Mad Hatter Day...

...is today... well in the UK it is because we do the date as 10/6. This Mad Hatter is from the pen of Mabel Lucie Attwell, the stamps are available from The Artistic Stamper... who just so happen to be sponsoring The Altered Alice challenge this month. I have had a right good old nosey over there and you should see the divine art that their team has made... well worth a hoppety hop over there **did you see what I did there... hoppety.. like a wabbit lol**




Anyways... I made a quicky card using the Mad Hatter's Tea Party stamp, colouring in with a heap of Distress Inks and a waterbrush and then I printed off a few little words that I reckon the wabbit may well have asked... I used Word and "A Charming Font" font... isn't it just the best!! I was trying to find the one that was used in the movie but couldn't so opted for this one as it is similar.



Another lightning fast, super speedy post from me... mainly cos I have been playing with ink for most of the day and my hands are covered in the stuff... like seven shades of mucky... and I have to get the tea on... I made a chicken curry at 8am this morning and it has been slowly infusing all day so hopefully it will be nice and spicy and scrummy... can't beat a nice bit of curry! Part of the Challenge for this month is to bring something to the party... so I am taking the curry lol So, what you got for tea? Or should I say dinner? Where I come from it was always dinner and then tea... dinner at lunch time and tea at dinner time.. I know, confusing... I am sure that peeps from the North of England will know exactly what I am waffling on about... right... curry... best go otherwise I will start waffling on even more and it will be more like suppertime lol!! Thanks for looking... TTFN!

Hels x

WOYWW... &... A Bit of Halo Polishing...

... oooh, I have been having a lovely inky time with Distress Inks and one of the gorgeous new Mabel Lucie Attwell stamps from The Artistic Stamper... to see more piccies and all the deets on how I made the card, please CLICK HERE and you will be whizzed off on a magic umbrella ride to the Artistic Stamper Creative Team blog where I haven't, for a change, waffled on alarmingly, I am saving that for here ROFL **collective groans all around!**



Anyways...tis that time of the week again!!! Yes, indeedily, it is Wednesday which means it is time for What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday... otherwise known as WOYWW. If you haven't had chance to catch up with this amazing phenomeny-wotsit, if you click HERE you can go to Julia's blog... where all the deets are and the links to go on a big old blog hop - and it is fab cos you can have a right good old nosey into other bloggers crafty spaces!!! My desk is pretty tame this week... apart from a tag I am making... but... what I really wanted to show you was... my tidy room!!! I tidied it last Friday... and nay and thrice, it is still tidy now.. and I have done a very lot of making stuff this past few days... and... *she says, polishing her halo* I have put away stuff after every session before I start again... and... I have even... put all my Maya Road stuff into a big storage box so it isn't kicking about on the floor!



I had to do something about it though.. I mean, the Room of Stash had turned into the Doom of Trash and it wasn't helping my Mojo... and... I think that Grim was thinking of calling in Health & Safety... there was a weird phosphorescence coming from the desk area... turns out that the little water pot for paint brushes was a bit...erm... mucky (ok, it had been there since before Xmas and was actually starting to grow cultured... oh yes, I have a very refined water pot... ROFL) Anyways... last week a lot of peeps noticed the Quality Street tin on the floor... I can assure you... it is not full of chocolate (nope, I scoffed that already) it is actually home to my Cats Eye ink pads... I have... a few you see... so they need a home... and the tin is perfect... nice and air tight and just the right size! Plus, you don't really think I would show you where my stash of choccy is do you? Desk 2 is so tidy too... it has my bargain of the day on it... the babywipes, 3 for £2.50 in Morrisons... I do love a bargain and I do love a nice babywipe.. seeing as I use at least a pack a week I am not going to have those there for long lol




Right... time to get a wiggle on... I am scheduling this post because I have a date with a gorgeous hunk... who is bearing gifts of the KFC variety... don't tell anyone though... I really wouldn't want peeps thinking that I live on chocolate and takeaways... much... snort!!! And... the gorgeous hunk is going to be in a really happy mood cos his beloved Luton Town have won tonight... 5-0!! Thanks for looking... oh and ... do check yesterday evenings post if you have time... there are some bloggy awardy things for everyone :O)) Happy Wednesday! TTFN

Hels x

Mad Hatter Day With The Gingersnaps ...

