Where Did That Week Go?

I can't believe it has been a week since I last blogged ... such a busy and totally fabulous week!
We had The Tim Holtz ArtsyCrafts extravaganza ... but then lots of you knew that ... coz you were there :0)
For those of you that were n't ... I did n't have time for loads of pictures ... so I am going to nick them from other people's blogs and fill you in on all the goss later this week! I could n't wait to tell you that ... I had dinner ... with Lord Tim of Holtz and Mario ... Cool huh? I say ... erm ... dinner ... I actually mean we ate out ... of the same ... erm ... pizza box when we were setting up for the event :0)
Anyways ... I digress ... This week at Simon Says Stamp and Show the theme is Ephemera. I have taken lots of Lord Tim of Holtz goodies and used them to decorate this 5" canvas! You know Tim ... the man that can sail the seven seas ... all at the same time while rescuing any endangered marine life with just a Distress Stain and a reflections stamp!
Our very generous site sponsor ... Simon Says Stamp is once again giving away a $50 shopping spree ... cool ... Huh?
As you can see ... there is a whole lot of cutting out that has gone into this piece ... so Mr and Mrs Sizzix ... or indeed just Mr Sizzix ... or ... erm ... Mrs Sizzix ... I really don't mind which ... but could you get a wriggle on ... I need that rain man die ... kind of like ... erm ... now ... 23rd March at the very latest ... because John shall definitely be needing to buy it for my birthday!
Anyways chaps and chappesses I must away ... it is 1.35am here and I really need some zzzzzzzzzzz's.
Laters!

Just Sometimes ...

... the words on a text stamp speak to me! Not out loud you understand ... I am not completely barking ... and this was one of those occasions.

The theme over at Simon Says Stamp and Show this week is Stripes. So I started out armed with three very conservative looking men ... a handmade mask and The Wendy Vecchi's fabulous Pin Stripes! Then ... I used the text and the whole Art Part ... well ... it changed direction! Hopefully I managed to capture the limits of reality and the boundlessness of imagination ... hopefully!

Yes ... the words and the three very handsome chappies are indeed Lord Tim of Holtz's new stamps ... I used them again on this here tag ... I Loooooooooooooove them! You know Tim ... the man that can make time stand still while redesigning the world's landscape with just a game spinner and a sprocket!

The prize for the challenge is indeed another whacking great Simon Says Stamp $50 shopping voucher!

Saw the Lord Tim yesterday ... just got to work out how to get the photos from my IPhone on to this here computer and then I shall share!

Laters!

Two More Sleeps!

It's a good day! Firstly ... it's Friday ... which is a great day in itself! Secondly ... I have been playing all day ... mainly with Tags ... Lord Tim's new stamps ... Colour washes and a bit of this and a bit of that! Thirdly ... in just two more sleeps I will get to see Lord Tim of Holtz demoing at Stitches on Sunday ... and I cannot wait!

You know Tim ... the man that can snorkel for hours on end... without a snorkel ... rescuing ickle biddy plankton from big greedy fish while conversing with Tiger Sharks ... in a bid to save them from extinction ... with just a single jump ring and a smidge of Olive Archival Ink.

Of course ... Stitches is just the start of a wonderful Timmy filled week ... Sunday = Stitches ... Tuesday = QVC and Thursday and Friday = ArtsyCrafts ... Does life get any better? I don't think so :0)

Laters!

Not Just for Christmas!

Oh no people ... Lord Tim of Holtz's Christmas tags are not just for Christmas! They are also for when you need to make summink and have a bit of a crisis in the old Mojo department!

Thank you Lord Tim of Holtz ... you saved the day! You know Tim ... the man that can calm Thunder and sweet talk lightening while resting on a cloud, socialising with the Angels, with just a spritz of Stream Colorwash and a dab of a Cranberry Dabber!

The theme over on Simon Says Stamp and Show this week is Stamp and Show a tag ... pretty simple you would think ... but after one, second viewing, not showing and the second viewing which was only a first viewing turned up an hour late ... still with me? Well ... I had lost all manner of patience, time and indeed Mojo! So I have done a Valentine's version of Tim's Xmas 2010 Tag number 9.

Anyways ... the tag is made with a healthy array of Lord Tim of Holtz products and if you head over to the Simon Says Stamp and Show blog ... you will not only discover the fabulous $50 giveaway donated by Simon Says Stamp ... but you will also discover that we are on the look out for another Design Team Member ... Fancy it? Well ... What are you waiting for?

