Sunday Stamper - Week 127 - Autumn Almanac

Morning Stampers! Apologies for the late start on this weeks challenge... I have a really good excuse though... during the making of this weeks entry yesterday, I was on my way down stairs to cook some more pumpkins... slipped on the top step and bounced the whole staircase on my backside... needless to say, I can't sit down now and making the Sunday Stamper this week has been somewhat... erm... uncomfortable! I got it finished though... not exactly how I planned it to look but never mind!


Anyways.. thank you all for your lovely entries last week. I was thinking of having a Hallowe'en theme this week but I got totally inspired by all the Autumnal colours around - so ... the theme is... Autumn - you can use Autumn colours or add in some leaves and such like. To join in, all you need to do is make a little something, add in the theme and some stamping... leave a comment for me here with a link to the place you are showing your entry and I can hop on over to see you :O)) The challenge will be open until 21:00 Saturday November 6th '10.




On with my entry... I used a little wooden compartment box, painted with the usual (Trad Tan), then some Rock Candy Crackle and then lots of Distress Re-Inkers in Mini Misters spritzed over and heat dried.




I used lots of Distress Inks to colour cardstock and then used Studio 490 stamps for the sentiment... and check out the ickle spidey, he is one of my fave images from the new sets of 490 stamps.




I made some pumpkins and toadstools again - and this time two little Harvest Mice found their way out of the Fimo and into my cooker... via a flying leap down the stairs LOL




I stamped loads of Studio 490 flowers onto Grungepaper, cut them all out and then popped them all together after colouring with Distress Inks. I have taken loads of pics this week so you can see the different angles... but I also took a pic of the top from behind... so you can see that... erm... cotton buds really do come in handy ROFL... I know, it is a mess but.. it is on the back so I figure no one would see it :O))




I used some Idea-ology Memo Pins and made epoxy embellies - thank you to Wendy Vecchi for this idea.. aren't they fab? I added Your Art to two of them - but my excellent photography skills haven't captured this... they are behind the flower on the top right hand side!




So... if you fancy having a play with ink and rubber I would love to see your take on the challenge... oh and before I forget... this piece is also a DT piece for The Stamp Attic... all the stashy bits used are available from there :O))



Thanks for looking... I am off to find a rubber ring to sit on - seriously, I can't sit down properly, I am kinda perched on the edge of the chair at the moment... my coccyx took the brunt of the the fall... oh and my heels too... bashing on each stair... I wouldn't mind but I was just starting to feel better after the neck probs early this week! Ah well.. a day in front of the TV for me then!! Have a goodly week peeps... TTFN

Hels x

The Hangman's Tree...

...or... the Smashing Pumpkins... **groan** I know, I know... I have been wanting to use that name ever since I got converted to all things Hallowe'eny earlier this month... is it really only a day til Hallowe'en??? I got a "joke" on my moby last night... a lovely kind... *ahem*, friend said that they were having a Hallowe'en party and would I do them a favour and come around and look through the window to scare the... erm... *moderates the text to non nawty words* pants off them.... cheek of it... I will be faaaaaar too busy... flying on my broomstick and cackling ROFL



Anyways... all that waffling again... today's offering is... a double whammy... it is my day for The Artistic Stamper Creative Team and I am going to enter this piece into the Simon Says Stamp & Show challenge.. .which this week is Spookay. So... all the deets about how I maded this piece are HERE - with more pics too... but please, tell me here... what do you think of my pumpkins? *no matter how many times I try to type that, it still sounds vaguely rude!!* I loooooove my pumpkins... and my Fly Agaric too... oooh, yes indeedily, I got very carried away with this clay modelling and made some toadstools... ah, yes, which reminds me... did I ever tell you I used to have a boyfriend who was a toadstool? Yes, he was.. a really... fun~gi!!! (oh dear, shall I go and sit in the corner ROFL)





I have to admit... the pumpkins did have a little teeeeeensy bit of help... my hands aren't what they used to be and that Fimo stuff can be a bit hard to get pliable... so in stepped my hero Grim, to assist in the Fimo neading stage. I stank the house out cooking the pumpkins and toadstools too... I don't that that those whizzy halogen ovens are the right thing to be cooking Fimo in, but it worked... mind you, saying that... reading back what I have just typed... mmm, maybe those fumes got to my head!! I have to say... THANK YOU to Joanne... for sending me the FAB skelingtons... as soon as I saw them I knew that they would be playing with Art Parts *speaking of which - I LURVE these!!!*... and also Lynn Stevens for helping me to release my inner witch :O)) Right, time for bed... late night tonight *gotta make sure the old broomstick is ready and waiting... and... just for Linda... which witch is the witchy which witch?* ;o)) Thanks for looking and have a very goodly weekend... oh and... don't forget.. new Sunday Stamper theme will be here tomorrow... I haven't got a clue what the theme is... but I will make it a nice one LOL TTFN

Hels x

Funky Notebook...

