Atishooo, Atishoooo, We Bind It All

Hello again,

I have had a lovely day off today messing about with paints, inks and stamps.
Here in the UK it is Mother's Day on Sunday. I wanted to make something for my dear Mum-in-Law as a keepsake. She is fairly difficult to buy for so I came up with a novel idea :O)) I decided to buy her a box of tissues, you know the type that come in a cube? And then make a box, big enough to hold the tissues, as a fancy dressing table piece.



I started off by cutting some mountboard to 5" x 5", making six pieces in total and then a little 5" x 2" piece. I painted both sides of all the pieces, using Pink Sherbert Adirondack Acrylic paint. I used a small brush so I didn't get too many brush marks in the paint. Once the painted sides were dry, I took some Cut & Dry foam and edged all the pieces with Walnut Stain Distress Ink. I used my Bind It All machine to punch holes in the edges of the mountboard pieces. I decided to do the punching now as I didn't really want to handle the sides once the stamping had been done.



I then chose some stamps, in particular my old faithful Brush Butterfly (Penny Black), another butterfly (PSX) and some script (Artistic Stamper). I wanted to add some sentiments to the sides, so I painted a piece of thick card using the Pink Sherbert and then stamped a few sentiments by Penny Black. For the stamping I used Walnut Stain ink. Because the paint is not very porous, I embossed all the images with clear embossing powder to set them. The "lid" was a little more complex. I had to make the leap of faith and cut a hole in it! Being mountboard and therefore really thick, I had to be very careful with my Stanley knife and managed to cut the hole without cutting myself (usually, I am notoriously clumsy with sharp things :O))



For the sides, I stamped the butterflies and then masked them, stamping over the top with the Script stamp, again, using clear embossing ink on the butterflies. I wanted to decorate the inside of the box too, just in case MIL decides to use the box for something else. For this I just inked up some butterfly stamps and randomly stamped the reverse sides of the pieces.






The little 2" piece was to be used as a flap for a closure. I picked up some little metal clasps last year, not quite sure where from though :O)) They are silver, and I thought that they would look better in gold, so out came the old Krylon pen and I changed the colour of the clasp. To make the clasp shut properly, I used a small piece of mountboard on the front of the box to make a "step" so it married up with the main part of the clasp which is attached to the flap.





The fun bit is the stamping and getting messy. The next step is not so easy though. I used some string to bind the sides together. To make this process easier, I used a bodkin to thread the string through the holes. Once threaded, I tied individual knots in the string, tying them tightly to make sure the box holds up.





I then had a mini panic cos I realised I hadn't actually got a spare box of tissues. So off I went to the Supermarket, braving the wild weather and silly Friday night motorists :O)) Luckily, I got a box that has decorated tissues in it - and they have pink butterflies on them!! Cool!

Thanks for looking and I would love some comments about this!!

Hels xx

A Bunch of Flowers

Hi everyone,

This week has been tough - long jobs and not much time to Blog! I have a piccie here of some Chipboard flowers that I altered for The Artistic Stamper a couple of weeks ago.

Jennie is stocking these fabby Chipboard shapes and the chipboard is lovley to work with being white on one side and grey on the other. Also, it is lovley and thick and is just ripe for distressing too.


I picked (pardon the pun) a few of the flower shapes and then on each one did something slightly different.

I used Distress Inks, Chalk Inks and Acrylic Paints, along with embossing, stamping and grunging. I even used some glitter on one of them!! :O)) I used a bead from an ancient necklace to make the centre of the first one, punching a hole using my Crop-A-Dile which is fab for getting through thick projects. Finally, I popped them onto a ball chain and added a clasp so they all sit together.

Thanks for looking....hopefully I will be able to get into my Craftroom on Friday so I can catch up with all the weekly challenges! I am getting withdrawal symptoms :O))

Hels xx

The Sunday Stampers - Week 5 - Tick Tock

Hello everyone,

I am posting the Sunday Stampers Challenge a little early this week as I am working all day tomorrow.

The theme this week is Time



For my card this week I have used a selection of clock stamps from the Artistic Stamper. I started by making some masks for the clock images. I then stamped them onto cream cardstock using Versafine Sepia ink. I wanted to make the clocks look like they were moving, which is why I made all those masks...it was worth it though 'cos I am really chuffed with the outcome :O)) I then used a lovley Penny Black sentiment stamp, again stamped onto cream cardstock using Versafine Sepia. I matted both of the stamped pieces onto some cream card which I then edged with gold Krylon, this was then matted onto some lovely paper from the PaperLoft Co. I stamped a few more clocks and then cut them out and popped onto the card on 3D foam. I added a little bit of mini beadchain to one of the clocks to make it look like a chain.

