***CREATIVE TEAM CALLOUT***

We are looking for you!

Have you got the stamping bug? Have you got creative tendencies that are not being fulfilled? Have you got time? We are looking for you to join myself, Emma, Alison, Sioux and Kat on our travels around the wonderful world of The Artistic Stamper!

You will have the opportunity to create gorgeous artwork and showcase it amongst our talented Creative Design Team. If you are that person, then contact us by email, and show us your ART!

The Creative Team call out ends on April 30th, and we will contact you after that date.

So....

We are looking forward to finding you!

Woyww...sunny side up

Well it is Wednesday again, and time for What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday and this time the sun is shining into my window, creating lovely patterns and keeping my back warm while I type this post. Now I know you are going say sun? middle of the night? ...well I do sometimes pre-write my posts as midnight really isn't my bag... I am usually tucked up nice and warm in my bed.. unless of course I am up trying to post on Julia's links!!! I loved it when  it started at 6am.. was always awake then and raring to go.. now it is just a bit too late for me.. sorry Julia! lol
So,, back to business, and a relatively clear desk, with a few odds and ends on it...black tags,a handle for my journal...a canvas which has been ceremoniously dumped, a new type of alcohol ink, which I really must try and test out... and the general mess of my working desk! Nothing new, except the sun... let's hope it stays out all week!

If you think that I am completely bonkers then hop over to Julia's and check out the hundred and more desks that get posted each week..oh and if you like blog candy, I have some going on here :)
Have a very happy woyww day
Hugs

A busy weekend

I have finally recovered from a brilliant weekend, demoing and teaching, and generally having a lot of inky fun. Saturday saw me demoing at Pickleberry , showing lots of techniques, and talking way too much!

Alcohol ink tag

Sunday was spent at a great Scrapping club near me, where I did a make and take, using mini canvases, and lots of Distress pens, and distress goodness,

 How gorgeous and different are all these? Yesterday I took a mini class with three very inspiring ladies!

If you fancy coming to play and have an inky time with me, there is one place left on Saturday's Back to Basics class at Pickleberry, and I have a half day alcohol ink techniques class on Easter Saturday! The Easter bunny will be there too! ooh that means lots of chocolate eggs... of the creme variety! lol
Have a very creative day
Hugs

Colour my world twice with blog candy & a little competition

Saturday am... early! Tag, distress stains, archival inks, new stamps, old stamps... lots of colour! Random choices from a box of goodies I am taking to a demo today at Pickleberry ( pop by and see us) , and I so love giving away ( it always makes me smile when I pick a winner ) that if you comment I will give this tag

plus a set of these

Borders A6 #2

to a random commenter next weekend! lots of time to tell your friends, and if you put it on your sidebar, I will add you in again  :))
Now for those of you sharp eyed bloggers, here is a little random competition: spot the mistake on one of my new sets of stamps....there is a clue in the title of this blog post! The first person who guesses correctly will get the set of stamps... so there you are two reasons to comment  :)
By the way if you haven't seen them yet we have a sale on distress embossing powders, and Adirondack embossing powders, AND Claudine's stamps too!
I am off to get ready for today's demo day... have a creative and sunny weekend
Hugs

on a book roll...

The one thing I like about altering books, is that anything goes. I never plan my projects, they just happen. I might take inspiration from other pieces i see , be on the net or in a magazine, but rarely do I plan pieces, they just happen! How do you work, do you write copious notes, do sketches?, follow them to the letter, , or just create? What do you do if it all looks awful, chuck it in the bin, or try to resurrect it? I have lots of half finished tags, and pieces! The wonderful thing about an altered book, is that if it is truly awful, you can tear it out and start again, or leave it to remind you. Here is a couple of bits that I created  last week. The niche is from last weekend's workshop ...stamp used is Crafty Notions  spirals, stamped into Terra, and sprayed with greens and yellow Color wash. Came out looking like wood! The moon faces are moulds agian from Crafty Notions.

 and this is the cover from another book, which I gessoed through a stencil, allowed to dry, and then painted with Dylusions paints ( now not available sadly) . Add some stamps from The Artistic Stamper, large new swirl, and words, and a bit of bling!

Two totally different pieces!
So tell me do you plan, or just create?
Have a creative day
Hugs

What's On your workdesk? Wednesday ..my big fat journal

It's a big fat Workdesk Wednesday in my world! ... look at these, two, new to me,  but old, VERY large Ledgers on my desk, an acquirement from a certain auction site last week.... now just to find the inclination to cover up the pages with my doodlings and journaling! Why a picture of my overloaded desk?, which is very neat and tidy underneath the books, which also have the detriment of the workshop emptied from the weekend...(well, a stamp or two and a few distress markers) ... well a certain lady named Mrs Dunnit who insists we show our workdesks every Wednesday!

 Hurrah! I get to visit wonderfully creative desks in the world of blogging! If you show me yours, I will be round to comment:)
Have a creative woyww!

