Curiously Layered...

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 Funkie 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 49 of the book and using Layering Stencils!  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.
 

As ever, I have made a tag for my entry.  I won't tell you much about the background as that is the whole technique - I will tell you the colours I used tho... stepping well and truly out of my comfort zone and right into "Bright Colour Scaresville".  Broken China, Spiced Marmalade, Mustard Seed, Picked Raspberry and Seedless Preserves!!!  I know!!! All of them... all at once!!!   (Should I admit that this is actually the second attempt at this technique? The first tag was too...erm... pink!)  I then slipped right back into "Walnut Stain Comfyville" and used, yep, you guessed it, Walnut Stain DI to tone the brights down a wee bit.

The decorations are a-plenty (no change there then!) starting with the focal point which is the spikey flower I created using old book pages and Tim's Tattered Florals die.  I cut a load of the flowers, coloured then with the same Distress colours used on the background, layered them up and popped a little button into the middle of them.  Once the glues were dried and the flower "stable" I carefully teased the petals up and added smidges of Black Soot DI to give it some definition.  You would be surprised what a smidge of Black Soot can do!  The leaves are from the Garden Greens die, cut using Core-dinations and sanded and shaped using my fingers.
 

The Ornate Plate actually has a piece of card tucked inside it from Take I of the tag... waste not, want not, using just a bit of the original tag worked a treat.  I seem to have developed a bit of a theme with the stamping on my CC3C entries too... Tim's mini harlequin stamp is on all of them so far, did I ever mention this is my FAVE filler stamp ever?  LOVES it!!!  On the Ornate Plate, I added Alphaparts and a little birdy from the Idea-ology Adornments pack, I added a little torn bit of Journal Ticket *found that on my tidy up the other week!* and some Linen Ribbon for the top of the tag.  Oh and the Layering Stencil I used is the Alphabet.

That's all from me for today... Thanks for looking, don't forget to pop around to leave a comment on all the Crew's blogs to be in with a chance of winning the extra bonus prize... and you have two weeks to play along too.  Have a great time getting inky!  TTFN  

Sunday Stamper - Week 300 - Dream Lover **With Mega Candy!**

Gooodly Morning Stampers and a very happy Sunday to you all!  Many thanks for all your grand entries for last weeks challenge, sure did make me happy to visit you all and see your gorgeous works of art.  SO! Today sees the 300th Sunday Stamper challenge.  And as promised last week, I have been gathering sponsors for this weeks challenge being as it is a special occasion and all that.  Let's start off by telling you the theme...which this week is my "word of the year" DREAM.  Joining in with the challenge is the same as ever... only this week you will be in with a chance of winning some great candy!  The rules are simples: make a little something, it can be anything you fancy.  Add in the theme AND some stamping and then pop back here, leave me a comment with a linky to the place you are showing your entry and I can hop over to visit you.  As ever, if you haven't got a blog, you can also join in via tagging me on Facebook on your upload or by emailing me a small resolution piccie. 
To be in with a chance of winning the candy, here's what you have to do:
Make something and join in with the challenge as stated in the rules above. 
Regardless of how you show your entry, you must leave a comment on this post = so if you are joining in via email, for example, you need to leave a comment here, I can't add your comment for you, same applies for Facebook entries.  
Just leaving a comment won't enter you into the draw... so this is the perfect excuse for getting inky and stampy.  
The winner will be picked at random and announced on next weeks Sunday Stamper post. 
The closing time date for all entries is 21:00GMT Saturday 29th March 2014.

You wanna see what you could win?  Firstly, please allow me say to a big mahooosive thank you to the lovely sponsors of this week's challenge: Crafty Bunch Telford, Craft Obsessions, Art From The Heart and Jones & Co Nottingham.  As regular Sunday Stamper fans will know, this is usually a "just for fun" challenge, with me adding the odd bit of candy every so often but as it is a momentous occasion, I figured I would say a big thank you also to all you lovely folks who join in with my challenge.  Right... I kept you waiting long enough... here's what you could win:

From Crafty Bunch Telford: 5 fabby stamp sets from Kaiser Craft!!!
From Craft Obsessions: a £25 voucher to spend on goodies!!!
From Art From The Heart: Dylusions stamp set This Old House, Dylusions Sprays: Tangerine Dream, Pomegranate Seed, Chopped Pesto, Slate Grey, Polished Jade, Ground Coffee **yes, all the NEW ones!!!**
From Jones & Co: Buttons! Lots of delish buttons!!!
And From me: The artwork that is my entry for this weeks challenge, Kaisercraft Stamps, Card butterflies, Spools, Vials, Texture Paste Clear & Silver, Wendy Vecchi Archival Inks in Red Geranium, Potting Soil and Watering Can, Chapel Road Artstamps U/M stamp set and a papier mache hanging board.
This prize package, worth over £100, is offered to one randomly chosen entrant to the challenge. If the winner doesn't claim their prize within 7 days of announcing, the draw will be done again.

So... whatcha finks?  Seriously cool prize package right?  Cor blimey!!!  300 Sunday Stamper challenges... that is one heck of a lot of art, stamping, inking and song titles!  Over the years I have been asked a fair few times why I bother to host a "just for fun" challenge when there are so many out there that have prizes every week.  The answer to that is simples: it is all about having fun and getting creative... and when I started this challenge there weren't that many challenges about (yes, 2008 is a very long time ago in Blogland lol)  Another question I get asked is why I don't have a design team for the challenge... that is easy to answer too... cos I am bone idle and it would mean having to plan weeks in advance what the theme will be... seriously, sometimes I don't even know the day before what the challenge theme will be!  One day I will be organised!!! 

