Monday 31 January 2011

I Challenge Thee...

...oooh, I do love a good challenge and this week sees the 4th "I Challenge Thee" (already!!!) between me and Ellen. This week we decided to make things a little tougher... in as much as we weren't allowed to use any inks for colouring etc... nay and thrice! We were only allowed to use ink for stamping the sentiment!!! So, the item to play with was a 4" square canvas and the ingredients were: Terra, Paint, Stamping, Sentiment/Word, Grunge Flourish, Clearly 4 Art and... HANDMADE fabric flowers! **gulp**




Ah for the love of the God of Crafting!!! I can hardly thread a needle, let alone sew a button on, so how on Earth was I to make a fabric flower??? Well, it just so happens that thanks to the miracle that is Skype and the cleverness that is Ellen, I had an "online" live tutorial. Well, you would think that there would be a bit of a hurdle to start off with being as I don't do "fabric" - like I wouldn't have any... aha! Ellen very kindly bought me some when she came (all the way from America!) to stay with me last year. So, with said fabric, a pricked finger and a bald patch from the hair pulling, I finally finished my very first handmade flower... I shalln't show you it because I fear you would fall off your seat laughing at it... and then you could sue me for not warning you about offensive content on this post!!! LOL Oh and do hop on over to see Ellen won't you... I haven't seen her canvas yet and I just know it is so going to be gorgeous!!




So... a whole lot of waffling later, I did it! Yes sirreee (said in my best American accent) I made a flower... and then, as ever, I got ever so slightly excited and plonked myself onto the sofa to catch up several episodes of Doctors that I have on the Sky wotsit and, several decades later, I had made three that were... well, usable, for want of a better word. Anyways... all the pics here... they are of my finished canvas, which I hasten to add, looks nowt like I envisaged because I made the flowers too big (blame the cack-handed sausage fingers for that one) But... I do love the colour, which is... well a mix of purple, green, Trad Tan and gold.




Anyways... moving on, like you do... this here is a little sneaky peepings at my entry for the brand new Artistic Stamper Creative Team challenge... which has just been posted HERE. To see all of this bit of art... and the gorgeous projects from the other girls on the team, please do hop on over, oh and as ever, there is a fabby candy prize up for grabs too!




Anyways... again... blimey, this is a long old post, maybe I should have warned you when I started waffling... oh but, I just had a thought, maybe you have nodded off already LOL Well, I promised photo's of the drive... and photo's of the drive I have... only two because the others were a bit...erm... poo really... I need to get them jazzed up in Photo-wotsit-thingymajig... however, I have been going on alarmingly about this here "distressing for drives" and the concrete being laid... well, it was!!! Huzzah and thrice! and... I have a piccie of the "stamps" they use!!!




How coolio are they!!! And... here is a piccie of what these here stamps do to the concrete. It is still mega dusty as it has a special thingy-doofer on it at the moment... but then once the concrete has "gone off" the nice man from AJ Imprinted Driveways **I said I would give them a shout... if you decide to ask them to get your drive done, tell them "Coffee Lady" sent you... I will share the commish with you ROFL** is going to come back and wash it off, then seal it and then do some other stuff to it... oooh, I am even more excited now to see what it will look like. Apparently the colour is, from what I can gather... a mix of Frayed Burlap, Pumice Stone, Walnut Stain and a smidge of Fired Brick, just scattered in patches...




Oh, and if you really fancy a giggle... imagine this... from the front door out across the drive is a plank of wood, balanced on a crate at one end, and a crate at the other... so we can get in and out of the house...errrrrm... well, I walked the plank, or should I say, wobbled.. and suffice to say, I shalln't be doing that again in a hurry...I have visions of it snapping and me landing face down in the still slightly wet concrete... I shall leave you with that vision... and I shall say... Thanks for looking... apologies for waffling on ... and... TTFN!

Hels x

18 comments:

craftimamma said...

Well I think your fabric flowers are brill and I'd like to know how to do them too. Love the colours on here Hels. Great result for your challenge.

Those humungous stamps make a very effective driveway. Can't wait to see it properly finished.

Finally have to add that my Craft Stamper dropped through the letterbox today and you have some fabby creations in there this month. I've not had time to read the articles properly yet but the crafty eye candy is gorgeous. Well done Sweetie.

Hugs
Lesley Xx

sharon said...

That is one mighty fine canvas and the flowers are great Hels, please tell how you made them - please, pretty please . . . ?

Love the driveway too, mini versions of those stamps for use with gesso or similar would be splendid.

Linda S. said...

Goodness, those fellows from AJ Imprinted Driveways sure look like they know what they are doing. I say give them all the coffee they want, and anything else they want too!! I especially like the little "half bricks" along the edges. Nice touch. Your canvas and flowers are very beautiful. You have nothing to worry about, because people are already asking for a tutorial!! Take care on that plank. Linda S. in NE

Jona Panesa said...

you always make lovely things!!!

Helen said...

Great fabric flowers, you are a girl after my own heart - and shortcomings!! re needles and sewing - so if you can do it....
Love the stamps for the concrete - what a great idea!

Annie said...

Gorgeous canvas Hels. I'm impressed with the flowers....love them. I'm really chuckling at the thought of you walking the plank :-)
A x

Elaine said...

Great fabric flowers and lovely subtle colours. Your drive is looking good - so where do you buy gallons of distress inks???

Joanne said...

So much in this post Hels, I don't know where to start, perhaps I should stop laughing first, oh then stop laughing at the thought of you walking the plank, but then falling off made me gasp. I love your little canvass and just want to know how you made those flowers. I reckon a little tutorial - piccies and all - would do the trick. Must get the new CS mag. It sounds a good one this month. I think your 'love' piece is 'cheeky'. The arrangement is super. Finally, your drive looks superb and will be even more so when it shines after it's polish. A piccie please with Ferdie on it when the time comes.
Hugs. xx

Andrea said...

Hels I just love this piece and the flowers look fab, I can actually visualise you face down in the concrete LOL sorry but that would be funny now wouldnt it ??? also the craft stamper pieces are amazing xx

ellen vargo designs said...

Your flowers are amazing! No more fear of sewing, right!? You had me in hysterics with this entire post - I was reading out loud to Jack and had to pause to keep on laughing - you crack me up! Love you canvas hon - can't wait til the next Challenge!
Hugs! Els xxxx

Tracey said...

Gorgeous flowers Hels and love your canvas, well done on your pieces in Craft Stamper, mine arrived yesterday, just had a quick flick through.
xx

Carol said...

I think your flowers turned out fabulously. Looove the concrete story.

I enjoyed my visit to your blog so much I've decided to follow along.

Anonymous said...

Both canvases are fabulous Hels, love your fabric flowers!
Wow at those massive stamps! Hope you don't fall off the plank! Lol! xx

Zue said...

A gorgeous creation...fancy you not using ink!!
Sue xx

Lori said...

Great flowers! lol! Love your canvas, 'tis lovely indeedily! lol! And your driveway is looking great!

Vic said...

Your flowers are great!

You are a hoot. I love to read your funny stories.

whyducks said...

Oh Hels I cannot stop laughing, the thought of you walking the plank and landing splat in the concrete! Lol that would creating an impression wouldn't it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What a wonderful stamp, how did they stamp without putting their knees in the wet concrete?
I love those flowers, so pretty, a very hard challenge, brilliantly done!

Liverpool Lou (Anne) said...

Stunning canvas hun, love the colour scheme :-) Loving the drive
Anne xx

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