Oooh, new stamps!!

Well, I hadn't any new stash on Wednesday, but look what turned up in the post today - Thanks, Wendy, they're here - I have been eagerly waiting this stamp set for what seems like weeks!!

Brolly Man!!!! Yey!!!

So, I got to work. I actually had the chip ready painted and stamped - the chip (maya road) was painted white (claudine hellmuth range) and then I coloured it with wild honey DI - amazing how pale it looks over white!!

I stamped brolly man on grungeboard (had a piece just the right size in easy reach, otherwise I'd have used grungepaper) using coffee archival ink and stuck him to the chip with glossy accents. Added some tissue tape and some idea-ology bits.

You can't see in the photo but there is some alcohol ink on the foliage piece.
Brolly man slipped as I was sticking him, so there is a splodge of glossy accents by his arm!

I had trouble with the photos tonight - it's too dark to not use flash. and the flash then causes glare, this is the best I could get.

Going to be busy tomorrow, got to get out bright and early to do some shopping before I go over to my godmother's for the diamond wedding party at lunchtime! Hope it's not going to rain... Have a good weekend, I'll see you soon.

Play Date Cafe Challenge 40 - The Big Apple

This week at the Play Date cafe, the challenge is a colour splash challenge - to use black and white and a splash of green.

I was going to do something completely different on this chip shape, until I remembered I had this PSX stamp from years ago. I loved PSX (Personal Stamp Exchange) stamps and was very sorry when they ceased trading. Fortunately I have quite a few....(for my regular followers, that won't come as a shock!)

I painted the chip white, and stamped the image of New York in black.  It is slightly too large for the apple (I am sure you're with me now!) and I thought about stamping it on a piece of paper and sticking that on, but decided to stamp direct to the chip. I cut the admission ticket from the embossed image I rejected, and added that to the bottom.  The splash of green comes from some Inka Gold paint in a luscious green - watered down and applied with a wet finger - to highlight the chip shape, I thought it looked quite apple-coloured!

I mounted the apple onto a piece of black spotty paper on a 5x5 inch card.  I am sending this to someone but I can't say who yet as they may be watching!!

WOYWW 28th July

Not only is it Wednesday again already, but it's nearly August.... so it's that time of the week when we all go to Julia's to share our workspaces.

This week I have my blog candy win from Minxy that arrived on Monday - thanks again, and for the tag too! As you see, I haven't had time to fill it yet (or decide where to stand it so it's handy)

However, I had to make way for my Tag Tuesday entry (see yesterday's post)
No toes today, they're still the green ones from last week!

Oh, and for those of you who wanted me to blog a "proper" photo of me without the camera in front of my face, check my post from Sunday . Admittedly, I was about 16  but......

No other new purchases this week, haven't I been good!! 

I am off to hop round the world now and catch up with all your desks/tables/floors (oh no, that's me) airing cupboards/washing machines etc to see what you've all been up to -there were nearly 150 of us last week, so it may take me some time!!

Tag Tuesday - Christmas colours in July

Today's Tag Tuesday challenge is to use red and green -traditional Christmas colours - but without making a Christmas tag.

I coloured the tag with pine needles DI and stamped this image - Elegant Stems, by Stampington - on some watercolour paper, in barn door, spritzing the stamp with water.  I tore the edges, coloured the torn edges with the red ink and stuck it to the tag.

I added a piece of gingham ribbon and a red and green flower with some prima/petaloo flowers. The sentiment is by Wendy Vecchi, but I expect you all recognise it!

Compendium - week 7 - tinted fragments

I love Mondays!! this week's Compendium challenge hosted by Linda is this week on page 55 - tinted vision fragments.  I can't give you the lowdown on the technique, you have to use the book.

There are already some great entries - and this week there are some even more stupendous prizes - so check it out.
I used tumbled glass and chipped sapphire inks on the tag and a pearly/DI  reinker for some shimmer, and I don't think it would hurt if I said I'd used denim, stream and caramel on the fragment.

 The fragment uses a picture of Queen Victoria from my hardly used Instant Art book that Suze produced some years ago -other than that, I've used Tim's mask and Tim's stamps throughout.  I took a "time" theme based on the longevity of Queen Victoria's reign on the throne. Unfortunately she's gone a bit wrinkly - that's me with too much glue, not her fault!! 

Enjoy the rest of your Monday. Can't wait to see what next week's theme is already!

Sunday Stampers - Love/Life

Afternoon! This week's challenge from Hels on Sunday Stampers could have been made for me!

