Thank you to everyone who came and supported our demonstration day today with Lindsay Mason. It was great to see so many of you.  Lindsay was kept busy all day demoing the make n’ takes and sharing with us numerous ideas.

I am sure we have all been inspired to try out some new ideas (and will look at  discarded baby wipes and paper towels in a whole new light!)

A quick view of Lindsay’s table at the end of the day. Lindsay has left us with lots of her lovely samples that you will be able to come in and see. It was great to see so many possibilities with the sprays, inks, masks, and Lindsay’s fantastic technique with Glue ‘n Seal.

Lindsay’s Do Lally Pip stamps were hugely popular. I am sure we will be seeing lots of projects on the blog using them in the coming weeks.

The seated demo area and the separate make ‘n take tables seemed to work well. 

40 people did the make ‘n take. This is the second session hard at work. 

Everyone who came received a free raffle ticket – and the name out of the hat to win the goody bag was…Michelle Hobbs! Congratulations.

Thanks to everyone who came and supported the day. Thanks also to Mary, Miriam and Lucy who kept us well supplied with refreshments, and thanks to Sarah for all those yummy cakes.

Finally, many, many thanks to Lindsay who gave us such an enjoyable day and taught us so much. I even managed a quick play in the afternoon and was delighted with my tag. I’l put all the orders through on Sunday which will not take long to come.

Lindsay Mason has arrived safely in Thame, and Carolyn and I have  transformed the craft room for our day with Lindsay tomorrow.

If you have booked a make ‘n take there is no need to bring trimmers, or your usual craft bag as you will only need your promarkers and a fine paint brush!

How nice to travel light! We have a couple of places left if you would like to do the make ‘n take.

We have set up a seating area so do call in if you would just like to watch the demo, as Lindsay will be busy creating all day. As Lindsay is a Certified Ranger Educator I have asked her to show us what we can do with Distress pens as many of us have them, and could probably do even more with them too! I have no idea where else Lindsay’s creativity will take us – but it is sure to be fun!

Everyone who attends will be entered into the FREE raffle to win this goody bag worth over £30!

Sarah is busy cooking in the kitchen for us. I know that Sticky Chocolate Cake, Marmalade Victoria Sponge and Ginger and Lemon Fudge Cake are on the menu so far. Sarah won the “best tasting cake” competition at Lord Williams’s with that last one last month - and I can testify to how yummy it is! 

We are really pleased to welcome Lindsay to A Maze of Memories again – and hope that lots of our local crafters will enjoy spending some time with us this Saturday.

We have a treat for you tomorrow. Lindsay Mason will be at A Maze of Memories between 10am and 4 pm. Lindsay designs stamps and papers for Personal Impressions, and is also a Ranger Certified Educator.  So we will be in expert hands!

Please call in for some free  inspiration and to ask Lindsay any crafting questions you have. We also have make ‘n takes at 10am, 11.30 am and 2 pm with Lindsay. These cost £7 AND you get to take home the set of stamps that you use which are normally £6! This is a fantastic opportunity to learn direct from an expert.

Have a look at some of the Do Lally Pip images we will be using. This clown is one of my favourites.

Naughty boys:

In fact a whole host of quirky characters!

 Lindsay’s style is very diverse and ranges from cute…

 …to grungy!

I really loved this textured canvas I saw at the trade show… 

…really inventive and creative.

 I like the way that Lindsay’s work makes you think… 

My favourite clown again:

We will be making tags for our make n’ take and using inks, masks, and a very clever new technique using glue and seal that Lindsay has developed. 

Please bring your favourite colouring medium such as Promarkers to the make ‘n  take session - and a fine paint brush if you have one.

We will also have a FREE Raffle for everyone who calls in, and will be serving Sarah’s home made cake with tea and coffee.

I had to include this final card - I just LOVE it!

Lindsay is travelling to be with us tomorrow so I hope she has a good journey down.  You can have a look at Lindsays blog by clicking here:  http://lindsaymason.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/highs-and-lows.html

Carolyn and I are going to have a go at re-arranging the craft room this afternoon in preparation for tomorrow. We want to create a seating/viewing area for the demo, and a separate make’n take area. Wish us luck!

Thank you everyone for making today really successful. It was marvelous that so many of you were able to join us for our technique full demonstration day with Michelle Johnson.

As promised here is the winner of the Stix2 Goodie bag generously donated by Stix2 for the event.

