Christmas Spectacular

Well it seems that we are fast approaching the last weekend of September which means that it is nearly time for The Glitter Pot's Christmas Spectacular Weekend (28th and 29th September) where there will be 9 demonstrators showing you all sorts of different card making techniques.

I for one will be there along with Jenny Mayes, Julie Hickey, Gilly Haigh, Alison Moore, Alexandra Kamann, Jane Gill, Jackie Huckstepp and Paula Pascual so there will be lots going on!!

 Above are the cards that I will have on display.  I have taken a break from Colouring With Copics and will be demonstrating with IndigoBlu's FlitterGlu and Flakes - just LOVE this product. The glue makes gilding so easy.

So if any of you are planning on visiting The Glitter Pot next weekend I hope you'll stop by my table and say 'Hello'.

Purple Haze

Hi everyone. Here's the other card that we made on the same class as my last posting using Imagination Crafts Bay Leaf stencil.

These cards showcased a new technique that I devised using Imagination Crafts Sparkle Gel along with Copics and Mica powders. The background was achieved with Distress inks.

Then the card was edged with silver metallic ink and heat embossed with embossing powder which really catches the light.

All products used are available from The Craft Barn as well as Imagination Crafts.

Before I go I must just tell you that Imagination Crafts are back on QVC this week - this Wednesday (11th September) at 5pm. I for one will definitely be tuning in!!

Butterflies and Daisies

Oh dear!!!  I seem to be getting worse at this blogging malarkey instead of better!!  I know I keep saying this but the days just seem to keep flying past!!  I can hardly believe that in a few days time I shall be another year older - SCARY!!!

I must just say thank you to all the lovely ladies who were on my class yesterday at The Craft Barn - you were all fantastic and your creations looked wonderful :) I must say an extra special thank you to Sharon who had set up for me and whizzed everything away for me at the end of the class too.

This is one of the cards that we made on the class using Imagination Crafts Butterflies and Daisies stencil along with their Sparkle Gel some Distress inkpads, Copics and Mica powders.  I have really got into using stencils just recently - not only combining them with rubber stamps but also finding ways to make lovely scenes with them as well.  It's amazing what can be achieved with them.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to really show just how pretty this card is when it catches the light so you'll just have to take my word for it!!

Here's a closer look at part of the card.

Imagination Crafts do so many beautiful stencils that can be mixed and matched to create some wonderful cards - I used their Apple Blossom stencil to create some interest at the base of the daisies and The Crafter's Workshop Mini Cherry Blossom stencil to put in some dainty tendrils around the butterflies.

I'm afraid that I wasn't able to come away from The Craft Barn empty handed as they have just begun stocking the wonderful Lavinia stamps!!!  I can't tell you how delighted I am about this as I just love these stamps and I now have the 'perfect excuse' to play with them!!  So watch this space as I plan on doing a class with them at The Craft Barn next year sometime :)

Classes at The Craft Barn

A couple of weeks ago I took my first class at The Craft Barn in over two years!!  As most of you know I had to take a break from teaching due to my 'naughty back'!!  However I am now back and I am teaching again but only in a limited capacity.

My thanks to everyone who came on the class a couple of weeks ago - I hope you enjoyed it!!  You were certainly a lovely and lively bunch!!  This is the card that we made which had a lot of techniques to it but I think that they all mastered 'the challenge' admirably!!

I have just updated my 'classes/demos' page as I have two more classes coming up at The Craft Barn - one in a couple of weeks time and another in October and that will be all for the rest of this year.  So if anyone fancies joining me please visit my 'classes/demo' page where you will find out more about them :)

In The Garden

Hi everyone :)  I am such a bad blogger as it's been a little while again hasn't it!!

Today I have a Penny Black card to share with you as I am a guest designer this month for Penny Black and More!!

Very appropriately the Penny Black girl is actually called Garden Assistant so this seemed to be the perfect choice for Penny Black and More's August Challenge which is called 'In The Garden'!!

