Well, I wasn't going to tell you just yet...!!!!

This "getting over illness" thing is real hard work..!!!

Do a bit...
Sit down...
Do a bit more..,
Sit down a bit more...
Do a bit more...
Lie down...
Think about getting up...
Pass out..!!!!!!

My brain is addled, my concentration non-existant, my to-do list is getting longer by the day. And thanks to all of you who send me good wishes and tell me to take it easy, but I've not quite worked out how to do that whilst waaaaaay behind due to the weeks lost, lmao.. I,m just hoping that it is, in actual fact, illness recovery and not the onset of premature dementia..!!! Mind you, not sure if anyone would actually notice..!!

Sooooooooooo....................................

onto the news that I wasn't going to spill just yet..!!!  I have biting my tongue for a long, long time, but the cat is out of the bag.................

Yes the rumours are true..Of course its my luvvly jubbly mate, the one and only Tim Holz, who will be teaching at mine in February. I have just got off the phone with him and we will be releasing all the details next week. I think we settled on 2days 17th/18th, but thats if we still have time to shop for shoes of course. (Totally more important in my little world, lol).

You need to keep a look out on the blog and newsletter for the chance to win one of the coveted places.
So keep your ear to the ground and your fingers crossed, and you could be one of the lucky ones getting down and dirty with himself..!!!!

This weekend I took it really easy and spent the whole time with my feet up relaxing... Errrrrr don't think so..!!! We were attending the best craft show in the North, The Great Northern Papercraft Extravaganza.

This is the hall on Friday. Can you see our boxes waiting to be unpacked.?

The morning of the show, set up and ready to go.

Oooh look at the crowds waiting to get in the doors.

Our new Dylusions range of spray inks and paints.

I was teaching a breakfast workshop in my usual calm, quiet, laid back style..!!!!

Then onto the stand for a days demoing.

(ooh heck looks like Our Ben caught me enjoying myself, lol )

I can't seem to get a good calibre of staff for these events....Mind you if you pay peanuts....!!!!! Sexy Susie was at least trying to appear proffessional, but the Gorgeous frizzle of Frizzleness was beyond help...!!

They were little gems and worth their weight in chocolate brownies.

Here's the extremely talented and gorgeous, Design Team member Kate (hmmmm need a nick name me thinks..??). She was a star and demoed on the stand all day Saturday.

Say no more!!

The gorgeous Grimmers and the dashing Dan from Practical Publishing, with not a lot left to sell!!

Remember me telling you about Ready Steady Craft..?? The challenge where we would be given 5 items from someones stall and given 3 minutes to make a card. What a scream we had. Here I,m showing Ali my secret judge bribing weapon - corned beef and pickle sandwiches. Julie Hickey went a bit further with posh chocolate..!!!

Okay on your marks, get set, open your bag.....

Noooooo.....pretty tiny little flower stamps, ribbon and the dreaded peel-offs...!!! I just knew they'd make me use them.  They also threw in a bottle of glitter glue (aaargh), but I couldn't get any out.  It was only later they confessed that they had deliberatley sabotaged it..!!

After 3 minutes, which seemed much more like 3 seconds, and amongst much heckling from the other competitors, lol, I had a finished card. I was very inventive and used part of the contents bag on it.

I used one of my allowed emergency items ( the Stampotique boy ), made him a hat from the bag and stuck the required peel off on the top. It was instant disqualification if peel offs weren't used. There was a bit of consternation between the others that I had cheated and not used any but they are there plain to see, lmao.

As I am not a card maker, and was surrounded by three others that were extremely profficient, I just entered into the spirit and had a right laugh. Imagine my surprise when I was voted the winner. Unfortunately, it was such a shock, that I had failed to prepare an acceptance speech, so I cried for a while and then thanked, my manager, my trainer, my business/life coach, and my primary school swimming teacher, lol.

Here's my cherished trophy which I get to keep for a whole 6 months, until I have to defend my title. I would like to say how overwhelmed I am with the honour bestowed upon me, but I'm afraid I can't, lol.

Unfortunately I am still suffering from the after effects of being in close proximity to peel offs and glitter, but I am being a big girl and not making too much of a drama about it....,yeah right, ha ha

Right, need to go find a place to put it, any suggestions..??

Enjoy xx