Tilda Goes Gothic

Hello,

I have just bought my very first Tilda stamps :O)) I have been looking at all the lovely cards that many of you have made and decided to have a go for myself. I know I said I wouldn't get any but I am a little bit bored with using the same old techniques and fancied a little bit of a change!

For this card, I decided to make Tilda a little bit different from usual. I hit upon the idea of making her a little bit of a Goth and this was the perfect excuse to use my most favest images of skulls...I cannot seem to stop using the skulls you know!

I stamped her in black StaZon and then stamped her cat next to her. I then used a waterbrush with Adirondack pads in Black and Wild Plum to colour both of the images in. I did get a little bit carried away with her blusher and eyeshadow and I know she hasn't normally got a mouth, but she would have looked daft without a bit of lippy, so I made a tiny triangle of Wild Plum for her lips.



I matted her onto some black card and then silver satin card, then I made some paper pieces to go underneath this - using gorgeous papers from Rusty Pickle ( again, I think these are RP papers, only I had chopped off the label strip at the bottom the last time I used them!)



I made a little black mat to add some ribbon and a buckle to and also added some brand new chipboard I also just got, called Riff Raff. I added some gems for the skulls eyes and then added a little silver skull charm to the image mat. The chipboard was painted with Raspberry Dabber and the ickle hearts from the eyes are just coloured with black felt tip pen.

I know it won't be to everyones taste but it is just something a little different :O)) I also just want to add that my inspiration for her hair is from my pal Nicky the Minx, who has the most gorgeous pink and black hair!! :O))

Thanks for looking and I would love to hear what you all think!

Hels x

Reddy For Collage

Hello,

I have altered another canvas :o)) This one only took a few hours to do, I am getting the hang of it now and ventured into stamping straight onto the canvas again and this time I managed to get the images right!! I still haven't got the courage to go ahead and stamp the whole thing yet though...that is something I am working myself up to!



For this collage, I used Fired Brick and Old Paper Cracklepaint and applied this to random patches of the canvas and set it aside to dry.

Next, armed with a Stanley knife (and for those of you who know me, you know what a dangerous procedure this could be!) I cut up some mountboard into 1 1/2" squares, 12 in total and then cut a 3" square piece for the centre. I took three of the pieces and painted them with the Fired Brick Cracklepaint and then painted the centre piece the same. These were then set aside to dry and I got cracking with the other small squares.



I used various papers, including Tim Holtz Collection papers I printed from his fabby new CD's...the papers come out really well but I am not so sure that I would print the plain sides, think of all the ink that would use up! I also printed off a couple of postcards and some ephemera too. The other pieces of paper I used were from my oddments box, so I am not sure of their origin but I am pretty sure that one piece was a Rustic Gem offcut.





One of the papers I printed off was the Toy Blocks page. I cut one of the letters out and was really happy to find that it fitted exactly into a bottle cap, so I fixed this in and filled the cap with Glossy Accents and then added a little DooDad letter to match the larger one. One thing I did notice though....when the GA was dry, the letter I had printed had bled a little so the image isn't as crisp as it could be...I guess that is the drawback of using at home printing!!






I added various stamped images to the papers and to the squares that I had coloured with Distress Inks. I also attempted to use Distress Embossing Powder but I still cannot master the use of this and so it looks a little naff!! Needless to say, one of these squares was covered with the bottle cap and the other I stamped onto and then added the pen nib.






I added a few DooDads to the squares to finish them off and then I used a little glass bottle that I have had in my stash for years....I filled it up with beads, pearls (not real ones I hasten to add) mini dice and a few DooDad words. I then rolled up a piece of cork, again this has languished in my stash box for years, and popped this into the top of the bottle. I fixed all the embellies onto the squares using Glossy Accents. I have found that this is just about the best adhesive for this type of thing and it doesn't have a nasty whiff like silicone glue has!






I used a metal file to rough up and distress the edges of all the squares and then lightly dragged a gold Krylon (yes, I know you are really surprised to see me using this pen for a change!!) around the edges of them.



