About Me

I'm a freelance artist, designer and demonstrator and have been involved in arts and craft my whole life in one way or another. I design stamps for top British company Personal Impressions, under the "Lindsay Mason Designs" brand, as well as papers, templates and other crafting products. I'm a certified Ranger Educator and my first book,"Stamping", was published in 2009. I also design regular projects for Crafts Beautiful magazine and have made guest appearances from time to time on QVC. I've recently joined You Tube under the name of LindsayMason1000 where I'm posting short technique videos and you can buy my paintings and hand crafted pieces from my Etsy shop. My work takes me all around the country demonstrating stamping, papercrafts and general inkiness! When I'm not working, I love gardening, church & community activities, nature watching, journalling, music and theatre and just relaxing at home. Email me at: ljm.design1@virginmedia.com

Thursday 29 January 2009

Lots of lovely new things...

Yes, a box of lovely new products arrived from Personal Impressions yesterday! Along with my new stamps there were lovely new papers and embellishments from K & Co, gems, rub ons, ribbons, brads and flowers etc - all very scrumptuous indeed. I shall post photographs as soon as I can do, but it will be a few weeks yet. So, I'm busy making samples for my workshops and demonstrations at Stitches trade show, which is my favourite working weekend of the year. It's always really busy and I get a chance to catch up with people that I hardly see otherwise.
This is a general picture from our stand at last year's show...it's a really large one that takes two days to construct and fill and then about an hour to pull down at the end of the show! It's very hard work but also enormous fun.
I've just added a new demonstration date for February too, at Heaths in Barrow in Furness, so do check the dates list. I'll be showcasing Sakura pens and how to get the best out of them - it's surprising how versatile they are!
Well, not a very exciting post, but I just wanted to say "hello"!
Take care all, Lindsay

Monday 26 January 2009

I got photo tagged!

Hello everyone on a rather dullsville day...well, it is here anyway. Mind you, birds are as jolly as ever, with lots of canoodling going on up in the tree branches, in between pecking on my window to hint that more food would be appreciated! The squirrels have been feasting on the corn cobs which I left out for them, looking really cute with 3" of cob sticking out either side of their faces! They are strong little creatures - still able to leap around the trees even whilst carrying their oversized treasure. Unfortunately I just can't get a close enough photo to do the cuteness justice!
Talking of photos, Hazel has tagged me (check out Didos Designs) and I am supposed to go to my pictures file, go to the 6th folder and then go to the 6th photo within that file (hope you're following this!) before uploading it here with a description of what's going on. Well, I say "supposed" only because my first folders are all of new designs which I can't put on here as yet for obvious reasons, so I am going to count from there and see what comes up.......and the result is............footprints in the sand! This picture was taken at the beach at Pier Village, New Jersey and the footprints are mine (with a few seagull ones too!). This was during my trip to Ranger last year and, because we spent most of the time inside, doing lots of wonderful inky things, I didn't get to see much of the surrounding area. On the last day I took a taxi to the beach all on my lonesome and took pictures of my feet in the sea and my footprints in the sand. It was a very calm end to what had been a really exciting few days.

Well, now I have to choose six people to photo tag and they are.... in no particular order.........


Debs @ debscards.blogspot.com

Lynnda @ oakhousestudio.blogspot.com

She@ craftyshe.blogspot.com

Jan @ janbloomfield.blogspot.com

Leonie @ leoniepujol.blogspot.com

Lesley @ themessycrafter.blogspot.com


Well, that's all for now folks! Have a good week everyone, Lindsay

Wednesday 21 January 2009

Feeling human again at last!

It's a beautiful day here, with a bright sunny sky and just a little, crisp nip in the air. The birds are looking happy to be alive and there are signs of spring as the magpies gather twigs and start building their nests. I feel I can join in with the general positivity now as I've finally shaken off the aches, pains and general unwellness that's plagued me for some weeks now! I think that I've had my whole year's worth of feeling ill in one go...well I hope so anyway!
So, apart from finishing my new stamps designs (which I'll be able to tell you more about after they are launched in February) I have just been having a quiet time recharging my batteries and coming up with new ideas. I think that we all need to have a bit of time out sometimes and it really does help to clear the mind and allow fresh things to come in.
I've added a couple of new dates to the demonstration list - one is in Essex in February and the second is in Liverpool in April. I have more dates to add shortly once details have been confirmed, so do keep checking back to see if I'll be anywhere near to where you live.
That's all for now folks! I just wanted to touch base and say hello. Lindsay

Saturday 10 January 2009

A late "Happy New Year"!

Apologies for being so long away from here. Hope you all had a lovely Christmas and a late "Happy New Year" to everyone.

My Christmas wasn't quite what I had in mind as the "bug" which I was suffering from turned out to be a severe ear infection, so I spent half my holiday going to and from the hospital! It was the most excrutiating pain that I've ever experienced! Thankfully the pain has now stopped, though I am still partly deaf with a loud ringing in my ear. All this has meant that I have been trying to catch up with work which got delayed....new stamp designs!....and is why I haven't updated the blog till now.

If you look at the demonstration list you'll see that the Making Cards weekend workshops have been removed. Unfortunately, administration problems have meant that these have had to be put on hold for the time being, but I will let you know as and when they are back on track.

I feel as if I've been working with Christmas themes for so long now that it will be a real treat to get into fresh Spring designs. The designs that I'm working on now will be launched at Stitches, the huge trade show, in February, and I will, of course, post samples of new products and ideas on here soon after that. The very talented Tim Holtz and Suze Weinberg from Ranger will both be on the Personal Impressions stand along with myself, so I will endeavour to get some good pictures to post and maybe some Blog Candy from all three of us...watch this space!

Well, I must get on with putting the finishing touches to the new designs and will post again in the next couple of days. Stay warm everyone...it's freezing here today! Lindsay