Goodbyeee...

...goodbyeeee... I am singing again, you know that daft song from Peter Cook and Dudley Moore?  Well, that is what is in my head (along with other stuff that is probably far too weird for  you to even contemplate)  Anyways... as the title would suggest there be a goodbye to be said today.  I have spent the last 18 months being part of the lovely DT over at Snazzy's and today is my last post as I have now left the team.  Here's a sneaky peeky at my last creation... to see all the deets please CLICK HERE.

I was a-mooching around yonder Facebook last night when up popped a friend request.  Nowt unusual there eh?  Well, this was... cos it was an old school friend that I haven't seen for about... ahem... 25 years!  Blimey... I mean 10 years, obviously, it can't be 25 years as I am not old enough *who sniggered?*  Anyways... we then spent three hours yakking and catching up and blimey, it was a trip down memory lane.  The thing that struck me more than anything else was I could "hear" her voice... even after all these years!   Ahhh, reminiscing about our mad old teachers (most of them were doolally, probably from having to teach us rabble) and then other class mates... most of them whose names neither of us were very good at remembering (now that is a sure sign of old age, isn't it?)  As it was the 80's when I was doing *I say doing because I will be honest, I hated school, it was torture to drag myself there everyday, a necessary evil, I wasn't the best scholar!* school and stuff, I have been listening to Absolute 80's all evening... well, I usually listen to that or Smooth 70's in the evening because Radio 2 does go a bit weird some nights...anyway I digress... the point of this waffle is that I never cease to be amazed by the wonders of yonder t'internet... I mean, if it wasn't for it, I wouldn't be sitting here driving the train to Wafflington and boring you all to tears!  Anyways... I have finally got to the point of all that twaddle... I have a question for you... what is the most amazing thing you have found through, on or via yonder t'internet?  Do tell, I am ever so nosey you know ;o))    I shall away now, it is *shock horror* 2.45am... whooops, looks like a lay in for me in't morning then!  Which now means that it is already the morning cos you won't be up at such a silly o'clock, so that means that you are thinking that I will be having a lay in tomorrow morning... uh, oh, uh... erm... think I needs some sleeps.... TTFN

Hels x

And The Winner... Is...

...teehee, I am going to make you wait a wee while longer to find out because first, I need to tell you what I have been up to with my Snazzy DT this month... we have been playing with some delicious My Minds Eye papers and here's a little schneaky peekingtons at what I made... BTW... you can see the full pics/deets etc HERE on the Snazzy blog!

And enough of me making you wait... so, I had a whopping 70 comments left for my giveaway, thanks all for those!  I fed the number into Random.Org and he decided that #26 was the lucky one this time... which corresponds with the comment left by Almo.  Congrats to you and please can you email me your addy so I can pop your prize into the post!  *my email is available by clicking on my pic at the top of the page*

I shall away now... I have a few things I need to get sorted out today and of course, as ever, the Room of Stash needs a smidge of attention... all this in and out teaching and demo-ing lark has left the old four walls in a state of disarray!  *nowt new there then!* and if I leave it any longer it will be one of those "whole day wasted clearing up after ones slatternly self" jobs!  Thanks for looking... have a great day!

TTFN

Hels x

A Thing About Birds...

...is what I seem to have this week!  Firstly on Monday there was the lurve bird... and then Tuesday was the Love Birds... and now today... the Sweetie bird!  Yikes, I shall be watching out in case I start sprouting feathers and having an urge to poop on car bonnets!!  *oh dear, I said that out loud didn't I?*  Anyways... sillyness aside, today is my second project showing day for the Snazzy DT.  To see the piece in full and how I made it, please CLICK HERE where a large white birdy will whisk you off to the blog!  *yep, been taking the meds too*  Wanna sneaky peeky?  There ya go.... 

I am really chuffed with this piece because it started out as something totally different... it was sketched as a canvas and had a pocket at the base and had no flowers!  I know!  But I couldn't find the canvas I wanted (thinks I have already used it actually) and I came across a papier mache board so went with that instead.  I love these 9th Wave papers, designed by the wonderous Anna Dabrowska for 7Dots Studio... they are thick for starters, double sided (always a bonus right?) and the colours... ohhhlalaaa... right up my street.  Check out the ickle birdy... isn't he just cute!  I got three of these little guys when I was up in Durham a few weeks ago and stabbed myself stupid in the leg whilst carrying them home... not realising they are attached to a PIN... yep, what is that ouchy thing hurting? Oh yesh, that would be a pin... seriously, if I had a brain I would be dangerous!

