My first crop!

Ha! I had the most amazing day - I have to say I was a tinny tiny bit worried about going on my own, but I can hold a conversation and I'm not bad company - I think? I met some lovely ladies who had come on their own so we budded up for the first class which was with Lin and Leandra from Paper Artsy to make a project which meant getting inky and messy, I realise now that I am more of a clean grunge sort of crafter as you can tell from the tags in my last post I need to get more dirty hehe!!!

Well I wanted to learn new techniques and I wasn't disappointed I learnt how to metal work, use acrylic paint and the mists at last!  I have conquered my fear of them not sure really why I was so worried about the misting but I'm hooked and brought myself a little collection to use at home. The girls where amazing at the class even though we had instructions printed they went through every stage with us and told us loads about each product we where using which is probably the direction I needed.  I kept my notes as I will use them as reference again.

Here is my completed project, I love the way it turned out and the colour combination. It's made with mount board frame, card stock, ranger mists, acrylic paint, metal sheet,  Tim Holtz embellishments and tissue tape.

I am very proud of my inky fingers!

Well after lunch I did a spot of shopping and was almost late for the start of Tim's class but I got separated from my new buddies and sat at a different table which fate having a hand in sat me next to Nicky who I got my inspiration from to make the tags.  That made my day as I had been looking out for her but hadn't been able to spot her so I got to swap tags with her which was great.  I took a picture but as usual I closed my eyes!

Tim thoroughly spoilt us! We got given tons of goodies and got to use products that haven't even been released yet how great is that?  Alain from Ranger was also there overseeing everything, it was nice to meet him as well, I'm really pleased I got a picture with Tim he is such a lovely man, charming, funny and inspirational and had time for everyone and there was a lot of laughing. We made a configuration box but mine is nowhere near finished but I think I'm going to give it to Damon for his 40th as I was making it it took on elements of him - such as the electrician description on the text paper as this involves his work and there's a bit of a love theme, I'm sorry the picture is a bit blurred - too much excitement on my part...

Some of the goodies given to us, the tissue tape you can see in the background we all got to keep two rolls each after the class!

My box taking shape.

OMG! I nearly pee'ed my pants when we got to tip out the bags of this stuff!  We came back from our tea break - Tim says he finds this hilarious that we Brits need afternoon tea, what can I say you can't beat a cuppa in the afternoon it's the perfect pick me up!

This is as far as I got but I'm pleased with it so far.  You can see three inchies I made, originally I was going to swap these but I ended up making tags instead, part of the threads before the event was to make an inchie for Tim and to put them all in a book to be presented to him at the end of the class on Friday, we were the last class, we got to be part of that.  The inchie on the right is the inchie I made for him.  When he was presented with the booked he was really touched and said that he rarely gets given handmade present these days as people feel the art wouldn't be good enough and at one point he couldn't speak as he was looking through all the messages we had written - that was a good feeling to have been part of that........

The lovely, amazing people that made this an inspiring and memorable day for me.  I feel really blessed to have this hobby that I love so much and I am in constant awe of what my hands can create with all the wonderful products that are out there and how inspired I am by other people's talent......

So look where I am off to next week!!!  I'm so excited! I have never been to a crop or crafted with other people - Damon realised today that I am going on my own and he's all worried....  I told him that he shouldn't be worried there are lots of other people going plus I will wear my badge on the train hopefully I will find some people to natter to! 

As part of the excitement there are other attendees making tags - 12 tag challenge so I thought I would make some too, although I don't have much in the way of Tim Holtz stuff I've tried to make them along his theme.  I hope if I get to swap the receiver is happy with my style! http://sunshinegirlnicola.blogspot.com/ here is where I got my inspiration, Thanks Nikki!  I've also been follow the threads on the Artsy group. The following pictures I took before I finished them, they all have ribbon now but it got too dark before I could take a picture of the finished items.  I'm really pleased with the way they have come out and I really really had a good time making them it's the first time I have made tags.  let me know what you think?

All things October!

10.10.2010 - A lucky day for those who believe in the power of numbers, but for me, it marks my 1st wedding anniversary!  I can't believe how quickly this year has blown by and all the things I have set out to do this year I have almost achieved so I am feeling proud of myself and thankful for my fabulous husband!  The last leg now is to complete my secondment next week and pass my assessment for my PTC level 3 teaching awards...  I have been trying to complete my lesson plan today and started to get butterfly's so I thought I would take a break and write a blog post instead.  What do you think of the picture above?  I love it I took it 2 weeks ago at Alexandra Palace when I was going to the Stampers Exhibition.  The palace was once a weekend home of Henry the 8th and its one of my favorite spots in London.  The other thing I love about the picture is the beauty of Autumn that it shows and it's my favorite season I love the bright blue sky, the warmth of the sun with a bite of wind on your cheeks and the leaves turning their rainbow of colours! 

Volunteers needed!

