BEARS' BOOK CHALLENGE

This is a piece I have done for the Book Challenge over at THE HOUSE OF BEARS. 
The book is A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khalid Hosseini. 

                                

The story is based in Afghanistan and spans the 1960's to the 2000's, the traumatic life of Mariam and ultimately her death.
If you would like more info, please go see The House of Bears.

For my piece, I have used part of one of my own digis - Scheherazade - available in my SHOP, and set her against an old painting of an Afghan marketplace. She has been coloured digitally in PSE9.

Click on Pic to enlarge.

Challenges I am entering:

The House of Bears March Challenge - Book Choice

LIFE IS SOMETIMES A CROCK OF.......... !!!

Hello Peeps,
I hope those that are celebrating their Easter are having a good time. I really miss Hot Cross Buns - you know, the really stodgy ones in packets from the supermarket.. not the shiny crusty ones from the bakers :-D

So today, I have a small offering for you - probably only one coz I am feeling a bit "Bleh !!" so I am going to hack my nails all off and go work in the garden before it becomes a bigger jungle.

I got some new images from SCRIBBLES BY SANDY and I have used two of them today to make a shaped card. I cut round the trash can after printing to make the shape :-)

Inside

Both images were digitally 'paper pieced'.

I have used:

'Garbage Can' and 'It Stinks Too' from SCRIBBLES BY SANDY

Font;  "Cat Krap"

Challenges I am entering:

Sentimental Sundays #148 - Shaped Card

Penny's Challenge #120 - Anything but Square

That Craft Place Challenge - Animals

PAINT PARTY FRIDAY WK3 Yr3

Good morning and Happy Easter to those who are celebrating now :-)  Here in Greece our Easter will be 5th May.

This week, my submission to PAINT PARTY FRIDAY is a screen that I made for the local Theatre Group. It has a thrown room on one side and a fireplace on the other.... maybe I show you that next time :-D

It was a little hard to do coz the  old screen was 3 paneled sheets that were hinged together - the ultimate recycle !!!   But it came out OK :-)  We wanted it to be portable and be able to flip it round quickly in the Play when we wanted to change the scene. I am glad to say it worked well :-D 

It was so big I couldn't photograph it properly in my house and got a bit of the table in the way on the left corner :-(

Looks not bad for being done with bits of old house paints eh ????

Afterwards I made a digital image out of this scene that is available in my Shop - it's called 'Castle Room' :-D

                                                              

Bye ... see you later..... if you are looking for FREEBIE FRIDAY.. please GO TO NEXT POST DOWN :-)

FREEBIE FRIDAY 12 + 1/2 WORLD TOUR SERIES - JAPAN

Hello Peeps and Happy Easter to those that are celebrating now :-)
Today I give you Freebie Friday 12 and a half (coz I don't like 13)..... World Tour Series - JAPAN. I hope you enjoy them but please respect my wishes and DO NOT SHARE or PIN. !!

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Ikes World is a No Copy Zone and nothing on this site/Blog can be pinned/published to Pinterest or similar communities. These images are given to YOU personally and you do NOThave the right to share or paste anywhere else. Send people here to me. If you wish to 'shout' me anywhere, please ask for a 'Watermarked' copy. Thank you :-)

DT THROWDOWN CHALLENGE

Well hello and happy Monday Peeps,
I am here to tell you about the 2nd DT THROWDOWN CHALLENGE over at SMEARED & SMUDGED FORUM.
Challenge #1 was won by the hugely talented DT over at Haunted Design House, so they got to throw down the next Challenge Theme.... FAUX FINISHES.

For my entry with my DT from QUOTH THE RAVEN, I have used one of my own digis called "POE CAT". It was inspired by his story  'The Black Cat' - where the guy bumps off his wife and bricked her up in the wall !!!  If you want to read the full story go HERE.

I coloured the cat digitally and then printed him 10 times, fussy cut and feather cut him and then layered up with silicone for a 3D image. I used Glossy Accents on his eye and cut up some bristles from a broom to make whiskers.
My bricks were made from thick cardboard then painted with acrylics mixed with sawdust to give them texture. 

Click on pic to enlarge if you dare !!! :-D 

Here's a side view before I added the whiskers :-)

Now - if you go over to QUOTH THE RAVEN you can see what the other Minions of The Master have produced for our Team effort.... prepare to be totally gobsmacked !!!!

All the DTs have until 27th March to upload their entries at Smeared & Smudged and then the Voting starts. So - if you are a part of a DT, then why not go over and play.... if you are quick !!! 

