts - Cute With Buttons

Stampin' For The Weekend - Tickled Pink

Crafty Catz - Ribbons

Tuesday Throwdown - 3 Papers, 2 Buttons, 1 Ribbon

Crafts and Me - Buttons and Bows

EAC - Autumn

Creative Inspirations - Acetate

C.R.A.F.T - Children

Allsorts - Flowers and Swirls

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and take care ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Make A Wish......

2011-09-08T08:45:00.000+01:00

Good morning folks.... is it Thursday already..... WOW!!!

I've made a festive card this week and felt my creations were long overdue a Tilda so here she is in all her Christmas glory. TOMIC are inviting us to create our own background so I set to work on a snowy sky.... now I know it's quite subtle but if you zoom in on the close up picture you'll see better. I distressed a piece of white card with TH Faded Jeans and then lightly stamped white and neutral Magnolia snowflakes all over, before finishing with some liquid pearl snow dots.

I also noticed that MDUC are challenging us to 'Frame It' so I thought I'd add something of a shabby picture frame to the scene.

I'm also entering the following challenges:

Oldie But A Goodie - Christmas In September

Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes

Just Magnolia - Anything Goes

Simply Magnolia - Anything Goes

Try It On Tuesday - Monochrome

Stampin' For The Weekend - Holidays

Thanks so much for stopping by.... it is truly appreciated ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Special Delivery.....

2011-09-05T11:45:00.000+01:00

Good morning everyone!

Managed to make a card this morning and I'm really pleased with the results because this is so far removed from my normal style and I managed to stay true to a sketch and hold back on adding too many embellies, lol!

I followed this fab sketch over at Card Patterns and I think it's the first time I've joined in with the challenge!! It was a gorgeous layout to work with too!

Having had a bit of a sale of some of my older crafting goodies recently, I've been able to have a little spending spree and bought a fab set of cameo/frame stamps from Waltzingmouse.... not my usual thing I guess but I think they're so classical and will be particularly handy for making cards for older ladies. This particular card is for a 70 year old and I thought she might appreciate the style more than something cutsie! I also bought some Bo Bunny papers and stickers and I've used a mix of the Timepiece and Et Cetera collections here. I added in torn roses, lace, a doily and a DooHickey swirl to finish.

As well as following the sketch at Card Patterns I was also inspired to use the pictures and colours provided by the girls at The Shabby Tea Room for their new challenge, although I hope I'm forgiven for making my card with a birthday theme rather than wedding! The above picture is where I took my main inspiration, hence the cameo theme.

I'm also entering the following challenges:

Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes With A Twist (Flowers)

Truly Scrumptious - Rocked Up Pink

StampARTic - Shabby Chic

Stamptacular Sunday - The Sky's The Limit

Thanks so much for stopping by today ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

In Dreams......

2011-09-04T11:30:00.003+01:00

Good morning everyone!

It's nice to be posting a card at last..... I've been a little preoccupied this last fortnight with a job move and getting the kids ready for the big return to school tomorrow.... I will be so sad when they go back because I've loved every minute of the holidays and, as my son embarks on his journey into high school and my daughter is near to finishing, I realise how fast they grow up and that we should truly treasure EVERY moment! I've booked a day off work tomorrow as I know I'll probably spend the whole morning in tears.... the last of my babies going to big, big school..... sniff!! I thank God each and every day for my wonderful family ;o)

Anyway, enough of my sentimental rambling and on to the task in hand, lol! I got up this morning and had a look at the new challenges posted..... Sketchy Colours caught my eye so I made this card with the colour combo 'Beige, Brown and Purple' in mind. I hope it's okay that I also added some green.... can't help it really, it's a foliage addiction you see, lol!!

I have no idea where the lovely papers are from.... they were just lurking in my stash. The image is from my Luna Girls CD and the sentiment is Tim Holtz. I've used Marianne and DooHickey dies and added some of my handmade torn roses for a shabby chic effect. The gorgeous metal butterfly was sent to me by my lovely friend Heather.

I'm entering the following challenges:

Vintage Udfordring - Use Metal

Aud Sentiments - Card/Sentiment For A Girl

Bearly Mine - Flowers, Flowers, Flowers

By The Cute And Girly - All Things Bright And Beautiful

Charisma - Anything Goes

Craft Your Days Away - Make Your Own Flowers

Crafty Creations - 3 Or More Dies Or Punches

Creative Card Crew - Anything Goes

Desert Island - Itinery : I used 6, 7, 8

Fun With Shapes And More - What You Want

Marianne's Design Divas - Anything Goes

Moving Along With The Times - Handmade Flowers

Paperplay - Make Your Own Flowers

Stampin' Sisters In Christ - Quiet Colours

Top Tip Tuesday - Shabby Chic

Craft Us Crazy - Autumn Colours and/or Favourite Embellishments (I've chosen to use my fave torn roses)

Well thanks so much for stopping by and have a fab week ahead ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Hands To Hold......

2011-08-21T10:30:00.001+01:00

Good morning everyone...... hope you are enjoying your weekend and the sun is shining brightly!

This week's theme at Cute Card Thursday is 'Weddings'.... I have to admit I don't make a great number of wedding cards but I thought I'd give it a go...... and it made a nice change too! I now have a number of vintage CD roms which I bought from Lunagirl on Ebay, so I am using these images more and more on my cards..... in this case I framed my image by cutting an oval shape in the design paper..... sorry I can't give more info on the papers I used but they are leftovers from old 12x12 sheets.

The sentiments are Kay&Co stickers and I added some vintage lace, satin leaf ribbon and a DooHickey leaf die and heart swirl die..... and of course you'll recognise the cream roses by now, lol..... yes, more of my fave torn roses for which I've done a tutorial here.

If you fancy having a go at the roses and want to use the Co'redinations cardstock I was recommending then I found a great supplier here...... and the p&p is free within the UK!!!

I'm also entering the following challenges:

Paperplay - Recipe : 3 embellishments (flowers, hearts and butterfly), 2 papers, 1 lace

Craft Us Crazy - Anything Goes

Allsorts - You've Been Framed

Aud Sentiments - Anything Goes

City Crafter - Scrap Happy

Crafty Cardmakers - Flutterbies

Creative Card Crew - Handmade Flowers

Desert Island - 7.Stickers, 9.Vintage, 10.Fabric

Fussy and Fancy - 3 or More Fave Embellishments (I chose hand-torn roses, satin leaf ribbon, lace and Doo Hickey dies)

Papertake Weekly - BINGO : Blooms, Free, Lace

Truly Scrumptious - Lace It Up

Well thank you so much for stopping by and enjoy the week ahead ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

True Friendship........

2011-08-12T14:50:00.000+01:00

Afternoon folks and happy Friday...... how can the weekend nearly be upon us again?!!

I would like to say a huge thank you for the response to my torn rose tutorial and I really hope lots of people will give it a try now ;o)

Following on from yesterday's post I decided to put the dark grey roses to good use and this card is the result! I've made it for my ex-boss who is also a close friend and I felt she might appreciate something a little bit traditional.

I created one of my paper layers by stamping on various Tim Holtz images and a sentiment too, so I hope this allows me to enter my creation into this week's Paperplay Challenge. The outer paper is Kay&Co and the leaves are Marianne and Martha Stewart. This card is soooooooo simple by my usual standards and I was itching to add more, but everyone at home was telling me it was fine so I did as I was told, lol!

I'm entering the following challenges:

Cute Card Thursday - CAS

Cupcake Craft - Sew Mad

Charisma - Distressing

Flutterby Wednesdays - Open

ASFOS - Happy Birthday

Craft Your Days Away - Birthday Celebrations

One Stop - Sentimental

Corrosive - Earth Tones

Tuesday Throwdown - Birthday

Thank you so much for stopping by today ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Torn Rose Tutorial.......

2011-08-11T09:15:00.000+01:00

Morning peeps..... it's certainly been very wet and windy in my part of the world but I'm feeling quite cozy indoors! I know I'm probably odd but I love it when the rain sets in!!! My son isn't quite so happy though as he had a cricket match called off last night because of the weather!!

Anyway, after receiving a couple of emails about my torn roses I thought I'd post a little tutorial..... this is a first for me so please be gentle, lol! Plus I thought I'd enter Tip Top Tuesday for a second time this week so that I can show this as my tip ;o)

Step One: Firstly I start with a piece of 6x6 paper or card...... Co'redinations card looks fantastic with this torn technique so that's what I tend to go for, but anything goes really.

Step Two: I cut the card into four smaller squares...... this gives a nice size for the roses.

Step Three: Then I start to tear in a circular motion to get a round shape from which to start my spiral.

Step Four: As I finish tearing the circle I leave a slight lip from which to begin tearing the spiral shape.

Step Five: I start to tear in a circular motion to create a spiral shape.

Step Six: I continue tearing and try to keep the width as even as possible, but if it isn't perfect it only adds to the handtorn effect really!

Step Seven: I start to fold over the outer edge of the spiral.

Step Eight: I continue to fold it, following the shape of the spiral as I go.

Step Nine: I glue the folded up shape to its base with a hot glue gun.

Step Ten: I tease out the spiral shape so that it looks like a rose...... then all that's left to do is add a pearl centre or a stamen..... whatever you like really.

Here are a couple of my recent cards where I've used these torn roses...... hope you'll have a go and let me know if you do so I can check out your creation ;o)

Thanks for stopping by!

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Magnifique........

2011-08-09T14:30:00.002+01:00

Good afternoon everyone..... hope you are having a good day!

I'm back with another Tilda card...... this is one of the older ones which I really love..... she's so graceful and dainty! I've added lots of white paint to distress the layers and made my own torn roses which seem to be a bit of a habit now, lol! The leaves are Marianne Creatable and DooHickey and my sentiment comes from a Kay&Co design paper.

I'm entering the following challenges:

Papertake Weekly - Grow Your Own

Oldie But A Goodie - The Great Outdoors

Tip Top Tuesday - Straight Edges

EAC - Summer

Craft Your Passion - Favourite Season (Summer)

Sentimental Sundays - Flowers

Dream Valley - Distressing

Totally Tilda - Pearls, Swirls, Ribbon and Lace....... hoping my torn roses count as the swirls ;o)

Simply Magnolia - Sketch...... I turned the layout quarter clockwise and moved the flowers...... hope that's okay ;o)

Addicted To Stamps - Anything Goes

Sketchy Colours - Pink, White and Gold...... there is some gold clitter on the crown ;o)

Well that's me..... catch you soon ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

A Summer Day.......

2011-08-05T13:48:00.001+01:00

Good afternoon folks....... it's almost the weekend, YAY!!! I'm slightly wondering where the week has gone though!!! I'm so loving being off with my kiddos just now and I'm definitely one of those people who enjoys every minute of being with them in the school hols!!! I am still working the odd day but in the main we're having oodles of family time ;o)

Well it's been a while since I made a Magnolia card and I had a ball with this one! I took up the challenge on the Magnolia-licious Highlites blog to use only papers and it was a lot of fun! I really enjoy picking out elements of a design paper and cutting them out to create nice embellies..... I suppose it looks like decoupage but without all the layers, lol! If you think this challenge might be a bit tricky then check out the DT creations and you'll be raring to go..... such imagination and talent! I also had a snoop around for a nice sketch to follow and came up with one at the latest Oldie But A Goodie Challenge..... I hope I'm forgiven for making a few tweaks as I did move the sentiment and the corner a bit but hopefully the basis of the design is still intact!! Again there are some stunning DT creations to help you on your way!

So for my card I used Kay&Co papers and cut out some of the roses which are shiny and glittery.... but you may have to zoom a bit to pick up the sparkle! Every edge has been distressed with acrylic paints and Distress Ink, as well as being roughed up with scissor blades of course. I added some DooHickey leaves, a Pink Cat Studio round sentiment and a couple of punched Martha Stewart borders..... so I really stuck to the paper theme completely.

I'm entering these challenges as well:

Just Magnolia - Anything Goes (+ glitter option)

Raise The Bar - Anything Goes

CES - Feeling The Blues

Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes

Crafts & Me - Anything Goes

Creative Card Crew - Best Foot Forward

Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes

Stampavie and More - Summer

Craft Us Crazy - Anything Goes in August

Charisma - BINGO (Flowers, Pearls, Glitter)

MDUC - BINGO (Flowers, Sparkles, Paint)

Well I hope you enjoy your weekend and thanks so much for stopping by ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Giggle and Play........

