Sunday 16 December 2012

PROMOTION FOR THE CHRISTMAS PERIOD AND OPENING HOURS

Please note :

Saturday 22nd December : LAST DAY OPENNING BEFORE CHRISTMAS :
We will be open from 10.30AM  - 4PM
Re-Open : Friday 28th ( 10.30-2.30 ) - Saturday 29th ( 10.30-4.00 )
CLOSED : 30&31 DECEMBER , 1ST JANUARY

OPEN : Wednesday 2nd January as usual : 10.30-2.30 Tuesday- Saturday


PROMOTION FROM TUESDAY 18TH DECEMBER TILL 29TH DECEMBER :

SPELLBINDERS : ANY FOUR FOR £48 !!!( none grand dies ) ...IN STORE OR VIA THE WEB OR TELEPHONE

SPELLBINDERS GRAND DIES AND GO KREATE A4 DIES : ANY TWO FOR £50 !!! ...AS ABOVE

SPELLBINDERS DI-DELIGHTS : ANY FOUR FOR £29 !!!...AS ABOVE

THESE OFFERS SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY ...IF YOUR CHOICE IS SOLD OUT WE WILL CONTACT YOU FOR A SUBSTITUTE ...WE CANNOT ACCEPT BACK ORDERS FOR THIS PROMOTION !

THIS DEAL WILL NEVER BE REPEATED SO MAKE THE MOST OF IT .

IF YOU ORDER ON THE WEB , YOUR TOTAL WILL NOT BE SHOWN BUT WILL BE REDUCED BY US AT THIS END SO YOU WILL ONLY BE CHARGED THE PROMOTION PRICE !

ADDITIONAL IN STORE ONLY PROMOTION....

ALL SALE ITEMS FROM OUR RUMMAGE SALE SECTION :

NOW BUY 2 GET 2 FREE ( LOWEST PRICES FREE )...YOU WANT A BARGAIN ...WELL COME ON DOWN !

THESE OFFERS ARE ALMOST TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE...HELP US BY SPREADING THE WORD SO THAT OTHERS MAY ALSO BENEFIT FROM THESE DEALS ...

INTERNET...BLOGS...FORUMS...LET EVENRYONE KNOW IF YOU CAN !

OUR WAY OF THANKS FOR YOUR LOYAL CUSTOM AND SUPPORT !

A Verry Happy Christmas to one and all .

From us all at Once Upon a Stamp ....

GORDON..JUSTIN..KAREN...DI...JEAN...ANTHEA...SUE

HARRY XX



Gordon

Festive thoughts

First of all may i take this opportunity to wish you all a Verry Happy Christmas and all the very best for the coming year.
As you all know this has been quite a year for all of us here at Once Upon a Stamp with the very sad events which took place this summer and the passing of my partner Robert ..he is sadly missed by us all .
I must thank everyone once again for all your kind comments and support you gave to us through this traumatic period and i know Robert would be the first to thank you in his own way :

LOVE AND SMILES TO YOU ALL !

Saturday 17 November 2012

NEW WINTER SPELLBINDER PROMOTIONS

ANY 4 SPELLBINDERS ( not grand ) FOR £55 PLUS 1 FREE A4 MAGNETIC MAT

ANY 7 SPELLBINDERS ( not grand ) FOR £95 PLUS 1 FREE A4 MAGNETIC MAT

ALL INDIVIDUAL SPELLBINDER DIES :

£14.99 EACH

ALL INDIVIDUAL GRAND DIES :

£29.99 EACH

ORDER ONLINE OR CALL THE SHOP ON  01623 818910.

NOT ALL DIES ARE CURRENTLY SHOWN ON THE WEBSITE DUE TO THE NEW SITE COMING VERY SHORTLY.

Gordon

Friday 16 November 2012

MAGNETIC MAT & NO MORE SHIMS OFFER

WINTER PROMOTIONS

A4 MAGNETIC MATS : NOW 5 FOR £8 !

NO MORE SHIMS MAT : NOW £9.99 !

A4 TAN EMBOSSING MAT : NOW 2 FOR £10 !

More promotions coming shortly in the run up to the new web site !

Gordon

Die D-Lites Promotion Deal

All Die D-Lites : Buy any 4 for only £32 !

Call the shop to order on : 01623 818910 .

New web site coming very shortly !

Gordon

IN STORE SALE GETS EVEN BETTER !

ALL SALE ITEMS IN OUR STORE RUMMAGE SALE NOW
 
3 FOR THE PRICE OF 2 !
 
COME ALONG AND GRAB A BARGAIN .

Tuesday 6 November 2012

ART CAPS HAVE ARRIVED AND ARE NOW ON SALE IN THE PLEASLEY STORE

Come along to see our new and exclusive range of ARTCAPS and ARTCAP DIES and ACCESSORIES.

Great fun for everyone and great prices , come along and ask for a demo.

We will also be launching this new range at the NEC this week with two on stand demonstrators showing the range .

Come along to the NEC and have a look .

We hope to see you there .

At the NEC : Myself , Justin ,Karen , Jean

Gordon

Die De-Lites arriving in stock tomorrow ( Wednesday 7th )


We are pleased to announce the arrival of this new range of SPELLBINDER dies in time for the launch of our new Loyalty Card Scheme.

See previous Blog entry for details.

Gordon

NEW LOYALTY CARD AND SHOWS

As previously stated the new LOYALTY CARDS are available from WEDNESDAY 7TH NOVEMBER. With your first purchase of £15 or more we will give you the new card with 3 FREE STAMPS .

We have also decided that the loyalty card will also be valid for use at shows . The same rule applies , minumum purchase of £15 and one stamp per day .

We will be giving out the cards at the NEC this week also with 3 FREE STAMPS if your purchase is over £15.

So to clarify :

The new LOYALTY CARD IS VALID BOTH AT OUR PLEASLEY STORE AND FOR USE AT SHOWS .

Make sure you pay us a visit to get your new card  !

FOUR STAMPS COMPLETED : 2 FREE A4 MAGNETIC MATS
EIGHT STAMPS COMPLETED : 10% DISCOUNT OFF YOUR PURCHASE
TWELVE STAMPS CPMPLETED : FREE SPELLBINDERS DIE OF YOUR CHOICE ...OR...UPGRADE TO YOUR SECOND CARD AND WHEN YOU REACH YOUR TWELTH STAMP : FREE A4 OR GRAND DIE OF YOUR CHOICE .

We hope you like our new LOYALTY CARD SCHEME.

Regards to all.

Gordon

Sunday 4 November 2012

NEC WEEK : IMPORTANT SHOP NEWS !

Please note that during this week of the NEC HOBBYCRAFTS SHOW we will only be able to accept CASH payments in our store at Pleasley as all credit card machines will be at the NEC .

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Gordon

Saturday 3 November 2012

CHRISTMAS DECORATE OUR TREE COMPETITION

We are launching a MAKE A CHRISTMAS TREE DECORATION COMPETITION next Wednesday  . Simply make a decoration for our Christmas Tree and you could win a prize .

You may enter the competition by either bringing your decoration in to the store , or by posting it to us .

The decoration must be make using any SPELLBINDERS CHRISTMAS DIES .

Please make sure you write your NAME , TEL NUMBER AND EMAIL on the reverse .

