So glad we're friends

Every now and then you get the opportunity to make a card for someone really special. The card I made today is for my very closest friend, the sister I never had, Amanda.

I bought this Wild Rose Studio "Girl With Dog" stamp about 6 months ago, knowing I would be using it for Amanda's card, for it reminds me of her so much. I resisted using it for other creations, wanting its debut to be for her birthday.

I used my Stampin' Up Sentiment "So Glad We're Friends" for it says everything I think of Amanda and more. I coloured in this gorgeous girl using copics, sponged the edges with Momento "Summer Sky" and used my Spellbinders "Reverse Wonky Rectangles" die. I then hunted high and low for some paper to compliment her. Just when I was about to give up and go home, I found this beautiful paper from Sassafras called "Lots O' Luck". I was actually carrying some blue cardstock to go with a card I will be making tomorrow when I realised the blue was a very nice addition. I love it when I come across a combination by chance like that!

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

Totally Gorjuss - For Someone Special
Little Miss Muffet challenges - Anything Goes
Paper Creations Ink - Something Old (image stamp) Something new (DP)
Ladybug Crafts Ink TLT Challenge - Bingo (flowers, ribbon, die cut)
Secret Crafter Saturday Challenge - Anything Goes
Make It Monday - Anything Goes

Until next time,
Tracey
x

Pretty Ballerina

Oh it's so refreshing to make a card that's not Christmas related. I don't know about you, but I left my Christmas card making way too late, so it was a frantic race to the finish.

I had coloured a beautiful La La Land image for the last Sparkles Forum challenge of the year, but unfortunately didn't get a chance to finish it due to family dramas. I couldn't leave this little ballerina merely coloured, so this morning I spent some time turning her into a card.

A couple of weekends ago, my best friend's husband Josh and I got very carried away remembering the Hans Christian Anderson song "Thumbelina" as sung by Danny Kaye. Now I know this isn't a 'thumbelina' but a real ballerina, but I simply couldn't stop singing that song while making her.

This card was pulled together using leftover scraps from three different DPs, a teeny bit of lace that is part of the stash I got from my grandmother, and some pearl and jewel stick-ons for bling. The butterfly is a lovely feathery, jewelled glittery creation that I bought once upon a time and never used.

To walk down memory lane with Josh and I - here's a link to the Thumbelina song from the movie here.

I am entering this card into the following challenges:

The Crafty Pad - Anything but Christmas
Flutterby Wednesdays - Butterfly, Fairy or Angel
The Paper Shelter - The Look of Lace
Pixie Dust Studio Pixie Challenge - 3 different papers
Make It Monday - Anything Goes
That Craft Place - Sweet Treats in Pastels
The Poodles Parlour - Inspired by a song

and added of course to the La-La Land Customer Gallery for December.

Until next time,
Tracey
x

Blog Candy Winner

Hello All,

I hope you survived the festivities. It was a very quiet one at this end. My husband's grandfather passed away just 2 weeks ago, and everyone is still feeling very subdued. My job has been pretty crappy and causing lots of new stresses and I've been working extra long hours.

For the first time, I didn't even put the tree up and without my tree I really didn't feel like it was Christmas. Lesson learned. Next time the tree goes up, regardless of whatever dramas are going on in life at the time. I feel sad that Christmas seems to have been 'missed' this year.

Anyway, I am happy to announce that I have the winner of my first ever blog candy! The winner of the $10 Mystery Digi pack from Make It Crafty is....

Carla S!!!

Congrats Carla - email me at fox_tracey@yahoo.com.au and I will get your prize sent to you soonest.

Tracey
x

It's a Holiday Havoc Blog Hop!

It's an exciting day today and an unusual post from me - for it's my very first blog hop!

For my first ever hopping experience, what better hop to join than Craft Your Passion Challenges "Holiday Havoc 2011" Blog Hop!

If you have hopped over from Sue's blog "Confessions of a Paper Hoarder", then you are in the right place. If you just happened to stop by and would like to join the hop from the beginning, please go to Craft Your Passion Challenges and follow along for a chance to win some AMAZING blog candy along the way and PRIZES at the end.

Trust me, these are fab prizes so if you did just stop by, quick - go get started!

Right, let's assume you've done that and you're back. That means you know all about the blog hop, how the Craft Your Passion DT members are all playing in the hop with a crowd of us (myself included) - all hopping along together (why do I keep picturing the Easter Bunny here? Must change mental image to hopping reindeer or similar).

Each designer is featuring a project showcasing a digital image from one of the amazing Blog Hop Sponsors. Some of the designers are giving away blog candy too - make sure you read the posts on how to win. As well as the individual blog candy from the designers, there are some fabulous prizes to be won at Craft Your Passion Challenges. All you have to do are these few simple steps:


1. Hop all the way through the Hop, leaving a comment for each designer as you go.

2. Sit back and marvel at the amazing fun you've had along the way (those talented and experienced hoppers can possibly do steps 1 & 2 simultaneously)

3. Create a holiday project using at least 1 digital stamp and enter it at Craft Your Passion Challenges using the linky tool by Midnight CST December 23 to be eligible for the prizes. Winners will be announced on the CYP Monday, December 26th Challenge post.

Got all that?  Okay, so here's the card I created using a gorgeous digi supplied from Crafty Sentiments.

Because this image was so very sweet, I didn't want to overshadow him with lots of tricky embellishments or lots of papers. Instead, he was very simply coloured with copics, glittered up with Kindy Glitz glitter glue, and glammed up with some ice blue jewel stick ons from Kaisercraft added to the snow globe base. The DPs were Hobby Fun Co. Ltd, and I added some red ribbon from my stash. I wish I knew where I got that little digi sentiment - it was a freebie I collected once upon a time and lost the details for. To celebrate the occasion I even bought a new Spellbinders die - Lacy Squares.

Now I couldn't participate in my very first blog hop and not offer any candy of my own could I?

So ta-da - blog candy!  I am offering one lucky winner something very special from one of my all time favourite digi stores - Make it Crafty.

 $10

That's right, if you win my blog candy you win a Secret Santa digi stamp pack to the value of $10. Oh the excitement, the intrigue, the mystery - you won't know what stamps you will recieve - but I know they will be wonderful!!

To be eligible to win, all you have to do is leave a comment here (which you are doing anyway to be eligible for the Craft Your Passion prizes), and become a follower. I will enlist the help of random.org to pick one winner - easy! The winner will be drawn and posted here on 26th December.

Right, next stop is Paper and Scrap Creations by Julia - have fun!

Tracey
x

Oh Christmas Tree

No, your eyes do not deceive you lovely followers - I really am posting two cards in one day. All week I have been singing the Christmas Carol "Oh Christmas Tree" and seeing I'm not putting my tree up this year this is the next best thing.