My shining star

My shining star

Tuesday 31 July 2012

DT Post for LEJ Designs: Magical, mystical and mysterious

Good morning! Its Tuesday so its time for a new challenge over here at LEJ Designs challenge blog.

This week the theme is 'magical, mystical mysterious' and I've got a card to share with you made using one of Lyndsay's digis from her shop which you can find here.

First to the house keeping: the challenge runs for a week and there are two prizes. The first prize is any three digis of your choice from Lyndsay's store.
The second prize this week is £5.00 to spend in the Crafty Embellies store at http://craft-embelies.weebly.com/

They've got some amazing things in there so check it out!

Just a reminder too - if you use one of Lyndsay's digis in the challenge you go into a draw to win some more - can't be bad eh? This week the jackpot has rolled over to 8 digis. Amazing!
Finally Lyndsay has also got a DT call on over at LEJ Designs - so why not think about joining us? I think we're splitting into two teams so it would be a fortnightly rather than a week ly committment. Is a great team - very friendly - have a think!!!!

Okay - onto my card - now this is a funny one - I brayered a purple background landscape then added a moon and some trees - then left the complete card on my craft table over night. When I came back the next evening all of the colour has been bleached away by the sun - spooky!!!!! If you look closely you can see some shadow behind the skirt!




The image is called 'Tattered Beauty' - the trees are cut from a memory box die and the backing card is hunkydory. I've used promarkers to colour the image and then added glitter.

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

Di Digisdisdigidesignschallenge: Mystical creatures
Craftycatzcraftycatzweeklychallenge: all that glitters
charismacardz:monochrome

That's all for today - thanks for stopping by and a big thanks for any comments you leave - they're all appreciated!

Happy Tuesday!

Hugs Rachel xx


Monday 30 July 2012

aunty anne's card

Good morning all! I hope you had a lovely weekend - we certainly did and we have a busy week planned too - fingers crossed for some sunshine to wash it all down with!

I've got a card to show you today that I've made for my aunty anne's forthcoming birthday - she's a lady who loves a joke - hence the card! I've used one of the bugaboo stamps I was lucky enough to win in the draw over at Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas challenge the other week.




I used a sketch from over at Docrafts and fussy cut some Kate Knight papers. The other papers are basic grey 'life of the party' and the sentiment is papermania. I've added pearls for the Totallt Gorjuss challenge and the colour scheme is for the bright and cheerful theme at secret crafter and orange and yellow at totally papercrafts. I've used neenah crest card and coloured with promarkers. I've distressed the image and joke edges with DI spiced marmalade.

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
thesecretcraftersaturdaychallenge: Bright and cheerful
totallypapercrafts: Orange and Yellow
divasbydesignchallenge: Happy Birthday
IDICrobynsfetishchallengeblog: Summer fun


Thankyou for visiting my corner of blogland and I hope to see you again soon! Big hugs

Rachel xx

Sunday 29 July 2012

DT post for The Crafty Pad.

Good morning all! I'm scheduling this post for Sunday morning so I hope everything works out ok. The week has rolled around again - where does the time go? - and its time for a new challenge over at The Crafty Pad here. If you entered last week be sure to check back around Thursday for the winners and top 5 - there weren't many entries last week but they were all really fabulous!

So this week we have the theme chosen by Debbi - as Things with Wings. If you check over at the Crafty Pad site there is lots of inspiration from the ladies on team B. Before I show you my card I should tell you that we're sponsored by Joanna Sheen's online site for this challenge to the tune of a £10 voucher!

                                                           £10 Voucher for the online shop

So here's what I've got for you today - its a telescopic card that I was inspired to make by Diane - a member of the Crafty Pad team A - she did one here and in her post she links you to a tutorial on telescopingcard here.





Its called a telescopic card and its got three parts - you don't need to use circles - but I think that works well with the idea of a telescope. The Crafty Pad image is Fairy Chloe that you can get here. I've also used some hunky dory papers, a LOTV circular sentiment stamp and some WOC roses.

