February looks very busy!

I know it's not really a proper Blog Post, but I thought once a month I would do a post letting you all know where I am going to be doing demo's and workshops, so that if you are in the area and wanted to pop along and have some crafty fun!

• 1st February - Coleman's Craft Warehouse Big Demo Day
• Now I have to admit that this is one of my favourite craft places of all time! The shop, the staff, the customers and the cake make it a fantastic day out! The warehouse opens from 8am and the demo's start at 10am. I normally arrive at 8am, get set up and then spend the next hour or so shopping! This month I will be playing (I mean demoing) some fabulous products from Pinflair including Gentle Blends, Buff It together with a few dies thrown in for good measure!
• 8th February - Pickwells Craft
• This is another great day out for all the family - it is a Pick Your Own, Garden Centre and Craft Shop all in one! I will be doing 2 workshops, one in the morning and then repeated in the after noon. The workshop will be using Tattered Lace dies and images from the various "Fabulous" range of CD's from Katy Sue Designs. For more information, contact Pickwells direct
• 15th February - Coleman's Craft Warehouse
• Twice in once month! This time I will be doing workshops, 2 different workshops, so you can either just come along for the morning or the afternoon, or stay all day! I will be using the same products  from the Big Demo Day on the 1st February - contact the Warehouse direct to book, or book online HERE
• 16th February - Stitches Trade Show
• I will be visiting the trade show at the NEC to have a look around to see what new products are being launched and what products I will "need" !!!! This is not open to the public
• 22nd February - Pantiles Papertole Crafts, Books & Games
• My monthly visit to my local craft shop. I really do think that it is important to support your local craft shops as I tend to find that they have knowledgeable staff and are able to offer lots of free advice. This month I will be playing (damn! I keep say playing when I mean demoing!) some lovely new products from Claritystamp. The free demo in the morning runs from 9.30am until midday and then there is a workshop from 1pm until 3.30pm - contact Val direct for more information
• 23rd February - Jo Channon Shop
• This will be my first visit to this lovely shop, owned and run by the very talented Jo Channon who you will all know from Create & Craft - not sure of the exact details yet, apart from the fact I will be using products from Pinflair - as soon as I have more information I will post it here

Well, that is February taken care of!

In the lead up to each of the dates, I will try and post some samples on here and on Facebook!

Happy Crafting

Paul x

Shaggy Dog Tails from Katy Sue Designs!

If you get the chance to either tune in live or record the shows, the lovely Noreen McKie of Katy Sue Designs launches a fabulous crafting CD Rom called Shaggy Dog Tails.

The live shows are on Create & Craft TV at 10am and 3pm Sky 671 and Freeview 36

The CD is available from Create & Craft or direct from Katy Sue Designs

This CD is user friendly and is suitable for Mac and PC use as it consists of a simple folder system, with easy click and print PDF’s as well as png’s to allow crafters the opportunity to resize in graphics programs.
Shaggy Dog Tails is packed with toppers, sentiments, frames, backing papers, rocker cards, digi stamps, alphabet, kennel cards and even a collection of quick cards if you're crafting on the run!

Here are some samples I made for the launch:

I hope you can tune in!

Paul x

What is it with Barbara Gray!

Well what can I say, the last few times I have met up with my very good friend Barbara Gray of Claritystamp, things do not go according to plan!

Firstly there was the "sausage roll" incident. A few weeks ago, I popped round to drop off a few samples for the Clarity upcoming TV show. When I arrived, Barbara was in the middle of showing her daughter Grace (who was visiting from the USA) how to make a Spag Bol (The Gray Way!), anyway Barbara knew what a fussy eater I am, so prior to my arrival, she popped some sausage rolls in the Aga. As the evening progressed and they sat down to enjoy what they had just made, a smell of burning started to fill the kitchen and the realisation dawned, that something was happening in the Aga! Brave Dave (Barbara's other half) jumped to attention, grabbed a t-towel, flung open the Aga door and appeared with what looked like charcoal briquettes ready for the BBQ! The kitchen door was flung open and the cremated sausage rolls deposited in the garden.

For the full story, check out Barbara's Blog HERE

What she didn't tell you on her blog was that as I was leaving, I tripped over the cremated debris and nearly caused myself an injury!!!!

So, then on Saturday just gone, I was doing my first demo of the year at my local craft shop Pantiles Papertole Crafts, Books and Games in Tunbridge Wells

where I was doing a bit of Zentangling using Clarity Stamps and Stencils and we had a visit from the lovely lady herself, Barbara Gray. Somehow during the course of the demonstration, the scarf that I managed to make earlier in the week managed to be turned into a hat and on my head!

Here are some other pictures from the mornings entertainment!

To see what happened afterwards, check out Barbara's Blog HERE

Now, here's my dilema - I am due to pop round and see Barbara one evening this week - should I be worried?!?!?!?!?

Paul x

All Ballooned Out!

After one of my samples was shown on Barbara Gray's TV show on Create & Craft the other week, I have had some requests on how I made it, so I thought I would do a step-by-step and the thinking behind my crafty madness!

So, go grab a coffee, tea, glass of wine, get comfortable and I shall begin!

This is the finished card

Ingredients:

Clarity Stamp Filigraphy Balloon

Clarity A4 Theuva Card

Pitch Black Adirondack Ink Pad

Post It Notes

Selection of Graph 'It Pens, Promarkers or pens/pencil of your choice

Pencil

Ruler

Rubber

Scissors

Firstly, let me explain the method behind the madness! Whenever I get a new stamp, I take a pile of A4 copy paper and a black inkpad and I just stamp it out and then turn the paper and see how it looks from different directions. So once I have done this, I always start off by making a cross shape - now I am not worried about getting a perfect impression, as I am just "playing" (that's my excuse for the poor stamping below!!!)

