Quick preview of yesterday's Christmas Open Day

Yesterday, to celebrate the 5th Anniversary of the opening of the shop we held a Christmas Open Day. We substituted mince pies and mulled wine with Sangria and turron and had Christmas music playing in the background hopefully adding to the atmosphere considering it was 30 odd degrees outside. We didn't count the people who attended but the shop and classroom - converted into a market - for the first three hours were packed solid. From 1 till 4 there was a pleasant stream of customers and we even managed to grab bacon butties from the nearby English bakery for a late lunch. We had such good feedback from people who attended and there were ladies there from Alicante (an hour away), Valencia (an hour and a quarter) and even Madrid ( over 4 hours). It was so busy - and in the middle of all this chaos the credit card machine decided to stop working!!! - that I forgot to take any photos. Here are the friends still smiling after six gruelling hours who helped make the magic...
Yaa, Inga, Molly, Norah - my first ever student who lived above my old shop and who has come to stay for ten days, Dayana and Becky - both vying for Yaa's job! Dayana and Becky did a fabulous job at the make 'n' take table - we were raising money for the APASA local Dog shelter and feral cats rescue...The whole team...This is my lovely friend Inga who looks after the shop in my absence with her beautiful daughter Dayana... This was the main display table showcasing my Ranger tags, my Tim Holtz man cards, my Baroque cards, my Crafty Individual cards made from their new stamp and their drool, drool Christmas books and the beautiful Advent box collaboration that Tanya and I made in Belgium last week...so pleased with how all these turned out and I now have loads of projects to teach in the coming weeks...and on the easel in the background are my Graphic 45 cards...my Sizzix shrink plastic jewellery - I am so not a jeweller - I have great sausages for fingers and I am so proud of myself for making these tiny pieces...and the oh so gorgeous Sizzix suitcases - I am so in love with these - I have made loads - not forgetting the beautiful Sizzix rosettes that Tanya made on the tree... this display table looked so lovely...The Crafters Companion CD and stamps..."we're walking in the air" - what says Christmas more than that...

I will show these projects in more detail in the next few days....

Bye for now

Sue

ps didn't show all the tables as the photos weren't good - but there was Iris folding make 'n' take and a Sizzix demo table and a table with Molly's frames, Mollypop flowers and flower presses but will take better photos and show these later in the week...

pps sorry if I sound pleased with myself but that's because I am at the way it all came together and the way all my lovely friends rallied round to make it work and for caring so much. Thank you all girls from the bottom of my heart - that sounds soppy but I truly mean it. Love you all xxxxxxx