Sunday Stampers - Week 141 - For Your Love

Goodly Morning Stampers and a very happy Sunday to you all... many thanks for all your lovely "timely" entries to last weeks challenge. I have used Mr Random.org to chose a winning number from the comments/entries and the number he chose is #16 which belongs to the comment left by .....

Janet from Dash-Paw Congrats to Janet - please can you email me your deets and I will pop your stamps and ATC into the post for you :O))




On with this weeks challenge... another old favourite song of mine (I am such a 60's chick, I was born in the wrong decade LOL) The theme this week is... LOVE. I know, I know, it is an obvious one because of Valentines but... I couldn't let the day of lurve pass by without honouring it! To join in with the challenge all you need to do is... make a piece of art, include the theme and some stamping on it. Leave me a comment here to tell me where you are showing your art - or you can email me a piccie if you haven't got a blog/picassa/flickr etc... and I can then hop over to see your entry. The challenge will remain open until 21:00, Saturday February 19th 2011.




My entry this week is a little 4" square canvas that I have altered for my pressie to Grim this Valentine's Day. I do like to make him a little something for his Room of Man... now, he has seen this little pressie but he only looked briefly at it in its fancy bag... because he wants to "open" his pressie in the morning... aw... he is such an old romantic :O)) I used some Terra to cover the canvas and stamped the Stampotique Originals stamp "Daniel's Hearts" into it to make a textured background. I heat dried the Terra to make it bubbly and warty and then slapped loads of paint onto it to make the red/cream/gold colour it ended up as. I then layered up some Idea-ology and popped a "secret" message into the Ornate Frame... basically it is a coloured piece of card with my scrawly handwriting on it... you have to flip the frame almost backwards to read it but it is there as a little extra something for Grim.




Anyways... if you fancy a little challenge and feel some lurve, do join in ... there aren't any prizes for entering... just a big load of inky fun! Thanks for looking... have a brrrrilliant Sunday and an even better Day of Lurve tomorrow! TTFN

Hels x

I Challenge Thee...

...oooh, I do love a good challenge and this week sees the 4th "I Challenge Thee" (already!!!) between me and Ellen. This week we decided to make things a little tougher... in as much as we weren't allowed to use any inks for colouring etc... nay and thrice! We were only allowed to use ink for stamping the sentiment!!! So, the item to play with was a 4" square canvas and the ingredients were: Terra, Paint, Stamping, Sentiment/Word, Grunge Flourish, Clearly 4 Art and... HANDMADE fabric flowers! **gulp**




Ah for the love of the God of Crafting!!! I can hardly thread a needle, let alone sew a button on, so how on Earth was I to make a fabric flower??? Well, it just so happens that thanks to the miracle that is Skype and the cleverness that is Ellen, I had an "online" live tutorial. Well, you would think that there would be a bit of a hurdle to start off with being as I don't do "fabric" - like I wouldn't have any... aha! Ellen very kindly bought me some when she came (all the way from America!) to stay with me last year. So, with said fabric, a pricked finger and a bald patch from the hair pulling, I finally finished my very first handmade flower... I shalln't show you it because I fear you would fall off your seat laughing at it... and then you could sue me for not warning you about offensive content on this post!!! LOL Oh and do hop on over to see Ellen won't you... I haven't seen her canvas yet and I just know it is so going to be gorgeous!!




So... a whole lot of waffling later, I did it! Yes sirreee (said in my best American accent) I made a flower... and then, as ever, I got ever so slightly excited and plonked myself onto the sofa to catch up several episodes of Doctors that I have on the Sky wotsit and, several decades later, I had made three that were... well, usable, for want of a better word. Anyways... all the pics here... they are of my finished canvas, which I hasten to add, looks nowt like I envisaged because I made the flowers too big (blame the cack-handed sausage fingers for that one) But... I do love the colour, which is... well a mix of purple, green, Trad Tan and gold.




Anyways... moving on, like you do... this here is a little sneaky peepings at my entry for the brand new Artistic Stamper Creative Team challenge... which has just been posted HERE. To see all of this bit of art... and the gorgeous projects from the other girls on the team, please do hop on over, oh and as ever, there is a fabby candy prize up for grabs too!




Anyways... again... blimey, this is a long old post, maybe I should have warned you when I started waffling... oh but, I just had a thought, maybe you have nodded off already LOL Well, I promised photo's of the drive... and photo's of the drive I have... only two because the others were a bit...erm... poo really... I need to get them jazzed up in Photo-wotsit-thingymajig... however, I have been going on alarmingly about this here "distressing for drives" and the concrete being laid... well, it was!!! Huzzah and thrice! and... I have a piccie of the "stamps" they use!!!




