Classes!

I'm teaching a class at the local college - 10 weeks of beginners Card Making- which I'm enjoying a lot.

That runs in the evening and during the day you can find me at several shops in the South East running a class or two - I hope you can come and join me for some inky/ painty fun - call the shops for details & bookings  :o)

(I'm going to be uploading photos of classes in stages because Blogger is being a bit tetchy today! lol)

Classes at ImagineThat, Upminster:

25 April 2012 (wednesday)

10:30-13:00  Hats Off

14:00-16:30  Path of Least Resistance

24 May 2012 (thursday)

10:30-13:00  Path of Least Resistance 

14:00-16:30  Hats Off
09 June 2012 (saturday)

10:30-13:00 Hats Off

14:00-16:30 Path of Least Resistance

Shamefully neglected blog!

.. its been a month since I blogged! My last post was headed 'poor neglected blog' but I've gone way past that now! lol

Where to start ... I don't know!... life takes over sometimes doesn't it.. I have a part time job and sometimes after standing on my feet all day (and I mean ALL day) when I get home all I want to do is sit down.. in silence.. no noise.. nothing....  We all feel like that sometimes don't we?  Zapped of creativity

but now the rush of that job is finished (back to normal hours etc) (& can I just also say that I really enjoy the job so its no big hardship - well apart from the standing up lol) I'm back and raring to go again - oh yes - got to learn to pace myself (and I'm sure we've all felt / thought that too!)

A month!... hmm might have to get the diary out to see where I've been and what I've been up to..

*  Well, I had an article in April's issue of Craft Stamper, and an article in May's issue too which is out on Friday

*  I had fun teaching a class at Imagine That in Upminster...

I teach there about once a month and really enjoy it - a lovely shop full of reeeaaaally nice scrapbooking papers etc.  I'll blog upcoming dates when they're finalised (no, really I will!)

*  I also started teaching a 10 week card making class at Southend Adult Community College - LOVE teaching here - the course covers lots of card making techniques starting with the basics - its always nice to go back to basics isn't it?

*  And, MAD MEN series 5 has started !!! LOVE this programme!! its got to be in my top 10 fave programmes EVER.. don't even think about ringing me at 9.00 on a Tuesday because I will not pick up the phone.. nope.. not at all.. don't even waste your time dialing my number! lol

I'm still watching this as much (if not more) for the clothes and sets than the plot.  Well how can you not - the women are beautifully dressed, the men are handsome and the homes are to die for - I am seriously coveting the Draper's new split level apartment... be still my 50/60s loving heart....

* I also taught a class at The Craft Barn.. omg - sooo much lovely product under one roof it makes my head spin! Seriously - I go in 'needing' 1 thing and come out with so much more! lol
Here are the lovely ladies who came to my Die Cutting Masterclass

phew, there was a lot of die cutting and embossing in that class - lots of samples..

* I popped into PaperArtsy before they went off to VersionScrap (that's definitely on my list of 'things to do' next year - its sounds tres fantastique) and came away with some seriously fabulous and inspiring new Hot Pick plates of rubber - so inspiring I really didn't know where to start! lol
I have designed some classes using them and so watch this space for details... to see all the new stamps head on over the PaperArtsy website

oooh ooh and more Lynne Perrella images - its all too much - too much inspiration...

*  I went to a training day in London for my job (learning about the lovely Pandora products).. I miss being in London - I forget what a beautiful city it is... it was nice to sit on a bus on a sunny day (i'd rather do that than be on the underground) travelling down Oxford St, through Trafalgar Square and into the City...

A little rubber loveliness to get you in the London mood:

HotPick 1208 from PaperArtsy

*  *  *

Phew! I think that's enough for one post! Here's a picture to finish, from my new 'art journal' - its similar to the book I showed in the last post but a bit bigger.... its pobably going to be filled with lots of randomness

Take care

Lets not leave it so long next time! lol

Workshops at Imagine That

I'm going to be teaching the workshops below at Imagine That in Upminster.  A few places left so if you like the idea of a creative painty day call the shop on 01708 641198. 
I look forward to seeing you.

Clearly for Cards

Thursday, 26 January 2012, 14:00-16:30

Wednesday, 15 February 2012, 14:00-16:30

Getting Fancy with Fresco Finishes

Thursday, 26 January 2012, 10:00-13:00

Wednesday, 15 February 2012, 10:00-13:00

Seasonal & Sirs

I'll be teaching two classes at the lovely Imagine That in Upminster on 16 November, there are still some places available so if you want some inspiration for mens cards or christmas cards then come along!

