Week 159 - Paper Piecing

Good Morning My Fellow Crafters,

I hope that this finds you all well and happy.  We have had another birthday in the Channon house this week - our Kate is now 19! and I have reminded her that this is the last year of being a teen the answer was "thanks for that Mum"!  Mum and Daughter had a lovely girly day with lunch out and then a very relaxing manicure.  We are having a family meal tonight so that will be lovely.

Today's Challenge from our lovely Nicola is

Paper Piecing / Paper piercing

our generous sponsors for the Challenge this week are

A PASSION FOR STAMPS

My take on this challenge is this design ~

We did this project in a class recently using the gorgeous Cutie-Patooties from Little Claire.

This little chap is the Catapault Boy.

As you can see I have paper pieced the hat and the trousers with the same backing paper  (sorry can't tell you what it is as we used it all in the class! sorry)

The patches were pieced from a separate paper to really give the image depth.

If you haven't had a bash at paper piecing do have a go as it is very straight forward and gives a great deal of interest to your designs and it gives the recipient a few minutes to try to figure out how to did it!!

Pop over to the Allsorts Challenge Blog to peep at the other gorgeous projects the design team have come up with.

We have another busy day at the shop today - we have the final demonstration day in a run of 3 weeks - the lovely Clare Rowlands - Creator of the Molly Bloom stamp range is popping in to share her fabulous work and inspiration.

We have also got a few surprises up our sleeves - all on a circus theme - I am sure lots of pictures will be taken and we will be able to share them with you!

As always it is an open invitation so do pop in if you are in the area.

For now I must close and finish preparing for another busy day,

Do have a go at the Challenge and please leave a comment - it would be great to hear from you if you have had a go at this technique and let me know if you like what I have done.

Take care and enjoy a lovely weekend whatever you are doing,

Bye for now

and thankyou for popping by,

Jo xx

P.S  Apologies for not blogging the pics from Leonie's demo day - I do now have them and will be putting them on tomorrow without fail!  Please pop by again to have a look at these.

Jo x





Week 158 - Ice Cream colours inspiration

Good Morning Bloggers!

I hope that you all enjoyed your extended weekend last week and that your Jubilee celebrations were fun (and that you escaped the dreadful weather on Sunday!)  As you know we had the fabulous Leonie at Let's Create on Sunday and we all had the best time!  We have lots of photographs to share with you but I am waiting for Mum to send them, will chase her up today!

This morning  Allsorts Challenge is a fabulous idea from our Emma - wish it was a little warmer so that we can enjoy a little ice-cream tasting too!  As the title suggests we had to make a card using the ice cream colours (Pop over to the Allsorts Challenge Blog to check out the colours and have a look at the fabulous work from the Design Team.  We also have 2 sponsors this week so check these out too, we are spoiling you!

As usual the photograph doesn't pick up all the detail (note to self ........... learn how to take pictures properly!!!!)

I have used the very pretty stamps from Hunkydory called Flutterbye Gardens, what fabulous value for money too, 21 polymer stamps on this set and they all mix and match perfectly.  So pleased Hunkydory are bringing stamps out now.

I stamped the flowers and the butterfly onto Foundation papers and layered them up after adding a little sparkle with Diamond Sparkles very fine glitter, again, from Hunkydory.

In the background I have used several dies the oval being the Japanese Oval from Cheery Lynn and the Flourish is also Cheery Lynn. 

To add a little interest to the background I used a floral Special Touch mask and added a little Spun Sugar DI.

I know you are all thinking. wow! how girly for Jo - I know!! lol but sometimes I just have to!

Well, another demo day today at the shop - today we have Josie Davidson, Parchment Guild tutor and demonstrator.  I am sat in the shop at the moment surrounded by amazing parchment work and very much looking forward to her spending the day with us.

Next week (to end a run of demo days!) we have the very talented Clare Rowlands - creator of the gorgeous Molly Bloom stamps (check out her blog http://mollybloomdesigns.blogspot.co.uk/  The whole day will be a circus theme and this one is not to be missed I can guarantee.  If you are in my area you are most welcome.  The demo starts at 10 am and Clare will be here until 4 pm. E mail me for more details.

