The Humble.. er.. um.. TAG!

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OK, so my take on the latest theme over on Object D'Art challenge is a tad outside the box.

The theme is the humble TAG

But me being me i have altered a door hanger, which in effect is just a giant tag, of sorts!!!

Anyway.... here is my er..um...TAG! lol

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It's a wooden piece, which i coloured with distress inks, then just stamped an assortment of images, and finished with some glossy accents on bits and a wax clock seal and some gold wax.

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Thanks for visiting, this is the last post of 2008... so i'll see you all in 2009!

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xx Hugz xx

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An Artistic Stamper Xmas

I had so many cards to make and not enough time... isn't that always the case... {i make a promise to myself now to be better prepared next year lol} .. anyway... i took out my trusty Artistic Stamper Christmas selection of stamps....I've a few to choose from.. but i have my favs.. and here are just a small snippet of the cards i made using them.

I also used an assortment of papermania papers i have had for an eternity, and a few xmas brads i forgot i had, and my trusty distress inks.

Hope you all had a fantastic Christmas and I wish you all the best for 2009 x

Recycling Rewards - Going Green

My goodness, i managed to make a NON Christmas card!

The Basic Grey Challenge this time is Going Green, and you have to use something recycled.

This card kinda made itself as once i had picked a few random bits for the recycling part of the challenge {string, light wood bark, bubble wrap} it felt like it should have quite a natural look, so i found some fab BG papers to suit, the INFUSE pad was just the job.

I also happened across another Hänglar image {can't remember where on earth i got these but wish i had more} which was coloured with copic's.

I stapled a torn segment of bubble wrap on, threaded the string through a series of holes i had punched out and stamped the wording onto the small pieces of wood bark.

And here is my effort...

Oh and i also stamped ivy in 2 of the corners to finish it off.

xx Thanks for stopping by and Merry Christmas xx

Tis The Season...

...To be Jolly, Fa la la la la, la la, la la!

I don't know about jolly but I'm mighty happy with my finished card for the Friday Sketchers challenge this week, I adore Heidi's sketch #32 and may have to use it again to make more cards... but for now here is my efforts.

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I used all BG papers, {on the background one i also used a stamp from the Artistic Stamper to jazz it up a bit}, Prima leaves, and a Hänglar image {i really need some of these stamps} coloured using my copics..
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xx Merry Christmas xx

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Sunday Stamper WK 38

The challenge this week is Brown and Blue.

As i was on a drive to make Xmas cards, that exactly what i did, and funny enough before i even saw the SS i had already picked out these colours.

And here it is...

I used a CB embossing folder, Nestibilities, KARS stamp, and basic card stock.

{Sorry for lack of "how its made" details, i shouldn't even be on the comp, i should be concentrating on finishing cards, but i just can't stay away lol}

xx Hugz xx

Card Fever - 3 different Challenges

Well I've gone a bit challenge crazy in a bid to try and get some cards made, and here's what I've managed so far....

This trio's inspiration came from the STAMP SOMETHING! challenge this week which is SNOW.

I used DecoArt snow writer to add dimensional snow to the lamp-post and tree. The star and edging is copper leafed, and i used some acrylic snowdrops to give the sentiment an extra edge. The snowman was stamped onto and cut out of Grungeboard, with a Cuttlebug embossed background which was sanded to highlight the design. {the stamps are by Paperbag Studio - Artistic Stamper & Rubbernecker}

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The next challenge was PENNY BLACK SATURDAY, WK#26 - sketch by Beth.

I was really unhappy with how this card was shaping up but it all came good in the end .

{All papers used were DCWV rose tinted Christmas and the PB stamp is Waving Santa.}
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And finally i had my Dad's birthday card to make and found December's sketch #2 over @ SO SKETCHY, it was actually for a 12x12 page but i used it anyway as i liked the design, and i did keep the card 6x6. {all papers were Artic Frog}

Right, i must crack on as i have a whole load more cards to try and plow through, thanks for stopping by, & come back soon!

xx Hugz xx

Curtain Call #3

Hiya blog hoppers and friends alike, thanks for stopping by, and I'm glad you did as i have just managed to finish my piece for the third performance of the Object D'Art challenge,

This time round the alterable item is a canvas.

I had a few ickle ones that i picked up at ally pally this year, so i decided to cut some short lengths of a thickish garden wire and attach 4 canvases together by making small holes in each side of the canvas and inserting the wire to form bars between them.

Next i inked the edges of each with vintages photo and worn lipstick distress inks.

