Rubber Stamping - North Wales

Hi everyone No crafting done today as I am starting to think about what I need to get ready for my holiday.  A couple of nights ago we decided we would definitely take our picnic basket with us this year.  So I though I had better get it out & check everything i it - most probably as it hadn't been used for a while the things would need a good wash. Well! It had other things piled on top of it - so I thought this would be a good time to start clearing the area where it is kept.  In starting that task I came across an old photo album that was left in the pile of things.  I think I had looked it out for some photos of my brother when he was younger for his recent birthday to show everyone.  It was one of those old ones with the clear cellophane & sticky pages?  To my delight I found it still contained some photos from when John & I were younger some with Mum & Dad, some of just Mum & Dad.  There was a photo of me when I was bridesmaid to my best friend (I was

Hi everyone If you go back to Tuesdays post about the Olympic torch through Hawarden you will see that Joanna (Craftyjo) has left a comment. Joanna is right there have been lots of negative comments about this event.  The things I have heard have been mainly about the amount of money spent on the torches - but did you know that if you were chosen you were asked to pay for the torch - that is why you were allowed to keep it & why some have sold theirs to raise money for various reasons. I don't know what happened if you couldn't or wouldn't pay for the torch - perhaps then you didn't keep it.  There were also comments about all the torch bearers wearing the white track suits - well perhaps they had to pay for those too. I don't know - I am just thinking. I was really pleased that the event passed the end of my road but I was a little surprised to find out today that it didn't go to Mold - our County seat? I guess I belong to the old school - I love ev

Good morning everyone Quick post to say I have made a slight amendment to the off cut pads tutorial. I had left a bit of information out - that would actually save you a little time. Back later - where has the sunshine gone?  Hope that's not it. 'Byee

Hi everyone This afternoon I walked down to the end of my road to watch the Olympic torch being carried through Hawarden.  I met up with Helen from Mold II & we found quite a good spot from which to watch things & take photos. The atmosphere was amazing - people were out with headbands on with everything from glittery red, white & blue bobbles to sequined union flags.  There was a group of people opposite us holding up a banner for team GB & everyone was really enjoying themselves.  I managed to get some good pictures & thought I would share a couple with you. This was the view down Gladstone Way towards the garden centre where the torch was coming from & there is the banner across the road this is the point where the torch light exchange happened - right in front of us - which Helen & I did not realise was going to happen.  We wondered why a man up a ladder seemed to be getting a lot of attention - but it wasn't him.  It was a

Hi Just popping in again to let you know that the tutorial about sorting your stash of paper & card off cuts is now on the tutorial page. If you want to see the You Tube video I found - search on You Tube for "How to organise your paper scraps into paper pads"  or search You Tube for videos by The Paper Boutique. 'Bye!

Good morning ladies Yes - some more sorting.  This time I tackled my box of paper & card left-overs.  I went into it yesterday to see what I had for something I was going to do & was horrified at the state of things.  Recently I saw a You Tube video by a lady sorting her card & paper stash. At the time I thought it was a good idea but didn't do anything.  This morning was the time & all in all it took me less than an hour. This is how things looked to start This is only part of it - it is what I took out of the box. Here is the rest still in the box & look how some of it is getting screwed up & spoilt After less than an hours work this is what they look like now. Interested in what I did - well give me a few minutes - well, perhaps a bit longer - & I will put the method over on the Tutorials page, rather than use space here. 'Bye for now.

It is 29 May & a CSNW member has a birthday Happy Birthday Clare Have a great day

Good evening ladies Just popping in to let you know that I have updated the club pages with the programme for July, August & September.  The project page still needs to have photos of samples put there.  I will start working on those over the next couple of days. 'Bye for now.

Yes - I know - it is a hot sunny day I should be in the garden or outside at least doing something. Well I was out there a little earlier & I am afraid it was too hot for me.  Never in my life did I think I would find our weather too hot - I used to love being out in it - a job to get me to stay indoors.  Guess it must be an age problem. Anyway I thought it was about time I tried these Pan Pastels out - I had bought 5 pots at the festival along with some tools with soft tips with which to apply the pastels.  First I did a bit of "Googling" in order to double check how people were using them - although I did already have a reasonable idea. Not seen this product yet?  Didn't spot them at the festival?  Here they are That is NOT my supply it is a photo from the Internet. I have 5 pots & a set of those blue tools which also come with the sponge tips that you can see in the packet behind the tools. They are like big eye shadow tubs & the pastel /

Good morning ladies Sorry I didn't get to post yesterday but we had a lovely day out. The main purpose was to visit the little village where Bob's parents are buried, & where Bob was born, to lay down some flowers.  At the same time we also visited one of Bob's brothers & his wife who also live in the village. We took a really lovely scenic countryside drive from home to the village - Gnosall in Staffordshire - & after visiting Bob's brother for a few hours, we stopped off for a meal then finished with another lovely scenic countryside drive home.  This was a different route to the one on the way out in the morning. Isn't this weather glorious?  I hope it continues through to the bank holiday weekend next weekend, as so many people have special outdoor events organised.  Are any of you having street parties or something else? Well that is me for now - it is really yesterdays post - I may be back later with a post from today. Oh yes! .........

