DT post for The Crafty Pad: Twine

Morning all - and if everything is going to plan this should be coming to you on Sunday morning - whilst I'm on holiday in a caravan in Cornwall! Fingers crossed!

Thankyou so much for all of you entries into last weeks challenge at The crafty pad - my it was a busy one and so many amazing entries - I don't fancy Dawn's task of picking the top 5 but if you check back on Thursday I'm sure she will have done it!

The new challenge today over at the crafty pad is Leesa's fab idea and its called 'twine' - check it out here.
Our sponsors this time is joannasheen and you could win a £10 voucher to spend in the online shop.

This is what I did:

I've used the crafty pad images Hedgehog-Harry-in-Circle-of-Flowers and Acorns-and-Autumn-Leaves. I've printed the Harry image out and coloured him with promarkers. I've also added swirls of twine to form the centres of the circles and twine behind the main image. The papers are from hunkydory and the sentiment is either hunkydory and kanban!

I won't be entering this card into any challenges as I won't be able to link up. But I will still receive via my phone any comments you leave so please let me know what you think!

Hope you have a fabulous week - and why not play along at The Crafty Pad - you may be glad that you did!

Big Hugs

Rachel xx

Texture tag for creative expressions DT Call

Good morning all! Hope you are all well and happy - and welcome to my followers -old and new alike! You might want to make sure you're here tomorrow as I'll be posting some candy since I'm going on holiday and I'm nearly at 100 followers! More about that tomorrow....

Today I've got a piece to share with you that I've made for the creative-expressions.uk.com DT call.- I know I don't stand a chance but you've got to try!!!!! The idea is to make a piece relating to texture - this is what I've done:

The tag is a regular manilla tag and first of all I've made the background using decopatch - its fab - and involves multiple sheets of tissue paper of various patterns cut into squares and applied with an adhesive that is a mixture of glue and varnish - very therapeutic - love it! After that had dried i\ stamped the words and butterflies in versa mark and added brass sparkle wow powders before heat setting. The words are Indigo Blu and the butterfly is a freebie from craft stamper magazine. I made the flowers using the technique with the medium tattered florals die pioneered by Hels Sheridan - tutorial here.

I'm very happy with my work and I guess you never know your luck!!! I'm just incredibly aware of the mega talent out there in blogland - I see so much of it everyday!

Anyway - this is my piece for the DT call at Creative expressions
but I'd also like to enter it into these challenges:
joannasheenchallenge: totally sentimental
Anything goes CBanythingchallenge: Make your own background.

Thanks for looking and see you tomorrow for my candy post!

Hugs Rachel xx

Sporty Layout for happy scrappers

Afternoon all - I'm trying to squeeze a few makes in before I head off on holiday on Saturday - plus on Friday I'll be posting some blog candy for all you lovely people who have been following me - so look out for that one!

I'd like to share this layout with you from the adjacent villages scarecrow festival back in late April/May. They always have a festival each year and there is usually a theme - this being a special year there were two themes - one of olympics and the other anniversaries. My layout shows some of my favourite photos from that festival.

it was an amazing festival this year - these are just a selection of the photos but I thought I would use them to make a page for the happy scrappershttp://thehappyscrapperschallenges.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/ch-4-sports.html challenge this month!

Back tomorrow with a piece I've made for a DT call! woohoo!

Hugs Rachel xx

olympic hedgie

Good evening to you! I hope you are all well and happy? Me and my brood are good and I'm glad to report my shaun's conference has finally finished and an air of calm has descended over the house! Bliss!

Tonight I'd like to share a little Hedgie with you - a penny black hedgie!

He's so cute! I wanted to create something for the penny black challenge but didn't know how I was going to combine two stamps - I thought I'd try and get away with the dandelion heads in a border looking a bit (LOL) like snowflakes! I've added snowflake peeloffs to try and disguise this fact!!!!Anyway - I've followed the theme and the sketch from willow sketchie by using kraft - and also that should make my card qualify for my mums craft shop Kraft it challenge.

So the challenges I'd like to enter are:

CACBcraftyannschallengeblog: Winter Olympics
My Mums Craft shopmymumscraftshopchallenges: Kraft it
simonsaysstampschallenge: animal antics
christmasblogchallenge: winter sports
Willow sketchiewillowsketchiechallenge: Kraft
Penny Blackpennybfriendssaturdaychallenge: use two stamps.

