The Evil Returns with HDH

Last October saw the last challenge from Haunted Design House, oh what a sad day that was!!
The Minions have kept in contact though because us weirdos have to stick together. Other people of the same mind set will understand what I mean. We decided to have a little fling and show you all we are still alive and kicking and that the chains can be loosened from time to time and that we can come up for air once in a while.
What better theme than "The Evil Returns". I made an ATC - yes all this is on a small MDF piece 2.5" x 3.5" The MDF blank and the little 1" reaper in the bottom right hand corner are from "Things to Alter" The technique is as taught by Andy Skinner.

The central figure emerging from the rock, into which he had been entombed, is just a metal charm painted different colours.

Please pop along to the blogs of my fellow minions - the links are all on the HDH blog - and show them some bloggy love. You can always join us on facebook as well you know!!

I'd like to enter this into the challenge at
The Dark Attic - Anything Goes

Lost in Music

WOW has it been that long since I posted here?  I must admit I've been suffering from a serious lack of mojo in recent weeks and that is, no doubt, something the majority of you out there can identify with.  I did, however, get my finger out and put together this wooden desk tidy that was picked up at one of the craft fairs I was lucky to attend earlier this year. It's been sitting there, in a bag, waiting patiently for a few weeks. Finally it's voice was heard and I set to. needing to get it out on the desk.
It's a three box tidy, different sizes.  First the MDF needed to be sealed and a mixture of PVA glue and black paint achieved this. When this base coat was dry, each of the four sides were treated to a different design. I would then be able to ring the changes occasionally by turning them round in the base tray.
I apologise in advance about the picture quality - I lost my camera and needed to use that on my mobile phone.

The first side
Inspired by Pantera's "Cemetery Gates" and being my DT piece for Haunted Design House this month. "Lost in Music" - any project inspired by a piece of music.

 This is how all the sides, when assembled, fit together. For the post, the sides were photographed as I went along.

The music score BG is a stamp from Visible Image. Stamped using a silver pigment ink and dusted with silver pan pastel. Sealed with DecoArt Decoupage. The inchy stampbord panels were joined in sets of 4, coloured with distress inks before stamping with some inchy stamps from Inkadinkadoo. The little panels then edged with silver embossing powder before adhering to the sides with glossy accents.
The second side

These are decorated using the rubber versions of "Haunted Places 1" that were available from Smeared Ink and now available in digi format from the Zibbet shop of Rick St Dennis.
The third side

these sides have been stenciled firstly using silver DecoArt metallic paint. then the big skull from the skull sheet of Rick St Dennis was printed out a number of times in 3 different sizes. These were decoupaged  before dipping in UTEE.
The fourth side

Heat embossed using a stamp in my collection of unknown origin and silver embossing powder.

It's a Love/Hate Thing - Feb challenge with HDH

February - that month when many will be concentrating on that day that falls in the middle. That day when more than a few of you will be declaring your love to those whom your affections have settled on. What's the flip side of that bundle of emotions that many call Love? Hate of course. This is the theme for the challenge over at Haunted Design House. Love and it's flip side - Hate. So .....it's a

Love/Hate Thing

This is a Christmas ornament that I started painting but just couldn't finish. For a few different reasons. It seemed the apt project to complete for this month's piece. A heart shaped wooden piece that has two totally different finishes on it. 
Decoart products used throughout.
The first side features a technique that I first attempted with the help of a dear friend and fellow minion - Black Dragon. This project had me all on my own.
Stamping into clay. I used a few of the images from the Rick St Dennis rubber collection from Smeared Ink - Dark Holidaze

The piece was painted in Americana Antique Teal then dry brushed over with copper from the Dazzling Metallics range

The flip side

This was first painted with white Gesso to give a textured finish. When dry a coat of Americana Golden Straw was painted on and dry brushed with Americana White Wash. Then an old tooth brush used to spatter Americana Cherry Red. The swirls are from the "Paris" Stencil - again available from Decoart with the same Cherry Red paint.

The image is from De Stempenwinkel Gothic Halloween plate #47. Stamped onto tissue paper and applied with Decoart Decou-page.

To hang - a piece of coiled copper wire with a length of black organza ribbon.

Your turn - you can have upto three projects entered in each month. Are you in a lovey dovey mood or has this emotion turned sour? Come show us all at the HDH dungeon - we'd love to see where your heart lies.

