Tea on Tuesday...Shhhh! Don't tell Bleubeard I am laTe!!

Hello there!

I hope you are all having a lovely day today.  I am late joining in on Tea on Tuesday with Elizabeth tonight but never mine ey!  I have a special new cup tonight too...

Don't you just love that cup?  I know I do.  It has a "lock" facility on it so that if you knock it over it doesn't spill and also as it has a lid on it I don't get any more of those little squares floating in the top of my tea.  You know exactly what I mean don't you?!!

For any of you who have visited my blog round about now in previous years, you will know that I usually make some sort of sewing/quilting gift for our Quilting Group's Annual Summer Lunch.  This year I decided I would upcycle a Christmas gift box which I bought some time ago but have never got round to using (on account that I usually forget where they are at the crucial time!). 

A little close up to show you what I have done.  The mannekin, button and spools are TH die cuts which I used some chipboard from the back of a book, inked with Walnut Stain DI and then smooshed over with Treasure Gold Wax. I die cut some honeycomb and adhered that on to the mannekin.  Whilst that was drying I cut a piece of cream cardstock and stamped it with TH, Papermania, and two unknown stamps (some of them NBUS!).  I then took some Snippets of cream cardstock and inked the tiny scissors and spool stamp that you can see.     I then gathered up some embellies including the Rosette (from the Snippets tin), peg, buttons, tatted lace (my Mum) a bit of lace, an old tape measure, the last snippet of the netting and some buttons.  I just basically fiddled with them until I was happy.

And here is the inside of the lid.  Again I stamped a piece of cream card to make a background and then added a stamping of a House Mouse and some embellies.  The "Hand Stitched" label was from a label on a journal I received at Christmas.  I just tucked it in to hide the word "journal"!  All the paper lace was retrieved from my Snippets tin and all ribbon used other than the tape ribbon round the outside was all from the Snippets basket.  

And here is round the outside.  I hate to think how long I have had some of the bits I have used for this box.  Some are VVOS!   I have stamped around the top of the box.  I was a bit worried because the ink wasn't drying particularly quickly and it had smudged and I was thinking of covering it, but actually I like it like that.

Right that is enough waffle from me tonight.  Off to see Elizabeth and the other Tea on Tuesday group to see what is occuring.  I am also taking this down to the Snippets Playground. Not sure I could have made this box without using Snippets!

Edit:  Elizabeth asked us last week to go back to our favourite post. I have chosen THIS one as it was one whereby I shared a glass of vino!  Somehow Elizabeth seemed to know I would be the first to share wine!   It also shares the poem that was written at a journal class I had attended...

So Cheers everyone!

Before I go I just want to say Hi and Thanks to my new followers.  It is lovely to see you.

See ya round and thanks for visiting.

Hettie

Funkie Junkie - 12 Tags of Christmas - Tag 6

Hello There

Happy First Day in December to you all!  Only 24 days to Christmas!  

Only 21 days left to make all the Funkie Junkie 12 Tags of Christmas tags for 2013.  Yikes.  Today I am sharing with you my latest tag - Number 6.  HERE is Linda's tag.  As you can see I have picked most of Linda's elements from her tag and put them on to mine.  The tree, the bow, 25 and a bird.  Here is mine....... 

I cut a tag using my TH die, stamped it with my TH text stamp and then placed two Snippets of patterned paper, MME and Dovecraft, both left over from my Christmas Album.  I then dug my trusty sewing machine out and stitched around the edges.  Yes honestly!  I did put an old needle back in so that it would not blunt the one I had only recently put in.  I cut a MB tree and then cut around the stencil by hand to make a backing for it, which I stamped with my favourite TH flourish and DI ink.I then added some Stickles to the centres of the flowers.

On the bottom of the tag I stamped an AO pinecone image with DI and embossed it with clear embossing powder. 

I took a small "Silent Night" music score, and attached it to the top of the tag.  I cut the 25 from chipboard and embossed with a sparkly embossing powder several times and the dove I stamped with a snowflake pattern.  The final touch was to place a bow which I bought from Wilkinsons (4 for a £1 - I figured if I could find the ribbon it would cost me more than a £1!), placed a TH Poinsettia (VOS) and a Poinsettia (again VOS) and a little ribbon to hang the tag up. 

As I mentioned above, there is still time to join in on the 12 Tags of Christmas 2013 Challenge, if you get your skates on.  Not that I will wear skates as I am afraid of falling!  Don't forget the Challenge is sponsored by The Funkie Junkie Boutique and there is a prize at the end!

