Out of the Blue Craft Group - Saturday 13th September

Good Morning Friends,

I don't think that I have been so 'sporadic' in blogging since I started three years ago...this time last year we were waking up in San Francisco, looking forward to almost three weeks of R&R, catching up with all my relatives and enjoying the the Californian sunshine as we drove down the coast to San Diego..and I still managed a blog post nearly every day! I'm glad I did too, because those posts are a photo diary of where we were for when I have the time to scrapbook the trip! (two pages so far!)

In truth, work has been exceptionally busy of late...a few events within a few weeks, more time going back and forth to catch up with my volunteers and more craft time out in the summerhouse painting lots of wooden and mdf shapes for autumn and Christmas projects. 

Tom poked his head in there the other day and I could tell by the pitch of his voice he was beginning to think I'd finally lost my marbles...lanterns, trees, bird houses, sleighs.."exactly what are you going to do with all this?" he asked tentatively. Well, some are for personal home decor decorations, some for presents and if the craft fair planned for the library does get underway, then I will try and sell some. When I cut down my hours at work earlier this year, it was with the intention of setting up a Facebook page and selling cards and craft from there...if that worked I would invoke a Folksy shop that has been dormant for a long time! However I still can't make enough items  to do any of this yet...I have to face up to the fact that I'm a slow crafter! I'm not even a perfectionist - I rarely measure, preferring the  'by eye' method. I really take my hat off to those of you who are able to blog every day!

Hopefully I will get back on track now, I really have to make headway with the Christmas cards..then of course the kitchen arrives at the end of the week promising 2 weeks of upheaval :)

Anyway, less of my excuses and on to photos from this week's craft group..the photos have successfully made it to the blog this week with no wedding photographer to hijack my SD card!

Once again they all made fab cards and here they are...a special welcome this week to two newcomers who really loved it and have booked again, Gill and her young niece Kirsty..it's great to have you along!

 The last card is Kirsty's card, she hadn't really done much crafting, but her aunt had, so between us we were there to help, not that she needed too much, what a lovely card she made!

Sorry they are a bit 'yellow'  - it's the lighting in the room and I only have a few minutes at the end to take them...this is the best I can photoshop them!

As always in preparation for classes I make quite a few cards using  the stamps or related stamps to show at class, so I have quite a few of Sam's Woodland Animal stamps on cards waiting to be blogged. The main reason I was so chuffed to be selected for Sam's DT this year was because I love using her stamps/designs, so even though the DT is on hold for her maternity leave, cards will keep coming! 

As a "one off' class and as part of the South Gloucestershire Council 'Discover' month, which encourages people to try something new, Amy and I are doing a one off class in Yate Library in October and for that session we'll be using one of my Dasher Deer designs...he really is my favourite deer stamp right now!

I will be catching up with you later today, have a great weekend and let's hope the sun keeps shining!

One of the added attractions of working outside: the chooks come and keep me company, often even sitting inside the door, but usually on the verandah ...bless :)

Love and Hugs

Carole X

Workshop Photos - Friday 25th April 24th

Good Morning Friends,

Last night Amy and I  held the second of our  Floral Paper Wreath workshops - this time I remembered my camera and no photos were lost. It was interesting..both groups had the choice of using flower stamps and/or dies...the first group of my ladies all used mostly stamps, mixed with some dies..I remember because I helped with the cutting all evening. They all finished their wreaths.

Last night, everyone used predominantly dies, so waiting to use the die cutting machines actually slowed things up and three of them actually took theirs home to finish. Anyway, here are the completed wreaths...all of them very different and very gorgeous, well done ladies!

Next time we will be celebrating 2 years of Out of the Blue craft group, so we are planning quite a 'tasty' project and no, there will be no baking involved!

 Below, this was taken as a bit of a joke, because this is as far as one of the group got..I told her I need to see the finished wreath next time!

When I posted my wreath a few days ago, I was asked how I made the poppy like flower..well it was the colour that made it look like a poppy and even those in the group who have seen the wreath actually called it a poppy. Of course the leaves are not poppy-like at all, I think it's just the colour and black centre that makes you immediately think of poppies. The flower is actually made from the Peony Spellbinders Die.

I  didn't use the largest die in the set , but I die-cut 2 x the next size up and 3 x the size up from that, using red card which I then spritzed with water to loosed the fibres and then scrunched up.

Next, I took the next  two sizes up and die cut one of each in black. For the top layer, I used a Martha Stewart punch and then added a dazzler.

Well I am actually hoping to get some cards made today; I can't believe where the time has gone over the past week and not a card made! I didn't even join in with Sunday Stampers this week!

By for now and thank you so much for stopping by!

Love and Hugs,

Carole X

Craft Group Photos - Friday 21st March 2014

Good Morning Friends!

The sun is shining, so we are going to go ahead with our plans for a day at Adam Henson's Cotswold Farm, really looking forward to it as well!

