Cards & Trees...

...well, actually it is card and tree - talking in the plural makes me sound like I am very organised... not yet... but getting there! So, I have made another card - I know, I have 842 left to make but one is better than none right? *also, I have ... erm... bought some.. don't tell anyone though will you? ROFL* The card is a quicky one, which is what the rest of them will be because once I have stopped waffling on here I will be away to make the rest (after I have descaled the kettle again and scrubbed out the bathtub) It is Friday today, which means my DT day for Bubbly Funk - all the deets about this card are on the Bubbly Scrumptious blog...




So... the tree! Well, when have you ever known anything go normal and easy for me huh? In time honoured tradition, I got Grim to get all the boxes and baubles and tinsel and stuff from the loft and put it in the living room. Yep, all present ('scuse the pun) and correct. So, I started off yesterday morning at 6.30am (Grim is on earlies so we are up at stooopid o'clock) assembling the tree. I don't have real ones - as much as I love them, they don't love me and always drop their needles, no matter how much hairspray I waft at them or no matter what is says on the label about being a "non drop" tree. Anyways, I digress.. so, I assemble the tree which is easier said than done... took me nearly an hour to get it all together and neat. So, what comes next? Yep, the lights. Are you thinking... aw, they didn't work? Nope, not that... what had actually happened is that Grim, bless him, had put the lights up outside last weekend (when I should have been putting the tree up - there is a moral of the story here, I can feel in my water LOL) So, I go to put the 120 and 80 strings of lights onto the tree... and can't find the 80's. Aha, lightbulb moment, they are hanging off the front of the house. Well, I got all huffy puffy and couldn't find the old lights to use so I took myself off to bed in a sulk - thing is, when you are sulking it usually helps if someone sees you... Alfie doesn't count cos he just sleeps and ignores me. So, half an hour of huffing and sulking later, I went back downstairs and started the tree... I actually quite like it... but the lights are the old ones and are really yellowy... but hey, the moral of the story is... when your hubby is putting up lights outside, put up the tree at the same time, then you will see that the lights you need are actually missing!!! LOL



Anyways... the tree is done! Hurrah and thrice... and I have got my lovely special baubles on there... each year I buy a "special" bauble... there has been a gamut of birdy's recently... and this years is an owl.. he is a bit naff but I like him (mmm, says a lot about my taste!!) here is a close up pic - oh and ... sorry for the rubbish pics, I had to take the flash off cos it didn't show up the yellow lights LOL And... it is as dark as a badgers bum here today - am anticipating snow.. I looooove snow and want a huge heap of it so I can make a snowman!!!




Oh and yes, I had a few Q's on my last post... Caz said... she would send me her ironing to do as a diversion from making Christmas cards...send it on over Caz, I am a saddo and LOVE ironing!!! And ... Butlersabroad asked why I have two towels in my room... aha, that is cos I use them to wipe up ink and clean off my stamps - and one sits on my knee when I am crafting so it catches all the fiddly things that I always drop lol Oh and yes, before I go... have you seen the Sunday Stamper this week??? There's still time to join in and I am giving away the frame I made... deets are all HERE :O)) Right, I am off to do a snow-dance now... and to scrub that tub... those cards will make themselves won't they??? Thanks for looking... keep warm!!!

Hels x

Challenge Hels...

...don't worry, you won't have to see action shots of my backside wobbling as I run about for clues like the Challenge Anneka programme... nope, this challenge thingy that I have started is proving not only to be fruitful (in as much as I actually get cards made) but also... it is rather addictive! So, you know that my Room of Stash is actually a Room of TRASH at the moment... well, I decided to spend the best part of *ahem* seven hours yesterday trying to tidy it up... it is still not quite finished and to be honest, I am getting bored LOL I spent hours making little labels for my Blending Tools in the Craft Spinner...I am two tools short of a full set (that sounds wrong on so many levels ROFL) Anyways... (off I went on one of my waffles...sorry) I decided to have a little respite from the *cleaning.. ssssh... * and made a card.




