Spinning Christmas Tree

It's amazing what a bit of 'R&R' can do to get the creative juices flowing.

I've been out and bought some fabric and I'm gonna have a go with a sewing machine.... can you hear the family groan!!!!!! I have a pattern for a lovely owl cushion and have decided to confront those school sewing class nightmares... watch this space.

Christmas at home was a busy affair - Maria and family came to stay and we had a lovely time. The cairn terrorist played her famous christmas role - how to make a christmas tree spin. She seems to like dragging the tinsel off the bottom of the tree and send the baubles flying whilst rubbing her back on the branches!

I got some delicious crafty goodies from Santa aka Maria and today is the day I get to play with them.

I'll leave you with more Dylusion Inkiness and Wish You All The Best For the New Year

TFL

Annette x

Dylusion Play Day

 

Firstly I just wanted to say a Big Thank you to all you lovely bloggers who have thanked me for my posting efforts on the SplodgeAway Design Team. I have now stepped down as DT Coordinator and wish everyone well in their new roles.

This journal page was something that just came together. I'm completely addicted to the creative possibilities of these dylusion inks. For me the fact that the nozzels never block is genius. Nothing more frustrating than a blocked nozzel to starve the creative zone of inspiration. This week at school I raided the recycle bin for some star shaped bubble wrap - can't wait to see what results we get with that.

Thank you to all the Ladies who came to the Clarity Stampers North East Day last week. It was great spending time with you and I promise I'm on the case for bookings for next year!!

TFL and Enjoy your day

Annette

A Girl Can Dream

Well, having done Glasgow, Burnley, Birmingham etc etc I'm dreaming of putting my feet up and wearing my slippers for a couple of day before I think about planning for our trip to the Clothes Show Live and going shopping for some sparkly shoes.

This was something I put together for a bit of fun. Don't you just love those quirky quotes that make you smile!

and I need a pair of super dangerous Red Sparkly Boots......

Looking forward to catching up with the Clarity Stampers North East Crew later in November.

TFL

Annette x

Skating On Thin Ice

Just a quick post today to say that I will be demonstrating at The Craft Range Burnley, tomorrow from 10.15am onwards and hope to see you there.

I got to play yesterday and decided that the quote was quite apt for the moment!!

All the products are available from The Craft Range.

Enjoy

Annette x

Cake Box

This was a present for a friend - when we've been shopping she just loves to find a cookery shop and can spend ages browsing pans, tins and cup cake cases. Her collection of cake pans is amazing and her baking skills pay homage to the great Mary Berry.

TFL

Annette x

Marks out of Ten

I often get to listen to Chris Evans interviewing kids who are doing something for the first time and have to mark themselves out of 10. Well I would give myself '0/10' for my blogg but '10/10' for living. I've met some fantastic people whilst out and about have had quite a few laughs along the way. This week we're off to the SECC in Glasgow with Clarity Stamp. Both Barbara and Maria will be demonstrating at the show and it we always get to meet old friends and make new at these shows.

Next week I will be demonstrating @ The Craft Range in Burnley for Personal Impressions and will have the Dylusions to play with. However, Janet sent me this so I thought if Glasgow was too far away you may fancy a trip here

I've met these ladies at Clarity Workshops and they count sleeps before they arrive. ps they also stock Clarity Stamps.

Crafting -well that has taken a back seat this week but I'll put some photos up from Glasgow

TFL

Annette x

SplodgeAway Monthly Challenge

This litte blog of mine has been neglected these past couple of weeks - what with broken internet connections and the now famous Karioke Crafting @ Harrogate and Clarity Stamp NorthEast Workshops - I could be forgiven for having to prep for other things.

There was also the launch of the new SplodgeAway Monthly Challenge hosted by Karen Wright. This was my entry

The theme is Sparkle and Gems in the lead up to Bonfire Night. I used those LLLUUUUVVVVVEEEEERRRRRRRRRLLLLLLLLYYYYYYYYYYY Dylusion Inks, Glitter Paste, Guilding Flake, Mica Pieces and Bits of Bling. The prize has been sponsored by SplodgeAway. You can enter here

Looking forward to seeing your creations

Annette x

My Great North Run Hero

Justa quick post as we wanted to say a big THANK YOU to all who have contributed to Mike's Great North Run in aid of The Guide Dog Association. Donations can still be made to his Just Giving page.

