Nearly too late!

But thankfully I remembered in time. This month's Oh, The Horror challenge at Smeared and Smudged is to creat an art piece inspired by the film May. I watched it last week but then forgot about creating anything until tonight. So, this is my creation, using one of the digis from the Stitchy Situation set at Smeared Ink.
These are the challenges I'd like to enter:
Smeared & Smudged Oh, the Horror! - be inspired by May
TechnoStamper Monday Lunchtime Sketches - sketch 193
The Crafty Pad - stitching
Inky Impressions - punches or dies
Scrappekammeret - stitches
Paper Sundaes - anything goes
Shelley's Images Terrifically Thrilling Thursday - Bingo/Tic-Tac-Toe I used a digi, free space and gold scissors AND no patterned paper, free space, and punches
Simon Says Stamp - anything goes
Critter Challenges - anything goes
Forever Night Freaky Friday - anything goes

Freebies at Simply Betty and Smeared Ink!

I have a couple of projects to show you today, and I also want to tell you about two REALLY EASY ways to get FREE DIGISfrom two great companies!


This first piece uses Goth Fairy Honey and It's About Time digis from Smeared Ink. And all you have to do to get a free image is enter any of the monthly challenges over at the Smeared and Smudged Ning Group. I haven't really left you much time to enter this month's challenges, but there will be a different freebie image available next month too. You don't have to be a winner, you just have to enter! How cool is that? The backing paper is from the new Poison Punch set at Crafty Chaos Designs and everything else was either created by me or hiding in my stash.
These are the challenges I'd like to enter:
Smudgy Antics - Zetti I'm not entirely sure that this is "obviously" Zetti-esque, but I really had fun creating and combining everything.
Crafty Boots Challenges - things with wings
Totally Stampalicious - it's got wings
Whoopsie Daisy - make your own embellishments. I made the heart kiss thing, the flower, and the shopping list.
Paper and Such Online - use at least three from the list. My chosen items are deigner paper, ribbon and 1 flower
Clear It Out Tuesday - alter something. I'm not really sure that this will count, but I altered the Goth Fairy stamp by giving her a dalmation head and then added a crown on top too.
Flutterby Wednesdays - use an angel, fairy or butterfly
Cute Card Thursday - animal crackers (does a dog-headed fairy count?)
Speedy the Cat's Friends' Challenges - things with wings
Digi Stamps 4 Joy - anything goes
Simon Says Stamp - anything goes
Critter Sketch Challenge - anything goes
Stamps & Fun = Creativity - anything goes
Crafty Catz - things with wings
Crafts 4 Eternity - anything goes
Fussy and Fancy - use a new technique (merging the dog head on to the fairy body was a bit tricky, but I'm pleased with the way it ended up)
Simply Create - use something older than 6 months. The digi clock, the pair of specs and the glittery skull brad are all over 6months old)



My second creation for today uses two Simply Betty images, both of which I got for free for simply JOINING Simply Betty's PCP group! And once we reach 500 members over there, there will be a super-cute-and-sassy witch available free to all members! So come on, join up, and be the first to see previews, join in the fun chat and pick up the limited-time freebies that Betty releases over there! This creation uses paper from the Poison Candy set at Crafty Chaos Designs.
These are the challenges I had in mind while creating this one:
Tuesday Morning Sketches - sketch #113
The Scrapbooking Queen - Halloween
Paper Creations Ink - buttons or bows
My Partner in Crafting Crime - sweets and treats
KB Cute Monday - Halloween
Ooh La La Creations - punches or dies (my little bats)
Paper Playtime - Halloween
Top Tip Tuesday - use 2 or more ribbons, lace or twine
Crazy 4 Challenges - Halloween
Stampin B's Design Team - Halloween
Moving Along With The Times - Halloween
My Mum's Craft Shop - dress up
Little Darlings Challenges - Fall or Halloween
Art Impressions - Halloween
Sweet Stampin - anything goes
Penny's Challenges - anything goes

New chucklins!

