Sunday Stamper - Week 225 - Happy Heart

Goooodly Morning Stampers and a very happy Sunday to you all.  Many thanks, as ever, for all your totes-amazeballs entries for last weeks challenge.  This week the Sunday Stamper theme is in memory of the man with the milk chocolate voice, Andy Williams, who passed away last week.  Happy Heart is my favourite song of his... so the theme this week is... WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY.  To join in with the challenge is simples: make a little something, it can be anything you fancy.  Add in the theme and some stamping and then pop back here with a link to the place you are showing your entry.  If you don't have a blog/Picassa/Web-photo-hosty-jobby, you can join in via email or on Facebook.  The challenge will remain open until 21:00 Saturday 6th October 2012.

My entry this week has spooked me ever so slightly.  When I heard the news about Andy's passing, I knew right away what this weeks theme would be.  I just needed to make something.  Being as I was busy demo-ing on Friday, I picked one of the tags that I had made for my entry.  The colours make me happy - as do making those big blousey Tattered Florals roses.  Imagine my surprise when I was re-sizing the pics in PaintShopWotsit... and I saw the word William S!  In the little Ornate Frame.  That was a total freaky accident... but so meant to be!

Anyways... my demonstration for this tag was that you can grab any old Distress colours and they all go together beautifully.  The colours here are Picked Raspberry, Peacock Feathers and Seedless Preserves.  They were blended onto the tag and then flicked with water to add some splotchy bits.   I did some background stamping using Rose Madder Archival Ink and gave it all a zap with a heat tool.

I added more stamping using Jet Black for the butterflies and stamped them again onto card, which I then coloured with Peacock Feathers and a waterbrush to make the butterfly stand out.  I added some coloured and stamped card behind the Ornate Frame and popped the butterfly onto it to perch on it.  The rose was made using the largest flower on the Tattered Florals die, coloured using the Wrinkle Free Distress Technique and then overstamped with Plum Archival Ink.  The twigs are actually the Branch Tree die, cut with Grunge and then coloured with Gathered Twigs.

Anyways... that's all from me for today... thanks ever so much for all your lovely comments this week... as ever they are very muchly appreciated.  Have a great day!  TTFN

Hels x

BTW... just thought I would share... this is my 1450th post!!! That's a hoooge amount of waffling!! 

A Gathering...

...corrrr blimey and thrice!  I had a F A B time demo-ing yesterday at Inspirations in Preston yesterday and met some lovely like minded ink-addicts.  I played, of course, I mean I worked very hard all day long... toiling away with Distress Ink and Stains *snort*  Thanks to all who popped by and kept me company during the day... and yes, I did get my finger's clean... hey, just use a Craft Scrubbie - job's a good 'un!

This here tag is the first of the day - using Bundled Sage Distress Ink to colour the tag, then adding a smidge of Forest Moss around the edges and then doing some tonal stamping with the same colours.  I faffed with some Grungepaper, cutting out the ickle birdy and the Branch Tree and colouring them with more Distress Inks and popping the tree on its side for the birdy to perch on.

The trim flowers were coloured with the same inks and once dried, I added some Rock Candy Stickles to add some subtle blingness to it.  I cut a strip of card and coloured it with Distress Stains for a more smooshy look and then stamped the Happy Holidays with Jet Black Archival, folding and snipping the card so it looks like a little banner.

This here piccie is before the gathering arrived.... and here are some of the ladies who came by to see me.

I shall lurves ya and leaves ya, I am fair pooped so am scheduling this again so I can get some zeds and be ready bright and early for my workshop today.  Thanks for looking... have a grand day and don't forget to check back tomorrow for a brand new Sunday Stamper theme.  TTFN!

Hels x

PS... I just have to say... I have had about 362 anonymous Spam comments on my blog in the last week and it is getting a bit irksome reading about how to go about buying drugs online or how to ...ahem... grow something big (and I don't mean vegetable lol)  So.  I have now had to make my comments Google account holders only.  Sorry about this... the only other way would be word verification and being as that is the spawn of the devil, I opted for the easy solution..... hope it doesn't affect your commenting ability because I lurves your comments.... ta x

A First....

