The perfect antidote to blue Monday

Well, yesterday was blue Monday, supposedly the most depressing day of the year, not sure I go in for that - if you're down you're down, you probably aren't really aware of the day of the week and Monday is as much of a blur as any other day.  By the same token you don't wait for a particular day of the week to be happy.

Today's card started as just a bit of play time, having some fun and seeing where it took me, the stamps are from Polkadoodles - stamp soup, which are fun elements that you put together however you feel to create whatever you like, slightly more organised doodling!  I did this onto watercolour card and then used Distress Oxides to colour in.  This is a fab and happy card, well it makes me happy anyway & that's what matters.

Hope you can all find your happy today.

TTFN

Rach

x

Fab 'n' Funky #423

Well, another week and another Fab 'n' Funky Challenge for 2019 - this weeks theme is "For a Child".

I was going through a box of my craft stuff the other day (one of soooo many) and came across an image that had already been coloured and cut out, but never added to a card - I hang my head in shame as there are quite a few like that!  Anyway, it was a stamp from the Humphrey's Corner collection that Crafters Companion did years ago and it seemed just perfect for me, so I took it out and turned it into this card.

The background was created using a stencil & inks (there is a YouTube how to here ) and the dies are from Sara's Signature range "Birthday Party".  This is such a happy little card, I love it.

Well, I'm looking forward to seeing all the cards made this week, I'm always fascinated at the wide range of makes - every one is just awesome!

TTFN

Rach

x

Getting ready for next Christmas already

Well, trying to be organised for the year ahead and so I'm taking part in a Facebook group 'Make one Christmas Card Every Week Throughout 2019'.  It's only week one so please don't be too impressed, I've managed 5 weeks before now, but I'd really like to see this through the year.

This card is for 'Christmas Anticipation', for me Christmas is always associated with snow, even tho we don't really get any any more.  The stamps are from a trio set by Lili of the Valley, amazingly, I found these, already coloured in a box in my craft room - I really must try and use up more of the things I already have!  The background has been inked with a very light blue ink, I then stamped with versamark ink and embossed with an iridescent glitter embossing powder, the images are raised on foam pads, the sentiment (from Crafters Companion) has been cut twice and layered to create a shadow and the dots on the card are glitter Nuvo Drops.

Hope you've all enjoyed the start to the New Year and are starting to return to normal (whatever that is for you!).

TTFN & hope to see you all soon.

Rach
x

Fab ‘n’ Funky 2019

Well, this is the first challenge for the New Year - hope you all had a good one.  This challenge is about recycling your Christmas Cards.  Unfortunately, I did not receive many cards and I’m still displaying them on the mantle in the front room (decorations will not come down until this weekend), so I’m cheating slightly (hope you can forgive me).  I was rummaging in one of my many boxes and came across some images that were already coloured but not turned into cards, this particular one has probably been there for 12 months or so.

This is a fairly simple card but hopefully effective and makes a good start to my collection for 2019 - I depleted my Christmas Cards quite dramatically last year, sending many more cards than I received, but I enjoyed making them so no problems there, except when you’re asked to post a recycled card!

Anyway, I must get off and get ready for my first working day of 2019.

TTFN

Rach

x

Probably last Christmas Card for the year

Well, I have managed to fit in one last Christmas card for this year, sadly I will have to clear my craft desk A.K.A. the dining table, for the big festivities next week - this is no small feat and will take some time & take even more time to put back together again afterwards!

Anyway, I've been playing with a gorgeous Little Miss Muffet digi stamp, Kiki's Gift to create a fairly simple card, I stuck to very traditional Christmas colours of red and Green, and it was really nice to do some colouring again as it's been quite some time since I last played with my Spectrum Noir pens.

Well, if I'm not back beforehand, I would like to wish everyone a fabulous Christmas & peaceful New Year - lets hope 2019 brings wonderful things!

TTFN

Rach

x

Merry Christmas

Well, the big day draws ever closer.  I know why they call it the 'big' day, its because we all eat waaaay too much and end up getting bigger!  I really enjoy all of the cooking for Christmas, its really just a roast on steroids and I love cooking a roast, and cooking for family.

I also love all of the glitter and tinsel around Christmas (tho I still haven't decorated our house yet, this weekend is set aside for that!).  Here, I'm showing a sort of simple card, its one set of snowflake dies (Gemini sparkling snowflakes 1), so one pass through my Gemini, which I then sprayed with stick and stay and covered in fine glitter (its a beautiful gun metal colour, and I found it in a set a Lidl of all places!).  I then stamped a sentiment from the Gemini Festive Phrases set, arranged the snowflakes around and then inked the edges of this layer with Midas metallic Platinum ink and then mounted onto a slightly larger card base.  Sadly, the photo does not do this card justice but I love it!

Hope your Christmas preparations are nearly complete, but if not, I hope you enjoy all the hustle and bustle of the next few weeks.

TTFN

Rach

x

Fab 'n' Funky Challenge - Thank You

Well, we have a new challenge over at Fab 'n' Funky, the theme this week is 'Thank You' - everyone used to send thank you cards after Christmas, but it does seem to be somewhat of a dying tradition, but thank you's can be useful at any time of the year.

I like to keep my thank you cards without a sentiment on the outside so that I can actually put a good heartfelt message on the inside.

For this card I've used a Lavinia Stamps image which has been second generation stamped onto the main card base.  For the topper I smooshed some Distress Oxides onto a plastic sheet, really wet the cardstock and then put the plastic sheet on top and spread the ink out, I love the effect this creates!  Once dry I stamped the feather on top again using distress oxides, it doesn't show very well but I then also stamped with watermark ink and sprinkled with a Holographic embossing powder and heat embossed, mat and layered onto some coordinating card stock and placed this on the front of the card using foam pads to raise it.

A very cheery card in the depths of winter and I think definitely says 'thank you' and puts a smile on your face!

Hope you have a brilliant day whatever you are doing and hope you can join in our challenge.

TTFN

Rach

x