June-bugs, gems and gewgaws

It's a new month, and that means it's time fro a new challenge over at the Haunted Design House blog. This month's theme is June-bugs, gems and gewgaws. So we'd like you to feature insects/bugs (moths, spiders and creep-crawlies are also ok), OR gems and jewels, OR gewgaws in your creations this month. (A gewgaw is something showy and flamboyant that has little or no intrinsic value but serves a decorative purpose.) Here's my piece.

Create your own fairytale!

Here's a piece I created for the first challenge at Dream in Darkness. The theme for May is Anything Goes and I've used The Dark Forest digital stamp by Delicious Doodles / Delicious Darkness / ArtiDoodles for the main background and created a scene with it using elements from Holliewood Studios (More Brains and Halloween Art Dolls 2), Rucola Designs (Fears and Phobias), Mr Whiskers (Fairy Tales), TumbleFish Studios (Wispy Pieces 1) and Mystical Scraps (Zombie Mummy).

Sarcastic sunshine

Here's a piece I made this evening using  Dilly Beans stamp (#378 Cordillia).

These are the challenges I'd like to enter

Left of Center - #68 big eyes

Deconstructed Sketch - sketch #191

Creative Knockouts - #79 border time

Stop right there!

A relatively quick creation using Moon by Lady Mishka.

I'd like to enter it into

Left of Center - #63 spiders (but I'm playing LOC this week)

A Step in the Dark - #16 anything goes

Busy doing nothing

Here's what I've made today. The girl is by Xquizart (one of the Mulberry dolls), and everything in the bg came from the Misfit Dollhouse kits. all available at Mischief Circus. The original quote is by AA Milne, but I altered it very slightly to fit.

These are the challenges I made it for

Pile It On - #57 sketch (I turned it sideways)

Everybody Art - #313 monochrome

Allsorts - #299 purple

Suzy Bee's Blooming Challenges - #68 atg with a monochrome twist

The Pink Elephant - #287 anything goes

Craft Your Passion - #250 anything goes

Crafting From the Heart - #48 anything goes

Beauty comes in all shapes and patterns

I've used a free damask tile from openclipart to make both backing papers and also to paper-piece the raven. The raven stamp is by Ike's World.

These are the challenges I made it for

Ike's World Challenges - #32 paper piecing

Tuesday Morning Sketches - #289 sketch

Paper Minutes - #372 birds

Everybody Art - #313 monochrome

Sisterhood of Crafters - paper piecing or piercing

Crafty Creations - #283 white plus one

Moo Mania - black birds

You rock!

I've had fun messing about with several stamps from Dilly Beans tonight, and I made this piece for a few challenges.

These are the challenges I had in mind.

Allsorts Challenges - #299 purple

Crafty Creations Challenges - #283 white plus one

Craft Your Passion - #250 anything goes

Stamps & Fun = Creativity - #238 frame

The Pink Elephant - #287 anything goes

Not Just Cards - #13 anything goes

Imagine you can

The fairy is by Medi, the papers are from Mystical Scraps but altered by me.

Here are the challenges I made it for

Crazy 4 Challenges - C4C274 sketch

4 Crafty Chicks - 4CC#234 things with wings

Open-Minded Crafting Fun - #30 Up in the air

Crafty Catz - #267 for a special lady

We're not arguing!

Here's what I've made today, using a poser by Medi.

I'd like to enter it into these challenges

CASe This Sketch - sketch #111

CardMania Challenges - #65 use some red

Suzy Bee's Blooming Challenges - #68 anything goes with a twist of monochrome

Mema's Crafts Challenges - February red white and one other colour (black in my case)

Dance with death

Here's my latest creation, using a tube by EnaMorte and a quote by Kurt Vonnegut. Papers are by me - that mesh one is actually just joined-up Xs and I'm pretty pleased with it :)

These are the challenges I'd like to enter - 

Mojo Monday - sketch 385

Digitally Sweet Challenges - what's in your bag? My newest tote bag has a sugar skull on the outside in shades of blue and purple. And, LOL, the last thing that was inside it was tinned soup, which I guess also provides an "art" link :P

Not Just Cards - #13 anything goes

4 Crafty Chicks - 4CC 234 Things with wings

Cheers & Challenges Eclectic Ensemble - CCEE 1508 Moonstruck

Left of Center - #66 left of center option this time

Silly hubby!

This piece came together really quite quickly, which is rare for me. Somehow, I didn't take hours to make the bg or to find exactly the right shade for the font or to pick which images to use out of the many, many in my collection. Yay for me, I love it when I end up happy with pieces quickly and don't spend literally hours and hours struggling with every decision. The woman is by Xquizart and the bike is by Marta van Eck.

