PINK & GORY CHALLENGE

Hello Peeps,
Well over at The Vent in the SMEARED & SMUDGED FORUM , LADY B laid down the gauntlet and wanted us to make her a project that was scary/gory but also contained Pink and Glitter..... aaaaarrrrrggghhh !!! Shock-Horror.............. we don't normally DO pink so this was gonna' be a challenge. I made an ATC using one of my Digis - 'The Ring' from my Movie Madness Collection exclusive to SMEARED INK. My concession to the bit of pink, was the shocking TV !! No wonder the poor girl is trying to climb out of it !! Bwaahahahaha :-)

I coloured her in PSE9. Glitter edge done with Stickles.

RUBBER STAMP SALE :-)

Hello Peeps,
I am having a bit of a clear out since I have too much stuff that's never been used and is unlikely to .. I am actually allergic to rubber and have to be so careful that it's not worth the hassle and drives me nuts !!! :-)
The first thing I am putting up here are RUBBER and CLEAR STAMPS
Now - I don't have PayPal attached to my Blog here, so if anyone is interested - please email me. deets on sidebar >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

THE STAMP MAN

ASPECTS OF DESIGN 2 - NAUTICAL                   SOLD
Unmounted Red rubber stamp set. 8" x 11 "
All pieces were cut out but UNUSED.

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ASPECTS OF DESIGN 9 - LACE 1                               SOLD

Unmounted Red rubber stamp set.8"x 11"
All pieces were cut out but UNUSED.

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ASPECTS OF DESIGN 6 - NATURE                              $10  +p&p

Unmounted Red rubber stamp set.8" x 11"
All pieces were cut out but UNUSED

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ASPECTS OF DESIGN 20 - SUMMER FLOWERS             $10  +p&p

Unmounted Red rubber stamp set.8" x 11"

All pieces were cut out but except one were UNUSED

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NON-SEQUITUR - CRANES 9D                                 SOLD

Unmounted Red rubber stamp set.8" x 11"
All pieces were cut out but UNUSED

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ELUSIVE IMAGES - ORIENTAL BOOKMARKS                SOLD

Unmounted Grey rubber stamp set. 4" x 8"

UNUSED in packet.

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CRAFTERS COMPANION - ORIENTAL CD & STAMP SET   $15 +p&p

Unmounted Grey rubber stamp set and 2 CD Set 

CDs Contain:

Backing Papers

Matching Inserts/Envelopes/Paper

Gift Bags + Tags

Teabag Papers

Toppers & Decoupage

Alphabets

Interactive Verse Creator + much more

(Fish image cut out but never stamped !!)

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INKADINKADOO - POSTCARDS SET Wood Mounted    $12 + p&p

3 Wood Mounted Red Rubber Stamps UNUSED

Measures; 2 at 3" x 2 1/4"  1 at  2 1/4" square

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Well - that's it so far :-)

Anyone interested - please email me... First Come, First Served basis applies.

Please also ask for details regarding Payment - I have PAYPAL but I know a couple of Peeps who don't.... we can discuss arrangements.

xx

RUDOLPH DAY 1

Yay,
My friend Sarn at Stamping For Pleasure is doing RUDOLPH DAY again this year. :-)
The idea is that we make a Christmas Card every month on the 25th right up until Christmas :-D  LUV it !!!

Here is my card for this first Challenge.
I was sitting using all my snippets up and having fun with my sewing machine. I actually got a stamp out too and stamped onto my cut-out reindeer. Anyhoo - I was merrily doing this to make cards for my family and friends this year, when a friend dropped in on me unexpectedly and promptly bought the lot !!!!!
Needless to say, my family got an assortment of other LoL
I think Sarn with be pleased coz she's always going on about us using our snippets !!!!  Nag, nag, nag ..!!! Hahahahaha

Challenges I am entering:

Stamping For Pleasure - Rudolph Day 1

Snippets Playground Week 56 

FREEBIE FRIDAY 4 - GREEK SERIES

Good Morning and Happy Friday,
Today we finish our tour of Greece with the traditional costume of KALYMNOS, which is the island where I live.
Traditional Greek costumes vary depending where you go. I guess everyone knows the male costume from mainland Greece and the Greek National Guard.....................

