20% off Clarity Stamps

A massive 20% off Clarity Stamps for a limited time on our website!  Lots of new stock arrivals too - Nestabilities, New embossing folders, Cosmic Shimmer PVA pearlescent coloured glues, many many new beads including pearlescent shells, acrylic beads, shell chips and much more!  View our latest newsletter for all the info!  http://ymlp.com/zc1bL3.

Go on - grab a coffee and have a browse on the website - lots of Christmas presents for your friends (or treat yourself!) :-)
www.aldridgecrafts.co.uk
enjoy!
Jane

Winter 2011 Distress Inks available to Pre-Order

We've just secured our stock of the Limited Edition Winter Distress inks from Tim Holtz.  We are expecting delivery at the end of November - but you can pre-order them now!  A pack of three lovely Wintery colours - Evergreen Bough, Festive Berries and Iced Spruce.  See Tim's blog for lots of ideas already!  We have them at just £15 +P&P per set.  If you are quick - we stil have just ONE pack left of the gorgeous Fall set - and our supplier has already advised they are sold out - so no more can be obtained!

Click on the picture if you want to order!
enjoy!

Jane

My three favourites

I had a productive day on Friday and got quite a few cards made up from all thos toppers I've made during all my demonstrations!  Here are my three favourites. Please excuse the photography - I was in a bit of a hurry to photograph them before my craft fair!

This is a woodware peel-off coloured with ProMarkers and then accented with a Marianne Designs Die cut flower

Woodware peel-off again - but this time coloured in with Cosmic Shimmer Drawing Inks - Persian set plus a little brown and black from the natural set too.

The bird is a Marianne Designs die, the scrolls are also from the same range - it's the centre piece from a border die - really useful!.. and the border is from a set of Nestabilities.  I've also embossed the background behind the bird, but then fed the embossed card back through the Cuttlebug under the folder to flatten it back down so you are left with the pattern - but not the height - as it didn't quite fit for this card.  Liking the colours on this one!

Had more deliveries this weekend - more charms including some lovely dragonflies, lots of bead caps and also loads of Pandora style beads.  Also a restock of Cosmic Shimmer Drawing inks - plus some of the new colour sets, more Nesties and some fab stamps too - lots to tempt you all with at Suffolk Papercrafts show at Bury St Edmunds - it's on next Sunday (30th Oct) 10-4pm at the Leisure Centre.  hope you see you there!
happy crafting
Jane

The wire has arrived - share ideas to win a free wire sample!

Just got my big box of wires - 1.5mm, 0.5mm, mixed silver and knitted wire - in so many colours it'll make you drool!!  It's going to take a bit of time to get all these up on the website - so bear with me - but you'll love them I promise!... I'll also be making up some samples ASAP so you can have some  ideas of what you can do with this fabulous wire too!

Meanwhile - if you would like to share some ideas and suggestions of your own of what you would do with this wire - I might just see fit to sending some out for a good suggestion or two!
happy crafting
Jane

Sale now on!

Come have a rummage - 15% off everything until Wednesday - and remember that our P&P is only £1.25 too.  Lots of major brands included - Martha Stewart Punches, Spellbinders dies, Chocolate Baroque stamps - so lots of items to choose from.

Happy shopping
Jane

Lots of new products online

We've had a busy day - lots of tidying up on the website - removing the old and out of stock to make way for the new stock!... We've uploaded loads of new products to our New Stock Arrivals section.  Everything from Rubber stamps from Inkadinkado, Umount, Artemio, loads of reels of fab organza ribbon (a bargain at £3 for 20m!), Scrapbooks in a tin in lots of different shapes, Chippies and even some Cuttlebug old designs we didn't know we still had - Xmas designs that once they are gone, they won't be restocked!
We now stock a range of different colours of quilling papers too.
We've also reorganised our jewellery & beading department.  We're getting more and more in stock now so we've split some of the categories to make your searching a little easier.
We're still going through stock here to find out what other gems are not yet on the web - so more will appear soon!

So grab a coffee and have a browse- you are sure to find something you'll like!
enjoy!
Jane

Have just delivered my latest batch of jewellery to Sparkle & Flair in Harleston.  Here's a selection if you want to have a look!.
Jewellery creations album

oooh new beads are finally online!