Here are the sneak peeks:

The classes include distress (products - not you or me! lol), die cutting, stamping... all in the surroundings of a shop full of lovely products!  What more could you ask for?!  Oh, you want tea & coffee? Yes, you get that too!!

Happy Birthday!!...

... to my Hubby - who turned 40 yesterday - here's the card I made him - quite simple.  I love this card structure - deceptively simple...

So its fairly simple but it took quite a few bits of equipment - the big numbers are cut with the Slice, the panel they sit on is a Nestabilities die, the big 'happy' is a new stamp by Imagine That (love those stamps - they have a great 'christmas' set of the same design), 'happy birthday' is a Hero Arts stamp... I think that's enough for one card!  Oh no, hold on, 'happy' was stamped in silver ink & I brushed Perfect Pearls over the top. yep thats all.
I love/chose the colours for the card because my Hubby has a fondness for shirts that have a blue check pattern! Seriously - I think he might have cornered the market in them! lol

Take care - enjoy the long weekend.

Get inky painty with me...

... at my next set of classes at Imagine That (Upminster)...
I have 2 classes this term - not as many as previously - had to factor in some time for a house move. (fingers crossed! lol)
Damsel in Distress is a class using the ooooh so lovely Distress Stains (did you hear that Ranger/Tim Holtz launched 12 new colours at CHA this week - be still by Distress Stain loving heart! lol) - we'll be making 3 cards with several techniques, this time with a much 'daintier' finish....

In Fresco Finish we'll be using PaperArtsy's Fresco Finish paints to decorate a frame (and card)... we'll be working with the Crackle Glaze - this is a fantastic product that gets great results every time... LOVE it!

The classes are on July 27th & September 22nd - hope to see you there!  Contact ImagineThat to book your place.

x

Adapting a kit..

Sometimes I buy an on-sale items as a bit of a challenge... and a WeRMemoryKeepers card making kit from TKMaxx was such an item... it has 'everything' you need to create the cards, I thought it'd be a quick way to make a few cards - but I think these can end up looking a bit flat and a bit generic (duh! obviously! lol - like painting by numbers) and so I decided to challenge myself to add some bits a pieces of my own (& change the designs, lol)... make them a bit more 'me'...
In the end it wasn't such a quick way to make a few cards ... lol ... but I had fun!  It was about working with what I had (attacking the stash)
(though sshhh... don't tell anyone... but I may have bought the co-ordinating plain card stock... but ssshhh... thats just between you and me OK?!)

 
 
To make them 'a bit more me' I sewed, I stamped, I added buttons & gems & flowers (oh my!)

New Classes at Imagine That Papercrafts...

I'm teaching these two new classes at Imagine That in Upminster in February and March....

Butterfly Dreams:
03 February 2011 : 10.30-12.30
05 March 2011 : 10.30-12.30
25 March 2011 : 10.30-12.30
Card making class, with distress inks, stamps, and a bit of sparkly stuff!

Winter Joy:
03 February 2011 : 13.30-16.30
05 March 2011 : 13.30-16.30
25 March 2011 : 13.30-16.30
Making a gorgous (even if I do say so myself) scrapbook waiting to be filled with lovely christmas moments - die cuts, stamps and sparkly stuff (well it was christmas it would be rude not to have sparkly stuff!)

Call the shop to book a place.  Hope to see you there!

Scrap Cards...

I was trying to tidy my workroom the other day and I started with all the best intentions..... but I was constantly side-tracked by the bits and pieces I kept finding in the piles (which I swear arrive overnight and have nothing to do with me... at all).... I found a booklet of Making Memories notelet thingies and in another box I was clearing I found the matching flowers! Kerrching... so I made the above cards (stamps are Banana Frog, Basic Grey, Imagine That & I think the spots is Hero Arts..??)
Excuse the crease on the first card I didn't notice that until I photographed them - & thats because I didn't have my nice new glasses (reading glasses!!!  for goodness sake - I know they say it all goes wrong once you're 40 but seriously- its only been 3months!! gggrrrr)
(the glasses are nice tho- got sparklies on!... no not Dame Edna Everidge stylee.. but I thought if I had to wear them then I might as well have statement ones! rofl)
aaaanyhoo, the cards are the Kraft type from DoCrafts/Papermania - not as thick/heavyweight as I'd have liked - they've gone a bit bent - I'll put them under something heavy and flat which will hopefully sort that out - & I hope so 'cos I've got 100 of the devils! lol

Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas!...

