Happy Christmas!!!

Gooodly Morning to one and all... and a VERY Happy Christmas to you all... may your Christmas bring all your wishes and dreams come true!  I have been busy supervising in the Room of Stash.  Oh yesh indeedily, a certain little AlfieCat decided he wanted to get Ink on his Paws and make Daddy's Christmas card.  He spent a little while mooching around Tim and Wendy's blogs and decided he wanted to make something similar to Tim's 12 Tags December edition... and add in their fabulous Frosted Film and Clearly for Art technique.  HERE is Tim's post and HERE is Wendy's *worth taking a glass of sherry and a mince pie with you when you visit cos you will be there yonks!*

So.  Alfie is a bit of an inky demon and a few weeks ago I took delivery of the new Tim Layering Stencils, Holly and Diamonds.  AND... they were still in their packets, unopened and uninked!  How very remiss of me but I haven't had a chance to sit and play.  AlfieCat is all for using up stuff that hasn't been played with yet and ripped open the packets and off he went, using Antique Linen, Frayed Burlap and Walnut Stain DI's to colour the base of the tag and filling his paw up with water and flicking it over the tag to add some distressy splats.  I did the heat tool thing to dry it, last time he went near one he frazzed his whiskers.  He then layered the Holly Stencil over the tag and used Forest Moss and Fired Brick DI's to colour.  Another zap from Mummy with the heat tool to dry the ink and then he layered the Diamond Stencil over and used Frayed Burlap to colour.

The fabby technique from Wendy & Tim is adhering Frosted Film to Clearly For Art... how cool is this!!  Die cut with the Tattered Poinsettia, Holly Brank and the sprig from the Tattered Pine Cone and then coloured with her Signature Designer Ranger Archival's in Fern Green and Geranium (and Alf added smidges of Olive to add a second tone of green to the holly leaves)  A zap with the heat tool from me to dry the Archival ink and then I did the next bit: flip the pieces over so the Clearly For Art is face up and heat until it starts to flutter... and then shape whilst still hot... once cooled, the Clearly For Art keeps it shape!  Don't like the shape? Simply reheat and reshape!  This technique ROCKS... seriously, you NEEDS to try it!  Just think, you could colour the die cuts with Promarkers/Copics, Alcohol Inks etc.  Once assembled, I added the bits of Idea-ology and the sentiment is one of Tim's Rub On's.  Alf then coloured the card base using Frayed Burlap and the Diamond Stencil so it carries the design through to the base... isn't he clever!!!???

Right, I shall away... tis time to open the pressies that are sitting under the tree.  I have no idea what Father Christmas has brought me this year!  Hope you all got some lovely stashly goodies... go on, do tell, whatcha get???  Have a lovely day everyone!  TTFN

Hels x

Dashing...

...me and Santa are both dashing about today! I love this new Santa image from the Christmas Time set by the one and only Duke of Distress... he is definitely dashing on his way to pop some goodies down my chimney (he'd better be after I have been so good this year lol)   Today sees two Tim Holtz Crafting shows on Create & Craft... all the channel deets are in my sidebar.  The show times are 8am (yikes! early!) and 6pm.  This here card is one of my demo cards so I won't go into any details about what I used (apart from I already have lol) but it does give you a hint what is on the shows :O))

I have had a bit of drama!  Yesterday was a busy day, making a few more samples and prepping up lots of demo's for tomorrow.  I have been bugged by this new pain all week - tis getting very irksome indeedily!  I nipped to the shop last night and as I was coming back inside I tripped over the door frame, I mean I have lived here nearly 3 years so I do know that there is a door frame to step over... anyways, I felt a bit of a jolt in the old back and cursed under my breath (actually, it was an out loud one, Alfie was sitting at the bottom of the stairs laughing at me so we had a conversation about how clumsy Mummy is)  I can remember walking into the utility room and opening the back door... and taking my meds... and feeling a really sharp pain in my back and the next thing I know I am looking at the patio... from patio level.  Huh?  I had absolutely no idea what was going on... totally clueless and then I felt a, what I can only describe as agonising, pain in my tongue.  Bitten, like, badly bitten... and tasting blood... and then feeling more pain in my head, on my face and in my neck.  OMG!  I passed out!  Literally had a fit of a vapours and flaked out!  Blimey the last time I fainted I was about 8 and I had eaten a chip too fast and it scratched me all the way down inside and next thing, I woke up on the kitchen floor.