PRIZES :

1ST PRIZE : £50 TO SPEND IN STORE OR ON OUR WEB SITE

2ND PRIZE : £25 TO SPEND IN STORE OR ON OUR WEB SITE

3RD PRIZE : £10 TO SPEND IN STORE OR ON OUR WEB SITE

Closing date for entries : FRIDAY 14TH DECEMBER

You may send in as many entries as you like .

Im afraid items cannot be returned .

WINNING ENTRIES WILL BE SHOWN ON HERE !

GOOD TO LUCK !

Gordon

NEC AND NEW LOYALTY CARD SCHEME

As previously stated we will now be launching the new loyalty card in store on WEDNESDAY 7TH NOVEMBER .As an added BONUS we will give you 3 FREE STAMPS with your first purchase when you come along to our pleasley store between WEDNESDAY 7TH NOV AND SATURDAY 10TH NOV.

We will also be handing out loyalty cards for purchases made at the NEC this week and again with each purchase we will give you 3 FREE STAMPS on your card to get you going. However thereafter you must visit our store in Pleasley with your card to gain further stamps as you go along.

Gordon

Tuesday 30 October 2012

LOYALTY SCHEME UPDATE !

Our new instore LOYALTY CARD has now been slightly delayed and will now be launched in our Pleasley store next WEDNESDAY 7TH NOVEMBER .

The card is FREE to all visiting customers and you will receive TWO STAMPS with your first purchase . We will also be handing out cards to all customers making a purchase on our stand at the NEC and customers will aslo receive two stamps with any purchase during the show .

The cards are solely for use in our store at Pleasley and cannot be used for purchases at shows or online .

We look forward to meeting you at the NEC and at our PLEASLEY store .

The store will be open as normal during next week .

Gordon

Saturday 27 October 2012

NEC : NOVENBER 2012

OUR STAND NUMBER : E18

We are pleased to announce that will be launching a new range of die cutting products at the NEC .

We have been working on these since the end of last year , but as you all know life for us took a dramatic change earlier this year .

Robert had a large hand in the design of this new range which are our own excusive products . We think it is a fitting tribute to go ahead as we had planned earlier in the year .

There will be two demonstrations with the new products at either end of the stand so that everyone gets a chance to see what it is all about.

We are also launching some new and exclusive designs in the A4 size .

Every customer at the show will be given our new in store loyalty card complete with the first two stamps when you make a purchase at the NEC.

We hope to see you if you come along to the show !

Regards to all.

Gordon.

Saturday 20 October 2012

Upcoming Shows

We will be at THE DOME , DONCASTER this coming Sunday and we will have a large SALE SECTION of rummage boxes as well as the usual section of dies.
Karen will be demonstrating the SCOR-PAL boards plus the all new SCOR-ENVI and    the new project book will also be available at the show.

HOBBYCRAFTS NEC , NOVEMBER :
Will be standing at this show as usual with a huge range of dies from SPELLBINDERS and GO KREATE all at great prices.
At this show we are also launching our new exclusive range of die cutting products which we ourselves have designed.
Karen and Jean will both be demonstrating these during the show on either side of our stand .

We hope to see you at one of these shows.

Regards

Gordon

Friday 19 October 2012

NEW SPELLBINDER DIE D LITES

We have now been able to order this new range of smaller , very stylish dies from Spellbinders . Flowers , to Delicate Trees  , Windows and Fences to stylised Medallions , Frames and Corners.

They all reflect a wispy sophistication that we hope will excite you.

These are available for pre order only at this time by calling the shop on 01623 818910.

We should have them for sale on our stand at the Hobbycrafts show , NEC in November .

The price : £9.50 each !

There are a total of 20 new designs :

SPECIAL OFFER : BUY ALL 20 FOR £180 !

We regret we are unable to list these on our current web , but this will shortly be replaced by a new state of the art site before Christmas.

Thank you for your patience while we reorganise our business.

Please have a look on :
www.spellbinders.us

There you will see all of the new designs available.

Regards
Gordon

Thursday 18 October 2012

NEW IN STORE LOYALTY CARD

I am pleased to announce that our new Card scheme will be launched in store on FRIDAY 2ND NOVEMBER.
The new loyalty card scheme is free to join and cards will be issued in store only.

Here is how the new scheme will reward you :

You will gather a stamp on your card when you spend a minimum of £15 per visit. One stamp max per day .

Upon the issue of your fourth stamp you will receive TWO FREE A4 MAGNETIC MATS .

Upon the issue of your eigth stamp you will receive a 10% DISCOUNT ON YOUR PURCHASE

Upon the issue of your twelth stamp you will receive a FREE SPELLBINDER DIE OF YOUR CHOICE ( not grand )

If you choose to pass on this die we will then upgrade you to a second card which will go thropugh the same stages as before , but when you reach your twelth stamp on your second card , you can choose a FREE GRAND OR A4 DIE OF YOUR CHOICE.

This is only the beginning . The new web site will go live before christmas and will feature a loyalty points gathering system which will turn in to extra discount. We also have our new Once Upon a Club coming soon in conjunction with the web site .

Next year we are going in to a new venture , but you will have to wait a while before we can let you have the details.

We are trying to get things back on track and we are moving forward with lots of new ideas .

We hope you like the sound of what is coming .

Regards to all.

Gordon

Saturday 13 October 2012

LATEST UPDATE & INFORMATION

Hi Everyone.

We continue to make improvements to our business so that we can improve on all that we do .

The NEW WEB SITE is coming on in leaps and bounds and will be live before Christmas. In the meantime plase call us for the latest dies not on the web site.

DIE OFFERS :
ANY SPELLBINDER DIE ( not grand ) £14.99
ANY 7 DIES ( not grand ) : £100
MAGNETIC MATS : 4 FOR £8
A4 DIE SETS NOW FROM £17.99
ALL GRAND SETS NOW £29.99

We have many new features to improve your shopping experience with us and to make the whole process much easier . The web site will be right up to date with all the latest features available to us .

We have a new Online Craft Club coming soon and a new Loyalty Points system .

In store we will be starting a new Loyalty Card System.

We will be launching  a new range of our own die cutting products at the NEC this November .

In store we are now expanding on our card range with a wonderful new Christmas pick and mix selection .

Our SALE has been further extended and all JUST RITE PRODUCTS have now been greatly reduced , available in store only . All Stampbord assortments now available in store only at only £4.99 per pack. We have massive sale now going on in store so come along and have a rummage.

Openning hours : We now open from 10.30 am until 2.30 pm five days a week. We now close on Sunday and Monday. We intend to expand our openning hours next year .

MORE IN STORE OFFERS :

ALL SIZZIX DIES : any 2 FOR £10 !
ALL TIM HOLTZ STAMP SETS : £7 !
ALL TIM HOLTZ IDEOLOGY PRODUCTS : HALF MARKED PRICE !
EZI MOUNT : £2.50 / SHEET !
PRO MARKER SETS : FROM £4.99 !
BIG AND JUICY INKPADS : HALF MARKED PRICE !
ADIRONDACK / BRILLIANCE / STAZON INPADS : BUY 3 FOR THE PRICE OF 2 !

PLUS MUCH MUCH MORE AVAILABLE IN STORE ONLY !!!

We are making some very big changes for the better .

If yo are going to the NEC please come and see us where we will be launching our new range of exclusive die cutting products . We will have two on stand demonstrations for you to have a try yourself .

PHEW !

Once again a great big thank you to all of you who have continued to support us through the turbulance of the past months .

