Creations by Rachel

Pinning

2011-08-27T10:50:00.008-04:00

So, what to do while I wait for the tapioca to cook for ~ 30 minutes?

Well, now that I've been able to sign up for Pinterest, I pin!

I've been an observer/admirer of Pinterest for a while now and finally decided that trying to screen clip all of the great things I was finding there into OneNote (also great, by the way) was just too cumbersome and that it would be much simpler and more organized to just have a Pinterest account myself. So I requested an invite, was put on their waiting list...which I didn't realize would happen, then did some research and decided it would be best to get a personal invite which is what I did (thank you, So I Married a Mennonite - Michelle). Now I am off to explore the world of Pinterest and what a pretty and creative world it is! Now... to remain focused on the tapioca might prove to be my bigger problem : ).

If you want to follow me/check out my Pinboards - here's the link!

I love swaps!

2011-03-07T23:37:00.013-05:00

Over the last year or so I have become more involved in Flickr and the wonderful swaps that are offered there. Here's what I've made for two of my most recent swaps...

Urban Home Goods:

Spicing Up the Kitchen Swap:

I have so much fun making things for swaps and these two are among my favorite swaps!

Clippies

2010-03-03T21:58:00.003-05:00

This new set of altered clothespins is now available in my shop. They come in a mini drawstring bag and have many wonderful purposes! They can be used as chip clips, paper clips, to attach gift tags to packages, or, if you feel so inclined, you may use them as c l o t h e s p i n s ! (Who would have thought?). Here is the link if you'd like to check them out!

2010 Lovely Package Exchange

2010-03-01T21:14:00.008-05:00

I am so excited to be participating in the 2010 Lovely Package Exchange! I just love pretty packaging, both creating it and receiving it. You should check it out and who knows, perhaps we will be partners in the exchange! I have a button in my sidebar that will take you to the blog post that has all of the important details - enjoy!

The Happy Pear Pincushion - In Pop Garden

2009-05-07T21:36:00.004-04:00

This is another one of my Happy Pear pincushions that I have listed in my Etsy shop. It is made from some beautiful Heather Bailey fabric as well as felt and embroidery floss. I think this is one of my favorite pears so far. It is available here, so check it out if you'd like :).

These pincushions make great gifts and they don't have to be used as pincushions at all! They would look great made into a decorative arrangement or just set individually on a desk or windowsill. Very cute and fun!

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

A Quick Tip for Cardmaking

2009-05-01T21:50:00.021-04:00

Have you ever been in the process of making a card when you realize that you have already put your adhesive on the back of a piece of paper and you needed to attach a brad or sew some stitches or something else like that before you put on the adhesive?

This happened to me today and I was about to become quite frustrated when I suddenly had one of those "ah-hah!" moments.

You know the filmy-paper stuff that they put on the back of sticker sheets? Well, I realized that although I didn't know of any of that just sitting around our house, I did have wax paper.

So I decided to try it... and it worked!

Just cut some strips of wax paper, place them over the adhesive runner-ed spots on your paper...

Then go ahead and flip the paper over and do whatever you needed to and the paper won't stick to whatever it touches! This technique is also good if you forgot to practice positioning it before putting on the adhesive as well.

In my case, I forgot to stitch on a piece of paper and I didn't want to do it through all the layer and end up having it show on the inside of my card.

When you are finished doing whatever it is that you forgot to do, just turn over your paper and peel off the wax paper strips and stick it on your card!

Here's my finished card:

A New mini me Apron in My Shop

2009-04-30T20:47:00.005-04:00

I have listed a new "mini me" child-size apron in my shop and you can check it out here. These aprons are so fun to make! Just thought I would write a quick post instead of waiting another month again...sorry about that! I hope everyone is having a great day and I hope you have a great weekend!

~Rachel

For Your Spring Picnics

2009-04-29T21:26:00.005-04:00

Hello again!
Here are some napkins made from Heather Bailey's gorgeous fabric that would be perfect to bring with you on your spring picnics. They are available in my shop here so check 'em out if you'd like! The listing is for a set of 4, 2 of each type.

This last picture is a gift idea: a couple of altered clothespins (not currently listed in my shop but if you are interested I may be able to whip a few up for you!), a re-usable produce bag, cloth napkins, and (of course!) a gift bow to top it off. The bow is not in my shop right now either, but I have it available if you ask. To "ask", just send me a convo in my Etsy shop!

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

~Rachel

New patterns in my shop!

2009-03-18T23:36:00.007-04:00

I have finally listed all of my Portabellopixie boutique sewing patterns in my shop! It took a little while but I am glad they are listed now. I had been procrastinating for a while now and this morning I decided it would be a good thing to check off of the list today! Here are some pictures of my favorite ones: The Claire

The Cupcake Pincushion

The Gracie

Of course I like the last one, as Gracie is also my dog's name! Well, okay, so that isn't the real reason I like this pattern, but she is cute, isn't she? :).

