Guilty as charged

Good morning folks,

Ok I confess I'm not very good at this blogging thing am I? I jst don't know where the time goes. It's true when they say the older you get the quicker time goes by.

I have had a busy few weeks since my last blog. Bev the Blade and I were at the NEC Hobbycrafts Show for 5 days and loved every minute of it. I have suffered for it this weekend though as I have spent 2 days in bed with a bad cold. Maisie thinks we have another dog in the house with my barking cough LOL.

I met up with my very good friend Wendie Rhodes on the Sunday of the show and got loads of cuddles from her Mam. We stayed in the same hotel as Christine from Pinflair and got roped in to their quiz nights. great fun.

Dad is off back to Egypt today and won't be home until a few days before Christmas. we have a very special Christmas present for him this year but I can't tell you 'cos it's a secret.

The House Elf has finally started the decorating again. He promised to have it all done in 12 months. It's 24 months & counting!!!!

So the big news is we have a Pick of the Week on Create & Craft starting on Friday 29th November at noon and Pollyanna will be with me. It's my first paper kit and I am so excited about it.

Here's a few samples I have made from it. I have lots more to do so I think the midnight oil will be burning. I hope you will be watching and perhaps ordering. I will try to show you some more over the coming days. 

Happy crafting,

Lynda x



Where does the time go to?

Hi Folks,

I can't believe it's over a month since I last blogged. Shame on me but I do have my excuses ready LOL.

The House Elf, Maisie and I have been on holiday, our first holiday in over 2 years. We visited Shropshire for the first time and I have to say what a beautiful part of the country it is. We stayed in a lovely barn conversion called The Old Barn in Kenley near Much Wenlock, miles from anywhere so peaceful and no internet, BLISS.

Maisie had a great time as did we. She went on a boat on the River Severn, travelled on a steam train on the Severn Valley Railway and went back to Victorian times when we visited a museum in Ironbridge. She had lots of cuddles and was fussed by lots of admirers but she took it all in her stride I'm proud to say.

This is Maisie wearing her doggie seatbelt firmly attached to the back seat of the car. She made sure she wasn't left behind by insisting on sitting in the car for nearly half an hour before we left! As if I would ever dream of leaving her behind.

I will let you see some more photos when the House Elf has downloaded them from his camera. It was lovely having a chauffeur for the week (another one of the many advantages of having a House Elf).

So now it's back to work with a bang. I have been joined by the lovely Sharon Armstrong Purvis on my team of talented ladies and we have been very busy with our first new product which is nearly finished. It's a paper kit using 10 of the stunning pieces of artwork by Pollyanna Pickering and I am chuffed to bits with what we have achieved. Hopefully you will all like it too when it's available next month.

The House Elf is in the back garden chopping down branches. This is one of his favourite pastimes. He has a saw for every type of branch. I swear to you can see the trees and shrubs visibly shake when they see him come out of the garage door with his collection of saws, loppers and secateurs. Still it keeps him quiet although I have to say I think it's time for a cuppa so I will be ladylike and shout him from the bedroom window. Care to join me?

Crafty hugs,

Lynda

Next week I'm on Create & Craft on Wednesday & Thursday with our new CD ROM A Winter Walk in the Countryside so I will try to blog and show you some of the samples made using the stunning wintry scenes as painted by Betty Davies.







Slap hands but I'm here now

Morning folks,

I told you I wasn't very good at this blogging lark. Apologies for the lack of posts but there are weeks when you think it's going to be an easy one then it jumps up & bites you on the nose and this is one of those weeks. I seem to work better under pressure but there's pressure and there's pressure LOL.

I have 2 shows this coming Saturday on Create & Craft at 9.00am and 4.00pm with Leonie so it's bound to be a laugh. By popular request I will be demoing our fantastic Pollyanna Pickering DVD ROM again at the special offer price of £19.99 so if you missed out the first time now's your chance to get it.

Here are just some of the stunning cards made by my fantastic team of girls and by myself for the TV shows. Go and read the reviews on the Create & Craft website and I'm sure you will be impressed.

Now I'm also busy working on a top secret project which will be revealed in the fullness of time and will open up a new host of future possibilities for more products.

As I type this blog my Dad will be sitting in business class on a British Airways 747 flying home from Cairo via Heathrow so he will be back home this evening. I love it when he is home and I can just phone for a chat whenever I like. I used to do this with my Mam and miss my chats with her so much. What I wouldn't give to be able to hear her voice again. I always like to go up to the cottage and spend a couple of days with my Dad. This usually involves drinking lots of red wine and a Chinese from the Chinese chip shop in Rothbury. We go out for a trundle in the jeep during the day and I get lots of cuddles from Beth, Dad's Old English Sheepdog. I get a bit of a break away from work as the broadband signal is practically non existent up there!!!! Up the valley there's no mobile signal or electricity. Really rural with stunning scenery.