This varies slightly in different regions but by the time we get right down south where I am, this disappears.

Here's our traditional Male dress (with slight variations) worn for special occasions, festivals and dancing exhibitions etc. Mine is wearing very soft leather boots, but it could also be long socks and shoes. Headgear is sometimes not worn or changed for a soft flat black hat. The waistcoats can be lavishly embroidered, shirts are white and the pantaloons are usually black.

                                      

We have a little Museum of costumes here, but there is not much on show for the men. The women have a fabulous outfit, but I am surprised at the thickness of the 'overdress' considering our climate. !! The overdress is worn pinned up on one side and sleeve to show off the fine embroidered under dress - which are all hand sewn :-)

Well - there we are Peeps......... where would you like to go next week ?? Any suggestions ???

I hope you enjoy the free digis and can make use of them xxxxxxxxxxx

SCROLL BACK DOWN THROUGH THE POSTS FOR THE REST OF THE GREEK SERIES  :-D xx

PAINTING COMMISSION

YaY - here we are again on Friday..... hopefully most of you can have 2 days off and get crafting :-)
Here is a painting I have just finished. The little chap at the top is an Italian Greyhound and is a Crufts winner for his breed. :-) This has to go by post so it's pretty scary !!!!

I am putting this baby into Paint Party :-)

Paint Party Friday Week 46

NEW VALENTINE IMAGES FOR SMEARED INK

Hi Peeps,
Here's my latest batch for SMEARED INK... available at their Shop now :-D




From Top Left:
I give You My Heart
The Look of Love
Prisoner of Love
Love is Blind
Pensive

TAG IT ON

Here I have made a Tag for Dragon's Dream TAG IT ON and this fortnight is Trace's dream.
So this weeks recipe, which has to be on a tag and use at least one real stamp is:  Dress to impress.
The three ingredients are : a dress or dress form, embossed impression and some bling.
Here is my Tag..........

I used a large Tag and covered it with some dress pattern instructions paper, and pleated the side a bit. My Dress Form and Edwardian Lady I bought as die cuts from my good friend Linda Lapotka at Scrapcat Cards by Linda. She has a little Shop in there where she sells pre-cut die cuts using her Cricut machine. I bought lots of snowflakes last year.. go see her if you don't have a machine coz she's got loads of different things for you :-) The tape measure across the middle is made using a new stamp I got recently. I heat embossed by dress form using Stayzon and Gold embossing powder.

Piece of ribbon  and very 'blingy' edging stuff (what they sew on the priests robes here) from my stash. Mt stick pin is made from an old brooch, 2 gold leaves and some clear beads. I think that's enough bling :-D

Challenges I am entering:

Dragons Dream Tag It On 134 

ANOTHER CARD COMMISSION

Here I am again with another commission for a friend to give to her sister. Apparently she is a mad mountaineerer, snow walker + skier !! Jolly good luck in that freezy weezy weather I say... Rather her than me :-D
Anyhoo - I made a triple mountain fold card - - well it fits doesn't it ??!!!

I snagged a couple of clip art images from the Web and a fabbo silhouette and this morning LISA at Decosse's Dynamite Doodles gave away a fabulous 'Snowflake Border' which I put with her 'Snowflake Paper' too. If you pop over to see her, you can pick up the links to the other Freebies )the Paper and some Word Art). I used her snowflake paper on the back too but I faded it down a bit, so my friend can write her message there.

Afterwards I thought the sky was a bit bare so I stamped some white snowflakes using a stamp from Wild Rose Studio.

