Love is in the Air

Another Valentine's card from me again today. Something a little bit different from my last cute post!
Mmmwwwwaahaa haaa!!!

This is a gate fold card.
Made as my contribution to the DT inspiration for both Smudgy Antics and Haunted Design House.

The challenge over at Smudgy Antics is to make the Gate Fold Card -  simple - the twist is NO CUTE, well we tolerate them. We do prefer things a bit edgy over at our challenges there. So Gothic, alternative, creepy, humorous, risque, vintage or creepy are the order of the day - take your pick.

The challenge over at Haunted Design House is Famous Last Words. Making something that captures last words of a film, book, death bed quips?

My the front of my card uses the new rubber set I received as my monthly set last month of the Smeared Ink Rubber Club.
The Heart Wings set is available as a digi in the shop though.

The Heart and the words are all heat embossed in black. The DP is so old I can't remember the source. Some red/black lace and some red and black flowers. The panel has the baby hearts stamped all over as well. The white die cut frame is using die'sire die. Some red and white pearls added for more decoration.

Inside - well this is where those famous last words come into the project.

The Angel from the As Death set - stamped and fussy cut out with the last words of all good (and bad) fairy tales. Computer generated and torn out before distress inking in red.

Your turn peeps
Join us all at both or either Haunted Design House and Smudgy Antics with your last words and/or gatefold cards.

I'd like to enter this into the challenge at
CDAC - Anything Goes challenges
Incy Wincy Designs - Pearls and Lace

Another Cute Card???

This makes two cute cards in a row. Don't worry - it won't last long!
When I find myself at a mental block/lack of mojo, my trick is to either make flowers to stockpile for future projects or to change my style. This week it's change of style until I "get my creep back on", and you don't get much more cute than this little tortoise/turtle. It's from a collection of new valentine images that Rick St Dennis has been drawing.
This one is the Valentine Turtle. I did flip him as I wanted him facing the other way.
I used the sketch # 86 over at Deconstructed Sketches as my guide.

A red card base with mats of black then pink. The green was embossed after inking my folder with red DI. and scraps of red/white heart ribbon added to the corners.
The DP on the black flower die cut mats is from the Authentique "Lovely" collection. and some inverted teardrop gems form the hearts in the corners.
The image was coloured with promarkers.

Then fussy cut out and mounted onto black. Thanks Donna for reminding me what an impact this has. Thanks go also to Kristy Lee for providing the inspiration for mounting the image onto a "wobbler". I had to make my own as I couldn't find a source in the UK. 

Bit difficult to photo now it's made up but the dimension can be seen.

I'd like to enter this into the challenges at 

Deconstructed sketches - Their Sketch # 86

Whimsical Designs - Love theme

I Love Promarkers - Anything Goes

A Cute Card For A Change

I've had this card nearly finished for ages. Nearly - couldn't decide how best to finish it off. Well - it's done now.
The sewing machine came out for this. I felt it was needed given the subject of the image. A Stitch In Time from Rick St Dennis. Yes he does cute as well as elegant and "alternative".

Still a sentiment to go but I nearly always add them after I know who's going to get it. The DP is from my scrap box of unknown origin. Mounted onto brown then coffee card. The stitching in blue to tie all the colours together. Bits of blue ribbon and the buttons from my stash.
The image was coloured with promarkers and ink distressed before mounting onto pale blue card.

I would like to enter this into the challenge at
Try It On Tuesday - Let's Get Stitchy
Crafty Catz - Cute as a Button

LB Lays Down a Challenge

Over at the Smeared & Smudged forum our own Lady Brayton challenged us to make something. "I dare you to make a scary or gory project, but you must include glitter and the color pink in some way."
Well it was directed at me although more of the girls rose to the challenge as well. What could I do but rise to it and kick my aversion to pink to the side. 
Here's what I came up with...

The heart from the Smeared Ink rubber "Quoth The Raven" set. It's only available in digi format at the moment but will be available in rubber for February's Rubber Club set. You need to sign up really quickly if you want this. Stamped in red onto some DP that had pink music lines printed on it. I brushed it over with red perfect pearls to give that glistening blood look then added a touch here and there of red glitter. Cut out and mounted onto an ATC that had been sprayed with shimmery pink and black through a prima mask I have. It's actually one of hot air balloons, but with the bleed through of colours it looks like talons to me  - yep, me likey. The heart is a TH die cut from a scrap of pink card. Coated with star dust stickles. A pair of love birds on a heart charm and a pink metal rose added. More glitter in the corners and some hand written words "You make my heart sing" to tie in with the music on the stamped heart.
AND I didn't get the cold sweats that I would have done a year ago using pink! My crafting HAS changed, lol.

I'd like to enter this into the challenge over at 
Wicked Wednesday ATC - Add a charm

Is It Spring Yet?

