pretty shabby chic

Good morning to you! I hope you are well and happy! Its strange here this week - most schools have started their holidays but my girls don't break up until Friday - its quite strange but I think we're having the better holidays. They had an Easter activity day today - and tomorrow we're taking in the Easter bonnets they have made - there's going to be an Easter Bonnet parade on Friday and prizes too! Here's Lucy and Penny in theirs.

Today I've got a card to share with you that I made with the premium brands challenge in mind - this fortnight the theme is shabby chic. I have used pan pastels in making my card.

I made the background up first by applying translucent embossing paste through a diamond stencil from imagination crafts then when dry painting over the card with gesso mixed with metallic pan pastels - it was the bronze one I used and to my surprise it gave this lovely pinky colour. 

Then I did some background stamping using a set from Crafty individuals. I added the lace (also from crafty individuals) and the mannequin - this was from the lovely and very talented kezzy - thankyou xxx I added the coat hanger and the wings which a diecut and the flower on the mannequin which was made using a modgepodge mould (from that craft place) and maimeri medium mixed with copper pan pastels. The sentiment was stamped using a clarity alphabet and the flowers came from thatcraftplaceThat Craft Place.

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

Pan pastels:panpasteluk Pretty Shabby Chic

Rhedd and rosiesrheddandrosies: AG

Fab n funkyfabnfunkychallenges - pink

Incy wincy incywincydesigns3 flowers, 2 wings, 1 corner/coat hanger.

totally papercraftstotallypapercrafts: Pastels

Just a quickie before I go - I was very lucky to be a winner on the chocolate Baroque colour challenge on the facebook group during the recent birthday celebrations - Glenda just posted another challenge - just for fun - this is the tag I made:

Thanks for your visit today and I hope to see you again soon! Big Hugs!

Rachel xx

look for the silver lining .....

Hello there! How are you today? I'm okay but feeling a little apprehensive as my dad has a minor operation today. Fingers crossed everything goes okay.

Onto my post for today - I've made a canvas using a few different metallic elements:

The first metallic input to my canvas was the background. I mixed some metallic pan pastel with gesso and primed the base. Next  I used a clarity mask and white pan pastel to create the clouds. Then it was time to use the TH bubble stencil and some cosmic shimmer gold pearl paste and the stamping using the 'every cloud has a silver lining stamp - from That Craft Place. Finally I added some branches using silver sparkle medium and a stencil from Imagination Crafts.

The next step was the prima doll stamp - I stamped it onto white card and used pan pastels to colour it - fussy cut then set with spray and sparkle. I added the image to the canvas then added the wooden leaves (from that craft place) with a coating of metallic distress paint. I also added the roses and the buttons. The flower at the base of the text was made using a mould from That Craft Place that was filled with maimeri matt medium mixed with metallic pan pastel. Finally I added the lace that was also from that Craft Place ..... did I mention I got a 4 month DT place with them! Woo hoo. Very happy!

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

Artisitc stamper:theartisticstampercreativeteam- april-challenge-embossing-and-texture embossing and texture

simon says stamp monday challenge:simonsaysstampblog anything goes

pan pastel challengepanpasteluk: metallics

Thanks for dropping by today and for any comments you choose to leave. Big Hugs rachel xx

christmas again?

Hello there! How are you this fine morning? Well we're all good although Penny's tired after her opening night - all went well though so thats good. Here's a picture of most of the children involved in the changing room just before curtains up. They did so very well - amazing really! I get to sit in the audience tonight so I'm looking forward to that.



 Its not such good news with my dad - the doctor has diagnosed vascular dementia - although he still has to have a scan to confirm this. The symptoms are all there though - we just have to hope that he doesn't deteriorate too quickly I guess.

Today I have a Christmas card to share with you made using a set of Chocolate baroque stamps that I bought in the sale - I couldn't resist these and have enjoyed playing with them. I have been toying with the idea of applying for the DT - not that I would have stood a chance - but now the deadline has been brought forward and I'm too late - nevermind - obviously not meant to be! Lol!