...cor blimey, tis Friday already! Which means... it is my day for the Bubbly Funk DT - this week I have been getting more organised (ha!) and have made a Christmas pressie... in the form of a notebook made from some lush Tando Chipboard and one of my favest techniques - the Faux Batik technique... to see more pics and all the deets, please... CLICK HERE!



This here is a little piccie of the finished book... and you will never guess what.... I have found a new favourite stamp... yes indeedily, I have had the "David" set of Tim stamps for yonks... and never used this stamp before... and wow, it really does look fab... no doubt it will turn up on more stuff in the next few weeks... I do like to have my favourites LOL Tis a dreary day out there today so I think a bit of therapeutic time in the Room of Stash is called for... the old neck is still not good and the old back is.. still playing up... thank you all BTW for all your lovely wishes - they are muchly appreciated! Thanks for looking... TTFN

Hels x

Curiously Extreme...

...oooh, I do love the Compendium of Curiosities Challenge... cos... it sometimes reallllly is a challenge for me to actually use the technique... you know sometimes something just doesn't work well no matter how many times you try it? Well, this is the case in point for this weeks theme... oh, and ... I nearly forgot to say... the CCC is hosted by the loverly and ever so clever Linda, if you click on her name you will be whizzed off on the back of a giant pumpkin to see all the deets :O)



So, it just doesn't sit right, no matter how many tags I tried to do... nope, the "extreme" part of the challenge just doesn't go right... then there was the small matter of the Grungepaper flowers and leaves I cut using Tim's Alterations... they don't look right either... however, what does look right is my inspiration for the colours on this weeks entry... the leaves which are now covering the garden - they have fallen from the Spinney behind the house and they are, without doubt, the most gorgeous colours of fallen leaves I have ever seen! Here are some I snaffled into the Room of Stash ... which I am going to rename the Room of Trash cos it is sooooo in need of a de-clutter... anyways, I digress... here are the leaves :O))




Check out the Barn Door hints on some of them... and Rusty Hinge not to mention the Crushed Olive... is it just me... or do you do this... an example, I will see a sunset and imagine it on a tag... and I think... ooooh, that is Crushed Olive blending into Wild Honey, blending into Tumbled Glass... mmm, just me then ROFL



Anyways... this is my entry for the CCC this week... I am severely disappointed with it... and know it will bug me so I will go back to it and try again... I have 19 tags now... and I need another big book ring... all together like that... they are lovely to look through and see so many different techniques and I know I will, *ahem* one day, get them all mounted and popped up onto the wall... I even have a space waiting for them!



There they all are... I really do not know what I was thinking on week 4 with that wierd, so out of place, metal birdy... that tag may have to be re-done too LOL I have spent the evening watching TV - I normally mooch about with my stash and listen to the radio... but it is Wednesday so it is Apprentice night... no comment about that one that got fired (in case you haven't seen it yet... that person so deserved it though ROFL) And then... it is The Million Pound Drop on Channel 4 - I am addicted to this programme and it is a shame it is only on for a week... I have played along online and kept my million... and no, I didn't use Google (Grim did LOL) and I guess it is easier if it is not real money that you are shifting about! Anyways... time for bed for me... thanks for looking... TTFN

Hels x

WOYWW... What Day Is It???

...erm.... whooops-a-daisy... there was me, lounging around in bed all morning... then suddenly remembering it isn't Tuesday like I thought it was, it is, in fact... Wednesday... which means that it is time for the WOYWW - or to give it it's proper name, What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday... a day when the bloggers of the world unite and go on the biggest hop to see everyone elses workspaces... What? you never heard of this phenomenon before? Well, if you hop over to Julia's place, all the deets are there... who is Julia? Well, Julia is the ever so clever and talented lass that devised this whole thing - hurrah and thrice for Julia, she has, at the very least, given me a landmark day each week - even if I do... erm... forget it is actually Wednesday!!! LOL



So, messyness abounds and I am considering calling them both... *pauses for effect - da, da, daaaaah* The Desks of Despair!!! Cos... both my desks are ridiculously crowded... I am working on new samples for classes at the moment and have got just about every piece of stash I own out of it's home and either onto the desks or the floor... I kid you not! There is going to be THE mammoth tidy up of all times starting shortly... but not before I have hopped a few blogs and ... erm... made some coffee, oh and then I need to hop some more blogs... oh and of course, more coffee... then I could sweep the decking... *note the need for avoidance tactics... I hate tidying my room!* On the first desk you can just see Fanny's sister waiting to be finished... yep, up there, there, on the shelf... she is going to be called... ElsieNancyRosie... cos, I loooooooove those names - and couldn't decide which I liked best ROFL Oh, I just realised, if you haven't seen Fanny before and would like to be in with a chance of winning her... click HERE for all the deets about the Pink Warrior Women Blog Hop... there are still a few days to join in (apologies for shamelessly plugging the Hop again... tis a goodly cause though!!)