Anyways... as much I would love to sit here and waffle, I can't!  I must away... I have much halo polishing to be getting on with... the "Keep the Room of Stash Tidy" campaign is still going strong and I have been ever so good... tidying away after each project, cleaning the desk, cleaning out brushes instead of leaving them for weeks in manky water... is this a new Hels you see before you?  Well, I guess so, til the halo slips and throttles me!  Thanks for looking, have a goodly day! TTFN

Hels x

Love Bird...

... cor blinking blimey and thrice!!!  Not only did my Mojo come home, he decided to stay! Which is just as well because today starts my week of DT projects for Snazzy's.  Last month I was on the cusp of losing my Mojo and didn't manage to do a particularly good job of my DT thing... which I hate because I do need to be able to do me best... IYKWIM.  Anyways... Mojo is home, he is still locked in the Really Useful Box, I am taking noooo chances on him beggaring off again but... my cunning plan for keeping the Room of Stash tidy and therefore, in turn, Mr Mojo happy, seems to be working.  For, you see, I have turned over a new leaf... well, for the time being... I have given myself a good old talking to and now, unless it is a matter of life and death, I am not allowed to remove my personage from the Room of Stash until I have tidied up after a crafty sesh.  If I am half way through a project then it is ok to leave it be... but I am not allowed to go to bed with mess everywhere!  

Well, it appears to have worked because yesterday I got all inky and messy with the gorgeous DT kit we have had to play with this month.  The new 7Dots Studio 9th Wave Collection from Finnabair (these papers are deeelish) and a set of Hero Arts stamps and stencil to match.  Ohhhlallaaaa... I was all excited when I found an old photo frame lurking around the other day so I decided to alter this for my DT project.  CLICK HERE to see the thingywotsit in full with all the pics/deets etc.  As I said yesterday, thank you all for hanging on in there and keeping on visiting even though the "out to lunch" sign was hanging on the door... I do appreciate you all!  I shall away now, I am getting a little misty!  Thanks for looking, have a goodly day!  TTFN

Hels x

Snazzy Time...

...tis that time of the month again... oh yesh, this week is my week for the Snazzy DT and the team and I have been playing with some cute JOFY stamps this month.  To see my creation in full, please CLICK HERE.  Don't forget to check out the random commenter giveaway over on the Snazzy blog this month too... there's still a week to be in with a chance of winning a goody prize.  My creation was tonnes of fun to make and all the deets on how I put it together and what I used are all over on the Snazzy DT Blog. Here's a sneaky peeks at it...

WOW, thank you all SOOOOO much for all the emails, Tweets, FB messages, texts and messages yesterday!  The shows were fab and I had the best Tool Shed ever with Nigel, isn't he just a sweetie and it was perfect seeing someone who has never seen the Melt Pot in action before have so much enthusiasm for the magic of it.  I will post a couple of sample pics later in the week but, for now, I shall away as I am fair pooped after all that standing and yakking and playing working (ahem) and being as I am scheduling this post ready for midnight, I will be long away in the Land of Nod... which only serves to confuse me as I am actually now asleep... but I am not because I know I am awake because I am talking... well, I do have a natter in my sleeps too but not as much as when I am awake... see, I shall away, I seem to have sent myself to wafflington via confuseville!!!!  Thank you all again for your support.. you are all amazing!  Thanks for looking, have a fabby day!  TTFN

Hels x

Knock On Wood...

...uh-oh, I have that song whizzing around my head now!!  Anyways... today is my day for the Snazzy DT and this month we have been playing with the gorgeous KaiserCraft Base Coat collection of papers.  To see my project in full and deets on how I made it, please CLICK HERE.   As ever with the Snazzy DT, there's a "random commenter" prize going on... so please do CLICK HERE to see how to enter...