The last time I had looked at the clock it was about 9pm... and when I finally managed to get myself upright, it was ten past 9!  Yikes!  Ten minutes unaccounted for!   Grim is on lates so I was on my own... until I realised that I had a little furry companion; AlfieCat!  Bless him, he was scratching at the kitchen door to come through to see me... and wierdly, he went right upto the back door and sniffed where I had been laying... and then looked at me, he must have known... they are so clever aren't they? And he hasn't left me alone since - he's a clever little sausage.   Anyways... if I am talking a bit funny today you will know what it is... bitten tongue syndrome!  Talk about clumsy... I am hoping that the sore bits on my forehead and cheek are just that, a bit sore... and not bruised!  I will be slapping on the make-up otherwise!   Right, I shall away... time for bed methinks!  Thanks for looking... have a fab day... TTFN!

Hels x

What's Scarlet and Grins Like A Loon?

....erm... that would be me then lol  **thankfully the studio lights kind of covered up the fact that I was actually as red as a beetroot during that call!**   So!   What did  you think of the little surprise on yesterdays 5pm show huh?  HOW COOL WAS THAT!!!! The Tim Holtz, on the phone, chatting away... I was gutted when the first phone call cut off and so wanted to do a huge happy dance when Tim was back on the line but I feared for the set, so I stayed still lol   I am going to say a few thank you's;   To Creative Expressions for trusting me with these enormously important shows...  and to you all for all the lovely comments, messages, Tweets and mostly your support, it has been an amazing few days.  To Tim, for his call into the studio and for being so inspirational and visionary and bringing all the vintage things I love so much into the crafting world, for making things so much more accessible.  And... finally, to my Grim, who has put up with not seeing much of me, of me being covered in ink, of me spending all day and night making samples and giving out occasional squeals of excitement, I am very lucky to have such an understanding husband!

I have a few card samples that I put together for the shows... we didn't really have time to show the samples that much so I thought I would bob a few on here for the next few days so you can see them close up.  This first one is using the Christmas Blueprint stamp set... I stamped the tree twice onto paper from the new Holidays Stash and stuck them together to make a 3d tree... and I just noticed when I was taking pics... it looks a smidge like a dinosaur (well, I know, sort of, if you squint lol)

I love the Nutcracker image and I may have said this before... I spent hoooours trying to colour him in, each time I did it, it didn't look right.  And I kept trying different shade of colour, nope, still not right.  Eventually the idea hit for me to actually use my resources and ask Mr Google to tell me what this little fella should look like.... haha! I was colouring his kecks in black... and they are white... doh! Simples!

Now, friends and long time readers of this little old blog will probably remember that I have real issues working with stamps that have a face.  There are only a few stamps I actually like that have faces - the Santa ones I use have been very carefully chosen, I just get spooked by a sinister eye or a flared nostril that most peeps won't even notice because I do actually think it is all in my head (ahem, yep!)   So, when I was told that the Stampers Anonymous Classics #5 were being added to the shows, I got a little freaked... like how on earth am I going to bring myself to use those stamps, they are... faces!!!   Well, I just figured I would grit my teeth and go for it.  Oh erm... well, the going got it got a bit out of control because I absolutely fell in loves with this little lady.  She is so pretty and there's not a smidge of the sinister about her... I loves her so much I added a couple of beauty spots to her lip and cheek using a reallly fine tipped pen.  Isn't she almost doll like in her beauty?   I am not sure if you saw the tag on the telly that I made using her... I shall blog that tomorrow because I want to tell you about how I made it in full and I have already bent your ear enough now.

