Level Up

It's Monday, that means a new challenge over at Smudgy Antics, the challenge site of Smeared Ink and the Smeared and Smudged Forum.
This week's challenge theme is "LEVEL UP". We want to see layers and more layers in your projects. Show us how you level up! Get creative and don't be afraid to think outside of the box. We can't wait to see what you come up with!

Layers is what I used in my project - lots of them!! I've just counted them and there's 13 here.

I know - a cute card isn't my norm but this image just screamed cute at me, and I needed a card for a child. Two birds with one stone :-)

A twisted pyramage of this doll image from the Stitchy Situation set. That's 6 layers on the image alone.
The image was coloured with promarkers then scanned and this printed out 6 times. Cut out using scalloped square nesties. cutting round his top knot and slotted the die so this wouldn't get severed and ink distressed whilst in the die. Layered up and attached to an oval shape die cut.
Then following this month's sketchy challenge on the forum, continued to add yet more layers.
The papers are all from a kit from DuckPond Crafts. All stitched together in theme with the image itself. The twine was machine couched and buttons, all from stash were sewn on.


A card suitable for a child

Your turn folks to show us your layers. Don't forget to visit the blogs of my awesome fellow DT to see their fantabulous work and leave some love.

I am entering this card into a couple of challenges
Card Cupids - Cards for Boys
Catered Crop - Stitching
Card Makin Mamas - Buttons

Alter Something

Over at Smudgy Antics this week, the challenge we are set is to "Alter Something".

This week we want you to get creative with your stamps and alter something. Your stamps get tired of being placed on cards. Give them a new home! Find inspiration around you and alter an object of some sort.

This is my piece. An altered cigar box. Not an easy thing to get hold of in the UK. I found one little outlet in Leith, Edinburgh and was over the moon!!!



















The colour was not one of my choice, but the box was destined to be given to a dear friend who happens to be a pink kinda gal. First the box was well sanded, primed and painted. First pink, then dry brushed white to help the distressed "shabby chic" look along.

The images on the sides are all from the "French Fairies" set from Smeared Ink. All coloured with promarkers with chalk backgrounds.










































The wings were painted with shimmer paints (like H2Os). The images were all attached with matt mod podge and a thorough coating given to every thing to seal. The shimmer, I'm happy to report, showed through the mod podge.

Some pink lace down the sides, Some pearls along the top.






















Also added to the top was a home made pale pink lace flower, with pearl button. A swirl of yet more pearls and a trio of MS punched butterflies. Lightly spritzed and some glamour dust added.

That's my project for this week folks. Now it's your turn. Alter something and link it up as per normal blog challenge rules. If you use a Smeared Ink image you also get to go into the pot for one of the coveted top3 badges.
Don't forget to go look at the other awesome pieces produced by my fellow DT friends.

I am going to enter this into challenge or 2
Simon Say Stamp and Show - Anything Goes
Bunny Zoe's Challenges - Shabby Chic
Crafty Ann's Challenges - Anything but a Card

It's Monday

Therefore it has to be Smudgy Antics day. This week is an "Anything Goes" challenge. For my part I made a card. Using a slightly different from the norm way of with a rubber stamp. Terra, over at the Smeared and Smudged Forum has been showcasing a couple of different techniques using rubber stamps. This one was so super easy that I thought I'd use it for my DT piece this week. If you want to find out how to do this - you'll have to pay us a visit. The technique uses just water, a rubber stamp and toilet tissue. Oh, an d time.
I used the Earth Goddess from the elementals set.
The image went from
to


















with just a bit of water colour paint.
Is it me? - but like this the valleys look like the raised part!


I made a recess for the image as it is about 5mm deep and I wanted the edges to be protected.
The instuctions for this can be found here at Splitcoast Stampers.


I cut a frame from paper and using just an edge punch went round the edges. The offcut from doing the card were used down the sides. Some webby ribbon, die cut leaves and some dewdrops to finish. I followed the sketch from Midnight Madness for the layout.

Ok guys and gals - get your thinking caps on any come show us your crafty work.
The other DT members have got some awesome pieces to show as well so don't forget to go and see their work.

A couple of challenges I am entering into
Midnight Madness - Their Sketch # 136
That Craft Place - Anything Goes
Crazy for Challenges - Fun Folds

Black and Blue

Smudgy Antics Challenge Day folks as it's Monday. This week it's all about black and blue. interpret as you will.

