Christmas ...

Well the tree is finally up and the lights are twinkling, as yet Bingo the cat has not been found perched on the top! Alfie dog has let the side down he just had to have a quick game of footie with a bauble, a glass bauble may I add which did result in breakage and what did he do? well of course he blamed the cat. Missing Molly and George at the moment whilst trying to get ready for Christmas, but George finishes on Friday for four weeks still had no Christmas list off him, which makes for hard shopping. Molly is busy putting up a tree at her other abode, I think she's getting ready to finally fly the nest next year. Maybe it has something to do with the two wedding invites she has recently recieved off friends she was at Uni with.

Still not tackled much shopping, have said I will make a visit to the Trafford Centre tomorrow with Molly, can't say I like the place but I do now need the big shops, the garden centre has run out of things for me to buy! I will probably take refuge in John Lewis for the day, with maybe a little walk to M&S for variety... god men have it so easy at Christmas. David normally starts on Christmas Eve with have you got my Great Aunt Fanny's present yet? which will have been duty fully bought, wrapped up and delivered by then! By midnight on Christmas Eve I will be wrapped up in bed exhausted but feeling very smug that my contribution to the day is done, and well David its over to you... Christmas Dinner for 6 and what do you mean you forgot the cranberry sauce for the turkey!

Thought you like a little insight, but I am sure you would rather have a project to look at. Thought I would share this with you today, one of my last workshop projects of the year. A keepsake book to be added to at leisure, here are just a few page samples but I think it needs some more work!

Well thats all for now, don't stress over Christmas to much ... like I do

Love Clare xxx

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas... but not around here

Well the snow has been falling along with the golf ball sized hale stones, now its beginning to feel alot like winter around here. No tree up yet, no cards written and not much shopping been done either...and I have that feeling of panic beginning to grow in the pit of my tummy! I have my last workshop of the year tomorrow over at Craft Range in Burnley, then I can concentrate on Christmas and deck my halls with holly! before it all starts again, I have had so much fun this year but I am now feeling somewhat jaded. Thought I would share this with you today as seen as advent is now in full swing, but not in my house I have forgotten the safe place where I hid the tin of chocolates for the calander which I bought ages ago when on offer in Tesco's...

So sorry kids for being a bad Mum, I promise to get organised........
Have a good Tuesday, I will be back soon,
Love Clare xxx

Winter Bunting ...

Hello to all of you!

I have had plenty of moans and groans this week about not posting on my blog very oftern, at the moment its a time thing and not having much... well none!!!

I am having promblems also... of  leaving a comment kind, my computer just won't let me and I just want to let you know that when you leave a comment about cards you have posted using my stamps, that I do look and I must say there is some really fab work out there and thanks for sharing it with me.

I am going to share this bunting with you today, many of you may have seen it in the publication Crads & Crafts for Christmas. Hope you like and I hope this post will tied you over the weekend!

Well thats all for now, I must away back to the drawing board have a good weekend.

Love Clare xxx

All Christmassed out

Good afternoon to you all and thanks for dropping by today. Where is time going? its just flying by a moment and Christmas is drawing ever nearer. I did manage to start my shopping last week, well the Christmas paper and ribbons, now all I need is the presents to go in the paper! and shopping is not my favourite pass time.

I have had a really good weekend out and about teaching and today thought I would share with you one of our makes. I don't know whether its just me, but I think I am just about all Christmassed out for this year, but saying that I really did enjoy creating this, so I hope you like.

Have a good afternoon, I will be back soon.

Love & Hugs Clare xxx

A Drum Roll Please......and the winners are!

Many thanks for all your lovely comments, unfortunately there could only be 2 lucky winners this time, so sorry about that, but I will be back with more candy soon... I promise. The lucky winners of the mini Molly's are....a drum roll please! Erika and Ansa well done to you both! If you drop me an email with your addresses I will get the candy in the post to you.

 A New Month... A New Challenge

Its the 1st of November, and over at The Paperlane, Northallerton its time for a new challenge. This month the theme is Snowflakes & Sparkle. Why not take a hop over and see the rules for this months challenge, there is always a great prize up for grabs! Above is my offering for this month, my snowflakes are Echo Parks "Holly Jolly Chritmas" and my sparkle is Pinflairs Ice Diamond. The pop-up card is from Which Craft in Doncaster and last but not least the stamps are from my Molly Blooms Winter Wonderland Collection.

Hope you like, and once again thanks for taking the time to drop by.

Love Clare xxx



I Have Candy... Mini Molly Blog Candy

Hello to all you lovely followers old and new!

 Today I have two lots of blog candy up for grabs, a selection of Mini Christmas Molly's.

