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!!!**

Sunday Stamper - Week 324 - Lavender's Green

Goooodly Morning Stampers and a very happy Sunday to you all!  Thank you all for your fabby entries to last weeks bright challenge - it was great to see all those eye popping summer colours on display.   The theme this week is colour based one... this time, USE PURPLE TONES.  You can interpret the challenge how you like: go for deep purples, add a smidge of violet, a little flash of mauve, 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.  The challenge will remain open until 21:00 Saturday 13th September 2014.

 My entry this week is actually the very first page of a new "I Challenge Thee" project that Ellen and I started last Sunday during our Skype session.  We have a recipe to follow and over the next few months we will be making pages and then altering covers to make a special little book.  The main ingredient is Studio 490 - it has been too long since we both got our heads together and did an homage to our Wendy...   My base is a bit of manila cardstock, measuring 7 x 5" (ish) and I coloured it with Milled Lavender, Tumbled Glass, Dusty Concord and Tattered Rose Distress Paints... I made a nice smooshy background and then once dried, I set about adding more layers using lots of inks and stencils.  All stencils used are Wendy's... and the inks are Wendy's Archivals.  Starting with diamonds and Cornflower, moving on to dots and Hyacinth.   I made up my own colour embossing paste - popping a couple of drops of Hyacinth and Cornflower Archival re-inker's into Wendy's white embossing paste and then spreading it thru the stencil (can't remember the name of this one)  Now, the embossing paste colour is shown better on the butterfly - that was the colour I chose... and then once I had used it for the flowers, it looked tooooo pale, so I rectified that and use Hyacinth Archival to colour over the embossed flowers - I just popped the stencil back in place and inked over the top so I didn't get any overspill inky bits on the base card.

I added the wreath, inked in Fern Green Archival, adding dots and Glossy Accents and a sentiment to finish off that bit... I wasn't happy with the overall look tho, it looked bare!  So I did some "second generation" stamping, using Wendy's massive script background and Watering Can Archival and randomly stamping onto the background.... ahhh, better!   I added some embellies - Wendy's Embellish Your Art and some bits of ribbon and lace and stuff and that was about enough for this page.  At the moment, the page is curling up - it will be glued to the next page finished and flatten out then... I made a schoolgirl error tho, I didn't punch the holes yet... ooopsies... I might have to fashion a fastening if I can't get the holes lined up properly!  I won't be making that mistake again.

I am excited today!  We are away to Rockingham to watch the British Touring Cars.  This is the first live meeting we have been to this year and I can't wait!  I need to feed my inner petrol head!  As ever, I shall be cheering along and shouting GO PLATO!   Thanks for looking, have a goodly day!  TTFN

Hels x

Curiously Layered...

Gooooodly Morning to all you Compendium-ers!  Today sees the start of a 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... well worth taking a cuppa and a Hobnob with you :O)    The challenge is sponsored by the Funkie Junkie Boutique this time... so you will have a chance of winning a generous Gift Certificate to spend there.  As before, Tim & Mario have 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 49 of the book and using Layering Stencils!  Now, 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.
 

As ever, I have made a tag for my entry.  I won't tell you much about the background as that is the whole technique - I will tell you the colours I used tho... stepping well and truly out of my comfort zone and right into "Bright Colour Scaresville".  Broken China, Spiced Marmalade, Mustard Seed, Picked Raspberry and Seedless Preserves!!!  I know!!! All of them... all at once!!!   (Should I admit that this is actually the second attempt at this technique? The first tag was too...erm... pink!)  I then slipped right back into "Walnut Stain Comfyville" and used, yep, you guessed it, Walnut Stain DI to tone the brights down a wee bit.

