Favourite Things...

...I have been having a few conversations over the past few weeks about "styles"... you know... like "what is YOUR style?" Or, "that is just YOUR style" Well, I asked myself "what actually IS my style?" I have come to conclusion that I haven't really got one... I am more of a "habit" kind of person. I do like to have my little routines, I have habits but more than anything, I have favourites. I am talking about my whole life here too, not just the arty crafty stuff. I have favourite people, favourite foods, favourite socks, favourite songs... the usual, you know, most of us can admit that we all have favourites. I tend to go through "phases" of doing stuff... I will make tags for a few months, then do cards, then ATC's, altered art... you know what I mean? Well, I admit... I am a bit bored with just doing tags all the time... plus, I have so many here that I am running out of room... so I need to do some more 3d things for myself....


In my arty crafty stuff, my favourites are, above all else, flowers. I have been told a few times that I rarely make something without bunging a flower on it. Well, that is totes-true! Because I LOVE flowers. I love to make something and add a little floral embellishment... be is a big old blousy rose or a little resin bloom, I am not fussy... so long as it is flower. Another favourite thing is the good old fashioned heart. They work their way into my stuff quite regularly too... usually a die cut or on the end of a pin... or a stamp. This one today is a hand drawn and cut out one. And of course, another favourite, albeit a new one, is that paper blocking technique... along with the layering stuff onto card or canvas and then painting over the top.



So, I thinks to meself the other night, I will combine all my favourites and have a play. Which is exactly what I did. I started out by cutting up some snips of BG Capella paper (6 x 6 pad, perfect size) and then popped them onto one of those cheapy IKEA frames that are now discontinued... how rude!!! Fancy discontinuing them!!! I was gutted to go alllllll the way to IKEA just for more frames to find they had NONE. I was right about to throw myself on the floor and have a paddy.... thank goodness I realised that I am in my 40's and throwing myself on the floor would make me look like a nutter lol Anyways... where was I? Ah yesh, the frames. Well, I happened to rummage and find a pack of them in the teeting tower of alterable stuff. So, the papers were blocked onto the frame and then swished over with a babywipe dipped into Traditional Tan paint (THE best paint, see another fave!) Once dried, it had a good coat of Ranger Glue & Seal to... yep, you guessed... seal it!



Next came the heart. I drew half a heart, cut it out and then used it as a template. I am cack at drawing symmetrical things... so the half template works perfectly. That was on plain old cardstock. I then layered up some die cut bits and bobs and some masking tape (which is now hidden lol) and then used Cut & Dry to add Juniper and Cloudy Blue Dabbers to the heart. I then blended some Espresso Dabber mixed with Trad Tan paint to add some browny shading to the top and edges of the heart. Of course, the Stabilo All pencil made an appearance and that did the shading for me on the heart and on the frame too. I cut some card to fit behind the heart and made the edges lighter, lightly tracing where the heart would be and making this a bit darker so it looked like a shadow. Finally, my favourite bit, the flowers... Prima's and paper roses... coloured with a few drops of Bundled Sage reinker in a Mini Mister of water. The addition of stamping onto Masking Tape and a smidge of gold embossing to finish it off.


And there you have it... a few of my favourite things. I am really enjoying doing more 3d arty stuff at the moment - I am not saying I shalln't be doing tags, cos you know me, a creature of habit and all that... Anyways, I have taken up enough of your time for one day, so I shall loves ya and leaves and say thanks for looking... ooh and a new Sunday Stamper theme tomorrow too! TTFN

Hels x

Sunday Stamper - Week 196 - Misty... Plus A Giveaway

Goodly Morning Stampers and a very happy Sunday to you all! Many thank you's for the lovely entries that you created for last weeks challenge... and thank you for all the lovely email entries too. I have been thinking about other ways to enter the challenge if you don't have a blog... and have decided that using Facebook to share your entries is a cool way too... so if you want to use FB as well or instead of... fill yer boots! This week sees a very special Guest Theme Setter joining the Sunday Stamper. Last Saturday I was doing some teaching in class and the lovely Barbara Cady looked up and said "How about Misty as a theme?" Oh yesh, indeedily, so I pounced (!) and asked her to be a Guest... to which she very kindly agreed! What a fab song... and... the theme... to use... MISTS. Be it a Colorwash, a Perfect Pearl, a Cosmic or Glimmer, or even how I made my entry... the choice is yours. Please do add in some stamping as well as the theme to your entry and then hop on back here to leave a comment with a link to the place you are showing your entry... I can then hop over to visit you. As ever, if you haven't got a blog/Picassa/Flickr do-dah, then you can email me your entry... or use FB! The challenge will remain open until 21:00 Saturday 17th March 2012.




