Week 204 Anything but a Card-

Good Morning Everyone,

I hope that this finds you all well and enjoying the start of a lovely weekend,

This week at Allsorts it is Anything But a Card and I have a couple of designs to show you as I couldn't make my mind up which one to show you.

The first one is a decorated box which I painted first with acrylic paint and then covered it with a few different Kaiser Craft papers.  I used one of the Grand labels dies to use as a backdrop for the perfume bottles from House of Zandra.  A Tattered Floral flower and a Crafts Too swirl finished off this project.

I also would like to show you this really quick but pretty project 

This is just a plain paper bag that I decorated with Kaiser Craft papers as a background and Spellbinder swirls and flowers to add dimension. Buttons finished off the flowers.

Please pop over to the Assorts Challenge Blog to check out the other Design Team members work - it is all stunning.

Enjoy the rest of a lovely weekend and hope that you can find a few minutes to pop a comment in so that I can see what you think to my Anything but a Card! 

Bye for now

Jo xx

Another quick Spellbinder fix!

Hi Crafters

Well finally the marathon is complete and I hope that lots of you took advantage of these amazing prices on the Spellbinders that have been on the shows.

Here is another sample showing another way to use the Medallion 7.  This die has a lovely flower in the centre and looks fabulous when it is decoupaged up in the centre.  I have also used the die to stencil through and make a perfect and unique background. I have also used Decorative labels 22

 This die has a lovely flower in the centre and looks fabulous when it is decoupaged up in the centre.  I have also used the die to stencil through and make a perfect and unique background. I have also used Decorative labels 22.

Use colours that go together so that they blend really well.

This one is a nice fresh looking design using the Just Swinging Shapeability and the Floral Corner which was very popular.  The petite labels set was used to pop a sentiment onto the card.

Cutting the dies out of black cardstock and popping it onto rainbow cardstock really makes it pop.

Thankyou for popping by and please join me tomorrow for the Allsorts Challenge for this week x

Bye for Now

Jo xx

Spellbinder Show and Tell Day 2 and 3

Hello Everyone,

Back again with some more pictures of the Spellbinder samples.  I have had such a problem trying to get onto the internet again at the studio and apologise for the delay - I am home tonight and so for the rest of the week there wont be any problem!

The shows have been tremendous and I have had some fantastic emails and pictures so thank you to everyone that has taken the time to send these in.

I am just hanging around waiting to do my last hour!!!!!! of the 18 since Monday.  Last night was tough as the air conditioning in the Ideal World studio broke down and it was like a sauna! My only thought was I do hope this sweats some unwanted areas of fat off!!! lol (by the way it didn't if you are wondering!)

Anyway down to business .....................................

This is a couple of the Die-di-lites - the Bonsai Tree and one of the Ornamental Tags (sorry in the green room so not sure about the number)

I have made a traditional Oriental Design and used the top of the tree to stencil through and make a background. I used Black Soot Distress Ink. Hope you like the idea.

This is using another ornamental tag and it is a favourite of mine. It has been stencilled with distress ink and used to pop the sentiment on.

I have also used the Locking Loops to sit this tag on.  You will also see some embossing on the co-ordinations cardstock and I have used Medallion 7 to give some texture. Just to explain if you are not familiar with how to do this - (explaining as if you are using a Calibur) you need the base plate then the die, place the rubber mat on top and then the embossing plate.

The final one today is using the Floral Ribbon Threader and the Butterfly corner die which is simply stunning.

I have cut the main die in parchment and you may have seen me demonstrate this in the first hour of the launch show.

Thankyou again for popping in to have a peep,

See you soon

Jo xx

Spellbinder Show and Tell

Hello Crafters

As promised here are a few samples from my marathon Spellbinder shows this week.  I had a slight problem with blogger yesterday and couldn't post from the studio so today I will pop four projects on.

I hope that you like them.

For this one (which I really love!) is using the Imperial Gold Circles One and the sentiment has been stamped onto the middle die of the Ornate Squares.  This is perfect for sentiments.  The Die Di-lite than I have used is the Love Locket set which has the most stunning filigree detail.  The background is harder to see but has been embossed using the Reverence folder.  The background paper is from My Secret Garden from Graphic 45 (you will see this range a lot as I have just had them delivered into the shop and have totally fallen in love with them!!)

This is the card that I demonstrated this morning with Nigel but instead of using the Distress Markers to colour as I have with this one I used Flex markers which was the first time for me - really enjoyed using these I must say.

The Die is the Flower Box Di-lite which is so cute and perfect for smaller cards when you don't want to make a huge statement.

The layer that I have put this die on is from the Locking Loops set which will be on the shows this evening - Pick of the Day.

A little embossing on the background and a touch of glaze finished the design off.

This is a little sombre but shows off the dies a treat. The dies that I used are Windows 3 and the Asters and Poppy die.  I cut everything in plain white cardstock and then kept the card in the die and stencilled through with very light Black soot distress ink.  