I will pop back as soon as Mum sends the pictures through of last weeks demo with Leonie!

Have a go at the challenge this week it is a really fun one!

Bye for now and thank you as always for your super comments,

Jo xxx

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

WOW! Fabulous Comments!!

Hello Everyone!

I hope that you are having lots of fun with the Allsorts Blog Hop!  Thankyou all for the fabulous comments I have received.  As promised I am giving away some birthday goodies and have decided that a set of Little Claire stamps would be nice.  Hope that you think the same!  Good Luck with the draw I will blog the result on Saturday morning so keep an eye open for this.

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!!

                                                                       

Bye for now

Jo x

Allsorts 3rd Birthday Blog Hop!!

Hello Everyone

Welcome to the 3rd Birthday blog Hop for Allsorts.  Also welcome to the amazing weather that we have had over the last few days - how gorgeous its been and people feel so much happier with a bit of sunshine.

Back to Blog Hopping .........

The title of this weeks Allsorts Challenge, which has been set by the lovely Emma, is

Happy Birthday to Someone Special

here is my card that I would be proud to send to someone special

and another shot to try to show you the dome on the front.

I have used a combination of several of Joanna's products that I have been very lucky to have demonstrated on TV.  The background paper and the sentiment are both from Jayne Shasky CD rom.  The flowers are a mix of papers flowers stamped from the fantasy flower stamps and real pressed flowers.  This is a great way to spread your real flowers out.  Some distressing with Bundled Sage around all the available edges really suit the style.

Some cotton lace and gems finish off the card. 

When you use real pressed flowers you need to protect them in some way. I have chosen to use an acetate dome over the front. Hope that you can see this in the second picture. 

As it is the 3rd Birthday at Allsorts I would like to offer a prize as well as the fabulous prizes that are on offer on the Allsorts Blog this week from our very special sponsors,  I have some fabulous stamps to give away to someone that leaves a comment on this post.  The winner will be picked at random at the end of next week.  I will ask Mark to take a photograph of them and post them later in the day so that you can see what you might win!

I  hope that you have read the rules about the blog hop which Brenda has kindly written on the Allsorts Challenge Blog. 

Hopefully you will have just hopped over from

 Emma at http://metalicbutterfly.blogspot.co.uk/ and hopefully you have found the letter

and after having fouNd the letter on this post

please move onto Debs  at  http://handcraftedespeciallyforyou.blogspot.co.uk/   blog to find another letter.

Good Luck with the Blog Hop Everyone - this is great fun with lots of prizes up for the taking !
Enjoy and thankyou on behalf of the Allsorts Team for all the fabulous projects that have been sent in over the last 3 years!

Bye for now
and Happy Hopping!!
JO XX

Allsorts 3rd Birthday!!! Blog Hop

Hi Everyone!

Just a quick post to remind you all that it will be Allsorts 3rd Birthday on Saturday!!! don't forget to pop over to the Allsorts Blog to have a go at the Blog Hop!

Bye for now
Jo xx

Week 155 -Buttons and Bows

Good Morning Everyone!

This weeks offering has been inspired by the lovely Debs entitled Buttons and Bows.

I have used one of the fabulous Stamp Addicts silhouette stamps which I love to use which I have stamped in Sepia Archival ink which gives a great sutle appearance which really suits the design.

I used a Marianne dye as the base for the stamp and have distressed it with Vintage Photo distress ink.  The background papers are from my stash, I have distressed the edges with my TH tool and inked them with the Vintage Photo.  The tags have the heart shaped buttons on them.  To finish off the card I have used Marianne daisy punch to add flowers in the garden and added cream cotton lace and some chiffon ribbon. 

This card would really suit so many occasions from engagement to anniversary or a friends birthday card.

I hope that you like today's offering and as always pop over to the Allsorts Challenge Blog to be inspired even more with the stunning designs that the Design Team have brought to you today.

Thankyou so much for popping by, please leave a comment if you can.

Bye for now

Jo xx