Newsletter News

Yeyy the car is back. How I love my little car and how much have I missed it?? Life is going to be soooo much easier again.

Lots of you have expressed interest in a news letter and Unbribeable Ben has worked out a simple way to do it. If you look in the sidebar you will see a link, just click on it and fill it in and hey presto!! And that's the first step. Second step is waiting for me to write one ha ha . No we will be doing a regular news letter with upcoming news, classes and special offers. Many of you are already on our mailing list but this is going to be a quicker and simpler way of doing things, we hope. we thank you in advance for taking the time to fill it in.

I have spent the day working on magazine articles. Ive got 4 to do , 3 with a deadline of Friday , 1 for Monday. Fat chance I say, fat chance lol!!! They are so time consuming because they have to be spot on, and I keep changing my mind about the samples and making new ones!!. Never satisfied you see. Today's was all about my fabby, fave Blonde Moments pearl pigments.

Talking about magazine articles the latest issue of Craft Stamper is out and it contains an Ultra Thick embossing masterclass that I wrote.Here's a few little pics

Aaaaah Jay hasn't changed a bit has she???

The Santa stamp is a Paper Artsy stamp and one of my faves. Tomorrows workshop is Christmas tags using Paper Artsy stamps and background techniques. i do love their stamps especially Christmas. Tomorrow I will give you news of a special offer on their mounted Christmas stamps. But be warned you will have to be quick and once they are gone they are gone !!

I am writing this whilst tucked u[p in bed listening to The Drifters. Don't you just love em. I can remember dancing to "Kissing in the back row" when I was at youth club and I love it just as much today.

Car troubles

Here we go again!!! The new throttle sensor fitted approx 2 wks ago has gone kaput, so I am car less again. Unfortunately I am also without a courtesy car so I am stranded. Nothing against walking or public transport but it is soooo time consuming and I cant carry all my work around. So not a lot to report unfortunately. All I have been able to do today is clean , clean and clean. Oh and iron, I have ironed everything in sight. Hurray - NOT. But at least it is all done ready for the week, hopefully leaving more time for playing, yeyy!!

So now I am being really naughty . I am watching Celebrity Scissorhands whilst raiding Maisies choccy stash. Did you know that it is the law to eat all the blue ones first!!And for all of you out there who struggle with your colour matching, just check out how good these all look together.

Went out with the girls Sat night tripping the light fantastic and that always calls for savvy evening wear and high high heels. So that's today's shoe watch.

Check out the purple tights, my fave at the moment

Ooooh shes such a lady!!!

Forgotten pages- oops

After finishing the journal I uploaded the pictures onto the Flickr group and realised I was supposed to do two double spreads - oops!!! so had to quickly whip up a couple more. And what better to do than the gorgeous shimmer backgrounds I have been raving about. Just cant get enough of them! lol. Then my usual scribbling a story throughout the negative spaces.




I didn't pick the colours just picked up the nearest sprays to me, but loved the result. It just called for this serene image of the Bhodavista.

The background of the tags were created by using Tim's new masks and inks. And again lots of grungeboard letters.

You can see the tag background closer here.

I stamped using a black archival ink so that it would show up over the shimmer.

I seem to have spent my whole life doodling!!!

So two spreads completed -- now it can start its journey!!!!

Art Circle Journal ready to go!!

Well its finally finished!!! YEYY!! I am taking part in an art journal circle with women from all over the world. For those who don't know, a circle journal starts with one person and passes around with others adding their own personal art to it .. It eventually makes its way back to the originator oozing talent and creative ability. All journals are sent off at approximately the same time and we are given up to 3 weeks to work in them. It can be really daunting working in someone Else's journal but you just have to bite the bullet and go for it. You also have to keep to your own personal style so that the journals owner ends up with a little bit of you.

My journal was made from scratch with removable pages for ease of decorating. It is held together with large book rings to account for expansion as every ones work is added.

The front cover was decorated with my trademark paints and old book pages. I shimmered a large tag and spelt out the word JOURNAL with grunge board letters (inked and glossy accented). Finishing touches were a 7gypsies handle , rub ons and doodling.

Always love to add the quirky personal touches.

Inside cover was painted and doodled with the address in case it gets lost in its worldwide travels.

I always like to create a sign in page where each individual can decorate a tag, telling me a little bit about themselves and their work. I crated individual pockets which were then stitched together.

My journal pages were painted and stamped with heart stamps in a co-ordinating colour. I added torn black and white photos and white velvet rub ons. The flowers and butterfly are inked grunge board, that I then doodled.

The inside back cover has a 7gypsies tag attached with gaffer tape and lots of doodling.

The back cover is completely covered in my fave 7gypsies rub-ons.

So there it is ready to begin its journey around the world, first step America.!!!

Shimmer samples

Oooh an early post!!! Organisation or what!!! Don't panic it will not last!!! Just wanted to talk a little bit about the Stamp Magic show at the Doncaster Dome last Sunday. Many of the visitors panicked , thinking I wasn't there, but I just wasn't in my usual spot. I had originally thought it would be too much for us to do at the moment so cancelled my stand. But it is always a lovely show to do and is not to far away from Harrogate to do some PR for the studio, so at the last minute Paula managed to squeeze me back in. And squeeze it was!! From a 12mtr stand to a 3mtr stand. It was extremely cosy lol. You couldn't fit me, The Goddess , and the Resident bit of Glamour on the stand at the same time as the customers. The Goddess appeared to be operating a one in, one out system. No ,only joking but it was certainly different from usual !!!!

