My New Man

Got a new man in my life - and this one loves to stamp.  Matthew informed me the other day that he now "speaks English" - that is as opposed to speaking American.  Could be that he has been spending some time with me.

The other day we did some stamping.  I was making a card for a friend and Matthew wanted to do what I did so he began using Distress Inks, with the Blending Tool.  Do you think we have a budding Tim Holtz on our hands?

This is Matthew's (aged 7) card - done entirely on his own - he would not let me help with anything.

and here is Matthew

Isn't he just so cute?

Originally when he saw my card he wanted to do one just the same.  Then he told me he wasn't that fond of cats so we had a look through Mary's catalogue and he chose two leaf stamps.  When we got back to the table with the stamps he decided against the two he had chosen and chose the one above from the set.

Here is the card that I made - Matthew's inspiration for using the blending tool and Distress inks.

 Obviously for a cat person!

Superbowl Party

What a great day!  Met lots of people we had met up with at Last year's Party and also met some new people.  It feels so like home when we are with them all and Richard And Ann (whose Party iswas) are just so lovely.  It is just great to reacquaint yourself with them all and number them amongst your friends.

The buffet, as always, was truly great and I fell madly in love with Ann's Chilli Dip, as my growing spare tyre will verify.  Chas loved the Chilli that Scott had made, the meatballs prepared by Jill went down a storm - everything was wonderful.

Here are some photographs:

Loads of different chips (crisps to we English) with zillions of different dips (Ann's chilli dip is to the left at the front of the photograph) - I lost count of the different dips that were brought.

The spinach dip and sourdough bread was to die for, and I just loved those olives, jalapenos and pickles.  Jill did not like the jar of sweet olives she had brought but it went so well with the crostinis, salami and feta cheese that she left it for us to eat up.  Yum Yum!  And the fruit dip was so refreshing.

Sandy (Ann's mother), Rob and Bob in the background.

Rob snucked in again on this photo of Shirley and Solo who are hiding the meatballs and chilli (I don't mean intentionally) which was on a different island in the kitchen area.

Robert (above) and Matthew (below) both thought they had escaped the camera fiend (me) but I managed to get them both on film.

Mary, Becky, Matthew and Sandy to the RH side

Placing bets with Bob

Richard and Bob (Richard banned me from taking photographs - was that as the beer flowed?)

Rob, Chas and Scott enjoying the game

Jill and Karen talking (far right)

David brings in the Pineapple Cake

This is Mary's lovely daughter in law Ann, who worked so hard all day long but still managed to have that wonderful smile on her face at the end of the day.

A lovely day, renewing friendships and making new ones.  Just sorry I did not get them all on camera - especially "Richard and his Glue Dance".

Had a Great Time

Well, the Superbowl has been and gone.  Not that I sat and watched it but I did hear the whooping and hollering from the gang that came to Mary's.  I was down in the stamping room showing my lovely friend Matthew how to do a Distress Background and then making ten cards with one sheet of patterned paper (plus the cardstock for the actual cards of course and one accent sheet) IN ONE HOUR.  Mary used to sell the instructions and the pattern so maybe now she will start to do them again.

Here they are:

This next one should have been done landscape but I stamped the sentiment on portrait - doh

Haven't downloaded the photographs from the Party yet so will do that tomorrow (yawn, yawn - busy day).  More tomorrow.

My First American Workshop

Well, it is 11.20 pm and I am just blogging quickly with some photographs.  The silly thing is I did not take photographs of the work people had done.  Maria went early and I so wanted to get a picture of her piece of artwork which she is going to frame - what is it?  It is the piece of cardstock she was working on to stop her inks going on the rubber mat - it was gorgeous!

I hope they enjoyed themselves as the cards and the two main projects were quite taxing - as Cathy said "they were math projects".  Anyway, missed Rose and Maria but here are some of the others who were there:

Mari - between projects

Carol - debating whether to cut or not

Joyce - with the sample card Mary made for them to do

Gayle - packing up her things ready to go home

Laverne - deciding her next move

OK, so daughter Joyce has stepped in to decide on what next to do

Cathy swaps stamping for a spot of cleaning and washing dishes

As I said, it is now quite late, we have eaten, cleared up and chatted.  A lovely day, some great new friends and a very tired me.  When is the next one?

More Workshop

The two projects I entered yesterday are the main things I am doing.  Carol asked me to show her how to do the Never Ending Card when I was over and made one for her so that is how the workshop evolved.  I just threw the box one in as I thought they would like to do it.

I have made some more folded cards (some are like I am doing in my workshop in England so no instructions yet) but with my friend's stamps used so I did not have to bring mine over with me.

You might recognise this fold as it is one I did at Christmas for my American friend but with two little angels on the diamond folds.

This is a single diamond fold and Jo will recognise the stamp on the right as it is one of her Tattyheads.  The central flower is a SU one with the background flower stamped in blue and the other two cut out and layered over the top.  The verse is what set me off - don't you just love this?

This is a fan type fold that my friend Jan showed me how to do - all the way from New Zealand.  She made a card like this at Christmas and I so admired it.

