I have been frantically making cards for the craft show I am doing in Southport on the 15th of September.  My husband has been brilliant and changed the utility room into a craft room for me and when I haven't been at work I have spent most of my time in there.  It's like a time warp.  I always lose track of time in there and I love that all my craft bits are to hand, it is so much nicer making things when I know where everything is and it isn't cluttering up my work surface.  It is only a small room but it is perfect for me.  I will have to put up a photo to show you.  

Since I have had my room I have been able to make plenty of different cards.  I have really enjoyed using the perfect pearls and here is an example of it used on a gift tag. I stamped the background flowers with distress ink and then brushed the perfect pearls over the top. I love the sheen it gives the tag it really catches the light.

 I have also been using a lot of alcohol inks.  I really love these as they dry so quickly and create some great effects.  I used it on this tag for the background and then just stamped with archival ink over the top.  I made sure to include some copper alcohol ink as I love the shine the metallics give.

This is another example of the alcohol inks.  These were just put onto card and then I cut our a heart shape.  A really simple and fun card to make.

Boys Birthday Present

It was my stepsons birthday last month and my 4 year old daughter wanted to give him something he could keep.  She came up with the idea of doing his name and making it into a road adding cards.  We didn't have the time to come up with his whole name so we just did the first letter 'L' for Leon.  We cut thick cardboard to size and papier mached around it.  Lily then painted it grey and I stenciled on the road markings.  We found some small cars in the party bag section of a supermarket for less than a pound and glued them on.  We made him a box to store it in and my husband spray painted the box so it was a family project.  Leon liked it and my daughter Lily was very happy.

Ribbon Wreath Card

Well I said I would show a picture of my ribbon wreath card, shown to me at a demonstration by Mei Flower http://www.meiflower.co.uk/.  Let me know what you think:

I have also made a horseshoe card using the same technique with an ivory ribbon.

I went to the Creative Crafts show at Manchester Central Convection Complex on Thursday.  I had such a good day with Lynn from The Yarn Fairy.  I much preferred the venue compared to its usual spot at the Trafford Centre.  It was a lot easier to get to and the complex was lovely.  I loved seeing Inkylicious as always.  They have some beautiful stamps that are always reasonably priced.  I saw a great demo from Aly's Inky fingers using Pan Pastels and my other favourite was Meiflower who did a great demonstration showing how to weave ribbon in a way I didn't know of.  I even remembered how to do it when I got home and made a lovely card! (photo to follow)

Lynn and I got there for 10.30 and didn't leave until 5pm.  There was just so much to see and learn

I have my first craft show on the 15th of September.  I am really nervous and frantically making lots of things so that my stall doesn't look too empty.  I am going to be selling canvases, paper bowls, cards and bracelets.  I think I need to expand my range a little though I am not sure where to go with it.  Here is an example of one of my canvases which I really enjoy doing.  From creating a new background to playing with the patterns on the butterflies.  This one is made from an old Dylan Thomas book I had around the house which had lovely yellowed pages.

Welcome

I have finally joined the blogging community.  Not that I really know what I am doing but hopefully anyone who reads this will enjoy my posts and makes.  Please bear with me if it isn't the most technologically advanced of blogs and my photos could probably do with some help too.  Any feedback on my makes is welcome whether it is positive or negative.