Playing with paper - my first card in a box

Hello there! How are you? I am good and had a very happy time yesterday - with my hubby and girls and mum and dad - what could be better eh? My girls did their grading for jujitsu yesterday - Penny got green belt and Lucy got blue belt.

They did very well! After the grading we went out for lunch then had a round of crazy golf at the park and then girls played on the equipment. A fabulous day that we all enjoyed!

Onto my card for today - its a box card - or should I say card in a box.

I was inspired by seeing all these cards so headed off to U tube to find a demo and I found lots but the particular one I used can be found here.

I made up the box first then set about creating the decorating paper and butterflies - I did the paper using distress inks, a sheena embossing folder and then swept over the embossed image with a grey staz -on. I cut the pieces of paper to fit the box then stamped the butterflies in versa mark and heat set black wow powders. Then I fussy cut the butterflies.

The stamps are from Sheena and the images were coloured with spectrum noir pens. The sentiment is also from sheena douglass.

This final picture shows how the box folds flat for folding!

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

CVC:countryviewchallenges Paper chase

Crafters Companioncrafterscompanion: Monochromatic

thats craftythatscraftychallenges: inky antics

ptwpapertakeweekly: girlie

Thats all for today - got another kinetic card for tomorrow! Hope to see you then and thanks for visiting today!

Big Hugs

Rachel xx

playtime!

Well did you get the four day deal from Sheena? I didn't - but I did get a few bits of it from Crafters Companion! Here's the result of my first play with a couple of the embossing folders - all of which i love to bits!

This card is 8x8 and has been made using the A4 sunflower folder. I cut my A4 embossed card to 7x7 then set about the embossed images with distress ink - scattered straw, spiced marmalade, tea dye and walnut stain and mowed lawn. The offcut of the A4 I used to create the corner flowers - they were similarly coloured, then I added spray and shine and fussy cut before adding to the card. The leaves were cut using a spellbinders die and the ribbon came from my stash. The sentiment is from an LOTV set and was cut out using a spellbinders die.

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

As you like it asyoulikeitchallenge- fave style and why - I just love doing backgrounds and playing with inks!

PCJpaper-craftingjourney: Emboss it.

I also had a go with one of the smaller embossing folders and the faux leather technique - 

I've painted it with the primary elements too - I'm waiting for sheena to put her u-tube film up as I've gone and deleted the programme. I like the result but since it was done from memory it might be better next time! Lol!

Big Hugs to you - hope you have a wonderful Friday - I'll be travelling up to my craft course later - can hardly contain my excitement!

Big Hugs Rachel xx

fishy wishy

Good morning to you! How are you today? I'm feeling good - I had a fasting day yesterday and feel so much the better for it - its hard but I find its great to do every now and again - just gives the old digestive system a rest!

Today I've got a card to show you made using stamps from Sheena's Oriental Range. I used an acetate overlay too - here it is.

I stamped the fish first of all in black archival and added clear embossing power and heat set - then I stamped the water ripples in the same way. I painted the fish using distress inks -fired brink, spiced marmalade and scattered straw. Then I painted the water using distress inks - chipped sapphire, pine needles, tumbled glass and faded jeans. Next I left this to dry and made the acetate overlay - I stamped the two lilies in black staz-on - then painted on the reverse with silkies from imagination crafts and left this to dry. Meanwhile I added some UTEE into my meltpot and when melted I poured it onto my craft sheet then stamped with the coin stamp inked up with archival ink.

Once everything was dry i assembled the card using some black card that I embossed with sheenas maple leaf folder and also some garden twine and brads.

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

Craft Room Challengescraft-roomchallenge: The age of aquarius
The sunday stamperpinkleart - Orange

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

add glitter at Lavinia

Goodly morning to you! I hope you are well and happy! Its Penny's opening night tonight - I'll take my camera along and hopefully have a piccie to show you tomorrow. Its also my dads appointment today so I'm hoping that goes well too.

Todays card I made to enter this months challenge over at Lavinia stamps where the theme is 'add glitter'. Here's what I made:

I made the topper first - I stamped the lavinia fairy stamp in versa mark and added black wow powders to the image then heat set. I repeated this process with the lavinia star group but used clear embossing powder before heat setting. Then I added the clarity moon mask and set about building up the background using the ombre technique from last months craft stamper magazine - I used seedless preserves, dusty concorde and milled lavendar distress inks. Then after removing the mask I added lavinia foliage on the left and two small lavinia fairies near the moon stamping this time in black. Finally I used the Clarity landscape mask and added the hills in at the bottom is black soot.