Hope that you all have a really great week and enjoy making your work of art for this challenge. As usual, please post your comment here with a link to your creation too.

There are only two rules for the Sunday Stampers, the first is you must use some kind of stamping....and the second is have fun! :O))

Looking forward to seeing all your work.

Hels x

A Bind It All Book - Artistic Stamper

Good Afternoon!

It is one of those days today. My Mojo has packed up and left home and I sat in my craftroom this morning for two hours, fiddling about and getting nowhere....so I gave it up as a bad job and sat and watched the TV :O))

Here is a little BIA book I made for The Artistic Stamper a couple of weeks ago. I have used the new stamps that Jennie is selling now along with some old favourites.

FRONT COVER



The cover is a chipboard book cover from the new range at AS. It is roughly A6 in size and is fab to work with. To colour it, I used Scattered Straw, Pine Needles and Walnut Stain Distress Ink, blending with Cut & Dry foam. I spritzed the cover with water and dried using a heatgun. Then I used a metal file and ran it over the cover to get the scratched look. For the stamping, I used one of the new sentiments and my fave flower from the Botanical Plate.




PAGE 1

I used Antique Linen and Vintage Photo Distress Inks along with a smudge of Aged Mahogany, to colour the card. The stamp is the new collage and I love this so much!! The best thing is that along with the collage, you also get the components separately, so you can cut out the elements without having other parts of the image showing. I picked out the words I liked the most and layered these on with 3D foam. Adding a little gem to the birds eye and using a paper distresser got the look I wanted.




NEXT PAGES



For the back of the first page, I used the same collage stamps and then did some 3Ding with the images. I added the little beads to the birdy's beak to make it look like he had found is breakfast :O)) The next page I decided to cut it smaller and make it a different shape. The stamps I used for this one are the other new Collage ones from Jennie. This little girl is so sweet but I just kept her as a single collage, then stamped the random numbers behind her. The colours are Broken China and Faded Jeans Distress Inks.



AND MORE PAGES

The back of the odd shape is using the same colours. I stamped the little girl with her bike, masked this and then stamped a script for the background. I added a mini chipboard tag, colouring it and stamping the word randomly on to it.
The next page is coloured with Shabby Shutters and Peeled Paint. I stamped a random collage of script and flowers and made the beauty the centrepiece. I used Walnut Stain to do the stamping.



THE LAST PAGES



The back of the "Beauty" page is coloured with the same inks and then I just stamped the daisy onto it, added the sentiment and then 3d'd another sentiment in the middle. The last page, sadly, only has one piccie, my camera ran out of battery and I needed to send off the book to Jennie, so I only got this one! I used Milled Lavendar and Dusty Concord Distress Inks. Stamping the Family Values in black, I added the words to the page using 3D foam.

All of the stamps, inks and chipboard I used for this book is available from The Artistic Stamper

Thanks for looking! Hopefully the old Mojo will return soon :O))

Hels x

Paper Artsy Tag - Clowning Around

Hi again

I have made another Tag for the swap I host each month. The theme this month is "Paper Artsy".

I started off by picking out my most favourite PA stamps - the Pierot Plates.

I love these stamps because I can use lots of bright colours with them. I started by cutting some plain cream cardstock to 3" x 6" and made the tag shapes.



I used Dried Marigold and Spiced Marmalade Distress Inks, blending them using Cut & Dry foam. I then used another bit of Cut & Dry and smudged on Adirondack Wild Plum ink. I then started stamping the images I needed, using a mask where necessary.


I used some domino sized Stampbord, colouring first with the co-ordinating inks and then once I had stamped the image, I used UTEE to coat them. Punching a hole using my lovely Crop-A-Dile, I added some ribbons to them. I almost forgot...I also made some shrink plastic charms using a heart and a hat as templates....they are hanging off the piece of stampbord on the front of the tag :O))

I am really happy with this tag, I love the colours I have used too!

Thanks for looking

Hels xx

Papertake - Spring

Me again, good to see I have another day off :O)) Have put my time to good use and made two cards for the Papertake Weekly Challenge. The theme this week is "Spring".

