The most beautiful Destinations

I have been working on the most amazing launch for Crafters Companion, starting on Create and Craft on Monday as the four day deal.  Destinations is a twin CD and there are also accompanying stamp sets.  There is sooo much amazing stuff (sorry for the use of the word stuff, but it's probably the best description) cram packed into these two CDs that will help you make gifts, cards, packaging and well pretty much anything you could imagine.

This first peek of mine is from the second CD, and is one of the fabulous address books - yep, there are now address books, complete, you get front and back covers, divider tabs and gorgeously decorated pages to write on.  Just print, bind however you feel and embellish to your hearts content!

I was working on the Indian one and so this really needed to be bright and colourful as every time I see images of India on TV (never been there sadly) they are always so colourful and vibrant.  To this end I decided to bind with my Cinch and then embellish the binding (which is really the most unatractive bit) with lots of coloured ribbons.  I also cut some slits in the front cover so that I could feed ribbon through to put a pen on the front, I hid the ribbon on the inside with a stamped and embossed image cut out and stuck over the ribbon on the inside, but forgot to take a picture of this (doh!).

The pen itself (bic) I also covered with the same paper I had used as my lining paper inside the front and back covers.  It was really easy to do, just cut a strip of paper the length of the pen you want to cover (make sure that it sits below the lid or you'll never be able to put the lid on) and enough to cover the pen several times.  Wrap it round the pen so that it gets the shape, then put a line of tacky glue down the length and stick this to the pen, re-wrap the pen with the paper and put another strip down the outside edge of the paper as you come to the end of the wrap, make sure you use plenty of glue as you want it to ooze out a little so that the edge of the paper is stuck down really well, that's it! matching pen for your address book, and it looks amazing - you could of course then continue and use spray and shine to seal it, or even spray and sparkle for a fab glitzy look!

Well, hope you get your copy of the CDs early on Monday as I don't think it will last 4 days (I've seen the other makes, and they made me gasp!).

TTFN

Rach

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Calorie free cupcake anyone?

Well, following on from my post this morning, my next make with these stunning templates (really easy to use too) is a trinket box.  I made the template up and was staring at it, and it just looked like a gorgeous cupcake piled high with icing (just the way I like them!).  So I set about decorating the box to look like a cupcake.  This involved ALOT of ribbon, first I put loads of red liner tape around the lid of the box and ruche'd up the ribbon as I stuck it to the box.  Once I'd done that it was simply a matter of decorating with some lovely sequins for sprinkles and I made a ribbon rose to go on top and cut some leaves using the cabbage rose die from the BeBunni range.

I really hope you like it, I had such fun making it and spent several days staring at it before I could bear to part with it - may well have to do it again and will make a fab gift for anyone on a diet, you can have your cake and not eat it!

TTFN

Rach
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Hiding under a sea of craft stuff

Wow! Crafters Companion have done it again, launching tomorrow on Create and Crafts is a whole new range of templates, remember those stunning cupcake boxes they brought last year, well they're now expanding the range.  This little beauty is the gift bag, and because I took a really rubbish photo, you cannot see that there is a real depth to it at the base so you could easily fit some jewellery in it (or stuff it with sweets!).  I've given it a magnetic clasp to hold it closed, though I need to find some better magnets.  It's made using centura pearl and then to decorate I've used the layering that comes with the template and embossed these and rubbed with gold metallic rub ons (you could use gilding wax but I've not invested in that yet), then I used my small rose die'sire quilling die to make the lovely rose (cut 3 times, 2 in white and one in gold paper) and die'sire leaf 2 die for the leaves.

You can't see it from the photo either, but this is actually really sturdy and properly a gift box.

Anyway, I'll be back later to show you another stunning template - you are so going to want them all!

TTFN

Rach

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Back to Work

Ahh well, it had to happen eventually - yep I'm nose back to the grindstone earning my pennies.   But before I did, I had coloured in a lovely Mo Manning image using my Spectrum Noir pencils.  I have now finally finished turning this into a card.

