ATC swap - enchanted forest

Hello there! How are you? I am good and feeling strong - I did a PB in the gym yesterday backsquatting 50kg for 4 reps. I was very pleased! I wonder what I coud do for one rep??? Maybe that will happen before I have to give up for 2 months for work!!!

Today I have my ATCs I made back in September for the theme 'Enchanted Forest' plus the ATCs I received in return.

These are mine - I wanted to use Lavinia stamps for this theme. 

Here's a close up. The background is done with distress oxides and the stamping is all Lavinia stamps. Here are the ones that came back to me.

They are all lovely!

Hope you have a wonderful day!

Hugs

Rachel x

Cats in hats

Hello there! How are you? I hope you are feeling fabulous but if not sending hugs. My little Penny went back to school really well yesterday and hasn't complained too much about the experience! I just hope the same happens today with Lucy! I'm sure it will.

Today I want to share my cats in hats ATC swap makes - and the returns.

These are the three I made - using the crazy cats stamps and dies and the hats came from the crazy accessories.

These are the three I got in return - aren't they beautiful? I love them all!

Have a great Tuesday!

Hugs rachel x

ATC swap July.....Happiness is ....

Hello there! I take part in an ATC swap organised on facebook by Lindsay Mason. The theme for July was 'Happiness is ....'

Here are my makes....

I used a stamp from Dyan Reavely and dylusions. I also used brushos.

So my theory is that happiness is 'crafting' and 'cats'....what would you have written on your ATC's?

Big hugs

Rachel xx

Found: June ATC swap

Hello there! How are you? I am pretty excited as I'm off to a class with Jo Firth Young today in Carnforth held by rowantreecrafts. I can hardly wait! I'll blog the make later in the week.

I had a run for the first time yesterday - it appears that my leg stood up to it so I will be back to my training very soon! Yipee!!!

So today I want to share my makes and the ATCs I received on a recent swap organised by Lindsay Mason. I decided to use items I found on my desk!

Once I had made this I thought it kind of looked like a poster (albeit small) for a found cat!!!

Here's a close up!

...and these are what I got in return!!!!

Its a great swap!

Have a great Saturday.

Hugs rachel x

Circus ATC swap

Hello there lovelies! How are you? I hope you are well. I'm not sure about whats happening here today - visiting mum or swimming - I know I'll be running the school library this afternoon but thats as far as it goes.

Today I want to show my ATC swaps from last month - I haven't received my 4 back yet (I don't think???)but I can at least show you the 4 I made. Perhaps I had better check in my ATC drawers.

I used a stamp and die set from Tim Holtz that I acquired at Countryview Crafts. 

Here's a close up - the background was made using a clarity stencil and distress inks. The images were coloured using distress pens. 

I hope you have a happy Tuesday!

Hugs

Rachel x

magical ATC swap

Good morning lovelies! I do hope you are okay and ready for a new and productive day - I am nursing a sore foot at present - I managed to stand on a nail yesterday and get it embedded in my foot - ouch! I have (I hope) done all the necessary things but will keep an eye on things! On a brighter note my dad came back from hospital yesterday - I hope he's going to continue to be okay! At least being in hospital gave my mum a bit of a break although I daresay not enough.

Today I would like to share with you my makes for last months ATC swap - I have received mine back but sadly I haven't had chance to photograph them - anyway - here's the ones I made:

The theme was 'magical' - I decided to do a natural themed make using this beautiful hare stamp - that in itself is magical to me!!! I love hares!!!! I do hope the ladies in the swap enjoy these!

Back tomorrow with my makes from the second day at the Birgit koopsen bernstein workshop!

Big hugs

Rachel x

ATC swap - March - Travel

Hello there! How are you? Thanks for your words of encouragement about the triathalon - I have decided I am going to give it a whirl - at least I will have a baseline to compare to for the september event!!! I'll let you know how it goes!

Today I would like to share with you my ATCs I made for the March swap that the lovely jo organises. The theme this time was Travel and I enjoyed using a classic TH stamp as the main focus of my atcs.

Here is the set - I used distress inks to create the background - blending ripe persimmon, mustard seed and spiced marmalade. I also used a stencil to add the circles with fired brick distress ink.

The compass stamp and voyage stamp were stamped in black archival.

And these were my beautiful swaps that arrived yesterday - thanks ladies and thanks Jo for organising.

Have a wonderful day - we're all off to the gym later. I've got my weight training - I deadlifted 62.5 kg last time - who knows what we will be doing this time! After that we're all swimming - I am swimming in my tri suit for the first time - I hope its not too uncomfortable!!! Enjoy whatever you're doing!

Big hugs!

Rachel x

ATC swaps

Hello lovelies - this months ATC swap was all about bookprint - I had fun putting these together:

I have to confess the book I used was a pretty horrid one - so apologies to you if you got any disturbing words on your heart - I tried to cover some of the bad ones up with the arrow - but I don't think I was entirely successful!! I remember doing a coffee pot with book print once - on that occasion I inadvertantly chose some racy pages - you should have seen the ladies faces - ooop!!!

Don't look too closely now!!! The background was made with distress inks and stencils!!!

Hope you have a good Friday - I'm off to the hairdressers - I feel a bit bad as I will be missing my girls performing recorder at school - I hope they will forgive me!!

Big hugs

Rachel x

ATC swap - Alice in Wonderland

Hello lovelies! How are you today? I hope you are well. I'm okay and glad to report I got to see my mum and dad today and they have their power back - my dad is okay too which is great news. And we have our water back on - another positive! Its at times like this we all have to count our blessings and be grateful for what we have.

Today I would like to share with the the ATCs that I made for this months swap - the theme was Alice in wonderland.

I really enjoyed making these - I love my set of Alice in wonderland stamps and very rarely remember to use them! They're from a set by Oxford Impressions. The background was created using a stencil and distress inks - I think I used spiced marmalade and peeled paint but my memory may be wrong!!!

I hope you have a great Tuesday - its the girls Carol concert down at the church in the village tonight - I'm really looking forward to that. 

Big hugs

Rachel x

Halloween ATC's

Hello Lovelies! How are you today? I hope you are doing well. Its cold here - and that fog has been awful hasn't it? Hopefully its gone now or very soon!

Today i would like to share with you the ATC's I made for the Halloween ATC swap I was involved in:

I am looking forward to receiving those back in the post from others involved - its a great way of getting ideas on different things to make and try!

My stamps are from chocolate baroque and the bat stencil is from Tim Holtz - as is the wicked word!

I also used a mixture of distress inks!

Hope you have enjoyed your visit!

Big Hugs rachel xx

May ATC swap

Hello Lovelies - have you had a good day? Its been a scorcher here - just beautiful - started with a run this morning then did some shopping then waited in for the TV aerial repair folk to come - they never did but I managed to get 2 hours of weeding done so the garden is looking better. Then I picked the girls up from school and took them to a local tearoom where they like to have a paddle in the river - then it was off to dance followed by brownies - phew!!!! I sat in the back garden and had my tea with a glass of prosecco - very civilised - and I felt like I was on holibobs!!!

Today I've got the ATCs to share with you that I received/sent in a recent swap - the theme was flowers - here's mine:

and a close up ..

These are the ones i got back from my lovely swap partners.

Thanks to Jo for organising!

Big huggles.

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