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!

...........................

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