So... before I start with the "how I did this" waffle, I will just let you know that my entry for the challenge is up for grabs to one randomly chosen commenter... and if you enter as well, you will be entered twice into the draw. The winner will be announced on next Sunday's post.



Right, on with the waffle; so, I started a canvas, bodged it, slung it across the Room of Stash in a huff... started another canvas, bodged that... so that went the same way as its predecessor. And I reverted to what I am comfy with when the Mojo is threatening to walk out... I made a tag! I have just treated myself to the new Tattered Garland Alterations die so... it would have been rude not to play and make some diddy little roses (oh boy, they are reallllllly small... tidgy in fact... and fiddly, but worth it!) And combined with the new Destinations papers they look fair dinkum. Because they are delicate, I needed a delicate colouring for the background... so I mixed Distress Re-Inkers with water in Mini Misters (Tumbled Glass, Aged Mahogany and Spiced Marmalade) and a droplet of Purple Twilight Colorwash into a Mini Mister of water to make a paler version spray. They randomly went onto the tag and I let them drip a bit... then dried with a heat tool.





Next I used a gorgeous That Special Touch mask... oh, this is my fave ever I think, so delicate and pretty.. matching in with the mini roses and colour scheme. I used the different Misters to spritz over the mask and then dried them... and made another piece of card the same way to stamp the sentiment. A couple of leaves, some Idea-ology and some Maya Road pins finished off the tag nicely.





Here's a sneak peek at Barbara's gorgeous creation... to see it in full and also how Barbara made it, CLICK HERE and you will be whizzed off to her blog on the wings of a bumble bee (having seen several in the garden yesterday, I is a happy bunny for Spring is nearly here!)



Anyways... that's all for me for today... thanks for looking... don't forget to leave a comment to be in with a chance of winning the tag (if you like it that is... lol) Have a fab sunny Sunday! TTFN

Hels x

On The 3rd Day of Tagmas...

... The Duke of Distress gave to us... THIS coolio design. Oh yes, I have been avidly following the 12 Tags of Christmas and have managed to get Day 3 made. I am rather chuffed that Tim used the stamp and Texture Fade on this one because I have both (ahem!) and hadn't really thought about how to use them... and now I know. I have to say, I have done the whole re-inker on felt thing before and never got it right... so this time I tried really hard and it worked! Fab!!




Anyways... Tim had used a Kraft tag for his... and I haven't got any Kraft tags... an oversight on my part and I shall be rectifying that shortly... however, for the purposes of this tag, I improvised. I cut a tag from my Kraft Resist pad and used that, flipped over and glued to a white card tag. I am not sure if they are the same colour but it looks similar if nowt else. I am loving Heirloom Gold PP Mists on kraft colour... cor, a new fave I reckon.




I wanted to make a bigger statement with the foliage so I used the Holly Branch Alterations and made some pinecones... aren't they totes-amazeballs!! (actually, I should apologise for saying that word, I have watched too much I'm A Celebrity lol) And... actually, they aren't made pinecones, nope, these are real ones that Miriam very kindly gave to me at last weekends class... bless her... I have used them all now already. Anyways... I should stop with the waffle and get on with making Tag #4... I have been busy making samples for Tuesday... you should see the state of my paws! I never ever break nails... ever. They are always decent looking and not stumpy and horrid... but... this past few days I have snapped most of them on my right hand... akkk... I wonder if I will get away with wearing mittens on Tuesday? Hahaaaa... Right... better go... thanks for looking... TTFN!!

Hels x

Grungy...

...cor blimey and thrice! Another week has whipped by and it is time for another gloriously gorgeous Grungy Monday challenge. I know I say this every week... but... indulge me do... this challenge is devised and hosted by the lovely Linda Ledbetter (she is, believe me, really lovely, I know that because I spent Ranger U with her :O)) Anyways... the Grungy theme this week is based on THIS technique from the one and only Tim Holtz... and the deets are HERE about how to join in etc.