Congratulations Karen Ballentine. Your name was picked out first and you have all these wonderful products to play with!

 Michelle showed us numerous techniques during the day, and lots of different ways to get more from our glues, stamps and inks from Woodware and Stix2. Michelle has left us with a couple of technique boards which I have photographed for the blog as requested.

 The boards are on display in the craft room, but here is a quick reminder of just a few of the techniques that Michelle covered  today.

I have ordered the brand new techquies DVD that Michelle has made with Stix2 which will be arriving soon. Let me know if you would like a copy reserved for you. 

I also took a couple of photographs of the beautiful flower arrangements that decorated Michelles demo table. They have been made with Stix2 pre-cut flower shape packs.

Both arrangemants were made for Michelle by Deb Gill from Evesham. Aren’t they beautiful, and what a lovely idea.

Michelle made lots of embellishmnets using a variety of products such as the hot glue gun, double sided adhesive sheets and embossing and frantage powders.

One new product from Stix2 is this shimmery and sparkly  adhesive sheet. This Woodware clear stamp “Modern Spray” was really popular. We sold out during the morning and I am ordering more tomorrow, so if you would like one please let me know.

I love the double sided self adhesive (brown) sheet that can be heat embossed. Michelle glued one side to the Stix2 chipboard, and then die cut into a bird shape, before adding foils and frantge/embossing powders. What a brilliant effect.

We also have the new Stix2 A4 masking sheets. Michelle showed us different techniques we could use. Here are two reminders. I will also order more of the Woodware brushes that we sold out of. These are fantastic for adding ink to edges or for adding soft colour to images.

Here are a selection of the sample cards that Michelle bought with her. Everyone liked the clean elegance of this one:

This one uses the shimmery adhesive sheet and the Woodware  stamp.

Michelle has stamped onto cork for this card with the new Woodware Mr & Mrs stamp set, plus added part of the Woodware Coggs background (I am ordering this too tomorrow – again please let me know if you want one). 

And a different colourway:

Here Michelle has used the double sided adhesive with metalic flakes:

This Woodware gerbera stamp was another favourite and can be used in so many ways:

This distressed looking paper is from Woodware and is only 25p for an A4 sheet. Stamp your image and with minimal colouring you can create a lovely card as the background is already interesting:

This is the same woodware stamp yet the sparkly adhesive sheet gives a totally different look.

 Michelle used the Woodware trimmer to cut wavy strips from card and the double sided adhesive sheet – and then added glitter to get this effect:

Michelle has kindly offered to lend me glue guns so we will include the techniques we were shown today in next months card club and you will be able to try them out for yourselves. 

There were a lot of laughs (especially when Carole Avery shared her new gadget with us!)

I think the seating arrangement worked well so that we could watch in comfort.

This photo was taken before we got really busy! I think I managed to count 46 crafters at one point during the morning…

 This is Michelle still smiling at the end of the day with a table littered with samples! It was a fabulous day, and I am sure everyone will want me to thank Michelle for her enthusiasm, humour and for teaching us so many new things.

I am hoping that we will be able to have Michelle back in the Autumn for a Christmas demonstration day! I will keep you posted…

And finally a few other thank you’s:

To Sarah for the yummy cakes.

To Sharon and Tracy for the delicious cupcakes and chocolate Brownies (and Happy Birthday to mum Pauline who spent her special day with us!).

To Stix2 and Woodware for generously supporting the event and providing a prize for the raffle.

To the teenage team , Mary, Miriam and Lucy who served everyone all day with tea, coffee and home made cake. The kettles were constantly boiling!

And finally to everyone who came today. It was great to see so many of you, and your support was much appreciated.

 We are delighted to welcome back Michele Johnson on Saturday for a free demonstration day. Call in anytime between 10 and 4, and stay for as long as you like. Michelle is a fantastic crafter and you will learn all sorts of techniques!

Stix2 have very generously donated a free goodie bag for the event. You can win all these fabulous products  – and the demonstration will give you tons of ideas so you will know how to get the best from them.

Everyone who calls in will receive a free ticket for the raffle! 

 Sarah has been busy baking all afternoon. On the menu tomorrow we have gingerbread, lemon cupcakes, cinnamon cake, a marmalade victoria sponge and a chocolate cake – and all home made.

Thanks Sarah.

 I thought you would like to see this photo of Pat, Carolyn and myself playing working on the Stix2 stand at the trade fair. It was great to have a go with some of the new products.

