In the Countryside...

Good afternoon and thanks for looking in on a Sunday afternoon...it is a catch up sort of a day for me...you know the sort where you try to do all those little jobs that you didn't do during the week...I really need to tick some jobs off my list....ready for Monday and another busy week ahead..

I hope you had a good Saturday.... It was Clarity Cumbria for me..and boy did we have a great day...talk about enthusiastic...we were all ready to go 15 minutes early....so we did...

It was lovely to have another three new ladies joining us....

We started off with a warm up Christmas card...well I have to get mine made where I can...

I do love to see how all the cards are so different...

After coffee it was stencil work....with the outer and the Inner...( you get such different results depending on how you use them )

Gill made a good point that it would make an ideal New Home card...

Then it was lunch....and the sun was shining...

 

Full of energy we created our very own Lake District scene

Now , I have to confess that I was suppose to take a photo of the cards at this point but I got a bit distracted with the fact that it was tea and cake time....

It was Debbie's Birthday , and Peter had organised Sheila to make this yummy cake....so you can understand how my mind wandered...!!!!

 

Our fourth design was a nice quick and easy card that would be suitable for so many different occasions...

It is amazing how just changing the colour can change the whole feel of a card design...

We had a few of our regular ladies who were away on holiday....now...although we did miss them....

It did mean that there was extra cake......

All the stamps and stencils are from Claritystamps....and if you check out Barbara's blog from yesterday you will have a sneaky little look at some new stamps....mmmmmm...they will be on Hochanda next Sunday....

Back to today and more ticks needed on this list....

Enjoy your evening all,

Take are.....much love,

Jo. xxx

 

 

Morning all...

Good morning , hope you all slept well....

I am still a little fragile after my visit to the Dentist yesterday but I am hopeful that the extraction mean I don't have to have an operation on my cheek.....got everything crossed.....

Back to last weekend, and here are some more pictures of my samples...

These little bottles of ink are wonderful and hold so many possibilities....

VersaMark Ink , white embossing powder for a resist....wonderful technique....

This one is my favourite....hope you like it too.

And close up....the colours are just fab...

It works well with the Parakeets....

Spectrum Noir pencils are great over the ink...To add some shade and depth..

Remember your stencils work well with this technique ...

I would love to hear about how you use them....

I have a day of sample making with new stamps and stencils....oh what a shame....but someone has to do it....

Have a great day....whatever you are up too...

Thanks for looking in....

Much love and hugs...

Jo. xxx

 

Back home.

Good evening and thanks for popping in. I do hope that your day has gone well.

I had a wonderful weekend with Barbara, Dave and the Clarity Team..

I met lots of old friends, some new ones, had lots of hugs and oh yes we did laugh and laugh some more.

I was demonstrating using the Distress reInkers ...Have you used them? They really are fabulous and you can use them for so many different techniques ...They are available from the Clarity website...along with all the stamps and stencils...

http://www.claritystamp.co.uk

 

So today I thought I would share a couple of my samples with you..

Watercolour painting.....

 

Shaving foam technique....

And spritzing through a stencil...

And yes I did add some shading using my Charcoal pencils...you know how I love them...

I even got some of the ladies to join in and do some crafting...

I had a good journey home and boy did I sleep last night...

Today I spent the day with Mikey and it was lovely to spend time with him....and look what he bought for me...

This evening Karl and Adam are back home and we have collected Tess and Eric...In fact Tess is sat on my knee as I write this ...she really has missed her mummy..

Time now for a cuppa....

Have a lovely evening whatever you do

Much love from me...

Jo. xxx

 

Friday in Colburn...

Good evening all and thanks for looking in ....

How has your week been? Mine has been a bit hectic.....it was workshop day in Hazel Grove on Wednesday...and as always it was a brilliant day....

We had a play with Clarity canvases....

 

And made a card to match

 

And some of us. Not mentioning any Eileen , made all three in record time!!!!

I also went to the dentist ...just for a check up....but I did just mention about the headaches, and pains in my face....and an X-ray later showed an infection in my face....the dentist suggested a trip to the hospital and a minor operation....oh....no......, no time for that.....so next Tuesday I have to go and have a tooth taken out and go from there.....mmmm not a happy bunny...

Thursday I spent getting ready for the Clarity Open days....and 7am this morning I set off and drive up to Colburn....the venue is brilliant and so much space...

