Trip Diaries

I have been trying to get some of my photographs organized properly, and one of the results is a couple of trip diaries for visitors to Venice. I can well remember when I went on some of my first European touring holidays with a cousin of mine - one of the highlights of our day was to sit in our hotel room and talk about what we had done during the day, and then write it all down in scrappy notebooks. Which is why I have created these diaries - space for sticking bits and pieces in and some of my own photographs taken around the city to accompany the words and memories. I have ordered a couple of these myself and look forward to getting them in my hands. I think they are going to make nice little presents too but I might also consider producing just a notebook or diary version for Christmas time.

Jazz Note Books

So I have moved one step further with my note book production and have done some larger ones (21.50 x 15.00 cms), still using the gorgeous designer papers. These are all one-of-a-kind, with both back and front covers in super paper, with a block of 40 coloured sheets (80 sides) inside, bound with spirals. I have experimented with one of the covers as a photo mount too - a fun way to recycle the covers when the paper inside is all used up. Anyway, take a look for yourselves...

Note block holders

So got the Christmas card crisis behind me and I am now doing these little note block holders. I have a feeling that with the current economic crisis people are going to be looking more for useful gifts rather than ornamental ones, so this is my answer to that need: a little covered cardboard note block holder with closeable flap and linen covered 'hinges'. When the notes run out they can easily be replaced with a standard sticky note block (76 x 76 mm) which are available in most stationers. I have found some beautiful designer papers which I'm using for these holders, choosing the smaller prints which show up to best effect on small areas - and I am using some of my pretty glass and ceramic beads for the closure, along with the pretty scrapbooking rivets on some of them. On others I have been trying out the clever little velcro dot closures which are very effective.

Tyrolean cotton prints

Just in the process of doing some more Christmas cards and have used some of my lovely pure cotton prints for die-cut baubles. These cottons are all gorgeous Tyrolean type micro-patterns which I manage to pick up locally. Just love them. They bring to mind mountain chalets and big log fires - maybe even a mug of steaming hot Gluhwein too!

Découpage giveaway

Just in time for Christmas crafting, here is a super giveaway of 19 huge sheets of découpage images. Most of the sheets are 55cms x 80cms and are printed with an incredible variety of subjects -- flowers, sea shells, boats, birds, maps, fairies, fabrics, countryside themes... on only one side of the paper so you don't lose images on the other side! Just a couple of the sheets are half-poster size.

Many images are suitable for framing whilst others will be perfect for carefully cutting out for card and découpage projects or even to give a facelift to your furniture.

So come in here fast and drop a comment below letting me know that you are interested and in a just a few days I will pick a name out of the hat and get the package off to you. Be quick so that we can avoid the Christmas postal rush!!

Because of the weight of these sheets, I can only offer this giveaway to those in the European Union I'm afraid.

Illuminating experience

Gosh...yesterday must have been one of the most illuminating experiences of my life! I went to my first ever (shame on me) crafts' fair. Don't know what craft fairs are normally like, but this one was absolutely enormous ...
I'll come back later on this one

Back on track

Probably a slight exagerration as far as titles go as I really am just dipping my feet back in here to let friends know that I'm still alive and kicking!

So briefly, arty stuff has been keeping me incredibly busy for the past 3 or so months...you can see some of what I have been up to on this blog: http://festivaldelleartigiudecca.blogspot.com which I built up for a big local arts festival which all happened last week and weekend. It's not really over yet as there are lots of loose ends to tie up and a lot of brainstorming with the organization on what needs changing...adding...plus building on a few new ideas whilst we are still in festival mode.

Great fun but sooooooooooo much hard work as most of us were not only organizers, but also performers in one way or another. I had some photographs on show and also ran a couple of trash art workshops...one in a local school and the other in a street location. We also tried to run here, there and everywhere recording the events with our cameras, videos, microphones and being an audience to the things we enjoyed.

Anyway...I hope everyone had a wonderful summer...I got to the UK briefly for some of your cool weather in September (15°C having left over 30°C here...bit of a shock to the system). I bought a few crafty bits form the wonderful chain store "Staples" which I am real pleased with. Nicked the metal hooks off some of my mum's old coat hangers. Picked up a couple of useful crafty tools and bought lots of books from Waterstones. So a good trip in spite of the weather! Back home here managed a few trips out on the motorbike and signed myself up for a couple of Open University courses to keep me out of trouble this coming winter.

Be in touch if you have the time and let me know what you have all been doing with your arty selves!