I am taking this to the Snippets Playground just as soon as the gates are open later today.  I can also take this to this week's Simon Says Stamp Challenge and the  Artistic Stamper Challenge for December as their themes are "Anything Goes"

Thanks for calling by and please do leave me a comment so I know you have been.

TTFN

Hettie

Au Revoir Debbie...

Hello My Friends

What a gloriously sunny, but cold, day we are enjoying here today.  I have my window blind in my office pulled right back so I can enjoy the sun's warmth, though it makes it tricky trying to see my screen!

My Buddy in work left the firm last month to join another firm and so I wanted to make her a schpecial card, without any sentiments on there so she could keep out if she liked.  Debbie is also very encouraging about my painting so I knew it would be a painting of sorts.  Knowing she hadn't seen the Fuschia one I did for Miss I decided to creater another.  So here it is.....

I first painted a recycled piece of chipboard, which are actually the backs of our chittie slips in work! with dark red paint and then using the SD technique I painted over with pva and then cream paint to get a crackle effect.  

Then came the fun bit of painting the fuschias and leaves and inking and layering.  I did manage to find a perfick piece of pink card in the Snippets box.

Now Debbie had told me that she wanted something "chickeney" on her leaving card as she loves the fun cards I making using my chicken stamps.  So I added them to the inside....

I also stamped some on the handmade envelope, made using my We Are Memory Keepers envelope maker - love that tool to bits!

And I also stamped her favourite image on the wrapping paper of the small gift I gave to her!

I can report that Debbie was very pleased with the card and it is on her noticeboard in her new office, as well as the paper and envelope!  

As this card included a Snippet I think I will run along to the Snippets Playground and hopefully have a game of hopscotch and maybe even have some mulled wine!  

Thanks for calling by.  I hope to catch up with you later today after the ironing session which is mahoosive!

Hettie

All Aboard for the UK...

Hello Friends

I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend.  I am attending an Area Day with some Quilting Buddies today and then a Dance in Swansea so busy as usual.  

I thought I would share something with you that I made for my Buddy who visited us earlier this week......

Yep.  My Tim Holtz Suitcase die came out and I made a little Travel Journal for Kim to use when she came over, though I believe she is going to fill it in when she gets home in her bestest handwriting!  The main part of the book is chipboard covered in paper, inked and stamped.  The fittings are Snippets of Grungeboard.

I used a real maps of the UK which I took out of a book bought at the cheap book store.  A little pocket for bits n pieces.

Stamped pages...

Tabs and tags to fit in more pockets...

Most stamps are from Artistic Outpost....my goto stamps, as well as a few Tim Holtz ones.

The paper comes from two collections of Papermania.  

All bound with my Bind it all and decked with Snippets of ribbon in the chosen colour scheme of red, white and blue.  

Some lickle trinkets which I have collected over the years. I thought the brollie was apt for the British Weather!

I am hoping I can get under the wire at the Snippets Playground as there are a few small Snippets in there.  I am also entering it into the Artistic Outpost Referral - Anything Goes - wish me luck! 
Thanks for popping by.  Have a great weekend y'all.

Hettie

Happy 1st Birthday to Twin Girls

Hello there Friends

Today I thought I would share something which does not have a great deal of ink on it and is totally NOT my usual style!  I know a certain someone who will like it as it is pink!

A friend of mine in work asked me if I would make a card for her to send to her great Nieces, twin girls, for their first birthday.  Time to hit the panic button for sure!  I don't do girlie girlie cards as a norm.  I had to rack my brain for a few days and then decided to take a look on my Silhouette images.  Unfortunatly, in the meantime, my friend pulled the date of requirement forward a few days.  I had to get it ready for Friday.  This was Thursday evening!!!!!!!   I saw a fairy castle and then came across some princess images.  And here is what happened...  

I downloaded the princess designs and panic set in as I had a choice of dark haired or blonde princesses.  Never mind, I shall ring her.   No reply!  No reply ALL Evening.  Never mind, I will make 4 princesses (two of each) and just make the card with the princesses ready to place once I knew.

Next panic......when I downloaded the princesses onto the sheet, I could only get the blonde one on there.  Ok!  Let's just hope they are blonde.  All princesses want to be blonde.  You only have to look at Disney!  

I printed and cut multiple copies so I could decoupage them, as well as the castle.  I even printed and cut the banners which I had downloaded before and proceeded to fiddle faddle adding layers, rock candy stickles and diamantes where I could.  The 1s were VOS chipboard and painted with pebeo paints and covered in the stickles.  

