Happy Christmas Everyone

Wishing you all a merry and peaceful Christmas and a fabulous, shiny, happy and creative New Year

from all the Happy Daze Team

Craft Stamper Feature

The January issue of Craft Stamper, due in shops on 4 December features the Keeper stamp plate by Artistic Outpost in the regular Stamping Contrasts article. The article shows how four different stamping artists use the stamps. Two of the artists, Paula Whittaker and Helen Chilton, are from the Happy Daze Design Team. Both Paula and Helen have made additional pieces using the plate for us to enjoy.


By Paula Whittaker

Materials used...

Black card blank

Versafine Black inkpad

Distress Ink: Brushed Corduroy

BasicGrey Lemonade papers: Splash; Sunshine; Tee Time; Sunkissed

Making Memories Tiny Alpha

Cut a panel of blue paper smaller than the card, tear off the bottom edge and ink the edges with the Brushed Corduroy, stamp the grass stamp along that edge and adhere to card. Cut a panel of the pattern paper and tear off the bottom edge, ink the edges and adhere to card. Stamp the boy on to the Sunkissed paper, trim out, ink the edges and layer onto a blue panel. Cut out a circle from the yellow paper, ink the edges add to card then overlay with stamped panel. Stamp house on to blue paper, cut out house, cut the two side panels from the veranda, use foam pads to adhere to card. Finally add the wording.

ATC by Helen Chilton

Papers for pastels: light blue; beige

Coloured pencils

StazOn: Jet Black

Card by Helen Chilton

Papers for pastels: beige

Coloured pencils

StazOn: Jet Black

7 Gypsies papers: Notting Hill Collection

Welcome to Helen Chilton

We would like to say a big hello to a new member of the Design Team, Helen Chilton -

What can I say for a bio…?
I live down on the South Coast, am married and have 3 children, the youngest of whom is now 14! We’ve also got two dogs, one of whom we call Mad Max (a bit like me really!)
I teach part time at a nursery school which is great fun, and the rest of the time work from home on various craft projects.
I love colour, the brighter the better if I’m honest. I’ve tried the cool and sophisticated look but never know when to stop! When I get the time, I like experimenting with different inks and techniques and surfaces, and really just doing my own thing! I go for stamps that are arty/collage style and Happy Daze stocks lots of those, plus interesting things to stamp them on!
I am lucky enough to write for Craft Stamper and am delighted to be joining the Happy Daze team.

The picture above is a piece of Helen's work using the Artistic Outpost "The Outpost" stamp plate.

El Día de los Muertos and Marie Antoinette

Carol Fox (aka Ginger) has decorated one of our Mexican Tin Nichos in a Marie Anotoinette style to celebrate El Día de los Muertos or the Mexican "Day of the Dead" which takes place on November 1st and 2nd. Traditions include building private altars honoring the deceased, using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed, and visiting graves with these as gifts. Scholars trace the origins of the modern holiday to indigenous observances dating back thousands of years, and to an Aztec festival dedicated to a goddess called Mictecacihuatl.

Our aged tin Nichos come from San Miguel de Allende in Mexico, where they are used to create shrines and house icons. Each has a glass door which opens into a recess. Each Nichos is hand made and unique, each one will has slight variations in colour and cut.

Carol has provided the instructions to make the Nicho which can be found in our Articles section.

Blog Candy Winner

The random number generator has done it's thing and or winner is Kay with the interestingly titled blog "Making Things from Stuff" Go visit her blog here. Kay please email me with your post address to send the Love Layout Page Kit to and an email address to send your digital Gift Voucher. Congratulations on winning.

If any of you have a moment go visit all the followers blogs. I have and there is such a wealth of fabulous, inspirational and diverse work to be seen, you will have a good time blog hopping that's for sure.

"Pure Love" Layout and Class by Ruth Phillips and Blog Candy

Ruth has designed a gorgeous layout and class for this week's UK Scrappers Home Page class using one of the Happy Daze Page Kits featuring 7 Gypsies Victoria range and some Prima bling. You can find the kit in the shop here. You can find Ruth's instructions on how to make this lovely layout in the Articles section of the shop here.

