Saturday 3 January 2015

Curiously Frayed...

Gooooodly Morning to all you lovely Compendium-ers!  Today sees the start of another 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... they never cease to amaze me with their inspirational ideas and art!   The challenge is sponsored by the Inspiration Imporium this time... so you will have a chance of winning a very generous Gift Certificate to spend there.  Tim & Mario have, as ever, 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 66 of the book and doing the Frayed Fabric technique using Tim's gorgeous Eclectic Elements fabric.  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.  

Before I waffle on I shall say a very Happy New Year to you all and wish you all the very best for 2015... let's hope it brings all our dreams come true! 



My entry for this weeks' challenge is another tag to add to the collection.  Now, for those who have read my blog for a while, you may have got the gist that I am not a sewist... nope, I struggle to thread the machine, let alone get a stitch out of it.  Grim bought me a little diddy machine a few years ago and that did ok until it ran out of thread and yep, I struggled to get more thread into it.  I am that thick... really!   I knew that I was going to have to do something about this not being a sewist issue... so I hatched a cunning plan.  A plan so cunning that Jock McCunning from Sneakyville would be amazed by it.   What did I do?  I collected together all the ingredients needed for my tag and popped next door to see my lovely neighbour Carol, who is an expert sewist and asked her to... um... help do it for me.  *insert gasps of shock*  I know, I kind of cheated... ok, I really cheated but in my defence, I happen to like Carol muchly and should she have allowed me loose on her beautiful sewing machine, I would have broken it... so better safe than sorry and all that.... ahem.... and I did do all the decorating bits meself...


Anyways, the decorations:  I popped some of the Eclectic Elements fabric (apparently I had a fat quarter, whatever that may be... it was indeedily gorgeous but not that fat...) onto a piece of black Clearly For Art using Glue & Seal and once this had dried, I used Tim's Mini Tattered Florals Movers & Shapers die to cut out a few spikey flowers, the Heart M&S die to cut the... um... heart and a few leaves from the Mini Tattered Leaves die.   In order to see the diecuts, I firstly dulled the print of the fabric on the heart using a smidge of Antique Linen Distress Paint, secondly spritzed the flowers with Wild Honey and Broken China Distress Spray Stains and thirdly, inked the leaves with Forest Moss Distress Ink.  Hey, the fabric takes Distress sooo well! Result!  I used my Scratchy Tool to fray the edges of the shapes to make them a bit shabby and then heated the CFA from behind to shape them.


Last year I treated myself to something I have been longing to own for a very long time... an old Underwood typewriter!  I had been a-mooching around eBay one Sunday evening and spotted a portable Underwood on a listing that was just about to end and it was dirt cheap... so I snuck in and popped a bid in at 4 seconds to go.. and won it!  Hurrah!  Now I have got the Room of Stash nice and tidy, I have finally got room for it to be used...  high time I got typing!  One of my all time fave songs is P.S. I Love You by The Beatles and this song has been floating around my head for a few days... so it seemed right to type the words and pop them onto my tag.   Oh and do you see the little harlequin stamp made an appearance too?  Well, it has to be used for continuity... and cos I loves it muchly of course.


Don't forget, you have two whole weeks to enter the challenge... and a bat at the chance of grabbing the Crew's Choice prize which is a mahooosive haul of stash donated personally by Tim & Mario... so if you are joining in, remember to comment on all the Crew's blogs and you will be in with a chance of winning that too *believe me, this is one gigantic pile of goodies* Wishing you all a very crafty 2015.. may your fingers be forever inky :O))   Thanks for looking, have an inspirational day!  TTFN

Hels x

45 comments:

carol edwards said...

Hi Hels a Happy New Year to you. Love what you have done to the tag. The fabric, clever stitching and all the other many bits and pieces going on, it's truly lovely. Love the sewing and typewriter stories too .x

Anneke said...

This look wonderful. There is so much to see. Everything fits perfectly. Thanks for showing Anneke.

Joanne said...

I am marvelling at this tag because.despite your lack of sewing skills not only have you conquered a way round that but you have created a fabulous piece of art and made me laugh like mad in the process.
X

Rita said...

Happy New Year Hels.I love your fabulous tag. So interesting that I cannot stop looking at it. Well Done. Hugs Rita xxx

Helen said...

Great tag, Hels! Happy New Year to you and Grim, too. Hope it's a healthy, happy and crafty one.

Candy C said...

Hels...gorgeous tag, my sweet friend. Love your choice if Tim's fabric for your background. And what you have done to it is amazing! So many elements added and in all the perfect spots!! Of course, your flower is gorgeous. But I also love the Ideaology pieces, the tape, the colors you used to tint everything. Just gorgeous.

Anita Houston The Artful Maven said...

Nothing wrong with a little help
From your friends and there sewing techniques!!!! Your tag is STUNNING!!!!! Love the flowers...just gorgeous!

Julie S said...

I keep coming back to this to look at it again. Each time I do I see something new. Gorgeous tag!

Marjie Kemper said...

What a beauty! Love all the layering, especially that stunning flower. Wishing you a wonderful New Year, Hels!

Susan said...

Hels, this tag turned out so beautifully! I love true confessions and your neighbor was great to go around the edges! However, what you did with the fabric flower and embellishments is over the top! Love all t he pretty colors!

Artyjen said...

I'm after an underwood too! My honey bee bid on one before Christmas. It went for£345 in the end. Yikes! Need to keep trying.
Happy new year
Xoxo sioux

Julia Aston said...

