The Winner!!!

I firstly have to say a BIG thank you to all my followers and new readers of my blog for reading my interminable driveling and ramblings , but most of all for being there! Without you the blog just remains in hyperspace, lonely and unloved! lol. I had so many comments and I know you all wanted to the win the candy, but there can only be one winner! I threw all the comments and the followers into Mr Random .org, and generated a number, and then went through the followers and comments, and the fact that you had posted it on your sidebar, jumbled them up and here is the WINNER!!

CHARITYCRAFTER!!!

Congratulations!! . Please email me your snail mail addy , so I can get your candy to you! Commiserations to everyone who didn't win, but never fear I will be back with more candy soon!

Have a very creative day, I am off in my truck to Leamington Spa for another show- Artisan and if you are coming by please say hi!!

woyww...the tidy fairy has been!

Just joking.. the desk looks the same, as I have been away at Ally Pally, and am setting off for Artisan tomorrow at the crack of dawn! The tidy fairy waved her magic wand over my stash and came up with this!! rofl  Racks of goodies, and stash all waiting for you at Artisan if you are coming along?



 I am almost sure that I won't be visiting anyone's desk this week, so apologies, but I will be back next week, and plan to visit a few...:)))
Thank you Julia for the Woywwing! Always fun every week!
Have a more creative day than me....

Leaping into Autumn with a new technique-Dip & drip!!

Well I am back from Ally Pally in one piece, despite the truck breaking down halfway home, and us getting a lift in an AA low loader!! grrrr! We had a great show, and I saw and met lots of people, and had fun along the way! Hels did a magnificent make 'n take, Zoe worked her charm on our customers, and Mal worked his magic with the till! Thank you! Hels will kill me (please be gentle with me..lol) but here is a picture of her, and Zoe and me, and oh my, I think my Ranger apron needs a wash!!! lol. I am a bit afraid to wash it, as it might shrink :((





I did demo, and came up with a new technique  (I think?) . It came about because I had some of Wendy Vecchi's new Art Parts "Clearly for Art", ( and her stamps, which will be online soon) and because we only had a few of them,and didn't have alot to experiment with,  I knew I had something similar in stock that might work the same...Duralar. Now initially this is a product ,(that as far as I know I am the only person who stocks it in the UK), is a non acetate plastic, so is perfect for storing Kling-On stamps on. But I know that is used for other things, so I experimented with it in the meltpot, and this is what I came up with!



Because of its properties which are similar to Wendy's Clearly for Art, you can heat and mould it, and bend it without it shrinking. I have been asked if it will work with printable and non printable acetate, but I wouldn't recommend it as these products could be flammable, and toxic. (I did try them ,, and they just don't have the same properties.)



To make these and any other shape.. die cut or cut out your Duralar ( I used Tim's Tattered leaves) , stamp one side with Archival ink, and gently heat to dry. Then dip with tweezers  into a very light coloured utee mixture,( I used a lot of clear, a tad of gold, green, and yellow)  and let the utee drip off until it is just a thin coating.  Place onto a non stick sheet until cool. Because they are leaf shapes it doesn't matter if they curl up. In fact I found the more intricate the cut the more they curled up, so simpler shapes are better. The possibilities are huge!

I have called it Dip & Drip! and have no idea if it has been done...but I love it, and will be experimenting more ...

Thank you to everyone who stopped by on Saturday and Sunday, it was great to see you, next stop Artisan on Friday....

I am also going to be at a Macmillan evening hosted by Leonie Pujol tonight at Thanington Resource Centre

Thanington Rd
Canterbury, Kent CT1 3XE
01227 767 720
If you can get along it is from 7pm to 9pm. We would love to see you :))
Have a very Creative day 

Sponsoring... The Sunday Stamper

Hi, hello and goodly morning... yep, tis me, Hels.. I have sneaked on cos the boss is up to her armpits in UTEE LOL demo-ing at Ally Pally.




This week The Artistic Stamper is sponsoring The Sunday sTamper challenge... and if you would like to be in with a chance of winning a set of the brand spanking new SteamPunk stamps, click HERE for a trip across to my blog to see all about it :O))



Here is a little pic of part of the entry I made for the challenge.. tis a really easy theme this week too. And... if you are going to be at Ally Pally today, please do pop on over to see us... I know Jennie will love to meet you and I will be the one sitting yakking and doing Make & Takes... and I too would love to see you :O)) Thanks for looking... have a fabby day...

Hels x

New Stamps are in the House!

Finally the new stamps are available, and I do so hope you like them. We love them!! Designed to go with our other Tick Tock stamps, there are flowers, and butterflies, and some gorgeous Christmas baubles! For those of you who love the nostalgic nature of Mabel Lucie Attwell, we have 3 new ones of hers too!! Here is a taster of a couple of them, and to see them all just jump into hyperspace, and pop over to The Artistic Stamper website!