Finally, to add a little something to the final look, I popped Glossy Accents onto some of the stamped images and onto the little Scotty dog too. The majority of the embellies are from The Stamp Connection. They have the most fab Jamboree bags that are full of old pieces of jewellery, games pieces and beads etc and they are perfect for accenting altered art.

Ooops, nearly forgot to say, I coloured the canvas using Distress Inks in Old Paper, Fired Brick and edged with Walnut Stain.

Now, red is not usually a colour that I use a lot but for some reason, this past few weeks I have been using it a lot more...probably something to do with the Fired Brick Cracklepaint which was a gift from my lovely friend Andrea.

Anyways, I would really love your honest opinions of this canvas. I have actually made it for a friend who is not feeling very well at the moment and I am hoping that it cheers her up a bit. No names though, it is a surprise and it is already winging it's way to her house as I type :O))

Thanks for looking

Hels x

Eeeeeek!!!! I have been Tagged ....AGAIN!!!!

Hello!

I have been tagged again!! Now I have had trouble thinking up things for the other two so goodness knows what I will come up with this time!! Anyways, thanks to Roni for tagging me :O))

Here are the Rules:

1. Link back to the person that tagged you.
2. Post these rules on your blog.
3. Share six unimportant things about yourself.

* I have a huge strawberry birthmark on the back of my leg which is really noticable and gets darker for about a month before my birthday, then it fades away again.

* I have freckles - lots of them, and if I ever go abroad, I always end up getting a freckles moustache, so I put sunblock on my upper lip :O))

* I have always wanted to visit Australia and hopefully next year, me and Grim will be able to go there for a month or so.....I would have to take some stash and my laptop though!!

* I can touch type using all my fingers except my left index finger for some reason, this just sort of points at the screen and is grossly underused!!

* I had my nose pierced ten years ago but got a really bad cold about a year later and my nose stud fell out in the night and I couldn't get it back in again!

* My favourite food is fish and chips from Yorkshire...they have to be Northern fish and chips and have to be cooked in fat as opposed to oil.

4. Tag six people at the end of your entry. Ann, Shazza, Claire, Nicky, Tina, Joy

Sorry to do this to you ladies :O))

Hels x

Inky ATC's in a Box

Hello,

I have been getting a bit inky and messy.....at long last!!

This project is for my friend who is celebrating her birthday today, so many happy returns to Bee....and I hope you like your pressie!




This is a Maya Road box with a series of ATC sized chipboard pieces in it.





I used Fleuriste Papers by Cosmo Cricket on one side of the ATC's along with some stamping and on the other sides I have used a mix of Cracklepaints, Distress Inks and stamps.





The stamps I have used are mainly by Stampers Anon from the Tim Holtz Range along with a couple from The Stamp Connection.

Thanks for looking!

Hels x

Diary of a Cardmaker

Hello,

Nothing new made so far this week :O(( I have been having a really bad time with my pain and I am trying to rest...which is really annoying cos I have so many ideas floating about my head at the moment...and you can bet when I do feel up to getting inky and messy that the Crafters Block will return!!

So why am I posting if I have nowt to show then? Well, last November a lady called Katriel Costello emailed me asking if I would be interested in doing a Reader Story in the Cardmaking & PaperCraft magazine. She had seen my Blog and was interested to know how Blogging had changed my life.



I am usually a little bit shy (yes!! I am really!!! I know you don't believe me, but I am !! ) Anyways, I decided to go for it, after some encouragement from Grim, Andrea and Linda.

So this week, the magazine has hit the shelves and there is my story. For a start, it is a lot more indepth that I expected, there are some lovely pics of cards I have made, it is so exciting to see your own work there in print!! But, the main piccie of me...well, all I will say is that it was a great party and the Pina Colada's went down a treat!! The sunburn is courtesy of the mini heatwave in Cornwall a couple of years ago, I am a fair English Rose (don't laugh!!!) and me and the sun really have not got the best relationship!! The little extra's in my hair were courtesy of the Pina Colada's, namely, cocktail umbrella's and plastic monkeys!! Best of all, there is a photo of the Blog page and there is my little fur-baby Alfie!! Aw, he is famous at last :O))

Also in the magazine is an article about a friend, Amanda, who has become a Stamping Up! demonstrator. This is well worth reading peeps and I would like to say Congrats to Amanda too.