One of the Petite Labels 1 has been used for the sentiment.

Something a little bit different with this one as I thought a favour box would be fabulous teamed up with the Medallion 7,  Using just the inside die on the side with glitter card for backing really adds a sparkle to a box that could be used for so many different purposes - jewellery, chocolates, wedding and party favour boxes.

the top has been cut as a whole and backed again with the glitter card.

A dazzler and gems were added to finish the project off.

 The top of the box showing the intricate details of this gorgeous die.

I hope that you have enjoyed these and please pop by tomorrow to see a few more.

The rest of my shows today are at 1pm and 4pm and then I launch the Pick of the Day at 9pm on Ideal World.  Hope that you can join me and it would be great to send an email.

Thankyou for popping by and hope to see you really soon,

Bye for now

Jo xx

Week 203 - A Passion for Flowers.

Hello Everyone!

Apologies for the lack of blogging last week, I'm afraid I just totally ran out of time due to work commitments.  Not sure where this week has gone either - does anyone else suffer from this problem with time!!!! lol

This week it is our lovely Brenda's challenge for Allsorts and we have all been given the same kit to design with and, as you will see, we have all come up with something very different.

This is the kit that we were given to play with ....

This is what I have come up with ....................

(Unfortunately you cant see but I put some lace on the bottom of the blind in the window)

I tried to make the fence look like a balcony outside the window but it looks more like a fire hearth!!!) oh dear! must try harder next week!!

Talking of being a bit busy next week on C and C I have 18 live hours (I know what you are thinking OMG we will be so fed up with her)!!  I was asked to do the Pick of the Day on Tuesday evening and Wednesday and then they rang to ask if I could do the 4 Day Deal as well!  so from Monday to Thursday as some point you may catch a couple of shows or two!  I am doing Spellbinders - nothing new but lots of the latest designs that they have restocked at fabulous prices - well worth a look for sure.

Today I am on my way to a fabulous craft group at Eagle, Nr Lincoln for an all day workshop so that looks like a fun day - we are guilding and gleaming, cutting and masking, inking and stamping etc ....... I am going to work their socks off.  I hope they have had porridge for breakfast!!

Please pop over to the Allsorts Challenge Blog and have a peep at what the other girls have come up with this week and have a bash at the Challenge - I think this is going to be a popular week ahead.

I hope that you all have a lovely weekend and a great week ahead

During next week each day starting on Monday I am going to post 2 samples of the Spellbinder samples that are going to be on the shows next week.  Hope that you can pop by to have a quick look.

Bye for now and thank you for popping by and hope that you can leave a quick comment.
Jo xxx

Week 201 - Spring has Sprung

Hello my Crafty Friends!

I hope that this finds everyone happy and all enjoyed your Easter weekend with family and friends and .................. chocolate, of course!

Easter Sunday did end my fast and thankyfully (although at times towards the very end this was a little touch and go !) ) I was successful in completing my 40 days and nights without chocolate, biscuits and cake and I am very pleased to say that I raised a grand total of £155.00 for our local play group through sponsorship.  I felt that it was all worth while (after the event!) I don't think taking chocolate away from a mid-forties female maybe is not the best idea in the world and Mark was very pleased to furnish me with a large bag of Cadburys mini-eggs on Easter Sunday morning!

May I say a huge thankyou and welcome to my new blog followers

Busy week at C and C again this week with the fabulous Easter give-away event - wow! fantastic shows with everyone taking advantage of all the very generous give aways that were taking place.  This week I have been showcasing the latest of the Die Di-lites from Spellbinders and they are lovely too.

I am back in tomorrow doing the Tool Shed and hope to show some techniques in the 2 hour show.

I have nothing scheduled for next week at the studio (but seriously need to catch up at base - I think my shop has forgotten what I look like and the car certainly finds its way with no hesitation!

Today at Allsorts it is my challenge and I chose 

"Spring has Sprung"

(Please bear in mind that we send our Challenge suggestions to Brenda several weeks in advance and so this explains the rather hopeful title!!!)

This is my project to wet your appetite to have a go at this week's challenge.

This is a rare appearance of any parchment project for me. I have a dabble when I have the chance and also hold classes at the shop when we can fit a Saturday morning in. I thought that this was a perfect pattern for our Challenge for the week.

There is very little to explain with regards to products used but I do use Faber Castell pencils to colour when using the dry pencil technique.

I know this is very different to my usual posts but I hope that you like it.

Please pop over to the Allsorts Challenge to see the lovely Spring creations from the Team.  Thankyou to them all for there fabulous projects.

I hope that you are able to have a bash at the Challenge this week and perhaps leave a comment with me to let me know what you think to mine.

Enjoy your weekend whatever you are up to and if you are around at 12 noon tomorrow have a peep at the toolshed on C and C to catch some ideas for your Spellbinder Die Di-lites.

Take care and have a great week

Bye for now

Jo xx