Diecuts at Christmas card club

 Hello there! I am hoping this publishes as I will be at work and unable to check when it goes live - sure it will though! Another fortnight has rolled around and the theme this time at Christmas card club is diecuts. I decided to use one that I had never had out of the packet - a scribbly tree from Tim Holtz - I love it - its a much bigger die than I thought - really pleased with having used it! I made 4 variations on a theme having already made a number of gel press backgrounds.

To cut the trees out with I used some packaging from Lavinia stencils - I'm getting thrifty these days!

Here's my mums makes....she's used a number of dies - Tim Holtz, Sue Wilson and John next door.

I hope you have a great Sunday!

Hugs

Rachel x

Halloween or Harvest at Countryview Challenges

 Hello there!

Well its October - I can hardly believe it! How did that happen? Anyway - the good news is that its time for a new challenge at Countryview Challenges - and the theme is Halloween - love it or hate it - or Harvest! My make is probably more Halloween but kind of Harvest too - with the Harvest moon.

The stamp set is from Pink Ink Designs - I started by making a gel press inky circle then stamped the moon stamp onto it and also onto white card which I fussy cut and added. I then added the cat from the same set and drew a witches hat on the cat....finally I added the pumpkins and the leaves.

I hope you can join our challenge! You can find much more inspiration and the challenge link up here

Big hugs

Rachel xx

Christmas trees at CCC

 Hello there! Its time for another Christmas Card Club outing. This fortnight the theme is Christmas trees. I am currently very busy making stuff for an art fair stall and have only had chance to upcycle cards this time. My mu has made cards using hunky dory toppers.

My three - no great shakes but as I said needs must.

Here are three from my mum - 

I hope you all have a good day. I will be at work in the village store all day so will try to catch up with other Christmas card club makes tonight.

Big hugs

Rachel x

More seasons of mists

 Hello there! I am on the Countryview Challenges page today with my second post for the 'Seasons of mists and Mellow Fruitfulness Challenge. This time I have used stamps from Aall and Create to make a card.

The background was made using distress oxide sprays - ripe persimmon, carved pumpkin and salvaged patina - I used clean colour pens to colour the stamped images from Aall and Create. I added the words lastly.

You've still got a full 2 weeks to enter the challenge which is running all month and you can find details of here.

Have a great day!

Hugs

Rachel x

Kraft at Christmas card Club

 Hello there lovelies. Well its been a busy September already - I had my opening night in the village play on Friday night - and closing one last night. All was good and felt good to be performing again - our first in person  play since lockdown ...we did a couple of radio plays but this was much more fun!

I start a new job today - in the village shop - and then I'm back to teaching on Monday - I wonder which I'll prefer??? Times are changing!

So this fortnight at Christmas card Club the theme is kraft - I have used a fabulous new design from Pink ink - not sure I like the kraft card treatment of the image - but \i love the design. It may return next fortnight!

I stamped onto kraft card in versamark and heat set with white embossing powder. I used distress ink in the background and a white posca plus red clean colour for most of the other colouring.

My mum has done a much better take on kraft - using a sue wilson die and other dies from tonic.

I think these are very cute!

Hope you have a great Sunday!

Hugs

Rachel xx

Seasons of mist at Countryview Challenges

 Hello there! Well its time to start yet another month - oh my goodness - I wish time would stop racing away! That's the school holidays over - and back to work for me today - at least until the end of October when I will be leaving my current job - counting the days now!

Its time for a new challenge at Countryview Challenges and the theme this month is Seasons of mist and mellow fruitfulness. Here's my first make for the theme. A card I will use for my brother in laws birthday I think. 

I used a set of stamps from katzelcraft (find it here)and made the card by spritzing a piece of card with distress oxide sprays - carved pumpkin, ripe persimmon and salvaged patina) then stamping on top and colouring the images using clean colour pens. I then added the leaves from the set which were stamped in versafine clair in 3 different colours. Lastly I made the letters and stuck them down then matted the card onto a blank card.

