Sunday Stamper - Week 358 - Breaking the Law

Goooodly Morning Stampers and a very happy Sunday to you all!  Big thanks to you all for joining in with the challenge last week and it was lovely to see so many new peeps taking part too!   The song title this week suggests some kind of naughtiness... and you'd be right for thinking that.. oh yes, with a break from tradition... the Sunday Stamper's theme is...  NO STAMPING!.  You can make absolutely anything you fancy, no stamping at all. *oft easier said than done!*    To join in with the challenge is simples: make a little something, it can be anything you fancy.  Add in the theme AND leave out the stamping!!!  And then hop back here, leave me a comment with a link to the place you are showing your entry and I can come see you.   If you haven't got a blog, you can join in via Facebook (just tag me name) or by emailing a small res.pic to me or by leaving me a link to your Pinterest or any other photo hosting site.  The challenge will remain open until 21:00 Saturday 6th June 2015.

So, why no stamping???  Well, I made something a few weeks ago and I love it... and it hasn't a single smidge of stamping on it... and being as I have been a wee bit busy with stuff and what-not this past week, I haven't had a chance to actually make something for today!  Aha, I thinks... let's live on the edge and forget the stamping and go for it with this creation.  I won't go into great detail how I made my entry as it is a class sample and it wouldn't be fair on the lovely lasses who joined me a few weeks ago to make this... but I can tell you there is a truck load of PaperArtsy Fresco Paint, Washi Tape, Tissue Tape and Cosmic Shimmered Flowers to see...

Oh and don't look too closely at the photo's... they are reallllly bad and will make you go boggle eyed... I had just eaten a packet of Pickled Onion Space Raiders and think I had a smidge of grease on the camera jobby on me phone!  Ooopsies!!!

I am being all organised today and scheduling this post (tis Friday, not Sunday, at the moment anyway but by the time you read this, it will indeedily be Sunday - unless I goof up and press the wrong button and you don't get to see this until.......   *uh oh, confooosing meself now*)  You get the idea right?   Anyways, whatever you are up to today, I hope you have a very goodly one... thanks for looking and have a great week!  TTFN

Hels x

Wish Pods!

...cor blimey! It has been a barren old month indeedily!   Mr Mojo decided he too wanted to go off on his holibobs and instead of just being normal and taking a week, oh no, he has to go and take nearly FIVE weeks!  I have been scratching around in the Room of Stash, looking to see if I can work without him but no, alas, I can't.  Imagine my enthusiam last night, well, actually, this morning at 1am, when I heard a great hammering and clattering in the Room of Stash... oh yesh, the old rapscallion decided to show his face.  So I have been up all night making sure that he is securely fastened to the floor in the Room of Stash, I used brads, screw eyes and jute to tie him down... hopefully it will keep him here a while! 

A few weeks ago I taught a class at Birds in the Barn in Essex and we were doing all things Fresco Painty and I needed to do a demo.. so I did a basic "painty ombre" background and then used a stencil with some Grungepaste, once dried, I used Cut & Dry foam to apply two colours of browny Fresco to ombre the seed pods too.  And that was about it... a bit of stamping in paint using Ellen's stamps and a bit of stamping with Archival using a script stamp and this demo piece went into my box of "stuff to finish sometime in the next 371 years!"   Well, after all the commotion of Mojo turning up last night, I hastened to the Room of Stash and grabbed the first thing I could see that needed finishing... and it was this.

I added some torn bits of Tissue Tape and then set about the embellishingments... starting with some Kaisercraft paper blooms which were very pretty but ever so slightly dull for what I wanted... I used Black Dylusions and a blue Cosmic Shimmer mist to bling them up... had another rummage and found some little card blossoms I made yonks ago and zapped those with the Cosmic Shimmer too.  Now the flowers were pretty but still not "big enough" so I added some flat Prima flowers behind them and blinged those up too.  OF course, I needed leaves so I nabbed some Artemio wooden leaves and coloured them with Peeled Paint Distress Paint, dried them and then added Forest Moss DI to two tone them.  I then popped some other embellibits on and slapped some Treasure Gold onto the pods and the card I had popped behind.  The word is made from Alphaparts which are stuck onto a little diddy bookplate.  I could've done a little panel of card to fit inside the bookplate but I wanted the stalks to show thru a bit so I just popped the letters onto the metal.

I shall away... I am on a roll at the mo and I don't want to turn me back on that old cad Mojo for too long in case he gets ideas and sneaks off again.  Oh I am happy to be finally back behind me desk and playing!  I HATE getting a crafters block!  Hope you all having a great week... Thanks for looking... TTFN

Hels x

Sunday Stamper - Week 317 - In Dreams

Goooodly Morning Stampers and a very happy Sunday to you all!  Thank you for all your fabby entries for last weeks challenge - it was grand to see so many different interpretations of the theme.  The theme this week is a nice easy one to get your chops around... and it is DREAMS.   You can interpret the challenge how you like: add the word to a project, include it in a sentiment on your project, make something that you have dreamed about or something that is your dream... the choice, it be yours!  To join in with the challenge is simples: make a little something, it can be anything you fancy.  Add in the theme AND some stamping *this is THE important bit guys, please remember your rubberstamps!*  and then pop back here, leave me a comment with a link to the place you are showing your entry and I can come see you.   If you haven't got a blog, you can join in via Facebook (just tag me name) or by emailing a small res.pic to me.  The challenge will remain open until 21:00 Saturday 26th July 2014.