How coolio are they!!! And... here is a piccie of what these here stamps do to the concrete. It is still mega dusty as it has a special thingy-doofer on it at the moment... but then once the concrete has "gone off" the nice man from AJ Imprinted Driveways **I said I would give them a shout... if you decide to ask them to get your drive done, tell them "Coffee Lady" sent you... I will share the commish with you ROFL** is going to come back and wash it off, then seal it and then do some other stuff to it... oooh, I am even more excited now to see what it will look like. Apparently the colour is, from what I can gather... a mix of Frayed Burlap, Pumice Stone, Walnut Stain and a smidge of Fired Brick, just scattered in patches...




Oh, and if you really fancy a giggle... imagine this... from the front door out across the drive is a plank of wood, balanced on a crate at one end, and a crate at the other... so we can get in and out of the house...errrrrm... well, I walked the plank, or should I say, wobbled.. and suffice to say, I shalln't be doing that again in a hurry...I have visions of it snapping and me landing face down in the still slightly wet concrete... I shall leave you with that vision... and I shall say... Thanks for looking... apologies for waffling on ... and... TTFN!

Hels x

Sunday Stampers - Week 137 - How Does It Feel...

...Goodly Morning Stampers and a very happy Sunday to you all :O)) Many, many thanks for the lovely entries for last weeks challenge, it was grand to see so many different interpretations of the theme - and so many of you said you loved that song too! This week sees one of my favest ever songs as the title... How Does It Feel by Slade... it is just one of those songs that makes me feel good whenever I hear it... anyways... that means that the theme this week is loosely based on part of the title... the Feel part... so, I thought about it and decided that it can be a two way theme... either Textures (for the feely bit) or Feelings or both! To join in with the challenge all you need to do is make something, be it a card, ATC, altered art... tis up to you... include the theme and some stamping... leave me a comment here with a link to the place you are showing your entry and I can then hop on over for a nosey. The challenge will be open until 21:00 Saturday 22nd 2011.




I decided to use the texture part of the challenge... and then added on a feeling for the sentiment... actually, is to wish a feeling??? well, in my head it could be LOL I made a hangy piece out of a 7Gypsies bracket book cover which I chopped the top off to make it flat and easier to hang. I started out by making a textured metal piece to go on one side of the base... I cheated and used a 'Bug folder to texture the metal and then stuck this to the base using Humungo tape. I scooched around the edges to tidy it up and then dabbed some Adirondack Pitch Black paint onto the metal to age it, wiping it off before it dries. The paint just sits nicely in the nooks and crannies.




Next I used a spatula to spread some Viva Terra texture paste over the other part of the base, spreading a little over the edge of the metal to blend it in. I used a Rub It, Scrub It pad that was spritzed with water to wet a couple of Studio 490 background stamps and popped these into the paste... remember to scrub it off your stamps straight away! I then used my heatgun to make the Terra go all warty and bobbly, I love this bit the best! I wanted the Terra to blend in with the red and black of the metal, so I dabbed more black paint all over it and then dried it again with the heat gun. I added some Gold Dabber and Viva Inka Gold to the piece to make it sparkle a bit and then stuck some Gold Nugget and some Barn Door metal to black card and then stamped some more Studio 490 stamps - this time a lot of layers for a big flower and a few layers for a diddy flower. The background stamping over the flower was refined with different TSS tools and then black paint applied and removed... to make the flowers look old... and the paint sticks into the bits that have been refined. To break up the metal look, I added a couple of Studio 490 Grungepaper flowers into the layers and popped a few Grungepaper leaves behind it too.



I have had this idea to make a little flower for one of my ickle bottles... and this project was perfect for it! I popped a few drops of Meadow Alcohol Ink into the bottle, swooshed it about and then drained the excess out. The "stem" of the flower is actually a coil of beaded chain that I picked up for pennies at a hardware shop... I added the little flower layer over the top of the chain and then popped a textured Maya Road resin flower. Finally, I stamped and cut out a little birdy (another Studio 490 lol) and scooched all over him so he is really textured... he was then popped onto the Ornate Plate with the WISH in the middle. Another Studio 490 stamp! Actually, it would have been easier to say all the stamping was Studio 490.. which BTW, you can find at The Stamp Attic :O))




Right, I think I have waffled on enough for one post... I am all excited because today is Sunday... which means my weekly Skype session with Ellen... and... today we are having a "live" I Challenge Thee crafty session... I am going to set up the laptop on desk 2 so it will be like she is in the Room of Stash with me... well, sort of LOL And... yep, I have... tidied up after myself already! I am full of goodly intentions and resolutions to keep tidy... so, if you hear my whinging about the mess... please shout at me and tell me to stop being a slut ROFL Right, time for bed... thanks for looking and have a very goodly day! TTFN

Hels x

Sunday Stamper - Week 122 - Paint It Black

Morning Stampers... hopefully Mr Blogger will be assisting me and popping this post on for me at the right time LOL Thank you ALL for your inspiring entries last week... lovely interpretations of the theme. This week is an easy theme... and it is... BLACK. To join in, all you need to do is make a piece of art, add in the theme and some stamping and then leave me a comment here to the place you are showing your entry. And... this week the challenge is sponsored by The Artistic Stamper... and the prize is... aha, I will keep you waiting a bit longer LOL The challenge will be open until 21:00 October 2nd and the winner will be chosen at random and announced on next weeks Sunday Stamper post.




