Ally Pally sans moi

I keep getting lots of emails or tweets saying 'see you at Ally Pally' ..well I hate to break it to ya...but I'm not gonna be there.....much as I would LOVE to, there is way too much going on at PA HQ to leave the fort.....but do not fear

Because Lin will be there with her beautiful stand of beautiful products. She always has all the newest stuff from Tim Holtz, B Line, Julie van Ousten in Aussie, gorgeous magazines, and of course she will have all the newest PaperArtsy stuff too.

 And you don't want to miss her demo!! She is working with our gorgeous collaged flower set of stamps that we released a month or so back...this one

 and of course this style of flowers PaperArtsy first brought to you back in April as HotPick 1004, when we released the matching die at the same time! And they are so much fun we just had to make more, so there are other gorgeous flower stamps on plates HP1008 and HP1009...and yes Lin will have those too! Of course! 

So do go and check out what Lin is making on the LB Crafts stand with the dies, stamps, metal and more! I'm sure she will amaze you with how she puts all the element together to make a gorgeous embellishment.

As if that isn't enough... she will also have the 2 new Hot Pick Christmas stamps, 

Hot Pick1009 (September) which i adore, that spray of flowers is gorgeous! And the collaged flower in the centre matched our scallop flower dies..die cut you paper/ card/ metal and stamp the image on top! Simples!

 and more newness HotPick Xtra04 which is a beautifully arranged plate of useful quotes.

And the new October HotPick...yes October..she got it early!

So i am sure you will have lots of fun shopping there over the weekend. Make sure you report back and let me know what you have bought!

And shhhh...she doesn't know this, but when she opens the box arriving from us today I also put in a bag of goodies she can give away to the most loveliest PaperArtsy fans who drop by the booth!  I'm not sure what you have to do to get one? No doubt Lin will let you know.

But if you are lucky, you might get one of these...for the dedicated fan!

Have a great time at the show in London at Alexandra Palace this weekend!

Leandra

{TONIGHT} Booking opens

How excited are we all today?? Did you sleep??? 8.00pm tonight booking commences for your opportunity to spend a fabulous 4 hours of creative time with the master himself, Tim Holtz and a unique 2 hour class with Lin and Leandra - altogether you are in for a 6 hour altered arts blast!

Never before has he taught such a loooooong class in the UK, and usually when he comes over here, his schedule only allows for demos, or if you are a retailer you might get the chance to do a product-promo class or watch a demo at a trade event. 

We want more than this! We want you guys to have the real deal! We wanted a chance to do the amazing 'Tim' classes we see him teach at those wonderful USA events. For the UK crafter, we wanted you to experience a unique, hands on experience with Tim to guide, encourage and entertain you in his inimitable style in a superb master-class using his products, ideas and techniques to make a gob-smacking project. This isn't just about showing you what is new, this is showing you what you can do with your own hands!

Over the last 7 years, I have attended or exhibited at many of the same international events that Ranger does. I have often watched, helped and participated in many of Tim's classes here in the UK, even as far away as Australia, Holland, France and the USA. There is no doubt, Tim is a fantastic teacher: no request is too much bother, every question is important, he willingly shares loads of ideas, tips and tricks with all his products, and you ooze through class enjoying every single second of the experience. 

I hope you can join us all for one of the ArtsyCrafts sessions next February. It will be utterly fantastic. Fact.

Click here at 8pm tonight to book you place. (squeals)

Leandra

FAQ Tim Holtz at {ArtsyCrafts} Feb 2011

FAQ = Frequently asked Questions

After all the excitement of announcing Tim will be here to teach in Feb 2011, both Lin and I have been getting some regular questions coming through on our blogs, so let's answer those shall we?

Can I phone up to book, or come in person?
No, you cannot book over the phone, or in person at LB Crafts or PaperArtsy HQ. The tickets will only be available here on the PaperArtsy website 8pm, Monday Sept 13 (that is just 2 sleeps away!) The only way to get tickets is via the PaperArtsy website. 

Will anyone get preferential or advance booking?
No this is strictly first come first served. This event is for crafters. Particularly those scrapbooking, card making and altered art crafters who have not had a chance to experience Tim Holtz before, and it is going to be a total doozy of a class. Tim has not ever taught a 4 hour master-class in the UK before, and he is very excited about it too, just like you are! We anticipate crafters from wider Europe will want to attend too. We have tried to ensure the booking system is fair for whoever wants to attend.

Does booking commence Monday 8pm BST (British Summer Time) or GMT (Greenwich Meantime)?
We will reveal the tickets on the PaperArtsy website at 8pm London time. And yes we are on BST at the moment, so technically that is GMT+1, just go on-line and check your world clocks if you are anywhere else in the world.