Filing!

When Tim's new Idea-ology arrived last week, I loved all of it, but mostly I liked these :

I have used them in one of my altered books with the new stamps that were released last week. Admittedly it is a quick project, designed to teach an altered book technique, but I finished it off today with a couple more tabs... You have thin metal tabs which has a little tiny strip of tape on each side, so you fold it over and stick it anywhere you like on the edge of a tag or page... or even on a file! Filing just got happy!

Have a creative day! I am off to file!

making art with me

I love teaching, and most of all I love what everyone creates in my classes. Saturday was no exception with my altered book class at Pickleberry Papercrafts, and Lesley, Rosemary, Kirsten and Sandra got down and dirty and messy with me! Here are a few pics of their work ( not sure if there are any of Kirsten's work ... sorry Kirsten ) but I loved it all.. same techniques... different take on it all

Thank you girls, and we missed you Barbara, hope you feel better soon x
We will be running another altering books class very soon.. watch this space:), and if you fancy taking a class with me or would like to come and see us, Pickleberry has a demo day this Saturday where myself and Jane Dean will be demoing
Have a creative day
Hugs

Winner of my blog candy!

Hapoy Mother's Day to you , if you are a Mum! I do hope you have a great day, and of course what a better way to start the day than to announce the winner of my blog candy from last week.  The winner out of all the comments here and on facebook is ....drum roll please....................

RITA

Please email me with your snail mail address.

Thank you to everyone who joined in, and watch this space, because I more candy coming soon:)) 

I will be back tomorrow with my workshop photos from yesterday.. we had a great deal of fun getting messy! here is a sneaky preview...

Have a very creative day , and Happy Mothers Day to all mums out there  :)
Hugs

I love altering!

Book altering that is.... First encountered in at about 2003, I have over the years , started several altered books. These are unloved, and unwanted ones found in junk shops, and libraries, and boot fairs. On Saturday I am taking a  class at Pickleberry, and if you fancy a chance to take away your fears or as one of the participants suggested " being given permission!" ( thanks Alicia :) ), then do join us , there are a couple of spaces left.
Here is a sneaky peek of what you might make :

Don't forget I have blog candy here, and there is more to come this weekend too.... more new stamps on their way!
Have a creative day
Hugs

woyww......clean up Wednesday

It's that day again..you know the one in the middle of the week, where we all gather together to drink tea or coffee in hyperspace, and discuss the ways of the crafting world at What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday! The hostess with the mostest is Mrs Dunnit, who presides over us all with a full teapot ! Now if you are a regular follower of mine you will know that I have a tendency to have a mess on one desk and work on another ( a well kept secret!), but I have had the tidy up pixies in this week, and my desk is relatively speaking, clean!  You just can't see that I threw most of it in a box for sorting later.... I am always such a cheat!
Anyway, here is my desk, and tucked in the corner is my woyww badge from Julia for wearing at the next show I do ( more on that at a later date). Thank you Julia, it  will be worn proudly!  and the box on the desk is a little wooden one, that I have metallised on top, and Terraed to an inch of its life on the sides.

Have a very creative Workdesk Wednesday....
Hugs

Neglected, sad and a Happy giveaway!

That is what this poor old blog of mine is feeling...I have left her ( it is a her!) alone and unloved all week, in fact a whole 10 days! Has the mojo gone awol? Have I dropped off the planet?..no! Just been busy making these wonderful new stamps for you, and catching up on much needed business and family life. The Artistic Stamper launched some new stamps yesterday with more to come,   I have been playing with them this morning. Lots of ColorWash sprays, the new stamps, of course, and, oh be still my beating heart ,Tim's new Chitchat Stickers....fabulous for tags and journals... I have coloured mine with the new distress markers , and did go a bit overboard! but they take the colour well. I also played with a Picket Fence white over the black Archival stamps, and thought oops.. not colouring and then "pop" the white appears! loving it.. may be my favourite new pen....
Now would you like to win a set of these and this tag?

Then go on, post me a comment ( nice ones only please..LOL)  I will pick the winner next weekend...lots of time to add more comments and tell your friends, and if you would like another chance then pop over to our facebook page, and add a comment there too!
I am spending part of the day demoing at Pickleberry Papercrafts , so if you are in our part of Kent, please do come and say hello.
Have a creative weekend and good luck in the candy
Hugs

Travelling!

Happy Mad March to you! I am more than amazed that it is March already, and yea! the mornings are getting lighter! Can you tell I am a morning person... I mean who wants to stay up late in the dark?... moles perhaps?? Anyway as usual our Creative Team new challenge starts today , which is TRAVEL... it is your chance to show your art, and be in with a chance to win stamps :))
Now in order to try a way of putting pictures side by side on my blog, I am trying out Linda's instructions...




Why not join us in showcasing your art.
Have a creative day
Hugs