Use Ribbon

The start of a new challenge over at Delicious Doodles Challenges starts today. This time it's Team A's turn to host. Use Ribbon somewhere in your project and you're in. Using a Delicious Doodles image as well and you're in twice - how easy is that? Or if the darker side of you wants to come out - browse through the aisles of Delicious Darkness. They'll both count as they are all from the pen of our Teri.
A simple ATC is what I bring you this week. Using Steampunk Heart.

This is also my second post with regard to the Creative Jumpstart program organised by Nathalie Kalbach.
The household item is corrugated card from a box some crafty stash came in and a fondant mould. The cardboard forms both the base of this ATC and the little "flowers". The card was cut into thin strips and glued together before painting with luminarte radiant rain paint in "autumn leaf" and "fern". Then glued to an ATC sized piece of card for stability. The ribbon wrapped round and tied off. A couple of swirls made with paper mache pressed into a fondant mould. When dry they were given a lick of "autumn leaf" paint. The flowers made by stripping off one side of the corrugated card strip and rolling up before more paint applied.
The heart was painted in a few places and the whiteness toned down with a light dusting of burnt sienna tint pan pastel. before sticking this down as well.

I am entering this into 

the CJS 2014 sponsors giveaway - using a household item and a luminarte product 

Fresh Blood for Haunted Design House

Hi folks, Yep HDH are back after our winter break. In the time between Hellowe'en and last week, those that follow our movements will have seen that a new minion has been spawned. Non other than the very talented Monique - our very own "Maniacal Mother of Mayhem". I hope you've been and left some bloggy love on, not just Mo's blog but the other awesome minions as well. The nature of the challenge this fortnight was decided - we have fresh blood in the Dungeon - let's see what our challengees make of it.

FRESH BLOOD

I decided on an art journal page to depict my thoughts on the subject. I've not done many but this might just change in 2014. So many new techniques and products I want to try out. What better than to create a journal documenting my progress using my new found knowledge. I won't bore you until later in the post with the whys. If you want to know - carry on reading.
First my page

My project features two images from the pen of another of our talented Minions - Teri of Delicious Doodles and the new offshoot - Delicious Darkness. The two images are Bleeding Hearts and Love Lies Bleeding.
The other stamps are from Smeared Ink,(blood spatters) Indigo Blu (the numeral one)and Aly's Inky Fingers.(the time piece)

coloured with promarkers

coloured with promarkers and Luminarte Radiant rain pourables

The quote retrieved from the web and attributed to the work of Georg Buchner seemed apt. The white paper has been brushed over with distress ink (barn door)

There are a few more days left for you to enter our first challenge of 2014. See you there at 

Haunted Design House.

Onto the whys
I recently signed up for the online program called Creative Jumpstart 2014.  I felt as if my work was getting stale. A lot of the "OOmph" was lacking, for me at least. Time to maybe get some more ideas going in my head. This year is my first time of joining this kind of project. Part of the program is to show some of our work created using the prompts supplied by a group of very talented and successful artists. The common theme is to use "household items" commonly found in most homes. One of the prompts was using masking tape and inks. I went a bit further with the addition of red embossing powder, images and quote. It was, afterall a prompt.
Along the way of the course there are various "show and tell" with some amazing giveaways by the sponsors of the project. One of these is to choose a favourite tool. Mine is my craft knife. Without this fabulous tool I would not be able to cut out the images I choose to use, with all the fine detail they include.

Vintage - Now That's Different For Me

Another GDT spot for me - in my capacity of EDT member for Rick St Dennis. This time I went totally outside my comfort zone. Vintage! What ever was I thinking? I've never done vintage! Here goes..........
I used the 1935 Hat Lady from the Zibbet store of Rick's. He's the sponsor over at It's All About the Vintage and Beauty for this embossing challenge.
The card is destined to be one for hubby's Auntie Rose and hope she likes it.

How'd I do?
Papers that have been in my stash for eons. Waiting, I suppose, for just this kind of card, I don't even remember the source of the papers. The bottom right piece of pale apricot card was dry embossed, before distressing everything in sight with sand paper then antique linen DI.
Pieced together with some old lace and flowers from stash.
The image was diecut with a die'sire die after colouring with promarkers.

