In My Pocket........There is a PussyCat

Morning Crafters,

Thank you to all of you who joined in with the challenge last week - I loved seeing all your snowy Pockets.

This week I have a Cat in my Pocket, well, not literally cos that would be a bit painful (claws) :O))

Here is the template for your Pocket:




I made this Pocket a while ago and I just haven't had chance to use it yet, so here it is.

I used my most beloved stamp for this Pocket. It is an image of my cat Poppy who is no longer with us. I have probably said this before so I won't bore you too much but she is the reason I am a crafter for when I lost her, Grim bought me a crafty TSV to try and help me think about something else and I haven't looked back since!

Anyways, this year Jennie from The Artistic Stamper very kindly used my favourite photo of Poppy and made it into a stamp for me.




This Pocket is my little tribute to Poppy - I printed off the words and then matted them onto red and black Bazzill cardstock. I edged the whole Pocket with Fired Brick Distress Ink and used some Grungeboard to make her a crown and some wings. The closure is actually a small piece of velcro which I have hidden behind the wing. Inside the Pocket I had just stamped, matted and placed another image of her and added some more words and some ribbon. The hearts are also made from Grungeboard - I simply coloured with Fired Brick and spritzed with a mixture of water and gold mica paint.



All the bits and bobs I used for this Pocket are available from The Artistic Stamper, including the stamp of Poppy, so if you would like to have your very own Poppy in your collection, I would be really honoured.

As usual, once you have made your Pocket, please leave a comment here and add a link to the place you are showing yours - then I can come and visit.

Have a good day everyone, happy Bonfire Night - be safe with those fireworks peeps.

Hels x

In My Pocket.......There is some Snow!

Good morning!

Well, here at Chez Hels we have had a lovely snowfall :O)) Apparently, it is the first time for 34 years that we have had snow in October. I looooove snow and was so excited last night that I went off into the garden, armed with my camera, and I took a few photo's. It is not often that we get any snow here so this was a treat! However, poor old Grim was not best pleased at all. He went off to watch his beloved Luton Town last night and was home fifteen mins after kick-off.....cos the match was abandoned!

Here is the template for your Pocket:


Anyways, the In My Pocket theme for this week is Snow. I know a few of you are making your Christmas cards and I figured that you could make a Pocket as an alternative maybe and most of us have something snowy in our stash.

Here are some piccies of the garden, last night and then this morning. I took my life in my hands as it has frozen solid and the patio was really slippery, somehow I managed to keep upright which is nothing short of a miracle as I am so clumsy LOL


The above piccie was taken just using a normal setting on the camera - but it didn't really come out as I had hoped....so, once I had saved this one, I fiddled about in Photo Shop and got this effect:


Believe it or not, this photo was taken at about 9pm last night...I know it looks like daytime doesn't it? The wonders of computers and digital photo's eh?

And then this morning, I took these photo's: You can see loads of paw prints on the lawn, so I think that the local foxes must have had a party out there last night!!



And I am so not impressed because I didn't see the weather warning and still had all my little plants out on the patio - which are no doubt frozen and dead as dodo's now :O(( I usually bring all the soft plants in over winter so I can use them again, year after year....but I will be lucky if I can rescue any of them this year!




This piccie shows that the snow was quite deep...it is all thawing out now so I am going to make the most of it and try to make a snowman later...well, a mini snowman at least :O))


Anyway, enough of being terribly British and talking about the weather.....Here is the Pocket that I made for todays theme:




I used some fabby stamps from Inkadinkado and clear embossed them and then coloured the card with Distress Inks in Broken China and Faded Jeans. I edged the Pocket and the little messages with white embossing powder and then added a gorgoeus snowflake embellie from Imaginisce and used a snowflake charm and brad as a closure.



Once you have made your Pocket, please leave a post here and add a link to where you are showing yours.

Enjoy!

Hugs Hels x

In My Pocket.......There is a Square

Hello Peeps,

Well, I am a little bit late in posting the new In My Pocket theme this week...I have a really good excuse though...I got up late and ended up rushing about before work...and as soon as I got home I made the Pocket and fair dashed to the laptop to post it! Am I forgiven? :O))

The theme this week is Squares. You can use any medium you like so long as it is square in shape. Here is the template for your Pocket:




For mine, I used the brand new TSV that has finally arrived at Chez Hels....it took long enough but I can say it was deffo worth the wait. For those of you who missed out, I am sad for you cos it truly is the most gorgeous collection of papers, chipboard, ribbons, scrapbooks and photo frames from Cosmo Cricket. Those of you who know me will know that I just looooove Cosmo Cricket and this selection is superb!



