Moon Bats

Today is Day 30, the penultimate day, of Smeared Ink's wonderful month-long blog hop, the 31 Days of Halloween!  Only one more day to go!

Today I have a card that I have entitled "Moon Bats."

The details:

1.  "Woodland Wonder" stamp by Penny Black

2.  Bats from Smeared Ink's real rubber set "A Little Bit Batty"

3.  Lindy's Stamp Gang Magical powder in Bling-y Blonde

4.  Background stenciled and sprayed with Prima Color Bloom spray mists

Thanks for stopping by today!  See you again tomorrow for the last day of the hop!  As always, you can find the entire blog roll in the right-hand sidebar.

Moon Maiden

Today is Day 21 of Smeared Ink's wonderful month-long blog hop, the 31 Days of Halloween!  Welcome to my blog!

Today I have another very simple piece to share--an ATC entitled "Moon Maiden."  I've had a hard time finding crafting time this week; thus the simple pieces over the last couple of days.  I'm hoping that tomorrow I will be able to fit in some quality time in my studio.

The details:
1.  "Moon Maiden" digi stamp from unknown maker (I have unfortunately lost track of where I obtained this image)
2.  Bat rubber stamp by Smeared Ink from the "A Little Bit Batty" set
3.  Kan'Dee cream chalk set in Metallics

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!  To follow the rest of the hop, you can find the entire blog roll in the right-hand sidebar.

Moongazing

It's Day 2 of Smeared Ink's 31 Days of Halloween blog hop extravaganza!

Today I have an ATC that I have entitled "Moongazing."  Who knew that cats were drawn to the moon just as wolves are?

The details:

1.  Moon stamp from Viva Las Vegas Stamps

2.  Bat stamp from "A Little Bit Batty" rubber set from Smeared Ink

3.  Cat stamp by Sweet Impressions, available from Sweet Stamps

4.  Tree branches cut with Tim Holtz Alterations by Sizzix "Twigs" die 

5.  Distress Inks

Thanks for stopping by today!  To visit the rest of our wonderfully Wicked Bloggers, please see the blogroll in the right-hand sidebar.

Kickstart Your Art: Day 1

Today is the first day of a Smeared and Smudged Forum challenge, Kickstart Your Art!  This is an art journal challenge where we are given a prompt every morning and then have 24 hours to produce a journal page.

Today's challenge was to "Create Layers."

Here is my entry:

This is something I've been thinking about a lot lately:  Do I want to be healed?  What am I without all my neuroses, fear, and anger?  What does a life without those things look like?  Do I have the courage to embrace that life?

The details:

1.  I started with a ground layer of Gelatos scribbled on the page and then lightly blended with a brush dipped in water.
2. Then I collaged pieces of tissue paper and other papers around the outside of the page, leaving the center clear to show the Gelato coloring.
3. The image was stamped from the Smeared Ink rubber set "Lost Dreams" with permanent ink and colored with Spectrum Noir alcohol markers.
4. I hand-lettered the words in the center and around the outside with permanent Sharpie markers, adding highlights with a white gel pen.  (If you look closely in the close-up, you can see the pencil marks I made laying out the center lettering.  I left them there because I like to see the process and the "hand" of the artist.)
5. Last, I added the fussy-cut figure and gave the whole page a brush with a thin layer of home-made Mod Podge. (Elmer's glue mixed with a little water.)

Thanks for stopping by and I'd love to hear any comments you have!

The Frost King

Today is the January Smeared and Smudged Blog Hop, sponsored by Smeared Ink!  Happy 2015, everyone!

To learn more about Smeared and Smudged, please visit this facebook page, or to learn more about Smeared Ink, visit the shop here.

Today's theme is The Dead of Winter, which I have interpreted thusly:

Please keep hopping through our blog roll (to the right in the sidebar) and take a gander at all the fantastic pieces our members have in store!

Rudolph, Enhanced

Today is the the tenth day of Smeared and Smudged's 2014 12 Days of Creepmas Blog Hop!  I'm excited to be here, along with all the other great artists that you can see in the blogroll to the right.  Start at the top with Terra or just jump in anywhere and follow along.  If you've arrived here from Keren's blog, you'll want to continue on to the lovely Leigh after stopping here.

We guarantee to give you an alternative view of the holidays!

Today is also the start of a new challenge over at Left of Center Challenges, sponsored by Delicious Doodles and Smeared Ink. I have a chosen to make card featuring Steampunk Rudolph from Smeared Ink.

"How d'ya like me now, huh?!"