What a great tag your created Nels! love the turquoise bits on it - and the pretty stitching ( how lucky to have a crafty neighbor to assist you!) I don't think that's cheating either!

Redanne said...

Your tag is fabulous Hels, I love that you used an old typewriter for the words and the Eclectic Elements fabric you used is indeed beautiful! Great use of your neighbour too! Hugs, Anne xx

Patricia Howarth said...

Hi Hels, A Very Happy New to you and Graham, and I hope thaty 2015 is kind to you.
Love, love, love, this tag, the stitching and stamping and embellies, gorgeous !!
Lots of love from Patricia xx

Auntie Em said...

Another artist who claims to not be familiar with needle and thread. What a lovely job you did with your project! I love the colours and the pretty embellies you have added. Well done!

JanBianchi said...

Hels doesn't matter how you achieved the outcome this is a gorgeous tag!!! Love all the elements and its beautiful.

Susan Battensby said...

Hi Hels, Happy New Year.
This is a beautiful tag, just love all your lovely embellies.

Carol said...

I have to get the manual (in six languages, including Mandarin and Arabic!) every time I have to reliad the bobbin or thread the thing so I do know where you are coming from! I don't think you cheated at all!

Pambi7 said...

This tag has so many layers. Really beautiful! Thank you for wonderful tutorial. I am envious of your underwood typewriter.

Studio Rose said...

Awww, this is sweet! Why didn't your neighbor come by and show you how to thread your machine?!

I love your challenge examples because it's always like a game of "find the harlequin stamp"!

You did a beautiful job with the embellishments; they all work so well together.

Cheryl Grigsby said...

Love your tag, Hels! I love how your little harlequin "signature" shows up in all your tags. I need to pull out my Clearly for Art and make some flowers for my flip flogs with this fabric! Most excellent idea!

Rea' said...

So love your tag... always love your work... love your post as well :) That blue pop of color is so awesome, love the flowers ... and yes I see the details... you are the detail queen! Oh that's not cheating that's being creative... you did the fray !!<3

Unknown said...

P.S.--I Love Your Tag, Hels!! :)Happy New Year to you!! :)
This latest tag is a love feast for the eyes! Absolutely LOVE those buttons behind the bloom! And OH--I don't think you cheated with the CC3 #19 challenge at all enlisting the help of your neighbor :) Better safe than sorry :) LOL!! XOXO-Shari T.

Scrapintheattic.com said...

What a great tag, I love the flower embellies x

Annette Green said...

The stitching is only just a very small part of this fabulous tag, Hels, but she did do a nice job and ain't it great to have handy neighbors? I love that you also used fabric for the flowers and leaves. Nice touch! i adore this.

Jenny Marples said...

Happy New Year! LOVE this tag Hels. You've inspired me... Jenny x

Maura said...

Gorgeous tag, and the colors you chose are beautiful! Happy New Year!

Ruby Craft said...

Your tag is gorgeous! I completely understand and think it is thoughtful of you not to take a chance on breaking Carol's machine, she sounds really nice. Thanks for sharing your creativity!

Sue said...

It was a "community effort" tag! And a quite handsome one at that! Love all the bits and bobs you've added.

Kim said...

I think your tag came out famously! And I wouldn't say cheated; I'd say delegate to the person with proper expertise (but then I did just have my annual review) And that's exactly what I said about a fat quarter!!? It really needs a better name...

Cim Allen said...

What a beautiful tag !! The flower looks awesome. I love the clever stitching .. I'm going to have to try that :)

craftylyn said...

You can always spot a Hels creation, even if someone else did the sewing, lol. Beautiful as ever.

Nicole Wright Designs said...

Wow, if this is what not being able to sew looks like, I'm doomed! I may need to delete my entry! WOW!!!

Kim said...

Lovely tag Hels. A Very Happy New Year to you. Great idea to use Clearly for Art with the Mini Tattered Flower die. I tried using starch to give my material die cut flower some shape. Great typewriter find. Thanks for sharing.

Rebecca Morris said...

This tag is amazing, so many brilliant components to look at. Many thanks for the inspiration!!

Lisa H said...

LOL, I love your funny posts. I think your tag is lovely. =)

janna'scraftingattic said...

This is great Hels, lovely pale aqua with the browns
Scrumptious x

Yvonne said...

Hels...this is gorgeous! It is so you too....Beautiful job on the Frayed Fabric technique...you rocked it girly! Love you and missed you so much at CHA! Next year for sure!!!

Unknown said...

Love, love, love!!!

Larimore2 said...

Now that's just not fair: there's waaaaay too much on your beautifully crafted entry for me to LOVE!! Those little things are such a joy to use on...well...everything!!! I love the shabby/frilliness of this!

crafty creations said...

Hi Hels and a very Happy and Healthy New Year to you

Your tag is absolutely stunning

Vic's Creations! said...

I love your tag and the colors! It's so soft and beautiful! A real typewriter is so cool! I'm going to try the fabric with the clearly for art. Thanks! I think my doll project needs a clearly for art and fabric hair adornment when she gets some hair! Beautiful!

Mary Elizabeth said...

you seriously amaze me Hels. Honestly, regardless of the material (paper, fabric, metal, etc), you have such an incredible eye for color and creating layers. Just love this. -- Mary Elizabeth

inreenesroom.blogspot.com said...

Great job! I loved all the color and findings that you put together. And the sewing was wonderful too...

Bobbi Smith said...

Hels, your tag is stunning! You always have an eye for layering and use of color!!! I love that you used your typewriter too! :)

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