Ally Pally Spring 2012

This is our stand at Ally Pally last weekend just before the show opened. I don't think we would have got it finished in time had it not been for all the help we had from two of our DT, Gillian & Nicky, who came along on both Friday afternoon and Saturday morning when they could have been off enjoying themselves.

I so wish we had stopped to take some photos of the outside of the building and the fantastic views over the city, but we had so many stamp plates to unpack and hang, panic took over!

This turned out to be the last outing of our pre 2012 Hero Arts designs and I hope all the ladies who bought them have great fun with their bargains - I've now got wall space in the store for new stamps so a win win all round.

This was a rare sighting - you didn't really think I would let them take my photo did you! - of me at the demo desk as for the first time I was able to go shopping at a show.....for stamps. Well, what else would I be buying :0)

We were very fortunate to have Nicky demonstrating Pan Pastels so I had a lovely weekend chatting to customers old and new, and despite what the Headmaster says the till was only out by 30p at the end of the show proving I can multitask.

We had a great time in the wonderful company of Gillian & Nicky, we met lots of people whom we had only previously 'met' online so, roll on September when we hope to be back on the same spot but perhaps with a smidge more space.

On Wednesday we are off to the Stitch and Creative Craft show at the royal Bath & West showground at Shepton Mallet so if you are down that way do drop by stand A50 and say hello xx

Steampunk Shoes & Mechanical Handbags from Creative Expressions

Last Saturday we had some fun with these designs from Sam Poole combined with black and frosted Shrink Plastic, Aluminium and tools from Walnut Hollow, StazOn inks in Jet Black and Opaque White, a touch of Cosmic Shimmer Drawing Ink in Silver Sheen, Alcohol Inks and a bit of ribbon.

Just a very quick post as busy packing for Ally Pally.

We will be on Stand 55A - hope to see you there xx

Woodland Dreams from Chocolate Baroque

When we exhibited at Malvern last month one of the stamp plates I used in my demo was Woodland Dreams from Chocolate Baroque. After the show, when I created display board and workshop samples from my demo bits, it brought home to me what a versatile plate this is, and I didn't even use the large square feature stamp!

I was using home made masks cut from Bazzill Plastic Paper with Distress Inks in Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade and Barn Door in these samples ....

....with a little added Cosmic Shimmer Drawing Ink in Marigold Burst. The other samples were all made using Distress Inks in Crushed Olive and Tumbled Glass....

a little touch of Glitter, courtesy of the lovely ladies from Glitter Perfect (we have their fabby glue in store now BTW!)....

....and a touch of Cosmic Shimmer Drawing ink in Silver Sheen to finish with.

Different shadings were achieved simply by varying the order in which I applied the Distress Inks. The punched edges were done with one of the new Tonic Studios Border Punches which will slip through 300gsm cardstock effortlessly thanks to their geared action.

These stamps featured in a recent Take One Stamp workshop at Snazzys, and if this has whetted your appetite for a similar workshop - I only ever teach projects once so there is always something new to try - you can pop over and inspect the next three months' workshop schedules here.

That's all for now, thanks for looking and have a very Happy Easter xx

A Choir of (Steampunk) Angels

Just a quick post to share the fabby artwork from the ladies who came along to yesterday's Steampunk Angels workshop. It was a very leisurely day with lots of time to customize the papier mache blanks with cogs and gears from black shrink plastic, watchparts, washers, nuts and bolts, scrim, aluminium, chain, grungepaper, paint and Inca Gold. Here are a couple of close ups .............

.... but my photos really don't do justice to the details.

A bit different and lots of fun!

More soon xx

A Peek at Malvern 2012

Well, this is the rather uninspiring sight that greets us at all these events. Bit of a let down after a lovely journey through beautiful countryside on a sunny Spring day. Ho hum, back to reality!

Let the work begin. Up with the gridwork,

first side of the 'H' frame done,

second side looking a bit shaken,

Eco Green Crafts next, and on to the stamps.

My home for the duration, surrounded by Wendy Vecchi's wonderful products,

Darkroom Door, Chapel Road and Creative Expressions in place whilst trying to ignore the number of boxes still to be unpacked!

Kaisecraft and 7gypsies done but quite a bit still to finish - Hero Arts can wait 'til the morning me thinks!!

Close run thing but all set,

and after a gentle start,

we're off....

and a very good time was had by all!

Back tomorrow with a look at the bits we made in each day's demo - and what happened to them!

Bye for now xx

Tina's Workshop - January

Here is a lovely start to her 2012 workshops from Tina with this stylish calendar in cream and black.

She has used Darkroom Door's beautifully detailed stamps of scenes from Paris...

...and London.

Fastened together using the Bind it All.

If you fancy making you own version of this, Tina's workshop is 11am to 4pm on Saturday 21 January in Snazzys workshop - full details here. Just ring the store on 01793 602470 to book your place.

Bye for now xx

Monthly Design Team Packs

Hello, sorry to have been awol for so long but what with the sale, the stocktake and Christmas it got a bit hectic at Snazzys HQ. Anyway Happy New Year and on with the post....

Lots of you have been asking us what the Design Team have to work with each month to create such wonderful projects. So, we have decided to give you a little peek at the DT packs just prior to the DT blogging their projects.

To get us started we thought you might like to see the packs from December .........

...the stunning Kraft Funday collection from My Mind's Eye with twelve double sided 300gsm patterned cardstocks, two sets of clear stamps, beautiful brads and buttons to die for which the DT blogged 18 different inspirational projects with during the month, and January....

which had the debut collection Dreamer from new manufacturer 7Dots Studio with six double sided papers, including stickers and die cuts plus Ticket stamps from Creative Expressions.

What's them there other stamps then I hear you ask!

Well, as January is a five week month and we currently have a DT of but four, Gillian and the Team will be setting a little challenge using these fab new Wordblock stamps from Darkroom Door.

Gillian will share the details over on the Design Team Blog here so do keep popping over there for masses of wonderful inspiration and for your chance to win some lovely stash.

Bye for now xx