At The Hop!

Greetings!  Welcome to my blog and my leg of the Tattered Lace Blog Hop.  As you probably will have gathered by now, we are showcasing our favourite products from Tattered Lace and mine just happens to be.... the Screen Sensation!  I am so excited to be sharing this project I made using the new Screen Sensation tool... so I won't waffle on alarmingly, I will just dive right in and share photo's and wordage with you:

I had a 12" square canvas lurking in my Room of Stash that I wanted to make into some wall art.  Along came the Screen Sensation and this project popped into my head as soon as I saw the Butterflies screen.  I started by printing the Butterflies using a mixture of White and Harbour Blue ink onto Prepared for Print cardstock.  Once the butterflies had dried, I then used the Antique Script screen, printing in Black ink right over the top of the butterflies.  I love this overlaying technique!

I then used the same mix of inks I had used for the original print of the butterflies but added some Copper and Black inks in dots along to the top of the screen.  As the inks pull over the screen, they give the most amazing marbled effect... almost like a faux verdigris... lush!!

Once the butterflies had dried, I cut them all out and edged them with Rare Earth Pitch Black ink so the wings had definition and I also flipped them over and popped black into onto the backs of their wings.

I painted the edge of the canvas in black and smudged more of the Pitch Black ink around the edges of the canvas just to add a dusty effect... I wanted a more grungy look to the overall finish of the piece, by adding smudges of ink, this is the perfect way to achieve this effect.   I then glued each butterfly over its counterpart on the base print, adding a little black pearl to the body to finish.

By now you should have visited each leg of the hop... here's a list to make sure  you haven't missed anyone out - you will need to visit everyone as there will be questions and a prize of a £50 crafty voucher on the final leg.  You should have started HERE on the Tattered Lace Facebook Page, just click on each name and you will be whisked off to each leg of the hop: 

Lou Collins 
Gwen Fletcher
Debbie Bradley  
Corrine Robinson 

Thanks for taking part, your final hop leg can be found by clicking HERE.... good luck, thanks for looking and have fun!  
TTFN
Hels x

Creatively Hopping...

...tis a yonk and a half since I did a bloggy hop and when Lisette asked me if I wanted to be a part of a Creative Blog Hop, I ...erm... hopped (!) at the chance! *take a hop over to see Lisette too, her little houses are so darling and there's always a little buzzy bee to look out for on her fabby creations*   Here goes:


1. What are you working on at the moment?
Ahhh, I am one of those crafters that always have several projects cooking... I am a bit of a butterfly brain and I start something, get "so far" with it and then move onto something else... rarely do I start and finish something in one hit... I like to go away and take my time over the finishing touches.  So, answering the question: I have my next Compendium Challenge all sketched out and ready to put together.  I also have a big project I have been tinkering with for a few months... I will get it finished this week... I will! 



2. How does your work differ from others in your genre?
I honestly don't know how to answer this question and I have never considered myself to have a "genre" as I love all kinds of crafty things: be it getting inky with all things Distress... or painty or altered... or simply playing with papers making roses.  I don't think I am special, I just love to make stuff and working through a creative process makes me happy.  If I am making something and it doesn't make me happy, I get rid of it... I can be quite brutal and I have a lovely big bin in the Room of Stash that often gobbles up stuff I am not happy with. 

3. Why do you create?
I can't begin to imagine how cluttered my brain would be if I didn't get creative every so often. Creativity gives me an outlet, something to "spill" out all the stuff inside my head, all the crazy ideas and thoughts... and putting all of that onto a piece of card or a canvas makes me happy (and a bit less crazy) and makes room for more nonsense to gather. 