I covered my template with co-ordinating papers, stamped cut out a few Stitchels Mini & Mini Mini flowers, which are available from The Artistic Stamper and then popped them onto the Pocket. The squares are inside the flap, three of them which I layered together to make a little mat for my message, which is a stamp from Hero Arts (actually the stamp on the front is by them too!) The closure is actually a chipboard piece which I attached to the base of the Pocket using brads from my stash and then popped a couple more Stitchels on top of it. The buttons on the Stitchels are also from the TSV....they are so cute aren't they?



Anyways, as usual, once you have made your Pocket, please leave a message here and add a link to the place you are showing yours so I can come and nosey :O))

I am taking this opportunity to tell you all that I have some exciting news too!!! Yes! Calv has agreed to join the Creative Design Team for The Artistic Stamper!!! Yippeeeee, welcome Calv, it is great to have you on board...also, equally as exciting, Maddy has agreed to be a very special Guest Designer AND Linda has agreed to become my Principal Artist for the Stitchels range of stamps - so a huge welcome to you both too! I really am sooooo excited, as is Jennie.....and whilst I am prattling on about The Artistic Stamper, I really must point you in the direction of the website and the Blog as there are some exciting new things going on there.....all this excitement...I really must go and have a little lie down now!! Before I go I will just say, please click on the names of the new Design Team members, this will transport you to their own Blogs and I can guarantee that you will all simply love their creations....they are a clever bunch!

Enough from me for one evening, have fun with the Pocket challenge and thanks for looking!

Hugs Hels x

In My Pocket.....There Is A Leaf

Morning Peeps,

Thank you for joining in with the Pocket challenge last week....I saw some really great takes on the theme of Watches....I just love visiting you all and seeing what you come up with for the challenge :O))

This week the theme is seasonal....I have looked out of the window this morning and seen all the leaves turning orangey red and fluttering to the ground...so I thought we could have a Leaf in our pockets this week.

I would love to see some really rich Autumnal colours in your Pockets too...and with lots of leaves inside, I cannot wait to see what you all come up with!

My Pocket is in the drying stage...I am running out of time as per usual but thought I would set the challenge anyway....I know a few of you like to get yours made on the day that the challenge is set :O))

Here is the template for your Pocket.....



Once you have made yours, please leave me a message here with a link to the place you are showing yours.

Thanks for looking and joining in ... and Happy Autumn.....brrrrrr, now where did I leave that wooly jumper?

Hels xx

In My Pocket......There is a Watch

Hello Friends,

It is Wednesday already - this week is whizzing past! And cos it is Wednesday there is a new theme for the Pocket Challenge. First of all, thank you to those of you who joined in with the challenge last week, I have enjoyed hopping over to your Blogs and looking at your lovely Pockets.

This week the theme is Watches.

Here is the template for you to use as a guide to make your Pocket:



Once you have made the base template for your Pocket, you can decorate it in any way, just add a watch or a clock to the Pocket - inside, outside, tis up to you....and please make a post here to say you have made yours this week and also add a link to where you are showing it. :O))



I have made mine using some plain cardstock which I coloured with Scattered Straw and Vintage Photo Distress Inks. I used the fabulous clock and watch stamps from The Artistic Stamper, masking each image as I stamped so they give the look of being piled on top of each other.



The sentiments are from Penny Black and Stampers Anon (Tim Holtz collection) and the flourishes are by Basic Grey.

I added some little watchy bits and stuck them down with Glossy Accents - I wanted to achieve the effect of it looking like the watch was falling apart and the bits were tumbling out :O))



The closure is a Game Spinner from the Tim Holtz Idea-ology range..... best of all, you can get the watch stamps, the watch bits and faces, Distress Inks, Glossy Accents and the Idea-ology range from The Artistic Stamper.....fab eh? Shopping under one roof!!

I hope you like this theme, it is a nice easy one and I am really looking forward to seeing what you all come up with....so I will be "watching" out for your replies *groans...I know, I can't help myself* In fact, I will be Pocket watching ......ah, I think I will stop now and let you all get on with your crafting!! :O))

Thanks for looking!!

Hels x

In My Pocket.......There Is A Bottle Cap

Morning Peeps,

Thank you to all of you who joined in with the last challenge - and a big congrats to Calv for having a certain Mr Holtz visit his Blog :O)) *am not at all jealous, reallly!!!*

This week the new theme is Bottle Cap. As usual, you need to make your Pocket to the dimensions on the template (below) and hide your Bottle Cap inside the flap of your Pocket.



