A pink hankie box and froggie fun

Hello there! How are you this morning? I'm good and pleased to note that I have finally figured out how to pin things quickly in pinterest so my craft board is finally starting to fill up! I'm a bit slow I know but I'm getting there! Thanks so much for your comments on my kingfisher card yesterday - I'm glad you liked it!

Today I have an altered hankie box cover to share with you - its another one from my MDF man box of goodies that Shaun got me for Christmas. I've used some chocolate Baroque stamps with it.

I started with a plain MDF box and added a layer of gesso. Then sprayed the box with some dylusions sprays and some cosmic shimmer mica sprays.

Once dry I stamped the chocolate baroque image on all 4 sides. Then I painted the berries in with pink silkies from Imagination Crafts.

I stamped all of the butterflies again on paper, coloured them in and stuck them on to the sides and the top. The flowers are made from a giant flower spiral from spellbinders.

I think thats all!

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

sirstampalotchallenge: pink

delicious doodlesdeliciousdoodleschallenge: ABAC

PTWpapertakeweekly: AG with option of handmade flowers

Just got a few froggie pictures to share with you from my garden - we discovered the spawn on Saturday and yesterday the pond was swarming with froggies:

Love this piccie - looks like the frog on the right is smiling x

doing what froggies do!

lots of spawn.

Hope you've enjoyed your visit today and thanks for popping over. I'm fleathering with my ladies today after a nice little hill run! Hope it goes well! Will try to remember my camera! Big Hugs! Rachel xx

texture at the sunday stamper

Morning all! I do hope you're well and happy! Thankyou so much for all your wonderful comments yesterday - I really do appreciate them. I hope you like what I've got to show you today. Its a book box that I've made for my husband Shaun.

So to start with I painted the book box with gesso then used the prima stencil and black embossing paste to add the texture to the front. Once dry I used London blue dylusions to spray parks of the front and back then whilst the dylusions was still wet chipped sapphire distress ink to the remaining spaces and smooshed it all together. I used urban stamps from papermania to add text and equations (hubbies a physicist so he'll love that). I also added paint splat stamps in chipped sapphire.  The umbrella man is a diecut that I added then the stamped letters (claritystamps) and the clock and bar sentiment. On the back I used a stencil from Imagination Crafts and black dreamweaver embossing paste and finally I used some apothecary papers to line the box.

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

Sunday stamper:pinkleart sunday-stamper-week-281-you-raise-me-up You raise me up - add texture
panpastel:panpasteluk Anything goes
Jellyparkjellyparkchallenges: ABAC
Fussy and Fancy:fussyandfancychallenge Black and Blue
C.R.A.F.Ttrimmiescraftchallenge: For the boys
charismacharismacardz: ABAC
simon says stamp weds challengesimonsaysstampblog: AG
Ccountryviewchallengeschallenge-9-november: letters
craftstamper/take-it-make-it-challenge-five

Thanks for dropping by today and I look forward to seeing you again soon!
Nearly forgot - there's a 48 hour sale going on at Crafty sentiments - check this out:

Big Hugs

Rachel xx

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

spooky times ahead

Good morning all! Well its a marathon day for me today with three posts so hold onto your hats! The first one is a midway reminder for the challenge over at the Imagination Crafts Challenge blog -here. The theme this month is Halloween - we'd love to see what you come up with and love it even more if you use something from Imagination Crafts - that would enable you to be in the chance of winning an amazing £40 spend in the Imagination Crafts shop - a prize I myself would dearly love to win!!!!

Here's what I did for your midway inspiration:

Some drink mats/coasters - perfect for a Halloween party - or for general use if thats your thing lol!!!

I used radiant rain sprays and also dylusions sprays to create the backgrounds and black stars sparkle medium plus a mask from Imagination crafts for the shapes.The letters were stamped onto the colourd surface.  I have sealed the surface of the coasters with spray and shine from Crafters Companion to try and protect them for when they get used!

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

FSC: fashionablestampingchallengesUse a mask or stencil
ABAC:anythingbutacard Orange and Black
CVCcountryviewchallenges: Something spooky
Glittern sparkleglitternsparklechallengeblog: add some orange
Lexi'slexiscreations : Halloween
Incy Wincyincywincydesigns: Halloween


Thanks for dropping by - 'll be back in an hour with a post from Crafty Sentiments. Hope to see you then! Hugs Rachel xx

Tims tags of 2013: September - and a 40th birthday card

Good morning all! I hope you are well and happy! We're good - we had lots of fun at Rainbows last night - we made chocolate cake hedgehogs - lots of fun and super delicious too!!!!

Today I've got to show you my Tims tag for September - well mine is not quite like sir Tims - infact mine is a bit of a mess - but I really njoyed making said mess so thought I'd share it with you!!!

