Merlot & Old Lace....

...I know, it is supposed to be Arsenic and Old Lace...you know, that film that was made in 1944 starring Cary Grant....*ah, I sound so knowledgeable...the beauty of Google ROFL* Anyway...today is the start of a brand new Gingersnap Challenge and the theme is Lace & Fibres...hop on over to their blog...there is a bit of candy from our sponsors this month, The Artistic Stamper. For my piece I used some brand new 1920's ladies...along with a lady from the original 20's plate from The Artistic Stamper. I love the fact that the heads fitted onto a 2" square piece of Stampbord...so I did four different ones, inking the Stampbord with Chalk Ink...the Merlot part of the title is cos I used Merlot coloured ink...not cos I drink it ROFL... and then scratching at the Stampbord to emphasise the design.




The board background is an offcut of mountboard which I painted with *please don't yawn* Traditional Tan paint...then once this was dry I attempted to dab the Merlot ink around the edge...and...AlfieCat jumped onto the desk...made me leap out of my skin and blob... the inky sponge went splat onto the bit I didn't want inked... Never being one to be put off by a big fat cat landing on my stash, I decided to blend the Merlot ink over the mountboard...and then used some more Trad Tan paint top stamp the fabby sequin waste stamp, which breaks up the background a bit :O))




The last bit of the piece was the addition of lace...which I love....and fibres, which I cannot stand using...but I challenged myself that there would be some on the piece, so they made the hangy bit LOL I added some co-ordinating ribbon over the top of the lace just to break it up a bit...and then popped all the bits onto the board and added some beaded fringing to the bottom of it to finish.




That's all for now.. I will be back later with my workdesk mess...ha, so much for my put stuff away promise...it is a piggysty in my room of stash again ... I have got to take Ferdy in to get the heater and the brakes sorted...am hoping that it won't be a long do as I don't like Ferdy not being there on my drive LOL *for peeps who don't know, not only do I name my laptops I also name my cars* Don't forget to pop over to the Gingersnap Blog....there are some gorgeous bits of art on there too :O))

Hels x

Sunday Stamper - Week 88 - Hip To Be Square

Morning Stampers ... have you noticed I am not in my usual place??? Do I look different? Aha, that is cos today I am having to post from....THE BIG COMPUTER! My laptop has passed away (or at least, it will have once I have removed my boot from it...why are computers so annoying, you just get used to it, it understands you, you understand it... and then it goes and plays silly beggars and annoys you so much that you inflict harm on it....ROFL) so Grim has allowed me onto his pride and joy purely to post the new challenge...he just knows how rubbish I am with computers and how I break things, unwittingly of course, but clumsy is, afterall, my middlename ROFL First of all...THANK YOU for all your lovely entries last week... it was lovely to see so many new faces joining in too. I used Random.Org to pick out a winner...basically, using the usual formula, every entry assigned a number in order with date/time posted and then picked out this way...the lucky number was 7. Without further ado, I am pleased to annouce the winner of the "Sponsors" candy from The Artistic Stamper is....

Clarky J - congrats and please email your addy etc to me and I will pop your candy into the post.




Moving on...the new theme this week is....hips....ahahaha, got you going there... really it is SQUARES... and I used some 2" squares of Stampbord to make a little hangy piece. The base is an 8" square canvas oil board which I first painted with ... Traditional Tan (why use anything other when this is THE perfect paint!!!) and then layered some stamped tissue over it using Beeswax to fix it down...the stamping was done with StaZon and are Crafty Individuals stamps and an Artistic Stamper script stamp.





Now, once this was done it was way too in my face, not subtle at all (and, afterall, subtle is my middle name...along with clumsy LOL) so I layered another sheet of plain tissue over the top, using more Beeswax over the top...and then watered down some of the Trad Tan and blended this over the top using Cut & Dry foam. I used some little sprinkles of gold embossing powder to jazz up the edges and randomly over the bumpy bits just to add a bit of emphasis and to close the piece in I dragged a black StaZon around the edges too.




The tiles are all inked with a combo of Adirondack Foam Pigments and Chalk Inks and Colorbox Pigments. I have found that these pigments seem to work the best on Stampbord...basically, just heat set between colourings and stamping...and then I used a scratchy tool to scrape away bits of the images to add some highlights.




Each tile was then UTEE'd with three layers altogether so you get a really cool ceramic look..which doesn't really show up on the photo's too well. I edged all the tiles with gold Krylon to make them nice and neat and then to blend them more into the background I swiped a StaZon around the edges, just roughly, which toned them down a bit.