I added this to some black card then threaded the ribbon up using the Sue wilson technique that I linked to yesterday. I hope you like this magical card!

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

Lavinia:laviniastamps add glitter
craftstamper-take-it-make-it-challenge-six
CFAScraftingforallseasons: For the girls
Divasdivasbydesignchallenge: AG
Sunday stamperpinkleart - purple/violet
Wow powderswowembossingpowder - use fabric (I hope ribbon counts?)
Crafty catzcraftycatzweeklychallenge - use a fairy

Hope you have a great Thursday! Thanks for dropping by and \i hope to see you again soon! Hugs rachel xx

Cock a doodle doo

Goodly morning to you all! Can you believe its Monday again already - are you ready for another mad week? I don't know where time goes - do you? Its performance week this week - we've got dress rehersal tonight and performances on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. I suspect this week is going to go even faster than ever.

Today I've got a card to share with you that I made using the chocolate Baroque steampunk birds set. As soon as I saw the cockerel I thought of kelloggs cornflakes and this card is a bit of a trip down memory lane for me.

I started off by using a mask from That special touch - I used wild honey distress inks onto card and covered it - then stuck the mask on and applied spiced marmalade  and barn door distress inks into alternate stripes. I stuck this to black card and stuck this onto a card. Then I stamped the cockerel onto card and also onto TH metal tape. I coloured part of the cockerel with my speccies then fussy cut parts of the metal tape and applied is to the image. Finally I fussy cut the whole bird and stood him atop a large wooden cog from That Craft Place. The sentiment is another one from the dylusions word set that I use so often!

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

PIOpileitonchallenge: Wood

AGOACpinkgemchallengeblog: For the boys

charismacharismacardz: A boy thing

sparklessparklesforumchallenges: Show us your new stash - stamp

tuesday throwdowntuesdaythrowdown: stripes

I hope you have a great day - and thanks for dropping by! Big Hugs from me! Oh and if I appear to have not been by for a week - I'm experiencing some difficulty with commenting on some sites - the side bar on the comment form freezes and I can't scroll down to publish my comment - its only a few of you that it has been affection - really sorry if I've been missing you - I only hope it sorts itself out soon!

Hugs

Rachel xxx

Inspired by the Funkie Junkie week 9

Hello there! How are you? Good I hope! Well I did something yesterday that I've been toying with for a while .... I took out membership of the Great North run - that means that I get a guaranteed place for the next three years! Woohoo! I'll still be able to fund raise but not have to have a certain target to reach - which will considerably relieve the pressure at a time when things are tough! I just hope its not something I live to regret!!!

Well today I've made a card inspired by the thefunkiejunkie-12-tags-of-christmas challenge week 9 that you can see by following the link. This is a fabulous challenge and is sponsored by the thefunkiejunkie boutique. I've taken inspiration from the blue and silver and the flowers and hearts - I think thats about where the similarities end!

 

I made the background using faded jeans and tumbled glass distress inks blending them together using cut and dry foam. Then I did some stamping with a script block - in stormy sky and dried everything. Next I used versa and some sparkling silver wow powders to create the snowflakes then cut the flower using tattered florals and the leaves in tims foil tape from the tattered leaves. The hearts are wooden shapes that I've had for ages - about three years - I coloured  them with a silver ink pad. The Merry Christmas is a peel off!!!!

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

thefunkiejunkie12 tags of Christmas week 9

simon says stamp wednesday challengesimonsaysstampblog: Make your own background

fab n funkyfabnfunkychallenges: a touch of frost

rhedd and rosiesrheddandrosies: Use old stash - my wooden hearts are about 3 years old!

Divasdivasbydesignchallenge: Feeling festive

mmcsmymumscraftshop: Christmas/winter

Hope you have a great day - its going to be another manic one for me today - I've agreed to help the brownies make christmas cards tonight and  me being me I've designed cards with diecuts involved - now after finally cutting 26 large snowflakes,  and 15 sets of three trees I still have another 11 sets of trees and 26 snowmen to do - should be a fun morning then!!! Lol! Hope you have a great day and I'll hopefully see you again soon! Big Hugs !

