Sunday Stamper - Week 156 - Red Red Wine...

Goodly Morning Stampers and a very happy Sunday to you all. Many thanks for all those heavenly pearly sparkly creations last week. This week is an easy theme... and it be... RED. Now, this is another one of my fave songs... I shall stick my neck out and admit that the Neil Diamond version is my fave... but I do love UB40 lots. To join in with the challenge all you need to do is make a little something, it can be anything you fancy, add in the theme and some stamping, leave a comment for me here with a link to the place you are showing your entry and I can hop on over to see you. The theme will be open until 21:00 Saturday June 5th 2011. *akkkk, June already!!!*




So... this week's theme was literally chosen as I was naming my photo's... it was that bad! I spent all evening just faffing with tags and stamps and not really getting anywhere... nothing went right, so I have made a tag using the same design principle as several other tags I have made, funnily enough the old Mojo had gone AWOL then too!! I am hoping he comes home soon, I am lonely here in this Room of Stash - although I have a suspicion that he will be lounging on some sunny beach sipping Mojito's!! Anyways, enough about that old rascal and on with the tag...




I used Traditional Tan paint and a piece of Cut & Dry to make some swishes onto the tag base... zapped with a heat gun and then used a concoction of Fired Brick and Antique Linen Distress Stains to colourize it. I then very lightly spritzed Cranberry Colorwash Spray over the top... I say careful because this stuff is seriously potent and it spreads as soon as water touches it... so... a tip from Ranger U... any Colorwash on your desk etc, wipe the excess up with a dry towel/kitchen roll first... then go in with the babywipe... cos otherwise it spreads big stylee... aha, you see, I did learn a whole load of goodness :O))



The stamping is from the gorgeous new stamps from the Duke of Distress... along with some Idea-ology and a frame cut from the Tag/Frame Alterations... cut in mountboard, covered with Clear Embossing Powder and then two layers of Queen's Gold Embossing Powder - which is THE best gold embossing powder and then I plonked some Black Dabber over the top to age it. Right then... definitely time for bed... I shall be on a hunt in the morning for that scoundrel Mojo, if you see him loitering with intent, just kick his bum and send him back to me please lol Thanks for looking... have a FAB holiday weekend! TTFN

Hels x

Who's That Girl???

... I said it would be worth popping back today didn't I? I am still laughing my socks off still at this photo of me. It was taken in one of those naff photobooth jobs that always make you look a bit deranged and always always take so long to eject the developed pics that in your impatience you end up scratching or smudging the image.



I can even remember where this was taken... in the photobooth in the main Post Office in City Square in Leeds... for a school bus pass. I had totally forgotten about this photo until my Dad arrived on Saturday morning with said pic... he had found it and thought I might like it... well, Grim whipped off up to his room and did some computer wizardry and came back down about 47 seconds later with the original photo and this one, resized and touched up *there is a joke in there but I am soooo not going there lol* Here's the original...



So... I decided to alter a photo frame I picked up in AC Moore while I was in Baltimore... Ellen was enabling me so much over there you know, first Michael's, then Queen's Ink and then AC Moore... like I needed any persuasion lol. I picked out my fave colour from the photo to co-ordinate it in with the frame... so it is brown from my eyes... meaning I got to play with Crowded Attic and Vintage Photo Stains and Heirloom Gold Perfect Pearls Mists. I cut the paper to fit, splodged some Trad Tan paint onto it and then made lots of splattery dots of Vintage Photo... I wanted them to look at bit like freckles seeing as my old fizzog is covered in them in this picture (they are a bit more bleached out nowadays... caught up in the wrinkles lol)




But first... a very near calamity struck in the Room of Stash... I am still shaking from the experience. I had finished a pot of Traditional Tan paint last week and went to get a new pot... and... couldn't find it! I knew it was in the drawer... it had to be, I would so never not have a second pot waiting for me... but I rummaged and rummaged and huffed and puffed and started to panic... and then I remembered! When I was doing my tidying jaunt the other week I put the paints in colour order in the drawer... ok, ok, lesson learnt... serves me right for being a dork lol



So... a little trip down Memory Lane... actually, is there a real Memory Lane somewhere?? Does anyone know??? Maybe I should whizz off and consult Mr Google Earth. Wouldn't that be funny if you lived on Memory Lane... you would be forever taking trips down it lol Oh and I really am wondering why on earth I was sporting a Cliff Richard hairstyle... a mullet no less!! Well, it was 1985 so I guess I can be forgiven lol UhOh... making myself laugh.. not a good sign so that must be the signal for me to say... thanks for looking... TTFN!

Hels x

Grungy...

