Friday 29 November 2013

Inspired By A Movie

It's the start of another challenge over at Delicious Doodles' Challenges. I don't know about you but the theme this week of "Inspired by a movie" is always a tough one for me. I never know which film to choose out of the many out there. I started of by thinking I'd do something like "Terror of the Deep" but somehow this film kept coming into my head. So went with it. I chose "Queen of the Damned"
It did give me the excuse to use some gorgeous flocked pieces that I have been hoarding - die cuts from a RAK received about 2 years ago. The edges are cut like that of an old-fashioned film reel and has apertures for pics - so more for scrapbooking I think, something I don't do. I ended up cutting those edges off to use here.

I followed the sketch over at Papertake Weekly for my design. The digi stamp is La Rosa Muerta from, of course, Delicious Doodles. Mounted onto red pearlised card, after colouring just the hair, lips and rose with promarkers and framed with those edges and TH iron gate die cuts.


Then there's the sanded black/red coredinations piece behind that. The BP is from Southfield paper. Lace, ribbon bows, crown charm and flowers all from stash.
All then attached to a black inked card base.
What film will you choose to depict? Come show us at Delicious Doodles Challenges please so that we can be inspired by you!

I'd like to enter this card into the challenge at
Papertake Weekly - Sketch #85
Through The Purple Haze - Use your Craft Stash (I always do)

Wednesday 27 November 2013

Perpetual Calendar with Mice

Hi every one,  What have we here?















A calendar that will not need replacing year after year.
It features twelve little mice in a variety of poses - a different one for each month.
The full story can be seen over on the Tutorial blog.of Rick St Dennis' EDT.  I hope you can take the time and visit.
I have used many old items from my hoarded stash. The base box is an empty laundry soap box - cut to size. The DCWV paper on the box - well that's at least 2 years old. The mount board to make the card inserts - that was a big box gifted to me about 3 years ago. Then there's the cotton lace.... I hate to think how long I've had that. The embellishments on each month card - nearly all from that buried box of stuff that "I'll never use that, but keep it just in case". Haven't we all got one of them?
Here's a little teaser of the months. Now you know you'll have to check out the rest.




The Mice used in the calendar are now available as a set with a special price 25.00 USD, only available for a limited time here.  Then they will be on sale in Rick's Zibbet shop at the normal price.


Regular price $36.00 or $3.00 each. The special saves $11.00

I'd like to enter this calendar into the challenge at
Through the Purple Haze - Use your stash
Clear It Out Challenge - Anything Goes
Through The Craftroom Door - Anything Goes
Oldie but A Goodie - Ribbon and/or Lace
Anything But a Card - recycle
Quirky Crafts - Christmas like in the good old days - Altered items only

Monday 25 November 2013

Anything Goes at Smudgy Antics

Hi there peeps. It's the last week of not only this Anything Goes challenge at the Smudgy Antics blog but also the last challenge on the blog. All future challenges will be held within the Challenger section of the Smeared and Smudged ning forum.  It's free to join and so much going on with all the new stuff, as well as old favourites, it's well worth a visit or four.
My piece for this week is a variation on the Christmas Wreath. I used the Smeared Ink rubber stamps from the "Gothic Christmas" collection.

The images were stamped using Stazon onto felt, cut out and glued to the prepared wreath.



The wire ring base was first wrapped with wadding and strips of hessian on top of that a couple of retaining stitches held it all in place.
Some colour was added with fineliners. I was not about to use my promarkers near the stazon ink.
Some felt mistletoe added with a little bow and a grosgrain ribbon hanging loop before topping off with that fabulous reindeer head.
That's about it from me today.
Come along and join us with this fun challenge. Think outside the box and surprise us.

I'd like to enter this Christmas wreath into the challenge at
Stamping Sensations - Christmas

Friday 22 November 2013

A Colour Challenge

OK, I read the challenge wrong. OOps. I'm sure I saw use purple, pink and red. I go to link up my project and it says EITHER. Oh well looks like I might have to either take my chances or do another project quick as the closing date is tomorrow for Through The Purple Haze Challenges.
Anyway, this is finished so might as well blog it.
A Christmas tree ornament. The original inspiration came from Southfield Paper and Card Shop's newletter.