Lump in the neck update... still there, this morning it is back to just the one large one... sore when I press it... erm... so I won't press it then LOL I am still in agony *the whole spine is in spasm at the moment... eeeek* but... goodly news in the form of a letter from the Doc, with details for "Choose & Book"... so I need to call the hospital and set up and appt to be seen by a Consultant... that can be added to the list of things to do before I tidy the Room of Stash LOL Anyways... me sitting here waffling on alarmingly isn't getting samples made or ... well, you know the obvious so I won't mention it again... *I am sure that next week the desks will be the same... messy, annoying the heck out of me and still waiting attention!* Thanks for looking... have a great day! TTFN

Hels x

One Lump Or...

... two... eeeeewwww, that lump in my neck I was on about yesterday has got smaller... but... it seems it didn't like being lonely so it is now two smaller ones... BUT... there is goodly news from the Room of Stash... I have actually been able to sit on my chair and look at stash... more than I could do yesterday LOL You never know, I may even just play this evening... I am having withdrawal symptoms cos my fingers aren't inky ROFL I will say though... THANK YOU for all your lovely kind comments on yesterdays post... you fair cheered me up... and... I took on board advice about the 2nd opinion... I am waiting on a hospital referral so fingers X'd that will be with me soon so I can get something done... Tell you what though... they'd shoot a horse for less... *who said Giddy Up? LMAO*




So... a few days ago one of my friends celebrated a birthday (don't worry Shazza, I won't tell a soul you are... 40 LOL) Anyways... I have a set style of birthday card that I always seem to go back to cos I love the stamps and I use Distress Inks and blend them, stamp them, spritz with water and generally make a mess - albeit a pretty coloured one!



The stamps are Penny Black Brush Strokes and that Brush Butterfly is one of my all time favest stamps in the whole wide world ever *said in my best Jeremy Clarkson voice* ... the inks were Old Paper and then a bit of Aged Mahogany and Black Soot Distress Ink. Simples card but... I think simples is sometimes as good as cluttered, which most of my other cards seem to be LOL Anyways... I am off to move about a bit... sitting down is a no-no for longer than about five mins... good job I can type quick! Thanks for looking... TTFN

Hels x

Out and Ouch...

...*sad face* ... yes indeedily... I have been in the wars... first of all, apologies to all the lovely peeps who have joined in with Sunday Stamper - I haven't been able to get around to see your entries yet... bear with please, I will get about tonight :O)) So, woe, indeedily... woe and thrice... I have gone and... put my chuffing back out .... again!!!



So, I haven't the foggiest what I have done but there are some rather yuk and noisy cracks and clicks coming from my neck - so loud that Grim can hear them over the other side of the room when the telly is on!!! Apparently, according to the Dr it is... "wear and tear" - I have to say... I think it is something more cos I have this massive lump sticking out of the base of my neck... yuk, indeed!



Anyways... I have neglected my blog friends and was sitting here missing you all so thought I would blog a little ATC that I made the other day... hopefully the person it is for has received it... or will get it tomorrow... Anyways... I am off to lay down on the sofa and moan and groan a bit more now!!! Thanks for looking... TTFN...

Hels x

Sunday Stamper - Week 126 - Green Onions

Morning Stampers and a very happy Sunday to you all :O)) Thank you for all the divine skellingtons and skulls you all entered last week! This week is an "easy" theme... as the song title (which I have to add is a total classic) the theme is... GREEN *aha, bet you thought I had taken leave of my senses and chosen onions LOL* To join in all you need to do is make something - arty, a card, ATC, tag - anything goes.. include the theme and some stamping and then leave me a comment here with a link to the place you are showing your entry, then I can hop over and see what you made :O))




Apologies for the late posting of the challenge today, Mr T'Internet decided to play silly beggars last night - personally I think he may have decided to go out clubbing, he certainly wasn't working for us! I made a shadow box for my entry. The stamping is on the insert sheet of card inside... just a few background stamps from the Duke Of Distress and lots of Distress Inks and... because I haven't used it for a few days... Traditional Tan paint... which has then had a tidge of Distress Ink rubbed over the top to tint it green.




As usual, my photo's are ridikerlously baaaaad, I know I say this allllll the time but I really do need to learn how to take a photo with a flash that doesn't flash back at me... anyways... I used some ickle mini canvases for the three bits in the centre and covered these with old book pages and old music script - Claudine's Multi Medium is THE best adhesive for doing this... and cos I am a bit of a messy pup there are always a few bits of it on the front of the papers... which gives a really cool resist to the ink that is then popped over... I like this look actually... just as well though cos it appears a lot LOL



So... what do you have planned for today??? I am going to go through all my old "cute" stamps and list them on eBay... I have got a basket full of the blighters and I haven't used them since December last year... so that kinda tells me I don't really want them... so I should get rid of them... and then with the £ I make on eBay... erm... I could be sensible and save it but... well, all the new lovely stash that is arriving in the UK needs a home and it would be rude of me not to offer it one ROFL Right, better get listing... have a goodly day... thanks for looking... TTFN

Hels x

Spooky Time...