For those of you who don't know, we keep a few backyard chickens and decided to try and incubate some fertile eggs ourselves. So now we have 13 cheeping, chirrupping fluffballs! :D

See my feathered legs?


Just having a quick nap!

One for the boys!

It's time for another new challenge at Ruby's Rainbow, and this fortnight we'd like to see your projects for the boys and/or men in your life. My creation uses Skelekinz Boys You Rock My World by Bugaboo and papers I created for this piece.
These are the challenges I'd like to enter:
Sweet Sunday Sketches - sketch 136
My Time Made Easy - pretty palette 28, yellow, teal, grey
365 Cards - Triple It (use three techniques on your sentiment. I cut the shape (digitally), stamped the sentiment and grunged the whole thing)
Dream Valley Creations - buttons
Paper Creations Ink - buttons or bows (I'm not entirely sure if digital works are allowed for this one, just let me know if not)
Crazy Challenges - use 3 colours (teal, yellow, grey)
My Time to Craft - music
Tuesday Throwdown - thinking of you
Delicious Doodles - cute as a button
Simon Says Stamp - anything goes

You're making a scene!

A Halloween scene, that is! Yes, it's time for another fun Macabre Monday challengeat the Haunted Design House, and this week we want you to create a Halloween scene. Not just a gruesome image on it's lonesome, we want to see something that has a background for your main image. And you know who has amazing background stamps, perfect for creating all sorts of wonderful scenes? Make It Crafty, that's who, and they're also sponsoring us this week so the DT have all been working with luscious MIC digis.
I had such fun putting my scene together, and I've used a whole bunch of stamps from different companies. The house and the pumpkin carriage are both by Make It Crafty, the female is by Simply Betty, the bats are by StampInsanity and the gate is by Strange Skin. The moon and bg I did myself, and the trees are PS brushes from my stash.
These are the challenges I'd like to enter:
Divas by Design - sketch
Cutie Sunday - no text
One Stitch At A Time - use your favourites (digi stamps, skulls and spiderwebs)
Sparkles Forum Challenges - something that sparkles (skulls and spider)
My Time to Craft - L is for . . . Lots of stamps
Anything Goes - anything goes
Crafts and Me - stripes (just a few, on my ribbon lace bit down the side)
Phindy's Place Challenges - use opposites on the colour wheel (I've gone for blue violet and yellow-orange)
Squiggle Stamps - autumnal colours
Crazy 4 Challenges - Halloween
Whoopsi Daisy - make your own embellishments (the skulls were created by me)
The Queen's Royal Digi Challenge - Halloween
Paper Playtime - Halloween

I've got a bone to pick with you!

Here's what I've done today, using two digis from Smeared Ink. The main image is Carina from the Goth Fairies set, and for the backing paper I created a column with their Bat Skeleton digi, then repeated it across the base and flipped every other column upside down. And those fabulous skull embellishments? Are available from Creepy Glowbugg Concoctions.
These are the challenges I'd like to enter:
Smudgy Antics - I've got a bone to pick with you
Mami Doodles - sketch
Raise the Bar - things with wings
Sew Many Challenges - ovals
Sassy Studio Designs - square cards
Lil Red Wagon - repeat a stamped image (that's how I made the bp)
Flutterby Wednesday - use an angel, fairy or butterfly
Crafty Boots - things with wings
Speedy the Cat's Friends' Challenges - things with wings

Kooky to the kore!

Here's what I've done today, using a FAB new image by Simply Betty Stamps, and it's called Addams Portrait, which I was lucky enough to win.
These are the challenges I'd like to enter:

