Saturday 30 June 2012

Cupboard Challenges

For a while now there has been a group over on Facebook that started life to find new homes for unwanted/unloved stash for us crafters. This grew as people started wanting to share their makes using their new stash. It has now evolved into a new challenge blog called The Cupboard Trilogy.
Monthly challenges for papercrafts will start tomorrow!
See you there ?

Monday 25 June 2012

Full Moon Madness

Monday also means it's Smudgy Antics day. This week's challenge is all about your interpretation of what happens when there is a Full Moon.
The blurb from the blog puts it so much better than I could so
Many people think the mystical powers of the full moon are capable of inducing erratic behaviors.  It has been argued that there is an increase in arguments, fights, psychiatric hospital admissions, crime rates, homicides, emergency room calls, accidents, etc.  Ask any nurse, police officer, teacher or anyone that deals with the public on a regular basis and he or she will testify that there is truth to Full Moon Madness.  If the full moon can affect regular humans in bizarre ways, don't forget about its affect on Lycanthropes!  That would be a horrible, possibly deadly, mistake!

Are you a believer or a skeptic?  What represents Full Moon Madness to you?  As always, feel free to let your artistic expression fly freely.

Another fatbook page from me. This time a brayered background on glossy paper with a disc masking off the moon. Background stamps have been sitting in my stash unloved and forgotten about until I found them whilst looking for something else. I thought they'd form the ideal backdrop for Heebie Jeebie - Werewolf. Smeared Ink of course. The whole page then given a lick of black distress ink

I coloured this little cutie with distress inks but outlined him with lilac promarker to help blend him in a bit, the stark white, I think would not work. A hand written "sentiment" before attaching the page to a thicker cs base and the image with pinflair glue gel to give a bit of dimension.
Off you pop now to see the amazing projects made by my fellow DT Sistahs then come back to Smudgy Antics to show us your FULL MOON MADNESS

I am entering this into the challenge over at
The Paper Shelter - The Great Outdoors
Forever Night - #39Anything Goes
Robyns Fetish Challenge - No Flowers


Strange..........Skin

It's the day after Sunday and therefore it's Macabre Monday over at Haunted Design House. This week's challenge is being sponsored by Strange Skin. They have a unique selection of digital images that pander more to the horror hounds and macabre minded. They have darkly beautiful images too. You should check them out
and decide for yours
The challenge itself is a recipe. the recipe you must follow to play along with us in the dungeon this week.
Begin with 2 layers (actual card counts as one layer)
Add 1 main image panel                   
Mix in some metal bits of your choosing
Add some drops of black pearls
Gently fold in 1 punched element
Tie up nicely with some ribbon or trim


Me - I made a fatbook page for my contribution to the mixture

1st layer is embossed card (TH) Painted with black then dark brown and then a lighter brown
2nd layer is triple heat embossed card (blackgold mixed with more black and a bit of glitter), when still hot an inked rubber stamp (creative expressions) was pressed onto the molten powder.
Image layer is Strange Skin's Bride of Frankenstein. Coloured with metallic pencils. I added glossy accents to highlight the "oil drips". and some tiny black pearls at the bottom of the drips.
My punched element, combined with my metal bits that are dotted about. I stapled the 2nd layer to the 1st. 
I added metal eyelets to a punched strip of card and I used an metal embossing punch to write the word "STRANGE" on a copper plant tag. The copper tag was then heated with a candle to bring out those gorgeous hues that occur when copper is heated.
The copper tag and the eyelet punched card were then tied together with ribbon, some more, larger, black pearls added before sticking to the FB page base.
The only thing that remains to say is "go visit the other Minions in their cells and see how they created their awesome pieces then come back and show us yours"

I am entering this into the challenge over at
Forever Night - #40Urban Legends
Robyns Fetish Challenge - No Flowers
Crafty Mess Challenge - Use Paint
Sarah Hurley Challenges - Dimension and Texture

Friday 22 June 2012

A Recipe

1,2,3 A recipe.We want to see you use 1 of something, 2 of something and 3 of something!
Doesn't matter what - just tell us what it is that you have used. 
That's the new challenge over at Delicious Doodles' Challenges for this coming fortnight. The other girls on the DT have made some beautiful projects. Absolutely gorgeous.
Me, I made a card. This is the sister to the little pink dragon I showed you all at the beginning of the week.
My recipe - 1 DP - a scrap from trimcraft's Neighbourwood stack for the little Dragon to sit on. This little cutie was coloured with promarkers and some glitter added for claw and horn polish. Glossy accents for that dewy eyed look.


