Happiness is a stamp and an Ink pad!

How sad am I!  This week I have been preparing cards for the workshop on Saturday and as usual I get carried away with a particular stamp.  This week it has been three.  A lovely Dog Rose Wreath from Woodware which can be used for loads of occasions not just at Christmas. Christmas Squares from Franscoise which can be used as it is or cut up into little squares to make smaller cards and also a Gift Card/Money folder.  I particularly love Penguin Star from Stampendous.  I have made a cute little Candy Holder with a Penguin Poop message, I am sure the kids will love this.  All these stamps are perfect for heat embossing.  Something we don't do so much of now but when you find the perfect stamp for it I think it does it justice.  Anyway I hope you will pop in and see them, however if not after the workshop they will be on the gallery.

This was week 2 in my walking Friday group and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you to Liz for the company during the walk and the coffee! I managed to complete my daily step target very quickly and felt very refreshed when I returned to the shop.  Should sleep well tonight!

Just a reminder that next Saturday is the ProMarker Demonstration day with Kirsty Wiseman.  I had a lovely chat to Kirsty on the phone this morning and look forward to meeting her.  She has loads planned for the day so try your best to come and meet her.  She will be able to answer all your problems with the pens.  I did not realise how an accomplished photographer she is and runs one to ones in learning about your camera and how to create the best shots.  Her blog is very good too.  I must ask her for a link to make it easier for you to catch up with her news.  There are loads of video clips on ProMarkers and AquaMarkers.

Look forward to seeing some of you tomorrow and hopefully many of you next week.

Take care and enjoy a sunshine fuelled weekend.  "Get the Barbie out Sheila!"
Una

My Friend Joan

Joan and her husband Tom were down from Scotland for two weeks on holiday and before they  left on Friday they brought me these lovely flowers.  I was so overwhelmed by their kindness to me that I just had to show you a picture of them.  They are called Alstromeria's and smell gorgeous.  Joan as I told you previously makes the most incredible jewellery pieces which are all unique in their own way.  She takes particular care in choosing the clasps as she says they are as important as the beads used in their making.

I do hope your journey back today was okay and look forward to seeing you both sometime next year and thank you once again for choosing me as a friend and for your kindness.

Today's Workshop

Hi everyone, just a short note for now about today's lovely class with Claire.  I attach a photo to show you one of the Cards and decorated Candle that was made.  They also completed a lovely set of tags and holder but it seems to have gone amiss, but here I show you a card which has the tag set on it.  I will email Claire and see if she packed it a way in her craft box by mistake and if so will  let you see it next week.  There will also be more pictures of samples posted on the workshop gallery tomorrow.  The candle and tags were ideas for those who do little Craft Fairs at this time of the year.  Our favourite product Safmat was stamped with  a snowflake stamp and also printed with Season's Greetings, then cut out around image and wording with  backing carefully removed then placed on candle.  Wrapped beautifully in a polyprop clear card bag and tied with ribbon and a stamped gift tag.  I can see these as a centre piece  displayed together on a craft table, with a selection of gift tags scattered around.  Thanks to Claire for all the hard work she put in doing the samples and also for the great workshop.

To Liz and Pam, have a great day at Ali Pali and come back with some great ideas.

Off to bed now to relax and read my latest book and will speak with you all soon.

Una

Walk For Life

Well ladies today I joined the Cricklade group of walkers and we did our first walk around Cricklade.  What a lovely hour we had and the weather was so good. On our way back we stopped in at the United Church for a coffee and it was lovely to meet up with some of the ladies there who all do a great job.  They were surprised to see me as normally I am in the shop.  I decided to join the group because although I feel fit and walk, I don't get enough fresh air due to always being in the shop.  I came back feeling so refreshed and on a high.  I would encourage all of you to join if there is a walking group in your town or village.  I found lots of inspiration on the way for my crafting and I am sure you will be the same.  Not only are you getting the fresh air and excercise you meet loads of people and a great deal of them are crafters of one sort or another. Janet if you are reading this, join the Chippenham group or come to Cricklade on a Friday and join us you will really enjoy it.

I have had such a busy day on my return pricing and putting out new stock,showing the new FlexMarkers and the wonderful results you get using them, making coffee and now setting up for Saturday's workshop.  Can't wait to see the examples Claire has produced with the Woodware and Personal Impressions clear stamps. 