We had a nice easy day yesterday... lots of lounging around and generally being lazy, or as I like to call it... busy doing nothing!   We watched the BTCC on the telly, thank heavens we didn't go to Croft to actually watch it because, as ever, it chucked it down... big stylee!  Both times we have been to Croft it has been a deluge and both times I ended up looking like a (very big) drowned rat, wet right thru to my underwear... eeewwwwww....  The first time was the worst though.  Grim had two big golfy type brollies in the boot of his car and we had one each.  The one I had not only leaked, it had also been prodded into mud at some point, which then proceeded to run down the inside of the brolly and down the handle... I was NOT impressed! So, sigh of relief that we decided to do the tellybox watching instead.  Sadly, JP didn't do that well... and there is now the 6 week (6 weeks!) summer break til the next meet at Snetterton which is a pig to get to so... we will be tellyboxing it again then too!  I am determined we will actually get to a circuit this year though!   Right, I shall away... I needs to play with those papers again... they really are quite delicious!  Thanks for looking... TTFN

Hels x

It's A Wrap....

... oh ho ho, I do love a nice play on words you know... it appeals to my inner literature demon...  The "wrap" I am waffling on about is the Gallerie Wrap canvas kit that I have been playing with for this months Snazzy DT.  Here's a taster pic of the piece I made... and HERE is the link to the Snazzy blog so you can see the piece in full.  Whilst there, you will also love to see all the gorgeous creations that my talented teamies have been making this month too... seriously, Gillian had her swoonworthy canvas as a "blogworthy" mention from the one and only Duke of Distress, Tim... among Lesley's creations is a beautiful textured piece with a classy colour scheme, one of Nicky's creations made a total breathtaking WOW with colour (not to mention my fave 490 stamps) and Astrid made some seriously tactile mixed media lushness...   so, a word of warning... you may needs a cuppa and a packet of HobNobs with you when you visit :O)

In other news... Grim's toe is beginning to get back to normal, at one point last week it resembled a mouldy olive (I am sure he will lurve me for reporting that!) and he is back to work today (booohooo, it has been soooo nice having him to myself)  But!  I am awarding myself "a day off" today.  Apart from the usual pushing of the hoover about and catching up on the ironing, I know plenty of you will be saying "poor Hels... having ironing to do..." when in actual fact.... I love ironing!  I know, I am weird, I do love to have a big pile of crumpled clothes and spend a while pressing them and then they are all neat and smooth again... only to be creased and crumpled when they are rammed into my over-stuffed wardrobe that is full of... erm, ahem, ahhhh.... stash. It is getting bad you know, I now have about 10" of hanging space (for short things, the boxes at the bottom of wardrobe are now piling up) and I really need to sort it out... I shall do that... erm... another day though!  I am planning to have a day or two this week doing arty stuff in preparation for my next batch of classes so I needs a day off to get the old Mojo revved up and raring to go.  He has currentlly beggared off on his holidays so I am hoping to tempt him back to do some new stuff....   Anyways, I digress... going off at a tangent as usual.  What I was saying is today is a day off from worky stuff and you never know, after the ironing and the stuffing of clothes into the store cupboard that masquerades as a wardrobe, I may just sneak into the Room of Stash and do some inking, take old Mojo by surprise!   Right, I shall away... as ever, thanks for looking!  Have a goodly day!  TTFN

Hels x

Snazzy Peekings...

...cor blimey and thrice indeedily!! What a weekend... a fab class on Saturday and a busy day demo-ing yesterday at Ally Pally.  Thanks for popping by to see me, it was so lovely to meet so many peeps... and to see old friends and familiar faces too.  I am all for snoozling all day today but I have my shows on Wednesday to prep for so no rest for this wicked one just yet lol   Today I am showing a sneak peek of  my DT offering on the Snazzy blog today.  You can see all the deets HERE.

A quick and speedy post this afternoon... our internet was off last night when I got home, came back momentarily this morning and then went off again and is now dipping in and out... I am NOT impressed!   Anyways, enough of that... hope you all having a goodly day!  TTFN

Hels x

Lucky, Lucky, Lucky....