You can decorate your Pocket however you like and it is a "free" theme this week which means you can let your imagination run riot and make whatever you like :O))

For my entry I used Distress Inks in Scattered Straw and Dusty Concord and blended them together using a Blending Tool. The Distress Inks are available from The Artistic Stamper. The stamping of the main image inside was masked before I coloured the card, then I simply painted in the dress and postmark etc using a waterbrush and distress re-inkers.



I added a little BottleCap to the inside - it is one of the "bought" ones instead of my usual ones that I nick of the top of Grim's beer bottles. LOL The reason for using a bought one is that they are slightly flattened on the edges so they are easier to conceal. I stamped the little girl image onto Rustic Gem paper and then cut out and popped into the Bottle Cap. I added Glossy Accents all over the top of the paper insert and let it dry. I then ran a gold Krylon around the edge of the Bottle Cap just to make the colour co-ordinate better.



I have a set of "Inchie" stamps, that have the main image I used, in minature, so I used this on a piece of 1" square stampbord, scratched it a little bit to define it and then added this to the front of the Pocket.



Do you like my new "binding" stamp that I used on the top and inside of the Pocket? I love it! I have been wanting something like this for a while now and when I saw it on Scrapz the other day, I just had to be nawty and buy it :O)) It is from River City Rubber Works and the other stamps I used are from Lost Coast Designs, Catslife Press and Penny Black.

Thanks for looking and please remember to add a post on here along with a link to the place you are showing your entry for this week.

Have a good day everyone....my pain has been really bad the past few days which is why I haven't had chance to be here much :O(( However, I am planning to make my Sunday Stamper entry later today, so will update that post soon....if you haven't joined in the Sunday Stamper before, please have a peep at the post below this one and see if it takes your fancy...the rules for this are soooo simple - all you need to do is make something that has stamping on it that fits in with the theme!

Cheers

Hels x

In My Pocket.......There Is A Star

Hello Friends,

Thanks to all of you who joined in last week's challenge, it was lovely to see all your interpretations of Art :O))

This week there is a special theme for the In My Pocket Challenge; The theme is Stars and I am dedicating the theme to all my lovely Angel forum friends who have been total stars and been so supportive of me over the past few trying months. They have been there and listened, supported me and given me their friendship - and for that I am truly thankful. Bless you all, you know who you are xxxx

For newbies to the Challenge, here is a template of the Pocket:


The rules are very simple - make a pocket using this template - you can adjust if you wish, and then decorate it however you want to and add in the theme of the week to your design - the idea is to hide the theme in the flap of the Pocket but you can pop the design where you want really! Next you need to post on this entry to tell me where you are showing your Pocket, then I can come and visit and look at your lovely work of art! See, told you it was simple LOL




I used some delish papers from Fancy Pants for my Pocket. I simply covered the Pocket and then edged the papers with Walnut Stain Distress Ink. I used some Alpha stamps to make the message inside and the "Wish" stamp is from Catslife Press.



I cut out the stars from the paper design and popped them onto 3D foam to add some depth to the Pocket. I used a Phototurn as a closure and there you are...a completed Pocket!

Thanks for looking and I do hope that you will be able to take part with this challenge.

Hels xx

PS I almost forgot to mention.....and I don't want to sound like I am bragging or anything...but (am a teensy bit excited!!)....I made a Pocket for the Craft Stamper magazine...and it has been published!!! It is in the October 08 edition which has just gone on sale...and all the details of how I made the Pocket etc are in there too! I am soooo chuffed, it was one of my dreams to have an article in a magazine, and I think that because I kind of devised the template for the Pocket, I am even more chufftier LOL....anyways, thanks again for looking....and if you get the chance to buy the magazine, I would love to hear what you think of the article. Hugs xx

In My Pocket...........There Is Art!

Hello Peeps,

The Pocket Challenge returns this week after a little break and the theme is Art.

Just to refresh your memories or for new peeps to the challenge I thought I would quickly outline the "rules" of the Challenge;

Make a Pocket - I have included the template for you to use - then simply decorate your Pocket how you want to but remember to add the theme to the inside of the Pocket. You can add any kind of embellies or ephemera to your Pocket and once you have made it, simply post on this Blog entry and add a link to the place you are showing your Pocket...that way I can pop over to have a look at your creation. :O))

Here is the template:



And here is my effort for this week: I used sturdy card as a base, covered it with those Rustic Gem papers that seem to be finding their way onto everything I am making at the moment!! I used the Artists Plate by The Artistic Stamper (which is one of my faves as it is so versatile!!) and added a couple of extra word stamps which are by Catslife Press. The words Art are from my stash and I can't remember who made the stamps!!



