Wednesday 27 January 2010

Jewellery Workshop with Lynn

We have a great selection of Metallic beads and Puff Hearts which are new in the shop...aren't they gorgeous?

Lynn will be making this stunning Metallic bead necklace at her next Jewellery workshop. If you would like to book your place why not call us on 01635 860900, visit the shop or e-mail lynn@flutterbycrafts.co.uk.

Jewellery Making Workshop
Thursday, 4th February - 6.30 'til 8.30 pm

For more details of our Beading and Jewellery Making Workshops during the next few months click here.

ProMarker Challenge - Thank you

All the entries for the ProMarker Club Challenge have been submitted. Now all we need is for you to vote so we can have a winning card. The challenge was to use any stamp with your ProMarker pens but the theme was "Thank You". Please check out the lovely cards below and cast your vote leaving a comment below stating your favourite card. The winner will be announced at the next ProMarker Challenge Club, so hurry up and vote NOW.

If you don't know how to leave a comment below click here for instructions ....it's so easy!

Card #1

Card #2

Card #3

Card #4

Please click here for further details if you would like to book on the next ProMarker Challenge Club to be held on Saturday, 6th February between 2.00 and 4.00 pm at Flutterby Crafts.

Tuesday 26 January 2010

Rubber Stamping for Beginners - Stazon

Just to let you newbies know that Nicky has a Rubber Stamping for Beginners Class on Saturday, 30th January followed by a Colouring for Adults Class on Saturday, 13 March at Flutterby Crafts.

Nicky will teach you how to get the best from your rubber stamps and then a few weeks later (once you have had time to practice) she will teach you how to colour in your images.


Rubber Stamping for Beginners
Saturday, 30th January - 2.00 'til 4.00pm

Colouring for Adults
Saturday, 13 March - 2.00 'til 4.00pm

Cost £12.50 per session and all materials are provided.

If you book into both workshops you will receive a free Stazon Ink Pad of your choice.

To book your place, give us a call on 01635 860900, pop into the shop or e-mail us on lynn@flutterbycrafts.co.uk

Saturday 16 January 2010

Snow or no snow

We are such a perverse lot!! When the winters have been warm, we have all moaned about the good old days when you knew the difference between the seasons. Summer was summer and winter was bloody cold!

So this year we have a VERY cold snap. The ice arrives. The snow comes. And then we all start longing for it to warm up and melt!!! Ho, hum, life cannot win.

Over the Christmas and New Year period it looked beautiful as we stood in the shop looking out over the Kennet Valley. The fields and hills were covered in pristine white snow, it was gorgeous - but dangerous to move around in.

Today the snow has been melted by the rain and winds that came over night. The temperature (out of the wind) has risen to a balmy 4 degrees. It is now safe to come out of our shells into the open air. The only down side is that it looks dull and grey out over those same hills.

Thank goodness spring is just around the corner - the eveenings will be getting lighter, the trees will be turning green and the daffodils will be turning their little yellow heads to the sun. There, that thought has just put a smile back on my face.

Have a good weekend and enjoy lots of crafting.

Lynn xx

Thursday 14 January 2010

Snow Family been down the pub!

You may remember I posted an entry of our snow family made by my children during the last snowfall. As the thaw is beginning to set in we all had a giggle as they opened their bedroom curtains this morning.......

......Thomas exclaimed "they look drunk"!

Tuesday 12 January 2010

Newsletter - 8th January

Hi Everybody

Happy New Year to you all and what a start to the New Year.

Can I just say - Yea! We finished the stocktake this afternoon - at 2.55pm to be exact!! Considering the problems that we had with the snow this is quite an achievement and I want to thank all the girls very much for the hard work that they put in this week. They have all struggled to get in through the snow and the only day that we could not work was Wednesday, when we did not have any electricity or telephones at the shop.

I have a question for all the card makers amongst you: how many peel-offs do we have in the paper shop (to the nearest 100)?

And for the beaders - what is the total weight (in Kg) of seed beads in the sweet jars behind the counter?

Have a go at answering the questions - there is a prize on offer for the winning entry!!!!

Anyway, it means that the shops are now back open as normal. I have so missed you all. I hate the shops being empty. It's like cooking a dinner and finding that no one has come home to eat it!!

