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

The Ivy without the Holly

New image alert from Delicious Doodles and she is beautiful, of course. The Ivy fairy.
There are, of course, oodles of beautiful images but I just had to colour this one in as soon as I saw it. The hard part was prising son off pc long enough for me to post it.


See I told you she is beautiful.
I printed out a few other copies as well and after colouring with my promarkers, cut out bits to layer up.

I basically followed the sketch from over at Crafty Ann's. The challenge is sketch and/or monochromatic. The green organza ribbon was woven through the paper and the old lace was backed with moss green ribbon. A few silk ivy leaves and pearls to finish off.
Because I haven't decided on who will get this card, the space for the sentiment is bare. I like to personalise mine at Christmas.

I'd like to enter this into a couple of challenges
Crafty Ann's Challenges - sketch and/or monochromatic. Loads of different greens here.
Shopping Our Stash - Winter/Christmas related
Crafty Boots Challenges - Fantasy
Flutter By Wednesday - Open with fairy, butterfly or angel
I love Promarkers - Anything Goes

A skully Christmas

Yep, Christmas card mode in gear again. This time went with a card for those friends of mine that prefer something a bit less traditional.
I used Delicious Doodles' "Skull Christmas Corner".



The light's not the best I'm afraid. Off to work in the dark, come home in the dark time of year.
I followed the sketch over at Sketches by Carly.
The image was coloured with promarkers and various bit were layered up to give that 3-D effect of decoupage.

There are 4 layers in some bits. The centre of the poinsettia are little micro beads stuck on using a small blob of glossy accents.
The card stock is dark green and dark red. No patterned paper at all. The back panel was embossed with a snow flake design and distress ink pad lightly rubbed over, then with a tiny "seasons greetings" stamp repeated over it with the same ink.
The horizontal panel is some dark green organza ribbon with some dark red striped across it. Some knotted narrow grossgrain ribbon running vertically.
Some snow flake brads, coloured with alcohol inks to finish.
All the green layers have been distressed both with sandpaper then ink. The red layers - au naturale.

I have entered this into a couple of challenges
The GDT spot over at the Smeared and Smudged forum
Sketches by Carly - their Sketch
Cards For Men - Christmas
Here Come The Boys - Colour Combo - Green, Red,White

Remembrance

11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month is a special time here in the UK and Commonwealth. It's the time when we have 2mins silence to show our respect to those gallant men and women that have laid down their lives in the line of duty. Traditionally marked by the wearing of a red poppy because of the poppies that grew in abundance on the Flanders Fields following the death of so many in WW1. The red taken as signifying the blood spilt by so many.

Today, over at Delicious Doodles Challenges our challenge this week is "REMEMBRANCE".

It doesn't have to be morbid or sad though. Simply "I remembered your birthday" would do.

I've gone for a condolence card. A good friend of my husband, sadly, died last week and this is the card I made for that occassion. It just so happened it fitted this challenge. Two birds with one stone.



I have used the Delicious Doodles image of "Cross and Roses". The deep red being the colour, traditionally, of condolence.
Some of the rose buds and leaves were decoupaged with upto 3 layers to give depth. The cross was coloured with silver and gold gel pens and the roses and leaves with promarkers. I used some thin wire to wind round for added texture.
This was then framed with deep red card that I had heat embossed a small flourish onto.
Behind that is an embossed panel using white pearlised card, to which some black lace and deep red velvet ribbon was added.
This in turn layered onto a black textured paper that I had punched and laid onto deep red CS base. Some gold fine lines stuck on to "hide the join".
Next came the roses.
Hand made from more deep red paper, although they look lighter here, with a few leaves stuck in and a computer generated sentiment stuck onto more deep red card. Cut out using my new nesties.

Your turn next folks. Lets see those "Remembrance" projects. Don't forget to go an see all the other beautiful DT creations on your way.
Thanks for looking

A couple of challenges that I would like to enter
Cute Card Thursday - Remembrance
Just Inspirational Challenges - Remembrance
Simon Says Stamp - photo inspiration - red poppies for remembrance
Crafty Catz - Use a digital image

Smeared and Smudged November Blog Hop

I am scheduling this post so hopefully will auto post when I'm slogging it out at work.

That time again when the folks at the Smeared and Smudged forum get together and wander around in blogland en mass.
This month it's all about getting "A Little Steamy". Something in the steampunk style.

It really is worth your while to go look at all the creations made by my fellow artists. They are such a talented bunch.

This card has been made not only for this bloghop but also as hubby's birthday card. Just in time for this weekend.

The image used is from KennyK. Coloured with my promarkers with a touch of copper watercolour paint for the metal elements. Ink distressed with "weathered wood" DI.

The background panel is copper pearlised card, embossed with TH retro circles then that DI rubbed over the raised bits. The cog die cuts are again TH, heat embossed with copper. Just the one thin layer to give a distressed look.
The sentiment was stamped in two parts, again copper embossed. The two bits were individually mounted onto coiled wire with a couple of old watch parts.
This was all mounted onto a black card base.
The sketch followed was that of the S&S november challenge. So I will be posting in there after today

Here's the list of the other folks for you to go visit

Terra

Tori

Jane

Kristy

Sugar

Sara

Laura

Celina

Joyce

Steph

Helen - that's me

Heather

Abbie Kay

Black Dragon

Dianne

Monique

Sharon

Fiona

Ike

Lady Brayton

Susan

When you've done all that - don't be shy come see us at the forum.
Thanks for looking

There are a couple of challenges that I'd like to enter into
Bearly Mine - One for the boys - well he's a bit older than a boy
Digital Tuesday - Anything goes
Stamps R Us - Masculine
KennyK's Krafty Girls - Celebration Time - Hubby's B'day