Anyways... that is enough wafflings from me.  Again, thank you to my lovely sponsors... and thank you to all of you who join in with the challenge, I don't think you know just how much it means to me that you all take part!  I shall away now... thanks for looking - happy stamping!  TTFN

Hels x

If I Were A Photographer...

...heeheee, if I were a photographer then you would be seeing perfectly poised and posed piccies but, I am not, so, you have to put up with these... erm... shadowy jobbies!   You know I said that I had some gorgeous Heartfelt Creations stamps onto tomorrow's shows?  Well, here's my FAVE!!!  Look at the size of this beaut!  It is a single flower stamp but stamp it four times, cut out petals, curl 'em, glue 'em together and this is whatcha get!!!  I LOVE this flower and actually, I am thinking it is my *new* favey flower!   I shall do a "step by step" tut on how I made it on Monday, seriously though, it is dead simples: stamp flower four times, cut out petals so you reduce as you go and you are left with 3, 2 & 1 left over for the middles.

Like the ickle stand it is sitting on?  Oh ho! These two (ooops, shouldn't have said that....) are on the shows too.. no assembling instructions needed, no glue needed, really simples!  I will demo one so you can see how easy they are.  I am thinking that maybe I could have a couple for arty stuff and then a couple as diddy little tables to hold little choccies and mini muffins in the Room of Stash... mmmm!

I made a bit of a boo-boo yesterday.  Crazy Old Bat Syndrome hit big stylee... I went off to the local Post Office yesterday afternoon as I had a couple of things to post (ok, that bit was a bit obvious but bear with...)  In our hallway is the little heap of shoes, I come in, kick them off and bung them under a chair (well, it is a smidge tidy)  So, being as I had a couple of things I needed to post and as time was getting on, I hastily put on my shoes and dashed off to the Post Office.  When I got home I realised why my feet felt "different"...   I loves my Birki's and have a few pairs... I don't think they are supposed to be worn like this though... mind you, I could be setting a new trend!!!

I shall away... I have samples to finish and demo's to get prepped in readiness for tomorrow.  Have a great day and stay safe and warm!!!  Thanks for looking... TTFN

Hels x

Sunday Stamper - Week 273 - That's What Friends Are For

Goooodly Morning Stampers and a very happy Sunday to you all!  White Rabbits btw... tee hee... 1st of the month and all that!  Thanks for all the great entries for last weeks challenge too... I do love to visit and see your gorgeous creations.  This week is a very special theme which has been chosen by a very special person!  Oh yesh, this week the theme is FRIENDS and it has been chosen by my BFF Ellen.  More of that in a mo... but first... to join in with the Sunday Stamper is simples: Just make a little something - it can be anything you fancy.  Add in the theme and some stamping and then pop back here with a link to the place you are showing your entry.  If you don't have a blog/web-photo-hosty thingy, worry not... you can also join in via email - my addy is where my pic is over there *points left* just click the pic... or via Facebook - simply tag my name on your photo and I can pop by to see it.   The theme will remain open until 21:00 Saturday 7th September 2013.

Now, as you may have gathered, just recently I have been suffering with my pain and the old cad Mojo has decided it was high time to go off on his jollies.  Well, I had had enough of walking into the Pit of Doom - the new name for the Room of Stash - and walking back out again in disgust.  So yesterday morning I set myself a challenge to clear some shelf space and get rid of stuff I don't use.  So I did!  Oh yesh, I got rid of tonnes of stuff... only into boxes into the garage but it is a start right?   Next up was a lovely long Skype sesh with Ellen... only 5 hours this time... ahem... but it sure got my Mojo dancing as we had a little I Challenge Thee!  Hence, the title for this weeks' challenge... Friends... cos Ellen helped get my Mojo dancing again!   Here's the recipe for our Art Part Fest:

Using Wendy Vecchi's Art Parts:
3 x 5 1/2" x 7" Large book covers
Large Queen
Wings
Small square Frames
Scroll Leaf
Small Hand
Scallop Borders
Pencil
Crayon
Gears
Plus: Wendy's new Ranger Archival Inks (LUSH!)
Other Art Parts as desired.

What a list huh?  I was a bit afraid because it was BIIIIG!  And I haven't done a biiiig Art Part piece before... but hey ho, Mojo was creeping back slowly... almost like he was playing "What time is it Mr Wolf?"  Everytime I glanced over, thinking I could see him, he slid behind a rubber stamp or scootled under a craft sheet.  Then a lovely warm fuzzy feeling overtook me and voila!  He was HOME!  After grabbing him by the scruff of the neck and bunging him in a Really Useful Box,  I got into my Art Part Fest with great gusto!

I kept the background of the Covers very simple... covering them with the backsides of the Tim French Industrial papers (who snikkered then huh?) and sanding the edges and then blending some Gathered Twigs DI around to make them look a bit distressy.  The frames were covered with Gathered Twigs Stains, dried, sanded and then overstamped with Potting Soil Archival (my NEW FAVE!!!!  LOOOOOVE THIS ONE!!!! THANK YOU WENDY!!!!)  The leaves were coloured with Forest Moss and overstamped with Fern Green Archival, the wing was coloured with Scattered Straw Stain and overstamped with Orange Blossom Archival, the little flower was coloured with Barn Door Distress Marker and overstamped with Red Geranium Archival, the little scallops were coloured with Black Soot Stain and overstamped with Watering Can Archival... so the only one I didn' use was the Cornflower Blue... not bad going though eh?  I love all the new Archivals muchly... they are just my colours and hues... lushness indeeeedily.... you needs them!   You might now be able to see the crayon Art Parts immediately... that is because four of them are actually the "holder togetherers" of the three covers... and then a fifth was cut up to make stabilisers for the layers of Art Parts on the front bits.  Cunning huh!!!   Finally, the addition of some metal bits and bobs and some Embellish Your Art resin goodies were my little decorations... I know they were not on the list but.... if you don't tell, I won't ;O))  To see Ellen's amazebobs piece, CLICK HERE.  Ellen has created an amazing piece of art... and the complete polar opposite to mine... very unique and very Ellen.  

