My shining star

My shining star

Thursday, 30 December 2021

More hearts and flowers

  Hello there! Rachel here today with the last of my makes from November. This first one I really like - a little masking, stamping, watercolour painting and text ...what's not to like. I used the artist trading heart and the happy flowers day stamps.


In this last sample I used the Harmony tree stamp and created a scene around it using inks. 


Hope you have a fabulous New Years eve tomorrow - and all the very best for 2022!
Hugs
Rachel x

Monday, 20 December 2021

On the Chocolate Baroque page today ....

 Hello there! Rachel here today with some more makes from the November shows. This first one uses the Frosty Trees stamp set. I used flitterglu and flake on black card to create the images and added them to the card blank that I had stamped in versamark and added and heat set gold embossing powder. 


This one uses both the trees a crowd and the remembrance tree stamps. I stamped the trees then built a scene around them using inks. Finally I added some leaves using pens of autumnal colours.



This last one is a mixed media card using the main image from the trees a crowd stamp set. 


I hope this gives you a few ideas! 
Merry Christmas to you. Wishing you a happy healthy 2022 too!
Rachel x

Thursday, 9 December 2021

Hearts and flowers by Chocolate Baroque

 Hello there! Today I am sharing some samples made for the November Chocolate Baroque shows although my ceramic piece never made it to the show - I decided to keep this one! 

To make this I used the stamp set A heart full of love and overpainted the stamped image in glaze before adding to the kiln and firing.  



I used the same stamp set in this second piece - a card that I made by repeat stamping in the background and adding a coloured image on top - I coloured the image using watercolour pens.


In this final sample I used the same ideas but different stamps from the same set in the background and as the main image.


It really is a beautiful stamp set and I hope I have given you some inspiration in using your set.
Have a great day!
Hugs
Rachel x

Sunday, 5 December 2021

A frosty Christmas

 Hello there!

Well its time for another Christmas make for the Christmas anything goes theme from Countryview Challenges this month. This time I used a couple of new to me stamps from Lavinia.


I teamed it up with some older Lavinia stamps and distress oxide hickory smoke plus a Lavinia stencil. I used clean colour pens to do most of the colouring on the houses. Stamping was done using morning mist versafine clair.
I do hope you can join the challenge.
Enjoy the festive season!
Rachel xx



Saturday, 4 December 2021

Anything goes at Christmas Card Club

 Hello there!

Well its time for the final Christmas Card Club of the season - back again in January - the last theme is anything goes - so nice and easy!

I made two cards using a stamp set from HobbyArt.


Its a lovely stamp - I coloured the image using clean colour pens.

Mum made a card inspired by a Jo Rice Workshop

All stamps are Lavinia stamps! I love it - its a beauty!

Looking forward to a break now from Christmas card Club - but back in January!

Have a great day!
Hugs
Rachel xx




Wednesday, 1 December 2021

Christmas at Country View Challenges

 Hello there!

Well last month has gone and its December again - so all thoughts now turn to Christmas! And thats the challenge theme at Countryview Challenges this month - nice and easy!

I used a sweet poppy stencil and distress inks to create these two super quick cards - plus an old set of stamps from Tim Holtz that comes out every year. 

You can see from this picture mybe that in the first card I used only villanous potion but in the second I combined it with rustic wilderness and crackling campfire for a slightly different look.


Here's a closer picture of the cards - just need to write them all now!!! Oh  - and post them!!!

Have a great 1st December!
Big hugs
Rachel xx




Monday, 22 November 2021

Nature's gems at Chocolate Baroque

  Hello there! I am here today with some samples from the Chocolate Baroque October shows that show the beauty of nature. I have used the stamp sets from nature 1 and floral grunge.

In this first tag I used a mop up background with metal flake foiled leaves from Nature 1. 

In this next card I used more flake to create the leaves from the stamped images.
In this final sample from this set I used different coloured inks to simply stamp the images to make an autumnal card.
In this card I teamed the floral grunge stamp, coloured with water colour pens with some background paper. 
In this final sample I stamped the floral grunge stamp in versa mark and heat set with white embossing powder. I used the crackle background to stamp around the image and also stamped floral grunge parts in versamark on the black and brushed over with mica powder. 
I hope these samples have given you a little inspiration.
Have a great day!
Hugs Rachel xx

Saturday, 20 November 2021

Angels or fairies at christmas card club

 Hello there,

Well I am trying to do this on my phone as my computer has finally given up the ghost. Fingers crossed it works.

