Sunday Stamper - Week 213 - Dreamer

Goooodly Morning Stampers and a very happy Sunday to you all! Many thanks for the FAB entries to last weeks challenge, as ever, seeing all your different interpretations of the theme makes me smile big :O)) This weeks theme is the word DREAM. Now, you can use the word alone, included in a sentiment, a literal "dream" of yours... there are endless possibilities. To join in is simples: 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 haven't got a blog or web-hosting photo site, you can use Facebook or email me a piccie of your entry. The challenge will remain open until 21:00 Saturday 14th July 2012.




My entry this week is the fruit of another Skype sesh with Ellen. We decided to make a recipe that included a large tag (the mahoosive one), inspiration from Finnabair (see her amazing art HERE), paint, gesso, paper flowers, strips of canvas, punched/diecut shapes, ink sprays and lots of embellies. The word to use was Dream and we were to chop the tag into two at 2 1/4" from the bottom so it could be dangled... scary but... I love the effect. Anyways, I started by layering paper die cut shapes along with punched pieces, masking tape and strips of canvas onto the tag. I then used a spatula to slap some Gesso over the whole lot... I use Claudine Hellmuth Studio Gesso - to me, this is the best one, it is thick, creamy and is fab at covering everything.



I used Cool Peri and Pool Dabbers, applying them in layers, using Cut & Dry at first... once the layers were dried, I added some "dabs" of the colours to add intensity in patches. Next I scraped a smidge of Gesso over the top of the whole tag, this just highlighted the raised bits... I didn't want too much white but needed to add some depth to the piece and the Gesso did the trick. Next, I blobbed a dollop (love that word) of Gesso onto my craft sheet and spritzed it with Stream Colourwash so I had a custom colour paint... and it was quite runny which is what I needed because I was just scraping this very lightly over the tag, this brings all the colours together and adds more depth.




The next bit is one of the bestest bits for me... using a Stabilo All pencil (black) and a waterbrush to refine all around the diecut/punched pieces... this makes them really pop from the background, adding yet more depth. Then... once I was happy with it all, I set about layering on paper flowers, leaves and lots of embellies (as per our recipe, who am I to argue? lol) Now, I do have a comprehensive collection (ok, a hoard) of flowers, but guess what? Not a single one went with the colours I used... so, I knocked them all back with Gesso, applied with Cut & Dry foam.




Then the realllllly scary bit... spritzing the spray inks from the recipe. Ellen has it on good authority (ok, she watched Anna's video) that the very last thing you need to do is spritz. I am such a baby... I liked the look of the tag, I know how cack-handed I can be... and I was so cringy, aware that one spritz in the wrong direction would wreck the lot. So, I figured out that if I covered most of the tag with kitchen roll and just spritzed the bits that I wanted, I would be safe. And it worked! So, the sprays used were Purple Twilight CW spray that I had decanted into a Mini Mister and added some water (that colour scares me... wow) and some Cosmic Shimmer in Turquoise (I didnt' shake the bottle before spritzing so there's less sparkle)




And there you have it. And... I LOVE IT! It isn't very often that I look at something I have made and go "ooh, I love that" But... this one I do... I am so chuffed that this recipe made me step outside the inkpad and think about using paints and layers and stuff that I wouldn't normally do. If you fancy using our recipe, please do feel free and then come and show us what you did... Pop over to Ellen's place to see her tag... wowzers, she has pulled out all the stops with this one... tis a gorgeous creation indeedily.



So... enough of the waffling for me for one day.... I hope you are having a good weekend and keeping dry... I reckon that Summer is on it's way....it will be here in about 12 months rofl Thanks for looking.... TTFN

Hels x

Pretty Vintage...

...I am such a slack Alice you know because way back on Jan 1st I was full of "oh I will make loads of cards this year and never be rushing about for a last minute one" Hahaha... that lasted all of a few weeks... and then I decided, for reasons still unknown to me, that I needed to make several hundred tags. Which are nice to make and don't get me wrong, I do love a nice tag sesh... but it hasn't helped the card basket at all.


So... today is Friday which means it is my day for the Bubbly Funk DT. So, I decided to put right the wrongs of the resolution slip up and make a card... then I got so involved I made another one, straight away too... using the same basic stash I used on the first one. To see the other card in full, please CLICK HERE to visit Bubbly Scrumptious (oh how I love that name!)