Oh ... Before you go ... Don't forget to say "Hi" ... there is no sign yet of the sack full of Valentines that I am expecting ... so, quite frankly, it will be good to have something else to read :0)

Laters!

And the Winner is ...

Drum Roll Please!

The winner of the Winged Things II stamp set as selected my Mr Random Generator is number 15 ...

Which by my calculations is:-

Biskit said...

oooh, muppet away Linda! LOL. I could give them a lovely home and lots of paints and inks to play with

Congratulations! Contact me with your full postal address and I will mail them tomorrow!

And if you did n't win ... don't worry ... there WILL be a next time :0)

Free to a Good Home! **Winner Announced**

My lovely friend was having a bit of a clear out ... so I went round with a handful of a cash and ... erm ... helped her off load so to speak! It was like Christmas I tell you! Anyways in all the excitement ... I managed to purchase this stamp set ... for ... erm ... a second time!

So there you have it ... I am officially a muppet and this poor little set is laying unwanted and unused and feeling rather neglected in my craftroom!

Yes ... it is one of Lord Tim of Holtz's ... which means great quality ...you know Tim ... the man that can glide over the moon in his lunch hour ... without wings ... while feeding the world's bird population with just a spot of reinker and the lid from a Glossy Accents bottle!

Have you got it?

If not ... Do you want it?

If you do ... all you need do is leave a comment and I will pull a name out of a hat on Sunday night and ship it off to you on Monday!

Seriously ... it is that simple ...

Left-Overs!

It has dawned on me that I am going to sound like a right snooty wotsit when I tell you that I don't "do" left-overs! I can't help it! If I could I would ... it drives John to distraction ... but I just can't!

It is probably best if I explain here what I consider to be a left-over! Okay ... so you open a packet of ham ... use a slice ... put the remaining ham back in the fridge ... the ham in the fridge is now left-overs ... and I won't eat it! Don't look at me like that! I know it's bad! I know people are starving! I just can't help it!

Sometimes I would love to revisit a plateful of Chinese takeaway that I could n't eat at the first sitting ... but the truth is ... as soon as it goes cold ... well it's left-overs ... and I cannot bring myself to eat it!

What a waste? I hear you cry ... and you are absolutely right ... but I just cannot help it! Having said all that ... Chocolate is never left-over and can always be returned to!

Okay ... so now I shall get to the point ... the point is ... this piece is made entirely of left overs ... the left over embossed card stock from my Valentine box ... left over brads from my journal box ... left over Grunge paper from my class kits ... even the frame was half painted and discarded ... the god of left overs would be right chuffed with me today ... I can tell you!

If you are wondering about the lush colours ... well they are Lord Tim of Holtz Adirondack Color washes ... you know Tim ... the man that turn the sea from salt water into chocolate while transforming the clouds into Candy Floss with just a new Mini Mister bottle and a single Idea-ology Foliage element!

Course I would n't be able to swim in the chocolate Sea ... or indeed eat it ... because someone else would have touched it first ... and that is a whole nother issue!

Laters!

All Loved Up!

I know that John is at the end of many a joke on this here blog! I know that he does n't really believe me when I tell him I got a pair of Uggs in L.A for a tenner ... or indeed a Pandora bracelet for 12.50 ... he just plays along!

He rarely gets annoyed at anything I do ... even when I moan because he is playing golf all day and then going out with the lads afterwards ... yet I just spring things on him ... like ... erm ... I am going to L.A for a week!

I don't really do the whole This is my life jobby on here but ... several years ago I was struck down with an illness and for about a year ... I could hardly get out of bed ... let alone leave the house ... never once did John complain about having to do ALL the household chores and look after me. And even though I am back on my feet ... he still does them ... and yet he never complains ... Oh ... and he makes THE best rice pudding ... even though he does n't like it ... He really is my perfect man!

So when it comes to Valentines Day ... I like to spoil him a bit. This year's card is indeed a box. I have used a plain old box and decorated it with ample amounts of Lord Tim of Holtz goodies ... you know Tim ... the man that can create a beautiful sunset while calming the world's oceans with just a dot of Distress Re-Inker and a Grungepaper flourish.

I did n't stop there people ... oh no ... I have cut 101 pieces of 6.5cm squared card ... rounded each corner and decorated each one with Distress Inks and sprays and sequin waste and Gold Krylon and hearts ... and on each one I have written a reason for loving him! On the very top one is Elizabeth Barrett Browning's ... I do I love thee ... let me count the ways!