Challenges I am entering:

Cards Und More  Challenge 74 - Ice & Snow
Deep Ocean Challenge Blog No.43 - Anything but a Square
Tuesday Alchemy Challenge 48 - Winter Wonder

NEW IMAGES AT SMEARED INK

Here is a showing of my New Images which are exclusive to SMEARED INK... 
These are the 'FALLEN ANGEL' series.... 3 Fallen Angels and The Collector :-)

I have just finished some VALENTINE images, but we are awaiting their release into SI Shop.

PET ROCK CHALLENGE

Hi Peeps,
Over at YOUR PAPER PANTRY they are having a  Fur & Feathers Pet Rock Challenge this month. To go to YPP click HERE.
I've had my rock for a week but it didn't give me much inspiration until yesterday :-) I started off painting it white as a base and then a little picture came to me. When I came down to the studio this morning I had a sudden brainwave and got such a crazy idea.
Here is my original sketch....

I got out my Gouache paints  and after a play around I added a goggly eye and  this is what I finished up with...

Now - as you all know - I don't often do cute and fluffy, so this fits quite well but I think he might give people a scare or two over at YPP  Tee Hee !! :-D

I'm also known for doing scary, horror, gory or totally 'out of your head' kind of stuff, so you weren't expecting a 'cute' pet rock were you ???? :-D 

Challenges I am entering:

Fur & Feathers Pet Rock Challenge at YPP

HAUNTED DESIGN HOUSE HDH159

Hello again,
Well, today is Macabre Monday over at HAUNTED DESIGN HOUSE, the Challenge is called 'Famous Last Words'.
Create a piece using a famous last line from a book, film, poem or use a deathbed utterance or confession. 
I decided to use the purported last utterance of CHOPIN.

Frédéric François Chopin  1810 – 1849 was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist. He is widely considered one of the greatest Romantic composers. Chopin was born in Żelazowa Wola, a village in the Duchy of Warsaw. A renowned child-prodigy pianist and composer, he grew up in Warsaw and completed his music education there; he composed many of his mature works in Warsaw before leaving Poland in 1830 at age 20, shortly before the 1830 Uprising.

Following the Russian suppression of the Uprising, he settled in Paris as part of Poland's Great Emigration. During the remaining 19 years of his life, Chopin gave only some 30 public performances, preferring the more intimate atmosphere of the salon; he supported himself by selling his compositions and teaching piano. After some romantic dalliances with Polish women, including an abortive engagement, from 1837 to 1847 he carried on a relationship with the French writer Amantine Dupin, aka George Sand. For most of his life Chopin suffered from poor health; he died in Paris in 1849 at age 39.

FOR THE SQUEAMISH.................LOOK AWAY NOW !!!............................................

I used a piece of sheet music by Chopin and then stamped over it with one of my new 'Inky Dreams' rubber stamps from SMEARED INK. I used Versamark embossing stamp with red powder, and melted with my heat gun. I printed out and coloured 'Open Torso' - from the Gross Anatomy Set also by Smeared Ink, then I coloured him a little with pencils. I found a little portrait of Chopin on the Web and the quote, which I printed out in Dymo.

Challenges I am entering:

Haunted Design House HDH159 - Famous Last Words

Simon Says Stamp Challenge - What Are You Known For ?  (My love of Horror/Gothic/Gore and quirky mind set) Tee Hee 

CARD COMMISSIONS

Happy Monday Peeps,
Here are a couple of card commissions I completed yesterday :-)
I also made matching wall clocks out of CDs.

This card is made for one of our Greek friends for her Birthday today. Here they don't really celebrate the Birthday as much as the Name Day, and they don't really exchange cards, but Marika will appreciate this. She is totally obsessed with shoes, so I will be putting a little money pocket on the inside so we can all put something in there and she can buy some.

I totalled CASE'd a fantastic card from CHRIS V  at Easily Amused, who is a DT member at Stamping For The Weekend. I went there on directions from a friend and found this fabbo Challenge this week too..... "Something Girly". I was so in love with Chris' card I knew it would be perfect for my friend. I used papers and elements - 'Endeavour' from Scrappers Emporium.