Not only is it inspired by a Queen track, but the theme is perfect (more of that in a mo!) I love Queen - I saw them live at Hammersmith on Christmas Eve 1975 with a bunch of school friends - it was in the days when The Old GreyWhistle Test showed a concert live on BBC2 on Christmas Eve - and WE were there - oh BOY where they good. Freddie in all his pomp.... Getting home was fun though cos we missed the last train from London and had to catch a tube to Brixton (the furthest the line goes) and then a couple of us had to ring our dads to rescue us - it's only a few miles but at 1 in the morning of Christmas Day they weren't too impressed!

Anyhow, the theme is perfect this week because I have been needing to make a 60th (diamond) wedding anniversay card for next Saturday for my Godmother who is having a party to which I've been invited.  (keep your fingers crossed for the weather!)

So here is what I did.

An 8x8 inch card - covered with some paper from Tim's shabby chic pad. Daisies sponged in the corner (I love that crafters template!!!) in victorian velvet.  Some Wendy text stamps, a Wendy heart on silver metal, puffed up and made into a tape sandwich, sanded and spritzed with a pinky-reinker mix, a maya road heart chip covered with the same Timmy paper (matte medium came during the week!) Used some Tim numerals and some diamond rhinestones to accent both hearts, and a memo pin filled with glossy accents over a pinky piece of paper.

Here are some close ups (this is while the memo pin was drying so it's not in place yet)

I don't think they follow my blog so I hope I am safe in posting this today.

Oh, and I found this pic of us in my bedroom before we left for the concert (I am the one holding the bottle...)

Sorry its such a bad pic - it looks like a polaroid and was emailed  to me by the girl to my top left when we caught up after years out of touch!

Play Date Cafe Challenge 39

This is the fabulous inspiration for this week's Play Date challenge - Julie's trip to Dublin 20 years ago!

There are some great entries already, and I was stumped for some time.  I ended up making a couple of tags.

I made the single one first with pumice stone and walnut stain DI's using the  "ink on the craft mat/water spritz smoosh technique "and then stamped the "bare trees" stamp from Stampscapes,and a little crushed olive to the bottom of the tag.  I stamped the Paperartsy bird on a white card scrap in pumice stone and added a touch of crushed olive to her belly feathers!

I then inked two slightly larger tags with pumice stone and used the crafters workshop daisy template again, this time using brushed corduroy.  I joined them together with a little PVA glue and a idea-ology philosopy tag.

I used Tim's flourish stamp randomly round the two tags before attaching the single one to the top.  Finished it off with a couple of butterflies and some lightly coloured petaloo flowers the sentiment held in the memo pin.   Then I had trouble taking pics - and it was too big for my scanner - the artificial light is poor in my room tonight and my shadow kept getting in the way.

in the secret garden

I've spent a little while this evening (in between hopping round workdesks, lol) making this quick and simple tag - well, I had to use some of my new paperartsy stamps, else they'd feel unloved.

I used pumice stone and crushed olive on the tag itself and crushed olive/bundled sage/peeled paint for the paperartsy images.  I stamped the "secret garden" on a scrap of metal that was lying handily around (lol) and the Wendy stamp is in black archival.





Am still trying to get my blog background back but the website that hosts it is down so it will have to stay blank for now!  I have been looking at various others but so far haven't found one I really like.

Gotta have a cup of tea now (it's getting cold behind me) I'm parched!

WOYWW - 21st July

Can't believe it's Wednesday already! Time to head over to Julia's for a big old party nosing at the world's crafty spaces!
So, what's on my desk floor today?  I seem to have gone shopping again.... oops, wonder how that happened!

My toes are in the way again - I love this green, it totally matches my fave fave skirt! I promise not to make this a regular, Wednesday, "nail polish watch" feature of my WOYWW!

Here's a proper look at the new stash. Thanks, Leandra for getting them to me so quick - great service!

 (and I wasn't going to get anything more till Stevenage in August, but I couldn't wait... I've also pre-ordered a couple of new Wendy V sets - only 2 for now and some fab Graphic 45 paper is on the way... I have no will power, at all!) Not shopping, I'm not shopping...

A couple of weeks ago, these boxes turned up at the office, with some promotional material from one of the life insurance companies, and a great apple-shaped stress ball inside.  We kept them at work - well, everyone gets stressed sometimes and they are really nice squishy stress balls apples!  Anyhow, I snatched the empty boxes and the outer wrappers, cos I KNEW I'd be able to do something with them - one day! I've been meaning to show you for a while. Watch this space, as they say!

In the foreground of that shot, and here for a better look, is a tag I'm working on for my Tag Tuesday challenge "faces" which isn't finished yet.  I'm playing with this great flower template on it, that I got at Newbury (thanks, Alison, for the heads up on how great it is!)

