Cards with Happy Stampers

Well, I had intended teaching two cards in my workshop of 1.5 hours yesterday but only my second group got around to actually starting the second one.  I had made four cards in all to give them some ideas of what they could use with the selection of stamps from Graphic 45 that I had used.

Gorgeous stamps from Ali-Crafts - and there are papers that match but I felt that was a bit too expensive to use in a workshop for 38 people so I had them making their own backgrounds.

The first (and in most cases the only) card they made was this one. Sorry about the view of it, it is a cream card with brown Distress Ink background on it and then the black mounted pictures on top.  I could not get my scanner to tie up with the MacBook, which I am slowly learning how to use, on Sunday morning (when I realised I had not scanned my cards) and so had to take hasty photographs.

I did promise some of the ladies I would upload pictures of my other cards (sorry, they too are photos done hastily) so here they are:

Tomorrow I will start to upload them with some instructions just in case someone has lost the sheet.  In the meantime a visit to Ali-Crafts will mean you can buy those gorgeous Graphic 45 Stamps.

Busy Weekend

Had a busy weekend working for Ali and Iain at Ali-Crafts but without having to travel to Lincoln as they travelled up north to Port Sunlight. Saturday saw me dem'ing for them at the show when it was Alcohol Inks all the way but with a bit of Distressing thrown in occasionally.

Here's a couple of my friends who came to see me although lots of friends called round at various times.  Carmel on the left and Lorraine on the right.

I had taken a few samples with me to show how you could ink up various things such as glass, plastic, metal, and the usual glossy card.

This is Ali, not sitting down but on her knees looking for something.

And here's Iain helping a lady find some papers

Graphic 45 - great selection here

A busy busy show as always but with a lull, which is not usual, at around 3.15 - did mean I could pack up at 3.30 though for a wander and spend.  Must say I only "gabbed" and didn't buy anything apart from buying from Ali because she has such fabulous stuff.  You really should pay a visit to her website.

Sunday saw us making our way back but this time to a Scout place where we were to do some workshops with Happy Stampers NW.  Ali had worked out that we were to do three workshops, Claire, Ali and I were to do them and Iain was running the shop and generally helping us with things we wanted.

That's Marie (forefront) and other ladies from my first group - she really went out of her way to look after me.  Always ready to make me a brew and even giving me a choccie biscuit for a sugar rush to help me along.  Everyone needs a friend like Marie.

For some reason my second group got more photographs taken and I am just sorry I did not know the names of any of them.

and three of them showing you one of the cards they made with me

For some reason I seemed to take photos of these ladies more than any others

This is my attempt at showing you a view across the room to group three (see what I meant above).

Helen and Sylvia (two friends from Katy's Corner) in my third workshop and below is Karen busy beavering away.

This is Ali teaching she'd moved to my second group here (you can see my lovely heat gun stand if you look carefully - glad to say it got back home safe and sound, made by someone special for me).

and this is Claire with the group that I had first

I was well tired when I got home, aching bones and all that so now have to sort my room out, empty my bags, and generally recover a bit more.  Did promise the ladies I would put photos of my other cards on my blog so they can see what the instructions I gave them lead to. Hope they bought the stamps from Ali Crafts, if not guess they can substitute them with some others.  

Will do that shortly, so watch this space.

Incidentally on the way home I took some snaps from the moving car of the flooded fields at Stanlow Oil Refinery.

A Postcard for Artful Times

Thanks for the lovely entries last week, once again we did enjoy visiting your blogs and hope you are enjoying the topics we have chosen so far.

Sam's choice again and this time she challenges you (and us) to make a postcard with Alphabet letters/script on it.

Not long ago I had sent some atc's off to different places in an atc swap I was in.  One of mine went to Finland and when I got one back from the lady there she had also included some pages with Finnish on, some lace (which I didn't use on this) and a piece of lovely card with rectangles on it.

Now at the same time I had come across this free stamp from a magazine that I had omitted to remove and it reminded me a little of the art dolls I had seen this lady make.  So here is my postcard for the challenge - a tribute to Tuire (Flemming), a delightful lady I met on WOYWW and with whom I had an atc swap.

First of all I cut myself a 6" x 4" piece of cardstock then a tiny piece off the rectangle card so that I could still keep the writing on the back of the left over piece.  Next  I began using my Distress Inks in shades of brown to cover the white card and let little bits overlap onto the  fancy card.  

I had already torn a tiny strip of paper with the writing on it and this was then adhered to the card and it got the treatment too with the Distress Inks.  Then a quick stamp of the lady's face, stick some letters on (that are relevant - see the "T" for Tuire) and cut out the stamp and postmark from the envelope that I received my atc in and it was almost ready.  Just a quick squirt of Glossy Accents on a couple of the Grungeboard letters and we were all finished.

Now what will you do for your postcard - you will enter our challenge won't you?  We'd love to visit you and leave a comment - btw - we love comments too.

WOYWW 173

Was rather surprised to see I had not put anything up since last Wednesday and then I realised that Mr Mojo has been on walkabout and there was nothing to report to Ms Julia and her Merry wo Men. This band of Merry Folks won't rob you, but they will give you a look at their desks and often a tip or two.  Want to visit - go to the Stamping Ground and see what is afoot this week.

Before we proceed can I say a BIG Welcome to my newest followers. Hopefully there will be some more coming on board (one can always hope) and then I can get my candy out to someone.  Hope they like books (hint hint).

