Meet Eric

Good Morning all and Happy Halloween,....I hope you have a great Friday.

We have a very exciting weekend ahead.....we are having a new addition to our family.....

You see Tess is my Craft Buddy and when I have workshops, retreats and shows she gets lonely.....so we have got a little friend for her......meet Eric....

We went to meet him after the last Clarity Cumbria workshop....oh and his brothers and sisters ....

Just how cute are they....thank goodness we didn't have to choose.....only one male pup left needing a home....

( good job....otherwise we would have them all !!)

So tomorrow we are going to collect him....we have his bed ready.....a cute little lead and collar....lots of puppy toys......etc.....

 

Tomorrow is also a new Challenge at Clarity so I will be back with my make....

Enjoy your Friday evening....

See you tomorrow.

Much love...

Jo. X

 

Back Home.

Good afternoon all,

I do hope that you had a good weekend...

I have to say that I am a little tired today ....but what a brilliant time I had in Glasgow....it is so good to be part of the Clarity family..and even though we all missed Barbara we still flew the flag for Clarity....Dave was manning the till....and Heather and myself did the rest...

Wow ...look at all those Stencils....

Len is such a great help and always looks after me with plenty of cake....

It was so good to see some regular crafters and to meet new ones too.

At this point I need to wish my friend Denise a speedy recovery.....I had arranged to catch up with her on Sunday but unfortunately she is in hospital at the moment...so ....get better soon Denise.....big hugs...

 

I had better get on....as I have some catching up to do...

I have workshops in Hazel Grove on Wednesday...and Barbara is back on our screens on Sunday and as usual there are some fantastic new stamps and stencils...

Enjoy your Monday evening ...

Love and hugs to all....

Oh and Heather....early night ...tonight...matey....x

Jo. XXX

 

Life is Bubbles.

Good morning and welcome to the weekend...

I hope you have a lovely relaxing one planned....I am in Glasgow playing sorry working on the Clarity stand at the SECC...

Today I am sharing a card that I have made using Jo's Bubbles Stencil, Grunge Paste, Sail Boat Blue Adirondack ink, and then VersaMark ink with Clear Embossing powder...

How fab is the sentiment? ....the bubble and sentiment stamp are both from Clarity...

Look how cool the Grunge Paste looks with the clear embossing...

The clip is from Ranger and a few of you have asked about the little glass bottles....well a few companies make them .....Tim Holtz also Woodwear....( plus some stationary shops)

Enjoy your Saturday....

Stay safe.....and pop back soon,

Jo. xxx

 

 

 

 

 

Off to the SECC.....

Good morning all ...well hopefully by now Dave, Heather, Len and myself will be on our way up to Glasgow to set up ready for the SECC....the show is on Thursday , Friday, Saturday and Sunday...if you are coming please do come and say hello....I just hope that the rain has stopped and that the dreadful wind has gone away....

Here are a couple of my sample boards....

I will be demonstrating with the new mini blending tool....honestly ...if you don't have one yet...you really need one....( well at least two!!!) ....and Clarity have a fantastic show offer on .

Here are some samples made using Grunge Paste through a stencil and then coloured with inks.....

I will also be using Perfect Pearls too.,

And I will be using the new Stencils.....Sam's Eggs and Jo's Bubbles....

Well , it would be rude not too....

Must get on...lots still to do...

Have a good week, take care and see you soon,

Jo. xxxx

 

Such an exciting weekend.

Good morning lovely people, here we are at the start of another week.

How was your weekend? ...

Mine started with Clarity Cumbria on Saturday, this month we created a canvas each....and I have to say they were all so different and all so fantastic.

Here we have a group photo.....what a great bunch of crafty ladies they are .....

And as always thanks to Sheila who keeps us all on order....and makes yummy cakes....

It was a quick visit to Cumbria and dash home, ready for a 5-30am start on Sunday , and then off to Doncaster...Done....

As always it is great to Demonstrate next to my mate and über talented Maria......we had Sam and Heather keeping order and Dave plus Len in charge of tills...( the men have the money!!!)

It was made even more exciting because Sam and myself have our own design on A Clarity Stencil.

Here we are deciding which one would sell out first...

Oh I do love having friends that you can have a laugh with ....we have such a great time......

Whoops.......we did work hard too Barbara.....honest.....

So,,,,here we have Jo's Bubbles.......( note.....not tassels!!!) ...and yes I actually designed and drew it by hand....how fab is that....honestly ....just pinch me.........