I said cheerio to my friend Joan and her husband from Scotland who makes the most incredible jewellery pieces,and has been down on holiday here for 2 weeks.  Joan is such  a lovely lady and great fun to be around.  She has loved meeting so many of you and says she can't wait until her next visit.  Her husband Tam says he would love to live here in our beautiful town, we are all so friendly and the weather is much better than home.  We did not think that way last winter when we were snowed in for a few days did we!!!!

Speak to you over the weekend and enjoy the sunshine tomorrow it is supposed to continue!
Una

Hi everyone. Well what a hectic weekend I have had! We had a great parchment craft class on Saturday.  We used the No10 Christmas grid from Pergamano.  Everyone was buzzing at the end and full of inspiration.  It is always good to see so many happy faces at the end of a class.  Just wish I had some samples to show you what was achieved but unfortunately the Tutor takes them away with her.

Saturday 24th Sept. class is using 2 sets from Personal Impressions - Paula Pascaul set - Punchable Tags and Sue Dix  set - Snowflakes also Wild Rose Studio Set Snowflakes. Class is full morning and afternoon so it should be a great day.  Card samples will be on website after the class.

Sunday I thought I would put my feet up and play with one of my new stamps but hubby was fitting new felt to the roof of the garden shed, which we lost in the recent storms and needed my help - to make him his cups of tea!!! No I am only joking, I held the ladder as it is a very large shed and I did not want him to fall off.   Hopefully I will get a chance during the week to make some cards.

Oops customers in shop so need to go just now as they need my help with their stamping.  Speak with you soon.
Una

New Products

There is a great new product coming out very soon and it is something we will all want and some of us really need.  Can't say much at the present moment but I am going to be very fortunate to be one of the first to see it and get to use it!  There is going to be a demo day in the shop on the 17th December with it.  The designer of the product will be with us and you will be able to ask as many questions as you want and she should be able to answer them.  So keep this date free and lets have a great time.  It's one of those musts on our Christmas Wish List.  It will be easy to carry around to our Scrapbook and Cardmaking classes without taking up too  much room.  I bet you are all wondering what it is????  Can't say so watch this space.  I am sooooooooo excited!  Just like a big kid.  The designer has also told me she will be bringing out more products in 2012.

My dear friend Joan and her husband Tam have arrived from Scotland for 2 weeks and she has brought me some amazing pieces of jewellery she has made.  Try and pop in to see them, they are all stunning pieces.

Off to read my latest crafting magazine with a nice cup of hot chocolate,  so cheerio for now.

Una 

Normal Service Resumed!!

Hello everyone,
Thank you to everyone who came to see us at the Crafts For All Show in Bristol.  It was a buzzing three days with lots going on.  Lovely Michelle from Stix2 and Woodware was marvellous with all her crafting ideas and tips using a glue gun, stamps, punches,  mica powders etc.  I just loved the crackers she made and decorated with the Woodware Border Punch System and the unusual embellishments from stamps and the glue gun.  I came home with loads of samples to make some great cards for the instore display boards. Thanks also to Ros and my dear husband Howard who as always are a great help at the shows and also in the shop.   I would also like to thank the Crafts For All staff especially Nadine and Kay for their support over the 3 days. Congratulations to Audrey who won our crafting goody bag which will be sent out this week.

We are not exhibiting until next year now as it is always extremely busy in the shop  from now until the end of the year.  Workshops are filling up fast with only a few places left so if you feel like joining us for a great crafting day please give us a phone.

Remember our demo day in October with Kirsty Wiseman, who will be showing us how to get the best out of  the  fabulous ProMarkers and the new FlexMarkers - I have fallen in love with them now since using them at the show!  I will keep them on special offer until after the demo day.

Keep crafting..... and enjoy,
Una

Michelle with Crackers Samples

Just a quick message to thank all of you who came to the show today.  It was lovely catching up with you and hearing about your crafting this year.  I see many of you have really caught the bug for stamping and distressing now which is great and thank you for all the positive comments about the card sample boards.

Here is a photo of Michelle with the completed cracker samples and she will see a number of you at her workshop in November.  She has left me a few of these samples so you will see them in the shop to give you ideas for your own.

I am off to bed now as it will be another busy day and then packing up for the journey back to the shop.  No more shows until next year now for me thank goodness as it will be very busy from now until Christmas Eve in the shop.
Bye Bye for now  Una.

