A review of 2013

Good morning everyone!!

How are you all? I hope you have had a lovely peaceful christmas and I sincerely hope you were not affected by the dreadful weather some areas had. :-(

2013 is drawing to it's a close - What a year it's been. There's been triumph, challenges, friendships, publications and learning curves - a real mixed rollercoaster.

As we get ready to see in the New Year (and I say farewell to my Thirties :-/....) I thought I'd share some of my fave projects from this year......

I fell in love with these stamp sets from Sam Poole.....

.....this make came from my Fabulous Foiling article in Creative Stamping - a technique I think I will revisit in the New Year.....

This little owly mask from Splodge is totes adorables n has had many outings since his launch on 

C n C earlier this year...

2013 is the year I fell in love with the deliciousness that is Darkroom Door

......change came in the form of bidding farewell to Clarity Challenge DT. This printer tray was my personal fave of 2013 and even made it into Craft Stamper - hugely honoured

......another find this year was Lost Coast Designs - watch out for more to come from this stable :-)

The year would not of been complete without a couple classes with the lovely Eileen Godwin in Kent and Coventry This wax resist technique is stunningly effective

.....there was even a "nemesis" project to round of the year - An "expert's" guide to the olde PanPastels for the magazine

.....and here is my final offering for 2013....a post Christmas play with Paperarsty, Kaisercraft, Wendy Vecchi and some colourful Distress

Thank you so much for sharing this last year with me. I couldn't have done it without your love and support 

I hope you have enjoyed the last year and find some inspiration here to carry you into 2014 :-)

I cant wait to continue the journey with you.....

Have a fantastic New Year and let's make 2014 the year we all deserve :-)

Crafty cheers for now

Love

Rae

xxx

"On trend" Birthdays with Creative Expressions and Clarity

Good morning all! 

Here we are...........Friday!!!! Yipee!!!

Thought I'd have a break from Christmas today and instead showcase a few Birthday cards using some of the current trends......

First up is the fashion for all things Ombre ...

Ombre means shade/shadow in French and in crafting we use it to show a colour variation from light to dark and it is achieved with 2 or 3 similar colours and lots of smooth blending.

Next up is Splatter....

This card inspiration and technique were taken from Ali Johnson's article in this month's Craft Stamper - I thought it would be a great technique for those pesky men's cards......

Finally it's the still ever so popular CAS trend focusing on bright contrasting colours for a special occasion....

Thank you for stopping by :-)

Have a wonderful Friday.......off now for cuppa o'clock I think

Crafty Cheers for now

Love

Rae

xxx

Dreaming of a Red Christmas.....

Good Morning All!!

Eeek less than 2 weeks to go.........are you ready???

Here's a few of my christmas makes from orders this year.....

Sorry about the brightness in the photos - all this unseasonal mild bright sunny weather!!

Right off to make the last of my own Christmas cards and its not even chistmas Eve lol.

How organised am I lol oh n a couple of presents left to make over the weekend :-)

Thanks for stopping by!! 

Crafty Christmas Cheers

Love

Rae

xxx

Darkroom Door Stitched Christmas "Baubles"

Morning all

Just a quick share of another "Button" card made using Darkroom Door's stitched christmas stamps :-)

I am back to playing with Christmas hopefully later Have a good day whatever you have planned  :-)

Crafty cheers for now :-)

Hugs

Rae

xxx

My Mind's Eye Traditional Christmas.....

Good morning and Happy Saturday!

Unusually for me I was waking just as the dawn broke today - normally I am only heading to bed at that time !! What a beautiful day it is. It is my favourite time of day - so i jumped into the car n headed off to the hills to get some early morning photos.......and the obligatory egg nog coffee to start the day :-)

Keeping in the theme of Christmas - Today's makes feature the lovely new seasonal papers from My Mind's Eye as part of an order I recently completed.

The papers where enhanced with stamps from Stamper's Anon, various dies and real holly embossed in various colours. I do love using real leaves on projects it adds something special.

Right now I am back at my desk early today and have something non-christmas to work on.

Have a great saturday and thanks for stopping by.

I hope you can join me again for some more Christmas inspiration :-)......well it is December tomorrow!!