Inside the Pocket, I used a slide mount and covered it with paper, then I stamped the pen nibs along the bottom and for the actual image inside, I masked a couple of the pencil images and then stamped the ink bottle over the top. I love masking images as this builds up a lovely depth to the project. If you haven't tried masking before, it is more simple than it sounds. I tend to use copy paper with a reposistionable adhesive but you can use Post It Notes too. I am too stingey to buy them!! LOL Simply stamp the image you want, then stamp it onto a Post It or paper, cut the image out, taking care to cut closely to the outside of it. Then position this over the top of your stamped image and then you can stamp over this . When you lift the mask you will have two images that look like they are placed on top of each other. I just thought I would mention that my ever so clever and talented pal Dan has done a tutorial about Distress Inks and uses this masking method in a different way....pop over to his Blog to have a look at what he has done - it is well worth a visit cos he is such an inspiration.


Thanks for looking and I hope you like the theme this week....please feel free to leave me comments and I am looking forward to seeing all your lovely works of art.

Hels x

In My Pocket.....There Is A Little Sunshine

Morning peeps,

Thank you to all who entered last weeks challenge....again, it was lovely to visit your Blogs and see all your fab creations.

This week there is a Little Sunshine in my Pocket. Basically, we could all do with some sunshine couldn't we? What with the rotten weather (how typically British of me to talk about the weather!!) and it seems like Summer has passed us by this year!




So, all you need to do is add a little sunshine to your Pocket this week, as usual you can use any kind of medium to make your Pocket, be it stamping, papercrafting etc...the choice is yours. Please remember to add a link to your Blog/place where you are showing your Pocket, so I can visit and see your lovely work of art. Here is the template for you to copy for your Pocket.



I have made mine using some great papers from the White Out Collection by We R Memory Keepers and combined these with Mini Mini Stitchels flowers and the Stitchels sunshine and tree stamps.


All of these stamps can be found at The Artistic Stamper (if you click on the name, it will take you straight to the shop!!) and I happen to know that they are going to be having a 25% off sale this week, so now is the right time to pop on over there are order yourself a little treat :O))


Have fun peeps and thanks for looking

Hels x

In My Pocket......There is a Postage Stamp

Morning Peeps,

Thanks to everyone for joining in with last weeks Pocket challenge - it was lovely to see so many different butterflies being used...aren't they just the most gorgeous type of stamp to play with? I really love those new acrylic stamps from Inkadinkadoo and I actually managed to stay away from my old faithful Penny Black Brush Butterfly for a change LOL

This week the theme changes to Postage Stamps. I reckon that most of us crafters will have some form of postage stamp, be it an actual used one or a stamped image of one....how you interpret the challenge is up to you...all you need to remember is to hide your stamp(s) away under the Pocket flap as usual.

Here is a reminder of the template for the Pocket....kindly designed by good old Grim who is very clever with computery things.



For my Pocket, I used a combination of Broken China and Vintage Photo Distress Inks, which I blended with Cut & Dry foam. I have a blending tool now but still manage to end up with more ink on my fingers and hands than on the project! Once I had coloured the whole Pocket with these inks, I spritzed water into my hand and then flicked it onto the Pocket to create a splotchy effect. I dried the water off using my heat gun and then set to with the stamping.

The front of the Pocket has part of a huge stamped image from the Tim Holtz Collection. I wanted to have the postmark showing more than the rest of the stamp so positioning it was a little bit trial and error as this is a wood mounted stamp. Actually, it was a pressie from my friend Tina....and this is the first time I have had chance to use the stamp, so thank you again Tina xx



I coloured a slide mount with Broken China ink and then stamped a script stamp, from The Artistic Stamper, over the top. I used a little bit of clear embossing powder to set the ink as I was impatient and wanted to crack on with the next bit! Once I had added a little postmark and stamp image under the slide mount, I then used a wax seal which says Carte Postale, dropping the wax off the edge of the mount. I did this on my non stick craft sheet...and it actually did just that.....didn't stick :O)) I picked up a little bit of gold Krylon on my finger tip and rubbed this over the wax seal to define the wording as it was quite difficult to read it.


For the inside of the Pocket I stamped the same script as before onto the top flap, this time using Sepia VersaFine, as I wanted the script to stand out more. I altered an Idea-ology ticket, adding a few stamped images, again from The Artistic Stamper, as I wanted to make it look like it was an old ticket from a shop that had been "cancelled".