As I mentioned on Friday, this last week has been one of those weeks... you know, when you get a few days set aside to play and then up creeps a lurgy and puts the kybosh on any ideas of getting inky.  Well, last Sunday I was teaching in Essex (last weeks Sunday Stamper was the project I was teaching) and I usually do a "class sample" as I am teaching, I find it easier to show and tell rather than just tell (believe me,  my ladies have the patience of saints trying to decipher what I am saying!) so my entry this week is my class sample.. which I came home and jazzed up a wee bit more - you know, cos I loves a good sesh embellishing stuff!  My word of 2014 is DREAM... and I haven't used it for a yonk and a half so here it is again today!

The base is a canvas board and it was painted with various Paper Artsy Fresco Paints - Mermaid, Bora Bora, South Pacific... and then I spied that one of the ladies was using a similar palette and she had Limelight on her desk... I loved what she was doing with it so I nicked the idea and added Limelight to my creation and wow, it really perked it up perfectly!     My stamping is using Ellen Vargo's gorgeous stamps (CLICK HERE TO SEE HER BLOG)- look closely *if you click on a photo it will pop up bigger!* and you will see lots of different images nestled on the board, all stamped with paint.. and then the very smidgiest of script stamping in Jet Black Archival just to tie the whole design together.   There be stencilling and Grungepasting (mixed with Limelight *this is my new FAVE colour!*) using JOFY and Lin Brown stencils.   I added shading to the stencilling using my Stabilo ALL pencil.

No self respecting canvas would be complete without a rose... and a tattered rose at that.  This one was made using watercolour paper painted with the same as the board, overstamped with Limelight and a text stamp and then, once formed, smidged with Jet Black Archival to give it a bit of definition.  The title banner is actually a metal tag that was painted with more Fresco's and I added the letters using Tim's Alphaparts.  A few bits of Idea-ology and some Distress Glittered bits that I had kicking around the Room of Stash finished off my canvas... aren't those colours just LUSH!!!

I am all excited today... I have a Sunday off... which means that for the first time in about 392 years, me and Ellen will be having a good old catch up on Skype!  I am *hoping* that we don't have the forecast storms cos that usually kicks out yonder t'internet and that wouldn't do at all!  Hope you all got a great day planned... keep cool... tis gonna be a hot one again by all account... phew!   Thanks for looking... TTFN

Hels x

Sunday Stamper - Week 316 - Everyday I Write The Book

Goooodly Morning Stampers and a very happy Sunday to you all!  Thank you for all your fabby entries for last weeks challenge and it is lovely to see some new peeps joining in too.  This weeks challenge is a little different, something to get your creative juices flowing.  The theme is BOOKS.  You can interpret the challenge how you like: make a little mini book as I have done, cover an old book, use up book pages, alter a book.. the choice, it be yours!  To join in with the challenge is simples: make a little something, it can be anything you fancy.  Add in the theme AND some stamping *this is THE important bit guys, please remember your rubberstamps!*  and then pop back here, leave me a comment with a link to the place you are showing your entry and I can come see you.   If you haven't got a blog, you can join in via Facebook (just tag me name) or by emailing a small res.pic to me.  The challenge will remain open until 21:00 Saturday 19th July 2014.

excuse colours - the photo's just will not do them justice!

 I am not going to waffle on for yonks about how I maded my entry this week because it is actually my class sample for the Birds in the Barn Craft Fest that I am teaching at today in Essex, so it wouldn't be fair on the ladies joining me to play to tell you all about how I did this.   I will, however, tell you about the goodies I used!

I know I mention her frequently on this 'ere blog but there be a goodly reason for that... firstly she is my BFF and secondly, she is my American sister (we discovered we have *too much* in common to NOT be related... IYKWIM)   Introducing (yes, again) the wonder that is Ellen Vargo... and her gorgeous stamps that are made by Paper Artsy.

Fans of Ellen will have already seen her venture into the world of video tut's... and please do CHECK OUT HER BLOG to see more hints, tips, tuts and general paintyness as she rocks her new stamps.  Along with Ellen's stamps, I used Fresco Paints... the colours are Vanilla, Paprika, Butternut, London Bus, Claret and Blood Orange with a smidge of Snowcap mixed into the Vanilla for stampings.

The rose is watercolour paper and I coloured this with Vanilla/Snowcap mix of paint and then overstamped with Claret/Blood Orange mix using Ellen's ickle dotty stamp... die cut using Tim's Tattered Florals and assembled as per the tutorial I did HERE (check it out, it is indepth :O)  

There also be a Grungepaper strap with a 7Gypsies buckle that I used Little Black Dress on to age it up... the colours on the GP are Mocha Mousse and Chocolate Pudding (seriously, those names are making me huuungry!)  and I just scuffed the edges of it to make it a little shabby.

