There's a new watering hole on the island ......

Happy Friday folks .......
Are you ready for a nice long weekend?

It's workshop time again for me ....... it's been a while.
My group of lovely crafty ladies are all gathering around the table tomorrow for a day of craft, coffee (or tea) and no doubt there'll be biscuits or cake!!  We may just even get some finished projects done too.

We're going to be playing with tissue paper this week .... thanks to the inspiration from the lovely Loll Thompson (www.stampingwithloll).
She's kindly agreed to me using her techniques for my workshop ..... so ladies, I won't be taking all the credit for this one!!
Check out her YouTube video on Watercolouring Tissue Paper ....... this lady is amazing!

Here are a few sneaky peeks at some of my inspiration pieces .......
We'll be colouring tissue paper first then ....... stamping on to it ......

Using it to create pretty textured backgrounds .......

Die cutting it .......

And even adding embossing powders on to it .....

Should be a fun day .... can't wait.

My weekend actually started last night.  Hubby took me out for dinner to a new bar/restaurant that's opened down on the Quay in Douglas .... yes another one! And what a lovely meal we had too.
The place is called Seven Kingdom and not only is it a lovely restaurant and a nice bar ..... it's a distillery too.  They make their own GIN!!!

After the delicious meal I had to try it out .... it would have been rude not too!  Just the one mind ..... although it was a large one!

Fever Tree Mediterranean Tonic, blueberries and a little cucumber ..... very nice.

Then it was onto Silent Pool ..... a new gin for me.

Slimline tonic (of course!) and a slice of orange .... now that was nice!  I'll be having that one again! The bottle is soooo pretty too .....

As you've probably guessed  Seven Kingdom gets the thumbs up from me ....... and hubby, seeing as how they also have a great collection of single malt whiskys too!  I can see it becoming one of our regular places to go.

We've got a nice Bank Holiday weekend here in the UK and dare I say it ..... the weather seems to be behaving itself.  The Manx Grand Prix practice week is finishing a lot better than it started, so let's hope that race week is good too. We haven't actually seen any of the practice racing ..... been up to the Grandstand though. Chris was managing the beer tent again at the beginning of the week so we just popped in to say Hi.  He's back in his own place now though, getting things ready for the grand re-opening of The Prospect next week.

Oh well .... must dash, I'm off out for lunch later and a spot of retail therapy, but before I go I must get the old craft room tidy .... there's stuff everywhere!
A quick coffee and a look at this morning's view first though I think.  Looks like we've got visitors ...

Thanks for popping by ... enjoy your day and have a lovely weekend.  Make the most of the Bank Holiday .... it's the last one before Christmas!

Cheerio until next time .....

Sneaky peeks ........

Happy Thursday .......

And a Happy Thanksgiving to all my blog friends from the US ....... eat, drink and merry.  Spend the holiday with family and friends and have a wonderful day.  Sounds like a plan to me!

It's been a busy week this week ...... DT stuff finished and in the post on Monday.  The lovely Lucy and Sweet Poppy Stencils are back on our screens tomorrow.  That's Friday November 25th ...... on Create and Craft ..... at 11.00am.
Lots of new goodies to feast your eyes on and fab demonstrations from Lucy on how to get the most from your Sweet Poppy products.  Here's a couple of sneaky peeks of what went in the post .....

Something a little festive maybe ......

This one can be used for so many different occasions ......

And there's pretty florals too ......

I've also been busy prepping workshops ...... I've just got two left before the end of the year.  One this weekend, and a big one in December.

We're going positively festive this weekend .... well, with only 30 days to go before the big day, my thoughts are turning to this years decorations.  I've already bought some (just a few to replace the ones that Lauren has taken), and I've ordered new lights for the big tree.  It'll all be getting decorated this time next week!

With all that in mind, we're going to be decorating baubles this weekend ..... pretty little MDF ones.
The ladies will be using paints and inks, maybe a touch of crackle in there, There'll be reindeer and snowflakes, holly and mistletoe, and maybe the odd snowman or two.  Berries and pine cones, die cuts and gems, and lots of sparkle!
I've been busy making up some inspiration pieces for them ......... these were so much fun to make.