I must away!  I have fair worn myself out with all this creativity... but seriously, it has been tooooo long since I actually made anything.  I have never had a barren stretch like this before.  I don't think the pain has helped but I know for sure that the old Mojo is well and truly home (I can hear him hammering against the lid of the Really Useful Box as I type!)  Today I plan to get inky again and see if I can actually manage to blog during the week for a change!  I still can't believe that I haven't blogged from one Sunday to another... this is a first for me... 6 years of blogging and I haven't ever been so quiet!  I shall remedy that PDQ!   Anyways, thanks for sticking with me... I truly appreciate your support you know!   Thanks for looking, as ever, have a fabby day!  TTFN

Hels x

One Stamp... Three Ways...

...corrrr... I do love a nice versatile stamp and the one I have been playing with for todays post has gone into the "faves" list already.  So, it is my Darkroom Door DT day and I have been playing with the utterly gorgeous Pressed Flowers Collage stamp.   To see where to buy Darkroom Door stamps in the UK, click HERE... oh and to see the fabby designs that the DT have made, click HERE for the blog.

 Card 1 is most defintely my "confort zone" of neutral tones.  The colours blended onto the background are Antique Linen, Frayed Burlap and Walnut Stain.  The stamping is in Jet Black Archival ink and the sentiment is from the Bright Blossoms Wordstrip, cut out and coloured with Distress Ink.

Card 2 is a bit more adventurous!  I decided to use the stamp as a resist image.  Starting with applying Ranger's Glue & Seal to the stamp, stamping onto cream card and then zapping with a heat tool to dry the stamping.  I used Crushed Olive and Broken China DI blended over the top of the stamping to make it pop.  The sentiment is also from the Bright Blossoms Wordstrip (did I ever mention I am highly addicted to Wordstrips?)

And finally, Card 3 sees me getting even more adventurous and getting the old Brayer out!  I do love a spot of brayering and it is something I always seem to forget to do.  For the background I applied Crushed Olive, Broken China and Seedless Preserves Distress Stains to my craft sheet and picked up the colours using the Speedball brayer I have... it is nice and big so picks up more colour.  I repeated the brayering on some more card for the mat.  Again, the words... yep, from the Bright Blossoms... did I ever say I LOVE Wordstrips?


And there you have it!  I shall away now... have a wonderful day and thanks for looking!  TTFN

Hels x

Tick Tock Time Challenge...

...cor blimey!  My old Mojo decided that he was going to take a trip to sunnier climes!  The very cheek of it!  Anyways, being as I have a free afternoon, I decided to tempt the old rascal back with a Time Challenge.  Basically, I adopt this method when my Mojo beggars off... in the vain hope he will be tempted by said challenge.  He is a perculiar chap is my Mojo you know, he can be here, quite happily disturbing my sleep, waking me up with his daft dreams and then when I really need him, he clears off!  Anyways... here's the challenge I set myself:

Max 45 Mins start to finish
Tag - Size 8
New Tim Papers (these are LUSH)
Masculine theme
Colours: Brown & Red
Chit Chat Stickers to make sentiment
Journal Ticket
Idea-ology & Prima embellishments
Treasure Gold - Florentine
NO FLOWERS!!!!

 Yikes! No pressure then eh?  Mind you, no point setting a challenge if I am going to make it easy right?  The no flowers was the easiest thing for me to panic about so I had a few moments to wrack my brains to think of what I could possibly do.  "I know!"  I thoughts to myself... "I will use cogs instead!"  So the start was the cutting of the cogs from Grungeboard and the Gadget Gears Alterations die.  I coloured these with Walnut Stain Distress Ink and then used the Treasure Gold to highlight the teethy bits.   The base of the tag was created by covering it with some of the new Tim papers (did I say... LUSH!) I then used a different design, tearing it into strips, edging then with Gathered Twigs DI and then layering them over the paper base which I had also stamped, using Coffee Archival, with a script stamp to add some interest between the rows of torn strips.

The guy - whom it has been pointed out has no trousers... so I shall call him Lord Knickerless (thanks Bette for that on Facebook, made me hoot) is on the fabby stamp set designed by Brett Wedele for Tim Holtz.  Isn't he a handsome chap!?  *I mean Lord Knickerless... not Tim, although he is a handsome chap too... I shall shut up now... ahem... rofl*  Anyways, he was stamped in Jet Black Archival onto more of the gorgeous papers and then coloured using na waterbrush and Vintage Photo, Gathered Twigs & Fired Brick Distress Stains and then once dried, I blended Walnut Stain DI around the edges to age him.  I made up a phrase for Lord Knickerless... that is using Chit Chat Stickers, popped onto card, cut out and edged with Walnut Stain DI.  The Journal Ticket has been cut into just to make it fit and then the cogs were layered on.  I set about the embellies... using Sunrise/Sunset metal cogs and clocks... some Junkyard brads and of course, my favest new Idea-ology lovelyness... the new Collage Keys which had a bit of Treasure Gold applied to tone the metal in.  And there you have it... I finished it in 43 mins!  WOW!  I didn't cheat on time either!!!

Anyways... if you fancy a challenge, please do feel free to have a go at making something like this... you can add in your own recipe bits if you don't have the same as me... but remember... 45 mins... MAX!  Please do let me know if you try it too...   Right, I shall away... my back is being particularly annoying this week and the pain is driving me nuts so I plan to flop onto the sofa and watch a bit of telly this evening...   Thanks for looking... TTFN!

Hels x

Be My Guest....

