Technology bites back

Hi every one,
 I'm sorry that I seem to have gone quiet but as I had predicted, technology has bitten back and my laptop has had a breakdown. It's been in the menders for 4 days now and the twitching fingers are getting to be a pain! I've managed to highjack my sister's computer whilr I'm visiting with mum for Mothers day. Hopefully Normal servie will be resumed shotly. So every one who has emailed me or comonted I'm sorry to not be getting back to you but I will as soon as I'm connected again. Meanwhile I think I need addiction therapy, twitch, twitch....

2 more samples from the talented Kate using Acid Drops & Whatnots stamp sets. Why not visit her blog at http://cuilliesocks.blogspot.co.uk/for more samples of her excellent cards.

Owls, hawks and the 'poo' in shampoo

Well I'm back from my owl flying experience with all my digits intact and I know now where the 'poo' in shampoo came from. One of the hawks decided that although my glove was good, my head was better and proceeded to use it as a toilet, the owl preferred my arm! needless to say I had to by a lottery ticket after that, as I don't know about your part of the world, but where I come from in east London it's counted as good luck.

It was a wonderful day if a bit on the cold side and we flew 4 birds, a barn owl, an eagle owl, who was so lovely, he was fine being stroked and liked to nibble playfully at your fingers, and 2 Harris hawks. We got to handle the birds more that I thought we would and the guy was very knowledgeable and helpful. I would dearly love to do it again and would recommend anyone who wanted to handle birds or do more serious training to google Lavenham falconry. 

Playing truant and flying owls

I'm off playing truant again tomorrow, I'm gong to spend the morning learning how to fly owls and birds of prey in Lavenham, Suffolk with my mum and sister. It was a Christmas present to mum and me from my sister Deb who is coming along with a camera so hopefully I'll have some pictures to add to the timeline soon. I'm really looking forward to it as I've seen many bird displays and even stroked a few but I've never actually handled or flown them. So I'm off for an early night as it's a very early start in the morning! Another of our presents from Deb is a lecture and tour of the Monkeys in Paradise Park, Herts, followed by going in with the lemurs and hand feeding them. I've done this before, for my 50th birthday, a gift from Niki and her family and I really loved it. The downside is it's the morning after the Harrogate show and a 4 hour drive. Red Bull here I come!

Class projects for Wed 27.2.13

What can you do with a bit of white card? Plenty if you don't mind getting your fingers dirty. Wednesday's class is all about inks and how to push the boundaries a little from just using them to stamp out your favourite images.

Set up at Stamperama

I think I've just about recovered from my first solo show at Stamperama yesterday, although I think I left my knees behind. I definitely need to get to the gym more and toughen up a bit. I had a great show met some lovely new people and some of our internet customers and caught up with  fellow stall holders I haven't seen for a while, some of whom took pity on me and minded the stall will I had a much needed bathroom break!  

Unloading the car was the worst bit as it was quite a walk and I only have a little trolley, I kept telling myself it was a good cardio workout and that as a woman it was my duty to multi task but somehow I think my knees and lungs failed to appreciate the opportunity. 

The backboards were fun to put together as I forgot to bring a step stool and I'm only a stumpy, (though wide), little thing, again, a good stretching session is good after a tough workout. My back has now joined my knees in not appreciating said opportunity.

 3 Hours later, car unloaded  cloths on, stands built, backboards displayed and  stock counted.

I managed to reverse operation in half the time on Sunday night and fighting my way through the never ending road works on the M25, wend my weary way home to bed. Harrogate in a couple of weeks, (16/17 March) bring it on!

Apology, lovely cards and a little catch-up

Apology first, I have been neglecting my blog a little this week so I'd like to say sorry to all of you have been checking in to the same old post. I claim pressure of work, between the shows, the classes and magazine projects I'm a little frazzled to say the least. So it gives me great pleasure to include some samples from the lovely Joy who we met at the 5 Lakes show last weekend. She's pretty new to stamping and I just love the cards, they capture the spirit of the Acid Drops stamps.

I'm off to the Stamperama show in Stevenage on Sunday, my first solo show so if you are coming along, please stop by and say Hi. After many requests Niki and I are heading north. We've just confirmed our booking for the Great Northern Papercraft Extravaganza ( GNP) in Harrogate on the 16th & 17th of March. I've just finished typing the instructions for the last of 6 cards for a project spread in a stamping magazine, more news on that later, for now I think go and lay down in  a dark room, or on second thoughts I've got to start designing for next weeks class. Maybe a deep breath and a large class of wine would be better!