Here's a pretty tag I made with things that came in the post last week - making a tag lets me quickly use new 'toys' ahem sorry, craft equipment.  Snowflakes are Martha Stewart Scandinavian snowflake punch (large) lovely, lovely snowflake (and it looks like these are the only snowflakes I'm going to see - our area of Essex seems to be the only part of the country that doesn't have snow - humph).  The blue panel is a Tim H punched tag embossed using one of his embossing folders - love those!

There's an acetate tag peaking out on the right handside (sanding picks up the embossed design), and some scallop edged cardstock 

Its christmas and glitter is expected, no - its an essential requirement! I really like glittered chipboard but it can be a bit of a pain when the glitter ends up EVERYWHERE! But I discovered the solution (and duh! how could I not have realised/used this before) when I went to Imagine That on their birthday weekend..... STICKLES!!!!  Emma had covered a chipboard Eiffel Tower in stickles and it was soooooo lovely! I can't believe that I've only use stickles to dot accent things! Oooh so much more to do (and cover!) with stickles! (or any glitter glue for that matter)  Pretty!!
So I glammed up a chipboard 25 (sizzix dies) with Stickles. Lush!

I think duck-egg blue & pale gold are going to be my christmas colours this year - on a white tree....

WOYWW - its been a while!

Here it is - my desk - do you notice anything about it? go on, look carefully.... yep thats right - its clearer! I was going to say tidier but then that might be pushing the believability a bit too far - but it is clearer - less 'stuff' around the edges... oh come on course there is look at the white bits- that desk top!  So other things on there are my little sketchbook (in centre with pink spots on page), essential cup of coffee, coloured rubons (recently dug those out of the stash (buried deep!) I'd forgotton how nice they are!), PaperArtsy stamps, Hero Arts stamps and samples for a class, oh and not forgetting the very important general 'stuff'

Right you lovely snoopers - I need your help please (no not another plant identification - got my sambucus!) - I'm planning a trip to New York (oh yeah! New York baby - so good they named it twice!) and I'd like your recommendations for what I should do while I'm there - not the obvious stuff - I've already got a list as long as my arm of that (Statue of Liberty etc) but unusual stuff.... answers on a postcard, sorry, in the comments section please!

Thanks muchly in advance for any info!

And if you want to know what all this desk snooping is about head on over to Julia's blog and she'll explain everything, and you'll find a list of all the other desks that are open for viewing...

Right, other peeps' worktops here I come!

Imagine That 'Stress-free Distress' class sneak peek ...

Here's some sneak peeks of the class I'm teaching at Imagine That on Friday, a few places left - ring the shop to book a place and come and get a little bit inky!!

July 16th

August 26th

(images from www.Imaginethatpapercrafts.co.uk)

busy - but in a good way...

Been flitting about doing a lot of this'n'that:

: at the studio hanging my small amount of exhibits as part of the Studio's Leigh Art Trail exhibits - Tricia, Tessa & Brons work looks FAB hanging in our oh-so-neat studio, sorry that should be Art Gallery (for 1 week of 52 thats what it is! lol for the other 51 weeks its a working studio - enter at your own risk!)

: at the College putting card making samples into the exhibition to advertise the course I teach starting in September.

: going to Imagine That for a chat with Emma.... watch this space..
: spending the day(s) at PaperArtsy HQ contemplating 1) Operation BSCO (big shed clear out)... its got to have a title 'cos its not a small job.. there is talk of a skip being needed! lol and 2) creating samples for an uncoming event... fun fun fun.. (roped in  DD Franich No3 as a guinea pig for timing purposes - she did a top job! and modelled too! Star)

: writing an article

: writing a course

: making samples with some lovely new Banana Frog stamps

: spending the day at The Craft Barn - their Extravaganza weekend - a great day indulging in watching demonstrations, chatting, and buying nice new stash - mostly paints, inks, a couple of dies and a pad of the lovely new Basic Grey Kraft collection.  I also had my practical head on and bought some blending foam (its like gold dust!), a sheet of foam for the bitch  lovely butterfly die to help it punch out successfully (?), MASSIVE book rings, and some lovely little foam 'brushes'.
: creating samples with PaperArtsy stamps - LOVELY new HotPicks - go check them out on the website

: just generally getting creative - love it!
: and now contemplating moving my craft workroom to a different room in the flat ... but having given it some thought I think that sounds far too much like hard work! lol

These are the Cosmic Shimmer Mists I bought - how lovely are they?!? and thats one of the stamps I bought - lovely for backgrounds....