A winter birthday card

Birthdays don't stop round Christmas just because hallmark and clintons stop selling them. Before I started making the odd card, I used to have to buy the December b'day cards in November and the February ones in January because Valentine's day takes over. No excuse now lol. This one's for my step daughter. Born Old Year's Night.


I've used a Sassy Studio Designs image and the sketchy from Seems A Little Sketchy Challenge Blog.
There's no designer paper used here, just dry embossing. For the top panel, the embossing folder got inked with my SU! whisper white pad and the dark blue cs laid in and run through the big shot, backed with pale blue. The back panel is black/blue cordinations. Again through the BS and then sanded and backed with more pale blue c.s. All mounted on grey blue c.s.

The same grey blue was used as a mat for the image.
Coloured with promarkers with icicle stickles on the fur and glossy accents on the mug, lips and eyes. The image and mat were cut and embossed with a spellbinder die and while the die was in place, a touch of DI brushed on.
The organza ribbon has some beads dangling with the happy birthday sentiment that was stamped onto shrink plastic and heat treated after adding some more DI.
Some "Ice" gems up in the tope left hand corner to finish.










I am entering this card into the following challenge
Seems a Little Sketchy - Their Sketch #3
Charisma Cardz Challenges - Anything Goes
Ladybug Crafts Ink - Bingo - I've used the RHS line - Embossing, Charm, Pearls

Delicious Doodles New Images coming soon

Teri From Delicious Doodles treated us to a preview of some new images coming soon to the shop. They are also available to view on her facebook and CDAC pages.
This co-incided with me having to make some rushed money wallets on Christmas Eve. OOpps forgot until the last minute. These images are fabulous, not Christmasy but still wintery.
This is what I came up with.

Both essentially the same but still unique. The inside of each is just an old brown envelope. I have a heap of these that the sticky bit isn't anymore. Heat embossed with snowflakes and some distress ink used to colour.

a circle punch used to create the access.
The fronts
Both images coloured with promarkers and ink distressed. Matted and layered with paper and card with some lace and ribbons to tie. The flowers are available from Karen at Duck Pond Crafts as well as the little charms hanging from them. The extra beads from stash.
Money added and slipped into stockings. Job done.
A closer view of each


Aren't these images gorgeous!!!
Keep an eye out in the shop for them.




































I am entering these into the challenge at
Paper Creations Ink - Something old (envelopes) something new (images)
I love Promarkers - Anything Goes
Charisma Cardz Challenges - Anything Goes

12th Day of Smeared & Smudged Christmas

Our last day (Boo Hoo) of this awesome blog hop. Two days before the big day for those that celebrate Christmas. The space under our tree is filling up as pressies get wrapped. All our kids are grown up and don't expect Santa to try and get through the small vent opening of our chimney anymore. Nearly everything is done and I might even get to relax tomorrow night before the work of Christmas day starts. At least this year I will have major help with the cooking as my son has volunteered his services.
Anyway onto today's projects. Yes - two today as it's the last day.
First up is a candle. This features one of the Grumpies from Smeared Ink that have stolen the hearts of my family.

The image was stamped onto tissue paper, coloured in with promarkers and adhered to the candle by melting the wax with a heat gun. A paper sleeve on top that has been punched with my MS drippy goo punch. Paper is Echo Park. Then round the base, more of the same paper, fringed and some silver embossing powder heat set on the edges. Stamped and heat embossed "Merry Merry Christmas" on acetate and
on the paper itself - Merry & Bright - twice. Some faceted stones threaded onto wire and tucked into the sleeve as further decoration.

My second project is also being entered into the Smudgy Antics challenge this week - Wicked Christmas
We were originally going to have this challenge week's theme "Gothic Christmas" and the following week's theme was going to be "Wicked Santa". Because we are giving 2 weeks for this challenge, we are combining the themes. You may choose either theme to work with or combine the two.

Mine's more of the Gothic Christmas with just a tad of wickedness.
Complete with fallen halo. hehe. A bit dark here on the tree so here's my little angel taken off the tree and subjected to the light.

Where's the stamping on this you may ask...
It's evident when you look at the back.

I used the raven's wings from the Poe plate from Smeared Ink.