I'd like to enter this heart into the challenge at
Smudgy Antics - Anything Goes

Catch-up and sorrys all round

Where do I begin?
It's been a month since I last posted here. If it weren't for "No-Luck", I'd have no luck at at all!
Life and all the lemons that it could throw at me this month got in the way and sucked a mega amount of mojo out of me. However I did make a few projects for one of the DT teams I am on. Haunted Design House.
The first - well the challenge has been and gone but I'll show it to you anyway.
For the challenge "Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble" using black green and purple, metal and a flourish.
I actually made two projects. One - a "tree of life (or death?) using purple and green beads on some black wire. Twisted into a flourish for that gnarled tree trunk and embedded into a glass tealight holder with hot glue. A little black crystal skull and a grave stone at the roots.

The second was an altered tin. Using a stamp from Smeared Ink's Morbidly Adorable set.

Coloured with promarkers before embossing with a TH folder. A flourish was stencilled on in purple.

plenty of black distress ink and adhered to a tin before sealing with decoart sealer.

My next piece is for the still current challenge.

"Number of the Beast"

To celebrate the fact we have reached that magic number of followers on the HDH blog. 

An altered "book box"

Top and bottom 

Covered with "faux leather" as per Sheena Douglass. Without the embossing. 

I wanted a "peeled skin look"

The 3 "monster heads" form the feet of the box.

On the top - the number 666 is in the pentagram. This is really just card, coloured with pan pastels then liberally coated with "rock candy". 

Some metal corner embellishments to finish off.

on it's side to look like a book

The "leaves" and where the box closes are coated with gilding wax in antique gold.

 When all was dry, the whole thing was sprayed to seal with crafters' companion's spray and shine

and inside ........ not forgotten

This (with a few goodies from my stash) is just a small prize for the winner of this monumental challenge over at the blog. You really need to check out the rest of the prizes up for grabs.

I'd like to enter my book box into the challenge at

Unstampables - Alter something/mixed media

It's A Monster of a Day

I have two pieces being displayed in the May Monster Blog hop.
My first wearing a Rick St Dennis hat at Airless Chambers.
My second wearing the hat that I hang at Haunted Design House using images from fellow Minion Teri at Delicious Doodles/Darkness.

 Using my new toy, I cut a grid from white card and matted onto black

The sentiment is computer generated in a word processing program

The image is Skullcycle from Rick St Dennis. Coloured with promarkers and graph'it pens.

The bg tyre track stamp is from Visible Image

Some of the cut outs from the white mat used to give a chain saw effect

Some parts were highlighted with glossy accents to add a bit more dimension.

My second offering is part of a series of ATCs. These feature the Horrorscope images from Delicious Doodles/Darkness

So many fabulous Blogs taking part in this Monster Hop. Please go visit them all and then you can vote on your favourite HERE

Horrorscope and HDH with Delicious Doodles

It's the second week of our journey into the realms of the astrological plain at Haunted Design House. Teri, another of the HDH minions and her Delicious Doodles are sponsoring this fortnights challenge of

Astrological Atrocities

There are almost a complete set of Horoscope images and their darker counterparts "The Horrorscopes".
The shop is a must to visit - all genres catered for!!

My project is "just" a simple card. I couldn't and wouldn't want to detract from this fabulous image.
I chose "Pisces" as this is my birth sign. The image was copied and rotated to show the two fish as per tradition. That's where tradition stops though. Eight duplicate images were also printed and coloured so that I could decoupage up the delightful little fish.

 The ribbons are all from stash. The base card of a mucky green was given a black mat before some sanded coredinations (pre-embossed). Then the image - also with a black mat.

The image, as I said was printed onto the base card but before all the pieces were added it was given a bath in different distress inks

and showing the layers a bit better.

I need a new blade in my knife now, lol.

There's still a few days left to get those entries in peeps.

I'd like to enter my card into the challenge at
Make My Monday - Add Dimension
Parade your Crafts - Down by the Sea (this is in the sea)

Freakers Free-For-All

That's "Anything Goes" in normal blog-speak but at Haunted Design House we like to do things slightly different, as if you didn't know by now. So

FREAKERS' FREE FOR ALL

it is.


I was lucky enough to come across this awesome "little" craft shop whilst on facebook and, as luck would have it, not far from where I live. McOyster Paper and Crafts is fast becoming a favourite place. I love browsing round, stroking papers, eyeing up the new things that might find themselves a new home **grin**. Whilst there is "normal shtuff" there, there's also much more. I'm saying all this because I'd not heard of Prickly Pear stamps before and  Adrian had some hanging up. There, hiding in the nearly cute bit, I found this set. Ok they're cuter than some but.....

