SSS - A Stamp you love but you don't use

Hello Friends

The Peeps over at Simon Says Stamp and Show are this week asking crafters to use a stamp/s that you love but do not use.  After a little thinking and a smackeral of honey (I am a bear of very little brain!) I remembered this Inkadinkado stamp which I bought some time ago (about a year!) but had not really been satisfied with how it had turned out.   I had tried colouring it with markers and Copics but was not really happy with the results.

I started trying to think of different ways I could ink it up and then had a little "Eureka" moment and thought about the watercolour technique which I had learnt on the CC101 course.  I picked out Spiced Marmalade, Ripe Persimmon, Bundled Sage, Peeled Paint, Forest Moss and Gathered Twigs Distress Inks  and inked up my stamp.  A little spritz with water using a mini mister and then I stamped the image on to watercolour paper.  Wow!  Do I now love this stamp!  I got a little carried away and made up 5 images to use on cards and the beauty of this technique is that each image is different!

As for the rest of the card, I used a Paperartsy stamp for the grass at the base using the same green inks as on the image and I stamped some birds using a Tim Holtz stamp.  The orange cardstock is cordinations which I ran through a Tim Holtz embossing folder before sanding and inking with GT and RP inks.  A little ribbon holding a TH tag stamped with a SU stamp and that is my card finished, which I have sent to a very special friend of mine to thank her for a recent gift she sent me.  I hope she likes it!

Thank you guys and gals at SSS for making me look again at this stamp!

I have just realised that I can also enter this into the Addicted to Stamps Challenge which is simply to incorporate stamping into your piece.  I have ticked that box with this card!  It has been a while since I have joined in over there so yippee!

Thanks for calling by and please leave me a comment so I know you have been.  

Hettie

Scrapbook Tuesday - Oh Megan (or should that be Pig-pen)!

Hello Friends

Tuesday is here and so I am sharing my latest layout with you.  It is a photograph which I have been wanting to scrapbook for ages now but have never been quite sure how to do.  So I was wandering around Basic Grey's blog (well the cardstock is Basic Grey) and I came across a layout which they suggested you "scraplift".  I liked the concept so here is my version.....

Not content with cutting papers up from my stash I took one of my Snippets boxes and just kept pulling papers out until I found a piece that would tie in with the colours in the photo, then I ran them through my Big Shot using a Sizzix die.  Once I had cut about 40 hearts I took them over to my desk and sat down and procraftinated, using the camera to ensure I did not have too many darks/lights congregating together. (In case you don't know what I mean by "using the camera", if you point your camera at your work you can get a better idea of the depth of colour through either the viewfinder or on the screen on the camera.  A great tool for quilting too!)

The photo is of my youngest Niece at Llangranog Beach just weeks before she was to be my bridesmaid!  We refer to this photo as the Pig-Pen photo and it makes me smile every time I look at it.  She really does look "Pleased as Punch"!

As you can see I got my trusty sewing machine out (though the lines are not perfectly straight but neither is the beach!).  The hearts are not stuck down so that some of them have slightly curved which is what I wanted it to do.  I would hate to hazard a guess as to what makes of papers I have used, but they are all Snippets from past layouts and cards.  Even the distressed doily was cut for something else, not use, turned over as I had inked the other side and then used!  

Now for another photo of Amsterdam.....what Holland is most famous for....tulips!!

Beautiful colours on a quite dull day.  It is interesting to see the price of them there €12.50 for 50 tulips - that would be about £12.50 for 20 here!  The exchange rate is currently around €1 = £1!!

Thanks for calling by.  Please leave me a comment so I know you have been.  Hope you like my layout today!  Off to show my layout to the girls in the Playground!  Anyone got any flumps today?

Hettie

Rudolph Day February!

Hello Friends

And a Happy Rudolph Day to you all!  I presume by now you know what Rudolph Day is?  No?!!!  It is the 25th of the month and a few of us nutters err bloggers, make Christmas cards every 25th of the month to ease the stress of getting them done later in the year!  We then share them with Mrs Rudolph Day HERE. It does certainly help!

So here are three I have made on the weekend. I do apologise now for the quality of the photos but they were taken with a flash and the first card now looks a little washed out, but I assure you it isn't in real life.  It has been years since I made these velum trees, hand embossed - yes pre-Big Shot days and then painted by hand!!

This image on this second card is actually fabric and has been mounted on to cardstock. Again, absolutely years old.  Some ribbon that has been looking for a card to go on for ages, my new Spellbinders corner die and a K&Co panel for the back.  The edges of the panels and the card itself have been inked with silver/black ink which schparkles but you cannot see that here!