Smeared & Smudged Very Sketchy - September LO sketch
Digital Tuesday Challenges - people images
Digi Stamps 4 Joy - anything goes
Anything Goes - anything goes
Deep Ocean Challenges - lace
The Crafty Pad - Diamonds are a girl's best friend (I used the same idea on my last entry, but I liked the look of the gems around the edge so much that I did it again for this one :P)
Stamptacular Sunday - use a sentiment
Jelly Park Friends - be inspired by a colour pallette found at Design Seeds. THANK YOU so much for introducing me to this site, I love the colou palettes they have and have bookmarked the site for future reference. I used the Petaled Dark pallette, which you can see to the right.
And the main challenge that got me working on this is the DT call for the Beyond The Burtonesque Dolls, who are going to be opening a brand new challenge blog soon, inspired by not only Tim Burton, but also other fun, creepy-cute, quirky films and artists. Hurrah! So I chose The Addams Family, because frankly I love this stamp and wanted to use it. If you'd like to have a go, go the The Burtonesque Dolls blog to see the details. :P

Photo au Mojo at StampInsanity

It's time for a new StampInsanity challenge, and this week we'd like you to make something inspired by either (or both) of these photos.





And don't forget to tell us how you were inspired if it's not immediately obvious :)

I've used Angelika from the Devil Dolls set at StampInsanity, I just can't get enough of this whole set. And I created the bp to re-create the theme and colours of the first photo.



These are the challenges I'd like to enter:

Crafty Catz - sketch
Crafty Boots - things with wings
Kaboodle Doodles - lots of layers
Crafty Creations - fabulous fairies
The Squirrel and the Fox - anything goes
My Sheri Crafts - sewing or stitching
Timbroscrapmania - angels or devils
Color Q Challenges - red, orange, green, purple, white. It seems I forgot about the red, I hope that's ok.

Belated birthday wishes . . .

Teri, I am SO sorry that I forgot your birthday, I hope you had a wonderful day and are stil recovering from all the hi-jinx and shenanigans! :D Here's what I made for you, using a decoupage sheet from the Crafty Purple Frog and a paper from Crafty Chaos Designs.
These are the challenges I'd lie to enter:
The Pixie Cottage - sketch #88
Shopping Our Stash - no colouring allowed (the decoupage sheet is already coloured)
Birthday Sundaes - belated birthday card
The Crafty Pad - sparkly gems
Cute Card Thursday - anything goes
Moving Along With The Times - sparkle

Apalling apothecary

It's Monday, woohooo, which means it's time for another Macabre Monday challenge at the Haunted Design House! This week the challenge is "Apalling Apothecary" You are of course free to interpret this in any way you choose, as long as it's suitably dark. Think potions, spells, old glass bottles, poison, ingredients, anything that the phrase "Apalling Apothecary" brings to mind for you.
I've taken a slightly different direction than normal for me and created a digital scene, of a witch coming to check that all is well in her stash. No sentiment, no papers, no embellishemnts, just dozens of digi bits placed togther to create this:


These are the challenges I'd like to enter:
Quirky Crafts - anything but a card (a 4x4 in my case)
Scrappy Frogs - vintage
Shopping Our Stash - vintage, distressed or shabby chic
4x4 Friday - skeletons or skulls

How much stuff . . .

. . . can I possibly get on one creation? Well, apparently lots and lots. Usually I have trouble when I deliberately set out to make something "busy" but I actually love this one :D The image is Little Mermaid by Barbara Jensen, and the paper is one I made for this piece.

These are the challenges I'd like to enter:
Smeared and Smudged Very Sketchy - Sept card sketch
Smeared and Smudged Rock n Rolla Challenge - be inspired by the cideo to Warpaint by Warpaint
Picture Perfect Creations - white, purple, teal
Craft Your Passion - F is for Fussy and Fancy
Crafty Emma's Store Challenges - more than four different types of embellishment (ribbon down the side, clear gems on the ribbon, purple bow, dangling crystals across the top and glitter on the purple edges)
Totally Gorjuss - anything goes
One Stop Craft Challenges - girly
Delightful Sketches - girly girl
Cute Card Thursday - anything goes
Moving Along With The Times - sparkle

Boo to you!