... Guess what??? Today is Mad Hatter Day! I have to admit, I sat there scratching my head at first when Laura suggested that the Gingersnaps have a Blog Hop today ... sitting there thinking, "why is it Mad Hatter Day???" You have probably sussed it straight away but if you are like me and baffled... it is 10/6 today... which is the number in the Mad Hatters hat! *A useless bit of info that you probably know already but... did you know the reason why they called Hatters mad? Well, in days of olde hat makers used to use Mercury in the lining of the hat - which after prolonged exposure to, sends you mad in the head!!!! And, did you know that Luton was the hat making centre of the UK... I used to live in Luton, Grim is a proper Lutonian... speaks volumes eh??? ROFL*




Anyways... enough of me pretending to be the font of all knowledge... here we go with the Blog Hop and all the details you need to know :O)) WELCOME to the Gingersnap Creations' Mad Hatter Day Blog Hop... you have reached HOP STOP #3. The Gingers are celebrating Mad Hatter Day and we hope that you will hop along with us - there are some awesome pieces of art along the way to look at too :O)) If you are already hopping then you will have just arrived from Elina's Blog... if you have just arrived here, don't worry, the hop is in a loop, so you can start anywhere!




At each Hop Stop you will need to pick up a word, there are 10 stops in all...starting and ending at the Gingersnap Creations Blog, where you can see the goodies that are on offer and also all the info you will need to be able to enter the Mad Hatter Giveaway. When you have all your 10 words, unscramble them to make them into a quotation from the classic Alice in Wonderland.





Once you have your answer, email it to gingersnapcreations@gmail.com before 25th June '10. One lucky winner will be chosen at random to win the Mad Hatter Goody Package - the winner will then be announced on 29th June '10. If you visit all the stops, you will have 10 words and you should end up back at the Gingersnap Creations Blog.




If you get lost along the way, jump back to the Gingersnaps Blog, there is a route guide there for you... and... this is the important bit for you... my word is DESK. The next stop on your Hop will be at Jean's Blog....Good luck everyone, thank you for visiting me and I hope you like the little pieces of art I have made to celebrate this day :O)) *incase you were wondering... the fabby Mad Hatter stamp is a Mabel Lucie Attwell sketch and is available from The Artistic Stamper* TTFN peeps...good luck!!

Hels x

Sunday Stampers - Week 94 - White Rabbit *PLUS* Candy Giveaway

Morning Stampers...thanks to all who joined in with the scary clowns theme last week...I have overcome my fear of them...and that is down to you all making such lovely art :O) This week I have a double kinda theme...because the new Alice in Wonderland film has just been released in the UK (hurrah!) and because I have had this blinking song in my head for the past month or so, the theme is either Rabbits OR Alice In Wonderland...or .. both! To join in with the theme, just make a piece of art incorporating the theme and some stamping, leave me a comment saying where you are showing it and then I can come and visit you. ALSO, this week sees an exciting new release of some divine Mabel Lucie Attwell "Alice" themed stamps from The Artistic Stamper. These will be hopefully ready at the end of the week but are available to pre-order if you click HERE.



'Cos I am a lucky lass, I have been allowed to play with the new images already...and ... they are gorgeous! I started out with the intention of making a bit of an altered stylee page...which then led to me typing the lyric for White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane, which then led to me making a Bind it All book. There are loads of pages...'cos I wanted to have all the verses and all the new images in it.




The base of the book and the pages are made up using off cuts of mountboard which I scruffed up around the edges and then used several different Distress Inks to colour the base and the cardstock the images are on.




The colouring of the images was done using a waterbrush and Distress Inks, which I swooshed onto a craft sheet and then picked up the colours...making the brush a bit drier to make the colours deeper for shading.