2 Ribbons. I layered a lilac grosgrain on  purple satin edged organza. I also added a little charm with a brad
3 Homemade flowers. These were just small squares of an old window screen. edges singed with a flame and layered up and a pearl added at the centre.
The main background is an embossed piece of lilac core coredinations, sanded and stuck to a glossy black piece of card. Then onto a pearlised purple card base.
There we have it. Easy as 1,2,3.
Your turn now. Come show us your makes at Delicious Doodles to be in with a chance of winning 5 yummy images of your choice.






Monday 18 June 2012

elegant and creepy

Hi everyone, normal service has resumed here in the Cubbyhole. At least for a while. Back to the style I love to create instead of those that I need to make. Don't get me wrong; I love to create, I just prefer the darker side of crafting. Anyway.
I wouldn't normally use the same project for a DT piece but my tag for Smudgy Antics went horribly wrong. The theme for Haunted Design House is "Eerie Elegance"  and the theme for Smudgy Antics is "Pretty Creepy". So this tag fits them both.
I used the dead dancer from Smeared Ink. Printed onto printed vellum and lightly coloured in with pencils. the image torn out and turned over so the reverse is what you see.
The tag was inked with distress re-inkers, using a folded baby wipe. Then spritzed with more distress ink mixed with water and a touch of pearlised paint. Rubber stamps from Smeared Ink's Holy City set
A shrink plastic grave stone just hand written and coloured before shrinking, with a small pearl added. The dancer applied with all over spray adhesive and outlined with crackle accents.
A handmade, burnt organza flower with black tulle added with a tie using ribbons of the same colours as on the tag.
Done.
All that's left for you to do is go visit the other DT members and see their amazing pieces. A comment or two would make their day.

Sunday 17 June 2012

Sparkly dragonlet

Haha hehe I'm going mad!! Two pink cards in a row!!! Not only PINK but sparkly as well!!!
Normal service will be resumed soon. I had to make a birthday card for a special little girl. Well there are two but I'm not showing the other just yet. ;P
The image is Dragon from Delicious Doodles.
Stickles liberally applied after cutting out with a nestie and the eyes given the gloosy accents treatment. Yes that is glitter card you see before you.
I followed the sketch over at Graficat Sketches to put this card together. The BP are from Trimcraft's Neighbourwood range that I got from Duckpond Crafts. Flowers and charm from there as well.
The green strip under the image has been edge punched and the swirls cut using Accent Essentials cricut cart.
The "Happy Birthday" sentiment was heat embossed.

I must say - I'm really pleased with this month's flower kit from Karen. I normally get her card making kit, but she asked if I wanted the flower kit instead as the papers were not my style. LOL she knows me well.
Look how much there was in there. I had to pile it all up on this 12"x12" paper stack.

Any way, the card I made...
I'd like to enter it into one or two challenges
Graficat Sketches - Their Sketch
Crazy Challenge - a recipe - at least 3 from Ribbon/twine, gems/pearls, dies/punches
Craft Your Days Away - Bingo - well the only thing I haven't got is doilies and button


Thursday 14 June 2012

Friends Forever

I was asked to make a card by hubs so that "the boys" can give a card to their favourite barmaid when she leaves to go onto other pastimes. The brief was "pink, glitzy, girly and have a horse on it" I hope I covered it with this card. Hubs likes it so that's ok.
I used the image "Friends Forever" from Delicious Doodles. I used my pencils and babyoil to colour.
I used the sketch over at Sketch Saturday to put all the elements together to make the card
.All the mats are of pale green glitter card. The panel behind the image is cream card embossed after applying tattered rose DI to the embossing folder. Some pink, satin edged, organza ribbon overlaid with pink/green grossgrain under both these panels.
Some pink pearl swirls with added tiny gems across the top.
The charm contains a "good luck" flower cut from shrink plastic, the chain attached with a pearl brad.

Across the bottom - flowers. From Duck Pond Crafts as was the little horse charm. These were white before a light dusting of pale pink promarker. Again attached with some pearl brads. Just a dash of stickles because I was asked for glitzy


Wow, that's two girly cards on the trot.

