12 Days of Creepmas with Rick St Dennis and Smeared & Smudged

Morning all.
Today is the 2nd day of the Creepmas hop organised by the gals over at the Smeared and Smudged group. They used to be on a ning platform but are transferring to facebook and December is the transition month. Hence the info can be found on both platforms. Terra of Smeared Ink is the host and her blog is the starting point of the hop and more info can be gleaned there.

Rick St Dennis' Airless Chambers is, again. taking part and today is "my day".  Today is also designated "Smeared Ink day" when the projects, if possible, are to be made with stamps available from their shop. It was with this in mind that my first project came into being. I have used stamps from the Dark Holidaze rubber set, designed by Rick St Dennis.
An old tatty tray that has been sitting in my craft room for "a while" got a bit of a make-over with some deco-art paints.
Firstly - the base of the tray. Plenty of masking, colouring with promarkers and then inking with iced spruce distress ink.

The old tatty wooden tray was strengthened on the corners with strips of torn card scraps, inside and out (tearing helps disguise the edges) then coated with white gesso, just in case the was any residual oil in the wood. Second coat Decoart's Pure Pumpkin acrylic paint. When dry, a coat of Weathered Wood. More drying time. Next a coat of purple, sit back and watch the magic happen. The leaves were painted with Blue/green light acrylic and dusted with mica powder. The edges were all given a coat of copper "dazzling metallics" acrylic paint.

When all the paint was dry, a generous coat of decou-page was applied, used both to adhere the stamped panel and to seal the entire project.

My second project was made using Rick's digi images available from the Zibbet shop.
A wreath to decorate a door (possibly?)

 Creepmas Greetings and  Creepmas Tree Lights

Orange and purple satin ribbons on a circle of card (cereal box) wrapped with hessian. Die cut black holly leaves and swirls

 some glossy accents were applied to the lights for added shine and dimension.

I'd like to enter my tray into the challenge at
Smudgy Antics - Anything goes with SI

Rick St Dennis' Progressive Challenge part 2- December

Hi folks
Just a quickie post showing my rendition of Rick's Christmas Party Hat on a card. My small piece as a member of the EDT for the Progressive challenge over on the Sparkle and Glitter blog.

coloured with promarkers

 on one of the few Christmas cards made this year.

This is the free image given to those crafters that entered a project into the first part last month but she is available to purchase in the shop should you fancy your chances with mr Linky to win more from the pen of Rick St Dennis. 

Let's Face the Music with Delicious Doodles

Oh my - my blog has not seen a great deal of me in the last few weeks. Not because I haven't been making anything, just that I can't share ......yet. Either DT stuff of Christmas pressie making has been my workload of late.
I do however have a card made for the new Delicious Doodles challenge starting this week. The theme is "Let's face the music (and dance?)" So, anything to do with music/songs etc. My song choice, and another Christmas card that needed making.......... "The Holly and the Ivy"
Using images using Ivy Corner and Christmas Lantern on an 8x8" card.

All coloured with promarkers. There's 60 ivy leaves there - I counted them.
A BP from aTH paper stack. Some distress inks and a die cut Merry Christmas, some pearlised red paper to mat and a few gems. Took no time at all to assemble, once those leaves were coloured. Whatever possessed me? hahaha

Anyway, get those projects linked up to the challenge here at Delicious Doodles, we love to see them.

Take Time to................with RSD

The start of a new month. November heralds the start of the Christmas rush for many, but also when the weather really starts affecting me. The cold, gloomy, damp mornings are a struggle to get through for me as, I suspect, many of you out there. Wrap up warm and craft.
The 1st of November especially sees the beginning of a new Progressive Challenge over at the Sparkle & Glitter Blog of Rick St Dennis' EDT.
I made a clock face using Art on the Brain from the Etsy or Zibbet shops

 The greyboard base was first primed with gesso. Then the painting really started.

 Decoart paints in warm white, yellow oxide, quin. gold, and red oxide using imagination crafts stencils and stamps from Visible Image. Yes, you can use acrylic paint on your stamps - make sure they're well cleaned after though.

