Clare's Weekly Craft Challenge!

Today sees the start of Clare's Weekly Craft Challenge over on the Do Crafts Website. There will be a new crafty challenge announced by yours truly every Wednesday. I just love the home page logo that Nick (I think it was Nick) put together. Thanks, Nick! You can have a go just for the sheer enjoyment of it, and one randomly chosen participant will win a few Do Crafts Goodies! Can't be bad. What are you waiting for? Click here to join in the fun!

Birthday Circles

Sorry.... I've not been on here for a while. I've just been so busy getting things ready for the next brand spankingly new issue of Do Crafts Creativity! magazine (which is due out in July), my demo at The Range in Hull on Saturday 3rd May, and also the up and coming Do Crafts stockists roadshows, where we will be showcasing all the yummy new products that will be adorning craft shop shelves in the not too distant future. Don't worry, you won't have to wait too long to see it, just a little while longer, and as soon as I get the go ahead to show you a smiggin (?) I will!

Last week saw Birthday Circles (above) an appearence as Project of the Week. This uses the new X-cut glass cutting mat and the X-cut shape cutter. Click here to find out how to make it.Also on the do Crafts website is Welcome Baby Boy card that i did for the Olympia craft show using the X-cut impress and some gorgeously cute new dies! Find the instructions here.

Flower for you!

This is another card that I did for the craft show at Olympia, using circles cut with the X-cut Shape cutter and the gorgeous Papermania creative tones papers. Have a look here for instructions on how to make it! Thanks for looking!

It's Been a Busy Day!

Well, I've cleaned today - that's all! The whole house, from top to bottom, even under beds and wardrobes. I'm shattered, although I feel good about doing it.

Saying that, when it's all clean you don't want to do anything to mess it all up again, like have a cup of coffee because it will create washing up etc. Wierd I know!

Tomorrow, we get our little Joe back, he's been staying at grandparents this week, as I've had to work and there has been no childminder. It sounds as though he's had a whale of a time. We called him every night, and sometimes he didn't want to speak to us more than saying hello, as he was playing with Nannie Dodie! I'd rather he be like that though than us unable to leave him. To me it shows he is self assured and confident. I just can't wait to have him back though, where he belongs!

Flower Card Duet

Here is my offering for project of the week, this week over at Do Crafts. I called it Flower card Duet, as they are cards, there are two of them and they both use flowers. I don't know how I think these titles up! Go on, have a look over on Do crafts to have a look in more detail.

Also, some fantastic news, the best news ever over on Kirsty Wiseman's blog! They are back from their little trip across the pond, and they have great things to tell about their wonderful daughter Ellie (also affectionately known as Belle) I'll not spoil the suprise - go over there now! I'm so pleased for you all Kirsty, and I can't wait to see you again! It's going to be wild!!

Until next time... in the immortal words of E.T. ...be good!

Thank You Posy

This is one of the cards I did for the craft show at Olympia in 'London Town', as I like to call it. I wanted to use one of the new Papermania Wedding stamps to make a card not just for a Wedding. Of course, a posy of flowers could be used for any reason. For instructions to make this card, have a look here. Ta Ta for now!

New Friends

I have just received this piccy from the lovely Catherine (Huntley) from QVC. It's from a week or so ago when I was demonstrating on behalf of Do Crafts and met Dawn Bibby, JJ, Anthony and Catherine. This was at the end of the day, and everyone was so kind to pose for a snap, even though they must have had aching cheeks due to having many photos taken throughout the day! I can't believe how short I look next to everyone, and I've got heels on! These are such lovely people, and I would like to think that Kirsty, Sian, Anita, and Myself have made some new friends. Thanks Catherine for sending me the photo, I really appreciate it.

My craft paradise

I just realised that I haven't posted any pictures of my new craft studio/paradise. I just love it in here, I have my lunch in here, watch TV in here and of course craft in here. I'd get showered and sleep in here if I could! It's my little bit of paradise and I hope you like it too!

This is (obviously) my desk - the hub of the room! The idea is that I have everything to hand, but it doesn't always work out that way!I got my super comfy chair from David (my hubby) for Christmas. It's height adjustable, which is just as well for me as I'm vertically challenged.I also got the TV for my birthday, it's got a DVD player and free view, although I tend to watch Ghost Hunters and Most Haunted on you tube more that I watch the TV. My angle poise lamp has just had a dusting down from the loft. it's got a daylight lamp, and the reach of the thing is great. I used to have a portable daylight lamp, but found that the light didn't stretch far enough across my desk.

Another view of the desk from another angle. You didn't know desks could be this exciting, did you? Can you see my mug (coffee addict) matches the colour scheme. Sad, I know. Eyeore and Steamboat Willie Mickey Mouse (complete with nodding head) are also getting in on the picture. I bought the flowers from a great shop when i was visiting my bezzy friend, Sheila.