 For your chance to win these exclusive stamps just leave me a comment and

I will annouce the winner on Tuesday next week.

Thought I would also share this make with you today,
 its a take on an idea that I saw Chris at
Sirstampalot making at a demo a while back,
 I have since passed on the idea to others in a workshop,
it makes a really beautiful Christmas Keepsake for someone special.

Well have a happy weekend and if your about in Godalming, Surrey on Saturday
call into Arty Crafty where I will demoing!
Love Clare xxx

Blog Candy...

and photo over load....

Festive Frosty and Dean.....

Well good afternoon to you all and thanks for dropping
by today. A big thank for all your lovely kind comments, I truly appreciate them and it makes me realise that I am not wittering on to myself! Just want to share with you this quick make featuring Frosty and Dean. Hope you like, I will be back very soon, but I must away now to my stamping for Saturday's class over in Kendal.

Have a cheery afternoon
Love Clare xxx

You have mail... but not a penguin

Dear Followers,
A month has nearly passed since I lasted blogged, I really don't  know where time goes... it just runs away so quickly, they say it does when you get older. I have been so busy and have been asked by so many of you to up date my blog. So I thought to myself this morning before I get side tracked by anything else I would share with you a couple of the projects that we made over at the Craft Box in Elsecar yesterday during my workshop. Well thanks for still looking and I hope I am still giving you inspiration!
Have a good Monday and I promise to be back later in the week.

Love Clare xxx

You have mail...(well Penguin Post!)

Well hello there everyone!

Hope you are all well and had a wonderful Tuesday...I can't believe tomorrow we are mid-week, time really is flying! It has also been nearly a week since George moved out and I have missed him muchly, although his room is now spotless and all the glasses and plates he had stored (forgotten to bring back downstairs) up there have finally made their way back down to the kitchen...hallelujah!

I thought I would share with you a Christmas easel, shaker card which features Torvil the penguin from the new Christmas collection. I have used a black and yellow colour way, which I think gives an unusual, but effective festive, vintage feel! The shaker is made from the inside reel off of a roll of double sided tape (see I can be thrifty...sometimes!)  and even if I do say so myself I do love the postcard stamp and the 'postage stamp' sized stamps which are used to embellish and to add sentiment..they are so cute!

I hope you like, and whilst I'm here I would just like to say a huge thank you to all old and new followers for your continued and growing support, I just love reading all your comments and your feedback and seeing all of the beautiful projects that you create with my stamps! I hope to continue to inspire you and also gain inspiration off you :)

Must dash now...The Great British Bake Off is on and Molly and I love watching it together!

Have a happy week,

Love Clare

xxx

Good Evening...

Hope you have all had a lovely albeit a tad blustery Saturday...Autumn has well and truly arrived! I have been over at The Craft Box in Elsecar today holding a workshop...and I will be back there tomorrow for a second installment!

I thought I would just pop by and share with you these quick snaps of two different cards using stamps from my new Christmas collection,  which the ladies created at a workshop at Grosvenor House Papers in Kendal on Wednesday, it was a lovely day and a joy to be able to finish two projects one day!

Sorry its a short but hopefully sweet blog, but needs must and I am off to enjoy my dinner and put my feet up in order to re-charge my batteries ready for tomorrow :)

Have a lovely rest of the weekend

&

Happy Crafting!

Love Clare

xxx



Christmas Collection!

Hi everyone!

Hope you are all well today! I've had a rather busy day as we've been kitting George out for his student digs- I think I'll be sending him with literally everything barr the kitchen sink as I'm assured that one will be provided in the halls! I'm dreading the day we pack him off and move him in and Molly and David have already told me a can't sit and sob every tea time for the next 6 weeks nor can I just nip and clean his bathroom for him!

Anywho as promised I'm back to share with you a few images from a recent demonstration in which I was showcasing my new Molly Blooms Christmas Collection for 2011! Torvill and Dean play a part this year, aswell as Jeff the Gingerbread man and Duncan the camel! I hope you like them as much as I have enjoyed designing them and playing with them. Of course I have used my ever faithful copic pens and My Minds Eye and October Afternoon papers to create my samples, with the majority of my work having quite a vintage feel! A huge thankyou to all who came, was lovely to see you and I can't wait to see what everybody creates with the range!

Well I hope you all feel a little inspired and ready to create some Christmassy treats, all of the new designs have been winging their way to the retailers this week and to see where they are all available click here.

 

Signing off now, I hope you all have a stamp happy & craft happy weekend. I'm off to North Allerton to The Paperlane for a weekend of demonstrations and workshops, so if you are in the area it would be wonderful to see you!

 

Be back sooner rather than later :)

 

Love Clare

xxx