Here's sir Tims for this month:



Now mine followed the step by steps of tims that you can find here - 12-tags-of-2013-september but not having yet had the chance to purchase tims stencils I had to use what I had available - oh and I think I've discovered why tim only pasted up the top corner - because the stamps don't work so well onto of the embossing paste - lol - you live and learn!!!!

I did warn you! Oh but the fun factor was immense! I have to say I loved doing this!!! I'd like to enter it into timholtz.com/12-tags-of-2013-september challenge anyway!

Something else I've been having fun with is the making of my friend and ex chemistry teacher colleague  Cheyl's 40th birthday card/box. Her birthday was yesterday so its safe to show it now - and its all Tim Holtz stuff so I thought I'd show the two together.

This is the front of the card - I had lots of fun with distress inks, some sprays - colourwash and dylusions, and some stencils and pastes. The stamps are from the Tim Holtz set called The chemist. I coloured the images with promarkers.

 This is inside on the rhs - the book was part of my winnings from LEJ Designs CB where I got goodies from Mishelflo - the service was fabulous - thanks Michelle! I also got the Tim Holtz vials from that win too - they're brilliant.

 I've used the paperstash that accompanies the chemist stamp set - also Tim Holtz - and these letters are grungeboard sprayed up with dylusions.

This is the back of the 'card' - Cheryl loved the whole thing - I'm really glad as it took quite a lot of time!!!!

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

Rhedd and Rosies:something-for-men16th-challenge( I did send this to a girl I know but generally I think of this as being more masculine!!!)
Bearly Minebearlymine-challenges: AG
PFPpromarkerchallenge: One for the boys
Kaboodle doodleskaboodledoodles: Use orange
AI: artistic inspirationsBright colours
FSCfashionablestampingchallenges: Autumn colours
Pan pastelpanpasteluk: AG
simonsaysstampblog-anything-goes
charismacardzinside

Thats it for today folks - thanks for looking and I hope you have a great day today. Thanks for any comments you leave - I do love to read what you think!!!

Big Hugs to you!

Rachel xx

Craft a scene: Dusk to dawn

Afternoon all! Well I'm getting a bit more organised now although I'm still not organised enough to upload any holiday pictures yet - that may well have to wait until tomorrow - but I can tell you it took a good 10 hours to get back yesterday - with only two stops!!!! We thought it was going to be worse though because it took us over 5 hours to go 140 miles - its always impossible to get out of Cornwall!

Anyway - back to today! I had lots of inky fun making this card - it uses stamps from Sheena Douglass - the moon/clouds and the landscape are both in the same set. I stamped and masked the moon then I made the background - using some dylusions sprays added with a sponge and then some radiant rain sprays - again added with a sponge to make up the background. Once dry I added the main stamped images and highlighted where the moon would shine using a white pen.

The challenge at craftascene starts today and is entitled Dusk to Dawn. We would like you to craft a scene with moonlight/dusk/dawn as the time of day.

I would like to enter my card into the following challenges:
Simon says: simonsaysstampblogAG
Card crafters circle:cardcrafterscircle For the boys
the male roomthemaleroomchallengeblog: The great outdoors

Thanks for dropping by and for all of your lovely comments - its so nice that so many of you managed to drop by when I was on holiday too - it really made my week lovely!

Big Hugs and hope to see you again later!

Rachel xx

fairies at Creative Inspirations

Good morning - this is a scheduled post so I hope blogger is behaving itself!

 Over at Creative Inspirations this week's challenge is Fairies!
We would like to see only Fairies as the main images on your creations!

This week's prize is from our monthly sponsor J&C CREATIONS who are giving 1 lucky Winner a
 £10 GIFT CERTIFICATE!

Here's my card:

 This is one of those cards I'm not happy with - there are parts of it I love but I just don't feel it gels well. But I'm afraid time ran out - lol! I've used a Lavinia script stamp in the background and then used an imagination craft stencil and added DI though the wholes to create the poppies and sparkle medium at the top to produce the dragonflies. Finally I used the lavinia fairy stamp in black archival on top. I cut the topper into three panels and mounted them on black card. The sentiment is from a dylusions stamp set stamped and cut out. 

Thanks for dropping by today and  I hope to see you again soon!

Hugs

Rachel xx

New Release preview Day 1: Crafty Sentiments

Good morning again - this is my second post of the day - and I'm so excited that this new release day is here - you are so going to love these new stamps that go into the craftysentimentsdesigns shop on Thursday! Here's what I've done with todays stamp which is called 'off to the ball'.

My tryptych (is that what its called?) was first painted with yellow acrylic paint from Pebeo and once dry I applied antique bronze sparkle medium through a mask called leafy swirl from Imaginations crafts. I left that to dry and coloured my stamped image in promarkers and then added the picture and the flowers. Finally I stamped the words from a dylusions stamp set and cut them out before adding them.

