The last post...for a while!

I think so anyway! It all depends if we can get a wireless reception while we are away house and cat sitting for mum and dad while they are on holiday. If not, then I'll be posting again in a couple of weeks. My samples for this weekend's events are done...pretty much anyway...and I have sorted everything out for taking away with me, which was a real headache as I have to continue working so can't afford to leave particular inkpads, stamps, papers and so on behind! I also have to break up my break, so to speak, halfway through to go down to Eastbourne - some rest eh?!

So, on friday I'll be off down to Basildon, which is not my favourite journey as it means using the underground and trotting around London with my bags to get to the next tube station. Still, it should be fine so long as the tube services are running smoothly. I'll be having a relaxing evening at the hotel then giving a demonstration at In 2 Crafting in nearby Wickford on Saturday. Hope to see some familiar, and new faces there. Here are some little peeks at the kind of things that I will be doing there. This first one features a Hero Arts stamp (Silhouette Flower HACG105) which I've stamped onto my favourite gloss, coated cardstock which I had first applied alcohol inks to. I love the depth that this technique brings to the image. I then used the same colours of inks to dye some Petaloo flowers and a ribbon. Dyeing flowers this way is a great way to clean up any leftover ink from the craft sheet so I always have a few small blossoms to hand for just this job. I used some Bazzill card to cover part of the card blank and smudged a little Distress ink around the card. Great stamp!More Hero Arts on this card - the distressed backround border on the cream card is Aged Print Frame (HACG154) which is a whopping 5.5" x 6.5"! I've stamped it onto cream card and then added several shades of Distress inks...just a random mix really. I then stamped images from HACL290 Printed Flowers onto acetate which I had applied alcohol inks to. I cut them out and curled the petals a little before sticking to the distressed background. I smudged some Distress Stickles, in Walnut Stain, around the card edges to complete the look.

This card features my Butterfly Words Background (PIRM016) which is one of Personal Impressions stick on rubber stamps (these are mounted onto cushioning and remain sticky so they can be placed on and off blocks with no mess). I love the detail that rubber stamps give. I stamped it twice onto inked gloss card and then cut out the two butterflies to mount over the ones on the main image. I dyed the ribbon and flowers to match as before. I masked off the card about two cms down from the top and blended Bundled Sage Distress ink (love this colour!) over the top. The top of the card was then punched using the incredible Pop Up Butterfly punch from Martha Stewart - such a simple way to add dimension. I cut a slit in the spine just below the punched line and wrapped the ribbon through and around. I simply adhered all the elements, including the "waste" from the butterfly punch. Hope you like them!
Well, as soon as the demonstration is over I have to make the journey homewards but will carry on to mum and dad's. Next day I'll be at Windmill Craft at Marsh Mill in Thornton - thankfully not far from my parents! I'll be using loads of Ranger products at this demonstration, so will be getting exceedingly inky and grunged!
I'm working on a new stamp collection so am looking forward to sitting in the garden with my sketch book as long as it stays dry! The following Friday I'll be catching the train again to meet an old mate of mine who will then drive us both down to Eastbourne for an event at ESK warehouses. It will be a fun weekend with lots of demonstrations on the Saturday. As it's such a long haul (about as far as you can go without falling off the edge!) we are staying over another night and coming back on Sunday. I'll be glad to get back to the last week of our break though!
The Saturday after that I'll be at Card Craft in Lancaster for a demonstration of a range of products and techniques. Then we'll be heading home again on Sunday and I expect I'll have plenty of photos and tales to share. Till then, hope everyone keeps well, happy and creative! Lindsay