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Monday 8 December 2014

Christmas time.....Eek already?















Just a few of the Christmas cards I have been making xxx I cant believe where the time has gone I will blog a few more when I get them photographed for now please bare with me. I will be Bouncing back soon. Some may know I have been a bit off colour for a few days ....but nothing keeps me down for long xxxx Take care keep warm and see you all very soon I hope .

Hugs Bernie xxxx

Tuesday 28 October 2014

Hobby Art October.....Leaves .Parks and a little bit of Poppins

Hi Everyone it's that time of the month again doesn't it come round quick, Our Jenny from Hobby Art is on the TV today and I have a few samples to share and I am so looking forward to see Jenny and Becki Mayes at NEC next week along with good Friends Naomi Mahon, Theresa Pace, Amanda Branston and Claire Byrne The last year has passed in the blink of an eye and despite a very rocky start to the beginning of the year I have never been happier our classes are now being held nearly one each week  and art on the class has grown and evolved with lots of new friends and faces and sadly but not unexpectedly we have had to say goodbye to a few as well ...

I will blog some of the class makes next week but for now here are my samples for this months Hobby Art.  I enjoyed playing with these sets ...Walk In The Park  Falling Leaves and Sunny Day Greetings.  I love them all I hope you do too. xxx




Tuesday 7 October 2014

Blog Hop...or War And Peace!

Hi All I have been asked on a couple of occasions to be part of a blog hop ...the first a few weeks ago by the lovely Veronica Pell Which due to time constraints I had to say no to. Sorry Veronica. x This time by my crafting buddy Kay Foreman if you get a chance take a look at Kay's Blog a very very talented lady I'm sure you will agree x  you can find Kay here http://handcraftedbykay.blogspot.co.uk/

From what I understand I have to give a short introduction to myself and my crafting.
Well I'm married it will be our Silver Anniversary in November this year...I have 2 Sons James  23 who works in business law as part of the civil service, and Rory 19 who lives at home and it at college studying life skills.

I grew up in London with a English Protestant Father and Strong devout  Irish Roman Catholic Mother to say my view of religion was confused was an understatement!

I hated Sewing and knitting and all the girly crafts my Mother tried to get me into as a child. I would much rather be out scrambling over the remains of a bombed out house than sat with a needle add to the fact that our sewing machine was a trundle one with the foot rest that you rocked to get the machine to work......and miss impatient here wanted to make something NOW its no wonder that sewing and I were never compatible...

After years of being a tomboy despite my mothers best efforts to have me otherwise, I found my first love....Horses I was never more at home then sat in a saddle, or galloping over a few jumps....This was it,  this was what I wanted to do with my life....Alas things didn't quiet work out like that.

I left School with a good selection of exams under my belt and was then part of the NYT (National Youth Theatre) I had it in mind to study Drama and English with a view of joining RADA.  Oh I dont kid myself I would have been no Julie Andrews!  But a good comedic actress with fairly good timing able to sing and dance a bit. Till I auditioned for Oliver! Many years ago, and during the Omm Papa bit twirled and did myself a mischief by falling into the orchestra pit !
 NEXT!

Dad died around this time after fighting a long battle with Cancer.  I took it badly and began working all the hours god sent often having three jobs at a time ...this went on for a number of years I moved out from Mums and rented a basement flat just behind the what was then RAINBOW theatre .19a Coleridge Road.  Funny how some thing's stick in your mind!
It was then while working one of the many bar jobs I met my husband Ian. 25th November 1986 it was a Tuesday night and I was ten minutes late, it was cold and rainy and Pat the manager knew I would be late as it was Eastenders night.... we had an arrangement.  I would come in early on Mondays and Wednesdays as she liked Corrie ...it worked well.
 So after a triad of banter, between this cheeky ginger haired chappy and myself.   (It turns out he was one of Her Majesty's Royal Marines,  sent on a hotel and catering course to enable him after leaving the marines to hopefully find a job in civvy street).  I looked and my watch it read 9.30pm and I remember thinking I could marry you ....three years later to the day we did.

We moved to Coventry and Mum moved with us I was her only child and all her other relatives were dead....or had lost contact.  Since Dad died she had become increasingly frail.  Ian and I married on a bittley cold November day but with bright blue sky ...life was good.