Voting Starts: Thursday March 28 at 12:01 am

Voting Ends: Friday March 29 at midnight (email your team's theme choice before this date JIK you are the winners!)

Winner Announced: Saturday March 30 by noon

New Challenge Posted: Sunday March 31 by noon

We would love it if you would go over and VOTE  for your fave creations too.

Don't forget also that you still have time to enter Quest 19 - ANYTHING POES over at QUOTH THE RAVEN :-) Challenge ends 10th April and our Sponsor this time is  Inky Froggies who are offering a lovely Stampin' Up prize.

Well, I think that's it.... see you later xx

MACABRE MONDAY - DANTE's 9 CIRCLES OF HELL

WARNING: Blog Post contains partial nudity.




Good Morning Peeps and welcome to my piece for HDH163  Macabre Monday over at HAUNTED DESIGN HOUSE ........ The 9 Circles of Hell. 

Most of you are probably, at least vaguely familiar with the poem 

written back in the 14th century, by Dante.

It is an allegory telling of the journey of Dante through Hell, guided 

by the Roman poet Virgil. In the poem Hell is depicted as 

nine circles of suffering located within earth. 

Allegorically, the Divine Comedy represents the journey of the 

soul towards God, with the Inferno describing the recognition and 

rejection of sin.

For more info check out the wiki page here.

For my project I decided to draw a new Digi and I call her "LUST". I coloured her in PSE.

I hope you will pop over to HDH and have a looksee at what delights the other Minions have to show you :-)

We hope you'll join in on the Hellish fun we are having this week.

There are plenty of sins to choose from, and lots of wickedness, too.

For example, did you know that the 8th Circle is Fraud, and sorcerers,

astrologers, fortune tellers and false prophets, were made to 

endlessly walk with their heads on backwards so they couldn't see what

was ahead of them? How's that for eternal damnation?

You have all week to come up with something infernal.

PAINT PARTY FRIDAY

Welcome to my contribution to PAINT PARTY FRIDAY - Wk 2, Year 3 ... here is another of my portraits that I am showing this time. This one was a little more difficult coz the subject was deceased and I only had a couple of photos, but she came out pretty well :-)

Thanks for looking :-D xx

ATCs - WET TECHNIQUES

Here's a couple of ATCs that I did for a Swap over at INKY FROGGIES.

 This is the Facebook page but we are waiting for them to open elsewhere and start up the swaps and stuff again. Unfortunately, the Group was in Crafters' Cafe before they shut down :-(

Mt ATCs were made with Stampin' Up  digi images :-)  The theme was to use 'wet' techniques. I smurged some glue, glitter and paint onto card for the first one and added a silhouette digi and a Pergamano flower.
The second one was random heat embossing, wax, glitter and Stickles.

Challenges I am entering:

Wicked Wednesday ATCs  #76- Spring Fever

MUSIC IS GOOD FOR THE SOUL

Hello Saturday Peeps,
Just popped in to show a card commission I made for a friend. I made an 8 x 8 card and did Iris Folding for the background. Then I made a guitar by layering up an image  5 times with silicone. I got hold of some old guitar strings and threaded them onto it.... that was a bit of a nightmare I can tell you. I used some gold brads for the string keys. I made a little tag and tried to write like it was in musical notes :-D

Challenges I am entering:

The Lollipop Ladies - Rockin' The Music
Crafty Ribbons Challenge #41 - One for the Boys
Happy Campers Challenge #13 - Add Dimension
Moving Along With The Times - Decoupage Challenge

SLIGHTLY CREEPY LoL

Hey there,
Over at LEFT OF CENTRE, the new Challenge is out and they are being sponsored by SASSY STUDIOS. 

Well.... I just happen to have some of those, so I spent the afternoon colouring up :-)
I used "Carrie Sassy" but I kinda' 'witched' her up a bit and used also 'Halloween Accessories' both of which are from Sassy Studios.
Here's what I came up with after putting them all onto one of my own digis "Castle Room" (available in my Shop).