Anyways... that's all from me for today.   Apologies for the dearth of projects over the last few weeks... I have been beavering away in the Room of Stash designing some new class projects and also - don't tell anyone will you - I have been faffing around in the garden too.  I know, I promised garden pics yonks ago... I promise again, they will be this week!   Thanks for looking, have a grand day!  TTFN

Hels x

Art Lady...

...oooh, I been a-playing again!  Unfortunately, this also means that I have been awake all night but at least it is "free" time to get inky and painty in the Room of Stash.  I bought a little wooden frame the other day when I was at Crafting Time - by Artemio - and being as I am sooo tidy (ahem) it was laying around on my desk awaiting transfer to the mahooosive pile of alterables that teeters in the corner of the Room of Stash.   And... also being as I am sooo tidy (see a pattern here?)  I hadn't put away the Fresco paints since my last playtime... so it would have been rude to just bung them in a box and not lurve them, wouldn't it?

Also, whilst at Crafting Time, my lovely friend Miriam bought me a set of Lynne Perella stamps that I have been lusting after for absolutely yonks... and being as I am so tidy (ok, ok, I am not tidy, I am a slattern!) I decided to ink up the little lady and see what she looked like.  Ohlalalaaa... isn't she a doll!!!   Armed with brayer (yes, addicted to brayering now, thanks Ellen!) I started off layering up colours... all in all, these are the ones I used: Vanilla, Butternut, Smoked Paprika, London Bus, Blood Orange, Squid Ink and Little Black Dress.  The cool thing about brayering is this... if you slap it on and don't like it, dry it, slap on more!  Easy!

 The original design had the lady stamped onto cream card... but she looked so plain... so I tried colouring her in.  Then she looked a smidge clown-like and as she is such an elegant creature, I didn't want to make her look daft.  What to do!!! I know, I will slap some more paint onto cardstock using the brayer.  And yes, check out that red line running down her face... that was a mistake but I liked it so it stayed!  The embellies are Kaisercraft paper flowers, Artemio buttons and Alphaparts.  This was a quicky project and only took about 40 mins... I have big ideas for this little lady though... that will have to wait til the next nightime-playtime though.

 I have news!!!  Oh yesh indeedily!  I have got a last minute telly box show booked for Tuesday 8th April.   I will be on Create & Craft from 12pm (noon) for a TWO HOUR show!!! Oh yipyah and thrice... a two hour show... just what you have all been asking for!  I will be on with some new goodies from Creative Expressions, new Sam Poole stamps and... the Melting Pot!  Hurrah!  Right, I shall away, I have prep to do today for classes this weekend and whilst I could quite happily sit here waffling to you, I know those images won't stamp themselves *although I am getting Grim in on the act, he is off this week and I am going to employ his inky stamping skills to help me :O)*   Thanks for looking... have a great day!  TTFN

Hels x

Dotty For Diamonds!

... oohlalalaaaa... I been a-playing again with the fabby new Texture Stamps from Darkroom Door.  This time I  used the Dots and Harlequin backgrounds for my canvas... and also used up a "playtime practice piece" of greyboard too.  A couple of weeks ago I was faffing about with the brayer and some Fresco Paints and made a few backgrounds, just practicing with different ways to apply the paints.  As ever, I don't chuck owt in the bin so this piece was sitting on my desk, just behind the pile-of-other-stuff-that-needs-attention-and-has-not-been-sorted-yet and I spied it and thought to myself "aha, I shall use this and be tidy"  Actually I didn't really think that at all, I just thought "wonder what the Dots would look like stamped with Wendy's red Archival inks... "  So that is exactly what I did....

Inking up the Dots stamp whilst it was in my hand - not on a block - with Carnation Red Archival Ink and then pressing the stamp down onto the painted board... mmm, yummo!  Love that random stamped effect of using fingers to support the stamp and not a block.  I then added Geranium Archival Ink for a bit of contrast in Dot colours.  Next I inked the Harlequin Texture stamp in the same way, this time with Watering Can Archival (have I mentioned this is a GO TO ink?  Oh yesh, not as in your face as black but dark enough to see it... perfect Wendy... thank you you STAR!!!)  

Anyways, enough wafflings... on with the how I maded this:  So, I dried off the Archival Inks with a heat tool I inked up the Sprig from Full Bloom Vol. 2 in Black and stamped this onto the base.  I then set about making some florally embellishments... starting with the large Frangipani flower, stamped onto cream card and to make the big one a medium size one, I used my fine liner pen and sketched smaller petals within the larger ones and cut them out... voila, medium flower!  I stamped ickle blooms and cut those out and then coloured them all with Spiced Marmalade, Barn Door and Fired Brick DI's.  I die cut some leaves and coloured these with Forest Moss DI and also stamped a butterfly from Wings.. coloured with red DI applied with a waterbrush for a softer look.  Black Distress Glitter in the middle of the flowers to make them pop a little and then smidges of Treasure Gold around the edges.  Oh and I forgot! I had added Grungepaste mixed with Little Black Dress to the top of the board using Dina's sunray stencil... that got some Treasure Gold slapped onto it too. 