...guess what???  I have just completed my very first commission!  Oh yesh indeedily.  A few months ago, lovely Joanne spotted a piece on my blog and asked if I would make her something similar... and she was commissioning me!  Get that!  A commission... am still grinning like a loon about it now!  Anyways... I have just handed my finished effort to Joanne... and I think it is safe to say that she likes it. (either that or she deserves an Oscar rofl)

Anyways, the base is an 8" square canvas, this is a shallow edge one, I would prefer a deeper one (ooherrrmissus) but for the life of me I can't find any unless I want to buy a box of 193 and pay through the schnozzle for 'em.  So, this here shallow edge canvas was painted with acrylic paints... a mix of Decoart and Dabbers, all applied with Cut & Dry foam so I could get some nice blending going on.  I painted the edges with Black Dabber (I have to say, I lurves Dabber's because they are matt when dry... I no like that they are in ickle bottles though... I always want bigger ones ...another oooerrr, but I am sure you know what I mean *snort*)   

As I have been heavily influenced by the artist genius that is Ania Dabrowska (click her name to be whizzed off to her blog on the back of a Prima Flower) it is time to admit that I have turned into a bit of a squirrel.  I have always been a bit of a hoarder (as my wardrobe, loft, garage, Room of Stash, shed, dining room... you get the picture... will confirm) and when I saw these new Prima embellies, I started my latest craze... hoarding bits and bobs that will go really well onto canvases and big projects.  The Prima lightbulbs are a fantastic idea... and they are really substantial too.  Oh and the Prima Gears too... mahooosive ones and ickle ones alike.  Check out Sam Poole's Creative Studio's for deets on these babies.

Whilst at Ally Pally last Saturday I did a spot of speed stash-shopping... literally 5 mins from the end I dashed to Paper Artsy (always a fave shop) and did one of those highspeed, gasping for breath dashes around the new Artemio embellishment range... those ickle studs on the canvas are actually brads, I just chopped their legs off!  And the metal butterfly is from Graphic 45... I am lurrrving those... wishing I had got two packs of them now too!  The flowers are again from my stash of paper flowers... I added to it recently, visiting Wild Orchid Crafts and nabbing some new paper roses and some plain white blooms, as well as the cute brass dragonflies.  The metal leaves are new from Creative Expressions (and you can get these in Sam's store too)  Finally, the words... the Imagine is an Artistic Stamper word, gotta be my fave ever word stamp, I love the grunginess of it... and the wooden "remember" is another Prima embellishment.  I guess all in all I wanted to make this piece a bit special... well, being as it is for a very special lady, I wanted to add a bit of lurve into it too... so a lot of my fave things are included on it.  Now I just need to figure out how to add some Studio 490 into the mix and I will be complete!

Anyways... I shall away... I am in my hotel room in Preston... scheduling this post because I am fair pooped.  I had a bit of a journey down here... setting off with plenty, plenty time to get to Inspirations to drop all my kit off and then have a moozie about the shop.  Best laid plans and all that.  There was an accident on the M6 - I was hoping it would be clear by the time I got to the site... nope, there was another accident in the accident bit so it meant the motorway was closed.  A quick (handsfree, Blue & Me) call to Grim asking which exit should I take to avoid the closure... and onwards I goes.  Until the exit I needed and there was a Police car there, closing the slip road.  Another accident had happened there!  I finally made it to Inspirations about 5.15pm so it literally was a quick hello, drop off the stuff, back in the car and onto the hotel.  Where I made a complete burk of myself.  So, I needs to use the facilities.  And the bathroom light won't work.  Grrr.. weeing in the dark is not the best fun right?  Anyways, I decides to pop the telly on to get the radio (tis freeview jobbywotsits) and I had a "no signal" thingy show up.  So, off I sets to reception to ask if I could get a light fixed and a telly that works.  The lovely lass on reception was most apologetic and offered to move my room... nope, I just unpacked, can't be bothered with all that... so she offers me free internet... I just paid for it.. and then she offered me a free breakfast.  Thank you very much, don't mind if I do.  And then she said "you did put your door key card into the slot on the wall?"  Errrm... "nope"  *I had the grace to blush*  She tells me that to get the power and lights in the room you need to insert card into said slot.  "Oh and btw" she says... "is the aeriel in the back of the telly?"   Turns out the aeriel wasn't in the back of the telly and yes, key card in slot on wall means I can wee with the lights on rofl   With that delightful image I shall say... thanks for looking... if you are in Preston today please do pop in to Inspirations and say hi, I will be the one with the red face and inky paws!  TTFN!

Hels x

Fantastic Washi...

..there's nowt wishy washy about Washi Tape (did you see what I did there... and this early of a morning too!)  Over on the Fantastic Ribbons blog the DT are playing with Washi Tape this month, do nip over there to see the gorgeous things that the other DT have been doing with this fabby tape.  I decided to grunge things up a little and made a collage on a little 4" canvas.  Total freakery-oooh-look-at-that-how-it-turned-out techniquery going on on mine too. One of those... ooh I like that look (although I wasn't trying to achieve that!)  Tis oft the way though isn't it?  Playing, trying stuff out... getting an effect you didn't expect.

