Curiously Detailed...

...ah, it is a sad day indeedily because... I have just finished my very last entry for the Compendium of Curiosities Challenge... all the deets for this amazing challenge are on LINDA's blog... however, I just wanted to say a few words about this challenge... It started way back in June last year and I have religiously followed the words of the book by the Duke of Distress and learnt a heap of stuff on the way... I have been incredibly lucky to win twice - the first time I won a set of stamps signed by THE man himself... and a few weeks ago, I won a gift certificate at Eclectic Paperie. But more than learning stuff and winning stuff which is super cool in itself, I have also met a whole new set of blogging buddies... I know, I am sounding a bit sentimental but indulge me do... this has been a fantastic "journey" and one which I will miss.




I started out with an idea to make a tag for each challenge - yes, I have waffled on alarmingly about this before I know, but I have 35 tags now that I can just flick through and get inspiration for new projects I am working on. I do think that books are fab to read and learn from but nothing quite beats actually doing something yourself for it to go into the old grey matter... well, that is how I learn best anyways.




My final tag took me an age because I decided to "sew" my details together... all the little pieces are embossed Grungepaper which are then sewn together with thin wire... I did cheat hugely and I stuck the GP pieces to thin card first and then sewed it together... well, can you imagine the colour of the air around me if I was actually trying to sew properly??? ROFL



The finishing touches are the ickle mini brads at the bottom and the Grungeblocks that I made the word ART from... the key, Journey... because this whole experience has been an art journey... behind the keyhole is a little snippy pic from the Lost & Found stack but it isn't showing too well on the photo's. Right, that is me for today... I have a date with a bowl of steam and some Olbas Oil in the vain hope that I will get rid of some this cold and finally be able to taste again.. yep, still missing my coffee and still grumpy that I can't taste a thing LOL Thanks for looking... TTFN

Hels x

Curiously Collaged...

...cor blimey! and thrice!!! It is the penultimate week of the Compendium of Curiosities Challenge... hosted and devised by lovely Linda Ledbetter from L3 Studio... if you click on her name you will be whisked off on a the back of a large oval fragment to see her blog... Anyways, tis Week 34 and this week we are challenged to play with Fragments... mmmm, I hate to say this but.. I have a bit of a "thing" about Fragments... I love them you see, to the point that I have a lovely tin full of them and I like to run my fingers through them... and not necessarily use them... however, I steeled myself and used three on my tag... *deep breaths Hels, panic not*




So, another tag to add to my already burgeoning pile of them... but alas, only one more next week and then what will I do??? Maybe we could start the challenge all over again? LOL I also set myself a challenge this week - to use only Tim stamps from my "old" folder... I have three folders and the ones in the old one have been neglected of late so it was nice to use these... the last number in this folder is 039 - so you can tell how old these stamps actually are seeing as the Duke of Distress now has number 110!



The inking was Distress Inks from the first 24 - namely Dried Marigold (nope, still don't like this one), Spiced Marmalade, Shabby Shutters (which got lost in a sea of orange) and Aged Mahogany... oh and Walnut Stain to edge. I did, however, allow myself to use some of the new Idea-ology - well, I have those GORGEOUS light bulbs so I just had to use one of those... oh and more excitement in the Room of Stash this morning but more of that in a minute... Check out the dictionary page under the Fragments... this was taken from THE class where we made THE box... we split them up into five and I came away with this page - not reading it before I used it...erm... excuse my infantile humour but... one of the words is "begird" ooohoooo, I am snorting here... I know, sad isn't it ROFL



So... the excitement in the Room of Stash... well, I have just got my inky mitts on... the new Crowded Attic Paper Stack!!! and... The Stickers to go with!!! Ooooh, have you seen this paper yet?? Now, I LURVE the Lost & Found... but I think I may have just gotten myself a new fave... SO, a maahooosive thank you to Jennie for knowing how ill I have been and knowing the one thing that would make me feel better and sending the paper post-haste to me... bless! Oh and speaking of illness, I spent most of yesterday groaning and snuffling on the sofa... I still can't taste a thing or smell a thing... and I realllllly want a coffee but when I have one, it is like drinking hot water! Oh and I seem to have turned into a bronchial old pensioner over night too!!! Seriously, because I can't breath thru my schnozzle, I am breathing thru my mouth and you can hear crackles and pops coming from my lungs... yikes, I sounds awful!! Anyways, I feel brighter in myself today which is good because I want to go and play with those papers! Right... enough of me waffling... thanks for looking... keep warm! TTFN

Hels x

Curiously... 33 & ... Three...

