Happy New Year

I just wanted to pop in  and say 

Happy New Year .

I hope that 2020 is a really good one. 

With lots of happy times .

Lots of laughter, and good health. 

Thanks for all your support over the past 12 months. 

Take Care 

Much love and hugs 

Jo xxx

HOCHANDA , ,tomorrow

Good afternoon all, 

Hope you are well. 

What a busy time it has been, phew, 

So I only have a few minutes to catch up with you. 

If you are around tomorrow I would love you to join me .

I have two shows on HOCHANDA using some fabulous products from 

Aall & Create. 

12noon and 4pm. 

I have a give away too. 

I have used the Octolady stamp and Pyrography to decorate this wooden box. 

I would love to know that someone will be watching, 

So please let me know that I am not on my own...

It is always such a worry. 

That’s it from me, bags to pack , 

Car to get sorted and meal 

to put on the table.

Take care all 

Much love and hugs 

Jo Xxx

Seasons Greetings

Good morning everyone, 

I do hope that you are relaxing and that you are organised and all prepared for tomorrow. 

I would like to wish each and every one of you a very happy and healthy festive time. 

I know it can be hard for some people, 

So I am sending you a special big hug. 

Also so many people have to work on Christmas Day, 

Both Mikey and Fran have to work and they won’t finish until after 9pm, 

So unfortunately we won’t get to see them .

As a Mum, I just want my children to be happy and enjoy life, and after Mikeys health issues 

I am just so pleased that he has a job that he enjoys. 

So we will just have another Christmas celebration when we see them on Friday. 

I do think sometimes we can get carried away with all the Christmas adverts etc, 

So as usual one of my Christmas presents is buying a trolly full of shopping and donating it to our local food bank. 

I am really looking forwards to having 2 days off, 

I have had such a wonderful time this year but oh boy , 

It has been so busy. 

I feel as though I just need time to catch up with Karl, 

Watch a Christmas movie., walk Eric in the park, eat chocolate, and enjoy some bubbles. 

I do love watching the birds feeding in our garden , 

Just slowing life down a little. 

So, however you spend the next couple of days. 

Enjoy 

Take care 

Make precious memories, 

Much love and hugs 

Jo xxx

Where has this week gone ?

Good evening everyone , and thanks for joining me. 

I really cannot believe that it has been a week since we last chatted. 

Monday was the HOCHANDA shows, and oh boy , 

I still get very nervous. 

I have to say though having fabulous presenters really helps. 

Adam and Alex were such fun to work with. 

I must thank all you lovely Crafters for watching, messaging me and enjoying the shows. 

It really means so much, 

Especially as I will be back there on the 30th...oh a week tomorrow. 

These were my morning demos 

Some double stencilling.

And these were the afternoon pieces.

I love this effect 

And this one was such fun to create. 

On Tuesday it was Karl’s Birthday, and on Wednesday I have some magazine 

commissions to tick off my list. 

Thursday l had Pyrography commissions to do and before I 

Knew it , it was Friday and a couple of meetings. 

Yesterday we had the boys for a Christmas sleepover and today we had friends and family visiting. 

Wow, I am absolutely shattered.

Has your week been like this too ? 

It is this time of year. 

I have definitely booked Christmas day and Boxing Day off. 

Unfortunately it will only be the two days. 

Oh Maggie, when you read this ,

Lisa and Freda say hi....

Time now to go and get the hot water bottle for Eric

Take care everyone

Much love and hugs 

Jo xxx

Sunday catch up

Good afternoon all, 

I hope your Sunday is going  well. 

I am chatting to you from our hotel suite in Oundle..

Oh it really is beautiful. 

Look at the bath, I definitely need a long soak in there 

Tomorrow I am on Hochanda at 11am and 3pm with some fabulous stamps and stencils from 

Aall and Create.

I am Totally Dotty over this new stencil. 

I do hope you can join me, as always I am very nervous. 

It would be so good to know that I have friends with me. 

I am thrilled to have some designs published in the latest edition of Papercraft Essentials 

Tracy’s stamps work so well with book papers. 

I am off now, 

Time for a walk and then  some food. 

Take care all. 

Love and hugs 

Jo xxx

SceneScapes

Good afternoon all, 

Hope today is treating you well. 

I am here again with a quick Christmas card. 

Today I am going to use a packet of Scene Scapes from Lavinia. 

Have you used these yet? They are so handy for quick cards. 

This is one of Tracey’s new ones, and how gorgeous it is too. 

As you know I love to use the feather stamp as a Christmas tree, so I stamped that in black ink. 

Next I added Pipin, he just looks so at home here. 

The fir cone branch just finished off the design perfectly and adds balance. 

Now for the finishing touches. 

So out with my Posca pens. 

Look. I made all four at the same time...

I had a real production like going. 

I used liquid pearls to add baubles to the tree. 

Here is a close up 

I am about half way through , making and writing my cards. 

How are you doing ? 

I have 2 more shows on HOCHANDA on Monday , and I have only just found 

out what is on the show.

So I had better go and get some ideas put onto paper. 

Today and tomorrow had better be productive.

Wish me luck.

Much love and hugs...

