Grungy Monday #8 - Happiness Tag

Hello again Fellow Crafters!!

What wonderful weather we have for crafting this weekend.  Not tooo hot, not tooo cold, can't work outside so let's spend the whole night crafting!!  Yep!  You read that last bit correct!!  My friend Mandy and I, with Rachel for a few hours, have been crafting since 5pm yesterday.  It is now just past 3pm!!  Neither of us have been to bed!!!  I cannot believe that I have been awake since 6.30am yesterday and I am still going!!  Apologies if there are any spelling errors in this posting but I have a valid excuse!!

So far I have made two layouts from scratch, finished a layout, finished a mini album, completed Hels' challenge  (HERE), started a new stamp book album, and finally, without further ado I have completed the Grungy Monday Challenge!  A tag again would you believe!!

This week we were to go HERE and read Tim Holtz's post from September 2008 and produce magic!!!!

I cannot believe how chuffed I am with this one.  I have tried this technique before (albeit with DIs) and was never very happy with the effect.  However, after checking my inks I realised that I only had two Adirondack inks, Cranberry and Lettuce, so had to order another one Latte and I couldn't order one ink on its own so ordered Victorian Velvet DI!!  Oops!!

I have used my lovely Penny Black stamp Flying Stars, I made a tag (by "a" I mean several as I wasn't holding out much hope!) from 200gsm Watercolour paper, took a deep breath and first inked the latte in the middle area of the stamp, the lettuce over the stalks and the Cranberry on the edges, sprayed with my mini mister and stamped.  WOW!  I LOVE IT!!  Dried it with the heat gun, a little bit of masking over the stamped image and I inked it again, and then again. 

The text is from a set of PaperArtsy Hot Picks which I bought at The PaperArtsy event with the Duke himself on 25 February, but I must confess, this stamp was one of the reasons I bought that set, but have not yet used.  I have now!!!

Well.  Don't forget to click HERE and go to the Lovely Linda's blog where other crafters are showing their takes on the challenge this week.

Enjoy the rest of your Bank Holiday you folks in the UK and enjoy the rest of your weekend those of you who don't have a day off tomorrow.  Me - I will be having a lie in tomorrow!!

TTFN

Hettie

Sunday Stampers Challenge - Diamonds and Pearls

Good Evening there Crafters

Woo Hoo!!!  It is a Bank Holiday weekend here in the UK which means we get three long lovely days in which to Craft which started with going to my Quilting group this morning and then an "All Night Crop" with my friends Mandy and Rachel!!!!!  Alot of jelly babies, wine and cup cakes will no doubt be consumed and maybe a little Baileys later on!!!  Hic Hic!!!

Tonight's first project is the Challenge from the delectable Hels Sheridan on her blog which is "Diamonds and Pearls".

Here is my little challenge and I hope you like....

Wot?!!! I hear you ask!!!  Not a tag!!!  A girl is allowed to do something different you know!!

Well!!  Cupcake (homemade of course!) and tea awaits (wine comes at 9pm!!!!).

Don't forget to go over to Hels' blog to see what she has done - it is FAB!!

TTFN and don't forget to leave me a message so I know you have been!

Happy Crafting!!! 

Hettie

WOYWW 103 - All Change This Week!!

I cannot believe how quick these WOYWWs are coming around.  I am sure the weeks are quicker since I have been taking part in them.  If you are not sure what I am talking about click HERE and you will be transported by izzywizzey magic to the desk of our Hostess Julia Dunnit where you will come across lots of other likeminded (aka Daft!) Crafters who take part in an official “Nosey” around other crafters’ desks!  

Hurrah Hurrah!  I finished my Scotland album on Monday night so that means that I have changed what’s on my Workdesk this Wednesday!!  Phew!!  I haven’t posted it yet as I am going to try to learn how to make a slideshow of it otherwise the posting will be HUGE!!  

Here are some piccies of it finished though for you to see.

Look at my desk now!!  Almost clear.  More about the light box later.

As I mentioned on my posting on Saturday, I went to Malvern Quilt Show on Sunday and there were some fabulous quilts on display. 

I hadn’t been to Malvern for quite some time so it was nice to go again.  My very nice friend Steph drove up and I made us a lovely picnic which we had to have in the car though as it was far too windy to sit outside. 

