Smurfs!!!

Those little blue creatures from my childhood that have been wonderfully recreated...yep I've been distressing with blue ink again and I'm turning into Smurfette...that's my fingers blue for at least twenty four hours...it's a good look...honest!!!

I've been busy all night working on my demo boards for my demonstration at Garners Craft Room on Saturday, a demo I'm really looking forward to, I have a lovely group of ladies that I meet up with here and I'm demonstrating independently too so if you are close by please come and say hello and you will be able to take a closer look at this...

Which is a sample board showing all the materials the Createables will cut.

And also this...


Which is my new sample board of some of the new Createables...and the reason for my Smurf like appearance...Tumbled Glass distress ink!!!

Tootled over to Haydock Race Course yesterday with a friend, luckily we weren't there for the horse racing because I think we'd have got slightly wet due to the torrential rain...BEAD FAIR...the only reason to travel anywhere in weather like that...here is my stash from the day...


I've recently bought some new grey tops so that seemed to be the colour of the day, also picked up some matt black chain and some 20gauge black wire to make findings with, the orange is some cord...Ella wants a shamballa bracelet making and her favourite colour is orange so I also picked up some black crystals to make that...shhh it's a secret!!!

Other bits are selected beads that made me go "oooh", charms, spacers and some trays...just the essentials!!! That lot will probably sit in a bag until summer though, it's not often I sit and make jewellery just for fun!!!

Right I'm off to check out some challenge blogs, so far I've missed Hel's Sheridans's Sunday Stamping challenge and Simon Says Stamp And Show, I've been combing these challenges very nicely with my class samples making one very organised Est!!!


Take care
Love
Est xx
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Chorley....

A Lancashire market town made famous by Peter Kay and cakes apparently...

However today Chorley was all about the bling, Swarovski, fire polished, pearls, glass...yep all about the beads!!!

I love teaching jewellery classes here, I love my ladies, I love that not only did we discuss autism, politics, the NHS and of course beads, but we also shared secrets, history and bra colours...yep we did...!!!

Celia looking eclectic...red top, red scarf, red earrings and blue lariat necklace...complete with big beads, love your style girl...

And lovely Linda...Modelling her beautiful chunky necklace...


I had a fabulous day and am back in June for the next class, email me if you want any details.

Off for the usual crap Saturday night television.

Take care
Love
Est xx
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Late night blogging

Late post tonight just to say I'm teaching a jewellery class all day tomorrow in Chorley, looking forward to catching up with my ladies, if you are anywhere near the Crafty Patch in Chorley come and say hi, the shop is definitely worth a visit.

Off to try on my new clothes...Primark is still in business thanks to me today :-)


Take care
Love
Est xx
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I love to learn...

...yep I'm a very inquiring person who wants to know why, when and how...some would call me just plain nosy but I call it thorough ;-), however because my work timetable changes every five weeks I can't usually commit to classes, and I couldnt ever put aside time to complete coursework or assignments and adhere to deadlines like my students have to which is why I love online classes!

I discovered them last year, I'm kicking myself that I didn't discover them sooner because from the ones I have already taken I have learnt so much, and developed creatively in a way I probably never would have if I had been timetabled into a classroom at a set time.

If you've never taken part in an online workshop the "classroom" is available at any time, day or night, great for insomniac sufferers like myself and project/techniques/samples are posted daily or weekly depending on the course provider and you can complete in your own time and chose to upload pictures or not!

I'm excited because Christy Tomlinson has a new online course starting very soon and guess who signed up for it....yep I did!!!

I've completed ALL of Christys online courses and I love her and her style, and can't wait to start this Creative Canvas

Watch this space for my progress.

Take care
Love
Est xx
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What's on your work desk Wednesday

...a whole load of stuff today...
Just look at that....

This is what my desk looks like when I am prepping for a class, there are usually piles of stuff, all organised of course ;-), for each class or workshop I have coming up...so today most of the craft paraphernalia is for my BTEC mixed media class tonight, there is a little pile of things next to my turquoise jewellery tools ready for my BTEC jewellery class tomorrow night and a pile of bits under my jewellery tools ready for my workshop in Chorley on Saturday...I'm creative I can't be expected to be tidy too, although one day...maybe...yep I'm dreaming again!!!