...I should be so lucky... lalalalaaa... did you hear me signing?  No? Probably not a bad thing as I do tend to make peeps' ears bleed when I warm up the vocal chords.  Anyways. I am indeedily lucky because the delicious folks at Snazzy's have sent us teamies some new stuff to play with this month... and it is only the Sunrise, Sunset goodies from the one and only Ania Dabrowska for Prima.  Oh! My! Good! Lordy Lordy!  It is LUSH.  I have some exciting news too... this week, for one week only, there's a special challenge running over on the Snazzy's blog... HERE is the link to the post so you can nip over and visit. And, what is more... there is a prize! Oh yesh, a LUSH prize!!!   And... you can also see some of the projects that the teamies have made with said lush stash.  Here's my project in its entirety....

It started life as a canvas board in a frame, making it about 8" square.  True to form, I used the heavenly papers to create a paper blocked background... seriously, those papers, well, once I had wiped off the drool and stroked them for several days, I finally got brave and cut into them... worth it I think, be brave, cut into your papers, they love it!!!  (that's what I tell meself lol)

A very light wash of Trad Tan paint to blend all the papers together, then a coat of Glue & Seal and then once dried, I got cracking with the embellishments...

I used a charcoal pencil and Cut & Dry Nib to create the shading between the overlaps on this one, I wanted to do a more subtle shading than my normal Stabilo All Pencil.   The flowers are plain old white ones that had a generous squirt of Orange Sunset, Post Box Red and Black Dylusions and then some added bling with Ancient Copper Cosmic Shimmer sprays.

I broke up the background slightly by stamping my "new fave" stamp, which is the little dotty stamp, also from Ania's collection.  Stamping in Jet Black Archival and heat setting as we have the Glue & Seal layer making it a waterproof surface.  Once these had dried, I set about altering some of the wooden embellies that are also in the range.

The chequerboard (always going to be a winner with me... ) was painted black and the scallopy bit was coloured with Treasure Gold.  The metal embellies are Graphic 45 - the butterfly was overstamped with a script stamp, again using Jet Black Archival... and the flowers, I used a pair of pliers and changed the shape of the petals.

And there you have it... an altered canvas made into a special piece of wall art.  The collection that Anna has put together is second to none, I was lucky to see all the goodies at CHA and knew immediately I *needed* it all... the embellies are SO gorgeous, the metal in the flowers is sturdy but can be shaped and also, can be cut into too!    I shall away now, I have a busy day.  This Room of Trash is getting totes out of hand, I needs to get it organised and sorted because I have a project in my head I want to get made... and at the moment, every single flat surface is covered in boxes, stash, junk... and every chair has boxes stacked on it... nightmare! I thinks I may be some time lol   Thanks for looking... have a great day!  TTFN

Hels x

Snazzy Delight...

...cor blimey, Mr Blogger must have been hungry because I scheduled a post to publish at midnight... and it isn't here! Gah!  Anyways... today is another Snazzy DT offering day... and HERE on the Snazzy blog are all the deets on how I made another tag using the Prima Engraver collection... here's a little photo of it...

Today is going to be a busy one... I am prepping demo's and a few last minute samples for my tellybox shows tomorrow... so I won't hang about and waffle on too much being as I need to be organised and get myself moving!  One thing I will mention afore I go: I am teaching at Snazzy's in Swindon this weekend and there have been two cancellations on the classes... so that means there are two spare places now.  If you would like to join in with me this weekend, please CLICK HERE for all the deets!  Right, I shall away... thanks for looking and have a fabby day... TTFN

Hels x

Snazzily Arting...

...which is what I been doing!  Oh yesh, tis time for my Snazzy DT, this month we have been using the gorgeousness that is the Prima Engraver collection... oh my word, do I love this collection - the papers... they are... brown!!! And cream!!! And beige!!! Totes my faves indeedily.   HERE is a linky to Snazzy blog where you can see this creation in full detail along with how I maded it :O))

So. Did you all have a loverly Mother's Day?  I got a card!  And pressies!  My little AlfieCat is getting ever so clever you know, he went shopping and got me a lovely card and a little bear that is holding a heart... and... two boxes of Maltesers... he knows how to treat his Momma :O))   A very short and sweets post from me today... up to my eyes in sampling for the shows later this week... more of that tomorrow!   Thanks for looking.. have a grand day...TTFN

Hels x

Spinning *Art*wheels...

