Rachael's Handmade Designs

Good news! I've added more to my upcoming shows! I'd love it if you swung by to say hi and have a chat to see me in person! 11/1 Windsor Square Holiday Bazaar 9912 48th Drive NE Marysville, WA 98270 9:00 - 3pm 11/8 Cupcake Royale - Ballard 6pm - 9pm Art Walk 11/15 3rd Annual Cascade High School Choir Holiday Bazaar 801 E Casino Rd, Everett, WA 98203 9am - 5pm

Life is Short - Play with Your Dog! How cute is this image from JessicaLynnOriginal Stamps?! I love animals - every animal! I created this card using the   Jessicalynnoriginal Akc Dog: Shih Tzu Clear Stamps Set . Its great for us dog lovers and you get eight different images in the set so there’s quite a bit of versatility! This set is also quite unique. I personally have not seen any other place to get Shih Tzu rubber stamps.  I created this card with an embossed watercolor background.  By stamping three varying sizes of circle die cuts, I was able to use my copic markers to create shading, color and depth. I double-stamped the sentiment - once in green and once in black - and popped it up with dimensional for more added depth. Really a fun card! These stamps really capture the happy little personality of the Shih Tzu. So cute and fun! I hope you check it out! 

The big issue I faced when I tried to create my own custom envelopes with just my scoring board was that sometimes my measurements would be off and my envelopes would turn out warped and wonky. I purchased this envelope punch board because I needed the ability to create custom envelopes for my custom-sized greeting cards and I needed them to be clean and professional. This punch board really delivers! I purchased it at Impress and paid $19.99. Stampin Up also sells a similar product - also made by We R Memory Keepers - for $21.95 plus shipping. The two products, from what I can tell, are exactly the same and the only difference is that the Stampin Up product has "Stampin Up!" in the far top left-hand corner. So if you're a paper crafter and you need something that helps you to create custom, professional looking envelopes, I suggest that you spend the $20.00 and get this little beauty! It really is worth it! Cheers!

Today I'm happy to announce that I have been selected to be a part of the fabulous Design Team at JessicaLynnOriginal.com . I'm thrilled and excited to be a part of such a fun and cute stamp design company, and a great design team group of gals!! One of JessicaLynnOriginal s' signature stamp designs is Brentwood Owl . So I created this super cute Seahawks greeting card using him (isn't he adorable!?!) in a 12 shirt. Brentwood Owl  What FUN to color!! I printed him out and used my copics in varying E tones, Y and YR tones and B tones paired with my colorless blender (to create highlights) to make him pop and give him depth. Then I cut Brentwood out and set him aside. Creating a Background To create the colorful background I chose a stencil I really liked, the 6x6 Mini Tiny Circles Stencil from Balzer Designs for TCW. I taped my craft sheet down (I use the Tim Holtz craft sheet, but for this project wax paper or scratch paper would work fine - you just...

Hi All and thanks for stopping by! Today I wanted to share with you a card I recently created for a girls night out theme or bachelorette party invites. Isn't it cuuute?! I love how this greeting turned out. I adore this stamp (by Rubber Romance) and I purchased the sentiment from Hobby Lobby. I handmade these cards in Seattle and left the inside blank in case a customer wanted it left blank, but I have several invite-style rubber stamps as an option, too. I was originally hording the ribbon for some Day of the Dead projects I was going to do, but it matched so well to the lavender dress in the center I couldn't help myself! :P Super fun to create! This was also my first time creating a darker skin tone for the woman on the far right. I think it turned out great! I love my copics...And rhinestones finish off this card - because everybody likes something sparkly! These invites can be found in my store ! Do you like it? I'd love to hear what you think! Leav...

I’m currently reading the book “The Creative Habit” by Twyla Tharp. In this book she has provided a list of questions to get you thinking about your art, whether it be dance, writing, papercrafts, what have you. These questions got me thinking about my own craft, so I thought that you would appreciate the list of questions as they may serve to grease the wheels of your own creation. Answer quickly and honestly. Don’t spend too much time on one question.  I have provided my answers. :) Q:  What is the first creative moment you remember? A:  I remember being in kindergarten and creating a Power Cookie for my Dad.  He still has it! Q:  Was anyone there to witness or appreciate it? A:  Yes, the other children. Q:  What is the best idea you’ve ever had? A:  Deciding to leave my job and go to work for an art store. Q:  What made it great in your mind? A:  It was great because it spurred my love of paper and rubber st...