Gordon x


Thursday 6 September 2012

NEW SPELLBINDER 2012 DIES

NOW IN STOCK...YOU MUST CALL THE SHOP TO ORDER ON 01623 818910.

NEW A4 EMBOSSING FOLDERS NOW IN STOCK AT ONLY £11.99 EACH !

WE HAVE JUST EXTENDED OUR SUMMER SALE IN STORE ...MANY MANY ITEMS FROM ONLY 10P...COME AND HAVE A RUMMAGE IN OUR NEW SALE RUMMAGE BOX SECTION ...YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU WILL FIND AT AN AMAZING PRICE ...GUARANTEED !

MANY ITEMS FURTHER REDUCED !

GORDON

Tuesday 4 September 2012

SPELLBINDER SUMMER 2012 DIES

THE NEW RANGE OF DIES WILL BE AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE FROM THURSDAY 6TH SEPTEMBER !

LOOK ON SPELLBINDERS WEB SITE TO SEE ALL OF THE NEW DESIGNS :

WWW.SPELLBINDERS.US

OUR PRICE : SPECIAL OFFER !

£14.99 EACH

GRAND DIES : £29.99 EACH

SPELLBINDERS AS USUAL HAVE ONLY ALLOCATED SMALL AMMOUNTS OF EACH DESIGN AND THESE WILL SELL OUT FAST .

WE WILL BE OPEN FROM 10AM UNTIL 4PM TOMORROW TO HELP YOU WITH YOUR ORDERS .

SOLD ON A FIRST COME , FIRST SERVE BASIS .

WE ARE NOW WORKING ON OUR NEW ALL SINGING , ALL DANCING WEBSITE WHICH WILL BE UP AND RUNNING VERY SOON .

THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE STUCK BY US OVER THE LAST MONTHS .

GORDON X

Thursday 23 August 2012

ADDITIONAL SALE OFFERS...IN STORE ONLY !

Packs of 5 PRO MARKERS : NOW £4.99
Packs of  10 AND 12 PRO MARKERS : NOW £9.99

DIE CUTS WITH A VIEW SELF ADHESIVE COLOUR CARD BLOCKS : £4.99

12 X 12 PAPER PLASTIC STORAGE FOLDERS ONLY £1 EACH

ALL ASSORTED PACKS OF EYELETS AND BRADS : £1 / PACK

LOADS MORE ASST ITEMS DRASTICALLY REDUCED !

MORE TO COME !...IN STORE OFFERS ONLY !

Gordon

Wednesday 22 August 2012

NEW SPELLBINDER DIES : SUMMER 2012

We are being asked what we are doing about the new range of dies from Spellbinders .

We can advise you that the whole range is ordered and will be arriving shortly .

Due to problems with the existing website we will not be listing them for pre orders .

Here is how it is going to work :

Keep an eye here for an announcement of there arrival.

As soon s we do this the dies will be available on a first come , first serve basis via the telephone and in the shop .

Free postage will apply as usual .

Price of the new dies ?

SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY OFFER :

ALL NEW SUMMER 2012 SPELLBINDER DIES : £14.99 EACH !
ANY 7 FOR £100 !

New Summer Releases 2012

APPLIES TO ALL OF THE NEW DIES APART FROM GRAND SIZE WHICH WILL BE £29.99 EACH.

Please wait until we have announced there arrival !!

Please look on the SPELLBINDER web site at the new designs before you call us so that you know what you want !

WE HAVE AN ALL NEW WEBSITE COMING SOON WITH SPECTACULAR NEW PRICING !

Thank you for your patience everyone .

Keep an eye on our progressing SALE ...it can only get better and better as we go on !

Gordon

Tuesday 21 August 2012

LATEST SALE ADDITIONS

ALL STAMPBORD ASSORTMENTS : NOW £4.99 / PACK !

INKPADS ( NOT DISTRESSED ) :

ADIRONDACK / STAZON ETC : ANY 3 FOR THE PRICE OF 2 !

ALL RE-INKERS ( INC DISTRESSED ) : BUY 1 GET 1 FREE ....
I SAID ..BUT 1 AND GET 1 FREE ...LOL ( you know the ad )
HUGE REDUCTIONS ON ALL PAPER PADS ...K&CO ETC

MORE TO FOLLOW !

REMEMBER AVAILABLE IN STORE ONLY ...SORRY !

Gordon


Monday 20 August 2012

SALE ADDITIONS AS PROMISED

Here are the latest additions to our summer sale event :

FRIENDLY PLASTICS : ANY 10 PIECES : £4

12 X 12 PAPERS : ANY 20 FOR £5

ALL 7 GYPSIES PRODUCTS : HUGE REDUCTIONS : STAM SETS NOW £5.99 !

SIZZIX ON THE EDGE DIES NOW £4.99

K & CO 3D STICKER SHEETS : FROM £1.50

LARGE PEARLESCENT PAINT SETS : £4.99

MARIANNE DESIGNABLES EMBOSSING & CUTTING FOLDERS : £2.99

ALL 6 X 6 PLASTIC TEMPLATES : ANY 4 FOR £10 !

ALL 12 X 12 PLASTIC TEMPLATES : HALF MARKED PRICE ( NOW £ 3.50 EACH )

More to follow ...but remember these offers are available from the shop and not online !

Gordon

Friday 17 August 2012

SALE...SALE...SALE...SALE...SALE

Once Upon a Stamp have begun our great summer clearout event. Please note this is not a closing down sale , we are simply re-organising our business in light of all that has hapenned recently . We fully intend to come back stronger , bigger and better !!

Every week we will be posting more and more offers for you via this BLOG .

These offers will only be available to those who visit our warehouse shop , they will not be available online .

The sale begins SATURDAY 18TH AUGUST !
Here is a list of some of the offers available in store only :

ALL TIM HOLTZ STAMP SETS : £9.99
ALL SINGLE TIM HOLTZ STAMPS : £2.99

ALL SIZZIX AND TIM HOLTZ BIGZ DIES : £6
ALL SIZZIX STRIP DIES : £8

TIM HOLTZ DISTRESS MARKERS ( FULL SETS ) : £65

ALL SIZZIX VINTAJ ITEMS HALF PRICE ( sorry not the machine )

ALL MARIANNE DIES HUGE REDUCTIONS

SCOR-BUDDY BOARD : £5
SCOR-BUDDY MAT : £2.99
SCOR-PAL BOARD ( INCHES ) : £19
SCOR-PAL MAT : £6

CROP-A-DILE : £9.99
CROP-A-DILE BOXED SET : £15
CORNER CHOMPER : £5

HUGE REDUCTIONS ON ALL JUST RITE STAMPS :

ALL STAMP SETS : £2.50
ALL BOXED ALPHABET SETS : £5
SPECIAL OCCASIONS BOXED SET : £5
WEDDING AND BABY BOXED SETS : £1 !!
VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL STAMPER SETS : £3 EACH !
ALL STAMP HANDLES : £2.50
MINI STAMP SETS : £1.50

This is just the start , more sale items to be announced every week , but you have to watch the BLOG for details and you can only get these offers if you visit the shop . They are not available online !

SALE STARTS SATURDAY 18TH AUGUST : 10.30 AM

WE ARE OPEN ON THE FOLLOWING DAYS AND TIMES :

SATURDAY : 10.30-2.30
OTHER DAYS : 10.30-12.30
CLOSED : TUESDAY AND SUNDAY.

