Create Art... Darkroom Door Stylee

...I am SO lucky you know!  I say this all the time because tis true!  I am so lucky to be on the Darkroom Door DT again for 2014.  Every so often, Rachel releases new stamps and just recently her latest releases went live... HERE are the deets on how to get them.  Well, new releases means that I am lucky enough to get some new rubber through the post to play with.  This card was made using the brand new Create Art Collage stamp.  Isn't it just FAB?!!!  So, here's how I maded it:

Because (uh-oh, Mrs Johnson, my old English Teacher would be out with a red pen now, starting a sentence with *because*)   Anyways, because the stamp is very detailed, I wanted to keep my card pretty simples and highlight the beautiful design.  I stamped it in Jet Black Archival onto cream card, gave it a zap with a heat tool just to make sure the ink was dry and then blended Antique Linen and Gathered Twigs DI's over the card so it had some age to it.  Next up I grabbed several Distress Ink pads: Ripe Persimmon, Mowed Lawn, Picked Raspberry and Broken China, squidging the inkpads onto my craft sheet and using a waterbrush to pick up the colours so I could paint in the bottles and brushes.  The bottle the brushes are in was coloured with Tumbled Glass - this time I painted a little in around the edges and blended to the centre so it was paler.  A zap with a heat tool and then repeat means that you can build up colour and shading without over wetting the cardstock.

 I wanted to add a little extra depth to the design so I used the Creativity Word Block stamp, stamping with Jet Black Archival Ink and immediately covering the image with Ranger's Antiquities Frosted Crystal embossing powder and heat setting it.  This is a FAB powder, it is matte when set and gives a really lovely texture too - however my photography skills ain't what they could be so it doesn't really show up as well as it could... worth trying though - highly recommend it I do :O)   A dab of Glossy Accents onto the word *art* and voila, finished.

If you fancy a quick trip to Australia, CLICK HERE to get to the Darkroom Door blog where my teamies have been creating a lot of gorgeous stuff using the new stamps.  Also, HERE are the details for the Darkroom Door website.   I shall away now - today I am mostly going to be getting covered in ink as I feeling a little playtime is needed.  Hey and guess what? The Room of Stash is still tidy!!! Oh yesh, three weeks later and I am still being positively angelic, putting stuff away after a crafty sesh... I am a reformed character... well, til next time lol   Thanks for looking... have a great day!  TTFN

Hels x

Sunday Stamper - Week 305 - Wheels of Steel

Goooodly Morning Stampers and a very happy Sunday to you all!  Many thanks for all your grand entries to last weeks challenge.   This week the theme is.... WHEELS.   You can interpret this in loads of different ways: wheels on a stamp, a vehicle that has wheels, you could add wheels to a 3d piece,  you could add wheels to a little birdy (hey, I love doing that! Every birdy needs a set of wheels!)   To join in with the challenge is simples: make a little something, it can be anything you fancy.   Add in some stamping and then pop back here to leave me a comment with a link to the place you are showing your entry and I can come visiting.  If you haven't got a blog/photo-hosty-thingy, you can also join in via Facebook (just tag my name) or by sending me a small res. pic via email.  The challenge will remain open until 21:00 Saturday 3rd May 2014.

My entry this week is actually a birthday card I made for our mate Richard.   Now, Richard just happens to love trains (that's why he is our friend right? No, not just cos he is owned by Jerry the Springer ;o) and when Rachel from Darkroom Door sent me this deeeeelish Steam Locomotive stamp to play with, I knew immediately that it was going to be used for my card.  HERE are the deets of how to get the stamp.   I started out by stamping the image in Jet Black Archival onto cream card and set about colouring it by squidging Distress Inks onto my craft sheet and then using a waterbrush to pick up the colour - I could have used Distress Markers but... erm... remember I tidied up?  Well, yes, um, they are... somewhere safe!

I used some of Tim's Destination papers to create some layers for the background of the card and used Gathered Twigs DI to blend around the edges, Tim's Paper Distresser (well, not his actual one, I think he may miss that lol) so scruff up the edges of the papers and a few Remnant Rubs to add a bit of interest to the papers.   The clock is from Tim's Thrift Shop Ephemera pack (I LOVE those packs... full of special ickle bits and bobs!)   I knew that I wanted to add something else to the card... but what?  Aha!  The Hardware Findings Alterations die!  Oh yesh, cut two of the long strappy jobbies (ok, they have a name but I am having a moment, can't remember it) out of Grungepaper, coloured with Gathered Twigs DI and then scruffed up with Tim's Tonic Scratchery Scruffery tool (yes, that too has a special name but again, that moment is still happening lol)  And there you have it! 

