Just a quick post . . .

. . .to remind you all that this is the last day you can enter the wonderful challenge over at Simply Betty Stamps, so win a whole set of rubber or clear stamps. My entries don't count, as I can only use digis, so I'm just playing along for fun, which means that SEVERAL of the categories don't have any real entrants yet! So get your mojo working and create something quick!


This first one uses Prezzies for Lola from the Christmas Emo line at Simply Betty, and everything else was created by me.
These are the challenges I'd like to enter:
A Gem of a Challenge - sketch
Simply Betty Stamps - use your favourite Emo image from any line
I Did It Creations - Christmas
Whoopsi Daisy - Christmas
ABC Christmas Challenge - M is for Monochrome
For Fun Challenges - Christmas
Winter Wonderland Challenge - pretty in pink
Crafty Ann's Challenge - Christmas in June
Do It With Digis - monochrome



And this second card uses one image by Simply Betty and one by Bugaboo. I made this one for the following challenges:
Smeared & Smudged - June sketch
Simply Betty - favourite Zombie Emo image
Oh, The Horror! - be inspired by the film "Children shouldn't play with dead things"

Want to win some non-digi stamps?

Of course you do, because everyone except me can actually use them :P This is a basic plug, because some of the categories don't have any entrants yet, and you really don't want to miss out. To see the details of how you can win, you need to get over to the Simply Betty blog, as they have a great challenge that ends soon with LOTS of clear and rubber stamps as prizes. I'm so grateful that Betty allowed us to purchase these images as digis before making them exclusively rubber or clear, because otherwise I wouldn't be able to use them. THANKS BETTY! :D
Anyhoo, on to the card. This uses Valentine Lola from the Valentine Emo collection at Simply Betty Stamps, papers from the Skullentine set at Crafty Chaos Designs, and the wonderful sentiment is from Graphicat Designs.



These are the challenges I'd like to enter:
What If? Wednesday - sketch
Creative Inspirations - stitching
Simply Create - wings
Our Creative Corner - show your own style. My last card wasn't even remotely funny, and I do like to amuse myself, so this shows that much better.
Simply Betty - just for fun, Lola is definitely my favourite Valentine Emo
Digis with Attitude! - anything goes
Sassy Studio Thursday - black, bright pink and pale pink

Have a fab day!

I can't believe it's so close to the end of the month! This one uses Back to School Rio by Simply Betty Stamps, and Time for Tea papers by Crafty Chaos Designs.


This one uses Back to School Rio by Simply Betty Stamps, and Time for Tea papers by Crafty Chaos Designs.
Here are the challenges I made it for:
Sweet Sunday Sketches - sketch 123
Simply Betty Challenges - use a favourite Emo image. You should really go and look at this challenge for wonderful prizes, as it ends soon and some of the categories don't have any entries! I'm just entering for fun because I'm really truly dreadful at using real stamps, it's digis for me all the way :P
Meljen's Designs - stripes and/or plaid

From the bone pile!

This week's Macabre Monday challenge at the Haunted Design House blog is to make a dark, gothic or Halloween project using only scraps and leftover bits. Now this presents a dilemma when you do digi work because you don't end up with leftover pieces of paper. However much you use, you still have a completely full sheet left. So, I've tried to join in by only using small pieces of paper on my project. Lots of one inch squares and one 2 inch by 6 inch piece. The papers are all by Crafty Chaos Designs and the image is by Simply Betty Stamps.
These are the challenges I'd like to enter:
The Pixie Cottage - sketch and/or Outdoor Fun
Do It With Digis - monochromatic
Simply Betty Stamps - use your favourite Emo image from any category. Wow, it's been tough, but I finally decided that my favourite Halloween Emo image is this Devil Rio (lots of my favourites are Rios, so you may see some more soon)
Making Halloween Cards - use tags and/or a tall card base
Crafty Sentiments - monochromatic
Meljen's Designs - stripes and/or plaid
And, last but by no means least, two challenges that want to see embossing. I played about with a digi technique that gives the same effect and (hopefully) made her trident stand out by colouring it silver and then making it look slightly 3D. Not sure if this will count or not.
The Secret Crafter - embossing
Bling It On - embossing

It's all about water!