I even printed the inside and placed VOS schparkly flutterby stickers on the inside and the envelope.  I put it into a clear cellophane bag as I knew she would show it around the office if she liked it.

My friend didn't like it!  She LOVED it and so did the parents of the little girls, who ARE blonde (phew!!) and it got pride of place on the mantlepiece.  I have since been told it has got a frame to go in which was bought the next day, as soon as they feel it has been on the mantlepiece long enough! Phew! 

There are a few Snippets as well as VOS and NBUS on there so I shall take it over to the Playground.  

I likes a challenge - NOT!

Thanks for looking.  I truly do love my Silhouette.  

Hettie

Time for a Canvas....

Hello Friends

I think April has to be one of my family and friends' busiest month for birthdays, which means I have alot of cards and/or pressies to make.  There are alot of "Special" Peeps' birthdays too including Mr Hettie,  two of my bestest friends and my former Boss!! 

So today I thought I would share one of my above mentioned friend's present.  I know it has been received and so it is quite safe to reveal. 

As most of you know, I have recently been converted to Sheena Douglass style of Paint Fusion painting, having never been able to paint previously.  I know what I want to paint, but I cannot seem to do it.  Well, I decided it was time to put what I have learnt thus far to the test by making a canvas!  Scary, let me tell you! (You might want to get a cuppa here as this is a bit picture heavy!)

So here is the first canvas I have made......

I chose to do bramble and the flowers (it being Spring allegedly!).  The colours above are not quite accurate and the two pictures below are more of a likeness but I could not seem to get it right on the puter without losing something else.

The canvas is around 12x12" to give you an idea of size.  Painted using the crackle technique with a dark blue underneath and a Cornflower white over the top (made by the paint company that has a large dog featuring in its advertising!).  

The stamping was done using a mixture of Tim Holtz and Sheena Douglass stamps using Archival Cobalt and Chipped Sapphire DI.

The glittered ivy leaves were actually a Christmas decoration I had bought knowing I would use them for crafting at some point!  The Roses are cut using my latest Spellbinders dies I bought at Ally Pally and I inked the centres with Mustard Seed DI.  The bird cage was cut using chipboard and TH die, painted and inked, then run through the brick wall embossing folder and finished off with Treasure Gold wax. Some brads in the holes at the base and then bashed with my bashing hammer!  Then I found some chain to suspend the birdcage from.

Forgive me but I have forgotten the make of the flourish stamp.  It was one I had when I subscribed to Craft Stamper all those years ago and I use it A LOT!

On the flourishes I used clear schparkly embossing powder.

On the painted leaves you can see I used some more Treasure Gold but green this time.  This pot I bought in Nottingham at the Quilting AGM.  I love it when different crafts come together.  The flower paints are all Pebeo paints.

Lickle birdie which was flipped, inked with Gathered Twigs and made a little darker with Walnut Stain DI, clear embossed, and I used enamel paint for the eye and then placed on a swirl with two small leaves.

I was delighted to receive several emails yesterday from the recipient who seemed to like it!

I shall pop it down to the Playground now as there are a few small Snippets in there.  I wonder who will take charge as to where it will be hung in the Treehouse!!

Sorry this post is a little picture heavy and thanks for reading thus far.

Have a great end of week!

Hugs

Hettie

Christmas is only ..... days away!!

Hello Friends

I am sure the Elves up in the North Pole are working flat out in readiness for The Man in the red coat to deliver lots of presents next month and much the same can be said for crafters across the globe.  I saw quite a few desks on the WOYWW hop last night with Christmas projects on them.  

I thought I would share a little something I have made this week and has been in the planning stage for quite some time.  Hope you like it..... 

Shall I let you into a secret?  This Wreath is actually old and recycled!  Yep!  The wreath is willow and I originally decorated it some 4 maybe 5 years ago when I first had my Silhouette machine and discovered Perfect Pearls!!  I cut out lots of leaves out on the Silhouette and then inked them up and sprayed them with Perfect Pearls.  I also made some wire spirals and paper beads, which I had learnt how to make the first time I went to Cornwall. 

And here you can see the wire spirals and paper beads (also recycled).  The flowers are primarily made from metal, some with chipboard bases for firmness.  Some of them are made with metal sheets left over from a project I did in Cornwall nearly 2 years ago and some of them with metal card which I had from Paperartsy when I renewed my subscription to a certain magazine (CS) some time ago.

My new TH Poinsettia dye has been used here with an extra layer at the bottom of chipboard which was covered with paper, inked and stamped.  I wanted to ensure that the poinsettia did not try to wrap itself around the willow wreath.

