My Time To Craft # 82 - Halloween Colours....

Good morning friends, are we happy to see Friday? I certainly am as I'm off work today - swapped my usual day off which is a Wednesday because my son has an inset day and so has broken up already for half term....... I'm also looking after his friend and as I type this they are sat in the front room watching 'Big' and munching on some sweeties. As a result I hope to get a couple of cards done for DT work which is fast approaching, yikes..... best get my skates on then!!

I thought I'd have a go at an easel card for this project and I've used one of the fabulous stamps sent to me by Tracey when I was still part of the Squiggle Team. This one is Daisy and Toadstools and I think she's perfect for Autumn cards. I followed the brief over at My Time To Craft where we're asked to use Halloween colours but not necessarily for a Halloween card.


The papers I've used are Cosmo Cricket 'Earth Love' and for the black swirls I made use of some more strips from my Bazzill Just The Edge range, these really are so versatile! The flower is layers of Prima flowers and everything else is from my stash.

Hope you enjoy the rest of today and the weekend ahead...... the sun is trying to peek through so maybe we're heading for some Autumn sunshine ;o)

TTFN and TFL xxx

Sketch Saturday # 73......

Good morning everyone!

I keep thinking it's Friday already....... now that's not good, no lie in tomorrow after all!!

I had a ball making this card for the current Sketch Saturday Challenge...... now I did alter things a touch but I think you can still see the original layout somewhere in there, lol! This is just one of those times when the card resembles the picture I started out in my head with, YAY! I think this is my fave Christmas card of all those I've made so far and I do so love Mo's gorgeous image! I saw this sentiment years ago on a card somewhere and stored it in the old brainbox for future use....... 'tis a great phrase to go with this particular image don't you think, hee hee!


I coloured the image with Poly and Koh pencils and added lots of yummy glitter...... hope you can pick up the sparkly flakes! I think the papers are Cosmo Cricket and the snowflake is a Cuttlebug die....... everything else is from my stash.

Right then, back to the paper work for me but I'm sure I'll be able to sneak back on for peek at your work during the working day........

TTFN and TFL xxx

House Mouse # 54 'Movies' meets Colour Create # 29 'Red, Yellow, Black and White'.....

Good morning folks!

I'm back again with another card, on a bit of a roll this week!! This card is for the House Mouse Challenge where the theme is movies and also Colour Create where the colours this fortnight are red, yellow, black and white.


I think the House Mouse theme is a brilliant idea and I had a good laugh looking at all the DT entries..... some brilliant ideas girls! Well I don't have too many HM stamps but my fave is definitely the one of used here and straight away I thought of The Bee Movie. It's a great kids film but there's lots of clever reference to stuff which adults can appreciate, I can thoroughly recommend it if you haven't yet seen it! The colours at Colour Create are certainly quite a challenge, but I was able to create the idea of film reels across the top and bottom of my card to incorporate the black and then of course the bee costumes are yellow. Overall I've had quite a bright and colourful week so far, haven't I?

The papers I've used are from the Basic Grey June Bug collection again....... it's well and truly getting an airing now!! The film strips are Bazzill Just the Edge strips and I've coloured the little rabbits with Poly and Koh pencils and added some glitter to the wings..... everything else is from my stash.

Well I'll love you and leave you then, working again (groan)....... enjoy the rest of your day ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xx

Just Magnolia # 27 - Bright and Zingy....

Good morning peeps!

Sunglasses required this morning I think..... not because we're having lovely sunny weather but because of my card, lol! This one is for Just Magnolia's Bright and Zingy Challenge and I was persuaded to use my Basic Grey June Bug papers for once! I have to buy everything new Basic Grey paper pack as it comes out but I must admit I've struggled a bit with June Bug, just as I did when Lime Rickey came out. Anyway, I was determined to get over this mental block so this card is my result...... the reason for the sentiment is that I've sent the card to Sharon who turned the big 50 very recently!

I used a Tilda from the Autumn Kit and decided to paper piece her as I love this effect so much (and it's great if you're not in the mood for too much colouring, hee hee)! The flowers are Prima and I used a MS border punch for the white panels.

I'm keeping this short as I'm a busy bee at work today, so I'll toodle off and will catch you all later. I really appreciate you stopping by for a nosy today and would like to say a huge thank you to those who take time out to leave me a comment ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xx

Sunday Sketch and Stamp # 13 - Clare's Sketch....

Good morning fellow bloggers!

Hope you are well and having a nice Sunday....... I'm still in my PJs, YAY!!!

This is a card I made for the Sunday Sketch and Stash Challenge where I found a lovely sketch to follow this week. And I'm delighted to be able to showcase another wonderful image created by Alisa Ramirez for The Pixie Cottage, which you can buy as a stamp right now over at Michelle's Scrapbooking and More.