WE ARE EASY TO FIND BEING APPROX 2 MILES FROM J29 M1 TOWARDS MANSFIELD

BE QUICK !!

Gordon



Memorial Fund Update

First of a great big thank you if you were one of the 150 or so who attended Roberts memorial at Southwell Minster , it was a wonderful tribute to Robert in every way .

I have decided to close the fund in Roberts memory at the end of this month . Times are hard , but if everyone on here was to contribute between £1 and £5 we could raise £1000 for a very worthy cause to help those suffering from cancer as well as there families.

Please see the previous posting on how you can contribute and help me do something good from all that has hapenned .

Love and Smiles

Gordon

Thursday 19 July 2012

Memorial Fund for Robert

In response to requests for charity donations i have today set up an account for donations :

Royal Bank of Scotland
acc no : 11009127
sort code : 16-25-17
Branch : Mansfield

acc name : G.Fraser/ ILM Robert

You can either pay directly to this account or send a cheque made payable to :
G.Fraser / ILM Robert
Please send your cheque made payable to the above , to the shop address .

As previously stated , Robert believed flowers belong in the ground or in a pot , he regarded cut flowers as being dead flowers .

When the dust settles i intend to do several things for Robert . He has left a legacy of about six journals he was working on during the last four months of his illness. These have been seen by his nurses , doctors , cleaners , cooks and others in his hospital ward including the hospital Chaplain.

They have all commentated on how powerful these things he has left us could be to others .

I have been asked to make sure something is done with these to help and inspire others and this is what i intend to look at in the coming weeks.

Robert attended a place called Maggies Cancer caring centre in the hospital grounds . He took part in healing groups and creative writing . Robert had high praise for the work that is being done here and it really made a huge difference to him .

Maggies is about empowering people to live with , through and beyond cancer by bringing together professional help , communities of support and building design to create exceptional centres for cancer care .Maggies centres are for anyone affected by cancer  . They also welcome and support family and friends .

Please see : www.maggiescentres.org

Maggies is a registered charity and your kind donations will go to this wonderful organisation who helped Robert feel like a very special person for a small moment in time when he needed it most.

Please donate whatever you can to the fund i have set up . I will keep you all informed of how it goes and what happens to every penny .

 Robert gave something to all of us , just the memory of his smile , his quick wit and the laughter he left with us all , makes this a very worthwhile cause .Now its time to give a little back .

Thank you everyone .
Love and Smiles.
Gordon

Friday 13 July 2012

List of those planning to attend , leave your name or names here please .

More details as promised

Today has been a busy day trying to bring everything together for the 24th . I find myself in a totally bizarre situation as i am organising something i never ever thought would happen  and it is Robert im doing it for .

The funeral will take place at 12.00 on the 24th at Southwell Cathedral Minster .
I am organising the funeral myself and there will be no funeral directors present.

Robert will be taken to the Minster in an old converted white VW Camper Van Hearse which is a stunning vehicle in white ...no black allowed !

Robert will be in the minster from around 10am lying in a white cardboard coffin as this is going to be a natural burial in a woodland meadow.

You are invited to do a number of things . You can take along a rubber stamp and inkpad and stamp Roberts casket . You can write something on the casket or if you prefer you can take along a small sample of your artwork or a message and stick it to the casket using some double sided tape.

IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO ATTEND AND WOULD LIKE A SMALL PIECE OF YOUR TRIBUTE ARTWORK PLACED ON THE CASKET I WILL BE HAPPY TO DO THIS FOR YOU .PLEASE KEEP IT REASONABLY SMALL AND SEND IT TO THE SHOP ADRESS MARKED FOR THE ATTENTION OF GORDON.

This is a celebration and i want as many of you as possible to attend with a smile and hopefully some laughter . Please wear colourful clothes and a sturdy pair of shoes or boots for the burial site if you attend ( welly boots if the weather is really bad )

After the service , which i also promise will be different , Robert will be taken on to Tithe Green Burial ground nearby . Hopefully we will all follow the VW with Robert on to the burial ground to the graveside where anyone will be invited to say something at the graveside in the most beautiful setting . We hope the procession will be led to the burial site by a Scottish piper .

After the burial , you are all invited on to the nearby PATCHINGS FARM ARTS CENTER for tea, coffee and cakes . Patchings was one of our favourite places where we took part in the Arts Festival for many years demonstrating things like Friendly Plastics. Patchings also has art materials for sale and a couple of galeries for you to view , simply a wonderful place to end the day and talk to like minded people.

If anyone attending is thinking of flowers , i would ask that only a single flower should be brought along for the graveside . Robert thought flowers belonged either in the ground or in a pot.

As you can see i am trying to make this a bit of everything , just like Robert was to all of us .

I will also  make a separate post and i would ask you to leave your name or names of those planning to come along on the day . We can make this a perfect tribute to someone who brought a smile to all of our faces whenever we met or spoke to him . Lets give him something back for all he achieved.

Once again thank you for all of your kind comments .

Gordon x

Southwell Minster : www.southwellminster.org

Tithe Green : www.woodlandburialoxton.co.uk

Patchings Art Centre : www.patchingsartcentre.co.uk

COME TO A DAY OF CELEBRATION , ALL WELCOME !

I know a lot of you are still finding out about Robert and are in disbelief at what has hapenned . Yesterday i went in to Roberts craft room for the first time just as he had left it . I put on his Reggae music which used to drive me mad . I shut the door and left it playing all day . Later when i was tidying up downstairs , i suddenly shouted up " would you like a coffee " Of course there was no reply , and i just thought to myself , hes too busy crafting and listening to that crazy music .

Roberts Celebration ( im not calling it funeral ) will take place on :

Tuesday 24th July
Where : The magnificent SOUTHWELL CATHEDRAL MINSTER .
Time ( to be advised ) :  but not before 12.00 to allow time for you all to get there .

The celebration of Roberts life will be taken by the Canon of Southwell Minster .

The cathedral organ will be playing .

This is a huge privilage for this to be granted at the Minster but Robert has touched the hearts of many over the years and deserves nothing less.

It is a celebration , therefore we want you all to come along from far and wide to join in with us in this magnificent setting . This is not to be just a family funeral . Please please try to be there to help us all celebrate , to smile and have a little giggle . This is what Robert gave to us all , now its your chance to return it back .

Please post a message to let me and others know you can come along, say which area you are from and maybe you can share a car with likeminded crafters or even hire a small minibus to bring along your crafting group.

After the service at the minster those who would like to , can then come along to the Tythe Green Burial Ground not too far away for the Natural burial of our Robert in a woodland meadow setting near to the burial place of another crafter who suddenly left us last december , Sarah Lawrence .

If you choose not to , you can have a great day out in the lovely old town of Southwell and Newark is only next door.

At the graveside all are welcome to say something if they wish to do so .

I hope you all think i am doing something quite wonderful for Robert , but he really deserves nothing less , he made you all smile , laugh and admire his great and inspiring talents .

Robert loved crafting and he loved being a born entertainer.

I hope to see as many of you as possible one the day , please help me spread the word on other forums , groups etc .

Thank you one again to you all.

I will keep you all fully informed.

Love and Smiles

Gordon x

Thursday 12 July 2012

Thank you for your kind comments and thoughts .