2011-08-01T10:58:00.003+01:00

Good morning folks.... hope you've had a lovely weekend and have lots of energy to face the coming week? The weather's been fantastic in the UK and I've been watching hubby and son cricketing and golfing. Can you believe it's now August? WOWZERS!!! It'll be Christmas before we know it!!!

When I saw the latest challenge over at One Stop I just knew I had to join in..... after all it's 'vintage' and that's right up my street at the mo...... been having a little break from stamped images but there might be a Magnolia card to show very soon!

I just love the pretty Kay&Co paper on this one and that sweet, innocent image too! I got to work with some gold dabber paint around all the edges and added in a gold dimensional butterfly. The trusted Tim Holtz tickets were used as sentiments and I rolled my own roses using some Co'redinations cardstock. I also used some of my fave leaf ribbon around the flowers.

I'm entering the following challenges:

City Crafter - Vintage Garden

Crafts and Me - Ribbon

Crafty Cardmakers - Flutterbies

EAC - Garden

Paperplay - In the Garden

Tip Top Tuesday - Make It Girlie

Sentimental Sundays - In The Garden

Wee Memories - No Less Than Four Colours (I've used Pink, Green, Gold, Cream)

Anything Goes - Pick Of The Bunch (Flowers)

Desert Island Crafts - Katie's Itinerary 1. Color Your Image (any coloring medium) 2. Stitching 3. Use a quote for a sentiment 4. Something with Wings 5. Make it Pop Up 6. Use 3 different shapes 7. Make it Manly 8. Use felt/fabric (not ribbon) 9. Give it Life (use an image of something alive) 10. Use 3 different colors only (apart from skin/hair) - I used 4, 5 and 9

The Emerald Faerie Garden - Lace

Thanks so much for stopping by today ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Love & Happiness.......

2011-07-23T14:43:00.002+01:00

Good afternoon to you all..... hope you're having a fine weekend!

I'm off out in a few minutes to watch my hubby playing cricket and hopefully score a few fours and sixes along the way.... it's perfect weather to sit on a comfy recliner and relax.

Today's card has a bit of an art deco feel about it I think.... I didn't start off with that in mind but I think the Webster's Pages paper I used draws on that theme.... and the lovely vintage lady certainly looks like she could be a fashionable filmstar from the era too!

I've hand torn and rolled the large roses and the leaves are a Marianne die. I've added some liquid pearl dots here and there and edged the paper with a stitching border stamp. You might also spot the sweet little fabric bird I squeezed in above the main sentiment.

I'm entering the following challenges:

Craft Us Crazy - Anything Goes

Totally Gorjuss - Punch or Die

Sweet Stampin' - Fashion

Fussy and Fancy Friday - Summer

EAC - Dots

CCT - For His Eyes Only

Crafty Catz - No Pink or Blue

Crafts and Me - Add A Flower

Craft Your Passion - Text It

Craft Your Days Away - Summertime

By The Cute and Girly - Things With Wings

Allsorts - Free and Easy

Thanks so much for stopping by and take care ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Vintage Girl........

2011-07-18T11:51:00.002+01:00

Good morning everyone!

Here's another card I've made with a vintage theme and quite summery too with the roses and leaves. I am really enjoying the shabby chic card style at the moment..... a bit of distressing makes me feel good, lol!

I've used Prima papers, Sizzix and Doo Hickey dies and a Martha Stewart punch...... along with a vintage image from Magic Moonlight which you can find HERE.

I'm entering the following challenges:

ASFOS - Pink and Brown (hope it's okay that I added a little green too)

Allsorts - Free and Easy July

Crafts and Me - Summertime

Deep Ocean - Cards

Dream Valley - Summer Theme

Fussy and Fancy Friday - Summer

MAWTT - Favourite Things (Vintage, Die Cuts, Flowers, Feminine, Stitching)

Simon Says - Anything Goes

ABC - 'Y' is for Yesterday

Emerald Fairie - All Things Nice (Girly)

Totally Papercrafts - Girly Girls

Well that's all from me today so have a good one and enjoy any crafting time you get ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

P.S. After receiving lots of emails I've reinstated my comments option..... thanks for all your kind messages ;o)

Live The Life You Love........

2011-07-12T12:20:00.001+01:00

Good morning!!!

Wow it's been a very long time!! I have finally moved house now and the whole process has been incredibly stressful and tiring..... well that's what happens when you move without a removal firm, lol!

I haven't really had chance to sort out my crafting stash yet or get creative, but I do have this card I made before the big move took place. I chose a vintage theme with pretty pastel Webster's Pages papers and Papirloftet flowers and leaves.

You may notice that I've removed the 'comment' facility from my page now and this is something I've been considering for a while..... it seems wrong to receive comments on my work from so many lovely people when I never have time these days to return the favour. I am trying to devote as much time as I possibly can to my kids as they are growing up too fast, so sitting at the computer for hours on end just doesn't cut it! Be assured that I do visit many blogs regularly but just don't have time to leave the comments I wish I could..... so please feel free to do the same when you visit me...... just take a peek and move on ;o) And I am always grateful if you take the time to do that ;o) ;o)

Have a lovely day...... TTFN and TFL,

Hugs Tara xxx

The Heart That Loves......

2011-06-07T13:55:00.002+01:00

Afternoon peeps!

Firstly I must just apologise for my absence from my blog and from blogland in general - I move house in two weeks and so life is just frantic!! This is my second house move in six months and I hope we'll be staying put now for a while as it is very stressful trying to pack up your life!!!

Anyway, here is another vintage card I made recently as I'm loving this style at the minute.

I used Prima papers, a Spellbinders frame die and Woodware punches..... plus some gorgeous antique lace I picked up in my local market.

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

EAC - Distress

Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes

Deep Ocean Challenge - Anything Goes

Stampin' Sisters In Christ - Use Something New (Spellbinders Frame)

Bearly Mine - Anything Goes

ASFOS - Here Comes Summer

Well that's all from me for today - thanks so much for stopping by ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Vintage Girl.......

2011-05-24T08:21:00.006+01:00

Good afternoon!

I'm going through a vintage stage with my cardmaking at the minute I think and so I created this topper using one of the fabulous images provided by Magic Moonlight.

As always I've gone wild with embellies as I hate to leave a space unused, lol! Best not to enter the LIM challenge with this one right? The yummy papers are from Webster's Pages and the sentiment is from Stempleglede's 'Just A Note' set, worth every penny!

Here's a close up of the sweet girl looking very pensive I must say and working beautifully with the words of the sentiment

I'm entering the following challenges:

Papertake Weekly - Pale, Pretty Pastels

Bunny Zoes - Lace

Craft Us Crazy - Fave Embellishment and/or Something New (leaf ribbon is my fave item and mini bows are new)

Fussy & Fancy Friday - Recipe: 3 Papers, 2 Embellies, 1 Ribbon (Embellies are Flowers/Leaves and Metal Corner, Ribbon is Mini Bows)

Desert Island - 3 From Itinery (I chose Ribbon/Lace, Image, Flowers)

Creative Inspirations - Lace and Pearls

Crafty Creations - May Flowers

Crafty Catz - Anything Goes

Crafts 4 Eternity - Recipe (Flowers, Ribbon, Bling)

CES - Embellish It

As always I'm very grateful that you took the time to stop by for a peek today and would like to thank my new followers who have joined this week..... HELLO!!! (waving)!

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Smiles......

2011-05-18T07:47:00.007+01:00

Hello again....... happy 'hump' day to you all!

I'm back with another card using one of the Tilda stamps from the Butterflies Collection.... I think this little beauty is everyone's fave, she's so sweet!
I really enjoyed colouring her and I think the muted shades of the gorgeous Kay&Co papers gave me a great head start!

As you can see I grunged the edges quite a lot.... I can't seem to make anything these days without distressing it, lol.... well I guess you just find your niche!

The creation is very 3-D again and I was happy to use my new Crealies leaf die to compliment the pretty flowers. And can you see I used some more cheesecloth (AKA bandage ROFL) behind the beautiful lace panel? I threw in a couple of punched butterflies to finish..... well it is Butterfly Tilda after all!!!

Here are the challenges I'm entering today:

Just Magnolia - Make It Lacey

Cupcake Craft Challenge - In The Garden

Beary Sweet - Nature

Craft Your Passion - Cutie Patoutie

The Shabby Tea Room - Monochromatic

Stamp With Fun - Green and Pink

Cute Card Thursday - It's So Distressing

Paperplay - Anything Goes

Papertake Weekly - Bloom and Grow

Craft Us Crazy - Favourite Embellishment and/or Something New (Leaves and Flowers)

Crafts & Me - Anything Goes (option of Kraft)

Flutterby Wednesdays - Open

Thanks so much for stopping by ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Go Confidently In The Direction Of Your Dreams.....

2011-05-17T08:10:00.006+01:00

Good morning...... hope you are keeping well!!

Today I have a card to show you using one of Stempleglede's 'Just A Note' stamps as my focal point...... I made it for my Dad and his new wife who are just celebrating their first wedding anniversary together..... and rather than just say 'Happy Anniversary' I thought I'd go with this lovely quote instead. I followed the lovely sketch over at The Sweet Stop and I hope you can still make out the layout..... I'm not very good at sticking to the original design with a sketch but i think I did okay here, lol!I

I made the flower using the Tim Holtz Tattered Floral Sizzix die and added Doo Hickey leaves. Everything has been distressed and stained to give a vintage feel. I think the papers are DCWV and I used one of the sheets to create my butterfly embellishments.

I'm also entering the following challenges:

Let's Ink It Up - Focal Sentiment and 3D Flower

Sentimental Sundays - Handmade Flowers

Addicted To Stamps - Pink and Brown

Double Dutch - Vintage

Thanks so much for stopping by today and take care ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Loving Wishes And Fairy Kisses......

2011-05-14T10:51:00.005+01:00

Good morning everyone..... hope you are enjoying your weekend so far?

I decided to go mini with my image on this card and dug out the sweet little Tinkerbell stamp from Magnolia's Fairytale collection of 2010. When I added in a couple of accessory stamps the scene reminded me of my childhood as I always used to think flowers fairies lived at the bottom of the garden..... I can thank my dear, departed Nan for my vivid imagination, as she always used to encourage me to dream and indulge in make-believe. We even used to save yogurt pots and decorate them, before leaving them under the trees at the bottom of her garden so the fairies didn't get cold or wet at night..... in fact I even remember collecting rose petals to use as blankets for them, lol! Love you Nan, God Bless!

Sorry for getting a bit sentimental there, lol!! Here's a shot I took to show the dimension on the card with all the flowers and leaves. I used Prima flowers and Papirloftet leaves, plus I added in some Creatables die cuts. The papers are from Prima's Botanical collection and I love the soft, subtle designs.

Here's the scene in more detail which I softly coloured with Prisma pencils. The sentiment is part of a Flower Fairies set by Crafter's Companion.

I'm entering the following challenges:

Wee Memories - CRAFTS (Colour, Ribbon, Acrylic, Floral, Twine, Stamps) I used Colour, Floral and Stamps

EAC - Flowers

Cutie Sunday - Butterflies

Stampin' Sisters in Christ - Beautiful (Flowers, Pearls, Bling, Butterflies, Birds, Lace...)

Sentimental Sundays - Anything Goes

Tuesday Throwdown - Die Cuts

Tip Top Tuesday - Flower Frenzy

Dutch Dare - Winged Things

One Stop - Ice Cream (I have chosen Pistachio and Strawberry)

Take care and thanks so much for stopping by...... I hope to have another card very soon but I might be distracted today as my home town Stoke City football club have reached the final of the FA Cup and I shall be glued to the TV...... yes, you read that right, lol! I know I'm a rare breed but I love football!!!!!!!!!!

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Live, C'est Ci Bon!........

2011-05-05T08:03:00.006+01:00

Good morning!