Just a collection of card rosettes in graduating sizes. Hot glued together. Some shiny fibres wound round and some gems lights glues in place.


The top has been decorated with snowflakes and snowballs.
So as you can see - all the colours have been used but I could easily have used just the one if I'd been able to read that day.

I am entering this ornament into the challenge at

Through The Purple Haze - Colour Challenge
Crafty Creations - Christmas or Thanksgiving



Monday 18 November 2013

It's a Cute Christmas Card

OK folks, don't faint but we're going from Gothic to cute in one short step.
It's actually a card I made as GDT for Sister Act Card Challenges but for some unknown reason it got lost in cyber space and never got to it's destination for inclusion in the challenge on time. Rick St Dennis is the sponsor this week and it's in the capacity as a member of his design team that this card came to be.
It features one of the adorable Christmas mice. This one is pretending to be Santa so fittingly called Santa Mouse.

The design has been kept simple on purpose. Don't most people want to see Santa out in the open?
Coloured with promarkers I did add some stardust stickles sparingly to the fur on his suit and to the candy cane.
The papers are from an old DCWV collection and plain pearlised paper in stash. The die cut corners are from a sizzix set.
So if you want to be in with a chance of winning this little cutie get on over to Sister Act Challenges and link up your card.

I'd like to enter this card into the challenge at

Make my Monday - Santa
Challenges 4 Everybody - Anything Goes

Anything Goes at Smudgy Antics

I don't know about you but when the theme of any challenge is an "Anything Goes" my mind goes blank. So many things I could make. What do I want to make? What do I need to make? So many questions swimming around in this empty  noddle of a head. That very theme is the new challenge over at Smudgy Antics for the next two weeks. So, what am I to make? I ended up making a simple tag. One for the different and like-minded friends I love.
I used the Gothic Christmas rubber set from Smeared Ink.

I cut a simple tag from rich red card stock and heat embossed the tree on it with black powder. The bat and wreath was stamped into clear hot glue. When cool, this was dusted with a mixture of perfect pearls and pan pastels.

A few flat flowers added at the hole and secured with an eyelet. Some ribbon and fibres to finish. Simple, as I said.
So, what are you waiting for? Get those projects linked up to the Smudgy Antics challenge so we can all enjoy your eye candy.

I'd like to enter this tag into the challenge at

Craft-Dee BowZ November challenge - Anything with a hand made bow

Saturday 16 November 2013

Nearly Christmas - so rumour has it

Now that Hallowe'en is over - it's time to get cracking on those Christmas cards in the Cubbyhole. Quite a few to send this year. I always promise myself to start earlier in the year but other projects seem to be worked on first. So when Through the Purple Haze challenges set the theme of  "Winter Scenes optional animals or people in it" it spurred me on to get at least one more in the pile of "normal" cards.

A mixture of traditional and whimsical.
An acetate base to which a Hunky Dory scene was added.  Together with this Fancy Wreath Mouse from Rick St Dennis. 

He was just itching to get in on the act. 
Yes the card is neatened off on the inside.

I would like to enter this into the challenge at
Through The Purple Haze - Winter Scenes optional animals or people in it


Friday 15 November 2013

CAS and Delicious Doodles

The new Delicious Doodles Challenge this week is all about clean and simple. No added embellishments! I find this one of the most difficult types of cards. I always want to add something more.


This is the new Holly Sugar Skull from the pen of Teri who is Delicious Doodles
Starting off with a white card, I brushed "burnt sienna tint" pan pastel over it. CAS is about loads of empty space not loads of white space after all.
I needed a sentiment this is on the die-cut paper.

The sugar skull itself has been painted with perfect pearls for that extra sheen.
I did add a few swirls, highlighted with the same pan pastel. I couldn't resist it.