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

Poodles Parlourthepoodlesparlour: Anything Goes
southerngirlschallenge: Angels and Fantasy
deepoceanchallengeblog: Fantasy World.
disdigidesignschallenge: Mystical creatures
crafty-emblies: Flora and fauna

I hope you all have a wonderful Sunday and hopefully I'll be back tomorrow with something a little different!

Big Hugs and thanks for any comments you leave and also for visiting!

Big Hugs

Rachel xx

Saturday 28 July 2012

a showery day and a card

Evening all! I hope you're all okay! Thanks for your feed back on yesterday's card and also Lucy's cards - she was thrilled to be given so many comments so thankyou! Today's been a funny one - after a fantastic sunny day yesterday it was back to crazy showers today! Boo Hoo - just in time for the weekend!

Before I carry on I must say thanks to Anne for the fabulous glassine paper you sent me - it arrived sometime today and I look forward to having some time to play with it very soon. Also, if you're a fan of pan pastels you must check out this months issue of Papercraft Inspirations (my subscriber copy arrived today) - there's a few familiar faces in there - won't say anymore but its a fab article - well done.

Onto todays rather late card! I've used the free Ava image from Saturated Canary and coloured her using promarkers. I've added flowers cut and made using the bitty blossoms dies from spellbinders. The card blank is a kanban one -I think - or it could be hunky dory - its the last one in the box and its been going for a while!




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

Saturated Canarysaturatedcanarychallenge: B+W +1
Anyhting goes CBanythingchallenge: Not square
Papertake weeklypapertakeweekly: Make your own
Bearly Minebearlymine-challenges:Shaped card
My mum's craft shopmymumscraftshopchallenges: birthday girls.

Back bright and early in the morning with my DT crafty pad post that I'm just off to write!

Happy Saturday Evening!

Big Hugs

Rachel xx

Friday 27 July 2012

Its so quiet ... what is he up to?

Good morning - hope you are all well - and would you believe it - the sun has put in an appearance!!!! Yipee! I'm hoping to take the girls out to a local farm today - so fingers crossed! We did manage an hour at the splash park in Morecambe yesterday - but me and my mum were sitting under a towel for part of the time as the rain came down!!!!

Nevermind - before I show you my card my daughter Lucy has asked for me to put up a picture of her and all the cards she has been making this last week:


That's Penny's foot in the bottom one - she's a cheeky monkey!!!! Both girls have done very well - and yesterday we played with shrink plastic - they were both very excited by that!!!!

Okay - onto my card for today - it shows an image from Mo Manning - I think its called something like 'Sammy's quiet'. I think its an adorable image - I've teamed it with papers from a series called 'life of the party', I thought the sentiment said it all! The stars are cut using my mums spellbinders dies - thanks mum!!!!!




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

DP2mosdigitalchallenge: In the doghouse
simonsaysstampschallenge: anything goes
willowsketchiechallenge: anything goes - theme only
digistampsfor joydigistamps4joy-sa: spots and stripes

Okay dokey - best make hay!

Have a good Friday!
Rachel xxx

p.s. thanks for any comments you may choose to leave - they do make my day! Hugs xx


Thursday 26 July 2012

Is that it?

Good morning my crafty friends and followers. I hope you are feeling well? Thankyou so much for all of your comments and well wishes yesterday - it really means so much to me!

Today I've gt a card I've put together for the Penny Black summertime challenge - I've called it 'is that it? Its a bit of a knee jerk reaction to the rubbish summer(?) we've been having. I'm hoping its at least going to be dry here today so I can take the girls out to the park in Morecambe this afternoon for a good run around!!!!

Here's my card:




Okay so here's what I've used:
penny black mouse and flower stamp
Kate Knight rose paper (tropical)
Marianne design roses (small) and WOC rose (large)
Memory box madera corner die
dreaming of summer days LOTV circular sentiment stamp.