Thanks
Annette and Mike x

CupCakes for Daisy

Well here we are going into week 3 for the builders to be 'in da house'

Crafting has had to take a bit of a back seat this week - that was until my friend Daisy asked me to help her make her CupCake Flower Box. This is something I'd put together a while back using polystyrene balls. It was a while since I had made 'something pretty' so it was lovely to get together and chat and create......

Next weekend is Suzicraft's 1st birthday so consider yourselves invited to the party. Maria Simms is going to be demonstrating along with yours truely. Then on Sunday Mike is taking part in the Great North Run in aid of Guide Dogs for the Blind so if anyone would like to donate I'll have a collection box with me on Saturday.

Take Care and thanks for stopping by - especially to those new followers to the blog!!

luff Annette x

ps in case you are wondering Dish Washer Dog has been staying at my mum and dad's as the pesky rats returned to their holiday home!!!!

Canvas Playtime Part 1

Well, the builders have moved in to the house and the wet plaster has been removed... hooorrrayyyy. It's a tad messy here so I decided to stick to my head in the craft ranch and play.

This is an A4 canvas, painted with Claudine Hellmuth paints /gel mediums and Viva Ferro. The flowers were cut from Flower Shoppe. I needed to add some addage tickets and bling on to the canvas but the light faded and I had kids shouting for food... so it's TBC

See U Soon

Annette x

Masked Layout

Well I hope everyone is feeling better than the weather - we had a party yesterday evening as the dehumidifiers left the building. Now we are waiting for the builders to do their part and replace stone, plaster and floor!!!

Who would have thought that water can cause such madness and mayhem....... I have lived in my craft den so that I don't have to look at it all....

This sample was made from the new layout masks from SplodgeAway and the stamped sentiment is a favourite from Clarity Stamp.

While I was working away helping to tutor on the Clarity Workshops a couple of new cricut cartridges arrived with my name on so I shall be having a play later on..... I feel a floral canvas is in the making.


Happy Stamping

Annette x

'Time To Play'

This week I posted a little tutorial on the SplodgeAway Blog on Dyluson Ghosting. As some of you know I just love playing with these inks and thought I'd show you how the other backgrounds for my journal have turned out.

Well a girl has to play with all the colours in the set to mix and match and find out what she likes etc etc !!!!

I've also had a mega Clarity Play Day - I decided to take every Clarity Stamp I had and only allow myself to use the ones I had never stamped with. You know the stamp you buy with good intentions but that thing called 'TIME' prevents you from using.
I'll leave those samples until after I come back from tutoring with Barbara at the Clarity Workshops next week.

Annette x

End of an Era and a Lovely Thank You

On Saturday I received these lovely flowers from my friends at The Art Shop in Darlington. The flowers in true 'Art Shop' colours made a tear come to my eye as I have been doing DoCraft demos with them for what seems to have been an eternity ( well over 10 years!) and I have decided to move on to new things. They said the could not leave the event unmarked ! Thank you x

I do hope that you will go and support my friend Kath Menzies who will be doing a demo there beginning of Sept.

As an aside I will also just say that I will still be hosting my regular workshops and classes so hope to see you there x

Annette x

Dog Gone "Where's The Rat?"

After over two weeks Dishwasher Dog has been allowed to return home, now that the unexpected rodent visitors have left. My Mum and Dad have been brilliant looking after her - I think we need to go pressie shopping!!

However, in Cairn Terrorist fashion was she delighted to greet the family? No it was a case of "let me go and see what's down there" So the wall has been assessed, sniffed and given a thorough cairn going over and we can relax. Dishwasher Dog has given us the all clear - All Rodents have moved out.

Now.... where's that pidgeon?

TFL

Annette x

Dishwasher Dog Moves to A New Home

Life has been very very quiet in the Lee Household as the Cairn Terrorist has gone on a summer vacation to my Mum and Dad's house while we try to catch the small mouse that is in fact the BIGGEST Rat I have ever seen. Apparently we all say that but I was blaming the dog for trashing my flowers when in fact a rodent decided our house would be a great pad for a summer holiday. The rat seems to be avoiding our trap and I can sense a new rap version of that song 'There's a rat in da kitchen what am I gonna do'

..... we'll keep you updated.....