Anyways - enough waffle, down to business: I covered the whole canvas with some blue spotty Washi Tape, applying it in long strips across the canvas.  Next I added torn strips of the tape randomly and gave the whole thing a coat of watered down Cloudy Blue Dabber, applying it with Cut & Dry foam.   Then I got some black spotty tape and some black and white stripey tape and added smidges of these over the top - taking an inch long piece and ripping it along to get torn edges and jaggerdy bits (like me new word?)

Then I spritzed right over the top with watered down Purple Twilight Colorwash - my spray nozzle thingy is broken so I just decant some into a Mini Mister and add a bit of water.  I let the Colorwas run over the canvas and then dried it.  Next I gave the canvas a good spritz with Black Marble Dylusions Spray... and used a water mister to get the spray to move about a bit.  Where the sprays have soaked into the painty bits, I think it looks a bit like weathered wood... am chuffed with that!  Decoration came in the form of some paper flowers, spritzed with the same colours and a smidge of Vintage Rose Cosmic Shimmer to add some bling, a couple of fancy pins and an Idea-ology Ornate Frame with an Adage Ticket inside... oh and forgive the cruddy pics, the Glossy Accents I used to fill the frame are still not dry.... think my Room of Stash is a tad cold.

Right, I shall away... bags to pack and journeys to drive today.... thanks for looking.. have a great day!  TTFN

Hels x

Love... and a Giveaway...

...today would have been my Grandma's 100th birthday - I so wish she was here to celebrate this milestone, although quite what she would have made of this crazy world we live in now I really don't know.  In honour of her 100th birthday I have decided to have a little giveaway.  This Studio 490 Art Part piece is made from a haul of new goodies that I was demoing at the weekend.  To join in with the giveaway all you need to do is leave me a comment here.  I will announce the winner, who will be chosen at random, next Wednesday, 3rd October 2012.

The base of the piece is two Art Part hearts, coloured with Distress Inks and Stains and then overstamped with a really cool honeycomb background stamp from Art For You... I love that background stamp loads... I can see me using it time and again.  I added some Stencils For Arts bits and bobs on the base and sanded the edges to make them a bit shabby.  The rose is stamped three times onto Grungepaper and then decoupaged, coloured with Fired Brick Distress Ink and assembled with a diddy resin flower for the centre.  The LOVE is from the Hearts Art Parts pack... coloured with Fired Brick Stain, dried, sanded to age and then popped onto the stalk of the Echinacea flower - I chopped the leaves off the bottom of this piece and used some of the offcuts to shore up the underneath of the LOVE... so it had something to sit on at the same depth as the stalk (if that makes sense lol)  The butterfly was stamped onto more Grungepaper and coloured with Wild Honey and Fired Brick DI and then shaped to sit a-flutter on the bottom of the heart.  I punched a couple of holes in the top of the heart and added some wire for a hanging.

Indulge me do please... a few words about my lovely Gran.  Everyone always says that they have the best Gran in the world... and mine really was.  She spoiled me with her time - we used to go for lovely walks along the river where she would point out wildflowers to me and taught me all about nature.  And the long walks along the Leeds-Liverpool Canal which was just by where she lived - we used to take a jam-jar and a little fishing net and bring home tadpoles.  We used to catch Sticklebacks and Minnows but she would never let me bring those home.   She used to take me out in the summer holidays on trips to Otley - and every single time, without fail, I would fall into the pond and get my pants wet.   We used to go for walks near Charlie Parker's farm - I remember one time she got caught short... and needed to do the necessary.  In a field of bulls. I never saw her move so quickly, haring across the field with a herd of bulls starting a stampede.  And once we were safely out of the way we couldn't stand up for laughing. Happy memories.

My Gran was quite a reserved woman, not one for public displays of affection... but I didn't need that because I knew that she loved me, the way she would spend so much time playing, teaching me, making cards (ok, covering her in glitter and Gloy glue), telling me stories of the olden-days when she was a yong girl growing up in Wales.  I remember coming home with my O'Level results - not doing as well as I should have.  Instead of berating me, she simply said "you can re-sit them".  

She was a very wise lady -  she had her own fair share of hardship during her life and I think that her aim for me was to give me as much knowledge as possible so my life was easier.  I am sure I am the woman I am now because of my formative years with my Grandma, I just wish that she was here to see how my life turned out.  I was 17 when she passed away, I was never going to be ready for that day and when it came it truly felt like a part of me died too. So. To my dear Grandma, Happy Birthday, where-ever you may be, I will always carry you within my heart and my memories.

That's all for now peeps... thanks for looking... TTFN

Hels x

Being Demonstrative...

...tis a good word that isn't  it?  Demonstrative... rolls off the tongue.  Bit like pamphlet... if you say that enough times it really is a silly sounding word... and a bit like fang, which so happens to be my favourite word of all.  Fang.  Did you know I have a pair of fangs?  Completely unnoticed by moi until I spied a rather ridikidudalus photo of me... and yep, I have fangs. Maybe I am a wampire in my spare time!  Anyways, enough of the mad waffling... on with todays offering which is another demo tag from Saturday, this time featuring some gorge new Studio 490 goodies.

