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

Week 200 - Vintage

Good Morning Crafters

Happy Easter!

I hope that everyone has started their Easter well - weather is a bit grim isn't it! but hope that you are going to be chilling out and enjoying your chocolate.

This week's Challenge has been set by our lovely Catherine and she has chosen 

VINTAGE

For everyone that knows me well this is right up my street and could have put several projects in for this one but have decided to choice this one 

We made this card in a workshop last week which was also entitled Vintage projects.  The perfume bottles are decoupage sheets from the House of Zandra collection - I love Sandra's work especially the recent projects on Katy Sue's Shoe CD Rom. 

The paper is from a paper pad from Crafts Too and the script paper is from my stash.

I cut the bottles out and coloured them with Walnut Stain Distress ink and raised them onto the card layer which already had the punched detail on it.

The flourish dies are from Crafts Too and I cut these in a plain brown cardstock.

Some cream lace and masking tape finished the project off.

I hope that you approve! and this appeals to your vintage streak!

Pop over to the Allsorts Blog to have a peep at the other Design Teamies projects - they are fabulous as always.  

Thankyou too to our sponsor ~



Thankyou for popping by.  Much dash now I have (I think - waiting to hear from the studio to check if we have any stock left from yesterday!)  another Easter Giveaway Spellbinder show at 4pm.

I also have 2 shows tomorrow demonstrating product from Kanban.  I have been asked to guest this show for this Easter Giveaway event - if you are Kanban fans there is going to be some fabulous bargains to be had and as you know, I am sure, these are some of the last products that you will see available on C and C.

Tuesday I have a Crafty Notions show and this is at 2pm.
I hope that you can join me at some point.

Enjoy the rest of the Easter Weekend, take care if you still have snow and please make sure that you eat tons of chocolate tomorrow morning!!!

Thankyou as always for popping by and your comments are so appreciated.
Bye for now
Jo xx

Week 198 ~ Deco Delights

Good Saturday Morning Everyone!

Well! I would say we must say a warm welcome to the Spring as it is now official but, it certainly isn't warm and it doesn't feel like Spring at all!  I hope that you haven't had too much snow and that you are keeping warm and safe.

Hope your week has gone well.  As ever I have been busy here and there but had a great day on Thursday when I was asked to be a guest at an annual Charity event for Marie Curie Cancer Research.  I decided to demonstrate decorating a box and then gave it away as a raffle prize.  I really enjoyed the day and was extremely pleased to be asked along to such a wonderful event.

We have also had 2 great workshops one using the new 3D Embossibilities and yesterday we had an all day workshop using the Wild Rose Studio stamp range - we do love these.

Tracey (aka Craftnut) has set us a very stylish challenge this week entitled .......

Deco Delights

and this is what I have chosen to do

I found this gorgeous stamp in my 'ample' collection whilst I was looking for another one! and I thought this would be great for this week's Challenge.  This stunning design is from Hampton Art. I have stamped it with Adirondack Ink and then used a little watered down to paint the image in various places.  The Spellbinder that I have used is the Elegant Labels 28, now this is a stunning set really large with so many opportunities.  I have simply inked around the frame with Vintage photo distress ink and layered it over the stamped image.  The background papers were from my stash and I think they are Graphic 45.  The die cute swirls are a Crafts Too die and I think this adds a little extra.  Pearls, hat pins and ribbon finish the design off.

Next week I am keeping out of mischief and popping here and there starting with |Inspirations at Preston where I am doing a workshop all day.  Thursday, Friday and Saturday I am at Create and Craft taking part in the million pound Easter give away events and demonstrating Spellbinders.  Sunday they have asked me to guest 3 shows using Kanban products.

Please pop over to the Allsorts Challenge blog 
to have a peep at the other creations that the Challenge Team have put together.

Thankyou as ever for popping by and please leave a comment if you have time.
Enjoy your week ahead and keep safe if it has been snowing around where you are.
Take care,

Jo x

Week 198 ~ 1, 2, 3

Good Morning Everyone,

 

I hope that you are all well and have enjoyed a lovely week.  It's been a bit of a mixed bag for me this week as it didnt start very well unfortunately on Sunday afternoon I had a little accident and fell down the stairs at home resulting in overnight stay in hospital as I banged my head and they needed to keep me in for observation and that is  the reason why I wasn't part of the Pick of the Day on Tuesday.  Apart from being bruised and sore there isn't any damage ( I'm sure the stairs felt my great lump landing on them though) so all is well again!

 

Apart from that we have had our regular workshops at the shop which were great classes and enjoyed by everyone.  We were using the new Spellbinder dies so how could we not enjoy them!

This week our lovely Sarah that has chosen our challenge for this week and as the title says it is
1, 2, 3.

To explain we need you to send a design that has:
1 - Image
2 - Papers
3 - Embellishments (or 3 types of embellishments)
This is what I decided to show you.