...nooo, don't groan, I spended hours thinking up that name!  I am trying to be clever (yep, very trying) cos my blog titles of late have been a little lack lustre... and being as I have made something with cogs (eg, the wheels) and it is "art" ... well, "art wheels!"   Anyways... today is my day for the Snazzy DT - all the deets are HERE on the Snazzy blog if you would like to see it in more detail... here's a sneaky peekings....

I was supposed to be blogging this at midnight last night... grrr, yonder t'internet decided to go on holiday.  I know, I know, I moan frequently about our internet and in this day and age we take it for granted but please, Mr Virgin, sort it out!  Trying to even load a blog when the old bandwith is coming up at 0.79mb just ain't cricket you know!  We have no cable! *sob* so we put up with the ADSL jobby (sounds like I know what I am on about, I don't... I just listen and use the letters that Grim uses... I could well be talking about a medical condition for all I know lol)  Anyways... better lates than nevers is what I always says.... so here I am!  If you haven't spotted my candy giveaway and tut from Tuesday, please do scroll down, one randomly chosen comment will win the goodies... oh and you have until 23:59GMT tonight to enter!  Right, I shall away.. busy day in the Room of Stash... sounds like a plan right?   Thanks for looking.. TTFN!

Hels x

What Be That...

...tis schneaky peekings time again... Today is the start of my DT week over at Snazzy's and I have been having fun getting painty with some cool cogs from the MDF Man.  To see more of the project, please CLICK HERE.  Whilst you are there, you might just want to have a look at all the other deeelish projects the other girls have been making... and leaving a simple comment on the linked post will put you in the draw for a random gift too!  So, here's the thingy I have made... can you tell what it is yet?  (said in my best Rolf Harris voice...)

I won't stop and yak today... to be honest I am pooooooped after a busy weekend and I have a smidge of a sore throat (boohoo, I hope it is just all that yakking I did lol)  so I am a-scheduling this post and getting meself off for an early night!   BTW... .don't forget to pop back here tomorrow to see my special tutorial and giveaway.   I shall away now... if I do have a lurgy, I don't want to share it lol.  Thanks for looking... TTFN!

Hels x

Santa & His Bulging Sack...

...*snort*  sorry folks, that has made me giggle... I know, I have a mucky mind lol   Anyways... the reason why I am talking about Santa and a sack full of toys is because I have been busy with my Snazzy DT kit this month and have made a canvas for hanging on the wall.  I only just realised that *doh* I did a paper blocking thing yesterday for my Sunday Stamper... shows how much I lurves this technique cos you get to see this one I made a couple of weeks ago for my DT thing today.  All the deets on how I made the canvas are HERE on the Snazzy blog... and as ever, the generous folks at Snazzy's are doing a giveaway of the DT kit for December... and they also have their special discounted kit HERE on the website too.  Here's a sneaky peeking at what I made:

BLIMEY!  It is... CHRISTMAS EVE!!!! Which means that tomorrow is CHRISTMAS DAY!  Which means that I can act like a big kid and get all giddy and excited and partake of a Bailey's for breakfast - ok, it won't actually be at breakfast but you know what I mean!  I have a few last minute bits to shop for - veggies and that kind of thing.  Do you know, I haven't been able to find a sprout stalk for love nor money this year.  I am hoping that Morrison's will have some today so I can get one.  There's only me and Grim on Christmas day and he doesn't like sprouts but I lurves them... I could give up all the other veggies and just stuff my face with sprouts... in fact, I might have a devil may care attitude tomorrow and do just that!  As well as being ever so patient and queueing for about 4 hours at the checkout's, I shall also be making Grim's card because I just remembered that in my smugness of "hey, I have everything done already" I forgot his card!  Yikes!  So, what have you got planned for the festivities?   Christmas Day is going to be a nice relaxing one for us, Boxing Day will see Grim going off to watch Luton Town thrash whomever they are playing (how bad am I? I can't remember!) and then Grim's son will be visiting in the evening.  And hurrah and thrice!  Grim has this week off which means that we might actually get some time together!  Anyways... enough waffle from me... about time I got myself to bed... needs to be up early to try and beat the rush for those sprout stalks!   Have a lovely day and if I don't see you before... MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!  TTFN

Hels x

PS... 18 Days to... CHA!