I am overwhelmed by your kindness and i would like to express my greatful thanks for myself and for our Robert , he is smiling widely and no doubt making some off the cuff witty comment . I will be posting details of the funeral arrangements for Robert shortly . This could turn out to be quite an occasion as you will see shortly . Robert made me promise to keep no-one away . He wanted people , lots of people to come along .This is not a simple family funeral , it is going to be about one of the most wonderful persons any of us have ever known , a celebration.
YOU ARE ALL INVITED FROM WHEREVER YOU ARE TO A WONDERFUL CELEBRATION OF THE LIFE OF ROBERT GORNALL . LETS  TREAT IT LIKE A HUGE  CRAFT SHOW AND COME ALONG FROM WHEVER YOU ARE IN THE WORLD. HOWEVER YOU DONT NEED TO BUY A TICKET FOR THIS ONE ...OH AND I FORGOT..HE WANTED NO BLACK AT HIS FUNERAL !.. I will post full details very shortly of this special occasion .
Once again on behalf of us both a huge thank you to you all , it makes his life very worthwhile !
Gordon x

Wednesday 11 July 2012

Robert : Im writing this as he would have wanted me to do so.

Im very very very sorry to have to bring you all this terribly sad news , but Robert always insisted i looked after the blog for him when he was unable to do so.
Robert Gornall aged 54 , my wonderful partner for the past 20 years passed away yesterday , Tuesday 10th July at 2.15 am . I was by his bedside as i have been for over a week now .
I know this will leave all of you absolutely stunned by this news , this is Robert , the happy , quick witted , peter pan of the crafting world , how can this possibly be true.
Believe me i am still in a total daze over all of this as is Roberts close friends and family. We are all in total shock and disbelief.
Robert suddenly without warning , deteriorated just over a week ago to the horror of all those looking after him in the hospital . No one at all expected this. The cancer was found to have suddenly surrounded his brain and that was that , there was nothing that could be done , they thought of everything they could , but this was a rare thing that hapenned to Robert .
Robert and i were due to tie the knot on 1st September in the grounds of our wonderful new house .
Last tuesday as things were very bleak and with the help of the hospital chaplain , Arthur and Roberts good friend Clare , i made arrangements for a civil ceremony to take place last wednesday in the hospital. Robert was unbelievably happy and we just managed to get though it before Robert returned to sleep for most of the time. There were around 20 people present at the ceremony to hear robert answer the questions and make his mark , he was incredibly brave and i was the happiest man alive for those few minutes , combined with extreme sadness .
Robert passed away very peacefully .
My greatful thanks will always go to the most wonderful team of cleaners , cooks , nurses , doctors and everyone else at the Gervis Pearson ward of the City Hospital , Nottingham . They became roberts trusted friends and family and made his two month stay in to something he really loved . It became home for Robert .The care and attention they all showed towards him was quite incredible all the way .I cannot say enough about these people and i know that Robert touched there hearts in a very special way they had not experienced before , that was Robert .
I have a day of sorting things out , but i will post all of the arrangements for anyone interested . Robert asked me to do this , he was very positive in his attitude if all wenet wrong . We had spoken about this and had agreed what we were going to do , a difficult conversation , but one i am now so glad we had .
It seems surreal that that i am even doing this , but i am doing it for my lovely Robert .
He loved crafting and he loved his little life .
Please dont be sad , if you met Robert you will surely be thinking of something nice and you will have a smile on your face and perhaps a little giggle and that was what Robert wanted .
As Robert would say .
Love and Smiles
Gordon

Friday 22 June 2012

Upbeat .. Onwards and Upwards !

Hi everyone .
I am going to try to be upbeat tonight as it has been a good day today for Robert .As i previously mentioned , he has a rare form of lung cancer which unfortunately has also spread to a lymph node . This is not good news as im sure many of you will be aware . You can imagine how we both felt when this was diagnosed after all we have been through in recent months with test after test as they tried to work out what was going on with Robert .
He has now been in hospital for five weeks today and he is likely to be in some some time to come .
Robert is entirely upbeat and in a very positive frame of mind and everyone at the hospital from the nursing staff to his consultant are quite amazed at his positive attitude and his fighting spirit .
If there is a way to defeat this you can be sure we will try.
Next week Robert is about to begin an intense 11 days of Radiotherapy three times a day . This course of action has been decided upon due to the attitude Robert has shown to his condition and his inner strength and his consultant has decided therefore to do all she can to help Robert .
No one knows how his body will react to all of the this , but they are very upbeat in the hospital for a more positive outcome given Roberts fighting spirit.
After this 11  days of treatment he is then being moved to a specialist unit with his own room and a team of physiotherapists dedicated to help him get some of his mobility back and especially the use of his legs again.
Today Robert managed to stand up for the first time in five weeks with the help of these wonderful physios and they are very sure they can be of help to him , so Robert is in great spirits today as am i .
He is in wonderful hands and he is still crafting from his bed with his journal and Zentangling which he loves to do.
Things are progressing with cancer treatments all the time and who knows what may come along .If anyone can defeat this horrible desease Robert can and we are both sure of this despite the fact we know the odds are against us .
Robert is delighted to have received many cards from you all as well as your kind thoughts and wellwishes , we both thank you for this.
Seeing what goes on in the hospital has also made me think of things such as wheelchair access to premises and to this end i have now invested in a ramp for the shop to make access easy for anyone coming along in a wheelchair , i now know more about the difficulties involved .
It has been a good day today for Robert and a very positive one for both of us .
Life goes on , onwards and upwards .
Unfortunately , I have to end on a sad note , by sending my very best wishes to our lovely friend Sandra . If any of you attend the Stevenage show you will know Sandra as she looks after me at the show and manages both me and  the stand .  Sandras wonderful husband , Tony , sadly passed away yesterday after a long fight with his illness . He was a lovely gentle man and we will not forget him . Sandra you are very much in our thoughts and we are proud to have you as a good friend.
Lets keep smiling everyone !
Gordon

Friday 15 June 2012

FURTHER ALTERATION TO SHOP HOURS

Due to the ongoing seriousness of Roberts health we have decided to alter the shop opening hours as follows :

MONDAY - FRIDAY : 10.30AM-12.30AM
( CLOSED TUESDAY )

SATURDAY : 10.30AM- 2.30 PM.
( CLOSED SUNDAY )

Web orders will continue to be processed on a  daily basis .

We apologise for any inconvenience , but we appreciate your understanding of the situation.

Thank you.
Gordon

Thursday 14 June 2012

NEW SUMMMER OFFERS

I have been asked to clarify our latest offers :

SPELLBINDERS :
ANY 2 DIES ( UP TO £16.99 ) : £30
ANY 2 DIES ( £18.50-£19.99 ) : £35
ANY 7 DIES ( UP TO £19.99 ) : £100 : THIS IS OUR SUMMER MEGA DEAL !

GRAND AND A4 DIES : ANY TWO SETS : £55

A4 MAGNETIC MATS : 4 FOR £8

A4 CLEAR PLATES FOR THE GRAND CALIBUR & TROUVAILE :
BUY BOTH PLATES FOR ONLY £20

CRAFTERS WORKSHOP 6 X 6 TEMPLATES : ANY 4 FOR £10

AS ALWAYS DISCOUNTS WILL BE APPLIED AFTER YOU PLACE YOUR ORDER
AND WILL BE SHOWN ON YOUR RECEIPT WHEN YOU RECEIVE YOUR GOODS.

FREE POSTAGE FOR ALL SALES OVER £10 WITHIN THE UK .

