Birthday weekend.

Good evening and thanks for popping in, I do hope that you had a lovely Bank Holiday weekend.

Mine started on Saturday with our Clarity Manchester workshop, it was another full Groovi class, and we used the fabulous Lilly of the Valley plate. Well it is the flower of the month for May and my Birth flower.

We made two cards and a bookmark

 

I am really enjoying making these , my new favourite project.

I was totally spoilt by a very yummy Birthday cake, thank you so much Lisa and Freda

And yes it tasted as good as it looked.

On Sunday , it was my Birthday and I was overwhelmed by so many gorgeous cards, flowers, presents and messages . Far too many to name check everyone,,.so a group Thank you all....I really appreciate them all...

It was also my father in laws Birthday , so we went out for lunch.

Would you believe that I made his card on ,

Sunday morning....( well life is just so hectic at the moment )

Here it is

 

I started with a piece of background card that I had distressed with Oxide inks and water

I stamped the horse with Black Archival ink,

And then made the landscape using Artistry inks and my stencil brushes, and added some colour to the horse with my Spectrum Noir pencils.

Next some charcoal shading

Some matting and layering and more stamping, and a quick card was made....just in the nick of time,,,

Rossella was on tv , so I recorded her and enjoyed watching her on Monday.

I will share my samples with you in my next blog post .

I have workshops in Hazel Grove tomorrow , so I had better go and finish my packing,

Take care all

Much love and hugs

Jo. Xxx

 

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So sad.

Good evening everyone, and what a terrible start to the week it was. Manchester was targeted, and many innocent people lost their lives and many more suffered life changing injuries.

It is so close to home, Fran was out for a meal and in Deansgate when it all happened, Karen my neighbour has lost a pupil from school, and Danielle works with a lady who is injured and in hospital. I really can't put into words how it makes me feel.

I must thank everyone for their lovely messages and notes checking that we were all ok.

Good, kind, loving people....

I feel we need a group hug....just because...

It really does make you take stock,

Surround yourself with lovely people....and remember to be kind to each other..

Just before I go , I want to tell you about our Clarity Cumbria on Saturday...a day with wonderful people...

we crafted, ate cake and laughed..

We used many different techniques to create a canvas

And look at the fabulous finished pieces.

Everyone is a masterpiece...

Love you all

Jo. xxxx

 

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It's a boy

Good evening all , and thanks for joining me this Friday evening. What a week it has been here lots of plate spinning. Workshops on Wednesday went well and it was great to spend time with the ladies. I have had lots of class prep to do , and then last night I had a dental emergency which resulted in me needing an emergency appointment this morning. It wasn't good news and I am going to need a few more visits...just want I don't need...but hey hoo.

This afternoon I went to another group of Carers, this time in Macclesfield and we spent the afternoon crafting and chatting. It really is so good to give somethingback.

Did you catch the Clarity shows this week? Here is one of my samples

And here is how I achieved it

I started with a piece of Stencil card and did some repeat stamping...at 3, 6, 9, and 12 o clock

I used Watering can , Archival ink, a wonderful colour.

Next I filled in the gaps.

And then added the rocking horse, followed by the sentiment.

Attached the mask.

And added some background bubbles...as you know , I do love my bubbles .

I used Spectrum Noir pencils to add some colour

Some matting and layering plus I added a glaze to the lovely little feet using my VersaMark ink pen and clear embossing powder.

On separate card , I stamped the little bows, added some colour and then Fussy cut them .

And attached them to the front of the card.

For the finishing touches , I added some white highlights using my Posca marker .

Just my sort of card...

And now it is time for a shower and some tv before bed. It is Clarity Cumbria tomorrow, one of my favourite days of the month.

Not long now ladies.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend planned

Much love and hugs

Jo. xxxx

 

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C is for Cornflower

Good afternoon all, and thanks for popping in.

I hope your week has started well, and you have managed to keep dry. Karl has been away and so I have had the pleasure of the very wet dog walks...but then I can't really complain after the lovely weather that we had when we were in Belfast.