The stamping was all done with black StaZon and are a bit eclectic this week... no real theme, just some random images that are some of my faves and are from *in no particular order* Crafty Individuals, PaperBag Studio's, Stamp Francisco, Prima, Stampers Anon and The Stamp Bug... I have to admit, this piece is totally unlike the idea I had in my head...so that project, hopefully, will be made today...and will be the One World One Heart giveaway tomorrow :O)) If you are wondering what I am waffling on about, there is a link in my sidebar for you to click on and get transported to the place that is setting it all up...several friends joined in with it last year and loved it...so I thought I would give it a go this year!




Anyway...back to the hangy piece...I added some eyelets and rusty wire for the hangy bit and added a little bead that I nabbed from an old bracelet and a Philiosophy Tag which I dabbed with gold paint and wiped off so the gold stayed in the indentations. Finally, I added some micro beads randomly round the edges, again, they don't show up too well on the pics and some more of the heavenly golden pearls that I am fast running out of now!



To join in with the challenge, all you need to do is make a piece of art, be it a card, ATC, altered, tis up to you, incorporate the theme and some stamping and then pop back and leave me a comment on this post with a link to the place you are showing your piece... then I can hop over and visit you :O)) The challenge will remain open until 23:00 on Saturday 30th January...so you have all week to play!

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

Hels x

Sunday Stampers - Week 85 - I've Just Seen a Face....Plus Candy Winner

Hello Stampers ... Happy New Year to you all...may 2010 bring you lots of health and happiness... not to mention very inky fingers too :O)) A HUGE thank you to everyone who joined in with the challenge last time... it was great to see so many lovely pieces of art and to have so many comments too :O)) I used a very special mathematical solution to be able to chose a winner of the Mega Candy...basically, every comment that was left over the three posts I made, I assigned a number to, then if you joined in with the challenge, you got an extra number...makes sense huh? I used the Random.Org generator to chose the number *one day I will learn how to get the picture from there, to here, so you can see the result!!!* ...which turned out to be #42....so....drumroll.....the winner is:

Laura from As Happy As....congrats hun, please can you email me your addy details and I will pop the candy into the post for you. I got over 50 comments in total so I am adding some more bits and bobs to the stash too :O))

On with the new challenge...I had a little think over the holidays (don't panic, I was sitting down so didn't exert myself!) about the way the Sunday Stampers format is...with the song title for the theme etc...and decided that I like it that way...and it keeps me on my music quiz toes trying to think of new titles all the time LOL So, the theme this week is going to be Faces. It is easy to join in, all you need to do is make a piece of art, include some stamping on it and let me know about it with a comment here. Simple! Just like me ROFL Include a face in your art...this opens up huge possibilities and means that you can make just about anything really...and yes, I do love to see cute cards too...



I got a lovely blank mirror for Christmas and today I got all inky with Chalk Inks and Stampbord, making little tiles to fit around the edge of the mirror and scratching away some of the image to highlight the designs. I prepped the wooden frame with ... no prizes for guessing.... Claudine Hellmuth's Traditional Tan paint (what did I do before this product!!!)





And...to make the whole thing look a bit fancier, I used a gold Krylon pen around the edges...however, my photography!!!!!!! Yes, I know, I say it every week *yawns* but I really am rubbish with a camera ... so imagine how much trouble I had taking a picture of a mirror, when I didn't want my goofy reflection in it...in the end, I was lying on the kitchen floor, with the frame in front of me, trying to make the flash thingy work without it drowning out the colours...ah well, I promise, I will try to learn how to take photo's this year...cos it is becoming a bit of a joke LOL




Anyway, back to the project....All the stamped images are from PaperBag Studio's...I loooove their stamps and have been neglecting them lately so it was nice to have a play with them. I used a black StaZon for stamping...I find this to be the best permanent ink to stamp onto Stampbord with...it kinda soaks in without it ruining the image or the colour underneath...and the scratching...well, that is another lesson I need to learn, I went a bit bonkers with the only tile I hadn't used a face on...trying to make it pop...and ended up with it looking a bit manky, but ... I did use that sentiment for a reason...we all have "ugly days" right? Only me then? Well, I thought, I could be having one of my "ugly days" and look in the mirror and see the reflection...and then read the sentiment and remind myself that underneath all the flesh and spots, I reckon I am a stunner **for new readers, please, laugh...for peeps who know me...yes, you already are rocking aren't you?** And...this little tile here...well, the sentiment is just perfect...cos ... I will look in the mirror....read the sentiment...and remember, it is MADE for me LOL




I think that is enough waffle for one post...Just one more thing to say ... THANK YOU to everyone who joined in with the Sunday Stamper in the last year...it is incredible but the challenge has been running for nearly 2 years now...in the next few weeks there will be another Blog Candy for the anniversary...so, again, thank you all...it is so good to share my art and visit so many talented crafters....right, I am off before I get all soppy and sentimental.....