I added a page stamp by Lost Coast Designs to the bottom half of the Pocket and then added the old stamps...I bought these about a hundred years ago, knowing one day they would come in handy LOL. The final bits of stamping are the words, which is by Catslife Press and the pencils, which are from The Artistic Stamper.



When I was rummaging in my room yesterday, I found these little paper clips which I think I got from eBay, again about a hundred years ago!! The little resin picture on the clip actually has a postage stamp on it....how fab! To close the Pocket, I have used a little swirly metal clip, which I also found during my rummaging!

Thanks for looking and I hope you have fun with the new theme this week. Please remember to add a post on here to let me know you have made yours and also add a link to the place you are showing your creation...then I can come and have a nosey at your lovely artwork.

Have fun!

Hels x

*Blimey, I have just re-read all of that....I seem to have gone a bit OTT with the explanation today LOL :O))

In My Pocket......There is a Butterfly

Morning Peeps,

Thanks to those of you who joined in with last weeks theme....it was lovely to see us all loved up LOL

This week the theme is Butterflies. As usual, if you make your Pocket to the dimensions on the template, decorate it how you want to and add the butterflies to it.



Once you have made your Pocket, please pop a post on here and add a link to the place you are showing your Pocket....then I can come and visit and have a look at your work of art.


I made mine using Basic Grey Two Scoops papers and some Butterfly stamps by Inkadinkadoo. I added the little frame on the front and used a Hero Arts message stamp to it and the words inside the Pocket are made using StudioG alpha's.



I added a few ribbons from my stash and finished off with some Stickles to give the butterflies a bit of sparkle and a closure by Queen & Co.

Thanks for looking!

Hels x

In My Pocket......There is a Message of Lurve

Morning Peeps,

Another Wednesday so another theme for the In My Pocket challenge. Thank you to all of you who joined in last week, I loved all your creations!

This week the theme is A Message of Love.

As usual, if you make your pocket to these dimensions:

And then if you add your theme under the flap of the Pocket so it is "secret".

I made mine using those fab new papers by Basic Grey from the Euphoria collection. Aren't they lush? I also used some Stitchels flower and heart stamps, layering the flowers and adding buttons for the middles of them.



I painstakingly sat for hours, sewing white thread through all the Stitchels......ah...nearly had you going there!! Anyone who knows me, knows I am useless with a needle and thread, so I cheated!!! I used the Ranger Inkessentials White pen, and just drew little white lines inbetween each dot on the Stitchel image LOL


My little message is from the song I Love You Because by Jim Reeves, ah, I bet most of you are too young to remember this one but it is one of my faves......and I added the little message onto a little folded tag that I made, also using the BG papers.



I hope you enjoy this theme and once you have made your Pocket, please add a comment here and add a link to the place where you are showing your artwork.

Thanks for looking,

Hels xx

In My Pocket........There Is A Ruler.....

Hi Peeps

Thank you to all of you who joined in with the challenge last week - fab little Pockets are springing up everywhere :O))

This week the theme is ..... a Ruler. You can interpret this one how you wish but as always, if you make your Pocket to the template size and then use any kind of medium to decorate it, including a ruler or rulers hidden under the flap.



Please remember to add a little comment here with a link to the place you are showing your work of art.....and I will try to upload my piccie later, am having a few issues with the camera (!) so hopefully it won't be too long.




Thanks for joining in .....

Hels xx

In My Pocket.......There Are Some Ribbons

Hello peeps,

A new theme for the In My Pocket challenge today! Thank you to all of you for joining in last week...all those little birdy creations were super.

The theme this week is Ribbon.

I have a little something here to help you a bit too if you are stuck with the template....I sweet talked my Grim into making a proper computerised template jobby (cos we all know how thick I am and could never have made this!!)

Here it is........hope this helps you...and thank you to Grim for being clever!! xx


The rules are the same as usual, make a Pocket, decorate it how you want to and then add some secret ribbons to the inside of the flap....you can add them to the outside too but there should be a little bit of ribbon inside...that is the point of the challenge I suppose!! LOL



For my Pocket, I used my favest papers in the whole wide world which are the Avenue Collection by Crate Paper.



I also used some of the Stitchel stamps, stamping them direct to the paper and then cutting them out and layering them to make them look fatter.



Now, I have a new camera!!! Yes, it is fabby and no, I still am useless taking piccies.....Grim has used it and taken some great shots, I used it and got the usual blurry images!!! I am going to have to read the manual and figure what I am doing wrong.



Anyways, have a good day and I hope you have fun with your Pocket, please remember to add you comment to this post along with a link to the place you are showing your work of art.

Have fun!

Hels x