Anyways... tis time for me to get a wiggle on... out for lunch with Grim and an afternoon of telly catch up.  We were planning telly catch up last night but I ran out of energy at about 10pm and went to bed.  And, being slatternly, I even forgot to remove my make-up and woke up looking like a panda... not Kung-fu Panda, more like Old Hag Panda.  I slept for 11 hours too... must have been all the excitement that wore me out.  Right, I shall away... thanks for looking... please do pop back tomorrow because I will be having a giveaway... not just something I have made either... oh no, much better than that ;o{))   (even my smily has got a Movember moustache lol)  Thanks for looking... TTFN!

Hels x

Corrrrrr....

...Blimey! And! Thrice!  Thank you all for your amazing Tweets, comments, messages, emails and support for yesterday's show.  I loved every minute of it ... and... even better... I get to do it all again today!  Twice!  Quick reminder for show times:  11am Create & Craft and 5pm Ideal World.  And... shhhh, don't tell anyone but... I am realllllly hoping I will have a very special surprise for you all on the 5pm show (finger's x'd and all that!)  Here are a couple of samples featured on last nights shows:

This one is a tag (no, you don't say lol) and I have added a Studio 490 Art Part Tag Topper to it.... I lurves Tag Toppers - they add a bit of extra dimension to the ordinary tag.  Background of Bundled Sage DI and stamping with Metallic Distress Stain to create the snowflakes... quick, simples and very pretty (I lurves Bundled Sage... )  The Adornment was coloured with Brushed Pewter Stain and dried, then I dabbed Pine Needles Stain onto the leaves.  Who knew that Metallic Stain would stick to metal?  I didn't, I just tried it out... and it worked... tis all about experimenting.

And then there is a really simple card... bit of stamping and some Paper String and a Christmas Muse Token and voila!  At least I have some Christmas cards made already this year now... instead of leaving it til the second week of December when I normally hurtle around like a loon... nowt like leaving it to the last minute....    Speaking of which... I really should go... I am setting off to the studio's in a couple of mins... I have some cracking goodies on both of the shows today... and... don't forget... ssshhhhhh, don't tell anyone... special surprise on the 5pm show (finger's X'd and phone's working and all that **wink wink**)  Thank you all again... you are all amazing!  Sorry I haven't had a chance to reply to messages and Tweets... my phone is steampowered and by the time I got home last night it was getting verrrry late... I will have a catch up this evening ..... Thanks for looking... have a grand day... TTFN

Hels x

Psssst.....

...super-speedy-lightning-fast-at-the-speed-of-light blog post today... can you see the smoke coming off my fingers... they are fair flying across the keyboard!  I am sorting all my demo's and samples and stuff ready for tomorrow nights Tim Holtz Crafting show on Ideal World *all deets in side bar :O)* and thought I would do another sneaky peek to whet your appetite.

Not much to see is there... *insert evil laugh*  I thought I would keep you guessing ;o))  Thank you for all your amazing comments on recent posts... it sounds like you are all as excited as me about the shows, I truly appreciate your support!   I am so excited and ever so slightly having mild collywobbles!  I shall away... stuff to do, demo's to prep, nails to rescue... Thanks for looking... TTFN!

Hels x

Ssshhhhneaking Peekings....

...did you see what I did there?  Tis not good, I made meself laugh!  Well, anyway... today I have another sneaky peek at some of the samples I have made for the big shows on Tuesday and Wednesday (if you missed yesterday's post, click HERE for the big news!!!!)   Do you see lots of our fave products from the Duke of Distress?  I have to say.. I am having a total ball playing working with all the goodies. 

You should see the state of the Room of Stash though... oh my word, I think I will be spending all day on Thursday tidying up... I just cannot seem to be tidy when I am making samples.. bits of card, punchy-outy bits from diecuts, snippets of ribbon... and that is just the floor!