... Oh I know, you will be wondering what on Earth I am on about again... I know I have this habit of *trying* to make ooohhhhahahahaaa titles for my posts but actually this title is... well, apt! Mainly because I have been a tidge excited and distracted the past few weeks what with all the anticipation of Ellen coming to stay and then of course, me going to sit in a room with THE Duke of Distress... actually, this is funny because I have been thinking up different titles for the Duke... so far, the Sultan of Stamping and the Viscount of Vintage... and the latest one... (bear with please as I fear for my sanity...) the ... King of... Kraft!!! Well, he has those new Kraft papers doesn't he? I have yet to see them but I know already that I will not be able to kraft (ahem) without them!



Anyways... the title... I am soooo late on my entry for the Compendium of Curiosities challenge... I mean, I have entered every single week and it would be daft not to just pip in before the bugle calls on last weeks challenge... which, btw, is to Alcohol Ink Metal... all the deets are HERE on Linda's blog... oh and if you are new to this blogging lark and haven't met Linda before, do hop on over for a nosey around her blog... oooh, she is a clever lass and her artwork just schmooozes originality...



So... my tag for this week... a total crib from Day 3 of the King of Kraft's Tags of Christmas '10. I set myself a challenge a few weeks ago that I would try and recreate those tags... and here I am, a few weeks later doing my first one. Oooh, and I used... DISTRESS STAINS... sorry I had to shout then but... seriously... when I first heard about them I did the usual "what would I use those for???" and... now... reality strikes and I neeeed them all.. actually, I need ALL the Distress Ink colours... oooh, lushness indeedily! I used only the Stains for the tag - colouring the background all over with Antique Linen, then smooshing a bit onto my craft sheet, spritzing with water and dip-drying-dip-drying. I inked the stamps with the Stains and coloured birdy and the tree (both Alterations dies) oh and stained the trim with them too....


The next part of the title... the Three... is for week #3 of the Everything Wendy Vecchi Yahoo Group challenge... basically, Lori - she who is our List Mom and uber organised and talented, has devised a challenge using projects from Wendy's books... this week the challenge was to make a hanging, add a heart and a bit of junk jewellry... My hanging is an abudance of Art Parts (oooh I loooove these), Clearly for Art BlackOut (my new fave stuff) and some inks and Grungepaper and some Jenni Bowlin papers... I am still on my black, cream and red kick... well, if it works why change!



My ickle bit of broken jewellry is teensy... it is hanging from the hanging chain and was an old earring... I just re-jigged the pearls onto head pins and jump rings (am hoping this ickle bit is ok for the challenge!) The Grungepaper flowers and the Art Part leaves were coloured with more Distress Stains... I think the Fired Brick just looks that bit brighter and more oooomphy, if you know what I mean.




I have tried to get a close up photo of the Clearly for Art... I stamped the images with Gold StaZon ink and just whizzed the heatgun over the top to dry it enough so when I was cutting it, it didn't smudge the details... then once it was cut out, I heated it up and then shaped it... seriously, it is that easy to use!!! Ooh, and before I forget, all the 490 stash is available from The Stamp Attic...




Anyways... I have waffled on alarmingly today... if you are still with me... thank you for sticking with me and reading this far :O))... have a goodly day! TTFN

Hels x

Curiously Inking...

... & Stamping... which is the challenge for the Compendium of Curiosities challenge this week... hosted, devised and co-ordinated by that ever so lovely lady Linda Ledbetter... HERE are all the deets about how to enter. This week we are working from Page 59 of the Compendium of Curiosities book by the Duke of Distress. I love this technique because it really makes the main image pop because it is so layered up with the stamping.




Good old Brolly Man has made another appearance on my Compendium tags... I have 32 of them now... and... awww, there's only another three weeks left to do now... I have loved every minute of making the tags - I planned to pop them all onto a board and put them on the wall in the Room of Stash but there are far too many now so Ellen had a brill idea last night... hang them around the top of the walls... I just need to get around to popping a piece of string up there now... mmm, me, a ladder and a few pins to hold the string in??? dangerous!!! LOL




So... already we are on day three of Ellen's visit... where the time is going is I have no idea... whizzing past so quickly!!! We have had fun so far - yesterday we went to a country pub for lunch... except I was too busy yakking to concentrate on where we were going and I took a wrong turning... so an hour later we finally got there ... should have taken Jane the Sat Nav with us! We popped to Olney to see Lin and Karen @ LB Crafts and had a good old nosey at some of the new stash that has been arriving... I had a bit of an episode though... alas and alak... a sheet of Tim's new stamps fell into my basket and totally unbeknownst to me, they found their way home too. Well it would have been rude not to use them, so they are on this tag - the sentiment and the numbers along the bottom. Love these loads!!!




I had to then force myself to look in all the little boutiquey shops in Olney... and one inparticular had a gorgeous window display - full of bronze cast animals... including.... Myrtle... who is THE most gorgeous hare... now, you might remember... I collect hares... the ones I have are Suzie Marsh bronze ones... so it was inevitable that Myrtle got a new Mummy yesterday... here she is...