The image was coloured then printed onto copy paper and adhered with gel medium, left to dry before wetting the paper and rubbing off gently. The whole thing was then painted with clear crackle then sealed. (Americana decou-page)

The little skulls? these were made by making a mould of a bead then making 12 paper clay impressions. Then painted with the same paints as the clock face with just a touch of mica loaded paint.

The clock mechanism was shop bought.

OK - your turn to create. Something - Anything Goes for the first part - with an RSD image and enter into the challenge

I'd like to enter my clock into the challenge

Anything Goes with a Twist - Dark

Imaginations Crafts - Anything Goes

Baby, It's Cold Outside with Delicious Doodles

Cold?? We haven't seen the worst of it yet. There's been frost on my car a couple of mornings this week that I've had to scrape off and this is only October!! It's going to be a hard winter if the berries on the bushes are to be believed.
I digress
The purpose of this post is to show you the card I made for the new Delicious Doodles challenge that's just started. All about the cold, and a good excuse to get another "C" card done for the collection.

An easel card using "A Crofter's Winter"

 Bit more of a close-up on the main panel.

The main panel is Crafters' Companion with some added poinsettia diecuts

mats all different types of white card/paper.

The centre panel from the front was used for the greeting (Visible Image)

A bit of bling to finish and job done

Thanks for looking.

Hope to see you show us your "Cold" creations at the challenge at Delicious Doodles

I'd like to enter my card into the challenge at
Outlawz -Twisted Thursday - Easel Cards

Hellacious Hallowe'en with HDH

Another of my catchup projects - only 2 this week

This one is for Haunted Design House and the last challenge of 2014.
It had to be Hallowe'en themed now, didn't it!!

Hellacious Hallowe'en 

(for Hadults Honly)

I made a card, for a change.

Using the Eternal Matrimony papers from Jem's Designs featuring some beautiful Vamps. Well their vows would be, literally, eternal. (Unless there is a vampire killer in the 'hood)

The sentiment is computer generated and over stamped with a TH web stamp. 

All embellishments from stash

You have until Sunday to get your NON CUTE Hallowe'en project entered. Full details, of course are over at the challenge post at Haunted Design House.

31 Days of Halloween blog hop with RSD's Airless Chambers

Catchup time again
I will get back to normal soon ................ I hope
Anyway...........

THAT day is creeping nearer! Are you excited yet?

I have a card with a bit of a difference - it can keep some amused for a while. A never-ending card.
I used images Halloween Cheer, Madama de la Noche,  Sugar Skulls, and an old favourite of mine - Skull with Roses.

Other stamps used are from Smeared Ink and the web is T.Holtz

The front

flip 1

flip 2

flip 3

Flip again and you're back to the beginning. 

3 of the 31 Day of Hallowe'en - with RSD

I've been so busy making this and that, sharing on other blogs and Facebook, I almost forgot this little corner of my life. Mega oops. Time for a quick catch-up of the projects I have made for Rick St Dennis and the Airless Chambers blog for the fabulous 31 Days of Hallowe'en Hop - organised by Smeared and Smudged.
This year I have not signed up as me - last year really was too exhausting what with working full time as well. Doesn't mean I can't join in though. The other ladies of the EDT have been mega busy as well and have produced some amazing projects so far.

First up - the project for today.
A El Dia de Muertos - The Day of the Dead - canvas. I chose to use the image Plague

Coloured with a mixture of promarkers and graph'it pens

 The canvas was given a coat of gesso first then painted with "red cadmium hue" acrylic paint. Masking off in strips, some copper coloured glitter paste (imagination crafts, sparkle medium bright copper) applied and allowed to dry.

The bright and shiny silver corners and the cross were given a coating of gilding flakes to tone in. Some black velvet ribbon with hanging baubles to mirror that in the image. The image given mats of orange and black. Some purple and black feathers to finish.

Last week - day 8
A different canvas - used back to front as a shadow box. This is a favourite method of mine and enables me to ring the changes on my walls by turning them around once in a while.

 This one features The Crow Hunter and the Haunted Mansion

Plenty of black gesso as a base before a moon was added with white glitter paste and added sheen with a bit of black. (Imagination crafts, sparkle medium diamond and black stars)

The tree is from Tando and the added crow spider and cat from That Craft Place Laser Cuts

 Coloured with pencils

  Coloured with promarkers

Day 1 of the hop
I had the honour of kicking off the hop for Airless Chambers.
I chose to alter a little bag - all ready for those "trick or treaters" - I'll probably give to my Grandson for when he gets escorted round the street by his mum.