My regular followers will wonder where the Croms they know has gone. Normal service will be resumed soon; but coming out of that comfort zone can be a good thing to help strengthen those weaknesses.


I will be entering this card into the challenge over at
Sketch Saturday - Their Sketch
Shopping Our Stash - Use 2 different ribbons/twine
Crafty Creations - Use a charm
Just Keep On Creating - Anything Goes




a Gift Card

If you were around my blog in Feb then you will have seen I made one of these cards then. It's a design I like to save for really special cards. I was asked to make one by a family member as a gift. Of course I would. I did manage to steer the conversation away from tatty teddy  lol.
I took a pic of the inside before lacing as the acetate, I knew, would glare and the inside would not photograph well.
The image is from Jem's Designs, A Fairies Haven. Printed onto silk photographic paper. Before adding her to the BP, I stamped all over the blue and silver BP with a text stamp from Andy Skinner's Gothic stamp collection using weathered wood DI. Then heat embossed, in silver, the winged heart and cherub from the same set. Some TH swirls cut from glitter card and some home-made organza ribbon flowers. A small pearl detail and a light touch of stickles to the fairy pic completed this bit. The same organza ribbon was threaded through the card and attached acetate.
On the outside, see what I mean about the acetate? This came already foiled with silver butterflies.
The card base is a sheet of textured pearlised silver. I used a flower nestie to cut an aperture from the gate-folded card, laying the nestie inside the card layers so that only the one layer got cut. Some holes cut and eyelets set for lacing. Some more of those glitter card swirls, another flower and a stamped sentiment using cobalt blue ink. The laces are blue waxed cotton thread.
Job done.

I'd like to enter this card into one or two challenges
Just Keep on Creating - Anything Goes

Monday 11 June 2012

Book of Secrets

I was lucky to stumble upon a link to Andy Skinner and his amazing workshops one day a few weeks ago. I was so bowled over I signed up for the "book of secrets" workshop. You wouldn't believe some of the stuff he has on his blog. Well I didn't at first.
This is my book of secrets inspired by that course.

This is one side


and the other

sorry the light's a bit glarey



















The spine and "book leaves" edges
all this from a wooden box covered in card and acrylic paint. The only metal used was the pen nib, winged charm,chain, key and key hole. The paper in the box is Joanna Sheen's, stamps are Andy Skinner and creative expressions.
Andy has compiled a video of all the projects completed on this workshop. View here to be amazed. I intend doing the time worn work shop next. Watch this space.

I am entering into one or two challenges
Art with No Boundaries - Heavy Metal
Simon Says Stamp and Show - Anything goes
Try It on Tuesday - Anything Goes
Just Keep On Creating - Anything Goes

Bad Baby

Smudgy Antics have a new challenge out today as well. This week the theme is "Bad Baby". All the DT have chosen images from the Babies of the Damned digi set from Smeared Ink. I chose "wants up" as my image to make this candle and box.. After all, Smeared Ink and the sister forum Smeared and Smudged are all about being different,

First I coloured my image with markers then scanned it as I needed it to go on really thin paper and colouring on that would not be successful. Made a png image and super-imposed onto a background from Moonlight Journey. I did enhance the red for more of that hellish look. Paper cut to size and heat set into the wax. TH iron gate border cuts in red added top and bottom with red sequins. I was aiming for that fiery look, I hope I succeeded.
The box is made from an A3 sheet of pearlised card sprayed with cranberry colourwash.
The bottom  has more of that die cut this time in orange that has been smudged with red DI.. The promlems I had in taking a pic in the light here grrrr even here I have only masked out some of the glare.
The rest of the DT have out done themselves and well worth a look.
What are you going to show us this week? I wonder.

I am entering this project into a couple of challenges
Crafty Cardmakers - No cards, tags or ATCs
Ohh-la-la creations challenges - Baby Baby
Just Keep On Creating - Anything Goes



colour it with HDH

Haunted Design House are being sponsored by Bugaboo stamps this week. 7 images up for grabs should you be lucky to win. What do you have to do? Just create something using the colours black, teal, purple and lime green. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy. The minions are being joined by one of the Bugaboo DT, Lola, as well as our GDT this month, Crystal, to give you some inspiration.
What did I make? Just a simple card this week.

