Memorial to a beloved monster

Today's Macabre Monday challenge over at the Haunted Design House is "My Beloved Monster", so we want to see monsters of any size or shape, but there should be an affectionate note in your art somewhere. Never fear, we're not going soft on you, we just thought it would be fun to pay homage to those creatures that may look scary but that hold a special place in our hearts. Yeak ok, it wasn't anything as deep as that, I just like the Eels song and thought it would make a cool challenge :P
The wonderful wonderful monster skull trophy I used in my piece comes from Mystic Morning at DeviantArt, isn't it glorious? Papers are by Crafty Chaos Designs.
Here are the challenges I'd like to enter:
Friday Sketchers - sketch #143
Fairy Fun Fridays - inspired by song (My Beloved Monster by The Eels)
Creative Card Crew - fantasy
Fussy and Fancy - embossing and/or paper piecing. Just embossing for me on this one

Show your shabby with pride!

This week the challenge over at Corrosive Challenges is "distressing", so whatever type you decide to use, we want to see some distressed aspects to your finished project. My piece uses a digi by Simply Betty Stamps, Steampunk Annie, and a paper I created specifically for this project.
These are the challenges I'd like to enter:
Rainbow Lady - Shabby Chic
Do You Stack Up - anything goes
The Pixie Cottage - followed the sketch
Diva Coffee Break Designs - light pink, rose pink, espresso
Anything Goes - distressing
Ooh La La Creations - lots of pink
Stamps R Us - for the girls
Stampin' B's - use a flower

Button frame!

We have another fun and easy challenge for you over at Tellen's Place Designs; this week we want to see buttons. I decided to make a frame out of different types of buttons, and I used Hunchgore from Tellen's Place and Mint Choc Chip Muddle papers from Crafty Chaos Designs.
These are the challenges I'd like to enter:
Sweet Sunday Sketches - followed sketch 105
Anything Goes - distressing
Riley and Co - brown + one other colour
Craft Your Passion - male project
Creative Stamp Friends - checked
365 Cards - day 362, make an embellishment using button(s)
Easy Craft Projects - something for the boys
Crafty Catz - friendship
ResQ challenge - boxes or box shapes (I'm including the six squares of ripped bp)
Sugar Creek Hollow - buttons and bows (some of the buttons have bows tied on them)
Totally Gorjuss - checks
Creative Inspirations - distressing
Desert Island Crafters - The three items I used this time are buttons, the word "friend" and no flowers

Glitter glitter everywhere!

We have a new challenge for you today at StampInsanity, we want you to be inspired by this photo:

So I stuck glitter everywhere - her wings, her armbands, the tops of her boots, the image corners, the matting layers, the ribbon and the sentiment. The image is Hilda by StampInsanity, and the papers are sentiment are by Crafty Chaos Designs.
Because the glittery bits are a little difficult to see, here's a collage of some of the sparkly bits in close-up.

These are the challenges I'd like to enter:
Critter Challenges - followed the sketch and used ribbon
Desert Island Crafters - the items I used are only one patterned paper, sparkle, red and monochromatic (if you count red and pink as the same colour :P)
Getting Crafty with Ann - birthday card
Crafts and Me - things with wings
Top Tip Tuesday - bling it on
Creative Card Crew - fantasy
A Spoon Full of Sugar - birthday wishes
Stamps R Us - for the girls
I Did It Creations - anything goes
The Crafty Pad - red pink and black
Digi Stamps 4 Joy - card using a sentiment
Do You Stack Up - anything goes
Card Makin' Mamas - birthdays
Delicious Doodles - glitz glam shimmer and bling
Stamp It Crazy - anything goes
Totally Papercrafts - do it with a digi
If the Shoe Fits - happy birthday

Calling Dr Strange!

