Sunday Stamper - Week 309 - Wind of Change

Goooodly Morning Stampers and a very happy Sunday to you all!  Big thanks for all the lovely entries to last week's challenge... it is so good to see new peeps joining in too!  This week the theme is a little different to "normal".  Oh yesh, I am mixing it up a little!  This week (as the song title would suggest) I would like you to CHANGE SOMETHING.  So, be it an alterable (as I have done) a stamped image, embellishments, papers, cardstock... anything you fancy changing!  The rules are simples: make a little something - it can be anything that gets  your Mojo going!  Add in the theme AND some stamping (that is the important bit... stamping!) and then pop back here, leave me a comment with a linky to the place you are showing your entry and I can hop over and visit you.  If you haven't got a blog/web-photo-hosty site, worry not, you can also join in via Facebook (tag my name) or by sending me a small res. pic of your creation. (my email addy can be found by clicking on my pic over there *points left*)  The challenge will remain open until 21:00 Saturday 31st May 2014.
 

My entry this week is also my latest DT piece for Jones of Nottingham... I was over the moon when I was given this fabby Kaisercraft MDF Baroque Frame.  Isn't it a beaut!!!   It is big as well, about 15" tall so a lovely big project to play with.  I started out by changing the base MDF - using Kaisercraft Black paint, I used Cut & Dry to apply it to the surface and then a little paint brush to get into the nooks and crannies of the braoque design.  Once dried, I used a sanding block and took off some of the paint, paying attention to the open edges of the frame, so the original wood was showing through again.  I then used Vintage Photo Distress Ink to blend over the woody bits and colour them.  I love this effect, it makes the frame look really old and worn looking.  I toyed with the idea of adding Treasure Gold but decided to keep it shabbier looking.

The papers I used for the insert of the frame are the new Marion Smith Motley Papers.  These are adorable, lots of beautiful floral images and collage style papers - yum!   I am a bit bugged by that sentiment tho!  The stamping is cool, I love the sentiment muchly - from a Kaisercraft stamp - but hey, why is it wonky on the frame?  I dunno, I was careful when I stuck it down but it is still all a-wonk.  And, being as I am a stick-it-down-properly-first-time kinda gal, I used extra glue on the foam pads I used to raise the sentiment up... so it is stuck fast and I fear if I try to take it off, it will tear the papers underneath.  Humph!  Wonky words it is then!  I am embracing my mistakes lol    At the side of the word strip, I cut out little bits and bobs from the papers and layered them up - check out the ickle brolly!  That was part of one of the papers and works perfectly with the sentiment :O))

The flowers started life as plain white Coconut Kaisercraft blooms.  Now, the fab thing about using white flowers is that you can make them into any custom colour you likey!  I used a watered down Raspberry Cosmic Shimmer mist (it was too pink as it was) and then smudged Victorian Velvet Distress Ink over the edges of the petals to give them a bit of definition.  Also in my DT kit were some Kaiser embellies.. the little padlock, how cute is that!!! I couldn't not use it!  The pearls, sparklers and gem sprays are all Kaisercraft... and the little metal flowers are actually buttons from Jones.. seriously cute, I need more of those for my collection!  I jazzed up the floral embellies with some leaves that I cut using Tim's Movers & Shapers Tattered Leaves cut from green papers and scrunched up to make them a bit shabbier.    All in all, apart from the wonky wordage, I am pretty chuffed with how the frame turned out - I love that about altering stuff, take something brand new and plain and slap a bit of paint and ink on it and voila, it looks as if it has been around for a yonk and a half!

That is all for today... in time honoured tradition, it is actually Friday morning at the moment and I am relying on Mr Blogger to publish this post on time.  I am actually in Telford, teaching at Crafty Bunch, this weekend... I know I will be having a ball because I always do when I go there... Sue (she who makes THE best salmon sammiches in the world) always looks after me and she and the ladies who come to play always make me feel so welcome... and our Pauline is going to be there today and she is as mad as a barrell of monkeys so I know we will be laughing very lots!   As ever, have a grand day!  Thanks for looking and... TTFN!

