Full pelt

I'm just about recovered from the show at the NEC and now busy making things for my Christmas market stall. The show was busier than ever, and Wendy and myself were demonstrating for the entire four days. Thank you to everyone who came to the stand and for all the wonderful comments about our demonstrations and samples - makes all the hard work worthwhile!

Of course, Wendy was showing how to use her beautiful Majestix stamp range....the cards she was making were just stunning and everyone was very inspired. 

I was using Viva Decor and Deco Art products and using mixed media techniques...very messy...my default mode!

 It was so busy that the main products I was using were all gone by the end of day two, so, with another two days to go, I had to work off the cuff so to speak, and come up with new ideas, changing things as I went as more things sold out....very nerve wracking but it's good to have to think on your feet!

Here's a triple hanger that I made on day three....

....the large snowflake is made using the Tim Holtz Alterations die "Layered Snowflake" which contains a die and matching embossing folder - really like this set. I used Deco Art white modelling paste to create the snow, sprinkling it with Glamour Dust.

I didn't get chance to look round the rest of the show except for quick glimpses on the way to and from the loos! This was the display at the main entrance to the Hobbycrafts hall....

...all made from paper except for the poppy wreaths which were crocheted.

At the entrance to the Crafts For Christmas hall there was another display, this time featuring "The Snowman" - as I love snowmen I had to get my picture taken with him!

I got back from the show on Sunday evening and then spent Monday relaxing on the sofa catching up with Strictly Come Dancing and a few other TV programmes - didn't even feel guilty! I was so glad to be back home with Thomas and Tara who were very happy to see me. My neighbour told me that Thomas had been sulking for England! On Sunday night Thomas crept under the duvet with me and, amazingly, so did Tara....this is a minor miracle as usually Tara won't even stay in the same room with Tom! They do seem to be getting along a little better at last.

Yesterday was the third anniversary of dad's passing, so Heather and I went to St Chad's and laid some flowers at his resting place as well as lighting candles and looking in the memorial book which was open at the date and had dad's name written there. Being Armistice day makes the anniversary even more evocative. 

It also means that I've been back here in Poulton for three years now which seems unreal - although I also feel I've been here forever at the same time. Time....such a strange thing that seems to ebb and flow depending on what we are thinking about, remembering or looking forward to.

Well, we also did some shopping and Heather even brought me a food parcel - including plenty of cat food - so I am well stocked up now. It was so cold and dank yesterday that I was relieved to get home and look forward to some time inside without having to go out again. With a full larder and fridge I can batten down the hatches and just get busy with making things to sell on my Christmas Market stall in December. I've just finished adding texture and embellishments to some MDF ornaments which are now drying as I have this little break. They'll then be painted black before I start adding all the lustre and sparkle.

I do have to go out this evening though, as it is the town Forum meeting...lots of important issues so I don't want to miss it. The police, councillors and local MP will be there, so it's a great chance to put things to them and get things done!

There is an amendment to my demo dates as we have postponed the one at Card-io in Wigan which I was meant to be doing this coming Saturday. because all the products sold out at the show, I will now be going there on Saturday 29th November where I'll be showing the Mixed Media techniques and giving ideas for Christmas gifts and decorations. I'll be returning on Saturday 28th February when I'll be teaching Mixed Media workshops - more details to follow, but if you want to ensure a place, please get in touch with Card-io directly here.

Well, I think those decorations will be dry now, so I shall get cracking with the next stage. I need to get an awful lot of things made by 5th December!

Mixed media frenzy

Hello all, I'm finished,done and dusted (well, not literally) for the day and everything's packed up ready to set off for the Craft Range in Burnley tomorrow. Should be a very fun and informative day with all sorts of demos going on. Mine will not be stamping, for a change, as I'll be using all sorts of products to create mixed media canvesses, cards etc. I finished this journal yesterday....

....I eally enjoyed making this, though it took quite some time working on the front and back covers and the spine. The "hinges" wrap around from the back to give a more substantial look to the book. My tip, if you are going to be using messy products on a ready made journal, is to wrap the pages in cling film before you start - makes life much easier!

As well as more substantial items, I've used the same techniques to make cards and here are two that I'll have with me tomorrow...

A certain someone has been trying to be helpful again, if you can call plonking himself on my work table as being helpful! This was his contribution this morning....

....though it took me longer to get that foam square backing off his nose than it did to get it off the foam square itself! What a fidget!

My other little pal decided that it was better just to leave me to get on with things without her interference so she just lazed about in her latest preferred sleeping spot on the back of the sofa....

.....she is just adorable - when she's not hissing and lashing out! Anyone coming to the demo tomorrow will be able to spot the latest result of her flailing claws on my hand!

Speaking of the demo, as I'm not a fan of wearing aprons (even my Ranger one!) I shall be wearing my old scruffs - including a top that's actually got a few holes in it. So, please don't think it's my normal standard of dress - not that I've ever been the snappiest dresser in the world!

Oh, if you haven't already left a comment below the blog candy giveaway post then please do so before midnight on Tuesday when it closes. Here's the link to the post that you need to comment on -candy time.

Oh yes, here's a photo from my occasional "this day last year" spot.....

.....a whole year since I repaired and painted my front door! Can't believe it was twelve months ago, although there are definitely a year's worth of little teeth marks at the bottom corner again where Tara has been trying to chew her way in - why she can't ring the bell like everyone else I don't know!

Well, that's me finished for the day, so I'll sign off and hope to see some of you in Burnley tomorrow. I hope it's going to be as sunny a day as it's been here today - just lovely. Have a great weekend everyone.