Whether it was the inspiration from the Quilt Show or guilt, I decided that it was high time that I took the cover off my sewing machine and got on with a few sewing projects including taking up of Hubby’s jeans (hate that job – hate that job!), try and join the pieces of my quilt to finish the top, make a dress for which I bought LUSH Amy Butler fabric on Sunday, make a cover for my feather bolster which I bought about a month ago from QVC and also to join in with a Challenge at the quilting group I go to!!!  Gonna be a long "week" me thinks!! 

I will probably have to carry the week over to two weeks as this weekend is a 24hr crop with my friends Rachel and Mandy at my home!!!  Lots of wine and jelly babies will no doubt be consumed!!!

At the show on Sunday I saw a gorgeous quilt which had Sunbonnet Sues and Overall Sams on it and it gave me the idea of making my Challenge piece for our quilting group which is to make eight 6” mini quilts reflecting the seasons (i.e. two of each season) and then joining them together by loops and buttons.  I remember that when I first started quilting Sues and Sams were very popular and as it was pointed out on Sunday I am an “Overall Sam” I thought it was very appropriate (I had my dungarees on at the time!!).

Here are some of the fabrics which I will be using. I have been using my light box as I want to make the Sues face the opposite way to the pattern I am using so have drawn the pattern on the bondaweb having flipped the pattern over.

Well, that is going to be it for this week.  Will be coming around to seeing you all later today Blogger permitting.  Been having issues again this last week hence my not being able to visit as many desks as I wanted to again last week!

Thanks for reading my ramblings and please leave me a message!!

TTFN

Hettie

P.S.  The Chooks are doing well and starting to look like chickens now! Will post some up-to-date piccies later this week!!

Grungy Monday - No. 7!! Colour Block Prague

Evening again Crafters!  Two postings in one evening - that must be a first for me!!

As I am off to Malvern Quilt Show tomorrow, after a break of a couple of years, I thought I had better finish off my Grungy Monday Challenge, hosted by the Lovely Linda at 3Ls, so that I am not trying to rush it when I come back from Malvern feeling tired and VERY spent out!  Whoever said that hobbies were cheap needs to be shot!!

This week we were asked to go HERE and watch the Duke of Distress Tim Holtz demoing a colour block technique and then go away and make a project using the technique - Simples!!  So this is what I created....

I used several DIs in colours that remind me of Prague, a city that Hubby and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE!   We have spent many wonderful weekends wandering the cobbled streets and some of the buildings are painted in some beautiful colours and have some fantastic frescos painted on them.   The "Wish" is that we could visit more often.

In case anyone is interested in taking a visit to Prague I will be most happy to give advice on places to go, see, eat and stay!!  Just drop me a line!!

The stamps I have used are Darkroom Door stamps of Prague 1 & 2.  When I first saw these stamps I could no more resist than night follows day!!!!

I hope you like my take on the Challenge and please leave me a comment to let me know you have been for a wander!!  Also, don't forget you can visit Tim Holtz by clicking HERE and you can see what Tim has been up to and maybe inspired to undertake some of the projects on Tim's blog.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Hettie

Ingredients:-  Ranger - DI - Mustard seed, Barn door, Wild honey, Peeled paint, Brushed corduroy, Pumice stone; Wish Perfect Pearls mist - Heirloom gold;  Stayzon - Timber brown; Flowers - Kaisercraft

Camouflage Flutterbies again!!! Sunday Stampers!!

Hello there Crafters

It is late on a Saturday evening and I am entering the Sunday Stampers Challenge with Hels Sheridan at the last minute!!  Nowt new there but I just dropped my camera as I was taking the piccies which made me have a mad panic moment!!!  Eeeeeeeek!  It appears to be ok though - phew!!

I have used my favourite DIs, my favourite Flutterbies stamps, Hero Arts stamps and Perfect Pearls mist (Lurve them too!!).

I hope you like and please do not forget to leave me a comment so that I know that you have been here!! 

Now need to make my Grungy Monday Challenge as I am out at Malvern tomorrow so want to make sure it is done in case I am too tired and spent out tomorrow evening.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!!

Hettie

Ingredients:  Ranger:  Die - Tim Holtz,  DI Walnut stain, Peeled paint, Vintage photo, Weathered wood; Dabber - snow cap; Perfect pearls mist - heirloom gold; Stamps - Tim Holtz, Cavalini, Hero Arts; Cardstock - K&Co; String - The Art Shop; Ribbon - Papermania.

WOYWW 102 - How Time Flies!!

Good Afternoon there my Fellow Crafters.

