Week 143 - Allsorts Challenge Free and Easy and Trade show pictures

Hello Everyone,

Well this week has been a great improvement on the last one.  Kate is back driving and the weather has drastically improved.  Mark and I also spent 3 days at Stitches Trade show at the NEC.  Take a look at some of the photographs at the end of the blog to have a peek at some great new stuff!

This week's challenge on Allsorts Challenge is the last week of Free and Easy.  I cant believe how many entries there has been over the last few weeks so much amazing inspiration.  Here is my offering for this week

The picture isnt amazing but hopefully you can see that it is a really comical decoupage of the very cute House Mouse group getting on with their New Years resolution.  It is a really fun design and would make anyone laugh when making it up.  The backing paper is from House Mouse backing papers CD rom and it really finishes the stamped and decoupage designs off a treat. 

I hope that you like the card and dont forget to pop over to the Allsorts Blog to have a look at the other DT members designs. 

Now for the pictures that we took at Stitches.  We went to Birmingham on the Friday to be ready to attend a Rangers workshop held by the amazingly talented Tim Holtz and his team.  We made a

fabulous wall hanging (forgot to take a photograph of it but will sort this out tomorrow and post!)We got a chance to use all the Ranger products including the very latest which is the Distress Pens.  Wow these are something to report home about.  These pens are filled with the exact same colour as the corresponding distress ink.  They blend so well and the colours are so true.  Look out for these in the shops they will be arriving towards the middle of March.

The show opened on Sunday and it was very busy, we decided to look around and then decide on what we wanted to buy.  The demonstrations were excellent on the stands from all the faces that we love.

These designs are from the lovely Clare Rowland from Molly Bloom. This is some of the new collection and as you can see they have a Circus theme. Clare is an amazing crafter and we were lucky enough to arrange a demonstration at the shop too.

This picture is the lovely Steve from Little Claire they have also released a new range of stamps and the character is called Flossie.  We have been lucky to have these delivered already - they are really lovely images that will work perfectly with your pro-markers.  Look out for these.

This is a picture of some of Hels Sheridan's work.  It is stunning 3 dimensional work made using Wendy Vecchi stamps and Art Parts. All Hels work is fantastic.  If you like to have a go at something like this these are the products to try them with and with all the Ranger products used with them you finish off with an amazing project.  Hels is also demonstrating for us at the shop - date to be arranged.

This is an example of some of the new designs from Indigo Blu.  We have had these in the shop for a few weeks and have been extremely popular.  They also received the award for best stamp rage at the awards evening.  Well deserved too!

This is another sample from Indigo Blu showing the guilding flakes being used with the new flitter glue too.

We caught up with Sheena and had a demo of her new Paint Fushion range including the fushion transfers.  She was a lovely as ever and so proud of her new range.  Have a go if you get the opportunity.

Check these out they are simply amazing.

This photograph was taken at the awards ceremony which is held every year on the Sunday evening.  Joanna was awarded the Best card Designer and we were all over the moon for her.  (We also enjoyed the cupcakes too!!)

We came home on the Monday evening weighed down with  catalogues and information.  Also very excited about the product that we have ordered and will be in the shop very soon.  Keep an eye out for all these.

I am demonstrating House Mouse stamps and decoupage and Spellbinders at Inspirations in Preston (Ann-Marie from Hunkydory's home!) It is the shops 2nd birthday and they are holding demonstrations all week in one form or another go onto their website for more details.

I hope you are still with me - sorry tonights blog was lengthy but I wanted to tell you so much!

Thank you, as ever, for popping in and I hope that you are all lucky with the Allsorts Challenge.

Bye for now

Jo xxx

Week 142 Allsorts Challenge - Again Free and Easy

Hello Everyone,

Well what a week we have had, not all good I am afraid but hoping to finish it much better.  Our Daughter Kate had a car accident last Saturday, she went out in the early morning and it was -18 in Coningsby (on the news as being the coldest in the country!) and unfortunately skidded on some black ice.  She has only been driving a year so this was extremely traumatic for her.  Thank goodness she is ok - a few bruises and very sore but all in one piece ... phew.  Unfortunately the car wasn't as lucky but this can be replaced our Kate isn't replaceable.  So the week has been trying to sort out insurance and a car so that she can get to work.