Isn't she just adorable? She has a really grumpy looking face but you can see a little bit of mischief in there too... she is now right at home with her new brothers... she was a bargain too... reduced in price... so really it would have been daft to walk away without her.. well, that is my excuse and I am sticking to it LOL Today is perfect crafting weather... dull, damp, raining - ideal for sitting in the Room of Stash and getting inky... we are just about to start our first main project... a mini book... oooh, you should see the book covers that Ellen brought with her.. they are brilliant! I am thinking lots of Grungepaper and Board and inkyness and paintyness and a whole lot of Maya Road... ahhhh, bliss! oooh and thank you for all your ...ermm... support (?) about the Zit... oh dear, it is no better, it has now applied for residency and has developed its own blood supply now... nothing is helping it at all.. even the application of several tonnes of Cheesie Chester Cheeto's isn't helping... I am hoping it has cleared up by Thursday otherwise I may have to buy another ticket for Artsy Crafts for it ROFL Right... time for inkyness... thanks for looking... TTFN

Hels x

Curiously Enamelled...

...time for the Compendium of Curiosities Challenge again... only a few more weeks left of this challenge so I am making the most of it :O)) If you haven't heard about the challenge before, hop on over to Linda's blog... this week the challenge is on Page 41 of the Compendium of Curiosities... a book by the one and only Duke of Distress. Well, I have to say... I really struggled with this technique... the first tag was binned before the brown ink was added... yuk!




The second tag was binned after I bodged the stamping... doh! I used Archival ink and forgot to heat set it... so I ended up with smudges all over the place... so finally, this one made it to completion! The colours are only Old Paper and Vintage Photo - I do think these two as a combo make a lovely couple :O))



So... how excited am I!!! This time 7 days away, Ellen will have landed in the UK and we should be making our way to Starbucks at St Pancras (well, it would be very rude not to pop in and partake of a Frapucchino LOL) and then we will be on our way back to the Room of Stash via the kitchen for a sausage roll... can you believe that Ellen had never had a sausage roll until she came to stay last year??? Well, it would have been a bit remiss of me to not introduce her to the delights that are the rolls of sausage... mmm, yummy sausage meat encased in crisp golden puff pastry... corrrr, my chops are fair watering already!




I would't normally be so gung-ho about eating "naughty" food but when Ellen was last here, we set a decree... and you might be interested in it because it is a world wide thing, not just a Room of Stash thing... calories are all zero-rated in the following conditions: visiting friends, crafting with friends, when your fingers are inky (the ink zero's the calories straight out), when you are in a foreign country, when you are with someone from a foreign country, when you have been on a aeroplane and when you have visited an airport. **that covers all eventualities LOL** Anyways... all this waffle about sausage rolls has given me rumble tum-tums... time for breakfast methinks! Thanks for looking... have a goodly day! TTFN

Hels x

Curiously Painted...

...corrrrr blimey, where did this week go to??? One minute it is Monday and the new Compendium of Curiosities challenge is announced and then the next minute it is Friday night already!!! Admittedly, it has been a "busy" week what with the drive and other things I have been up to... which I will tell you about in a mo - but first, the new Compendium challenge (well, not so new but you know what I mean 'Arry) Hosted and devised by lovely Linda Ledbetter, all the deets are HERE on Linda's blog - which is well worth a hop across to because not only is there candy for one lucky entrant, Linda also makes some mightily scrumptious art too!




So, in keeping with the challenge, I shalln't say how I did the technique... that is all on Page 48 of the Compendium of Curiosities book... however, I will just admit this; well... you know that I have made a tag for each weeks entry and this week is no different apart from... I forgot... to put any stamping on it!!! I know!!! I didn't even use my little diamondy harlequin stamp that is on absolutely everything I make!!!




I am not sure if this tag will actually qualify for the challenge this week... but hey! I will enter it anyway... cos I did rather enjoy making it :O)) I made a Valentine tag a few weeks ago using some of the element from the Duke of Distress' 12 Tags... and I just expanded a bit more for this one. The painted metal parts are the numerals (although I do keep wanting to call them letters LOL), the crown, the heart, the brads and the wings. Check out the ickle postcard!!! with a "lurve train" which I snipped from the Seasonal Paper Stash, mounted onto mountboard and then bunged a Memo Pin onto it. And, naturally, this is very appropriate cos I used to drive trains and... of course, they were filled with lurve ROFL




