Friday 30 April 2010

Going Solo!

My first crafty open day is now over, the stamp pads are not all put away yet and there is some paper and stash lying around but I have clocked off for the night!

I call it SOLO but to be honest without my crafty bezzie mate Chris and my mum whos is shhhhhhhhhh 81 tomorrow I couldnt hve done it.

I have had a great day, met some really nice people. I feel like I've had my crafty 'fix'even though it was MY day I loved it.
I thought you may like to see my make and takes, here is my first one

My second..

here is my third..



hope you like them!
I am now off to watch
Its complicated
The Time Travelers Wife
Couples retreat

Good luck to Kirsty on Creat and Craft in the morning

Thursday 29 April 2010

Crafty Open Day at my house!

Well its all systems go for tomorrow, the house is nearly ready, the doggies are all excited...(well they always look it!)

I am so sad my room is not properly finished for my crafty open day I had planned to get it all done but didnt realise what a mammouth task it was going to be....
Anyway I have been so busy busy but I have designed 3 lovely Make and Takes for the day (well I think they are!)
The show must go on as they say!

I will have my spotty bags for anyone to have a look at or buy if they like and I have some furnishing fabrics available to buy too!

Not of course fogetting all the stampin up crafting to be done goodies and samples to have a look at!

cash or cheques will be accepted on the day.

pop-in for a nice cuppa and a slice of cake!

Also Kirsty was supposed to be coming but she has a rush job on ready for Create and Craft on Saturday so she cant make it..booooooo!

If you can make it let me know so I can get enough cake......

Jane
xx

Wednesday 28 April 2010

5 steps forward 100 steps back....

****EDITED****
Sorry to be away for so long!!

I have been busy clearing and getting ready for my open day on Friday!

There have been a few other things going on and I may give you a sneak peek later on in the week....
Anyway,
Can anyone help, this table was perfectly organized...bu look at it now! anyone know how to craft in a tidy way?


Here is my storage soltion for all thoses wheels! I now have a few wheel storage boxes to sell if anyone wants them!


Anyone watching create and craft on Saturday please look out for this!!!.....so excited!


This has been made with a brand new CD designed by my mate Kirsty Wiseman, oh yes you read right!!! have printed her fabby designs onto paper that has fabric attached and made this little make-up back, the possibilities are endless........I hope to be stocking this printable fabric soon...keep looking!

Friday 16 April 2010

DAY 10 ish Operation craft room!

I am desperate to finish my room but its a big big job so I have asked for help...in the form of some fabby reading material!!

I love these magazines I surround myself in creative mess and read up on how people all over the world organise their space...think i'm getting something wrong...
it reminds me of my sister she used to eat Mars bars and read slimming magazines at the same time....
Where women create....love it...even Marie Osmand is in there.

Studios magazine, this this is my favourite, I buy every issue, it had Elsie Flannigan in the last issue who is a lovely crafter, quite 'alternative' but great.

The workbook called the organized and inspired scrapbooker has a step by step approach on how to sort out your space, it is pace with ideas and helps you work out what you need to make your space WORK rather than just making it nice. It went with an online workshop I did with 'Big Picture Scrapbooking' its amazing! its now out of print but I have 2 so if anyone would like one I am happy to sell it £20 plus P&P!

no idea why this pic will not loadthe right way round!

I still have loads to do ,I cant see the wood for the trees just yet!
Father-in -law is coming on Sunday to put some rails up, I found then in the back of room! can you believe I have all the tools but haven't used them!

I thought you m also like to see me old office chair...everyone should have a cow print fur chair I have noticed its a bit baggy on the seat..need to sort that out!..


see you next time





Wednesday 14 April 2010

A quick example of what you can do!

Here is a quick altered one!

I did this for my Lady 'K' stenciled with some fabic paint.

Hope you like it



CRAFT BAGS FOR SALE AND OPEN DAY!!!

I am having an open day on 30th April at my home.
I will be showing my spotty bags but mainly it will be a 'Stampin -up' event!
If you are curious about papercraft and stamping it would be lovely to see you for a cuppa and a bit of crafting!

The open day will start from 11am until 2pm there wll be a litle demo, some make and takes.
If you can make it please e-mail me or leave a message so I can get enough biscuits in!

