In Stitches...

...Did you see it? I very nearly missed it cos Mr Virgin has removed Create & Craft from our TV listing...so I had to look at T'internet to see them...but...one of the Stitchels set of designs I did last year were on there...with some Sakura pens...which I haven't got enough of...but then again, I do have enough other stuff...so do I need them too??? Anyways...I spent last Thursday making some cards ready for the Sunday TV show...sent them off Special Delivery...and lo! They didn't get there in time...grrrr...what am I waffling on about??? If you fancy a little looksee at my Stitchels stamp designs if you click HERE you will be transported, as if by magic, to The Artistic Stamper :O)) Anyways, here is one of the cards I made;




Using a combo of Basic Grey papers, Martha Stewart punches and a Penny Black sentiment, I stamped up loads of the Stitchels flowers and cut them out, 3D'd them onto the card and added a couple of Maya Road pins behind them....voila! The little pearl centres are those fabby Prima E-Line packs...really good value and they are lush looking too! Another quicky post from me ...my flipping back is giving me some right jip :O(( so I am away for an early night and hopefully when I wake up the pain will be more bearable...not long til the MRI scan results. Until later, thanks for looking....au revoir, adios & ciao...see, betcha never knew I was multi-ligual :O)) *ah the powers of Mr Google ROFL*

Hels x

Nice & Shabby Does It....

...As you probably know, I have a range of stamps called Stitchels (cos they have stitches in them...and my name is Hels LOL) As well as the stamps themselves there are some Stitchels Shabby's to go with them...all of which are handmade by my fair inky fingers, all different and ever so slightly battered so they go really well with all kinds of grungey and distressy stuff.




I took one of these Shabby's and popped it into a Melt Pot of clear UTEE...very much like the Faux Procelain that Jennie did a few weeks ago...I was really chuffed with the effect that I got, so I added a little pin clasp to the back and voila! A brooch! And a sturdy one at that ... surprisingly I thought that it would be a bit brittle but it is fab, the paper inside helps it to flex a bit I think. So, here is a piccie I took of three that are now brooches...and the others were used on the Sunday Stamper box...which reminds me to remind you...the Sunday Stamper this week is 2 years old and is sponsored by The Artistic Stamper...click HERE to go to the post so you can still join in if you like :O))

Thanks for looking...

Hels x

Whole Lotta Rosie...

...I got a bit crafty today...first time since Christmas Eve...it feels soooo good to have disgustingly inky fingers again :o))



I used a Stitchels flower to make a metal rose...the design I used is the Dotty Dot large flower and I stamped it onto some Barn Red Ten Second Studio metal...then backed it with black card and refined the edges and the dots inside the design. I cut the flowers up and used some Super Glue to stick the layers altogether...mmm, I really shouldn't use that kinda glue, I have it stuck everywhere now LOL **anyone know how to get it out from under fingernails????**




The base for the project is a Maya Road bracket book page, which I cut across the top to make a flat edge for hanging...I used Traditional Tan paint (Claudine Hellmuth got it soooo right with this colour!) and once this way dry, splodged some Rock Candy Cracklepaint over the top. I spritzed it all with English Ivy Glimmer Mists...I wanted a patchy look, so I over spritzed with Walnut Gold Glimmer Mists.




The background stamping is from the marvelously wonderful Studio 490 range of stamps, divided with a row of diamonds (not real ones I hasten to add) and I used a Maya Road shape for the sentiment...which is also a Wendy Vecchi Studio 490 stamp too. The little bottle has some teensy beady chain in it...and I added some rusty wire to make the hanger and a rusty heart with some more of the beady chain wrapped on it to co-ordinate.




Thanks for looking...I am off to sit on the sofa and pig out on a huge Chinese takeaway...hey, it is still Christmas isn't it? So ... it is ok for me to pig out again...trouble is, my trousers will be too tight tomorrow night so I will have to go and loose 2 stone in a day...fancy my chances????

Hels x

PS....'scuse the rubbish photography...again...the camera is on the blink and I haven't had time to faff in Photo Shop...please click on the pics for a better look...mind you, saying that, it would probably make them look worse ROFL

What Day Is It Again....

