Cards for the men.

Hello everyone

I hope you all had a peaceful and restful Christmas, and are ready this new year to craft, create, and generally have fun!

This week on our polkadoodles challenge, I have made a mens card for a birthday as inspiration. this is using some stamps from my stash that I have reinvigorated to make something different. Our challenge runs for two weeks and to enter you can use any supplies, from any craft company, in any theme - it's always anything goes!  The winner and some runners-up get freebies.  Please, hop on over to our blog for easy entry.

You don't have to have a blog, you can enter a link from any social media! 

The stamp soup range from Polkadoodles is so versatile, you can make everything from houses to birds, and in my case balloons and presents!  all made in blues and greys it is perfect for a teenager or any male relative to say big birthday wishes! 

I used two of the sets - flowers and things and rainbows

I also used the sentiment stamp Happy Birthday from Happy Birthday layering stamps

Coloured using glitter sparkle pens for a rich sparkle but not too much as it's a male card.

I'd like to enter this into:

creative inspiration challenges - anything goes

creative knockouts - celebration

Cardz for guyz - use something from your stash

thanks for stopping by - please leave me a comment so i know you have been here!

See you again very soon

Rachael 

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Birthday bunny

 Hi everyone

Once again it's time for a new Polkadoodles challenge.  This week I used a pre-coloured image.  These are absolutely amazing if you want a quick make, or if you are not confident in your colouring skills.

If you are new to colouring, these can help you determine where light and shade should be and help you plan your colours! This one is called 3 little bunny rabbits and you can buy it here

So versatile!!

I printed the image onto a piece of 6x6 smooth printing paper.  Then, using a die-cut sentiment (not a Polkadoodles one, it's from my stash) and layered the word underneath.  Finally finishing with a wishes word from the sentiment stamp set called special occasions

I just love a clean and simple card and this is one of my favourites this year

I'd like to enter this into:

• Krafty Katz - AG with option celebration
• Creative fingers - AG
• Creative inspirations challenge - AG
• Krafty chicks - clean and simple
• Through the purple haze - for girls
• The cutie pie challenge - bunnies and blooms

Thanks so much for stopping by - if you do I'd love to see a comment from you or join me on Instagram - the links above!

Thanks again for stopping by - crafting hugs

Rachael 

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Patch puppy

 Hi everyone

there is a new challenge over on our All dressed up Facebook page - the theme this month is die cuts or punches.

The image for this is called patch puppy and he can be found here

I coloured him with copics and fussy cut him leaving a bigger white border than I usually do.

The sentiment is a Julie Hickey die and the wishes part is from a polkadoodles sentiment stamp set called birthday celebrations.

The background circle is die cut, as are the flowers which are MFT stitched flowers dienamic.  I wanted a monochrome look for this card so stuck with blues and whites.  

I am in love with this card, it is so so cute!

I'd like to enter this into:

Thank you so much for stopping by - please leave me a comment if you land here!

See you soon

Crafting hugs

Rachael

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Up. up and away!

Hello crafting friends

Its time for another new release over at all dressed up and although valentines has passed, this release can be used for so much more.

Here is my inspiration using valentines boy

I coloured him with a combination of copics, then using polychromos pencils for extra depth and detail.

The papers are from a Nitwit digi kit that I layered together, and then fussy cut the cute image and added with foam tape for dimension

Here are all of the new releases

Looking good (re-release)

Valentines boy

Valentines girl

Our Facebook challenge is still ongoing here  with the theme of celebrations, or hop over to our challenge blog where the theme is anything goes!

Thanks so much for stopping by today - it really does mean the world when I get emails with your comments on them.  Follow me on Facebook, or instagram for more

See you again

Crafting hugs

Rachael

 

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Springtime

Hello crafting friends

I just love this time after Christmas when you can put away the frosty blues, reds, and greens and pull out the pastel shades!  Spring is my favourite time of year and the colour palette we can use is just the best!

This card was made for our latest blog challenge over at Polkadoodles.  It's always anything goes, so you can be in with a chance of winning some amazing images from the lovely Nikky, but you have to be in it, to win it!

I made this using some papers from the Winnie sugar sprinkles springtime collection and that is also where the digi image is from.

She was coloured using Copics and Spectrum noir brush markers, then fussy cut out before being laid on the papers using a die from my stash.

As the sentiment was printed in black, I thought it needed another bit of black to make it pop, and found this ribbon off-cut in my drawer.  

Isn't she super cute!

I'd like to enter this into:

Thank you so much for stopping by - it really makes a difference to know people are interested in my art.  Any comments, likes of follows I get are always appreciated! 