Now, this fancy folded card I saw on the internet and cannot remember where.  It unfolds as shown below

and again

I've left it quite plain so that people will possibly have time to do it.  Do you recognise the colours I have used as my background for the stamping?

Well, tomorrow I will see how the workshop goes - I think it is quite different to what they are used to making so I may have rotten eggs in my face before the end of the day.

Workshop in America

Almost there - only got 60 pieces of chipboard 5 1/2" x 2" and 12 pieces 5 1/2" x 1" to cut yet.

Have all the cardstock cut (24 - 6" x 6"; 12 - 6 1/4" x 10 1/4"; 12 - 9 1/2" x 5 1/4"; 48 - 5 1/2" square; 24 - 6 1/4" square and 96 - 2 1/2" square) - say aaw!

Here is the workshop:

Only cut pieces for the two main projects - the others are for them to choose which ones they want to do.  They are also doing a card which Mary wants to do but it isn't ready as yet.

You saw the red box in a previous post so I have not uploaded that one again.  This is the Never-ending card - like one we did at Vicky stampers with Jayne but this one is 6" x 6".

This is it closed

One move on

Another move

And another move

This is the card stood up opened

I used cream cardstock for the main part and used Tea Dye and Broken China Distress inks (with the Blending Tool) over both sides of each piece. It then had droplets of water over the top and it was dried before stamping.  Then I stamped the flourishes with Broken China ink (can you tell it is my favourite).  The images were simply stamped with Versafine Onxz Black.

These are the two main projects which should take up the whole of the afternoon.  But ... for those who wish to stay and make some of the others I have done worksheets and samples.  If they do not wish to stay they can take the worksheets away and follow my (wonderful?) instructions.

I'll upload the rest tomorrow as we are off to Timmy's birthday party at Mary's sisters and I really must get ready.  When I get back I will have to get on with the chipboard which will all have to be cut by hand.  Oh bother!

Blurb about CHA

Cath emailed and asked me what I saw at CHA - forgive me if I get a bit muddled but checking out the manufacturers pages will be best.  Just had a look through my journal notes and a few catalogues I brought back with me.  Here goes:

Eco Green - Julia Andrus has brought out a whole range of 'consumer friendly' products.  She said they even say you can eat the glue as it is made from some plant in China.  She has paints, inks, inkpads, glue and other things.
Zutter has an electric distresser which is great.  Can distress several pages at once.  They also have a cutter which does a 13" wide cut and will cut chipboard - cool.
Spellbinders have some fab new dies which have been featured in various Design Team members blogs in the run up to CHA and they debuted their new Presto punch which is electric and comes with 12 tiny dies - the cupcake is so cute - it embosses as well.
Cricut have brought out a machine for cake icers.  It cuts fondant icing and it was a massive stand with lots of giveaways including chef's hats which everyone wore.
Then there is Tim's die cutter - like a suitcase - cuts Grungeboard - unfolds like the Cuttlebug.  Every time you do a class with him from when it comes out you get a label for the machine - or did he say tag?
Lots of accessories for the Slice as well as a hands free kit so you can leave the machine whilst you are getting on with something else.  I had my photograph taken on one of their scooters but was not selected as a winner of the new Slice.  Boo Hoo!  Oh and there are some new cartridges for the Slice.
The Big Shot Pro - a 16" die cut machine.
Mary also mentioned a die cut machine from E Craft but I don't recollect seeing it.
Lots of new Sizzix dies, including the Tim Holtz ones but you have probably already read about them on his blog.
ScorPal has a new cutter - much smaller than the original one.
The Cinch (WeR Memory Keepers) have a machine like the Bind it All but this one takes 12" paper and has buttons you pull out so that you can change the binding - think the three ring binders here - sort of two space two space two)  Quite heavy but brilliant.
Viva (paints) have brought out some polymer clay and I just love their paints.
Tim's new Distress Inks are big news and I got 4 of the 12 to bring home (not boasting but ...)
New metallic Stazon colours, some new Smooch colours and a Top Coat to go over the Smooch which gives it a pearly sparkle.
Mudd Puddles (Creative Imaginations) a kind of paint with sand in it.  I know Carol went a bundle on these.  Think it was CI that also had some real wood veneer which is embossable and can be used in your die-cut machine
Ten Second Studios had some new metal colours - quite yummy!  They also have some new moulds and I want some of them - deffo!
Loved the little card spray booths by Clearsnap - handy for taking with you to a crop as they fold up flat.  Can see them in a workshop situation with several lined up against a wall - I featured one of these on my blog the other day with Gail sat besides it.
Lynell Harlow was demonstrating a Gloss Black decorating paste and some stencils but I cannot remember the name of the company.
3M have a new Scotch tape dispenser (refillable) which is an adhesive dot roller.
Some nice new papers but there were not as many of them as in previous years.
Lots of new stamps by the well-known manufacturers as well as some new ones.

That is all I have written down so hope that gives you plenty to keep you occupied.

Now to finish cutting cardstock for my workshop.  There's a lot of cutting!