In my excitement to waffle on alarmingly about the drive yesterday, I clean forgot to tell you what we got up to on Thursday!!! Did you see that little reference in the first paragraph?? You know what I mean 'Arry? Well, it just so happens that we went to the BBC to see Harry Hill's TV Burp being recorded... tis the show which is on this evening no less... and it was absolutely hil-ar-ious! We had to get into the queue early because it is an over-subscribed show so poor old Grim did have nearly two hours of me whinging and moaning about my feet and my back... and I did have to do a heck of a lot of fidgeting and naturally, a bit more whinging thrown in for goodly measures... but it was worth the wait. Anyways... if you get chance, watch the show tonight, 7pm on ITV1... there is a special guest who I was absolutely over the moon excited to see!!! Seriously, well worth watching... just so you can see him... if you know what I mean... 'Arry ;o))



Ooooh, and more excitement abounds in the Room of Stashly Anticipations... it is now only 12 days until Ellen arrives at the Room of Stash!!! And... I am going to be lurking around the Artistic Stamper stand at Stamperama tomorrow... I will be fiddling about with all things waxy... (ooh, that sounds rude LOL) oh yes, finally, another little smidget of news... I am ...erm... going to see... some bloke called Tim... on some class called Artsy Crafts... (try and picture how insanely controlled I am trying to be at this very moment ROFL) Anyways... that is all the news for now.. oh and yes, tomorrow on the Sunday Stamper I have a rather lovely piece of candy to giveaway... oooh, yesh indeedily!! Right... gotta dash, I have some sausages to sizzle for breakfast!! Thanks for looking... TTFN

Hels x

Curiously Weathered...

...Cor blimey indeedily, have I ever told you that I LOVE the Compendium of Curiosities challenge??? I bet I may have mentioned it once or twice! Well, hosted, devised and co-ordinated by lovely Linda Ledbetter... HERE are all the deets for this weeks challenge theme... and... there is also some cool candy to be had! Anyways... I have never really tried out this technique... I mean, I did on the 12 Tags last year but apart from that... nope! And... now I know I will be using this all the time cos I lurve this technique!!



I have made another tag for the collection... using the usual Duke of Distress products; stamps, inks, paints, dangly bits... (oh I just cannot help a good old double entendre LOL) The Grungeboard was cut from the Mini Baroque Alterations and then embossed with that lovely collage Texture Fade, painted with Cloudy Blue and inked with Vintage Photo. I then got a bit excited (nowt new there then!) and decided to try the technique on Grungepaper... so I did... embossing the flower layers with another Texture Fade and using Gold Dabber and Vintage Photo ... well, I rather like this look for the rose... whatcha fink?




Anyways.. excitement abounds in the Sheridan household at the moment... because... we have a very nice man coming to start on our drive tomorrow. After a very near miss with the Pikey's, we have struck gold and found a lovely chap who will come and dig out the old drive and stuff... and do whatever he needs to with the base... and then... oh be still my over exciteable self.. they are... distressing the drive!!!




YES!! How cool is this? They lay some concretey stuff down and then get some powders that are different colours and sprinkle them over the top... and then they get an industrial sized rubber stamp, press this onto the wet concrete and when they lift it up is has left a cobble stone imprint on the concrete...which once it has dried and set and stuff (you can so tell that I am not at all teckernical) it looks like it has been there for yonks... so, distressing for driveways! Perfect for outside the house that the Room of Stash is in!! How cool!!! Right, time to get playing with some rather delish stamps that arrived in the Room of Stash yesterday... ooooh, my Stampotique DT stamps have arrived... so excited!!! Thanks for looking... TTFN

Hels x

Curiously Colourful...

...Layered... and fragmenty too! Yes, indeedily, it is time for the Compendium of Curiosities challenge again... devised and hosted by that lovely lass Linda - do hop on over to see the deets etc... tis a FAB challenge... and... there is candy too! This challenge has 35 weeks in total and... sob!... there are only 7 left now! What are we going to do once we have exhausted all the techniques in the book??? Perhaps we should start all over again??? Anyways... this weeks technique is one I haven't tried before... well, actually, that isn't technically true... I did try this once... and I didn't like it then either!!! LOL But, at the time I wasn't about to say that out loud... because the technique was actually taught to me by none other than the Duke of Distress himself!! I was lucky enough to take a workshop with him a couple of years ago... and I am so sure that if I had the right kit here in the Room of Stash, this would have been heaps easier.




So, I haven't got the "thingy's" needed for this technique... and I was crafting via Skype with Ellen and her suggestion was to use Cut & Dry nibs... well, we tried that and it didn't work... so I decided that I was going to ... erm... improvise!!! I have a lovely set of alcohol ink pens (now, don't tell anyone will you but they are called ProMarkers!!!) So, I... erm... improvised with those "pens" and made this fragment. It is one of the big oval ones... I had already faffed about with several small ones but none of them "worked". So, the stamp sheet on the top of the binder is the one with David on... and he stares at me all day long... and I always ignore him... I don't even say goodly morning to him... anyways, I took pity on him and decided that he needed a... erm... makeover! He was stamped, coloured and then stamped onto the tag, masked so I wouldn't have any colour under the fragment... and then I wrote the sentiment with alpha stamps. I made David into a "new romantic" (was supposed to be punk but I got carried away with the blue eyeliner LOL) the sentiment is supposed to be "clever" cos David is really old... and I have said he is a "new" romantic... geddit???