This week at Corrosive the challenge is titled "Slippery When Wet" and we want to see things that have to do with water. It can be rain, pools, fish, baths, whatever watery theme you are inspired to create. This is the last week to enter to be in with a chance of winning some fab digis from our sponsors, Paper Pretties and StampInsanity. My card today uses an image by StampInsanity, which I altered slightly to make her a mermaid. Basically I gave her a fish tail, which came from a Disney colouring page image. I've wanted to turn this image into a mermaid for a little while, but I never got around to it before now, and I'm really quite pleased with the result.The sentiment is also from StampInsanity, and the papers are from Crafty Chaos Designs.



These are the challenges I'd like to enter:
Simon Says Stamp Challenge - sketch
Everybody Art - anything goes
Crafty Sentiments - monochrome
Rainbow Lady - use a digi image
Do It With Digis - monochromatic
Crafty Creations - let it shine (glitter, metal and gems)
Scrapbooking Sisters Card Challenge - anything goes
Our Creative Corner - your style. Where to start with how this reflects my style? It's dark, but also (I hope) pretty. I love to use things that are both cute and a little bit creepy, hence leaving in the vampire fangs. I like using things that have unique sentiments, rather than a generic "Happy Birthday". I love everything digital, and creating my own embellishments to perfectly match my project (I created the seahorses on this piece).
Stampin' For The Weekend - my favourite things. This image is one I keep going back to, I just love her. She's originally a Halloween image, but I've used her for all sorts of other things.
Crafty Catz - add a charm
Totally Papercrafts - spots (behind the image) and stripes (horizontal paper slice)
Sweet Stampin' Challenges - something old (papers and image) and something new (seahorses and mermaid tail)

Try not to be difficult . . .

Here's what I've been working on, using an image (Everyday Princess) by Tiddly Inks and papers (Just As You Found Me) and sentiment (Darling Diva) by Crafty Chaos Designs. These are the challenges I made it for:
Cupcake Craft Challenges - sketch
Tiddly Inks - sweet and sarcastic
Creative Belli - the letter G I went for Glitter and Gems
Crafty Creations - let it shine
For Fun Challenges - 2 ribbons, 2 colours, 1 image, 1 sentiment
A Spoo Full of Sugar - ribbons and bows
The Three Muses - whimsical, quirky, humorous
Crafts 4 Eternity - the letter R (ribbon in my case)
Stamp Something - pretty papers
Rainbow Lady - digi day

A new look for Alice!

Here's what I did today using a Kenny K image, for the following challenges:
Graphicat Challenges - June sketch
The Burtonesque Dolls - put me in a Burton movie
Kenny K's Krafty Girlz - use checks

Menacing Mermaids

Today's Macabre Monday challenge at the Haunted Design House blog is Menacing Mermaids, and we want to see the darker side of those underwater creatures. Barb put it wonderfully: "Let's see those terrifying temptresses from the formidable & foul fathoms!" I used Barbara Jensen's Little Mermaid image, which you can buy as a digi stamp HERE or as a tube HERE. I've used the tube here, so the wonderful colouring is NOT my own, it was already done.
Here are the challenges I'd like to enter:
The Deconstructed Sketch - sketch 6
A Spoon Full of Sugar - splish splash
Pile It On - show some metal
Craft Your Days away - monchrome
Cute Card Thursday - use birthstone colours. This time I've used blue topaz
Take A Word - fantasy
Totally Stampalicious - something old and something new. My old items are the chains, and the new items are the brick paper (made for this piece) and a technique to display transparent glass on a digital piece, which I'm really pleased with :)
Simon Says Stamp and Show - metal
Magical Monday at There's Magic in the Air - photo inspiration. I chose to focus on the beautiful colours and the glass.
My Grafico Challenges - anything goes

