Allsorts & Buttons

...The theme on the Allsorts Challenge this week is Buttons...and...as I seem to have hundreds of them, I thought I would pop a few onto my latest Tilda creation.




I used Basic Grey Wassail papers, these are so lush that last year when I bought them I just sat stroking them for a few hours and couldn't cut into them...this year, I am the same with the Eskimo Kisses...so I got to use the Wassail after all :O)) So fickle!!




The Tilda has been coloured using ProMarkers and then I added some Sakura White Pen dots for highlights. I added some buttons to the top of the card and also for the centres of the Prima Poinsettia's. And..the Tilda also has some buttons on her coat...so I guess I really have...buttoned it!! LOL




Thanks for looking...have a good day...I have been struck down with a stomach virus so yesterday was spent feeling very sorry for myself...thankfully, it seems to have passed now though...don't worry though...I haven't been put off my food LOL

Hels x

Sunday Stamper - Week 81 - Living In A Box

Morning Stampers,

Many thanks to all who participated last week...I have used Random.Org to generate a winner for the artwork for last weeks theme...and the winner is:

Lynn Stevens - Congrats to you...I will be in touch for your addy :O))

The new theme this week is Boxes. I chose to alter a box, painting it etc, but you could chose to use box images/parcels on cards etc or alter a box for yourself...the choice is yours. As ever with the Sunday Stamper, all you need to do to enter is make a piece of art, combine some stamping along with your theme and then leave me a comment with a link to the place you are showing your art. The theme stays open until next Saturday at 23:00.




The box I altered started off as a brown "craft" style box, so I painted it with the very last smidges of Traditional Tan (need another pot..again!) ...once this had dried I randomly splodged Rock Candy Cracklepaint onto the surface...and then used Glimmer Mists to create the colouring.




The stamping is made up of Wendy Vecchi Studio 490 stamps and the brand new Flower Fever range from The Artistic Stamper....which I stamped onto a combo of Grungeboard and Grungepaper.




The little sentiment is stamped onto a Maya Road frame. All the Grunge was coloured with Distress Inks and I finished by adding some bling to the butterfly and flower and rubbing some golden wax into the Crackled background.

Thanks for looking...have an ink-tastic week!

Hels x

Just Tilda....& a Bauble

...Over on the Just Magnolia challenge, Martine has done a FAB sketch for this weeks challenge...and being as I am still totally in lurve with Tilda, I thought I would join in :O))


I have kind of stuck to the design but had to add my tag sentiment a bit lower because I hadn't enough room at the top! I used some more Magnolia Ink papers for the backgrounds...and coloured Tilda with ProMarkers...shading the dress a bit....still cannot seem to get the hang of making it look really smooth though...I need to have more practice I think :O))




The little gold dots are DewDropz and the flowers are Prima's, paper roses and some little green ferny leaves that I had lurking in my stash.




I used my Martha Stewart Doily Punch (yes...I finally got one!) for the lacey border on the centre strip and the main mats are made up using Nesties.




Thanks for looking...remember you have until 23:00 this evening to join in with this weeks Sunday Stamper... and to be in with a chance of winning the art I made for my entry. A brand new challenge will be set tomorrow so please be sure to call in in the morning :o))

Hels x

Tilda Gets a Play Date

...Over on the Play Date Cafe Challenge there is a new colour theme for this week...now, these aren't normally colours that I would naturally think of putting together...but I just love this combo! And...I am soooo chuffed because my Pixie card entry last week made the top 4 there! :O))




I am still in lurve with Tilda so here is another card I have made using the new Christmas images and some of the lush Magnolia Ink papers.




Tilda is coloured with ProMarkers - I am still on a learning curve with the shading but I am getting there I think LOL I used a Martha Stewart punch to make a border, then backed it with Bazzill so I could add in another of the colours needed. Click on the piccie to see close ups :O))




The flowers are all Prima's along with some orange paper roses...which I ran out of so had to improvise and dye a couple with ink. The mats are made from Nesties and I used some Old Paper DI to blend in the edges of the cardstock.




Thanks for looking...have a good day!

Hels x

All Wrapped Up...

...I have recently been focussing all my creativity on making altered art and grungey pieces...my hands are perma-stained with Distress Inks and you don't even want to see my "crafting clothes"...they are hideous LOL However, I have a little guilty pleasure that I cannot help myself overcome... I love Tilda! There, I said it! I know that she isn't everybodys cup of tea, some of my friends really do not like her at all...and I guess that she is a little bit like Marmite...but... just like the brown yeasty extract itself, I adore her!