The body is made fro a semicircle of black card and the sleeves from 2 smaller circles.
I covered the body with white lace and the sleeves with 3 rounds of narrow white lace. These were attached with a couple of brads apiece. A tree bauble for the head. The halo is twisted silver wire, bent over on purpose - this angel's halo has fallen. The black feathers were attached with pinflair glue and the heat embossed wings stuck on top then stuck the panel of lace back over.

Well that's my lot for now. Please go look at the amazing talent of my fellow bloggers. The list is over on the right.
I am entering this into the challenge over at
Smudgy Antics - Wicked Christmas

11th day of Christmas with Smeared & Smudged

Nearly at the end of this fab blog hop organised by the Smeared & Smudged forum. The last day will be on the 23rd and no doubt there'll be a splendid array of eye-candy that day as well by my fellow bloggers. Back to today though.
A very simple tag for attaching to young grandson's pressie that Santa will no doubt have left under our tree by mistake. Going to have a house full apparently as he with his mum and dad have invited themselves to Christmas lunch hehehe. The more the merrier and Christmas is all about the children. I miss having the young'uns sometimes now that ours have all grown up.
Back to my tag. I didn't go overboard with it as no doubt it'll end up in the rubbish bag along with all the wrapping paper. Just something to make it that bit more special than the shop bought ones.



I used a Kenny K Father Christmas image, coloured with promarkers. Boots, lips and eyes have been given a light coat of glossy accents.
The base is glossy paper with DI rubbed over then spritzed with a home made shimmer mist after running through the bigshot with a snowflake plate. A bit of ribbon attached before backing with a scrap of Christmassy DP. The Merry Christmas ticket is chipboard, well inked, some self-adhesive letters from "that box of bits that might come in handy" coloured red with promarker again. Attached to the ticket and more glossy accents added with just a light dusting of glitter. Some holly leaves from that same box and red gems for berries.
Santa was attached with foam tape. Some ribbons to tie with some jingle bells.
See told you - quick and easy.

Blog list is still over there on the right for you merry hoppers to follow and get to see the awesome projects the others have made.
Thanks for visiting

I am entering this into the challenge
Stamp, Scrap & Doodle Saturdays - Bells

10th day of S&S 12 days of Christmas

What a busy week ahead, those last minute preparations looming. Todays offering is an ATC. It is a reminder that up until 80 years ago, Santa looked very different. The modern day Santa, with his red suit and rotund figure, was invented by Coca Cola as an advertising ploy. Don't believe me - look it up.
So this ATC was to mark this anniversary.


It's the last scrap of the acetate sheet. Honest. (For now, hehehe hohoho)
The script with written on by hand then heat embossed on.
The image is from Stamp It Crazy last year. Coloured with promarkers then loads of DI to give it that old grungy look.

The scrap of purple with the skull is from Crafty Chaos. The gravestone is a rubber stamp, origin unknown, cut from more of the coredinations used as the base card.
As before, the list of fellow bloggers is over there on the right, please don't forget to got visit them as well.
See you wednesday for another project. Thanks for visiting

9th Day of S&S 12 days

Three quarters done and only a week to go before it's a case of "if it's not bought/made - it's too late". For our month long blog hop over at the Smeared and Smudged forum it's "Smeared Ink Day".
My project today is a card.
I used the sketchy from the forums card sketch challenge and Watchful Eye digi from Smeared Ink.


The dark green coredinations was sanded as a base. The skully paper is from Crafty Chaos.
The sentiment is computer generated. The raffia and plain papers from stash.
The image was printed a few times, coloured with promarkers and decoupaged up. I played with some UTEE, melting pot is going to be under the tree so this was just the granuals melted with a heat gun.



The links to my fellow artists are over there on the right.

I will be entering this card into the challenge at
Smeared and Smudged Very Sketchy Challenge -their sketch

8th day of S&S Christmas

Another attempt at scheduling ... wish me luck.

Today's post is all about the tree. I've made 3 ornaments. 2 are stamped, the other is just twisted paper. They are all glittered in one way or another.
The two stamped ones are made using the same stamp but both look so very different from each other.

Stamped out 6 times onto white CS with jade green ink and coloured with promarkers. Each layer was cut out then embossed with red glitter powder. Three layers at the back are the same as the front, just a piece of thin red ribbon sandwiched between to hang. Some red gems added. This is the only pic without glare as it's so shiny.
see.









