Grimms' Brothers and two tales

Haunted Design House this week have challenged us to pick a tale from the collection that the brothers' Grimm collected and published and create something that depicted it. Pick just one tale from the 200+ ? That in itself was a challenge. The grimest have already been depicted by the minions and their artwork is so fantastic I had to choose something else. I also had to go with the images that I have, aarrgghhh.I finally came up with this.
It comes with two tales, because I needed something to fill the pages on the other side. A domino book. The base of the book is black core-dinations. I used a mixture of rubber and digi images.

"The Moon" story.
The domino here was coloured with alcohol inks and the partial image of a moon (with bat) and another bat were stamped using stazon on top of that. Then coated with glossy accents to protect.
The sides were polished with gold rub on paste



The story unfolds inside

The backgrounds were brayered and there are images from Lavinia stamps, Third Coast and Delicious Doodles. The entire story is there as well (font size 3) legible to read as well.

On the other side we have "The White Snake"

Here the image is from the 'net printed onto card. Coloured with promarkers and stuck onto the domino with glossy accents. a very thin film was applied over the image to ensure the colours did not bleed when a heavier coat was added. The edges given a lick of DI. A thicker coat of glossy accents then used to cover the image and before it had a chance to set, some little pearls were embedded to portray the white snake, including two little red gem eyes and the golden apple from the tree of life added to the branches.
More gold rubbing paste down the sides.




Again, the story is inside

  images from Smeared Ink and the 'net

 Images here from Delicious Doodles and Smeared Ink

The story is again there so it can be enjoyed.
Some 3mm ribbon attached to the dominos before sticking in to book, so that it can be tied up safely.

That's about it I think

I am entering this into the challenge over at
Haunted Design House - They set the challenge that caused this book to be made
Craft Us Crazy - Altered item - dominos
Divas By Design - Stamp Something
My Mum's Craft Shop - Stamp It. Use a rubber stamp - there are a few used here

With Sympathy

Condolence cards are always, I find, the hardest card of all to make. Striking the right balance between sombre and boring. I had the sad news yesterday that one of my neighbours finally lost her battle with cancer.
This card was made to show our support for her husband and son, left to carry on without her.

The papers used are from the papermania lemon capsule collection, a subtle colour change down the centre panel. The image is Delicious Doodles' Lily bunch which is one of the older, discontinued ones. Coloured subtly with promarkers then cut out with nesties. Pearlised gold card for the backing on both the image, computer generated sentiment and backing paper. Some grosgrain and satin ribbons added and 3 little creamy yellow pearls in the corner.

Textured

It's that day for a new Delicious Doodles' Challenge. This week it's all about texture. Time to get all touchy feely with your creations.
I chose to do a card. A birthday card. I like to keep a couple in the pile for emergencies.
The image chosen is called Emerging. Depicts a butterfly starting out on the final and most beautiful stages of it's life.

There's a bit of texture here with the flocking of the body (after colouring with promarkers)and round the outside of the die cut, the crackle accents on the eyes and the glamour dust on the wings. This was layered onto homemade paper then pearlised card that was embossed with the nestie.

Then yet more texture with the hessian (burlap). The green card under that was embossed with a folder on just the top and bottom thirds.

The corners were given some glitter card die cuts
and the sentiment was first stamped onto yellow card in green then given a couple of heat embossed coats with clear/gold sparkle powder for a super smooth finish.




The butterfly was made from fimo clay. Some bits of feather stuck in and a few dabs of stickles. I wired this onto the card for stability
as well as using the wire for the antenae

Now it's your turn people.  Don't forget to go see the other gorgeous inspirational pieces created by my DT sisters while you're at your pc.

A couple of challenges I am entering this into
Rainbow Lady's Challenge - Butterflies
Samuel Taylors Crafts - Butterflies
Lollipop Crafts - Anything Goes
Paper Creations Ink - Things with Wings

Wow, He's one year old already!!

I had an urgent request to make a card for DIL's little nephew. He'll be a whole one year old on thursday. Only seems like yesterday when he was being welcomed into the world. No problem, so that was the job for this afternoon. I settled on this Dustin Pike image of a little dragon in amongst a pile of pressies.

coloured with promarkers and used the blending pen to make faint patterns on the pressies. I printed the image twice so that I could cut out the dragon and layer him up.

The entire card was made following the sketchy over at Seems a Little Sketchy Challenges.

The papers and the mesh are all from a card kit from Duck Pond Crafts.
The bunting has the sentiment hand written on as is the "1" on the rosette. The colour green used as primary because that was requested.. No hard little embellies used incase the wee man gets hold of it. Can never be too carefull with little ones I think.