How is the classroom set up?
If you have been to ArtsyCrafts before you know the rooms are large, with good natural light, air-conditioning, and large round tables which means plenty of wing space for those of you with pointy elbows! (Sheila, Karen, Sally and Jennie were the pointiest elbowed peeps I could find -see piccie left) 

We have always comfortably fit 10 large round tables in each of the 2 rooms we regularly use, and that is how it will be for this ArtsyCrafts event too. We all like to walk around the entire room as we teach, and be able to easily help on a one to one basis every participant. There is no front, back or middle, you all get to face each other, and can all reach tools supplies in the centre of the table easily! Please note we do ask you not to bring large bags because they get in our way as we teach and besides, you don't need anything except a pair of scissors.

What other ArtsyCrafts events are you planning for 2011?
As Lin is very excited that she will become a Nana again in March (the Gorgeous Sarah and Chris are expecting!), we are planning for May and October ArtsyCrafts events for 2011. So the Tim event is a very special 'extra' event in our calendar.


How can I ensure my booking is a success?
Make sure you are familiar with the terms and conditions before Monday 8pm
Your order will not get a green light unless you do the following:
1. Purchase a ticket and a lunch option
2. Enter the name of each ticket holder in the 'Order Notes'
3. Leave accurate payment information in our secure cart.
4. Leave an accurate email address at the checkout, an error here and our cart cannot communicate with you at all. 
5. Follow the rules of the terms and conditions eg. only book a maximum of 2 places!

How do I get on the waiting list?

email Leandra at sales@paperartsy.co.uk giving you name, phone number(s), and the day you prefer.

Why do people outside the EU pay VAT?
Our shopping cart will automatically NOT charge people who live outside of the EU the VAT (sales tax of 17.5%) on this purchase. However we will need to make a manual adjustment to your bill so that you are charged the VAT because you will consume this purchase in the UK. 
To make this process easier for us we suggest you pay via Credit Card rather than Paypal so we can make a manual adjustment to your total due at the time of processing. If you pay via paypal, and live outside the EU, we will send a request for payment of the VAT due to you when we get to your order, this hold-up will delay final confirmation of your place in class.


Can I be an in-class helper, pleeease?
Thanks for the offer, but we have a well-trained and efficient ArtsyCrafts team of Staff: The 2 Mark's, Karen, Lynne, Jo and Linda E. So we've got that covered! Tim of course has the amazing Mario and Alain (Ranger owner), and there are 4 mini-PaperArtsy-me's who are experienced at cleaning brushes, cut and dry foam and making tea. In other words, No, we're good thanks.

When will I know if my booking is successful?
The cart will send you a series of automated emails as we work through the bookings. 

• First you will get an automated order confirmation that the cart has received your order. 

• As we work through the orders, you will receive a 'processing' notification to say we have started on your request. 

• Once we have successfully confirmed we have received your full payment and added you to the class list you will get a 'complete' notification. This means you are in the class. This may take a few days or up to a week depending on the method of payment you use.

• Lastly you will get a 'despatched' notification on the day we send out your ticket with the lunch badge. Expect these to arrive within a few weeks.

We hope this is a smooth process, and that our shopping cart stock control works efficiently as classes fill up. Please be patient, and take your time. We have a good system in place. Once you get your first order confirmation it's all good!

Lin, Leandra, Tim and our support teams are just as excited as you are! It's going to be AWESOME!! 

An ArtsyCrafts Class with ........who?????

Once upon a time Lin Brown (LB Crafts) and Leandra Franich (PaperArtsy) taught a class together, and had so much fun they decided they should do it more often, and regularly! Shortly after they gave birth to their joint altered art event and called it ArtsyCrafts. Over the last 3 years, they have organised more than 14  weekend or day-retreat events of the highest calibre with the focus on stamping, metal working, and mixed media classes. Their passion is to teach you awesome techniques with the products they love best.

But this week is special. You have seen all the hints on twitter, facebook and the blogs....it's true.... Lin and Leandra have some really big news breaking tonight. As they enter their 4th year of ArtsyCrafts events....they are thrilled to bring you Tim Holtz as a guest tutor in February 2011.

Tim has kindly accepted the challenge to come and teach a totally awesome doozy of a class, the sort of class that we have not before had the opportunity to participate in here in England.....so this is it ladies and gentlemen, the opportunity for you to take part in learning directly from Tim himself in a masterclass using Tim Holtz products from his signature ranges which you know and love to use: Ideology, Tim Holtz stamps, Ranger inks and paints, Sizzix dies and oh so much more. It is going to be the class of the year.