The decorations are a-plenty (no change there then!) starting with the focal point which is the spikey flower I created using old book pages and Tim's Tattered Florals die.  I cut a load of the flowers, coloured then with the same Distress colours used on the background, layered them up and popped a little button into the middle of them.  Once the glues were dried and the flower "stable" I carefully teased the petals up and added smidges of Black Soot DI to give it some definition.  You would be surprised what a smidge of Black Soot can do!  The leaves are from the Garden Greens die, cut using Core-dinations and sanded and shaped using my fingers.
 

The Ornate Plate actually has a piece of card tucked inside it from Take I of the tag... waste not, want not, using just a bit of the original tag worked a treat.  I seem to have developed a bit of a theme with the stamping on my CC3C entries too... Tim's mini harlequin stamp is on all of them so far, did I ever mention this is my FAVE filler stamp ever?  LOVES it!!!  On the Ornate Plate, I added Alphaparts and a little birdy from the Idea-ology Adornments pack, I added a little torn bit of Journal Ticket *found that on my tidy up the other week!* and some Linen Ribbon for the top of the tag.  Oh and the Layering Stencil I used is the Alphabet.

That's all from me for today... Thanks for looking, don't forget to pop around to leave a comment on all the Crew's blogs to be in with a chance of winning the extra bonus prize... and you have two weeks to play along too.  Have a great time getting inky!  TTFN  

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

Sunday Stamper - Week 298 - A Stitch in Time

Gooodly Morning Stampers and a very happy Sunday to you all!  Thanks for so many fabby entries to last weeks challenge, it is a pleasure to hop around to all your blogs to see your grand creations.  This week the theme is... STITCHES/SEWING.  The theme invites you to add any kind of stitching into your creation, be it faux with stamping or doodling... or actual real stitching either by hand or machine!  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 to leave me a comment along with a linky to the place you are showing your entry.  If you haven't got a blog, you can join in via Facebook - simply tag my name, or by emailing me a small res. photo of you creation.  The challenge will remain open until 21:00 Saturday 15th March 2014.

 This week I have been stealing time from the middle of the night!  Oh ho yesh, I have sussed out that time during the night is not only "free" it also appears to be when my Mojo is in full steam and I am at my most creative.  Mind you, it isn't hard to be creative when you have the right stashly goodies.  Of late, I have sadly neglected my Studio 490 stash, mainly because I haven't had time to play with it all.  So, during my nighttime playtimes, I have been dusting off the 490 stash and getting thoroughly covered in ink and paint.  This creation is a hanging piece I made, the base is chipboard that I covered with some new Kaisercraft Papers (Timeless collection, nom!) and then I got crackling... *see what I dids there? teehee*   Recently, the marvel that is Wendy Vecchi added a brand new embossing texture paste to her already great range. *click her name to be transported to her blog for amazing inspirations*  And if you saw last Sunday's Sunday Stamper you will have already seen this fabulous Crackled Texture Paste.   This time, instead of just slapping it onto the base "raw", I added a few drops of Geranium Archival Re-Inker to colour it.  Ohhhhlaaaalaaaa!  Check out those crackles!  I started by popping the Heart Stencil For Art onto the base, smidging on a thin layer of Black Embossing Paste and once dried (super fast as it was a thin layer) I replaced the Heart over the top and spread a nice thick layer of Crackled Paste over the top.  It was nice and dry and ready to use about an hour later... and whilst I loved the bright red, it was just a smidge too bright for how I wanted the piece to look.  To fix this, I grabbed some Cut & Dry Foam and blended Geranium and Watering Can Archival Inks over the top... voila, a grungier effect.

Now for the decorations.  The base looked fine but... a bit bare.  So after rummaging through my 490 stamps, I found the stitched scallop and stamped that around the edge of the base, then used Antique Linen and Gathered Twigs DI's to add a vintage look.  I stamped a few flourishes in Watering Can at the top of the heart (look closely, they are there, hiding under the flowers lol)  And then... ART PARTS!!!  Now, I love Art Parts more than most other things in my stash! They are sturdy, easily altered and they just add that perfect amount of dimension to any creation.  So, the leaves were painted with Forest Moss and Crushed Olive Distress Paints and then overstamped with a cool background using Fern Green Archival ink.  The Art Part word started out saying "wishes" but I didn't want the "es" so I chopped them off, slapped a layer of Rock Candy Cracklepaint onto the word and then once crackled, applied Black Soot DP over the top... subtle crackle on top of mega crackle. 
  

