Happy Birthday

If your looking for the Live and Love Crafts Hop please click HERE.

Morning Crafters,

Well didn't I tell you the Live and Love Crafts Blog Hop would be inspirational, I hope you enjoyed it, if you've not had time yet, don't worry, just click the link above, noooo not yet, after you've seen my post, of course, lol.

As we are still celebrating the LLC's 1st Birthday our theme this week is "Birthday" and tied in perfectly as some of you may know it was Elaine Livesey's birthday yesterday and this is the card that I made for her.

The image is a Whimsy stamp, 

The beautiful papers are again MajaDesign Spring Basics, god I love these.  I have again used some shabby white frantage.

Making it's debut is another Melissa Frances Hanger, god I love these too, lol.

Hugs Tracy x

LLC Birthday Bloghop

Welcome to LLC's Birthday Blog Hop!

Next Tuesday, on June the 25th exactly one year will have gone by since the Live & Love Crafts opened up. It's been a very exciting year for me; not in my wildest dreams did I think the store would become this successful in just one year's time.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all my customers for your outstanding support over the last 12 months. I'd also like to thank all the blog followers who leave encouraging comments on the Design Team Member's work, as well as all the LLC Facebook Fans and Instagram Fans.

Thanks also to all the crafters who are sharing your talent with us by entering our monthly challenge.  And a special thanks to these 23 ladies… 

Yup; these are all the ladies who honoured us by guest designing for the LLC Challenge and at other occasions. In the blog sidebar you’ll find links to their blogs, well worth a visit!

At last but definitely not least…
the super mega über talented LLC Design Team Members, who are not just exceptional crafters but also some of the sweetest girls I know, and I'm proud to call my friends. ♥

Now you probably wonder why there isn’t a picture collage of them?
Well; I started making one, but then it got a bit complicated…should I include our past member, should I cross out the members who are stepping down, should I add the guest designer???  Don’t worry, you’ll meet them all on the hop, but a short explanation might still be helpful.

Joining us on the hop is Elizabeth, who was a DT Member during LLC’s first six months. Thanks so much Elizabeth, it’s great working with you again. Then as a result of two members stepping down, we have two new recruits…

It’s with great sadness I announce that this will be Karita’s last project for LLC. Karita has been with LLC since the beginning and brought us so much wonderful inspiration over the last year. I can’t thank Karita enough for her contributions to LLC, and I’m sure you all agree.
Please make sure you leave her lots and lots of love when you visit her blog today!

The second member is not exactly stepping down, but stepping away a bit to focus more on store related things . Yup; that’ll be me. ;-) As the store has been getting busier, I don’t seem to have enough hours in the day for everything I want to and have to do, so I thought some reinforcement would come in handy…

I’m thrilled to announce the two newest members of the LLC DT: Eulanda and Alyce.
Welcome, it’s great having you on board!

If you read all the way down here, well done!
I’ll stop waffling now and let’s get on with the hop.

In case you get lost, here’s the Blog Hop Order:
LLC Blog
Becky

Tina
Karita
Eulanda
Elin
Alyce
Tracy
Louise
Elizabeth
Sandy
LLC Blog

Wouldn't be a proper birthday celebration without prezzies, would it?!!!
Here's what you can win:

One random winner who has left comments on all particpating blogs will receive a £20 Voucher to the Live & Love Crafts Store.

There are also these hidden prizes on the hop...

Prize1 : Melissa Frances 2 Flower Clip Hanger
Prize 2: 5 x Skeins of LLC's hand dyed and hand crinkled seam binding
Prize 3: LLC Embellishment Pack (Shabby Bark Hearts, White Poppies, Shabby Chic Miniature Angels, Berries Pins, Clay Hearts, Blackberries, Apples)
Prize 4: Pack of Laces (1 yard Scalloped Venice Lace, 1 yard Lace "florence", 1 meter Oyster Cream Rhinestones Lace, 1 meter white Lace Trim "Provence", 1 yard "Venice Petite" Lace).

You have until Tuesday, June, 25th 12 PM (UK Time) to complete the hop.
To be eligible for the grand prize, please make sure you leave comments on all blogs and then come back here and enter your details in Inlinkz.

The winners will all be drawn randomly and announced here on the blog on Tuesday, June, 25th.
We'd love to hear what you thought about the hop as well, so please feel free to leave us a comment here on the blog.

So off you go: Happy Hopping!
Your next stop is Becky's Blog.