Crafty Cheers for now

Hugs 

Rae

xxx

Kraft CAS Christmas

Eee up!! The weekend is upon us already!

FaireFox HQ is going to be busy working on some christmas gifts and canvas' today so I thought I'd share a couple more card makes.

I kept in mind that I needed some one layer or thin cards for our wonderful postal system for these ones!

This second one uses a Tim Holtz stamp from his Winter Wonderland set which I adore, and the border was made with a variety of snow flake punches.

Whatever you have planned have a great Friday

Thanks for finding the time to stop by

Crafty Cheers for now

Love

Rae

xxx

xxx

Christmas is coming.....

Hi there folks - Happy Hump Day!!

Hope you are all well?

Sorry for the extended absence, had a few things on this last week. Now they are out of the way It's time to dust off the tinsel and role out the baubles for the festivities. I love this time of year - Only wish we had the big snow like Canada!

Over the next few days/weeks I will be sharing lots of short posts for christmas ideas for cards, gifts and decorations. I hope you find some fextive inspiration!! :-)

So here it goes.....

I thought I'd start with my fave colours and my own personal trend for CAS

Christmas this year

This uses die cutting waste as a centre piece and a background made from Tim Holtz stamps 

This one uses a panel that was a reject from the Winter Wonderland Printer tray from a few weeks ago.....Nothing ever needs to go to waste!!

Hope there's some inspiration there - thanks for stopping by :-)

Crafty Cheers for now

Love 

Rae

xxx

Clarity Sportsmen.....

Morning Peeps :-)

Back with a quick share today- A masculine themed birthday card....

I know a lot of people struggle with male cards, including me. I have learned to keep them simple to ease the worry and this sporting set of stamps from Clarity are perfect. 

I blended the 3 primary colours to create the plasma background which I then divided into the 9 squares before embossing with the sportsmen and part of the blocks of fun NDC stamp, before mounting on the black and white for contrast

Thanks for stopping by - enjoy the rest of the weekend :-)

Crafty cheers for now

Love 

Rae 

xxx

Chocolate.......

Good evening from Blogland!

Hope you have all had a good week?

Been busy week here at Fairefox towers as the Christmas orders have got into full swing. Also in full swing is my diet........................grrrrrrr. 

"Hunger" got my mind wandering n this PaperArtsy stamp was perfect so I came up with this quick make.... 

I love using foil on cards and here was another excuse - it's the old floristry crushed foil as a background texture. I do love the added interest it gives.

Felix decided to photobomb this particular session.......cheeky Madame!!

Today I am mostly visiting old aiport "friends" and then I am trailing the Metallic Pan Pastels which I have kindly been lent. 

I will post my creations later this week

Thanks for stopping by - Hope you have a great weekend :-)

Crafty cheers for now

Love

Rae

xxx

On the 11th hour,of the 11th day......

Good morning all.

This card uses Indigo Blu stamps to create the perfect platform for today's rememberance.

 Next year will mark 100 years from the start of WW I and there is a campaign to plant red poppies acroos the country - in gardens, in cities in our countryside. I will be joining in as I love poppies anyway but the impact if we all take part will be phenomenal.

I hope you will consider joining in too and sewing a few seeds.......

Until then We Will Remember Them as always

For the Fallen

With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,

England mourns for her dead across the sea.

Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of spirit,

Fallen in the cause of the free.

Solemn the drums thrill: Death august and royal

Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres.

There is music in the midst of desolation

And a glory that shines upon our tears.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young,

Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.

They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,

They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them.

They mingle not with laughing comrades again;

They sit no more at familiar tables of home;

They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;

They sleep beyond England's foam.

But where our desires are and our hopes profound,

Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,

To the innermost heart of their own land they are known

As the stars are known to the Night;

As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,

Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain,

As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,

To the end, to the end, they remain.

