Wednesday, May 30, 2012

today.....

“living eulogy.

she danced.


she sang.

.
she took.

she gave.

.
she loved.

.
she created.

.
she dissented.

.
she enlivened.
.
she saw.

.
she grew.


she sweated.

she changed.

.
she learned.



she laughed.
.
she shed her 
skin.
.
she bled on the pages of her days.

she walked through walls

,
she lived with intention.” 




― Mary Anne Radmacher

Friday, May 25, 2012

I am an ARTIST.....round 2

Here are more of the "I am an artist" pages...


Denise Phillips


Hanna Nilsson


Hannah Young


Lesley MacGillivray


Maggie Crawford


Marlene Moore


Carol Wheeler


I have a few more to upload from my students, so if you have one you would like featuring send it to me in an email by Sunday.

Enjoy xx

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

I am an ARTIST.....

...ARE YOU.????

In last months journaling classes, one of the challenges was to create a journal page with the words

I am an artist

written on it.

After much moaning and gnashing of teeth, this was completed and the feeling of self empowerment and feeling of achievement was immense.!!

I believe we are ALL artists, each and every one of us, just that somewhere along the way we have lost the confidence in our ability to be one. Ask any group of five year olds, that question and every single hand will reach for the sky. As we get older, everything in our life starts to become right or wrong, black or white, and we are constantly doubting our abilities.

But to me, ART is the journey we take, not the finished result. It is the process of picking up a pencil, a brush, a spray and actually committing to paper. It is an experience that YOU go through, for the purpose of feeding YOUR soul. 

Take yourself back to nursery school, and scribble with no thought to the outcome, paint with no concern of the colour choices and spray with no fear of making a mess. Sing or hum along to your favourite tunes, stop every now and then and twirl, take yourself back to the 5yr old child inside you who had no fear, and was confident in their ability to be an artist. 

See how it feels to be free..

See how it feels TO BE AN ARTIST.....

I belong to a little friendly group on face book. Art Journaling for women, 



and a few on there were oohing and aahing over others work and completely disregarding their own. So I decided to set a challenge. 

To challenge themselves to "BE AN ARTIST".... and here are the results, in alphabetical order.

Anne Johnson


Alda Van Groen


Anneke Van Groen


Bernice Hopper


Carole Furlong


Cynthia Yeomans


Debs Mitchell



Diana Hetherington



Donna Bowman


Laura Cooper


Lesley Farrell


Louise Robertson


Marianne


Marti Wills


Nancy Chrissinger


Nicki Foster


Pauline Butcher


Sarah Cooper


Sherry Goodloe


Sue Roberts


Tina Bayfield



Trish Bee


Each and every one of them...AN ARTIST...in their own right....

Why don't you join us...??

Enjoy xx

Friday, May 18, 2012

I'm home...

I am unpacked...

I have sorted the washing...

I am almost over the jetlag...

and I am eating toffees..!!

Whilst in America everyone kept referring to the similarity between me and Lucille Ball.!! I can only take that as a compliment, can't I?

So here's my tribute to her chocolate factory skit




Enjoy xx

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Think I might finally be up to date.....

with all the news after this post....

Last weekend was our second of the back to back Ranger U's, and I seem to be missing tons of my photos.!!!! Not quite sure where they are on my laptop, but sure they will turn up eventually.

I was quite excited as Kaz and Kate from my design team were attending. Not because they are on my design team but because they are both proficient in their respective fields of blogging, teaching and Stampington magazine fame.

I had told themselves to behave in New York and not to look too touristy.!!!


Of course we had to pose with our signature mustaches. See who's sneaking in on the picture..??


Kaz and I gave an impromptu display of Malteser blowing. Strangely enough this was a first at Ranger U. I feel that mebbes it should be integrated into the curriculum. That would soon sort the men from the boys wouldn't it??


Not sure what was going on here but it looks as though he caught me out doing something I shouldn't, lol.


Here's the Dylusions techniques tags, made by Kaz


I bet shes got this framed in her shed now.!! lmao


 The gorgeous Mr Stampers anonymous sporting a metal tash.


Also modeled by Kate


Ooh you can't beat a good old pout.



And here's the motley crew, all newly certified.


So we came to the end of another successful Ranger U. Although absolutely shattered we high tailed it into the warehouse to shoot an impromptu video that literally had us rolling on the floor in stitches. Can't wait to share with you. And then it was home to pack for my early morning flight to Texas.

6am flight equals 3am pick up....frikkin hilarious...

at the moment I am teaching at The Crafty Scrapper in Waxahachie, Texas.


Only in America, lol.


I managed to squeeze in a trip to Hobby Lobby, where I had to sell a kidney and donate my retinas due to the mahoosive amount of gorgeous goodness there is for sale in there.Just love this wall hanging.


many of you will know of my obsession with deer heads and skulls. How frikkin excited was I when Carolyn's hubby gave me a set. Yee hah, hop skippety. Yup that excited. They will take pride of place in my Penthouse suite back home in Reaveley Towers.


Carolyn's store is a fabulous space, and she has two classrooms, so we set up in one, taught the class and then switched straight to the other classroom and so on. Very cool way of organising it. This is one of the classrooms at the start of the day.





I had some fabulous students, many of whom had travelled far and wide. Some driving for over 5 hours to rake the class. How honoured I was that they had taken all that time and effort, Fair warms the cockles of your heart.

I also had a visit from the local reporter. Apparently it was big news all round the town that a Brit had flown in to teach, so we had to do an interview and photo session. How cool.



 Here's the gorgeous Carolyn groveling around on the floor. It's a glamorous life...


And how about this for devotion. This is quite possibly my oldest student, at 85 years of age. Affectionately known as Grandma, she kept up with the pace and is returning for round 2 tomorrow. You go girl...


After driving over 6 hours to get to me, the least |I could do was crouch and pretend I wasn't very tall lol.


After a long day, tired but happy.


I am back at the hotel, repacking my cases. Tomorrow sees me teaching 3 more workshops and then heading over to Plano to teach at The Stamp Asylum with the lovely Monica.

Back in England it seems as if someone is missing me.

Myself and the gorgeous Dina Wakley appear to have had a very busy day indeed.

First we were taken out for a cooked breakfast by Bezzie Su and pretty parcel wrapper Ali.



Taken for a lovely cup of tea.


Strapped in tightly for a trip to the Supermarket.


A quick nap before the evening activities commence.


Here we are at King James school production of Guys and Dolls.


Which featured my gorgeous Saturday girl Bekah.... Bravo Bekah...more...more..!!


And then back home for a quick nightcap.. Phew no wonder I feel shattered, working my little ass off over here in the States and partying my little ass off back home in England. Think I need to lie down in a darkened room with a glass of sherry.!!


Enjoy xx

Quote of the Century


"You are an extraordinary woman.


How can you expect anything ordinary to happen to you"


Louisa May Alcott