And now for the decorating bit!  It is no secret that I loves a nice flower bundle... in fact, the majority of the things I make have flowers on them.. and the Studio 490 stamps are just perfect for making said flower bundles.  I stamped all the flowers onto cream cardstock, cut them all out and then overstamped them with Geranium Archival and lots of different background stamps - again all Studio 490.  They were then inked with Antique Linen, Fired Brick and Gathered Twigs DI's.  I used the mini dotty butterfly and Jet Black Archival to stamp out onto Clearly For Art.  Now, Clearly For Art is one of the bestest things you can have in your crafty stash - it is a heatable modelling film that can be left clear, covered with papers, fabric, inks, die cut, stamped etc and once it is heated and moulded, it keeps its shape.  And if you hate your moulding? You can reheat it and it goes back to flat again!  Genius indeedily!  The addage of little pearls to the flowers and butterflies was my finishing touch, I didn't want to add any more embellies as I liked the look as it is.. and I know how mental I can go with the old embellies!

 I have had a great time this past week playing late at night... and this coming week I actually have a weekend off so... that means more time to play during the days too!  As ever, have a wonderful day... I hope you like the theme and get a chance to play along.  Thanks for looking... TTFN

Hels x

Sunday Stamper - Week 297 - All Things Bright & Beautiful

Gooodly Morning Stampers and a very happy Sunday to you all!  Thanks for so many fabby entries to last weeks challenge, it is a pleasure to hop around to all your blogs to see your grand creations.  This week the theme is... USE BRIGHT COLOURS.  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 to leave me a comment along with a linky to the place you are showing your entry.  If you haven't got a blog, you can join in via Facebook - simply tag my name, or by emailing me a small res. photo of you creation.  The challenge will remain open until 21:00 Saturday 9th March 2014.

My entry this week has been borne out of my love for all things Studio 490... starting with the brains behind Studio 490, the wonderfully talented Wendy Vecchi.  To see all of Wendy's art and amazing tips and design inspirations, CLICK HERE.  Now, it is no secret that I am Wendy's number one stalker of course, I mean fan (ahem) and have been avidly collecting all the products and stamps that she designs and brings to market.  This creation features tonnes of her stuff... and a whole lot of inspiration from her too.

A few days ago I came down with the snots - yes, I am still resembling Moomin Mamma - and when I get all stuffy and blocked up of nostrils, I can't sleeps.  So, early on Friday morning, like stoopid early 4am, I crept into the Room of Stash for a little nocturnal dabble with a new stashly goody that arrived in the Room of Stash in the past few weeks... and I hadn't had a chance to open the pot, let alone have a play!  And what is this stuff?  It is the brand new Crackled Texture Paste from Studio 490. **available from Art From The Heart HERE**  Now, I have been stalking staring watching... ok, all of those, I have been viewing Wendy's blog over recent weeks and seeing all her demo's and tutorials for the new paste, I thought "aha, Sheridan, you have some FREE crafting time... "  So I got crafting!

Firstly, I will just say this... I haven't thought up a single thing about this project apart from the layout.  The colours, stamps, stencils, inks, pastes etc are ALL Wendy.   I splodged a generous dollop of Crackled Texture Paste onto a piece of grey board that I had splatted some 490 Black Embossing Paste onto... and then edged over the top of the black with White Embossing Paste so the crackles then have white and black underneath them.  As Grim has been on nights, it meant that I could secretly whack the heating on which meant my radiator was nice and toasty... so I popped the greyboard onto it to speed up the cracklage... ooooh my! It was fascinating, I literally sat there and watched the crackles appear!  Once the piece was completely dry, I used Cut & Dry foam and Wendy's Signature Archivals for Ranger and blended Fern Green, Orange Blossom and Cornflower inks over the crackles... ooooh.... mega swoonage going on here!   
 