Right, I shall away... I am scheduling this post because I am actually sound asleep, wrapped up, cocoon like, in my duvet (I love my duvet, it is all feathery and moulds about me to keep me snuggly)  because I am up with the lark to set off for my class and demo weekend at Birds In The Barn... I am really looking forward to a weekend of inkiness... if you are joining me please do introduce yourself, tis lovely to see peeps in the real IYKWIM.   Thanks for looking... have a goodly day!  TTFN

Hels x

BIG... EXCITING... NEWS...

....Eeeeee, I have been sitting ever so patiently so wanting to share this for a yonk and a half.. I have been alluding to some special shows on Create & Craft/Ideal World coming up next week... well, I can't keep it in any longer... here's the news that I hope you are all going to be as excited as me about; on Tuesday 13th November 2012 at 10pm I will be demo-ing on a very special Creative Expressions show on Ideal World...launching Tim Holtz and his product lines onto the channel.  HOW EXCITING IS THAT!!!!   *I can barely contain myself!* The shows are packed full of brand new Tim Holtz products, stamps, papers, Idea-ology and of course, lots of Distress goodies.   I am so honoured and delighted to be asked to do this, you all know how passionate (ok, mad crazy) about Tim's products and art... so I hope you will be able to tune in and join me for the shows.   The times for the shows on Wednesday 14th November are... 11am on Create & Craft and 5pm on Ideal World.  The channel details are: Create & Craft: Sky 671, Freeview 36 and FreeSat 813  Ideal World: Sky 644, Virgin 747, Freeview 22 and FreeSat 812.  If you haven't got any of those, you can also go to Create & Craft's website HERE and Ideal World's HERE and click on "Watch Us Live"

 

Here's a little peek at one of the samples I put together... and speaking of samples, I better shake my booty and get back to the Room of Stash and make some more... *am just going to do a little wiggle and squeal a bit again first tho...*   Thanks for looking...hope to "see" you on Tuesday!  TTFN!

Hels x

Ta Dah....

...Finished!!! You know that Configurations box that we were playing with at THE class with the Duke of Distress? Well, I purposefully didn't finish mine at the class because I wanted to take time over it... and add a few of my own goodies to the boxes too... well, I have just spent a happy hour popping it all together... and here it is!




Check out the size of the bottle in the middle box!!! It is chunky and I need some more of these... they are FAB! The little figurine in the centre is one of the new Fractured Dolls Idea-ology sets... you know, I spent hours searching t'internet to find Frozen Charlotte dolls and I found a couple in the USA... which I had shipped here to the Room of Stash... costing me a bomb in the process LOL



I decided to use one of the dollies on the project too.. oh and as well as the ickle tin soldier on a horsey which is busted up but is just perfect for the box.



The big old watch has been lurking in my junk box for yonks - waiting for the perfect project... well, this one seemed apt to add it to :O))




The whole box together just makes me happy... seeing all those bits and bobs together... love it! And it is a happy reminder of the amazing day we had too... anyways, I had better get a wiggle on, I have been so busy looking at the Configurations, I haven't even thought about the Sunday sTamper... so I shall away to get inky and make that now! Thanks for looking... have a brillliant afternoon... TTFN

Hels x

I Don't Need A Pinny...

...were the words uttered by me, with a smidge of smugness, yesterday morning... famous last words and all that... well, I may have mumbled something about going to Artsy Crafts and seeing the Duke of Distress... and actually being in the same room as him and learning stuff... corrrr, it was a fantastic experience... anyways... there we were, sitting doing creative stuff and for some reason, the gap between my ear and my brain got blocked... and I started to put paper onto the base of the project when it should have been on the lid... lo and behold (how embarrassing) Tim was standing behind me and said "lid"... ooopsie-daisies... I, for some unexplainable reason, decided that putting a paintbrush of Multi Medium into my mouth was a good idea... and then I decided that lowering my head in embarrassment was the next step... and then I realised that the combination of these two things would result in my fave top being totally ruined!!! So, I now have a fave top with an altered cleavage area... covered in Multi Medium which is now water resistant and is consigned to the "crafting only" clothes draw. That'll learn me to be clever and not wear a pinny LOL