...so, Paula Holifield asks me a few months ago "would you like to be a Guest Designer on my challenge...."  And I says "yes pleasingtons...."  And today, being May 1st and all that, sees a brand new "A Little Bit Crafty" challenge over on Paula's blog.  All the deets on how to join in etc are HERE, please do pop over, there are some gorgeous creations to see and also, goodies up for grabs!   The theme for this month is KRAFT.

Now being as I loves all things brown and Kraft is one of my fave colours to work with, I leapt at the chance to join in... I loves using kraft card and paper I do.   I started off with a Size 8 Manila tag and coloured it with the Drippy Stains technique, using Antique Linen, Frayed Burlap and Gathered Twigs to colour the base.  Once dried, I blended Walnut Stain DI around the edges and then added a smidge of stencilling over using Gathered Twigs DI.  The mask is one of the new Finnabair ones btw.  A paintbrush loaded with Frayed Burlap Stain, splattered at the tag and then dried added some extra depth to the final look.

I made a rose (ok, the rose obsession is takin over lol) using Kraft cardstock and the Tattered Florals die - blending more of the Gathered Twigs over the stencil to add in some detail to the petals.  The rose was popped onto a piece of burlap and I placed some wooden leaves that were stained with Forest Moss behind the rose.  The strip of red is Tim's Kraft Resist Paper, coloured with Fired Brick Stain... just a pop of colour to break up the browny tones.   A smidge of flourish stamping using Jet Black Archival and an Ornate Frame and Adage Ticket for a wordy bit finished the tag nicely.

 Sorry I have been AWOL this past few days!  I took a complete day off on Monday, sat on the sofa watching Life On Mars DVD's and stuffing my face with apples and grapes and pistachio nuts (I am trying to be good, so I chose the worst healthy stuff I could find lol)  And then yesterday I began to catch up after the mega busy weekend... so I am a little behind in seeing Sunday Stamper entries... I shall be visiting you shortly though :O)  Oh and... woe is me (again)  the eye is better! HURRAH... but... I opened my chops the other day and said "I haven't had a cold for about 2 years" and then yep, you guessed it... I now have the startings of the snuffles... eeeek... I shall be dosing myself up with the Beecham's!   Right, I shall away... have a fabby day!  TTFN

Hels x

Sunday Stamper - Week 254 - Paper Sun

Goooodly Morning Stampers and a very happy Sunday to you all.   As ever, many thanks for all your painty entries for last weeks challenge!  This week is another easy peasy challenge theme... having had this song bopping around my head for the past few days, it had to be a Sunday Stamper theme... so... it is... PAPER.  A few newer readers of my blog have asked "what is the relevance of the song title thing?"  Well, basically, if I wake up with a song in my head, it drives me nuts all day long... so the Sunday Stamper (after about Week 3) always has had a song title with a link to the theme...that way, you too can be irritated by a song bopping around your heads (see, am kind like that lol)  Plus, it is something a little different from other challenges out there and it keeps me on my tootsies.   So, on with the challenge... to join in is simples: make a little something, it can be anything you fancy.  Add in the theme and some stamping.  Pop back here with a link to the place you are showing your entry... if you don't have a blog/web-photo-hosty thingy, you can also join in via email or on Facebook.  The challenge will remain open until 21:00 Saturday 27th April 2013.

This week, my entry is a class sample from my lovely Dabble Day up at Busy Bee's  in Sheffield yesterday.  It is a canvas board with ... yep... paper blocking... ergo, I used papers!  And very old papers at that.  I bought these Cosmo Cricket papers about 276 years ago and because they were so loverly, I couldn't bring myself to cut into them.   Gone are those days, now I am a ruthless paper cutter... I don't hear their squeaks as I slice into them... oh no, in my mind now, papers are meant to be used... go on, admit it, you have a big old pile of "special" papers lurking somewhere and you know they will never be used.... tis time to put a stop to imprisoning your fancy patterns and set them free... and use them to decorate bits of art you can then keep forever and display... well, that's what I thinks anyways lol 

The other cool thing about this paper blocking lark is that is can use up all those ickle bits of paper that are too small to do much with and yet, still, we cannot throw them away.  I am still as bad now for that as I ever was... chuck a teensy off cut into the bin?  Not a prayer, it goes back into the paper pad and into the paper stack again... only to be found several eons later... so... paper blocking... another way of liberating those ickle bits of special paper.   See, I am ruthless indeedily!  Well, apart from my Crate Paper Avenue Collection that are, in no uncertain terms, out of bounds to anyone who dares to even glance at them!  They are my preciousssss *said that in my best Gollum voice*  I do use them... very occasionally... and have promised myself that the big old canvas that has been hiding under my desk will be covered with them... I just needs to bring myself to cut into them... ok, so I needs to really listen to my own advice... but you know what I means... don'tcha?   

Anyways... a big thank you to Jean and her lovely family for hosting yet another fab Dabble Day event... I love going to these Dabble Days, they are a lovely bunch of ladies and always make me feel right at home.  Yesterday I taught this class three times... it was a two hour class so the ladies work in a rotation so they get to do three different classes.  And, normally, I will faff and waffle and forget to finish anything I demo in class... oh but not yesterday... oh ho! I made.. THREE!  I know!  THREE!  So... tomorrow, please do check back... might just be a little giveaway here.... *teehee*   Right, I shall away... I have a day of complete laziness and leisure lined up.  Tis the BTCC from Donnington and as ever, we will be heartily cheering on our very favourite driver... so, as ever.. GO PLATO!  Thanks for looking, have a goodly day!  TTFN

Hels x

Sunday Stamper - Week 253 - Paint Box

Gooooodly Morning Stampers and a very happy Sunday to you all!  Many thanks for the fabby square themed entries last week... and hello to some more first-time entrants too... I truly appreciate all your entries... makes me smile biggly!   On with the theme for this week *absolute classic song by Pink Floyd btw* which is... PAINT.  To join in is simples: make a little something, it can be anything you fancy.  Add in the theme and some stamping, pop back here and leave a link to the place you are showing your entry and I can pop by to visit you.  If you don't have a blog/web-hosty thingy, you can also join in via email (my addy is in the sideybar) or via Facebook, simply tag me onto your photo post and I will be able to come see you.   The challenge will remain open until 21:00 Saturday 20th April 2013.

