diary of a crazy stasher

testing testing 123

2009-01-17T12:00:00.000-08:00

we're open!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-12-07T12:07:00.000-08:00

Well we're open - can't believe it's all done. I've still got a lot more stuff to concentrate on now it's open as we're now doing a week long worth of demos to do do at the store. Today at the Docrafts 'forever friends' day we gave away loads of teddies and a 5 foot forever friends bear we'd dubbed Trevor.
Here it is though let me know what you think - the girls at livingston worked extremely hard - the shop fitters may have had a little to do with it too :o) I love it though and despite the fact it feels incredibly spacious and bigger than the last shop it actually contains 4 more ranges than the old shop and what people can't believe is it's the same size. Its just a case of space mangement and a fab job they've done of it too - love it !!!

new shop on the way

2008-12-03T01:41:00.000-08:00

I think it finally sunk in that we were getting a new shop when i saw our old units in the back of the lorry but i wasn't prepared for how fab it's going to look. seeing everything come together from the first designs to how it actually looks now is amazing and i'm so chuffed how it's shaping up. here's a sneek peek of how it's going to look but although it's not quite finished yet i'm loving the way it feels already. I think it feels much bigger and i can't wait to have a permanant class area set up for demos, classes and crops - gonna be amazing. We are currently trading from a temp unit 2 stores down and i'm so incredibly grateful to all the girls at livingston who made that happen - such hard work and i'm sure if i said 'this has gotta be the last trip' one more time to Gill she was going to crown me :o)
the pics show how it was on the day we cleared it out, the day the builders cleared it out and also our new logo and how it will look - so far everything down to the graphics on the side and back wall are identical to this pic :o)

fast car

2008-11-16T16:19:00.000-08:00

This weeks scrummy stash cafe challenge was set by Samm and a fab one it is too - the challenge is to scrap your favourite song, band or Artist. As the songe Fast car by tracey chapman has a special meaning and memories for me I decided to scrap that song using a photo I took when i was in tunisia. I used the new crate paper range from the scrummy stash cafe and also some of my lovely new Making memories noteworthy ribbons. I also slipped in my favourite punch the spiral punch from Stamping up

80's chic

2008-11-16T10:43:00.000-08:00

i've been meaning to do these photo's from my friend Pam's 80's themed birthday party for a while and when i spotted the challenge by the ric rac raiders on UKS to do a layout with pink, green and white i thought of these pics immediately :o) i've also snuck in a bit of orange too cos of Pamela's T shirt.

we had to also try and fit in the following - ricrac, brads and the sketch which was made for this photo. Just wish the main pic had come out as well as the close ups - colour's a bit off :os

?

2008-11-14T14:14:00.000-08:00

This was one of my favourite costumes of the night - no time to get a costume together Andy grabbed a pair of sunglasses and a bandage and voila. While I was having my medieval hairdo done by kayleigh (god it's good having a theatrical makup artist in the house) he crept up and scared the life out of her - nothing to do with her watchin all the saw films the night before.

I wanted the main question mark to look like it was wrapped in bandages so I used some braille cardstock from the paper mill to get this effect and wrapped it round. I've used some of my new crate papers which I got from the scrummy stash cafe so I thought i'd use it to do this weeks class on their blog.

looks that kill

2008-11-14T14:08:00.000-08:00

As soon as I took these pictures I knew what paper I was going to use for it. Rick threw together this outfit and was still putting his makeup on on the way there - but he looked amazing. I was quite disturbed by how GOOD he looked in it, He would not look out of place in a Tim Burton film :o)

conkers

2008-11-13T04:14:00.001-08:00

This is some pics i was wanting to scrap for a long while of jamie's little cousin who was desperate to beat her brother to find the biggest conker. My friend Willie helped her up in the end
Papers are Daisy d's, card the paper mill and bazzill and the tree and circle was cut from my graphically speaking cart :o) The conkers up the top were made from some felt beads i'd made at a class, which i cut in half and stiched through some brown thread to make them all bobbly.