Now, all this is very well but... it is a bit small!  I am never one for making mahooosive pieces but this was a bit diddy so I grabbed a 5 x 7" canvas and then applied some more paints using the brayer to the edges of it... making sure I kept it a wee bit darker than the base board so it made a frame for it.   Once I was happy with that, I inked up the Dots again with Jet Black Archival and stamped around the edge of the canvas.  NOOOOO!!! It looked awful!  Yikes! What to do???  The Dots were too "in yer face" and I didn't like it one bit... so I grabbed the Fresco's and brayered some more over the top... and cos they are different grades, I used translucents ones and then a smidge of Little Black Dress over the top... phew! you can see the Dots but they are not jumping out at you and waving in your face!  Happy with all of that, I then glued it all together, adding smidges of Treasure Gold around the edges of the canvas so it toned it nicely.

Cor blimey, you still with me? That was a very lot of wafflings!  Anyways, CLICK HERE to see what my talented Teamies have been up to with the new release of Texture Stamps... ohlalaa... Rachel has told me that there's a special stamp on its way to me, am SO excited, can't wait for it to chuff into the Room of Stash.... *wink*   HERE is the page for all the new Darkroom Door releases too...   Thanks for looking, have a very goodly day!  TTFN

Hels x

Nighttime... Playtime... Take II

...cor blimey!  Another great night of getting thoroughly covered in ink and paint, I am a happy bunny!  Just like the other night, last night I had a little playtime in the Room of Stash... and being as I am a slatternly persuasion, my desk still had all the stuff from the previous nights foray into the World of Nighttime Crafting.  So, why bother tidying up when it is all there, ready to play with?  Time saving too!  Here's what I made:

More brayering going on using Fresco Finish paints, this time I used Vintage Lace, London Night, Very Berry, Chocolate Pudding, Blood Orange, Claret and a smidge of Squid Ink.  I love the way the paints go on using the brayer, a lovely built up effect with them gives a very interesting background... plus, I have found, if I goof up the layer, I can dry it and then brayer right over the top! Cool!  Here's the background before decorating - more Grungepaste through a stencil - and because I wanted to get Treasure Gold only on the raised bits, I popped the stencil back over the dry Grungepaste and applied the TG through it, easy peasy!

The decorations this time are in the form of lots of Studio 490 stamped images.  The flowers and leaves were stamped onto cream card and then I used Seedless Preserves (perfect colour match!) and Antique Linen DI's for the flowers - overstamping with Jet Black Archival.  The leaves were coloured with Forest Moss DI and then overstamped with Fern Green Archival and shaped to give a bit more dimension. 

The sentiment is another 490 one - stamped onto cream card, edged with DI's and then popped into that cute ickle frame, how sweet is that!!!  A stamped a butterfly onto Clearly For Art and popped that onto the design too, along with lots of embellies and a UTEE birdy.  Smidges of Treasure Gold White Fire and Rose Quartz for finishing touches and there ya go... another after dark creation :O)

I must away now - I have my Sunday Stamper post to schedule now as I am away to South Wales to Dandie Crafts today and won't be back until late tomorrow night so I am being organized!!!  *for a change!*   Thanks for looking and have a great day!  TTFN


Hels x

Nighttime... Playtime!

...teehee.... nighttime sure does seem to be a playtime for me.  As soon as the moon is up, I come alive, my Mojo starts zinging and I get all painty and inky in the Room of Stash.  I think I was a wampire in a previous life!    Anyways, last night I got all painty with some Fresco Finish paints, using a brayer to slap the paint onto the tag... am rather chuffed that I finally listened to my BFF Ellen, who has been saying for 462 years that I should try a brayer!  Well, I am always slow on the uptake!   Here's the finished tag....

And here it is before I decorated it.  Check out the stamping - that is using one of the gorgeous stamps from Wendy's Art Comforts stamp set, stamped first in Tree Branch, which is one of Wendy's new Signature Archival Inks... and then stamped again in Jet Black so I got a nice shadowy effect.  The texture is using Grungepaste mixed with a smidge of Little Black Dress paint and then spread through the Bingo stencil.  BTW, the colours I used for the background are: Butternut, Smoked Paprika, London Bus and Claret with a smidge of Squid Ink. 