A Rose By Any Other Name...

...it's actually... erm... a paper rose!  I know, for a change!  I have an addiction, tis true.. I can't seem to stop making paper roses... this has been going on for a fair few years now, but I loves them... and they make me verrrrry happy indeedily.  Anyways... what's this I am waffling on about?  Well, today is another day for my Snazzy DT... this month we have been playing with Teresa Collins Christmas Cottage Collection papers - ooohlalalaaa, I loves them! LOTS! And I maded a rose with them... lots of lurves going on in the Room of Stash I can tell you.  Doesn't take me much to be happy right?   Anyways, to see the creation in its entirety... entirity... entireitity... in full (ahem!) CLICK HERE and you will be whizzed off to the Snazzy DT blog.  Please do scroll back through the months DT posts though, you will get a whole heap of inspirations from the other girlies on the team.

Anyways... what is blonde and turquoise and goes ARGHHHHH?  Oh yesh, that would be me!  Did any of you suffer with wind last night?  *no matter how I try to phrase that it sounds wrong lol*  Well, we did!  It was blowing a right old hooley and I was fearing for the Room of Stash because no matter how lovely the Spinney is, it is full of trees. Very. Big. Trees.  With very big branches... and I had visions of them breaking off and crashing through the Room of Stash window!  Thankfully they didn't but the ARGHHHHH bit was me when a sudden gust came along and made the whole of the house creak!  I know!  Creaking houses is... scary!  Especially when you are a wuss like what I am!  Thankfully, the wind has now passed and we have been left with some rain... for a change like!   And the turquoise bit? Oh yes, when I tried to wash out the Colorwash from my fringe it kind of grew (the colour not the fringe, although that would have been hilarious!)  And I was reminding meself that indeedily, Colorwash looooves water and it spreads it out... well, it ain't budging.  I am going to wash it again today and see if that will remove it... if it doesn't I shall pretend it was intentional and I am being all artistic... ahem... yep, like anyone would believe that!   Right, I shall away... have a grand day!  TTFN

Hels x

Another "Velope"

Ah you know me.... how I lurves to make "Velopes" - thus far (huh? I just stepped out of a Dickens novel obviously lol) we have had the Tag-Velope and the much maligned Box-Velope (that died a death before it went to blogland lol)  Anyways... I am cheesed off!  Why? Well, because I a ruuubbish at buying pressies for difficult to buy for peeps... you know who you are... can't get you this, can't get you that yada-yada.  Well, you can't fox me, oh-ho-no!  This year I have been making Gift-Velopes... so instead of giving you money in a naff store bought gift card envelope, I shall be giving you money/giftcard/voucher in a rather stylish (even if I do say so meself) Gift-Velope.  Do you want to know how I maded it (please say yes, otherwise I shall cwy and cwy)  Well, check out Snazzy's DT blog HERE... all the instructions/measurements etc are on there because... tis my first day of my DT week there. 

That there be a sneak peek of the Gift-Velope.  I am on a roll too... I have measured out a fair few already and they just need putting together.  I had to stop myself sneaking into the bedroom and snaffling my Christmas stash box from down my side the bed... **I know, I have NO room in the Room of Stash for seasonal frivolities**  Grim is asleep - he is on stooopid early-early shifts this week and I just know he wouldn't be appreciative of being woken up by his daft wife trying to struggle with a big box of festiveness... I shall wait til the morning and get them then!  Anyways... pop over to the Snazzy blog and please do let me know whatcha fink!  Will you be making some.. or it is just me (sob)   Right, I shall away... I have itchy fingers... time for me to make more Gift-Velopes!   Thanks for looking... TTFN!

Hels x

PS... no more sightings of the Panther... but there was a very suspicious smelling *ahem* squirt up the back door this morning... mmm, me-thinks he has been a-visiting.... Jeyes Fluid is a marvellous thing isn't it!

S is For...