Cold, wet, and weary of the winter weather. Even the house seems to have stayed chilly, despite having the heating on. Or is it that I'm just tired? I do know that I would like to see the start of some better weather.  Maybe 2013 is going to be a year where we get temperatures above 15degrees C in the summer months. I can dream can't I?
To lift my mood, I went for some bright sunshine colours. Yellow that heralds the daffs showing off, and acid green of new sprouted leaves and pale gold of the spring sun.
What did I do with these colours?

Stepping into spring with this gorgeous image called Spring Goddess by Rick St Dennis.
The sketch used as my inspiration is from My Time To Craft challenges.

The BP is a digi from Bearly Mine with yellow and white roses printed onto pearlised paper . The flowers are home made ribbon roses mounted onto paper flowers from do-crafts and surrounded with little seed pearls before a light dusting of  gold glamour dust. A TH die cut flower as the mount for the sentiment, stamped in green onto yellow card - also dusted with gold.

Some embossed white pearlised card and yellow lace. Lengths of the same lace and ribbon from one of the  roses were used to embellish the steps, mounted onto pearlised deep green.

The image was coloured with promarkers with just a touch here and there of glittery gel pen.

I'd like to enter this into the challenges at
My Time to Craft - Their Sketch
I Love Promarkers - Anything Goes
Bearly Mine - Tic Tac Toe - four in a row - Lots of Layers, pearls, stamped the sentiment, Lace. Hopefully the senti counts
Sweet Stamps - Pearls and Lace

Anything BUT a Square

A new challenge starts this week over at Sparkle and Glitter With Rick St Dennis.
For this challenge we will be accepting anything as long as it isn't square. So many possibilities come to mind and the other girls have made a variety of projects to inspire anyone.
Whilst wondering what to make and having a creative block I went scooting through youtube and splitcoast stampers as I do occasionally.  I came across a "petalcard" The sample they had was made with circle nesties. Guess who doesn't have any..... moi. The grey matter was sparked though. This is what came out of the murk I have the audacity to call a brain.
The finished project looks like this.

I used Rick's Mama Mumba Voodoo Woman image on the sleeve of this card. Coloured with promarkers,  cut out with a nestie then ink distressed with antique rose and a slight hint of black soot. The larger size cut was edged with red sparkle embossing powder before attaching the image. Some pearls and a flat backed skull with some home-made skully pins. Well voodoo and pins do go together!
This was attached to a piece of black card that had been folded to fit round the card and some scraps Echo Park skully paper added. The sleeve is secured at the back with a velcro spot.

This sleeve is to keep this shut

Five more pieces cut using the same die as the front. Four folded in half to form the base with the fifth to neaten all the joins. Papers are from a mixture of Echo Park "The Apothecary Emporium" and Bazzill Basics "All Hallows Eve". A spider web die used for the silver embossed vellum. The words that you see are from the Cole Porter song "You Do Something To Me" cut using the same family of dies as the base.

I stamped a skully stamp as the background for the words

 A valentine card with a big difference don't you think.

Your turn
Get those "Anything but a square" projects made and link them in to the challenge at Sparkle and Glitter with Rick so that we can come and be amazed again.

I'd like to enter this into the challenge at
Paper Crafting Journey - Anything Goes
I love Promarkers - Lots of Layers
CDAC - Anything Goes

Winter at Delicious Doodles

It's Team A's turn over at Delicious Doodles Challenges to host.

Winter Themed Makes is the challenge.

Well there's plenty of winter scenes to be had - just by looking out of your own window. So many places are affected by heavy snow at the moment and I hope that those that are affected are keeping safe and warm. Please spare a thought for any that you know that might need a helping hand at this time.
There are other colours out there, if you look hard enough under the white stuff.  I decided to choose the evergreen of ivy as a theme.
Using two images from Delicious Doodles, a simple card, but one that will be suitable for many different occasions. Hence the lack of sentiment - until I know the recipient.

I used The Ivy Queen and Ivy Corner twice to form the image panel. Then using almost every shade of green in my promarker collection proceeded to colour it all in.

The papers are from the Christmas collection of Daisy and Dandelion that I had acquired.
The base paper being the large snow flakes and the border was cut from the tiny snowflake paper.

Yep - cobwebs. Apart from the fact they have more than 6 sides, if you squint they could pass as snowflakes, lol. There are snowflakes there as well - another punch from my collection cut from a piece of green DP in my scrap box. Some green glitter and patina stickles for a bit of shine.

The ribbon was from my "bit bag" as well.

So, what will we find linked to Mr Linky at the Delicious Doodles Challenge blog this next week? Can't wait to see.