Laurence Binyon, 1914

xxxxx

Rememberance Sunday

Sunset Vigil

The news is spread far and wide

Another comrade has sadly died

A sunset vigil upon the sand

As a soldier leaves this foreign land

We stand alone, and yet as one

In the fading light of a setting sun

We’ve all gathered to say goodbye

To our fallen comrade who’s set to fly

The eulogy’s read about their life

Sometimes with words from pals or wife

We all know when the CO’s done

What kind of soldier they’d become 

The padre then calls us all to pray

The bugler has Last Post to play

The cannon roars and belches flame

We will recall, with pride, their name

A minute’s silence stood in place

As tears roll down the hardest face

deafening silence fills the air

With each of us in personal prayer

Reveille sounds and the parade is done

The hero remembered, forgotten by none

They leave to start the journey back

In a coffin draped in the Union Jack

Sgt Andy McFarlane, 2009.

Lest we forget

xxxxx

The not so "Lost Coast",,,,

Hip hip hip hooray for the weekend!!

I am off into the hills of West Yorkshire today for a crafty retreat with Gwen Fletcher from The Stamp Pad  :-) 

Before I go I thought I would share this quick make with you - using yet again - my current "faves", stamps from Lost coast design range!! (available HERE)

I have fallen in love with this wax resist technique thanks to Eileen! 

So simple yet so stunningly effective

Thanks for stopping by - Have a lovely weekend whatever you are up to :-)

Crafty Cheers for now

Love

Rae

xxx

Splodgy inspirations on Create n Craft

Good morning all, Happy friday everyone!

Hope you have just caught up with all the fab new products from Splodge Hq with Tom on create and craft this morning :-) 

The focus was the Stenskape products and the brand new DVD so here go the samples from today's shows.

This fishing scape is so handy - great for those pesky last minute bloke's makes!

This tag is made using Treasure Gold Gilding Wax to create the lovely background. No fancy technique or applicator - just a trusty old finger to smooch it all around. After that I simply heat embossed the wolf

and moon to create the ethereal scene.

This easel card was made using the fairy stenskape - the background was created using rolled up designer papers and then the mushrooms and fairies were embossed and cut out to add the layers!

This one is the token Eileen stylie make......

....and then just to prove you can use parts of the mask to create totally simple cards for every occassion!

Well I hope you like these makes and the show! I am back off to bed for an hour as I had a completely sleepless night lol.

Thank you so much for stopping by.....:-)

Crafty cheers for now

Love

Rae

xxx 

Splodgeaway one for the fella's

Good Morning all!

Hope your Sunday is going well so far?? Lots of Lie ins???

Today over on the Splodge Away BLOG,

Claire Chapman and myself our showcasing a couple of makes for the fellas.

Do check the fab DT samples over there :-)

This is a quick and simple make - using the Mad about Fishing Stenskape - you can find it HERE.

If you like these skapes - be sure to check in with Tom who will be on Create and Craft this Friday with a whole host of them!!!

Speaking of which - best dash n make some samples!!

Have a great Sunday everyone

Crafty Cheers for now

Love 

Rae

xxx

Samhain......and Happy Halloween

Good morning and a blessed Samhain to you all.

This is my offering today....using the lovely new PaperArtsy and Distress paints and PaperArtsy stamps :-)

Samhain is the ancient Pagan festival known as the End of Summer/ Feast of the Dead that since being adopted by Christianity has become known as All hallow's eve and then Halloween. It is celebrated from dusk on the 31st October to dusk on the 1st Nov.

It is a hugely important pagan festival - many pagan's adopt it as their New year and as we know it's the time when the veil between the living and the dead is at it's thinnest so they can mingle together.

Now it is often seen as a scarey, spooky time but in truth to pagans it is a celebratory occassion marked with a feast. :-)

It is a time for reflection, for welcoming new life, for wishing old life well on their next journey and for taking stock and looking to the future

So here is wishing you peace and wellness this Samhain

Love

Rae

xxx

Eileen's class makes - made up!!!

Evening all - well nearly night lolol!!

Yesterday I promised I would share with you what we did yesterday at the lovely Eileen Godwin's class outside Coventry!

I have spent today turning the makes into actual cards - YES!!!! I actually FINISHED some class projects whoo whoo LMAO!!

So without further ado and too much waffle ..... for once ......

We had a totally fab day - I HIGHLY recommend a class with this lady if you get the chance! Altough it was a long day it was so much fun with a group of fabulously talented and lovely ladies!!

I hope you like these makes!!

Crafty cheers for now

Love

Rae 

xxx