When I was little and I would go spend the day with my grandma, I remember getting into her filing cabinet. She kept scratch paper for me to draw on, but she also had a well-stocked box of greeting cards in that cabinet and her desk. All sorts, with beautiful pictures of flowers on a table, pictures of paintings and picturesque sunset.  So when she gave me the gift of beautiful pink stationary with a matching pen one year for Christmas, I fell in love with correspondence. Carrying on Her Tradition Today, I carry on her tradition (obviously - I design and create cards!) and always keep one of those plastic folding files in my desk. My folder has tabs with pockets on the inside and I’ve labeled each tab with the type of greeting card that pocket contains: Thinking of You, Love, Birthday, Anniversary, Get Well, Sympathy, etc. I fill those pockets with all of my different style of greeting cards. A Little Trick A great little trick to save time (and constantly running to t...

I'm so excited to share this with you! The Greeting Card Association has decided to create a National Thinking of You Week. Which I think is freakin' awesome because of its goal: to create a wave of love, caring and happiness across the nation by sending and getting a card during the last week in September. And who doesn't like to get a little happy mail?! I think that's the point of it. Everyone loves to get something - big or small, its knowing that you are in someone else's thoughts that's the point. Writing a message just to say hello to a friend - life is so short, why WOULDN'T you tell someone that they are in your thoughts? Besides, science has proven that receiving a card is good for everyone's wellbeing.  Its better to receive a handmade, handwritten note showing your love and appreciation for someone, which makes them feel much more special, than receiving texts, e-mails or facebook messages.  In fact, cognitive neurosci...

We have already established in  part 1 that one very simple and cost-effective way of enhancing relationships is to send greeting cards to people. Sending a card expresses a deeper level of caring than an email, an e-card or even a phone call.  Follow the steps below to create awesome lasting relationships and ultimately boost your sales. Enhancing Your Business Whether you are a mom running a home-based business, a high-priced attorney or CEO, sending greeting cards are a great way to build relationships. As any good business person knows, a good friendship, trust and relationship in business leads to better results!  If someone has a solid relationship with you, they are more willing to purchase from you. This extends to everyone you know and have dealings with: your doctor, dentist, attorney, your librarian, neighborhood friends, business contacts and more.  Let them know that they are in your thoughts.   Dale Carnegy, in his classic book...

My Dad loves to reminisce about the things that happened when I was little - things that didn't mean much at the time but have become treasured memories as we both have grown older in life. One of our favorite memories is trips to the pond to feed the ducks. The pond was a short car ride from our house and whenever we had then ends of bread, Dad would corral my brother and I, pile us into the car with the bread, hop in himself and we’d be off! I told you that to tell you this. If you're a little stumped on what to write to Dad in your card this year, maybe consider a few things: what does your Dad mean to you? Do you have a favorite story of the two of you? Maybe he has a wicked sense of humor? Or possibly he is your husband or a new father - experiencing Father's Day for the very first time as Dad himself? You could tell him that you know he's going to be a great father, or that he's doing a fantastic job already. For a lot of people its easier to share lau...

Sending Greeting Cards is Prissy, right? That’s a good question! Remember when you were a kid and your Great Aunt Gertrude sent you a card on every birthday and Christmas? Right up until the day of her death she sent you those cards.  And they were really mushy with teddy bears, hearts and puppy dogs on them. Remember them? Well, that’s not what I’m talking about. Granted, some of those mushy greeting cards are fine, and I have to admit, even cute sometimes. But perhaps, since you’re are a bit more practical, sophisticated and refined, you business owners might want to think twice about about sending a stylish, fun and thoughtful greeting card. So, how much did Great Aunt Gertrude really care about you? Life is all about building relationships, whether you are neighbors, new friends, business acquaintances or relatives.  The stronger our relationships, the closer we feel with our group. We have a better support group and can even ask for favors! ...

