Happy New Year

managed to find a minute between festivities to say Happy 2010.I hope your festive season is going well, we are almost through the mince pies, christmas cake and pringles- thank goodness! looking forward to getting back onto my diet and eating things that are a bit more healthy!.

Today we solved the mystery of connecting to x-box live, we have spent hours on the help line, followed the troubleshooting on the interweb, changed one wireless gismo as we thought it could be faulty and eventually after a visit from son's friend and the aid of a 25ft long cable we connected manually and then when the wire came out and the wireless gismo was plugged in it knew who we were and now eldest sons gaming life is complete and i can finally relax after wanting to throw it all through the window!.

Other festive happenings were a trip to the ikea sale - oh what joys, I bet those guys in the home delivery section have a few good laughs everyday watching poor souls trying to load too many purchases into a car- us included, we bought far too much so I enquired on delivery -( very expensive so DH decided he would squash it in - (that is a bed, matress, 3 shoe cupboards, a wardrobe, three tables, one stool, a desk and about a million christmas decorations!) after an hour I calmly went back in and paid the delivery charges! - it was not going into the car as we couldn't remember how to remove the dog rack- but how did the people next to us get a double wardrobe in a Daewoo Matiz! - still it wouldn't be a trip to Ikea without a good row!.

Looking forward now to getting back to the shop for a rest!!!!.

Happy Christmas & New Year

Just in case I don't get here before the big day - Happy Christmas & New Year from Polka Dot Crafts - thankyou to everyone who pops by the blog to catch up with what is happening and those of you who visit our shop your support is very much appreciated.

I hope santa brings everything on your list! and if he doesn't , do pop by on the 2nd of Jan and treat yourself as we have a BOGOF! - yes we do -buy one item from the sale wall and get a second item free (to the same value or lower). See you in 2010.

Getting Closer

to the big day, school finished today so no more early mornings for some. We have had more stocks of Staz on, Momento ink (perfect for use with copics), thin double sided tape, along with a few other things. The american delivery I think will be in after christmas now, at least a dull January day will be cheered by a box of goodies!. We have been busy making up Christmas goody boxes for gifts, remember that Monday the 21st will be our last shopping day until Jan 2nd if you want to purchase one, we can make up any value box to suit your budget and tailor it perfectly to your requirements.

Less than

two weeks to go until the big day, although the shop has a tree and festive things up the house is yet to be decorated- the decorations have now made it out of the loft onto the landing and that is where they have stayed- a job for this weekend I think!.

I have been preparing some things for christmas as it is our crop on Sunday I've been busy putting together festive treats for everyone, we have crackers, mince pies and other goodies to eat, a little gift for everyone and I have a game of pass the parcel ready to play!, it was going to a raffle but I thought party games played to carol's would be more fun!.The new class details are now on the side -booking is essential as places are limited, please let us know if you are coming as we would hate to have to turn anyone away on the day.
We have more new stock on it's way hopefully it is making it's way from the USA in time for the new year.

Christmas

before I forget as my head is becoming more sieve like day by day, our last day for shopping is Dec 21st and we will re-open on Jan 2nd 2010!. Remember we have lots of kits ready to go for christmas presents or maybe as a festive treat to yourself, we have gift vouchers for those who want to let peeps choose for themselves and we can also put together crafting boxes filled with goodies around a colour theme to suit any budget. The next class list is at the printers - so if you have requested a leaflet they will be posted out as soon as I get them, places will be limited so you will need to book early.

another box

of goodies awaited me this morning - it was like opening a rainbow - Prima Painterly Petals, sheets of Jenni Bowlin mini cardstock stickers ( these look great with the prima bloomin' retro ), lots of alphabet stickers from Basic Grey, new craft mats , lot's of little charms for your cards & more - we have also put out a bargain bin full of bits & pieces - well worth a rummage as everything is just 50p. We are having loads of techncal issues with the website which is ready to go but we have issues with access until we know everything is perfect it will have stay hidden - the wonders of technologhy eh?!, it is very frustrating.

