31 Days of Halloween: Day 16- Spooky Witch Canvas

Hello hello! I got plenty of rest yesterday, and was able to get together a super project for you today! Can't wait to share it! But first I have our sponsor information for you.

Once again, we are being sponsored by the fabulous Graphicat Designs!



Have you had the chance to swing by their new shop website? They are now offering rubber stamps, and I just LOVE their snarky sayings! They go perfectly with so many of our Smeared Ink stamps. Today Graphicat Designs will offer the winner a choice of a $10 Gift Certificate to the store, or their choice of 5 digi images. Be on the lookout for the Graphicat hidden image and the Rick St Dennis hidden image. When you spot them, email us and let us know to be entered.

As far as sponsor winners go, I will be updating winners later today and catching up on claim emails. If you are listed above and have not yet done it, please email us so we can pass on the info on how to claim your prize!

Okay, now that I've given you all the great sponsor info, let's move on to my project! It is an 11x14 canvas and it's pretty "Spooky".

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Once again, my canvas uses tons of different materials to make the background. There are too many for me to remember, but some of them include paint, papers, pattern paper, book pages, different homemade masks and texturizers, paint spray, mod podge, crepe paper, stamps, charcoal, pastels, & pens. I can, however, tell you that I used various stamps from our Urban Decay and Quoth The Raven stamp sets.

I started with the background, and then moved onto my witch. I just love how she came out, as this is the first one of these girls that I have made!

I recently took a workshop that taught how to make these girls, of course in a much cuter style, but I have so many ideas for changing them to suit me and I plan on making tons more of these canvases. So, what do you think? I think this will be the first that I will be selling and I'd love to hear your opinions.

Okay, now that you've seen my project, it's time for you to hop through the Wicked Blogs. Have fun today, and I'll see you tomorrow!

31 Days of Halloween: Day 14- Creativity Revolution

Hello once again! I am feeling a little better today, although still tired, but thank you all for the well wishes!! Today is Friday, which means it's Smeared Ink day!!!

There was a little bit of confusion about the rules for our Wicked Bloggers today, so I just want to clarify...Wicked Bloggers get an extra entry for the grand prize drawing when they use ONLY Smeared Ink stamps on their project for Smeared Ink days each Friday. We love to see what you can do with our images, and what amazing ideas you all can come up with! Of course, this is not mandatory at all and we are enjoying all of the projects presented during our 31 Days celebration! We've been visiting each and every blog every day, and although we are not commenting, please know that we are thoroughly enjoying looking at everyone's hard work and sharing in the creativity!

So, as I said, today is Smeared Ink day!

Anatomy 101

Look for our hidden image somewhere in the Wicked Blogs to be entered to win our Anatomy 101 digi set. Here is a copy of the image (no, this isn't the hidden one) as we know today it's hidden really well!


Also, don't forget to look for the hidden Rick St Dennis image to win the fabulous digi set he has offered! Email us when you find them, and you will be entered for the drawing.

Ok, for my project today I made a canvas featuring the Front Facing Skull from Anatomy 101. This is less a "Halloween" project and more an an ode to the creativity that is 31 Days of Halloween.

A while back I made a similar canvas that featured the side facing skull and a hand drawn girl, and this one kinda matches.

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Out of the two, I love this one more. It just seems darker to me, which I love, and is more me. As I said, it started as ablank canvas and has tons of layers on it including decorative paper, newspaper, gesso, paint, paint, more paint, more newspaper, magazine scraps, more paint, and handwriting.

In case you can't read my horrible script, the writing in the eye sockets says "Look Within to Transcend Common Thought", and the Escape writing says "Escape the Boundary of Your Own Imagination". This is something that I try to do with each and every project, especially during 31 Days, when I can.

I am debating on whether or not to keep this for my Halloween room or sell it. Like I said, I love it so much, but will also be starting to work on and sell my canvases and altered items regularly through my etsy shop, so I haven't decided yet. Either way, I would love to get your advice about some pricing. I've never sold canvases before. If you were selling this piece, how much would you charge? If you were looking at buying it, how much would you pay? It is an 11x 17. Any advice you can give would be very much appreciated!!

So before you go, I just wanted to give you an update on Ruyke the kitty. Oh yeah, someone asked how you pronounce it and what it means- you pronounce it "Ruke" with a long u, and it means dark companion. Obviously she is a darker coloring, and she has become our companion so it fit :) Anyhoo, we took her to the vet last night and other than a cold, she is in pretty good health! They gave her a shot of antibiotics for the cold. She does have a missing k-9 tooth which they think was knocked out, so that may cause problems later, but for now she's doing good. They are guestimating her age at anywhere from 7 yrs to 12 yrs old, but more in the area of 7. She got all her immunizations, including rabies, and is now ready to join our family. She has been inside since yesterday and is doing great!! She loves the kids, LOVES being pet, has devoured all the food we gave her, and only hisses at Zombie (our little chihuahua/daschound) if he gets too close. She's twice as big as him, and since she can't claw him, I don't foresee any real problems. So, looks like it will be a perfect fit! I will get more pics later on for you all.