I wanted to add a real zing of colour so I went for Barn Door, Rusty Hinge and Wild Honey Distress Inks to colour the stamped flowers and butterflies and Forest Moss for the leaves.  You see the tiny flowers nestling under there?  That is the same flower are the one next to it, I just made the petals shorter when cutting it out. Stencilling was done using more Archivals, Watering Can and Jet Black and more Cut & Dry foam to blend... and then I set about assembling it all.  As you can see, there's a little birdy sitting there... isn't he cute!  Well, he has been roosting in my stash for over a year now.  When I went to CHA Winter 13, I followed Wendy around whilst she was demoing... oh yesh, such is my obsession. Well, she was demoing away and everyone else was getting a bit of her demo art from her... except me... so I cheekily asked if I could have the ickle birdy she had just coloured with Distress Paints... and *to shut me up/get rid of the irksome Brit/whatever* bless her, she said yes!  Hurrah!  I have been saving this ickle birdy for THAT long to use on something special.

Anyways... enough of my wafflings for one day!  I hope you have a great day and you get a chance to hop on over to Wendy's blog to see her gorgeous art... she is such a giving designer too and you will find tonnes of hints and tips there too.  *can you tell I loves her?*   Right, I shall away... thanks for looking... TTFN!

Hels x

Sunday Stamper - Week 291 - Ultraviolet

Goooodly Morning Stampers and a very happy Sunday to you all!   Huge thanks for all your entries for the last challenge, it was lovely to see some new peep's entering too.  This week there be a new theme (and my fave U2 song is the title)... and that is... VIOLET/PURPLE.  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 then 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 email - just email a small res pic to me or via Facebook, simply tag my name and I can view your entry.  The challenge will remain open until 21:00 Saturday 25th January 2014.

 My entry this week is a tag that I started yesterday at my class at Craftique in Hessle.  We were doing a Distress Paint mixed media canvas and I decided to do some demo-ing onto a tag too... hence this one was born.  Also, I seems to have a bit of a "purple" thing going on at the moment because my chosen Paints were Dusty Concord (LOVE this!!!) Broken China and Bundled Sage.  Once they were applied onto the tag (drippy layers technique) I dried them off and then got some of Wendy's Embossing Paste and spread it through her Three Flourishes Stencil (which is there, down at the bottom of the tag, hiding 'neath all the embellies)

A bit of stamping in the form of the gorgeous background stamp from Studio 490 Heirloom Art, stamped onto tissue and applied with Glue & Seal so I could add stamping over the top of the embossing.

As you can see, I went a bit mental with the embellies... nowt new there then lol   The flowers were sprayed with Black Marble Dylusions and Egyptian Blue Cosmic Shimmer sprays.  The leaves are from Tim's new Garden Green Sizzix die, painted with Forest Moss DP and dabbed whilst it was still a bit wet to add some dimension to them.  Check out the little word "dream".  That was kindly donated by one of my workshop ladies, Susan, so thanks Susan, I love that ickle word!  Adding another word using Alpha Parts onto an Ornate Frame finished the tag off nicely.

Today I shall mostly be beavering away in the Room of Stash making samples for my tellybox shows on Tuesday.  I am on at 11am and 7pm with some really cool goodies... hope you can join me!   I shall away now... thanks for looking, have a great day!  TTFN

Hels x

Favourites...