Traditional red and green colours

CAS design ..... love the mistletoe!

And here's a sneaky peek at a DT piece made for one of next month's challenges ........ this one's my favourite

Thanks for popping by ...... enjoy the rest of your day.
I'm off into town later ..... yes, you guessed it .... Christmas shopping!
It's the start of our late night shopping tonight and the big Christmas lights switch on so it's going to be busy down there.  You never know if I'm still down there when hubby finishes work I might just get out of cooking this evening ...... tea out sounds like a good idea to me!

Cheerio until next time

Whoo hoo!! .... it's the weekend

Happy Friday .........

Have you missed me?  The blog has been a bit neglected this week ..... sorry!  I was feeling a little under the weather at the beginning of the week ...... started with a cold that never really went anywhere.  But ....... that was the start of the week ...... I'm feeling great now, just as well really as things have been a little busy round here (so whats new!)

Hubby's booked us a trip away for the week after next, so I'm trying to get all my DT stuff done and ready to go before we leave on the 30th.  The beginning of the month is always a bit frantic ...... I'll have my laptop with me though so I can keep an eye on things .... and keep you posted on where we are.

We've had birthday celebrations this week ........ the little man was 6!  He's growing up so fast.

We had a special family birthday tea on Tuesday ........ Alex chose the venue, and we all went to Alessandro's in town.  He even paid the bill ...... well with Grandad's card of course!!!
Wednesday was his actual birthday, so that meant  PARTY TIME!!!  Lots of little people having fun, playing games and eating lots of cake!!!  And of course a special birthday card .....

Six little aliens ready to party .....

Each with their own balloon ....

Alex loved it ..... but then he always a fan of Grandma's cards!

As I said, in between all the fun that's been going on this week, I've been busy with DT stuff .... getting ready for a whole new batch of challenges at the start of next month ...... and, I've also been getting stuff ready for this weekends workshop.  Yes ...... I've got my group of crafty ladies gathering again and this weekend should be loads of fun.

We're going to be carrying on from the last one ..... using Mica Powders again but this time in spray form.  We'll be adding in some Mixed Media along the way - texture pastes, gel medium, tissue paper, along with fabric, and lots of embellishments, to create a gorgeous canvas in the very popular Finnabair style. I've done a couple of pieces recently and everyone has said they would like to try the techniques ...... so ...... I'm here to please and tomorrow they'll be giving it a go.

Here's a few sneaky peeks at my inspiration pieces .......
You've probably seen this one before .... it was done a few months ago on a workshop with the lovely Maria Simms ..... mica sprays on a black gesso base ......  gorgeous!

Another sample using Black Gesso before spritzing with those gorgeous micas ..... I do love this effect

And finally ..... one done using White Gesso as the base colour ....... you get a different look when you start spraying those micas onto the white ..... really pretty!

So .... will the dramatic, black base be more popular ....... or will it be the more delicate white? Whichever one they go for I'm sure they'll have some fun.

Thanks for popping by .... enjoy the rest of your day and have a lovely weekend.

I've got the little man for a sleepover tonight ...... hubby's gone for a quick drink with the lads after work so it's take away for dinner when he gets home .... yum!

Cheerio until next time .........

School's out!! ...... for some

Happy Friday folks ......

So looking forward to the weekend ...... and it all starts right now!!!
It's going to be a busy one again though ........ we've got a BBQ bash tomorrow evening, then a day out at the Wildlife Park on Sunday, courtesy of hubby's works.  Dinner and a few drinks out this evening ........ and I've got to be ready for a workshop tomorrow.
And on top of all that it's the last day of school today ..... I'd better make the most of this weekend, I'll probably be grounded for the next six weeks on Grandma duty ..... lets hope the nice weather holds.

Yes, it's workshop time again.  I've got a lovely bunch of ladies coming round tomorrow to have some fun using Brushos ...... those fabulous little pots of magic.
I'm sure you all know what I'm talking about ...... pigment powders/crystals, that when mixed with water and other mediums, can create some amazing effects.  Similar products are Ken Oliver Color Bursts (although I don't think I can call them that anymore ..... I think they're just Bursts now!) and the brand new Infusions from PaperArtsy  .... same thing, pigment powders but with added Walnut Stain in them ...... these are gorgeous!!

