WOYWW - Erm...

BOXES!

And lots of them! :O{

And... a whole heap of crud that I need to sort out into keep and throw away piles. Blimey, I spent 15 hours yesterday (I kid you not) trying to sort out my stash. A word of advice to any crafters out there. DO NOT MOVE HOUSE! Or, if you are planning to - have a clear out about three months before you are due to pack...cos leaving it right down to the last minute is so not a good idea! I still have 1/3 of the room to do - seriously, I never realised just how much rubbish I collected... I found several carrier bags with little off cuts of paper and cardstock...never been one for throwing stuff away .. but when will I ever use them eh? Cos I cannot resist slicing into a new sheet of paper the little bits get forgotten! Anyways...today is Wednesday, which can only mean one thing...Mrs Dunnit and her trusty followers are showing their crafting spaces...and here am I - a shy and retiring type normally (snort) showing off the sad state of my room!

This pic is Desk #2 where the boxes are sitting




This is the corner where the stash from my big unit is stacked...





And this pic is Desk #1 where all the crud is there sitting...waiting patiently to be sorted...and there was me thinking that the "Feel Sorry for Hels Fairy" would have done something with it during the night...ha! Not a chance LOL





And... cos it is Wednesday, it also means that there is a brand new challenge over on the Gingersnap Creations Blog...




The theme this week is FOUND OBJECTS... oh, how could I not join in with this one...actually...being part of their DT really was useful cos I made this a few weeks ago...what I could have said is that I made it yesterday while packing with the other hand and holding a duster in my teeth...but nay, I altered this spoon with Alcohol Inks and beads ... the ickle spidery thing that has only got 6 legs, so techernically speaking, it isn't a spider, was revamped...the body is a pearl, coloured with Alc Inks and I added in little gems for the eyes.





The hangy offy thing is an acorn I think...it is yonks old and was in an old trash box I found on my rummagey travels.




Anyways..back to the grindstone again now...best foot forward and all that ...actually, do I have a best foot? Come to think of it, both of my feet are more or less the same and I couldn't possibly favour one cos the other would feel left out and then sulk and give me jip...see, this is what packing does to you...makes you ramble on like a mad old bag....*who said that I did that before????* ROFL TTFN peeps...apologies if I don't get around to you all today...I wish I could just sit and play in Blogland but that packing won't do itself...am sure you will understand though..oh, and this will be my very last WOYWW from the Room of Stash @ 62 - next time, it will be from Room One 4 - I know, I am poncing about giving my craft room a name when I should be packing...see, aversion tactics again....I gotta go.....byeeeeeeee
Hels x

Stampotique Crazy....

...Love 'em or loathe them...you have to agree with me that Stampotique stamps have a certain unique quality that just draws your eyes to them! Over on't Stampotique Designers Challenge blog the latest theme is to use three colours with a fourth as optional

Rose
Yellow
Mossy Green
Optional - Blue

Last time I joined in with this challenge I got a bit of stick from an anonymous commenter...which did make me chortle actually...they asked how much had I been paid to use the stamps...well, to that person, if you are reading this...I was paid nothing for using the stamps... I wouldn't need to be paid to use them for the simple reason that they are quirky, beautifully made and have the most adorable characters...especially the characters I favour which are the Daniel Torrente designed ones. *so there LOL*




I made a big square tag for my entry this time...using Victorian Velvet, Mustard Seed & Forest Moss Distress Inks, which were swooshed onto a craft sheet and then spritzed with a Mini Mister filled with water and some yellow Perfect Pearls. The stamps used are Bow Tie and Marci. I have been longing for Marci to come and live in my Room of Stash for yonks now...and she finally moved in last week...hurrah and thrice, I can't stop using her...yes, she may look a bit rough around the edges, but sooo cute...and she certainly loves sitting up on the shelf next to Bow Tie...whom she has a secret crush on...hence...




The script, which for any old rockers out there, you will recognise as part of the lyric from Sharp Dressed Man by ZZ Top...yep, another glimpse into my misspent youth :O)) Now, the remit of the challenge is to just use Stampotique stamps, but once I had stamped and coloured Marci and her beloved, cut them out and 3d'd them, the background looked a bit bare....so I hope I can be forgived for using a couple of the new stitches stamps from the fabulous Wendy Vecchi's Studio 490 range. Oh, and to emphasise the words, I popped some Rock Candy cracklepaint over the top, doesn't show up too good on the pics, so please click on them to see it enlarged *oooer, missus*. Finally, the optional blue was used on Bow Tie's eyes, the stitches and the ribbon thru the top, which also has some beads which I popped onto headed pin jobbies (you can just see I am useless with jewellry and the like) cos I wanted something more dimensional just to finish it off.