The tag is made from Ranger Specialty paper... seriously folks, this is an amazing cardstock to play with... it takes ink beeeeeautifully.  I have that tag die of Tim's (well, not his actual one, he might be a bit miffed to see me nicking his stash, mind you, can you imagine how cool that would be... rummaging thru his stash)  As ever, I digress.  So, the tag die... I am a complete donut and decided to stick punched circles of brown paper to the card before cutting the tag shape... lordy knows why, I thought it would be easier.  Mmm, check out the wonky hole!  Maybe I should make a feature of it so everyone will want a wonky hole lol   The tag was liberally spritzed with water and then spritzed with Cosmic Misting Inks (a new fave product) The colours were Summer Haze and Blue Lace - gorgeous together.  Once I had dried them, I gave another couple of mini spritzes to intensify the colours and dried them again.

Next I got the new Studio 490 Stencils For Art Spots and Stripes and misted the blue over the spots and the Summer Haze over the stripes.  I love the smooshiness this created. Once dried I blended some Salty Ocean Distress Ink around the edges and then edged with Black Soot to create a frame.   I have that new grass stamp from Original Art so I stamped that with Aquamarine Archival Ink (yum).  I used another new Stencils For Art and added the word REMEMBER along the bottom using Black Soot DI.  The butterflies were stamped onto scrap card and misted with Cosmic Shimmer Vintage Rose spray... I say scrap card cos... between you and me (don't tell anyone) the back of the butterflies have Merry Christmas stamped on them from an earlier demo where I was checking a stamp for straightness... well, they are unique if nowt else!  The finishing touches are an Ornate Frame with a word from the Wildflower Art set and a Trinket Pin and a couple of Baubles.  I haven't had a proper chance to play with the new Stencils much so it was nice to be able to try them out properly the other day.  Yet again, the wonder that is Wendy Vecchi has brought us another totes-amazeballs product!  Check out her blog to see some amaaaazing creations ... HERE.

I have decided that it is time for me to go and bite the bullet... and tidy up the Room of Stash.  I know it seems like only two weeks ago that I was bemoaning the mess in here... actually, it is!  Thing is, I have a room full of boxes at the moment, all the demo stuff and workshop stuff that needs to go back into their homes... I have been putting it off all day but I can't actually get to my desk at the moment and I have a project in my head I need to get cracking on, not to mention kits to get ready for my class at Inspirations in Preston on Saturday... yikes, I really need to get organised!  Does anyone know where I can buy some time from?  I shall away..... well, after I have checked Facebook and emails and other blogs and stuff lol  Thanks for looking... have an inky day! TTFN

Hels x

Don't Look Too Closely...

...or else you will see that even now, at the ripe old age of...*ahem* 40something, I still can't seem to colour within the lines!  There was much mirth and merriment in the making of this tag - it is one of my demo tags from Ally Pally and one of the lovely ladies watching its creation said that she thought it was a stamp of a robber on a get-away horse (you know who you are lol)  I could see what she meant because she was looking at it from a funny angle.   Actually, it is Papa Noel on his trusty reindeer, getting ready to whizz 'round to my place to drop off lots of goodies for me ( I have been very good this year.... well sort of lol)

The base tag is coloured with Old Paper Stain, dried, blended with Frayed Burlap and Vintage Photo and a smidge of black around the edges to frame the design.  The colouring - well, the less said about that the better.  I have lost my waterbrush... had it last week, can't find it this week.  So, instead, I used a paintbrush and spritzed water onto the craft sheet and a nice puddle of Fired Brick Stain and coloured that way... hence the going over the lines on his knee... my excuse and I is sticking to it!

My demo desk - pic here - was massive, which is just as well because I do tend to spread out when I am making stuff... all in all I had a fab day - I would love to be able to show you two more of the Xmas tags I made using Tim's new stamps and the gorgeous Stampers Anon Classic Favorites... but alas, I left my desk to go and do my sit-down demo, came back, both were missing.  So, if it was you who helped yourself to my tags, well, what can I say?  Ask me and I will make you something... please don't steal, it is an ugly thing to do and it makes me crabby because I didn't get photo's of them - not fair at all right?