Number two - stamped onto acetate

Patina stickles to fill the holly leaves after colouring in with promarkers and icicle stickles in the middle. Some dewdrops adhered with pinflair glue gel. After it was cut out and sandwiched between the die cut borders of course.

The third one is made up from 6 squares of paper.

No stamping on this but still a very effective ornament nonetheless. A touch of more of the patina stickles for a little bit of sparkle. I've been trying to find the link to credit the source of this idea. I'll update my post if it comes to mind.
That's about it for today. Blog list is over on my side bar for you to carry on hopping

A step away from Christmas with an ATC

It's another challenge over at the Smudgy Antics blog. This week it's to create something that is inspired by either a book, poem or film.
You probably wouldn't believe the thought processes that led to this theme. I'll tell you anyway.
First off a pic of the ATC.....


I'm not going to spill what book/film this is meant to depict just yet. Anyone guess yet?
As I was saying, I need to make some sort of label/tag for a couple of jars that contain crystallised orange peel. I also wanted to make it kinda steampunk-ish.
Then this book/film came into my head and would not leave. The subject/content of the film is not suited very well to being part of a gift though. So I went with a seperate ATC to get it all out of my system.
The back of the ATC is orange handmade paper, then a music background stamp on card that was well distressed with orange DI. The steampunk triangle is from a Moonlight Journey sheet.
a couple of watch parts attached. The top layer is a Smeared Ink digi stamp printed onto acetate and attached with a brad just where one of the notes is printed.



Anyone guess yet?

A Clockwork Orange

I am entering this into the challenge over at
Smudgy Antics - Their theme - This is both a book and film

7th day of S & S 12 days of Christmas

oops late again
This should have gone live about an hour ago. Oh well

My project today is some table napkins that will be part of the table settings on the big day.
There are two stamps used on these. Both from the occassions Grumpies set from Smeared Ink.



I used an flat sheet that was hardly used as we use fitted sheets nowadays. I find it hard to throw something like that out so has been lounging in the bottom of the linen closet for at least two years. I cut off a large strip and then cut that into 4. Hemmed all 4 sides before stamping the images with stazon.
Heat set then coloured with fabric dyes. Heat set again.
There we have it. Quick(ish) and simple once the cutting and hemming was done.
















The blog roll is over on my side bar for you to go look at everyone else's creations for today.

day 6 of Smeared and Smudged 12 days of Christmas

I would be more organised if the internet would behave itself. Or rather the weather. That isn't about to happen any time soon so will have to work around it.
Anyway.... we've reached the half-way mark with day 6. woo - hoo.
Today's project is something that will find it's way into all the stockings of those big and not so big kids.
Snowman Soup!!

I've made up a few so far but have a few more to do.

I've used a discontinued Stampotique snowman, Coloured the image, scanned it and then made into a .png image so that I could add the text and print out loads all at once. Cut out then added just a touch of icicle stickles for that bit of shine.
All packed in a mug then sealed in a sandwich bag. Really simple and loved by my lot.
contents of the cup are
Couple sachets instant hot chocolate
little mini marsh mallows
candy cane

Now don't forget the other bloggers - list over there on the right
See you on tues
Take care

X-travagant Xmas and day 5 of 12 days of Christmas

A dual post
It's challenge day over at Delicious Doodles. It's all about Christmas this week. The challenge is to go overboard on the Christmas embellies etc and that's just about what happened here. I'm not normally one to use a lot of fru-fru on my cards. So this one is quite extravagant for me.



I used 3 of the images from Delicious Doodles shop - The Pine Cone Corner, The Ivy Corner, and the Merry Christmas Sentiment.
All coloured in using promarkers, the c.s. distressed with bundled sage DI and various elements layered up for depth. The holly leaves were given a coat of glossy accents. MS pine branch punch used on some old gold thin card for the edges on the top part of this twisted easel card.


Some old papermania chrimbo paper used on the base with some pleated satin ribbon. The sentiment was cut out with a die cutter and layered onto the square and some white and gold glitter added.
My new TH pine cone die came in handy for this didn't it!





So let's see those cards over at Delicious Doodles Challenges .... pretty please.