I am not sure if this tag will count towards the challenge but I am entering it anyway... well, if you don't try, you will never get anywhere will you. Speaking of trying... I had a shock yesterday afternoon... I suddenly realised that Ferdy is needing a service and the garage that I usually take him to his far too far away now we have moved. So, I went onto Mr Google and asked him to find me the nearest Fiat place... which he did... so I phoned them and asked how much a second service was... and I nearly fell off my perch when the bloke on the phone said £360 plus VAT!!! And then proceeded to ask me if I had air-conditioning (well, not me, Ferdy, but he doesn't know Ferdy's name.. you know what I mean!) So, I said yes, and he says... I need my air-con re-something-or-other-ing... and that is an extra £49 plus VAT!!!



So, I was...erm... a bit... annoyed... (I wasn't rude though...although I really could have been LOL) And then the bloke on the phone starts to patronise me and tells me I should have taken out a service plan and I could still do that although it wouldn't cover me for this service... cheek of it! Anyways... I rang around a few more places and found a lovely chap who is Fiat Approved (have to have that for the Warranty thingymajig) and can fit me in today... all for less than half the price! I still do not like parting with cash for anything other than stash but Ferdy needs his service so I have to do it... plus, you never know... the nice man may even give Ferdy a wash... something that doesn't happen very often ROFL Right... bedtime... I am reading a FAB book at the moment - it is called One Day and it is by David Nicholls so I plan to have a little read before I snoozle... thanks for looking.. have a... FAB day! TTFN

Hels x

Curiously Misting...

...tis, in my opinion, the BEST challenge around... apart from the Sunday Stamper of course ROFL... seriously though, the Compendium of Curiosities is my favest challenge to play along with... not only does is feed my inky addiction, it also means that I get to make another tag for my ever growing collection. You know I originally had thought that I would pop them all onto a board and mount them onto the wall in the Room of Stash.. well, there is no way that is going to happen, I didn't think the whole thing thru before I started... but, what I have got are 27 tags with 27 different techniques on them and I think that they look rather nice :O)) Here's a pic of the first ring...




And here is a pic of the second ring... I have another big bookring sitting waiting to be filled... there's still another 8 weeks to play yet!! Anyways, if you have no idea what I am waffling on about then pop on over to Linda's blog... all the deets are on there on how to join in and the rules etc... oh and you can also see Linda's gorgeous entry for the challenge this week.




So... I shalln't go into deets on how I made the tag apart from saying I used the Distress Misting Masks technique. Now, I have said this before and I will say it again... me and masking just do not go together... I can do "normal" masking where I stamp something and cover it with a mask and then over stamp it... but using those Tim Holtz masks? Nope! I just cannot seem to get it to look right.




Anyways.. I made my own mists using Wild Honey and Crushed Olive Re-Inkers and some Heirloom Gold Perfect Pearls... now, do you get this when you use a Tim mask... whenever I use one, no matter what I do, it always ends up sticking to my tag and then lifting off some of the tag with it when I remove it... even if I don't burnish it down.. I am obviously doing something wrong LOL So... I decided to do a "journey" theme for this tag... and somehow a clock crept in there too... not sure if that goes but I liked it LOL I used some images from the Lost and Found Sticker book... popping them onto paper and cutting out and distressing the edges... and then made a little ticket using Tim's 100th Collection set... you know, that set that is signed by the Duke of Distress himself!! *I may have mentioned that a few times LOL*



I have a busy day ahead of me... I am making some ATC's for a swap I am doing and then I have to sit on the doormat and wait for Postie to turn up... he is bringing something very special for me today... namely... a BluRay DVD of Goodfellas... **I just did a little squeally squeak then LOL** which is my favouritest film of all time! I first saw it about a hundred years ago when I hired it on VHS... I watched it twice, took it back and went straight out and bought my own copy... then I got it on DVD - and it is such an old DVD that it is in two parts... which means that I will be all comfy watching it and I have to get up and change discs halfway thru the film... well, the other day I was mooching around the sales and spotted it on BluRay for the princely sum of £4.99. It would have been rude not to buy it wouldn't it? So... all being well, Postie will arrive with the DVD and I can sit and watch it this afternoon... and...I am going to position myself in the recliner... Grim is at work all day so he won't even know I sat in it ROFL Ah... yes, I still haven't tidied the Room of Trash yet either... infact it is worse than ever because I have been verrrry baaaaad and not put away anything for the past three days... you should see it... actually, scrap that... you shouldn't, it would turn your hair grey!!! (that is my excuse for the silver among the gold and I am sticking to it LOL) So... going back to my anticipated arrival... what is your fave film?? Do tell!! Right, ATC's here I come... thanks for looking.. have a brill day! TTFN

Hels x

Curiously Rusty...