This is one of Rick's newer images - ICON

coloured with promarkers

 Some orange card, plenty of black ink, some orange and black ribbon and a little skully bead.

The other side - more orange card with some grubby hand prints stencilled on with yet more black ink. A silvery spider web and skull and bones beads. Just right for a young lad I think.

That's it ........... so far. I'm up for another couple of projects this month - what will they be???

Thanks for looking


I'd like to enter into the challenges at
All Crafts Challenge - Anything But a Card
Imagination Crafts - Anything Goes
Craft a Scene - By the light of the silvery moon (2nd project)
Quirky Crafts - Lets Frame it

You WOOD Do that! with HDH

Post #2 for today
It's the second week of the challenge at Haunted Design House.
We have the very talented Maureen (Mo) Scott featuring as our Guest Minion and you really need to see her make-over!!
I was really lucky to actually meet our Mo at a recent craft fair, she is as warm in real life as she is on-line **smiles**
Anyway, I digress,
The challenge this fortnight is all about the wood! We need to see some wood - real or fake it.
I altered a little box - just a little - a box that cost pennies at a "carboot sale" - one of those British things. People bring along their unwanted junk for others to choose to give a new home at a small cost. Is the US version a Yard Sale?
This little fella was looking a bit beaten up - the varnish all chipped and cracked etc. A good rub down with sandpaper sorted that. Amazing what a lick of paint and a covering of gilding flakes can do. I wanted the top to be the focal point but the sides needed a bit of coverage. These were covered in a piece of DP on which I had stamped images.

With stamps from DeStempelwinkel and Lost Coast

From Smeared Ink

 More DP covered the top

A scrap of paper, aged and stamped with a script stamp from Paper Artsy formed the scroll with some wooden (bamboo) holders. Some little pen nibs, one made into a little quill and some tiny bottles to accent.

Still a useful little box with drawer at the bottom, but oh so much prettier than before.

You have another 6 days to get your bit of wood entered into the challenge so we can come and leave some bloggy love. Then one more challenge before the Minions of the Dungeon are allowed to hibernate for the winter.

I'd like to enter this into the challenge at
Addicted to Stamps - Anything Goes

It's Hallowe'en - with Delicious Darkness

Hi everyone
Mega posting day in the Cubbyhole - First up with Delicious Darkness Challenges
The challenge this month is Anything Goes with a Twist of Hallowe'en.
For my project I made a door wreath.

Using 13 of the Evil Skully images and 2 of Disturbia as a central swinging/hanging accent (attached only at the top)

These were all attached to a metal frame that I had covered with hessian strips. Then wrapped black 2mm organza ribbon in a criss-cross pattern.

The Skullys then adhered using silicon glue.

A simple but effective, I think, door decoration for any time of year in my home although I believe others take their decs down ready for the "C" time of year.

What Hallowe'en make will you have to show us? Looking forward to seeing them entered into our challenge.

Ancient Evil

Haunted Design House day here in the cubbyhole.
The challenge started last week and continues to next Monday..........

Ancient Evil

Think back to days of yore, the very distant past.

What sort of evil lurked in the shadows back then? 

Slimy mythical monsters, devils, demons maybe?  How did those, in times forgotten, protect against the unseen terrors?

The task is to unleash the long forgotten myths and demonic creatures of yesteryear and depict in a way of your choosing.

Tombs and sarcophagi were often decorated with what the ancient Kushites and Egyptians called "udjat" eyes — It had a kind of ritual role to protect from the evil eye. It is this idea that I have chosen to use as my interpretation of the theme.

and complete with "mummy"

I covered a wooden coffin shell with grunge paste - making sure there was plenty of "stone-like" texture.
Then came the job of painting. First layer being black then dry brushing in various shades of grey through to "off-white".
The "eyes" are gilding flakes applied to the images painted on with pva glue.
The linen interior of the coffin is muslin dyed with distress re-inkers and the mummy is a TH fractured doll wrapped in more muslin lightly coloured with more re-inker.

