What a busy girl

How time flies when you've been having fun!!
Sorry I've been missing for a few days but I can't believe how busy I have been or where the time has gone to. I told you that I would need a holiday to get over this one and I now know I'm not joking. Lol.
It was wonderful to see so many familiar faces and blog followers during my week at Peterboro, and what a truly fantastic week it was, if a bit hectic.
And who knew that the journey back could take so long. I had a wonderful surprise when my daughter arrived to collect me on Friday evening as she had my two eldest grandchildren with her. They were so good, and behaved beautifully especially given that they spent over 8 hours in the car during the drive there and back. According to the satnav the journey one way should take about two and half hours. Thank goodness it was a Friday, as after a brief pit stop for MacDonald's at the Services we finally arrived home at 12.45 in the morning.
Saturday was another busy one as I was teaching at The Eternal Maker in Chichester. More travelling, only this time with my friend Corinne and not for quite so long.
Then the fun started. Remember Barbara on the TV with no samples for a set of stamps that she is showing. Well I arrived ready to teach Spotlight cards, and having set up I discovered that the ladies were expecting to do Waterfall cards in the morning and Men's cards in the afternoon!!!!!!!!!!!
OMG talk about panic. Still we winged it as they say, and with a bit of thinking on my feet I think I can safely say that a good time was had by all.
No samples to show the ladies however and no time since to finish any for the shop so you will have to put up with some more of the Metal Embossing cards from Sir Stampalot until I get the chance to finish some others.
Sunday was spent working on the cards for Barbara for her next TV show.
I delivered them to her this morning.
I always take muffins with me when I visit Barbara, and so it was just as well that I popped into work to pick some up as I found out that they are expecting me back at work tomorrow at 6am and I wasn't expecting to go in until Wednesday, so I had better get on with this post or I won't have any time to play at all.
As I've already said these are more metal embossing cards, but I hope you like them anyway.This first one is an easel card made using the Magenta (40304O)'Singing Bird' stamp and a very small amount of metal on the bird alone. The colour on this is done with distress inks on glossy card stock. The swirl is by Magnolia and Happy Anniversary is from the new Hobby Art Clear Greetings set.
I have also spritzed the card with glimmer mist and embellished the panel with a Martha Stewart punch and some silver peel-off lines. The bird and branches are cut from a separate stamped and coloured panel and have been attached using silicone.

This card also uses a Magenta stamp (37244J) Joyful daisy Row. The metal has been coloured using Alcohol inks, as has the panel that it has been mounted onto.
The cluster of flowers in the corner has been embellished with a piece of the new Magnolia Chandelier garland. I have also used a Martha Stewart punch, sheer ribbon and black pearls.


This final card uses a lovely floral Whipper Snapper design (AW733) Framed Flowers and Vines. I have coloured the main stamped panel with ink from a couple of the new distress ink colours and then added flowers stamped onto metal with black stazon and coloured with alcohol inks. I have painted the ink on to the metal with an ordinary paintbrush.
The edges of the background paper panel has been aged with distress ink and then crystals have been added to the card as a finishing touch.
Must close now as I have to iron my uniform.
Happy stamping everyone
Love Kimx

Sorry Anna, but I didn't say I wouldn't play!!

Evening All.
I do love my inks and backgrounds as I expect most of you know. I have been having another wonderful day of play at Sir Stampalot only this time I have been playing with copic pens.
Sorry Anna, but I haven't been using them to colour in so maybe it won't count. I promised my friend Anna that I wouldn't get in to copics, but I didn't promise not to try them out.
I caught a tutorial on using copics direct on your stamps and this seemed much more me so I thought I would give it a try using Janice's pens.
I think you will agree that the effect is really quite nice. The floral panel on this first card was actually a way of salvaging an image that I didn't particularly like.
It was a bit blurred and so I added some distress ink and then stamped and clear embossed the image again over the top.
The floral panel on this card is created the way the tutorial suggested by using the copics direct on the stamp and then spritzing with alcohol blending solution before stamping the image.
The colours bleed together slightly due to the blending solution and by using glossy card stock it certainly does give a nice bright image.
The panel that it is layered over has been created using alcohol inks with a Hero Arts stamp white embossed over the top.
Both cards are completed using cuttlebugged paper and card. Pearls, brads and ribbon are the perfect final embellishments.
I hope you like the cards I certainly enjoyed making them.
Must get to bed now as I have my Metal Embossing classes tomorrow (Thursday).
Night night
Kimx