Rachael's Handmade Designs will be vending at the Ballard Cupcake Royale for the May Saturday Ballard Art Walk on May 10th! Come take a leisurely stroll through Ballard and view some amazing artwork by some very talented artists. Also, on Sunday, May 11th, join us at the newly remodeled Comet Tavern on Capitol Hill for The Hangover Flea Market! I look forward to seeing you all there! Cheers

When we think about greeting cards, we think of birthday cards that melt our hearts, Christmas and holiday cards sent to everyone we know and Mother’s Day cards. But business can and often do send greeting cards to their customers as small thank you’s for past business, invitations to upcoming events, or even to remind a customer or patient of an upcoming appointment.  Many card makers can provide all kinds of greeting cards required by a business and even personalize them to each customer.  They should be hand-signed (and we think hand-written!) by the owner of said business.  The recipient is surely to be touched, sharing your thoughtful card with their friends - your customer is sure to think fondly of the company who sent it and may be more likely to continue doing business with you! So, if you want to connect in a positive way with your customer (and really, who doesn’t!?) then pick out a few cards from my shop to send to a few of your most loyal customers!

When you're artistically stuck and feeling creatively drained here are five easy ways to get your groove back! #1.  Make Creativity a Habit and a Way of Life. Do something creative every day. Creativity is a way of life, a habit. Most creative people I know do something every day, even if its just a doodle, sketch or getting ideas and thoughts down on paper. No matter how small your creative something is, you should try and take a few minutes per day and do it. A great way to do this is to keep an art journal, sketch journal or the like. #2.  Don’t force it Not feeling very creative? Stuck? Happens to everyone! Leave your project, don’t try and force something that just is not working. Set your project aside! Do something that is completely different. Take a walk and get some fresh air. If you have a camera, a neat exercise is to challenge yourself to find something beautiful in everyday life. Listen to new music, or go to the art store and browse. These things usually w...

Welcome! Just a quick blog entry to let you know that Rachael's Handmade Designs will be at the Back Bar Flea Market (part of the Belltown Art Walk) on Friday, April 11th from 3-7pm  Located inside the Crocodile Back Bar in Belltown. All ages. Happy hour prices during the Artwalk (with ID.) So come right after work to enjoy a drink or two and see a room full of local artists, crafters, vintage merchants and representatives with unique, handmade, one-of-a-kind goodies and deals!  There will be music videos, a photo booth, and of course, yummy drinks! Can't wait to see you there!

Spring is here! Rachael’s Handmade Designs will be in Mountlake Terrace, Washington attending Mountlake Terrace High School’s Spring Bazaar on May 3rd from 10-4pm. Come check it out! There will be food, a rummage sale, a car wash, a blood drive, sports and wellness fair, and you can even test drive a new ford vehicle! Bazaar at Mountlake Terrace High School 21801 44th Ave West, MLT The Sport & Wellness and Spring Bazaar will be inside the School, just inside the front doors to the left. Some vendors will have the opportunity (weather permitting) to be outside if they wish.  The Rummage Sale will be just inside the front doors to the right. Car Wash will be in the upper parking lot near the main street. Drive 4UR School (Ford Giving program) will be in the Music Parking lot, just tot he left of the front doors of the school. BBQ will be outside near the circle/drop off, in the "plaza" like area near the front doors of the school. Blood Drive - will be in the a...

Wow, I've really fallen behind on bringing new cards to you! I have a TON of cards to share with you that are new in the shop - things and projects I have been working on! But first, a little housekeeping. 1.   There is a Spring Sale going on in the shop. Selected items are on sale for a short time only, so pop on by to see what's happening! Your next favorite card could be waiting! 2.   Its donation time again! About twice a year Rachael's Handmade Designs makes and donates a large quantity of greeting cards to send to our heros overseas. This helps our deployed heros keep in contact with home and supports Rachael's Handmade Design's mission of preserving the art of handwritten correspondence. Even if you don't support or agree with war, we can all support our brave people in the service. We encourage you to get involved! You may donate cards or participate in "AnyHero Mail"  here ! 3.   Contest Time! There is a contest happening right now on...

FACEBOOK CONTEST TIME! Help me reach 300 likes! Refer a friend to "like" Rachael's Handmade Designs on Facebook! Tell your friend to leave a comment telling me who referred them (you) and you will be entered to win a brand new set of greeting cards from my shop! Your friend may also refer a friend to "like" and be entered to win as well. The more people you refer, the more times your name goes into the hat to draw for a brand new set of free greeting cards!! Contest ends on May 21st, 2014. Goodluck!

Spring Sale going on now in the shop on select pieces!