We're going to be trying out different ways of using Brushos ..... making backgrounds, using them to paint with, mixing them with mica powders and gels to get a different look .... it's going to be fun.
Here's a few sneak peeks at some of the designs I've come up with as a little inspiration to get them started .....

Great for adding background colour.

Perfect for painting with ......... even on black card.

And great your Christmas cards  too ......

Well .... I suppose I'd better go and make sure everything is ready seeing as I'm out this evening.

Thanks for popping by .... enjoy the rest of your Friday and have a fantastic weekend.
The sun is making it's first appearance of the day .... you never know we may be able to dine al fresco this evening

Cheerio until next time

Where have all the followers gone .......

Happy Friday ......

It's the weekend again ....... it's going to be a busy one.  And guess what .... the sun is shining!  It's still blowing a hoolie out there but at least it's not piddling it down.

I've been in the old craft room most of the week but unfortunately I can't share any of what I've been doing just yet ..... you'll have to be patient I'm afraid.

I will give you a little sneaky peek at what the girls will be doing tomorrow though .... close your eyes now if you're one of the 10 and you want it to be a surprise! (although there are already some snippets on the Facebook page .... The Craft Lane so if you've already seen those you'll have an idea already!!)

We're going to be playing with Distress Inks, making backgrounds, and using them to add colour to stamped images. Creating layers with stamps and stencils, spritzing with water .....

Blending colours, using them direct onto card for intense colour, bringing a little bit of pearlescent paint into the mix to create the faux mother of pearl look ..... and we may even get around to the bleaching technique.

It should be a fun day ....... and I'm sure there'll be cake in there somewhere too!!

Remember I introduced Rio the other day and said that Lauren was going to look for some friends for her well quick update for you ......... there is a litter of new born rats longtails over at the pet shop in Peel (oh joy!) They'll be ready in a few weeks so they're going back next week to choose a pair (eeek!)  That'll be three of the darn things .... not sure if they're all coming here to live (they'll need a bigger cage!) or whether they'll all go back to Robbie's (he's already got one).  I'll keep you posted on that!

One other quick thing before I go ........ it seems that Google is doing it's "thing" that I mentioned a little while ago.  I seem to have lost a few followers over the last couple of days.  Well, at least I think it's the Google thing .... I hope it is and it's not just that everyone has decided they no longer want to follow my blog (sad face!) ..... was it something I said!?
Only joking ...... it's happening all over blogland.

So ..... if you're not receiving updates from me and you used to, then you might want to join as a new follower again ...... I'd love it if you did!
You'll need a Google account or if you don't want to bother with all of that, you can follow me via email,  or on bloglovin ..... you'll find sign up boxes on the left hand side of this post.
Please come back .... I miss you!

Thanks for popping by ...... enjoy the rest of your day and have a great weekend, whatever you're up to.
I'm off into town ..... Post Office run then I'm meeting a friend for coffee.

Cheerio until next time

Linda

xx   

On the 17th day of December ........

 more mince pies and a Christmas workshop

Morning everyone,

Happy Tuesday!  How's your week going?  I'm taking a day off today from DT stuff and all my festive preparations ...... I'm been invited to a craft group on the island.   I'm doing a workshop with the lovely ladies from Ballaugh Crafty Crafters, using the fabulous IndigoBlu products.   
Everything was all packed and ready to go last night ........

Looks like I'm going for a week, not a 3 hour workshop .......... Hope I haven't forgotten anything (I can see that Santa has given things a final check over ...... so I should be ok!)

We're going to be playing working with paint, flitter glu and Mega Flakes, stamps and other fun stuff too. It's going to be fun.  So ladies, if any of you are reading this, if you don't like getting your hands dirty ...... bring some gloves!

Here's a little sneaky peek of what they'll be creating .......

Before we all get crafty though, they're having their Christmas party ........ better take it easy on the mulled wine I think!

Thanks for popping by.  Enjoy your Tuesday.

Cheerio for now

Linda

xx