Rachael's Handmade Designs

Tools Tin with clear top (I am using the  Grundtal Container  from Ikea.) paper acrylic paint of your choice in color crackle medium (I'm using Deco Art 1 Step Crackle Medium) applicator or brush to spread the paints distress color in either a matching or contrasting color to your acrylic paint scissors rubber stamps (I'm using the Bombshell Stamps Vintage Mermaid Rubber Stamp set  Mermaid Treasure ) pen permanent ink *Note - my tin has a magnet on the back so I can stick it to the fridge. If you want to use a scrap tin that you have, such as an Altoids tin and you would like to add a magnet sheet to the back, magnet sheets can be purchased at your local hardware store. Usually they are adhesive backed or you can hot glue them to the back of the tin. There are also variations on this project such as laying down paint and letting it dry, sanding the peaks of the tin, then laying down a second coat of paint and wiping the second layer of paint away so that ...

According to the Huffington Post, there's a new craft tv show that's going to be out. It's gonna be called "Craft Wars". And it's going to be hosted by none other than Tori Spelling. UG! She's  disgusting, I can't stand her!!! I would have been temped to watch this show, which is airing on TLC, but since I found out that Tori Spelling will be hosting, there's no freaking way.  The premiere is set for June 26th. I'm not sure what it is exactly that I don't like about Spelling. Maybe its her appearance (seriously, she's as bad as Jennifer Aniston! They both look like horses.)  Maybe it's the way she conducts herself (ie whoring herself and her family out to reality tv shows) or perhaps its her complete lack of acting abilities. Or maybe, just maybe, its the haunting memories of the torture I suffered through as a teenager, also known as 90210. Whatever it is, it enduces the gag reflex. Here's the Huffington Article. *** ...

Hi All and Welcome! If you're here for the Bombshell Blog Hop, you should be coming from Laura's blog.  The challenge for this hop was to make a card featuring the following colors. This was a real challenge for me! I decided to use my new set, Growing Hearts . Here's my take on the hop's card! Please let me know what you think! Leave a comment below. :-)  Now, onto Kelli's blog at ! NOTE:  If you have come to this page just out of the blue and would like to join in from the beginning of the hop, go here to join in the fun from the beginning! Blog roll: Alison Laura + Rachael's blog - you are here - + Kelli Mary G. Alaine Glittery Katie and finally, last but not least, Kathi    Have fun hopping!! Cheers, Xo, Rachael

Aloha and Welcome Back! Today is Tuesday and that means its time for another "Stuff I Love!" Here are my picks for this week. These pillows are so cool, what a fun way to spice up your home decor! This collection was a lot of fun to make. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! Isn't it fun?! Leave me a comment and let me know what you think of this collection. As always, click the photo above for a more detailed view. :-) Cheers! Xo, Rachael

Hi All and Welcome Back! Normally Monday mornings I bring you a "New in my Shop" addition, but I've run out of tape - oh NO! I've ordered an ATG tape gun that should be here in a few days, but until then I'm stuck without getting to glue anything down. I am, however, still designing cards, which you will get to see in this Wed's "In My Studio". ;-) Until tomorrow friends! Cheers, Xo, Rachael

Hi All, Thanks for tuning in again today. Here is my entry for Stuff I Love - Everything Frida! Frida Kahlo is one of my favorite artists, if not my favorite artist. She's an interesting person and had an interesting life. She's best known for her self-portraits, but painted many other things as well. Her work was strongly representative from her personal experiences. Her work had many strong Jewish themes (she claimed her father came from hungarian-jewish stock) and Catholic symbols. Frida shaved three years off her age so that she would be associated with the Mexican Revolution. She was a Communist, bisexual, had polio when she was young and never fully recovered from injuries from when a bus collided with a trolley when she was a teenager.She had many extramarital affairs, was a feminist and had a fierce temper. She was easily one of the most intriguing 20th century female artists. "I was born a bitch. I was born a painter." - Frida Kahlo ...