Take this theme however you wish. Black and Blue can be your color scheme, use the words Black and Blue in your sentiment, or bruise up some "normal" stamped image, etc. The more wild and creative you can get, the better!
We like it edgy and dark around here so show us what you've got!

This week I made a card. A "simple" double easel card. In blue and black with a touch of black humour added.
On the left is an image from the "Smitten" set from Smeared Ink. Coloured with pencils.
I added some text to the paper being read. "Man late for own funeral" for those that can't read it and a little thought bubble.

The "stop" is a rubber stamped image of a perfume bottle (Wild Frog Creations) layered up with silicon and dipped in UTEE.
The other side is Smeared Ink's Death Cab, Hearse #3. Coloured with pencils.

Again cut out and cut up to make a 3-D image. The "stop" here is a circle with flowers added to make a wreath. a black organza bow added.

The base is just a length of edge punched black card stock onto the blue cs base.

Now it's your turn. After you've been and visited my friends we'd love to see your interpretation on our theme this week.

I'd like to enter this card into the following challenges
Always Crafting - Anything Goes
Paper Creations Ink - Show Us your Favorite Technique - Layering a stamped image to make 3-D
The Crazy Challenge - Anything Goes
The Corrosive Challenge - Another Dimension
Our Creative Corner - Over the Edge
Forever Night Challenges - Anything Goes

Wicked with Wings

The challenge over at Smudgy Antics this week is just that. I had a really bad cold last week, almost flu like, and my head wasn't thinking outside the box, as it normally does, when I started this project. I started by stamping Bo-Peep from Smeared Ink onto a piece of A4 card with a mind to mask and stamp the raven wings using DI from the "Quoth the Raven" set, again Smeared Ink.
The picture then grew from there. Ravens followed by the skellie sheep. Upside down as if the ravens were having dinner. Then the fence stamp from the same set - Killer Bo Peep's Garden. Some of the toadstools as well. Ok I could have gone on, masking and stamping, but it had to stop somewhere. A Wicked amount of masking! lol
I coloured all this with promarkers except the ravens that were dry brushed with DI (purple, green and grey) to lift from the matt black. The background was created using chalks and a finger to blend. I stamped the letters (alphabet sets) to make the words using stazon.
Then cut down the sheet and made into a wall hanging adding a couple of strips of TH iron fence die cut from vellum. Some green braid threaded through the eyelets.

Your turn.
Let's see those "Wicked with Wings" entries people.

I am entering this into the challenge over at
Haunted Design House - Garden of Good and Evil
Poisoned Peas - Freestyle

Sir Stampalot's feb challenge - in the Garden

Annabel Lee

Annabel Lee was the last complete poem written by the Master Author, Edgar Allan Poe. It tells of a love so great, that when an untimely death befalls the beautiful Annabel Lee, the narrator's fate is that of a living death.
My project this week is a "meander book" made the same size as an ATC. Each page has one of the six verses and a picture that, I think, fits that verse. So a lot of pics. Are you sitting comfy?
The front cover
Pics taken from Moonlight Journey's Annabel Lee callage sheet. A home made lace and ribbon flower and some blood red gems and black pearls from stash.
The jade green cs to depict the sea and black satin ribbons to tie - from stash. All pages have been ink distressed with "stormy sky" DI. Each page also has black textured paper stuck to them.
Page 1 The image is from MirrorCradle.
Coloured with promarkers with chalks for the sea and sky












Page 2 Features one of the Symbology of Angels from Smeared Ink.

Again coloured with promarkers with a background of chalk.









Page 3
The background again from Moonlight Journey. The lady is from Ikesart coloured again with promarkers with a Cherry Pie stamp of Poe himself heat embossed in clear.









Page 4
This picture from Moonlight Journey, I felt, needed no extra embellishment.











Page 5
Just 2 more images that match the melancholy but also joined as the two lovers are joined.











Page 6
The ghost of the narrator as his love lies in her sepulchre.
Soot stamped image of EA Poe from the Quoth the Raven Set from Smeared Ink.









Back Page
This is the same image as on page 3. This time layered up with silicon glue to form a 3-D image and then covered with UTEE
















Did you last this long?