Hope you have a fabulous Wednesday! Thanks for visiting and I'm back tomorrow with a layout!

Big Hugs

Rachel xx

DT Post for LEJ Designs: Vintage

Good morning to all my crafty friends and followers. And welcome to my new followers too. It still amazes me when the numbers increase and so many of you leave comments - thankyou - you're all very kind!

Today is a the start of a new challenge over at lejdesignschallengeblog. This week the theme is vintage. We have two prizes this week:

Prize 1: 3 digis of you choice from LEJ Designs - the catalogue is growing all the time - click here to have a browse.


Prize 2 is 5 digis of your choice from digidarladesigns

This is what I did.

The main character is from the vintage street set of designs and you can find him here. I've used kraft core card stock from tim holtz - put it through two different embossing folders and sanded down to reveal the core. I've layered up with some very old vintage parisian paper from kanban and embellished with these wonderful items from crafty emblies - if you haven't been over there yet - check it out here! Its fab! xx

I think I'll save this one for my uncle Bernard's birthday - I think it will suit him well!

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

thatcraftplaceblog: Vintage
totallypapercrafts: Song - Bicycle Race
vintageelusionscardscrafts: Anything goes
cardcrafterscircle: Rich and Earthy colours
paper-craftingjourney: Anything goes.

Thanks for dropping by - and I hope to see you again soon!

Big Crafty hugs!

Rachel xx

GDT post for Paper Makeup stamps

Good morning all! Well today I've got something a little bit different to share with you - its something called a tent topper card and there's a great tutorial here from split coast stampers that tells you how to make them.

My card is for the challenge over at the digi makeover challenge papermakeupstamps. I've used their image called 'eyepod' - I think he's so cool - Anne Temple's was the blog where I first saw him and I knew as soon as I got this GDT post that Eyepod was the one for me! He's probably going to be sent to a boy but I'm not fully sure of the recipient just yet!

I've printed the image and coloured him with promarkers. I've matched the papers from scraps that I had to the image colours - and added some kraft card in there too.

I'd like to enter eyepod into the followng challenges:

MAWTTmovingalongwiththetimes: shape up
Passion for promarkerspromarkerchallenge: Shaped cards
Fussy and fancyfussyandfancychallenge: Lime, orange and citrus.

We all had a lovely day out yesterday - but very tiring! And the rain held off until lunch time thankfully! We haven't had the heat you people in the south seem to be getting!!!!

Back tomorrow with another LEJ DT creation. Hope to see you then and thanks for dropping by today!

Hugs Rachel xx

best friends at Christmas

Morning all! I do hope you had a good Saturday - glad to report that we did - the girls really enjoyed their farm ride on the ponies and then in the afternoon we went to my favourite playbarn and I managed to get a card made!

Before I show you that though I must point you in the direction of Lindsay - and mention her fabulous candy - the picture is on my sidebar - check it out - if you haven't already!

Also there are new images in the shop at the thecraftypad:

There are also some birthday/general circular sentiments and some digital papers too!
Get over there and check them out - I'm looking forward to having a play with these myself!

So onto my card: I love it to pieces I have to say - the little angel in the image reminds me - in the face - of my little Penny - that's why I had to buy the image when I was browsing over at Mo's Digital Pencil recently!

I've used a sketch from Divas by design and ribbon from fantastic ribbons. The snowflake punch is Martha stewart and the pink paper is from Wild Rose studio. The flowers are from Marianne designs and the charm was from a kit - as were the pins. The snow flakes were cut using spellbinders dies.

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

craftyannschallengeblog: Christmas in August
charismacardz: Monochromatic
digidoodleshopsbest: Use a charm
Crafty Catzcraftycatzweeklychallenge: Animals
DP2mosdigitalchallenge: Friends
Fab and Funkyfabnfunkychallenges: Angels and Fairies
Divas by designdivasbydesignchallenge: Sketch
sendasmile4kidschallenge: Anything goes
Best friends: Crafters Companionccmonthlychallenge
Best friendslittleclairesdesigns:
A gem of a challengepinkgemchallengeblog: Animals or teddy bears.
inthepinkchallenge: 50 shades of pink

My husband has been running an international conference this week and today is the 'rest' day - we're off to Holker Hall on a coach with 70 physiscists followed by a boat ride on Windermere - It should be a fun day but the weather's not looking brilliant! Fingers crossed. The girls will just enjoy the coach ride I think!!!