This here is the card on the BF blog :O))

Anyways... there I was 02.12am and sitting on the edge of the bed feeling ever so grumpy because yet another night was ruined with this no sleep lark... so I did what any normal (humph) crafter would do, I went and made myself a nice cuppa coffee and then went into the Room of Stash. Now, bearing in mind it is the middle of the night and therefore I had to make like a mouse so as not to wake my sleeping beauty, I decided to make "something quiet" I mean, how hard can that be? No thumping and banging about with hammers and Dabbers and stuff... and of course, I have the super silent heat gun from Ranger.


Well, best laid plans of "Hels like a mouse"... all was going swimmingly until the pile of Tim stamps decided to come alive and slide onto the floor... taking several acrylic blocks and a tin of Fragments with them! Noise? Ha! Well, I sat there cringing, shoulders hunched and eyes tight shut, waiting for an appearance of the now not so sleeping beauty... but nay and thrice! It didn't wake him! Phew! Well, I so enjoyed making the first card that I decided to make another. Now, I only ever seem to make square cards, so I grabbed a piece of white card and made up one, my own sizing - similar to that of a tag *just can't get away from them there tags you know* I used the same stash and added a little Glassine flower I made... I cut rough circles out of the Glassine, scrunched them up, snipped into them, coloured with Aged Mahogany and then scrunched and assembled, using a brad to fix the layers together.




Anyways... enough waffling already from me for one day... I have a confession to make... I am a Cherry Addict and I need help! It all started a few weeks ago when Morrison's were selling a punnet for a pound... so I bought a few... and then the local Co-Op is doing three big punnets for a fiver... and last night... I ...erm... ate nearly three whole punnets in one sitting... I only stopped because I was starting to feel a little bilious... these cherries though... they are mahoosive, black and very juicy... and this morning... well, they are doing a revenge dance and... I really must dash...again ROFL Thanks for looking... enjoy the sunny day!!! TTFN

Hels x

Answers on a Postcard...

...did I mention that the Gingersnaps were having an Art Exchange and I was made UK Co-ordinator for the swap?? I did already? oh well, just thought I would remind you ROFL Here is postcard #3




It is the same LO as the others...using Distress Inks, Wendy Vecchi's Studio 490 stamps - they are the best aren't they? along with Grungeboard and Grungepaper and a few bits of Maya Road & Idea-ology thrown in for good measure.




I thought I had already blogged this postcard...and thank goodness I didn't already cos I have no new art to show you...*sob* ... cos...I spent most of yesterday in my bedroom....no, not what you think ;O))...and no, not ill either...I was...*pauses for dramatic effect* turning out my wardrobe and drawers....yikes, I have accumulated a whole load of rubbish over the years...and...I am sad to admit, the clothes on the top rail of my wardrobe - the one that I can't reach cos I am a shorty - have been there, untouched, since the day we moved into this house....six years ago ROFL So, they have all made their final journey to the local tip - clothing recycling, cardboard boxes that used to have shoes in, books, old make-up are just a few things that went that way...and then...I grappled with about 2,000 coat hangers...please please please can someone explain why they are 1) such a pain in the bum to pack up and 2) how come there are so many of them???? I went to recycle them...and was told *to my horror* that they have to go into general waste...how utterly ridiculous! I had toyed with the idea of melting them and making something really altered but time is ticking now and we have about 2 weeks to pack everything...and I ain't started on the Room of Stash yet!




Anyways..enough of my grumblings...am off to try and make something for the Sunday Stamper for tomorrow..be sure to check back in the morning cos I have some Candy to giveaway too :O)) TTFN Oh, and BTW, the girls who joined in this swap...I have just received Elina's postcards...three weeks later from Greece...why does it take so long for Europe post yet USA is super speedy??? *I need some chocolate, am turning into a grumpy old woman* Anyways...I will post out the swaps on Tuesday - so they will be with you soon x

Hels x

In Stitches...

...Did you see it? I very nearly missed it cos Mr Virgin has removed Create & Craft from our TV listing...so I had to look at T'internet to see them...but...one of the Stitchels set of designs I did last year were on there...with some Sakura pens...which I haven't got enough of...but then again, I do have enough other stuff...so do I need them too??? Anyways...I spent last Thursday making some cards ready for the Sunday TV show...sent them off Special Delivery...and lo! They didn't get there in time...grrrr...what am I waffling on about??? If you fancy a little looksee at my Stitchels stamp designs if you click HERE you will be transported, as if by magic, to The Artistic Stamper :O)) Anyways, here is one of the cards I made;




Using a combo of Basic Grey papers, Martha Stewart punches and a Penny Black sentiment, I stamped up loads of the Stitchels flowers and cut them out, 3D'd them onto the card and added a couple of Maya Road pins behind them....voila! The little pearl centres are those fabby Prima E-Line packs...really good value and they are lush looking too! Another quicky post from me ...my flipping back is giving me some right jip :O(( so I am away for an early night and hopefully when I wake up the pain will be more bearable...not long til the MRI scan results. Until later, thanks for looking....au revoir, adios & ciao...see, betcha never knew I was multi-ligual :O)) *ah the powers of Mr Google ROFL*

Hels x

Springy To Do....