These are the challenges I'd like to enter - 

Crafts 4 Eternity - #213 two. I've used two lines of text, two images and two colours (mulberry and gold)

Digi Galore - anything goes

Not Just Cards - #13 anything goes

It's a love/hate thing, take 2

It's the third Monday of the month, which means the Minions over at Haunted Design House have some more creations to share with you on our theme this month, which is all about love or hate. AND we've announced last month's winners, so be sure to pop over to the blog to see if you're one of the entrants who impressed us most.
My creation has some indelicate words on it, so consider yourself warned - if you scroll down, you do so willingly and you are fully aware of what is to follow.

I've used an artdoll from Xquizart and elements from various kits to create this piece, and while the hate part is obvious, here's what I love - every single item in here has been altered by me in some way. Size, orientation, colour, vibrancy, opacity - all have been manipulated by me and I LOVE LOVE LOVE being able to do that with digital pieces. So remember, your entry doesn't have to be about love or hate, you also have the option of using a piece of kit or technique that you love or hate.  

So why not come along and play in the dungeon with us? There are just under two weeks left to get your February entries in :)

You asked for it!

Here's what I've created tonight using the wonderful pre-coloured digi from Ike's Art. She's called Long Tall Latex Sally and she also comes in an uncoloured version. AND if you check out the Ike's World challenge (linked below) a fab freebie image is available.

These are the challenges I'd like to enter

Ike's World Challenges - #31 make us laugh

Naughty or Nice - #12 love or anti-love. I think this covers both ;)

Left of Center - #65 Lost Love Well, after a statement like that, I think the love will be well and truly lost.

Hate housework?

Here's what I've made this morning. The woman is from a royalty-free vintage source, and was converted into a free png /digistamp by liftarn and is available from openclipart.org, with hundreds of others. If you like this type of image, search for "retro". I've been having a blast (see how retro I've gone?) downloading stuff.

These are the challenges I'd like to enter - 

Atlantic Heart Challenge - #94 sketch

Digitally Sweet Challenges - #126 colour challenge

Crafts 4 Eternity - #213 - use two of something I've got two sentiments, two layers (bg and image and two main colours (red and green)

Crafty Calendar - February anything goes

Crafting From the Heart - #46 anything goes

Craft Your Passion - #248 anything goes

Celebrate with me!

The poser is by JunkinPunkin and everything else is by me.

These are the challenges I'd like to enter - 

Simply Create Too - #79  anything goes

Color Throwdown - #329 aqua purple red and green

Tuesday Morning Sketches - #287 sketch

Allsorts Challenges - #298 anything other than a birthday

Digitally Sweet Challenges - #125 anything goes

Though lovers be lost

For this piece I've used a doll and flower from Xquizart mulberry sets, created the bg myself and added a quote by Dylan Thomas.

I created it for the February challenge over at ARTastic challenge blog, which is a colour challenge, using the colours from this beautiful piece by Josh Miels.

Grey, grey, grey

Here's what I've created today, using a stamp by Dilly Beans. Again, this amuses me greatly :)

These are the challenges I'd like to enter. 

Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers - SOSS27 G is for Grey (50 Sades or the colour)

Crafting From the Heart - #46 anything goes

Craft Your Passion - #248 anything goes

Open-Minded Crafting Fun - No pink or red

My 666th post - a VDay card for hubby and Day 3 of Bloody Valentine

It's the last day of the Smeared Ink 3-day Bloody Valentine blog hop, and it's been so much fun to see what the other artists have created along the way. My last piece uses Gemini Horrorscope by Delicious Doodles. Teri now sells some of her stamps at Smeared Ink, but I don't believe that this is one of them yet. If you'd like to hop along, here's the list.

Black Dragon Julia
Monique
Jessica
Nan B
Jane
Susan S (you are here)
Susan R
Lisa
Teresa
Leigh
Fiona
Rebecca
Lady Brayton
Sharon
Kristy

I'd also like to enter this into the following challenges. I've read the rules on all, but if my creation doesn't qualify because of either the format or the style, just let me know. 

Naughty or Nice - love or anti-love

Addicted to Stamping and More -  #131 anything goes

Crafting From The Heart - #46 anything goes

Make My Monday - Valentines This is my VDay card to my husband that I'll be posting on his FB wall tomorrow. It may terrify him ;) It's also my 666th post and it's Friday 13th. Portentous! :P

Bloody Valentine, Day 2

It's the second day of the Bloody Valentine hop, and I made another digital moo. A moo is a piece of art that's 2.8cm by 7cm, so I made my digital piece 280 pixels by 700 pixels., and I've been having fun with this new-to-me format. I've used two stamps from Smeared Ink and some newsprint from wiki commons.

