Well Hello There......

It's been a while

I may very likely be blogging to myself here as you may all have gone awy as its been so long since my last visit.
What can I say!!!
You know how technologically challenged I am and I'm once again having problems uploading photos but on top of that my work load has gone crazy in the last few months. Now I'm not complaining at that but it does mean I've had less chance to come here and chat to you all but that is gonna change!! It's now the 1st March and I'm gonna conscious make time here because you've followed me for so long that you all deserve to be kept up to date with what's going on.
So, where to start ......
My work with Hunkydory is going amazingly and I'm loving every minute of it. I'm now the main presenter for the USA shows and I travel to London to film those, but you will have me on your UK screens this coming weekend. I was lucky enough to demonstrate fr them at the trade show recently with some amazing brand new products, so watch out for those in the near future
Mine and Hels Sheridan's Ink Buds Events have been a great success so all is good there. We have an event coming up in Preston on the 12/13th March  with some places still available if you are interested. Another in Coventry to be announced soon
I've also done some workshops for Daisy Jewels and Crafts and have another booked for the 19th March which will be using Tim Holtz stamps
Right I will leave you to digest all this information and will return very soon and hopefully with photographs too xxxxx

The Ink Buds Weekender

I am so excited to be able to share with you some grand news!!!   My very special friend, Hels Sheridan and I have joined together to form The Ink Buds.   Our aim is to travel around the UK teaching Weekender Workshops, bringing our love of all things inky, messy, arty, painty and crafty to venues local to you.
Our very first Weekender is to be held at Daisy's Jewels and Crafts, Exhall, Coventry on 23rd and 24th January 2016. There will be two classes over the weekend - we have decided that you can book the classes separately if you cannot make the whole weekend - that way you don't have to miss out. If you are interested in joining us for our very first event, please pop Hels an email and she can  send all the details over to you.  Spaces are filling up fast so if you are looking for something to banish those January blues, please do let me know.

I do hope that you will be able to join us - and if you are interested in us visiting your neck of the woods, please do drop me a line to let me know... and we can add your area to our list of places to visit!
We are sooo very excited to be doing this new venture together 

Well It's Been A While....

I'm surprised if anyone is still here!!
So much has been happening and I've been really busy with Demos Workshops and the TV work that I've neglected my little Blog, and all my lovely followers, badly to which you have my sincere apologies (grovel grovel, begging forgiveness)

I'll try and catch up with some pics from various shows and demos to try and make it up to you, so here goes

I'll start with this one from the Hunkydory Charming Chaps collection, which I demoed on

 Create and Craft

The Create and Craft Strictly Crafting Dance Off with Nigel May, although my dance partner was Martyn Parker

Now this one is a sample from the Craftrange Demo Day where I was using Bo Bunny stencils, papers and stamps

Here's a few more samples

Another Hunkydory make on C and C and this one was sent off to a "Cup of Chance" winner

This is a sample for a Demo Day at Inspirations by Cardcraft Plus in Preston this Sunday the 

27th September as part of their Macmillan Event

I'm using Impression Obsession Dies and Kaisercraft papers

And finally (as they say on the news) this is an upcoming workshop at Kraftiz in Swadlingcote.

Due to unforseen crcumstances we are having to rearrange a new date for this workshop so if you may be interested in making this you can contact Julie at the shop

Bye again for now, back to sample making and prepping for two more C and C shows, with Hunkydory next week 

A Return To....

Kendal and The Paper Warehouse

It's been a while since I was there last but I was so happy to make a visit to do the summer craft event and catch up with Janet, Keith and all the customers.
It was such a good day and I was able to meet up with some crafty friends, old and new, and put some faces to names at last.
The papers I was using were Kaisercraft Holy Night Collection, along with some Impression Obsession stamps and  I had my first sell out by 10.30am so you can tell how busy it was

This is a Christmas decor wall hanging edged in hessian and using the matching Collectables

Here we have a box with a matching card inside

This paper proved to be the most popular on the day

Just a few of the days samples

Now on a personal note, for sometime now my Mom has admired a desk tidy I made.