Tilda's Special Visitors

Hello Everyone, what a surprise, another late night posting. You would think that I would be capable of blogging in daylight hours wouldn't you but hey!!
I had another fun filled day of playing at Sir Stampalot again today, but with the added bonus of some very special guests.
John and Barbro the main people from Magnolia popped in for a quick cuppa on their way to the NEC.
They brought loads of samples with them for us to see, and I tell you girls they are just amazing in the flesh. The magazines and blogs just don't match up to the real thing. One of the samples was even made by a thirteen year old - I can tell you I feel very inadequate.
I do feel that in honour of the occasion I should post a card made using a Tilda although it is very simple in comparison to the ones I saw today.
I have used my new distress inks to colour in with. I can see that these are going to get a real hammering over the next few days, I may need reinkers immediately for some of the colours lol.
I have tried to show the glitter and embossed swirls on the close up but as I say even my humble offering looks much better in the flesh.
Off to bed now as we have another early start tomorrow.
Hope to see some of you before I go home.
Loads of love
Kimx

A little Birdie told me.....

Good Evening Everyone, or should I say Good Morning now, thanks for stopping by.
Just a quick post tonight as it really is very late.
Another busy day at Sir Stampalot helping Janice and Andy pick orders and of course playing as well. The only trouble is that we get so engrossed in what we are doing that before you know where it is its 10pm and we still have to get home for some dinner!! And we always start early - well not for me I'm used to a 6am start - but I think Andy will be glad to see the back of me so that he can have a lie in again. I am definitely going to need a holiday to get over this one lol.
Anyway I have been playing with the metal embossing in preparation for my classes here on Thursday, so I thought that I would share one of the cards with you. I have used one of the wonderful Magenta stamps here and added some colour to parts of the image with alcohol inks.
I have mixed the colours with some glossy accents and then painted with them to add a little depth. The metal itself has been aged using acrylic paint.
I have, of course, added the new distress ink pads to my shopping basket and these have been used on the background papers.
The ribbon is new as well. In fact there are just so many yummy new things for me to see in their new shop that it's just as well that my lovely daughter is coming to pick me up on Friday and that I don't have to struggle home on the train.
Anyway time to pack up now as that alarm will be going off soon enough.
There are still a couple of places available on the classes, so if you fancy a break from the housework why not come along and join me and play with metal and alcohol inks. It's great fun and you can get to see the new shop!
Night for now
Love Kimx

Can anyone help me please?

Good Morning everyone
Aren't you impressed a blog posting before midnight.
No pictures I'm afraid just a plea for some help.
Did anyone tape the last TV show that Barbara did on Sunday 6th March, and if so would they be prepared to loan me a copy. I set up the box to tape, but you know me and technology, I failed miserably. My friend Gill came to my rescue as she had taped it but what do you know only the first hour!!
So if there is anyone out there who has the full two hours and could put it on a tape for me to watch I would be very grateful. I will replace the tape for you and pay the postage of course. Just drop me a line and let me know.
Thanks a lot.
I will try and post properly later when I get to finish something. In the mean time have a relaxing Sunday.
Love Kimx

Yipee, I'm here at SirStampalot at last

Hi Guys, well I'm here at last.
Well actually I've been here since late on Thursday evening - last minute change of plans with Olympia!! - but it has taken me a few days to get the Internet sorted so that I can blog.
Anyway here I am at last and so now I had better post the cards from Jenny's show as promised.They are all made using the Winter Scene Its clear stamp set.
Although it was actually designed as a Christmas set, I think you can see that it works for any time of the year.
And for any occasion.
The greetings used on these cards are from another Hobby Art clear stamp set amazingly called Greetings clear set lol.
I may have got the Internet up and running, but I'm afraid that the brain is not up to much tonight.
We have had a wonderful demo day at Sir Stampalot today with Brenda (Floral Fantasies) and then we all went out for a curry at one of those all you can eat places. Boy am I stuffed. So I'm afraid that I am struggling to write this, maybe I will do better tomorrow.
We are planning on a lazy morning at home tomorrow, so you never know I might actually get to post during daylight.
Night night for now.
Love Kimx

