Stamps Ahead

Today 9 of my students from Class A assisted with Class B by leading group discussions. As thank you I made each of them a small Thank You card. I have used a mixture of supplies from two Simply Sent Kits - Sending Happy Thoughts and Friendly Thoughts. The greeting came from Occasionally. Images: (c) 1990-2008 Stampin'Up! (r) Artwork: Margaret L Crawford

I am just back from a long weekend in Shanghai, China and before I went I 'googled' scrapbooking Shanghai. A great surprise there was an on-line store, Scrapbook Studio 1 , so I emailled them. The reply also said she had a store that opened limited hours and yes she would be open between 2pm and 5pm Saturday. I caught a taxi out from my hotel, and of course I was early and whilst waiting for the shop to open, next door there was a fabulous French bakery/cafe that had only opened 2 days previously. The most magnificent Smoked Salmon Baguette and vanilla slice and I was welcomed as one of the family to the shop. Then time for the scrapbooking shop to open - Laura imports all the goods from USA (even those made in China) for the local market. I got a cutter and some great papers with Asian themes and a few other things. Here are some photographs of both shops and me eating, of course in the cafe. Good food and a papercrafting fix - what else does a girl need on a miserable wet Sa...

I can't believe that I have made two cards in two days here in China. It has been so hot, I think sitting in my bedroom/office with air-con on has made me get creative. Here is a card I have made and sent off to a good friend in Kentucky (hi Reta if you are reading this). Instead of stamping this time I have used some SU rub-ons from the Urban West collection. There is a little bit of stamping I used the Paisley background stamp. Posting mail from China is an experience all of its own - you go to the post office and once you have been able to let the service assistant know where you want to post the letter to - she (and it is always a she there are no males) will weigh it and give you the stamps required. She will make sure that you have the addressee details in bottom right and my details in top left, and you have to have an envelope that they will give you - you cannot use your own envelopes!. Oh and I found out today if you want to send mail to a Chinese address (as I did) you ...

Today in China it is Teachers Day - when I arrived in class this morning the students had written "Happy Teachers Day" on the board. And I later received, from another class this bunch of flowers. Well I got a further surprise when I went back to teach my 2nd class of the day my students from all 3 classes presented me with a bunch of flowers also,they are show on the right. I can't believe how blue the sky is looking in the picture on the right - it sure is not blue and I have never seen it without a haze, my camera must have compensated. To all the teachers throughout the world - Happy Teachers Day to you.

Here in China it is now Autumn and to recognise this I got out my stamps, crayons and watercolor brush and made a card with autumn tonings. You would not know today was Autumn as it is very hot and humid, I have just finished my first class for the day and I am now sitting in my air-conditioned bedroom/study cooling down. This is a small card 10.5cm x 7cm, as I did not have much room in my suitcase to bring loads of paper, stamps and accessories with me. I have watercoloured the image with Earth Elements crayons and for the central leaf/greeting I have raised another stamped image, of the same design, with Stampin' Dimensionals. What I did do, that I have not done before, was use the watered crayons around the distressed edge of the watercolour paper - I think it gives a nice soft effect. Enjoy. Images: (c)1990-2008 Stampin' Up!(r). Artwork: Margaret L Crawford