'What you do speaks so loudly, I can't hear what you say.'
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Monday, 28 January 2008


I woke to blackbird song this morning and they've been singing for most of the day, along with the resident wren, so they must think Spring is on the way - really cheers the spirit!
AND I've been stamping - only a little, but I did some, which is a bit of a breakthrough. I was playing with some of the new I Brake for Stamps images and really love this face, though I'm not sure it's turned out how I wanted it to - I'll play with it again and see what I can come up with. The coaster had already been punched for the Bind it all, to make a book, so that's why there are holes down one side. I'll make a feature of those.....
Also did some quick ATCs, on Glimmer mist backgrounds and I have a few other projects in mind for today, so back to work........

Saturday, 19 January 2008




Yep, I've been AWOL for a while, got caught up in Christmas - my brother was home from New Zealand, which was lovely - and haven't done much at all, but hopefully, that's going to change now. I have a huge stash of new stamps to play with and a new direction to take with them, as they're very different from what I've been working with for the last few years, so I'm looking forward to it. I'm really excited about revisiting old techniques and getting back to basics with some of them.
On another note, we've just announced that we're now taking reservations by deposit for Stamp Camp 2008, so it's going to be all go for a while. We have a great weekend planned this year, with some great tutors, including Leandra Franich of Paperartsy and Rachel Emilie Jackson, who's a regular contributor to Craft Stamper and a lot of you will have seen her work in the Stampington magazines. There are six other excellent tutors, most of whom have been published and teach in their own right, so we're all manically preparing projects and trying to fine tune all the details, which is a huge task. This is our fourth Stamp Camp and each year, we try to improve on what we did the previous year, so this should be our best so far! Until last year, this was solely for the Katy's Corner UK Yahoo Group, but last year we opened it up to shop customers and this year we're opening it up to 'outsiders' Can't wait, as some of our group members from Switzerland and Spain are coming and this time we're going to meet lots of people we haven't met before - it's always nice to make new crafting friends.
If anyone would like to know more, you'll find more information on my website, here. We do have a mailing list for those who are interested in details as and when they happen.
Back to stamping - I'll upload last weekend's workshop project - I had fun with Glimmer Mists and the new I Brake for Stamps Sassy Ladies we just got in stock. I'm half way through adding the instructions for this to the website, in the Free Projects section, so watch out for that.
Hope to be posting more regularly now ..............




Sunday, 9 December 2007


Charlotte (Kemsley) sent me this gorgeous Gothic Arch a couple of months ago, when I had no scanner. I've just scanned it and it really is gorgeous so I thought I'd upload it here. Sadly, the scanner I was given works like an auto focus camera and it focuses on the front part of whatever it's scanning, leaving anything behind that, however slightly, blurred. I need a new scanner!! The front 'doors' are embossed with copper EP and the gold bits are Gold Leaf.

Tuesday, 4 December 2007


I have to admit that I don't enjoy Christmas stamping overmuch - it's so limiting as you can't spend much time on each card when you have loads to make and I'm a slow crafter. Here are a couple I did as samples - I really like the circular card and like the way he turned out with our snowman. The green ink is very surprising - it's the Distress inks Pine Needles - isn't it a lovely colour when sponged? It looks so dark when you stamp it or look at the colour of the pad. I love green but I like some shades much more than others.

Thrown together, but I did some! I may even start on some Christmas cards in the next few days, all being well...........

Wednesday, 21 November 2007




Just finished an ATC folder for a swap. Can you tell that my latest phase is black and white? Trouble is, I'm using the same stamps....... the lady on the left hand side looks so like Kristy of Time to Stamp that it's unbelievable - even Kristy has to agree!

I'll break out some of the Christmas stamps later on and challenge myself to do the group challenge - black and white Christmas!

Wednesday, 14 November 2007

You can tell it's coming close to Christmas and I haven't even thought about it yet, but I just don't seem to have enough minutes in a day at the moment. We had workshop on Saturday and have another one this coming Saturday, so I won't be around for a while longer......


I'm uploading the first page of a calendar we made at the weekend's workshop, using the Bind it all. You can see the rest of it, with instructions, here. Sadly, my sample is a little the worse for wear, after being handled by all workshop participants - understandably - so if you see any marks (I've edited it in Photoshop so there won't be too many) please forgive me.

Tuesday, 30 October 2007


Don't know whose bright idea this was (?!?) but I've just finished my tags for the above swap 'with a twist'. The twist was that we had to stamp someone on the tags, give them a name beginning with the letter we were assigned, then write a paragraph or two on the back, describing a moment in time for that person, fitting as much as we could into the paragraph.......... suffice it to say it took me ages to do my own!! It was like being back in school - fun, though and the other participants' tags are wonderful - some funny, some a little bit naughty and some plain incredible!
I've uploaded both my completed tag and the 'nude' tag before stamping the main images. And here's my paragraph - or two.............

Odette
Almost breathless with excitement, she carefully put on his favourite dress, after bathing in water heady with his favourite perfume.
The talk of the village, she was a mysterious young widow, virtually a recluse since the death of her husband. Suddenly, she was being seen again in the company of a tall, dark, handsome stranger. She tried not to dwell on the hurtful words which had reduced her to tears when she read them in the local newspaper. Instead, she allowed herself the luxury of contemplating the evening ahead, when she would once more feel complete, even if only for a short while.
Small minded people would never be able to grasp the innocent truth; this was the love of her life - her son .........


Just finished these, so thought I'd upload. The book pages were coloured with the home made Glimmer Mists. In timely fashion, the challenge for this week's Theme Thursday is script, so this is my entry.

Thursday, 25 October 2007

Thought I'd upload a card I made a while ago. This was one that I really enjoyed. I've been reorganising the craft room since the show - but there isn't enough space and I can't find things as easily yet. I haven't stamped in it yet, since it was done, but today's the day I need to do that........ watch this space!

Friday, 12 October 2007





We now have blank coasters in stock and here's a Coaster book I made, using the Bind it all. I covered each coaster with white or black card or paper, then stamped and embellished, keeping to a black and white theme. This one was fun to make.......... we'll have it with us at Port Sunlight tomorrow. I've sanded the edges again (with a nail file) since I added paint, so I'm going to touch those up now.
The theme is 'Into the Heart of a Child' - it's my favourite U2 song of the moment and was playing in my head all the time I was making it.

Monday, 8 October 2007

Just made this for a friend. The text is 'Happy Birthday'.

I've had complaints that this wouldn't enlarge, so I'm uploading it again.