Coventry soon became Home and Stoneleigh Showground the home to The Royal Show and what was the Town and Country Festival. It was there I found by accident my love of craft.  Not card or stamping but beading.  Making my own earrings, and necklaces designing sourcing different and unusual beads selling them to help pay for my hobby.  Then along came the boy's . First James then Rory.  So the beads had to go away, too much temptation for little hands and mouths!  Ian far from working in Hotel and catering opened a Mobile Phone shop. These had just become fashionable and where on the top of everyone's Christmas list we looked to move and open shops elsewhere but where?...Ian came to Plymouth and opened a shop here it was doing well very well, but taking more and more of his time.  We moved to Plymouth and It was while we were here we found out after many tests that  Rory was on the autistic spectrum .....we found him a really fantastic special needs school Mill Ford with an outstanding head John Hill I have seldom come across anyone as dedicated to the Children  and their Parents as John was.  I needed to learn Sign Language as one of Rory's disabilities means he can't talk he has maybe ten words that he can say clearly ...so I asked...well Begged! If  I could work in school to learn to sign  we used Makaton and BSL and during one of my many days there I was tasked to clear out one of the many ART cupboards THIS is where is all started I found glitter ink paint foam stamps and a collection of all sorts upon this discovery I was then asked would I like to do something with it .....Erm well where to start Bookmarks I know we'll make bookmarks.

Years later here I am very proud member of the wonderful Hobby Arts team which I love. Jenny and Becki Mayes are awesome the stamps especially the scene it set are fabulous .....I have had a long and mainly happy crafting journey. Learning so much along the way and meeting so many lovely people. I count myself blessed to have made so many friends real lifelong friends along the way and that counts for an awful lot don't you think ?








Above are a few of my favorite makes from my year at Hobby Art.   I Teach craft workshops and count myself so very lucky that I can make my hobby my job if you are ever in Plymouth and fancy an Arty Crafty workshop then please do drop me a pm always happy to make a new friend 

I Nominate Amanda Branston

Monday 29 September 2014

Christmas card TV Samples for Hobby Art









Loved the New Winter Scene it set. It;s called Woodland Glade there are 13 stamps and its designed for Hobby Art by Sharon Bennett The set has Cottages, Reindeer, Bare trees  just so much you can do with these stamps And at £9.99 its incredible value.

Derrick the fox was another firm favourite too, he comes with a friend Rodney the Reindeer but due to time constraints I only had time to make Derrick ! They come as a set with a Warmest wishes at Christmas, sentiment or separately  There is also a Church and country view set with can be used together or separately or in conjunction with other sets.....I would add colour to this it does not have to be a winter set....though for the purpose of the samples today I have kept it to a winter scene .

My Autumn leaves..... I love the colours for me this is were crafting starts I look at a colour and think I want to do something with that ....So I cut leaves using my Cricut then used the card left to sponge the colour through.....simples !

Thank you for your visit I hope you like the samples as much as I enjoyed making them xxxxx

Sunday 21 September 2014

Arty Crafters Sept ....Wind your Rubberneckers in!

Oh What fun we had Friday ....our day has changed but we are still the same mad bunch this month we attempted with varying success Brushos and Rubbernecker stamps. We ended up with some lovely results







Monday 1 September 2014

Bernie Plays Nice first cards with Brushos








Using the Bird On A Wire stamp by Inkylicious  and The Butterfly Tree by Sweet Poppy Stencil's Never having used these paints before I had no idea what to expect I think because of this I just played ....I was amazed by the results the Birdies were stamped first   with Versafine Onyx Black, and heat embossed with clear powder then the paint sprinkled over the image and water spritzed over the top the powder explodes into intense colour....

The Sweet Poppy Stencil The Butterfly Tree was taped to water colour card and the colours sprinkled over the stencil the water spritzed over that again ...I quiet like that effect also ...well I hope you like my Bernie played nice today xxx

Friday 29 August 2014

Hobby Art August DT samples.

Well I am sitting here thinking its more like November then August with the rain lashing down outside a long sleeved top on jeans and socks...SOCKS in August! ....it did make this months cards a tad easier to make though as the theme is again Christmas.

This months stamps are right up my street.....and whilst I like the cute ones I struggle with them I like the scene its and stamps that are more well....versatile.  The Penguins are fab but with their santa hats can only really be used for Christmas the same with the owls.....OWL'S AT CHRISTMAS!!! yes just wait and see.
We had my very favourite bird to play with Robin's I love these birds we see them over the park as we are walking the dogs, when I see one I always think of my Dad. He used to say if ever there is such a thing as reincarnation he will come back as a Robin. So whenever I see one I say a silent Hello Dad .....xx

Here are the Samples I made using Hobby Arts lovely stamps.