A Messy Old Time !

I just got back last night from a two-day trip to Coventry where I was one of those lucky enough to be on one of Tim Holtz's "Journeys of the Past" workshop.  Lindsay was already down there as part of the Personal Impressions team, joining in on the retail workshop, so we met up in the Windmill Village Hotel where the event was being held and shared a room for the night.

It was a highly enjoyable workshop - Tim is an excellent teacher with a clear way of explaining things and an easy-to-listen-to voice.  We got really messy with inks and stencils, making backgrounds for tags, adding stamping and other embellishments, with the aim of creating a gorgeous tag book - to my relief, I did manage to keep up to speed with everything we did but have to complete it with more bits and pieces and fasten it together (as soon as I've a bit of spare time)!  Here are some pics from the event:-

 Lindsay took this photo of Tim and I

Tim giving us all instructions in his clear and humorous way - I was sat at the table just in front of the screen in the upper pic

Lindsay helping out in the "shop", taking her role very seriously!

Here's Chris (a fellow crafter and lovely lady) and I, obviously enjoying ourselves

Ali (a very talented artist-crafter) and her Aunt Mima - I know them both from an internet ATC group, but it was the first time we'd ever met, so that was lovely

Getting messy!

The workshop in progress with everyone very busy, heads down!

We came away with lots of goodies - the remains of our class kits which we'd been using (ink, paint, stencil, tissue tape, embellishments, etc, etc) plus we each received a big messenger-type bag, a Tim Holtz apron and a signed copy of Tim's book, "A Compendium of Curiosities Volume II" - very thrilled with all that. A "shop" had also been set up, with an amazing selection of products to tempt us all, so of course I had to have a spend (didn't feel too guilty as I had some birthday money to use courtesy of my son and husband!). Thank goodness for the messenger bag though - it held all the extra stuff I'd acquired for the trip back home on the train, don't know how I'd've managed otherwise)!

Here are all the bits and bobs, plus the part-completed tags, from the class kit

Messenger Bag, Apron and Book

..... and my "birthday" purchases

I can't finish without showing you a couple of photos of gifts I received from Lindsay for my birthday too ....

A beautiful necklace (which I wore for the Tim Holtz trip) and this lovely wall hanging, love the bright colours and dangly charms - its now hanging on my living room wall.  Of course, both made by Lindsay herself.  So I've been a very lucky girl this week!

Although I only had a couple of days' break it was really good to have a complete change of scene, recharge my batteries and come home again refreshed and inspired to start "being inky and painty" again.  

Lindsay's Matchbox Shrine Workshop

On Saturday I made the trip over to Oswaldtwistle once again to attend one of Lindsay's workshops at the Dawn Bibby Studio/Topaz Crafts and also to hand-deliver some of the "grunge" books to those 'girls' who were going to be there too.  In fact, I was the last to arrive as they were already hard at work decorating mirrors in Lindsay's first workshop of the day.  Still, it gave me a chance to browse round the shop and pick up a few Rangers products whilst it was quiet. 

   

 These are the two matchbox shrines that Lindsay had created as projects for this Workshop

 After a bit of a hectic half-hour to tidy up and set out everything for the afternoon workshop, we all set to work trying to concentrate on making our matchbox shrines (I wasn't the best pupil, in fact I should probably have ended up in the 'naughty corner' because I had to keep asking "please miss" questions of Lindsay due to lack of focus and thinking I'd missed some instructions - honestly, I really think I was away with the fairies on Saturday, my mind was all over the place *LOL*)!  Still, I did manage to get most of my shrine finished, just got a few bits and pieces to add to the front and put a backing on it and I'll be able to hang it on the wall with other pieces of art I've received or made. 

My shrine - a work in progress!

Of course, we took much longer than anticipated working on this larger shrine, even though Lindsay had a second smaller shrine for us to make too ...... everyone jotted down notes so that they could recreate it at home if they wanted to.

  

It was lovely to meet up with everyone again - Joanne, She, Gez, Elaine, Chris - even though we didn't get a lot of time to natter ... and also meet Sioux (Artyjen) for the first time (sorry we didn't get more of a chance to talk)!  We did all get to swap ATCs and I came home with a bunch of gorgeous cards and I think everyone liked their grunge books too.

 Lindsay modelling her pink & black furry slippers

(comfort is all when you're standing around all day)!!!!

Joanne, Sioux and Gez hard at work

Joanne, Sioux, Gez and She - just look at the concentration on their faces!

Here's everyone looking very happy with all their day's work!

 

A gorgeous set of "Alice in Wonderland" ATCs that She gave to me,

(all contained in a beautiful ATC tin)

 

ATCs I received from Chris, Sioux, Joanne (top row)

and Gez and She (bottom row)

 These were from Joanne too

(love the flower on that ATC - I'd really like to know how to make it)!

By the time I got home again I was really tired (I think we all were) and not fit for much besides putting my feet up in front of the tv, but it had been a good day out (of course)!

Rangers Techniques Workshop

Sorry I haven't posted sooner, but I've not been near the computer for a few days as I came down with a really nasty cold, started last week with a sore throat.  Still, I felt okay to go over to Dawn Bibby's Studio at Oswaldtwistle for Lindsay's Rangers Techniques workshop on Saturday.  The aim was to create a number of ATC-sized cards, each demonstrating a particular Rangers technique using inks, paints, beeswax, stamps, etc, which we could then use as a reference when creating backgrounds and cards in the future.  Lindsay also provided a list detailing each technique as well, so that we wouldn't forget what we did!  Very useful too, because I know I for one am hopeless at remembering what I did in a class once I get home! 