And here is Sam's Eggs.....

I do hope that you like our designs....and that you will buy them......

Quick backgrounds .....simply made using Adirondack inks, Sail Boat Blue ......turning the stencil and then Butterscotch...

The possibilies are endless ...I am so looking forward to seeing what you come up with...

 

I really can't tell you have thrilled I am to be part of the Clarity Family...

I am now off to make some samples ready for Glasgow.........as Clarity will be at the SECC later this week.

If you are going do pop along and say Hello..and remember Dave loves Jelly Babies.....

Hope you have a good start to the week....

See you later....

Much love and Hugs...

Jo. xxx

 

 

Orange and Black...

Good Morning, welcome to Friday and to a new Challenge over at the Fussy and fancy Friday Challenge Blog......

The new theme is Orange and Black and I am really proud to say that I am hosting this event....

I really enjoy being part of the Fusy and Fancy Team...such a talented and Friendly bunch of ladies...

We are sponsored this month by Marianne Designs...here is my offering....I do hope that you like it...

Thanks to all the crafters who entered our last challenge and I am really looking forward to visiting your blogs and seeing your creations...

I have used the Marianne Die...LR 0253 , I do love this die...

The decorative paper is from a Graphic 45 pack....The Magic Of Oz...

The little cards are cut from this paper too..

My Little Book of Spells has a spiders web inside ...this is a stamp from Claritystamp...

 

How cool is this...

And the flowers are from Sweet Lilac Flowers...

I just had to include some of the little glass bottles....well it is the law....the craft law....lol..

To see the other creations from my fellow DT just pop over here.....

http://fussyandfancychallenge.blogspot.co.uk.

Even better I would love you to join in....go on.......

Also check out the Sweet Lilac Challenge...Halloween...here....

http://sweetlilacflowers.blogspot.co.uk.

Well that is it from me today...I need to go and pack the car ready for Clarity Cumbria tomorrow....we are making a canvas....so looking forward to it and catching up with everyone...

Then on Sunday I will be demonstrating on the Clarity stand in Doncadter at the Dome...if you are coming...do pop over and say hi....

Have a good day....

Much love from me...

Jo. xxxx

 

A start on those Christmas cards....

Good evening all, hope you are having a good week. Mine has been really busy , hectic to be honest...

Today was workshops in Hazel Grove, a day that I always look forward too, this great bunch of crafters have become such good friends, and I really do mean true, proper Friends.....I love them all....

Today we made a start on Christmas cards....we used the Remountable Christmas Miniatures set from Clarity...

This really is a very versatile set.....

So many possibilities.

How about this one...?The base is the Topiary Tree stamp...

Did I hear that it is only ten weeks to Christmas....noooooooo ???????

Mind you I have just walked Tess and it was cold , wet and dark.....

Just the weather for a nice hot chocolate.....

So I am off to put the kettle on....

Marjorie...if you read this we missed you today and all send you much love...

Hugs,

Jo. xxxx

 

 

Lovely Saturday...

Good evening , I do hope you have had a good day today...

I have been at C.J. CardCrafts in Edgeley, Stockport, ...and what a lovely day we all had.

It is always a great pleasure to go there and Thank You Glynis....you look after me so well.

It was great to see so many crafters who I already know and love , also to meet a couple of new ladies....

This was our first project, using an embossing folder with Metallic PanPastels....

We also made our own custom made ink pads using cut and dry felt and Distress re-inkers.

The stamps are off course from Clarity....

We then used some watercolour card and mixed the re-inkers with a little water in a pallet. Using it as a wash......then stamping using Archival ink and Clarity stamps...

Oh and yes we did have a play with the new mini blending tool....and yes.....everyone needs at least one...

Before I go, I must just say Hi to our new follower...( stalker) ...it is great to have you here joining us...

Enjoy your evening all...

Much love,

Jo. xxxx

 

Happily Ever After..

Good evening, and firstly I must say a warm welcome to our two new followers.....oh I am so chuffed that our little band of crafters is still growing...I do love to share my crafty journey with you all....and wow what a journey is has been....the last two years have been totally amazing......and so much on the horizon.....oh I still pinch myself.....

How has your Tuesday been? Mine has been one of those days where it has been one step forwards.....two steps backwards......and it is so cold.......so I am sat here in my dressing gown with Tess on my knee and the heating is on....