Hugs Hels x

Birdies & Flowers - An Altered Canvas

Hey Peeps

Back to my "normal" kinda crafting today and a little mini canvas that I altered for my friend's birthday.




I used a 4" x 3" canvas, coating the surface with Gesso to prime and then used Chalk Inks - Blue Lagoon and Chestnut - to colour the canvas. I inked up some 1" Stampbord tiles using the same colours and then stamped some of the fabby inchie stamps from Inkadinkado then just scratched the Stampbord to highlight some of the stamped areas.




I used some more Inkadinkado clear stamps to decorate the canvas surface, stamping using Timber Brown StaZon.




The little bit of beady fringe was added once the piece was assembled and I used Glossy Accents to stick this to the back of the canvas...tis the bestest glue for me!!




Thanks for looking and hope you have a great day....we have 30 odd degrees forecast...far too hot for me so I will probably be found in the shade, near a fan and with a large icey cold drink to keep cool me!

Hels x

Challenge Mojo ... An Altered Canvas

Evening Peeps,

So, where has it got to then? I have searched high and low, in all my cupboards, drawers and even in those dusty old corners that time forgot (or more like, what my hoover forgot!!!) What am I looking for? My Mojo!!! It has gone AWOL!!! Actually, I know exactly where the blighter is, it is on holiday, probably in the Caribbean, sipping cocktails with its best Mojo friend who belongs to Linda....actually, check that, it is probably quaffing "Mojito's" ... *groan* LOL

Anyways, Linda and I were chatting on't phone earlier and reminding each other about the last time this happened, about a year ago - anyways, Linda came over to my house armed with only Canvas, Chalk Inks, Stampbord and a few stamps. So we decided that as this had worked before, we were going to do the same again :O))

Here is the Challenge Canvas I have made:




It is an 8" x 6" canvas, a size new to me (ooooerrrr) and I have used a selection of Stampbord shapes and sizes.




I used Mint Green and Warm Violet Chalk Ink by Colorbox and coloured the whole surface of the canvas and the Stampbord.

I used Penny Black Brush Strokes stamps which I bought from Craft4Creation, a fab online shop that has literally hundreds and hundreds of Penny Black stamps....well worth a visit :O)) and stamped the images in Black StaZon.




I used a scratchy tool to do the scratchyness, emphasizing the brush strokes and then covered all the Stampbord pieces with two layers of clear UTEE which is from The Artistic Stamper.




To tie the canvas in with the stylee of the Stampbord, which I had edged with a metal file, I used a blending tool and foam and white acrylic paint and made streaks around the edges of the canvas. Suffice to say, this is the only streaking I am ever likely to do LOL




Anyways, this is the end product - I am fairly pleased with it but wish I had been a bit more adventurous with the colour as I always seem to go for these combinations. Perhaps now my Mojo is returning from its sojourn, I will be able to crack on and get more inky and messy again.




Please pop over to Linda's place to have a look at what she made, I haven't seen it yet, but I just know that it will be perfect.

Thanks for looking

Hels x

TMTA - Ice Blue

Morning,

This week the Think Monday, Think ATC theme is Ice Blue.




I have made an ATC using a mix of Chalk Inks and Brilliance Dewdrops and used Penny Black Brush Stroke stamps and a Catslife Press stamp for the sentiment.




The sparkle is Broken China Distress Ink and Frosty Lace Stickles and the butterfly is stamped onto Claudine Hellmuth sticky canvas and backed with metal so the wings stay curled.

Thanks for a fab challenge :O))

Hels x

Sunday Stamper - Week 44 - Blue Eyes

Morning Stampers,

Thank you to all of you who joined in with the last Sunday Stamper challenge - it was great to see so many lovely works of art :O))




This week the theme is Blue. As always, all you need to do to be able to join in with the challenge is to make something that features the colour blue and also incorporates stamping in some form or other. Once you have made your entry, please pop a post here and add a link to the place you are showing your creation and I will be able to hop over and see what you made.



I have made a canvas for my entry this week - how unusual that I am making a canvas :LOL



My canvas is 8" square and I coloured it using Colorbox Chalk Inks, Sky Blue and Prussian blue with a little Dark Blue around the edges.



I used some larger pieces of Stampbord for the decorating, colouring these in the same way. I used Penny Black Brush Strokes stamping, inking with Midnight Blue StaZon.



Once the stamping was complete, I scratched the images to get back to the while Stampbord colour and then I used a metal file to scuff up the edges.