I have made a tag for my entry this week and the paints I used?  Distress Paints!  My new addiction!  And I have yet to get my painty paws on the metallics, I cannot wait to play with those!   Anyways, I used the scraped paint method, applying first Antique Linen, then Victorian Velvet, then Seedless Preserves and then a smidge of Black Soot... and then all tied together with a small scrapings of more Antique Linen.   The stamps in the background are from the new JOFY collection for Paper Artsy, I decided not to emphasise the flower heads and leaves as I wanted them to stay in the background but they do look totes amazebobs if you stamp again onto some cream card or book page (or even patterned papers) and layer the circles over the top of the base image for that extra "pop".   I added my word of the year, die cut letters and painted with Black Soot Distress Paint... and a little Lace Border - this time using Black Soot Stain to colour it, I wanted this to be less prominant that the letters.

The flower is another of my Tattered Florals roses... this time cut from cream card, stencilled first with one of the gorgeous new Finnabair stencils in Seedless Preserves DP and then one of the new Studio 490 Stencils for Art (Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend) using Victorian Velvet DP and then a smidge of Black Soot around the edges of the petals to make them stand out a bit more.  The addition of a few torn strips of Washi Tape tie the background to the embellishments and of course, no tag would be complete without my fave butterfly stamp, this time coloured with Victorian Velvet and Seedless Preserves Stains.

I shall away now, I am scheduling this post as I am up bright and early for my trip up to Londinium for the Big Stamping & Scrapbooking Show at Ally Pally.  I will be demo-ing on the Creative Expressions stand, so if you going to the show, please do pop by to say hi... I will be doing all things Distress Painty and Art Party... a fun day ahead methinks!   Thanks for looking, have a great day!  TTFN

Hels x

And The Winner Is... Take I

...cor blimey and thrice! What a lot of wonderful comments you all left for my Giveaway Part I last week! Thank you all... muchly appreciated :O)   Without further ado, I shall announce the winner of my giveaway tag... so there were 70 comments in total... and Mr Random.org chose... Number 32... which tallies with a comment left by Denise.  

Thanks again all of you and if Denise could drop me an email with her addy so I can pop the tag into the post.  Also, there's still the rest of today to leave a comment HERE to win the card I am giving away :O)  I have had a lot of lovely emails and comments about the shows last week and the main theme is "can we see more of the samples..." so, being as I am like that, here are two more of the samples that I made using the Studio 490 goodies on the shows:  I have chosen two with similar colours so I don't have to talk right through everything... if you know what I mean...  Here's the card I made:

All of the colours used are: Scattered Straw Distress Stain and Ink, Wild Honey Distress Ink & Marker, Rusty Hinge Distress Ink & Marker, Vintage Photo Distress Ink & Marker.  Olive Archival and Jet Black Archival.   The Studio 490 Stamp sets used: Art For You, Wildflower Art & My Kind of Art.  For the card I cut a piece of card (cream in this case) and spritzed it liberally with water and then pounced the Scattered Straw Stain onto it and let the Stains drip... then dried it with a heat tool.   Next I smidged some Vintage Photo DI onto my craft sheet and spritzed with water, dipping the card into the inky mix and picking up little dotties of ink.  Another zap with a heat tool.  The honeycomb background was created by lightly scribbling the Vintage Photo Marker onto the large stamp... only in patches so it isn't an over-all image.

 Once stamped, I zapped with a heat tool to dry the ink.  Next came the masking - using the new Chicken Wire That Special Touch mask and Scattered Straw DI on some Cut & Dry foam, I blended patches of the mask to add extra detail to the background.  The butterflies are card covered Clearly For Art, stamped, coloured with Distress Markers and then heated and moulded.  The flower is a Wildflower Art Part, overstamped with the co-ordinating stamp and coloured with Distress Markers.   A smidge of jute to add a bit of extra texture to the card and the sentiment, stamped, coloured and chopped up to fit on the card and voila... finished card.... oh apart from the scribbles around the edges, done with a fine marker :O)

This next piece is the base of a Rectangle Art Part, coloured with Scattered Straw Stain and dried immediately - tis always the best way to operate when putting Stains onto Art Parts, so the paper fibres don't separate.  A smidge of blending around the edge of the Art Part with Rusty Hinge DI and another zap with a heat tool to set the ink.  Next I used a sanding block and lightly sanded the edges of the Art Part to shabby it up a bit.  The same application of Distress Marker for the honeycomb background to make a nice little something to see on the base of the Art Part... and then a smidge of flourish stamping with Olive Archival ink to add interest to the bottom of the Art Part.  Next came another Wildflower Art Part, stamped with the corresponding stamp and coloured with more of the Distress Markers.   The butterflies... they are book page covered Clearly For Art, stamped in Jet Black, coloured with Distress Markers and then cut and heated up and moulded.  To make the ickle hanging bit, I punched two holes in the Art Part base using a Crop-A-Dile and added in rusty wire for the hanger.   And there you have it.  I will be back tomorrow with a couple more cards that were samples on the shows... and also the winner of the card giveaway.  