...oooh, whilst I do love Christmas I am always rather chuffed that it is behind us for another year... the house being tidy again, less dusting to do (!) and... it means that I can get back to using non-festive stash to play... and today is no different... it is a brand new theme on the Compendium of Curiosities Challenge... it is my favest challenge and I have been looking forward to a new theme... oh and before I forget... the challenge is devised and hosted by the wonderfully talented Linda... and... there are some stashly treats up for grabs... signed by the Duke of Distress himself no less!




Anyways... I have been making tags for this challenge and I now have 26 of the beggars ... the idea was to put them all onto a board and pop them on the wall in the Room of Stash... I obviously didn't think that one thru very well... however, they are now on two book rings and they do look rather colourful - and, if I am stuck for an idea, I can just whizz thru the rings (that makes me sound like Sonic the Hedgehog LOL) and get some idea's.




The base of the tag was made by dipping the tag into inky/watery misted mess on the craft sheet and dried inbetween each dipping... I love this subtle effect. I added some stamping and then got stuck into the "Rusted Grunge" part of the challenge... and I decided against doing a hardware/metal item and chose a flower instead... and then I did some leaves and substituted the Vintage Photo ink for Forest Moss... mmm, likey that! And then I did my first rose of the year (and I am sure first of a thousand odd LOL) I painted the Grungepaper with Gold Dabber and then just smidged the edges with Vintage Photo D.Emb.Powder. Am liking that effect but I should have put more powder on because it could do with being a bit rustier I think.




So... did you see that Stargazing Live last night? I got all excited about it because I do have this fascination with the stars and galaxies (not the chocolate bars ROFL) A little known fact is that I am a bit of a nerd on the quiet but I know you won't tell everyone... anyways, I was trying my hardest not to dash onto the internet and melt Grim's credit card by buying a chuffing great telescope when they said that there is a really good chance of seeing Jupiter in the sky towards the South - without a telescope or anything!!! I had to really control myself not to belt outside and have a nosey heavenwards... so... they then say that there is going to be a meteor shower at about 4am this morning... ooooh, calm Hels, deep breaths needed... so... the program ends and I fair whizz out to the garden... to be greeted with... SNOW!!! How chuffing typical is that!!! I know, I lurve snow... but... I wanted to see Jupiter... and apparently, if you got the angle right, you could see Uranus too! *snort and snicker* So, I am now torn... I want more snow but... I want to see those meteors. It has stopped snowing now but it is still a bit cloudy. I am now toying with the idea of just staying up anyways and seeing if I can see the meteors anyway... I can always find something inky to amuse me while I wait I guess! Anyways... time for me to go and do another weather inspection... thanks for looking... have a brrrilliant day (did you see what I did there... brrrrilliant.. cos it is cold again LOL) TTFN

Hels x

Curiously Scribbling...

...aha! I must be feeling a bit better because I had the urge to get inky this morning! Hurrah and thrice, I am over the worst I think... the Dr was very helpful yesterday, he told me that I have had Flu... I did tell him that I didn't think it was Swine Flu because I haven't come out in rashers (grrroan!) Anyways, I have got a viral thingy-wotsit in my lungs which is making the old crackles and pops sound like that... so I have been given a Ventolin Inhaler... hey, and no comments about me being an old puffer ROFL Anyways, I was sitting there this morning and I heard this pitifull sound... kind of a gentle mumbling and it was saying "Hels, Hels, we need you" So, I hastened to the Room of Stash and lo! There were all my rubber stamps, sitting there, crying and asking for attention... so of course, I had to indulge them LOL



I am entering this tag into the Compendium of Curiosities Challenge... hosted and devised by the uber talented Linda - if you click her name you can see her blog and all the deets etc are there. So, the theme this week is Scribble Stain Distress.... ooooooh! Yum! Only one of my favest techniques... so I got out the DI's and Re-Inkers and had a play.



The colours I have used are Crushed Olive, Chipped Sapphire and Tumbled Glass DI's with Bundled Sage and Brushed Corduroy Re-Inkers... mmmm, loving those colours together. The little watch is a piece of paper snipped from the Lost & Found stack and popped behind a fragment which I then hole punched with the old Crop-A-Dile... not one of my better idea's that... I thought that the CaD would have no probs getting thru a Fragment but it was tough and I nearly broke into a sweat doing that! Anyways... those stamps are a-calling me again so I shall away to tend to them while I have the energy LOL Thanks for looking... have a great day! TTFN

Hels x

Curiously Candy Says Simon On Day 6...