So it's bring those CAS cards to Delicious Doodles Challenges folks and show us how it's done - your way.

I'd like to enter this card into the challenge at
Through The Purple Haze - Winter Scenes optional animals or people in it


Monday 11 November 2013

Fire and Ice

Oh my. Is it really a week since I last blogged anything. I haven't been idle..... honest. It's because I'm working on a project that is taking some time to complete. As well as this -- my project for week two of the Fire and Ice challenge over at Smudgy Antics. The competition is wide open still for the next 6 days.
I altered a bottle for this project. Made it into a candle holder. Well there's fire for you. Wait, there's more....

 The bottle was coated in gesso before wrapping with hessian (burlap) strips. Some copper wire threaded with red bicone beads and steel wire with blue and clear beads was wrapped around. Then left to dry off a bit before adding the next bits.

 This is the fire goddess from the Smeared Ink rubber Elementals set
and this is the water goddess from the same set.
My stamping medium - well that's hot glue. I made a large puddle, using yellow and red for fire and blue and clear for the ice, onto a piece of baking paper on my heat resistant mat.then pressed my stamp into the hot glue and let it all cool down. No, the stamp is not damaged. I've seen this done with clear stamps and they weren't harmed either. The advantage here is that the glue panel is flexible unlike UTEE. The fire goddess was give a wipe over with copper pan pastel and the ice panel with silver perfect pearls. Then sprayed with hairspray to set.
Some holes made in the panels and joined with more copper wire. More pan pastels in copper and blue sponged onto the hessian. Some firey red and icy blue and white flowers added for more interest before adding the candle.
Simple but very messy. I had a ball!!

I'd like to enter my candle holder into the challenge at
Crafting by Designs - Anything goes
Premium Craft Brands - Anything Goes/Something Altered
Craft My Life All Crafts Challenge - ABAC

Monday 4 November 2013

Fire and Ice with Smudgy Antics

Smudgy Antics has a new challenge starting today.

FIRE AND ICE

We want to see how you interpret this. The DT have come up with a few ideas, but we want to be inspired by you as well.

I made a simple AJ page using two of the images from the Elemental Goddesses set.
For those lucky people in the Smeared Ink Rubber Club, these stamps should be hitting your doorsteps very soon if they haven't already done so.
Fire and water were the images chosen. Coloured with promarkers before given their separate treatments.
The Fire Goddess was burnt round the edges. An obvious procedure I think. The frozen water goddess was sealed first with Decoart sealer before painting on Rock Candy. When this was dry some weathered wood DI sponged on lightly and another coat of sealer.
The paper used is digital from Smeared Ink's "Slasher" set.  The colour was altered digitally diagonally before printing.
Cut to size 8"x8" to fit in my journal. The "Fire" word is from the same Elementals set the "Ice" is just a set of  alphabet stamps I have.

It looks simple now I look at it again. 

Samhain Sunset with HDH

It's the start of the second week of the last challenge of the year over at Haunted Design House. We going on our annual hiatus for a couple of months. Do not fret - we'll be back in the new year. In the meantime we will be refreshing (hopefully) those flagging energies and whipping our mojos back into shape. So are you going to have us go out with a bang or just a damp squib? Are you going to show us you can create a project depicting the colours of a

"Samhain Sunset."
You are to create a dark, Gothic, or Hallowe'en
based art piece that represents a 
Samhain Sunset.
We're looking for the colours of a beautiful fall sunset.

We are sponsored by the incredibly talented Mitzi Sato-Wiuff, of 
She has offered up a very generous prize of $15 worth of digis (digis ONLY)
to each of our GTs this challenge.
Mitzi has beautiful artwork available in her store. She has digis,
ACEOs, original artwork, and more in her shop. Stop by and check it out.

What did I do?
Just a simple wall hanging. The artwork is so lovely it deserves to be unadorned by any other fripperies.