Today I am filled with joyful anticipation!  I shall be planting more seeds in the greenhouse and potting on ones that have already come up!  I know, I know, getting excited about doing planty stuff in a greenhouse!  I surely know how to live life on the edge!!!   I will pop a few piccies of the greenhouse on this week and how the plants are coming along - I have longed for a greenhouse for an absolute yonk so finally, my fingers can become green!  And on that bombshell, I shall bid you all a very goodly day and say... Thanks for looking!!  TTFN

Hels x

Curiously Paintily Marbled...

Hello!!! Goodly Morning and welcome to the very first Compendium of Curiosities 3 Challenge.   If you haven't heard of the challenge before, here's a little precis of what it is all about:   A few years ago, Tim Holtz published his Compendium of Curiosities book and my lovely friend, Linda Ledbetter, came up with the great idea of making a challenge based around the techniques in the book.  Needless to say, it was a fab challenge and I was gutted when it ended... however!  Tim then published his second Compendium book and again, Linda set up a challenge as before.   Well, it is now time to start the challenge again as Tim has now published the third book in the series.  HERE are all details about the challenge, how to join in etc.

Feel free to grab this blinkie for your blog!

 Things are a little different this time however... Linda has asked a bunch of us to become part of the challenge and join her Curiosity Crew, I am so honoured to be one of those lucky peeps!   Each challenge will have a sponsor and... extra special news time:  Tim & Mario have donated a mahoooosive haul of goodies for prizes too.  So, not only will there be a chance to win a prize from a sponsor, you can also win a prize from Tim & Mario! 

Every two weeks, there will be a new challenge, we will be working our way through the techniques in the book - and not in order either - tis fun to mix it up!  If you haven't got a book yet, you can order a signed copy direct from Tim HERE.   As ever with the challenge, we won't be showing you how to do the technique, instead we are sharing all our creations :O)  This week sees us turning to Page 43 and the Paint Marbling Technique and is sponsored by Inspiration Emporium and the prize this week is a whopping $50 gift certificate!!!  Plus, IE have very generously offered a special code for all entrants of the challenge: just enter CC3C at the checkout.    For my entry, I have used a Size 8 manila tag and Marbled Shaded Lilac, Frayed Burlap, Tumbled Glass and Old Paper Distress Paints.   Once this was dried, I used Walnut Stain Distress Ink for the next step of the technique.

I wanted my tag to be quite faded and neutral in colours so I could really make the gorgeous feather, from Tim's Bird Feather stamp set, pop.  I stamped the feather using Tree Branch and Potting Soil Archival Inks and then cut it out, adding little snips through the design to make it a bit shabby.  Next up, I stamped the large nest, also from the Bird Feather stamp set, this time using Tree Branch, Fern Green and Potting Soil Archivals.   The swallow (same stamp set!) was stamped using Jet Black Archival, cut out and coloured with Tumbled Glass and Walnut Stain DI's.  I also inked the reverse of the birdy as he is 3d, I want to make sure there's no little white bits of card showing.    The sentiment, which is from Tim's Nature Walk set was stamped onto card that I had also Marbled.   I added a few bits of stamping to the background of the tag and then layered all the elements on, adding a tie of raffia to make it a bit more natural looking.

Please do take a few minutes to pop around to all my fellow Curiosity Crew members... All of their bloggy details are HERE.   Oh and... just a little heads up: if you comment on each one of our blog posts, you will be entered into the extra prize draw to win something stashly  from the goodies Tim & Mario have donated ;O))    I shall away now... hope you have fun playing along with the challenge - don't forget, you have two weeks to play until the next challenge starts and you can join in as many times as you want :O)   Thanks for looking, have a great day!  TTFN

Hels x

Pssssst!!! Schneaky Peeky...

....am just popping on to give you a little schneaky peeky of my entry to the brand new Compendium of Curiosities 3 Challenge which is starting tomorrow.  The new challenge will launch at 00.01am Mountain Time - which for us Brits is 07.01am GMT (good job the girlies helped me out with that one cos I am rubbish with time differences and all that) and all the details on which page of the book were are turning to will be announced then.  

Did I mention I am super excited about the challenge?  Like seriously doing little happy jigs and squealing every so often.  Not only have the Compendium challenges been my fave challenges ever... I am also over the top excited and honoured to be part of the Curiosity Crew.  Check out these girlies whom I am so lucky to be in the Crew with:

Annette

Anita

Candy 

Cheryl

Linda

Marjie

Susan 

Yvonne

 

 
In the meantime, I needs to get myself moving, I am off out to a Magnum gig tonight and I need to start channelling my inner rock chick.... loads of hairspray and black eyeliner.   Thanks for looking... TTFN

Hels x

PS... am just wondering if I should admit this to you.  Ok, being as I am completely stoopid, have the IQ of a backward tadpole (one of me old Dad's sayings that is)  when I was typing about the time the challenge will go live and the time difference meaning us Brits on GMT would see the challenge publish at 07.01am and our American friends would see it publish at 00.01 Mountain Time... erm... guess who started to type "if you want to see the challenge earlier than 07.01am, pop over to see Linda earlier..... "  I know!  I know!!!   Tis high time I got used to the fact that time is different in different countries... one day I will *get it*  Go on, have a laugh ... I am ... doh!!!

Sunday Stamper - Week 304 - Memories Are Made of This

Gooooodly Morning Stampers and a very Happy Easter to you all!  Big thank you to you all for your great entries to last weeks challenge.  This week the theme will be... MEMORIES.   As ever, how you interpret is entirely up to you... it could be the word memory or memories... it could be something that evokes a memory with you... the choice is yours.   To join in is simples:  make a little something, it can be anything you fancy.  Add in the theme and some stamping then pop back here, leave a comment with a linky to the place you are showing your entry and I can hop over to visit you.  If you don't have a blog, you can also join in via Facebook (just tag my name) or by emailing me a small res. photo.   The theme will remain open until 21:00 Saturday 26th April 2014.

My entry this week is the result of a "playtime" I had the other day.  I have been itching to try this technique out ever since I saw the awesome Wendy Vecchi demo it.. you can see her VIDEO HERE.   She is a GODDESS!!!   I won't spoil it for you... but I will give you a hint: rubbing alcohol in the UK is Surgical Spirit (well, at least I think it is cos it worked perfectly for me!)

As well as the base technique, I was also very inspired indeedily by Wendy, check out HER BLOG .. adding stencilling (all her delish stencils btw) and layering up the background with different colours and stamping.  I also added little puffs of Forest Moss Distress Marker using the new Distress Spritzer.  I forgot how fun using one of these little puffers is!  My stepson had one in an arty kit I bought him yonks ago.  I have to say that the Distress one is much better, you get a better grade of puffage with this one :O)   It would have been remiss of me not to add a big bundle of embellies... so I die cut some greenery using Tim's new die and Distress Core-dinations.  Also in there are some bits of Embellish Your Art, some pearls and a smidge of Idea-ology.  Oh and the rose?  Was actually one I made during a class last weekend and I liked the colours so much I didn't chuck it away.  The whole piece was actually made around the rose!

I must dash... not only am I late posting my Sunday Stamper (was a bit knackered last night so decided to get up early and then decided to ignore the alarm!)  I am also going to be late for the start of the British Touring Car Championship programme on ITV4 - which is starting in ...er.... 2 minutes ago!!!   As ever I am shouting.... GO PLATO!!!   Thanks for looking, have a great day!  TTFN

Hels x

Announcing... The Compendium of Curiosities 3 Challenge

...yipppetty-yah and thrice!!!   I am doing a right old happy dance here because I can finally tell you all about the brand new challenge that will be starting next Saturday.   When Tim Holtz first released his Compendium of Curiosities book, my lovely friend Linda Ledbetter came up with the best idea... have a challenge based around every single technique in the book.  I fell madly in lurves with the challenge from the start - it ticks all the boxes: gets you inky, gets you creating and gets you trying new, or indeedily, revisiting old techniques and it brings you into the World of Distress.   I was gutted when the challenge came to an end.. and then over the moon when Tim released his Compendium of Curiosities 2 book.  And yes, lovely Linda set about another challenge, this time based around Book 2.    Earlier this year, Tim released his third book in the series... and again, lovely Linda is planning a challenge for this one too.  BUT!  This time it is a little different because she has invited a few peeps to join her on this creative journey through Tim's book, and they are called The Curiosity Crew...

And... I am soooo excited and honoured to tell you that I am one of those lucky peeps!   For all the details on the challenge, HERE is the link to get you there.  And, in case you haven't seen Tim's books... HERE you can see it.

Let me tell you about the Curiosity Crew!  When I went to Ranger U I made some lifelong friends: Linda, Candy, Cheryl and Yvonne... and when we went to CHA last year, we were joined by Anita, Marjie and Susan... and together, we are now The Curiosity Crew.  We will be taking part in the fortnightly challenges, which will work their way through each technique in the book but not in order, (keeping it exciting so you will never know what is coming next) popping around to visit you if you have joined in and generally having the time of our lives playing along with this fabulous challenge.  For me, it cannot come quick enough!  As you all know, I love all things Distress... indeedily, the Duke of Distress himself is someone whom I look to for inspiration.  Even if you have never picked up a Distress Ink in your life (if you haven't, why not!! Go do it now!!! lol)  this challenge will cater for all levels of skill, beginner through to advanced crafters.

I hope you will be able to join in with the challenges... oh and I nearly forgot to mention!  The challenges have sponsorship from Inspiration Emporium and Funkie Junkie Boutique!  You know what that means right? Prizes!!  And, I also happen to know that Tim & Mario have donated a tonne of cool prizes too!  So!  Are you feeling Curious?    The photo's in this post are of tags I made during the last Compendium Challenge...   I shall away now, all this excitement has me all giddy!   Thanks for looking... TTFN

Hels x

Coming Soon...

...teeeheeee.... today I am full of mirth and merriment... oh yesh, I have a little tease for you!  Something will be starting next weekend!  Something very exciting... and something I have been waiting for for a verrrry long time indeedily! *and something I am incredibly honoured to be involved in!*  But!  Alas!  I cannot possible divulge anything until... tomorrow!   Please do be sure to check back tomorrow for all the juicy details on the new..... whooopsies, I nearly let the kittie out of the bag then!

So!  What have you got planned for the Easter weekend?  Grim is working today and tomorrow, well, someone has to keep those trains running right?  Tomorrow I am teaching at Pink Tulip in Coventry, looking forward to meeting all the lovely ladies who are coming along... and then Sunday... oh yesh, Sunday is planned out already!  It is the next round of the British Touring Car Championship at Donington.  Weather permitting (yep, tis gonna be cold and wet no doubt) we are off to watch the racing live.   However, if it is going to be as yuk as the weathergirl has predicted (aha, typical!), I have a contingency plan up my sleeve... namely a big juicy lamb leg that will be roasted and served with lashings of tatties, veggies and Yorkie Puds.   Don't forget to pop back tomorrow to see the exciting news!!!  I am bursting to tell you but am being verrrry goodly and keeping schtum!   Thanks for looking, have a great day!  TTFN

Hels x

Sunday Stamper - Week 303 - Eternal Flame

Goooodly Morning Stampers and a very happy Sunday to  you all!  Big mahooosive thank you's to you all for all the gorgeous nature themed entries to the challenge last week... I am loving visiting you all and seeing your interpretations of the theme.  This week is a nice and easy-peasy theme... and it is... FLAME COLOURS.   Think reds, oranges, yellows... those bright happy colours to get us into the mood for some sunshine.  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.  Pop back here and leave me a comment with a linky to the place you are showing your entry.  If you haven't got a blog, you can also join in via Facebook (just tag my name and I will find you) or by emailing me a small res. piccie of the creation.  The theme will remain open until 21:00 Saturday 19th April 2014.

Now, you may have noticed that this poor old bloggetty-blog has been somewhat neglected of late.  In fact, I have been very remiss and hardly blogged for the last few months.  The reason for this is my old Mojo seems to have done a runner!  Oh yesh, the old cad Mojo has beetled off on his jollies and left me here, bereft and thoroughly cheesed off with a lack of inkyness on my fingers.  I actually think that the old war wound flaring up hasn't helped, pain tends to squash any creativity right out of me... and I have been a smidge busy teaching and getting ready for my next lot of classes.   So where am I going with this waffling?  Well, last Sunday I had a lovely day over at Crafty Bunch in Telford, learning how to make cards, being taught by someone whom I really admire... none other than our Pauline Wheeler.  Please do pop over to Pauline's blog.. oh and remember to take a cuppa and a packet of Hobnobs with you, her scrapbooking, cardmaking and 3d art is all beautiful.. you will be there a while... and HERE is her blog.

Yes, you see, I have, um, issues, making a card.  My usual stuff is over flowing with embellies and lots of 3dness which makes my style pretty difficult to compute onto a card.  I have a mental block when it comes to card designs... I just always seem to do the same old thing... so what a delight it was to learn a few new card making techniques and be able to play with some lush Indigo Blu stamps at the same time.  This card here is using the massive Sunflower stamp... I NEED this to come and live in the Room of Stash!  I used Mustard Seed, Wild Honey, Spiced Marmalade, Fired Brick and a smidge of Vintage Photo to colour the sunflower... it was stamped 3 times and cut out in ever decreasing petal layers to build up some volume and dimension.  Isn't it just a beautiful design?   THANK YOU to Pauline for inspiring me!

I shall away now.  It is actually Friday afternoon!   I am heading up North to Art From The Heart in Harrogate tomorrow - which is now yesterday (???) for a weekend of teaching.   So, I decided to be all organised and get this post all scheduled and done so I can put my feet up this evening and get an early night for a change!   As ever, thank you for looking, have a fabby Sunday!  TTFN

Hels x

Psssst....

....just a quickie reminder that I will be on Create & Craft today at 12pm for a two hour show with the Melting Pot, cute new stamps from Sam Poole, MDF shapes, paints and glazes.  I have got a sneaky peeky piccie of one of the samples for the show but Mr Blogger and Mr Laptop are currently not talking to one another so... unfortunately I can't show it to you!


Hope you can join me - all the channel details are over there *points left* and if you can't get to a tellybox, you can also watch online via the Create & Craft website.  Thanks for looking, have a great day!  TTFN

Hels x

Sunday Stamper - Week 302 - Mother Nature's Son

Gooodly Morning Stampers and a very happy Sunday to you all!  A big thank you to everyone who entered into last week's challenge.   The theme is NATURE.  You can interpret the theme in many ways: nature's colours, insect, animals, plants... the list is endless!  *and yes, I have had this theme before... and yes, it was the same song title - this doesn't happen oft unless it is a particular fave theme and song!*    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, leave me a comment with a linky to the place you are showing your entry and I will hop on over to visit. If you don't have a blog, you can email me your entry by attaching a small res. pic or alternatively, you can join in via Facebook - simply tag my name.  The challenge will remain open until 21:00 Saturday 12th April 2014

 My entry this week is all about nature.  Starting with the beautiful new Wallflower papers from Tim Holtz.  I have always loved the designs that Tim puts into his paper stacks... but this one, well, it surpasses all the others (and that is saying a lot from me, the self-confessed Crowded Attic freak!)   These papers are absolutely stunning... I highly recommend you save up some pennies and buy a pad for yourself... you won't be disappointed :O)   So, armed with these delish new papers, I set about making something naturified *uh-oh, new word alert!*   I started out with a rectangle Studio 490 Art Part frame, covering the frame with the papers and then making a little piece to go in the middle, adding some torn bits to create a bit of texture and then popping a couple of Tim's Layering Stencils over and blending Distress Inks over them.  I used Doily and Bubble Wrap stencils with Forest Moss and Walnut Stain DI.  I cut some more paper and stamped the sentiment (from Tim's Stuff to Say) and added some little dots from the Dot Fade Stencil, again using Forest Moss.

The flowers are Tim's papers stuck onto Clearly For Art Blackout modelling film (used Glue & Seal to stick them down)  The stamps are Tattered Flowers by Heartfelt Creations, stamped in black Archival, cut out, inked with Faded Jeans and Victorian Velvet DI's and then heated up from the blackout side and moulded into shape whilst warm.. I love Clearly for Art... did I ever mention that???   The leaves are cut from Kraft Core-Dinations using Tim's new Spring Greenery die... those ivy leaves are fab aren't they?   I added some embellies (don't I always!) the butterfly and sprig are from the new Adornments Idea-ology *swoon* which I painted Distress Paint (Victorian Velvet and Tumbled Glass) onto, dabbed off the excess and then buffed up a bit.  The ickle heart is a Heart Charm (Idea-ology) and I used a Remnant Rub to add my own little piccie to it and the buttons and pearl spray are new Creative Expressions goodies.    I am a bit cross with meself though!  I had planned to make this little frame into a hanging... but I am thick (and forgetful) and didn't punch holes in the Art Part before I assembled it... so I am planning on getting some mini bulldog clips, chucking them in a baggie with some Rust Alcohol Ink and then once they are covered, tying them with string.   I didn't do that yet though because I am out of time for faffing...