I am entering this into the challenge over at
Quoth the Raven - Annabel Lee
Haunted Design House - Love Lies Bleeding - Figurativly taken

Red Hot

A couple of days late with this posting - been a bit poorly.
Smudgy Antics is the challenge blog for the Smeared and Smudged forum of which I am a proud member and recently have been honoured to be chosen to be a member of the design team. This week the theme is RED HOT!!
Take the theme as far as you want to go with it. This is Smudgy Antics and we like things edgy around here! Make it funny, scary, or sexy...just make it Hot...Red Hot!

This is my project.

I have taken two of the Goth Fairies from Smeared Ink - Carina and Corneleus. Coloured with promarkers in flame colours then fussy cut out. The BP is home made from glossy c.s. and more flame coloured inks with a brayer. The base card is from stash - ink distressed to co-ordinate. The rubber corner stamp is also from Smeared Ink. I have tried to give the illusion of smoke with some dark grey vellum and a ball tool. Corneleus' appreciation of Carina's look done in the same way.
Some red gems to finish.
We'd love to see your "RED HOT" projects, so please do pay us a visit and link up so we know where to look.


I am entering this card into a couple of challenges
Divas by Design - Wings and things
Flutter By Wednesday - Anything with wings
Penny's Paper-Crafty - Anything Goes

day 3 of S&S Bloody Valentine hop

Everyone still here? Anyone wanting to join in the hop that hasn't arrived from Alison's blog - The blog roll can be found up top. Some awesome artwork has been shown in this "Alternative/Different Valentine's hop" that only Smeared and Smudged do as far as I'm aware.

My day 3 project went horribly wrong. I forgot to transpose my image, doooohhhhhhhh. I ended up having to scrape it all off my canvas and start again. Hence this is as far as I have got.


As I have to go to work today there'll be no time to complete :( It's an 8" canvas and the main image is from Smeared Ink. The spatters are from another SI stamp using fired brick DI and all the drips are from another stamp (no name)

Sooooo another quickie to fill the gap
Not bloody at all really, but I did use the same "deep inside my heart" digi. Just goes to show the versitility of some stamps. It's what you put with it that makes the complete picture.
A fatbook page
.
This time in blues and purples. The image is from the "French Fairies" set from Smeared Ink.
I superimposed and flipped the image onto the "deep inside my heart" image. The fairy was coloured with promarkers. the leaves have been heat embossed in plum and some glamour dust added to the wings. The little tear drop gems were red before colouring again with a promarker.
The writing in blue gel pel to complete. Mounted on textured purple cs from stash.
Now it's about time you headed of to Jane's blog and see what she has made to inspire us all.

Day 2 of Smeared and Smudged Bloody Valentine Hop

Morning everyone

Half way through this 3 day event to mark Valentine's Day in Smeared and Smudged style.
The Hop list is up top so you can't miss it and if you're hopping in order then you will have seen Alison's amazing artwork and will be on your way to visit Jane.
By the way - be sure to visit Black Dragon's day 1 post for some AWESOME info!!!

Back to my post for day 2. Two projects today as I'm also going to share the card I made for hubby to celebrate our wedding anniversary today.
First up. A simple tag. I have used the freebie image (coloured with promarkers) for entering the challenges over at the forum this month but it also available in the shop if you want to spend your pennies.


The little trident was made by twisting 3 straightened eyelet pins.
Had to have something to impale the hearts onto.



My drippy goo punch gets a good work out here. I was lucky to have a little gift from my daughter when she went over to the US last year - she found a rubber stamp which co-ordinates so well, and this was heat embossed as an extra.
The "sentiment" was stamped using SU! whisper white straight onto the BP. This was taken from a MSC "tinkering with steampunk" CD.
The impaled hearts are diecuts from glitter card. (I'm on a challenge to use this in some dark projects, it was there yesterday as well :-D - anyone notice?)

To finish it off - there is a copper eyelet and some blood red fibres as ties.

My anniversary card. Well hubby has come to expect cards that are out of the "norm" from me by now. I am glad to report he loved this one :-D.
I followed the sketch over at Deconstructed Sketches



I used 2 of the new Monster Heart digis available in the shop. Coloured with promarkers with a touch of DI. Basic Grey DP layered onto purple then onto very pale green card base.
Plenty of lilac lace and some green satin ribbon. A "made with love" heart shaped charm attached with a purple heart shaped brad after heat embossing the sentiment. A few dewdrops to finish.


