Yaaaaa, Our first magazine project hits the shelves

Creative Stamping issue 8 hit the news stands today and with it our first project feature. I had great fun working on the designs and even more fun seeing it n print in my own hot sweaty little hands. One day I'll have to grow up, I know, but maybe not just yet.

The projects feature Algenon,  Hennrietta, Herbert, (the ever Hopeful), Albert, (fondly known as Nudie Norman), and the slightly careworn Abbigail.

The projects are quick, simple and graphic and don't need a lot of fancy papers or embellishments to complete them , just simple layering and basic colouring. We are scheduled to do some more projects in the coming months so keep checking back for more details.

Despite what it looks like, I haven't given all of my characters names yet, (I'm pretty sure there should be an apostrophe in there somewhere but it's been a long day),  so in future blogs I'm going to ask you to get your thinking caps on.

Gilbert, the sexy beast and friends

We're only 4 days into the new year and already my resolution is toast. I promised myself that this year I would get back to writing and produce 500 words a day 5, days a week. Although I have probably hit the target word count my novel only saw about 97 of them!

I've been busy beavering away on the website adding the 3 new designs, (available to buy now, online or on our facebook page social store), some editorial pieces,  starting a twitter account, (homework for my course), not to mention the course itself. I'm nearly halfway through it now and still on 100% for the lessons but I dropped a couple of points on the first test. Nuts!

Our first magazine projects featuring the Acid Drops range are out next week, more details later. The picture above is one of the 2 sets of male themed stamps just released, it features Gilbert who's more than happy with the pulling power of his new aftershave and Bob, who's beginning to wear his age around his middle. I found a lovely quote from Bob Hope to go with this image. The images are very graphic, need little in the way of colouring and would suit a wide range of occasions and people, single, married, young and not so young. Perfect in fact for those hard to design for men in your life. And don't forget, we are an angel company so as long as you hand stamp the images you can sell your cards to friends, family, at craft fairs or for fundraising. For full details of our copyright policy visit www.aciddropsandwhatnots.co.uk

Happy Christmas

Just a quick post to wish all our customers and friends a very  Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. It's been a year of contrasts, highs and lows, good and bad, so with the new year rapidly approaching  here's hoping for a nice even ride for all of us in the coming year.

I'd like to thank every one for their support and encouragement since we launched the business and I hope to see you at our shows or in class in the new year. We couldn't have done it with out you.
Thanks and best wishes
Karen & Niki

Coughing Christmas & Craft Shows

I have to apologise for being a little quiet lately, well, quiet online that is, I'm pretty sure the neighbours are getting up a collection to buy me an industrial sized vat of of cough Syrup. I've succumbed to the dreaded bug that's going round and have spent the last 7 days coughing around the clock.  I have found I definitely need more than an hours sleep a night to function. After 7 nights of back to back Dog The bounty Hunter and those fly on the wall police documentaries, I finally nerved up, tissued up and ventured out to Asda today as my fish finger supply had dried up.

I have added the dates of the first 3 craft shows we are exhibiting at on the events page of the website and I have also created an events page on the facebook page, just look for the smaller picture of us on the header and it will list the first of the shows. I had hoped by know to have tidied the devastation I have wrought in the dining room with all my craft tools and papers and projects from classes that never seem to get put away before I add another layer on top but that has gone the way of all good intentions and I've not done any more of my online classes yet, although I did get 100% for my second effort. I've really got to get myself together now and get on with it.

How close are you all to being ready for Christmas, are you super efficient and everything's done or are you like me and hope if you don't think about it, it might all go away?

The website has landed

Drum roll please, not to mention a bottle of nail repair, ( not that I have a lot of nails left,) the new website is up and open for business. The address is the same; www.aciddropsandwhatnots.co.uk (you may have to refresh our browser if you have visited lately) but we have a whole new look. You can now purchase and pay for your goods with either PayPal, (account not needed), or by using Actinic payments our secure level 1 PCI DSS payment gateway. Please have a look around, leave a message in the guest book, or email me to let me know your thoughts, could you see the products clearly? Were they easy to find? What would you like to see included on the site, or hopefully, that you like the new look. Be gentle on me and pass the nailoid.

Last class before Christmas

Nothing brings home just how close Christmas is, like writing the title of this post and please don't anyone tell me how many more shopping days there are until Christmas or I just might cry. I haven't got anything done on the present front, or at least I only have 1 present bought and I got that in April.

But back to business, Said last class takes place on Wednesday the 5th of December at 7pm in The Old Fire Station in Hockley, Essex. It is a fully circular 3D Christmas Tree Star Book Ornament that would look great as a table centre piece for your festive table or a great gift for those nearest and dearest. If you would like to come along for an evening of craft, chat and as it's Christmas, food, or would like more details, just drop me an email at karenosborne99@gmail.com.

The switch over of the website has taken place and we're just waiting for it to be recognised on the servers or whatever it is the world wide web uses for it to be fully accessible, it takes about 48 to 72 hours, I'm running out of fingernails.

Wandering Website

Just a quick post to let you know that our website is down at the moment because it's on the move. The name will still be the same but we are changing platforms and design. As soon as everything is configured and bedded in, we will be back on line with a brand new look and will now also be accepting payment with PayPal. As with this blog the website is breaking new ground for me, having wrote / designed it, or whatever you do with websites, so when it's back up, please visit, we have a guest book on it so you can leave some comments, just bear in mind that I'm a delicate little flower, so be gentle. I'll post again when we are up and running. I have now finished lesson 1 of 17 in my online social media course and unbelievably scored 30 out of 30, it can't last.

Just as a side note, nothing to do with Acid drops, we had a little localised flooding earlier in the week, a little stream at the end of our road decided with all the rain and not to mention a high tide on the river Crouch, to impersonate a raging torrent. Luckily, having been woken by my neighbour at about midnight,we managed to wake most of the other neighbours so they could get their cars further up the road and we watched the water creep up the road until it luckily stopped about 3 houses down from us. No one suffered any serious flooding, just some soggy garages I think, but with all the pressure on the drains I noticed a new phenomenon in the downstairs toilet. My Mother is working on being the green pine fresh queen of Essex and had diligently squirted the Asda pine fresh cleaner before going to bed. On hearing an ominous gurgling coming from said downstairs toilet    I investigated. The amount of water running into the street drains had forced air  up through the toilet and I was met with a musical bubble fantasy. Pretty opalescent bubbles climbing up the bowl to it's own accompaniment. Who needs Handel when you've got Asda's pine fresh?