Click on image to enlarge

Challenges I am entering:

LOC Challenge #2 -  LOC Theme and/or Punch it Out

Try It On Tuesday - Hats and Bonnets

FREEBIE FRIDAY 12

Hi there and Happy Friday :-)
I have given you some Bunnies this week coz your Easter is coming up soon I think :-D

IMAGES REMOVED BACK TO SHOP

Ikes World is a No Copy Zone and nothing on this site/Blog can be pinned/published to Pinterest or similar communities. These images are given to YOU personally and you do NOT have the right to share or paste anywhere else. Send people here to me. If you wish to 'shout' me anywhere, please ask for a 'Watermarked' copy. Thank you :-)

BIT BY THE BUG TUESDAY

Hello Tuesday Peeps,
In a little break away from the Dark schtuff, I want to tell you about Bit By The Bug Tuesday.
                                         
Naomi from CREATIVE BUG ON THE LOOSE has a couple of Freebies for you. She asked me if I would colour up 'Maximus MacBunny' for her so I whipped up a twisted easel card. He was 'paper pieced' digitally and then printed several times to layer him up. I added a little diamond glaze to his specs too :-)

Now Maximus is the partner of 'Bellina MacBunny' who I won in a contest last week. I think if Naomi's not careful, she will be over run with little Bunnies :-D   LoL

The other little Freebie is called 'Angelina Flowertina' , and there's a lovely demo card for her made by Jo Ann  - so pop over HERE to snag yourself some cuties :-)

Challenges I am entering:

Simply Create Too #33 - Easter/Bunnies

MORE DARK SCHTUFF !!!!

Me again !!!
Here are a couple of ATCs I did now back in my darker region LoL

The first one is for  Wicked Wednesday Challenge and that is all about fangs :-D
The image is called 'Corneleus' and he is part of the Monster Heart set from SMEARED INK.
He also has a sentiment from their 'Bloody Valentine' set. I have stuck him on a strip of acetate, so he kinda' "boings" about freely in front of the background :-D 
The background is from Crafty Chaos. All images are coloured digitally.

My second one is for Fun With ATCs Challenge - Gothic and  is using 'Honey' from the Goth Fairies Set also by SMEARED INK.
She is on a background I firked out of my snippets box and I added some twine. She is coloured digitally.

Challenges I am entering:

Wicked Wednesdays Challenge #75 - Show us your Fangs

Fun With ATCs Challenge #83 - Gothic

EASTER BUNNIES + St PAT's

Happy Saturday Peeps,
Here I am posting away whilst my internet seems to be doing real well... YaY. Thought I would stick loads of things on, so expect to be inundated with schtuff this weekend LoL

Now - since I don't do Easter, I thought I might get a few Creapster things done... hahaha

I recently bought some new OCTOPODE images and this one is called 'Norman and Nigel'.  Norman is trying to do his Easter Bunny bit in his own putrid, skanky way that only a Zombie Bunny can do !!! LoL  I made him into an ATC with a freebie background and also the egg basket from 'Easter Mini Kit' by Scrappers Emporium.

I also made a tag with a great little St Patrick's Day Teddy that was already pre-coloured and given as a Freebie by CREATIVE BUG ON THE LOOSE....  thank you  Naomi :-D

I did ask her if I could cut the trees off him as I didn't want to use those this time.

I used some St Pat's backgrounds from Doodle Pantry - I pleated the tartan one but it doesn't show up well on here,  some clip art shamrocks, my own St Pat's Ticket digi and I added a Pin that I made. Button and feathers from my stash.

Naomi does some great Freebies so why not pop over there to see her too :-D 

Challenges I am entering:

My TAG - 

Doodle Pantry Challenges #32 DPDC32 - hope it's OK I only used DPs not an image ?

The Crafter's Cafe March Challenge Wk 14- Green/St Patrick's

My ATC -

My Time To Craft #213 - Bunnies

Octopode Friday Challenge - Going Green

Crafty Calendar March Challenge - Easter

Creatalicious Challenges #46 - Easter

Emergency Crafters March Challenge   - Mad As A March Hare

The Crafter's Cafe March Challenge Wk 14- Green/St Patrick's

Simply Create Too #33 - Bunnies/Easter

YIPEE - MORE HAPPY MAIL :-D

I got some more post today :-) This is my super awesome ATC Swap from (Gloria) aka  CREEPY GLOWBUG, that we did between ourselves at Haunted Design House. I got a fantastic card too :-)

ATC

Card

Aren't these FABBO ?!!! Glo makes some awesome stuff so why not pop over and have a browse on her BLOG  .
See you later xxxx

ST PATRICK's DAY FUNNY

Here I am again with a little whimsy for St Patrick's Day to go into Challenge #3 over at SCRIBBLES DESIGNS CHALLENGE BLOG. 

Challenge #3 is themed "Shades of Green Easter".

This time they are also being sponsored by  BUGABOO.

For my creation I went with Green coz St Pat's Day is coming up, and I have used;
a new image - 'Carl O'Brien' and 'Mr Wool Smiley' from Scribbles By Sandy with...
'Expiration Date Stella' from Bugaboo.
Backing papers are from the St Patrick's Day set by Doodle Pantry.