Anyways. Yesterday was a grand day out.  Chuffing frreeeezing though!  I was getting ready in the morning and Grim said "tis going to be chilly today... less than 10degrees"   So, I decided that I would wear layers, all four of them.  And as I was getting ready I spied my big wooly pom pom scarf... and thought "oh I won't need that, tis still September"   WRONG!!!   We were lucky enough to get seats in the grandstand which is undercover - thank heavens.  Now.  You all know I have probs with my back.  Well, it is high up, up there in the grandstand.  Which means several flights of steep stairs.  It took me about 29 hours to climb up them... but I did it, grumbling all the way, as you (or I) do.  Once up there, I then had a fit of the vapours... blimey it is HIGH.  And I have never had issues with heights before... ever.  So, it was a "don't look down" moment, lasting more than a moment, more like several minutes.  Finally I got used to it - mainly because when I finally did look down, we were sitting right opposite Jason Plato's garage.  Just wish I had had my binoculars with me (snort)  Grim went wandering off (ok, he went off in search of bacon and coffee) When he got back he said... "there's a lift!"  Oh yes, there is indeedily a lift. Phew, I don't think I could have managed a whole day without finding the facilities lol   Anyways, I have thawed out now, it was a case of cozy corn pillow, fleecy blanket, fire on full, heating on full, nice chinese food on ...erm.. full (teehee) and telly box on X Factor - I only watch it because Grim forces me to I hasten to add.  I shall away now, I have lots of jobs on my to-do list and I only have three days this week because I am away to Preston on Thursday. Best get a wiggle on then!   Thanks for looking, have a good day!  TTFN

Hels x

Sunday Stamper - Week 224 - Behind The Mask

Goooodly Morning Stampers and a very happy Sunday to you all.  Big thanks for all the gorgeous be-ribboned creations for last weeks challenge.  This week is a nice and easy one... and the theme is... to use MASKS/STENCILS on your entry.  To join in is simples: make a little something, it can be anything you fancy.  Add in the theme AND some stamping and then pop back here with a link to the place you are showing your entry.  If you don't have a blog/picassa/web-hosty-thingywotsit, you can enter by emailing me or via Facebook.  The challenge will remain open until 21:00 Saturday 29th September 2011.  I have been asked a few questions recently so thought I would answer them here:  "Can I join in with the challenge even if I don't live in the UK?"  YES!!! It is open to anyone, worldwide... the more the merrier!  "I don't have a blog, can I still join in?"  YES!!!  Just so long as you leave me a comment and either a link to your web-hosty thing OR email me OR link me to your Facebook album... simples... like I said... the more the merrier!  "I haven't used any stamping on my entry, does it still count?"  Well... I have been known to get so involved in my creation that I forget to add in the stamping and end up bunging a quick sentiment or the odd "fill in" stamp. Soooo, I guess the answer is... Try to use stamping as much as you can.

On with my entry for this week.  I spent a lovely day yesterday demo-ing for Creative Expressions at the Big Stamping & Scrapbooking Show at Alexandra Palace.  It is my fave venue for demo-ing, I don't know if it is the space, the people, the hooooge amount of stashly wares on sale... but, whatever it is, it is always special.  It was grand to meet so many lovely peeps and put faces to names too.  So. I was demo-ing Studio 490, Tim Holtz and Ranger.  And a little Art Parts piece that I had made as a sample is my entry for this weeks challenge.

I used some of the brand new Studio 490 stamps and stencils and Art Parts for my creation.  The base is a Hearts Art Part and I added a Scallop Trim to make a little shelf.  The colours are Scattered Straw, Wild Honey, Rusty Hinge and Vintage Photo.  The background honeycomb stamp was inked with the brush tip of a Vintage Photo Distress Marker - this is a cool technique because you can just ink the stamp in patches so you get a random background... I have tried this with an inkpad but I always seem to get harsh edgey lines... so the Marker is sooo much better.

My masking is in the guise of one of the new Studio 490 Stencils for Art - the Spots & Stripes.  I LOVE this stencil (actually I love them all... no big surprise there lol)  I used a smidge of Rusty Hinge and a smidge of Vintage Photo to add some detailing on the base through the stencil - the lines under the shelf are meant to be shadows... mmm, not quite but the idea was there :O))

I added a Grungepaper flower - Accents For Art stamp set, both flowers, stamped in Sepia Archival, inked with Wild Honey and Rusty Hinge DI and then curled... the centre is an Embellish Your Art flower button... coloured with co-ordinating Distress Markers.  This is a cool technique from Wendy Vecchi - simply colour the EYA piece, heat set it with a heat tool - don't overheat, it will go all stinky and wobbly - experience there folks lol - and there you go!  You can also use Alcohol Inks, Copics, Pro-Markers and Archival Inks to colourize the EYA pieces too.  The little metal thingy at the point of the heart is actually one of the new Creative Expressions Antique Corners... I just bent it slightly and popped it on with some Cosmic Glue.

