Saturday 23 November 2013

Week 234 - Bring on the Bling

Good Morning Everyone,

 
How was your week? another one flies by and we are being constantly reminded how need Christmas is! I ask myself where has this year gone?!  I am going Christmas shopping at Meadowhall on Monday with Caroline (who is trying to organise me! - I really don't think she realises what a job she has taken on!!
We have been doing quick and easy Christmas cards this week in workshops for those of us who are struggling to get all of their cards done.
Today at the Allsorts Challenge we have been asked to show you a project which fits into this title:.................  Bring on the Bling
 
so I thought this project would fit the bill .......................................
 
 
This is a demonstration card that I did a few weeks ago on Create and Craft using several Sepllbinders products including the Die-lite mini Holiday Tree and the Reindeer is from the Holiday forms set and this has been cut from gold pearl cardstock.  The trees have with layered with a 2nd tree and both layers have been guilded with flake. The framework has been made using Labels 18 which I really enjoy using. The greeting is a Cheery Lynn Die which is one of my favourites and I have also used gold gleams on this. This particular die cuts like a dream.  The background is an embossibility (apologies the name escapes me!) and I have used some guilding wax from Crafty Notions to highlight the embossed area.
The finishing touch is the bling which I have randomly stuck onto the background.
I hope that you are able to leave a quick comment and tell me what you think to this card.
I personally like the design and loved working with all of the products that I have used on this project.
 
Thankyou to our sponsors this week:
A Whiff of Joy
and
My Heart pieces

Please pop over to the Allsorts Blog and check out the other designs from the team.
Thankyou for popping by and hope you like the project this week.
Enjoy a lovely weekend whatever you are doing and hope to see you next week.
Bye for now
Jo x
 


Saturday 16 November 2013

Week 233 - Allsorts Challenge - A gift

Good Morning Everybody,

Welcome to the start of the weekend again - I love to say that!
I hope everyone that went to the NEC had a fabulous time - I had a ball! it really was a busman's holiday for me but it was great to see so many fellow demonstrators, catching up and admiring their demo samples.  It seems like a lifetime since I worked at a show.  I had a lovely chat with Joanna (Sheen) and congratulated her on becoming a Granny! she was so pleased to show off her photographs of her cute grand-daughter.
 
It was also lovely to see so many crafters and having a chat in the aisles! We stayed at a gorgeous bed and breakfast with a very comfy, warm bed which was so well received after all the walking around the show and we were set up for another day with a super cooked breakfast. 
Thankyou to my dear friend Caroline and her mum Judy for taking me and looking after me! (as Mark instructed them to do!!)
Today's Allsorts challenge has been chosen by our lovely Sarah and she has asked us for ..................................
 
A Gift
 
and I have chosen to show you a box that I decorated for Caroline for her birthday earlier in the year.
 
 
The top of the box.
I have used black craft metal that I have embossed through a Spellbinders 3d embossing folder. It was then rubbed back using a sanding block.  The papers that I have used are from Heartfelt Creation and the embellishments are from the Hobby House.

This is a view from the side.

 
We have some very kind sponsors again this week:-
 
PASSION FOR STAMPS
AND
THE CRAFT BARN.
 
With 2 prizes up for grabs I have that you will have a go at the Challenge. Pop along to the Allsorts Challenge Blog where you will find lots more inspiration and ideas from our fabulous design team.
 
We have painting on parchment at the shop today with Maria Maidment so I am looking forward to that.
I hope that you all have a fabulous weekend, it speaks of being chilly so keep warm and wrap up if you have to go out.
 
Thankyou so much for popping in, please leave a comment and also pop in next week.
 
Bye for now
Jo xxx


Saturday 9 November 2013

Week 232 - Allsorts Challenge White Christmas

Good Morning Everyone,
 
I hope you all are well and happy.
 
I have been as very lucky girl this week and spent two whole days shopping at the NEC with my very dear Friends Caroline and Judy.
It was great to see so many friendly faces and lots of you that I didn't know before but do now!
We certainly shopped until we dropped - there were some fabulous items ready for our lovely money.
We also had the opportunity to sit down in some of the workshops including Decopatch, Silk painting and a Pebeo painting project. It really is a unusual occurrence sitting down in someone else's workshop.
We are starting to stock Decopatch in the shop - it is so popular and sew simple to achieve a really great looking project.  I bought all the products to decorate a 24" penquin wearing a fancy waistcoat.  I saw a similar one at the show and thought this would be a fabulous project so here goes!!
I will take some pictures when he is finished. (BTW I have called him Percy!)
Today Caroline is in the shop running a Christmas box decorating workshop and I am having a go at this too! I am so spoilt this week!
 
This weeks Allsorts Challenge is going to be:-
 
White Christmas.
This is a fabulous title for the Challenge and I am sure that it will be another busy week.
 
This is my design to give inspiration.
 
 
This really wasn't a great card to get a good photograph from but I will explain a little.
The card is a 6" x 6" pearl card and I have used a Crafters Companion exbossing folder on Centura Pearl to give a Christmas background.  The tree and the baubles and from the Holiday Tree die from Spellbindrs.  The decorations are also from this set and make a perfect combination don't you think?
It is difficult to see but I have put a overlay of acetate so that the ornaments and the tree stand proud away from the card.
I doubled the tree and folded the top layer back to give dimension.
The tree has also been glued and decorate using the Pinflair glitter. The tree has been dipped into Diamond crystals give a great Christmas appeal.
 
I have seen some beautiful White Christmas cards out there so please enter your design if you have one.
 
Remember to tidy the back of the card where you fastenwell!
 
Must dash now I promised Caroline that I would be ready .  Keep in touch and please leave a comment for me to have a look at.
 
Bye for now
Jo xx
 


Saturday 2 November 2013

Week 231 - Christmas cheer at Allsorts

Hello crafters,

Thank you for your lovely comments on last weeks post.  Another busy week has past by in a flash and today I am in Wales visiting the fabulous ladies at Dandie Crafts.  We are having a workshop today and tomorrow with lots of inkiness and die cutting.  They always make Mark and myself so welcome and today has been no exception.

The week ahead is proving to be a busy one as I am at the studio on Tuesday doing a couple of shows at 10am and 3pm.  I have a great show with Spellbinders die-lites at a ridiculous price! Thursday and Friday I am heading to the NEC for a little craft retailer therapy. My dear friend Caroline Whatling and her lovely mum Judy have invited me to go along with them. We are staying over and so will have lots of time to have a good look around.  Say hello if you are there as well.

Today's Allsorts challenge has been set by our lovely Tracey and she has chosen the following virus to get our teeth into ~

                                                   CHRISTMAS CHEER!

I have chosen to share this with you -



I have used a couple of the recent Die-lites from Spellbinders. The middle is the wreath and the corners are also from this range. The background is one of my favourite masks from Ali Reeves collection - I have embossed it and then covered it with vintage photo distress ink. The sentiment is from Sheena's Christmas stamp range. To finish the wreath off I have used berry red pva glue and a bow. The card size is 7" x 7" which is a good size for sending to a family at Christmas. 

I hope at you can pop over to the Allsorts Challenge blog to check out some gorgeous ideas from the lovely design team. 

Thank you so much for popping by. Please leave a comment if you have time.
Must dash I have my lovely Welsh ladies waiting for me at Dandie Crafts.
Bye for now
Jo xxx