I recently bought the new Magnolia Ink magazine...it is a brand new publication and oh my word! It is chock full of the most amazing cards...and I was inspired to get my ProMarkers out and make some cards myself. Now, I have had ProMarkers for about 6 months now, I love them, they are easy to use...but I could never quite "get" how to shade with them and blend the colours...until I read the mag, which has brilliant tutorials...so last night I went for it! This is a first attempt so I know there is a load of room for improvement...I am making it my aim to make a Tilda card that looks as good as those ones in the magazine and on so many talented peeps' blogs.




I used some of the new Magnolia Ink papers along with the cutest Tilda-in-the-world-ever...and sat her on a Bauble. I used a Martha Stewart border punch to make the band of paper across the centre of the card and then added a thin strip of golden ribbon. Do you notice the ickle rusty bell? How sweet is that?! The little sentiment is also a Magnolia image, which I stamped and then used Old Paper DI to make it look more vintagey...I also stamped a little twiggy branch image on the edges to bring it all together...The poinsettia flowers are by Prima and I added some little paper roses to the centres to make them pop ... a couple of pins with beads on to finish. I wanted to achieve a bit of a vintagey feel to the card, which is why I distressed the edges of the papers and cards...adding Old Paper DI to the edges toned them down...




I am entering this card into a few challenges this week...The Allsorts Challenge this week is to use a Christmas Carol/Song Title...so my little rusty bell on there means I can use the song Jingle Bells :O)) The Passion For ProMarkers challenge this week is Vintage so this card fits nicely for that one too :O))

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Hels x

Grungeboard, A Pokey Tool .... and a lot of blood!!!!

....Ouch **adopts incredibly sad face in hope of milking some sympathy** Have you ever done something that, even whilst it is happening, your brain is just that split second too slow to stop it happening? Picture the scene; a very happy Hels, sitting making a Grungeboard butterfly...a little idea pops into her head that a brad through the middle would look good...a Pokey Tool that is older than Methuselah with the blue tipped endy bit long gone...a distracted grab for said Pokey Tool and wallop...Pokey Tool is now embedded 1 inch deep into base of thumb! Yes folks, I picked up the Pokey Tool and attempted to poke a hole thru the Grungeboard with the blunt end...you know, the end that should have the little blue tip on which fell off years ago!! **Have I got your sympathy yet?** I shall continue... I, thankfully, was seated at the time of the incident...but lurched up to my feet...slow moti0n like, looking at my hand (which BTW is the same one that had the Carpal Tunnel op on a few months ago) and then realising that I could feel some pain! I pulled the Pokey Tool out of my hand...and promptly felt as sick as a poodle...so I put my hand out to steady myself....and splodged blood all over two cards I had worked on earlier today :O( **enormously pouty bottom lip in vain hope that sympathy will come this way....chocolates being the preferred method of sympathy showing of course ROFL**




Anyway, thank heavens that because I am such a clumsy beggar, I had a tetanus only a few years ago when I stabbed my hand with a craft knife **don't ask**...so there was no need to dash off to A&E! And, I managed to finish the Grungeboard butterfly and used it on this frame that I have made as my offering for the brand new Gingersnap Creations challenge, which is...get this...Frames!




I altered the wood, sanding, painting, Rock Candying, GlimmerMisting, Waxing, then made a centre piece using card and Studio 490 stamps....added some Grungepaper and Grungeboard flowery bits...added some Idea-ology and stuck it all together! **just think how short this post would have been if I hadn't nearly severed my hand with a pokey tool and lost at least 2 litres of blood in the process**




Thank you for reading thru all this waffle...and for your sympathy which I just know you will all by anxious to give me...and for all the chocolate which I just know you will all rush get delivered to my door for me...you can even bring it yourselves and have a cup of coffee...you will have to make it tho...poorly paw remember???? Have a good day peeps...and I promise to be more careful this time!!


Here is the offending butterfly...don't worry, it is coloured with Fired Brick ink...not my blood ROFL



Hels x

K Is for Cage...

...oh dear, these titles are really getting worse...the 'K' is on the Muse Token on this tag...and the Cage is the cutest ickle birdy cage chipboard piece by Maya Road...and I haven't got a Muse Token that begins with C....I shall stop waffling now...LOL As you can see, I have reverted to my favest-stamps-in-the-whole-world-ever today...again :O))




The tag was blended with Distress Inks...Antique Linen (my new fave... I am such an ink tart) and Fired Brick with a smudge of Brushed Corduroy thrown in for good measure. The little birdy was painted with Picket Fence Cracklepaint and then spritzed with Glimmer Mists...and his cage was just spritzed with Chocolate Glimmer Mists...I loooove that colour!