Black Dragon Julia
Monique
Jessica
Nan B
Jane
Susan S (you are here)
Susan R
Lisa
Teresa
Leigh
Fiona
Rebecca
Lady Brayton
Sharon
Kristy

I'd also like to enter it into the following challenges, both of which are new to me. If it doesn't qualify because of either the digital format or the darker style, just let me know and there will be no hard feelings.

Naughty or Nice - love or anti-love

Colour Q - black, red and newsprint

You thought they were personality faults?

I've made two pieces that I've enjoyed tonight, but I can't show you one of them until tomorrow. This one, however, I'm free to share now, so yay for me :P The girl head and the bitchy unstable and mystique words are all from Mischief Circus and the backing paper and other text is by me.

I made it for a few challenges, a couple of which I haven't entered before, so I'm hoping it's acceptable, but if not, just let me know and there won't be any hard feelings. I have read the rules, and haven't seen anything that would obviously disqualify me, but you never know.

Moo Mania - Circles A moo is a piece of art that is 2.8cm by 7 cm. The blog does accept other sizes, but I've made my digital piece to fit as it's 280 by 700 pixels.

Top Tip Tuesday - your favourite colour combo. I've had a soft spot for purple and green for as long as I can remember, so that's what I've gone for with this piece.

Left of Center - glamourous girls

Not Just Cards - #12 anything goes

Bloody Valentine, Day 1

This year I'm joining in the the stupendous Bloody Valentine hop organised by the ever-awesome Smeared Ink. For 3 days, you'll be able to peruse some amazing creations based on the theme of Bloody Valentine, so if you're already sick of sweet pink cherubs and traditional roses, here's your wonderful alternative.

Black Dragon

Julia
Monique
Jessica
Nan B
Jane
Susan S (you are here)
Susan R
Lisa
Teresa
Leigh
Fiona
Rebecca
Lady Brayton
Sharon
Kristy

Here's my piece for Day 1. All the posts in the hop will be live by 9am PST, so go and feast your eyes on some fabulous alternative projects. I've used one of the Li'l Grumpies from Smeared Ink for my first creation, because you just can't beat a Grumpie, no matter the occasion.

Fifty shades of what, now?

Please note - you may end up offended or embarrassed if you scroll down. Or you may end up in fits of giggles :P
The lovely ladies at the Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers have challenged us to create something based around the film or the book Fifty Shades of Grey, with an alternative option of using the colour grey. I haven't read the book and I don't plan on watching the film, so originally I thought I'd do a piece in shades of grey. But then the DT samples inspired me, and I came up with these two creations. And after forcing the snarkessers to visit my blog far too many times for the last challenge, I thought I'd make it easier on them by doubling up with both creations in one post. (And frankly, this way I can put the one that looks pretty and pink in first so that some of my tamer followers won't get distressed by seeing the BDSM one in the blog list. :P)
I've used Snowflake from Mischief Circus  and "You. Are. Mine" shows up in a list of quotes on Google. Once I realised I was going to have her talking to a cocktail instead of a man, the bottom text seemed perfect.

Everything in this piece came from various kits at Mystical Scraps, Exquisite Scraps and Tiny Turtle Designs.

Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers - SOSS 27 G is for Grey
I'd also like to enter the Glamourous Ladies challenge at Left of Center

A mother of a day!

I've made this piece this morning (I seem to be speed-creating at the moment) Everything I've used  came from the Misfit Dollhouse collection at Mischief Circus, except for the painting on the wall, although the frame for the painting is from the Misfit Dollhouse stuff as well.

These are the challenges I'd like to enter - 

Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers - SOSS26 Snarker's Choice. This one is Y is for Your Momma. I really shouldn't keep promising to slow down my entries; it seems that I always find time for "just one more" :P

Left of Center - One for the kids. Hmmm, I'm not really sure if this should qualify or not, but it IS aimed at kids who might be wondering what to buy their beloved Mother on her special day ;)

Crafting From the Heart - #45 anything goes

In the pink at Halloween!

I've managed to squeeze in a couple more pieces for the Snarky Stampers. One of their challenges last year was H for Halloween, with an added challenge to make it mostly pink. So I've been amusing myself this evening by creating these two pieces.
Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers - SOSS26 Snarker's Choice
The girly in this first piece is from the Misfit Dollhouse Collectibles at Mischief Circus..

The elements in this second piece came mostly from Tiny Turtle Designs/

What's it all about?