Birthday Card

2009-02-27T15:08:00.005-05:00

I just came across a great new blog called Card Sketch a Day - Here is my version of sketch #180:

Thanks for looking!

Good Finds at Jo-Ann's

2009-02-20T10:16:00.002-05:00

Jo-Ann's was having a President's Day sale and I picked up these fun items! I absolutely love the Dual Duty XP thread so I had to add a few more colors to my collection. I finally remembered to snip a small amount of thread from each spool I had and brought them along so I wouldn't accidentaly buy any repeats!

The beautiful bright lemon fabric is from Alexander Henry. The first time I saw Alexander Henry fabric at Jo-Ann's I about flipped. Unfortunately I never got enough of this lemon fabric and they didn't have it for a really long time. I would always check "just in case", but was always disappointed...until this time! I just got 3 yards, but I think it will be plenty for a while. The best thing? It was on sale from its regular price of $8.99/yd. for 30% off, and I had a 10% off my entire regular and sale priced purchase! Yipee!

Hope you're having a great day!

~Rachel

Kiss a lot of Frogs

2009-02-05T00:10:00.007-05:00

MYTH #1: You have to kiss a lot of FROGS to find your prince.

This card is available for sale here and would be perfect for Valentine's Day or to be used as an anniversary card!

Just thought I'd drop in really fast, so there you have it ;).

Snow days, Baking and Gifts Given and Received

2009-02-03T21:39:00.018-05:00

Whew! A lot has been going on since I last posted. Let's get things started!

First off, we are finally getting some snow in our part of Virginia! Yipee!! I love snow and am so happy to see a white landscape once again.

From a week ago or so:

Currently/before it started melting:

As for baking, I made pretzels on the "week ago or so" snow/ice day:

...and I made White Chocolate Cherry Shortbread Cookies today:

Four ladies in our church are having (or have recently had!) babies, so I was sewing up a storm making baby gifts (fun!).

This little apron (a smaller version of this apron - and with different fabrics) is for the big sister of one of the babies-to-be.

A gift received from my mother who just got back from a little trip with her mother and sister:

Isn't it pretty?

Whew! I told you there was a lot! I think I will have to post some more to cover the other things I've been doing...

More coming soon! :)

I'm having an aFteR ChRisTmAs SaLe!

2009-01-13T11:12:00.009-05:00

Sorry it's been so long since I've posted! Where does time go? My mother and I just got back from an overnight shopping trip to the D.C. area and it sure was fun! I've got one word for you: ANTHROPOLOGIE! We spent ... uh-hum... very close to 3 HOURS in that lovely awesome store! It was our very first time visiting an Anthropologie store and we took advantage of it! It was way better than I had ever expected :). Now if only they would get one closer to us... .

Anyway, back to the aFteR ChRisTmAs SaLe. I currently have a few mini It's a HOOT! owl softie ornaments left as well as some pretty handmade gift bows, some paper curl ornaments (paper curls placed inside of a clear glass ball ornament), and all of my rubber stamps are still on sale!

Last, but certainly not least, please keep in mind that after February 10th, 2009 many Etsy (and other!) sellers will not be able to afford to have their handmade childrens' items inspected, so many of us won't be able to sell handcrafted kids' items (this includes those cute outfits and burp cloths and many other items sold currently) after that date :(. Please keep this in mind and make sure you stock up on the items that you love or would like to purchase now! This is a really sad thing and there are so very many talented craftsters out there that will be losing out from this new law. I am hoping that there will be a revision soon! Check out the "save handmade" link to the right in my blog for more info.

{child size apron in my shop}

I hope you all have a wonderful and blessed new year!

~Rachel

New stuff in my shop!

2008-10-03T14:05:00.008-04:00

Some pretty new pincushions to go in my shop! I love these new pear pincushions :).

Pear Pincushion (Qty. 1) $15.00 + $2.50 US Shipping

Here are the new coasters available in my shop - don't you just love Sandi Henderson & Heather Bailey's fabrics? I sure do!

Set of 4 Quilted Coasters $15.00 + $1.75 US Shipping

Here is a half apron version of the Isabelle full apron.

Half Apron $35 + $3.50 US Shipping

Full Apron already sold

Feel free to check out my shop for other new additions!

Nie Nie Benefit Sale

2008-09-25T23:00:00.003-04:00

Hi there!

I wanted to let you know that I am participating in the Nie Nie Benefit Sale on Etsy. For those of you who don't know, Stephanie and Christian Nielson were in a plane crash and suffered severe burns. They are still in the burn unit and have a long road to recovery ahead of them. They have 4 children and their family is taking care of them right now. They are in my prayers, and I know they would appreciate it if you would keep them in your prayers as well. Check out the C Jane Enjoy It button on the right to find more updates on their condition.

I am so excited about how well the sale is doing! Go check out updates on Morgan's blog here. And don't forget to check out the sale on Etsy!

P.S.

That's our new Bernina in the background! My mother, sister and I went in together on a used Bernina 1630 and I love it!