I made a Shadow Box for my entry, using Ferro and Terra to make a texture on the frame and stamping in to it with some of the fab background stamps from The Artistic Stamper... don't forget that to go with the Cog stamps there are now some new SteamPunk images... oooh and a FAB SteamPunk Santa - cannot wait to play with him :O)) I used Claudine Hellmuth Studio Paints to colour the Ferro and Terra; Trad Tan (what else could I use?? LOL), Sable Brown mixed with Trad Tan, Sable Brown and finally Charcoal Black... this is such a deep pigmented black paint it just really colours whatever you are painting it onto. I used Cut & Dry foam to apply all the paints and once they had dried, I popped some Rock Candy Cracklepaint onto the barest bits... this just added that bit of extra texture.





I used Gold Dabber to add some metallic to the raised bits... then went over it lightly with more black paint and then added Viva Inka Gold... I loooove this stuff... it reminds me of hair fudge... don't worry, I haven't tried it on my luscious locks (tongue firmly in cheek there LOL) though.




I heated up some clear UTEE with a couple of dabbs of gold and white UTEE popped in on top, in the Melt Pot... this gives a really cool varigated look (I so know that varigated is not the word I need but my brain has gone blank... help please?? LMAO) Anyways... once the UTEE had melted I poured it into a little mould I made using Mold & Pour (this is the COOLEST owl in the WORLD and was a pressie from Ellen... I had to make a mould of it so I could use him again and again....) So, the ickle owl then had some black StaZon rubbed over him to emphasise the details on him... and I used him cos I think his eyes look a bit like cogs :O))




Right... so... the sponsored challenge this week... well, the prize is a set of the brand new SteamPunk stamps from The Artistic Stamper... speaking of which, all the stashy bits used on my piece today are available from there too :O)) Here is a pic of the prize... along with some KlingOn to mount your stamps onto. To be in with a chance of winning here is whatcha need to do: enter the challenge with a piece using stamping and the theme (reminder that it is BLACK), leave me a comment here with a link to the place you are showing your piece. You can also join in by clicking to follow my Blog and the Artistic Stamper Creative Team Blog... if you click on the name it will take you there... and there is a post there about this too - just leave me a comment to let me know you have become a follower (or already are!) :O)) And... as a double whammy, if you enter and use Artistic Stamper stamps you will be entered into the draw twice... double the chance of winning... coolio huh?



Right, I have taken up enough of your time... btw, it is Friday night at the moment... I am being soooo organised and have got everything ready for the weekend... oh and... my entry will be at Ally Pally with me if you would like to take a look at it :O)) Thanks for looking... have THE BEST day! TTFN

Hels x

Balloons & Bombers...

...I know... weird title for a crafty blog but... whenever have you known me be "not weird"??? Actually, it's what was in the skies above our house yesterday... from about 6am til 8pm... I spent most of the day neck-craned, viewing hot air balloons which were drifting over us from the Northampton Hot Air Balloon Show... there were some really cool shaped ones and one that was bright red and had Virgin on the side of it... which is the one that my dearest Grim decided he would flash my boobies at... yes, you read that right... the balloon was over our house at about 7am... so he thought it would be reeeeeally funny if he lifted my top up... thankfully the balloon was high up and I managed to cover up before any nips got out... I kid you not! Later in the day it was Sywell Aerodrome's Show Day and there were planes flying in formation overhead... and... best of all... a Lancaster Bomber flew right over the top of our house on his way home from Silverstone... the BTCC was on there *sadly we didn't go to this one cos Grim was working and it is a bit of a git to get away from... last time we went we were over an hour sitting in the car park trying to get out!!!* and it was doing a show flight. Honestly, the sound of that plane made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and gave me goosebumps...