I thought I would share one of the Samples that featured on the Clarity show on Sunday..

It features the Happily Ever After Stamp Set....one of my favourites....

I started by blending Distress inks to make the background...after applying a moon mask.

Then some water spritzing....Oh I do love this type of crafting....

Then I stamped the castle, followed by the trees...

I repeated the stamping of the castle, cut it out in a variety of sizes and added some colour with Spectrum Noir pencils.

The background pattern was made by stamping the frame stamp around the outer edge of the card.

I decoupaged the castle using 3d glue gel, then some matting and layering and some shadowing with a Charcoal pencil...

Here is a side view....

I really wanted this to be like a Fairytale castle....I do hope that you like it....

I am off to Maria's craft club tomorrow...and have some crafty play to look forward to with Sharon and Cindie...

Better go and pack my craft bags.....

Enjoy your evening....

Warm hugs to all,

Jo. xxxx

 

Saturday in Port Sunlight..

Good afternoon one and all. I do hope that you are having a happy Sunday.

Did you catch Barbara with two hours of Clarity tv this morning? Oh the shows were brilliant and Dave's jumper sold out so quickly...

I will post photos of my samples in due corse, today I am just going to tell you all about the wonderful time we had yesterday in Port Sunlight at the Happy Stampers show.... If you get chance to go it really is a great day out...

Dave and Len were manning the tills,

Come out....Len......don't hide.......

And here are the girls.....

Maria and Heather are the most lovely, kind and generous ladies to spend time with. I feel honoured to join them on the Clarity stand. ( I still pinch myself )

Here is my demo table....look at all those mini blenders...they didn't last long......well we did have an amazing deal on...

It is so good to catch up with friends, meet new ones and craft with amazing products...

Off now to catch up on some house work....oh deep joy....lucky me....

See you soon,

Hugs,

Jo. xxx

 

Good Morning....

Morning all, where has this week gone...? I really can't believe. That it is Friday already....

On Wednesday it was workshops in Hazel Grove and we decorated some MDF baubles with gorgeous paper from House of Zandra, and had a class on blending .....

I thought this was just the perfect design for now....I believe we will see Autumn arrive this weekend....coats and umbrellas...!!!!!

I have been playing with the new mini blending tool.....check out the offer over at Clarity....

http://www.claritystamp.co.uk.....

I am heading over to Port Sunlight later to meet the gang and set up ready for the stamping show tomorrow....

So if you have tickets do come to the Clarity stand and say hi to Maria and myself.......also Heather. Len and Dave....( and top tip.....Dave favourite sweets are Jelly Babies...)

Must dash....so much still to do....

Take care and have a great day...

Jo. X

 

The Seasons...

Good morning all and welcome to a new month and a new challenge...our new Clarity Challenge is titled....The Seasons....

Congratulations to last months winner and to the top five....once again we had some fantastic entries...and remember the winner chosen at random gets a £50 Clarity voucher....how good is that....

Here is my offering....

Not at all my usual style but I have been heavily influenced by the fabulous work of Eileen Godwin....a very talented and lovely lady.

I wanted to have a play with my new Distressed re-inkers, but I wanted to create a background with my own twist on it. You see I have seen how Tim Holtz uses the inks but I have learnt so much for our fantastic leader Barbara, and to take inspiration but put your own twist on it.

I know it may not be the way the inks were intended to be used , but hey ho ....I had fun....so I am happy with that...

I started with watercolour card and wet it

Then dropped some ink on it.....watch what happens...

Then a few more colours, and a bit of twisting and turning the card...

I chose colours that reminded me of Autumn....well that is the season at the moment....

When dry I stamped the dragonflies and this sentiment.( ...change....that is what nature and the seasons do....)

I stamped a couple more dragonflies, cut them out then decoupaged them...

Some matting and layering, and time for my all time favourite stamp....this time using white ink...

Some pva glue drops and job done.....

I usually add glossy accents to the bubbles, but this time I just felt they were better left more earthy...

A closet look, hope you like it...

Thanks for dropping in today....and I hope you are going to join in with our challenge....

Also please go and look at the samples from my fellow DT...oh they are a very talented bunch....each and everyone of them....... http://claritystampchallenge.blogspot.co.uk

All the Clarity products are available from http://www.claritystamp.co.uk.

I am off to Hazel Grove as it is workshop day....so I had better get a move on....

Have a great day all,

Much love,

Jo. xxxxx