Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Happy Andalucia Day

It's Andalucia Day here so nowhere is open and every one is doing their DIY including me. I am painting the internal patio today which means using a long extension pole as my short arse will not allow for me to get to the top.

I got a lovely parcel from Jenny squiffer full of lovely goodies for my to play with. Thank you sweetie I loved it so much and the cat stickers had me in hysterics.

I had a second interview yesterday for an office job and they phoned me later to tell me I had the job. Wooooooooooooooo Hoooooooooooo. It will be good to get back into a routine again.

Monday, February 26, 2007

Monday Blues

What a mixed weekend. We launched The Design Collective at the weekend and I am thrilled by the volume of responses we have been receiving about it. Having way too much bubbly I was very excited to post about it on my blog at the official launch. Keeping quiet about this for all these months has been so difficult!!! I am just pleased that I can talk openly about it all and Clare is especially pleased as she has been fit to bursting to talk about it (tee hee). Well done Clare I am so proud of you!

Yesterday, nursing my cava induced hangover and lack of sleep I spent most of the day on the t'internet talking to friends. The internet enables me to feel less isolated and to my nearest and dearest online buddies -lubs ya all.

Saturday, February 24, 2007

Design Collective


Fresh, fabulous, inspiring

Introducing a new and exciting concept in scrapbook design inspiration.

Our team of designers are renowned for their diverse and creative approaches to scrapbooking and altered art projects. Their wealth of creative experience in designing new and innovative pages and projects is already being tapped into by leading magazines, retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers in the scrapbooking industry. They now come together to bring you a whole range of fresh, fabulous and inspiring ideas for your scrapbooks and other memory art projects. The team comprises: Fiona Beckman, Clare Brown, Jane Dean, Amber Harrop-Johnston, Debbie Jewell, Karen Leahy, Elaine Loughlin, Jennie Leon, Ali McGovern, Karen Miller, Debbie Nicholas, Katie Shanahan-Jones, Suzanne Torr and Kirsty Wiseman.

Classes will be issued four times during each calendar month on the 3rd, 11th, 19th and 26th. By subscribing to The Design Collective, on each of these dates you will receive:

 one major class project;

 two additional inspiring projects (taking a variety of formats such as challenges, new ways to use something, themed pages and so on);

 a range of tips and ideas from the design team.

A newsletter will be sent direct to your email box with the relevant classes in the form of attached pdf files. Classes will focus on different design elements and techniques and will cover a whole range of projects from layouts to mini books to gifts and altered items.

You can choose to print out the classes or save to disk; whichever format you choose, over a period of time you will be creating your very own Design Collection to use over and over again to create beautiful and meaningful pages and projects.

In addition to issuing project pdf files, we will be hosting a community forum for subscriber chat, help from the design team and a gallery so that you can share your work with us. And we will also host two cyber crops over the course of the year for even more fun, challenges and inspiration!

For just £10 a month (and NO! that is not a typing mistake!) you will be getting four major project classes, eight further classes and a wealth of knowledge and tips from the design team. That works out at under 85p per class! Plus, there will be no having to buy expensive class kits as we will be positively encouraging you to use up that stash mountain in the corner of your room! You choose what supplies you want to use, to match your own photos and themes, you get to stay in your pj’s and scrap in the comfort of your own home, whilst having the class designers to call upon for help and other subscribers to talk to in the community forum. And think of the money saved on petrol!

We will also be incorporating a Loyalty Scheme which will reward subscribers with additional benefits on the completion of a six and twelve month continued subscription with us. Subscriptions will be taken on a monthly basis, paypal is preferred but we will also accept bank transfer. This way you don’t need to pay out a lump sum up front, just the monthly subscription charge of £10.*

We will be taking registration bookings from Monday, 12th March. To make sure you don’t miss out on any important updates and registration details, please register your interest** by emailing to subscriptions.designcollective@gmail.com

Notes:

*Subscriptions will be due on the 2nd of each calendar month to ensure you continue to receive the classes without interruption.


** Registering your interest at this stage is not a final commitment.

Friday, February 23, 2007

Blast from the Past

Speshal Dare this week was to use old stuff you never use anymore. Mulberry paper and fibres for my treatment.

I first of all painted the wooden box with one layer of purple paint. When dry I tore the mulbery & patterned paper into scraps along with some white tissue paper that I had stamped using a happy birthday stamp. I then started layering the paper using pva glue. Final layer I included some torn out fibres to create the end result.

Go check out the other girls dares they are amazing!!

Saturday, February 17, 2007

A week of sorting

What a busy week it has been. Lots of lunches out and organising the units for the kitchen upstairs. Today we bought the units for our kitchen and worktop. Met a man called Brad who hires himself out as Man with a van for €20 euros an hour, so we went to collect all the bits for the kitchen. I am so sad to get excited over a few units lol. Then went for a lovely lunch with friends who insisted on paying so that always makes it sweeter. When we returned our neighbours were standing outside their house so we got chatting (in spanish) and then they gave me a tour of their home, so we gave them a tour of ours. My spanish must be improving as they seemed to understand what I was saying, poor sods.

Saturday, February 10, 2007

I have been norty

It is not my fault. It is completely the fault of the very talented Jaq at http://www.astringofbeads.co.uk/ I was very lucky and managed to get these two beauties.


Hockney
Chai


Yummy huh! Each one is an individual work of art, completely unique, no one has the same. Anyways, that is me, no more beads for the moment, I want them all but I should leave some for others who appreciate them just as much as me.

Friday, February 09, 2007

Another day in paradise



I love these photos that I took from my walk. So spring like. Its that yellow/green combo again. They were by the roadside and taking advantage of the cooler weather.
I uploaded my dare to our gathering gallery before being posted tonight and all I can say is WOW. The talent on our team never ceases to amaze me. Don't forget to check in later this evening to see it for yourself.


Wednesday, February 07, 2007

Pass me the Gin

I love this time of year, all the trees are filled with fruit and the whole landscape looks like a packet of opal fruits. Here are a couple of photos from our walk the other (cloudy) day.

Friday, February 02, 2007

Dare Collaboration

This week we collaborated with the girls at the daring cardmakers blog (link in sidebar) Our mission was to create a layout that was also a card. I created a 9x9inch layout that has four 3x3 windows that open and reveal photos and journalling.

I have blurred the mushy text as that is for her eyes only lol.
Cream Bazzill, crate paper, lots of TH distress ink, Tapestry stamp and Blonde moments stamp, Rusty pickle alphabet and some ribbon.
Go check out both our dare blog (click on button on side bar) or the daring cardmakers, the cards and layouts that have been created are stunning.

mmmm Dolly Bead Heaven

Had a really good day yesterday, got a test in my Spanish class and got full marks (what a swot) then we got our store room on the roof measured up ready for our summer kitchen. This I need alot as whenever we want to eat on the terraces I have to take everything up and down two flights of stairs!

Met up with a friend for a chat and then worked in my studio preparing today's speshal dare. I have had a sneak peek at the dares for this week and all I can say is WOW you have got to go see later.

I was then made to consume copious amounts of wine with my late lunch/early dinner. Amazingly my head is clear this morning.

I was really excited to at last secure a couple of Dolly beads from the wonderful Jaq at http://www.astringofbeads.co.uk. I normally miss out on the sales as they fly out the door. Each one is an individual masterpiece. The two that fell into my basket are called Shiraz and Reef. Here is a sneaky peak from Jaq's piccies on her website.

I can't wait to see these beauties in real life :)