And this Noel was cut on my Silhouette absolutely ages ago.  Then I found some snowflakes and cut a couple more on a small piece of card, as well as the music score.  The large snowflake was given to me by a good friend.

                                  

(Pity you cannot see all the pewter shimmeriness on this one!!)

ALL these cards have been made using bits out of my Snippets boxes/basket, or have been given to me so no whole pieces of paper or packets of unopened embellishments have been used!!  I shall be taking these down to the Playground just as soon as someone tells me that the brazier is on and the hot chestnuts are ready!

Another Amsterdam picture for you.  This was taken for Mrs Rudolph Day who I knows loves Nutella!  Just to give you indication as to how big those larger jars are, the jar which I have (roughly) drawn a heart around is the size of a standard jar that we can buy in the UK!!  I would have enquired about taking a large jar home for Sandra but I don't think it would have fitted in my case, nor would I be able to lift the case into the overhead lockers!  It is the thought that counts!! As you can see McDonalds abounds in Amsterdam too!

That's all Folks!!

Thanks for calling by and please leave me a comment so I know you have been!  Why not  make some Christmas cards and link up with the Rudolph Day?  The weather is appropriate right now!

Hettie

P.S.  My lovely friend Di has told me that my Noel card fits in just nicely with Crafty Hazelnut's theme this month.  I have been meaning to join in with this challenge for ages so I shall make a start now!!  Hazel is looking for just one word this week.  Click HERE to go and see the others that have entered.  I shall also include it with her monthly challenge HERE which is Anything Goes as long as it is Christmas.   

Variations on a Theme - New Stamp!

Hello Friends!

Wow! This weekend is passing so quickly for me, but I have/am been a busy bunny!!  You have to keep moving with the weather being so cold, or else have a large budget to keep the heating on!!

I was fortunate enough to win the Paperartsy stamp from my friend Miss Di at the Playground recently so I thought I would show you a couple of cards which I made to send to two of my Special friends!! 

I know they have both been received now so I can show them to you. 

The card bases were stamped with various Tim Holtz background stamps in several Distress Inks (don't ask me which I cannot remember) then a layer of cardstock (from the Snippets box) which had been distressed and inked were laid on top.  I then took some cardstock on to which I stamped the stamp using Archival ink and then once dried, I used some of the same colours of the base card stamping and inked the image, distressed and inked the edges and laid on top of the previous piece, at a wonk. 

Some trimmings from the Snippets box and my cards were finished.  The mustard velvet ribbon on the first card was from my friend's Snippets box so I hope that is allowed Miss.  

Right, I am just putting my coat and hat on and running over to the Playground, as I know my buddy Sandra is waiting for me to go on the seesaw with her!

Tally ho and enjoy the rest of the weekend!

TTFN

Hettie

P.S.  I have just been over the Playground and Miss is talking about catching some peeps drinking wine behind the bike shed. I can assure you that I am not one of them, having given up alcohol and Baileys!!!! for Lent!!

Friday Funny

 Everyone seems to be in such a hurry to scream 'racism' these days.

A customer asked, "In what aisle could I find the Irish sausage?"

The clerk asks, "Are you Irish?"

The guy, clearly offended, says, "Yes I am.. But let me ask you something.

"If I had asked for Italian sausage, would you ask me if I was Italian?

Or if I had asked for German Bratwurst, would you ask me if I was German?

Or if I asked for a kosher hot dog would you ask me if I was Jewish?

Or if I had asked for a Taco, would you ask if I was Mexican?

Or if I asked for Polish sausage, would you ask if I was Polish?"

The clerk says, "No, I probably wouldn't."

The guy says, "Well then, because I asked for Irish sausage, why did you ask me if I'm Irish?"

The clerk replied, "Because you're in Halfords."

WOYWW 194 - Hmmn Need a bit of a tidy!

Hello Friends

Yeay it is Wednesday, half way through the week, nearly the weekend and WOYWW day!!  I suspect you know what WOYWW (What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday) means by now - in case you don't it is where the biggest blog hop takes place every Wednesday, though you don't have to take part every Wednesday!  Click HERE to be transported to the Honourable Host of this epic event!

Here is my desk.  As I left it last night after making a card for my friends' Wedding Anniversary.  

The book to the bottom left is where I keep my blending ink pads, for travelling and for the ones I don't have room on the twirly thing for.  Behind them are some cardstock and some Snippets which I was procraftinating whether to use for the card.  DI pad waiting to be put away, as are the scisssors and tools to the right of the craft mat.  The Momento ink pad is new and looking for a home.