A second card this week from me, woohoo! I decided to use the gorgeous new papers by Kay&Co again as I can't get enough of them! And I picked out one of last year's Tilda images for a change; this one's such a sweetie!! Do you like the calico I used?..... right on trend just now! I've seen it cropping up all over the place but haven't been able to find any to buy anywhere..... so I improvised big time..... I bought a roll of bandage for 28p from Tesco and then set about stretching and moulding it to shape, LOL!!! Quite pleased with myself for coming up with that idea and so cheap too as there's loads on the roll!!

I decided that, instead of paper piecing my image, I would paper piece the flowers and leaves which are from a gorgeous Marianne set..... makes a change from normal flowers doesn't it?

These are the challenges I'm entering:

Crafts and Me - Swirls

Simon Says - Paper Piecing

Totally Gorjuss - 1, 2, 3 (1 image, 2 flowers, 3 papers)

Just Magnolia - Buttons, Bows and Bling (one or more)

Oldie But A Goodie - Say It With Flowers

Papertake Weekly - Anything Goes

Stamp With Fun - Lace or Ribbon

Tip Top Tuesday - Open

Try It On Tuesday - Something Old, Something New (Old is Tilda image, New is papers)

7 Kids - Showers or Flowers

ATS Magnolia Challenge - Marvelously Magnolia

Desert Islanders - Distressing, Sparkle, Words

Well I'm off to work now so I'll catch you all later and thanks for stopping by ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Mum......Forever Special!

2011-05-03T08:15:00.001+01:00

Good morning!

Hope you have enjoyed the Bank Holiday weekend and all the wedding celebrations! Back to work for me today, boo hoo! Anyway, I'm here with a card I made for my Mum's birthday which is coming up later this month..... I'm organised for once, yay!! She doesn't like Tilda very much (?!!!!) so I chose one of the gorgeous accessory stamps released recently by Magnolia as she does like gardening!

As you can see the card is very 3-D and I added more of the roses I love to tear and make for lots of dimension!

I must point out that the tulips in the image have been paper pieced.... it might be a little hard to tell but I promise you I did it and if you don't believe me then zoom in for a closer inspection, lol! The gorgeous papers in this one are new from Kay&Co and they're right up my street, all vintagey ;o) And you'll also notice another appearance for my beloved satin leaf ribbon, ooh I do love it so much!! The lace is from WOC and the leaves are cut with a Sizzix die, plus I added in some faux stitching to some of the edges..... not much more to add that you won't already know about, hee hee!!

I have a long list of challenges to enter with this card so here goes:

Stamptacular Sunday - Mum's The Word

One Stop - In Stitches

Cupcake Inspirations - I chose the cake bottom right of the picture (and thanks girls for putting me in your top three again last week)

By The Cute and Girly - Anything Goes

Sentimental Sundays - For A Woman

Emerald Faerie Garden Challenge - Anything Goes

MDUC - Ribbon and Lace

Let's Ink It Up - Embellish It

Wee Memories - Paper Piecing

Totally Tilda - Paper Piecing

Magnolia Stamp Lovers - Flowers

Simon Says - Anything Goes

Crafts and Me - Vintage/Distressing

Charisma - April Showers, May Flowers

City Crafter - Initial Colour Challenge

Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes

Crafts 4 Eternity - Anything Goes

Dutch Dare - For Mom!

Stamp With Fun- Lace or Ribbon

Well have a gorgeous week and I'll be back very soon I hope ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Spring Has Sprung.....

2011-04-25T09:45:00.000+01:00

Good morning everyone!

I hope you're all enjoying this fabulous Easter break and scoffing lots of chocs, lol! Can you believe I don't have any Easter eggs and I'm not really that fussed about choclate full stop!!! Yes you did just read that sentence right, lol!!! Now if we're talking about a toasted hot cross bun with melted butter on that is a different matter...... YUM!!! I could eat a whole pack of them!! Not good for the diet though so I'll just have to dream about them for now ;o)

I sooooooo enjoyed making this card yesterday but I used up my very last sheets of Basic Grey's Wisteria paper, boo hoo. It's so pretty, probably my fave collection ever. In the pad the lilacs are hanging down from the top of the page, but I thought if I flipped it the lilacs would become lupins instead! I used another sweet Tilda from the latest collection and gently coloured her with Polys before adding lots of Stickles.

The foliage is made using DooHickey and Creatables dies and I added some grass with an old faithful QuicKutz die. And where would I be without the gorgeous DooHickey fence die which has been used over and over!! The sentiment is a Melissa Frances rub-on and the lilac roses were a gift.

Here are the challenges I'm entering today:

CES Challenge - Spring Colours/Image

CRAFT - Flowers

Tip Top Tuesday - Open

Stamptacular Sunday - Pile It On (5 types of die cuts, punchies)

Paper Sundaes - (at least two of) Sparkle, Pearls, Die Cuts, Yellow

Cupcake Inspirations - Picture of Cake (took inspiration from the colour combo)

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a wonderful week to come ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Thinking Of You.....

2011-04-22T10:28:00.005+01:00

Morning everyone and happy Good Friday to you!

Oh dear, my poor blog has been well and truly neglected again.... it's a whole week since I posted!!! Well I have been extremely busy behind the scenes but not with cardmaking.... we've just had an offer accepted on a house!!! So that'll mean a second house move in six months.... EEEEEEKKK! Anyway, I'll explain more in my next post as I've a million things to get done today and just stopped by to add my card quickly.

I decided to go vintage on this one and use one of the gorgeous images kindly supplied free by Magic Moonlight here. I used some sweet DCWV papers which I distressed heavily with scissors and ink.

One of the papers had lots of butterflies on so I cut several of them out to add as embellishments...... they work in so well with the papers that way you see.

And I'm very pleased with the floral arrangement.... lots of delish Prima flowers, leaves from Papirloftet, stunning skeleton leaves and finished off with punched stamens and brown pearls.

Here are the challenges I'm entering today:

EAC - Pearls

Flutter By Wednesday - Open

ASFOS - Let's Celebrate

Cupcake Craft Challenge - Lots Of Layers

Well thanks a million for stopping by today and have a wonderful Easter weekend..... many blessings to you all from me and from Him.

Oh and make to most of this sunshine won't you.... you do realise this is our Summer in the UK, lol!!!

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Spring Beauty......

2011-04-15T08:42:00.000+01:00

Good morning folks and Happy Friday..... yay, nearly the weekend already ;o)

I made a card using this sweet Magnolia image again..... defo my fave one from the latest collection..... that bunny is adorable even if he/she does look a little sad, lol!

I used more papers from the Prima Botanicals collection as I love the understated nature of them and they're gorgeous for creating a shabby chic theme. Those little stamped leaves are from a new Marianne stamp range I bought which also has some lovely floral designs. The flowers are Prima and the sentiment is Melissa Frances, plus I stamped out a Tim Holtz 'Postcard' stamp too.

I'm entering the following challenges:

Shabby Tea Room - Doilies/Lace

7 Kids - Easter/Spring

ASFOS - All Creatures Great and Small

Tip Top Tuesday - Spring Has Sprung

Magnolia-licious Colour Challenge - Pink and Green

Creative Card Crew - Spring

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a wonderful weekend ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Cherish.......

2011-04-12T07:29:00.004+01:00

Good morning....... it's been a while!

I've been making the most of our wonderful Spring weather and getting out and about, so there hasn't been much crafty time lately!!

Anyway, I did find time to make this card last night using new Magnolia stamps.... isn't the dog a cutie?!!

I masked Tilda and the dog with a Spring fence which I doubled up to make it longer. I do love that you can create a nice scene when you mask several images together. I coloured everything with Polys and added some Stickles for sparkle. I recently bought the Prima Botanicals paper pad and I love it..... very shabby chic and vintagey so you might be seeing it some more ;o)

Now you know how I love my handmade roses..... well I spotted Marianne Creatables had bought out some new dies to make them so the leaves and roses on this card have been made using one of them. They're so much fun to make and so easy!! Easy is good right?

I'm entering the following challenges:

Flutterby Wednesday - Open

Simon Says - Easter/Spring Colours

Crafts and Me - Glitter and Anything Goes

Creative Inspirations - Punches and Dies

Craft Your Passion - 2x2

Thanks so much for stopping by, it means so much ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday!

2011-04-04T08:10:00.000+01:00

Good morning!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and if you were celebrating Mother's Day yesterday I hope you had lots of fun! I had a lovely time and both my kiddos bought me wonderful gifts..... and I was treated to breakfast in bed and a homecooked meal in the evening..... perfect!!

Whilst the family was hard at work making my day as relaxing as possible, I spent some quiet time in my craft room and created this card. I thought I'd use this sweet pink butterfly as it is quite metallic which fits in with the new Magnolia Down Under Challenge.

As you can see the card has quite a nice 3-d element with all the flowers I added. The papers are Prima and the fence is Magnolia DooHickey. I used another of the new Magnolia images and a gorgeous background from the new range too...... the sentiment is from the last release.

I'm also entering the following challenges:

Crafty Calendar - April Showers Bring Forth May Flowers

Allsorts - Blooming Blossoms

Saturday Challenge - Butterflies

The Corrosive Challenge - Pastel Colours

Addicted To Stamps - Happy Birthday

Paper Sundaes - Spring Blossoms

Hope your week is a good one..... thanks so much for stopping by today ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Some Bunny Loves You......

2011-03-31T08:19:00.000+01:00

Good morning peeps!

Hope you're having a nice week so far! When I saw that the new challenge over at Crafty Creations was 'Bunnies' I knew just the image I wanted to play with...... awwww, how flippin' cute?! Magnolia's latest range is adorable and perfect for Spring and Easter cards. I don't normally use much lilac but I do love Basic Grey's Kioshi papers and thought the soft pastels would work beautifully.

I coloured Tilda with Prismas and Polys and I edged the image with a Stempleglede stamp.

Here's a flat view of the card to show the dimension and you'll see I made some more of my torn roses after spotting that the new ABC Challenge this week is roses. Have I told you before I just love making these, lol?! I also die cut my fave leaves from Marianne Creatable and finished with a shiny butterfly from my stash and a computer-generated sentiment.

I'm also entering the following challenges:

7 Kids - Seeing Spots

Totally Gorjuss - Spring Is Sprung

Tip Top Tuesday - Nature Inspired

ASFOS - Easter Creations

Have a great day and thanks so much for stopping by ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Spring Bunny Hop.......

2011-03-28T08:25:00.000+01:00

Good morning!

This is such a quick post as I'm off to work in a minute..... just posting a card I managed to make yesterday and I'll be back later to add the details....

I'm entering the following challenges:

Just Magnolia - BINGO (Gems, Flowers, Ribbon/Lace)

Magnolia Down Under - White Shabby Chic

Magnolia Stamp Lovers - Ribbon

Cupcake Inspirations - Spring Picture

Colour Create - Pastels (Easter)

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a fab day ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Candy to celebratee the launch of Laura's new store, The Artful Splodger!

2011-03-27T19:10:00.003+01:00

Hiya folks!

Hope you all had a nice weekend..... I'm just getting over a bit of a nasty tummy but feeling much brighter today..... I missed the NEC yesterday because of it but never mind, there's always November!

Anyway, this post is to wish my lovely friend Laura all the best for tomorrow because she is launching a brand new venture...... an online craft store called 'The Artful Splodger'! This is such a brave thing to do and I hope you'll pay her new blog a visit to see what she plans to stock. And you get a 10% discount on your first order!!

To celebrate the launch Laura is offering the gorgeous candy you see pictured above so hop on over and leave her a comment..... and don't forget to spread the word too!

Thanks for stopping by this evening....... it's still light outside, woohooooo!!!!

Hugs Tara xxx

Friendship Is The Poetry Of Life.....

2011-03-25T08:40:00.000Z

Good morning everyone!

Sorry another week has gone by without me posting a card!!! I've been so busy with work and home and of course I've been making the most of our fantastic Spring weather. And Mr Mojo has still been naughty too..... I just can't seem to make anything I'm really happy with!

Anyway, for this card I inked up one of the new Tildas I've just bought and used one of the latest Basic Grey collections, Hello Luscious..... you can buy them both here.

I'm entering the following challenges:

ASFOS - Ribbons, Pearls and Lace (the ribbon is on Tilda's hat, tee hee)

7 Kids - Pink and Flowers

Craft Your Days Away - For Mum or a Special Lady (my sister-in-law)

Crafts and Me - Anything Goes

Crafty Creations - In Stitches

Stamp With Fun - Spring

I'm dashing off to work now as usual so I'll wish you a very happy weekend and catch you later!