Anyways... I shall away. I have some much needed beauty sleep to catch up on... we are away to Rockingham this morning to watch the British Touring Cars... YAY! I love Rockingham... only about 25 mins in the car and nice seats to sit on all day... oh and they always have a rather nice hog roast too... and a donut stand (oh, no, not more sugary chops) and of course, we shall be cheering Jason Plato on - I really hope he has a good meet this time... the last couple of meets have been pretty poop!   Thanks for looking, have a fabbbby day! TTFN

Hels x

Busy As A...

...butterfly!  Last Saturday I travelled up to Sheffield to take part in a Dabble Day with Busy Bee's Crafts.  There were three teachers, me, Jo and Julie... and 27 peeps taking part.  I had the pleasure of teaching a mixed media class, altering a wooden plaque with paints and inks and some fab Indigo Blu stamps.  Because I am a numpty, I totes forgot to take photo's of the two plaques I had prepped already for the classes... but I have got this one which is the one I used for me demo-ing and I finished it this morning.

The background was painted with EcoPaints, blended with Cut & Dry foam to get a nice smooth blend and mixed with Aged Mahogany Distress Stain to get that gorgeous pinky colour at the edges.  The other two plaques I had done were very masculine so I decided to pretty this one up and used a Kaleidoscope of butterflies... actually it is a moth but I don't know the collective term for a group of moths lol  There are 11 moths, stamped onto card using Jet Black Archival and then coloured with Victorian Velvet & Aged Mahogany DI and the backs were coloured with Frayed Burlap DI.

The cogs stamped onto the plaque have been jazzed up a bit with some Idea-ology Gears, Mini Cogs and Snaps (oh how I wish Snaps were still being produced, I know you can get them from haberdashers but it is the metal colours that I lurves)  All of the bits and bobs have been glued on with the best wet glue in the world... *used my Jeremy Clarkson voice for that one* Cosmic Shimmer Dries Clear.

Anyways, that is todays little offering.  I must take a moment to say a hoooge thank you for all your lovely comments on yesterdays post... I was blown away by all your kind words!  Right, I shall away, I am prepping for my demo's at Ally Pally tomorrow - I will be on the Creative Expressions stand, playing with Studio 490,  Distress and... Tim Holtz stamps... you know, the new ones!!  Oooh and I am doing a 20 min demo in the downstairs demo area too... not sure of the time yet... but they will be announced periodically during the show.  If you are going, please do pop by to say hi... t'would be F A B to meet you in person.  Thanks for looking... have a grand day... TTFN

Hels x

Recipe Time...

...cor blimey and thrice!  I have just logged in to post todays...erm... post... and YIKES!  It is not my normal bloggy thing, I have been upgraded and I reallllly no likey it!  So, if the pics and words are all jumbled up, for once it isn't me!   Anyways.  Today is the day for me and Ellen to post our latest Recipe challenge.  We had a lovely Skypey crafty sesh on Sunday and came up with this recipe:

- Master Board large enough to cut down to 9 ATC's (each ATC is 2.5" x 3.5")
- All 9 ATC's will be mounted on a base (approx 8" x 11") and hung with a "clippy hanger" - you know - a hanger with clips on it!
- Textured background
- Ink sprays
- Hand stamped sentiment
- Tape (washi or other)
- Embellishments of choice

I have shamelessly copied that list from Ellen because I can't read my writing in my book lol   Now, I says that I wanted to get that WOW factor.  Ellen reckons she didn't get it... I reckon she DID.  I reckon I didn't get quite the WOW that I wanted... more of a "oh, that's different" lol

I posted the other day with a WIP pic... here's another one, this one is after I covered everything with ivory paint.  It was my intention to take pics every so often during the construction... I even had the camera right next to me... and again, I forgot!

Once the painty layer was dried and I had cut the ATC's, I used Dylusions sprays to get some colour onto the piece.  Postbox Red, Fresh Lime and a smidge of Black Marble were used to get a swoosy background.  I edged each ATC with Black Dabber to frame the designs and then get a bit over-excited with the embellishing bit.

Thing is, once I had done the spritzing, I kind of lost the definition... it looked ever so flat and boring... so I spread Traditional Tan paint over the pieces, in a "spreading butter on bread" motion, the paint picked up the sprays and changed colour ever  so slightly but I like that effect.   I used my black Stabilo All pencil to edge around the lumpy bits - so they popped a bit more too.

There's a ton of Prima flowers, lots of metal stuff - trinkets I have collected over the years and always kept for "something special" as well as my fave kind of embellies - Studio 490 Blossom Bucket.  I wanted to add loads more embellies but I kind of ran out of room for big stuff... so I hit on the idea of adding butterflies.

These are the new Studio 490 butterfly from Art For You - perfect size for my piece... and I inadvertantly pulled a wing off one of them whilst colouring them... so I used it anyway, he just looks like he is perching for a rest.  So, I got all brutal and pulled another wing off...  The smidges of bling on the piece were created by spritzing Red Firefly Cosmic Shimmer spray onto the flowers... I love how it gives a really metallic finish without it being too heavy.