We have had a great day setting up....and are all ready now to welcome everyone at 9am tomorrow morning....

Lots of demonstrations and Barbara is doing a Groovi Make and Take....

Time for bed now....

Have a great weekend what ever you are doing and if you are coming to see us, do say hi....and give me a hug....

Much love....

Jo. xxx

 

 

Time to catch up

Good afternoon and thanks for spending a few minutes with me...how has Sunday treated you? Well, I hope...

I just thought I would have a little catch up with you...

On Thursday I drove up to Kendal to the Paper Warehouse , what a lovely group of crafters...a few of the ladies I had met before at Clarity Cumbria..I do love teaching new techniques and sharing crafty ideas.

As it was a day class we had time to make a few different designs.

Lunch was provided, and how yummy it was too

Then I went to visit my parents and have a Birthday meal with them as it was my Dads Birthday yesterday...

Happy Birthday Dad....xxxx

Yesterday it was workshop day at CJ. CardCraft in Edgeley, Stockport and we got down and dirty...( note these are Not My hands!!!)

We decorated Thermometer Houses....( spot the Clarity Stencils )

These make fantastic little pieces of art.

And great gifts.

Here are some photos from the day...

Look at the concentration ...

 

Susan was on top form...

 

 

And today has been all about long dog walks and cutting things back in the garden...oh my...how things have grown...all this sunshine and showers...

Time now to make the meal, only Karl and me tonight , so something light...

Next week is another busy week with workshops on Wednesday and then the two days in Catterick....the Clarity Open Days...have you got your tickets yet? ..if you can come along I can really recommend it, a great day...lots of brilliant demonstrations, time to talk and ask questions, time to shop....and yes...time to have coffee and cake...

Tickets are only £5.... Available from Clarity.....

Lots of hugs too.....

Take care and see you soon,

Jo. xxx

 

School Days.

Good morning everyone...and welcome to a new challenge over at the Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge blog...it is that time of year for a lot of children and some adults....so our new theme is

School Days...

Our new challenge is hosted by the lovely Tammy....and we are sponsored by Sweet Lilac Flowers and Fresh Brewed Designs...

I do hope you feel inspired and join in....

http://fussyandfancychallenge.blogspot.co.uk

Here is what I came up with...

I began by stamping those wonderful Clarity owls.....

Cut them out and added some colour with my Spectrum Noir Pencils..

My background paper is from a favourite company of mine...Graphic 45

I have noticed that the chalk board effect is very popular at the moment...so I had a play and created my own effect using VersaMark ink and Perfect Pearls...

Then it was time to assemble all the bits, plus some Sweet Lilac Flowers and leaves...Oh and a little piece of chalk...

A few finishing touches....glossy accents on the eyes...and job done...

Oh look at those owls....remind you of anyone????

I do hope that you pop over to the Fussy and Fancy blog and have a look at the samples from my fellow DT members....very inspirational...

Better still enter a card.......

Must go...another busy day....and workshops at C.J.Cardcraft in Stockport tomorrow...

Enjoy your day....and see you soon...

Much love...

Jo. xxxx

 

Something a bit different...

Good afternoon all, do hope this week is going well...

Firstly thank you all for the lovely comments that you have left on my blog , I really appreciate them all...

Recently I shared my Fantasy card on FB and I was blown over by all the comments and likes that it received. ...so yesterday I decided to make another one...well

....a jigsaw one....

What do you think?

Here is how I made it...

I started with a wonderful little ready made jigsaw from Creativ...

Just like with the card , I stamped the mushroom stamp using black Archival ink.....you do have to watch at this point as when you lift the stamp , some of the pieces may move....

Then out with the large moon mask,,,,and some Distress inks ...

The inks don't blend on this surface quite as well as they do on card....but well enough....then some water spritzing....

When the mask is removed....this is what I had...

Next came the colour using Spectrum Noir Pencils....

Followed by the fairies and magical stars...

Some white paint....

And then the whole thing was sealed with Spray and Shine....

A real fun grift to make.....

I think this may just be a workshop project....what do you think?

I must dash....I need to get sorted ready for workshop day tomorrow at the Paper Warehouse in Kendal...

Really Looking forward to it...just hope the motorway is kind to me in the morning...

Catch you soon,

Love and hugs...

Jo. xxx