It's been a mammoth task - but I've managed it.  All the new beads and charms are now all on the website.  So put those drool covers over  your keyboards and go have a browse.  Be ready with "that's my favourite..  no that one... hang-on it's got to be that one"....
.... here's a  few pics to tempt you!

seed beeds and bugle beads in all sorts of colours

can you see the shine on these lovely glass beads.... yummy!

Octopussies... or is that Octopii.... whichever it is they have big happy smiles!

Already buzzing with ideas on using these large 30mm metal rings......

I'm hoping to get creative with some of them if I can tomorrow... purely of course because I know you'll all want some ideas for these beads and charms... not at all because I couldn't resist topping up my own supplies hee hee!  If I manage to get anything made - I'll post up the pics!

enjoy!
Jane

This Week's theme - Summer

A summery theme this week - bright scenes, bright colours - whatever you feel represents summer!  As usual here's a few ideas to get you started...

enjoy - I look forward to seeing your projects!
Jane

New Creations & Theme for this week!

A simple theme this week - Flowers.  I've had a creative session this week to make up some more jewellery.  I've had these felt flowers in stock for ages - but not had a chance to play - and set myself the challenge to use them.  I decided on two big chunky acrylic bead necklaces and attached the flowers using wire slightly off centre.  They looked quite effective when finished.  The brown bracelet was created using four strands of memory wire and some flower beads with double holes (I'll put some stocklist numbers below if you want to get any yourself from the website to have a go!)  It was a bit fiddly - and I restarted from scratch a couple of times whilst I was learning the do's and don'ts of putting it together - and to share - the 'dos' were - do try and work out your pattern before hand rather than making it up as you go along - I tried to be spontaneous - but it wasn't a good idea!.... and the don'ts... keep each strand thread up to the same point, if you go ahead and finish the pattern on one strand you may find the spacing doesn't work on the next strand  and because the double holed beads alternate across the strands (strands 2 & 3 then strands 1&2 and 3&4) if it doesn't line up it leaves gaps!  I was very pleased with my finished bracelet - and as soon as I took it into the shop (Sparkle & Flair in Harleston) for sale, it didn't get any further than the counter and was sold straight away - hurrah... so I'll definitely be making up some more!  it was worth the 2 hours it took to make!
I hope you enjoy the theme - have fun and let's see some of your creations!
Jane

Hamish & Molly

I downloaded the Craft Artist compact from Serif - it's free trial software you can use - and I've had a play and this is my first page - it's great fun!.  This is Molly and Hamish when he visited last weekend and we took them both on a lovely long walk to Outney Meadow near Bungay.

this week's theme - coastal/seaside

didn't get a chance to put up a theme for last week - but here is the theme that will run until next Sunday - all things coastal & seaside!
Get inspirations from those coastal colours, or perhaps you have peel-offs or stamps on the theme - or maybe a nice beach themed scrapbook page - we'd love to have a look at your projects.  As usual, comment with a link to your blog, post onto our Facebook page or email me with your image for posting.  enjoy!

 I just love fabric panels - used simply on their own as above, or with a little layering and spritzing with cosmic shimmer misters below - you always end up with a lovely card.

this has been created using Umount Coastal and Aged Mahogany Distress inks.  Coastal doesn't have to be all beiges and blues!

From a distance I though this was quite seeweed like!!... and of course those coastal blues!

any requests!

We are ordering from Personal Impressions, Creative Expressions and Woodware this week - we are happy to add items to order - or just hear your suggestions of anything you would like us to get in stock!
www.personalimpressions.com
www.woodware.com
www.creative-expressions.uk.com
if you'd like to have a browse!

this week's theme - circles!

This week's theme for your project is circles.  It can be any sort of crafting project and I look forward to seeing your creations!.  You can email me your pic, or post it on the facebook page - or post a comment with a link to your blog.  Have fun!

Jane

 You don't get much more circular than memory wire bracelets!

Anyone fancy a weekly challenge....

Who's up for a challenge?  I thought it may be fun to challenge ourselves this week to making something creative to a theme.  It can be a card, scrapbook page, ATC, jewellery piece - whatever you fancy!  This week's theme is 'peaceful greens' inspired by the green bead mixes I'm busy weighing and sorting at the moment!.  You have until next Sunday - email me with your pic, post it up on the facebook page, or on your own blog and post a link in a comment to share your creations....  To get  you started, here's some I made earlier as they say....

