Cuttlebug newbies

Been having fun playing with the new Cuttlebug embossing folders and made these

I had a lovely day yesterday over at the Paper Mill Shop in Ellesemere Port, where plenty of folks turned out to see the new Cricut Create, Jukebox, Design Studio etc. Its a tough demo to do as there's so much to show on the machine, the new Cricut Colour Ink Pens, the new Solutions Cartridges (I was using Indie Art, Home Accents, Soccer, and Wedding). So it's hard to go into any depth with Design Studio too. Hopefully we covered a bit of everything. Save to say the Jukebox is a very popular puchase as its great for all those who already own the baby Cricut or Expression to hold and store their cartridges and even better for those with Design Studio who now don't have to swap over cartridges by hand.

Off to watch Ewen McGregor on his round the world bike ride now.

ttfn Chris x

OMG - I just found this...

the answer to my dreams .... http://craftystorage.blogspot.com/
Thank you Paula. You've done all the hard work and research, all I have to do is read your blog.

Studio Design

I've spent this evening scouring other people's blogs for ideas about organising my work space. What wonderful rooms some lucky people have! I mean look at this .... this is Donna Downey's studio. How inspiring (no pun intended) it must be to have all of this space and all organised so wonderfully. I'm chuffed to see that Donna uploaded a few piccies of this room in a messy state too.

If anybody reading has piccies of workspace organisation ideas please mail me. Am trying to plan a new space and in need of help!

Roger and out for tonight

x

Snow White and the Six Dwarfs

Just back from a great day showing the Cricut Create, Jukebox and Design Studio over at Craft Land on Mostyn Street Llandudno. What a superb place, huge and with some great bargains. Thanks to Johnny and Ron for their warm hospitality and looking after me even though they hardly have chance to draw breath in that shop.

I was up until after midnight last night putting together these.....

I called it a day around 1am hence I took Snow White and the Six Dwarfs with me as samples today, just Dopey still to do.

These were all cut on the CREATE using the PORTRAIT and FIT TO PAGE FEATURE to get the largest cut possible on a 6x12 mat and they all appear on the HAPPILY EVER AFTER cartridge which features characters from CINDERELLA, SNOW WHITE, MULAN and AURORA (can someone tell me who Aurora is??)

Now then where's Dopey? Oh yes he's just washing up in the kitchen.

TTFN

My gift to myself

I treated myself to this today ....

and some of these to go inside ...

for my Cuttlebug dies and folders. Don't you just love it!

Just in case you were wondering why you can't find much on the 'net about the new Cricut Create, Provocraft have launched it in the UK first. How about that. We got it first!!

Preparing some projects and samples for weekend demos so not much posting tonight.

x

First Jukebox Jive Demo

Just back from a wonderful day over at Embsay Mill, Skipton where we had the brand spankin new Cricut Create, featuring the brand spankin new Don Juan cartridge, and connected to the brand spankin new Jukebox, whilst with the other hand demoing the Design Studio Software on the computer.

For those that haven't already come across the Cricut machine, its a stand-alone (that is you don't need a computer), cartridge-based, personal electronic cutting system.

This new baby gives the functionality that its fantastic big brother, the Expression, gives (Rotate/Portrait, Fit to page, Auto Fill, Flip and Centre Point) but in the compact version of the original machine and with the ability to cut from 1/4" to 11 1/2" in quarter inch increments - that's a massive, mega, mind blowing 46 different sizes!! And when connected to Design Studio Software with three Jukeboxes stacked each atop the other (linking 18 cartridges directly to the machine) you really are in papercrafters, scrapbookers heaven! I mean how much excitement can one girl handle! Oh and thats before we even start talking about the pens - now rather than just cutting shapes you can draw too!! and draw and then cut! Fwwwworrr!

Just going for a bit of a lie down.

And for Judith with whom I spent ages trying to work out how to draw a shadow around a shape - the answer is Design Studio! Don't know why it didn't come to me straight away! Of course with Design Studio you can nest for instance, one shape inside another (or as many as you want), place them exactly where you want them on visual mat, swap the blade for the pen in the machine and hey ho, you're away!

Thanks to Trish, Geraldine and the staff at Embsay who looked after me wonderfully and who make the best egg and cress butties! And to my new friend who wanted to come home with me after trying to jump into my car in the car park.....

Obviously the provider for the butties!

Tara for now.

Two pocket card

I've had a few requests to publish a picture of the Two Pocket Card which appears in my You Tube video. Here's one that I did for the Girlz Aloud demo programme. Very simple! Found this on the internet some time ago and unfortunately can't credit the creator as I don't remember where I found it. My You Tube video can be seen here

NNSD x

Boy I need to get organised

I spent hours last night on my knees in my room trying to sort out my stash ... its the 'can't get a quart into a pint pot' problem. Basically I've either got too much stuff or the room needs to get bigger. It's rained enough recently perhaps if I sprinkle some Miracle Grow on the roof it might grow a bit overnight.