The details:

1. Steampunk Rudolph--Brass the Steampunk Reindeer from Smeared Ink
2. Alphabet--Studio G alphabet set
3. Spectrum Noir colored pencils
4. Viva Decor Pearl Pen in Transparent
5. Tsukineko irRESISTible Pico Embellisher in bronze and silver

Elfin Rumors

Today is the the ninth day of Smeared and Smudged's 2014 12 Days of Creepmas Blog Hop!  This is also a Smeared Ink day, in which we have been challenged to use Smeared Ink images.  I'm excited to be here, along with all the other great artists that you can see in the blogroll to the right.  Start at the top with Terra or just jump in anywhere and follow along.  If you've arrived here from Keren's blog, you'll want to continue on to the lovely Leigh after stopping here.

We guarantee to give you an alternative view of the holidays!

Today I have a piece of altered art which I have entitled Elfin Rumors.  This is an "art" plaque which I acquired at my local Goodwill.  It started out looking like this:

And it now looks like this:

Now, I know that on these Smeared Ink days we have been challenged to use only SI stamps, but I have a really hard time using just one brand of stamps.  For me, part of the fun and challenge of making a piece is to pull stamps and images from all sorts of sources and then make them work together somehow.  I know that probably disqualifies me from the Smeared Ink Day, but that's OK!

The details:

1. Santa face--from Old-Fashioned Christmas Illustrations CD-ROM and book, by Dover Publications
2. Elves on candy cane horses--from Create with TLC
3. Mrs. Claus and small sentiments--from Femdom rubber stamp set from Smeared Ink
4. Spectrum Noir colored pencils
5. KimberlyGeneral’s,  Loew Cornell, and Prismacolor watercolor pencils
6. Faber Castell Gelatos
7. Background collaged from paper scraps, tissue paper, acrylic paints, chalk pastels

Have a Holly Jolly Skully

Today is the the seventh day of Smeared and Smudged's 2014 12 Days of Creepmas Blog Hop!  This is also a Smeared Ink day, in which we have been challenged to use Smeared Ink images.  I'm excited to be here, along with all the other great artists that you can see in the blogroll to the right.  Start at the top with Terra or just jump in anywhere and follow along.  If you've arrived here from Keren's blog, you'll want to continue on to the lovely Leigh after stopping here.

We guarantee to give you an alternative view of the holidays!

Today I have a little Creepmas tag, A Holly Jolly Skully.

The details:

1. Skull--Watchful Eye from Smeared Ink
2. Holly (foreground)--from Create with TLC
3. Holly (background)--from Inkadinkado Christmas Past Cling Stamp Set
4. KimberlyGeneral’s,  Loew Cornell, and Prismacolor watercolor pencils
5. Sharpie markers
6. Viva Decor Pearl Pen in Transparent

Only Mrs. Claus Knows

Today is the the fourth day of Smeared and Smudged's 2014 12 Days of Creepmas Blog Hop!  This is also a Smeared Ink day, in which we have been challenged to use only Smeared Ink images.  I'm excited to be here, along with all the other great artists that you can see in the blogroll to the right.  Start at the top with Terra or just jump in anywhere and follow along.  If you've arrived here from Keren's blog, you'll want to continue on to the lovely Leigh after stopping here.

We guarantee to give you an alternative view of the holidays!

Today I give you a fat page which I have entitled, "Only Mrs. Claus Knows."

And she keeps her secrets, you can be sure.

The details:

1. Image--from Smitten digi set by Smeared Ink
2. Alphabet--Studio G alphabet
3. KimberlyGeneral’s,  Loew Cornell, and Prismacolor watercolor pencils
4. Colorbox archival pigment ink in Cranberry

Zombie Gingerbread Men

Today is the the second day of Smeared and Smudged's 2014 12 Days of Creepmas Blog Hop!  This is also a Smeared Ink day, in which we have been challenged to use only Smeared Ink images.  I'm excited to be here, along with all the other great artists that you can see in the blogroll to the right.  Start at the top with Terra or just jump in anywhere and follow along.  If you've arrived here from Keren's blog, you'll want to continue on to the lovely Leigh after stopping here.

We guarantee to give you an alternative view of the holidays!

Today I have a quick card to offer, using an image from the latest Smeared Ink Rubber Club plate, A Very Skelly Christmas.

OK, true confessions--it wasn't meant to be quite that blood-spattery, but sometimes late at night...unpredictable things happen.  And I think I kinda like it!