Here's something I made for a few more challenges. The girl image is by Xquizart and everything else is by me.

These are the challenges I'd like to enter - 

Digi Sketch Challenge - For the girls and/or pick any sketch (pictured below)

Ssterhood of (Patient) Snarky Stampers - SOSS26 Snarker's Choice. These poor ladies will be getting so sick of me, but I promise I'll be more reasonable next challenge. This time I've gone for Q is for Queen  (crown or bling) and G is for Glitter

Crafting When We Can - favourite quote or saying

A Step In The Dark - #14 anything goes

This is the sketch I used, from Digi Sketch's Feeling Blue challenge last June.

Not even the crazy personality!

Here's my latest creation, Which makes me snort with laughter.

These are the challenges I made it for - 

Left of Center - #63 left of center

Use Your Stuff - Inspired by a song. This piece was inspired by Christine by Siouxsie and The Banshees, which was written about Chris Costner Sizemore, about whom the film and book The Three Faces of Eve were produced and written.

Crafting From the Heart - #45 anything goes 

Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers - SOSS 26 Snarker's Choice. This is another take on A is for Anti-Valentine

Macabre Monday - It's a Love/Hate thing!

It's time for a new Monthly Macabre Monday challenge at the Haunted Design House blog, and this month's theme is "It's a Love/Hate Thing"
This means you can enter a piece that's about love, or a piece that's about hate, OR you can use something you love or something you hate. And, lol, being a curmudgeonly sort, I've ignored the "love" options :P I hate not being able to colour in very well. I couldn't do it when I was using paper products and frankly, I'm not much better at it digitally. And, no, this isn't a self-pitying plea for sympathy. I'm truly in awe  of people who can colour images so beautifully with shades and highlights and lowlights, and I'm fully aware that mine is "adequate" in comparison. I need to find some tutorials and then practice, practice, practice. This is also a preemptive strike against the flood of cutesie Valentine projects that Blogland will be subjected to over the next few weeks.  Why isn't there a Valentine equivalent of "Bah, humbug!"? Ho hum. You can find me in the grumpy corner. :P Which is probably why I LOVE these Grumpies from Smeared Ink so much. :P See, there is a little bit of love, even in the midst of my rants!

These are the challenges I'd like to enter
Smudgy Antics - February Anything Goes with a Smeared Ink image
Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers - Snarker's Choice. I've gone for A is for Anti-Valentine this time
Not Just Cards - #12 Anything Goes

Inspired by FaceBook

Here's what I've made today. And yes, I know it looks incredibly simple, but I've spent hours on it trying to decide between various shades of practically-indistinguishable green for the bg and every single font on the pc and exactly how ginger or brown to make her hair and what colour her outfit should be and all the other myriad decisions that keep me too busy to properly plan out a killing spree :P I've also posted this on FaceBook, so if you'd like it on your own timeline, click HERE and share :)

These are the challenges I'd like to enter -
A Step in the Dark - #14 anything goes
Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers - Snarker's Choice This time I've gone for U is for Unused Stash (the frame by Dilly Beans has actually been in my collection for a few years now, shame on me for only just using it) and L is for a One Layer card. Layers are funny in digital creations, because they're created so differently, but I've created a piece that "could" be a one-layer card, if it was real, as it's one plain bg with the equivalent of three stamps placed on top.
Open-Minded Crafting Fun - no pink and no red
Digitally Sweet Challenges - #125 anything goes

It's all about the love!

Here's my latest creation. I'd like to enter it into the challenges at -
A Step in the Dark - #14 anything goes
Left of Center - anything LOC. I usually try to play along with the actual challenge, but this week I'm struggling, so I'm going for the easy option and entering this. Sorry ladies, digital piece do generally have dozens of layers, but I wanted to create something that had visible layers, but I haven't managed it yet.
Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers - SOSS 26 Snarker's Choice. In this case, I've gone for Vis for Vintage and O is for One colour.

P is for Profanity

I discovered a new challenge blog yesterday, and everything else I was working on got pushed aside so I could play along. I don't know how I haven't seen them before now, but the Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers are where I want to play from now on :) I'm just hoping that the Sisters will accept all-digital projects. I had a look around and I couldn't see anything saying that they weren't allowed. And, what the hey, I had a lot of fun creating this piece anyway, writing doggerel always makes me smile. The blog has been running for a year and have allowed snarky crafters to pick any of the themes from the last year of challenges in their Snarker's Choice Challenge. I've mostly gone for P is for Profanity, but it also qualifies for U is for Unused (the girl, paper and signs have all been in my collection for a while, but have never been used) and also possibly for A is for Anti-Valentine (not so sure about that one, it may be too much of a stretch)

You have been warned - the following contains language that may offend, so only look if this is something you won't mind.