Love
Est xx
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It's just a word...

...just a word to one person may mean the whole world to another person and the latest challenge over at Simon says stamp and show really made me think about this...the challenge is titled favourite word...and after discarding the obvious ones, Pinot, sales, free, I came up with not one but three, I do hope that's not cheating ;-)...And created these three tags...

"Create"
Because I'm at my happiest when I'm getting messy with inks or trying out a new technique, whatever worry is on my mind, whatever stress is trying me I am so lucky to be able to "lose" myself in creating.



"True"
Because being true to yourself is the only way to be truly happy.



"Art"
Because there is an artist inside all of us with the ability to Create True Art...you see what i did there ;-)...I have loved this challenge, not only did i get to create but i really got to think about it too...
Here they are altogether...



The backgrounds were all created with broken china and frayed burlap distress inks applied with the blending tool then I've stamped backgrounds using a Tim Holtz script and floral stamp (i know again...maybe i need new ones but i do lurve them) also added the pen nib stamp to one but that ended up getting covered up, and the clock stamp to another. Flowers are the tattered flowers die, inked, flicked with water, distressed, crumpled and shaped, I've dyed ribbon and lace with the distress inks and added some punched butterflies and my stamped words from card "I'd cleaned up the ink with on my craft sheet"...is that the official technique name? Sound good to me!!!

I like these so much I'm going to use them to create some canvases, not sure if I will use the actual tags or just take the idea...watch this space!!!

Off for a crafty smoke and then hitting the quilt...I have had serious sleep interruption this week...I hate insomnia!!!

Love
Est xx
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Bling bling!!!

...I've been crafting tonight and my hands are clean...that can only mean one thing...I've been jewellery making!!!

I'm running two jewellery making workshops on Saturday in Chorley and we have a couple of spaces left, either in the morning or the afternoon, or you can stay for the whole day, if you want any more information please email me or to book a place please phone Louise at The Crafty Patch on 01257 277324.

This is what we will be creating in the morning...Lariat necklace...

And we will be making this in the afternoon...the light tonight is shocking the red beads on there are Swarovski crystals...wire bangle...


Okay I'm off to bed I'm weary and it's only Monday!!!

Take care
Love
Est xx
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Sunday Stamping and Smiles

What is it about days off work, we look forward to them so much, count down the days, hours...minutes even and then bam blink and they are over, only to have realised that the day has been spent catching up on dull housework...!!!

I have spent the last couple of hours "working" luckily that means making lesson samples so I'm inky...again!!!

Have created this which I'm entering in Hel Sheriden's summer stamping challenge...

I've created a little calico heart, which has been dyed using fired brick distress ink, painted with gold acrylic paint and then sewn together and stuffed, added some black felt wings which I added some sparkly stitching to, added a gold crown which was heat embossed, then mounted the heart onto a tag which was distressed and stamped, I added some black dyed ribbon and lace and a die cut treble clef and voila...

...Red hot for summer...well we can dream can't we...the addition of the crown for the Queens Jubilee and the treble clef for all the music festivals that take place during the summer...I love summer...working for a college means I get six weeks off!!!

Then I created this little wall hanging...


Stamped Gorjuss girl, water coloured with distress inks, die cut flowers and butterflies...again coloured with distress inks, stamped leaf, I think this was a freebie from Craft Stamper, triangle background coloured with peeled paint distress ink and stamped and scalloped triangle coloured with spiced marmalade...I love this colour combination and I think I'm doing particularly well in my "ban on brown crafting"!!!

Oooh and check these out...I got two blog mentions today...

...one from Pandy who attended my workshop in Kendal last Monday.

The other from Sue who not only attended my demo in Wigan yesterday but also took this picture of me looking all professional...


So thank you very much ladies you made me smile today :-)

I'm off to heat up my melting pot...I've seen an idea...you know how it goes...!!!

Take care
Love
Est xx
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Distressing in Wigan

Today I've been demonstrating at Card-io in Wigan, I've had a lovely day, met up with many familiar faces and met some new crafty ladies too which is always a pleasure, and only ten minutes down the road meant I didn't have to be up at stupid o clock this morning.

