Stitches 2011 - PART 1

I had an amazing time at Stitches this year!
Especially as it started off with a workshop with Tim Holtz!!

I set off with Elaine, who makes samples for our QVC shows, on Saturday morning - arrived at our hotel adjacent to the NEC at lunchtime - dumped our bags and hot footed it over to the workshop. This is a workshop that Ranger do the day before Stitches to introduce shop owners & demonstrators to the brand new products - so that we can then pass on this knowledge to customers etc.

There were 50 or so of us, I think, all sat at tables of 4 - Lindsay Mason, Myself, Elaine and a lovely lady named Dot (wish I could remember which store she was from!) sat at the very front table!! Swots!!! LOL!!

Tim introduced everyone and told us that we would be doing 3 canvases in 3 hours - Yipppeeee!
So, we got started - the first canvas was by Tim himself and it was gorgeous!!

What do you think of my finished one??

It was using the fabulous new Distress Stains; Printed Resist Papers; Grungeboard; Masking Tape & Sizzix Dies - everything was pre-cut for us (which must have been a huge job - so thankyou to everyone involved in the prep of these workshsops) so we inked and distressed to our hearts content to produce this grungetastic canvas!
Just too chose now which wall to put it on at home!

Next up a canvas with Dyan Reaveley of Art from the Heart. Dyan has just launched a range of stamps and she is a big lover of journalling and spritzing - so we did this fab canvas with her too:

Isn't it cool!! We used the gorgeous new Perfect Pearls Mist Sprays and Perfect Pearls Confections - together with the new and definetley improved Adirondack Acrylic Paint Dabbers! These have been changed beyond belief! They are now in a much better bottle - much easier to squeeze and the paint has been made more fluid so that it can be used so much easier - FAB!

Next, but no means least, was a canvas using Claudine Hellmuth products. Unfortunately, Claudine could not be at Stitches so Tim taught this section!

Mine is not yet finished yet - I feel that it needs something more - a work in progress you might say:

Will post a picture again when I have titivated it!! We used Claudines new stamps where you stamp the background first with her amazing paints and then stamp the outline over the top with Archival Ink - Loved this canvas- especially the background using a sheet from a dictionary!!

The lovely Mario was, as always, on hand to assist - Mario is Tim Holtz' Assistant and such a lovely, lovely bloke. Grabbed a hug and a quick photo with him. He is a HUGE twitterer! So if you have a Twitter account make sure you follow him - mariojrossi - You will have to get used to his pictures of Starbucks all the time - he is more addicted than me!!!!! Lol!!!

When the class had finished and after having a quick catch up with Paula Pascual and more with Lindsay Mason - me and Elaine went back to the hotel for a quick refresh and then we met up with my friends of Stix2. These guys are a hoot!! Brian and his wife Ruth always make you feel so welcome and it was great to catch up with them again - together with Michelle who demonstrates for them. We had such a giggle over dinner - there were 16 of us alltogether - and so many stories of drunken nights and adventures - they could write a book!

Finally went to bed at about midnight and left them drinking - I am such a half pint now!!!!

Next day, Sunday, was the first day of the show and me and Elaine could not wait to get in there! I was taking photos all the time - I am just going through them all now, so PART 2, will be blogged tomorrow with photos of samples; new goodies and more.

On a side note, don't forget the TSV with Tim Holtz launches tonight at midnight on QVC - These are a few of the things that I made last week using it.
I truly loved the kit and have played, sorry worked!!, so much with it I just know you are going to love it too!

Enjoy and I'll be back tomorrow with more!

Hugs

Amy

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