Right folks. I need to get a wriggle on. The House Elf is off to the shops for crusty bread buns for lunch and maisie is doing what Maisie does best..... sleeping.

Happy crafting,
Lynda

Prep Time Folks

Happy Sunday folks,

The sun is trying to shine here in Northumberland. The House Elf is busy ironing whilst he listens to the football on the radio. Bless him, he is a Middlesbrough supporter and is the eternal optomist especially at the start of the season that this will be the year they will return to the Premier League.

Maisie is having 40 winks. She has had her morning trip to the beach and had a game of football and now needs a bit of a rest before she starts again later.

Me? I'm prepping for 2 shows on Create & Craft on Thursday 29th August at 9.00am with Nigel and 3.00pm with Leonie so prepare to be entertained. I will be demonstrating the Perfect Papercrafting Companions CD ROM Set and Bev the Blade's templates so I hope you will find the time to join me.

I thought I would give you a little insight as to what I do when I prep for shows. Believe you me it can take me hours just to prep one demo as many of you will know if the mojo is not working then it's time to step away from the craft room.

First you design your card, the one called "Here's one I made earlier". I always have one of these in case I forget what I am aiming to make. That's the hard bit as it has to be noticeable. I always plan 4 demos per show so that's 8 projects in total, 4 finished samples and 4 prepped samples. Now it can take me several hours to come up and prep one demo so you can imagine how much effort is needed to prep a 4 day Deal which can be up to 12 shows!!!!!

Here's what my desk looks like after prepping one sample:

The finished card is on the left. I then have to print and cut out every piece a second time. I dot & dash all the papers. cut out all the pieces for the owl, the flowers and the leaves. All the embellishments need to have foam pads stuck on the back so that everything can be quickly pieced together. Everything has to be perfect because it is scrutinised especially if they do a close up.

I try not to do the same demonstration twice in a day so sometimes coming up with 40 different demos is quite challenging.

Everything is then packed in a plastic bag together with the "Here's one I made earlier" and labelled and then packed in my craft trolley which is checked several times before it goes in the boot.

I have nightmares that I forget my demo packs. I once forgot my clothes. I kid you not. I got to Blyth services which is over half way to Peterborough and when I looked on the back seat there was no suit bag. I had left it hanging up in the garage. It's the first time I have ever been pleased that they cancelled my shows I can tell you!!!

Happy crafting,
Lynda

A special day today. It's Maisie's 6th birthday

Hi folks,

It's all about Maisie today as it's her 6th birthday. I can't believe how the time has flown since I received a phone call at 10.30pm on 24th August 2007 to say our new babydog had been born. I was so excited but sad too as it was only 4 weeks since we had unexpectedly lost our beautiful and much loved Rosie.

I could never have imagined how this little bundle would and still continues to bring so much joy in to our daily lives. We adore her with all of our hearts

Here she is at 2 days old:

At 8 weeks on her first day at home:

Her official 1st birthday photograph

Her second Christmas:

On a day out in beautiful Northumberland:

Happy birthday Maisie xxxx

Lots of love Mam & Dad

Back for more!

Happy Thursday folks,

It's turned out to be a lovely, warm & sunny day here in Northumberland and I hope it's the same where you are. I have been at my desk since 8.45am but so far have not achieved a lot. It's day 4 of my diet. Did you watch that program about dieters at 9.00pm last night. It made me want to eat my evening bowl of Rice Krispies but I was strong and did not cave in!! I have invested in one of those vibro exercising machines that Ideal World sells. Rick who demonstrates them promises me that this time next year I will be sylph shaped (that means thin) so you are all witnesses now. You stand on the machine for 10 minutes 3 times a day and it makes you wobble. This you can do whilst watching the TV so at the moment  I'm keen to give it a go.

Maisie is hiding under a dining room chair at the moment, well part of her is as she's too big to fit under one chair. The culprits which are causing her to hide are on the dining table....... cotton wool and EAR CLEANER. She only has to see the cotton wool and she is off. Bless her she has poorly ears which need regular cleaning so we have to deploy cunning tactics when it comes to ear time. She's a fast learner I can tell you so it is a constant battle to come up with new diversion tactics.

The House Elf is mooching which is not a good sign as for the moment I don't know where he is or what he is doing. He has a new hobby. It involves watching episodes of Gunsmoke & Rawhide in black & white. All I can hear upstairs is the sound of gunfire and they say today's TV is violent. It's nothing compared to old westerns I can tell you. It's now getting serious and I may have to have words as old episodes are clogging up the Sky + and I need room for my stuff on there.

Here's a good one for you. We had a card from the post office about a parcel with insufficient postage and that if we wanted it they needed £2.10 to free it. Off goes the House Elf to the sorting office and brings back the freed envelope. Guess who sent it? Create & Craft. it was 3 DVD's of one of my shows from the Pollyanna Pickering 4 Day Deal. To top it all there was NO POSTAGE at all paid on it.


