more TV makes from Imagination Crafts

Hello lovelies - I'm back! I do hope you are well and happy! We are all good - we had a great week with some trips down memory lane (skegness) and lots of fun. Here's a few piccies for you to have a look at:

This was on the beach at Saltfleet where we were staying. Our caravan was in an area with limited signal - I seemed to be able to send texts but that was about it - so sorry that I didn't manage to comment on your posts - it really wasn't happening!

This one was taken at Pleasure Island - it was lots of fun and the kids really enjoyed it - thats all you want really isn't it? There's a few scary rides - Shaun and I went on the boomerang and the hydro max. I wasn't bothered about the first one but the second was amazing - not that I would do it more than once - unlike Shaun!!! Lol! I much prefer the Carosel!

This one is the beach at Cleethorpes - Lucy had a new trapezium kite for her birthday - and this was its first flight. 

We had a great holiday! But its so good to be back! I was lucky enough to learn recently that I was accepted by Oak House Studio to be on their Design team for a 3 month period. I'm looking forward to that experience and bringing you some designs using their products!

I want to show you the other TV makes I did for the late July show on Create and Craft for Imagination Crafts.

I used two 'cake' stencils for this card and sparkle medium plus I brayered sparkle medium onto card to make the background glitter card.

This is another tree that was painted with MDF paint then using red silkies. Once dry I used a 'cake' stencil with stars to add the stars to the tree and also decorated the ornaments using silkies and sparkle medium.

I hope you like these! Normal service resumes tomorrow!

Hugs

Rachel x

Seasons ATC's

Morning lovelies! Well here I am again - we should be back today - all being well. I hope you haven't minded my scheduled posts - back to normal soon!

I want to show you a set of ATCs i made for a swap on the natter and chatter page over on facebook for That Craft Place. The theme was the 4 seasons. I made 4 ATCs using the faded layers technique by Tim Holtz - each one uses a different colour alcohol ink and a different stencil:

I was rather pleased with these and would like to enter them into the ATC challenge over at AVJ called little-touch-of-tim-atcs. 

I hope to see you again soon and thanks for visiting today!

Hugs

Rachel xx

makes from Clarity Cumbria - August

Morning all! I hope you are fine and well! I have my makes from Clarity Cumbria in August to share with you today. It was a lovely day - Jo Rice is a real star - thanks Jo for a lovely time! Here's what we did:

The gerbera was the class stamp - this is make number one - really pretty.

This is the second make and the first one using the custom stamp pad we made. The butterfly on this one is too light really - I hadn't added enough ink to the stamp pad - the next one is better - I used more ink on stamp pad two.

I did the custom stamp pad for the Gerbera but also used it for the butterfly stamp. Love this one - definitely my favourite.

Now I loved the idea of this one but wasn't very happy with my result - but hey ho - it was good experience!

Big Hugs to you and thanks for dropping by!

Rachel x

GDT post for Foilplay

Morning lovelies! How are you today? I hope you are well and happy! I've got my second GDT piece to share with you for foilplay. This time I have used some of their fine art glitter and double sided adhesive to create the background. I also used their glue pen and foil to foil on the memory box die cuts I cut from centura pearl card.

The stamped sentiment came from a set by inkylicious.

Thats all from me today! Thanks for visiting and I hope to see you again soon!

Hugs

Rachel xx

Flower Power at Creative Inspirations

Morning lovelies! Its time for a new challenge at Creative Inspirations and the theme this time is Flower Power. I had lots of fun making this card (and ATC) - I used the faded layers technique again to create the background here - love this technique!!!

The image is from a stamp by Crafty Individuals. I love this one too - expect to see it again soon!!!

The sentiment is from another stamp set by Crafty Individuals. 

My ATC is the second in a set of 4 that I have made representing the seasons. I will blog the full set together on Saturday - I'm rather pleased with them!!!! Anyway the additional bits on this ATC are MDF shapes from Imagination Crafts.

Here's the challenge details:

This week's challenge is Flower Power!

This week's prize is from BUNNY ZOES CRAFTS and is a £10 GIFT CERTIFICATE!

I hope you can join in! Big hugs to you and thanks for visiting!

Rachel xx

Freddie's card

Hello lovelies - hope you are well and happy! I'm still on my holibobs so I have another scheduled post for you today. Its my neighbour's boy Freddie's 4th birthday today - and here's the card I made for him:

The main image is from Crafty Sentiments and the other stamps are all sheena douglass. The background is made using distress inks!

