My Best Workshop Ever !!!

Well hello everyone, I'm back in blogland, I have been scrapping, will upload over the next few days, but just wanted to let you know about my fabulous but very exhausting Friday in Newport Pagnell with the master distresser himself Mr Tim Holtz. Artsycrafts, which is a combination of Paperartsy and LB Crafts, had organised a two day event with Tim and themselves doing classes, and I was lucky to get a cancellation just before Christmas, to attend the Fri am session.

Leandrea and Lin - ArtsyCrafts

So I drove down to the DeVere Hotel in Newport Pagnell on Thursday afternoon, not really knowing what I was letting myself in for, but excited about learning something new. Anyway, as I was on my own, it was great to meet a lovely group of ladies that allowed me to 'gate crash' and joined them for abit of shopping and our evening meal at the hotel, as well as sitting with then in the classes.

Dee & Nikki

Bethan & Janet

Thanks ladies, it was a pleasure meeting you and I hope we meet again

I enjoyed a lovely evening meal in the hotel

Anyway on the the classes. Our first class started at 8.30am with registration from 7.30am, so at 8.15am we took how seats and after a brief introduction from Leandra, Tim stepped up and did his bit, WOW, WOW, WOW ... it was definiately the best workshops I've been on, and I hope that I will be able to do alot more.

On our table we were greeted with this, a Configuration box, papers, inks, distress pads, mists, tissue tapes, sandpaper to name but a few ..

1st we had to decide how we what design we wanted are boxes to look like, them we sorted the papers, added the tissue paper and distress.

Then we got our mini bag of goodies,

And after alot of trying to think where to put things, I ended up with this.

(Click on photo to enlarge and see more details)

I used one of the tissue tapes to add February to the jar.

Grundgeboard, inked, sanded and distressed ink over the top - I did 2011, 'J' and 'art'

How cute is this bird cage

Wasn't keen on this armless doll thing, but quite like it in the end.

I can't believe that I managed to finish the complete box within the workshop, all I had to do was add the feet when I got home.

Then the day wouldn't have been complete if I didn't have my photo taken with Tim. Tim is such a nice man, nothing seemed to be too much for him, even having is photograph taken over 200 times and signing his autographs he did it all with a cheery smile.

And then getting a photo of Mario (in his famous shorts and cap) another lovely man, and the main person who oganised all the kits and made sure that they were shipped on time and generally keeps Tim on track.

A few of the samples Tim had done ...

Then after lunch and another trip to the shop and meeting up with Nikki from my Solihul crop, (she was in the later class) it was on to the class run by Lin and Leandra in the afternoon, which involved this ...

Messy hands ... I do not do messy, and it one of those things that even thought I didn't like getting my hand dirty I really enjoyed it and can't wait to do all it again. It's a bit like when I go on classes that have loads of cutting out to be done and fidderly bits I always love the end results and I'm always grateful to be shown something new - lol.

Well this class involved ink, paints, stains, metal, sanding, trinkets, chain, grundboard ... all things that I seen being used on other peoples projects, and some of the products I've even got but never but to use, until today.

So after 2 hours this was me with my finished project ...

Onto what I got from the shop - (apologies for the poor quality of the photos - took in hotel room - really bad light)

Tim Holtz 2011 Stamps

PartyArtsy 'Hot Pick'

Metal Art items

Tim Holtz products

right that all for now, thanks for stopping by ...

January - Document 2011 & Cloud Punches

Yes, I'm doing it again this year, I just loved doing this last year and I've enjoyed looking back at all that I'd done thoughout the year all in one album.

So here are my January 2011 pages, using the Studio Calico January 2011 kit. I previously mentioned I purchased the KI Memories calender sheets to use for my 2011 pages and unlike last year where I used older stash I will be using current stash mainly Studio Calico kits with added bits and pieces from my stash. Since doing this page I'm thinking of changing it, thanks to seeing how Laura has used her's, which is such a great idea, and a few of my envelopes for my 2010 album didn't have anything in, so I might just get rid of the envelope and try something different.

Then for the back page, I misted, and used bits and pieces from the kit.

I also did a tag for the mini pocket and added some things I would like to accomplish this year. I don't do resolutions, because I just know I can't keep them up, I've only put down 5 which are achievable and realistic for me. At the end of the year I will reveal what I've written and let you know how I managed.

I also will be using the various 12 x 12 photo page protectors that I've purchased, I've decided that I will use a different one for each month, so I started with the American Craft horizontal ones. Apologies for the quality of the photos, but the glare is from the page protectors , but you get the regular idea.