Apologies for the rubbish photography, I couldn't get this one focussed for some reason.   Once I had the background done, I wanted to add some flowers (yip, for a change!) so I grabbed some gorgeous Kaisercraft blooms and hey ho, they are the right colours so no needs for colouring... those were popped onto the tag along with a couple of leafy diecuts and some embellies and then I stamped the sentiment onto cream card - this is a gorgeous sentiment isn't it?  Another Studio 490 stamp, from Garden Art.   I decided to leave the wordy background cream so it really pops off the tag.  And there you have it :O))

I had a grand old time getting inky and painty last night and have a few more backgrounds all ready for decorating... who knew the humble brayer was such fun!!!  Well, apart from our Ellen right?   I shall away now, packing up ready for my travels tomorrow to South Wales for my class at Dandie Craft on Saturday...  Thanks for looking, have a great day.  TTFN

Hels x

Make It, Take It... Ombre!

..cor blimey, I don't know where this last month as gone to!  Today sees a brand new challenge over on the Craft Stamper blog HERE are all the deets for you.  The challenge is to use the "Ombre Technique".  I have to admit, when Trish first told me the theme, I was like "Errrm... okaaaay... what is that then?"   I have been doing this for yonks and didn't even know it had a proper name... but a proper name it does have and that name be Ombre!  I am trying to work out how to put an accent over the "e" but I am too stooopid so if you say Ombre, say it like you would say "ole" in Spanish.   The challenge also has a fabulous prize attached to it... two of Kate Crane's brand new DVD's... go for it... and good luck, hope you win!!!

So, what does Ombre mean?  This is the definition; Ombre: A graduation of colour from light to dark or vice versa.  Easy huh?  So, armed with some delish Paper Artsy Fresco Paints, I got cracking and made my entry.  The colours I used (from dark to light, top to bottom) are South Pacific, a mix of South Pacific and Bora Bora, Bora Bora, a mix of Bora Bora and Mermaid, Mermaid, a mix of Mermaid and Snowflake and then finally, Snowflake on its own.  I used Cut & Dry foam to apply the paints, dabbing them on to get a nice blend line.  The base is a piece of old cardboard, stencilled with Cosmic Shimmer Clear Texture Paste and the TST Foxgloves mask and paint applied straight over the top.  

Once I had the painty background how I wanted it, I got playing with embellishments.  I had already made some roses using the Posey Patch Heartfelt Creations stamps and Teresa Collins Creative Expressions papers, and I am usually such a bad person, any stuff I make for telly shows that doesn't get used, usually goes into a bag and gets dumped under the Desk of Doom. Not this time, hurrah, I remembered I had made them so I used them up.  Being as the papers didn't really "go" with the background, I grabbed a Black Marble Dylusions spray, liberally spritzed the ink over them and then got some Antique Blue Cosmic Shimmer spray and slapped that on too (teckernical terms that is lol)  I popped them onto the radiator to dry too... I love using my radiator to dry stuff... it is a more gentle heat and doesn't change the ink colours that a heat tool sometimes can.  The radiator is minging dirty mind, so I won't be drying a white teeshirt on it anytime soon... although...   I added metal embellies, some are Prima Mechanicals, some are Idea-ology and some are just stuff I got out of the Bag of Doomly Goodness (those who have taken classes with me recently will remember seeing the contents of the Bag of Doomly Goodness tipped out onto the table and know how much stuff is in it!)  Finishing touches are in the form of Sapphire and White Fire Treasure Gold to add a smidge of bling.  Oh and the leaves are the Heartfelt Creations Classic Leaf stamp I had on the shows on Wednesday.

So, what you got planned for today?  I have got my "to-do" list out again... starting with Morrison's (wish me luck) and then a mammoth task of sorting all my boxes out... re-packing for my class in Hessle tomorrow... and then I needs to sit and make some Christmas Cards... still not made a single one!! I know!!!!  Baaaad Hels!   Thanks for looking, have a fabby day!  TTFN

Hels x

Creating with Clutter...

... I don't know about you but I am a teensy bit of a hoarder.  Not often do I chuck stuff away... if fact, nay and thrice, you could say I keep everything cos one day it will "come in...."  You the same?  Well, I have this shelf above my desk and every so often it turns into the Shelf of Doom.  It is the dumping ground for lots of stuff that I have planned to use on my creations but then changed my mind.  I know, it would be easier to actually not be a lazy old bat and actually just put said stuff away but... well, you know what it is like don't you?  (please say yes!)

Anyways... I decided to have a bit of a de-clutter of the Shelf of Doom.  But then I got all pre-occupied with some cardboard bits I had found... namely a corrugated cardboard heart that had been painted red.  I couldn't bring myself to chuck it away... but the red looked really naff.  So, I grabbed another piece of card and turned them both into blue by blending Mermaid and South Pacific Fresco Paints onto them.  Of course, a bit of stamping had to be included so I used that delish new Watering Can Archival from Wendy & Ranger and stamped a Kaisercraft scripty background onto the card base bit.  And cos I could, I used Cornflower Archival and stamped the distressed diamonds (also Kaisercraft) onto the heart.  Actually, you can't really see them cos I then dumped a load of flowers over the top!  Whhoooops!