Secret Smile

It's Sunday, and that means it's time for a new challenge over at the Corrosive Challenge blog, woohoo! This week we'd like you to use ribbons and bows while crafting, and the rest of the DT have done a wonderful job, you should really go check out their work. I've used an image from the Devil Dolls set by StampInsanity and the papers are from the Kiss of A Witch set by Crafty Chaos Designs.
Here are the challenges I'd like to enter:
Sweet Sketch Wednesday - sketch 106
Cards and More - white or cream and one other colour
Craft Your Passion - magical
Stamp Something - pretty papers
Fresh Brewed Designs - put a song in your heart
Moving Along with the Times - inspired by a song and give your creation a song title.
For both of the above, I was inspired by the song Secret Smile by Semisonic, especially the lines
"When you are flying around and around the world
And I'm lying alonely
I know there's something sacred and free reserved
And received by me only"
Simon Says Stamp - let's play BINGO. My three requirements are lace, eyelets and ribbon
Stamps R Us - 1 image, 2 patterned papers and three embellishments
Do It With Digis - animals
Sweet Stampin' Challenge - things with wings
Simply Create - fly with us
Challenge Up Your Life - circles
One Stitch At A Time - things with wings

A new Halloween card challenge blog!

I just found out about a new challenge blog specifically for Halloween cards! Whoot! Whoot! I think I'm just sneaking in by the skin of my teeth, as the current challenge was close to ending when I saw it, so this was a card done in a bit of a rush. The fab Mummy image is by Tellen's Place and the bg paper is from the Gothic Bruise collection at Crafty Chaos Designs.
Here are the challenges I'd like to enter:
Making Halloween Cards - use a mummy or paper quilling
Tellen's Place Designs - use any Tellen's Place image (and there's even a freebie provided if you don't have one!)
Mojo Monday - sketch 195
Cards for Men - black and blue
Delightful Sketches - anything goes
Dutch Dare Card Challenge - for the boys
Terrifically Thrilling Thursday - for a boy or a man
The Secret Crafter - male card
Crazy 4 Challenges - masculine

Halloween is on its way!

Here are the challenges I'd like to enter:
Sketchy Colours - sketch 75
Simply Betty Stamps - Halloween
Scrappy Frogs - red
My Time To Craft - more than one image
Just Add Ink - just add colouring in
Cute Card Thursday - birthstone colours (I chose ruby this time)
Delightful Sketches - anything goes
Top Tip Tuesday - open week
Southern Girls - anything goes

I made this today, using two images by Simply Betty Stamps and a sentiment from StampInsanity.

Yup, another CAS card :P

I really think I may be starting to get the hang of this CAS lark, it's a style that I always used to avoid like the plague but I'm finding myself more and more drawn to it recently, probably after seeing lots of beautifully clean and simple cards on other people's blogs. Here's one I did today, using an image and frame by Tiddly Inks (image is Poppy, and the frame is from a set called Poppy Accents. So, yes, my first thought was to use red but then I saw a challenge to use only pink black and white and that led me off in another direction :P)
Here are the challenges I'd like to enter:
Clean and Simple Sunday - sketch 15
Paper Pretties - single layer cards
Tiddly Inks - Simplify with a one-layer card
Crazy Amigos - pink
Whoopsie Daisy - anything goes
Paper Cutz - pink, black and white
Less Is More - one layer plus a frame. I'm so sorry ladies, I've now made a note of the maximum number of combined challenges you allow, I'll try to do better next time!
Totally Gorjuss - flowers
Paper Sundaes - girly girl
Order of the Opus Gluei - girl things (pink, flowers, cleanliness and Thank You cards generally make me think of girls. Not any that I actually know but as a general rule :P)

Fangtastic birthday

This week at StampInsanity we'd like you to make a Clean & Simple card or project. I've used Lilith from the Devil Dolls set (I loooove this image) and the sentiment is from the Halloween Henry set, both available at StampInsanity.
Here are the challenges I'd like to enter:
Mojo Monday - sketch 195
Birthday Sundaes - embossed birthday card
Top Tip Tuesday - open theme
Clear It Out - paper piecing
Craft Your Passion - magical (do vampires count as magical?)
Craft Your Days Away - monochrome
Sweet Stamps - embossing
Cute Card Thursday - use birthstone colours. I've gone for pink tourmaline and deep red garnet.
Bling It On - embossing

Happily ever after . . .