... I know, we shouldn't have them should we... but hand on heart, who can honestly say that they don't have "favourites"?  Thing is, I have so many favourites that I just think that everything I do in this arty bubble I live in is my favourite!  Anyways... the point of this waffle is to show what I got up to on Monday.  I was invited to teach a private class for two lovely ladies, Claire and Jane, 'round at Claire's house.  Gulp. Me, crafting, in someone elses home?  I was a bit scared that I would end up flicking paint and ink all over the place so before I arrived, I gave myself a good talking to.. "Hels" I said, "You don't have to be a mucky pup you know... "  "Don't I?" I answered myself...  "No, indeedily, you can be the cleanest crafter in the world *said in my very best Jeremy Clarkson voice* if you really try"   So, armed with lots of delish stash to play with, I arrived at Claire's, all ready to show just how neat and clean I can be.

Actually, I did manage to keep things relatively clean... I only got stuff on me, thankfully not on Claire, Jane, the cats, the floor, the walls... which is unusual seeing as you can usually look at my clothes and see exactly what I have been using on any particular day.  We had a wonderfully fun crafty day... altering a canvas with Distress Paints, yep, favourites...   Wendy's Embossing Paste, oh be still my heart, always a favourite indeedily... And lots of paper flowers... aha, more favourites... and embellishments... yippy-yi-ay, favourites.. and... Treasure Gold.  What more can I say huh?  FAVOURITES!!

The colours of DP's I used are Iced Spruce (fave!) Aged Mahogany (always a fave) and Victorian Velvet (new fave!)  Lots of watery drippage and then the embellishing bit.  I used a Crafter's Workshop stencil for my Embossing Paste bit... and of course, adding smidges of Treasure Gold really highlights the peaks and textures.  A big massive thank you to Claire and Jane for making me so welcome, feeding me delish food (why does it always come back to food with me huh?) and making the day so enjoyable!

Right, I shall away... today I am mostly die-cutting for my Ali-Craft class on Friday... oh and I didn't mention... I have a new arrival in the Room of Stash. Oh yesh, Ernie the EBosser has come to live with me!  Tis my Xmas pressie from Grim, I am soooo lucky! I have had a little play already and I am in lurves, it is sooo easy to use!  I will, of course, still use Victor because I loves him too but it just makes kitting for classes so much easier now, I can have both machines going at the same time!  Multi-tasking die-cutting!   Thanks for looking, have a great day!  TTFN

Hels 

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

Exciting News!!!

...cor blimey and thrice!!! I am sooo excited!!! I have been asked to join the brand new Design Team for Jones of Nottingham starting in January 2014.  I will be playing, ahem... working with gorgeous stashly goodies from the likes of Kaisercraft, Graphic 45, Ruby Rocket, Marion Smith Designs... and lots more too!  Also on the team are these illustrious crafty peeps:

Sandra Carey - careyscards.blogspot.co.uk

Clare Charvill - mycreativespirit.blogspot.com  
Lorraine Brown Robertson-craftycoo.blogspot.com
Marion Emberson-sugarandspicecrafts.blogspot.co.uk
Pauline Wheeler -paulinescreativejourney.blogspot.com

How about that for a line up eh???  Please do pop and see the others, take a cuppa and a packet of Hobnobs with you though, you will be gone for a while!!!

I was playing with Kaisercraft papers last weekend when I was teaching my Cardinal Christmas Board class at Birds in the Barn... I LOVE Kaisercraft papers muchly and it just so happens that I have got some brand spanking new ones to play with already... teeeheeee... there's gonna be plenty fun going on in the Room of Stash next weekend :O)  

You know I make no secret of my lurve of paper blocking... all those ickle snips of paper that you cannot bear to part with that go into the Box of Snippetty Doom... you have one, go on, admit it.  You make a card... have a snippetty bit left over and it is just a built in thing in us crafters, you can't physically put said snippetty bit into the bin because "it might come in..."  Well... they never do, do they?  So, this technique uses up all those bits and sometimes, just because I can, I use full sheets and make even more snippetty bits!

