Rachael's Handmade Designs

Just before Christmas my Mom and I took a trip by train to Portland. We originally wanted to go for the Saturday market, but when I found out there was a handmade show going on (Crafty Wonderland) we decided to make that a priority. Turns out we had time for everything on the list! We hit the craft show, the Saturday market (which is also open on Sunday) and my favorite place in Portland, Collage art store in the Alberta Arts District. (Second favorite is Barista coffee just down the street, where you can also get a beer!) Anyways, I'd had my eye on a Gelli printing plate for a few weeks and since I had my Christmas shopping done I decided to treat myself. I've been playing ever since! Here's a picture of my first print that I liked. Anyways, the second print I created that I really like is below. I was able to create this piece with multiple layers of color and using three sets from Bombshell Stamps as stencils, Butterfly Queen , A Pirate's Life  and B...

Welcome All and Happy Holidays. What makes you happy? Travel, art and handmade goods make me happy. {And shopping!} Last weekend my mother and I decided to take the train to Portland. We stayed downtown and we originally went to go to the Saturday Market (which is open on Sunday, too) but a few days before we left I hear about this handmade sale going on (crafty wonderland) at the convention center. So that became our focus of the trip. And an obligatory Powell's Books trip. Crafty Wonderland was really a fun time, with the exception of the crowds. It was nice because I still needed to finish my holiday shopping. Perfect timing, 'eh?! So we needed up getting breakfast and heading over to the convention center (we took the max). The crowds were unbelievable. I walked down the corridor once we got in line to see how many people were ahead of us - there was free goodie bags to the first 150 people in line. By the time we got in line there was probably easily 300 people, an...