I felt that this image was just crying out to be paper pieced so that's exactly what I did, using some of the pretty papers from the Papermania Blueberry Hill collection. I pleated some of the paper for the panel running across my card and edged this with white card cut with the MS Doily Border punch. The flowers are Prima Hydrangeas (you can never have too many of these can you?) and the beautiful pearl centres are from Bev's candy. I finished with some faux stitching and a Melissa Frances rub-on and voila!...... a card ready to send to a close friend!



Before I go I must just share with you that I have made the difficult decision to step down from the Squiggle Stamps Design Team although I have really enjoyed working with Tracy and all the girls......... so there is now a vacancy and Tracy is calling for a new member to join the team, so if you're interested you can find details on the blog here. Good luck!!!

Sometimes the old mojo takes a hike but today I'm on a roll for a change so I'm off to get sticky........ see you later!!

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Basic Grey Week Six - A Colour Combo....

Good afternoon peeps!

Sorry my post is a bit late today for the Basic Grey Challenge but I was out early this morning with the kids, shopping and going to see a movie! We had a really nice time and the movie was funny, so well worth having to forfeit a lie in!!!



Well we have a fab colour combo for you to use this week and I have a funny feeling I might know which papers many of you will be using?! I had a good old root around in my image box for this card and came up with a wonderfully festive Kerry Jo image, what a cutie heh? The scrummy papers are Eskimo Kisses and the snowflake is part of a recent candy win. I used Prima flowers and ribbon and gems from my stash.



We have our lovely guest Ruth with us again this week and she has used another gorgeous stamp from her new range which is available here. My teamies have pulled out all the stops as always and I think there are some really gorgeous images to be seen this week, so please do hop on over! And don't forget that each month we have a fabby prize on offer too!


I'm off to check out what everyone else has been up to now - I really love hopping around and checking out all the wonderful creations ;o)

TTFN and TFL xxx

A 'Get Well' Card for our Lovely Friend Riet......

Good morning everyone!

As you can see by the title of my post, this is a card for our lovely friend Riet who is very poorly at the moment. She is always such a friendly blogger taking time to visit hundreds of blogs every week and her presence in the crafting world is greatly missed at the minute. I'm sure you will all join with me in wishing her a speedy recovery as we send our wishes to her and her family.

I have used one of Ruth's lovely images from A Passion for Stamps - this one is Jenny in Bed and is available now. The papers I've used are all from the Basic Grey Blush range, the flowers are EK Success and Woodware punches and the sentiment is a Tim Holtz ticket.



Today at work we're having a fund raising day for Breast Cancer, as October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. We're all dressed in pink from head to toe and we've baked lots of pink goodies to sell........ I wish you could smell my office just now, it's sugar heaven, lol!

You will see a link on the sidebar of my blog where you can visit the official Breast Cancer site and click to provide a free mammogram....... please spend a couple of minutes doing that today....... thank you sooooooo much ;o)



Finally I would just like to thank my teamie Renata for this award, bless you girlie ;o)

Have a great day folks, I'll be back tomorrow with my card for a new Basic Grey Challenge.
TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Charisma Cardz # 41 - It's So Distressing....

Good morning everyone! What happened to the weather today?!!! Misty, grey and rainy.....YUK!!! I believe we're in for a nice weekend though so that's okay ;o)

I've entered this card into this week's Charisma Cardz Challenge where the theme is to distress. Rather than tear I decided to ink on this occasion to give a darker tinge to all the lines. I used lots of the yummy goodies Bev sent me for my candy win..... aren't those Poinsettias fabulous!!! And I'm totally in love with this WOJ Henry Mouse image..... too cute!!



Michele sent me some flowersoft from her online store to have a play with this week and it's the first time I've ever used it...... what lovely stuff it is and so versatile. It adds that little bit of dimension you need on a card sometimes. Michele has just taken a big delivery and you can see all the colours available here. She has also taken delivery of the WOJ Henry Mouse range but be quick, they're selling fast!!

Well I'm sat here at work about to tackle a huge pile of registers and sicknotes (groan) so I'd better get to it......... catch you later my friends ;o)

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxx

Helloooooooooooo! Welcome to the very first challenge for The Pixie Cottage where we have a wonderful sketch for you to follow!



I had lots of fun working with this one although I did flip it and tweak it a bit..... hope you can still recognise the original design, lol!

Here is the information you need to join in with the challenge in more detail:

Here at Pixie Cottage, we are sooo excited to invite you to play along with the Pixie Challenge! Every other Wednesday we will host a challenge, and we want you to play! Prizes and fun and inspiration abound, and because you have a week and a half to get your entry in, there is plenty of time to find your creative magic...