On Saturday the workshops at CJ CardCrafts went really well and we had inky play in the morning and then a Groovi afternoon. The crafters are so lovely and Glynis who owns the shop is just fabulous.

Sunday so us heading of to Nottingham with Mikey and Fran , we went for lunch at the new flagship Gusto where Mikey will be working and I was really impressed with it and the staff were so wonderful so that made Mummy Rice feel much better.

Fran came back with us and is staying for another month when she will be going to join him...hopefully by then he will have found a flat for them both...

A bitter, sweet day....

On to some artwork, and I thought we would look at the lovely cornflower stamp.

A nice quick and easy card....( well we are all so busy ...)

I started by stamping the cornflower in Archival ink on this fabulous backing paper from the Sweet Dreams paper pack, designed by our very own Dee....

I added some extra depth using the word stamp and some Distress ink.

Next came the colour using Spectrum Noir pencils,

And glossy detail, using a VeraMark pen and clear embossing powder.

Some matting onto black card and then onto a Kraft card blank.

The finishing touch of string and black enamel accents just finishes it off.

One of my new favourite finishing touches.

Right , I had better get on, so much still to do and it is workshops in Hazel Grove tomorrow.

Take care all,

Much love and hugs

Jo. xxxx

 

 

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Pink, Pearls and Posies.

Good morning everyone, I do hope that you are well this Friday morning.

I have a very busy day ahead so I am going to chat to you before I do anything else.

Today it is a new challenge over at the Fussy and Fancy Challenge Blog.

Out new theme is

Pink, Pearls and Posies

And is hosted by Darlene.

Here is what I came up with

I started with a sheet of baking paper from the Brighton Rock paper pack

And stamped some of Tina's flowers ready to cut out

The background is the leaf wreath stencil and some pink ink

With the darker ink towards the centre

Then some more detail using this fabulous little script stencil

Followed by some matting and layering.

Next , I used another piece of baking paper

And a wonderful little die, Sylvan Sprig from Poppy

Such lovely foliage

And then onto my favourite part, flower arranging

I added the sentiment , ( this stamp is from the letterbox sentiment set ) and the butterfly .

And finally some hat pins and gems.

Here is a closer look

I lightly dusted the stencil on the insert of the card too...

I do hope you like it , and if you would like to join in , just visit

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

I hope you have a lovely weekend, it is Inky and Groovi classes for me at CJ CardCrafts in Edgeley , Cheshire. They are always fabulous classes with lots of laughter and friends.

Then on Sunday we are taking Mikey to Nottingham...now that will be a day of mixed emotions.

Take care all,

Much love and hugs

Jo. xxx

 

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Rhyme-Time

Good afternoon all and thanks for joining me, what beautiful weather we are having at the moment...

Yesterday Karl and I travelled home, we got the 7-30 am ferry so that we could get back in time to go to Mikey's leaving party.... he moves to Nottingham this weekend. It certainly is going to be a year full of changes this year.

It only seems five minutes since the boys were babies, and last night it was so good to see so many of their school friends...but I did feel so small...my goodness what tall young men they have grown into,,,

Which brings me nicely onto babies and the Nursery Rhyme Alphabet book that Barbara has released. I still haven't had time to watch the shows but I believe there were many sell outs.

The book is beautiful and it will make a fabulous gift.

I decided to use mine to make a piece of Art..

I began by painting the letters with Artistry ink and water

Next I decided to tear around the letters

And add some more colour

Yes, that looks better, I then started creating my background.

Mire Artistry ink pads and a couple of favourite petite Stencils

Plus some organic stamping ( without a block) using stamps from the journaling set .

As you know I do love to make backgrounds this way.

Some matting and layering....

A hint more of colour to help the letters stand out

And finally some finishing touches

My own little piece of ART

With some glossy Accents to give that extra detail.

I do hope that you like it.

Time now to walk the dogs, oh how I have missed them , we went to pick them up this morning...

It was only five days, but it seems such a long time,

Enjoy your evening...

Much love and hugs

Jo. xxxx

 

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