Check out the ickle bottle on the Drink Me page...this was a little glass vial which I added a couple of drops of Hazelnut Alcohol Ink and a couple of drops to Blending Solution to...hey...poison! Or, whatever it was that Alice drank to make her grow bigger and bigger...or was it smaller and smaller...I can't remember!!!!



The colours used primarily for the backgrounds are the new Distress Inks...the above one, you will probably recognise as Wild Honey and Rusty Hinge...oh, they are my fave colours, I reckon I will be needing the re-inkers soon LOL



The page below is actually quite tall and thin (oh how I wish I could say that about me!!) because this is Alice when she is bigger....and on the other side...




... is the larger version of the White Rabbit...how cool, the same stamp but one is bigger than the other...you will see a white rabbit on the front cover...he is the mini sized fella. I added a little watch face which still had hands attached...and stuck some mini beadychain on to make a pocket watch for the rabbit...who was running late all the time...




The colours used for the backgrounds on these next two pages are Antique Linen and Victorian Velvet...another fab combo together...




I am not so sure about putting a mouse in a teapot...imagine the taste of the tea!!!




The "candy" referred to in the title of the post is actually two of these new Alice images along with some Kling On to mount them on to. One of the stamps is the White Rabbit (large) and the other is the image above...the Mad Hatter and his perculiar taste in tea :O)



To be in with a chance of winning the candy all you need to do is this; click to follow my blog (if you aren't already) and link on your blog back to this post...then leave me a comment letting me know you have done this. AND...even better, join in with the theme this week...go on, you know you have a wascally wabbit somewhere in your collection...or you may even be a lucky stamper and have some Alice stamps already...whatever you use, as long as it is stamped and it is within the theme, leave me a comment and you will be entered into the hat. The winner will be chosen at random and announced on next weeks post.



The challenge is open until 23:00 Saturday 13th March '10, so you have all week to play. If you leave me a comment and link to this post AND join in by making some art, your name will be entered twice into the draw, which means you will have double the chance of winning :O)



Thanks for looking...have a brilliant week and remember to leave me a comment so I know that you are in for the candy :O))

Hels x

Sunday Stampers - Week 87 - Happy Birthday...To...

...The Sunday Stamper! Today we are two years old! I can't believe that it has been going for so long...indeed, it only started out for a few weeks...and now, 2 years on we are still going strong *that rhymed...perhaps there is a poet in me LOL* To honour our second birthday, I have a special Sponsor for the challenge today...namely, Jennie from The Artistic Stamper, who has very kindly donated some heavenly Mabel Lucie Attwell stamps and Kling On to go with them...all you need to do to be in with a chance to win the goodies is join in with the challenge...make something, include some stamping and the theme and then leave me a comment here with a link to the place you are showing your art. The winner will be chosen at random and announced next Sunday and this challenge will run until Saturday 23rd January. Thanks to all who joined in with the rather strange theme last week...this week the theme is Birthday's...which is a doddle for everyone so come on and join in and make some ART :O))




I used a Mabel Lucie Attwell stamp for my project this week... I altered a box that has been lounging about for yonks, waiting for the right time to be played with...starting by painting the outsides with Traditional Tan paint *why use any other when this is perfect!!* and then streaking some Sable Brown and Painterly Pink paints over with a bit of Cut & Dry foam.




Once the paint had dried, I stamped Mabel onto some tissue paper and then used Beeswax to make a collage onto the lid of the box, using a variety of background stamps and a birthday sentiment. Then...you will never guess what happened!!!! I had finished with the Beeswax and was moving the now cooling down Melt Pot onto the other desk...when the wire got caught around my chair castor...and the Melt Pot tipped up into my lap!!!! After my story yesterday I just couldn't believe it had happened again...this time on a mammoth scale..to the point that my tshirt was covered, as was the whole of my left leg from hip to slipper...thank heavens the wax was starting to cool...but it is stuck like you know what to a blanket and I fear my crafting trousers are going to be sent to the great trouser heaven in the sky...along with my tshirt, which has annoyed me cos it was really comfy and warm and one of my faves!!!! I was seriously thinking of giving up with the Melt Pot...but...