I stuck a couple of bits of old book pages to a couple of the pieces, and then just salvaged about in my draws {minds out the gutter please.. you know who you are lol} to find several ickle bits to assemble to create a finished piece.

Finally i stamped a few images here and there {all stamps by The Artistic Stamper} and it was complete. This was quite a quick make, but it was still fun all the same.

xx Hugz xx

Scrummy stash up for grabs

If you like candy then you'll love my friend Claire, she's offering up some super candy.. don't miss out visit her blog today ...

Christmas Candy

Check out the The Artistic Stamper blog where Jennie is giving away some blog candy every day up till Christmas Day.. you'd be mad not to check it out!

It's a Hat Trick

And no I'm defiantly not talking footy, so let me explain....

I'm a bit behind with things and realised i needed to make a card for a friends upcoming birthday, i had couple of stamped images ready and i picked out a basic grey {sultry} pad... and then i was stuck, I'm not great when it comes to layouts so i started going through this weeks challenges.

Hay presto, not only did i find Kazan's sketch #14 courtesy of

2 Sketches 4 You

which while i remember..

i have to share my Thankful List..

My 5 things to be thankful for are

1. A roof over my head to keep me safe

2.The love of a good man to keep me happy

3.A loving family and dear friends who are always there

4.A job to pay the bills

and lastly.. 5. My craft room to keep me sane {or mad if you listen to my friends lol}

but i also came across Challenge 23 on This Thursday which is Lime, Pink & Chocolate, perfect as the BG papers i picked are those colours.

So that's not only 2 challenges completed but also a birthday card to boot...SCORE!

xx Hugz xx

I was "Framed" i tell you

Objet d'art Challenge #2

This time round the curtains have opened up on the altercation of a FRAME

It just so happens i had a sad lonely cheap wood frame that i had coated silver and then left neglected for some time, i re-coloured the frame with a brown acrylic dabber.

That was the easy bit... I then must of spent a total of 2 or so hours stamping and cutting out what seemed like a never ending pile of multiple size Stitchel flowers, leaves & bugs from Basic Grey figgy pudding papers, once these were all finally done i further inked them to give an aged less shiny and new look. Then it was a case of just sticking em all onto the frame, i used silicone for this.

Ah voila.. one frame...

...but being me, i decided to go a tad further and decorate the back of the glass as well, i used a new twirl frame stamp available here to create a smaller frame inside using brown stazon, i let it dry. I have some fab copper leaf, which i stuck all round the stamped frame using my {once thought useless never used} Stick and Stamp pad {finally i have a use for it lol} and where it missed a couple of spots i dabbed some copper coloured acrylic dabber, giving the overall look from the front as sort of mottled. I finished with a cute image printed from my TH Distressables CD, highlighted a couple of areas using similar colours to those in the paper flowers to tie it all together.

It actually came out better than i thought it would so I'm quite chuffed with it.

What do you think?

xx Hugz xx

The Red Carpet treatment....

Recently I was very honoured to be given this award by not 1 but 2 peeps. Wendy, one of my very first {and somewhat neglected by me} online craft buddy, And Sue, a fellow Angel.
Thank you both so much x x

The award has such a great sentiment behind it and here is what it says:

This blog invests and believes the PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships! These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind blogger’s aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers!

Deliver this award to five blogger’s who must choose five more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.

{ok so i cheated a little and changed the amount of peeps i have to forward on to, it should of been 8, well you know me by now}

So.....To Hels, who was one of the people who inspired me to start a blog in the first place and whose blog continues to inspire me daily so a very heartfelt thank you!

To Jennie, For making me part of her Design Team which really gave me a confidence lift, and for getting my brain to work on the fab challenges she sets.

To Claire, whom i don't know what i would do without our crafting midnight hour chats, and tips on what to buy, where to buy, and where the sales or bargains are!

To Ann, who kinda started her Altered Journey the same time as me, and is keeping me company along the way

To Karen, who not only owns the most yummy stash shop, but makes fab art and who too keeps me inspired. And was kind enough to give me the following not 1 but 2 awards, FANK YOU very much xx

Alter a tin /me2u - the november edition!

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Over on Big Art Adventure this weeks theme is alter a tin, and it just so happens that's what i had done for this months me2u so I've killed 2 birds with one stone.

This was a first attempt at altering a small slider tin, i got a bit carried away with this i must admit lol. I coloured it using alcohol inks, added an assortment of thingies and wotsits to the front, some being Tim Holtz new sprocket gears, and hitch fasteners which are fab BTW, and can be found here, as can the clip holding it and the chain too!