I followed the sketch over at Tuesday Morning Sketches for the card. This image is called hweenskelz headless. Rather cute, no? Coloured with promarkers and torn out then came the DIs lol. Backed with some lime green cs.
The same card used for the computer generated sentiment with more DI.  The BP is from Crafty Chaos Designs matted onto more lime green. Some lime green mesh with light teal cord on the side. The screw brads were received as a gift :) ty BD x.

All of this was then attached to a teal card base.

I am entering this card into the challenge at
Tuesday morning sketches - their sketch or I would have but the collection closed
Poisoned Peas Please - Goth or EMO

Sunday 10 June 2012

For My Boy

It was my son's 24th birthday yesterday. Wow, only seems like yesterday .........Where'd that time go?
Anyway, had to make him a card, didn't I!
He is a fan of my darker side, which is handy and more than once has suggested a thing or two. I wanted the card to remind him of his planned camping trip though. He, his fiancée and a couple more mates have been planning this trip for weeks. But, as so many times, the weather here in Scotland decided to take a turn for the worse. Friday, when they set off, was overcast. I did warn them of the forecast and promised "if  needed, I would come and get them". Well, when the tent started to fill with the rain water yesterday, the call came. Four very wet and cold people had to admit defeat. Such a shame.
This card, therefore, is very apt in the circumstances, I think.
I used the sketch over at Rogue Redhead Designs and heat embossed the TH umbrella man onto white card and stamped the sentiment using brushed corduroy DI. Tore round the edged and ink distressed with wild honey and a touch more brushed corduroy. I was going for the "light at the end of the tunnel" look. This was layered with pads onto a deckle edged piece of brown then sandpaper distressed orange bassil cs. the orange has more ink - this time using walnut stain. The yellow was embossed after rubbing the walnut stain over the folder for that muddy look I wanted. Some orange hand made paper and more walnut. Three brads for the corners mounted onto the card base. You must know this also saw the ink. A heat embossed sentiment with just the wild honey DI with more padded tape to fix.

More camping is planned. After the weather clears up!

one or two challenges I'd like to enter this into
Rogue Redhead Designs - their sketch
Hotshot Craft - Use those distress inks
Amusing Challenges - Heat/Wet embossing

Friday 8 June 2012

for the boys

It's Delicious Doodles challenge day and as it's nearly Fathers' day here in the UK we're asking all of you to make a card for one of the men in your life. I know a lot of you shy away from cards for the blokes but it's easy really and Teri has some really great images geared to them. My DT sisters have so many to show off.
Anyway, back to the card I made....using the super sketch at Die Cutting Divas.
The image is a vintage Jaguar coloured with promarkers before cutting out with a nestie and ink distressed whilst in the die. Some core-dinations from the TH/ranger collection edge distressed for the mat. Glossy accents used on lights and windscreen.
I used silver promarker for the chrome work.

The 2 other panels were cut from embossed red/kraft core-dinations. Again the sandpaper comes in handy here. Matted onto linen look grey cs.

The main BP was from a card kit from Duck Pond Crafts

.



The embellies are from stash. A couple of cogs in the bottom R.H. corner and an extra large brad with a clock charm in the top L.H. corner.








All this was matted onto white cs, again distressed - with sandpaper and ink before attaching to a dark grey card base.
Now it's your turn guys and gals. Show us your cards for men over at Delicious Doodles for a chance of winning FIVE images of your choice.

I am entering this card into one or two challenges
Die Cutting Divas - their sketch
Digital Tuesday - Anything Goes
Just keep on Creating - Anything goes/travel

Thursday 7 June 2012

the Bird of Paradise

One of the ladies over at the Smeared and Smudged forum has started up a new challenge blog. The Game. This week the challenge is entitled "Jacks R better". Use a knave playing card. Well I don't have any playing cards to hand, let alone a spare jack. So I made one. I used the image "Wants Up" from the Smeared Ink Babies of the damned set. I manipulated the image so that it looked like that on a playing card, and added 4 smaller versions in the corners before printing out. Coloured with promarkers. Then masked off the images before spraying with home made glimmer mists in blue and mustard yellow.
Then, with masks still in place, I overstamped with a diamond pattern (creative expressions) using distress ink then the sentiment, again from creative expression but a different set.
This pic I hope shows the glimmer.