The flowers were also on the Shelf of Doom... plain white and very boring... so a bit of attention with Dylusions and Cosmic Shimmer sprays changed them to match the base bits.  Of course, I had to use some embellies... and all these were on the Shelf of Doom too!  Now, it makes my shelf sounds massive but it isn't really... it is very very piled high you see ;O))   Once everything was stuck together I popped it onto a bit of black mountboard and added on some Treasure Gold bits of jazz it up and then some string for the hanging bit... oh and the words are also from the Shelf of Doom... I remember the project I wanted these for and I changed my mind... so there you go, I am using up stuff after all!

Today I am venturing off to Birds in the Barn in Essex for two days of inky festive classes... so as I type this, it is actually last night... not today after all (and now we go down the whole, if it is now it is actually tomorrow and not really yesterday... and all of that sillliness.... you know what I means though... )  So, it is time for me to loves ya and leaves ya... don't forget, I have a giveaway (scroll down for the next post) and it is open until Sunday night!  Thanks for looking, have a grand day!  TTFN

Hels x

I Challenge Thee - Finnabair Stylee

..cor blimey and thrice!!!  Thank heavens for unlimited t'internet because on Sunday last, I had a very muchly needed Skypey catch up with my bestie Ellen.  SIX hours!!! Yes, SIX!!!  Well, it has been too long since we had a chance to catch up properly and we had both said that Sunday was the day we both needed an I Challenge Thee.  If you haven't heard of our special recipe challenge before, basically,  a few years ago we were doing a Sunday Skype sesh and Ellen said "My Mojo has gone!"   So, I said "I challenge thee to make.... " and then listed a load of stuff she could use... like a proper recipe!  It worked a treat so it is a little something that we do whenever we get the chance because, whilst we both use the exact same products (colours too sometimes) the things we make look totally different.  Tis all in the interpretations I guess.   A couple of weeks ago, Ellen went to a class with Finnabair (Ania Dabrowska).  And not only was she doing a class with the wonderful Finn, she was also sitting next to none other than THE Wendy Vecchi!  How Peeled Paint am I?!!!   Anyways... Ellen shows me the art that she made on the class and I am like "ooooh, I neeeeds to try that.... "   We put together a list of goodies we could use and here it is:

• Large rectangular canvas - mine is 12" x 9" deep edged (bargain £2.99 from the Works!)
• Dimensional embellies - to include Finn's Mechanicals line from Prima
• Paint
• Stencils
• Finn's 9th Wave papers (omg... LUSH!)
• Stabilo ALL Pencil
• Treasure Gold
• Wendy Vecchi's White Embossing Paste
• Paper Flowers 

 

So, it wouldn't be fair to tell you exactly how this creation was made because this is Finn's technique... tbh, if I had the dosh I would be going to one of her classes when she is here later this month... but I haven't, so I won't be!  Anyways.... all I will say is that it is FUN!
I have long since admired Finn and the art that she makes is just simply breathtakingly beautiful.  Now, if you haven't heard of Finn (that won't be many of you I know) or even if you have heard of her... check out her amazing blog HERE.  Seriously, before you go, get a cuppa and a packet of HobNobs and settle in for hours of eye candy.  I had the pleasure of meeting Finn at CHA in January... she is adorable and totally unaware of just how amazing she is... brilliant artists are oft like that I have found... Wendy Vecchi is another...  which links me in nicely to the Wendy Vecchi part of my canvas.

Now, I make no secret of the fact that I am Wendy's Numero Uno stalker ahem, fan.  And being as I had a couple of weeks of crafty barrenness (not sure that is a word but I likes it) I was itching to incorporate some of her stashly goodies into my creation.  So, the Studio 490 White Embossing Paste was the first thing.  Hey!  Have you tried it???  I LOVES it.  It is kind of whippy looking and spreads beautifully... and what I did was a goof up that turned out happy accident.  I only possess 6" stencils because working on such a large piece is positively unheard of for me... so I am using the checkerboard stencil from Finn's last release and 490 paste.  And I not only stick my elbow into the already pasted bit but I drop the stencil too!  Because it was warm in the Room of Stash, the paste already had a "crust" on it... oohlalalaa... I loves that look, it has already part set but because I had goofed up, I scraped the goof bits up .. and it left an imprint... verrrry happy with that I was!

And of course, any chance to chuck a ton of embellies at something makes me verrry happy.  So, out came the Mechanicals embellies (these are sooo gorgeous) I added in some Junk Yard stuff from Prima, some old embellies from my stash and of course, my Embellish Your Art from Wendy Vecchi (see the theme here?)   Once I had got everythng done, I used my Stabilo pencil to whip around the textured bits to add shading... and did the same with the embelllies just so they popped a bit more.  Of course, I added my two tone border to the edge of the canvas (I do this all the time I know but it makes me happy).  Finally I dry brushed Treasure Gold all over the canvas and then smudged parts of it with my fingers.  This then meant the canvas was BLING!  So I used some black paint, applied with my finger, to just dull it all down again... Personally I wouldn't chose these colours again as they are waaay too bright for me... so I am going to have another go at this fab technique using my fave browns and creams... but it is good to step out of the comfort zone right?   Oh and... I personalized this canvas for me... the numbers are my birthday and the plaque is... erm... the age I will be in... ahem... 22 years!!!  *yeah right!*   To see Ellen's amazing creation, CLICK HERE... it is LUSH!!