  So, if you have  an hour to spare tomorrow, please do call in and be inspired by Michelle. We have re-arranged the craft room so you will be able to sit down as you watch (and sample Sarah’s cakes!)

Here are a few photos from our demonstration day with Michelle Johnson yesterday. Michelle works with Stix2 and Woodware so uses a wide variety of products. We haven’t stocked Stix2 before but was very impressed with the versatility of their adhesive products so you will be seeing lots of them in the future in the shop and used in classes.

Thank you to everyone who came and supported the day. I know it is a busy time of the year with Christmas preparations and shopping, but lots of you did manage to give yourself a break and enjoy some free crafting inspiration and education.

The new seating arrangement seemed to work well.

Here are Mary, Miriam and Lucy watching Michelle right at the start of the day before they got busy making the tea and coffee. They kept us well supplied all day – and huge thanks to Sarah as well for the yummy home made cakes. Her new spiced ginger cake was a big hit!

I have never used a glue gun before but was very impressed with all the different techniques Michelle showed us. Just gluing things together was far too simple for Michelle.

Michelle stamped into the hot glue to make embellishments, and even used it to create die cut flowers! This is the small flower on the Tim Holtz Tattered Florals die. The hot glue was spread on the non stick craft sheet (an essential tool for all these techniques!) and as it set Michelle applied foils and mica powder. When it was cold it was peeled of the sheet and die cut to create the flower – how ingenious is that!

Michelle used the Woodware large Gerbera clear stamp and hot glue to create fantastic floral centres which you could use on your cards -or even turn into jewelery! This is a technique I can’t wait to try as it has some many possibilities.

The centres can be coloured with mica powders, or foils, or embossed with frantage powders, or glittered…….

This was another brilliant idea. Cut a small square of craft sheet (or buy one from us that we have pre-cut into smaller squares!) and add small “blobs” of hot glue. Cover with glitter, or seed beads for custom made embellishment’s to match your projects. These would be perfect for flower centres. The Stix2 glitter sets are ideal for this technique because of the shape of the tubes!

 Brush on mica powders to make pearls!

Press on foils for fabulous effects. I have never used foils before and was amazed at how easy it was to use them and the great effects that could be created.

Stix2 also manufacture two types of double sided adhesive sheets. The large A4 sheets are perfect for all the “dry” techniques that Michelle showed us with glitters and foils (who would have thought the little bottles and jars would be so useful!). You can also add flock, beads, metallic flitter, flakes……..

 The “brown” double sided adhesive sheets can be heat embossed and Michelle created some fabulous embellishments with those. I love the way that Michelle combined foils, glitter and frantage powders all on one example. So clever! Have a look at the deer below. Can you see the lines of foil running through the glitter and frantage embossing powders. We ran out of these brown sheets but I am sending another order today to restock.

 I will also get the A4 foam sheets that Michelle used. How brilliant to be able to die cut your own dimensional shapes. I forgot to photograph the samples that Michele made and left with us but will put them on display in the craft room. Michelle used some of my dies so we have a gorgeous Tim Holtz “Noel” and “Umbrella Man” as well as prancing deer!

 Here are a few sample cards Michelle had made to show us different ways we could use the brand new Stix” masking sheets. I am so happy about this product as post it notes have lots of limitations (too small for a start) and the Eclipse tape I use sometimes is too expensive.

 Michelle has used the Woodware Christmas 25 stamp and I have taken photos of just five of the ways it has been used.

The image has been stamped, masked and the words stamped over the top to create the background. The colouring is soft and gentle and the white snow created with a white picket fence distress marker:

This time Michelle has used the new Woodware dotty background but stamped ity repeatly to create a textured background. Brighter colouring and an added ribbon as well:

Michelle has used Kraft card for her card bases, and stamped with Versafine ink in “sepia” to give a lovely soft effect. You can also add embossing powders to this ink too:

A Woodware “wobble” isn’t just for cute animals! Michelle has used a wobble behind the 25 to create some moving interest. We now sell the “wobble” mechanisms singly for just 30p as I have bought a bulk pack. (Previously they were pre-packaged at 12 for £5). Michelle has used soft colours again but added glitter to the 25.