I started off by rummaging in my stash and I found these gorgeous Dorset Florals K & Co papers. I have a lovely stash of K & Co and whilst it actually hurts to cut them up, I know that it is for the best :O))



For the first card I selected the daffodil image from the sheet of paper and cut this out. I then made two mats using patterned paper and Bazzill cardstock. I stuck them onto the card and then used some more of the Bazzill to write my own sentiment. This is actually the second attempt at the sentiment because AlfieCat jumped onto my desk and nudged my arm...and I know that no one would have thought that Spring has Spruuuung would have been a very good message :O)) I guess he was just "helping" me out :O))



The second card was using the same papers from K & Co. This time I used part of the paper that the dragonfly was on. I had some of the lovley stickers, so I peeled one off and stuck it onto spare card. I then cut this out and popped it onto the card using 3D foam. I added glitter glue to the edge of the mat and the flower and added a little message stamped image (Hero Arts) and popped this onto the card too.

Thanks for the fab challenge this week. I really love Spring, it is my best season when all the little buds appear on the trees, all the baby birds, lambs and sunshine are with us. Not to mention Easter with the prospect of tons of choccy too :o)) For some reason the photo's are really lacking colour today...so if you squint a bit and imagine there is a little more green on the cards, they should look better!!

Thanks for looking at my cards!

Hels x

Daring Card Makers - Oh Sooo Juicy

Hello everyone,

I have joined in the Daring Cardmakers challenge this week which is called Oh Sooo Juicy. The challenge is to use orange and lemon colours on the project.

Here is the little chipboard plaque I made ... I know I should have made a card but fancied a change :O))




I have used a piece of chipboard that The Artistic Stamper has just started to stock. It is A6 in size and really thick so I could use lots of different paints on it without it buckling. It is actually a book cover - the fab thing about this design of book cover is that there aren't any holes prepunched into it so you can get the colours/papers/images etc right to the edges. I started off by stamping "delight" Heidi Swapp stamp in clear and embossed clear too. Then I stamped the little flower head (Anita's) and clear embossed these too. I used Adirondack Dabbers in Peach Bellini, Lemonade, Sunset Orange and Sunshine Yellow. I dabbed the paints all over the chipboard and then once it was dry, I used a babywipe and smudged some of the colours over the top to get the streaky look. The babywipe also enabled me to remove the paint from the pre-embossed images so they stand out on the design. I then took three chipboard flowers, also from the Artistic Stamper and coloured these with the same paints. I splodged (note technical term)the paints onto the flowers and then embossed with clear powder so they have a textured look. I used a black marker to edge the board and the flowers and then coloured in some buttons for the middles of the flowers.

I loved this challenge as I love orange colours at the moment :O))

Thanks for looking again!

Hels xx

Papertake - Green

Cor, three posts in one day!! It is so lovley to have a day off to play in my craft room :O))

Here is the latest challenge from those lovley lasses at ArtyGirlz ....the title this week is Green which is fab because I have had some beautiful fabric Prima's in my stash for ages and have not had the chance to use them yet :O)) And, they have a guest designer this week who has chosen this theme...and he is called Fabrizio....have a look at his Blog here....cos it is loverly!

Here is the card I have made:



I have used some more Crate Papers for this card. I layered on two different designs onto some plain green paper. I then stamped the sentiment (Tim Holtz Collection) using Sepia Versafine ink. I edged all the pieces of paper with gold Krylon and then I added those heavenly flowers. I used some old buttons for the middles of the flowers, used some of the velvet ribbon that was in the box with the flowers and then coloured a slider, it started out as silver and I wanted gold, so the old Krylon pen came out again. Whilst I was busy altering the slider, I also altered a silver charm that says "follow your heart". I strung this onto gold lame thread and then threaded it thru the centre of the large flower before I stuck them down with silicone glue.

Thanks to the ArtyGirlz for the great challenge...have had loads of fun playing! :O))

Thanks for looking....

Hels x

Kiss Me Quick - Lace Me Slowly

Morning again,

I have taken part in the My Time To Craft Challenge this week, which is Lace It Up.

As I am not a very lacey person I was sitting scratching my head for ages with this one....until I realised that I have the perfect stamp for this. It is a lovely background stamp by Inkadinkadoo and is from the Gallery Vernisage range.