Hi everyone I know I may have implied no more wedding cakes after the one for my god-daughter this year & all it's stresses, but here we go again. This time more notice, as it is not required until April next year.  Shape, style, flowers, colour will be decided very shortly & stuck to.  Which is good as I am doing everything else as well - the Save The Date, Invitations & RSVP cards, Menus & all the flowers. But even so I shouldn't get complacent about the amount of time available as between now & then Bob & I are on holiday for 3 weeks, then there is Christmas & I know we have a long weekend sometime around October for one of Bob's Navy Re-Unions. I will definitely have to keep my fingers on the pulse. So there we are, as well as stamping & club news - all the updates on the wedding to give you, the blog should be quite busy for a while. Ooh! I haven't let you know who this is all for!  Well! it is for ..................

............. better late than never. here is the photo of the accordion Front Tag card that you have been making, that I finally got round to doing yesterday. I found the papers & card when sorting through a pile of things on a shelf & thought that is just what I want for this card. This version has the fold on the left hand side & opens like a book.  Which then made me think it would make a really good mini album with pages added inside.  So I am going to adapt it to do a mini book of my visit to Chester Zoo last week.  Also on Tuesday the Olympic torch is going past the end of my road so i am going to be out there with my camera & will put those photos in there too.  Will let you know how it goes. This morning I met up with Sue & took a trip out to Creative Pastimes.  Jan who owns the shop was there so we had quite a good natter as well.  Then Sue & I popped into the cafe for some lunch.  Whilst there I bumped in to 2 ladies from Happy Stamper

Hi everyone Well! Yesterday I felt so guilty about my samples I had to start to put things to rights.  So I sat down & made the Accordion Tag Front Card.  I say made it - I haven't stuck the tag to the front.  But whilst making it I had an idea.  I had already thought that the tag itself would make a good embellishment to a scrapbook page - to hold journalling or perhaps a mixture of journalling & rather small photos.  Of course it could be made in a larger size as well to accommodate larger photos.  Sometimes we have more than is needed for a page but want to include them - this would be a way to do that.  But also I thought that the card itself could be turned into a mini album.  So watch this space. As I had a workshop this morning for Scrap booking my mind last night had to turn to those kind of ideas.  Before going to bed I had an idea for a mini album which to be honest was triggered by watching for a little while a C&C programme with Debbie Moore.  So! believ

Good afternoon - I'm back All my special order cards are now made & the last 2 are ready for handing over.  These special birthday cards have been good to make as I have been able to use papers & toppers that have been building up in my stash. I must say though that I have rather got into a theme - the layouts are very similar. Here they are ................... A little while ago Rita who is a member of the Mold II club had a card of hers published.  She didn't know about it until her present arrived - so she had to go out & buy the magazine.  To her surprise they had used the name of her house as her surname.  I had spotted the card & thought that it was probably our Rita.  She brought the magazine in to club last night & I snapped the item to show here... Well done Rita - I am guessing that is a Tim Holtz die? During the evening I took a couple more photos & they were of the project that the group will be making in the June

Good morning ladies Although I got home at a reasonable time from last night's meeting, things rather overtook me & I didn't get to blog - so here I am this morning. There wasn't a Show & Tell last night - due to me being sick last month & forgetting to give them the sketch the previous month.  But the project was the Accordion Tag Front card.  Here are the photos...................... This black & gold card is so elegant & would make a lovely 18th or 21st birthday card or new home card. I think this card shows how effective a random patterned card can be - very pretty This shows the tag open. A really feminine design Here is the tag open ........... and oh look .............oops I forgot to flip it, so sorry - it is upside down. Another delicate feminine card Now for a contrast - doesn't this shades of black & white work well.  Dainty & feminine but would still work for a man's card 

Hi everyone Just a quick chat tonight as I have just got home after my Happy Stampers meeting.  One of our members showed different ways to use one stamp - although she did the demo with different designs used multiple ways.  I watched & thought that would be a good idea one evening here.  A few minutes later the brain kicked in & I realised that is exactly what we are doing for our 2012 project.  You know that poor old brain - it is slowing down!!!!! Today I started working on the 100th birthday card I had been asked to make.  It was actually requested by the colleague of mine who passed away just before Tina, so I had stopped thinking about it, but her family thought it would be nice to still send the card/  So I have gone back to it.  I hope to finish it tomorrow - so will show you a photograph.  I found, when searching for the coloured card that I wanted to use - some pre-scored pages for the Glitter Girl's Bookatrix.  I must have scored some different colours in rea

..................... I went to see the Queen. I am sure you all know by now that the Queen & Prince Philip visited Chester Zoo last Thursday to open the new Jubilee Pavilion.  The lady I have been making the Indian wedding cards for had a special invitation for the event - through her link to an Indian dancing group.  She asked me & another colleague if we would like to go with her. You may remember it was a rather wet day - but at the point the Royal Party came into the area the sun peaked through.  Taking photos was tricky & at one point I moved to a spot where I would have got a clear straight on view of them & a security guard moved me.,  Not a Chester Zoo guard although he was wearing one of their jackets - I think he was the real thing. Here are a few photos of the visit ............. These gentlemen were providing the Indian music & the gentleman on the left - playing the drums - was a very imposing sight in his white suit & black turban.

Good evening ladies Well, the weather has been reasonably kind to us this weekend & I have just watched the forecast for next week & it is looking really good. So! here are the photos of the project from Mold's meeting last Thursday evening - which was the Accordion Tag Front card.  Where the project wasn't finished completely the tag  has been placed on some background card.  Also for some there are 2 photos - one with the tag closed & one with tag open............... This completed card with tag has been decorated with stamped background papers, & it works so well on the Kraft coloured card. A very delicately decorated tag which is almost lost on that piece of card.  I should have found a greener place to put it, but the open tag shows up really well.  Very nicely decorated too. Another completed card very pretty shades of lilac & blue.  The use of the second colour way as corners is really effective. These 2 have ver