I was demonstrating distress inks along with embossing folders and the Marianne Creatables, which are gorgeous however my fingers are currently sporting a mixture of spiced marmalade, fired brick, dusty Concorde and broken china...two hours after my demo started and I finally had a minute to have a crafty smoke and to take this...

That's my demo desk which doesn't look half as messy as it usually does because I was throwing everything on the floor behind it...sorry Wendy ;-)

So Wendy and I had a quick chat about me running some workshops for her and as soon as we've sorted something I will post the details on here.

Returned home before 5pm :-) to these...



These are some of the stamp designs of my good demo pal Lindsay Mason and I've been "needing" them for a good while now, well thanks to the very lovely Sandra at Cardcraft UK they are now sat on my desk ready to be played with :-)

Okay I'm off...it's Saturday night and Mia has much crap telly lined up for me!!!

Take care
Love
Est xx
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Demo Day tomorrow

Just a quick blog post to say I will be demonstrating in Wigan tomorrow at Card-io, should be a great day, I get to demo the Creatables with the Big Shot, alongside embossing folders and Tim Holtz's scrumptious distress inks, if you are at a loose end or are in the area come and say hi.

Off to watch Dexter...yep I love it!!!


Take care
Love
Est xx
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Craft room envy

I have it so bad that I swear in the right light my eyes have turned green!!!

Just take a look at this I found whilst browsing on the web...

I want my space to look like that, it's so pretty.

I've bought storage baskets today to give me the kick up the backside I need to begin to sort through my stash...wish me luck this could take some time, I'm talking months not hours!!!

Will be listing unwanted items on eBay for sale and will post links here as and when I do.

Off to stroke my new baskets and fill them with something.

Take care
Love
Est xx
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What's on your work desk Wednesday

Okay so it's Wednesday, in case you didn't know lol and it's time for another sneak at my desk which since last week has been tidied, trashed, inked and tidied again...

This is my desk at the moment...

Looking quite tidy because I am teaching a class tonight and most of my inks and thinks are packed away for that!!!

My Compendium of Curiosities arrived today....yay....and I will be flicking through that with a glass of wine when I've finished teaching tonight.

The new Simply Homemade magazine, which I subscribe to, unopened which also arrived today, that will also get a look later.

The photo frame and tag I created last night, thankfully all the purple Ink has now worn off my fingers!!!

Making memories carousel containing lots of tools and pens and other stuff that basically needs a really good sort out.

Trug from Marks and Spencers which contains some of my unmounted stamps, my craft sheets and anything else that needs a quick home.

My Bind it All which I dug out this morning after seeing a fabulous idea...watch this space ;-).

That's about all I think, no projects on the go at the moment, although I still have half an hour before I leave for work...hmmm spiced marmalade fingertips would at least match my nail varnish!!!

Take care
Love
Est xx
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Deep Purple...

...Not the Rock Band...oh no...that would be the colour of my fingers right now thanks to dusty concord distress ink and me challenging myself to craft with an alternative to brown...so instead of looking like I smoke 60 a day I look like I have some sort of fingertip disease, and that coupled with the blister I have inflicted on myself using the glue gun...I'm a professional crafter honest...and my nails which are painted orange is a colourful sight I kid you not!!!

The reason I look like I'm turning into a Ribena Berry is due to the latest challenge over on Simon Says Stamp and Show which is anything goes...hmmm...no guidelines and I promised my crafty ladies in Kendal I would try and craft in purple...so came up with this little tag...

I've applied dusty concord distress ink to the tag and then flicked with water to "bleach" out the colour, then stamped using Tim Holtz script and floral unmounted stamps, die cut some flowers, leaves and butterflies and inked again with the dusty concord...there is more on the tag then there is on my fingers...honest...I've then dyed the ribbon, lace and string and added some purple wire...

...and then...

Because I thought hey this purple malarky isn't all that bad I created this...


I buy these little square photo frames from a local pound shop, usually for classes but I had one left over.