I popped the ATC's onto a piece of greyboard I painted with Charcoal Black paint - I wanted a bit of a semi-matte finish to the paint and Claudine Hellmuth's paint range are perfect for this.  I coloured a piece of cardstock with Traditional Tan paint and then used Alpha stamps to make a sentiment.  My sentiment is from an ancient Tim Holtz woody stamp - one of my faves that I never really use!  Check out the clippy hanger!  Ellen sent me some of these for my birthday... aren't they just SO cute!


Anyways... that's about it I reckon.  I know, there's a lot of pics and a very lot of writing... so, whatcha fink?  Over all, I am happy with it... in my head it was going to be blue and green... so where the red came from I have no idea.   As ever, thanks for looking... HERE's Ellen's post so you can pop and see her creation too.  I am going to hit publish now and am keeping everything X'd that it posts properly.  When I am looking where the photo's are, they are all aligned left... and I need them central but after several yonks trying to move them, they keep popping back to the left... I guess I need a lesson in Blogger again!   Anyways... Have a good day! TTFN

Hels x

Simon Says... A Tutorial

...as promised, I am back today with a link to the tutorial I have done for Simon Says Stamp & Show. All the deets are HERE. The challenge is open to all and... don't forget, there's candy to be had for one lucky entrant. I have to say again, thank you to the lovely peeps at Simon Says Stamp for allowing me to be a Guest Designer on their fab challenge blog... I am so chuffed... and ver, ver honoured.



Being as all the deets on how I altered the frame are already on the SSS&S blog, I thought I would just do a quicky on how I finished my frame. The frame is one of those RAM ones from IKEA, you know, the fabby wooden ones that are now discontinued *sad face time* Once I had covered my frame with the Tissue and Washi Tape collage, I moved onto decorating the insert. I cut a piece of card to fit inside and painted it with the same bit of Cut & Dry I had used to do the frame. I left this plain so the heart embellishment would pop more but I did add some darker colour paint where the point of the heart would be sitting so it adds shading to it.




I cut a heart out of thick card - I have made myself a little template so I can get a heart to be equal on both sides. This is simples, just draw half a heart on the edge of a piece of card and cut it out. Then when you come to make your heart, draw around the half, flip it over and draw around the other side, that way you get the same shape on both sides. I added strips of tape across the heart along with a border punched bit of card and then painted over the top with the same bit of Cut & Dry I used for the frame. I added some darker paint around the edges, blending it in so there was some more shading. Once this was dry I added a smidge of gold embossing powder around the edge to make it a bit fancier. I popped some Prima flowers onto the heart, along with some metal bits and bobs to jazz it up a bit and spritzed with Cosmic Shimmer spray to add some bling. I like to make things that have words on them (yep, as well as flowers lol) and Tim's Idea-ology Chit Chat stickers are perfect to add that little something that doesn't overload a design. I have stuck mine onto card, edged them with a black Paint Sharpie and then bobbed them onto 3d foam. I know I have said this very lots of time but... I am totes inspired by Finnabair - I don't think I have ever seen her make anything that I don't like - click her name to see her blog.




And there you have it. A simple collage technique that looks really pretty. And you don't just have to do this on an alterable piece, you can use it on cards, tags, ATC's - the list is endless :O) The majority of the goodies I used are available from Simon Says Stamp.

As ever, thanks for looking... I am still suffering today *grrrr* so I have planned myself a day in the Room of Stash *yayyy*... a good old play with ink and stuff always makes me feel better. Have a good day yourselves... TTFN

Hels x

In Lurve...

...nay and thrice indeedily!!! Jerry's visit yesterday was a roaring - or should that be woofing - success. AlfieCat was happy curled up on our bed (his usual daytime position) and he had a hoooge dish of fishy food that kept him purring. I needed to keep Alf away from Jerry the Gorgeous Springer because he has been known to be a bit...erm... savage with anything that has four legs and isn't his reflection. He isn't a savage puss normally but I didn't want to take a chance. Anyways, I was fully expecting Jerry to come bouncing in and promptly swish anything in his range onto the floor. Nope, I was totes wrong, he was a lovely little sausage and was so good! He even curled up and had a kip whilst we were eating... I fully expected to see a little nose popping up over the edge of the table. His Mummy Mary and Daddy Richard have him very well trained.


Apart from when it comes to socks. Oh yes, he has a sock fetish bless him and decided that he fancied a gnash at mine - not while they were on my feet I hasten to add lol I have several pairs of chunky socks (I have perpetually cold feet) and there was a pair rolled up in the living room... they were clean before you start calling the RSPCA lol Jerry loves a ball... so he had my socks to chomp on and he found a little kitty ball to play with too but that rolled under the sofa never to be seen again.