4. How does your creative process work?
Aha!  Creative process?  Erm... I don't really have one to be honest.  Sometimes I will sketch out a design if I know roughly what I want to do or make. Or if I have an idea in the middle of the night I will get up and sketch it or note it down in my special book... and if the idea is particularly noisy in my head, I will actually sit down and make whatever it is that is bugging me!  I rather like creeping into the Room of Stash at 3am, lighting up a Yankee Candle (Black Cherry being my favest at the moment) and getting creative... especially as it is "free crafting time" because there are no distractions and no "lists" of other stuff to do that lurk there in the daytime making me feel guilty for playing.  I am so disorganised in the Room of Stash too - I have stuff everywhere, no proper storage solution and sometimes if I am feeling barren of Mojo, I will have a rummage through drawers and baskets and that might give me an idea for a project... so, as I said... no real creative process!  The one thing I do every single time I make something though is give me 100% attention to the details... that just finishes something perfectly.

That’s enough about me, now to the best part of this blog hop and that is to introduce me to some creative friends of mine:

Pauline Wheeler - my partner in crime - Pauline and I are oft found causing crafty mayhem at demo days and hopefully, next year we will be causing mayhem doing a special crafty class together :O))  Pauline is a master of all things crafty - she is one versatile cookie, have a look at what she has been doing with Brusho's! 

Lorraine Brown Robertson - my fave Scotty pal - Lorraine has an eye for detail... and uses all manner of products and stashly goodies in her art... the attention to detail and finishing touches make her projects stand out from the rest, check out her creations, you will be inspired!

Sue Jones - owner of Crafty Bunch, Telford and eater of ice cream - she eats LOTS of ice cream and has been known to travel several hundred miles to find it!  Now, what Sue does with paper is just beyond my comprehension.  How!? That's what I usually say when I see one of her creations.  She gets a pad of paper and turns it into something I wouldn't have even had the remotest thought of... for example: Graphic 45 Sports papers.. she only went and altered a real football! 


 That is more than enough waffle from me for today... I will be back soon with some pics of the demo projects I did last week... Thanks for looking... have a goodly day!  TTFN

Hels x

Craft Stamper Blog Hop - Looking Back

... tis Blog Hop time! Oh yesh, tis very exciting to be a part of this fabulous blog hop organised by Craft Stamper.  If you are visiting me today as part of the hop, the deets on how to join in will follow.  If you aren't joining in with the hop, do check out the Craft Stamper Blog HERE 'cos there are loads of lushy prizes up for grabs!

If you haven't visited my blog before, please allow me to introduce myself.  I am Hels Sheridan and have been honoured to be on the Craft Stamper Design Team for three years now.  I guess I would describe my crafting style as a little bit inky, a little bit painty and a very lot messy!  Here's a favourite project of mine that I made last year.  I love to alter all kinds of things but by far my most favourite thing is a good old canvas.  This one is 5" x 7" and has a nice deep edge.  The main reason that this is my favourite it because it combines my love of all things floral with the shabby chic look that I love so much :O))

I used lots of different media to make this canvas, including patterned papers, embossing pastes, stencils, ink sprays and of course, what self respecting canvas wouldn't be complete without a big old dollop of embellishments!  The background was created with some gorgeous Bazzill papers, I cut blocks of them and layered them onto the canvas - this is a cool way to use up your little snippets (I know you have a big box of them, we all do lol)  Once the blocks were stuck in place, I used Cut & Dry foam to smudge watered down cream paint, this ties the whole design toget and then adds to the over all effect.

The big heart is a Studio 490 stencil for art... I used Studio 490 embossing paste through the stencil and once this was set, I added smidges of Treasure Gold to the raised peaks.  The floral embellishment was made up with paper roses and Prima Flowers, to tie them into the colour scheme, I simply spritzed them with Dylusions Sprays and Cosmic Shimmer Mists.  The embellies all had a smidge of Treasure Gold wax added to them to jazz them up a bit. 

Please do call back here on Tuesday 5th Feb as I will be doing a full step by step tutorial with an altered canvas, using lots of stamps, embossing pastes, paint and embellies.  I will also be doing a giveaway too!   If you are taking part in the hop, you should be arriving here from Carol's blog.    The next letter for you to collect is...