I've painted a base coat with buff titanium acrylic paint and then distressed with dusty concord around the edge and the inside, then stamped again with the Tim Holtz script and floral stamps...did I mention I love them...I've added some distressed die cuts, some purple wire and some pearly paint applied with an embossing tool to create "dots", I've then distressed some dictionary paper and framed this.

And that was roughly when I burnt my finger...ouch, usually I have asbestos hands but I managed to touch the end of the glue gun with the side of one of my fingers :-(

So I've finally sat down, after being on the go all day and I've been hit by that wall of tiredness...you know the one...where you think you can't get up again...but I have to go and try and scrub my fingers...where did I put that sandpaper!!!

Take care
Love
Est xx
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Kendal Crafting!!!

I had a fabulous day teaching in Kendal today, for the first time since I've visited it didn't rain and I had 10 very lovely ladies all making my creations, a card, a canvas and a candle, all putting their own style on their projects and it made for a very enjoyable day...we stamped and distressed and glued and distressed and die cut and guess what...we distressed a little bit more...only in the inking capacity though, was far from distressing especially when I saw little lambs jumping around outside...not a sight we often see in Warrington much to the amusement of my ladies who thought it was highly amusing at how giddy I got!!!

Check out my busy crafty ladies...all under my spell and working their crafty backsides off...muwahahaha...

And check out that view from the window...stunning!!!

I may have said it before but I love going up to Kendal, it's less than an hour on the train, and no messy changing trains, so I can properly relax and read my book or take in the scenery whilst listening to my tunes...

I took these pictures from the train...





If you look closely you can also see my reflection...not bad pictures though considering I was on a Virgin Pendellino travelling at about 125 miles an hour and they were taken on my iPhone!!!

I'm off now to...sleep...these early morning alarm calls are taking their toll...and I've only managed one this week...I'm such a lightweight!!!

Take care
Love
Est xx
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"Back to work Monday" Eve...

So I have all those feelings usually associated with the Eve of "back to work after two weeks off" however my back to work week starts with me running an all day workshop tomorrow at My Paper Warehouse which I'm really looking forward to, catching up with my lake district ladies and getting inky and messy with paint.

I have a pretty easy term this term too, I'm teaching seven classes a week which means pace of life can slow down slightly and I can concentrate a bit more on class preparation and demo and workshop samples, I've started doing a few freelance demos and my first one is this Saturday in Wigan at the fabulous Card-io

Here I will be demonstrating Marianne Creatables with the Big Shot alongside Embossing folders and Distress Ink techniques...I have a feeling I'm going to be going home with inky fingers, it's been a while since I was at Card-io I think it was the end of last year so will be nice to catch up with the crafty bunch there.

I found Hel's Sheridans's blog last week and took part in her Sunday Stamper, remember my little orange tag that then got turned into a canvas wall hanging...well this weeks challenge is...MEN...!!!

Most crafters struggle with crafting for men unless we work around hobbies and interests so this really was a challenge for me, but once I unpacked my case...that was already packed for my workshop tomorrow...got out my Tim Holtz supplies I created this...


Its a 12x12cm canvas board that i created by covering a piece of grey board with some canvas (from a roll) painted with buff titanium acrylic paint, distressed the edges with brushed corduroy...for a change.. and then applied the ink through a piece of punchinella to create the circles, stamped the background with Tim Holtz alphabet stamp and added some distressed stamped images, a piece of hessian, some corrugated card and some Brads and bits...I quite like it...I am seriously thinking I need a colour palette change and am challenging myself to avoid brown for the rest of the week!!!

Also created a girly version...Using my tattered flowers die again and cutting from calico and hessian, calico was dyed with distress ink and stamped, butterflies were glossed with glossy accents, the flower centre brads were all originally pink and I've rubbed them with embossing ink, applied old gold embossing powder and heat set, whilst still hot dipped back into the embossing powder and heat set again...voila pink no more...


I much prefer flowers and butterflies!!!

Off to create a masterpiece in the kitchen courtesy of an Asda Extra tasty chicken and some Aunt bessies....I will however be making my own roasties!!!

Take care
Love
Est xx
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Part two...

...of Saturday night....