AS ALWAYS WE GREATLY APPRECIATE YOUR CUSTOM !
THANK YOU.

COMING SHORTLY TO OUR WAREHOUSE SHOP : THE GREAT SUMMER SALE WEEKEND , WATCH FOR DETAILS.

Sunday 10 June 2012

cards for robert

Hi everyone
I have had lots of people asking where they can send a card for Robert . Could i ask that they be sent in to the shop adress which is on the web site . Mark them for Robert and I will make sure they all reach Robert in hospital. They mean a great deal to him to see all of your wonderful efforts on his behalf , this really does help a great deal . He is in great spirits despite his severe illness , but that is all i want to say until he feels able to tell you in his own words about his ongoing problems . Robert has a way of puting things that dont come easy to me.
Gordon

Friday 8 June 2012

robert

Hi all
Just to let you know that Robert will be posting a little message to you all later today to update you on his condition. Robert has asked to do this , so i am taking his laptop to hospital to let him write it himself.
Once again thank you to you all for your messages of support and kind thoughts at this time.
Gordon

Wednesday 6 June 2012

Robert

I will have an update on Roberts condition for you all later this week when we will have more information on the next step. Robert is out of pain which is the most important thing for the moment and he is maintaining his journal from his hospital bed and i will have pics of this for you all to see shortly. Gordon

NEW SUMMER OFFERS

Thank you to everyone who took advantage of our very special JUBILEE DEALS.
We now introduce our new SUMMER DEALS throughout the website , be sure to look out for these and we have taken the decision to maintain FREE POSTAGE to anywhere in the UK and NORTHERN IRELAND. If you order from anywhere outside of the above , postage is now charged at cost price on all items.We regret we can no longer offer free postage outside of the UK. Thank you everyone . Gordon

Friday 1 June 2012

THE GREAT DIAMOND JUBILEE DIE OFFER

To celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of her majesty Queen Elizabeth 2nd , here are our great Jubilee event offers :

FROM : Midnight tonight ( FRIDAY ) UNTIL : Midnight Tuesday 5th June

OFFER 1 :
ANY 8 SPELLBINDERS  DIES ( UP TO MAX PRICE £16.99 )
YOUR PRICE : £100 !
OFFER 2 :
ANY 4 SPELLBINDERS DIES ( FROM £17.50 UP TO £19.99 )
YOUR PRICE : £60 !
OFFER 3 :
GRAND AND GO KREATE A4 SIZE DIES ( FULL SETS ONLY )
ANY 4 SETS ( FROM £29.99 UP TO £33.99 )
YOUR PRICE : £100 !
OFFER 4 :
MARIANNE DIES ( SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY )
BUY ANY 4 AND WE WILL ONLY CHARGE YOU FOR THREE
( CHEAPEST DIE WILL BE GIVEN FREE AND REMEMBER THESE DIES HAVE ALREADY BEEN SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCED )
OFFER 5 :
A4 MAGNETIC MATS :
FIVE FOR ONLY £10 !
OFFER 6 :
15% DISCOUNT OFF ALL OTHER NON DIE CUTTING PRODUCTS FROM OUR WEB SITE

IN THE COMMENTS BOX WHEN YOU ARE PLACING YOUR ORDER YOU MUST STATE :
BLOG OFFER
PLEASE NOTE : ALL DISCOUNTS WILL BE APPLIED AT THIS END WHEN YOUR ORDER HAS COME THROUGH TO US , THIS WILL NOT SHOW UP AT CHECKOUT . YOU WILL RECEIVE A RECEIPT SHOWING THE DISCOUNTED PRICE WITH YOUR CRAFT ITEMS.PLEASE DO NOT PANIC WHEN YOU DO NOT SEE THE DISCOUNTS AT THE CHECKOUT , THEY WILL BE APPLIED BEFORE  WE TAKE YOUR PAYMENT.

Have fun , we hope you like our offers and make the most of them. Be sure to tell your friends about these great offers .

Over the bank holiday , our warehouse shop is open on Saturday only between 10.30 and 2.30 pm .

Have a lovely Jubilee bank holiday !

Gordon and Robert

Thank You.

Just a very big thank you to all of you who have expressed your kind thoughts and good wishes for Roberts recovery .
We both appreciate all of your kind comments and Robert takes great comfort from everything you say.
I will keep you informed of any developements .
A great big thank you from both of us !
Have a great DIAMOND JUBILEE bank holiday .
Gordon and Robert x

ONCE UPON A STAMP DIAMOND JUBILEE EVENT

Hi everyone.
In celebration of the Queens Diamond Jubilee we are pleased to announce we will be holding a very special offer event on SPELLBINDERS DIES beginning midnight tonight ( friday ) running through until midnight ( tuesday ).
Watch the blog and the web site for details later tonight .
You will not be disappointed !
This is mainly a web event as the shop will be closed from Saturday until Wednesday . We are open for anyone wishing to come along this Saturday from 10.30 am until 2pm.
Gordon

Friday 25 May 2012

Birds and wildlife of our new garden

baby starlings

Harrys friend ( not ! )

goldfinch

adult male pheasant

woodpecker

guess who ?

moorhen on bird table..would you believe it !

willow warbler

britains smallest bird : the tiny goldcrest
Hi everyone .
Today on a lighter note i have decided to let you see some of the wonderful wildlife in our new garden , one of the reasons why we love our new house ...we certainly did escape to the country. Being in the countryside with a river at the bottom of the garden certainly attracts the wildlife and i have been trying to take some pics for you to see . Last night we had rabbits on the driveway , an owl at the bottom of the garden and best of all we have a Cookoo who regularly visits the trees in the garden. Robert is also able to look at the blog on his iphone , so this too will cheer him up a little. You will notice an very unusual black creature with his Iggle Piggle toy , well this is of course our lovely little Harry gaurding his toys from those pesky birdies.Harry,s favourite tv show is called " In the night garden " He loves his new garden and is amazed at all the sights and sounds around him. I will try to keep up with the blog and i will let you all have another update on Robert shortly.
Gordon

Thursday 24 May 2012


Hi everyone.
I took these pics last night in hospital to show everyone that Robert is in high spirits . He is doing a daily journal in his own way about what is hapenning and how he feels each day . He is holding the first page he did and the other pic was to reflect and explain to the doctors the problems he is having with his feet and legs , they found this incredibly helpful and commented that wouldnt it be great if all patients could explain themselves in this way .
Robert had more news yesterday following his body scan for cancer . First all of all nothing else in the way of cancer has been found in his body , but they have detected something in his other lung which has them puzzled as they dont think it is cancer . They are operating on robert next week to take a sample of this mysterious thing they have found and then they will take things from there . Roberts doctors are very confident they can do a lot for Robert so things are looking much brighter today . Robert wanted me to show you he is doing ok and once again he sends his thanks to you all for your good wishes. Regards the business , we are now pressing ahead with our next venture on create and craft and i will have more details of this very soon . Regards to you all..Gordon

Saturday 19 May 2012

shop hours

Please note that the shop hours are currently operating as follows :

10.30 am - 2pm

During this time our great team of girls are available to help you with placing orders and answering any questions you may have . Why not call in to see them and have a chat and a cuppa , they will make you feel most welcome.

Thank you.

Gordon

Update on Robert

Hi everyone.

