More NEC Samples

As promised, more photos of samples from the NEC Craft fair...... 

Every once in a while, you get a lovely surprise at these fairs, when you discover a range or product that you have never seen before. I had one of these moments when I found the Inky Doodles stand, I just loved all their samples and the very clean uncluttered lines on the stamps. They had a primitive/country feel to them, which is a style I love. Go HERE to see their full range - I asked the question for those of you overseas, and they post internationally 

This was the stamp set I just HAD to buy, pop back tomorrow to see some cards I've made with them 

Next, I wandered past the La Pashe stand, I know a lot of my USA friends love those wrinklies, so I snapped a few for you...

Then on to the Clarity stamps owned by designer Barbara Gray who does the most amazing things with an ink pad and a make up sponge. She has a brand new blog that I think a lot of you will enjoy, pop HERE to have a browse if you love stamping, tell her I sent you over!

So what did I buy with all this temptation everywhere? To be honest, I went with the intention of not buying much at all, I have unused stamps, a whole cupboard full of MDF stuff waiting to be altered (it's been waiting for about a year now..). But of course, when I got there I saw Memory Box dies, quite a few stamps (as well as my sweet angel one). Another bunch of MDF stuff which isn't in the photo. My resolve crumbled as soon as I walked in!

 The box with 'Paint your own Santa' on it is all ready for this coming weekend when we have young Max and Milo coming to stay for the weekend. I thought it may keep them happy for an hour (who am I kidding? It will probably take them ten minutes)

See you tomorrow x

NEC Samples

Here's a feast of loveliness for you today, photos I took of show samples at the NEC. This is what greeted you as you walked in - all made from paper. Incredible! 

I have made the photos extra large so that you can see them in detail. These first ones are made with stamps by Crafters Companion and Memory Box sentiments - they were big cards, 8 x 8

The next few boards are Little Claire designs, which is a UK company....

and these next ones were all made with the Fiskars fuse by the very creative Kath Stewart, my buddy and partner in crime at a lot of these craft shows....

this next one is my all time favourite!

and this next photo is especially for Bev, one of my Thursday craft group friends in Florida, who LOVES craftsuprint (she makes some lovely cards with the printed out designs). I didn't wait for a free hug this time Bev, somehow the thought of a hug from a large acrylic animal didn't appeal.....I should probably have done the photo thing though, but put the word FREE on anything at these shows, and the queue goes around the block!

More to come tomorrow if you like?.........

See you then x

The Great Fiskars Craft Off

Well, that was a lot of fun. I hope this video works - only a minute long, because my Flip video batteries ran out!

Here is my pal Dawny doing her thing....

and Barbara Gray.....

Joanna Sheen, who is the loveliest person - she has recently become a grandma for the first time, so we had a lovely granny boasting session......

and Rob who some of you will know as the MDF man, who was a hilarious compere.....

and me, looking totally stumped!

there was a BIG crowd watching it all......

and here is my totally unfinished card. Rob gave me the most points, but I think that was because he felt sorry for me, I was shaking with nerves. He also didn't know that when I hugged him, I had poured my coffee down his back, otherwise he may not have been so generous......

I must admit, I am loving this Fuse machine, I can't wait for mine to arrive, and plan a video or two to show you what it can do. The bottom layer on the (unfinished) card below was red felt, topped with quite a stiff plastic - it cut through them both like butter. The snowflake was letter pressed - it gives a great embossed result. The thing I liked most was that although the machine is big, is that it has an incredible sturdy feel, and you need hardly any effort to crank your materials through..... 

Lest we forget

Tomorrow, at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, we bow our heads in homage to those who have died for our freedom. Over 1.2 million people from the UK gave their lives in two world wars, and young lives are still being lost today. Of course to most of us, these losses are horrifying statistics, but imagine the millions of people who grieved the loss of these lives, people who spent the war years in terror waiting for a dreaded telegram, children who cried at night for the daddies they would never see again, wives and husbands who wept silently in their lonely beds, mothers and fathers who became stooped and old before their time, spending the rest of their lives wondering what their handsome young son would be doing now - if only he had lived. 
So I am wearing my poppy with pride and gratitude to those who made the ultimate sacrifice for us to enjoy freedom today

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old,

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning,

We will remember them

  

An Angel for Christmas

It's my turn to post on the Craftwork Cards blog today, pop over there to see how I transformed this angel from this.......

to this.......

I had a great day at the NEC, I have lots of photos of samples to show you over the next few days. I dropped in to see my buddy Kath Stewart, who was giving workshops on the Fiskars demo stand.....

It was Kath's birthday, I had already got her a little gift, but then I saw this sign, perfect for her cubbyhole.....

Then we wandered off for a coffee, and  found this pink piano in the middle of a concourse - bizarre! Kath decided to do her Liberace/Little Richard honky tonk act......

In comparison, I look like a Sunday school teacher about to break out a tinkling rendition of 'all things bright and beautiful'.......

Don't forget if you are at the NEC tomorrow, to wander down to the Fiskars demo area at 2 PM when you will see a lighthearted cardmaking battle going on between Barbara Grey, Dawny Phillips, Joanna Sheen and me. I have a feeling it's going to be a lot of fun.....

I'll be back tomorrow with some photos, if I can persuade someone to take some!