My make this fortnight involves resin from indigoblu and a mould from zuri.


I have painted the fairy using indigoblu paints and added her to a card with a background made using distress oxide villainous potion.

My mums card is made using Lavinia stamps. It's so pretty. I love this one.



Well that's the post done...now to figure out how to schedule it!
Have a great day!
Hugs
Rachel xx


Tuesday, 9 November 2021

Beauty in the Eyes at Chocolate Baroque

 Hello there! I am here today with some makes using the Beauty in the Eyes stamp set released in the October shows for Chocolate Baroque. I made a card, a canvas and a tag using this stamp showing its versatility. Its a really striking image that works so well with different techniques.

In this first sample I stamped the image in black ink and coloured it using water colour pens. I then mounted it on papers matching the colour theme I had chosen and also with the circle theme going on.

For this next one I stamped the image onto script paper and coloured using water colour pens. I then created the rest of the canvas using similar colours of acrylic paints and also mixing coloured mica powders in with texture paste and using that through a stencil. Once all that was dry I added the image.
The final one I used a piece of mop up card and stamped on the image. I used a die to cut the tag shape. Then added more colour using water colour pens and finally added some leaves from the 'From nature 1' set that I had stamped and foiled in flake. I then added the black background and the ribbon. 
I hope this has given you some inspiration. Have a great day!
Hugs
Rachel xx

Sunday, 7 November 2021

Wreaths at Christmas card Club

 Hello there - well its getting closer for sure now and the theme at Christmas card Club this fortnight is Christmas wreaths. I only had time to make a couple this time and my mum has made one. Here's mine made using stamps from IndigoBlu coloured using clean colour pens.


Two different stamp sets in use here but I think they work well together.
Mum used stamps from Lavinia


A beautiful blue make! Can't wait to see what the others have made!

Have a great Sunday! Hugs rachel xx

Friday, 5 November 2021

More Christmas Gifting

 Hi there! I have another post for Countryview Challenges theme this month and this time I have decorated a gift bag. 

This time I decided to play with the very beautiful Villianous Potion distress oxide spray here and added to it snowflake diecuts from Tim Holtz. I think my purple loving niece is going to love this gift!
Big hugs
Rachel xx

Monday, 1 November 2021

Christmas Gifting at Country View Challenges

 Hello there!

Well November has rolled around again and its time to start thinking about the dreaded C word - Christmas. I am lucky in that I do the Christmas Card Club all year but this time we have the theme of Christmas Gifting at Countryview challenges - its an ABAC sort of challenge where we would like to see gifts or gift wrap, etc etc. 

For the first of the month I have decorated some brown paper with those cheeky sprouts from Hobby Art and then wrapped some gifts in it.



These are very tricky to photograph but I hope you get the idea!
Big hugs
Rachel xx


Friday, 29 October 2021

Echinacea all the way from Chocolate Baroque

  Hello there. I am here today with my final set of inspiration from the September Chocolate Baroque shows - this time using the Echinacea Blueprint set. In this first sample I used an MDF film strip stand that I bought in a previous show and gessoed it black. I then created the central portion by stamping the main image on card and colouring using water colour pencils.

In this final piece I stamped the backgound to the card using worker stamps then the main focus was stamped in versamark and heat set with white embossing powder before colouring in using water colour pencils. The layer in between was kraft card given the stamping and versamark/embossing powder treatment. 
Hope you've found some inspiration from my makes this month - I always enjoy making for the shows - the stamps are so intricate. Love them!
Have a great day!
Hugs
Rachel xx

Sunday, 24 October 2021

Santas little helpers at Christmas Card Club

 Hello there! 

Its time for another outing of the Christmas Card Club and this fortnight the theme is Santas Little Helpers - my mum has been a good girl and followed the theme - but I am afraid I had new stamps itching to be used so I have gone with the Anything Goes option! Here's mine: I used stamps from Hobby art and coloured with Clean colour pens.




Here's my mums using Pink Ink stamps.



