Exhall-erating!

Oh my! Talk about a dreadful pun!

Big thanks to Claire and Tracie for inviting me along to the Exhall (Coventry) crop. I had a really great welcome from everyone there - and I am telling myself it wasn't ALL due to the provision of chocolate cake!

The two layouts (and bonus card) I taught featured bold and fun patterned papers from the Crate Paper Seasons collection.

Flowers from the Same Garden was a bit fiddly and time consuming, but fun too! Playing with mists (simply sprayed the background) and cutting out the bold flowered patterned paper to create photo frames.

The larger one is embellished with bobble trim sewn around for added detail and dimension.


Lucky Bunny was a bit easier and focussed on using shapes and embellishing using a variety of textures, including die cut felt, embossed acetate and shrink plastic coloured with alcohol inks. The journal block was created by drawing around a Nestabilities label, adding loops to the points, cutting out and double doodling for a whimsical effect.

The kit was generous enough to leave plenty for a bonus card project. The centre of the flower was created by covering a circle of cardstock with double sided tape, stitching the end of a 12" piece of ribbon to the centre, twisting, sticking and stitching into place in a spiral shape. Easy and effective, perfect combination really!

Such excitement ... off to crop tomorrow!

It has been MONTHS since I have gone to crop anywhere. Quite a while ago I was asked to teach at the Exhall Coventry crop and the date has finally come around.

I've nicked the sneak peek collage put together by Claire (Weetabix on UKS) - the kit has been sponsored by Sarah's Cards and is the wonderfully bold and vibrant Seasons range from Crate Paper.

I'm teaching two layouts and have done a bonus card with the left-overs. Special thanks go to A Trip Down Memory Lane and Sir Stampalot too for getting extra bits to me in time for the weekend.

I'm really excited about meeting the people down there (and a little bit nervous too, but that's a good thing, right?) Am hoping the lure of my special chocolate cake will soften them up nicely :) Saying that, off to do the baking right now.