Hugz from Sandy & the LLC DT



P.S. The  Birthday Candy remains open until the 25th...

A little romance, perhaps...

Hi Everyone,
Karita here and today I would like to show a card with a little romance, using papers and image from Pion Design.

You know, at this weekend, starting from today, we are celebrating midsummer here in Finland. Finland is called the Land of the Midnight Sun, we have light nights and nature looks so beautiful. 

And this weekend is also very popular for the midsummer weddings, 

so this weeks "Romance" theme is so perfect :)

 

Lately I´ve been playing with lots of different kind of textures and getting to know them. 

And with this card I´ve played with Snow Tex.

Earlier this week I got this new gorgeous frame die from Sizzix and of course I had to use it :)

I used the die to the kraft cardstock, inked the edges with distress ink "Walnut Stain" and at the end I added some Snow Tex and do I like the result....? I Love It!!! :)  So shabby / vintage  :)

And actually I like the whole card how the Snow Tex gives nice shabby effect to it :)

Okay, I think that´s all from me now.

Thank you for stopping by.

Have a great weekend everyone! :)

Hugs, Karita

Vintage Garden Wedding

It's time for some ROMANCE <3<3<3

As several of my team mates have done, I too have made a wedding card this week using Pion Design's last collection: Vintage Garden.

And as you might notice, no pink! And no purple! Time to bring out some greens, and this is my first time using the lovely shabby green fran-tage:

 My card base is a large brown paper bag, which I have painted with Gesso and punched on the edge first. Then I have folded it into three sections, hence there are 6 sides to cover and decorate if you are one of those who decorate the back too ;)

 On the front I have used a digital image and printed words to fit the occasion. I have also used feathers in my creation, and the edges of the picture + the flowers got a hint of frantage.

When I open the card, this is the next page I see:

Ohhh I like the romantic house in the woods.. it's made for these kind of cards, for sure! 

I added a flower decoration and a charm to this page, along with some Frantage.
The sentiment says "Fill your life with dreams."

Here is a closeup of the kissing couple, a gorgeous charm covered with some Gesso and Frantage.

Next side is left blank so I can write a few words for the couple to be married.

 Only a few stamps, some Gesso, Frantage and pearls found their way here :)

 And here is one of the insides with another word of wisdom:

"May this great day bring happiness and love to your hearts."

Once again a picture heavy post from me, hope you don't mind?!

I find myself loving posts with many lovely inspiring pictures and I skip the text :p I hope you do too!

Here is one last picture of the card while standing open:

Thank you for stopping by, and also a HUGE thanks to all of you lovely girls and boys who leave such wonderful comments on my and all the other DT Members' posts: We love you all <3

At last, just a little reminder:

Live and Love Crafts is about to kick off a great birthday celebration!!
See you Saturday for the bloghop!

DON'T MISS IT :D

Hugs & Kisses

Elin

Golden Wedding

Sorry, I'm running a little late. I just got this image the other day, and I was going to make a Wedding card, I have been asked to make quite a few for later in the year, I coloured it up at work on Monday night and as I was on my way home one of my colleagues asked me to make a Golden Wedding card for her Mam and Dad and I thought 50 years of marriage was more romantic than a Wedding Card. 

She wanted a card bigger than my usual 6x6, so this has been cut with my largest Go Kreate die, I've used Maja Design Vintage Summer Basics 12x12 papers, and used walnut stain around the edges.

I've used a Tim Holtz Typeset die for the lettering and then added a sprinkle of Gold Glamour dust. 

The roses are from my stash, there are links so the other flowers at the end. I've used Shabby White Frantage on the pearls.

I was brave and decided to try the Cracked Glass technique to a coloured image, I've only done it once before and that was on a printed image. This is my way of how to do it. I added liquid pearls and glamour dust, and let it dry thoroughly. When it was dry I used the versamark ink and covered the whole image and then used UTEE (Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel) and then melted with a heat gun, and repeated this until I had a complete covering, 3 times for most of the image, but in places it took me about 5 times. I then let it harden for a while (I think you can put it in the freezer, but I craft in the attic and after doing some exercises the other day that had loads of squats in the stairs aren't my friend at the mo). When it was nice and hard I folded it over my fingers to get the cracks, when I was happy with the cracks I added Walnut Stain ink to them and rubbed it in with the ink tool, and I think it suits this image and card perfectly.

My arty flower shot ;)

Hugs,

Becky xx