I shall away now... we have a very special visitor coming to see us today and we needs to get the house sorted.  Oh yesh, Rich and Mary are coming over for dinner and Jerry the Springer will be coming with them... I will get some pics of him and pop them on here tomorrow.   And I know you will be thinking "what about AlfieCat!!!"   Don't worry, he will be safely ensconsed in his usual position (our bed) with a tin of tuna and water and toys in case he gets a bit peckish and fancies a play.   As ever, thanks for looking... have a great day!  TTFN

Hels x

Pretty In Pink...

... awww, I love that film... and now I shall be singing that song alllll day!  The pretty in pink in question is this card I made for my friend Andrea to give to her daughter on her 21st birthday.  Blimey, the years go soooo quickly, I can't believe that Sophie is 21 already!!!

I am well into my Fresco Paints at the moment and used them, along with some Grungepaste, to make the background for the card... and using Nougat for the middle and Very Berry for the outsidey bits of the base, applying with Cut & Dry foam to get a nice even blend all around the base.   Good old AlfieCat has been scoffing his way through boxes of Gourmet catfood (like he is bothered lol) as the cardboard of these boxes is the ideal thickness and the corrugations are mini sized... purrrrfect you could say *groans* 
I bought some Prima embellies yonks ago at a craft show and they have been lurking in the Room of Stash so I liberated them from their dusty home and popped them onto the card, making a nice florally bouquet to go with them... and adding some Treasure Gold for bling and Alphaparts for the numbers... and there you have it...

In other news... me and Sue have been getting our heads together and have picked a date for the end of January for another Hels' on Tour Workshop weekend in Middlesbrough.  However, those dates have filled up mega fast and because we now have so many peeps on the "waitlist" we have decided to run the weekend again, the following weekend, so there are a few spaces available for 1st and 2nd February 14.   If you fancy spending a weekend making arty things and having a blast, please do pop me over and email and I can let you know the details etc and put you in touch with Sue who is doing all the hard work organising the weekend.  

That's all from me for today... I am going to be doing the dreaded "tidy up, sort it out and make it look nice again" to the Room of Stash today... I fear I am going in ever decreasing circles trying to sort out the amount of junk I seem to hoard... I mean really, I know I loves cardboard but do I really need a black bag full of it?  Probably not but....    Thanks for looking, have a grand day! TTFN

Hels x

Love Of My Life...

...cor blimey, I don't know about you but I am sure some greater good has their finger pressed firmly on the "fast forward" button... already it is July!  But more than that... on Friday last, Grim and I celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary!  Come on... really?  ELEVEN years?  WOW!  Where did that go huh?  I don't normally make a card for our anniversary because I am rubbish at making cards, you know, those really special ones that in years to come you get out of a dusty old box and reminisce about?

So, this year was different because I had a pile of goodies sitting on my desk and the card just kind of made itself... well, obviously I had a hand in it, I haven't quite mastered the spell that will make stuff... erm... make itself (yes, dear readers, it appears that I am losing the plot)  Anyways... I made a card for Grim... and here it is today.  It isn't a secret that I love all things Wendy Vecchi (she is an art goddess, click here for her blog)  The Art Part word was the starting point of the card... if you haven't used Art Parts yet, you are missing out... they are brrrrilliant!  So, that was coloured with Treasure Gold and then I set about colouring a piece of cardboard (thank you Alfonse for scoffing more food for Mummy) with Fresco Paints... pouncing the colours on so they blended nicely.

Next up I popped the Heart Stencil (another Studio 490 delight) and spread some black  490 Embossing Paste through the heart, rather like icing a cake (yes, I do have some experience of that... I just have to remind myself it is embossing paste and not chocolate frosting, therefore no licking the spatula...)  Once that had set, I added smudges of Treasure Gold over the raised bits and also around the edges of the cardboard.  I saw a design from Wendy for the last CHA that used the LOVE and some cool Embellish Your Art, so I copied her idea, placing the flowers (also Treasure Golded) around the word... and then popped Mr Crow a-top of the word so he is perching.  The piece was still looking a bit "clean" (IYKWIM) so I edged the heart with a Stabilo All pencil and then gave the whole thing a spritz with Black Marble Dylusions to grunge it up a bit.  I was sooo tempted to bung a bit of wire in the top of the cardboard and turn it into a hanging but no, I was a good gal and matted it onto black card and then made it into a proper card :O)

Right, I shall away... I have an appointment with an ironing board today... and whilst ironing, I shall be watching Homes Under the Hammer (I LOVE that programme... addicted!) and then I will be doing a spot of making stuff in the Room of Stash.  Hope you all have a goodly day!  Thanks for looking, TTFN

Hels x

Life...And The Art Of It...