Ouch!

The challenge at Open-Minded Crafting Fun is Movie Inspiration, and I decided to go for 9 to 5, using a stamp by MilkCoffee.

We're all mad everywhere!

Here's what I made for the current Movie Inspiration challenge at Open-Minded Crafting Fun. I hope it's reasonably obvious that I've chosen Alice in Wonderland :)

The numbers may not be exact

I've had a lot of fun playing with this Li'l Grumpie from Smeared Ink and the sentiment seemed perfect for him.

These are the challenges I'd like to enter:

Smudgy Antics - January anything goes with a Smeared Ink stamp

Left of Center - animal instinct  I wasn't sure if a Grumpie would count as an animal, but then I remembered that LOC have an anything-goes-if-it's-dark rule, so he can count through that.

A Step In the Dark - #13 anything goes

What's New, Pussycat? Take 2

We're halfway through our new Monthly Macabre Monday challenge over at the Haunted Design House blog, so we've announced the Gruesome Twosome from our last challenge and it seemed like a good time to bring you a second dosage of DT inspiration as well. You can check out the details on the blog and we'd love you to play along with your darker or alternative craft pieces. I created this piece using a new stamp for me, Cheshire Cat by Dilly Beans, and all the other elements came from Tiny Turtle Designs.

These are the challenges I'd like to enter:

Left of Center - Animal Instincts

A Step in the Dark - anything goes

Take a Word - cats

Just Inspirational Challenges - add a background image The moon, sky and ground are one background image, and I added in the wall, gravestones, death figure and bat all separately.

What do we need?

Here's what I made today for a few different challenges.

These are the challenges I'd like to enter - 

Left of Center - Animal Instincts

A Step In The Dark - anything goes

Just Inspirational Challenges - add a background image I used four separate images for this, from front to back it goes voodoo doll, bunny, floor tiles and spiderweb

Not Just Cards - #10 anything goes

Pity the monsters!

Here's something I created for a couple of challenges, using the image Dorothy by the Octopode Factory.

Here are the challenges that I'd like to enter -
Quirky Crafts - clean and simple
Not Just Cards - #10 anything goes

Comic strips are HARD!!!

I've been working on this for far too long, and I have a horrible feeling that you're not going to be able to read it here anyway. Two of the blogs I like to play along with challenged us to try something new, and I decided to give comic strips a go. I'm sometimes a little frustrated at how little text you can reasonably get into a single creation, so I thought I would enjoy having extra boxes tio play with. Well, as the title say, this was HARD WORK! Lol, it's taken far longer than anything I've worked on recently, so don't be too harsh, ok?

These are the challenges I'd like to enter - 

Order of the Opus Gluei - Out with the old, in with the new!

Left of Center - A new start with Ike's Art

Quoth the Raven - Snow Poe

For the "new" challenges, comic strips are new to me, and it's a also a new version of The Raven. For Snow Poe , it's white + black (with more grey than I originally intended) plus a re-working of The Raven.

Topsy Turvy

The current challenge over at the Digitally Sweet challenge blog is "Use your favourite shape" I'm really not certain that I have a favourite, but I tend to start with a square and then chop or extend as needed. However, that seemed a little easy, so I challenged myself to use triangles instead. And I got lots and lots of them into this piece, so yay for me :)

Monthly Macabre Monday at Haunted Design House!

Today sees the return of the blog challenge that first introduced me to the fun side of crafting. Fun to me means the gothic, gory, grungy, gruesome, graphic, ghoulish, goblin-esque and just damn gorgeous! Of course, I'm talking about Macabre Monday at the Haunted Design House. Woooohooooo! Our first challenge of 2015 revolves around the word "new". New stash, new techniques, new moon, newly dead, new fears. And we've even allowed the use of cats, if "new" really doesn't appeal to you. We're doing things very slightly differently this year, so check the blog for details, but the general idea if the same - we're open to interpretation AS LONG AS IT'S DARK AND CREEPSOME!

I used a new artist to me - Tin at Creative Design Outlet. But apparently s/he is retiring soon, so I snapped up several images to keep me going. I'm sure you'll be seeing more as the year goes on. We'd love to have you come play with us, so please put your best macabre foot forward, pull your most horrid hat on and dip your most gruesome toe in the waters of the dark side of crafting.

I'd also like to enter this into the challenge at Not Just Cards, since the lovely people there accept digital projects and always have a theme of Anything Goes.