See you again soon

Rachael 

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Celebration Winnie

Hello crafters

Welcome to another blog challenge over at Polkadoodles, this one is anything goes, and you have a chance of winning three digi images.  There are some fab new releases too!

This time I made an Easel card using greens and yellows.  I did it to match her bottle of bubbly!

She is either a digi image or a stamp and the flowers are from the blossoming blooms collection

 

All coloured with copics and fussy cut, I used an A6 card to make the easel shape.  A oval die cut in jade pearlescent card to make the lovely Winnie stand out.

The flowers were then stacked behind and on the base so it all stands up, and of course a touch of stickles for sparkle!

I'd like to enter this into:

• Double trouble - use yellow, orange and green.
• Avenue 613 create - AG option fancy cuts/folds. 
• Lil patch of crafty friends - anything goes
• Creative creases - fun fold
• Creative knockouts - lots of layers

I hope you like her - I think she is perfect for any celebration!

Please leave me a comment below if you have landed here or follow me on my other social media channels.

See you soon

Rachael 

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Birthday Boy

 Hello everyone

I hope you are all safe and well out there!

Its time for another challenge on our Facebook page this time the theme is boys.  One of my all time favourite all dressed up images is for boys, and I have used him in the past for many cards, so I thought I would dig him out again and make him into a birthday card using Autumnal colours.

This cutie is called 'Baseball Bear' and I coloured him using Spectrum Noir triblend brush markers.

The star dies I have had forever - I don't even know where they came from I've had them in my stash for that long. Otherwise I used creative expression Lisa Horton stamp set for the sentiment and the letters are from Lawn Fawn Oliver's alphabet.

I hope you love him as much as I do.

I'd like to enter this into:

Thanks for dropping by - if you want to see more of my work, and less of my rambling  - then maybe Instagram or Facebook are the places to check me out - links top right!

See you very soon

Crafty hugs

Rachael 

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Little Monster

Hello crafting friends

I hope everyone is keeping safe and well out there, its certainly very hot in the UK at the moment again.  

Over at Polkadoodles we have a new challenge, as ever its anyhting goes, and we love to see what you create.  I've been looking at the last weeks entries and they are stunning..

You can win some of Nikky's amazing images and even the DT favourites get one each!  

Although its blazing hot it won't be long before the nights draw in and hot chocolates become a favourite, so this time my inspiration is an image that can be used for both Halloween and for kids birthdays in general.

He is called Fuzzypea from the little monsters collection.

As soon as I saw him I thought he needed to be green, but then I realised that's very predictable so I coloured him bright red instead! The background is a DL stencil from my stash and I placed it in the middle of the card like a panel, then used festive berries distress oxides to blend.  I wanted more contrast so I drew the squiggly lines down the side and then I splattered with black Gouache too.  So he pops off the page I die cut a piece of vellum and used foam pads to give him dimension.  the sentiment is from the Little Dudes dino - mite pack.  All finished with some black glossy Nuvo drops.

I'd like to enter this into:

• The alphabet challenge - J is for Juvenile 
• Moving along with the times - anything goes
• Through the purple haze - birthday
• Time out challenges - make your own background
• Love to craft - anything goes
• The creative crafters - Anything goes

Thanks so much for stopping by and reading my ramblings to this point.  For less rambling - check out Instagram, Pinterest of Facebook.  I still show the pictures, but there's much less waffle!

See you again soon.

Rachael

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Dino-mite

 Hi Crafting friends

I have some amazing news.... I am now officially a Polkadoodles DT!!!!  Yey!  Big thanks to Nikky and her team for letting me join.  

I'll be making new projects for the blog every two weeks and occasionally making stuff for create and craft, so I am absolutely delighted to be part of this amazing company.

Our two weekly challenge is always anything goes - and you can enter to win some amazing digi from the Polkadoodles shop.  The best thing is you don't have to use a Polkadoodles image, but I promise once you start adding them to your collection, you won't be able to stop!

Even the top three get a freebie too...  

I made this using Dino mite from the little dudes collection. You can find the digi download here from Polkadoodles.

This is a bundle and you get the digi stamp, sentiments and backing papers that I have used here in this project.  I coloured him with Copic markers then using the background papers cut a circle card blank layering the other patterned paper in a trip behind.  Using foam pads and glue I assembled it all together, and I think its a perfect card for any little boys birthday!

I hope you can join us - check out the blog for more inspiration from the team!

I'd like to enter this into:

Through the purple haze - anything but square

Crafty gals corner - anything goes

Little red wagon - use something digital

Paper funday - anyhting goes wit twist - male

double trouble - masculine

Thanks so much for stopping by - any comments likes, shares, or follows are greatly appreciated and I read every one.  If Blogging isn't your usual Social Media style check out my links above for other ways to see what I make.

