No Card, but you can see what I'm up to (WOYWW 243)

Well, I'm trying to blog more often, but that does rather require something to blog about.  As I don't have a card made, I thought I would show you what I'm working on at the moment....

I have one completed decoupage topper of Barkley, a card companion cut out with Father Christmas and I'm still cutting out a decoupage from the Makey Bakey mice - this is a toughie as it has landlocked areas, but I cut these out with my craft knife before I started cutting around the images, think this is the way to go as it's much easier.

This is a close up of what's on my cutting mat

Sorry for the lousy pictures, but it's evening already and I had to use the flash to get the shots.

Long shot of my messy area

Well, I'm going to post this on WOYWW and then go and have a look at everyone else's crafty areas.

Hello & thanks to anyone who stops by to say hi, hopefully I can turn these into cards soon.

TTFN

Rach

x

Mojo still not quite back

But I'm trying to force it into action.  The image on the following card took me all week to colour and turn into this card, but hey, at least I still made something.

As I was making it, I was finding it easier and easier, so hopefully the mojo will be back in full swing soon - I've printed off a couple of decoupage sheets so that I don't have to slow myself down with the colouring thing for a bit.  I also managed to get a couple of stamps in the Lili of the Valley sale, so hopefully they will help as well.

I coloured the image with spectrum noirs and then used my prismacolor pencils to finish it off.  The purple backing paper was printed from the Fairyopolis CD and so reminds me of oil on water, speaking of which that's what the image is mounted onto, card that has an oil on water effect - looks amazing in real life, the turquoise paper is from a papermania pad - the sentiment is a whimsy ticket stamp, cut out with the matching die.

I used the Sketch Saturday sketch so I'm entering the card into this weeks challenge (two weeks in a row, I'm on a roll now!)

Anyway, TTFN, see you soon

Rach

x

Nearly the Weekend

Yay! Only today and tomorrow to go and we are at the weekend again - that was the good news, the bad news is that my mojo is still MIA.  Having sat down at the weekend with every intention of making some beautiful mens card absolutely nothing came to mind, I stamped and coloured one image and even that I wasn't happy with.  It was going to go on a shabby background with lots of embellishments but I just wasn't feeling it.

Anyway, the result of my uming and ahing is the following card - not shabby chic at all and it really doesn't seem finished to me but I just have no idea what else to do - well, it's all glued down now so tuff!  I'll move on to something more girly, at least I know what I'm doing with them, well that is if my mojo puts in an appearance.  I did get some Lili of the Valley stamps in their sale, so here's hoping.

The card is a 5x5, the patterned paper came in a pack from docrafts, as did the ribbed paper (done on my ribbler - haven't had that out in ages!).  The image is from Kanban and was from one of the sets that came in the cute little handbag from QVC years ago and was a birthday present from my work colleagues.  I coloured it with my prismacolor pencils as I was going for a more soft and subtle effect.

Well, hope you like it more than I do & hopefully I'll be back at the weekend with something more interesting.

TTFN

Rach

x

Love is in the air

Well, I've been using up the stamped images that I did the other weekend, and this card is the last of them, it also saw my mojo disappear on holiday.  I made this card on Saturday morning and I've just been staring at bits of paper and rubber stamps since - no idea why but I'm trying everything I can to get it to come back to me.

The background paper for this card (if you're interested) was from a Kate Knight magazine freebie - love those freebies!  It's a really simple card but I am quite pleased with it - not your usual romantic colours.  For the 'Love you's' in the background I stamped with versamark and then went over with a pale blue shimmer chalk, it looks better in real life.

I used the Sketch Saturday sketch for this and as I'm in time posting, I'm entering this into the challenge for this week.

Well as this isn't a scheduled post and I really am typing this at 7.40 a.m. think I will go and get myself ready for the day, still at least I've made it through the (supposedly) most depressing day of the year - all good from now then!

TTFN

Rach

x

Fab week of posting!

Well, I have done really well this week, trying to post a card every other day & actually trying to make some as well.

You will recognise the image in this card, it's another of the one's I coloured last weekend with Alison - sadly I shall be crafting on my own today as Alison is in bed with a bad back today, hopefully she will be back up and crafting soon!

The image for this card is from the Mulberry Wood everyday range and is called 'Sweet Love', it's just gorgeous, and if I say so myself, my colouring is coming on brilliantly!  The pink heart is also from Crafters Companion, but the papers are so old from my stash I couldn't possibly tell you where they came from!

Anyway, hope you like it - I've got to go and start looking at images for mens cards as one of the girls in work has pretty much decided all her cards are coming from me this year!

