Fab'n'Funky Challenges #123 - Celebrations

Hi Everyone,

Great entries last week for our new beginning and I even managed to leave a comment for every one of you!  Phew!  We had such a good variety but I have a feeling there may be a baby boom going on!  Check out the Fab'n'Funky Challenges blog to see if I picked you for my Top 3 and also to find out who won the crafty prize from Di's Digi Downloads, picked at random.  Don't forget to collect your badges too.

The fabulous Wendy is your host for this week and she has chosen a great challenge...

Celebrations

What will you be celebrating next?  Our fab sponsor this week is Joanna Sheen and the random winner of the challenge will win a £10 gift voucher to spend in her online store. 

I was having a nose around Mo Manning's Digital Pencil site and came across this cupcake wonder and couldn't resist adding her to my stash, along with a few other delights!

The purple base is Cor'dinations cardstock and I've distressed the edges with the Tim Holtz paper distresser tool.  The yellow paper originally came from eBay ages ago.  I also embossed a piece of the Cor'dinations with my Crafts Too embossing folder which I picked up at the SECC earlier this year.  I sanded the top layer back to reveal the core.  The baker's twine was wrapped around and secured with super sticky tape and mounted with foam pads. 

I coloured my image with Promarkers and Flexmarkers in the following colours:

Light Fawn

Blush

Sunkissed Pink

Cinammon

Henna

Walnut

Primrose

Lemon

Yellow

Canary

Pink Lavender

Pink Pearl

Wild Orchid

Cerise

Blender

I added some glitter to the ruffles in her dress with my Quickie Glue Pen and MCS glitter.  I simply used the yellow and Wild Orchid pens to add the dots around the image.  I think the sentiment is from Wild Rose Studio but it is another that has been in my stash for a while and I'm not quite sure where I got it.  I used Spellbinders Labels Twenty Five to cut the topper and sentiment out with my Grand Calibur.

Looking forward to your celebratory projects this week.  Have a good one.

Happy crafting.

Rachel x

Fab'n'Funky Challenges #122 - A New Beginning

Good Morning Everyone,

I hope you have some sunshine where you are this week.  We have been having a very warm week.  Lets hope it continues. 

If any of you have been across to the Fab'n'Funky Challenges blog you will see that we are now under new management.  Unfortunately Lou has many commitments and took the decision to hand over the blog to Judith.  I'm sad to see Lou leave us but hope she will pop in from time to time.  I would like to wish Judith all the best with the blog and let her know that we are all behind her.

Right, onto the results of last week - you can find them on the Fab'n'Funky Challenges blog.  Ginny chose her Top 3 too so make sure you check to see if it's you.  Don't forget your winner's badge too.  There is also our random winner of the prize from Digi Doodle Shop.  Was it you?  Only one way to find out!

This week, since we are embarking on a new beginning, we thought this would be the perfect theme for our challenge...

A New Beginning

We would like to see your new beginnings (new baby, new job, etc) or new crafty goodies.  Don't forget to tell us what you have used though.  Our sponsor this week is Di's Digi Downloads.  Check out her fab website for loads of great digis.

I have used one of Di's Digis for my card this week.  It's called Who Do I Pick.

Isn't she sweet?  I love finding new digis to colour as there are so many possibilites.  I coloured her with Promarkers and used the following colours:

Satin
Blush
Dusky Pink
Sandstone
Cinnamon
Henna
Walnut
Lime Green
Forest Green
Pale Pink
Dusky Rose
Ruby

The base cardstock is pearlised and I think I bought it from Crafter's Companion a while back.  I added the fabric after my mix-up last week and the flowers were from eBay.  I brushed the Tim Holtz Spun Sugar Distress Ink over the pink flower to make it a little darker.  I also added this to the edge of my topper.  The ribbon was from DoCrafts.

I can't wait to see all of your projects.  Have a great week.

Happy Crafting,
Rachel x

Fab'n'Funky Challenges #121 - Use Fabric

Hi Everyone,

What a fast week that was!  Your buttons and bows were in full swing last week and there were loads of great creations.  Check out the Fab'n'Funky Challenges blog to see if you were one of our lucky winners.  Don't forget to grab your winner's badge too.