Finished

it just in time! - We got this advent calendar a week ago from a well known supermarket chain, it was in very bright colours and the boys decided that this was to be this years advent calendar so several days later and lots of gluing and sticking here is the finished house- the papers are ones that I been hoarding for this years Christmas book they are old Heidi Grace ones - we are also staying with the annual Christmas book tradition and taking a photo a day for December - camera ready on Tuesday! and then they will go into the book each day or that is the theory so that by the end of December the book is finished and not dragging on until it is time for Easter!.

The craft fair

experience , was very tiring!, i admire all the people out there doing these fairs week in and week out it is a long day with lots of packing and unpacking and re packing beacuse you can't quite work out when going home how you packed it in the first place so it all fitted!. We met some lovely people who have promised to visit now they know where we are, we did a make a take accordion tag book from one single piece of paper, evryone really liked it, I think it may make an appearance on the next lot of craft classes. I am thinking of starting a Monday get together in the shop on a Monday from 10 till 12- no classes as such just come along and delve into the goody box to make cards, if it is something you are interested in drop me an email, i was thinking of starting it week after next.

more papers

gosh they are like buses you wait ages and then two come along at once!!! - all of the blooming retro is now out on display along with the co-ordinating flowers, packs of matching buttons, ribbons etc. Bo Bunny's persuaion has also been unpacked after spending last night in the local post office! and that has also made it's way into the paper trays, we have some some of the new prima e-line pearls and crystals to match them. We have also gone festive in the shop with the addition of a couple of christmas trees and lots of hanging snowflakes. Please note that next saturday (27th) the shop will be closed as we are attending a craft show, all other days are business as usual!.

Prima

has landed!!! blooming retro is gorgeous.

Phew

what a busy weekend - Saturday we met a group of lovely scrappers who were staying at the guide hut in the village on a scrapping retreat- it was fantastic to meet such a lovely bunch, they all had a little goody bag from us and one lucky lady won a filled tote in our raffle prize- I dropped it off later in the afternoon when the rain finally subsided - I arrived just as the Pizza came out of the oven it smelt like heaven ( I am on a diet- again!) , they all looked like they were having a great time, I had a quick peek at the desks- there were some fantstic projects on the go.
Today was Crop day, our little unit was bursting at the seams as we were full to capacity and it looks like next month is a sell out again too!- we had a very productive day lots of mini albums were being worked on and various other projects - there were plenty of laughs, plenty of coffee drunk and lots of cardstock bought, I think everyone was stocking up!.
Fingers crossed my parcel arrives tomorrow - all of our christmas papers have sold out so the paper shelves need filling with new pretty papers!.

On there way

well technically they are here if being stuck in the parcel depot counts! - hopefully if the long automated telephone redelivery system works the gorgeous Prima Blooming Retro papers will be delivered to the shop on Monday, they look gorgeous. The website is nearly done ( i know it's been an age and i have promised it before!), we are hoping it will be handed over to us this weekend for us to update and publish- I hope our editing skills are up to scratch!. Sunday is the monthly crop- we are full i'm afraid but you can put yourself on the reserve list for next month's- I will pop the date on the side bar when it is confirmed. Classes are almost over for November, we won't have any in December as I think it is a busy month for most but we will be back in January with another two month rolling programme.

Remembrance

I have finally sat down tonight to make some cards with the new Sugar Nellie's they have been looking me all week shouting use me!, while colouring then in we have been watching the Remembrance sevice on TV- our local choir performed dame Vera Lynne's We'll meet again.Most of my cards have turned out to be hues of red and green influenced by the poppy I think!.

They shall grow not old as we that are left grow old.Age shall not weary them.nor the years condem.At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.

Happy Halloween

A day early I know but it will soon be the witching hour!- Halloween is quite big in the crafting world it would seem - lots of you have been busy making cards for friends and supplies for making treat boxes have been snapped up - we still have a selection of things available but all the kits have now gone i'm afraid. We don't get any Trick or Treaters calling at home but we have decorated a Haloween Tree and have some spooky candles to light, and in the shop there will be a gruesome sweet treat in each shopping bag tomorrow!.