Now, let me tell you... there was much mirth and utter excitement Chez Sheridan on Sunday evening.  I got back from my weekend of teaching at about 7pm and we decided to be very lazy and have some takeaway for tea... I know, lazyness indeedily but we had both been working all day... (any excuse right?)   Anyways... we settled down to our takeaway and a night of telly catching up.  After about three hours of telly catching up I needed a break.... you know, a *fresh air* break (hahaha) and went outside into the back garden.  Well, imagine the look on my chops when I saw something sitting in one of the trees in the Spinney at the bottom of the garden.  Guess what it was.... go on... guess.....    Nope, wrong... it was... AN OWL!!!  Oh yesh!!!! AN OWL!!!  At the bottom of the garden... like a REAL OWL!!!   See my excitement?  That is cos I LOVES Owls... very lots.  I have heard him callling a few times of late but hadn't actually seen him.   Anyways, I nipped back inside and called for Grim to come and see and then went back outside and walked veerrry slowly towards the bottom of the garden.  Every time he looked at me, I stood stock still... I was about five minutes looking at him.  Then Grim comes out and didn't adopt the one step at a time approach (rofl) and Mr Owl saw Grim and flew off.  Pah!  Never mind that though.  I saw a real OWL, you know, like a wild one, not one in a Raptor Centre.  I am still SO excited... to the point that I am going to let me hair grow wildly, buy a stick on beard and pretend I am Bill Oddie (rofl) and set up camp in the back garden again to see if Mr Owl comes to see us again.  Anyways.. enough wafflingtons from me for one day.  I have been visited by Mr Horrendously Evil Back-Pain so I am planning a day of rest...   Thanks for looking and have a fabby day!  TTFN

Hels x

It's.... Giveaway Time... Again!

...teeeheeee... oh yesh, it is Giveaway Time... again!  But wait, wasn't it giveaway time yesterday?  Indeedily it was... and that giveaway is still open, so if you haven't entered, just scroll down and you can see how to :O)   So another giveaway today... as another thank you for all your lovely emails, tweets, messages etc on Thursday and yesterday. *makes me so happy that you love the stuff I have been showing you*  I love comments... so please do tell me what you loved about the shows on Thursday... and did you indulge and get any little crafty pressies.  To be in with a chance of winning this card, just leave me a comment (click the "inky thinkings" button at the end of the post) and if you aren't already, click to follow me :O)   The winner will be chosen, at random, and announced on Wednesday 20th March 2013.

This is one of my demo cards from Thursday 3pm show.... I do so love playing with Distress Stains and when I was making all my samples I was playing around with them to see if I could come up with a different way of using them.  I decided to see if I could pick them up on Cut & Dry foam and blend with them... but the first one I picked up was a tad smudgy for blending... but then I said to myself "I wonder if I could streak them..." and yesh, indeedilily, I could.  I loved the effect so combined this new to me technique with my "drippy stains" technique.  Drippy Stains is a cool way of covering a piece of card/paper with Stains but making them more watercoloured.  Simply spritz the cardstock with a good old layer of water before you apply the Stains... and apply them in a pouncy motion.  It's also a very good idea to "prime" your Stains before you apply the water as you need to work pretty quickly: do this by pressing the Stain down onto your craft sheet and gently squeeze the bottle... nice and juicy then :O)  Once you have the colours applied, lift the card upright and dry with a heat tool, allowing the stains to drip all over.   Applying the Stains with the Cut & Dry foam is easy too: squeeze some Stain onto your craft sheet, pick up the Stain with Cut & Dry foam and then lightly streak it across the cardstock.  I have found the best way to control the streaking is to drag the Cut & Dry towards you.  Heat up to dry between each layer of colour... so on this card I used Seedless Preserves ... dried that layer and then went in with the Forest Moss.   To finish the card I used the new That Special Touch Chicken Wire mask (ohhh, my new fave!) and blended Scattered Straw DI over patches of it.  Because we used the Scattered Straw Stain with water, the Ink will show up more.   Adding a few die cuts for embellishments and an Art Part for that extra dimension finished the card perfectly!

 And there you have it... simples!  I hope, if you did place and order, that you don't have to wait too long for your new goodies to arrive with you and you have a lovely time playing.  As ever, if you get your goodies home and can't remember how to use them or need any help, just pop me an email over and I will happily try to answer any questions you may have.   Right then, I shall away... I am just getting myself ready to drive down to Swindon for my weekend of inkyness at Snazzy's... you should see the amount of boxes I am taking, poor old Ferdy, he is only a diddy little car so I have to put the seats down in the back to get the boxes in... it is like Operation Jig-Saw getting them all in there lol    Thanks for looking and have a wonderfully crafty weekend!   TTFN

Hels x

It's Giveaway Time...

...Cor blinking blimey and thrice!  Before I waffle on I just want to say a mahoosive thank you for all the fabby emails you sent in yesterday - it was a shame we didn't get a chance to read many out.  I know a couple of them had questions attached to them, if you would like me to answer them, please just pop me an email directly and I will be able to answer you that way :O)   So, as the title suggests, it is Giveaway Time today!  I was hoping we would be able to do an extra giveaway on the 6pm show yesterday but we just ran out of time... so... a little giveaway here instead.   To be in with a chance of winning this here tag, please just leave me a comment on this post... and if you aren't a follower already, click to follow my blog (over in the left had sidey bar :O))  I will pick a winner, chosen at random, who will be announced on Tuesday 19th March 2013.

This was supposed to be a full old demo tag but because we ran out of time, you never got to see it finished.  The technique I used is one I haven't tried before... and I was in the Land of Nod the other night and dreamt this idea up.  When I woke up I decided to give it a try and see if it worked... and it did!  Hurrah!  If you didn't get chance to see the demo, here's what I did: Covering a tag with an old bookpage to get a nice base for the tag design.  I used Cosmic Shimmer glue to stick them together.  Next I used a palette knife and lightly dragged smidges of Sand Eco Paint over the text, obscuring some and leaving some still showing.  Drying in between each layer is right important... so use a heat tool to speed this up.   Next I used Scattered Straw Distress Stain, squidging some onto my craft sheet and then picking it up with my palette knife and spreading it over the tag... keep applying it until you have the coverage you want.  Dry with a heat tool and then repeat with Seedless Preserves DS... and then again with ah smidge of Black Soot DS.  Once dried, use the Black Soot to edge the whole tag.