I am entering this into the challenge over at
Seems A Little Sketchy - Their Sketch #9
Dustin Pike Blog - It's a Dudley kind of a day
Party Time Tuesdays - Anything Goes
Paper Makeup Stamps - for a boy/man

Touchy Feely

All about the texture over at Smudgy Antics Challenge Blog this week. The other ladies of the DT have really gone to town on their creations for everyones' inspiration and really worth going to visit them.
My project is a "Joy Fold" card.

The image - well that's from the Smeared Ink set called Heavy Metal. This one is "wire corset". Coloured with promarkers then fan stacked on different textured card in blue and silver before the pearlised navy paper. This in turn onto embossed silver card. Some feathers and a lacy crocheted flower attached with a screw head brad.  This little package forms the topper of the card.






For those that don't know what a joy fold card looks like.... it's like 2 cards on one.

ok not the best picture I've taken but you get the idea. We actually had some sun at this point!!


You can also see the textured ribbon I used both down the centre on the top and base.

The blue linen finish card stock was punched with an edge puncher before layering onto white hammered card then onto more pearlised navy then a ribbed blue card base.

Then there's more going on in the corners with some die cuts made in silver and some tiny gems







That's about it I think. Apart from to ask you to show us your touchable creations over on the Smudgy Antics Blog this week. Then why not also come and join in the fun at the Smeared and Smudged Forum?

A couple of challenges that I'd like to enter this card into
Hooked on Craft - More than one fold
Chocolate, Coffee & Cards - Fancy Folds
Crafty Purple Frog - Anything Goes

Can I quote you on that?

Before I get on to this week's project... For anyone that actually reads this and is "into the Darker Side of Crafting"; Haunted Design House is having a Design  Team Call. You got until the 20th April guys and gals. Check it out using the link.


This weeks Haunted Design House challenge is to create around a favourite quote. There are so many that I like, it was hard to pin down to one, so most of this week has been with that question niggling at the back of my mind all the time. Aarrgghhh. I finally settled on one - then had to remember which when I finally sat down to make it last night. sheeesshhh.
It, of course, came back after I started something else. Quick, out with the stamps.

Based on a Mae West quote

I loosely based the layout on the Smeared and Smudged scrapbook sketchy for march. The main image is from the "As Death" set from Smeared Ink, coloured with promarkers.

The MS Drippy goo punch looks like the read out from an ECG m/c if you squint at it. Without red blood and a heart beat there would be no life in the man (or anyone really).
The bling - well it's no secret that "our Mae" loved her bling. So added a few little black and red gems and one humungous diamond in the corner.
That's about it for this week.

Recap
I am entering this into the challenge over at
Haunted Design House - Can I quote you on that?
also at a new challenge site
Just Keep On Creating - Anything Goes

Cheers!!

A birthday card for a male friend needed in the next few weeks. I thought I'd better get it done sooner rather than later. I had some bottle tops left over from my clock project so used them as embellishments for this card.
I did squash them down in a vice before attaching so they are not so jaggy.

The image is a rubber stamp in my collection that I have know idea of the origin, coloured with promarkers and glossy accents applied to the glass. distressed with DI.
The colour chosen because of the antics between this friend and my hubby on last St Patrick's day ;-). The bottle tops each have a 1" circle with a hand written sentiment spread over the 3. The circles were embedded in the bottle tops with glossy accents. Small squares with some twine on the rectangle mount. The BP is from a card kit from Duck Pond Crafts.
All this was to follow the sketch over at Just Add Ink.

I am entering this card into a couple of challenges
Just Add Ink - Their sketch JAI 110
Drunken Stampers - I'll drink to that - Feature a beverage
Sweet Stampin' - Anything Goes
Crafting When We Can - One for the Boys

Party??

I had a couple of hours last night when I couldn't sleep. So I made a card. Just for fun! One I didn't have to think too hard on. I'll find a use for it soon I have no doubt. It will fit a number of occasions coming up in the next few months. I made it fir a few challenges whilst I was making it though :-)

 No patterned papers just different textured card. I have used 2 different ribbons - a fluffy purple/black and 3mm satin orange ribbon on the tag. The writing/check list done with white gel pen.
The image is from Dilly Beans and they have a party themed challenge on this week - hence the check list. I coloured the image with promarkers and cut out with a nestie.

The black cat in the corner is a rubber stamp from Stamp it Crazy.
The sketch I used is from Eat, Sleep, Stamp sketch #165 and the colours were to fit the challenge over at Forever Night challenges.

