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Wednesday 9 December 2009

Super Stampendous Day






Here's a fun card to make with a new Stampendous set SSC1058 Snowy Short Stacks. It's based on the flip technique where you can stamp different things on several sheets of paper and when you flick through the picture changes. From my photos you can see how simple it is to make. The drawings are really cute and would appeal to all ages. The card is on view at The Glitter Pot where I took the class last week.





Sunday 22 November 2009

A Christmas Art Impression




The weather was awful but some of you brave soles ventured out to The Glitter Pot yesterday. I love it when the weather is bad, because that means I don't feel guilty by spending the whole day stamping inside my cosy craft room and not working outside in the garden!
The Glitter Pot is always a great place to visit and I was having fun demonstrating with Art Impressions stamps and creating Christmas cards. I had taught a busy (and noisy) class on the Friday and as you can see from the photos, we made some splendid cards.
During the morning everybody created six festive toppers using the Art Impressions stamps and in the afternoon we made two cards, one of which is pictured here with a winter scene and stag in the snow!!
The picture was stamped, and placed inside a box frame (which we made too) and then mounted onto an A6 cream card finished off with a greeting from my Christmas messages set of clear stamps (little plug there!).
All the toppers are now made into cards and can be seen at The Glitter Pot. Check out the web site for all the Art Impressions stamps.
For all you great photographers out there, my flash was on so its all a bit bleached! Sorry, but hope you enjoy my ideas. I love making cards with Art Impressions.


Wednesday 28 October 2009

Flowers with a twist






I'm so excited to be taking another Floral Punch Craft class at The Glitter Pot on the 12th November. It is a Christmas theme but we are making Carnations then using the same punch to make a Christmas tree (I like to add little bonus ideas in my classes`! Now that project is in the morning, in the afternoon we are heading for spring and making Rhododendrons. I like to be organised and I'm looking forward to spring already so these flowers really fit the bill! But you can also make a Christmas tree from the punch used to make Rhododendrons too. Its different from the morning idea.
So come along and book your place or even better than that, come and see me at The Glitter Pot this Saturday (31st October) where I will be demonstrating Rubber Stamp Tapestry for Christmas.

Friday 2 October 2009

A little bird told me....

A taster of the new, but few, stamps I'm bringing out very soon with Woodware. Its been a very busy few months and I'm working on the spring releases for 2010 already.

This little birdy is fun, a little bit hippy and can be used all year round. The set includes some Easter images too. So look out for them at your local craft store. I'll be using them pretty soon at The Glitter Pot so don't forget to pick up your class list for November and December very soon.


Saturday 22 August 2009

Grafton Crafts







It's 9.00pm on Saturday 22nd August and I've just finished a perfect gin and tonic, a big plate full of fish and chips washed down with a glass of wine, I'm tired!
I've been up to Grafton Crafts all day. They are in Kimbolton near Huntingdon, yes, a long way north and way up the A1 girls!!! I've been demonstating my new Christmas stamps for the very first time and have had a lovely day with Jenny and Yvonne and all the girls who work there.
There I met the lovely Emily who is a real treasure and a very talented girl too. She was demonstrating Kanban products and we exchanged ideas and techniques. Here is a photo of her making me a much needed coffee on my arrival! As you can see I've also taken a picture of the shop interior and a couple of the reindeer cards I made for them.
The green reindeer card has glossy accents on it and then I used my very big embossing tool on the back once it was dry and guess what, it made that superb cracking effect! Just love it. Will have do it again at The Glitter Pot at their birthday weekend bash. If you want to see my new stamp sets see their web site, I'm sure Bryan and Carolyn have got them all!!! 
Thanks again to all at Grafton Crafts, hope to see you all again soon.