Hi All and Happy Monday! I've got some great items in the shop today. Here are the recent additions to my shop. Birthday Girl - Happy for you! Geisha Girl! Muertes love card Thanks floral set. And I'm about to ad this cute little Bettie Page card as well as this sweet birthday card. Cheers, Xo, Rachael

Hi All, Decided to play again with CPS. Here's my entry for this week's sketch! I think it's rather cute. :) I love Bettie Page! I invite you to tell me what you think in the comment section below! :-) Cheers, Xo, Rachael

Poker Face Greeting Card & Matching Envelope Supplies KaiserCraft Timeless Collection p653 Sheet Music paper trimmer scissors nail file a2 card base with matching envelope black and tan gingham paper (I'm using DCWV 12x12) Complementary  red paper (I'm using a sheet from Martha Stewart's Critter's Designer Paper Pad) Retro Cowgirl Rubber Stamp Set by Bombshell Stamps (using the profile pinup) Luck and Fate Rubber Stamp Set by Bombshell Stamps (using Luck & Fate banner) glue dots copics or colored pencils adhesive runner xact-o knife and self-healing cutting mat (or other protective surface!) pop dots or dimensionals Instructions Make your card base. (I cheat and buy mine!) flip times collection p653 over and cut out your choice of playing cards. If you want you can look up poker hands and arrange the cards that way its kind of a cute touch. Trim playing cards and shape with a nail file if needed. I am using...

Have you ever played along with the blog cardpositioningsystems.blogspot.com? I had never heard of that sketch blog until my good friend Bombshell Em told me that Bombshell Stamps was sponsoring the card sketch this week. So I popped on over and checked it out. The sketch was really quite cute, so I whipped something up! Here it is, what do you think??? Leave a comment and show some love! :-) Cheers, Xo, Rachael

A few days ago I had the urge to draw. So I sketched. I think I saw this image or drawing somewhere, but I tried to recreate it and make it my own from what I could remember. The left hand is weird. They're so difficult, I've never been good at hands. Or noses. I've also been playing around with stamps.  I made this card from an image I stamped AGES ago and hadn't used in one of my projects. I think this card is quite cute! Perfect for that country girl you know. I did something I rarely do on greeting cards, tho. I added a hand-written sentiment to this. Not because I wanted to, but because I didn't have an appropriate sentiment stamp, I don't do individual letter stamps (seriously? As if I don't have ENOUGH crafting supplies!!!) ............aaaand because apparently, my printer is my arch nemesis.  Which leads me to this video. In other news, I made this card for a Kathi's sketch challenge at bombshell stamps. I created another ca...

This article has been taken from Fast Company's March 2012 issue. BY Rachael Z. Arndt |  01-27-2012 An exploration  both artistic and scientific, Jonah Lehrer's  Imagine: How Creativity Works  tells us why a walk can lead to a big idea and how brainstorming dulls imagination. FC:  How does creativity work? Lehrer:  The word itself is a misnomer. We use creativity in the singular, as if there's one way the brain generates new connections. But there are probably three neurologically distinct forms of creativity. One is when you have these moments of insight that come out of the blue--when you have epiphanies in the shower. Those seem to come from the part of the brain that's involved in things like the interpretation of metaphors and the processing of jokes. Another form is really working hard at solving a problem--it's not nearly as fun as having an epiphany, but it's just as important. The last form is spontaneous improvisation--what Miles ...

Hi All! I have a new card that I made using Bombshell Stamps' Geisha digi stamp. At first I was luke-warm about this lady, and then after playing with her for a bit I LOOOOOOOOVE her!!! There are so many cool options to do with this image! Isn't she so cute? She's meticulously hand-colored with copic markers and popped off the page for depth. Domo is the short version of "thanks". Blank on the inside and available in my store. Leave me a comment and let me know what do you think! Cheers, Xo, Rachael

Hi Ladies and Welcome Back. Thanks for joining me again today.  I bring you my own unique list of "10 Reasons to Send a Handmade Card". (As if you really *need* 10 reasons, right?) But everybody loves a list, so let's get to it! 1. Stay in contact with your family and friends - And really, this is the most important reason. 2. Everyone loves to get something in the mail - Who doesn't love getting something in the mail? 3. Something unexpected - Surprise your friend or family with something out-of-the-blue! Totally makes someone's day, more-so when it's unexpected! 4. Join a part of the handmade revolution - When you buy from people who create handmade items you are not only purchasing something but making a statement that says "I prefer to spend my money with the people that count, NOT the big corporations." 5. Supports handmade artisans - When you support and encourage handmade growth, you really are supporting and encouraging handmade a...