It's time for another challenge at Corrosive, and this time we want you to use punches and/or dies. Or, if you work digitally like me, cut out shapes from digi paper and make them look like punches and die cuts. One of our sonsors this month is Dude Time Doodles, and this little guy is actually a freebie on their blog for this week only., so pop over and pick him up if you like him. They also have a challenge running where you could be their GDT for a month if you create something using this image and enter their challenge. Why not do both challenges at once?
The backing paper is from an as-yet-unreleased set called Poison Candy, which will be available soon at the Crafty Chaos Designs shop.
These are the challenges I'd like to enter:
Sketch and Stash - I used the S&S sketch #59, and both the paper and the image are brand new.
Crazy for Challenges - pumpkins
Dude Time Doodles - use the freebie image provided
Papertake Weekly - things with wings
Mami Doodles - all creatures great and small
Sew Many Challenges - Halloween
Cute Card Thursday - anything goes
Little Miss Muffett - things with wings
Stamptacular Sunday - just sayin' (include a sentiment)
One Stitch At A Time - punches

Splat!

Here's what I've done today, for the current challenge at Smudgy Antics, plus a few others. I saw the challenge theme (Paint) last Monday, and thought, hmmmm, I've got a week, I could get out some real paints and not do a digital piece for a change. And then suddenly it was today and there are only a matter of hours left until the challenge ends! MEEP! So, it had to be digital, but I've tried to make it look very very "paint-y" and used lots of different textures and brushes. The image is Octopode from the Heebie Jeebie set at Smeared Ink.
These are the challenges I had in mind while creating:
Smudgy Antics - paint
The Pixie Cottage - sketch #87
Color Q - turquoise, celery, grey, poppy
Fairy Fun Fridays - masculine
Cute Card Thursdays - anything goes
Cards For Men - anything but square
My Time To Craft - kaleidoscope of colour
Totally Stampalicious - anything goes

Creepy Birthday, Happy Glowbugg!!!!!

Creepy Glowbugg is celebrating her birthday today and she's such a fabulously macabre Minion that I'm sure she'll be doing it in her very own creep-tastic style! I created this piece to make her smile, using an image from DezinaWorld and bg by Itkupilli.
Glo, I hope you have a wonderful day, filled to overflowing with things that will make other people shudder! You RAWK!

I'd also like to enter the following challenges:
Shopping Our Stash - vintage, distressed or shabby chic
Art With No Boundaries - anything goes
One Stitch At A Time - anything goes
Anything Goes - vintage/shabby chic
Top Tip Tuesday - birthdays
Simon Says Stamp - be inspired by a song or film title. I went with "It's My Party (and I'll Cry If I Want To)"
Crafting For All Seasons - birthdays
Crafty Emma's Store Challenge - magical or spooky. This definitely counts as "creepy" but "spooky" I'm not so sure about. What do you think?
Crazy Challenges - birthday
Creatalicious - anything goes

For the girls

It's time for a new challenge over at the Ruby's Rainbow blog and for this fortnight, we want to see something specifically for the girls. My piece uses the fabulous Kassandra from the Devil Dolls set at StampInsanity.
These are the challenges I'd like to enter:
Card Positioning Systems - sketch 235
Cr84Fn - bright pink, black, grey (see image below)
One Stitch At A Time - anything goes
Totally Stampalicious - anything goes
Delightful Challenges - bling
Sweet Stampin' - for a teenager
Crafty Emma's Store - magical or spooky
Stamp Something - anything goes or say Goodbye
Stampin' for the Weekend - pink
Card Makin' Mamas - use something digital
Squiggle Stamps - spooky fun
Crafty Boots - anything goes

Get me - it's a real stamp!

It's time for another challenge at the Creative Card Crew blog and this week we're sponsored by the lovely people at Simon Says Stamp. Babies seem to be popping up all over the place at the moment, one lady on our team has a brand new granchild and four others are waiting for their own happy day, so the theme for this fortnight is "babies" My sentiment is a freebie from BrossArtAddiction, which I altered digitally. And the stamp is an actual bona-fide rubber stamp. I had to scan it in and do LOTS of cleaning up in PSP, where I also made the colour match the rest of the card.
These are the challenges I'd like to enter:
Moving Along with the Times - sketch
Sparkles Forum Challenges - white plus one other colour
Pollycraft Challenges - baby love
Do You Stack Up - texture
Pixie Dust Studio - baby card
Raise the Bar - all white bg
Crafty Ann's Challenges - out of your comfort zone White bg and rubber stamps are both things I avoid like the plague
The Stamp Man - white plus one other colour
Totally Gorjuss - man/boy project
Crafty Calendar - bears

Do you get YOUR five a day?