... Spooky, it can also be for Snazzy (see what I did there?)  because it is time for my next project for the Snazzy DT.  All the deets are HERE over on the Snazzy blog... and here's a sneakitty peekitty peek of my second creation.

Remember the "spider in the bed that was supposed to be scary and totally wasn't?"  Well, he has been liberated and is now adorning this shadowbox.  And I is absolutely chuffed to little mint balls after one of those "I wonder if that will work" moments last night.  So there I was putting finishing touches to my project and I wanted to add spiders web to the frame... in the form of a cool Tim stamp.  But.  The frame is black.  And I didn't want to stamp in white paint.  A lightbulb went off in my bonce... use Ranger Glue & Seal and sprinkle it with Rock Candy Dry Stickles (LOOOOVE this stuff) and whey-hey, it worked a (trick or) treat!

Check out my Hallowe'enified nails!!! When we went shopping yesterday afternoon I spied this in Boots... I was after myself some of that beige nail varnish (which I managed to find - the last lot made my skin look like I had died several years ago) and I spotted this Crackle Nail Varnish... how cool is that!!! I painted the first three fingers with red and then slapped the crackle over the top... and the ickle finger has the beige with the crackle over the top.  I am liking the beige for a more subtle (if crackled fingernails could ever be subtle!) and the red for a more spooktastic look.   Anyways... I must away, there is a noise coming from my Room of Stash, I fear it is a sobbing noise... yep, it is, stash, all misplaced and chucked all over the place... needing a nice tidy up...  Thanks for looking... TTFN!

Hels x

H is for...

....Hallowe'en!!!  Oh yesh, it is time for my Snazzy DT for this month *and yes, I actually managed to get my blogging done on the right day this time lol*   We have been playing working (yeah right!) with some absolutely gorgeous papers from Carta Bella and the new Tim Holtz Hallowe'en Blueprint stamps (more gorgeousness!)   To see my first project in full, along with how I made it, please CLICK HERE.  Here's a sneaky peeky for you to look at.... spooky isn't it!!! Mwhahahaaaaa (that was me doing an evil laugh sound... which is so much better than the funky monkey sound I have been making all weekend)

smashing pumpkins... dontcha think?  **groan**

This weekend passed in a blur or ink, laughter, more ink, more laughter and above all... friendship.  Firstly I have to say, THANK YOU to everyone who took part in my classes at the Big Stamping & Scrapbooking show in Kettering.  Over the course of the weekend, 70 unsuspecting ladies (plus one ever so cute little fella and one ever so cute little lassie - who both embraced the inkiness and got thoroughly into the grungey crafting we were doing - and they were both only 10!  I know, their Mum's are starting them young right?)  where was I?  Ah yes, unsuspecting ladies... bless 'em... some even came back to do another class!!!   I got to meet up with lots of blog friends which was lovely, putting faces to names, not to mention voices to their comments they leave here.  And also a thank you to all the lovely peeps who stopped by to see me making a mess,   ...demoing... and for being so complimentary about my samples and my hat!  Oh yesh, the hat was on the head the whole time... it got missed a few times because the pics I posted on Saturday actually make it look mahooosive, it isn't, it is about 3" wide on the brim... still, it stayed put!   Oh and... I lost an earring... bummer, I LOVE those earrings... until Katy very kindly stepped on it in the classroom and found it... not a smidge of damage, I was very chuffed about that!  And how flukey that it was found too!

don't worry, it isn't real... tis plastic and doesn't have fangs lol

And finally... a big, mahoosive and chunky funky thank you to Gillian for making this weekend one of the most hilarious I have ever had. Part of that was Grim's fault... he got this app thingywotsit for the iPadthingywotsit and it is a little kitty... and when you talk, he copies you and says what you just said... and then you can pat him and he purrs... and you can tap his nose and he sneezes, touch his feet he giggles... totes-hilarious... imagine, 3 fully grown adults falling about laughing in a kitchen over a computer generated kittykat.  Alf was not impressed in the slightest you know.  Anyways... I shall away.  I have to be honest, I am fair dinkum pooped and I feels like a good old snoozle is in order.  Thanks for looking... TTFN!

Hels x

Steampunkery Layering... PLUS Candy Winner!!!