It's Monday, woohoo, which means that it's time for another Macabre Monday challenge over at the Haunted Design House. This week we want to see your interpretation of Dr Death, or any suitably gruesome medical piece. I used a jpeg caricature of Dr Speculo, found on E-gor's Chamber of TV Horror Hosts. Papers are from the Wild at Heart set at Crafty Chaos Designs. And see those little tablet brads? I searched all over and couldn't find any so I made these myself, yay me :P
These are the challenges I followed whle creating:
Crafty Hos - followed the sketch
Stamp It Crazy - anything goes
Theme Thursday - crazy
Simon Says Stamp - make your own embellishments
Fab and Funky Challenges - make your own embellishments
Cards for Men - 1 image, 2 dps, 3 embellishments
Paper Sundaes - masculine colours

Mythical magical fantasy creatures

We have a fun challenge for you today over at the Corrosive Challenge blog; we'd like you to feature a fantasy/magical creature in your work. I decided to make a 4x4. The cookies are by Heartbeat Creations, the wings are by Otlaw by Design, the plants are by Juicy Scraps and the papers are by KJoi.
These are the challenges I'd like to enter:
The Pixie Cottage - followed the sketch
Stamp It Crazy - free for all
4x4 Friday - tiny fairy
Delicious Doodles - Glitz, Glam, Shimmer and Bling
Crafty Purple Frog - a touch of magic
Dutch Dare - sparkle glitter bling
Cute Card Thursday - shiny happy cards
Trimmie's Crafts - not a card
Crafts and Me - things with wings
Spoon Full of Sugar - anything but a card
Papertake Weekly - putting on the glitz
Totally Stampalicious - use some bling, or glitter or glitz
Digis by Phooka - bling it on
Sparkles Forum Challenges - fairies
Desert Island Crafters - these are the items I chose to use: swirls, sparkles and no flowers.

Birthdays with Tellen's Place!

It's Friday again, which means we have a new challenge for you over at the Tellen's Place Designs blog, and this week it's all about birthdays. I decided to use one of the fun Valentine images, in the original she's holding a paper heart in her hand but I decided to snip out the heart and give her a Happy Birthday banner instead. Terry's put up another fab freebie on the blog today, so pop along and have a look and then come play with us :D
Image is Diva Heart 2 Love, available at Tellen's Place on Etsy, and papers are from the Simple Pleasure set available at Crafty Chaos Designs.
Thanks for looking, here are the challenges I'd like to enter:
Sketch Saturday - sketch 142
Karber Weekly Challenge - digi stamp + birthdays
Meljen's Designs - birthdays
For Fun Challenges - birthdays
Colour Create - chocolate strawberry and cream
Totally Papercrafts - do it with a digi
If the Shoe Fits - birthdays
Card Making Mamas - birthdays

Only when the clock stops

I haven't felt much like crafting recently, but this afternoon I realised that if I didn't pull my finger out, I was going to miss a challenge that I wanted to enter, and that's been happening too often lately. So, I settled myself down with a few challenges and realised that I quite felt like making a vintage piece, so this is what I came up with. Papers are from Arsenic and Old Lace by Crafty Chaos Designs, and the quote is by William Faulkner.
Here are the challenges:
Just for Fun - time + wings
Order of the Opus Gluei - sketch
ABC Challenge - O is for Old-fashioned
Stampavie and More - monochrome
Challenge Up Your Life - monochrome

Valentine backlash

Ok, I admit it, I've had enough of love and hearts and pink, so I'm delighted to tell you that today's Macabre Monday challenge at the Haunted Design House is the perfect excuse to let off a little steam. The challenge is called Love Bites.

We know there are dozens and dozens of challenge blogs out there that are challenging you to create loved-up sweet pink goo, and we want you to give your dark side a chance to bite back! Forbidden love, twisted desires, passionate revenge. Let your inner demon out and bludgeon that smug little cherub to death with his own arrows :P

We're sponsored this week by Strange Skin, and I've used two of their images in my creation, Bride of Frankenstein and Heart Throb. Backing paper is from the new Wild at Heart set from Crafty Chaos Designs.
Did you think I wouldn't be able to fit many challenges with this anti-Valentine creation? Well, think again, because there is, after all, a heart featured :P I'm fully aware that this will NOT be what most of you had in mind when setting the challenges, but it is at least different, right? So, with that said, these are the challenges I'd like to enter:
Paper Minutes - followed the sketch
Lollipop Crafts - your favourite coluring medium, It's digital for me, I can't get over how much more fun crafting has become for me since I started olouring on my pc.
Whoopsi Daisy - free and easy
Crafty Cardmakers - hearts
The Crafty Pad - hearts
Do You Stack Up - ribbon
Craft Us Crazy - anything goes
2 Sisters Challenge - hearts
Crazy 4 Challenges - hearts
The Stamp Man - hearts
Penny's Challenges - hearts
Stampin' Royalty - hearts
For Fun - hearts
Cards and More - hearts
Papertake Weekly - hearts

Phew, now I've got that out of my system I can look forward to half-price chocolate tomorrow :P

You make my heart sing!