It's time for a new challenge at the Creative Card Crew blog, and this week we want to see your projects that use ribbons and brads. I've used an image by Tiddly Inks, and papers by Crafty Chaos Designs. And there's also just a little more time to put your name down for the fab Tiddly Inks blog candy that Christy is giving away. You don't need to do anything other than put your name down, there are a couple of wonderful freebies available and THE MORE PEOPLE THAT ENTER, THE MORE FREEBIES WE GET! Click HERE or on the badge in my sidebar to be taken straight to the post where you can enter the candy and pick up your freebies :)



These are the challenges I'd like to enter:
Deconstructing Jen - sketch
Totally Stampalicious - anything goes
Craft Your Days Away - monochrome
Your Next Stamp - shaped cards
Crazy Challenges - monochrome
The Pixie Cottage - sketch and/or shaped cards
Inspiration Avenue - romance
Pattie's Creations - wedding or Father's Day
Clear It Out Tuesday - paper piecing (I paper-pieced her dress, and my "old" stash is the stamp, which I think may have been my first ever Tiddly Inks image)
Tuesday Throwdown - pick any 3 past challenges (I went for Monochrome, Paper Piecing and Brads or Eyelets)
Top Tip Tuesday - anything goes

Kuriously Korroded with Kenny K

It's Monday, which means that it's time for a new Macabre Monday challenge at the Haunted Design House blog. Hurrah, huzzah and hellish hullabaloo! This week we want to see your work that is Ripped, smudged, torn, sanded, acid-eaten, burned, mangled or generally distressed in whatever way you see fit. And remember it needs to be at least a little bit dark or edgy, we don't want sweet pretty cards :P We're sponsored this week by Kenny K, and I've used two of his images in my card, Devastatia and Vikki Lee Vicious, both from the wonderful Gothik Angelz line.
Here are the challenges I'd like to enter:
Card Patterns - sketch
Kenny K Krafty Girlz - my favourite colour. I couldn't decide, so I went for two of my favourite colours, teal and a shade which I think is deep pink but other people keep saying is purple. Whichever way you see it, I love it!
Pile It On - wonky or non-straight angles
Crafty Ann's Challenge - more than one image
Terrifically Thrilling Thursday - anything goes
Theme Thursday - lots of colour
Everybody Art - distressing
Simon Says Stamp and Show - distressed or torn edges
Totally Stampalicious - anything goes
Papertake Weekly - anything goes
Bearly Mine - anything goes
The Poodle's Parlour - anything goes
Inspire Me Fridays - anything goes
Clearly I Stamp - anything goes
AI Factory - use something new. Devastatia is a new stamp for me, and I also created all the distressed metal embellishments for this card, so I guess they're all new as well.

Did someone say "Walkies"?

It's time for a sketch challenge over at Corrosive Challenges this week, and the DT ave some wonderful samples for you using images from both of our sponsors this month, StampInsanity and Paper Pretties. I've used an image by Paper Pretties this week for my "just beacuse" card, and papers from Crafty Chaos Designs.

These are the challenges I'd like to enter:
Stamps R Us - pets
Cupcake Craft Challenges - things with tails
Tuesday Throwdown - animals
Digital Tuesday - in the garden or outdoors
Magical Monday - masculine
Crazy 4 Challenges - masculine
The Secret Crafter - male card
Little Claire's Challenges - for a man
Fussy and Fancy - man cards
Mami Doodles - card for a boy or a man
Craft Us Crazy - Father's Day or masculine colours
Do It With Digis - animals
The Crafty Pad - Just because

Number One Dad!