The birdy was coloured by pouncing Black Soot, Forest Moss and Scattered Straw Stains onto him and then drying him.   There's a Spiral flower made from normal black cardstock... and then some Heartfelt Falling Leaves cut from green Bazzill cardstock.   Check out the ickle embellies... how cute!  They are all Embellish Your Art pieces that were on the shows yesterday.  And there you have it!  

Like I said, thank you... every single comment, Tweet, email, Facebook mention... they all make me smile very biggly and mean ever such a lot to me... it means that you are liking the shows and the demo's and the goodies, which means that I am doing things right ::O))    Right.. I shall away... I have a busy day today getting ready for my weekend of classes at Snazzy's in Swindon.  *not to mention trying to tidy the Room of Stash and put stuff away... *   Thanks for looking!  Have a goodly day... TTFN

Hels x

PS... a few weeks ago I had a giveaway and the winner, Gill, hasn't been in touch with her addy ... Gill, if you could email me please and I will post your pressie to you!   Cheers :O)

Bright Blossoms by Darkroom Door

...cor blimey, I have been having a fun time playing with the brand new Bright Blossoms Vol 1 stamps by Darkroom Door.  It is my day for the DT today and I have a couple of cards that I made using these fabby new stamps.  The first card is a natural looking affair - I wanted to go with the "bright" colour thing but also I wanted to show that even though they are called bright, they don't necessarily need to be (plus, you know how I loves my brown tones)

The first thing I did was glue an old book page onto cardstock using Glue & Seal and once this was dry, I used Jet Black Archival ink to stamp out the first large flower image.  You can see how detailed the images are even when they are stamped onto a "noisy" background.  A few simple layers of kraft and black cardstock and that was the main image sorted... apart from a smidge of embellishing in the form of jute and a few butterflies that are from the Wings Collection.

The sentiment was stamped on the same bookpage, this time I dulled down the writing by smidging a bit of cream paint over the text so the sentiment pops more.  A little bit of tearing to match into the shabby theme and the card was made.

Card 2 uses the other large flowery image from the Bright Blossoms Vol 1 set... this time I stamped it directly onto cream card using Jet Black Archival ink and then spritzed it all over with water and pounced Wild Honey and Seedless Preserves Stains over the top... by wetting the card first, it helps the Stains to blend beautifully.  A quick zap with a heat tool to dry off the image and then some more layering onto cardstock to finish it off.  Oh and I found some old lacey trim that matched with the colours so I wrapped that around the piece too.

The sentiment is the same one, this time I inked the card with Seedless Preserves DI to tone it in.  The ickle butterflies are the same as Card 1 - this time they were stamped onto cream card and then lightly inked with more Seedless Preserves.    And there you have it.  One set of stamps and two cards totally different in look.   Please do pop over to the Darkroom Door blog HERE because the rest of my talented teamies have been making gorgeous creations with the new stamps.  Right I shall away... a to-do list is being ticked off today!   Thanks for looking... TTFN!

Hels x

Been Playing...

...with my new set of Tim Holtz stamps!  I had a happy little time getting thoroughly covered in ink whilst playing with this new set of Tim stamps that I was lucky enough to receive at CHA... and a signed set no less!!!   The set is called Time Travellers and it is one of the hand sketched by Brett Weldele sets.   The chap I have used on my tag reminds me of a tycoon of the Industrial Revolution, you know, someone like Isambard Kingdom Brunel, which is why I added the "discover" word... except I know IKB had the tallest stove pipe hat.. maybe Abraham Derby III (can you guess that the Industrial Revolution is one of my pet subjects? I am fascinated by it all!  I even chose this subject to be the majority of the History A Level that I did at night school! Such is my lurve for it!!! Night school!!!)

The tag backgound was created by splodging Iced Spruce, Peacock Feathers, Salty Ocean and Frayed Burlap Stains onto my craft sheet, misting lighty with a spritz of water and then smooshing the tag through the inkiness.  Once dried, I picked up little dots of colour to add some depth to the background.  Once this was dry, I edged the whole tag with Walnut Stain Distress Ink to create a frame for the tag.  Next came some stamping - Jet Black Archival as usual - stamping the sketch cogs onto the base of the tag and then the schematic from Tim's Steampunk stamp set.  I then set about making something dimensional for the tag and cut some cogs from the Gears Alterations die using Grungeboard... and coloured them with Distress Inks... a little tip... to get ink into the recess areas that the blending tool won't reach - use a Cut & Dry nib, works a treat!

I stamped Lord Snooty (he does look ever so slightly snooty doesn't he!) in Jet Black Archival ink and then used a paintbrush and Distress Stains to colour him in - Vintage Photo, Peeled Paint, Pumice Stone and then a blend of Frayed Burlap DI over the top.  He was then layered onto 3D foam and popped onto the tag.  Finishing touches were the adding of Idea-ology - yes, I got a little over excited and used a tonne of it... nowt new there then lol   The word "discover" is actually a Chit Chat Sticker that I snipped to size and then popped it onto a File Tab and added the epoxy sticker over the top.  And there you have it... my first make using the new stamps from the one and only Duke of Distress!

