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24 April 2010
Here comes the sun!
As I write
this the sun is beating down and I have a trout lake in front of me where I can see Nige fishing, watched by Boo. I have piles
of magazines, a cup of coffee and little Teddy to keep me company. A couple of chaffinches are getting brave and settling
on the food we put out for them and just a few feet further along two mallards are enjoying the shade. I have a black swan
who keeps wandering over to see what I’m doing, and to cap it all I have the cutest baby rabbit relaxing just six feet
away from me. Feels like a Disney film! What a great way to recharge my batteries after a couple of hectic
weeks.
This past
week I have felt like a ‘weeble’. Remember them – ‘Weebles wobble but they don’t fall down’.
It has been that kind of few weeks but thankfully, after a good nights sleep, I am normally raring to face another week and
all it throws at me. I have learned an important lesson though – surround yourself with positive people. Avoid the negative
ones like the plague as you are in danger of being dragged down with them!Last
weekend we held the first of our craft retreats for this year. We had great fun crafting and socialising, but I have to especially
thank my dancing buddies for a great 70’s evening. Kerry and Paula, I take my hat off to you both for dancing solid,
without one break, for 3 hours!! We even got Nige dancing and he said he had a great time. Visit the retreat pages on the
website for info about our scrapcamp in July and (big drum roll) – additional date for our Autumn retreat as the first
one filled within three days!Joel, Georgia and I are rehearsing hard for a charity show we are taking part in, in two weeks. Really enjoying it.
And then the week after that we are all in a one night show to support Chester Wind Band. Joel has really caught the bug and
has a couple of auditions coming up in the next month for full time theatre school. He had a great week playing the Beast
in Beauty and the Beast and I just have to show you this photo we took in the theatre of nana, grandma and close friend after
Joel closed Act One with his big number. This didn’t happen just one night but every night they went!!!
Must go and get some work done. Lots of different things to focus on at the moment which
is great – I love my job. Will be back at QVC before long – we are having a bit of a revamp so watch this space.
Try to catch the demo at the shop on May 8th – if you saw Lindsay’s demo a few weeks back you will
love this. Sue from Creative Expressions is coming to use Ranger in conjunction with their amazing cosmic shimmer range of
products. See the home page for full details.Happy scrappin’
Rosemary x
18 March 2010
Mad as March Hare’s
Phew, what a few weeks that was! Not
really got time to catch my breath yet but just wanted to keep you up-to-date with what has been going on. Debi and I had
a great day in York on the workshop with Sheena Douglas. What a lovely lady and how funny she is! Loved her style and her
manner and it was great just playing with grunge board, mica powders, distressing inks etc etc. We got off to a bad start
as Debi had locked her keys inside the car with the car running and had to wait for the local garage to come out. Those of
you who know Debi never see her anything but laid back – I assure you she was ruffled that morning!!
Last weekend was my mum and dad’s
golden wedding anniversary and part of their present from us was to see Cirque du Soleil. Wow! What a great evening. I love
musical theatre but I always said this wasn’t quite my thing. How wrong I was. Joel plays the Beast next week in the
first amateur production of Beauty and the Beast in this country and boy are we excited. He has gone to costume pick up as
I write. It is extra special as it is mine and Joel’s favourite show (I have seen it 5 times in the West End!). Georgia,
Joel and I are rehearsing each weekend for the Claire House Charity show in May and we are really enjoying it. I so love to
spend time with like minded people and for four hours every Sunday I forget to think about work!!
We have had a traumatic week with Poppy,
our 12 year old dog. Last week she collapsed on the floor after being lethargic for four days and I really did think the worst.
I was distraught. She is petrified of the vets and so, we had to get our vet to make a house call. I was petrified that a
vet who didn’t know her would come out and just suggest we put her down as her back legs had gone but to our great relief
we were told she has a lot of life in her yet but that she has a touch of spondylitis on the spine and arthritis in her hips.
A week ago I thought she would never walk again – this morning she ran around the field with Teddy and Boo. It is amazing
what a steroid injection and pain killers can do!!
We are working flat out on our April retreat and really looking forward to it now. Nige
has also been working really hard putting slat wall up in the shop so that we can get more stock out there. Lindsay Mason
is demoing 11-4pm Sunday 28th so if you want to know how to use distressing ink pads, alcohol inks etc, then pop
in and see her in action. Lindsay is a great demonstrator and will try to answer any questions you have.
Anyway, off for a cup of coffee!
Scrap
happy!
