Opus Gluei Challenge #141. Colour challenge Turquoise and Red.

It's my challenge this fortnight and it's one of my favourite colour schemes Turquoise and Red with black, white and Kraft as neutral colours.
Hopefully I can illustrate what a versatile colour combination this is.

Firstly just by changing the focus of main colour gives such different moods to cards using this colour scheme.
Here are 4 of the same design all with different main colours.

Click on any picture to make it bigger.

 

I have used a Penny Black stamp set called Petal Party and the decorative border is in a Stampendous set called Elegant Borders.

I think this colour scheme works wonders for Halloween.

 

I've used a howling wolf from a Chocolate Baroque stamp set called Howling Moon and the spiders are from an Inkadinkado set called Creepy Crawly. I've also used Distress Inks in Festive Berries and Peacock Feathers.

It's also great for Christmas.

I've used the same distress Inks and a Chocolate Baroque stamp set called Snowflake Flourish and Spellbinders Reverse Wonky Rectangles.

To make a masculine teenage card I used a Kraft Card blank and muted shades of turquoise and red and an Inkadinkado stamp set called circles and dots.

Well I couldn't not include my favourite fella now could I?
Wolf whistles please for Stampotique's Heart Throb.

What? You want more Heart Throb?
Oh go on then, seeing as it's you, he'll meet you under the mistletoe...

I used Spellbinders Create-a-Flake Three for the Snowflakes.

I hope I've managed to inspire you to use this colour combination.

Happy creating with turquoise and red or anything else crafty you've got on your desk!
Gini
xx

Tando Creative Challenge No 3, Spooktastic October.

This month's Challenge over at Tando Creative is SPOOKTASTIC and I'm entering just in time.

I've used just 1 of the 3 parts of the printers tray from the Mini Printer Tray Round (152mm diameter with stand) pack.
I have split the pack so I can make 3 printer's trays just like I did with this Printer Tray pack.

Click on it to make it bigger, although I must say that the bat's background setting is hopeless, they are never good but this one is particularly pathetic. I couldn't easily find a white area big enough and I didn't exactly go the whole mile in trying to set the scene in ambiance, I think I went roughly 1 and 3/4 inches instead.

I used Distress Inks and Andirondack dye Inks and sponged the backgrounds and used stamp sets:-
Chocolate Baroque - Howling moon
Inkadinkado - All Hallow's Eve

I drew the bat wings and used small black sequins glued on with Anita's 3D gloss to form the wing ribs.

I won't have got it anatomically correct so this bat won't fly, just saying in case you were looking out your window for it.
Although I could always stand outside your window with it dangling on a string and shake it suitably in the style of a bat in flight and for added authenticity I could emit a sonic whistle or audible squeak, what do you think?
(I've got until tomorrow night to get to your house...)

Happy Halloween creating!
Gini
xx

Opus Gluei Challenge #116. Something wicked this way comes.

The lovely Kirsten at Opus Gluei has challenged us this time to make a project to celebrate Halloween so I have followed the Split Coast Stampers Shadow Box card instructions here for this 3D card. But I made the card centre a lot bigger and I punched a Martha Stewart border using Layered Arches and sandwiched that between the side panels for a bit of additional interest.

Mwah-ha-ha.............. Your carriage awaits you and it's ready to whisk you away; past the howling wolf and up, up, up to the creepy castle where your destiny awaits you...

OR if that doesn't tickle your fancy then a huge bar of your favourite chocolate, a foot massage, a large glass of wine, a roaring open fire and the person(s) of your choice :-)
(Feel free to change or tweak any of the above aspects to make your perfect evening entertainment - 'cos I'm helpful like that.)
Click on it to make it bigger.

The stamps are from Chocolate Baroque and are the new Halloween stamp set called Howling Moon. They are gorgeous aren't they?

The spider border and the sentiment is from the Inkadinkado set called Creepy Crawly.
The black ink is Versafine heat embossed with clear fine detail embossing powder.
I sponged Distress Inks in Stormy sky and Chipped Sapphire to colour the card.
I used a white Derwent colour soft pencil to colour the moon and I lightly shaded dark green Colour soft pencil over the foreground of the centre card to give some definition to the ground area. Derwent colour soft pencils work beautifully over distress inks.
The sentiment tag is from the Spellbinders Fancy Tags set.
The fence is Martha Stewart's Iron Fence border punch.

Happy creating!
Gini
xx

Opus Gluei Challenge #115. Back into the swing of things.

Firstly I apologize for not visiting everyone the last few weeks, things appear to be going to hell in a handbasket around my neck of the woods but this too will pass.

The lovely Deena over at Opus Gluei has challenged us to be inspired by the word SWING whether it be literally or getting back into a routine after the school holidays or even a swing in your step.

For me getting back into my crafting swing/routine is making comedy art, or things that make me laugh anyway. So here is a very topical card.
Click on it to make it bigger.

  

We have Jeepers from Stampotique Originals and the cobweb,spider border and bat from this Inkadinkado set called creepy crawly.

I think Jeepers now looks very like an anamatronic fortune teller in one of the machines you used to find in amusement arcades on seaside piers in England.
They always seemed quite creepy to me, but it didn't stop me putting my 10p in for my fortune to be told.

Happy creating!
Gini
xx

Stampotique Designers Challenge 18, Spooky, Creepy, Crawly. When opposites attract.

