Real Men Wear...

...pink! Or at least Toby does! Toby is one of the brand new character stamps from the pen of Daniel Torrente for Stampotique Originals... I love him, he is rather fetching in his half mast trews!!




I went a little bit bonkers with the pink - colouring him with ProMarkers (yep, I remembered I do have a few of these lol) and adding Distress Ink (namely Victorian Velvet) around the edges... and stamping the Abstract Foliage to finish off the design.



This is a super short post from me today... cos I have to get an early night and I have heaps of stuff still to do before tomorrow **that soooo doesn't make sense because I am talking about "today" which is Saturday... and "tomorrow" which is also Saturday cos I am actually typing this on Friday night ready for Saturday morning publishing... I have to stop... I am confusing myself rofl** thanks for looking... have a fab day! TTFN

Hels x

Favourites...

...I am well aware that I am a total crafting tart... I have a new favourite every week... I love new stash... stamps, Alterations, paper stacks, paints, Idea-ology, ribbons... you name it... I am a baaaaaad girl... always saying "oh this is my favourite..." Well, today... this card actually does feature my all time favourite paper set... seriously, this is MY TOP FAVOURITE... I know, that doesn't make sense... I mean, a favourite should be singular... not a whole heap of things... but... I am sure that you feel the same way about your stash don't you? Well, my all time favourite paper set is called Avenue and it is by Crate Paper. I think it came out in 2007/08 and I had to have a set as soon as I saw it. Then, because I had used so much of it so quickly, I had to have another pack... and then that got a bit used up... so... I went to buy another set and lo! None left! Not a single set could be found anywhere in the whole widest world.



Seriously, I used Mr Google and Mr Jeeves and neither of them were any use... so, there we were at Ally Pally one year and Linda E spotted a pack, so she swooped down on it and grabbed ... so, I was just about to throw myself on the floor in a tantrum when she handed the pack to me... bless! It was a pressie... she is a sweetie (but, please, DO NOT tell her I said that rofl)



Then... I started to be a bit frugal with the papers that I had left and eventually, for fear of not having any more ever again, I stopped using them... and then... Andrea had a few sheets left and she said I could have them... bless her!!! Then... Kerry went and bought me the last few she could find... so... all in all I had a fair few pages left... well, about 12 in total. So... remember a few months ago I bought a maahooosive box full of goodies from THE Wendy Vecchi and my stash mule friend Ellen struggled across the Atlantic with said box... well, inside the box are... two sheets of Avenue!!! I did a dance, true, I jigged and the squealed (and then went and sat down cos I had worn myself out)




So... I love this paper... and I love the new Large Papillon stamp from Stampotique... and I love the Friend sentiment too... so I decided that Avenue has to be liberated and used a bit... I am hoping that Mr Crate Paper may see this post and decide to do a "retro sale" and re-print this set... mmm, I can wish lol Anyways... to see all the deets about this card... please click HERE... you will be whizzed off on the back of a large butterfly to the Stampotique Designers Blog. Right, that is more than enough waffling for one post... I have a plan for some of the rest of the paper... I can keep this piece too... result!! Ta for looking... have a very goodly Monday! TTFN

Hels x

Please Release Me...

... oooh, excitement abounds today because... it is time for the new release of Stampotique stamps... You know how much I love to talk... well, I have been uber goodly and not breathed a word about these FAB new stamps that I have been sent to play with... all the deets of the new releases are HERE... do hop on over to see them... I think that there is something in there for everyone!



Now, you may not know this but.. I happen to LOVE hares... I have my very own collection of them in the living room... well, imagine how happy happy I was when I saw a new image from Daniel Torrente... a hare!! Corrr.... I made this card using other Stampotique designs and added Hare (I am going to call him Hartley after the mangey old hare on Pipkins... am guessing I am showing my age now ROFL) So, Hartley was stamped and coloured with Distress Inks and then popped on 3D foam to sit on the card. The little Owl is a new design from Jo Capper-Sandon... I sketched a little swing for him to sit on, dangling from the tree... Ohh, and I almost forgot, the little butterfly and flowers along the bottom are also a new release from Jo!




Another of Jo's new designs is a maaahhoooosive butterfly... called Large Papillion... it is one of the most beautiful butterflies I have ever worked with... I made this little arch tag using some papers that I have painted over ...





And... finally, Small Moon and Little Owl along with Lavendar Sprig appear on this simple card... now, you know how much I love (for that read NEED!) to embellish and over stamp and cover up any white areas on the stuff I make...well, I reigned myself in with this card and simply coloured the background with Milled Lavendar Distress Ink. The ickle stars stamped behind are stamped using the Small Moon and just masking the moon and string before inking up and stamping...



Well, that is exciting news isn't it?? I also have a couple more things I have made using some fab new Daniel Torrente designed people... they can wait til next time though :O) Oooh, and don't forget to hop over to the Stampotique Designers Blog... the team have been busy making new things.. and WOW, you have to check them out... they are LUSH!!! I feel very honoured to be part of the team! Right... time for inkyness again.... thanks for looking... have a fabby day! TTFN

Hels x

WOYWW... Showing Some Lurve...