Hope you have a great Sunday! 
Hugs
Rachel xx


Tuesday, 19 October 2021

More Autumn at Countryview Challenges

 Hello there! 

I am on the Countryview Challenges blog today with my second make for the current challenge which is all about Autumn and Autumn colours - this make again uses a Bipasha stamp from Aall and Create - 

To create this one I used some matte sprays from IndigoBlu to create the background and once dry overstamped it with the main image I was going to use. I also stamped this image on a separate piece of white card and coloured it in using clean colour watercolour pens. Great image - love this stamp set - so useful!

You've got until the end of the month to get your entries in  - you can link up and get more inspiration here.
Big hugs
Rachel x

Monday, 18 October 2021

More floral architecture for Chocolate Baroque

  Hello there! I am on the Chocolate Baroque blog today with some more floral architecture for you from the September shows. In this first sample I used both the chrysanthemum and the allium sets along with flitterglu, foil and mica powders - all done on black card - I stamped the images in flitterglu then put the stamps straight into water before adding the flake and the mica powders to the glue.


In this second card I used some of the hexagons I bought from Lesley on the August shows and created my card using the Chrysanthemum set of stamps. I used stamped images in the background and overcoloured in ink, I then added more hexagons using a stencil from the August shows. For the hexagon images I coloured them in using water colour pencils.

Hope you have a great day.
Hugs Rachel x

Sunday, 10 October 2021

snowmenwomen or snowfamilies at Christmas Card Club

 Hello there!

Time for the first October outing of the Christmas Card Club - can't believe its already challenge 21 for us - this year is surely moving fast. The theme this fortnight was snowmen/women or snowfamilies. Snowpeople - you get the idea! I have made 3 cards and my mum has done two - all snowpeople are from Hobby Art stamps.

Firstly my three - all pretty much the same - stamped - cut out using sue wilson octagonal dies and coloured with clean colour pens - distress oxide in background and mounted onto die cut card and  card blank.



Mum used some dies? Not sure whose - background paper from the works. 

So not many more challenges left! I can't believe that time is rolling around so fast!
Big hugs
Rachel x



Friday, 8 October 2021

Lupins and Lightbulbs for Chocolate Baroque

 Hello there! I am on the Chocolate Baroque blog today with a couple of makes from Chocolate Baroque's September shows - these makes mostly use the Lupin Blueprint stamp set but there is a little stamp from the Echinacea Blueprint set also used.

My first piece is my ceramic piece - I do love this one and think it worked very nicely! As usual I stamped the images in ink and then over painted all the line work as well as the colours in glaze. My friend Deb from PottyRoos then took over and did the over glazing and the firing. 

This second piece used the worker stamps from the Lupin and echinacea sets - I stamped them on a rectangular piece of card then coloured in using watercolour brush pens. Finally I added a little more greenery by hand and then used a distress tool to add ink for the sky. 


Hope you have a lovely day!
Rachel x

Friday, 1 October 2021

Autumn at Countryview Crafts

 Hello there,

Well its hardly seems possible but its the first of October today and because of that there is a new challenge at Countryview Crafts - and the theme is Autumn colours.

To make my card I used an image from Bipasha at aall and create - no.448. I coloured this using watercolour pens then used the hexgonal stencil and some inks on the topper background and also onto the paper (from Lavinia) before adding the tattered leaves from Tim to either corner. You can find more inspiration and link up to the challenge here

Have a great 1st October!

Hugs

Rachel xx

Tuesday, 28 September 2021

More Celestial makes...

 Hello there! Well I have my final offering of the month on the Chocolate Baroque blog and this time I have again used the Celestial set from Fiona Randall. 






More details over on the Chocolate Baroque blog!

Have a great Tuesday!

Hugs

Rachel x

Sunday, 26 September 2021

Non traditional colours at CCC

 Hello there.

Trying to do this on my phone as my laptop is not running well. Apologies if it doesn't work well.

It's non traditional colours at Christmas card club this week and I have made 4 cards using hobbyarts new veg stamps.


I love these stamps! Such fun!
My mum has made two cards too the first with a clarity frame and Tim Holtz stamp the second with a card making magic frame and hunkydory image....sorry other way around!

Hope you have a great Sunday!
Hugs
Rachel xx