Meanwhile, back at CardMaker's Ranch, I'll leave you with something that I made for the SplodgeAway Demo Day @ Suzicraft last week. It was a busy day and plenty of tea and coffee on tap. Thanks to Susan and Tom for inviting me and I look forward to seeing some of you for a class there towards the end of August

Now back to the Rat......

TFL

Annette x

A Mouse Hole and a Gorgeous Girl

Remember when I told you the dog had taken up residence under the hydrangea bush in the garden, and it was on pidgeon watch - well the pidgeon has decided to move next door and coo at the dog from a distance. However, since the biblical rains came a little mouse and her family have moved into the wall.

The dog is so obsessed in digging them out that we have had to board the wall up. My lovely hydrangea bush has had the roots exposed and the wall has cavities in need of serious reconstruction.... yesterday the Cairn terrorist found some new friends ... enter 'George and Mildred' two well fed, fat pidgeons living at mum and dad's house. The dog found the biggest window and the most comfy chair and spent a lazy Sunday afternoon snoozing with one eye open..... back on pidgeon watch!!!

We don't watch TV anymore!!

On a different tack ,I thought I'd post a photo of a card I did for this week's SplodgeAway Blog. I'm doing a free demo at Suzicraft this Saturday and you're welcome to pop along - no doubt Tom, Susan and Freda will have the kettle on.

Thanks for looking and enjoy the weather.

Annette x

A Moment of Tranquility and a Clarity Class

This is a moment of tranquility in a busy schedule. The Clarity Workshop is heading to Hampshire and then on 27th July we have a Clarity Stampers North East Workshop @ Sedgefield. I have invited my lovely friend Maria Simms to share the day with us again and there are a couple of spaces if anyone would like to come - just let me know via the comments box and I'll get in touch or you can email me at annette.lee@splodgeaway.com

We were in Doncaster last weekend - while we were indoors the sun came out. The show once again proved to be a popular venue. I just had to buy some of the new Clarity Stamps and saw some of the samples for an upcoming show. Gorgeous...... I also invested in some 'Gorgeous' Stamps. These are for my own R and R. However, I feel a trip to the Art Shop @ Darlington is on the cards as I 'need' some additional supplies of Polychromos pencils as I invested in some lovely kraft card from HobbyHouse.

Enjoy your crafting and TFL

Annette x

The Creative Journey

These last few weeks have been challenging and exciting. What with rain, prom, shopping with my boy for his upcoming trip to Italy and the school summer hols nearly with us my crafting has taken a rough ride. Everything I've been working on has been for someone else. So I'm going to push on and think towards August. Hopefully we will be able to get the house back together - it looks awful with no wood floor and sounds so echo .... think I'll move a comfy chair into my craft den ....uuuummmmm that's an idea.......

Today's posting is something I put together for the SplodgeAway Blog. The mat and masks made it's premier last week on Create and Craft. Tom and Maria worked hard pulling everything together.

Rain of Biblical Proportion and An Hallucinating Dog

...... an odd mix of title I hear you say, but this week on Thursday I got home from work to find a river meandering through the hallway and a card from the postman floating to tell me he'd called but I wasn't at home. Yes, we had bourne the brunt of some of the heaviest rain I had ever seen in my life. At the front of the house, the water reached to just below the window and everytime a car forced it's way through more water was forced into the house.

Believe it or not it was the evening of my daughter's prom - she was stuck in Hexham having had her hair done. Her dad did an amazing job and drove her through a river to get her home by 6.45 to don her dress, kagoul and approriate footwear and got her to the prom -a little late but she got there and she looked totally gorgous and had the time of her life. A BIG THANKYOU to all the teachers who made it there through that awful weather to give the students a night to remember.

The most surreal part of the evening came when we sat down to eat around 9.30 to find that Wimbledon was playing and Nadal was getting beat. If that wasn't enough of a distraction and we hadn't had enough tension for one evening we now found ourselves dealing with a dog which we discovered, has been living on and lying in cat nip for two weeks, who decided to track the ball and do the funniest things while trying to watch the tennis whilst lying on it's back !!!

By that time most of the water had drained away and we were left with a clean up job.....

Anyway ..... if your interested there is a Design Team Call on the SplodgeAway Blog - use the link at the side to get there.

Back later with more....