What "Ancient Evil" are you going to depict? Or are you going to interpret the theme differently? Come show us at Haunted Design House and get your Hallowe'en decorations off to a good start.

Eleganza with Rick St Dennis

Good morning everyone.
I have the honour of being on the GDT team for Cute Card Thursday today via Rick St Dennis.
The theme for this week's challenge is dies and punches. Well, I have a few of them in my collection now, but which to choose? Also which image from the extensive collection of Rick's?
The Mermaid Eleganza caught my eye a while back and she was screaming for some colour......who am I to argue?
Soft teal tones - almost like those you find at sea - came to mind.

Now to get her onto a card

A few different makes of dies and punches here teamed with some DCWV DP that I airbrushed with stencils and the same promarkers that I'd used to colour our gal.

Some pearls and a little mother of pearl starfish I found in my stash,

Then a BIG OOOPSS 

I almost forgot - this is supposed to be a CUTE card. Well, those that know me will know I don't do cute really but, in deference to the hosts, I placed a couple of mother of pearl sequins on the image for the photo. I think I saved it.

Anyway - my fellow teamie Karen made a fabulously cute card to counteract my boob. You can see the two together on the Sparkle and Glitter blog and of course over at the hosts of the challenge - Cute Card Thursday.

Second Catchup with Delicious Doodles

This is only a day late - so I'm that far behind now **grin**

The challenge started yesterday over a Delicious Doodles Challenges -

Tag It.

To create either a tag or a project with a tag

I went for just the tag - I love making tags for some unknown reason.

Using the cardboard back of a paper stack - almost chipboard weight. Well it was too good to waste. I needed something substantial so the it wouldn't be warped with the gesso I intended to use.

So.......... a light coating of gesso on both sides. Followed by the stencilling with more gesso of a snowflake background I have. Plenty of warm soapy water needed to clean it - gosh that stuff sticks like sh...........
When dry, some black stars sparkle medium was scraped on and off. More drying time.
My image is the Holly Sugar Skull. Printed onto card twice then reversed and printed onto cheap printer paper. Needed this for the image transfer. No way I could fussy cut all those swirls and berries.

 So some layering of the larger items after colouring with distress inks and coloured the image transfer with gel pen and metallic marker.
Some die-cuts of a poinsettia and a little sentiment (Las Vegas Stamps) a bit of ribbon to tie. Job done.

I'd like to enter this tag into the challenge at
A Step in the Dark - Anything Goes

Catching up time - Firstly with Rick St Dennis

OOoooops my bad.
I've been so busy with this and that, I almost forgot this little place. I have been crafting as well but sometimes when I make projects well in advance of being able to blog them - that little job seems to escape my tiny brain.
Anyway................

This post is to share my project made for the Rick St Dennis' Sparkle and Glitter Progressive challenge. - the mid month reminder for the first month.  An "Anything Goes"  - but using an RSD image. Any image that can be found in either the Zibbet or Etsy stores.
The project I made is so simple - just an altered CD. Any old CD just cries out for a makeover. They're so easy to do and a string of them can adorn any wall. If you want a change - decorate both sides and turn them round once in a while.

This one was made using Cannibal Creepmas

Coloured with promarkers with some added distressing with ink

Mounted onto the disc that had been covered with a scrap of paper from my stash. I think it was actually from a Christmas paper stack but can't remember which.

Added ribbon, pleated and plain with a scrap of lace. Finished off with some eyelets for hanging and decoration.

Done and super quick for a bit of Creepmas decoration.

Don't forget to enter your project now.

Gone Gothic with Delicious Darkness

It's our second challenge over at Delicious Darkness challenge blog. A month long challenge where you can go as dark as you like. In fact, it's no cuteness allowed - it MUST be a dark/gothic/alternative creation and if a Delicious Doodles/Darkness image is used......... so much the better and you then get to enter again.

This month it's all about 

GOING GOTHIC

What did I do? Just a card this time..............

