Ally Pally - Spendy spends and Friendy Friends ...

So I 'm back from a great day at Ally Pally for the first Big Stamp and Scrapbooking Show of the year... a chance to meet up with old - and new - friends and splurge...

As the Version Scrap show in Paris clashed this year, Paperartsy were represented by some of the "'patwits" and Nina's Crafting Time .... Leandra had lined up several guest demonstrators - cue Darcy, Liz, Alison, Gabrielle, Emma  and Jo.

I arranged to meet the lovely Miriam, travelling up from Bristol at Kings Cross, little did we know there are two ways down to the Piccadilly tube line that we needed for the end of the journey to Ally Pally... but we found one another eventually..

First stop is always Paperartsy, where the demonstrations had just got under way...

 Darcy working on a chipboard hangy thing

 Alison using Sara Naumann and Ellen Vargo stamps...

 Miram (left) and Jo Vickery... what I love about crafters, and twitter/facebook, is you can chat to people for months, never having met them before, then you do, and it's like you've know them forever... Fabulous to finally meet you, Miriam!

 Lin buying some laser cut pieces for herself (and Sam)

 then we went back to see these fabulous pieces Alison had made - didn't think we'd been gone THAT long!!

then it was Gabrielle's turn... ably assisted by her lovely daughter Freya

 we gave her the colours, she made the art!  This was Bora Bora, Bougainvillea and Chalk.. I think

 some of Gabrielle's tags she brought with her... love these flower ladies!

 this was another one in progress...

 Adding some Sara Naumann stamping..

 and stencilling

 and another lovely tag - I wanted to see Prawn (limited JoFY) in action to see if I needed it.... the answer was yes!

 now time for blues, and Limelight. yum!

and finally, a flower (JoFY stencil) - Tango, and I told her to add Bougainvillea!  Thanks,. Gabrielle for embracing our ideas, they all worked and you did great.

 Darcy's tag - 3 painty layers down, how many to go....

 some of the artwork on the stand walls. I don't know how this brick effect was done, but it's gorgeous!

 the beautiful rose window

 then it was Jo Myhill's turn... typical Jo colours and textures and fabulousness going on...

 love the hand in her pocket whilst drying the tag!

 the fabulous Palm Court outside the hall the show is in.

Darcy still working away, with the stand behind her

Leandra, the girls all did you proud!

 a few stamps and the JoFY latest limited edition paints.

stencils, ribbons, buttons, little bits and pieces, mini matchboxes, mdf tags and owls (yes, I know, they'll sit in the pile for ages...)

stencil, chip pieces based on the JoFT stamps, clear gesso, 3d matte gel, tags, papier mache boxes, timmy dies/embossing folder set.

some paintbrushes, more ribbons and little bottles

some gifts - some of Gabrielle's demo pieces.  The tube is a bit of a joke - although a beautiful one!  A few days ago, Gabrielle said on twitter, she'd got my present ready... couldn't think what she meant.. but when I opened the tube up, it holds some pieces of wallpaper I'd commented on (she'd used some in a craft project a while ago...) thanks Gabrielle, the wallpaper is still gorgeous but the tube is fantastic!!

It was as always, lovely to see everyone, you made what is becoming a very disappointing show, so worth going!  See you in September...