Elliott's Angel DT - Holiday Greetings

Hi Crafters,

It's Christmas again over on the Hope and Chances blog and this time I've used the Spellbinders Holiday Greetings die.  This one is on sale too - grab it now!

I matt and layered navy and silver mirri card.  My main white layer has been embossed with the Spellbinders Holiday Magic M-bossabilities folder.  For my main image, I cut two strips of navy card and two of silver mirri card from the snowflake row on the die.  I relaid the opposite colour snowflakes into the negative.

My snowflakes were cut from white card and layered onto 3D foam pads.  I added a gem to the biggest snowflake for some bling.  I stamped my sentiment in Versamark ink and then heat embossed with silver embossing powder.  I cut the banner shape using scissors.  The trick for this is to cut a straight line in the centre and then use that as a guide, cutting from each corner inwards.

I hope you are all well on your way with your Christmas crafting now.  Keep an eye out on the Hope and Chances blog for more inspiration.

Happy crafting,
Rachel x

Gold Shimmer Christmas

Hi Crafters,

I have started Christmas crafting early this year - shock horror!  This is a card I made for my boss.  It's really shimmery in real life which hasn't shown up too well in the photos.  

I started with a 7" card blank and layered up black and cream card.  I added a strip of gold shimmer card with stars punch out using the Stampin' Up Confetti Stars punch.  A new favourite of mine.  My main topper image was made using circles from Tattered Lace.  I stamped snowflakes in Versamark and heat embossed in gold.  My sentiment is a die from Sue Wilson's latest Christmas release.  I love this one.  My wooden embellishment was dipped into Versamark and heat embossed with the same gold powder.  

Happy Crafting,
Rachel x

Fab'n'Funky #197 - Snowflakes

Good Morning Crafters,

We are back with a brand new challenge for you at Fab'n'Funky Challenges today and I am your host but first, we had a fantastic response to last week's "A Touch of Frost" challenge.  Thank you to everyone who entered their wonderful creations.

Now, without further ado let me introduce my chosen challenge for this week:-

Snowflakes

I'm sure this doesn't need any explanation and we can't wait to see what you all create.

Our lovely sponsor this week is StampArt Design by Kathryne

Prize: 5 Digis and A GDT spot 

The DT are so lucky to be able to work with images from StampArt Design by Kathryne.  I chose to use a bonus sentiment that comes with the Alannah image.  You can find it here.

I started with a piece of Coredinations cardstock and ran this through an embossing folder (sorry, I don't know the brand).  I used the Crafter's Companion Sand It Accessory Pack to sand the snowflakes.  I matted this onto red Coredinations cardstock and then onto a handmade cardblank.  

My main image was printed on Super Smooth paper and then coloured with ProMarkers in Apple Green, Lemon, Sleigh Bell, Ruby and Cocoa.  I cut it out with Spellbinders Labels Thirty One.  

I added some MCS glitter to the edges of the die cuts with a Quickie Glue Pen.  The snowflakes are a combination of Spellbinders and Crafter's Companion.  They were actually cut out with wax paper.  I finished off with a Creative Expressions pearl.

I really hope you can join us for our Snowflake challenge.  This will actually be my last challenge at Fab'n'Funky.  I'm really sad to leave and wish all my teamies the very best.  

Happy crafting,

Rachel x

Exciting News and A Brand New Challenge at The Cuttlebug Spot

Hi Everyone,

As you can probably guess from the title of my post I have some very exciting news for you.  I am now a proud member of The Cuttlebug Spot DT.  Yippie!  Be sure to check out the wonderful designs from my teamies and join in with our great new challenge which launches today.

Well what is this great challenge that you speak of, I hear you ask!  This week we would like you to...

Use 3 different die cutting/embossing items

Here is my card for inspiration

I have only recently discovered the joy of kraft card but boy what a joy it is to use!  I started with a 5" kraft card blank and debossed a row of snowflakes down the outer edge using my Cuttlebug.  I then took some Tim Holtz Distress Ink in Salty Ocean and added that to the edges of the card. 

I used my Cuttlebug again to cut the Spellbinders snowflake shapes.  These are a random mix from 2010, 2011 and 2012.  My final piece of embossing came in the form of the sentiment and I also added some ink to the edge of this piece of card.  To achieve the raised effect I rolled it over the edge of my table in two different directions.  I attached with a lot of Pinflair glue gel!

