Paper Roses - Purple Box

Hello There Peeps

What a glorious sunny March day we have here in South Wales today.  I really hope your day is as beautiful and shiny as it is here.

Over at Hels Sheridan's blog her Sunday Stampers Challenge is Paper Roses.  So I was making this box up and suddenly remembered that fact.  So I am entering it in for the first time in absolutely ages and ages and ages (you get the gist)!

Hope you like...

The box started out as pine box which I stained using Distress Stains (Dusty Concord and Picket Fence). 

The sentiment is one of Tim Holtz's of course stamped onto card with DI Dusty Concord and embossed.  Card then inked up with DIs and cornered, then mounted onto box.  The flowers were cut using the TH Pine Cone die and two leaves which green cardstock was first mounted onto chipboard to give a bit of body.  Paper is College Press - Double Take.  Edges inked with DI Dusty Concord and then ribbon looped on to back of flower before adhereing leaves and flowers with glue gun (owch!).

   

A little lace cut from TH die and a little bit of TH  flower hardware on the opposite side and a liberal spraying of TH Perfect Pearls Mist and hey presto one box finished. 

Oops! Since I took the above photo I felt it needed something more so it has been added to......

Must fly... Cinderella has some work (chores - including mucking the chooks out)  to do before she can get to the Ball tonight!!!

TTFN

Hettie

WOYWW 135 - Johan's card - Sunday Stamper

Good Morning Peeps! 

Wednesday already and only Day 2 in work.  Boy I could quite get used to these 4 day weeks! 

So what is so special about Wednesday I hear you cry?  Well it is known as several things - Hump Day, Half way through the week day, Nearly Friday day, but in the crafting world it is known as WOYWW Day.  For those of us (silly enough to) who take part, we all take a photo of our desks, warts and mess and all, and link them up to the lovely Julia and we blog hop around the world looking at other peoples' desks, floors, laps, dining room tables and having desk envy or drawer envy or stamp envy or anything else envy!!

Here is mine this week.......

For those of you who have been to my desk previously, you will note that it is pretty much tidier than it has been for a fair while.  No big piles of paper in the top left corner, that cup of herbal tea is actually still warm and the inks are out because I have just finished a card for my lovely dancing teacher Johan (aka Obi Wan!) on Thursday. 

Here is a closer look at the card.....

I used Mustard Seed, Spiced Marmalade, Wild Honey and Fired Brick DIs and a Paperartsy stamp.  It is a little bit out of my normal comfort zone and I like it!  A lot!!  I did try making a second one but I managed to bodge it!  Oh Dear!  I think was the exclamation.....not!!

If you are wondering what that sheet of orange stuff is on top of the Cadburys tins is, it is felt.  I was trying to get a good crisp stamp image and tried the glass mat, then the funky foam and then felt.  I got the best result on the felt.

I remember seeing something like this in Craft Stamper but this is the first time I have tried it.   One layer!!  Phewf!  I need a lie down now.  As the lovely Hels' theme is "Anything Goes" I shall enter it for her Sunday Stamper Challenge too!

Well, don't forget to leave me a message to let me know what you think of what I am doing.  It gives me a good excuse to come and nosey at your desk too!!  And don't forget to call by the lovely Julia's blog too!!

TTFN

Hettie

P.S.  The Cadbury's Finger tins are very old and I inherited them.  I DID NOT eat all those fingers!! Honest.  And what do I use them for?  They are PERFICK for holding DI ink pads in!

WOYWW 104 - Happy Birthday - Sunday Stamper

Big Congratulations to Julia today for hosting the 102th week of WOYWW!!  Hurrah!!!!  Do you know that it is partly Julia’s fault I even started blogging?  No?  I came across WOYWW and thought it was soooo much fun I wanted to join in with the fun, as well as some of the Challenges that are around.  Hence – Julia’s fault I am here and it is sooo lovely to be here!!!

Since I have joined WOYWW I am able to travel all round the world via desks not only on a Wednesday but throughout the week, though this has been hampered by Blogger the last few weeks as I am finding that I am not always able to leave comments.  I am sorry if I have not left a message, though I may have been noseying on your desk!!