N

I hope you are enjoying the hop and I shall now point you in the direction of Jaine, who's blog can be found HERE   If you get stuck on the hop at any part, you can hop back over to the Craft Stamper BLOG where there is a full list of participants.  Right, I shall away...  Thanks for looking, good luck with the hop and... have a fabby day... TTFN

Hels x

Pink Ribbon Warrior Women On The Hop...

...and a very goodly day to you all... today is a very special day... you might have noticed that I have had a piccie of Sherry Goodloe in my sidebar for a week or so... this is because dear Sherry has been fighting the biggest war of her life and battling Breast Cancer. October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and I am sure that each and every one of us know at least one, if not more, courageous women (and men, because they can get it too) who have battled this awful disease. So, without further ado, I am very honoured to announce that I am part of the Pink Ribbon Warrior Women Team... and here are all the deets that you will need to know...

*here's the altered birdy that you could win :O))*
**Edit... reading your lovely comments... I have been asked what she is called and someone said she is pink like a Flamingo... so... I have named her... Fanny Flamingo rofl**

We're celebrating the healing journey of our dear friend, Sherry Goodloe, who is recovering from her recent surgery and has just learned that she won't have to endure chemo or radiation! *which is just totally THE BEST news!!!* Sherry is our official Warrior Woman Muse for this hop and is someone we all love and admire. Of course, so many of our friends and loved ones... if not we ourselves... have faced breast cancer and our art is intended to honour each and every woman who has, is, or ever will fight this battle.

Please join in by visiting our blogs and finding some inspiration for your own art. In many cases, there's blog candy to be had for those who leave comments!

The Pink Ribbon Warrior Women Blog Team is:

Ellen Vargo

Jennie: The Artistic Stamper

Judy Wood

Linda Ledbetter

Nancy Crissinger

Sharon Sutton

Tracy Jacobs

And Me :O))

And our fabulous sponsor is eclectic Paperie!

Above is the piccie of the fab candy you could win :O))

After visiting each blog on the hop, please create your own work of art in celebration of the Pink Ribbon Warriors, and upload your masterpiece at the Warrior Women Blog Hop Flickr Gallery (click the pink words for the direct route to the gallery :O)) I have altered a birdy for my entry... complete with pink ribbons, pink flowers and a little magic wand, which, I have added as my interpretation of sending healing wishes to ALL those who are affected by breast cancer.

As well as Birdy, I have also fashioned a pink ribbon brooch, which is the emblem for Breast Cancer, adding on a bit of Idea-ology to make it a bit more special. I will be giving away both the Birdy and the Brooch to one randomly picked person who leaves a comment for me here. To be in with a chance of entering the draw, please leave me a comment and tell your friends about the hop by linking it on your sidebar or making a post on your blog. I will use Random.org to make the draw - closing the comments at 23:59 30th October 2010 and announcing the winner on Sunday October 31st 2010. *and I will post to anywhere in the world so no matter where you live, you will be in with a chance of winning :O))*

So, this Blog Hop is open to everyone... and to be in with a chance of winning the fabby prize which has so kindly been donated by Daisy from eclectic Paperie... all you have to do is submit a piece of art to the Flikr account - closing on 30th October with Sherry choosing the winner on October 31st. As a little extra - if I get more than 50 comments on this post, I will add on some more candy - stash candy this time - so... whatcha waiting for??? LOL

As a footnote, I would just like to say... if, by reading this post and joining in with the hop, just one person has their awareness of this disease raised and finds they have a lump and gets treated then I feel that the hop will have done it's job... I want to express just how important it is that we all self exam and if you have any doubts at all, please just go and see your Doctor... acting early gives you a better chance of beating it... so come on girls... be vigilant... and do like Sherry did... and kick cancers ass! Thanks for taking the time to read this... and to take part... and I really hope you enjoy the hop! Have fun... TTFN

Hels x

Mad Hatter Day With The Gingersnaps ...

