Candy redrawn

Hello everyone, as the original winner of the Candy hasn't contacted me I have, as mentioned last week, re drawn the Candy using the random number generator again and this time it came up with the number 8. This corresponds to Kokoclowie (Karen) so hopefully you'll read this and claim your prize before next Monday!

True Random Number Service

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

8 

Timestamp: 2012-04-30 17:44:28 UTC

Hope you enjoy the goodies Karen and well done!

I had a very busy weekend in Leeds and Northwich though yesterday's weather convinced me that nobody would turn up! However, lots of brave souls came to see me, so hello to all of you who ignored the torrential rain and icy winds. Bbbbbrrrr, makes me feel cold just thinking about sitting on shiver inducing platforms and unheated trains! I will share photos soon, though David will be cracking the whip to make sure that I get everything done before my trip up to Aberdeen (trip? It's a seven hour journey!) on Friday.

So, until then, make the best of the sunshine!

How calm am I now?!

Well, at least for the time being, as I'm being told that I will have to face up to the new blogger look pretty soon. Still, at least I can post without getting blue in the face for the moment!

So, first of all, I must share this rather odd picture with you as I promised somebody that I would! I mentioned in a previous post that there was another way of using Glue n Seal and here it is....doesn't look very exciting I know, but I haven't had a chance to do anything but this little test piece that I did at Sir Stampalot last weekend. As I said, this came about because of a question, by Debbie Maybank who had come to my demonstration. Debbie asked if the Glue n Seal could be applied to a stamp and I had to admit that I hadn't tried it.
I was doubtful that it would sit well on the stamp surface, so I use my finger tip to very gently tap the medium onto the image so that it wouldn't go into the recesses. I picked a pretty small stamp! It's the number 4 from my Alpadigit block in case you can't figure it out! Anyway, as you can, hopefully, see, it did work. I wouldn't think it would be great for a very detailed image, but for things like swirls, or more abstract stamps it's fine. Simply dip your finger into the Glue n Seal, tap it lightly over the stamp then print onto card. Heat set the image and blend over the card with Distress inks to create a "ghost" effect. Pretty good and I'll post pics of any more samples I make using this technique.

Now Heather has beaten me to showing you these cards! That's okay though. They are two of the cards that I made for this weekend's demonstrations. SPritzing with Distress ReInkers and Perfect Pearl Mists through Crafter's Workshop stencils created the backgrounds and I used my Emily & Steampunk Sarah stamp set (PICSA6285) as well as the poster from Andy Skinner's Circus set (ASCSA5013) as well as some TH Idealogy pieces. Hope you like! It's been a lots nicer here today - no rain and a decent amount of sunshine but I couldn't get out into the garden as there was work to be done indoors, mostly typing things up...not my favourite job! I will sign off now as it's time to relax before an early night and a 6.00 am start to my day getting to Samuel Taylor's in Leeds tomorrow. Hope to see some of you there. For anyone in Lancaster tomorrow, do call at Card Craft for the opportunity to see Andy Skinner on one of his rare visits to the North West...well worth the effort to go along I can promise you.
Have a great weekend whatever you are up to and it's another shout out to Jenny R to claim her Candy!

Hallelujah!!!

Wey hey, Whoopie Dooh and smack me in the face with a wet kipper!!!! I am back to normality, back to feeling sane again and feeling the waves of frustration turning into calming ripples. Yes....I have managed to revert to my user friendly, comfy as a pair of old slippers blogger "interface" (whatever the heck that means). Everything is lovely once more.
I was meandering round the internet to see what others thought of the new way of doing things around here in Blogland and, no surprise to me, there are a lot of very unhappy posters out there. I chanced upon one chappie's blog who, like me, was utterly fed up...until someone explained to him how to revert to comfyland. I took a look, clicked a button or too and...shazzam!! New, scary, impossible to use bloggy man was banished into the ether!
So, if you too have furrowed brows due to this "upgrade" simply go onto the dashboard, click onto the little cog symbol (settings) which, on my dashboard, was somewhere in the upper right area and choose the option to revert to the old style (or words to that effect). I clicked it and it immediately took me back to my usual posting system - right size text, colours, layout etc. I'm going to see if I can change the font size on that last post after I complete this one.

Ooooh, it does feel good!!!

Events & a Candy reminder

Just a pictureless post tonight as there is still much gnashing of teeth here and I just don't want to spend half my evening messing about with photos that have a mind of their own.

Heather came round today and took a few pictures that she may post if she manages to do it! So check out her blog over the next few days to see what we were up to!

So, on Saturday I'll be at Samuel Taylor's in Leeds where I'll be demonstrating lots of new stamps, My Mind's Eye papers and inks.

On Sunday I'll be at Strikes Weavervale Garden Centre in Winnington, Northwich. As well as new stamps I will be using stencils, Perfect Pearl Mists, Distress ink pads and re-inkers. I'll be there from 10.30am - 4pm.

Next Friday I'll be trekking up to Aberdeen for my weekend at The Papeterie in Stoneywood Mill. On the Saturday I'll be demonstrating all day, using stamps, alcohol and Distress inks, Graphic 45 papers and more. On the Sunday I'll be teaching two workshops, which can be booked singly or at a discounted price for both sessions - they are different of course! We'll be stamping, masking, watercolouring, alcohol inking, making shaker cards and more. For more information please visit www.thepapeterie.com where you can check out dates, times and costs.