Anyways... yesterday... was absolutely amaaaazing... I got chance to meet up with some lovely peeps I have "met" blogging and had a right laugh whilst learning new stuff at the same time... the only downside of the whole day was it went sooo fast! Seriously fast, like blink and you miss it fast... I did manage to get a few photo's and I also had a brass neck on so I asked Tim to sign my calico bag which was chock full of goodies to put into the Configurations we were altering.





The little car in my calico bag is a Fiat! How cool... Ferdy is a Fiat so I was well chuffed with that... the new Idea-ology is gorrrrgeous... oooh and those Grunge Blocks... oooh, I need those!!! I haven't completed my box yet... I needed time to make sure I was putting stuff in the right places ... something not to be rushed... I am going to savour every moment of it!!!





I just have to say a huge THANK YOU to Lin and Leandra for organising this very special event... to Karen for doing all those kits (folks, Karen is THE Queen of Kits!), to Linda/Julia/SweetPea for helping me out following the loss of a brad (mmm, I had sausage fingers ROFL) to Lin/Cheryl, Courtney, Jo, Millie for their sterling assisting skills, to Alain for the Ranger goodies... and finally to Mario for being so cool in his shorts... gotta love a guy who wears shorts. In February. In England ROFL




Oooh, nearly forgot... of course... to Tim Holtz... the guy who has the knack of teaching, making us laugh, inspiring us and coming up with so many fab ideas that just make this whole craftyarty thing such fun...



I will sign off now cos I know I have done faaaar too much gushing for one post (but hey, it is all true) Here is a piccie of me and the Duke of Distress - now you know how much I dislike having my photo taken... well, I couldn't pass the chance of this one up could I? lol Thanks for looking... I am off to lay down in a darkened room now... TTFN

Hels x

It's A Tonic...

...How could I resist those ickle Maya Road shapes that are just out...the little pack has chipboard bobbins, needles, sewing machines, coat hangers and best of all....mini scissors! Now, a question for you all....have you got or ever used Mr T'Holtz's Tonic Studio's Scissors? And...if you have got them or used them...do you like them? Are they your bestest ever scissors? The reason I ask is because I saw a question on a forum the other day...and it said "what is the ONE thing you cannot craft without?" My answer, immediately, is my Tonic Scissors. First of all, they are uber sharp...I have had one pair for three years nearly and never sharpened them...the other pair (which are for best ROFL) are exactly the same....but, why have two pairs??? Cos...one is for cutting out chipboard and mountboard, mounting rubber stamps and cutting into metal...the other pair is for fine work...but to be honest, all the bashing the first pair have had has made no difference to their performance at all! I would love your feedback...go on, feel free to discuss the merits of these fab scissors...




Now, why am I waffling on about Mr T'Holtz's scissors??? Cos...in the little pack of Maya Road shapes is a pair of chipboard scissors *bear with, I know I already said that* ... and... it I thought it fitting that I made the chippy scissors into mini replica Tonic Scissors ...call it hero worship, adoration or just plain daftness... but I think they look pretty coolio :O)) I added in a little mini brad from the Idea-ology range and coloured them with Pumice Stone for the snippery bits (erm...for the grown up readers...the blades LOL) and for the Kush Grip handles I coloured them Barn Door.




The base of the piece is a Maya Road page from a coaster book....decorated with Studio 490 stamps...of course...Maya Road and Distress Inks = Wendy Vecchi stylee...I added some Maya Road braid...this is ssoooooooo gorgeous...you can see, I used a fair bit of it...and added a couple of buttons too. The ickle needle is threaded with a piece of old string...coloured Pumice Stone...and the Bobbin has some black cotton threaded around it. The little shirt on the hanger was stamped onto Grungepaper...and coloured with Stormy Sky and then covered with Rock Candy Stickles. Now it is time to admit I made a boo boo....I plonked my dirty great thumb print onto the ART word...so I tried to rub it off...naffed it up ...so covered it with Rock Candy Crackle...think it blended in pretty well :O))




Thanks for looking....oh, I almost forgot to say...the little scissors here...they have Glossy Accents on the snippery bits...cos that is what mine look like...all gunky...and...I reckon I need Mr T'Holtz to pop over to my house and do a mini signature on them LOL

Hels x

Be Creative....

