Wednesday 7 May 2008

Excitement in the land of Ambrosia & Iron

How excited am I today? VERY excited! In fact, so excited that I’m going to do this in three parts: news and project, blog hits and giveaway…

I’m excited, Part One: I am absolutely thrilled to tell you that Sandy Redburn invited me to be Guest Designer for Crafty Secrets this month. Wow! Did I mention I’m thrilled ;o) I’ll be sharing Crafty Secrets projects with you on the blog during May and Sandy will have some on the Heartwarming Vintage blog, too. Here’s one to get us going...



This came together quickly because the paper (from the Crafty Secrets Radiant pad) does most of the work here. I just added a stamped sentiment from the Sweet Kids set and the ribbon/lace/stitching. The girls on the Bubbly Funk forum may remember my recent exploits in dying silk ribbon – this is the first outing for my natural dye experiments! These were dyed with blackberries; the paler one stayed in the dye bath for an hour or two; the darker one stayed in overnight.

Supplies: Radiant Paper Pad and Sweet Kids Clear Art Stamps (both Crafty Secrets), vintage lace edging, 1” silk ribbon, Clearsnap Deep Green Fluid Chalk ink, sewing machine and thread.

I’m excited, Part Two: My blog has just gone through the 10,000 visits mark since I installed a counter on it. Wow! Thank you very much to all my visitors, new and old, regular and occasional – it’s only worth doing if people enjoy their visits and the fact that so many of you keep coming back really means a lot to me: thank you!

I’m excited, Part Three: add together One and Two and I think a celebration is in order so I have blog candy! Crafty Secrets just released four booklets combining vintage images and journalling spots so they’re great for scrapping as well as cards or altered projects.



I have a full set of four booklets to give away, so the winner will get Homemade, Summertime, Childhood and Birds & Botanicals to play with. You can see them here (click on each booklet to get a more detailed view of them).

So, what do you have to do to win? Firstly, this is open only to UK and European players so that we get to spread the fun a little. Sorry if you’re not in those locations but hopefully you’ll find it easier than us to get hold of Crafty Secrets stuff and Sandy has details of other giveaways on the Crafty Secrets blog that are open to everyone so check those out if your location means you’re not eligible for my draw.

Looking at the little Pierrot in the Childhood booklet got me thinking about the dressing-up box most of us had as kids. So, if you’re in the UK or Europe and would like to win the booklets, just leave a comment on this post to tell me your favourite memory of dressing up in costume as a kid. Make sure there’s a link to your blog or other way to contact you so I can let you know if you won!

Please leave your comment by midnight (GMT) on Wednesday 14th May to go into the virtual hat and I will announce a winner on Thursday 15th. Of course I’d love to hear from you even if you’re not entering the draw, so please do say “Hi!” (you could put ‘no candy’ in your comment if you want to make my life easy).

My favourite? Probably the cone shaped Christmas tree hat, decorated with a spiralled fringe of green crepe paper and real tiny glass baubles! The lion with full mane, eyebrow pencil whiskers and swishy tail (thoughtfully attached with a large press stud so there would be no embarrassing mishaps in the event of a naughty boy pulling my tail – thanks Mum!) runs a close second, though ;o)

Thanks for your visit today, hope you had some fun!

29 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well done Joanne! Your style of card goes so well with the Crafty Secrets products. Look forward to seeing what you do.....xx

Andrea said...

the cards beautiful and well done on the crafty secrets xx I never really did dressing up as a child as in our village was mainly boys and we built tree houses x

Jo said...

Congratulations!! A beautiful card, the papers are gorgeous. I never did dressing up either although having 2 older sisters I did love to wear their shoes, especially the white platform boots (well it was the 70's):o)

Joy said...

I never got to dress up much either, but I was found in my sisters front garden in her high heeled shoes, when she ran out and dragged me back in! Around my waist was her sanitary belt which I must have thought was a suspender belt!!!

Joy said...

Sorry I forgot to say that the card is really beautiful xx

made by fifi said...

gorgeous card as usual - congratulations how exciting look forward to seeing what you make :o) the candy looks fab xx

Kazza said...

What fab candy, they are gorgeous! Congrats on joining the design team, I love your cards. as for dressing up there is a lovely picture of me at playschool wearing a fifties style net petticoat but with armholes cut into it, I think I was playing weddings lol. and I remember having a cape that we used to play super heroes with too. Oh those were the days :O)

Karen said...

Oh Joanne, thats really great news. Look forward to seeing what you do hon.

I used to love dressing up and carried this thru with my own children. We always had a dressing up box! I remember my Mum dressing me up as 'Cereal Girl' for the village fete. It involved a dress completely covered in those mini packets of cereals all patiently sewed on. I was 6 and very put out (as only a 6yr old can be) that Little Bo-Peep won!!!!! LOL

Sam said...

Well done on joining the design team. Great candy too. My fave memory would have to be the good old nativity and tinsel around a coat hanger for a halo.

Kathy said...

Fantastic news Joanne and so well-deserved as your cards are always beautiful. btw the home-dyed ribbon looks stunning, what amazing colours you've achieved.

Congrats on your 10,000 too I'll have to have a think about the dressing up though....

Hazel said...

Many congrats, Joanne - your cards are gorgeous.

As for dressing up, when I was a little girl I used to dress up in some of mum's old clothes and shoes. My grandparents and auntie lived next door and we had a 'hole in the fence' so we didn't have to walk all the way up and garden and back. I used to go and knock on their door and say 'It's Polly Brown calling' - the name stuck - my nan and auntie always called me Polly (Brown) and my mum still quite often calls me that.

