The castle folk are in their SUMMER palace!!
PS - I am very sorry guys - but I am going to have to pull the Tuesday card challenge. As you know I am not sat at my computer all day, I am actually crafting and selling - so have to produce a reasonable amount of GOOD quality work, as well as putting time into designing and experimenting. I am afraid that the Tuesday challenge has born the brunt of it all and I just can't keep up with it. I will see how things go after the summer and Christmas season, usually late December / January / February are pretty quite on the selling front and I get a chance to catch up with 'big' jobs - last February the old goat rebuilt my office.
I have got so much sitting on my desk at the moment - and commissions to do - I am getting a bit stressed with it all. Especially as I have to get the summerhouse back in use because all the stuff is getting ruined in the rain!!! Summer - When's that then?
I shall keep the scrapbook challenge going - even if I don't get a chance to put up my picture every week. I need to be pushed in this direction more, and I will catch up as I can.
Again, appologies.
July 6/7/8th - I am desperately trying to get the summer house back in use. I packed up all the cushions, blankets and stuff in bags and shower curtains - fine, I thought - will take an odd shower. Did not plan on storms, thunder, lighting and stuff!! So I have been working my socks off to get it done and safe again. Nearly there.
July 5th - My goodness - I am so glad I am not out in a field this weekend!!! Thunder and lightening - rain that you can't see across the road through, and I am watching it through my office window. The best way.
Remember the textures foil pictures that granny / aunt used to have on the wall? I know my mum had one - and I gave Aunty Doris on for a birthday or Christmas (yes Bob, that would be mum, then). WELL, they have gone all modern now - and do foil sheets to decoupage with. Great stuff. Picked up a pack up in the Lakeland craft sell off. SEE-SHOP-CARDS-SCAVENGERS. It is great fun to do something totally different once in a while (and now I have the desk space - I can).
July 3rd - My parcel from Mad About Cards (http://www.madaboutcards.com) arrived today with my new Do Craft stuff and a few other bits and bobs (10% off last weekend) AND the old goat had loads of photos printed up for me to scrapbook. I bought the 'Secret Garden' papers and the 'Sweet Nothings' borders. Would not rate them as highly as the spring collection - but still very adaptable and usable.
July 2ND - I heard on the calligrapher's grapevine that you could (gently and carefully) file a 1.MM Pilot Parallel Pen down to MM - there by getting the rough equivalent of a no 4 nib. Up for a challenge me! So I set to work (gently and carefully) with some black emery paper. I did get there eventually - took me ages. Now I have a smaller nib to experiment with.
I am going to practise with some verses on the new multi-fold A card that I like.
I have been catching up with my cards stock and it seems ages since I did a 'real' calligraphy text and am really looking forward to settling to longer bits of work.
July ST - Finished some sea themed cards - now I know I always say - 'these are soo gorgeous' - but 'these are just soo gorgeous' SEE-SHOP-CARDS-
June 30th - I think I have sorted out the scrap book sketches SEE-BLOG-FILES
June 29th - The old goat crawled home about 2am, had a great time at the party - huh that's work?
I have been making cards with mermaids and seahorses. The 'sea' is torn strips of mixed velum, held on with a bit of double sided tape at each end. I know some people spend a fortune on special tape or glue, but I can't say I have ever had a problem attaching velum. If it is sheer or lace I might think about it a bit more, but coloured stuff and patterns are fine with a bit of double sided.
I seem to have got in a pickle with the scrapbook sketches - will sort out tonight!!
June 28th - The old goat is doing a birthday bash this afternoon - sounds huge fun, big field - music - gar - food - entertainment - loads of stuff happening: lucky old goat!
Meanwhile: back at the office - I have been working at some sea theme cards. Can't show you yet - pearl drops and glitter still drying
June 27th - Rain. Rain. Rain. . . . . And so on.
Finished a few super baby cards - Picked up the background papers from rummaging in one of my fave suppliers sale www.scrapbookingcastle.co.uk (HI Julie - super lady) and just knew they would cut up and look good.
Have you noticed how some papers are ITCHING to be cut up: and some you can't bear to touch?
June 26th - I have had the heating on! Sad Bunnie or what!
Got some baby cards in the pipeline - and sea life to follow. The old goat is out working all weekend so princelet and I are planning on finishing the summer house cladding.
Staying in with a movie tonight!
June 25th - Thanks to all who sent support for my bank probs yes, and you Bob), Getting there - all new cards sent, just waiting for the money back, they will get around to it eventually I expect.
Have added some more gent's cards to the shop - well I WAS asked to do more gent's!
Now I have 2 quiet days due to do a bit in the summer house and PLAY with the sea side stamp set that I got a while ago, and has been sitting in the 'getting round to' pile. The old goat is going to get a load of photos printed for me so I can get back to a bit of scrapbooking.
June 23rd - Loads of small gent's cards listed - 'with love' - 'for you' - 'thinking of you' - as well as 'happy birthday'. SEE-SHOP-CARDS-CALLIGRAPHY
The rally great thing about being a calligrapher is that I am not tied by stamps or stickers - I can put anything I want too! ! !
PS - The weather today - what is that all about?
It feels more like November than mid-summer at the moment - perhaps the Christmas launches NEXT WEEK know something we don't'!!
June 22nd - Back to normal - and steaming ahead!
Went to church this morning (thought I had better drop by - it's ages since I took Communion). Did an hour on the summer house. And got stuck into some work.
Have still got a few card blanks left from years ago when I first started card making. As I am having a bit of a 'using up' phase I dug into them. Small stamped flower cards listed in the SHOP-CARDS-CALLIGRAPHY. More small cards - gents to follow tomorrow.
June 21st - Well, I was nearly back to normal - spent a couple of hours with princelet starting to insulate the summer house - my new holiday lair.
Before I forget - Hi Bob, thanks for that!!!! (my darling cuz drops by now and again - then sends me an email teasing me - LOOOOVE YOU TO HUNI xxxx).
After lunch, the day fell apart really - SEE-BLOG-CARD FRAUD. Needless to say - no work done today!!
June 20th - Nearly settled back to a 'normal' routine now. Went to my dear old chiro lady this morning and got told off (again). My legs were lumpy and stressed up, but responded well, she worked on my right arm, which was very tight (well that's the one that does all the cutting and scribing!). Mia Culpa - stood in fields all week end, note to self: priority for the rest of the year - find 2 or 3 more shops to stock stuff and give up standing in fields.
Anyway - finished playing with some fairy type cards - all listed in the shop. Most of them are based on the paper patterns and can't be repeated. Going to fiddle with some of the stamping ideas from craft class and see what comes up.
Ohh - and I have more gent's cards to do. Hubby away at dog shows over the weekend (son going out with mates) so I should get some decent peaceful time - to craft: what else is there?
June 19th - We were working on some quite advanced stamping techniques at class today. June 18th - Could not face yoga today - spent most of the morning in bed. Finished off my balloon cards (SEE-SHOP-CARDS-CALLIGRAPHY) and watched a film - craft class tomorrow, and some fairy cards to finish.
June 17th - TOTALLY POOPED! Want to get done by 8pm so I can chill out in front of Midsummer Murders. Have got a load of elephant cards finished and listed - great new designs (SEE-SHOP-CARDS-CALLIGRAPHY).
Got a brilliant new card fold - - -
- going to use it for scribing a text on the bottom big layer and adding decoration to the 2 facing inner panels - the front will be for a title greeting - and there will still be space for a personal greeting. At present It is A6 in size and will go out at £2 because of the materials used and the time for the calligraphy - working on an A5 size - reckon it will have to be about £3.50, more work to do. MUST finish the balloon cards first thing tomorrow first though!
June 16th - Gosh - am I tired. The shop is up to date again - sold loads of Gent's cards, and the new papers went down a storm. Thanks to all who stopped to chat. Thanks to all who bought. And Hi to anyone dropping in that saw me out and about. Had a great weekend out in the fresh air. SEE-BLOG-FOOD FAIR for more pics
More Indian theme cards in work - hot air balloons to follow - more gents desperately needed (again!) - new fold card to experiment with AND I have a craft class this week! Busy, busy, busy - height of the season.
June 15th - NW Fine Food Lover Festival - Westmoreland Show Ground , Crooklands (just of the M6), Cumbria
June 14th - Chetwynde School - Barrow-in-Furness. The old goat and I set up and ready for customers! Such a beautiful school - the kids were polite,asking questions and buying for themselves. Did a bit for Fathers Day (tomorrow!!) that had been missed
June 12th - Craft class today - I had promised myself a brass stencil for background texture, and found the sweetest sun design that I can use whole - half - quarter - three-quarter, will look good as an embossed background or raised with embossing paste.
Also got a super new fold for you all, will take a scribed poem BRILLIANTLY (thanks Janet) - pics to follow.
Had a bit of an envelope crisis - you really have got to watch what you are doing. Bought 100, 6" x 6" envelopes - LUCKILY I checked them before the 2 big shows this weekend. Normally the envelopes are cut 2 or 3 mm bigger to accommodate the card. These were 6" exactly - NO space to tuck a 6" card in - they are not wrong - the enve's ARE 6". Went through my stock here and trimmed it by 2 or 3 mm so it would fit! Then had to rush over to Stavely to leave them some larger size enve's, 'just in case'.
It's not a big deal - just have to remember to trim ALL my 6" cards by 3mm for the next 100 until I have used them up. You really have got to have your wits about you!!
Perhaps I should do a 'How to' page with all the standard measurements on.
Might get to that after the weekend, 2 shows coming up so, as usual, bear with me and don't order from the shop until Monday. PROMISE to take pickies this time.
June 11th - Been over-doing it a bit and not sleeping well, so I have hit the wall today. Every thing's (almost) ready for the shows this weekend so I am going to take it a bit easy. Wanted to watch Taggett this afternoon - but it's blooming football, grr! So of to find a film to chill out to, and snuggle up with fidget.
June 10th - One of the wonderful things (and there are many) about this web site program is that you can log in anywhere and catch up. so I am sitting in the church office and adding a film review for you (SEE-LIBRARY-INDIANA JONES) - smart eh? Don't have any other work to do - the guard dog is curled up behind me and it's all very peaceful.
Finished added all the made cards last night so the card shop is bursting at the seams now.
Closed the Father's Day section - posting times are not on our side now. Anything left is back in the card shop too.
Put a big order in with Craft Creations (www.craftcreations.co.uk), for more envelopes and poly bags. I get 10% discount and £2 off postage with them and I do find their stuff reasonable quality. Also they know what they are talking about - I once asked a supplier the weight of some card stock and they weighted the whole parcel. There are not all that many stockists who know about card weights and sizes.
PS - Rummer has it that Do Craft are going to launch their first lot of Christmas papers next month. Get real guys!! NO, NO, NO, NOT even going to look, never mind think about it!
June 9th - Well I think I have almost caught up now. Took the chance of low stocks to re-hash the calligraphy card shop and create a couple of new categories. We now have 'Papers' - all the wonderful papers about change so quickly and I have several that feature papers as the design plan (SEE-SHOP-CARDS-CALLIGRAPHY and the like). Also 'Stamped images' - as I now have a few sets in use all the time I thought it would be an idea to incorporate them into the overall scheme. The stamped images are repeatable - with different colours/finishes/etc - but with different papers and styles. SEE-SHOP-CARDS-CALLIGRAPHY, and similar.
Got a run of Indian elephants to do tomorrow (and a few hot air balloon cards)
June 8th - Party-in -the-Park - great fun!
June 7th - The Card Shop is back on line. all the stock sold has been taken out of the shop - and the new listed. I have not got through all the descriptions quite yet, but I thought you would like to see the stuff I have been up to anyway. New gents cards and new Chinese theme added in the calligraphy section, Indian Dreams to follow then I am about caught up.
We are now in full swing with the summer shows and fates etc. The old goat is out all weekend - and I will be out next. I had 3 offers for next weekend - how busy it that? That means the weekly challenges are going to get erratic. I hope to be able to keep posting them, but the chances of me doing them are hit and miss. DON'T give up on them - we will be back in full swing at the end of September and I will catch up then.
June 5th - Great news guys - Stavely Post Office are now stocking my cards. Do drop in if you are passing or up here on your holidays - hay, take a break in the wonderful Lake District just to visit: so worth it!
Well, she has taken half my stock - going to do a big show of it (so thrilled - "thank you"). Emm, got a show next weekend, so it's all go, go, go on the bench. THAT will chase away the post holiday blues - just keep an eye on the card shop - which is pulled at the mo while I catch up with it all.
To follow new men's cards - new Chinese theme - new Indian Dreams - just you wait!
June 4th - Yoga this morning - did really well. We were working on a forearm stand - It's like a hand stand, but you have you whole forearm and hand on the floor. Don't try it - we spent the first hour warming up and opening the shoulders so you can keep the all in line. I was really thrilled with myself cos I did it. yeah.
Spent the afternoon playing with the Dovecraft Designer Papers 6"x6" - Fantasy, that www.craftie-charlie.co.uk sent me a while ago. Have been dressing it up with glitter and gems - glitter is drying over night so I should be able to show you tomorrow.
Also spent ages reclassifying the shop stock categories - you won't notice, but I am hoping that I will be able to find things better.
June 3rd - I think I have post holiday blues!!
My legs' ache - my arms' ache - my mouth is SO sore - Photo printer is sulking - guard dog is sulking - I WANT TO GO TO THE SEASIDE.
On a brighter note, I have been playing with the Oriental stamps and papers I get before the hols - and the whole bench has gone Chinese! But with a very modern and colourful twist. 
I have been 'glamming' up the background papers with glitter and extra stamping. I don't know if the Chinese did 'sparkle', but they did do fireworks - and that's close enough for me.
The scan is not really very good - there is light and dark green glitter on the dragon's body, black glitter on the black bamboo and pale turquoise on the blue and gems for the 'i' dots!
June 2nd - Got so much catching up to do!
Have been playing with my wonderful new oriental stamps
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