I would like to eneter this into the challenge over at
CDAC - Seasonal Fun
Creative Moments Bloggers Network - Monochrome (green)

Pocket project

Over at Smudgy Antics we have a new challenge starting as well. The rules are changed here as we are now allowing two weeks for you to get those projects done. NO excuses now for you not to tout your wares and enter into the fun. We've set the challenge this time really easy asking for a

project with a pocket

You can make a decorative envelope, a pocket card, or you can add a pocket to a canvas or a journal page. If paper isn't your thing, feel free to go three dimensional and alter an object using a pocket or creating a pocket within the piece. The more unique you can get, the better. We love it when you guys and gals think outside the box!
My project is a kind of card though - a 3-D one.

A very simple outside using a paper from DCWV "the Immortal Love" matstack. Try as I might, it looks browner here than in real life. The image is from Smeared Ink, of course. Called Fallen Angel 2.

Coloured with promarkers before fussy cutting out and sticking to the mat. The sentiment is part of a rubber stamp in my stash, origin unknown.
The yellow decorative edge flows inside and matches my pocket.

The inside Angel is, again, a Smeared Ink image. This time it's from the collection "Symbology of Angels - Guide". Again coloured with promarkers and fussy cut out and more of that matstack.
The pocket as you can see here has a gusset to allow the insertion of a favourite hot drink or two as a little "pick-you-up" for a friend.
The pocket was sewn onto the card base using natural raffia.
The initial inspiration came from a youtube video here. I just adapted it to my needs and made it 3-D.

The rest of the DT have made some fabulous projects as well if you need any more inspiration.
Can't wait to see what you guys come up with. The possibilities are endless! Hope to see them entered into the challenge at Smudgy Antics.

Haunted Design House are BACK

Yes, the dungeon caretakers at Haunted Design House are back after a seasonal break. What better challenge than a 

Freaker's Free For All 

for you all to get your creep on.?

The format has undergone a slight change in the break. We now run the challenges for TWO weeks. This will hopefully allow for more "drying time" of your projects. I know I've taken pics in the past of projects before the glue's set or the paint's still wet - just to catch a deadline. We will be still posting weekly on the blog - just to show you what we made.
I made a pair of earrings. I used a couple of rugby ball shaped brads as my base. Feet cut off and sanded until smooth. A couple of little raven cabochon in my stash that have been sitting waiting for a home. Filled the empty space with black gems.

The box was hand made - needed to be a certain size to  take the top.
A piece of copper that was embossed using a stamped image from the Smeared Ink, Quoth the Raven set. This is the link to the digi set. I am lucky enough to own the original rubber :D

I heated the copper before adding to the box and then sanded a bit.

Papers from my scrap box covered the box framework and velvet ribbon to cover the sharp edges of the copper on the lid.

Come on into the dungeon and show us your wares. Will a little "Please" work?

I am entering this project into the challenge over at
Quoth The Raven - Anything Poes
Anything but a Card - With Wings

No Marionette

Something I've not done for a few weeks.... Made a card "just because!"
Rick St Dennis presented the EDT with some new images, all gorgeous in their own way. I printed them out but only one got coloured after rescuing the sheet from spilt coffee. The others will get their turn, but in the meantime we have "Marionette".  I can't see it in the shop yet, but there's plenty more.
edit - Just added to shop - Marionette
I used the sketch over at Addicted to Stamps for some of my inspiration for the layout of the card.

The theme was easy once I'd read the choice of items given in Desert Island Crafters who happen to be sponsored by Rick St Dennis this challenge. I chose

4. Dancing

5. Music (7 Gypsies DP)

6. Something New - the image and the Die'sire die

7. Glitter

8. Gems

The image was coloured with promarkers with just a hint of ink distressing with "broken china" DI.

Added to a mat cut from a die'sire die.

A touch of stickles on the jewels of the big hanging bow on the image and the flowers. These white flowers were given some colour with a promarker.

The gems - they are in the form of a G-clef.

All attached to a white, linen look, card base.

I would like to enter this into the challenges at

Desert Island Crafters (just for fun) - Their "recipe"

Addicted to Stamps - Their sketch
Inky Chicks - Anything Goes
Party Time Tuesdays - Sparkle, Glitter and Shine
Try it on Tuesday - New Stash
Digi Haven - Sparkles and Bling

Raise the Bar

Raise the Bar Challenges had a extra special request.....
Would some of the EDT of Rick St Dennis like to contribute to the DT cards for their current sketch? Well I was colouring in another of these fabulous images of Rick's and I do like to follow some sort of sketch as inspiration. What better way of showing this image off!
I had already chosen Candi as my image and my colours. Coloured here with promarkers with just a dash of  perfect pearls. Cut out and mounted onto a pearlised deep purple Die'sire die cut.