... I am addicted... to... Hallowe'en stuff!!! I have been converted this year you know... and have been faffing about with ink and rubber and made another ATC... to giveaway again... tis my day for the Artistic Stamper Creative Team so I used some stuff to make an ATC... all the deets are HERE... so... if you would like to own this little piece, please please please, leave me a comment over there on that post :O)) **ohhh, and Kat, your ATC is on it's way to you today... the first was eaten by RM so fingers X'd this one gets to you!!**



I am excited today because it is the first day of Grim's leave... we haven't got anything planned... just a stay at home and sort out the rest of the boxes kind of week... oooh, and... the other day... look what he did for me... yes, I can finally answer that question that I keep being asked... "what do you do with all the stuff you make?" Well, here is the answer... Grim has popped them all onto the wall over the stairs... I was chuffty tuffty I can tell you... *and it has freed up some room on the Bookcase of Art too ;o))*




It is Sunday tomorrow... which means a new Sunday Stamper theme... I have loved seeing all those Skelingtons and Skulls this week... do pop back tomorrow if you get chance, I can't give you a hint on the theme though... cos I haven't picked it yet LOL Have a very goodly day... Thanks for looking... TTFN

Hels x

Rules Of The Frame...

... tee hee... I am being a jolly japester and I did a play on words... well, I tried ROFL So, today is Friday... my day for the Bubbly Funk DT - so I have been playing with some LUSH Tando Creative chipboard... and made a fancy frame... to see all the deets, please CLICK HERE and you will be whizzed across the Blogasphere on the magic flamingo that is waiting right here with me... *mmm, deffo need to take the old meds methinks LOL*



Anyways... isn't it a gorgeous day? The sun is shining... the trees outside my Room of Stash window in the Spinney behind the house are dropping all their leaves... and there are hundreds of those little helicopters spinning about... you know, those seeds from a sycamore... the gorgeous colours on the tree - reds, yellows, Rusty Hinges... yes indeedily, some are Rusty Hinged coloured.. and no, I haven't been out with a Blending Tool LOL The sun is glinting off the dew and it is soooo pretty... *blimey, I think I need to get a grip, I am going all misty eyed and poetical ROFL* I picked up a few of the seeds this morning... I have plans for them... you may not ever see the thing I make if it is baaaad but fingers X'd it works... best laid plans and all that! So, what have you got planned for the weekend? I am planning a day of craft tomorrow... I am resting up today, taking it easy and watching the FIVE Coronation Street Omnibuses I have on Sky+ so that should keep me occupied for a while LOL Have a great day and thanks for looking... TTFN

Hels x

Curiously Resisted...

...oooh, I have been playing with Christmas stuff... and... actually enjoyed it!!! I know, it is only October, but I am deffo going to stay organised you know... so, it is time for the Compendium of Curiosities Challenge again... devised and hosted by the wonderfully talented and lovely Linda... if you click on her name there is a magic train waiting to take you across the Blogasphere to see all the deets about how to enter etc.



In keeping with the challenge, I am not saying how I made the "challengey bit" of my tag... and for some reason I cannot get a photo of it without it flashing back at me... so excuse the pics please :O)) All the stashy bits on the tag are from the Tim Holtz collection - Grungeboard, Idea-ology, Distress Inks - the usual LOL





Isn't it cold??? Last night there was a tidge of excitement at Chez HelsGrim... because it was so cold and crisp out there, the moon was really bright and it had a really twinkly star next to it... so Grim has this swizzy new phone that you just look at and it does as you command... and on it is an App... think it is called that, I haven't quite reached the Smart Age yet... my phone is steam powered... anyways... this here App... how clever, you look at it and it does something swizzy and gets this picture on it of the constellations and stuff... and the bright twinkly star is... Jupiter! So, I have seen a planet... oh how I wanted it to be Uranus... but apparently, according to the Patrick Moore of phones, Uranus couldn't be seen because the moon was so bright. I thought about getting a Smart Phone... well, for about ten seconds and then realised that it would be A) wasted on me cos I am thick and B) take up too much of my time because there is a game on there called Angry Birds and I played it for about five mins the other day and got totally foxed... children of six could, I am sure, manage to get the birds to hit the pigs, but for me... nope, nada... so not happening! Right, I had better get a wiggle on... I have a visitor coming to play today and I need to get the other desk cleared ready for her ... I am thinking... a black bag, cram the stuff into that and sling it under the bed... out of sight and all that ROFL Thanks for looking... have a goodly day! TTFN

Hels x

WOYWW... Bah Humbug...**with edit!!**

... indeedily indeed! I have to say... I leave it til the last minute every year... so this year I am being organised... mmm, believe that? Maybe not ROFL Anyways... another Wednesday has crept up on us already so it is time for WOYWW... led and organised by Desk Inspector in Chief, Julia... if you click on her name you will be transported across the Blogasphere on a magical sleigh... *yep, losing the plot again* Actually this is my desk last night... at... 10.45pm... I know that cos the clock says it is that time LOL ... It won't look much different now cos I know I will be doing more Christmas stuff today! *bah humbug indeed!*



