"Creative Crewe"

After many years of organising and being involved in community activities, Dawn Clarke, manager of the Local Area Partnership (LAP) for Cheshire East Council suggested I develop a Coomunity Group.

Neil Brookfield came up with the name – CREATIVE CREWE

Mark Sheeky designed the artwork for advertising and we now have a huge banner to use when we are promoting our various events.  This will become our branding.

I wanted also, to diversify in the shop and become an outlet for local artists and craftworkers to display and sell their products because we don’t have another venue like this in Crewe.

The response to the advert in the Chronicle has been brilliant and I am amazed by the talent I am seeing.

Our first community event is our annual Poetry Blast.

Date: Friday 2^nd May

Venue to be confirmed

Jim Bennett & Angela Topping have both agreed to return.

This year as we commemorate the centenary of WW1 we will include works by some of the well known poets from this era.

There will be other events promoted soon.  Please pop into the shop to see the new array of craftwork.  CAROL :)

McMillan Fundraising

Raffle Prize Winners
Our raffle prizes were very kindly donated by Councillor Peggy Martin, our previous Mayor and now our Deputy Mayor for Crewe Town Council.

1.  Coffee Machine - Mrs Vince
2.  Clinque Hamper - Mrs Astbury
3.  Morning Foods Hamper - Angela
4.  Kingsize Bedding Set - Mrs Janet Leighton
5.  Double Bedding Set - Little Sue
6.  Harveys Bristol Cream - Mrs Christine Costello
7.  FlipFlops & Footcare Set - Little Sue
8.  Sweeties - Grandad George & Sandra
9.  Disposable Cameras - Dot Smith & Barbara Poole

Woodware kindly donated a craft prize which was won by Mrs Carol Burrows.

CAROL:)

indigo Blu "Dinkie" Angel Stamp

CARDS BY THE LOVELY CHRISTINE COSTELLO

8 x 8 traditional card   Angel dinky stamp    Indigo Blu

Papers used are Bo Bunny "Winter Joy" and Core Co-ordinations, both papers embossed.   I cut an aperture in the Bo Bunny paper (using old box lid as a template).   The Angel was stamped with Memento ink and coloured in with my pro markers then double embossed and placed in the aperture.   Using Marianne poinsetta dies and the Bo Bunny paper for the flowers, and the purple paper for centres. 

Double pyramid card

Papers used are Basic Grey in Glisten/Avalanche and Kaiser card in a pale turquise.   Also used woodware "Star" border for fancy edges.          Star shapes were cut and embossed.   Angel was again stamped with memento ink, coloured with pro markers, cut out and attatched to star shape for main image.  Two smaller stars were used for sentiments and attached to smaller card.   White ribbon finished this off.

Kraft cards

Angel (s) stamped in  memento ink and coloured with pro markers (what else),     I then sponged paper with DI inks in tumbled glass, weathered wood and frayed burlap  and then sprinkled with water to look like snow.   Star shape was stamped in w.wood.    I doodled a fine line round edge to give a bit of definition.   This was then mounted on blue bazzill card and then kraft card base.

Have a good weekend, see you all when I get back from hols on 9th September.  We then have Mcmillan fundraising to organise.  CAROL :)

Hello...

Well it was hot, hot, hot but we had a fantastic opening night for "Masquerade".

At the begininig of the week I was worried that we would not have enough work, but pieces drifted in and resulted in an amazing display.

Costumes and masks were also fab so WELL DONE everyone who took part.

Please send pictures to Mark or Suzanne for Facebook or the Blog.

A big "thank you" also to Mark, Suzanne and Nigel for their hard work displaying all the work!

NEXT EVENT - QUIZ NIGHT FRIDAY 2nd AUGUST!  Prizes, food and entertainment!  Get your team together.  Tickets - £5

Two lovely cards from Anne B using CHLOE stamp - Fuchsia Corner.

We now stock a small range of Fresco Finish Paint from "PaperArtsy".  It gives a wonderful chalky effect.  My panel from a recent workshop is shown below.  I used Harlequin and Bingo Masks which were spread with Grunge Paste also from PaperArtsy to create the texture.  The central element - stamp from Lin Brown's Eclectica range.

CAROL :)

Suzi B - Indigo Blu Stamps

Suzi B using Indigo Blu Stamps

I would like to show the two cards I made with IndigoBlu stamps for The Cubby Hole where these stamps are available to buy.

Card One

Products
IndigoBlu: Blazing Poppies, Marianne Design Old- fashioned Christmas paper pad, Pink Paislee: various stamps from the Spring Jubilee set, Derwent Inktense water colour pencils and A5 Black card stock.

Card Two

For the second card I used IndigoBlu Bare Forest stamp,  various Di's, Versamark with black embossing powder

Hope you like them

Suzi B x

News from the CUB

I'd like to say a huge thank you to all those who came to Mark's opening night on 14 June.  As usual he gave 110% with all his special effets - music, lighting etc.  Great to see so many demons and I thought Mark was brilliant tottering about on his heels and flicking his hair back.  If you missed it, you definitely missed out.

After that - this Friday it is our very own expo - "MASQUERADE".  As usual Little Sue has designed the poster.

Mark and I are organising a Quiz Night.  Date - Friday 2nd August.  There will be prizes, food and entertainment.  Cost to be confirmed.

Friday 27 September is the World's biggest coffee morning for MacMillan Cancer Relief. A slight change to our usual schedule.  We will be serving tea/coffee and cake in the HUB - community space in the indoor market in Crewe town centre on the Friday morning before moving back to the shop for the afternoon session.  Shop again all day Saturday 28th with MAKE n TAKE as usual and hopefully a raffle.

Our ARTISAN MARKET will be Saturday 6th October so start thinking about stalls if you want to participate.  This year will be one day only and we will have more promotion and advertising.

We now have a delivery from PaperArtsy.  Wonderfully simplistic but very effective JOFY stamps designed by Jo Firth-Young.  I have also started to stock a few of the fabulous Fresco Finish chalk acrylics - very nice! I will obviously add to the colour range!

Christine Costello - Poppies

Christine Costello usine Poppy Meadow Stamp Set from INDIGO BLU

Canvas Panel 8x8
Painted background with blue acrylic, bottom edged with poppy border stamped onto tissue and adhered with PVA.  Two poppy panels were added along with three word panels, a tiny bee stamp (Lavinia Stamps) to fill in a few gaps in the background.  The panel was edged in Aged Gold embossing powder and eyelets made to thread ribbon through to hang the panel.

Card One

The background was coloured with distress ink, Wild Honey and enbossed with butterflies.  Poppies and images all stamped with Memento Ink and coloured with Pro-marker, a little distress stickles in Fired Brick added for effect.  An additional layer of poppy heads was used for dimension.  Word and image panels edged with Wild Honey.  The girl image is an old stamp - Creative Expressions.

Card Two

I stamped two of the large poppies using masking technique and added smaller poppy coloured with my favourite Pro-markers.  Glossy accents was used to enhance the stamens and the background colour brushed in with Adirondacks Stonewash Colour.  Using Woodware Punch system a border was made for the bottom and red ribbon threaded through.  The black butterfly was added for dimension.  The card background was the poppy heads stamped in black and only one coloured red for effect.