I have a little ATC for you this week, made using the set I had to rehouse.

I bring you "The Happy Couple"

 A total of 15 stamps on this little offering. Much masking done but I got there. The BG stamp is one from Sheena Douglas btw.
After all the stamping, a splash of colour on the bride's headdress, a touch of lace, some 1/4" ribbon with symbolic knots and some tiny metal flowers from stash.

A little flower at the top of the ribbon arch as well.

Looking forward to seeing your art displayed at Haunted Design House for us to come and admire.

I'd like to enter this ATC into the challenge at
Creative Corner - Anything Goes
Inky Chicks - Masking
Created With Love - Anything goes
Scraps of Darkness - Anything Goes

Hangman

It's the second week of the challenge over at Haunted Design House. The challenge that requests that you use knots or a noose somewhere in your project.
I felt I had to have a real hard double think when I saw the image I was going to use being used by another of the minions and so wonderfully. I then remembered a Graphic 45 rubber set I have in my collection. Rummage, rummage yayyyy.
An ATC as I was still putting together one of my projects for tomorrow's massive Skull-a-bration bloghop. More of that later.....

My ATC

The ladies are that stamp I was searching for. Then there is the bird and tree branch from the De Stempelwinkel Dark Boundaries set and after masking off the ladies a TH compilation ATC stamp.The words were computer generated and stuck on. The noose.... well I couldn't find my string so had to raid the shed and this is the only twine I could find. I will, no doubt, change the green for another colour. This'll have to do for now.
Your turn to get those knots brushed up on and come show us your knotty work over at Haunted Design House.

Love is in the Air

Another Valentine's card from me again today. Something a little bit different from my last cute post!
Mmmwwwwaahaa haaa!!!

This is a gate fold card.
Made as my contribution to the DT inspiration for both Smudgy Antics and Haunted Design House.

The challenge over at Smudgy Antics is to make the Gate Fold Card -  simple - the twist is NO CUTE, well we tolerate them. We do prefer things a bit edgy over at our challenges there. So Gothic, alternative, creepy, humorous, risque, vintage or creepy are the order of the day - take your pick.

The challenge over at Haunted Design House is Famous Last Words. Making something that captures last words of a film, book, death bed quips?

My the front of my card uses the new rubber set I received as my monthly set last month of the Smeared Ink Rubber Club.
The Heart Wings set is available as a digi in the shop though.

The Heart and the words are all heat embossed in black. The DP is so old I can't remember the source. Some red/black lace and some red and black flowers. The panel has the baby hearts stamped all over as well. The white die cut frame is using die'sire die. Some red and white pearls added for more decoration.

Inside - well this is where those famous last words come into the project.

The Angel from the As Death set - stamped and fussy cut out with the last words of all good (and bad) fairy tales. Computer generated and torn out before distress inking in red.

Your turn peeps
Join us all at both or either Haunted Design House and Smudgy Antics with your last words and/or gatefold cards.

I'd like to enter this into the challenge at
CDAC - Anything Goes challenges
Incy Wincy Designs - Pearls and Lace

Haunted Design House are BACK

Yes, the dungeon caretakers at Haunted Design House are back after a seasonal break. What better challenge than a 

Freaker's Free For All 

for you all to get your creep on.?

The format has undergone a slight change in the break. We now run the challenges for TWO weeks. This will hopefully allow for more "drying time" of your projects. I know I've taken pics in the past of projects before the glue's set or the paint's still wet - just to catch a deadline. We will be still posting weekly on the blog - just to show you what we made.
I made a pair of earrings. I used a couple of rugby ball shaped brads as my base. Feet cut off and sanded until smooth. A couple of little raven cabochon in my stash that have been sitting waiting for a home. Filled the empty space with black gems.

The box was hand made - needed to be a certain size to  take the top.
A piece of copper that was embossed using a stamped image from the Smeared Ink, Quoth the Raven set. This is the link to the digi set. I am lucky enough to own the original rubber :D

I heated the copper before adding to the box and then sanded a bit.

Papers from my scrap box covered the box framework and velvet ribbon to cover the sharp edges of the copper on the lid.

Come on into the dungeon and show us your wares. Will a little "Please" work?