As I mentioned right at the beginning - This is a dual post. So while you're hopping along with the Smeared and Smudged 12 Days of Christmas - have a look over at Delicious Doodles as well and go see the beautiful DT creations there.

I am entering this into the challenge over at
Joanna Sheen's Challenges - It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

4th Day of 12 days of Christmas with Smeared and Smudged

here's hoping blogger will autopost this ok this time.

My 4th day project is also an entry into this weeks Smudgy Antics Challenge. This week the task is to create something along the "Steampunk on the Darkside" theme.
My project is a "Christmas tree". It has a gothic fairy, Seriba, from the range from Smeared Ink sitting on top.

I used a papermache cone that a friend had previously given me and covered in dark green coredinations that I had lightly crumpled and sanded.
The cogs are TH die cuts, heat embossed with metallic powders. I stapled on some small boiled sweets to the cogs and then stuck to the tree base with strong glue dots.

The comes Seriba. I coloured her with my pencils then scanned and printed out several images - reversing half of them. The wings are made from a drinks can that I embossed with some TH gears. The opposite aspects so the tree can be viewed from all sides without seeing plain card.
Hence the "inside" of both sides also have the relevant side of the image stuck to it.


As you can see from her feet here.

I am entering this into the challenge at
Smudgy Antics - Steampunk on the Darkside
Paper Makeup Stamps - Cut out your digi - I did, several times
Daisy Doodles Creative Challenges - Something Sweet
Flutter By Wednesday - Open

3rd Day of 12 Days of Christmas with Smeared and Smudged

Edit: Blogger was auto'd but didn't :(

Hi folks, yep, already day 3. Today I have combined a project made for another forum as DT member there - Stampin'Dymonz' Scrap Shack.
This weeks fancy card is a Snow Globe Card
I've used one of the new Delicious Doodles images - The Penguin Family.


Bit of a glare - sorry - acetate isn't kind to a flash but I've tried to reduce it a bit. The base was made using a paper from Crafty Chaos Designs.
The image was touched with just a little bit of coloured pencil in yellow. All the rest of the work has been done by Teri. A bit of icicle stickles to highlight the sun hitting the snow. More stickles on the front, rubbed in so that the paper glistened softly. Afew snowflake peeloffs.

Inside


I stamped and heat embossed a little rhyme about penguins. I mixed silver and blue embossing powders with a little bit of silver glitter to give a slightly distressed look and sparkle all in one.
That's about it for me. There're loads of awesome creations being made and posted by my fellow artists. Please go look. The list is over on my side bar.
The next day is wednesday ... hope to see you here

2nd day of Christmas with Smeared and Smudged

So to day two of the blog hop organised by the folks over at the Smeared and Smudged forum.
This is also the day when the DT showcase some of the fantastic new digi stamp releases for Christmas. As I'm GDT for December, I get to play as well. Yayyy.
I was sent Drinking Buddy Elfette and a couple of the gifts; Skull Wrapped present and Spider Wrapped present to use. I made a card.
.
The images were coloured with promarkers and then ink distressed and grunged with DI.
The sentiments are computer generated by me. The main BP are from Crafty Chaos. The other, I think, is from papermania. All mounted onto a Kraft card base which was also well and truely distressed. The cord from stash.
The blog roll is on my sidebar incase you get lost. Don't forget to go visit all the other awesome creations made by the rest of those talented people over at the forum.

The First Day of Christmas with Smeared and Smudged

The first of the 12 days that the folks over at the Smeared and Smudged forum have organised. For full details please go to the forum.
My project is also the challenge that I am setting as GDT for December.
A Yule Log



I used all natural elements gathered from my garden and surrounding area, log,holly,ivy, evergreen branches. There are 3 logs wired together. Some holes drilled in to house the candles.
Then some stamped images were coloured with promarkers.
I chose the images stamped for me by a friend from Smeared Ink. These depict the four "elements" of Water, Earth, Fire and Air.








































Air and water have been coated in UTEE. All images are held in place with wire, coiled to hold the pics and secured to the log

Please see the blog hop list over on my side bar to visit all the other awesome pieces created by my fellow artists.

Day 2 is on sat 3rd dec so please pop back for more.