I have to say that I am running on nervous energy at the moment, and am writing this just before I go to bed! If I am lucky I will get a few hours sleep before we set off for Ally Pally and the Big Stamp and Scrapbooking show! For those of you who are coming along, we have a great offer for you...spend £25 or more on anything you like, and get one of these- a gorgeous grungepaper rose pin!



Hels and I have been making them for weeks now, and there are 25 grungepaper roses every day, with a special GOLD one for a lucky recipient on both days! If you are lucky enough to receive it, you will get a brilliant bag jam packed with lots of goodies!
Hels will doing make and take all day both days, Mal will be overseeing it all, and Zoe will be on the till! I shall be demoing the meltpot and a new technique which I know you will love!
I will be back on Monday to show you what I was doing...but if you would like to see up to the minute pictures, I shall be tweeting from my phone in those quiet moments you get!! I think I must be dreaming lol......you can follow me by clicking on the link down the left hand side of the page.
if you are coming please say hi, I love putting blog names to faces, and if you are not, have a very Creative weekend
Hugs

Sneaky peeks!

I do think that you loved yesterday's post with my extremely messy desk.. well it isn't much better this morning. Just wishing I had time to tidy it up!! lol I am doing last minute bits and pieces for the show at Ally Pally, and then the packing of the van will begin.. We have doubled our size , so that means more goodies, and we have some great ones! All of Tim's new stamps,and his new dies and folders, and new to us Wendy Vecchi's and some Art Parts too!! This is alongside our new stamps too! I am so excited about these.. and all will be revealed tomorrow.. don't forget to come back and see! Here is a couple of sneak peeks for you



Have a Creative Day!

woyww.. and who pinched the Tidy fairy?

OK own up! who pinched her? I had been relying on the Tidy fairy for this week's WOYWW to come along and magically wave her wand, and tidy up for me! From the state of my desk I reckon it was another woywwer! You can see I have just dumped everything on it, and hidden in there are the new stamps:)))).. do you want a sneak peek? here you are then!



 I have been busy doing fab things for Ally Pally, making LOTS of new stamps, and emptying boxes of goodies for the show, pricing them and trying to pack them up again!! Here is my desk, and I certainly wouldn't show the state of the rest of the room.. even I am having a problem getting from floor to desk!!



For those of you new to my blog, What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday is a day every week where you show your desk in whatever state it is in! I am not ashamed... much!! Normal service will be resumed soon...lol.. does that mean I will have to tidy up? rofl
I will be back tomorrow with more sneak peeks of the new stamps , all being released on Friday, and all available at Ally Pally!
I am off to tidy up.. and hope to get round to a few desks this week.
Have a Creative Day!

Bewitching!

Over on The Artistic Stamper Creative Team blog, I have shown a very small piece using the new Witchy die from Mr Holtz. I am entering it into this month's Rainbow challenge which I set!! lol What do you mean I am not allowed?...oh ok! Well if I can't maybe you can? We give away £15.00 worth of stamps evcery month... so always worth entering and so easy.. just add colour!



I have a very busy day today, and hope to be back tomorrow with my woyww....
Don't forget to get creative!

From Summer into Autumn

Every month, I do a mini tutorial over on Gingersnap Creations, and today I used one of the new Alterations embossing folders: Cattails, which I have to say may well feature in more artwork soon :)) To see how I have used it pop yourselves  over to Gingersnap and have a look :))

Have a very creative day!

Curiousity Masking....

This piece is for Linda's great challenge Compendium of Curiosities over on her blog-. This week's challenge is masks basics, on page 58, and I used the new Alterations Rickety House die, made my own mask, and added a few extras. Spot the pumpkin patch texture fade...which I cut out and distress inked. A little bit of Mustard Seed crackle paint for the moon and windows, and a few flying birds. Was kind of wishing for a tiny witch face for one of the windows.. but I don't have one :((



Thank you Linda for the challenge, it always stretches my creativity :))
Happy Creating

Metallizing rosettes, and a little woyww

Firstly, I have to apologise, and say a BIG thank you to everyone who has commented on my blog this week. I am VERY busy working my way up to Ally Pally...pressing  stamps... ordering new *stuff* yummy!, and generally trying to get it all finished!I have even been designing new stamps for release at Ally Pally, and I cannot wait to show you them :))) I did manage a few blogs last week, but haven't a hope today, so many apologies.
However if you fancy a quick peek into my world here it is... with added artwork!! lol I received some of the new Tim Holtz Sizzix Alteration dies and folders on Monday evening, and I absolutely need to try the rosette out. I had an idea, and it worked!!! The rosette is initially only supposed to work with paper, but me being me, needed to try it with something else.. grungepaper is a definite no no, but metal works!!!! ( I am sure that I will get slapped wrists for saying it works, and I take no responsibility for you wrecking your die) Be careful as you push it out of the metal when cut, use tape to glue it together. I ran the middle through a embossing folder and used the Cracked embossing folder for the Tattered Leaves. I am in love!! rofl...