It's Sunday again, and that means it's time for another challenge over at the Corrosive Challenges blog. This week we have a sketch for you to follow, and we're also having a DT call, so if you fancy joining in with a wonderful stress-free team, check out the blog for the details and enter the challenge to be in with a chance.



This cute image is a rubber stamp called Turntable Josh by our sponsors for the month, Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps
Here are the challenges I'd like to enter:
For the ribbon challenges, I ought to pont out that as well as the stripy ribbon down the sides, my flowers are made from buttons placed on top of lots of short pieces of folded ribbon, fanned out to imitate petals.
Do You Stack Up - ribbon
The Pixie Cottage - ribbon
Tuesday Throwdown - buttons
Challenge Up Your Life - monochrome
My Partner in Crafting Crime - express love without using red or pink
Creative Card Crew - for a loved one
Ooh La La Creations - for someone special

Live out loud!

It's time for another challenge at Tellen's Place, and this week we want to see stripes on your project. That's it, easy peasy, so why not play along? I used the fabulous Zhenix digi by Tellen's Place Designs, and the stripy bg paper is from Crafty Chaos Designs.
These are the challenges I'd like to enter:
Mojo Monday - sketch 177
Quirky Crafts - spots stripes and embossing
One Stitch At A Time - use something digi
365 Cards - Day 345 Feeling like a rock star
Pear Tree Designs - free for all
Simon Says Stamp and Show - embossing
Crafty Creations - use three words

Just for you!

We have a fabulous sketch challenge for you this week at StampInsanity, and the Groovy DT Gurlz have done wonders, you should really go check them out. For my card I used Valentine's Day Maddie, who is a freebie released last year and still looking as gorgeous as ever, if you don't have any StampInsanity images, go check out the store and look at the freebie section too :D Papers are from the November Wine set at Crafty Chaos Designs.
Here are the challenges I'd like to enter:
Crafty Creations - use three words
Top Tip Tuesday - use a frame
One Stitch At A Time - do it with a digi
Craft Us Crazy - anything goes
Stamp Something - digi
Fashionista Friday - pink

How do I love thee?

It's time for another Macabre Monday challenge at the Haunted Design House blog, and this week we want to see your creations about flesh-eating horrors. I decided to write a poem, based on hubby and I watching The Walking Dead and him asking me if I'd put a pickaxe through his brain if he turned into a zombie. Yeah, it's all love and romance in our house :P I think I've had a reaction to all the sweet pink love stuff out there recently. It might not be what you first think of when you read the theme "love" but it is a love poem :P The background paper is from the Creature Feature set at Crafty Chaos Designs.
These are the challenges I'd like to enter:
The Pixie Cottage - followed the sketch
One Stitch At A Time - use something digi
Crafty Hos - love
Pear Tree Designs - free for all
Craft Your Passion - anything goes
Incy Wincy Designs - love
Creative Cottage - words of love
Crafty Creations - my love is like a red red rose (Hmmm, not excatly inspired by the poem itself, but by the idea of writing my own love poem)
Cards for Men - love

Hot! Hot! Hot!

It's Sunday, and that means it's time for a new challenge over at the Corrosive Challenges blog, and it's also the first Sunday in the month, which means it's time for a new sponsor. This month we have Sparkle Creations Rubber Stamps as our sponsor and if you play along you have the chance to win TWO of their new release stamps :)
This week we want you to use fiery colours, so lots of red yellow and orange please, and I decided to create a Just Because card that makes me laugh. The image is by Kah-Wink_E-Dink and the papers are from the Glowing Embers set at Crafty Chaos Designs.
These are the challenges I'd like to enter:
Dive Coffee Break Designs - followed the sketch
Totally Stampalicious - just because
Do You Stack Up? - red hot
Cute Card Thursday - humour

Good luck card

Here's a crda I made today. Image is by Vince at Crafty Moments, and paper is by Crafty Chaos Designs, from the End of the Day set. Here are the challenges I'd like to enter:
One Stitch at a Time - luck or photo inspiration
Sketch and Stash - followed sketch 54 and my neglected stash is the image. I have a whole set of these monsters by Vince and I haven't used them in far too long.
Stamp Something - digital
Crafty Catz - tartan or plaid
Karber Weekly Challenge - use something old (the image)
Make It Colourful - blend blue and purple together (on the monster faces, in case it isn't obvious)

Happy Birthday Rio!