I still cannot get used to the fact that it is now June!!  Where is the year going?  And why is it still cold?  Well, it is in my office anyway!! 

Very very very important date coming up in this month!!!  Though that does mean another year older!!  I managed to persuade Hubby to buy me a set of Tim Holtz stamps the other night too for my birthday while I was on a certain website ordering bits!!!  Hee Hee Hee!!!

My desk is a little untidy (nowt new there then I hear you say!) but I stayed up a little late last night in order that I could finish my Sunday Stamper Challenge with the lovely Hels Sheridan!!  At least I won’t be finishing it on Saturday evening!!! Hurrah!!!  I had hoped to show you all a tidy desk!!!  No chance I fear!!!

If you have read an earlier posting you will remember that I was having a crop in my room last Saturday, it being a wet Bank Holiday weekend, with two of my buddies Mandy and Rachel. 

Rachel popped in for a few hours and completed a layout (very good for a newbie!!) but Mandy and I managed to do the full 24hrs!!! 

Still not sure how we made it but we did!! In that time I managed to alter a tin for last week’s Sunday Stampers, make a tag for the Grungy Monday (I told you I wanted to join in on some of the challenges!), finish two WIPs (a layout and a mini album), make two layouts from scratch and start my Sunday Challenge for this week!!!!  As well as that I managed to give Rachel a hand with her layout, eat pizza at 3am, and drink Baileys at 5am! It was “5 o’clock somewhere”!!! (I still cannot believe that Mandy had never heard of that song or the saying!!)

I am looking forward to the PIF thing too this week! 

My pressie is all ready for posting tomorrow to the person who is destined to have mine.  I hope you like it whoever you are.   

If you are not sure what I am on about WOYWW then click HERE and you will be whisked over via fairy dust to the (empty) desk of Julia, the Desk Jockey of this phenomononononon!! 

Well Congratulations to Julia once again, and here's is to the next 52 WOYWWs!!

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

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.

On the Wings of a Butterfly - Sunday Stampers

Good Evening Crafters

Well, I don't know about you but I thought that Catherine Middleton looked absolutely stunning on her and William's Wedding Day yesterday and I wish them both all the best for the future. 

Down to business.  Here is my little creation for Hel's Sunday Stampers Challenge!  I really must get in the habit of making these a little earlier in the week, so that I am not trying to finish them in a rush on Saturday afternoon!  Woops!  I solemnly promise Hels to undertake them a little earlier.  Not that I expect you will be looking at your blog much as you have jetted off to the US and left us to go to a certain place.  I hope you have having a FAB time!!

As you can see I have had another go at the old alcohol inks by inking a microscope slide with alcohol inks (Sail boat blue, Plum and Mountain rose) then stamping a Butterfly image with one of my Cavallini stamps using Perfect Medium to apply clear embossing powder, heating the powder up (carefully!) then wiping the surface with Blending solution.  I then popped it into a Memory Frame with another clear slide in the back, adhered a corner with Glossy accents, attached two small charms and here we have my little "Wings" piece.  (I tried really hard to find a way of putting a picture of Paul McCartney and his band Wings on a memory glass but to no avail!  Darn it!!)

I just love the way that the colours have combined and made a gorgeous shade of purple - a good shade for butterflies me thinks.

This will not be the last time you see this little piece, as I will be using it to make my piece for Grungy Monday which I will post tomorrow.

Enjoy your weekend, and don't forget to leave me a comment so that I know you have been.

Au Revoir!

Hettie

Love Challenge - Sunday Stampers

Good Evening Crafters

I do hope you are all having a fantastic Easter weekend and are able to enjoy this wonderful weather we are having at the moment.

Hubby and I went over the border to Gloucestershire for some Bee Keeping stuff which needed picking up, and everything looked gorgeous with apple trees blossoming, and an awful lot of Hawthorn blossoming too - more than I usually see I feel.

