All season in one day....

....well, two of them at least - I'll be at Colemans Warehouse this weekend - Saturday I'll be demo'ing my latest stamps - the Beach Huts...

... and on Sunday I'll be teaching a summery floral class in the morning and in the afternoon its all about a wintery Christmas!  Yes.  I said it.  CHRISTMAS! which according the cheery little ap on my phone is only 116 days away! DON'T PANIC!!
We've got the rest of the summer to get through yet.

Hope to see you there!

A long weekend....

... started with a trip to London on Friday with Matt - we had plans which included a trip over to Selfridges for lunch (its his birthday this weekend)...
I had an annual appointment - after which I always like to pop into Blade Rubber Stamps (it'd be silly not to - its right around the corner from appointment!) - fun/lovely to see them stocking products that looked familiar...

 ... love seeing the stamps stocked in shops :o)

As I said we planned to go to Selfridges for lunch - someone had recommended one of their bistros and the Salt Beef Sandwiches (Matt's face lit up with the mention of those lol) but it was SOOOO hot in London - sifling hot and the Underground was even worse so we stopped at a cafe for lunch and then headed over to the V&A in South Kensington.

I LOVE THE V&A!

This was a lovely place to cool down for 30 minutes before we went to see the Exhibition we had tickets for... I was quite envious of the toddlers splashing around in the water to play and cool down..

We went to see the Memory Palace exhibition... based on a book by Hari Kunzru... a really thought provoking exhibition with the ideas within the book illustrated in different ways (hard not to touch!)...

.. in a world in the future where all memories have been destroyed and are not allowed to be kept by individuals... how and what would you try and remember???  Well worth a visit....

Saturday was my last official day in the land of sparkly things...

That's two of the 'dream team' - a crack team of shop assistants! :o)  K bought cupcakes (thank you!!) but we couldn't decide which one we wanted each so she cut each one into 3rds - genius - felt like we'd eaten 3 cupcakes each! lol yum yum

It was a quietish day because it was a weird weather day here in Essex - IT DID NOT STOP RAINING ALL DAY - and we are not talking light showers - we're talking deluges of water:

That is not a water feature! That is the water running out of the town (at Chalkwell) down the embankments and onto the seafront - that's normally a road at the bottom.  Shocking.  In the evening we were all advised not to drive unless it was absolutely necessary.

.. and today (Sunday) is Matt's birthday:

Lovely cake made my Matt's brother-in-law and nephews (because his sister has broken her arm - ouch) - yes it looks like a lot of cream - that's because its only on one side! lol nephews don't like cream so their pieces on the other side have jam only.

I think thats everything over the last couple of days - and the weekends not over yet - gotta love a bank holiday weekend!

Enjoy yours whatever you're up to.

Oh dear!.....

... while I was trawling through many many photos looking for projects I had a niggling thought that I was missing/forgetting something... and this morning it came to me:

PAMM (PaperArtsyMiniMascot).. sits on a shelf at PAHQ keeping an eye on the elfs, and sometimes he's let out to go to the craft shows where he sits on the PA racks.

Smart little chap - I should really make him a litte JOFY friend soon....

A trip down memory lane: 10 Years of PaperArtsy Creativity/ madness/ & fun fun fun...

* * Happy 10th Birthday PaperArtsy! * *

As I said over on the PaperArtsy blog:   10 YEARS!!  oh my, that is a long time to have fun and be encouraged down a creative path... which is what PaperArtsy does.... and if they think I'm a 'tad loopy' (see the post on the PA blog) I learned it all from them - its brushed off! :o)

I don't live far from PaperArtsy - I 'pop' over to do stuff - & when hubby hears that in the morning he knows he has to get his own dinner! lol  PA HQ is like a vortex - one filled with crafty wonderness - like a craft version of Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory.. but sadly without the umpalumpas... well, there are Elves but they're not the same (or orange, even if they do live in Brentwood..lol)

So, I've been working playing creating with PA products for 10 years (still can't quite believe that!) & I've been looking back at some of the projects I've made with their products...

First came the Stamps:

These images were (still are) some of my favourites.. Petals from the Ink & the Dog Collection

LOVE this little book in a tin.. its about 10x10cm but approximately 1m long..