Ok. those were taken Tuesday evening. Now I am going to completely embarrass myself at the total MESS that is my living room/craft room with these taken at 6 am today. This is the overall view of my room... yikes it needs a tidy up!    The first one is from the window to the door.

This is from the door to the window.  You can see the arm of the chair I stood on (see Monday post) so I wasn't in danger at all!

However, as I've said before, I don't have children and I don't have pets, so there is only me here!!

Anyhow, it's time to head over to Julia's to catch up on some more of your desks to see what you've all been up to.  I know this is another great waffly long post,sorry! I can't do short and sweet. Have a great Wednesday.
(p.s. sorry about the lack of background, tried to change it and can't get it to work from work!  Will restore it later!)

Tag Tuesday - faces

Today's Tag Tuesday theme is "faces".  I love this Judikins stamp and haven't used it for ages.

I used spiced marmalade and rusty hinge DI's on the tag after I saw what a fab combination it made here - thanks Helena!

Anyhow, I stamped the face originally in tattered rose DI but although I coloured the lips and eyes with pencils, decided it didn't show up as much as I wanted - so managed to line up the stamp again in black - amazingly! (it's a wooden stamp).

I then used wild honey and crushed olive DI's with a new Crafters Workshop flower template I bought at Newbury  - this is the first time I've used it (I met Alison there and she said how good they were)

I've added a Wendy sentiment and a paper flower that I've added some colour to and also some gold goop - Inka Gold, and a brad.
It's not how I imagined I'd do this challenge but it kind of evolved!

Monday - so its CCC 6

Linda has set us page 66 of the Compendium for this week's challenge and thanks to both Linda and Hels for suggesting some alternative "theme"  products I could use for now.

So, here is my effort. I'm not very happy with it, I think it's probably one where "practice makes perfect" - or more probably the right product!! (it's on order!)
I've used tumbled glass on the tag, and chipped sapphire on the bird cage, which is then covered with a light layer of rock candy crackle paint.  The number (6, of course, in tribute to the week) is covered with a download of a page from an old (1832) newspaper I was given.





The flash has bleached the first one out a bit, I've also loaded a pic taken without flash (standing on a chair arm so I could get high enough, with the tag on the window sill) if that's any better.

I've had this piece of decorative paper hanging around for ages - I stupidly only bought one sheet, and used some of it some months ago, but I'm rationing myself with the rest of it.

Can't wait for next week - Linda is promising us a "very exciting announcement" and there is once again a great prize on offer for the lucky winner. If you have the book, give it a go!

A grungey idea-ology day

Whilst watching the golf run away from the Brits again, I have been making another tag. (Yes, I know, but I've got lots now!)

Used my fave wild honey & rusty hinge DI inks with a bit of aged mahogany round the edge. Had a large grunge flower in my stash for ages which was coloured mustard seed, that didn't really go so I added rusty hinge to it, stamped another one for the middle, used a type charm,  then tore off a leaf whilst inking the leaf grunge...stapled it back together ... made a grunge rose (badly in truth) - its barn door, but I' ve added some distress stickles in spiced marmalade. It's still drying, but I've never learnt patience...

I've used one of Tim's compendium techniques that I haven't tried before, on the foliage pieces - distress embossed them.

That was fun to do. 

Sunday Stampers - Believe/Journey

Hels has chosen another fave song for this week's inspiration- Don't Stop Believing by Journey. I had to google it as I didn't remember it at all. I don't know what I was doing in 1982 but it wasn't listening to them.... I'd been working 4 years and already with my (now ex) husband though not married, so maybe I've blanked out the music we listened to!!  He was into heavy metal....

Anyhow, back to the challenge!!   Last night I was playing with a tag (what, not really?) It started with rusty hinge and crushed olive inks applied to the tag, splashed with water and dried.  Then I added a few drops straight from the dropper of wild honey reinker which I spritzed with water to disperse and dried.  Should have taken a picture of it at this stage..... but it's too late now, lol.

This morning when I saw the theme I thought I could use both Journey and Believe.  I have a great stamp of a world map (paper inspirations) and some nostaligc transport stamps (rubber stampede).

I should stop waffling and show you. I used chipped sapphire for the map on the tag. I think the main tag needs somethng else, but I couldn't find anythng that was right.

I made 4 small tags from a larger tag and stamped the steamship and bi-plane, plus the two Tim sentiments. These are coloured with weathered wood and tumbled glass. I attached them to the main tag with jump rings (but they keep falling off, I can't find any pliers to pinch them properly together and my fingers don't seem to do the trick. Every time I move it, something drops off.......) 