Well, I am here again entering a piece for the Sunday Stampers Challenge by the skin of my teeth!  LOL!  You would think that as I am off at the moment I might be able to organise myself to get it done earlier.  However, I am working on something else at the moment and have been distracted.  More on that project when it is finished.  Here is my piece...

(I have to say that the pictures have come out a little dark so apologies for this.) 

I have chosen to do this little piece as this die has got to be my favourite die of Tim Holtz and indeedy all the dies from Sizzix.  The only other one which comes close is the Sewing Room die.  The little birdie is sooooo darned cute and can be used sooo many ways.  In this piece I have even tried out my crackle paint in Rock Candy for this little birdie.  Over the top of the crackle paint I used my latest DI, Pumice stone.  I also used copper embossing powder and then UTEE over the top of the bird cage which gives it a lovely metallic finish.   

The flowers I have made are one of the Grungey flowers which Hels favourites and my latest craze of small flowers made using a Tonic punch.  I really love these flowers.  You are gonna see alot of them popping up in the future. 

And tah dah!!  I have finally taken the plunge and bought a Distress Stain and coloured in one of the laces with it - Dusty Concord.  There may be more popping up!!

Don't forget to pop HERE to see some other pieces entered into the Sunday Challenge and have a fantastic Easter tomorrow, but don't eat too many eggs!!

TTFN and don't forget to leave a comment so that I know you have been.

Hettie

Ingredients:  Ranger - Die, Birdcage; DI, Aged mahogany, Antique linen, Old paper, Dusty Concord, Tattered rose, Spun sugar; Distress stain, Dusty concord; Crackle paint, rock candy; Stickles, black; UTEE; Stamps, Tim Holtz Mini Cirque Alpha, Stampin up; K&Co papers; ribbons, lace, wire, foam pads, embossing powder. 

I Got the Flutterby Blues!!! Sunday Stamper

Good Evening there Fellow Crafter

Brrr!  Is it cold this evening or is it me?

I have been fit and well enough to go playing in my Craft Room today and thought I would work on my entry for the Sunday Stampers' Challenge over on Hels Sheridan's blog.  This week's theme is Blue, hence my title!!  Get it?

This stamp is one I bought some time ago and I absolutely lurve it, but don't get much chance to use it as it is not everyone's cup of tea, so I dusted it off the other day, inked it with embossing ink, stamped a canvas board and then embossed the stamping with clear embossing powder and heated it with my trusty heat gun. 

Hey presto!  A stamped image which you couldn't see (not much sense in that ey!). Then the inkey messey magic started!!!!  (Ooooo I love this next bit!!!)  I do try to not make too much mess in my Craft Room as it took sooooooo long for my Darling Hubby to build it for me, I don't really want to mess up his handiwork.  So when it comes to spraying anything, I tend to use a beautiful (yes, I mean to say that it looks lovely!) pizza box, (you know the ones that suppliers send us our goodies in), and always making sure there is some plain white cardstock in the bottom ready to make some lovely patterned/coloured card for later use, I place the object d'art (getting posh now!) in the bottom and spray away.  That way hopefully not too much of the spray gets to places where it is not wanted (especially on the pooch if he is in the room!!).  Hence, I put the canvas board into the said box and sprayed with firstly Stream and then Denim Adirondack colour wash - or as the bottles say color wash!  Then I hobbled downstairs to make a cuppa and let it dry a little before I did something stupid like put my fingers in the wet ink!!

Then after enjoying a cuppa I hobbled back up to my room and finished off the drying process with my trusty heat gun.  I put the iron on (no steam) and got some nice clean paper out and proceeded to iron the board with the paper on top to soak up the embossing powder.  Oooo!  I sure was happy with the result. Just now needed to finish the project.  I fed the board through my Big Shot with one of the On the Edge dies from Mr Tim, made two holes along the top edge so I could feed some wire through to hang the final piece up, wrapped some of my new Bakers' Twine around the bottom edge, made a lovely flower, again colour washed.   Then I remembered that I had some silk coney (cocoons!) things and some silk thread so I added a little ink to the edges and threaded some of the silk threads through, and tied then together and threaded the with the wire.  Attached some lace and a flower and a flutterby which I had stamped then painted with Perfect Pearls and hey presto, my blue piece was born.

