Paris Exposition

The wonderfully talented Helen Chilton has been busy making some fabulous pieces with the new Artistic Outpost stamp plate Paris Exposition. She has created an online class to make this hinged cnavas here and you can see more of her work in the new additons section of our Gallery here.

Pencil Pot

My DH asked me to make him a pencil pot. So I immediately popped over to Linda Elbourne's blog, she who is the Queen of the altered baked bean tin.

This is made using Grungepaper, Distress Inkpads, Tim Holtz Ideology and a few Prima flowers. I have popped the full details of how to make this there is a class on the shop website here.

Tim Holtz launched some amazing new products at the CHA show in America last week including 12 new colours in Distress Inkpads, some gorgeous ideology items, Paper Stacks and a Book called a Compendium of Curiosities all of which we have available to pre-order at the shop here.

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.