So... I have got Christmas stuff on my desk this week... and some alcohol inks... and lots of messy bits and bobs... that box of stash that I found proved to be a bit disappointing... cos it doesn't have my Xmas embellies in it... so where they are is anyones guess! Thing is, I stocked up on metal charms last year... they are somewhere... so I am back on the Praying to St Anthony trail again... they will turn up.. probably in January LOL For a change I am keeping this post short... shock horror I know... but... I waffle away alarmingly and seeing the amount of entries last week... that is a lot of desks to get around to... which, shamefully I didn't last week... I will try to do better this week!


Oh, and a quickie... while I think on... Fanny Flamingo is still waiting for a new home... so... if you would like to be in with a chance of giving her somewhere to live, please CLICK HERE to see the deets for the Pink Ribbon Warrior Women blog hop - I have got 46 comments... so only 4 more until I add extra candy to the giveaway... and... Fanny may just have a little sister you know.. .just saying ;o)) Thanks for looking... oooops, this post has got all long and waffly hasn't it??? TTFN

Hels x

**EDIT**

Postie has just been with ... a surprise package... so, I thinking... nope, not ordered anything... don't recognise the writing... so, I excitedly pull open the package and inside... a GORGEOUS ATC and a row of skelingtons on barbed wire... from... JOANNE... THANK YOU hunny, that is one seriously divine RAK... bless ya!!! Here is a pic... just to make you a bit Peeled Paint like ;o))


Thank you again Joanne... that is soooo kind of you and... brightened up my day heaps! xx

Not Just Me...

... who had a splendiferous weekend... yes indeedily, my mate Ellen, you know, Ellen, who is coming all the way from America (mmm, I broke into song then... sorry if I made your ears bleed!! ROFL) Anyways... Ellen spent the weekend with THE Wendy Vecchi... a whole two days making art and playing with inks and generally having a ball. So... when Ellen said to me that she had booked her places on the weekend I wasn't at all Peeled Paint... well, maybe just a tidgey tinge... but... I was more excited than green... but I did say... please get a piccie of you two together for me... so she did... and here it is!!! **please note, I WANT/NEED/HAVE TO HAVE that tee shirt of Ellen's... tis so ... me!! I have got visions of rifling thru her suitcase before she is even off the plane LOL**



How COOL is that!!!! And... Ellen told Wendy that she is staying in the Wendy Vecchi Suite here at Chez HelsGrim... however, I have had to tell her... it has been renamed to the Ellen Vargo Wing already... thing is, what the poor lass doesn't realise is that it is the smallest room in the world (yep, Jeremy Clarkson voice again) but I don't think that will matter cos we are planning a week of no sleep anyways... speaking of which... it is now... 39 days til her arrival and I am getting more and more excited as each day passes!!! Moving on... have you seen my Mojo? Only, I seem to have misplaced it... remember last week with the huge panic about Xmas stash missing in action? And it was found? Well, I have tidied it and sorted it and generally cleaned up the mess that is my Room of Stash... and erm... lost my Mojo along the way... so still no arty stuff today... yikes, that is two days with nothing to show... I have a whole night to get inky cos Grim is off watching his team win ( I hope!) What a to do! All this time and no Mojo!!! I reckon I will have to go and get my 490 stamps out... that usually whets the old Mojo a bit... anyways... I am off to do ... erm... something ROFL Thanks for looking... TTFN

Hels x

A Splendiforous Weekend...

...indeedily was had by me... I had a weekend of playdates with some loverly ladies... and yep, I remembered to take the camera, to put the battery in it... even to add the memory card into it... what I neglected to do was remember to take loads of photo's... so we have...erm... two... one from Saturday and one from Sunday...

This is Saturday's messy table... check out the jar of Quality Street... and there were still some left, even after being next to me all day!!



THANK YOU... to ALL the ladies who came along and made both classes such fun... AND... I do apologise again for that...erm, rolling and flicking a bogey description I gave out when trying to explain how to curl Grungepaper... mmm, maybe not my finest hour LOL


And this is Sunday afternoon - just before the Quality Street made an appearance LOL



And... I am pleased to say... me and Wendy are planning the next lot of playdates for November and December... and they will hopefully be online later this week/weekend... so, if you fancy seeing me be a total numpty and call things "wotsits, doodah's and jobbies" *cos my memory ain't what it used to be...* then I can guarantee that you will have a goodly time... I can say that cos I just know that the combination of making stuff, chattering away about all things crafty, eating chocolate and making new friends equals... a good time! Well, I have spent today lounging on the sofa watching TV recorded last week...and... you all kept THAT quiet didn't you... you know, that ... Colin Salmon was in last weeks episode... *I just watched tonight episode but alas, not there... resorting to looking at RA again (sorry Sioux... had to say that ROFL)* Anyways... tis time for bed said Zebedee... I have not a single piece of artwork to blog today... so I shall say... erm.. thanks for reading... and... get myself all inky and messy!! TTFN!