I started by stamping the whole image using Black Versafine onto cream cardstock, I then embossed this image with clear powder to set it. I matted it onto silver mirri and then black cardstock.



Next, I got a little bit ambitious and tried a technique that I have only ever failed miserably with before. It is called "Stamp Kissing" and for this I used my favouritist stamp which is the Brush Butterfly by Penny Black. I inked the butterfly with Dried Marigold Distress Ink, inked up the lace background with Black ink and then sat the butterfly onto the lace rubber to rubber. I then stamped the butterfly onto cream cardstock and got the lovely mottled lacey pattern on the wings. I was well chuffed that I had managed to do something new, so I got even more ambitious and use a greeting stamp (HeroArts) and tried it again, not the best result but I used it anyway! I have off set the two image mats on the card as I really wanted the lace to be prominent.

I have really enjoyed this challenge, so many thanks to Lesley, Wendy and Kate for the fab idea.

Thanks for looking.

Hels xx

The Artistic Stamper - Another New Design

Hi peeps

I was busy last week making some new samples for The Artistic Stamper as Jennie has had a trade show this weekend just gone.

Jennie has just manufactured some totally heavenly chipboard shapes and they are now for sale to you all :O))

Here is one of the little chipboard tags that I have altered.



I started by using Cut & Dry foam to blend Scattered Straw and Pine Needles Distress Ink onto the surface of the tag. I gathered some water into my cupped hand and then flicked my fingers towards the tag, this gave me a nice mottled splotchy effect. Once I had dried off the water using my heat gun, I inked a gothic arch stamp (from the Architecture plate) with Walnut Stain Distress ink....I stamped this onto the centre of the card and then made a mask for it. I next inked up a lovely script stamp and masking the arch, I over stamped and got the lovely result.
Jennie has lots of bags of ephemera and in them are loads of little bits of jewelry and beads. In my bag of goodies were the little Victorian baby picture and a gold brooch that had a little pearly thing in the middle of it. I smudged a bit of the Walnut Stain onto the piccie and then stuck this onto the tag over the arch image. I used some organza ribbon from my own stash and threaded the little pearl bead thru it. ( I had removed the bead from the brooch - forgot to say that!!)
The brooch was a quite flexible so I unbent it, stuck it to the tag with Silicone glue and then added a few pearly stones to it. I have some DooDad sheets (TimHoltz) and I cut out the hat and popped it onto the babys head using 3d foam.
Finally, I took a metal file and roughed up the edges of the tag. All of the chipboard that Jennie has manufactured is double sided, white on one side and grey on the other. I had used the white side for this project so by roughing it up, some of the white showed thru the inks which I really loved.

Thanks for looking at this creation - all comments gratefully received as usual!

If you are wanting to have a browse at the products I have used for this tag, please click here and you will be transported (free of charge) to The Artistic Stamper online store :O))

Hels xx

Daring Card Makers - Love and Friendship

Me again!

I have managed to make a card this afternoon for the Daring Card Makers Challenge this week which is Love and Friendship.



I started by folding a piece of white card and then cutting a mat slightly smaller than the card. I used Scattered Straw and Pine Needles Distress Inks - I love these two colours together - blending them with Cut & Dry foam. I spritzed with water to achieve a slightly distressed look and then coloured a smaller mat for the message in the same way.

I stamped the Wings with Black Versafine ink and then made a mask for them and over stamped with the Script image using Pine Needles ink. I used the Friendship sentiment, stamping with Black Versafine. The stamps I have used are from the Tim Holtz Collection by Stampers Anonymous.

I edged all the pieces with gold Krylon and then pierced a hole in the message mat, added a jump ring with the feather charm and then layered this to the main image using 3D foam.

I really enjoyed the Challenge, so thanks to the girls on the DCM team.

Thanks for looking

Hels x

A Sketch from the Heart

Hello peeps,

I have found a lovley Blog here
And on it is a really great Sketch - so I have made a card using it.




I started by folding a piece of cream card to the size I wanted to work with. I cut some strips of this heavenly paisley paper - not sure who the designer of this is though as I haven't much left and the details are now missing! I matted the paisley onto some plain brown paper and then stuck the strips to the card. I took some more cream card and stamped the sentiment - Penny Black - using Burnt Sienna Colorbox Chalk Ink. I edged the card and the sentiment mat with the same ink to tie all the features together. I loved using this sketch and have a couple more ideas for it, so I will be making something else pretty soon :O))

Thanks for looking

Hels xx

Papertake - Stripes

Hello again,

I have had time today to make a card for the Papertake Weekly Challenge . The challenge this week was Stripes.