The backing paper was given to me so I couldn't tell you which range it's from, but it just seemed to fit the image perfectly.  I've used the Tumbling Leaves embosallicious folder on the card behind, together with some distress ink in Pine Needles and some gilding wax.  The leaves in the background are from the Die'sire classiques spring range, called Wildflower Trio and the sentiment is from the Sentimentals range called Nature.  This ribbon was in my stash and the little bugs are an old punch I had lying around (I did spray & sparkle the card first, but this hasn't shown up in the pictures that well).

I cannot believe I forgot to actually finish this post and publish it - I've just found it lurking in my drafts folder - please enjoy this card, I keep staring at the original and cannot imagine ever parting with it - who do I love enough to give this to????

Enjoy your day.

TTFN

Rach
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Just having fun

I am having a great week - I've got the week off work so I get to play and do whatever I want (in between housework & cooking etc...).  I was having a bit of a tidy up on Tuesday of my craft area as it gets messy very quickly, and I came across a whole load of stuff I'd printed out when working on the Moonbeam Meadow launch last year.  Well, it immediately grabbed my imagination and as I had nothing else pulling me away, I made this card.  I think it's beautifully sunny (much like the weather at the moment!).  All of the elements are on the everyday CD except the bunting which is one of the new Die'sire classiques dies 'Pennant Bunting', oh and the little pearl hearts are from my stash (probably got them in Exeter one year when I go each September).

Well, hope you like this, I will probably be back later on as I've got a few images coloured up with my Spectrum Noir pencils and I want to go and turn them into cards.  I've also been playing with my new Serif craft artist 2 software - boy I do not know why it's taken me so long to get it!

TTFN

Rach

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Sheena Sketchy and Spectrum Noir

A match made in heaven!

Both Sara and Sheena will be on Create and Craft tomorrow with some wonderful products and some amazing deals!  I must confess that until recently I did not own any Sheena stamps, I have thousands, but none from our lovely Sheena, however I was given a few to play with and make a few samples for the shows tomorrow and I'M IN LOVE!!!!

The card below uses two sets of Sheena's stamps, Floral Corners and Village Mystery Homecoming.  They are both coloured using the amazing Spectrum Noir pens.  I wanted to keep the card simple and let the images speak for themselves & I hope they do!

I decoupaged the cottage a little to give it some depth and stamped the lilies so that they created a frame, then I cut out the middle and mounted the village scene behind.

Spectrum Noir pens used:   CR8, CR6, PP4, PP3, PP1, LG4, LG5, CG3, TN1, TN3, TN4, BG1, BG3, BG4, GB7, TN8, EB1, EB2, EB3, GB3, CR11, LV3, PP5, TB4, LG2, LG3, JG1, CG1, CG4, BT1, TB1

Well, I hope you can watch the shows tomorrow, the first one is at 9 a.m., so set your alarm,or you could miss out on some fab stuff!

TTFN

Rach

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More Times Gone By

Well, hope you've all been enjoying the shows, I've been trying to catch up with a few between working.  Thought I'd share a couple more of my makes to keep you going, if you like me can't always watch as you're at work.

This first card was made using one of the card companions, with a matching backing paper from the CD, a beautiful lacy border from the embellishments section and a die'sire heart doily.  The sentiment is from the complimenting stamps in the range (stamped with Memento Rich Cocoa), all on a 7x7 card base to show that you can extend the size of your card companion if you are looking to make a larger card.

Unfortunately, you cannot see from the photo, but the topper has been triple embossed with clear embossing powder to look like a tile - think I may have put it on upside down as all of the other samples I've seen using this image have it the other way around, but I liked it like this!

This second card is made using one of the Foldback frame designs - yes you get two with each one, and I decided to do a double easel and use both of them.  Again you cannot see it from the picture, but the main images I sprayed with spray & shine so that they are actually glossy.  The card base is a custom size to fit the two toppers but is only just smaller than an A4 sheet, some buttons, pearls, core'dinations and lace are the only things I've used here that are not on the CD (they wouldn't fit!).

Well, hope you like my makes and I really hope you've managed to get yourself the CDs - love the look of the project CD!

Anyway, hope you enjoy your Wednesday, whatever you're doing - nearly the weekend & it's a long one too YAY!!!!!

TTFN

Rach

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