The image is LasCalaveras

Coloured with promarkers before mounting onto plain black card. This, in turn, was mounted onto another piece of black card onto which had been stamped with versamark - a mesh stamp and words from a Sheena Douglas collection. Copper metallic Pan Pastels then sponged on. A fitting frame for a gorgeous image, I think.
So, are you up for joining in our colourful challenge at Haunted Design House. We hope so.

We're in the process of organising a few events in the two month holiday, you'll have to keep popping back to the blog for updates.

See you soon

I'd like to enter my wall hanging into the challenge at
Through The Purple Haze - Anything Goes

Saturday 2 November 2013

Freebie Challenge at Sparkle and Glitter with RSD

I hope yesterday's post has softened the blow into today's project after all that went on in October. Today I go totally through 360 degrees and more from the normal you will have come to expect from me. All in a day's work and all that. Maybe (cough) I ought to (cough) do more like (cough) these? (cough, cough). Sorry something's tickling the back of my throat. Something furry? I jest, of course.
Ready for this?
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.


Her name is Priscilla Pilgrim. Isn't she cute? She's the image that was in the newsletter that Rick St Dennis sends out monthly. Only those canny enough to have signed up previously will have received her. All is not lost however, there's always next month. For all the info, head on over to Rick's blog and read/signup.
 The monthly challenge starts today. For this, Priscilla has to be used. If you want to enter to be in with a chance of winning more images and need the image she can be bought from Rick's shop
I have used primarily promarkers to colour. The exception is her fur and tail. I'm loving these pink/grey graph-it markers for this bit.

I made a card..... fit for any little lady or even a big one. I need a stamp that says "Happy Whatever" because although I know who is going to receive this card for her birthday, it could so easily be for another occasion.
In-keeping with the image theme of autumn/harvest I chose to cover a piece of brown card with real skeleton leaves coloured gold. There is a panel of endless vine embossed dark orange cordinations under a panel of plain blue vellum and another diecut of card in a different shade of orange. Orange ribbon edged with gold threaded through for a bit of sparkle. More die-cuts, this time from copper card, those swirly vine type shapes. Then flowers, lots of flowers from WOC. Every girl needs some flowers from time to time.
All this was  matted onto more of that blue vellum before adhering to the card base.
Well that's about it from me folks. Don't forget to check out the Sparkle and Glitter challenge and the other EDT makes.

I'd like to enter this card into the challenge at
Through The Purple Haze - For the Girls
Card Crafter's Circle - Cute Cards
Digitally Sweet - Trees and Leaves

Friday 1 November 2013

Recipe Challenge with Delicious Doodles

Morning. Wow, where'd October go? It was both a long and a short month, if you get my drift. Long ... as if "Will it ever be Hallowe'en?" and short in that when that celebration is over, Christmas is just around the corner! Well a few Christmas and, of course, Creepmas cards will feature on my little blog in the next two months and to get the (snow)ball rolling, we have the card I made for the latest Delicious Doodles challenge.
It's a recipe challenge, One image, Two patterned papers, Three diecuts. Easier than last week's for many.
Anyway

I used A Robin's Christmas as my image. Coloured with promarkers and some stardust stickles in a few places to simulated the sparkling new snow,


Two of the diecuts surround the shaker panel cut from the two patterned papers. The acetate - a repurposed promarker packaging case. Yes - that's glitter card! White and blue as a background for those diecuts. For those that want to know - it's coredinations glitter card - the glitter is non-shedding as it's embedded in the card. White flower soft and a touch of glitter on the inside of the shaker panel.
 The shaker panel was then tidied up with narrow ribbon and the bow secured with a trio of pearls stuck down with glossy accents. That baby's going no where. My third die cut - the snowflake flower topped with another pearl. The sentiment (stash) is stamped in blue.
So now we wait for all those challengers to share their projects with us at Delicious Doodles Challenges. I hope you are goig to be one of them.
Thanks for looking.
I'll be back tomorrow ......

I'd like to enter this into the challenge at
I Love Promarkers - Anything Goes