To win our Blog Candy of a FREE Page Kit and a £15.00 Voucher to spend in the Happy Daze shop simply become a follower to this blog, exisitng followers are entered automatically. For a second chance to win just post a link back to this post on your own blog and leave a comment that you have done so.

Blog Candy will close at 12 noon on 30 October and the draw will be by random number generator.

The Happy Daze Shop is delighted to announce it's Design Team, comprised of creatives from Scrapbooking, Stamping and Mixed Media. Over the coming months the Team will be creating work using Happy Daze products - stamps, papers, page kits, alterables etc to give an idea of how they can be used. They will also be producing new projects and classes. We have loaded some examples of the Team's work into our Gallery which can visit by clicking here, or visit the individual blogs listed on the right.

The Design Team are -

Mel Brough

I'm a sahm to 3 kids. My mum introduced me to card making about 2 years ago, pretty basic things at first but then I discovered blog land and quickly progressed onto stamping and altering anything I could get my hands on! My first love will always be stamping, I love stamps that are out of the ordinary, my favourites are Paperbag Studios and Paper Artsy, if I had to give you my ultimate favourite stamp it would have to be Smile by Stampotique, I love him he's incredibly quirky & versatile. I find my inspiration from all the brilliant artists in blogland, there really is no better place to find inspiration than blog hopping.

Jo Capper-Sandon

I trained originally as a printed/woven textile designer and so love texture, colour and layering and generally work with mixed media and recycled bits and pieces. I'm 45 and live on the south coast of the UK in a beautiful tranquil village with my husband and two sons (6 and 18).

I belong to various stamp manufacturer Design Teams including Art Journey, Paperbag Studios, Crafty Individuals, Paper Artsy and Stampotique Originals as well as producing various pieces of artwork for craft shops, online stores and Gingersnap Creations Challenge site. I also write on a regular basis for Craft Stamper magazine.

I really enjoy creating with all the different designs and to think of new ideas and ways of working, which hopefully, inturn, gives other people incentive to develop what they've seen further by adding their own twist, taking it to another level.

Julie Dandy

Aka: ScrappyDandyDoo

I'm married with no kids,just a daft dog, and am the youngest of a large family which gives me lots of photos to scrap I work in a busy department store as a visual supervisor which I love as I get to be creative as I work. I have been scrapbooking since 2004 and was a cardmaker before that, but I have always been a crafter from a small age. I would drive my mum mad cutting and sticking and often made my dolly's clothes :D As a teenager I learned to make my own clothes, often cutting the patterns myself, as I liked to have my own style (I wont be sharing those photos believe me LOL). I am currently researching my family tree and have some amazing vintage photos to be scrapped.

I love all things vintage and, like my dad, am a big hoarder! I tend to squirrel things away until they are just the right thing so often use old bits and pieces in my work. I have a bit of a thing for vintage lace at the moment and mini frames so you will see quite a lot of those in my work. love hybrid scrapping and often use digi kits to print embellies or acetate overlays. I seem to have quite a grungey style too, and even when I try not to my work is still labelled as grungey! I also love to recycle bits and pieces especially packaging from craft and every day products, or even broken jewellery, spare buttons etc.. I'm an active blogger, and an active member of UK Scrappers so say hi if your passing. I love Happy Daze site for my shopping as it is full of fabulous little finds.

Linda Elbourne
Aka: Linda_E

I have been crafting since forever in one form or another. My passion for stamping took over about 5 years ago. I am a Ranger girl at heart and love nothing more than trying new things and getting inky and messy ... My style is eclectic ... if that is a style :0) and I will give anything a go at least once! I have been known to sky dive and abseil on occasion! I love the ethos that Moira beings to Happy Daze and I am extremely proud to have been asked to join her design team.

