Kay Carley's Fancy Flowers Stamp Sheet - new cards from the telly show and other ramblings....

This is the first card I demonstrated on Wednesday's show.

I stamped onto the translucent shrink plastic with a black archival ink pad, it does take about 30 minutes to dry before you can colour in. I didn't sand the shrink plastic as with this ink pad and Stazon ink, it can bleed into the sanded lines. I do sand it when using Brilliance ink pads and will explain more as I show the other cards with the shrink plastic.

I used Sakura Stardust pens to add colour, I traced around the outlines of the petals and put a little colour around the centres. I used a nearly dry waterbrush to pull the colour into the centres of the petals slightly so that it was a very pale pink. You need to have a very pale shade as the colour will intensify when it is shrunk and look far too heavy. If you have too much water on your waterbrush/paintbrush it will bead, it only needs to be slightly damp.

The Stardust pens have a shimmer to them that also intensifies when shrunk. They really are the very best pens to use on shrink plastic, the finish is superb.

I used the swirl Cuttlebug folder to create the background and although you cannot see very well, I used gold mirri card as mounts along with a torn strip of pink vellum.

OK, a little more about Wednesday... When I had my meeting about the show, the buyers did say that they would try to have Nigel presenting on the show for us but couldn't promise it, but this slot was free for him if he could do it. Nigel was there in the studio on Wednesday but was busy filming other things with Stephanie. He has had a hernia operation today so they must have had a lot to do before he has time off. Ian (Mr Stamp Man) has had this op, so I know that Nigel will have to have time to get over it.

Nigel is a really lovely chap, and I think he is so great at his job, he always seems to ask the right questions about the products before our shows so he can learn as much as possible about them, and it shows in his presentation of them. I think he will be missed while he is off screen. I must find some time this weekend to make him a card.

Dave did a good job for us on the show though, to say he was brought in at the last minute. He is another presenter who looks so different in real life than on screen, he's so tall, handsome and tanned! I met him before years ago, so felt comfortable working with him, although it was our first show with him. It made me laugh when the producer told us that someone had emailed in earlier and told him to tuck his shirt into his trousers... and he took note... and it was:)

My blog posting has been delayed as I was at the shop yesterday, and today I have been at home catching up on more paperwork (the growing tumbling heaps of it) plus a huge pile of washing and ironing before setting off again tomorrow for the Stamp Magic Show at The Dome Doncaster. I really like this show as there is plenty of room for people to move and I gather from customers that there is a good mix of retailers there. It also has a lovely atmosphere. Nice food too, so I hear, I am happy with my bacon sarnie at 8am that usually lasts me through the day, we may be lucky and have a sandwich later in the day to see us through, but they also do proper sit down meals... oh for the chance of one of those at a show!

We are finishing the packing and loading of the van at the shop before setting off to set up our stall in the evening. The show is on Sunday, you can just turn up on the day and pay at the door if you fancy coming along.

We will have the stamp sheets and other products we have featured in the 2 live shows, and will have special multi-buy prices for the stamp sheets we had on the shows. Plus, we have some other nice bargains for you!!

We will also have plenty of Moonglow products with us as usual if you missed out on the sampler kit on the telly when they sold out, no doubt we will be demonstrating them as well, so expect some messy techniques! If you want me to put together a sampler set for you then just ask! We'll have all the colour charts there too so that you can cherry pick your own colours/set if you wish.

Tracey Coates, designer of the 3 sheets in last Tuesday's show will be with Ian, Caroline and I, so do come and say hello!!

The cards from Kay's show on Wednesday will be on show along with the cards from Tracey's show, so you can see them in real life and ask any questions you have about them. I will also have the background papers/vellums that Kay showed with her Fancy Flourishes sheet. I took some photos of them today but they look much better in real life as do all the cards so I hope people that can come to the show will pop by and see them all. Please pop over to Kay and Debbie's blogs to see the cards they made for the show, (the links are over to the right), hopefully they will be showing them soon.

Isn't it flipping typical, that Lisa promises a visit to the shop and she came today when I wasn't there!! The shop is in a bit of a muddle at the moment too as Debbie and Helen have been packing for the show this weekend, there's also packing for the telly going on and we've not had a chance to get straight from last weekend's demo day either. I hope that now you've found us Lisa you'll come back when we are a little more organised and when I am there:) I hope you found what you came for and it wasn't already packed!

Thank you everyone for visiting and for the great comments you have left here recently, they are much appreciated!

I will schedule a couple of posts for the weekend with some more cards before I set off again, so do call back!!!

Time for bed now me thinks! Thanks for reading all that, if you made it this far

Jill