Well here we are again on a Wednesday taking part in Julia Dunnit’s WOYWW.  Can you believe how fast this last week has gone?  And what a week it has been for our family.  In case you do not know, we now have six lovely lickle Sussex chickens.  A boy called Tony, and five girls named Ziva, Abby, Myfanwy, Wilma and Betty.  They are such a joy to watch and fun to learn their individual characters.  Click HERE to see more of their photos.

However, my Craft Room has been very much neglected this week.  The weather has been kind so I have been working on my Veg Patch, I have been helping Hubby with building the run (you may remember seeing the Chookhouse being  moved last week – that picture still makes me chuckle!) In fact last night I did not even go in my Craft Room!  Yikes! By the time I had finished everything all I could do was flop on the settee.  Also our internet is being very temperamental and Blogger being down for a few days so I have not been able to get round the blogs like I usually do!! 

However, in my little flop last night, I did sit and finish sewing beads onto a Christmas Tree Skirt which I was given last Christmas. AND once I have finished the skirt I stitched some Autumn leaf buttons to my big leaf quilt so it wasn’t an unproductive flop.

My desk has changed a little as I made the above card on Monday for my wonderful friend Rachel and her family who gave us the chickens.  However, my album is still there lurking in the background.  It is nearly finished and you can see I am on the last page now.  My plan is to get it finished this week so hopefully I will be able to post it on the weekend.

Don’t forget to go over to the Desk Jockey Julia's blog to see lots of other like minded Crafters’ desks.  And please leave me a comment as I do so like to receive them and they make me smile. 

Hettie

 

We got New Family Members

Good Evening Peeps

Before I start on my posting, I would like to say Hello and Thank You to my followers both old (I don't mean your age here ok!) and new for following me and putting up with my ramblings here.  Welcome to my blog if you are new here and welcome back to those of you who have been here before!!!

Those of you who were kind enough to read my posting of yesterday (Yes!  Don't feint!!  No postings for a week then two on consecutive nights!!) you will remember that I told you that we have some new members to our family.  Six black and white (or should that be white and black - why do we always say "black and white"?) Sussex baby chickens. Or as some people call them... Chooks!!

I have wanted chickens ever since watching Waltons when I was alot - yes ALOT younger and then The Darling Buds of May.  I tried to convince Hubby when we moved into our second home (the garden of the first house was in no way conducive to anything but a few pot plants- if they were cemented down, I'll say no more!).  As I am a VERY patient person (if you believe that you believe anything!!LOL!!) my Hubby has finally relented and allowed me to have Chooks.  In fact, as you may have seen the picture last Wednesday (that picture still makes me chuckle - or should that be "chookle") you will be aware that he has made a coop and a fabby run for the little chooks. 

The chooks came from very good friends of mine, Rachel and Dave and Carmen, who bought some fertilised eggs on eBay  (I still cannot believe that they were posted to them - I have a job to get them home from Waitrose intact let alone through the post), incubated them and then looked after them for 9 or 10 weeks before letting me take 6 yesterday.  How fab are these friends ey!  (Don't tell Rachel but I am treating her to a pamper session for her feet in Champneys in Bath in a few weeks, which involves having her toes nibbled!!!)

Last night was hilarious though when it came time to get them in the Chookhouse (as modelled by Hubby last Wednesday)!!!  Boy did they give us the runaround!!  However, tonight they went in when I was just giving them a snack of fresh fruit and veg, when I turned around Tony was supervising them all going in before going in himself!!  I had planned that they would go in about half hour later, but I  wasn't going to miss that opportunity!!  We thinks it might be cos it is blowing a gale here tonight and they don't like having their feathers ruffled!!

Well, thanks for bearing with me whilst I prattle off about my new family members.  As I pointed out to Hubby last night, in 10 months we have gone from one scabby Dobby (the bemused dog below) to 7,000, or thereabouts, bees and 6 chickens!!!!!  What a transformation to our family!!!

Off to bedikins now.  Us chook people have to get up early now.  Not only do I have to walk Dobby but I have to let chooks out, feed them, de-poo the Chookhouse, switch on the fence AND get myself ready for work and in on time!!  (Must remember to switch the fence off before unlocking gate!!!)  Gotta go earlier to bed now!!!

Good Night and please leave me a comment!  I do so love to read them!!!

Hettie - the Chook Woman!!!

Grungy Monday - Just in Time!!

Good Evening Fellow Crafters

I hope this Sunday evenning sees you all well!  Sorry I have not been blogging a lot this last week or so,but I am finding it pretty tiring getting back into "normality" (whatever that is!)  since I have time off recently for a knee operation.  Please bear with me while I get back into the swing of things!!  Service will be resumed very soon.