Michelle used a Woodware brush to sweep the coloured ink onto the card:

The snowflake on this card has been die cut  using the brown double sided sheet and then heat embossed with frantage, plus more frantage has been sprinkled over the top like snow. A good tip Michelle gave us was to preheat the card before sprinkling the frantage powder so it stays put better as you heat emboss:

The same card again but coloured with Promarkers. Michelle discovered that the new Stix2 sticky pencil (yes- you definitely need one of these in your craft bag!) will also remove colour so you can add some subtle shading with it. Have a look at the birds breast and the side of the ornament on the card below to see what I mean.

The new masking sheets can also be die cut and then the positive and negative parts used. Here the deer was masked so the background could be stamped with the dotty background. Remove the mask from the deer, but cover the dotty background with the negative and then over-stamp the deer with the Christmas words stamp. Voila – two masks/techniques from one die cut shape! 

This is clever. Michelle has used the Gerbera centre created with the hot glue technique on one of her Christmas card samples. The flower centre has become the sun!

Here the Gebera has been stamped and then outlined with a soft grey promarker. The petals have been coloured with the picket fence distress marker by just drawing lines out from the centre. A yellow promarker has been used to just add some dots around the centre and then the hot glue has ensured that the frantage vintage glitter in the centre stays where you want it to stay!

With the Kraft background this has a very contemporary feel, and would be suitable for a variety of occasions.

Stix2 generously donated a goody bag for the day. Everyone who attended the demo was given a free raffle ticket. Mary pulled the winning ticket at the end of the day, and the lucky winner was…

…Wendy Fane! Congratulations Wendy. Your prize is waiting for you at the craft centre. I am sure you will enjoy using all those new goodies.

Thanks everyone again for supporting the day – and HUGE thanks to Michelle who was such a fabulous and fun teacher. I am hoping we will be welcoming Michelle back to A Maze of Memories again in the spring!  

Just a little reminder about our wonderful demo day this Saturday 8th December.  Michelle Johnson, Graphic Designer, Craft Tutor and Demonstrator is going to show us some fantastic techniques with  great products from Woodware and Stix2. Michelle frequently has projects in Making Cards and other craft magazines and is a very experienced and enthusiastic demonstrator.

Carolyn and I have very been busy this afternoon and completely re-arranged the craft room!

 Michelle tells me her demo’s tend to get messy so we have given her lots of space and created a comfortable seating area all around so you can watch in comfort!

 Have you ever used a hot glue gun? I have never used one, but after tomorrow I could be persuaded as Michelle uses hers for loads of techniques (and she has a Technique DVD coming out in the new year all about them too!)

 Michelle will be showing us techniques and using this lovely Woodware Gerbera clear stamp (plus that dotty background stamp that I have used for the first time this week and will be using lots in the future!)

 I have never used foils so I’m really looking forward to learning how to use this product. And at at only £1.55 per pack they don’t break the bank, even if you choose to have a couple of different packs!

These A4 masking sheets are a brand new product and one I have been waiting for as post it notes have their limitations! I’m looking forward to seeing what Michelle does with it – and with those double sided adhesive sheets that we have used with micro beads at Scrap Club and Card club.

Stix 2 have a great new product – the Pick Up Pencil – which is a simple but effective way of picking up those fiddly embellishments ready to place on your project and stick in place. Michelle will be showing us lots of different techniques for glues and adhesives and showing off that Pick Up pencil in the process of the demo.

It wouldn’t be Christmas without glitter - but seed beads too? I wonder how Michelle will be using those?

Michelle tells me she has some interesting techniques with Distress Marker pens. Although these are not a Stix2 product i’m hoping we might learn a few things about these pens too.

We have put lots of the new Stix2 products on a goodie table so they will be easy to find:

 Mary, Miriam and Lucy will be pleased as we have set up a special refreshment area for serving tea coffee, and Sarah’s home made cakes. Our kitchen is smelling delicious as I type as Sarah is busy baking. On the menu for tomorrow are Lemon Cupcakes, Spiced Ginger Treacle cake, Banana Bread, Gingerbread Men, Cinnamon Cakes plus Marmalade Victoria Sponge Cake. Wow!

(Well it is Christmas after-all!)

So, give yourself a break from all those stressful Christmas preparations and treat yourself to some creative time out in the craft room tomorrow.  Hope to see you sometime during the day, anytime betwenn 10 am to 4 pm.

And don’t forget the demo and refreshments are FREE!

PS We will also have a free raffle to win a Goody Bag generously donated by Stix2!