- You may combine this challenge with others
- You can use any products or stamps (you aren't restricted to just using Pixie Cottage, although we would love to see how you use our products too!)
- Post your creation on your blog with a direct link to the Pixie Cottage blog
- Leave a comment with a link to your blog post with your entry
- Create a card, scrapbook page, altered box... no limit to your creativity!
- Entries due by midnight (EST) on the October 25th
- Winners will be announced on Wednesday, October 28th, along with the next challenge!

The Design Team will also choose our top three entries, each of whom will get a super cutie little button to put on their blog! But wait! There's more! The top three will also be in the running for a spot as a guest DT!

You may flip the sketch if you like, and most importantly - have fun!

So there you have it - I really hope you can join in and wouldn't it be fab to win some Pixie Cottage stamps in the process! Please hop over to the blog and check out what my teamies have created, wow! You will certainly get a taste for all that lovely rubba!

For my card I used Ballerina Fairy by Alisa Ramirez and coloured her with Poly and Koh pencils. I added lots of glitter to her wings which you can hopefully pick up from the picture. The papers are a mixture of October Afternoon and K&Co and the floral embellishments were created by cutting out parts of the paper.

I'm off to make a start on one or two new projects now but I will be back a little later to catch up with everyone.

Before I go I must just thank everyone who left such wonderful comments regarding my guest DT application for Magnolia Down Under........ it means such a lot and even if I'm not chosen I know that all you lovely peeps appreciate my creations..... bless you!

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xxxx

Guest DT Call - Magnolia Down Under Store......

Hi all!

Hope you had a nice weekend and are looking forward to the week ahead! Whilst blog hopping earlier I came across a DT call for a guest to join the team at the Magnolia Down Under store and I couldn't resist having a go!!!


Here are the details:


Yup we are looking for a guest for 3 months for the Magnolia Down Under *Store* and to enter has never been easier….
Add our logo to your sidebar, (can be found in the sidebar).
We would like you to prepare a blog post for us showcasing your favourite handmade creations. It, or they, can be from last year, last month, last week or yesterday. Doesn’t have to have a Magnolia, but would be a bonus. And leave a link back to this guest design team call post so that others know where to apply.
That’s it! It’s open to everyone WORLDWIDE. If you need more details please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have kelliewinnell@yahoo.com.au
What you get from joining our creative team…
Your work will get showcased on our blog.
You’ll receive a DT kit personally prepared for you with lots of Magnolialicious bits and bobs to keep you happy while creating with us
Whats expected from you?
To post on your blog about any advertising needed for the store.
To participate in any challenges held for the store.
2-4 cards/projects per month with links to store and or blog.
This position is for 3 months…



I've chosen a selection of my more recent cards to showcase for the application, my favourite being the last one...... that gorgeous bird!

You have until 17th October to enter and the results will be announced the day after. Good luck to everyone who enters ;o)

Sorry I haven't been about much for the last few days........ been chasing my tail and I haven't quite caught it yet, lol! Hope I haven't missed too many peeps and I will do my best to catch up later when I get home from work!!

TTFN and TFL xxx

Good afternoon folks and I really hope you have a fab weekend!

I'm very exited today because it's all happening over at The Pixie Cottage! Rather than try to explain it myself, here's what is happening in Michelle's words:


Today is the first Saturday of The Pixie Cottage Design Team Showcase!

Every other Saturday the Design Team will showcase some of The Pixie Cottage stamps, with a particular theme in mind. (Today's is fall... of course) We will also try to provide you with some cards that use the newest released stamps. (Even sometimes before they are available for sale!)

Also, get ready for our Once Upon a Wednesday Challenge! Kristen will be setting that up here on this blog this week, so watch for details. Just so you know you will be welcome to use any stamps in this challenge and I will be providing the prizes! Of course the wonderful gals on the design team will be providing examples for the challenge!!

Do hop over and take a look as the DT really have provided some stunning work. I'm just getting to know my new teamies and they have made me feel really welcome ;o) I hope you can also visit Michelle's store to check out the full range of Pixie Cottage stamps, some of which are available now, some for preorder and some coming very soon. The ladies who design these stamps have a wealth of talent and I know there will be something to suit every taste. Whilst you're at Michelle's Store you will notice that she has lots more in the way of yummy goodies to tempt you, including a brilliant selection of Magnolia stamps!

The image on my card is Little Witch created by Alisa Ramirez and she seriously is 'Too Cute To Spook'!!! Have you seen those gorgeous eyes and amazing eyelashes.........SWEET!!! I coloured the image with Poly and Koh pencils and then masked her to add the Halloween fence from Magnolia. My flower was created using a Bigz Sizzix die and I just scrunched and then inked the edges for definition. I managed to get hold of the new MS Goo punch last week and was amazed to find out that it cut through quite thick cardstock...... the doily lace punch definitely won't punch through anything more than paper!!! I used a mixture of Basic Grey papers and embossed the green paper with the Cuttlebug Pumpkin folder.