More DI. Then backed with the same old gold as the matting, to add some more stability. This I wanted to be slightly proud of the card base so that a tag with the sentiment could be slipped in. A lady doesn't want her age to be on display, for all to see, after all.
Some added coffee coloured pearls to finish off.
Is vintage your style? Maybe you'll get to win your choice of images if you enter the challenge at All About the Vintage and Beauty. There are some more from my teamies for you to see over at Sparkle and Glitter and the Jan Freebie challenge is still ongoing there..

I'd like to enter this card into the challenge over at
Through The Purple Haze - Anything Goes
PolkaDoodles - Girly, Girly / Anything Goes

Monochromatic Canvas

Hi peeps.
Today's post is in my capacity as GDT for Digi Galore who are being sponsored by Rick St Dennis for this challenge. Monochromatic is the name of the game for this challenge. I created a canvas using a beautiful image from Rick called "The Goddess of Moonlight on Evening Fog".
As you can see, I went with the name of the image to create this.

A bit more of a close up

So you can see the swirly mists

and that corner detail

The texture was created using gesso and cling film and left to dry

A circle cut out to mask "the Moon" and black pan pastel lightly applied. Then swirly stamps used with clear embossing ink and more black pan pastel over just those stamped areas. Next came the swirls with glitter - applied using stamps and a glue pad to create the swirls and dusted over lightly with fine white glitter. All then sealed with hairspray. 

Some grey lace applied round the edges to neaten.

The Goddess was coloured using a mixture of promarkers and graph-its before fussy cutting out. 

The black gems were applied with a view to placing the image in a spot I liked and before adhering the image down permanently with pinflair glue.

To neaten off the sides of this box canvas - some black satin ribbon all around the edges with some more added tied with a big bow to hang. 

For your change to get your hands on this lovely lady (or any other that takes your fancy) get thos digi creations entered into that challenge at Digi Galore.

I'd like to enter this canvas into the challenge at
Through The Purple Haze - Anything Goes

Premium Craft/Pan Pastels - Anything goes
Graph'it Marker challenge - Anything goes
Creative Jumpstart 2014 - Pan Pastel Giveaway use a household item (clingfilm) and/or Pan Pastel

Flowers and Delicious Doodles

I can hardly believe it - almost a week since I last blogged my makes. I've not been idle, just not able to show you all what I've made - just yet. Here is one I can show you because today heralds the start of the new challenge over at Delicious Doodles Challenges.

Flowers is the theme. 

I have used the new image from Teri - Deadly Nightshade.

Coloured with promarkers and the bottom right hand corner layered up. The layering has been disguised by cutting a frame out to place over the image. Before I did this, the edges were embossed and the raised areas highlighted with gold panpastel (Crimbo pressie)

Some acid green heavily textured hand-made paper that has been waiting several years to be used and the main DP is from a Paper Artsy collection. All matted on bottle green card.

My layout was inspired by the sketch over at SketchyColours. The flowers started off life as white before they were given a lick with my promarkers. The lime green lace and purple ribbon from stash.

I hope to see you all over at Delicious Doodles when you come and show off your flowers.

I am entering this card into the challenge at

Sketchy Colours - their sketch
Digi Chooseday - Anything goes/Girly, Girly

Freebie Time Again at Sparkle and Glitter

Morning all,
I hope the recent bad weather being experienced in a lot of areas is not finding you nor hampering your creative spirits. I hope you are healthy, safe, warm and dry
It's the first Saturday of the month today and that normally heralds in the Rick St Dennis Freebie Challenge held over at either Sparkle and Glitter or Airless Chambers. This month it's at Sparkle and Glitter again.
The freebie that came out with this month's newsletter is available at Rick's Zibbet store as well here if you missed out. To get on that mailing list you need to sign up on Rick's blog.
The image this month has a name - Baby Bacchus. All the EDT have been busy and created some spectacular eye candy using him.
For my part, I made a card.
Firstly, I coloured the little faun with promarkers,

Then using the sketch over at the Outlawz Wednesday's Sketch Challenge as inspiration constructed this card

The pearlised red card base was stamped with a vine like stamp (Lavinia stamps) using clear embossing ink and dusted with rich gold pan pastel. The kraft coloured centre panel embossed with "budding vine" folder before rubbing over with more of the clear embossing ink and dusting with light gold pan pastel.
Some vine type leaves, a couple of pins, some purple pearls and a basket charm added to complete

These leaves are my attempt at making my own with my new paper clay from Santa

I'd like to enter this card into the challenge at
Outlawz Wednesday Sketch challenge - Their Sketch of 1/1/14
Open-minded Crafting - New toys/techniques