Jo xxx

Grey Lady

Good afternoon all, 

Hope Tuesday is going well. 

I am off in an hours to take Eric to have his Physio, so I just have time to 

share a photo tutorial with you. 

This is another sample using the fabulous Octolady. 

I started by stamping her out once for the background and then  twice more for the decoupage elements. 

No worries about cutting out as she has her own die. 

I used my favourite stencil and added some bubbles. 

Next I used my oxide inks with water to add delicate amounts of colour. 

I love to layer my backgrounds, but use the stencil design and some splatters on all the layers. 

I assembled her , I also used the seahorse and shell. These also have their own die’s. 

This really saved me so much time...

To finish off some Posca pen splatters. 

Plus some sprinkle-it to add just the right amount of sparkle, 

Shame it doesn’t show up on the photographs. 

Just before I go, 

I want to show you what my lovely friend Anne made for Elliot. 

This is just amazing. 

She knows how much  he loves dinosaurs and T-Rex is his favourite. 

Thank you so much Anne, such a thoughtful gift, and Elliot adores it...

Better go 

Physio soon 

Take care all 

Much love and hugs 

Jo xxx

Octolady

Good afternoon everyone, 

I hope you had a lovely weekend and that your new week has started well. 

 I hope you managed to catch some of Jo Channon’s  shows on HOCHANDA , yesterday and today. 

I thought I would share one of my samples with you 

I did love playing with this set. 

A stamp, a die, and there is a fabulous new stencil too, 

Mine didn’t arrive in time, so I just used his little brother. 

I started by putting some wax resist crayon through the stencils. 

I then added some Brusho powder mixed with water. 

My buddy cup palate is so useful. 

It is so good to see the wax resisting the Brusho powder. 

Next I stamped out the Octolady , once as the whole stamp but then again just her tentacles. 

The die makes it so easy to cut them out. 

I then added colour by painting with the Brusho powders.

I also stamped some little fish, these are so cute, oh and fiddly to cut out. 

Especially as I stamped so many 
Next I started to assemble.

I added some Posca pen 

Some matting and layering and finally some glossy accents, 

Oh and a pearl in her hand. 

 I did enjoy making this. 

I have another couple of samples to share with you, probably later in the week. 

Time to put a chicken casserole in the oven, 

I just feel it is that time of year.

Take care all

Love and hugs 

Jo xxx

I just adore PIPIN.

Good afternoon all, 

How are you feeling today? 

I must admit that I have such a headache...

But hey ho,,,

I have ironing to look forwards too later, 

Today I thought I would share a Lavinia Stamps design with you. 

I just adore this little Pipin stamp.

This was one of those designs that just happened. 

I started off by adding some blue and some green ink onto my Acrylic blocks, spritzed with water and pressed 

it onto my card. 

You know how I love these quick backgrounds. 

I do love to try and leave some white space too. 

I then began stamping .

Pipin  and the mushrooms. 

I very nearly left it at this point, I just love Pipin  so much. 

But , I decided to add some foliage , 

I couldn’t resist using this fir cone stamp. 

I added some colour with my Inktense pencils 

Next I blended some ink around the edges, and added some water flicks with my fan brush. 

"

Followed by some splats of green ink and water. 

I highlighted areas with my white Posca pen. 

Then finished off by adding the sentiment...

I was so pleased with the way that this turned out. 

I hope you like it too. 

I have a couple of Christmas Eve boxes to make, I am 

hoping that I can start them later today. 

The boys are getting so excited already, 

Elliot has a fabulous advent calendar, with a little book behind each door. 

I do love books, there is just something about them. 

Take care all.

Love and hugs 

Jo xxx

Christmas Party

Good afternoon everyone and thanks for popping in. 

I have just got home after having  coffee at Wilmslow garden Centre with some lovely 

crafty friends. 

Always good to just stop, and chat. 

Life has just been so hectic lately, and to make things worse, 

my right eye started itching driving back from Cumbria on Saturday. 

Well by Sunday morning my cheek was swollen and very puffy. 

I have spent the last two days trying to make samples but it was hard to see out of my right eye and my glasses really 

made my face hurt. 

Anyway, samples, what they,  are went in the post this morning. 

Lots of medication and I am finally returning to normal, 

Well, whatever normal is..

Back to Saturday in Cumbria. 

It was our Christmas Party.

A couple of ladies were unwell and not able to join us,.

I do hope you are feeling better Karen and Maria. 

We started out day with a nice warm up card using Brusho powders and Aall and Create Stamps. 

And after coffee, we created these beauties. 

I am always so proud of the fabulous designs that you ladies create. 

Lunch time was fab with a Jacobs Joint. Oh there was so much scrummy food, Christmas crackers and party hats. 

Hot soup and warm mulled wine, and Santa singing in the background. 

We had a few little prizes to give away too. 

After lunch we made these lovely cards...

I do like gentle colouring after lunch, well that and a granny nap! 

Our last design used a background that we had created earlier in the day. 

This is one of Tracy Evans fabulous stamps. 

It always amazes me how quickly the workshop days go, they really do just fly. 

Thanks ladies for your company, on Saturday and throughout the year...

I am so looking forwards to more crafty play next year. 

Love and hugs all, 

Jo xxx