The background stamp and the sentiment are Studio 490 by Wendy Vecchi and I just added some Plain Jane chipboard flowers (Bubbly Funk - I think) which I have had hanging about for yonks...I fancied a change from Grungepaper flowers...and I think these look fab inked and then stamped over with more Studio 490 stamps.




Thanks for looking...and I would love to hear your comments about this tag....it is a quickie piece ... hence no Grungepaper and I wonder what your opinions would be ... Chipboard vs Grungepaper for flowers ????

Hels x

Good Game, Good Game...

...Don't worry, I am not turning into Bruce Forsyth LOL...actually today marks the start of National Game and Puzzle Week (USA) and also a Reason To Stamp Day on the Gingersnap Creations blog.




I made a little hangy piece ... ooooh, there's a change!! I used Maya Road chipboard as the base, Fired Brick Cracklepiant and Traditional Tan for the background and then got sticky with loads of embellies and DooDads and some Stampbord, which I stamped, scratched and edged. The Bingo card is a Jenni Bowlin piece and the hangy bit is Idea-ology chain. The Bingo counters have a signficance for me and Grim...our ages and the day we got wed...Grim is a lot older than me of course...and obviously...we got married on the 39th....ROFL :O))






Thanks for looking....tis a dreary wet day here so I think a spot of crafting therapy may be on the cards ... (I really must stop dragging that old chestnut up all the time.....)

Hels x

Sunday Stamper - Week 80 - The Holly & The Ivy...

Morning Stampers!

First of all, thank you to all those who joined in with the challenge last week...and without further ado I will annouce the winner of the artwork I made for my entry...the winner has been chosen at random from the peeps who joined in with the challenge and .. the winner is...

Gerrie Johnnic - congrats to you ...I will be in contact for your addy :O))


This week we are carrying on with the Christmas style and the theme is Holly & Ivy. To join in all you need to do is make a piece of art, be sure to incorporate stamping and either Holly, Ivy or both into your creation and then leave a comment here for me with a link to the place you are showing it. As with last week, I will be giving away my entry artwork to one person, chosen at random from all entrants.





I made another hangy piece, this time the main image is another one of those fab Mabel Lucie Attwell Pixies from The Artistic Stamper. He is coloured with ProMarkers and then I decoupaged the holly.




The base is a page from a Maya Road book, painted, Rock Candy Crackled and then Glimmer Misted to colour. I added some shapes of Christmas paper and layered up some lace and ribbon, adding a rusty tin bell to the ribbon.





The holly at the top is made up of loads of the Stitchels holly, coloured, Stickled and then paper flowers added for colour. I added a couple of Prima poinsettia's with some silk Ivy pieces and finally added a rusty tin star to the hangy bit.




Thanks for looking..have a great day and don't forget that to be in with a chance of winning this piece you need to join in with the challenge ... which will be open until 23:00 next Saturday (28th Nov).

Hels x

Helllllllooooooooooooo...World!

...The Gingersnap Creations team have a fab thing going on each month...every day there is a "Reason to Stamp"...which means that us crafters who might have a Mojo block going on get a really good excuse for getting inky and messy...today is no different and is World Hello Day.




I made a card for this reason...using a cute ickle Kitty by Penny Black which I coloured with ProMarkers (these are my FAVE things at the moment). I paired up the colouring with some DCWV cardstock, ran it thru my Victoria 'Bug folder and then sanded it to get some of the core colour through.




The little message is actually a die cut message which is also a Cuttlebug invention...I added a teensy pearl for the dot to the i (cos I lost the original card dot on the mess that is my desk LOL)

Thanks for looking...don't forget, there are a few more hours to join in with the Sunday Stamper this week...and a brand new theme will be set tomorrow...

Hels x

Pretty Pixie Painting Posies....

..Aha, try saying that when you have had a tot too much LOL...yes, today is a very exciting day over at The Artistic Stamper where we see the launch of three brand new Mabel Lucie Attwell designs...and they are all as cute as this one I have chosen to play with today :O))




The card is made up of Basic Grey Papers, some Stitchels flowers which have been layered and blinged up and of course, our little Natures Little Helper which has been coloured with ProMarkers.




I chose the colour scheme to match in with the Play Date Cafe Challenge which this week is Blues, Silver, Lilacs and White.




Thanks for looking...have a good day :O))

Hels x

Sweet and Simple

...A simple 10 minute make card today...using a sweet Paperbag Studios stamp that has been lurking in my stash for yonks and not yet used!