Challenges I am entering:

Scribbles Design Challenge #3 - Shades of Green Easter

Cute Card Thursday Challenge #260 - Anything Goes

Milk Coffee Challenge Blog - Go Green

Sassy Studios Challenge #168 - Seeing Green

Creative Belli Challenge #165 - St Patrick's Day/Green

Ruby's Rainbow Challenge #49 - Yellow/Green

Digi Galore Challenges - St Patrick's Day

Tip Top Tuesday #97 - ROFL

BUTTONS & BOWS

Happy Friday Peeps,
I don't want to say it too loud in case I Hex everything.... but having installed a new Router, it seems my internet problems are fixed, but I am still crossing my fingers :-)

So - I found Challenge #1 at the new site.....  LEFT OF CENTER. Here's what they say about themselves......
"A place for all things Steampunk, Goth, dark, creepy, edgy, Halloween, Anime, mythical, grunge etc".
Jolly cool I say :-D 
Well, Challenge #1 is ' A Left of Center Theme (as described above) which incorporates Buttons and/or Bows.

I have made an ATC using one of my images exclusive to SMEARED INK..... 'Twisted Love'... well half of it anyways :-D and set it on a background called 'Deep Inside', which is also from Smeared Ink.
I printed her 3 times and then fussy cut and layered up with foam pads, using only half her face for the top layer. Then I stitched it with bows and buttons.

Challenges I am entering:

Left of Center Challenge #1 - LOC/Buttons/Bows

HUGE SALE AT STITCHYBEAR :-)

Just a Reminder

StitchyBear's Birthday Bash Time!!

The Entire StitchyBear's Digi Outlet is 33% Off!

Party Runs from March 15 till March 22, 2013

Come shop till you drop!!

FREEBIE FRIDAY 11

Good morning Peeps and happy Friday,
I am putting this up early due to mega internet problems :-( 
Some Easter images for you.............. DIPPY DUCKZ
Have a great day xx

IMAGES REMOVED BACK TO SHOP

THE DARK SIDE CREEPS BACK............

Ha !!  I have lulled you enough with the pretties and wherewithalls of 'CutesieLand' and now my dark half returns. :-D
I have found a new dark and scary Challenge site...................... "SPOOKY AND SCARY"......... and they have their first Challenge up .. 'SKULLS', and it seems they are lovers of Edgar Allan POE.  Every month on 13th they will have a new Challenge going up to release your dark sides and apparently you can make anything you like - so long as it fits the theme obviously !.

I have made a 3D creation using one of my digis called 'Deamon' (available in my Shop),
Raven from the QTR Set and a Bat from the 'Little Bit Batty Set', both by SMEARED INK. The Raven was printed 4 times and then 'fussy cut' and layered up with foam pads to make him 3D. I call this piece 'Hell Cave'.

Click on pic to enlarge... if you dare !!!

So now - if you are craving for a bit more of the Dark Side .... don't forget you can visit these AWESOME places....

SMUDGY ANTICS (related to Smeared Ink)

HAUNTED DESIGN HOUSE

QUOTH THE RAVEN

SPOOKY & SCARY (new site)

Oh yeah - I might be back later to show you another couple of schmaltzy cards I yet have waiting to go up  hee hee :-D xxx

Challenges I am entering:

Spooky & Scary Challenge #1 - Skulls

FUR & FEATHERS CHALLENGE - FEBRUARY

Hello Peeps,
I have made these cards for the FUR & FEATHERS  February Challenge over at Your Paper Pantry. This time we were to make 3 cards with Animals on plus a charm.
I have received mine in the Swap, so I guess I can now finally publish this !!! :-D 

For my first card I used a digi kit by Dutji Designs at the Digital Scrap Cafe (closed down now it seems). I printed out the digi monkey and then cut round his head before I folded the card over. He is on co-ordinating DPs and I overlayed some leaf digis. The back is decorated too.  I printed him again and flipped him and stuck one on the back so he's head is not just white behind. I made the charm using a thing that Hubs got which was attached to a lighter. It was a charm with an emblem of a Greek football team on it. I peeled that off and stuck a tiny monkey on both sides and sealed it with Glossy Accents.
I made a matching, lined envelope too.

Card 2 was made using a digi stamp from BIRDIE BROWN . This one is called "Dreamin'". I flipped the image and then did 'paper piecing'  with different DPs from Scrapmall by Catia Cunha 'Pink & Brown' kit. Background paper and envelope liner are also from this kit. I stitched the backing card to my base card, and then matted my main image on the top. I added a sentiment and raised it on sticky pads. Then I made a stick pin with a Butterfly Charm attached and stuck this behind a faux button.