I am afraid these are only on pre-order now on line, but I will have them at Ally Pally (September 25th & 26th).
Julia, thank you for WOYWW. I am afraid this week, I blatantly used it to show you my rosette... (hangs head in shame), and if you are new to my blog, and have never heard of this growing phenomenon, check it out! it is a peek into worlds unknown, neat, and messy! FAB!!
Have a creative day

A hot time was had by all!

On Saturday I did a meltpot class with some gorgeous girls at Pickleberry Papercrafts. We had such a good workshop, and everyone behaved themselves! lol. WE set out to make a ring bound book or jouranal using moulds, and utee, and meltpot, and stamps, but everyone ended up with different pieces, and I think everyone made them into something different! I love it when that happens! Here is mine, and here is a picture of everyone holding up their absolutely fab creations! Spot the box of chocolates brought in my Kate's husband for us... yummy and such a lovely thought:)) Thank you girls for making it a great workshop.

Will be back later today with a creation..if I get time!
Happy Creating

Floral Grunging!

I finally managed to make the Compendium of Curiosities Challenge this week by the skin of my teeth with just  over 10 hours to go!! Phew! When I first saw , I thought brilliant.. I love making them, but what happened to this week? Where did it go? Seemed to have gone forward ten steps and back 20 !! Oh well ! I did find time to make them this afternoon, and have duly added my link to Linda's wonderful blog! Can't tell you anything about how to do them , as that is against the rules, just to say it is on page 65 of Tim's book, and if you are lucky you could even win one from me here!
Thank Linda for the inspiration.. here it is!

I will be back tomorrow with photos from my workshop, which was great fun as usual :)
Happy Creating!

Celebration Time!-edited to add more candy!!

Today is my blogaversary, and who would have thought 3 years ago, that I would be telling you about my days, showing you my ART (such as it is! lol) ,or trying to photograph you my VERY messy desk!

 I love what I do, I love that I make stamps, that I can indulge in making art, that I teach , and that I have learnt so much over the years! I also love that I have met so many talented people from all over the world too through the power of the blog!
 It is only made possible by you, who buy my stamps and products, and create with them...

So to celebrate I am GIVING AWAY over £100 worth of goodies, including Tim's Compendium of Curiosities, a wooden bird to alter, a Sizzix Alteration, lots of Artistic Stamper stamps, Kling-On, a mini suitcase  that is impossible to get anymore, grungepaper, and some idea-ology.

Who knows I may even throw in more ( some of the new Sizzix dies are winging their way to me for delivery on Monday!*wink*). Actually if we have more than 100 comments I will add a new die.

So... to WIN this all you have to do is make a comment below, add the candy to your sidebar if you wish, make a comment on The Artistic Stamper Creative Team blog too, ( checkout the art there.. stunning!) and become a follower of both blogs. My!  that means you have FIVE whopping chances to win!! That is good odds in my book!! lol. I will post all around the world too! The blog candy finishes in two weeks, and  I will choose the winner or could that be winners *wink* on Monday 27th September.

Just as an aside, a big thank you to Hels, who made the first comment on my blog, and encouraged me to go for it.... :)))
I need to get some sleep as I am making a mess with melt art at Pickleberry Papercrafts later today, and hoping to have some fun too!
Happy Creativity and good luck!

edited-- to add this wonderful Alterations embossing folder, as we now have more than 100 comments.. make it 200 and I will add more!!!





Good Luck in the draw!
 

It's Woyww day again!

It's Wednesday again, and that time of day when I get to show my glorious mess! I haven't had a lot of time to make ART this week.. just doing orders, and making piles of stamps, and packing Kling-On, and prepping for workshops....and getting orders in for Ally Pally Big Stamp and Scrapbook show! I have taken a slightly different angle of my desk this week,(which is a complete and utter total MESS!) and also twisted round to show you a picture of my shelves. Now you may think these are dis-organized or messy, but believe me these are tidy! and I also know where everything is! The white baskets are my glues and tapes.. amazing what you accumulate over the years! My favourite are the cases on the second shelf....just waiting to be altered..one day! rofl

If you are confused by what I am talking about today is What's On Your Workdesk hosted by our leader in crime ( or in my case grime!  lol) Julia! Pop over to her blog and check out the hundreds of desks on show!
Just before I go please do have a nosy at our Creative Team blog where we welcome a new member of our team - Tina! She is our special colourist, and will be bringing you gorgeous artwork every month.
Happy Woywwing!

Hopping mad!

Last weekend in our town we had an annual hop festival, where the beer flows, people dress up, bands play, and it is general mayhem all weekend! I love it, and always go and watch the bands, have few beers, hic, and wander round meeting up with old and new friends! This year my DD came down with 2 friends, and we had a brilliant day! Here are a few pics :)) of friends, and hilarious women/men on large shopping trolleys which were motorised.. boy did we laugh! , friends playing in a band, and lots of hops!! I totally embarrassed my children by dancing and singing along to the band!! rofl

Don't forget to pop over to The Creative Team blog to see Minxy's great piece, and this week it is my blogaversary..3 years , so I will be giving it away...!!! What will I be giving away... well pop back Saturday and find out!!
Have a creatively wonderful day!