Anyways... guess what!!!  It would appear that I am suffering from Soooper JetLagintons!  Oh yesh, this is a condition that can make one be wide awake most of the night and want to sleep most of the day... and also means that one is a tad forgetful *oh aye, just like normal then* and also means that one has to spend most of ones time in an ink covered state whilst allowing the dust bunnies to multiply and ironing to remain in a crumpled heap.  Oh dear, I am just trying to make excuses for being a slattern again... although I am a smidge busy in the Room of Stash... I am prepping for my classes this weekend at Birds In The Barn in Marks Tey, Essex... BTW, I am doing a demo-day there on Sunday so if you are at a loose end, it would be FAB to see you!  Right, I shall away... there are some Distress Inks that are calling me..... Thanks for looking... TTFN!

Hels x

Taggingtons...

... I really MUST stop with the adding of "ingtons" onto the end of every available word I can think of.  It all started with Alfie.  He talks you see... sometimes is in so foul of mouth I have to cover my ears but for the most time, we have lovely little conversations.   Well, being as I am home most of the time we have got ourselves into a little routine when it comes to Alfie's meal times.  He has his "breakie" and then comes the next meal... lunch,  or as I started calling it, lunchingtons.  And it has kind of stuck.  If I say to Alf "you want some lunch?" He just looks at me.  If I say to Alf "you want some lunchingtons?" He leaps up and looks very happy to see me!  And when he does his business in his litter tray, he has very oft been to "dumpingtons" or "poopingtons"  *depending on the severity lol*    See what I mean?  It is so easy to add "ingtons" onto the end of words.  Which is why I titled this post "taggingtons" because "tag" is just too short and not at all imaginative for a blog post title.  With all of that wafflingtons (snort) out of the way, here is a little tag(gintons) that I made whilst staying with Ellen.  I can't believe it is a whole week since I set off for home! Where did that go huh?  Oh and yes, the jet lag is almost over.. thanks for asking, it has been a nightmare(ingtons) *ahem*

So, my creation (I sooo want to say "tag" but you know what it will turn into... tis a compulsion) is a cacophony of new stuff!  Starting with the base, which is a new Studio 490 Art Part.  You all know my lurve of tags and how much I love Art Parts... so the GENIUS that is Wendy Vecchi has made tag from Art Part material!  Like I said: GENIUS!   I decided to give myself a time limit on this tag... Ellen and I had been making art Studio 490 stylee and I was finished with my piece but Ellen was still in Creatingtons (see what I mean, you can make a normal word a place name!) so I decided to do a super quick Art Part piece and finish around the same time as her.  Right, where was I?  Ah yes, the tag base, covered with new papers I got in Michael's.. they are lushingtons aren't they?  They are by My Minds Eye, the colour palette is so me... and muted enough to be able to add inking and stampingtons (this is getting a smidge daft now right?)  So the top part of the tag had the new gorgeous background from Heirloom Art overstamped in Coffee Archival.  I can see lots of possibilites with this background stamp, tis now a new fave!  On the bottom half of the tag I stamped out some of the new mini flourishes in Coffee Archival (from Daisy Art). 

The floral embellishment... well, what can I say?  Mrs V has excelled herself with the designing of this batch of Art Parts - she has only gone and designed etched Art Parts!!!  And yes, I am bouncing with excitement... not only are my fave Art Parts intricately cut and detailed, there's etching in them to add more dimension!  See, told ya she is a GENIUS!  The flower/leaf Art Part has a co-ordinating stamp... again from Daisy Art... I didn't use this on the Art Part basey bit though... what I did was covered some Clearly For Art with some of the MME papers and stamped the flower in Jet Black Archival and then cut that out, coloured it with Barn Door Distress Stain and gave it a zap of heat to dry it.  I then smudged a smidge (smudged a smidge? huh?) of Gathered Twigs DI on the edges. 

 
The base Art Part had the leaves coloured with Forest Moss DI and then I overstamped another new stamp - the chevrons (love them) in Olive Archival.  The flower/leaf Art Part is a two layered one, so I coloured the flower layer with more Barn Door, edged with Gathered Twigs, overstamped a lettery background with Jet Black and then sanded the edges to shabby them up a bit.   I heated up the Clearly For Art flower - from the CFA side as trying to heat through the paper takes a yonk - and curled the petals whilst still warm.  The flower in the centre is an Embellish Your Art resin bloom, coloured with Fired Brick Distress Marker and dried with a heat tool.   I stamped some wordy bits... the sentiments are in Jet Black Archival and of course, WISH had to be on there being as it is my word of 2013!  **btw, WISH is the Sunday Stamper theme this week... HERE are the deets!**    I painted the scallop trim with Pitch Black Dabber, dried it, sanded it, edged with Gathered Twigs and then overstamped with a dotty border stamp.  The ickle spidey is one of my fave 490 stamps, he just sits on any design perfectly.  I added little dashes around the edge for faux stitches and then added some pearly bits to finish.  

 I still wasn't happy with it... a bit plain I thought... so I grabbed an Idea-ology Curio Knob for the top of the tag and then finally... see the ickle black flower?  That is actually a fridge magnet!  Wendy Vecchi has teamed up with Blossom Bucket again and designed some home decor!  And I have seen the new stuff at CHA and I neeeeeds it all!  Anyways, the ickle flower... I picked it up in The Queen's Ink and knew I was going to be loving it... shame there weren't any more, I would have got them all!  I removed the magnet from the back and used Cosmic Glue to stick it onto the scallop trim.  And there you have it.  And yes, Ellen finished her Art Part piece looong before I had finished faffing lol

AlfieCat has been so cute this morning I have to share a couple of pics of him.  He is a typical cat, nose into everything and owns everything in the house... including my Room of Stash.  So I am halfway through doing some packaging up stuff to post and he decided to help... looking ever so innocent... right?  Yeah!! lol 

Right, I shall away!  I am suffering a smidge with the old war wound at the moment so I think I may need to go to *ahem* Relaxingtons today!    Thanks for looking... have a goodly day yourself!  TTFN

Hels x