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Happy Retirement......

2011-03-18T08:15:00.001Z

Good morning!

Woah! It's ages since I last posted!! I've had a serious mojo crisis this week so I decided to leave the crafty stash well alone and do something else for a change! Then I was asked to make a retirement card mid way through the week.......EEEEEKKKK! Nothing worse than a commission when you're not feeling creative!

So I had a long think about which image would work and was relieved when this sweet Magnolia watering can came to mind.... phew! And when I'd chosen the gorgeous Webster's Pages paper the whole card came together with a bit of a bird theme.... spot another of my little nests with eggs in, lol! I used my beloved DooHickey fence die as it works with just about everything!!

I'm entering the following challenges:

Magnolia Stamp Lovers - Use Dies

Magnolia Down Under - Two of Anything (patterned papers)

Charisma - To Die For

Thanks so much for looking and have an amazing weekend!

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Wishing You A Lifetime Of Love....

2011-03-13T10:15:00.001Z

Good morning everyone!

I'm thrilled to be showing you my guest DT card today for Cupcake Inspirations.... I was so happy to be asked to join the team for a week as this is fast becoming one of my fave challenges! The photo inspiration each week is truly delicious and you can't help but be inspired to create something a bit yummy!

As you can see this week's inspiration comes from lots of scrumptious cupcakes and biscuits.... think green and pink, hearts and pearls, shamrocks and good luck.... there's so much you can do!

I've banned my daughter Georgia from my blog today as it's her birthday tomorrow and this card is for her. I thought an easel card would make it special and, as she loves Tilda, I knew this cutie would be well received! My papers are Basic Grey Urban Prairie.... haven't used these for a very long time! I used a Martha Stewart border punch for the middle strips and a heart doily from my stash. And my handmade roses are making an appearance again.... told you I'd be making them alot, lol! I found a cute little shamrock stamp in my stash which I think is by High Hopes, so I stamped and cut a few out to tie in with the St Patrick's Day theme too!

Here's another view of the easel just for good measure.... I forgot how much fun they are to make!

I'm also entering the following challenges with my card:

Daring Cardmakers - Home Baked (flowers)

Tip Top Tuesday - Happy Birthday

PaperPlay - Shades Of Green/Good Luck

Charisma - Easel Card

Shabby Tea Room - Luck Of The Irish

So I'd like to thank the girls over at Cupcake Inspirations so much for having me and I really hope you'll feel inspired to join in too!

Have a lovely Sunday ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Spring Has Sprung..... Yippee!!!!

2011-03-12T09:30:00.004Z

Happy weekend to you all!

I'm here with my card for the Cupcake Inspirations Challenge..... and just in the nick of time too! It is a delish picture again this week and so full of the joys of Spring!

These aren't colours I normally opt for and this led me to have a really good root through my paper stash.... and I came up with these pretty lilac papers made by Papermania. I certainly don't think this is a 'less is more' card do you, lol?! I just couldn't stop adding to it!! I nearly threw it in the bin when I'd just started.... with just the papers and image on it looked mighty bare! But then it all started to piece together when I added the beautiful Prima Hydrangea blooms! I also added lots of my fave DooHickey dies.

Now you might be wondering what a bee has to do with Spring..... well they do start to grace our gardens during this season and then really begin their work in earnest during the early Summer months..... I actually think bees are rather beautiful creatures. They buzz around doing their job and rarely bother us at all..... then you know who takes over don't you?...... those PESKY wasps!!!

I'm entering the following challenges with my card today:

PaperTake Weekly - Lemon Zingy

Simon Says Stamp - Anything Goes

Crafty Catz - Yellow and Green

Raise The Bar - G.R.E.E.N. Acronym (Garden, Reeds, Edging Stitch, Embellishments, Nature)

Have a fantastic weekend and make it a crafty one ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

A Year Older, A Lot Cuter!.....

2011-03-10T08:07:00.002Z

Good morning folks!

I have to make this a brief post this morning because I'm running a bit late for work!

I made a card for a dear friend's birthday and followed the lovely sketch over at Waltingmouse. As a result of the layout I've ended up with quite a clean and simple card for me.... can't believe it!!! Well it does show off the design of my gorgeous Fiskars corner and border rose punch at least!

I've used one of the new Hanglar stamps which I was lucky enough to get on EBay, such a sweetie she is and lovely to colour! The papers are Prima and I added pearls and a butterfly from my stash.

Here are the challenges I'm entering today:

Lovely Hanglar - Stitching

Sentimental Sundays - Pearls and Lace (lace effect from the punched border in this case)

Less Is More - Spring Colours

Make It Colourful - Colour With Shine

ABC - 'P' is for Pearls

Creative Card Crew - No Flowers

Thanks so much for looking ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Wishing You Happiness......

2011-03-08T07:47:00.005Z

Good morning folks!

I was struggling to come up with a birthday card for my sister last night.... do you find sometimes that close family members don't always 'get' the whole cute thing we do with images? Well mine don't, so I knew I had to come up with something a bit different, but what?! When I'm blog hopping and I see something I love I always make a note for future reference, so I looked through my list and came across one which I'd named bird houses...... hmmmmm, intriguing!! So I checked it out and came across this amazing card here..... wow, what a talented lady!!! And I knew this would be perfect for my sister's March birthday.... pretty, feminine and very seasonal.

I obviously put my own mark on the card but would like to say a huge thanks for the inspiration! As you can see I made some more of these little torn roses.... I think they might become my trademark soon as I just love making them!! I also took lots of inspiration from the challenge over at Simply Create as they have a mood board to work with and the colours are just beautiful!

I added in a little fabric bird and used some scraps of Kay & Co paper for the houses.... plus more of my gorgeous fabric vine leaf ribbon..... not sure I'll cope when that runs out, lol!

I'm also entering the following challenges:

Cute Card Thursday - Signs Of Spring

Crafty Calendar - Spring

Crafty Cardmakers - Fabric

Have a wonderful day and enjoy the sunshine if you're lucky enough to get a little!

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

P.S. I Love You.......

2011-03-07T08:15:00.000Z

Good morning to you all....... I hope you had a lovely weekend!

This is a card I made for the challenge over at 7 Kids College Fund where the theme is Mardi Gras. I certainly learnt something about this celebration I can tell you..... hop over to the blog for a great history lesson about the colours and what they mean. So the brief is to use the Mardi Gras colours of Purple, Green and Gold. Now this was a challenge and a half for me as I would never normally work with these colours all at once..... but do you know something, I kind of like the combination!

I think my card has turned out a bit like a collage really..... I wasn't sure where I was going with it but wanted to created the feeling of everything swirling around, like Tilda is blowing the leaves and butterflies about. The luscious papers are Webster's Pages and the butterflies were cut from them too. The swirl is Magnolia DooHickey and the leaves are from a Martha Stewart punch. I added a Melissa Frances rub-on for the sentiment.

I'd like to enter these challenges too:

Paper Sundaes - Stripes

Paper Play - Shabby Chic/Vintage

Just Magnolia - Anything Goes + Optional Glitter

Tip Top Tuesday - Fave Embellishment/Technique (for me it has to be leaves)

That's all for now...... must dash off to do the school run and then work (groan)!

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Basic Grey Week 39 - Wings - Once Upon A Time....

2011-03-05T09:30:00.000Z

Good morning to you all and welcome to another Basic Grey Challenge..... where did the last fortnight go, lol!

I think we have a fab challenge for you this time which is wings..... soooo many possibilities to choose from! As you can see I made some wings from a Creatables butterfly die and then pimped my Tilda, lol!

In fact she's a magical Tilda and is blowing her fairy dust on you so make a wish won't you! I used Basic Grey Green At Heart papers (very popular with the DT this week). I also added the gorgeous Magnolia background stamp which reminds me of Spring and a Magnolia sentiment too! The flowers are a mix of my own punched creations and some Wild Orchid roses.

I hope you can join in the fun with our latest challenge and please check out what my fellow teamies have created for you today.... there's some wonderful inspiration!

I'm also adding in the following challenges for my card:

EAC - Spring

By The Cute & Girly - Springtime

Cupcake Creations - Photo Inspiration

Wild Orchid - Anything Goes

Thanks so much for visiting me today and I hope you'll have fun entering our challenge ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

You're Sweet.....

2011-03-04T08:10:00.001Z

Good morning everyone..... yay it's nearly the weekend! Hope you have something nice planned!

I noticed that the new challenge over at Magnolia-licious Highlites, chosen by the lovely and very talented Janny, is to make a card or project with a frame and thought it would be fun! Oh boy, check out the DT creations if you have a minute..... they're all so fabulous, what talented ladies!!

Now I've seen this idea for framing an image out there in blogland a few times, but can't remember where..... so if you're the person who inspired me then THANK YOU! I simply cut out a circle with a thick border and wrapped my lace around, then stuck it over this sweet Magnolia image..... what a cutie!

I nearly forgot to mention that there is also a recipe with this challenge..... to use at least one of each of these - bling/pearls, trim/ribbon, Magnolia image and flowers!....... CHECK!
The papers I've used are Papermania Blueberry Hill and I added these yummy Sizzix leaves as I love them so much, plus some gorgeous Prima Hydrangeas which I scrunched up a bit for shabbiness, lol! Added a few pearls, a Martha Stewart punched border and a Studio G sentiment and...... finished! I hope you like it! I've had so much fun with my last few creations so I won't be surprised if the old mojo does a crash and burn on me sometime soon!!! You can't stay on a roll forever right?!

Here are the other challenges I'm entering with this one:

Stamptacular Sunday - You've Been Framed

Flutterby Wednesday's - Open Challenge

Totally Papercrafts - Pearls and Lace

Stampin' For The Weekend - Springtime

I'm so grateful you took the time to come over today and check out my work..... thank you sooooooo much for your time ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

I'm Stuck On You!......

2011-03-03T08:45:00.002Z

Good morning everyone!

What a lovely Spring day it is today..... cold and frosty but beautifully bright and the birds are having a good old singsong about it!!

Here's a card I made using the lovely romantic window Magnolia recently released.... I love it! And it works perfectly with these pretty Webster's pages papers! Now I did follow Mina's gorgeous sketch for Just Magnolia, but I know it might be difficult to see that.... I swappped the image circle for a square and my two cross over border strips may not be that recognisable...... I did try, lol! I just seem to go off at a tangent sometimes when following a sketch, that's all!! Well I hope you can work out what I did, hee hee!

Now do you like these little roses? Well I made them myself using Core'dinations cardstock and they were very simple really..... you just tear a spiral shape, roll the whole thing up and then losen and tweak to the desired shape..... oh and pop a pearl in the middle to finish.... and voila! I'm really pleased with how they turned out and will definitley be making more soon!

I used a DooHickey die for the fence and QuicKutz leaves...... everything else is from my stash.

I'm entering these challenges today:

CES - Flowers and Flutterbies

Allsorts - Make Your Own Flowers

MDUC - Flower Power

Corrosive Challenge - Distressing

Try It On Tuesday - Inspired By A Song (Lionel Richie - Stuck On You)

Thanks for visiting today........ be happy!

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Dare To Dream.....

2011-03-02T11:06:00.005Z

Good morning everyone!

Here's a card I made using the gorgeous Magnolia basket stamp and Tilda from the Apples & Cherries collection. I also used scrummy Basic Grey Curio papers and DooHickey leaf and swirl dies. The sweet flowers are all from Papirloftet and the sentiment is LOTV.

Here's a close up of the image coloured with Prisma and Poly pencils and I added lots of liquid pearl dots too.

Here are the challenges I'm entering today:

PaperTake Weekly - Anything Goes (and something old..... the Magnolia basket)

Simon Says - Recipe (1 image, 2 papers, 3 different types of embellishment)

Creative Inspirations - In The Garden

Thank you so much for stopping by and have a wonderful afternoon ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Loving Wishes......

2011-02-28T08:13:00.005Z

Good morning folks!

Here's a card I made for my friend's daughter using one of the brand new Sarah Kay images now available..... isn't she gorgeous?! I do love Sarah Kay!!