FlexMarkers

Hi Everyone.  Well that's the first day over at Bristol Show thank goodness.  It was very busy and enjoyable. Michelle did some great demos and the crackers are really lovely.  Managed to take a few pictures which I will load on the website over the weekend.

I arrived back at the shop and surprise surprise, the FlexMarkers have arrived.  I will leave some of them in the shop as a few of you were disappointed I did not have them today and may well pop into the shop tomorrow.  The rest I will bring down to the show and we can have a play with them.  The colours are fabulous with unusual names and guess what we have Antique White.  So many people have asked me for white to highlight so we may well be able to do that now.  I will give it a go.  The normal price for a set is £14.99 and an individual pen priced at £2.99 each.  However I will have them on special offer while stocks last.  So make sure you get them now.

Bye for now
Una

All Ready for the Show at UWE Bristol

Well it was a long day today but the stand is all set up ready for tomorrow the opening day.  Our stand is A11 so pop along and see us.  All the new Woodware, Stampavia and Wild Rose Studio stamps are on sale and hopefully I will get the chance to a bit of demoing, just what I love.  However Michelle is on hand  ready for her demo's with the Christmas Cracker packs from Stix2.  Can't wait to see some great designs from her as some of you already know she is a very talented lady..  It's so exciting I probably will not sleep tonight!  Ros  and Howard will be there to look after you all  so remember come along and say hello!.  There are also lots of Christmas Decoupage and Paper packs to choose from with plenty of flowers, stones and nailheads to add accents to your cards and scrapbooks.  The amazing new Framelits are on sales as well with more due within the next day or two.  As I am travelling home each day I will be able to pick up more stock.

Bye for now
Una

Stampavia Winter Collection

Just a quick message to say that the new Stampavia clear stamps have arrived and I have loaded them on the website.  Here is one of the cute stamps to give you a taste.  I will have them all at the Bristol Show so hopefully I will see many of you there. Remember - Thursday Friday and Saturday 10.00a.m - 5.00p.m daily.  Lots going on, it is going to be a great show.

Bye for now
Una

Well Done Fran!

Hi Everyone, just wanted to show you Fran's card with the Robin on a Boot clear Woodware stamp and Sheena's Paint Fusion Christmas Holly Rubber Stamp.  Fran has merged 2 different stamps together to create a lovely christmas scene, perfect for traditional style cards we all love to receive.  The berries on the holly look so realistic and the glitter looks like little bits of snow having just fluttered down to land on the boot.  Thank you Fran for sharing this with me and I hope you all enjoy seeing it too.

It has been a very busy day today with all the orders arriving for the show.  The Christmas Cracker packs arrived in ready for the demo.  Can't wait to see Michelle's samples, I know they will be lovely.  I feel a workshop coming on  and some mince pies to get us in the mood for Christmas!  Watch this space!!!

Workshop Cards

Just a quick post.  Here are 2 cards from workshop today. Hope you like them.

Thank You

We had a great workshop with Claire today using the Woodware Robin in a Boot clear stamp and a Kanban floral clear set.  I will load them on the Workshop Gallery asap.  Everyone enjoyed it and went away buzzing with inspiration to make more. She always shows us  ways of using the stamp not just as a whole image but using parts of it to create different cards.  Thank you Claire!

I also wanted to say a big  thank you to Chris and Shirley for the lovely flowers they brought me today.  It was so unexpected and such a surprise.  How kind you are and I really appreciate it.  I thought I would show you all so  here is a picture that I took once I had set them in a vase with some greenery from my garden.

Congratulations to Jenny, Wendy, and Jean for the winning tickets for the Crafts For All Show next week in Bristol.

Just off for my hot chocolate now before bed as I have an early rise tomorrow as we are going to a trade show in Birmingham.

Take care enjoy Sunday and will speak to you all soon.

Wild Rose Studio - Pickle

Just a quick post to let you all know that Pickles the Penguin from Wild Rose Studio arrived in today.  He is so cute you will just love him.  Shown here is Pickles with his sleigh full of pressies - hope there is some for me!!  I know a few of you already have placed orders so don't worry they are packed away safely for you on Saturday.

I will be loading them all on the website asap.

Take care and speak with you all soon.

Una