The inside was also coloured using alcohol inks, i then added an old rusty key and piece of beaded cord, both stuck down with silicone glue.

Nothing fancy really, just messing about to be honest so i do hope that the receiver (Tina) likes it.

I also sent it wrapped in a little altered plastic case which i coloured again using alcohol inks, goodness what would i do without my faithful inks lol

xx Hugz xx

UTEE FUN

As i haven't posted for a while i though i would share some pieces i made about a month ago.

Experimentation #1

Having brought a Melt Pot some time last year i think!!! {being one of those I NEED items} and then promptly filling it on the shelf marked things to get round to... LOL, i really thought that it was time i had a proper go with it, it had been sat so patiently waiting to be played with for all those months after all!

A friend kindly sent me the Suze Weinberg Melt Art DVD which kicked my arse into gear to have a play, and here are the results.

I had alot of fun with this and am sure with a bit more practice, get alot better, but I'm happy with what i managed on my first try. I actually had the idea to try the paper UTEE beads but the wire kinda took over and i forgot all about the paper, maybe next time, anyway i have rambled enough... hope you like my efforts.. and for anyone who has a lonely melt pot like mine was... be brave, get it out, dust it off and have a play.. you'll be glad you did.

I added micro beads, mini charms and tiny watch parts into moulds then pored the UTEE in to create the square pieces and the other shapes are just wire and patients lol, i also finished a couple with foil tape round the edges.

xx Hugz xx

*NEW* Objet D'art Challenge

For all of you that don't yet know there's a brand new challenge site.
Owner Jennie of The Artistic Stamper has created not only a thought provoking, but a super fun challenge! If you love all things altered then you're just gonna Love this.

It is entitled "Objet D'art" and can be found here
Basically every 2 weeks you are asked to alter something.

Oh and i think there must be a bit of stamping used on the project too.

So if your fed up with cards this is the challenge for you.

The first challenge prompt is a Kitchen Utensils

And i have chosen to use a whisk

And have named the piece

Willow The Whisk

Details of how this was made to follow at a later date.

(I am going through some real personal stuff right now which is why i haven't posted in a while, please bare with me and hopefully i'll be back on top form sooner rather than later)

xx Hugz xx

TIN-TASTIC

I came across the most fab site through a friend and if like me you love all things altered then you have to check out the Big Art Adventure challenge blog . I was in a real down mood having wanted to craft all day and not feeling in the mood...then i checked out this blog and way hay i was hunting high and low for an empty tin can to alter (thats this weeks theme BTW) so having found a can i set to work.

I've not really worked with tin before and don't have the right tools but me being me, that didn't stop me lol, i started by cutting out a heart shape from the front using a pair of old scissors, some pliers and snips, the edges were very sharp so i cut some long thin strips of funky foam, made a small slit lengthways in the foam and then fed the foam over the edges and secured with foil tape, this actually gave the cool puffiness to the heart, because the foil was visible i cut several bits and randomly stuck them round the rest of the tin so it all looked even, i then used an embossing ball tool to run it into the grooves of the can and smooth it down.

Next i inked both the inside and out using Lettuce, Stream and Denim alcohol inks, punched out several holes round the top edge with my crop-a-dile, and eyeletted. Next i stamped one of my fav stamps (the large Moth from the insects and butterflies plate by artistic stamper) onto some shrink plastic using both blue and green stazon. Shrunk them down and attached hand made jump rings to them to hang round the sides using the cord which would also be the hanging base.

I squeezed a load of PVA in the bottom of the tin and then coiled in some funky fibres to give a greenland feel, added a few small embellishments, flowers, ickle frog, a tiny tin top bead using UTEE & watch parts as the pond and my fav, the CD moth.

{this was made by stamping the Moth onto an old CD using again blue stazon, then using a heat gun to warm the disc and cutting it out slowly, heat-cut-heat-cut.. you get the picture, then added some twisted wire antenna's and attached to the tin propping a tiny bit of foam behind to bring it away from the wall a bit}

finally, i added a couple of sticky ladybugs and the tin was complete.

I had sooooooo much fun making this and look forward to the next challenge.

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xx Hugz xx

Wearable Idea-ology! (SOYBS challenge)

While surfing the net I came across some fab creations using the new Idea-ology range by Tim Holtz... I love these elements so just had to give it a go.

This necklace was made using the following

Idea-ology elements.. (all of which can be purchased here)

Swivel Clasps

Sprocket Gears

Ball Chain

Game Spinners

Jump Rings

Long Fasteners or any Brad if it fits

oh and the use of a pair of pliers and that's it.