Clarity Part 4

Well Girls I knew that two posts in one day was too good to be true, and here we are back to normal with a late night posting for all those night owls lol.
These are the last of the cards from Barbara's show.
I have to say that it was my least favourite set to work with, but I was happy with the samples that I came up with. Sometimes you just need to play and see what happens.The set contained several small images which immediately screamed Grid Card at me. It looks complicated but is actually quite simple to achieve and is a great way of using several images on a single card.
This is a close up of part of the grid. I highlighted each section with my trusty starlight pen to add just a hint of glitz.
This second card is a very simple one using only the greeting and miniature car stamps.
The final card again makes use of stamping the same image several times without reinking. A cuttlebugged panel and the motor bikes finishes it off.
I will share Jenny's cards with you tomorrow.
My holiday starts here but I do have to pack my things for my trip to SirStampalot so I had better finish now so I can get some sleep.
I have been looking forward to this trip for ages and now it is finally here.
Good night all you late night people, sweet dreams.
Love Kimx

Clarity Part 3

Hi Girls.
Well how about this, two posts in one evening. Well I did say I would try.
This set contains a greeting, a fabulous house and several tree stamps - all great for men's cards.
This first card has trees randomly stamped across the greeting. The panel has then been mounted onto some green paper and black glossy card.
This is a close up of a section of the card. As you can see I hate to waste anything and so the tumbling leaves are saved from the punched border.
The main panel on this card is created using a resist technique. I use an awful lot of peel-off dots on my cards and they can be made to look more like brads by adding a blob of glossy accents to them.
This card makes use of some masking, and has been embellished with a strip of paper punched using a Martha Stewart punch, some ribbon and a hand made flower.
I felt that this set would make a great card to welcome someone to their new home, so in the absence of a stamp with a suitable greeting I wrote this one myself.
One of the Nestabilities has been used here to create a shaped card. The card is quite small but also a bit different.
Well I had better close now. Only one more day at work before I start my holiday and I am so looking forward to it.
By the way don't forget to catch Jenny from Hobby Art on Create and Craft channel 671 at 8am tomorrow morning. I hope she has managed to get an early night as she will have to be at the studio at 6am tomorrow!!!
I will post the last of the Clarity cards tomorrow and then I can share the Hobby Art ones with you.
I hope it's not all too much.
Night night.
Love Kimx

A second helping of Clarity

Hello Ladies,thanks for stopping by.
Sorry its been a while but I’ve not had a very good week. I hope that you were all well and truly pampered on Mother’s Day. I had lots of cups of coffee made for me and Roast Lamb for dinner - my favourite.
I will have to post a couple of times a day at this rate to catch up with all the cards that I still have to share with you from Barbara's show, and then there is Jenny’s show tomorrow, and I’m going to be at Olympia now as well as Janice and Andy’s - wow I’m going to need a holiday to get over this one lol.
This second stamp set featured three different corners and as you can see I got a little carried away. Black and white predominates, they just seemed to work so well with this colour combination.
As you can see I am definitely in to my easel cards, and I think that this is my favourite card from this collection. I have also used one of the new cuttlebug folders and some punched flowers.
Black, white and silver again with some card candy as a finishing touch.I'm usually a gold girl, but I think the silver works really well.
A close up of the card shows the crystals that I have used at the centre of the floral corners.
This card started out as black and white but I have changed the overall effect by mounting onto blue card stock. I went back to gold embossing on the main card and added a punched flower and some leaves.
I usually heat emboss everything in sight, but here I have flat stamped the image with a dye based ink pad and then used a damp paint brush to pull the colour from the image. Once again some cuttlebugging and punched flowers complete the card.
This card uses a dye based ink pad and flat stamping to create a geometric design around the word stamp.
Similar to the previous card but I have sponged dye based ink over the entire panel and then added the greeting to the centre of the card afterwards.
This final card returns to the black and white theme with some added punched flowers.
I hope that you like the cards, I certainly enjoyed making them as you can see from the fact that I got quite carried away with the number of samples.
I have just received my next parcel from Barbara so I had better get my thinking cap on. In the mean time I will share some more cards with you soon, it may even be later tonight you never know.
Happy Stamping
Love Kimx