Oh and another bit of news before I sign off - I've been asked to join the DT for Seems a little sketchy - since I love working with sketches how could I refuse?! I'll be starting in September when I get back from my holidays!

See you tomorrow for  GDT spot and thanks for dropping by today! Hugs

Rachel xx

Freddie's birthday card

Morning all - well - the rain is back with a vengeance here - but isn't it warm? I was hoping to take the girls horse riding this morning but we'll have to see if its cancelled with this weather!

I've got a card to share with you today that I've made for my neighbour's boy Freddie - who will be two next week.

Freddie is a very happy little boy - who loves his food - and so I think this card will go down well!!
The image is pinkcatstudio - I won it in a challenge a while back and am just getting around to using it - but thanks - I love it! I've made the card using 3 papers, 2 corners and 1 image so would like to enter it into the 3-2-1 challenge at Digi makeover, I've used Julie's sketch from sketch and stash - the image is my stash. I'd also like to enter the card into the other challenges listed below.

Whimsywhimsyinspires: Lots of layers
TSBthestampingboutiquechallengeblog: Show me the presents
papertakeweekly: Spots and stripes
Digital Tuesdaydigitaltuesdaychallenge: Childs Play
Sketch and Stashsketchandstashchallenge: Julie's sketch
Digi Makeoverpapermakeupstamps: 3-2-1 challenge (papers, corners, image)


I do hope you are all well - the school holidays are rolling by fast and its only a week now until I'll be on holiday - I will be scheduling posts but won't be able to comment - so apologies in advance for that!

Have a great weekend - thanks for dropping by!

Big Hugs Rachel xx

Zombie town blog Hop for the scrapbook stamp society

Good morning everyone - it feels good to be back - I've had 36 hours with no internet - and it felt as though my right arm had been severed!!!Still - I think the kids appreciated seeing more of mummy!!!!

Today - on the facebook pages of the scrapbook stamp society and addicted to stamps - there is a bloghop called Zombie Town - these wonderful digis all depict zombies! If that's the sort of thing that floats your boat why not check it out here http://www.facebook.com/ScrapbookStampSociety and herehttp://www.facebook.com/ScrapbookStampSociety#!/groups/205539419562521/.

My card was going to be a canvas - but I couldn't get hold of one in time - so I used sticky back canvas paper and distress stains plus some spritzers to create the background. Zombie Zodi and her rabbit can be found here - I've printed her out and coloured her with promarkers then affixed her to the canvas. Finally I've added text and frayed the canvas edges before sticking it to black card.

I would like to enter this card for the following challenges:

simonsaysstampandshow: Favourite technique - playing with distress stains is definitely a big fun thing for me at present!
fatpageswithattitude: Show some texture/anything goes

so why not check it out over on facebook and see what the other ladies have come up with!

Big Hugs for a happy Friday

Rachel xx

Love is all around - but don't look mum

Good morning to all my crafty friends and followers. I hope you're enjoying the continued sunshine! I know I am and so are my girls! Lets hope it stays around for a little while yet!

Today I've got an anniversary card that I've made for my mum and dad to share with you - hence the title of this post. Now mum and dad aren't quite as old as Jack and Ginger in this image from Mo Manning - but they're getting there! Sorry mum! I do so love this image though so I'm hoping they're not offended!

So I've used the image by Mo Manning and coloured it using promarkers. I've used 2 x-cut heart dies and run the card through my grand kaliber to make the window and then again in the card to add to the front. Finally I've used both dies together and cut the frame for the image. Along the bottom is a punch I've used from Martha Stewart. Inside the papers were free from a magazine (raspberry road?). I've wriiten all aound the outside of the front and the inside 'love is all around' which was the theme over at DP2 this week.