In Tim's own words, just for you:
Imagine a place where your creative visions can be displayed for the world to see...discover configurations!  These dimensional and completely customizable shadow boxes can be configured to share your creative thoughts and artful treasures just the way you want. Learn techniques on collaging, distressing with inks, paints, and more using a variety of Ranger products as you assemble this one of a kind creation.  You'll be supplied with ephemera, trinkets, and found objects to feed your altered desires.  The time has come to create the configuration of your imagination that's as unique as you...

Not only will you have 4 wonderful hours of creative opportunity with Tim, but also you will have a 2 hour class with Lin and Leandra who will share their unique techniques with Ten Seconds Studio metal, PaperArtsy Stamps, Ranger products and embellished with our most favourite of Tim's products.

On site we will have a shop stocked with all the items used in class so you have the chance to get your hands on the latest and greatest products used in class, and some of those hard-to-get-in-the-UK items.  We will be pulling all the strings we can to make sure it's all there for your shopping enjoyment!

WHEN:
The same session ( 4hrs with Tim, and 2hrs with Lin and Leandra) will be available 4 times:

Thursday 24 Feb 2011 8.00am - 4.30pm
Thursday 24 Feb 2011 10.30am -7.00pm

Friday 25 Feb 8.00am - 4.30pm
Friday 25 Feb 10.30am - 7.00pm

WHERE:
DeVere Harben House, Newport Pagnell, near Milton Keynes, just off Junction 14 of the M1, and 25 mins from Luton Airport.

PRICE:
£150 +VAT . Please note if you live outside the EU you will be charged the VAT (17.5% until Jan 4th 2011, 20% on/after Jan 4th 2011) at time of booking as this product will be consumed in the UK, not that we will let you 'consume' Tim! But you will consume the class here in the UK!

HOW TO BOOK:
Tickets are available to purchase from the retail shop at www.paperartsy.co.uk after 8.00pm GMT on Monday 13 September, 2010.http://shop.paperartsy.co.uk/
Limited to a maximum of 2 tickets per household. You can only book to attend one of the 4 sessions.

LUNCH:
When you book your ticket, you will also need to let us know your lunch preferences, by selecting one of the 3 options for each ticket you buy. You will be sent a lunch badge to wear on the day, so please make sure you add one of the following options to your order - and wear your badge on the day!
option 1:Buy a packed lunch from DeVere (sandwich, crisps, chocolate, fruit, bottle of water) £5.00
option 2: Buffet lunch at deVere (served in the coffee lounge area, selection of sandwiches, wraps, bruschetta, hot & cold fork-food, salad and fresh fruit) £7.00
option 3: 3 course restaurant sit-down lunch (soup, selection of a variety of hot food dishes, salads, desserts, cheeseboard) £10.00

BRING WITH YOU:
Your event ticket and wear your lunch badge
A pair of Tim Holtz non-stick scissors. No other craft tools are required. We provide everything!
Oh and don't forget your handbag - but make sure its a small one (see T&C's)


Please make sure you read the terms and conditions on-line before you purchase your ticket!

ArtsyCrafts October 2010 - Through the Garden Gate - booking info

October ArtsyCrafts Booking forms are on-line!

{Picture: part of the side of the 'Gothic Arch frame from Sept '08 class where the metal has been embossed, distressed with paint and embellished with copper accents}

Details of the Autumn (October 2010) ArtsyCrafts events are ready and waiting for you to download here. The theme for the autumn is a botanical one called "Through the Garden Gate". We are thrilled to bring you another wonderful series of classes laden with techniques and fun creativity in a relaxed spacious environment.

{Picture:Ladies finishing their metal decorated platter in March '09}

This time we are doing one event up North near Manchester, and the other in the Midlands near Milton Keynes. Both have easy motorway, train and airport access. These will be our 10th and 11th ArtsyCrafts events!

{Picture: A piece of copper metal embossed on a mould, and given a patina effect distress this was part of the canvas panel from the Clock we made in Oct '09}

The DeVere Harben House, Newport Pagnell is happening on October 23rd & 24th, 2010.

The DeVere Daresbury Park, Warrington is on 30th & 31st October 2010. 

{picture: Lin demonstrating metal embellishments for the niche cabinet we made in March '09}

Booking commences at 10am on Monday 7th June 2010.  We cannot accept any bookings before this date, it will be strictly first come, first served and bookings are not confirmed until we have both a signed booking form and payment in full. For credit card security reasons we will not take payment over the phone UNLESS your form has already arrived at LB Crafts.

