Exciting times.

Good afternoon all, 

I hope your week is starting well. 

As promised I have some exciting news to share with you. 

As you know I am a big fan of stamps and stencils from AALL & Create. 

I love the designs, the ethics of the company and the fact that all their designs 

are hand drawn, plus they give credit to the designers. 

This is not the case with many companies. 

So when I got a message from Abs asking me to join a new design team, 

well I jumped at the chance...

Sometimes opportunities just present themselves at the right time. 

Here are some sneak peeks of my samples .

Now we didn’t have long to create these samples, but I did have fun. 

So please watch Abs tomorrow on Hochanda tv at 12 noon and 4pm...

There are some fabulous new stamps and stencils, 

plus great demonstrations.

Enjoy your evening 

Much love and hugs 

Jo. xxxx

Quick catch up

Good afternoon all, 

So sorry for not catching up with you for a few days...

We have had another hectic week. 

How was your weekend? 

Good, I hope. 

We had friends here to stay , and what a fabulous time we had.

We had so much catching up to do it got to 1-45am before we realised it...

Oh my , we are normally in bed for 10pm...

Last week saw Mikey in hospital with an abscess on his tonsil, bless him, 

he ended up on a drip for a while,,

He is so much better now though. 

Then on Thursday , I was asked if I had time to make some samples for 

Hochanda tv.  The only catch , 

they have to be in the post tomorrow morning..

Offcourse I said yes, 

I have managed a few...

Will let you know the times off the shows tomorrow.

I am off now to console Karl...

He has been watching the football. 

A photo of the little men to cheer him up,

Take care all, 

Much love and hugs 

Jo Xxxx

Tuesday catch up

Good morning all. 

I hope you are having a lovely Tuesday so far. 

Karl left early again so I have walked the dogs and been food shopping already. 

So that I can now  have a catch up with you all and then 

tackle some jobs on my craft list. 

I am loving my crafting at the moment, and I 

feel that I am in a really happy place and that I have finally surrounded myself with 

real friends, honest Crafters and some generally great people. 

( even if they do make me use purple,,,!!!! lol ) 

Have you noticed , even my blog is in a new happier place....😀

On Saturday it was our Groovi workshop which is always a lovely day .

Each crafter decided on their projects and what areas they wanted to work on, 

Colouring is always so relaxing, plus it is such a quiet class...

Simple outlines can look so effective on coloured parchment 

And we all love a good queen plate...

It was the church coffee morning. This is always good as it means that 

I can buy a homemade apple pie for Karl..

Yesterday I went on a little road trip and drove to Ruthin, I had such 

a wonderful day talking to Tracey Dutton and looking around the Lavinia Stamps HQ

and oh yes , I did come back with some goodies. 

I may have even had a sneaky peek at some new designs...

If you have got this months craft stamper magazine , just look inside the front cover 

I can’t wait to get my hands on these. 

My coffee machine is on, and calling me, it must be 11am...

Take care all, 

Thanks for everything 

Much love and hugs 

Jo. xxxx

Wonderful Wednesday

Good morning all, 

I hope your week is going well. 

I must say it is all go here, 

with lots going on in the craft room , and lots of plans being made .

Will let you know all about them soon. 

Yesterday it was our regular Hazel Grove Classes, 

and as always we had a giggle...

and for once I really can’t put on here what happened ...

but Marjorie , you are such a star....

Thanks to Julie who made the morning ladies very happy with 

Rocky road cake...and wow it was so good. 

Also Sue who treated me to mini Orange Smartie eggs...yummy 

I really am so lucky ...

We used some fabulous stamps from Lavinia Stamps. I do love the quality 

of these stamps and the hand drawn detail is just amazing. 

I love to make clean and simple backgrounds (as you know ) 

and I do love the way this one has turned out. 

It makes a great man’s card when used with the trees. 

Thanks for all your good wishes , 

Jenson is doing well. 

Sleeping like a baby .