I thought I would give you an update on the lace garter.  Not a lot you may say but since returning from our little holiday on the weekend, I have been trying to get more done as it isn't long before the Wedding will be upon us and I intend to be finished way before the event.  

And for those who wanted to see a bit more of Amsterdam, this is where we stayed.  The building with the red awning over the door.  Our room was the row of windows above the awning and the middle and right windows.  I think that was Mr Little's house next door!  Tee Hee!

Thanks for calling by.  I shall pop round later as I have no dancing tonight :-(.  Something to do with half term in England, ours was last week in Wales!

TTFN

Hettie

Scrapbook Tuesday - Anyone need a Hug?

Hello Friends

Brrr!  Mr Jack has sure been around this morning!  Wrap up warm is definitely the order of the day today!

Well, today is Tuesday so as is customary on my little blog I would like to share with you a layout which I have created recently (last night in fact!).

This is another photograph which has been hanging around on my computer desk waiting to be scrapbooked so here it is.....hope you like it.....

This is Hironomous.  A Blenheim Cavalier  King Charles Spaniel who was quite literally "dumped" on us.  We were asked to "foster" him for a short period and the owner never came back to collect him.  It is a very long and suspicious story which I won't bore you with here, only to tell you that he was one beautiful and loveable dog with a big heart, and was a wonderful addition to our family.  He was very cuddly too and here he is cuddling with a sweatshirt of mine.

I had been pondering how I was going to scrapbook this photo when in the middle of the night I thought to use the Boofle papers again and create a quilting theme using my Sizzix quilting die.  However, when I laid them out on the background, I needed something more than just a plain blue background.   

So I got my hexagon mask out, and sponged some white acrylic paint through the mask to create a quilted look. The photo has had a little white Sharpies added to the outer edge.  The stickers are from a pack of Boofle goodies which I was given for Christmas. The title was cut using my Cricut and some card which started life as invitations to a Hunt Club Dinner.  Well it was a shame to bin them as it is such nice card.

I faux stitched around the edges of all the hexagons and using my Boofle stamps I stamped a few without embossing them. All the wooden buttons were threaded with bakers twine from Papermania and I used some variegated thread to stitch around the outer edge of the layout.

A few hearts, again faux stitched and layered on to a rosette which was in the Snippets tin.  A little Snippet of Stampin Up ribbon which my lovely friend sent to me.  I shall be running over to the Playground with this as there are lots of Snippets used!  Is the brazier running yet?

And for those of you who wanted to see some shots of Amsterdam, here is one which I took from the boat when we went on the (expensive) canal trip!  Yes it was snowing but looked very pretty!

Have a great Tuesday.  

Hettie

Happy Birthday Steph

Hello Friends

Sorry I have been away for a while in Amsterdam!  Iza back now and sharing some photos of a card I made for one of my  work colleagues.

Inks used are all Distress Inks and Broken China, Tumbled Glass and a little Faxed Jeans.

Paperartsy stamped with Pine Needles DI, some stickles, and a Snippet of fluff and card complete!  Off to the Playground to show the girls!

Hope to be round to see y'all soon.

TFN

Hettie

Friday Funny

Towards the end of a round of golf, Dave hit his ball into the woods and found it in a patch of pretty, yellow buttercups. Trying to get his ball back in play, he ended up thrashing just about every buttercup in the patch.     All of a sudden? POOF!!     In a flash and puff of smoke, a little old woman appeared.    She said, 'I'm Mother Nature! Do you know how long it took me to make those buttercups? Just for doing what you have done, you won't have any butter for your popcorn for the rest of your life...  better still, you won't have any butter for your toast for the rest of your life.... As a matter of fact, you'll never have any butter for anything for the rest of your life!!!'     Then POOF!... she was gone!     After Dave recovered from the shock, he hollered for his friend, 'Mark, where are you?'  Mark yells back 'I'm over here in the pussy willows.'     Dave shouts back, 'DON'T SWING, Mark!'  FOR THE LOVE OF GOD,   DON'T SWING!!!'

Happy Valentines Day!

Hello Friends

Happy Valentine's Day to one and all.  

Today I am going to share with you the card I have made for Hubby.  Not exactly slushy mushy but I hope he will like it. I had different plans for Hubby's card but when my lickle order came from The Funkie Junkie last week, I knew I just had to use these Diesel Punk stamps from Artistic Outpost.  (Can someone please tell me how I got from admiring Artistic Outpost stamps to owning six sets in a very short space of time?  Linda at The Funkie Junkie and the AO DT have got a lot to answer for!)