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

DP2mosdigitalchallenge: Love is all around
Toally Papercraftstotallypapercrafts: Frame it
Crafty Catzcraftycatzweeklychallenge: Anything Goes
OSAATonestitchatatimechallenge: Anything goes
Whoopsi Dasiy Challengecutedaisymay: Anything goes

We're off to see a friend this morning at a local church hall for a holiday club - then there's free dance classes on this afternoon in another village that I'll be taking my girls to! Should be good!

Hope you have a lovely time today and thanks for taking the time to pop over here!

Big Hugs

Rachel xx

A big thankyou and a CAS card

Good morning all - and thankyou all so much for your kind wishes for Lucy's birthday yesterday - she had a fabulous time although things could have been smoother at the party - best not to dwell! Anyhow - thanks again for your kind thoughts and Jo and Rebecca thanks for that card - Lucy was thrilled!!!!! Here's a picture of her at the family tea.

She's got a fairy headband/tiara and wings on that my friend Danielle gave to her - bless her cotton socks!

Anyway - onto a card - at LEJ designs this week its team B's turn to show you their CAS cards - since I had one made already I thought I'd share it with you today - its already been sent out to Marianne - hope you don't mind me showing it Marianne!

So the Daisy image is from LEJ Deisgns and I've coloured the centres in and added glossy accents. I followed a sketch from a few weeks ago at LIM and added some twine.

I'm havng a day off from challenges - feeling ready for my holidays!

Have a fun Tuesday and thanks again to all of my wonderful blog friends for all of your comments.

Hugs

Rachel xx

LOTV Christmas!

Morning all - well this is a scheduled post as its Lucy's birthday today so I imagine I'll be up to my neck in wrapping paper thats she's torn off and abandoned - and envelopes too!

My offering for today is a monochrome Christmas card - its also the first outing for my frosty wreath die from memory box - couldn't resist!!!!

The LOTV image is from last years releases for Christmas but I think I've still got mileage in her - she's gorgeous! I've gone for a monochrome card and used mesh behind the image to add texture. She's coloured with promarkers and I've used a sentiment from hunky dory. The layout follows kylies sketch at the sketchy challenges - and there's a tag on there too!

I'd like to enter my card into the following challenges:
stampinfortheweekend Monochromatic
thepoodlesparlour Lets use those die cuts
liliofthevalleythursdaychallenge: Monochrome
mymumscraftshopchallenges: Christmas in August
christmascardchallenges: Texture
pinkinksketchchallenges: Kylie's Sketch
totallygorjuss: Lovely Lace

Here's hoping Lucy is having a lovely day - she's having a party at lunch time at the bowling alley so will see her friends there - then its back home for a family party with Nanny and Gramps and Doris - she's the 90 year old lady who lives across the road - what a star she is!

Big hugs to everyone and hope you all have a wondeful day too!

Rachel xx

DT Card for The Crafty Pad: Summer Vacation

Morning all - I do hope you are well and happy - amazing what a bit of sunshine does for us all isn't it? Well its time for another challenge over at the craftypad. This week its my choice and I've gone for the theme of Summer Vacation. Its at the forefront of my mind because we go on our family holiday soon - to Cornwall - will the weather be able to last I hear you cry!!!!

Anyway - so we're looking for things associated with a traditional summer vacation. The prize this week is a fab one from craftyindividuals - looks brilliant.

 Prize is 1 A4 sheet Glossy Nostalagia Toppers,
1 Set of Red Rubber Stamps
1 6x6 Book of Backing Papers


So if you're stuck for an image and fancy trying to win this fab prize, why not  hop over to the crafty Pad here - and chose one of the images my wonderful teamies have displayed in their cards.

My card for today is this:

I've used three images from the crafty pad - patch flying, beach hut and life's a beach sentiment. They are all available here. I've coloured them all with promarkers. The background to patch is watercolour card that I've coloured with pan pastel and then added some 'flying birds'. The bottom part of the card has some photographic paper featuring a beach - I got it from QVC a million years ago and I don't know who made it - sorry! The happy holidays is echo park from some christmas papers!

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

craftpunked: Beside the seaside
scrapitwithasong: Leaving on a jet plane
digidoodleshopsbest: things with wings (my aeroplane)
Passion for promarkerspromarkerchallenge: At the beach
willowsketchiechallengee: Warm colours theme
sweetstampinchallengeblog: Things with wings (aeroplane again!)

