About Me

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Hi, I'm Pam and thank you for visiting my blog. I have been making cards for over 10 years and am an independent demonstrator for Creative Expressions. I am lucky enough to teach on cruise ships and also get the chance to demo at The Big Stamping and Scrapbooking Show at Alexander Palace. I run workshops for a local craft shop and if anyone would like details of the them please e-mail me at stephen.smith870@ntlworld.com I love to scrapbook but my all time favourite thing is to get messy with ink!

Tuesday 9 July 2013

It's Been a While!

I'll start by apologising for my absence for the past few days but I did have some very good reasons so I hope I'm forgiven!

Firstly, there was the full day workshop on Saturday at Martells which was great fun.  I hope everyone there enjoyed it and are looking forward to the next one on 14th September.  It was lovely to see you all so enthusiastic and with wonderful green fingers!!

Secondly, we took a very dear friend who recently lost his wife out to lunch on Sunday to celebrate his 70th birthday.  He is a member of the Oscar Wilde Society so I decided to make him a card with that theme.


The words on the card say "To get back my youth I would do anything in the world, except take exercise, get up early or be respectable".  The text is from The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde and seemed very appropriate!
I have to thank my Serif programme for enabling me to make cards like this!

Thirdly, I've been putting samples together for Sam's shows on Create & Craft which is going out on 22nd July.  Check the Creative Studios website for timings but here is a sneak preview using one of her fab new range of stamps.


It's from the Shabby Chic Heart set and also one of the new A6 background stamps.  There will be a full step by step on the DT blog tomorrow for this project but I can confirm that it involves paints and inks and very messy fingers (again!).

And finally, we're off to 2 music festivals from today and have had to get everything ready and sort the campervan out. We're working at the first one (filming) and going to the 2nd one just to enjoy it.  One of the headline acts is Van Morrison so that should be an experience.  The weather actually looks promising this year.  Last year it was so bad that my wellies broke in the mud!

As I won't be around for the next couple of weeks, here's another sneaky preview of a DT piece for next Wednesday.


There will be step by steps for this one as well.

Anyway, that's my excuses for not being on here and I hope I'm forgiven!!

I've been asked about the blog candy draw....it'll be drawn when I get to 300 followers but do check in regularly as I might have a small surprise draw when I get back from the festivals!!

No travel photo today as there's lots of other piccies.  Do have a look at the Creative Studios website, there's lots of ideas for using the new stamp sets from Sam and the team.

Until next time, have a happy, crafty time.  I'll be back to post again on 23rd July.

Wednesday 3 July 2013

WOYWW

Good morning all and happy WOYWW!

It's that time of the week that we all have a trip around the world and see what everyone has been up to.

Well, I went to an auction on Friday evening and being a sucker for all things "storage" I had to bid for this really handy drawer set.  It's actually what's on my desk today until I fill it and find a home for it!


The bottom drawer is big enough to take my misting ink sprays so I think they might end up living in there as it's best to store them on their sides and not upright.

I've been busy putting packs together for the November cruise workshops and now have 4 projects completed.  I finally finished 50 packs of Shaker cards yesterday and really don't want to see them again until I get on the ship and start teaching!

My project for the Creative Studios Design Team this week is using Sam's brand new Shabby Chic stamp sets.  I've used the heart stamp along with the rose and leaves for this project.  There's a step by step (with photos) on the Sam Poole Designs website (link on the right).


It's a shame I'm not better at photography!  The main stamp is a heart shaped text stamp.  I've heat embossed it in white and covered the whole thing with Micro Beads.
I've been making samples for the shows on Create and Craft on July 22nd when Sam will be demoing these stamp sets and I'll put some of them on here over the next week.

Well, apart from the travel photo, that's about all.


Staying with last weeks topic of cathedrals, here's a photo of Lindisfarne.

Many thanks for visiting and leaving all your lovely comments.  I'll try and get round to as many of you as possible (I got to 100 last week so I'm getting better!).
I won't be here next week as we're away at a couple of music festivals so until next time, have a happy crafty time!

Monday 1 July 2013

Starting the Packs!

Sorry all that it's been a few days but I have had to lock myself away in the craft room and start planning the workshops for the cruise in November.

I know it seems early but I'm teaching 20 workshops for up to 50 passengers and everything has to be pre-cut as we only get 45 minutes for each lesson!

To cut a long story short, I've made up the first 3 lesson packs so that's 150 packs in total so far!

Here's one that started out as a good idea but when I started on the packs, wished I'd never started!


Just a nice straight forward easel card...until I started punching out 450 of the holly leaves (9 per pack) in gold and silver card.  Oh yes, I couldn't even make it easy and punch paper, I had to use mirri card!  I wasn't sure that my poor old punch would hold out until the end, it was definitely getting stiffer by the end!  Then there were the 50 large and small Spellbinder circles to die cut and the pieces of card for the sentiment!

And that's why I start the prepping so early!!  To the eagle eyed, yes they are the dreaded peel-offs but I can't do any stamping with the class so needs must!

Sam at Creative Studios has also sent us some new stamps to play with (check out Sam Poole Designs on the right for a look at the new designs).  I've been coming up with some ideas for using the stamps so watch this space.

Now for todays travel photo.


This is the North Cape in Norway.  The photo was taken at 2am....it really is the Land of the Midnight Sun in the summer.  The white patches in the water are reflections of the clouds.  Stunning scenery and well worth a visit.

Well, that's it for today.  I'm going back to my craft room and chaining myself to the desk until I've put 50 packs of Shaker Cards together and a 70th birthday card for a friend.

Until next time, have a happy, crafty day and enjoy the glorious weather.