So here's my card for today. I love the stamp. It's from Prima and I have 4 different dolls. I will be demonstrating this card on C&C next Thursday.

To create this card you will need:

• Perfect Papercrafting Companions Double CD ROM Set
• White card
• White paper
• 7" x 10" card blank
• Card Candi
• Foam pads
• Pinflair photoglue
• Prima Mixed Media Doll Stamp
• Archival ink pad black

1. Print out a background from the negative polka dots design sets in 2 colour choices
2. Stamp the Doll Stamp twice. Once on to white card and once onto one of the dotty backing papers
3. Cut a rectangle 21cms x 10cms from the second dotty paper. 
4. Mat this rectangle on to white card 22.2cms x 11cms and then onto black card 22.6cms x 11.5cms
5. Place this mat to the right hand side of your 7" x 10" card as illustrated.
6. Cut out the stamped image from the white card leaving a narrow border around the image
7. Cut out the doll's dress and hairband from the dotty image and using the photoglue adhere them in place on to the white stamed image. This is called paper piecing and is a great way of "colouring in" an image if you are not very good with colouring pens & pencils.
8. Place the stamped image in the centre of the rectangle
9. Print and cut out your alphabet tiles and place down the left hand side of the card. I find it helps to angle your letters and to put a different number of foam pads on every alternate letter.
10. Print and cut out a sentiment and add to the card.
11. Place your Card Candi at the top right and bottom left corners. Always use odd numbers.

Most of the elements used can be found on the Creative Crafting World website:
www.creativecraftingworld.co.uk

You will be pleased to know that I have now located the House Elf. He is mowing the lawn in the front garden.

Crafty hugs,
Lynda

I am on a roll but for how long?

Hi Folks,

Well it's day 3 and it's blog post 3 so I'm not doing too badly!. Today I received a present from my pal Sharon Duncan as she says I have been a very good girl lately although there are a few who would argue with that statement. She has sent me the first beta copy of our next CD ROM and it's a stunner. I gave you a sneaky peek yesterday and today I have made a card with said sneaky peek. Would you like to see it? I thought you would so here you are.

The CD ROM has winter scenes but it's not a Christmas CD ROM. Here I have used the design for a winter wedding card. I thought the church image fitted well with a wedding theme. to create a similar card you will need:

• An Elegant Frame Card 7" x 10"
• Black card
• White card
• White paper
• Black Card candi
• Small adhesive gems in crystal & black
• Flower embellishments
• Pinflair Photoglue
• Double sided foam pads
• A Winter Walk in the Countryside CD ROM (available soon)

1. Print out a backing paper and cut a rectangle approx 16.5cms x 12.5cms. Mat this onto a slightly larger rectangle cut from the black card (you need black card folks).
2. Using photoglue position the rectangle to the left of the Elegant frame card. I love these cards.
3. Print and cut out one of the circular toppers from the CD ROM and again mat it onto a slightly larger circle of black card
4. I made a frame for the topper using my Silhouette Cameo but you could get the same effect using Spellbinder dies or a circle cutter. I used white card to create the larger circle frame and mat gold card to create the inner frame. Use layers to make small toppers look larger.
5. There are several text editable sentiment toppers on the CD ROM one of which I have used for the wedding sentiment.
6. I added a pretty bow to the top of the card using the same backing paper design to "tie2 the card together
7. I completed the card by adding crystal gems to the flourish on the backing paper, 3 black gems to the sentiment and finally added some white flowers as a finishing touch.

Most of the items I have used can be found on the website www.creativecraftingworld.co.uk

Now folks I need a word. I can't promise that I can keep up a daily post but I will try my best. It's day 3 of my diet regime (day 2 really because the House Elf told me that there were only 360 calories in the meal I ate on Monday but when I checked the packaging to add it to my food diary there were double that amount. I was not a happy bunny I can tell you and had to have a Magnum to console myself!)

Maisie has now decided after 3 months that the new suite is not so bad for sitting on however she prefers her Dad's chair and the end of the sofa to her own chair. I think we may need to put the covers back on! She has had quite a busy day pretending to be a fierce guard dog when Geordie the window cleaner first turned up this morning but ended up sitting on his knee on the garden bench whilst he drank his tea. She then proceeded to frighten the life out the delivery driver but ended up beating him up with her tail which she wagged furiously from side to side once she had decided she quite liked him. I'm thinking of harnessing the power of the tail wagging to generate electricity. I hasten to add I will not be connecting her to the National Grid.

The House Elf is on his knees in the garden cursing the birds because they insist of knocking the bird seed off the bird table onto the ground where it germinates and makes his garden look messy. It gets him out in the fresh air so I don't know why he complains.

This has turned into an epic. Now you know why I don't "Tweet".

Craft hugs,
Lynda