Crafting in No Time

I thought I had better post before we're into Christmas! As usual, where has the time gone? Crafting has continued as usual, making cards to send to folks and doing a project fortnightly at the craft group.

I made a shrink plastic new home card as an example of colouring-in the rubber stamped image, and the group experimented with different shapes to hang on lobster clasps for handbags or keyrings.

The craftystudy was yet again tidied and I do seem to have more clear surfaces to work on.

Ruth and I did our twice-yearly visit to the craft fair - as usual tiring but enjoyable. Parking is the biggest difficulty, involving avoiding the rain! However, we had plenty of rests and I made a hanging star under Damselfly Ann's supervision.

Decopatch Star for Evan's Room

Ruth resting at the Decopatch Stall by Damselfly

Two tired crafters

The Rain Stopped

Alice's Purchases

Teabag folding came out to play for Christmas and made a nice simple card on embossed backgrounds.

Teabag Christmas Tree

Ink dusting is always popular with the group and combined well with a diecut Nativity in various colours.

Card for a friend from the past

We have been trying various combinations of simple ink dusting and rubber stamping.

Santa over Glasgow Skyline

You might wonder what a packet of bran has to do with the craft group...Ruth shared the recipe for All-Bran Tea Loaf...well, baking is being creative, isn't it? Did you watch the Great British Bake-Off?

Ingredient for Ruth's Recipe

However, we did actually make a decoupage Christmas card to add to our (hopefully) growing collection of cards to send this year.

Layout with the decoupage only

Our Grandsons Leo and Evan keep us occupied - just wait till they're into crafting! Meanwhile it's keeping their hands off the craft equipment that's the job in hand.

Evan grows apace and enjoyed a recent firework display to promote local businesses.

Bang!

You might notice that all my blog images now have a Pinterest button. I have started putting various photos and videos on my own Boards so I might meet you there whilst pinning your stuff! Bye for now.

Back again!

We had another ink dusting evening at our craft group. Ruth had previously shown us how to make little ink-dusted pictures on Spellbinders shapes so I thought 'Christmas'! and devised Romantic Rectangle shapes with ink dusting right across both pieces and the card to give a one piece pinky-toned night sky. Sheena Douglass Christmas tree stamp fitted one shape and Inkylicious Night Before Christmas on the other. Both were glitter-stickled and lo! one card completed.

Twas the Night Before Christmas...

Some of my recent cards:

To mark my Son's 1st Father's Day

My Son and Daughter-in-law's 3rd Anniversary

My Special Daughter-in-law's Birthday

Ruby Wedding

Next up is Hobbycrafts and Crafts for Christmas at the SECC down by the Clyde! This weekend! We're off, and hope our energy holds out...

To Shop or not to Shop

Blog prompt #24

Are you more of a fan of craft shopping online or do you believe in supporting your bricks and mortar shop.

Well, as I blogged yesterday, I like to support my real shop, Craft World, because there is so much more effort required to keep a retail shop open.  Online shops can often be more competitively-priced but then we could lose our convenience of just having a browse and a good sit-down with a cuppa.


Talking about online crafts shops, I use craftsUprint a lot because of the card-making variation from easy to difficult! Also CuddlyBuddly, the Glitterpot, Crafters Companion and Joanna Sheen for supplies. In fact it is far too easy to buy online! Docrafts, of course, has loads of products on display, and as you know, I particularly like their John Byars rubber stamps.


Of course, I love the twice-yearly ICHF Hobbycrafts Fair at the SECC in Glasgow, and it is so local for us.  The only thing is it is so tiring, it has to be done in short bursts with lots of sitting down, since Ruth and I both have mobility issues. Last time I spotted someone with something which I thought would make my craft shopping easier, and also transport stash to craft group, (that's my excuse anyway). As it was out of stock, I purchased this wheeled trolley on eBay.  It is a Crafter's Companion purple laptop-type suitcase, which can take my crafting bag (with all basic tools) linked on the handle.  In it there is loads of room for my cutting mat, scoreboard, A4 card, alcohol pens and all the project extras needed for the evening.  The only thing better than it would be one of those trolleys with a seat on it!

Craft Fair Spring 2012

It's that time of twice-a-year again when we visit the SECC in Glasgow for the ICHF Hobbycraft fair - oh fun!


The highlight has surely got to be visiting CraftyBob at the CraftsUprint (see link on right-hand side of Blog) stall! 

We both got the brand new golden bag, as well as the purple craft bag, when we bought the lovely paper for printing on the cUp designs.

 We were rubber-stamped as crafters who had found CraftyBob!

We had great fun poring over everything.  I ordered Stampin' Up scallop and smooth oval greeting punches, as I am always borrowing Ruth's! 

The rest of my loot included self-assemble shelves for five A4 boxes, now placed near my printer, and pearlised red card for Christmas. Then there was baby decoupage and rubber stamps (guess who's going to be Grannies!!), tree metal stencil and nestability-type die-cut frames, cuttlebug borders, stickles, foam tape, silicone, desktop mini-tote (turquoise for me, pink for Ruth).

Ruth added Rock-a-blocks (rubber stamping) and more card to her purchases.

We were fascinated by the Inkylicious brushes which achieved the distressing/brayering effects. Memento ink pads (Tim Holtz distress inks, Adirondack and Versafine pads) are used.  Afterwards we had the cheek to buy more rubber stamps from the website! Well, it does produce results like these ones demonstrated on their stand: 

So a good time was had by all.  Hope you've enjoyed sharing it with us.

08.28 GMT

After our Charity dinner yesterday evening (which was excellent), craftywhippet and I are so looking forward to the Craft Fair at Glasgow SECC today - the rest of the craft group have boldly gone before and sussed out the bargains - we have the stall numbers in our hot little fists...I'm off shortly to collect her and, yes, it's raining-->-->-->--> 

by farazilu

This photo is selected for Google Earth - ID: 42510400