Just have a play, use the brads and jump rings to attach things together, and most importantly.. have fun.

Simple yet effective.

This piece ties in nicely with this weeks challenge on Step outside your box saturday where the theme this week is Metal.

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xx Hugz xx

BUSTED

Well in a way!!!

I recently purchased a fab polystyrene bust for Jennie @ the artist stamper, i wanted it as a prop to take photos of the necklaces i had made, but as it came all plain and bare i just had to alter it lol.

I tryed to keep it quite plain so as not to deflect from the items i will hang on it but still keeping it interesting, i decided on some fab writing type papers.

All i did was to dilute some PVA with water to make a paper mache type glue, then just shredded the paper, dipped in the glue and slapped it on in a random fashion.

It was a very slow, very sticky process but had lots of fun and am happy with the way it turned out.

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xx Hugz xx

October "Me 2 You"

Yep, another month and another project for one of my fellow Angels, this time Shaz.

Some time ago i made a motherboard (inspired by a card *of which you can see one similar here* i received by Angie).... what the hell is a motherboard i hear you ask... well basically you just take a sheet of plain paper or card and collage it, with papers, stamps whatever.... when complete it is called a motherboard (don't ask me why, i don't know!!) then you can use this to cut up and make great backgrounds and stuff on cards.... all sounds like alot of work your thinking.. and yes your right, it took way longer than i thought, and i still haven't done anything with it lol... but i digress, anyway at the same time of doing this MB i had some spare bits of paper and an old wooden picture frame, so decided to use up the bits by colleaguing the front of the frame. When done although i liked it, it just looked plain and un-interesting... and had been sat on my desk for several months looking so until recently when a sudden light bulb went off in my head! It's strange but great how sometimes an idea will just capture you and something you had no clue about one day, suddenly becomes clear the next.

Anyway i think I've waffled enough.. here it is completed...

I stamped friend onto the glass using black stazon and a large alphabet stamp set, then turned the glass over, stamped a couple of swirls in green stazon, followed by a an all over inking with my alcohol inks, let this dry, replaced the glass back in the frame and placed a piece of card over the whole back to seal in and protect from any damage. I then used glossy accents to highlight the wording from the front.

To finish i just added a few prima flowers, coloured a couple of clips using my sharpies and clipped one to each corner, added a couple of mini screw hooks and threaded a ribbon to hang.

Now it looks interesting and i do hope that Shaz likes it.

xx Hugz xx

September's "Me 2 U" swap

As you may already know i am part of a swap with fellow Angels called Me 2 You, Last month it was Tracey W's turn to recieve from me, and now i know she has recieved it safe and sound i can share it with you all.

xx Hugz xx

At Last... Stuff to see....Altered Stuff... not a cute image in site!! lol

Hello and welcome, it's been a while i know but i have been laid up in bed for over a week (with a small outing to AP in between.... well it had to be done) with flu but i am slowly feeling better and am now able to show some of my recent makes.

The first couple of pieces were commissions for Jennie @ The Artistic Stamper to display on the boards at some of her upcoming shows (details on her site)

This first piece is made from an old hardback book, pages stuck together, sections cut out and then decorated... All the stamps i used are Artistic Stamper.

This is a wall hanging piece.

(left)I used a thick gold embossing powder and stamped into it while it was still hot (right) I stamped the Santa image onto shrink plastic then once shrunk added some stickles for added dimension.

(left) again i used shrink plastic on one of the other Santa stamps and the candle was stamped onto acetate, coloured from behind and suspended so it floats in the space (pic doesn't do it justice) (right) Is just a stamped image that i layered up to add dimension and a shrink plastic star.
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The next piece i did was an altered CD clock.

Although i failed to find an old CD, but close enough was the clear CD protector piece you find in computer CD packs, which actually worked out far better.

Again all stamps used are Artistic Stamper.. including the large art doll.

I stamped on the back and front of the clear CD to get the mirror image of the figure, stamped the remainder of the images on the back, coloured some in with sharpies, let dry & then used alcohol inks to splodge a background. I edged the CD with a gold pen. I then stamped and cut out the doll pieces, stamped over each part with the number stamp, inked round the edge with a black pen, I used brads to assemble so as you can see from the pics below, the arms and legs are able to move, I then made a small hole in the middle of the tummy for the clock movement to go through. Placed the now dry CD on top of the doll and fed through the clock piece, added the hands, which i also coloured with a gold pen as the hands were a bright green! And hay presto.. one Altered CD Clock.

Well thats just a couple of pieces for now.. more to follow very soon

xx Hugz xx