Letraset Marker Giveaway

Good Morning, it's my turn to post over on the Letraset blog today.....

and I have a super prize to giveaway to one of you - thanks Letraset. I have a set of Metallic Markers already to mail to anywhere in the world if your name comes up.  I have set number two already for those Christmas cards. They are water based pens, but work beautifully to give a sheen and shimmer to any of your Letraset projects. You get metallic silver, metallic pink, metallic red, metallic green and metallic black in the set. All you have to do is go over HERE to the Letraset blog to leave a comment under my post, then pop back here to leave your name. If you get Going Buggy emails, all you have to do is click on the pale grey GOING BUGGY header at the top of your email, that will bring you here, then you can follow the links

Only people who have commented here AND on the Letraset blog will be eligible for the prize

I will draw a winner next Thursday, and tell you who won on Friday
Good luck

While you are all busy hopping between blogs, my camera and I will be at the craft show at the NEC, I will snap away when I see stuff you may be interested in.....see you tomorrow x  

Sharing a secret....

I told you last week that I had a bit of happy news to share with you, well, here is how it was announced on Facebook.....



The Craft Battle - Great British Fuse Face Off 

During HobbyCrafts Fair at the NEC, Birmingham, Fiskars has arranged a unique 30 minute crafting battle where Barbara Gray, Enfys Cashmore, Dawny Phillips and one last mystery contestant will face off to create the best card using the Fuse Creativity System®.
Be curious and find out who it will be on Saturday 9th November, 2pm at the Fiskars workshop area.
Come to see the potential of the Fuse Creativity System® and share a very unique experience with some top crafters.

Crikey! I have never used a Fuse machine in my life, so I hope it's as easy as it looks on the promotional videos, I can't do any forward planning, because I have no idea what dies we will be given to play with, but hey, it's going to be a lot of fun and not a serious competition, and the really good news is that i will be able to bring the Fuse home with me so I can share lots of projects made with it on here in the future (I hear it's a sturdy, heavy workhorse of a machine, so I may need to trundle with it in a wheelbarrow for the five mile journey to my house!) If any of you are at the NEC on Saturday, PLEASE come by the Fiskars demo area to cheer me on, and have a giggle (stay behind to say hello afterwards as well, I'll be ready for a coffee!)

No card from me today, I have been so busy making samples that I can't share with you - yet. I am off to the NEC show tomorrow for a shopping frenzy and to meet up with some old pals. Since I have to be back there on Saturday as well, it's a good job that I live so close to the exhibition center...

I'll be back tomorrow with a Letraset giveaway x

Black and White

 Today's card is made with Craftwork Cards black and white papers - the script paper has a lovely pearly sheen that doesn't show up in the photo. Netting and flowers were cut with Tim Holtz tattered flower dies, and the scroll is by Sissix........

I did three layers of punched borders to liven it up.....

Another reminder for Anne who won the Candi giveaway to get in touch with me please so that I can get your prize in the mail

I have been busy busy making samples for Craftwork Cards with the most delicious new products - all will be revealed very soon, and you are going to love them.

 Last night I went with some friends to see the stage show 'Grumpy Old Women', and we were very disappointed, not very funny at all, they kept forgetting their lines and there was a lot of totally unfunny crude references to various bodily functions (and there is no way I am a prude, I just don't think that swearing and constant references to sex and lavatories is particularly amusing without reference to some funny anecdote, when it can be hilarious). What amazes me in the theatre (or cinema come to that) is that some people laugh uproariously every time someone opens their mouths. Why? Do they think that because what they are watching has been billed as a comedy it must be funny, so it is their duty to laugh loudly for thirty seconds out of every minute? Then you hear them as they leave the theatre 'oh my sides are aching I laughed so much', making you wonder if they watched the same show as you. Right, that is this grumpy old woman's rant over for today!

See you tomorrow x

Gift Set and Candy Winners

Here's a sweet little gift set made with the Heartfelt Creations stamps and dies that were sent to me called Vintage Florets  - the flowers were heat embossed with old gold embossing powder, and the edges inked with a dull gold gilding wax, so in real life they have a lovely sheen and shimmer....

I made a little gift card holder, but when I give gift cards, I always get a little gift as well, makes it more exciting, a gift card on it's own is a bit boring I always think, so the little box would hold  pair of earrings, a lipstick or some little extra.....

Mr Random.Org has been busy again, and the names that were lucky this time to win the card candi are

Jane Willis

and

Anne (whose email address starts ann2236)

Congrats to you both. Email me with your address and your prizes will be on their way

I have a full on day at my desk today, that is providing that Royal Mail deliver the parcel I am waiting for. If they don't, I will be there anyway, keeping out of the way of six pals of Mike's who are coming round to watch the rugby - when there are six men, a rugby match and a few bottles of wine, the craft desk or shopping is always a welcome refuge!

See you tomorrow x   

Cake Anyone? (and ProMarker winner)

 Here's a cake card that I made for this month's Papercraft Inspirations Magazine, on sale now

The papers, doily and cake stamp are all by Papermania - a current range, you will find it in Hobbycraft....I was aiming for a shabby chic look with this one, I think it worked.. 

Did you know that you can buy digital copies of Papercraft Inspirations? Take a look HERE



Thank you all for the sweet messages yesterday, much appreciated..

I will be spending this weekend making some samples for Craftwork Cards TV show next week, so sitting at my desk, which is lucky because I am still suffering from the effects of my undignified bump onto the floor a few days ago - walking is fine, sitting is fine, lying down is fine, but walking up stairs just about kills me! Very strange. Hopefully it will wear off soon, I need to be in tip top shape for next week when I go to the big craft show at the NEC - I'll be sure to take my camera along for that .

On to the winner of the Autumn edition ProMarkers. I forgot to take a screenshot of random.org, but the name that came up was:

JANE (who signed herself as Jane Brown on the Letraset blog) her blog is called the Craft Bucket

Congrats Jane, send me an email and I will get your markers in the post to you. See you all tomorrow with the Card Candi winners x