Rachael's Handmade Designs

Thanks for joining me once again! I'm so happy you've come back to join me with on my blog. You've come to the right place to find Seattle's finest handmade cards! Today I've got a real treat for you - a Girlfriends greeting card. This was SUCH a fun card to create. If you have not heard about Art Impressions , then you are missing out!! I love to stamp and color these fun images to create cards that truly reflect the fun relationships in life. I loved coloring this fun image of two happy gals with my Copics! The card didn't need much else as the copics took the stage. I didn't want to overpower the card, so I kept it nice and clean. My boyfriend and I are friends with another couple and we paired this card with a bouquet of fresh cut flowers for a nice hello to our friends the last time we all got together. Its nice to make your friends feel loved and wanted.  Cheers!

Need I say more? I mean, really. lol Love this image from Art Impressions  - Bonnie's art captures daily life perfectly! My two favorite lines from Art Impressions is the Girlfriends line and the Ai People line.  The pairing of the sentiments rounds it out - they're just so funny! If it Zips it Fits One of my favorite things to do with clothing or fabrics with my Copics is to create a pattern. I had a very good time designing this card with a patterned shirt and my Copics and chose something easy - a monochromatic pattern on the top, with jeans (tertiary to the secondary orange) to pop the color, with a soft pink in the background. Pink and orange go well together because they are analogous on the color wheel and its a nice soft blend. I added a half doily for interest and layering and stamped the sentiment, die cut it, distressed the edges and popped it up to create dimension. The mint green behind the doily in a lattice pattern ties everything t...

Who loves flamingos?! That would be me! And this guy was just too cute to pass up. I found the tutorial at Brandy Cox's youtube channel   Brandy always does such a great job with her designs. Although I am not affiliated in any way with Stampin' Up! (like, at all) I still like to pop in on Brandy and see what she's got going on. Although I have not ever created punch art before, I was able to duplicate Brandy's design with what I had in stock and on hand, and I think this little guy turned out just peachy! This design makes me smile every time I look at it. All I can say is that the world needs more googly eyes!! Are you a fan of the googly eyes?

What's the best part of spring? The colors? The birds singing? The sunshine? Yes, yes and yes. But don't forget the flowers, the holidays and the great family time! There's also birthdays, special occassions and there's always room for a simple thank you. (Its all about gratitude, right?) Today I'm bringing you the red floral version in the floral handmade card line I've recently created. Didn't they turn out great?! Each special, each a little different, and perfect for your loved one. And don't forget your grads! These would make a perfect keepsake greeting card for her to cherish in her scrapbook of her special graduation day. They're even so pretty that you could frame them and display them as artwork in your home. Just a few ideas to get you thinking. I hope you start thinking outside the box as to what you can do with handmade cards to turn your house into a home. Thanks for stopping by! Cheers!

Hello and Welcome Again!   Hope you are enjoying your long weekend and have taken a moment to honor our fallen soldiers this Memorial Day.   Doesn't May just *inspire* you?! I love spring and all the flowers and beautiful colors that nature has to offer.  With that in mind, here is another version of the floral cards that I've created for a very good customer of mine.    As you'll see, these are the same style of greeting cards as in the previous post, but that offering different floral imagery and sentiments will offer a greater range of appreciation for her customers.  And, its just pretty! :P         This line was so much fun to create!! I love the versatility of these images and sentiments. They really can be used at any moment for any last-minute or special occasion. I hope you've enjoyed this post and its inspired you to get stamping! Leave a message below and let me know what you think! Cheers...

Welcome Back. I've been taking a break lately from my rubber stamping because I've been having to deal with life and I just haven't had the time.  Last night I busted out the stamps and created a floral line using a number of different stamps and colors.  Pictured below are a birthday card and and just because card, perfect for any occasion.   My customer specifically asked me for floral pieces, so I hope she likes these.  What do you think? Do you have anything else to add? Leave a comment and let me know! Cheers!