On Monday the Halloween display will be coming down, the place is going to look very underdressed without the cobwebs and all the plastic spiders - I think the window will have an autumnal feel to it next week and it means I can recycle the pumpkins!, and of course it won't be too long until the christmas tree makes an appearance.

We have received our Sugar Nellie stamps today- they are fantastic just shouting out to be made into cards.

Matches?

our advent class is proving popular with places filling fast almost faster than I can unfill the matchboxes- so far I have emptied over two hundred boxes and we still need more - I did manage to pass through the till area of a well know shop with a basket full without the lady on the till batting an eye lid - I wonder what she thought I could possibly need them all for!.

You can email to book a seat or give us ring, I will be back behind the counter tomorrow with my two helpers in tow due to the autumn break - we did take a trip out to the seaside today it was so windy we nearly fell over, I must admit i am now looking forward to the x-factor elimination while colouring a few stamped images with my copics- we have a new range of stamps due to arrive this week from a small scottish company- clue the first word is a sweetner often used in tea and coffee and the second rhymes with telly!- they are very cute stamps and will be great for colouring- don't forget we have a few anya's left but they are now limited- they have proved to be very popular.

Look what we ordered today!

Couldn't resist the new Bo Bunny Papers - they are gorgeous and they are on there way to us! hopefully by mid november they will be settled into the paper trays before going off to new homes.

Bling It On!

we are all sparkly today, a huge delivery of gorgeous Basic Grey Bling has arrived, these little packets of crystals and pearls are gorgeous, you can use them as they are perfect for your cards or scrapbook pages as a complete embellishment, a few of these I am sure will find there way into my stash, they retail at just £1.99 - great value for a whole pack of prettiness.We had a great day at the crop yesterday, for the first time we ventured across our courtyard into our other building , I was going to take pictures but the camera battery

was dead!, one of our ladies provided us with homemade scones, homemade raspberry jam, butter & jersey cream- we had a fantastic cream tea although I think our waistlines may disagree! - the next one is November 15th - bookings are being taken now.

Flying By

another week nearly over, the sun is shining again today which is good as the shop window needed a rejig - by the time it had been cleaned, all of the last display removed and the new display in, it was nearly lunch time , it is a tiny window but I had a bag of fake cobwebs to contend with as we have a very spooky window for the next couple of weeks! at least the plastic spiders are behaving themselves!.

Sunday is Crop day- we only have two spaces left so if you want to crop 'n' shop on Sunday between 10am & 4pm for only £5 including refreshments give us a ring, the shop is open tomorrow 9.30am - 4.30pm for bookings. I have listed the new classes at the side, we have a special offer on these classes £9 each or book any two for just £15. choose from two different card classes, matchbox advent or the christmas star book- they are all lovely.

going, going

gone- that is this weeks delivery of copics - if you were pondering on them or thinking that maybe Santa would like to bring you a set! do not despair, we can order more pleae email us if you want a set.

I spent a little while last night stamping the anya stamps, they stamp beautifully, the impression is really crisp , clear and perfect.

So today between ironing and packing the school kits for tomorrow I am going to sit by the woodburner with a dvd on - not sure I can persuade the men of the house they really would like to watch mamma mia again!.

Lots

of nice new things!-

first we have Copic Ciao markers- these are fantastic for colouring in your stamped images- we have just one full set left of both the pack a & b- it gives you the full range of 144 pens which includes the blender- we have a special offer available at just £225 for the the full set including the cases.

Then we have the most gorgeous funky stamps from 'The Greeting Farm'- the single stamps are just £4.99 and the trio is just £11.99- they are red rubber and mounted on easy mount ready to stick to your block and stamp.