First of all a great big thank you to everyone who has expressed there good wishes to us at this awkward time . Robert has asked me to post a quick update on his situation. He is currently back in hospital in a specialist cancer ward awaiting some test results after a whole body scan to see if there any further signs of cancer hiding anywhere .
He has virtually lost the use of his legs due to the problems with his spine which we are told is a very rare and puzzling condition which is not helping.
If the test results are as we hope for ( if nothing else is found ), they will soon operate on Robert to remove the lung cancer and see how this afects his spine and the other things going on , with luck things may slowly begin to return to normal . This is a best case scenario which we are hopeful of .
Robert is out of pain and in excellent hands with a great team looking after him in the hospital.
We are both in a very positive frame of mind today .
You know i also have to mention the community nurses in our area where we live , they are a wonderful bunch of caring people and we owe them a lot of gratitude , they are simply wonderful in the help they have provided to Robert at home.
A great big thank you also to our wonderful team of girls who are looking after the business for us , what would we do without them i simply dont know , thank you !
Thats now for now , just to keep you all informed . As i say today we are very positive and in good spirits .
One last thing , our thoughts and best wishes go out to our friend Sandra whos lovely husband Tony is in a critical condition , Sandra all of our thoughts and love are with you at this time.

Gordon x

Wednesday 18 April 2012

Back to Hospital again

Hi everyone
Since having the lumber puncture last week i have been feeling pretty poorly.
Last night was horrendous and i just have to say a big thank you to Gordon for everything he did for me as i was in a right state.
I am going back into hospital today as i need to be catheterised ( because spinal pressure is really playing my bladder and bowels up at the moment )
They are keeping me in as the lumber punch tests showed abnormalities and i have to have another one tomorrow :-((( as they cannot relieve the pressure or operate until they know what is causing all this.
I will let you know what happens as soon as i can.
Thanks for dropping by
love and smiles Rob Gordon and Barney xxx

Sunday 8 April 2012

Im back home for now

Hello Everyone
Oh my goodness what a horrendous past few days it has been for us here.
On Wednesday evening one minute im climbing the stairs to go to the loo and the next thing i wake up in Hospital.
As some of you know i havnt been doing to great the past couple of months and have slowly been getting worse.
Because of all the things that are happening to me the doctors at the hospital ( as well as Gordon and I ) thought i may have a brain tumour ( i did ask them to pickle it for proof if they found a brain ) so i had to have an M.R.I scan for at and another one for my spine.
I can now tell you that i am Tumour free on both counts but my condition remains a mystery and i have had eight phials of blood taken for eight different tests.
Being as i cannot have a Lumber Puncture in my spine until sometime next week they have let me come home ( also the blood tests will be late back because of Easter). They will need to operate to remove the swelling in my spine to relive the pressure from other parts of my body ??? but need to try and find out what has caused it first.
I am still paralysed in parts of my face and i have numbness ( that feels like a dentist has injected me in parts of my feet and legs bottom and privates with anaesthetic ) but even though i cant leave the house at least im with Gordon and Harry and im being cared for great.
When Gordon heard i could come home he put this sign up on the house that he has been keeping a surprise from me for ages and i really couldnt believe it when i saw it.
So now i really do live in the House of Wishful Thinking.

.
So next week i will know more and as soon as i know what they have found i will let you know.
Thank you everyone for your kind words and good wishes we really appreciate them.
Hope you have all had a wonderful Easter and thanks for dropping by.
Love and smiles .
Rob Gordon and Harry xxxxxxx


Thursday 5 April 2012

Robert

Just to let everyone know that Robert was rushed in to hospital last night after his health deteriated further.
He is currently undergoing a series of tests and scans on his spine and now on his brain. The experts say he does not have Bells Palsy as we were previously diagnosed and that it may be more serious that first thought.
Robert is comfortable and in reasonably good spirits .
I am very concerned for him at this time and i can only hope the scans do not turn up what we both fear most.
Robert is well known by you all as quite an incredible crafter as well as being quite an entertainer and of course a wonderful person. Remember when he used to draw some of the largest audiences at all the shows around the uk as everyone waited to see what he had come up with next...those were great days .
I know a lot of you out there have expressed your concerns and this is greatly appreciated by us both , we are constantly overwhelmed by the kindness you show and your loyalty to everything we do.
We are scheduled to be on create and craft again towards the end of April in a very special show . Robert is due to be taking the show as it involves a brand new range of products we have both been working on and designing for at least three months now , lets all hope he is still able to do so.
Robert has unbelievably let me loose on his blog to keep you updated and i will endeavour to do you .
Lastly a huge thank you to our great team of girls who look after us and our little business ...we cant thank them enough, we are very lucky to have them with us.
Regards to you all .
Please say a little prayer for Robert .
Gordon

Wednesday 28 March 2012

What the Specialist said.

Hello again.
Well i went for my visit with the specialist at the hospital today and he showed me an X Ray of my spine.
I seem to have a small legion on the last two vertebrae of my spinal chord and i now have to be seen by a Neurologist at the big hospital where Gordon was last year to talk me through what all this means and what is going to happen next.
So i am still a little in the dark but keep telling myself that if it was anything really serious i would have been sent there straight away.
The specialist has told me that i will get a letter within the week, so i will let you all know what happens next as soon as i can.
I am a little scared ( only natural ) but will feel a lot better when i actually know what i am up against.
Thanks everyone for dropping by.
Love and Smiles
Rob Gordon and Harry xxx

Tuesday 27 March 2012

OOPS I,m Poorlier than i thought.

HI Everyone.
Since mid December i have been getting really bad pains in my feet legs and left bottom cheek.
I was told it was sciatica and sent to a physiotherapist to see if that would make things better.
To cut a long story short i have been getting slowly worse and have had to have two M.R.I scans in the last week.
I have been diagnosed with a thing called Intramedullary Legion of the lower back and go to see a specialist tomorrow who is going to let me know all the details of what was found out from the scan.
I would like to say a big thank you to the girls who work with us for taking care of things at the N.E.C last week ( you did us proud ) so that Gordon could be at home with me.
We have still not completely moved into the new house yet ( 2 more weeks i think ) and i will post more pics soon .
I will let you know how i get on with the specialist tomorrow.
Until then thanks for dropping by.
Love and smiles
Rob Gordon and Harry xxx

Friday 17 February 2012

California Dreaming and Other Tales

Hello Everybody.
Well its been a fantastic couple of weeks for us and heres why.
On the 19th of January we left for California to attend and work at the CHA trade show in Anaheim, but before that we had a weeks holiday in San Diego and had a wonderful relaxing break which we both needed.
We then drove up to Anaheim and spent three wonderful days with Diana,Roy and their lovely girls on the Scor-Pal stand at the CHA demonstrating our products to the masses which went down brilliantly.
I was going to put lots of photos up but cant find the disc i took out of my camera when i got back home so will put them on Flickr when i find it.
So thank you Diana and Roy for giving us the opportunity to show our wares off on your stand we love you loads.
It was also great to meet up with Kitty from the Netherlands at last and Diane from Seattle who will be coming over to see us later this year and hopefully do a workshop at the store as she is a very clever and crafty lady xxx.
We really had a great time and it all ended too soon.
We arrived back in England to promises of snow and thankfully madeit home just before it started. We stayed awake as long as we could to try and avoid the jet lag and although we stayed up until 10.00 pm i was wide awake again at 4.00am.
We went and had a look at how the new house was doing ( and i put a new disc in my camera )
as soon as Gordon woke up ( he did well and got up at 8.00 am )
Wow what a difference two weeks makes just have a look at the pics.