I've not laughed so much for a long time....

Maybe I should watch Saturday night television more often!!!

Take care
Love
Est xx
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Saturday Night!!!

I have been subjected to Saturday night television by my girls...so far I've had to endure Keith Lemon, The Voice is currently on and I'm promised an evening of Britain's (not) Got Talent and then...oh the joy...Casualty....

....if only this were completely true...

Only I have packed up my distress inks, the Cuttlebug is in storage and my stamps are all nestling somewhere in between all ready for my workshop on Monday in Kendal...this organised me is worrying me too!!!

Unfortunately I don't get to see very much of the beautiful Kendal, I would love to actually see some of the places properly that I teach or demonstrate in...this is usually the only sight I get to see....


It's a good thing I love my job so much!!!

Mia is currently experimenting with make up...shocking how fast she is growing up...even more shocking is how she keeps taking my make up upstairs and coming down looking like this...


Check out that eyeliner...remind you of anyone!!!

Then totally going in the opposite direction after we all sat and watch Liverpool beat Everton...had to get that in ;-)...here is my little ball girl...


And a rare picture of my handsome young man Harry, he doesnt usually entertain me when I'm taking pictures anymore...However I think he needs cash;-)...


Love this picture so much.

Off to drink enough wine to help me forget how much rubbish I have to watch on the television tonight...wish me luck!!!

Take care
Love
Est xx
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Shhh it's oh so quiet...

...it's early and very peaceful and I'm laying in bed blogging on my iPad because I'm just so excited and had to share....

Look what I've just bought...

For £12.50 delivered!!!

Bargain or what...got to love EBay and early morning web surfing!!!

Off to begin the day, have a great Saturday!!!


Take care
Love
Est xx
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Creative Chemistry

Well it's nearly over...my holiday...back to work on Monday!!!
But before that...
...it's the..
Weekend!!!

I've been having a crafty play this afternoon...just for fun, caught up with some of my Tim Techniques from the Creative Chemistry class and my fingers are currently sporting the very sexy spiced marmalade and fired brick!!!

So I'm up to day 8, I've not completed all the techniques but wanted to try out the embossing...Embossed with White powder, distressed with before mentioned fired brick and spiced marmalade and stamped with a text stamp...the embossed swirls resist the distress ink which is pretty cool....

Then tried another...stamped with gold acrylic paint and distressed and stamped again...


So took all of half an hour...two tags and this is what happened...


So that's the next hour taken care of!!!

Take care
Love
Est xx
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Writers Cramp? Tennis Elbow?

....no....
Crafters Ache!!!

I have been prepping for my upcoming class at My Paper Warehouse in Beautiful Kendal on Monday, I have die cut about two thousand shapes to prepare little grip seal bag packs for each of my lovely ladies, just to save time as I will be cracking the crafty whip and making them work their little bottoms off muwahahaha. Which means I now have a crafty achey arm from rolling the Cuttlebug that many times...I'm going to so feel that in the morning!!!

As you saw from my desk picture yesterday I'm working on a number of things at once, which is making my head hurt a little, and that has nothing to do with the wine consumed last night with my bestest friend...I'm working on upcoming class samples and just wanted to share this...

Which is a base for the little mini canvas boards I showed you earlier this week, just thought it looked lovely as it was before the mini board was stuck on....I'm waiting for the glue gun to heat up as we speak!!!

I can see this being a long night, my to do list is longer than my crafty achey arm...off for a crafty smoke while the glue gun heats up!!!



Take care
Love
Est xx
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What's on your workdesk?

Even though I've been to work today and taught two jewellery making classes to approximately 30 ladies I've still had a chance to blog hop...bloody insomnia...I was awake at 5am so browsed the web on my wonderful iPad...and found this

What's on your workdesk Wednesday (woyww)

Here's my picture...

It's far more organised than it looks...honest!!!

The canvas and canvas board I created earlier in the week are on there, yellow felt from a bee sewing project I'm working on for classes next week with adults with learning difficulties.

This terms notebook, I have a new one every term with classes, supplies venues etc, some registers and paperwork...boo.