And off course 

Elliot is just fabulous as always. 

I must go, 

I am phoning a friend at 10am, 

Angela, hope you are ready ...

It is good to have a proper catch up...don’t you think, 

Take care everyone 

Much love and hugs 

Jo. xxx

Creative Stamping in Cumbria.

Good afternoon all,

thanks for popping in on this beautiful spring day. 

I hope you had a lovely weekend.

The weather was perfect for the drive to Cumbria on Saturday morning. 

Although we had a few ladies missing this month we still had a busy class, 

and wow did we work hard. 

We used the latest edition of Creative Stamping magazine, 

Available here 

http://tidd.ly/14610115

now you know how much I love these stamps. 

This was our project 

A beautiful box , 

Lined with tissue paper , 

And containing four’ just a note’ cards 

And 

With matching envelopes

Here are some of the fabulous cards 

Made by the lovely Crafters 

Fantastic work, once again ,

Just amazing 

Thanks for coming ladies and gent , 

I can’t believe that next month it is our Spring retreat, 

I am so looking forwards to it, 

such a fantastic project. 

I must go now and put some washing in, 

then back into my craft room to get on with workshop prep. 

We have Hazel Grove on Wednesday and then

Heald Green on Saturday...

Take care all

Much love and hugs 

Jo. xxx

Cheese and Biscuits.

Good morning everyone, 

Hope your Friday is going well and that you have a lovely weekend planned.

It is our Cumbria workshop tomorrow

and I am really looking forward to it.

I do believe that we are in for some lovely weather too.

Before I start sorting out my bags I just thought I 

would have a catch up with you. 

Yesterday I found time to spend the afternoon doing some pyrography.

I find this so relaxing.

I have had an idea in mind , 

you know what it is like when you buy a new stamp, have a plan , 

and then you are just too busy !!!!

This is what I created 

I had purchased the cheese board a few weeks ago, 

and then I saw the new releases from AALL & Create.

This stamp  Is by Olga Heldwein and is called Balance. 

The two were just made for each other, don’t you agree? 

Just look at those mice...

And there is even a cute little stamp perfect for the underside of the board. 

Because the design is burnt into the wood the cheese board can be used and cleaned.

I think I may even have it on display in my new kitchen.

I just need to think up some names for the mice, 

any suggestions? 

I will leave you thinking, 

Time for a coffee, then back into my craft room. 

Enjoy your weekend all, 

And just for me, 

Tell someone special today , That you love them. 

Love and hugs 

Jo. xxx

Wall Art

Good evening everyone, 

Hope your week has started well. 

I am suffering with my back again, it is all this furniture moving, 

and more tomorrow. 

We are hiring a van to take the last load from Nottingham to Didsbury. 

Mikey and Frans new apartment is fabulous and they are so excited about moving in. 

So I decided to make a piece of art for their hall way. 

We have framed some photographs for them ,as a surprise , 

but I wanted to make something  special. 

This is what I made 

Hope you like it 

Really hope Mikey and Fran like it too 

I found this frame in the reduced box in my local shop 

I cut three pieces of card 

Then I added some paint using Mr Billy Brayer ( he needed to come out and play ) 

Next I added some blue paint splatters. 

When dry , I added some stamping using this 

fabulous border stamp from AALL & Create.

Next came some grunge paste through a stencil. 

Again this is from AALL & Create. 

On separate card I stamped , added some colour and cut out my designs. 

I matted and layered my backgrounds , 

and then added the focal pieces, using some twine, and mess to add texture. 

To finish off, I added some white highlights with my Sharpie pen, and then assembled the frame. 

I am so pleased with the way this has turned out, 

Here is a closer look 

At each piece 

Such beautiful stamp designs. 

I am looking forwards to seeing this hanging on the wall. 

Have you mounted any of your work? 

It is such a rewarding thing to do.

 

Must go, still lots to do this evening, and an early start tomorrow. 

Take care all 

Much love and hugs 

Jo. xxx