Right, I shall away... I am scheduling a few posts at the moment as I have classes this weekend ... and tomorrow night (Saturday) by the time I get home it will be time for Strictly, X Factor, I'm A Celeb... blimey, tellybox at this time of year is soooo consuming of time!  Still, I loves it all :O))  Thanks for looking, have yourself a fabby day!  TTFN

Hels x

I Challenge Thee... A Revisited Recipe!

...cor blimey, it has been toooo long since Ellen and I did a good old I Challenge Thee!  Seriously, the last time was August!  Anyways, we had a proper Skypey sesh on Sunday... and being as Ellen has a bit of a Mojo deficit going on, I suggested we do a "revisit" of an old one to see how differently we would make it now.  The one I chose was from 6th January this year... not that long but enough for styles and preferences to change right?  Well, erm... in my case... wrong!  Cos whilst I did the whole recipe, I still managed to go right OTT with the embellies... nowt new there then eh?  Here's the recipe - please do feel free to use the recipe too, if you do, please show us what you created too :O)

Large Canvas
Scraped Paint Technique
Embossing/Texture Paste
Stabilo ALL Pencil *aka The Magic Pencil*
Word - not stamped
Tissue Paper Stamping collage
Ink Sprays
Drawn border/edging
Embellies of choice *uh-oh, I knew I would go OTT!*

So. My canvas is a 12" x 9" canvas and isn't deep edged, which I do prefer but being as this was the only one I could find, I used it.   The colours are predictable for me aren't they?  Well, if you CLICK HERE you will be transported away on the back of a giant paper flower to see the original canvas I made.   When you get back I will prove that it is different... sort of....  ok, yes, that one is predictable too... brown!  I know, browns, greens, blues... one day I will use bright colours and shock myself stupid (mmm, stupid already so not much shocking needed for that!)

The scraped paint is done with a spatula.  Ellen uses a plastic credit card scrapery thing... I prefer the spatula method as I feel more in control... plus, don't tell anyone but my hands are rubbish and I tend to drop the plastic credit card scrapery thing all over the job... teehee.  Tissue stamping - using Wendy's fabby Watering Can Archival from the Ranger Designer series... that colour makes my heart sing!  It is THE perfect and proper shade of grey to *be there* without *being there!* if you know what I means.  The stamp is the gorgeous background from Heirloom Art from Wendy Vecchi too. And the tissue is always a cosmetic tissue... whilst it is more delicate to work with, to me it kind of dissolves in the Glue & Seal so you can't see the edges so much.   The stencil is from Imagination Crafts and the embossing paste is my fave Wendy Vecchi Dreamweaver Matte Black... this stuff is THE best... like a moussey lushly smoothy bouncy paste.  Perfect.  
  

Once all that dried, I painted a two tone border (yep, predictable... but I loves it...) and then the embellies.  LOTS of them.  I haven't seen Ellen's finished creation... but I kind of know that there won't be many embellies... because that is the massive difference with us.  I go totes over the top with chucking flowers and metal and stuff... Ellen is more restrained... mmm, I needs to try and be more restrained... just to see how I gets on!  The ink spray part of the recipe came in with the coloring of the flowers - check out Kaisercrafts new paper blooms... they are GORGEOUS... and the base colours of the roses are Sage (wish I hadn't gone so mad with the Black Marble Dylusions, over did those a wee bit) and I added some blue Cosmic Shimmer spray for blingyness too.  Then the tonne of embellies... all were tinted with Treasure Gold Pewter and Sapphire to tone them in.  Oh and the leaves... painted with Forest Moss Distress Paint.  Do you like the word???   That is like a big metal buckle.  Dan got me it from Michael's for my birthday... and I been saving it for a spesh project... so thanks Dan, excellent taste my friend!    And there you have it!  So, you wanna see the original one now?  I have to say... out of the two, I prefer the first one... I think it is because the size of canvas is perfect for me. I get a bit scaredy kittycat when I start on a larger size.. but hey, it is a challenge after all!  And I also prefer the colours on the original... and it was a deep edge canvas...