What a week it has been with all the snow. I expect a lot of you are becoming stir crazy with being stuck at home. I hope that you have all been making the most of the enforced home stay to catch up on some crafting. If you have and you are beginning to run out of supplies, do not worry - we are accessible. The A4 is pretty clear and we have a wonderful farm manager (we love you Nick!!) and he has done a great job of clearing the snow from the driveway & the farmyard. And, remember, it is due to snow (again!!) on Sunday so it might be an idea to get stocked up before the bad weather hits once more.

I have put some photos of the shop in the snow on the blog. Scroll down to older posts to see them!

Although the shop is accessible, I am worried about the stairs to the workshop and especially as the new term is due to start next week. It might be an idea to give us a call before the class just to check that we are able to use the stairs to the workshop.

So, here goes to this year and what it has to offer us. There is a copy of the new workshop listing on the website. Click for a copy.

Next week Nicky and I are going for some previews of the new Trimcraft products (hey, WE get to play!!), then in February we will be having our trip to our big trade show. Here come the girls, we are going to have fun!! Then we come back and let you all in on the secrets - hee, hee, hee.

The latest Promarker Challenge will be closing at the end of next week, 15th January. So there is still time to get your card in. Remember that the challenge was to make a 'Thank You' card using your Promarker pen. I did not give any further instruction other than that. So, make that card and get it sent in - thats an order!!

Deborah Foulkes won the last challenge with her card featuring the Indian Squaw stamp from the Ollifant set. Well done, Deborah!

What else? Well here is an idea that I am just throwing into the air. I did not run the coach to the NEC last November, mainly because of the lack of support that I had the previous year. But, I am willing to give it another go this year. If you would be interested in my running a coach for the Hobbycrafts show at the NEC in March and/or the one in November, can you let me know - depending on the response I will find out some details and see what can be done.

Next week I am hoping to get a questionaire out to you all. I need some input from you to enable me to make some decisions for the coming year. I am wanting to find out about which magazines you all read and where you look for your crafting inspirations (apart from your favourite craft shop). What type of classes would you like us to run and what time of the day/day of the week. Things like that.

I will send out the questionaire as soon as I have written it. Everybody that responds will receive a voucher and their names will be put into a prize draw to win a desk top magnifying lamp (worth £35). So get ready to answer those questions.

So there we go for now. Read it all over again and remember to send in your answer to the questions about the stock. You never know, you might be the winner. And watch out for next weeks prize draw questionaire.

Have a quiet weekend and take care in the snow. Happy crafting.

With best wishes

Lynn and the Star Girls.

Saturday 9 January 2010

Snow family!

I know the novelty of the snow may be wearing thin for some of you but the kids just love it.

My children have relished every day they have checked on-line to see if their schools were closed. So, this week they have had the best week ever. My three children aged 5yrs, 9yrs and 11yrs made our family out of snow!

They range from Daddy who is 6ft 6ins.....it took four kids and a teenager to put the head on the body to make him tall! Then me, whoops I didn't check, there was talk of them putting boobies on me! Then Thomas, Alice and the smallest snowman is Matthew. We were running out of carrots and had to substitute them for parsnips! It certainly kept them amused and quiet for several hours. Hopefully it has made you smile before our next snowfall!

Friday 8 January 2010

I said it is beautiful











Here are some photos of the shop in the snow. How pretty it looks up here. Lucky for us, we have a wonderful farm manage (Nick, we love you!) and he has done a fantastic job of clearing the snow from the drive and the farm yard. So it is no problem getting up to us to have your fix of craft goodies.


xx

Wednesday 6 January 2010

How beautiful it all looks!!

Hello, Everybody.

Well, it LOOKS lovely out there. I hope you are all safe. I managed to get to the shop, briefly, this morning - but there is no lighting, no phones and no computer. So I have come home and I am working from here. Joy.

I am sure nobody is trying to get to the shop. My advise is stay at home and do some crafting. We will be up in action asap.

Take it easy.

Lynn x

Monday 4 January 2010

ProMarker Challenge Winner!

We have a winner for the ProMarker Challenge Club that was set by Nicky on 7th November.

The winner is Deborah Foulkes - Card #1

Deborah was in the shop last week to collect her prize of ProMarker pens.

Nicky had given the members of the ProMarker Challenge Club some stamped images which they coloured in using the colours BLUE and BROWN with their ProMarkers. Thank you for all the entries and well done Deborah!

For more details of the ProMarker Club click here. Another challenge will be set at the next :-

ProMarker Challenge Club
6 February , 2-4pm
£7.50 per person

If you would like to book your place at the next ProMarker Challenge Club call us on 01635 860900, pop into the shop or email us on lynn@flutterbycrafts.co.uk.