It's all happening

behind the scenes!- we had a sneek preview last night of our super duper web site, it looks great, a few more tweeks here and there and a mammouth stock loading job and we will be ready to go!, it is a fully secure site with shopping cart, payment by cards or paypal, and you will also be able to book classes and crops.

It has been a real autumn day today, as I was driving around on the school run it dawned on me that the trees are starting to look a lovely golden colour and some leaves are already dropping- I think I feel a few autumnal layouts may make an appearance soon, the bo bunny spendour range will be perfect, on friday I will be filling my shopping bucket with a few of these.

Friday

again- I am sure someone is shortening the weeks!- I was informed this morning that it will soon be half term!! and then christmas!!.

The weather is still nice and fairly warm which is a bonus, although the shop looks decidely spooky in one corner - we found some fake cobwebs which look fantastic on the brickwork and it will save on a bit of dusting over the next few weeks!.

Lots of new stock again this week- some great little halloween tags, christmas stamps-14 acrylic stamps for just £7.50 & lots more christmassy things in the same range- perect for cards, layouts and mini albums, cute little stamps & more. There are just two spaces left on this Sunday's minibook class if you fancy coming along. We also have a meeting with the tech guys tonight who are doing the website fingers crossed we can finally unveil it soon.

Weekend again

Wow this week has passed in a blur and it isn't over yet!- if you are passing the shop this week pop in and take a look at all the different kits we have on offer - there are lots of different ones for just a £5 - we also have some super embelishment packs- 'Front Porch' is pictured and it is only £4.99 for everything in the picture (journal cards differ).We also have a rather spooky section that has appeared ready for Halloween!.

I have put both kits in the blog shop on the right - p&p is free! - just click to buy

FREE

Tickets- we have a pair of free tickets to give away for the Rubber Stamp Festival at Port Sunlight on 10th October - to be in with a chance of winning them visit the shop and for every ~£10 you spend we will put your name in the draw, you have up until the 28th of September to enter - we will then draw the winner, don't forget you also get a loyalty sticker for every £10 you spend as well. The halloween kits are nearly ready to go on sale as well- I will post a pic on friday of the completed kit. Also this Sunday is crop day, tomorrow night is Card class but I am sorry to say it is sold out but new classes are coming soon! - we are busy cutting, sticking and preparing!.

Ho Ho Ho

I finally caved in and let a little bit of christmas into the shop! - out first delivery arrived today and as soon as the papers saw the sunlight they were demanding to be put on the shelves! - so out they have gone- we have papers from Bo Bunny 'Tis the Season' - here are some of them:

The papers start at just 90p and those gorgoeus acrylic stamps are £5.99 for seven stamps.

The new classes wil be announced over the next couple of weeks & the next crop is on the 20th of September- book your place soon!.

Tangerine Dream

as the weather is dull , I decided to add a bit of zing to the day by putting together some kits using the Jenni Bowlin Tangerine Dream Range - the kits are just £4.99 (including p&p) and you get all of the following items:

6- 4" x 4" mini papers

5- 1/2 metres lengths of co-ordinating ribbon

1- bag containing 7 buttons of various sizes & colours, a pinch each of turquoise sparkle gems in two sizes ready to stick to your projects

1- bag containing 7 acrylic (flowers in two colours & sizes

1 shaped journalling card (shapes vary)

2 rectangular journalling cards (designs vary)

1 luagge tag wrapped with 3 x 1/2 metres of crepe ribbon- all different designs

and the cost - rrp £6.50 - you can purchase on from the store on the right hand side of the blog.

More Stock

yeah! - one of the parcels I am waiting for arrived today - it was a delivery of the most beautiful clear acrylic stamps, little cards, sayings and tags , I am sorry to say that alot of it was snapped up by crafters who spotted there gorgeousness before they made it as far as a hook on the wall, I am sorry because I was not able to bag myself some of these cute 'dear' stamps, another order is being placed tonight!. I also couldn't resisit these gorgeous baby packs- we have them in pink and blue, and how cute are the whales, perfect for your holiday mini book or layouts of your little ones.