Pencil-in the date, I will post the address etc very soon live in Cheshire.
xx


Canvas craft bags for sale!
I have a large number o craft bags for sale I dont have time to 'alter' them,
they are plain ready to 'alter' you can stamp them, add applique,paint add ribbons etc etc etc
I dont know the postage yet but the bag will be £3 plus P&P
colours:
pale pink
bright pink
brown
black
red
here is the pic!



first come first served!



Tuesday 13 April 2010

I have a secret......

Cant tell you yet but I have a secret and if all goes well I will be soooooooo happy (im really excited but keeping my glass half empty not half full!!)

well when I eventually got in the craft room today, its was really really cold but a nice big cardy on I have dashed about clearing and moving stuff.
I have so many books dotted around I have decided to put sewing/fabric books near my sewing space and card/mini book making near my cardmaking stuff!
May seem obvious but not to me they have been dumped EVERYWHERE!!!

I now have too many ribbon's for my drainpipe , too many punches for my punch rail
mmmmmmmmmmm will need to have a think....anyway what do you think of this? Its not wonky, opened the door and snapped the pic frm on step.

I was going to throw out this old CD holder bought ages ago from Ikea, I just tried a Stampin up stamp set in one of the holes, its PERFECT like a glove!
Its so narrow and so tall it can fit behind the door!, ive fixed t to the wall to be safe. I will have all the labels visible, eventually...My lovely girls mate Dyan Reavely had a massive studio jam packed with stash but she has a place for everything and everything in its place so you can
have a massive craft
trash the place
easily tidy it up!
Sorry Dy I have done that a few times!

Someone once said to me you need to organise as if it was kindergarten...good advice I just need to follow it!
hope you like this ideas.


Monday 12 April 2010

Progress report..

I wanted to let you know that there have been some developments but not worthy of A picture just yet.
I have made
A 'sell' box
A 'give away' box
A 'rubbish' box

I have made a fabby curtain for my table, can't wait to show you its really practical and of course spotty!

I have generally been sorting out but when YOU sort out do YOU make more mess like me?
hope so!
Kids go back tomorrow so I have a mountain of housework but I WILL be in the craft room!




Sunday 11 April 2010

Bags bags..

H,
I had a fab night last night, I met up with a group of girlies I hadn't seen all together for ages.Chris (my special crafty mate who I do see I the time) Annie (who makes me laugh EVERY time I see her) Geraldine ,Jo, Heather and the host Bridget. Great night.so nice to see everybody.
We laughed and laughed, ate nice food and drank.....perfect
The girls hadn't seen my new spotty bags so I took a couple with me and they loved them, so my room needs to be finished even more quickly because I have a load of new orders to make!

I sadly had to leave at 12 to pick hubby up who has man flu together with a bad throat, he was dosed up all night so he could go to the pub but the meds started to wear off so I picked him up in a taxi and took him home.
He is now still sleeping (its 11am Sunday) ad feeling rough.He was supposed to be on a big mountain bike ride which he loves but no chance today im afraid.
I cant wait for my room to be finished because I have so many plans, need to make lots and lots of samples, I am bimming with ideas as well as fabric. I am really excited, I have some trimming coming from Italy and am just sorting some new trimmings to come from France!!! how exciting and I have some gorgeous wool felt on he way...fab colours....
I dont want this to sound like an advert but some of you have asked me for my bag prices £25 for the medium (smaller with short handles) and £29 for the large (bigger with long handles) plus p&p!!
Post later operation craft room!!!!



Saturday 10 April 2010

Day 5 operation Craft Room

Hi again,
sorry about yesterday!!!
Ive been a bit busy today and have a few pics to share with you!
I HAD to add to my ribbon collection today, I was missing a through spotty and check ribbons, have a look what do you think?

Hear are some of my boxes, I have made a box just for felt, I LOVE felt and try to use it on my projects as often as possible. I have tons and tons of fabric pieces so a box was needed for that too!
I have made temporary labels until I get the lamina tor dusted off.

Here are my fabric pieces in their own cupboards and how fab when the doors are shut!!




Also I wanted to share a little stampin up notelet designed, I love this stamp so much found piece of whisper white carstock inked up my stamp with the lighter colour then just 'kissed' the edges with the dark colour then stamped the card randomly. I add the greeting then voila!!

I Will post the recipe tomorrow, I am going to see the girls tonight!! I very rarely go out at all let alone twice in one weekend!



Friday 9 April 2010

Want to see a Cockerpoo?