I hope you have a great day and can join our challenge which you should find here.

Big hugs!

Rachel x

Blue Christmas at Christmas Card Club

 Hello there!

Well its been a busy old fortnight and I haven't had chance to make any new cards for this challenge this time - but I have recycled three cards from last Christmas for this theme - here they are.

Really very simply matted and layered onto a card base - must find time for next fortnights challenge - I am getting very slack!

My mum has been good and also made three. Apparently the first one is made using a sizzix Tim die and the second two using a hunkydory kit.

So there you have this fortnights offering! 

See you again soon!

Big hugs

Rachel x

Happy Birthday Sweet 16!

 Hello there! I have a post over on the Countryview Challenges post this month - the theme is Happy Birthday - and since my beautiful Lucy is 16 on the 13th I used this opportunity to make a card for her...Don't worry - she won't see it - she'll be too busy drumming! 

I have used the mini drummer from Pink Ink - so perfect for my big girl. The colours are festival inspired - I still have the joy of colour on my mind!

The background flower is also in the stamp set - I used 3 different versafine clair colours plus the pink is saltwater taffy. You can find the drummer stamp at Countryview crafts here.

Hope you have a great day!

Hugs

Rachel x

Christmas Rose at Christmas card club

 Hello there! Well another fortnight has rolled by and its time for our Christmas Card club again - the theme this fortnight is Christmas rose - I love my hellebores in the garden and I love this theme - I have two very so similar stamps from Chocolate baroque and have used them to make 4 cards - I also made an upcycled card too - there was actually one in my cards from last year!

I may add some sort of greeting on them - unsure as yet - they were all made in the same way - stamped then coloured using clean colour pens, matted then I used the music stamp on the card blank - very simple!

My mum also made two cards using the Christmas rose stamp from Chocolate Baroque.

So that's the Christmas Card Club for another fortnight! Have a lovely Sunday!

Big hugs

Rachel xx

Happy Birthday at Countryview Crafts!

 Hello there! Well its August! Time really is going very quickly! Its time for a new challenge at Countryview Challenges and the theme this month is Happy Birthday! A nice easy one for you! Here's my make for the boy next door who had his birthday in late July - so I'm okay to show his card here.

I used mostly a stamp set from Pink Ink but the background leaf comes from a lino print set from HobbyArt. I have coloured the dino image using clean colour pens. 

I do hope you have a lovely day - I will be coming back from the under the stars festival in Yorkshire...hopefully it was good and dry!!!

Big hugs and please join us!

Rachel x

cute cards at Christmas card Club

 Hello there! Well another fortnight has rolled around and I am now officially broken up for the summer holidays - very excited about that as school is becoming a bit of a chore - infact I have handed my notice in and will finish at October half term - can't wait - I will need to look for something else to do though that can wait until September!

Christmas Card Club this fortnight is all about cuteness - cute christmas. I have stamped 4 cards and recycled two this time!

These are the 4 stamped cards and I have used stamps from Hobby Art - one of these is destined for my friend Shelagh who has a dog not dissimilar to the one in the picture. Below are my recycled cards - I have even recycled one that Margaret sent last year - thanks again Margaret!

These are the ones from my mum - both used a hunkydory card kit!

All super cute - I am looking forward to seeing what the ladies from Christmas Card Club have made this time around!

Big hugs and a happy Sunday to you!

Rachel x

fancy fold cards at Christmas card club

 Hello there - well I'm chasing my tail again and getting things made at the very last minute - this time I've at least got the excuse that I was away with lucy in Oxford. A lovely bit of nostalgia for me and a chance for lucy to see where her mum and dad first met.

So here are my makes - I used recycled cards and made them into fancy fold cards - two easels and two z cards.

Not the easiest to photograph but above are the z fold cards...and below the easels.

Mum made three cards this time... the first two used John Lockewood stamps and dies

and the final one was made using the same John Lockewood stamps and dies plus sue wilson tree dies.