As part of the original Design Team it was always fun to create different items... anyone fancy a game of dominoes?:

Not one of my quicker projects - didn't really realise when I started how many dominoes are in a set! lol   Fun to make though with some distinctive single images.

Squiggly Ink - cute hand drawn images - I was a big fan of the winged images.  Stamp sets from the Squiggly Ink 'Tops & Tails' & 'Swirls&Curls' Collection

This is the first project I ever had published in Craft Stamper - always going to be a favourite:

Oooh Hot Picks - who doesn't love the Hot Picks plates!
(using HP1005, HPxmas01)

 Especially the Haberdashery ones:

And then came FRESCO FINISH!!!!  I feel that there should've been a fanfare or drumroll there.. lol

There's many more colour than those shown above - and brace yourselves - more on the way!! Exciting!

Look at that lovely crackle glaze effect!!  If anyone reading this does not have a bottle of this amazing stuff I suggest you go and buy some NOW - amazing, never fail, product - LOVE IT!!

(nb. & fyi  the above images are by Claudine Hellmuth for Ranger, pic is just an illustration of the crackle)

JOFY stamps!! :o)
... I was so pleased when PaperArtsy asked me to design stamps for them - I love designing the stamps and seeing what people create with them - amazes me what people can do!  I never thought 10 years ago that I would one day be designing stamps for them - couldn't be happier!  THANK YOU MR & MRS PA!!

So I think that brings my brief stroll down memory lane to an end - I hope you've enjoyed seeing a few of my favourite projects - and if any of its inspired you to get creating 'stuff' then I'm pleased.

One last thing.  Here is my 'Birthday Project' - all the details and instructions can be found HERE on the PA blog.

I love it muchly - much bigger than my usual projects - 30x30cm - and more surprisingly - no book text!!! not a single piece & only 2 buttons - on a piece this size!!! shocking!! lol
Most unusual.

That was the last 10 years of PaperArtsy - thanks for the inspiration, the fab products and the fun Mr & Mrs PA - its been a blast - looking forward to the NEXT 10 years!


Thanks for bearing with me on this long blog - makes up the fact I haven't blogged for 10 days!.. hopefully :o)

(not that I've been slacking ... secret stuff in the pipeline....)

I went to the Garden Centre to buy a plant...

... & came back with the most fantastic pair of garden gates (in my opinion - hubby is yet to be wholly convinced lol)

They are a very solid - so heavy I can't move them! I bought them to sit against the back fence of the garden to make it a bit more interesting (very shady, not much sunlight so not much grows there..) and the plan is to try and grow climbing plants up them - jasmine, honeysuckle and maybe some clematis.....
BUT 50% (ok, maybe a bit more) of the reason I bought them is because of this:

... years and years of paint, exposure to the wind and rain has had a fantastic effect on the paint and underlying metal

 I was so excited when they were delivered - Matt was very patient with my placement instructions 'left a bit, right a bit.. no, left a bit more'   not sure they're in the final positions yet....

 ...but just look at the paint colours - and the cracks!!! - how fabulous are they!!!!  all very inspiring!

I think this effect could be re-created with a bit of Bora Bora, Baltic Blue, Brown Shed & Guacamole Fresco Finish paint and some Crackle Glaze! lol

They give the garden a bit of individuality and I love them - I just hope the fence panel they're leaning on is strong enough to support them! lol (it is, don't worry we tested!)

.... ooooh this might be the best die...

... EVER!!

I've had a splurge on dies and stencils (which I haven't done for what seems ages).... and am inspired -  I have lots of ideas for these lovelies:

(in the middle there is a roll of wood effect washi tape from doodlebug designs - very cool!)

.. and as lovely as they are the BEST DIE EVER award goes to the fantastic little die that created this:

- I LOVE IT!!  I have lots of plans for this fella - at Christmas its getting a red nose and sparkly antlers!
ho ho ho

Its so clever!  & quite small 8-10cm approximately from the bottom of the shield to the antler tips... (its a bit tricky to assemble but very worth it!)... Its made by Xcut - very fab die!

OK - this was a quick post for today - I've got to go - got some creating to do...   :o)

xx

Ooooh I do like to be beside the Seaside... part 2..

... a couple more samples from Sunday - a long canvas (12x4in) - quite clean and simple... huts were stamped on tissue paper, glued to the panel and painted with Fresco Finish - Bora Bora, Elephant, Beach Hut (appropriately) and the green on the centre hut is a mix of Bora Bora and Guacamole (nice!).