Here's a couple of close ups.

You can see the jump rings aren't shut properly!


























I spent all of yesterday watching the golf from St Andrews and will probably (!!) do the same again today, but whatever you do, enjoy your Sunday.

SDC - Christmas in July

NEVER have I made a Christmas card so early in the year, lol.  However, the Stampotique challenge is just that - Christmas in July.  And as luck would have it, it's an "open stamp" challenge, as I don't have any Stampotique Christmas stamps.

I have used a piece of chip which I painted with lilac eco-green paint and the Paperartsy Christmas Fairy, to which I've just added some bling and some milled lavender distress stickes to her wings.  I found a stamp with little stars on it which I stamped in distress embossing ink and immediately added glitter to.

The background card is stamped in a purple versafine ink and is an Inkadinkado snowflakes set.



Now all I've got to do, is remember where I've put it, come December. Oh yes, and to order those gorgeous Stampotique snowmen so I have them in good time for my "real" Christmas card making!!

Just for Fun

My cold is slowly getting better, and I decided to have a play - just for fun - today!  Just for a change (not!) I decided to use a tag.

I have used bundled sage and a little pumice stone on the tag itself and a plate of Tim stamps that I haven't used - well, only one or two of - before (hence the mish-mash on the tag here!)

I've used a variety of bits and bobs - a piece of paper from the Lost and Found stack, tissue tape (yum!!) and in the memo pin I used glossy accents and whilst it was drying I dropped some bundled sage reinker into the glue, and when it was a bit drier still, dabbed some of it off again, it was just too dark, you couldn't see the colour - but I like the marbled look it's created.  Looking at it closely the dabbing-off has caused a bubble..... let's pretend I wanted one!

Play Date Cafe 38

It has been too long since I managed to take part in a play date challenge but I love purple so when I saw this inspiration from Sarah I knew I'd have to have a go

I started by cutting some flowers (Tim's tattered floral die) on plain white card stock - which I coloured with dusty concord DI overstamping with my fave script stamp (you've all seen it before, from A Stamp in the Hand) and adding some purple and lilac buttons.

I found a lime green card blank which I stamped randomly (milled lavender and dusty concord) with the free stamp from lst month's Craft Stamper magazine and added the die cuts and a Wendy sentiment.

Thanks, Play Date, I've missed you!

WOYWW 58 -14.7.10

Well, here we are, another What's on your Workdesk Wednesday rocks up!  Thank you all for your comments last week - seems the nail polish was quite popular!! You make my Wednesdays, all of you, thank you.  Oh, and for those who are concerned about my back working on the floor - my back is fine, but my knees - well, that's another story.  I do have to get up and stretch quite frequently - or if there is cutting out to do I can lever myself up to the sofa behind me to rest them (the joys of living room crafting!)  Check out everyone elses desks here for a good old nosey!

Anyhow, what's occurring chez Helen this week?  Well, last week I responded to a comment on Jo's blog where she was offering to give away some no longer wanted goodies - which I was lucky enough to receive yesterday. Here it is spilled out across my floor - I haven't had a chance to have a good rummage yet, but, there are loads of bits and pieces and I am sure I will be using lots of it soon.
Thanks, Jo! Not quite sure where I will store them (this is why she was giving them away, lol!) but I expect I'll find somewhere sometime...

Still on my mat now though, is my Tag Tuesday tag proudly displayed in my "Mr Dunnit" easel.  Still a plain, unaltered lovely piece of wood... still haven't quite decided but I think I will keep it plain, it's such nice wood, and so strokeable!  (I have a collection of wooden fruit - hand-turned, beautifully polished - I love wood, it's so tactile.)

Not sure if I will be able to get round many of you during the day this week, (i.e. when I'm in the office.... ) but never fear, I will catch up with you later. As I'm prepping this on Tuesday evening, I am suffering with a cold, so I hope it doesn't get too much worse overnight - although if I'm home sick, then I could spend all day visiting....!!! No, mustn't think like that.

Tag Tuesday - Hearts

Tag Tuesday - another challenge site I found relatively recently - has a new theme this week - Hearts. 

As soon as I saw the theme I knew I'd have to use my fave Wendy V heart but decided not to stamp it on grungepaper for a change.

I had this tag base started yesterday (its not a very good pic, sorry) - Stampington's Elegant Stems stamped on tissue paper and stuck with glossy accents to a tag and left to dry overnight.

I stamped 3 hearts and coloured two with tumbled glass and stuck them as a sandwich with the tag in the middle - and the third with bundled sage.