It's Monday, which OF COURSE means that it's time for a new Macabre Monday challenge over at the Haunted Design House. Have you been champing at your metal restraints waiting for the new challenge? Well, this week we're taking inspiration from the seven deadly sins. You can pick any one or use several to create your piece. I couldn't find a digi stamp of Maleficent, so I ended up using a desktop from Disney, which you can find HERE.
Challenges entered:
Deconstructed Sketches - sketch 18
Papertake Weekly - anything goes
One Stitch At A Time - anything goes
My Mum's Craft Shop - lots of layers

Goodbye to Summer!

Here's what I did today, using Owlette by Tiddly Inks as my image and papers from the Rich Autumn Glory set at Crafty Chaos Designs. The quote is by George Eliot and reads Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.
Here are the challenges I'd like to enter:
The Pink Elephant - sketch
Picture Perfect Creations - pumpkin pie, lucky limeade, rose red and island indigo
Tiddly Inks Challenges - goodbye Summer, hello Fall
Stamp Something - anything goes
Card Makin' Mamas - use something digital
Sukkersott Challenges - use a digital stamp
Craft Us Crazy - Autumn colours
Digi Stamps 4 Joy - colours of fall
Everybody Art - Autumn
Stamp With Fun - Autumn
Lexi's Creations - Autumn
Happileigh Scrappin' - Autumn
Pile It On - B is for burgundy, bird and brocade (on her dress)
Challenge Up Your Life - paper piecing
Bee Crafty - borders or frames
Desert Island Crafters - I used #6 flowers, #7 nature inspired, #8 sentiment, #9 add a little green
Just Tracy's Crafts - things with wings

Sassy Masquerade!

Sassy Studio Designs had a fabulous party last week, when they gave away a whole bunch of fabb images and sentiments, and I'm displaying what I've made with just two of them today.


I'd like to enter this one into the following challenges:
Paper Sundaes - sketch
Cupcake Inspiration - I used the colours and the randomly-sized circles
Quirky Crafts - flourishes and embossing
Sassy Studio Designs - masquerade ball. Use one of the new images and include feathers, bling, and/or sequins
Delightful Sketches - bling
The Crafty Purple Frog - birthdays
Little Red Wagon - die cuts
Craft Your Days Away - make your own flowers (not the metal and glass ones, but the one at the top with feathers for petals and a gem in the centre)


With the second card, I'd like to enter these challenges:
The Pink Elephant - sketch
Sassy Studio Designs - masquerade ball
Dare To Be Sassy Thursdays - buttons, bows, brads and bling
Pile It On - B is for buttons, bows, brads and bling
I Did It Creations - girly girls
Skrappekameret - monochrome
Aud Sentiments - for a girl
Try It On Tuesday - monochrome card
Crafts and Me - buttons and bows
Fresh Brewed Designs - use something new (image)
Sukkersott Challenges - use a digital stamp
Card Makin' Mamas - use something digital
Pattie's Creations - girly things
Allsorts - blues and greens

Purple and black with StampInsanity!

