Allsorts Challenge Week 178 - In Stitches

Hello Crafters,

Firstly,  its great to be back posting for the Allsorts Challenge.  Thankyou to all the fab girls on the Design Team for keeping me on board after my absence.  I returned to the shop on Tuesday and it's fantastic to be back getting my hands dirty and seeing all my crafting friends and customers. Karen, Jac and, of course, Mark have done an amazing job keeping everything ticking over.

This week it is our lovely Brenda's challenge and she has chosen a design featuring stitching.  That gives a great scope especially with stitching being so popular on our cards at the moment.  I have chosen this design to show you

The main focal point of the card is the stunning butterfly from Joanna Sheen's I Love Knitting stamp set and I have stamped and embossed it with detailed white embossing powder so that it resembles parchment.  There is so much detail in the design it is a favourite of mine and was very popular when Joanna released it.   The background framework is a Nellie Snellan die and I have used the die cut eyelets to thread the decorative cord through.  The background paper is Bo Bunny and the floral embellishment is a Marianne.

It is a great little card that would suit so many different occasions.  As usual the DT have displayed some fabulous projects on the Allsorts Challenge Blog pop over to have a peep and have a go at taking part - I am sure it will be a really popular week this week.  Thankyou to our sponsors Flonz Crafts http://www.flonzcraft.com.

Thankyou for popping by please leave a comment,  I love reading them and I hope that you enjoy a lovely weekend - keep warm the weather has turned a bit chilly!

Bye for now
Jo xx

Sooooo Excited - Let's Create stamping range

Hello Again!

I know 2 posts in one day - just a quick post as I wanted to share our new stamp range with you.  These gorgeous stamps have been drawn by the lovely Maria Maidment who is a well known parchment tutor and designer - you will have seen her work in the Parchment magazine is you are a follower of this lovely craft.

We have 5 sets - have a look at these!

I would love to hear from you to let me know what you think to them.  They are a polymer stamp and are much bigger than they appear on the front cover.  They are a joy to use.

a few of Let's Creates friends have designed some samples using them 

by Karen

                                                                      by Jac

One of Mine!

by Caroline

by Caroline

We are having a demo day at the shop today if you are around and about in the area starting at 10am until 4pm.  I will be demonstrating alongside Maria showcasing her parchment skills.

The kettle is never cold.

Drop me a comment to give me your opinion on the stamps - I do value everyone's opinions.

Each stamp set costs £10.99 if you are interested please let me know.

Thankyou, as always, for popping by and enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Bye for now

Jo x

A Huge Thankyou!!!

Hello Everyone

Back in the land of the living and total and absolute freedom with the lap top .....  Yes!!!!!
Everything is going really well and I ventured out to the shop on Saturday.  We had a fabulous demo with Hel's Sheridan going on and I needed .........  yes needed ........... to get a fix.  3 weeks of clean hands and no ink anywhere has been more difficult than getting used to low fat food!!!! lol.

I would like to take this opportunity of saying a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone for all their fabulous cards, flowers, gifts and blog good wishes I have been so warmed by everyone and feel that a recovery has definately been quickened by everyone being sooooooo kind.  The crafting world is an amazing place to belong and I am so pleased to be part of it.

Mark took a photograph of all my beautiful flowers that I have been sent and here it is

and some of my fabulous cards 

This really doesn't show all of them and how gorgeous they all were - you are a clever lot and they really kept my spirits up - they are all in a lovely box I couldn't possibly part with them.

I would also like to say a huge thankyou to Karen and Jac for being there for Mark when he needed help to keep our little empire ticking we are both so grateful.

I am going back to the shop tomorrow - can't wait to get stuck in! (I know before you say it I will take it steady - well for at least an hour!!! joking!) 

I am booked to do a demo at my own shop!!! on Saturday 27th showcasing Let's Create's new stamp range designed by the very talented Maria Maidment  - I am so excited about this. 

If you have time please pop by tomorrow as I will be putting them on here with some fabulous samples and I would love to hear your thoughts on them.

Thankyou again to everyone 

and LET'S CRAFT!!!

Until tomorrow bye for now

Jo xxx

Hello Crafters

This needs to be a quick post as I have been given the lap top for the first time since I came out of hospital and the family have given me time limit so that I do not attempt to work on it!!! WHATEVER!!!  Unfortunately I will be absent from blog land (with any pieces of work or Allsorts Challenge) for a few weeks as I have had an unexpected admission into hospital which resulted in an operation to remove my Gall Bladder!  I have been home for 5 days and unfortunately still stuck upstairs as I cant manage the stairs yet as I am still quite sore.  Fortunately it was key hole surgery but it looks as if I have been shot 4 times in the stomach!!

I hope that you will all stick with me on the blog and keep popping by to see if I have been able to update (that's when I persuade the security to give me the lap top - do they not trust me?!!!)