Hope you have a great day!

Hugs rachel xx

Lucy's birthday Card

Morning lovelies! Happy Monday to you! I hope we don't have the usual bank holiday monday weather.

I've got the card I made for my little Lucy's birthday to show you today!

The image is 'gorjuss' - and she's coloured with promarkers - I coloured the cat the same as our cat Mischief and chose the image as Lucy finally learned to swing herself when we were in Germany. The colours are Lucy's favourites! She loved it so thats all that matters really!

Thats all for today - thanks for dropping by!

Big hugs

Rachel xx

Cardinal or other Christmas bird at the Christmas card club

Good morning lovelies! I should be in Cleethorpes right now but will be able blog as normal!!!! But I have scheduled posts for this week. This is the first! Its Christmas card club time again and the theme this time is a cardinal or another Christmas bird. Since I didn't have any cardinals I went for a robin:

The image is from Sheena Douglass - as is the embossing folder! I embossed a piece of card then coloured using the evergreen bough distress ink pad. I coloured the robin using promarkers.

Thats all for today! I hope you're having fun and thanks for dropping by!

Hugs

Rachel xx

Glitter at Lavinia

Morning lovelies! I do hope you are well today and of course, happy! I'm off on my hollibobs again today - we're off to Cleethorpes - well near there anyway! I think I'll be taking a trip down memory lane whilst there as we intend to visit Skegness on one day! Here's hoping the weather is kind to us. I have scheduled posts for the week and should be able to keep track of whats going on with my mobile - depending on the signal of course!

Today I have my entry for the current challenge over at Lavinia. The challenge is all about glitter and I used one of my fave Lavinia stamps to make this card.

I used the glitter on the wings and also in the sky to make stars.

Most of the inking has been done using distress inks or butterscotch adirondack. The black is archival. I also used a clarity mask to create the hills.

I'd like to enter this into the laviniastamps-add-some-glitter challenge this month.

Thanks for dropping by and I hope you have a great Saturday!

Big Hugs

Rachel x

sneak peek for Imagination Crafts

Morning lovelies! I have a sneak peek for you today ....

You can see the full thing at the imagination-crafts blog including a full step by step. Go - take a look - it includes film and fibre!!!!!

See you tomorrow!

Hugs

Rachel x

CC3 challenge: stamps and sizzlets

Morning lovelies! How are you today? I hope you're well and happy! I feel relieved that the last couple of days are done and have been successful - my coffee morning made around £125 including sponsor money which is fabulous - that makes me quite close to my target on my just giving page so I'm very pleased! Here's a little peek at the goodies before folks arrived!

The lemon drizzle might not look much but its my fave and is just gorgeous!!!

Okay dokey - onto todays make - its for the CC3 challenge this time around which is stamps and sizzlits: The challenge is sponsored by Inspiration Emporium who have a prize of 50$ to spend in their on line store

I started off with the tag - I used distress stains to create the background and then stamped and cut the butterflies etc. I added the burlap then set about creating the backing - I used the faded layers technique again - I just love this one and can't get away from it - I seem to use it a lot at the moment. I also made a bow from ribbon and stuck everything on to a piece of ripped cardboard that I had dragged mowed lawn distress paint over.

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

CC3compendium-of-curiosities-3-challenge-9: stamps and sizzlits

Sunday stamperpinkleart: backgrounds

Big Hugs to you! Thanks for dropping by today and I hope to see you again soon!

Rachel x

Anything goes at Creative Inspirations with option of a sketch

Morning lovelies! Its cake day for me today - fingers crossed for lots of people through the door and lots of pennies raised for my charity! The baking went well yesterday - here's a piccie of Lucy in action!

Today I have my make to share with you for the challenge over at Creative Inspirations this week. Here's the details:

This week's challenge is Anything Goes + Option of a Sketch!

(You may choose between the new Sketch or one of the old ones. Just state which you have used).

Sketch No.12

You can find a link to the page of our old Sketches in the sidebar or simply by clicking below:
OLD SKETCHES

This week's prize is from KENNY K DOWNLOADS and is 

4 DIGITAL IMAGES OF THE WINNER'S CHOICE!

I have used sketch 2 and a digi from Kenny K - here's my make!

I've made the card for a friend of Lucy's - she's going to be 10 and isn't very girly - she plays football too - I thought she might like this one! I made the background papers using distress inks and a mask by joggles and a stamp from the cover of an old craft stamper magazine. The image was coloured using spectrum noirs.

