The Little Princess.......

Happy Bank Holiday to everyone lucky enough to be enjoying this extra day off.... just wish the sun was around though!

I've decided this Tilda is my fave ever..... she's so sweet and magical and I loved colouring and glittering her! This card is for a friend who is due to give birth any day now.... she already has two boys so I'm hoping it's a girl this time or else my card won't be suitable. I am about to make a card for a boy though, just in case!

I've used some scrummy papers from Webster's Pages Lullaby Lane range..... I had to stroke these a lot first though before I could actually cut into them! I also had great fun playing with my new Stempleglede Grunge stamps and the gorgeous flowers I got from Papirloftet. Oh and do you see the sweet little rocking horse die cut I added in the corner? Well it's been in my stash since I first started making cards, long before stamping when it was all just about cutting and sticking. But I knew it would work perfectly on this baby card so I'm glad I didn't get rid!


I'm off out now to get something in for tea as the cupboard is extremely bare! Enjoy the rest of your day and thanks so much for stopping by to take a peek ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Basic Grey Challenge Week 21 - Martine's Sketch....

Ooooops! Sorry for being so late posting my card for this week's Basic Grey Challenge! I never got around to scheduling it last night and today has gone by in a bit of a whirr.... never mind, better late than never!

We have one of Martine's yummy sketches for you this week and my teamies have created some amazing examples for you, each one very different but equally as beautiful!

For my card I used one of my new Greetings Farm 'Wild Sprouts' available from Elaine's store here. Isn't she a cutie? This is such an amazing set and such good value too! My papers are from Basic Grey's Porcelain range and the swirly leaf is a Sizzix Bigz die which I've used time and time again, love it! The flowers are Prima and the butterfly is one of my new purchases from the Papirloftet Store which I love!!!

So I hope you'll join in with us again at Basic Grey and don't forget that there's a chance you'll win another amazing voucher courtesy of the very generous Simon Says Stamp.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend........ toodle pip!

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Wags n Whiskers Guest......

Morning everyone!

Today I'm here to show you the card I made for my guest spot over at Wags n Whiskers..... I can't tell you how pleased I was when Lacey invited me to join in with the challenge this week and I really enjoyed making my card. I'm honoured to be among such a talented bunch of girls!!

When I saw the 'handmade' theme for this week's challenge I was very happy..... I love creating things from scratch, especially flowers, so I decided to make mine by cutting out from the design paper. I think the papers I've used are October Afternoon and the sentiment is Stampin Up. This is definitely quite a bright card but I think the unusual colour combo works well.


Hope you can join in with the challenge and have fun making your handmade embellies!
Thanks so much for stopping by and have a fantabulous weekend..... I'll be back in the morning with my Basic Grey DT card.

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Happiness........

Morning Peeps!

Well I'm finally here with a card after a mega busy week which has involved me going to a family wedding down South and putting my house on the market! I think this seriously affected the old mojo but then yesterday I managed to have a very productive, crafty day and made three cards!

Here is the first of those cards and I made it to enter a competition currently running over at Cute Stamps and Cards. You can win four yummy stamps if you follow Claudia's wonderful sketch and all you have to do in addition is use something that is stocked by the store..... so in this case I've gone for sweet Tilda.


I decided to mask Tilda with some of those gorgeous flowers from the Magnolia Spring kit and then I added the wood for her to sit on which was part of last Summer's kit. The papers are Basic Grey Origins and all the flowers are Prima. I used a deep edge MS punch for the scalloped border and all the sticky pearls are from my stash.

Have a fab day and thanks for stopping by...... I'll be back tomorrow with another card ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Too Cute.....

Good morning everyone!

YAY!!! Finally I get to take part in the Wags 'n' Whiskers Challenge now that I've got myself some new stamps! The theme this week is pink and green which is one of the nicest colour combos so I just had to play along. And I couldn't resist following Tanja's wonderful sketch over at Friday Sketchers too..... what a fab layout once again, those girls really know their sketches!

I've used a mixture of Basic Grey papers from the Sultry range and Green At Heart. I added some faux stitching and a paper doily and the flowers are Prima. This is quite a simple card for me really and I do think something is missing...... maybe a few gems or pearls? Anyway, at least you can focus in on the yummy papers and that gorgeous image ;o)

As usual I'm dashing off to work now...... I sit here in the mornings you know, tapping at the computer with one hand, mirror on the desk in front of me putting my mascara on with the other hand...... oh and with the odd slurp of tea thrown in for good measure, lol! Always frightened of missing something you see!!