TFL

Annette x

A Brief Encounter

Wow what a week - it started off with Prom Dress shopping which went well, a Spectrum Noir pen class @Suzicraft, followed by two days of Clarity Workshops @ Sedgefield and to end it all I get to spend the weekend watching the British Touring Cars @ Croft. We were at the qualifying yesterday - no r.a.i.n. stopped play, just a tad windy, well enough to give you wind burn to your face actually but who cares - the Olay will have to step up to the mark and prove it's value sitting on the shelf.

So all my crafting has been for others to see - however, I will let you in to a secret I have been prepping my class that I'm doing at Preston with my friend Maria Simms next weekend, and it's coming along nicely. All I will say is that it involves a bit of Tim of Holtz fame, a dosing of Cricut, and an elegant Crafty Individual finish. I thinj Maria still has a space if anyon is interested. See here I'll leave you with a little hommage to those baby birds who have sung their little hearts out these past few weeks whilst living in my garden and say thanks to them for keeping the bugs at bay in my apple tree.....




TFL

Annette x

It's 5 O'clock Somewhere

As some of you know I have had several opportunities to be a guest lecturer on Cruise Ships sailing to and from the Caribbean. This week with all the fowl weather, wind and rain I got chatting with my daughter and we spent some time talking and remembering our little trips out to Tortola and Antigua - we've decided we would rather like to live in Tortola but that's another story.

This little canvas reminded me of Tortola - I think it's the vibrant nature of the colour of the Dylusion ink. I just love the colour they produce.

That sense of unhurried time spent with DD is something in the business of life I now treasure.



See in all the reverie I quite forgot it was Father's Day - I get to have Sunday Lunch with my Dad and Mum - another unhurried moment in life!

TFL

Annette x

Clarity 4 Day Deal

Barbara sent me some lovely little stamps that got my muse going last week ..... here are a few of the creations I put together for the 4 day deal available on Create & Craft this week.








The small sets of stamps are so versatile and a delight to use for lots of different occasions.

I'll be back later on the week with more photos

TFL

Annette x

Mods On Mopeds

This week we have been enjoying TOTPs 2 (BBC 2 6.30ishpm)... the kids have been cringing at their parents singing and reliving those disco 'slow snog' dances that always came at the end of the evening. Prior to that the girls dancesd round their handbags and certainly the 'popular' discos I went to, the 'boys' danced in their wellies - the majority being farmers popping in for a drink and a laugh! I can't beieve I could remember the dance moves to Adam and The Ants - you remember Diana Doors and that fairy godmother act....

Well where are we going ... on Saturday I set off over to Carlisle for a demo and what slowed me down - a group on vintage mopeds. My week was complete :

So what else has been going on ... I got to spend some time with Cricut. Mt DH thinks I have another man as he overheard me talking to myself, talking to Cricut.... don't go there !!!

The dog has taken up residency under a hydrangea bush on 'pigeon watch'. We have birds nesting down the bottom of the garden so we've been putting out extra meal worms and other exotic items the birds seem to enjoy and two pigeons, Bessie and Bert have decided that they would like to come and join the party. The Cairn Terrorist is taking guard duties to excessive extremes ... it's keeping the dog busy.... the little birds can have their exotic nosh.... and the pigeons are welll exercised!

I'll leave you with a little something I created earlier today



TFL

Annette x

Dylusions Day

Today I got to play with some new toys - Dylusions vibrant ink sprays by Dyan Reaveley. In a few words.... you gotta get some and play.... no clogged nozzels...gushy oozzzzzy colour palatte that had my daughter wanting to join in. I also missed out on a cricut class on Friday where the lovely Margaret had created cards, post-it note holders and a must have brag book. So feeling the urge to create on a sunny Sunday afternoon this is one of the things we came up with today.

The inks can be purchased here

We used the Splodge-A-Mask to create the backgrounds. We even found them useful for body art - but will leave that for another day. It is Sunday afterall.

TFL

Annette x

I LOVE my dishwasher dog!!

Imagine the scene .. you've just had friends round for dinner ..... and you wander into the kitchen to bring in your bowl of fruit salad and what do you find ....

.... a dog in the dishwasher....

.....and it gets worse......

the dog refuses to move ..... kinda get the feeling there could be so scrumptious scoobie snacks going on.....

But this card really lets you know how the cairn terrorist really makes us feel.....

TFL

Annette x