Hobbycrafts at Bluewater

3 days of the show over all too fast, just tomorrow to go. The new venue for the Hobbycrafts show at the Bluewater mall, which is only 5 mins from the M25 at the Dartford Crossing seems to be a big hit with the customers coming to the show. At the entrance to the brand new glow events venue you will find several restaurants, and of course all the shops at one of England's largest malls. 

In the show upstairs is the stitches section with lots of fabric ideas, findings etc, and downstairs is the Hobbycrafts section where we are (stand BB42)

Lin and I have been doing lots of demoing with freso acrylic paint, new stamps, lots of lovely new wooden items and of course all the lovely embellishments that we like to use in the process.

Now I know that what we make might look complication, but it really isn't. For many years, I have always followed a simple procedure to create an item.

1. Make a background. In this case it was often paint, with more paint stencilled on top.
2. Stamp in archival. Either on top of the background, or on another piece of card painted in the same colour combination.
3. Embellish. Wood items, tags, ideology, ribbons...you know how to do it.

So now you know the inside low down, here are some of the items we have made over the last 3 days.

A bit over embellished perhaps! Lol

Everybody loves this owl

Lin got busy stamping images onto fabric , heat set, then colouring them with layers of frescos.

This one is a bit of a book cover styled piece, also by Lin.

This one actually looks quite Christmassy.

This one uses a Lynne Perella stamp. All coloured with more frescos.

As was this house from the Hot Pick collection which really comes to life.

This sample from Lin is gorgeously and unusually pink.. I think claret has become on of our most used colours this weekend.

And of course, everyone loves a bit of crackle! Another Lin sample on a new block of wood that costs next to nothing. She stamped the image onto tissue and attached with glaze making the tissue transparent.

Right I need to go to bed, fingers crossed people brave the weather to come out and see us tomorrow, a little bit of snow down here so far all the roads are well gritted down this way. But follow me on twitter, we'll be driving to the venue around 8am, and can give you updates on the conditions then.
Have a great Sunday !
Leandra

Any Excuse to hit {Bluewater} but this is the best one yet|!

Many of you already know about the HobbyCrafts shows around the UK, the biggie is the NEC in Spring and Autumn. Well we won't be exhibiting at Birmingham this Spring due to other commitments in Paris (not hard to pick Paris any day of the year is it!) but the crowd at ICHF who organise the HobbyCrafts shows have added 2 new shows to their schedule, and its just 40mins from PA HQ, so of course we are going to....BLUEWATER MALL to do a show. Woooohooooo! Excited Much! And all the Downton Abbey costumes are on show!! So excited to see that too!!

So what's not to like about a craft show at my favourite mall. A zillion shops AND a HobbyCrafts and Creative Stitches show all in one - my 2 most favourite things to do ever! Shop and craft....and.... (shhh) eat, and there are loads of yummo places to eat! I can't wait!!

And my partner in ArtsyCrafts events, the one and only Mrs Linda Brown will be making an appearance demoing on our stand for all 4 days of the show! How lucky are you to see her back in action??? So.... if you are having LB withdrawal symptoms, then get your tush down to Kent, and you can catch up with all her goss and of course coolio techniques with all things PaperArtsy. Look at the flash brand new demo desk Mr PA has made just for her!

A word of advice re driving, if you are coming from the Essex side on the M25, come off the bridge in the left hand lane, and take the very left hand toll gate, because the slip road to Bluewater is straight ahead of you and its easy to sneak onto it from the left hand toll booth! Don't say i didn't tell you!!! You do not want to be 12 toll booths over on the right hand side and trying to cut across all those lanes of traffic!! 

So we have porta-loos for sale at the show! I know, this is no ordinary PaperArtsy stand I tell you, and you can rely on us to bring you the newest must have crafting items!! If you were following me on twitter over the last 5 days, you will have seen sneaky peeks of us trimming our piles (not THAT kind of piles!! We are talking rubber of course!) And of course we are taking lots of the new products we have just received for the show. Including the portaloos. (technically they are beach huts, but they really do look like the cutest little outhouse don't you think??) 

We also have 12 brand new stencils from Crafters Workshop, these are on offer at the show, almost £1 off at £3.95, here is just 2 of the newest designs. Plus rusting powder - you need to see this stuff..take a look at Kim Dellow's blog, scroll down to WOYWW on January 25, 2012, she's mega-rusting!

And today Lynne H (aka @bodgerbird on twitter, aka Cheryl, Tim's class assistant...you know.... Blingy Lynne) got busy on packing up several walls of grid wall with numerous PaperArtsy stamps, here they are ready to load into the van tomorrow.

So I guess you want to know the show details right???

Where: Glow event Centre, Bluewater Mall, Kent, DA9 9SG
When: Thurs - Sun  (this weekend) Feb 2-5,  9.30am - 5.30pm
PaperArtsy Stand: BB42, Lower Level
 (HobbyCrafts on the lower level, Creative Stitches on the Upper Level)
Nearest Car Park: Thames Walk Car Park (near Marks and Spencers)

And if you follow our blog, or tweet me please tell me, i often know people look familiar, but can't place if they are an ArtsyCrafter, a Tweepster, or a long time show-groupie. just remind me where I know you from so I remember! Don't be shy!

See you later this week

Leandra

WOYWW 138 - {neon} UTEE, hair and tan???

 Do you want to play along with other desk divas? They don't muck about! Pop on over to the Queen of desks, Julia's blog to see the rules. Share a few pics and visit the others playing this week, you're sure to be inspired, amazed and probably horrified at the desks on display. It's fun being proper nosey mid week!
This weekend, as you can see from my last post, it was brainstorming for 3 days with Lin to get the ArtsyCrafts ideas flowing.....but late Sunday evening Miss 17 arrived to create with her arty friend Lilly, and they were on a mega UTEE mission. Bissfully unaware that Lin and I had moved about 36 boxes to get to the meltpot box in the back bottom corner of the shed! Teeneagers huh. Raving about all things Suze, Courtney duly gave Lilly a crash course in UTEE fondue options.

So when I went out to the desk this morning...yes MY desk had been invaded by the overflow from her experimentation from her desk....
I think they have dipped fresh flowers, and wire wrapped them....but I can't be sure.....

 For me it's more mega rubber trimming this week, but I am really looking forward to deliveries arriving later this week with new goodies ready for the new show at Bluewater 'glow' exhibition arena....cracks me up that name.....I imagine I shall be demoing looking like a luminous beacon..... I live in towieville's own Brentwood, perhaps if I pop into Amy Childs salon I can get a neon styley fake tan that glows in the dark or something.....

Thump back to reality....we have paint bottling ahead of us too....that should keep me, the elves and Lynne (aka Cheryl/@bodgerbird) busy. I wonder what colour Cheryl's hair is now...we bunked work on Monday to go to the trade hair/nail supply warehouse.....she 'advised' me on professional colour options....is this wise to attempt pre-Bluewater .....maybe I will end up neon after all!!!

Watch this space!
Leandra