Keri Lee Sereika said...

CONGRATS JOANNE~!!!! I love the stuff you have done with their product and so you are well deserving of the invitation! I just got a few of their things (those great new booklets for one!) and I will be using some of their stuff too! I will see if I can't whip something up and link over to you with it! CONGRATS! I am so happy for you!

Lesley said...

Lovely cards! All I can remember dressing up as was a nurse as I had an outfit for a birthday present! xx

Sarah said...

What a gorgeous card Joanne, I just love your style and you are so inspiring! Congratulations!

When I was little I had a dressing up box and in it was a gorgeous pink straw hat that my late grandma gave me, it was just gorgeous as it had a beautiful pink satin ribbon around it with a pretty bow at the back. I used to love wearing it as a child and putting on some lipstick. Funny though as my grandma's birthday is the 14th May and she would of been 90!

Sarah xx

Janice said...

Well done Joanne, I'm not surprised you have been asked to be a guest designer, your cards are always gorgeous, so professional.

I love to dress up, but you know I found it really hard to remember any particular costume, expect when I got to dress as Charlotte Bronte on a float dedicated to influential women (I was 15 and fitted the dress!)My mum had to pay for me to join the SWRI, like the WI in Scotland, so I could be on the float - this was before Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister as I remember someone on the float dressed as her with a placard saying 'First Woman Prime Minister?' Not yesterday then lol.

Thanks for the opportunity and sorry I went on a bit.

Rachelxx said...

Beautiful cards Joanne.

My dressing up was for a local village competition - I was about 11/12. I cut up my Mums beautiful hand knitted jacket (how could I??!!) my brothers school trousers got the same treatment as did my school hat. I dirtied everything up, including myself) with soil from the garden. Good job I won first prize :-)

Rachel (leggies)

Anonymous said...

Well Done to you Joanne. You certainly deserve it your cards are amazing and dying you own ribbon too!

I used to dress up with a towel on my head and a tennis racket in my hand and sit at the top of the stairs and pretend I was Mary Hopkins. "Those were the days my friends!" LOL

I can't remember why it had to be at the top of the stairs maybe it was the stage. LOL

Simone said...

Hello,
your cards are so beautiful. I love vintage style. As a child I remember one dress: I was a Bonbon-Mädchen, called in english "sweets-girl"? I had a dress which a lot of candies in different colours. When I came home, I had only the empty candy wrapper. What a fun!
Please, sign me in.
Greetings from Germany

shaz earl said...

Congratulations on the design team no wonder your excited and the card is gorgeous, i loved dressing up when i was a kid and still did up to a few years ago with the caravan club but i think my favourite has to be when i was a Pearly Queen, great candy xxx

Wendy - Anntaurus said...

The card is gorgeous and congrats on your news! I had a great dressing up bag when I was young - my mum used to cut things down for me when she had finished with them, so I had a lot of fifties style skirts and she made me a wide elasticated belt with a butterfly buckle on it and I so loved that belt lol - I wore it with everything!

Anonymous said...

Hi Joanne - gorgeous card and well done on the 10,000 mark ! Congrats on the design team news too. My dressing up memories are numerous. One in particular tho is my mum getting sacks from a greengrocers and embroidering large crosses etc on them, platting my hair and sending me out trick or treating as Hiawatha !!! My sister wore the same but no platts !!!!!!!! I can still see the blue crosses now ! Lovely candy too... Love from Burnice (Angel)

- dlm. said...

Joanne - What a beautiful card! The various design elements work so well together. Many congratulations on your good news. I can't wait to see everything that you produce for Crafty Secrets. Well Done!

Anonymous said...

What a truly exquisite card Joanne: You are such an inspirational and talented lady. Congratulations on being invited to join Crafty Secrets' team of Guest Designers. How wonderful to have one of our own appointed to such a prestigious group

I have no recollection of childhood dressing up - apart from winning our road's Coronation Day street party competition decked out as a gypsy (complete with tamborine) - but I met my husband at a fancy dress party when I was 20. I was dressed as a nun and Howard turned up as a vicar - complete with collecting tin and "flags". I guess you could say we were made for each other!

Marion

tinkerbell said...

Congratulations for getting 10,0000 hits on your blog Joanne. They are certainly deserved - your cards are gorgeous. Also congratulations on being made a member of the DT for Crafty secrets.

Love Laura xx

Angie C said...

Congratulations on your blog hits :-)

Also, well done on being on the DT for Crafty Secrets - that is excellent news :-)

As for dressing up when I was a child, I didnt' really - I was more of a tom boy. However, I do remember being a fairy in a school play in the infants and that was quite cool LOL

Linda said...

Many congratulations, and I LOVE that card :)

Lisa Silver said...

Huge congratulations, Joanne!!1 It's so well-deserved! Your cards are absolutely lovely!!!

Huge hugs,
lise

rose said...

congratulations !!
Iam a total crafty secrets freak I just love everything they do
and must say that card is beautiful

Ann said...

Beautiful card & Congratulations too!! As for the dressing up, well I was notorious for it as a child, I used to wait till my mum fell asleep on the sofa after a hard mornings work, then I'd pin about 6 or 7 of her chiffon scarfs onto my head with kirbys, then I'd take all the 45rpm singles from their sleeves & put the up my arms,lipstick, & stillettos (mums) & dance around the living roon, till mum woke up & had a fit at the mess - LOL!! I was an only child with a vivid imagination - I thought I was the Queen of Sheba or a fairy princess!! (early 60s!!) LOL!!! xxx
http://ann-icklehaggiscraftspot.blogspot.com