We have another fab new challenge for you over at StampInsanity this week, and we'd like to see your Father's Day or masculine projects. I used an image from the StampInsanity Zeke and Maddie set, and papers from the Boystown set at Crafty Chaos Designs.
These are the challenges I'd like to enter:
Create 4 Fun - sketch
The Crafty Pad - stripes
Sparkles Forum - Father's Day
Paper Cupcakes Magical Monday - masculine
Lexi's Creations - Father's Day or male cards
Crazy Challenge - Father's Day
Bows and Berries - masculine
Delightful Challenges - Father's Day
Some Odd Girl - manly
Paperplay Challenges - Father's Day / manly
C.R.A.F.T. - Father's Day
Craft Us Crazy - Father's Day / masculine colours
Little Miss Muffet - numbers
Amber's Crafts and Stuff - special man
Fresh Brewed Designs - for the guys
Sisterhood of Crafters - celebrating Dad or the man in your life
Creative Inspirations - Father's Day or card for Dad
Simply Create - all about Dad
The Stamp Man - boys and men
Pattie's Creations - weddings or Father's Day
Alphabet Challenges - F is for Father's Day
Fussy and Fancy - male cards
Delicious Doodles - Father's Day
Wags n Whiskers - one for the boys
Sew Many Challenges - Father's Day

Anti-social? Me????

This makes me smile, and I know a friend that it will be perfect for as she's having a bit of a hard time at the moment, so this will bring a smile to her face :) The main image is Batty by Tiddly Inks, and the paint drips across the top and the music across the bottom are both by Tiddly Inks as well, but I think they were both freebies and may not be available any more. There are however, always freebies available in the TI shop, click HERE to see the current selection. And Christy also has some fab candy available, and the more people who enter, the more prizes there are! Click HERE or on the banner in my sidebar to learn more and enter for your chance to win.

Here are the challenges I'd like to enter:
Creative Sketches - sketch
Tiddly Inks Tuesday - create a fun dark card
Stamps R Us - pets
Stamps & Fun = Creativity - friends
Craft Your Passion - anything goes
Charisma Cardz - something that flies
My Time to Craft - wildlife (I wasn't sure about this one, would a bat still count as wildlife if it's a pet?)
Stamp Something - digi

Pleasure and Pain!

If you're looking for my Skull Appreciation Day blog hop post, click HERE

Our new Macabre Monday challenge at the Haunted Design House blog is "Pleasure and Pain" In other words, we want you to incorporate something you love and something you hate into your project this week.



The image is by The Octopode Factory, and the quote is of course by Queenie in Blackadder.
My "pleasures" in this piece are: working digitally; Octopode images; generating my own sentiments; having the image bursting out of the frame. My "pain" is white space. Yup, lots of pleasure and just a little bit of pain in mine, because that's so much more fun than the other way around :P I've just recently become more comfortable with clean and simple designs, but I ALWAYS use a background colour instead of leaving it white. White just feels wrong to me. I still want to flood this piece with a dark bg, but if I start to subvert challenge pieces then Barb will introduce me to a whole LOT of pain :P
Here are the challenges I'd like to enter:
Clean and Simple Sunday - sketch
Sketchy Colours - red green and white
Paper Sundaes - let's get sentimental
Crafty Emma's Store Challenge - clean and simple
I Did It Creations - hats (does a crown count?)
Fab n Funky - anything goes

Did someone say Summer?

If you're looking for my Skull Appreciation Day blog hop post, click HERE

We have a fun new challenge for you over at the Corrosive Challenge blog, and also TWO fab new sponsors to tell you about! This month both Paper Pretties AND StampInsanity are sponsoring our challenge, which means that two entrants will win prizes! :D And our challenge this week is simply to use summery colours. I went for a simple but very bright creation this week, I hope you have your sunglasses to hand :P




These are the challenges I'd like to enter:
The Pixie Cottage - sketch
Moving Along with the Times - no desiner papers
Sassy Studio Designs - no patterned paper
Do You Stack Up - orange
Sisterhood of Crafters - buttons
Crafty Creations - pink and orange
Divas by Design - floral
A Spoon Full of Sugar - flower power
Stamp with Fun - in the garden
Stamps & Fun = Creativity - swirls
Creatalicious - flourishes
By The Cute & Girly - in the garden
Crafters Companion - Here comes Summer

GDT at Bugaboo!