 Stamped the phrase repeatedly along the top edge:

I bought a box of driftwood from Birds in the Barn when I was over there last weekend - the wood is lovely and some pieces were perfect for stamping and painting.  This little hut is from the row of beach huts on JOFY16 - would make a great lighpull in a beach themed bathroom..

... and because I really do 'like to be (and live) beside the seaside' on Sunday I took the 10 minute drive to the seaside... even though its actually the Thames Estuary we have a fantastic long stretch of beach, beach huts, fun fares, a Pier (complete with train!) and recently we've also had glorious sunshine too.... yay for Essex!

Most of the beach huts in Thorpe Bay are on stilts because of the slope on the beach:

Some people keep their huts plain (treated) wood but there's a stretch where the huts are lovely & smartly painted {I'm a little biased as that smart blue one in the middle of the photo belongs to my MiL and her sister :o) }

They are so 'summery'!  I love the red & white one too - very striking against the sky and sand.

I went down the beach early on Sunday morning for a bit of beachcombing.  First thing I found (but left behind) made me chuckle:

There's a statue somewhere missing a nose! lol  I checked- its just a stone but it definitely looks like a nose don't you agree! 

I 'needed' sea-worn glass and 'stuff' from the beach.. but, pickings were few and far between - I was disappointed and pleased in equal measure that there was very little sea worn glass - disappointed because that's what I wanted but pleased because hopefully it means that less glass is finding its way into the river/sea (less bottles being discarded etc etc etc)

There were A LOT of cockle shells.. . I picked up a few of these white flat ones but only if they had worn holes in them (great for threading) but as you can see very little glass.... (and I'm glad)

 LOVE my bits of wood... especially the right hand piece - lovely cracked paint!

Hubby's not often quite sure about the 'treasures' I bring home - but even he said - 'ooh thats a good bit of wood'  lol so it must be winner!  lol

OK, I'm going to go and make something with my stash from the beach...

Thanks for popping by

oooh I do like to be beside the seaside Part 1

.... It felt quite seaside-ish sitting at my demo table at The Craft Barn on Saturday surrounded by beachy images, stamps and samples... It was a lovely day- time to chat with customers about the new stamps, Fresco Finish paints and whats coming up in the next month or so (taps nose in I've-got-a-secret-type way).

But, note to self, DON'T FORGET THE CAMERA! doh because I did forget my camera so, for some of the samples I made on Saturday, the only photos I have were taken on my phone - apologies in advance:

Started the day with a book cover.
I love using the Stix2 Stamp Masking sheets for masking off images - such good thin surface to stamp futher layers over.. Paints used are Nougat, Beach Hut, Elephant, Haystack (lightened) Baltic Blue, London Bus and of course last but not least - Tinned Peas.

Then a wooden thermometer - the photo of the whole piece wasn't quite in focus so here's the detail shot: The letter are corrugated card board die cut using the Sizzix/Tim Holtz 'word play' die.  The hut image was stamped onto scrapbook papers (my minds eye) which was then painted with Baltic Blue and detail added with Aquarelle pencils (faber castell).

Next it all got a bit shabby chic - this is an idea I've had right from when I was designing the stamps - I wanted to be able to paper-piece the images together - creating an almost patchwork effect:  Created using My Minds Eyes papers (a 6x6 pad - love these pads - 12x12 sheets shrunk to 1/2 size - perfect!) with a bit of Claret & Elephant Fresco Finish (bit of Tuape and Nougat on the canvas board base) (canvas measure about 5x7 cm):

... and this is the mini23 version: again with scrapbook papers and this time each roof is coloured using the Aquarelle pencils:

... and every day at the seaside should include a bit of sandcastle building:

This card - lovely and simple card, coloured using the Aquarelle pencils as part of a demo to a customer - it makes me smile - lovely bright sunshine colours...

I'll have a couple more samples to show you tomorrow.....

x

Beach Huts at The Barn....

... The Craft Barn, over at South Nutfield which is where I'll be getting inky painty tomorrow between 10-4pm... with my new stamps - beach themed which seem really appropriate considering the glorious weather we're having at the moment....

Come along if you can - it'll be lovely to see you.

xx