I've used Basic Grey Marjolaine papers and Magnolia DooHickey dies, plus some of my trusty green vine leaves.

I'm entering the following challenges with this card:

One Stop - Spring Flowers

Sweet Stampin' - Oh So Girlie

Thanks so much for looking and have a fab day!

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Amore.....

2011-02-25T09:05:00.000Z

Good morning folks!

Boy I'm on a roll this week, you can tell I have some time off work...... here I am back with another creation! This time I've gone vintage for the Simon Says Challenge which is Coffee and Cream...... such a lovely colour combo and it just felt right to go with this Stempleglede beauty. I've decided to enter the DT call as I love the challenge and the girls on the team are all so nice.... one or two are already on the Basic Grey team with me ;o)

I used a mix of papers on this one.... Basic Grey Archaic and Papermania V&A mainly. The flowers and leaves are Prima and the Amore rub-on is by Melissa Frances. The rest of the items are bits and bobs from my stash.

I'm entering the following challenges with this creation:

CES Challenge - Spots and Stripes

Stamptacular Sunday - SOS (SomeOne Special)

Creative Inspirations Challenge - Distress

Creative Inspirations - Stripes

This topper is currently for sale on EBay here.

Thanks so much for stopping by today and enjoy the start to your weekend ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

For My Friend.....

2011-02-24T12:14:00.003Z

Good morning everyone!

What a beautiful day it is in my part of the world today, YIPPEE!!! I've got a line full of washing blowing in the breeze.... there's something very satisfying about that....... LOL! Saddo I know!! I have the next two days off work and I'm just pottering and chilling.... off to make a card after lunch.... if only life could be like this always......

Anyway, I made a card using the sketch over at EAC this week.... it's a real beauty and I'm so pleased with how this one worked out ;o) And when I saw that LOTV are asking us to use circles I knew I had to play with this little cutie!!

Because I chose the sentiment 'For My Friend' I thought I'd better introduce a little companion for the little fairy girl and decided that this sweet Magnolia snail would be perfect!

I used Basic Grey Porcelain papers and Magnolia DooHickey dies, plus those yummy Cuttlebug swirly corners.

I'd also like to enter the following challenges:

Colour Create - Pick Three Fruity Colours (Watermelon Pink, Kiwi and Coconut)

Creative Card Crew - Fantasy

Oldie But A Goodie - Spring Is In The Air

I'm selling this topper on Ebay just here.

Thanks so much for your visit ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Loves Me.. Loves Me Not.. Loves Me..

2011-02-23T07:35:00.000Z

Good morning and happy hump day!

I'm enjoying sifting through some of my older Magnolia stamps and when I found this little cutie I just couldn't resist inking her up again! And I'm really enjoying combining stamps too so I decided that the Magnolia Tree would work really nicely.

I chose to work with Basic Grey Lemonade papers on this occasion and even paper pieced some hearts with the checked design. The little white flowers are Prima and the leaves are from a Martha Stewart punch..... and you'll also spot the DooHickey Fence again, I just love it! Oh and I also punched a little Martha Stewart butterfly which is lurking amongst the leaves.

You might just notice that I glittered Tilda a wee bit, lol! Those wings were just crying out for some fairy dust you see!!

I'm entering the following challenges with this topper:

Crafty Creations - At The Bottom Of My Garden..... Lives!

MDUC - Distressing

Crafty Cardmakers - Fairies + at least two punches

Dutch Dare - Sparkle, Glitter, Bling

PaperPlay - Add Shine

Pile It On - Childhood Dreams

This topper is now available to buy on EBay right here.

Thanks for stopping by today and have a good one!!!

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Some Bunny Loves You!

2011-02-20T13:33:00.018Z

Good morning folks!

I thought I'd have a bit of fun with this week's Just Magnolia Challenge which is 'Love You'..... as I was sifting through some of my earlier Magnolia stamps I came across this sweet bunny which made me smile....... I pondered how I could make her fit in with the theme and came up with the sentiment 'Some Bunny Loves You!' which I then printed out on the computer...... so I guess now I have my first Easter card ready, lol!

This is actually a topper rather than a card and I've used the following items...... Basic Grey 'Green At Heart' papers, DooHickey Fence die, Creatables leaves, Martha Stewart Hydrangea punched flowers and liquid pearls.

I'm also entering this creation into the Marianne Design Challenge where the theme is Spring.

This topper is currently for sale on EBAY along with a few of my other recent creations if you're interested ;o)

Thanks so much for stopping by for a peek today!

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Basic Grey Week 38 - Heather's Sketch.....

2011-02-19T09:00:00.000Z

Good morning everyone and welcome to another Basic Grey Challenge! We had a bumper fortnight with our 'hearts' challenge so a huge thank you to everyone that took the time to enter the last challenge!

This week we are welcoming lots of new teamies to the fold after having a really successful DT call, so I hope you'll be able to hop over and check out their amazing talent!! And the lovely Heather has provided us with a beautiful sketch to play with so dig out all your Basic Grey goodies and join in the fun!

For my card this week I dug out an old paper pad called Stella Ruby which is full of vibrant, floral designs. And I chose a sweet little Penny Black image as my centrepiece which was nice and easy to colour! I cut out part of the design paper to create the tumbling flowers and added a few punched leaves. And the tied raffia gives it a nice country feel I think.

I'm entering the following challenges with my card:

Allsorts - Inspired by Nature

Charisma - Spring Has Sprung

Crafts and Me - Spread Your Wings

Creative Card Crew - Friendship

Let's Ink It Up - Romance

I'm off to get my son ready for cricket nets now so I'll catch you later........ have a fun weekend!

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Tilda's Happiness......

2011-02-16T19:26:00.006Z

Good morning folks!

I hope you're all having a good week so far? Here is a card I made using an older Tilda stamp and it made me realise how much Magnolia have changed their images over time. They're definitely bigger now and the face shape has changed so much, but I really like the innocence of this sweet image so much!

I used Papermania V&A papers and Martha Stewart punches for the flowers and leaves. That gorgeous coffee coloured trim was from my local haberdashery shop and was very expensive.... over a fiver for a metre so I only bought 1/4 of a metre and need to use it sparingly.... although something tells me I'll be back there to buy more, lol!

I'm entering the following challenges:

Paper Sundaes - Toppings (Flowers, Distressing, Pink)

Magnolia Stamp Lovers - Pastels

Bunny Zoes - Spring.... Flowers Everywhere!

7 Kids - Square

ABC - Old Fashioned (this Tilda compared to the new ones)

The Play Date Cafe - Pink, Beige

Have a lovely day and thanks so much for stopping by ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

SWALK Release..... A Little Kiss......

2011-02-12T09:02:00.006Z

Morning folks!

Happy Weekend!! I'm here to show you one of the gorgeous new SWALK stamp releases from Crafter's Companion...... warning, these are seriously cute!!! If you have time this morning you might want to watch the launch show on Create and Craft TV too..... then you can see the complete range.

For my card I chose to go with a more simple style than I usual create as I really think the image steals the show and needs the limelight! This one would be perfect for Valentine, Anniversary, Engagement, etc and these little beauties are a dream to colour!

The backing papers are from one of the earlier SWALK CD releases and you can find everything from each range on the website now.

I'm entering the following challenges with this card:

The Crafty Pad - Love is in the Air
Cutie Sunday - Hearts
Creative Stamp Friends - Valentine
Stamp With Fun - Love
Double Dutch - Love is in the Air
Creative Card Crew - For a Loved One
Papertake Weekly - Have a Heart
EAC - Valentine
ASFOS - Let's See Some Love

Have a lovely weekend and take care ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Vintage Made With Love.....

2011-02-09T08:51:00.003Z

Good morning everyone!

Here is a card topper I made last night using an older image. I'm happy with the way it turned out for three reasons...... I love the vintage look..... I adore my new Creatables leaves...... and I think this Basic Grey Curio paper is totally divine!!!

I had fun ripping and distressing the paper edges and I really think I suit this style best ;o) The flowers were cut from an EK Success punch and I squeezed the petals for more definition. I also scrunched up my image a little so the creases are meant to be there, lol!

I'd like to enter these challenges:

Waltzingmouse Sketch - Sketch (flipped one quarter anti-clockwise)

Totally Papercrafts - Friendship

Sweet Stampin' - Spring Flowers

Crafty Creations - Three Little Words

Well that's me...... I have a day off today so I'm getting the food shopping out of the way earlier, then I'll have some inky time hopefully, YAY!

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Basic Grey Week 37 - All Heart......

2011-02-05T09:13:00.004Z

Good morning folks and welcome to another Basic Grey Challenge where we have a theme of hearts for you this time around. That should be a nice easy one with Valentine's Day approaching!! You'll see that the DT call has now closed and hopefully it won't be too long before we announce the winners.... good luck to everyone who entered!

For my card I chose to work with one of the new Tilda releases from Magnolia and the gorgeous Bittersweet papers from Basic Grey..... and I recently bought a few sheets of element stickers which work so beautifully with the papers and you can see I've used some of them here...... makes a nice change from flowers sometimes!

Tilda has been glittered and I've added Liquid Pearls to make a pretty border..... that's about it really...... hearts galore on this one,lol!

I'm also entering the following challenges:

7 Kids - I Heart You

Colour Q - Poppy Parade, Cameo Coral, Blushing Bride, Early Espresso, Vanilla

Craft Your Days Away - Love

Let's Ink It Up - Anything Goes

Magnolia Stamp Lovers - Glitter

Paper Sundaes - Valentine

Raise The Bar - Hearts

Simon Says Stamp - Love Is In The Air

Crafty Calendar - Love

Have a fab weekend and take care ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Vintage You're Sweet.....

2011-02-02T08:18:00.002Z

Good morning folks!

I can't believe it's so long since I posted a card!!! I've been so busy with the changes in my life and work that my crafting time has been seriously restricted!

Anyway, I did manage to put this card together for a work colleague who has a birthday at the end of the week. I've used a giant scalloped 8x8 card and mounted a topper made using Memory Box papers and a Magic Moonlight image. The swirls are Tim Holtz, the flowers are Prima and the leaves, butterflies and heart border are Martha Stewart.

I'll be back later to add some challenges to this card, but I'm running late this morning (as always) so I really must dash and I'll see you all later on.....

Have a great day ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Basic Grey Challenge 36 - Flower Power......

2011-01-22T09:58:00.006Z

Good morning everyone!

Welcome to a new challenge over at Basic Grey where we have the theme of Flower Power this week.... nice and easy right? And we are still continuing with our Design Team call for the next fortnight too, so hopefully this week's challenge will encourage you to apply! We're having so much fun looking at all the entries so far and it's going to be an impossible task choosing from the vast array of talent!!

I guess my card is more simple than those I've made already this week...... I did manage to hold back on the embellies a touch this time, lol! My papers are from the gorgeous Wisteria range and sadly I'm running low now, but I love the soft, muted tones of these particular papers I've chosen.

I tried to make it look like Tilda was running through a bed of flowers and maybe catching some from a branch above? And the sweet sentiments are from a Melissa Frances rub-on sheet.

Well that's all from me.... I hope you'll hop over and see what my lovely teamies have created for our challenge today and have fun getting floral!

I'm off to paint the bathroom now, groan..... I don't like decorating but I want to get it done as a surprise for my hubby whilst he's out at work ;o) There will be a reward for me at the end of the day though as we're off on a night out with a group of friends to celebrate a couple of birthdays..... a few drinks to begin with and then a Chinese banquet to finish the night off in style ;o)

Toodles for now and have a fab weekend!

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Nature-Loving Tilda.......

2011-01-21T07:40:00.003Z

Hello again!

Happy Friday to you all..... I don't know about anyone else but I'm really looking forward to the weekend! I find it so hard to get up for work when it's dark and I so enjoy a little lie in on a Saturday and Sunday!! Years ago when I lived with my parents I would think nothing of staying in bed most of the morning, but nowadays just an extra hour does the trick and makes me feel like I've had a real treat!

Anyway, I've been waffling on so I'll get back to the task in hand, lol! Firstly I just want to thank everyone who has stopped by to leave me such sweet comments on my return to blogland..... you have made me feel so at home again!