The sketch

My card

The background stamps are from TH. Heat embossed in silver onto purple card. I felt Candi had a touch of French in her so went in this direction. each piece die cut with a Die'sire die cut and backed onto a slightly lighter shade but edges inked with dusty concorde DI.
All mounted onto a lilac backing card. More of the lilac was used for the sentiment. Heat embossed this time in purple. The stamp is from a steam punk hand bag range from Creative Expressions.
A piece of silver edged lilac satin ribbon from stash. A large jewel mounted onto a small picture frame charm with some pearls hide the untidy edge of the feathers and a stranded string of lilac jewels adds yet more bling.
There's still time to enter the challenge at Raise the Bar for the chance to win some of Rick's amazing images.

I'd like to enter this card into the challenge at
Creative Creations - Challenge #1 - Anything Goes

New Beginnings at Sparkle & Glitter with RSD

I know, it's not my team's turn to make anything over at the Sparkle & Glitter with Rick St Dennis challenge blog. I was in the mood for colouring the other day so offered to help out.
The sponsor for this week's challenge is Crafts and Me and a project using one of their images was needed and I need to build up my little stock pile of cards for emergencies.
I used the sketch over at Try Stampin On Tuesday for my inspiration for this card.

The BG is homemade using glossy card and alcohol inks. Something I've done only once or twice in the past.  The ribbon - that started life as blue but have used a promarker to change the colour. The green wavy DP is from a new stack for me - Echo Park's Chillingsworth Manor. This was edge punched using an MS punch.

The image was coloured with promarkers then I used my new perfect pearls to add a few waves behind the mermaid and painted the green areas with a solution of the perfect pearls to add that extra bit of sheen.
My new technique for this week is my flower.

A totally new way for me of making a flower from ribbon.
The pin has a little "made with love" sentiment charm added to it as well as other beads from stash and you can clearly see the little heart charm added to the bow.

I'd like to enter this into the challenge over at
Try Stamping on Tuesday - Their Sketch
Simon Says Stamp - New (New way of making a flower)

Sparkle and Shine

It's going to be one of those days here in the cubbyhole.
Glitter and Sparkle and Shining was needed for two projects this week. My crafting area was sparkling like a Christmas tree after this one for Delicious Doodles.
The challenge over at the Delicious Doodles challenge blog calls for sparkle and shine. and that's what we have here.

OK - maybe not as much as I know some people use - but more than I would. The base card is pearlised blood red and it does have a gorgeous sheen to it. This was then matted with a piece of black that also has a silk sheen to it. This black was dry embossed to bring out the white core.The sketch I used for inspiration is from the Sweet Stop challenge SSS191. Some red DP from my offcuts box and some lace from stash form the layers. Then added ribbon, flowers and gems. The sentiment will be added after personalising - as usual for me.
The image is, of course, from Delicious Doodles - MALICE. She was coloured with promarkers.

Some glittery gel pens were used to highlight the sword tattoo, sword and jewellery.

This maybe shows the sparkle a bit more. The image was layered onto two pieces of card. The edges of these had double sided tape applied then the glitter stuck to this. A lot cheaper than glitter cardstock and I got that deep red I wanted.
The ribbon detail - that was twisted and sewn down at appropriate spots to stop the curls "bunching". Some black gems.
Done.
The challenges over at Delicious Doodles are running weekly still. Giving everyone more chance to win some gorgeous images. The other girls on the team have made some fabulous eye candy and really worth going to see.

I'd like to enter this card into the challenges over at
The Sweet Stop - Their Sketch
Creative Moments - Emboss it/anything goes

Scrap It Up

A bit late posting this, Sorry. Had to wait til the PC was free.
Anyway
A New Year, a New Challenge with some New Rules over at Smudgy Antics has started. Make sure those rules are read. You'll find them on the left hand side bar.
This next two weeks, the challenge is to

Scrap It Up

Use those bits and pieces that would normally be destined for the bin

The team have really excelled themselves this week with their projects.
For my piece, I used a bottle top. Just one of those from a beer bottle that was rescued during the festivities.

I got the idea from flicking through youtube and saw this by Linda Peterson.
The stamps used are Mr Poe and the raven wings from the Quoth The Raven rubber set that I am so lucky to have. Links here are for the digital version. Both stamped onto shrink plastic. The other is from the digi set Heart Wings. The rubber version is due to be delivered because I am a member of the Smeared Ink Rubber Club. Too late for this project though. This was printed twice onto card, coloured with promarkers and each piece dipped in UTEE before sandwiching the cage bars with silicon glue. The two raven wings pieces had black feathers and the cage hanger sandwiched between them. Final touch were some tiny nail art gems stuck around the rim of the bottle cap.

A bit late to decorate my tree for this year - but will be put safely away for hanging on the tree for next year.

OK guys and gals. Your turn to turn that trash into treasure. Then come and show us over at Smudgy Antics so that we can ogle at your masterpiece.

I would like to enter this into the challenge at
Quoth The Raven - Poe, Poe, Poe, Merry Christmas
Songbird Challenges - Merry Christmas
Anything But a Card challenges - Anything Goes