**apologies for naffness of photo's... flash just don't like metal!**
Anyways... enough waffling on about planes and balloons and... erm... well enough said about the flashing thing yeh? I have been faffing about with roses in one form or another for ages now... metal ones, paper ones *paaaaper rooooooseeees, paaaaaper rooooseeeees - sorry, I went all Marie Osmond then!* and Grungey ones... so last night I decided to make some more metal ones... this time with the smallest flower on the Paper Artsy Hot Picks {HP1004} I stamped three of them onto gold metal that had been stuck onto cardstock that I had left over from the other day... and went to my metal stash to get some more gold metal to stamp some more onto... and... nay and thrice, I have no more gold metal!!! BUT... I had already started the first layer of rose #1... so, I was sitting there grumbling and faffing with this first layer which was now five petals... and I accidently tore down between one of the petals... I know, I don't know my own strength LOL... argh... so, to rectify it, I snipped down the other petals and edged the snips with a scootchy tool... "ooooh, I like this look", I says to AlfieCat, so I faffed a bit more and ended up with a coolio looking flower... but it looked a bit bare *bit like my boobies were* in the middle... so I got one of those Idea-ology buttons and popped that in the middle and I said "oooooo" to AlfieCat, "I rather like this"... so, I made two more... same as before but without the tearing.




I needed something to put them onto... "another hangy thing" I thinks to myself (there would be no point thinking that to AlfieCat cos he can't read my mind - at least I don't think he can... or maybe he can, and that is why he knows when he is going to the *whispers.... V E T*) Any road, I got a Maya Road page from a Scalloped Edged book, covered it with Gesso... then covered it with Sahara Terra, then stamped into the Terra with a Paper Artsy coggey stamp... and a scriptey stamp and a diamondey *blimey, what is it with this "ey" thing...y???* stamp... heat gunned it til it bubbled and went warty... popped some Trad Tan paint over it... then some Charcoal Black, then some Gold Dabber, then some more black, then some more gold.. and then finally.. some Inka Gold... Gold flavour.



I added a few leaves, a moth (I lurve those moths) and a sentiment... stamped into the remnants of the gold metal and scootched... then made a hangy thingy for it with ribbon and added some ribbons across the piece and attached an Idea-ology Mini Safety Pin with a Jump Ring and a little Key on it. Anyway, all of the stashy bits used are available from The Stamp Attic.




Right then... I shall bid you adieu cos it is my bedtime... but... I am all a-buzz with idea's for making stuff... why does that happen at bedtime I wonder??? When I have to be up at stooopid o'clock with Grim cos he is on earlies again... and... I really want to get some other coloured metal and make some more of these flowers! Oooooh, and before I go... I found a reaaaallly fab way of getting dried-on black paint (I guess it would work for any colour though) unstuck from fingernails... a Rub It, Scrub It pad... spritzed with water and a smidge of Grim's soap (don't tell him - again, am sure that any soap would work) and rubbedy scrubbedy fingernails into the pad and yep, brilliant... the paint comes off!!! Oh and I know what else I was going to say... Ellen suggested yesterday that we name the two birdy's that are now living with me... see yesterday's post if you think I am going mad... anyways... I think that is a FAB idea... so, if you have any suggestions for names, please erm... suggest away... and I will pick my faves and then send a little something to the one's I like the best... Ellen started this off with Percy & Petunia... so, what do you think they should be called??? Thanks for looking... have a goodly day... TTFN

Hels x

Sunday Stampers - Week 115 - I Got The Music In Me...

Morning Stampers... cor, what a loverly array of delish art on display from your blogs for last weeks challenge... thank you all for your entries... I have done the Random.Org thingy *still cannot fathom how to get a piccie of it on here...* and #11 was chosen... which tallies with Daniele who entered using Artistic Stamper stamps... which means her name went into the draw twice. Congrats to Daniele... I will send Jennie your deets so you can go and choose your stamps :O)) The new theme this week is... chosen by Grim :O)) I was struggling to come up with a new theme... I have started to pick ones we have already done... and Grim came up with the theme... MUSIC. To enter, all you have to do is make a piece of art, include stamping and the theme...in this case it can be the word or music score/instruments etc... and then once you have blogged it, leave me a comment here and a link to the place you are showing it... then I can hop over to see your creation. The challenge will stay open 'til 21:00 Saturday August 14th '10.




So, this week I wanted to make a shadowy boxy jobby... but... disahhhhster dahlings *said in my best Craig Revel Horwood voice*... I haven't got any shadow boxes!!! I figured I could use the back of a canvas... but wanted to make the frame textured and the folded canvas would ripple when it got damp... so I hacked the canvas off the frame, very nearly removing a fingernail in the process too...eeeek... I ended up with a blank wooden frame... to which I stuck a piece of mountboard covered with Tim Holtz papers from the Lost & Found stack.




I made three Grungepaper roses... using the three different size stamps from the Studio 490 range... stamping a (Tim's) music score on the Grungepaper and then colouring with Fired Brick DI. The frame was splodged with Terra... stamped into... head dried to make it warty... then splodged with Ferro.. stamped into... heat dried for speed... then a combo of paints smudged over the top... Trad Tan to start off with, then A Dash of Red, then Charcoal Black - all Claudine's paint BTW... The paint was applied with Cut & Dry so I had more control over the application of it. The gold paint is a Dabber... my Precious Metal gold is deaded... thick and gunky and yukky... does anyone know how to resurrect it??? Can I add water I wonder???