...Over on the Lots To Do Challenge blog the new theme for this weeks challenge is Spring. It is my Mum & Dad-in-Law's wedding anniversary tomorrow...so instead of being a baaaad girl and buying a card, I set about making one. My cute phase has disappeared and I know that a grungey one wouldn't be ideal...so I thought I would centre the theme of the card around flowers and light pastelly colours, which I know MIL loves. So, I am hoping that the springy colours used for my card are ok for the challenge...



The papers are ancient...bought about 100 years ago and kept in a special sealed pack...so they didn't get sticky fingermarks on them with the repeated stroking that went on when I first got them...then...typically, I fell in love with some newer, flashier papers...and these poor old ones were left, forgotten in the paperstack...when I say paperstack, I mean the paper rack thingy that is collapsing in my room...who knew that several thousand sheets of paper and card could weigh so much?? LOL In fact, I reckon the ceiling probably needs reinforcing with the weight of it all `:O))




The cardstock used is from a DCWV stack, I used a Martha Stewart punch and some ribbon to make a border and printed off the sentiment...which, you will see, didn't print right...it looked a bit shabby...so I shabbied up the edges of the card to tie in with it...oh and the flowers are by Prima...and the pins are Maya Road.




I am off to ice a chocolate cake now...oooooh, you should be here...it smells heavenly...I was up early again with my jippy back *sob* so used the time to make a birthday cake for a certain someone...actually, I am a bit peckish...I wonder if anyone would notice if the cake had half of it missing??? LOL Have a good day everyone and don't forget there will be a new Sunday Stamper theme set tomorrow ` :O))

Hels x

The Pink Party

...Eeeee, I hardly ever use pink anymore...you know...I used to loooove pink, everything was pink; clothes, nails, hair...then all of a sudden ..yak, I went off it...so it is lovely to see the new pink shades of Distress Inks...that Victorian Velvet has to be a new fave of mine...and put together with Stormy Sky and Pumice Stone...yum...lovely combo :O))




The Gingersnaps are celebrating their first birthday this month and to mark the occasion we are holding an Art Exchange; the format is 4" x 6" postcards with a Party theme. Easy? Nope! Do I have anything that refers to parties in my stamp collection??? Nope! Can't believe that my collection has let me down...I need to remedy that...another nod to the birthday wish list LOL I am the UK co-ordinator for the swap...which has now closed ... but I just wanted to say UK Co-ordinator cos it makes me sound important ROFL





As well as the Distress Inks, I used Grungepaper, Grungeboard and Studio 490 stamps and Maya Road chip...the flowers are actually the new Tattered Florals die...and whooooohoooo, Grungeboard went thru the Bug without breaking it...result!





Thanks for looking...have a goodly day...I have a top secret mission to work on...it is Linda's birthday's next week and I just realised all this faffing about with Grungepaper and Distress Inks isn't getting her birthday card made...it is a special birthday for her...she will be mortified if I tell you that she is going to be 55 this year...so I didn't tell you .. right??? ROFL

Hels x

Layering It On....For The Gingersnaps

...Over on the Gingersnap Creations blog there is a brand new tutorial ... by yours truly...that is if I have scheduled it all properly and remembered to put the right time in!!! The theme of the tut is Layers. Oh, perfect for me cos I love making as many layers as possible...make-up, clothing, sandwiches, cakes, art....ah, yes, I am a layering girl LOL




This is the piece that I made for the project...full step by steps are over on the Gingersnap Blog if you would like to see how I made it...and I would reeeeeally love it if you left me a comment over there too...I know, I am a cheeky moo asking for two lots of comments...but...if you didn't leave any comments at all I would cry :O)) All of the yummy stash used on today's piece, for example the delish Studio 490 stamps, are available from The Stamp Attic.