Monday 10 August 2009

A cosy, traditional Christmas


No sooner have I finished my Christmas stamp designs, I'm told to get creative for the next lot due out in February next year!! So now I'm busy thinking of ideas, hence the absence from my blog!
Thought you might like to see another set due out very soon, catch them at The Glitter Pot where I will be demonstrating them on the 5th and 6th September at their third birthday weekend bash.
I've been pretty busy too teaching and demonstrating and last Saturday I went to The Eternal Maker in Chichester for their second birthday open day. They have just moved to new premisses on Terminus Road and boy, what a fantastic place they have now, its BIG and beautiful. You just have to go and see them. The shop does a lot of sewing (quilting mainly), knitting and felt making but they do have a nice area for rubber stamping too (which I hope will grow and grow). I really recommend them. If you go say 'hello' to Anna and Mum Sarah who own and run the shop. I'm sure they live there are so many creative ideas displayed around the shop they must spend all their time there!
Dinner beckons - I must eat and keep my strength up to keep up with you all!

Thursday 18 June 2009


Its June, so it must be nearly Christmas!!! Well it is in our house... at least it is in my 'creative' room. I've been hard at it for weeks but now I have my ten new stamps sets in my hand so its head down and start creating some great cards for Christmas. I've even designed some for later on in the year that might inspire you to make Easter cards, wedding or valentine cards and a little something for the boys too.
I am planning classes from August/September onwards so do keep a look out at the craft shops where I teach.
I thought you might like a little taster... so here is my stylish reindeer on an A5 card using Woodware products. 
Having lost my dear cat Sylvester at the end of May all this work has kept my mind very busy, I don't feel so sad. Thanks to all of you for your kind messages and cards.

Tuesday 2 June 2009


It is with great sadness I have to tell you that we had to put our dear 16 year old grey cat Sylvester to sleep last Friday the 29th May. He had kidney problems and went down hill very fast. I miss him being around but we have Elliot, our ginger tom to help keep us on our toes.

Sylvester, who belonged to my brother, came to live with us six years ago. He was such a treasure, never a hiss or a growl! I'm taking his ashes back to Winchcombe near Cheltenham where my brother lives, to be buried in the pet cemetery in the grounds of his house. Sylvester loved the garden there and would take summer evening strolls with the family so I think he will be happy back in that peaceful place.

Thursday 14 May 2009






































Yellow Thursday and Rubber Stamp Tapestry

Here we are at The Glitter Pot again using fabulous Magenta bird stamps to make sunny, cheery cards (shucks - we missed Easter!). There were six of us on the class which was really nice for a change! I had a turn at sitting down and actually making a card with the girls! On these cards we used Bazzil Basics, Doodlebug paper and coloured the stamped image with Inktense pencils. Die cut scallop squares, distressed edges with Tim's ink pads and embossed card with Cuttlebug embossing folders.

We also made some of my fun sprinkles by using up the scraps from the card making session. Just cut strips of very thin card in three of four
 colours. Using a sharp pair of scissors, snip the strips into little squares (don't forget to put these into a little pot as you go!!). Apply some silicone gel to the area you want to 'sprinkle' and just pour over the pot of little squares. Shake off the excess and leave to dry for about 10 minutes. You might just be able to see this in the centre of the flowers and along the bottom of the large sunflower card. 

In the afternoon we played with Rubber Stamp Tapestry and made two cards, one of which is pictured here. In a rare moment of madness I chose lilac for my colour theme. I always though purple was for the sole use of Julie Hickey! Hope she doesn't mind me pinching her colour for a while.

Making your own buttons is easy with an inch and a quarter inch punch, some white shrink plastic, powdered chalks and one of the little stamps from your RST set. All the cards are on view at The Glitter Pot. So see you next time on a class! Bye for now.



Thursday 7 May 2009





Demo days at The Glitter Pot






If you missed it, you really missed out! We had a wonderful two days last weekend with lots of fabulous demonstrators plus me! I was in the studio with...wait for it...Francoise Read and Julie Hickey. Looks like I've really come up in the world! The weather was nice, customers cheery and of course Bryan and Carolyn on hand in the shop helping everybody feel at home. Thanks to everybody who came and made it a great success.

On the Saturday I was making my paper flowers and here are a couple of cards showing you some nice new ideas. On the Sunday I made scrapbooks in a tin which you can see in the shop. The scrapbooks are from Woodware and make great presents for special occasions. View them on The Glitter Pot web site.

The wonderful hydrangea has been made using styrofoam balls, Bazzill card stock and lots of glue! The photo shows you the products I used and if you are very clever like Joanne, you will be able to create your own with out me. But it would be much nicer to see you and come to a class at The Glitter Pot. In fact why am I showing you this card at all!