... Guess what??? Today is Mad Hatter Day! I have to admit, I sat there scratching my head at first when Laura suggested that the Gingersnaps have a Blog Hop today ... sitting there thinking, "why is it Mad Hatter Day???" You have probably sussed it straight away but if you are like me and baffled... it is 10/6 today... which is the number in the Mad Hatters hat! *A useless bit of info that you probably know already but... did you know the reason why they called Hatters mad? Well, in days of olde hat makers used to use Mercury in the lining of the hat - which after prolonged exposure to, sends you mad in the head!!!! And, did you know that Luton was the hat making centre of the UK... I used to live in Luton, Grim is a proper Lutonian... speaks volumes eh??? ROFL*




Anyways... enough of me pretending to be the font of all knowledge... here we go with the Blog Hop and all the details you need to know :O)) WELCOME to the Gingersnap Creations' Mad Hatter Day Blog Hop... you have reached HOP STOP #3. The Gingers are celebrating Mad Hatter Day and we hope that you will hop along with us - there are some awesome pieces of art along the way to look at too :O)) If you are already hopping then you will have just arrived from Elina's Blog... if you have just arrived here, don't worry, the hop is in a loop, so you can start anywhere!




At each Hop Stop you will need to pick up a word, there are 10 stops in all...starting and ending at the Gingersnap Creations Blog, where you can see the goodies that are on offer and also all the info you will need to be able to enter the Mad Hatter Giveaway. When you have all your 10 words, unscramble them to make them into a quotation from the classic Alice in Wonderland.





Once you have your answer, email it to gingersnapcreations@gmail.com before 25th June '10. One lucky winner will be chosen at random to win the Mad Hatter Goody Package - the winner will then be announced on 29th June '10. If you visit all the stops, you will have 10 words and you should end up back at the Gingersnap Creations Blog.




If you get lost along the way, jump back to the Gingersnaps Blog, there is a route guide there for you... and... this is the important bit for you... my word is DESK. The next stop on your Hop will be at Jean's Blog....Good luck everyone, thank you for visiting me and I hope you like the little pieces of art I have made to celebrate this day :O)) *incase you were wondering... the fabby Mad Hatter stamp is a Mabel Lucie Attwell sketch and is available from The Artistic Stamper* TTFN peeps...good luck!!

Hels x

Sunday Stamper - Week 82 - Angels (At The Hop)

Morning Stampers,

Thank you, first of all, to all who joined in with the challenge last week...and this week the new theme is ANGELS. To join in with the challenge, all you need to do is make a piece of art, include the theme and some stamping...and then post a comment here for me with a link to the place you are showing your art...the challenge is open until 23:00 next Saturday, 12th December.




Now, what is the "at the hop" in the title? Well, today sees the launch of a brand new Blog Hop with the Gingersnap Creations team. So....welcome to the first-ever Gingersnap Creations Blog Hop and you have reached Hop Stop #5!




If you’ve already been hopping then hopefully you have just come from Erika at Taylord Concepts. If you are starting here, welcome! It's a loop so you can start anywhere along the way! At each stop, you need to collect a word! There are 10 stops in all starting and ending with The Gingersnap Creations blog where you can get all the specific information and get a peak at the Christmas 2009 plate from Hearts in Touch. When you get all your words, there are 9 in all, unscramble them to form an art quote. Once you have your guess at the quote, email it and your name to gingersnapstamp@gmail.com by December 13, 2009. We will be picking one lucky winner at random from the correct entries to win the Hearts in Touch Christmas 2009 plate! My word is WORLD. Your next stop on the hop is Jean at Bluebird Paperie.

Good luck!!!




Back to the Sunday Stamper...my entry features a beautiful Angel stamp from the Hearts In Touch Christmas Plate which is up for grabs as the Hop Prize. I used Distress Inks to colour her...made her a little shabby looking about the edges and then used some Cosmo Cricket Be Good papers for the background. The sentiment is also on the Hearts In Touch plate too...and I think that this is my fave Christmas sentiment ever :O))

I hope you will have chance to play at the Sunday Stamper and also join in with the Hop too...have a great week everyone...and for the Tim Tag "Splinter Group", I will blog todays tag tomorrow...IYKWIM :O))

Hels x