 Then I start to overlay the stamp in the empty spaces

Until I have completed the full pattern - depending on the design, you can see other patterns forming - can you see the star around the black blob?

So once I am happy with the layout, I start to get technical! Take a ruler and measure across the design allowing for a border each side

Next take some Post-it notes (2 or 3 stuck together) stamp out the balloon and cut out to create your masks

I only needed 2 for this card but ended up with 3 (a back up just in case!)

Next take a piece of the A4 Theuva Card and cut down to a 20cm square as per the pic with the ruler in. Then take a ruler and pencil and draw lines as indicated below (I have used a black pen as it is easier for you to see)

Then ink up your stamp and stamp it as below - you can see that the lines help me position the stamp and allows me to repeat the line up more easily

You can see from the first stamped impression that the centre of the balloon is lined up perfectly with the vertical line and the top of the basket is lined up with the horizontal line

I find that it is easier, to turn your artwork rather than your stamp, repeat and create the cross like you did when you was "playing"

Next, take 2 of your masks and position on 2 of the stamped images as indicated below

Like before, line your stamp up with the vertical line and horizontal lines. Repeat until you have created your pattern as below

Let the artwork stand few a few minutes to ensure that it is completly dry and then rub out the pencil marks

Next we are going to create the middle part. Stamp out the top part of the balloon 4 times and cut off the top as indicated below on all 4

Take 2 of them and stick them together as indicated below - take a step back and look at the image below - can you see that it would make a fabulous butterfly!

Repeat with the other 2 and they lay them on top of one another as below

Now you can take your time and add some colour - I would suggest stamping the balloon out a couple of times so that you can test your colours before starting on your finished design!

I hope that the above makes sense and has been of use - if you have any questions, then give me a shout!

Happy crafting :-)

Paul 

All Tangled Out!

What a fabulous start to the crafty year with a great demo/workshop at my local craft shop Pantiles Papertole, Craft & Games in Tunbridge Wells. 

I loved playing with some of the Clarity Stamps and doing a bit if tangling - see my post from Thursday to see some of the samples I made. Late morning the lovely Barbara Gray popped in for a coffee and had a bit of a natter with the crafty ladies, she even showed them how to do a bit of tangling as well! As well as showing everyone how to tangle, I also showed them the lovely scarf I made and how easy it was to knit. Somehow, the scarf managed to make its way onto my head and became a hat! All of sudden the craft shop was full of flashes from people taking pictures which will no doubt appear on Facebook and Blogs very soon!

Anyway after a short break it was down to the basement for the workshop

Left to right - Heather, Ann & Mary with there finished pieces of tangles!

 Left to right - Judy, Janet & Clare with there finished pieces of tangles!

 Anne & Elaine with there finished pieces of Tangles

Now don't forget, if you see the pic of me with a scarf on my head - it wasn't me!!

Don't forget to check back tomorrow for a mega blog with step by step instructions on how I made this card

Paul x

A bit of a tangle!!!

Well I must admit that I am enjoying all this Blogging! I hope that you don't get too bored with all my crafty ramblings!

This Saturday (18th January 2014) is my first demo/workshop of 2014 and it is my lovely local craft shop Pantiles Papertole Crafts & Games Shop in Tunbridge Wells. Now this is no ordinary craft shop, it is run by a lovely husband, wife and son team who are all responsible for different areas of the shop - Val is in charge of Crafts & Games, Steve is in charge of the 1,000's of books and prints and Matt is in charge of a fabulous selection of speciality coffee, teas and old fashioned sweets! If you are ever in Tunbridge Wells and you have time to visit The Pantiles which is part of old town, then make sure you pay them a visit.

So, back to this Saturday, just before Christmas, I asked the crafty ladies who attend the demos/workshops what they would like to do in 2014.One of the suggestions was Zentangle. Zentangle is a fancy name for doodling and is also a "marmite" type of technique, you either love it or hate it! Zentangle has been around for years and years, but I was introduced to it a few years back by the very talented Barbara Gray of Claritystamp (who also happens to be based not far from Tunbridge Wells!) when I watched her on Create & Craft TV doing a demo with her fabulous stamps and this wonderful technique - a few months later and crafters up and down the UK had taken it under their wings and it was back in "fashion".

So what a good way to kick off 2014 than with some fabulous Claritystamp stamps and some Zentangle - now if you Google this you will get pages and pages and pages of ideas and inspiration, below are my interpretations of this technique as I know that when I come to do the workshop in the afternoon the "marmite" effect will kick in, so I wanted to show some alternatives and how different they all look!

So if you are not into random Zentangling/Doodling then why not try drawing lines in different directions.

If you are around on Saturday morning and are nearish to Tunbridge Wells, why not pop along, as I hear we may be getting a special visitor!

Happy Crafting

Paul x

Katy Sue Designs - CHA World Premier Launch

Katy Sue Designs are currently exhibiting at the CHA Mega Trade Craft Show in California where they are doing a World launch of a number of fabulous products, both for paper crafters and cake makers alike!

You may have seen the lovely Noreen McKie live on Create & Craft earlier today showing some fabulous samples and demonstrations.

The new silicone moulds are perfect for cake makers and paper crafters - for paper crafters you can use UTEE, Hot Glue, Martha Stewart Air Dry Clay plus lots more.

The moulds are exclusive to Create & Craft until 31st January

In addition to the fabulous moulds, there are 2 stamps sets that can be used in conjunction with some of the moulds, or independently and are available either from Katy Sue Designs or Create & Craft

Below are some samples I made for the launch

Thanks for stopping by

Paul x