I am entering this project into the challenge over at
Quoth The Raven - Anything Poes
Anything but a Card - With Wings

Haunted Design House with Day 24 of the S&S 31 Days of Halloween

Well, there's only a week left of the 4th Smeared and Smudged 31 days of Hallowe'en blog hop. This has been a blast so far and I wish I had more time to go visit all the other blogs joining in. What with working as well my time is at a premium so I hope I'm forgiven for not being a hopper as well. For all the rules the forum and Terra's blog are the best places to get the info. Including that of all the fantastic sponsors that have been lined up. There is a list still over on the right hand side bar of my blog should you find your self lost.

One of the sponsors for every day is the fangtastic Rick St Dennis. His Etsy shop is full to the brim of some fabulous images. He also has a facebook  group and a group over at Paper Craft Planet. He is also the sponsor this week over at Haunted Design House!

My post today is also part of the Wicked Wednesday inspiration(?) of Haunted Design House.
The challenge this week there is "Nosferatu Ad nauseam"

You are to create a dark, Gothic, or Halloween-based art piece

that has anything to do with Vampires. Lots of vampires!
Tribute to the unholy Vampire!!
Fangs, blood, sensuality.
We want to see your interpretation of the beautiful or the deadly Vampyre.

I bring you, today, a simple door hanger. The two images used are Vlad and Vanessa, Both coloured in promarkers with pencilled backgrounds.

Mounted onto a chipboard door-hanger that was first covered in a paper from Crafty Chaos.

The words were written in "Fluffy Stuff" from Woodware and heated on both
sides
On Vlad's side I also added red stickles to represent the fresh blood.
Some teardrop red gems in place of real blood.

















We'd love to see your Vampyre themed projects over at HDH this week.

The blog list is still there in my right hand side bar - should you get lost

Valerie is the very talented lady you will, no doubt have visited before me, and now is the turn of the beautiful blog of Sharon.

The challenge blog of Rick St Dennis is also having a Hallowe'en themed challenge as well - Why not come link up there as well.

See you tomorrow

Day 15 with Smudgy Antics and Haunted Design House

Only one project today folks. Yes I know most of you'd be expecting one for each of Haunted Design House and Smudgy Antics because it's Monday. I hope you won't be too disappointed with what I have for you here. This also fulfils my 15th Day of the Smeared and Smudged 4th, 31 Days of Hallowe'en Celebration. As before - the blog roll is on the right hand side bar and the rules etc and list of  fabulous sponsors are at The Smeared and Smudged Forum and at Terra's Blog

The challenge at Haunted Design House this week is R.I.P. (rest in peace or rest in pieces?)

and the challenge at Smudgy Antics is Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead)

A card made to commemorate and celebrate the life of those loved ones, departed from this life.
I used the card sketchy from the Smeared and Smudged Forum challenge this month as the inspiration for the layout. 
The images are Smeared Ink of course. The Dia De Los Muertos mask is from the Dance with Death range and the frame is from the Glam Vamps Accessories. 

Coloured with promarkers. (7 different reds and 5 greys!! lol) I printed out two images so that I could mask off and spray with my home made mica spray. (purple perfect pearls, black soot re-inker and water)

The paper is from the DCWV La Creme stack. The die cut behind the image is Crafter's Companion's Die'sire Magic Mirror and the little swirls are a sizzlet die.
The flowers were sprayed with cranberry colourwash (because I couldn't find that many little red flowers in my stash). Three red tear drop gems to finish. All mounted  onto deep red card then a dark cream card base.


Now you've already been and seen the fabulous blog of Valerie, and seen what she has for you today so now's the turn of the lovely Sharon. 

But before you go - there is some news I must tell. It concerns the rules of the Smudgy Antics Challenges 

There will be no more top 3 or random winner. Our Design Team will vote for ONE winner and that person gets a button and prize. You do not have to use a Smeared Ink image to win. We pick the best of the entries so bring your A-GAME!

See you tomorrow.

A challenge I'd like to enter this into is

Poisoned Peas Please - Sugar Skulls/Day of the Dead

It's Creepy Cryptids at HDH

For Day One of the 31 days of Hallowe'en bloghop please scroll down one post. Thank you.

Welcome back to another Macabre Monday over at Haunted Design House.
This week's challenge - should you decide to take it - is to make something - anything - that depicts a cryptid. What is a cryptid? I hear you ask. Go take a look at the very long list of creatures as defined by Wiki.
We are being sponsored this week by Cryptocurium.com. and there is a fantastic prize awaiting those lucky winners Gruesome Twosome.
I went the easy route and went with the mermaid theme. A Scottish Selkie to be precise. This image can be found at fellow minion Teri's shop, Delicious Doodles.