Well that's it for me today....... I spent the whole morning doing the housework and washing, so now I can spend and hour or two getting messy with paper and glue........ must have tea out of the way and be settled down for early evening TV though........ first live show on X-Factor tonight, soooooo can't wait for that......... and of course there's Strictly to watch too!!!! YAY!!!!

Thanks for stopping by today, TTFN and TFL!

Hugs Tara xxx

Colour Create meets Friday Sketchers.....

Good morning everyone!

Well i think I'm too late for the Colour Create Challenge; Hot Pink, Dusty Pink and Ice Chocolate, even though I made this card with the theme in mind. I have just about made it for the Friday Sketchers Challenge this week though where there is a brilliant sketch by the lovely Claudia which was great fun to work with. I've used another of the wonderful stamps by A Passion for Stamps but have only inked the top part of this gorgeous couple and have just coloured tiny bits of the image. The idea was to create a bit of a vintage look by distressing with Distress Ink to age the card. Those scrumptious Prima flowers were sent to me in a RAK by my fantabulous matey Jo - thank you so much matey...... I have to tell you there was a lot of stroking going on with these beauties before I could finally part with them on a card! Even then it was a definite case of shall I use one or two, lol!!!



Ingredients:
Papers: Basic Grey
Image: A Passion For Stamps
Hearts: Aud Design
Colouring: Distress Inks/Koh Pencils
Flowers: Prima
Sentiment: Tim Holtz

I hope you all have a nice day today...... I'm off to work now but I really would rather be chilling at home!

TTFN and TFL, hugs Tara xx

I have Copic Ciao Pen Sets For Sale.......

Hiya folks!

Just to let you know I have three sets of Copic Ciao pens for sale as follows:

Set A - 36 pens

Set B - 36 pens

Set C - 36 pens

I bought these pens a few months ago thinking I would make the leap from ProMarkers to Copics but I just haven't grown to love them like I though I would. I much prefer using pencils and blender and still sometimes use my ProMarkers if I'm in a hurry. I am also now experimenting with my Distress Ink pads for colouring in, so it seems a shame to have these sets stood idol. I know that lots of you out there are brilliant with Copics so these sets would be just perfect for anyone wishing to build up a collection.

The sets really have had VERY little use and are in 'as new' condition. I am asking £48 per set with an additional £3 for postage (they will be sent by Special Delivery to the UK only). As these pen sets are retailing at a minimum of £58 now plus postage, this is a great saving for anyone who is interested. If you would like all three sets then postage will be just £6 for the lot.

Please email me if you are interested and I can send you photos if you would like to see them........ they are all boxed.

Big hugs, Tara xxx

Candy Winner..........

The winner of the Squiggle Stamps giveaway, chosen by Random Generator, is...................


NUMBER 18 - DRAGONLADY


Hugwe congrats hun, please email me your addy and I'll get yuor prize sent out to you!

Thanks to everyone who entered and for telling me about your worst pressie....... what a giggle!!!!

Have a great day, hugs Tara xxx

Squiggle Stamps Project and a Candy Giveaway!!!

Good morning everyone!

Hope you had a lovely weekend....... it went to quickly as always don't you think?! And this morning I've just been out to put the kids' school stuff in the car, only to find out how chilly and wet it is...... brrrrrr! Those Autumn mornings are definitely upon us!!

Anyway, enough waffle from me, I'm here to show you a couple of Christmas door hangers I made last week using the adorable new images from Squiggle Stamps. These are the boy and girl elves and are just the cutest! So cute in fact that Tracy at Squiggle has kindly given me a set to give away, along with an adorable little monster boy seen on a card I made here.



All you need to do to be in with a chance of winning the stamps is leave me a comment below...... and just for fun I would like to know what your worst ever received Christmas pressie is, lol! Mine was a bottle of bubble bath given to me a long time ago by a distant relative....... nothing wrong with that I hear you saying..... except that when I came to use it it was only half full!!!! It seems she must have taken a liking to it before she wrapped it up!

I will choose a winner at random tomorrow morning at 8am, so you haven't got long to enter..... good luck!!!! And if you aren't lucky enough to win this time then hop over to Squiggle Stamps because the Elves are on offer just now!

Ingredients:
Papers: MME
Image: Squiggle Stamps
Die Cut Shapes: MME
Colouring: ProMarkers
Die Cut Snowflakes: Sizzix

TTFN and TFL xxx