...blimey, big fat blimey's... so, go on, was it you? Did you press that fast forward button last Wednesday??? I don't know about you but I just can't seem to keep up with how fast the days are whizzing past... anyways, here I am ... with a big apology for not managing to get to a lot of the desks last week, thing is, I was full of good intentions and then the dog ate my homework, the alarm didn't go off, I missed the bus and then I couldn't find my shoe LOL Sad, pathetic, I know but... really I haven't got an excuse! Anyways... this week I am going to do better... really, I am :O)) If you are new to this blogging lark and you are wondering what on earth I am waffling on about... well, it is Wednesday which means that it is time for What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday... devised and hosted by the inimitable Chief Desk Inspector Extraordinaire, Mrs Julia Dunnit... if you click on her name you will be whizzed off on a magic chair to see the list of peeps who are joining in.



Today there are two pic... Desk 1 which is my desk that I use all the time has a few projects on it that are for my monthly swap with Ellen... oh and speaking of Ellen... did I mention that she is coming over to see me... TOMORROW!!! How exciting!!! So, the next pic is of Desk 2 which is where Ellen will be sitting when we are making a mess, I mean crafting, together this coming weekend.



Oh and on the desk is THE BAG... which is the bag that transported some goodies to me last time Ellen visited... and I have snaffled it away and have popped a few goodies in there for her this time... a couple of made pieces and some other bits and bobs. Ellen is due to land at Heathrow tomorrow morning... and yes, this time I am going to be there... I was toying with the idea of setting off when her plane takes off from Baltimore, there would be no way I would be late arriving then... but... then I thought again and to be honest, I don't fancy a night sleeping in an airport, so I am trusting good old British public transport... and I will be there early....I will!!



Oh and... another piccie... did you know that the Stampotique Designers have a challenge?? Well, all the deets about the current challenge are HERE... and there are some gorgeous pieces of art by the design team... well worth a look... this is my entry... and it is also the card I gave to Grim for Valentines Day... aren't Twinkie and Marci sweet together?? They make such a lovely couple! Right, things to do, places to go... oh and ... yes, blogs to visit... I will do better this week ... promise... thanks for looking... have a goodly day! TTFN

Hels x

WOYWW... In A Position

... ahhh, tis Wednesday already... and February already too!! Where did January go??? Actually, I am rather pleased that January is over and done with, never have liked that month too much LOL So, Wednesdays are all about WOYWW - the phenomenon that is What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday, hosted and headed up by Inspector in Chief of the...Inspector of Desks... Julia... click her name to see what I am waffling on about :O))




My desk today is rather busy... that is because I have had to quickly snaffle a project out of the way cos it is top secret and instead, bung my next project there to get you off the scent of what I am up to LOL Ummmm, maybe I shouldn't have said that... cos now you know I am up to somefink... doh!! Anyways... the book on my desk is the last of the Circle Journals I have been involved with for the past few months... I will be glad to see the back of these cos the whole theme was to think up nice words about your mates, and, let's face it, I have struggled...mwhahhaahhaaaa... ooooh, I am joking ROFL



And... the "in a Position" part of the title... is in honour of the latest challenge on the Stampotique Designers Challenge... which is a sketch by Card Positioning Systems... that there is my interpretation... it is sooo worth a trip on over to the challenge blog though to see THE most amazing art by the Stampotique Design Team... oh and you will get to see the sketch too... so you can join in!!!



There is a frisson of excitement in the air at Chez Sheridan today because the nice man who is doing the drive will be arriving to take all the hessian stuff off it - it has been protecting it against the frost while the concrete sets- and then he is cleaning it... what do you think my chances will be if I ask him to clean Ferdy too?? Mmm, thought you might say that LOL Anyways... yes, he is cleaning off the stuff... and... removing the plank, so I don't have to walk it to get outside... and... I have to admit, I haven't stepped foot on it.. basically, I have a bit of a balance issue... coupled with the clumsiness issue and the clodhopping issue, me and planks suspended 900 feet off the ground... not a good idea!!! Right.. bedtime... busy day ahead of me making that.... ooops, see, nearly did it again ....Have a FAB day!!! TTFN

Hels x

Beyond... Excited!!!

...Oooooohooooohooooo.. I have been bursting to say something but had been sworn to secrecy until now... I have some very, very... exciting news!!! A few weeks ago I spotted that Stampotique were having a Design Team call... so I thought to myself "that would be a lovely team to be part of"... so I applied - totally not thinking that I would have a look in... and I am totally over-the-moon-chuffed-to-little-mint-balls happy that... I was chosen!!! Here is a link to the Designers Blog where all the deets of the original Design Team are ... and the other newbies too... I have to say... I am honoured to have been picked... you should see the art that those girls (and boy!) make!!!



Tis a loooong time since I was a new girl but I am so excited I haven't had time to be nervous! The Designers Challenge is something I am so looking forward to being part of... anyways... I just wanted to share... whoooo-hooooo... am off to do a little jig now! **how I ever managed to keep my big old trap shut is beyond me... rofl** TTFN!!

Hels...(aka Big Miss So OverExcited She Is Drooling!)