...right then... you know that I lurve the Compendium of Curiosities challenge... and I lurve the Simon Says Stamp & Show challenge... and I lurve the 12 Tags of Christmas by The Duke of Distress.... well... all that said, I have got myself lovely and inky and messy and have taken some of the elements from last years and this years tags and made my entry for both of the challenges... cheating to combine them? Probably but... hey, I am behind on my Tim tags so I am hoping to be excused on the grounds of devotion to the 12 Tags... oh and because I am being so tidy I am practically angelic (ok, that is pushing it a bit but a girl can try ;O))




So... the theme for the CCC is... Rock Candy Stickles... all deets are on Linda's blog... and the theme for SSS&S is a Show A Holiday Message. This 'ere tag I have done is practically groaning under the weight of Rock Candy Stickles but do they show up on my (not so) brrrilliant photo's??? Do they 'eckers like... so you will have to believe me when I say... I did use nearly a whole bottle on the tree, the snowflakes and the deer!




The deer actually was made last year! I know, doubters of the "never chuck anything away brigade" would be eating their hats to see such goodly use being made of a left over! I made a host of cards last year featuring old Rudolph and this one was a left over. He is made from card which is embosssed with Distress Embossing powders but apart from that, I can't remember how he was made... what I do spy though is a very neat snippy job done around his horns... no, they aren't horns are they??? And now I have said horns I cannot for the life of me think what they are called ... bums...it will come to me, I am sure LOL




And... because I am in a tag-alicious mood, I also made Tag #6 from the 12 Tags... I tried to make it the same as the original but one thing I wasn't going to do was cut out a branchy tree from Grunge just to use a couple of snipped bit for Bambi's horns... you see, there I go again... horns!!! They aren't horns... and... I shall say it before anyone else does... I seem to...erm... have a thing about... horns LMSO Anyways... cos I am soooo stingey with my Grunge, I instead overlapped the smallest piece possible so it went onto the hoofy bits and bottom of the legs of Bambi's brother so that is actually what Bambi's horns are made from... yep, the legs and hoofy bits of the other deer... I am quite sure that I could have explained all of that very quickly and quite simply but you know me, if there is a waffle worth waffling, I will waffle it.




Actually, I am getting a bit concerned because... I am doing that "avoidance" thingywotsit again... you know, where you have a "job" to do... and you do loads of other stuff instead cos you are putting off the "job" Well, the "job" I have to do it... *pauses for dramatic effect* I have to... make my seven hundred and 94 Christmas Cards... in the next... FIVE days!!!!!





I need a plan, and I need one quick!!! See, here is another tag I have made... this one is for my Bubbly Funk DT so all the deets and bigger pics are over HERE. And... check out the Tissue Tape tree... that sprang into my mind the other night after making the rosette from Tissue Tape... oooh, that pleating is really therapeutic... and also an incredibly good way to avoid the "job". Sitting here waffling on is so not getting me to bed, getting me to sleep and getting me up early in the morning to get cracking straight away with the cards... actually, I am now considering... buying a pack... stooopid isn't it??? I can sit and make tags with Christmas themes but the cards?? Mmmm, I should really do as my old school report used to say... and... do better!! ROFL Thanks for looking... have a fabby day! TTFN

Hels x

Curiously Doubley Distressed...

...mmm, no prizes for guessing what the theme for the Compendium of Curiosities Challenge is this week LOL Hosted, devised and beautifully represented by the lovely Linda Ledbetter, this challenge is... curiously addictive (see what I did there... curiously!) If you would like to see what I am waffling on about today, please CLICK HERE to be transported, as if by magic, to see Linda's blog.



So... I made another tag... that is 23 tags made so far... I had planned to layer them all onto a big piece of wood and then pop them up onto the wall.. I even saved some wall space in the Room of Stash *note I am using the proper name for my good old room... but more of that later :O))* Anyways, you should see them all now - they are on two book rings and I will need another before the challenge is thru - but they are a really good "aide memoir" (oooh, get me, being all French!) and I have remembered to label the back of them with the technique of the week ;o))



I mentioned the Room of Stash and I am busting with pride now because... after THREE arduous days, it is... TIDY! Seriously, I know that doubters will think that I have just tidied up the desk and that .. but, nay and thrice, I have not only tidied both desks, I have also put stuff away, sorted out all my Distress Ink tools into colour order *be calm my inner control freak*, organised all my Alterations, sorted out the eBay stuff that I am selling at the moment... and... I have even... *please sit down if you are of a nervous disposition* used... the vaccuum!!! Admittedly, it was a bit of a "one whizz is all it needs" job, but hey, it looks better! I will pop some pics on on Weds for the WOYWW - oh and I nearly forgot to say... whilst I was tidying, I was also sorting out all the drawers cos they had just been stuffed with what-not when I first unpacked ROFL