That's about it.

Recap on the challenges that I'm entering this card into
Dilly Beans - Party
Forever Night - Colour challenge
Eat, Sleep, Stamp - Sketch # 165
Card Crafter's Circle - Tic Tac Toe. The middle line of Tag, Digi, Ribbon

Dilly Beans + Alice

Just squeezing this one under the wire with one week to go on this challenge for the Smeared and Smudged forum challenge - Junk Funk.. This month the "junk" to be incorporated into some art form is bottle tops. Smeared and Smudged rules also state that some form of stamping needs to be incorporated. This month the challenge is being sponsered by Dilly Beans Stamps - home of the quirky and fun stamps.
I made a clock.

The background is an image lifted from google and "Alice" was coloured with promarkers, cut out and stuck on.


The base for this is an old CD. I attached 12 lolly sticks at appropriate spacing (all measured at 30deg). The bottle tops were then stuck on. The numbers and the circles are cricut die cuts. (A very good friend lent me her cricut at the weekend and I'm having fun "playing"). The clock workings then attached through the CD hole.

I'd like to enter this clock into a couple of challenges
Pattie's Creations - Anything Goes
The Poodles Parlour - Anything Goes
Stampin' For The Weekend - Anything Goes
Rainbow Lady's Challenge - House and Home
My Mum's Craft Shop challenge - Use a Digi

Level Up

It's Monday, that means a new challenge over at Smudgy Antics, the challenge site of Smeared Ink and the Smeared and Smudged Forum.
This week's challenge theme is "LEVEL UP". We want to see layers and more layers in your projects. Show us how you level up! Get creative and don't be afraid to think outside of the box. We can't wait to see what you come up with!

Layers is what I used in my project - lots of them!! I've just counted them and there's 13 here.

I know - a cute card isn't my norm but this image just screamed cute at me, and I needed a card for a child. Two birds with one stone :-)

A twisted pyramage of this doll image from the Stitchy Situation set. That's 6 layers on the image alone.
The image was coloured with promarkers then scanned and this printed out 6 times. Cut out using scalloped square nesties. cutting round his top knot and slotted the die so this wouldn't get severed and ink distressed whilst in the die. Layered up and attached to an oval shape die cut.
Then following this month's sketchy challenge on the forum, continued to add yet more layers.
The papers are all from a kit from DuckPond Crafts. All stitched together in theme with the image itself. The twine was machine couched and buttons, all from stash were sewn on.


A card suitable for a child

Your turn folks to show us your layers. Don't forget to visit the blogs of my awesome fellow DT to see their fantabulous work and leave some love.

I am entering this card into a couple of challenges
Card Cupids - Cards for Boys
Catered Crop - Stitching
Card Makin Mamas - Buttons

Congratulations

My DD's best friend is getting married. A purple and silver theme. This is the card I have made for these two young people to celebrate their marriage.



The stamp used is from Papermania "build a cake" that came free in something last year, I can't remember where from.
The sketch is from Paper and Such Online.
I heat embossed all the top layers using my new WOW embossing powders. The cake in purple and the base in silver. Loads of layers diminishing in depth as well as size.

3mm ribbon being wrapped round the base of each tier before attaching to a silver cs base. This in turn, matted onto purple and silver layers.

The card base is pearlised purple layered up with silver card and silver/white DP. Purple organza and satin ribbons to tie together.
The flowers - purple and white heather, purple thistles and white/silver baubles threaded through a grey prima flower dusted with stickles.

All the flowers are from Duck Pond Crafts.
The sentiment is computer generated, as I don't own the appropriate stamp, printed in purple and mat and layered as the image.
The punch used throughout is a MS one.

I made an envelope box to fit

I am entering this into the challenge
Paper and Such Online - Their Sketch

The Wonder of Life

I'm a bit late with this post, I've not been able to sit at this PC easily after a little accident I had the other week. Painkillers taken and sitting for a while :-)

Anyway enough of my problems, and on to the challenge set at Delicious Doodles Challenges this week.

The theme as you might have guessed from the title is

The Wonder of Life

There is definitely a spring feel in the air, new life is emerging on the farms and in the hedgerows.

So, it could be new life, old life, re-emerging life, as long as it is based on LIFE we don't mind what you create!!

I made a box for some Easter goodies to go in. Easter is that time when, traditionally, we celebrate the new life of Jesus after rising from the dead. I am not a religious person, Easter is also known as the Spring holidays and Spring is all about the world coming back to life after the Winter "Mini Death". Hence easter eggs, new chicks etc have become the accepted symbols. I am rambling here aren't I. I'll just show you some pics of my box.