Mine is quite a large and heavily decorated piece and much to big for Mom so I set about making one for her last week and she loved it.

I decided to use some Craftwork Cards papers and painted it first, and here it is

It's been some time since I made something for her so I was happy she liked it

Don't forget Hunkydory are back on Create and Craft on Thursday with AnneMarie launching a new collection

  

Gift Envelope Tutorial.....

As promised to some of the GBCF show attendees for my make and take here's my tutorial

To decorate I've used the die cut Hunkydory Butterflies and layered them together. There is three different sizes on a sheet so plenty to work with and four different colour ways in a pack
Don't use anything heavier than light card stock as it will be difficult to get your folds accurate
Any size envelope can be made, you just need a square to start with. It's good to use double sided so you can see a colour inside the diamond fastening

You start by folding a square of paper into a triangle,  this is

 a 12" x 12" light card

Hold the long edge and fold it equally into three using your hands. This way means you don't have to mark and measure 

Now crease the folds with a bone folder to get good creases

fold the top section over to reach just above the bottom line.

Fold the whole section not just the top flap, crease well

Open out the folds and you will see two little creased triangles on the side edges. 

You need to cut these sections away, as shown. Then if you refold and crease again you will see if there is any of the edge still to cut away when you open it again.

Place a finger on the centre of the bottom line and use this mark to bring the pointed end up to that mark. Open out the pointed end then push it down so it lines up with the lines of the folds

Repeat with the other side and don't panic if it's not the same size 

This sometimes happens but it doesn't matter.

Use the bigger better diamond on the top

Bring the first layer of the top fold down and add glue to the edges then bring the other flap down over it. Trim off any excess paper

Glue the gap inside the two side edges but from the top of the diamond only, don't glue inside the diamond

Add glue to the inside of the two side panels along the bottom edges and fold them in making sure the bigger or better diamond is on the top

Now fold the top flap into the diamond and decorate as you wish 

Tah Dah!!!!!

Hope you find the instructions easy to follow

At Last......

Some photos to show!!
You may want to grab a cuppa as there are a few to see!!

Hi again, I can now show you all some of the designs I've been doing at workshops, shows and events.
We will start with my visit to the fabulous Wendy Vecchi Workshop in London. Here is the lovely lady herself with some of the boxes we were decorating
We all had such a wonderful day

Now I'll move on to......

My Make and Take Model for the Great British Craft Festival

Lots of lovely ladies, and a few men and kids, joined me to do this paper folded gift envelope and I was assisted by the lovely Laura Bradley from the Hunkydory DT. She was a star!

Then we have my Hunkydory Shows on Create and Craft

These are the makes from the shows

Window To The Heart Christmas Collection

A Scotty Dog for my friend in Glasgow

The wonderful Hels Sheridan has whinged her way to nabbing this one!!

I was praying it was gonna turn out right

This one is so pretty I think

A different inside for this one I just love the colours

                                    

Fab foiled and arched acetate

Touch and go cutting a circle with a knife live on air!!

And finally I'm finishing with a pic of the ladies from Daisy Jewels and Crafts who came to do my Brusho/Art Journal workshop on Saturday. We had a fabulous day with lots of laughs

The next thing I have to do is a bit of a tutorial for the gift envelope

I promised I would do this for the festival ladies.

I will try to get this done tomorrow for you

P xx

It's All Go........

Hi everyone
I'm gonna have to do a grovelling apology for not being here again (soooooo sorry)
I've not been home much,  and am away again now in Peterborough at Create and Craft. I'm here doing the Window To The Heart Collection four day deal. It's fabulous! I'll be on screen at 12 and 6pm today

As I've said before, I can't add photos on here from my iPad  so I will have to get some pics on when I'm back home

I had an amazing, but exhausting time at The Great British Craft Festival with the Hunkydory Team and it was great to meet so many lovely people.
I was asked to do  instructions for my Make and Take envelope so I will be doing that next week

On Saturday I'm returning to Daisy Jewels and Crafts, in Coventry, to do a Brusho workshop but this time we will be doing art journal pages. It should be a great day!

Right I'd better get a wiggle on , busy busy busy!  See you soon
P xx