Debbie Fletcher

Aka: Krafty Kitten or KK

By day I work in IT Compliance and Security for a Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices company and by night I live in my beautiful home with two gorgeous Chihuahuas. I have been crafting for 10 years now. A lady at work got me into it and took me to the Hobbycraft show at the NEC - and all I could think was - stamping images in black and colouring them in would not look that great - how wrong I was! Once the possibilities became evident to me, it opened up a whole new world in my creativity. What started as making a few cards for friends and family became a big part of my life (and took over an entire room in my house)! I also write poetry so that makes card inserts a doddle, and I love to scrapbook and alter things too. I wouldn't say I have a particular style as such as I love to try new things and experiment all the time. But when I find something I love I tend to stick to it for a while before moving on. Have fun creating with Happy Daze!

Carol Fox

Aka: Ginger

I am Carol AKA ginger both in the real world and online. I have been crafting in one form or another since I was tiny. It started the summer I realised I was tall enough to reach the treadle on my Mum's old sewing machine and I have havent stopped since. I have tried most things and still do most of the crafts I have learnt over the years. But now my real loves are Mixed Media and Altered Art as absolutely anything goes. I love nothing more than a good rummage around a junk shop for old bits and pieces to use on altered art projects. I can usually be found either in my craft room or on my allotment.

Siobhan Fry

Aka: ceruleanblue

I've been scrapbooking for just over two years now after reading about it about it in a card making magazine. I only ever made about five cards as I realised that you have to give your card creations away but with scrapbooking you get to keep what you make! I found my way onto the UKScrappers forum and lurked there for about six months before creating and posting my first layout. I love scrapbooking because it allows me to be creative in my own way. I don't consider myself to be artistic or crafty, I can't draw a straight line for toffee (or stick photos on straight for that matter!), but scrapbooking gives me that creative outlet that I crave. I'm not one for producing quick and graphic layouts as I really enjoy the whole process of getting inspired, choosing papers and embellishments that will enhance what I am trying to convey with my layout. I often choose time-consuming techniques that will absorb me for a while so I can switch off from the workaday stresses. I'm thrilled to be part of the Happy Daze design team, and hope that you will enjoy my creations.

Ruth Phillips

Aka: alteredgeisha

I am delighted to have been offered a place on the Happy Daze design team, the beautiful products available in the shop are just my style. It took me such a long time to get to find my own style, and when I finally did it was a huge relief. I discovered papercrafts when a Scrapbooking shop opened in my neighbourhood four years ago. It was love at first "stroke" and I started to attend card making classes as soon as I could. This progressed to techniques classes and during this time I totally fell in love with making 12x12 layouts. My style has since developed over the years and I would describe it as a distressed shabby vintage look.

I couldn't survive without my scissors and distress ink for making my edges shabby and glossy accents for keeping my paper flowers in place. Die cut shapes form my biggest collection as I only use them for tracing around to get the base for the next layout. I am inspired by the papers first and often nearly finish a layout before the right photo is found to compliment it. For me its all about shape, design and complimentary colours. My altered items tend to be of a practical nature and are often very pretty with lace and lots of bling on them. I love grungy altered art but always feel the need to add a photo to it....I think maybe thats the part of me that justifies this hobby by saying it's preserving history for my kids!!

I am extremely lucky to be on a few design teams, have won some challenges on SB.com and have been published in Scrapbook Inspirations and on-line. I am looking forward to this exciting new adventure with Happy Daze and creating lovely layouts from these gorgeous kits to inspire you.

Paula Whittaker

Aka BB

I live in the UK, I'm married and I have one cat. I love gardening and photography but my main love (I was going to say don't tell my husband but I realise he already knows this) is papercrafting. The affair started in 2005 and I'm still all consumed by it! My other roles include Designer for Daring Cardmakers, Designer for Gingersnap Creations and Guest Designer for the Spring 2007 issue of Take Ten. My work has appeared in Handcrafted, Card Beautiful, Craft Stamper and Stamper's Sampler.