A bracelet I took off whilst fixing a necklace last night because it kept jangling and was seriously winding me up.

Ooh what else...a felt pom pom flower ball...the pink ball, that's another class sample for my adults with learning difficulties, acrylic paint and a tub of gesso, I think I drew round the gesso for a circle template!!!

My rather sexy new ranger bucket filled with my tools...oooh iPad Is there too, and post from the last couple of days... why does this feel like the generation game...there's no cuddly toy in sight but I do have a little meerkat called Mark on one of my shelves....

...blah blah blah....man I can whitter sometimes...so to sum up I'm not working on any one thing but rather trying to clear the decks a little!!!

I have the next few days off, not back in work until Monday so hopefully will be able to organise myself...although I'm not holding out too much hope!!!

Off to prepare tea for my very best friend in the whole world who is coming round for a girly gossip tonight...this could get messy, there's a box of wine chilling as we speak!!!

Take care
Love
Est xx
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Slowly but surely...

Oooh excited...I've just found this, sometimes I'm a bit slow on the uptake but I get there eventually...

I love the 12 tags of Christmas so will be interesting to see what Sir Tim comes up with throughout the year, personally I'm looking forward to October...it's my birthday month but also Halloween and I love Halloween...and I've a feeling Mr Holtz does too!!!

Hit the streets, albeit very wet streets, of marvellous Manchester today...purely for lesson resources...well okay I did manage to get those new jeans, unfortunately after queuing up for twenty minutes to try them on I didn't have the energy to look for shoes as well, however a new cardigan and lush new top are currently hanging in my wardrobe ;-)...I found them before the queue honest!!!

I'm trying to catch up with emails at the moment, our server at work has been down or something....totally technical and far too I.T for me to appreciate or understand...finally managed to access them tonight after three days...I have a lot to catch up on so bear with me if you've contacted me and I haven't replied...I will...slowly but surely!!!

Off to finish repairing a pearl necklace...beautiful pearls, tedious and fiddly to restring but worth the time taken to see a happy face when a much loved piece of jewellery can once again be worn.

Take care
Love
Est xx
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Is this a new me?

I'm worried...seriously...!!!
I'm not back in work for a week and today I've been lesson planning!!!
Those who know me well know that I work better under pressure, at the last minute, by the skin of my teeth so it's very unlike me to have all my classes for next term planned and some of them prepped too, maybe it's a new me!!!

I did have a mild panic attack earlier, I've managed to loose/misplace/throw away...not sure which yet...all my lesson samples for my jewellery making classes, so had to remake all of those...yep five weeks worth of classes, I'm so hoping they don't show up in an obvious place because it took me about four hours to recreate them all!!!

So all organised, I'm off to Manchester tomorrow to buy class materials...yep I've even wrote a shopping list and I might need a little sneaky peak in Primark too...I really need some new jeans...honest I do and maybe some new shoes too!!!

Okay I've got the challenge bug back after taking part in Hels Sheridan's stamping challenge yesterday, my little tag got turned into this last night...

I used the same distress ink (spiced marmalade and fired brick) on a canvas board added the same stamps (script and floral swirl) to create a background, edged it all in black soot and die cut some more calico tattered flowers and some swirls...I like this a lot...
...and then I found this site..
...Simon says stamp and show...
And the challenge is only a Tim Holtz technique...right up my street...so made this...


It's an 8x8 inch canvas, I've painted the base with buff titanium acrylic paint, applied brushed corduroy distress ink through punchinella, and then directly to canvas...to distress, added a script stamp all over the background and then a floral swirl to the edges and highlighted with a little gold acrylic paint, I've die cut the bird, cage and some swirls and distressed then added more gold paint, the flowers are all cut from calico and dyed using brushed corduroy and frayed burlap, the stamped images have all been stamped onto card that I've "swooshed" in ink and then dried and dabbed into the ink spots again, and then cut out, added some punched distressed butterflies to finish...I like this quite a lot and think it will be heading for my bedroom wall.

I'm liking these challenges...it's like a little boost for your mojo!!!

Off now to wash the purple dye off my ears...nothing to do with distress inks this time!!!

Take care
Love
Est xx
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Easter Sunday...