Thanks for looking and if you have visited my Blog as a result of reading the article, I would love you to post here to tell me what you think!!

Hels x

Funky Fairy's Blog Candy

Hi Peeps

Over on Funky Fairy's Challenge blog, they have some fabby candy up for grabs.....click here to have a look and make your entry :O))

Rock 'n Roll, Man!

Hello,

I have been itching to Blog this tag I made but I have had to be patient and wait until the main component is actually available to buy as it is soooo new!!

So, what is this new thing I am on about? Well, it is Black Chipboard but with a difference. This is thick, about 2mm, and it has a paler core and backing so it is perfect for distressing. I have used a tag for this project but there are other shapes available; flowers, wings, book covers and smaller tags too.

So, where can you get your hands on this fabbbby new stuff? Here!! The website is in the process of being updated so if you cannot see it on there yet, it will be soon.



I started out by clear stamping and embossing the skull image. *yes this is a firm fave of mine at the moment!! Next, I stamped the birds using Snowcap Dabber and then clear embossed this too. I then dragged Pink Sherbert Dabber all over the tag, then used Raspberry to add accent colour and then wiped off the paint from the images. I used sandpaper to distress the edges of the tag and ran a gold Krylon around the edges to add a little extra dimension to the tag. Finally, I stamped the words using Alpha's from Stamps Away, added ribbons to the hole at the top and then tied a skull charm (which started out as silver and was transformed with my gold Krylon) on gold thread to the top of the tag.

I love this new product and it is really lovely to work onto as it has a nice smooth surface.

Thanks for looking

Hels x

SO SALSA - Stitches

Afternoon,

Christa from So Salsa Challenge has invited me to join in....well, I never need an excuse to do some stamping and getting inky too :O))

The theme for this week is "Stitches"

Here is my effort:



The main stamp is from Lost Coast Designs, although those "ladies" are somewhat dubious - I think they are actually men in drag :O))

The inks are Mustard Seed and Aged Mahogany on the edges and Dried Marigold and Dusty Concord in the middle. I waterbrushed their dresses to add a little glamour - well, they need a whole lot more help but it is a start!!

The stitch stamps are by HOTP (I think as they were a gift) and the words are made up from a cheapy alpha set my friend Dan got me in a dollar store.

Loving this challenge Christa, thanks for setting it!

Hels x

Sunday Stampers - Week 16 - Cool For Cats

Good Morning Stampers,

I hope you all enjoyed last week's theme and hasn't it been a quick week? It hardly seems like yesterday since I was humming Two Little Boys and now I am catterwauling along to Cool For Cats!!

Yes, it is time for a new challenge and this week (I bet you have already guessed this) the theme is Cats. :O)) It is a good job that there isn't a sound option on this blog otherwise you would all be able to hear me singing "oooooo eeeeeee oooooo" along to this Squeeze song LOL

Without further ado, here is my effort for this week!



I decided to make a tag for the challenge this week and began by using a plain cream tag which I got from here. These tags are so lush, smooth surface which is perfect for Distress Inks and just the right size at approx 3" x 6".

I inked up my latest favourite stamp from Lost Coast Designs (which I bought from here) and stamped it straight onto the tag. I then made a mask of the image and popped this over the one on the tag. Next, using Cut & Dry foam, I blended a selection of Distress Inks onto the tag. The colours I used were Scattered Straw, Spiced Marmalade, Dusty Concord and Aged Mahogany. I was trying to achieve the look of a Tequila Sunrise cocktail seeing as kitty is sitting in a cocktail glass. Not sure I got this look but I like the colours!!

Next, I lifted the mask off the kitty and painted him in, using a mixture of Dried Marigold and Walnut Stain Distress Inks and a waterbrush. I used Weathered Wood to just add a hint of colour to the glass, again using a waterbrush. I decided that the tag looked a bit bare so I used my second favest stamp, another from Lost Coast Designs, and inked up the chequered border with Dusty Concord and then Aged Mahogany and then before I stamped, I spritzed water onto it so I had a softer look. I popped the mask back over the kitty so the image wasn't spoiled & I stamped the chequer a few times and then used another fave stamp (can you see a theme here?) which is a Paper Bag Studios Spiral Bound image, stamping this in black StaZon and then highlighting with my Ranger White Pen.

