An update and a new project...

I have just had the most horrible week...I travelled by plane back from the UK where I had been celebrating at my daughter's baby shower weekend and where I had had a lovely time...however, on the plane there seemed to be so many people coughing, sneezing and spluttering that when I woke up on Tuesday morning I thought I had been hit by a bus! And so followed the most awful week where the coughing left me so exhausted...today is the first day I actually felt well enough to get up and dressed.

 I have discovered a fantastic Australian artist called Tracey Fletcher King who has a project called cuppa with friends...she invites people to send her photos of their cups, however plain or fancy they may be and she draws one a day...it's a brilliant idea because everyone has cups or mugs around and it's a brilliant discipline to draw something each day...often it's the thought of what to draw that prevents us from getting our pens and pencils out...so here's my first drawing...I know that it's not perfect by a long way but it's a start and hopefully as the days pass and I draw more cups and mugs I will improve.....the shadow forming a heart on the side of the mug was what caught my eye and made me want to draw this one...

Bye for now 

Sue xx

Six hour Altered Art Workshop...

Today I travelled a couple of hours south to La Marina, invited by the lovely Nadine to teach an Altered Art workshop to her weekly craft class ladies. I made an album from a Jaffa cake box enhanced by sprayed pages with pockets and loads of techniques. They learned about distressing, perfect pearls, gesso, Dylusions spray inks with and without templates.....add in a touch of cinnamon Stickles and a few embellishments and I left them with a lovely momento and a head spinning from overload.....six hours is a long time for those more used to a genteel two hour class where they make a couple of cards.....my workshops are anything but genteel but they are good fun.....

I loaded the car with the kits.....

This is Wendy, Nadine and myself while we were packing away after everyone had left.....I met Wendy many, many years ago when she had her own business making and selling templates....it was good to spend time catching up.....

The ladies all seemed to enjoy themselves despite me working them so hard and making their poor heads spin!!!

Bye for now

Sue

Woohoo...I'm back.....

Today is a very important day for me. Today I signed the contract for the sale of art y facts craft studio and shop and so after seven and a half years of serving customers six days a week and teaching four classes a week I am officially retired...to do what instead who knows but I am looking forward to finding out...

The new owner Inga is young and energetic and has some lovely ideas for taking the shop forward while continuing art y facts tradition of supplying good quality products with wonderful interesting classes...I wish her all the luck in the world.....

A well known artist Seth Apter - http://thealteredpage.blogspot.com/

challenged people on Facebook to show their studios in their working state so here's mine...mess and all!

I am kitting up for a workshop I am teaching on 15th October here in Spain and as the products en route from USA are held up at Customs in Madrid I am getting all the die cutting prepared in the meanwhile.

Here's a view into the studio from the garden.....

This is my desk which looks out over the back garden and pool.....

This is my die cutting station...

This is my butchers block with the card stock, beads, etc.....

Beneath are crates of papers and photos awaiting scrapbooking...

Right, that's it for now.....I'll be back again very soon to update you further

Bye for now

Sue

Another catch up...and some Christmas cards...

Life is hectic as ever. 

With the arrival of Ben and putting arrangements in place for the shop to be looked after while I am away in the UK having cuddles..... and chasing up orders that have yet to arrive????? grrr!......  and then to add to all that, since the weekend we have had some very heavy rain.....the photo shows one of the roads on my drive home - like driving up a river...

and don't you know it the shop roof leaked again but luckily Inga was on hand to mop up yesterday and this was the scene that greeted me this morning - puddles on plastic bags covering the till, credit card machine, etcetc.....

 After all that doom and gloom here are just a few of the Christmas cards from this years classes.....I always challenge the ladies and this year colour was the challenge.  How many of you use non-traditional Christmas colours on your cards. Talking to my customers it seems that cardmakers can be very "safe" when it comes down to it. I used red with brown...

 and brown and cream.....

 and Halloween papers from Echo Park - aaahhhh!!! orange and charcoal.....how daring !!! 
more cards tomorrow...

Now for my lovely girlies... these are some of my class girls with their finished canvases... loads of spraying, stencilling, painting, diecutting and fun...

and these two photos are from Birthday parties that we have held at the shop during October...

this was Izzy's 10th birthday party - all girls...

 and below is Vivi's 10th birthday party - 9 girls and 4 boys...

 The feedback was excellent from the parties and we plan on hosting more in the New Year...
the canvas was based on one Tanya made in July when she was here on holiday - thanks sweetie - and here's the version that I made on a pre-party trial run..... just needs a photo and its good to go...pity the photo doesn't show all that menacing sparkle and drippy black drips!!! thought the boys would prefer something a bit less girly...

above is Tanya's canvas after a couple of weeks in the sunny shop window - a totally different colour to the one below - how it was when Tanya made it - just shows how quickly things fade here...

.....and I'll leave you with another photo of Ben...

Bye for now

Sue

11.11.12

Introducing Benjamin George Tucker, my new grandson, born 10.11.12. to my daughter Victoria and her husband John. He's a healthy 8.8lbs and 20.54 inches long and I will see him in a week's time.....  

and in Friday morning's ladies class I embossed three poppies with Ranger holographic embossing powder and don't they look good...very proud to wear my poppies..... Benjamin's dad, John is in the REME and will be in Afghanistan in 2013.

Memorable weekend

Bye for now

Sue

10.11.12

What a brilliant date...and it's my new grandson's birthday. My daughter Victoria gave birth to Benjamin George earlier today 8 lbs 8 ounces and 52cms long and they are both well. Very happy Granny. Back tomorrow with more news and hopefully a photo.
Bye for now
Sue

Happy Halloween

Just thought I would try to post the things I made for Halloween...so here goes...

 31 October Street has a scary house.....
above is the front...

and here are the side views...

and the back door typically with the cat wanting to come in...














and here is my graveyard complete with coffin, gravestones, lamppost, lantern and skull...

closer view of the coffin.....

 close up of the top hat...

this is the house in the display in the front window of the shop...I tried to photograph the whole display but the reflections of cars spoilt the photos.....

and the coffin shaped bookmarks.....the old book is in Polish I believe...

and the trick or treat bag made from a black envelope.....every girl needs a trick or treat bag at Halloween!!!

part of the shop window display..... how good is that old book I picked up at the charity shop and altered...

                                  and an easel card party invite.....
                                 
and some happy girls with their coffins.....

and top hats...

and bookmarks and bags.....

Yay, the photos have loaded so expect more catch-ups now I have found out how - I know not the why or the what but don't really care- hahaha!!!!!

Hope your Halloween was good

Bye for now

Sue