Have a nice day and don't work too hard!!!

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Basic Grey Week 20 - Punch It.......

Good morning everyone and welcome to another Basic Grey Challenge...... this week we want you to 'punch it'....yep, look out all those wonderful punches you all own and get creative. Oh and don't forget to include something Basic Grey on your project of course! Need inspiration? Then look no further than the blogs of my fellow teamies who've dazzled us with their projects. You can link to them through the challenge blog.

I received my wonderful new Cappella papers this week, delish! They're so delicate and pretty and I think they work perfectly on this vintage style card..... free image courtesy of Magic Moonlight. So my punching consists of the Martha Stewart hearts border and a sweet butterfly punch (not sure of the make on this one). Ooooh and I nearly forgot, the flowers were also punched with the EK Success Retro Daisy!

I think I might add some letters to my card (if I can squeeze them on somewhere, lol) to spell 'MUM' and give it to my Mum for her birthday next week..... I'm sure the traditional feel will go down a treat as she's not really a Tilda lover sadly, lol!

Well I do hope you can enter the challenge this week and look forward to seeing what you come up with..... something tells me we're in for a bumper entry ;o)

Enjoy your weekend and take care!

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Dream Time.......

Morning Peeps!

Bit of a quick post this morning as I'm dashing off to work. This card was made for this week's Truly Scrumptious Challenge where there's a fab sketch to follow and an added option to make it circular. Well I quite like make circular cards these days so it was no chore for me to lose the square. I used Basic Grey Kioshi papers and one of my all time fave images from The Greetings Farm. You'll see I've added some more of my handmade lillies and I promise the tutorial isn't far away now! I'm also entering my card into the Crafty Creations Challenge where the theme is 'Around The World'...... in this case I've opted for Hawaii.

Well I wish I could stay home to stalk Mr Postie this morning, as my new Stempleglede stamps are on their way from Quixotic...... thanks for getting these in Elaine, I've wanted them for ages ;o)

Enjoy your day folks...... the weekend fast approaches, YAY!

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

First Side Step Card......

Good morning everyone!

Well I finally plucked up the courage to have a go at a side step card after seeing many wonderful examples popping up in blogland. Will I make another? NO! Did I enjoy doing it? Not really, lol! It took far too long, was far too fiddly and I'm not particularly in love with the end result...... oh dear! Never mind, the fact remains that I 'had a go' and that's what counts..... stepped out of the old 6x6 comfort zone which probably doesn't happen often enough!


I chose Basic Grey Origins papers to work with as I think they have the right earthy feel for the theme I had in mind. These two older Magnolia Tildas seemed perfect too for creating a bit of a garden scene, as did this wonderful High Hopes sentiment and bird bath. The fence is a Martha Stewart punch and the grass is a QuicKutz die.

I'm entering the card into the new Magnolia Stamp Lovers Challenge where the brief is to 'Make It Dimensional' and I'm also entering my lovely daughter's Crafty Calender Challenge which has the theme 'The Great Outdoors'.

I haven't forgotten about the tutorial I promised to show you on how I make my own lillies, I'm just working on it behind the scenes at the minute.

Well enjoy your day and let's hope it warms up a bit heh?!

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Happy Birthday To Someone Special.....

Hiya folks!

Once again a huge thank you for all the lovely comments you left on my last card..... and especially about my colouring..... but I have to come clean, I just can't take all the credit! You see it's all thanks to the wonderful tutorial posted here this weekend by the super talented Moni. I found it so useful to read through what she said and I certainly think it has moved my colouring up a level.... who would have thought of using black to add definition like that. So a huge thank you must go to Moni but I am delighted that you noticed on my card too ;o)


For the card I'm showing you today I've used a wonderful technique showcased on Norma's blog here, where she reveals how you can create doily mats for your images using various Martha Stewart border punches..... another talented lady at work don't you think? I'm entering this week's Sketch and Stash Challenge and have followed the fabulous sketch which Lols has provided...... my new stash is the Greetings Farm image which I treated myself to recently using a Craft Emporium voucher given to me by my sweet friend Chris. I've used Basic Grey Lemonade papers and Prima flowers. Once again I've added some paper piecing to my card which I always love to do. This card is for my hubby's aunt who has a birthday very soon.

Well I won't stay and waffle on any longer as I'm still off work with the lurgy and trying to get plenty of rest.

Thanks so much for stopping by to see what I've been up to ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Once Upon A Time......