Ok, so this tag malarky is taking over...you see, I have these HUGE tags to play with and I am already totally covered in ink, so why not make more of a mess!!!




Here is one of the huge tags, decorated using only Tim Holtz stamps, Distress Inks and some Idea-ology metal bits ... along with a bit of Grungeboard and Grungepaper, Distress Stickles and Sepia Accents thrown in for good measure.




All ingredients are available from The Artistic Stamper....go on, you know you fancy a little treat today...to make up for the rainy summer we have had :O))

Thanks for looking....don't forget to check back on Sunday for the Sunday Stamper...and also the blog candy that is up for grabs!

Hels x

A Very Special Workshop :O))

Hi Peeps

Blimey, it seems like ages ago since the special workshop I was incredibly lucky to be able to attend - but what with the accident a couple of days after and the old bruises keeping me immobile for a while, this is really the first chance I have had to think about it!!!

Anyways, who was the special workshop with then? I cannot believe I am saying this...but the workshop was with the one and only Tim Holtz :O)) And, even better, I managed to get a piccie of me and him together...so here it is:



During the workshop we used the fab new Alcohol Ink colours and also the Alcohol ink pen, which is great and I neeeeed some of those very muchly LOL




This is what we made..... isn't it fab? And so easy to do aswell, I never thought I would have been able to make something like this and it now has pride of place in my kitchen.




Anyways, thanks for looking....and sorry for showing off (actually, am I really? LOL )

Hugs Hels x

Sunday Stamper - Week 33 - Tie a Yellow Ribbon

Hi,
Hels has asked me to post this week's Sunday Stamper's Challenge as she is having a problem getting on the net.
This week, the song is "Tie A Yellow Ribbon", and of course the colour is Yellow!
I love this song as it always makes me want to sing the next line......
Hels should be back very soon, so don't forget to post in the comments so we can see what gorgeous artwork you have made.
Jennie


Hello Peeps.....

.....Phew, thanks Jennie for posting the above, my poor old t'internet was feeling a bit off colour, but it is well again now....hurrah and thrice!! :O)) *and thanks to Grim for being ever so clever and sorting it for me!! LOL

As Jennie so kindly said, the theme this week is Yellow.

For my challenge, I made two tags. I used Mustard Seed Crackle Paint, just randomly painting it onto each tag and then once it had dried, I used Scattered Straw and Mustard Seed Distress Ink to blend the colours onto the tags. I recently bought most of the Distress Inks again, mine had gone all dry and although I had re-inked them, I found that the depth of the colour was not quite as good as the original pad. Anyways, I bought mine from The Artistic Stamper - just in case you need to do the same or have not used these pads before :O))



For the stamping, I used a couple of the new Tim Holtz collection stamps, oh, how I love these stamps and finally, Sir Tim has designed a stamp with butterflies :O)) The stamping was achieved using Walnut Stain ink and Distress Embossing Powder. I added some yellowy papers which are from a new range by Black Market Paper Co - these are double sided and have a gorgeous texture - they are available from The Stamp Attic and even better, there are two sizes so you have the larger and smaller designs to match. Finally, I blended a little Walnut Stain around the edges of the tags just to finish them off.




As ever, all you need to do to join in is make something, using the colour yellow and make sure you incorporate some stamping on your design. Then add a post here with a link to the place you are showing your creation and I can come and have a nosey :O))

Thanks for looking, thanks again to Jennie for posting this for me and happy stamping peeps.

Hels x