Hello Crafty Friends! I created this card for the Art Impressions Spring Colors challenge (http://artimpressionsstamps.blogspot.com/2015/03/challenge-156-spring-colors-challenge.html?m=1) Thanks for stopping by today! I wanted to share with you a new greeting card I came up with featuring a new background stamp I purchased from the fab shop Dolce Stamps (it's called "wireworks" and created by JudiKins stamps <and I also purchased "John" from the same company - he's a mod guy and will be appearing at a later date!>) and a new image I purchased from Art Impressions (love love love their images!!!) I used the Yoga Yolanda set for this card, along with candy dots and ribbon in a coordinating color.  The background was stamped in a pale green teardrop memento pad. This set makes me smile because I love yoga and the quote is so true! Very cute - makes me smile and very fun to color with my copics. I'm looking forward to sending this card in th...

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

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...

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...

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!

This happy little card has just been freshly listed in the shop! This card was so much fun to create! I think rainy-themed cards or Seattle-themed cards have been my favorite to create with lately. They're so much you can do with them, and I keep adding to my rubber stamp collection with rain-accessories, so that works out well for me I guess! :) This card features a new stamp I just purchased to work with the umbrella I paired it with and my other rainy/Seattle-themed stamps. I'm really happy with how it turned out.  I added some liquid applique to the top of the umbrella to create a wet look! What do you think?

Hello and Welcome once again! Thanks for dropping by! Today's blog post is covering what's going on in the shop. I have expanded my artistic reach into the world of mixed media and have acquired some gesso and spray inks. I've had a rather good play and these two cards are what I came up with! I'm offering two cards for the price of one. They measure 4x6 and are each provided with a crisp white envelope. Like any little piece of art, they are not perfect, but that's what makes them wonderful! Its a little difficult to tell, but the above card is blue and purple mixed spray ink.  And this one is kind of a relief blue tinted gesso of the same stencil. These little cards are great in person and they were so much fun to have a good play with! I can't wait to create more! I hope you enjoyed them! Have you worked with spray inks and/or gesso before? If you have, leave me a comment and tell me all about it! Cheers!

Hello and Welcome! Thanks for stopping by my blog today. Freshly listed in the shop today is the Biker Babe greeting! Isn't she hot?! Love the mix of blue and zebra and polka dots on this card! Layering adds depth. Sparkle adds fun. :) Sexy Biker Babe Greeting Measures 4x6 and blank inside! Great for any occasion. Super fun and appropriate for a man or woman. Perfect for the non-prude. :) Cheers!

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...

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...

Welcome Back! I'm glad you could take the time to join me today! I've got a lot going on in the studio, but this post specifically deals with some new cards I have available in my shop. New to the shop is my new Rise and Shine card, which features Bombshell Stamps images. This card won February's Prize Patrol, awarded by my friend and mentor, Cheryl Valadez ! I love this card and I'm so happy that my friends at Bombshell Stamps love it as much as I do (Hi Ladies! lol)!  It's available in my shop. Since May is not that far off, I've started working on some Mother's Day cards.  Thank you cards seemed appropriate, since if it wasn't for Mom willing to have you, you wouldn't be here, right? I love this card because it's so different then my usual style. It's nice to break out of the regular pattern of creating! Below: Here's a Mother's Day card that simply reads "Happy Mother's Day" on the inside and has a hand...

Hi All, I've been getting some messages lately that comments are not available on my blog. OH NO! :P So I have done some fiddling and hopefully the problem is resolved. I'm absolutely loving my new crafting space! I've got more room to spread out and craft, and I find myself crafting more often. And best yet! I live alone, so I don't have to clean up if I don't want to! (And better STILL - NO ROOMMATES!!!) Not that I ever did before because I crafted in my own room, but now I'm using the space dedicated in my apartment for a dining room as my crafting space, so it's not taking up space in my bedroom. (Just making my apartment look messy - ha!) Where do you craft? I'd love to see your crafting space and how you organize your creative space. I've started on a new card featuring an image from Anita Be Stampin. I chose Sasha. First I colored my image with my copic markers. I chose a cool color palette to form a cohesiveness with the entire card. ...