{Picture: Leandra demonstrating how to stamp up acetate with a repeating castle wall, March '09}

If you are booking via snail mail, then we suggest you send your form and we will call you for payment once the form has arrived at LB Crafts . You can book in person by downloading the form, completing it and going to LB Crafts to deliver your form and make payment if you prefer.

 {Picture: a close up of how we decorated the cabinet backgrounds with a mix or papers, stamps and metal.March '09}

{The cutest little niche box from the Clocks theme in Sept '10}

To get an idea of what we have done at ArtsyCrafts events in the past, please take a look here at samples of some of the art that has been made at previous events. ArtsyCrafts is a partnership event between Linda Brown of LB Crafts, and Leandra Franich of PaperArtsy. Consequently the focus is always PaperArtsy stamps and Ten Seconds Studio metal working ideas. We incorporate other products that we love like paint, ink, alcohol ink, dye sprays, wooden items, canvas...well there is quite a lot we like to work with and on! 

{Picture: stamped and coloured fabric (not yet embellished with beads) from the Clock version of the Gothic Arch offered March '10 in Warrington}

Lin and Leandra both have fabulous reputations for teaching beautiful projects with innovative techniques they have developed themselves or have learned from other crafting specialists. This is likely to be an event unlike any other you have been to.We get praised for our smooth and thorough organisation, the perfect working pace, the outstanding and well taught projects, the thorough notes we provide for your own future reference, the great colour-choice options on offer for each session, and the large number of supplies available means you are not waiting to use anything for long. After running this event since 2008, we have figured out what people want and how to deliver just that!

{Picture: March '10 delegate taking the plunge about to add black paint to their metal embossed Gothic Arch - it's nice to have guidance at this point!}

We really hope you can make it to one of these dates.......the botanical-inspired theme is a totally fabulous theme....it's going to be superb!!! We have lots of new colour combos to tempt you:herb garden, Java jade, hardwood floor, cloudy skies, peacock, citrus sorbet, plum crumble, apple blossom and fruit salad!

{Picture: Mel's quirky copper embellishment from the Clock Arch, March '10 was a super addition she dreamed up, she was a first timer who lapped up every second of what she learned over the weekend}

Have a fabulous weekend in this gorgeous weather! I hope you can make it to be with us later on this year at one of the venues!

Leandra

May 2010 {ArtsyCrafts} Action

Yes another 2 fabulous weekends are over. It's so hard for us and the peeps attending to keep quiet about what we actually made until both events are over, but I am sure you will see from the following pics what a fantastic time was had by all! 

 Linda (LB Crafts) is my partner in crime and the other half of ArtsyCrafts, together we develop these wonderful weekend retreats so we can share with you our ideas with Ten Seconds Studio Metal, PaperArtsy Stamps, and all our other most favourite brands and hottest new products out there. Can you believe these weekend were our 7th and 8th events! We have been doing this for a few years now.
Here is the team, from left Jo, Lynne H, Linda B, Karen and me, Leandra owner of PaperArtsy. This is a pic from last year, we added Linda E to the lineup this year as Lynne H snuck off to New York for a surprise weekend with her hubby.

We tend to be so focussed on the classes, that we always underestimate how long it takes us to set up the shop, but Lynne Howe (when she retires we will have to get her blogging!), Jo Firth-Young and Linda Elbourne set about developing their own unique style of merchandising on the Fri evening set-up, and then Karen had the job of trying to find where everything was Saturday morning. It always looks scrummy by the time everyone arrives though.

 The theme was Flights of Fancy, and we made 3 fantastic items, one was a quicksie, and the other 2 projects were more in depth and took several session to complete. Overall, our weekends are all about techniques that you may apply to many situations, and learning how to use new colour combinations. When participants book, they get an opportunity to indicate their preference, but usually when you see the item samples in real life, you inevitably wish you'd picked something more adventurous! No fear, there are chances for free choice, so over the weekend you get to try one or two things that might be way out of your comfort zone if you wish.
We started out clean and tidy, 

 but boy those girls can craft up a storm! 

Oh look, there's Linda E, bet she led those Shabby Blue girl's astray...have you seen her desk lately?? Well no need to be too tidy when you are on a mission to enjoy yourself is there?

One of my fave technique of the weekend was using a new spray from Crafty Notions on top of Distress Ink. Instant softness, mottled-ness and loveliness! And no hard work at all, just a squirt here and there, hey presto. This (sample above) was created by the hilarious Rita from Spain. She gave everyone the warm fuzzies on Weekend 1, and we learned how to communicate in a mix of Spanish, French and English. Very entertaining.