Waxing lyrical

Well, waxing creatively anyway! After the lovely response to the pictures of the mirror that I made for my Etsy shop last week, I decided to make some more pieces. Apart from items for Etsy, I need to be getting stocked up for my stall at the Christmas Festival here in Poulton-Le-Fylde in December, which I was invited to be part of....being involved with the Church leads to all sorts of things!

So, I've been gluing, creasing, painting and waxing over the last couple of days. I've added two of my creations to my Etsy shop - both have the word "dream" as it happens! One is a little box canvas that can either hang or stand......

 ....it's a mixture of colours but they don't show up very well I'm afraid.The butterfly wings and the letters have each got some irridescent glitter added for extra sparkle - again, you wouldn't know from the photo!

I decided to make the effort to shake off my favourite colours for the next piece, another mirror. So, after adding all the dimension and textures, I restricted myself to reds, pinks, bronzes and golds. It does make for a very warm look and the finish almost looks like leather - albeit lustrous leather!

Here's a close up of one area.....

I've finished for the day now and am about to remove my scraggy nail polish that now has everything from black acrylic to metallic paint encrusted on it! Then it's a shower and time to make something for dinner - not sure what yet. I've plenty of home grown produce to choose from though, including the sweetcorn that is now ripe for harvesting. I had the first cob last week and it was just delicious - I got the water boiling before going into the garden so the corn was in the saucepan within a minute of being cut! I've had tons of salad leaves and tomatoes as well as courgettes and green beans so not a bad haul!

I'm on duty at Church tomorrow (so I really need to get all the paint off my hands!) and then Heather is meeting me and we're going out for lunch for her birthday. So, a nice day to look forward to and then, next week I will be getting things prepared for my demonstration at Paper Warehouse in Kendal on the 30th.

Have a great "rest of the weekend" folks!

Mirror, mirror on the wall...

Hello everyone, and a special hello to all the ladies who came to see me at Card-io on Saturday. It was a really fun day, very busy and lots of enthusiasm for the stamping, spritzing and spraying that I was doing!

I don't know about you, but I've felt quite sick and depressed all day after the hearing the dreadful news this morning of horrible events in Syria....it makes you wonder if humans will ever be able to just talk, agree to disagree on certain things and learn to rub along. I somehow doubt it. Especially when the news bulletins keep giving the same details about awful events, it's really hard to shake off dwelling on them and I get mental pictures that I just can't shift.

Sometimes all the horrors are just too much to take and the only thing to do is to switch off in order to keep sane. That's how I feel anyway. So, I kept the news at arms length for the rest of the day and listened to cheerful music while I worked instead.

Here's a photo of what I was working on today.....

.....looks really miserable I know! Ignore the slightly odd middle which was just a scrap of paper to protect the mirror beneath it. I began by spreading white glue over the front of the frame, one side at a time, before placing old book paper on top and scrunching it up to create some nice texture.

Next I added the dimensional elements....two burlap pieces which I chopped and shredded a little, some Grungeboard squares laid in checkerboard style, die cut flowers and leaves that I stacked for extra depth and some letters and hearts. Everything was firmly glued into place - I'm using Art Institute glue these days as it's really strong and sets nice and quickly too. Once stuck, I painted the whole thing with Black Soot Distress Paint. Great - no brushes to have to clean afterwards! 

I next used Wendy Vecchi black embossing paste to give extra depth and texture. I added more paste through a TH stencil to gave raised patterns to the plainer areas on the frame. Then came the worst part.....having to wait for the paste to set! I left the frame in the sunny conservatory while I had my coffee and toast! More waiting and then I was able to continue.

I brought out my two boxes of Viva Decor Maya Gold and Inca Gold and brushed the Maya Gold over some areas - some quite heavily and some using the dry brush technique. Then it was fancy finger time! Well, my fingers looked pretty fancy by the time I'd finished! I rubbed lots of colours of Inca Gold over the various textures, blending them as I went. More colour rubbed along the sides and just round the back of the frame and then I finished by adding a piece of TH paper to the back to neaten everything up.

Here's the finished mirror frame........

....the picture doesn't really show up the lustre of the colours too well but you can see the general effect. The piece has now been added to my Etsy shop, where you can also see some close ups.

Well, whilst posting this I stopped midway to watch Bake Off and then Operation Wild. Both programmes have lifted my mood from the black gloom that's been hanging over me today. If you haven't seen Operation Wild I can't recommend it highly enough. Spoilers ahead here! Tonight featured a dolphin who lost 75% of her tail through an infection and who consequently struggled to swim or jump. She had more or less isolated herself and her quality of life was pretty poor. However, one man was determined to fix her and kept making prosthetic tails, none of which had so far worked. The latest one though....amazing! She was waving it in the air to show it off, she began to swim  really fast and then was able to leap out of the water - yay!The most moving story for me tonight was Champer the Moon Bear who was born with Encephalitis making her half blind and in constant pain. The veterinary team at the bear sanctuary in Laos operated to relieve the swelling on her brain and insert a tube to keep liquid drained away....brilliant. She's now a happy bear!

Needless to say, I have spent the whole hour very teary eyed - good tears though! It's just what I needed to restore my faith in human nature again - seeing the lengths that the vets will go to to help the animals. Wonderful.

Well, I had better go and let my two critters in as it's sounding a little rainy out there now. Tara is almost beside herself as I roasted a chicken this evening...her very favourite thing in the whole wide world! Once the aroma of a roast hits her nostrils she parks herself in front of the glass door of the oven and stares at it! Very funny!