stamp shops galore

I treated myself today to a trip up to Skipton to visit Jill and Ian in their stamp shop, The Stamp Man :)  It's a beautiful drive up there through the hills, especially as it is still so green yet with hints of autumn.  I saw the occasional tree with deep red leaves, yellow and orange but not one of them was in a convenient place to stop and take a photo...typical!

I hadn't been to the new shop so it was a real treat to see the new space full of yummy stamp supplies, collect my fairy stamps, have a sneak preview at what's in the offing (my lips are sealed but there's great stuff on it's way) and catch up with Jill and Ian, who I usually only see now at Port Sunlight.  Oh, and I saw Jill's weeny suitcase, which has a gorgeous accordion fold card/book inside, so of course I now have my own weeny suitcase!!!

I did take a picture of my stash but it appears to have got very late all of a sudden and I'm not sure my brain will cope with downloading more pics.  So I'll leave you with the card I made with my new stamps.

Not that these are the only stamps I got today you understand.  I got more bits off Jill, then stopped off at Paddy's on the way home (it's on the way, honest!) and we planned my demo project for Port Sunlight.

If you've not already done so, take a pic of your workspace for our 'Where Women REALLY Create' challenge (you can take a pic of the tiniest smidgen if you like, but you'll make us all feel better if you show at least the table).  I'm going to put blog candy up for this so watch this space!!

A big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Julie, it's her birthday today, well, it was when I started writing this post, and still is in the old US of A!!!

aaarrrggggh!

Isn't it frustrating when you can't get to your art supplies and you really want to, even NEED to!!!  It's my own fault; I'm having a bit of a reorganise in my craft room in the cellar.  My way of clearing up is to work through 'stuff' and bin what's necessary, put away what I can, then heap the rest on a table for final sorting.  That's pretty much where I'm up to now and my desk looks like this...

There are more boxes upstairs which I've piled stuff into, either after a workshop I've run or just stuff off the dining room table.  They can all stay there for now though... I need to get that table cleared and make space to MAKE ART (as Wendy Vecci would put it ;)  ).

This is what I'd rather be doing, playing with these goodies.  Those tube watercolour paints were my bargain of the century last week.  WHSmith had them half price at 75p each so I got some for my son for school (he's just starting his GCSE Art course).  When I got to the till they only came up at 1p each.  I couldn't believe my eyes!!!  So after checking my receipt I went back and got one of every colour and some extra ones for me.  However, this time at the till a different girl served me and said she wasn't allowed to sell me them for a penny.   To cut a long story short she did in the end as I'd already paid that price that day so I effectively got £45 worth of paint for 30p - how good is that!!!!

I've also got some ideas re mini tutorials on handwriting styles in your journal that I want to blog...just need to find the darn journals ;)

ps You know the magazine "Where women create"? I've never bought it, I know I could never attain such tidiness. I reckon it's a bit like supermodels, we'll never look like that so why torture ourselves. Anyway, I recently came across this on Ruth Rae's blog, it did make me laugh, especially her Mom's comment! I too work until there's an inch or two space left, but it's not on my table, it's on my lap! And I know there are many more out there like me ;) Come on, let's shout out for where women really create. If you dare, blog it and link back here, make us all feel better (And I might even find a nice bit of blog candy to send out if we get enough comments to randomize a winner)

NOTE: only comments with a picture of their workspace prior to tidying/blitzing.. will be entered in draw  but feel free to comment about any of the above, I've had my own natter about it all as you see ;)

celebrity author visits Prestwich stamping shop

Sue Roddis came to do a book signing at Paddy's Stamping Place yesterday. I had warned her that I'd like an ink splatted book rather than just a signed copy so she very kindly came prepared with one of the new Paper Artsy stamps, an ink splat (mini 57)!  Unfortunately I set a bit of a trend and Sue was left stenciling and stamping in books (hee hee).  It was great to see and touch some of the books that are featured in her book 'Handmade Decorative Books'. 

Sue's next stop on her book signing tour of Britain is 'The Stamp Attic', this weekend.

Now for something completely different!

This is my very first piece of needle felting :)  It's something I've wanted to do for a while now and was able to watch a demo and buy the necessary bits 'n' pieces whilst down in Dorset last weekend.  I spent the journey home adding the beads and french knots!

please, not MORE corsets!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry, but I did warn you! 
We had a great time in sunny Dorset.  The weather was gorgeous, the people friendly, and the quilts stunning.

The village was gorgeous.  The exhibition started in the church hall and our corsets were displayed on the stage.

One of the quilters had made a patchwork skirt so that joined our corsets on stage.