Hels x

Sunday Stamper - Week 125 - Dem Bones...

Morning Stampers! Thank you ALL for joining in with last weeks challenge... more gorgeously lush artwork to see on my travels :O)) This week, as promised... it's time for a fun challenge... so... you probably guessed from the title... the theme is... BONES/SKELETONS. Yes, I have embraced all things Hallowe'en this year and gone... erm... a bit mental with all the skelingtons and spookiness!




I have made a little folding book from a sheet of 12" sq paper... from Mr Holtz's Vintage Shabby stack... colouring with DI's and then adding some coloured in Witch images from the new Hallowe'en set.



I made three tags to go into the folded book... made a complete hash of the gluing of the folds.. erm.. I ended up gluing the top of the fold instead of the bottom... so I had to prize the whole lot apart and start again LOL




The cover of the book is actually made up from strips of the new Hobgoblin Tissue Tape.. .and yes, I didn't need this when it first came out... now, I cannot think of a thing to make without it ROFL I used just three DI colours; Spiced Marmalade, Dusty Concord and Aged Mahogany and added on stamping in Black Soot. The cat is stamped twice in Black Soot and embossed with clear powder, then I cut into him and made him 3d with his head, back legs and tail... then popped this onto silicone glue for more 3D-ness



I had another mishap when making the last skelington... stamped in white paint onto Grungepaper and then clear embossed.. I was being so careful cutting around him to make sure he was neat... yep, that was good... then, colouring in the edges with Black Soot and a blending tool... whoooops, off came his head... so I figured he might like to be twizzeling his head on his finger, basketball styleee... well it is meant to be spooky! :O))



So, to join in with the challenge, all you need to do is make a piece of artwork - cards, tags, altered art, ATC's - whatever you fancy making... include the theme and some stamping... leave a comment for me here with a link to the place you are showing your entry and I will hop on over to see you. The challenge will remain open until 21:00 Saturday October 23rd '10. I am off to make more Hallowe'eny stuff now... thanks for looking and have a FAB day! TTFN

Hels x

Curiously Fragmented...

... and spooooky... and... layered... and I have so many hats on today I am nearly falling over ROFL My first hat... is the Artistic Stamper Creative Team Blog... which is featuring my spooky tag and all the deets about it which are HERE... it is also another entry into The Artistic Stamper Monthly Challenge... which this month is LAYERS...and there is a prize up for grabs too :O)) CLICK HERE to see all the stuff you need to know about the challenge.



Anyways... that is one hat, my next hat (a rather fetching bobble hat) is my entry to the Compendium of Curiosities Challenge...hosted and devised by the loverly Linda...*btw, I am sooo lucky, I won a prize last week!! A set of stamps... signed by The Duke of Distress himself... I promise not to become a signature bore ROFL* now, I had massive idea's for my entries this week... I always make a tag cos I am going to have 35 of them by the time the challenge is complete... but... I also got all set up to make a bracelet... and got all the way to getting the Fragments sorted... and kinda ran out of time... so... the tag is the only thing I have got finished... someone fast forwarded this week, I am sure about that you know, I mean, yesterday was Monday right??? ROFL




I have another hat on too (this one is my beret and I can say oooh la la really convincingly in a French accent you know) and that hat is the organisational monster that has taken over my Room of Stash... hey, I just realised I made a typo... it should have said... disorganisational monster... durrrr... yes, indeedily, after spending FOUR hours a couple of weeks ago tidying up, putting away, clearing out, emptying bins, re-inking all in pads, scrubbing cakky bits of gunk off craft sheet... erm... well, I have had a bit of a time of it haven't I? All that stress and upset about the Xmas box of stash being, ahem, eaten, the really fab excuse of not having to make 900 Christmas cards this year gone... then the unpacking of... I kid you not... 500+ CD's that Grim and I have collected over the years... phew, they are all unpacked, alphabeticised (yep, that is the inner nerd in me) and now... well, I have waffled on so alarmingly that I am completely lost and need to go and have a little lay down!! Oh, and... the other hat... is my Sunday Stamper hat... tomorrow is a funny theme... you will like it... honestly... you will... so please pop by tomorrow to see what I am up to again... I love that you leave me lovely comments... and I now have my cheeky old moobag hat on... please can you leave me a comment here as well as over the road at the ASCT??? Pwetty please?? I need sympathy today... actually, that is TRUE!!! I need sympathy cos... Ellen is going on a weekend of classes with Wendy Vecchi... and I wanna be there too... Ellen said that she will get me photo's and give Wendy a hug from me, so that makes it a bit better but... *sob* I gonna go now, you have probably given up with reading and gone off to make a cheese sandwich or something... but... THANK you for looking... have a FAB day.. TTFN

Hels x

It's The Funky....