Challenges I am entering:

Stamping for the Weekend - Something Girlie
Shelleys Images - TTT 1,2,3    (Shoe card - 1 Lace, 1 Pearl, 1 Flower)
Kraftin' Kimmie Challenge 162 - A Trio of Embellishments  (Shoe card - 1 Lace, 1 Pearl, 1 Flower)
Sugar Creek Hollow Challenge 45 - Tic Tac Toe - Centre Row Down (Shoe card - 1 Lace, 1 Pearl, 1 Ribbon)
Amusing Challenges - Birthday    (Dora Card)
Dream Valley Challenges 49 - Girls, Girls, Girls   (Shoe Card)
Here Come The Boys Challenge 44 - Bingo  (Patterned Paper, Distress, Image)

BIT OF WHIMSY ON A SUNDAY

Back again !!!
I found some new people A & T DESIGNS and got some super Freebies on their site.

                                        
 I made this little inspirational card with all freebies from A & T and a bit of lace from my stash.

Digi Paper - A&T Designs

Image: 'Pip on a branch' - A&T Designs Colouring in PSE9

Senti tag made myself - Font 'Bite Me'

Stick I made with punch-outs and beads from stash.

Card and lace from stash.

Challenges I am entering:

Corrosive Challenges 166 - Put a Pin in it.

Allsorts Challenge Week 190 - Flower Power

MAYZYART CHALLENGE - ROMANCE

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR FREEBIE FRIDAYS

Hi there and happy Sunday,
Today I am messing about with Challenges :-) I have just finished a new batch of images for SMEARED INK so now I am going to play :-)
Over at MAYZYART - the Challenge at the moment is Romance, so I decided to have a dig through and see what images of theirs I have. I just fell in love with this little girl and I guess she could be cartwheeling for joy and in love (probably with a puppy or kitten or something coz she's only young LoL)
I used my new embossing folder from Couture Creations Romantique Collection and it's called 'Timeless'. It is such a beautiful thing, and I bought it for scrapbooking and making mini albums coz there's a cool panel in the middle that would work well for journaling.

Card from stash.

Embossing folder - Couture Creations

Flowers from stash.

Sentiment tag I made. Font: Times New Romance

Image - MAYZYART  - was a Freebie - no name given(maybe given at CDAC for a Challenge ?). Coloured in PSE9

Challenges I am entering:

Mayzyart Challenge 9 - Romance

FREEBIE FRIDAY 3 - GREEK SERIES

Good Morning Peeps,
Doesn't Friday whizz round quickly ???!!
Well - here is No.3 in the Greek Series - a church scene with sea and mountains :-)
If you didn't snag the others in this Greek bit, then just scroll down OK  xx

IMAGE REMOVED TO SHOP

Maybe next week I'll give you the National Costume and then let's shoot off to another country the following week...... what say you ??????

BOOKMARKS

Today I have made a Bookmark to enter in the Dilly Beans Challenge - BOOKMARKS.
I have used 'Heart Monster'. I coloured him digitally and then printed him out 3 times. He is 10cm high for this project. I stuck him onto very thick card and then fussy cut the other 2 prints and layered him up with silicone glue to make him 3D. I then made a giant paper clip with some wire and attached him to it and Voila !! - my bookmark.

Click on pic to enlarge.

So there he is. I think he's going to be strong enough if I am careful with him but I might cover him with glossy accents to make him very tough :-)

Challenges I am entering:

Dilly Beans Challenge - Bookmarks
Crafty Catz Challenge 166 - Anything But A Card
Forever Night Creepy Challenge 61 - 3,2,1 Anything Goes  (Well I got 3 layers, 2 different mediums - paper + metal) and 1 image.... hope that counts )
Inspire Me Fridays 92 - Anything Goes

HAPPY MAIL

Happy Saturday Everyone,
I hope you are all getting ready to enjoy a crafting weekend :-)
This week I received some happy mail - a parcel from a friend of mine BORQNA from Bulgaria. She sent me a calendar with some awesome photos of Bulgaria and she made me a fantastic card using one of my freebie images... a Snowman.
It's just perfect in the cool blues of winter. Here he is..