I'm really pleased with how the wings came together on my 'peacock lady' corset.  Neet's 'viva la diva' corset was very eye catching.  Quilts were hung in the church hall and also in the church.

It was all so 'English' :)

Quilts were also hung around the village and if you followed them you reached Becca's shop!

We made new friends, added new hobbies to our existing lists, and enjoyed the home-made cakes baked by the quilting ladies.  I didn't quite get a real 'cream tea' ( scones with jam and clotted cream with a cup of tea) but did get a yummy scone with cream.

a celebration of corsets

I've 'borrowed' these pics from Becca's website (I'm sure she won't mind).  This is what the Quilt exhibition will be like this weekend; except this year it includes our altered corsets :) :) :)  Carol and I are travelling down together tomorrow but I promise to take loads and loads of pics and bore, er, entertain you with them when I get back after the weekend. 

Apparently all the quillts are hung around the village as if 'put out to air', a common practice in the US I am told, and we go 'walkabout' in true Australian style (except living off the land in Dorset must surely include eating cream teas, oooh, this weekend gets better and better; even the weather is going to be good).  There are 11 corsets in all:  Gwendoline Grace, the Peacock Lady, Monet's Garden, Viva la Diva, Construction-Deconstruction-Construction, Mermaid Dreams, Gathering Lilacs, Field of Dreams, Metallica Magic, Shimmering Christmas, All things British.  Have a great weekend everyone, and for those in the UK, enjoy these few days of sunshine :)

think monday think atc: architecture

This is the first time I've entered an ATC that wasn't made the day the topic came out!  But it's one of my favourite cards.  It was the first time I'd used distress inks and I only owned the Walnut Stain one; now I have a whole collection LOL!

Don't you just love how you meet new people through blogging!!  The lovely Paulette of Beedeebabee gave me this award; I'm sure if we lived nearby I'd be popping in to see what gorgeous things she was stitching and to borrow some thread!  I've never liked the idea of having to choose who to pass an award on to but with this one I know I'd like to pass it on to the people who I've made friends with through stamping/blogging who I wouldn't otherwise have met!  To my  friends Julie, Jill, Sue (who I don't think does awards but I think will smile anyway!), Wendy, Chris, Rachel and Jennie, and to those who I am just getting to know including Kate, Jo, Joanne,  and Audrey.

Whenever people leave me a comment I always try and visit their blog and I'm also interested to see who my followers are; so if you're a 'secret' follower, who just pops by now and then, or has me on their favourites list, I'd love to meet you.  Become a follower and then we can meet up! :)

better late than never!

Well, it's still Saturday in my part of the world so I reckoned I could still post for this week's Sunday Postcard Art!  The theme was 'fish'.  Did you know the seahorse was a fish?  I didn't.  When I told my husband his reply was "well what did you think it was?".  I don't know, but I know I wouldn't have said it was a fish!!! :)

Anyway, that discovery meant I could use the lovely new seahorse from Elusive Images to make a postcard.  I stamped then masked him before spraying the card with inks and adding stamped images.  Not a great photo, I'll take one in the light in the am and look forward to a new SPA topic!!

EDIT:  photo replaced by a better one; forgot to say that the seahorse is a fish because it breathes under water and doesn't need to come up for air!!

a good storm!

Don't you just love a good storm when you are safe and dry and can just enjoy it?!  I can't say our dog Gyp was impressed, in fact, he can obviously still hear something as he's still in the cellar, even though the sun is out and the blue sky has appeared!  It's AGES since we've had a good storm.  I was sitting, counting 'elephants', as it came nearer and nearer then took myself out to the porch to listen to the thunder rumbling continuously and watch the rain and hail splash down hard.  Whilst there I finally remembered to take a photo of our new campervan!  Sorry Wendy, my memory's not great at the minute!

We bought her a couple of months ago but picked her up on our hols as she lived on the Isle of Wight.  As you can see she needs some work doing to her but she goes, and my husband loves doing projects like this (he has a VW beetle too).  My job's the interior, I've found some ace fabric for the curtains.

http://www.stjudes.co.uk/dandelion.htm

I love Angie Lewin's designs; you may have seen notecards using her prints in Waterstones.  And being a bit of a non-conformist, I'm avoiding the typical retro and surf designs that are common fabrics for these campers.  I adore seed-like images like this and it fits in with meadows and good times.  I've been collecting crockery on Ebay to go in the van too!  

Oh, and look what starts today!  6pm UK time to be precise :) :) :)  I'm sooooo excited, I can't wait!!!  It's what kept me going through a very stressful situation this am.  Right, best get back to sorting out my craft space, I'm having a really, really good clearout!