Tattered florals...my way...!!

Hi there everyone, sorry I am late in posting the winner of my birthday comments. I am currently entertaining the lurgy, which is far far overstaying it's welcome, let me assure you. I am drained, bleurgh, lethargic, sicky and just downright out of sorts. I can't settle to anything, can't stay awake for long, zero nada zilch concentration and motivation!! Whatever it is it needs to bugger off soon, as I have fabulous things to design, magnificent creations to rustle up, demons to fight, dragons to slay and other such fantabulous things!!!!

Anyway, I digress as usual, lol..

I loved all of your comments on what you thought I should be doing on my 50th birthday. Thank you so much for taking the time to comment. But the one that caught my imagination the most was from  the lovely

April of the Fragrant Hand....

Happy 50th! 
On the night of your birthday I think you will be misting & stenciling the moon. It's such a lovely textured canvas & imagine how luminous it will be. We will be able to look up in the sky from locations all over the world & see your birthday art

How fabulous that would be!! I have always loved the moon and would love to see it adorned in Dylusions, lol. April please send us an email at afth.co.uk and I will get some goodies out to you.

If you fancy winning some more goodies, this time from the one and only Tim Holtz.. then read on.

Tim has been running a challenge on his blog to see what people can create with his tattered florals die. Now I am not really a die person as most of my work is done in journals, but this is a die that I actually personally own and have used a lot.
After umming and aahing for ages I decided to so a canvas rather than a journal page.. The canvas is created using Tim's Distress paints and my Dylusions inks, I die cut tons and tons of the flowers, sprayed them various shades of blue and a red, and attached them to a large heart shape board with brads. I curled the edges, added a hand written quote and Bob's your uncle. !!!

Tim also gave me one of his tattered floral dies to give away, so if you fancy a chance at owning it leave me a comment. But most importantly you need to go to Tim's blog and see what every one has been up to. People have been uploading their creations and they are just mind blowing, there is so much talent and creativeness out there. Well done to everyone.

Whilst I am at home slowly wasting away, like a Victorian wallflower, lol. My house guest, the lovely Dina Wakely is slaving away up at my studio, teaching her stupendously fabulous artistry to lots of lovely lovely students. They are having a ball.

Although Dina lives on the opposite side of the world to me, I count her as one of my closest friends. We just crack each other up with our antics,but we are also comfortable enough to sit in separate rooms doing our own thing. Although we both sound as though we have glamorous lives, travelling the world, teaching and meeting fabulous people, it is in fact extremely tough at times, being away from your family and loved ones, in different time zones, jet lagged and trying to live up to the expectations people have of you. What's so nice is she doesn't need to tell me and I don't need to tell her, we just know and we are there for each other.

She is as mad as a box of frogs though !!!

Just a reminder that it is our Preview day on Saturday - more details HERE Please accept our invitation to come and play, eat cup cakes, peruse the new workshops, slurp some Yorkshire tea and generally have a jolly old time.

Enjoy xx

My homage to Our Tim...

First of all a mahoosive thank you to everyone who sent in suggestions for my birthday celebrations, we will be picking and posting a winner tomorrow.

I am cosily ensconced in a delightful snow covered cottage with my bezzies, just chilling and  the such. Wait till you see the photos'...well you are only 50 once aren't you.?

Anyhow I interrupt my shenanighans to give you my little journal tribute to the fabulous Tim Holtz, my boss and partner in crime at Ranger Headquarters!!! Sunday was not only a special day for me but it also marked the 10 yr anniversary of Tim joining Ranger. Yup 10 yrs, doesn't time fly.

For those of you who haven't met Tim, I can honestly say he is such a good guy. The help and assistance he has given me is unmeasureable and I most certainly not be where I am today without it. He is an extremely talented and giving artist and I am very privileged to work alongside him. I thought I worked hard but you that's nothing compared to what he achieves.

But above all I am also very honoured and extremely proud to call him my friend, despite all the pics and tricks we get up to, lol

He is like my annoying little brother, you wouldn't believe the things he gets up to and I fall for it every time. If you see him ask him about the boat!! or the UTEE leftovers !!! and many more !!!

So in honour of his 10yrs I decided to set myself a challenge today. To do loads of background journal pages using his products. Apart from the stencils and my white spray everything else is Tim's. The list is as follows:-

The fabulous Distress paints

Distress stains

Distress Pads

and tons of his stamps.

So here's what I have accomplished so far.

I had a fab time playing and only broke off to do the essentials...eating chocolates and cheesecake, drinking tea and Desparados and of course this post. As you can see blogging is a very dangerous profession so I made sure I had all my safety gear on!!!

Why don't you try a page in your journal just using Tim's products and see what you come up with.

So here's to Tim, long may you reign my lovely xx

Enjoy xx

Alive and Kicking....

Yes I'm alive, I'm alive....

Father forgive me it is 8 weeks since my last confession, errrrrrr blog post.!

8 frikkin weeks...how in the name of glory did that happen..??

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeell...

CHA in Anaheim
Teaching Tour in the States
Paperworld in Frankfurt
Stitches in Birmingham
not to mention having a new heating system put in
teaching at my studio
prepping for classes
preparing for new workshops
designing lots of new top secret stuff
making absolutely essential new dresses
Being a Mommy Bear
spoiling a grand daughter
Appearing at no 1 baby's engagement
breaking of lap top and Mac!!!!

Not to mention all the day to day running of home and work and the pressure of having to be slightly magnificent some days and downright frikkin fabulous on others.......

As my Dad would say "I havent really had time to fart!!!"

Am I foriven...??

Do I have to do penance and say 2 Hail Mary's...??

No...

Fabulous, thanks for that...

If you've missed my shennannighans and tomfoolery whilst trying to pretend I am a normal functioning adult....then you could have caught up on Facebook. Not a day goes by without some utter babble/interesting posts from me.
If you are not already my friend on there, firstly, How Ruuuuuuuuuuude, and secondly Why Not...?
Come and join the fun, there are two of me. If it lets you friend me, it's the real me, if it only lets you like me it's the other me lol.
Confused..??? Join the club.

Seriously though if you are not already on Face book you are missing out on tons of fabulous updates, info, quotes, groups of interest, inspiration etc. It is so quick and easy to just add a photo, fling up a quote or keep connected. There you will find out where in the world I am, what I am up to , what dress I am wearing, what quote I am quoting, horrendous photos of me, you name it and it will be there. Go on give it a try.

In the meantime I have a little challenge for you. It's my birthday next week and I will be the big 50. Yes I know I don't look anywhere near it, he he he..!!! Or act it actually...!!

So I want you all to come up with something you think I may be doing on the night of my 50th. The more outrageous, outlandish and ridiculous, the better. Please no rude or smutty comments, this is a family blog you know and it's me who bears the brunt of peoples dislike, lol, so keep it clean and above board.

Maybe you think I would like to be Scuba diving in the Maldives or maybe polishing my Halo waiting for them to call me to the Vatican to fill the vacancy. Anything.

So leave me a comment on this blog post and next week sometime (yup, sometime, no fixed deadline) I will decide which suggestion tickles my trout the most. And you never know you might get sent some left over birthday cake, a torn cracker and a slowly deflating balloon, as a prize...amongst other things, if you're really lucky.

I'll leave you with some journal pages and a promise to be more blogworthy of you all...

Mwah you gorgeous gorgeous people

Enjoy xx