So, this week we are having a challenge for all the avid seamstresses among us...

Use Fabric

You can incorporate fabric into your project in any way you wish.  I'm sure there will be so many great entries that I'm not sure how Ginny will be able to chose her Top 3.  We are sponsored by Digi Doodle Shop and you can check out their brill website here.

I have a little confession!  Okay, a big confession!  I haven't used fabric on this card - I got muddled up with the the theme so I'll make another card this week and hopefully get it posted before the weekend. 

I went for another Saturated Canary image for my card this week.  I'm getting addicted to these lovely drawings.  Krista is sooooo talented. 

This card had many layouts and cardstock choices before it finally came together!  I used the Spellbinder Moroccan Accents for the corners and the cardstock is pearlised.  The main butterfly was from Spellbinders Wonderful Wings and I used a punch for the small blue butterflies. 

My image was coloured with Promarkers and Flexmarkers in the following colours:

Cinnamon
Walnut
Henna
Honeydew
China Blue
Watermelon
Shocking Pink
Bright Orange
Indigo Blue
Sunkissed Pink
Pastel Pink
Blue Grey 1

I also used the Indigo Blue to colour the base layer for my topper.  I added a layer of pink holographic cardstock and a strip of the orange pearlescent cardstock underneath to give dimension.  The edges of the pink cardstock were punched with an EK Success border punch.  I filled in the white space by using the Bright Orange Promarker in a triangle of dots.    Finally, I stamped the sentiment in pink. 

Hope you are all inspired by our designs this week.  Do check out the other team members' creations.

Happy crafting,
Rachel x

In the Round!

Hi All,

Hope you are having a lovely weekend.  Our weather was great yesterday but it's really wintery today, lashing wind and rain.  Thankfully the washing machine was in full swing yesterday and I got it all dried outside.  There's nothing better than the smell of fresh washing.

Anyway, on to my card for today.  I've been busy tidying my crafty stash this weekend but to be honest it has just been a great way to discover things that had been put away and forgotten about for a while. 

I made the papers in My Craft Studio Elite using the Quintessential Country Garden artwork.  I recoloured the background paper and then coloured the canvas to pinky-purple.  Then I coloured the canvas again to match the blue in the background paper and printed all three on Super Smooth.  I love MCS!

I stamped the Saturated Canary image in black pigment ink and then coloured with Promarkers and Flexmarkers in the following colours:

Almond
Blush
Dusky Pink
Cinnamon
Walnut
Sorbet
Watermelon
Surf Blue
Black
Cool Grey 4
Blue Grey 1

Really loving my Flexmarkers but finding it more difficult to get a proper shading effect with them.  I'll just need to practice!

I cut the circles with my X-Cut dies, run through my Grand Calibur.  I used my Quickie Glue Pen around the edge and added MCS glitter.  The foam flowers were pre-glittered and I actually bought them from a pound shop in Glasgow.  I love finding a bargain!  I added teal gems to the centre and also in the top right-hand corner with my Pinflair Glue Gel.

I stamped the sentiment in black pigment ink.  All topper layers were attached with foam tape and the flowers were attached with foam pads.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:-

A Gem of a Challenge - Challenge 46 (sketch)
Saturated Canary Challenge - Challenge 17 (May flowers)

I hope you have lots of nice things planned for the coming week. 

Happy crafting,
Rachel x

Because one wedding card just wasn't enough!

I posted my friend's wedding card last week as I wasn't sure about it and received some lovely comments.  Thank you, ladies.  This is just a quick post to say that I ended up making another card, in the bridal party colours.  I saw this template by chance on the MCS Encyclopaedia of Advanced Paper Templates, whilst I was looking for something else.  As soon as I saw it I knew it would be perfect for this occasion.

I used the purple colour from the invites to colour the canvas page in MCS and then added this template over the top.  I did the same for the pink butterflies but cut these out instead.  This meant that I knew they were the right size.  I added some Diamond Sparkles in the centre of the butterflies and attached with super stick red line tape in the centre so the wings were able to stand off from the card.  