I hope you have a great wednesday - I'll get around as soon as is possible to visit! Big Hugs Rachel xx

Fave technique for Craft stamper challenge

Morning Lovelies! How are you today? I hope you are well and happy! I'm feeling good and ready for my bake-athon that will be happening today .... I'm having a coffee morning tomorrow trying to raise some funds for the charity I am doing the Great North Run for. Its a local charity that provides hospice care for cancer patients and help to their families. Its called St Johns Hospice. Anyway - onto the baking - the menu is as follows: sticky gingerbread, coffee and walnut cake, carrot cake, lemon drizzle cake, mega chocolate chip cookies, pistachio cup cakes and fruity muffins. I'm hoping that will help to keep the locals happy! I'll take some piccies!

Todays post - well - it was tough choice deciding which technique to use for this months Craft stamper magazine challenge - in the end I went for the technique of eroded metal described by the fabulous Jenny Marples in the June issue of Craft Stamper magazine. This is my make:

I used the technique to create the background and also the card I used to create the butterfly which is cut using the recently released die from Tim Holtz and then embossed with the coordinating folder.

I think this picture shows the butterfly texture off well. I highlighted some areas with black. Not sure if I like them or not! I also cut a flower from burlap using the tattered florals die.

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

Craft Stampercraftstamper -take-it-make-it-challenge-august. 

Mixed media cards challenge:themixedmediacardchallenge Summer with the option of burlap

simon says stampsimonsaysstampblog: Summer

Hope you have a great Tuesday! Big Hugs!

Rachel xx

Creative Blog hop

Good morning lovelies and a big thank you for visiting today. This is a different kind of post as I was invited to take part in a blog hop with a difference by the lovely and very talented claire. If you don't already know Claire check her out - her work is absolutely awesome!

So to begin here is a little bit about me. I am a stay at home mum to two girls aged 8 and 6. I used to teach Chemistry at the Girls Grammar school here in Lancaster but when the girls came along I opted to take a career break and have never found the time to return! These days my time is taken up with crafting, running/swimming, running a pack of Rainbows and chairing the PTA at my girls school. I love crafting and have evolved in my crafting tastes over the years - these days I am very much a stamper - I adore to learn new techniques and am never happier than when I have inky fingers.

I started my blog in January 2012. Little did I know at the time that I would become completely hooked or that i would make so many friends from blogging. It really is an intergral part of my life these days and I enjoy it very much.

What am I working on right now?

I'm always busy - tonight I plan to work on my second Imagination crafts make for September and also my Christmas card club make for the 7th September - thats Great North Run day - which is another thing I'm working on!!! I do have my Tims tag of August 2014 to share with you at this point!

I love the techniques on this tag and have followed Tims tag techniques but created something completely different to his tag - it really is something from the heart for me this tag. I have followed my creative muse! I would of course like to enter this for his monthly challenge here.  

Why do I create what I do?

I create for many different reasons. Sometimes I create for a specific purpose - for a DT committment or for a challenge. More often these days I create because I want to try a new technique or to use one of the new toys I have bought!  Sometimes I am driven by inspiration from you guys out there in blogland - sometimes I create just for the hell of it! I am certainly hooked on craft these days and when I don't create I am not a happy bunny!

How does my creative process work?

It works in many ways - from varied sources of inspiration to varied methods of evolution. Sometimes I have a really fixed idea of what I want to create and if I am lucky the techniques come to mind and I nail it - more regularly though something evolves and I come to accept the creative process and the piece is different from what I first imagined but sometimes much better.

How do I stay focussed/motivated?

I don't know the answer to this one - I guess its because I am still really learning all the time - I am stimulated to learn more and to get better and to try new techniques!

I'm tagging three lovely and very talented ladies in my post. They should all produce a post something like this on the 25th August! The three lovely ladies who agreed to be involved in the blog hop are all people I have met through blogging. I love their work and have found them very supportive as well as inspirational - please check out their blogs if you don't already know them:

Jo of mycraftingcorner

Karen of stampinginpink

Kerry of kezzyscraftyjourney

Thanks for popping by today and I hope i haven't bored you too much!

Rachel xx

Vintage Fashion at Crafty Individuals

Morning Lovelies! How are you? I hope you are fine and happy! I'm good and had a great day with my mum at Clarity Cumbria yesterday. We made 4 cards - I'll show them to you the week after next when I'm on holibobs again .... we did the making a stamp pad technique - it was excellent and I just know I'll be using that one again very soon!!! Excellent technique that I learned on Chemistry 101 but have never put into practice before.