I am away to my bed now...it is 2am and I am scheduling this to go live (did I just sound like I knew what I was on about then?) at 5am....and I fully intend to stay in bed til at least...ooooh, 9am...a lay in...on a Friday??? Decadence LOL




Thanks for looking and have a great day...and if you missed the tut on making the metal rose and heart from yesterday, please just scroll on down, it is just below this post :O))

Hels x

Sunday Stampers - Week 91 - All You Need Is Love

Morning Stampers and Happy Valentines Day to you all...hoping you are all indulging in lots of chocolate and lurve :O)) Many thanks to everyone who joined in with the challenge last week...wow, there are some seriously delish roses out there...speaking of which, I hope that your beloveds have bought you some for today! The new challenge for today could only be one thing couldn't it...so, I chose LOVE...and the song, another Beatles classic is one of my all time faves - yep, another Beatles song so it goes without saying that I am going to love it LOL To join in with the challenge, all you need to do is make something, incorporate the theme and some stamping and then leave me a comment here with the link to the place you are showing your creation. The challenge remains open until 23:00 on Saturday February 20th.





I have always been a bit of a grump when it comes to Valentines Day and think that it is commercialism and why should I just have one day to tell Grim that I love him when I tell him everyday anyway...still, every year I succumb to the "romance" of it all and end up making a card for him LOL This year, I have done a card and a matching altered frame...using a combination of inky messy techniques and some delightful Wendy Vecchi stamps. The main idea actually came from a tut that Wendy had on her Blog (HERE) so I kind of nicked the heart idea and actually, more or less copied the whole tutorial! **anyone else think that Wendy is a Beatles fan too? Only, check out the titles of her last two posts :O))**



The card was made using some cardstock which was dipped into Cranberry and Sunset Orange inks, which had been swooshed over my craft sheet and then spritzed with Perfect Pearls in a Mini Mister. I made a few of these until I got the colours I wanted...now, Wendy was using Adirondack Pigment Inks for her tut...I have a fair few of these...well, I did have...until my drawer unit decided to eat them all up... they have fallen right into the back of the drawers...and the drawers are those daft "male" ones that are attached inside, so unless I grow some massive muscles overnight, the ink pads are trapped until the whole chest is moved :O( So, I improvised and used /adirondack dye ink pads instead :O)) which, I have to say, are loads richer in colour but didn't give me the pale washy look I wanted.




The background is made up from two different stamps, stamped with Cranberry and then I made a divider using a Martha Stewart punch. The heart is stamped into cardstock and swooshed thru more inkyness and then the little flowers and leaves are made from Grungepaper, coloured with DI's and then attached with silicone glue. Now, don't you just LOVE the sentiment? This is actually a Beatles lyric from a song called The End, which is the 2nd to last song, side B of Abbey Road...which I have to admit is my fave album too...ah, many an evening spent in my bedroom as a teenager, pretending to drum along to it...*back to present day* So, I was over the moon when I saw that this was on one of the new Wendy Vecchi plates...Isn't this sentiment just perfect?




I wanted to make something for Grim this year...I usually buy him something (which...*whispers* I have but don't tell him cos he doesn't know yet) and because I loved the card stylee so much I altered a photo frame, this can be for his study/computer room/den/room of boxes....ROFL I started by sanding the frame and then hammering it with Tim's texture hammer (actually, it is my hammer but Tim designed it...it would be just too funny if I had actually got the one that belongs to Tim!!!) I painted the whole surface with Trad Tan and then slapped on patches of Rock Candy Cracklepaint...which is my ultimate fave cracklepaint in the whole wide world ever....and once this was dry, I used a combo of red and gold Glimmer Mists...the clogged one was de-clogged! I now have a delightfully splattered tshirt though...(memo to self, when de-clogging GM's, wear a pinny) I rubbed some golden wax into the crackles to emphasize them but the pics really do not show it properly, I may try to do pics in the morning when it is daylight and see if it looks better with no flash!




The middle of the frame was made using some sturdy card, swooshed as before and then background stamped with Cranberry...and the With Love added a little too far to the right...whoops, forgot the card was larger than the frame apperture...actually, I did that on purpose really LOL




The heart is made from mountboard, inky swooshings and Glimmer Misted and then the same embellies as the card, except this time I used some Maya Road Trinket Pins and a pearl. The sentiment wouldn't fit as it is stamped, so I chopped it up and made it into little pieces, 3d'd them onto the cardstock and then bunged the whole thing together. I decided against adding anything else to the frame as I want the heart and sentiment to stand out...whatcha fink? Does it need more embellies on the frame? I hope Grim likes these...if he leaves a comment then we will find out :O))

Thanks for looking and I hope you all have a great week....

Hels x