January Craft Stamper.....

... is out this week and is a fabulously festive issue!  So if you need an extra bit of inspiration for your christmas this is the magazine for you!

I'm feeling extra festive as I have an article in there too...

So if you want to feel a bit less 'bah humbug' and a bit more 'ho ho ho' then go grab yourself a copy - you really won't be disappointed!

Merry christmas!!

Christmas cards....

.... are on the {ever growing} christmas 'to-do' list... and I wanted to share with you a couple of cards I made using stamp set JOFY69 and the smaller of the two trees...  they're quite simple, a little bit 'less-is-more', bit of paper piecing and a sprinkle of glitter...

When I designed these trees this is how I planned to use them - layering up different patterned papers.  I picked out some papers from the 8x8in pads I have in my stash (Basic Grey... sigh.. I miss their papers). 

I chose three patterns that I thought worked nicely together and, using my stamping platform, stamped 3 trees and cut them out.

I cut the trees up ready to be layered - leaving a tier above or below the required tier so that there is something to attached it to (that's quite hard to explain lol) 

The trees below are created from the trees above... (I used a Tombow glue stick to attach them together as it gives a bit of wiggle time)

The trees looked a bit flat so I added depth by shading below the line of each tier to create shadow. (Tombow Brush Marker in pale grey) - simple but makes a big difference when you compare the above and below photos.  (I also added a white top tier to one of the trees, I thought it didn't have enough pattern changes).

I stamped the tree trunk several times onto brown printed paper and cut out leaving excess at the top (looks like a little mushroom!) so the trunk could be attached to the tree.

Here's the trunk from the front.

These trees are a bit time consuming but worth it! (in my humble opinion).

To make the cards I took a 10cm panel of kraft card and stamped JM07 down one edge (this snowflake stamps is a definite 'go-to' for me!), mounted it onto a 12.5cm card and 3d mounted the tree on top - overlapping the edge to tie the two panels together.

This card is the opposite colour combination to the card above - they're the same but different.  I like that.  I added a touch of glitter (Stickles) and gold paint (PaperArtsy White Fire Fresco) for a bit of sparkle.

I think this is a good card to make sitting down in front of the tv with a nice christmas film... a bit of stamping, bit of fussy (but not too fussy) cutting and some sticking!... and you can attack the stash in the process.!  ho ho ho!

Thanks for stopping by!

Christmas Workshop No. 2 !!!

24 October 2018

Ooooh!  A little bit more Christmas creativity!

In this workshop we'll be working with Artist Trading Coins - a fab little size to create some festive art on - hang them on the tree, use as part of christmas wrapping... the choice is yours!
We'll be working on MDF coins which will take the weight of the embellishment and decorations that will be available for you to work with... and you can tailor them to your colour scheme.

The class will be held at the Leigh-on-Sea Community Centre, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex and run from 7.00-9.30pm.
The cost of the class is £25.00 and everything you need is included - substrates, embellishments, & materials.
To book a place, or ask any questions please contact me on jo@jofy.co.uk.

There will be glitter! Well it is christmas... and it wouldn't be christmas without a touch of glitter would it?!

Ho ho ho!!

Christmas!!!!!

2018 CHRISTMAS STAMP RELEASE!!!

Now I can breathe freely and talk about christmas stamps!!  

I have six, yes SIX new sets of christmas stamps released today with PaperArtsy... you can see a full blog post over on the PA blog tonight with samples I've made using the stamps... so head on over there and take a look.  SIX plates of stamps will hopefully mean there will be something in there to please everyone... well almost everyone - but maybe not the bah humbugs out there..!! lol

This set has a more tradition feel to it - the candle with baubles around will be great as a stand alone image on a card.

All the single words on the left hand side of the plate fit into the little boxes with the rings...  They can be mixed and matched to create sentiments - and not just for christmas... here is the birthday card I made for my Husband's birthday:

How adorable is this Angel!!!  She is opening her arms and sharing happiness and all the good wishes (and sprarkles) that christmas brings... she makes me smile!

Meet Santas's Little Helper - be nice or he'll put you on the naughty list! lol  The festive words background is going be such a useful stamp!

These big words are going to look great on journal pages and on cards - they look lovely when embossed in glitter!

Oh Christmas Tree!  This big doodle tree is a favourite of mine!  I can see it being used in so many ways.

Aaaah here is this year's snowman!  Looking a bit (a lot) the worse for wear - I think he's had a bit too much christmas spirit!  The big word block is another great stand along image on a card.

Lots and lots of stamps to choose from - I hope some will inspire you to get started with your christmas crafting!