Today I have a card and ATC to share with you that I made for the challenge over at Crafty Individuals.

The main ladies that latte stamps are from Crafty Individuals - the eiffel tower stamp is from tim holtz - I also used the faded layers technique to create the background with alcohol inks and the gothic layering stencil. 

Here's the card - and here's the ATC which also uses a lady from Crafty Individuals:

I would like to enter my card and ATC into the following challenges:

Autumn Fashion: craftyindividualsblogCrafty Individuals

allsortschallenge-masking-andor-stenciling

I hope you have a great Sunday - I think given the weather forecast we're off to a museum! Thanks for visiting today and I hope to see you again soon!

Big Hugs

Rachel xx

GDT for Little Claire

Good morning lovelies! How are you today? I hope you are well! I'm an excited bunny today - I'm taking my mum off to Clarity Cumbria which is run by the lovely Jo Rice. Apparently we're making a custom stamp pad - looking forward to that - I'll let you know how it goes!

Today is my first GDT post for littleclaire. Myself and the lovely mags were lucky enough to win the positions through the last but one challenge. Today marks the start of the new challenge - and its theme this time is masculine. I used one of my lovely new silhouette stamps from Little Claire.

I created the background using distress inks - I used the same ones on the scene that I created around the silhouette image that I stamped in versa and added black wow powders to before heat setting.

I used the wording stamps from some Little Claire club stamp sets to put the wording on the background. I made the border along the bottom using part of the main stamp. These were stamped in black archival.

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

Big Hugs

Rachel xx

Imagination Crafts: make a scene or summer holidays

Hello lovelies - would you believe that its time for the mid month inspiration post for Imagination Crafts already? Where is August going? Anyway - the theme is create a scene and here's my inspiration for you. I used sparkle medium and the stencil called bayleaf ..... its my favourite!

I created the background using distress inks, masks and stencil brushes. Then I applied the bayleaf stencil over the top and added sparkle medium amethyst and silver using a palette knife.

Once dry I added the star stamps.

Check out my teamies makes here and link up for the challenge here.

Hope to see you again soon and thanks for dropping by today!

Hugs

Rachel xx

Messing about on the water

Morning lovelies! Thanks for your kind comments yesterday and best wishes for Lucy - we had a great day - really enjoyed Lucy's birthday and I know she did too. We went to pizza hut for lunch then to pick up my mum and dad for the afternoon. We had an early birthday tea then took mum and dad home and went to see Hansel and Gretal in the Park in Lancaster. It really was magical - a brilliant night - loved it. Here's Lucy with her cake:

Today I have a card to show you that I made just for the hell of it. I have had this stamp for a long time and to my shame haven't inked it up until now. Its a stamp set by Sheena - who else?

I have stamped the main image with archival black - dried off then painted with distress inks. I've used distress inks and masks to create the sky and hills.

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

OCCourcreativecorner: Summertime

Stamping sensationssirstampalotchallenge: AG

simonsaysstampblog wednesdaychallenge summer

Thanks for dropping by today - Shaun should get back today so that will make us all feel fabulous - we do miss him when he's away!

Big Hugs

Rachel xx

Under the sea at Creative Inspirations

Morning lovelies! Thankyou so much for all your kind words yesterday - I was feeling a bit low and it really helped - yesterday was also much better. I took Lucy for her ultrasound scan - the nurse didn't think there was anything to worry about - apparently Lucy has one kidney much bigger than the other but she thinks that could just be 'normal' for Lucy. We now await the follow up appointment with the paediatrician. My dad had some good news too - his heart appears to be working fine - and he has been discharged for two years. Finally some good news for him!

Anyway! Onto today - its the 13th August - my Lucy's 8th birthday - and time for a new challenge at Creative Inspirationscinspirations. Its my choice of theme this week and I chose under the sea. Here's my make:

Its my first play with the fragment stamps from Chocolate baroque. I've just versamarked it up and added white wow powders and heat set before then using distress stains to complete the background. The seahorse is a TH die that I completed according to the instructions for Tims tag July. Just love that tag!!!

This week's prize is from Natalie and its this fantastic CD ROM by Joanna Sheen!

I have this CD and there are some real funnies on there!