Finally, I added little white stars to the kittens hat, 3D'd another hat onto the tag, added the words using alphabet stamps and edged the whole thing with black ink.

I hope that you all have loads of fun with this theme! You will have all probably guessed that I love cats and I loved making this tag so much I may have to make another :O))

Please remember to add a post here once you have made your entry, including a link to the place you are showing your work of art.

Thanks, Hels x

Holding Hands

Hello,

I have been asked by a colleague to make a card for friends of his who are celebrating an anniversary. I am not really very good at this type of card because I haven't got any stamps that have this greeting! So, I decided to use one of my favest stamps from PaperBag Studios. This is such a lovley stamp and the sentiment on it is so sweet too.



I firstly stamped the image in black StaZon onto cream cardstock. I then made a mask for the whole stamp and popped this over the original image. I then used Cut & Dry foam to blend Dusty Concord Distress Ink around the edges of the card. Next. I cut the mask down so it was just the hands and the flower and placed this over that part of the image. I used more Cut & Dry to blend Scattered Straw Distress Ink over the remaining part of the image.

To add a little colour to the coat sleeves, I used a waterbrush and painted on pink and then blue inks. I then added a dash of orange to the flower.

Matted onto silver satin card and then onto a piece of the Olde World stack from DCWV I then added this to the card.

The little message is from DoCrafts and was matted onto more of the DCWV paper.

Thanks for looking

Hels x

Another Altered Canvas :O))

Hello,

I have done a little bit of crafting today...I am really suffering with my pain though so I haven't really got as much done as I would have liked. However, I did finally get another canvas altered, which I really loved making as I love the colours and subject I used :O))

I am taking part in a "canvas swap" on my Forum and I have altered this canvas for a certain person - and I know she likes pink and black and skulls....so what a brill excuse to use my new skull papers and even better....my dear friend Andrea has given me the Tim Holtz Anthology unmounted sheet! I am sooo over the moon because I love these stamps and I have been so wanting the skull stamp for so long....so I will say a HUGE thank you to Andrea, you are such a fabby friend and I am sooooo happy!! :O))



For this project I used an 8" x 8" canvas that was already primed with Gesso. I cut 12 mountboard squares 1 1/2" in size and one 3" square piece. I painted Worn Lipstick Cracklepaint onto four of the pieces and partly onto the larger square and then parts of the canvas itself and set these aside to dry. Then I covered the other pieces with sections of the patterned papers which are from Rusty Pickle and are in their new Princess Pirate range. I loooove these papers especially as they are all double sided so it feels like I get twice the value :O))



Once the papers were fixed to the mountboard squares, I set these aside to dry off as I used Glossy Accents as an adhesive. I find that this is the best glue to use on this type of project as DS tape can sometimes be affected by the temperature of the room that the canvas will be hanging in. Next I took the now dried canvas and blended Worn Lipstick and Black Soot Distress Inks onto it. I gave it a good covering and then let it dry off properly.






I used the skull stamp onto a couple of the papered squares and then added little embellishments to the other pieces of papered mountboard. I also used a bottlecap with a piece of the paper fixed into the centre of it and covered with Glossy Accents.






The centrepiece mountboard was then covered with Worn Lipstick Distress Ink and I then stamped the skull image in black StaZon. I then used Ultra Thick Embossing Powder over it to make it nice and glossy and whilst the embossing powder was still molted, I sprinkled silver powder over the edges.







Once the canvas was dry, I stamped the Flourish onto it, using black StaZon ink. I was ultra careful to make sure I got a good impression so I actually laid the stamp on its back and pressed the canvas onto it.







I assembled the pieces together and then stuck them to the canvas using Glossy Accents.


I hope that my "swapee" likes this canvas :O)) Who'd think that the first time I saw these "new" stamps I hated the skull and said I would never use it!! Now try and stop me!!

Thanks for looking!

Hels x