Here is....... yep you guessed it..... another card topper! I've used the delightful circus Tilda and scrummy papers from Basic Grey's Curio collection.

In the close up of my embellies you'll see I went to town with butterflies, flowers and pins galore!

And I also used a Cuttlebug Embossing Folder to create the distressed branch upon which Miss Tilda is delicately perched. The sentiment is one of WOJ's Christmas releases but it works all year round if you cover up the little candy canes.... which I did here with little heart gems ;o)

My topper is available now to buy on EBAY along with one or two others as seen in my previous posts!

I'm entering this creation into the following challenges:

7 Kids College Fund - Challenge Yourself! (I don't feel comfortable embossing as much as I used to)

Totally Papercrafts - Add A Heart

Well have a lovely weekend and hope it's a creative one!!

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Loving Wishes From Tilda's Window.....

2011-01-19T12:14:00.005Z

Good morning Peeps!

I'm back again already..... certainly got the creative bug running through my veins again, lol! So I've made another topper and this time I've inked up my gorgeous new window stamp from the new Magnolia collection, I love it!!!

I think I've gone all summery and used one of my fave colour combos of pink, green and brown, along with lots of hearts, butterflies and flowers.

I've used Papermania papers and Prima flowers, plus a sweet little Martha Stewart heart punch. The banner and sentiment are from Magnolia.

I thought I'd do a slanted shot to show you how 3-D this topper is.......

As with my previous post this topper is now available on EBAY!

I'm entering the following challenges:

Just Magnolia - My Favourite Things

Truly Scrumptious - Pink, Brown and Green

Simon Says Stamp - BINGO (Punch/Die Cuts, Flowers, Gems)

Thanks so much for taking a look today and have a lovely afternoon!

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Sugar Nellie Daisy in Blue and Green......

2011-01-18T16:39:00.004Z

Yippeeeeeee!!

I'm back in Blogland and I've really missed you all! I have now moved house and thankfully settled in really well, but I've been without internet connection for a while! I am lucky enough to have my own craft room now which is really exciting and I have been busy making stuff for a few days and have really enjoyed getting creative again, so hopefully my blog won't look neglected for much longer ;o)

I've made a card topper using this gorgeous Sugar Nellie Daisy stamp which is one of my all time faves and my papers are from Basic Grey's brand new Marjolaine collection, along with some gorgeous element stickers.

I'm going to enter this creation into this week's ASFOS Challenge as I notice they have a theme of 'Blue and Green'..... perfect!

In case you might be interested this topper is now for sale here on EBAY!

Thank you sooooooo much for stopping by today and have a lovely evening ;o) I look forward to visiting all your blogs for a catch up in the next few days!!

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxxxx

My Top Ten Of 2010.......

2010-12-29T09:47:00.014Z

Good morning folks..... I hope you all had an amazing Christmas and are looking forward to a fun New Year too! I'm really sorry I didn't get chance to pass on my festive wishes earlier but I've been really poorly since the weekend before Christmas..... it's possible that I caught swine flu and then I developed a nasty chest infection and I'm still taking the antibiotics for that now!

Anyway, enough doom and gloom from me..... I'm on the mend now and I'm looking forward to my house move next week....... EEEEEK!!! I will have to pack away my craft stuff very soon so I may be missing from my blog for a wee while, but I'm looking forward to setting up my very own craft room and then I shall be raring to go once more, YAY!

So I thought I'd join in with the fun and show you my fave 10 cards from 2010.....

This is my favourite Penny Black image, so sweet and vintage.....

The gorgeous Motivet Garden Fairy and I think this is my fave card of them all....

Gorgeous LadyBug Tilda stamped onto the card behind the apeture.....

Beutiful Tilda blowing bubbles, made into a sweet baby card.....

Paper pieced hat and scarf for this sassy TGF image....

Edwin and Tilda become Robin Hood and Tinkerbell.....

Sugar Nellie Daisy makes a wish......

I've even thrown in a male card for good measure.....

A tropical Magnolia wedding card......

And finally, a card to celebrate my fave season....

Thank you so much for looking at my top ten and also for sharing your delightful creations too..... I've really enjoyed the trip down memory lane and seeing what everyone has been up to in 2010..... and may 2011 be just as much fun!!!

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Merry Christmas.........

2010-12-18T09:21:00.004Z

Good morning everyone!

Thought I'd nip on to show you a quick Christmas card I came up with this week using a pre-coloured LOTV die cut image..... these are fab when you need something instant but I did add my own touch by inking and stitching the edges, plus I glittered the sweet little bunny within an inch of her life, lol!

I found inspiration for the layout from some fabulous cards made by the uber talented Kath.... which you can see here. I just loved the colour palette and country feel!

I'm entering the following challenges:

CES - Anything Goes

Sweet Stampin' - Celebrate

Allsorts - Anything Goes

Fussy and Fancy Friday - Show Us Some Snow

ASFOS - Christmas Card

Creative Card Crew - Anything Goes

Thanks for stopping by and have a fabulous weekend ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Warm Winter Wishes.......

2010-12-14T13:31:00.002Z

Good afternoon folks!

A speedy post to show you this card I made to send with my recent candy giveaway..... I used one of the latest Tilda stamps and my papers are Memory Box Mistletoe. The die cuts are Sizzix Mistletoe and Quicutz Holly. I stamped around the outer edges of my paper with a Winter Tapestry Peg Kit so you might just be able to see the little pine cones and twigs.

Enjoy the rest of your day and sorry that I have to dash away......

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

'Heads Up' For Tim Holtz' Tattered Florals Die!!!

2010-12-12T16:39:00.006Z

Hi there!

Just a quick 'heads up' to anyone who hasn't managed to get hold of a Tim Holtz Tattered Florals Sizzix Bigz die yet...... I know they've been like gold dust ever since they were released...... well I've just spotted them in stock over at Cutting Edge Crafts, which is a fantastic online shop offering free delivery!!! I have always had top service from them and they carry a great range!

Anyway, they appear to have some in stock just now so BE QUICK!!!!!

Hugs Tara xxx

Season's Greetings......

2010-12-10T16:52:00.004Z

Good evening folks...... hope you've had a nice week!

Thought I'd best show up with a card as my poor blog is looking a little neglected! I was supposed to be moving today but we've been put back now until just after the New Year..... I'm quite pleased really because the decos have now gone up and I've finished the Christmas shopping...... so it won't be quite as chaotic as I imagined this festive season, lol!

The card I'm showing today is BIG..... 8x8 size in fact...... and I've made it for my parents. I think sometimes the standard 6x6 card is a little small for close family, do you know what I mean?

I was inspired to make my card when I saw this stunning creation on Julie's blog, WOW! Isn't it gorgeous? And I thought it would be perfect as its so elegant. There's not a hint of design paper here, just some embossing and lots of Sizzix die cuts, along with one of the sweet Tildas from the latest collection and a Flora Doodles bloom. I think I'll be making one or two more of these large cards in a similar design as I'm sure older people will probably appreciate the more CAS layout..... not everyone 'gets' what we do right? LOL!

I'm entering the following challenges:

Just Magnolia - Make A Christmas Card

Cute Card Thursday - Floral Frenzy

Tuesday Throwdown - CAS

Tuesday Taggers - Deck The Halls

Thanks so much for stopping by and have a wonderful weekend ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

And The Winner Is......

2010-12-07T08:33:00.001Z

Random Generator 1 - 25 chose number 20!!!!

Which is.........

Julie from Julie's Inkspot!

Well done to you hun and thank you for all your lovely comments ;o)

Please email your addy to me and I'll get your prize posted...... I added one or two more goodies to the mix, smile! You can get my email addy from my profile ;o)

Once again, a huge thank you to everyone else who has stopped by to leave a comment on my blog lately. I've really enjoyed giving this candy away to show my appreciation and will be doing another one in the New Year!

Big hugs, Tara xxx

A Thank You Christmas Candy For Recent Commenters.......

2010-12-05T08:52:00.004Z

Good morning folks!

Life has been so hectic for me lately that I have had very little time for blogging..... so I wanted to say a huge thank you to all the lovely people who stop by to leave me such wonderful comments!

I've put together this little Christmas candy and have listed below all the people who have left comments on my last four creations..... these are folk who have stopped by just because they wanted to and not because I have entered a particular challenge ;o)

The candy consists of some Magnolia images, Basic Grey's Jovial 6x6 pad and Kay&Co's Christmas Designer Mat Pad.

I will pick a winner at random tomorrow evening from the 25 friends below:

1. Sue - Scoopy's Stuff

2. Caroline - Mad Moooo's Mayhem

3. Juls - The Glitter Chick

4. Mustavcoffee - Crafty Musings

5. Kelly - Crafting Creatively

6. Riet - Riet's Blog

7. Debby - A Scrapjourney

8. Claire - CraftyC's Crafting Library

9. Karen - Karen

10. Stella - Rosie Posy Crafts

11. Lorraine - Coldwaters 2

12. Maria - Maria's Studio

13. Heather - Rica's Haven

14. Fiona - Lil Daffodil

15. Annika - Another Messy Crafter

16. Danielle - Paper Inspirations By Danielle

17. Di - Dizzy Dan Designs

18. Elaine - Quixotic Cards

19.Squirrel - Squirrel's World

20. Julie - Julie's Inkspot

21. Trish - Trish's Art

22. Julie - Rainbow Days

23.Ali - Crafty Dragons

24.Tracy - Craft Addicts

25. Jolanda - Jolanda's Crafty Corner

Have a great day and good luck ;o)

Hugs Tara xxx

There Can Be Miracles........

2010-11-30T08:02:00.002Z

Good afternoon peeps!

I'm just flying on here to post another card quickly...... I tried to make a Christmas card without the traditional colours or embellies...... hence all the pink flowers, lol! Thankfully, this gorgeous Christmas Angel Tilda ensures that it will pass for the festive season!

Tilda's got a black hairdo for a change..... I always think I'll do a bad job colouring her hair this colour but actually it hasn't worked out too bad I think!

I've used Webster's Pages papers, Prima flowers and Sizzix die cuts for this card and the sentiment is computer generated.

Here are the challenges I'm entering:

Tip Top Tuesday - Anything Goes

Charisma - One For The Girls

Tuesday Throwdown - Embellish It

Let's Get Shabby - Christmas Song

Thanks so much for stopping by...... hugs Tara xxx

Basic Grey Week 34 - A Recipe.......

2010-11-28T12:32:00.005Z

Hiya folks!

I'm late with my Basic Grey DT card, oooops! I shoud have uploaded it yesterday but better late than never!!! Just not enough hours in the day at the minute!

Anyhow, this week we have a recipe for you as follows:

4 Different Types of Embellishments
(You can have as many of each type as you wish, as long as there are 4 different kinds, for example Ribbon, Pearls, Flowers, Charms etc etc)

3 Different Patterned Papers
(You can have as many plain matting papers as you wish, just as long as there are 3 patterned papers)

1-2 Images and/or 1-2 Sentiments
(You can choose to have up to 2 in either of these, or even both if you wish)

I'm sure you'll have lots of fun with this one and I just know you'll find all the inspiration you need when you check out the creations my teamies have come up with..... GORGEOUS!!!

So for my card I used papers from the Olivia and Kraft ranges. There are three papers; the checked, the spotted and the Kraft. My four embellies are die cuts, brads, ribbons and gems. And I used one Magnolia image plus the Northpole sentiment...... I'm not counting BRRR as a sentiment because I can file that one under die cuts, hee hee!

I'm also entering the following challenges with my card:

Totally Papercrafts - Untraditional Christmas

ABC Challenge - Ice and Snow

Stampin' For The Weekend - Winter

Pile It On - Winter Means.....

Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by today ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Sledding Hill.........

2010-11-26T10:26:00.002Z

Good morning everyone!

Well I'm managing to sneak in a couple more Christmas cards before I get swamped by the big move..... still not really started the bulk of the packing yet but I have been doing lots of clearing out and even managed to go through my craft stash last night! It always feels nice when you've had a good tidy up!!

I made my card using another gorgeous image from Magic Moonlight as I just love this little boy and girl sledging in the snow! And doesn't that Melissa Frances sentiment just work so perfectly?!