Thanks for looking...have a great day...it is a beautiful sunny day here in Lutonia and I am going to make use of the natural light and spend some time getting inky :O))

Hels x

Sunday Stamper - Week 61 - Welcome Home ... PLUS ... Mega Blog Candy

Hey Stampers!

Yippee, the Sunday Stamper challenge is back - apologies for the absence - and thank you again to all of you who have contacted me over the past few weeks, I have really appreciated all your emails and messages :O))

As ever with the challenge, to join in, all you need to do is make a piece of art that incorporates the theme of the week and some stamping - in some form or another - the choice is yours. Once you have made your piece, please leave me a comment here and then I can come and have a look at your work of art.

To celebrate the return of the challenge, I will be giving away a mega Blog Candy collection. To be in with a chance of winning this Candy, all you need to do is make a post on your Blog, link back to mine and mention the candy of course LOL or you can make a little thingy in your sidebar. Don't forget to post on here that you have linked your Blog so your name can be entered. The winner of the draw will be chosen at random and the name announced on next weeks Sunday Stamper post.

Here is a little piccie of the Blog Candy and a list of what is included;

8"x8" Canvas Board, 2x 5"x7.5" BIA Clipboard Wood covers, 6"x6" Crafty Individuals Background Papers-Book4, Scrapbook In A Tin, Set of Stitchels Dashy Dot stamps plus Kling On Cushioning to mount them on to, Box Artists Charcoal Pencils & Blocks + Paper Stump, White Acrylic Paint, 3 Mini Canvas's, 2 resin Keyholes, Chipboard tagbook, Ribbons and Beaded Fringes, Paper Ribbon roll, Hardware Keyrings and Handles, Mini Glass Bottles, Maya Road Birdy charms, Bottle Caps, "2Crafty" Chipboard Dragonfly, Metal Mini Clips, Distress Stickles-Milled Lavendar, DewDrop Ink Pads in Rocket Red Gold, Sky Blue and Coffee Bean.


Right, onto my entry for this weeks challenge! A few weeks ago I went on a Ten Seconds Studio's Masterclass at LB Crafts. Wow, what a fab course this was and the piece I have made here is totally inspired by what we made on the course. The piece is called a "sampler" and this one is based on what products we used and the techniques I learnt whilst on the course.




The artwork is based on a 12" x 12" piece of foamboard, which I painted using Adirondack Gold Dabber, and then added some Ferro Gold for texture. The corners of the foamboard have been covered using Tim Holtz Idea-ology corners and then just smudged with Gold Krylon to blend to the colour I wanted.










I won't go into massive detail about each square I have decorated cos I would keep you here all day LOL I will show pics of the squares and talk about my fave ones and the ones I had learnt new techniques on :O))





This square was the reason for the theme - I made this piece of art for Grim for our anniversary, which was "copper" - and even though I did start out making it all coppery, it kind of turned gold half way thru LOL I used a little metal frame with memory glass, stamped onto a piece of copper metal using PaperArtsy stamps and then embossed using a refining tool. I cut out mini flowers and popped them onto the front of the glass using superglue and then added some more Idea-ology bits to the hangy bit.




Isn't this square gorgeous? I wish I could take credit for the design - but that lies solely with Linda Brown - using a TSS mold, I made the impressions around the edge of the square and then heated up some clear UTEE in the Melt Pot. I punched a crown using metal and then used a cookie cutter, pouring the UTEE over the crown in the cutter and letting it cool. Then once it was ready, I popped it out of the cutter and splodged some superglue on the back and placed it in the middle of the square. Now, I have had my Melt Pot for about 6 months and until now, really didn't know what to do with it....ah ha! Thanks to Linda, I am full of ideas and I know that she didn't mind me "borrowing" this one again LOL




This square is my fave, it signify's our home and our love...awwww, you never knew I was such an old romantic did you? ;O)) I used a TSS mold, made the impressions and then used a paperstump to squish the metal down, covered it with alcohol ink and then added the little house, the rusty tin heart and the key - another Idea-ology piece.




And finally, this is the last square I will waffle on about...I loved making this one and it is more or less the same as the one we made in class. Using a clear acrylic tag as an embellishment, stamping onto it and then adding the metal stamped and cut out house, wrapping wire about it, threading with beads....oh, I just loved making this one...actually, I think this is a favourite aswell!