Pretty fancy that bottom one isn't it?

I hope you have a good week!

Big hugs

Rachel x

never grow up!

 Hello there!

Well its been a busy week and now here I am at Countryview Crafts again with another travel challenge post. 

This is made using a piece of map that I have coloured and a stamped image from IndigoBlu. I have simply coloured the image using clean colour pens. 

You have lots more time to join up to the challenge which you can find here.

Never know - you might win a £20 voucher to spend in store!

Good luck!

Hugs Rachel xx

Travel at Countryview Crafts

 Hello there! 1st July! How lovely! Time for a new challenge at Countryview challenges where the theme is travel. Today I have a twofer train travel post.

Both cards were made using Hobby Art stamps, coloured using clean colour pens.

The theme is very broad so why not use this opportunity to stock up on some travel themed makes?

You can link up your project - and get full details here.

Have a great day!

Hugs

Rachel x

santas sleigh at Christmas Card Club

 Hello there! Well this last fortnight has slipped past me and I no longer have time to do a proper make for Christmas Card club - but I have managed to upcycle two that work with the theme of santas sleigh. And here they are.

Just a bit of matting and layering I am afraid - why am I so busy?

Mum has made a much better job of things - here's her two cards - the first one includes Lavinia trees and brittania sleigh die.

This second one she made using a free gift from a craft magazine!

Hope you all have a great Sunday!

Hugs

Rachel xx

Stars and splats

 Hello there! I am over on the Countryview Challenges blog today with a card I made for the current 'seeing stars' challenge. This is made using a paperartsy stamp set.

I started by stamping the stars then inked around them using distress oxide wilted violet. Next I coloured the stars then added the rest of the background stamping and finally the sentiment. 

You've got until the end of the month to join in with the challenge and you can be in with a chance of winning a 20 pound voucher to spend at Countryview crafts. Link up your projects here.

Have a great day!

Big hugs

Rachel x

Let it snow at Christmas card Club

 Hello there - well another fortnight has rolled around and now its Christmas Card Club - and the theme is Let it snow - I have made two 'new' cards and 4 recycled cards.

Here's the new ones - made using entirely Tim Holtz products.

Here are my recycling makes:

I die cut the sentiment at my mums - love all these wildlife ones!

Here are mums makes...

In this one she used the same die as me - X cut apparently. The background card is hunkydory and the stamp is circa.

In the second one its the same background card and die.

Looking forward to seeing what the other ladies have made!

Big hugs

Rachel xx

Seeing stars at Countryview challenges

 Hello there! Happy June - wow this year is really zipping by! Time for a new challenge at Countryview Challenges and the theme this month is seeing stars. I decided to get out my paperclay and make a moon and some stars and turn them into a canvas....

I had lots of fun making this - the moon and some of the stars came from a mould by finnabhair and the fancier stars came from a stamperia mould. Once they were dry I stuck them onto the canvas using superthick slap it on and left them 24 hours to set. Next I painted them in goldfinger metallic paint (IB) and I used several IB paints to make the background - raven black, park lane, a translucent purple one. Next I stamped some smaller stars in goldfinger then splattered the canvas using a wash of goldfinger mixed with white gesso. Then I added some silver Glorious and some white and gold frantage and heat set them. By this time i was getting happy with the outcome so then stamped and added my sentiment (from paperartsy).

I hope you feel inspired to join the challenge which you can find here

Have a wonderful day!

Hugs rachel x

Mistletoe and Wine at Christmas Card Club

 Hello there - well its time for another Christmas card club and this fortnight the theme is Mistletoe and Wine - I think the lovely Rita came up with the theme - and I am pleased with my makes which combine stamps from chocolate baroque and Visible Image.

Its all fairly obvious stamping and layering and fussy cutting - colouring used clean colour pens.

My mum used goodies from her stash including an embossing folder from Sheena Douglass and a die from Carnation Craft bubbles....

Thankyou in advance for any comments you may leave!

Big hugs

Rachel xx