I did clear out some stuff for my niece Hannah but its still busting out all over. Its great when its all put away but as soon as I start to work and I get a few things out I run out of desk space and get frustrated

Just in case you were wondering ... this is tidy

Anyway ... I'm on to it ... I have a plan ... all will be revealed at a later date.

Now a warning ... get the buckets ready ... I'm about to heap praises upon my DH... who bought me this wee wonderful for my Pandora bracelet this week, for no good reason other than he wuvvs me a lot ...

this lovely little dickiebird is only my third charm, and joins Spot my ickle doggie

and my swirly clip that I treated myself to

I don't do proper jewellery but I love this stuff. So thanks honey you are the best hubby I ever had.

Oooh while I remember here's a close up of those gorgeous buttons Jane put on our aprons (see yesterday's piccies). I'm sure she said she bought these in Paris. Probably cost a gazillion euros.

How lucky am I these just arrived from Bramwells, brand new in from the US are the new embossing folders and combo dies/folders for the Cuttlebug and some of the Solutions Cartridges for the Cricut.

All will be being used in the new demonstration programmes coming up over the next few months. My demos are listed above, in additional I have a Papermill Event at Cheshire Oaks in July and Hobbycraft demos in September. All dates will be added shortly.


And for those that haven't seen it yet ... the Cricut Create and Jukebox. ... come and see this baby in action soon.

Sweet dreams x

Better late than never

Here's a few of the piccies taken at Scrap-a-Ganza in June ... first is my pal Jane (known to some as Lisa T) ... showing off her new Donna Downey camera bag, hand delivered by the lady herself (how chuffed does she look?!)

Another of Jane "the fastest crafter in the West", in the aforementioned (earlier blog) apron - well you can see a bit of it ... much admired at Scrap-a-Ganza ... and our matching aprons all Janes' handiwork.

Finally, there's got to be one of a card hasn't there... here's one of my recent projects for Hobbycraft. Using the Cricut Happily Ever After cartridge, this Cinderella three part accordian style card has a horse mounted on acetate so it stands proud of the other and is linked to the carriage with cord. Hope you like it!

Night night, god bless x

Unfinished but still scrummy

Here's more of that fabbie Karen Burniston kit. It was such a lovely project to do and I love the pop-up flowers you get when you pull on the tab at the front.

as you can see it's unfinished at the moment but it will be finished soon ... it's going to be pressie for someone with a big birthday this year ... shhhhh keep it quiet

Anyway just a quick post before I go to bed. Night John-Boy, night Mary-Ellen.

WOW! Wimbledon

I'm worn out having just finished watching Nadal win Wimbledon. What a match. I only watched the last set and I felt like I hit every ball with each of them. It was the best final for a long time and I'm only sorry now I didn't watch all of it although I think I might be physically exhausted if I had!

Oooh and if you were watching the BBC coverage did you see the players reciting the Rudyard Kipling poem "If"? My English stiff upper lip quivered and trembled, my eyes filled with tears and my mascara ran down my face. It was so moving. If I remember rightly its the nations favourite poem and no wonder. Its always been one of my favourites, I learnt it by heart a while ago but hearing the players saying it really got me. Am I a big girls blouse, wussy, softy or what?

You judge here's the link

Here's more of that gorgeous Karen Burniston mini book that I gave you a sneak peek of ...





Now where is my make-up remover ....

(Oh and for those wondering why Gary needs make up remover in the piccies - this is his New Years Eve fancy dress version of Alice Cooper)

Card Samples made for Stitches Show Feb 08

Bramwells Citrus Splash demos

Thought I'd share some of the samples I made for the Citrus Splash demonstration programmes ... hope you like them ... all using Hero Arts stamps.

My world ....

... welcome to my world ...

our gorgeous pusscat Daisy (known as Daisydoodletondoo for reasons best known to my husband Gary)

the man himself (wearing my sunglasses for some bizarre reason) ...

and our other spoilt rotten mog Amba (alias Ambabambergascoigne)...

Gotta give you a sneak peek of two of the Karen Burniston kits I bought at Scrap-a-Ganza, not quite finished but these are so amazingly scrummylicious I couldn't wait any longer ...

OMG how gorge are these!!! More to come on these fabbie projects.

Tara for now

Washout Wales

Just back from a few days in North Wales. Why is it that whenever mum goes the weather is always fab and yet whenever we go we get wind and rain? Don't get me wrong the sun shone ... briefly ... in between the rain showers.

The best day was Wednesday and we took a trip to Portmerion - wow - it's stunning! We spent the best part of the day there walking through the garden trails, on the beach and through the village and it was a great opportunity to snap away with our new camera. If only we knew what we were doing with it we might get something half decent!! So whether these pictures do justice to the extraordinary architecture and wonderful colours I'm not sure, you be the judge.

I truly recommend it as a great day out.

Now I know we don't know each other that well yet, and at the risk of giving you the impression that I shouldn't be let out on my own (which I probably shouldn't)... and even with husband in tow I am fallible.....

Am I the only one who has ever done this?? And I've done it before. Once I went to work with one high heel and one kitten heel on and wondered why I was limping all day.

Somebody ring for an ambulance.