I made a small frame for the image to contain all the layers using paper from Crafty Chaos (come back Susan, we miss you xxx)

The back ground was painted using luminescent paint, loading the brush with both yellow and blue to give that uneven wavy water like look. The layers were fussy cut out after colouring with promarkers and before building up.
The base layer of the card had patina stickles swiped at it before a strip of bright green drippy goo was laid down. All layered onto a wavy edged card.
Your turn folks.

This post will probably be slightly edited later on Monday - I'm trying to schedule my posts again because of the 31 days of Halloween, Smeared and Smudged post

Gone Batty

Hi there. I'm doing a duel post for both Smudgy Antics and Haunted Design House this week. Not because the challenges are similar, but because my projects share a common theme. I hope you'll forgive me.
First - you've probably guessed my theme - BATS and all Fat Book Pages



First up is the fat book page for Haunted Design House.  The theme is Music! You are to create a dark, Gothic, or Halloween-based art piece

that uses a song or song title as your muse.

Mine should be obvious to anyone that likes a bit of good old Rock.
Meatloaf's "Bat Out Of Hell"

The hell image is from the 'net. The bat is from a collection of Smeared Ink - A Little Bit Batty #3. Three layers only to keep the thin wings. Then coated with UTEE.
The heart is from the rubber "Quoth The Raven" set which is also available as digi. This was stamped and embossed in red on red cs. I decided it needed more so a liberal coating of rock candy followed to give the broken heart effect.
Some edge punches of drippy goo in two coloured reds and a grey fence
I did have some little heart shaped gems to add - but do you think I can find them?

For Smudgy Antics' challenge - Creatures of the Night.
This week we want to know what scares you or creeps you out.  You know those bumps you hear in the middle of the night?  The shadows that lurk in the corners of the room?  The crawling and clawing sounds you hear going up and down the walls while you try to sleep?  We want your artistic creation to show us those menacing Creatures of the Night! 
OK, I don't find bats menacing or creepy but they are generally night time creatures.
Again from the same set, but using #4 and #1.

on an inked background using distress inks

using another picture from the web. Both bats are again coloured with promarkers, cut out and glued with pinflair before dipping in UTEE.
I hope to eventually get a whole fat book made up with these little cuties as a theme, in the meantime, these are the first three.

Your turn to show us what you got :)

CASE (copy and steal everything)

A tall order set by the Minions over at Haunted Design House. Especially when you consider their work is so exceptionally good. Have a go time!!!
I chose Teri's card - it seemed the easiest to do.

So purple and black card stock - got loads of that. A mermaid image - I'm lucky enough to have that as well. :)
black lace and feathers - check!

I do have to adapt slightly of course  - but this is what emerged

The dimension is there as well :)

The image is Teri's through her shop at Delicious Doodles called Black Pearl.

Several different layers making up the whole. The frame is a cricut one from the Happy Hauntings cart. I used two different types of black coredinations. Kraft core and lilac core. Some black lace and pearls. I added a purple feather as well as the black. Also the pearls in the image have been dosed with glossy accents.

This is going to be entered into the following challenges
Haunted Design House - Case A Minion
Craft Us Crazy - Favourite stamp company and/or found inspiration (Delicious Doodles are one of my favs)

Eye Aye

No, that's not a spelling mistake.
Haunted Design House set the challenge "Eye Can See You" and this is my challenge entry.
Doubled up with a card I had to make for a colleague that is leaving us to start a new life in another town with her b/f. She's a "bit of a Goth" so hopefully will understand and like this. Not your normal parting gifty lol.

The card itself. The image is from Jem's Designs, Gothic CD. I enlarged one of the pics, cropping down so just those eyes were the focus. Layered onto pearlised deep red card then onto black that I had heat embossed in red some "paper artsy" eyes. Then onto a cricut cut frame then more of that pearlised red before the final black card base. Some black lace and some black gems top and bottom with a simple sentiment diecut with a nestie. The reason for that spelling "AYE"  - we're in Scotland and this is the word for "yes"
This LO is following the sketchy over at the Smeared and Smudged forum this month.

Inside

This is the original image and a little message with space for people to sign their names.

I am entering this card into the challenges
Haunted Design House - Eye Can See You
Smeared and Smudged - Very Sketchy