Week 286 - No Design papers allowed!

Good Morning everyone,

Thankyou for popping in this morning - I hope that you are all well and have had a great week.

Last week was busy as ever with our fabulous Let's Create Dabble Day.  It was a fantastic day with lots of fun with wall to wall crafting and cake and tea - what more can we wish for!!

This week at Allsorts we have been asked by our Chief Team Member aka Brenda to show you a project that we have made without using design papers.  

I couldn't decide which one to show you so I have two!

A really quick an easy little number using Tattered Lace embossing folders and Tim Holz Poinsettia die and tag.  The card size is a 7" x 5" and I have embossed the corner of the Holly folder and then coloured it over with distress ink and Treasure Gold wax.  I have used the Holly border folder across the tag too.  The poinsettias were die cut and stamped onto with a music stamp from Sheena and then inked and spritzed.  Candy and vintage ribbon finish off the design.

The second design that I have decided to show you is using an embossing folder from Crafters Companion Vintage range.  I embossed it and then sanded the embossed areas down with a sanding block so that the ink soaked into the paper more and this has highlighted the baubles.  The sentiment is from Stampendous and I have used a little Frantage to embellish the corners. A bit of glossy accents, ribbon and bakers twine bow finish off the project.

I hope that this has inspired you to have a go at the Challenge this week.  Please pop over to the Allsorts Challenge Blog to have a look at the other Team members ideas and all the information about our lovely sponsors this week.

I have a couple of Create and Craft shows next week - Monday at 4pm and 2 shows on Thursday 12oclock and 3pm and this show is free p and p! Both shows will be using Tattered Lace dies. 

Thankyou for popping in and please find a few minutes to leave a comment if you can - I really appreciate hearing what you think to the projects today.

Enjoy a lovely weekend whatever you are doing,

Bye for now

Jo xx

Week 183 - Advent - Take 2!!

Hello Again Everyone!

Well here we go with take 2 of the Allsorts Challenge which has been my week to think of a title.
I thought with it falling on the 1st of December it had to be

ADVENT

I would like to show you my Advent Calendar that I made for our Daughter Kate (who, as you know is 19 years old but just loves to have an advent calendar still!!)

I have used a Twiddlybitz Advent House which has been painted with white acrylic paint.  I have also sprayed it with silver Spray and Sparkle from Crafters Companion this gave it a little bling.

Because the House is so gorgeous and intricate you don't need to put much decoration on it but I have added some die cuts - snowflake from Spellbinders and the Sleigh and Reindeer is a Marianne design and I have cut these in silver mirri card.

The numbers have been cut from Tim Holtz Vintage Market Alphabet set which is one of my favourites.
The chocolates, of course, are essential just add your favourites and start to count down the days!
This is a project that will come out year after year and was lovely to do.  I hope that you like it too.  I would love for you to leave a comment and also pop over to the Allsorts Blog to have a look and the teams lovely ideas.

As mentioned yesterday in Part 1 of the post I was at Create and Craft demonstrating the Cuttlebug with a  huge amount of folders and the All-in-One system that has been so popular.  It was fun going back to demo the Cuttlebug.  I am back again Monday for a 10am show and if you are interested in a Cuttle Bug this is such an amazing offer.

I have quite a week at the studio and I am also there on the following days and times:

Tuesday 9pm and 11pm - Spellbinders Pick of the Day Launch!

Wednesday 8am, 10am, 12pm, 1pm, 3pm, 4pm, 5pm, and 7pm!!!  PHEW!!

I will be demonstrating the Spellbinders Pick of the Day throughout these hours.

Sunday 9th  10am for Scrapbook Sunday

1pm Demonstrating Teresa Collins gorgeous papers and stamps.

I hope that you can catch a few of these hours and please send an email to let me know someone is out there!!!

Thankyou for your patients this week and thankyou again for Brenda bailing me out yesterday.

Must dash as I have soooooo many demos to prep for next week

Bye for now

Jo xxx

P.s  Pictures of our Birthday weekend will be put on the blog, just waiting for Mum to pop them on a disc.

Week 157 ...Oh we do like to be beside the Seaside!

Good Morning!