....cor blimey and thrice! It is a week since I had my 5th Bloggy birthday and I have a winner of the candy I had up for grabs. More of that in a mo though (tee hee) I have had lots of fun playing with my Snazzy DT package for August - those Choc Baroque Steampunk stamps have been well used... and today is my final offering, a card! I have made four different things using the stamps, I wanted to show how cool stamping is, no matter the size of the stamp. HERE is Snazzy's blog and HERE is a linky to the shop, you know, in case you fancied a little treat. Ah yes, a sneak peek of my card too....



And... when I had collected together the four projects I have done, I thought to myself how different each one was. I mean, who can forget the over-excitement that meant I blogged a week early with my Steampunk Loco... tis a good job that the lovely guys at Snazzy's realise how daft I can be lol And the first piece that was the shadow box. So, I have two altered-y kind of things, a painty/spray kind of thingy and then a card. Here they all are....




Ok, so enough keeping you all in suspenders... time for the winner of the blog candy to be announced. So, I had 102 lovely comments - thanks everyone for your lovely kind words. There were a few double-ups where the same comment was posted twice (or three times in one case!) So I got rid of those so it was fair for everyone.... fed the numbers into Mr.Random.org and he chose... NUMBER 70 which tallies with a comment left by Patricia Howarth. Congrats Patricia, please can you email me with your address so I can pop the candy into the post for you :O))


Well, I promised yesterday that I would have pics of our day out to the seaside. It was a toss-up between Skeggy and Sarfend (said in my best Essex accent) Southend won because the weather forecast was better. We let the train take the strain and of course, there has to be an obligatory shot of a train station - here is the St Pancras Hotel, which fronts St Pancras International, in all her glory - isn't she a beaut? And yes, the sky really was that colour - they call it London Blue - very apt, being as this is London :O))




And then, naturally, a pic of Grim on a train - I have hundreds of pics like this... I am useless with a camera as you know so I was rather chuffed that this one turned out nice.


I had my donut (ok, I had two and a half - couldn't manage three whole ones, the holes in them were just too big for me *snort*) And, it is customary to NOT lick lips when eating said sugar encrusted donuts... hence me looking ever so slightly deranged.. I even have sugar on my shoulder and you don't want to know about the cascade that hit the bedroom floor when I took me bra off when we got home rofl I know you won't tell anyone, I can trust you with that right?



Here is Southend Pier... the longest pier in the world - or something like that... I was utterly distracted by the train... and yes, here it is ... and yes, we went on it lol **well, we had to, because I started to moan and whinge after about three paces down the pier, my feet were aching, my back was aching and it was hot!** We were very lucky with the weather - it was lovely and warm and I am now sporting a red shoulder... sunburn... in September, well I never!



I did manage to do a smidge of shopping in Southend too... never one to miss an opportunity and all that. Well, I managed to get a fabby pair of shoes... and because they were the only ones left, I got a discount too! Result!



Right then, I shall away... can you hear that noise? That is my bed, it is calling my name... and I am longing to fall right into it and snuggle my lovely duvet up around my neck and slide off to the Land of Nod. I may be some time - all that sea air has me fair pooped! Thanks for looking... as ever, thank you for your continued support, means loads to me. TTFN

Hels x

Snazzily Steampunk... Getting It Right This Week...

...hahahaaa, I lost the plot last Monday didn't I? I popped too soon! Basically, I am a nincompoop and blogged my Snazzy DT piece a week too early. So. I am back today, the right week for blogging, with another creation I made using the Chocolate Baroque Steampunk Travel stamp set. Here's a sneak peek of the thingy I made... and HERE is Snazzy's blog for you to see how I maded it all. Oh and, whilst I think on, Val and Don have been working miracles and have loaded heaps of lushness onto the Snazzy web-shop, HERE that is... you know, just in case and all that lol



So. Monday already! Another week, which means another "to do" list has been born. This week isn't too bad actually... just a case of making loads of samples in readiness for Thursdays C&C shows... which means that actually I should be getting a wiggle on instead of waffling here. I shall away... and I shall be back tomorrow! Thanks for looking... have a fab day! TTFN

Hels x