I am entering into a couple of challenges

Project 1 - Tag

Crafty Catz - Valentine

project 2 - Card

Deconstructed Sketches - Their sketch # 38
Cardmad Fairy's Digi Days - Hearts
Hotshot Craft - One for the boys

Smeared and Smudged Bloody Valentine Hop Day 1

St. Valentine's Day has been marked by many events in the past. The most memorable of these has got to be the Valentine's Day Massacre back in 1929.
Smeared and Smudged are having our own little event, taking this as a theme, hence the name of the hop. The hop links are all up the top of my blog for the duration of this event and you should have come here via the very talented Alison if you're following the order.

My first piece is going to be hung on a wall in my den eventually, when I finish a frame.
The sketch is taken from the sketchy challenge in the forum for a scrapbook page.

Try as I might, I could not get the base card to photograph it's true colour of blood red. So you're going to have to use yoour imagination. The page features digi stamps from Delicious Doodles and Smeared Ink. Computer generated text by me.

All images are coloured with promarkers . Some glossy accents on the blood. I did wonder about using another stamp (Splatter) I have as the background but only after I'd stuck it all down. Typical.

There will be another piece tomorrow. Thankyou for looking,

Now off you pop to see what the lovely Jane has made.

Anything Goes

My first project for the Smudgy Antics Challenge Blog as part of the new DT over at the Smeared and Smudged forum, part of the Smeared Ink group.

The challenge this week is "Anything Goes". I'll leave you to read all the ins and outs at the blog.

I chose to do an altered picture frame together with a picture to go in it.

The image is Smeared Ink's Von Bayros- Dragon Lover. The winged hearts round the side are from the set of the Heart Wings.
Back to my main image. Printed out 4 times, coloured with promarkers and then fussy cut out bits from all the layers to make one complete dimensional picture.

mounted the whole thing onto glitter card for that frosty sky look adding a touch of glossy accent to the cup by our dragon's cushion.
The winged hearts are dipped in UTEE.

The frame is a plain black frame that I rubbed some bronze metallic wax into.
The vine was constructed using thin fuse wire and seed beeds. LOTS of them.
Both the vine and the hearts were attached to the frame with hot glue before finally fitting the picture in.

Now, don't forget to check out the rest of the gorgeous projects created by this fabulous new team.


I am going to enter this into a couple of challenges
Craft Your Passion - Anything Goes with no patterned paper
Catch The Bug - Anything Goes
Haunted Design House - Free for all

Shot Through The Heart

Yet another Valentine card - with a difference. Maybe you won't want to send this to your nearest and dearest? Or maybe you would?



This card co-incides with a few new images released by Smeared Ink this week - Bloody Valentine. I got to play with a few :-) having been elevated to that exalted position of Design Team Member. See the new badge over there on the right? Woo Hoo!!!
Anyway,
I followed this month's sketch over at the Smeared and Smudged forum, following the theme set by Haunted Design House - Shot through the heart. The sentiment came from the song by Bon Jovi.

The images are "Holding Heart" and part of the "Hanging Heart"





Both images were coloured with promarkers







The blood on the holding heart was covered with glossy accents. the entire hanging heart was dipped in UTEE.
The sentiment was written by hand on the "sketchy banners".
The backing paper is from Crafty Chaos .
Lace, chain and other cs from stash

I am entering this card into the challenges over at
Haunted Design House - Shot Through The Heart
Smeared and Smudged Sketch challenge - Their Sketch

Fat Book

I'm in the process of compiling a Fat Book. A page 4" x 4" with 1/2" for the binding.
These are 2 of the pages that I have done this week.
They just so happen to fit into a couple of challenges as well :)

The first features that little known poem by the Literary Master of the Macabre, Mr. Poe himself.


The poem is "Eldorado". For those that don't know it...

Gaily bedight,
A gallant knight,
In sunshine and in shadow,
Had journeyed long,
Singing a song,
In search of Eldorado.

But he grew old-
This knight so bold-
And o'er his heart a shadow
Fell as he found
No spot of ground
That looked like Eldorado.

And, as his strength
Failed him at length,
He met a pilgrim shadow-
"Shadow," said he,
"Where can it be-
This land of Eldorado?"

"Over the Mountains
Of the Moon,
Down the Valley of the Shadow,
Ride, boldly ride,"
The shade replied-
"If you seek for Eldorado!"