...sounds pretty deep and meaningful doesn't it?  Actually, I decided to call this piece by that name because it makes me sound like an artist (well, one can always have aspirations...)  I actually do just see myself as a crafter... an artist can do drawing and stuff, whereas, if I attempt to draw anything, it looks like a 5 year old has done it... well, apart from elephants, I do draw a good elephant.... 

Anyways... another demo piece from the other weekend... I have no other stuff to show you at the moment... basically because the Room of Stash is STILL a pit.  I know, I keep saying I shall be tidying it... and I have done the sum total of nowt at all.

I do have goodly excuses though... well, food needed cooking... and washing needed doing... and bins needed emptying... and shopping needed to be got... oh and then there's the small issue of the old war wound which, has again, flared up.  I am calculating it it about 3 weeks between "crisis points"  Which is NOT good.  But, hey ho, it happens and I will get used to this degeneration and then it will be bearable for a while... and then it starts again.  Anyways... I am going to "gently" do the Room of Stash today... no lifting and stretching, just removing boxes from the floor and putting away stash... and then, I may just get a chance to play with the Susan's Garden dies that Grim got me for my birthday!  That is my reward ;o))   I shall away now... as ever, thanks for looking... hope you having a great day!  TTFN

Hels x

Make A Wish...

...well, the word "wish" is my "word of 2013" after all... and surprisingly, I am not getting bored of using it all the time either!  Anyways... today sees another demo sample from last weekend... this time I have pushed myself and used cardboard for a base (ahem... quite!)

Lots of lushly Fresco Paints and Grungepaste through a new Crafter's Workshop stencil... I loves this new one lots!  I used the gorgeous Lin Brown stamps, stamping with paint (application is simples, a bit of Cut & Dry, half with one colour, half with the other and pouncing it onto the stamp moving the stamp around in a circle, so it is light in the middle and dark on the edges... easy peasy!)   Anyways... the flowers were stamped onto black card, I have seen Lin do this and it gives the flowers a real "pop".  The leaves were stamped onto cream card for a bit of contrast.  The letters are from the Vintage Market Alterations strip die... love that die lots (and I haven't got it either)  A smidge of Treasure Gold around the edges and over the stencilled bits... and a finishing touch with a butterfly (Studio 490) stamped onto Clearly For Art (clear flavour)  A few bits of rusty wire to add some swizzles to the flowers and for the hanging and there you have it... done!

As I sit here, in the Room of Stash, I am seeing a brilliant blue sky, which makes me want to go and do a spot of gardening... but!  It is blowing a hooley, the trees in the Spinney and bowing down so I figure I will only get radged with the wind blowing my hair about (little known fact, getting my hair blown about by the wind makes me reallly crabby!)  So, I shall stay in the Room of Stash instead.  I have lit a Yankee Candle (today's smell is Lilac Blossoms, my all time fave) and I shall have to make sure I get covered in ink and paint... and then perhaps, later on, I will actually tidy the Room of Stash instead of picking my way over several boxes and bags of stuff that needs re-homing. Then again, I might just carry on playing!   Grim is on a long old shift today *sad face* and won't be home til 11pm so I do have plenty of time to get tidied up (even as I write that, I know I am doubting it will happen lol)   So, I shall away... to tiptoe through my own handmade bombsite to the Desk of Creativity and see what happens.... Thanks for looking, as ever, have a fabby day!  TTFN

Hels x

J'Adore.....

...ooh get me, going all Francais!  That is about my limit for speaking French though... being as I am rubbish at languages (except English of course, although that has been brought into debate of late!)  Anyways... today sees another one of my demo pieces from Sunday at Birds in the Barn. 

The base is another bit of cardboard (no surprise there eh?) and a piece of gorgeous kraft coloured card that I used for the texture more than the colour on this piece.  One side of the card is textured, the other is smooth... cool huh?  Anyways, more goodliness in the form of Fresco Paints... some Grungepaste through a Crafter's Workshop stencil and then a whole lot of layering.

The beautiful tulip stamped in black was actually stamped onto a piece of tissue and then collaged onto the base using Glue & Seal (from Ranger)... I love how cosmetic tissue just disappears under the Glue & Seal... opens up a whole range of ideas for adding collaging to a project.

Today I am mostly going to be Nursemaid.... poor old Alfie has to go to the *whispers* V E T this morning... he is having his annual boosters and MOT and also... tis tick-removal-day.  The thing has not grown since I soaked it with Frontline... but it is hanging on in there.  I am, at the moment, trying to "act normal".... because for sure, he knows when he is going in his box.  Said box is still in garage and said AlfieCat is now skulking about in the bedroom... how does he know!!!   And... poor old Grim has had to go to the *whispers* D E N T I S T today... broken tooth :O((  I have told him that when you get to  a certain age, these things happen *not a lot of help am I?*   So, I shall be donning my nursey hat today and dispensing lots of sympathy... only for today though... cos tomorrow... it's my birthday!    And on that exciting bombshell, I shall away to squeal out loud in excitement!!  Thanks for looking... TTFN!

Hels x