A craft show and a lovely crafty friend :)

Last Sunday Tom was kind enough to act as a chauffeur and take my friend Zana (from the local crop I attend) and me to the Sincerely Yours Papercraft show in Thetford (over an hour from where we actually live, though at least Zana lived on the way so no need for a big detour).  I went intending just to go for the inspiration, to watch the demos and see various ideas of different companies and maybe to buy some new blades for my paper trimmer (which was fraying everything I attempted to cut) . Naturally there was much temptation and it wasn't helped by Tom's encouragement to buy various things (I was impressed with how long he managed before he went to sit in the car, I think he would have last longer had his flat footed-ness not got the better of him, yet again I digress, sorry!). I do, however, feel that everything I got was useful and I am sure nothing will sit in the cupboard gathering dust, the card stock and blank cards with envelope were just too good an offer to resist, as was my new paper trimmer which doubles as a scoreboard, it really was a bargain (I've been thinking about getting a new score board for a while as I dislike how my hougie board does not measure 1/4 inches, and also there were no blades to be found for my current trimmer).

My new trimmer/scoreboard - I love it, though it did take me 20 minutes to open the packaging!

After these purchases (and a few other bits for me and some stocking fillers for my mum) I felt that I was more than spent up and could not justify spending anymore. At the final stand Zana and I both fell in love with  2 stamps:

Zana, who had not spent up, bought them with the offer that I could borrow them, a lovely gesture, it is so nice to now have someone local whose craft items I can borrow. On the way home Zana passed me the stamps and said that I could play with them this week, first, as she wouldn't have time, before she'd even had a chance to play! Though a nice gesture (and one I fear I'd struggle to make) it did increase my anxiety levels (which I do struggle with anyway), what if I damaged them? What if they didn't work very well? What if...? What if.....? Today I managed to push that anxiety aside and use one of the stamps to make a few cards (the stamps go back to Zana on Saturday so I need to play lots before then). Here are the results, some lovely simple cards:

'Happy Birthday'

A quick explanation of how I made the card (these steps were also followed for the other cards):

* Stamp the wreath (in Tuxedo Black Memento ink) on a 5 inch square card (eyeing it up to attempt to get it central in the card)

* Stamp another wreath on a piece of stamping card in the same ink

* Stamp Happy Birthday (or sentiment of choice) in the centre of the wreath

* Cut out 6 'big' flowers (3 will be used to decorate the envelope - see picture of all 3 cards)

* Choose which of the flat big flowers to raise and attach the cut out flowers using 3D foam

* Add gems (of your choice) to the centre of all the flowers (I used bigger gems on the big flowers and smaller gems on the smaller flowers - common sense I guess!)

'Thank you'

The flower of the Thank you stamp was coloured with Victorian Velvet and Peeled Paint distress inks and a yellow gem was added to the centre of the flower

'Merry Christmas'

Rather than stamping the Merry Christmas in the centre (this particular stamp wouldn't have fitted anyway, though I do have ones that would but I wanted to try one of my new stamps), I decided to stamp the wreath towards the top of the card and stamp the sentiment underneath.

The 3 cards with their decorated envelopes (3 flowers in the lower right hand corner, the gems matching those on the corresponding card)

I am not at all big headed (no self-confidence Rebecca, that's me) but I am rather pleased with how these cards turned out (though not with the group photo, it was very windy and the cards kept falling over!).

Cards left to finish, I think I may do something a little different with these cards

I'd like to enter the 'Thank you' card into the Crafting at the Weekend - Anything Goes Challenge #5

I'm exhausted now and off for a rest, I hate tiring so quickly but at least I get my next magnesium infusion tomorrow so I may have more energy after that. Thanks for reading, apologies for any ramblings,

- Rebecca