....It felt like another post Christmas/pre New Year "Groundhog" day to me....getting up late, watching the birds feeding...we have Goldfinches again this year...so lovely to sit and watch them...the hours just whizz past...I play Professor Layton on my DSi for a few hours (Christmas pressie), lounge on the sofa eating copious amounts of chocolate (more Christmas pressies) and left over turkey...not at the same time I hasten to add...and then...today...something different happens!

Then our Postie made a delivery...I have to say, it has been strange not getting any mail for four days ...Anyway.... this is what he brought to me today:





I am not usually one for shouting about achievements and such like....I always feel a bit daft and embarrassed whittering on about stuff like that...so I will keep it short...and say..... O! M! G!... that little piece of art I made a few months ago is only on the front cover of Craft Stamper magazine! I am sooooooooooo excited .... so much so that I needed to do a little jig! And, the other pieces I made are in the mag too! Here are a couple of snippets of the projects I did:







But....I am going to be a party pooper now and not tell you what it is about...all I will say is that I was honoured to be asked to make this tutorial and, quite literally, it has made my 2009 a whole lot better...It has been a year of big changes for me and some days I have just wanted to crawl back under the duvet and hide away...but...to actually be asked to contribute to such a great magazine and see my artwork in there amongst so many esteemed crafters has just made me grin like the Cheshire cat!

Anyways...I am off to read the rest of the mag now...it looks like a good one with some fab projects in it too :O))

Hels x

Sunday Stampers - Week 84 - I Believe **PLUS MEGA BLOG CANDY!!**

Morning Stampers!

Thanks ever so much for all your lovely entries last week...this week the theme is Believe...so all you need to do is use this word on your art and include some stamping too. The challenge will run for 2 weeks...Christmas break for the Sunday Stamper next week and by way of a huge thank you for all your support this year, I am adding some blog candy for one person, who will be chosen at random. All you have to do to be in with a chance to win is to leave me a comment and become a follower and make a link on your Blog back to mine. I would love it if you could join in with the challenge...and if you do, I will add your name in to the hat twice! The winner, chosen at random, will be announced on the next Sunday Stamper which will be on January 3rd 2010 so you have plenty of time to join in :O))




I made a tag for my entry this week...same stylee as the 12 Tags using Distress Inks and Gold Dabber and a large oval Fragment along with some Idea-ology bits and bobs.




The candy on offer is: One set of Dotty Dot Stitchels plus Kling On to mount onto, a set of !brand new! Wendy Vecchi stamps, "Art of Making Merry", a Maya Road Chipboard Scalloped Square book, a Maya Road Chipboard Scalloped Circle book, a Maya Road Chipboard Bracket Taglet book, a Maya Road Chipboard Cat Keychain, a Maya Road Chipboard Fruit Keychain, a Maya Road Emoticon Spinner and... finally....a Junkitz Tim Holtz Ruler Book So, remember, all you need to do to be in with a chance to win is; link this piccie to your blog then back to mine, become a follower if you aren't already...and leave me a comment so I know you have done this...to be in with a double chance of winning, also make a piece of art incorporating the theme Believe and remember to tell me where you are showing it so I can visit you :O))

**EDIT** If I get over 50 comments, I will be adding more stash to the Candy giveaway...so the more you talk to me the more there is to win LOL




Thanks for looking...I cannot believe that it is Christmas week already! I have had a manic few days which is why I haven't been bloggin...it suddenly occurred to me the other day that I have 60 Christmas cards to make...and post before Monday!!!! LOL They are done....nearly...why oh why do I always leave it to the last mintute!!!

Cheers! Hels x

Pretty Pixie Painting Posies....

..Aha, try saying that when you have had a tot too much LOL...yes, today is a very exciting day over at The Artistic Stamper where we see the launch of three brand new Mabel Lucie Attwell designs...and they are all as cute as this one I have chosen to play with today :O))




The card is made up of Basic Grey Papers, some Stitchels flowers which have been layered and blinged up and of course, our little Natures Little Helper which has been coloured with ProMarkers.




I chose the colour scheme to match in with the Play Date Cafe Challenge which this week is Blues, Silver, Lilacs and White.