The papers are from the Memory Box Gossamer collection and the flowers and leaves are mostly Papirloftet. Do you like the cute procession of reindeer? I used a QuicKutz die to cut them out and tried to create an impression of them prancing across my card.

I'm entering these challenges:

ASFOS - Anything Goes

Crafts and Me - Dreaming of a White Christmas

Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge - Christmas With No Red and Green

Magical Monday - Let It Snow

Simon Says - Let It Snow

Well enjoy your day and have a wonderful weekend...... wrap up and keep warm won't you?!

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

'Happy Thanksgiving' to all our lovely American blogging friends!

2010-11-25T14:27:00.003Z

Wishing everyone a wonderful time!!!

Hugs Tara xxx

Made With Love....... A Gift From The Heart

2010-11-23T08:09:00.002Z

Good morning folks!

Here are a couple of vintage toppers I've made for this week's Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge...... the brief is to use your Distress Inks. This is the first time I've entered the challenge and I have to say the DT girls do an amazing job with their creations each week!

I've used Distress Inks in the simplest way really, to give definition to all the edges. And you might also be able to pick up that I stamped around the images using the inks along with Stempleglede's Grunge stampset.

I'm also entering these challenges:

CES - Lovely Lace

Let's Ink It Up - Recycle (book pages)

Well this is a bit of a flying post as I have to dash to work now...... I hope you have a creative day and thanks so much for stopping by ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Children Are A Poor Man's Wealth...........

2010-11-18T11:45:00.002Z

Good morning folks!

Here is a card I quickly made this week for my friend's daughter - and it is certainly far removed from all the rich Autumn colours and sparkly Winter themes which are in abundance through blogland at the minute.

I picked up this sweet little S.W.A.L.K. stamp from the Crafter's Companion stall at the NEC this month and she really was a dream to colour! I went for the fresh green and blue colour combo as I thought it would be nice for a young girl. And lucky for me it fits in perfectly with the new challenge over at Colour Create, where the colours are Robin Egg Blue, Sea Foam Green and Cream.

I'm also entering my card into this week's Crafty Purple Frog Challenge where the theme is flowers.

Toodles for now ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Joy To The World....... Basic Grey DT

2010-11-16T11:41:00.003Z

Good morning everyone!

I am soooooo late posting my DT card, ooooooops! Just so busy with all the prep for moving house and I haven't found time for crafting or blogging ;o(

Anyway, welcome to another Basic Grey Challenge where we have a fun theme for you this week...... please use wings somewhere on your creation. You could go along the nature route with butterflies and other insects, or you could think about Christmas with maybe an angel theme. Lots of the new Tilda stamps from Magnolia have wings so I decided to use this sweet sitting Tilda for my card. And do you like this gorgeous window she's sitting against? I got the stamp from the NEC last weekend and its by Molly Blooms.

I've used Basic Grey Jovial papers on this project and added a Martha Stewart punched edge to the border. The leaves are Sizzix amd the berries and feathers are from my stash. My lovely matey Annika kindly sent me the WOJ sentiments and that fantastic sparkly snowflake!

I'm going to enter my card into the following challenges:

ASFOS - Distressing

Crafty Calendar - Winter Snowflakes

ABC - H is for Holidays

Crafts and Me - Glitter

I might go quiet again now for a bit, but I am okay....... just a very busy bee, lol!

Take care and thanks so much for stopping by ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

My NEC Shopping Spree.......

2010-11-09T18:29:00.007Z

Hiya folks!

Sorry I haven't been around for a few days but I've sold my house and things have been truly hectic...... I now have just four weeks to prepare as the sale is going through very quickly and it looks like we'll be moving on December 10th!!!!! So when do I fit in Christmas, lol?!

Also, I've had a busy weekend as I spent Saturday at the NEC and Sunday recovering! It was just the best day on Saturday and meeting up with my blogging pals was PERFECT!! I love to have a good chat and a catch up and it makes the day so special...... sending big thanks and hugs to Jo, Chris, Kim, Heather, Kim and Tab for an amazing day! And I had the great pleasure of meeting Mina and Dena too and they were both such lovely ladies..... Mina you have a dirty laugh girl and Dena you have an such an infectious zest for life.... I hope it won't be the last time we meet!

I was also lucky enough to bump into Marlene, Jacqui, Bev, Lou and Andie...... hello ladies, it was lovely to see you ;o) Have I missed anyone out? I really hope not!!

So the pictures you can see are the stash I bought on the day..... lots of yummy things I wanted and a few extras I saw too! I managed to pick up a daylight lamp for £25 which I thought was an absolute bargain!!

Not sure how much of this new stash I'll be able to use now because the house sale might just take over my life a tad..... but it'll all be waiting for me again when I'm sorted ;o) I do have a couple of weeks before things get really mad so maybe you will see one or two more creations before then.

Must dash now...... take care and enjoy your evening!

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Hanglar You're Sweet........

2010-11-03T08:07:00.005Z

Good morning everyone!

Hope you are all feeling good today!! I've based this card on the wonderful sketch provided by the lovely Claudia over at Friday Sketchers this week. I really enjoyed adding all the layers and I do believe that, for once, my end result actually resembles the sketch I started out with, lol!

I've been meaning to ink up this sweet Hanglar image for a while now and pop her on the plant pot...... lots of colouring involved though!! I've coloured her with Prismas and also stickled her wings. I don't very often do black hair but I think it quite suits her!

I've punched out some EK Success small retro flowers and some Martha Stewart leaves, plus I've added some fancy metal corners which were sent in a RAK from my dear friend Heather..... see you Saturday at the NEC matey (excited wink)! I've also stamped lots of faux stitching around various edges as I do love the effect and its much easier than trying to sew (well for me anyway)!!

I think this card could be given to someone for Christmas because of the colours..... these gorgeous papers are Mermory Box. Or it might be nice as a birthday card for someone celebrating around the festive time maybe!

I'm also entering the following challenges:

Lovely hAnglar Only - Punched Out

Crafty Cardmakers - Stitching

E-A-C - Untraditional Christmas

Can I just finish by saying a huge thank you to everyone who visits my blog and especially those lovely peeps who leave regular comments..... I love ya!! And I'm really sorry for being so PANTS at commenting lately myself..... I'm blaming my job for that as there are never enough hours left in the day when I get home!!!

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

To The North Pole.......

2010-11-02T12:05:00.001Z

Hiya folks!

When I saw the latest sketch over at Just Magnolia I knew I wanted to play along, so this card is the result of that. The DT produced some gorgeous samples and it was fun to play along! I hope you can still spot the original layout because I have added lots of layers and slanted some a little...... oh and I flipped the sketch from left to right too!

I used this gorgeous new Tilda carrying a Christmas tree (boy that girl must be strong, lol) from the latest Magnolia collection and one of the older Christmas scenes for a background. I think she went right over to the North Pole to collect her tree you know...... well alright but just humour me will you, hee hee! Because I do love Christmas sooooooooo much!!!

As you can hopefully pick up from this picture, I have glittered and sparkled the image as much as possible!! And I also added some liquid pearl snow dots to the mix.

The papers are Webster's Pages and the flowers are from Wild Orchid Crafts...... and those yummy berries were picked up last year from Tesco's Christmas section!!!

I'd also like to enter the following challenges:

WOC - Classic Christmas

Sir Stampalot - Christmas Traditions

Stampartic - Glitter

Colour Throwdown - Riding Hood Red, Vanilla, Certainly Celery

ASFOS - Relish To Embellish

Thanks so much for stopping by today ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

A Hundred Hearts Would Be Too Few......

2010-11-01T09:31:00.007Z

Good morning everyone!

I apologise if you're getting a bit fed up with seeing my 'scene' cards and also lots of appearances by Tilda and Webster's Pages papers, but I'm stuck in a bit of a groove with them at the moment and can't get out, lol!

I spotted that the latest Bunny Zoe's Monthly Challenge has a theme of 'Autumn Love' this month so I built my card around this theme. You can hopefully see the little sentiment I added by cutting out some of the design paper...... 'A Hundred Hearts Would Be Too Few To Carry All My Love For You'...... and I thought that as Tilda is carrying a bundle that worked really well!

I've also added lots of mini butterflies to my card so hopefully that qualifies me for the latest Stamp With Fun Challenge which has the theme of 'All That Can Fly'. And this month's challenge over at Crafty Calendar is 'Autumn Birthdays' so I'm entering my card there too. Finally, the 7 Kids College Fund have a 'Birthday' theme for their latest challenge so I'm also having a go at that one.

Other supplies I've used on my card are: Martha Stewart fence punch, QuicKutz grass die, Tim Holtz Sizzix tree die and Martha Stewart leaf punch.

Thanks so much for stopping by today, your time is really appreciated...... have a fun day!!

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

UPDATE: I just spotted another perfect challenge for my card ;o) Copic Creations have a theme of 'brown and/or make a scene'..... well I've definitely created a scene on my card and although I don't usually use Copics for my images, I have coloured the tree with a couple of brown Copic pens so hopefully that counts ;o)

Basic Grey # 32 - Heather's Sketch

2010-10-30T09:57:00.000+01:00

Good morning all..... hope you are having a relaxing weekend so far!

We're here with a new Basic Grey Challenge today and I just know you'll want to join in when you see the delish sketch provided by my lovely pal and teamie Heather!

It was so much fun to use and, as always, the team have made stunning creations to inspire you!! I know I've said it before but it always amazes me how we seem to all pick different Basic Grey ranges to use too..... but then I guess there are so many collections now that it's not so difficult!

And I know you'll be shocked to see this but I haven't used a Tilda for this card, LOL!!! I was sifting through some of my older stamps and found this little Winter Miss Anya beauty just crying out to be inked! Then I had the idea to add some flower soft to her fluffy bits!! It was a bit fiddly to apply to the small areas I have to say but looks pretty fab don't you think!!!

Do you see the little die cut mittens? CUTE!!! These are a Sizzix Sizzlit die I've had for ages now and I paper pieced them before adding the flower soft. I've also used a MS punch for the deep border, a Sizzix die for the foliage and a scrummy crocheted flower sent to me by my lovely matey Anneka in a RAK. The Basic Grey papers are from the Archaic collection and I'm almost out of them now!! The flower is a Prima Hydrangea and the sentiments are Melissa Frances rub-ons.

So I hope you'll join us this week and don't forget that there is the wonderful $25 prize up for grabs as always from our ever-generous sponsor Simon Says Stamp!

Have a good one!

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

The Beauty Of Winter......

2010-10-27T08:42:00.007+01:00

Good morning everyone and happy 'hump' day! Doesn't it come around quickly!!

Well I'm really enjoying making my Christmas cards this year and I have to say I've made a much earlier start than normal! I usually make quite a few Autumn and Halloween cards at this time but have been drawn to Christmas for some reason..... actually I'm sure it's because of the amazing Webster's Pages papers I have. They are just scrumptious and I find myself able to create lovely scenes with them, as I have done on this card.

I must admit when I first saw this Tilda from the latest Magnolia collection I didn't think she seemed that festive..... that is until I realised she was carrying beautiful Winter amaryllis stems! And I suppose she can be used at any time of year really because you could easily make the flowers look like cut tulips too! Anyway, whatever the season she certainly is delish, what a cutie!!

I pimped my Melissa Frances sentiment a bit you know..... oh I do like to pimp things, lol! I picked one rub-on from the Spring set which said 'The Beauty Of Spring' and chopped off the Spring bit..... then I took a rub-on from the Winter set and just used the word 'Winter'..... and voila!

Other than the papers, sentiment and image, the only other thing on my card is some Sizzix branches which I cut out in white and then coloured..... and some Martha Stewart punched mini hydrangea flowers which I thought could pass for Winter blooms too!

I'm entering the following challenges:

Paper Sundaes - A Natural Woman

Let's Ink It Up - Make A Scene

Simon Says Stamp - Punch 'Em (punches and die cuts)

The Crafty Pad - Christmas Theme

Stampavie and More - Christmas

Creative Inspirations - Brown, Sage and Cream

Thank you sooooo much for popping by...... enjoy your day now!

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Let's Play Pretend......

2010-10-26T12:35:00.001+01:00

Good morning peeps!

Today's card is for the new A Spoon Full Of Sugar Challenge as the girls are asking us to use punches and dies on our creations. I've used a Martha Stewart border punch, Tim Holtz swirls die and Magnolia Doo Hickey tag die.