Hi there folks!

I've not been about since the beginning of the week because I've had the most rotten cold and sinus infection which has left me stuck in bed...... I'm slowly mending but I can't smell, taste or hear well just now ;o( I was determined to make a card today because I figured it would stop me feeling so miserable and sorry for myself, lol! Well I did find getting creative a bit of a tonic but I was a little on the slow side...... this card took me all afternoon, hee hee!


Before I talk details about the card I do want to say a huge thank you to everyone who commented on my last card....... wow, you are such a kind lot and really give me great encouragement...... and I'm really sorry I haven't been able to comment on your creations for reasons I've just explained.

So I had the latest Just Magnolia Challenge in mind today when I started my card and chose another of the Fairytale images because I just can't put them down! This week it's the special monthly challenge called 'It Takes Two'....... and the girls are asking us to use two or more images. Well as I'm getting more confident with masking multiple images that's just what I did..... and I used elements from the Fairytale Kit as well as accessories from the Safari release and last Summer's kit too. Oh and isn't little Tink just the cutest thing ever?!!!!

My papers are Webster's Pages...... YUM....... and I got to play with my new Tim Holtz Alterations die to create the huge latch. My flowers are Prima and I created the centres by winding some thick twine. Do you like the little twigs with mini cones? I spotted them a while back when I was out walking and knew they'd suit a rustic card....... so you see, we don't have to buy everything we use ;o)

Well I might just go for a lie down now as I think I've worn myself out today.......

Enjoy your weekend and have fun!

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Gratitude........

Good morning everyone and Happy Tuesday!

Isn't it nice when you actually make a card you like, lol?! I think it's the colours I'm pleased with..... I don't do a great deal with blues so it makes a nice change. The papers are from Basic Grey's Wisteria range and I have paper pieced Tilda's dress for a change and added lots of gems to her outfit. I had a go at making my own lili on this card and thought I might add a mini tutorial soon so you can see what I did..... it wasn't difficult and I think it looks pretty! Cute Card Thursday want us to 'Make It Your Own' so my flower works perfectly for this. I suppose the doily mat is also my own as I followed the wonderful Claudia's amazing tutorial here using a Martha Stewart butterfly corner punch (all the mini butterflies on my card are also from this corner punch.


I'm also entering the Passion For ProMarkers Challenge where the theme is Gratitude and the Everybody Art Challenge which is asking us to use pastel colours.

Well that's me..... I have a busy day ahead at the office so I'll catch you all later ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

The Sweet Life......

Good morning folks!

Happy May Day to everyone enjoying the Bank Holiday today....... oh it's so nice to have an extra day off!

Thought I'd make another card using one of the fabulous images from Magic Moonlight blog..... these images are free and so beautiful! If you haven't used them before I recommend taking a peek and I bet you'll be spoilt for choice.

My papers are Kay&Co and the sentiments are also from this collection, cut from a sheet of the design paper. I've used my Martha Stewart Lattice border and lots of Prima flowers..... all finished off with some ribbon and lace from my stash and some sticky pearls.


I'm entering this card into the Stamptacular Sunday Challenge where the theme is 'A Celebration For Moms' and you have to include an image of a lady as the feature..... well Mother's Day has been and gone here in the UK but it's still nice to join in the overseas celebrations!

I'm still in my PJs so I best dash off for a shower now!! Enjoy your day.......

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Basic Grey Week 19 - Photo Inspiration......

Good morning folks!
It's that time again...... another Basic Grey Challenge and we have a gorgeous picture for you to use as inspiration this week..... isn't it sweet? There's so much to draw from...... colours, shapes, accessories, patterns..... I'm really looking forward to seeing what you come up with!


I was drawn to that fab bunting in the picture and so that became a major feature of my card. Now it isn't very often I struggle to use Basic Grey papers but I have to admit I haven't felt inclined to dip into the Boxer collection very much.... until now that is..... the papers were perfect for my bunting! The background papers are from the Recess collection which just goes to show once again how easy it is to mix and match the ranges.


The sweet image I used is a Peachy Keen stamp and you can get hold of them here. I thought it was the perfect image to tie in with the theme of a child's room and in fact this card is being sent to my friend's little girl who has just gone into hospital to have her tonsils removed..... not nice at the age of 4!!!

Well I do hope you can join in with the challenge this week as Simon Says are very generously sponsoring us once again...... and whatever you're up to over the Bank Holiday weekend, hope you have lots of fun ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx