October 2011 - Craft show update - Part 3

So here are the decorations at the show. 

Hard to see, hey?

If you look up the top you can see all the strings coming down over the black pelmet - there are a lot!

It looked really lovely and was at hit with everyone.

Literally a hit with some people as they got bopped on the head. We did leave room for people to walk in and out of the stand, but still a few got bopped. Including me. 

My station was in the u shape there. I loved having all the danglies around me while I worked.

Again, sorry you can't see all the decs - they were really hard to take photos of at the show. As I was standing there taking the photo I could see them, but they just didn't (couldn't) translate. Too busy (visually).

This was one of my favourites - just cut out, painted with glue and covered in the white fizz. So sparkly. Got a lot of comments about it in particular, so others felt the same way.

It's a Cottage Cutz die called Scalloped Doily.

My station. My view. And the white fizz in the container - so much easier to use when it's like that. I have all the stampers around the internet to thank for that.

Had a few visitors - they didn't tell me they were coming. Mum on the left, Sue (sister) and Di (adopted aunty).

Was good to see you girls!

Had a good show - sold things, made things, liked it all.

Will be back soon to show you all the decs at PC - I hung them up over there for the Christmas season.

I'll also post close ups, so you can actually see what they look like!

Til then :o)

October 2011 - Craft show update - Part 2

Hi, back again with more behind-the-scenes shots from the October show. 

I was making six metres of hanging decorations to hang on the front of the stand, but I needed somewhere to hang them at home too. 

Out came the lamps and the tripod! ha ha. Worked well in the end...

This hallway is right outside my room, so I'd make stuff, hang it on the drawer knobs then transfer it out here. 

When making stuff like this it's important for me to see how it's progressing and by hanging the bits up as I went along...well, I was able to see how it was progressing. 

Umm, kinda slowly.

No glitter yet. Wasn't going to in the beginning, but it needed it and looked lovely with it in the end.

Still slowly...the photos don't translate the string very well. I remember this from last year. Anyway, there are more on there than it looks like.

Love that long one hanging down towards the front there with all the punched shapes up and down the string.

Andrew made a couple of decs too. Can't get away from doing craft in this house. He asked to do it too, I didn't ask him.

He made a jingle bell string with the berries and green/white pipe cleaner right below...

...see it near the black pole there? He also made a foam ball with Merry on it. He just did the Merry bit, I had to fill it in with white glitter.

I love this photo of the dog!

He was walking up the hallway and I told him to Stop and Sit. He's gorgeous. Note the fuzzy ornaments to the right there - swinging due to someone's tail swiping them.

Are are over 100 strings there - I think 110 in the end. Looked like more in real life!

I'll put the pics up of them at the show in my next update post.

See you then!

October 2011 - Craft show update - Part 1

Wow, it's taken me a bit of time to get to this. 

My brief for samples for the show was to make lots of hanging decorations using punches (trees, stars, bauble) and dies (ornaments, poinsettia etc) and to 'fizz everything'.

And 'fizz everything', I did! 

White fizz is white glitter that Photo Continental sells. It's really pretty and looked so sparkly on all the ornaments. 

Today I thought I'd show you my room during the making of all the stuff. 

There's the fizz there in the plastic bag - I dumped it in a container for ease of glittering later.

Punches I had to use to make the ornaments. I punched out eight of each, folded them in half and glued them at each fold to make 3D ornaments.

So fun.

Those trees were punched out of acetate and just covered with shard glitter.

The Joy is shard glitter too (I wrote Joy in glue and sprinkled the glitter on. I did cover the whole ball with white glitter first - I think...)

Onto the Sizzix dies here. Used felt in different colours for something different.

Once I made the glittery ornaments they needed to dry, so I hung them on my drawer knobs for that...

...like this.

Worked well. Didn't have to tie them on, just wrapped them around until they stayed. Easy to get on and off.

Ah, some of my favourites.

Basically they're the same idea - eight of the same shape folded in half and glued together - except this time they were glued on the rings that were on the desk above.

I did cut rings out of chipboard too - they needed them to carry the weight of the bits.

You can't see in the pics, but they're glittered - they're really pretty. Want to make another.

Be back soon with more!

Hat, Cody the swimmer and Framelits

Here's the hat I wore at the craft show - hmmm, I know!

Phase 1: Just the strip like a crown (worn Saturday).

Phase 2: The cross sections and the first circle (worn Sunday).

Phase 3: The four extra loops (worn Sunday after 2pm. The craziness starts to set in then).

I know for a fact that some people could not be paid to wear something like this - I thought it was fun though. Plus it's easy to wear something on your head when you can't even see what you look like.

I did drink a lot of water like I said, so I could go check myself out in the mirror in the bathroom. I really wanted to see what the extra circles looked like. They were...interesting...ha ha. I just plopped my hat back on my head and went out and did my thing.

Who cares? Like really, who cares? Nobody. Life's too short, so wear the hat, I say.

Thought I'd finish today with some cute photos of the dog that I saw when I was going through all the photos on our computer - he's grown so much.

I remember this time - everything was so new for all of us. We didn't know him and he didn't know us. That soon changed and we became buds in no time.

Look at the tummy!

:o)

What a joy he is...and a great swimmer!

He swam outta sight on Saturday and I'm like, "Hello? Come back..." (Andrew wasn't concerned of course). He did came back pretty quickly - he was chugging down the river like a paddle steamer - so funny.

He was originally chasing a duck and when the duck got outta reach, he came back to find us and the ball. The teacher in me found the whole out-of-my-sight thing hard.  Far out, get back here where I can see you.

Anyway, Andrew's not a teacher, he's a guy, and guys don't tend to worry about stuff like that as much as us girls. I'm told he's in charge when we go to places like this. I'd just like fences over the river to keep him wrangled in one spot!

And to finally finish, some Cody cards.

I had them on display at the craft show - they were just the photos on the cards. I made them using the new Sizzix Framelit dies. They're so great - they cut the shapes as just shapes ie. big punches!

I really like Spellbinders and have a few sets, but sometimes when I go to just cut they still emboss a bit and I have to wrangle the whole die cutting to get them to just cut and cut only.

The Framelits cut the shape - one pass through the machine and fabbo, done.

Also, because they just cut, they're good for framing things (thus the name) for cutting like the photos below (you'll see on the link above that they're also bringing out Framelits that match stamps).

I put the square die over the photo and moved it until I got Cody positioned where I wanted him in the square. Ah la Jennifer McGuire, I put a post it note on the die to hold it and the photo together, and then die cut it.

(Honestly, that's one of the best tips I've received in a long time. Gotta hold something still while die cutting? Use the sticky bit of the post it note to hold your paper to your die or whatever. You just peel it off when you're done. Thanks, Jennifer....no really, thanks).

I also used the Framelits to cut the card base. I folded my card and put the fold just inside the top die line (so it wouldn't get cut) and then die cut it. All three sides cut except that top one where the fold was...viola, square card.

Yes, I could've used a trimmer, but I didn't have to measure anything because the two square dies (base and then layer) I used fit perfectly. So quick and neat at the same time.

And I bought the little label dies at the show for 10 bucks. Three punches essentially for 10 dollars - they were made for the Presto Punch from Spellbinders, but PC just carries the dies. They work in your Cuttlebug and Big Shot, so good one.

The heart is from the orange four-in-one Heart punch from Sullivans.

And that's my dog. My gorgeous dog. The photo was taken the day after he had an allergic reaction and was all puffy. Poor fella. Makes me shake my head - he (we) didn't know what was going on and it was a bit hard there for a while.

Love you, doggie, I'll come and throw the ball to you in a while, hey?

Have a great day everyone!

Craft show update September 2011

Thoughts on the craft show:

1. As far as Defcon ratings go, this one was a 2/3. It was constantly busy on Friday, but totally doable and fun. Saturday had some busy spots. I thought Friday was busier actually. Unusual. Sunday was a Sunday - lots of milling and chatting and helping out. Definitely a Defcon 3/4. 

2. Sunday held a little drama. One pregnant customer was looking flushed and I was a bit concerned. I asked if she was okay and she said she was fine. 

Ten minutes later she was holding onto the cabinet with one hand, holding her belly with the other and exhaling deeply. She was complaining of being hot and thirsty. I got a chair for her and Julie and I fanned her while I also got her hair off her neck. 

Peter (the guy who puts the show on) came over and asked her all the right questions and made sure she was okay. Turned out he's a superintendent in St John's ambulance. He was fab - so calm and he knew what he was doing. 

I was having flashes of seeing the girl (she was 21) going off in the ambulance, but she didn't need to, she was fine. She was watching Julie do her stencil demo after about 10 mins! 

Turns out she hadn't eaten much all day...both Julie and I told her a couple of times to look after herself and to eat. She was too busy shopping...funny. Wasn't at the time... 

3. Maybe she should've had a double breakfast like me. It really is the best way to go. Proved it again this time. Concerns boss lady though because I don't take a lunch break. She gave me a tomato to eat (which I did) because I don't get fed she said. 

4. If I really needed to go take a break, I would. 

5. If I need to use the bathroom I go. 

6. I drink water. 

7. I drank enough water to make myself go to the bathroom, so I could see myself in my hat. 

8. See Teena (at register), Julie (with apron on) and Steve (out front of stand) with their crowns on? The whole thing was accidental...

9. On Friday afternoon, at the end of the first day of the show, I was thinking about how I was going to make a paper chandelier. I'd punched a row of the Daisy Fan deep edger and joined the two ends together to make a circle. Teena saw it and her eyes lit up. "I'd so wear that," she said, "I'm serious. Let's all wear crowns tomorrow with a different deep edger!" And then she went off to the bathroom. Steve and I looked at each other and I decided I'd punch them out that night. Bitta fun, right?

10. I arrived on Sat morning and handed out a crown to everyone. Julie didn't have a choice, I just put it on her head. She's the stencil lady. They really float her boat. I know this because I asked her. She's really good at them too. Her edger was Doily Lace (a paper ribbon one). 

11. Stephen wasn't Stephen all day. He was Sir Infinite Loops. He wouldn't do anything for Teena unless she called him Sir Infinite Loops. 

12. I was Debra as usual. I should've called myself by my proper name - Princess Vintage Doily. 

13. Teena was Princess Daisy Fan. Hers was the biggest crown, but I decided to go bigger on Sunday and upped the ante with a few extra layers.  

14. She then asked me to build an extra layer for her with a dangly bit in the middle. I did, but it failed. 

15. I made a glittery ball that was just too heavy and her hat ended up looking like a Santa hat with the ball hanging at the side. She hung it from the middle - was funny. Here she is working below...

See the glittery ball at the front? Pretty hard to see, but it's there.

And here she is with her eye lashes on. At least they look like eyelashes. So funny. All this had us cracking up over the few days. That's what craft shows are for - for cracking up at - otherwise they're not fun. And they've gotta be fun, hey, Teena?

Yep, for sure. She said she's not going if they're not fun.

Hey, she's a beader, not a papercrafter, so she's gotta get her kicks somewhere.

She does kicks too. Like dancing type ones at the front of the stand when she's had a good fun day razzing people, wearing her Daisy Fan hat and selling stuff, of course.

Here I am behind my Christmas circles. You can't really see my hat...should take a photo of it for you so you can see it.

It was normal at this point with just phase two attached. Phase one was the crown (one strip around my head). Phase two was two cross-sections and a ring on the top.

Phase three...wait for it...was four more rings on the top. I was asked if I had an antenna coming out of my head.

Yes, Heidi, I did.

PS. Made those circles with the new Sizzix Circle Framelits. Love those suckers. Used a die from Cottage Cutz (I think it's called Scalloped Doily) to make the glittered doilies inside the circles. So fun. And glittery.

Here are some other Photo Continental circles I made with the Curvy Cutter this time. Teena asked for them to decorate the stand and make it fun.

The hardest part of them was wrangling the invisible thread I used to hang them. It does it's job well. It's pretty invisible, I'll give it that.

(Cody's asleep just outside on his bed and he just howled in his sleep. So funny. Perfect pitch too. Wonder what he was dreaming about? Probably me throwing the ball to him the professional that I am at it)

Oh, Christmas circles and glittery doilies. Teena and I love stuff hanging off the stand. We'd have it full of stuff if we could.

Ooooo, glittery flowers. More on this soon.

That's Martha's Vintage Floral combo set there. Niiiice.

Christmas garland using all the deep edgers. Fun idea for Christmas. Wanted to make more loops, but didn't get a chance.

I see a Sizzlit there. We only sold Big Shots and Texture Boutiques at this show - no Cuttlebugs. I enjoyed not getting the, "What's the difference between the Big Shot and the Cuttlebug?" question.

Hey, I'm there to answer it and I'm happy to, but it's becoming harder to keep die cutting/embossing straight for the newbies, so to not have to answer it was good.

Ah, punch art, I love you.

In the midst of all the crafting craziness, I'm still drawn to your bright colours and clean lines. You will forever be in my heart....

And so will you, Santa, you rock.

Martha sampler again. It's the same as the last show, but with a couple of extra additions.

See that dark blue one at the bottom? It's called Deco something and I've dismissed it before, but how pretty is it? This is why I punch them out, they look so different. Not going to buy it, but it's nice to see it punched out.

Can't judge a punch by it's packaging, can you?

And you know what? These punches are called Punch Around the Page and I've never punched around the page. Like the whole page... never done it. You?

Decided to give it go...

This one's called Cherish.

Oh my word. Looks so lovely.

Can you see it properly? Hope you can. I love this set. It doesn't look great as just a border, but it's fab, fab, fab as an around-the-page. I've made doilies with this one too. One of my very favourites.

How about this one?

It's called Swirling Lace. Again, nice. Again, punched all around the page.

If you've not done it before, I encourage you to pull those punches out and punch all around a 12 x 12 sheet.  Corners first, edges second.

Note: How good are all those photos of the projects? I'm not tooting my own horn about my photo taking abilities, I'm tooting about the good light. Wish I had that kinda light to take photos here. I've given up until it gets warmer and the sunlight's stronger.

Don't you love it? Take a few quick snaps and they rock. Set up a photo shoot here at home and spend ages trying to get the light right and then discover all my work is in vain because the photos look horrid in the end. That's why I haven't posted close ups of the cards from the last craft show - all the photos were terrible. Want to re-do them.

Moving on to the last couple of photos of the stand...

Blue circles with Christmas punch art on them...should've been Christmas colours, but it was kinda a last minute thing.

The red circles are Christmas baubles with some stamping on them.

I'm really into stamping at the moment.

My capabilities (and like-a-bilities) extend to only stamping with ink and/or embossing over the top. Loving it for sentiments and bits and pieces in my scrapping. Oh, I did do those cards for the nephews that I showed last week too. That was stamping and then die cutting the shapes. Pretty simple, which suits me.

No distressing or alcohol inks for me. Too messy. Too unpredictable. Too abstract.

Interested in the Copics though - not to buy, just to have a go at - so I'm going to Photo Continental this Weds for the fundraiser they're doing. It's on on Weds (9:30 to 4:30) and Thurs (1 to 7 pm) for the cost of $5 per card. I think those times are right.

One last shot of the stand showing one of the best specials of the weekend - any four folders for 20 bucks. And all subsequent folders were five dollars too. I bought five - two Christmas, two man ones and another...what was it? Oh, another Christmas poinsettia one.

Big Shots were $99 again - amazing. Spellbinders were $25 and all the Marthas were $20 for the Deep Edgers, Borders and Punch All Over the Page ones (magnetic ones) and $30 for the combos.

I've gotta say thanks to you, Teena. You've bought the show special back. Years ago there were specials at the show, but then for a while everything was full price. So boring and took the fun out of going. The fun's back now though. Show specials are what it's all about and we have Teena to thank for that.

Good for you, Princess Daisy Fan.

I'll make you a better crown for the October show, ok?