Created using toned shades of Bazzill card with a simple flower punch

OK.. well it has a bit of pink too - but it's artistic license on interpreting the theme :-)

Enjoy the challenge...

Jane

new beads & charms on their way....

We are awaiting a delivery of new beads and charms... everything from owls, cats and bags, glass beads, crystal beads, acrylic beads too... so keep an eye on the website for the new goodies appearing soon!....
Jane
(images courtesy of snowfall beads)

It's been such a long time....

I know... I haven't blogged for ages!... My laptop got the lurgy so I couldn't get logged in as my links were on there!... but now I'm back!

I've been busy getting ready for the papercrafting exhibition in Bramford near Ipswich this Sunday. I've had a delivery full of fab peel-offs, sakura stardust pens and glaze pens and soooo many bottles of stickles - ready for my demo!...We've got all the stickles colours in stock - including the new colours - which include some really vibrant shades. I've already started making lots of butterflies and accenting them with the stardust pens and they look so fab and are so simple to do!

The Scrapbooking and Cardmaking Papercraft event is being held at Bramford School Sports Hall, Bramford, IP8 4AH this Sunday (17th July) from 10-4pm - £2 entry - hope to see some of you there!

Don't forget if you are on Facebook - we have a page on there too.. come and 'Like' us to get more pictures & updates!

happy crafting

Jane

Alcohol Inks, Andy Skinner & more!

It's been a while since Sincerely yours at Thetford - a big hello to everyone who came and chatted with me! Here are a few of my favourite samples to emerge from my demonstrations during the day. I played with Alcohol inks, Glossy Card, Shrink Plastic and used stamps from Andy Skinner and Crafty Individuals and Inkadinkado. I'm posting up the alcohol inks onto glossy card today - and I'll put up the shrink plastic and glass samples later this week. I hope you enjoy the samples and they inspire you to get out your alcohol inks!

My favouriteof the day! Start with glossy card, then spritz with the chalk Cosmic Shimmer mister - yellow and green and dry with a heat gun. Then apply Alcohol inks - the mister ink resists the alcohol ink and you end up with these interesting cloudy patterns. Then stamp over the top with the stamps - from the Andy Skinner Antiques set using Archival Jet Black ink. Then a few final highlights with a white gel pen to finish. It's really worth experimenting with misters and alcohol inks - you get some great effects!

You can keep it subtle in colour by using some of the natural tone Alcohol inks. This has been applied using felt on an applicator tool. I've then stamped using a mix of Crafty Individiuals using Archival Black ink and also Versafine Sepia. Finally highlight and accent with patterns using Letraset fineliners and white gel pen. I usually cut my Crafty Individuals stamps into individual designs - ie the four cottages are now four stamps and the set of 9 motif designs 9 tiny stamps - even cutting up the words on sheets into individual stamps if you've got the patience is really worth it! It gives you much more flexibility in using the stamps to greater effects.

Play around with striped effects too. A few dots of colour onto the felt on the applicator tool and then drag it across your card in stripes. The stamps used here are from Crafty Individuals.

Another example of going bright - a few drops of bright colours onto white glossy card and then I've used Inkadinkado Inchies Dogs stamps and accented with the flourish stamp from Andy skinner's antiques set. Again a few highlights in black and white pens finishes off the design

If collage isn't your style - you can keep it simple, just create a simple background with a few drops of Alcohol inks and drag it across in waves - same sort of thing as the stripes - but add a few curves for interest. Then I've stamped with a Crafty Individuals stamp and then added a few details in Blue Versafine ink with the Crackle stamp. Again a few highlights to finish.

Now go grab those Alcohol Inks and get playing - you'll love it!... and if you need to top up your supplies and treat yourself to a new colour... or two.... have a look here we've many colours in stock!

enjoy

Jane

Chocolate Baroque are here!

We've had our delivery and put all the designs up on the web - currently to be found in the New Stock Arrivals section - some lovely designs to choose between - enjoy!

Jane

Chocolate Baroque are coming......

We've just placed an order with Chocolate Baroque... lots of gorgeous stamp designs will be in stock soon!!.... Jane