Look at that photo, see, that is why I is in lurves... he is the most intelligent dog in the world (said in my best Jeremy Clarkson voice) and I have been reliably informed that the bone I got for him had to be confiscated during the night because he was thumping around the house with it... next time I shall buy him a squeaky toy methinks rofl You know those Glade airfreshener pumpy things that puff out when it senses movement? Tis that grey thingy on the table... well, that was very interesting for Jerry... he was hilarious, he walked past it, it puffed out its smelly stuff and he looked at it as if he was mad... bless him, like I said... he is a little sausage! Oh and you will be relieved to learn that I had nothing to do with the custard... Grim took the helm for that one... phew! The crumble was ok, a bit sour for my liking but the others all liked it so it can't have been that bad. I think next time I shall just buy a cheesecake though rofl



Anyways... gratuitious pics of my fave pooch aside, I have not done much today... I think I have done another disc, pain has been awful and my meds just aren't doing the trick at the moment. I am refusing to give in to it though... well, if I sat around feeling sorry for myself I would still be in pain right? So, instead I shall sit around and make some stuff. This here pic is a WIP from my Skypey sesh with Ellen on Sunday... another of our recipe challenges. I will be posting the finished piece on Thursday.


Oh and whilst I think on... please CLICK HERE... you gotta see what Ellen made... Here's a tempter... seriously folks, she pulled out all the stops for this one.... it is ... TOTES-AMAZEBALLS indeedily....


Right, I shall away... I have stuff to do, paper to paint, embellies to ink and all that. Thanks for looking... TTFN!

Hels x

Simon Says... Be My Guest!

...Excited? Me? Oh yesh, indeedily.... very excited! And why? Well, a few months ago May, who is the DT Leader over at Simon Says Stamp & Show asked me if I would like to be their first Guest Designer. Of course, I needed time to think about the invitation.... and about 0.01 seconds later, I emailed right back and said... yes please! I am very honoured to be asked to be a Guest over on my fave challenge blog. All the deets etc for this weeks challenge are HERE along with all the cool DT creations and info on how to join in.



The theme this week is Tape It Up. I toyed with several ideas on what to make, I started out with a tag but it just wasn't big enough for the technique I wanted to use... so I altered a frame instead. On Wednesday this week a tutorial I have done for my entry will be published over on Simon Says Stamp & Show so I won't go into tooooo much detail now on how I altered my frame... but I can say that all the tapes, paints (whooops, was I supposed to mention that I used paint? *teehee*) I used are available at Simon Says Stamp.



Oh and... when you enter the challenge there is a chance for you to win a voucher to spend at Simon Says for $50. I will pop a link on my post on Wednesday so you can nip over to see the tut then :O))



I have an update about that Old Cad Mojo. He slunk home sometime during the night on Saturday and I am pleased to report that he is back to normal (whatever that may be lol) I had a mahooosive crafty Skypey sesh with Ellen yesterday... and Grim went and caught me out big stylee. So. We had been Skyping for about 3 hours and we decided to have a little refreshment break. Then we were straight back into more Skypeyness, for about 3 more hours. Anways, I hears Grim say that he had just had an email from Virgin saying that we were nearing our limit for the downloady-do-dah-thingy-wotsits (my words, not his, I can't remember exactly what he said, you know, like the teckernical speak) So, I am sitting there at my desk, with Ellen perched on the other desk.. (tis ok, she was inside the laptop so she was quite safe) Where was I? Oh yes, justifying our Skypey-ness. "We have Skyped for longer before" says I. "Well, that's what is says.... " Says Grim. And then I hears a little snort. Oh yes, he was indeedily winding me up. Hoooharharharhaaa.... yes, funny... erm... well, a bit lol


Anyways, I shall away. Remember Jerry the Gorgeous Springer? Well, he is bringing his Mummy & Daddy to see us this afternoon and he has a very swishy tail... so I am going to move everything that is in tail-swishing distance. I can't wait to see him, he is so gorgeous, those big soft eyes... ah, tis lurve. Here's Jerry looking very intelligent, I think he was just contemplating 11 down of yesterdays Telegraph crossword lol


Oh and I am cooking too! I have been frantically searching cookery books and yonder t'internet - I stoopidly said "Homemade Crumble and custard for afters" The crumble isn't a problem, that's a doddle, oh no, it is the custard. I can't make custard! Last time I tried it had the consistancy of day old concrete only with more lumps. Maybe I should feign a migraine and get Grim to make it instead (either that or open a tin rofl) Anyways, I needs to get moving... custard making skills to research and all that... Thanks for looking, have a fab day. TTFN

Hels x