Finally, I plopped big dollops of Rock Candy Cracklepaint onto the flatter patches and set it aside to dry. Once this had crackled, I rubbed some Inka Gold onto the crackles to make them pop... then rubbed some Rock Candy Stickles over the whole thing. The photo's are flashy and not showing the textures too well... trouble with having to use a flash! Thanks for looking... I hope you like the new theme and fancy a play this week... have a great Sunday! TTFN

Hels x

You Never Make Anything Like That For Me...

...were more words uttered by my dearly beloved Grim... on Saturday night, when I had just made the Sunday Stamper for this week... and what is it about him??? He has this inbuilt sensor that susses out any surprises I am planning for birthday/anniversary/Christmas etc pressies for him... anyone else have a hubby like that??? For example... I will think to myself that I will buy him a CD for his birthday/anniversary/Christmas etc and lo and behold, he walks through the door a few minutes later holding the exact same CD I have been thinking about buying for him... thus spoiling another pressie idea... So, for the last few months I have been a-thinking *don't worry, I do my thinking sitting down now-adays... otherwise the old brain cell will become exhausted* that I want to make a piece of wall art for Grim for his room - he has a Room of Equipment - which is not unlike my Room of Stash... save for the fact that his room is much smaller ROFL. Anyways, I have been saving bits n bobs for months now... you know, to put on this piece of art for him. So, the Sunday Stamper was a "trial" piece to see if I could make what was in my head... I showed it to Grim for approval... and that is when he said..."you never make anything like that for me"... typical! Anyways, I decided to go ahead and make the piece... and here it is:




I used Terra, Ferro and Rock Candy Cracklepaint to make a really texturey frame... and... please all make sure you are sitting down, you may faint when you read this... I didn't use... Traditional Tan!!!! No, not a single drippy drop went near the piece... I used... Claudines Blank Canvas, which is as nice as Trad Tan but not the same colour ROFL.




I also used Claudine's Teal paint.. which was a tad dark for my project so I plopped *don't you just love that word... plopped...say it several times and all of a sudden it sounds really funny... erm.. just me then???* Where was I? Ah yes, the texturey bit... stamped into, heat dried, splodged with paints... added shimmery colours using Precious Metals Paints - Silver and Turquoise..using Cut & Dry foam for applications... and then finally... Silver Dabber... plopped onto a craft sheet, picked up with already filthy dirty fingers... and smudged over the Rock Candy bits...





The bits in the middle... old letterpress letters, the Battleship from Monopoly... Grim usually is the Battleship... and reckons I should now be... the Old Boot (charming huh?) The numbers make up his birthday and age *yes folks, you have found out the truth, Grim is 84 LMAO.. he's not really, I just said that to ensure you all know I have a sugar daddy LOL* The key next to the watch pieces... Life-Time... the ickle train... if you didn't know already... Grim drives trains for a living (which is where we met, all those years ago when I was a young slip of a gal, starting my training and they put me with him so he could teach me how to drive trains for myself...ah, misty eyed memories...anyways... enough of the slush) The heart on the wings...cos even now, after all these years together, he still makes my heart flutter *sorry peeps, am I making you feel ever so slightly queasy with all the sentimentality?* The bottle with the silver bead chain - that is supposed to be Vodka, his fave tipple...the crown, cos he is my Prince Charming... and the propellor cos he loves planes... and the Swallow... ah, that image used to adorn the old ladies of the railway, the Intercity 125's or HST's... and Grim drives those, they are his favourite *as they were mine too* and finally, the resistors around the frame... cos he loves all things electrical and gadgetty :O))




So... how long is this post??? Well, cos yesterday I broke all traditions and did the shortest post in the history of Ink On My Fingers... I decided to bore you all rigid with my inane wafflings and witterings about this piece.. I could have just said... "this is what I made Grim for his birthday" but then you may have been left wondering why in the heck I had added so many random things to a piece of art... I just thought of a better title for this... it could be... Art Imitating Life...mmm, nice! Anyways, I am offski... Grim has a week off work *hurrah and thrice* so we are off for a gentle stroll cos I have that horrid nasty spasmy thing in my back again and I can't move about properly ... a gentle stroll may just ease it up! Thanks for looking... and if you have read to the end of this... a hug for you for reading my waffles... TTFN...

Hels x

Sunday Stampers - Week 114 - Something Old, Something New...Plus Candy!