I ended up giving them both cards and think I might have a commission for the housewarming invites now!  I'll need until at least December to get all those butterflies cut out!  Thankfully the church they are renovating won't be finished for a while yet.

Hope you are all having a great weekend.

Happy crafting,
Rachel x

Fab'n'Funky Challenges #120 - Buttons and Bows

Hi Everyone,

I'm a little bit late with my post this week but Fab'n'Funky are back with their next challenge.  If you are curious to see the winners from last week, check out the blog.  If you were lucky to win, then grab your badge from the sidebar.

Now let's get on with this week's challenge.  Wendy is our host and she has chosen a great theme...

Buttons and Bows

We are sponsored by Pink Petticoat, who have loads of great images.  Check out their website here.

Now onto my card, and I decided to go with a Spellbinders card this week.

I started with a pearlescent teal cardstock and embossed it with my new double embossing folder.  These folders are great because they have two designs each.  I cut out the new Floral Burst Cut, Fold and Tuck die and attached the waste with foam pads.  I offset the topper and added a button to the centre.  The buttons and bows were then attached with Pinflair Glue Gel.  Simples!

Looking forward to seeing all your creations.

Happy crafting,

Rachel x

Making a Wedding Card

So as you'll all know my friends got married two weeks ago today but I didn't have time to get their wedding card made before the big day.  I made this card after much umming and aahhhing and I'm not sure it will be their final or only card!  I have another one in the pipeline!  I thought I would post it here and see what you all think before giving it to them.

The papers are from Wild Rose Studio and I think they are just gorgeous.  I cut out the heart shapes with my X-Cut dies and the butterfly with my Spellbinders Wonderful Wings.  The sentiment was computer generated in the font I used for the wedding invites.  I added the six gems with Cosmic Shimmer glue.  I also added gems to the centre of the butterfly with super sticky tape. 

Any feedback would be gratefully appreciated.  Thanks in advance.

Rachel x

Fab'n'Funky Challenge #119 - Celebrating Maleness!

Happy May everyone!  I can't believe this year is going so fast.  It only feels like a couple of weeks ago since Christmas!  I hope you've all been enjoying some sunny weather.  It has been glorious here for a few days and I've certainly been making the most of it.

A great range of techniques for our no DP challenge last week.  Lou has had the difficult task of picking her top three and they are bound to be fab (and funky!).  Check out the Fab'n'Funky Challenges blog to see if you were one of the lucky winners.  There was also the chance to win a £10 gift token for the Joanna Sheen website for one lucky entry picked at random. 


Now on to the challenge for this week.  It is Emma's turn and she has chosen a great theme for this challenge...

"Celebrating Maleness"

This is great for me as it has given me a chance to make my brother's birthday card 7 weeks in advance!  We are being sponsored by the wonderful Crimson Cloud this week.  Check out their website for great crafty goodies.

My brother, Alasdair, is a joiner so when I saw this digi on Mo Manning's site, I knew it would be perfect for him.  His favourite colour is lime green so this was my starting point.  Firstly, I coloured the image with my Promarkers and new Flexmarkers in the following colours:

Chartreuse
Forest Green
Yellow
China Blue
Cobolt Blue
Almond
Dusky Pink
Cinnamon
Walnut
Cool Grey 4
Black
Gold (metallic)

I designed the background using Serif Craft Artist Professional.  I actually only opened it to look for some wood effect backing paper but my fingers just kept clicking until the background was finished!  I used the mushroom scissor edge to cut the checked material.  I thought it looked a little like nail heads.  To make my layers stand out, I used the shadow tool.  I cut my topper out using my Spellbinder Grand Rectangle die.

I would like to enter this card into the following challenges:
Crafty Cardmakers Challenge 67 - For the boys
That Crafty Place Challenge Blog - One for the boys

Looking forward to all of the male themed cards this week.  I really like making masculine cards.  It's always great to try something different too.

Happy crafting,
Rachel x