It's Crackle Time...

....ohlalalaaaa... I am a lucky lass indeedily you know.  I am fortunate to be part of the 2013 Darkroom Door DT and this month sees the release of some fabby new stamps.  I have been given the new Crackle background to play work with and I came up with a mixed media canvas design.    To see the new stamps that have just been released, CLICK HERE and also, do take a mo to pop over to see the artwork from my talented teamies who have been busy making eye candy for us all to see... HERE.

The canvas is an 8" square, coloured with Claudine Hellmuth Studio paints, using my fave Traditional Tan for the base and then using Sable Brown mixed with Traditional Tan to make an in-betweeny colour and then the Sable Brown on its own for the darker colour on the top layer.  I used the scraped paint technique to apply the paints, I loves this technique and it goes perfectly with the new Crackle stamp.

To add the stamping to the canvas, I first got a Kleenex tissue and de-plyed it so it was a single layer.  The crackle was stamped using Jet Black Archival Ink and zapped with a heat tool to dry the ink off.  I then tore pieces of the image and applied it to the canvas using Glue & Seal Matte to collage over it.  The reason I use a cosmetic tissue is that when it is torn on the edges, the Glue & Seal kind of melts it into the canvas so it doesn't just look like it has been plonked on there.

I set about adding some texture, using a Claudine Hellmuth stencil and some 490 Embossing Paste (black) and once this had dried I went right over the top of the whole canvas with more Glue & Seal to provide a nice waterproof coverage to it.  Out came the old Stabilo All pencil to add some shading to th textured parts and once I had blended this part, I painted my two-tone edges - yep, I am a smidge addicted but hey, there's nowt wrong with being addicted to paint right?

I added a pile of flowers (coloured with Dylusions sprays and Cosmic Shimmer spray) and then set about embellishing the canvas.  The large metal butterfly is actually a Graphic 45 embellishment, I simply jazzed him up by stamping the crackle background over him using the Black Archival Ink and then heat setting it - remember, you needs to heat set Archival Ink as it is oil based... but totally waterproof when set... perfect!   The word is actually one of the new Sizzix Alterations Stacked Words dies from Tim Holtz... the whole word is ARTIST but I only wanted the ART bit so I snipped into it and then used Treasure Gold to color the black card it was cut from.   I also added Treasure Gold (liberally lol) to the rest of the embellies and textured bits.   The finishing touch is the little orange butterfly which is also a Darkroom Door stamp - he is from the Wings set.  And there you have it... one finished mixed media canvas... and pretty simples to create at that :o))

I shall away now as I am scheduling this post ahead of our trip away and I have packing to do... feels weird talking about something that hasn't happened yet as if it already has... confoosed?  Me too lol   Thanks for looking... TTFN

Hels x

I Challenge Thee...

... Ellen and I have been at it again you know!  Well, actually, we set this challenge as a recipe for a crafty Skypey sesh way back in January and then poor Ellen got very sick so we decided to finish it "later" and blog "later".   Last Sunday we were yakking, as we do, and Ellen said "oh here's my I Challenge Thee from last time... finished!"  And I said... "oh whoops, I completely forgot about that...."  *or words to that effect lol*   So, we decided to blog this week and then poor old Grim got sick so we delayed it for a day (again, because mine was still languishing unfinished - hey, it wasn't even started!)  Finally, here it is!  Oh and the recipe... here's that too:

4" x 12" canvas
3 x mini square canvases - any orientation
Brand New &/or Unused Stamps
COLOURS:
Blue
Green
Black
White
"Pop" of Red
1 Metallic of choice
Washi Tape
A Crown

BTW, if you fancy using our recipe, please feel free... and do let us know what your creation looks like, we like to be nosey :O))   I used Claudine Hellmuth Studio paints... they are creamy and gorgeous and they blend perfectly, which means the way I applied the paints worked a treat.  I use one piece of Cut & Dry and imagine it is half and half for colour.  So, the Landscape Green is on one half of the foam... the Sky Blue is on the other half... so where they meet they blend together meaning no harsh lines when applying the paint to the canvas.  I apply it in a pouncy motion too, lots of light dabbery-tapping goes on and whilst the paints are still wet, I make sure I am blending them... once they dry, they are almost impossible to blend nicely - this goes for all kinds of paints too btw.

My mini canvases are about 3" square... each was covered with the paint and I edged all of them with Charcoal Black applied with a small piece of Cut & Dry Foam.  I tend to mask the fronts of the canvases so it isn't too messy.   I spied on the list "white"... well, where was that going to go huh?  White!  Pah!  So, I came up with a cunning plan.  Stamp my fave new background from Heirloom Art onto cosmetic tissue using Blank Canvas paint (which is white btw) and dry it, then pop it over the mini canvases with Glue & Seal... voila! It worked a treat and the stamping shows up without being too over the top.

I also added a smidge of white paint stamping behind the canvases but they got lost a bit by the time I added the mini ones on.  Measuring is never my strong point lol   The flowers are also new Studio 490 stamps, I popped the same green and blue paints onto cardstock and then overstamped with the flower... and gave them a spritz with Dirty Martini and Calypso Teal Dylusions sprays to add a bit of extra colour.  The sentiment was made by using my original piece of Cut & Dry and pouncing this onto cream cardstock.. you can see the blendy bit better on this.  The stamp is another new Studio 490 one, isn't it a FAB saying!  I realised I hadn't used "washi tape" so I made my own!  I coloured a strip of masking tape with A Dash of Red paint, drew a heart, cut it out and then popped it onto the middle canvas with a pen drawn line from the sentiment to the heart.  I used my Stabilo All pencil to add some shading around the sentiment and the heart too.  The ickle birdies have been living in my stash for 372 years so they were coloured with Distress Paints and I cut out some little crowns, coloured them Gold Dabber stylee and popped them onto the birdies.  The finishing touch is the Embellish Your Art resin blooms in the flower middles... how cute are they!  

Again, huge thank you's for all your lovely get well messages for my poorly man.  Oh bless him, he has been ever so ill this past few days and is still feeling rotten.   Right, I shall away... I have some more of those new Studio 490 stamps and I feel a late night playing coming on!  Don't forget to pop over and see Ellen's gorgeous creation... HERE.  Thanks for looking, Happy Valentine's Day y'all!  TTFN

Hels x

Sunday Stamper - Week 242 - Wishing Well

Goooodly Morning Stampers and a very happy Sunday to you all!  Many thanks for your gorgeously cute birdy entries for last weeks challenge.  This week I have chosen my "word of 2013" for the theme.... which is WISH.   To join in is simples; make a little something, it can be anythng 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/photo-hosty-thing, you can join in via email or Facebook.  The challenge will remain open until 21:00 February 2nd 2013.

My entry is a little 4" box canvas that I picked up at Michael's and altered whilst playing at Ellen's last week.  The base of the canvas is coloured with Claudine Hellmuth Studio paints - Landscape Green and Sky Blue, they were applied over a wet coat of Traditional Tan using Cut & Dry foam to blend the colours together at the edges.  I added a smidge of Charcoal Black around the edges and then used the Trad Tan and the black to make a chequer border for the nice deep edges.

I used one of the brand new Studio 490 Stencils For Art (hearts) and the Black Embossing Paste to add the heart to the centre of the canvas.  I used a palette knife to apply the Embossing Paste and spread it a little thicker in patches so it peaked a bit.  Once it had set I used some Treasure Gold to emphasise the peaky bits.  I used Turquoise Perfect Pearl Mists and Black Marble Dylusions spray to add some inkiness to the background and then assembled some paper flowers into an embellishment.  

The flower was popped onto a banner of Film Strip (Idea-ology) and being a waste not want not kind of gal, I snipped the tester piece off the new packet so it has the eyelet already set in it... cool huh!  The birdy is a black metal one that was rubbed with Treasure Gold to bling it up and then I added the word WISH that I stamped with some alpha's on painted card.   The finishing touches are a few bits of Idea-ology to the top of the canvas and voila, done!

 

I hope you like the theme this week... the word WISH is my 2013 word because of my effort to try and see the positive in every situation, sometimes a little wish will come true... you never know when or which wish, so it is worth making plenty just in case!  Right, I shall away... thanks for looking, have a fabby day!  TTFN

Hels x    

I Challenge Thee... The Live Version...

..well, normally we are "live" but not so much "in the real" as we were the other day!  Oh yesh indeedily, whilst staying at Chez Vargo, Ellen and I took plenty of time to get inky and came up with a brand new I Challenge Thee Recipe... only, erm... once we had completed said recipe, Ellen was flicking back through her book and saw that, ahem, the last challenge we did?  Same recipe, different wording... rofl   Must try harder!!  Anyways, here's the recipe:

Size 10 Manila Tag
2 1/2 Inch cut off bottom of tag
Book Page collage
Tissue Stamped Collage
Scraped Paint technique
WORD/THEME - Friends
Distress Ink Blending
Three Embellies of choice in a row
Stencil & Spray inks
Decorations of choice

And here's what I came up with:

I cheated... I know, nowt new there then... but I am SO in lurve with the new Studio 490 Gold Embossing Paste that I had to use it... using one of the brand new Studio 490 Stencils for Art (diamonds) and just as it was set, I stamped into it.  My decorations of choice are made from Clearly For Art that was covered with patterned papers and then stamped with Studio 490 flowers and leaves.

Once the flowers were all cut out and layered, I got all exciteable with Turquoise Perfect Pearl Mists and Black Marble Dylusions spray and coloured them up a bit.   My butterflies are also Clearly For Art, these were coloured with Distress Inks - Bundled Sage and Broken China (cos I never use those... much lol) 

The letters are Alpha Parts that got a smidge of Treasure Gold rubbed onto them to make them a bit more blingy and the embellies are from Michael's... oh how I wish I had gotten more of those birdies... they are black metal, I just slapped Treasure Gold onto them and wow, how pretty they are!

I would love to say I am back to "normal" but alas, I am still reeling a bit... maybe a good sleep and I will be feeling more like me again... I hate how I get so jet-lagged, when I was driving trains and working daft shifts, I never got jet lagged you know... and Grim never suffers with it... maybe I should go back to working shifts, only doing them in the Room of Stash instead?  Let me think about that for a moment...erm... nope! I do not miss those 3am early starts at all lol   Right, I shall away... please do visit ELLEN, she is blogging her creation right this very minute too... hers, as ever, is totes-different... amazing how the same recipe can concoct different art... if you fancy using the recipe, please help yourself, just let us know so we can come and visit you!  Thanks for looking... TTFN!

Hels x

PS... back tomorrow with muchly requested photo's of the stash I dragged back from the US of A (teehee)

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

Just In Case...

... several decades ago I bought myself a couple of little papier mache suitcases to alter... and promptly put them into the big box labelled "stuff to alter" and then did nothing with them. Being as I am a reformed character and now have a spotlessly neat and tidy craft room, I happened across said box of stuff to alter the other day and copped sight of these little cases... which were just perfect for altering and labelling with those Tim Holtz label stamps.



Out came my Claudine Hellmuth Studio paints (the best IMO) and off I set... merrily painting away (and getting clarted up in the process) I used Sable Brown for the base of the cases and Charcoal Black for the straps and handle. Once they were all dry, I gently sanded the edges and added some Walnut Stain DI to make them look a smidge shabby. I added gold Dabber to the edges as hardware and I don't know about you but I reckon they look a little like a Vagabond... only not as big and as heavy lol




The labels were all stamped onto copy paper using various Archival Inks and then I coloured them (whispers) Distress Markers. The bigger case has got some Alphaparts on it for olde-fashionede initials... these were just pounced with a gold Dabber and stuck on with a bit of Cosmic Shimmer glue (IMO the best all purpose glue around!)


So... the little case fits inside big case but what fits inside the little case? Well, I made a little folded tag thingywotsit... not sure what you would call this ... a taglet perhaps? It is one of those mahooosive tags, scored and folded and then a little page added. This was coloured with Broken China, Wild Honey and Aged Mahogany DI's and then stamped with various Tim stamps... oh and I did a Snowcap Dabber resist to the outside of the taglet... I do love a nice resist :O))



I added a Grungepaper closure thingy... this is cut from the Hardware Findings Alterations and fastened with a Hinge Fastener *am sooo gutted that these have been discontinued... I use them all the time :O(* and popped a little sentiment over the brad legs that were poking through inside the back bit of the taglet. I made a mini rose from the mini Tattered florals die and stamped one of the butterflies again, coloured with DM's and then popped an Idea-ology Trinket Pin for his body.


So... here I am in not so sunny Preston and... I have got wet feet! Well, not at the moment but I did have and I will have because... I am such a numpty! When I left home yesterday it was warm and dry... and I didn't have enough room in my bag for my Birki's, which I like to wear when I am demo-ing. So, instead of finding room I thought "I know, I will wear them....." and left my other shoes at home. Whooops, when I got here yesterday it was raining hard... and it is still raining now.. not as hard but rain all the same. Memo to self: be prepared lol



Well, I had better get a move on, I am in my lovely hotel room and I have breakfast to eat and my bag to re-pack (and knowing just how much I love packing you will know how I am looking forward to that job lol) I am really looking forward to today's demo day at Cardcraft Plus... the cases are with me... as is several tonnage of tags for my display ... I hope to see you there :O)) Thanks for looking ... TTFN!

Hels x

He's A Heart Throb...

...I think of all the Stampotique stamps I own, this is my fave little fella... he is called Heart Throb and here he is today with his little pet Kitty. A couple of weeks ago I did a mini canvas using Claudine's gorgeous paints and I enjoyed it sooo much that I decided to make a bigger one - this is 5" square and is a deep edged one (IMO, the best ones to work with) and I have teamed up Claudine's gorgeous colours mixed together to make more gorgeous colours - they are perfect because you can mix them and you don't get seven shades of doo-doo!


So... the canvas was pre-gesso'd so I went right in with a big old paint brush and slapped a layer of Dab of Yellow all over it and gave it a zap with my heat tool... I am always a bit careful when drying paint because it bubbles when it gets too hot... so I just waffed the heat tool over the top of the canvas til the paint was done. I used a spatula to apply the next few layers... starting off by mixing a 50p size of Dab of Yellow with a 5p size of Dash of Red... this makes the most delish bright orange... but did you know... if you mix Pastel Yellow with Modern Red you get a totally different shade of orange? That is just how cool these paints are! Building the layers of scraped on paint is easy... just dry the layer in between applications... on the canvas, in order are: Dab of Yellow base, orange (mixed as mentioned), Altered Orange and Dash of Red. On top of all of those layers I added smidges of Gesso - I was a bit heavy handed in one patch of it so I just went in with a baby wipe and smudged some of it off... simples :O))


I used the diamond background Dylusions stamp (my favest already!) and stamped in Charcoal Black... once this had dried I used a Pitch Black Dabber to add edges to the canvas and then used bottle tops to add black and white circles... and the edge of a Ranger scraper to add a couple of lines. Heart Throb and Kitty are stamped onto copy paper and coloured with Distress Stains... and the sentiment is done the same way - edging around all the images with an "All" Stabilo pen and then smudging these edges with a waterbrush. A few months ago Kate Crane had a gorgeous canvas piece in Craft Stamper... her project gave me the idea to combine Stampotique with painty techniques... I have to say, anything painty/journally etc that I make is usually inspired by Kate... she really is a classy lass... check out her BLOG... totes amaze-balls :O))



Right then, I had better get a move on... I am working on some more class samples today and am champing at the bit to get to the desk (still neat and tidy BTW) Oh but, before I go... I got asked a couple fo Q's yesterday: First one... NO Kathy, I am not making the kitchen and inky tip and leaving the Room of Stash tidy... cheek of it eh? ROFL And secondly... Alison Horne asked where I got the Optical Lenses from... ahah, that would be from eBay (US) and I got a bundle of them (can't remember how much they were) Ok, am offski... have a good day and as ever, thanks for looking... TTFN!

Hels x

Sunday Stamper - Week 190 - I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles + Candy Winner!

Goodly Morning Stampers and a very happy Sunday to you all! Well, what a fantastic response to last weeks challenge! Thank you everyone for your lovely comments and entries... it sure does make it very rewarding to know that so many of you love this little old challenge! I have a very special guest theme setter this week.. more of that in a mo because I need to tell you who won the Candy from last weeks challenge. So, there were 77 comments and as promised, if you entered as well, I doubled up your number so you had two entries which made 94 in total. I have asked Mr Random.org to help me pick a number and he chose... # 31 which tallies with the entry from CLAIRE. Thanks Claire, if you could email me your addy please? Right, on with this weeks challenge.




As suggested earlier, I have a special guest setting the theme this week... let me introduce Kate who suggested the song title I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles and the theme... BUBBLES. As soon as I heard this suggestion I had to leap at it... love the song and love the theme! ** it reminds me of when I was a nipper and my Dad used to sing it to me... we used to harmonise... ah, happy days...** To join in with the challenge is simples, make a little something, add in some stamping and the theme and then pop back here to leave a comment with a link to the place you are showing your entry. As ever, if you don't have a web place to enter, bung me an email over and your entry will still count! The challenge will remain open until 21:00 Saturday 6th February 2012.


So... that there pic is my entry - a little ATC sized chunky canvas that I have had kicking about for about 281 years... I got a bargain box full of them online and it is the last one.. and now of course, I need more... cos I have fallen back in lurve with the size.. humph! I used several Claudine Hellmuth Studio paints... mixing some together to get the right colours - I love how you can do that and they don't go all muddy! The colours I used are: Pastel Yellow (base), Dash of Red mixed with Dab of Yellow to get a vivid orange, Altered Orange mixed with a Dash of Red to get a gorgeous salmon pink and Teal for the colouring in bits.


I applied the paint using a spatula (and no, not the one I usually put my make up on with lol) so there are dragged patches... I like the rough look of that on the canvas. I added some stamping using Gesso (black and white) and Dylusions background stamps... I bobbed a smidge of Dab of Yellow through a dotty stencil using Cut & Dry too... forgot about that layer! I used Word to print out my words... using Adler font... and glued these on with Multi Medium. I stamped Wilbur (isn't he so cute!) and Puss Puss on copy paper, painted them in and stuck them down with Multi Medium too. I used an "All" Stabilo pencil (amazeballs for writing on ANY surface) to edge around the words and the characters and then blended the lines a bit with a fine paintbrush and smudged with my favourite tool... my finger!


Now, I have got an old bottle of Stickles and it is all finished... not a single smidge left in it because, I don't know about you but I am very stingy and I always take the stopper out of it and then cut into the bottle... there's looooads left in there you know. So, I saved the stopper bit and used the base of it to add "bubbles" in the black and white Gesso. I smidged some Black Gesso around the edges to close the design in and then finally... used Glossy Accents to fill up some of the bubbles... and voila, finished mini canvas... oh apart from the feet which are little Maya Road cotton reels. All of the goodies I used are available from The Stamp Attic... paints, Stampotique & Dylusions stamps etc :O)) (just sayin'!!)


Here are a couple of pics of the totally gorgeous creations that Kate has made as her entries... check out the CUTENESS of this little fella... as you know, I don't normally "do" cute but sometimes I just get swept away with the adoreableness (is that a word? Well, tis now lol) And then Kate has done an inky piece too... seriously... she is a talented gal... please do hop over to HER BLOG and leave her some lurve... she is my first proper guest setter... and I hope the first of many because... as much as I lurve this challenge I am kinda running out of ideas! Big thanks to Kate for this FAB theme!!!



