Trip To GNPE at Harrogate

On Sunday I went to the GNPE at Harrogate.
We had to make an early start as my friend and I were booked into one of the breakfast workshops with the lovely Barbara Gray!. So at 4.45 my alarm went off but unlike an early start in the week for work I was eager to jump out of bed and get ready.
It was a miserable morning, wet cold and obviously still dark but I decided on what to wear then got ready!
Having had breakfast and seen the dog out I just had to wait for my friend to arrive ...but I didn't have to wait long!
We loaded the car up with our empty bags and then Colin at the wheel we set off! ( He makes an excellent chauffeur!)


We got onto the motorway and the excitement began to build with every mile we travelled! Then we saw the sign....motorway closed junction 27-28.....oh no that's before we needed to get off....


At the next services we pulled in for pit stop and Colin being the cautious type bought a map of the Leeds Area just in case we needed it!!! He should have been a scout!


Then as we set off there was another sign saying that it was a night closure! So we may be OK!


We reached junction 27 and it had just reopened....Thankfully!
The extensive roadworks on the motorway though with a 50MPH had set us back a bit so we were glad we had set off early.

We got to Harrogate for 8.30 and Colin dropped us off at the door and said to phone him when we were ready! And the weather was brightening up for him to walk round Harrogate!


We were shown to where the workshops were taking place and got our seats. With coffee and muffins to welcome us too it was now turning out to be a lovely day.


Barbara welcomed us all and what a marvellous teacher she is. She talked and showed us through making a brayered picture. ....also making me want the stamps we were using!
Here is the picture we did. 

We finished the workshop at just about 10am when the show was opening and then we had the show to look round.

Barbara had given all the people doing the workshop a £5 voucher to spend on the Clarity stand so that was our first port of call!

Maria Simms had been helping with the workshop and from that went straight on to the Clarity Stand to do a demo. We watched her do a fantastic demo using angel film and fibres and a craft iron. Then we got a basket and proceeded to fill it with clarity crafty goodies.

Here is what I bought from Clarity

 After Clarity had been raided the rest of the show was looked round! I had no list and was not really there to buy much....but it would be rude not to buy some things

Some lovely dies! 

 Mica Powders and some Wow embossing powders.

IndigoBlu Flitterglue starter kit! 

Two lovely stamps!

So all in all I had a great day. And we found time to sit and have our sandwiches!.

After we had been rond the show twice...just to make sure there was nothing else we wanted we went back to Clarity to say bye to Barbara and everyone else! Barbara did us a demo using gilding flakes which was so good!

So at 1.30 we had spent all we wanted if you could ever do that at a craft show....I could have spent loads more if I didn't have to worry about it!

I phoned Colin and said we would meet him outside. And as we got to the door he was there! Little love!

Heads buzzing with ideas from the demo's we had seen we went home.

What a thrilling day! 

During the day I had met some of my Facebook friends who are all lovely people and hopefully I will be seeing them again soon! Rae, Carol, Lynne and Linda, it was fab to meet you face to face!

Here's everything I bought in one place...quite a lot I think!

Hope you are having a crafty day

Jane xx