Now for the Candy reminder......Jenny R please contact me with your delivery details so I can send you your prize! If Jenny hasn't contacted me by Monday 30th April then I will draw another name, so please do check back in case you are a surprise winner. Fingers crossed that Jenny does contact me though.

Well, it's been pouring down relentlessly for the second day in a row, so let's hope it's a somewhat drier day tomorrow. One minute there are hosepipe bans and the next there are flood warnings! I saw lots of flooded fields from the train last weekend - it's all there, just in the wrong places!

Hope to see some of you over the weekend.

PS great.....now the text size has gone stupid - either too small (like this) or huuge! So, apologies for the rather small words....get your specs on!

Bloomin' Blogger!

Well, I'm trying again but have already lost two photos that I tried to upload, not to mention that my font and the text size keep reverting to the standard one every time I start a new line. The photos that are still on  here are moving around where I don't want them to go and my text is not sitting where I want it to....apart from that, it's great! Not.

Again, I'd like to know whose genious idea this was and why there is this obsession with changing things that are straightforward into something that is very user unfriendly. I had planned to do some more step by steps on here quite soon, but think I'll have to shelve them for the moment as I have no desire to get myself into a total nervous meltdown!

So, I'll have to make this a fairly short post just to share the few pictures that are still left here! This is a really simple card that I made on Saturday using my Steampunk Sarah stamp set - I made one of my easy frames using paper from the Graphic 45 Olde Curiosity Shoppe - which is almost unusable....ie so good it's hard to cut up! I made it into a shaker card but used TH sprockets inside instead of the usual glitter and beads etc. 

Well it just gets worse really.  I gave up last night as I was at screaming point with this darned post...pictures moving around and completely unable to place them where I wanted, which was always a doddle with the old system. So I decided to leave it and have another go this morning. I then find that my draft post has been published (good thing I didn't type what I was thinking at the time!!!) and in the wrong typeface, pictures all over the place etc. Makes it worse that there isn't (is there?) anyone to complain to. Nightmare. Maybe someone can tell me how I'm supposed to control the pics once I've uploaded them as they just have a mind of their own.

Anyway, my last remaining photos (that blogger didn't chew up and spit out) are from the Sunday at Sir Stampalot when I was teaching an all day workshop. It was great fun and we got lots done. Lots of concentration........

and here are some of the ladies with their finished cards...

    I have more things to share, such as another technique with Glue n Seal which I tried on Saturday after a question from one of the ladies at my demonstration...I will post details next time because I just don't have the time or the computer wizardry to let me figure this out before my day is completely gone. I think I'll be posting a lot less if it stays like this...bad for the blood pressure!

Please do call back though and I'll do my best to conquer this! Meanwhile, apologies for the wonky look of this post and for the lack of much information.

The Candy winner is....

Hello everyone, well, I had been going to put a nice "Winning" picture up here, plus some photos from the weekend etc, but Blogger have, in their wisdom (!) decided to muck about with everything and I am now at screaming point just trying to put this post together. What is it with these companies deciding, for no apparent reason, to change everything with no warning and under the guise of improving things, when they actually make things so complicated and different from what we are used to that it becomes uncomfortable and difficult for users? 

Virgin email has done just the same thing and is hideous to use now with a superbright screen and horrible layout. This is worse though as I am finding it really hard to work with. Aaaaarrrgggghhh!!! I hate change! Anyone else struggling with this unlovely surprise?

Okay, rant over and on to the blog candy. I used a random number picker and it came up with.... 

 

True Random Number Generator Min: Max: Result: 11 Powered by RANDOM.ORG

......number 11 which corrulates to Jenny R. Well done Jenny! Please send me an email with your details so that I can post your prize out to you. 

I'll be putting another candy on here before too long, so please check back regularly for another chance to win something nice!

So, I'll sign off for now as I am getting very hot, bothered and exasperated now! That was not a pleasurable experience!

Sir Stampalot

Just a short post today before I get down to some drawing. I'm off to Peterborough tomorrow for my weekend at Sir Stampalot - bags all packed and samples made! On Saturday I'll be demonstrating at the shop...have lots of stamps by myself and Andy Skinner as well as new Graphic 45 and My Mind's Eye papers. Then, on Sunday it's a full day's workshop where we'll be making cards and tags and using all sorts of things from alcohol inks to stamps, papers to mediums and Distress inks. Should be a busy, but fun day!
I'll take some photos to post here next week and don't forget to leave a comment after my Candy post (further down) before 7pm on Monday to make sure that you're in the draw.
Meanwhile, we've had some torrential rain here over the last few days which, thankfully, has not disturbed the freshly planted seedlings outside...however, somebody has been scraping away at the Sweet Peas despite my sticking a defensive barrage of canes in the soil! Don't know who the culprit is but have my suspicions Thomas, so, once I've reinstated the poor plants it will be time for chicken wire. Let battle commence!
Well, I had better crack on with those drawings now, as the hours just seem to be flying by lately. Hope to see some of you this weekend and, if you want to check if there are any places available for Sunday's workshop, just contact Sir Stampalot directly. A bit previous I know, but have a great weekend everyone.