I have used lots of layers with some sanding, stamping, inking, diecutting, waxing, distress stickling, embossing, powder embossing and edge distressing on this card.  The first layer was made from Tim Holtz Cordinations paper under which I placed a stencil and then sanded, moving it around.  I placed a piece of K&Co map paper over the first layer and stamped a TH bunch of tickets stamp and cut them out to place down the side.  I cut a piece of SU Vanilla cardstock and stamped various stamps using DI and on another piece I stamped and cut out the men stamp, inked some Spun Sugar for their faces (they looked too pale otherwise - lots of men wear make up these days!) added some Scattered Straw distress stickles before adhering it over the background with foam pads.  I cut out some photo corners from the Cordinations, again sanding them.

I just love this sentiment, which has been inked and embossed with embossing powder. Underneath the picture I cut a piece of the card from which I made the card base and stamped with the same stamps I used on the background piece, but with Gathered Twigs before attaching some TH filmstrip using some cogs and a charm.  

A little red heart stamped with Barn Door DI and some red distress stickles and then I sprayed the whole card with some Forever Red Perfect Pearls mist.  I even stamped inside the card and used a Lovely Day stamp too!

Right!  That is it for now.  I hope you all have a wonderful Valentine's Day.  Just to say that I am linking this up with the Sunday Share over at The Frilly and Funkie blog as it has been made with items bought from The Funkie Junkie Boutique!  As well as the Sunday Share I am going to link this with the Artistic Outpost's February Referral!  

Hettie

Can you guess where we are off to?

Hello Friends

I had to take a late lunch in work the other day, and did not want to sit at my desk or else my bosses (yes I have two right now) would not leave me alone!  So I went into Coffee #1 for a cup of my favourite coffee to have a look at my book in readiness for our holiday.

As I took my coat off and sat down I thought this would be a great picture for my scrapbook!!  Pre holiday swotting!  

Tee Hee

Hettie

Catch a Wave - Scrapbook Tuesday

Hello Friends

Another photograph which was lying around in my Craft Room.  I was procraftinating (this is my word of the year!) whether to do something with it or bin it.  I had thought about cropping the photo but it did not look right.  Hubby challenged me to scrap it.  So scrap it I did!

I took a sheet of Basic Grey cardstock, bubblewrap wrapped round a block, an adhesive lid and some white acrylic paint and set to on the background.  I wanted to echo the dots and circles in the blue paper.

The blue dotty paper is a Fancy Pants paper with the journalling cards on the reverse side on which I got the title for the layout.  The stripey paper is from my Snippets Box and the reverse side was used as the background for the orange journalling card.  That Strip across the photo reminded me of starfish and has been in my Snippet box for ages!

The plain orange cardstock was punched with Martha Stewart punch, score lines added then stitched to the layout using my trusty sewing machine. 

I also stitched the ribbon and punched some bunting to put down the side of the photo using Snippets of the papers used.  A little Play ticket as well as a Go For It tag as Dobby sure did enjoy his running around the beach for the first time!  Though I must say he was not keen on the water itself!  I bought a paw stamp in Hobbycraft the day I finished this and you can just see it on the red paper which I embossed with white embossing powder!

I shall be sharing this at the Playground as it contains Snippets!

Thanks for calling by.

Hettie

Sending a Little Happy Post

Hello Friends

I always like to receive Happy Post and I also do love to send it too!  I made this card for one of my Playground friends who admired a similar one I made for Miss a little while ago.  

The lickle flutterbies were made using Snippets inked with the same Distress Inks to match the inked panel (Tattered Rose, Spun Sugar and Victorian Velvet) and a Snippet of fluffy stuff up the side.  I popped some stampings inside for my friend too.  

I shall be putting this in the Playground for my Buddies to see.

Thanks for calling by.

Hettie

Happy Birthday to my Big Sister!

Hello Friends

It is my Big Sister's Birthday today - not a big birthday for her, nor is my sister particularly large, but being born 7 years before me, she will always be my "Big" Sister!

As you can see I have used my new Paperartsy stamp which I was lucky enough to win over at the Playground.  I absolutely love it!!  On the main part of the card I have used a plethora of Tim Holtz stamps, one an all time favourite and the others from a set I recently got my mitts on.

As is normal for me, I have used Tim Holtz Distress Inks including Gathered Twigs, Aged Mahogany, Crushed Olive and Red Barn.  I spritzed over it with gold glimmer mist, though it is not picked up in the photos.