I used the images Butterfly Bliss

some glossy accents on the flower centre and the butterflies are layered for extra dimension after heat embossing with clear with gold glitter powder.


















and Daisies and Butterflies

The butterflies here are also heat embossed with the same gold glittered clear powder
















The other sides



The pearls, ribbon and daisies from stash. The whole box was made from one sheet of A3 card stock.








Your turn next girls. We'd love to see your "Wonder of Life" creations. Please also go visit the other member of the DT for some fantastic inspiration.

There are a couple of challenges I'd like to enter this box into
Crafter's Companion - Spring
Joanna Sheen - Easter/Spring
The Pretty Little Ribbon Shop - Spring colours with ribbon
Craft Us Crazy - Easter/Something Sweet/Religious
Crafty Ann's Challenge - Spring/Easter

Disney's Villians

Over at Haunted Design House this week the theme is "Evil Empire". Dedicated to those lovable rogues - the villians. So many to choose from made this project more difficult as I couldn't decide on one to begin with. I was going to try for them all. Then it all started getting messy. Scrap that idea.
I went with just the one. Ursula from the Little Mermaid. I love the way she slithers.
Next poser was "What to Make?" Nothing too complicated as the meds I'm on at the moment haven't left me with many brain cells that are awake. A book mark, that's easy enough for even me :-)
So we have the theme and the image.

This was lifted from google and coloured in by hand with promarkers. My son says the skin tone is "real to life" but the pics can't seem to capture this too well.

The BP was taken from a CD from Jem's Designs, Underworld. I spritzed this with a home made green shimmer.
The extra green seaween foliage is stamped using a Lavina Stamps image. Backed onto pearlised grey/green card. The cord is made by twisting different green embroidary silks together, the tassel made with the same colours.
The back is fairly plain

I used the offcuts from a die cutting done earlier to form a mask and spritzed the same green as on the front, this time to produce a swirl.
The cord can then be adjusted round the book whilst the image section will be marking the page.


I am entering this into the challenge over at
Haunted Design House - Evil Empire

Pieces of Eight

Pirates ahoy!
A little easel card made. One with a bit of humour that this particular 8year old will understand!


I have used 4 images from Delicious Doodles. There's Pirate Pete, A treasure map and the skull and crossed bones on the front.and Pirate Polly on the base. The sentiment was computer generated by me.

Both images were coloured with promarkers and the map was coloured with distress inks.



The skull was decoupaged up and dipped in UTEE
to make it really 3-D












The cream coloured card base was ink distressed with orange DI then papers and bazzil that were in the last card kit from Duck Pond Crafts used to make the design, all edges well distressed for that olde look. The sketch used as inspiration was #51 from Sketches with Carly.

The orange skully ribbon was from Crafty Ribbons last year.

I am entering this into a challenge or two
Sketches By Carly - Their Sketch #51
Forever Night - Pirates
Hooked on Craft - More than one fold

Alter Something

Over at Smudgy Antics this week, the challenge we are set is to "Alter Something".

This week we want you to get creative with your stamps and alter something. Your stamps get tired of being placed on cards. Give them a new home! Find inspiration around you and alter an object of some sort.

This is my piece. An altered cigar box. Not an easy thing to get hold of in the UK. I found one little outlet in Leith, Edinburgh and was over the moon!!!



















The colour was not one of my choice, but the box was destined to be given to a dear friend who happens to be a pink kinda gal. First the box was well sanded, primed and painted. First pink, then dry brushed white to help the distressed "shabby chic" look along.

The images on the sides are all from the "French Fairies" set from Smeared Ink. All coloured with promarkers with chalk backgrounds.










































The wings were painted with shimmer paints (like H2Os). The images were all attached with matt mod podge and a thorough coating given to every thing to seal. The shimmer, I'm happy to report, showed through the mod podge.

Some pink lace down the sides, Some pearls along the top.






















Also added to the top was a home made pale pink lace flower, with pearl button. A swirl of yet more pearls and a trio of MS punched butterflies. Lightly spritzed and some glamour dust added.

That's my project for this week folks. Now it's your turn. Alter something and link it up as per normal blog challenge rules. If you use a Smeared Ink image you also get to go into the pot for one of the coveted top3 badges.
Don't forget to go look at the other awesome pieces produced by my fellow DT friends.

I am going to enter this into challenge or 2
Simon Say Stamp and Show - Anything Goes
Bunny Zoe's Challenges - Shabby Chic
Crafty Ann's Challenges - Anything but a Card