Meet Ginger the Giraffe

2008-08-15T06:45:00.010-04:00

Ginger, meet blog readers. Blog readers, meet Ginger. This cutie is the latest addition to my Etsy shop and I thought I should introduce her. As I was making her, she seemed to gain a personality of her own and when she was finished, I soon felt it necessary to keep her close. "This would make a great spot to take a photo...hmm...let's try over here. Oooh, that looks cute. Let's take some more pictures!"

No, I don't think I'm going insane or even am regressing to my younger stuffed animal-toting days, but I must say she makes me smile when I look at her. Perhaps this has something to do with my love for Sandi Henderson's Ginger Blossom fabric...yes, that could have a part in it!

Hopefully someone will make her their own soon, so I can still be considered "normal" and someone in the right age range will be able to enjoy her. Of course, I don't think it would be a problem if a mommy got attached and had her on display in the baby's nursery. (Shh...we won't tell!).

Mother's Day Celebration

2008-05-18T20:53:00.007-04:00

Last weekend the ladies (and young ladies!) in my church got together for a Mother's Day sleepover. We treated our mothers to an alfresco Italian pizza-themed meal and played games, then later that evening we watched One Night With the King and stayed up late. It was a lot of fun and was a special time spent with our friends and Mothers. My friend Johanna did an excellent job with the flower arrangements for the table and we had a lot of fun decorating and coming up with pretty table settings. Such fun and so many wonderful memories were made!

My friend Jessica and I were in charge of planning the food (although many helped in the preparation of it!). Making different unusual pizzas was so much fun! Catching up on sleep was another story... ;)

Catching Up

2008-04-13T16:02:00.010-04:00

Ooops! Looks like I've got some catching up to do! I looked through my pictures to find something to blog about and I came across some pictures of some antique shop finds and some pictures of a couple of cards I made a little bit ago.

One of my first finds was this friendship ball. I had bought a reproduction friendship ball from a great little shop called My Secret Garden in Manteo, NC a few years ago and at around only $4.00, I couldn't pass this one up! I am not sure who I will share this one with, but I am thinking about my sister. I share the one I bought a few years ago with my dear friend Bethany and we have had many fun exchanges with it so far. We stick little gifts in them and pass it back and forth. It's always fun to get it, and to come up with fun little things to put in it!

Another fun find was a stack of FREE decorating magazines including some of my favorites, Country Home and Country Living.

Here are some cards that I made for my friends Katrina and Bethany for their birthdays...

The Inside -->

I had so much fun making the paper posies! These were very

fun to make. I just love the Amy Butler paper lines!

So I guess that's it. We have started mowing again, so I'll be

busy with that as well as trying to be able to do some crafty

things on the weekends and in the evenings...that is if I'm not

too exhausted!

I'm Back!

2008-03-07T11:16:00.012-05:00

Continuing on, during the summer I work for my father as a "Lawn Beautification Specialist", as we jokingly call ourselves. Actually, what we do is mow lawns, and then in the fall to early winter, we do leaf cleanup jobs. This is my primary income, and then in the winter, and off and on during the summer (as time permits), I make and sell my stuff on Etsy/Ebay. I still maintain my website, but I just don't have as much time to make things to sell. I am usually pretty tired in the evening once we get home.

Right now I am getting ready to do a launch for the Ginger Blossom fabric line by Sandi Henderson for Michael Miller Fabrics. Actually, the launch has already begun, but it will continue on until March 13th. Just go to http://www.etsy.com/ and search using the word "GingerBlossom" (all one word). I am pretty excited! I ordered my fabric and it hasn't arrived yet, but hopefully soon so I can get sewing! Check out the awesome Ginger Blossom fabric line here.

In my shop, I sell fabric napkins, handmade cards, altered tins, stylish rubber and clear stamps, aprons, pincushions, gift bows and more. I am always trying out new ideas, and I tend to switch back and forth a lot from sewing to papercrafts, sewing to papercrafts, etc., etc.! Come and check it out and let me know what you think :).

Here are some pictures of some of my latest altered band-aid tins I am selling or have sold already on Ebay.

Welcome to my blog!

2008-03-07T08:49:00.001-05:00

I'm really new to this whole blogging thing, but it seems from what I've observed so far that it can become addictive, so I'm guessing I'll be used to it shortly! Welcome to the Creations by Rachel blog. It's great to have you here (if anyone at all ends up coming!).

I guess I could start with a little bit about myself. I just started my business, Creations by Rachel, about two or three years ago, first under the name "Ever-Changing Fashions". This business name didn't really fit my business, so I changed it to a slightly more descriptive, yet also more generic (how can those be together?) "Creations by Rachel". I started out on Ebay selling my cards, but eventually started selling altered band-aid tins as well. Sometime or another I started look around for different places to sell my crafts and found Etsy. WHEW! I am so glad that I did because now I have a website that I can send potential customers to and there services are very reasonably priced. Although I have not had nearly as many sales as some, I am excited about the outcome that selling on Etsy has produced.

I will have to continue this later, but thanks for looking!