I'm abit disappointed for the month of January for one reason or another I didn't take as many photos has I would have liked, buy eh ho I still get a feel for what my month was like.

And for those of you who wanted to find out about my cloud punches, I first saw these over on a DT Studio Calico layout, and instantly feel in love with them, so a quick search on the net and I was able to purchase them from the US. But I have to first of all apologies because I can't find the name of the store I got them from, but I do know that they are for sale over on the Studio Calico Site here. The small one on the left measures approx. 3.5cm, and the larger one approx. 5cm. I know they are small but I just love 'em.

Have a great weekend and call back soon

xxx

More layouts

Hello there, hope you are all well and scrapping madly ... well I've been scrapping and in between trying to tidy my craft room, which is providing to be alot harder than I first thought it would be, how is that trying to sort things out and re-organise just leaves you in an even bigger mess that before I started. But I'm still plodding on and hoping that it will be sorted before the end of the month.

So working with a sketch I produced this, the sketch was provided by Scrapagogo, here,

And here is my take on it ...which I flipped and I used January 2011 Studio Calico Kit

I just love my cloud punches.

Another one using Studio Calico January 2011 Kit,

I love seeing these photos of James balancing because over the years he has had problems being able to balance without help so to see that he can now do it all on his own is a big achievement.

I've been asked to take some Stampin' Up products to my Solihull crop, and to showcase some examples of the stamps, papers, punches, so I created this very simple layout just to show the products, along with some cards samples which I'll upload later.

I covered the chipboard with silver paint, which dried almost immediately, and them stamped over the top with the distress background stamp and black ink.

Right better get back to sorting this room, and then I can continue to create - LOL

Thanks for stopping by ...

Sarah's Cards - February Blog Challenge

So over on Sarah's Card Blog the February sketch challenge is up, which is this

And this is my take - Using Studio Calico December 2010 kit. The photo was taken in 2009 on a visit to Twycross Zoo. Was going to call it 'Piggy Back Rider' but has it wasn't a pig it didn't feel right, so called it 'Hitching a Ride' ... still not sure about the title but eh oh !!!

While tidying my room I came across some Crate Paper chipboard from the Brooke Collection (well I found a lot of chipboards, brads and various embellishments that I will be adding to my pages) which I added to this along with some Tim Holtz tickets.

Thank for stopping by ...

Bromsgrove Crop Layouts

I spent another great day with the girls from the Bromsgrove crop on Saturday, and even though I wasn't feeling too good, I managed to get 4 layouts done and have a laugh, and get my mind off my problems.

I'm trying to use my kits from Studio Calico more and this one is from the October 2010 kit, but I only used the Crate Paper - School Spirit collection from it and again used a PageMap2 sketch.

Birthday Boy - Studio Calico - Oct 2010 kit : October Afternoon - Seaside (check), Teresa Collins (red star); Crate Paper; MME, Sassfalass stickers; Cosm Cricket - Alpha (brown), American Craft (white) and added Jenni Bowlin Bingo Cards from my stash.

I will upload the other two layouts shortly.

While your reading this, if you are looking for a Cropaganza to attend at the beginning of March then check here, has out Liberty has organised a 14 hours one with the lovely Kirsty Wiseman doing some classes, unfortunately due to my other commitments I would be there, but I know that in the past they have been great days and I sure that this one will not be any different. Also she has organised for Skrapz to provide there lovely shop for the day, so if you are looking for some me time, classes, food, stash shopping and loads and loads of laughter then you won't be disappointed.

Thanks for stopping by ...

Twisted Sketches

As this year I want to use more sketches, I thought why not join in with some of the sketch blogs out there. So this is my take on this weeks sketch with the twist being 'map'. So I did this layout using a photo of us walking along the cliffs of Norfolk in the Summer.

I used Studio Calico - July 2010 kit

Thanks for stopping by ...

Layouts and more ...

A couple of layouts that I've done over the past few weeks. This first one was using an Add-on kit from Studio Calico and another PageMap2 sketch, but with the sketch just using one photo, instead of the 3 I've used.

And this is using October Afternoon - Campfire papers, for a change I decided to get the 8x8 paper pack, instead of the 12x12 sheets, which works for me at the moment. I misted the brick details for an added interested, not sure whether it works, but I do like it.

And I end with this 'not to good' photo of Jon & James checking out one of the albums I'd left on our bed, it makes it worthwhile when they want to look at them. The albums was in our bedroom because I'm currently trying to sort out my craft room, which is way over due and looks even worst now I've started to sort it out than when it did before.

I will be back soon with more to share.