What a wonderful workshop with Tracy Easson

Hello there! How are you? I am good and still feeling full of fun and laughter from my Tracy Easson workshop yesterday. If you ever get the opportunity to go on a workshop with Tracy then do - she is such a lovely lady - so humble and yet so talented and bubbly and slightly crazy!!! A wonderful combination. We made two items - there was also a badge which I am yet to complete...

In the morning we made a book cover - thats the one on the right. We stamped the lady on fabric, painted with decoart paints then added the other layers of fabric. In the afternoon we made the thingie on the left! I may add to her dress - but thats how she looks just now!

It was so nice to work with fabric - I don't do that enough - the sewing really was therapeutic!!!

Here's a pic of me and Tracy - I think I look a bit crackers - but I was just having so much fun!!!!

Have a great Sunday!

Hugs

Rachel xx

An honour and some atcs

Hello there! How are you? I am well and happy - as are my girls. We've had a busy couple of days - yesterday lots of walking - we did 9 miles - very proud of the girls! And today we went to see the plaque dedicated to Shaun to honour his time at the University.

So pleased its finally in place in the new labs. We are hoping that the lab becomes known as the Fisher lab - albeit informally! So very proud of him. Of course, it goes without saying that I wish there was no need for the plaque ....

I got my ATCs back in the post today too from the UK Stampers Forum ATC swap for March - the theme was Flowers ...

These are the ones I sent ....

and these are the ones that came back!

I do love being part of the craft community - so lovely to see what different ideas are going on out there!

Off on a Tracy Easson course tomorrow - I am very excited!

Big hugs

Rachel xx

In the meadow at stamps and stencils.

Hello there! How are you? I do hope you are well and happy! I am in charge of the theme at stamps and stencils this month and I have chosen 'In the Meadow'. Here was my brief for the challenge...

 Meadows are such amazing places - lots of different grasses, wild flowers and wonderful wildlife. Let your imagination run wild ...and use stamps or stencils too! Enjoy!

I decided to use some stamps from Hobbyart in order to make my card - I will show you the final piece and then how I made it! The words are from Alison Bomber and the stencil from Kay Carley both at Paperartsy.

Here's what I did....

I started with stamping and masking the hare and masking a sun. Then I created some hills using the clarity stencil brush and distress ink.

Next I added the sky....

I then used the Kay Carley mask adding some grasses, butterflies and dragonflies.

Next I coloured the hare using distress inks and stamped more grasses using hobbyart stamps.

Finally I stamped the sentiment and also coloured the sun!

I hope you can follow what I did! 

I hope you can join our challenge too.... you can find more inspiration from my amazing teamies and enter the challenge here..

Big hugs

Rachel xx

Jofy Jug

Hello there! How are you? I hope you are feeling good! We are fine...still enjoying the holidays. It was a bouncing day yesterday - a visit to the trampoline park - and then we went pottery painting and I managed to pick up my jug that I have been working on with JOFY stamps ....finally finished and fired!

It took a lot of work this piece and I am mostly pleased...I wish the red wasn't quite so streaky but other that I am chuffed with the way things worked out!!!

What do you think?

Hugs

Rachel xx

Chocolate Baroque on Hochanda

Hello there! How are you? Did you have a good Easter??? I hope so! We had more egg hunting yesterday in the rain! We also went to see 'a wrinkle in time' at the pictures...it was a bit odd but I loved the colour in some of the scenes! The girls enjoyed it so thats all that matters really!

Today we are off to one of those trampoline parks - I have two extra girls too! Glutton for punishment eh? But also on today is Lesley on Hochanda ... I have sent some samples off and want to share a couple with you in the hope that you'll join her at either 10am or 2pm on Hochanda.

There are some beautiful stamps sets on today - I love this honey bee set so much - and its so very versatile too ...

I made this pop up card with the same set! Fabulous!

I do hope you can join Lesley today!

Hugs

Rachel xx

Easter!

Hello there! Happy Easter to you! I hope you had a great day yesterday! We certainly did! It started early with an egg hunt in the garden in the morning - then I gave my girlies and my mum a needle felted easter bunny each!

Here they all are looking cute! 

Next we went off to church where there was another egg hunt after the service. Penny was singing in the choir - lovely! After lunch we made it out to Ingleton for our final egg hunt of the day - that was fun and we all enjoyed the walk! Here's me and Pen!

On Saturday the girls did a couple of workshops too. The first one was at Rowan tree crafts where they did jounalling - then we went off to a cake decorating workshop - I think they did so well - and trust me the cakes tasted fabulous!

Here's to a wonderful Easter Monday!

Big hugs

Rachel xx

Pimp it up #62

Hello there! How are you? Happy Easter to you! I do hope you are good and ready for  a new month! Its new challenge time at Countryview challenges and this month the theme  is 'pimp it up' ... so the idea is take something and either change it or upcycle it in some way. I decided to give the tin we use to collect coins in a makeover!

So here is how the tin started out! We used to have a different tin for each coin type but I found we had very little loose change these days so we cut it down to just one tin - every so often we sort the coins out!

My first step was to attack the tin with texture paste and then I added lace and fabric and a few bits and bobs ... it looks pretty hideous at this point. Next I added raven black paint from indigoblu and covered the entire thing....finally after leaving it to dry I set about the box with indigoblu luscious powders mixed with water....and this is what it looks like!

I think its certainly pimped up!!!

Have fun and join us in our challenge! You can get more inspiration from my teamies and enter the challenge here. Remember you might be lucky enough to win £20 to spend at Countryview Crafts!!!

Big hugs

Rachel xx