Thanks for looking...have a good day :O))

Hels x

Button It :O))

...The theme of the new Gingersnap Creations challenge is Buttons...now, I don't know about you but I have hundreds of the little beggars and never remember to use them...so this was a great excuse for a rummage in my button tin :O))




I used some Crafty Individuals papers to stamp my Stitchels Dotty Dot flower onto, using all three of the sizes to make three big flowers. I used Jazz Blue and Turquoise Glimmer Mists to colour the background for stamping a Penny Black sentiment onto and then added a bit more colour to the actual card base. I used some scrummy cardstock from Paper Temptress (who are sponsoring the Gingersnaps this month) and matted the background onto this.




To make the flowers and their centre buttons blend, I spritzed Glimmer Mists over and also onto three more buttons, just so they matched a bit more. I finished by using a McGill punch to make some little ferny fronds for behind the flowers.

Thanks for looking...and for a fab challenge! Have a good day...

Hels x

Sunday Stampers - Week 65 - Whole Lotta Rosie

Morning Stampers!

Another Sunday already!!! Thank you to all who joined in with the challenge last week...I loved all your entries :O))

This week the theme is ... Roses ... yes, I know the song title is a loose interpretation but this happens to be another fave from my teenage years...and I even named my little puddytat after it....no, she wasn't called Whole Lotta!! LOL I have made another hanging piece for my entry this week, I really must start to make other things but am so addicted to this style of art!




I used some Jenni Bowlin papers for the background, sanding the edges and then using Spiced Marmalade Distress Inks to blend. I cut a fancy border strip using a Martha Stewart punch...still no Doily Punch at Chez Hels tho :O( Am still being patient (!) I used my Bug and Slice to make some card shapes, which were then treated to the same Distress inkyness and then a T!im Holtz collection wordy stamp for the main sentiment.




Adding a little bookplate and words from Catslife Press, I went on to embellish the piece with lots of Idea-ology bits and bobs, some heavenly chain for the hanging and ... ta dah! Some Grungepaper Stitchels roses...which I am completely addicted to and have made heaps of them...a whole bunch ... get it.....a bunch!!! LOL I used some Spiced Marmalade Distress Stickles too...just to add a bit of bling to the rose petals....Click HERE to go to the Tutorial on how to make the Stitchels Roses if you haven't already seen it.....The majority of the goodies used on this piece, including the Stitchels are available from The Artistic Stamper.




As ever, to join in with the challenge, all you need to do it make something using stamping, incorporate the theme, be it a made rose, a paper rose, a rosie embellie, a stamped rose....tis up to you... please leave me a comment with a link to your Blog and I will hop over and visit you. Thanks for looking...have a great Sunday, I am off to Stevenage to melt some plastic at the Stamperama...if you see a poor woman laden with bags and looking a bit frazzled..that'll be my mate Linda, I will be the calm one with her LOL :O))

Hels x

A Stitchel by Any Other Name - A Tutorial :O))

Hey Peeps,

Now, there I was ... hopping all over the fab blogs out there and I kept bumping into these fab Grungepaper roses....first there was Jennie and then I saw Wendy Vecchi make one, and then I hopped on over to Linda's to see she has been up to a bit of floristry too...well, never one to be left behind...you know me..have to keep up with the others.....I thought, well, I haven't got that stamp, or that die or that CriCut setting....so what to do?

Stitchels!




Yes, my little doodley hand drawn "Stitchels" stamps have flowers don't they? And they have six petals...which you need, to be able to get the layers right....so I dashed off....ok...I didn't dash...LOL... I wandered off...to the Room of Stash...and this is what I came up with....




So then....I thought...I could take pics and then all of youse who have the Stitchels will be able to make your very own Stitchels roses! Cool huh? **NB, in my haste & excitement to Blog, the glue ain't set so you can still see it LOL**


Here is a Step By Step for you:

Ingredients:

Stitchels flowers (Dashy Dot used for this one)
Grungepaper
Glossy Accents
Distress Inks
Cut n Dry foam
Silicone Glue
BullDog Clips/Crocodile Clips/Pegs
Archival/StaZon Ink Pad





Step 1:

Stamp three Stitchels flowers onto Grungepaper using Archival Ink or similar....stamp three Stitchels leaves onto Grungepaper....Colour all these with Distress Inks (or similar) and then cut them all out.





Step 2:

From flower 1, cut a line up from bottom petal to just above the middle.
From flower 2, cut away fourth petal - pop to one side
From flower 3, cut away fourth and fifth petal - pop to one side





Step 3:

Using Glossy Accents as glue (or similar) stick flower 1 so it now has just five petals and curl the edges of the petals...use BullDog clip/Peg to secure.
Repeat this with the other two flowers and glue and secure.
Roll the two petal cut aways and glue and secure.
Roll the one petal cut away and glue and secure.




