bags & bits

We are having Jenny Redfern coming to the shop on 30th April to do workshops using the new products from Woodware and Stix 2 while I do in store demos. I mentioned on my April newsletter that I would put  pictures on the blog of variations we have done with these products, so hence the pictures below

Then there are the samples Jenny has sent through

and then the retailer workshops - one covering the stamping onto fabric and attaching to bag, the other stamping on the bags. Jenny's workshop will cover both techniques as in all of the bags above

I am working on other ideas but if you want a go on the 30th give me a ring 01777 228775.

A few new flowers

I have recently been trying out the new lea-bilities blossom die which with its variety of petals is great. They are teamed up with some of the creative expression dies.

I have had a number of requests for the dog and bunny pop up cards so I've not had time for new ideas only variations of old ones.

creative stamping 29 - Family Celebrations

I have been looking at different ways of using sakura aquarel pencils and the koi brushpens for this workshop. There are also a number of masked ideas using the mask it sheets from woodware which we stock. Hope you like the ideas.

The magazine stamps are good in that they have many relatives on them although I am disappointed that there isn't a "grand".
Must admit after the trade show at the nec at the beginning of this week I haven't made a single card! The board was done in the week before we went. I'd scheduled various oddments for the last 2 week s  just in case I was too busy to do anything else but at least I managed to get a few ideas together for this board!
The full day workshop on this is on 8th March and afternoon of 9th March.

customer workshop cards

I recently did a series of workshops for staff at Rampton hospital - giving them ideas they can use with the patients. We had to think carefully of what could be done in a non tool environment but where there was sue of a cuttlebug. These are some of the cards produced...

and then at a flowers & marbling workshop we had this variation.....

Birthday train & big Dahlia

I have just been working on trying a novelty card for my grandson's second birthday. I found a few train die cuts in my stash - no idea where they came from but I'd also had a train stamp from Woodware on the shelf for ages and since they went in opposite direction I thought we'd have passing trains on a pull tag.

And then for something completely different........
In our craft group recently we spent the evening folding squares of paper into cones and making flowers from them as you can see. Some stopped after 1 or 2 layers and adding a large button or equivalent to the centre. A good activity that requires no specialist equipment and takes time .... if thats what you need anytime.

Versatile dies

I have been trying different ways with some of the creative expression dies recently. You will have seen other variations on previous cards so look back to view the full versatility of some of these dies.

Ok so its annoys me as well that the flowers in the centre don't form a perfect circle!. That's because I used 3 groups of the 3flowers dies then decided I didn't like the gaps so I added extra flowers in the gaps - so now it looks as though it should be a circle but isn't .....the idea is there though for us all to improve on.
The bird is from stampendous - another to add to animal magic. The lady and the flower basket (good if you like colouring in) are from the creative stamping magazine stamps. Butterfly is a Marianne die.

Stampendous Animal Magic

I definitely am having a slow new year - hence the delay in posting - sorry.

I have been working with the new dies and stamps from Stampendous. Namely the Rabbits and the bird which I have added to my dogs - which I just love using. I have used each with the pop up die system but then with other backgrounds including some backgrounds produced with their creative palette and old paints including a bit of frantage when I could, so a real stampendous workshop!

I tend to do quite simple fronts to the pop up cards

The middle row above used the creative palette backgrounds ( as I mentioned this is great for using up all of your old paints), and the bottom row was a masking exercise using the stencils provoided with the stamps.

 Then I couldn't resist using the horse again!

Flowers and marbling

Very quick now as I have to open shop in 5 minutes and I have no internet access down there.
We had ben doing some marbling with shaving foam and then there was the thought of how we could use the backgrounds so I thought I'd link it in with the flowers. Some are last years flower dies others are new out. I have a door full of other flowers we can do with punches and dies and so I shall adjust workshop to whatever people prefer  - flowers, marbling or a mixture of the two.

I have individual pictures which show them better but that's for another day when I have time to load them.

Creative stamping "The Red Carpet"

I'm sorry not to have posted for a while. The fatigue side of the PBC I suffer from has caught up with me since Christmas and so only urgent jobs have been done. I have spent my time preparing 2 workshops though and since they are both on this week I thought I really must get the boards shown for people to see. I'll start with the creative stamping "The RED CARPET collection" then if time do another post on flowers and marbling. Creative expressions dies have been used

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to you all.

As promised I have taken photos of the cards I have received this Christmas from customers and friends to share with you

Many thanks to all of the contributers