The Stampbord then had one coat of UTEE applied, I only used the one coat this time as I wanted a bobbly effect on the pieces as the stamps are so lovely and kinda scruffy too - in a good way I mean though :O))




I also used some Claudine Hellmuth Sticky Back Canvas to make some delightful little flower embellies,colouring and stamping as above and then adding the canvas to some metal, cutting out and then shaping to make them 3D. I stuck them to the finished piece using silicone glue. As you can probably tell, I am loving this new sticky canvas ... I seem to be using it on almost everything I make at the moment LOL




That's all from me - have a wonderful Sunday and I am looking forward to seeing your creations.

Hels x

Inchie Birdies

Hello Peeps,

Bit later posting today than normal....because my piece for today took a lot longer than I anticipated - I seem to be on a bit of a go slow at the moment!



Yes, another canvas....but this time I have used some fabby new stamps by Inkadinkado which are "inchies" and feature Butterflies and Birds.



I used some new ink pads too - they are the brand new chalk inks by My Minds Eye and they are gorgeous, really creamy and lush colours too.



I used Stampbord inchy sized pieces for the little stamps and then added a larger piece and used another Inkadinkado birdy stamp for the main feature.



Once the birds were stamped I took a scratchy tool and highlighted bits of the designs to make them stand out more. I also used a metal file and distressed the edges of the Stampbord pieces.



I used UTEE to cover the Stampbord, making three coats on each piece and then once they had cooled down, I swiped a Timber Brown StaZon pad around the edges, just to define them.



Finally, using the same StaZon, I stamped little swirls and birdy images onto the canvas and added little words and more swirls to the sides of the canvas.



That is it really :O))

Thanks for looking!

Hels x

Gibson Girls Galore!!

Afternoon Peeps,

It is Jennie's birthday today - Happy Birthday to you hun :O))




I have made her a canvas as a little pressie. I used stamps that Jennie made, which are from the Gibson Girls range as I know Jennie loves these images. They are heavenly stamps to use in the way I have as they are just perfectly sized for the Stampbord and perfect for scratching and enhancing the images.




I used Teal and Turquoise chalk ink and Dark Peony chalk in for the colouring of the canvas and the Stampbord sqaures.




I stamped all the images with black StaZon and then scratched at them with the special scratchy tool jobby - I emphasised the hair on the girls mainly. I used Artistic Stamper clear UTEE and did a couple of coats on each square to achieve a lovely glossy look.




The dotty background is a background stamp of Jennie's too - and I just randomly dotted this around the edges of the canvas to get a little bit of depth.




The white on the canvas is actually white acrylic paint which I streaked on with a babywipe, I wanted to sort of copy the white edges of the Stampbord which I did using a metal file.




I know Jennie likes the canvas cos she told me!! If you would like to get your hands on the products I used, click here and you will be magically transported to the shop :O))

Here is the finished canvas:




Thanks for looking and have a great day

Hels x

Going Green

Morning Peeps,

Oh dear, I have been struck down with Man Flu!!!! Yes, my dearest Grim has been incredibly generous and passed on his dreaded lurgy to me...so I am speaking to you thru a bunged up dnose and with a sore throat....hence the early hour of Blogging...couldn't sleep!! *actually, I have a bit of a sniffle but I thought I would big it up LOL

I felt a bit better last night...had a really bad day with the old pain...so I decided to make another canvas, similar to the one I made for the Sunday Stamper.




I began by colouring the canvas with Olive Green and Dark Moss Chalk Inks. To blend the two together, I used a blending tool with Cut n Dry - I find this is easier than applying the inks direct to the canvas, and it is kinder to the ink pads too as the canvas can be a bit rough.




Once blended, I stamped my new fave stamp, the dotty background by The Artistic Stamper. I used Olive Green StaZon for this bit.




I then selected various shapes of Stampbord and coloured them with the Chalk Inks. I used various images to stamp them up - mainly PaperBag Studio's, Crafty Individuals and a new company to me called Art Journey...these stamps were a pressie from Linda...so thank you Linda, they are gorgeous!! I used the Olive StaZon again to do the stamping and then scratched onto the Stampbord, used a file to rough up the edges and then used Artistic Stamper clear UTEE to make them into tiles.




I edged all the pieces of Stampbord with gold Krylon, not that you can see this on the piccies but when viewed from an angle, the gold edges just make the piece look more finished.




I arranged the Stampbord pieces onto the canvas and then stuck them down with Glossy Accents. I also stamped round the edges of the canvas but I forgot to get the photo's of the sides!!




One of the piccies is a duplicate, by the way, mainly because I usually place a towel on the work top to do my photography...and AlfieCat, who loves to lay on towels, jumped up and made himself a bed right on top of the canvas, thank goodness it was all dried otherwise I would have had a sticky cat!! LOL




Am off to find the Lemsip now and groan a little bit at Grim in the hope of some sympathy!! :O))

Thanks for looking.....

Hels xx