In the meantime this is my desk at the moment - I am busy making cards for a workshop on Sunday and need to get started on some atc's and other things using Alcohol Inks for my demo on Saturday.  A full weekend of crafting for a 'Lost Mojo Woman' is ahead - better find him before then so I can enthuse a bit.

This is my desk, bits to the left, some DI's in my lovely box (showed you this a few weeks ago), stamps I am using in the workshop on the desk and wallpaper underneath - I was going to use this but think I have changed my mind.

Here's a closer view of the stamps

Ignore the card at the back - not one I am doing

Sorry I cannot show you my workshop cards (will try to upload them on Sunday - scheduled for when I get there) as it wouldn't be fair to the participants.  Can you see my new 'Duster' box?  Felix still on it but maybe it will be decorated for Sunday.  Won't need it on Saturday as I am using Alcohol Inks and therefore need the Blending Tools. Iain, of Ali Crafts, likes to use the Duster Brushes with the Distress Inks and so I am hoping to get a bit more au fait with the ones I bought so I can show the ladies.  Found they were great for using with the stencils and for one of the techniques I am showing!

If you happen to be going to Port Sunny on Saturday do pop by and say "hello" - I will be on Ali-Crafts stand and would love to meet you.

As I have not shown you any cards for simply ages (because of missing Mr M) here is one that I sent to  a friend who had a birthday last week.

The flowers had to be flattened and the butterfly needs a wing lifting, dies are Spellbinders and the stamps are ancient - Chapel Road.

Ok, so that is it for this week, I almost forgot to post - I tell you - my head is somewhere else at the moment.  Have a great day and don't forget to check out the WOYWW'ers.

WOYWW

First of all a reminder to please put your number down when commenting on my blog.  I ask because last week I could not comment on Jill's blog as the 'linking by name' did not work.  I would have loved to have reciprocated Jill but I couldn't.

WOYWW and Wales with Lots of Photos

Well, my work desk back at home is exactly as it was here.  That's because I set off in such a rush for some chill time in Wales that I did not have time to clear anything from my visit to the show (Thursday last) and so everything just got left out.  I have to face this when I get back home later today and unleash my bag of bits from this weekend on my desk as well.  Oh dear!

I came down to Caernarfon (Wales) last Friday and spent the entire weekend in the Kings Tower learning some techniques with Friendly Plastic with the wonderful Liz Welch.  (See yesterdays posting for piccies)  Met some old friends and made some new ones, ate a lot, laughed a lot (with my friend Wendy, we always do) and generally had a great time.  Of course it is helped by having Liz as a tutor, she is such a lovely lady and so talented and then there is the added bonus for me in that I stay at a fabulous B&B with Jan (Victoria House) which is within the walls of Caernarfon, a walled city.

Monday I went to Plas Newydd with Chas and we were accompanied by Wendy and Peter and it was a lovely day.  I can recommend a visit to the houses and the gardens for stunning views across the Menai Straits.

Grounds of Plas Newydd looking over Straits

This cheeky little chappy came right up to me

When I sat on a bench

Wendy trying to get another photo of him

he's in the corner of the hedge

Loved this Virginia Creeper at the top of some steps

Which led us to this view

Then yesterday Chas and I went to Portmeirion which has always been a favourite place of mine.  The sand is white, the hydrangeas are the size of cabbages and it is just magical.  (For those not in the know and old enough to remember it is where Patrick McGoohan filmed the series The Prisoner).

The Italianate village from the hotel

One of the many coloured houses

The Central Piazza

Better leave it there for today - more tomorrow - or I will get in trouble with Ms Julia of WOYWW fame who, because of the huge number of bloggers who now join in asks us to kindly keep our postings to a minimum.  Sorry Julia.

Can I just say, I have had a lovely few days in Wales, yesterday I enjoyed Portmeirion and was so happy but became very saddened on my return to hear of the shooting and subsequent death of two female police officers in Manchester, Fiona and Nicola.  My heart goes out to their families. friends  an colleagues and I am holding them all in prayer.  RIP.

FP in the Castle

Well, the weekend is over plus a day out yesterday which was pretty nice weatherwise and very nice friendship wise.  More about that later, for now here are some photos from the Castle with apologies for the quality - lighting, smallness of room and my point and shoot digi.

Charlene and Kate busy at it whilst Gale ponders what to buy at the shop.

Nathalie and daughter Juliette working across from Wendy (I sat next to Wendy) with Liz in the background.

Rita, Wendy(2) and Gale

A Meal at Y Castell, Saturday evening with a closeup of my chicken dish below.

Kay and Jude (sorry had the wrong light exposure on)

Liz explaining some finer points to Kay

Below: Mother and Daughter bonding

Wendy T and daughter Gale

(below) Nathalie and daughter Juliette

Who could believe this stunning necklace (below) was made from Friendly plastic?  One of Liz's samples for us to aim to make.

And look at that stunning pendant and those beautiful tube beads on the dropper on another.

I hope the photographs above have inspired you to have a look at what you can do with Friendly Plastic.  I strongly urge you to go and visit Liz on her blog and follow the link to her website where you can buy the strips of FP and videos (Liz has made two excellent ones) and maybe keep an eye out for when she next has a class running.

Hope you enjoyed!  Am off to Portmerion so no time to chat any more.  Toodle Pip!