I am so sorry I have not posted today, I was planning to do lots tonight and post my accomplishments
but
My very very close pal Annie who cannot come into my house for more than a minute without sneezing uncontrollably, she leaves the house with runny red eyes like you have never seen because of our 2 dogs. Harvey is Cocker Spaniel and Nix is a rescue from the dogs home and for anyone my age or older she looks like 'freeway' from 'heat to heart'....
I love my dogs soooo much and even though we now have the girls I still adore my dogs. Annie has never really had the luxury of a dogs because of her allergies and also ALL the family are the same.



Today I had a text from her with a picture of a puppy on it....I was very shocked and equally confused? is this joke I said? she replied with a no its her new puppy!
I could not believe it, how? what? when? etc etc etc!!!

I HAD to go round just for a quick look and 6 hours later we left and have just got into bed, Im up at 8am to go and get a ribbon stash from my supplier!!
Anyway It is a dog a bit like the new breeds like a Labradoodle (Labrador and poodle) buts It a Cockerpoo!!! OMG cant believe it,so very very cute, never heard of it but how gorg!
here is 'Lady C' in hr new 'Fame' fancy dress outfit clearly showing where she has cut her hair "because it was sticking up!!!" with Dexter the new 16 week pup, it has been bread for people like their family Annie Jo Sam and Tom who are asthmatic and allergic to animals.....ohhhh are 3 dogs too many?????.....................
will resume duties in the morning



Thursday 8 April 2010

DAY 3 operation craft room....



Hi again,
thanks for all your support both on ILWS and on here, Its a bit like being a Weight Watchers....I have to keep it up!! (I actually joined weight watchers today too!)
Well with my ribbon stash comes my Stampin up ribbon which I like to keep separate so I have a litte wooden unit, its not quite oganised yet but its in place and ready!

And of course what do we do with all those bits of ribbon we cant thow away..I have a jar of pink,red,green,blue,brown/cream,black/white,orange/yellow,purple and a little jar of buttons too, the containers above need sorting but they are work in progress.

sadly no helpers today and had to bob out for a haircut as well as fat club! then took the dogs for a walk round the park and they both found the biggest water hole! they were soaked the park was terrible it was that wet there were ducks floating on it!
anyway I will stop waffling, see you tomorrow


Wednesday 7 April 2010

DAY 2 OPERATION CRAFT ROOM......



WELL DAY 2 of operation craft room....I took loads of advise and decided to call in the troops......some may call it child labour I can it a little'get together' of friends....

for some reason I can't upload another picture but to be honest it all looks a bit 'work in progress I couldn't spend as much time a I hoped today, the kids are still off and we had to take hubby's car for a repair and no on was around to give us a lift back home so in usual cresswell style we all dressed as if we were on a expedition, Lady 'c' had a rucksack with essentials in it and lady 'K' had her furry boots on and furry coat on and off we went....it was kind of a posh expedition because we stopped at M and S for lunch.....but never the less, off we went.... 2 and a half hours later we made it home andlived to tell the tale.
Anyway back to operation craft room Day 2..
I wold like to thank, so much, Grace, Pien and Lady 'K' for all their help and I look forward to them resuming tomorrow....





Tuesday 6 April 2010

Shame shame shame on me........


A hard decision has been made!
I am lucky to have a big craft room but I never know where to stop with my crafting and business....which is why it is always such a mess....
I am a Interior Designer, craft designer/maker, craft teacher as well as being Stampin Up demonstrator!
Some may say Jack of all trades master of none........but I say thats not true! I love to try everything creative, I love the smell of fabric the twinkle of glitter the ease of rubber stamping. My passions are vast, I love colour colour colour (and often dress in black but thats a 'fat' thing..)
I love:
sewing-anything
my fabby bag making
Felt making
screen printing
mini books
tassel making
and love to share what I know.

When I was made redundant from my job as an Interior Design Manager ,in charge of new Showhomes, it gave me a opportunity to do what I love, dont get me wrong I LOVED designing showhomes but that role has dried up with the property market and there are things I would love to do more...
So
Back to the decision...

I am saying goodbye to Interior Design, my furnishing fabrics are being sold (not the bag making stuff!), if interested give me a shout and my sample books are going and my room is being transformed!!
here is the shame bit.....every day for as long as it takes I will be posting a picture of my room....any suggestions will be very welcome.

I need :
1-Stampin up area
2-Sewing Area (domestic sewing machine overlocker and monogram machine)
3-My Industrial sewing machine area
4-large high cutting/storage area
5-books/mags area

I will be selling stuff as I go along too so keep poste for a bargain.