Bird Cage

2008-11-07T14:50:00.001-08:00

This is this weeks SSC challenge set by Angie and I thought it would be very fitting if I used the papers that she gave me for my birthday and this is the results. I love crate paper, they always go together well and have a fab range of papers - cheers Angie!! :o) So chuffed that the refit is FINALLY going ahead at the Livingston shop. As of the 30th of November we will be trading from another unit with the Livingston Designer outlet and from the 6th December onwards we will be having a week of demos, make and takes and of course our customer Loyalty events which are really popular - cannot wait !!!!!!!!!!

wagamammas

2008-11-05T15:09:00.000-08:00

This pic was taken some time last year on a trip to london - I love callum's wooden spoon nose :0) Since wagamammas has just opened in Livingston I took the chance to bring home one of the paper place mats they use and a set of the chopsticks. I backed the mat onto black card and using eyelets fixed a 12x12 sheet of acetate over the top to protect the picture.

I love the way the mat lists the desserts on it and you don't even need a title as that's provided too. love a magpie find :o)

Dance

2008-11-05T14:56:00.000-08:00

This was based on last weeks SSC challenge. This weeks one is a lovely sketch by Angie so i'll be giving that a go too. I've used Making memories paper, card by the paper mill shop and swirls by maya road.

The pics were taken in tunisia as the amazing lights and lasers show. It was theatre, dance, circus, historical fact and a lasers show all rolled into one - well worth the effort.

October Week 3 team challenge

2008-10-26T14:06:00.000-07:00

just a quick one - i've also done this too - just didn't get time to upload it before. This weeks Team challenge on UKS. The theme was all very autumnal and outdoorsy with us having to include 10 of something (i used brads) . This paper was perfect and helped me out with the sketch we had to use too - it does have a couple of butterflies but careful tweeking meant they were all covered up

christmas tree advent calender and table favours

2008-10-26T08:38:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to start and get ready for Christmas, mainly cos the time is drawing in fast and i'm worried if i don't start now i never will :o) but also cos i've got some cute new stuff that I can't wait to use. I'm making these little wraps to go round single chocolates or bags of sweets. The idea is that I'll make 24 of the little ones number them and hang them on the tree to act as an advent calender and also decorations. The larger one will be for table favours for our christmas table. They also make nice little packs to give out to kids round guising at halloweenTo make the large wrap take an A4 sheet of card and cut 4 inches wide x the length of the A4 card. Using your score board score along the lip line of the board (approx 1 1/2 cms in)Fold over the edge and putting the folded edge to the butt edge score along the same line.Fold over the score again and place this new folded edge to the butt edge then score the card along the line for folding an A5 card in halfflip the card round and place the opposite end to the butt edge - score along the same line - the one for folding an A5 in halfCrease all your score lines and this should give you something ready to decorate. I like to fill a cellophane bag with sweets and staple or stick the top of the bag inside underneath the lip at the top so it hangs inside. I then decorate the front to match the christmas table. You can make 2 of these out of a sheet of A4 card so they are very economical to make too.To make the tree decoration I cut an A5 card 2 inches wide lenghways. as before I score along the lip line of my folding board (1 1/2 cm approx in) and fold over as before.Yet again after folding over the lip rescore and then refold again.placing the second folded edge against the butt edge as before. and score along the line for gatefolding an A4 card Like before flip the card round to the opposite end and rescore along the A4 gatefold line
When you fold it all up it should look something like this. I tend to wrap a chocolate or a few tiny sweets in celephane and then staple or stick it inside as before. you can easily make 2 of these out of each sheet of A5 and they'll look great on the tree too - even if you don't want to number them.

baby book

2008-10-24T14:12:00.000-07:00

My friend Laura asked me to do one of my baby books for her cousin who has just given birth to the cutest baby girl so here it is and the box for it too. The font is opposites attract and the pram and background circle is graphically speaking. Papers are paper mania and the paper mill shop

quick visit

2008-10-22T02:01:00.000-07:00

this is just a quick one - finished the acrylic album last night - quite pleased with it and will definately do one again sometime soon.