I hope that everyone is looking forward to the extended Jubilee Weekend, who has plans?  I'm not sure that the weather is going to be very graceful which is such a shame considering the weather that we have been having.  I hope that it doesn't spoil anyone's plans.  Let me know what you are all doing it's great to hear all about everyone.

This mornings Allsorts Challenge is all about the seaside. Our lovely Fleur has set this fabulous challenge for us and the winner will receive 6 digi stamps! from the lovely Digi Stamp Boutique.
Thank you to them. 

My take on this Challenge is this card using a gorgeous stamp from Faye Whittaker from the All Our Yesterday's series of stamps.  It doesn't matter whichever design I use from this series I always love the results and the images are so cute.

I coloured the image with pro-markers and pencils, the mix really worked on this image.  It doesnt show very clearly but I have softly penciled in the sea and the horizon with the sun just setting.  Don't you wish you could be there right now!

The papers used are from the Melissa Francis range and I have also used the Tim Holtz rosette die and a Marianne swirl to finish everything off. Mustn't forget the bunting especially this weekend! Have you got yours up?!!

I hope that you like the design - I really enjoyed working on it and it gives you a really warm feeling

 looking at it.

We have got another busy weekend at the shop - tomorrow we have got

LEONIE!

coming to demonstrate Crafty Notions products - I am sure that we are in for a fun filled day.

If you are in the area the demo is on 10 til 4 with an English Tea Party for refreshments and a free raffle.  There is plenty of free parking. 

Drop me an email on lets.create@btinternet.com if you would like further information on where we are. 

We also have a parchment demonstration from Josie Davidson, Parchment Guild Tutor, on Saturday 9th June and Clare Rowlands, Molly Bloom, is coming along to demonstrate on 16th June.  A busy and exciting month at Let's Create. 

AND .......................................................

Finally ...................................................................

The Winner of the Allsorts Birthday present is ...............................................................................

# 64  ...........................  KASSA

Congratulations - please e mail me on the above address with your details!

A HUGE THANKYOU

to everyone that commented and also a HUGE welcome to my new followers - I hope that you enjoy my blog! 

Must dash now need to get sorted for tomorrow!

Enjoy a lovely weekend whatever you are doing,

Bye for now

Jo xx

Week 146 - Three in a Row

Good Morning

Thankyou for popping in to see what I have to show you today. I have the pleasure of hosting this weeks Allsorts Challenge and it is Three in a Row

I thought this was quite perfect for this weeks Challenge as the butterflies are perfectly in a row.  This is the project that we made in the Tim Holtz workshop at the trade show in February and I thought I would save it for posting now as it really fitted the bill.

I was thrilled with the finished piece and really enjoyed doing it (it was a huge benefit that we had the master to teach us!!  Tim Holtz.)

The project started with 2 canvasses with TH tissue tape wrapped around it and then distressed with vintage photo.  The list of other products that we used is endless but I will list a few but please feel free to get in touch and ask me about any further detail.

The stamps that we used were Stampers Anonymous Attic Treasures

Idea-ology screw eyes, tissue wrap, adornments, sprocket gears, game spinners,film strip ribbon, journaling ticket, metal corners (these are stunning!) grungeboard and a pen nib.

We also used Sizzix alterations to cut the heart. This is in the movers and shapers range.

The most impressive product that we used are the Distress Markers.  We used these for the first time as they were launched at the show.  (I have ordered a full stand for the shop, cant wait for it to arrive!)

We coloured the butterflies with these, if you are a lover of Distress inks you will love these too.  The ink in the pen is the exact colour of all the existing DI's.

We also used clear Rock Candy distress crackle paint which is fab to use and creates a great finish to grungepaper or board.

I hope that this has inspired you to have a go at an altered canvas. With  these quality products you can't fail to create a masterpiece.

Thankyou for popping in today and I would really love to hear what you think to the project.  All your comments are so appreciated.

Also pop over to the Allsorts Challenge to see the other fab designs from the Design Team members.

Have a fabulous weekend and Happy Mother's Day to all the Mums, I hope that you are all spoilt rotten and relax while everyone runs around you for a change!

Bye for now

Jo xx

                                                                    

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