Newsletter - 10th February 2010

Hi Everybody

I hope you all survived the last lot of bad weather. Apparently it is due to come back at the end of this week, but I am told that it will not be as bad as before. Mind you, if we were in Toronto wanting to take part in the Winter Olympics, we would be glad to see the snow!!

I have been a bit lax on the information updates lately, I am sorry. Grant and I have been busy with the decorating and it was a big job. We did a job on the hallway and landing that we have been meaning to do since we moved into the house. Well, when I say 'WE' I really mean 'HE'. It needed the walls stripping right back (all those years of painting over the wallpaper was very hard to get off), coving & dado rails put up - the works. But it does look gorgeous. Just needs a few bits of nicky nacks to finish it off. He is a wonderful husband - but don't let him know I said that.

Anyway, back to getting mind onto work now.

Thank you to everybody that returned their questionaires. There is one more week left for anybody that still wants to return it. All returns, received so far, should have received their 10% voucher and the draw for the Craft Lamp will take place on the 18th February. I am going to ask one of the children from the Half-term Kids Klub to pull out the winning name.

Once the draw has taken place we will be going through all the answers and, hopefully, it will help us to sort out things that you ladies (and gents) would like.

The workshop programme is now well underway and things are livening up. Nicky's Tuesday afternoon Cardmaking Club has got a lovely group of ladies coming to it and the club was selected as Craft Club of the month in last months Quick Cards magazine. How cool is that? They have won a Big Shot, so I am looking forward to seeing what they make of that. There is still room for more, so come an join them and make some gorgeous cards.

The Tuesday evening Beading Class is getting back into a swing after the New Year break. Ruth has got some beautiful designs for us all to stitch. This class is my personal relaxation time. I sit and make with the rest of the Ladies. Great fun!

The Ladies that came to last Saturdays Promarker Club had great fun learning how to get the fur/texture effect with their Promarker pens and a new challenge was set. The winner of the last challenge, set on the December meeting, was Kirsty Cook and she won a Crafters Companion craft bag. Well done Kirsty. Her card will be put on the blog over the next day or so.

The rest of the classes are building well and we are having a good laugh while making something to cherish or give to someone special.

Remember that it is half-term next week and we will have the Kids Kraft Klub. Ruth is going to get the Kids making some jewellery on the Tuesday and a mini-scrap book on the Thursday. Fantastic way of keeping the kids occupied while you have a bit of peace!!

Please note that we have changed the days from Tuesday/Friday to Tuesday/Thursday. This will become the standard for school holidays. Every Tuesday and Thursday during the holidays.

The weekend at the end of half term is our traditional weekend away meeting all the Trade Suppliers and seeing all the new crafting bits & pieces that are coming out this year. Nicky is going to find out about all the new papercrafting bits and Ruth is going to check out the bead suppliers. And Me, well I am going to play Lady Muck and swan around 'networking'. My job is to find some nice suppliers who will help sponsor our new project.

Would you like to know what our new project is???

Well, I am going to tell you. Hopefully you will find this exciting.

We are going to be having a Craft Retreat in October. A whole weekend of staying in a 5* hotel, being waited on while having a great time crafting, do more crafting and THEN doing even MORE crafting. How does that sound?

Nicky, Tracy and I will be running it, Joanna will be organising it and the rest of the girls will be taking care of the shops while we have fun.

The Retreat will take place on the weekend of the 8th - 10th October and we will be starting with a dinner on Friday followed by crafting playtime before bedtime. Saturday will be full of workshops (with a bit of SPA time in the afternoon) followed by a Gala Dinner and Craft Quiz evening. Sunday will have much of the same (yes, even MORE crafting) before heading back home to reality. But, you will take away a goody bag with loads of great pressies.

We will be basing the crafts around the event for that time of the year (shhh, that means using the 'C' word!) and we will be using the latest products. This retreat will be based around gift making within the papercrafts with a bit of playing with beads and, maybe, some paints or something. I am not going to give too much away just yet! Joanna will be giving out snippets of ideas on the blogs nearer the time.

Interested? Want to know more? Fancy a weekend away having fun? Contact us now and we will send you out the details. Call me on 01635 860900 or email me at lynn@flutterbycrafts.co.uk and I will arrange for an information pack to come out to you.

If this retreat goes well then we have plans for future ones further afield and taking in other crafts. So come and join us.

So, what more have I got to say? Have you seen Pepper & Friends? Pepper & Friends are the latest designs from Dovecraft and they are gorgeous. We have had some great fun with them. There are loads of new card and scrapbook samples in the shop at the moment.

Ruth has got some new beads to play with in the Bead shop this week. Spring colours if I remember rightly. Large and small. Some beautiful feature beads. My imagination is flowing, I just need time to play.

And today we took stock of some new glass dishes, lovely and different. Loads of new serviettes are due in next week, so I will be having fun big time.

And watch out for new things once we have been to the trade show next week. I will keep you updated as the weeks go on.

Well that is it, time to stop talking and time to make someone I know (and love) a very special Valentine card (can't really go to Clintons can I?!?!?!).

Have a good week. Keep safe. Keep snug. Keep crafting.

With best wishes from

Lynn and the Girls

Remember to contact us and get your Craft Retreat info pack!!