Well, TTFN

Rach

x

Love is in the air

Well, if all goes well, when you read this it will be Thursday morning, yep I'm trying to get ahead of myself and get some posts scheduled (fingers crossed!).

This card was made using one of the images I coloured at the weekend with Alison, it's from Crafters Companion Party Paws range & I love that little panda, he's so easy to colour and you just want to give him a huge hug!

The backing papers were from the latest download from Crafters Companion and all my hearts were cut out with my silhouette, must start using it more if I'm going to justify an upgrade to the scan n cut!

I'm going to enter this card into the Crafters Companion monthly challenge, which this month is 'hearts'

Anyway, hope you like & hopefully I'll be back at the weekend with some more crafty makes!

TTFN

Rach

x

Bentley Bear

Well, this card was made over Christmas, when I was having a bit of a clear out and stern talk with myself about having a better stocked craft room than most craft shops!

The decoupage was a freebie that has been sat patiently waiting for me to cut it out and glue together for years, and finally I succumbed and turned it into this lovely card - I haven't put a sentiment on it as I don't think it needs it.  The backing paper has sparkly dots on it which you probably can't see in the photo, I think the paper is from a DCWV stack called 'nana's kitchen' but don't quote me on it, the roses are from WOC (finally trying to start using these instead of staring at them!).  The strip across the middle has been embossed with a Design Objectives embossing folder and I have then used gold gilding wax to highlight it (not sure if it shows up in the photo particularly well) and the leaves are one of my Diesire dies.

Sorry for the 'atmospheric' (code for rubbish) photo - winter is not good for taking decent photos of cards and I don't like to use the flash as it washes out all colour from cards.

Anyway, hope you like & I'll see you in a day or two with some more cards.

TTFN

Rach
x

Loads of lovely colouring fun!

Well, I managed to get the cleaning done yesterday and Alison came over as planned, and instead of actually making cards, we sat down with our Prismacolour pencils and did some good old fashioned colouring in!  It's not just for kids you know & it kept us quiet for a good few hours - such therapy, it was absolutely fab & always great to get together with my best bud Alison, bouncing ideas around.

We also watched the european launch of the Brother Scan n Cut on Create and Craft - it's a very expensive bit of kit - not essential if you have good dexterity and a pair of sharp scissors, but I can see it being really useful AND I WANT ONE!!!!!!

Anyway, here's what I coloured yesterday & I'm hoping to turn into cards today so that I can post them over the next week or so (going to have a go at scheduling posts).

Well, TTFN

Rach
x

Favourite Stamp

Okay, so I wanted to enter the first challenge over at Fantasy Stampers, and their theme is 'Your Favourite Stamp'.  I pondered and pondered - I love all my stamps, I am a stamper, it's where I started and probably where I will end (drowning in a sea of vulcanised rubber and polymer), but as to a favourite, that is a tuffy.  

I really don't have a favourite, so as I went through, I went for the stamp that at the moment makes me smile the most, and the one below is it.  The stamp is available from Quixotic Paperie by Susana Loves Stamps, the stamp itself is called 'Clueless'.  Isn't his face just amazing, and if I say so myself, I am really happy with my colouring on this one, if I could do this every time I would be a very happy bunny! (my trustee spectrum noir pens used)

I used the outside the frame technique to cut him out, just to give an extra bit of depth, the doily is a diesire die and I think the ribbon came from a pair of pyjamas (gotta recycle these things - far too pretty for the rubbish).

Anyway, I hope you like my little monster (and I really hope I get onto the design team - I need a new challenge to get me crafting regularly).

Well, must be off to do some cleaning now (sadly my house doesn't clean itself), and as a reward, this afternoon I'm hoping to craft with Alison and watch the launch of the Brother Scan n Cut (serious 'I wants it' {turns into Gollum}).

TTFN

Rach

x

Not too bad & still crafting

Well, okay so I didn't manage to keep up the blogging every day, but unfortunately I have to go out to work to fund my crafty habit (and to pay for roof repairs, but that's another story!).

This card was made using the Friday Sketch Challenge sketch no. 59 (but I didn't get it posted in time!).  Yes I know Christmas is over, but I really hate putting away all my sparkle and twinkle so like to continue it as long as possible.

The image for this card I've had for absolutely forever, it was sent to me as part of an image swap and I believe is from Lilli of the Valley, it's been coloured with my trustee Spectrum Noirs, glittered using glossy accents and glamour dust, the sentiment is also from Lilli of the Valley and the snowflakes are good old Crafters Companion Diesire dies.

Hope you like & I'll try and be back again more often, might even try and schedule some posts to give me a bit of breathing space!

TTFN

Rach

x