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

Wow: wowembossingpowderMonochrome

Inky Chicksinkychicks: Photo inspiration

So its Lucy birthday today - here's the cake ....

Its hard to photograph - but I think its okay - Lucy is thrilled with it so I guess thats all that matters.

Please forgive me if I don't get around to visit today - we will be having a busy day playing games and having fun - then we're off to see Hansel and Gretel in the park in Lancaster tonight.

Thanks for dropping by today - big hugs to you!

Rachel xx

A stitch in time saves nine .....

Hello lovelies! How are you today? I hope you are well. I'm good - I had a good day yesterday but will feel happier when Shaun is back home safe and sound. Thanks for all your lovely comments yesterday. Unfortunately my dads results weren't so good - it looks as though his cancer of the bladder lining is regrowing so he will have to go in for another procedure. Poor man. Life doesn't seem fair sometimes. On the positive side though it hasn't passed through the lining so its not a life threatening form of cancer which has to be good.

I have to take little Lucy to the hospital today for an ultrasound scan. She has had tummy pains for about 18 months now and we can't get to the bottom of it. This is the next step! Hopefully we'll find something out soon.

Onto my post proper today. I have made myself a new sewing box - the old one was starting to fall to pieces so it was time for a new more substantial box to be created. This is what I did using an MDF box from the MDF man:

The first thing I did was to paint the box with silkies from Imagination Crafts. Next I used a Crafty individuals leaf stencil/mask to create the pattern on the lid. I used pebeo silks (cinnamon) applied with cut and dry foam through the stencil.

Next I turned my attention to the 'topper' and stamped the images from Crafty Individuals and also cut the scissors using a sizzix die. I used clarity stamps for the lettering.

Next I added the lace - this was from a win over at Papertake weekly when they were sponsored by the Ribbon Girl. Lush Lace!!!

I would like to enter my sewing box into the following challenges:

Sunday stamperpinkleart: Natural

Crafty Individualscraftyindividualsblog: Vintage fashion

We do doobadoowedodoobadoo: Shabby Chic

ABACanythingbutacard: Repeating pattern

ALBCpaulaholifieldcrafts: Sew what?

I hope you've enjoyed your visit today ..... I have a task this afternoon - making and decorating Lucy's birthday cake - I'll blog a picture of it tomorrow if it looks okay! Its going to be very dark!!! She has chosen black icing!!!! Oo er missus! 

Take care and thanks for dropping by!

Hugs

Rachel xx

Time flies at AVJ

Morning all! Are you managing to keep your head above the rain waters? Blimey - it never stopped here yesterday - hope its a bit better today! I'm taking my mum and dad up to Kendal for a hospital appointment for dad. Fingers crossed it will go well. The girls are coming too - we're off to get school shoes and also aim to pop up to Lakeland at Windermere to get some icing - I have to make Lucy's birthday cake tomorrow .... Harry Potter is the theme!

Onto todays make - well its a canvas made with a number of challenges in mind - firstly A Vintage Journey where the theme is Time Flies... Well I believe very much that time flies and my canvas is a reaction in that we should all try to slow down .... and take time to smell the roses. I have used two TH dies in the making of this canvas and also used distress inks on the background plus TH grungeboard letters.

I made the canvas by firstly creating some texture on the background - I used grungepaste and a TH stencil and also some grungeboard letters that I stuck to the canvas. Then I painted over using distress paints and also some pebeo acrylic paint. Next I did some background stamping using small stamps from papermania and oakhouse studio.

Next I got busy with the melt pot and moulds from WOW, martha stewart and modgepodge. I made the roses and hearts and butterflies using UTEE clear mixed with some red and purple. Then I stamped my prima doll and paper pieced her dress using distress inks and a stamp from Oak house studio.  I also did some die cutting.

Finally I assembled all the pieces. I did have fun making this - I do hope you like it!

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

AVJvintagejourney-time-flies: Time flies

CVCcountryviewchallenges: Word Play

Oakhouse Studiooakhousestudio: Alphabetica

Pan pastelpanpasteluk: Bold and bright

Thanks for dropping by today - I hope you had fun! My poor hubby didn't have fun yesterday - he had his pocket picked in Buenas Aires. He's been there since Tuesday night last week. Thankfully he didn't have his passport with him so at least we'll get him back as planned very soon! Bless him - it sounds like he was the victim of a distraction ruse. Very sad - but he seems okay - just a bit wiser.

Hope to see you soon.

Big Hugs

Rachel xx