Tonight's posting is to show you my take on the Grungy Monday challenge which the lovely LINDA hosts.  This week we were asked to look at Tim Holtz's posting HERE which was way back in 2007.  Here is my little take on the technique.....

I used the Snow Cap Dabber (which was in the kit given to me at the Paperartsy class with Tim!) , then Weathered Wood DI, with a littlePeeled Paint and Pumice Stone DI (one of my new favs!).  Then I christened my birdie stamp which I bought recently from Crafty Individuals using Brown Stayzon, before masking it and stamping with my favourite Hero Arts Stamp and the teeny flying birds stamp from Ranger. 

I then stamped the Imagination saying which I really like on to a piece of cream card, which was inked primarily with Pumice stone, Peeled paint and Weathered Wood, using Black Soot DI.  I then stamped some more little flying birdies with Pumice Stone before edging the card with Peeled and attaching to the tag.  The whole tag was edged with Black Soot.  I added some film stip, inked the top right corner and then added ribbon and birdhouse charm.

I seem to have birdies on the brain at the  moment.  Hubby and I have been pretty busy with this past two weeks in preparation for our new little friends who have joined the family today.  Six pretty black and white Sussex Chickens.  More on that (and photos) on tomorrow's posting!!

Well, don't forget to have a look at Linda's blog to see some of the other lovely creations and also pop over to TIM HOLTZ's blog for some more ideas and inspiration.

Thanks for looking and don't forget to leave me a comment.  Hopefully they will not get deleted this week as all my WOYWW comments were!!

Have a good week.

Hettie

WOYWW 101 - Still the Same!! Well not quite!!!

Good evening Crafters!!

I am a really BAD blogger I know!  I promise I will take myself off and give myself a firm talking to just as soon as I finish this post.  I have not made a posting since last week!  BAD blogger.

Well, here I am for the weekly WOYWW so maybe I am not quite soooooo bad!!  Here is my desk....

If you look REALLY carefully you will see that it is not quite the same as last week's picture.  The photos have changed and you can see me in action on the photo on the left - I am the lead cyclist!!   My album is very nearly finished. 

I am just going through doing all the "faffing" (Hubby's term not mine - obviously!) that makes the album "special"!  The little doodles, journalling, embellishments.  For example, on every page I have doodled around the page.  There are a fair few pages in this book!!!

I have also managed to finish my PIF in time for week 104!!  Yey!!!  Sooooo happy that that is sitting pretty and FINISHED ready for the day!!  AND I have made a few birthday cards so my desk has still been pretty busy even if it doesn't look like it!

I have also been a busy bunny helping Hubby with our latest venture which is we are having Chickens!!!  Yeah!!!  It has only taken me some 19 years but I never give up on something I really want!!   I have to show you this picture - it is of Hubby moving the coup round.  As I was still not up to lifting or treading on uneven ground he insisted that he moved the coup on his own.

If you look really carefully you will see a pair of legs sticking out of the bottom of the coup!  I could hardly keep the camera steady to take this picture for laughing!!!  He is sooo going to kill me for posting this picture here but I thought you should see this picture.  Going to have to get this printed for a scrapbook layout - especially as I ordered a Sizzix die of a Rooster and it came today!!! LOL!!!

Well, if you want to know what all this insane rambling is about and why I have put pictures of my craft desk on my blog, then if you click HERE you will be jettisoned over to the wonderful Desk Jockey's Julia's blog, where you will find lots of other like minded people who have posted their desks for the official Wednesday Desk Hop!

Before I go I just have to show you what I bought today.  I absolutely love Boofle (Hubby started this so he is to blame!) and I was wandering around town in my lunch break between the Greengrocer's and the Butchers (Spag Bol cooking downstairs smells absolutely lush!) and I happened to take a turn into a certain card chain beginning with "C"!  Look what I spotted.....

Rubber stamps!!!!  Wow!!!  They just had to come home with me!  (1) They are rubber stamps, (2)  they are wooden stamps, (3) they are super cute and (4) they came in a wooden box.  What was there not to like about them? Six stamps and a red ink pad.  They gonna have to feature somewhere - maybe a Boofle album????

Thanks for visiting and please leave me a comment so I know you have been here and seen the funny Chicken Legs picture!!  Poor Hubby.  Why does he put up with me?  Oh yeah - I'm not a bad Chefette and cook a mean Spag Bol!!!