I hope you like it and please pop over to Hels' blog HERE to have a look at some of the other pieces entered for the challenge, and don't forget to leave me a comment so that I know you have been.

TTFN and Happy Crafting weekend!!

Hettie

Sunday Stampers - Something Gold

Hello there Fellow Crafting Peeps!

How are you all doing out there?

Now that I have internet this week, I can join in with Hels' Sunday Stampers Challenge which this week is Gold. 

This little Thimble rack was bought from e-bay and looked a little crummy, however, with a little bit of sanding, some gesso then Laura Ashley Eggshell paint (only the best will do for the Dining Room!), some stamping and fiddling to get the paper cut and fitted to the backs of the thimble spaces, some gold wax paint and hey presto I now have a very swish looking thimble rack!  It has also been sprayed with Perfect Pearls Heirloom Gold but you will have to take my word for it.

I just need DH to hang it for me and I can fill it up with thimbles!! LOL!!

Thanks for looking and don't forget to leave me a comment!

Happy Stamping!

Hettie

Sewing Art - Sunday Stamper Challenge

Good Evening Peeps

I decided last night what I wanted to make for the Sunday Stamper Challenge on Hels Sheridan's blog so had to set to it pretty pronto as the deadline is 9pm tonight! Yikes!!  So this is my little piece! 

I had thought of putting one of the cards which I gave you a peep at on Wednesday but a few sleepless nights later I came up with this idea.  I promise I will give you a close up of those cards tomorrow now.  Hope you like my little Sewing Art piece instead!  The theme this week is BROWN!

The base is an 8 x 8  canvas which I bought from The Works some time ago which I gesso'd to give it a bit of texture, then inked it before spraying with my colour washes.  I then added a torn piece of Kaisercraft and out of the bits I cut off I made the roses. 

The dies is are both Tim Holtz's both of which I bought from Country View Crafts and the stamps are a mixture of PaperArtsy and Tim Holtz bought at The Event a few weeks ago.  I painted the bird cage with copper alcohol ink before running it through the Big Shot with an embossing folder, sanding it and adding Walnut Ink DI.

The charms are from a bracelet which I bought from Claire's Accessories recently.  The bracelet was reduced to £2 and I just knew when I saw it that I wanted to team it with the stamps and die to make a little piece to go on the wall near my sewing end of my room.

The buttons are all old ones from my button pots.  Some very kind people in work have given me some lovely buttons to add to my collection and some of them I imagine came off some FAB old coats.  Keep 'em coming as you never know when I might need them!

The roses were recently featured on Hels' blog and I used the free stamp which came on a recent copy of Craft Stamper. 

When I finished it I then sprayed it with Tim Holtz' gold Perfect Pearls. 

Thanks for looking.  Enjoy the rest of the weekend and please do not forget to leave me a comment.

Hettie

Sunday Stampers on a Saturday!!! Parisien Postcard

Happy Crafting Afternoon to all you lovely Crafters.

Yes.  I know I am blogging on a Saturday which is not "normal" for me but due to a series of events I am actually  home and now in my Crafting Room on a Saturday afternoon.  It is a bit of a strange deal for me to be home on a Saturday as I am usually having to get up and rush off somewhere - either Cropping or Quilting and today should have been one of those days but unfortunately the Crop I usually go to was cancelled, then Plan B was scuppered when my Buddy found she could not come up due to logistics, so I found myself having an easy morning with no alarm clocks, huge cuppas with bacon butties with Hubby before going into town for a little wander.  Very strange but very nice!

Well, today's posting I had planned to do last night, but decided instead to spend the evening clearing my room a little of stuff which I no longer need e.g. old magazines, so that I could post my little Sunday Stampers offering today.  In case you do not know what I am on about with Sunday Stampers click HERE and you will be whisked over to Hels' blog where she issues a Sunday Stampers Challenge.  But not before you have had a peek at my little piece please!