Rosemary x
28 February 2010
I know I shouldn’t wish time to pass but I have to admit that I am always glad to see the back of January and
February. December is great because we have the excitement of Christmas but when the New Year starts I really only look forward
to some Spring sunshine and lighter nights. Saying that though, the time has flown because so much has been happening. Nige and I went to
Birmingham last weekend for our annual Trade show and had a really good time networking with the retailers and crafters that
we have gotten to know. It is always good to see what all the companies are doing and get some inspiration (which I certainly
did). Debi and Tracy attended a three hour class on Saturday with Tim Holtz, Suze Weinberg and Claudine Helmuth. They have
not shut up about it since getting back and more than half their sentences start with “Tim said.....”. We had
a good time at QVC on Tuesday and I was able to have a good look at the samples Tim had done and get some tips from him. This
year is going to be a good one for revisiting techniques and really playing with product. Can’t wait! Debi and I are off to York on Monday for a full
day class with Sheena Douglas. We have high expectations of a really good day – I will let you know how we get on. We were so thrilled to be
told we had come runner-up as Best North West craft Retailer and want to thank everyone who voted for us. When I got the call
at the shop I frightened half the ladies on a crop that we had running , by bursting in and shouting the news. No wonder they
didn’t seem as thrilled as me. (They were when they had gotten over the shock). Windmill Crafts beat us to pole position
but well done to them. Can’t wait for the certificate. It doesn’t take much to please me! We have already started taking delivery of new
stock. Yesterday our Wild Rose Studio order arrived with new stamp designs featuring Milton & Co, and also some lovely
6 x 6 paper pads. Didnt even have time to put them out as customers were grabbing them! Love it when you get excited . We
now have a very depleted selection and a necessary reorder situation! This week I drooled over the brand new wedding range,
Confetti, from Papermania, although a lot of it could be used for birthdays. It is so pretty! Promarker
sets are due in – we have decided to stock both those and Copic as you love both of them. Our Sugar
Nellie workshops will be showing you how to use these great pens .Also, any day now
we will be taking delivery of lots of Ranger and cosmic shimmer products that we will be playing with on our workshops over
the coming months. Those who are booked onto Coffee Morning next Thursday might have to bring sleeping bags in order for me
to get through just new products! Joel, Georgia and I started rehearsals for a variety show in aid of Claire House last weekend. Boy was it good to
be rehearsing for a show again – seems ages since I was involved in one. Poor Nige having to cope with three divas in
the house. Will
let Boo tell you about how she has been under the weather (and also about how Teddy has been mistreated recently). One more thing before
I go. On the kits page of our on-line shop we have uploaded our brand new Paper Bag Book kit.
In this great kit we are including paper bags (imported from the USA), new Basic Grey Sugar Rush
papers, ribbons & a jewel brad, punch outs and full instructions with colour photos on how to make the book you see below,
PLUS a very informative A4 book that shows you how to make a wide range of paper bag projects.
Click the photo below to see the kit for sale Let’s
get crafting! Rosemary
x
19 January 2010
Snow Good! Who would have believed how much snow we have had over the past month! Like all our winters
rolled into one. It was great – for a while – and then became a real nuisance . What was lovely was that so many
more people were out enjoying the fresh air. The fields behind our house where we walk the dogs were like Clapham Junction
– we saw dogs we never knew existed – maybe they were bought just so their owners could get out in the snow. Our
floors stayed so clean – now we are back to mud!
We were in Reading and Kegworth
last week introducing retailers to one of our suppliers new products. We travelled to Reading on Tuesday evening and opened
the curtains in the hotel on Wednesday morning to loads of snow! The event was a wash out but Friday in Kegworth was great
and we met some lovely people.
I have battled a stomach bug since last week and on Sunday morning I thought it had gone to my kidneys as I had a
lot of discomfort in that area. I then realised it was actually due to the fact that I had been dancing vigorously for a good
half hour the night before at the Panto aftershow party. (Oh no you didn’t! Oh yes I did!) And yes the kids were embarrassed!!
When did this happen to me – that I can’t exercise a little without finding it hard to walk the next day and becoming
an embarrassment to my kids!! When did I turn into my parents? – telling Georgia she has too much make-up on, her heels
are too high and that her dress was designed to be worn as a t-shirt!! Is it all downhill from now on! Answers on a postcard
please!! I am working
hard at sourcing and ordering new products at the moment. The next month or so is when all our suppliers introduce their new
ranges and from what I have seen so far it is going to be a great crafting year. In the next few days we should see the Pepper
and friends range arrive and I will be announcing a date inviting you to join me in the shop for a free
make and take using this range. Anyway, enough wittering from me. Need to go make a birthday card and order some more goodies
for the shop. By the way Sugar Nellie stamps should be with us any day and they are luuuurvly! Watch the March schedule for
classes using them with the Copic markers. Happy scrapping! Rosemary x
1 January 2010
Happy New Crafting Year!
I
didn’t want to wait a moment longer to wish you a happy and healthy new year. I always love starting
a fresh year with a blank sheet and lots of possibilities. I have already been clearing my craft room at
home so that I can fulfil one of my new year’s resolutions – to finish all the unfinished projects I have hanging
around. My mini printer is already set up too, ready for me to print small photos for a monthly journal
of our family life. As
I have already mentioned I love the challenge of a new year. Nige and I started to have a change around
in the shop yesterday and we made so much mess that we have to go up today and put it straight even though we aren’t
officially open. Out with the old, in with the new. We have our half price sale starting
in a week and I can’t wait to clear out old stock and get new in! I can feel another great crafting
year ahead. Christmas
was busy but we had a good time with family and also we had a trip to the theatre to see Irving Berlins ‘White Christmas’
and a trip to London to the O2 to see the Michael Jackson exhibition which was a great day. I have eaten
so much chocolate you wouldn’t believe it possible – I blame certain customers and friends who know I have this
weakness but still ply me with the stuff (you know who you are Jane and Annette!!) One last binge day today
and then some serious cutting back. Nige is teasing me today as I had a bottle of babycham last night and
I have a dreadful headache today – it was only the small size bottle but this is the person who takes a week to drink
a bottle of wine! I am
taking a couple of months out from teaching classes as I really want to get on with the planning for our three retreats this
year – already I have lists everywhere! Also I am doing some retailer classes around the country
in January for one of our suppliers. I really enjoy working at this sort of event and meeting fellow retailers. Must dash and make the most of the
first day of the year! Really hope it is a healthy and prosperous one for you all. Let’s get scrapping! Rosemary x
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