E A Poe

Smudgy Antics Blog has a challenge this week. To make a "something" inspired by Poe and/or his works. Not that hard to do. Has to be stamped somewhere, either digi or rubber and the added bonus is that if a Smeared Ink stamp is used, the prize is the awesome DT creation made by Blackdragon!!!

Here's my humble offering... first time at altering a canvas!!!
Edit - Ike asked "how big?" It's 5"x7"

Three poems were at the front of my mind when creating this. "Annabel Lee", "A Dream Within a Dream", and that old faithful "The Raven"
Loads of different things and techniques used here and I really enjoyed it. It was daunting at first as all the tutorials I watched about transfering images to canvas used "gel medium". What to use? I tried gesso. It WORKED.... yayyyy.
I used images from Moonlight Journey as a starting point, printed onto thin card, (I find the print quality is better). I applied a coat of white gesso to the canvas and, when still wet, burnished the images on - then went to bed so that I wouldn't be tempted to "see how it's doing". The testing time - wet the card and gently rub it away. The images are set in the gesso.
Some soot stamping of the angel from Smeared Ink and some Poe quotes from the writers plate from Cherry Pie. I also heat embossed the angel with a slightly opaque powder. These were applied using matt mod podge after heat embossing images of the man himself from that Cherry Pie plate in the bottom left and between the images top right using the same opaque powder. This gives it the slightly ghostly look I like. Next comes the stamping onto tissue paper. Using the "nevermore" quote and skull/books stamp from Cherry Pie again and some gravestones and ravens from Smeared Ink. These were applied using more mod podge.
When it was all dry, I applied a final coat of modpodge to seal.
I made a few lace flowers and stuck on with pinflair glue gel.
All I need to do now is a frame.
That's for another day.

I am entering this into the challenge over on
Smudgy Antics - Poe Me
Samuel Taylors Crafts - Anything Goes - some fab items for one lucky person

Hairy Legs

That's the subject of Delicious Doodles' Challenges this time. Hairy Legs - You can do anything you like, but there must be some hairy legs on your creation, whether it be animal, spiders or blokes!!


This time I went for something so off my normal track, waaaay outside my comfort zone. I realised about half way through why I don't like do this kinda thing. What? A mini!!! A cute mini to boot!!!
DIL's mum is due to be a grandma again, not me.
This was made to capture the baby's 1st Christmas.
So many elements to it. The idea for it came from watching a vid on youtube. Sorry, I can't remember who it was to be able to give credit.
ok ok ok - some pics....
Top using Bear's 1st

and four sides


Using Stocking Bunny, Christmas Stocking Rudolf, Westie in a Stocking and Kitty in a Stocking
all coloured with promarkers and ink dressed round the edges.





























































That bit was "ok". The time consuming part is the inside. Phew.
Each side has a little concertina album with room for 6 pics, a tag pocket iside and little tag pocket out side. In the centre is a little box, decorated with a snowflake and dewdrops, for storing a small 3-D object.
Loads of ribbons to decorate and to tie it all up.
Now the weather's let up for 5 mins going to see if I can get another couple of pics to show you before it "goes down the road"

A couple of challenges I am entering this into
Moving Along with the Times - Ribbons and Bows - loads of ribbon used here
Paper Crafting Journey - Anything Goes

Get Well .... NOW!

The November card kit came yesterday from Duckpond Crafts. A gorgeous selection of darker papers, card, ribbon, lace, charms........ Well it is Movember and this is all about the guys.
I went straight for this paper in the selection, my Grumpie stamps and made a get well soon card. Loads of people going down with at least one lurgie here.

So for those feeling a bit rough round the edges and green about the gills......

I covered an old CD for this. It can then be used as a hanging or, as the base is a large die cut scalloped circle, a rocking card.

The grumpie from Smeared Ink was coloured using my promarkers.
Cut out using deckle scissors and ink distressed with bundled sage green DI. The CD edges are distressed using forest moss DI. The sentiment randomly stamped
I punched some holes round the CD using a leather punch and set in some eyelets and threaded some green ribbon. Then mounted on the card base.

There are a couple of challenges that I'd like to enter this into
Tuesday Throwdown - Lots of Circles
Crafty Card Makers - Recycle - I used an old CD
Forever Night Challenge - No way Around it - Circles
My Time To Craft - Under the weather