I created my own background setting for the girl by applying distress inks to a white panel, then stamped trees (Hobby Art/Open Tree) using a light inkpad and coloured them with Copics to give them a 'springtime' feel.

The die-cut trees (Memory Box/Grand Oak Tree) were coloured using the same Copic colours as for the background trees.

And of course Copics were used again to colour the girl, dog and flowers.

Don't forget to hop on over to Penny Black and More to see all the other wonderful creations that the DT have made and to find out how to enter the challenge.

I'll be back again soon!!!..................

Lilac Freesias

Hello. I hope you are all enjoying your weekend.

Today I'm sharing a card I made with my first go at using Imagination Crafts Sparkle Medium.

I started by applying Milled Lavender Distress ink onto white card and then applied Silver Sparkle Medium using a flourish stencil.

The Freesia Decoupage stamp was stamped using black Memento and coloured with Copics.

For the right side of the card I stamped and embossed the leafy flourish (from the Freesia stamp set) onto lilac Bazzill card using Versamark and Crystal embossing powder.

All in all a fairly simple card with a simple layout.

Imagination Crafts Products - Silver Sparkle Medium; Flourishes stencil; Freesia Decoupage stamp set.

Pretty In Pink

Helloooooooooooo!!!!  See, told you I'd be back ;)

Today I thought I'd share one of the cards I made for The Glitter Pot's Spring Spectacular - I think that this one was my favourite out of all the cards that I made for the weekend!!

All products used came from The Glitter Pot.
Paper by Basic Grey (from the Knees High collection)
Stamp by Penny Black - Fashion Leader
Dies by Memory Box - Grand Oak Tree; Cityscape Nightline and Spellbinders - Grand Labels One
Punches by Martha Stewart - PATP Cherry Blossom; Monarch Butterfly
Wording by Craftwork Cards

Panel coloured using my trusty Copics. Plus if you look closely on the card and panel you will see some subtle sparkly flowers which was achieved using Imagination Crafts Diamond Sparkle Medium and their Apple Blossom stencil.

And talking of Imagination Crafts, Sue is back on QVC this Thursday 11th July at 10pm - I for one can't wait to see what lovely new products they have!!!

I'd like to enter this card into a couple of challenges - Penny Black and More July Challenge - Dies and Punches and Allsorts Challenge Week 214 - Favourite Things, with my favourite things being pretty papers, dies, punches, copics and my new favourites of Sparkle Medium and stencils!!!

Hope you like the card and I'll see if I can return again soon as I have loads to share with you :)

Blue Freesias!!!

Oops!!!!  Well I know I said I'd be back in a few days and my intentions were good at the time.  However things change around here and we all decided to have a break away in the West Country for a week, then upon my return I had to get creating again!!

Anyway I can now lift my head up from my work desk so here is a card that I made a couple of months ago using the Freesia Decoupage stamp by Imagination Crafts

I've taken it at a slight angle so that you can just make out the glimmering background which was achieved using the Flower Flourish Imagination Crafts stencil along with a pearlescent mica spray.

The Freesia stamp was stamped and embossed using Versamark and White Detail embossing powder and coloured using Weathered Wood and Chipped Sapphire Distress inkpads. Then I stamped the flowers again with black Memento, coloured them with Copics, cut them out and decoupaged them over the top.

With a bit of luck I'll be back again soon with some more cards to show!!!

CAS Penny Black Girls

Helloooooooooooooooooo!!!!  As promised here I am back again to show you some of the many card samples that I've been busy creating whilst I was sooooooooooooo quiet here in 'blogland'.

Today I thought I'd share with you three cards that I created using some of the latest girl stamps from Penny Black.  These cards are my attempt at keeping them 'clean and simple' - VERY hard for me, I might add!!!

So here goes-

First up is Fashion Leader which was stamped, coloured with Copics, cut out and mounted onto the front of a card that I had stamped with the Hobby Art Open Tree and traced around the Memory Box Cityscape Nightline die-cut. I'd like to enter this card into the Penny Black and More CAS Challenge and also the current Allsorts Challenge - Here Comes The Girls.

