Merry Christmas Eve!

Hi Everyone,

I cannot believe it is Christmas Eve already :-O  It only feels like it should only be about mid October!  I've had lots of crafty fun this year and have doubled my DT's! 

You still have time to enter our Ribbon or Lace challenge over at Fab'n'Funky Challenges which closes on 30 December.  We are showcasing tags over on The Cuttlebug Spot but no challenge this week. 

I thought you might like to see my little Christmas tree.  As my sitting room is pink, silver and black I've tried to theme by baubles around these colours - although a few others have sneaked their way onto the tree!

My Mam made the fairy for the top of my tree a few years ago and here she is in all her glory

Isn't she cute?!  I'm off shortly to spend Christmas with my parents and brother, then we will be visiting my Granny on Boxing Day as it's her birthday.  It really is the most magical time of year.  I hope you are all with your loved ones this Christmas.  I'll be thinking of those who can't be with us. 

A huge thank you again to all those who have taken the time to follow my blog and for the wonderful comments - it really makes me so happy to receive them. 

A very Merry Christmas and a healthy, wealthy and prosperous New Year to you all.  I hope 2013 is a year full of smiles and crafty love!

Rachel x

Fab'n'Funky Challenges #152 - Ribbon or Lace

Hi Everyone,

Less than a week to go until the big day - I hope you are all ready with your presents under the tree and food in the fridge!  I'm so not ready!  I never learn and always leave everything to the last minute but I'll get there.

Everyone did an amazing job in our Vintage Christmas challenge last week.  The winner and Top 3 are on the Fab'n'Funky Challenges blog right now so be sure to take a peek.

Of course it's time for a new challenge and we have the uber talented Sue as our host this week.  She has given us a super easy challenge too...

Ribbon or Lace

All you have to do is to use ribbon or lace on your project and link it up.  Perfect for this time of year when we are all trying to do 50,00 things at once!  You have until 30 December to enter and the winner and Top 3 will be annouced on 31 December.  Joanna Sheen as our sponsor this week and the randomly selected winner will receive a £10 voucher to spend in her online store.  Head on over to see what you would spend your winnings on by clicking here.

And here is my creation...

I started with my JustRite Snowfall Background Stamp and gave it a good covering with Versamark.  I stamped onto a minty coloured paper and then heat embossed with Inkadinkadoo Light Sparkle embossing powder.  The beautiful design doesn't show up as well with this embossing powder but I liked the sparkle it gave.  I added my topper onto mirri-card with foam pads.  My wide ribbon was recycled from some wrapping last Christmas.  I used Spellbinders Holiday Tags for my sentiment which is also from JustRite but from their Deck the Halls set.  I used another piece of recycled ribbon for my bow and finally I added the gems.

As this is our last challenge for 2012, I would like to wish all of our followers a very happy Christmas and a wonderful start to the New Year.  Thank you to everyone who has joined us during 2012 and those who have taken the time to leave comments - it is truly appreciated.  I hope you can all join us again in 2013 for plenty more fun challenges from 9 January. 

Happy crafting,

Rachel x

Simple Christmas Tags

Hi All,

I made these tags to add to my craft stall in November.  I sold quite a few and thought I would share them with you all today as there is only a week left until the big day and these are really simple to make.

I used my Picturesque Cricut cartridge and cut the tags at 3.5" from Centura Pearl cardstock by Crafter's Companion. 

The tag on the left was stamped with Merry Christmas in silver ink and then I added a silver mirri-paper snowflake cut from Spellbinders Create a Flake Four on the Cuttlebug, topping with a blue gem.  I repeated this for the right-hand tag but changed direction and left off the gem.  I used Spellbinders 2012 Snowflake Pendant for this tag.

The centre tag was embossed on the Cuttlebug with a snowflake embossing folder on the bottom-half only to leave room to write on the back.  I used silver mirri-paper again for the snowflake from Spellbinders 2012 Snowflake Pendant.  I sure do like those snowflakes!

I used baker's twine from Creative Expressions for the ties in blue, red and green.  I'm off to add these to some parcels.  Happy wrapping!

Happy crafting,
Rachel x

Fab'n'Funky Challenges #151 - A Vintage Christmas

Hi Everyone,

Hope you are all well and the Christmas preparations are coming along.  I'm so behind with my Christmas cards, it's really not funny now! 