Card 3 used different techniques. This one has a material background sewn onto the main cardstock. The kitty is from  Treasure Box Designs and I printed him out 6 times and fussy cut him to make a decoupage 3D kitty :-) Then I made my own 'wobble' thingy and attached his head onto the top. (That's why his head looks a bit off-centre on the photo...... it's not my bad sticking - honestly !!!)  The wobbler works really well when you flick it...... kinda' makes me feel queasy coz his eyes sort of stay where they are and the rest jiggles LoL !!!

For this one I attached a 'Hello Kitty' charm to some red ribbon that I tied round his neck before sticking him onto the base card.  I made matching, lined envelopes for all 3 cards. 

Well - there you have it folks. I enjoyed doing these and let's hope the Donkey Mail got them to the US safely :-) xxxx

DROP DEAD GORGEOUS

Hey - creepy me is back !!!! :-D
This is a piece I did for HDH162 Macabre Monday over at HAUNTED DESIGN HOUSE. The Theme is 'Drop Dead Gorgeous' and this is now Week 2 of the Challenge.

The main image is one of my Digis exclusive to SMEARED INK and she's called "Madame Death - The Soul Collector". I have set her against a backdrop by Tempus Fugit at the Digital Scrap Cafe.

Click on Pic to enlarge.... if you dare !!!

I don't often get round to colouring up my own digis, but I certainly had fun with this girl :-D I had to colour up her hair this morning, and I couldn't decide what colour to go for until I went over to Lisa's Blog.... DECOSSE's DYNAMITE DOODLES, where she had put up a picture inspiration. Well - it certainly inspired me with the hair :-D Thanks Lisa x

Challenges I am entering:

SHADES OF RED

Hello again,
Over at SCRIBBLES DESIGNS CHALLENGES, the theme this time is 'SHADES OF RED'. The other day I won some images from Scribbles by Sandy and I really love her 'Mr Woolly' images so I got two more......... "Chorus Line" and "Mr Wool Smiley".
Now when I was looking at Chorus Line this afternoon, I was hit by a really silly idea that I just had to run with....... they made me think of the Folies Bergere. Whilst preparing all my pieces for a card, I started looking for a Windmill but couldn't find anything on the Folies site. So, I says to Hubs "Why can't I find a picture of the Windmill for the Folies Bergere ?"......... "Coz it's at the Moulin Rouge", says He.... "Oh, bum" says I.... "Never mind then". Hubs asked me what I wanted it for and I showed him the Sheep. He looks at me like I was mad and went off for a shower.
A while later he comes in.... "This woman running the Challenge, - will she have a smattering of Schoolgirl French ??!!!"
 "Don't know" says I ... "Maybe. Why do you ask ?!!" 
 "I just had a brainwave", He says..... "Will she know what the French word for sheep is..... coz it's 'Mouton'.... you know.... Mouton Rouge..... hahahahahaha ....... Get it ?.... It's a play on words...!!!!" 
 "OMG - Genius", says I and off I went to get another sheep.

So......... after all my ramblings... I give you....................

THE FOLIES BAaaaa-GERE...............

"Chorus Line" was printed 4 times and then I fussy cut the sheep so that the line sat on top of the one below - less one sheep - up to the end..... if you catch my drift ?!!  Then I added some feathers and made a Folies banner. This is a step card.

And next......... "Le Moulin MOUTON ROUGE"  hahahahahaha !! LOL

Challenges I am entering:

Scribbles Designs Challenge #2 - Shades of Red  TOP 3 WINNER

Snippets Playground Week 10 - I used up my bits on Mouton Rouge :-)  WINNER

STEAMPUNK 2

Happy Sunday,
This is my 2nd entry into the new Steampunk Challenge site.... SANDEE & AMELIE's STEAMPUNK CHALLENGES. 

There are 2 sections on this Challenge.... a part for 3D and altered objects and the other for cards etc. I already entered a 3D clock and now I have made a card. The theme this time is 'Cuckoo Clocks Go Steampunk'.

I have used one of my own Digis - "Sexy Steampunk" (available in My SHOP)for the main image and elements from the Steampunk Kit from Scrappers Emporium.

Challenges I am entering:

SanDee & Amelie's Steampunk Challenges   #1 - Cuckoo Clocks Go Steampunk

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR FREEBIE FRIDAY 10 - WORLD TOUR SERIES... SWITZERLAND