Papers are Webster's Pages and flowers are from Papirloftet. The gorgeous white guipure lace star flowers were from Ebay, as was the leafy panel in the middle of my card.

The wonderful sentiments are from a sheet of Melissa Frances rub-ons which I just love..... I only wish you could get hold of these more easily in the UK! Tilda is from this year's Pirates and Princesses release.

As usual I've sparkled away to my heart's content, lol!! And I also added lots of Liquid Pearl dots too!

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:

Papertake Weekly - Sparkly and Bright

Have a great day and be good ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Tilda Makes A Christmas Wish......

2010-10-25T08:54:00.001+01:00

Good morning Peeps!

Here is a card I made using this week's sketch over at Friday Sketchers.... it really was a fun one to work with and I enjoyed adding all the layers with my Memory Box Mistletoe papers. This Tilda is one from the new Magnolia Christmas collection.

Do you know I have a bowl of pot pourri in my front room and it has lots of cinnamon sticks in it..... well I sat looking at it the other day and suddenly thought it would be great to use one of the sticks on a card..... and now I have a nice Christmas card with extra smell appeal too, lol!

I'm sure there are more challenges out there that fit the bill for my card, so I'm off to check them out right away......

UPDATE: I found some so here goes.....

Charisma Cardz - Vintage

Crafty Creations - Red, Brown and Green

Sentimental Sundays - Distressing

Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge - Let's See Your Winter Wonderland

Have a great day ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Fabulous Darling......

2010-10-22T11:41:00.005+01:00

Good afternoon everyone!

When I saw today's challenge over at Just Magnolia I knew I wanted to join in and make a card...... it's a great theme for a challenge to 'Think Pink' and celebrate the increasing success rate at beating breast cancer!

So the brief is to use lots of pink on your card and I don't think that's a problem for many of us crafters!

I used papermania paper and some dot embossed Bazzill card, along with the gorgeous Martha Stewart hearts border punch. I was very much inspired on this card by a stunning creation made by the lovely Dena a few months back.... you can check it out here. Isn't it stunning?!!! Thanks so much for the inspiration Dena ;o)

As you can see the card is very 3D and tactile and was great fun to make!

Thanks so much for checking me out today and have a lovely weekend!

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Special Delivery......

2010-10-21T11:25:00.005+01:00

Good morning everyone..... hope you are keeping well!

I think Baby Tilda is one of the best images Magnolia have released in a very long time...... she is just soooooo adorable! So I set to work making this cute card with her and thought it would look nice if she'd just been delivered in a basket by the baby stork...... thankfully this Magnolia basket was just perfect!

I used Webster's Pages paper for the background, the leaves are a Sizzix die and the little pink flowers are Prima. The sentiment is computer generated and I sprinkled oodles of glitter everywhere to finish and dotted lots of Liquid Pearls..... can you tell, lol?! Finally I die cut some Cuttlekids Fairytale letters and punched a few wee butterflies. In a non big-headed way can I just say I'm flippin' chuffed with this card, hee hee...... it ended up even better than I'd hoped, YAY!!!

I'm entering the following challenges today:

Tuesday Throwdown - Anything Goes

Tip Top Tuesday - Anything Goes

Oldie But A Goodie - Add A Butterfly

Tuesday Taggers - Nursery Rhymes (Rock A Bye Baby)

Wild Orchid - Pastels

Crafty Cardmakers - Use A Freebie (Prima flowers were a gift)

Thank you so much for stopping by today ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Merry Christmas Edwin......

2010-10-20T10:46:00.001+01:00

Good morning Peeps!

Another fairly simple card from me today...... I'm letting the gorgeous Webster's Pages paper do the talking and this sweet Edwin stamp from the new Magnolia Stampclub release.

As you can see I've also used some delish Guipere lace as a border at the top of my card..... I found this at a local haberdashery store so now I have it on tap, lol!

I wonder what Edwin has put on his list as he sits checking it through on his little Christmas bench, hee hee! I know my list will be full of crafting goodies, but I always ask Father Christmas for some perfume and a giant Yankee candle too!!

I'm entering the following challenges with this card:

EAC - Blue, Green, Brown

Stampavie and More - Blue and Brown

Enjoy your hump day, take care and be good ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Snowflakes Are Gently Falling.......

2010-10-18T08:06:00.000+01:00

Good morning everyone!

I managed to make a scene card using my Webster's Pages papers and one of the Martha Stewart PATP sets...... and then added this beautiful Christmas Lucia Tilda and a few giant snowflakes....... fairly simple but quite effective I think!

I love the little Christmas house scene and found the perfect Melissa Frances rub on sentiment to go with it.

And Tilda really does look so pretty and peaceful like this, carrying her Christmas prayer candle as a symbol of the Light of the World...... love her!

I'm entering the following challenges with this card:

Play Date Cafe - Beige, Pale Blue, Pale Mintish Green

C.R.A.F.T. Challenge - Pastel Colour Pallette

ABC Challenge - F is for Flowers

Sweet Stampin' Challenge - Ribbon

ASFOS - Winter Wonderland

Paper Play - Photo Inspiration

Stampin' Sisters in Christ - Prayer (I have used Lucia Tilda lighting a prayer candle)

Thank you so much for letting me share my creation with you today ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Basic Grey Week 31 - Harvest Time.......

2010-10-15T19:35:00.006+01:00

WOWZERS!!!

I'm sooooooo impressed with the cards made by my teamies over at Basic Grey this week for the new challenge........ they really are fantastic and capture the Harvest Time theme to perfection! I do hope you'll check out their creations in more detail and also have a go at the challenge. There are so many Basic Grey papers which would work really well I'm sure!

For my card I've used papers from the new Pyrus range and one of Joanna Sheen's Messy Rabbit stamps. To give the harvest feel I cut and knotted some natural paper raffia and chopped up a few berry sprigs...... and I think the Martha Stewart cobweb border punch always works well at this time of year.

I'm also entering the following challenges:

Stampin For The Weekend - Halloween/Fall

Totally Papercrafts - Autumn

Craftalicious Challenge - Anything Goes

Allsorts - Bingo (Brads, Flowers, Ribbon)

Hope you have a lovely weekend and see some gorgeous Autumn sunshine ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

A Vintage Wish.....

2010-10-14T07:56:00.002+01:00

Good morning everyone!

Here's a card I made for a work colleague who celebrates her birthday this week, using another of the gorgeous vintage images over at Magic Moonlight.

I decided to go for muted Autumnal colours and added this fab piece of glittery ribbon which I picked up in a ten pence bin in my local haberdashery store!

I used Webster's Pages papers and the flowers and leaves are from Papirloftet.

Right then, I'll be back in a bit to add some challenges I'm going to enter with my card......

Thanks so much for stopping by ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Giggle......

2010-10-11T21:56:00.002+01:00

Good morning peeps...... hope you are well!

Yep....... another Magnolia creation!! I just can't help myself at the minute!! And this Tilda is so sweet giggling away!

I used Basic Grey Jovial papers and a Sizzix swirl die as the main feature...... and I coloured Tilda with Prisma pencils before covering her lacey bits in Stickles.

I'm entering the Totally Tilda with my card as the theme is Ttaditional Red and Green and then I'm also entering the Magnolia Stamp Lovers Challenge where the girls want to see Sparkle.

I'm also entering the following challenges:

Tuesday Throwdown - Three elements (I've used the gems in 3's and 3 papers)

ASFOS - Winter Wonderland

Sorry to be brief but I'm off to work in a hurry now...... toodles!

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

The New Magnolia Stamp Kit.......

2010-10-09T10:30:00.002+01:00

Morning folks!

I was pleasantly surprised to see Mr Postie this morning because he was bringing my new Stamp Kit from Magnolia...... and I'm pleased to see that we have the Christmas images a bit earlier this year.

So I've taken a quick piccie so you'll know what you're getting if you've ordered the kit........ what do you think? Hmmmm, I'm not sure about that tree, lol!

Anyway, must dash now as I've a million things to do today!!

Have a gorgeous weekend ;o)

Hugs Tara xxx

Be Merry.......

2010-10-07T13:08:00.002+01:00

Hellooooooo friends!

I've made this Magnolia card topper with the Colour Create Challenge in mind..... the theme is pink, green and cream with the added option of frosting. Here is one of last year's Tilda images combined with a wonderful Pixie Cottage stamp showing a Christmas Door..... this one was designed by the uber talented Sandra Hammer.

The sweet little snowmen were cut from a sheet of MME design paper and the sentiment is a little cling stamp which I have a feeling is Autumn Leaves.

I decided it would look nice if Tilda was holding a Christmas wreath (maybe she's doing a bit of door-to-door selling, lol)...... so I punched out some tiny Martha Stewart leaves and layered them in a circle, then just added some flat backed red pearls.

And I couldn't resist frosting the snow drifts on the door and adding the sweetest little gingham ribbon to the door front...... very festive don't you think, lol!

I'm really sorry I haven't been around to everyone's blogs in a while..... I'm just getting over a nasty cold virus and have been pooped! Trying to put that right over the next day or two, promise!

Take care and enjoy the rest of your day ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Christmas Joy.....

2010-10-06T10:54:00.000+01:00

Good morning folks and a very happy 'hump' day!

Firstly can I just say a huge thank you to those lovely people who helped me with my query yesterday regarding a tea light card..... I checked out the tutorials you suggested and they are all really useful.... MWAH!

Here I am with a festive Tilda topper which is currently for sale on Ebay right here. I'm really pleased with the darker colours on this one, made possible with the stunning new Webster's Pages collection.

Tilda has once again been coloured with Polys and I've perched her on the bottom of a Tim Holtz hanging sign die cut. I've also added some Sizzix leaves to the sign which I coloured with Distress Inks.

Additional Magnolia stamps were used for this topper..... the Christmas text and the sweet little poinsettias.

And finally you can see that I added some Christmas berries and then perched a cute little fabric bird to one of the branches..... oh and the sentiment is made from chipboard scrabble tiles which I picked up from my local craft shop.

I seem to be on a roll with Christmas toppers now and will probably have another one to show at the end of the week. I'm entering the following challenges with today's creation:

A S F O S - Sparkle and Shine

Tuesday Throwdown - Chipboard

Stampacular Sunday Challenge - Layer It On

Stampin' Sisters In Christ - Nature

Charisma Cardz - Christmas Crafting

Have a wonderful day ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Can anyone help please?

2010-10-05T11:02:00.003+01:00

Hello folks!

I was wondering if anyone could point me in the right direction to find a tutorial for making a tea light box card (if that's what it's called) and if anybody has posted the finished creation on their blog I would love to pay a visit!

I've seen them around lots recently in blogland, but then of course when I want to find an example now I forget where they were...... DOH!!!

Thanks so much and have a great day ;o)

Hugs Tara xxx

Creme De La Creme........

2010-10-03T10:21:00.008+01:00

Good afternoon friends!

I'm back with a new Tilda topper today...... I'm thinking I must have a Magnolia addiction right now and it's nice to be using some of the lovely accessory stamps to create my scenes. This topper is now on sale through EBay right here.

I thought I'd go all pink and girly and glittery for this scene and used the wonderful Ballerina Tilda from the Fairytale collection....... and I even got that sparkle to show up on camera again, YAY!

Here's a close up of the pretty roses..... I forget now when they were released but they are so adaptable and gorgeous to colour too!

And I just had to add in two of my fave Magnolia stamps..... the Love Lampost from earlier this year which I adore and then the cutest ever Tinkerbelle Tilda...... I could really just eat her, she's so delish!!

There's so much Magnolia on this topper but I did manage to add a sweet Flora Doodles bloom and some sparkly tulle to complete the scene....... oh and you may just be able to spot the Papermania wings I tucked in just behind Tilda!

Well I'm off to complete a Christmas topper now which I've been working on..... it features a wonderful festive front door by Sandra Hammer and of course the obligatory Tilda image, lol!

I'm entering the following challenges:

Wild Orchid - In Stitches

C.R.A.F.T. Challenge - Fancy Floral

Oldie But A Goodie - Pink and Girly

Paper Sundaes - Something From Your Stash

Have a fun evening ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx