Carte Blanche for Blossoms & Bookpages!

Goodly afternoon!  Ooh I love it when a plan comes together!  It isn't often that I think of a project and actually make it so it looks like it did in my head.  This project started out in my head looking like... well, exactly like the finished article!  Unusual for me, I usually just slap stuff anywhere and faff around for hours trying to get things to look right.  Over on the Creative Carte Blanche blog, I chose the theme for July, Blossoms & Bookpages.  I chose the theme because I wanted to make this project... and being of slatternly persuasion, it is oft the case I will not end up making something because other things get in the way.  Perfect excuse to get my fingers inky and make something for the living room too.

I bought an old copy of Hans Christian Anderson's childrens stories a few months ago from a charity booksale... it cost me the princely sum of 50p.  One of the stories is Thumbelina.... I have a bit of an addition to fuchsias... well, actually, a lot of an addiction (I have 79 different varieties now *see, told ya, addicted*) and it just so happens there is a new fuchsia called Thumbelina.  I also have the Heartfelt Creations Fuchsia Dies... so... put them together and you get this project!

The shadowbox is from The Range and is 8" x 8", I smidged a wee bit of black paint onto the bare wood, sanded it back and then blended Ground Espresso DI over the surface to get this nice aged look. 

The fuchsias were made by sticking the bookpages onto card, die cutting the shapes and inking with Picked Raspberry and Wilted Violet DI's to get the colours and then assembling the blooms.  The stems of the flowers are thin strips of bookpage/cardstock inked with Peeled Paint and the branches were made (very fiddly-diddly) by twisting bookpages around wire then inking with the green ink plus a smidge of Frayed Burlap.  The base inside is more bookpages, collages, knocked back with Antique Linen and Bundled Sage Distress Paint, splattered with Peeled Paint and Bundled Sage Distress Spray and then gently inked with more Ground Espresso to bring the whole design together.

I decided against adding any embellies (I know, what???) and wordage as I want the blooms to really stand out, it is simple but so pretty I didn't want to take away any limelight from those fuchsias.  Anyways... that's it really... I spent ages making this... the blooms are pretty easy to put together but it was the placement of them and the wrapping of the wire and making sure that it looked exactly like it did in my head...  Thanks for looking, have a grand weekend!  TTFN

Hels x

WWWow! Carte Blanche!!!

Cor blimey, you know I loves a good old challenge theme and this month, over at the Creative Carte Blanche blog, Cheryl has set a grand prompt for us all.... to use something Wild, a Word and some Wood!   This one certainly got me all of a dither and I decided immediately to not go down the usual route of a wooden thing to alter but instead to decorate a wooden thing.... and then I completely got sidetracked after rummaging in the Room of Stash and remembering this old wooden spool that a friend gave to me yonks ago.  It has, to be honest, been sitting folornly gathering dust on a shelf, so I took it down, blew on it (rids the fruzzins and dusty bits, that does) and set about scavenging in the garden for something wild.

I have some ok, lots of hardy fuchsias and they needed a tidy up so I gathered together some of the twiggy bits and the idea formed to bung them into the spool.  A passing pigeon obligingly dropped a few feathers on the lawn so I nabbed those up too and popped those into the middle of the spool too. 

I didn't want heavy decorations so I decided on acetate butterflies, perched lightly on the twiggy bits (with the aid of hot glue, I hasten to add) and I added some resin blooms for a splash of colour along with a Word Band to.... add my word!  Voila, done... and whilst the photo's are a bit dodgy, it does look really pretty and delicate in real life.  One of these days I shall get myself a decent photo... until that time I shall keep trying! 

To join in the fun, CLICK HERE and you will be whisked off to the Creative Carte Blanche blog and you'll be able to see how to join in, where to upload your entry and also, do take a cuppa and a HobNob as you will be wanting to feast your eyes upon the gorgeousness that my teamies have been making this month too.


I shall away now... busy, busy, busy this week... I have news, verrrrry exciting news... all will be revealed very soon... watch this space ;o))   Thanks for looking... TTFN!

Hels x

Sunday Stamper - Week 361 - And Your Bird Can Sing

Goooodly Morning Stampers and a very happy Sunday to you all!  Big thanks to you all for joining in with the last challenge... the weekly challenge is now back after a little summer holiday and I hope that you will be able to join in getting stampy and inky again.  The song title and theme this time is all about... BIRDS.   To join in with the challenge is simples: make a little something; a card, canvas, ATC, a piece of altered art... the choice.. it be yours! Add in the theme AND some stamping. Then hop back here, leave me a comment with a link to the place you are showing your entry and I can come see you.   If you haven't got a blog, you can join in via Facebook (just tag me name) or by emailing a small res.pic to me or by leaving me a link to your Pinterest or any other photo hosting site.  The challenge will remain open until 21:00 Saturday 12th September 2015.

My entry this week is a small glass jar that I have altered.  My Mojo has been well and truly awol of late and I spotted that my friend Joanne had been playing with glass and texture paste... which reminded me of a project I did a few years ago.  So, I decided to have another go and make another altered jar.   I spread Wendy Vecchi's black embossing paste onto the jar and sprinkled microbeads into the paste whilst it was wet.  Once it had dried, I used Spanish Topaz, White Fire and Classic Treasure Gold, applying it with my finger over the bumpy bits of the texture paste and microbeads so the textures are highlighted.

I am always on the scout for unusual metal bits and bobs and a few months ago an old standard lamp we had went to the tip... but not before Grim had cadged the lead and switch and I had nicked the brass fittings off it... so I used one of the fittings on top of the jar so the cork is raised up slightly.  It was a perfect fit too!  Result!  I covered some black Clearly for Art with Kaisercraft papers, stamped a couple of Studio 490 flowers onto the papers, cut them out, flipped them over, heated them and moulded them and then blended a little bit of Stormy Sky Distress Ink over to add a pop of colour.  I added a couple of Clearly For Art butterflies (Darkroom Door Wings set) and a resin bloom to finish the flower.

The bird is a Prima resin embellie... he started out as a grey white colour, I used a brush to apply Sapphire and Spanish Topaz Treasure Gold over him to make him match into the design.  Finally, I inked a postage stamp shape (Tim's ephemera - flipped over as I didn't like the design on the other side) and stamped the words... and voila... finished!

That's all for today... have you anything planned?  It is the BTCC from Rockingham - we normally go to Rockingham being as it is so close to home but... the thought of sitting in the cold and (possibly - likely!) wet over sitting in the warm dry house watching it on ITV4 and having a nice beef in beer roasty lunch... well, guess which won!!!   Thanks for looking... have a great day!  TTFN

Hels x

**PS..... GO PLATO!!!**

Curiously Faux Cracked...

Gooooodly Morning to all you lovely Compendium-ers!  Today sees the start of another brand new Compendium of Curiosities 3 Challenge.  To see all the details on how to join in with the challenge, CLICK HERE.  Also, if you pop across to Linda's blog, you will see all gorgeous creations that my talented teamies on the Curiosity Crew have made... they never cease to amaze me with their inspirational ideas and art!   The challenge is sponsored by the Funkie Junkie Boutique this time... so you will have a chance of winning a very generous Gift Certificate to spend there.  Tim & Mario have, as ever, very kindly donated goodies for an extra prize... which will be awarded to the "Curiosity Crew's Choice"... so you have two chances of winning fabby prizes!  If you haven't got your Compendium book just yet, you can order a signed copy directly from the man himself... HERE.  And... Linda has also done a FAQ page for you.. HERE it is... all the info you will need is listed there.   This week we are turning to Page 54 of the book and trying out the Faux Cracked Glass technique.  As ever with the Compendium Challenge, neither I, nor the Curiosity Crew, will be posting the technique instructions and participants must not do so either. We all want to encourage people to buy Tim's awesome book; giving away the instructions wouldn’t be fair to him. Linda will have no choice but to un-link any entries that don’t follow this rule.  

You have heard the saying "they suffered for their art" right?  Well, I sure did suffer for my art for this project... I ate me bodyweight in pickled onions so I had the jar I wanted to transform!  I have done this technique on several size bottles before but I wanted a big old fella to jazz up as I am going to be using it as a pen/brush pot.  *ok, so I may have had help eating said pickled onions from Grim... and I may have had this jar kicking around for a few weeks, waiting patiently for its transformation... but it sounded good... didn't it?*

Instead of using the inks suggested by Tim in the book, I decided to try out Distress Spray Stains... I have to say I am rather chuffed with the results.  I used Frayed Burlap, Forest Moss and Vintage Photo sprays... letting them soak right into the crackles and then heating the jar to set them.  Of course, they are waterbased so won't be as permanent as the inks suggested... but this won't be getting wet so... it works for me! 

The roses were made using Tim's Tattered Florals and Mini Tattered Florals Movers & Shapers dies and Correspondance papers... a few leaves from the Mini Tattered Leaves die and a few twiggy bits gave me the embellies I wanted.  I cut a plaque using manila card, inked it with Stormy Sky and Faded Jeans DI's and then stamped one of my fave Studio 490 sentiments and of course, added my little harlequin stamp too. To finish I wound some string around the jar to make it a bit more rustic... and voila, one altered jar! 

Don't forget, you have two whole weeks to enter the challenge... and a bat at the chance of grabbing the Crew's Choice prize which is a mahooosive haul of stash donated personally by Tim & Mario... so if you are joining in, remember to comment on all the Crew's blogs and you will be in with a chance of winning that too *believe me, this is one gigantic pile of goodies*!  Thanks for looking, have an inky and inspirational day!  TTFN

Hels x

Sunday Stamper - Week 348 - This Old Heart of Mine

Goooodly Morning Stampers and a very happy spring Sunday to you all!  Thanks for your fab warm entries to last weeks challenge.  The new theme this week is... MAKE IT LOOK OLD.  You can interpret the challenge how you like: vintage it up, add paint, texture, old bits and bobs ... the choice, it be yours!   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 *this is THE important bit guys, please remember your rubberstamps!*  and then hop back here, leave me a comment with a link to the place you are showing your entry and I can come see you.   If you haven't got a blog, you can join in via Facebook (just tag me name) or by emailing a small res.pic to me or by leaving me a link to your Pinterest or any other photo hosting site.  The challenge will remain open until 21:00 Saturday 14th March 2015.

 

 My entry this week is an 8 x 8" shadowbox that I altered up to make it look old.  It is a basic wooden one so I decided to make it look old... painting the outside with black paint, sanding back and then rubbing on Vintage Photo Distress Ink to give it a nice tone... I love doing this technique... instant "aged" look.  I popped a piece of Tim's new Correspondence paper inside... adding a bit of stencilling using his new Blossom Stencil and Forest Moss and Stormy Sky DI's and blending more Vintage Photo around the edges to tone it in to the frame.  Yes, the butterfly is making another appearance!  I know, I know... but I do loves it muchly!  He is stamped twice onto cream card, cut out, layered and coloured with Stormy Sky and Cracked Pistachio DI's.   

I used another new arrival in the Room of Stash.. Tim's new Mixed Media Thinlets... oh I loves these muchly too!  I cut the honeycomb out, then snipped closely to remove it from its card and added a smidge of Treasure Gold to make it look a bit more blingy.  The layer of embellies under the butterfly include paper flowers, little bits of Tissue Tape and some Idea-ology.  I have had the dangly butterfly for yonks, he was plain cream metal so I painted on Distress Paints, smudged them up a bit and voila, an old looking butterfly to fit with the theme.  Another "old bit" is the buzzybee that is sitting on the honeycomb.  Before I had glued everything down I asked Grim what he thought... it was "missing something" and really annoying me that it looked unfinished.  He said "it needs a little bee on the honeycomb"  So, I spent several hours searching for a bee small enough to fit but big enough to stand out... and then it dawned on me that I had an old necklace that had a few charms on it... and yes, the bee was on it!  Hurrah!  Also on the necklace was the ickle ladybird that is now sitting on the Tissue Tape... I loves a bit of recycling I do!

That's all for this week... I am away this weekend in the North East so scheduling this post, it is actually Friday night... but really it is now Sunday *if Mr Blogger kindly published this on time... otherwise it is anybody's guess what day it is.... *  On that bombshell, I shall bid you a very goodly day and say... Thanks for looking, have a great day!  TTFN

Hels x

Sunday Stamper - Week 309 - Wind of Change

Goooodly Morning Stampers and a very happy Sunday to you all!  Big thanks for all the lovely entries to last week's challenge... it is so good to see new peeps joining in too!  This week the theme is a little different to "normal".  Oh yesh, I am mixing it up a little!  This week (as the song title would suggest) I would like you to CHANGE SOMETHING.  So, be it an alterable (as I have done) a stamped image, embellishments, papers, cardstock... anything you fancy changing!  The rules are simples: make a little something - it can be anything that gets  your Mojo going!  Add in the theme AND some stamping (that is the important bit... stamping!) and then pop back here, leave me a comment with a linky to the place you are showing your entry and I can hop over and visit you.  If you haven't got a blog/web-photo-hosty site, worry not, you can also join in via Facebook (tag my name) or by sending me a small res. pic of your creation. (my email addy can be found by clicking on my pic over there *points left*)  The challenge will remain open until 21:00 Saturday 31st May 2014.
 

My entry this week is also my latest DT piece for Jones of Nottingham... I was over the moon when I was given this fabby Kaisercraft MDF Baroque Frame.  Isn't it a beaut!!!   It is big as well, about 15" tall so a lovely big project to play with.  I started out by changing the base MDF - using Kaisercraft Black paint, I used Cut & Dry to apply it to the surface and then a little paint brush to get into the nooks and crannies of the braoque design.  Once dried, I used a sanding block and took off some of the paint, paying attention to the open edges of the frame, so the original wood was showing through again.  I then used Vintage Photo Distress Ink to blend over the woody bits and colour them.  I love this effect, it makes the frame look really old and worn looking.  I toyed with the idea of adding Treasure Gold but decided to keep it shabbier looking.

The papers I used for the insert of the frame are the new Marion Smith Motley Papers.  These are adorable, lots of beautiful floral images and collage style papers - yum!   I am a bit bugged by that sentiment tho!  The stamping is cool, I love the sentiment muchly - from a Kaisercraft stamp - but hey, why is it wonky on the frame?  I dunno, I was careful when I stuck it down but it is still all a-wonk.  And, being as I am a stick-it-down-properly-first-time kinda gal, I used extra glue on the foam pads I used to raise the sentiment up... so it is stuck fast and I fear if I try to take it off, it will tear the papers underneath.  Humph!  Wonky words it is then!  I am embracing my mistakes lol    At the side of the word strip, I cut out little bits and bobs from the papers and layered them up - check out the ickle brolly!  That was part of one of the papers and works perfectly with the sentiment :O))

The flowers started life as plain white Coconut Kaisercraft blooms.  Now, the fab thing about using white flowers is that you can make them into any custom colour you likey!  I used a watered down Raspberry Cosmic Shimmer mist (it was too pink as it was) and then smudged Victorian Velvet Distress Ink over the edges of the petals to give them a bit of definition.  Also in my DT kit were some Kaiser embellies.. the little padlock, how cute is that!!! I couldn't not use it!  The pearls, sparklers and gem sprays are all Kaisercraft... and the little metal flowers are actually buttons from Jones.. seriously cute, I need more of those for my collection!  I jazzed up the floral embellies with some leaves that I cut using Tim's Movers & Shapers Tattered Leaves cut from green papers and scrunched up to make them a bit shabbier.    All in all, apart from the wonky wordage, I am pretty chuffed with how the frame turned out - I love that about altering stuff, take something brand new and plain and slap a bit of paint and ink on it and voila, it looks as if it has been around for a yonk and a half!

That is all for today... in time honoured tradition, it is actually Friday morning at the moment and I am relying on Mr Blogger to publish this post on time.  I am actually in Telford, teaching at Crafty Bunch, this weekend... I know I will be having a ball because I always do when I go there... Sue (she who makes THE best salmon sammiches in the world) always looks after me and she and the ladies who come to play always make me feel so welcome... and our Pauline is going to be there today and she is as mad as a barrell of monkeys so I know we will be laughing very lots!   As ever, have a grand day!  Thanks for looking and... TTFN!

Hels x

Coffee Time!

...tis a yonk and a half since I did any altered recycling and when my mate Sue sent me a tin of coffee a few weeks ago, I fell right in lurve not only with the contents (Nescafe Azzera - NOM!) I also fancied the little tin that the coffee came in.  Being as I drink gallons of the stuff, I soon finished the tin and got straight onto the alterations.  My Jones of Nottingham DT pack came through a few weeks ago and in it is the brand new Violet Crush papers from Kaisercraft.  Purple? And me? Not normally but these are SO gorgeous, I dived right in. They are... LUSH!

I cut strips of the papers to wrap around the tin, edging them with Seedless Preserves DI before sticking them down.  Once they were attached, I added a little "spine" up the back of the tin, adding some fabby natural coloured buttons, also from Jones, tying threads of jute through them - nobody likes a bare button now, do they?

I added some gorgeous Kaisercraft papers flowers - these are Wisteria coloured and I spritzed them with Black Marble Dylusions and a purple colour Cosmic Shimmer mist.  The Word Band had a smidge of Antique White Kaisercraft paint smudged into the letters to make them pop more and then I used my own brute strength to bend the Band so it curved around the tin.  Ok, ok, they are pretty easy to bend so I admit, I am not that strong lol *not as strong as the coffee I have been quaffing*   The sentiment is from a Studio 490 stamp set, stamped onto more of the papers so they co-ordinate and it was popped into a Memo Pin to hold it in place.  I needed a nice container for my paintbrushes, so here it is.  Please don't tell me off about the state of me brushes though, they are all well loved and the one that is really fat is like that on purpose - oh yes, I purposefully forgot to clean it out properly... ahem... mmmm, believe that?

I shall away now, I am scheduling this post and it is way past my bedtime... plus it is chillywillybilly here tonight... I am fair frozen, the radiator in the Room of Stash is hot but is has to try and get heat around a room that is, well, at best described as... messy.. or untidy... more like chaotic.  One day I WILL get it sorted... I will... one day!  Thanks for looking... have a great day. TTFN

Hels x

Sunday Stamper - Week 288 - King of Wishful Thinking + CANDY!!!

Gooodly Morning Stampers and a very happy Sunday to you all!  Thank you for the fabby entries for last week's challenge.   This week sees the return of a fortnightly challenge - being as it is Christmas and New Year and time in our crafty spaces will be limited!  The challenge for this fortnight is... USE THE WORD WISH.   Also, I have some candy to giveaway to one randomly chosen entrant - my thank you to all my lovely Sunday Stampers for your entries this year.   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 and leave me a comment with a link to the place you are showing your entry.  If you haven't got a blog, you can also join in via email (small res pic please) or via Facebook by tagging my name.  To be in with a chance of winning the candy, simply leave me a comment on this post - if you ENTER the challenge with a piece of artwork, you will be entered TWICE into the giveaway.  The theme will remain open until 21:00 Saturday 4th January 2014.

 The challenge theme is because during 2013 the word WISH has been "word of the year".  I have loved having this word as my special one... it has brought me lots of inspiration throughout the year and I will be a little sad to see it go... however, the word of the year for 2014 has already been chosen and I will be blogging about that at the end of December.

My entry this time is a papier mache board hanging that I have altered using the gorgeous Craftwork Cards Vogue Collection papers, using the paperblocking technique I lurves so muchly.   Once I had blocked all the papers, I did a very light wash of Mushroom paint over the top to tone the papers in to each other.  I good old coat of Matte Glue & Seal to ... yep, you guessed it... seal those papers and then I added a border around the edges using Black paint.  Once this had dried I got out my Stabilo All pencil and added shading to the paper blocks.  My stamping is the flourish stamp, randomly onto the edges of the base using Jet Black Archival ink.

Next up came some delicious stencilling using Wendy's Dreamweaver black paste and the new to me (hurrah, finally got this one!) "Three Flourishes" Studio 490 stencil.  I spread a nice generous layer of the paste over - I love this stuff... it is the same as the one in the giveaway too :O)  Once this had dried (with a little help from Mr Heat Tool) I started decorating the edges and stencilled bits with Treasure Gold White Fire and Spanish Topaz.  I wanted a bit of a bright colour on my design as the background was quite muted so I picked some gorgeous turquoise blooms from Kaisercraft and layered them up with white paper flowers and then coloured them with Stream Colorwash, Black Marble Dylusions and Ancient Blue Cosmic Shimmer spray for the extra bit of bling.  I keep saying this but I really loves the way spraying the Cosmic Shimmer over Black Marble gives a real metallic effect.  I added lots of bits and bobs of metal and resin embellies - all given a smidge of Treasure Gold to bling them up a bit (check out the ickle spark plug - how cute is that!!)

So, the Candy giveaway package is as follows: Wendy Vecchi's Signature Archival Inks: Watering Can, Potting Soil, Red Geranium and Fern Green, Dreamweaver Embossing Paste, Glossy Accents, Large Cosmic Shimmer glue and a bundle of metal charms too.  There will no doubt be a few extra bits and bobs making their way into the package too :O)  Remember, to be in with a chance of winning, leave me a comment on this post... and if you enter with a piece of artwork, your name will be entered twice.  Closing date/time for the Sunday Stamper is 21:00GMT 4th January 2013.  Entries received after this time will not be entered into the draw and duplicate comments will be deleted to make it fair to all who enter.  The winner of the giveaway will be announced on Sunday 5th January 2013.

Right then, tis time for me to get myself to bed!  I have still not got my voice back... I had a little bit of a croaky squeak earlier but it has gone again... boohoohoo!  Thanks for looking.. and thank you all for your continued support of my little challenge this year too.   Have a great day!  TTFN

Hels x

Creating with Clutter...

... I don't know about you but I am a teensy bit of a hoarder.  Not often do I chuck stuff away... if fact, nay and thrice, you could say I keep everything cos one day it will "come in...."  You the same?  Well, I have this shelf above my desk and every so often it turns into the Shelf of Doom.  It is the dumping ground for lots of stuff that I have planned to use on my creations but then changed my mind.  I know, it would be easier to actually not be a lazy old bat and actually just put said stuff away but... well, you know what it is like don't you?  (please say yes!)

Anyways... I decided to have a bit of a de-clutter of the Shelf of Doom.  But then I got all pre-occupied with some cardboard bits I had found... namely a corrugated cardboard heart that had been painted red.  I couldn't bring myself to chuck it away... but the red looked really naff.  So, I grabbed another piece of card and turned them both into blue by blending Mermaid and South Pacific Fresco Paints onto them.  Of course, a bit of stamping had to be included so I used that delish new Watering Can Archival from Wendy & Ranger and stamped a Kaisercraft scripty background onto the card base bit.  And cos I could, I used Cornflower Archival and stamped the distressed diamonds (also Kaisercraft) onto the heart.  Actually, you can't really see them cos I then dumped a load of flowers over the top!  Whhoooops!

The flowers were also on the Shelf of Doom... plain white and very boring... so a bit of attention with Dylusions and Cosmic Shimmer sprays changed them to match the base bits.  Of course, I had to use some embellies... and all these were on the Shelf of Doom too!  Now, it makes my shelf sounds massive but it isn't really... it is very very piled high you see ;O))   Once everything was stuck together I popped it onto a bit of black mountboard and added on some Treasure Gold bits of jazz it up and then some string for the hanging bit... oh and the words are also from the Shelf of Doom... I remember the project I wanted these for and I changed my mind... so there you go, I am using up stuff after all!

Today I am venturing off to Birds in the Barn in Essex for two days of inky festive classes... so as I type this, it is actually last night... not today after all (and now we go down the whole, if it is now it is actually tomorrow and not really yesterday... and all of that sillliness.... you know what I means though... )  So, it is time for me to loves ya and leaves ya... don't forget, I have a giveaway (scroll down for the next post) and it is open until Sunday night!  Thanks for looking, have a grand day!  TTFN

Hels x

My Life In A Dinghy...

...you would not know how hard it has been for me to keep my trap shut about this thing that I have been involved in!!!  I have been fit to burst both with excitement and honour too!  And why?  Well, the wonder woman Lisa Pace messaged me a few weeks ago and asked if I would like to take part in a feature she is running on her blog.  Basically, the remit is to make a dinghy... out of the insidey bit of a loo roll!  Instantly I was "yes! PLEASE!!"  And during the next few weeks Lisa is showing the dinghy's made by the jaw droppingly amazing artists who are involved in her feature. *tbh, I am SO glad I didn't know who else was taking part, I would have been so overwhelmed!*  To see Lisa's blog, CLICK HERE and my little dinghy will whizz you across the Pond to see her and them...

So.  Lisa emailed a template through and a few instructions.  And then said "it is your dinghy, make it how you want it to be"   Firstly, I did the whole template thing and my dinghy kept coming up too small.  Aha!  I sussed it out.  The loo rolls in the UK are smaller than the ones in the USA.  Ha! The ones we have are those new ones that have tiddly little middles... well, not to be beaten, I grabbed the inny bit of a kitchen roll and cut that down to size instead.

Then I set about the decorations.  Well, I say that... what I actually mean is I glued it all together and then realised... DOH!  How hard it was to be decorated it whilst it is assembled.  So, I went and grabbed another kitchen roll inny and set about making my dinghy... again ;o))  I gave it a coat of Mushroom paint inside and out and added on an extra bit so the back of the dinghy is a bit flatter than the front (ok, I shall show my knowledge of boating now... the stern is flatter than the bow!  *bet you never knew that I know boaty things right?*)   I then got some Melange Tissue Wrap and tore it up into bits and used Glue & Seal to stick it all down.  I wanted music score as I love music and life in my dinghy would not be right unless there is music.  Once this had dried, I popped a wash of Salty Ocean (well, it had to be didn't it?) Distress Paint onto the surface and once this was dried, I added smidges of Walnut Stain DI to age the vessel.

I decided that I needed a sail.  So I sat and thought, and thought, and thought... and then my eye happened to glance into the desk-tidy-of-doom which is full of junk... and I spied a kebab stick.  AHA!  Eureka and all that malarkey.  So, armed with Tim's scissors (not his actual ones cos I don't think he would appreciate me nicking his scissors lol) and some Cosmic Glue I cut the kebab stick to be a sail shape.  I glued the bits together and then painted them black (and yes, Cosmic Glue stuck it strong!)  I then needed something to anchor the mast to the dinghy so I stuck two little cotton reels together and painted those black too and then bunged the mast into the reels.... result!  So, the sail.  Now, you all know how rubbish I am with a needle and thread. But you all also know that I am a stubborn old bat and I wanted to do a proper sail, so I persevered... and after sussing out if I put a tulle cover on the mast I then had something to stitch the cotton sails to.  Hurrah! It worked!  I used Walnut Stain to age up my sail too... and then added little pompom trims to either side.  A few flowers and some netting to decorate and there you have it.  Actually, that is the bit I am most chuffed with!

Lisa asked us to describe what life is like in the dinghy.  My dinghy smells delicious as it is chock full of everlasting flowers!  There are resident butterflies to make the voyages in the dinghy peaceful and serene and there are piles of pearls so they catch the light and remind me of nature's beauty.  The pearls sit at the bottom of the dinghy and they provide footly massages which are rather gorgeous.  At the bow of the dinghy there lives a very magic tree.  A tree that is so sought after, there is only one living in the world... and there it is, on my dinghy.  Now this tree has a very special and powerful elixir that can only be extracted by squeezing the berries on the tree... and any old Tom, Dick or Hels can't just go and squeeze the the berries, oh no, it has to be done by a Unicorn - and it just so happens that one also lives in the dinghy with me.  The elixir from this tree has many properties, giving the receiver a health beyond all, free of pain.  One shellfull of Elixir and you feel like you will never lose your Mojo again, like the whole world is coloured by Distress Inks and also, although I have yet to encounter this, it also gives the imbiber the most vivid imagination known to man!  Do  you like my Unicorn? He is rather handsome isn't he? His name is Ubelazith, he is a rather shy old chap though and only reveals himself to those who really believe in Unicorns... so if you can't see him, don't be disappointed, you just need to concentrate a little harder ;o))    

And there you have it!  Something pretty from the inny from a loo roll!  Who'd have thought it eh?

Please do pop over to see Lisa's blog and check out the amazing creations from the other artists involved in this fabby feature!  Thanks for looking... TTFN!

Hels x

Sunday Stamper - Week 276 - Lock & Key

Gooodly Morning Stampers and a very happy Sunday to you all!  Thank you for the gorgeous entries for last weeks challenge.  This week is going to be a slightly different than normal challenge... because it is going to be a TWO week challenge.  Oh yesh, for the first time in 4 years, the Sunday Stamper will be taking a week off... fear not though, it will be back again on October 6th.  On with this fortnightly challenge theme though which is... KEYS.  To join in is simples: make a little something, it can be anything you fancy.  Add in the theme AND some stamping.  Once you have made your creation, pop back here to leave me a comment with a link to the place you are showing your entry.    If you haven't got a blog, you can also join in via Facebook, simply tag my name on your upload... or by email and attaching a small resolution piccie for me to see.  My email addy is over there *points left* where my photo is, click on that and you can get the deets :O)  Remember, this is a two week challenge and will remain open until 21:00 Saturday 5th October 2013.

My entry this week is one of my show samples... I have been so busy making samples and such like that I didn't get chance to do any other art for the past couple of weeks.... and I know that sometimes we don't get a chance to see the samples close up so I thought I would share a few with you this week, starting with this one.  It is made from the 3 board hanging set and it is MDF based.  I love love love this set... perfect size and of course, being MDF is always going to be a winner.

The base was painted with Lake Mist Dabber and then I layered up some That Special Touch stencils... Scattered Straw blended through the Trellis stencil... then Broken China through the Flower mask and then the Sunburst stencil... LOVE this one... that is Seedless Preserves DI blended through that.  The stamping is done with Watering Can Archival Ink (LOVE this colour, tis my new fave.. thank you Wendy Vecchi for making this one happen!)  I used the Creative Expressions Textures stamps.. the top and bottom panel have the crackle background randomly stamped and the middle has that gorgeous french text stamped.

The flowers are stamped onto Foundations papers using Aquamarine and Blue Violet Archivals and then cut out, curled, layered and decorated with pearl middles.  I love adding lots of goodies into a bundle of flowers which is where the fabby Embellish Your Art pieces came in handy... and of course... glass vials filled with the delicious new Broken China Distress Glitter...well, it had to be done!  I LOVE that new glitter!  Shhh, don't tell anyone though... being as I am a non-glittery kind of person normally lol

Right, I shall away... hope you all have a great day planned... I am away to Telford to teach at Crafty Bunch today and tomorrow.  Thanks for looking!  TTFN

Hels x

Sunday Stamper - Week 265 - How Deep Is Your Love

Goodly Morning Stampers and a very happy, hot!, sunny Sunday to you all.  Many thanks for the gorgeous entries for last weeks challenge!  This week the challenge is a nice easy one... and it is... SHOW SOME DEPTH.   To join in with the Sunday Stamper, all you need to do is make a little something - it can be anything you fancy.  Add in the theme and some stamping and then pop back, leave me a comment with a link to the place you are showing your entry and then I can come and visit you.  If you don't have a blog/web-photo-hosty thing, don't worry, you can also join in via Facebook by tagging my name.... or via email where you can send me a piccie of your creation.  The theme will remain open until 21:00 Saturday 13th July 2013.

My entry this week is an unfinished piece!  There are still lots of little bits and bobs that I want to pop into my altered Configurations box... but I ran out of time!  This box was the subject of my workshop yesterday at Craft Den in Sheffield.  Big thanks to Lynne for hosting another fab class and to all the lovely ladies who came along, foregoing a day in the sunshine, to get inky with me.  So, the theme this week can have lots of different interpretations.  I have taken the literal sense of the word "depth" and my piece is very 3d.  However, you could add some depth by embossing (with plates), or adding texture paste... or simply by adding several layers to your creation... or by any other means that you can think of...  the choice is yours :O))

It is a yonk and a half since I altered a Configurations Box and I had great fun making little patchwork collage pieces to fit inside the little boxes.  With all the new products on the market recently, I seem to have overlooked my lovely little Distress pads you know... and it seems eons ago since I last really played with them... I started to lose my heart to paint you see, poor ickle Distress Inks sitting there waiting patiently for me   Anyways, all the pieces of cardstock were coloured with Distress Inks, I used Antique Linen, Frayed Burlap, Tumbled Glass and Walnut Stain for edging and blended the colours together and then used the Spritz & Flick technique to add some watery dapples to the inky card.  Stamping was done with Distress Inks for the backgrounds and Archival Ink for the main images (to make them pop) and all the stamps used are from the Tim Holtz Collection for Stampers Anonymous... it was good fun to bring out all my really old Tim stamps and let them see ink again.

Apologies that I haven't been about much this past week. I think this is the first time ever that I blogged only twice in a week!  I am still not 100% so am taking things a little easier than normal... and truth be told, Mr Mojo has packed his bags and beggared off on his summer jollies!   I got a little worried on Thursday when I popped into the Room of Stash and sat at the Desk of Ink... and sat there... and sat there... and picked up an ink pad... and sat there... nope, nothing doing so I figured I would "move stuff about" in the attempt to unearth a hidden gem and tempt Mojo back from his lazy ways.  Still nowt so I gave up and went and got my book and sat in the garden!   Today I shall be mostly getting myself ready for the trip down to Preston tomorrow where I will be demo-ing all things Melt Arty at Inspirations.  If you are in the area, it would be loverly to see you!  I shall away now, I have a cunning plan that I will get my arty sketch book and do a couple of designs so that later, when Mojo is sitting at the beach bar quaffing his Mojito's, I can call him back and get thoroughly covered in ink and paint... sounds like a plan? I hope so!   Thanks for looking, have a fab day!  TTFN

Hels x

Sunday Stamper - Week 263 - Everyday I Write The Book

Goooodly Morning Stampers and a very happy Sunday to you all.  Many thanks for all the fabby entries for last weeks challenge.  This week the new theme is... WRITING.  To join in with the Sunday Stamper is easy as pie: 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/web-photo hosty thing, you can also pop an email over to me with a photo of your entry, or you can join in on Facebook by simply tagging my name to your project photo.  The challenge will remain open until 21:00 Saturday 29th July 2013.

My entry this week is all about a little cog that I was given to play with by Jean from Busy Bee Crafts in Sheffield.   It is made by the MDF Man and is a cool chunky little fella and I had fun altering it.  The cog had already been covered with papers so I gave it  a very light wash with cream paint to tone down the backing paper.  Next I stamped my fave script stamp all over it, using Jet Black Archival ink.  Once I had heat set that, I gave the cog a bit of Distress Ink to blend some colour onto it and then a very fast application of Glue & Seal which reactivates the Distress but if you are quick enough, it blends is beautifully, you have to work quickly with the brush though.

Next came a smidge of stencilling through a script stencil and Wendy's Studio 490 Embossing Paste.  I wanted to add some flowers to the cog, so I spritzed some plain white paper flowers with Altered Orange (shame this is no longer made, I love it... ) and Melted Chocolate Dylusions... and then for a smidge of sparkle, Marigold Cosmic Shimmer mists.  A quick spritz of Black Marble and the flowers were ready to assemble.   The word is an Adage Ticket and I added a few bits of metal stuff from my collection.  Finishing touches were smidges of Treasure Gold to add more bling to the piece and voila... done!

As ever, thanks for looking!  Today we are watching the BTCC from Croft (sad face we didn't get up there to see it live but apparently, it is baaad rain so I am not too upset about that now lol)   So... that just leaves me to say... GO PLATO!   Have a great day!  TTFN

Hels x

Sunday Stamper - Week 259 - Some Like It Hot

Gooooodly Morning Stampers and a very happy Sunday to you all.  Many thanks for the fabby vintage creations you all made last week!  This week is a VERY special Sunday Stamper indeedily!  Before I go on waffling about that I will do the usual housekeeping things:  Firstly the challenge theme for this week is... EMBOSSING POWDERS.  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 haven't got a blog, don't worry, you can also join in via email or on Facebook.   The challenge will remain open until 21:00 Saturday June 1st 2013. **entries received after this time will not be added into the prize draw**

And on with the most important bit!  Oh yesh, I am very honoured and proud to have been asked by Ranger to be a part of their Melt Art Mania event that they have running HERE on their blog.  The event runs from May 15th through to May 31st and has tonnes of fabulous inspiration featuring, along with amazing projects by some very talented designers... hence why I am chuffed to little mint balls to be asked to be amongst these incredily clever peeps!  Anyways... being as I am a part of the event, Ranger have very kindly offered up a brilliant prize...   to be in with a chance of winning this box of goodies all you need to do is leave me a comment here on this post.  If you join in with the Sunday Stamper as well.. you get two entries.  Another important thing:  if you join in any other way than on your blog, like sending me an email, you need to remember to leave a comment on this post telling me you have done that... otherwise it would be crazy to try and add in peeps names in the right order.  Each comment will be assigned a number, the total comments will then be fed into Random.org and the winner chosen at random, being announced next Sunday, June 2nd.  Ranger will then send out your prize directly.    I think that is everything....   and on with the post!   Oh yes, here's the FAB prize!!!

Firstly, here's a little peep at the finished project.... but before I show you all about that, I have a little tutorial for you, making my fave Faux Jade/Turquiose.  This is a technique I learned from the wonderful Suze Weinberg.  Please do take time to pop over to Suze's youTube channel too... her art is amazing!  Anyways... on with the tut!

STEP 1
Add 1/3 white UTEE to your Melt Pot and then add 2/3 clear UTEE to the pot and allow to melt thoroughly. (**HINT  Always pop the lid on your Melt Pot whilst melting UTEE... it melts faster with the lid on... and also you have less chance of sticking your elbow into the melting UTEE's)  Once melted give the contents a good stir to amalgamate the two together - use  your Kool Tool spatula for this.

STEP 2
Add a generous droppage of Heat It Inks to your white UTEE mix - I have used Green - you will see it is more of a turquiose colour! You will see the UTEE bubble a bit - this is normal.  Pop the lid on and allow the ink to get to the same temp as the UTEE.. this will only take a minute or so. I have found this helps the mixing in of the colour.

STEP 3
Give the ink/UTEE mix a really good stir using your Kool Tool spatula so the colour is uniform.  If you are quick, you can also pour this while the colours are totally mixed for a cool white/colour look.

STEP 4
Add in Platinum UTEE using your Kool Tool as a spoon (or a plastic spoon, be careful not to dip this into the UTEE though... it will melt!)  Pop the Lid back on the pot and leave to melt.

STEP 5
Use the tip of your Kool Tool spatula and gently marble the Platinum through the colour, you don't want to stir this as it will be all muddy, the trick is to bring one colour through the other.  It is now ready to pour and become gorgeous faux jade/turquoise.

And here's what you can make....  I poured the UTEE mix into a heart shaped mould (made from Mold & Pour) and once it was cooled, I lightly heated the front of it so it is a little shinier than it would normally be.  BTW, check out the heart at the back.. the technique was just a bit of marbling, cookie cuttering... but the ickle heart which is nearly but not quite cut out was an idea I saw a lovely lady called Angela adopting on a class I taught the other week... FAB idea!  Thanks Angela!  That is what I so love about the Melt Pot, it just begs to be played with... experiment, play... have fun!!! 

My project is a wooden trinket case that I decided to alter, using Distress Paints to cover the wooden bits.  I started by removing the hinges and clasp from the chest and put them in a safe place.  Cut & Dry foam to apply the Antique Linen DP to the outside of the chest and also, inside the "shelves"    I added Broken China DP to some Cut & Dry and gently dabbed this around the edge of the lid.  I had also used masking tape to cover up the edges of the glass on the lid too... saves scaping paint off later!  Once that was how I wanted it, I added Pitch Black Dabber using Cut & Dry foam, to the edges and front of the shelves.

Some stamping onto cosmetic tissue with a couple of Tim's stamp and Archival Ink was the next step.  Ensure you give the Archival a good zap of heat to set it before you use beeswax on it otherwise the ink can bleed a smidge.

I popped my Project Pan into the Melt Pot and some beeswax pellets - these are white ones, I prefer the clear effect of white but the natural ones are gorgeous too if you want a more antique effect.  I tore piece of tissue, used a real hair brush to apply smidges of beeswax to the frame and then painted more over the top, using the heat tool all the time to re-melt the wax and ensure the tissue was stuck down.  Once I had all the collaging done, I added more blobs of wax to add a bit of texture to the chest.

The insidey bits are created with a range of different UTEE techniques.  Pouring into moulds, pouring into Memory Frames, Texture Treads, stamping into UTEE and using cookie cutters... I wanted a "curiosity" effect... which this is... the Beeswax Curiosity!

I hope you have enjoyed the tut and seeing my special project.... like I said... I am so honoured to be a part of this amazing event with Ranger... and of course, it is no secret how much I loves Ranger and the Melt Pot!    I am away to Crafty Bunch in Telford today for another Melt Art class..... see, I loves my Melt Pot!   I shall away... don't forget to check out Ranger's blog for all their inspiration...  Thanks for looking, have a great day!

TTFN

Hels x