I made a teeny tiny ticket from a Tim Holtz stamp and adhered it to a SU tag which was stamped.  A Snippet of lace and the piece of TH Cordinations was also from my Snippets boxes.  The cream cardstock is Vanilla by SU.

Thanks for calling by.

Hettie

PS I would just like to say Hello to Irene - my latest follower!  

Friday Funny

George Phillips , an elderly man, from Meridian, Mississippi, was going up to bed, when his wife told him that he'd left the light on in the garden shed, which she could see from the bedroom window. George opened the back door to go turn off the light, but saw that there were people in the shed stealing things.     He phoned the police, who asked "Is someone in your house?"     He said "No," but some people are breaking into my garden shed and stealing from me.     Then the police dispatcher said "All patrols are busy. You should lock your doors and an officer will be along when one is available."   George said, "Okay."   He hung up the phone and counted to 30.   Then he phoned the police again.   "Hello, I just called you a few seconds ago because there were people stealing things from my shed. Well, you don't have to worry about them now because I just shot them." and he hung up.  Within five minutes, six Police Cars, a SWAT Team, a Helicopter, two Fire trucks, a Paramedic, and an Ambulance showed up at the Phillips' residence, and caught the burglars red-handed.   One of the Policemen said to George, "I thought you said that you'd shot them!"   George said, "I thought you said there was nobody available!"  (True Story) I LOVE IT! Don't mess with old people

Snippet card for Val

Hello Friends

As the title suggests, today I am showing you a card for Valerie, entirely made from the Snippets drawers and tin! Even the stamped background was already stamped up some time ago!

Copics, distress inks, Silhouette images, Artistic Outpost stamp, Martha Stewart punch, Tim Holtz die, SU stamp and liquid pearls.

Lots of fun and several more bits and pieces gone, though I am sure Snippets breed in the boxes/tins.  I never seem to get them reduced at all!

Ho Hum!

Have a good Thursday!  Nearly Friday!  What you got planned?  Me, I am off for a little shopping on Saturday, cook a huge South African pot of Babotie (or something like that - gorgeous and if you want the recipe, drop me a line) in the afternoon and a day of crafting with Buddies on Sunday!  Perfick!

Hugs

Hettie

WOYWW 192 - Ink and Beer!

Hello Friends

Today is Wednesday and in the Blogging Crafting World this means the largest international blog hop going with the lovely Julia of WOYWW fame!  Click HERE or use the button on my side bar to get to Julia's blog. 

Here is my desk as it was late last night.  Complete with Distress Inks and before any of you ask/comment - YES that is a glass of BEER!!  Perfick!  I cannot show you the card I was working on as it is for a friend and in case she pops over, I want to avoid her seeing it!

Thanks for popping over.  I will call when I can as I have work then dancing tonight, but I will call!

Hettie

xx

PS  For those lovely ladies and gents who are going to The Crop II, can I ask a favour please?  A friend of mine is collecting plastic drink bottle tops (e.g. milk caps) for a local family who's three year old daughter needs specialist treatment for Cerebral Palsy, here in the UK. The NHS is doing their best but she needs intense treatment in block sessions which cannot be done by NHS.  If you could possibly collect the tops, wash them and bring them to the Crop, I will happily take them off your hands.  Thanks xx 

Scrapbook Tuesday - Family Love

Hello Friends

Gosh!  What has happened to the heating?  After a few warmish days, we suddenly woke up to a "brisk" morning!  Please no more snow for a while!

On to today's layout.  One of my Mother-in-Law on Christmas Day.  I chose not to do a Christmas layout but picked the colours and designs of Joan's jumper out as they reminded me of the Boofle papers I have.  I was most surprised Joan let me take a photo of her as she usually shys away!

I used black cardstock and flicked various paints (including some Paperartsy Fresco paints) using various brushes (I wonder if Hubby notices the paint in his toothbrush??  Only JOKING!).  

I cut the fonts on my Cricut.  The flowers are from my SU stamp and punch set.  The stamping on the little pink Snippet is from another SU set. 

Tags are Tim Holtz die and above you can just see the new Spellbinders die in use.  Bakers Twine from Papermania.

I do love those wooden buttons, bought from a local Wool shop.

The word background paper has had some words glossy accented (is that a word?) to highlight some of Joan's attributes.

Love the splish splashy background on this paper.  Hope you do too!  Lots of Snippets in this so I will be sharing with the girls in the Playground.  Must see how the straw animals are looking!  I wonder if Mrs A has done her donkey yet!

Thanks for popping over.  Let me know what you think.  I love to read your comments!

Hettie