New Clarity TV Show

Hi everyone, thanks for dropping in.
As promised, if a little later than I had planned, are the first round of samples from the latest Clarity show on Create and Craft. As I said before I did get a little carried away, not hard when you have such lovely stamps to work with.I never know quite which cards to show you first, so I thought that I would start with one of my favourites. What a surprise, this one has lots of handmade flowers on it.
After painting the image with a wash of colour I have used bleach to paint over the face. This takes out most of the colour as I have used a dye based ink, but leaves a lovely watermarked look.
The second card has also been coloured with dye based inks and then layered over a panel of handmade background paper.
I have highlighted the hair with some mica based paint.
I'm afraid that the photography on the final card does not show it at its best. I have painted it with metallic pearlex, mainly silver.
I suddenly remembered that I hadn't taken any pictures of the cards as I was about to hand them over to Barbara (We invited ourselves for coffee again - hot cross buns this time) so I had to take some quick photos on her cutting and packing table.
The punched panel on this card is actually Mirri card, so I had to change the angle that I photographed it at or else you could see me taking the picture reflected in the card lol.
Hope you enjoyed the show, I had it on in the background while I was working on Jenny's samples for Thursday, but I do admit to having the sound turned off as the presenters drive me nuts.
I don't know how Barbara and Jenny do it. I just keep yelling at the TV to tell the presenter to shut up and let the girls get on with the demos so how they keep from yelling at them I don't know.
Anyway, will share some more cards tomorrow.
Hope you have had a great weekend.
Love Kimx

Happy Mothers Day - Pink or Purple?

Evening Everyone.
All these late nights teaching and blogging are obviously catching up with me.
I went to watch part 2 of The Mentalist last night (isn't he yummy!!) and the next thing I knew it was 2am. So much for that evening!!!
Never mind I got my fix tonight so I will just have to try and catch up on the Internet, if I can work out where to do it that is.
Anyway I thought that I would share a couple of cards that I have been asked to make for people lately. A friend saw one of my floral cards and asked me to make a Mothers Day card for her. However when I showed her it she asked if I could make it more pink - apparently she doesn't like purple - so I had to make it again.What do you think, is it pink enough lol.
Nothing wasted though as one of the boys at work liked the purple one and wants it for his Mum.Of course there had to be some flowers on it, I really am getting hooked aren't I.
There were also a few flowers on some of the cards that I delivered to Barbara for her TV show on Sunday (Create and Craft Sky channel 671 at 11am - 2 hours of crafting know how)
I did get a little carried away so I'm not sure that she will show them all. Still as soon as it airs I will post pictures.
Must get to bed now or I won't get anything done tomorrow.
Sleep tight.
Love Kimx

It's a challenge!

Hello Everyone, thanks for stopping by.
Sometimes when you are doing a demo you have to use stamps and products that you would not usually choose. This is always a challenge, and not always one I am up to. The stamps on this card fall into that catagory, but I hope that on this occassion I I rose to the challenge ok.
The panel on the card is created using a versamark ink pad, which has then been brayered over with Kaleidacolor dye based ink (Calypso).
Rub over the image with a piece of kitchen paper before stamping and embossing the greeting with black versafine ink and clear embossing powder. Versafine really is the best inkpad for stamping and embossing, in my humble opinion, as it always gives such an intense black which embosses beautifully no matter how detailed the image.
I have finished the card off with a water marked panel, ribbon, and tiny punched flowers.
These are really very simple flowers with a little bit of bling in the centre.
I am enjoying making flowers at the moment, as you may have gathered, and am teaching how to make them at Davina's this evening so I had better get myself ready - hence the early post.
Will share again tomorrow.
Have a great evening
Love Kimx

My first Easel Card

Hello Everyone, thanks for stopping by.
I can't believe where the last few days have gone, it's back to real work tomorrow - yuk!!
I've managed to get all my cards finished for Barbara (I will share them with you as soon as she has seen them), so I thought that I would try and use up some of the bits and pieces that I created during my demos at Farnborough. I never manage to get any cards finished during a demo. I guess it is because I am showing people a technique rather than how to make a card, so I always end up with loads of things to finish. Isn't it silly how we think something must be really difficult to make when in fact it is so simple.
I have seen some stunning easel cards just lately and they all looked so complicated. But having been given a quick tutorial by Amanda at Farnborough (How stupid do I feel, its just so logical) I decided to take the plunge and make one myself.
I've used up one of the sponged and bleached pieces that I created during my demo and added some ribbon and card candy.
The second card also uses a demo piece - you always seem to end up with loads of bits all the same colour, does anyone else find that?
Isn't it amazing though how two pieces the same colour can end up as two completely different coloured cards.
I hope you like them, better get some sleep now.
Happy Crafting
Love Kimx