 Here's a closer look at the colouring for you. I then sketched in the ground using a fine black marker.

Next, is Garden Assistant which again was stamped, coloured and cut out. The background was kept simple just by stamping the Hobby Art tree several times in black ink.

And lastly we have Fluffy Passenger with the same background as the previous card.

These are a totally different style for me and it was soooooooooooooo hard not to go adding more to them!!!

Anyway I hope you like them!!  All products used on these are available from The Glitter Pot.

And lastly a HUGE thank you to all of you who stopped by my table at the weekend.  It was lovely to see you all :)

I'll be back again in a few days to share some more cards with you :)

The Craft Barn's 2013 Extravaganza Weekend

Hellooooooooooooooo!!!  So tomorrow is the 1st of June which means that it is The Craft Barn's Extravaganza Weekend!!!  Woo hooooooooooo!!!  This year all of us demonstrators will be in marquees outside the new premises so it is going to be 'new' for all of us!!!  At the moment I am situated in Marquee 3 but things can change :)

As you all know I've been very quiet as I've had lots of card making to do.  Below are the cards I'll have on display at the weekend.

I have been really fortunate as I've been playing with Jo Firth Young's current JOFY stamp sets which I just LOVE!!! The quirky style of these stamps really appeals to me and I am mega excited as Jo has designed some more stamps which are being launched this weekend.  Click here to see them.  Jo will be demonstrating with the new launch at the weekend - obviously I want them and can't wait to see the samples that Jo has created with them.

As well as demoing with Jo's current stamp sets, I'll be using Copics, Distress inkpads, stencils and Sparkle Medium.  Here's a closer look at one of the cards using all of these products-

So I do hope that you will stop by my table sometime over the weekend :)

What's more the weather is supposed to be lovely so it should be a GREAT weekend.  I really hope to see some of you there but if not have a great weekend and enjoy the fine weather that we are supposed to be getting!!!!

I'll be back next week as I have loads of cards to start sharing with you :)

Spring Spectacular Weekend

Woo hooooooooooo!!! This weekend it is The Glitter Pot's Spring Spectacular Weekend!!!!  Click here to find out all the details.  I for one, am really looking forward to it and will be demoing with Copics as well as some other bits and bobs.

Then next weekend it is The Craft Barn's Extravaganza Weekend.!!!!

Hope to see some of you at one or the other!!!!

Meanwhile have a great bank holiday :)

Imagination Crafts QVC TV Show

Hi everyone.  I'm 'super' busy at the moment preparing for two consecutive weekends of fabulous demo events - The Glitter Pot's Spring Spectacular Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th May and then the BIG one, The Craft Barn's Extravaganza Weekend Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd June.  There'll be lots of fabulous demos at both of these events - I of course will be using my favourite markers (Copics) so if anyone has any questions about them do stop by my table and I'll do my best to answer them :)

Meanwhile I just wanted to pop on here and let you know that one of the reasons I was quiet on here was because I had been invited to join the Imagination Crafts Design Team and was busy doing some sample cards for their next QVC TV show which is on tomorrow (Wednesday 8th May) at 9pm. 

So hopefully you may see some of these cards popping up on there.  I will do my best to show them all on here properly in due course as and when I can!!

Meanwhile please forgive me for not visiting you all - I aim to do better once these weekends have passed!!

Bears, Bears, Bears!!!

Finally over the last few days it has felt as if Spring is here in the UK!!

Sorry I've been quiet again!!  You'll be pleased to know that I have been busy creating cards though!!

Today I thought I'd share some cards that I made a few weeks ago using the very cute Forever Friends bear stamps.

Here's a closer look at the bear for you, which was of course coloured with Copics.

Here's the next card...........

And a closer look at the bear...........

And the next.........

With a closer look at the bear......

And lastly..................

I think that this one must be a 'baby bear'!!

All of these were made as a set for The Glitter Pot.  You can buy these super cute stamps here.

With a bit of luck I'll be back again soon!!

Mini Fest Day at The Craft Barn's New Premises!!!!