I had great fun as I got to do the thing I love best, demonstrating and chatting. I love showing people how to do things and watching their expressions when they realise how simple it really is. Every things easy once you know how!! I was of course demonstrating with my favourite - Blonde Moments Pearl Pigments. Dry, wet , sprayed you name it I did it. Plus lots of Ultra Thick embossing (ooh I can feel a Ultra Thick tag tutorial coming on!!) The following are some of the samples that I made at the show, using the same method as the last tutorial and similar colours.

This time for my mask I used the Twiddleybitz Christmas tree. Gorgeous isn't it?? A combination of Blonde Moments Pearl Pigments, Ranger Distress ink and water, mixed in a mini mister were sprayed over the tree.

Then I stamped around the edges with the fern and holly stamp(Just Plain Xmas) in black Archival ink.

Finally added gorgeous ribbons and embellishments made from Blonde Moments Ultra Thick embossing powders. (Festive Candy and Savoury Tropic)

The tree can be used over and over, and at the end is beautifully shimmery and stylish enough to use in its own right.

Here are some more tags

Some Ultra Thick embellishments. the bauble stamp (boisterous baubles) is coloured in with the pearl pigments and a scribble of Stardust stickles.

And a couple of ATC.s made with left over bits.

Shoe Watch - Have you noticed on the above samples its the little details that make them so special, and its the same with these boots.

Lots of zips and popper fastenings

And just check out those cool soles!!! They make fabby imprints in the snow. lol

Comment Winner!!!!

Weve just picked the comment winner from the tag tutorial.. The goddess closed her eyes and delved in.

And the winner is SARAH.

sarah said...

WOW fantastic tutorial, I shall have to give this a go. I was thinking of getting some glimmer mist but the pearl pigments look so much more versatile.
October 31, 2008 1:15 PM

Congratulations to you. If you email me artfromtheheartuk@yahoo.co.uk then I can get your prize on its way to you!! YEYY!!

Time is Tight

Up at 3.30 am for the Doncaster show!!! I am getting too old for this lark. Am sat in bed , Baileys in one hand, Rowntrees Pick and Mix in the other LOL. Yes I know sugar and me just don't mix but I,m tired and cant be bothered to argue with my body.s strange cravings. Easier to give in and pay for it later ( and pay for it I will let me assure you!!!). I will talk more about the show tomorrow but I just wanted to comment on the response to my tag tutorial. I am soooooo pleased that you all loved it, the response has been overwhelming and has shown me that there is a obviously a need for it.. But what worries me is that many of you love it but still say you would be frightened to try it yourself. I say just go for it!! What is the worst that can happen??? If you don't like it you can always stick something over the top of it lol. Many of you think that I spend hours planning my workshops and tutorials. That couldn't be further from the truth. Although there is a lot of hard work in the preparation, there is usually no planning at all of the outcome. The end result is usually as big a surprise to me as it is to you. I just go with the flow and if I don't like it I just start again. Don't consider it wasted time think of it as an enjoyable creative experience.. The reason I know how to do most things or how to put most things right is the fact that I have done everything wrong (many times lol). I am mainly self taught and if I may say so , taught very badly,lol.
Now I realise that many of you will be going "ah well its easy for you to say" and yes I agree, but all I am saying is cut yourselves some slack. Some where along the line we seem to have forgotten that what we are doing is supposed to be an enjoyable experience and not some form of torture.. I would far rather spend the whole afternoon enjoying myself and making a mess, than producing something almost perfect but with stress levels going through the roof!!!
Don't worry if you haven got the material I used, improvise, do what you can and above all ENJOY!!!! And if something does go wrong, well you never know you may have "created" a new technique!!
If you still are worried about giving it a go there is only one remedy. Get yourselves down to my studio and booked on a workshop. I teach all levels, often at the same time and have an" ology" in making you believe in yourself. Everything I do is easy , you just need to be shown how. The shimmer and shine class has just been, but appears in every brochure as it is soooooo popular. If you cant wait until then 3 of the card classes contain shimmer n shine background techniques.

Wed 3rd Dec Shimmer Christmas cards
Sat 13th Dec Shimmer cards with crafty individuals
Mon 15th Dec Deck of cards

You can book online or ring us at the studio 01423 873739.

Until then please keep leaving your comments. One will be picked from the hat tomorrow afternoon and a pile of goodies will soon be winging their way to you shortly. Please note the pile of goodies at the beginning of the tutorial is not the actual prize but the materials list!!!lol, but rest assured the prizes are always good.

Just wanted to say a big shout out to my lovely mate Sandra, an old Northern Soulie. She went to America this year and visited the Stax museum and brought me an album back. I am writing this whilst listening to it and It always make me think of her. My fave is Time is Tight by Booker T and the MGs, and is also an apt title for today's post lol.