See you all soon

Rachael 

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Birthday beach fun!

 Hello friends

Welcome back to my blog and more ramblings from the glittery pink craft room.

Today I'm sharing this super cutie made to inspire you to enter our all dressed up challenge on Facebook.

Every month on the 1st, we try and inspire you to use an all dressed up image and enter this challenge to win three of Wendy's amazing images - including new releases!

Our theme for June is pick a colour... an guess my colours!  Yes raspberry and black.  I just love these colours!!!

I printed her out and coloured her with a combo of copics and Polychromos pencils.

The back ground is a stamp from stampendous called Pop dots available from @Oakwooddirect.  The sentiment is from Claire manning designs

I did an inky background using picked raspberry distress oxide and speckled some on the page along with some black gouache.

A bit of sticky foam and I finished my card!

Please do stop by the Facebook page and check out the other DT inspiration, and then enter our lovely challenge!

I'd like to enter this into:

Through the craft room door - anything goes

Crafty calendar - anything goes

Crafty Catz - anything goes - twist all about the girls

Daring card makers - flair not square

See you all soon

Rachael

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Footie mad

 Hi everyone

Now this card has been received I can share with you on my page.  I made this for my sons friend who has just turned 11 and is an Aston villa fan

I printed him out and coloured him using Copics in the team colours.  I used a photo from the tinternet so I could reproduce as close to the strip as possible.

The papers are from a digi kit i downloaded from Etsy around 5 years ago, as are the embellishments, but I find I use this kit time and time again for boys cards.

I hope you like it!

I'd like to enter this into

Passion for markers - more than 3 layers

Try it on Tuesday for the man in your life

Crafting Happiness - Anything goes

Use your stuff - Anything goes

Taylormade cards 4U - masculine

Creative knockouts - for the kids

Thanks so much for stopping by - please leave me a comment and follow me on other social media channels - the links are in the top right to make it easy for you.

See you soon!

Rachael

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Flower fairy new release all dressed up

Hello crafting friends

just sharing with you my inspiration for the latest all dressed up releases.

This gorgeous girl is called flower fairy, and she joins so many other beautiful images in the Etsy gallery and can be found here

I printed her out and coloured her with copics and Polychromos pencils for added depth.  I then fussy cut her out.  I dug through my stash and found some leave dies, a Kaiser craft frame and some fleurs flower dies.  I coloured the flowers with Victorian velvet distress oxide and shaped and added some stems.

The stamp is a bitty birthday sentiment stamp from MFT.  I finished the card by adding some clear glitter pen from Oakwood archer. 

Also in this new release are:

Garden Boy

Butterfly hairdo

Aren't they just amazing!

There is still time to enter both the Facebook challenge here and the blog challenge, for a chance to win images (including these new release ones!) 

Please hop over to these pages for loads more inspiration from the DT and i'll see you back here again very soon

Crafting hugs

Rachael 

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Sunflower

 Hello crafting friends

I thought today I would bring you a blast of sunflower yellow to brighten your day!

This cutie is from Vera Lane studios on Etsy I recently brought.  I love her and her little ladybug friend (watch this blog for the card I made with this!)

I printed her out and coloured her with copics, before fussy cutting her out.  I loved the idea she had spotty shoes so I matched my backing paper to this.  I also die cut a Kaiser craft frame and some MFT stitched flowers to add interest.  I layered everything onto a piece of black card stock, and using an acrylic paint pen added some faux stitching.

My sentiment is a Lisa Horton set that I stamped in yellow and hear embossed with clear powder.  My finishing touches were glossy accents on the shoes and flowers, as well as some yellow Nuvo drops on the flowers and dotted around for texture.

I love how cheerful this is.

I'd like to enter it into:

Allsorts challenge - Birthday

A gem of a challenge - Anything goes

Creative fingers - Anything goes

Craft rocket - birthday

moving along with the times - birthday

Simon Says stamp - Layer it up

I hope you like it, and would love for you to like and follow me both on here and on my other SM platforms (just on the top right you'll find my links!)

See you soon for more inspiration from the desk of the glittery pink craft room, until then, crafty hugs!

Rachael

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Dancing Queen

Hello everyone

I'm back today, from the desk in the glittery pink craft room, I'm sharing this cutie I made using an image I won over at the Polkdoodles blog.  She is called Dancing queen and isn't she just so adorable!