All the metal was inked with TH alcohol inks, stamped with various stamps, embossed with embossing folders, sanded and then layered using hot glue.  Once I was happy with the flower shape I arranged around the wreath, wrapped the wreath in ribbons, added spirals and beads which were wired in place and then set about attaching the flowers, leaves, pinecones and rosettes using my glue gun. 

Here is a SU punched flower which was actually left over from my recent Halloween Mail Box project which I added some "snow" using my Ranger paint dabber.

Some of the paper beads I used as centres to the flowers and the various snowflake buttons and elements were brought back from the US by my friend last year.  The rosettes were in my box from making them last Christmas for my Christmas Album cover.

Unfortunately these photos were taken in the house so the sheer shimmering effect cannot be appreciated in these photos.  I have sprayed the whole Wreath with Perfect Pearls Heirloom Gold mist which has given it even more shimmeriness!

Thanks for sticking with me to the end!  I hope you like my Wreath and maybe you will feel like making one yourself.  It really is quite simple though a little fiddly.  Also, be careful when using hot glue to affix the metal layers....the metal gets hot too when you push the top layer down with a finger.  Use a pencil instead! 

I am entering this wreath in to the following challenges:-

Compendium of Curiosities - Texture fades

Frilly and Funkie - Chipboard and Metal

Snippets Playground - Snippets
CC101 - Altered Metal 

TTFN

Hugs

Hettie

How did I miss this Challenge - Tag 9 - But I will catch UP!

Hello Friends

I was wandering around on the blogasphere recently and I came across THIS wonderful Blog which is Linda Coughlin's of The Funkie Junkie!  Wow!  I was blown away by all the loveliness on her blog and discovered that Linda hosts "The Funkie Junkie's 12 Tags of Christmas" which if you click HERE you will be taken to Tag One which has all the deets on.  It is worth just going to see all nine tags, they are gorgeous.

I know Linda is currently on Tag 9 and there are only three more to go but there is still a while to go until the Big Day itself so I guess I can give it a go.  They are sooo scrummilicious I just have to join in!  There is also a chance to win a shopping spree as these challenges are sponsored by The Funkie Junkie shop.  Let me tell you, having had a peruse and a little shop there, having recently won the CC2C Challenge, it is worth the chance to win! 

So here is Linda's tag......

Didn't I tell you it was scrummy!

Now here is my take on Linda's tag.......

Instead of stars I have used hearts made from Snippets of SU Vanilla cardstock, die cut with a Sizzix die and stamped in Barn Door with my new Wendy Vecchi stamp (in love with these and they were a steal so it would have been rude not to have bought them!).  The burlap pieces were also Snippets from my Christmas Album project.  The key was out of my jar of odd keys and watch bits (I have been told by a high authority - Mr Hettie - that it was the old key for the shed) which I coloured with black alcoholic ink, along with the mini bells hanging on the mini hearts of course!

The Holly leaves were cut out of another Snippet of SU Vanilla cardstock (I keep every piece of the SU Vanilla cardstock in a separate bag as it is great to work with), inked with Pine Needles DI, a little Fresco Snowflake paint topped with glossy accents and some Hampton Art fine glitter sprinkled over the top.  Once dried I added a little more Pine Needles around the edges.

These mini hearts were die cut with chipboard then some Ferro and Puffed Paint were smooshed over and heated with the heat gun.  Love this Ferro.  It is soo schparkly in the natural light. I crimped some wire through the crimping tool and added the bells to the hearts and wired them to the key.  I also popped two star pins into the bow, which is a Snippet of fabric my quilting friend gave to me.

The base of the tag is Kraft cardstock which I ran through the TH woodgrain embossing folder.  I painted this with the Snowflake Fresco paint and once dried added a layer of TH Rock Candy Crackle paint and once that was dried I added some Black Soot DI.

A little TH ticket and some gingham ribbon and hey presto, my tag was finished.  Now then, which one shall I do next?

You have until 17th December to catch up with all 12 tags and there is a chance to win a prize  from the sponsor Funkie Junkie  Love their goodies and to be honest, postage was not an awful lot in the context of things and pretty quick to the UK (8 days from order to parcel!).

As there are a few Snippets on this I will be linking it up to my Buddie at the Playground.

Thanks for popping by and please feel free to leave me a comment.  Gotta love comments. And finally, thank you Linda for such a wonderful Challenge, I have enjoyed making this no end, and think it will live in my kitchen.  Anyone who has been in my kitchen will know there are a collection of hearts in there!

TTFN

Hettie