The new Crafty Notions spray inks were a hit...

This is a long post and has taken me ages to write because I am doing it in the intervals between the Dancing on Ice final. At the moment Sam has skated the bolero - captivating was Jason's comment!! and Laura has yet to skate - no idea who will win as they are both fantastic. At Stitches, the trade show in February I thought I would buy a few bottles of Crafty Notions mica spray inks to try, and boy are they gorgeous!!! Just look at those stunning colours and the mica in them mixes like a dream. It looks delicious being swirled around and they spray really easily too unlike others I have tried....they have also almost sold out so if you want some be quick.

so I had a play on Thursday morning and I sprayed sheets and sheets of cardstock and also in my A4 and A5 Moleskines - a real joy. I converted some of the cardstock into birthday cards adding die cut butterflies as you can see here... they have a batik-like quality to them. Also in the photo below are the journal pages I sprayed and on the reverse the inks leaked gently through and left some lovely images....

Today, was sunny and warm and so I took myself out to the naya and equipped with a can of Pepsi and a Cadbury's creme egg I was all set.

It's weird journalling in an A4 size. I have so many A5 journals on the go and the larger size can be quite daunting at first but I am enjoying working in the larger size. As an artist I always worked large as it is much more freeing but for journalling smaller seemed safer.

Anyway, I doodled around some of the flower images that had leaked and added wording from my quote collection which reads " If you've never been thrilled to the very edges of your soul by a flower in spring bloom, maybe your soul has never been in bloom"

In my A5 journal I had sprayed through a new Sizzix butterfly die cut - I used the butterflies on the cards - and also dabbed the leftover spray onto the page reversing the image...look at these beautiful colours... and today I added some fairies that a friend gave me last year and found some wording which reads "Beautiful and graceful, varied and enchanting, small but approachable butterflies lead you to the sunny side of life, and everyone deserves a little sunshine" .....which is a beautiful sentiment.

On Saturday morning I introduced the girls to the spray inks and they loved them. Here's Blaithin and Becky with the cards they made...

I find it so lovely when the ladies continue at home what they have learned in class and even more so when they bring it to show...

and on Friday morning two of the ladies brought pieces - Maxine finished her doll painting off at home with a feather and beading - truly a mixed media piece...

and Ruth brought in two examples of last week's alcohol-inked beer mats class that she made at home.....

Both stunning ladies!

So I decided to let the Friday ladies into the secret of these lovely inks and they donned rubber gloves and settled down for a messy time - you could have heard a pin drop the concentration was so great...

Lin doing an Ainsley Harriott, or at least seconds before she had her left arm raised!!! Lol!

Mu, Lin and Florence showing their creations...

Right, they are just announcing the winner so

Bye for now Sue

Happy Birthday to the shop, Happy Birthday.....

I can't quite believe it but my craft shop is 4 years old today. We are not in the same premises we started out in but one 4 times the size and all this from someone who moved full time to Spain five and a half years ago already retired but who then decided that life with Colin on the golf course four days a week was too quiet!!! Now I work 6 mornings and 2 evenings (1 of them until late) a week, teach 5 classes and although tired at times couldn't be happier.

The girls enjoyed doodling on Wednesday and so I decided to continue with doodling. This time we made a 12 x 12 page. Mine is on the right and Yaa's is on the left - I know, we made one for each other...

Melissa took a photo of Yaa and I and when they are printed I will put the same photo on each layout.

Leire,Paula and Nayara

Blaithin and Melissa

Right I am now off to do the boring things Sunday brings - the washing and ironing....so

Bye for now
Sue

ps why does Bad Blogger show you a preview of how lovely the page will look and then when you publish it the things have all moved around!!! GGGRRR!!!!!!

Is it February already???

Working backwards as usual....
Here is my 365 day calendar for Kate's challenge...

the inside front cover...















February all ready and waiting...















January completed...

I have amazed myself that I have got to the end of January without forgetting to do this - I am so full of resolve at the start of something but then it can drift offffffff!!!!!!!! if I'm not careful - it really is not too difficult just a few minutes at the end of the day to record whatever - alweays supposing you've done anything worth recording!!!





Saturday morning Rosangela and Blaithin started a new Spring album...

















Friday morning was Valentine card making day and Mu, Inga and newbie Loli had an extra long 2 hour class - it stretched to 3 hours and 20 minutes! can't say they don't get their monies worth!!! Mu will finish her card on the 12th still in time... They used the new Texture Boutique machine and argyle folder.













That's me up to date so
Bye for now
Sue