Here are some photos I took during the afternoon, showing us all hard at work (and having a bit of fun too), along with some of the cards I produced by the end of the afternoon.  As per usual, ending up with very messy, ink-stained fingers!

Joanne, Gez & Sheila all hard at work

Just look at the concentration on their faces!

This sample was created with a Big 'n Juicy Stamp Pad (love the bird/cage stamp)!

Here are some of the card samples I created

It was a lovely day and good to meet up with Joanne and Sheila again (they both brought along their "grunge" chunky book pages too, for the swap I'm running, and we all drooled over those ...... the pages are gorgeous, there's no other word to use)!  Lovely to meet Gez for the first time too (and thank you for the beautiful oriental ATC, an unexpected surprise). 

Unfortunately, within a couple of hours of arriving home again, I started to feel much worse and the cold really took a good hold - I was sick during the night and even spent a couple of hours Sunday afternoon falling asleep on the bed (something I would never normally do in the daytime)!  I'm only now just starting to feel a bit better and I wish it'd hurry up and vanish altogether - I HATE COLDS!!!!  Lindsay wasn't so well either Saturday night (a stomach bug, not a cold) so couldn't make her demo on Sunday - what a pair we are!

There's still time to join the "African" atc swap if you want, the deadline isn't for another 10 days, and the next swap will be posted on 1st August.

A Secret Canvas

If you ever get the opportunity to attend one of Lindsay's workshops then grab it ..... you'll really enjoy yourself, learn a variety of techniques and have a great time.  Yesterday I joined Lindsay's workshop over at Topaz Crafts/Dawn Bibby Studio in Oswaldtwistle to make a "Secret Canvas Shrine".

Doesn't everyone look very serious here?  I think everyone was just concentrating really intently on what Lindsay had to say about the canvas, because I can assure you we all had a lot of fun and there was a huge amount of laughter all afternoon!  It was lovely to at last meet up with Sheila (in the foreground), who does some beautiful creative work and gave me her "fairy themed" ATCs for my Midsummer swap - look forward to meeting up with you again, Sheila, at Lindsay's Ranger Techniques class in July!  Behind Sheila you may spot Amy Shaw (Dawn Bibby's niece and a regular craft presenter now on QVC), another lovely and friendly lady with a great sense of humour!

Here are photos of Lindsay's sample "secret canvas" to show what we had to aspire to!

The front of the canvas - I love the look of this and those beautiful blue colours are gorgeous!

The back of the canvas contains a variety of ephemera (including an altered matchbox), to reveal a secret tale or mystery

  

This is the first stage of making my canvas, using acrylic washes and tissue paper

  

 Next, I dabbed on gold acrylic and created a word from grungeboard letters, painted with distress crackle paint 

Here is as far as I've gone with my secret canvas - beeswaxed images, stamping, embellishments

We were all having such a good time that the workshop ran over - I still have to complete the back of the canvas as I need to decide what images and words I want to add to it, plus I'll be adding flowers, maybe other things, to the front as well, but I'm really pleased with the way it's turned out so far - and I'm getting more comfortable using the Meltpot and beeswax now too.  I'll post pics of the finished canvas when it's done.    

Lindsay's Mirror Frame Workshop

Yesterday I had a lovely day out ...... caught the train early on a sunshiney morning and travelled over to Oswaldtwistle, where Lindsay was running the Rangers Mirror Frame workshop at the Dawn Bibby Studio. 

I had a couple of hours to spare before the workshop began, so I had a wander round nearby Oswaldtwistle Mill (didn't buy anything), walked round the Mill's garden and pond and had some lunch. 

........Looking across the Pond to Oswaldtwistle Mill

and the ducks and beautiful daffodils in bloom .........

There were about 10 of us in Lindsay's workshop and we spent three hours learning new techniques and ideas with the aim of creating a beautiful mirror frame.  Several techniques involved using UTEE and a Meltpot, which I'd not dared use before, so I was really pleased to have a go with it and realise it wasn't quite so scary as I thought it might be!  We also melted down some beeswax in the Meltpot pan for coating a "scrap" image which we added to one corner of our frames.  We then scraped through the layer of beeswax to reveal a clearer image but with a translucent quality to it.

We began by painting a light colourwash (watered down acrylic paint) all over the wooden frame - I chose a purple colour, maybe a little darker than I'd intended it to be, but I did want a bright colour rather than my usual "vintage" choice!

Here is my frame with some of the pieces I made laid over it, nothing stuck down yet and I also want to create a few more items, using the techniques Lindsay showed us, before I assemble it all together (when I have the time!), but I think it will look lovely when it's completed.

Here are pictures of the two frame samples Lindsay had on display - aren't they beautiful?  The first one has an aqua coloured background and the second has a more "vintage" feel to it.  I like them both (of course)!

When I finally finish my frame, I'll post a photo of it then you can see how mine turned out too!

It was also very nice to meet up with Joanne and her husband, Terry, again (they popped in to say 'hello' as they were out that way) and to swap a couple of ATCs with Joanne as well.

Had a rather more noisy journey home though because at Blackburn our small train was boarded by a crowd of football supporters (standing room only all along the train) and some transport police to keep an eye on them.  They were Everton fans returning from a match against Blackburn - they'd obviously been victorious as they were all in a very loud(but good humoured) mood, singing at the top of their voices (using rather ripe language I'm afraid), until they left the train at Preston for their connection home to Liverpool.  But still - they didn't cause any trouble to anyone.