Ok, so I hope you enjoy your hopping today and get lots of inspiration! Have fun!

31 Days of Halloween:Day 2- Death Becomes Her

Welcome everyone to Day 2 of 31 Days of Halloween! How did you enjoy the hop yesterday? What an amazingly talented group of Wicked Bloggers, right? I know I was completely thrilled looking at all the projects; it definitely got my wheels turning!

Today we have even more for you, but first we have some sponsor information. Look above this post right under the sponsor ads...you will see a spot that says "Sponsor Winner for Saturday, October 1". This will be where you check winner information each time there is a sponsor prize to be given out. If the prize has not been drawn yet, you will see a message that says "Winner Coming Soon". Everyone has until 9am Pacific time to enter the scavenger hunt, basically until the next day's posts go live, so we will have the drawing shortly after.

Be sure to check back if the winner has not been posted yet! Our winner of the Rick St Dennis digi set will be posted today, and as we mentioned yesterday, you have an opportunity to win that digi set each and every day! So be on the lookout for a hidden picture today. When you find it, email us and let us know where it is so your name can go into the random drawing.

Now I'd like to share with you my project for Day 2. If you were around last year, you got to see part of my Halloween decorations in my house. I tend to go more for the distressed, creepy, eerie feel with just a little gore for good measure. Alot of this stems from me having young kids in the house. Anyways, my project today is the perfect example of that creepy style.

It is an altered jewelry box drawer mirror thingy that I found at the thrift store. It started out white and ended up, well, creepy.


I stared out by distressing with layers of paint, using my heat gun as I went along to burn and bubble. Then I added my doilies with modge podge and added more layers of paint. After it all dried, I distressed with Distress Ink, Kona Crackle, and more paint. Although it looks gold in the picture, the colors on the project are actually white, grey-blue, and brown. While everything finished drying, I worked on my mirror.


The Skull Front image is from Smeared Ink's Anatomy 101 digi set. I printed it out on cellophane and then wrapped my mirror. Super easy, and it produces a stunning reflection effect!


The flowers are made using sewing pattern paper, and I colored them up with some distress inks to make them look like old, dried flowers that had been sitting there a long time. The leaves are actual dried herbs from my garden.


Here you can see the doilies that I added, along with the jewelry that will be on display. The pearls belonged to my Grandmother, who passed October 29; it's been twelve years this month. They are not attached to the project, but I thought they looked stunning! The rocks are Citrine.


Here is a closeup of the drawers and the doilies I added there as well.


I really enjoyed making this project. Although it was alot of work, it was actually very relaxing. I hope it gives you some inspiration!!

Now it's time to hop through the other Wicked Blogs to see some superb art! Don't forget to leave your comments if you are a Horrifying Hopper, and have fun!!

31 Days of Halloween: Day 1-Zombify Me

Well, today's the day...it's officially the first day of October, AND the first day of 31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN 2011 here on Smeared and Smudged!!!Woo Hoo!!!! Are you ready for round three? We are super excited to be bringing you our third annual Halloween/Day of The Dead celebration!

As we did last year, we've recruited some awesomely Wicked Blogs to join in the 31 Days extravaganza, so you'll have a plethora of Halloween goodness to feast your eyes on all month long! The challenge for the Wicked Blogs is to participate all month by providing a different stamped project each and every day in October. If they complete the task, they will be entered into the huge prize drawing at the end of the month!

I know I am looking forward to the challenge again, and I hope you are excited to participate as a Horrifying Hopper or Sinister Lurker. Here's how you do it...
See that long list of participating blogs in my sidebar? The one under the Wicked Blog Button?
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Yep, that's the one. Be sure to visit each one every day in October, and here's how you can win prizes!!

Horrifying Hopper:

What You Have To Do:

Hop through each of the Wicked Blogs that are participating and leave a comment on each project. No need to sign up, just start on the first day and work your way through all the blogs. All Horrifying Hoppers will receive a Survival Button at the end of the month to proudly post on their blog.

The Rules:
You must leave a comment on EACH participating blog EVERY day in October to qualify for the grand prize drawing. Your comment should be about the project or something related (i.e.-no "Here's my comment for today" or "I'm here!"...these types of comments won't count!) If you miss a day or a blog, you will still qualify to receive a survival button, but will not qualify for the grand prize drawing.

Sinister Lurker:

What You Have To Do:
Some of you can't participate all month long, and that's okay! Only Wicked Bloggers and Horrifying Hoppers are up for the grand prize drawing, but if you can't do either of those you will still have the chance to win some Lurker prizes! We will be hiding scavenger hunt pictures randomly throughout the month on various participating blogs...if you find one on any given day, you will be put in for that day's freebie drawing. It may be a coupon, a free digi, or a Halloween goodie, who knows!