You may have seen me making this on one of my shows last week but I thought it really fitted the Challenge and I havent posted it to date so here goes.

The 1 image is from the Vintage Transport stamp plate from Creative Expressions.
the 2 papers - the background test Kraft paper is from the tim Holtz Resist Kraft selection and the second paper - although I have altered it somewhat it plain black paper.
The 3 embellishments are the screw brads, the paperclip and the key.

The background had been created by embossing the black paper through the Ornamental Swirl Embossibility from Spellbinders and then very simply using gold and bronze Gleams from Crafty Notions.  This is a cream wax that can be used on so many different surfaces and has been a very popular product for many years now. This creates such a fabulous effect with so little effort.
The framework has been made from Nestibilities Label 30 which is a new sset and then guilded with the Crafty Notions Flakes onto double sided adhesive paper.

I hope that you like my interpretation of the challenge - I think this week we are going to see some really interesting designs and really look forward to seeing them.  The design team have given us some fabulous inspiration to start the Challenge rolling so pop over to the Allsorts Challenge Blog to have a look.

Thankyou also to our fabulous sponsors this week who are:
My Heart Pieces



and
Flonz Stamps





I hope that you enjoy a lovely weekend
and hope that you can pop a comment in and let me know what you think of the Challenge this week.

Thankyou, as ever, for popping in and see you soon.

Bye for now
Jo xx




Week 197 Springtime

Good Morning My Crafty Friends!

I hope that this finds you all well and happy and that you enjoyed the little peep of Spring over the last week.  That little ray of sunshine certainly makes people feel so much happier with life.

Todays post is short and sweet - I am heading over to Blyth today to tutor at Kim Sutton's Dabble Day and I am sure that there will be a lot of fun and laughter had by all involved.  Will try to take some photographs of  the day and post them in the week.

It is our lovely Wendy's turn to choose a challenge for us all and this is what she has chosen

SPRINGTIME

and this is my offering for this inspiring challenge

This has been one of my samples for the blockbuster shows on Create and Craft but I thought it was perfect for the theme this week as it has all of the lovely flowers that we just love to see in the Springtime.  Lots of colour after all the damp and dark nights - I love to see these flowers arrive as Spring is one of my favourite times of the year.

I have used the Labels 4 Imperial gold dies - these have amazing detail and provide a perfect backdrop to an array of different projects.
I have coloured them using Ranger Distress Pens and Drawing Inks.
The background it one of the new Mbossibilities from Spellbinders and it is the Wymsical Flower.
Satin edge ribbon and a dazzler finish the project off nicely.

I hope that you enjoy my taste of Springtime.

I have the Pick of the Day this week on Create and Craft and Ideal World which launches on Tuesday evening at 9pm and if you have been interested in all of the new Spellbinder dies but have not been able to buy the multi buys or Blockbuster tune in!

Thankyou to our fabulous sponsor this week which is a Passion for Stamps and thankyou for popping by.  Please have a look at the Allsorts Challenge Blog to get some more fabulous inspiration from the lovely Allsorts Gang!.

Anjoy a fabulous weekend and special wishes to all of our lovely Mum's out there - have a fabulous day tomorrow and hope that you are spoilt rotten!

Bye for now
Jo xx

Week 196 - For A Lady

Good Morning Crafters!

How are you all? and Happy March!  Gosh isn't it lovely to see January and February out.  I am a real lover of Springtime and March is the beginning although it is still quite fresh at least we are seeing a little more of the big shiny thing in the sky!!

What a busy week again on Create and Craft - the Blockbuster is flying still and we have so many sell outs this week and have really loved all the demos and the enthusiasm of all the presenters - they just love the Spellbinder shows and I try to get them involved if I can. I have shows today at 11am, 4pm and 7pm.

Thankyou to everyone for all the fabulous emails and pictures that you have sent into the studio - you really are a talented lot out there.  

It is Saturday so that means an Allsorts post and I always look forward to creating a project for this and today is no exception. 

This week's challenge title is

For a Lady!

I have used one of the gorgeous Wild Rose Studio stamps - we have started to stock this range in the shop and I absolutely love them.  They are excellent quality and perfect for colouring, they have so much detail.  I have used pro-markers to colour.  I stamped the image onto a Spellbinder die - Opulent Ovals.  this really suits the design as it is so feminine and very delicate.  I used Marianne Design punches to make the flowers - these are the punch and emboss punches - I love using these as they always give stunning dimension.

I hope that this makes you feel Springlike and it spurs you on to have a go at our Challenge this week.  Pop over to the Allsorts Challenge blog and have a peep at the other lovely design team cards and projects.

thankyou also to our fabulous sponsors this week Digistamp and Pin and Tack

Thankyou so much for popping by and I hope that you all enjoy a lovely weekend whatever you have planned.  I am hoping to have a bit of a chill out after another busy week. 

Thankyou in anticipation of your comments - you know that I really appreciate them and love to hear from you.

Bye for now

Jo xx