Edgar Allan Poe

The paper is from Joanna Sheen. Slightly charred around the edges as a lot of old maps are. The image is from the "As Death" set from Smeared Ink. Coloured with promarkers and the chain was heat embossed to give it that extra volume. Then all mounted onto a pearlised gold piece of cardstock.

The second page features stamps from Smeared Ink and Cherry Pie. It was for the Rock 'n' Rolla challenge over at the Smeared and Smudged Forum. This month we were challenged to make a piece of artwork inspired by the song and video, The Lonely by Christina Perry.

This is the outcome from my craft area

So much masking done here. Most of it stamped using black memento ink. The "mesh" background (Quoth the Raven set) was stamped using weathered wood DI.

The challenges I am entering into are
The top fatbook page
Haunted Design House - Get Lost (Use a map)

The bottom fatbook page
Smeared and Smudged - Rock n Rolla Challenge

Quoth The Raven - Use a Likeness of the Master (I was hoping to doo another, but time cannot be bought)

Tall, Dark and.......

Gruesome! Yep, that's the brief over at Smudgy Antics challenge blog this week. I've been on a bit of a roll there the last few weeks, yayyy, but I know this can't last forever. I do enjoy a challenge that has me thinking outside the box. This one certainly had me stumped for a couple of hours. Which image have I got that I can turn gruesome, and that hasn't been done before?
This is what I came up with.

A page for a fatbook that I am compiling. Using the background "Deep inside my heart" (a freebie for entering the monthly Smeared Ink forum challenges a short while ago) from Smeared Ink and an image and some text from the "As Death" rubber set.
So what's so gruesome about this? you may ask. See that deckled edge? (I couldn't get it to lay down perfectly flat again with out my fingers getting in the way) Behind there lies another image.
This time from the Anatomy 101 digi set.


You reckon this fits the brief?
Now for the boring bits. What did I use to make this?
The background was digitally coloured from the original black. The images were all coloured with promarkers. On the back of the opening I used pencil so that it wouldn't seep through. The text was heat embossed with black powder and the death angel's wings were touched up with black flocking powder. This was all layered onto some black coredinations card.

I am entering this into the challenges
Smudgy Antics - Tall, Dark and gruesome
Lollipop Crafts - Wing it

Freaky Chick

Or Chic Freaks if you want - which is the challenge over at Haunted Design House this week. Barb has arranged for an awesome sponser this week - Stampotique! This is one collection of stamps that I have been meaning to add to my collection but never got round to ordering. Always something else that the pennies need to be channeled towards.
So which image to use was my first challenge. I went for Rusalka from Smeared Ink.

I used the sketch from My Time Made Easy as the basis for the card.
The image was coloured using a mixture of promarkers (girl) and distress inks (tree) Then the background was brayered, Masking off the moon wanting a slight haze round it.


The sentiment at the bottom is a combination of 2 paper artsey stamps. Stamping the eye first then, masking that off, stamped the words on top.


















A couple of challenges I am entering this into
Haunted Design House - Chic Freaks
My Time Made Easy - Their sketch MTMEPPS44
Smudgy Antics - Masking

Masking for SmudgyAntics

Smudgy Antics - The open challenge blog for the Smeared and Smudged Forum have a challenge this week inviting folks to show projects that have a theme "Masking".
You can interpret this in many ways. You can do a masking technique with your stamps, use an image with a mask, use a mask with your spray inks and mists, or use masking tape on your finished project.
I've made a valentine card. A bit different from the "norm" of course. The masking in this project is on the little 1/2 heart down the side.

I used the offcut from my grumpy card made a few days ago. The well sanded black/red coredinations. My TH mini masks and some SU! whisper white ink pad.
The image is from Smeared Ink. The Fire goddess. Stamped in the same white ink and heat embossed with red sparkle embossing powder.
I stamped the image on black card for a change. A "negative image" in mind. Then with white and red pencils, added colour then edges torn away. Some little red and black gems added for some more firey sparkle.
The shapes are all cut by hand including the black card base.
Inside didn't get left out from some ink either

Challenge I am entering this into
Smudgy Antics - Masking
Craft Us Crazy - Love/Valentine
Paper Creations Ink - Love/Romance

Phindy's Place - No Straight Edges/Shaped Cards

WOW! Embossing powders challenge - Love themed