Week 257 - Butterflies

Hello My Crafty Friends

I hope that this post finds you all well and looking forward to another long weekend! Well didn't that come round quickly! Another busy week at the shop with some great workshops using the PaperArtsy stamp range and tomorrow another workshop using the melt pot - really looking forward to this and if you pop back to the blog tomorrow I will show you what we will be doing. I am really chuffed with the canvas I have put together. I just feel my way with real arty stuff but really enjoy it and I am a big believer in thinking that if you are enjoying what you are doing that is everything. ( it's great if it looks ok too but that's a bonus!!!) 

Well back to the job in hand today. Our lovely Tracey has challenged us to use .................

Butterflies

In our project this week and we all know that this is a trade mark for any crafter and plays a great part in a project that has a little error on it as it is a great cover up!!!! 

I have chosen this project to show you - 

        

I have used one of the new die sets from Sue Wilson's range from Creative Expressions. ( I'm sorry a bit rubbish but don't have the name of the set) the stamp has been designed to match the die.  I embossed the image with black embossing powder and then coloured the background with several colours of distress inks.  I love using black with these rich colours and I hope that you like it too. 

Our sponsors this week are
            
Digistamp  and   Nice crane      

Thankyou both for your generosity. 

Please pop over to the Allsorts Challenge blog to check out the other team members ideas for this weeks theme.    

Thankyou, as ever, for popping by to see this week's post, please leave a comment and pop by tomorrow to have a peep at what we got up to in the Melt Pot class today! X

Bye for now and take care,

Jo xx                                          

Week 256 - Allsorts Challenge Blog - Oriental

Good Morning Crafters,

I hope that all is well with you all and everyone enjoyed a lovely Easter Weekend.  We visited friends in Stevenage for a couple of days and it was bliss! time out with lovely friends, catching up and having a laugh. What more could we ask for.

This week our lovely Team Member Susan is hosting the Challenge for the first time and she has asked us all to design a project using ~

ORIENTAL

Fabulous bright rich colors spring to mind with anything Oriental and this is the project that I have decided to show you ~

We made this for a workshop a couple of months ago and the technique involved was using fantasy fibre and film. If you haven't tried using either of these really interesting crafty products it is well worth having a go. 

I have used both the fibre and the film - encasing the fibre folded into a couple of pieces of the film before heating. This makes it very strong and can even be machine stitched if you wanted to.

The stamped image is from Sheena Douglass's collection. They are really lovely sized stamps too.

This week our very generous sponsors are:

Flonz & QKR Stampede

Thankyou to both.

Please pop over to the Challenge Blog and have a peep at their stunning oriental inspirations and have a bash at the Challenge as well - 

I hope that you enjoy a lovely weekend and find time to fit in a little crafting!

Pop a comment in if you have time, 

Take care and bye for now

Jo xx

Week 255 - Allsorts Challenge - Birds and Feathers

Hello Everyone,

Thankyou so much for all of your lovely comments I really did appreciate them and it is nice to think that I have been missed.

Well I hope that the Easter weekend has started really well for everyone. We are going to visit some really dear friends in Stevenage this weekend - it has been far too long since we have seen them and we are so looking forward to it. Kate is coming too but unfortunately Karl is having to work.

I hope that you have all got some plans even if it is chilling! and eating lots of chocolate of course!

Did you all have fish to eat today? we have always eaten a fish meal on Good Friday for as long as I can remember but to be honest I don't know why - would anybody be able to fill me in on that one please!

This week at Allsorts we are being Challenged by our lovely Mervi's first time as a host and she has chosen a great title for us to have a bash at.

Birds and Feathers

and this is my take on the Challenge ~

(I couldn't decide which one to show you so both it is!)

 This image has been made using a DreamWeaver Stencil. I have inked through the stencil with a variation of dye based inks. This is such a quick and easy technique but so effective. The background has been brought together using paper from my stash.

This second piece has all been made using Kaiser products. This was a project that I made for a make and take session. These mini projects make lovely presents.  The stamp fits nicely into Mervi's Challenge.

We have 2 excellent sponsors again this week and they are:-

Marianne Design

 and 

 Buttons For Brains

Thankyou to them both.

Please pop over to the Allsorts Challenge Blog to check out the other fabulous projects from the Design Team and please leave a comment if you have a minute - you know that this is always appreciated.

Thankyou for popping in and enjoy the rest of this lovely Easter Weekend,

bye for now

Jo xx

Week 254 - Spring Blossoms

Good Morning Everyone!

 

Firstly I would like to apologise for my absence over the past few weeks. Unfortunately, I have been quite poorly and had to have some time out from a number of jobs and my blog was one of them.

I have really missed blogging each week and have especially missed being part of the Allsorts Challenge each Saturday. The team have been very supportive and have kept my duties up.

Everything is looking a little better at the moment and I am having hospital treatment, physio and popping the right pills and things are on the up!

This week our lovely Brenda has asked the Team to make our designs with Spring Blossoms in mind.

Because I have been away for a while I thought I would show you 2 cards that I have made.

 

The first one is a parchment piece which, as you know, I love to do.

I also have a closer shot to show the colouring in a little more detail.

 

I would also like to show you this cute little number

 

this card has been made using one of the really pretty Wild Rose Studio range of stamps. They are really lovely to stamp and colour and I have used pro-markers to colour mine.