Morning Stampers! oooooh, tis a very exciting day today indeedily! First of all.. many many thanks for all the lovely entries last week :O)) Secondly, I am all of a dither with excitement because it is a few short moments until the brand new Artistic Stamper Creative Team Blog is going live! And... in conjunction with the new montly challenge over on the new blog... the theme for this weeks Sunday Stamper is... Old & New. All you need to do to join in is make a piece of art that contains some stamping and the theme... leave me a comment here with a link to the place you are showing your piece and then I can hop on over to see it. To be in with a chance of winning the Candy, which is sponsored by The Artistic Stamper and consists of two sets of the brand new stamps which are launching today... worth £15.. and the Kling On to mount them onto. If you also click to follow my blog here, and use Artistic Stamper stamps on your entry, you will be entered twice into the draw. And.. there is no limit on the amount of entries you can make either!




I have gone into greater detail over on the Creative Team Blog about how I made my entry for this week... so I won't bore you with lots of waffle... one thing I will say is that everything I used is available from The Artistic Stamper...except for the Letterpress Blocks...them's mine LOL




I hope that you get chance to pop on over to the CT Blog... there's more candy over there to be won... and again, the more times you enter, the more chances you have of winning :O))





So... tis an exciting day... a new blog launch, a new challenge launch and new stamps launching too... what are you up to today??? Will you be relaxing and taking it easy or will you be getting inky and messy *which is what I will probably be doing LOL* The Sunday Stamper challenge will run until 21:00 Saturday August 7th and the Candy winner will be announced on next weeks challenge... thanks for looking... have a goodly day! TTFN

Hels x

WOYWW... AlfieCat Takes Over...& Some Texture

...cor blimey O'Reilly, where on Earth has the last week whizzed off to??? Anyone else suffering with FastForward Syndrome where it seems like only yesterday that it was last week??? *except on a Sunday of course, when yesterday would be last week ROFL* Anyways... today is Wednesday which means that the loyal and faithful followers of The Leader of The Desk Hoppers, also known as Mrs Julia Dunnit... hop all around the globe, looking at each others workspaces and on many occasions, furry friends...if you are stumped and wonder what I am waffling on about today, click HERE to see Julia's blog, the deets are all on there... and the hop commences!




First of all... I made a big mistake made yesterday... I spent a couple of hours lounging on the new sofa *and whizzing backwards and forwards on the recliner - but don't tell Grim* and in my absence a certain little black n white furry fluff literally booted me out of my room of stash! Indeedily, AlfieCat has commandeered my chair and desk and even did a spot of reading - that old book that I tore up to use for art has been entertaining him all evening *actually, that is a fib but it makes him sound really intelligent LOL*




So, my desk looks pretty much the same as any other week... so I thought I would pop a piccie of one of my drawers on... and no, I am not going to lower the tone by showing a photo of my pants... the computer screen ain't big enough for that anyway LOL... inside this particular drawer is a little stash of Embossing Powders... some of them are the original first ones I ever bought over 7 years ago! Others are recent additions... the UTEE especially - I loooove UTEE loads and loads and the new orange and red ones have already been earmarked for a project that is still inside my head :O))




I am posting this early today as I am off on my travels... letting the train take the strain and all that... I am going to actually inspect Jennie's desk - to tell you the truth, I think someone kidnapped the real Jennie cos that desk of hers has been waaaay too tidy this past few weeks... I shall remedy that... I am going to put my messy head on and go in and leave it looking really untidy *mind, you, if Jennie reads this before I get there, chances are she won't answer the door ROFL* Oh, yes, the piece of art that is just above this waffle is my DT thing for the Fiskarettes which is showing today... I used some Terra and a ShapeBoss! I know... you wouldn't expect to hear those two products mentioned together but... to see how I did it... please click HERE... oh and I would loooove it if you could leave me a comment on there too... let me know whatcha fink and all that! Anyways... I shall bid you a goodly day and say... thanks for looking... reading... staying til the end *well if you haven't stayed til the end of these waffly words then you won't know I am saying thank you but... oh dear, I am off on a tangent again ROFL* And.. cos I am out all day I may be late in visiting you *I am leaving AlfieCat in charge of Grim...or is the other way round LOL* ... like I probably won't get around at all today so...Til tomorrow... TTFN!

Hels x

Mad Hatter Day With The Gingersnaps ...

... Guess what??? Today is Mad Hatter Day! I have to admit, I sat there scratching my head at first when Laura suggested that the Gingersnaps have a Blog Hop today ... sitting there thinking, "why is it Mad Hatter Day???" You have probably sussed it straight away but if you are like me and baffled... it is 10/6 today... which is the number in the Mad Hatters hat! *A useless bit of info that you probably know already but... did you know the reason why they called Hatters mad? Well, in days of olde hat makers used to use Mercury in the lining of the hat - which after prolonged exposure to, sends you mad in the head!!!! And, did you know that Luton was the hat making centre of the UK... I used to live in Luton, Grim is a proper Lutonian... speaks volumes eh??? ROFL*




Anyways... enough of me pretending to be the font of all knowledge... here we go with the Blog Hop and all the details you need to know :O)) WELCOME to the Gingersnap Creations' Mad Hatter Day Blog Hop... you have reached HOP STOP #3. The Gingers are celebrating Mad Hatter Day and we hope that you will hop along with us - there are some awesome pieces of art along the way to look at too :O)) If you are already hopping then you will have just arrived from Elina's Blog... if you have just arrived here, don't worry, the hop is in a loop, so you can start anywhere!