Rachel xx

Inspired by Funkie Junkie week 8 - 12 tags of Christmas

Good morning lovelies! How are you today? I'm going to be in a bit of a frazzle probably as its the school Christmas fair tomorrow and my right hand lady is poorly. Still we'll just keep calm and carry on and do the very best that we can!!!! I'll let you know on Sundays post how it goes - but if I'm a bit late/absent with commenting please forgive me!

Onto today - I have a card to share with you largely inspired by the Funkie Junkie 12 tags of Christmas challenge - week 8. I'm slowly catching up but am still a little behind! On this one I took the inspiration from the snowflakes and santa  and the colour blue that you can see here on Linda's tag.

I've cut a mat using my mums latest spellbinders die and onto that placed a mat that I created by using the chocolate baroque snowflake stamp with versamark  and heat setting with white opaque wow powders. Then I used DI faded jeans and salty ocean and smooshed it over the snowflakes. The top image is a stamp from crafty individuals and has simply been stamped in sepia archival ink. The card base I have made from centura pearl card and used vintage photo and tea dye DI around the edge then stamped a clarity corner all around the edge to build a border. This is in vintage photo - i  used primary and secondary stamped images too. I added the twine and the bells and the sentiment and voila! Job Done!

I'd like to enter this one for the following challenges:
thefunkiejunkie/challenge-12-tags-of-christmas-Funkie Junkie 12 tags of christmas week 8 - sponsored by  thefunkiejunkie boutique.
Crafty Ribbons:craftyribbonschallenge AG
Crafty hazelnuts christmas extra challengeChristmaschallenge
simon says stamp:simonsaysstampblog AG
wow powders challengewowembossingpowder: christmas
craft room challengescraft-roomchallenge: vintage christmas card
ATSaddicted-to-stamps-challenge: Embossing: Heat
fashionablestampingchallenges - shabby chic christmas

Hope you have a great Friday - and looking forward to seeing you again soon!

Big Hugs

Rachel xxx

Anything goes with sketch option at Creative Inspirations plus tag 7 for funkie Junkie

Good morning lovelies! I hope you are well! I'm still reeling from a phone call we had on Monday night from a man claiming to be a microsoft engineer - basically a con - trying to get us to reveal our bank details. I just hate that people do things like that. He was so very convincing -nearly got us. There's some nasty dishonest people in this world - and I'm not the only person that they've tried to do this too - loads of friends have had it too. Just be warned!

Onto brighter things! I'm delighted to be able to say that I'm now GDT for thatcraftplace - well for 3 months!!!! So very excited - thanks to Lisa and everybody else on the team for giving me a chance! I'll do my best!!!! Watch this space for my first challenge but why not join in this fortnight where the challenge is use a star.

This week's challenge at creative Inspirations is Anything Goes + Option of A Sketch!

This week's prize is from CEDAR CHEST DESIGNS and is a $10 GIFT CERTIFICATE!

I took this opportunity to use my new stamps from Sheena Douglass - this is my card:

To make this card I stamped the puffin then masked him and stamped the seagrasses and birds. Then I coloured with my speccies and used DI to create the sky.  The background card has been torn - the shells stamped and coloured with speccies. 

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

Bearly Minebearlymine-challenges: AG

Incy Wincyincywincydesigns: Male

I've also got a tag to share with you today - this one is for the thefunkiejunkie-12-tags-of-christmas challenge and it was inspired by tag 7. The elements I took from Linda's tag, that you can see by clicking the link above,  are the colour brown, the textured background and the poinsettia.

I've used an A4 embossing folder to firstly give the texture to the size 10 tag and then rubbed over the raised areas with rusty hinge Distress ink. The image is from Sheena Douglass and has been coloured with promarkers - wish I'd pained this - I think the colours are too bright. The poinsettias are cut using spellbinders dies and then put together and I've rubbed them with metallic rub. The letters are from Claritystamp. 

I'd like to enter this tag into the funkie Junkie week 7 sponsored by thethefunkiejunkie boutique. 

Hope you have a great day! Thanks for dropping by today and for any comments you may leave - I'm always touched by the many of you who stop by here regularly and leave some comments - thankyou - it means a lot to me!

See you tomorrow!

Hugs rachel xx

String at the sunday stamper

Good morning lovelies! How are you today? I'm  feeling a bit housebound as we're having a condensation unit fitted at the moment and so I couldn't go out at all yesterday and today looks set to be a repeat! Still its useful in as much as I can get some much needed and neglected jobs done. Or I can craft!!!!! Lol!!!!