This I have call "Parisien Postcard". 

The theme this week is Paris and as I bought some new stamps and dies at Paperartsy (I know you are sooo shocked!!)  last week which tied in with this week's theme I just had to join in (still cannot believe that was a week ago as I am still floating on Cloud 8 1/2 at the moment!) . 

The flower die and stamp in the bottom right corner are from Paperartsy as well as the tape measure in the middle and the cogs on the borrom left.  The birds were from my new set from Tim Holtz bought from QVC recently.  The Tissue Tape was one of the ones Tim Holtz allowed us to take off the table at The Event last week. 

Ingredients: -

Canvas board - The Works; DI - Antique Linen, Aged Mahogony (my new fav!), Peeled Paint, Vintage Photo, Walnut Stain, Rusty Hinge, Wild Honey and Fired Brick;  Tim Holtz - cogs, tissue tape; Sticker - Cavallini; ribbon; lace; Stamps - Paperartsy, Tim Holtz, Cavallini; wire; wool.

Hope you like it and please feel free to leave me a comment.  I do love to read them. 

Happy Crafting Weekend!

Hettie

Sunday Stampers Challenge - Sentimental Journey

Hello Fellow Crafters.  It is so nice of you to drop by.   I am sorry I have neglected you but it really could not be helped.  My MOJO was ill in bed and he took me with it!

Well hasn't this week come around quick?  I have today joined in with fellow Blogger Hels Sheridan. and her Sunday Stampers Challenge.  (Click on Hels' name to be whisked over there to see her blog.) Every Sunday she puts out fab challenges and you may remember last week I made my "B is for Believe" canvas.  This week, I hope Hels does not mind (she won't - she is very nice like that)but I have decided to show you a little something I made my lovely Hubby for Christmas which I had planned to show you at some time in the near future but it fits in  perfectlywith Hels' Challenge this week (I think so anyway!).

Sentimental Journey



The tin was an Altoids tin which was sent to me when I bought something else on e-Bay which I inked with alcohol inks and proceeded to decorate the top (and inside) with an array of papers, brads and any other trinkets which I thought would suit the recipient and convey my message to him. 

I inked the inside of the tin and after lining the inside of the tin both top and bottom with stamped card, I made small cards from pieces of mount board which I was about to throw away. (Perish the thought!)  I then had fun decorating these cards with appropriate images.

The board itself was glossy which did not take inking as normal card does so I had to wait for it to dry (no use using the hot air gun as it would scorch it very quickly).  The colours did not always turn out as they would normally so that each card has its own colour and character.  

The inside of the bottom of the tin conveys our passion for Prague and all things Czech.  I love these stamps from Darkroom Door as theyhave fantastic scenes of Prague.

Well, I hope you have enjoyed looking at my Hubby's "Happy Thoughts" Tin and hope Hels does not mind me putting in a project which I made a very short while ago to her Challenge.

One thing I have not mentioned is that around the top edge of the tin on the outside I have adhered copper tape (the sort you use on Memory Glass).  I am very much into copper in my crafting things at the moment and it also got me out of a spot as to how to get the ink right down into the groove.

Thank you for looking.  I hope I have given you some ideas and inspiration for a project of your own in the future.  If you want to know about anything in particular, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Please don't forget to leave me a comment.  It is always a pleasure receiving your lovely comments.

Regards

Sam aka Hettie 

Ingredients:-

I have used such a plethora of items in this project I cannot hope to remember them all.  They include:- Papers - Cosmo Cricket, MME, Bazzill: Alcohol Inks - Cranberry, Copper,Espresso, Terracotta; DI - Brushed corduroy, Peeled paint, Mustard seed,Fired brick, Broken china, Forest moss, Wild honey; Stamps - Stampers anonomous, Hero Arts, Darkroom Door, Crafty Individuals, Penny Black, Docrafts, Cavallini, Stampin Up, Happy Daze; Stayzon - Black; Ranger - Glossy Accents; Gold pearls; ribbon, buttons and probably a whole lot more which I will probably remenber at stupid-o-clock-in-the-morning!!