I hope you like my inspiration and can join us this week at The Cuttlebug Spot.  Can't wait to see your great crafty projects.

Happy crafting,
Rachel x

Fab'n'Funky Challenges # 141 - No Pattered Papers

Hi All,

What an overwhelming response to our last challenge.  Who knew there were so many things that start with F?!  We loved pouring over your creations and what wonderful ideas.  Check out the Fab'n'Funky Challenges blog to see our winner and Top 3.  Don't forget to pick up those badges too.

Now, lets get going with the next challenge and we have a super theme this week picked by the wonderful Ginny...

No Patterned Papers

You can use whatever you like but just make sure that no patterned papers sneak in there! We also have a brilliant sponsor this week in the form of Stamp Fairy - just click on their name and check out their super designs. 

I've had a notion to make an acetate card for a while and this just seemed like the perfect opportunity to try it out. 

I hope you an see this properly.  I used snowfall acetate from Hunkydory, then I cut two of the Spellbinders Grand Ovals in silver mirri-paper, one from the front and one for the back to cover my 3D foam tape.  The topper on the front is also from Hunkydory and was part of their Cute at Christmas collection.  I used Three Kings ribbon at the top and secured with super sticky tape to create a faux bow.  I added the snowflake topper with some Cosmic Shimmer glue.  This little topper also came from the Hunkydory kit. 

I hope you have as much fun making your creations this week as I have with mine.  Looking forward to seeing your designs.

Happy crafting,
Rachel x

Fab'n'Funky Challenges #131 - No Stamped Images

Hello Crafty Friends,

We loved your handmade flower projects last week - a great variety.  Check out the Fab'n'Funky Challenges blog to see if we picked you as our lucky winner.  The Top 3 have also been posted.  Don't forget to grab those badges too.

I had better get cracking with this week's challenge.  The talented Ginny is our host and she has chosen a clever challenge...

No Stamped Images

I kept going to reach for my stamps and then realised that I wasn't allowed!  In the end I created a Spellbinders card.  Not quite up to Sue Wilson standard yet but I do love checking out her inspirational blog. 

Our sponsor this week is Joanna Sheen.  The lucky challenge winner will receive a £10 gift token to the Joanna Sheen store. 

I began by printing out my patterned snowflake paper from the Debbi Moore Shabby Chic Christmas CD-ROM.  There are loads of great papers on this CD so it was hard to choose which one to print first!

My card blank was made with Spellbinders Grand Labels Eleven.  I also cut the base layer with this Label but used the next size down.  The next layer is silver mirri-board cut using Spellbinders Labels Twenty.  I topped this with the Cheery Lynn Frency Pastry die in the DM paper.  This is the first time I've used a Cheery Lynn die and was really impressed with them.  I have another die that I bought at the same time but I'll keep that one for another time!

My snowflakes were also Spellbinders and I used 2011 and 2012 Snowflake Pendants.  I attached these with either foam pads or Cosmic Shimmer dries clear glue from Creative Expressions.  I added a silver pearl to the middle with the silver Cosmic Shimmer glue.  This is also how I made the pearls around the edge.

Don't forget to check out the other DT members' creations.  Can't wait to see what you come up with for our challenge.

Happy crafting,

Rachel x

Snowflake River

Hello again,

Another day, another Christmas card!  I'm fairly churning them out now.  I think this might be my favourite so far though.  What do you think?

This topper came from the same Hunkydory pack that I used for yesterday's card.  It is made up of four layers and I've used foam pads to give dimension.  Once I made up the topper I scanned it into the computer and used My Craft Studio to create my backing paper.  After addin the photo to my workspace, I picked up the brush tool and selected the colour from the sky and then changed the electronic canvas to match.  The snowflakes came from the MCS Parchment Delights 5 CD-ROM.  The sheet is clear like acetate and so didn't distort the colour of the backgournd.  Once I had decided on the snowflakes I reduced the size to a little over 8" square and printed off.  I cut off the excess with my Tonic guillotine and attached to the card blank I had already made from white cardstock.

The peach card is Cor'dinations which I distressed at the edges with the Tim Holtz Paper Distresser tool.  I added a strip of super sticky tape all around the edge and pressed in some MCS glitter.  I attached this with double sided sticky tape.  The silver shapes are Spellbinders Romantic Rectangles and I used silver mirri-paper for them.  I attached these and the topper using foam tape/pads.

Hope you've had a great week and have lovely things planned for the weekend.

Happy crafting,
Rachel x