 All is good now she is fine driving again and back at work so another crises over in the Channon house.  As I mentioned I am finishing the week on a high though tomorrow I am at the NEC attending a Ranger workshop with the one and only!!  Tim Holtz.  It is the trade show this weekend and we are staying over in Birmingham so that we can attend the show on Sunday and Monday.  I will be taking lots of photos so that you can have a sneeky peep at some of the new goodies coming our way.  Keep an eye out for these.

For this weeks challenge for Allsorts we are continuing with the Free and Easy February theme and here is what I would like to share with you

I have used one of Stampendous Jumbo stamps and this one is a particular favourite of mine.  The stamp comes in 2 pieces - the frame and the cameo and this makes it so useful for so many projects. I have used a grand Spellbinder oval to place the stamp on and distressed it with Vintage photo.  I also used Stampendous Cracked glass champagne glitter.  This is a really gorgeous product.  For the background I used distress stain - Wild Honey to cover some coated paper and Tim Holts Kraft Glassine paper to make some flowers.

I hope that you like my offering and please pop over to the Allsorts to check out all the girls gorgeous projects and don't forget their own blogs they are very inspirational.

Keep an eye out on the blog for the Trade show photos,

Bye for now,

Jo x

Week 141 - Still Free and Easy!

Hello My Blog Friends,

Well!  what is this weather all about!! Cold or what ....  coming back from the shop last night it was -8 degrees.  I think that it is one really good excuse to stay indoors and craft in the warm!

Todays offering is my project for the Allsorts Challenge, we are still in February so are still free and easy! I thought I would show you a project that we did in a workshop a few weeks ago.

As you can see we were decorating boxes.  We started with a plain box, we covered it in plain black paper on the lid and the base.  To coordinate with the black I used some foundation polka dot paper which went so well.  Around the edges we wrapped some coordinating lace and used one of the Spellbinder border dies. The lid was the focal point of the whole project and I chose to use die cuts to decorate mine.  The flourishes are a Cheery Lynn die (Victorian Flourish) and the flowers were a mixture of Spellbinder Flower dies. To finish the flowers off I used Creative Expressions black pearl glue. 

Everyone in the workshop enjoyed the project.  The idea of decorating the box was so that they could be used for Christmas presents - I asked everyone who they would give theirs too - guess what the answer was!!  none of them were going to give them away!!

I hope that it inspires you to have a go at decorating a box its great fun.  Please pop over to the Allsorts Challenge Blog all the girls have made some stunning projects as ever.

Enjoy a lovely weekend and keep warm and safe on the roads.

Please leave a comment if you have time it is great to hear from you all.

Bye for now

Jo xx

Week 140 Free and Easy February!

Good Morning Everyone,

Today's post is my card for the Allsorts Challenge which is entitled Free and Easy February and this is my offering.  This card is using one of my favourite crafting products - Artists Spackle.  For those that haven't used it before have a go. It is a dimensional paste that you can use in so many ways.  For this design I have used it with a Special Touch mask (not sure which one but will pop it on later when I have a look what it is called!)  I then used gold mica powder and Wild Honey distress ink to colour.  It may take a couple of layers of distress ink but it is worth it.  I have also added some roses that I have made using a punch, I love making these and whenever I put them on a card it is admired.  The Spellbinder border and gold mirri card, pearl cardstock for the background just finishes it all off.  I think this would make a lovely Wedding card and also a Golden Wedding too. 

I hope that you like my offering for today I certainly enjoyed making it and I hope that you have something that you can pop into the Free and Easy February Challenge over at Allsorts.  The other girls on the DT have also posted some stunning cards so I hope that you are inspired by these.

Thank you for popping by and please leave a comment I am always so grateful for all your comments.

Bye for now and hope that the snow doesnt get too bad for you, what an excuse to craft though!!!

Jo xxx