The orange flower is created using an insect selection punch by Leone Emm which has a wonderful little ant on it, great for picnic cards and scrapbook pages. Most people though they were spiders! The products as always are in the shop. I've one more sample up my sleeve but I might save that till next time!

At The Glitter Pot again on Saturday (can't get enough of the place!) repeating my chocolate themed class. We eat cake and chocolate Minstrels all day and just have a chaotic time with die cutting and folding techniques! The studio is a busy place. Will show you my cards next week.

Supper is ready and I'm starving. See you all soon.

Sunday 12 April 2009



Long time no see everybody, are you all still there? I promise to try and keep in touch and update my blog more often. Must take my ca,era with me to classes 'cos I've had some brilliant photo opportunities during my classes around the country and I've not recorded them!!!

I've been up in Yorkshire and and Lancashire teaching this week and Easter has come at just the right time to give me a quick break before the next batch of classes this week. The Glitter Pot went well last Saturday, a chocolate inspired class with mini Easter eggs, home made chocolate cup cakes with pink, yellow and mint green icing (yummmy!). I think the girls liked them. We made some fun cards with browns, greens and pinks. The class is being repeated in May so I can't show you photos just yet so I don't spoil it for the ladies due on that date!!

Here we have another 'extreme' floral punch craft flower for you. It's big, about four inches across. I'm making them with some wonderful ladies in Farnborough  this Saturday at The Art of Craft, another very fine craft store with terrific staff.

You will have to make do with this pretty picture of some very cute lambs at the back of my friends garden in Skipton. What a place to live, fantastic views and peace and quiet. I just love this time of year and seeing the lambs in the field was such a bonus.

I'm in the process of designing my new Christmas stamps for 2009. I've done six sets so far and if I have time hope to do some ideas for Valentines and Easter next year with a few others thrown in for good measure.

Don't desert me just yet, I'll be back to show you more things to inspire you and news from fun classes. Watch out, it could be you pictured on my next blog.

Friday 30 January 2009

The cat's whiskers..

I have a very happy cat on my lap at present... he's so pleased to see me because I've been away in LA for a week (trade show) and he won't let me out of his sight. I've come back with some great ideas for classes and demos so keep a look out for those on The Glitter Pot list. I tried out some fun make and takes and picked up inspiring catalogues. Not much to report really other than that. Looking forward to seeing some of you ladies on my classes this week especially my Rubber Stamp Tapestry class. Let's hope the stamps are in in time!!!

This is just a little taster of my new set of cat stamps. There's lots of images on the clear set so you can make nice background paper and even shrink the cat images using shrink plastic.

There are some fun new classes coming up at The Glitter Pot and Crafts U Love during February and March so please look out for those.

Thursday 15 January 2009

I'm back....!


I've not been hibernating, just getting on with lots of ideas for classes and new stamp designs.

 We had a great class last week at The Glitter Pot making extremley big flowers, here is an example of the flower we made. There is another card on display in the shop, so if you missed the class or were just too busy (Joanne, where were you, we missed your company) you can perhaps work out how I made it.

I cut up a large punched Woodware Cherry punch, edged the petals with black pigment ink. Using the DEET tool and mat, made lots of long character lines along the petals which created a kind of corrugated effect and curved the petals at the same time. 

I then punched a 2 inch circle and stuck a petal at 12, 3, 6 and 9 'o' clock positions. Then filled in the gaps working towards the middle in the same way. Leave an inch circular gap in the middle.

Punch out lots of smaller regular daisies from black card and cut them up into individual petals, then make a single character line with DEET through the centre. 

Using Woodware black Fluffy Stuff add some little blobs all over a 1 inch punched circle and heat to puff up (this stuff is brilliant for FPC projects, just watch out for it on my ice cream cards which come out in February!). Stick lots of petals around the edge of the circle from the back. Then using a good blob of glue stick this circle in the middle of your flower. Now you can see why it is important to leave that gap in the middle of your flower.

Hope you enjoy my card.




Tabitha looking cute

Tabitha looking cute
Look, I’ve just caught you another mouse!