Hettie and Boofle

WOYWW 100 - Woo Hoo

Evening Crafters

Woo Hoo - we are over half way to the weekend now!  I cannot believe that this last week has come around soooo quickly!  I really love these WOYWWs as they signal that the weekend is getting closer.

Here is my desk this week...

Not much different from last week I hear you say.....

That is because I am still working on my Scotland album. 

I have received a couple of comments about the picture of the Highland Cows on the cover of my album.  There is a reason for this.  Every time I go to Bonnie Scotland, I buy cards with Highland Cattle on, so I decided that I would make this card the star of the show.  (They are known in my family as "Wee Coos" from when I first visited Scotland when I was 4 and called them Wee Coos!!! Gotta Laugh!!!)

Ahhh  You can see the back of my trusty Hero Arts stamp.  I would say that this is probably my most used stamp in my collection and such lovely wood - cannot beat wooden stamps!! 

Warning- be careful if you decide to click on any of these photos - there are some of me with shorts on and may put you off your dinner!!! LOL!!!  It was a cycling holiday after all!!!

I have done a few cards in between including this one HERE if you care to take a peek, as there is a message to my followers and you bloggers who have visited me recently!!

In case you do not know what on earth I am on about, click HERE and you will be transported to Ms Dunnit's desk where you will be able to see lots of other like minded crafting bloggers' desks for an official weekly snoop to see what we are up to. 

Thanks for visiting and please do leave me a message so I can see who has been to see me. 

Pip Pip

Hettie

Thank You Fellow Bloggers - Simon Says Challenge Anything Goes!

Good Evening Campers

Well, that is another glorious day we have had. Back to "normality" for me tomorrow as I head back to work after having my knee operated on some four weeks ago.  I must say that in the last 10 days it has come on leaps and bounds, and I am even starting to feel that I may be on my bicycle before this Summer is out.  Unlike last year, when I could not ride it at all due to the sheer pain I was in.  Fingers crossed ey!

Before I head back to the world of work, I would like to say a huge "Thank You" to all you wonderful bloggers out there who have sent me messages via the Blogasphere.  You have all been a real support to me both immediately after the operation and since.  I thank you all.  I have made a little card for you all too!

Whilst I was wandering around the blogs last night I realised that Simon Says Stamp Blog has a challenge of "Anything Goes" so if you don't mind, I will enter this card which I have made for you into the challenge too!

Thanks for being there for me during this time!

My card has been made using a page of the old diary which I liberated from my firm's Archives a little time ago, K & Co papers, Bazzill cardstock, ribbon and using my new favourite toy - Spellbinders Nestabilities  Label Four, and my current favourite DIs Aged Mahogany and Pumice Stone.  (The little flowers aren't they soooo cute!  I made myself of course!) 

Thanks for looking and please leave me a message so that I know you have been.

TTFN

Hettie

xxxx

Grungy Monday No 5 - Flutterby Wings

Good Evening Crafters

What has happened to the weather then?  Never mind, it makes me feel just a little bit less guilty when I am sat in my room playing with my inks and paper!!!  (And don't forget scoffing Jelly Babies!!! LOL!!!)

You may remember from last night's posting HERE that the Memory Glass piece I had made would be seen again as I had an idea of incorporating it into Linda's Grungy Monday Challenge.  Well Guys and Gals, tah dah....... here it is!  Hope you like it.

This week Linda linked us to HERE where we watched Tim Holtz incorporating a found object into a piece of art.  As you may be aware, all my Grungy Monday Challenges are planned to be tags only so I knew my "found" piece would have to be small.  Hence my idea of using the Memory Glass for this Challenge. 

If you want to join in the fun of these fantastic challenges, why not pop HERE to Linda's blog to see how you can join in and also to see some of the other fantastic pieces which have been created for this Challenge.

Don't forget, click HERE and be whizzed across to Lord Tim Holtz's blog to be inspired in more ways than you can shake a stick at.

Thank you for looking tonight, and don't forget to leave me a comment so that I know you have been here. 

Enjoy your extended holiday and Bank Holiday Monday.

Hettie

Ingredients:- Ranger; Alcohol inks, memory glass, memory glass frames, DI - Peeled paint, Pumice stone, Victorian velvet, Embossing, Corner,Tag die, Perfect pearls mist, Tissue tape; embossing powder, Cavallini butterfly stamps, bazzill cardstock, funky foam, ribbons, charms.