So, if you have a song that you love and it can incorporate a theme... please just give me a shout... leave a comment or send me an email... there isn't a pressie for doing it... but you will be left with a warm fuzzy glow for helping out a batty old moo... me, that is, self confessed and all that... because, don't tell anyone but... I got all engrossed in my arty stuff the other day and remembered I needed to nip to the Post Office. So, off I went in Ferdy... and when I was walking around the shop I thought "blimey these shoes are uncomfortable"... to look down and see... slippers! Yes folks, it has happened, I have made the slide into old age effortlessly... no wonder people were staring and young children were pointing and laughing... thank goodness I hadn't still got my jammy's on!!! Right, I will leave you with that rather unsettling image and say... as ever... thanks for looking and... TTFN!

Hels x

Men!!!

...yes indeedily, I have had men on my mind this week! Well, three men inparticular, namely; Uncle Fester, The Beast and Jack, who are all residents of the Octopode Factory... where the Friday challenge theme is... MEN! And, I am incredibly honoured to be asked back to Guest Design again for this fab challenge. Now... I know I have said this before but... I was a snob when it came to "digi" stamps... thinking that a stamp is made out of rubber and you have to add ink to it to see what the image is. Ahah! My snobbery was well and truly dispersed when I first happened across these delightful digi's from the fair hand of Lily Chilvers, who happens to not only be an incredibly talented artist but also... get this... she just turned 18 yesterday! So... HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Lily! And... if you do prefer to use rubber... Lily has now had some of her Octopodes made into rubberstamps... result!!! Anyways... HERE is a linky to the challenge blog... where you will be inspired I am sure, by all the gorgeous arty pieces from the Design Team :O))



So... Men! A very easy subject for me as I always seem to veer towards the more masculine things in this world we call creativity... the colours, images, themes etc... so I challenged myself... make something with a bit of colour.. and a flower... so I did! The shadow box is 8" square, so that means the centre piece is about 6" square. To get the little men images onto the cardstock, I resized them (I did make an emergency phone call to my IT guy (ahem... Grim!) but his phone was switched off... so I panicked and pulled a few hairs out whilst stomping about on the laptop... til I sussed it... tis easy really) Anyways, I have resized the little fella's and printed them out.. then cut them out.. then coloured them with Distress Stains and a paintbrush... and then got very busy with some Colorwash Sprays.



I used Red Pepper, Sunset Orange, Butterscotch, Stream and Sail Boat Blue... then whacked some Bronze PP Mists over the top and let the colours merge together before blotting off the excess. I added some circles and lines using a craft scraper and a bottle top and then set about placing the images onto the card. It was then that I sat and stared at it... mmmm, needs words... but what words? I was going with Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil and See No Evil... cos it does look like each of the fella's would fit one of these categories.. but the words ended up being too over powering... so I then though...aha, there's three of them... so.. the Three Wise Men idea was born. I used "This Charming Font" to make the words, printed and cut out and coloured with Pumice Stone DS.



The frame was easy-peasy... I wanted a contrast to the centre... so that stood out more... and being as I am rather partial to a bit of black and white, I set about painting the frame with white Gesso and Charcoal Black paint. Once it was dried, I used a little charcoal pastel stick and smudges around the white so it isn't so bright... and then went around parts of the images to add some depth. Phew.. I think that is all... Cor blimey... I had a whole heap of fun making this... don't forget to hop on over to see Lily and her DT to see the amazing art and all of the amazing Octopodes too.



Well, that's me for now... thanks for looking... have a lovely sunny day! TTFN

Hels x

Simon Says... Tim!