...is the coolest challenge on the blog (see what I did there... blog instead of block hahahaha) Devised, co-ordinated and hosted by the delectable Lovely Linda Ledbetter. This week the Grungy Monday theme is based on Day 10 of the 12 Tags 2007... deets for this are HERE on Tim Holtz's blog and deets of the challenge are HERE. So... I was incredibly lucky to be able to actually learn this technique from the one and only Duke of Distress when I was at Ranger... it was one of those techniques that I had seen and tried but never really "got it". Having done one there and now this one, I think I have a new fave!! My stamp for the technique is my favest script stamp (actually from a Christmas set) and the colours of paint are Juniper and Pool.



The flower is Tissue Tape made into a concertina around a circle of card... and then a smaller one... painted with the same paints applied with a babywipe so it went on thinner... and then a little Accoutrement popped into the middle. The banner at the bottom is also Tissue Tape... folded onto card, cut out and coloured the same way as the flower. The ickle butterflies are die cut using a Movers & Shapers and overstamped with Pool paint and the co-ordinating butterfly stamp. I added smidges of gold embossing powder to the bits and bobs just to jazz it up a bit.. oh and the frame is die cut from the Tag Alterations and then coated in embossing ink and gold embossed - three times... black paint to shabby it up and a little word added to the middle. Ta dah! Done!





Well, I have been in the wars again... in fact, I am still suffering... I shalln't go into too great a detail because that would put you off your tea but... I shall tell you about the shiner that I have. Well, it looks like I have been punched in the eye, in actual fact it is an allergy. Well, according to the chemist it is... Grim popped up there to get me some Chloremphenicywotsit and the lady said she wouldn't sell him it as it wasn't his eye that was the problem... so he came home with Golden Eye and the info that as it wasn't gunking yakky stuff and was only weeping tears then it was more likely to be an allergy. To what, I have no idea as I haven't done anything particular... however, I am inclined to believe it as I have been...erm... trotting... see, I told you it could put you off your tea.



Anyways... I spent over 16 hours on my death bed, sleeping for most of them... and then have spent most of today doing beggar all apart from groaning every so often and grumbling that I have to wear my specs - contacts are out of the question at the moment and I hate my specs. Actually, I don't hate the specs themselves... they are quite pretty... I hate wearing them though... mainly cos I am a fairy elephant and clobber them and knock them... hopefully the old poorly peeper will be better tomorrow so I can wear my lenses again! Right, best go and see about catching up with blogs and stuff... have missed all my FB'ing and Tweetings!!! Thanks for looking.... TTFN!

One Eyed Hels x

Al Fresco...

...corrrr blimey... those Fresco Finish paints... lusciousness in a bottle or what!! Now, I have had a few colours to play with ... and I am soooo lucky because Wendy from The Stamp Attic sent me some more to play with for my DT thing. They arrived yesterday and I got playing straight away... trying different colours with the Crackle in the middle of them... this one is a rather lovely combo... Little Black Dress and Moonlight... subtley mauve... like I said... lush!!!


I love that Sewing Room die... you know, I said when I first saw it that I would never use it and wouldn't need it... ahem... famous last words... thing is, I say that about loads of stuff and end up having to have it lol



Right... time to get cracking on more crafty stuff that is waiting attention... you will be pleased to hear that my room is still impeccably tidy.. I have been clearing up after each make...oh and I have even been washing out painty Cut & Dry foam... and paint brushes too!! I know! Whatever next?? Baking?? No, that is taking this domestic goddess malarkey one step too far rofl... Anyways... thanks for looking... have a goodly Friday! TTFN...

Hels x

Saturday Show & Hels... Gesso Etching

...time for another Saturday Show & Hels... firstly, thank you for all those lovely comments you left me on the last one I did!! That was really kind of you. This week I am showing you a fab technique I learned from none other than THE Claudine Hellmuth, who I have to add, is such an inspiring artist... not to mention a fab teacher too. So, Gesso Etching... it is how it sounds, etching words, scribble or drawings into a nice gloopy layer of Gesso.

Ingredients
Claudine Hellmuth Studio Gesso
Claudine Hellmuth Studio Acrylic Paint, two colours
Spreader (can be a spatula or old credit card)
Water Mister
Paper Towel
Card to work onto - I used a tag

Paintbrushes (thick and thin)
Non Stick Craft Sheet (for easy wipe clean)

STEP 1
Using your spreader/credit card, generously spread Gesso onto your surface - like you are icing a cake, so you have different depths and lines in the Gesso. Leave some of the cardstock surface still showing at the edges of the Gesso.