I stamped Wendy's quote on a scrap and cut it into strips.  Finally I found a small wooden heart (cue Elvis) which I stuck to the tag and then covered with Beadazzles which luckily I have in bright blue!

This pic may be a bit clearer - although it looks as if I didn't stick the hearts together very carefully  - still, I suppose we've all had a broken heart once!!

Happy Tuesday. Do pop over to Louise's blog to check out some more great heart art!

Compendium 5 - distress powder

It's time for another Compendium challenge - page 43 - distress powders. Under the rules of the challenge I can't give you detailed instructions - you'll have to check the book for that.  Head on over to Studio L3 where Linda is hosting this addictive challenge, to see some more great art.

I made two tags - the first one using the owls (Simply stamps) from last week again, but this time with their big brother!  I've used vintage photo powder, stormy sky and dusty concord inks for the sky and antique linen and wild honey for the birds. 

For the second tag, I used Tim's large wooden numbers stamp and broken china powder, and coloured it once "cooked" with a variety of distress inks. Apart from "imagine" which is Wendy V's, all stamps are Tim's.    The idea for this came to me whilst I was waiting for the first tag to set.       There are some great prizes on offer, so if you've got the book, give it a go!

(And for those of you who liked the flowers in the last pic, there's plenty more from Hampton Court flower show up on my other blog - click here or the fountain in the side bar)

Sunday Stampers - Song Sung Blue

The Sunday Stampers challenge today is based on the song "song sung blue" and I have decorated a frame that I had in my stash!

I started with a base layer of Hels' fave paint - Claudine's Traditional Tan, and when it was dried I applied Eco Green paint "Lake" with a piece of cut n'dry foam.  When that was dry I used a baby wipe to smear over some of Claudine's Smidge of Blue, but wiped most of it off, I only wanted a hint of the colour.   The Paperartsy stamp was stamped in Chipped Sapphire DI. "memories" is by Claritystamps, and is black versafine.  I sprayed a fine mist of perfect pearly reinker over the frame for some shimmer, but I don't think it shows up too much in the photo.

I have used a portion of a photo from Hampton Court for the picture in the frame.
Go check out Hels' entry for her challenge this week, it is fabulous!

A little bit of this, a little bit of....

I had a fab day at Hampton Court Flower Show yesterday (click the fountain on the side bar for my photo blog to see some of the 140+ photos I took..... ) but I was too hot to do anything when I got home.  I think I had too much sun as I felt quite dreadful for a while and couldn't eat anything for dinner!  However, I'm fine again today.

I started this tag on Thursday night, it was meant to be another shabby chic attempt but hasn't really worked as well as my first one! 

I used rusty hinge and wild honey smooshed on the craft mat for the bottom layer and the dandelion stamp I bought at Newbury (it's first outing, or should I say inking!)  For the top layer I've used an adirondack dabber, in clover.  I don't think I left it to dry enough before I wiped it off, so I added some perfect pearl reinker mix for a bit of fizz!      I overstamped the dandelion in black.   Rembemer how we used to blow the dandelion seeds when we were kids, counting the time? (it really annoyed my dad, spreading the seets round the garden, lol) That's the idea for this....    Hence, to finish it I found a metal clock (remember that red sheet I embossed on the wrong side - using it up, see!) and made a mini tag that I stamped 'wish' on (Wendy V)

I did put this photo from Hampton Court on my photo blog but can't resisit showing you here too - the name of the display meant I had to take the photo, don't you agree?!

Finally, today I had this belated birthday card from Paula - have to show you - with all she has going on I think it's fab that she's got time for such beauty!  Thanks, Paula, it is lovely.

Have a fun evening, keeping cool as best you can!

Penny Black at Allsorts - Summer Challenge

There's a new challenge site with Penny Black at Allsorts that launched this month, and the current theme is "A burst of summe colour".

I have made a birthday card with one of my favourite Penny Black stamps called "letters and flowers"

and this great quote stamp.

The background paper is from Art from the Heart.
I have decorated the paper flower with some chipped sapphire (which is what I used for the main image) and a flourish stamp (the only one that's not by PB) and some glitter.

Here's a slightly closer view.











I've got the day off work tomorrow, as I am going to Hampton Court Flower Show - normally I go with a friend but she's on holiday this week, so I;m going on my own.  Should be a good day - just watching the TV coverage at the moment. Wish the forecast wasn't for quite such a hot day, but you can't have everything - a couple of years ago it was nearly washed out!   Stop by my "photosbyh" blog hopefully at the weekend for the pictures.