If you're looking for my Skull Appreciation Day blog hop post, click HERE

I was delighted to be named Bugaboo's Biggest Fan for June, and it also means that I get to be GDT for one of their challenges! Take that, Kate Middleton, you may be near the top of Most Talked About and Most Attractive lists, but you didn't get your own write-up at Bugaboo, did you? It's all about the choices you make, young lady! *nods smugly* :P



The theme this week is Anything Goes, so get your creative projects entered for a chance to win some of Bugaboo's wonderful digis. I used the image and sentiment from Skelekinz Boys Miss You and papers from the Admiring the Lovelorn set at Crafty Chaos Designs.
These are the challenges I'd like to enter:
Sketch and Stash Challenge - sketch 62, and the string is my neglected stash
Crafty Hos - twine
Stamptacular Sunday Challenge - bugs or boys
Lexi's Creations - Father's Day or male
Aud sentiments - male
Some Odd Girl - dude
Do It With Digis - it's all about the boys
Freshly Brewed Designs - it's a guy thing
Designer's Choice Challenge at The House That Stamps Built - stitching
Simon Says Stamp - masculine
Scrapbook Sister's Card Challenge - a man's world
Fussy and Fancy - man or boy
Stamp Something - use something digital

Skull Appreciation Day!

Woohoo! The day is finally here, and the growing number of us who love to use skulls in our creations are celebrating loud and proud! The wonderful Skull-A-Day have decided to try and make June 4th Skull Appreciation Day, and in honour of this, the Smeared and Smudged Team are hosting a skull-centric blog hop. As well as lots of projects featuring skulls, there are, of course, prizes, oodles of prizes, including rubber stamps, digi stamps, grab bags, jewellery, gift vouchers, keychains and more! Head on over to THE START OF THE HOP to find out details, including the full list of participants and what you need to do to win. If you've come here from the fabulous project at Creepy Glowbugg's blog, then you're on the right track, kudos to you!



My piece uses Smittie Grumpie from Smeared Ink, and the frame is one I made using Flying Skull, also by Smeared Ink. The main skull image is one that I'll be releasing in a paper pack soon, I love this image but I keep changing my mind about what to do with it . . . Have it really large in the centre of the paper (which looks fabulous but isn't entirely suitable for card makers) or make it small and have it repeating (which is probably better for cards but then you don't get to see all the glorious details). So I'd like your help - what would you do? Once the hop is finished, I'll use Random.org to pick a comment to win the set I design (remember it isn't made yet) and I'll ALSO give away the set to one person who gives me their opinion on what to do with the image, and/or what to call the set, and/or what colours to use. It's almost like designing yor own papers, but I'll do all the work for you :P

Your next stop on the hop is Andrea, who will have something very much out-of the-norm to show you, she's a creative genius, that one!

Thanks for hopping, and remember to appreciate your skull today; without it, your face wouldn't work :P

It's the last thing I want . . .

Here's a card I did today using one of the digis from the wonderful new Stitchy Situation set at Smeared Ink. Here are the challenges I'd like to enter:
Tuesday Morning Sketches - sketch
Stamps and Fun = Creativity = swirls
Guylou's Inimitability - monochrome
Stamp Something - digi

Perfectly good!

Here's what I did today, image is Alice Chains by Kenny K. I made it for the following challenges:
Smeared & Smudged Rock n Rolla - be inspired by the Rihanna S&M video. I used the scenes where she's in white/pale pink with a blue bg, and the sentiment is from the song chorus.
Sketchy Colors - sketch
Lollipop Crafts - inspired by song (Rihanna S&M)
Fab n Funky - anything goes
Sweet Stampin' - Ooh la la