Thanks to everyone who joined us last week for our Non-Traditional Christmas.   We loved all the different colour combos and images you chose.  The winners and Top 3 are up on the Fab'n'Funky Challenges blog now so head over to take a peek.

We have a brand new challenge for you too.  We are staying with a Christamassy theme but with a different take...

A Vintage Christmas

A perfect opportunity to pair those vinatage papers with a festive image, just so long as your project follows the vintage Christmas theme.

We have two sponsors again this week - Crimson Cloud and Floppy Latte Digital Designs both with a fab prize for our random winners.  As always we will be choosing a Top 3.

Here is my card for inspiration...

I think my image is rather bright but I love these vintage papers.  I printed them from Serif using the Merry Christmas digikit.  My image is coloured using ProMarkers in Marsh Green, Pear Green, Forest Green, Ruby, Burnt Umber, Canary and Mustard.

I used foam pads for my image and sentiment which came from Lili of the Valley.  Spellbinders Tear Drop Circles was used to cut out my sentiment.  I also coloured my pearls using my Burnt Umber ProMarker.  Very messy but they match perfectly!

Hope you can join us for our Vintage Christmas challenge.

Happy crafting,
Rachel x

The Cuttlebug Spot DT Card - Create a Banner

Hi Everyone, 

What a great seasonal challenge last week at The Cuttlebug Spot and I think I know which season you all love!  We had fantastic entries.  I hope you can join us again this week.

We would like you to...

Create a Banner

This can either be on a card or project or as an actual banner - whatever takes your fancy.  We have some great inspiration over on The Cuttlebug Spot blog so be sure to check it out.  Please remember it is one entry per person.

We have a great sponsor this week with a $20 voucher for the lucky winner and here is a little about them...

Boys Rule Scrapbooks kits is a monthly scrapbook kit club for those of us who love to paper craft boy subjects. Care and consideration is key as each kit is assembled for the boys. Cool embellies are paired with handsome papers you will love to play with each month.

Boys Rule Scrapbook kits also has exclusive embellies with each kit....they are all different and very unique, and are included each month just for you.

It's fun to create when you have a compelte kit that is designed for the memories of dirt, grunge and smelly things!

********** 

And now for my card...

Yip, there's a penguin in my cocoa!  Isn't this image adorable?  It's a new one from The Paper Shelter.  I started by taking my image into My Craft Studio and printing matching papers using the colour picker tool.  I used an 8" square card blank from eBay.  I attached the coral paper with double-sided sticky tape.  My three strips were just plain when they started but I used a Lili of the Valley stamp set and some yellowy gold ink to stamp all over.  I mounted onto gold mirri-card and attacehd with foam pads.

The embossed panel is also layered with gold mirri-card.  I used a snowflake embossing folder for texture.  My super cute image was cut with Spellbinders Labels Twenty-Six.  I mounted onto gold glitter card and then added two Memory Box snowflake flourish dies. 

My finishing touch was to add my banner.  I used gold elastic cord and then cut the individual flags using my Cricut Expression 2 and the Baby Shower cartridge.  I stamped using the ClarityStamp Letterbox set in the same yellowy gold ink.  I added a foam pad to the back of each flag to give dimension.

I hope you can join us this week at The Cuttlebug Spot with your banner projects and don't forget about our great sponsor prize.

Happy Crafting,

Rachel x

Fab'n'Funky #150 - Non-Traditional Christmas

Hi Crafties,

Well, we are all partied out over on Fab'n'Funky - well maybe not quite yet.  Christmas is coming!  Thank you to everyone who joined us for our birthday fortnight.  We loved your projects and what a difficult job picking the Top 3.  But choose we did and the lucky winners are up on the blog right now.  Check them out at Fab'n'Funky Challenges.

We have a Christmassy challenge for you this week...

Non-Traditional Christmas

So you can use non-traditional colours or a non-traditional image.  We have two sponsors this week - My Creative Classroom and Stamp Fairy.  Who both have a fab prize for our lucky winners.

Here is my inspiration...

Loads of layers on this one.  I started by making an A5 card blank by scoring on my Ultimate Pro.  I layered up pink pearlescent cardstock and then a sheet of patterned glitter paper from Creata.  My border is made up from brown pearlescent cardstock and light pink glitter card.  My ribbon is from Creative Expressions. 