Hels x

Take A Note...

...or even a Notelet Box!  New for my Jones DT this month is a great MDF blank Notelet Box by Candy Box Crafts.  Now, as you all know, I am stooopid when it comes to assembledge... and therefore I was a bit perturbed when I saw the Notelet Box in kit form... lots of bits of wood... but actually, it fits together really easily, which is a good thing right?  

In order to ensure I didn't waste my fabby Kaisercraft 75 Cents papers, I made a pencil mark on the side of the woody bits that I needed to cover... and then covered the rest of the bits with Kaisercraft Black paint, applied with Cut & Dry foam so it was a nice smooth finish.  Once that had dried I used good old Cosmic Glue and stuck the papers to the woody bits... using a craft knife to make the fit perfect and then sanding the edges to reveal the white core of the paper and make the box look a little older than it is.  I also got my Texture Hammer out and gave it a bashing so it has gnarly bits too... and I also used me Tim scissors to snip the edges of the front of the lid and then sanded these back too.  My aim was to make the box look like it has been around a few decades.  Check out the stamping... that is an ancient date stamp I picked up on eBay and I used the bottom of a Diet Coke can to add the circles...well, it is more authentic!

Also from Kaisercraft are the fabby Attic Stickers... I used the ruler, cutting it to fit the lid, blending with Distress Ink (good old Walnut Stain) and then scruffing it up with the edge of my Tim scissors, tearing bits out and then sticking the sticker onto the lid using a smidge of Cosmic Glue for extra adhesions.  Next came the "fixing it all together" moment... a moment I always seem to hold my breath for because no matter how many times I check I have done the measurements right and the colouring and paper covering, I always seem to drop a doo-doo.  Well, I did this time too... not because of the design of the box, oh no, that was a doddle.. no because I am, as I mentioned earlier, completely stooopid!  Right at the very front, I didn't factor in the little tabs that fix it all together, thankfully cos of the design of the papers it doesn't stick out like a sore thumb... unlike my real thumb which was sticking out as I had inadvertantly stabbed it with my Tim scissors!  I need those chainmail gloves that butchers wear... 

Now for the decorations.  As you may have also noticed, I have a bit of a penchant for the embellishing bit of any project.  Now this box would have been lovely left as it was... bit oh ho, why not slather a pile of stuff onto it and jazz it up?  So, out came my mahoosive Tattered Florals and regular size Tattered Florals dies along with my Tattered Leaves die and I cut some flowers, making them into roses (sanding the edges of the petals before assembledge to make them shabbier looking) and addin Forest Moss DI to the leaves to make them...erm.. greener!   Of course, being as Jones are button makers (what, you mean you ain't checked out their website???  GO NOW!!! No, hang on a mo, finish this and then go *rofl*)  Yes, Jones have the most amazing array of buttons and it just so happens that they have some new steampunky geary coggy ones... so it was only natural that I bung them into the floral embellishment pile... along with a few bits of Idea-ology and... check out the ickle lightbulb... that is a proper, real, actual lightbulb from my Dad's car!  Don't worry, I didn't just randomly nick his tail light, he changed it cos it had "gone" and I asked if I could have it... he looked at me as if I am bonkers (he doesn't realise just how mad his only child is I fear) so on that went too! 