This is my neat little storage area for my Ink it up! inks. I can just take out the one I need, and when finished put it back, without having to disturb all the other colours. Isn't that clever! The drawers hold my small ink pads. I also have my heat tool switched on and ready to go for any embossing emergency, and about 18 pairs of scissors!

Now, after David and Joseph, this is the love of my life - my stamps! I just adore stamping, I could stamp all day if I could - hey, I can, but I think you'd all get a little bored of just seeing the same thing over and over again. The CD cases you can see to the right of the shelving are filled with unmounted stamps. Currently I have 77 cases filled! and when I get the time, I would like to turn some of my wood mounted stamps into unmounted ones - only so I have space for more!

Finally (Thank goodness for that, I hear you cry!) This is the nifty shelving unit I picked up from IKEA, along with boxes to match. It always looks untidy to me. Ah well, no one's perfect.I try and keep everything together, so I can find them easily, and I've also filed things along with their code so that when I'm doing instructions I can find them easily. I also have a filing cabinet to the left of the shelving unit which holds all my A4 papers and miscellaneous embellishments. To the right is a dead plant. Whoops!

Thanks for looking, I hope you've enjoyed "Through the keyhole"!

OOOOOhhhhhhh!!!

Papermania-July 2008 makeover a la Emma Collins Stylee. Get an eyeful of these bad boys!!

That's all I'm allowed to say - except for GORGEOUS, GORGEOUS, GORGEOUS! "I'm walking on sunshine, ohh ohh," tra la la..... Thanks, Ems, Natalie and everyone who is involved in this masterpiece, you've done a spiffing job. Love ya!

By The Power of Magnets!

Just been blog surfing (as you do) and found this fantastic new piece of kit that is a must have on Becks Fagg's blog! I do alot of measuring, cutting and placing with my craft mat and so therefore, for me, this would be to die for!!! Dribble, Dribble, Dribble...

Back to the Future (at last!)

Well today sees me joining all you mobile phone users with relatively new phones! At last i have replaced my 4 year old (I know!) mobile pay-as-you-go phone with a brand spanking new Nokia 6300. Now, this means absolutely nothing to me, as I know nothing about phones. In fact the man in the shop laughed at me when I asked if it had predictive texting and polyphonic ringtones. I didn't know we had moved on from the ice age! All I know is that it will allow me to speak or text another person, and also take a relatively decent piccy. I have kept my number from my old phone, so it won't go live until the middle of the week, but I'm nearly there. Woo Hoo!

How clean is my house?!

Today has been cleaning day. After having the windows fitted in the front of the house (including a much needed new door), David decided that some *deep cleaning* was in order. So we started on the bedroom., and I don't know whether you're like me, but once you get started, you can't stop! We did the skirting boards, moved furniture to hoover etc, etc. The we moved on to the landing and did the same there. Then stairs guest room. By this time it was midday, and so we had a break for lunch...and my batteries had run out and I couldn't muster any energy to carry on. Joseph was great - he helped with spraying the cleaner and polishing the windowsil etc.

Then we went to Fun Forest (a soft play area near to where we live). Joe loves it there, however it's always really busy at weekends and Joe's only small. There were much bigger children running about, and he was nearly knocked off his feet a few times. Ah well, as they say-what doesn't hurt him will make him stronger.

Now I'm sat with lap top on knee, watching 'I'd do anything' and watching my hubby do the ironing - he's a love!!

I thought I'd give you this card tonight. I've used a number of Do Crafts embellishments on this card, including stamps, paper made from watercolours, fabric flowers and adhesive stones. I hope you like it!

Celebration Pocket

Here's my latest offering a la Do Crafts for project of the week. It's a card I have made using the gorgeous new Papermania exquisite collection papers and vellums complete with a pocket at the front to store a tag with message. I made it with an Anniversary in mind, but this card could be adapted for any occasion, and furthermore, in any colour scheme. Please do take a look at the Do Crafts website, there's loads of exciting ideas for you to try on there, and not just card making. there's scrapbooking, with some of the leading designers in the field; ATC's, jewellery making and glass painting to name but a few areas.

Well I can't believe that this is my third post today, boy I'm on a roll. I think that's it for today though. We've had windows fitted today and I've got to go and shift some furniture!

Oh Em Gee, Shu' up!!!!!!

This was waiting for me in my inbox this am, and apart from me looking a bit pasty and my head being about twice the size of Dawns, I'm really chuffed with it. We were in the bar, and I think we'd snaffled at least two bottles of wine, so we look damn good! Dawn, thanks for a great night, and lets do it again some time. Maybe without me sluring my speech to the end. Classy!