Today I want to show you a tag I made for the Sunday Stamper - the challenge this week is string - well as soon as I saw that I knew i wanted to do one of the string bows I keep seeing over on pieces by tracyevans - that was the starting point for this tag and everything else evolved around it.

I must tell you - I'm very happy with this piece - love that stamp from Crafty Individuals - thats going to be featured again very soon I should think! Okay - to make my tag I've firstly stamped the snowflake and swirly borders from a set of stamps by sheena douglass - in versamark and added sparkling white wow powders and heat set. Then I used distress inks - antique linen, tea dye, walnut stain and weathered wood and tumbled glass to complete the background. Once dry I stamped the words in versa again and added gold detail powder and heat set. The image was simply stamped on a piece of paper in sepia archival then the image was cut out and mounted on the tag.Then I added the string (twine with some DI added to grunge it up) and finally the jewel! This was from chloes.

I'd like to enter my tag into the challenges at the Sunday stamperpinkleart-283-string-of-pearls and also

Wow embossing powder challengewowembossingpowder: Christmas
rhedd and rosiesrheddandrosies: Christmas is coming
Divas:divasbydesignchallenge make it pretty
cute card Thursdaycutecardthursday: ABAC
PCJpaper-craftingjourney: Bling it up
glitter -n- sparkle - tag itglitternsparklechallengeblog

Thanks for popping by today and for any comments you choose to leave - I had a commenters candy yesterday if you missed it just go for the older post!

Big Hugs for a happy Friday!

Rachel x

C.I challenge: Poppies or red flowers

Morning all! How are you all? Good I hope. Did you have a good fireworks night? We went down to the bonfire in our village and watched the fireworks there - but we did have some sparklers in the garden before leaving,,,,,

 They both enjoyed the sparklers and me too! 

Over at Creative Inspirations cinspirations this week's challenge is Poppies and / or Red Flowers! Please make sure that you use one of these options, the theme is for Remembrance Day.

This week's prize is from us and is the chance to be our GUEST DESIGNER FOR DECEMBER!

Here's what I did for your inspiration:

I've used the sheena douglass paint fusion poppy stamp set and the paint fusion brushes and pebeo acrylic paints. The background is done using distress inks. I've added all this to mountboard and put this topper onto a black mat on a 7 inch white card. The ribbon is from creative expressions.

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

Bearly Minebearlymine-challenges: Anything goes

Papertake weeklypapertakeweekly: Anything goes

Cardmaniacardmaniachallenges: Anything goes

Pan pastelpanpasteluk: Anything goes

MAWTTmovingalongwiththetimes: No designer paper

Crafty Ribbonscraftyribbonschallenge: AG with ribbons

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

splat: inky pinky pen and ink .....

Good morning lovelies! How are you? I'm feeling rested now after the madness of the pink sweatfest - probably won't still be after this mornings run though - lol!!!!!

Today I've got a bookmark to show you that I've made - it'll probably be for my husband as he's an avid reader - he reads what I call 'nasty books' - you know Stephen King, Dean Koontz and the like - the ones I've read have had good stories but I find them too disturbing! I must just be a delicate flower. Anyway - here it is.

I made this piece for the Craft stamper Challenge - they want you to use one/all of the techniques from the article in the November magazine - now having misplaced my magazine - it wouldn't have happened if I hadn't had a tidy up last week - I had to do this from memory. My tag includes two of the splatter techniques I think - the spritzing splatter and the ink stamp splatter. I started with a size 10 manilla tag and added the stamped images - these are from Sheena douglass's little bit magical set. I coloured the inkwell then masked it and stamped the feather in versa and added WOW powders(opaque white) before heat setting. Then I added dylusions sprays in turquoise and purple then distress ink iced spruce. I stamped a script stamp in grey stazon then added the blue splatter stamp using chipped sapphire Distress ink which I also added around the edges of the tag which I cut down a little too. Finally the ribbon!