Don't forget to bob over to our Ellen's place for a nosey at her amazing creation.  I am saying amazing even though I ain't seen it finished cos it will be... I just know it.  I saw it after the painty bit had been done and I was a-drooling big stylee. Anyways, I guess that is more than enough wafflingtons from me for one day.   I have class kits to get ready for my classes this weekend at Busy Bee's weekend retreat in Sheffield... and also, my old war wound is really playing up again... grrrrr... so I will be resting up too.  Well, thank heavens for Victor the Vagabond, he die cuts all my stuff so efficiently... saves straining meself lol   Thanks for looking, have a grand day... TTFN

Hels x

Sunday Stamper - Week 281 - You Raise Me Up

Goodly Morning Stampers and a very happy Sunday to you all!  Big massive thanks for all the gorgeous rosey creations entered for last weeks challenge... I love visiting you all and seeing the different things you have been inspired to make.  This week is a fun theme... can you guess by the song title?  Oh yesh, this week I would like you to... USE TEXTURE on your creations. 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, leave me a comment with a link to the place you are showing your entry and I can pop and see you.  If you haven't got a blog, you can also join in via Facebook (simply tag my name in your upload) or via email by attaching a small size pic (my email addy is over there *click on the pic of me*)   The challenge will remain open until 21:00 Saturday 9th November 2013. 
 

Yesterday I took a trip to Swindon to Sparkle Dreams for a Mixed Media Masterboard workshop.  It was my first visit there and I had a cracking time.  Big thanks to Sandie for making me so welcome (and my gorge pressie) and to the lovely ladies who endured my silliness for about 7 hours.  Yesterday's class was all about making layers and getting balance on a base of a project... and using texture pastes and stencils and then, of course, a whole lot of inking using my fave lush Dylusions sprays.  My entry for the Sunday Stamper this week is my demo sample that I used during the class... check out the bright orange and pink!  I know, I took a little step outside the comfort zone.  The Dylusions are so forgiving though because you can lighten them with splashes and spritzes of water... so the bright colours ain't too scary after all.

Decoration is provided in the form of my very favest ever in the whole word butterfly stamp from the wonder that is Wendy Vecchi (tis on Art for You if you are interested :O))  I used Picked Raspberry and Spiced Marmalade to colour them and then popped some Walnut Stain behind the wings so they look more real.  I added lots of metal bits and bobs and of course, my flowers, these started out as plain white and I just blinged them up with more Dylusions and a smidge of Cosmic Shimmer sprays.  The sentiment is stamped onto plain card using mini alpha stamps.  This sentiment was taken from a woody stamp I have of Tim's from 217 years ago... love the words though :O)

Right, I shall loves ya and leaves ya.  Today Grim is going to be building the greenhouse!  He has spent hours making the ground right, building a base frame, filling it up with gravel and today is the day that the thing is put together.  Because I am more of a hindrance than a help, he has enlisted the help of Jerry's Dad... which means that Jerry the Springer will be coming to see us too (can't wait!)   Don't worry, AlfieCat is going to be snoring his little noddle off in the bedroom because I think he would go a bit bonkers if he saw Jerry again... last time he got all unneccesary and went about three times the size, all puffed up and hissing like a loon!  Bless him.   Hope you all have a great day!  Thanks for looking, TTFN

Hels x

Sunday Stamper - Week 277 - Wishing I Was Lucky

Gooodly Morning Stampers and a very happy Sunday to you all!  Many thanks for the entries you all made over the past two weeks.  After a brief sojourn, the Sunday Stamper is now back to the normal weekly workings :O)   The theme this week is  WISH.  To join in is simple: make a little something - it can be anything you fancy.  Add in the theme and some stamping and then 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/webphotohostythingy, you can also join in via email (click on my pic on the left hand side) or via Facebook, simply tag my name.  The challenge will remain open until 21:00 Saturday 12th October 2013.