I took a few days off over the weekend... the busyness of the past few weeks had caught up with me and after the 7 hour drive home from Cornwall on Friday, I felt I needed a few days away from everything... so I spent Saturday asleep - well, for about 18 hours of it!!! And then Sunday I went to Costco with Rich & Mary.... then came home and Skyped Ellen for 4 hours (we hadn't Skyped for yonks so it was a mega catch up!) and then yesterday I spent the whole day happily ensconsed on the Sofa of Slouchiness, watching daytime tv and generally being mouselike as Grim is on nights this week so I needs to be uber quiet... not normal behaviour for me I can tell you (he will too!)   Today I am back to work, sample making for classes I have coming up and catching up on DT stuff... so that means that last night (yes, actually just after I finish typing this as I am scheduling it) I spent several hours unpacking work boxes, storing stash and tidying the Room of Stash.  And I know, I said a week ago I had plans to attack the Room of Stash... and no, I didn't!!   With all this in mind, I shall cast aside my slatternly behaviour get a wiggle on a get tidying!  Thanks for looking.. have a great day!  TTFN

Hels x

Sunday Stamper - Week 295 - And Your Bird Can Sing

Goodly Morning Stampers and a very happy Sunday to you all.  Many thanks for all your gorgeous diamond creations last week, it was great to see so many different interpretations of the theme.  The theme this week is rather poignant... more of that later... but first, the theme is... BIRDS.  To join in with the theme is simples: make a little something, it can be anything you like.  Add in the theme and some stamping and then pop back here, leave me a comment with a linky to the place you are showing your entry and then I can pop over to visit you. If you haven't got a blog, you can join in via Facebook, simply tag my name... or via emailing a small res pic to me.  The challenge will remain open until 21:00 Saturday 22nd February 2014.

As I mentioned, a poignant theme for me this week... in memory of my dear Aunty June who sadly passed away last week after a short illness.  I could have chosen so many different themes that remind me of her... but birds was the theme that stuck with me because I share her love of our feathered friends, especially owls.  When I was a kid I spent many a happy summer holiday staying with her, my uncle and cousins in "that London"... being a northerner in the south during those hazy summer days whetted my appetite for all things southern and I eventually ended up living in the south.  Aunty June always spoilt me, when I was little her birthday and Christmas pressies were always a little bit special, like a fancy pair of socks with golden threads woven into them, a beautiful red leather purse (which was sadly stolen) and in later years she bought me silver charms for my charm bracelet, all of them had a special meaning too; the Owl & The Pussycat because she used to say that poem to me when I was a kid.   She was a very special woman in my life and this piece of art is dedicated to my Aunty June... and the happy memories she left with me.

I won't go into too great a detail on how I created this canvas as it is my class sample from my workshop yesterday at Neil Burley's The Studio.  Big thanks to the lovely ladies who came along to play and get painty with us... and again to Neil for hosting the class.  I used a selection of Kaisercraft paints to create the background colours - Eggshell, Wisteria and Eggplant... aren't they gorgeous colours?  I don't know what is going on with me this year but I seem to have turned a little purple!  I had actually chosen to use soft mossy tones with smidges of mocha but changed my mind at the last minute!!! And then spent half an hour trying to dull down the purples until I was happy with the colours.  The sentiment is from The Artistic Stamper - available HERE... I love these lovely big wordy stamps - perfect for a mixed media project like this.

I must away now - I am up at stoopid o'clock today (scheduling this late last night... ) to travel to Birmingham for the Stitches Trade Show at the NEC.   I am demo-ing for Creative Expressions for the next three days so I might not be about much (social media might be a bit scarce too as the signal in the NEC is pants!) And as I hinted earlier in the week... I shall be demo-ing a brand new product from Creative Expressions... I am hoping to be able to make up a few samples whilst at the show so I will be able to blog as soon as possible to share all the goss on this fabby new ***** .... whoops, nearly let the cat out of the bag then!   As ever, thank you for looking... have a great day all.  TTFN

Hels x

Sunday Stamper - Week 290 - On The Wings of Love

Goooodly Evening Stampers and a very happy Sunday to you all!   Huge thanks for all your entries for the last challenge...  this week there be a new theme... and that is... WINGS.  To join in with the challenge is simples: make a little something - it can be anything  you fancy.  Add in the theme and some stamping then pop back here to leave me a comment with a link to the place you are showing your entry.   If you haven't got a blog, you can also join in via email - just email a small res pic to me or via Facebook, simply tag my name and I can view your entry.  The challenge will remain open until 21:00 Saturday 18th January 2014.