Arrived to another full skip and a Winter Wonderland.

All the Double Glazing completed front and back including balcony doors for main bedroom.

The back garden in all its winter glory.

Oh wow and the Kitchen is almost ready too, I Love it.

And so is the bathroom

And the shower

A bedroom with a view ( and a balcony soon i hope )
After that we went and picked up Harry who had had a wonderful time with his pal Bob and the Pussycats.

The last two weeks have seen us painting decorating and packing and Gordon and Sandra were at the paper craft show in Stevenage last weekend and if you went i hope you had a great day as the weather was still really cold. Thank you for all your help Sandra we really love you loads xxx.
I am frantically packing boxes like mad and trying to remember to label them all.
The washing machine and dryer have both gone to the new house now so the kitchen here is looking a little bare.
So i think that has got us back up to date and i will put some pics up of how the new place is looking in a few days.
Thanks for dropping by
see you soon.
Love and Smiles Rob, Gordon and Harry xxx

Friday 13 January 2012

Have A Peek

Hello Everyone.
I have just put some more pages i did for a collaborative Art Journal Swap i did last year up on my other blog.
These pages were done for Barbaras journal in her chosen colours of Ochre and Kingfisher.
Heres a little taster to whet your appetites.

Here is a snippet from one of the pages. An acetate frame and a peacock head dress wearing Friendly Plastic face.

We are really busy at the moment getting our samples and goodies ready for Create and Craft next month.
I cant wait until i can show you all of the new products we have come up with and i am sure you will love them.
The house of Wishful Thimking has said goodbye to the builders ( who have done a fabulous job ) and the plasterers have finished off in the kitchen.
So now it is filled with plumbers,glazers,electricians and Malcombe the joiner.
I went up with Gordon and had a look at how its all coming together last night and we are loving it.
I think the bathroom will be ready in a few days and will put some more pics up then to let you all see.
Coffee time now for me.
Thanks for dropping by.
Love and Smiles Robert, Gordon and Harry xxx

Tuesday 10 January 2012

Had to Share This With You

Hi Everyone
A couple of days ago one of our customers came into the shop and Gordon asked her how she was getting on with her Big Shot Pro machine.
She told him that she was having problems using it and in fact lately she cant use it at all.
Gordon said that she could bring it back to the shop and he would see if there was anything wrong with it.
The lady then told Gordon that she had a photo of the machine and the problem that was stopping her using it and showed him this.

This is Orion and ever since the lady has had her Big Shot Pro he has decided that it is his new place of residence.
As you can imagine everyone in the shop was highly amused and Gordon suggested she had better buy another one so they could have one each.
Hope this brightens your day.
Love and Smiles.
Rob, Gordon and Harry xxx

Monday 9 January 2012

Time Flys and Art Journals What a Mixture

Hello Everyone.
Well what a week its been here.
On the 3rd it was 19 years since Gordon and i first met and I cant believe how quick the time has gone and how far we have come. What a wonderful journey it has been so far.
Heres something to make you laugh.
This is how we looked all those years ago ( Oh how i would love that waist back :-)

This was 9 months after we met and Gordon took me to Florida and it was really magical.
We are somewhere in Disney Land in this pic.
The week before we went i decided to have all my hair cut off ( it was very blonde and way past my shoulders ) and i am so glad I did as it was scorching hot over there.

As you may remember last year on the 4th Gordon had his Aneurism and almost died.
We cant believe a year has gone by and how lucky he is to still be here.
He continues to grow stronger every day and doesnt get so tired any more but the girls at the shop and I still guard him and make sure he doesnt do too much.
By this time next year he should be back to 100 per cent himself thank goodness.

I dont make resolutions for New year as i never keep them and then get on a line with myself, but i have decided to get my other blog up and running again even if i only post 4 times a month or so.
The first things i am going to put on is the Art Journal swap that myself and 6 others did for our college course last year.
We all had to choose two colours and then use these on the persons pages of their book.
This is one of the pages i did in Cherices book.
Her chosen colours were Purple and Teal.
I chose Fairy garden and Mermaids for her book and this is one of the Fairy Garden pages ( the other one i will put on my other blog as it may be a little risque for this one )

I was really pleased how this turned out and used all kinds of media on it including acrylics, gel pens, friendly plastic, canvas, fabric and Spellbinders dies.
So thats all for now.
Oh i almost forgot ...... The builders should be finished at the House of Wishful Thinking tomorrow.
So now the Plasterers can come in and do the kitchen walls.
Malcolm the joiner has already started doing the walls in the bathroom, and the glazers are coming soon to re fit all the old windows that remain with double glazing.
So hopefully by the end of this month we will have a kitchen and bathroom all fitted and finished.
Cant wait to put the pics up for you all to see.
Will stop here as i need a coffee.
Thanks for dropping by.
Love and Smiles .
Rob Gordon and Harry ( who goes for a haircut tomorrow ) xxx
Love and Smiles


Sunday 1 January 2012

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE

Hello Everyone and Happy New Year.
Hope you all had a good Christmas and a safe one too.
We had a very relaxing Christmas day and didnt get up until around 10.00 AM.
We opened our presents and helped Harry open his ( he didnt know what to play with first ha ha )
At around one o clock we went for a good long walk from our new house to Newstead Abbey as it was such a beautiful mild day.

This is the walk that leads you into the grounds of Newstead Abbey.
Not a soul in sight as everyone was probably tucking into their Christmas dinners.

Newstead Abbey is usually very busy , but today we had it almost to ourselves and i was able to take some great photos of the Abbey.

This is the oldest part of the Abbey and I just love the big window and would love to have seen it when it had its stained glass, i bet it was gorgeous.

Here are the three of us by the waterfall.

Harry and i just had to go look through the window behind it.

Where there is water Harry will find it, so Gordon let him have a paddle.

I love this door. It used to open at one time but now it is locked.

One more shot of the Abbey in all its glory.

We got home around three o clock and i started the Christmas dinner.
A Turkey is too big for the two of us, so this year we had a loin of Pork with all the trimmings and it was delicious.
So we had dinner around 6.0.clock and then just relaxed in front of the telly as you do at Christmas.
Boxing day was fun as my Brother and his family came up and stayed over.
We had a great time chatting about old times when we were kids and all the great presents we used to get.
We took them to see the new house and the shop then went for a walk around the Nature Reserve just around the corner.
The rest of the Christmas break has been spent relaxing ( we cant do anything to the house at the moment as there is building stuff in every room ) and we have been into the shop every other day for a few hours to process and post any orders.
Last night we saw in the New Year with Harry and kept him entertained while the fireworks were going off outside.
Gordon decided he wanted to launch a floating candle up into the sky.
So we got it lit and held it until it was ready to float upwards and just as it was going up over the house a big gust of wind blew it into the tree in our front garden. So i had to get a bucket of water to put the flames out.
I dont think we will be lighting any more of those somehow.
Today we have been to the shop and got all the orders processed ready to post on Tuesday.
I have been doing some boxing up in my craft room ready for the move and Gordon has been reading and taking it easy.
The shop will open again on Wednesday and we look forward to seeing you and hearing your Christmas stories.
I am going to have one last Mince pie now with a cuppa.
Happy New Year again.
Love and smiles Rob Gordon and Harry xxx