These are the pictureas that make me smile - a sort of screen saver in scrappers form. nice to have in your suitcase when your travelling. Al;bum is from PM, cardstock from the papermill and that lovely cross hatch background stamp is from stamping up.

SSC grid challenge

2008-10-21T09:11:00.000-07:00

This weeks scrummy stash cafe challenge was to use grids somewhere on your LO so this is what I came up with. The grid stencil was cut using the goal netting on the graphically speaking cartridge. The papers and fonts came from Basic grey collections 2 scoops and perhaps. I'm quite pleased with the results actually considering i had a completely different idea of what i was going to do this morning - great challenge though.

m'off to finish this acrylic album the noo

Trish x

Bedouin feast and new stamps

2008-10-20T10:40:00.000-07:00

This LO has been sitting on my desk for like forever half finished. When we attended this Bedouin feast i couldn't get over how many pottery lanterns were lit up around the hall - gorgeous! When i started this LO i envised the title all long and flowing but when i tried it it just wasn't working so I changed it for these thickers and mini letters and I like it much better. The border strip down the bottom is from the 2 scoops collection from BG and I thought it fit quite well into the lantern them. I also wanted to give the LO a lift so i used a quicky glue pen and foils to give it a vintage feel.

My lovely friend Theresa is a rep for stamping up which have the loveliest stamps and even lovelier papers and other stuff. She gave me this set of stamps that i've been hankering over for a while. The fact it comes with this etched background makes me love it even more.

I also treated myself to this set of birthday stamps and some lush felt flowers in moss green, pumpkin and fushia too and they all come in a cute wee tin. Stamping up have an online catalogue - well worth a look.

UKS week 2 team challenge

2008-10-14T14:34:00.000-07:00

Decided to have a bash at this weeks team challenge on UKS which was to use the following
4 of something- pearls -5pts

Something blue- card, letters, pearls, ribbon -5 pts

Time-series of pics depicting time - 5 pts

Ribbon-blue ribbon under title - 5 points

Doodling-border - 10 points

bit annoyed at the way the pics came out but you can't win them all - can't WAIT to get my new one. believe it or not the basketball letters are VERY blue IRL but it hasn't come out as well as i'd hoped - might try and take some more pics in the morning when it's light. I'm off tomorrow so (hopefully) a whole day scrapping just for me :o)

henna and chipboard

2008-10-12T15:18:00.000-07:00

so i've not been on in a few days but i have been busy. Firstly here is my version of Angie's class at the scrummy stash cafe's blog. The class this week was to use chipboard and i'm glad it was. I must own more chipboard than you could shake a stick at and although i love and do use it i needed a kick to use some of it up. Angie's example used a card background painted the same colour as her chipboard but i didn't have anything strong enough so i used this 12x12 acetate instead. These fab chipboard swirls wre a gift in a secret santa pressie 2 years ago (cheers Gill) and they have been used several times on LO's so they were very much appreciated. however i thought they would suit these photographs brilliantly AND give me the chance to use them up too.
I LOVE my black glaze pen but on the acetate it really does it's job - the spots dried perfectly and gave me the look i was looking for 1st time - I love it when a plan comes together!

I have been working on some other stuff this week but unfortunately until i'm allowed I won't be able to show you just yet. I might try and get some sneak peeks to you before if i'm allowed though. I've got a few projects in line this week, still want to get those acrylic albums done - just not 100% on what pics to use them for. I also got some shots this last week or so of my friends doing singstar and some of the birthday night out we had for Laura and myself this week to do too.

door sign done - FINALLY!!!

2008-10-08T14:31:00.000-07:00

I was lucky a few weeks ago to snag a kit for this door hanger from the Morpeth crop. It's taken me this long to get around to do it. The papers are from tinkering ink, fonts are Anita's and American crafts, buttons from Paper mania and I think that the shaped papers are doodlebug. The scalloped circle is from my new graphically speaking cart - the more i look at the more i see it can do with it - it rocks!!
I've invested in some of the new acrylic and chipboard albums from cricut - hoping to get to them sometime this week. I quite fancy mixing up the two albums so they are chipboard and acrylic mixed. I've also got a special birthday set to make up this week so hopefully you'll get a sneak peek before it's give.