Assembly:

Start with the five petal flower and make it curly on the edges and add the four petal flower, making the petals curly, repeat again and again until all the components are assembled.
Add the leafy cut outs to the back of the petals and hey presto! A Stitchels rose!




Hope that this is useful for you...I am so going to be making these on absolutely everything that I do now LOL Thanks have to go to Jennie, Wendy and Linda for the inspiration and original ideas...I guess I have just altered them to fit the Stitchels. BTW, if you ain't got your Stitchels yet.....click HERE and you will be taken right to the place where to buy them....and all the other goodies I have used in this tutorial too.

Thanks for looking :O)) I am off to try the Dotty Dot, Curly Dot....and the mini's too....I may be a while LOL

Hels x

Tilda Card....What? Another One??

Mornin!

Yes, another Tilda card today;

Made ages ago using some K&Co papers from the Mira Collection, ProMarkers to colour in, flowers to embellish and a Penny Black sentiment.




The flowers and the butterfly are actually my Stitchels Dotty Dot's, stamped onto the paper, cut out, layered and then finished off with a DewDrop and some Stickles :O))







Short n sweet today! *just like me LOL





Thanks for looking.....btw, the mat she is standing on is from a Cuttlebug Folder, embossed and then sanded to look a bit shabby.

Hels x

Tilda ... or Three?

Hey Peeps,

I was just rummaging thru my photo files on the lappy and guess what? I found some pics I took of cards I made aaages ago but forgot to Blog!

This is a card I made for a friend of a friend who wanted a cute, pretty card for her daughter who was 16.




Using three different Tilda images and lots of Basic Grey papers ... these are the Bittersweet collection I think...and some Cuttlebug/Nesties, oh and the letters were cut out using the CriCut ... I came up with this design.




Now, anyone who has followed this Blog for a while will know that I really have a terrible tendancy to overembellish....erm, this card is typical of this habit!! :O)) I added some little fancy headed pins which were threaded with beads....added gemstones, glitter Stickles....you get the idea!!




The flowers are made by stamping my Stitchels designs onto the BG paper, cutting out, layering and adding bits to the middles.

Thanks for looking :O))

Hels x

What A Week!!

Hey Peeps

Wow, what a week it has been...firstly, thank you to everyone for your lovely get well wishes, they have been extremely appreciated indeed! :O)) I am typing one handed...the surgery went well as far as I can tell...the wound is still sore but I have more strength in my hand as each day passes, which is a great sign!

What a day Tuesday was too! The Stitchels range of stamps that I design for The Artistic Stamper were featured on QVC....I was so excited to see them on there and it really felt like I had come full circle as the reason I started crafting was because Grim bought me a TSV all those years ago! If you click HERE, you will be taken direct to the webpage where you can have a look at them :O))




The stamps are Stitchels style and this new set features a birdy - whom, I may add, is a bit of a floozy, check out her tail!!! Where was I? Oh yes, a bird, a flower, a leafy vine and a flower vase with blooms. I would like to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to Jennie for giving me the chance to make my little doodley designs come to life and also to Craig and Amanda from Sakura for sorting out the hard bits and finally to Dawn Bibby for her great demonstration of the kit :O))



Anyway, here are a couple of cards I have managed to pop together....it has taken me nearly all evening to get them made as using my left hand to do the colouring was laughable...hence the rather scruffy looking birdy tail....but I have enjoyed being back in my room of stash! :O))




Thanks for looking and again, for all your lovely messages etc...I am off to be a good girl again and rest my hand up a bit...don't tell Grim that I have been nawty and been making cards....LOL ;O))




Hels x

Tilda Says It With Flowers

Hey Peeps

I have made a few cards recently, here is one of the new Tilda ones I made:




I used ProMarkers to colour in the Tilda and then using Stitchels stamps and co-ordinating papers, stamped, cut out and layered up the flowers to make some embellishments. I added a few little paper flowers to the middles of the Stitchels just to finish them off and added drops of Glossy Accents to make little dewdrops on the flowers.




The papers are from Basic Grey and I used a couple of Nesties to make the background mats for the message and Tilda to sit on. The sentiment is a Penny Black stamp.