My biggest problem at the moment is knowing what to eat as the hospital gave me strict instructions to go on a fat free diet for at least 3 weeks and then slowly onto low fat (although they dont send you out with any more information than that ??)- if anyone has any fat free food ideas I would love to hear from you.

Fingers arent starting to itch yet for my crafting as I am still feeling a bit under the weather but I dont think it will be long so when I am allowed playtime on the laptop I will pop into blogland and have a look around.

I can hear security coming up the stairs so must dash (when perhaps not dash!) and will be in touch soon.
Thank you for popping in,
Bye for now
Jo xxxx

Week 173 - Inspired by a Song

Hi Crafters

I hope that this finds you all well and looking forward to the weekend.  Today is officially the first day of Autumn so goodbye to the Summer and hello to warm chunky jumpers and comfort food! Personally I am a fan of Autumn (and not just for the comfort food!)

I have had another busy week -  on Saturday I had a fabulous day at Busy Bees  - Sheffield - helping with their Dabble Day and the lovely Julie Atkinson and Hel's Sheridan were also there and everyone enjoyed an excellent day.

Todays challenge has been set by our lovely Emma and I think it is a fabulous one -

Inspired by a Song

and this is my take on the title

Fly Me to the Moon

Frank Sinatra - 1954

I have chosen to use a twisted easel and use a monochromatic theme.  I have used the Cheery Lynn die One Free Wish which is so classy and cuts like a dream.  

I have centred this on a Marianne Design which is the Circle Frame Die which I cut in white glitter card (not sure if this shows up) I have taken a corner stamp and enhanced the edges using a black ink.

The base paper is from my paper stash and I have added a sentiment in a Spellbinder shape to finish off the design.

I think this is a great challenge to take part in so have a go.  Pop over to the Allsorts Blog and have a look at the other DT members ideas they are fabulous.

Thankyou to our sponsor this week Pretty Little Ribbon Box.

Also, just to let you know that we have the lovely Clare Rowlands at Let's Create next Saturday showcasing the brand new Christmas designs from Molly Bloom - if you are in the area pop in to see this fabulous demonstrator.

Enjoy a great week.  Please leave a comment I love to read them all from you.

Bye for now 

Jo xx

week 172 - Purple Passion

Good Morning Crafters!

How quick does Saturday come around!  another busy week for me and Let's Create.  I had a Create and Craft show on Monday showcasing some gorgeous Crafty Notions products including some fabulous new flake colours and some really useful acrylic paints - did anyone catch the show?  Not sure Jackie flapping a mosquito away from the flake was the best idea!!! flake everywhere!!

Back to the job in hand - Tracey's super challenge this week which is Purple Passion and this is the one I would like to show you

This one is a bit of a Spellbinder fest (I know you are saying that makes a change!)  This would have been ok for last weeks layer challenge too as it is full of different layers of different papers giving the design real depth and dimension.  The picture is a little deceiving as the middle layers actually go inwards not outwards and I have inked the edges with Black Soot so that it defines the layers even more.  I used the scallop set of the edgeabilities to make the decorative band.

To embellish further I have used organza roses from Creative Expressions, a couple of pins and some black pearl glue.  This design could be used for so many occasions.

I have a great day ahead as Mark and I are going to Busy Bees Dabble Day at Sheffield.  Looking forward to seeing all the ladies again and getting stuck in to a great project.

 Thankyou to our sponsor for this week too -

Love to Stamp @ http://lovetostampstore.blogspot.co.uk/

Enjoy a lovely weekend whatever you are doing and don't forget to pop over to the Allsorts Blog to check out the gorgeous Design Team designs.

Bye for now

Jo xx

Week 171 - Layers

Good Morning Everyone!

As you see we decided that we would come home from our holiday - although it was very tempting to stay as it was the most gorgeous place we have ever been too, (apart from Bermuda but family do live there and it is an exception to the rule!)  the hotel was amazing and the weather well ! the coolest it went to was 35! We have never been on an all inclusive holiday up until this one but we certainly will indulge in another next year !

Back to work though now!  

This weeks offering for Sarah's Challenge this week is

(sorry for the dark picture but hope that you can see)

I have chosen to use the Butterfly Collage stamp from Stampendous.  It is a favourite of mine.  I have used Aged Mahogany Distress pens to ink the stamp up and stamped the butterfly again to decoupage it.  With the distress pens blending so perfectly with the Distress Ink I used this to blend the whole image together.  I used silver glass glitter for some texture.  The background paper is from my stash and to finish off and creating more layers using the Tim Holtz Tattered Flowers die - edging this with a little distress ink to follow the colours through. Again I have used some printed paper from my stash.

I hope that you like my take on Sarah's great challenge this week and pop over to the Allsorts Blog to check our the other DT members projects.

I thought I would share this photo with you too - this will make you smile!

Mark took this when we were in the hotel restaurant and afterwards we noticed that there was a light at the back of me!

Has my hallow slipped!!!!

Enjoy a lovely weekend

Bye for now

Jo xx