The background has been made using scraps of paper to create a weave. I really enjoy doing this for a background as it looks textured but remains flat for posting.

The flowers are from one of Creative Expressions designs by Sue Wilson and the bunting has been cut from a die from the Signature range from Joanna Sheen.

 

We are extremely pleased to be able to sell Joanna's die range in our shop and we are one of 3 stores that have this privilege.

 

This weeks sponsors are:

Baker Ross

                                             

and

 

 

Please pop over to the Allsorts Challenge Blog and have a peep at the lovely designs from the Team.

 

I am so pleased to be back blogging again I have really missed blog land.

It would be lovely to hear from you when you leave a comment.

Many thanks for popping in,

Bye for now

Jo xx



Week 246 Allsorts - Use Brads

Good Morning Everyone,

 

I hope that this finds you all well and enjoyed a little romance on Valentine's Day yesterday.

I sincerely hope that you are all safe and avoiding all of these awful storms that we keep having.

 

This week at Allsorts Helene is setting our Challenge and she is asking us to ................

 

'Use Brads' in our design.

This is my project

 

As you will see I have used the brads for the middle of the flowers and also the middle of the ribbon bow. The brads are pearl and silver and are from the Hobby House.

The rest of the card has been made up using Couture Creations Emboss, Stamp and Cut . It is a lovely set and combines all elements in this card.  The flourish is a Cheery Lynn design which I have cut once and separated it off. For the background stamped image I have used Adirondack Currant and then blended using Distress Ink  Aged Mahogany. The flowers have been glossed with a little Cosmic Shimmer twinkles.  The string of pearls are also from the Hobby House.

This week we have 2 excellent sponsors Digidarla and Craft Fairy. Thankyou to them both.

Please pop over to the Allsorts Challenge Blog to have a look at all of the other Design Team members lovely designs.

I hope that you enjoy a lovely weekend and that you find time for some crafting time.

Bye for now

Jo xx

 













Allsorts Challenge Week 245 - Use a colour beginning with 'B'

Hello Everyone,

Good Morning my blogging friends. I hope that this finds you all well and hopefully safe and well away from these dreadful floods and terrible weather.

 

It has been another busy week and most of it being spent at the studio doing shows that were the Pick of the Week that only lasted the weekend!

 

It is my turn to host the Challenge at Allsorts this week and I have chosen:-

 

Use a colour beginning with the letter 'B'. So you have lots to choose from and these are 2 that I have chosen to show you and hopefully you will be inspired to take part.

 

Well this one is Blue and Black and I really loved making this card. It has one of the card creators from the latest of the Spellbinder launch and also the Shapeabilities Feather die which everyone has been really loving.  The feathers are make of wax paper which is the waste when I have been cutting some other material. I have coloured them with a combination of alcohol ink colours. The picture is from the current Graphic 45 range called Couture.

 

The second is using Burgundy which always makes the card design pop. It is a tonic Indulgence die which I have used in conjunction with white Centura pearl. These dies have so much scope to create some lovely designs.  The flowers have been made from a Cheery Lynn die - Chrysanthemum.

 

I hope that you have enjoyed having a look at my ideas for the challenge and that it encourages you into the Challenge.

We have 2 excellent sponsors this week -

 Yours and Mine Papercrafts (http://pprcrafts.com/)

and a Passion for Stamps.

Please pop over to the Allsorts Challenge Blog to check out the other team members and their ideas for my challenge.

I am guesting on Create and Crafts 4 Day Deal shows on Monday so if you have a few minutes tune in for some excellent prices.  I am just in for the launch shows on Monday - I have done my fair share this last week!

I hope that you have a great week ahead.

Thankyou for popping by and please leave a comment if you have time.

Bye for now

Jo xx

  



Allsorts Challenge - week 244 - Love is in the Air

Hello Blog Friends,

Thankyou for popping by this morning and I hope your weekend has started well.

I am at the create and craft studio at the moment showcasing the brand new Create and Craft

 Die-lectables.  Well what a day yesterday these were supposed to be the Pick of the Week but they are sold out already!!  There are still a few available in singles but not sure for how much longer.

My project for our lovely Tracey's challenge at Allsorts this week is this one : - 

I

This is a card using one of our Doodlish stamp collection from Shellie Blow. These are a set and I'm sure that you have seen them on the blog when we launched them at the shop.  I have used some fabulous guilding flakes from Crafty Notions for the main image. The stamps are extremely detailed and I was very pleased with how well it came out.  The background embossing is a Craft Too large embossing folder and it is one of my favourites.

The design team have done some gorgeous samples as always so pop over to the Allsorts blog to see these and why not have a go at the challenge too! some lovely prizes to be had for the winner! and our lovely sponsors are:

Nice Crane Designs 







http://nicecranedesigns.com/

and

Digi Stamp Boutique
http://www.bing.com/search?q=digistamp+boutique&form=IE10TR&src=IE10TR&pc=MAARJS

I have a few samples from the shows from yesterday and I will be popping them on later today so hope that you can pop back to check these out.
I must sign out now and get prepared for my 1 o'clock show.
Thankyou so much for popping in and hope that you like the design enough to leave a comment - you know how much I appreciate you as a Blog friend.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend,
Bye for now
Jo xx