Thanks for looking

Hels x

Pretty in Pink ... & Purple!

Hi peeps :O))

It is MIL's birthday today so I made a special card for her.




I used Crate Paper from the Kaitlin collection, stamping onto the paper using Violet StaZon and Stitchels stamps from the DashyDot and DottyDot range and layering them up.




The main sentiment is from Penny Black, I love the words, they make me feel happy!




I added little stitches, using a white pen, to the Stitchel flowers and butterflies and popped a few DewDropz into the middles of them and stuck them to the card using silicone glue.

I used three flower headed pins, threaded with beads, to embellish the flowers.

I hope MIL likes this card and has a very happy birthday too!

Thanks for looking....

Hels x

Tilda Got Tagged....Again!

Hello,

Following on from my post last week about the Tilda Tag for my Cute Tag Swap, here is the second one I made. Sadly, I didn't get chance to finish the third one for it to be included in the swap last month...where does time go eh?




I used a Tilda stamp, isn't she just so cute???? And to adorn the tag, I used Stitchel flower and butterfly stamps from the DashyDot and DottyDot sets, which I coloured, along with Tilda, with Pro Markers.




The little piece of card she is sitting on was made using a Nestability and I made little dots in white pen to match the heavenly Basic Grey Wisteria papers I had used as a base for the tag.




I added a little bit of beaded fringe and a fancy headed pin along with some DewDropz to embellish the flowers and butterflies to finish the tag.

Thanks for looking :O))

Hels x

Sunday Stampers - Week 58 - Happy Birthday!

Morning Stampers :O))

Many thanks for joining in with the challenge last week. As usual, there were lovely designs for me to look at, so thank you all x

This week is an easy theme - Birthday's!

All you need to do to join in is make a piece of artwork, be it an ATC, card, altered art, etc and include stamping within your design, then leave a comment here for me with a link to the place you are showing your artwork and I will be able to pop by and visit.

I have made a Tilda card for my entry this week and it was actually also my friend Ann's birthday the other day, so she was the recipient of the card :O))

I started with some heavenly BitterSweet papers from Basic Grey and made a couple of mats for the base of the card.




Next, I stamped the cute little Tilda and coloured her in with my ProMarkers. I then stamped a load of Stitchels flowers and butterflies and coloured these in too. The little butterfly that Tilda is holding is from the DottyDot range and is the Mini Mini stamp :O))




I added a heart head pin that had been threaded with beads and a dragonfly embellie and popped the flowers on silicone glue onto the card.




Thanks for looking, have a great Sunday and I am looking forward to seeing your entries.

Hels x

Tilda Got Tagged!

Hey Peeps

The swap this month was for "Cute Tags". Mmm, my recent foray into the world of cuteness has left me kind of liking colouring in and cutting out Tilda's and Gorjuss images...and adding flowers, pearls, fringing.... Isn't colouring in soooo therapeutic? :O))

Tag #1 was made using large buff tags from LB Crafts as a base. I covered one side on two tags with papers from the heavenly new Basic Grey Wisteria collection ... cor these colours are lush, purples and blues and a bit of green thrown in for good measure....perfect!




I used my Cuttlebug and rectangliar scalloped Nesties to make a little mat for Tilda to stand on using co-ordinating Bazzill Cardstock. I used a Ranger white pen to make little flowery dotty things in the scallops - and these little flowery dotty things mirror the centre of the flowers on the background paper.





Tilda was coloured in to match with the papers...I got her from Stampezee ... she is my all time fave now & is from the new Spring 09 collection.



I then stamped several of my Stitchels stamps from the Dashy Dot range, which, by the way, you can get from The Artistic Stamper - and once the images were all coloured, I used the white pen again to go over the stitches on the images to make them pop a little...I layered them and curled the edges and popped them onto the tag using silicone glue.




I added a little heart head pin with beads threaded onto it and stuck this into the silicone glue behind one of the Stitchels flowers. The centres of the flowers and the body of the butterfly are DewDrops (also from Stampezee) and I used a Sakura Glaze pen to emphasise the wings of the Tilda and her shoes too. I did get a little inky cos I used a CatsEye inkpad to edge the tag to finish it properly :O))

Thanks for looking and hope you all have a great afternoon and evening.....

Hels x