Today, a quick post to share photos from last night's Out of the Blue craft workshop. I think all my ladies enjoyed making the triple layered card, especially creating their own backgrounds and here are some photos with their finished cards..unfortunately the lighting in the room doesn't do justice to all the lovely colours they created!

 This is Sharon (above and below with close up of card): Sharon also has a blog,  Saffrons Crafty Creations - do pop over and have a look at her gorgeous designs..not just paper craft, but also stunning jewellery - click here

Many thanks for stopping by! Have a great Friday,

Love and Hugs,
Carole X

Workshop Photos! Friday January 31st

Good afternoon Friends!

 One of my favourite films is the sci-fi movie Bladerunner (not the directors cut, I would add, the one with the full Harrison Ford Film Noir voice-over), but just lately I've felt like an unwilling 'extra' on the set of this movie - I know, you wonder what I'm talking about? 

Well if you know the movie, you know that it's set in the future where the city is dark and wet all the time. It just doesn't stop raining(remind you of the UK at the moment?)...so you see what I'm getting at now don't you? :) 

I had to go into work this morning and had a very wet walk home. As for the hens... soon as they know someone is in the house (no matter how quietly I creep in!), they know I'm home and they start making a noise to be let out, so I let them out and they ran straight to their favourite cover of an old cold frame. They spent the next hour dashing between that, the greenhouse and the cover of their own coop..just for a change of scenery I guess.

The rain was finally coming down so much and the wind blowing, that I decided it was safer to put them back in their run (where they were sheltering anyway) -but- they know I'm home and are now crying to come out again!  I'm holding out that they'll soon get fed up and realise that they are better off inside!

At last night's Out of the Blue Craft Group,  I had one new lady in my group and two that had only been once before, but last time were on Amy's table. They aren't just new t he group, they told me they were pretty knew to crafting.They made four of the amazing cards below(one of them made two!). 

After the initial hesitation from everyone, it was the same as the week before: heads down just doodling..some just doodled and took their art home to make into cards, but these were the cards I managed to photograph.

Such concentration..everyone is in the zone!

I just couldn't get an in focus shot of this lovely card by our first time lady

This owl was made by one of our regulars and was modelled on one of the examples I'd made, which I will be sharing sometime soon

Well done to everyone again, these cards are all fabulous!

I'm not going to share my Zentangle with a twist card just yet as it was made for a Design Team and the challenge isn't up yet, so had better wait!

Love and Hugs and keep  dry,

Carole X
PS The 'girls' are still protesting at being shut in the dry, out of harms way! :)

Zentangled Craft Group! - Friday 17th January

Hello Friends!

Well it was good to see our first group of ladies again last night after the Christmas break! I think a lot of them were a bit 'dubious' about our choice of theme - some had never heard of Zentangle and only a couple had ever tried it before, but they they are a group of ladies who are always game to try what we 'throw' at them!

I'm sharing today a few cards made by some of the ladies on my little group. Not all of them made cards, some were happy just to try tangling with different stencils and take their work home to finish off. Looking at these cards..ALL..by ladies who had never Zentangled before, will show you why you should give it a go! The cards are (in my opinion) beautiful and I don't think that anyone but the most expert tangler would know they were all beginners. The thing about Zentangle for the first time, is that you might be faced with your outline and wonder 'what do I do now?', but there are lots of examples in books and on the internet, which can get you started and once that first section is complete, the rest just seems to flow naturally!

Super design and love the backing paper, which looks a bit like chicken wire!

Really good idea to 'frame' the image this way, very effective

The backing paper used with this one actually looks Zentangled doesn't it?! Super faux stitching too

Love the Zentangle at the side here, it really completes the card

I was both surprised and -not-  that the cockerel stencil was such a popular choice last night and I think the reason why is because it's a large area. You may think that would make it take longer to work on, but having Zentangled quite a few images over the past week, I felt far more comfortable and satisfied working on a larger area, where there is more 'scope' for a pattern.

Anyway, suffice to say this was a very successful class and I'm sure we will return to Zentangle at some point..it's not over yet though; we run 2 groups a month using the same project, so our second group of ladies will be tangling at the end of the month!

Bye for now and thank you for stopping by!

Love and Hugs,

Carole X

Workshop photos - Friday 22nd November

Good morning Friends....and a cold one it is too! Brrrr!

A quick post today, I'm off to work for a few hours this morning for the final bit of training for my new volunteers. I don't think I have ever seen my office as much as in the last three weeks and as a result I really am behind with my Christmas 'makes' now!

Yesterday I posted the card our group was making at the craft group Amy and I run - Out of the Blue, in Chipping Sodbury. The workshop was last night and as it was our last one before Christmas and also Amy's birthday, we felt very festive and even had lovely hot mince pies.

It was such a busy evening, that I didn't get the chance to take individual photos before I noticed some of our ladies had already packed them away, suffice to say they were all fabulous and everyone went home covered in glitter! However I did take some photos during the evening of the ladies at work...

Thanks for stopping by...I seem to be  a day behind in catching up with all your blogs lately, but I am getting there  in  the end!

Love and hugs,

Carole X