I made the background using one stamp from this set - I simply stamped in versa and repeated the pattern down each side before adding red glitter Wow powders and heat embossing. Then I added pan pastels to add the colour. The main image was stamped onto card in versa and then heat set with black sparkling wow powders. Then I added more pan pastels with the colours intensified for the topper. The flower is an extra one I made from felt for the pan pastel GDT that I did in december - you can read about that here.....the sentiment was cut using a britannia die.

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

pan pastelpanpasteluk ; not just card and paper
wow powderswowembossingpowder: fabric
ABC Christmasabcchristmaschallenge: B is for bare minimum of embellishments


Thanks so much for dropping by today and for any comments you choose to leave! Big Hugs to you!

Rachel xx

Mid month reminder for CCAYR: All things santa

Afternoon all - this is my final post for the day so I will keep it short! Its midway through the month for the Santa challenge at CCAYR(christmascardsallyearround) today - here's my midmonth inspiration for you - another Imagination Crafts project - what do you think?

This was an incredibly simple card to make - first I used pan pastels to create the background - then stamped the indigo blu santa and reindeer in the sky and then added the two different colours of sparkle medium through the Imagination Crafts Stencil called 'In the Clearing'. The majority of it was done in antique bronze and the moon in Diamond sparkle. A really quick and effective card!

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

ABC Christmasabcchristmaschallenge: No embellishments
PCJpaper-craftingjourney: Christmas in July
Delicious Doodlesdeliciousdoodleschallenge: Scenery
Crafty Hazelnuts Christmas extracraftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge2: Anything goes
CHNCcraftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge: Trees please

I've had a lovely morning with my crafty ladies group too - this is an assortment of what was made using distress ink as a watercolour medium:






Hope you have a good Monday and thanks again for dropping by!

Big Hugs

Rachel x

silvia's card

Good morning lovelies - I do hope you're well and happy! I'm ready for a wet run this morning - I have to do it though as I know if I leave it until tonight it won't happen! The lady I go to aerobics with didn't turn up last night either so I had last night off!! My muscles will start to ache if I don;t go!

Today I've got a card I've made for my sister in law Silvia who lives in Germany. She loves fairies so I've gone for two Lavinia images - and I've used a green colour throughout.

I made the card using two green shades of pan pastel - a light one at the top - where I masked off a moon, and a darker one at the bottom. Then I stamped the top writing and covered it up with a post it. I added an Imagination crafts mask to the bottom of the card and used a cosmic shimmer mica spray in green, dried it, then moved the mask and used peeled paint DI to go over the image again.  Finally I added the Lavinia fairies at the bottom and the butterfly that I'd stamped onto bookprint on studio 45 fusible film that I cut out and heated to give it shape before colouring green and adding the bling.

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges:
DoCraftsdocraftsblog: Coloured cards
charismacharismacardz 3,2,1: 3 fairies, 2 colours thrugh the mask, 1 butterfly.
Simon says stampsimonsaysstampschallenge: Anything goes
Inky Chicksinkychicks: Anything goes
Sunday Stamperpinkleart: Writing

thanks for popping by and I hope you like what I've made. Look forward to seeing you again soon! Big Hugs rachel xx

Thanks Mum and dad

Hello lovelies - I do hope you're well and happy! I'm good but feeling quite tired - I think the moonlight walk is catching up with me!

I've got a card to show you that I made to give to my mum and dad to say thankyou for my birthday goodies - they loved it and now I can share it on here.

The card was created by using a light purple pan pastel all over the background having masked off the moon first- then I added the mask from Imagination Crafts and went trough in DI milled lavendar first, then brushed corduroy and then with shabby shutters on the green bits. Between the mauves I shifted the mask slightly to give the illusion of 3D. Afterwards I stamped the fairies from Lavinia stamps in black archival and then the verse from Clarity stamp in the moon. Then it was just a case of matting and layering and bobs your uncle.

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

Lavinia June challengelaviniastamps: Lovely Lavendar
Sunday Stamper pinkleart-Purple Haze
Cute card Thursday:cutecardthursday Once upon a time


Hope you have a fabulous Friday and thanks for dropping by. I do love to read your comments and try to get around to as many of you as I can manage. Big Hugs and happy Friday!

Rachel xx