New addition to my craft room

We just had to visit Dragonflies craft shop in Ilkeston after the workshop on Saturday, well it would have been rude to have been close and not go to say hello wouldnt it.

I just fell in love with these and couldnt leave the shop without them.

They are right at home in my craft room

Saturday's Workshop

Susie and Helen arranged a day of making cards on Saturday in Ilkeston and what a great time I had. I hope that everyone who came enjoyed it. It was lovely to meet so many people and the venue was amazing. I do hope it will be the first of many spent with such a lovely group.

Here are a few pictures of everyone crafting away.








Quite a few people were really interested in what we do at Derby Dabblers and with the help of some of the ladies met yesterday, we could be starting Ilkeston Dabblers before the end of May, keeping my fingers crossed.

Trying again

to make cupcakes. The first lot I made burnt because I forgot they dont need half an hour to cook and I was upstairs busy with something oopps. Second batch turned out lovely and bouncy but not a lot of height. They tasted nice but will I will be trying to make some more this week and use some fresh cream, yummy. I have got the icing set from Pampered Chef to make the toppings look nice now so no excuse.

If anyone has the perfect receipe for cupcakes, please let me know.


I made the cakes for Jayne, Anne and Karen who came round to make the workshop cards that were being demonstrated on Saturday as they very kindly offered to help me out on the day.

Here they are working away

Yipee its the weekend

Well I have just got to visit the post office and I have caught up phew.

The house shines, washing is done. I am at a workshop tomorrow which I am really looking forward to and then a bit of gardening. Sunday, if it is raining will let me do a bit of food shopping and then I can play with all my new stash. If the sun is out I will do a bit more gardening and play with my stash in the evening. What a perfect weekend. Hope yours is perfect too.

UPDATED Jackie has left me a comment about the weather forecast. It looks like Sunday will be wet. As I am at a workshop until 3pm on Saturday, anyone want to help with the gardening Saturday afternoon from 4.00p.m. you are most welcome. Can offer pizza for tea

Time just flys by

when you are enjoying yourself. Where has the week gone? Hope that everyone is enjoying this lovely weather. I do hope it lasts as I would love to get out into the garden on Sunday and give it a good clean up.

Here are another couple of pictures from my trip. I spent a fantastic few hours with Corris and her friends in a lovely atrium in the centre of New York. We made an album using the top note die which isnt available to us in the UK just yet (keeping my fingers crossed that we get it in the new catalogue). The atrium was such a lovely place to meet between trump tower and the GE Building - I think.

I just had to take a picture of this as I thought it was so cute. We had decided to walk to the Dekota building alongside central park. It was raining, we were soaked and we saw a little tavern at the side of the park so off we went. We were too early for the tavern but this put a smile on my face.

Trying to catch up

and not really getting anywhere. Does anyone else have days like this or is it just me?

The unpacking has finally been done as well as all those yakky chores like washing and ironing so I guess I am ready to go back to work on Monday.

I have a workshop next weekend so am finalising everything for that. Its an event I am really looking forward to especially meeting lots of people I havent met before.

Speaking of which, here is a photo that Paul took of a get together I was fortunate to attend at Chi's home. Chi is a stamping up demonstrator in New York. I was so nervous walking towards her home that I told Paul I didnt know if I could go and walk in to a total strangers home in the middle of New York. How silly was I? Chi and her friends made me feel so welcome and I had a fantastic evening, which was over too quickly. Chi has an amazing place which I found to be a bit like a candy store. Shelves and shelves of beautiful stamps, ribbons, colours okay, I will stop.

I learnt so much, thank you ladies for a great time and, I look forward to seeing you all again. We have already planned to return to New York in May 2010.

I will put up pics of what we did on the night later in the week.

What a holiday

Apologies for no posts for quite a while. The week running up to our holiday was mega hectic and it is only today that I feel like a human being again. Unbelievable what a 5 hour time difference makes to the body.

It was off the plane and then back into work so no time to catch up. Hopefully this weekend will let me recharge my batteries as the holiday wasnt a relaxing one. We went to New York and WOW. It is a lovely place, so much to see, so many places to go and the people we met were so nice.

I was so lucky to meet other crafters and thank you to them all for pointing out where all the craft shops were hidden. I managed to make it to the ink pad, michaels all of katespaperie dotted around as well as the one and only scrapbooking shop. I didnt buy tons but I did buy quite a few unusual bits and pieces.

No cards to show you today but here is a picture of a view from outside our hotel room, yikes.



More pictures of what we got up to over the next few days, as well as the lovely people we were so lucky to meet