I painted her in with Distress Inks and stamped a Stampington grid stamp onto more cardstock using two colours and a spritz of water to make it smudgey...I stamped it again and cut out a few of the squares and popped 3D foam behind them to raise them up. The little sentiment is from an Innovative Stamp Creations sheet.




Short and sweet today...am off back to the sofa to put my feet up...my poor old back is paining me again :O( Hopefully with a bit of a rest I will be able to get inky and messy again tomorrow...am missing my craft room LOL Thanks for looking....

Hels x

Monochrome...A Question!

...There is a brand new challenge on the Gingersnap Creations blog today...and the theme is Monochromatic...I know some peeps think that this means black and white, others think that it is one colour and white or cream...what do you think?




I think it means black and white...and I made a card using some fab cardstock from Paper Temptress along with some Agapanthus stamps (can't remember the maker) and my fave Brush Butterfly by Penny Black. I stamped the images with Black Soot DI and spritzed the stamp with water to get a splotchy effect. A few brads, some pearls and some ribbon were added for embellishment too.




If you get chance, hop on over to the Gingersnaps..they have some FAB art on there and great tutorials too. Thanks for looking...have a good day!




Hels x

No Art Today....

...We went to London yesterday afternoon and visited our usual haunts...Covent Garden being one of them...I love the little stalls there and got my bartering hat on and managed to bag myself some fab booty just ripe for altering and adding to art work.




I have been after some letterpress blocks for ages...my Grandfather apparently used to have a little printing press in the shed...how fab that would have been to be able to get my inky mits on some of those things! Anyway... I bought six blocks...my initials... and the word ART...and a fab little drawer which is just telling me I have to add little pieces of art to each compartment...it is so lovely that I couldn't do too much to it...and it even has Fleet St, London debossed into the top of it. The stall had a whole array of amazing pieces but some of them were just out of my price range!







I then went and did some more haggling and got myself some old spoons...I love old cutlery and altering it to make stuff...and some little bits and bobs..including a little pen nib holder...and inside I found four little gold nibs...all of them gold plated too :O))




The little mousey and bigger mousey are just so cute...they will appear somewhere on my artwork soon I am sure. So...I was out for a few hours yesterday...overdid it a bit and now can hardly move...so no playing for me today...but I will leave you with a piccie of a few spoons I altered about a year ago...they were my first attempts so aren't as good as I would like..but now I have more spoons to play I can only improve LOL **btw, we filled our faces with the most delish Chinese buffet - another reason why I can't move LOL**




Thanks for looking...don't forget that the Sunday Stamper challenge is still open and all entries are in with a chance of winning my entry artwork.

Hels x

Cornish Temptress!

...I know, I know, I am really rubbish at thinking up original titles for my posts...but, this one actually makes sense (to me at least LOL)...bear with me....




The Gingersnap Creations are being sponsored this month by Paper Temptress...and it just so happens that I was sent some gorgeous cardstock to play with...I mean it folks, it is really lush thick and colourful...so I decided to make a card...and I used last month's "stamp of the month" by Cornish Heritage Farms ...so here is my...Cornish Temptress....now you can see what I was meaning with the title LOL




I used some of the fab cardstock to make the mats for The Pine's stamp, which was stamped with Pine Needles Distress Ink....and then I blended more DI's over the background and splatted it with water to make a blotchy snowy effect.




The little sentiment is also a CHF stamp and I added a couple of Prima poinsettia's before smothering a lot of Picket Fence Distress Stickles all over the place to get a snowy and frosty look.

Thanks for looking..have a great day!

Hels x

Sunday Stamper - Week 78 - Oh Christmas Tree

Morning Stampers :O))

Thank you for joining in with the challenge last week...lots of heavenly fun houses were made :O)) The new theme for the challenge this week is Christmas Trees...to join in, all you need to do is make something, incorporate the theme and some stamping...and then leave a comment here for me along with a link to your Blog so I can come and visit you.




I have made a Christmas hanging piece for my entry using Maya Road chipboard for the base, the sentiment frame and snowflakes...and used those lovely Studio 490 stamps by Wendy Vecchi. I used some Grungepaper to make a poinsettia embellishment, adding beads to the centre for a bit of bling...and used Grungeboard for the Christmas Tree...adding some pearls which I had coloured gold with a Krylon pen.




The background was achieved by painting the base with Traditional Tan paint, adding Rock Candy Cracklepaint randomly over this...allowing it to dry...adding Rock Candy Stickles over the cracks...and then finally using Glimmer Mists to colourise it. I added some Gold wax into the crackles just to add some sparkle.




Thanks for looking...I can't wait to see all your creations...and...this piece will be given away to one blogger who joins in with the challenge .. which will be open until 23:00 Saturday 21st November.

Hels x