So... I had every intention of getting cracking on the new theme as soon as it was published this week because, let's face it, it is a few days (nay hours) since I made a tag and I was suffering withdrawal symptoms... and then... I got a better offer! I know! Better than sitting getting inky! I got the chance to leap (ok, I don't leap but imagine if I did) into the car and go to visit my lovely Mum & Dad-In-Law yesterday afternoon. I am all of a quiver because Grim has a couple of weeks off and I am revelling in the fact that he is home with me.... awwww.... sorry for going all gooey there lol



Anyways... a lovely afternoon spent with my in-laws and then home to a lovely chattering Skype session with my American sister, Ellen - who BTW has been making some extremely gorgeous stuff lately - do pop and see her blog cos it is nectar for the eyes.... blimey, talk about tangents and me waffling... anyways... I finally got stuck into getting inky around midnight last night and then the sleep fairy came and waved her wand and I had to give up half way through, something I rarely do with a tag! When I came back into the Room of Stash this morning I just had to sit and play because, of course, it would have been rude not to. So... the technique... I love this one, in fact, I hardly ever use it which is just plain wrong because it is a fabby way to get inkyness onto card or paper. Speaking of paper... I got all exciteable and decided to see if I could use the technique on Kraft Glassine... oh yesh indeedily, it works! More subtle of course because of the nature of the Glassine... buuuut, I love it! I used an eeny weeny flourish stamp to cover the Glassine with dabbered images and then went bonkers with the spritzing... And then zapped it all with a heat gun... coolio! I die cut the Glassine and made a flower using the Tattered Florals Die.




The colours I used are: Aged Mahogany with Perfect Gold, Tumbled Glass with Blue Raspberry and Wild Honey with Perfect Bronze... mmmm, lushness indeedily. I also used Snowcap Dabber to paint over the metal Foliage, gave it a zap with the heatgun and then gave the flowers a spritz with the colours... mmmm, liking this look! Oh and I used the Snowcap Dabber to paint onto the Nib and Trinket Pin... so it sits in the debossed words and once it is wiped off it looks like it should be there. The butterfly was made the same way as the technique, I just cut it out and edged with Black Soot DI before popping it onto the tag. Oh and I made a little banner to go along the bottom of the tag using left over Glassine and cutting it like a fishy tail on the ends.




Anyways, you might have been able to guess that I am ever so slightly (insanely) excited today... because... Victor MkII is arriving!!! OOOOhhh, I have been missing my Victor soooo much and today his replacement should arrive and I can once again cut things out of mountboard and Grungeboard... I am just too much of a weed to be able to cut it using the Bug. Right... time to get inky again... I have an urge to make stuff!!! Thanks for looking... TTFN

Hels x

Grungy...

...Monday!!! Oh yes indeedily, there is a brand new challenge in Blogland and hurrah and thrice for lovely Linda Ledbetter for devising this challenge to take up where the Compendium Challenges ended. This new challenge is based on the products and techniques of the one and only Duke of Distress... yes, a challenge focusing purely on the works of Tim Holtz... well how could I not join in!!! The challenge this week is based on THIS TAG... and here is my take on it... *I actually started this tag on Tuesday morning but...erm... got a bit distracted with that news lol... ah, cannot go a single day without mentioning that news rofl*




I cheated... big stylee.. because I asked Victor Vagabond to cut me a nice piece of Grungeboard into a butterfly shape... see how clever he is...he even cut some fancy paper to go underneath it... and then he went and made me a bacon buttie... *I made the last bit up... but just think, that would be well coolio wouldn't it!!* The base of the tag has the Flourish Mask on it... which, alas, has had to go to the big Mask Heaven in the sky... because... Mrs Thicko here decided to dry the base before removing said mask... and it ...erm... shrivelled right up... oooopsie-daisies...



Now, the letters... humph, I have the stamp that Tim used... but... it isn't actually in the Room of Stash at the moment... it has had to go on a little jolly jaunt that I can't tell you about yet but all will be revealed in...erm.. about a months time ;o)) Anyways... I have got some of Tim's Chronicles Alpha Stamps which are positively ancient but still work fine... so I improvised... used these, cut them out and then added dots and swirly bits to the background.



I also want to tell you about Kat... she is the Guest Designer over on the Artistic Stamper Creative Team blog this month and her first contribution is blogged today... and... OMG... it is totally stunning... all the deets are HERE if you fancy seeing something utterly gorgeous! Right... I have a day to myself cos Grim is working til late... what to do first... make the bacon buttie that I now need because I mentioned it a few minutes ago and now I am craving one... or... make another tag??? Ahhh, decisions, decisions.... thanks for looking... have a lovely 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