I used some Fancy Pants papers that have been sitting patiently in my stash. The beauty of these papers is that they are double sided so I used the stripey side for the main part of the card, flipped it over and used the patterned side for the centre strip(e) and also for the mat.





I used a "Friends" message stamp (Dawn Houser, I think) stamping with Burnt Sienna Colorbox Chalk ink. I added a couple of Prima's and used gold brads for their centres.

Thanks for looking :O))

Sunday Stampers - Week 4 - Watch the Birdy

Hello everyone,

Welcome to the 4th Sunday Stamper Challenge....is it really four weeks already? I really don't know where the days are going to!!

This week I have decided to coincide the theme of the Challenge along with some products from The Artistic Stamper.

You have probably guessed from the title that the theme this week is .....Birds

I made this tag earlier in the week for Jennie as she is at a trade show this weekend. It is made from chipboard, which is totally divine to work with and is brand new and the stamp is from a new range of collage stamps she has just released.

I will be making another project later today but wanted to Blog the new stuff and the Sunday Stamper, so I cheated and combined the two!

Remember, all you need to do for this challenge is use stamping, inking, papers, ephemera etc. When you have made your work of art, please leave a comment here along with the link to your Blog or Bucket and we can all have a look at your fab creations.

Thanks for joining in peeps and I do hope that you like this challenge. *remember, if you have not got any birdy stamps, you could always improvise and use a feather stamp if you have one*

Have fun my inky fingered friends :O))

Hels x




Me again! I have made another little card for the challenge this week...this time I used paper by Imaginisce and some Tim Holtz collection stamps. I coloured some card with Shabby Shutters, Peeled Paint and Dusty Concord distress inks and then stamped the bird in black Versafine. I then stamped him again onto scrap paper and masked the first image, stamped a background that matched the paper and then matted it onto more of the fancy paper. I have only just learned how to do masking - thanks must go to Andrea, Jennie and Dan - and I am well chuffed with this one :O))

Paper Artsy Tag - Love You More

Hello peeps

I have managed to make the most of this morning and had a play with some inks (for a change) and made my first Paper Artsy Tag for the Hels Angels swap I am hosting this month.

I started by cutting some cream cardstock to 3" x 6" and making a tag shape. I used Antique Linen and Fired Brick Distress Ink to colour the background of the tag (I have made two and stuck them together because I have made double sided ones before and mucked up the other side if you know what I mean!! ) I used two of the new stamps from Paper Artsy Squiggley Ink range. I took the word stamp, inked with Goss Boss clear ink and embossed clear too. I then used Cut & Dry foam to colour over the clear image and repeated this three times. I did the same with the love heart too. I spritzed Gold Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist onto my hand and then flicked it onto the background of the tags, this gave me a lovely spotty gold effect.
On side 1 I stamped the words and the heart in Fired Brick and then embossed using Walnut Stain and Fired Brick Distress Powders. I then added a couple of doodles using a Chocolate gel pen (which actually smells of chocolate...yummy)

I repeated the process for the other side and cut up the words and put them on 3D foam onto the tag.

I added a couple of fibres and ribbons to the top of the tag and voila! A love you more Paper Artsy Tag!
I am also going to use this tag for the Arty Girlz weekly challenge which is Paper Artsy this week.

Thanks for looking and ...... Happy Valentines Day to you all.....hope that you have had lots of chocolate and lurve!!

Hels x

Daring Card Makers - Paper Pesto Dare

Evening all,

I have had a hectic couple of days making new samples for The Artistic Stamper which I will be blogging over the weekend.

Anyway, in the meantime I have a card to show you that I have made using the Daring Card Makers Paper Pesto Challenge. This was the sketch:





I decided to use some of the lovely Basic Grey papers that I have been saving and stroking :O)) I started by cutting a large piece for the background and cut a smaller piece of floral paper to sit in the middle of the card. Then, using a strip of the background paper, I stamped the sentiment (Hero Arts) and then cut out two circles from the same paper. I stuck these to the card as the Sketch shows but then I cut out two of the flowers from the floral paper, curled the petals with my fingers and then stuck them over the circles using silicone glue.