The Rules:
Scavenger Items will be hidden randomly on the Wicked Blogs, and are not guaranteed to be available every day. You will have to visit blogs to find them. If you find one, you will email us at smearedinkstamps@gmail.com and let us know exactly where it was and your name will go into that scavenger item's drawing. Each person who finds the "hidden" picture will get one entry. The drawing for each scavenger prize will be the day after it was posted and winners will be chosen by random number based on who emailed. Wicked Bloggers are able to participate and find scavenger pictures as well, unless it is hidden on their own blog. Horrifying Hoppers can participate as well!

Doesn't this all sound like fun? But wait, I know you are now asking yourself "What huge prize drawing at the end of the month is she talking about?" In addition to some awesome scavenger prizes provided by some pretty amazing sponsors, Smeared Ink is offering up this glorious concoction of 31 Days goodies!

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Prize Pack Includes:

Smeared Ink Logo Tank

Raven Collage Throw Pillow

Faes Magnet

Li'l Grumpies Suck It Up Snack Pack

Li'l Grumpies Black & White Bumper Sticker

Raven Collage PJ Set

As Death Journal

Card Goddess Keychain

Winner's Choice of 5 Smeared Ink Digi Sets

Each person who successfully completes the 31 Days as either a Wicked Blogger or a Horrifying Hopper will receive one entry toward this prize drawing. If you successfully complete both, you will receive two entries. (Meaning if you are a Wicked Blog Participant and you comment on every blog every day, you have successfully completed both).

That just about covers all the rules and regulations for this year's celebration. So let's move on to today's event!

Remember how I mentioned sponsor prizes? Well, we're stoked to start our festivities off with an amazing sponsor who has so generously donated a prize for EACH AND EVERY DAY of the month!! Yes, you heard right....we will be giving away 31 prizes from this sponsor!! Wanna know who it is? I know you do!

Rick St Dennis MFA

Seal Beach, California, United States

"Designer of over 100 theatrical productions, Rick St Dennis (Donald McAfee) is also the author of 4 books on decorative painting and contributor to at least a dozen national magazines on crafts and art. He has taught design at the college level as well as seminars and classes across the USA and Canada. He is one of a handful of designers to have designed TWO productions of AIDA, Verdi's massive Egyptian opera spectacle. Currently living in the quiet beach community of Seal Beach, California he writes restaurant reviews and theatre reviews between assignments for web designs, logos and creating art for local shows. Rick has appeared on such TV shows as Home Matters with Susan Powell, Aileen's Crafts and others. He was Crafts editor for Country Folk Art Magazine and sells his artwork nationally through galleries and shows. Among numerous awards he won a presidential commendation in 1976 for his contributions to the bicentennial year including the design of the west coast premier of William Grant Still's opera BAYOU LEGEND. His drawings and paintings are in the collections of Diana Ross, Sandy Duncan, Sammy Davis Jr. and Jacqueline Onnasis amongst others."

We are thrilled to show you this amazing digi set that Rick has put together for 31 Days, and even more thrilled to tell you that there will be a hidden image EVERY DAY for your chance to win it! SO, be on the lookout and when you find it, email smearedinkstamps@gmail.com and let us know where it is!

So now that you're all hyped up on prize info, let's move on to my project for today. I am going to try really hard to make a whole bunch of decorations this year, so you may see very few cards from me. I started with an idea for some of these decorations when Angela Brown, a.k.a. Lady Brayton, presented her Zombie Headshot digi set to us. In case you didn't notice, both Tori and I are part of the set.

It has become a tradition for LB to turn all of us into zombies for our birthdays, and the Sinister Zombie image is actually me! How cool is that!! So, I thought it would be fitting to turn a wooden plaque into a self- portrait of sorts.

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The image is, like I said, Sinister Zombie from our Zombie Headshot digi set. I started with just a plain wood plaque and added in lots of paint layering, layers of newspaper (which are barely visible now ) and modge podge. I colored my image and then layered that in as well, then put even more paint washes! I decided my portrait needed some mossy, moldy looking stuff, so I used Kona Crackle to achieve that effect and then painted over. The final touches were adding on a dark greenish/black glitter outline, the spanish moss, and the nails. Finally I added my hemp hanger.

I will be making more of these to hang as a collection, so be on the lookout for them during the month. I had alot of fun with this one and I love it!! Hope you do too.

So now that you've read my EXTREMELY long post (don't worry, it won't always be this way), it's time for you to hop through all the Wicked Blogs! Don't forget the list is in the sidebar. I know there are tons this year, but just pace yourself and enjoy. You are sure to get eerie inspiration overload, but it's going to be fantastic!!! Have fun!!!