As I was going through a stash of papers I came across an old 12x12 paper pad and found it had some absolutely gorgeous papers in.  I cut them into 6x6 squares and added them to my 6x6 storage.  I always forget what some lovely papers because they are a larger size, so I’m going to make an effort to use them, or like I have here, cut them up.  I tend to head for the 6inch pads more often…

I coloured this cutie using copics and layered her onto a scalloped die cut.  It’s a lawn fawn die that creates a frame, so I popped up the outer ring, but including the middle.  I matted the patterned paper, but didn’t layer it, so after I had added the image, I realised it was lacking a bit of focus around the edge.  I used an acrylic marker pen in pink to create a sketchy border.  The sentiment is from a polkadoodles stamp set. 

I hope you like her!

I’d like to enter this into:

 C.R.A.F.T challenge - Anything goes

Creative knockouts - Anything goes 

Moving along with the times - Birthday

The sisterhood of crafters - think pink

Digi Tuesday - Anything goes

Through the craft room door - Anything Goes

Shopping your stash - Pastels (my paper pad I rediscovered was my stashed item!)

Thanks so much for dropping by it really does mean a lot when people comment and follow me on social media.

See you soon

Rachael 

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Sherlock says Happy Birthday!

Hi everyone 

I made this using a Vera lane digi image (from etsy), printed him and the dog out and coloured them using Copics.

I used an crafttreat stencil in the background in various muted colours to create a camouflage feel and a script stamp to add a bit of interest.  The sentiment is die cuts from Julie Hickey sweet pea alphabet set and a Lisa Horton stamp set.  I mounted it together and to add a bit of contrast  i white heat embossed a hexagon from an Oakwood direct set and cut it out.  I also used this in the background for a bit of interest.  The brown shape really makes Sherlock pop off the page.

Male cards are just so tough to make aren’t they!

I'd like to enter this into:

• Kraftin Kimmie - for the boys
• The creative crafters challenge - anything goes
• Love to craft - Anything goes
• A bit more time to craft - Anything goes 
• Crafty Catz - anything goes with hand coloured image

Thanks so much for stopping by!  I'd love it if you would follow me - if not on my blog then on any of my social media pages (links at the top right), and if you would leave me a comment - it really cheers me up to read them!

See you all soon - Crafting hugs!

Rachael

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Best frock!

Hello Crafting friends

It is again time to showcase Wendy's latest release from All dressed up, and this time there are some really elegant ladies as well as some total cuties!

I used a set called  best frocks.  This is a great set as there are three elegant ladies together, or you can use them separately.  I used one on its own.  I though she as so demure that she needed nothing but black and sparkle to pull off the evening gown look!

I printed her out and coloured with Copics, before adding tonic shimmer all over her frock.  The sentiment was printed at the same time as the image.

I added some stripy card down the side and a thin strip of metallic red to make it all pop! 

You can buy this and all other new releases (as well as tons of other beautiful images!) over in our etsy store.  Please check it out! 

 Here are the full set of images in the new release.

Best Frocks

Easter Chick

Happy Easter

Don't forget our Facebook challenge - 'Lets be cute' is running until the end of the month, and over on our challenge blog its anything goes.  You can enter both if you like to increase the chances of winning some images!  Even if entering competitions isn't your thing, then there is loads of amazing projects for inspiration from the talented DT!

I'd like to enter this into:

Aud Sentiment - use a birthday sentiment

Krafty Chicks - CAS

crafts galore encore - Anything goes

Daisy chain challenge - birthday

That's it for now - thanks so much for stopping by.  I'd love if you like, share and follow me (links to social media above!)

See you soon

Crafting hugs

Rachael

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A cuddle makes it all better

 Hi crafting friends

If you have never been here before - a warm welcome, and for those who have, thanks for stopping by again!

Today its a card made using one of the older all dressed up images called 'a cuddle makes it all better.'  This is for our Facebook challenge starting today over on our page.  The theme for this month - Lets be cute, and what is possibly cuter than a little girl hugging her dog!

After printing her out, I decided I wanted to layer this card up, so I used a Nitwit scrapbook digi kit called Day to Day.  I resized several elements and printed them out, before arranging across my card.

I coloured the image using a combination of copics and Prismacolour pencils.

Once I had arranged everything, I adhered everything down using a combination of glue and foam pads, and finished with some sparkly stickles around the edges of the butterflies and on the flowers.

I love the colour palette on this - I would never think to put raspberry pink with mint green, but I think its beautiful.

Please check out our Facebook page and our challenge blog, you can enter both, multiple times for a chance of inning three gorgeous images from Wendy.  All we ask is you use the all dressed up images.  If you don't have any there are some freebies on the blog to get you started, or hop over to the etsy page and treat yourself.