I love using Sketches, think I may have said that before!! Thanks to DCM for a fab Sketch.

Thanks for looking!

Hels x

A Birthday Card for Andrea

Evening all!

Just got back from a lovely day with Andrea, Linda, Dan and Denize. We were all at Andrea's to celebrate her birthday - I managed to get there three hours late after being held up on the M25 cos there was a really bad accident. Whilst it was frustrating being caught up and delayed, I do so hope that the poor people involved in the accident are all ok.




Andrea, like me, is mad about all things inky and stampy, so I wanted to make a card that reflected our passion for this type of style. I started off with some glossy white cardstock and used Wild Plum, Butterscotch and Stonewashed Alcohol Inks. Once I had the background how I wanted it, I stamped the PaperArtsy Pierot images using black Versafine ink and then to set the ink, I sprinkled clear embossing powder over it and then heat set it.
I added a piece of stampbord I had inked and stamped onto, punching a hole in the top with a Crop-A-Dile and adding some ribbon. I also added a Fragment (Tim Holtz - Ideology) and then swiped the black inkpad over the cardstock to make it look a little more grungy.

The Pierot stamps are my fave by PaperArtsy....that is why I use them all the time :O))

Thanks for looking

Hels x

My Paper World Sketch #4

Cor, not once, not twice but three times today!!!

I have had a nice play this afternoon and used Sketch #4 from My Paper World

This is the Sketch:


And here is my first effort:


More Crate Papers used, along with a lovely stamp from Hampton Art. I love this stamp so much and I can also sort of add this challenge to my Sunday Stamper one as I have decoupaged the stamped image....and...cos I am such an impatient person, I have taken the piccie before the crackle glaze on the decoupaged parts has dried....so squint a bit and pretend that they are all crackly!! :O))




The second card is this one:




Even more Crate Papers and the stamp is another favourite that I do not use enough. I can use this one for the Sunday Stampers too really as I have also decoupaged some of the image. I added Glossy Accents to parts of the image and used a 7Gypsies Wax Seal of a Fleur-De-Lys.

Thanks to Nicola for the fab sketch - I am sooo loving using sketches for my card making...it is making me think more and also encouraging me to use more of the "few" papers I have :O))

Thanks for looking

Hels x

My Paper World Sketch #3

Hello again,

I had a bit of time yesterday to manage to make a couple of cards for the My Paper World Sketch #3. I know I am a little late posting - the sketch finished yesterday - but, I fell asleep on the sofa last night and never got on here!! Here is the Sketch












Here is my first effort:



I started off by chosing some lovely papers from the Brookfield Range by K & Co. I used a Tim Holtz collection sentiment stamp and used Burnt Sienna Chalk Ink by Colorbox to print the image. The little epoxy stickers are all from the Brookfield range too.

And here is the second one I made:



For this one I used Crate Papers, the sentiment is a Penny Black stamp and I made the flower and the "ribbons" from left over paper. For the flower, I sketched six petals and cut them out. I then used my pricking tool around the edges of the petals and then popped a button into the middle of them. I added Glossy Accents to the middle of the petals to make them stand out more.

I have loved using this Sketch, so thank you very much to the lady on My Paper World...I have been inspired!

Thanks for looking

Hels x

The Sunday Stampers - Week 3

Morning everyone,

I have a very special Sunday Stamper Challenge for you all today! I have asked Andrea to be a guest "setter" this week as today she is celebrating her birthday.

Andrea has set the theme to be "Decoupage A Stamp". What a fab challenge!! Basically, using a stamp or stamps, print your image twice and decoupage the best bits! I have a lovely stamp that I hardly ever use so I chose this one to be my challenge project.

Here it is:



I started by stamping the image twice using Sepia Versafine ink. I cut out the clocks and the butterflies and then attached them to the other image using 3D foam. I then added Glossy Accents over the decoupage images and left to dry. I then took a cream card and stamped the background text, the other clocks and the ruler, again using Sepia Versafine. The stamps I used for the background are from The Artistic Stamper
I then used some Cut & Dry foam to smudge a little Walnut Stain Distress Ink over the background and then edged with a gold Krylon.

So, if you fancy the challenge this week, please make your work of art and then upload it to your Blog or Bucket and then pop the link onto here!

Have fun everyone and a very happy birthday to my dear friend Andrea.

Hels xx

Life Begins........

Hello again!