Hi everyone!!!  Just wanted to let you know that tomorrow is The Craft Barn's Mini Fest Day at their new premises in Nutfield. (Click here for their new address.)

I'll be there demoing with one of Jo Firth Youngs new stamp sets - No.11 (which is just sooooooooooooooo 'lurverly') along with the FlitterGlu Starter Set (such a fantastic set as it has everything you need to get you started) and Mega Flakes .  Love it, love it, LOVE IT!!!!

Jane Collman, Chris Dark, Andy Skinner, Carol Cockbain and Helen Chiltern will also be there demoing away so if anyone is in the area please do stop by and say hello to us :) and come and see what The Craft Barn now looks like!!!  I can't wait to see it myself!!

Here's a little taster of the cards I'll have with me on display.

I've photographed them at an angle so you can see the shine from the Mega Flakes!!

 Hope to see you tomorrow :)

Think I've got to buy some more of those 'lurverly' JOFY stamp sets whilst I'm there!!!

Just Peachie!

Oh dear .....................................the days seem to keep whizzing by without me posting but I'm here now :)

I can hardly believe that we are already into the second half of March - it certainly hasn't felt very 'springlike' yet!!

Today I thought I'd share this card with you that I made last year using a StampAvie stamp called Lila Libellule.

Papers are from a First Edition paper pad called Isabelle.

Other materials used are-
Nestabilities - Labels Ten
Memory Box - Petal Party
                       Savannah Border
Artemio clear stamp set - Arabesque

Image coloured with Copics.

All materials came from The Craft Barn and talking of The Craft Barn it's not long now until their BIG move to their new premises at Priory Farm!!!  Click here for their full address and to find out more.

All Loved Up!!

Sorry that I've been absent for sooooooooooooo long!!!  But I'm here now :)

Today I've got a card to share with you using a very cute mouse stamp set by Artemio called Love.

The papers used on this card are from the Daydream First Edition 6x6 paper pad. The panel that the mice are on is a Nesties die - Labels 17 and the die cut flowers is a Memory Box die - Chloe Stem.  All available from The Craft Barn. (I'd like to enter this into the Allsorts 195 Animal challenge.)

The mouse panel is of course coloured with Copics!!

Talking of The Craft Barn it won't be too long before they are on the move to their new premises at Priory Farm!!  Click here for more details.  I will be demoing at their Opening Day on 6th April :)

The reason for me not having blogged for a little while is because I have been designing some cards so that I can offer a few classes from my home in Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex. Click here for more details :) or click on the Classes/Demos tab at the top of the page :)

Toodles for now..............................

My Uncle's Birthday Card

Oh dear!!!!!  What can I say?????  I had such good intentions of doing some regular posts over the Christmas period and popping by your blogs and saying 'hello' to you all!!  Unfortunately my computer had 'other ideas' about this as it began playing me up a few days before Christmas and then 'died' on me!!  About 10 days later it was finally working again but it had had to be re-mastered so I then had many 'happy hours' putting everything back onto it!!

Anyway it is now working fine and I'm all caught up with stuff so here I am again!!

Today I thought I'd share a card with you that I made for my Uncle's birthday.  Now anyone who knows me well, knows that I HATE making cards for men so I was absolutely dreading this but as it was a 'special' birthday I thought I ought to make the effort!!

This is what I came up with using the fabulous range of scenic stamps by Stampscapes. These are always my 'go to' stamps when I think of doing cards for men as they lend themselves so nicely for men's cards.

My uncle is a very keen freshwater fisherman so of course I had to choose stamps that he would relate to!!  I stamped each of the stamps in black ink and then sponged blue, grey and green inks over the top.

Lastly I added some white highlights to the water using a white gel pen and then I just had to apply some crystal glitter glue here and there over the water to make it shimmer!!

I then stamped the inside with corresponding stamps before I wrote in it.

These fabulous range of stamps can be bought here in the UK from Serendipity.

I'd like to enter this card into the Week 191-Masculine challenge over at the Allsorts Challenge blog.

Have a good weekend everyone and hopefully I'll be back soon!!!