And how beautiful those BG's looked with a bit of stamping on top using HP1004 and HP1005. Love how the Pink and orange, sunrise people made samples ranging from vivid and bright, to soft and subtle.

Or how about a tissue flower, die cut (grunge flower die), stamped (HP1004) distress-inked and sprayed with sparkles. Love the crumply texture from this technique too. Oh there was soooo much to loooove!!

How coould I forget the ohhhs when we demoed this bit. Ferro paste and stencils work really well together. Who knew? We did of course! another of those.."I wonder...." discoveries. Add some colour and spray and you get yourself one wicked tree. Soft and pale, or bright and colourful, the choice is yours.

So that was the first half of day one, and we had loads more to come!! We really do work hard to give you lots of new fun ideas to enjoy at these retreats!


The main project this time was a sampler board with 9 different techniques with metal, terra texture and ink techniques onto a smooth polyester adhesive fabric. Onto that we added metal embellishments, and under we made a canvas as the support.

The different colour combinations and choices everyone made along the way gave each participant a totally unique finished project. 

Hairy terra caused a few eeuughhh ohhh ahhhh's, and when the colour went on top with the magic spray it was a winner technique (below).

And of course we had the new and wonderful 'goop' (aka Inka Gold) to play with. Look at how metallic it can be on black backgrounds, but we also coloured in with it on pearl metal too...yes it sticks to metal, yet rubs off if you get it in the wrong place, so mistakes just don't happen with this stuff! Check it out on black painted terra!

'But the metal is always a new thing for many people at these events, and they did beautiful work, both new and experienced crafters!

This was a really clever idea for a freestyle design with a pointy tool!

And I'm pretty sure this is Sue C's sample..who'd have thought slate metal would look so fab with Mocha kaiserpaint on top?? Love that Kabuka mould! One of my faves.

But when you stamp an image like the bird from SIFF4, and puff the metal, then colour with Inka Gold, you really start to bring metal to life! The depth you can add working metal this way is always stunning for any project.

Evenings are fun too at ArtsyCrafts, and we got our resident comedian Linda Elbourne to show us her special way to make a metal rose using the PaperArtsy dies (stamped Grunge Flower or embossed Scallop flower). 

Here she is doing her thing. Some people stamped theirs with the grunge collage stamp that fits perfectly on top of the die cut. (Tip match the notch in the die with the roman numeral clock petal) and others embossed their metal die cuts with an embossing folder, but everyone ended up with a fab bellie for their sampler board.

So once laid up on their canvases and with the metal bellies made on the Sunday, it all started to come together. The songbird die makes another lovely metal bellie that would be useful on cards or scrapping layouts too.

 

The hardest part was deciding how to lay out all the elements, but once in place each person created their own masterpiece which doubles as a great reference point.

Now this piece above is one of the Pink and Orange ladies starting work on the canvas backing board. Look how scrumptious those colours of Inka Gold looks through a stencil! I was soooo excited by this!

Bonnie on week 1 got the 'teachers pet' award for this discovery. She die cut the song bird, embossed on the dot folder, then she stamped over the top of that the image from HP1005 and sanded off the black from the spots. We were 'well impressed' as we say here in Essex!

And the birdcage was a fun embellishment idea too, the card and acetate were die cut together with the birdcage die, then overstamped with the image from HP1004. We had a trick for painting that that got a few ohhs. Love those ooooo's when you demo! LOL


To finish the weekend we did a new project that is actually made from these picture frames. You can find them here in the webshop.

 

They were painted, and decorated with frames cut from the largest of the square pointy dies. We also ran a size smaller frame die thru the bigshot with metal and an embossing mat on a kabuka or big daddy mould. This method of speed embossing opens up a whole new level of speedy metal crafting when you have one of those big-shot guys to play with!

Here is Karen's birdhouse in sunrise colours (BTW she stayed at the camp-site down the road which we keep hearing great things about. it's only a tenner a night!)

Here's one made by one of our younger attendees Bethany. She was brand new to this whole caper and made great stuff all weekend!

So if you want to come to the next round of ArtsyCrafts we have 2 more events planned for autumn. The Newport Pagnell venue (near Milton Keynes) is booked for October 23/24th, and the Warrington venue is booked for October 30/31. Mark your diary now! Booking opens on Monday June 7th, and you can't book without sending a booking form with payment. Please note, for security reasons we cannot take credit card payment over the phone without a booking form in our hands, so you must send your form in first, and then phone to make payment the next day. We expect both events to sell out fast, so please follow this procedure. Both booking forms will be available online in the next week to download from the ArtsyCrafts link here.