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

I love promarkers: ilovepromarkersSummertime
Sweet stampin challenge:sweetstampinchallengeblog Bold and beautiful
Pan pastel:panpasteluk Create your own Background
PIOpileitonchallenge: No designer paper
Lacy Sunshinelacysunshinechallengeblog: Girls girls girls
Glitternsparkleglitternsparklechallengeblog: Not square

Thanks for looking today - its now only 1 hour until my coffee morning begins - I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow! Don't forget to pop over to the craftysentimentsinspirations here - for some inspiration from some blog favourites!!!

Big Hugs

Rachel xx

fun with the melt pot

Morning all. How're you doing? Hope you're okay! I'm having trouble with blogger - well its not blogger its my computer - when I try to load up pictures into a post it doesn't want to know and just doesn't do it - now luckily there is another computer in the house so I can save my pictures on my memory stick and go and use other said computer - but its very annoying!!!! I hope I find a way around it soon!!!!

Todays card has been made with a few challenges in mind. Over at the Sunday stamper the theme is diamonds - so I've used some sparkle medium and an Imagination crafts mask and added diamonds. At our creative corner  the theme is words - so I've got bookprint, stamped print and also the words at the top of the card (from a word stamp set by dylusions) . Countryview Crafts are also doing sayings - so I've got the words at the top of the page. And at the Fashionable stamping challenge the theme is bookprint/script so I've got that. Crafty Individuals also has an open theme this month - the focal stamp is from them.

The Crafty Individuals fairy was stamped with sepia Archival onto a background I created using antique linen distress stain and a spritz of water. The flowers were made using the 6 petal flower from the tattered florals die set via the method shown on Hels blog here. I also dipped them into hot UTEE in the meltpot to give the high shine faux porcelain look. The butterfly is a crafty emblie that got the sparkle medium treatment.

The back of the card was distressed with tea dye and then I used a script stamp and the tea dye again to overstamp. The sparkle medium is both antique bronze and diamond - although most of the diamond has been covered by the florals.

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

Sunday Stamperpinkleart: Diamonds
Our Creative Corner:ourcreativecorner6 Words Words Words
Countryview Craftscountryviewchallenges: Sayings
Fashinable stamping challengefashionablestampingchallenges: Script/bookprint
Crafty Individualscraftyindividualsblog: Open theme
Divasdivasbydesignchallenge: Bingo - distressing, lace, flowers.
PTWpapertakeweekly: AG with the option of vintage
LEJlejdesignschallengeblog: Lovely lace
Inky Chicksinkychicks: Lovely Lace
AIartisticinspirationschallenges Bingo - lace, pearls, layers
Stamping sensationssirstampalotchallenge: Wings and things with a touch of vintage

wow - thats a lot of challenges for me!

Anyway - hope you have a fab Friday and that whatever you've got planned goes well. My girls are on their final day of Jujitsu camp - they've had a blast - the smoothies they made yesterday were put into lolly moulds and they'll get a homemade ice lolly today - sounds good eh?  Me? Well I'm running again this morning - come rain or shine - and then it will be time for a little bit of blogging and housework before picking the kidlets up!!!

Big Hugs! Thanks for dropping by and I hope you like what you saw today!

Big Crafty hugs

Rachel xx

Creative Inspirations DT: AG with option of a sketch

Morning lovelies! How are you? I'm good and looking forward to having a bit of time today as the girls are at a mad science day up at the University in Lancaster. After my run and doing the shopping/some cleaning  though I daresay there won't be much time left lol!!!Just wanted to thank Susan of craftinsuzie for your donation to my run Charity fund for Asthma UK- thanks Susan - its very kind of you! Susan is one of my teamies at Crafty Sentiments and being Wednesday there's a new digital Harriet coming:

This one looks gorgeous - might just have to have a play with this! And there's a freebie of Harriet too for this weeks challenge - check it out here.

Onto today - over at Creative Inspirations (cinspirations)there's a new challenge starting - its anything goes but there's the Option of a Sketch!
Natalie has added the option of a Sketch for those who still like to have a little theme to play along with!

This week we have 2 prizes up for grabs!
The first is from BEARLY MINE DESIGNS which is a £10 GIFT VOUCHER!

The next prize is of course from our Monthly Sponsor J&C CREATIONS who are offering a
£10 GIFT CERTIFICATE!

I used the sketch and this is what I did:

I'd seen these two LOTV images used like this in the recent release and just fell head over heels with these stamps - I also loved the idea of combining them so thats what I did - I know its a copy - but I just had to have a go!!!! The images are coloured with promarkers and Distress inks and the word stamps are from dylusions.

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

IDICrobynsfetishchallengeblog: Friendship card
SSSSsimonsaysstampblog: Ode to sunshine
Cardmaniacardmaniachallenges: Summer blooms

Thanks for dropping by and sharing in my crafty journey! Hope to see you again soon! Lots of love and big crafty hugs

Rachel xx