Last week I joined in the Funky Fairy's Challenge which was to use orange and black circles.

The card I made was a hit with my DH and he asked me to make a special one for his friend Paul who is celebrating his 40th next week.

Both of them are Luton Town fans through and through and the team colours are orange and black....so here is the card I have made for him.

I started by painting some really thick cardstock with Sunset Orange Acrylic Dabber. I had run out of the Bazzill that I used on the other one so I improvised!! I then used anything circular I could find to draw around, including my Sticky Dots, the lid off the tub of embossing powder and the inside of a roll of DS tape. I cut black and orange circles out and then arranged them on the card. I used Basic Grey monograms for the numbers and painted these in orange too. Once the paint was dry I edged it with black StazOn to make them stand out more.
I stamped Happy Birthday (Penny Black) and layered a couple of the little circles onto 3D foam to add dimension.
On the back of the card, I popped a couple of spare circles and then used an alphabet stamp to add LTFC to make it that little bit more personal.
The boys are off to see the match tomorrow and I hope that Luton win....it would be a lovely pressie for Paul too!
Thanks for looking

Hels x

Pink & Girly Exploding Box....and a Card to Match

Morning everyone,

Well, technically it is the morning now. I am a weensy bit tired as I have been up since 4am yesterday....so if I am babbling you will have to forgive me!! Thank goodness I have a day off today though...so once I have Blogged, I will away to my bed for a long lie in :O)) zzzzzzzzzzzz

Anyways, the Exploding Box I have made is all pink and purple and girly and was made especially for Denize as it was her birthday yesterday. I waited until after her big day before Blogging this just in case she found the post and the surprise would have been ruined.

Exploding Boxes are really easy to make. The first one I ever made was not brilliant as I didn't have the correct measurements, so trial and error and a bit of practice has brought me to the proper measurements.



I started off by chosing some Bazzill cardstock, plain and Bling, in lovely pink and purple colours as these are faves of Denize. I had some pieces of Blonde Moments Sugar Plum papers so I used those along with some papers from HOTP.

I cut the three layers for the box and then made the lid. I set this to one side to allow the glue to dry on it whilst I worked on the rest of the box.


I had decided to use some feathers to make the box look really girly so I stuck these under a little mat on each side of the lid using silicone glue. AlfieCat had decided that he rather liked feathers and proceded to chew one of them, so I had to take it off and replace it!! The last thing Denize would want is a soggy feather :O))

For the card, I kept the same theme, pink, girly, feathery and just a few little butterflies!!



The inks I used were Colorbox Chalk inks and the stamps were by Penny Black & Heidi Swapp. I used chipboard shapes by Maya Road which I painted with Acrylic Dabbers and then added little crystal gems. I also used some Tim Holtz Fragements which I jazzed up with gems and some different brads too.

Denize really likes her pressie...which I am so pleased about as I was hoping it would be right up her street!

Thanks for looking

Hels x

Arty Girlz Challenge - Frames

Hello again,

I have managed to make a card for the ArtyGirlz Challenge. The challenge this week is to use "Frames" on the project.

I started by using a pre-cut frame from the Avenue Collection by Crate Paper (yes, black and white again!!!)

I cut a piece of co-ordinating paper and stuck this to the card front and then cut a piece of cream cardstock and stamped "Smile" by Heidi Swapp onto it. I laid the frame over the top of the image so it was "framed" and then punched out some flowers using Woodware punches. I popped them together and then attached them to the frame adding a little gem to the middle of each one. I then used Diamond Stickles and edged around the frame.

Thank you to the ArtyGirlz for this weeks challenge, I have had the frame hanging about for ages and it was great to be able to use it!

I promise that my next card will not be in Black and White LOL :O))

Thanks for looking

Hels xx

Papertake - Blooming Gorgeous

Hi peeps,

I have had a few spare hours today and feel miles better (guess it wasn't ManFlu after all :O)) so I have made the Papertake Weekly Challenge which this week is Blooming Gorgeous....so plenty of petals and flowers to be used!

I told you I have a thing about Monochrome at the moment and this card is no different!! Well, it is a little but you will see that in a mo!