...So I've had a little time off work which has given me the opportunity lately to check out blogs and stumble upon new ones...there is a lot of eye candy out there I just wish I had more time to blog hop. Anyway I discovered Hels Sheridans's blog yesterday...love it simples...she looks like she's got the same coloured fingertips as me most of the time judging by the gorgeous creations she has on her blog.

So I decided today after I'd spent the morning ironing and cleaning that I would take part in her Sunday stamper challenge...you can so tell I'm off work because I can't remember that last time I took part in an online craft challenge...so the theme was numbers oh and obviously stamping...I came up with this little tag...

I have used the ink and water "swoosh" method to colour my tag, dried then dabbed it on the inkspots again, applied distress ink through some punchinella and stamped to create my background. Ive then heat embossed a clock and a ticket (which both have numbers on) added some distress inked die cuts, stamped a sentiment and die cut some Tattered flowers from calico, which were then, along with the ribbon and lace, dyed with distress ink again...Can you tell what colour my fingers currently are!!!

Do you want to see my new stash :-)...


Look at all those Ranger goodies, I've re-inked my dry distress inks, I've filled my little Ranger bucket with all my essential, need them to hand tools, I've ran my Tattered flowers die through my Cuttlebug and I'm planning on creating a canvas this evening...good eh!!!

Right I'm off to perfect my Sunday dinner after I've sandpapered my fingers clean...Happy Easter everyone.
Love
Est xx
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Do it yourself Wedding workshops

Just thought I would let you all know about some one day workshops the college I work for are running, I am teaching on two of them; the wedding stationery and the wedding jewellery. They are full day workshops 9.30-3pm and all the workshops are being taught by fully qualified and experienced tutors, the cost is £35 and all materials are provided.

You can find the link here...Wedding workshops

If you want any more information please email me on the above email.

Off to work my way through a bag of mini eggs...well it is Easter after all.
Take care
Love
Est xx
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Good Friday

Look what I got...

Woo hoo I'm a graduate!!!
I have a very organised folder full of all the class handouts, techniques and samples...I promise some pictures soon.
Well that was a "good Friday" I've spent the day working on class samples I have the inky fingers to prove it...


That would be brushed corduroy and walnut stain!!!

I finished off the prototype I was working on last night which ended up as this...


I handmade the little canvas board by cutting a piece of mount board and covering it with canvas from a roll and then glued it to a pre bought canvas board...I liked it so much I made another one to use as a demo sample.

And then because I was on such a craft roll I made an easel box canvas...


So if you are booked on workshops with me in April/May this is what we will be creating.

It's late, I've already fell asleep once tonight, this being off work is wearing me out!!!

I'm off to rest my weary distressed stained self.
Take care
Love
Est xx
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Fake Friday...

...that's what we call Thursday's in our house when schools out and there is no work to get up for, doesn't happen often but feels good when it does...even better when there is a four...yes four day weekend looming...I've managed to keep this weekend completely free which is lucky because tonight I thought I had lost my mojo...look...

I think it was hiding...somewhere between the distress inks, the stamps and the general pile of crafty chaos...i found myself having a bit of a panic because i am supposed to be designing samples for workshops and planning new classes for work and for just a moment or two i just had that awful feeling that what if i cant do it anymore...luckily after a glass of grape juice ;-) and a crafty smoke I discovered my mojo...wedged between a piece of cream linen card and my Cuttlebug and not only did I create this prototype class sample...


But I also managed this...


Tidy or what!!!
Even I'm impressed with that!!!

I'm huffing on my nails and polishing them on my ink stained top as we speak!!!

Had a lovely day today with my girls and my mum, was her birthday last week and treated her to a "lady lunch" today...I could so get used to this being off work, lunching and shopping malarkey...
Took this picture of Ella whilst grandma and I took a break from the hard work of shopping to have a crafty smoke...


She seems to be all teenage hormones at the moment but every now and then a beautiful light shines from her and she makes everybody around her light up...she really is the most thoughtful sweet girl....despite those raging hormones!!!
Off to enjoy what is left of "fake Friday"
Take care
Love
Est xx
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