I'm really chuffed with this one - I think the colours work well - and it certainly depicts my summer!!!

I'd like to enter my card into the following challenges:
joannasheenchallenge: Animal Antics
totallygorjuss: Leaf it in
Creative Inspirationscinspirations: Colour challenge
Whimsy stampswhimsyinspires: Summer fun

That's all for today - hopefully back with more tomorrow!

Big hugs and I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday!

Rachel xx


Wednesday 25 July 2012

winter wonderland and some news

Good morning all! Great to be with you - and thanks in advance for any more comments you may choose to leave.

I've got some very exciting news to share with you - I've been asked to join the design team for the scrapbook stamp society! I'm very excited - its always good to get to know new people and work with different images. So thanks guys for the opportunity! I hope I don't let you down! I'm not starting until September but I suspect I will start sharing the odd card here and there with you using their images.

Talking of which! I've got a Christmas card to share with you today - using a scrapbook and stamp society image called ' Victorian Holly ragamuffin'. You can get her here.






I've used the sketch and inspiration from Willow sketchie challenge and the colours for the winter wonderland challenge. The dies are from spellbinders. Some of the papers are from the new christmas range from wild rose studios.

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

willowsketchiechallenge: Christmas in July
paperplaychallenges: Christmas in July
scrapbookstampsocietychallengeblog: Winter Wonderland
Winter wonderlandchristmasblogchallenge: Colour challenge
Stampin for the weekendstampinfortheweekend: photo insp (I've used the colours)
Crafters Companionccmonthlychallenge: Ho Ho Ho Christmas.

I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday - I was hoping to take the girls on a scavenger hunt today - but it looks like rain might stop play - again! I thought summer was supposed to be here - well its forgotten the NW!!!!!

Big hugs and see ya'll tomorrow!

Rachel xx


Tuesday 24 July 2012

LEJ Designs DT card: Bling Bling

Good morning! I'm here to show you my DT piece for the new challenge over at lejdesignschallengeblog LEJ Designs this week! Last week was such a fantastic response - thankyou all so much for entering! . Be sure to check out the challenge blog to see if you were lucky!
There are two prizes this week. First prize winner will recieve their choice of three LEJ Design Digis - look here the second prize winner will win this fabulous prize from our sponsors Letraset.http://www.letraset.com/

And don't forget - if you use an LEJ DEsigns digi you go into a draw to win more digis - currently the rolling jackpot stands at 7 digis - I think! This week the challenge is called Bling Bling and here is my card for your inspiration - I've gone for a Christmas theme as there's nothing much more blingy than the festive season!



I've gone for a WOW card as I also think they are blingy! The image is from LEJ designs - I've used a snowflake punch from martha stewart and some acetate from an old Dawn Bibby kit. The sentiment is hunkydory - I think! And I've used a spellbinders die to cut the beaded oval out.

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

cutiepiechallenge: Christmas in July
joannasheenchallenge: Animal Crackers
lexiscreations: Christmas in July
Whoopsi Daisycutedaisymay: Christmas in July.

That's it for today - back tomorrow with another Christmas card - I know - but I missed my one yesterday!!!! LOL!!!!

Thanks for visiting and for any comments you may choose to leave!

Big Hugs

Rachel xx






Monday 23 July 2012

silver wedding card commission

Good morning all! I hope you had a great weekend? We had fun yesterday at Fell Foot Park on Lake Windermere - one of our favourite days out. Can I just say welcome to my new followers too - I hope you enjoy what you see!

Well usually on a Monday I'm showing you a Christmas card - but with the school holidays upon us I'm afraid all of my usual habits will be gone - I've just got to post what I can when I can! This morning I've got a silver wedding card to show you that a friend commissioned me to make.