...over on the Simon Says Stamp & Show challenge the theme this week is to show a Tim Holtz technique. Well, I could hardly pass on this one could I? I mean... not that I am at all obsessed with the Duke of Distress, I hasten to add ;O))


Anyways... I decided my technique would be Dabber Resist... so I got out my Traditional Tan Cut & Dry square that is in a little baggy so it stays forever moist (oooh, I loooove that word... moist... say it over and over and over... tis funny) So, where was I? Ah, yes, doing Dabber Resist without the Dabber... well, it could be called Faux Dabber Resist - it gives the same effect you just use Claudine's paint instead. Well my old faithful Script stamp got used again... this has to be one my all time faves and it is from the Letters To Santa set.


Once I had dried the painty scripty bit, I used Old Paper, Frayed Burlap and Vintage Photo Distress Stains to make a Wrinkle Free Distress... which I guess could be called a Faux Wrinkle Free Distress seeing as I used Stains instead of the pads...Either way, I think this has to be my bestest technique ever, I use it more often than not... cos I just love the diversity of the effect you get each time you do it.


I made a little banner jobby for the bottom of the tag using a reallllly cool technique that THE Duke of Distress himself taught me... oh yes, he popped around to the Room of Stash to personally show me how to do this technique... Well, actually, that is a bit of an exaggerations... what actually happened was this... I learnt it at Ranger U! Basically... crimple the Glassine... flatten out. Pounce Perfect Pearls Powders onto the Glassine, tap away the excess, heat up til the Glassine goes shiny (it will do this when heated, once heat source removed it returns to mat again... clever huh!) This then sucks the powders into the Glassine so they don't transfer all over the job when you are handling the Glassine and yet you still get that ace look! I used Capucchino and Biscoti powders.... lush!



So, that is three techniques already! I added another one by distressing the edges of the tag and the sentiment piece... and made it five when I used Distress Stain and a paintbrush to add colour to the butterfly... and yes! made it to six because I did one of those little Facet thingy-wotsits, you know, where you Glossy Accent it to paper, cut out, distress and add to a dangly bit.... Right... I better get moving, that is waaaay too much waffle for one day already... and it's only 7.30am :O)) Thanks for looking... TTFN!

Hels x

Sunday Stamper - Week 157 - Reasons To Be Cheerful

Goodly Morning Stampers and a very happy Sunday to you all... many thanks for the wonderful creative entries last week and welcome also to so many lovely new participants. This week is another easy theme, again, another fave song of mine and one which I hope you will have going around your head all day (mwahahahahahahhaaa) So the theme this week is.... to use STASH THAT MAKES YOU HAPPY. To join in with the challenge, all you need to do is make a little something - it can be anything you fancy, include the theme and some stamping. Leave a comment for me here along with a link to the place you are showing your entry and then I can hop on over to see you. The challenge will remain open until 21:00 Saturday 11th June 2011.



I altered this little box when I was at Ranger U... after the class with Claudine Hellmuth, we were given this box, a pile of stamps and paints and left to play for half an hour. How cool! I naturally, because what else would I use, grabbed the Traditional Tan paint and gave the box a good old coat of it. Once it had dried, I used some of Claudines fab foam stamps and used Modern Red, Sky Blue and Landscape Green and stamped all over the box.




Once these had dried I used black Archival ink and overstamped using the co-ordinating clear stamps, off setting the images slightly because I had seen Claudine do this and I think it looks fab... it reminds me of 1950's style kitsch which I lurve. In the box are ten tags all from the class with Claudine - the first one on the ring is the Gesso Etching technique... which I featured on yesterday's post if you missed it :O)) **BTW, thank you for all your lovely comments... Julie left some FAB ideas for taking this technique to the next stage... I shall be trying those... so thank you Julie :O))**



That's all from me for today... I am planning a big fat Sunday roast, beef in beer with roasties and Yorkshire Puddings... and of course, lashings of grrravy... oooh and the British Touring Cars on the telly... perfect Sunday!!! So, what you got planned for today? Whatever you are doing... have fun and get inky! Thanks for looking... TTFN

Hels x