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

Craft stamper: Take it make it challenge: craftstamperSplat
Pan pastel:panpastel uk AG
country view crafts:countryviewchallenges letters - I think my piece is suitable as it contains letters plus the image is the means for creating them.
C.R.A.F.Ttrimmiescraftchallenge. - for the boys
MAWTTmovingalongwiththetimes: no dp's
charismacharismacardz: ABAC

Thanks for joining me today and for any comments you choose to leave - I really do appreciate them! Hope to see you again soon! Big Hugs rachel x

Happy Haunting at Creative Inspirations

Hello there! I hope you are well! We're all good - the girls had a Harvest day at school yesterday and had a ball - they were split into 4 groups and cycled around 4 different activities - they did some gardening, some singing, made apple and blackberry crumble and made little harvest mice! It all sounded wonderful - what a fabulous day for them! I had another crafternoon with mum too - we made the tag card from Sheenas tutorials - wonderful stuff - hopefully will add that to tomorrows post!

Over at Creative Inspirations (cinspirations) this week's challenge is Happy Haunting.

This week's prize is from us and is the chance to be our GUEST DESIGNER FOR NOVEMBER!

Here's what I did using the wonderful Harriet-Witchy-Ride from Crafty Sentiments ....if you're quick she may still be on special price!

Firstly I used the white remnant rubs from Tim Holtz to add the words then created the background with distress inks - chipped saphire, seedless preserves and a smidge of black soot. I cut a circle and covered it with versamark and added white WOW powders and heat embossed. Harriet is coloured with promarkers and cut out. The bats are made using an Imagination crafts stencil and black stars sparkle medium. The happy Halloween is from another Tim Holtz stamp and die set!

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

LEJlejdesignschallengeblog: Dark/Gothic

CBNcraftybloggersnetwork: AG

Crafty Calender challengescraftycalendarchallenge: Halloween

Alicraftali-craft.blogspot: Halloween

Cute card Thursdaycutecardthursday: Distressing

Ladybug Craftsladybugcrafts: Halloween/use diecuts

CVCcountryviewchallenges: Something Spooky

Emergency Craftersemergencycrafterschallenge: Halloween

My Mums Craft Shopmymumscraftshop: Halloween

Well thats all for today! I thankyou kindly for all of your lovely words and look forward to seeing you again soon! Big Hugs Rachel xx

Off to Harrogate and a soul flying!

Hello there lovelies! Are you well? I hope so. I'm excited as I'll be heading over to Harrogate to the craft show there today with my mum and lots of ladies from her craft club. We usually have a wonderful day so I'm sure we'll have fun! Will let you know tomorrow!!!!

Today I've got another card to show you I made using the sheena technique from Thursdays card. This time though I went for an inky whole panel. I used distress inks festive berries, scattered straw and barn door and smooshed them over my reverse side of centura pearl and then added radiant rain sprays using a sponge. Once dry I ran the panel through Sheenas embossing folder - A4 maple leaf - then smoosed over the raised leaves in black staz-on. I added a stamped seniment from indigo blue and some butterflies and dragon flies from indigo blu that I had stamped and cut out.

I've made this for my October swap partner as part of the Joanna sheen Forum. I hope the recipient likes it!!!

I'd like to enter the following challenges:

Indigo Blu sep/oct challengeindigoblu - things with wings
Creative moments:carabbiemomentsofcraft Autumn
seema crafts:seemacrafts Autumn colours
LEJlejdesignschallengeblog: Things with wings
Tuesday Throwdown:tuesdaythrowdown colours of fall
simon says stamp monday challengesimonsaysstampblog: focal sentiment

Thanks for dropping by today - looking forward to seeing you again soon and reading any comments you may leave!!!

Big Hugs

Rachel xx

Crafty Sentiments: New Challenge: Fave colours/technique

Back again! Its a busy day for me today - I hope you can bear with me!

Over at craftysentiments we have a new challenge that involves using your favourite colours and/or your favourite technique. There's a great stamp being offered as the prize for this challenge:



One of my favourite techniques as many of you who visit often will know - is creating backgrounds using distress inks - this is what I did for todays card that I made using Tobey-Lets-Fish that you can get here by following the link.

I used distress inks - salty ocean, mowed lawn and shabby shutters to create the background with cut and dry foam. The topper has been coloured with promarkers and I've used a cloud shape and a makeup sponge to create the background clouds. The card has been made for my sisters partner in New Zealand. He's a big fisherman - so it seemed appropriate!

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

OLLCBooh-la-la-creationschallenges: F is for Fishing
IDIC:robynsfetishchallengeblog Nature
Crafty Catzcraftycatzweeklychallenge: Birthday cards
PCJpaper-craftingjourney: for a boy
The male roomthemaleroomchallengeblog: Animal, avain or aquarian.

Back at 2pm with my third and final post for the day.

Big Hugs

Rachel xx