I have put her Blog addy on there for you. Borqna lives in Sofia and she puts some gorgeous photographs on her blog, she makes projects and also writes some great articles, so I hope you can pop over there for a browse when you're having coffee. Don't worry, it's all translated for you too, so you'll be able to read what she's saying :-)

Thanks again Borqna - hugs and I hope you are surviving in the snow !!!!    xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

FOREVER NIGHT CREEPY CHALLENGE 61 - 3-2-1

Hello and Welcome,
I have made this ATC for the current Challenge over at FOREVER NIGHT CREEPY CHALLENGES.... 

CHALLENGE 61

3.2.1 ( 3 of something, 2 of something, 1 of something) / Anything Goes

Our Sponsor this week is the fabulous

Delicicious Doodles

                                                   

I have used 'The Graveyard' and 'I'm NOT Goth !!' which are both by Delicious Doodles.

I used the graveyard scene as the background for my ATC and then I printed out the Emo  and fussy cut her to layer up 3 times to make her 3D. I added 2 sparkle gems and 1 sentiment cabuchon sticker..

Other Challenges I am entering:

OH - FROG IT !!!

Hello Peeps,
Today I have made a card for two new Challenge sites that I have found :-)
The first is a Group called 'INKY FROGGIES' over at The Crafter's Cafe. It is being hosted by some good friends of mine and is aimed at STAMPING UP product users. If you get to join them - you too can be a FROGETTE  LoL  :-)
The task for January reads thusly;

The challenge: Create a project using a Stampin’ Up! stamp that either is a frog or depicts something pertaining to frogs.  What you interpret as “frog pertaining” is up to you, suggestions include lily pads, ponds, grass, and, of course, flying bugs.  Stretch your imagination and have fun with this theme.

I have some SU digis, and the one I used is called 'Sprinkled Expressions-Heart'. 

The second new Challenge is a brand new one from Sandy of SCRIBBLES BY SANDY fame and is called the SCRIBBLES DESIGN CHALLENGE BLOG. For this one the rule is to use an image by Sandy for your project.
I have chosen to use 'Gone Buggy' with the associated Sentiment... which just makes me laugh every time I read it. My froggy was coloured digitally in PSE9 and I have made a circular easel card using a Monet background. I enlarged the little fly Sandy drew and made some bigger ones to decorate and hold the easel open :-)

So - there we are :-) I hope you will pop over and have a look at this new Challenges and give them some love and encouragement xx

Challenges I am entering:

Inky Froggies - January Anything Goes Challenge (with Frog)

Scribbles Design Challenge 1 - Anything Goes

SCOOBY

Hi there,
I decided to try something new - Digital Scrapbooking. I have tons of designer kits but rarely actually make time to try them out.
I decided to make this one for the Colour Swatch Challenge over at DESIGN HOUSE DIGITAL and I used My Memories Suite to construct it. I am still a little unsure of proper layouts, but have just been searching for Templates, so that will help me. :-) Here's the colours to use...

I think it worked OK and hopefully my colours look true to the original. :-)

Kit: 'Whispersoft' by JillDZines

Challenges I am entering:

Design House Digital - January Colour Swatch

Lucky Snapping in 2013 - Nostalgia Challenge New Beginnings

OH - THE JOYS OF GREECE....... NOT !!!! PLUS FREEBIE

Well Hello Peeps,
I am sorry to have been absent and you have missed out on the FREEBIES, but it was due to circumstances entirely out of my control :-(
I lost Internet and Telephone nearly 2 weeks ago now. !
We had a mahusive electric storm on the night before losing everything, so I thought it may have been the culprit.
I went down to the telephone company - after having established it wasn't anything wrong at my end.
The conversation went like this (but in my bestest Greek of course LoL)...........
On entering, the customer service man is chatting to someone and waving his coffee around. He sees me and carries on chatting.I wait for a couple of minutes before he finally drags himself away and comes over.
ME: "Good Morning and Happy New Year. After the storm last night, my telephone it does not work"
HIM: "Good New Year" - he walks over to his desk.
We sit down and he types away on his computer for a while. I think that he maybe is playing cards coz he ain't asked me anything yet, so what can he possible be typing about.? !!
HIM: "What your number is?"
I duly give it to him... he types some more and then writes something on a scrap of paper...
HIM: "Here - you must ring this"
I look at it.... a 5 digit number which I assume is some sort of Help Desk number.
ME: "How can I do that when I don't have a telephone?"
HIM:....................stares blankly at me for a moment and then gives me the 'Greek Shrug'.. which we take as being 'I really don't give a toss' !!
I walk out and stomp home. The number is not accessible via Mobile Phone which is the only thing I got now !!! I swear and shout and then get a friend to ring. She tells me the 'Very Helpful Man' will try and diagnose my problem remotely and fix it, or he will call Athens and they will do it or if they can't, they will call OTE on my island - which is where I have just been. He says they will call back on my mobile number in 2 - 3 hours and tell me what is happening either way.
OK - so I wait. The next day arrives .... NOTHING. !!
Other Half stomps down to town and sees different man - who speaks English coz Other Half doesn't do Greek :-)  Man types on computer, then makes a phone call. Afterwards he says "Ah, the problem is not inside your house. There was an accident and the pole is gone. We have to fix". Other Half asks when this will be done. He gets the 'Greek Shrug' and man says "Maybe 1 week". !!!!  Well that's almost like saying..'When I can be bothered to get up off my fat *rse and do something'.
Needless to say, we sit and wait for nearly 2 weeks whilst emails are breeding in my machine and I can't access them and things that should have been done aren't getting done, and I slowly climb up the wall with frustration. !!
Anyhoo - I filled my time with doing other things.... making stuff for Swaps and a bit of sewing and other schtuff, and I realised how much time I actually spend' diddling around' on the Web..... maybe I should try and cut down ???
So - here I am back again. I apologise for the lack of Freebies but here is the one I was working on at the time of the crash !! Another in our Greek series and I hope you enjoy it :-)

NEW RELEASE PREVIEW

Hi Everyone - sorry I am a little behind at the moment.... I have not had Internet for a day and a half :-(
Am working on your Freebie Friday for later on today so please pop back later.
Just wanted to show you my latest Newbie.... this was the Prize for the last Quest over at QUOTH THE RAVEN...She's called Scheherazade :-)

Our Winner has only just picked her up so I will let her have a couple of days of 'exclusivity' before I put this girl in my Shop :-)
Back later with your Freebie xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A BIT OF FREEDOM

Hi there,
The other day I really felt like I wanted to get some paints out and have a slosh round :-) I have not done much actual painting for some time now and I wanted to get away from my usual 'precise' work, so I pinched a bit of wood from the garage and got out some acrylics and a small palette knife and Voila !!!

I used them neat from the tube and smurged some gold paint round the edges afterwards. I quite like the texture but I still feel the urge to go back and "fiddle" with it (as my art tutor at College used to say) LoL

Only trouble is - the eyes follow me round the room now hahahaha LoL

Challenges I am entering:

Paint Party Friday

QUOTH THE RAVEN - QUEST 17 ANYTHING POES

Good Morning Peeps,
We are here again for QUEST 17 - ANYTHING POES over at QUOTH THE RAVEN. Congrats to JULIA for winning Quest 16. :-)
This time you can make anything you wish provided is has some connection to Edgar Allan POE. Simple eh ?!! Our Quest will run for 1 month so you have plenty of time to come and join us :-D
Here is my creation this time...

I used up some snippets for my background and the label has paper from Crafty Chaos Designs.

The POE digis are both mine and are available at my SHOP. The image I have used is the Prize for this Quest :-)

Challenges I am entering:

NEW IMAGE FOR VALENTINES

Hi there,
Here is a new image I have done for Valentine's Day.
Available in MY SHOP or at STITCHYBEAR STAMPS.