Thanks to all the ladies (and gentleman)who turned up in the pouring rain to my demo in Howden on monday - it was much appreciated and I hope you took away something from the demo - not just our shop :0) Thanks for all the tea and homemade cake too ;o)

new stash

2008-10-05T14:22:00.000-07:00

I have completed this weeks scrummy stash cafe Blog. It was Rachael's turn this week and she set the challenge of using different edges on a layout. I must have been dreaming about it last night cos when i woke up this morning I had a fixed idea of how i wanted to do it. Last christmas Jamie's mum gave me a massive set of paper edgers which i've used a few times but haven't really gave them the attention they deserved. Using the edgers i cut the sassfrass papers to create these rays.
I also curled over some of the the papers to act as waves and also used the edge of the sassfrass papers to continue on the skyline on the photograph.
I've also used on it making memories noteworthy papers and thread, and also american crafts thickers.
I took a wee wander through paperchase in Fraser's at the metro centre the other day and managed to pick up a few bits and bobs that i couldn't resist - some i may actually use :0)

They have a range of gorgeous gift bags and i picked up a Kraft bag and a little felt halloween bag - what i'm going to do with them even i'll have to wait and see (teehee) I also treated myself to a light up pumpkin pen - 1. because i love halloween and 2. because i'm a big kid :0) I did however get some things that will come in handy. I came across some of these cute little flower and heart clips and also these lables which'll make some fab journalling blocks. I also got some lovely Kraft photo corners and some monster stickers which i have plans for.

right i better be off and clear up the stashfest that my desk has become :0)

Tricia xx :0)

Samm's Scrummy stash blog class

2008-10-01T15:04:00.000-07:00

So i've spent the last couple of days humming and haaing over a couple of pics i've been planning on scrapping for a while.

The first one is my baby pic - THEE baby pic (as far as i'm aware. I've been wanting to scrap it for a while and then I spotted Samm at the Scrummy stash cafe's class this week was on vintage trim and as this was a very crochet 70's (just) pic then i felt it needed a vintage feel. I thought i'd use it to start my book of me - which i made an attempt on before but never quite got there - and thought i'd start at the beginning. Also My Friend Karen begifted me a lush Kraft album this week - i'm going to try and customise it and do it justice - hopefully. proSo I felt it was meant to be :) Thanks Karen. xx Karen also completed her first LO this week and i'm so proud - it's gorgeous!! She chose to do a pic of her daughter in her prom dress and did an amazing job of it with Dovecraft monocromatic papers.The 10's on the page were done using my new graphically speaking cart for my cricut which i love more than cheese (and that's a lot) - if you get the chance to have a proper look at the cart it's so worth the money. In true Tricia style it was the cart i dismissed first and love now - the packaging does not do it justice.

After the last couple of T in the Parks we've decided to throw a bash - the first year it was dubbed 'Jid in the feild' and we invited people round to party and make noise. we set the guitars and amps up in the garden between the BBQ and the marqees and had a good old rock out - it went into the wee small hours - thank god the house is in the middle of nowhere. I caught this pic of my mate richard while he was doing a turn and loved it - not sure i've completely done it justice but at least it's done.

I've chopped down one of Jamie's old amp cables as i had this idea before that i wanted to include one on a page at some point. It was actually easier to attach than i expected and glue dots held it fine. the badge came from a fab range at paperchase - love the whole range of books and

pads to match as they are perfect for these sorts of pages and very me. - I picked up a keyring to match while i was there :)

s'all for now

Trish xx

2008-09-28T08:12:00.000-07:00

so here it is my shiny new blog - absolutely of no interest to anyone but me - but hey i digress. Was a bit bad this morning and decided to splash out on the new studio calico kit......and an add on - the stash starve was never gonna happen. so hopefully pretty soon i should have this lovely lot dropping through my letter box.

So far this month these are the LO's i've completed