I am getting more and more excited as the week passes... in... FOUR days *not including today cos we are already in today and it sounds better if today isn't included LOL*... Ellen will be here with me, in the Room of Stash with me... and I am like a kiddie waiting for Christmas!!! I seriously cannot wait... we have already had several "separated at birth" moments... so goodness knows what it will be like when we are actually together... actually, I do feel a bit sorry for Grim... he is so not gonna know what has hit him ROFL Right... I have got my crafting head on so I am going to make the most of it and go and make... something.. not sure what yet LOL Thanks for looking... have a very goodly day! TTFN

Hels x

Curiously Splattered...

... I may have mentioned several (hundred) times that I love the Compendium of Curiosities Challenge... why is this I wonder? Is it because I get to do a different technique a week? Maybe. Or is it 'cos I get to use my fave Ranger and Tim Holtz products? Probably... but... the real reason is that I get to play with ink and rubber and get thoroughly messy, which is what I have just done this morning. So.. the challenge... hosted, devised and organised by the wonderfully lovely Linda... if you click on her name you can see what I am on about :O)) This week is another excuse to get out the Alcohol Inks and, in my case, get totally covered in ink (again)



I really must get dressed before I start to craft of a morning... a few weeks ago I had a minor mishap with some Metallic Mixatives (mainly, they ended up on my face and on my nighty) Well, today I had this idea what to do for my entry and instead of being organised and getting dressed first, I hit the Room of Stash still in my nighty. Big mistake... huge mistake *I love that line, Julia Roberts telling those snobby moo's in Pretty Woman* ... cos now I have a rather lovely blue stain on it, mainly because I am clumsier than an bull in a china shop and I ... erm... dropped a bottle of ink... it is such a good job that Grim bought me that floor protector for under my chair... I shudder to think how bad the carpet would be LOL




I think when Linda told us that the theme this week is Alcohol Ink Splatter, she didn't mean I should splatter my desk, nighty and *don't tell Grim* a tidge on the carpet (oooops!) Anyways, as well as re-colouring all manner of what have you, I have made a tag... week 22 of the challenge already and I have now got two book rings with tags on... I really didn't think this through before I started on the "let's make a tag a week" malarkey... Oh and... I forgot to mention before... a few weeks ago I won a prize from this challenge... and it arrived the other day! Many thanks to Linda x I so promise not to be insufferable and mention that I have a signed by Tim set of Flourish stamps LOL



Right, time to venture out into the freeeeezing cold frosty day, tis one of my fave times of year, frosty mornings and a bit of foggy mist... makes everything look so pretty... thanks for looking... have a goodly day! TTFN

Hels x

Curiously Perfect...

...well I never, Monday crept up on and whizzed past while I was preoccupied with all things eBay (am getting rid of all my Tilda and cute stamps, I don't use them any more so why keep 'em LOL *ahem, plus the fact... sell old stash = ££ which in turn = new stash... mwahhahahahhaaaa!!!*) So, I spent Monday being all efficient and doing listings and when I finally realised the time it was Tuesday already... so what is all this waffle about days of the week? Well, it just so happens that every Monday there is a brand new theme on the Compendium of Curiosities Challenge... if you haven't heard of this phenomenon, please click HERE to be whisked off to Linda's blog where you can see all the deets you need and see the lovely prizes on offer too...




So, this week is one of my fave techniques and I just love the way the effects take place, like magic, when doused in a bit of water. And cos the name of the technique is Perfect Distress, I decided to make the actual tag imperfect, full of scuffed bits and looking rather worse for wear... like a juxtaposition between the "perfect" theme and the "imperfect style" Please don't worry, I am the real Hels typing all this and I haven't gone all philosophy-wotsit... I just like the word juxtaposition and like to drop it into sentences whenever I can LOL




So... do you like my Rosette??? I didn't want the Rosette to be solid cos this covers up half the techniquey bit, so I decided to pull the perferations apart to make the Rosette more flower like - I quite like it .. I could have done it neater but then it would be as shabby as I wanted... I embellished my tag with Idea-ology - lots of it, love Idea-ology (no? never? you would never have realised that wouldya? ROFL) and I popped a Ticket image into the Bracket Plate.

Right then, all this chattering about all things long wordy has me needing my bed... if you haven't seen the challenge before do head over to Linda's to see all about it - tis a FAB challenge! Oh and before I forget, all the stashy bits on my tag (including plain tags) are available from The Artistic Stamper. Can you hear that??? It's the sound of my hot water bottle calling my name... I had better go and keep it company :O)) Thanks for looking.. have a... FAB day! TTFN

Hels x