Curiously Burlapped...

Gooooodly Morning to all you Compendium-ers!  Today sees the start of a 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... well worth taking a cuppa and a Hobnob with you :O)    The challenge is sponsored by the Funky Junkie Boutique this time... so you will have a chance of winning a generous Gift Certificate to spend there.  As before, Tim & Mario have 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 37 of the book and altering a Burlap Panel.  Now, 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.

My entry for this weeks challenge is actually a little behind in completion!  You know when you get an idea in your head and you go with it... and then you go with it a bit more and then a bit even more?  Well, this is what happened to my alteration of my Burlap Panels!  I actually sketched this project out last year and it was one of those projects that just never had the time to dedicate to it... and when I knew that Page 37 was coming up, I decided to go with this design for my entry.  And then life threw a curve ball and I ran out of time!  I have a sneaky peeky pic (above) of it part finished, this is a long way from what the final *thingy* will look like but I figured some pic is better than no pic!  I will be finishing off my project over the weekend so please do pop back to see it finished if you have time.


That's all for now - don't forget, you will have two 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*!   Thanks for looking, have an inky day!  TTFN

It's A Giveaway...

...I loves a good giveaway I do!  Last weekend I ventured to Craftasmic in Taunton for a weekend of demo's and teaching.  On Sunday two lovely groups of ladies joined me to make Christmas in Burlap.  Now, I already had my original class sample... and then I made another one during the morning class... and another one during the afternoon class.  I left one sample at Craftasmic and brought two home.  And I don't really needs two so I figured I would do a little giveaway!  This is the Burlap Panel that you could win:

To be in with a chance of winning is simples: click to follow this blog (if you don't already) and leave me a comment.   If you haven't left a comment before,  you needs to click on the "inky thinkings" button at the bottom of this post.  Leave me a comment, if you haven't got a blog/Google account, you will need to make a Google account to leave a comment as I don't accept anonymous comments. (just put "Make Google account" into Google and follow the steps)   The closing date/time for the giveaway is 23:59GMT, 24th November 2013 and the winner will be announced on Monday 25th November. The winner will be chosen at random, if the chosen winner doesn't come forward to claim their prize after 7 days, I will re-draw the giveaway.

Those there pics are from the giveaway panel... and the following is of my original sample (which I am keeping lol)  If you haven't had a play with Tim's Burlap Panels yet, you are missing out!  There are lots of different sizes to chose from too.  There's the big one which is 6" x 8" and then this size which is 4" x 6" and then there are four diddy ones in a pack (which I have and am planning my project for them already!)   The colouring of the Burlap was done with Distress Paints... and the embellies are all from Tim's Alterations dies and stamps.

I guess I had better get myself moving, I have been a little bit lazy this week already... and that to-do list is still looking a bit long (ok, it is as long as my arm and so far I am at wrist level lol)  so sitting here waffling isn't getting things ticked off now is it?   Oh and speaking of ticks... I'm A Celebrity... I am watching... it is going to be a classic year...   Thanks for looking, have a grand day!  TTFN

Hels x

Sunday Stamper - Week 266 - Build Me Up Buttercup

Gooodly Morning Stampers and a very happy sunny Sunday to you all.  Many thanks for the gorgeous entries last week, I saw lots of innovative ways to add some depth to your creations...loved them all.   This week is a theme along similar lines... and it is to... BUILD YOUR LAYERS.  To join in with the challenge is simple: make a little something, it can be anything you fancy.  Add in the theme and some stamping and then hop back here to leave me a comment with a link to the place you are showing your entry.  As ever, if you don't have a blog/web-photo-hosty thing, you can join in via Facebook (simply tag my name) or by sending me a photo by email (you can get my email by clicking on my pic over there *points left*)   The theme will remain open until 21:00 Saturday 20th July 2013.