As Cool as Cool can be!!

Look at my brand spanking splendiferous new header!! Designed by the one and only Kirsty Wiseman. Go and check out her blog, and her website (which will make you blurb, the photo's are gorgeous, especially accompanied by the music. I can't wait to arrange a sitting for Joseph and me. Thanks so much Kirsty, you're the bestest!! love ya!

work,wine, laughs and new friends!

I've no excuse - I should have come to post earlier about the Olympia show that I was working on for Design Objectives (I DO, do you?), except for the fact that I could hardly open my eyes yesterday. You see, we worked hard, played hard and laughed hard!!

(photo courtesy of Kirsty Wiseman www.limegreenbogiegirl.blogspot.com/)


It was my pleasure to meet, work with and spend four days with the gorgeous, mind-blowing, hilarious and amazing (and any other adjectives you can think of which means great) Kirsty Wiseman. Along with Anita Brooks, they were holding scrapbooking and card making workshops, and their work was to die for. Kristy made and taught a fantastic layout based around her beautiful daughter Ellie. I really wanted to have a go at this gorgeous thing, but just never seemed to get the time. Anita was in charge of the card making workshop, and at the end of each one, customers had two lovely cards to take away, in addition to the remainder of the products they had used.

Sian headed up our team and it was lovely to see her again before she jets off for a year around the world. There wasn't a dry eye in the house as we all said good-bye, knowing that we will not clap eyes on her again until her return. we will of course keep in touch, she's such a special person, and we all made sure she knows that if she needs anything, she only needs to ask.

I don't think I've laughed so much in ages (I think the last time was at Farnborough with Sheila doing impressions of Rolf Harris). Many a joke was told ( I can't repeat them 'cos I can't remember them), and of course hilarity ensued. I think I found just about everything that happened funny, and was exhausted by the end of each day from all the laughing we did in the evenings.

I was down in the bargain basement (as I liked to call it) doing my demos on behalf of Do Crafts. I demonstrated 8 cards I had designed (these will be on http://www.docrafts.co.uk/ soon) and everyone who attended seemed to enjoy the demos. Some came over to have a closer look, say hello and take photo's of the cards. I even got asked for my autograph twice!! I can't tell you how surprised or flattered I was. A few people I knew came to see me, including Emma, Holly and the gang from DO head honcho office.

Emma and I after my first demo(photo courtesy of http://scrappingandwine.blogspot.com/)

On Friday (after about 3 hours sleep, due to raucous noise made by the room next door at 4am) I met Dawn Bibby and JJ, who were also demonstrating in the same area. She was absolutely lovely, and I enjoyed gleaming as much knowledge as I could from this industry figurehead. This lady has been there from the beginning, and knows just about all there is to know. All the ladies that came to watch her demonstrations certainly felt this way. I have never seen so many people wanting a piece of her, and she took it in her stride and was lovely to them all. in the afternoon, Catherine Huntley from QVC came to help out Dawn, and she is just as charming as I expected her to be. We had a good old chat about things, and I was honoured when she wanted to see my cards, and thrilled when she said they were gorgeous.

Saturday was very busy, and so were my demos. Leonie from QVC attended, and it was lovely to see her again and have a chat. She had to go home early, so couldn't join us for a drink, so it was just Sian, Anita, Kirsty, Dawn, JJ and myself left propping up the bar after a few bottles of Pinot Grigio Blush. Then we thought we'd better soak up some of the falling down juice and so went for a meal. It was so lovely to spend some time with people you admire and get to know them a bit better (I'm talking about you as well, Kirsty!!). I think the cherry on the top of the crafting cake was when Dawn said she had seen my cards and thought they were excellent! I think the wine helped bring a tear to my eye at that point. After our meal, Sian, Kirsty and myself stayed in the bar and soaked up the cosmopolitan atmosphere. As you can see felt at home in this refined atmosphere.

Please remember that when these photos were taken we had been awake for about 19 hours!

The final day left me with mixed emotions. I was happy as I was coming home to see my gorgeous Joseph and David, but so sad that I would say goodbye to my new found friends and of course, Sian. As Kirsty lives "two coughs and a whistle" away from Sheila, I have promised to visit her soon, and I will definitely take up Dawn's offer of saying hello again at her new design Studio (which sounds amazing).

Girls, it was wicked! It was a pleasure working with you all and I enjoyed every minute. I am missing you all terribly already and can't wait to see you all again. We left the show tired but happy...as you can see!

To top it all off, Dawn said hello to us Do Crafts girls on QVC today!! What a surprise and thrill that was. All I can say is *shu' up*, Oh em Gee! I'll try and upload some photos of cards tomorrow, until then, don't do anything I wouldn't do!