Sunday Stamper - Week 232 - I've Just Seen A Face

Goooooodly Morning Stampers and a very happy Sunday to you all!  As ever, hoooge thanks for all your birdy entries for last weeks challenge, I say this all the time, I know but... I love that so many peeps have so much fun joining in with my little challenge.  As a thank you for all your entries I have some candy to giveaway today. More of that in a mo though.  Firstly!  The theme for this weeks challenge is... FACES.  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 to leave a link to the place you are showing your entry.  If you haven't got a blog/web-photo-hosty thing, you can join in via Facebook or email me with a photo of your entry.   The challenge will remain open until 21:00 Saturday 24th November 2012. 

So. The candy.  Creative Expressions have just launched their very first Project Book - it is chock full of gorgeous inspirational projects, all with step by step instructions and close up photo's too.  There are projects from Sue Wilson, Sam Poole, Dee Paramour, Tracey Laughton, Tracy Evans, Gabrielle Price, Julia Watts, Lynne Gilbert, Sharon Nettleship.. oh and a couple from me too :O))  To be in with a chance of winning a copy of this gorgeous book, just leave a comment and make sure you tell your friends about it... oh and if you join in with the challenge too, you will be entered twice.  The winner will be announced on next Sunday's post.  Oh and... this tag is also part of the candy too :O)  If you are after buying a copy of the book, a list of stockists is available on the Creative Expressions website HERE.

My tag is one of the samples from last weeks shows.  Using the Stampers Anonymous Classics #5 stamp set, stamping the pretty lady onto a tag using Black Archival, I then added the zia-zag stamp and binding stamp from Classics # 6.   I dried the ink with a heat tool and then coated some Rock Candy Cracklepaint over it.  Once dried I used Milled Lavendar Distress Stain to colour the whole tag and then used a paintbrush to add Aged Mahogany Stain to the zig-zags and then... Tarnished Brass Metallic Stain on the rest of the tag.  I used a fine paintbrush to add the Metallic Stain - and gave it two coats, look how shimmery it is though... FAB!  Finishing touches... colouring the Festive Foliage with Metallic Stain... then adding Aged Mahogany Stain to the little Foliage and Pine Needles to the leaves... hey, Metallic Stains sticks to metal.. who knew!!!  And, it gives a "key" to the metal so you can add other colours over the top... cool huh?

Right, I shall away... thanks for looking... hope you have a fabulous week! Thanks for looking... TTFN

Hels x

Alter It...

... as you know, one thing that I lurves to do is alter old photo frames.  And I also lurves to make 3d paper flowers (there are very few things that make me happier than making 3d paper flowers)  So, I combined the two for one of my show samples from last Sunday.  Grim's Aunty was having a clear out a few months ago and donated a bag full of frames, bless her, they are all perfect for my altering addiction.... and as a thank you I gave her one of the frames I altered recently (well, my house is getting over-run with framed pieces!)

This one was covered with some Retro Grunge paper and sanded at the edges to make it a bit shabby.  The very edges were coloured with Pitch Black Dabber just so they toned in a bit.  The middle bit is a piece of sand coloured card that I overstamped with the script stamp from Stampers Anonymous Classics #009 stamp set, I stamped with Sienna and Jet Black Archival to make a nice background.  I then used Dark Spice Cosmic Misting Ink to lightly colour the background and splatted a few... splats (!) by taking the nozzle off the bottle and flicking the little clear pipey bit at the card.  The sentiment was made in the same way, this time adding in some Black Night Misting Ink splats too and the sentiment is from Art Phrases stamp set. 

The finishing touches are the Blossom Three flower - using the Retro Grunge paper, adding in some butterflies and scrolls from Jewel Flowers and Flourishes Spellbinders' set.  A really simple but effective way of altering an unloved frame.  As promised, here's a photo of the tag folder that I also made as a sample.  The paper folder is also Retro Grunge paper, folded, sanded to shabby up a bit and then four tags made from more of the paper, overstamped with Sienna and Jet Black and a combo of the Classics #007 & 008  The flowers are cut from the 2"x2" squares on the Retro Grunge stack, sanded and then the second flower had the petals scrunched and glued so they have some more dimension; I was trying for a chrysanthymum look but...erm... failed lol  

Right, I shall away.  I have been busy-busy-busy with samples for Tuesday and Wednesday's shows next week... ooooooohhhhhhaaaaaaaa, you will LOVE what stashly goodies I have on the shows... another sneaky hit, you din't hear it here (again) right?  As well as signature lines from that person who's name begins with T and ends in M and has I in the middle... I also have.... *whispers* brand.new.stamps!!!     I am off to my bed now, I have got a fabby day planned, I am heading over to the NEC in Birmingham for a day of stashly shopping.  Tis a yonk and a half since I went to the NEC to be a customer and I am so excited that I will be going and meeting up with lots of crafty friends.  I have dusted off my hat too... HERE are the deets if you missed that post... I shall be sporting it all day...and I have been wearing  in my new Birki's too... they are killing me slowly with the tightness, the are a narrow fitting and I have feet like flippers... eeeek! So, you will recognise me by my waddling gait and daft hat on my head!  Thanks for looking.... TTFN!

Hels x