Collage Sheets

Thanks to Ellie for finding this great website with free collage sheet downloads. Go to www.flickr.com/groups/freecollagesheets/ . It's the crop this coming Saturday. I am working on a demo and it involves tissue tape, can't wait to experiment.
This week has been really busy for me, but fun! I have had a great time seeing all the grandchildren over the weekend- and that makes me very happy! Did I tell you I have the 3 most gorgeous granddaughters in the world?
I have steered away from my scrap room this last week. It's a complete mess from my very productive creative frenzy! I get so frustrated that I just don't have enough room to have the things that I need out and easy to reach. I know I am very lucky to have a room to call my own, but I need either more space or yet another huge clear out!! I will have to face it soon, or there will be no demo Saturday :-(

Time to create

I am finally making time to create, on a daily basis. It's always been hard for me to give myself 'permission' to get in my craft room and forget everything else, but I am doing it! I am reading the book 'Creative time and space' and I have found it really helpful. How wonderful it is to get lost in time and the process of creating, and then to have something to show for it. I have been playing with my Big Shot and love the Tim Holtz Bigz dies. I will be making some samples for a demo at the February crop. I have had the most fun with the embossing folders. The metal flower pictured was cut with the Tattered Florals die and then put through the Big Shot in an embossing folder. I then rubbed paint over it with my fingers, highlighting the raised edges. The other flowers are made with the same die, just using different papers/card, some embossed and some collaged. Texture is everything!

Ooooooohhhhhhhh crop!

It's the monthly crop on Saturday! We have Caroline from SCRAPZ coming with the shop, and I will do a demo. I am really looking forward to the first crop of the year. If you want to come to our Altered Scrapbook workshop with Annaliese Bates in March don't forget to bring a deposit of at least £10 on Saturday to secure your place, don't miss this one! I wanted to draw your attention to a blog I found which has kept me occupied for ages tonight- so much inspiration! It's www.polkadotchair.com I wish I had found it before Christmas! There are some great gift and decorating ideas on there. Have fun browsing :-)

LOTS TO LOOK FORWARD TO

It's a time for thinking about the year ahead. 2011 is a new decade, lets make some goals that will get us where we want to be. Whether we are looking at our crafting or general life goals, we will accomplish so much more if we know what we want to achieve. So, think what you would like to happen in 2011, and then write down some steps that will set you on your way. You could even scrapbook your journey. The most important thing is that you take those steps! So often we set goals and don't achieve them, because we don't follow through and do the work. Lets change all that and live more purposefully in 2011. I have always loved this quote, I hope it inspires you too!
"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavours to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with success unexpected in common hours" David Henry Thoreau

Crop 2011

CROP DATES
The crop will take place on the second Saturday of each month, except for February when we couldn't get the second so we went for the first Saturday. Dates are as follows:
January 8th
February 5th
March 12th
April 9th
May 14th
June 11th
July 9th
August 13th
September 10th
October 8th
November 12th
December 10th

WORKSHOP- If we get at least 15 people signed up, the workshop will be subsidised for regular members, so a workshop that usually costs £30 will be yours for £20! Karen or Carol need your £10 deposit by the January crop to secure your place. I am very excited about this workshop!!

Next years workshop

Just a note to let you know that the very talented Anneliese Bates (www.anneliesebates.co.uk ) will be running an altered scrapbook workshop for us on 12th March next year. She is a certified Ranger Educator and has had work published in a number of magazines. She works at the Artist Trading Post. I have seen her demo and she is brilliant! It should cost around £20 to £25 , so maybe you could ask Santa for an extra pressy? Deposits need to be in by the January crop. Get excited!!

Christmas Crop

It's our Christmas crop this Saturday!!! I am so sorry I will miss it. We are at a good friends wedding in Peterborough, and just can't miss that. I hope to be sending along a little thought for each of you though. It's 10 till 3, as normal. Bring along a £5 scrapbooking gift if you want to take part in the gift exchange. Are you following Tim Holtz's 12 tags? Yesterdays was fabulous- see picture above. I can't believe that creativity! Good news though, you don't need the die to cut the flower if you haven't already got it. I cut a strip of paper with a wavy edge and it works fine. OK, not as good as Tim's, but that is because its me doing it!! Enjoy the crop xx