Well, seeing as I creeped myself out with the blood splattered treat container last time,  I thought would be on the look out for the funny side of all the shenanigans going on at the Stampotique Halloween Party.
I didn't have to wait long in the cobwebs in the deep dark woods with my trusty camera for a good shot to use.
Which is just as well as I do not like spiders, at all.

I could practically see the heart signs floating out of Bowtie when he first set eyes on Glimmering Hope all dolled up in her party gear. She is wearing bone glitter moisturiser because she has no skin to rub on the body glitter that she found half price in Boots.
Plus she is also wearing her family heirloom "the death diamond" in her hair.
Even though I say it myself (ahem), she is looking mighty fine for a corpse rustler.

I think Bowtie's opening line to the dame is pretty lame, but what do I know seeing as I was always rubbish at dating.

So my entry for the Stampotique Designers Challenge #18 is

"When opposites attract."


Click on it to make it bigger if you like.

Just in case the words aren't legible, and lets face it my eyes aren't what they used to be, why, once upon a time they were blue (no, actually that is a lie they never were blue).

Bowtie's opening line is "I tap dance. What do you do?"
and Glimmering Hope replies "I raise the dead."

Normally her reply would have been "On yer bike." but she is interested in his shoes, as they are very sparkly and she gets easily distracted by shiny things.
Also she thinks he looks rather like Elton John in his outfit and one of her very favourite songs is I'm Still Standing.
Now I can tell you very quietly why she likes that song but I have to whisper it,
 so come very close to the screen,
 no, come closer than that,
that's better,
now press your ear on the monitor because she is very touchy about this subject and I don't want to upset her.

I don't know if you've noticed yet but she has no legs. Sssh!
Anyway she is very proud of the fact that she is still standing despite her leglessness.
But she doesn't like it if anyone asks her where her legs have gone. Well obviously.

Happy creating whether you have legs or are in fact legless the next time you pick up your favourite glue!
Gini
xx

Gizza sweet. Girl's from the Black Stuff?

This piece is for two challenges.

Alter It monthly for October. Which is "To spook or not to spook".  I've altered a box that held my wrinkle cream into a Halloween treat container. So it's almost turns your wrinkles into sweets doesn't it? What could be nicer.

and

Stampotique Designers Challenge. SDC#17. Treat Container.
I was really hoping that whatever challenge #17 was going to be I would be able to enter Moth Fab in layers.
But it was not to be.
Although Moth Fab could possibly be considered as being a treat container herself in her underwear, I thought you might throw things at me for my audacity, so I made something else instead.
Although if I was sure it would be Cathedral City Cheese that you threw I would have entered her. Mmm cheese.

This time last year I would not have anything to do with Halloween Art and I am really a bit amazed that I made this.
I was made bold by Kaz's journal page called Naughty Weasel, as she has made this rather sick but completely brilliantly funny piece over on the Stampotique Designer's blog do go have a look if you dare!
 I did and I'm a real scare-dee cat when it comes to spooky things but this is more funny psychotic than spooky.
I say that as if funny psychotic is better somehow, which means I need to review my medication ;-)

So I came up with a rather gory Treat Container all splattered in fake blood courtesy of Dylusions Post Box red spray ink.
I did add lots of gold mica for shininess, so that makes it alright doesn't it?
( The gold mica doesn't show up in the photo's because if I added any shiny shots this post would stretch all the way to China.)

Gizza sweet. Girl's from the Black Stuff?

Click on any picture to make it bigger.

Seeing as there is the expression "Get your craft on" I thought that maybe we could
 "Get yer creep on" for Halloween?
Maybe not, seeing as I'm no trendsetter and I'm ever so grateful I am not responsible for such heinous expressions as "pushing the envelop" or "thinking out of the box" that do the nauseating rounds through large corporations until some other bright spark comes up with another even better heinous expression that everyone can run around spouting or sprouting even.

Top of the box.
Which actually means the top of the box, and not some wank.
(Sorry Mum but I really feel it was merited on this occasion.)

Open box.

One Side of the box

The other side of the box

Front of the box

Back of the box

Inside of the Box is Heart Throb who has a most unfortunate dribble of red ink on his brainbox that looks like a pickaxe was recently removed.
 Notice the lovely blue tissue paper lining for all those lovely Halloween treats such as Eye of Newt and Chunks of Spleen, which are selling like hot cakes in Asda this week.

This is the box before altering.

Stamps used were Stampotique.
The Ladies: Clover, Muffin, Jeepers and Miss Snottie.
The Boys: Heart Throb, Smile and Mort has a pin curl.

Now I have been tardy in the last few posts and not said how I made it.
This is going to be an awfully long post if I do one now so briefly with the main points only.

I used Reeves Black acrylic which is a soft sheen acrylic which has a very dense coverage and an ability to stick to a fairly shiny surface without the need for Gesso, so is perfect for a bit of altered art but not very good for writing on if you were to use it on a journal page. You would do better with a matt acrylic that pens can write on easily for journaling. (My opinion only.)
I used black stazon ink for the stamping because of the gold mica sprayed on the card and I thought it was guaranteed to adhere because it's Stazon. Mmm almonds.
The tissue paper was glued on with Golden Gel Medium around the top of the box only.
Gel medium is your fall back glue for Altered art.
If it wasn't so expensive to buy in the UK I would use it much more often as it will stick most things together and dries within seconds and thereby defies gravity.
These two properties make it an absolute must for a place in your glue arsenal if you like altering things.
Just to clarify, you don't need Golden Gel Medium if you want to alter your hair colour, you need a hair dye for that which is something else entirely.

So get yer happy creative creep on (or not) this week folks!
Gini
xx