Love Life Canvas workshops...

Do you like working on box canvasses but find them a bit tricky - working down the sides, over the edges, working on the unstable surface?? Then I might have just the perfect workshop for you!

Working on 2 fabulous flat pack, self assembly canvasses (don't worry about the 'flat pack'  they're easier to assemble than Ikea furniture!) we'll go from this...

... to this ... using paints of your choosing, stamps and stencils...

The canvasses are SO easy to work on and look just like a fabric canvas! I'd like to shake the hand of the person who thought of the idea - they are a little bit genius!! lol

I love this project!! Its so summery & fun!! And because I like it so much I have scheduled 3 workshops around the country using them.... 

In calendar order:

If you're in/near Essex the workshop is at Birds in the Barn (now located at Studio 36) on Saturday 14 April 2018, limited spaces remaining...
Call  01376 326358 to book a place, and to get more details... or visit the website

If you are based in the north of England I have a weekend of classes for Rowan Tree Crafts, Carnforth on 21-22 April 2018 (you can find details about that here) and I'll be running this workshop on the Sunday. 
Go to the website for more details.

Then last, but by no means least, if you're in the Kent area you can join me at The Artistic Stamper on Saturday 12 May 2018.. and you can find details here 


These are going to be fun workshops and I hope you can join me!

April Workshops... Part 2

On the 21-22 April 2018 I am venturing north to the beautiful location of Carnforth for my second visit to Rowan Tree Crafts. Last year I taught one workshop but this year I'm teaching 2 days of classes.  

On Saturday (April 21st) we'll be creating this lovely floral canvas using lots of new JOFY products..

... and don't worry if these colours aren't what you'd choose because there will be paints on site so you can choose your own palette to work with.

On Sunday (April 22nd) we'll be decorating a pair of box canvasses (with a difference ;o) ) in a colour scheme that just shouts spring and summer!  

Contact Rowan Tree Crafts on 07590605078 for more details and to book your place (or places!).. you can also find details on their website at www.rowantreecrafts.co.uk

This is going to be a lovely weekend and I hope you can join me.

This mini book is brought to you by the M6, M1, and M25 motorways

... on the journey home from a lovely weekend in Lancashire.

BUT, before we get onto the book.. lets start at the very beginning...

We set off on Friday... and the journey up to Lancashire from Essex was a loooooong one! made (much) longer because it included the type of traffic jams where engines are turned off and people are starting to get out of their cars to stretch their legs....

There was nothing to do... we'd run out of 'I spy...' ideas.... and we'd eaten all the snacks!

but then we arrived to this...  and all was well in the world again...

I spent Saturday teaching a workshop for Rowan Tree Crafts to this lovely group of ladies...

It was held in the old railway station in Carnforth where they filmed the classic film 'Brief Encounter'... and I was only 'briefly' distracted by the piles of vintage suitcases around the station which is now a museum dedicated to the film.... (I love a vintage suitcase!! lol)

It was such a beautiful part of the country - definitely coming back 'oop north' soon!

On the journey home I wasn't going to be caught out again with nothing to do so I raided the carboot for my kit boxes from the class and gathered up some basics...

5 hours, 3 motorways, 1 dual carriageway and a stop at the services for snacks-&-a-'comfort-break' later I'd made a minibook from sample pieces, spare kits and bits from a magazine I bought at the services (very interesting & useful! though with regard to making this 'book' I really couldn't find a use for the eyelash curlers that came free with the magazine!)

The covers were made from one of the envelopes I use to store/hold kits... the flap is cut from a page of book text...

 ... it covers the words I wrote .. with a nod to old maps where at the edge it would say 'beyond this place there be dragons' .. or something like that...

The book is decorated with bits from spare kits (doily die cuts, book pages) and the pages were cut from a sheet of Smoothy (again from a spare kit) and a book I have to use for spare pages in class - in my mini book it provided pages and quotes..
The book itself is 8x11cm so a dinky little size!  Mainly because I was working on my lap in the car! (note to self: keep tray in boot of car!)

One set of pages was made by cutting and folding a page from the magazine I bought - it had really nice printed texture and I enjoyed the challenge of covering up the little girl! lol

Now you see her...

Now you don't!....

I like this centre spread - making the leaves look like trees on hills....

This was a lot of fun to make and kept me quiet for most of the journey... for which my husband is very grateful!
:o)

When I arrived home I sewed the pages together with simple bookbinding stitches and added a length of ribbon to wrap it closed.

It was satisfying to create something with so little supplies...!

x