I made a card for a very special young lady called Rio, who asked her Mum if she could donate her birthday money to St Jude's Hospital. Please see the full details HERE, and buy the limited edition digi HERE (with money going to St. Jude's) And now you can also see some wonderful photos of Rio receiving her armfuls of cards HERE. Rio I hope you had a FABULOUS day, you deserve it!
These are the challenges I'd like to enter:
Sweet Stampin' Challenge Blog - followed sketch
Creative Card Crew - pink and purple
Paper Playtime - anything goes with a digi
Crazy Challenges - happy birthday
Some Odd Girl - scallops
Paper Play - use a stamp
Craft Us Crazy - anything goes
Alphabet Challenge - N is for Numbers
Stamp Something - use a digi
Drunken Stampers - Birthday Bash
2 Sisters Challenge Blog - girls just wanna have fun
Etsy Inspired Challenge - be inspired by an item from Too Cute Kawaii. I can totally see Rio wearing the following pieces, and I used colour inspiration from them as well: Purple lollipop ring, black and pink lolita lollipop necklace, princess crown zipper friend, black and silver flower bobby pins, pink punk girly skull and crossbones, purple and black lolita deco dens, gothic lolita lollipop ring.

Hearts galore!

We have another easy challenge for yout his week at Tellen's Place Designs - we want to see hearts on your project! And Terry has provided another wonderful freebie for you, this time an adorable cherub holding a big heart. For this challenge, I used the gorgeous "Skull Boy and Girl" image by Tellen's Place, and papers are from the Skullentine set at Crafty Chaos Designs.

Here are the challenges I'd like to enter:
Stamp with Fun - followed the sketch
Craft Your Passion - use bling and red or hearts
Lexi's Creations - Valentine
Digis by Phooka - love is in the air
The Crafty Pad - for the boys
Getting Crafty with Ann - Valentine
Sparkles Forum Challenges - Valentine
The Crafty Purple Frog - Valentine
Penny's Challenge - hearts a flutter
Riley and Co - hearts
Timeless Flourishes - Valentine
Cards for Men - Valentine
Try It On Tuesday - feel the luurrve, sponsored by One Stop Card Crafts
Card Makin' Mamas - Valentine
Stampin' for the Weekend - Valentine
Speedy the Cat's Friends' Challenge - Valentine
Simply Create - give your heart away

Be my non-traditional Valentine!

It's Thursday, and that of course means that it's time for a new challenge over at the StampInsanity blog. It's not officially my week this week but I couldn't resist the theme, so I sneaked in a card with the Ward 2 Gurlz :P
We want to see your non-traditional Valentine creations, which seemed like a perfect excuse to me to use the irrepressible Hilda from the Devil Dolls stamps, plus the background bats are from the Halloween Henry plate, all available at the StampInsanity store :) And don't forget we still have a DT call going on, pop over to the Designers Desired page on the blog to see the details.
Here are the other challenges I'd like to enter:
The ABC Challenge - N is for Nesties (or other shaped mat) + optional sketch
Kaboodle Doodles - monochromatic
Aud Sentiments - corny Valentine sentiments. Puntastic! :D
Charisma Cards - no embellishments

Kiss with a gaze

Here's what I was doing yesterday, but I keep thinking something isn't quite finished, so I've been trying all sorts of bits and bobs on it but nothing seems right. So, I guess it's done :P
Image is Gossmere by Tiddly Inks, papers are from the Friday Living set at Crafty Chaos Designs. Here are the challenges I made it for:
Sweet Sunday Sketches - sketch 102
Tiddly Inks - kissing/kisses