At each Hop Stop you will need to pick up a word, there are 10 stops in all...starting and ending at the Gingersnap Creations Blog, where you can see the goodies that are on offer and also all the info you will need to be able to enter the Mad Hatter Giveaway. When you have all your 10 words, unscramble them to make them into a quotation from the classic Alice in Wonderland.





Once you have your answer, email it to gingersnapcreations@gmail.com before 25th June '10. One lucky winner will be chosen at random to win the Mad Hatter Goody Package - the winner will then be announced on 29th June '10. If you visit all the stops, you will have 10 words and you should end up back at the Gingersnap Creations Blog.




If you get lost along the way, jump back to the Gingersnaps Blog, there is a route guide there for you... and... this is the important bit for you... my word is DESK. The next stop on your Hop will be at Jean's Blog....Good luck everyone, thank you for visiting me and I hope you like the little pieces of art I have made to celebrate this day :O)) *incase you were wondering... the fabby Mad Hatter stamp is a Mabel Lucie Attwell sketch and is available from The Artistic Stamper* TTFN peeps...good luck!!

Hels x

Sunday Stamper - Week 98 - Maxwell's Silver Hammer

Morning Stampers...isn't it just the most divine weather??? Guess what??? I know why!!! Cos it is Ally Pally weekend and it is always glorious! Anyways...THANK YOU for all the lovely entries and comments last week...it was an all time high with 62 comments left. It may not seem many compared to some challenges but the Sunday Stamper has always been just a little challenge, it was so great to see so many new faces too...and I do hope peeps will return, not only for today..but also, next week will see the Century of the Sunday Stamper...100 themes...and I have a little secret, which I know I can share with just you cos I know I can trust you...there will be not only a special theme...and some candy donated by moi...but also ... fabbbbbby prize candy has been donated too :O) Speaking of Candy... I have just done that Random.org thingy and it packed up on me...so I reverted to more technical ways of picking a winner randomly...and wrote all the names on paper, folded it up and then picked it from a hat...well, actually, a bowl, can't find the hat..think that Packing Fairy has put it away somewhere....so .. the winner is;

CHRIS - congrats hun ... please can you email your addy so I can pop the stamps and Kling into the post for you - email details etc are on my main Blogger Profile :O))

So, this week the new theme is hammers....AHA, only joking...it is SILVER...I have picked another old Beatles record...I do love the Beatles you know and use any excuse to mention one of their songs! So, all you have to do to join in is make a piece of art...include stamping on it and also the theme...this week is a doddle easy one :O)) *saving up for next week LOL* Then, once you have blogged it, please leave me a link here and I will be able to call in and see you :O))




I have got inkier and messier making mine...I say inkier cos you should see the state of my hands after playing at Ally Pally all day...they are minging LOL I started off with a fabby little wooden frame which is about 6" square. I coated the bare wood with Gesso and then smoothed on some Terra (which is like a fine gritty texture paste) and some Ferro (which is like a gritty metalic paste) and then used the brand new and incredibly divine Cog stamps from The Artistic Stamper, )spritzed with water first so they release out of the Terra/Ferro) and randomly stamped onto the surface.




Next I used my heat gun and dried the frame...drying the Terra with a heat gun isn't necessary - it will air dry...but...when it is heated, it goes bobbly and warty *I have said this already I know but I did get a few mails about what it is and how it works*. I then painted over the top of the surfaces...applying it with Cut & Dry foam is the best way to do it so it doesn't overload in any patches.




Another zap with the heatgun and then I used Precious Metal paint...Silver colour...mmm, lush...again using Cut & Dry to apply this...then dried it again...and then very gently applied a little more black paint on the bobbly bits to emphasise them. The heart, face and clock embellies are made from a combo of clear and silver UTEE poured from the Melt Pot into moulds, made using Mold & Pour. The little clock is actually a mould of one of the new Idea-ology watch faces. I added some black StaZon to the UTEE pieces - using my finger to apply it cos it means more control... I think this just makes the whole piece pop a little bit. Finally I added some more Idea-ology to it to finish.




The centre piece is made from white card which I coloured with Silver and Marshmallow Glimmer Mists. I edged the whole card with Black Soot DI then smooshed the pad onto the craft sheet, spritzed with water and popped the large coggy background into it...then stamped straight over the card...dried with a heatgun and then used some more of the cog stamps for the background, using Black StaZon. The sentiment is fab isn't it? My fave font ever...and this was stamped, cut down and popped onto 3D foam for added dimension. The stamps, frame, Terra, Ferro, Precious Metal, UTEE, Mold & Pour and Idea-ology can be purchased from The Artistic Stamper...and I will be taking this piece to Ally Pally with me today if anyone would like to see it in the real.