The challenge was simples: to be made in under 30 mins, Christmas themed, must be a card, must have heat embossing on it and it must be flat for posting. The result is quite a...erm... flat card... which I don't really like - it needs something else, like layers for the sentiment and more bling... but, it was a challenge afterall. All the stashy bits, inks, stamps etc are available at The Artistic Stamper. I used Distress Inks, smooshed onto the craft sheet, spritzed with Heirloom Gold Perfect Pearls mists and then the card was dunked *I love that word... dunked... if you say it loads of times it sounds really funny...mmm, just me then LOL* into the inky mix. I dried it all off with a heat gun and then edged the whole piece with Brushed Corduroy.



The heat embossing part... do you know what? I hardly ever do this anymore and I don't know why cos it is like magic, seeing the powders melt into the image *actually, one of the big reasons why I started stamping is cos I loved seeing those powders melt... before that I was a strictly peel offs and stickers girl ROFL* Anyways... the layout of the card is an idea I picked up from the Duke of Distress himself after seeing some tags on his blog... he is so clever isn't he? The little pine cones are stamped and cut out and then blinged with Rock Candy Stickles (which don't show up on the pics)



Guess what? I got another pressie in the post today... look at him, isn't he just the cutest thing ever? Laura picked up that I looooove hares, I have a lovely collection of them which have featured here before.. well, bless her, she has made me a hare... he is a knitted character with a gorgeous little sweater that has an H on it... I think he is just perfect! I wish I could make something like this... I can knit (well, after a fashion - scarves mainly ROFL) but I would never know how to make a little fella like this... anyways... I just wanted to sHare (!) him with you. Well, I have waffled and gone off on tangents and now... I have to go back and get that room sorted... well, I have got a goodly reason why I need to get it done now... because.. in exactly SEVEN days... Ellen will be here, all the way from America!!! Actually, this time next Saturday I will be actually with her at the airport... OMG, I am peeing my pants excited and this room needs to be perfect and tidy for us to be able to come in here, make some art... and trash it up again LOL Thanks for looking.. have a fabby day... oh and there is a new Sunday Stamper theme tomorrow... TTFN

Hels x

Sunday Stampers - Week 129 - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

Goodly Morning Stampers and a very happy (albeit chilly) Sunday to you. Thank you all for the gorgeous winter creations that were entered last week - so many lovely icy themed pieces of art :O)) This week I have decided to chose a festive theme and you have probably guessed from the title that it is... SANTA CLAUS. To join in with the challenge all you have to do is make something; a card, ATC, altered art, tag (the choice is yours) and then include the theme and some rubberstamping. If you leave me a comment here with the link to the place you are showing your entry I can hop on over to see it. The theme will be open until 21:00 Saturday November 20th.



For my entry I have made a book - this is no ordinary book though! I have just had two lovely days at The Stamp Attic doing workshops to make a Book of Advent which is what I am entering for this weeks challenge.




Made up from Bazzill card, Fancy Pants papers and lots of Distress Inks and Christmas stamps galore, this little book is ideal for just sitting on the coffee table or a shelf during December and a new page can be turned each day (hence the title of the book LOL) The book is only diddy, measuring 3" x 3" and bound witih mountboard covers and a Bind It All.



I would like to say a big thank you to the ladies who came to play on Friday and Saturday, so without further ado thank you to: Sue, Laura, Anette, Anna, Debbie and Jude for playing on Friday and then to Ann, Julie, Kate, Thelma, Judy and Chris for making Saturday a total blast. Here is a pic of Saturday's class *Wendy is in this one too :O))* check out the face Kate is pulling at me... and poor Thelma was hiding behind the partition and such are my photography skills, well, they leave a lot to be desired ROFL And, the smug look on my face because I did remember take my camera, complete with battery and memory card was soon wiped off when I clean forgot to take any pics of Friday (ooops, it was even sitting on the desk in front of me - so no excuses LOL)




So, what have you got planned for today? I am planning to ... *pauses for effect* tidy the Room of Trash and turn it back into the Room of Stash because it truly is a pigsty in here and I haven't got any room left on my desk to rest on... anyways... thanks for looking... have a very goodly day... TTFN

Hels x