We have a new challenge for you over at the StampInsanity blog today, and we'd like to see all your purple and black creations. So I'm hoping to see LOTS of gorgeously gothic creations from all of you!
I've kept my piece very simple today, using my favourite stamp of all time, Lilith from the Devil Dolls set at StampInsanity.
These are the challenges I'd like to enter:
Pile It On - B is for black, border punch, bow, bats and "bite me"
Sparkles Forum Challenges - punch it
Cooking It Up with Katie - purple + bow + sentiment
Crafty Creations - anything but square
The Pink Elephant - sketch
Magical Monday Challenges - anything goes (my mythical creature is a vampire)
Stamp Something - digital
And, just for a bit of silliness, when I showed this card to hubby he pulled a shocked face and then brought me this tomato, claiming I'd managed to shock it as well :P

A present for Edward

Here's what I've been working on today, which will hopefully make you think of the film Edward Scissorhands. The image is by Smeared Ink from the Mad Science digi set, the quote is from the beginning of the film and everything else was created by me in PSP.
Here are the challenges I'd like to enter:
Smudgy Antics - metal
The Burtonesque Dolls - re-create a scene from a Burton film
Crafty Catz - monochromatic
Stamp Something - use a digi
Pile It On - B is for . . . Burton
Meljen's Designs - no patterned paper

PMS - Psychotic Miss Silver

We have a fun challenge for you at the Haunted Design House blog this week.

HDH105
"P.M.S. Psychotic Miss Silver"
You are to create a dark, Gothic, or Halloween-based art piece
that uses or includes a angry/crazy/psychotic woman and silver.
We've all been there. Some weeks are better than others. Make her crazy. Make her angry. Make her silver. Well, not literally, but use silver somewhere on this project.

My piece uses the WONDERFUL Voodoo Woman by Teri's Delicious Doodles. Everything else was done by me in PSP. These are the challenges I'd like to enter:
Stamp Something - use something digital
Delicious Doodles - fresh new start. The image is brand new to me.
Forever Night Freaky Friday Challenge - devilish intentions
Deconstructed Sketches - sketch 17
The Play Date Cafe - black and white with a splash of red. Hmmm, I made all my white bits silver, so maybe this won't count.
Shopping Our Stash - sassy, snarky or LOL, and the stash I used is the backing paper, which was one of the very first digi papers I bought, although it came in red and white instead of black and silver so I altered it.
One Stitch At A Time - use a digi
Charisma Cards - anything goes
Cards for Men - G is for Getting Even!

Funny or Punny at Corrosive!

It's the first Sunday of a new month, and that of course means that it's time for a new sponsor at Corrosive Challenges, and we'd like to see your funny creations, or projects that feature a pun. This month we have two sponsors, Paper MakeUp Stamps and Dude Time Doodles. I used two corset images from Paper MakeUp to create this bit o' silliness. The main bp was created for this project, and I paper-pieced both corsets using papers from the Pretty In Pink set at Crafty Chaos Designs. :D
These are the challenges I'd like to enter:
Picture Perfect Creations - turquoise, white, melon, indigo
The Pink Elephant - paper piecing
Craft Your Passion - sketch
My Mum's Craft Shop - 123 (1 sentiment, 2 different colours of gems, and 3 images)
Crafts and Me - add a charm
Do You Stack Up - friendly critters
Some Odd Girl - paper piecing
Aud Sentiments - for a female
Raise the Bar - paper piecing
Stamp Something - use something digital
Deep Ocean Challenges - hearts
Tuesday Throwdown - use a pun
Creative Craft Challenges - charms

Don't be sad, be AWESOME!

I made another frame-y card with a digi by Dilly Beans Stamps and papers by Crafty Chaos Designs. If you'd like a chance to win some of these digis, hop on over to the Haunted Design House blog, because Dilly Beans are sponsoring this week's Macabre Monday challenge!
Here are the challenges I'd like to enter:
Sketch Saturday - sketch 170
Deep Ocean Challenges - hearts (in the main imags and all over the bp)
Shopping Our Stash - snarky sarcastic or funny
My Mum's Craft Shop - 1 image, 2 types of embellishment (ribbons and gems) and 3 patterned papers
Little Miss Muffet Challenges - purple, blue, green
Anything Goes Challenges - inspired by TV or films. Now I have to admit that I've never seen the show, but I saw this quote and loved it so much that I created the whole card around it. The sentiment is from "How I Met Your Mother"
Clearly Inspired - patterned paper
Stamp Something - digi day