The stamps are available NOW from all the usual PaperArtsy stockists..

I am running a Christmas Card workshop on September 19th 2018, in Leigh-on-Sea - go HERE for details.  

Come and join me! 
I hope to see a few of you there!

Ho Ho Ho!!

Christmas Card Class

I'm really excited to start offering classes - the first of which is dedicated to making Christmas Cards.

Yes, you read that correctly - a Christmas Card Class! On the day the class runs there will be less than 100 days until christmas (!!) so why not make a headstart?!

We'll make a selection of cards in the 2.5 hours, but unfortunately I can't show you samples because we'll be using the latest JOFY stamps (yet unreleased).  If I showed you those I would go straight to the top of Father Christmas's Naughty List! lol  but I can tell you there will be glitter, stamps and paint! (oh my!!)

The cost of the class is £30.00* - you'll receive a class kit containing all the substrates you need to create the cards, and one of the new A5 JOFY stamp sets (rrp £20.50) we'll be using in the class.

Everything you need will be provided but please bring an apron if you're a clean&tidy sort of crafter!

The class will run at the Community Centre, Elm Road in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex.  Its a great venue and there is a big public car park next door (free after 6pm).

I'm really looking forward to sharing the new JOFY designs with you - I hope you can join me for some festive crafting....

*To book your place, receive more details, or ask any questions please email me at jo@jofy.co.uk

(BOOKING EDIT: deposit of £10.00 (non-refundable) holds your place, payment in full on the day)

Christmas is coming!! ....

Last saturday I went to Loobi Crafts in Leighton Buzzard and taught my Christmas Blocks workshop... (it was a lovely, fun day - thanks to everyone who came along and created beautiful festive blocks!)

The class was overbooked and so its running again on the 18th November - with only a couple of places remaining - so if you'd like to come to this workshop and create this lovely (in my humble opinion) triptych of christmas blocks then call Lisa at Loobi Crafts (01525 838535) to book your place.

Look forward to seeing you!


ho ho ho

How much is too much?!

I'm talking about GLITTER here!  how much is too much?? 

Well, actually I'm talking glitter over on the PaperArtsy blog tonight with a festive project featuring SEVEN types of glitter! yes, SEVEN* - well I don't like to do things by halves do I!?!

Pop over to the PA blog to take a look.

x


* and none of them are glitter glue!!! how could I forget Stickles glitter glue!?! I love a touch of that on a project!! I only realised I'd forgotten it when I read Dounia's inspiring project on the PA blog on Wednesday night... sigh - maybe I'll add it later - those snowflakes on the green cubes are crying out for a touch of glitter glue...
no...
must resist..
put the glitter down and move away from the project....

101 days until....

...CHRISTMAS!!!!!

No no no don't run away!  I thought I'd just give you fair warning, as these things do seem to come around quicker these days don't you think!! (especially as it doesn't feel like we've had a proper summer yet this year here in the UK!)

aaaaanyhoo - the main reason for this festive blog post is to let you know I have....

new Christmas stamps 

....released today, and available at your local PaperArtsy stockist...

This year's stamps feature borders, chunky sentiments, lots of stars and trees, and a gorgeous wreath!  And a snowman - there's always a snowman!!

(and anyone caught calling my snowman 'fat' is going straight to the top of Santa's Naughty List! lol)

On the blog I suggested how you could amend the ornament cluster on JOFY56 to add someone's name - I thought I'd quickly show you here how to do that:

Trim a piece of washi tape (or masking tape) to cover the word 'Noel', ink up the stamp & REMOVE THE WASHI TAPE...

Stamp the image and the label is now empty & ready for you to add the recipients name!  Simple!

Here's a tag (coloured with Distress Oxides) using the elements created above.

I have lots of samples over on the PaperArtsy blog tonight to hopefully inspire you, and tomorrow and Thursday I have two creative wingmen showing you their (gorgeous) samples made with the stamps. Pop on over each evening - you won't be disappointed!

Is it too soon to wish you Merry Christmas?!! :o)

x

Ho Ho Ho...

... getting ready for my class on Christmas workshop on Saturday at That's Crafty... because the class booked up Laura has released a few extra places, so contact the shop if you fancy joining us for a day of festive fun creating the niche box below...

... and for those of you who are booked on to the course - thank you and I look forward to seeing you on Saturday - please bring the following items with you:
wide flat paint brush (you'll only need 1), detail paint brushes (similar to those in photo below), detail/ fine scissors, pencil, ruler...

(don't worry if you don't have the above - we'll have spares for you to use in class)

HO HO HO!!