Thanks for looking...have a brill day...again, if you are at Ally Pally today, please pop by to see me and Jennie - Stand #49 - where we are demo-ing incredibly divine Spray Mists by Crafty Notions..which are totally lushious! Oh, BTW, the challenge will be open til 23:00 next Saturday 17th April...and then there will be the biggy next Sunday. Also, I just wanted to say THANK YOU for all your lovely comments on my blog...and apologise for not getting around to see you all during the week...that Packing Fairy has naffed off with my hat but not bothered to pack anything else up yet ROFL

Hels x

If Music Be The Food Of Love...

...play on! A little known fact about yours truly here... I love Shakespeare! I know, it isn't trendy to love Shakespeare now-a-days...nor is it because I am incredibly intelligent...far from it...but when I was about 15 I had an "Educating Rita" moment... *have you ever seen that film? It is one of my all time faves!* and I was studying Twelfth Night for my *ahem* O Level English Lit...hey, I wish I could say it was my GCSE but they were a distant thing in the future! Anyway, I fell in love with the works of Shakespeare and even now, I am a sucker for all things by the Bard... now did anyone see David Tennant as Hamlet... *swoons* Perfection or what! So, I am waffling away here and not even talking about the thingy I just made... This evening I had one of those moments when you hear a little voice from the Room of Stash calling... so off I went and mucked about with some mini canvases and some Terra and came up with this;




Instead of using the proper side of the canvas, I flipped it over and painted the whole lot with some Gesso - then I added on some Terra to the wooden bit of the framework...application with the finest tool known to a crafter... a finger! I heated up the Terra which made it go lovely and bubbly...then added some Silver acrylic paint - the best metallic acrylic for me is an Adirondack Dabber - and then I plopped some black paint over the top of this but didn't go right into the bubbley bits...I zapped this with my heat gun and then added some Silver Precious Metal paint over the top...again using the finger applicator. BTW .. it is a so and so to get out from under nails... be warned LOL




I set this aside to dry off completely while I got making some little Grungepaper roses - using the medium and small Flower Power stamps from The Artistic Stamper. I over stamped these with one of Mr. T'Holtz's music score stamps and then coloured them with Aged Mahogany, Fired Brick and Barn Red - so each one is a slightly lighter colour than the next.




Finally, I added on a little Adage Ticket attached in a mini clip and made a little mat to go inside the frame...again stamping over with the music score. It was a simple little piece and really fun to make, I love using Terra cos each time the effect is slightly different from before...and I just love the warty effect you get...mmm...warty, doesn't sound too pleasant... but you know what I mean!! Oh, I almost forgot to boast, I mean tell you... the Educating Rita moment worked...cos I got an A for my exam result...the only A I will ever get but I was well chuffed with that result! Thanks for looking...beddybyes time for me now....TTFN...

Hels x

Metal-I-Like-A

...Oh ho ho, I am trying to be funny haha today...the title...Metal I Like...with an A .. means ... Metallica LOL *just me again then????* I have got inky and painty and messy with some Ten Seconds Studio metals, Ferro and Terra along with some Precious Metal paints and some Idea-ology...adding in a bit of stamping to boot.




The base is a Maya Road book page, Gesso'd to prime it and then the bottom half is covered with some Ten Seconds Studio silver coloured metal, which I used on a Kabuka mold, just picking out random squares...then antiquing with black paint and colouring with Glimmer Mists.




The top half has Ferro on the left hand side, which is silver..then stamped into...and Turquoise Precious Metals to highlight and then a few dabs of Silver Precious Metal on top. I used a Sequin stamp from The Artistic Stamper to get the bobbly look...it is such a versatile stamp to use for texture on backgrounds. The other half of the top half...*or if I was a mathematically minded bod, I would have said quarter!!!* was covered with Terra, which was stamped into with a dotty background and the sequin stamp again...then once this was dried, assisted by the heat gun, I painted it white, then used more Precious Metals to colour this in to match.



I added an Idea-ology frame, again aged with black paint, then silver paint over the top...the sentiment is a new Studio 490 stamp...and I added the large heart, stamped onto silver metal and refined to give it texture, adding Grungeboard swirls behind....and then finishing off with a 3d metal rose, stamped onto Peacock TSS metal, swirled freehand and black paint again and then popped together using silicone glue.




Thanks for looking...has everyone been watching the Ranger legends on QVC? How fab to see Suze, Claudine and Tim on the telly :O)) *and I have to admit, I may have made a little order LOL*

Hels x