Speaking of out of time... tis now time for me to get myself to my bed... I am scheduling this post to publish as I needs to be up early in the morning, which, by now, is today... so actually I am probably already up and about and off on my way to Telford to Crafty Bunch to do an Indigo Blu card making class with Pauline Wheeler, tis going to be a grand day!   Hope you have a great day too... thanks for looking!  TTFN

Hels x

Gorra Lorra Bottle... Make It! Take It! Challenge

...uh-oh! I am showing me age aren't I?  Remember the milk advert in the 70's?  Anyways, the reason I am waffling on about bottles is because this is the theme for the new Craft Stamper Make It, Take It Challenge which starts today.  CLICK HERE to see all the deets on how to join in and also all the super arty creations the DT have made too.

My project is a diddly little glass bottle that I bought about 251 years ago... can't even remember where I got it - in fact, I got three of them and they have just lurked in a cupboard ever since!   There are lots of different ways to alter a glass bottle... use papers, alcohol inks, paints... but how about using the fabulous technique from the one and only Wendy Vecchi?  Oh yesh, cover said bottle with her Black Embossing Paste! How fab this looks!  I opted to go for a very metallic effect once the embossing paste had dried... but imagine if you got some greeny colour paints and made it look like lichen and moss growing on the bottle! Oh the ideas are really popping now!  The paste was applied with a palette knife and to get the scluoopy (new word!) bits, I just patted the palette knife against the paste to make it peaky.  Once set, I used Florentine and White Fire Treasure Gold, applied with a brush, to add some metal effects.    The flowers are made by sticking some of Tim's new Wallflower papers to Clearly For Art blackout modelling film.  I stamped the flowers (from Studio 490 Live & Make Art set) and cut them out, edging them with Frayed Burlap to tone them in, gluing together and adding a little button to the middle.  I added some jute around the neck of the bottle and then used a little shield from Tim's Thrift Shop Ephemera, stamping the words from Tim's Little Labels stamp set.  The butterfly is also paper on Clearly For Art, heated up, shaped and then popped onto the bottle side.

Now I have two more of these bottles... so I am thinking I shall alter them all and have a little set of them to sit on a shelf somewhere in the house.   Don't forget to pop on over the to Craft Stamper blog to see the challenge details... there be a prize on offer too!  Thanks for looking and have a grand day!  TTFN

Hels x

Art Lady...

...oooh, I been a-playing again!  Unfortunately, this also means that I have been awake all night but at least it is "free" time to get inky and painty in the Room of Stash.  I bought a little wooden frame the other day when I was at Crafting Time - by Artemio - and being as I am sooo tidy (ahem) it was laying around on my desk awaiting transfer to the mahooosive pile of alterables that teeters in the corner of the Room of Stash.   And... also being as I am sooo tidy (see a pattern here?)  I hadn't put away the Fresco paints since my last playtime... so it would have been rude to just bung them in a box and not lurve them, wouldn't it?

Also, whilst at Crafting Time, my lovely friend Miriam bought me a set of Lynne Perella stamps that I have been lusting after for absolutely yonks... and being as I am so tidy (ok, ok, I am not tidy, I am a slattern!) I decided to ink up the little lady and see what she looked like.  Ohlalalaaa... isn't she a doll!!!   Armed with brayer (yes, addicted to brayering now, thanks Ellen!) I started off layering up colours... all in all, these are the ones I used: Vanilla, Butternut, Smoked Paprika, London Bus, Blood Orange, Squid Ink and Little Black Dress.  The cool thing about brayering is this... if you slap it on and don't like it, dry it, slap on more!  Easy!

 The original design had the lady stamped onto cream card... but she looked so plain... so I tried colouring her in.  Then she looked a smidge clown-like and as she is such an elegant creature, I didn't want to make her look daft.  What to do!!! I know, I will slap some more paint onto cardstock using the brayer.  And yes, check out that red line running down her face... that was a mistake but I liked it so it stayed!  The embellies are Kaisercraft paper flowers, Artemio buttons and Alphaparts.  This was a quicky project and only took about 40 mins... I have big ideas for this little lady though... that will have to wait til the next nightime-playtime though.

 I have news!!!  Oh yesh indeedily!  I have got a last minute telly box show booked for Tuesday 8th April.   I will be on Create & Craft from 12pm (noon) for a TWO HOUR show!!! Oh yipyah and thrice... a two hour show... just what you have all been asking for!  I will be on with some new goodies from Creative Expressions, new Sam Poole stamps and... the Melting Pot!  Hurrah!  Right, I shall away, I have prep to do today for classes this weekend and whilst I could quite happily sit here waffling to you, I know those images won't stamp themselves *although I am getting Grim in on the act, he is off this week and I am going to employ his inky stamping skills to help me :O)*   Thanks for looking... have a great day!  TTFN

Hels x