I love it when you're happily in the middle of creating a masterpiece and then....you run out of your [insert random art supply here]. It happened to me last night! I ran out of my ATG Glue tape and I thought I was going to have to set aside my masterpiece right when I was in the middle of my creative flow. Luckily, I'm a crafty gal...and at times a bit absent-minded...But I digress. I got my first layer down with glue tape and decided to challenge myself to see how many different types of adhesive I could use on a card. This one turned out to be four different types! And I got to use my scraps! (It always makes me happy when I can use every last bit of my paper!) I used foam squares (which I also ran out of the day before yesterday, but luckily I had forgotten that I had purchased "the wrong kind" of foam squares and had set the wrong ones aside) and washi tape, as well as gel medium and ATG Glue tape.  So that was pretty fun, not something that I've ever ...

You know when you're just messing around having fun and a happy accident comes of it? That's totally what happened with this card, and it's so cute I just can't stand it! A friend of mine ordered seven of them recently, so I created them, photographed packaged and shipped them. When I showed the photograph of the cards to one of my customers, she wanted seven too! I'm delighted that so many people like this card as its fun to make and brings a smile to my face. The robots come in boys and girls, but I don't know if they are available anymore. I purchased the set from The Paper Zone before it closed. (Side note, so SAD that my store is GONE!! I loved that store!) The robot is water colored. Too cute! What do you think? Leave me a comment below! Cheers!

Welcome! I hadn't busted out my Bombshell Stamps in a while. When I found this gnarly stencil that looks like waves, it reminded me of my Bombshell set Koi Tattoo , which I love but have been stumped on how to incorporate into my designs. I also used Bombshell Stamps' Happy Birthday from the  Banner Sayings  set. What a match! I love how this card turned out. I stenciled with two different shades of blue to add more depth, and highlighted the scales with my copic marker blender pen. So much fun! This card has already sold, but if you like the style, check out my shop. There's more to come! :) Thanks! Cheers!

I'm not usually a football fan, but I like to support the home team. So when the Hawks got to the 49'ers game I thought, "well, this game decides who goes to the superbowl, so what the hell?" and I watched. After we won and I found out a friend of mine was going to the superbowl, I made this little card for her to commemorate her trip! She said it was great fun and unlike anything that she'd ever experienced! What do you think of the card? She sure loved it! (I got the idea from Impress - they always have cute ideas!) Hope it brought a smile to your face! :) Cheers!

Welcome! Here in Seattle its been sunshiney and beautiful, but on the chilly side.  This weekend there's the possibility of SNOW. So I'm gearing up for a cozy weekend (Oscar party?!) It looks like that cozy theme may spill over into next week! I've been busy creating some new things in my studio and I want to share with you a new design I've created. Its modern, sleek, and unique - I haven't ever created anything quite like this, and I love these cards because I had the chance to create "outside the box".  I used an exciting color combination to evoke a current and modern feel, and clean straight lines. I created three different designs (with arrows - because if you're like me, you love the trend of arrows!) to include in this Thank You set - you get one of each; each are accented with a little sparkle. Super cute, huh? The best part is that these cards are perfect to keep on hand for any time you need a thank you. I even provid...

Lately I've been playing with some new stencils I got while on a trip to Portland. I absolutely love The Crafters Workshop stencils because they are always coming out with the latest designs and are so contemporary and current. I also live for that feeling when you lift the stencil after sponging or pouncing your chosen colors and the paper reveals pretty, colorful and attractive designs - it's like magic! I had a lot of fun making this new card! The stencil I used was the chevron 6x6 one by Balzer Designs, from The Crafter's Workshop. I designed this card in an analogous color scheme and if you're like me, you'll just love how it turned out! I added some sparkly bling after stamping the dancing girls, just for fun. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. This greeting is available for purchase in  my Etsy shop ! Thanks for tuning in!

Hello Again! Glad to have you visiting with me once again. Today’s post is featuring this cute little robot card I made recently. I’ve had these little robot images for several years and I’ve only had the chance to use them once or twice. I think they’re perfect for Valentine’s Day or a Hello. I recently bought a student set of water colors to play with. After filling my watercolor brush with water, I found that these little robots were perfect for water color! I paired them with my new Hello from Seattle image and colored it with colored pencils to match the green background. I just added a little rhinestone to her bow, cut her out and adhered her to her die cut. I’ll use her Mr. in a different card. I love the green on this card, its springy and fresh and works great for men or women recipients. Cute. :) Makes me smile. I hope you like it as well.