If there are any squares that you like but I haven't talked about then please feel free to email me and I can let you know what I used to make it :O))




Anyways, thank you for looking and I hope you enjoy the theme this week....which, I forgot to say ... is HOME. Remember to add a link to your Blog once you have made your piece and if you are joining in with the Candy, give us a mention and then a link and you will be added to the prize draw.

Have a great day.....oh, and if you are after any of the embellies that I have used on this piece or any of my Stitchels range of stamps, click here to be taken to The Artistic Stamper :O))

Hels x

Metal Art - Part 2 - The Finshed Project

Hello again,

Following on from yesterday's post when I waffled on about my new addiction with metal art, I have got the rest of the photo's etc to show you now.

Now, where was I? Ah, yes, the embossing bit. I used my Cuttlebug and embossing folders to achieve the embossed effect on each of the metal squares. I used a small sanding block and a brass brush to remove the alcohol ink from the raised parts of the embossed pieces, this created a really nice contrast. On the plain aluminium pieces, I used the brass brush to make a swirly pattern.




Once I had finished playing with the metal squares, I backed them with Killertape and then popped them onto the 2" square pieces of Foamboard I had previously cut out.




I then moved on to making the bits and bobs for the niche in the middle of the piece. I had previously painted this niche with silver Adirondack Dabber but I was not happy with the colour of it - it just looked too bland when the metal pieces were assembled on to the rest of the board. I decided to use a Pearl Dabber and painted roughly over the top of the silver to try and get a contrast. Still no good - it looked too boring and there wasn't really any definition. The little boxes I had made were just lost in the middle there. Mmmm, what could I do to make them stand out a little more? Well, I took a risk, bearing in mind that I had spent hours faffing about and you know how it goes, you spend ages with something and at the last minute you make a boo-boo and end up ruining it all? Well, I took the risk and out came the black Dabber. I used my finger to apply the paint onto the inside of the little boxes but ... argh...it was too much!! Eeeeek, I panicked and immediately tried to wipe off the black paint with a babywipe. But hang on...what is this? It is actually sticking to the bits of the box where I had applied texture Gel....ohhhh, this is looking more like it I thought to myself. What I had actually done, I have now found out, is "antiqued" the silver boxes! Hey, I am well chuffed that my risk paid off!




So, with new found confidence, I added some black paint to the metal pieces but I think that I could have left more of it on the pieces but I played it safe, well, it was my first time!!

For the niche, the little boxes I have mentioned are actually miniature box lids which I cut down to be level with the depth of the niche. I had gesso'd them and added texture gel to them just to make them stand out a little more. I filled up the larger of the two with a couple of those heavenly ickle vials that The Artistic Stamper sells. I put loads of pearly seed beads into one of the vials and the other was filled up with some mini beading, which, when I put it in the vial, twisted on itself so it has made a coil. The other box is filled with a little piece of an army uniform that I picked up on a car boot - it was all yukky and dirty so I covered it with silver Krylon and then stuck it to the inside of the box, I added a little pearl in there too which was from an old dressing up box earring.




The stamping in the niche is done using Tim Holtz stamps and a couple of wordy stamps I have but don't know who they are by. I stamped, using black StaZon, onto dressmaking pattern paper, then I watered down some PVA glue and pasted the paper into the niche. I didn't want the stamping to be too over powering so I stuck to simple and bold words and I think it really worked.




Finally, I assembled all the little squares into place, added the thin strips over a couple of edges and that was it. Project completed!




I am really pleased with the outcome of this project. Sometimes, when I sketch a design, when it is finished it looks nowt like what I intended, but with this one, it is exactly how I wanted it to be. I keep looking at it and seeing little bits that could have been done better and differently but hey, it is a first attempt!

And, this makes me more chuffed than anything, when Grim came home from work that night, he saw the piece and said he really liked it and wants it for his study! How happy was I???




Anyway folks, if you are still awake and still with me, thank you for reading my posts about this - I know I have waffled on but I am really excited to have a new addiction and that I managed to make something all on my own without anyone telling me how to do it. Now I have the DVD, I will be able to make other things too....so I am off to get cracking on my next project, which is all sketched and ready to be made!

So here it is:




Thanks for looking, again, I would love comments about this piece being as I am new, and if you have any tips etc, I would love to read them.

Hugs Hels x