Its beginning to look a lot like christmas......

... especially on 15 October when I'll be at That's Crafty in Romford running a very festive workshop...

In this workshop we'll create a lovely niche featuring this year's JOFY snowman.... using inks, stamps and paint.. and yes, there will be glitter/sparkliness!!

There are still a few places available - contact the shop to book a place...

ho ho ho!!

Where did the time go!

I am off schedule with my christmas posts (lots of things going on here)  - I meant to blog this before now - better late than never I suppose!

Designed for a class at Forget Me Not Kraft Kabin in Rochford, its a 20cm board canvas - a sampler/patchwork of lots of this years christmas stamps and my go to christmas mini JM07.

A fun project - these look great framed (Ikea frames are a perfect and inexpensive option) so can be brought out each year.

ho ho ho

Festive Upcycling...

... of a piece of Ikea furniture that kept on giving...

We bought a chair, and the chair is very nice.. but I think I was just as happy with the BIG cardboard box it came in as with the chair itself.. & we put the cardboard to good use...

* ... I made festive little trees form the very small off-cuts - little squares increasing in size cut from the cardboard, edged in glitter and glued together with matte medium (is there anything that can't be stuck together with Matte Medium?!):

Here they are in a little scene I made with bits and pieces.  The 'Noel' blocks were originally a hanging ornament but I prefer them horizontal.. a bit more versatile

Here is a close up and you can see the 'trees' on either side of the group - I think I want to add a star or 'something' to each of them....

*...  I created the solution to the 'we don't have anywhere to put christmas cards now that we don't have a mantelpiece or window ledges in the lounge anymore' problem (windows were replaced by doors, so no more ledges - I miss those useful ledges!).  I made a tree!!
I cut the cardboard into 10cm deep lengths, laid them out and cut them progressively longer to create a tree shape, and added a pot.

I attached them all together using a length of hessian 'ribbon', I used this rather than a strip of cardboard so the tree is flexible - I need to allow movement so that I could get behind each panel to staple the cards onto the tree....

Ta daaaaa:

A really simple tree - all we needed - to staple/paperclip cards to! Easy, lightweight & hung onto the door with a length of hessian rope, I decorated it with die cut stars, snowflakes and circles to pretty it up before the cards were attached.. (and hanging it on the door also stops people using the door - which is good as there a christmas tree on the other side! lol)

*... and finally - we cut the box up and made the prototypes for a shelving unit we're planning for the reconfigured lounge (next to the chair that started it all off):

That's our contribution to recycling/upcycling for the holiday season..  I hope its made you look at cardboard boxes in a new light :o)

x

Its beginning to look like christmas...

... for lots of reasons including:
* I heard Wham!'s 'Last Christmas' on the radio so its now officially christmas time! (in JoFYland anyway!)...
* people are blinging up their houses with fairy lights... so pretty - its disappointing when they're taken down.
* Our road had the annual fund raising visit from The Rotary Club and their (very jolly) Father Christmas accompanied by some very festive sparkly snowmen -when I initially looked out of the window and all I could see was one person wrapped in fairy lights & mistook them for a tipsy person wandering home after a christmas party! lol - but then I opened the door where one had been joined by others... they were a lot of fun... (question:  if its a flock of sheep or a herd of cows -I wonder what you'd call a group of snowmen.. a flurry maybe.. a flurry of snowmen...??)

* the main evidence of Christmas are the shop windows... I love looking at the displays.. here are a few of my favourites

 Accessorize have lovely windows throughout the year but this years woodland theme is magical.

The photos above and below are Anthropologie at Bluewater - the houses are made from CARDBOARD!! clever, very clever!

This is Jo Malone - the mistletoe window decal frame the topiary ball perfectly - so clean and crisp.

Thought this twig tree was really interesting, in one of the christmas decoration shop windows.

And of course the interiors' were lovely too - I liked this tag display in The White Company (this shop always looks, and SMELLS, gorgeous - an oasis of calm!) - looks like an upside-down christmas tree and the images on the tags are the decorations... 

and then there was this, in John Lewis - it made me chuckle because I reeeeaaally don't like brussel sprouts and here are banners and bunting featuring sparkly paper versions!  The only acceptable type of sprouts in my book! lol

I find the displays really inspiring - the colour schemes, the product arrangement &signage... This is the window at Anthropologie... the fabulous colours, textures and interesting bits & bobs... such a lovely opulent and natural mix.

 .. and finally this in one of the christmas decoration shops at Lakeside - every tree needs a diamante covered stag head!  or is that just for trees in Essex?.... lol

Love it!


xx