I truly went  to sooooo much trouble ...

He better get me a Biiiiiiiig present :0)

Anyways ... enough with all the lovey stuff ... The card on the outside of the box is embossed which tied in very nicely with the Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge this week. The theme is ... Embossing! Do come and join in the fun ... you may even win a $50 Simon Says Stamp Voucher!

Righty-Ho then ...

Laters!

CHA 2011 - Slideshow (hopefully!)

Blimey ... this took for-ages ... but I am feeling smugger than smug-smug right now!
I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I did taking them ... fraid some of them are n't the best quality ... still getting to grips with the camera on my IPhone!
Laters!

Edit: Okay ... so I am feeling a little less smug now! The slide show works on my laptop but not on my PC ... so if you can't see anything ... just click on view all ... and you should then be able to see the Photo bucket album with the pictures in ... very sorry *Note to self ... Must try harder!*

What you doing Saturday?

I know ... you are right ... this is a blatant plug! I have some unexpected places at my "Any Sentiment" workshop on Saturday. I can guarantee a spot of card making ... copious amounts of hot beverages and chocolate ... and hopefully a bit of fun along the way too!

So if you are not doing anything and fancy joining me at L.B Crafts with a fabulous group of other crafters then full details can be found here.

For those of you that are unfamiliar with Olney ... it is a beautiful little town which is a just short bus ride from Milton Keynes train station... oh yes and it's always sunny there ... well nearly always :0)

So ... if you fancy joining us ... then just telephone The Lovely Karen on 01234 714848 ... Go on! You know you want to!

Laters!

A Few of My favourite Things!

If you were hoping to find a post that actually makes sense … I think you may be a tad disappointed! I am sooooooo tired … I have no idea how long I have been up … but I have no intention of going to bed yet either … I plan on beating the jet lag!

Watching telly is not working for me right now … even with the lovely Harry from Silent Witness on … so I have decided to blog a few of my favourite piccies from CHA instead!

The Ranger booth really was busting at the seams with inspirational loveliness and so was the Idea-ology stand and of course, Stampers Anonymous … so here you have it … a few of the beauties that really captured my imagination.

I am hoping that after a good nights sleep I may even be able to put together a slide show … of all the pictures I took … 151 at my last count … but I also have a few hundred other jobs to do … you know what it’s like after a few days away!

John was well impressed with my purchases … he cannot believe how reasonably priced the shopping is in L.A! Especially with names like UGG and Pandora :0)

I am off to play with my new Sharpie Markers … I reckon they should keep me awake for a little while longer!

Laters!

Friends, Fame and Farewells!

  Well … My first visit to CHA is over … I still have a gazillion pictures to show you guys … you will tell me when you are bored … won’t you?

Today was time to say our goodbyes … but before I get to that part … I need to introduce you to a wonderful group of people … The team at Simon Says Stamp … now you guys already know that I LOVE Heidi … and over lunch I got to meet face to face with her team … we often share email conversations … but it was great to put faces to the words!

In the picture from left to right … here is Lols … Me … Heidi … Steph and Sarah. We also had the pleasure of meeting the very handsome Brad/George Clooney lookalike … Mr Heidi aka Jason! Thank you guys … the wonderful Lin and I had a fab time!

The fame part takes me to the Prima booth … I totally missed it at first … but lookie … I was included in one of the sample lay outs … designed by the very talented Julie Fei-Fan Balzer. Totally cool and some beautiful words in the hidden journaling … I know … who would have thought … little ole me!

As we left it was big hugs all round … Mario … LOVE that guy … calls me Julia now don’t ya know! Lord Tim of Holtz … you know Tim … the man that can travel first class by cloud while sprinkling sunshine over the entire state of L.A with just an Idea-ology jump ring and a gadget gear! Thank you Lord Tim … for not calling security once even though I spent the last three days stalking you! THE Wendy Vecchi … Great to see you as always Wendy … hope you are feeling better soon! Dyan … for always smiling, Suze for all the shopping tips and finally to all my friends from Ranger U and the Paper & Co show in Paris … Lia, Joan, Heidi, Melissa and Melissa, Tammy, Dina, Natalie, Celine, Julie, Vicky, Patti, Jackie and everyone else … I had a ball! No farewell but a BIG Thanks goes to the Wonderful Lin Brown … she really has done an amazing job of putting up with an over excited me … for nearly a week!

Okay … that is the love fest over … here are some more pictures of yummy stuff that we saw along the way … Must go … I have a case to pack!

Laters!