I do hope my friend likes it and that the recipients do too! I find it hard to believe that 1987 is 25 years ago! I'm sure many of you know what I mean!

I've used card from hunkydory and flowers from WOC - the dies are sizzix and xcut.

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
CACBcraftyannschallengeblog: Easel card
Samuel Taylorssamueltaylors: Dies

Back tomorrow with my DT post for LEJ Designs! See you then - hopefully! Thanks for visiting and for any comments you choose to leave!

Hugs Rachel xx

Saturday 21 July 2012

Pucker up

Evening all! I hope you've all had a great Saturday? Mine has been good - the girls have been working through their crafty stash and then we made some cakes and took them to a friends house warming and now they're starting to think about bedtime and I've got a little time since its my husbands story time tonight!

I've got a card to share with you tonight with another Mo Manning image on it -




I've made this card for a little girl called Merridith who will be 6 in August. I may put a glittery pink 6 on it - will have to decide when I find it!!! So I've used kraft paper and paper from Kate Knight. The image is Mo Manning and it was coloured using promarkers. The Tag is a whimsy stamp and the flower is from WOC. The Ribbon is from Fantastic Ribbons.

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

Sue's sketch at the sketchandstashchallenge - the stash is the paper
CYPCcraftyourpassionchallenges: ribbon and Kraft
Whoopsi Daisycutedaisymay: Use up your stash - paper again!
divasbydesignchallenge: Anything goes
Mo's Digitalmosdigitalchallenge: Hugs and kisses
MAWTTmovingalongwiththetimes: Pink, pearl and pretty

I'm hoping the weather is good again tomorrow - it'll be time for a family day out at Fell Foot Park if it is!

Big hugs and thanks for dropping by and for any comments you choose to leave!

Rachel xx

Friday 20 July 2012

A big thankyou to Jo and Rebecca and a scrapbook page

Evening all -

well the first day of the holidays came and went - and it was thankfully made all the easier by a fabulous delivery from Jo (http://mycraftingcorner-jo.blogspot.co.uk/) and her daughter Rebecca. They sent my girls some fab card making stuff - and a stamp for me too! What wonderful people you are Rebecca and Jo - we can't thank you enough!  Here's a picture of Lucy and Penny with their stash - and one of them with their ATC's made by Rebecca.



In the first picture they're holding a beautiful card that Jo sent along with a lovely letter. As you can imagine they have been busy making thankyou cards - but they decided that they also want to make an ATC each to send back to you Rebecca so although the cards are ready - I don't think we'll make tomorrow's post with the ATC's!

Okay dokey - onto my other thing for tonight - the Happy Scrappers are having a challenge whereby you have to show a layout of a brithday celebration - this is mine from Penny's 4th birthday party back in February:


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

That's all for now folks!

Hugs

Rachel xx

Thursday 19 July 2012

Christmas in July

Hello everybody,

Well I'm posting this card this evening because the school holidays begin tomorrow and where I would normally have bliss and peace - my world is going to be noisy and hectic - my gorgeous girls are off for the summer! woo hoo! Hence i thought I would try to get ahead of myself and do this now!

So, a Christmas card for your perusal:



The image is from the Scrapbook stamp society and the layout is following a sketch from christmas card challenges with sketches.
I've coloured the image using promarkers and added glitter. I've used a punch from martha stewart to create the snoflake border and the paper is from american crafts (I think - it was sitting in my scrap box).

I'd like to enter my card into the following challenges:
scrapbookstampsocietychallengeblog: Sing a song of Christmas.
christmaschallenges: with sketches: 33
whimsyinspires: punches and edgers
papertakeweekly: all things girly
CHNCcraftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge: Twinkle Twinkle little star
jellyparkchallenges: Christmas in July

That's all folks! Might be back again tomorrow night! Big Hugs Rachel xxx

DT post for Desmet Designs: A day at the office

Good Morning - I hope you are all well! Today over at Desmet Designs Challenge Blog there is a new challenge starting. This fortnight the challenge is called 'a day at the office'. There will be a randomly chosen winner who will be able to choose two digis from the Desmet Designs store here

Marie is offering some freebies to use if you want - they can be found here freebies

 My offering today uses some of the digital papers made by Marie. I've made a pen holder and covered the parts that hold the pens in the digital papers.