Blue Peter Whizz Kidz Appeal

Volunteers are needed to work at the Blue Peter Whizz Kidz

Go Cardz Appeal fulfilment Centre in Victoria.

Whizz-Kidz have devised an innovative and creative project.

They will ask Blue Peter viewers to design and create handmade

Christmas cards which will then be sold in Tesco

stores throughout the UK on Whizz-Kidz’ behalf. The Cards

will be sold for a minimum donation of £1 for 2 cards. The

money raised by the appeal will fund a revolutionary new

project for Whizz-Kidz. Whizz-Kidz aims to establish a network

of clinics around the UK where a disabled child will

have their assessment and fitting with a therapist and can

take home their chair on the same day.

They are looking for volunteers to help man their Go-

Cardz fulfilment centre from the beginning of September

2010, when they will begin putting together card making materials

for Blue Peter viewers, right through to December

2010, when the handmade cards will be distributed to Tesco

stores nationwide. The fulfilment centre will operate 7 days

a week from 9am - 1pm & 2pm - 6pm.

They estimate they will need over 1500 volunteers to help

man the fulfilment centre. The fulfilment centre will be

based at Whizz Kidz HQ at Elliot House, 10-12 Allington

Street, Victoria, SW1E 5EH.

A volunteer diary planner has been set up with Volunteer

spot, where volunteers can choose and book online the

dates that are most convenient for them. Please follow this

link to sign up to volunteer:-

http://www.volunteerspot.com/login/entry/119-62820606862

 

 

The dates I have volunteered for are:

2nd October, 6th November & 4th December 2010 (morning shift).

Creative Design Team call!!

So my favorite hybrid site are looking for people to join their creative design team - I couldn't belive what I was reading!  I'm so excited!  These are my entries let me know what you think....

Holiday review part 2

The 80's Rewind Festival was fabulous and quite surreal at times.  Henley on Thames is very very pretty and I could easily live there as well but would need to be a higher earner to fit into that lifestyle - but one can dream? The whole weekend played music from that era including all the food stands, bars and the fun fair.  All the live music was pretty good but my highlights would be 10cc, Level 42, The beat, Kid Creole and the Coconuts, Odyssey, The weather Girls.  The collaboration between Go West , ABC and Tony Hadley was pretty smooth Tony Hadley as a young man I has a crush on him but what young girl didn't? As an older man he reminds me a bit of a Tom Jones in the making he can still belt out the tunes and I was very impressed that he sang a hit record of his nemesis Duran Duran's Rio he also did covers of songs by The Killers, King of Leon and the Hives. He was very personable and got the crowd going even when it started to pour with rain for the last 2 hours! Damon loved it, we popped his cherry so to speak as he is a festival virgin!  But we didn't camp we stayed in a hotel.  This is definitely a very grown up festival as you would expect from somewhere like Henley - There were people mooring their boats and yachts then coming in to join the fun...
Lots of families and lots of people dressed up!  Damon said to me "Only you could stand in the middle of a field eating a cupcake and drink champagne"  Well of course dahling!  Is there any other way to do festival??

Holiday review part 1

Well It has been a crazy busy with work since I have been back and I haven't had a minute to myself really!  So last night I loaded up all the photos that I wanted to share and I am now at my dest at work blogging!  Shhh don't tell anyone - but I think it's the only way I will get to blog.

So I had a lovely break in France but it rained most of the time so it prevented us from doing the tours my Mother in Law had planned so the following pictures were taken when the sun peeped out!  The house is just lovely it is an old stone barn that they have renovated over the years and they have kept the decor in keeping with the age of the barn.  There is also a stream that runs along the edge of the garden and Opium the horse lives next door in the paddock.  The other neighbour is Monsuir Le Reddet the wine producer and lovely it is too! The bedrooms are all decorated in true french vintage style that I LOVE I could easily live here all the time and I cannot wait to go again next year, its so peaceful and the sky at night is dark and with no street light and you can see all the stars.  I didn't get to stop in Paris in the end as Shelia (MIL) seamlessly corodinated the journey so that there was minimal waiting time between tansport changes - thats how fab she is! I want to do a 1 day stop next visit, it went so fast but I hope you like the pictures.

Off to France!

 It's finally time for my summer holiday!  I tell you I cannot wait to go to sleep to night, then wake up and know I am on my way to France!  Damon and I are off to Sancerre in the Loire Valley to stay at his parents house for a few days.  I have never been but I have been looking at pictures of it on the Internet and it looks sooo pretty!  Lots of country side, its an old town with lots of history plus its a famous wine region, we will be visiting the wine tasting caves I'm sure!  So to commemorate this holiday I made a mini book with a french theme, its from a free kit designed by Vinnie Pearce.  Its available from http://www.2peasinabucket.com/

Check back for pictures,  I'm going to try and blog from my blackberry......

1st digi LO

So this is my 1st digital layout of my beloved Damon I am going to put it in a frame for him for his birthday next week so he knows how much I love him...altogether now arhhhhh!