Using the awesome image Leather and Lace

Coloured with a mixture of promarkers and graph'it pens

The card - well that is a pearlised paper as the main mat with coredinations dry embossed and sanded on top of that. The corner squares cut from DCWV immortal love stack and the image mounted onto leather textured paper. Some ribbon, lace and pearls. The little sentiment was stamped, cut into individual words and these mounted onto the coredinations offcuts.

Simple and quick to put together once the image was coloured.

Please check out the projects of rest of the team and, when you've picked your jaw up from the ground, come along and show us how gothic you can go

Hugs

I'd like to enter this card into the challenge at
A Creative Romance - Anything Goes

Creative Blog Hop

Creative Blog Hop

I was nominated to take part in the Creative Blog Hop by the Fabulous Fiona Henderson. Fiona is a wonderful, warm person whom I met through facebook and a mutual friend. Her work is both beautiful and inspiring and she is willing to take on many challenges; both in and out of the world of crafting.

She, like so many talented crafters, have health issues past and present. This is not something she dwells on nor makes a big song and dance about. In fact, unless you know her, you would not guess as she keeps all this very close and still manages to give of herself and her art to others.

(http://ahighlanderflingofcards.blogspot.co.uk/)

The questions I have to answer?

1. What am I working on?

I have my fingers in a few pies, so to speak. I am, currently, on the design teams for Rick St Dennis, Teri Sherman's Delicious Doodles and lately the new Delicious Darkness and Haunted Design House.

Most of my artwork tends to be on the darker, alternative side. The fact that cute and I don't walk a path easily is plain to see from looking through my blog. Saying that, there have been a few occasions that I have been called upon to make a cute card. They always take so much longer for me though. Always with much “ummmming and arghing” and checking pinterest and the like for inspiration and to see if I'm getting it right.

2. How does my work differ from others of my genre?

What is my genre? I'm not sure even now.

I love the dark side of crafting. Steampunk, Gothic, alternative without being gory.

I don't do zombies easily nor blood and gore. That may or may not surprise a few.

3. Why do I write/create what I do?

I started card making because a saw a lady on a TV craft Show making cards on New years day 2010. A friend had already tried to teach me a month or two before this. My crafting love at the time was cross stitch, knitting and sewing. These hobbies were becoming increasingly difficult because I was having trouble holding the needles. Card making seemed to be a way for me to still be creative and not get too frustrated at having to put the work away after 20mins.

BUT

I was still having a problem in my head with the cute stuff that seemed to be required. I needed to find something else.

Then, whilst blog hopping one day, I came across a crafter called Black Dragon. I was drooling at the dark beauty of her work. By clicking on various links on her blog I was pleasantly surprised to find a whole community of crafters that embraced “an alternative artform”. Enter Smearedand Smudged into my crafting life. I was home. Where I needed to be. Where no-one frowned at you for not loving Tilda or rolled their eyes at your work when you wanted to colour skin and hair in different hues. Creating with stamps wasn't just about making cards, they could be incorporated into many other forms.

It was here that the colouring skills of Aletha Williams and Lady Brayton inspired me to get better in that aspect. I also got to know Monique Van Dijk and Shelley Knight, more about these lovely ladies in a bit.

Then that awesome team at Haunted Design House accepted me into the Dungeon. My crafting life is almost complete.

Enter Rick StDennis and his fabulous art.

Along the way, these last 4 years, I have met with, online and off, some awesome crafters, many of whom I am proud to say “They're my friend”.

Crafting takes me into a world where my pains can be forgotten for a short while.......... as long as I have coffee.

4. How does my creation process work?

I've no set formula for making what I do. Sometimes an image will talk to me, sometimes it's because I'm working to a tight brief.

Now its time to nominate people for the Blog Hop.

I am supposed to nominate 3 people with blogs. Unfortunately as so many have already done this journey I have only 2 that are able to carry on this hop.

Firstly

Monique Van Dijk

Mo's work is unique. Her skill with her pencils - well you just have to see it to believe. Mo and I seem to follow each other into design teams. Currently we are both on the EDT for Rick St Dennis and are Minions in the Dungeon of Haunted Design House. 

Second

Shelley Knight or Shell

Shell and I "met" on the design team for Smeared Ink and currently are both on the design team for Delicious Doodles. Shell is one of a fairly small band of crafters that can alter any old "junk" and make it beautiful. Amazing work