I used Spellbinders 2012 Heirloom Ornaments for the baubles.  My sentiment stamp is from Polka Doodles and came free with a magazine a while back.  I inked through the white bauble with Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Spun Sugar.  I curved my baubles on the edge of my table and then mounted with foam tape.  Finally I added three gems to the top left corner.

I hope you can join us for our Christmassy challenge this week.  Can't wait to see what is in store for us!

Happy Crafting,
Rachel x

The Cuttlebug Spot DT Card - Season Greetings

Hi Everyone,

I hope you've had a great week and avoided the dreaded ice.  It's been terrible here.  I don't know which is worse - the roads or the pavements! 

Thanks to those who joined us last week at The Cuttlebug Spot for our Scrap Sandwich challenge.  I loved that challenge and try to use scraps as much as possible - I certainly have enough! 

Now on to our new challenge for this week...

Season Greetings

We would like you to design a project featuring one of the four seasons - SPRING, SUMMER, AUTUMN/FALL or WINTER.  Simples!  We also have two great prizes this week...

First Prize:  $20.00 gift card to Joann's 

Second Prize:  $20.00 Stamps Alive online store

I did think about doing a winter themed card since I still have a ton of Christmas cards to make but then I found this super image on one of my new Cricut cartridges.  Yip, I went a bit mental and ordered 4 new cartridges - Baby Shower, December 25th, Nate's ABC and Ornamental Iron 2.  Very naughty so close to Christmas!

Anyway, enough rambling, here is my card

I started my making a stepper card on my Ultimate Pro and then attached a piece of cloudy paper to the back panel.  This was customised in Serif's Craft Artist Professional 2.  I used two different colours of Coredinations cardstock for the hills and just tore those by hand.  My sentiment stamp is from my stash.

My hot air balloons are from the Baby Shower Cricut cartridge.  I love the versatility of this cartridge as you can make so many projects that are not baby themed.  Although I love the 3-D pram on it too!  I cut one at 4", one at 3" and one at 2" from yellow cardstock and then added the banners in blue.  The two on the right were attacehd with a piece of acetate.  I attached the biggest one with Cosmic Shimmer dries clear glue.  Although, I think I would have liked it on foam pads.  Hey ho!

And now for the inside...

I added another layer of the cloudy paper and Coredinations cardstock.  My sentiment layer is from Spellbinders Labels Twenty and I cut this out on my Cuttlebug.  I've left this blank for now as I don't have a recipient in mind yet.

Don't forget there are two great prizes on offer this week so why not give it a try and link up your creation.  Can't wait to see what you make.

Happy Crafting,
Rachel x

Fab'n'Funky Challenges #149 - Midway Reminder

Hi Everyone,

Apologies for the late post - my brain is obviously thinking so much about Christmas that I thought I had already posted this today!  I have managed to get my Christmas tree up though.  I didn't have any decorations up last year at all as I was in the middle of getting a new kitchen fitted so I'm getting the most of them this year.

We are still celebrating our 3rd Birthday at Fab'n'Funky Challenges and this is your midway reminder to get those entries in.  Have you seen our prizes?  Wowee!

Who are offering a £10 voucher to spend in store



Who are offering a $10 voucher to spend in  their fabulous selection in store

Who are offering   a $20 voucher to spend in their store - with free shipping

Who are offering a choice of 5 digis from the cute digis they have in their store

and not forgetting our great new sponsor
Cult Pens

who are offering a super prize of £50 to spend in their shop


 Cult Pens are also  offering a discount of 10% in their store
to all you Fab'n'Funky fans - just use the code

 FNF2012 

It's valid right up until the end of December

I'm sure you'll agree those are some fantastic prizes and our theme is...

3 of something or the number 3

And now onto my inspiration for this midway reminder

I started with a 6" scalloped card blank.  My papers are from the Life's A Beach digikit in Serif''s Craft Artist Professional 2.  My image is from Digi Darla Designs and is called Ashley with Rose.  Isn't she sweet?  I used ProMarkers to colour my image in True Blue, Sky Blue, Indigo Blue, Mustard, Canary, Lemon, Soft Lime, Walnut, Cinnamon, Caramel, Dusky Pink and Blush.  I cut the image with Spellbinders Labels Twenty.  My gems are from Create and Craft and came free with a storage carousel.

Really hope you can join us for the final few days of our birthday celebrations.

Happy crafting,

Rachel x