*hands up who thought I was going to say... Phantom? Do you remember him? He was a cartoon when I was a kid and I used to annoy my parents by saying "it's the Funky Phantom" all the time LOL* Anyways... goodness knows where that came from... today is Friday.. meaning it is a Funky Friday... meaning it is my day for the Bubbly Funk DT... so, I have been getting inky and painty and made a little wall hanging using... well, I shalln't say what... cos all the deets are HERE if you would like to have a look :O))



The other cartoon I remember was... ooooh, cannot remember what it was called but it had a character called Grape Ape... do you remember him? I am seriously hoping you do and it isn't just me being a numpty... go on, you must remember, he used to say "GrapeApe, GrapeApe" in that voice... ah... a drawback of me waffling on on the t'internet... you can't hear me .. maybe there is a way of getting a voice recording onto a blog... now that would be coolio! *actually that is probably a good thing... can you imagine if a Blog was voice recorded... I would be here for hours ROFL* Anyways... nope, I haven't taken leave of my senses... just feeling a bit exhuberant today for some reason... maybe cos I miscalculated the days left til Ellen comes to stay... and it is actually 43 days today... yipyah and thrice... I so cannot wait! Right, chores to do... boooohisssss... and a box of Christmas Stash to unpack *even bigger boooohisssss ROFL* Thanks for looking... TTFN

Hels x

490 Seconds...

...Cor blimey, I have been laughing my socks off reading the comments left for me on yesterday's post... Lizzybobs *along with many more* said... "loving your Fanny" - that made me spit my cwoffeee at the screen that did... Fanny? What... haven't seen my wafflings about Fanny Flamingo? Click HERE to see the post - tis all about honouring our brave and uber talented friend Sherry and raising awareness of breast cancer... and Fanny Flamingo is waiting for a new home... :O)) Anyways... enough of my mercilessly plugging the Pink Warrior Women Blog Hop lol...


I have been playing with Ten Seconds Studio's metal and Studio 490 stamps... I love Wendy Vecchi - her style, art, stamps... yes, you know all that already... but a few weeks ago Wendy featured a FAB new way of making dimensional flowers from Grungepaper... as ever, I copied her and made my own version... and then the other day decided to make a metal one... see if it works like.. which it did! HERE is Wendy's original post on how to make them... I cannot take any credit at all for the fabulosity of these lol




So, the Simon Says Stamp & Show Challenge this week is to use metal on your artwork... so, I have used LOTS of it.. in fact, it is all metal except for the Grungepaper, oh and the glass bottle... oh and yep, the pearls and danglies too :O))




The piece is based on my original Rosey Heart Art that I made nine hundred years ago and to my utter amazement, Wendy featured on her blog.. which in turn was seen by Ellen, who in turn is now one of my BFF's and... is coming to stay with me in... 45 DAYS!!!! OOoooh, I cannot wait!!! So, the metal piece - a whole heap of TSS metal, a Kabuka mould, some scootchy wheels and black paint... some Grungepaper, Studio 490 stamps, some Distress Inks and some Idea-ology... voila!



Goodly news from the Room of Stash too... yes indeedily... the box of Christmas stash has been found!!! After much nagging, whining and generally making a nuisance of myself, my lovely Grim went a searching for me yesterday and found a box... along with another one that has all my fibres and ribbons and old artwork in... and YIPYAH and thrice... the first one was clearly labelled Christmas Stash - Bedroom Two... mmm, those removal men left the majority of my stash boxes in the dining room... something tells me they got cheesed off carting the 30 odd boxes up the stairs ROFL Anyways.. I know the reason that the box was found... because... Vicky in NY said that she was going to whisper some incantations to make the holiday stash turn up... THANK YOU Vicky... so, do you fancy another lot of whispering and making a winning lottery ticket turn up in my purse??? ROFL Anyways... I now have no excuse not to get cracking on Christmas cards now.. mmm, maybe I should have just pretended the box was gone forever!! LOL So, what are you doing today? I am going to get inky and messy and yes, something Christmassy will be made... *eventually*... thanks for looking... have a goodly day! TTFN

Hels x

WOYWW... And...

Fanny! No, I am not shouting rude words early in the morning, I am talking about... Fanny Flamingo who is my entry for the Pink Ribbon Warrior Women Blog Hop... yes, I am waffling on alarmingly again about this event but... it is important... and there is a gorgeous candy prize to be won, as well as Fanny needing a new home and all that! Click HERE to see what I am on about if you didn't see yesterday's post...