STEP 2
Using the end of a paintbrush or a cocktail stick (depending on how thin you want the writing to look) scribble/write or draw into the wet Gesso. If you make a booboo, don't worry, simply use your spreader to flatten out your error and start again. Set the tag/card aside to dry.




STEPS 3 AND 4
Once the Gesso has dried, mix a little dollop of your main colour paint with a generous mist of water - you can also use Extra Time medium too - once you have made your paint wash, use a large brush and apply the paint right over the top of the Gesso, working the paint into the crevices.




STEP 5
Use a paper towel to wipe over the top, do this quickly before the paint dries. You will see that the paint has stained the crevices and edges of the card.


STEP 6
Mix a small dot of your darker paint with water and use Cut & Dry foam to gently smudge this around the edges of the card - if you over do it, you can wipe away with a baby wipe.



FINISHED LOOK
You will see that the darker paint has slightly stained the whole look of the tag, which I like. If you would rather have a softer look, you can leave out the darker paint steps :O))



And... I got all flowery (as usual) and finished off decorating the tag using some old book pages that I cut in the Tattered Florals die and then altered with the same paints and some stamping onto cardstock, also coloured with the paints.


If you liked this little Show & Hels, please do leave me a comment... and if you try out the technique, I would love to see your creation! Oh and... of course, a huge thank you to Claudine for her marvellously clever technique and for the wonderfully lush products (yes, I managed to make a whole thing without using Traditional Tan lol) Do pop over to see Claudine's blog where you will find heaps of inspiration and a brand new class that is just about to start this month. Thanks for looking... time for me to go and scrape paint off my nails... thank heavens for a Craft Scrubbie!! TTFN

Hels x

Simon Says... Grungy...

...cor blimey, I don't know, I turn my back and the next thing I know I have gone through a weekend and a day and I am already on Tuesday! So... here I am with my entry to the Simon Says Stamp & Show challenge this week which is one I just couldn't resist... the theme is to show a tag! Cool!! And... over on the wonderfully talented Linda Ledbetter's blog there is a new theme for the Grungy Monday challenge. If you haven't seen either of the challenges before, do take a trip over to both to see all the amazing artwork on them. Of course, the Grungy Monday challenge pays hommage to the one and only Duke of Distress, none other than Tim Holtz... the theme for Grungy Monday is Distress Inks... if you click HERE you will be whizzed away to the Duke's blog and if you click HERE you will be whipped away to the Distress Ink heaven that is Ranger Ink.




So... a tag... mwhahahahaaaa... I do love a nice tag... to the point that my tag basket is now too full and they are falling out... hang on a mo... I shall count them... FIFTY THREE!!! Oh and this one too... so that will be 54!!!! Chuffing chuff... what should I do with them... actually I have been asked that quite recently and the honest answer is... I er... dunno! The basket of tags doesn't include the Compendium challenge tags - 35 of those... or the tags I made at Ranger... eeek... I need a bigger basket... or a bigger Room of Stash lol



So... lots of lushy Distress Inks found their way onto this tag. Tis a while since I was colourful so I have chosen my old fave combo - Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade, Fired Brick and Walnut Stain with a smidge of Vintage Photo thrown in for goodly measures. And the Steampunk stamp set... and some Alterations Cogs and some Idea-ology... oh and the sentiment is on the Hanging Sign Alteration... I just chopped it down and bunged an Idea-ology Bulb into the already punched hole. The bottom has a banner of Ruler Ribbon, threaded with ickle Resistors (www.skybluepink.com for those... nope, I didn't "borrow" these from Grim's tool box lol) Oh and... I REALLY need that Japanese Screw punch jobby that Tim has just brought out... but as I haven't got one (yet ahem) I used a pokey tool, bashed the top of it with a hammer and made a hole in the Nib... still need the punch though ;o))



Anyways... I am in a right old huff today. I got up stoopid early to get ready for the Pain Clinic appt that I have been waiting for for over a year... I got the appt date through nearly four months ago after being referred last May (2010)! So, today was the day that I should attend the clinic. Up early, ready on time, drove to the hospital, parked Ferdy, went into the clinic 15 mins early, sat there filling in forms for 10 mins, sat there waiting... then got told that the Consultant had been on call last night so he had cancelled the clinic for today! HUMPH! Argh... and double argh!!! I wouldn't have minded so much if I had been called before I left home... or if they arranged for Ferdy to park for nothing... but no, I had to fork out a whole £2.50 for the pleasure too! So, now I am back to the waiting game... am seriously hoping it won't be so long to wait this time. Right... enough of me waffling and moaning on... time for me to get inky again - I am working on a little something that hopefully will be ready for tomorrow - if you want a right laugh, do pop back lol. Thanks for looking... TTFN!


Hels x