I am entering this card into the challenge over at
The Game - Jacks R Better

Monday 4 June 2012

Anything goes and Skull-a-Day Blog hop

Are you sitting comfy - this is one very long post!!! If you're looking for my Haunted Design House post - it's the next one down.
I have decided to combine my post here for Smudgy Antics June Anything Goes challenge and the Skull-a-Day blog hop sponsored by Smeared and Smudged.  Both projects are skulls but both have there own unique twists. The skull for the Smudgy Antics challenge has, of course Smeared Ink stamps used on it. To be precise, stamps from the Quoth the Raven rubber stamp set.
The images were all stamped onto orange tissue paper and heat embossed with black with added touches of copper and purple. Both the copper and the purple seemed to overcome the black but it did darken. There's the ravens on the teeth and the forehead from the holy city range as well. All coated with matt mod podge to seal.


A hole cut in the top to take a candle. I used an old pie dish, that was sprinkled with black alcohol ink to take that silver glare down and camouflage, to both protect the inside and hole area from any over heated wax.

My second skull
Both these skulls have had the same basic paint treatment. First painted with black acrylic paint after sealing with watered down pva glue. When thoroughly dry they were dry brushed with burnt umber then some bits were highlighted with burnt sienna acrylic paints. This gives them that old leathered look I was after. 

This one is my steam punk one. The stamps used are by Andy Skinner at Personal Impressions and the die cuts are TH gadget gears. Some old real watch parts used as well. All the bits apart from the tissue paper stuck on before painting.

Some texturizing medium used on the teeth and bits of the cogs to give the rusty look. the little "rivets" are just blobs of glossy accents and the cog centres are brads with the feet removed.
the blog list is a long one. So many people joining in this year which is wonderful news. There are lots of spot-prizes along the way from our fabulous sponsors as well 
for more information on Skull Appreciation Day, please visit here

for a list of the sponsors please pop over to Tori's blog
It has been decided that for the main prizes - the hop has to be completed, leaving comments on each blog, by midnight PST Wednesday 6/6/12 

and the list should you get lost





Terra
Tori
Black Dragon
Monique
Helen
Lady Brayton
Fiona
Christine
Jane
Judy
Alison
Susan
Andrea
Smudger Challenge
Laura
Lisa
Kristy
Steph
Glittery Katie
Lisa
Kapree
Ms. Ruin
Kathi
Bombshell Stamps Blog
Dianne
Donna
Nydia
Lady Coral
Suzi
Julia
Patti
Miko
Renee
Wendy
Christina
Hazel
Skye
Wenchkin
Betsy
Scrapbook Stamp Society



A challenge or 2 that I'd like to enter

True Blood!

A tribute to that TV series True Blood is the theme over at Haunted Design House this week. Now, if like me, you've never seen the programme, this might seem daunting. I used good old Google to find out more before I made my piece. I warn you now - the red is really a deep blood red. in some places it takes on an orange hue -  totally blaming the light here.
This is my twisted easel card I made.
I had to box it to keep some of the light away.
The main image and the tag inside is from the Eternal Matrimony paper set from Jem's Designs. They do have some glorious gothic images. This image seems just right for this theme. The BP is plain red paper that I stamped the script from the Andy Skinner range, gothic stamp set, at Personal Impressions. Then over stamped with Smeared Ink's Blood spatter rubber stamp and heat embossed in red. The cross is a digi from Smeared Ink's Glam Vamps' Accessories. This was printed onto red 4 times and cut out layered up with pinflair with a ring pin between the layers and dipped in UTEE. This was then able to be decorated with some beads and attached with a brad to the card. Some red and black heart lace from stash. Then there's that favourite punch - the MS drippy goo one

The grey paper is from Crafty Chaos. The layout for the inside is from the Smeared and Smudged Very Sketchy challenge for June. I added some die cut leaves - white painted lightly with silver and the roses are a TH pine cone die cut. Rolled tightly and some glossy accent dripped on and when dry coloured this with promarker. There is some gathered black tulle under it all.
See what I mean about that orange :( but you get a better look at the inside here. Some little red tear drop gems finished this card off.

Your turn folks. Get those fangs out, show some of the scarlet and show us truebie or not truebie.