My entry this week is actually a class sample that I made a couple of weeks ago whilst teaching at Crafty Bunch in Telford.  Chock full of Distress Paints - did I ever tell you I LOVES Distress Paints?  I love the colours... and Ranger has just announced that a further 6 have been added to the DP family... including Iced Spruce (am dead excited about that one!)  I love the reaction with water they have... and the liquidity too.  And just a very *small* hint that maybe... tomorrow... if you tune in to the Craft Clinic on Create & Craft at 11am, you might just see some... *whispers* techniques involving Distress Paints.... I shall say no more ;O))

 
As ever with anything that I made, I love to add in the layers.... this canvas has lots of them including the stamping - which is my fave Studio 490 background from Heirloom Art and texture added through a stencil - the delicious Studio 490 Dreamweaver embossing paste no less... and then there's the bling... in the form of smudges of Treasure Gold, worry not if you don't have Treasure Gold though, you can use Gilding Wax and get a similar effect :O)

Anyways... I shall away!  Today I am chasing my tail (that is figuratively speaking cos I haven't actually got a real tail... although if I did have one it certainly would have a little point on it lol)  Lots of prep to do for the shows tomorrow... as I said, I am on at 11am - 1pm for the Ranger Craft Clinic (and Melt Pot fans might be interested in this show too... cor blimey, I am dropping mahoosive hints left, right and centre here!) and again at 4pm for an hour long stamping show.   Hope you can join me!  In the meantime... have a fabby Sunday!  Thanks for looking, TTFN

Hels x

It's Giveaway Time!

...cor! blimey!  Where did this week go???  One minute it was Monday morning and the next... it is now!  Anyways... as promised last weekend, I am doing a giveaway today to celebrate my bloggy birthday which was actually September 7th but being as I do like a celebration, I have drawn the whole bloggy birthday thing out!   So.  The Giveaway!  Well, I have this tag here for one randomly picked commenter on this post.  That's all you needs to do... leave a comment on this post!  Simples huh?   The giveaway will close at 23:59 on Sunday 15th September and the winner will be announced on Monday 16th September '13.

So, seven who years ago I began this blog!  I started it because I had a Photobucket (do peeps still have those?) and when I tried to type out how I had made something there were never enough characters left to write everything down (and you know my propensity for yakking right?)  My first steps into this world we call Blogland we relatively tentative... until I realised that there are lots of peeps out there who also blog and want to share the art they make.   Sometimes I will click on the archive label and go back through the years and see how my creations have changed.  One thing that has not changed is the waffle that always seems to accompany any post I do... well, like I always say, I have a captive audience and waffling away just seems to come naturally to me. 

Seven years ago... such a lot has happened in the past seven years... some good and some bad... I guess we can all say that though - all part of this rich tapestry we call life.  During the darkest days, when I lost my career to ill health, I used to creep onto my blog and pretend that all was good in the world... and to be honest, it really helped.  It was cathartic to just sit and type and be silly... and put out photo's of stuff I had made... that was the most rewarding and positive thing because I received so many encouraging comments it gave me a sense of purpose and took my mind off the nasty things I was experiencing in my life.  I have also made some very dear friends through blogging... that was one thing I never expected and I am thankful to Blogger for opening up this world of ours and making distances just the blink of an eye.

Anyways... enough of all my wafflings for the moment... I have 101 things to do today and sitting here clacking isn't getting any of them done.  First on the list is the Battle of the Barnet... oh yesh, I needs to do me hair (a job I put off for as long as possible because it takes 251 hours to dry the stuff) and then I have a very special project that I am working on... all will be revealed next week... let's just say... I am very honoured and verrrrry excited about it!!!  I shall away... have a brilliant day and as ever, thanks for looking!  TTFN

Hels x