Firstly, apologies for the late posting of this weeks challenge... this is because I am teaching away from home this weekend and couldn't get online this morning (thanks Mr BT for doing your engineering stuff lol)  So, better late than never, here is my entry for this weeks challenge.

I have been teaching at Pickwell Farm this weekend, I love teaching here, not only are the ladies who come along a lovely bunch, Carolyn and her family always make me very welcome... not to mention the ace shop, packed to the rafters with stashly delights... yep, tis a lovely place to be.  Anyways, this weekend has been all about the Melt Pot.. and I have made a canvas (actually I made two - I know, I never finish class samples and this time I managed to get two done.. get me!  A new year, a new me... pah lol )   My demo canvas is 8" x 6" in size and once I had painted it, I set about doing some beeswax collage.  Stamping onto tissue and then applying wax... and then.. I had a "lightbulb" moment!   So, I wanted to colour the beeswax.  How to do that?  Well, I have used Melt Inks before to do this, but they do bobble a bit in the wax, whilst they colour it, there's always a residue in the bottom of the mould.  So, I hit on the idea of using Mica Powders to colour it.. hey, it works!!! Yipyah and thrice, a new technique!  Check it out, how sweet is this flower!!!

I used a mix of Kaisercraft and Tim Holtz stamps... and yes, butterflies always seem to feature somewhere on a creation...plus faux porcelain flowers... and some Treasure Gold for goodly measures too...

I shall away now... I am staying in Southampton tonight as I am teaching a private class tomorrow and I needs food... so I am off to have a mooch about and see what I can find.  Thanks for looking, sorry again for the lateness of the post!  Thanks for looking, TTFN

Hels x

Coffee Time!

...tis a yonk and a half since I did any altered recycling and when my mate Sue sent me a tin of coffee a few weeks ago, I fell right in lurve not only with the contents (Nescafe Azzera - NOM!) I also fancied the little tin that the coffee came in.  Being as I drink gallons of the stuff, I soon finished the tin and got straight onto the alterations.  My Jones of Nottingham DT pack came through a few weeks ago and in it is the brand new Violet Crush papers from Kaisercraft.  Purple? And me? Not normally but these are SO gorgeous, I dived right in. They are... LUSH!

I cut strips of the papers to wrap around the tin, edging them with Seedless Preserves DI before sticking them down.  Once they were attached, I added a little "spine" up the back of the tin, adding some fabby natural coloured buttons, also from Jones, tying threads of jute through them - nobody likes a bare button now, do they?

I added some gorgeous Kaisercraft papers flowers - these are Wisteria coloured and I spritzed them with Black Marble Dylusions and a purple colour Cosmic Shimmer mist.  The Word Band had a smidge of Antique White Kaisercraft paint smudged into the letters to make them pop more and then I used my own brute strength to bend the Band so it curved around the tin.  Ok, ok, they are pretty easy to bend so I admit, I am not that strong lol *not as strong as the coffee I have been quaffing*   The sentiment is from a Studio 490 stamp set, stamped onto more of the papers so they co-ordinate and it was popped into a Memo Pin to hold it in place.  I needed a nice container for my paintbrushes, so here it is.  Please don't tell me off about the state of me brushes though, they are all well loved and the one that is really fat is like that on purpose - oh yes, I purposefully forgot to clean it out properly... ahem... mmmm, believe that?

I shall away now, I am scheduling this post and it is way past my bedtime... plus it is chillywillybilly here tonight... I am fair frozen, the radiator in the Room of Stash is hot but is has to try and get heat around a room that is, well, at best described as... messy.. or untidy... more like chaotic.  One day I WILL get it sorted... I will... one day!  Thanks for looking... have a great day. TTFN

Hels x