So.. Wednesday already??? Who fast forwarded October already??? You know what is coming next don't you??? Indeedily, I am about to mention the C word... no... not that C word.. the Christmas word... sad news from the Room of Stash... it appears that something has eaten all my Christmas stash... I.. erm... packed it all up when we moved and... never realised it hasn't been unpacked.. yes, I know, six months later I realise but... what I am gonna do... well, who knows... I have a few Tim stamps out already... but all my papers (including my precious Cosmo Be Good collection) and all my embellies including the cutest rusty bells I got last year... *sob* they are gone. Well, actually, they are here somewhere... it is just tracking down the exact location... you don't even want to know how many boxes we still haven't unpacked ROFL



Anyways.. waffling on about things like that isn't telling you all about the phenomenon that is the WOYWW... hosted, devised and led by Head Hopper Julia, click HERE to see what I am on about if you haven't seen this malarkey before :O)) I had a couple of Q's asked this past week... so... Anonymous asked "how do you get your gold roses sooooo gold?" This is a simples one... stamp the flower onto Grungepaper, cut it out, use Gold Dabber to colour both sides, dry, dabber again, dry and then assemble... that Gold Dabber is LUSH! And... a big ThANk YoU to AliciaR who is all the way in Australia... she left a LOVELY comment telling me she just received her September issue of Craft Stamper and had read it twice already... thanks hun for your lovely kind comment :O)) My desk this week is a bit neater than last week and a bit messier than I like it to be... but I am mid way thru a project and just finishing another... all a bit messy and a bit disorganised... but I am going to be good and tidy up before I go to bed... well, that is the plan, unlikely to happen but it makes me feel better ROFL So... there you have it... Fanny and a messy desk LOL Thanks for looking... have a goodly day... oh and... sorry I didn't get around to all the desks last week... mainly cos that Error 503 was stopping me leaving comments... booohisssss... hoping Mr Blogger gets that sorted soon, tis a pesky pest! TTFN

Hels x

Pink Ribbon Warrior Women On The Hop...

...and a very goodly day to you all... today is a very special day... you might have noticed that I have had a piccie of Sherry Goodloe in my sidebar for a week or so... this is because dear Sherry has been fighting the biggest war of her life and battling Breast Cancer. October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and I am sure that each and every one of us know at least one, if not more, courageous women (and men, because they can get it too) who have battled this awful disease. So, without further ado, I am very honoured to announce that I am part of the Pink Ribbon Warrior Women Team... and here are all the deets that you will need to know...

*here's the altered birdy that you could win :O))*
**Edit... reading your lovely comments... I have been asked what she is called and someone said she is pink like a Flamingo... so... I have named her... Fanny Flamingo rofl**

We're celebrating the healing journey of our dear friend, Sherry Goodloe, who is recovering from her recent surgery and has just learned that she won't have to endure chemo or radiation! *which is just totally THE BEST news!!!* Sherry is our official Warrior Woman Muse for this hop and is someone we all love and admire. Of course, so many of our friends and loved ones... if not we ourselves... have faced breast cancer and our art is intended to honour each and every woman who has, is, or ever will fight this battle.

Please join in by visiting our blogs and finding some inspiration for your own art. In many cases, there's blog candy to be had for those who leave comments!

The Pink Ribbon Warrior Women Blog Team is:

Ellen Vargo

Jennie: The Artistic Stamper

Judy Wood

Linda Ledbetter

Nancy Crissinger

Sharon Sutton

Tracy Jacobs

And Me :O))

And our fabulous sponsor is eclectic Paperie!

Above is the piccie of the fab candy you could win :O))

After visiting each blog on the hop, please create your own work of art in celebration of the Pink Ribbon Warriors, and upload your masterpiece at the Warrior Women Blog Hop Flickr Gallery (click the pink words for the direct route to the gallery :O)) I have altered a birdy for my entry... complete with pink ribbons, pink flowers and a little magic wand, which, I have added as my interpretation of sending healing wishes to ALL those who are affected by breast cancer.

As well as Birdy, I have also fashioned a pink ribbon brooch, which is the emblem for Breast Cancer, adding on a bit of Idea-ology to make it a bit more special. I will be giving away both the Birdy and the Brooch to one randomly picked person who leaves a comment for me here. To be in with a chance of entering the draw, please leave me a comment and tell your friends about the hop by linking it on your sidebar or making a post on your blog. I will use Random.org to make the draw - closing the comments at 23:59 30th October 2010 and announcing the winner on Sunday October 31st 2010. *and I will post to anywhere in the world so no matter where you live, you will be in with a chance of winning :O))*

So, this Blog Hop is open to everyone... and to be in with a chance of winning the fabby prize which has so kindly been donated by Daisy from eclectic Paperie... all you have to do is submit a piece of art to the Flikr account - closing on 30th October with Sherry choosing the winner on October 31st. As a little extra - if I get more than 50 comments on this post, I will add on some more candy - stash candy this time - so... whatcha waiting for??? LOL

As a footnote, I would just like to say... if, by reading this post and joining in with the hop, just one person has their awareness of this disease raised and finds they have a lump and gets treated then I feel that the hop will have done it's job... I want to express just how important it is that we all self exam and if you have any doubts at all, please just go and see your Doctor... acting early gives you a better chance of beating it... so come on girls... be vigilant... and do like Sherry did... and kick cancers ass! Thanks for taking the time to read this... and to take part... and I really hope you enjoy the hop! Have fun... TTFN

Hels x