My creation was made from an inner roll from some wrapping paper - I just cut the rolls to different sizes, covered them with papers that I'd printed out and stuck them all together - it certainly has made my craft 'office' a little tidier - and made a home for my spectrum noir pens and marbling inks!

I hope it might inspire you if you need to do some tidying!!!!


See you all tomorrow!

Hugs

Rachel xx




Wednesday 18 July 2012

dancing with a song in my heart

Good morning all! Well I'm late today - would you believe it - I was at a BBQ last night and didn't get a chance to catch up with all the goings on in blogland in the evening - so its taken me a long time this morning! The BBQ was fab - we all sat indoors whilst my friend Sue's wonderful husband Geoff did the BBQ in the garage! A lovely evening spent with old friends and some new! And it was sure wonderful to not have to cook!

Anyway, onto todays card - over at the Mo manning site they have a GDT call on and whilst I know the chances are very slim, I thought I'd give it a whirl as I love the images so much. This week the challenge is to create something to do with dance - and since this also fits in with a few other challenges I thought I would go for it.





I followed a sketch from over at A gem of a challenge and followed the colour scheme from the ribbon girl and crafty sentiments design. The dance/music theme is current over at paperplay, mo manning and guylou Beland and the large bow works for digital tuesday's all tied up. I've used papers from echo park and flowers from WOC and some from my stash and coloured the image using promarkers.

This card will be sent to Lucy and Penny's nana along with photographs from the ballet show that she missed! They love their nana so much and always miss her!

So the challenges I would like to enter this card into are:
mosdigitalchallenge: let'sdance
A gem of a challengepinkgemchallengeblog: sketch
paperplaypaperplaychallenges: music
guylousinimitability:Music and dance
ribbongirls: aqua, blue and terracotta
CSDcraftysentiments: blue and orange
digitaltuesdaychallenge: all tied up.

That's all for today - back tomorrow with something useful - but something I'm not too sure about! Hope to see you then - thanks for dropping by today and for any comments you choose to leave!
Big crafty hugs

Rachel xxx

Tuesday 17 July 2012

LEJ Designs DT: Challenge 12: Anything goes

Good morning! I'm here to show you my DT piece for the new challenge over at lejdesignschallengeblog LEJ Designs this week! Its everybody's favourite challenge - Anything Goes!
There  are two prizes this week. First prize winner will recieve their choice of three LEJ Design Digis - look here

the second prize winner will win this amazing bundle of goodies from mishelflocreativecrafting - I'm so jealous!

And remember - if you use an LEJ digi in your entry you automatically get entered into a draw to win more! Can't say fairer than that can we?

and so here is my offering - I did enjoy making this using the image of Ellen sunbathing from the LEJ design bank.


I've made this card for the teachers at Lucy's school as a thankyou card - Its a bit different I know but I think they'll like it!
I used a mask to make the clock and added it to kraft paper - i used DI I think it was milled lavendar - but it might have been a different purple shade - in order to get the image and then cut the clock out. I've used papermania linen papers on the card. The tag was made using a variety of d.i. all layered up and rubbed together. I've added roses and a charm and stamped the sentiment in back archival ink.

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
allsortschallenge inspiration challenge - I've used the colours and the clock mask
Little clairelittleclairesdesigns: summer holiday
PIOpileitonchallenge: kick back and relax
craftpunked: summertime
Pattie's creationspattiescreationschallenge: summertime

That's all for today - I look forward to seeing what you come up with!

Big hugs and thanks for stopping by and for any comments you may leave!

Rachel xx