I had to reheat it again to carry on with the rest of the project....this time using clear UTEE to make some Faux Porcelain flowers, as detailed HERE on Jennie's blog....I used Stitchels Shabby's and just plonked them into the UTEE, wiggled them about a bit and then drained off the excess before sticking a badge pin on the back...so they are brooches as well as embellies!




Here are a few pics of the stamps which are up for grabs...and the list is as follows:





6 Mabel Lucie Attwell Unmounted stamps
1 Sheet of Kling On Repositionable Cushioning

AND

A little something from me...namely the box I made for today...and lost my trousers for...think of the agony I will have to go thru when I finally put them into the rubbish...they are my fave crafting joggies, comfy, tatty and covered in Gesso already...*sighs for sympathy* LOL

Thanks for looking...and don't forget, to be in with a chance of winning the Candy, just join in with the challenge and leave a link here for me....have a great week...AND...THANK YOU to everyone who has joined in with the Sunday Stamper since Jan 08...I have made a load of blogging friends and found so much inspiration along the way!

Hels x

PS...If you get chance, please pop over to the Gingersnap Blog today...I have a Resist Technique Tutorial on there and would love to hear what you think...is it useful and do you likey???? :O))

Sunday Stamper - Week 80 - The Holly & The Ivy...

Morning Stampers!

First of all, thank you to all those who joined in with the challenge last week...and without further ado I will annouce the winner of the artwork I made for my entry...the winner has been chosen at random from the peeps who joined in with the challenge and .. the winner is...

Gerrie Johnnic - congrats to you ...I will be in contact for your addy :O))


This week we are carrying on with the Christmas style and the theme is Holly & Ivy. To join in all you need to do is make a piece of art, be sure to incorporate stamping and either Holly, Ivy or both into your creation and then leave a comment here for me with a link to the place you are showing it. As with last week, I will be giving away my entry artwork to one person, chosen at random from all entrants.





I made another hangy piece, this time the main image is another one of those fab Mabel Lucie Attwell Pixies from The Artistic Stamper. He is coloured with ProMarkers and then I decoupaged the holly.




The base is a page from a Maya Road book, painted, Rock Candy Crackled and then Glimmer Misted to colour. I added some shapes of Christmas paper and layered up some lace and ribbon, adding a rusty tin bell to the ribbon.





The holly at the top is made up of loads of the Stitchels holly, coloured, Stickled and then paper flowers added for colour. I added a couple of Prima poinsettia's with some silk Ivy pieces and finally added a rusty tin star to the hangy bit.




Thanks for looking..have a great day and don't forget that to be in with a chance of winning this piece you need to join in with the challenge ... which will be open until 23:00 next Saturday (28th Nov).

Hels x

Pretty Pixie Painting Posies....

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




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




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




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

Hels x

Allsorts of Furry Friends

...Over on the Allsorts Challenge blog there is a new theme - Furry Friends.




For my card, I used Basic Grey papers for the background and coloured the Mabel Lucie Attwell image in with ProMarkers and Copics. The flowers are from the Flower Power set as are the leaves, both stamped onto paper and overstamped with the Houndstooth and Chicken Wire background stamps...and all of the stamps used are from The Artistic Stamper.




I added a few dabs of Glossy Accents to the little girls shoes and decoupaged the teddy and the puppy so the card has some depth. I used a Nestie to make a circle for the image and then used a scalloped one to make a mat for this to sit on. Finally, I added a sentiment to the card...which is another one of those Artistic Stamper greetings :O))



Thanks for looking...have a great day...tis wet and yukky here so a day indoors relaxing for me I think :O)

Hels x

A Rainy Jolly Day Out

...this is a scheduled post...unfortunately the owner of this blog is away having fun and getting inky and messy at the Artsy Crafts weekend :O))




However...here are a couple of tags that I made a few weeks ago and haven't gotten around to showing you...they are made using those heavenly cute little Mabel Lucie Attwell designs from The Artistic Stamper.