So. Layers!   I do love to make lots of layers on my creations and it is surprising how many you can create just by layering your inks, paints and stamping.. not to mention a few embellies to add a few extra bits of layering.  My entry this week is a small Burlap Panel.  I began with my layers by taking a roughly torn piece of Tissue Wrap and stamping butterflies onto it with Archival Ink.  I gave this a good zap to dry the ink and then used Glue & Seal to stick it to the panel.  So, that is two layers to start with.  Then I used Distress Paints to add colour - 3 layers now.  Once that was dried, I added a smidge of Walnut Stain DI to age it... 4th layer.  I wanted to add a bit of interest to the burlap so added some Tissue Tape, so that makes it 5 layers.

Next came the stampy bit, by colouring a torn tag... which will be layer 6, colouring this with DP's, layer 7 and then layer 8 with Distress Inks... and then adding background stamping to make layer 9 and Archival stamping (butterflies) which is layer 10 already!  Why not add another layer to it?  Well, a smidge of Tissue Tape on the torn tag is layer 11 and, finally, adding some little embellies and a bit of extra stamping to create the 12th layer.  See how easy it is to layer stuff up?  And, if you are clever, you can do a completely flat piece with lots of different layers of inking and stamping... I try to do stuff like that but I always end up bunging a load of embellies on it!   Anyways... there you have it :O))

So, whatcha got planned for today?  Tis nice that the heat has dropped a smidge... the Room of Stash became the Sauna of Stash these last few days and the instalation of a couple of fans helped but still, really?  How hot!!!  Anyways... whatever you are up to, have a great day!  Thanks for looking... TTFN

Hels x

Sunday Stamper - Week 264 - Sweet Home Alabama

Gooodly Morning Stampers and a very happy, sunny (yay!) Sunday to you all.  Many thanks for all the gorgeous entries for last weeks challenge and welcome to the new peeps joining in... tis great to have you on board!  This week the theme is chosen purely because I made something yesterday and used a word... and the song title popped into my head and has been driving me 'round the bend... so I thought I would share with you (teeeheee)   So, without further ado... the theme is.... HOME.   To join in is simples: make a little something - it can be anything you fancy.  Add in the theme AND some stamping (you needs to add stamping in) and then pop back here, leave a comment for me with a link to the place you are showing your entry.  If you haven't got a blog/web-photo-hosty thingy, you can also join in via Facebook (simply tag me in your post) or you can pop and email over to me with a photo attached.   The theme will run until 21:00 Saturday 6th July 2013.

  My entry this week is a Burlap Panel - uh-oh... I am addicted to these... fact!   What is so special?  Well, it is a sturdy board underneath for a start off so applying the paints and inks is a doddle... and the burlap (I know, we Brits call it Hessian but...)  well, it is chunky and textural (is that a word I wonder?) and take the Distress Paints perfectly... and this one is the 4 x 6 size so it is perfect for a little piece of wall art!

What a week it has been!  I think this is the first week in donkey's yonks since I didn't blog at least five out of seven.... all due to me getting a bit jaded and not having energy and all that for making stuff (I did start to suffer withdrawal symptoms tho)  One thing I noticed after a couple of days away from the Desk of Ink is how dry my hands are!  I kept applying handcream and yep, an hour later, they are all dry and papery again.  Yak!   So, I have this idea.  Because I wasn't using inks and paints and copious amounts of babywipes, I reckon my poor paws actually need the ink and the paint and babywipes to stay nice and soft!  So.... the theory is that crafting is goodly for your skin now... so...erm... I am away to do some more!

But, before I go... last night we were sitting watching 24 Hours in A&E (compelling viewing) that we had taped (oh, dear, how old am I?  I meant Sky +'d) and as the 24 hours unfolded, a patient was being brought in by the HEMS... so, cut to shot of helicopter landing... and up pipes Grim "blimey, you can tell you weren't flying that one...."  Cheek of it!   I have to admit that it did make me laugh, a little bit, not a lot because then I would be kind of admitting just how stoopid I am but... all the same.   
 

Tis a lovely day here today and my head is telling me to get outside and do some stuff in the garden (ok, reading, lounging, snoozling) cos the rain will probably be here tomorrow... and my heart is saying "get inky...."  Tis like a little whispering voice that "get inky...."   LOL   Right, I shall away, as ever, thanks for looking and have a fabby day!  TTFN

Hels x