That's all for today - its Lucy's birthday tomorrow - so I'm going to schedule a post if I get the chance - but if not I'll be back with something on Tuesday!

Enjoy the rest of the weekend and have lots of fun!

Big crafty hugs

Rachel xx

Moorag the Moo

Morning all! Welcome to my old and new followers alike - its great to have you here! Are you enjoying the sunshine? Hasn't it been fabulous - really how summer should be! Had another lovely day out at a park in Lancaster with my girls and some of Lucy's school friends yesterday - it was just fabby! Hopefully it'll be as good today!

On with my post - got a card to share with you today featuring Moorag the Moo from the Crafty Pad - ever since we got them as the new releases in July I've been itching to have a play with some of them. This is the one I chose to print out and this is what I did:

I've printed out my digi onto neenah crest card and coloured her using promarkers. Then I've added twine to the centre of the flowers and in the top corner by going around and around. I've matted my cut out image onto kite paper and then onto a round doily and finally the card. Oh yes and there was more twine wrapped around the fence near the sentiment.

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

craftingforallseasons: Bright colours
thepapershelter: going around and around
anythingchallenge: summer days
papertakeweekly: Anything goes
craftyourpassionchallengesCYPC: anything goes
doyoustackupDYSU: 4 legged friend


That's all for today - I hope you have a fantastic Saturday - back in the morning with a new challenge from the Crafty Pad!

Big Hugs

Rachel xx

Lucy's makes

Well good morning to you - a post dedicated to my oldest daughter Lucy today - she has been like a girl possessed since Jo (a piece of me) and her daughter Rebecca sent some crafty things through the post to us. Since she made a stack of cards in a week she's slowed down a bit but has started to really find what she's enjoying - and she's taking herself off and doing exactly what she wants to do without interference from mummy - which is just brilliant to see.

Anyway - she wanted to enter the childrens challenge on Simon says so here's what she has done.

First of all she's made a crown - this was one of the things that she just went off and did!

 and secondly she's made this fab card - she's discovered that mummy has lots of digital images on the computer and she has taken to this image from the crafty pad which is fairy chloe. She wants my promarkers but I've said we'll get her some of her own pens - not promarkers!!!! - soon!!!

She's 5 at the moment but will be 6 on Monday! I think she's pretty amazing - but then I am her mum and must think so!!!!!

So Lucy would like to enter these makes into the simonsaysstampschallenge: childrens challenge.

On another note - take a look here to see the latest piece of work/book available from sherribaldy.

Big Hugs

Rachel xxx

Congratulations!

Wow - blogger is working - I can't believe it! I've been trying to sort this problem out all day and now it is working but only if I use the mozilla firefox browser - how odd is that - its like learning to walk all over again!

Anyway - wasn't it a gorgeous day? Its been stunning here - I took the girls to visit my mum and this afternoon we popped up to some fountains and a series of parks in Morecambe at a place called the Battery. It was fab - the girls had a lovely time running in and out of the fountains in their cossies - then we spent a litle time on the park too! Fab! More please!

I've got a card to share with you this evening that I made for Alice - who is my helper at Rainbows - she did her GCSE's this summer and her results should be here soon - about two weeks now I think.

I've used an image from Mo Manning, coloured with promarkers and layered onto a hexagonal card and mat. The flowers were from the lemon and grey bloom kit from Duck Pond Crafts and I've added pearls to the centre of each flower.

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

simonsaysstampschallenge: Bingo (ribbon, free, blooms)
fabnfunkychallenges: Pearls
divasbydesignchallenge: For a female
Creative Inspirationscinspirations: Anything goes
tuesdayalchemy: Bingo- Ribbon, flowers, pearls
Miss Muffetlittlemissmuffetchallenges:  Scallops

A couple of other things to tell you about before I go - they're doing a gold ribbon kit giveway at the ribbon girl here to mark the fantastic achievement of team GB! woo hoo!!!!

And the colour and create magazine from the scrapbook stamp society is now available to order here.

Thats all for now - back tomorrow without todays problems I hope!

Hugs

Rachel xx

Hugs

Rachel xxx