Simply stamped with StaZon and then coloured using Distress Inks and a waterbrush...told you it was simple LOL

Thanks for looking...don't forget...the Sunday Stamper challenge will have a new theme tomorrow :O))

Hels x

Mabel Lucie Attwell's Cutest Friends

...I just cannot resist those cute little Mabel Lucie Attwell images from The Artistic Stamper...and...just so happen to have a little stamp of Scamp to giveaway to one lucky commenter on this post :O))

This is one of the cards I made using one of my fave images (actually, they are all my faves!!)




I used K & Co papers and Pro Markers on this one, along with some Prima Flowers and some old lace from my stash. I stamped the image twice and decoupaged the teddy and the puppy to give a little definition.




To be in with a chance to win Scamp, please just leave me a comment and I will draw a winner at random on Tuesday 13th Oct. If you are going to Port Sunlight this weekend, be sure to pop in to see Jennie who will be demo-ing and having a ball with the Mabel stamps :O))

Have a great day peeps, I am off to get inky and messy cos I feel heaps better today !

Hels x

Demonstratively Distressing

... as much as I love my ProMarkers, Prisma's and Watercolours, I seem to always gravitate back to Distress Inks for colouring in images...especially when the images are nostalgic looking like these Mabel Lucie Attwell ones.

Last weekend at the Ally Pally show, I did a couple of Demo's using Distress Inks and colouring with them...and here are the results:




This is the main card I made during the Demo, using a waterbrush to pick up the ink from a craft sheet and then shading in the image. The flowers are made from Grungepaper which was coloured with Distress Ink and then I randomly stamped a bitty background stamp just to add even more age to the card.




I passed several tags thru the audience so peeps could see the techniques close up - and here is one of them:




This is another image coloured with Distress Ink and waterbrush and then Distress Ink blended around the edges to tie in the colours. All of the ingredients used in my Demo's are available from The Artistic Stamper.

Thanks for looking...I spent FOUR hours last night tidying out the Room of Stash...and...I have a very neat, very tidy desk!! But for how long? LOL Am off back to make a mess now :O))

Hels x

Sunday Stampers - Week 72 - You Got A Friend

Morning Stampers!

What a wonderful array of delish art was made for last weeks challenge...thank you all for joining in :O))

This week the theme is one we are revisiting...Friends...I know we have had this one before, but it is such a lovely theme :O)) And, I am sure that you won't mind a duplicate! As ever, if you would like to join in, all you need to do is make a piece of art, using some stamping and incorporating the theme, then if you leave me a comment here and a link, I can hop over to see your lovely creation. The theme stays open for the whole week too :O))




For my entry, I have another piece made for The Artistic Stamper using the gorgeous new Mabel Lucie Attwell stamps. I altered a cheapy photoframe by applying Claudine Hellmuth Studio acrylic paint to the frame using a babywipe to get a mottled effect. I used Traditional Tan (mmm, for a change) and Painterly Pink which is a beautiful shade. Once this was dried, I coated the surface with Rock Candy Cracklepaint which is my new fave product...and then once this was dried I used Rock Candy Distress Stickles, which is my new fave product too LOL




The artwork in the frame is a Mabel Lucie Attwell image, stamped with StaZon and then watercoloured in. I made some Grungepaper flowers for the frame, applying thin layers of the same paint, using the babywipe again...this gives the Grungepaper a bit more movement than a painted on layer (if you know what I mean). The flowers are from the Flower Power set by The Artistic Stamper.




As an extra little thank you for all of you who join in with the challenge, I will be putting all entrants names into a hat and then next Sunday, I will pick one at random and send you a Mabel Lucie Attwell stamp.

Thanks for looking...I am off to Ally Pally again today to do another Demo :O)) Hope to see you there...Stand 49 :O))

Hels x