I started by taking some cream cardstock and randomly stamping a flowerhead stamp by Whispers using black Versafine ink. I matted this onto the card and then took some more cream card and stampe the Fabulous stamp by Heidi Swapp, again using black Versafine. I matted this onto a piece of black card and then set about popping lots of Prima flowers around the edge of the message mat, making a waterfall of flowers. As you can see I did add a little colour with the pink blooms and I added silver brads to them to define them more. Finally, I edged the whole card with black ink to finish it off.

I love taking part in the challenges, so thank you to the Papertake team for another fabby weekly challenge.

Thanks for looking

Hels x

The Artistic Stamper - Linda Luckin Stamps

Hello again peeps

I am ill!!! Yes, I have the very first case of ManFlu in a woman!! :O)) Actually, I have a stinking cold and sore throat and I am really milking it so I get sympathy LOL

Anyway, on Sunday I took some timeout to play with some brand new stamp designs by Linda Luckin which are available to buy here

I did two pieces using mountboard as the base for each project.

Something Fishy



I started off by finding a nice big piece of mountboard - this one measures about 7" x 9". I then got a teensy bit messy (!) and used Adirondack Acrylic Paint in Pool, Juniper and Cloudy Blue. I stippled the paint onto the mountboard and once it was dry, I went over and over with the colours until I got the look I wanted. I then used Butterscotch and Mushroom colours to make the sea bed. I then used Lettuce, Citrus Green and Juniper to make the "weeds" dabbing the colours with a shaped paintbrush.

I took some spare card and used Pebble and Mushroom paint to make a background. I then stamped the *Column and the fancy bit on the top of a column (not sure what the right name is!!) I used Sepia Versafine to stamp these. I popped these on 3D foam and arranged them at the bottom of the "sea" and then dabbed some Peeled Paint Distress Ink onto the edges to make them look a bit wrecked. *Artistic Stamper Architecture Plate.

I then took some more spare card, used my fingers (yes, they were delightful by the time I finished) and splodged Lemonade and Sunset Orange paints and swished the colours together *note the proper terminology :O)) I then stamped the fishes using black StazOn. I cut these out and the curled the bodies with my fingers and then attached with silicone glue. Oh, I nearly forgot...I used the end that isn't pokey on my pokey tool and dotted white paint above the fishes to look like air bubbles :O))


Love Is......All You Need



For this one, I again found a nice big piece of mountboard, this one is about the same size as the other.
I inked up the Heart stamp by Linda Luckin using my Goss Boss clear ink. I stamped and repeated this process until I had a random pattern, threw some clear embossing powder over the inky pattern and then heated using my heat gun. I left it to cool for a few mins and then swiped Tattered Rose Distress Inkpad over the whole board. I then used Cut & Dry foam to blend in some Fired Brick Distress Ink. Once I had the background colour as I wanted it, I then took some Aged Gold paper (PaperLoft) and stamped a couple of the hearts in Walnut Stain. I then edged the paper with Walnut Stain and stuck to the board using DS tape.
At this point, I rubbed a metal file all around the edge of the board to make it a bit shabby and then used gold Krylon to edge it.
I stamped another heart with Fired Brick and then used Fired Brick Distress Embossing powder on top of it. Once it was heated and then cooled, I rubbed my finger over the image and off came some of the powder (it is supposed to do this :O)) I used a craft knife to cut out the middle of the heart and then mounted this on 3D foam and stuck both bits to the paper part of the board.
I then got a Grungeboard heart, stamped the heart onto it using Pearl Acrylic Dabber so it showed white, and then clear embossed it. Once this was cool, I coloured the Grunge with Fired Brick, distressed it with a metal file and then added gold Krylon to the edges. I took a pair of wings from the Grungeboard set and painted with Pearl Acylic paint and then added a little gold Paint to the edges. I set the heart onto the wings, added the crown and then attached to the board using silicone glue. I use silicone glue as it allows me to curl the Grungeboard and it keeps it in shape.
Finally, I printed off some words onto glossy paper and then colourised it with Fired Brick and spirtzed with Glimmer Mist. I stuck the paper to off cuts of mountboard and then added a little screw head brad to each bit. These are attached with 3D foam. I used the *Crop-A-Dile to punch a hole and added a little bit of twill which I had also coloured with Fired Brick ink. *also available from The Artistic Stamper.

I know that I have used this kind of design on a few projects now, but I reallly love using the Grungeboard hearts and wings together :O))

Thanks for looking! I am off to hide under my duvet now - hopefully the lurgy will have gone by the time I next post! *atttisshhhooooooo*

Hugs Hels x