The DT have some amazing inspiration!

Watch out for the new releases coming soon too!

I'd like to enter this into:

• crafty Gals corner - add a flower
• Simon says stamp - anything goes
• Creative knockouts - anything goes
• Krafty Chicks - anything goes
• Crafty Catz - Lots of layers
• Creative fingers - anything goes 
• My time to craft - lots of layers

Thanks for stopping by - I'd love it f you left me a comment, or were to follow me on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest (links on the right at the top)

See you soon

Rachael 

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ADU new release March 2022

 Hello Crafting friends

It is time again for the new release images from All dressed up, and as usual they are simply stunning!!

I made this card with my image called field of flowers, and she is perfect for a colouring session as you can colour the whole scene behind her if you wish.  

I aligned her  my Craftartist software and type up a sentiment to match underneath her,  I printed her out and coloured her using a combination of copic markers and Prismacolour pencils.  The paper pad is from crafters companion and the dies are my favourite flower set from My Favorite things.

Here all all of the images which are available here from Etsy

Field of flowers

Spring hairdo

Spring pony

Aldo - check out our Facebook challenge - it runs until the end of the month with the theme something girly - or for an anything goes challenge, head over to the blog (or... why not enter both!!) as long as you are using an all dressed up image, you can enter for a chance to win some images of your choice.

Also check out the other inspirational cards rom the rest of the DT.  

Be back soon with more crafting inspiration 

Hugs

Rachael

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up, up and awayyyyy

 Hello crafting friends

Hope you are all OK.  I made a couple of cards this weekend, so I thought I'd share one of them...

I made this using MFT up and away stamp set, A Tracey Hey paper pad, distress oxides (scattered straw and abandoned coral).  Coloured with Copics and embellished with enamel dots.

After colouring the stamps, I fussy cut them out along with a patterned paper circle die cut, and white circle.  I coloured this by ink blending the scattered straw, at the same time as using a stencil for a bit of interest in the background.  The sentiment from the stamp set was heat embossed on a black strip of paper, and I added everything to the card

This teddy is so super cute!

I'd like to enter this into:

• We Love Stamping - Anything goes
• Get creative - Anything goes
• Pammies pinkie inkies - Anything goes
• A perfect time to craft - anything goes
• Classic design challenge - anything goes

Thanks so much for stopping by - if you'd like to leave a little love in the comment box I do read them all.  Alternatively follow me on on of my other social media pages (follow the links on the front page).

See you soon

Rachael 

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Surprise strawberries

 Hello everyone

I think in my head I'm in summer, as my favourite cards at the moment are all summer themed!  Here's another one I made using a combination of things. I wanted to make something other than a flat card, I wanted a fancy folded one. Here's the full thing:

Its a gatefold card - so the outside has a bellyband and looks like this

Then inside when you open it, there is this cute image from tiddlyinks (it's now retired but its from my old drive where I have loads of tiddlyinks images!)

Ingredients

• Tiddlyinks digi stamp (retired) - Berrylicious
• Elisabeth craft - strawberry die
• Nitwit digi paper collections - Sweet preserves
• Coloured with Spectrum noir triblend brush markers
• Tattered lace stitched circle die

I firstly printed all of the papers I wanted to use so I could match the colours, before colouring in this super cute strawberry image from  Tiddlyinks.

I have some card blanks that are unscored, this one normally forms a 5x7 card, but instead I scored lines at 3.5 inches and again at 10.5 inches to create a gatefold card.

I cut out the panels to go both inside and outside the card, as well as cutting two matching die cut circles from the dotty paper in the collection.

I fussy cut the image out and stuck her inside the card onto one of these circles

To make the belly band I cut a strip of paper 2 inches wide and slightly longer than the card, glued them end to end and folded to form a snug (but not tight) band, gluing the circle at the join.  I stamped the happy birthday from a set that was in a bundle I brought from a craft show (I think they were rare earth or tattered lace from a long while ago??) around this I wanted my strawberries, so I die cut them from white card stock and coloured them in to match the image inside, using glue and foam pads for dimension.

I hope you like it and it makes you remember long summer nights in June with fresh strawberries and cream! 

I'd like to enter this into:

Passion for markers challenge - use a die (strawberries and circles)

Through the craft room door - anything goes

A place to start - anything goes

Double trouble - thing 1. Use three patterned papers

Pammies pinkie inkies - anything goes

Lil patch of crafty friends - anything goes

Please leave me a comment if you land here, and if you are a SM user, there are some links on my home page that will take you to Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest so you can follow along.

See you soon - crafting hugs

Rachael 

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