The details:

1. Zombie gingerbread man--from A Very Skelly Christmas rubber set by Smeared Ink
2. Zombie gingerbread sentiment--from Create with TLC
3. Spectrum Noir colored pencils
4. Tsukineko irRESISTible Pico Embellisher
5. Background paper--Pine St. Square Paper Pack by The Paper Studio
6. Background paper embossed with Darice Crackle Embossing Folder

Pumpkin

Today is the twenty-fourth day of the 31 Days of Halloween Challenge and Blog Hop, sponsored by Smeared Ink and the Smeared and Smudged forum!  Today is Friday, so it is also a Smeared Ink day, featuring images from Smeared Ink.

To see everyone who is participating in the blog hop, follow the blog roll on the right.  If you're following the blog roll, you probably got here from Sue's blog and will want to proceed to Leslie's blog after you've stopped here!

Today I have something a little different from my usual style, although I had a lot of fun making it!  Earlier in the hop, someone (I'm sorry, I can't remember who!) blogged about how they saved all their scraps and odds and ends and used them on Sunday to make a collage.  I thought this was such a great idea that I have been doing the same, except there's no way I can wait for Sunday--I have too much fun doing this to wait for the weekend!

This is one of my collaged backgrounds, with a focal point of the Autumn's Pencil pumpkins popped up above it.

The photos are a little washed out, as I took them in the late afternoon sunlight, but on the other hand you can really see some of the texture in the background.

Here's a shot taken in the shade, which shows the true colors (but not the texture) a little bit better.

I would love some feedback on this piece, as I've looked at it so much I'm not sure whether I like it, it needs more work, or it's just a big hot mess!  Constructive criticism is welcome!

The details:

1. Pumpkins--from Autumn's Pencil rubber set from Smeared Ink (not yet available to the public)
2. Background papers--scraps, found papers, embossed scraps
3. Faber Castell Gelatos
4. Clearsnap Colorbox Chalk Inks
5. Watercolors
6. Alphabet--unknown maker

Bat Out of Hell Driving School

Today is the seventeenth day of the 31 Days of Halloween Challenge and Blog Hop, sponsored by Smeared Ink and the Smeared and Smudged forum!  Today is Friday, so it is also a Smeared Ink day, featuring images from Smeared Ink.

To see everyone who is participating in the blog hop, follow the blog roll on the right.  If you're following the blog roll, you probably got here from Sue's blog and will want to proceed to Leslie's blog after you've stopped here!

Today I have a yellow pages ad for a new driving school in town.  I give you Bat Out of Hell Driving School!

I recommend you stay out of the way.

The details:

1. Cardstock—Paper Accents
2. Bat images--from the A Little Bit Batty rubber set from Smeared Ink
3. Alphabets--Stampabilities set, Studio G sets, All Night Media Jive Alphabet (note:  the set that I have is no longer available, but a larger size in the same font is available here)
4. Sharpie permanent marker

A Wanton Halloween

Today is the tenth day of the 31 Days of Halloween Challenge and Blog Hop, sponsored by Smeared Ink and the Smeared and Smudged forum!  Today is Friday, so it is also a Smeared Ink day, featuring images from Smeared Ink.

To see everyone who is participating in the blog hop, follow the blog roll on the right.  If you're following the blog roll, you probably got here from Sue's blog and will want to proceed to Leslie's blog after you've stopped here!


Before scrolling any further, please read the Warning:


WARNING:  my project today uses adult images!


Starting my series A Gibson Girl Halloween, today I offer you Victoria, who longs to be naughty.

If only she knew someone who would indulge her fantasies....

The details:

1. Victoria--Gibson Girl stamp from flonzcraft (also on ebay here)
2. KimberlyGeneral’s and Loew Cornell watercolor pencils
3. "Wanton"--word stamp from Alpha Stamps
4. Bound woman--from Femdom rubber stamp set from Smeared Ink
5. Background paper--from The Best of The Paper Studio 12 x 12 paper pack
6. Fainting couch--free Victorian couch digital image from The Old Design Shop
7. Yasumoto Pearlescent Water Colors

Fly By Night

Today is the third day of the 31 Days of Halloween Challenge and Blog Hop, sponsored by Smeared Ink and the Smeared and Smudged forum!  Today is Friday, so it is a Smeared Ink day, featuring images from Smeared Ink.

To see everyone who is participating in the blog hop, follow the blog roll on the right.  If you're following the blog roll, you probably got here from Sue's blog and will want to proceed to Leslie's blog after you've stopped here!

I have a simple card today, which I've entitled Fly By Night.

The details:

1. Cardstock—Paper Accents
2. Kimberly General’s and Loew Cornell watercolor pencils
3. Tree branches image--from my stash.  I've forgotten where I got this one from--I know, shame on me!
4. Bat image--from the A Little Bit Batty rubber set from Smeared Ink
5. Moon painted with Yasumoto Pearlescent Water Colors
6. Tim Holtz for Ranger Distress Ink